In December 1960, more than 100 UT students lined up outside the Texas Theatre to purchase tickets. According to an article published in the The Daily Texan, the students began their first of many peaceful protests by repeating the same mantra as each approached the ticket booth.
“I would like to buy a ticket if everybody is being admitted,” the students said.
Ticket sellers denied the request repeatedly, and the group of African-American and white students would return to the end of the line only to try again.
In response to the policy they deemed unfair, a group of people came together to protest in December 1960. Despite inclement weather and the Texas Theatre manager’s efforts to keep them at bay, the students were persistent in their efforts to make a change.
The “stand-ins,” which continued through May 1961, lasted anywhere from one to four hours. In response to the demonstrations, theater manager Leonard Masters moved the ticket selling operation indoors.
In light of the stand-ins, UT student Gwen Jordan spoke to the Texan about student life as an African-American.
Students such as Jordan fought to integrate the theater and other establishments on the Drag, but they found the disapproval of more than just business owners. Upset by these efforts, student Egan Tausch shared his thoughts on integration.
In spite of the opposition, students continued their demonstrations, eventually receiving support from former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. As UT students returned from winter break, they opened up their copies of the Texan to see Roosevelt’s approval of the protests.
With Roosevelt’s support, the protests continued until Masters, the theater manager, agreed to a one-month trial period during which African-American students were admitted into the theater. At the end of the trial period, the theater threw out its old policy and opened its doors to all students.
Last week, the joy of the year’s second snow day was slightly hindered by the University’s apparent inability to let us know ahead of time that campus would be closed. A text message at 8:20am announcing a delay until noon is hardly helpful to students who have 8am classes, and a follow-up text at 11:26am announcing a closure for the day is just as bad for commuters already on the roads. So we appreciate the fact that the University sent us not one, but two emails this afternoon, in which she advised the entire UT community that there might be severe weather over the next two days — although a slim chance of light freezing drizzle is hardly what most of us would consider severe. Nevertheless, horns up to whomever makes these weather-related decisions. If a light dusting of snow or a sprinkle of freezing drizzle does indeed bring the entire city to a grinding halt once again, it’s nice to be prepared.
On Wednesday, the nation’s second-largest pharmacy chain, CVS, announced that it will stop selling tobacco products in the next few months — a bold move considering tobacco sales are responsible for $2 billion of the company’s yearly revenue. According to numerous news outlets, CVS explicitly cited health reasons for its decision, claiming that removing tobacco products is an important step as the company increasingly commits to providing more healthcare services. A recent report from the U.S. Surgeon General estimates that the country still spends $132 billion to $175 billion annually on treatment for smoking-related diseases, and claims that tobacco is still the nation’s leading cause of preventable, premature death. Given the substantial toll that drugs take on our nation, it’s no surprise that health care groups and President Barack Obama alike have praised CVS for the decision. Needless to say, we agree wholeheartedly.
With the passage of a new city ordinance that will ban the use of disposable bags next year, some Austin grocers may have to alter parts of their stores in order to comply with the ban.
The ordinance was passed last week after several years of discussion over prohibiting paper and plastic bags and will go into effect in March 2013.
CVS manager Phil Wallace said the ban may present challenges for his store because of the integration of plastic bags in the checkout system.
While revising the physical layouts may be an inconvenience, Wallace said he believes the plastic bag ban is a positive step for customers to develop environmentally conscious habits.
While the concept of reusable bags is relatively new to stores like CVS, Wheatsville Food Co-op has promoted the idea for a while now, said brand manager Raquel Dadomo.
Wheatsville also has a system that rewards customers for bringing their own reusable bags, Dadomo said. Each customer who brings a reusable bag receives a nickel which can go toward their purchase or toward a nonprofit organization the store is sponsoring that particular month, she said.
This reward system encourages shoppers to use recyclable bags, she said, and the donation program raised around $1,000 last year. Wheatsville’s policy helps customers give back to the community and also reflects the store’s environmentally conscious ideals, she said.
Dadomo said Wheatsville customers are also in support of the bag ban. The store has conducted surveys through its Facebook and Twitter pages to gauge how the community is feeling about the bag ban, and the store has received much positive feedback about it, she said.
Advertising freshman Jennie Lee Gruber, a frequent Wheatsville shopper, said she sees reusable bags as a good habit and not as an inconvenience.
Gruber also said recyclable bags are an easy-to-use container for college students who don’t have as many groceries or a whole family to support.
African penguin Howard carries a valentine heart written by a visitor to the California Acadmey of Sciences in San Francisco, Monday.
For those that are single, Valentine’s Day will be a day of bitter resentment and devouring boxes of chocolate, but couples that do not share such sentiment do exist. Yet, with hell weeks imminent for many a student, some couples may have had difficulty planning anything for Valentine’s Day. For those, here are a few last-minute plans in Austin to celebrate the romantic day beyond a hastily signed card bought at CVS.
For the art-inclined, Painting with a Twist will be offering casual painting lessons tonight starting at 7 p.m. and costs $35. Each lesson features a set painting and this class will be painting a tree against a maroon background. Although no pottery lessons will be offered, guests can bring their own wine and snacks and share a dinner while painting. In addition, group seating can be arranged for the double daters.
Of course, any of the many, many restaurants in Austin would be a good choice, but why not go for something a bit different for Valentine’s Day? The Marriott Hotel will be having a murder mystery dinner. Dinner patrons will have to solve what they call a “hilarious” murder prize. A special package allows you to choose your date to be a prime suspect, because nothing says true love than suspicion of murder. The base package at $59 includes a four-course dinner, a potential prize to be “Top Sleuth” and entertainment after the show. Mugs, T-shirts, wine and Champagne can also be added to your package at additional cost.
Austin’s drive-in theater, Blue Starlite, will be having a special Valentine’s Day showing of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” at 9 p.m. Whether it is a nostalgic rush of high school days or simply being able to sing “Moon River” without any popcorn thrown at you, enjoying the film in the privacy of your own car with your significant other is a nice way to end the day. Blue Starlite is also offering a special Valentine’s Day package for $50, which includes gourmet popcorn, candy sweethearts, roses and soda pop.
Also celebrating its first anniversary, Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater will be having a special Valentine’s Day concert featuring Bob Schneider and The Moonlight Orchestra at 8:30 p.m. An Austin local, Schneider tailored this concert for maximum romance and will be playing classic romantic staples, taking his traditionally acoustic sound and bringing in horns, strings and upright bass. Special guests Kat Edmonson, Danny Malone and Lex Land will also be on hand. To those who want to remember the night, a kissing photo booth will available. Tickets start at $25. And for the charitable kind, a portion of the ticket will go to Health Alliance for Austin Musicians.