Issue 82, Volume 74

THE DAILY COUGAR Men’s basketball awaits Coleman’s return against Memphis /OPINION

TODAY’S WEATHER

Film leaves you wishing you were ‘Uninvited’ /LIFE & ARTS

3-day forecast, Page 2

Hi 65 Lo 39

Friday, January , 

Issue 2, Volume 

®

www.thedailycougar.com

Degree change upsets seniors

By James Hale THE DAILY COUGAR College of Technology students went before the Student Government Association on Wednesday with complaints that changes to their degree plans were unfair and

prevented them from graduating.

Computer engineering technology seniors David Harden and Yan Fung said they took a twosection senior-project course concurrently one semester after the college changed it to a twosemester course. The students

said they were not asked to sign a degree plan when they declared their majors and that they were given insufficient warning about the change.

Harden and Fung brought their grievance to SGA Sen. Van Hua, who lobbied on their behalf to

SGA Speaker Alexander Obregon, President Sam Dike and Vice President Jonas Chin.

“We’re trying to find an official in the college to address the issue,” Hua said. “Some of the officials are trying to give them the runaround.”

Fung said no standardized form

of notice was given and he only heard of the change by chance.

“Some people got notice, some people got no notice,” Fung said. “I got some notice because I happened to be in the right class at see TECH, page 3

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Senate: Green your commute

By Patricia Estrada THE DAILY COUGAR

DAVID SHIH THE DAILY COUGAR

Research and reward

C

olleagues and former students honored chemical engineering Professor Dan Luss with a reception and dinner Thursday at the J.W. Marriot Houston. Luss has published more than 290 journal articles, garnered more than $6.7 million in funding and supervised nearly 75 Ph.D. and master’s degree theses.

The Student Government Association Senate said Wednesday students should consider using alternative forms of transportation rather than complain about lack of parking.

“Our natural instinct is to point fingers and lay blame, but that’s not going to get the problem solved,” SGA President Samuel Dike said. “What’s going to solve that problem is if we do two things: increase the availability of parking and find alternative ways to get to campus.”

In its first meeting of the semester, the SGA Senate confirmed new senators who were presented with a  Carlucci variety of new and old issues.

“Tonight, I’ll be presenting you all with new senators to join this great organization and continue the progress that we’ve been working on this year with a wide variety of issues that need to be addressed. In the midst of all this newness are old trailing issues that we still need to resolve,” Dike said.

The new senators, John Price (Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management), Andrae Evans (College of National Science and Mathematics), Stephen Quezada (UH Law Center), Hillary Sotello see SGA, page 3

Airstrikes drive student protest

By Sarah Krusleski THE DAILY COUGAR Students protested President Obama’s decision to continue U.S. airstrikes in Pakistan by carrying a protestor and a baby doll smeared with red food coloring to the University Center on Thursday.

The protest was intended to inform the campus about Obama’s foreign policy, protestors said.

“We want to raise awareness,” music freshman Chris Brown said.

“America’s involved in a lot of interventionism and that can have unforeseen consequences.”

On Friday, four days after Obama’s inauguration, two CIA air strikes killed 17 in the mountainous

Waziristan region of Pakistan, ABC News reported. The report said the strikes are signs that Obama plans to continue the bombings initiated by the Bush administration in June.

When questioned about the air strikes during a White House briefing, press secretary Robert Gibbs said, “I’m not going to get into these matters,” The Washington Post reported.

The CIA has sent more than 30 missile attacks to the border since last August, killing more than 263 people, the Associated Press reported. This falls in line with Obama’s plan to take action against militants living in the region unless the Pakistani government controls them.

After hearing about Friday’s strikes,

Brown, English M.F.A. candidate Matt McKinney and alumnus Jezer Urena decided to stage a protest on campus to inform students about Obama’s foreign policy. The group often discussed world politics, but Urena said the strikes compelled them to take action.

“I got tired of talking and wanted to do something,” McKinney said.

Brown walked from the Philip Guthrie Hoffman hall breezeway down the path around the M.D. Anderson Library while carrying a baby doll smeared with a mixture of red food coloring and corn syrup. Behind him, two protestors carried McKinney, covered in red SARAH KRUSLESKI THE DAILY COUGAR

see PROTEST, page 3

Protesters put on a gory show by carrying a mock corpse across campus Thursday.

2

n

Friday, January 30, 2009

The Daily Cougar

CAMPUS BEAT FORECAST Saturday

70˚50˚

CALENDAR

Sunday

67˚47˚

Monday

58˚36˚

» Send event information to

calendar@thedailycougar.com

TODAY Edythe Bates Old Concert “Lucio Silla”: 7:30 p.m. at Moores Opera House. Treacherous doings in ancient Rome set the stage for this early Mozart opera loaded with spectacular arias. Tickets are $15 for general admission, faculty, staff and alumni and $10 for patrons over 55 and students with ID. For more information, contact (713) 743-3313 or visit the Web site at www.music.uh.edu.

F L A S H B AC K

» This week in UH history. More at thedailycougar.com/campus_beat

1977: Baby Shasta arrives at UH

T

his week in history on Jan. 28, 1977, The Daily Cougar reported UH would welcome Shasta IV to the campus.

The cougar cub weighed 4 pounds and was flown into Houston on a private plane. According to the University’s Athletics Web site, Shasta IV earned the nickname “Baby Shasta” because she was two months old when she arrived at UH. Animal trainer Dave Salisbury said Shasta IV “has a ferocious growl,” but would require “additional love and training before she can appear at sporting events.”

Shasta IV stayed with a member of the Cougar Guard while additions to her cage in the Cougar Den, located next to Lynn Eusan Park, were completed.

From 1947-89, UH was represented by a live cougar mascot at events such as Homecoming and football games. Shasta I, the University’s first live cougar, was

SUNDAY Edythe Bates Old Concert “Florencia en el Amazonas”: 2 p.m. at Moores Opera House.

Super Football Spread: 5 to 10 p.m. at Real Food on Campus Dining Hall, Moody Towers. Enter for a chance to win a pizza party. Visit www.uh.edu/dining or call Sevelia Johnson at (713) 7433663.

Edythe Bates Old Concert “Lucio Silla”: 7:30 p.m. at Moores Opera House

n







Managing Editor

Signe Cluiss (713) 743-5362 me@thedailycougar.com n

News Editor

James Rincon (713) 743-5314 news@thedailycougar.com n

DAILY COUGAR FILE PHOTO

n

purchased by Alpha Phi Omega. She served as the University’s mascot from 1947- 62 the longest post of the five live mascots in UH history.

According to the UH athletics Web site, Shasta IV was retired in 1980 at the age of 3 because the Cougar Guard was unable to control her. The University has not had a live mascot since the death of Shasta V in 1989.

» Accuracy matters. Report errors to editor@thedailycougar.com

Features Editor

Sarah Krusleski features@thedailycougar.com Sports Editor

Matt Miller (713) 743-5303 sports@thedailycougar.com n

Life & Arts Editor

Sarah Tucker (713) 743-5302 arts@thedailycougar.com n

Opinion Editor

Shaista Mohammed opinion@thedailycougar.com n

CO R R E C T I O N S

Editor in Chief

Zaneta Loh (713) 743-5361 editor@thedailycougar.com n

SATURDAY Edythe Bates Old Concert “Florencia en el Amazonas”: 7:30 p.m. at Moores Opera House. Tickets are $15 for general admission, faculty, staff and alumni and $10 for patrons over 55 and students with ID. For more information, contact (713) 743-3313 or visit the Web site at www.music.uh.edu.

Newsroom (713) 743-5360

Photo Editor

Justin Flores (713) 743-5304 photos@thedailycougar.com

In an article about Wilhelmina Daisy Cullen Robertson Smith, “She was the queen of the Cougars”(Thursday, News), The Daily Cougar erroneously stated Beth Robertson’s position.

She is a former UH System Regent and former chair of the UH System Board of Regents.

Advertising (713) 743-5340

In an article about football, “Lineman looks to lead” (Tuesday, Sports), The Daily Cougar erroneously stated Tyrell Graham’s previous position. He played as a linebacker in high school, not as an offensive lineman.

ads@thedailycougar.com

The Daily Cougar printed the incorrect answers to the crossword puzzle in Thursday’s edition. The correct answers can be found on page 6 in Friday’s edition.

ABOUT THE COUGAR The Daily Cougar is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters, and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer, at the University of Houston Printing Plant and online at www. thedailycougar.com. The University seeks to provide equal educational opportunities

without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability or veteran status, or sexual orientation. The Daily Cougar is supported in part by Student Service Fees.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Rates are $70 per year or $40 per semester. Mail subscription requests to:

Mail Subscriptions, The Daily Cougar, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204-4015.

COPYRIGHT No part of the newspaper in print or online may be reproduced without the written consent of the director of the Student Publications Department.

n

Classifieds

(713) 743-5356 classifieds@thedailycougar.com

Business Office n

Phone (713) 743-5350

n

Fax (713) 743-5384

n

Mailing address

151 Communication Building Student Publications University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-4015

NEWS

The Daily Cougar

SGA

TECH

continued from page 1

continued from page 1

(College of Liberal Arts and Social Science) and Sen. At Large Kyrie Ruiz, were met with an agenda that was highlighted by problems with parking and transportation.

Other senators voiced concerns that construction and increased enrollment were magnifying these problems.

Bauer College of Business Sen. Brian Lopera said that continued construction on the Calhoun Lofts, a new student housing residence, and problems with the ticket machines in the Welcome Center parking garage made finding parking more difficult for business students.

Carl Carlucci, vice chancellor for administration and finance for the UH System, proposed the Senate encourage students to register for Metro’s Q card, which gives college students a 50 percent discount off the full fare for local and park-andride routes and MetroRail.

Carlucci said he is working with Metro to remap routes so that bus stops include UH. With increasing costs of gasoline and campus parking fees, riding Metro will not only help students save money, but it will also help the University and its students go green, Carlucci said.

SGA Vice President Jonas Chin agreed with Dike’s problem-solving method and said Carlucci’s proposal was a sensible.

“I was thinking why would you ever call something a ‘Q card,’ and I figured it out — there’s no ‘Q’uestion about it,” Chin said. “You ought to get one. You save money. This is a good idea and a good deal.”

Dike said asking for more parking spaces is not the solution to the problem.

“I want you to put this in perspective,” Dike said. “We’ve asked for more parking spaces.

More parking spaces require money. Where are we going to get the money? Well, the money comes from parking permits. So to solve a problem, we create a problem.”

Dike said that instead of asking for more parking, students should carpool, use Metro and, if they can, ride their bikes to school.

The new senators also addressed the SGA with their agendas for their time in office, and they will use their first weeks to learn how things work within the SGA. “Right now, the first thing I want to do is work with the senators there and see what problems they need to be addressed,” Evans said. “I want to work on student communities.

We have strong organizations, but a lot of students don’t know about the organizations. We want to be able to market those better.”

Additional reporting by James Hale.

the right time.”

Harden said he would lose the work that he’s done on his senior project when the new degree plan is enforced.

“It pushed my graduation date back by a semester,” Harden said.

“I’ve already started a project team, and we’ve already started formulating ideas. They’re wanting to break my team up and have me start a whole new team while my three teammates get somebody out of the blue to take credit for my and their work.”

Harden and Fung are not

news@thedailycougar.com

Covering UH’s quest for greatness since 1934.

Watch UH’s story unfold at thedailycougar.com

PROTEST continued from page 1

corn syrup, by his wrists and ankles while he lay limp, imitating a bloodsplattered corpse.

Brown said he chose the imagery of blood-splattered corpses to portray the reality of violence in other countries to American students.

Friday, January 30, 2009 n 3

the only computer engineering technology students faced with this problem, but they said they are the only ones speaking up.

“A lot of students are afraid to come forward because their grade could be affected,” Harden said.

Obregon said that given the way the course is graded, he understands why more students aren’t contesting the change.

“This is a problem that’s affecting a lot more students than came up,” Obregon said. “Thirty percent of their grade depends on a teacher’s judgment, so these two represent 10-12 other students.”

The problem could have been avoided, Dike said, if the terms of the degree had been written in an

official agreement.

“One of the problems you see is that signing up for your major should mean that you are signing a degree plan, and that wasn’t the case in this situation,” Dike said.

“These students are having to shift degree plans.”

SGA resolved to contact William Fitzgibbon, the dean of the College of Technology, in hopes of solving the problem for Fung, Harden and future computer engineering technology students. “(We hope) these students are able to graduate on time,” Obregon said. “And in the future students will have degree plans that are signed.”

Fitzgibbon said the course was changed to keep up with the rapidly

changing field, and of the 104 seniors in the computer engineering technology program, only a dozen were possibly affected.

“We made this decision based on industry feedback,” Fitzgibbon said.

“Technology constantly changes, and we thought the students were better served with the new course.”

Advisers were instructed to work with students on a case-by-case basis, and no one will be forced to take another semester, Fitzgibbon said.

“If there are remaining problems, we’ll fix them,” Fitzgibbon said.

Additional reporting by Patricia Estrada

“A lot of times you don’t see what goes on in other countries. It seems like people don’t want to or don’t make that connection that real people are dying,” he said.

Protestors moved to the organized expressive activities area between the University Center and Melcher Hall where Brown dropped to his knees with the doll.

“My child, my child. How many

more?” he said.

Urena gave a speech, which he said urged students to respect all human life.

“As long as we buy into the myths of otherness, then we consistently will commit violence,” he said.

The protestors plan on returning to the campus with more performance-orientated protests, including an execution of the Bill of

Rights by firing squad.

“Seeing the reaction, I definitely believe it created a shock and that’s what we wanted to do,” Urena said. when asked about the effect of the protest.

Urena encouraged students interested in participating to e-mail him at pastorjazer@gmail.com.

news@thedailycougar.com

news@thedailycougar.com

4

n

Friday, January 30, 2009

The Daily Cougar

OPINION EDITOR Shaista Mohammed

E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com

COMING MONDAY: SGA Activity-Parking questioned.

ONLINE POLL: What are you cutting back on to save money?

ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/opinion

THE DAILY COUGAR

P O I N T / CO U N T E R P O I N T

EDITORIAL BOARD Zaneta Loh, editor in chief Signe Cluiss, managing editor James Rincon, News editor Matt Miller, Sports editor Sarah Tucker, Life & Arts editor Shaista Mohammed, Opinion editor

STAFF EDITORIAL

Act’s qualification necessary to fill legal loophole

P

BISSAN RAFE THE DAILY COUGAR

What’s in a name?

UH-Downtown’s proposed name change receives mixed reviews Satellite campus should consider leaving identity as is

Change of university’s name is change for the better

The University of Houston-Downtown may no longer be seen as part of the UH system.

According to the Name Change Exploration Survey Executive Summary, published in December by UHD, a study was conducted to ascertain whether students, faculty, staff, alumni and other citizens of Houston fully understand the relationship between UHD and UH. The survey found that many misconceptions about UHD stemmed Matthew from its connection to the UH system, Keever and as a result, UHD is now tentatively planning a name change. But is being considered a joint identity such a bad thing?

It is said that a book should not be judged by its cover, but in truth it is. When it comes to college degrees, the name of the institution is often very significant.

UHD sophomore Sarah Short said she feels that, without the UH name, the degree she is working so hard for might not possess the same amount of influence with prospective employers.

“What if I go for an interview and a potential employer doesn’t recognize the name of my school?” she said.

The survey found that different colleges within UHD have not come to a consensus about the name change.

Faculty and students from the College of Business appear almost completely open to the change, but those from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences are overwhelmingly opposed to it.

Like Short, many of those opposed to the name change appreciate the current name as decidedly descriptive of UHD’s connection with UH. The affiliation is seen as a kind of security blanket.

Those in favor of the name change think it could help UHD create its own identity, giving the university more independence. This would be done by relying on the positive standing that has already been built and, to a certain extent, the influence of past accomplishments.

But what about those who chose to attend UHD for its connection to the UH system? Having satellite schools adds to the reliability and availability of UH to Houstonians and, in some cases, Texans located outside of Houston.

UH-Downtown is weighing the pros and cons of changing its name and proponents of the initiative mentioned there is some confusion between our campus and theirs.

Confusing names are a real problem. As if it wasn’t already tedious enough going through the admission process here with the long lines and lost paperwork, imagine doing it at the wrong institution. Some students Abdul Khan who believed they were applying for this campus had actually sent their application to UHD, a situation bound to cause some heartburn.

Our campus seems to benefit with more than UHD does from donations to this campus, donors thinking that they are supporting their old downtown campus. This is not fair for UHD. Let us make two universities Houston can love. UHD is a fantastic school that deserves to be recognized for its own achievements and does not need to ride our coattails any longer.

UHD should carve out its own path and its successes and failures should be attributed to it directly. It is run by a good set of people and taught by a fantastic faculty who deserves recognition for their own work. Too many people may assume a UHD degree is like a UH degree. It is not.

UHD’s Web site points out, “UH-Downtown has a proud history of providing a high-quality education to a diverse student population. Since its founding in 1974, UHD has more than doubled the size of its student population, increased the number of degree programs from one to nearly 40 — including four graduate programs, renovated and expanded the campus, achieved accreditation and received national recognition for its student diversity and outstanding academic opportunities.”

It really sounds like they have and will continue to do well. So stand out, UHD; be your own school, earn your own acclaim.

Abdul Khan is a political science senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

resident Obama signed his first bill into law Thursday.

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is the latest in a long line of laws — beginning with the Equal Pay Act of 1963 — to prevent sex discriminate pay wages.

The new law defines the statute of limitations to file an equal-pay lawsuit as within 180 days after each issue of an unfair paycheck. In 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court had found the statute of limitations to be within 180 Obama’s days after the date on which the pay was originally set during choice to Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & prioritize Rubber Co., which was filed by the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act’s this issue namesake. should While Ledbetter may never be very receive compensation from Tire & Rubber Co., promising to Goodyear women across the nation will Americans, benefit from her actions.

Ledbetter was underpaid who have ... for nearly 20 years without seen the law knowledge of her male peers’ both legally salaries. One could estimate this often in work settings, and illegally happens where polite conversation does usurped. not include the comparison of pay.

To many Americans the need for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act may not at first seem obvious.

After all, it is 2009. Shouldn’t laws like this be unnecessary at this point? Hasn’t this battle already been fought and won?

But as is the case with any legal system, loopholes exist that can be used to legalize unfair practices. And in 2007, arbitrary restrictions on the statute of limitations were used to hinder the just enacting of the law.

Obama’s choice to prioritize this issue should be very promising to Americans, who have for the last eight years habitually seen the law both legally and illegally usurped.

E D I TO R I A L P O L I C Y STAFF EDITORIAL The Staff Editorial reflects the opinions of The Daily Cougar Editorial Board (the members of which are listed above the editorial). All other opinions, commentaries and cartoons reflect only the opinion of the author.

Opinions expressed in The Daily Cougar do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Houston or the students as a whole.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Daily Cougar welcomes letters to the editor from any member of the UH community. Letters should be no more than 250 words and signed, including the author’s full name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Anonymous letters will not be published. Deliver letters to Room 151, Communication Building; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; send them via campus mail to STP 4015; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. Letters are subject to editing.

ADVERTISEMENTS Advertisements published in The Daily Cougar do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the University or the students as a whole.

GUEST COMMENTARY Submissions are accepted from any member of the UH community and must be signed with the author’s name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major.

Commentary should be kept to less than 500 words. Guest commentaries should not be written as replies to material already printed in the Cougar, but rather should present independent points of view. Rebuttals should be sent as letters. Deliver submissions to Room 151, Communication Building; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.

Issue credits n

Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

n

Copy editing Trae Brown, Newton Liu, Ronnie Turner Production Halima Salami, Mario Trinidad

LIFE & ARTS | SPORTS

The Daily Cougar

Friday, January 30, 2009

n

5

‘Uninvited’ screams uninventive plot Stereotypical horror flick entertains audiences but dosen’t scare

By Josh Malone THE DAILY COUGAR The Uninvited has almost no marketing push behind it, littleknown actors instead of big names and a title that’s weirdly similar to another recent horror flick, The Unborn.

A coherent, believable plot, something that’s only slightly important in a film, was apparently left uninvited too.

Yet with a few decent thrills, hilariously cheese ball dialogue, and a strangely compelling final act, The Uninvited crosses that line of “so dumb it’s almost good,” becoming the sort of easily digestible, easily forgotten thriller perfect for a Friday night at the cinema.

The film opens with Anna (Emily Browning) talking with a psychiatrist, reliving the events that caused her to attempt suicide months before.

Anna’s mother, sick and bedridden, was killed in a fire while Anna, returning home from a party, could only watch helplessly.

Anna is eventually released from the psychiatric hospital to live with her father who, to Anna’s surprise, has become romantically involved with the family’s former caretaker, Rachael (Elizabeth Banks).

Anna begins to suspect that Rachael is responsible for her mother’s death, likely because

Rachel always speaks in a coarse whisper, and ominous music plays when she walks into the room.

Anna tries to warn her father of Rachael’s dastardly intentions, but with Anna having just been released from the mental hospital, he no longer takes her seriously.

Instead, Anna is left to sulk with her defiant but withdrawn sister, Alex. Together, the sisters suffer at the hands of their menacing stepmother.

The plot won’t win any awards for originality, but when things start becoming too predictable, there is a rather ingenious twist to make for an entertaining final 10 minutes.

The preceding 80 minutes were just as entertaining, but for different reasons. Here, the entertainment stems from main characters speaking loudly of their secret plans when a certain evil stepmother is right around the corner, eavesdropping.

Amusement also can be found in a scene where Anna, being hunted by a suspected killer, inexplicably decides it’s the perfect time for a nap. With a little patience and a sense of humor, The Uninvited can be a lot of fun.

Its familiar themes and characters make The Uninvited seem like an odd mishmash of thrillers such as What Lies Beneath, The Ring and Fatal Attraction.

However, while those films created a palpable sense of fear and tension,

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Cougars hoping for upset in Memphis UH looks for RPIboosting victory over ranked foe Cougar Sports Services Scratch the pep talks. Throw out the mind games and the reverse psychology.

The Cougars won’t need any extra motivation for their game against Associated Press No. 18 Memphis at noon Saturday at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.

The Cougars are clearly the underdogs. Memphis (17-3, 6-0 Conference USA) has not lost to a conference opponent in more than two seasons.

UH (12-6, 3-2 C-USA) needs to upset the Tigers at least once this season to be considered for an atlarge bid in the NCAA Tournament.

Not to mention, if the season ended today, the Cougars would be the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament.

The Cougars will play their first nationally televised game of the season. CBS College Sports will broadcast the game, giving the country a chance to get another look at junior guard Aubrey Coleman.

Saturday’s game will be Coleman’s first since he was suspended by C-USA for stepping on the face of Arizona junior forward Chase Budinger in UH’s 96-90 overtime loss at Arizona last Saturday. Coleman was charged

GREGORY BOHUSLAV THE DAILY COUGAR

Junior guard Aubrey Coleman, pictured above, returns to the Cougars’ lineup on Saturday when Memphis hosts UH at noon. with a flagrant foul and ejected from the game. The incident drew a lot of criticism from around the nation.

Coleman’s scoring and rebounding abilities were missed in Wednesday’s 62-55 loss to Texas-El Paso at Hofheinz Pavilion.

Coleman is averaging 18 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. sports@thedailycougar.com

IN REVIEW The Uninvited Rated: PG-13 Starring: Emily Browning, David Strathairn, Elizabeth Banks, Arielle Kebbel Verdict: If you want to be scared, look elsewhere.

The Uninvited shoots for the easier, less satisfying knee-jerk scare.

Dead bodies and ghostly schoolchildren will continuously pop out of dark spaces to terrorize Anna and get a rise out of teenagers. The threat of a golddigging seductress gives a human face to the conflict, but other attempts at a scare become tired and clichéd.

If reviews of The Uninvited seem like a mixed bag and the recommendations conflicted, it’s because it is a mixed bag.

The movie is derivative, silly and capable of producing several groan-worthy and unintentionally hilarious moments.

It’s not a masterpiece of cinema, but anyone who expects The Uninvited to provoke any serious thought or discussion is probably missing the point. The film is simply an often entertaining, 90-minute diversion, and these are difficult to come by.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DREAMWORKS PICTURES

arts@thedailycougar.com

The Uninvited, in theaters Friday, entertains but ultimately unable to frighten audiences.

6

n

SPORTS

Friday, January 30, 2009

The Daily Cougar

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Gilliam’s trey leads SMU past Cougars

CORRECTED CROSSWORD for Thursday, Jan. 29 ACROSS 1 Radiant 6 Sleeve fillers 10 Early VCR format 14 Alpaca kin 15 Ember 16 Like some exams 17 Took the risk 18 Cager — Kukoc 19 Hangs outside 20 Platitude 21 Winter sports gear (2 wds.)

23 Hearth residue 25 “— Miserables” 26 Velvety plant 29 Great Wall locale 32 Large handbags 37 High card 38 Erelong 39 Primitive, often 40 Study of butterflies 43 Chinese exercises (2 wds.)

44 TWA guesses 45 Born as 46 Moccasin, maybe 47 A Baldwin 48 Frau’s spouse 49 Scrap of cloth 51 Door opener 53 Liner must (2 wds.)

58 Overhaul 62 Exercise power 63 Galaxy unit 64 Biscotto flavoring 65 Tuneful Paul — 66 Akron’s home 67 Cavalry weapon 68 Part of SEATO 69 None at all 70 City in Germany DOWN 1 “Hawkeye” Pierce

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21 23

26

27

29

37

30

31

32

44

46

54

35

36

60

61

48

50

55

51 56

57

52 58

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70 ©

Very pleased Ms. Croft Popular watches Gets one’s feet wet?

False fronts Black bird Kind of folder Ooze Pythons QB — Kramer Does a road job Hirt and Pacino

34

45

47 49

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

33

42

43

2 3 4 5

By Matt Miller THE DAILY COUGAR

39

41

53

13

25

38

40

12

22

24

28

11

22 24 26 27 28 30 31 33 34

Houston team Vietnam’s capital Fountain treats Cruise setting Brown pigment Payoff Chip maker Olive yield Steakhouse order (hyph.)

35 Enthusiastic 36 More crafty 38 Stay attached

59

2009 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE INC.

39 Footprint 41 Ugh! 42 Summer in Cannes 47 First name in mystery 48 Doglike scavengers 50 Torch job 52 Clean the board 53 Centurion’s moon 54 Genres 55 Stunt

56 57 59 60

Just “Iliad” city Stretches the truth Psychic’s intro (2 wds.)

61 Gull cousin 62 Charlotte of “Bananas”

Find answers to this puzzle at thedailycougar.com/puzzles

Southern Methodist junior guard Brittany Gilliam hit a 3-pointer from 22 feet away to lift the Mustangs to a 59-56 win over UH on Thursday at Moody Coliseum in Dallas.

Gilliam’s trey was one of five that the Mustangs (13-7, 6-1 Conference USA) hit in the second half. The shot capped off an 8-0 run by SMU to end the game.

“We had two defenders on her when she shot it,” UH head coach Joe Curl said. “She just hit a bigtime shot.”

Freshman guard Roxanna Button’s 3-pointer fell short of the basket as time expired, leaving the Cougars (12-7, 4-3 C-USA) with their third straight conference road loss.

Sophomore forward Brittany Mason’s bucket with 3:06 remaining gave the Cougars their biggest lead of the game, 56-51. Unfortunately for the Cougars, this was their last basket of the game.

“We had them on the ropes,” Curl said. “They made us work the shot clock down, and once the shot clock got down, we had to take a shot we didn’t want.”

Before Gilliam’s game-winning trey, SMU junior guard Jillian Samuels hit a 3-pointer with 44 seconds left to tie the game at 56.

UH fought to battle back from

CLASSIFIEDS E-MAIL classifieds@thedailycougar.com

CLASSIFED RATES & INFORMATION

Help Wanted

deadlIne Ad material and payment is due two business days prior to publication.

The Daily Cougar will be responsible only for the first incorrect insertion.

Interviews will be held on Wednesday, February 11th, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM University Career Services 106 Student Service Center 1

WE ARE SEEKING:

a full-time or part-time Web Designer in the 610 Loop & Richmond area, with knowledge of PHP and e-commerce, and experience in Dream Weaver.

Please contact

WE ARE SEEKING a full-time or part-time International Purchasing Assistant in the 610 Loop & Richmond area, with strong organization, verbal, and written communication skills, and proficiency in Microsoft Office. This is a good opportunity for those majoring in International Business. Please contact

CaRs

FLEXIBLE PT MEDICAL SALES OPPORTUNITY within the aesthetic field.

Please call at 281-773-9551

*STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM* PAID survey takers needed in Houston. 100 percent FREE to join! Click on Surveys.

CARS FROM $500! Hondas/Chevys/ Jeeps etc! Police Impounds! For listings 1-800-544-1092 ext. 3551

MAKE UP TO 75 DOLLARS per online survey, www.cashtospend.com

FIND A QUALIFIED employee fast!

Advertise jobs in The Daily Cougar.

SELL USED CARS and put cash in your packet. Find buyers with The Daily Cougar Classifieds! 713-743-5356.

MONTESSORI school near Museum dist.

Looking for PT/FT. Infant to EC teacher assistants. Call Tara 713-520-0738

ADVERTISE YOUR JOB I N THIS VERY SPACE! CALL 713-743-5356 FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Read Classifieds online, everyday.

Summer jobS available

Direct sales.

Very good pay.

Call Nick 281-498-3232 Rooms foR Rent FIVE MIN FROM CAMPUS. Share 3bdrm apt w/2 arch students. $170/mo rent+shared utilities. 810-241-7969 or quiltdad2@hotmail.com

INTERVIEWERS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY!!

713-527-9912

!BARTENDING! up to $300 a day, no exp necessary, training provided. 18+ ok. 800-965-6520 ext.145

Please e-mail: stefanie@camppontiac.com or call Stefanie at 516-626-7668 to set up an interview

PSY CLINIC taking app from enthusiastic individuals with some college credit who are interested in applied exp working with children.

Hourly paid range $8-$16 depending on exp & qualifications.

Email resume to: resume@drharris.org or call: 832-875-8927

No experience needed.

Training provided.

Weekday and weekends.

Call for more info.

713-871-1748

Bulletin BoaRd

Help Wanted

Located in NY State Camp Pontiac, a premier co-ed overnight camp in New York, is looking for fun, enthusiastic and mature individuals who can teach and assist in all areas of athletics, aquatics, the arts, or as general bunk counselor. Please view our website at www.camppontiac.com

713-527-9912

eRRoRS

Help Wanted

CAMP PONTIAC

Per line (3 lines minimum) Per line per day for 20 or more consecutive insertions

Help Wanted

Is coming to the University of Houston!

per inch per day

$1.43

(713) 743-5356 THE GREATEST SUMMER OF YOUR LIFE

DISPLAY ADS $12.77 For 1 insertion, per inch 2 or more $9.62 For insertions, LINE ADS $1.60

sports@thedailycougar.com

Place an ad today

ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/classifieds

Help Wanted

an early 23-12 deficit. Great defense combined with a collective effort on the defensive boards helped the Cougars shake off their rough start.

“The team fought their butts off,” Curl said. “We were able to cut (SMU) off from driving, and we forced them to hit (jump) shots. I’m not disappointed with our effort.”

UH sophomore forward Cobilyn Hill had her best performance of the season, leading all scorers with a season-high 19 points.

She was also a force on the defensive end, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking four shots.

“She played well,” Curl said.

“She was very powerful and played well on the defensive end.”

After trailing 31-26 at halftime, the Cougars worked their way to a 39-37 lead — their first of the game — off a layup from sophomore forward Courtney Taylor with 11:04 remaining.

Both teams made only 24 field goals, but the Cougars missed 11 more shot attempts than SMU. Taylor had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Cougars, despite feeling ill. She vomited in a trash container on the sidelines in the first half but managed to play 34 efficient minutes.

The Cougars continue their three-game road trip at 7 p.m.

Saturday against Tulsa at the Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Okla.

Rentals

STUDENT/STAFF SPECIAL: U of H AREA$99. 1st mo rent. Minutes from campus.

1bdrm $429. & 2bdrm $529. with a 1 YEAR LEASE. 3629 MacGregor WayOffice 713-523-0225.

FEW BLOCKS from UH, a big studio $300;1 bdrm $370; 3- 11/2 $800 with utilities. No pets. Call 713-834-4209.

3BD 2BA $199/MO 5%dn, 30yrs @8% Start Saving Money! For Listings 800544-6258 ext T594

HOUSTON HEIGHTS. 30 minutes from the UH campus. 1 bedroom and 1 bath - $750; 2 bedroom and 1 bath - $950.

CALL 713-682-7142.

Have a place you want to rent? Need to get the word out now? call 713-7435356 for more information on how to do just that today!

FIND A QUALIFIED employee fast!

Advertise jobs in The Daily Cougar.

 thedailycougar.com/classifieds

Have you been to thedailycougar.com lately?

COMICS & MORE

The Daily Cougar

COUGAR COMICS

Online at thedailycougar.com/comics

The Waves by Bissan Rafe

TODAY’S CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Moon and sun 5 Purple color 9 Harvest 13 Onion’s cousin 14 — Kea volcano 15 Knoll 16 Online auction 17 Like dandruff 18 Raines of 1940s films 19 Flip-flop 21 Baby beaver 22 Vigorous enthusiasm 23 Currier’s partner 25 Breathe hard 27 Captive insect (2 wds.)

31 Watches over 35 Duct 36 Hindu teacher 38 Not here 39 APB datum 40 Durable wood 42 Mav’s foe 43 “Late Show” feature 46 Canada Dry product 47 Eggplant color 48 Menu choice 50 Lift weights (2 wds.)

52 Nile sun god 54 Put out heat 55 Horse color 58 Barracks bed 60 Mountain refrains 64 All, in combos 65 Early anesthetic 67 J in JFK 68 In — (as found) 69 Comes close 70 Neutral shade 71 Wineglass part 72 Peter Gunn’s girl 73 Bulrush

Dim Sum by Ho Yi Lau

Man Law by Chris Jacobs

At the Hot Dog Stand by Mishele Lamshing

Friday, January 30, 2009

DOWN 1 Flamenco shouts 2 Ms. McEntire 3 Soup ingredient 4 Go into free-fall 5 Greet the cat

1

2

Answers online at thedailycougar.com/puzzles 3

4

5

6

7

8

9

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

23 27

28

24

29 36

39

40

43

44

48

45

57

31

50

34

62

63

51 54

59

60 66

61

68

69

70

71

72

73

67

©

TODAY’S SUDOKU (Difficulty: 5/5)

33

47

65

“Wish me —!”

Square Whirlpool rival Fastest animal Small brook Clay pot Strategy Distance St. crosser Ignores Crackpot Be merciful Compare Not touching Scout unit Happen again Big Dipper neighbor 34 Early evening 37 Not deserved 41 Whines

32

42

64

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 20 24 26 27 28 29 30 32 33

12

38 41

53 58

11

26

46

52 56

25

37

49

10

22

30

35

55

7

n

44 Pitchblende element 45 Volleyball need 47 More concise 49 Geological epoch 51 Snapshot 53 Made a brief written record 55 Antarctic sea 56 Jump over 57 Part of A.M. 59 Far East cuisine 61 A single time 62 Patrick’s domain 63 Cuff link 66 Before now

2009 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE INC.

Previous puzzle solved A L D A

G L A D

L A R A

M A L T S

O C E A N

S E P I A

L I R U L A N K E A S

OW MA E D G E A S H S A A N I DO C H I K E R A F E R E S A O T N

A C T S

R O O K

S I ON P T E A L G A F T A H I A R

MS A L N I I M L E A T E R T A E C K T R O Y

B O A A S S T O R I O L S H E Y R E A N S A E S

E R I K

T A A L R S S

T B O N E

E A G E R

S L Y E R

F I B S

I S E E

T E R N

Answers online at thedailycougar.com/puzzles

How to play

Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3-by-3 boxes must also contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Previous puzzle solved

www.thedailycougar.com

Where do I get the latest UH news?

Limbo by Paulo Aninag

Sound like you?

These symptoms could be more than just PMS — they can also describe PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder).

Baylor College of Medicine is conducting a clinical study of FDA-approved drugs ,YAZ and YASMIN, to determine if they are effective in relieving PMDD stress in women ages 13 to 20. Participants will complete a diary in addition to receiving medication in this study.

Females between 13 and 20 experiencing these symptoms and comfortable with tampon use may be able to participate. Parental consent is required under age 18.

Call 713-798-5295 volunteer@bcm.edu

8

n

ADVERTISING

Friday, January 30, 2009

The Daily Cougar

Fashion conscious.

Budget conscious.

Plus, get a 20% faculty and staff discount.

On monthly access on calling plans $39.99 or higher.

NEW! Samsung Omnia™

TouchWiz Touchscreen > 5 Megapixel Camera/Video Camera > Media Player with FM Radio

$19999

$269.99 2-yr. price –$70 mail-in rebate debit card. New 2-yr. activation on voice plan with email feature or email plan.

enV®2 by LG

Mini Messaging Center > Full QWERTY Keyboard > Fast email and Web access

$4999

$99.99 2-yr. price –$50 mail-in rebate debit card with 2-yr. activation.

High-Speed Wireless Internet USB175 Modem

Surf, check email and more!

FREE

$49.99 2-yr. price –$50 mail-in rebate debit card. New 2-yr. activation on Mobile Broadband Plan.

Switch to America’s Most Reliable Wireless Network.® Call 1.888.VZW.4BIZ

Click verizonwireless.com/getdiscount

Visit any store

VERIZON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS STORES Open 7 days a week. Technicians available at select locations.

GREENWAY PLAZA 3817 S.W. Frwy. 713-621-1391 RIVER OAKS 2017 Westheimer Rd. 713-522-2810 UPTOWN 1670 Post Oak Blvd. 713-960-8585

MA TRÍCULA

CONSULAR

BUSINESS CUSTOMERS

1-800-899-4249

Activation fee/line: $35.

IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Subject to Customer Agmt, Calling Plan, rebate form & credit approval. Up to $175 early termination fee/line & other charges. Offers and coverage, varying by service, not available everywhere. Device capabilities: Add’l charges & conditions apply. Rebate debit card takes up to 6 weeks & expires in 12 months. Limited-time offers. While supplies last. Network details and coverage maps at verizonwireless.com. © 2009 Verizon Wireless.

FCBC