t h e o f f i c i a l s t u d e n t n e w s pa pe r o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f h o u s to n s i n c e 1 9 3 4
years
®
What effect has the health care bill had on the country? OPINION »
Should NCAA Tournament expand its field? SPORTS »
THE DAILY COUGAR.COM
WEATHER » HI
75 LO 56
Forecast, Page 2
Check out the Editor’s Desk blog to see how the editor thinks Tuesday, T d M March h 23, 2010
Issue 114, Volume 75
thedailycougar.com
Students excel at regional event
Media members ponder ethics
By Wyshanda Sennett THE DAILY COUGAR
J
The UH College of Optometry student team won the 2010 Southwest Council of Optometry Shootout competition. Danica Marrelli, a clinical associate professor of UHCO, said that the SWOC, which has been in existence for more than 30 years, has an annual meeting in Dallas to provide continuing education programs for optometrists in six states. The states that make up SWOC are Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico. “One of the programs is the Shootout Competition, which is a Jeopardy-style quiz bowl for students at UHCO, Northeastern State University of Oklahoma College of Optometry and Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee,” Marrelli said. The competition is in its fifth year and, according to Marrelli, these three schools each send a threeperson team to compete every year. The UHCO student team consists of optometry students who will graduate that particular year. The 2010, the UHCO student team consisted of Jennifer Deakins, Jessica Unruh and Zach Unruh. Marrelli said that they were chosen in January for the March event. At the event, students are able to network with other optometrists and go to the continuing education classes. The team disbands after the competition is over, and the following year, new teammates are selected. Marrelli said that the event is a two hour-long quiz and the team that has the most points at the end of the contest wins. The winners receive title of the Shootout Champions until the next yearly meeting. This year, Hoya Optics, an optical company that sponsored the event, gave each of the participants of the winning team an iPod. UHCO also received a trophy, which travels from school to school depending on the current year’s winner. Marrelli said that one of the biggest team goals is to bring pride to the school. “There isn’t a scholarship or money involved, just the pride of saying we won the competition,” Marrelli said. “This was our second year in a row to win, and we won it three times out of the five years.” news@thedailycougar.com
Journalism merit affected by tabloids, Internet By Ashley Evans THE DAILY COUGAR
work with Tom to negotiate a fair exit. It’s what he deserves.” Rhoades, who took office last August, also touched on the search process for Penders’ replacement and indicated that securing new facilities would be a key component for potential candidates. “We’re certainly going to do our due diligence. It’s an important hire for this institution, in terms of where we want to take the program,” Rhoades said. “Tom did a great job of moving the program forward and now it’s my job, our job with the next coach to try to move that even further, and I think we can do that.” “It’s going to be a leap of faith for that coach. We’re going through that process, in terms of the feasibility study, and we’ll let them know that we’re going to do everything we can for new facilities and that’s all you can do at this point in time. We’re going to need to bring in somebody who’s not afraid to work.”
Famed American journalist Hunter S. Thompson spent most of his professional career searching for truth and “the American Dream” and it was his conclusion that, “Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism”. Some reporters today are still attempting to uphold the code of professional journalists, “to seek the truth and report it in with fairness, honesty and compassion to those who may be affected by it.” But the line between journalism and sensationalism is becoming unclear. In December it was reported that the Tiger Woods scandal was the longest running front page story in the New York Post with 20 consecutive days; beating out the 9/11 attacks with only 19 straight days http://blogs.suntimes.com. Now with print journalism fading into the background to make way for new Web media many fear that the art of journalism will be lost in the process. “Journalism as an art has taken major steps backwards,” said communication professor Charlie Crixell, who is also an assistant sports editor for the Houston Chronicle. “The advent of the new social media outlets such as TMZ and Twitter has lowered the standards of what is considered good journalism.” In today’s society a new trend is emerging where people are more concerned with who leaks the story first instead of who reported it best. “Sometimes the most accessible news is not necessarily the best news, like headlines on popular socialnetworking sites or buzzed news,” photography senior Stephanie Gobea said. “ But, if you hunt for local and national newswires with older credentials, the journalism is a bit more intriguing and weighted versus some superficial non-sense that passes through the ‘super grapevine’.” At UH, journalism is held up to a higher standard of news ethics
see PENDERS, page 3
see JOURNALISM, page 3
GREGORY BOHUSLAV THE DAILY COUGAR
Tom Penders, left, used his final press conference as UH men’s basketball head coach to focus on the positive aspects of his tenure with the Cougars and to wish Athletic Director Mack Rhoades well in his search for a replacement.
On his own terms J
Penders steps down after six-year journey as UH men’s basketball coach
By Phillipe Craig THE DAILY COUGAR While the rumor mill had been in full swing over the last few weeks, UH men’s basketball head coach Tom Penders confirmed what many suspected by resigning Monday. He also dispelled the notion that the Cougars would be the last team he coaches, saying he simply felt he had done all he could in his six years at UH. “I feel that I can do no more, and I’m very proud of what we’ve done. It’s time to move on,” Penders said. “Very few coaches get the opportunity in this day and age to stay at a great place like the University of Houston for six years. Everything in life is timing and (Athletic Director) Mack (Rhoades) and I had a great meeting yesterday. It was all positive, all about the future of the program. I am confident that Mack Rhoades will be able to build on our success, and I wish him and the program all the best.
“I am not retiring. I’m too young, I’ve got too much energy, too much passion and I can’t wait for the next challenge.” Penders, who became the ninth coach in history to guide four schools to the NCAA Tournament and leaves with a 121-77 record at UH, also indicated that his experience leading the Cougars was one he will relish for its unique circumstances. “This was different,” he said. “This was a real challenge, because of some of the things we don’t have. But I love challenges. Although Penders, 64, stepped down voluntarily, he is still under contract through 2012, meaning a buyout will have to be negotiated between him and the University. Rhoades said that he would eventually address the buyout, which could be as high as $500,000 — the sum of Penders’ base salary over the next two seasons. “In terms of compensation, it would be premature for me to talk about that,” Rhoades said. “We will