Issue 89, Volume 74 by The Cougar

THE DAILY COUGAR E!

INSID

TODAY’S WEATHER

Cougars, Longhorns swim for the cure /sports

Walls are ‘muddied’ at UH Blaffer Gallery with ‘electric’ art /LIFE & ARTS

3-day forecast, Page 2

Hi 75 Lo 55

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Issue 89, Volume 74

www.thedailycougar.com

Board considers adding to system By Patricia Estrada The Daily Cougar

David Shih The Daily Cougar

Students take time Monday to let news of Saturday’s on-campus random act of violence sink in as they break between classes.

UH reacts to violence By James Rincon The Daily Cougar Students who did not already know of Saturday’s tragic campus slaying returned to classes Monday from their weekend migration. Those who knew about the random killing of an unidentified man outside Hofheinz Pavilion already felt the way others would come to feel as they learned the news — unsafe. “They should increase security here. I know they try, but they need to put more police on the roads,” industrial engineering M.S. candidate Benjamin Nsude said.

The University is increasing security, effective Saturday, with a force of 33 patrol officers and 12 administrative members of UH Police committed to amplifying campus security. Seven lieutenants will alternate a patrol shift and all 52 officers will work six days a week. Police Chief Malcolm Davis said UHPD has increased foot and bike patrols to increase visibility of blue uniformed police. Davis said he understands students will be more apt to report any behavior they think is suspicious. Campus police welcome the influx of alerts and hope to return the students

to feeling protected. “There is nothing illegal about being suspicious. The force will watch the suspicious person until they leave or commit a crime,” Davis said. “If I get 100 calls a day, the spike in calls is something I hope will happen.” Still, the shock from such a crime will not easily subside. “This is probably by far one of the worst things I’ve heard about on campus,” theater freshman Melanie Burke said. “To be killed like that — it doesn’t make me feel good about being here. Do I want stay here four see REACTION, page 9

The Board of Regents Academic and Students Success Committee discussed a proposal Friday to open a UH System facility in collaboration with Lone Star College. The proposal suggests a northwest campus will make it easier for commuting students to transfer to a four-year institution and to acquire undergraduate and graduate degrees near their homes. The program, if passed, would be modeled after programs such as UH-Sugarland, UH-Clear Lake and UH-Victoria. Other schools across the state may also plan to extend their systems to the region. “If we don’t do it, somebody else will,” said John Antel, provost and UH System vice chancellor. “We want to be sensitive to potential students in suburbs.” The initiative will serve more than 250,000 students enrolled in regional school districts in the Houston metropolitan area. The proposal is a cooperative program among the Texas State System, Texas State University, Texas A&M and the UH System. The degrees offered by each respective institution will be developed and included in the final proposal to the board in April. If the proposal is accepted,

UH and UH-Downtown will offer undergraduate degrees in business, humanities, social sciences, teacher education, criminal justice and technology to students attending the new facility. Graduate degrees will include educational administration, teaching, human resources development and project management. “We don’t want to put a mediocre product out there,” Antel said. “We want quality over quantity.” The universities plan to reach potential students who find it difficult to commute to UH System campuses. “Students there would prefer to go to Sam Houston (State University) in Huntsville than drive down 290 or more to come here,” Antel said. The program will serve Houston Community College and Lone Star College students who plan to transfer to a four-year university. It will offer courses at closer facilities and provide similar programs to those established at UH-Clear Lake, UH-Victoria and UH-Sugarland. The committee is concerned this program may affect enrollment in programs already established within the UH System, and that if see NORTHWEST, page 3

Group fights HIV stigma By Kelsie Hahn The Daily Cougar The key to overcoming stigma attached to HIV is to break the silence, said organizers of the HIV Anti-Stigma Day at UH. LIVE Consortium, Inc. will sponsor a month-long educational and awareness campaign on campus aimed at HIV education. “This is a very straight, very college-age issue. There’s a lot to do about it. You can totally impact the situation for a good change, but only through discussion and knowledge,” founder Beau Miller said. The campaign will culminate in a day of giveaways, free tests for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, a symposium, health fair and rally March 10 at the University Center, Miller said. One of the most common misconceptions is that HIV only affects homosexuals, he said. Statistics show HIV and AIDS are having an increased effect on heterosexuals, especially blacks, Hispanics and young adults. “If we ignore it, it’s just going to fester more. It’s kind of like (a) stigma, kind of like HIV — they’re both similar.” LIVE Consortium, a new anti-stigma nonprofit organization, hopes this campaign will teach students not only about the disease and its prevention, but also how to support a friend or family member who has been diagnosed. One of the biggest ways to help, Miller said,

is to simply be open and available. “If someone that you know got HIV, could they turn to you? Or it is something where I wouldn’t tell my best friend about this?” he said. “Some things we don’t tell people, and we should.” Second-year pharmacy student Drew Dill said much of the stigma surrounding HIV stems from ignorance of medical advances during the past 30 years. “People still have in their minds what HIV used to be like, like in the ’80s especially during Reagan’s administration. People were dying from it because we didn’t have the right kind of treatments and therapies to address the problem,” he said. “We do now, and people with HIV can live relatively normal lives.” Talking about the issue is an important first step to becoming more informed regarding the disease and undoing the shame people associate with it, Dill said. “I think if the younger generation, our age, college age, can deal with that issue, than the better off we are for the future, for our kids. They don’t have to live with those stigmas,” he said. “It’s a virus, it’s a bug. It’s like the flu. It’s not something someone should be looked down upon for having.” Ultimately, Miller said, the group would like to use the UH anti-stigma campaign to develop strategies that can be used nationally to fight see ANTI-STIGMA, page 3

Sarah Krusleski The Daily Cougar

Professor Robert O’Neil examined First Amendment issues such as protest in his lecture at Rice Univesity on Thursday.

Prof: censorship is ubiquitous By Sarah Krusleski The Daily Cougar Students and faculty occupying college campuses around the country should enjoy a freedom of expression that is nonexistent in the professional world, but every community has its censors. That was the message visiting professor Robert O’Neil stressed in his lecture Thursday in Robert R. Herring Hall at Rice University. “We in the academic community are in some ways freer to speak on campus than elsewhere, while in other respects we are less free,” O’Neil

said. O’Neil teaches constitutional law at the University of Texas. He said that although campuses are home to engaging intellectual discourses, academia has its own forms of censorship. Outside the classroom, students have the right to read any translation of a book they please, but on campus students may suffer for reading Cliff Notes, or the English versions of texts assigned in a foreign language, O’Neil said. see SPEECH, page 3

2 n Tuesday, February 10, 2009

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Sophomore has no Valentine Melanie Pang: So, what’re your plans for Valentine’s Day? Chelcy Cotton: Oh, Valentine’s Day … I will be in San Antonio at Texas Music Educators’ Association. Pang: Do you have a Valentine in mind? Cotton: I do not. I think Valentine’s Day is overrated. Pang: Oh, really, why? Cotton: (singing) Oh, because I’ve never had a Valentine! Pang: (laughs) Do you think Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday, or do you think it’s a special day? Cotton: I think it’s a special day, but not when you have no one special to share it with. Pang: This is a sad topic, let’s pick a happier one. What’s it like in the music school? Cotton: What’s it like in the music school … Well, it’s kind of the same thing every day. You see the same people, the same walls and the same teachers, and it’s like, “Am I ever going to get out of this prison?” Pang: (laughs) Cotton: But, at the same time, you kind of grow to love it. It’s like another

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today Résumé Workshop: 3 p.m. at Student Service Center 1, first floor. Call (713) 743-5100 or visit www.career.uh.edu. Campus Recruitment Workshop: 5:45 p.m. at Student Service Center 1, first floor. Completion of a Campus Recruitment Workshop (CRW) is required to participate in campus recruitment, or on-campus interviews. Call (713) 743-5100 or visit www.career.uh.edu.

wednesday Campus Recruitment Workshop: 3 p.m. at Student Service Center 1, first floor. Call (713) 743-5100 or visit www.career.uh.edu. Satellite Concert Series — Local Edition: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University Center Satellite. Sponsored by the Student Program Board. Call (713) 743-5210 or visit www.uh.edu/ spb/calendar.html.

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Chelcy Cotton, music education sophomore

home, especially since you’re there so much. Pang: What do you picture yourself doing after college? Cotton: I want to get my master’s degree and then I want to teach elementary kids. Pang: (asks to repeat) Oh, I though you said something about teaching Alicia Keys. What’s your favorite season and why? Cotton: My favorite season down here is like fall. Well, I should say winter because winter is always not extremely cold, but it’s not hot, so it’s good. And it’s good for my hair.

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ANTI-STIGMA continued from page 1

stigmas of any form. Miller said he would also like to see a mentoring program developed for friends and family members of those with HIV, helping them be supportive even as they deal with their own feelings about the diagnosis. Second-year pharmacy student Michelle Dano said she was inspired to join the HIV Anti-Stigma Campaign by the passion of those involved and the importance of their goals. “Everyone has a stigma. HIV is just part of it. There’s a stigma associated with everyone — race, religion, social status,” she said. “The take-home message is that we’re all affected by stigma and we should work to alleviate it in all areas.” HIV is an especially pressing issue in Harris County, Miller said, which reported 15,837 cases of HIV as of late 2008, 92.8 percent of those in Houston according to the Houston Department of Health and Human Services. The agency also reported 30 percent of those cases were 20 to 29-year-olds. Blacks represented 54 percent of those diagnosed and Hispanics represented 21 percent.

SPEECH continued from page 1

The First Amendment gives student protestors the right to make controversial statements on campus, but this freedom is also limited. “On a large college campus ... there are so many different paths you can take and so many ways in which you can avoid being affected or impacted by a display of that sort,” O’Neil said. However, he said protests meet with more restrictions in situations where viewers can’t leave. He cited one school that banned sticks and rods in its sports arena to prevent students from waving Confederate flags during games. “People really are, for the duration of the game, captives,” he said. O’Neil said institutions can use “non-speech sanctions” such as the ban on sticks to prohibit messages without appearing to suppress expression. Non-speech sanctions have potential for abuse by administrators as “a cheap path to cracking down on an unpopular message.” Freedom of speech at student newspapers depends on the ownership of the paper as well as the view of the courts and legislature on student journalists, O’Neil said. As for faculty expression, universities give professors the freedom to use institutional funds for progressive research. The university setting is also a more accepting place

NORTHWEST continued from page 1

students are offered another facility to attend, enrollment at main campuses will lower. Antel is confident this initiative will successfully provide students in the northwest region with the opportunity to seek higher education as well as increase enrollment for the UH System. “This will take three to four years to get positive results,” Antel said. “This doesn’t affect programs here. We can do both.”

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 n 3

Thousands more Houstonians are infected but don’t realize it, Miller said, indicating Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 25 percent of those infected with HIV are unaware of it. “We have a world that has HIV and we all need to learn how to live in that world,” Miller said. “Part of that is knowing compassion, and part of that is knowing safe-sex practices, and part of it’s knowing that everyone needs to get tested.” Although the efforts of LIVE Consortium and the HIV Anti-Stigma Campaign will focus on March 10, students can get more information from (713) 861-LIVE or www.antistigma.org, which should go live this week. Other organizations in Houston providing information and services regarding HIV and AIDS include Aids Foundation Houston, Legacy Community Health Services, Houston Area Community Services, Inc., The Center for AIDS, the Houston Department of Health and Human Services. Interested students can also get involved in AIDS Walk Houston 2009 on March 15. Registration is still open at www.aidshelp.org.

100

February 12, 2009

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for individuals’ eccentricities than corresponding industries, O’Neil said. An engineer working for a company might be alienated for an outspoken denial of the Holocaust or anti-Israel tirades, O’Neil said, but in academia his views may be accepted as legitimate opinions. “The academic setting is distinct from the workplace in that wide latitude is required for professional judgment in determining the appropriate conduct and presentation of academic material,” O’Neil said. While universities may offer more leeway for quirks than the professional world, O’Neil said academia is far more restrictive about the attribution of intellectual property. “Even a long-tenured professor risks a severe sanction or possibly dismissal for demonstrated misappropriation or non-attribution of literary or intellectual property at a level that would fall far short of actual copyright infringement in any other setting,” O’Neil said. “This is simply because we in the academic community are for scholarly integrity and collegiate acknowledgment.” O’Neil’s lecture was a part of The Boniuk Center’s three-part series on freedom of expression on campus. The series will conclude on April 14 with a round-table discussion between the lecturs and the attendees of the presentations. news@thedailycougar.com

The UH System proposed to lease a facility co-located with Lone Star College in order to maximize the transfer of students into UH System program and to leverage efficiencies offered through shared services, according to a press release. Antel and TSU President John Rudley will meet later this month to review university proposals. If all issues are resolved, the final proposal will be submitted to the Board of Regents in April and then to the Coordinating Board. news@thedailycougar.com

2009 SFAC UNIT PRESENTATION SCHEDULE Tuesday, February 10, 2009, Bluebonnet Room, UC 8:45 a.m.

Committee Business

9:00 a.m.

University Career Services

9:45 a.m.

Veterans Services

10:15 a.m.

Break

10:30 a.m.

Center for Students with DisABILITIES

11:00 a.m.

Student Publications

11:30 a.m.

Public Comment

11:45 a.m.

Lunch

1:00 p.m.

Department of Campus Activities

1:45 p.m.

Homecoming

2:15 p.m.

Break

2:30 p.m.

Student Video Network

3:00 p.m.

Council of Ethnic Organizations

3:30 p.m.

Frontier Fiesta

4:00 p.m.

Metropolitan Volunteer Program

4:30 p.m.

Forensics

5:00 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 Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

COMING WEDNESDAY: SGA wrap-up ONLINE POLL: Are you planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

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

EDITORIAL CARTOON

THE DAILY COUGAR e d it o ri a l B o a r 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

Reporting disturbing news is duty of The Daily Cougar

Bissan Rafe The Daily Cougar

Obama sharpens church, state line Secular and faith-based groups are receiving federal funds to provide relief to struggling families and individuals, but there’s a fly in the ointment. In his effort Anousheh to rejuvenate the economy, President Kehar Obama continues to encourage the role of non-profit organizations. He believes the new Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships can provide vital economic stability necessary for inner-city communities. His notion seems convincing, until it threatens the separation of church and state, as established in the Constitution. Needless to say, a conflict arose and was addressed Thursday by President Obama. Under the previous administration’s faith-based aid guidelines, organizations founded on religion did not want to acquaint themselves with individuals who did not represent their beliefs and blatantly discriminated on their grounds to hire. For instance, they are openly unwilling to hire homosexuals.

An executive order issued by former President Bush in 2002 permitted them to continue to do so while receiving federal funds. With the advent of a new administration, there has been a resurgence against this hiring policy. Not just that, many are questioning the principles of the executive department. The government does not regulate how these funds are put to use by the recipients. It would be fair to say these organizations may be biased in utilizing American taxpayers’ money. Furthermore, it implies the government is consciously assisting lop-sided growth, while instead the funds should be used in accordance with nondiscriminatory acts. The FNP and its representative are faced with valid skepticism. President Obama has vowed to revise the programs structure. “(The groups) can’t use that grant money to proselytize to the people (they) help, and (they) can’t discriminate against them — or against the people

(they) hire — on the basis of their religion,” Obama said Thursday at a prayer breakfast. Asserting the government’s role as a supervisor, he has given way to an advisory council. The council will assist with problems faced by the office through developing procedures. For instance, instead of handing out funds, they will be issued on the basis of the organization’s productivity, not its religious founding. White House lawyers and the Justice department are asked to participate by providing a hiring policy. Ira C. Lupu, a George Washington University School of Law professor, does not see any resolution to be written in stone. “There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this hiring problem … faith-based hiring is going to be allowed in some government-funded programs and not in others,” he said. The fact of the matter is non-profit organizations are efficient and highly see KEHAR, page 5

Sweatshop ban harms Third World We’ve all seen Students Against Sweatshops’ banners around campus voicing opposition to the horrors of exploited labor, but offering very little Daniel information on both Wheeler sides of the issue. When arguing against a certain policy with plans to ultimately remove that policy, an alternative must already be standing on deck, or likely more harm will be done than good. With that, opponents of sweatshops must first view each case holistically. Sweatshops flourish primarily in economically battered Third World countries where the majority of citizens struggle to stay above the poverty line. The demarcation in this case is entirely ambiguous, but subsistence farming and scavenging is prevalent. For these citizens, the only alternative to working

long hours for low pay is not working at all for zero pay. This previous point cannot be overstressed to those of altruistic intent, who have been sheltered entirely from the issue in the first place — specifically President Obama and his team of labor advisers. By taking away what is frequently the only available means of income for many sweatshop workers, those workers will then be forced as the result of enacted policy to acquire things by more questionable means. Crime is already rampant in many of these countries and would likely rise. Human trafficking likewise would shoot up as displaced workers try to make money. This view holds a certain disdain for exploited labor, but economically speaking, at least until an alternative is presented, sweatshops fill a needed role

in these countries. The question of sweatshop labor refers specifically to foreign factories with low pay and poor health and safety standards where employees choose to work, as opposed to facilities where employees are coerced into working by the threat of violence. Forced labor or labor by coercion is nothing more than slavery, and that, regardless of effect, is reprehensible in every sense. Most of these arguments stem from enormous growth in the informal labor sector in the event of over-regulation by government, which can actually increase poverty in an already struggling country. Movements to eradicate sweatshops and thus most of such developing countries’ workforce through labor agreements and such by Obama are

t The Daily Cougar, it is our job as editors, writers and photographers to keep the student body informed of campus events. The Daily Cougar has received many phone calls, e-mails and comments on the Web site regarding the decision to run a photograph of a crime scene with the story ‘Man shot to death on campus’ (News, Monday). The Daily Cougar realizes the photograph of a man lying dead on the campus is disturbing, but it’s the truth. A tragic event occurred at UH, and students have a right to know about it. In choosing to run the photograph, The Daily Cougar tried to represent the scene as it was. Any student driving down the street or walking to a class in Hofheinz Pavilion would have seen the body, as many did. The student who called 911 probably did not wish to see it either, but that doesn’t change the fact that this incident happened on the campus of a public state university. Without the image, the impact of this event would not have been as profound. Without the image, the dead man would just be another statistic. Some have said publishing the photograph was disrespectful to the deceased; however, it is our opinion that it would be disrespectful to remain silent. It would be disrespectful to ignore the violent and unmerited death of someone who can no longer speak for himself. The photograph speaks volumes about what needs to be to done to ensure campus safety. It illustrates the cold harsh reality that a man was shot in daylight. The Daily Cougar did not make the decision to run the photograph lightly. Because the man remains unidentified, notifying the next of kin is impossible, although we are not legally obligated to do so. The photograph was not close-up and did not provide any identifiable characteristics. As more details become known about the identity and life of the man, The Daily Cougar will keep you informed. Making students aware of campus events remains our priority and to sweep this incident under the proverbial rug would be the ultimate dishonor to the deceased.

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

see WHEELER, page 5

Copy editing Wilson Chang, Shaista Mohammed Production Colby Kibbe

OPINION

The Daily Cougar

Students encouraged to help with investigation Saturday’s homicide is the kind of thing that can bring home a lesson many people would not like brought home. We have gotten used to violence in the news and the kinds of things we see in movies like SAW and Rob Zombie’s movies. People who fake violence can become multimillionaires by capitalizing Abdul on the macabre Khan tendencies that Americans have. We also tend to think the amount of violence we consume in the media has desensitized us. People claim that the sensationalization of crime and death is destructive to the psyche of Americans. One thing is certain — no matter how many rapes we see on television, no matter how many times we see dead bodies on the news, no matter how many times we make war heroes out of characters in movies who kill everything they see, it never prepares you for death in real life. We have learned there are students, visitors and staff who were at or near the scene of the crime. There are people who may have seen some things they did not want to see. UHPD Police Chief Malcolm Davis sat down and spoke with me and has two requests for these people. “If you’re concerned or saw something disturbing, talk to (Counseling and Psychology Services),” he said. Regardless of position or classification, if anyone has suffered any kind stress over this incident, CAPS is a great resource. They are free to consult with initially and they have a staff that is well prepared to listen and take your issues to heart. The staff at CAPS is well qualified to help any member of our community who may need someone to talk to, but are unsure of who. After walking away, I cannot say I felt he was some politician. I can

KEHAR continued from page 4

productive because of their concentrated nature. Wellaware of this fact, Obama wants to use them as a resource to the advantage of the people, as well as to ease pressure off the government. He believes these organizations have the advantage of being closer to the people in need, making them advocates of the government’s welfare provision. Thus, he feels optimistically of

WHEELER continued from page 4

unadvisable, simply because it is clear he does not really understand how deep the benefits of this sector run in such countries. As Nicolas D. Kristof put it in a New York Times opinion piece, “Among people who work in development, many strongly believe (but few dare say very loudly) that one of the best hopes for the poorest countries would

say that I was astonished by his pragmatism and his sincere concern for the students and other members of our community he is charged with protecting. The crime is under investigation by HPD Homicide. The fact that it occurred in a Metro Bus Stop gives HPD more jurisdiction, but another reason it was turned over is because we simply don’t have a homicide division at UH. The investigation is ongoing as a joint venture between UHPD and HPD. Now each of these forces has something to bring to the table. What Chief Davis would like to do is tap the UH student body for tips. The occurrence was early in the morning, but there was light. There was a track event happening. Students jog on this campus every morning. People were setting up for the double header — this was a typical Saturday on our campus. That means that there had to be someone around. Despite how a lot of people feel about running stories on murder in the manner The Daily Cougar did, Chief Davis asked for us to do what the press can do. He expressed to me his satisfaction with the writing and content of the stories. He said coverage like this could help to bring in tips from people who may not have spoken up earlier. Fellow Cougars, if you have any information about what happened Saturday, no matter how insignificant it might seem, please touch base with UHPD. Sometimes the silliest little lead can crack a case wide open. Any information is good information, you are not wasting their time, it is not a silly little thing, and anything might help bring this man’s killer to justice. If we want our campus to be safe we must trust our police force and assist them whenever we can. Abdul Khan is a political science senior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

the joint venture of these two institutions in society. Many adamantly oppose the ecumenical effort. In an effort to keep up with the agenda we should make it worthwhile instead. President Obama stands his ground and states: “This is not only our call as people of faith, but our duty as citizens of America, and it will be the purpose of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.” Anousheh Kehar is an architecture sophomore and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

be to build their manufacturing industries. But global campaigns against sweatshops make that less likely.” Those not directly involved in the issues they have rule over, and in this case are in the position to make policy for, must not be given free reign to effectively change the lives of millions on the other side of the world. Daniel Wheeler is a finance and economics sophomore and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 n 5

Health Careers Symposium

Monday, February 16, 2009 10am - 2pm (come and go)

Meet with the representatives from schools and programs including: Medical Dental Pharmacy Optometry Nursing Physician Assistant Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy Clinic Lab Science Public Health ...and much more!

For more information, email at

ShBoger@uh.edu

Hosted by the Pre-professional/Post-baccalaureate Studies Office (PPB)

Do you suffer from frequent migraine headaches? You may qualify for a research study. • 18-65 years old • Experience 3-8 migraines per month • Study related care and investigational medication will be provided • Health insurance not needed

Call HOUSTON HEADACHE CLINIC at 713-528-1916

6 n Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The Daily Cougar

SPORTS

COMING WEDNESDAY: Find out how UH track and field did in “The Big Apple.” ONLINE POLL: How many games will Cougar baseball team win this season?

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

RESERVATIONS FOR SIX

MEN’s BASKETBALL

Yao to represent Rockets, West

Coleman captures Player of Week honor Cougar Sports Services

The 58th NBA All-Star Game is in Phoenix this year, with Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and Cavaliers forward LeBron James anchoring the Eastern Conference and Western Conference squads. Houston Rockets center Yao Ming will Keith be the lone Cordero Jr. representative of the Rockets, making his 7th All-Star appearance for the Western Conference. Yao has started every All-Star game in his career, and totaled more than 2 million fan votes to once again assure him a spot in Phoenix. Yao is averaging 20 points and 9.5 rebounds per game this season. The host team Phoenix Suns will send forward Amare Stoudemire (4th appearance) as a starter and center Shaquille O’Neal (15th appearance) as a reserve. O’Neal’s 15 trips to the All-Star game ranks second all-time behind Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had 19 appearances. The West starters alongside Yao and Stoudemire include Bryant (11th appearance), Spur forward Tim Duncan (11th appearance) and Hornet point guard Chris Paul (2nd appearance). Starting for the East are James

(5th appearance), Pistons guard Allen Iverson (10th appearance), Heat guard Dwayne Wade (5th appearance), Magic center Dwight Howard (3rd appearance) and Celtics forward Kevin Garnett (12th appearance). Joining O’Neal on the West bench are Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups (4th appearance), Lakers forward Pau Gasol (2nd appearance), Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (8th appearance), Spurs point guard Tony Parker (3rd appearance), Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy (2nd appearance) and Hornets forward David West (2nd appearance). Eastern Conference reserves include three first-time selections: Nets guard Devin Harris, Pacers forward Danny Granger and Magic point guard Jameer Nelson. Raptors forward Chris Bosh (4th appearance), Hawks guard Joe Johnson (3rd appearance), Magic forward Rashard Lewis (2nd appearance) and Celtics guard Paul Pierce (7th appearance) will also head to Phoenix. Nelson will not play for the East, after suffering a torn labrum on Feb. 2, and has been replaced by Celtics guard Ray Allen (9th appearance). The addition of Allen gives the Celtics and Magic three All-Stars to lead all teams represented in the game.

For the second straight week, James and Bryant will be the NBA’s marquee matchup. Bryant and the Lakers handed the Cavaliers their first home loss of the season Sunday. James was held to 16 points in a 101-91 loss, while Bryant scored 19 points. All-Star snubs include Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, Timberwolves center Al Jefferson, Jazz point guard Deron Williams, Cavaliers guard Mo Williams, Nets guard Vince Carter and Suns point guard Steve Nash. Nash had 21 assists in a win at Detroit on Sunday. The Sophomore-Rookie Challenge, a game that displays top first and second-year players in the NBA, will feature Bulls point guard and 2008 No. 1 draft pick Derrick Rose and Thunder forward and 2007 No. 2 pick Kevin Durant. The sophomore squad has won six games in a row, all by double figures. Defending two-time 3-point shootout champion Raptors guard Jason Kapono will try to win his 3rd consecutive competition on Saturday. Kapono, who is shooting 41 percent from 3-point range this season, will go up against Lewis, Granger, Hawks guard Mike Bibby, Heat guard Daequan Cook and Spurs guard Roger Mason. The biggest show of All-Star see RESERVATIONS, page 7

FIGHTINGWORDS

22 of 24 from the free-throw line in the two-game span. Guard Aubrey Coleman earned Coleman is UH’s leading scorer Conference USA Player of the and ranks third in scoring in Week honors on Monday after C-USA, averaging 20 points per recording backgame. He stands to-back doubleat No. 4 in the doubles against conference in Central Florida rebounding and Rice last with 8.2 boards week. per contest. The award is No one else in Coleman’s first the conference Player of the ranks in the top Week honor, four in both but he has also categories. received the Since Jan. league’s Rookie 6, Coleman of the Week is averaging award four times 23.8 points, 8.8 this season. rebounds and Coleman 3.1 assists per averaged 28.5 game. He’s also points and 11 shooting 43.6 rebounds per percent from the game in the field this season Cougars (14and 79.6 percent Gregory bohuslav THE DAILY COUGAR 7, 5-3 C-USA) from the charity victories over Junior guard Aubrey Coleman received the C- stripe. Central Florida USA Player of the Week award on Monday. Coleman has (97-69) on been Houston’s Wednesday and Rice (72-65) on leading scorer and rebounder in Saturday. the last three games. The junior totaled team-highs The Cougars continue their of 30 points and 10 rebounds schedule with a game against against the Golden Knights and Southern Methodist in Dallas at 7 put up team-highs of 27 points p.m. Wednesday. and 12 rebounds in Houston’s win over the Owls. Coleman also shot sports@thedailycougar.com

At issue: How would you grade the Cougar football team’s 2009 recruiting class?

Recruits a harbinger of a great season in 2009

Solid class fills some gaps, leaves others open

2009 class should leave Cougars fans filled with hope

Judge Dredd may have recruited a new rival

The UH football team for is looking great for 2009. In 2008, the Cougars were 8-5 and got a great win in the Armed Forces Bowl. This season, they can only get better. The ball has to be moved down field more and I feel 2009 prospect A.J. Dugat can help the Cougars get to the red zone. Dugat gained Mario 1,755 yards and had 28 Trindad touchdowns for Dayton last season, gaining All-State status. The offensive and defensive lines have many new comers in the picture along with some of the old. It makes the combination of players a great mixture. The main question is, do these new guys have the heart to play? The players have to have their mind’s set and the fans need to be in the seats. There is no money on the table for these guys. Their only job is to win. I really think they can have a better record than last year. Now, let me pass the torch to the people who said the Cardinals would win the Super Bowl and the Judge who was too scared to make a prediction.

Mario, once again, you failed to answer the question regarding how you would grade the recruiting class. You mention one sentence about A.J. Dugat and everything else sounds like garbage. I would rate the recruiting class as a B minus because it’s balanced, led by junior Keith college transfer offensive Cordero Jr. lineman Roy Watts, who should start next season. Dugat will also be a game-changer and fit in nicely on a high-powered Cougars offense led by quarterback Case Keenum. Offensive linemen Ty Cloud and Jarve Dean will also fight for starting positions. The Cougars brought in a solid 25 recruits who will blend nicely with a team that’s coming its first bowl game last season since 1980. My key player in the draft class will be Tyler Chambers. The tight end will look to follow in the footsteps of star tight end Mark Hafner, who was one of Keenum’s favorite targets last season. The majority of the Cougars offense will be back next season and will, yet again, be exciting to watch.

The possibilities are endless with this recruiting class. Just think, an “Anthony Alridge” type player in A.J. Dugat lining up with an already potent offensive arsenal that is ranked as one of the nation’s best. A highly touted running back, Charles Sims, will rotate snaps with Bryce Beall and Jesse the insertion of beastly Livingston junior college transfers 6’6 300-pound Roy Watts and 6’2 320-pound Jarve Dean to the offensive line will patch holes left from graduating seniors Sebastian Vollmer and Michael Bloesch. But defense wins championships and head coach Kevin Sumlin gets my rating of a B for what he lured to campus. Speedy safety Jacky Candy and shut down cornerback Devin Mays, both junior college transfers, can cover ground and bring experience after the departure of Kenneth Fontennette and Quinte Williams. Linebackers George Bamfo, Philip Steward and Steven Robertson are fast and physical and should work their way into the rotation. Can the season get here any sooner?

Mario, it takes some serious grapefruits to call out Judge Dredd in a game of Fighting Words. Throughout the four-year history of this forum only two writers have ever attempted such a feat – Mark Suarez and Fabian Sifuentes. Unfortunately, those dudes are no longer with us but Judge Dredd hopes this can be the start of another Judge entertaining rivalry. Here’s a Dredd little advice though. When you get over your little man-crush on A.J. Dugat, take a look at past issues of Fighting Words. We don’t use sissy terms like “have the heart to play” in this forum. This is a forum for grown men — grown men without man-crushes on high school football players from Dayton. Man up and bring your A-game next time. Now to business, Jesse was right on in his argument. The Cougars have enough offensive playmakers to form a small army. Sumlin needed to bring in defensive talent, and he got on the right track by signing Bamfo and Mays. For some reason, as Keith pointed out, Mario didn’t actually rate the Cougars’ recruiting class. Verdict: Keith wins. Judge Dredd doesn’t get scared.

FAC E T I M E

Fitzgerald continues right where he left off with two touchdowns and MVP honors in the Pro Bowl.

Fighting Words is a sports forum among Daily Cougar columnists. A question is posed to the group and anything goes. Their answers are evaluated by Judge Dredd based on which one is the best at beating down the other two.

SPORTS

The Daily Cougar

SILENT ASSASSIn

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 n 7

SWIMMING AND DIVING

A-Rod makes smart choice Texas teams match Give Alex Rodriguez credit for being smart enough to see the writing on the wall and wasting little time in making the right decision after reports of his testing positive for steroids six years ago surfaced Saturday. The right Ronnie decision was to tell the truth, Turner which the New York Yankees slugger did with Monday’s admission to ESPN’s Peter Gammons that he took performanceenhancing drugs while playing for the Texas Rangers from 2001-03. Of course, it would have been better if he had owned up when the report surfaced, but it’s understandable that he needed a little time to review his options. Rodriguez, who also apologized to Rangers fans, surely knew it would have been foolish to continue denying allegations that he used steroids. If he needed any more proof, all he had to do was conduct a Google search and include either “Roger Clemens,” “Barry Bonds” or “Mark McGwire” and “steroids” in the search terms. Rodriguez also could simply have asked teammate Andy Pettitte for some advice. After all, Pettitte, who was implicated for steroid use in the Mitchell Report in December 2007, came clean right before last season’s spring training and was less vilified for doing so. Or Rodriguez could have asked former teammate Jason Giambi, who

was put in an awkward situation after San Francisco Chronicle reporters revealed in December 2004 that he had told a grand jury a year earlier he had used steroids. Under threat of punishment from Major League Baseball, Giambi agreed to cooperate with George Mitchell, who orchestrated the Mitchell Report. Both Giambi and Pettitte have managed to move on with their respective careers without facing further condemnation. But Clemens, Bonds and McGwire have continued to deny the allegations of steroid use and have paid for it. Rodriguez had two options: come clean and try to cut his losses in the court of public opinion or continue to deny the allegations, thus setting himself up to be heavily scrutinized until the day he retires. He made the right call.

RESERVATIONS

coverage of the Rookie-Sophomore game at 8 p.m. Friday. The dunk contest and three-point competition will be held on Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m. The All-Star game will be on Sunday at 7 p.m. All of these events will be broadcasted on TNT. Predictions: The sophomores (Rookie-Sophomore Challenge), Kapono (3-point competition), Robinson (dunk contest) and the Western Conference will win this weekend’s events. Wade will win the All-Star game’s Most Valuable Player Award.

continued from page 6

weekend is the Slam Dunk Contest. Defending champion Howard will face former champ and Knicks guard Nate Robinson, Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay and Blazers rookie Rudy Fernandez. Howard will play Superman as he did in last year’s contest, while fan vote Fernandez is the dark horse. Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown will lead the East into battle, and Lakers head coach Phil Jackson will head the Western Conference. The festivities will begin with

Bitter truth The apology doesn’t make Rodriguez a saint or excuse what he did. He cheated and was caught, and will be forever linked to a group of superstars whose legacies are tarnished by cheating. Rodriguez, who has 553 career homers, won’t be punished by MLB, but will have to face plenty of heat from the public. But he won’t have it as bad as Clemens, Bonds, McGwire. Clemens, who has 354 career wins, is out of baseball, involved in a brutal defamation lawsuit against former trainer Brian McNamee and in danger of being indicted on federal charges of perjury. Bonds, baseball’s

sports@thedailycougar.com

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all-time home run king with 762 bombs, is also out of baseball and fighting perjury charges stemming from his testimony about alleged steroid use. McGwire, who has 583 career homers, is retired, but has been shut out of the Hall of Fame for three consecutive years. Rodriguez, however, stands to save some face by taking the road less traveled. Public opinion and the media will probably be divided on this issue. Some will rip him to pieces, while others might be willing to somewhat forgive him for admitting the truth. It remains unlikely however, that Clemens, Bonds and McGwire will have much public or media support in their corner. An example for others Rodriguez’s admission somewhat underscores the Mitchell Report, which clearly did not implicate all the stars associated with baseball’s steroid problem. Whenever these offenders are brought to the light, they will face the same options as Rodriguez: confess everything or deny every allegation. The first option could work to their advantage, while the second would definitely put them on the public’s bad side. Rodriguez could have easily entered another plea of not guilty, but he made the right call by taking a “public” plea bargain instead. sports@thedailycougar.com

up for cancer benefit By Mike Damante The Daily Cougar Wednesday’s swim meet between UH and the University of Texas isn’t just about state bragging rights — it’s also for a good cause. Houston will host Texas in the “Sprint for the Cure” meet, which benefits breast cancer awareness and research. The team is taking part in the event to honor volunteer assistant coach Jarrod Marrs’ mother, who died of breast cancer in 2004. “Our team has taken on breast cancer as a community project,” said senior and team co-captain Sasha Schwendenwein. “What makes the meet even more special is that we are facing the No. 3 team (Texas) in the nation.” The Cougars will have to contend with Texas freshman Karlee Bispo, who took home Big 12 Women’s Swimmer of the Week for the first week of February. After a 1-2 showing at the LSU Invitational Jan. 31, UH is 14-5 this season going into the “Sprint for the Cure” clash with Texas. Schwendenwein has also been tapped to compete in this summer’s “Universiade,” an event that features the best swimmers from universities throughout the world. Freshman Kimberly Eeson was also selected to represent her native

daily cougar file photo

UH will host the “Sprint for the Cure” meet benefitting breast cancer research Wednesday. Zimbabwe in the FINA International Swimming Federation’s World Championships in Rome. A familiar face, swim team head coach Mark Taylor, will coach Eeson. “I’m very honored to represent my country and the University,” Eeson said. While both individuals have big summers ahead, the focus remains on Texas and the “Sprint for the Cure,” which takes place Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium. “(Sprint for the Cure) is going to be a great meet,” Schwendenwein said. “It is awesome how Texas is coming together for a good cause.” sports@thedailycougar.com

8 n Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The Daily Cougar

LIFE+ARTS Artists ‘electrify’ Blaffer Gallery COMING THURSDAY: Pablo Francisco performs in Houston. ONLINE: Check out Wilson Chang’s Cougar Food Blog.

EDITOR

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

By Sarah Tucker THE DAILY COUGAR

Photo courtesy of the Blaffer Gallery

Michael Reafsnyder’s Distant Sun, 2008, acrylic on linen, is on display as part of the Blaffer Gallery’s exhibit Electric Mud.

College gossip site shuts down By Jack Najarian THE DAILY COUGAR One of the many major lessons an economics student learns is no matter how good or bad the economy is doing, there are winners and losers. A perfect case occurred Thursday when Matt Ivester, CEO and founder of Juicycampus.com, cited inadequate online ad revenue because of the economic downturn as the reason for shutting down the Web site. Juicycampus.com was a discussion Web site that encouraged rumors and gossip and calculatedly hateful discussions of people and organizations in colleges across the United States. The Web site began in smaller private universities, but exploded to more than 500 campuses across the U.S. with more than 1 million users a month. The Web site encouraged gossip by stressing rules that all posts were anonymous, making it very convenient for users all over their respective campuses to speak up about whomever or whatever they wanted. Some of the more popular discussion topics included “biggest slut on campus,” and “biggest tease.” While few students knew about the Web site, many people were hurt by the remarks, especially in the local Greek community on which much of the discussion was focused.

“I thought it was a waste of time, people saying hurtful things about others for absolutely no reason at all,” said Bethany Johns, music business junior and victim of the Web site said. “I was indifferent.” Although Johns was able to look past the hateful comments, others weren’t and numerous lawsuits had been filed against the site. Many college administrators had also blocked the Web site from their schools’ Internet servers. “I’m really excited (the Web site shut down) because it was pulling the Greek community apart based on rumors without truth. I always thought it was immature,” Jasmine Taillon, political science senior and member of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority said. Earlier this year, UH’s Panhellenic Council held an emergency meeting to address some of the comments made on the Web site. “It was an open meeting where all (Greeks) were invited to try to figure out a way to either shut down the Web site (or) discourage sororities from using it,” said Aurora Castellano, public relations junior and member of Chi Omega sorority. “(The Web site) went against everything the Panhellenic Council stands for.” Even though hurtful remarks see GOSSIP, page 9

On exhibit at the Blaffer Gallery, Electric Mud investigates the relationship between paint and mud: the boundaries that separate each from the other, as well as the likeness that continues to keep them together. Open since Jan. 17, Electric Mud features the work of six Californians, artists Brian Calvin, Ron Nagle, Michael Reafsnyder, James Richards, Anna Sew Hoy and Patrick Wilson. Upon entering the Blaffer Gallery, the first works seen are Hoy’s multidimensional pieces hanging on the wall. One piece, titled Clasp, resembles a coat hook and even has a towel hanging from it. Another piece has an electrical cord dangling from it. Hoy’s pieces take the mundane — a towel, a cord — and integrate it into a new piece that is different and jarringly unique. Each of Hoy’s pieces on display demonstrates the “mud” aspect of the exhibit — everyday items, as normal and as dull as mud. However, they are transformed through a new, more exciting usage, “electrifying” the “mud.” Along the wall to the left of Hoy’s

works is Richards’s work, consisting of three large wooden frames, covered in erratically arranged string and paint. Stapled to the frames, the string is a tangled mess. Over the string are gobs of paint, also crazily arranged. “Richard’s art work represents the basic elements of a painting,” Blaffer docent and UH alumnus Matthew Glover said. This stimulating display of simple items makes the frames stand out as more than just string and paint. They are lively in their vibrancy and simplicity. Along another wall are three large Jackson Pollock-like paintings by Reafsnyder. Each piece has a specific color scheme and the paint is splattered and poured, smeared and squiggled so thickly that at times it seems to extend off the canvas towards the viewer. Hidden in each of his paintings is a smiley face that peeks out amidst the thick lines of paint. Reafsnyder also displays some glazed ceramic sculptures. These pieces resemble the clay sculptures elementary students proudly take home to their parents, crudely done and colorfully painted, but each piece speaks to the simplicity of clay or

“mud,” that the exhibit attempts to explore. Nagle’s art is comprised of ceramics that resemble everyday objects. The mind attempts to make them look like coffee mugs and irons, but they resist due to enough differences to not make sense. Calvin’s works are simple, glorified cartoons that are plain to the point of perfection. Wilson’s pieces are large, rectangular paintings so perfect that it seems only a computer could have created them. Simple squares and rectangles in bright colors, the works resemble Rothko’s, but more angular and defined than Rothko’s pieces ever were. The purpose of the exhibit is to show how the most mundane of objects, the “mud,” can be transformed and electrified. The exploration of the similarities between paint and clay are also examined, especially with Richards’ and Reafsnyder’s pieces — the paint is so thick it looks like clay someone splattered on the canvas, across the crazy string. Electric Mud will be on display at the Blaffer Galley through Mar. 29. arts@thedailycougar.com

sound check

Past affects poets, retro pop Cadence Weapon Remember house music? Cadence Weapon sure does. The Edmonton native plays dance-friendly hip-hop that can be heard in any type of club. Usually, when you think of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, hip-hop is a long thought behind the cold weather and the Edmonton Oilers. Wayne Gretzky put the province on the map, but Cadence Weapon may be opening doors for hip-hop from the “Great White North.” Cadence Weapon’s sound can be Mike Damante a throwback to the 1980s, like new school act The Cool Kids. At other times, it sounds like straight rap over techno and disco beats. You may just hear one of his songs in one of those oh-so-hip boutiques. The emcee was just signed to Anti, an imprint of Epitaph Records, and is taking the Radiohead route for his recent release. Fans have the option to select exactly how much they want to donate in exchange for the downloadable version of the record, Separation Anxiety, which will be available for any price the customer desires and can be acquired at www.cadenceweaponmusic.com. The Serious Geniuses These guys are geniuses — seriously. OK, maybe not real geniuses. As a matter of fact, there is nothing earth shattering about a simple formula of pop rock. However, simplicity can be a genius thing when done right, and this foursome from Boston has hit the nail on the head. Driving melodies, catchy hooks and a collection of upbeat songs make the The Serious Geniuses a better alternative to bands like The Plain White Tees. Coming from the blue-collar music town of Boston, which have produced punk and hardcore acts like The Dropkick Murphys, The Unseen and Slapshot, The Serious Geniuses’ music is more reflective of Vagrant Records’ heavyweights like Hey Mercedes and The Get Up Kids. The album You Can Steal The Riffs, But You Can’t Steal The Talent is currently out on Kiss Of Death Records and can also be streamed at the band’s profile on www. punknews.org.

The Devil and the Lion This South Carolina quintet is a fresh new face to the music business, but the group has just recorded and released their self-titled EP for free at their Web site, www. thedevilandthelion.band camp.mu. The band isn’t bringing a revolutionary or even as refreshing a sound as you may think, but they are a young band with a lot of potential. Their sound dabbles in familiar territory. They could be placed on tours alongside bands Colour Revolt or Manchester Roshan Bhatt like Orchestra. Instrumentally, they are reminiscent of Texas post-rock stalwarts Explosions in the Sky, indicating a very moody and ambient backdrop. The storytelling nature of many of the songs is also an obvious draw. If these comparisons aren’t enough to sell you, remember the fact that the album is free and you’d be a bit ridiculous to turn that down. Dessa Dessa, born Maggie Wander, had initial aspirations of being a basketball player and even went to the University of Minnesota on a basketball scholarship. However, an injury thwarted that dream, and eventually led her to write poetry. Initially a spoken-word artist, Dessa joined the poetry slam circuit and eventually meddled with hip-hop. Her hard work paid off and landed her a sweet spot with Doomtree, a hip-hop collective based in Minnesota. Dessa’s EP Falsehopes explores exactly that, taking into account her verbose and quick delivery. She also possesses a slight, soft and soulful tone to her voice, making it easy on your ears. Her collaboration with P.O.S. on his track “Low Light Low Life” is hands down one of the best things she’s worked on and her verse is easily the most outstanding in the song. Dessa’s potential is seemingly limitless, but we’ll see if she delivers on her coming debut LP, due out later this year. For now, she’s released a book called Spiral Bound, which is available through her Web site, www.myspace.com/ dessadarling arts@thedailycougar.com

NEWS | LIFE & ARTS

The Daily Cougar

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 n 9

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Push’ plot goes nowhere By Jasmine Harrison THE DAILY COUGAR In Push, a gritty action thriller staring Dakota Fanning and Chris Evans, humans have been genetically altered by the government in their ever-diligent quest to create a master race. The movie description promises “to burrow deep into the world of psychic espionage,” but in almost two hours, Push does nothing but skim the surface. We are introduced to Evan’s character, Nick Gant, who is a “mover,” or telekinetic. He is visited by Fanning’s Cassie Holmes, now all grown up and with the wacky-colored hair extensions to prove it. Her power is that of a “watcher,” someone who can see the future. All of the geneticallyaltered folks have a totally cool nicknames for their super powers, by the way. For instance, the “stitch” can mend and break bones. The unlikeliest of pairs, Cassie and Nick embark on a quest to save runaway Kira Hudson (Camilla Belle) and to save the world, but that’s where the plot disintegrates faster than the movie’s tank full of koi when subjected to a high-pitched, genetically-altered scream, which can also melt brains. The plot, full of twists and turns, only leads to dead ends. Nick and Cassie have to find the girl with special powers, find the box and the syringe and save Cassie’s mom and all people with special abilities. The story lumbers clumsily along, often using a special ability to advance the plot rather than add to it. The results are characters popping up out of nowhere with no explanation as to how they got there; doing impressive yet impossible feats and fade away, never to be heard or seen from again. Kira Hudson is the muchsought-after runaway who escaped a government laboratory. After waking up with severe amnesia in Hong Kong, she cannot remember where she had stashed some very important government property. Hudson is a “pusher,” meaning she can push her own thoughts into people’s brains, hence the name of the movie. Even this is vague since Hudson’s pushing abilities do not figure prominently into the story’s plot line. Blood Diamonds’ Djimon Hounsou also stars as the resident bad guy in the film. He works for the government and

GOSSIP continued from page 8

were a staple of the Web site, some did receive flattering remarks. “It was pretty cool to have the compliments, but it was not something that I wanted to be associated with, positive or negative,” Paul Brohkin, vice president and founder of the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity said. “My life is a little different now that it’s gone. Now I do not have

REACTION continued from page 1

years? I don’t know.” Theater freshman Greg Cote said he has never been so close to a crime like this and is at a loss for comforting solutions. “It really does put into perspective that there are some spots around here that it’s really not safe to be by yourself at night,” Cote said. UHPD is trying to eliminate those spots. It has divided the campus into

four continuous beats and has put cars on patrol of Scott Street and Cullen Blvd. These steps have been taken to satisfy students like accounting M.S. candidate Ni Zhang, who said she wanted to see more police on campus, but the events of the weekend are far from out of mind. “I still can’t figure out why this happened. I don’t want my family to know about this because they would worry about me,” Zhang said. news@thedailycougar.com

Credit: Summit Entertainment

In Push, Dakota Fanning and Chris Evan’s characters search for a runaway girl being hunted by the government. is also a pusher, but he’s hellbent on giving each geneticallyaltered person an injection that supposedly enhances their powers, though no one has survived to prove its merit. But then we’re back to the mom-situation when it is discovered that Holmes’ mother is locked away by the government for being the best “watcher” in history. Though there is much talk of rescuing her — and the entire mission was launched for that sole purpose — the movie ends rather anti-climactically with no real solution. It’s as if the writers pooped out and decided to call it a day. Directed by Lucky Number Slevin’s Paul McGuigan, Push totally delivers in the shock-andawe department. The special effects are seamless and the super powers entertaining, but the movie fails to deliver when the novelty of genetically-altered humans wears off. The flat story line muffles the talents of Fanning and Evans and eventually distorts the message of the entire movie. This wouldn’t have been so obvious if we hadn’t seen this subject matter done much better before. Push gives the sense of watching “Heroes” underwater.

IN REVIEW Push

Rated: PG-13 Starring: Dakota Fanning, Chris Evans, Camilla Belle Verdict: “Heroes” has a better plot, and it’s on TV.

For the Real World of Business...

Expand your career options with a Bauer MBA.

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to worry about my fraternity brothers posting on the Web site.” However, most students didn’t care about the site’s closure. “The site was irrelevant to the majority of the UH population,” political science senior Michelle Pena said. “It seemed like the comments were just petty attacks from one group to another. Most of UH did not even know what Juicycampus was.” arts@thedailycougar.com

MBA INFORMATION SESSION: Thursday, February 19 at 6:00 p.m. EXECUTIVE MBA INFORMATION SESSION: Wednesday, March 11 at 6:00 p.m.

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

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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

I n te r e s te d ? Contact Laura or Kelly at 713-402-5075 lschmit@stlukes-hou.org St. Luke’s UMC is conveniently located at Edloe and Westheimer intersection.

Rentals HOUSTON HEIGHTS. 30 minutes from the UH campus. 1 bedroom and 1 bath - $750; 2 bedroom and 1 bath - $950. CALL 713-682-7142. MONTESSORI school near Museum dist. Looking for PT/FT. Infant to EC teacher assistants. Call Tara 713-520-0738

www.AccentLoss.com Hillcroft/59 Area

713-974-3515

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

Help Wanted 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

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

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!

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

MAKE UP TO 75 DOLLARS per online survey, www.cashtospend.com ADVERTISE with The Daily Cougar Classifieds! 713-743-5356

ADVERTISE with us! 713-743-5356

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

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

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

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 n 11

today’s crossword ACROSS 1 Thrash 5 Ice floes 10 Distort data 14 Candy-striper 15 Unfamiliar 16 Strauss of denim fame 17 Harness piece 18 Jaded 19 Not shut 20 Oomph 22 Tern or albatross 24 Munch on 25 Ticked off 26 Replaces (2 wds.) 30 Large fishhooks 35 Ivy Leaguer 36 Myrna of old movies 37 Small harbor 38 Runs of luck 41 Fix unalterably 43 Goes on safari 44 Poor review 45 TV brand 46 Mirage sights 47 Blew up 50 Border on 53 Poet’s contraction 54 Steep gulches 58 Signs of spring 62 Wiener schnitzel base 63 Tannin source 66 Aloud 67 Soul singer — James 68 Desire greatly 69 Habitual 70 Scuba-diving site 71 Was a scout 72 Winter precip DOWN 1 Hack’s customer 2 Legal claim 3 “Garfield” pooch 4 Jazz and rap 5 Nonsense syllables (2 wds.) 6 House addition 7 Estuary

Answers online at thedailycougar.com/puzzles 3

24 26

36 40

41 44

47 50 55

53 58 64

today’s sudoku (Difficulty: 2/5)

1 2 13 21 23 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 39 40 41

Painter’s undercoat Vile smile Unkempt one French Legion headgear — so much Breeze or gale Chatter Patronage Blue expanse Trattoria sauce Ne plus — Poops out Romaine Crawling insect Play at love Thief’s need Stand in good — Make ends meet Test, as ore Marino or Aykroyd

8 9 10 11

4 2 44 48 49 51 52 54 55 56 57 59 60 61 64 65

Did police work Hollow Tolstoy’s name Where roses climb Juicy pears Commandeer Declare Solar plexus Have status Norwegian saint Soldering tool Its HQ is Brussels Lots and lots — tai Blvd.

2009 United Feature Syndicate INC.

Previous puzzle solved E A S T

WE R I D A L AM EMP A GR A N L E N T O K S B E E F S Y L L A A N C I L A I R A N T S S O Y

S T A E R I R N Y S C A A B R I E N E T

P C A R A C E M E R I E O S D R A B S I I I DWE L L OOH S E A D E T HO Y RO U S C E N T R E E T WA K E R R E D Y O T A L E D E K E D

B U L B

I S L E

G E A R

I N D U S

N O R S E

G L U E D

D O L E

U G L Y

P A Y S

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.

ADVERTISING

12 n Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The Daily Cougar

For more information, visit: www.uh.edu/commuter

www.thedailycougar.com Stay in touch.

$UPER TUE$DAY $AVING$ $5 OFF! Get Your Dance On!

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Enjoy a FREE TEA $2.50 BUBBLE TEAS & SMOOTHIES $2.50 BUBBLE TEAS & SMOOTHIES with the purchase of a try our refreshing fruit smoothies try our refreshing tapioca tapioca bubblebubble teas &teas fruit &smoothies meal with this coupon. (2) chef entrées-of-the-day, an eggroll & a side of fried rice (2) chef entrées-of-the-day, an eggroll & a side of fried rice available everyday from 11AM available everyday from- 2PM 11AM - 2PM

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today!

Daily Cougar Flying Saucer 4” x 3” “Help Wanted” ad

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