Issue 97, Volume 75 by The Cougar

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Check out this semester’s entire lineup of comics and online exclusives Friday, February 19, 2010

Issue 97, Volume 75

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Panel discusses death penalty UH professors attempt to hold unbiased debate on contentious subject J

By Joachim Clarke THE DAILY COUGAR The death penalty, one of the most controversial topics in modern history, was at the center of a panel

debate between five professors in the UH Honors College Commons on Wednesday. “The purpose of the forum (was) to create an unbiased discussion on the death penalty,” said Erica Fletcher, president of the UH chapter of the World Aid Organization. Fletcher, an anthropology and psychology junior, co-hosted the

event with members of the UH chapter of Amnesty International. The intent of the forum was to inform the student body about issues surrounding the death penalty. Adam Gershowitz, an associate professor of law and co-director of the Criminal Justice Institute at the UH Law Center, said that even though there is great support for

the death penalty in America, most supporters are not as well informed as they should be. “The greatest support for the death penalty team tends to be by people who don’t understand how it works,” Gershowitz said. “When people are properly informed how it actually works in the United States, support for the death penalty drops dramatically in public opinion

polling.” International human rights standards were also discussed in great detail at the panel. Since the U.S. does not consider international norms when making decisions concerning the death penalty, the panelists debated whether these norms should affect the way that see PANEL, page 8

Professor shares poetry passion By Callye Peyrovi THE DAILY COUGAR A wetlands preservation map of southeast Louisiana stretches across the wall of UH associate creative writing professor Martha Serpas’ office. Serpas, a native of Galliano, La., settled in by having the shelves lined with her books and article features, and the room decorated with numerous degree placards. Serpas, who received a doctoral degree in creative writing from UH in 1998, found herself ready to come closer to home after spending 10 years as an associate professor at the University of Tampa. “I was ready to come back to writing poems. I had a great time here at UH and got an excellent education. They were very supportive of my interest in biblical literature,” said Serpas, who received a master’s of divinity from Yale Divinity School in 1994. After earning a doctorate, Serpas settled in Houston and joined the program’s faculty. “What distinguishes UH’s creative writing program is the extensive literature studies that we get from the English department’s faculty members,” she said. Serpas has written two books of poetry, which are Cote Blanche and The Dirty Side of the Storm: Poems. People often assume from her second book’s title that it was written about Hurricane Katrina, but that is not the case. see SERPAS, page 6

DAVID SHIH THE DAILY COUGAR

Step right up

he C.T. Bauer College of Business’ Rockwell Career Center held its spring career fair Tuesday. Recruiters from about 100 leading companies were at the event to fill internship and job positions. Bauer Assistant Dean for Career Services Jamie Belinne said in a release that despite the weak economy, the career fair’s attendance is still at levels comparable to the stronger 2005 economy.

Black History Month disappoints professors UH faculty weighs in on significance of February tradition J

By Maurice Bobb THE DAILY COUGAR February’s Black History Month is celebrated by many, but was initiated by one, noted historian Carter Woodson. “Dr. Woodson’s intent for Black History Month was to get African-

Americans to reflect on some of the positive contributions they had made to American society and to world history so that they would begin to value themselves,” Assistant Director of African American Studies Malachi Crawford said. “He also established it so AfricanAmericans would begin to see themselves as actors in history instead of objects of history, or people being acted upon (slavery).”

Black History Month has its origins in Negro History Week, which started in February 1926. Woodson, who holds the distinction as being the second black to earn a doctoral degree from Harvard, chose to observe the then-radical look into black history in February, because it was the birthday month of two instrumental figures in black history: Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Woodson hoped to use the

event to help mend the vast racial divide of the 1920s. The plan was to reduce the ignorance that dominated the history books of the era. Over the years, Black History Month has become a caricature of itself. Most notably, some blacks feel they haven’t gained from the spotlight it shines on black achievement. “I don’t see the benefit of Black see BLACK HISTORY, page 6

Friday, February 19, 2010

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FRIDAY Discussion on race: 2-4:30 p.m., Bluebonnet Room, University Center. Ashanti Alston Omowali, an anarchist activist, speaker, writer and former member of the Black Panther Party, will be speaking on the topic of race. Omowali was also a member of the Black Liberation Army and spent more than a decade as a political prisoner. He will be speaking on his experiences, theory and also reading from The War Before, writings and speeches of Safiya Bukhari. For more information, contact Alvaro Chaveste-Fernandez at avo157@ hotmail.com Texas Music Festival Jazz Project: 7:30-9 p.m., Moores Opera House. The Moores School of Music is pleased to welcome Brian Lynch. Few musicians embody this 21st century credo as profoundly as trumpeter, composer and teacher Lynch. A respected insider within both the hardcore bebop and Latin communities, Lynch is comfortable negotiating the complexities of clave with Afro-Caribbean pioneer

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The Aesthetics of Italian Fascism: 4-6 p.m., Honors College Commons. As part of the Honors Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ethical Aesthetics series, this discussion features presentations by UH architecture professor Michelangelo Sabatino and Italian studies professor Alessandro Carrera. They will talk in particular about the aesthetics of architecture and music in Mussoliniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Italy. For more information, e-mail the Honors College at lningrassia@ uh.edu

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LIFE+ARTS Group presents Muslim culture EDITORS

Travis Hensley

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arts@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/life_arts

By Safiya Ravat THE DAILY COUGAR The Muslim American Society held a performance night featuring Muslim comedians, poets and singers called “Illumination” Sunday in the University Center’s Houston Room. The event aimed to counter a negative stereotype about Muslims and encourage a generation with artistic talent to emerge from the MuslimAmerican community. “Especially with all the negative things going around, it’s important we have a large amount of Muslims just get out and say what’s real and what’s right about Muslims,” songwriter Akbar Qayum said. Qayum and longtime

schoolmate Jawad Fayiz performed as a group called D-Clique. The two said they hope to illustrate the reality of Islam and the Muslim-American struggle through their songs. “We want to tell the truth in every song,” Fayiz said. “And entertainment really gets through to people today.” Event host Saifullah Mujahideen said it was the duty of the young generation to showcase its religion to others. “Islam may be viewed as something strange,” Mujahideen said, “but it is our duty to show that Islam is a source of light in the world. We must be the illumination generation.” Mahnoor Samana, a spokenword artist, performed at the event, hoping to inspire others. “Going up there is nice. It

really inspires others to bring out their talents,” she said. “Just to know that people are thinking about it, and it’s bringing somebody closer to God, it makes you feel good.” English junior Zainab Ghwari said one of the event’s goals was to bring in youth who usually wouldn’t attend a religious event. “This is an attempt to bring those youth that don’t see religion as an important part of their lives, and to show them that entertainment can be achieved through many mediums that are permitted in Islam,” Ghwari said. “Islam is not rigidity; it has room for everything.” Because Muslim youth seem to be straying from their faith, MAS wanted to bring them back with something they would enjoy, event organizer Javeria Pirzada

said. “I wanted them to have this environment where it’s not too lecture-type and strict, but at the same time, they’re in this Muslim environment, and they can talk about issues,” Pirzada said. Comedian Obaida AbdulRahim said another goal of the event was to have Muslims pursue their talents. The notion that Muslims are only allowed to be talented in “cutting people up with knives … as surgeons” is not true, AbdulRahim said. “The idea (is) that it’s either doctor or disown,” he said. “That doesn’t work for me.” Ghwari said she hoped the event dispelled a self-inflicted stereotype about arts in the Muslim community. “Arts in Muslim societies are

regularly underestimated,” Ghwari said. “It’s seen as something people who can’t get into medical school would turn to. Illumination is an attempt to show people that Islam is a way a life, not just praying all day. It also includes taking time out and remembering God through different ways.” Director of MAS Youth Muhammad Abdallah ended the event with an extended hand to outsiders. “We at MAS want to facilitate anybody who feels he has a talent he wants to nurture and observe,” Abdallah said. “If you find that you have something that you’re good at, and you feel that you can do something that would make a difference for Islam, MAS Youth is here to help.” arts@thedailycougar.com

Gallery adds to modern art scene Michael Baerga THE DAILY COUGAR Tucked away in a humble, upper-River Oaks facility, the Vaughan Christopher Gallery is a relatively new addition to Houston’s art culture. “We typically gear towards the modern art pieces from anyone from (Andy) Worhol to (Pablo) Picasso,” gallery director Jay Erdmann said. “We like to bring a variety of contemporary works to display on our walls, that we purchase from auctions nationwide.” Erdmann joined gallery owners Amy Vaughan King and Ginger Christopher Wright after moving from Dallas, where he served as an art consultant and

director of MLG Dallas gallery for five years. King and Wright have an extensive background in art-collection and appreciation internationally. “We get a wide range of people who come into these doors, from school visits to art buffs looking to add to their collection,” Erdmann said. “I forget at times people’s fascination to art they’ve never seen before. Most people have heard of (Pablo) Picasso and (Henry) Matisse, but few have ever seen one up close.” Perhaps this is what is so unique about the gallery. Unlike many cold and rigid, whitewalled museums and exhibits, Vaughan Christopher’s cozy twostory hardwood hallways allow visitors to roam the gallery with a

feeling of ease and serenity while taking in the exquisite works displayed. From surrealist forms to contemporary pop art, Vaughan Christopher Gallery struts an impressive selection assured to satisfy any taste. It offers an intimate face-to-face look at some of the world’s most featured artists. “In order for one to accumulate their own opinion about what they like in art or in anything for that matter, they should be exposed to a variety of different pieces to formulate their own opinion,” Erdmann said. “That’s what I love about art galleries, if you don’t like a piece move on to the next. Everyone’s different . . . I’m sure my mother

and I find different likings to different pieces.” With today’s mass assortment in abstract modern art, it is sometimes difficult for one to decipher what is real art and what is deemed phony or ‘bogus’ art. Worhol’s cans, for which he is noted for, could have easily been mistaken for a bogus claim to art. “People find different tastes for different works,” Erdmann said. “The only way (for them) to make an educated assessment of a piece is to know their art, and to know their artists, and to trust only reputable sellers and exhibits. “Only through exposure can one truly find their art niche.” One would not have any problem formulating his

own palette from Vaughan Christopher’s collection featuring international prints from artists such as Worhol, Picasso, Matisse, Takashi Murakami, and Steve Kaufman. The gallery offers students an alternative place of enjoyment and culture that should not be missed. “Our upcoming function American Pop is an open house event planned for April 22,” Erdmann said. Visitors can expect to view works from artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring, Worhol and Kaufman. The gallery runs five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday, and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. arts@thedailycougar.com

OUT & ABOUT

DADT stains America’s image As little as a few weeks ago, the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” seemed like yet another carrot for President Barack Obama to dangle in front of the Human Rights Campaign and other politically interested LGBT donors. Thadd Th After the Sweigart one-two punch of his State of the Union Address and the testimony of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the discriminatory policy has been thrust to the forefront of American consciousness. According to recent polls, two out of three Americans believe DADT should be repealed. Four

out of five think the government should stop seeking to punish gay service members. With such an overwhelming numerical superiority in favor of axing this policy from the Clinton administration, one wonders why legislators are dragging their heels on the issue. Certainly there are die-hard bigots. Teacher says every time a lesbian belle sings, a FOX News anchor cries. But a bigger issue is that perfectly reasonable Americans who support equality view the issue as a side note to the host of problems besieging the country. “As long as gays can serve in the military, what’s it matter if they can be open or not about their sexuality?” May Lissou said during a discussion about DADT.

The answer to this is multifaceted. First of all, there’s stress. It’s human nature in times of discord, such as one would find on a battlefield, to talk about loved ones and even sexual encounters to relieve stress. When one of the estimated 66,000 is denied the comfort of participating in such a basic human ritual, there is an unnecessary level of dysfunction created within that individual. Secondly, there is the principle of job security. Being a soldier isn’t for everybody, but for those who pursue the career, they are basically saying that they love their job enough to die for it. For people who risk so much and put so much pride into what they do, what greater fear could they have than being told by their boss that they are being fired for

an inconsequential reason beyond their control? This fear is a daily reality for many within our armed services, and it’s a disgrace that our nation still allows them feel it. Thirdly, there is, as Mullen put it, the concept of integrity. Integrity and honor are core principles of a soldier’s life. It’s what separates them from murderers, and it’s what is trod upon every time our fighting men and women are forced to lie so that they can spend their blood in our defense. Those who say that allowing gays to serve openly in the military would force soldiers to quit the military should look at Afghanistan. Our soldiers are already serving with open LGBT comrades from other nations, including Britain, France and

Canada. Yet, no mass exodus has occurred. For those interested in helping to add the U.S. to the long list of modern Western nations that believe in service member equality, helping out is as easy as calling a few congressional representatives. Six representatives from Texas — all Democrats — support the bill to repeal DADT. Houston’s own Sheila Jackson-Lee is one of the supporting representatives, but there are still 26 who do not. That includes Harris County’s Ted Poe. Log on and use any search engine to find out how these, and other, representatives can be reached. One phone call can make all the difference. arts@thedailycougar.com

■

Friday, February 19, 2010

The Daily Cougar

OPINION EDITOR Alan Dennis

E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com

COMING MONDAY: If there is an NBA lockout in 2011, who will be to blame?

ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/opinion

THE DAILY COUGAR

EDITORIAL CARTOON

EDITORIAL BOARD 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 Alan Dennis, Opinion editor

STAFF EDITORIAL

Society not utilizing full potential of Internet

T HO YI LAU THE DAILY COUGAR

Iran’s nuclear quest threatens world On Feb. 9, Iran began feeding uranium into centrifuges that would increase its enrichment to 20 percent from 4 percent before inspectors arrived. According to Kristen a Feb. 9 Agence Esparza France-Presse article by Jay Deshmukh, once the 20 percent threshold is met, Iran will be able to continue to enrich the uranium to 93 percent. That’s the level required to create nuclear weapons. It is time for U.S. leadership to step up and fully engage Iran and other nations not only on the issue of nuclear power, but also other political affairs that affect Europe and Asia. America’s first effort at diplomacy failed; the U.S. offered to give Iran uranium that had already been enriched enough for medicinal use, but Iran insisted on developing the element for itself. Congress then moved to impose sanctions to prevent money from going to companies that contribute to Iran’s interest in nuclear weapons. The amended Iran Refined Petroleum

Sanctions Act of 2009 needed 285 votes to pass the House, and it received 412. One of the few naysayers, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, said in a statement through his Web site, “(as) we have learned with U.S. sanctions on Iraq, and indeed with U.S. sanctions on Cuba and elsewhere, it is citizens rather than governments who suffer most.” But it isn’t U.S.-imposed sanctions that hurt the people of Iran; it is the decisions made by Iranian leadership that harm them. It is also not the U.S.’s responsibility to protect the Iranian people at the expense of jeopardizing the safety of America and its allies. The U.S. has to walk a fine line between flexing its muscles and being open to diplomatic talks. Sanctions are the best way to tell Iran that the U.S. is serious about preventing it from developing a nuclear arsenal. Yet, it would be a mistake to abandon tactful conversation with the Iranian government. If the U.S. were to initiate military action against Iran, the international community would balk at relations with us. President Barack Obama has agreed

to talks with Iranian leadership without pre-conditions; it is critical that these talks take into account the volatile state in which Iran finds itself. China, India, Israel, Pakistan and Russia are all nuclear powers, and they all border Iran. But Iran should not, under any condition, be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. The fundamentalist views of Iran’s leadership, its history of violence and oppression within its own borders and its aggressive and utterly uncooperative attitudes toward the U.S. makes it a ticking time bomb. The U.S. needs to open a dialogue with the support and involvement of the international community. Put the burden on other nations to enter into talks with Iran, and when that fails to deter Iran’s nuclear interests, the U.S. will be left with strong alliances. One way or another, Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear power. Pre-conditions or not, the country’s best option is to talk to the U.S. now. Kristin Esparza is a history senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

Mai’s fire a blow to UH community I remember many a late nights editing session at The Daily Cougar that was fueled by the quick and delicious food of Mai’s Restaurant. Former News Editor Wilson James Rincon would always make the call Chang for a pick-up order and return 30 minutes later with good, reasonably priced food. Noodles, fried rice, egg rolls, spring rolls and pretty much every staple of Asian fast food was a stone’s throw from the UH campus and open late to feed hungry students. But a two-alarm fire that broke out in the kitchen Monday claimed the restaurant, essentially burning it down. Mai’s will be missed, but owner Anna Pham, through a short yet passionate letter to patrons on the restaurant’s Web site, announced her plans to rebuild the popular

establishment. Many places are open at the wee hours of the morning, but few offer the same comfortable environment Mai’s did. Sure, Katz’s never closes, as its slogan proudly says, but who really wants to eat a half-pound Reuben sandwich, a Cobb salad or a full dinner for $15 right before going to sleep? IHOP and Denny’s offer pancakes and Grand Slam specials all day, but eating breakfast when waking up after having eaten it before going to bed at 2 a.m. can throw off one’s internal clock. I’ve never liked eating at IHOP, so when I used to be a restaurant server and got off of work late at night, I’d do my best to find somewhere else to eat. While most Americans’ idea of eating at midnight seems to entail breakfast at one of the aforementioned establishments, it is very common in many Eastern Asian countries

to have a bowl of noodles or a plate of rice instead. Several restaurants on Bellaire Boulevard in Chinatown offer barflies, late-shift workers and, most importantly, insomniac college students a hot and hearty meal after most other restaurants have closed their doors. Unfortunately for anyone living on campus, driving down to Chinatown isn’t usually a viable option. Mai’s filled that need; students have to be able to eat at all hours of the day. There are plenty of great late-night dining options, but few are as close to UH as Mai’s was — in distance and in heart. Here’s to hoping the new Mai’s will come soon, so that we can fill it back up with the hearty business it deserves. I know I will be there. Wilson Chang is a UH student and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

hanks to our need to constantly inform others of what we’re doing and where we are, robbers’ jobs just got a lot easier. With Web site applications such as Google Buzz and Foursquare, people are now not only updating their Facebook statuses and tweeting that they are leaving their houses to go buy milk from the grocery store, but we are now letting the entire Internet know that we have “checked in” at the Randall’s around the corner. The Internet We don’t mean to offend ... has been anyone, but are we all idiots? resigned to a Are we really so self-centered we think anyone cares? meaningless that And if you care, you should information probably find something better to do with your time. center. The Internet, for all its potential, has been resigned to a meaningless information center. But here’s the bright side: We can change that. Instead of informing each other of our locations every day — yes, we check in to work every morning, too — why don’t we use the Internet to share relevant information, such as political dissent, literary knowledge and do-ityourself projects. There’s a limitless amount of information at our fingertips every day. But we prefer to read about what our friends are planning to do for a girls’ night out or what they think of their favorite coffee shop. Then again, maybe that’s what the Internet was meant to do in the first place. Maybe it’s a distraction created by the government to involve all the world’s citizens in meaningless conversations so they no longer have any idea what is going on in their country, or what’s going on in other countries that affects them for that matter. But that’s just us. Some of us still believe former President George W. Bush created Facebook so no one could ever use the “I didn’t inhale” defense when running for political office. Are you starting to rethink posting that picture on Facebook? You should be.

E D I TO R I A L P O L I C Y 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 19, 2010

The Daily Cougar

SPORTS EDITORS Phillipe Craig, Robert Higgs

■

COMING MONDAY: See how the UH men’s basketball team fared against UAB

E-MAIL sports@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/sports

BASEBALL

Cougars attempt to declaw Bobcats Goodnight takes mound to open three-game set against offensive-minded Texas State

By Tristan Tippet THE DAILY COUGAR The Cougars are looking to get the 2010 baseball season underway at 6:30 p.m. today when they host a three-game series against Texas State at Cougar Field. UH is anticipating an exciting campaign this season after a disappointing finish last year. After three consecutive seasons of at least .500 baseball, the Cougars went 27-31 overall in 2009 and tied for third in Conference USA with a 13-11 record. While most teams that finish under .500 have many problems, one area that stood out for the Cougars was pitching. UH’s team ERA last season was 5.48. Only one pitcher with at least 50 innings had an ERA under 4.00. Head coach Rayner Noble said the staff relied too much on raw talent to get by and paid the price for not focusing on location. “I think that we just started out so bad that guys were just throwing too many pitches down the middle of the plate, and up in the zone. We did more throwing early last year than we did pitching,” Noble said. “We’ve

definitely got to pitch the ball a lot better for us to get off to a good start.” Noble is looking for his pitchers to think more on the mound and maintain their focus to be effective. “We have very good arms. I think if they temper themselves on the mound, and don’t let things get to them, our starting pitching could be a strong point on this team,” Noble said. One of the Cougars’ key starting pitchers, Jared Ray, is expected to be out until late March while rehabbing a shoulder injury. Other than that, the Cougars are in decent shape as far as health to start the season. “We’re holding our own right now,” Noble said. “We’ve got some guys that are a little bit tender just from throwing, and we just got to monitor a few of those guys, but we’re in good shape.” One of the strengths for the Cougars last season was their defense, as proved by their 76 errors. Only two players committed more than 10 errors in the field. Noble hopes this year’s nine can improve on those figures. “Our defense should be pretty

DAILY COUGAR FILE PHOTO

Zak Presley and the Cougars hit the diamond for the first time this season when they host Texas State at 6:30 p.m. today at Cougar Field.

good,” Noble said. “If we show some range, I think it’s got a chance to be outstanding. We won’t really know until … we start playing.” As for what to expect in the batter’s box, UH has its work cut out this season. As a team last year the Cougars hit a respectable .282, but slugged only .388. “We’ll put up more slugging numbers — doubles, triples, and home runs. We’ve got some guys that have some pop,” Noble said. “I would like to think that we’ll have four guys in our lineup that’ll hit 10 or more home runs,

and we have a couple of guys that can hit 15 to 20, if they have good seasons.” The Cougars, though, might have to prove their potential right out of the gate as they face a dynamic offense in the Bobcats, who went 41-17 in 2009. The Bobcats’ team batting average last year was a remarkable .334. “There’s an old adage that good pitching will always wear out good hitting,” Noble said. “So we’re going to have to rely on our guys we’re putting out on that mound to be productive. We can’t be falling behind in the count and

be giving them better pitches to hit. “The key for us, all season, is our pitching being above average.” Throwing the first pitch for the Cougars will be right-hander Michael Goodnight, who went 5-5 last season with a 4.43 ERA in 13 starts. The Cougars will play the Bobcats at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, and 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Cougar Field to wrap up the three-game set. sports@thedailycougar.com

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

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Cougars tumble at So. Miss

UH’s road show continues at UAB

Cougar Sports Services The Cougars fell into a huge hole against Southern Miss on Thursday night and never recovered, dropping a 77-68 decision before a crowd of 1,524 at Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg, Miss. For the Cougars (13-12, 7-5 Conference USA), it was their second loss in the last three games. It also added further emotional toll to UH’s season. The Associated Press reported Thursday that head coach Joe Curl was in a Houston hospital for more observation after being admitted to a Dallas hospital last weekend with chest pains. UH was in a three-way tie for first place entering last weekend but is now tied for third place with East Carolina after falling to one of C-USA’s worst teams. The Cougars struggled mightily on offense in the first half against Southern Miss, shooting 9-of-29 in that period. The Golden Eagles (8-17, 4-8), who claimed their fourth

The Cougars stay on the road this weekend as they head to Birmingham, Ala. to take on a battle-tested UAB team in an important Conference USA matchup. UH (13-12, 5-6 C-USA) looks to bounce back from last Saturday’s 68-65 loss at Central Florida. Head coach Tom Penders knows that will be a difficult proposition given UAB’s earlyseason success. “(UAB) is a very good homecourt team and I think a very solid team, one of the surprise teams in the league and they’ve done very well outside the league,” Penders said. UAB (20-5, 8-3) lost three of its last five games, but pulled out a 59-54 victory over Southern Miss on Wednesday to become the first C-USA team to reach 20 wins this season. “As of late, they have had some ups and downs, but they always play us tough,” Penders said. “We’re going to have to play extremely well to be successful there.”

By Keith Cordero Jr. THE DAILY COUGAR

JULIA KUTSENKOVA THE DAILY COUGAR

Guard Brittney Scott scored 25 points against Southern Miss on Thursday, but it wasn’t enough to prevent UH from dropping a 77-68 decision. consecutive home win, shot a scorching 58.6 percent in the first period to take a 41-24 lead into the locker room at halftime. UH battled back in the second half, shooting 47.1 percent to stay within striking range. Guard Porsche Landry hit a 3-pointer to pull the Cougars within 7162 with 1:02 remaining, but the Cougars never really got much close than that.

UH was led by guard Brittney Scott, who scored 25 points while shooting 9-of-22 from the field. Forward Courtney Taylor registered a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds to go with three blocks and three steals. The Cougars struggled to contain Southern Miss guard Candace Rucker, who scored a see WOMEN’S BB, page 8

UH has fallen five games behind first-place UTEP in the C-USA standings and has struggled on the road this season with a 4-6 record. A bright spot for the struggling Cougars has been senior guard Aubrey Coleman. The NCAA leader in points (25.6) and steals (3.0), Coleman is the go-to guy for the Cougars, and with his ability to take over a game, he has UH fans dreaming of a deep run in a wide-open C-USA Tournament. “Well, we hope to have a little more scoring from Kelvin Lewis, maybe Adam Brown or Zamal Nixon, because everybody keys on Aubrey and Lewis,” Penders said. “If we get two of those guys playing well together, we have a chance to beat anyone.” UAB has some players as well with four averaging in double figures. Junior guard Elijah Millsap leads the way with averages of 16.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. “In league games anything and everything does happen,” Penders said. “They’re an athletic team … (they) have good see MEN’S BB, page 8

Friday, February 19, 2010

NEWS | CLASSFIEDS

SERPAS continued from page 1

“Only the last poem in the book was written after the hurricane, which was my anti-Bush piece. I had the finished manuscript by December 2005,” Serpas said. She initially didn’t recognize how much the erosion problem of Louisiana was starting to show in her poetry. “I realized I was starting to engage the land loss as a spiritual metaphor in Cote Blanche, and it ended up dominating The Dirty Side of The Storm,” Serpas said. She is passionate about the wetland preservation of her home state, the loss of which she described as a destruction of the entire Cajun culture.

BLACK HISTORY continued from page 1

History Month in my students’ education,” African-American Studies Program Manager Paul Easterling said. “They don’t know any of the people that made a difference in our history. They don’t know much about anybody outside of Martin Luther King. People are not more versed on their history. This month tries to bridge that gap, but little is actually ever done.” Crawford agreed with Easterling and said that even figures like Harriet Tubman get overlooked.

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A conflict that shows in her writing is that she advocated for the land, yet wrote elegies for it as if it’s dead. The poetry shows the struggle of being dedicated to saving the land despite it already being destroyed. “It is a central paradox in life — the land and my relationship with it. Every day, things die so other things can live, and every day that we live we are in the process of dying,” Serpas said. Serpas’s work has been published twice in The New Yorker. The first was in the Katrina issue, which featured three of her poems from The Dirty Side of The Storm. The other contained a poem that was inspired by her previous work as a chaplain at Tampa General Hospital. “I was torn because it was a

wonderful publication. Grateful people were going to read about the situation of Louisiana, because it didn’t just start with Katrina,” Serpas said. “I also felt guilty because this horrible thing had happened to people and this wonderful thing was happening to me out of it.” Her copy of the issue was tucked away in a file cabinet. The event was a bittersweet moment for Serpas, who said she cried when she saw the issue. “I don’t think I ever framed it because it was too sad,” Serpas said. She has learned much from the creative writing students since teaching at UH. Serpas said that the more one’s writing process is valued by others, the more one can bring to

them. “That’s why those of us who graduate from this program have done so well, because we have a great understanding of the poetmentor relationship,” Serpas said. Serpas currently works with the Barataria Terrebonne National Estuary Program, a non-profit organization supported by a group of universities to protect the Estuarine land between the Atchafalaya and Mississippi Rivers. Serpas is participating in the documentary Veins in the Gulf, which tracks the history behind the inevitable environmental crisis of the wetlands. She also serves at Memorial Herman, doing additional chaplain work for trauma patients.

“Here’s a lady who made hundreds of trips into the South to liberate black people,” Crawford said. “The resistance you might face just for things like that are enormous and for her to go into the heart of darkness and the American South during enslavement to liberate people, that makes for a very fascinating individual.” Others feel that economic realities may be at fault for people’s lack of interest in Black History Month. “I think no one sees the value in it because we live in a very capitalistic society, and the value of history and what history is able to do for human beings is not

really impressed upon people,” Crawford said. “And with respect to black history, many individuals ask, ‘How is this going to get me a job?’” Additionally, corporations such as McDonald’s and Budweiser have drawn ire from minority communities that feel the month is losing its significance due to commercialization. “Neither of the companies have a vested interest in the month, but they use it to push their product,” Easterling said. Easterling pointed out that his students are often amazed to learn of all the different contributions blacks have made. When people gloss over

February without any real investigation into the black experience or simply scratch the surface by revisiting figures that have already permeated the mainstream such as King, Tubman and Rosa Parks, other equally important contributors like Marcus Garvey, Booker T. Washington, Sojourner Truth and Thurgood Marshall fall through the cracks. “Many of them have never heard of these things before or have never been exposed to some of the information before,” Easterling said. “And ultimately, they always ask the same question: Why haven’t I been told this before?”

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