THE DAILY COUGAR
TODAY’S WEATHER
Love Story: Students explore relationships /FEATUREs
Ride ‘em cowboy: UH takes on C-USA foe SMU /SPORTS
3-day forecast, Page 2
Hi 75 Lo 46
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Issue 90, Volume 74
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www.thedailycougar.com
Vets lack PTSD help By Signe Cluiss The Daily Cougar The UH Veteran’s Services Organization is preparing to recruit returning veterans to UH. The VSO requested a bonus from the Student Fees Advisory Committee Tuesday to assist with marketing materials. The campus can expect more veterans in the fall, after a new bill takes effect on Aug. 1. The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 will make higher education and living costs affordable for veterans. “According to Texas Veterans Commission and the federal statistics, about 25 percent more veterans will be entering college,” VSO program manager Allen Grundy said. The VSO requested an extra $4,500 for marketing materials to assist its estimated $95,000 budget. Absent from the budget proposal was a position request for a psychological counselor trained in military
trauma. Grundy told The Daily Cougar on Thursday that he planned to add the position request as an addendum to the VSO budget proposal. Grundy said he ultimately decided counseling services for the UH veteran community was not VSO’s top priority. The decision came a week after U.S. Army officials announced in a press conference that reported suicides of military personnel outnumbered combat deaths in January. “I didn’t even ask for (a counselor) at SFAC. I wish I did,” Grundy said Tuesday. “You can’t hit (SFAC) with everything at one time, but the marketing needs to be done right away.” The VSO’s next opportunity to request funding for a position from SFAC is spring 2009, a semester after the expected large influx of returning veterans. “My contention was to see how many new (veterans see VETERANS, page 3
Valentine’s event to aid teens
Photo Courtesy oF UHPD
Slain victim identified Daily Cougar News Staff UH Police Department identified the man killed on campus Saturday. The victim’s name was Joe Tall. Houston Police Department contacted Tall’s family before releasing a mug shot of Tall the department had on file from a previous booking. HPD investigator Todd Miller said Tall was from the north side of Houston and homeless at the time of his death. He suffered one shot to the back of the head with a large caliber weapon. The shooter likely fired from a car,
Many milestones await college students nearing graduation — getting the cap and gown, sending out invitations and planning the after-graduation party. But with the economic downturn, this excitement can turn into a time of apprehension, anxiety and fear of the future. “(My company) isn’t getting much work, so I am not getting much work. Now I am worried about how I am going to pay for school next semester. I paid off my school for this semester, but I don’t know about my job anymore. I am worried about my future and what is going to happen to me next May (when I graduate),”
By Amina Rivera The Daily Cougar
Miller said, since forensics showed Tall did not suffer contact wounds or powder burns that indicate the shot was from a closer range. Police are looking for anyone who may have witnessed the shooting, heard a shot in the area or saw a car speeding from the scene. UHPD Crime Stoppers is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and charging of any felony suspect in the case. Those with information can contact Crime Stoppers by calling (713)-222-TIPS and Miller at (713)-308-3670.
Covenant House Texas and Do1Thing are working together to encourage communities to do one thing for homeless teenagers this Valentine’s Day. CHT is accepting donations of clothing, toiletries, bus cards, baby items, gift cards and monetary donations at its shelter on 1111 Lovett Blvd. see ONE THING, page 7
Grant joins research, treatment
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Jobs harder to find, but available By Allison Smith The Daily Cougar
Clothing, bus cards to support homeless
Sanket Shah, a health and human performance junior, said. Other students echo his concerns and are wondering how they will pay for the next term, make rent and find full-employment when even getting an after-school job poses a challenge. “The economy has hit college students hard. Anyone who isn’t currently working is going to be extremely hard pressed to find a job right now, and rising tuition rates have forced a lot of people to take a semester or two off to pay for the rising cost of living,” history junior Clint Marchand said. While students can’t control what happens in Washington, D.C. or on the New York Stock Exchange, there are things they can do to reduce the see ECONOMY, page 3
All Photos BY DAVID SHIH The Daily CougaR
BRAUMS AWAY
A
lumna soprano Melissa Givens and guest mezzosoprano Sonja Bruzauskas sang pieces including poems by Maya Angelou, Emily Dickinson and Jane Kenyon. Affiliate artist in viola Wayne Brooks was joined by guests violinist Sophia Silivos, cellist Kevin Dvorak and pianist Rodney Waters to play selections from Bolcom, Braums, Kodály and Schumann.
UH professor hopes to garner collaboration, increased productivity through center By Marc Anderson The Daily Cougar The $5.5 million Emerging Technology Fund grant UH received Thursday is already being put to use. The grant funds the newlyfounded Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling. Professor Jan-Åke Gustafsson, renowned scientist in the field of hormone receptors, heads the center. Gustafsson said the center is still in the early stages of development, but hopes to have it fully staffed see GRANT, page 7