Issue 88, Volume 74 by The Cougar

THE DAILY COUGAR California dreaming: softball starts season with out-of-state tourney/sports

Classic love story retold in time for Valentine’s Day weekend /LIFE & ARTS

Monday, February 9, 2009

Issue 88, Volume 74

TODAY’S WEATHER

3-day forecast, Page 2

Hi 74 Lo 62 www.thedailycougar.com

Man shot to death on campus By James Rincon and Abdul Khan The Daily Cougar A man was shot to death Saturday at the Metro bus stop outside Hofheinz Pavilion on the 3400 block of Cullen Blvd. The unidentified victim was a white male between the ages of 40 and 50 with long, unkempt hair and a “weathered look,” police said. The Homicide unit of the Houston Police Department is investigating with cooperation from Metro. Police said the shooting occurred between 6 and 7 a.m. The victim, who was likely homeless, was sleeping on the bus stop bench before being shot once in the head, police said. Police said the incident was probably not a robbery and are referring to it as a “random act of violence.” The University has 490 security cameras with two in the immediate vicinity of the shooting which may have recorded footage useful to the case, police said. Despite the shooting, classes will be held as scheduled today. Carl Carlucci, UH System vice

President and vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance, issued a statement to the campus community. “With more than 60,000 individuals on our campus at any given time, and an area that encompasses nearly 600 acres, UH is the size of a small city. As such, we’re subject to the same amount of crime and violence any community faces,” Carlucci said in his statement. “How e v e r, statistically speaking, the university remains as safe and secure as most areas of Houston and safer than many. This is no accident.” The victim was found by a UH student who then called 911. Carlucci said he and UH President and UHS Chancellor Renu Khator are committed to maintaining campus safety. “Nearly 50 police officers and two dozen security officers safeguard us, and more than 400 security cameras allow us to monitor the campus around the clock,” he said in his statement. “We have an emergency see SHOOTING, page 3

Yvette davila The daily cougar

Houston Police Department Homicide Unit investigates the crime scene hours after the fatal shooting outside of Hofheinz Pavillion on Saturday.

Name dispute deepens By Jasmine Harrison The Daily Cougar The University of HoustonDowntown’s deadline for changing its name was extended when the UH System Board of Regents voted to indefinitely delay the name change at a special session Friday. The new name was originally to

Patricia Estrada The Daily Cougar

Students are encouraged to help grow their own food every Thursday in Lynn Eusan Park.

Campus dining future takes root in garden By Patricia Estrada The Daily Cougar UH Plant Operations unveiled a new produce garden on Thursday, where students will be able to have a hand in growing the food they eat on campus. The 1500-square-foot garden is the fruit of a cooperative effort between the Student Government Association, University Services and the Campus Sustainability Task Force. “This is a living learning laboratory for our students,” Assistant Vice President for University Services Emily Messa said. “This will give

students a chance to know where their food is coming from, rather than think it is coming from Wal-Mart.” The garden, located in Lynn Eusan Park, outside of the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, is growing over 10 varieties of vegetables and herbs. The UH dining staff will use the produce, which includes corn, okra, carrots, pimento peppers, garden beans, sugar beets and bell peppers, as fresh ingredients in the cafeterias. The vegetables need about three months to reach full harvest. see GARDEN, page 9

be submitted to the board by Jan. 30 and forwarded to the state legislature, but UHD officials now have as much time as they need to come up with a suitable name after Chairman of the Board Welcome Wilson’s motion to delay was passed. “Today, it’s not about a namechange issue; it’s about a name selection,” board member Lynden

Rose said. “The name change issue has already been voted on.” Still, several in a packed house of students and faculty from both UH and UHD came with testimonies as to why the name should or should not be changed. Michelle Moosally, president of the see UHD, page 3

Dorm proposal benefits UH By James Hale The Daily Cougar Projects designed to provide more freshman housing and to improve on-campus dining passed Friday through the UH System Facilities, Construction and Master Planning Committee. Carl Carlucci, Elwyn Lee and Dave Irvin outlined the benefits of increasing housing for freshmen, which include improved student retention and graduation rates as well as fostering a community atmosphere for incoming students. “This housing is directed toward a living, learning environment,” said Carlucci, vice president of administration and finance. “The layout of the floor, the way the rooms are laid out are all designed to encourage student social interaction.”

If passed by the finance committee, the Undergraduate Housing Program will provide 1,000 more beds for freshmen living on campus as well as rooms that can serve as classrooms, seminar rooms and student lounges, Carlucci said. Lee, vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, said the new expansions will increase chances of housing all first-year students on campus. “Freshman housing is very important because studies show that they’re much more involved in their studies and campus life,” Lee said. “Ideally, students would move from freshman housing with more community to apartment-style housing as they become juniors and seniors.” To determine what the new housing should offer students, the committee listened to reports gathered from other schools looking

to increase the number of students living on campus. “We looked across the country to find what works for freshman housing and what doesn’t,” said Irvin, associate vice Chancellor for Plant Operation. “We saw there was a huge need for economical housing, and they wanted to stay on campus.” The new housing will be built on Wheeler Street between the Moody Towers and the Justin Dart Jr. Center for Students with Disabilities. Construction will begin as early as April and be completed by August 2010 at an estimated cost of $59.75 million, part of which may be subsidized by the government, Carlucci said. “We expect that this will be a very favorable financial situation. see REGENTS, page 3

2 n Monday, February 9, 2009

The Daily Cougar

CAMPUS BEAT

Top 5 read stories

79˚59˚

Wednesday

75˚45˚

69˚53˚

Which movie that came out during the holiday season was the best?

27%

calendar@thedailycougar.com

Today

55%

Internship Workshop: 10 to 11 a.m. at Student Service Center 1, first floor. This workshop will focus on types and sources of internship opportunities and getting the most from an internship. Call (713) 743-5100 or visit www.career.uh.edu.

18% The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Interview Workshop: 3 to 4 p.m. at Student Service Center 1, first floor. Students will learn how to prepare for interviews. Campus, behavioral and second-round interviews will be discussed. Call (713) 743-5100 or visit www.career.uh.edu.

Featured blog

“Operation 101” documentary screening: 3 to 5 p.m. at Houston Room, University Center. The Muslim Student Association along with Amnesty International will be co-sponsoring a screening of “Occupation 101,” a documentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Following is a talk by Alison Weir, the founder of the ifamericansknew.org. Visit www.uh.edu/campus/msa.

Cougar Food Blog by Wilson Chang A fellow Cougar shares his passion for food and cooking tips for the college student.

CO R R E C T I ONS

Résumé Workshop: 3 to 4 p.m. at Student Service Center 1, first floor. Call (713) 743-5100 or visit www.career.uh.edu.

— user “DD”

Wednesday Wii Wednesdays: 6 to 8 p.m. at UC Chili’s Too. Visit www.uh.edu/ spb.

heart

fro the

Life & Arts Editor

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

Opinion Editor

Shaista Mohammed opinion@thedailycougar.com n

Photo Editor

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

— user “Jacob ”

Advertising (713) 743-5340 ads@thedailycougar.com Classifieds

(713) 743-5356 classifieds@thedailycougar.com

Business Office

without regard to race, color, religion, national Mail Subscriptions, The Daily Cougar, University origin, sex, age, disability or Valkyrie veteran status, of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204-4015. or sexual orientation. The Daily Cougar is supported in part by Student Service Fees. case of Copyright No part of the newspaper in The curious benjamin button print or online may be reproduced without the Subscriptions Rates are $70 per year or written consent of the director of the Student Slumdog $40 per semester. Mail subscription requestsMillionaire to: Publications Department.

Memssages

Sports Editor

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

“The METRO Rail doesn’t even cover downtown, and when I lived in Katy, there was one bus to take and even that required driving 10+ miles to the park and ride. It’s the way Houston was built that’s part of the problem. Most people live in outlying communities where taking the bus isn’t an option because of limited service.

Valentine’s Day is a time for ...

Features Editor

Sarah Krusleski features@thedailycougar.com n

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

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

News Editor

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

Tuesday

Managing Editor

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

Re: METRO inconvenient for most

» Send event information to

Editor in Chief

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

“After driving to my chem lab today and seeing the homeless man who had been murdered just 20 minutes earlier, I feel like carrying a gun would make me feel safer. “

Slumdog Millionaire

Valkyrie

C A L E ND A R

Re: Campus considers gun laws

Life & Arts poll results

Thursday

Newsroom (713) 743-5360

Featured comments

1. Security on campus a pressing issue 2. Governor encourages research 3. Burger joint a hit 4. UH to seek corporate sponsors 5. Campus considers gun laws

FORECAST Tuesday

» The hottest stuff this week on thedailycougar.com

W E B T R E NDS

Phone (713) 743-5350

Fax (713) 743-5384

Mailing address

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

ONLY

$ Your message of love ﬁlls up this heart shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

Place your message in a special feature in The Daily Cougar for Valentine’s Day! Use this space to write your message (up to 15 words), clip it out and bring it to Room 151 Communication Bldg. between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

DEADLINE: 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11 FEATURE PRINTS: Friday, Feb. 13

NEWS

The Daily Cougar

UHD continued from page 1

UHD Faculty Senate, presented the results of an unofficial survey of more than 40 colleagues (approximately 16 percent of the total faculty), which represented the views of employees from across all UHD colleges. “The faculty has not felt confident that their input has adequately been addressed,” Moosally said. “The majority of the faculty is open to a change, but didn’t believe it should happen now. The issues revolve around the process, cost and current name options.” Moosally and other members of the Faculty Senate said they are mostly concerned the cost of the name change could come from resources that have already been set aside for their work. Also, the exclusion of names with ‘Houston’ in them “represents an inexplicable distancing of UHD from other universities in the UH System,” Moosally said. Jaime Puente, treasurer of the UHD Student Government Association, spoke out against the name change. “The haste by which (the decision process) has been conducted is uncalled for,” Puente said. “It has not been conducted in a way that favors those who have the most to lose from the extreme waste of money and resources.” Like Moosally, Puente felt that the decision process should have been extended, as the time frame was too short. He also said that students had not been properly made aware of the decision and their choices. “We, as a community, have a lot to be proud of,” Puente said. “We, as a student body, are proud to be associated with UHD, and our identity should not be for sale.” Richard Nguyen, an alumni of UH’s Bauer College of Business, was in favor of the name change and said some UHD students had ulterior motives when it came to resisting the change. “A lot people I’ve met have said, ‘Oh, I attended or graduated from UH’ only to later find out that they graduated from UHD,” Nguyen said. Nguyen also said his findings support the study conducted for the university by Richard/Carlberg, a local marketing agency, which shows students who attend UHD value the confusion and use it to their benefit. It “allows them to associate themselves with a university they don’t actually attend,” the study said. “I also know others, including my former co-worker, who have put UH on their resume and job applications and not UHD,” Nguyen said. The Regents themselves were divided on the issue. “The consultants said the process was flawed, and we undermine the entire reason to have consultants in the first place,” System Regent Dennis Golden said. “In the future, if we decide to spend thousands of dollars on consultants and then not adhere to the advice they give, I’m not sure if I could support hiring these outside consults.” Golden also said the decision to change the name came too quickly. “I don’t feel obligated to support this because the process wasn’t gone about properly,” he said. “It’s been rushed, and there isn’t a consensus at a time when we need to go to the legislature and be united. This is little stuff we could take care of at some other time once we acquire the goals of becoming Tier I.” Rose said he also had some doubts about the change. “If we decide to select a different

name, we’re going to be spending a lot more time on damage control than marketing and branding,” he said. “Marketing and branding will help us to roll out, but are we rolling out or controlling damage?” Rose had further concerns. “You have to develop a change to be better, not to just be different,” he said. “Do you have a plan to be better?” Board members looked to UHD President Max Castillo for clarification. “It’s become a very emotional issue,” Castillo said. “We expected that as part of the process, but I feel the process has been done in a way that is very open and very transparent despite a great deal of difference of opinions.” Regent Carroll Robertson Ray emphasized the Board’s unity despite the members’ difference of opinion. “We, as a board, support the board’s decision,” Ray said. “There are times that I will vote against a resolution and it passes, but once it passes, my job as a board member is to support it.” Another concern addressed was that one of the proposed names, The University of South Texas, was too similar to The South Texas College of Law. Regent Mica Mosbacher shared this concern, but also had other questions. “What percentage opposes the change in the name to the University of South Texas?” Mosbacher said. “I’m having trouble (understanding) if this is a vocal minority, or if it represents a majority.” In response, Castillo presented the numbers from polls and various focus groups. “Between the pros and cons, the name that surfaced to the top was The University of South Texas,” Castillo said. “That name had 1,423 people who saw that as the most important name to bring forward. Five hundred and forty-two voted for The University of Southeast Texas, and then the numbers drop off.” Golden said that Castillo’s motives and practices in his efforts to pass the name change were less transparent than he would have others believe. “You put forth the effort and hard work and were ready to present the proposal to the Board of Regents,” Golden said. “But two weeks before you were to (present), you had a few Bauer alumni who went over to the chancellor to pitch a bitch to get (the name change) off the agenda, and that’s not right. That’s part of the reason why we’re here today. (Castillo) got the rug jerked out from under him. You have to understand the institutional history of what took place in the past to explain why I feel the way I feel.” Castillo said the name-change initiative had been on the forefront of his agenda throughout his 17-year tenure at UHD. Wilson brought the meeting to a close with his motion to delay the name change. UH President and Chancellor of UH System Renu Khator offered some closing remarks on the issue. “Every single member of UH System is equally precious,” she said. “Never think that this campus would ever leave the UH family. When President Castillo came to me and said he wanted an independent identity within the UH System, those two words — ‘independent’ and ‘within’ — were absolutely nonnegotiable then and they are nonnegotiable today.” news@thedailycougar.com

Monday, February 9, 2009 n 3

REGENTS

SHOOTING

continued from page 1

We have included a request for funding for this project in the federal stimulus package,” Carlucci said. “They’re looking for shovelready projects, and this is a shovelready project.” The Facilities, Construction and Master Planning Committee also approved a program to renovate the Moody Towers dining hall, presented by associate Vice President of University Services Emily Messa. “Fifty-five percent of the dining hall is kitchen and serving space, so it’s not really laid out in a way that would accommodate the 2,000 students at this point,” Messa said. “The kitchen and infrastructure is outdated and in some cases original.” If passed by the finance committee, the proposed renovations would allow the dining hall to serve 1,950 meals daily instead of the 750 served daily now. Construction will take place over the summer and be completed in time for the fall semester at an estimated cost of $9.8 million. Patrons will be given eight unique dining options, including a Mongolian grill, stone-oven baked pizza as well as vegetarian and vegan selections, all made to order. “It will provide students with a whole culinary experience,” Messa said. “You’ll choose what you want prepared for you.” Both projects will go before the finance committee tomorrow before seeking final approval to proceed on Feb. 17.

communication system in place that, when necessary, allows us to alert our campus community rapidly and reliably.” Students are encouraged to report any suspicious persons or activities to campus police by using the blue-light emergency phones or by calling 713-7433333. “It is important to remember that campus safety is everybody’s concern and is everybody’s

responsibility,” Carlucci said in his statement. “We are especially interested in having your cell phone number on file since this allows text messaging, the most effective way for immediate communication when it is required.” Students can update their contact information at http://piersystem.com/go/ doc/1093/155709. Faculty can update contact information at http://piersystem. com/go/doc/1093/155718. news@thedailycougar.com

news@thedailycougar.com

2009 SFAC UNIT PRESENTATION SCHEDULE Monday, February 9, 2009, Bluebonnet Room, UC 8:45 a.m.

Committee Business

9:15 a.m.

Dean of Students Office

10:00 a.m.

Break

10:15 a.m.

University Center

11:00 a.m.

Commuter Services

11:30 a.m.

Public Comment

11:45 a.m.

Lunch

1:00 p.m.

Student Program Board

1:30 p.m.

Child Care Center

2:00 p.m.

Break

2:15 p.m.

Marching Band/Spirit Squad

3:00 p.m.

Health Center

3:45 p.m.

Academic Achievers (CMAS)

4:15 p.m.

Adjournment

Open to the Public

If you require disability accomodations, please telephone the Dean of Students Office at 713.743.5470 to make arrangements.

4 n Monday, February 9, 2009

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

COMING TUESDAY: Why we have sweatshops. ONLINE POLL: Are you planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

EDITOR Shaista Mohammed E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/opinion

THE DAILY COUGAR

FORUM

e d it o rial B o ar d 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 Sarah Krusleski, Features editor

STAFF EDITORIAL

On campus or not, complacency hurts students

BISSAN RAFE THE DAILY COUGAR

Campus safety tested AT ISSUE: What was your reaction to the campus homicide announcement Saturday?

Lack of visual police presence on campus is cause for worry

UH protecting students well despite unsafe neighborhood

Senseless murder on campus leaves huge question unanswered

The unfortunate incident presents an irony  being faced with a barbaric act on the road to a brighter future. The history of crime on our campus shows those enrolled and employed by the Anousheh institution are rarely Kehar held accountable for campus crime. It is through unnecessary or even uninvited traffic that seems to be creating havoc. Thus, we could begin with the matter of regulating loitering. It is difficult to draw a line on campus perimeters when our neighbors play a vital role. Hence, we cannot leave them to their own devices. It becomes necessary to include a surrounding radius in the surveillance. Going over a mental checklist of safety tips every time we walk from one building to the next on campus is not a fostering environment nor is it likely. We receive cautionary messages providing students with safety tips, but it is not enough. A future tragedy could strike with more severity. We do not need to wait. Prioritizing campus safety with an overhaul of enforcement in the initial stages should not be questioned. This would encompass more than the normal business hours and span over the entire week. Given another task to undertake, I do not doubt that the UH Department of Public Safety would similarly perform beyond par. With actions from the authority and ambitious student involvement, this is hopefully just another hurdle to surmount.

A homeless man who was sleeping in a bus stop near Hofheinz Pavilion was shot to death early Saturday morning. Shortly after the incident, Carl Carlucci, Vice President and Vice Chancellor for Joshua Administration & Brown Finance for the UH System, sent out a campus-wide e-mail reassuring the students and faculty that their campus is safe. I believe Carlucci. I believe our campus is safe. Carlucci and other administrators are doing the best they can to protect students and faculty. They have a 24-hour police force on campus, emergency call boxes around every corner and a plethora of security cameras. The e-mail itself is a sign that UH has made our safety a top priority. Instead of covering up the homicide and keeping everything “hush-hush,” the administrators reacted immediately. So quickly, in fact, that I was not even aware of the shooting until I read the e-mail. However, I also recognize that our campus is surrounded by a low-income area and that these areas statistically have more crime. I will never take night classes at UH because I do not want to walk across the parking lot at night. I would never travel to that area of Houston unless I had to. If we ignore our surroundings, they become even more dangerous. We must be alert and aware in order to be safe not just at school, but everywhere.

Having grown up in a conservative household in Texas, with Fox News as my nightly political spoon-feeding, I’ve never questioned it. Part of growing up in Houston, however, is exposure to crime. Matthew Every city has Keever crime and due to our huge size, we have a lot. Being raised in the Meyerland area, however, crime never seemed “real” to me. Not until the middle of my high school career did crime become evident to me. A shooting at a park around the corner from my house opened my eyes. Since then I’ve been a bit more on my guard, careful not to put myself in situations I perceive as potentially dangerous. But when I saw the picture of a man lying sprawled under a bus stop dead, my perspective changed even more. This is my city. This is my campus. This is my home. This is real. In an attempt to rationalize this random act of violence in my mind, I decided a person must have been walking by, was harassed by a homeless man, became frightened, and reacted, albeit poorly, but reacted nonetheless. But what I found out was the victim was asleep on the bench at the bus stop. Then without reason, someone put a bullet in his head. The question remains: why? There seems to be no causality here. Without causality, no solution exists. All we can do is be careful and keep each other safe.

Joshua Brown is an undeclared freshman and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com.

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

Anousheh Kehar can be reached at opinon@ thedailycougar.com

What do you think? CHIME IN AT THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

tate Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, is worried about madmen picking off people like “sitting ducks” on the UH campus — and that’s exactly what happened to the homeless victim of Saturday morning’s shooting. Carl Carlucci, Vice President and Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance for the UH System, implied in his letter regarding Saturday’s homicide, that the incident is somehow separate from our population. This lies in direct opposition to the administration’s intentions in other arenas. A homeless person being shot on campus is still a person being shot on campus — it directly impacts any member of the community who spends time here. We were told the shooting was unrelated to the existing safety notification network and urged to update our emergency contact information for that system. As far as reassuring statements go, this was somewhat lacking in both relevance and comfort. Overall, Carlucci’s message seemed to be “business as usual.” Given our December community involvement award from the Carnegie Foundation, the increased visibility of our social sciences as authorities on state child welfare systems and our goal to build this institution into something that is an integral part of the surrounding community, marginalizing any member of the community is unacceptable. If UH is a city within itself, then let the standard rules apply — bodies in the street constitute governmental failure. Whether those bodies are those of tourists, citizens or homeless people, there is trauma that must be addressed, danger that mandates protection and the likelihood of a lack of confidence in the administration of the state. Quantifying a homicide on one of the most heavily-trafficked thoroughfares through campus as “unsettling” is surely a masterpiece of understatement. This incident strikes at the heart of current events on campus. Public transit is a key component of both our parking and green solutions plans. Campus crime has been escalating in violence and flagrancy during the past few weeks, and we look to our campus leaders for active solutions. We saw no solutions nor an implication of them in Saturday’s letter.

E D I TO R I A L p o lic 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 n

Copy editing Angela Hoang, Ronnie Turner Production Mariah Davis, Matthew Johnson

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

Monday, February 9, 2009 n 5

Answer to homicide baffles logic at first I rode the 52 Scott/Hirsch bus back home Saturday after spending the three hours wandering around campus asking about the murder. It was a confusing day. Seeing the prostitute Abdul Khan standing at McGowen and Live Oak reminds me that crime never takes a vacation. With a killer on the loose and a woman of the night still soliciting customers, nothing is out of the ordinary. It reminds me of campus visitor Firaz Akmal’s words earlier that day. As my colleague Yvette Davila and I were canvassing the parking lot of Robertson Stadium, we headed toward a group that had music playing. We saw a disc jockey set up with carnival tents and a group of about 50 students, alumni and friends gearing up for the basketball double-header against Rice. We thought it profound to find people so easily enjoying their day not much more than 100 yards from the scene of the recent homicide. Akmal was visiting our campus with a group of buddies, and when asked about the crime, he said, “This is Houston- you get shot.” Akmal’s friend Jeremy Parks agreed with his assessment. “Cold. Shouldn’t have did it, but it’s Houston,” Parks said. These words sum up my feelings as my day was winding down. Students, this is Houston. This is not Katy, Sugar Land or Cypress; this is Houston proper, and Houston streets are tough.

They are dangerous. The police robbery. No offense to anyone, can only do so much, and in but there are much better targets neighborhoods such as Third on this campus for someone Ward, there is an unwritten law who is trying to make a quick not regulated by Congress. illegal buck. This was violence for Some people on campus have violence’ sake. been calling for more police Houston Police Department patrols, cops on bicycles and homicide investigator Todd cameras since the latest rash of Miller said there were no signs of campus crime began. Even if we robbery. Specifically, he deemed could put a cop on every corner, the crime “a random act of is that what we want? How many violence.” is enough, and when we have When minimum wage won’t enough, what happens when even buy enough food, and something still goes wrong? schools could care less whether Imagine the their students infringement No answers exist for this trend, pass or fail and on our privacy sometimes and few will be provided by we would be would rather our administration or police subjected to if see a kid go we implement to jail so they force. We are in college. We some of these can quantify have the chance to study the him “other” on tried-andfailed tactics true causes of these issues. On official stats, cops on every you will see this campus, we are training corner. Think violence in the about how future anthropologists, social surrounding many times workers and thinkers. Let’s be community. you will have The ethnic the campus that gives America Irish began your backpack searched or an answer for what happened the thug life wait to pass up in the Five Saturday — why a man through metal Points area detectors near New York, was shot in his sleep for no at building and ever since apparent reason. entrances then gangs, with guards all graft, and creating a fence around us. violence have chased poverty, This is the response a lot of always catching up. our nation’s public schools have We sweep it under the rug made. It simply did not end and demonize those who would violence. Even if we do get to stoop to violence, but I ask you, carry guns ourselves, since when if you grew up on the streets of did adding more dynamite blunt Third Ward or anything like it, any explosion? would you feel the same as you The guy who was killed was do growing up elsewhere? homeless. Tom Ziska of local I’m not apologizing or trying station Fox 26 told me the cops to excuse it, but it seems a believe the man was asleep when pattern that transcends color, he was shot. This wasn’t even a state or city. All poverty-ridden

neighborhoods are like this — from the natives in Maui, Hawaii to the streets of H-Town. No answers exist for this trend, and few will be provided by our administration or police force. What happened Saturday morning went deeper than the issues those institutions can handle. We are in college. We have the chance to study the true causes of these issues. On this campus, we are training future anthropologists, social workers and thinkers. Let’s be the campus that gives America an answer for what happened Saturday — why a man was shot in his sleep for no apparent reason.

The explanation is within our grasp because it is a pattern with much precedent. Huge security initiatives will not solve our problems overnight and neither will anything else, save actual attention to the root problem. As you graduate and leave our school, remember that, be it only for a little while or not, for a few years we are all members of the Third Ward community. “Give back to your community,” is what my mama always taught me. Abdul Khan is a political science and history senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

1+1

A CELEBRATION OF EQUALITY AND MARRIAGE

Thursday, February 12 Butler Plaza (Between PGH and Library) 11:30am-1:30pm Wedding/Commitment Ceremonies Reception to follow: Wedding Cake Served Panel Discussion on Marriage 1:30pm-3:00pm at Bayou City Room - University Center Religious and Legal Scholars to Discuss Same-Sex Marriage

IN THE SPIRIT OF VALENTINE’S DAY AND FREEDOM TO MARRY WEEK Sponsored by GLOBAL, UH’s LGBTQ Student Group

©2009 ErnSt & Young llp. Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member ﬁrms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young llp is a client-serving member ﬁrm located in the US.

Day one and the journey’s just begun Day one. It’s what you’ve been waiting for. When your career starts to take shape with award-winning training and support. When your skills are developed through experiences tailored to your needs. And when your success is driven by individual coaching, mentoring and counseling. From your very first day, we’re committed to helping you achieve your potential. So, whether your career lies in assurance, tax, transaction or advisory services, shouldn’t your day one be at Ernst & Young?

What’s next for your future? Visit ey.com/us/eyinsight and our Facebook page.

6 n Monday, February 9, 2009

The Daily Cougar

SPORTS

COMING TUESDAY: UH swimming and diving race for a cause. SPORTS BLOG: “Super Mario Sports” makes athletics fun.

EDITOR Matt Miller E-MAIL sports@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/sports

MEN’s BASKETBALL

Coleman wills UH to defeat Rice By Matt Miller THE DAILY COUGAR Aubrey Coleman was not going to lose his first game against crosstown rival Rice, so he scored 21 of his game-high 27 points in the second half to lead the Cougars to a 72-65 win Saturday at Hofheinz Pavilion. The junior guard took over down the stretch at a time when the Cougars (14-7, 5-3 Conference USA) needed a player to step up and guide them to victory. “(Head) coach (Tom) Penders told me at halftime I was stinking up the gym,” Coleman said. “He told me to play my game. This was my first Rice game, so I wasn’t trying to do too much, but I wanted to win really bad.” Coleman made several great defensive plays in the final minutes, which included a couple of steals that he took the length of the court for layups. “In the second half, I calmed down,” Coleman said. “I was shooting too much in the first half, so in the second half I focused more on defense and that’s how I got going.” Penders praised Coleman for his second-half turnaround.

“I believe he’s the best player in this conference and one of the best players in America,” Penders said. “He comes up with big plays. He gives you everything he has. He’s just scratching the surface because he has so much more growth area.” The teams were tied at 61 with 3:57 left in the game, but a Coleman layup and a 3-pointer from guard Kelvin Lewis (13 points) gave the Cougars a five-point cushion with 2:25 remaining. UH’s defense tightened up from there, keeping Rice scoreless until there were 48 seconds left to play. “The last four minutes, we closed the door on them defensively,” Penders said. This game was no different than a typical UH-Rice hardwood matchup, featuring seven lead changes and seven ties. UH never led by more than eight points. “There was high intensity, (and) it was typical of this series,” Penders said. “You have to give Rice credit. They played at the top of their game. They always do against us.” The stat sheet showed little separation between the two teams. The Cougars, however, shot 17of-20 from the free-throw line and grabbed 42 rebounds. The Owls (715, 2-6 C-USA) had 33 boards and

shot 7-of-11 from the foul line. “Tonight, we really dominated the glass,” Penders said. “Tonight, (rebounding) was important because we were struggling with our shooting. It’s also good to have three or four guys out on the floor who you feel can hit their foul shots.” Coleman led the Cougars with 12 rebounds, recording his eighth double-double of the season. He was pleased with the energy that came from the season-high crowd of 5,533. “I started having fun,” Coleman said. “The crowd gave us (the) energy we needed.” Rice guard Rodney Foster led the Owls with 20 points, keeping the Cougars from dominating. “Both sides made plays,” he said. “UH just made a couple more plays down the stretch, and that decided the game.” Forward Qa’rraan Calhoun hit three of his five 3-point attempts and finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. “Coach has been telling me to be aggressive,” Calhoun said. “We have eight more games, and we’re going to try to win them all. But we’re taking it one game at a time.” sports@thedailycougar.com

GREGORY BOHUSLAV THE DAILY COUGAR

Junior guard Aurbrey Coleman led the Cougars in points, rebounds, assists and steals in UH’s 72-65 win over Rice.

WOMEN’s BASKETBALL

SOFTBALL

Hill, Cougars outlast Owls

Houston begins season 3-1

By Matt Miller THE DAILY COUGAR Rice had no answer for Cobilyn Hill, as the sophomore center scored a career-high 26 points to drive UH to a 70-50 rout of the Owls on Saturday at Hofheinz Pavilion. Hill shot 11-of-13 from the field and grabbed nine boards to lead the Cougars (15-7, 7-3 Conference USA) to their third consecutive victory. “I’ve been a little more focused and confident,” Hill said. “(Before), I’d miss a couple of shots and get down on myself. Now, I miss one and say, ‘That’s in the past; I’ll get the next one.’” UH head coach Joe Curl is pleased with Hill’s progression, but knew since the beginning of the season that she could dominate. “She had some inconsistency, but we stuck with her,” Curl said. “Until she really wanted to move up and down the court and have that disposition, the ball was in her court. We put a personal challenge on her, but she also put a personal challenge on herself.” The Cougars never trailed, jumping out to a 12-0 lead in the first four minutes. UH ran its offense through Hill, but unselfish

play by the entire team kept Rice (5-18, 0-10 C-USA) on its heels defensively. “We had 18 assists (on 25 field goals),” Curl said. “That says a lot about us moving and passing the ball. With 18 assists, we are absolutely moving in the right direction.” Curl said Hill’s effectiveness makes the Cougars’ offense flow much more smoothly. “It makes the outside open up,” Curl said. “With her coming on, we can plan our strategy against our next opponent with a little bit more confidence. It helps us all the way around.” On the other end, the Cougars held the Owls to 31.7 percent shooting. Rice struggled to penetrate and get good looks at the basket because of UH’s strong interior defense. “When we played them at Rice (on Wednesday), our post defense kind of killed us,” said sophomore forward Courtney Taylor, who finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds for her 22nd career double-double. “The main emphasis was keeping (Rice) off the boards. Everybody had the mindset to go get the ball.” However, the Cougars did not step up and take charges when Rice managed to sneak into the paint.

Cougar Sports Services

UH held a 27-13 lead with 6:49 left in the first half, but the Owls used a 9-2 run, capped by a layup from freshman guard D’Frantz Smart off a UH turnover, to cut the deficit to 29-22. Rice stayed within striking

The Cougars’ 2009 season got off to a stormy start, but things ended brightly as they capped the Cathedral City Kickoff in Cathedral City, Calif. with a 12-4 win over Oregon State on Sunday. On Friday, the Cougars (3-1) opened the tournament with a 10-2 loss to USA Today No. 17 California, but rebounded to defeat CaliforniaRiverside 5-0. Houston, ranked No. 13 in the nation, was victorious against James Madison, 10-3, on Saturday after a third-inning rain delay that lasted two hours and 16 minutes. The Cougars’ second game on Saturday against Fresno State was cancelled due to the threat of rain. Against Oregon State (2-2), the Cougars started quickly when senior infielder Jessica Valis reached on a single and scored off sophomore first baseman Jennifer Klinkert’s single to left field. Klinkert reached second on senior infielder Haley Valis’s single and scored when the next batter, senior infielder Christa Raley, singled. Haley Valis advanced to third on the throw and scored the Cougars’ third run of the inning when she was brought home by sophomore

see WOMEN’S, page 7

see SOFTBALL, page 7

Gregory bohuslav THE DAILY COUGAR

Sophomore center Cobilyn Hill, seen above, scored a career-high 26 points Saturday against cross-town rival Rice. “I’m really disappointed that we didn’t take any charges,” Curl said. “I felt like there were a number of times when we should have taken a charge. I don’t know if our kids really understand the magnitude of a charge. If you take a charge, that’s a turnover plus a foul.”

SPORTS

The Daily Cougar

Monday, February 9, 2009 n 7

SILENT ASSASSIN

Cougars follow Coleman As guard Aubrey Coleman goes, so do the Cougars. When he’s at his best, they can give any team fits. Fortunately for the Cougars, Coleman has been at his best in their last three games. His 27-point, Ronnie Turner 12-rebound performance in Saturday’s 72-65 win over Rice was just the latest in a string of standout performances that has the Cougars back in the top half of the Conference USA standings. In the last three games (two were wins), Coleman averaged 30.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals. He also shot 45.2 percent from the field and 91.7 percent from the free-throw line. Coleman has hit an uncanny 11 of 12 free throws in each of the last three games. Amazing, isn’t it? Coleman, for the most part, has been on a tear for the last month. Since the Cougars’ 85-65 win over Texas A&MCorpus Christi on Jan. 6, the 6-4, 200-pound playmaker has averaged 23.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. This includes the infamous Arizona game, when Coleman was ejected midway through the

second half for stepping on the face of Arizona forward Chase Budinger. But that’s old news. What matters now to the Cougars (14-7, 5-3 C-USA) is somehow finding a way to climb higher in the conference standings and getting back into the postseason picture. The best way to do that is by riding Coleman and praying that his supporting cast shows up for each remaining game. Full set of actors Coleman had to run “The Show” all by himself against Memphis on Jan. 31, scoring a career-high 35 points in an 8368 loss. In the two games since, including Wednesday’s 97-69 thrashing of Central Florida, he’s received a lot of help. Guard Kelvin Lewis chipped in 13 points Saturday. Forward Qa’rraan Calhoun had 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks and center Marcus Cousin had nine points and 10 rebounds. Point guard Desmond Wade had eight points, three assists and a block in 30 solid minutes off the bench. Yes, the 5-9, 155-pound Wade went high for his first block of the season. That was a somewhat telling sign of how the game would end. But nearly everything started

and ended with Coleman making plays on both ends of the court. He drove into the lane, hit big shots, drew contact that resulted in trips to the free throw line and held down his end on defense. Coleman had to take over in the second half, scoring 21 of his points in that period. Otherwise, the Cougars might not have won a game that was a must-win. Final stretch The Cougars have eight remaining regular-season games. Fortunately for them, the next three come against three of the worst teams in C-USA. The Cougars should be favored against Southern Methodist (714, 1-7), Tulane (9-13, 3-6) and Marshall (10-13, 3-6), but a loss against any of these squads would be equally devastating. Coleman must continue playing at a high level for the Cougars to have a shot at winning the remainder of their regularseason games. Anything less would put more pressure on his teammates, who haven’t been as consistent lately. Coleman will definitely keep doing his part. But only one working part won’t be enough for the Cougars. sports@thedailycougar.com

SOFTBALL

WOMEN’S continued from page 6

distance throughout most of the second half, but was unable to get any closer than eight points. The Cougars had several chances to break the game open, but the Owls made big shots and forced turnovers when they appeared to

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.

continued from page 6

outfielder Casey Willow. Beavers sophomore outfielder Erin Guzy scored Oregon State’s only run in the first on sophomore catcher Ashley Roderfield’s double. Houston continued to build its lead with runs by senior outfielder Katie Bush and Jessica Valis in the second, putting the score at 5-1. The Cougars extended their lead to 9-1 after scoring four times in the fourth inning. The Beavers earned three runs in the fifth inning to try to stage a comeback, but Houston held them off with a run from Jessica Valis in the fifth, a solo home run from Raley in the sixth and a run from Bush in the seventh. Sophomore pitcher Amanda Crabtree (2-1) gave up five hits and four runs (one earned) in seven innings. In Saturday’s win against James Madison, the Cougars scored five runs in the first inning to set the tone. They added five more runs in the next three innings to take a 10-0 lead into the fifth. James Madison scored all three of its runs in the top of the fifth, but it wasn’t enough as the Cougars held on to take the victory. Sophomore pitcher Baillie Lott earned her first win of the season, allowing five hits and striking out six batters. Both teams remained scoreless until the fourth inning in the tournament’s first game, but

Gregory bohuslav THE DAILY COUGAR

Junior forward Qa’rraan Calhoun grabbed eight rebounds against Rice to help the Cougars climb into fourth place in Conference USA.

Call 713-798-5295 volunteer@bcm.edu

DAILY COUGAR FILE PHOTO

Senior infielder Jessica Valis, pictured here against Texas-San Antonio in 2008, had two RBIs in the Cougars 5-0 win over UC-Riverside on Friday. California scored nine runs in the next two innings to take a commanding lead. Houston responded with a homer from Gregson in the fifth and a run from Raley in the sixth to cut its deficit to 9-2, but it was too little too late as California held on for a 10-2 win. Crabtree gave up 10 hits and 10 runs (eight earned) in seven innings against the Golden Bears. In the Cougars’ first win of the season against UC-Riverside, they

earned two of their five runs in the second inning when Jessica Valis singled to score Raley and Haley Valis. Klinkert followed with a double to bring home Jessica Valis and Bush, who bunted to get on base. Houston continued to pull away as senior catcher Elaina Nordstrom singled to score Raley in the fourth. In the shutout, Crabtree allowed two hits and struck out eight batters.

be finished. “We got a little sloppy with the ball at times,” Curl said. “They’re very quick and athletic and got into the passing lane. I’m disappointed that we turned it over 23 times.” UH finally delivered the knockout punch in the closing minutes. Curl contributed the Cougars’ final run to a higher level

of intensity and focus. “We got on the girls about the seven minute mark of the second half (and said) we really had to perform these final seven minutes,” Curl said. “Our coaches and our players really dialed it up a notch, and that’s when we pulled away.”

sports@thedailycougar.com

8 n Monday, February 9, 2009

The Daily Cougar

LIFE+ARTS EDITOR

COMING TUESDAY: A review of the new movie Push. ONLINE POLL: What band would you like to see get back together?

Sarah Tucker E-MAIL arts@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/life_arts

theater review

Love reignited forever in ‘Eurydice’ Alley Theater performers put unique spin on classic love story By Mauricio Barragan THE DAILY COUGAR

Photo courtesy of Alley Theatre

Orpheus (Jay Sullivan), Father (John Feltch) and Eurydice (Mary Rasmussen) in the underworld.

“Eurydice” at Alley Theatre offers a tragicomic retelling of the timeless Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice from a new perspective. Whereas most depictions of this classic tale over the last 2,500 years have concentrated on Orpheus’ loss and grief, playwright Sarah Ruhl’s creation focuses on Eurydice and her experience in the underworld. Ruhl’s surreal handling, filled with poetic dialogue, frightening scenes and comic relief at every turn, probes the themes of love in life, death and beyond. The elaborate theatrical staging transports the audience on a journey from a sunny day at the beach to the perpetual rain and darkness in Hades and even allows for simultaneous scenes of Orpheus mourning in the world of the living and Eurydice and her father reuniting in the underworld. The plot is faithful to the classic. Orpheus, the world’s best musician, and Eurydice are madly in love. Eurydice dies on their wedding day while attempting to escape the advances of another and falls to the underworld, where she is reunited

with her father. Stricken with grief, Orpheus must travel to the gates of the underworld to rescue his beloved Eurydice. There Orpheus meets the lord of the underworld, who grants his wish on the condition that he leaves the underworld with Eurydice following behind him without looking back. If he looks back, they will be separated forever. Ruhl emphasizes Eurydice’s experience as she adjusts to her new life in the bizarre, dark underworld where the subtleties that make the human experience have been erased in the Waters of Forgetfulness. She is greeted there by the Chorus of Stones, three zombie-like figures dressed in Victorian attire, who attempt to keep order in loud jarring moans that make the audience laugh. Eurydice’s father begins helping her recall her previous life in the world of the living and the eternal love she left behind and reestablishes their father-daughter relationship. Meanwhile, grief-stricken Orpheus begins to go mad as the sadness of his loss continues to grow. Orpheus’ musical abilities allow him to venture to the underworld to

IN REVIEW Eurydice Where: Alley Theatre, Neuhaus Stage, 615 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002. When: 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, through March 1 Verdict: A fresh take on love perfect for V-Day reclaim his love. At the forefront of this strong cast is Mary Rasmussen’s depiction of Eurydice. The audience sighs and smiles as she says, “I love you” and accepts Orpheus’ hand in marriage. Jay Sullivan’s rendition of a contemporary, electric guitar-playing Orpheus reinvents this classical hero as he fearlessly travels from the world of the living to the world of the dead and back. Their combined performance convincingly exemplifies the genuine love of a happy, young couple, and Orpheus’ endless and insatiable sadness is sure to draw a tear. Some may cry, but all will laugh at the Alley’s “Eurydice.” This classic tale of love is recommended for those who haven’t made Valentine’s Day plans with their special someone. arts@thedailycougar.com

Moores hosts International Piano Festival By Allison P. Smith THE DAILY COUGAR The Moores School of Music’s 26th Annual International Piano Festival, which began on Friday and will run through Sunday, gives students a chance to play and have feedback from a master piano player. The masters for this year’s festival were UH pianist and Distinguished Professor of piano Abbey Simon and pianists Stephen Kovacevich and Pascal Rogé. Each pianist listened to several students ranging from middle school to college-age performers. “We started this festival to get the outside public and pre-college age

Staff picks

“Lil Wayne won three Grammys? How is that possible?” — Matt Miller, Sports editor

students interested in what we have here (at UH),” Simon said. Simon launched the first festival in 1984 and has had all the recitals in Dudley Recital Hall since. “That first year, I was afraid no one would come,” Simon said. “But when that first day came, we were packed. Even the master classes were full.” UH was the first university to give a piano festival in the Gulf Coast region. Since then, there have been many other schools holding conferences for up-and-coming piano players, but that doesn’t take away from the success UH has with the festival. “It keeps getting better and better. This year, especially, is a banner

year,” Simon said. The International Piano Festival began with a class on piano theory. Indiana University professor Robert Hatten gave a lecture about the theory of gestures, topics and tropes to a class of several dozen people. “The piano is an artificial instrument,” Hatten said. “Once the note is played, that is it. The instrument cannot get louder like a string, brass or wind instrument can.” Simon was featured in the first recital Friday, playing classical piano to several hundred people. He received an ovation after performing works from J.S. Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and Frederic Chopin. “I went through a whole spectrum

of piano,” Simon said. “There are some people who like to specialize in a certain era, but I prefer the whole performing repertoire.” On the following nights, Kovacevich played classical piano and Rogé played Sunday to a crowd of several hundred. Rogé received three encores and four standing ovations. The audience enjoyed his interpretations of Gabriel Fauré, Francis Poulenc and Claude Debussy. This is an opportunity for students to perform in front of a master and for the public to become familiar with other pianists, Simon said. “I want to bring in pianists who are not that well known in the United

States,” Simon said. Simon held his master class Saturday and listened to performers ranging from ages 10 to 23. “The most important thing for a young pianist is to learn how to read the printed page; the most important thing for the more mature pianist is to become aware of the sound and feel of the piano,” Simon said. Simon believes that the International Piano Festival puts UH on the map and shows that its talent can stay on par with larger schools. “We might not have the finances, but artistically we are up there with Juilliard,” Simon said. arts@thedailycougar.com

What did you think about the Grammy results?

“My pick for best comeback artist of the year? You guessed it: Frank Stallone.” — James Rincon, News editor

“The Grammys? I’ve never watched them before. ” — Sarah Tucker, Life & Arts editor

“I’d rather watch an equestrian tournament than watch the Grammys.” — Ronnie Turner, writer

“The Jonas Brothers should have won best new artist. Nick, call me!” — Zaneta Loh, Editor in chief

“Coldplay’s music is too soft to have won best rock album.” — Justin Flores, Photo editor

LIFE & ARTS/NEWS

The Daily Cougar

Monday, February 9, 2009 n 9

EVENT Preview

MSA to screen ‘Opposition 101’ Documentary provides insights into Israeli-Palestinian conflict By Christina Hildebrand THE DAILY COUGAR

Photo Courtesy of Devotchka

The eclectic sounds of this multi-talented band can be heard tonight at Warehouse Live.

CoNCERT Preview

DeVotchKa brings unique act to Texas By Roshan Bhatt THE DAILY COUGAR “Eclectic” as a descriptive word for Denver-based DeVotchKa would be a bit of an understatement. The quartet, which uses everything from accordions to guitars to trumpets, will make a stop in Houston at 7 tonight at Warehouse Live Studio. DeVotchKa plays a unique blend of folk rock mixed with elements of American punk rock and a tinge of gypsy influence. The band also derives from and fuses Romani, Greek, Slavic and Bolero music into its truly signature sound. Initially, it may be a bit much to chew, but DeVotchKa’s live show has been hailed as exceptional and an absolute spectacle. The group is on tour for its latest release, A Mad & Faithful Telling, which came out last March. The album saw favorable reviews, including a 7.7 out of a possible 10 on music review Web site pitchforkmedia.com, which seems to be an extremely impressive feat nowadays. DeVotchKa hopes to garner new fans this time around through its uniqueness or strangeness, however you may perceive it. The band’s relentless touring schedule has taken it across the globe, helping it to develop strong followings in other

GARDEN continued from page 1

UH planned the planting patch after consulting with different institutions around the country with similar gardens. When UH found out Rice already had one, the plan to build began, said Alex Alexander, director of Custodial and Grounds . “We talked to the folks in the food service operations and it seems like a good idea,” he said. “We found out Rice had one and we said, ‘My goodness, if they have one, we need to have one.’ And we are going to make sure ours (will be) bigger than (Rice’s garden).” Everyone at the unveiling seemed excited to help sow the patch’s first seeds, including chef Brent Gorman of UH Dining Services. “Other chefs are going to be envious of us,” Gorman said. “Not everyone gets to work with things that they know where they come from.” Gorman said he will work at the

markets such as Europe. The group has been nominated for a Grammy, which is almost always impressive. In 2006, DeVotchKa collaborated with composer Mychael Danna on the score for the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine, which received rave reviews. The members of the band are all multi-instrumentalists and have been known to pick up several instruments throughout the course of their live sets. Lead singer Nick Urata dabbles with the theremin and trumpet in addition to assuming lead vocals and guitar duties. The selfdeemed “United Nation-al junkyard” of instruments also includes the use of sousaphones, bouzoukis and the double bass, just to name a few. For this tour, DeVotchKa is bringing along fellow Denver band Crooked Fingers, which is touring in support of its 2008 album, Forfeit/ Fortune. Together, the two bands are sure to turn quite a few heads. These two great musical acts are bringing something new to the table. So set your DVR for whatever you originally planned to watch tonight and get to the Warehouse Live Studio for a night of interesting, diverse music. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the show starting at 8. Tickets are $20.

Israelis since Sept. 29, 2000. Palestinians have also faced much imprisonment and had their homes The UH Muslim Student destroyed by the Israeli army. Association and Amnesty American Muslims have spoken International will host a screening out against the Israeli occupation of Occupation 10,1 a documentary of the Gaza strip by organizing about the Israeli –Palestinian protests, signing petitions and as conflict, from 3 to 5 p.m today in educating themselves and others the University Center Houston about the situation. room. A speech and question-and“There are a lot of Muslims that answer session with Alison Weir, want to do things, but there’s only freelance journalist and founder of so much that one can do, mainly ifamericansknew.org, will follow. because of political power,” Yelton Occupation 101 talks about said. the history of “All over Palestine and America there “They have no rights, freedom Israel, starting have been of speech or freedom to from the postprotests for a World War II vote. They can only hope for cease-fire. There era and ending many world people like us to speak out.” are at the present, leaders that are — Adilah Yelton, art so trying to help what role the US has played Gaza, but the in this conflict best thing that and what life is like under Israeli a Muslim can do is to ask God for military rule. It also presents the his help because only he can save views of the conflict from different us all.” journalists who have covered the Palestinians, as well as some Palestinian-Israel situation, along Christians, Israeli Jews and commentary from peace activists, Muslims are trying to use whatever historians, and humanitarian resources available to stand against workers. the oppression of the Israeli army “It is there to educate people and government. Israeli Jews have about the truth and to give them been able to speak out against this an inside look at Palestine,” art oppression because they have more sophomore Adilah Yelton said. freedom. The Palestinians, on the According to ifamericansknew. other hand, cannot. org, there have been at least “The Palestinians have been 6,288 Palestinians killed and silenced and often resort to what 39,019 Palestinians injured by little they can, such as throwing

IF YOU GO What: Screening of Occupation 101, followed by Q & A with journalist Alison Weir When: 3 to 5 p.m. today Where: UC Houston Room pebbles at Israeli tanks, which often results in a Palestinian child being shot,” nutrition senior Basmah Salam said. Yelton also agrees that the voice of the Palestinians has been stifled in the conflict. “They have no freedom. They have no rights, freedom of speech or freedom to vote. They can only hope for people like us to speak out on their behalf,” Yelton said. MSA is hosting this screening because it wants students to gain knowledge of the situation happening in the Gaza strip and learn how it affects Americans at home. “Our purpose isn’t to point fingers at anyone, especially at any religion, but we would like to explain the situation from a political aspect,” Salam said. “We want to show that this conflict goes way beyond the borders of race, ethnicity or religion. This is not a crisis among the Middle East and Arabs, nor a crisis between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This is a humanitarian crisis.” arts@thedailycougar.com

For the Real World of Business...

Expand your career options with a Bauer MBA.

arts@thedailycougar.com

garden everyday. “They’ll have to keep me away,” he said. Alexander said the University plans to keep the garden for many years. Plans to expand will progress once the garden has been fully harvested. “This is an experiment,” Alexander said. “This is something that we are learning (about) as we go.” Alexander said UH groundskeepers will watch over the garden and assume the primary responsibilities for its upkeep, but he wants students to help out as well. “This is something that causes the students to have ownership in the campus and the University,” he said. “We want the students to get involved (when) they have time because this is for them.” Students are welcome to help tend to the garden on Thursdays. For more information on the garden or on how you can help, visit www. uh.edu/recyclemania. news@thedailycougar.com

MBA INFORMATION SESSION: Wednesday, January 28 at 6:00 p.m. EXECUTIVE MBA INFORMATION SESSION: Wednesday, February 11 at 6:00 p.m.

Please visit www.mba.uh.edu. #1 Evening MBA program in Houston (BusinessWeek)

The University of Houston is an EEO/AA institution.

SECTION

10 n Monday, February 9, 2009

The Daily Cougar

CLASSIFIEDS E-MAIL classifieds@thedailycougar.com

CLASSIFED RATES & INFORMATION DISPLAY ADS $12.77 For 1 insertion, per inch 2 or more $9.62 For insertions, per inch per day

LINE ADS $1.60 $1.43

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

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

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

Bulletin BoaRd !BARTENDING! up to $300 a day, no exp necessary, training provided. 18+ ok. 800-965-6520 ext.145 Health and Fitness, Nutritional Products, Achieve your optimal weight, Call or Goggle——:832-259-2958

Help Wanted

Place an ad today

(713) 743-5356

ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/classifieds

Help Wanted

ATTN STUDENTS! $16 base /appointment. Flex Schedule. Great Resume Experience. Customer Sales/Service. Ages 17+/Conditions Apply. Scholarships and Internships Available. For the locations: West/North/SW Houston

Contact 713-339-4171 281-463-4600 or 281-480-0434 www.workforstudents.com

Looking for a great summer job? St. Luke’s United Methodist Church has just what you need! We’re looking for people that love to work with children for our summer camp. The camp runs from June 1st through August 7th. We offer many great activities such as swimming, tennis, outdoor sports, arts and crafts, and weekly field trips.

Help Wanted

Get paid for your extra time! Plaza Research, a local focus group company in the Galleria, is looking for Hispanics to participate in paid focus group discussions. There is absolutely no sales or solicitation involved, we are only interested in your thoughts and opinions. Our groups are ongoing and include topics such as pets, travel, consumer products, sports, politics, magazines, books, medical conditions, food, beverages, etc. Those who participate are compensated $35-65 per hour for their time. Please call Plaza Research at 713-840-9500 and ask to speak to someone regarding ‘Hispanic’ studies.

THE GREATEST SUMMER OF YOUR LIFE

CAMP PONTIAC

Is coming to the University of Houston! 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 Please e-mail: stefanie@camppontiac.com or call Stefanie at 516-626-7668 to set up an interview

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

I n te r e s te d ? Contact Laura or Kelly at 713-402-5075 lschmit@stlukes-hou.org

Located in NW Houston. Min. 20 hrs/wk. Excellent pay. ginaam@sbcglobal.net

Learn to speak English like an American in the NEW YEAR! PRONOUNCE correctly and REDUCE foreign accent. Understand FAST speech & be CLEARER and more SUCCESSFUL in JOB, EDUCATION & SOCIAL situations! Classes begin in February, so call today!

Rentals

www.AccentLoss.com Hillcroft/59 Area

713-974-3515

WE ARE SEEKING:

Please contact

(713) 528-5311

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

HIRING!!!

Jobs. Apartments.

OFFICE COORDINATOR Coordinate work w/ office, outside vendors & agents for a Real Estate Mgmt. Co.

Monday - Thursday 8-12 pm. $10/hr.

713-527-9912

Clark McDowell and Kic Realtors

Summer jobS available

Certified lifeguards, desk staff,

Direct sales. Very good pay. Call Nick 281-498-3232

PART-TIME CLERICAL POSITION Greenway Plaza Area CPA Firm: 20 hrs per week, flexible schedule. Basic Knowledge of Outlook, Excel & MSWord required: general clerical, data entry, filing & phones. Send resume to Diane Kennedy via fax 713-621-0046 or email diane@bowleswomack.com MOM SEEKS caring and tutoring for her 11 y.o. Special-Need Child. Training provided. Duties incl. errands and personal assistance. Must have good health, non-smoking, own transportation, legally work in US, and no criminal bg.

St. Luke’s UMC is conveniently located at Edloe and Westheimer intersection.

ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION WITH AMERICAN ACCENT CLASSES

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.

Help Wanted

swim instructors and water aerobics/fitness instructors. Great pay & flexible hours! Call 713-662-5892 or 713-662-5387 for information.

713-527-9912

Always in reach.

View Classiftieds online at

thedailycougar.com/ classifieds

MONTESSORI school near Museum dist. Looking for PT/FT. Infant to EC teacher assistants. Call Tara 713-520-0738

HOUSTON HEIGHTS. 30 minutes from the UH campus. 1 bedroom and 1 bath - $750; 2 bedroom and 1 bath - $950. CALL 713-682-7142.

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

FEW BLOCKS from UH, a big studio $300; 1 bdrm $360; 3- 11/2 $800 w/ utilities. No pets. Call 713-834-4209.

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

STUDENT/STAFF SPECIAL: U of H AREA - $99. 1st mo rent. Minutes from Campus. 1bdrm $429 & 2 bdrm $529 with a 1 YEAR LEASE. 3629 MacGregor Way-Office 713-523-0225

ADVERTISE with The Daily Cougar Classifieds! 713-743-5356

ADVERTISE with us! 713-743-5356

Jobs. Apartments.

 download classifieds daily at thedailycougar.com/classifieds

GET A JOB. We’ve done most of the work for you. Check out The Daily Cougar Classfieds every day!

THE DAILY COUGAR

The Daily Cougar

COUGAR COMICS The Waves by Bissan Rafe

Dim Sum by Ho Yi Lau

Man Law by Chris Jacobs

At the Hot Dog Stand by Mishele Lamshing

COMICS & MORE Online at thedailycougar.com/comics

Monday, February 9, 2009 n 11

today’s crossword 1

ACROSS 1 Basin companion 5 Pet-adoption org. 9 Huge 12 Non-soap opera 13 Locate, perhaps 15 Ruminate 16 — dunk 17 Hawk’s refuge 18 Earthenware pot 19 Moderates 21 Grayer 23 Hangs outdoors 24 Sundial numeral 25 Mom’s mom 28 House 33 Mardi Gras followers 34 Appreciative sounds 35 Lab compound 36 Go-aheads 37 Student in uniform 38 Joanne — of films 39 Gripe 41 Crow’s-nest cry 42 Stir from sleep 44 Course outline 46 Burned sandalwood 47 Jackie’s tycoon 48 Cone producer 49 Prehistoric 53 Became aware (2 wds.) 57 Pirates’ base 58 Slipped up 60 Exercise system 61 Crawling in sects 62 Kind of recall 63 — May Clampett 64 Tofu base 65 Hockey feint 66 Pashas

8 9 10 11 14 15 20 22 25 26 27

DOWN 1 Part of SEATO 2 Sly trick 3 Red-waxed cheese 4 Widespread 5 Like cloudless nights 6 Get rid of wrinkles 7 Lemon or clunker

2 8 29 30 31 32 34 37 40 42

Answers online at thedailycougar.com/puzzles 3

8 14

33 36

37 40

52 58

60 63

66 ©

today’s sudoku (Difficulty: 1/5)

Battery fluid Thermometer base Ocean sighting Neutral or first Strangest Portable Half of zwei Be ill Rounded lumps Type in again Photographer — Adams Extinct birds Miss Muffet’s fare River of India Like Thor Riveted Pacific island Advisory group Knacks Smell really bad

47 49

23 25

43 Like a Cyclops (hyph.) 45 Exist 46 Bassinet 48 Fine-tune 49 Cry of woe 50 Billionth, in combos 51 — slicker 52 Trampled 54 Allot 55 Like some crowds 56 Ponies up 59 Country addr.

2009 United Feature Syndicate INC.

Previous puzzle solved S L A P M O O R

L Y E

P U C E

A L D A

N I N U N E C S T L S E L K S O T I ON E L E G I V D E S T E I N K S R E Y I NG MA I D SWA GG E O I S G L A N K L I K E S E S

C H A P D E N I M

A R M E D N E P A L

R I D B E S E

S J A U OG P K A E P E R R U B B L O B P O E T K N E N J R I T I I L Y E P I E I D L NO S G L

G S E E L E S S T E A M

S E R E

C E D E

S A S E

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.

Limbo by Paulo Aninag

Previous puzzle solved

Seniors:

Last chance! Get in the yearbook during Houstonian photo week! • 9 a.m.–7 p.m. February 16–19 • 9 a.m.–3 p.m. February 20 Claudette Room, UC Satellite Shoots available by appointment. Walk-ins welcome. No sitting fees!

Visit uh.edu/sp/houstonian or call (713) 743-5350 for registration info.

12 n Monday, February 9, 2009

ADVERTISING

The Daily Cougar