Student Led Sexual Assault Awareness Campaign Changes UT Culture

AUSTIN- In late March, Lauren Martinez decided she had heard enough about sexual assault on college campuses. She wanted to do something—but what? The first step, for her, was awareness. She tweeted, “No more ‘they were asking for it.’ Break the silence and pledge to stand up against sexual assault,” using the hashtag #NotOnMyCampusUT.

Martinez was tapping into the University of Texas at Austin’s version of a national movement to raise awareness about campus sexual assault started at Southern Methodist University. The student-led movement at UT has spread rapidly through social media including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook where its page has been liked 1,804 times and received attention from MTV and USA Today within a week of its launch in late March. Campaign organizers are working with other awareness groups and university orientation programs in order to make the movement part of UT for years to come.

Ellen Cocanougher, 21, is a junior biology major and president of UT’s Not On My Campus campaign, or NOMC. Cocanougher teamed up with William Herbst, 21, and Edwinn Qian, 22, on getting the movement started as her position in the university panhellenic board inspired her to focus on risk management and safety.

“Sexual assault awareness is a cause that I have always been extremely passionate, for so many of my friends have been personally affected,” said Cocanougher.

The UT Counseling and Mental Health Center reports that one in five women are sexually assaulted while in college. Cocanougher could not believe that a large campus like the University of Texas had never had a student-led movement like NOMC to introduce the conversations of sexual assault.

The three students began their process by reaching out to students and taking the names of those who were interested in getting involved.

“We had over 100 people volunteer to help us get NOMC started, which was very motivating,” said Cocanougher. With this new manpower, the founders began the outreach side of the campaign, “We put extra efforts to reach the big student leaders, athletes, and UT administrator because we knew that these were people that others looked up to.”

Participants spread their message quickly through social media, posting pictures with “not on my campus” written on their palms. Cocanougher felt that creating NOMC’s social media presence was the easiest step, as NOMC provided their community with an easy way to get involved. Currently with 1606 pledges as a campaign, Cocanougher believes that the student’s strong involvement proves that NOMC was a movement that they had been waiting for.

Interfraternity Council vice president of greek relations and NOMC founder William Herbst said the campaign gives fraternities a chance to break negative stereotypes often portrayed.

“With all the negative media attention on Greek culture and how fraternities promote rape culture, I wanted to gather the fraternities on campus to show how we fraternity men want to stand up to sexual violence,” said Herbst. “The next step is to get fraternity men to act as mentors for incoming freshman.”

Now that NOMC has ended the silence surrounding sexual assault, they are taking the steps towards igniting a change in culture by creating a constitution and developing a structure that the organization can move forward with.

“We should be leaders & champion this campaign,” said U.S. Olympian and World Champion Decathlon Trey Hardee who tweeted his support. Hardee is a former Longhorn that has helped raise awareness for NOMC by tweeting to his 17,000 followers.

“Longhorns have a long history of recognizing and getting involved in social justice issues—Not On My Campus is no exception,” said director of the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Noël Busch-Armendariz. “This student-driven campaign will bring further student involvement, awareness, and education to our campus—undoubtedly this leads to a safer Longhorn community and learning environment.”

NOMC will be working with counseling and mental health services, Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, Safe Place, and other Austin community resources. The organization plans to develop an effective way to define and inform the campus of what constitutes as sexual assault and what constitutes as consent, as the definitions are often blurred.

NOMC is hoping to involve the New Student Services in implementing sexual assault educational programs during orientation for freshmen.

“We have to educate incoming freshmen about campus resources and how to handle certain situations as a potential victim and as a bystander,” said Herbst.

NOMC has now been spreading their ideas and success to any college that wants to start their own campaign to fight against sexual assault. “Our generation has a big voice and is courageous enough to use it. A huge problem with sexual assault awareness is that no one wants to talk about it,” said Cocanougher. “Our generation is willing to break the silence.”

Austin Mobility Committee Renews Taxi Cab Regulations

Austin, TX- Austin’s mobility committee decided Wednesday to renew existing taxicab regulations rather than negotiate new rules that would include ride sharing services.

Austin’s taxicab regulations were set to expire this year. Taxicab owners argue that ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft should be held to the same standards they are. Ride-sharing services disagree, saying their internal regulations provide enough security. The council decided it needed more time in order to bring both parties under a standard set of rules and to see what state lawmakers decide, and so renewed existing laws for just one year.

“I don’t think it is fair that the ridesharing services don’t have to go through the same requirements that my drivers do,” said taxicab owner Brad Ricker, who owns 42 taxicabs argued during Wednesday’s meeting. “What I am asking for today is parity. Make ridesharing services do the same thing we do, same vehicle, background check, oversight for the insurance, whole nine yards.”

Austin resident Joseph Eily argued at Wednesday’s meeting that Uber’s background checks allowed a Houston man who served 14 years in prison on drug charges to work for the company.

“Uber’s background checks include county and federal checks, they regularly check their drivers to make sure that we aren’t putting our passengers in an unsafe situation,” said Uber driver Phil Van Hoek. Uber’s website states that their checks are, “often more rigorous than what is required to become a taxi driver.”

The difference in regulations has caused a need for the city to reevaluate their taxicab ordinance. The council was able to agree on renewing existing amendments of the taxicab ordinance for a year as it gives them time to deliberate before having to commit to a ten-year renewal without missing any expirations.

The Council will further be deciding on amendments such as hours on duty, dispatch acceptance, accessible service performance measures, and deciding the need for additional or specialized taxicab permits in the upcoming months.

The Council is planning these readings with the knowledge that the power to control ride sharing services may be taken out of their hands by the state with the House Bill 2440.

The House Bill 2440 would have ride sharing services become a state of Texas job opposed to a city one. The bill is being carried by state Rep. Chris Paddie and was left pending at the House Transportation Committee on Thursday due to concerns of ride sharing background checks.

“The irony is that the city of Austin does not want the state to have the power, but the locals of Austin do not want the city to have the power either,” said Council Member Don Zimmerman. “We want local control, leaving it up to the people to choose how or if they want to use ride sharing services opposed to taxi’s.”

“I don’t support additional regulations on ride sharing services,” said Zimmerman. “Looking at Blockbuster as an example, their business model was eclipsed by advancement in technology. My concern is that taxi companies will go in a very similar way if they do not change their business model.”

“If there has to be a decision, I think that taxi’s should go in the direction of ride sharing services instead of ride sharing services having to comply with the regulations that taxi’s have to,” said Zimmerman.

The Mobility Council will take action on proposed ordinance and amendments on their April 23, 2015 meeting.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Expansion

AUSTIN, TX- Austin based Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is expanding their business, even as theater ticket sales plummet nationally.

Nationwide annual movie ticket sales in 2014 dropped 5.2%, the lowest ticket sales since 1995 according to Box Office Mojo. Alamo Drafthouse will open its sixth Austin location in the Mueller community in 2016. Alamo Drafthouse is launching new family friendly programs, events, and camps in order to expand their business even further against competitors who have trouble filling their seats.

Alamo Drafthouse is an independently owned theater founded in 1997 that serves a full menu of food and drinks to the seats of their guests.

In a press release, Alamo founder and CEO Tim League said he loved the idea of opening up a theater at the Mueller town center when it was first announced 11 years ago, due to it being a “ground breaking development and a really cool neighborhood.”

The Mueller town center located on Aldrich Street in east Austin was created as a model for responsible urban development.

“It is exciting to learn that the Alamo Drafthouse, a classic Austin destination, is committing to Mueller and investing in our neighborhood, making it an even more desirable place to live,” said Mueller realtor Hilary Herrin. “Their opening certainly supports our goal of a New Urbanist community where we can live, work and play.”

Alamo Drafthouse Mueller will feature six screens that will project movies from new releases to Alamo’s unique signature programming.

The new location in the growing family Mueller neighborhood allows Alamo Drafthouse to introduce their new family and youth programming.

Alamo Drafthouse has named Amy Averett Director of Family and Community Engagement as a way to expand their effort in extending their welcome to families and young people as moviegoers.

Parts of their expansion are several areas of programming including film education, Alamo Drafthouse NEXT, family friendly scheduling, new release special events, and kids camp.

Alamo Drafthouse has found its success in its policies that keep the movie going experience enjoyable. Their policies include not playing ads before the film, not allowing children under 6, not allowing unaccompanied minors, and asking those who are talking or texting to leave.

Alamo Drafthouse’s NEXT program will change their policy on unaccompanied minors and by allowing select teens to attend movies without a parent at a discounted admission if they are approved for the program and agree to Alamo’s policies.

The policy will ensure that those unaccompanied minors are moviegoers that respect the experience and environment Alamo Drafthouse creates for their guests.

“There is definitely an emphasis on making sure those minors who are approved have the same respect for film as our adult viewers, our strict policies are there for a reason and we are in no way lowering our standard,” said Alamo Drafthouse employee Mark Zurita. “Our strict policies are what keep us so successful, and are what differentiate us from our competitors.”

Another part of what differentiates Alamo Drafthouse is their service of food and alcohol during their movies. In January 2015 Alamo Drafthouse’s South Lamar location had the 2^nd highest estimated liquor revenue in Austin at $422,261.83, just behind Hilton Austin Hotel, according to Austin Business Journal.  

Linked Murders in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas – A man will appear in court Thursday in connection with the murder of an Austin choir director in December, according to Austin police.

Austin Criminal Defense Attorney Darla Davis will defend Shawn Gant-Benalcazar, 30, who has been charged with Capital Murder in the Dec. 6, 2014, killing of Kathy Blair. Blair was stabbed in the neck after Gant-Benalcazar had entered her home through an unlocked door in Northwest Austin with the intent of stealing jewelry, a police affidavit says.

Gant-Benalcazar provided a voluntary statement to police admitting to the crime after an associate, Timothy Parlin, 49, said during questioning that Gant-Benalcazar had killed Blair, according to an affidavit. Parlin was arrested in connection to another crime.

Gant is also being questioned in connection to another killing of an elderly couple on Dec. 15, 2014. Parlin said he drove Gant-Benalcazar to the residence of Billie, 83, and Sidney, 85, Shelton on Brentwood Drive in Northwest Austin. Parlin said that when Gant-Benalcazar returned he was in possession of items APD believes were property of the Shelton’s, according to an APD release.

Vice-President of the Brentwood Neighborhood Association Mike McChesney said that the death of the Shelton’s was a wake up call for his neighborhood. McChesney lived two blocks down from the Shelton’s for the last 20 years. McChesney insisted that their neighborhood has never had problems with crime in the past.

“This was a reminder to try to be more conscious about leaving our doors unlocked, leaving our keys in our car, and paying more attention to our safety,” McChesney said. “Our neighborhood plans on not only being conscious of our own property, but of each others as well.”

McChesney, a real estate agent who has sold over 500 houses in Austin, said that the neighborhood has discussed safer practices but he hasn’t felt the need to buy new security systems.

“I have found that there are folks who will always have a security system and those who will not, it just depends on how paranoid someone is,” McChesney said.

 “Looking at the 2014 homicides numbers, we had 31 murders. Six were home invasion related. This is higher than in past years,” said Austin Police Homicide Sergeant Brian Miller, “Having been the robbery sergeant before I became the homicide sergeant, I can say that most home invasions in Austin are drug related and most the time don’t result in death.”

Sergeant Miller further advises that to prevent a home from being invaded, “Always ensure that doors and windows are secured and that you don’t open your door to anyone whom you don’t recognize.”

Charges have not yet been filed in the murders of Billie and Sidney Shelton. Police are actively looking for further evidence to link Parlin and Gant-Benalcazar to the crime.

Police ask the public to hand in any possessions believed to have been taken from the residencies of the crimes by Gant-Benalcazar or Parlin, and to contact the Homicide Tip Line at 512-477-3588 or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS.

Freedom of Commercial Speech

AUSTIN - The government will find a way to recharacterize speech in order to avoid the constitution’s protection of it, according to Institute of Justice Attorney Clark Neily, a panelist in a discussion on Thursday at the University of Texas on commercial speech.

Free Speech Dialogues, who presents a new panel on free speech each semester, hosted the “Freedom of Commercial Speech” discussion that opened debate on many topics among them was of occupational speech. The panelists — which included a journalist, attorney and law professor — discussed their experience with and understanding of commercial speech and how it affects many aspects of our lives without us realizing it. 

“We don’t have a bill of rights for when the government is behaving well,” Neily said, “We have a bill of rights for when the government is behaving badly.”

The government will do whatever it can to “shh” someone without having to say why, Neily said.

Neily explains a case he worked on in which the state of Florida sued interior designers who were working within the state without proper licenses. He said an activity like interior design should be protected by the constitution, as it is an activity based solely on speech.

Neily said an interior designer works with a client to suggest color sand furniture options; their job is to give advice. The state of Florida wanted to characterize their advice as merely the practice of an occupation, which would make the designers unentitled to any protection under the first amendment.

“Although I am a licensed interior designer my clients are more concerned with my reputation and my ideas, not a piece of paper,” Dayton, TX interior designer Karen Arnold said. “If they were to introduce an interior designing license law in Texas it would only benefit the salaries of licensed designers, quality designers would receive the short stick.”

Neily argued that the government is protecting itself and a small group of people against the public as a whole when it limits speech. Neily introduced an idea for an app that would give legal advice to any smart phone user in cases such as being pulled over by a cop is almost impossible to create due to regulations and censorship.

An app that could virtually help millions with legal problems and save them even more in lawyer retainers will struggle to be made due to the government Neily said. He said the only people who will benefit from this is the government itself and the lawyers who will gain money through the retainers they receive from clients who were not able to get advice at a cheaper price.

“Having a father as a lawyer gives me the benefits that this app would provide for others like being able to call him on the phone and within seconds getting the legal advice I need,” said University of Texas student Tara Tough, “If other people were able to do the same thing through an app power to them.”

The government preventions create a group of people who are helpless due to their inability to pay a fee for advice. The price of fees are not cheap, low-income Americans are the ones most affected by them.

“The Legal Services Corporation, the Congressionally financed organization that provides lawyers to the poor in civil matters, says there are more than 60 million Americans — 35 percent more than in 2005 — who qualify for its services,” New York Times writer Ethan Bonner said. “But it calculates that 80 percent of the legal needs of the poor go unmet.”

The price and restrictions of giving occupational advice has gotten too high said Neily, though Tamara Piety, a law professor at the University of Tulsa argues that if you are getting paid for your advice you should be liable for it, which is why the fees exist.

Neily concluded in his argument that everybody who wants to speak is entitled to robust judicial review. He said when the government tries to prevent you from speech or alter the manner in which you are trying to advertise your product they have to give a “damn good explanation as to why.”