THE DAILY COUGAR Fowl play: Houston faces crosstown rival Rice tonight /SPORTS
Out of this world: Cougars team up with NASA /Features Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Issue 85, Volume 74
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TODAY’S WEATHER
3-day forecast, Page 2
Hi 62 Lo 38 www.thedailycougar.com
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
SGA filing date to be extended Holly Prevost The Daily Cougar
Photo courtesy of Texas senate video archives
The State’s wallet stayed shut for UH, Tuesday, during the first of the 2-day Senate Finance Committee hearings.
State doubts Ike funds By Patricia Estrada The Daily Cougar UH President and Chancellor of the UH System Renu Khator and Carl Carlucci, vice chancellor of administration and finance for the UH System, traveled to Austin on Tuesday to appear before the State Senate Financial Committee to request $17.5 million for damages suffered from Hurricane Ike. “No amount of careful planning could avoid the terrible wind damage, particularly to roofs and windows,” Khator said in front of the c o m m i t t e e . g g KHATOR “Although all of our buildings have had emergency repairs to prevent further water damage, some of the roof repair work has not been completed, particularly the badly damaged Architecture building and the Recreation and Wellness Center.” The State LegislativeBudget g g CARLUCCI Board received the proposal on Jan. 27, but its terms were modified Jan. 29. The proposal covers damages suffered by the four UH System schools, amounting to over $27.5 million. The cost of the damages can be divided into two categories, Khator said, $17 million in physical and operational damages and $8
million for loss of employee time. The total net losses are partially offset by the $13 million requested for UH, which suffered the most damage, $2 million for UHClear Lake, $1.7 million for UHDowntown roof damages, and $198,000 for lost employee time for UH-Victoria, which incurred no physical damage. UH System received around $5 million in insurance from AIG and anticipates $3.6 million in additional claims, Khator said. The University System has not yet received any money from FEMA, Khator said, but anticipates around $9.7 million — 20 percent less than originally expected. On top of these payments is the $17.5 million left in damages Khator and Carlucci are asking the state to provide for. University officials have determined the amount needed for repairs based on the insurance claim each facility has. Only major facilities have been included in the proposal, Carlucci said. Carlucci said the insurance policy on each building reflects the value of the facility based on age, value and replacement cost of the building. The Committee, however, was not convinced of the need for $8 million for loss of employment time. District 20 Senator and Committee Vice Chair Juan Hinojosa said he did not understand why the UH Systems was asking for this amount. “If they couldn’t do their job, how does that cost the state money?” he said. see DAMAGES, page 3
Follow the money
$27.5 million Estimated cost of the damages UH System schools suffered during Hurricane Ike.
$17 million Amount Khator and Carlucci requested the Senate grant UH System for physical and operational damages
$8 million Amount Khator and Carlucci requested the Senate grant UH System for loss of employee time.
$13 million Portion of $17 million proposed for UH if passed
$5 million Amount UH System already received in insurance from AIG
$3.6 million Amount UH System anticipates in additional insurance claims
$0 Money UH System received from FEMA
$9.7 million Amount UH Systems anticipates from FEMA Source: State Senate Financial Committee hearing
The election filing process for students intending to run for positions in the 46th Student Government Association Administration begins today and lasts through Feb. 25. “ We a re g g DIKE looking for students across the board who are seeking the opportunity to get involved,” said SGA Chief Election Commissioner M i c a h Kenfield. Students i n t e r e s t e d g g CHIN in running for president, vice president or senator are required to be
enrolled in UH classes and in good academic standing with the University. The filing deadline has been extended this semester in an attempt to encourage more student involvement. “There are so many students that want to be involved,” SGA President Sam Dike said. “We want to give them adequate time to seriously think about participating.” Dike will graduate this semester and will not be seeking re-election. He said it’s the SGA president’s responsibility to be the official representative of the student body. The president is also responsible for working up to 20 weekly office hours to meet student needs. “My first priority is to serve students’ interests and needs,” Dike said. “It is the president’s responsibility to make sure they understand the pulse of the see SGA , page 3
Contest calls for student creativity By James Rincon The Daily Cougar Chad Hurley made $1.65 billion when he sold YouTube to Google, and now UH students can reap viral video rewards by entering an original short film in the CoogTube contest sponsored by the Student Programming Board and the University Center. “We have 5 categories and I think right now we have 18 submissions. We really hope we’re going to have a wave of late submissions.” Scott Godley, graduate assistant for events and traditional programs at the UC, said. “There are a couple of categories that are very thin right now. If people are looking to win, we’re offering pretty good gift baskets, and the winner of each category gets a gift basket.” Students can submit a piece in the Comic Relief, Houston’s Got Talent, Short and Sweet, You Know You’re a Cougar If… or the And the Oscar Goes To… categories. The UC Events Committee will whittle the entries down to a group of finalistswhose videos will be posted on the UC website from Feb. 12 to 16 so the campus can cast its votes and crown the CoogTube champions. “The idea behind this is to help build student morale and encourage students to come out and show their creativity and personality,” Godley
said. “In a way it will help students become more aware of what the University Center has to offer. So many students on campus just see the University Center as a place to just go buy your books and go eat; the website brings to light other things we have here. Hopefully it will help people take advantage of their resources since they already pay for it in their fees.” Along with the CoogTube finalists’ videos, visitors to the website can check the UH events calendar, learn of events held in the game room, find the times and location of karaoke Thursdays, mark their schedules for Shasta’s see CONTEST, page 3