Issue 92, 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 Cougars hit the road to face Tulsa sports »

How are Colts fans handling the Super Bowl loss? OPINION »

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years

WEATHER » hi

49 Lo 34

Forecast, Page 2

Come Monday, check the Web site for a few surprises; it’s brand new Friday, February 12, 2010

Issue 92, Volume 75

thedailycougar.com

Senate upset with executives SGA cabinet members and senators struggle to find balance gg

By Patricia Estrada The Daily Cougar Some Student Government Association Senators displayed their frustration with Senate executive

members after not being able to meet quorum during Wednesday’s meeting. The Senate was one senator away from meeting quorum, and Vice President Prince Wilson was the only executive member who stayed through the meeting. Director of Finance Carlos Reyes, Director of External Affairs Mariam Zakaria, former Director of Public Relations

Andi Zambrano (who resigned prior to the meeting due to a conflicting schedule) and Speaker Kyrie Ruiz were not at g g Ruiz the meeting. President Kenneth Fomunung left the meeting almost immediately

By Morgan Creager The daily cougar

McQueen’s family asks for privacy after shocking news gg

By Jarrod Klawinsky The daily cougar

see MCQUEEN, page 6

during the meeting were “completely false” and that if they had issues with the way she was doing her job, they should have brought them up with her personally and not during a meeting she was not able to attend. “I will say that yes, sometimes it takes me a couple of days to respond, but I never leave an e-mail see SGA, page 6

Experts engage in heart issues

Iconic British designer dies

The news of Lee Alexander McQueen’s death spread like wildfire yesterday morning. Police were called to the London home of the 40-yearold designer shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday morning, and paramedics pronounced McQueen dead on the scene. “McQueen was found dead this morning at his home. We’re devastated, and I hope you understand that out of respect to his family and his colleagues, we’re not going to be making any further statements,” a spokesperson for McQueen said. McQueen’s talent was praised around the world for his distinct imagination and stunning runway shows, which evoked emotion from those who attended. “Alexander McQueen made an outstanding contribution to British fashion,” UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport Ben Bradshaw said. “His extraordinary talent and creativity mean that his designs are adored not just by the followers of haute couture but loves of great style everywhere. This is a great loss to one of Britain’s most successful industries and to the design world more widely.” Women’s Wear Daily reported the death as a suicide, but police have

after giving his report. Interim Speaker Mila Clarke presided over the meeting. Senators were particularly upset with Ruiz because they said she was not e-mailing legislation to all senators before meetings, answering their e-mails or available during her office hours. In an e-mail, Ruiz wrote the accusations the senators made

KENDRA BERGLUND The Daily Cougar

Care is in the air

he UH Chapter of UNICEF held a Valentine’s Day fundraiser Thursday in the UC Satellite. The group sold carnations, roses and baked goods at the event. The proceeds of around $500 are going towards the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, UH researchers are proposing ideas to keep hearts healthy and ready for love. A UH professor may have a solution to mend broken hearts: using a patient’s skin cells to repair damaged cardiovascular tissue. The breakthrough is pioneered by Robert Schwartz, a Cullen distinguished professor of biology and biochemistry at UH and researcher for the Texas Heart Institute. “This is big,” Schwartz said. “And it is highly efficient.” This process involves a combination of two things, Schwartz said. Though each factor is proprietary information, there is a general way of understanding how the process works. According to a document by Rolando Garcia, first, the skin cells are treated with a factor to transform them into stem cells. These stem cells could then be used to treat several organs such as the heart, the brain, the pancreas, etc. Schwartz furthered the research by treating the cells with a second factor to turn them to earlystage heart cells. “This is a world-class operation,” Schwartz said. “We can activate beating heart cells with skin cells.” Schwartz explained that though

he may have made a scientific breakthrough, there are still questions that need to be tested through experiment. “How well will these cells function? Will they last? Will they correct damaged hearts?” Schwartz said. Schwartz has partnered with James T. Willerson, the presidentelect and director of the Texas Heart Institute, to further the heart research. “(Willerson) has provided extraordinary resources to help me do this,” Schwartz said. Before coming to UH, Schwartz did 33 years of heart research at the Baylor College of Medicine. After leaving Baylor, he ventured out to continue his research at the Texas A&M Health and Science Center. He was later offered a position at UH, where he has been since December 2009. “I felt UH was serious, and that attracted me,” Schwartz said. “It look likes it’s a place on the go… and this [breakthrough] will help UH reach its Flagship status.” Schwartz has another vision in mind too: to one day create a human heart outside of the human body. “This is a long-term vision I share with Willerson,” Schwartz said. Those who are looking to see V-DAY, page 6

UHPD praise student victims’ cooperation By John Brannen the daily cougar UH police arrested and charged a suspect with three second-degree felonies in connection with robbery for two separate incidents. The first robbery happened on Jan. 26 in parking lot 9C, the second on Feb. 4 close to 4500 Cullen near UH entrance 10. Both student

victims involved identified the suspect through a photo spread. The 17-year-old suspect was identified as Brian Christopher Gray. In the Jan. 26 robbery, the male victim attempted to sell his iPhone through Craigslist. Gray contacted the victim by phone and suggested they meet in UH parking lot 9C. Once they met, he drew a weapon and stole the victim’s

iPhone and an additional iPhone the victim had, University police said. Gray fled into a vehicle, which was captured on video surveillance. In the second incident on Feb. 4, Gray approached a female student and asked to use her iPhone. He held the student at gunpoint. When the student offered no resistance, Gray ran. Police said they

credit the victims for giving them precise descriptions of Gray, who is in no way affiliated with UH. “Tuesday, I was able to drive in the parking lot (9C), and we were doing a robbery detail in unmarked vehicles due to the increased activity,” Police Sergeant Leslie Gremillion said. see ROBBERY, page 6

2 n Friday, February 12, 2010

The Daily Cougar

SENIORS:

LAST CHANCE!

CAMPUS BEAT FORECAST Saturday

57˚44˚

Class of 2010 professional yearbook portraits are being photographed next week! It’s your last chance to get a senior portrait and yearbook photo in one sitting!

Where: Student Service Center, Room 156 When: Monday, February 15th through Friday, February 19th, 2010 10 am – 7 pm each day

TOdAy!

To make your portrait appointment online, go to thorntonstudio.com, select School Portraits, then Scheduling, click New User, complete with Login Password: “uh”. You can also call 1-800-883-9449 or see the photographer on Feb. 15.

Sunday

61˚36˚

CALENDAR

53˚34˚

» Send event information to calendar@thedailycougar.com

TODAY

MONDAY

Cancer Prevention and Research Funding: Noon-2 p.m., PGH 232. Bill Gimson, executive director of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, will discuss cancer prevention and research funding opportunities for UH faculty and students. A free lunch is provided for registrants. Even for those who do not register, admission is free. RSVP (or for more information, contact) Sarah Sweaney at sarah@tlc2.uh.edu or 713-743-4019.

The Black American Struggle: The Past, the Present, and the Future: 4-5:30 p.m., Science and Engineering Complex, Room 100. In honor of Black History month, The Muslim Students Association will be hosting an event. Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a nationally recognized speaker from New York, will be attending to speak about the influence of Islam on the history of African Americans, particularly during the mid to late 1900s.

Horticulture Society: 3 p.m., Greenhouse (next to the Biology/Old Science building). The Horticulture Society is having a meeting to repot vegetable seedlings, get up-to-date on greenhouse news and have an activity dealing with plant nutrients and nutrient deficiency symptoms. For more information, contact Yosef Kerzner at uhgreenhouse@gmail.com or call 713299-9033.

TUESDAY

CO R R E C T I O N S

STUDENT FEES

Monday

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Official Class Ring Ordering Event: 10 a.m-3 p.m., UC Satellite lobby. Visit the University Center Bookstore during the Graduation Fair to meet with representatives from Balfour. You will be able to see the rings up close, have your finger sized, order your ring and ask questions about the program. For more information, contact UHAA at jeubanks@central.uh.edu

» Report errors to editor@thedailycougar.com

The Daily Cougar mistakenly referred to the Student Program Board as “the Student Publication Board” in the cutline for the feature photo that ran on the front page of Thursday’s edition. The story “Biology professor earns peers’ honor, praise” ((News, Thursday) was written by Sabrina Lloyd, not Jessica Traylor.

UNIT PRESENTATION SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2010 BLUEBONNET ROOM, UC 8:45 a.m. Committee Business 9:00 a.m. Learning and Assessment Services 9:20 a.m. Learning Support Services 9:40 a.m. UH Wellness 10:00 a.m. Urban Experience Program

Newsroom (713) 743-5360 n

Noon Dr. Elwyn C. Lee; Vice President for Student Affairs 2:00 p.m. Adjournment

Managing Editor

Matthew Keever (713) 743-5361 me@thedailycougar.com n

News Editors

Patricia Estrada Hiba Adi (713) 743-5314 news@thedailycougar.com n

Sports Editors

Phillipe Craig Robert Higgs (713) 743-5303 sports@thedailycougar.com

10:20 a.m. Central Business Office 10:30 a.m. Break

Editor in Chief

Ronnie Turner (713) 743-5362 editor@thedailycougar.com

Life & Arts Editors

Travis Hensley Jarrod Klawinsky (713) 743-5302 arts@thedailycougar.com n

Opinion Editor

Alan Dennis opinion@thedailycougar.com n

Photo Editor

David Shih (713) 743-5304 photo@thedailycougar.com n

Web Editor

Matt Miller webeditor@thedailycougar.com n

Blog Editor

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Classifieds

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Business Office

Phone (713) 743-5350 Fax (713) 743-5384 n Mailing address n n

Room 7, UC Satellite Student Publications University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-4015

Abby Lee blogs@thedailycougar.com

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.

issue staff

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC If you require disability accomodations, please call the Dean of Students Office at 713.743.5470 to make arrangements.

Copy editing

Hal Allen, Casey Goodwin, Kalani Man

Production

Newton Liu, Sarah Neill

Closing editor Ronnie Turner

Friday, February 12, 2010 n 3

The Daily Cougar

LIFE+ARTS EDITORS

COMING MONDAY: See what Thad Sweigart has to say about the GLBT community

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

The shameless Silverman By Elizabeth Bailey The Daily Cougar Sarah Silverman is the sort of woman who will own up to the most buried kind of embarrassing secret from childhood, such as wetting the bed until she was 15, and be proud of it. On a recent conference call with college newspapers around the country to promote the third season of The Sarah Silverman Program, Silverman spoke of subjects ranging from her age to what it means to her to be a female comic, occasionally slipping in plugs for the show. Known for intentionally taking on controversial issues ranging from abortion to racism, Silverman pushes down firmly on shock-value buttons, less to uselessly be vulgar but more as a social commentary. When asked if (character) Sarah and Sarah in real life are the same person, she said, “We talk alike and we look the same, but I hope not, because my character is an asshole. I think of her as an arrogant ignorant.” Writing for the show usually starts in Silverman’s apartment because there isn’t enough office space. This season, Silverman said, hopes to be aggressively stupid. “The best compliment is dying laughing at somebody’s pitch.” “I’m always surprised on the age range of kids who watch the show,” Silverman said about her audience. “There are little kids that love it and understand it on one level, then there are college kids and adults that get it all around.”

To stay fresh, Silverman continues to do standup. “I don’t want to be not funny, so I hang out with younger comics a lot more than people my age or older who make me feel so old. You have to be around new stuff. That’s why comics get not funny anymore, because they stay in their homes and don’t go out. That’s why I stay around guys like you guys,” she said, referring to college students. Even though she turns 40 next year, she doesn’t feel any different. “It’s weird because I always thought of 40 as super old. But, like, I don’t feel like wearing old-people clothes or getting my hair cut into a short, feathered mom-cut. I still feel like myself. I’m the youngest I’m ever going to be. I’m not going to look back at this now and think I’m old.” In a male-dominated entertainment field, Silverman is frank about transcending the exceptional female comic role. “I’ve only been a woman comic. ‘The struggles’ are a dime a dozen. It’s not something to get hung up on or worth turning into someone with a chip on their shoulder about things not being fair. You’re responsible for your own happiness and success.” “Whether you watch it online, on your computer or DVR, at least turn your TV on or we’ll get cancelled,” Silverman said. “Even when you love something, there comes a time when people want to try something new, change happens all the time, and when it does, it’s very important that you be brave.” arts@thedailycougar.com

COURTESY OF SARAH SILVERMAN

Standup comedian and actress Sarah Silverman is promoting the third season of The Sarah Silverman Program, which resumed Feb. 4. and airs on Comedy Central.

DREAMWORkS STUDIO

Saoirse Ronan plays Susie Salmon in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones, an adaptation of an award-winning novel of the same name written by Alice Sebold in 2002.

Anticipated Jackson thriller not quite so lovely By Jeff Jost The Daily Cougar Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones is a mind-blowing achievement in failure. A shining example in how big names, big budget, big effects and a popular book can make a terrible movie. The Lovely Bones is Jackson’s big screen adaptation of Alice Sebold’s popular novel about a young girl who is murdered and watches

over her family as they search for closure. And this film truly is Jackson’s. The film seems permanently imprinted with his trademark style, and in this case, that’s not a good thing. Jackson, whose past works include the very successful adaptations of The Lord of The Rings trilogy, picked the entirely wrong book to adapt this time. He seems to have taken his

obsession for epic filmmaking as well as his crew for it and misplace it on a popular teen drama book about child murder. A story of a murdered child and her grieving family should not be portrayed with the same sort of cinematography and special effects as a fantasy epic. This sounds bad on paper but, in reality, it’s a train wreck. The story itself follows Susie Salmon, a girl who is sexually

assaulted and murdered by a neighbor and then finds herself in some kind of purgatory, referred to as “the in between” in the film. In this purgatory, Susie experiences a mix of her teenage fantasies, horrific memories of her murder and brief moments in which she can see and slightly communicate with her family. Meanwhile her family deteriorates in grief. Susie’s father obsessively tracks

her killer; her mother breaks down and leaves the family to pick oranges in California with illegal immigrants; and her sister manages to become valedictorian, get a boyfriend and take up jogging. Aside from the fact that Susie’s younger sister is the strongest member of the family and her mother ends up being the absolute see MOVIE, page 8

4 n Friday, February 12, 2010

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

COMING MONDAY: Is Google Buzz jeopardizing its users’ privacy rights?

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

UH’s proposed tuition raise sends wrong message

T Ho Yi lau The Daily Cougar

Players deserve pay for likenesses In 1995, Ed O’Bannon led the UCLA Bruins basketball team to an NCAA national championship. Since last July, he has been at the forefront of a lawsuit the NCAA for Harold Arnold against using the likenesses of student athletes to make money. At first glance, it might seem as though O’Bannon filed suit because he wasted away any wealth he accumulated while playing in the NBA. According to the lawsuit, however, there is no amount for damages set at this point. Every year, buzz is generated in offices and workplaces around the country, centered on who is picking which team to win March Madness. Hours are wasted examining scrupulous statistics to determine which team has the best big man or the fastest point guard. During the months leading up to the tournament, an endless loop of commercials featuring past and present collegiate stars appears on television. This is one of the problems O’Bannon has with the NCAA; the organization is still making money off of his likeness.

The NCAA has maintained over the years that paying student athletes would be detrimental to the purity of amateur sports. In an article published Monday in The New York Times, reporter Pete Thamel quoted Jon King of Hausfeld LLP, the lead lawyer in the case for plaintiff O’Bannon, saying, “We think the NCAA will defend this case saying they are protecting amateurism and trying to prevent excess commercialization.” Regardless of how anyone feels about this subject, it’s undeniable that the NCAA makes a lot of money off student athletes. While no NCAA student athlete from any sport should get paid to play, if the NCAA is still using a person’s likeness after they graduate, that person should be able to receive some type of royalty. Although certain student athletes are lucky enough to get full scholarships that pay for their education, they make up a very small percentage of all student athletes. In professional sports leagues, athletes are protected by their respective players’ unions. The unions work together with the leagues to ensure that both the owners of

the teams and the players get a fair deal—or at least one both sides can agree on. But as there is no players’ union for student athletes, who, then, is supposed to protect them? Some universities break NCAA rules and pay players to come play for them; if caught, this usually leads to the player being stripped of any records they may have accrued and results in the college vacating wins and/or losing scholarships. For too long the NCAA has been a wolf in sheep’s clothing, making money off the sweat of players who bring in billions of dollars for the organization. The NCAA has yelled from the rooftops about how horrible the commercialization of college sports would be. However, if you were one of the 30 million people who tuned in to watch the football game between the University of Texas and the University of Alabama on Jan. 7, you got a chance to enjoy the Citi BCS National Championship Game. If that’s not the height of commercialization, I don’t know what is. Harold Arnold is a business senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

Guys need to get in touch for V-Day Guys need to get in touch for V-Day Valentine’s Day is Sunday, and most men already have an idea of how they’re going to celebrate. Some will take their valentine out to a romantic dinner, or perhaps will surprise Alan Dennis them with a bouquet of flowers. But every year, many guys for one reason or another choose not to celebrate Valentine’s Day. They come up with excuses such as, “I don’t believe in Valentine’s Day — it was created by the corporations,” or, “My girlfriend/wife/mistress doesn’t want me to waste money on presents.” Fellas, trust me when I say this: it’s a special day, and your lady is definitely expecting some kind of gift. Now I’m not saying that everyone needs

to go out and buy something expensive; many women are more impressed by a guy who is imaginative enough to create a unique gift (not all women want the exact same gift every one of their friends received). I’m not saying you can get away with writing your valentine a haiku, but perhaps something as simple as putting together a photo album of the two of you would do the trick. This is the first Valentine’s Day my wife and I will be spending together as a married couple, and I know if I don’t deliver with the goods, sleeping on the couch is the best scenario I can hope for. As we could certainly be classified as “poor” by some standards, I spent a great deal of time racking my brain trying to come up with a plan to celebrate the day without spending too much money.

While I won’t disclose what I came up with for fear of my wife reading this article, I will say that I feel confident about how well my gift will go over with her. There are an infinite amount of simple ways to show that special someone in your life just what they mean to you. To anyone out there who touts the virtues of not celebrating the single day out of the year devoted to cherishing a loved one, you should rethink your stance on rebelling against the system by not participating. And if you are indeed one of the many who takes a pessimistic view of Valentine’s Day, think of it this way: after Sunday, you’ll get 364 days of reprieve before the next one. Alan Dennis is a communication senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

he old saying goes “when it rains, it pours,” and UH students are about to find out that isn’t limited to the fabulous weather we are currently experiencing. On Wednesday, a UH committee approved yet another tuition and fees hike for next fall, this time raising the basic amount it will cost students to attend school by 3.95 percent, according to the Houston Chronicle. Well, students weren’t the only ones to take issue with the increase, as State Senator John Whitmire — a Houston Democrat — made clear following the announcement. “Enough’s enough,” Whitmire told the Houston Chronicle. “Every Texan, and certainly families with students or future students, ought to be outraged.” Well, he hit the nail on the head. Given the current economic condition this nation is in, this tuition increase will be another burden that will weigh on the heavy load students and parents already bear. That’s not even taking into consideration what effect this will have on the thousands of Houston’s laid-off workers, many of whom have become so frustrated with the job market they now give a second thought to going back to school. How will those prospective students feel about bettering themselves? Perhaps they’ll think it’s not worth it. Truth be told, it may not be worth it for currents students either. Those paying upwards of $4,800 per semester for 15 hours now face an increase of nearly $190 just to continue their education. And that’s not including books. At this point, an alternative method of bridging the budget gap needs to be explored. Whether it’s accepting more money from the federal government or cutting the salaries of non-essential employees, such as coaches, the buck needs to stop at the student’s wallet. If the real objective of the University’s administration is to achieve flagship status, encouraging students to find cheaper options is not the way to go. If most students had a say in it, this administration would be surprised by how many would prefer to go to a less expensive university with second-rate facilities and solid educational opportunities than the alternative.

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, February 12, 2010 n 5

The Daily Cougar

SPORTS

COMING MONDAY: See how the softball team fares in this weekend’s season-opening Marriott Houston Hobby Classic

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

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

TRACK

UH tries to build on run

Coogs see room for improvement Burrell says despite early success, team must focus on becoming ‘technically proficient’ gg

Win at Tulsa would allow Cougars to remain in first place in C-USA

By John Brannen THE DAILY COUGAR

Cougar Sports Services The Cougars used strong play in the last three weeks to move into a three-way tie for first place in Conference USA, but they’ll have to do a lot more to gain separation from Tulane and Memphis. A win at Tulsa tonight would help. UH (12-10, 6-3) enters its 7 p.m. matchup with Tulsa as one of the hottest teams in C-USA. The Cougars have won four of their last five games, with three of those wins coming in Houston. Tulsa, on the other hand, is C-USA’s worst team. The Golden Hurricane (7-13, 1-8) beat Tulane last Friday for its only C-USA win, but was thrashed by UTEP 75-58 in its following game Sunday. UH beat Tulsa 77-69 in their first meeting Jan. 28 at Hofheinz Pavilion. On paper, Tulsa does not present a challenge, but the Cougars can’t count it out since the Golden Hurricane managed to upset Tulane in New Orleans. Plus, Tulsa isn’t too bad at home, where it is 4-4. Fortunately for the Cougars, they’re at their best when playing away from Hofheinz Pavilion. UH is 7-3 on the road, with four of those wins coming against C-USA opponents. A primary reason for the

yulia kutsenkova The Daily Cougar

Brittney Scott and the Cougars will try to maintain their spot atop the Conference USA standings alongside Tulane and Memphis when they travel to Tulsa and SMU this weekend. Cougars’ success has been the play of its two stars, junior guard Brittney Scott and junior forward Courtney Taylor. Scott is the team’s top scorer with 17.1 points per game, and Taylor is averaging 15.3 points and a team-leading 10 rebounds. Taylor, C-USA’s second-leading rebounder, recorded her 36th career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday’s 68-62 win over Memphis. That double-double moved her past former UH standout Sancho Lyttle for first place on the program’s alltime list. Taylor has been on fire during the last five games, averaging 18.8 points and 10.4 rebounds while

shooting 59.6 percent during that stretch. She scored a career-high 31 points in the Cougars’ first game against Tulsa. Scott, C-USA’s third-leading scorer, has scored in double figures in each of the last five games. During that stretch, she averaged 16 points. Tulsa is led by senior forward Larrissa Williams and freshman guard Taleya Mayberry. Williams is averaging a team-high 16.3 points per game, and Mayberry is averaging 11.2 points. After tonight’s game, the Cougars will travel to Dallas to face SMU Sunday at 2 p.m. sports@thedailycougar.com

The Cougars hope to get off to a fast start when they hit the track at this weekend’s Texas A&M Challenge in College Station. The meet winner will not be an individual team but instead will be determined by conference affiliation. UH, UTEP and Rice will represent Conference USA; the three Big 12 schools will be Texas A&M, Texas and Texas Tech; and Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee will represent the SEC. Head coach Leroy Burrell and his staff called for their team to get more “technically proficient” following a visit to New York. They hope this week of practice tied up any loose ends. “We tried to isolate some of the problems our kids are having in the jumps and the hurdles,” Burrell said. “For sprinters we wanted to work on their start,” Burrell went on to outline specific areas of improvement needed this weekend. “I’m still a bit disappointed in our performance in the women’s 200. We probably have five of the top six 200-meter runners in the conference so we’re really hoping to make an impact there,” Burrell said. “I’d like to see some improvement from our hurdlers, our female hurdlers in particular. I think they’re a bit better than what they’ve been showing.”

Burrell indicated he was looking for continued improvement from the male hurdlers as well. “I’m really hoping that Cameron LaCour can break 8 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles,” he said. “He got a little off balanced and didn’t quite run the race he’s capable of. D’Korian (Ford) the same thing. Burrell also wants to see both his 4x400-meter relay teams excel with solid performances. He used sophomore D’Korian Ford and junior Jason Perez in the 4x400meter relay in place of Tyron Carrier and Errol Nolan. Burrell said it would be a meet-day decision as to who the lineup will be. The Cougars are satisfied with their level of competition at this weekend’s meet, which includes the top-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, and regular C-USA rivals. “We want the kids’ performance to reflect their level of fitness,” Burrell said. “Right now it’s a bit of competition on the team to make the conference championship team. We can only compete (with) 28 athletes at the conference meet, so we have a few spots that haven’t been selected. “We need our athletes to fight for those spots.” The Cougars will get a break next weekend as they prepare for the C-USA Championships Feb. 26-27. The conference meet will be held at UH in Yeoman Field House. sports@thedailycougar.com

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Cougars aim to end C-USA woes By Phillipe Craig The Daily Cougar Sometimes all a team needs is a break, be it at crucial juncture in a game or a respite from its normal schedule. The Cougars got both Tuesday at Western Kentucky, breaking out of their Conference USA funk with a last-second win over the Hilltoppers of the Sun Belt Conference. After starting 3-1 in C-USA, UH stumbled to a 12-11 record overall behind a 1-4 stretch in conference play. To make matters worse, UH was just 2-5 in road games entering Tuesday’s contest, with one win coming against in-town rival Rice. After clotting the road bleeding, the Cougars (12-11, 4-5 C-USA) will now get a crack at ending their current two-game C-USA losing streak when they host SMU at 4 p.m. Saturday. The Mustangs (11-12, 4-5) came out losers in two of their last three, including a 62-51 home loss on Wednesday to league leader UTEP. Coach Tom Penders knows that

despite the team’s recent struggles, SMU is more than capable of leaving Hofheinz Pavilion with a win, especially if the Cougars don’t show the same poise they did against WKU. “I thought we had a lot of poise,” Penders said. “We kept talking about it throughout the game, and they handled it very well. (SMU) has a great point guard in Jeremy Williams. He can score, he’s quick and he gets into the paint. He’s the key.” Williams, a senior guard who scored 32 points against UH last season, leads the team in scoring, at 16.9 points per game, and is averaging 3.5 assists per contest. In C-USA play, he has raised his output to 17.3 points and 3.9 assists per game, while raising his 3-point efficiency from 29 to 39 percent. The Mustangs also boast a talented frontcourt duo in 6-9 forwards Papa Dia and Mouhammad Faye, who are averaging 12.2 and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Dia, who has been scoring at 54 percent clip for the season, has upped his output to 14.1 points per game in

C-USA play. As has been the case for most of the season, the Cougars will have to force the Mustangs to balance their offense and not let the interior or perimeter games individually become a primary option. Penders said improved play from guys such as Adam Brown, who scored seven points and pulled down a crucial rebound in the waning seconds at WKU, comes tied to an increased focus on the defensive end. “Adam’s been practicing better, and he’s playing defense. That’s the biggest thing,” Penders said. “He really played outstanding defense (Wednesday), and that’s something I’d been waiting for. That’s the biggest adjustment (for new players). Sometimes it takes kids a couple of months to figure it out. They watch themselves on film and compare themselves to (veterans) and they see. “He’s just made up his mind that he’s going to be a good defensive player.” sports@thedailycougar.com

Zuhair siddiqui The Daily Cougar

Adam Brown aims to continue his improved play when the Cougars host SMU at 4 p.m. Saturday.

NEWS

6 n Friday, February 12, 2010

continued from page 1

“He (Gray) was walking in the parking lot and walked to a parked vehicle. I looked at him and said ‘that’s him.’ Once we stopped him his name matched the phone records on the first robbery.” Gremillion noticed Gray was not behaving like most UH commuters. He was in the parking lot looking at people walking around him. “That’s not normal behavior. Most college students have tunnel vision. They want to get to their car and go home,” Gremillion said. “He was acting out of the norm. There’s no doubt in my mind that they were scouting out another victim.”

MCQUEEN continued from page 1

not confirmed. A postmortem has been scheduled, and the cause of death will be released next week. Lee Alexander McQueen was born in London in the late ’60s and was the youngest of six children. After leaving school at the g g McQueen age of 16 he was offered an apprenticeship at the Savile Row bespoke tailor Anderson and Sheppard. Various designers employed him throughout his young life, including Koji Tatsuno and

Investigators believe Gray used an Airsoft gun in both robberies and in a separate robbery that took place at HCC. Police recovered the Airsoft gun and items that had just been stolen from the downtown HCC campus. “Because of our student’s great descriptions, we were able to prevent someone from getting robbed,” Gremillion said. Gremillion said according to Texas state law, an Airsoft gun is not a deadly weapon, so they were not able to charge Gray with aggravated robbery. He will be charged with robbery with a threat. UHPD said they are pleased to report that they currently have no open cases. news@thedailycougar.com

Romeo Gigli. In 1994, he returned to London to complete his master’s degree in fashion design from Central St. Martins College. Afterwards he joined the LVMH conglomerate to serve as creative director for the French fashion house Givenchy. McQueen’s death comes during the first day of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York, where his diffusion line “McQ” was set to show. He was also scheduled to show his line in Paris in March. There is no word on whether the collection will still be shown. “One of the greatest talents of his generation … His passing marks as insurmountable loss,” Editor-InChief of Vogue Anna Wintour said. news@thedailycougar.com

V-DAY continued from page 1

strengthen their hearts and make them healthy and alive for their valentines can look into the 2008 SAving Lives Staying Active research project, done by associate professor of Health and Human Performance Rebecca Lee. Lee was inspired by a similar program being conducted in Guadalajara, Mexico, and decided to launch the SALSA program at UH. “I wanted to replicate that study and do more measurements,” Lee said. The SALSA study was aimed to increase physical activity through salsa dancing and increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables

SGA continued from page 1

unanswered. As for the legislation, I do send it to them. There has not been a time where I have not presented the Senate with the legislation beforehand unless the legislation was written right before the meeting and needed to be passed that night for emergency purposes,” she wrote. “I am in my office, my door is always open when I am there. I’m quite disappointed in the manner in which they went about all of this. It was unprofessional, and if they have an issue it should’ve been brought to me instead of in a meeting which I was unable to attend.” CLASS Sen. Mary Martin said it is part of Ruiz’s job to send legislation to

among women. Lee and her team put out notices around the community asking women to volunteer for the study. Most of the women who decided to participate were overweight African Americans and Mexican Americans, according to Lee. After recruitment was complete, the research team divided the women into two groups. One group focused on a Web site designed specifically for the program. It provided helpful information such as healthy recipes, portion control and step-by-step processes to eating healthier. The other group was asked to participate in salsa dance classes. The women were partnered with an accelerometer to measure their intensity of physical activity. Lee said she encourages salsa

dance because it is very aerobic and fast. “Physical activity helps your immune system, helps you lose weight and can (prevent) diabetes. It makes you happier too,” Lee said. The study solely focused on women because of the differences between men and women physically. The research team kept track of the women who participated in the study even after it ended, and they found some impressive results. “(The women) increased their physical activity on average about 1 hour and 45 minutes a week,” Lee said. “Nobody likes exercise … so it is important to have something you really enjoy doing,” Lee said.

the senators before the meeting starts so they can make informed decisions and not have to vote on something they haven’t had the chance to inform themselves on. Some senators suggested passing a bill that would make the Speaker have to send all legislation to senators at least 48 hours before the meetings. “Do we really have to pass a bill?” Martin said. “This is somebody’s job. This is ridiculous.” Former at-large senator Michael Blunk said the 45th administration passed a bill that did this. Business Sen. Stephani Rivera said Ruiz did not respond to her e-mails on three separate occasions. Rivera said she never brought this issue up before because she didn’t know it was happening to other people beside herself.

Meeting schedules and not being informed when there would be a meeting, was another issue that upset the senators. The director of PR and the speaker are supposed to inform the senators of these. Martin said several of her fellow senators were not aware of a meeting this week. Rivera said that although the speaker and director of PR should keep the calendar updated and inform senators of meeting times, it is also the senators’ responsibility to be informed. “Seeing the room today is disappointing,” Rivera said. “Remember why you are here. (We need to) try to become more engaged.”

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At the Hot Dog Stand by Mishele Lamshing

Friday, February 12, 2010 n 7

today’s crossword ACROSS

1 Short distance 5 Alpha followers 10 Pinch of salt 14 — Linda, Calif. 15 Nautical command 16 Columnist — Chase 17 Not “fer” 18 Eccentric 19 Six, in Seville 20 Milky Way 22 Bookstore section (hyph.) 24 Vex 26 Pick pears 27 Grain alcohol 30 Backed financially 34 Tiny legume 35 Cattle prods 38 Pitfall, maybe 39 Dernier — 40 Dork 42 Before, in combos 43 Acrylic fiber 46 Did the exterior 48 Toy canine, in brief 49 Analyzed 51 In — (overdue) 53 The other people 55 Okla. neighbor 56 Came back to 60 Kampala’s land 64 Cushy job 65 Famed violin 67 Diner employee 68 “— Lisa” 69 Noted soap vixen 70 Cager — Kukoc 71 Endorse a check 72 After-shower wraps 73 Port near Algiers

Robbie and Bobby by Jason Poland

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

DOWN

1 Smelting waste 2 Forum garb 3 Jannings of old films 4 Canal site 5 Grocery section (2 wds.) 6 Space task? 7 Works on a bobbin 8 Flowers with rays

WORDS FROM THE

BONITA!! YOU’VE CHANGED EVERY THING SINCE THE FIRST DAY WE MET. I LOVE YOU, BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY... MIGUEL!!

of love essage Your m this heart ﬁlls up rite up to W shape! ds to a 15 wor one. loved

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO MY SHASTAS CO-WORKERS! GEORGE, VICTOR, CECILY, NGOC, CHARLISSA, TEYNARAE, AUBRY,FLO 3 Your message of love ﬁlls up this DOCTOR! heart - THE LOVE shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

LADY-JANE OF FORT-WAYNE A ROAD STARTS & ENDS; YET LOVE TRANSCENDS. SO FAR OR NEAR; IN MY THOUGHTS YOU’RE HERE. Your message of loveN.A. HAPPY VALENTINE. ﬁlls up this heart shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

THE ETA LAMBDA CHAPTER OF KAPPA ALPHA PSI SPACECITY NUPES WANT TO WISH YOU A HAPPY AND SAFE VALENTINES. Your message of love upSPACECITY this heart NUPES FROMﬁlls THE shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

HEART

15 words to a loved one.

MIXALIS, AGAPI MU: MIA GLOSSA THEN INE POTE ARKETI. LSE TO ALO MOU MISO. SAGA PO, PARA POLI. Your of love SOUmessage MOR, SHAZ ﬁlls up this heart shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

THE PAST THREE YEARS HAVE BEEN CLOUD NINE, “WHAT’S WITH THE SMILE?” I GET TO CALL HER MINE. Your message of love ﬁlls up this heart shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

I AM THE LUCKIEST GUY IN THE WORLD BECAUSE I HAVE AN AMAZING GIRL. I LOVE YOU, SHAZIYA! Your message of love ﬁlls up this heart LOVE MICHAEL! shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

MOUSE-KAKA, YOUR WEIRD AND DISGUSTING WAYS MAKE MY HEART GO PITTER-PATTER. WON’T YOUof BElove Your message ﬁlls up this heart MY VALENTINE? shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

TO DJ ONION: I TESTED POSITIVE BECAUSE OF YOU!!

Your message of love ﬁlls up this heart shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

24 27

51 54

48 52

55 59

9 Vogues 1 0 Suds container 11 Toward shelter 12 Black & Decker rival 13 Fastener 21 Ped — (traffic caution) 23 Blubber and suet 25 Defects 27 Orlando attraction 28 — Haute, Ind. 29 Rains ice 31 Frat letter 32 Wrong move 33 Considers 36 Opus — 37 Car model 41 Resort islands 44 Hassock 45 Radar O’Reilly’s soda 47 Remnant 50 More compressed

42 47

31 38

53 56

26 30

5 2 Hobby knife 54 Part of MGM 56 LP speeds 57 “The Time Machine” people 58 Freud rival 59 Small amount 61 Koh-i — diamond 62 Lisbon lady 63 Related 66 King beater

2009 United Feature Syndicate INC.

Previous puzzle solved V O L T

E L I E

C H A D

H U G E

F L O G

I L I A D

I N B A D I E AM B E L RO E D I R K P E L E E E R E D L A S B E R A L A C L I N E D MA D MP A L A E E C Y F N T SWA S T T A T A Y S H A

N C J B O E A N S C A T J E R S E P A A TW I N S C S O V A I N U K E S L A G G E R A S A R N

O R A T E

K E L L Y

E S T E

N O T E

G A T S

S L O T

Z U N I

O P E N

O T R O

Happy Valentine’s Day! Your message of love ﬁlls up this heart shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

Your message of love ﬁlls up this heart shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

Your message DEAR NWAMS, of lov ﬁlls up this hea e rt DIXIE, YOU’RE SO TRIXIE I PRAY THAT MY shape! Write up to LOVE FOR YOU BECOMES 15lovwoedrdsonto a WITH YOUR HOT LONG LEGS! e. YOU CAN PLAY DOCTOR CROSS-LIKE - FROM ERIC WITH ME ANYTIME! CEO OF HUWTHG.COM

HEY HONEYBUNCHES, I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S BEEN 19 YEARS. Your message of love I LOVE YOU SOheart MUCH! ﬁlls up this shape!HUBBY Write up to

Your message of love ﬁlls up this heart shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

EN ULLAGAMAY NEE THAAN. WILL YOU BE MY VALENTINE?

I LOVE... WAKING UP TO YOU, YOUR AROMA, DANCING WITH YOU, ROCKING Your message of love OUT ﬁlls WITH up thisYOU. heart shape! Write up to I LOVE YOU LAUREN. 15 words to a loved one.

MY SWEETHEART EARNEST, KRYSTAL(THE BABY), NATASHIA, CHRIS, KRISTINA, RACHEL, & THE GIRLS, WILLIAM & GABRIELLE. Your message of love ﬁlls up thisALL. heart I LOVE YOU shape! Write up to GOD BLESS 15 words to a

HAPPY VALENTINE TO MY BEAUTIFUL GRAND BABIES, CHANDLER, CHLOE & CHASE. GRAND

shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

Your message of love

ﬁllsTO up this HAPPY VALENTINE A heart shape! Write up to GREAT DAUGHTER & to a 15 words loved one. A WONDERFUL MOTHER OF MY GRAND BABIES. MOM

JAMES, I LOVE YOU... BUT YOU DON’T READ THE DAILY COUGAR DO YOU? Your message of love EH- NEVER MIND, THEN. ﬁlls up this heart - UNYIME shape! Write up to

K.J., I HATE YOU. HATE IS JUST MISGUIDED LOVE, SO NO OFFENSE. Your message of love MISGUIDED ﬁlls up thisLOVE, heart shape! Write up to UNYIME.

OGI, I MISS YOU SO MUCH IT HURTS SOMETIMES. Your message of love ﬁlls up this heart ANONUNYIMOUS

SANDEEP, I LOVE YOU JAAN THAT’S HISTORY, I LOVE YOU Your message ofMORE love THAT’S ﬁlls up thisLIVE heartWITHOUT PRESENT, I CAN’T shape! Write up to YOU15THAT’S FUTURE. words to a loved one. SHONA BABY

15 words to a loved one.

shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

loved one.

TO MY LITTLE BEAR: I DON’T HAVE 20 WORDS BUT, I LOVE YOU. SHIV YOUR YourP.S. message of loveADORABLE! ﬁlls up this heart YVETTE

Your message of love ﬁlls up this heart shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

TO: JESUS & DIOSES CASTLELANO - HAPPY BIRTHDAY! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME. YVETTE Your message of love ﬁlls up this heart shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

15 words to a loved one.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY TO ALL OF MY SISTERS IN CHI OMEGA! LOVE YOU! LICO - YOUR PRESIDENT. Your message of love ﬁlls up this heart shape! Write up to 15 words to a loved one.

life & arts

8 n Friday, February 12, 2010

The Daily Cougar

MOVIE continued from page 3

Monday

Thursday

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worst parent on the face of the earth, the family’s reactions are reasonable. Of course most of this conflict means nothing by the end of the movie as the characters find their own peace of mind without the killer ever being brought to justice or any real closure being offered to the characters (or the audience for that matter). In the end, the killer is brought to justice by one of the most innocuous and random acts of chance imaginable, leaving the emotional journey of Susie’s family (and the audience) almost meaningless. The only attempted comfort comes in the form of a convoluted monologue by Susie that claims that the film was all about how everyone who knew her somehow gained something from this experience – a claim that can’t be made for the audiences being subjected to the film. There are many scenes in The Lovely Bones that are good as stand alone pieces. The film boasts some often powerful and intriguing cinematography and editing but it is consistently misused. Intense shots and pacing are often placed incorrectly, forcing the film into either being overtly melodramatic or laughably inappropriate for the tone of the scene. The visual effects and heavily emotive direction often make the film feel like an after school special turned bad student art film, something realized by most of the audience by the time they find themselves watching Susie scream silently in a white washed bathroom at Stanley Tucci playing George Harvey (her murderer) while he bathes himself. The artistic design for Susie’s personal “in between” space is similarly overblown as it magnifies seemingly random objects and images from the narrative as parts of massive landscapes of the bizarre Barbie acid trip that is Susie’s horrific imagination. There are far too many flaws in The Lovely Bones to fit into a single article. The characters are absurd, un-relatable and stereotypical. The acting is subpar. The tone is consistently off. The story is unfocused and lazy. In the end, the message is convoluted, silly and insulting to the people who actually have to deal with these kinds of tragedies in reality. The Lovely Bones is a piece of overblown fluff attempting to be imaginative, poignant and thoughtful, but it is in fact just stupid. arts@thedailycougar.com

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