Issue 83, Volume 75 by The Cougar

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Friday, January 29, 2010

dive deeper into the subject matter; they will use problem-based learning to ask themselves how and why their area of concentration is important in the development of asthma. With 15 students enrolled in the class, Price and his students are excited for what is in store for them in the months to come. Junior anthropology and psychology major Erica Fletcher, who works as one of Price’s research assistants, is one of the many students eager to see what this class has to offer. “I am excited about learning from Dr. Price since he is so well-versed in interdisciplinary work. It is not every day that a philosopher teaches an anthropology class and I look forward to this new experience,” Fletcher said. Within the first week, Price already had his students contemplating topics and ideas their fields of study would usually not touch. “This class is already making me rethink some of my research processes. One theme that we have discussed in class is the combination or synergy of qualitative and quantitative research in both the medical and social sciences. Thinking

thedailycougar.com

Alarm at the Loft’s due to faulty unit

UH professor creates asthma research class The Honors College has developed a research-based course meant to bring together students from every concentration in hopes to create a deeper understanding of the causes of asthma and develop a type of teaching UH has never seen before. The program is set to launch in spring. Daniel Price, research assistant professor and director of this new open-honors anthropology class called Asthmatic Spaces: Houston, said he sees this class as the right stepping stone on the path for UH to become a flagship university. “The difference between tierone and tier-two is that a tier-one institution is going to be creative,” Price said. “Tier-one classes lead in creating a new framework for teaching, that other schools will want to follow, and that is what this class is going to do.” Price said he hopes to use this course as a testing ground for a new wave of research practicum. Instead of asking his students to focus on how to cure the chronic lung disease, Price wants his students to

years

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Issue 82, Volume 75

By Amanda Trella The Daily Cougar

1934 – 2009

Fletcher and Price.

about this topic will definitely help me with my Senior Honors Thesis next year,” Fletcher said. Price and his students will partner with associate professor at New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Rice University alumna Kim Fortun. Fortun has already been developing a collaborative work called the Asthma Files, which is one of the main reasons behind Price’s interest in asthma. Students participating in the course will be presented internship opportunities with the City of Houston, which will help them incorporate real-life situations into their research. Price hopes to hold a conference in the fall to show what progress has been made by his students and what plans the class has for the future. “It ties into what people think about health already. We just want to expand upon that type of teaching and see where that takes us.” news@thedailycougar.com

By Dorothy Hastings-James The Daily Cougar Campus Fire Marshal and Calhoun Lofts staff took quick action to correct the problem that resulted in Tuesday night’s evacuation of floors eight through 10 of the building. Confusion remained among administrators about the cause of the smoke in building until Thursday’s official Fire Marshal investigation. Maintenance replaced the bad unit on Wednesday morning. The replacement unit came at no cost to the Lofts due to its warranty. Calhoun Lofts has 744 air and heating units total, one per room. Ninth floor units were inspected following the incident. The building’s staff monitors its air and heating units on the computer using OpenTech Control and Security Solutions. The high-tech system depicts any unit in the building, showing how the motor is operating. The program senses and records alerts in addition to printing work orders. “It’s a fabulous way to monitor,” Assistant Director of Residential Life

and Housing Abeer Mustafa said. Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Elwyn Lee said it’s inconvenient for students to have to evacuate, and he doesn’t want it to become a pattern. Mustafa e-mailed Loft residents on Wednesday night informing them that a fan motor had malfunctioned, thanking them for their cooperation and apologizing for any inconvenience. Some residents say they never received the e-mail. Mustafa said it was a manufacturing error and that Pepper Lawson, Calhoun Lofts’ building company, would check if the product was recalled. The official Fire Marshal investigation said the problem “was not a manufacturing malfunction.” Assistant Fire Marshal Joe Tremont said the motor housing broke, putting the unit in a bind. There was never a fire, but the unit overheated and shut down. The smoke from the overheating set off the alarms. “These sorts of things happen quite often,” Tremont said. news@thedailycougar.com

Student group backs Obama gg

Students promote president’s message of change and unity

By Paulette K. Ehmer The Daily Cougar Riding on the waves of President Barack Obama’s election, a new political organization has set up shop at UH. Organizing for America is the successor organization to the Obama for America campaign, which consisted of over 2 million volunteers from around the country who were passionate and uncompromising about supporting Obama and his agenda. Although the campaign has ended, the goal of OFA remains. OFA was built on the principles and traditions of the grassroots movement and continues to hold watch parties across the country to show support for Obama’s promise of change. According to its Web site, OFA is not just another studentrun organization but an actual branch of the Democratic National Committee dedicated to pursuing the “real world change that our country needs… standing with President Obama to make [his] promises a reality.” Regional Field Director Navid

Zanjani was on campus Wednesday helping community organizers set up at Stephen Power Farish Hall for a watch party during the president’s State of the Union address. “I just love volunteering and getting involved” Zanjani said. Community organizers Bradley O’Conner and Bradley Bates are two of five community organizers for UH hoping to be catalysts in the organization. O’Conner, a political science senior, said that being a part of the organization is an opportunity to learn how to motivate and organize a community. “Students and young people should want to be involved in politics,” he said. “Obama is important to get behind, and especially for young people.” Bates, a construction management senior, joined the organization because he wanted to see all the promises made by Obama come into reality. “The president has been getting fire from both sides, which shows that he is in the middle,” he said. Although OFA is a branch of the DNC, Bates said OAF is not open only to democrats.

“It is not a republican or democrat thing; it’s an American thing. That’s what the president has pushed for,” he said. UH is the first college campus in Texas to host an OFA organization at the student level; however, branches at Houston Community College, St. Thomas University, Rice University and University Houston Downtown are currently in the works. “There were about 35 people at the event. In the discussion, many felt that the president stepped up and delivered,” Bates said. “There were many moments when people stood up and applauded during parts of the speech. There were people from TSU, South Texas College of Law, UHD and many UH students.” OFA was launched in 2008 and has millions of volunteers across the country. The UH organizers will be hosting forums on health care, energy and education throughout the semester, as well as phone banks to lobby Congress. OAF is currently accepting interns for the spring semester. news@thedailycougar.com

Alberto Tolot/HBO

Keep it Real Time

omedian Bill Maher will visit campus Jan. 30 at the Cullen Performance Hall. Maher’s HBO TV show “Real Time,” has garnered him 21 Emmy nominations, and his movie Religulous, has gone on to become the seventh highest grossing documentary. Tickets will be discounted for UH students and faculty at the box office the night of the show.

2 n Friday, January 29, 2010

The Daily Cougar

CAMPUS BEAT

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CALENDAR

Swimming and diving meet: CRWC Natatorium (inside on-campus recreation center). Anastasia Pozdniakova leads the Cougars in their first home meet of the Spring semester. Pozdniakova was named the C-USA Diver of the Week by the league office on Tuesday. For more information, visit www.uhcougars.com

PHOTO | Thu Nguyen, MBA Student

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» Send event information to calendar@thedailycougar.com

TODAY

Monday

Track & field-Houston Indoor Opener: Yeoman Fieldhouse. The UH track and field team hosts the Houston Indoor Open. For more information, visit www.uhcougars.com Lecture on human rights: 1 p.m., The Honors College Commons. Nadia Hijab, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Palestine Studies presents “What would a 2-state solution do for Palestinian human rights?” For more information, visit www.uh.edu/honors

www.mba.uh.edu

Opera: 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m., Moores Opera House, Moores School of Music. Long before The Lion King, the Circle of Life was celebrated in this winning tale of the forest and its inhabitants — The Cunning Little Vixen. Adults and children of all ages will be delighted by Janáček’s colorful and enchanting music that captures the wonder and joy of being alive. General admission is $15. Students and seniors get in for $10.

SATURDAY An Evening with Bill Maher: 8 p.m., Cullen Performance Hall. For the last 15 years, Bill Maher has set the boundaries of where funny political talk can go on American television first on Politically Incorrect (Comedy Central, ABC, 1993-2002), and for the last six years on HBO’s Real Time. Maher’s combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs has garnered him 21 Emmy nominations. For ticket information, go to www.ticketmaster.com

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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 http://www. thedailycougar.com. The University seeks to provide equal educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability or veteran status, or sexual orientation. The Daily Cougar is supported in part by Student Service Fees. the first copy of the Cougar is free; each additional copy is 25 cents. Subscriptions Rates are $70 per year or $40 per semester. Mail subscription requests to: Mail Subscriptions, The Daily Cougar, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204-4015. news tips Direct news tips and story ideas to the News Desk. Call (713) 743-5314, e-mail news@thedailycougar. com or fax (713) 743-5384. A “Submit news item” form is also available online at thedailycougar.com. Copyright No part of the newspaper in print or online may be reproduced without the written consent of the director of the Student Publications Department.

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Friday, January 29, 2010 n 3

THIS IS

NOT HIGH SCHOOL YOUR

YEARBOOK. This is college. You’re an adult who can actually do fun stuff. And you’re gonna miss this place, parking lots and all. Do your 65-year-old future self a favor, and buy the book that captures your better years. Not your silly teenage ones. Buy a Houstonian. Remember the times of your life.

Download an order form at www.uh.edu/houstonian

4 n Friday, January 29, 2010

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

COMING MONDAY: Was there anything President Barack Obama failed to address in his State of the Union?

EDITOR Alan Dennis E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/opinion

THE DAILY COUGAR

EDITORIAL CARTOON

editorial B oard Ronnie Turner, Editor in Chief Matthew Keever, Managing editor Patricia Estrada, News editor Hiba Adi, News editor Phillipe Craig, Sports editor Robert Higgs, Sports editor Travis Hensley, Life & Arts editor Jarrod Klawinsky, Life & Arts editor Alan Dennis, Opinion editor

STAFF EDITORIAL

Bill, Barack both ignore discriminatory clause

Chenlong He The Daily Cougar

UH needs to focus on little things As some of you may know, The Daily Cougar offices were moved at the end of the Fall 2009 semester into the University Center Satellite to accommodate the School of Communication’s expansion. Instead of working out of the ground floor of Communications Building, The Daily Cougar staff is now Alan Dennis situated next to the restrooms in the back of the Satellite — hopefully not indicative of what the University thinks of us. On one hand, being placed in such a close proximity to the restrooms can be quite handy at times. Recently, however, it has become a bit of an inconvenience.

In the men’s Satellite restroom, there are six stalls, five urinals, six sinks and of course five soap dispensers. On Monday, three of the dispensers were completely empty. By Thursday, only a single dispenser had soap and even it was almost out. UH has become so engrossed with more prominent issues such as going green and attaining flagship status that it has forgotten how to take care of the little things. Something as simple as basic hygiene just isn’t important to UH. If it doesn’t do anything to advance public perception of the school, then apparently the administration doesn’t really care. Fox 26 News coming to shoot a piece on recycling? No problem, UH will make it a top priority.

Want to wash your hands after going to the bathroom? Sorry kids, but filling the soap dispensers regularly is a bit further down the to-do list. The Satellite is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Students eat here, sleep here, study and congregate here. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people come through the Satellite each day. It’s hard to imagine that given the current situation everyone who uses the men’s restroom washes their hands. Although keeping the restrooms stocked won’t do as much for UH’s profile as going green, it would definitely help the school clean up something other than its image. Alan Dennis is a communication senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

Perfection impossible to live up to There used to be a time that when a girl wanted a new look, she would go to the beauty salon and get her hair done. With today’s advanced technology and the pressures of being beautiful, however, Karen girls are turning to Ramirez plastic surgery to change their looks. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, plastic surgery was first brought into prominence at the end of World War I, when it was used primarily to treat soldiers’ injuries, such as shattered jaws, blown-off noses and lips and major skull wounds. With the ‘60s came about the widespread use of silicone — an invention which was originally used to treat skin imperfections — as a substance for breast implants. Today, plastic surgery is no longer reserved solely for the reconstructive surgery of an injury or medical defect. It has been taken to extremes to satisfy the desires of self-centered individuals; it has become one of America’s obsessions. No longer is it enough for a person to have the best clothes or the latest iPhone; many people are now concerned with having the prettiest nose, the smallest

body, and breasts the size of watermelons. This behavior is primarily brought about through the influence Hollywood stars have on the country. Being in the spotlight makes celebrities feel as though they should always look their best, and when age starts taking a toll on their bodies, many decide to get plastic surgery. It wasn’t much of a scandal for a celebrity to go under the knife; it even seemed like a trend was unfolding. Younger generations soon followed their older peers, subjecting themselves to these procedures. Plastic surgery became part of a drive toward perfection that many stars felt necessary to their flashy lifestyle. Hollywood hit a new peak when reality star Heidi Pratt (formerly Heidi Montag) went through ten plastic surgeries in one day at the age of 23. According to an interview Pratt did with People magazine, she had a miniature brow lift; Botox injected into her forehead; a nose job revision; fat injections in her cheeks, nasolabial folds and lips; her ears pinned back; a breast augmentation revision; liposuction on her neck, waist, hips and inner and outer thigh; a buttock augmentation and a chin

reduction. That sounds painful, but Pratt came closer to dying after all of the work had been done when she took too much Demerol to deal with the pain. Situations such as Pratt’s, or Kanye West’s mother, Donda, who died while receiving cosmetic surgery, ought to discourage people from seeking unnecessary procedures. But people’s decisions are not usually swayed by the dangers and complications involved with such surgeries. This obsession with perfection is getting out of hand and it gives younger generations an artificial representation of how a person should look. It is unfortunate how youth audiences look to celebrities as role models instead of more realistic, mature figures. These children are being taught to be unhappy with themselves because they do not look as perfect as a Barbie doll. Pratt raised the bar for her peers or for anyone who wants to look like her. It is unfortunate that the diversity this country is known for is moving toward a lifeless, generic look. Karen Ramirez is a psychology junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

ack when Bill Clinton was campaigning for office, he promised to allow all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation, to serve in the military, a departure from the ban that was in place. Once in office, he was met with a volley of opposition from the left, the right and the general public in overturning the ban. The compromise that occurred between Congress and Clinton came in the form of “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” The clause says that the It’s time military will no longer ask for some of recruits about sexual activity or or investigate any the change orientation, serviceman or servicewoman’s we were sexual activity or orientation without evidence. It also says promised. that self-identifying homosexual servicemen and women agree that they will not engage in homosexual sex acts through public statements or open participation in a same-sex marriage. This act notoriously discriminates against a large portion of individuals who identify as gay or lesbian; it denies those individuals from speaking about their families or loved ones who just happen to be of the same sex. It also begets other forms of bigotry and has led to hate crimes against those military personnel found to be gay. DADT also costs the government hundreds of millions of dollars just by going through the proceedings of discharging those GIs, not to mention those individuals who refuse to reenlist because of the law as it stands today. Fast-forward to 2008; President Obama campaigned that he would repeal DADT. Since taking office, he has done nothing about the repeal that would only take an executive order. The issue was again brought to the forefront when he promised that he would work with Congress and the military officials to repeal the law. It’s time for some of the change we were promised. When it comes to intolerance by the law concerning a personal matter, such change is far overdue. On the bright side, at least Obama hasn’t been caught sleeping with his secretaries. That, or at least they know how to get a stain out.

E D I TO R I A L policy 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 7, University Center Satellite; e-mail them to letters@ thedailycougar.com; send them via campus mail to STP 4015; or fax them to (713) 7435384. 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 7, University Center Satellite; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.

Friday, January 29, 2010 n 5

The Daily Cougar

SPORTS

COMING MONDAY: Men’s, women’s basketball teams try to sweep a Saturday doubleheader

EDITORS Phillipe Craig, Robert Higgs E-MAIL sports@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/sports

Women’s basketball

swimming preview

UH looks to make waves at home

Cougars take back Hofheinz

By Tristan Tippet The Daily Cougar

By Phillipe Craig The Daily Cougar The Cougars came into Thursday’s matchup with Tulsa knowing they had to reverse a couple of trends. After dropping their last five home contests and relinquishing double-digit leads in their last two games, the Cougars knew they had to put together two solid halves to have a chance at knocking off Tulsa. The first half may not have been the prettiest, but UH used dominant second-half play from junior forward Courtney Taylor and clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch to top Tulsa 77-69 in front of 370 fans at Hofheinz Pavilion. UH (10-9, 4-2 Conference USA) allowed Tulsa (6-11, 0-6) to hang around in the opening period by committing 15 turnovers that led to 18 points for the Golden Hurricane. Not surprisingly, the Cougars took a slim 31-29 lead into the locker room, despite shooting 55 percent compared to 28.9 percent for Tulsa. Head coach Joe Curl said that, despite the win, turnovers continue to be the Cougars’ biggest problem. “What we’ve got to get fixed is rebounding and turning the ball over,” Curl said. “And if we don’t get it fixed by Saturday, it won’t be a very pretty game.” For one game, though, the

david shih The Daily Cougar

Jasmine Johnson and the Cougars took back their home-court advantage and ended a fivegame home losing streak with a 77-69 win over Tulsa on Thursday. Cougars were able to overcome their sloppy play, behind a career-high 31 points from Taylor, who also pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds for her 34th career double-double. She now trails Sancho Lyttle by one for the all-time UH record. After limiting Tulsa’s leading scorer (15.8) and rebounder (8.9) Larrissa Williams to just six first-half points, Taylor matched Williams in a mano-a-mano duel in the second half to help UH outscore the Golden

Hurricane 46-40 after halftime. “I could tell by her body language that she was trying to take it on, and I just concentrated on trying to block her out,” Taylor said. Williams went on to finish with 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting, but Taylor scored 19 second-half points and Brittney Scott seven of her 15 points in the closing minutes to preserve the win. sports@thedailycougar.com

The Cougars continue to get the most out of their tough schedule. Last weekend they swam dual meets against Conference-USA power SMU and a well-rested North Texas squad. This weekend the Cougars will swim against C-USA foes Rice and Tulane and top-25 team LSU. The meets will take place 5 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday at the Campus Recreation Wellness Center Natatorium. The Cougars lost 141-101 to North Texas, and 136-98 to SMU, but head coach Mark Taylor said the team swam well despite the results. “We swam great, we really did,” Taylor said. “We didn’t get the results we wanted, OK. Obviously we always want to beat SMU and North Texas. They caught us, it happens, but that’s why you swim the dual meets during the year — to get ready for the conference championships, to get ready for the NCAAs.” UH did have some individual performers standout. The diving team stood out from the rest, particularly Anastasia Pozdniakova, who earned her third C-USA Diver of the Week award this season, the 17th of her career. Pozdniakova swept both the 1-meter and 3-meter events.

“Our divers are so much better than the competition they face, it’s just night and day,” Taylor said. “We had outstanding performances by Reka Kovacs, and Beccy Hillis. Kim Eeson did some superb performances.We had a lot of girls do best times.” Kovacs won the 200-yard individual medley and the 100yard backstroke against North Texas. Hillis won the 100-yard breaststroke against North Texas, and the 200-yard breaststroke against SMU. This weekend the Cougars will swim against teams they’re familiar with. UH notched a home win against Rice in the Phil Hansel Duals on Oct. 9. Tulane and LSU competed in the UH Cougar Classic from Nov. 20 to 22 at UH. LSU finished third in the competition and Tulane finished fifth. Taylor said it’s a good chance to see where the team stands against good competition. “This is going to be a good matchup for us,” Taylor said. “It’s really nice to have Tulane back. Rice is coming in, and of course Rice always wants to beat us, and we always want to beat Rice. It’s also going to help having a team that’s nationally ranked, like LSU, coming in. That’s always exciting to see your team swim against the best competition.” sports@thedailycougar.com

Men’s basketball

Cougars aim to climb C-USA ladder By Phillipe Craig THE DAILY COUGAR The Cougars return to the court this weekend knowing they let a golden opportunity to climb up the Conference USA ladder slip by in their last game. In last Saturday’s 92-77 loss at defending C-USA champion Memphis, UH (10-9, 3-3 C-USA) went blow-for-blow with the Tigers for the first 20 minutes. Unfortunately for the Cougars, the second half was a different story, as Memphis (14-5, 4-1) used lightsout shooting after the break to turn a tied game into a 15-point blowout. This weekend brings yet another chance for the Cougars to stake their claim as one of the league’s upperechelon teams, when Marshall (15-5, 4-2) pays a visit to Hofheinz Pavilion at 5 p.m., Saturday. The Thundering Herd are riding a three-game losing streak, but have been competitive against stiff competition. The three losses against in-state rival West Virginia, first-place UAB and Memphis, were by a combined 13 points, and UH head coach Tom Penders knows each game could have gone the other way.

“They’re a team that’s capable of winning this league,” Penders said. “I watched them play Memphis, and they had the game but just blew it at the foul line late. That’s also how they lost at West Virginia. I know that feeling, and we’ve had enough of that. They’re still a very good basketball team.” Marshall, which was picked to finish seventh in C-USA by the Orlando Sentinel’s preseason poll, has played well above expectations and currently sits in fifth place — one game ahead of UH. Part of the Thundering Herd’s success is a direct result of freshman forward Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside was recently named the C-USA Rookie of the Week for the second straight week and has been establishing himself as a legitimate force inside. Over his last three games, Whiteside averaged 17.0 points and 9.0 rebounds. The Cougars will have their hands full with him while still trying to contain the perimeter game. “Whiteside is only a freshman, but he’s a talented freshman,” Penders said. “He can hurt us, but they also have three very good perimeter guys. They shoot the three, and if you don’t

focus on them, they can hurt you with the 3-point shot. They’ve got good balance inside-outside on the offensive end.” The Cougars will have their own talented freshman trying to build off of one of his best performances to date. Forward Kendrick Washington posted a career-high 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting against Memphis and will be looking to provide resistance against Marshall. Aubrey Coleman did his usual scoring damage against Memphis, dropping in a game-high 32 points. Coleman enters this weekend as the nation’s leading scorer, averaging 25.6 points per game. Penders knows it will take more than Coleman’s offense to carry UH in another tough league game. “Marshall may outscore in the paint, but we’re going to have to hold our own,” Penders said. “We’re not as offensively oriented on the interior at this point as I’d like us to be, but with Kendrick and Maurice McNeil playing together, we’re doing a good job on the boards and put-backs. “We can’t give them too many easy baskets because they like to run as well.” sports@thedailycougar.com

daily cougar file photo

Aubrey Coleman will be looking to do his usual scoring damage as the Cougars try to continue their rise through the C-USA standings.

life & arts

6 n Friday, January 29, 2010

The Daily Cougar

Underdogs anticipated to win big By Michelle Reed The Daily Cougar It’s official; Oscar buzz has begun. The 82nd Annual Academy Awards air March 7 on ABC. If a little man named Oscar hasn’t already become the biggest conversation starter, consider this a hint to start talking. Nominees will not be announced until Feb. 2, but with two award shows under this season’s belt, predictions are already proliferating. Will the underdog nominees score or fall short at this year’s Oscars? It really has become the year of the underdog, leaving many major

nominees and their fans shocked. Jeff Bridges won honors for his performance in Crazy Heart at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Golden Globes. Bridges beat George Clooney and his role in Up in the Air, sending a tidal wave of shock through the air. However, Clooney still has time to redeem himself at the Oscars, unless Matt Damon beats him to the punch with his portrayal of Mark Whitacre in The Informant! Sandra Bullock provided insight into the world of the underdog and twice stole the award of outstanding performance by a female actor from Meryl Streep, sweeping both the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden

Globes. Bullock’s portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy, the adoptive mother of former Mississippi State football player and Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher, in The Blind Side. However, no one messes with the Streep. While she did go on to win Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for Julie and Julia—a category in which she competed against herself for her role in It’s Complicated— Streep still deserves an Oscar, and that’s the understatement of the year. Christopher Waltz (Inglourious Bastards) and Mo’Nique (Precious)

helped prove that underdogs are the new top dogs with their wins for supporting roles at the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes. Waltz and Mo’Nique will likely each claim a third win at this year’s Oscars. James Cameron believes Avatar actress Zoe Saldana deserves an Oscar. After taking home a Best Director Award and a Best Motion Picture Award for a Drama at the Golden Globes, Avatar director James Cameron is still not satisfied with the film’s successes. In a New York Magazine interview, Cameron said he felt his Pandorian actors were robbed in the award ceremony due to the

misconception that Cameron’s CGI characters were not completely portrayed by the real-life actors Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana. “I don’t think they understand that we don’t embellish or make up portions of the performance. It’s not just a voice performance. The animators don’t create the physicality (while the) actor sits in a booth somewhere for two days and reads lines,” Cameron said. Alongside major rewards for talented people, this year’s Oscars also promise many barrels of laughs from hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. arts@thedailycougar.com

Vampire Weekend offers variety on its recent release By Kendra Berglund The Daily Cougar Already a fan of Vampire Weekend, I had high expectations for their new album, Contra. Released early last week, the album pulls from African beats and West Indian harmonies; it’s versatile and entertaining. The band’s freshman album, self-titled, can be described as poppy. Similarly, their sophomore album really grabs your attention; the guitar riffs are fast paced, the drums are loud and the vocals are spot-on.

The single they released back in November, “Cousins” pulls you in at the beginning of the song when front man Ezra Koenig repeatedly yelps out “ohh” and “hey” in the background of a funky guitar melody. “Giving Up The Gun,” is vigorous and full of life, while “Taxi Cab” is slow-paced and meaningful. Vampire Weekend does a good job of making its music entertaining and not just poetic fluff. Don’t get me wrong, the songs have meaning, the band just doesn’t express it in the same somber ways we’re so used to.

The Indie-rock band got its start in New York; the band members attended Columbia University and gained fame over the years in the U.K. They wanted to break the social traditions of Ivy League haughtiness and self-produced their first album. Vampire Weekend definitely succeeded in breaking the norm when they went into explicit detail bashing the Oxford comma in the song off their first album, Oxford Comma. Other songs, including “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” also break traditional song lyrics when

the singer overtly — yet very melodically — drops the f-bomb. It’s lyrics like these that grab your attention and nifty guitar riffs that keep you drawn in to the unique sound that is Vampire Weekend. I have always considered Vampire Weekend a band that you would most likely hear on MTV-U—they attract a largely college-student fan base—so I was surprised to hear that Contra debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 list. Although I was initially happy their album did so well, I was slightly disheartened; my underground

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Indie-rock band was no longer a secret. I guess you could say that I’m proud of Vampire Weekend for pulling such a large fan base without selling out. They stayed close to the roots of their first album while still being able to experiment in their second album. For those who were wondering about the meaning behind the name Vampire Weekend, it was the name of an amateur film Koenig made his freshman year at Columbia.

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