Issue 85, Volume 75 by The Cougar

1934 – 2009

t h e o f f i c i a l s t u d e n t n e w s pa pe r o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f h o u s to n s i n c e 1 9 3 4

THE DAILY COUGAR Vodka isn’t just for drinking anymore. See its new uses in Life & Arts »

The new iPad is less than enthralling, even to children OPINION »

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WEATHER » hi

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Forecast, Page 2

Read the full election code from last night’s SGA meeting online Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Issue 85, Volume 75

thedailycougar.com

SGA changes election code Due to controversy in prior elections, campaign clarity is now being emphasized. gg

By Patricia Estrada The Daily Cougar

David Shih The Daily Cougar

It’s raining cats’ and dogs’ food

he UH Center for Public Policy is hosting a food drive through Feb. 19 in order to collect food for the pets of senior citizens who receive food from the Meals on Wheels program. Students are asked to bring canned or bagged dog and cat food to one of the red boxes located around campus. Junior Art Valino (right), senior Sonia Khan (center) and senior Melissa Shafer contributed to the food drive.

UH President and System Chancellor Renu Khator shared her life as an Indian immigrant with the Women’s Studies “Living Archives Series” on Tuesday. The event took place in the Rockwell Pavillion of the M.D. Memorial Anderson Library. Khator came to America with her husband, Suresh Khator, of an arranged marriage to pursue her ultimate goal of getting her master’s degree.

see SGA, page 3

Philosopher to lead CLASS

President discusses struggling, overcoming adversity By Hiba Adi THE DAILY COUGAR

In preparation for election season, the Student Government Association held a special meeting Tuesday to approve changes to its election code. The SGA Senate approved the new election code unanimously. The election code fulfills the responsibility of the Senate to set down the manner in which elections shall be held and how to judge the elections and the candidates. Some of the changes made to the election code include the removal of political parties on the ballots, a clause that specifies that an elected candidate must serve on the Senate for at least one full academic year, the exclusion of summer terms and restrictions on where candidates can and cannot post campaign ads. Among some of the things candidates will not be allowed to do are use an aircraft to campaign, send potential voters unsolicited electronic messages and campaign during class time. The code also specifies penalties for any violations of these measures. Speaker Kyrie Ruiz said the changes were done because of the ambiguity of the previous code,

which left too many issues up for interpretation. There needed to be clarity of what candidates can and cannot do, she said. “There were things (in the previous election code) that were very unclear and very ambiguous, things that could have been read either way and too many things that were left at the discrepancy of the election commission,” she said. Ruiz said that the previous election commissioners had said that it was hard to follow the code that was then in place. Mila Clarke, the newly appointed interim speaker and internal affairs chair, helped write the code and shared Ruiz’s sentiments. “(Election commissioner) is a hard job,” she said. “And it is even harder with a code that you have to kind of interpret, and everyone got a little angry with them when something went one way and they thought it should have gone another. There was just too much room for interpretation.” SGA Vice President Prince Wilson said the code needed to be changed to accommodate new electronic media that candidates use to campaign, such as Facebook and other online chatting sites.

Author, UH prof. plans to work on improving doctoral programs gg

By Jose Aguilar The Daily Cougar

COURTESY OF UH.EDU

UH President Renu Khator spoke at a women’s studies “living archives series” about her experience as an Indian immigrant. “We’re going to the land of opportunity. We will be in America. You do what you want there. You want to study, I’ll support you, and I’ll make sure you study,” Khator said Suresh told her. Khator said she married Suresh when she was only 18 years old and that it was a great learning experience see KHATOR, page 12

Provost John Antel has named Cynthia Freeland to replace Joe Pratt as interim dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Freeland, a philosophy professor, was appointed by Antel on Jan. 26 following the departure of Pratt, who was named interim dean in February 2008. The search for a permanent dean for the college continues. “There is no problem with the dean search,” Antel said. “We have a number of great candidates, and the decision will be made public in the next two weeks.” Freeland, who has been at

UH since 1986, also predicted her tenure would be short-term and expressed optimism for a successful end to the search for a permanent dean. Freeland was ready to provide the leadership on current projects that concern the College. “I don’t expect to start any new projects during my tenure,” she said. “But I will help departments now making hires to get the best people.” Freeland also said she is interested in the flagship agenda and making the CLASS doctoral programs stronger. “I (want to work on) getting greater stipends for our teaching assistants and graduate students,” she said. “I want to help them out, so as to have strong doctoral programs in place.” As interim dean, Freeland will also need to begin the process of

Cynthia Freeland

looking into budget cuts within the college in an effort to help the University with its own budget reduction as requested by the

state. “Unfortunately, I need to administer some budget cuts soon. I’ll work with the department chairs to come up with some ideas,” Freeland said. She said it’s a process she has been through before. “You feel like you cut it all the last time and that you can’t possibly cut more,” she said. “But I keep reminding myself and my colleagues that we’re better off than the faculty in some other states.” see DEAN, page 12

2 n Wednesday, February 3, 2010

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CAMPUS BEAT

Expand your career options with a Bauer MBA.

FORECAST Thursday

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Tour of UH Central Plant: 10:30 – 11 a.m., UH Central Plant. Find out how UH cools and heats the facilities. Sign-up is required. To sign up, contact Jeff Brown at 713-743-5789. For more information, visit www.uh.edu/plantops/ Central_Plant_Tours_Flyer.pdf

PHOTO | Thu Nguyen, MBA Student

Study Abroad Scholarships: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., University Center - Cougar Den. The Office of International Studies and Programs is pleased to invite students to discover study abroad scholarship opportunities. Presentations will be given about financial aid for study abroad and scholarships such as the IEFS, HJCC, Gilman and NSEP. Open to undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students. For more information, call 713-743-9167, or visit www.uh.edu/studyabroad

www.mba.uh.edu The University of Houston is an EEO/AA institution.

MBA America Tour: 6 – 8 p.m., C.T. Bauer College of Business. This tour was designed to demonstrate to prospective students the many options available to them when it comes to graduate

CO R R E C T I O N S gg

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» Send event information to calendar@thedailycougar.com

WEDNESDAY

Saturday

business education. Over the past few decades, many public institutions have become leaders in developing innovative MBA programs for a fraction of the cost of tuition at private institutions. At the event, MBA recruiters will be available to help you find what is right for you. For more information, call T.J. Young at 713-743-4701, or visit www.bauer.uh.edu The Honors College Hosts: 6 – 8 p.m., Honors College Commons. The Honors College hosts the Ross M. Lence Master Teacher Residency. Lence’s career was marked by his commitment to the transformative effect of undergraduate education and in his honor, the College brings a master teacher in for a week of seminars and events. This year’s Lence Master Teacher is Professor James M. Shapiro, Columbia University. Professor Shapiro is the author of influential and prize-winning monographs, most recently 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Libby Ingrassia at 713-743-3714, or visit www.thehonorscollege.com

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about 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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news

The Daily Cougar

UHPD finds way to control car theft Using a pass/fail method, officers plan to lower auto theft on campus

By Gordon Furneaux The Daily Cougar The UH Department of Public Safety is initiating a new program to help reduce car thefts on campus parking lots. This new method does not rely on catching criminals but on helping students secure property before a break-in occurs, Assistant Chief of Public Safety Brad Wigtil said. “What we are trying to do with this program is to team up with the community and try to be proactive about reducing the opportunity for crimes to happen,” he said. Officers will patrol student and faculty parking lots looking for visible items of value. They will mimic burglars, but instead of stealing your GPS system, officers will leave a report card indicating whether or not you passed the inspection.

SGA continued from page 1

Ruiz said the code is not like a constitution, which should be left open for interpretation; the election code outlines what should be permitted and what shouldn’t be. The code was almost changed completely, according to Clarke and Ruiz. “Most of it was scratched,” Clarke said. She said that when writing the code, they looked at election codes from other universities’ student governments and applied to UH whatever they felt worked best for them. Clarke said the election code from Louisiana State University served as the main source of inspiration. “LSU and (Arizona State University) have really good election codes,” she said. “ So we took what worked on theirs and put it on ours.” Newly appointed Election Commissioner Saifuddin Kalolwala said he is happy with the changes SGA made to the code. “There is definitely no ambiguity now,” he said. “They did good in making sure it is as clear as possible.” news@thedailycougar.com

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“The reason why someone might fail is they might have left a laptop in the backseat or maybe left some money in the console,” Wigtil said. There is no action taken if a person fails the inspection. The report card serves merely as a reminder for students to keep valuables out of sight and to secure their vehicles. Officers will begin their searches this month, leaving report cards on windshields, much like tickets. The cards are cut like a bi-fold, with the pass/fail remarks on the front and contact information on the back in case there is a need to contact the safety officers. Students may not be aware of how little temptation someone needs to break into a car. Wigtil, however, said he has seen why people use the phrase petty theft. “I can remember a juvenile breaking a $200 window to get about 50 cents worth of change off the console,” he said. The number of vehicles involved in burglaries has remained relatively steady over the past few years.

In 2006 and 2008, there were 29 incidents, while in 2007, the number decreased to 17. Officers see this change, though substantial, as random. They decided to try the report cards as an experiment. “There has been no spike in burglary or theft of motor vehicles, but we thought, let’s just initiate this program to see if we can bring that number any lower,” said Wigtil. The 2009 annual crime report will not be out until September, so it will take some time to see if the new Burglary of Motor Vehicle report cards have done their job in preventing break-ins. Officers had no evidence that indicated a need to start the program, but after talking in meetings and watching other departments, they decided that it should be tried at UH. “One of our police officers, Matthew Wilson… had seen that a couple other law enforcement agencies were using this program, and he thought it might be effective for the University of Houston community,” Wigtil said. news@thedailycougar.com

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 n 3

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4 n Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

COMING THURSDAY: Why would anyone buy a $7,000 sex doll?

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

Media outlets need to focus on getting stories right

john palamidy The Daily Cougar

NAACP’s ideals do more harm than good An Austin news channel recently ran a feature on the Waco chapter of the NAACP, which over the past few years has suffered from low community interest and now struggles to maintain a healthy Kalani Man level of membership. In the piece, a chapter representative, using the press coverage as an opportunity to recruit, explained that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People isn’t just for blacks; it’s for any minority that feels oppressed or misrepresented. By some censuses and racially charged thinking from this country’s past, I would be considered “colored” (read “non-European”) person, so I thought I’d look into the NAACP in its current state to see what it might offer my fellow non-white cohorts and me. I hoped to find an organization that engaged itself politically and socially with the discourse on “colored people”

in order to destabilize the cold path of dependency blazed for those people by the hatred of the past. After all, if the organization truly wanted to advance “colored people,” it would work to do away with the arbitrary labels of race and color. What I found, though, was that the NAACP encourages the discourse on discrimination (racial or whatever) and has played a key role in the extension of outmoded concepts of difference. It has played a role in the advancement of discrimination. The NAACP was founded in 1909, “to inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination,” according to the group’s Web site. At the beginning, then, with its clumsy mission statement, the NAACP missed the point. In that statement of purpose, the organization equated color with race,

and in doing so elided vast races of Americans by forcing them into a deterministic chromatic scale. I am no longer Hawaiian or Chinese — or even yellow — I am simply colored. The ramifications of this distinction (or lack thereof ) were, to some degree, unifying, for they offered various “colored” races and cultures a forum in which to gain representation on a more mainstream platform that might otherwise be denied them. On the other hand, failing to distinguish between race and color was a forced emigration of a group from one chance label to another: Hawaiian/ Chinese to colored. This kind of thinking also presumes that I have something in common with other “colored people” and unintentionally reifies “white people” as a unified whole to be opposed in kind. see NAACP, page 5

Industry turns page with e-readers A plethora of companies ushered in the New Year by showcasing newly designed e-reader devices and technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and they did not fail to impress. Michael There was an Padon assortment of different hardware designs and publisher deals, and some companies even created units with color displays set to hit the market this year or in 2011. Ideally, a prevalence of e-readers would cause a reduction in the price of books for higher-education students, reduce the weight of students’ bags and waste from discarded old books and help students stay organized by allowing them to keep all of their books on one device. These benefits may make e-readers seem like a godsend, but the reality of the situation is that current devices have flaws. The main problem with all of the available devices is that you can’t write notes on most of them. Though it is technically possible to write

on the Sony Reader Touch Edition, there’s no margin space, and the stylus system is sub-par when compared to pen and paper. No other readers on the market make use of a touchscreen for note-taking. Arizona State University actually tried to make the switch to an all-digital book format, testing Amazon’s Kindle DX on its students. However, the DX has very limited textto-speech functionality when it comes to navigating the device. As a result, the National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind sued the university, which resulted in the school looking for a more accessible device. Another issue is that many publishers have yet to go digital with their textbooks, seeing that no e-reader has been able to penetrate the higher education market. The DX seems to be in the best position since it has the entire Amazon.com marketplace behind it. But the hardware is clumsy and the device is only compatible with a handful of

e-book formats. Switching formats is paramount to getting publishers on board; they don’t want to just sell their books in a PDF format only to have students make copies for friends. Publishers are already uncomfortable with the current textbook resale system since they make no money on a resold textbook. This situation ultimately boils down to a lack of data rights management. There is no common DRM for e-books; different e-book stores use different DRMs. While there are several open source formats, no major publisher has publically decided to adopt one. For an e-reader to take off in the higher education market, a standard will need to emerge when it comes to hardware and software. Until then, students will be forced to keep buying big, expensive textbooks. Michael Padon is a computer engineering sophomore and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

On Dec. 24, CBSSportsline.com broke the news that the NBA was investigating Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas for allegedly storing unloaded firearms in his locker at the Verizon Center. Then, on Jan. 1, Peter Vecsey and David K. Li of the New York Post reported that Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton “drew guns on each other in the team’s locker room during a Christmas Eve dispute over a gambling debt.” What “It was the three-time all-star separates Arenas, 27, who went for his gun first, sources said, drawing on the press the 22-year-old Crittenton, who from every quickly brandished a firearm as well,” Vecsey and Li reported. dime-aAs one could imagine with an dozen incident of such magnitude, the blogger on story was immediately picked up the Internet and run by a host of major news services all over the world. is integrity Now, anyone who has followed this story knows that — or at the Post got its facts completely least it wrong. should be. In this era of constantly accessible news, everyone who considers themselves to be a journalist places a heavier emphasis on getting the story out first, as opposed to first getting the story right. Forget losing credibility or opening yourself up to a libel lawsuit; these people don’t seem to understand that the press has a responsibility to get the story right, period. What separates the press from every dime-adozen blogger on the Internet is integrity — or at least it should be. We at The Daily Cougar take extra exception to incidents of laziness such as this. Every story we run is thoroughly checked many times over to ensure that nothing but factually accurate and truthful news runs in our newspaper. And, at the very least, if we run a mistake of any kind, we own up to it and print a correction. While we cannot hold other media outlets up to our standards, The Daily Cougar will continue to be a shining beacon of truth in these times of murky journalism.

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.

opinion

The Daily Cougar

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 n 5

NASA too crucial to be short-changed by budget An annual tradition started by President George Washington, the State of the Union address is an opportunity for the president to connect with the American Liz Price people on an individual level, informing the public about the country’s affairs. President Barack Obama was charismatic in his Jan. 27 address, which covered hot topics ranging from job creation to immigration reform. The president called attention to issues often avoided by other politicians, such as the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. But it was what he

did the next day that surprised many people. Obama announced major budget cuts to NASA that will deny the agency the $3 billion it needs for a manned lunar mission, effectively scrapping five years’ worth of plans for the Ares I rocket that was supposed to eventually serve as the successor to the space shuttle. Under the budget cuts, NASA will focus on environmental research, becoming an “environmental analysis agency.” Some conservatives say that Obama’s plans for environmental analysis basically involve the program spending a great deal of its resources researching global

warming — something many Americans don’t believe in. These plans for the future of NASA hit home hardest in Texas and in Florida, where NASA’s two most-used launch facilities are located. Though White House Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag has insisted that NASA will continue to invest in robotics for long-term missions to Mars under the new plan, the idea of canceling manned missions to the moon seems counterproductive. Liberals constantly call for the use of energy sources alternative to non-renewable products but are now proposing massive budget cuts to a

EDITORIAL CARTOON

program that could potentially lead to the discovery of such resources. Our country is in a deplorable economic state; the U.S. has a $1.35 trillion deficit, which is expected to increase to $1.6 trillion in the upcoming year. But despite all the money that has been spent on war and fixing an economic slump, the scariest realization is how little has been

spent on progressive programs such as NASA that will better our lives and those of future generations. Obama is supposed to represent progression and change, so why not invest in a program that may very well someday save humanity? Liz Price is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

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Kalani Man is a history senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com

UC RED RECYCLES

All of this came with the aim, the organization’s constitution states, of change through the political process. To be fair, this reluctance to acknowledge different cultures in the name of political opportunism was, in the early 20th century, espoused by institutions other than the NAACP. In fact, the NAACP is in part a reaction to the overarching definitions of color made by some European races in order to gain perceived “white” privileges. Sicilians, for example, championed white as their “color,” though they faced discrimination based on race. This was also the case for the Irish, numerous Eastern European immigrants and other groups able to “play” white. I do not wish to draw focus away from the far-reaching reforms and successes realized by the NAACP, but rather call attention to the forms of repression enacted by the organization in order to depose the rhetoric of discrimination it has refused to reconsider and even furthered. The adjectival form of “orange,” according to Webster’s Dictionary, dates from the 16th century, apparently a reaction to an increase in importation of the fruit from the Mediterranean to Britain. Before then were colors “red” and “yellow,” but no “orange,” at least relative to the color as we know it today.

continued from page 4

How, then, was the color perceived by and described in the language of English speakers? In the same vein, how were those defined by the NAACP as “colored peoples” viewed or perceived before their simple categorization as “colored”? Indeed, people back then saw color. But did they carry with “colored people” the connotations that come to our minds when we think of those peoples today? The NAACP has done little to attack the capricious colorization of peoples and races — a process that invariably leads to discrimination. An organization built on victimization based on color, the NAACP should work to show Americans that color is a perception defined by the social discourse. Color holds little real meaning and, regarding its application to or melding with race, was constructed for the cheap mobilization of voters and workers. It seems curious that the NAACP would champion color by eliminating diversity, with the hope of change through democratic means — incidentally, the same initial circumstances that enabled the exploitative construction of “white” identity. Instead of working for the advancement of “colored people,” we should all work toward the elimination of this silly, discomfiting construction.

NAACP

Mishele lamshing The Daily Cougar

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6 n Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The Daily Cougar

LIFE+ARTS EDITORS

COMING THURSDAY: Cougar Sutra discusses his rejections, past and present

Travis Hensley, Jarrod Klawinsky E-MAIL arts@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/life_arts

Getty images via image.net urban fashion trends have made a revival in the past few seasons, as the models display here aT berlin fashion week

style files

Urban fashion puts the “pop” in pop culture

Bright colors, pop culture illustrations and flashy jewelry — they’re being seen everywhere and are notably the biggest contributors Shaziya to the trend of urban fashion. Bandukia The “urban” fashion trend was first associated with hip-hop and rap music when artists began wearing baggy pants, loose T-shirts, a ton of jewelry and shoes to match every outfit. But as the years progressed, it wasn’t just artists wearing these styles; it became a worldwide phenomenon when people began mixing and matching their outfits and buying oversized clothing. In fact, the clothing businesses

jump on this trend when brands such as Baby Phat, Sean John and Rocawear were introduced to the public. These brands offered clothing, accessories and shoes. To top it all off, the brands were affordable for urban consumers. These styles eventually became so popular they were almost regular to one’s visual sense. And when such a thing happens in fashion, there’s bound to be a significant change. That’s when the “pop” in culture happened. Bright pinks, yellows and violets were introduced to clothing and shoes. The jewelry eventually became bigger and heavier. A sense of art became a part of such silhouette, with

Style Tip: The power of vodka I’ve got the most amazing vintage Christian Dior pink shirt that I bought ages ago in New York. It is a firm belief of everyone on the Life and Arts team that vintage pieces should hang in everyone’s closet. Not only is it a great stylistic flair but also the perfect conversation starter. Sadly, the odor that usually accompanies that most recent purchase is sometimes a turn-off. Well, there is an easy solution: vodka. Dig around in your pantry or under the sink and find a spray bottle, mix two parts water and one part vodka, shake and spray. It takes the smell right out.

illustrations of pop culture and cartoon-like images. This brought about such a change that even men were able to wear accessories like white sunglasses and small backpacks. At this point, brand names no longer mattered. Overly affordable stores featuring these styles were constantly popping up in malls and outdoor strip centers. Perhaps with the economy leading a downward path, trends were supposed to be made that affordable. In the past few seasons, a noticeable evolution came about in the urban style. Rather than these trends being only for casual wear, they’ve begun to adapt into

a more subtle and sophisticated style. The use of heavy jewelry has been replaced with sequin details on everything from T-shirts to pants and shoes. Rather than eyepopping colors, muted pastels are now “in.” Sneakers and heels are still a big deal, but over-the-knee boots have also made their way back into style. Although designs on T-shirts have been a thing of the past, designer Christian Audigier has made it more popular by adding more color and more shimmer on his Ed Hardy brand. As if that wasn’t enough, bowties and tight-fitting blazers have also gotten a hearty welcome

from many fashion-forward thinkers who are known to sport the urban style. Urban fashion has taken a huge toll on the fashion industry over the past couple of decades. It has brought out many colors that were almost taboo to wear, along with the use of flashy accessories that make going out casually more noteworthy. Through the years, there have been many changes, and it’s inevitable that there will be many more. Take advantage of the affordable fashion trends of today and be prepared for more “pop” in the culture of tomorrow. arts@thedailycougar.com

Olsen twins quietly begin to corner the fashion market By Jarrod Klawinsky The Daily Cougar Some of us remember the tween hype that surrounded the Olsen twins during their pre-Hannah Montana and Lizzie McGuirre rise to fame. Yet, I don’t think that any of us thought the wisecracking babies from Full House would rise to be called “style icons.” Keeping a rather low profile after graduating from New York University, Mary-Kate and Ashley have become just that. Founding three fashion labels (Elizabeth and James, Olsenboye and The Row), the twins have placed themselves squarely – albeit quietly – on the fashion scene. The most high-end of their

three lines, The Row, is mainly minimalist with blacks, tans, grays and some red interjected at random. According to the Web site, The Row is a “luxury apparel and accessories brand…offering an updated take on bespoke tailoring to modern-day basics.” The blogosphere was alight last week as the Olsens launched The Row’s Web site, therow.com. The line, which, until recently, was only available at Barney’s New York, will soon be available on their Web site. The Web site offers a look at their men’s and women’s collections and a mission statement. The popular online magazine, Fashionista.com, has already hinted that this could be the year of the

Olsens. The sisters released a statement late last month expressing their intent to show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York next week. In other fashion news, we hear that the popular fast-fashion retailer H&M will soon be coming to the Galleria. According to Culturemap. com, a tweet was released last month from the Galleria. “Your H&M Tweets have been heard. New stores are opening all the time, so keep a watch out. You never know.” With a few stores still under wraps at the mega-mall, one can only hope that H&M will make Houston its new home. arts@thedailycougar.com

Life & Arts

The Daily Cougar

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 n 7

foodie news

Houston restaurants grab three top spots I was sitting down to dinner late one evening with a few friends at Café Annie and news came to us that the iconic establishment would be Jarrod closing its doors and Klawinsky reopening across the street as RDG/Bar Annie. Those of us who ate there on a regular basis were in an uproar. There was even a rumored petition that was e-mailed around by a local socialite to keep the name as it was. How could the name that had made the restaurant so popular change on a whim? It was blasphemy. Nevertheless, owner and uber chef Robert del Grande, whose company is also responsible for Taco Milagro and Café Express, had other plans for his restaurant. Plans that would place the revolutionized eatery on top of this month’s Texas Monthly’s “Where to Eat Now 2010.” When it hit stands this month, it was no surprise to those of us who were going through Annie withdrawals that Del Grande’s eponymous RDG/Bar Annie in the Uptown/Post Oak area took the premier spot. Patricia Sharpe describes RDG as “smart and sexy, RDG pulses with an energy that its predecessor had not enjoyed in ages. The crowd, always a bit bipolar in its division between haute and hip, has definitely expanded in the direction of the latter, as young Turks, stiletto wobblers, and other scenesters pack in nightly for drinks and nibbles in Bar Annie. “Incidentally, the restaurant’s odd name becomes clear once you’re there; RDG is the expansive,

quieter rear area with gilt-framed mirrors; Bar Annie is the more casual space, with warm westernred-cedar walls and a fabulous bar made of Persian onyx,” Sharpe said. I could not agree more. Most Thursday nights, you can find me sitting out on the balcony having a gin and tonic. Rounding out Texas Monthly’s list at number nine was the newly opened Valentino of awardwinning Italian restaurateurs Piero Selvaggio and Luciano Pellegrini at the Hotel Derek. The Daily Cougar was at the opening some months ago and, not only was the food delightful, but the atmosphere was retro with a modern twist. Our compliments to Chef West for his superb buffalo burger, a must-have for anyone deciding to indulge in a night out on the town. This location is number three for Valentino. The others, located in Santa Monica and Las Vegas, are each award-winning and met by high praise. Sitting last (but certainly not least) at number ten is Vintoeca Poscol by Marco Wiles. “Like Spain with its tapas, Italy boasts a similar tradition with a wide array of dried sausages and cheeses. The mix-and-match possibilities are appealing, although there are so many combinations, that we gave up and asked the manager for suggestions,” Culturemap.com said. “At Poscol, the fun is in trying and coming across something you really love, like the house-made salumi.” Recession or not, as Houston continues to grow, the city is emerging as a major player in the national food scene.

Courtesey of RDG/Bar Annie

After Café Annie closed its doors last year, restaurateur Robert Del Grande opened his eponymous RDG/Bar Annie.

Courtesey of Valentino

Valentino opened at the Hotel Derek late last year and has already won rave reviews.

Comprehensive Eye Care

at the University of Houston

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Student Publications Committee The SPC will hold its February meeting at

4 p.m. Wednesday Feb. 3, 2010 in the Baltic Room, UC Underground The meeting is open to the public.

UNIVERSITY EYE INSTITUTE See the difference…See the best

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To schedule an appointment, please call 713.743.2020 www.uei.uh.edu

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8 n Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The Daily Cougar

SPORTS

COMING THURSDAY: Reservations for Six breaks down Sunday’s Super Bowl

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

Men’s Basketball

UH travels West to take on Miners By Brian LeGrand The Daily Cougar The Cougars hit the road again as they travel to El Paso to take on the UTEP Miners at 9 p.m today. UH head coach Tom Penders knows his team will be taking on one of the hottest teams in Conference USA. The Cougars (11-9, 4-3 C-USA) look to make it two wins in a row after posting an 81-66 victory over Marshall on Saturday night. Tonight also marks the return to the national airwaves for the Cougars, as the game can be seen on CBS College Sports. Senior guard Aubrey Coleman will likely lead the Cougars’ offensive attack. Coleman, the nation’s leading scorer at 26.2 points per game, is coming off his best scoring performance of the season after a 37-point performance against the Thundering Herd. Saturday’s outburst marked the third consecutive game in which Coleman has scored at least 30 points. He also snagged 13 rebounds, another season high, in the game. Penders said the Cougars will need to “control the tempo of the game” and continue to get support from their big men and their post game. “Regardless of the pace, our guys will have to show poise,” Penders said. “Our veteran guys like Aubrey will be OK, but some of the new guys

will have to maintain poise because it will be a difficult environment.” He also says his team must slow down Miners junior guard Randy Culpepper, the team’s leading scorer at 17.1 points per game. They also must contain UTEP’s inside combo of Derrick Caracter and Arnett Moultrie. Caracter is a former high school All-American who transferred from Louisville after two subpar seasons with the Cardinals. He leads the Miners with 8.6 rebounds per game. Moultrie, who was a member of last summer’s USA Under-19 Gold Medal team, is one of the top NBA prospects in the conference. Standing at 6-11, Moultrie is averaging 11. 5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, but his potential is what has scouts drooling. He is only a sophomore and already a presence inside for UTEP. Penders said that he is impressed with the way some of his other players, especially forward Kendrick Washington, have stepped up their games as of late. He says he needs production out of everybody, no matter what kind of offensive set he has on the floor, whether it’s four guards or the traditional two forwards, two guards and a center. The Miners (15-5, 6-1) could very well be the sleeper team of C-USA. They enter tonight’s game riding a five-game winning streak,

COURTESY OF THE UTEP PROSPECTOR

UTEP forward Arnett Moultrie and the rest of the Miners’ talented frontcourt will be the latest challenge for the Cougars as they travel to El Paso for tonight’s game. including wins at then-No. 25 UAB and defending conference champion Memphis. In the victory over the Tigers, UTEP ended a 64-game conference-winning streak and prevented Memphis from breaking the national record for consecutive wins against conference opponents. The Miners garnered national attention for that road win against

the Tigers. While their recent success is more in line with what was expected of the Miners entering the season, UTEP will have a score to settle when it takes on the Cougars tonight. In its last meeting on Jan. 13, UH topped UTEP 75-65 at Hofheinz Pavilion, and Miners head coach Tony Barbee knows that game was there for the

taking. “We have to play better offensively (today) than we did at Houston,” Barbee said. “We played well enough defensively up there, holding Aubrey Coleman and Kelvin Lewis below their season scoring averages.” sports@thedailycougar.com

C-USA Notebook

C-USA has surprises aplenty By Keith Cordero Jr. The Daily Cougar If this college basketball season has taught us anything, it’s that parity is alive and well in today’s game and March’s Madness should be as great as ever. Conference USA is no exception. C-USA still has plenty of excitement with teams like UAB, UTEP and Tulsa making a run at the NCAA Tournament. With that in mind, we take a look at the midseason progress report and hand out some hardware.

DAILY COUGAR FILE PHOTO

UH guard Aubrey Coleman has been the cream of the C-USA crop this season and leads the nation in scoring at 26.2 points per game entering tonight’s game against UTEP.

Most Valuable Player The nation’s top scorer — UH senior guard Aubrey Coleman — is averaging 26.2 points per game entering tonight for an 11-9 Cougars, coming off an impressive 81-66 win over Marshall on Saturday. Coleman scored seasonhigh 37 points and 13 rebounds in the win and has scored 30 or more points in three straight games to put his season total at six games. Coleman is scoring in bunches, but his game has grown increasingly balanced, with 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He also leads the nation with 3.2 steals per game.

Freshman of the Year The first Iranian-born player in Division I college basketball — Rice freshman forward Arsalan Kazemi — is averaging 10.6 points to go, along with 8.6 rebounds per game. Kazemi has looked great for the Owls and seems to be building off his experience of playing in last summer’s FIBA Under-19 World Championships. Kazemi is coming off of a 14-point, 14-rebound performance in Rice’s 69-58 win over East Carolina on Saturday and has been one of the few bright spots in what has otherwise been a disappointing season for the Owls. There is another freshman playing outstanding ball this season, and he will have to split this award with Kazemi. Like Kazemi, Marshall freshman Hassan Whiteside has made an immediate impact for the upstart Thundering Herd. The 7-0 forward is averaging 13.4 points per game to go along with 9.3 rebounds and a NCAAleading 5.4 blocks per game. Coach of the Year UAB coach Mike Davis has Blazers fans buzzing over an 18-3 start to the season and a 6-1 mark in conference play. Led by the great play of junior guard Elijah

Millsap, younger brother of Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap, the Blazers have wins this year against big name schools like then-No.23 Butler, Georgia, Arkansas and Tulsa. Newcomer of the Year Duke transfer Elliot Williams is playing great for Memphis in almost twice as many minutes of playing time than he got with the Blue Devils. Williams is averaging nearly 20 points a game to go along with four rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Memphis is not as good as they were last year, but at 15-6 and led by Williams, the Tigers are very athletic and can still make the NCAA Tournament. Surprise Team Despite losing four games in a row, Marshall is still in good standing at 15-6. The Thundering Herd have four players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Whiteside, and is 4-3 in conference play and 10-3 at home. Marshall is No.1 in the conference in field goal percentage and 3-point shooting and No. 2 in scoring offense and rebounds per game. sports@thedailycougar.com

sports

The Daily Cougar

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 n 9

UH notebook

Cougars dive into success By Phillipe Craig The Daily Cougar The UH women’s swimming and diving team hosted its first meet of the spring season last weekend and came away with a bag of mixed results. The Cougars defeated Tulane 213134 in a dual meet, but fell to Rice 197-144 and LSU 207-138. Head coach Mark Taylor said he wasn’t concerned with the overall results of the dual meets and likened them to preparation meets for the Conference USA tournament. “We had a lot of positives that came out of the weekend, and the girls looked sharper,” Taylor said in a release. “We have two hard meets coming up against Texas A&M and Texas in the next two weeks, so the girls are focusing and sharpening their kills to prepare for conference.” Freshman diver Julie Lonnergren, who joined the team for the spring season, won her debut event, scoring a 299.75 in the 3-meter competition. She also took second in the 1-meter event with a score of 249.05. For her performace, Lonnegren was honored as the C-USA Diver of the Week and has now qualified for the NCAA Diving Zones. Fellow freshman Reka Kovacs claimed first-place honors in the

DAILY COUGAR FILE PHOTO

The UH women’s swimming and diving team got several standout performances from some of its newest members at last weekend’s dual meets. 400-yard individual medley with a finish of 4 minutes 23.56 seconds, and Becky Hillis earned third place in 4:32.60. Kovacs wasn’t done, as she took first place in the 1,000-yard freestyle. UH will be back in action this weekend as it hosts Texas A&M at 5 p.m. Friday. Track and field The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association ranked the UH women’s team No.

7 in the South Central Region. In their only four meets of the spring season, the Cougars have earned three provisional marks and won 12 events. They are the only C-USA women’s squad to crack the rankings. Texas A&M leads the six-team group with a national ranking of No. 1. UH continues its season when it travels to New York for the New Balance Collegiate Invitational on Friday and Saturday. sports@thedailycougar.com

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10 n Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Scholarships

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Spring 2010 Scholarship Session Wednesday, Feb. 3rd, 2010 11 a.m. -2 p.m. in The UC Cougar Den Learn where the funds are, how to get them, and what to fill out.

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The Daily Cougar

Student internship program, events to attract alumni in progress

Cougar News Service The Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management welcomed three new staffers this year to its program: Fernando Cuellar, the University Hilton’s new general manager; John Trujillo, the new director of Leadership Development for the College and the hotel; and UH alumna, Wendy Ballard, as new director of alumni. Cuellar is a certified hotel administrator and has almost 40 years of experience in the hotel industry. He worked at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. and the Four Seasons Olympic in Seattle. He also worked 11 years at the Renaissance Houston Greenway Plaza Hotel as general manager and a year at the Lancaster Hotel in Houston, also as general manager. Cuellar graduated from Oklahoma

State University’s Hotel and Restaurant Administration program. He taught Spanish at the Hilton College. Trujillo graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Arts in communication and Spanish. He has worked at the Denver Marriott Southeast as the human resources manager and as the director of human resources at the Renaissance Houston Hotel Greenway Plaza. In his new position, he will focus on recruiting, selecting and training students for positions at the hotel. According to a release, Cuellar and Trujillo are working on a student leadership program, in which students spend 16 weeks in a rotational internship working in every area of the hotel. “You’re more prepared if you know every aspect of the operation

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COMICS & MORE

The Daily Cougar

COUGAR COMICS

Find more daily strips at thedailycougar.com/comics

ADD Circus by Chris Jacobs

today’s crossword ACROSS

Dr. Shasto by Richard Hite

today’s sudoku 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.

Previous puzzle solved

1 Synopsis 6 Postal matter 10 Frolic 14 Split to join 15 Hawkeye portrayer 16 Kang ender 17 Jimmy, for one 18 Carpe — 19 Mandibles 20 Aberdeen single 21 Mammals and birds 24 Gridiron gain 26 Hold fast 27 “Deep Space Nine” constable 28 A Musketeer 30 Urgent 33 Racecar sound 34 Dell wares 37 Courage 38 Fable source 39 Oh, sure! (2 wds.) 40 Draft order 41 Climber’s spike 42 Mirage sights 43 Atomic number 5 44 Tech giant 45 Brunch basic 48 Pompeii art 52 Teen get-together (2 wds.) 55 Spacewalk, to NASA 56 Gave the pink slip 57 Foreign, in combos 58 Cay 60 Tiny parasites 61 Sorts 62 — Dame 63 Mach 1 breakers 64 Straphanger’s lack 65 Wind blasts

DOWN

1 Deliver a message 2 Helen, in Spain 3 Quilt or blanket 4 Copy 5 Suffuse 6 Tijuana parent 7 Dismounted 8 — fixe 9 Meat counter buy (2 wds.)

Send a love letter.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 n 11

65 ©

1 0 Punjab potentates 11 Expound at length 12 Yard tool 13 Desperado’s fear 22 I, to Caesar 23 Motel vacancy 25 Periods 28 Firebug’s crime 29 Tweety or Sylvester 30 Ottoman official 31 — -de-sac 32 Sporty truck 33 Overrule 34 “Nova” network 35 Decent grade 36 Ave. crossers 38 Some shuttles (2 wds.) 39 Pet food brand 41 Jingle 42 Paying heed 43 Sled runners

27 30

4 4 NYC subway line 45 Many-colored gems 46 Long skirts 47 Bounce 48 Ice 49 Early Britons 50 In plain sight 51 Gluts 53 Soccer icon 54 “Diana” singer 59 Old French coin

2009 United Feature Syndicate INC.

Previous puzzle solved G A A R W I K A S C A M P

P U P I L

K O L N

A M I E

O n ly

L A N K

A S CO N WA L G ON E EMONO L I S A L A S H O E C E L L O P D E L N I M MA A C E B O S T E R N B U K I S A R B L I R E E A T D S SWU

F F S I M DO HMO A L A H A K I MON A I R E V E R F ON O S UG A I S L E I D AM E L MOU S S L P N S I L K H A T N I E L A E N R A R NG S E E

Tell the world how much you care about your special someone!

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in The Daily Cougar’s “Words from the Heart.” Use the space below to write up to 20 words and bring it to Room 7, UC Satellite between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

lAST DAy TO EnTER IS WEDnESDAy, FEB. 10! lETTERS WIll PRInT FRIDAy, FEB. 12.

I S S O D R A K E S N A P

sports | News

12 n Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The Daily Cougar

king salomon’s court

NBA force-feeds overblown Kobe-Lebron rivalry By Salomon Fuentes The Daily Cougar Most people have already seen the NBA’s new advertising campaign depicting two of basketball’s biggest stars on a collision course to meet late in the season. It’s pretty evident that the NBA and its partners, not to

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mention many fans, would like to see a Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James finals this summer. It turns out that with both their teams on top of their respective conferences and with few other teams showing the ability to challenge their teams, the NBA may get its wish.

What’s odd about this scenario is that many NBA analysts and talking heads have long said that James has taken the torch from Bryant and is now the better player. Try telling that to Bryant, the defending regular season and Finals MVP, who is only 31 years old and among the league’s leading scorers.

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Bryant, to be fair, has shown the wear-and-tear of 14 seasons on his sleeve this year with a not-so-subtle back injury. At the same time, credit must be given to James for leading his team to a season sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s also noteworthy that James, who is the league’s third-leading scorer, has improved immensely on defense since coming to the NBA in 2003. It still doesn’t mean he’s better. Where Bryant clearly has James beat is his reputation for the big shot. Being clutch is something subjective, but how surprising is it when Bryant’s highlights on SportsCenter include a

game-winning shot? James made his mark in last year’s postseason, however, with a huge shot against Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately for James, the Magic ended up winning the series and denying him a chance at a championship ring. Bryant has four of those coveted rings in six trips to the Finals while James failed in his lone Finals visit. It’s that above anything else that separates the two players, and until James closes the gap its tough for someone to argue, he’s the better of the two players.

KHATOR

accepted. The faculty suggested Khator consider running for president. She hesitated to accept the offer because she knew that this would make her career in administration official. She accepted “with one condition: There can be no campaigning.” Khator is the first woman chancellor for UH and the first Indian immigrant to lead a research university in the U.S. Although statistics show an increase in women in academia, they are still underrepresented. For this and many other reasons, Khator believes women need to stick together. She said she takes advantage of internship programs and workshops. “You have to support one another,” Khator said. Khator closed the interview saying that UH needs to treat students better. She feels this is of utmost importance to UH. “We have to change the way we treat our students outside of the classroom,” Khator said. She said creating stronger unity and school pride between faculty, students and members of the University is key to achieving flagship status. The UH Board of Regents has a nine-point program they intend to implement that includes strengthening the graduation rate. Khator said the University’s graduation rate is 42 percent, which is lower than normal. Normally, the graduation rate is 50 percent. “It’ll take time, but it’ll happen,” Khator said.

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that has shaped her life. “You start falling in love with the person who’s in front of you rather than the stereotype you had in your mind,” she said. Though they had no money, and she didn’t speak English, Khator and her husband managed. Khator earned a master’s degree in political science from Purdue University in 1975 and received a doctorate in political science and public administration in 1985. “There’s always a tunnel somewhere … I’ve been very blessed,” she said. Khator said she has faced many struggles and felt she wanted to give up at times, but didn’t. She takes pride in the connection she has with the University’s diversity. “Students here come from different varieties, different sources, different backgrounds, and, in each one of them, I see myself,” Khator said. Khator never planned on working as an administrator. She ended up in the field through a mentorship program. “In that mentorship program, I learned so much about the university because I was exposed to big issues,” Khator said. Khator wanted to get some community service experience, but she admitted that she wanted something that didn’t require much work. She ended up joining the Faculty Senate at the University of South Florida. Later, she got nominated for secretary and

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Pratt, a professor of history and business, vacated the position due to prior commitments. “I served for almost a year, but I could not go longer than a year because of previous commitments, primarily to a long-term research project I have been involved in since long before I became interim dean,” Pratt said. Pratt expressed support for Freeland, which he said is shared among his colleagues. “Cynthia will be an excellent interim dean,” Pratt said. “She enjoys broad support within the CLASS faculty.” Antel expressed similar support.

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“Freeland is an experienced administrator, having served as department chair of philosophy and associate dean,” Antel said. “She is a great academic and academic leader.” Freeland recently served as chair of the Department of Philosophy, as well as previously serving as associate dean for the former College of Humanities and director of Women’s Studies. She is also a Faculty Fellow in the Honors College. Freeland has also published four books, one of which has been translated into 12 languages. Her latest book, Portraits and Persons, is scheduled for publication in June 2010. news@thedailycougar.com