Issue 111, Volume 75 by The Cougar

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THE DAILY COUGAR

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Thursday, Th d M March h 11 2010

Issue 111, Volume 75

thedailycougar.com

COURTESY OF CATHERINE ROCA

Catherine Roca, center left, and Sandrine El Hage, center right, flash some school spirit while attempting to drum up support for their campaign to lead the SGA’s 47th Administration. Roca is running for president, while El Hage is vying for vice president.

ROBERT GARCIA THE DAILY COUGAR

Student Government Association presidential and vice-presidential candidates James Strickland and Michael Perkins said they want SGA to take more action when helping students.

Agenda increases pride Duo to change culture By Paulette Ehmer THE DAILY COUGAR Campus safety, student cohesiveness and increasing school spirit are all issues Student Government Association presidential and vice-presidential candidates Catherine Roca and Sandrine El Hage want to improve. Roca and El Hage said they encompass the passion and dedication needed to be successful leaders in SGA. Roca and El Hage both said they are determined to transform UH’s nonconventional campus into a traditional campus environment while maintaining and embracing its diversity. In regard to security, Roca and El Hage would like to reallocate the University’s resources to increase the number of officers patrolling the campus.

They said, if elected, they will work to increase the activity and visibility of the police force such as patrolling on bike and foot. “Police officers should be a deterrent for criminals,” Roca said. “They should be there before the crime happens to prevent it rather than showing up to fill out the report.” Roca and El Hage said UH lacks school pride and student cohesiveness, and this may be because it is a commuter campus. In hopes to restore and build student unity, Roca and El Hage have founded the Pride Group. The group aims to reach out to students and incorporate University resources to bring awareness to issues most important to students such as the light rail, campus safety and parking. see ROCA, page 3

By Robert Garcia THE DAILY COUGAR The goal to see the Student Government Association become a stronger advocate for student’s needs and rights is central to the agenda for presidential candidate James Strickland and vice-presidential candidate Michael Perkins. Recent frustrations with the UH Financial Aid administration fueled Strickland’s desire to run for the position. Strickland and Perkins, both out-of-state students, said they experienced lengthy delays before receiving their financial-aid funding needed for tuition and books. “I did everything right and was told so by the Financial Aid office, but everything kept getting delayed,” said Strickland, a math and finance junior.

Protestors speak out against aggression

see STRICKLAND, page 3

Face-veil proposal outrages students By Safiya Ravat THE DAILY COUGAR

By Hiba Adi THE DAILY COUGAR Last year, more than 40 cities participated in Israeli Apartheid Week, and this week, Students for a Democratic Society of UH are observing it in Houston. Israel was established as a sovereign state in 1948, after the holocaust and World War II. As a result, Palestinians were forced to move out of their homes and into the West Bank and Gaza regions. This attracted much international attention, and the conflict is still going on today. The week-long SDS events have

Strickland contacted SGA in an effort to resolve the issue, but felt the group could have offered better assistance. “When I asked one of the senators about it, I found out the only thing they did with my request was to forward the email to the Financial Aid Office,” he said. “It just seems to me that the SGA is too passive and doesn’t stand up for students’ needs when it comes to administration issues.” Perkins, who is also a math and finance major, said he didn’t receive his financialaid funding until three weeks following the end of that semester. “I’d go (to) the Financial Aid Office every week, and each time I was told everything was fine and approved for my funding and that I’d have my money any day,” he said.

KENDRA BERGLUND THE DAILY COUGAR

On Tuesday, a group of student protestors stood outside the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library. The students voiced their discontent with America’s aid to Israel. included lectures, demonstrations and film screenings aimed at raising awareness about Israel’s controversial policies toward Palestinians and to gather support for the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign.

Lecture attendees said the testimonies of people who have been to the region supplied a lot of insight. This includes stories from Houstonian Sally Tawfik, who shared see APARTHEID, page 3

A full black dress covered her entire body. From head to toe, nothing could be seen. All that was visible of Reehab Ramadan were two eyes peering out from beneath her veil, telling her story. “I have a neighbor who described me to her friend,” said Ramadan, a computer science senior. “She was saying how she could see my character and personality by just looking at my eyes. She could see it (despite) the cloth on my face.” Ramadan, a Muslim student who wears the full face-veil or ‘niqab’ in Arabic, said the cloth defines her as a person.

“The niqab is a part of me,” Ramadan said, “If I had to take it off due to some legislation, they would be stripping me of my identity.” Ramadan’s words came in response to the French government’s January proposal for a ban on the face-veil. Once drafted into law, the restriction applied to schools, hospitals, public transportation and government offices. The legislation said the face-veil was a challenge to French values of equality. French President Nicolas Sarkozy showed support for the ban, claiming the face-veil was “not welcome in France.” His political party leader, Xavier Bertrand, said it is “simply a prison for women see VEIL, page 7

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Thursday, March 11 2010

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You might hear people suggest we boycott Israel

Fairy Godmother Project: 8-6 p.m., 333 McElhinney Hall. The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resource Center have teamed up with a local outreach organization, the Fairy Godmother Project, to collect prom dresses for local disadvantaged students. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a donation event, asking for unused dresses. For more information, contact Jennifer Palton at 713/743-1019. Ring ordering event: 10-3 p.m., University Center Satellite. Order your official UH class ring. The official UH ring is available exclusively to students who have completed 70 credit hours or more and are in good standing with the university. For more information, log on to www.thedailycougar.com or call 713/743-9554. Job Search Strategies Group: Noon1:30 p.m., Student Service Center 1, First Floor. Come network with other students who are searching for jobs to learn and practice effective personal marketing strategies from UHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profes-

CO R R E C T I O N S J

sional career counselors. Lunch will be provided. Attend any or all sessions. Come early; participation is limited to the first eight students who sign in at the door for each date. For more information, call 713/743-5100. Inaugural Kappalympics: 7:30-10 p.m., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity House. The Kappalympics are a Greek Olympics that all the Greek council organizations are encouraged to participate in. The event is open to the public and participating organizations members held by the Eta Lambda chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity Inc.

FRIDAY Employment Seminar for International Students and Scholars: 2-4:30 p.m., Melcher Hall, Room 180. This seminar will address the visa regulations for on and off-campus employment, tips for helping in searching for a job, information on H-1B and EmploymentBased Immigration, and information to assist departments wishing to invite J-1 research scholars to UH.

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1. Trash your cell phone (Developed in Israel by Motorola)

â&#x2013;

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(Invented in Israel)

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â&#x2013;

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(Teva, the largest generic drug producer, is based in Israel)

5. Forget about lunch (Most fruits and vegetables come from California farmers using water-saving Israeli drip irrigation)

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 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Submit news itemâ&#x20AC;? form is also available online at thedailycougar.com. COPYRIGHT No part of the newspaper in print or online may be reproduced without the written consent of the director of the Student Publications Department.

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Candidates to award APARTHEID â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;prideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; scholarships continued from page 1

By Joachim Clarke THE DAILY COUGAR The Student Government Association president and vicepresident nominees Carlos Reyes and Matt Davis are looking to institute a new scholarship as part of their â&#x20AC;&#x153;Truth for Coogsâ&#x20AC;? campaign. The Cougar Pride Scholarship will be a $500 scholarship sponsored by local businesses, which will be handed out to one student during halftime at each home football game. Winners will be selected at random from a raffle of all student names attending the games. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our goal is to help students on campus and to create more student pride,â&#x20AC;? Davis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for students to be aware of opportunities on campus.â&#x20AC;? Reyes said the Cougar Pride Scholarship would do more than just give J Davis money away to students in need. Since the scholarship will be awarded only to students who attend UH sporting events, it serves a double purpose. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(The raffling) will be done in a fair and impartial way,â&#x20AC;? Davis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All students need to do is come out to the games.â&#x20AC;? Davis said he and Reyesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; idea for the scholarship was in response to the increase in student tuition

STRICKLAND continued from page 1

â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you have to pay your rent and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no way to get your money, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impossible to just walk into any bank and get it.â&#x20AC;? The candidates also expressed their desire to improve campus conditions and amenities, as well as dining and pricing at several outlets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you go to the Subway, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no $5 footlong (sub). The prices at Taco Bell are substantially higher than off-campus locations,â&#x20AC;? Strickland said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why are we being charged a premium when weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re students? If anything, we should be getting a discount. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know Aramark has the dining contract with UH, but it just seems that they have a monopoly with oncampus dining and can charge us

ROCA continued from page 1

â&#x20AC;&#x153;(The proper) steps to making UH a better school is by working with the students and their needs so that they will want to put on red everyday and be proud of the school they attend,â&#x20AC;? El Hage said. Roca and El Hage said they will need to create an environment where people can work together to pass beneficial legislation to achieve cohesiveness among students. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are the positive energy that will bring this school together, starting with the (SGA) Senate,â&#x20AC;? El Hage said. The candidates are in high spirits regarding UHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quest for flagship status. They said it is imperative to work in conjunction with University administrators so UH can compete

announced earlier this spring. Since the tuition mark-up, Davis said students have expressed many concerns. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We went to 500 students around campus and asked them their concerns about the University,â&#x20AC;? Davis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tuition was the biggest by far. J Reyes SGA canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop the tuition from increasing, but we can come up with creative ways to help students out during these difficult times.â&#x20AC;? Reyes and Davis do not want to stop at one scholarship per game. If they receive the support from enough of the local businesses they have contacted, they plan to extend the scholarship to other sporting events. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our end goal is to do the raffles at basketball games, as well as football games, and to have multiple scholarships each game,â&#x20AC;? Reyes said. In the event that Reyes and Davis are not elected, they said they would still support the Cougar Pride Scholarship. Davis also expressed his desire to do well for the UH community, especially students in need of financial assistance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just because someone doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get elected doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep helping out the student body,â&#x20AC;? Davis said. news@thedailycougar.com

what they want,â&#x20AC;? he said. Perkins said he wants to see the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library implement more advanced technology. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Look at the computers at the entrance of the library. Almost all of them have been broken since I got here more than a year ago,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There (is) no reason they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be fixed, and maybe it just takes a phone call.â&#x20AC;? Both candidates said they could provide a stronger advocacy on behalf of students in dealing with UH administration if elected to lead SGA. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I understand you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to step on peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toes,â&#x20AC;? Strickland said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re standing up for people, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what you have to do sometimes.â&#x20AC;?

her experience of traveling to Israel and the Palestinian regions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It went pretty well,â&#x20AC;? political science sophomore Dana El Kurd said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was an American perspective because a year ago Sally Tawfik didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know anything about Gaza. She didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know where it was, and she went this summer with Palestine Summer Encounter, which is a program with the Middle East fellowship.â&#x20AC;? El Kurd said Tawfinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offered unique insight, as she is someone who recently witnessed the controversy in Gaza. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had both support and obviously opposes there, but I think we had an OK discussion of it,â&#x20AC;? El Kurd said. SDS also put together a demonstration in the Butler Plaza in front of the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library on Tuesday. Members set up a mock barrier wall, replicating the Israeli government-approved 400-mile wall in Israel that limits Palestinian movements. The U.S. vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that condemned Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s construction of the massive wall through the West Bank. According to the Democracy Now Web site, before the wall was built, the Israel government argued that the wall is needed for security reasons but Palestinians view it as an apartheid wall. During the UN reporting period â&#x20AC;&#x201D; September 2008 through March 2009 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported 634 physical obstacles in Israel. Physical obstacles include checkpoints, roadblocks and the wall barrier. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Israelis have a couple different kind of checkpoints. They set them up in towns and roads, some are called flying checkpoints,â&#x20AC;? El Kurd said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Israeli Jeep can just drive by and set up a checkpoint wherever.â&#x20AC;? History senior Robinson Block

Hey, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening?

news@thedailycougar.com

said that although people tend to have the perception that the West Bank is run by Palestine, there are military checkpoints run by the Israeli army spread throughout the region. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a bad situation. You have folks trying to get places, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basically up to the discretion of the soldiers of what they want to do,â&#x20AC;? Block said. He said that at a checkpoint, people must wait in a line and present proper identification. But Israeli soldiers decide who is searched. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We feel like this is on racial terms and a racial segregation because Palestinians arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allowed through, but Internationals and Israelis areâ&#x20AC;Ś it separates (Palestinians) from their families, from their lands, from their homes and from jobs,â&#x20AC;? El Kurd said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pretty tragic situation. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of disrespect that happens at these checkpoints.â&#x20AC;? Another complex issue involved in this region is settlements. Many UN resolutions and policies have attempted to resolve this issue, but it still remains a problem. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The far right in Israel basically thinks that all of Palestine, and even other Arab countries, (are) land that should belong to the Jewish people for religious reasons,â&#x20AC;? Block said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extremely controversial, even in Israel. A lot of people in Israel oppose this, but they basically are trying to buy land in the occupied territories and build settlements. And the parties in power have alliances with them and help them fund (the purchase) of land from Arabs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re basically trying to ethnically cleanse the West Bank â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to put enough settlements in there that try to force the Palestinians who live there out.â&#x20AC;? Block said that roadblocks and checkpoints are to defend the settlements and there are a lot of Jewish-only roads. El Kurd said she sees a lot of similarities between Palestine and Israel. She said both have been involved in racial segregation, and both have had Boycott Divestment

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and Sanction movements. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what got rid of Apartheid in South Africa, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be a part of the solution in Palestine,â&#x20AC;? El Kurd said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being in the 21st century, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned from Ireland and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned from South Africa, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still doing it.â&#x20AC;? El Kurd said she hopes Palestine will receive the same benefits as South Africa did from BDS. She also said the media is to blame because they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t properly educated people about this situation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A majority (of people) donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know about the realities of the occupation. They have a lot of misconceptions which the media has perpetrated,â&#x20AC;? El Kurd said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand exactly whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening in Palestine and Israel, so thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why (SDS) is here trying to get the word out. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the point of IAW, is to bring attention to Israeli policies of racial segregation,â&#x20AC;? El Kurd said. The BDS National Committee has reserved March 30 for a global day of action in solidarity with the Palestinians against Israel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The local events help to sort of raise this issue at UH, but are also a part of global week of action,â&#x20AC;? Block said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our voice here is important. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even more important because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re part of a global movement thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pushing for justice for the Palestinians.â&#x20AC;? The group is hosting a screening of the film To Shoot an Elephant, which is about Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attack on Gaza in 2008, with a discussion led by activist Greta Berlin at 7 p.m. today in the Baltic Room of the University Center. Members of SDS such as El Kurd said they always encourage alternative perspectives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Research more, learn more (and) donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take our word for it,â&#x20AC;? El Kurd said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the first way to know what the truth is, to research by yourself. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve given you sources, but you can use any sources â&#x20AC;&#x201D; both pro and con â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and come to your own conclusion.â&#x20AC;? news@thedailycougar.com

Have organized an exciting professional development opportunity for Thursday, March 25th from 1:00pm-3:00pm at Toyota Center.

CDGI= EDA: A><=I>C<

Registration includes dinner at House of Blues and a game ticket to the Houston Rockets vs. LA Clippers game at 7:30pm. Learn about the sports and entertainment industry!<Learn about the House of Blues!Learn about marketing strategies to engage the fans! <Shoot free throws on the Houston Rockets home court. <Teachers--bring a flash drive and receive 72 sports and entertainment teaching ideas Ken Kaser, co-author of Sports and Entertainment Marketing and Sports and Entertainment Management. <Hurry! Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss out! Register today! This conference is open to the first 300 people who register.

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news@thedailycougar.com

nationally for talented faculty and researchers. Roca and El Hage, however, are not on board with raising tuition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am all for the University becoming a tier-one university. I just want to make sure that this road is not paved on the backs of students,â&#x20AC;? Roca said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I understand that this progress may make tuition increase, but I want to make sure the administration keeps in mind that this University is made up of non-traditional students who work for their education.â&#x20AC;? Roca affirms that what she lacks in experiences is compensated by her passion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With my leadership and caring personality we can unite the (SGA) Senate and put our best foot, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;or paw,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; forward for our fellow students,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Thursday, March 11 2010

Make Checks Payable To: North Pole Lights

Check the Campus Calendar at thedailycougar.com

Date __________________ Check # ______________ for $65.00 How did you find out about this conference? _____________________________________ Mail payment to: North Pole Lighting, c/o Ken Kaser, 5019 Chappel Hill Drive, Missouri City, TX 77459

■

Thursday, March 11 2010

The Daily Cougar

OPINION EDITOR Alan Dennis

E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com

COMING FRIDAY: Is it fair to charge students the same amount of money for online courses and in-class instruction?

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 Jarrod Klawinsky, Special projects editor

STAFF EDITORIAL

Students shouldn’t be kicked out of class over attendance

HO YI LAU THE DAILY COUGAR

Public too eager to crucify Toyota Amidst the ongoing Toyota recall fiasco, more consumer reports of stuck accelerators continue to surface, feeding the media frenzy and contributing to both over coverage of the matter and Newton Liu even sweatier palms of already nervous Toyota officials. Real estate agent James Sikes was driving his Toyota Prius through Southern California on Monday when he claimed the accelerator pedal on his Prius got stuck. Sikes called the police as his Prius began to gain speed. At one point, Sikes even claimed to have reached down and attempted to pry the pedal free by hand. While this all seems perfectly plausible, what’s questionable is how Sikes handled the situation. California Highway Patrol officer Todd Neibert caught up with Sikes on the highway and instructed him to shift to neutral. Sikes refused, only to later explain to reporters that he was afraid the car would flip he if did so.

As someone who still drives and strongly prefers cars with manual transmissions, I can say with confidence that my car has never flipped during the several times I’ve shifted to neutral on the highway for whatever reason. Sikes claimed his runaway Prius reached speeds of more than 90 miles per hour during the 23 minutes the pedal was stuck. He was able to bring the car to a stop after shutting off the ignition. In short, as if the assertion of shifting to neutral would flip the car wasn’t absurd enough, Sikes raced on Southern California highways for 23 minutes before realizing he could just turn his car off. By then, the brakes on his Prius had been grilled to a crisp. Neibert found that both the accelerator and brake pedals were in the correct resting position after Sikes brought the car to a standstill. There was also no sign the floor mat contributed to the cause. There is no doubt Toyotas are suffering from dangerous accelerator problems, as recalls don’t commence over unfounded issues, but it seems too coincidental

that reports of stuck accelerators have skyrocketed only after a worldwide investigation of the matter began. Did it take massive media coverage of the matter for Toyota owners to become aware of what may have been an existing defect? Or are people simply taking advantage of the situation? Toyota saw a decline in sales of 9 percent in February in the U.S due its recently shattered reputation. Recalls of the affected models have been well underway for some time now, and it’s strongly advised by Toyota and safety experts that owners of the applicable models take their cars in for servicing. Lawsuits initiated by the owners who originally experienced stuck accelerators are well within reason, but these recent accusations seem unnecessary. Cars are complex machines, and a quick search reveals that no major automaker has a flawless record. Let’s hope Sikes’ report is one of the last. Newton Liu is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

Teacher right to talk sex with kids Everyone has a differing opinion on the grade in which sex education should be taught in schools. Parents in Hitchcock, Texas, might not be able to tell you exactly when they want their children to learn about intercourse, but they seem to have a pretty Alan DDennis Al i good idea about what age is too young. Hitchcock school board member Shirley Price spoke to an assembly comprised of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade girls Jan. 15 at Crosby Middle School and broached the subject of sex during the speech. In a Feb. 16 article in the Houston Chronicle, Harvey Rice reported that Price was at the school to dispense some words of wisdom, but at some point decided to change the subject.

“(Price) had heard that girls were being pressured to have sex and took the opportunity to exhort the children to abstain from sex,” Rice said. Parents called on Price to resign for her actions, and when she refused to do so, asked the Hitchcock Independent School District Board of Trustees to mete out some measure of punishment. The board voted to admonish Price and also to prohibit her from speaking to students in the future without permission from the board. Neither the board nor the school has made public what exactly Price said to the group, but according to the Chronicle’s story, Price was merely trying to give the girls counseling. Assuming for the sake of argument that Price’s remarks were solely an attempt to inform the girls that they have a choice when it comes to sex, the parents are way in the wrong on this

one. On its face, the issue is that a teacher discussed sex with a group of kids. The reality, however, is that parents are mistakenly upset that someone else tried to protect their children. It’s hard to believe that any parent would have a problem with a school official telling their child that they don’t need to have sex if they don’t want to, but that’s apparently what happened. Those calling for Price’s head need to wake up and realize the world their children are living in. From sexting to the “Stanky Legg,” kids today have more sex and innuendo thrown at them than any previous generation. If anything, Price should be commended for telling the girls they shouldn’t be forced into having sex. While it is understandable that see SEX, page 5

very semester students are subjected to the same spiel on the first day of class about everything from plagiarism to attendance policies. While the former requires strict adherence, the latter has become, for the most part, a formality that by now has almost lost all meaning because teachers and students understand how attendance can affect one’s grade. Not allowing make-up assignments or refusing to accept late work due to absences is one thing, but a teacher dropping a student for excessive absences is another. Doing so on the first day of a full class makes sense since there is almost always a list of people willing to take that person’s spot in the class. But when it comes to dropping a student almost two months into the semester, one has to wonder where the real motive lies. Dropping students who receive federal funding for their education and fail to adhere to the attendance policies is completely understandable — after all, they are wasting someone else’s money. But removing students who are paying their own way through school makes no sense. The professors are under no obligation to allow students to make up any missed work, so if the absences are that detrimental, it should reflect in the final grade. Some professors are proactive with their approach, tying in attendance to participation grades or the final grade itself. Others base their tests and assignments almost solely on material covered in class or lectures, thus making attendance more important. Ultimately, if students pay for a class that they miss on a regular basis, why should the teacher be allowed to determine whether or not those students are entitled to earn their final grade. It seems to come down to a power trip. Some teachers want to control their class so much that their students’ understanding of the material takes a back seat to following orders. College is not high school where teachers are charged with molding their students’ work ethic and developing good habits. College students are adults and should be allowed to suffer their own fate in regards to their grade, not bowing to an archaic requirement that can easily be replaced by a more creative way to ensure attendance.

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.

OPINION

The Daily Cougar

Thursday, March 11 2010

GUEST COMMENTARY

Palestinians facing real issues in Israel This commentary is a response to â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Apartheidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t categorize Israel,â&#x20AC;? which ran in The Daily Cougar on Wednesday. Israeli Apartheid Dana El Kurd Week, hosted by Students for a Democratic Society at UH, is the most important Palestinian solidarity event of the year. It is an international effort to bring attention to apartheid, occupation and human rights abuses in Israel/Palestine. The SDS, which I am a part of, is glad its support of IAW has initiated dialogue and discussion on campus, though there has been much controversy concerning the nature and accuracy of our claims. In Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition of The Daily Cougar, Michael Green authored an article in the Opinion section alleging that IAW amounts to nothing more than hate speech and that SDS is being hypocritical in its support of this activity. These accusations are false. The first claim Green made was that Israel is not an apartheid state. According to the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa, the 2002 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and countless other international bodies, Israel is indeed an apartheid state. It completely fits the definition of apartheid, which is â&#x20AC;&#x153;an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.â&#x20AC;? For instance, Palestinians in the occupied territories are controlled by Israel and yet do not have any say in government policies. Palestinians with Israeli citizenship are no more than secondary citizens who are not allowed to access a large section of public resources because of their race and their legal inability to serve in the Israeli military. The protocol in which the Israeli government and military deal with Palestinian free speech both within Israel and in the occupied territories is in stark contrast to the way they deal with Jewish Israelis who express themselves as they wish. Non-violent protestors without the protection of international or Israeli activists have repeatedly been injured, arrested and even killed. The

events of Land Day and the weekly demonstrations in the West Bank are evidence of this fact. On Wednesday, SDS hosted some local activists who were involved in the South African struggle against apartheid. They explained in great detail the reason they support the claim that Israel is an apartheid state, along with many South Africans today including Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Secondly, Green inaccurately depicted Israeli policy in the West Bank as only in answer to a â&#x20AC;&#x153;securityâ&#x20AC;? threat of some sort. For instance, he made the claim that the apartheid wall in the occupied territories was only used to stop suicide bombing and protects Israelis and Arabs alike. While security is one aspect, the primary purpose of the wall is not security whatsoever. The supposed security wall, as SDS explained during its street theater event Tuesday, has been deemed illegal by the UN and other international bodies. It cuts off Palestinians from their land, jobs, homes and families. If it were indeed a security wall as Israeli propaganda claims, then it would be on the 1967 borderline between Israel and Palestine. Instead, it weaves in and out of the West Bank, encircling Palestinian towns and villages, cutting off resources so that the illegal settlements can better use them and basically creating an inhumane, unsustainable situation for the Palestinians in the occupied territories. Finally, the accusation that IAW and its hosts support racist and hateful speech is absolutely untrue; IAW is not anti-anyone. SDS supports the event because it feels the current situation in Israel/ Palestine is unsustainable for both peoples, and we would like to see equal rights for all citizens, an end to the occupation and a dismantling of the apartheid wall that has adversely affected so many lives. Many of our members come from diverse backgrounds, among them Israeli. There is nothing racist, hateful, or anti-Semitic about standing in solidarity with the rest of the world to support racial equality and human dignity.

SEX

actions to affect their decision. School board elections for Priceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position as a trustee are coming up in May, and it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be much of a surprise if she is left without a job after all of the ballots are counted. If the Hitchcock community is misguided enough to vote out the one board member who has proven her commitment to the districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students, then theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll only get what they deserve. There are plenty of other school districts that would be happy to hire someone who puts studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; interests ahead of their own.

continued from page 4

the board would want to act in some way to save face with the parents, Price didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deserve to be punished in any way. There are few people in the world involved in academia who actually care about students, and making an example of one of them will undoubtedly send the wrong message to others. When another educator is faced with a situation similar to Priceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the future, where they must choose between doing what they think is best for a child and doing nothing, they will undoubtedly allow the potential cons of their

The Contact Lens Experts at the University of Houston

Dana El Kurd is a political science and economics sophomore and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

Alan Dennis is a communication senior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

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Thursday, March 11 2010

The Daily Cougar

weekend

12FRIDAY

LIFE+ARTS

AROUND TOWN Tower of Power 7:30 at the House of Blues, for tickets and information go to www.houesofblues.com ouse Xiu Xiu 7:00 p.m. at Warehouse live, for tickets and informa-tion go to www.warehouse-live.com Haven’t been to The Flying Saucer yet? It’s got the best beer selection in town;; over 100 choices. On Fridays, s, it also happens to be Happyy Hour from 4-8 p.m. So skip out on the outbound traffic, get to the Saucer and enjoy some well-priced beer with some friends.

AT THE MOVIES Green Zone (R) with Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear Remember Me (PG-13) with Robert Pattinson and Emilie de Ravin She’s Out of My League (R) with Jay Baruchel

13SATURDAY ON CAMPUS 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the 2010 School of Art Annual Student Exhibition at the Blaffer Gallery. COURTESY OF MORNING BENDER

AROUND TOWN

The band The Morning Benders released their second studio album, Big Echo, on Monday.

Citizen Cope with special guest Gin 7:30 at the House of Blues, for tickets and information go to www. inf houesofblues.com ho Monster Music showM case ca & Rock N Tat Fashion Show 6 p.m. F at a Warehouse Live, for tickets and informat tion go to www. t warehouselive.com w

14SUNDAY AROUND TOWN Magic: The Science of Wonder at Houston museum of Natural Since for tickets and information go to www. hmns.org Alfred Hitchcock’s 39 steps at The Ally Theater at 2:30 p.m. for tickets and information go to www. AlleyTheater.org The WOW with H.I.S.D. including performances by Michele Thibeaux, D. Rose, Conscise Kilgore and Radio Galexy. All ages are welcome. The event is hosted by Damien Randle. InsertNameHere Album Release Party at Bohemeos, only minutes from campus. The band’s debut album, “Tuesdays and Thursdays Off,” has been highly anticipated by the likes of the Houston Press and the Houston music scene as a whole. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/InsertNameHere

Compiled by Life & Arts staff

Bending the genre J

The Morning Benders follow Talking Threw Tin Cans with another solid album

By Ben Muths THE DAILY COUGAR Two years removed from its first album, The Morning Benders release its second LP, Big Echo, today to the public. As a relatively new band, the group has many influences, coming from severely different parts of the country. The Morning Benders’ styles can be found in the cities they reside. The New York jazz attitude resonates through the passionate lyrics, while San Francisco delivers its hip, reverberating guitar melodies. Although much could be said about the general effect of its music on the ear, The Morning Benders deliver one of the best albums of this young year. Lead singer and front man Christopher Chu uses the Phil Spector wall of sound

technique to describe the first track, “Excuses.” It’s an extremely accurate description from Chu, considering the impact of the first big chord leading into the beginning progression of a string ensemble. A sound that cannot be described as less than beautiful, powerful and resonating follows the entrance of an old record player starting to spin. Strings fill the score with a melody fit for a ’50s tribute song. Chu goes on to lyrically explain the intricacies of a special relationship, one that he expresses extremely well through his pure tone of voice. Following the trend of any relationship on the verge of collapse, excuses precede “Promises”. Diminished and choppy, the chord progression takes the listener into an appropriate mix of time signatures and

jazzy rhythms. The impact moments remain entirely intact, as the vibe of the album continues to impress. The Morning Benders show its musical genius well as the album only expands from there, relating to its college demographic on an entirely new level. Vampire Weekend was thought to have conquered this in the realm of indie music, but Morning Benders does it even better. The band’s lyrics deserve the listener’s full attention, speaking of love and the lack thereof, the feelings of entering and leaving important relationships, and the emotion that naturally occurs within life transitions. Musically, the mood changes only slightly, but shows a certain attention to detail that the band took in deciding the see BAND, page 7

Corey Haim passes away at 38 By Ryan Popham THE DAILY COUGAR Former child star Corey Haim appeared in such films as Stephen King’s Silver Bullet, The Lost Boys, Lost Boys: The Tribe and Crank: High Voltage. He and Corey Feldman became inseparable best friends after the success of The Lost Boys and inevitably found themselves struggling with substance abuse. Once sober, they tried to serve as teen examples of what can happen when addicted to drugs. They would never be the same. The Two Coreys, a television show that debuted in 2007, showed them as adults living together struggling to find movie roles with forced humor. Not surprisingly, it was canceled after its second season.

By then, Haim was battling medical issues, including gaining an enormous amount of weight, and was in and out or rehab. But in 2008, he told Variety magazine, “This is not a stunt, I’m back. I’m ready to work. I’m ready to make amends.” This simply did not happen. He also discussed his past with drug abuse with a British newspaper called The Sun in 2004. “I was working on Lost Boys when I smoked my first joint,” Haim said. “I did cocaine for about a year and a half, then it led to crack.” At rehab, Haim developed an addiction to prescription medication such as Valium and also said he, “started downers, which were a hell of a lot better than the uppers because I was a nervous wreck. But one led to two, two led to four, four led to eight,

until at the end it, was about 85 a day.” At around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning in L.A., Haim’s mother found him. He’d been suffering from flu-like symptoms and while getting out of bed, he felt weak and fell to his knees. She called an ambulance, but was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank. The hospital wasn’t far from the apartment he was sharing with his mother. Authorities didn’t find any illegal drugs, but four prescription drug bottles were lying around the house. His struggle with life after drugs left him in such a state that was so unhealthy that it finally killed him. Both are highly possible, although specifics are not known at this time. arts@thedailycougar.com

NEWS | LIFE & ARTS

The Daily Cougar

BAND continued from page 6

track order. “Cold War” hits us with a surprisingly short, dissonant musical expression that resembles The Unicorns and is then countered suddenly by the next track, “Pleasure Sighs,” their most mellow track of the album. It’s obvious that The Beatles played a heavy role in influencing The Morning Benders, as it has with almost all new music

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

American Muslims are feeling the ripple from a new French law that prohibits women from wearing veils as part of their religious practice, leaving some to wonder what will come next.

VEIL continued from page 1

who wear it.” The Student Feminist Organization at UH takes the opposite position. Amanda Williams, president of the organization, said the government should not enforce this ban. “If it is oppression, why handle it with more oppression?” Williams said. “If (the women) need liberation, allow them to liberate themselves. It shouldn’t be imposed.” Williams said the ban removes essential freedoms from women. “A very powerful value of feminism is celebrating and exercising freedom of choice,” Williams said. “And by assuming that they don’t have those options available to them is insinuating that they aren’t responsible or intelligent enough to make their own opinions.” Ramadan said the majority of people who wear the face-veil in Western societies do so by choice, not pressure. “I was not forced to do it. I actually had to fight my father for two to three years to let me wear the face-veil,” Ramadan said. “I know countless sisters who want to wear the niqab, but their parents won’t allow them.” Vice President of the UH feminist organization, Andrea Platt, said the ban is simply another way to undermine Islam. “This ban is a thinly veiled xenophobic response to the growing population of Muslims in France,” Platt said. “It’s part of the agenda. “Think about Catholic nuns. Are they not allowed to wear their religious garments? Nothing is said about that.” Another face-veil wearing student, education junior Aideh Elasmar, agrees with Platt. “When I heard about it, I thought it was so hypocritical,” Elasmar said. “I felt like they were using the dignity of women as a front to target the Islamic faith.” Elasmar, who started wearing the face-veil only six months ago, fears that the U.S. will also consider a ban. “Right now, the majority of American people believe in civil rights and freedom to choose,

especially in mundane things as what to wear,” Elasmar said. “But there’s still that threat. Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ So I definitely think that if it’s not corrected, it could possibly spread.” The key to preventing this law from spreading, Elasmar said, is education. “It’s simply a matter of educating, just speaking out,” she said. “(A) lady at the airport asked me about the face-veil, and I told her. (A) little kid who thought I looked like a ninja asked me, and I told him. Most people are just curious, and I welcome their curiosity.” To facilitate the education, Elasmar and Ramadan, along with other face-veil wearing students, started a blog this semester at http://niqabiportal.wordpress. com. The blog features personal stories and anecdotes about their experiences with the face-veil. “I can’t speak for every woman. But I can speak for myself, and I can speak for my friends, and we can speak for a large amount of people who have started it,” Elasmar said. “I can safely say, wearing the niqab has been an amazing journey.” news@thedailycougar.com

Thursday, March 11 2010

(not that that’s a bad thing). As the fifth track plays, it continues to evoke passed times for the listener. The remainder of the album goes flawlessly, displaying variety in the group’s ability to express themselves about some of the similar topics expressed at the front of the LP. The Morning Benders’ release of Talking Through Tin Cans in 2008 was a great start to what appears to be a blossoming career for the young artists. With a style resembling Spoon and The Raconteurs, their first album led to some less

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surprising musical ideas. It felt as if their first project was a way for the band as musicians to experiment with styles that are common to the indie scene. However, that tendency, shared by many indie artists, has never interfered with the ability to make quality music. Big Echo breaks that habit completely for The Morning Benders and gives the group a true sense of identity as a future indie giant. arts@thedailycougar.com

Get practical Web experience. The Daily Cougar needs Web-savvy students to help build a great news Web site. We are hiring Web editors — smart self-starters who can help make daily updates to our Web site, thedailycougar.com, and monitor our social networks. The right candidate will be detailed-oriented and know a little HTML and CSS, but someone with basic editing skills can also be considered. Students from all majors are encouraged to apply. For more information, e-mail editor@thedailycougar.com

THE DAILY COUGAR

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March 8, 9, 10, 11 7:00 a.m. – 11:59 p.m. www.studentelection.uh.edu

★★★★★★★★★ %0/µ5 -&5 :063 70*$& (0 6/)&"3% $)004& 8)0 3&13&4&/54 :06

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Thursday, March 11 2010

The Daily Cougar

SPORTS EDITORS Phillipe Craig, Robert Higgs

COMING FRIDAY: A preview of the baseball team’s trip to California, where it will play Cal Poly

E-MAIL sports@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/sports

MEN’S BASKETBALL

SOFTBALL

Cougars pounce on Pirates, show claws

UH takes swing at cancer

By Keith Cordero Jr. THE DAILY COUGAR The Cougars (16-15) headed into the first round of the Conference USA Tournament against East Carolina with a sense of urgency, knowing that they have to win this tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Led by the great shooting of senior guard Aubrey Coleman, UH, the No. 7 seed, rolled 10thseeded ECU 93-80. Coleman scored 29 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out five assists, earning the praises of head coach Tom Penders. “(Aubrey Coleman) was outstanding. He shared the ball and only had one turnover, and he did a good job defensively — he was very active,” Penders said. ECU’s bright spots were Brock Young and sophomore forward Darrius Morrow, who scored 24 points and 22 points, respectively. Aubrey Coleman received help from teammates such as senior forward Sean Coleman, who scored 11 points. Sophomore point guard Desmond Wade contributed 14 points and seven assists, while senior guard Kelvin Lewis put up 16 points. Junior forward Maurice McNeill, in his first game back after attending to a family illness, played well off the bench with 11 points and eight rebounds. “I thought that (the balanced scoring) was critical,” Penders said. “It takes all the pressure off Aubrey when everybody shares the ball.”

In Penders’ eyes, though, defense was the key to victory. “If I had to name a player of the game, it would have been Desmond Wade,” Penders said. “Desmond played the perfect game. If you look at his stats, while he was on the floor he did a great job on Brock Young.” Houston (16-15) jumped out to an early 22-14 lead when Lewis hit a 3-pointer with 10:43 remaining before halftime. ECU (10-21) gained some momentum and trimmed its deficit to four, but the Cougars responded with a 9-0 run that ballooned their lead to 45-32 on a McNeill dunk with 1:38 left in the first half. Coleman led the UH’s offensive onslaught in the first half, scoring 16 points to help Houston grab a 50-37 halftime advantage. The Cougars wasted no time getting going in the second half, as Sean Coleman drilled a 3 on a pass from Aubrey Coleman on the first possession after halftime to push the lead to 53-37. A Wade 3 followed by five straight points by Lewis put Cougars on cruise control, up 66-44 with 16:17 remaining. ECU faced its largest deficit, 80-55, at the 11:03 mark of the second half. The Pirates made a valiant effort late, however, finishing the game on a 25-13 run. UH’s lead dwindled to only 10 points on a Brock Young layup with 3:52 left in the game. But the Cougars tightened their defense, holding ECU to only two points the rest of the way. The Cougars were red hot from beyond the arc, shooting 50

By Chris Losee THE DAILY COUGAR

to break an 11-game losing streak against the Tigers. Coleman led UH in the win with 34 points and eight rebounds. “We have to play the same way we played last time. Last time we played a great game defensively, and we also had a similar line in terms of spreading out the scoring,” Penders said.

When UH hosts the fourth annual Striking Out Breast Cancer Game against Southern at 5 p.m. today, the University’s Cougar Softball Stadium will have undergone some colorful changes. Pink chalk lines will replace white ones, while pink bases will substitute for the traditional white. UH softball players, meanwhile, will incorporate pink into their uniforms and helmets as a sign of support for the cause of finding a cure. Silent auction memorabilia, including post-game jerseys and helmets, will be auctioned off. All proceeds, along with ticket sales from the game, will go to the Houston affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. For some UH players, this is more than just a game. Among them is rightfielder Tiffany Galletti, whose sister-in-law is fighting breast cancer. “Hopefully, the players can find some purpose in the game and approach it in a way that it’s about something bigger than ourselves,” head coach Kyla Holas said. The Cougars’ 8-9 record is not what Holas expected from her players so far, but she is hoping that the seven-game home stand, beginning with today’s doubleheader against Southern,

sports@thedailycougar.com

see SOFTBALL, page 9

JUSTIN FLORES THE DAILY COUGAR

A balanced scoring attack took pressure off Aubrey Coleman, while Desmond Wade’s strong defense against East Carolina star Brock Young helped the Cougars advance to the second round of the Conference USA Tournament. They will take on Memphis at noon today for a trip to the semifinals. percent (13-26), with Wade and Aubrey Coleman combining to go 7-of-9. “You have to knock them down. If you told me we were going to make 13 tomorrow, I’d say our chances of a victory are a lot fatter,” Penders said. The win propelled UH to a quarterfinal matchup against Memphis at noon today. Houston beat Memphis 92-75 on Feb. 24

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Poor shooting catches up with UH Cougar Sports Services

DAILY COUGAR FILE PHOTO

Courtney Taylor was one of four players who finished with double figures in points for the Cougars, but it was not enough to pull out a win over UAB on Wednesday night.

A night after playing with fire and allowing UTEP to trim an 18-point lead to two before finally pulling out a second-round win in the Conference USA Tournament, UH was burned by UAB. The Cougars fell, 70-65, in a hard-fought but sloppy game Wednesday at Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Okla. Unlike Tuesday night, when UH rushed out to a big lead and held it until UTEP made their run late in the second half, UAB overcame an early eight-point deficit by the 7:39 mark of the first half. After that, UH simply did everything it could to keep pace. The Cougars benefited from a balanced scoring attack, as four players scored in double figures. Lesslee Mason led the charge with 14 points and 12 rebounds. UH was outshot from the field 41.8 percent to 38.6, and it was nearly lapped in points off turnovers (19-10).

But the Cougars’ aggressiveness, which netted them 21 free-throw attempts, kept them in the game. Similar to Tuesday’s game against UTEP, the Cougars rushed out to lead with strong rebounding and hustle. A 3-pointer by Brittney Scott got UH going. Back-to-back layups by Brittany Mason and Lesslee Mason, along with a flurry of foul shots, helped the Cougars grab their largest lead of the night, 168, with 12:42 left before halftime. But the poor shooting that almost doomed the Cougars against UTEP contributed to their downfall in the remaining minutes of the first half. Their lead dissolved as their shooting percentage for the half eventually dropped to 31.3 percent. Down by seven at the half, UH again used a flurry of 3s, steals and layups to retake the lead, 4443, on a Courtney Taylor jumper with 12:58 left in the second half. Until UAB’s Amber Jones made a pair of free throws with six

seconds left gave the Blazers the five-point lead, neither team had led by more than four points for the remainder of the game. Over that span of time, UH and UAB exchanged the lead eight times, as neither squad wanted to see its season end this early. The aggressiveness that kept UH in the game in the first half continued in the second, as the Cougars outshot the Blazers at the line 11-4. UH also found their shot after halftime, going 12-of25 for 48 percent. But it was not enough to counter UAB’s strong bench performance, led by Jones’ 13 points and Jala Harris’ 12. In the second half, the Blazers’ bench contributed 15 points, while the Cougars’ bench didn’t score. Short of an unexpected selection to the NIT, Wednesday’s loss will likely conclude a promising but inconsistent season for the Cougars. sports@thedailycougar.com

SPORTS

The Daily Cougar

Thursday, March 11 2010

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PROFILE

Athletes sport two games By John Brannen THE DAILY COUGAR Two of the UH tracks and field teams’ most explosive sprinters, junior Tyron Carrier and sophomore Isaiah Sweeney, carry a heavier burden than most athletes. The pair of wide receivers begin their day at 5 a.m., spending their mornings at off-season football practice. In the afternoon, after class, they hit the track. Carrier qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships last season, and Sweeney is a consistent contender in the sprints and long jump events. Football remains their primary sport, however, and demands time away from the track and studying. “Doing both football and track, it puts a lot of pressure on your legs and wears them out,” Sweeny said. “It’s two different kinds of sprints, so when me and Tyron go from football to track, our legs feel real tight and aren’t stretched out enough. “During football, with offseason lifting and track practice in the afternoon, it really puts a pounding on your legs.”

Carrier said running track enhances his ability to evade defenders on the gridiron. “In football, our routes are never over 30 yards; in track, we’re running 200s and 400s (meters) — that takes a lot out of you. We’re not used to it, coming out of football,” Carrier said. “Most guys don’t know how to run in football. Track teaches you the correct way to run, while using less motion.” With the spring football schedule conflicting with the outdoor track season, Carrier has a sense of urgency for the Cougars’ first meet: the UCF Invitational in Orlando, Fla. on March 20. “Coming out of spring ball, we don’t have many meets left. We need to get out there and make qualifying times early,” Carrier said. For Sweeney, participating in both sports has changed his outlook on each. The two athletes said they have a passion for both sports, making it difficult to choose a favorite. “During football season, I love track,” Sweeny said. “During track season, I love football.” Carrier, the Conference-USA Indoor runner-up in the 60-meter

dash and 200-meter, says the 200 is his favorite race. Sweeney prefers the 100-meter and 60-meter dash. Carrier, 21, attended Worthing High School and is a social sciences major. Sweeney, 19, graduated from Hightower and is majoring in business. The two sprinters juggled even more activities in high school, as each pitched for their respective baseball teams. Carrier also played basketball. Carrier said he simply didn’t have a personality that fit baseball, but still misses his days on the mound. “Baseball is more of a patient sport, and I’m impatient,” Carrier said. “I think if I stuck with baseball though, things would be better for me right now.” Carrier and Sweeney will likely be featured on the 4x100-meter relay team throughout the second-half of the outdoor season. When asked what events they would like to try for fun, they both said pole vault. But don’t expect head coach Leroy Burrell to give his approval. “They can just forget it,” Burrell said. “Don’t even think about it.” sports@thedailycougar.com

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Divers soaring as NCAAs near

SOFTBALL continued from page 8

will allow UH to gather some wins and boost its confidence. “Unfortunately, we took a little bit of time off to get a few people who were injured back into the lineup,” Holas said. “Hopefully, we have enough time in the next three days to make some adjustments, especially to our mentality.” The Cougars beat Southern twice in the LSU Tiger invitational, held in late February, but Holas remains concerned about the Jaguars. “I just think Southern is one of those ball clubs that can really do something if you’re not paying

attention,” Holas said. “You have to make sure that you are playing your best ball against them every inning.” Freshman Bailey Watts, who rested during Tuesday’s 3-1 victory over Monmouth University, will take the mound for UH. This weekend, the Cougars will begin conference play against Southern Miss. Holas said the Golden Eagles’ returning seniors and conference-leading record will make them difficult to knock off. “We are just going to have to make sure that we know what it means to play in conference,” Holas said. sports@thedailycougar.com

she can continue on that path for 2012,” Figueiredo said. Pozdniakova isn’t the only talented diver at UH. The Cougars will compete with three others, including freshman Julia Lonnegren, who was named C-USA Diver of the Week for winning a 3-meter diving event and finishing second in a 1-meter event on Jan. 30. Divers Lacey Truelove and Jessalyn Almond both had four top-five finishes this year. “In a good world, and it’s not too far from reality, hopefully all my girls will qualify,” Figueiredo said. “I think it’s going to be tough, but it’s definitely something we can accomplish, and that’s why I expect to have four girls going to the NCAAs. “Our goal is to win a medal, so we’re going to continue to try to do that. Anything short of that should be a disappointment.” sports@thedailycougar.com

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One of the brightest spots of UH athletics for the 2009-10 season has been the consistent dominance of the women’s diving team. Led by Anastasia Pozdniakova, the divers further cemented their dominance at the Conference USA Swimming and Diving Championships by winning gold medals in both the 3-meter and 1-meter diving events. The divers hope to build on that momentum this weekend when they head to College Station for the NCAA Zone Diving Meet. For head diving coach Jane Figueiredo, this weekend’s goal is to qualify for next week’s NCAA Championships. “This weekend is always tough for us because it’s qualifying week,” Figueiredo said. “We’ve got to qualify, and hopefully next week we’ll be at the NCAAs. We need to get through

this week and look forward to next week.” Figueiredo said this weekend’s competition will be stiff, but she doesn’t want her divers to worry about other divers. “We have some very good girls who we are going up against, so really our challenge is ourselves,” Figueiredo said. “If we can stay levelheaded and just concentrate on what we need to do, there shouldn’t be any problems.” In her final season at UH, Pozdniakova has continued to pile up wins and accolades. She finished the season with four C-USA Diver of the Week Awards and has 19 in her career. Pozdniakova has won both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events seven straight times, including at the C-USA Championships. “She’s just a beautiful diver. She has amazing ability, and she’s really gotten better every year, so hopefully

Where do I get the latest UH news?

By Tristan Tippet THE DAILY COUGAR

TRAVIS HENSLEY THE DAILY COUGAR

The extra wear on the bodies of two-sport athletes such as Tyron Carrier and Isaiah Sweeney is more than balanced by a deep sense of accomplishment.

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