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Volume II, 05 | September 2010

Erica Stall Wiggins on President Obama’s Visit Pg. 10

UT group bringing

world-class art,

cultural understanding

to community By Katie Walsh

School Funding: Adequacy vs. Equity Page 5 The Accountability Game - 0 Textbooks = Truth? - Page 10

The Mexican Center at UT’s LILLAS hosts “Foodways of Mexico: The Culinary Birth of a Nation,” a talk by acclaimed Oaxacan chef Iliana de la Vega on Thursday, Sept. 9 at the Mexican American Cultural Center (6 p.m.). De la Vega explores the classic dishes created in the convents and palaces of the colonial cities of Mexico and how they became an essential part of the people’s identity. Free. MACC, 601 River St. www.ci.austin.tx.us/macc.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Called a peerless virtuoso, the greatest of Indian violinists and a master of improvisation, India Fine Arts presents maestro Padmabhushan L. Subrmaniam, his son Ambi Subramaniam and percussion artists on Sunday, Sept. 12. The “Paganini of Indian classical music” performs at 5:30 p.m. at Westlake H.S. Fine Arts Auditorium. Reserved tickets $15 & up. See www.suleka.com/austin and www.austinifa.org.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Asian American Cultural Center celebrates its 10th Anniversary Saturday, Sept. 18 with the Harvest Moon Festival. The fest features Asian and Pacific Rim cultural performances including Taiko Drum, Lion Dance, Chinese Opera, cultural dance, martial arts demonstrations, family activities and games, resource booths and Asian foods. Free. 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. AACC, 11713 Jollyville Road. www.asianamericancc.com.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The always amazing Austin Museum Day arrives Sunday, Sept. 19. The day features free exhibitions and activities at more than 30 participating museums, including art and science, history, nature, botany, children, heritage and culture, from Austin Children’s Museum to Texas Folklife to Women & Their Work. Plan your day’s activities at www.austinmuseums.org.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Catholic faith community charity organization St. Vincent de Paul hosts the third annual Friends of the Poor Walk on Saturday, Sept. 25. The walk—with registration at 8 a.m./walk 9 a.m.—at East Austin Metropolitan Park (18667 Blake-Manor Rd. in Manor), benefits struggling individuals and families in our community. Participants have the option of 1-mile or 3.2-mile walks. See www.ssvdp.org for info.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Carver Museum’s Cultural Lounges aim to promote an atmosphere for sharing ideas, thoughts, and concerns on issues relevant to the African American community in Austin. On Tuesday, Sept. 28 in the Conley Conference Room, the topic of the gathering will be “Why We Laugh: Black Comedians in Comedy.” Call 512-974-3671 or email [email protected] for more info.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Austin is fortunate to be home to a thriving Turkish American population, and nowhere is this more in evidence than Austin Community College’s new classes in Turkish language and Turkish cuisine. Turkish is the fifth most common spoken language in the world and its rich cuisine is loved everywhere, blending Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food cultures. Classes begin September 14. For more, see www.austincc.edu/ce/.

[email protected]

512.538.4115

BOWEN WILDErLook for Bowen around the greenbelt, in your favorite local dive bar, riding past you in the bike lane, or out and about covering music (page 13) for TODO Austin.

HEATHEr LEEHeather holds a B.A. in English and has worked in research and law throughout her professional career. She’s equal parts serious and humorous and the love of her life is her dog, Beulah. Page 19

D’WAyNE BELL is a recent graduate of UT Austin who plans on obtaining an advanced degree to help him serve the underprivileged in education. He examines textbook adoption on page 10.

Executive Editor ErICA STALL WIggINS reports on President Barack Obama’s recent trip to Austin on page 10.

gABINO IgLESIAS is a journalist and freelance writer with a knack for dark stories with a funny side, culture and music pieces and narratives in which bias and unfairness are exposed. He breaks down the school funding debate on page 5.

contributors

Yoga made ESY for You.

1050 East 11th St. #150 ~ 512.779.8543www.eastsideyoga-austin.com

www.facebook.com/todo.austin

www.twitter.com/todo_austin

dia de los muertosat the macc

call for entries

Submit your entry form for the altar exhibit or the custom car show! Entry forms are available by calling 512-974-3772 or emailing Herlinda Zamora at [email protected]

October 30, 2010Free & open to the public

The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you require special assistance for participation in our programs or use of our facilities please call 512-974-3772 or 711 Relay Texas.La ciudad de Austin está comprometida al Acta de Americanos Incapacitados. Si requiere asistencia para participar en nuestros programas por favor llame al teléfono número 512-974-3772 e 711 Relay Texas.

600 River St., Austin, TX 78701 512-974-3772, maccaustin.org

www.cityofaustin.org/parks

emma s. barrientosmexican american cultural center

The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you require special assistance for participation in our programs or use of our facilities please call 512-974-3772 or 711 Relay Texas.La ciudad de Austin está comprometida al Acta de Americanos Incapacitados. Si requiere asistencia para participar en nuestros programas por favor llame al teléfono número 512-974-3772 e 711 Relay Texas.

600 River St., Austin, TX 78701 512-974-3772, maccaustin.org


museum daySeptember 19, 201012-5pm

• Free & open to the public• Presentation by Mexican photographer Diego Huerta from 2-4pm • A performance by the Austin Symphony at 5:30pm, featuring music by Mexican composers honoring the Centennial of the Mexican Revolution and the Bicentennial of Mexican Independence

www.cityofaustin.org/parks


FrOM THE PLAzA-----------------------------------------------

Mexican American Cultural Center Name Change Leaves Some ConcernedA group of MACC board members and Austin

citizens met in mid-August to ask City Council

to reconsider their possible decision of renaming

what is now the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican

American Cultural Center (MACC). The group

felt it was necessary to first gain more public

input on the matter before making a final

decision. More than 700 people signed a petition

requesting that Council rename the Mexican

American Cultural Center for the late wife of

former Texas Senator Gonzalo Barrientos. Mrs.

Barrientos played a large role in getting the

center built and many supporters felt it would be

a great way to honor her and bring the Hispanic

community together. After a unanimous vote,

the Austin City Council chose to rename the

center, but the vote did not sit well with several

Austin residents. Both El Concillo, a coalition of

Mexican American Neighborhood Associations,

and the League of United Latin American Citizens

(LULAC) were in opposition of the name change.

Gavino Fernandez, Jr. told Fox 7 News, “we as a

community are very hurt that the City Council

intends to shove this down our throat without

public participation…this is a total disrespect to

our elders and our barrio, who labored so hard

for the Mexican American Cultural Center. It was

created for the entire community by the entire

community.” Council posted a list of reasons

justifying their decision.

-----------------------------------------------

UT’s Admission Process under AttackAfter being rejected by an Austin district judge

last year, plaintiffs Abigail Fisher’s and Rachel

Michalewicz’s case was presented in early

August to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The University of Texas and Texas attorney

Gregg Abbott defended the school as they went

in front of the court. The university received

substantial scrutiny over the case, in which both

Michalewicz and Fisher, white students, felt

their denied admittance was unfairly based on

their race. The students feel the use of race and

ethnicity is unconstitutional and should not be

part of the admission process. Sanford Levinson,

law and government professor at UT, says if the

plaintiffs win it could strain the university’s top

ten percent rule, which automatically admits

Texas high school students in the top tenth

percentile to any state school. Currently, that

law allows the university to let in the majority

of their students solely based on that criteria.

The plaintiffs’ attorney says the law has in fact

diversified the Austin campus, and as long as the

top ten percent rule can diversify the campus

enough, then race should not be a factor. The

university’s vice president for legal affairs says the

court is not expected to make a decision in the

near future, and it is not certain if anything will

change in the next few months.

get Out the Vote East AustinBy Mindy Heredia

The Latino, African American, and immigrant communities have joined forces with citywide organizations to “Get the Vote Out in East Austin.” The group is targeting precincts 123, 427, and 426, the lowest voter turnout precincts in Travis County. The goal is to register 300-400 new voters and to increase voter turnout in these precincts by 25%. The initiative is being led by a coalition including Southwest Key Programs, the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition, the Austin Center for Peace and Justice, and others and it is part of a statewide effort by the Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance to increase voter turnout, particularly in Latino communities, in the upcoming elections.----------------------------------------------

Austin Pets Alive!By Mindy Heredia

Austin Pets Alive!, a nonprofit dedicated to making Austin a “no-kill” city, announced today it has opened an adoption and resource center after more than two years of operating. The volunteer-driven organization is responsible for saving more than 4,000

lives since it activated its rescue program in June 2008. Within its first year, the adoption and resource center will save at least another 1,000 lives — in addition to the 3,000 lives the group is already on track to save — and potentially thousands more per year once it is fully funded, the group says.

“This will not be a long-term fixer upper project,” said APA!’s executive director, Dr. Ellen Jefferson. “Our plan is to move in the animals as soon as it is sanitary and safe and then continue fundraising to further build out catteries and dog runs.” The new APA center will be a haven for all animals, including those who are “less than perfect” that aren’t chosen for the city shelter’s adoption program. The center will also be used to host adoption events and to provide medical and behavioral care for the animals most at risk for euthanasia from the city shelter. Because it rests on four acres, there will be room for a community dog park and family picnic area. Residents are being asked to donate funds to build such amenities as private kennels, a fully-functioning veterinary clinic, a parvo puppy recovery center and a care center for “bottle baby” kittens who are under six weeks old. For more info call 512-663-8643.

Established under the authority of the Fund for the Improvement of Education program, Promise Neighborhoods is aimed at improving the educational and developmental outcomes of children in underdeveloped rural and tribal communities. The Department of Education plans to select 20 deserving areas to split an initial $10 million-dollar grant to begin transforming their very own “promise neighborhood.” The ultimate goal of the program is to change the trends of poverty, unemployment, academic failure and poor health that strike so many communities around the country. Two neighborhoods in Austin have already submitted applications in hopes of being chosen for the program, the St. Johns/Coronado Hills area in Northeast Austin, home to Webb Middle and Reagan High Schools, and the Govalle/Johnston area. The Department of Education has received almost a thousand neighborhood applications from all over the U.S.

According to the Austin Chronicle, the Achievement Zone, located in the St. Johns neighborhood, has a 43% child poverty rate, and about 47% of adults have a language barrier, speaking little or no English. Former Austin Independent School District trustee Karen Dulaney Smith, the Achievement Zone’s Support Specialist, along with several representatives from AISD, the county and the city, support the area’s proposal. The St. Johns neighborhood has been highly underrepresented and under-funded for many years. A number of charitable organizations have offered to match any money that may be provided for the Achievement Zone through the Promise

Neighborhood Program. According to Dulaney, it will be extremely important to get the community involved in this project to further its success. In the Govalle/Johnston neighborhood, the East Austin Children’s Promise hopes to alleviate their area’s impoverished conditions and poor education system. The East Austin Children’s Promise will continue the work of Southwest Key, a non-profit organization that provides alternative centers under the Juvenile Justice Alternative. Since their creation of the East Austin College Prep Academy, the rigorous curriculum has attracted students from all over the East Austin area. Southwest Key President Juan Sanchez explains that their promise to students is if they stay in school, they will graduate from college. The students at the progressive middle school are also required to take part in community service at least one weekend a month.

Despite both projects’ goals of improving their schools and community, the idea that one underprivileged community would be selected over another troubles some, especially Southwest Key Deputy Executive Director Joella Brooks, who told the Austin Chronicle, “we feel it is a disadvantage to the youth in East Austin for AISD to ‘pick and choose’ which community to prioritize when ALL of Austin’s students deserve a quality education and attention.” The Department of Education will review all applications and announce winners as early as this month. Promise Neighborhoods is backed by President Obama, who hopes the program will be successful and continue to expand.

04 TODO Austin // sep 2010 // TODOaustinonline.com

TODO AustinVOLUME II, NUMBER 05

Publisher/Editor - Gavin Lance [email protected]

Art Director - Dave McClintonwww.dmdesigninc.com

Executive Editor - Erica Stall Wiggins

Senior Editor - Katie Walsh

Associate Editors: Brandon Ramiro Badillo, Mindy Heredia, Sonia Kotecha, Alexandra M. Landeros, Blake Shanley, Yvonne Lim Wilson

Contributing Writers/Artists: Mohammad Al-Bedaiwi, Joseph Banks, Stefanie Behe, D’Wayne Bell, Deborah Alys Carter, Jennie Chen, Brandi Cowley, Mia Garcia, Paul Hernandez, Gabino Iglesias, Anoop Iyer, Daria Jansen, Pranaya Kondekar, Harish Kotecha, Callie Langford, Heather Lee, Julia Lee, Otis Lopez, David Marks, Brooke Maudlin, Mary Parsamyan, Kathy Pham, Breanna Rollings, Marion Sanchez, Rupal Shah, Carol Stall, Kristina Vallejo, Kuetzpalin Vasquez, Priya Vijayaraghavan, Julia Walsh, Bowen Wilder, Thomas Yoo

PHOTOgrAPHErS: Heather Banks, Jenny Fu, Mark Guerra, John M. P. Knox, JoJo Marion, Maverick Shaw, Mohan Sridharan, Aimee Wenske, Matt Ziehr

ADVErTISINg:Jake Morse at 817.313.7062 orKathleen Fitzgerald, 512.284.5492;or [email protected]

TODO Austin is published by Spark Awakened Publishing. © 2010 Spark Awakened Publishing. All rights reserved. Unsolicited submissions (including, but not limited to articles, artwork, photographs) are not returned.

ON THE COVER:ArtesAméricas photo by Martin gavica

Visit us at

TODOAustinOnline.com

Join us at TODO AustinMulticultural Media for All of Austin

TODO Austin is a free, colorful print and online journal for all of Austin highlighting our multicultural heritage. Our mission is to promote the concept of community in an ethnically diverse city.

TODO Austin’s content closely mirrors the changing demographics of Austin.

TODO Austin provides a platform that profiles Hispanic, Anglo, Asian, African American and other individuals, groups and organizations that are representing a positive vision in the community.

WRITE TO USwith stories, submissions, etc.:[email protected] – 512.538.4115

Two Austin Communities Hopeful for Promise Neighborhoods grantBy Mindy Heredia

TODO Austin // sep 2010 // TODOaustinonline.com 05

Take two men of equal physical strength, age and stamina. Hand one of them a bowie knife, a canteen full of water, a first aid kit, some mosquito repellent and a compass. Hand the second one absolutely nothing. Now drop them both in a humid tropical jungle and watch them strive to survive. Which one do you think will have a better chance of getting out of the jungle unscathed? What makes his odds better than those of his counterpart?

The above situation with the two men illustrates perfectly the importance of the right tools under certain circumstances. If the suitably-outfitted man survived and the ill-equipped one perished, we would be wrong to judge the first one more suitable at surviving simply because these individuals were not operating under equivalent conditions.

Equality is the name of the game. In other words, tools are essential if we wish to succeed at any particular endeavor. Furthermore, doesn’t every man and woman deserve an equal opportunity at success? Isn’t having the same tools and opportunities the definition of fairness?

Today, education is probably the most important tool of all, and the job market is as bad as any mosquito-infested jungle. To provide a student with insufficient tools and abilities is as cruel as sending them to some inhospitable landscape without the proper gear. Likewise, handing another student all the necessary tools makes for an unjust and uneven playing field.

The skills that young students develop at school more or less dictate their future and have a direct correlation to their potential level of success. From their chances of finishing high school to the likelihood of a subsequent college education, including graduate degrees, primary education has been shown to be an infinitely important and often defining factor in the life of children. Without a good beginning, it’s hard to expect an amazing finish.

Unfortunately, inequitable funding in the public school system in Austin creates a situation in which children are not guaranteed those indispensable tools even if they stay in school. Not surprisingly, any funding disparity, and the ensuing deficiencies it creates, has a direct and negative effect on the quality of the education provided in our schools.

Presently, the big debate over funding focuses on whether the public school system

Let’s Talk About It

should strive for adequacy, which means that students receive sufficient funding to allow them to achieve some basic educational goals, or equity, which basically comes down to a system in which every student has access to exactly the same resources.

When it comes to adequacy, according to the Coalition to Invest in Texas Schools, we’re looking at a “market-driven ideal contingent on effective, standardized testing to determine how well a given school district’s students are performing and what level of funding is necessary to achieve prescribed guidelines.”

That’s very nice, but the truth is that every single student should have access to the best teachers and top-notch technology in order to grow, learn and achieve academic success, independent of what he has shown in the past: there is always room for improvement and, by setting a bar, we are only preventing students from pushing to go beyond it. Also, a premium on standardized tests that measure intelligence, one of the less-standardized things out there, is probably not the best way to go.

When it comes to equity, some people argue that it goes against adequacy in the sense that it would provide more funds to students that need additional tools in order to be on the same level as their cohorts. For example, a native speaker would need fewer English classes and/or tutoring than a student that has English as a second language. Nevertheless, shouldn’t the whole point be to give students all that they need to compete fairly with their cohorts in the future?

While a combination of both concepts would probably provide the best solution, the truth is that the argument continues, as do the funding inequities and the shortcomings that they represent for the brains of the future.

The “goal” in the public school system should be to provide students with teachers that encourage critical thinking and creativity; schools that stress the utmost importance of reading, writing and understanding politics and advocacy, and a curriculum that focuses on technological and media literacy. Finally, the system should concentrate on students as whole, not on African American students, underprivileged students or immigrant students. A young mind is fertile soil for ideas: prejudice, senseless differentiation and political and social bias do nothing but spoil that fertile soil.

That brings us to the “unspeakable” reasons for the funding inequities. It has always been a public secret that some schools were left behind when it came to fund distribution because they served underprivileged, African American or immigrant/Latino communities, although the truth is that some schools serve a mix of all three. True as that may be, inequities also occur when schools are staffed primarily with young teachers. Youth-filled schools have been shown to receive fewer salary dollars than those schools staffed with veteran teachers.

In a way, giving less money to schools with young teachers hinders the development of both the students and the educators. Why should young talent be financially punished?

Are we saying that young, fresh minds with less of a generational gap between them and the students they educate are less capable than seasoned educators? That’s utterly senseless.

What makes a lot of sense is ensuring equal opportunities in public education regardless of color, ethnicity or social status. If we look at the future and picture it full of well-prepared professionals, it looks a lot less scary. The great psychologist, philosopher and educator John Dewey once said: “Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.” If we take upon ourselves the fight for equal opportunities and funding in education, we are fighting for life itself.

Mahatma Gandhi’s life experiences and non-violent teachings have influenced many significant leaders and political movements, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Benigno Aquino, Jr. Each year on Gandhi’s birthday (October 2), he is honored worldwide with the International Day of Non-Violence and in the United States with a national day of service entitled “Be the Change,” inspired by Gandhi’s most inspirational quote, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

In its second year, the Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) Austin chapter will take the lead in coordinating this year’s Be the Change event in Austin on October 2, 2010. An annual day of service coordinated by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), the event aims to inspire and empower people around the country through civic engagement and community service. Participants will be united through Gandhi’s common values of equality, tolerance and non-violence, regardless of ethnicity, racial or religious background. In 2009, 3,000 participants around the country contributed 6,000 service hours in 70 cities. This year, Austin will join the ranks of San Francisco, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Chicago in hosting one of the larger Be the Change national days of service events.

Over the course of the last few months, the NetIP Austin chapter has been actively

planning for a widely recognized signature event that promotes volunteerism and civic participation. Although it is NetIP Austin’s first attempt at a service day of this magnitude, the organization has received strong support from the community and has high hopes. The goal is to not only attract a large number of people in service, but to effect change in those that do participate by encouraging them to make an ongoing commitment to give back.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. with a service project wherein individuals will commit a few hours to one of various local non-profit organizations that need a group of volunteers. Activities planned will include opportunities such as sorting food at a local food bank, making greeting cards for children in orphanages overseas, street clean up, sorting children’s books at the public library, yard work and deconstructing old computers for recycling.

After completing a morning service project, the day will turn to reflections and festivities on the steps of the State Capitol, where public officials and other speakers will commemorate the occasion. Gandhi’s Day of Service will provide the platform for meaningful service that highlights the universal beliefs of compassion, selflessness, and unity. For volunteer opportunities, or to request volunteers for your non-profit, please contact [email protected].

By Sonia Kotecha and Rupal Shah

Calling All Youth!Be the Change Creative Writing Contest

netiP austin is coordinating a children/youth creative writing contest in conjunction with the Be the Change festivities. submissions of essays, poems, stories and other forms of creative writing should address the following question:

What do MahatMa gandhi’s life and teaChings insPire you to do?

eligiBle PartiCiPants: all pre-college students in the austin and round rock areas are invited to enter. the contest will be divided into two categories: 1) students 16 and over. 2) students under the age of 16.

forMat and suBMission dates: submissions may include essays, poems, stories and other forms of creative writing that address the question above. entries may be fiction or non-fiction. submissions must be no more than 1,500 words. entries should be submitted electronically, via e-mail to [email protected] no later than 5:00 p.m. on september 24, 2010.

entries should inClude a Cover Page that lists the folloWing: • student’s name and age at time of submission • school presently attending • title of submission

aWards: netiP austin will award a first and second place winner in each category, for a total of four (4) winners. submissions will be judged on creativity and content. the judgment decisions are the sole responsibility and prerogative of the netiP award Committee.

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Austin Muslims will join 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide in celebrating Eid Al Fitr (Feast of Breaking the Fast) on September 10 – 13, 2010. This Eid is one of the two Islamic holidays celebrated by Muslims around the world. The holiday marks the end of Ramadan, the month in which daily fasting from sunrise to sunset is prescribed on all healthy and able Muslims. For Muslims, Eid Al Fitr is a time of joy, generosity, sharing, peace of congregation, brotherhood and sisterhood, fellowship and unity. Muslims not only celebrate the ending of the fast, but also thank God for the strength and enhanced piety He provided them throughout the month of Ramadan.

The Eid starts with communal prayer to thank God for the opportunity to worship in the month of Ramadan. Families and friends then exchange greetings, best wishes and visit each other throughout the day of Eid. It is the custom that Muslims wear new clothes on the day of Eid as an expression of celebration. Children are given new toys and attend fun activities.

As Austin continues to grow, so too does the Muslim community. In the 1970s there was one mosque in Austin that served mainly the Muslim students who attended the University of Texas. Today, there is an estimated 10,000

Muslims in the Austin area with several Islamic centers. The Islamic centers offer different services to the community, such as counseling, youth activities, weekend school, religious services, and educational sessions. Currently, there are five Islamic centers in the Austin area, open to Muslims and non-Muslims who wish to visit and get to know more about Islam.

The Austin Network for Islamic Studies (ANIS) provides several educational resources to all Austinites. Non-Muslims can request free literature, including a copy of the English/Spanish translation of the Holy Quran, request to visit a Mosque to watch or listen

to a service, and request a Muslim speaker

for an event. One of the unique things that

ANIS offers is a feature called “Chat With a

Muslim.” Any Austinite can request to chat

with a Muslim, regarding any topic; be it

religious, social, or other. The venue for the

discussion can be anywhere, such as a church,

a mosque, or even a coffee shop. “Chat with a

Muslim” offers a unique service for Austinites

to ask their questions, and get to know Islam

and Muslims by actually talking to a member

of the faith. For more information, visit www.

AustinMuslims.org.


By Yvonne Lim Wilson

Austin, India Strengthen Business TiesDays before India celebrated its Independence Day in late summer, Sanjiv Arora, Consul General of India, paid a visit to Austin to address community business leaders. The meeting, hosted by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce on August 13, was held at the Headliners Club downtown.

Arora took the opportunity to remark on the significance of the date to Indians and the location he found himself in, and focused much of his speech on the economic ties and opportunities between India and the U.S. The Consul General, whose office is based in Houston, represents nine southern states, from Texas to Florida.

“Coming two days before the world’s largest democracy celebrates its 64th Independence Day . . . let the headline of the morning and of our future engagements and business collaborations be: ‘India, a business destination,’” he said.

Noting that the two nations hold much in common in terms of values and democratic system of governance, Arora talked of India’s achievements, challenges and economic goals. India currently boasts an 8.5 percent GDP with projected rates of 10 percent in the next few years, proclaimed Arora. Comparatively, according to the U.S.

Department of Commerce, the U.S. GDP is at 2.4 percent.

“The Indian economy is led by domestic demand,” Arora said. “We have a 35 percent domestic savings rate. A lot of companies are using India for research and development, not just outsourcing.”

As a state, Texas accounts for 14.5 percent of the U.S.-India trade. India also represents the largest international group of students studying in the U.S., more than 100,000 students, states Arora.

“We are working to develop institutional linkages between the two countries,” Arora said. Ben Ramirez of the City of Austin’s International Program said that India is a natural fit for Austin-based business.

“We’re very excited about this visit from the Consulate General. Technology, clean energy and wireless are the three main (industries of) focus, and that matches very well with Austin’s existing industries,” he said.

Indian community leaders in Austin are eager to increase dealings with the Consul General, said Ram Matta of TiE Austin, a non-profit group supporting entrepreneurs.

“The Indian population in Austin is rapidly growing, but nowhere near the presence [of other ethnic groups],” Matta remarked. “From Round Rock to South Austin, Indians are everywhere.”

Asian Americans are projected to make up nine percent of Austin’s population in the next ten years, asserts Matt Curtis, Communications Director for Mayor Lee Leffingwell, adding that the Mayor attended several Indian events over the last few weeks of summer.

“We are part of a global community and we need to work to further advance that,” Curtis said.

Since joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1984, Consul Arora has served in various capacities in India’s Diplomatic Missions in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Germany and the Czech Republic. Before coming to Houston in November 2008, Consul General Arora was Head of United Nations (Political) Division in Ministry of External Affairs. Yvonne Lim Wilson is founder and publisher of Asian Austin at www.AsianAustin.com, an online news magazine featuring news about Asian American people, organizations and events in Austin. Contact Yvonne at [email protected].

By Mohammad Al-Bedaiwi

Austin Muslim Community Celebrates Eid Al Fitr

Sanjiv Arora, Consul General of India, summarized the topic of his talk as: “India, a business destination.”photography by Yvonne Lim Wilson

Masjid Khadijah Bint Khuwaylid


Native Austinites who grew up hearing stories about the “good” old days of the 1950s and 60s, back when the working class community was thick with social stratification and Hispanics fed from the bottom of the food chain, should find the city’s many celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of Mexico’s independence especially resonant.

With Hispanic Heritage Month and Diez y Seis de Septiembre festivities transforming the city this September, Austin is revealing its endless capacity for regeneration. It doesn’t take long to figure out that the stars and bars and tri-colores complement one another in the city’s imagination. Diez y Seis has been celebrated for decades in Austin, passed along from generation to generation. There are three major events scheduled this year to mark the Mexican bicentennial, at Fiesta Gardens, at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, and at the University of Texas’ Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies.

Fiestas Patrias of Austin presents the 32nd annual Diez y Seis de Septiembre fiesta on September 11-12, 2010 at Fiesta Gardens. The park is located on the north shores of Town Lake east of I H 35 at 1901 Bergman St. The fiesta will bring the Mexican and Mexican-American communities together as they celebrate the rich

heritage, history, and culture of their Mexican ancestors who fought for their independence from the Spanish government during the early 1800’s. The two-day event will feature a variety of Tejano, Conjunto, and Norteno bands, with headliner Gary Hobbs and the Hometown Boys on Saturday. Ballet folklorico dancers, mariachi groups, a car show and traditional festival and Mexican food specialties will be on the menu.

On Wednesday, September 15, “Fiesta de Independencia” will be held at the newly renamed Barrientos MACC. Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez, former Mayor Gus Garcia and Gloria Mata Pennington, among others, are bringing the Bicentennial of Mexico’s Independence and Centennial of the Mexican Revolution west of IH 35 to honor the community in this beautiful setting starting at 6:30 p.m. The free Diez y Seis de Septiembre ceremony starts with selections by the Austin Symphony Quartet interpreting music by notable Mexican composers. Performances by Mariachi Tamazula and Ballet Folklorico follow, and following speeches, the evening peaks around 9 p.m. with the dramatic re-enactment call for independence from a balcony by Mexico’s Consulate, Dr. Rosalba Ojeda. The finale will feature Mariachi Nueva Generación. Shuttle buses will be available to transport the public from the Fiesta Gardens parking lot to the Center.

In conjunction with the ceremony, the MACC is hosting a sarape presentation, the Loom Project, with the Center for Mexican American Cultural Arts on the same date. Visiting historian Reynaldo Rodriguez from Saltillo, Mexico, presents a short lecture, while Alejandrina Cortes of El Museo del Sarape demonstrates weaving techniques at 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. On Sunday, September 19, the MACC totes Austin Museum Day by hosting Mexican photographer Diego Huerta from 2–4 p.m. as he demonstrates his photography techniques in a free lecture. Huerta captured the richness of the Wirrarika (Huicholes) culture in Jalisco, Mexico in “Town of Clouds,” a collection of photographs documenting the Huicholes currently on display through October 30. Austin Symphony Orchestra performs a free outdoor concert at 5:30 p.m. featuring music by Mexican composers in honor of the Mexican Revolution’s Centennial and the Bicentennial of Mexico’s Independence. The same Sunday evening, the Latin American Cultural Alliance invites the community to its monthly gathering , Café con Letres, from 7-10 p.m. at Ruta Maya (3601 South Congress). Café con Letres is a Spanish-language forum of music, poetry, drama, short films and art, and provides a space for professional and amateur

artists to showcase their work each third Sunday of the month. Admission is $5 for 18 and up and free for 18 and under (www.alianzacultural.net).

On September 16, the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies hosts a reception: “Frente a Frente: The Mexican People in Independence and Revolution, 1810–1910” to commemorate Diez y Seis from 5-7 p.m. at the Benson Latin American Collection. On September 22, Juan Ignacio del Cueto, Professor of Architecture at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City, will speak about the noted Mexican architect Félix Candela on the centennial of his birth in “Félix Candela: 100th Anniversary of a Prodigious Builder” from 5-6:15 p.m. in GOL 3.120. Finally, on Tuesday, September 28, 3:30-5:30 p.m. in the Eastwoods Room in the Texas Union (2.102), the panel “Many Mexicos, 1810-2010: Religion, Independence, and Revolution” will find Roberto Blancarte of El Colegio de Mexico, Brian Connaughton, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Manuel Ceballos, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Nuevo Laredo and moderator Matthew Butler, Department of History, UT Austin examining the role that religion played in the seminal events of 1810 and 1910. For more information, contact the Mexican Center at 512.232.2423.

By Otis Lopez

¡grito de la Independencia, Austin!

“The diversity is spectacular,” gleams Luis Zapata, Executive Director of Special Events Management Group and producer of the Old Pecan Street Festival. September 25 and 26, the Austin tradition of over 30 years continues on Sixth Street.

A bi-annual event, the festival is touted as the largest arts and crafts festival in Central Texas and attracts Austinites, over 300,000 per event, from all walks of life. According to Zapata, the festival’s impact goes far beyond the $43 million it generates for the Austin economy annually. It engenders a sense of community, bringing together Austinites of all varieties—from local celebrities to transients and everyone in between—to celebrate the heritage and diversity of the city’s cultural epicenter.

“Unlike South by Southwest or Austin City Limits, the Old Pecan Street Festival is not put on for the tourists,” Zapata states. “It’s put together by Austinites for Austinites.”

Festival visitors can peruse booths from

over 300 arts and crafts vendors from across the nation and find everything from paintings, ceramics, and wood and stone works to jewelry, clothing and candles. Visitors can also nosh on international and regional food and beverage choices from over 20 different food vendors.

The festival’s live music lineup features a wide variety of musical performers on three stages and ranges in genre from world beat, reggae, and Latin to country, folk, and classic and indie rock. The headliners on the main stage this fall are local Latin funk heroes, Grupo Fantasma, but the lineup also showcases up-and-comers from the local rock-n-roll school for kids, School of Rock, and the children’s choir, the Ortega Elementary All Stars.

The festival also includes a petting zoo, carnival, art classes, a “Recycled Fashion Show,” and an “Austin Idol” talent show competition. More details can be found at the festival website: www.oldpecanstreetfestival.com.

It’s SeptemberTIme For Pecan STreeTBy Thomas Yoo

Maria Adame must not sleep. In addition to her marketing job at National Instruments, she donates her time to Futuro Fund and Leadership Austin, and volunteers with CASA of Travis County. Over the past 4 years, Maria has advocated for 7 abused and neglected children, being their voice in court, at school and in the community to help them find safe and happy homes. A devoted runner, Maria is currently organizing a team, called the Magnificent Power Pack, to raise money for CASA at the September 19th CASA Superhero Run. Learn more about Maria, volunteering with CASA and the Superhero Run at www.casatravis.org.

Community

Service

Spotlight

CASA OF TRAVIS COUNTY

VOLUNTEER

MArIA ADAME

Students have returned to school in Austin for another year of classes and another year of preparing for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, the all important TAKS test, or simply, “The Test.” District and school accountability ratings are based on the percentage of students who take and pass the TAKS test.

In Austin ISD, Pearce Middle School and Reagan High School were threatened with closure because too few of their students reached the passing standard on the TAKS, and for too many years were rated as “academically unacceptable.” Pearce and Reagan, like most of the schools in the state who are in the same position, are predominately minority and economically disadvantaged.

Historically, poverty is a greater indicator of lower performance than even race, ethnicity or gender. A number of factors play

into these statistics, but one of the biggest is that poor students tend to start school later, so that at the starting line they are already behind.

Because of the disparity between poor and wealthier students, many have argued that the TAKS is unfair to economically disadvantaged children and that there should be some acknowledgment for improvement and moving toward the goal.

There has been. The Required Improvement (RI) measure has been in use since 1994. The Texas Education Agency (TEA), the agency that administers the TAKS, allows schools and districts to go up one accountability rating if they have “shown enough improvement from the prior year to be able to meet the current year accountability standard in two years.” continued on pg. 12

According to the Texas Comptroller’s web site, Texas SAT scores are in the bottom 10th percentile in the nation, Texas is 36th in the nation for high school graduation rates, and is 33rd in the nation in teacher salaries. The state has endured long and arduous debates about school testing and accountability, and is getting ready to roll out a new exam program in 2011. The State Board of Education has been widely criticized by the recent adoption of textbooks that aren’t inclusive of minority contributions to American history. The school funding debate of adequacy vs. equity continues. In early August, with the new school year around the corner, and these facts about to be front and center in so many people’s lives, Austin received a visit and a message.

The tower bells at the University of Texas at Austin chimed “Hail to the Chief” on the afternoon of August 9 as Air Force One touched down at Austin Bergstrom International Airport and a crowd formed outside Gregory Gymnasium to hear President Barack Obama speak about higher education and the economy.

What he said was this: “Education is THE economic issue of our time.” The crowd of nearly 3,500 UT students, faculty and invited guests responded enthusiastically to this, as well as many of Obama’s statements about the important role of higher

education in the current economic recovery. Obama revealed a higher education strategy that included making college more affordable to all, investing in community colleges and workforce training, and lifting college graduation rates.

“In a single generation, we’ve fallen from first to twelfth in college graduation rates for young adults,” the President remarked. “That’s unacceptable, but not irreversible. We need to retake the lead. If we’re serious about making sure America’s workers—and America itself—succeed in the 21st century, the single most important step we can take is to offer all our kids—here in Austin, here in Texas and across this country—the best education the world has to offer.”

To succeed in that goal is going to take certain vigilance about education; not only from the top down, but from the bottom up. While the President focused on higher education, the nation’s K-12 students were preparing for another school year, and the state for another legislative session, where education debates will no doubt resume with fervor. If Texans needed a wake-up call to work together on the roadblocks to excellence in public education—Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, white and non-white, from East Austin to Westlake—what better way for it to have been delivered?


Obama Links Higher Education,Economy in Recent VisitBy Erica Stall Wiggins

In March, 2010, the Texas Board of Education passed preliminary measures to update the state’s social studies curriculum for young Texans across the state. The changes that were proposed offer the students a more conservative spin on the history of the country and state. Needless to say, this news was met with much opposition. Historians and activists throughout the country offered their opinion about the alterations, noting that they tend to distort the truth and leave out or diminish multiple historic events and people. A few of the noted and controversial changes reduce the role of important activists like Susan B. Anthony, and ebb the historic role slavery had in America’s memoirs.

Despite the outcry of these historians and many others, the board passed the changes in May, 2010. With a ten-to-five vote

in favor of the revisions, the conservative measures were ratified and will be implemented in the years to come. The modifications that have been approved will last ten years, and the board will not renew any more transformations, barring a major event, until then. Fortunately, one provision that was altered between March and May is the role of founding father Thomas Jefferson. Originally his contributions were to be downplayed due to his support for the separation of church and state. Nevertheless, to counterbalance that, the board will make sure that they teach a generation of Texans that “separation of church and state” is not found in the Constitution.

Due to Texas being one of the largest purchasers of student textbooks in the nation, many other states procure their textbooks based on what states like Texas continued on pg. 12

Whitewashed Education:Textbooks=Truth? By D’Wayne Bell

Back to School, Back to Testing By Julia Lee

photo by Dave McClinton


CONTINUED FrOM Pg. 10

Recently, TEA adopted a new measure to make it even easier for schools to reach the next higher accountability rating. The Texas Projection Measure (TMP) is presented as rewarding improvement. However, as has been reported in the Austin American-Statesman and Austin Chronicle, the measure has some serious loopholes.

The TPM is based on projections of growth, not actual growth. The school is given credit for a student passing now because it has been projected that she will pass in the future. But that’s like giving a person a loan now, because it’s been projected that she will have an income in the future because she had an income in the past, even though she may not have an income right now. There’s no real guarantee she’s actually going to have an income. Ever.

For Austin ISD’s 2010 school accountability ratings, 25 schools received ratings based on the TPM only. Fourteen were rated based on RI only. And another nine received ratings based on a combination of the two. That’s 48 schools that received an accountability rating based on projection, as opposed to 59 who “met the absolute standards,” almost half of the schools in the district.

Fourteen of the schools which received a higher rating based on TPM and/or RI were only at the “academically acceptable” rating, just above “academically unacceptable.” All of these schools were majority minority, and all but two have a majority of economically disadvantaged students. Reagan High School was “academically acceptable” this year based on the RI measure, and Pearce Middle School achieved the same rating based on a combination of RI and the TPM.

Even when all of the students pass the TAKS and a school or district is praised as “exemplary,” it’s not enough. In education policy and research circles, it is well known that just passing the TAKS doesn’t mean a student is doing well. Some organizations have done extensive research on this subject, but even a quick look at TEA’s performance standards for this year shows that a third grade student only needs to get 21 out of 36 questions correct in order to “pass” the TAKS. This student got a little under 60% correct. That would be failing in most classrooms.

Advocacy for a better assessment for Texas students is almost impossible because it’s a constantly moving target. Just as the TAKS has been studied and conclusions have been drawn about its effectiveness, in a year it won’t matter. TEA is introducing a new test in 2011-2012, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, the STAAR.

The STAAR will consist of assessments that link subjects from grade to grade, culminating in end-of-course exams for English III and Algebra II. Students in the class of 2015—current 8th graders—will be the first students who will have to pass the new STAAR to earn a high school diploma.

Economically disadvantaged and minority students are capable of growth. But when TEA applies measures that disingenuously reward schools for something they have not yet accomplished, it stigmatizes poor and minority students, and the teachers and schools that serve them, even more. The student still fails, but it’s ultimately TEA that gets a pass.

CONTINUED FrOM Pg. 10

and California order to get a discount and save money. A major overhaul in social studies like this affects an entire generation’s thinking of how the country runs and works, and what roles their ancestors played in making the country what it is today. Moreover, by placing less emphasis on subjects such as the Civil Rights Movement, many believe a bi-product of this curriculum amendment will be a distorted viewpoint of this country’s history. You could say the students will be learning and looking at America’s story through whitewashed glasses. The impact of these changes will not only affect the learning of these students, but could also influence the way they see they economy, social issues and government policies and programs, which in turn could affect the way they vote on social issues and who they vote for in elections when they come of age.

Dallas Richardson is a product of the Texas school system. After graduating from the Dallas Independent School District, he went on to graduate from The University of Texas at Austin and then on to Teach for America. In an interview, when asked about the Texas education system, he noted that it needs to “address cultural issues” that are currently not being fully focused on, such as providing “more information to help minorities learn about their history in the U.S.” Commenting on the current state of the schools’ coverage of minorities, Richardson says he does not feel that the textbooks pay justice to contributions made by minorities in this country. “They would devote a paragraph to a minority contribution, when that contribution was vital to this state’s and country’s history.”

The Teach for America teacher, who will be returning to educate for another year after already completing his two year commitment, went on to answer questions

about the upcoming curriculum changes. He replied that the textbooks “will be more likely to cover up what happened in the past and not address sensitive issues, like slavery and the Indians and Thanksgiving. Students will not learn the real history.” A product of this, according to the educator, will be that “students will not be able to correctly interpret current events because they have misconceptions of past events.” When replying to how this could have repercussions for the city of Austin, he stated that it “could lead to a less liberal Austin.”

Richardson feels that the updates will have a significant effect on the Mexican-American population here in the city and state. “Because Mexican and Texas history is so closely tied, if the Mexican perspective is misrepresented, the Mexican-American students will have difficulty learning their culture,” he said. Regarding the idea of having a Christian spin on the studies,

Richardson, a devout Christian, said, “if you

want to separate church and state, we need

to leave religious perspectives out of the

textbooks.”

These changes have been seen as purely

political by some, with Republicans

claiming a victory for their side and their

views on how things should be taught to

the students of Texas. These views could

bubble over to other states and have an

effect on the entire nation, and more

specifically on minorities who will no longer

see the plethora of contributions made by

Americans who look like them.

The history books have made strides in

the past decades to try and recognize the

ingredients added by minorities to the

melting pot that is America, but these new

educational standards and textbooks simply

take the major roles played by people of

color and whitewash over them.

Whitewashed Education:Textbooks=Truth?

Back to School, Back to Testing

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PATrICIA VONNE FINDINg 2010 ‘WOrTH IT’Austin’s fave Chicana chanteuse, Patricia Vonne, heads across the globe this fall for a tour of Germany and Switzerland after making a pitstop at the Continental Club on September 24. Earlier this summer, she released her fourth full-length recording, “Worth It,” recorded in Austin with Carl Thiel. The reviews for “Worth It,” Vonne reports, “have been very positive.” Vonne’s been thoroughly amazed at the reception she has received from locals and non-natives alike. “Cut From The Same Cloth” (performed with Joe Ely and Rosie Flores), “Fuente Vaqueros” (which features Rick Del Castillo) and “Truth Awakening” are three tracks earning much praise, and the sultry multilingual singer and signature beauty has been enjoying energetic responses on the “Texas on Tour” show, an interactive traveling roadshow providing patrons with a crash course in Texas culture, whose next stop is Denver on September 3.

EL SOL y LA LUNA WELCOMES SON y NO SONSon y No Son are arguably one of the most talented and eclectic Latin dance bands to come out of the Austin music scene in a long time. From ‘30s style Cuban dance music to Colombian cumbia to Tex Mex conjunto, these guys do it all. Rey Arteaga, vocalist and conga player, is excited to announce that they are planning to release a live recording within the year (EP or full-length record TBD) and will be showcasing their signature sound at El Sol y La Luna’s new location on September 4. The band should not be missed. For more, see www.myspace.com/sonynoson.

rOSENDO gOMEz, Jr. LEADS TEJANO MUSIC COALITION Since 2006, the Austin Tejano Music Coalition has been striving to provide information and support for the Tejano music community, a largely overlooked group in mainstream

Austin. Recently elected the organization’s new president, Rosendo Gomez, Jr. describes Tejano music’s popularity in Austin as “decent, but I’m overjoyed to be living in a city where nostalgia can be satisfied almost every night of the week.” Gomez does experience frustration, though, in knowing that Tejano music continues to rapidly lose a younger generation of fans to more contemporary genres of music. The ATMC recently elected new officers, and will continue to fight the good fight. ATMC invites interested fans to become an active part of their organization. The next meeting of the Austin Tejano Music Coalition will be posted on the website, www.austintejanomusic.com. This year’s officers are: President - Rosendo Gomez Jr., Vice President - Hector Reyes, Treasurer - Mary Ann Gomez, Secretary - Aggie Sanchez, Parliamentarian - Gilbert Rivera, Special Affairs - Gonzalo Barrientos.


United Sounds of AustinBy Bowen Wilder

“‘Walk it off’ was my health plan,” says Chris Gates in a Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) annual report. The longtime Austin musician’s version of “rub some dirt on it” is exactly the type of DIY medical remedy that HAAM wants local artists to avoid. For five years, HAAM has been helping Austin musicians connect with various services so they don’t have to resort to what guitarist and singer/songwriter Carolyn Wonderland calls a “don’t get sick” policy.

The organization, whose mission is to “provide access to affordable health care for Austin’s low income, uninsured musicians, focusing on prevention and wellness,” has helped hundreds of local musicians

since its inception in 2005. The Seton family of hospitals has provided HAAM members 2,172 clinic visits and 1,419 prescriptions, in addition to hospital services and referrals to specialists. Another partner, the SIMS Foundation, has provided more than 2,800 sessions of counseling, psychiatric and addiction recovery services. St. David’s foundation has provided 586 dental visits and a fourth collaborator; Estes Audiology donated screening, education and fittings for 180 musicians, who then received custom earplugs.

These and other impressive numbers and facts are found in HAAM’s 2009 report, which also serves as a tribute to its founder Robin Shivers, who died unexpectedly in October of 2009. Executive Director Carolyn Schwarz, who has been on board since the organization’s beginning, describes Shivers’ influence: “She was my mentor and just an amazing force for a lot of different things, but she really laid an incredibly strong foundation here at HAAM through what she did as well as the training she gave me. It was through her amazing dedication and forward thinking that HAAM is what it is today.”

HAAM’s 2009 report is sprinkled throughout with testimonies from people whose lives were touched by Shivers, a well-loved philanthropist, such as this tribute from Susan Antone: “I never knew a more authentic or finer person than Robin. I remember talking to my brother, Clifford, years ago about finding heath care for Austin’s musicians. Robin created a great model with HAAM, and planned it so well that the organization will last forever. There is nothing comparable to HAAM anywhere else in the country. It is because of Robin Shivers that HAAM is a reality.”

While other cities and organizations may help musicians when they get in a bind, HAAM’s services are unique in their emphasis on wellness. One of HAAM’s tasks is to educate musicians on how to use health services in a preventative way, which is new to many of them. “Many of our clients have never had any access to health care before,” Schwarz said. “We focus on prevention and wellness.”

Schwarz tirelessly informs musicians of the programs, including an annual checkup that will cost ten to forty-five dollars, depending on the musician’s finances. “We’re going to keep you well; keep you out of the emergency room,” Schwarz states.

The two-person staff of Schwarz and Jennifer Stowe work hard to keep visibility up and funds efficiently used, cultivating and utilizing many community partners and two to three hundred volunteers throughout the year. College interns also help keep things going, while earning credit and learning about how non-profits work. Fundraising is a constant, of course. The widest known fundraiser of the year is the annual “HAAM Benefit Day,” which will take place this fall on Tuesday, September 21. Restaurants and other participating retail businesses will give five percent of their day’s revenues to HAAM.

Musicians, most of whom are clients, will perform throughout the day and night all over town. Schwarz suggests that everyone look ahead and keep that date in mind when planning outings and purchases, perhaps even buying a gift certificate that day to be used over time. “We are changing lives and we’re saving careers, and it’s important business that does require funds from the community to keep it going,” said Schwarz.

A schedule will be published by early September so a person can even take a “personal day” and enjoy local music all day long while helping to keep health care available to Austin’s musicians.

While “HAAM Benefit Day” raises the majority of the organization’s funds, in the spring, Austin is treated to another great event with the “Corporate Battle of the Bands.” Business professionals who play music as a hobby compete against each other in front of celebrity judges and a packed house at Antone’s.

Musicians are encouraged to investigate the website, www.myhaam.org, or call 512-322-5177 to discuss enrollment.

Tune in for Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) Benefit DayBy David Marks

HAAM Executive Director Carolyn Schwarz | photo by David Marks

Patricia Vonne Mary Ann and Ross Gomez of ATMC


For years there was a tradition of live jazz and blues in Austin, long before any of the current downtown venues existed. It was on and around East 11th Street. With the City of Austin’s designations of the East Austin Cultural Heritage District and Live Music District, the folks at DiverseArts, the Historic Victory grill, Bemba Entertainment, and the Huston-Tillotson Jazz Program partner to bring you live jazz, blues, R&B, world music, gospel and hip hop. Hosted by DiverseArts, the Victory Grill and the HT Jazz Program, the East End Jazz Jam happens the 2nd and last Tuesday of the month. The Blue Monday Blues Jams feature Matthew Robinson, Harold McMillan and guests. Every Wednesday you can venture into the world of classic funk and soul at the Chitlin Circuit Soul Night, featuring The Harringtons with guest DJ zimmy. All at the Historic Victory Grill, 1104 East 11th St.; www.diversearts.org or call 512.477.9438; also, www.historicvictorygrill.org, 512.291.6211.

Texas Performing Arts celebrates the best of American acoustic music with a special double-bill featuring the bluegrass/folk sound of the Punch Brothers with Chris Thile and folk music icon Loudon Wainwright III, Fri., Sept. 10, at Bass Concert Hall. Collecting five singular abilities and viewpoints into one musical force, Punch Brothers, featuring Chris Thile, have established their place among the most dynamic and talented presences across the full range of contemporary music-making. For nearly 40 years, Loudon Wainwright III has been one of America’s most cherished music icons. His legendary wit and satirical genius have expanded his cultural reach from troubadour to silver screen regular. Wainwright has recorded more than 20 albums on 11 different labels, including “High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project,” which won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Fri., Sept. 10, 8 p.m. Bass Concert Hall. Tickets start at $26. www.texasperformingarts.org.

Ballet Austin II presents “Not Afraid of the Dark,” with concept and music by childhood entertainer Joe Scruggs and choreography by Ballet Austin Artistic Director Stephen Mills. The production turns darkness into a place to laugh, sing, clap, dream, dance and do everything imaginable—except be afraid. The premise for “Not Afraid of the Dark” could best be described as a night in the life of a child, as performers turn out the lights and turn on the magic of glow-in-the-dark special effects. The performance explores the flicker from the fireflies of a summer evening to the classic question, “just what is under your bed?” “Not Afraid of the Dark” explores the lights of childhood along with a bubble bath, a chase with the Gingerbread Man and of course, the Sandman. At the Paramount Theatre; tickets start at $12. Shows: Sept. 18 and 19 at 2 and 4:30 p.m.; www.balletaustin.org; and a special site for kids: www.notafraidofthedark.com.

This year, Tommy Tune marks his 50th year in show business with his latest tour, “Steps in Time: A Broadway Biography in Song and Dance.” The tallest, most endearing Texan ever to grace a Broadway stage, Tommy Tune returns to The Long Center Sept. 19 with longtime collaborators The Manhattan rhythm Kings. Known as one of the most prolific theatre men of the twentieth century, Tommy Tune has enchanted audiences over the past 50 years with his charisma, vision and innovation. The show features timeless standards, elegant choreography and Tommy’s own unique charm and warm-hearted humor. Tune has been awarded an unprecedented nine Tony Awards, The National Medal of Arts and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The show dances into Austin at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 19 at The Long Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets $24-$69. For information and tickets go to www.thelongcenter.org.

Accent Art By Mia Garcia

The Just Desserts were formed when Austinite Michael Shay saw a video of Lisa Shawley playing music in the State Capitol building with a prior band; alternating between singing Christmas songs and original raunchy songs, not to the amusement of the state trooper keeping watch. When Michael saw the video, he immediately picked up the phone and called the member of the band he knew, demanding to meet the accordion player. They were having a rehearsal, but Michael drove straight over anyway. The rest, as they say, is history. Perhaps the luckiest duo around, these two wonderful musicians spend the majority of their time traveling the world, immersing themselves in other cultures and creating music that is heavily influenced by the regions they visit and the people they meet. They do return to Austin periodically to rest, catch up with old friends, and record new material spawned by their findings around the globe. They will return to Austin this month to do all that with one exception. Rather than record a new album, they will release their newest one, “La Valentina.” The group is working with Bemba Entertainment to promote and produce the release, but before that happens, TODO wanted to chat with the pair and learn what’s on the menu for The Just Desserts.

Brandon ramiro Badillo: What were the circumstances when you started playing music together?

Lisa Shawley: My group the International Troubadors were breaking up, but there were still some gigs booked, so Michael stepped right in and the ball started rolling. Michael wanted to start focusing on playing the cello after 6 years as a singer-songwriter and bandleader, and his life-long passion for world music found

a perfect match. As a music therapist, I’d been digging into old American music for years, and was ready to do the same for music from other countries. We started hanging out a few times a week, and discovered that the accordion/cello instrumentation really worked well for almost any repertoire. We gravitated toward American music first, then tango. Over the course of the first year, the workability of the duo context became really apparent, especially as it became clear that lifestyle, creative and professional pursuits were mutual between us.

BrB: How did you come up with the name Just Desserts?

LS: I was in the process of experimenting with making desserts in the macrobiotic way, all natural ingredients with no sugar and no dairy. Michael just happened to be in the right place at the right time! Every single time we rehearsed (a few times a week during that time) I made an unbelievably yummy, practically hallucinogenic dessert. We also care a lot about intention, and putting your best energies into every work and every interaction. So the old saying about getting one’s “just desserts” we figured we could turn on its head and imagine that if we were good, we’d get lots of yummy stuff coming to us.

BrB: What should people expect from the new album?

Michael Shay: “La Valentina” was recorded in Austin and Quito, Ecuador with 18 musicians - horns, traditional Andean instruments, drums, percussion, tuba, organs, and of course the accordion and cello. I play a little vibraphone and tenor banjo too, and Lisa a bit of flute. The repertoire is 1/3 Balkan (Moldovan, Romanian, Serbian), 1/3 Ecuadorian, and 1/3 Americana, including one original tune

from each of us. There’s also a George Harrison Indian-style composition from his little-known “Wonderwall Music” album. With “La Valentina”, we focused on the theme of love of music (or whatever one’s true passion is) as the one true love—the source—the idea that you can have ultimate, limitless faith in the universe to take care of you if you are following your dream, Lisa describes La Valentina (the Valentine) as an invisible lover who waits on us hand and foot if we have the courage to be open, and believe. Then she’ll take care of us in unexpected, surprising, beautiful ways beyond our wildest dreams. Our musical journeys, which have taken us around the USA, Ecuador, Italy, and France this year alone, have indeed been magnificent, and we are excited to have this new CD in hand as we travel, to leave as a souvenir and offering for the people we meet on our journeys. We also are really excited to be sharing the incredible beauty of Ecuadorian music with new audiences around the world, since it’s not the most commonly known tradition outside of South America.

The “La Valentina” CD release will take place at Momo’s on September 25th. Doors open at 9:30 p.m. and price of admission is $10. The Just Desserts will have special guests Javier Jara as well as Ivory Ghost to perform during the evening. Bemba Entertainment creates unique events inspired by the arts and multiculturalism. For more info about the event, visit www.bembaentertainment.com.

Bemba Beat

THE JUST DESSErTSCELEBrATE THE rELEASE OF “LA VALENTINA”By Brandon Ramiro Badillo

In today’s modernized world, we face a unique challenge in the understanding and appreciation of world cultures. While information technology has shrunk the globe for many, offering real-time visual, audible and intellectual insight into countries far, far away, it also seems to lend itself toward an increasingly isolated lifestyle, bringing experience-in-HD to the comfort of your own home (or the screen of your own handheld device).

But cultural education and understanding requires interaction between peoples—only by experiencing another’s way of being can we truly appreciate who they are and where they come from. ArtesAméricas, a cooperative effort by the University of Texas’s Performing Arts Center (PAC) and Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS), brings cultural experience front-and-center, using performing arts, educational materials and open dialogue to enlighten, entertain and educate audiences at home and abroad about Latin American cultures.

Austin is lucky to be home to one of the world’s preeminent institutions of Latin American studies. The University of Texas has long been recognized for its representation of Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean via LLILAS and the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, a specialized library dating back to the fifteenth century. With these rich resources, coupled with the PAC’s long history of presenting artists from the Americas, ArtesAméricas Director Joe Randel described its foundation in 2002 as the “logical next step in recognizing the tremendous cultural and artistic importance of the region.”

ArtesAméricas was created in response to UT President Larry Faulkner’s 1998 Strategic Plan,

artesaméricas: experiencing culture through the artsBy Katie Walsh


which called on the university to aid in growing the relationship between the United States and Latin America. As Randel explains, ArtesAméricas approach to achieving that goal acknowledges the vital role that art can play in breaking down cultural barriers.

“The arts are one of the most prominent aspects of a country’s identity, sort of like the front porch on a house,” Randel said. “The arts welcome people into a culture and give us tremendous insight into the people and history of another country. Our commitment to presenting the finest artists from across Latin America, as well as Latino artists here in the U.S. creates wonderful opportunities for artists and audiences to come face-to-face, share a common experience and learn a little about each other.”

It’s that in-person, real-world interaction that then facilitates better understanding of and relationship with other peoples and countries.

“These initial contacts are essential, and serve as the foundation for future relationship-building, be it in an artistic setting or anywhere else,” Randel said. “If you experience a moving performance by a dance company from Colombia, it gives you a new perspective the next time you hear about that country in the news or meet a Colombian.”

ArtesAméricas’ programming is threefold: performance art, supporting education to contextualize that art, and the fostering of conversations, panels, workshops and other forms of dialogue around the art. They present Latino performing artists, both from the U.S. and Latin America, at the PAC and throughout a network of “Presenting Partner” institutions around the country, in a way that welcomes them into the fold of each venue rather than confining them into a separate attraction or category.

“One of the unique dimensions of ArtesAméricas is the way in which Mexican and Latin American artists are fully integrated into the whole of Texas Performing Arts,” Randel said. “They are not set aside on a separate ‘world music’ series or put in different venues. We want to make sure that audiences recognize that these artists are no

different than any other artists we present.”

Randel emphasizes that it’s the quality and value of Latin American art, and not simply its geographic and demographic relevance to Texas, that drives ArtesAméricas’ mission to place it at the fingertips of the local community.

“We don’t present Latin American and particularly Mexican artists simply because there is a large Mexican or Mexican-American community present in Central Texas. Rather, we’re committed to this work because we feel that it’s some of the richest, deepest and most inspiring art being produced anywhere on the planet and we want everyone in the community to have access to it,” Randel said.

ArtesAméricas’ 2009-2010 season focuses on the 2010 Mexican Bicentennial and Centennial celebrations, kicking off last fall with North Mexican music ensemble Nortec Collective featuring Bostich + Fussible. Using their performance as

a catalyst for conversation, ArtesAméricas co-sponsored the panel discussion “A Conversation on the Border” at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC), featuring faculty members from UT and ACC, Bostich + Fussible themselves and other artists and musicians.

Randel looks eagerly ahead to continuing the celebration with this fall’s programming, which “highlights the richness and diversity of Mexican performing arts with three performances, each representing a different discipline.”

Operación Clown, a Veracruz theater company, takes the stage first in their premier U.S. performance of a comedy called “Cállate,” set during the Mexican Revolution. In the spirit of ArtesAméricas’ commitment to educating through the arts, Operación will offer an acting workshop for local actors in addition to both English- and Spanish-language performances. Performance dates are September 15-16 at McCullough Theatre.

September 23 brings Delfos Danza Contemporánea, widely-regarded as Mexico’s premier contemporary dance company from Mazatlán. Preceding their performance,

ArtesAméricas will host an information fair featuring dozens of community arts and cultural organizations and a photo exhibition by renowned Mexican photojournalist José Hernández-Claire.

The third related engagement on October 3 at Bates Recital Hall is “The Route of the New World from Spain – Mexico: The musical dialogue from the Old Spain, the Mexican Baroque and the living Huasteca and Jarocho Traditions,” featuring early-music superstar Jordi Savall of Spain, backed by Tembembe, an ensemble from Tepotzlan. Randel feels that this trio of acts offers a robust selection of the Mexican arts.

“Together, these three artists represent the finest in music, theater and dance from Mexico, celebrating it’s past, present, and future,” Randel said.

This summer, in partnership with LLILAS, ArtesAméricas received a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Grant, which allowed them to take a group of middle and high school teachers on a 4-week educational program in Brazil, studying arts programs that empowered local populations. The educators will create lesson plans around their learnings, which will eventually be made available to other educators across the country.

ArtesAméricas’ educational approach to culture and the arts, as well as their position as a part of The University of Texas, enables the organization to merge cultural learning into the environment of higher education, in essence marrying the worlds of academia and the arts, to bridge cultural gaps and foster cross-cultural harmony.

“Like most anything else, art suffers when kept in

a vacuum, so context is important,” Randel said.

“We’re able to bring together exciting performances

on stage with the academic and scholarly expertise

of our faculty and students, as well as incorporate

extensive activities to engage communities on and

off campus. Together, audience members have a

unique opportunity to experience world-class art

and gain a deeper understanding of the countries

and cultures it originated from.”

Delfos Danza Contemporanea at Bass Concert Hall September 23

LLILAS co-presents Operación Clown September 15-16

The Route of the New World from Spain with Jordi Savall, October 3

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In the fall of 1993 I was starting my applications for college. My parents wanted me to apply to UCLA or USC—they were good Mexican parents and wanted me to stay close to the family. Also, as a California resident, applying to a local university offered certain financial benefits.

But no; I was stubborn. I wanted to go to Carnegie Mellon University, clear across the country. I enrolled as an undecided liberal arts major that fall, and signed a promise to Sallie Mae that upon graduation, I would pay her back $22,681.09 along with interest fees of 7.25%.

In the spring of 1998, with my soon-to-be-awarded B.A. in History with a minor in Film and Media Studies, I was shocked to find no job in the film industry that paid more than $6-8/hour.

I switched gears entirely and moved to Austin when I found a job as an administrative assistant at a museum, ashamed that I would only be making $20,000, but consoled by the fact that this Texas town offered a high quality of life and low cost of living. Still, I’d been set up for the “standard repayment” plan, which involved making equal monthly payments on my college loan over a ten-year period.

Distressed that I was not earning a “standard” CMU salary, I expressed my concern to Sallie Mae and she put me on a “graduated repayment” plan that would start out with low payments. She explained that over the next ten years, I’d be earning significantly more, so I’d be able to afford higher payments. She even let me off the hook for three years while I went to graduate school, but firmly reminded me that my interest would still accrue.

Twelve years later, my payment had more than doubled but I still wasn’t even making twice the salary I started out with. And somehow, my outstanding balance was over $20,000. After a dozen years of making payments, how had I paid off so little of my debt?

Thanks to the U.S. government, there is now an “income-based” repayment (IBR). The Sallie Mae website states that this program “enables eligible federal student loan customers experiencing financial difficulty to cap their monthly bill at 15% of their discretionary income.” Nowhere is it clearly stated that in the long run, you’ll end up owing and paying more, as you slow down the repayment of the principal amount. I’m smarter than that, though. No, that old Sallie Mae wouldn’t trick me again.

Then a friend of mine put it into perspective. She said I could keep making my monthly payment of $217.80 for the next ten years, but why? Unlike a mortgage, which is making an investment into a home you both currently live in and plan to live in the future, paying off a school loan isn’t really an investment anymore.

So I finally applied for IBR last month. My payment has been cut in half for the next year, and as long as I am making what the government considers a “lower” income, I can reapply for IBR next year. But now I will end up owing a total of $32,428.43, with my final payment due in 2023, exactly twenty-five years since I graduated.

Whether I pay off my loan in ten years or thirteen years, I might as well pay less now and save the money while I can. Maybe the laws will change in the next decade. Maybe I’ll figure out how to once again reduce my payments and extend my final payment into the 22nd century. Maybe the world will end in 2012. Or maybe I should have avoided a school loan altogether.

For basic information about repayment options, including the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (with impossible requirements to serve the community while earning peanuts, with the promise of having your debt erased in 2017 at the earliest), visit http://studentaid.ed.gov.

Chronicles of Undercover Mexican girl By Alexandra M. Landeros

The Never-Ending Saga of the College Loan

As a Division III school, sports were not popular at Carnegie Mellon. So we pushed buggies.


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Didn’t it used to take a village to raise a child? Now, it apparently only takes a television, a computer, a few underpaid teachers and one parent.

We have gone from hands-on to hands-free. Children have gone from playing outside to playing online. What is this really doing to our children and, effectively, to our future?

As parents need, or desire, to spend more time working to keep up with the continuously rising cost of living, a child’s repertoire of pertinent, foundation-building information is now more often solely linked to what they learn in school, what they see and hear on the television and what they pull up on the Internet.

Now, we all know how little teachers are paid. We all see the manipulative, capitalistic atrocity that is the general media (I sound a bit negative, I know…) And we know that along with the wealth of amazing information that can now be so easily attained through the Internet, frequently comes all of the tripe, the garbage and the detrimental, damaging information that no one would intentionally expose children to.

So where does that really leave the physical, mental, spiritual, intellectual and creative health of our children today and tomorrow? While many children are flourishing incredibly in this new age of technology and free-flowing information, many more are being buried under it.

Childhood obesity is at an all-time high. Less and less emphasis is being placed on reading books, connecting to nature, experiencing the grounding effects of a home life, actively participating in music and the arts and regularly feeding the innocence of the unadulterated imagination.

All of the tools are there now to give children such an advantage over earlier generations, with more exposure to the rest of the world, other cultures, other ideals, more ways of doing things and essentially no perceived limit to what can be accomplished. It should be the responsibility of all of us, “the village,” to ensure that our plans for the future involve proactive attention to what is being fed, literally and figuratively, to our children.

Schools are obviously an incredibly impactful and easily controllable means to providing children with an ample amount of good information and an arsenal of tools, skills and resources to empower them. We need the concept of education to be changing with the times, moving forward with this age of accelerated growth and technological advancement, while also finding a harmonious balance in the return to a more wholesome, gentler, more healthful approach to the life-programming education provided during a child’s early years.

A great example of how to potentially find this balance is in a school like Whole Kids Adventure (www.WholeKidsAdventure.com), a fantastic new concept, borne locally and in the process of getting its first location up and running right here in Austin. The focus is on providing children and their parents with a tailored education based in nutrition, physical health and overall well being. It’s an approach that, with some support and momentum, can start to revolutionize the way our children are raised in this new exciting and challenging era.

We can all be the village that children need; working toward positive and innovative approaches to education and toward the setting of higher standards for the foundation we are responsible for creating during their formative years.

In this day and age, information technology is rapidly developing and changing. You would have to be hiding under a rock to not see the endless commercials and advertisements for new, hip items. New technology has changed the way we communicate, get information and use media services. It is estimated that the average American household contains over 20 electronic devices. New iPads, cell phones and laptops are constantly being updated, while the “old” versions quickly become obsolete.

Many unused or unwanted electronic items contain hazardous materials such as mercury, lead and chromium. If these products are simply thrown into the garbage, the elements can break down in landfills and eventually release into the environment. Computers, for example, contain tiny, bioaccumulative compound particles that could potentially threaten animals, bodies of water and even humans.

Organizations and governments all over the world are beginning to put an emphasis on recycling, but unfortunately there is not yet a simple local policy in place.

In many cases, individuals and small business owners want to recycle, but may not know exactly how to recycle properly. Some offer their own recycling programs or sponsor recycling events. Only a few states have passed legislation to promote the proper use and disposal of

unwanted electronic items, but others are soon to follow.

Reducing e-waste involves reusing or recycling electronic items. It allows us to pass resources onto another life, while extending value and maximizing the energy that went into making the product. Just like reusing a plastic bottle or newspaper, reusing computer parts is like giving our planet a break. Think of it as giving to a charity. By donating your unwanted electronics, lower-income schools, families or non-profits are able to utilize technology that they otherwise could not afford.

If you cannot reuse or repair an item, simply recycle it. Precious metals and elements in your computer or cell phone are valuable resources to the planet. Therefore, the act of recycling these resources may result in lower environmental emissions, as well as elemental conservation.

When in doubt, don’t throw it away. If it is an electronic item, it can be turned into something else. All it takes is a little research. Check out the websites below to find electronic collection opportunities in your area:

Earth911.com (Enter the type of product you want to recycle and your city, state or zip code.)

MyGreenElectronics.com (Offers tips and guides on how to recycle responsibly.)

Frame of reference By Blake Shanley

By Daria JansenIt Does Take a VillageE-WASTE: reduce, reuse, recycle!

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Sake Shake: Japanese CocktailsBy Jennie Chen

It isn’t difficult to see that the cocktail has made a comeback in a big way. With freshly squeezed juices, handmade bitters and artisan liquors, the rise of cocktail culture is one of class and elegance. When studying cocktail culture in other countries, the Japanese way of making cocktails is sure to make one take a second look. Japanese food and drink culture is steeped in preserving and honoring traditions.

Sake is likely the most common word used when talking about Japanese beverages. While sake is often the term used for the clear-to-white elixir commonly made with rice, the term in Japan actually refers to all alcoholic drinks. Sake, as Americans refer to it, is as complex as beer and wine. Most sake is made with rice, and the grade of the sake is determined by how much of the rice

is polished off prior to the fermenting process. A more polished grain of rice is used to make a higher grade of sake. Sake varieties range from crispy and fruity to aged and full-bodied. To learn more about sake history and taste some variety, Kenichi in downtown Austin has around 80 different varieties of sake available.

When speaking about Japanese cocktails, the emphasis is on the preparation technique. Many mixologists speak about a method of shaking called “the hard shake” in awe. Kazuo Ueda of Japan is credited for inventing the hard shake method. This method of shaking changes the texture of the drink so that it has bubbles and tiny shards of ice in the drink. Additionally, the ice removed from the shaker is in a spherical shape.

Another technical skill that shows off a bartender’s mastery in Japan is carving an ice ball. Large spheres of ice about the size of a baseball are carved from a block. These balls of ice are used to serve spirits on the rocks, and watching one being carved is nothing short of amazing.

While you may find that these Japanese cocktail preparation techniques aren’t easily accessible in Austin, making your own Japanese-style cocktail isn’t too difficult. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur has some recipes that you can enjoy at home.

The Asian Persuasion calls for 3/4 ounce of St. Germain, 1 and 1/2 ounce of gin, and 1/2 ounce of fresh lemon. Shake all ingredients together and strain into a coupe glass. Top with sparkling sake.

Kenichi Austin is located at 419 Colorado Street.For other recipes, visit St. Germain online at http://www.stgermain.fr. For more information about cocktail culture, you can enroll in a Tipsy Tech class held at Twin Liquor’s Hancock location. Japanese cocktail information courtesy of David Alan and Lara Nixon’s Tipsy Tech Japanese Cocktail edition.photos by John M. p. Knox

more than a Diet:The candida cleanseBy Julia Walsh

One of the most common reasons for giving up on a diet is the lack of results. Some people have tried everything they can think of, and yet see no weight loss, no toning and do not feel any healthier than when they eat whatever they like. What if the reason a diet regimen didn’t work was due to more than just excess weight? What if it was caused by a chemical imbalance in the body?

Candida albicans is the scientific name for a yeast organism which occurs naturally in the human body. According to “The Self-Care Guide to Holistic Medicine,” by Robert S. Ivker, Candidiasis, or yeast overgrowth “is one of the most commonly overlooked chronic disease conditions in America”, caused primarily by three things: the long term or frequent use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, a diet inundated with sugars, and significant emotional distress.

The sugary diet feeds the yeast, causing a significant abundance that the natural bacteria in the intestines cannot fight off. This overgrowth of yeast then wreaks havoc on the system, eating holes in the intestinal wall and spreading from the gastrointestinal tract to the mucous membranes, lungs and whatever other favorable environments it can find.

After taking up residence all over the body, the yeast continues to reproduce, inducing cravings for yeast-feeding foods and flooding the body with up to 79 different toxins as a byproduct. These toxins cause a wide array of symptoms, including (but not limited to) weight gain, fatigue, headache, depression, sugar cravings, constipation and irritability.

The simplest way to treat Candida is to kill the overgrowth of the yeast and then eliminate the fuels for its growth by changing to a restrictive diet for a period of four to six months. The

Candida Cleanse is a diet consisting of foods that will feed the body but eliminate the fuel for the growth of the yeast.

The basic rules are these:

No sugar of ANY form, fake or otherwise, including stevia, honey, agave nectar…nothing!

No fruit or juice for the first three weeks, and then only melon and berries in small portions.

No carbohydrates excepting potatoes, sweet potatoes, and non-gluten grains such as quinoa and brown rice. Legumes can be consumed after the third week.

No beef or pork.

No milk or dairy, although butter and non-fat yogurt are acceptable in limited amounts.

No alcohol.

No caffeine.

No mushrooms.

No vinegar.

No tamari.

Leafy greens, low starch vegetables, and proteins other than beef and pork are fair game. Organic seeds and nuts are also allowed. Packaged and processed foods, white or refined flour products, pickles, sauerkraut, olives, condiments like catsup, mustard and soy sauce should all be avoided.

Your taste buds don’t have to suffer in the name of eating healthy. Even with such stringent guidelines, the Candida Cleanse offers some tasty alternatives to traditional recipes. The following is a slightly modified recipe for some excellent chili that is quick and easy to make while giving the body clean energy to burn.

Turkey Green Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 bottle La Costeña Green Mexican Salsa (or 16 oz green salsa)

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, heat the oil until hot and drop in the onion and celery. Sautee until soft, then add the turkey. Break up the turkey with a spatula until it is almost cooked through and then add the green salsa and black beans, stirring to coat evenly and heat. Lastly, fold the spinach into the mixture and stir until wilted.

Enjoy a la carte or over ½ cup brown rice. Turkey green chili offers delicious, clean fuel on the

Candida Cleanse | photo by Julia Walsh

The Sweet LifeBy Heather Lee

Everyone wants a little sweetness out of life.

If you’re on a low-calorie diet or have diabetes, you’re likely to consume products that contain artificial sweeteners. Aspartame is used in diet sodas, table top sweeteners, sugar-free gum, and thousands of other products as a sugar substitute. Brand names include Nutrasweet, Equal, NatraTaste, Canderel, and AminoSweet. Yet the facts about aspartame are not so sweet.

Aspartame is toxic. One of the components of aspartame is methanol (wood alcohol), which breaks down into formaldehyde in the body. Not so sweet.

FDA’s approval of aspartame is the most widely contested approval in history. Studies have shown that aspartame causes cancer in lab animals. For humans, side effects listed are mostly neurological, including headaches, seizures, fatigue, dizziness, and nausea.

So why is aspartame on the market? The history of aspartame approval by the FDA and relevant studies of the health effects

associated with aspartame consumption reveal a web of misinformation and industry-related self-interests. Aspartame won FDA approval in 1981, after years of investigation into the practices of G.D. Searle, the company that first discovered and conducted studies on aspartame. At one point, the FDA even sought criminal indictments against Searle for manipulating data in aspartame safety tests. Monsanto, the company that brought us Agent Orange, DDT, and PCBs, purchased G.D. Searle in 1985, sparking an increase in production. An inquiry into the aspartame controversy in 1996 revealed that 100% of industry-funded studies declared aspartame safe for consumption, while 92% of non-industry-funded studies determined it a major health concern.

Today, aspartame production is a multi-billion dollar industry. A lot of people stand to lose a lot of money if this low-calorie artificial sweetener is taken off the market. But, for those of us who want better health, life would be much sweeter without it.


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