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THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Issue 89, Volume 75
thedailycougar.com
Yearbook takes on fresh look Staff implements new ideas, methods for a timeless book
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By Ingrid Furtado THE DAILY COUGAR This semester’s Houstonian Yearbook staff has kicked off the semester with a new and contemporary approach. Print Production Manager for Student Publications, Matt Dulin
said that the main motivation to make changes was that most of the old staff graduated in May. In order to maintain the traditional process of the yearbook, structural changes were made. “The new team split up the responsibility and each worker can focus on their task more. We have 30 pages done, and I have been noticing a book with more content and a modern layout,” Dulin said.
Dulin said this semester the editor in chief position was left open. Therefore, the Student Publications J Rodriguez Committee decided to split the job of editor in chief into three separate roles. “We hired a new editorial director that would produce texts
and also could hire people to help with the writing process,” Dulin said. One of the main changes made was the form of the text. “We want some condensed and short stories which will be not only fast with content, but also objective. However, we are separating spaces to publish big stories related with visible events or controversial issues that would happen during the year,” Dulin said.
Part of the innovation is the new production director and marketing promotion team. Both groups have the responsibilities to improve the yearbook’s layout and advise it throughout the university. “Most of our staff came from The Daily Cougar team,” Dulin said. Even with these alterations, he expects that the yearbook price see YEARBOOK, page 3
Cougar Card put on SGA agenda Faculty, students complain about ATM issues J
By Jared Luck THE DAILY COUGAR
NEWTON LIU THE DAILY COUGAR
Silence, please
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s the spring semester enters the fourth week, exams are quickly approaching. Students have been taking advantage of the quiet areas on the upper levels of the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library to study. Pre-pharmacy sophomore Kristen Holmes, above, is reading her books on the seventh level of the library.
Alumni commemorate 70 years Director encourages graduates to join quest for flagship status
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By Candis Price THE DAILY COUGAR The UH Alumni Association will culminate its celebration of 70 years of serving and aiding alumni at its annual Alumni Awards Dinner on April 23. “We are honored to have spent the last 70 years serving and supporting the University of
Houston,” UHAA Interim President and CEO Connie Fox said. For the last 70 years the UHAA has been providing scholarships, putting on programs for its alumni and cultivating Cougar spirit among its fan base. “By joining the Alumni Association, you are helping the UH achieve the flagship status it deserves, and you are helping to increase the value of your own degree,” Chairwoman of UHAA Board of Directors Judie Lilie said. UHAA is looking for members to begin leading alumni programs in
Dallas and Austin and around the country, for people to operate and support its tailgates and for new and fresh ideas for its magazine. Every year, UHAA gives approximately $150,000 away in scholarships to deserving students and offers opportunities to serve and volunteer with the Student Alumni Connection in Homecoming festivities, Frontier Fiesta, Operation School Supplies and more. “We listen closely to the needs see ALUMNI, page 8
Costly fees, lengthy wait times and out-of-order ATMs have some students questioning whether UH should change its system for dispersing refunds. Under the current system, a third party, HigherOne, handles refund disbursement and for nearly 200 colleges and universities across the country. HigherOne issues students refunds through a debit MasterCard that must be activated online before a refund will be awarded. During the activation process, the students are given the option of having their funds deposited electronically into their own bank accounts or deposited into an FDIC-insured checking account operated by HigherOne, called a OneAccount. James Strickland, a senior mathematics major who was sent a CougarOne card when his application for a student loan was accepted, said the disbursement program is good in theory, but the execution leaves something to be desired. “The ATMs are in the middle of nowhere in inconvenient areas. I would say half the time I go to the one in the basement of the library, it is out of order,” Strickland said. With no choice but to use a “foreign” Chase ATM, Strickland said he was charged $3 by Chase and an additional $2 by HigherOne. The next day the ATM was still not working, so he was charged another $5, which he called “ridiculous.” Student G ov e r n m e n t
Association Senator Keith Richards agreed that the ATMs are inconvenient. “I have not experienced it myself, but I have been getting a number of complaints from students about the ATMs being out of order,” Richards said. “So you have the added frustration that once you figure out where the ATM is and you get to it, it’s out of order so you can’t get your money out of it.” Richards added that the issue is “on the radar” of the SGA. HigherOne pledges to refund up to $4 per day for any fees incurred due to downed ATMs. However, J Richards like many of the details of the program, this is information that cardholders may not be aware of. “I spend a lot of time telling students about the other great resources that we have available because we found that there are a lot of things we’re using that students aren’t taking advantage of yet, that could really clear up a lot of the confusion,” campus relations coordinator for HigherOne Aaron Poach said. Part of that confusion involves the fees HigherOne administers for using the card with a PIN as a debit transaction. Every such purchase is levied 50-cent charge by HigherOne. Poach said the company always advises students to hit the “credit” button when making a purchase but for a different reason than a flat fee. “The reason we encourage see CARD, page 3