THE DAILY COUGAR Tired characters and script achieve cheap laughs /LIFE & ARTS
Coleman returns for catfight against Memphis/sports Monday, February 2, 2009
Issue 83, Volume 74
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TODAY’S WEATHER
3-day forecast, Page 2
Hi 63 Lo 37 www.thedailycougar.com
Freeze leaves some in cold By Patricia Estrada The Daily Cougar
Justin Flores The Daily Cougar
Watch party
T
hese students at the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house had little time for homework Sunday with the Super Bowl playing on national television. Fortunately for them, the game lived up to its billing. The Steelers claimed a thrilling 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hit receiver Santonio Holmes for a 6-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining.
UH hosts fair, banquet By Sean Balay The Daily Cougar Mu Delta Pre-Health Organization and the American Medical Student Association Premedical Chapter are offering pre-health-profession students the chance to dine with the deans of pharmacy, medical, dental, nursing and other health programs at a banquet held as part of a pre-health fair held today and Tuesday. Today’s health fair will take place from 2-6 p.m. in the rotunda
of the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center and is open to all UH students. Biology senior Ejiro Umaka, president of Mu Delta Pre-Health Organization, said the fair is aimed at raising awareness about various health conditions and the latest developments of treatments. “Everyone is affected by diseases or has a relative who is affected,” Umaka said. Attendees of the health fair will also be able to take advantage of health screenings, including a free blood pressure screening. Students
at the fair will also be eligible to win a free online Kaplan course in disciplines from medicine and pharmacy to law. Health groups such as the Houston Red Cross and the Cougar Cancer Council will have representatives on campus to answer questions students might have. Mu Delta will host the health professionals banquet from 6-10 p.m. Tuesday in the Waldorf Astoria Room at the University see HEALTH, page 3
Gov. Rick Perry, in his state of the State address Tuesday, said Texas public colleges should freeze incoming college freshmen’s tuition costs for four years at the amount they pay for the first semester. Were UH to adopt Perry’s p r o p o s a l , f r e s h m e n entering the fall semester of g g Perry 2009 will pay an estimated $6,450 a year for the next four years. “Let’s make college accessible and affordable for more qualified, motivated students than ever before,” Perry said in his address. The average cost of tuition at four-year public universities rose 6.3 percent last year, according to The College Board. The Texas unemployment rate rose 1.8 percent between December 2007 and December 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Perry said the proposal would help families worried about the cost of higher education by offering an incentive for high school graduates to complete a degree in a timely fashion. “This will help Texas families plan while giving students another incentive to finish on time,” he said. Public relations senior Jessica Valor said that Perry’s proposal
leaves students already in school unprotected from tuition increases. “It’s incredibly unfair,” Valor said, “because (current students) are not only paying for the freshmen, but (we) are paying for them for the next three years.” Valor isn’t alone in this thinking. Education junior Britnee Vaughn said if she has to pay the the rising tuition costs, incoming freshmen should have to pay it as well. “What makes them so special?” she said. “Somebody has to pay for it, and if they don’t pay for it, taxpayers will have to pay for it. Students already in school will have to pay for it. It’s a domino effect.” Not all students think Perry’s proposal is unfair. Journalism sophomore Ashley Grundvig said Perry’s tuition freeze is honorable. “With the current economy unstable, it’s nice for families to know what exactly they will be paying for all four years upfront. This will help them to not only plan ahead financially but also act as an incentive for the student to complete college on time,” she said. UH Assistant Director of Communications Richard Bonnin released a statement via e-mail regarding the University’s reaction to Perry’s proposal. “University officials are monitor ing developments related to proposed legislation see FREEZE, page 3
New book takes down student debt Melanie Pang The Daily Cougar As a personal finance journalist and a senior correspondent for TheStreet.com, Farnoosh Torabi said that even the smartest college students can fall into debt. Until now, she said, there has been a void in educational resources for those who want to take control of their spending habits. “I see many of my friends — super bright, impressively independent, former valedictorians, career leaders, determined, ambitious — in thousands and thousands of dollars of credit-card debt,” Torabi wrote in her new book, You’re So Money: Live Rich, Even When You’re Not. “It’s true — money may not buy happiness, but having no money isn’t exactly paradise, either.” In You’re So Money, Torabi offers students tips and strategies on how
to stretch a dollar on an inconsistent income. Torabi said many college students either have part-time jobs or might work a job one semester and live off their savings the next. Most students paying rent can count on paying a set amount each month, but may encounter problems planning expenses that vary in price from month to month. English junior M. Joelle LaSutSchweighauser said a major spending variable comes from the ever-changing cost of travel. “I’m a commuter, so I pay gas no matter what (the price) is,” LaSutSchweighauser said. “I just try not to look when it’s high.” Torabi said keeping track of where money goes is important, and she offers an environmental alternative for students who get lost in paperwork. She said she does all of her banking online on the Bank
of America website (bankofamerica. com/morris). “Students are too busy to be writing and depositing checks. Plus, a paperless society helps the environment,” Torabi said in Financial Tip #13 from her College Tips section of the Bank of America website. Post-baccalaureate biology student Jeff Schellinger said he’s already taking advantage of online money management. “With 24-hour availability, it’s much more convenient to check balances online. Direct deposit is also a big help,” Schellinger said. Choosing direct deposit is also a smart move according to Bank of America’s Student Banking Wise Upperclassman Survey, which reported 40 percent of college students would save more of their money if it was automatically taken out of their paycheck and put into a
savings account. Torabi said students should think twice when reaching for their credit card as the most important card in a student’s wallet is his or her student I.D. card. Political science and economics junior Daniel Cato said although he usually finds student discounts at theatres and shows, he has become frustrated with the decrease in businesses offering student discounts. However, responsible spending doesn’t mean that students need to go without modern conveniences, Torabi said. “I never like to call anything people spend money on frivolous because that’s your prerogative. I don’t like when we start to criticize people for what they buy,” she said. “I think it’s understandable because we’re living in the information age, we need the newest
and latest gadgets. We like to spend time with our friends, and we like to go out and socialize and go on trips.” As for using technology to keep in touch, LaSut-Schweighauser said being on the cutting edge is overrated. “I try to not buy brand new see SAVINGS, page 3