THE DAILY COUGAR
TODAY’S WEATHER
Lucky No. 500: Head coach Rayner Noble reaches milestone win /sports
Child’s play: Comedy showcases young characters /LIFE & ARTS
3-day forecast, Page 2
Hi 67 Lo 52
Monday, February 23, 2009
Issue 98, Volume 74
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www.thedailycougar.com
Advanced contact methods pervasive E-mail aids studentprof communication By Victoria Simpson The Daily Cougar E-mail, text messaging and Web sites such as Twitter are becoming fundamental tools in how some professors communicate with students in their classes. With increased use, certain instances have raised concerns that communication technology is too pervasive. Political science lecturer Nancy Sims who teaches Science, Technology and Public Policy, said evolving technology plays an important part in teacher-student communication. “Since I am only on campus for limited office hours and to teach my classes, e-mail has opened up new communication channels,” she said. “I also find that students will e-mail to discuss topics that interest them. They are less willing to do this in front of other students.” Students who can check their e-mail with their cell phones have constant access to news and updates. “I check my e-mail on my phone every hour throughout the day; I feel lost without it,” kinesiology junior Ashley Yarbrough said. Houston Community College Southeast has started to incorporate cell-phone technology into its classrooms. HCC Southeast gave 15 biology students iPhones with which they can view, download and store class materials, instead of buying textbooks. The college will study the effectiveness of the phones’ contribution in the classrooms and whether they improve learning. At the end of the semester, HCC Southeast will determine if this new method of learning should continue. Web sites such as http://Twitter. com are becoming an increasingly popular form of communication in a variety of communities. On Twitter, people use their phones or computers to write short text updates called “tweets.” “Twitter is becoming very dominant in the business world,” Sims said. “In public relations, we are using Twitter to communicate with reporters on a consistent basis.” Concerns about the pervasiveness of Twitter have risen because of a privacy scandal involving Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Michigan). Hoekstra updated his Twitter status Feb. 5 to “Just landed in see TECH, page 3
David Shih The Daily Cougar
Divine Rhythm United Motion bangs out beats from Brazil, Jamaica and Ghana on Friday at the UH Child Care Center’s Black History Month event.
Children learn beats, history By Hafsah Hashmi The Daily Cougar Divine Rhythm United Motion’s beats were a treat for the children at the UH Child Care Center Friday as part of its program to teach children about black history. Along with D.R.U.M., the children made murals and drawings about what Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream meant to them and to America. Bridgette Lewis, UH Child Care Center teacher read black literature such as “Annabelle’s Journey” and “Brown Eyes” for the
children to account history from a black point of view. “When I was talking about Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream for one day my child could play with your child and everyone could play and share things together, one of the children said ‘just like how we’re all sitting together here.’ I felt like the children understood Dr. King’s dream and his importance,” Lewis said. UH Child Care Center teacher Tiffany Mayes said this year she wanted to concentrate more on the roots of black history and thought bringing D.R.U.M. center would be
enjoyable for the children. “When I was encouraged to really plant Black History Month this year compared to other years in the past, I decided to ask (D.R.U.M.) to come out and perform for us today,” Mayes said. D.R.U.M. combines continental African and African diasporic rhythms with a healthy dose of jazz, funk, R&B and Latin influences to create a rich, earthy (and immediately accessible) sound, according to the group’s Web site, www.drumusic.com site. They play a range of instruments from different lands and interactively sing and perform folklore from
various parts of Africa. D.R.U.M. started about 19 years ago by Alafia Ifalade, Nathan Faulk, Osakwe Rikondja, Frank Zwee, and Anura Neysadura — good friends who all shared a common idea. “We wanted to start the group because not many groups in the 80s were trying to educate and entertain people at the same time, and we wanted to use music is a means to bring people together,” D.R.U.M.’s founder Alafia Gaidi said. The group started off slow with see DRUM, page 3
Senior recognized for sweet treats By Joshua Malone The Daily Cougar Many aspiring entrepreneurs can only dream of one day owning their own businesses with yearly revenues of more than $1 million. Marketing senior Danny Klam has already achieved that dream while still enrolled in the Bauer College of Business’ Cyvia and Melvin Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship. Klam, owner of Simply Splendid Donuts, now is one of nine finalists in Inc. Magazine’s
“Coolest College Start-ups” contest, a nationwide competition that includes students from Yale, MIT and University of Southern California, all of whom Inc. Magazine describes as “the future of American business.” Despite the accolades, Klam said it is important to stay focused on his business. “The recognition is fine, and a lot of fun, but whether or not I win, I’ll still continue to go to work and give back to the community. see KLAM, page 3
Courtesy of Danny Klam
Danny Klam owns three doughnut shops in the Houston area and hopes to expand to 10 by 2010.