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Issue 127, Volume 75

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UH opens Education dean steps down to teach Wimpelberg says campus in college has come a long Humble way since he took over gg

By Michael Baerga The Daily Cougar

By Nzinga Tchameni The Daily Cougar

The UH System is offering Houston’s northwest region a new distance program for students in the Humble area. UH signed a five-year leasing agreement with Lone Star College on March 25 to utilize 41,500 square feet of classroom space at the Lone Star College -University Park campus. Rent for the space has been fixed at $674,375 annually. “I’m so excited that the UH system is coming to a campus that is actually accessible to me,” Lone Star College communication junior Dustin Burke said. “When I first entered college, I wanted to originally attend the UH School of Communication, but since it was way too far outside of my area, I just decided to attend a closer college.” This new addition to the University will provide more accessible higher education to current UH commuter students who travel from the Tomball and northwest region of Houston and students who attend community colleges in the area. “To wake up three hours prior to my class’s start time to beat traffic and handle the parking situation in the morning is ridiculous, but I’m willing to make this sacrifice for the degree plans offered at UH,” dance senior Christina Pratts said. According to a 2009 poll conducted by the UH Office of Institutional Research, an estimated 32 percent of the student body live outside of Harris County. “This seems like a great idea for the extension of the University. I feel as though I will be able to get the same teachers and classes from a higher level college such as UH,” theater senior Yahute Casteneda said. “My only concern is geared towards transferring credits between universities.” The signing of this lease will bridge the curriculum provided at UH and UH-Downtown to the Lone Star College-University Park campus and make UH degree programs adaptable and available to out-of-district students so that they may graduate with a UH diploma. The curriculum provided includes professional certifications, undergraduate

After a decade of serving as the dean of the College of Education, Robert Wimpelberg will be stepping down. Wimpelberg’s decision to step down from the administrative position is motivated by his desire to contribute to the College as a faculty member. “I’m highly interested in joining faculty for the first time,” said Wimpelberg, who will leave his post Sept. 1. “Primarily, I want to spend more time on a project that I have gotten more and more involved with. It is a project around the idea of developing kids and youth.” The project is called “C3 Alliance: Cradle to College and Career,” and it will involve working with the community and getting community-wide stakeholders committed to helping raise children. It is expected to launch June 2. Wimpelberg said the aim of this initiative is not to provide

see LONE STAR, page 3

steven oster The houstonian

College of Education Dean Robert Wimpelberg will step down Sept. 1 to become part of the UH faculty and to focus on a project titled “C3 Alliance: Cradle to College and Career.” a single solution to the varying educational issues found in different communities, but rather to provide continuous quality improvement through the use of data.

“We are doing this work in Houston, in a kind of hub-andspokes model, so that we have a central group driving the whole thing that is being co-chaired by Renu Khator,” Wimpelberg said.

In addition to working as director of this initiative, Wimpelberg plans to remain in the domain of educational leadership see DEAN, page 3

Students weigh in on transferring process By Paulette Ehmer The Daily Cougar For many students, transferring to a campus as large as UH is both exciting and intimidating. The last thing a new student wants or expects is the unnecessary frustration that can stem from delayed or halted transcript evaluations. Transfer students generally expect to receive credits for grades

they have earned from other colleges and to have the ability to view how these credits have been applied, yet this is not always the case. Transferring from three different colleges, Adrienne Tran said it has taken a long time to have her transcripts evaluated. “Sometimes when I called they said they didn’t have it, or they couldn’t find it,” she said. “So I walked it in and gave it to them, and

when I would call back they would still say, ‘Oh, we don’t have it.’” Many students have the misconception that sending both a paper copy and an electronic version of their transcripts will expedite the process; this is a fallacy. According to the Office of Registration and Academic Records, students are required to submit official transcripts to UH. Photocopies, faxes and Web

printouts are not accepted. Students should request that their previous institutions send all transcripts to UH electronically, as these types of submissions result in a speedier evaluation and turn around. There is no set processing time for transcript evaluation because the processing times of all transcripts vary depending upon application and admission see TRANSFER, page 3

UH organization receives $100k in scholarships By Neal Dasgupta The Daily Cougar The National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program awarded $100,000 in scholarships to the UH teachHouston program, which focuses on attracting aspiring math and science teachers to public classrooms. Mathematics majors Maria Gonzales and Maria Martinez, biology student Maria Villegas,

and biochemistry major Keri King received the Noyce scholarships, each for $10,000. King also received the award in 2009. “TeachHouston has been a wonderful experience. It’s benefitted me in preparing me for a classroom right from the start,” King said. “Being able to enter the classroom and learn the ins and outs of lesson planning, classroom management and seeing learning theory come to life in the

classrooms (has) been the best part.” The teachHouston program is modeled after the University of Texas at Austin’s UTeach program. One of its goals is to provide urban-area schools with secondary teaching personnel while giving its students in-classroom teaching experience. Martinez said the program keeps her focused as she finishes her final semester. “After graduation, my choice

was to work in a high-needs school, even if I wasn’t awarded the Noyce scholarship,” Martinez said. “Education, for me, means everything, and because this is my last full semester, I wanted to put more focus on my studies.” Over the past two years, teachHouston students have received more than $100,000 in scholarships from the Noyce program. see TEACH, page 3

2 n Friday, April 9, 2010

The Daily Cougar

THE DAILY COUGAR presents ®

CAMPUS BEAT FORECAST Saturday

Sunday

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CALENDAR

Community-based participatory research workshop: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Farish Hall, Kiva Room. This workshop will draw on the expertise of academicians and community leaders to examine the challenges of conducting CBPR and the qualities that make it successful. Building on the discussions from the first workshop, participants will examine the definition of what community is, focusing on alternative contexts such as online communities, neighborhoods, institutions, and cultural groups. Registration fees range from $100 to $225. For more information, contact the UH Center for Public Policy at mangel2@uh.edu Job search strategies group: noon-1:30 p.m., Student Service Center, first floor. Come network with other students who are job searching to learn and practice effective personal marketing strategies from our professional career counselors. Lunch will be provided. Come early, because participation is limited to the first eight students who sign in at the door. For more information, call 713-743-5100.

CO R R E C T I O N S gg

Enter your picks for a chance to win an iPod, free movie passes or freebies at several Houston-area restaurants such as Domino’s, Wing Stop and It’s Just Good Soul Food. Enter today! Limit one entry per person.

Best shopping: ___________________________________________________________ Best bar/club: ____________________________________________________________

Best place to be entertained: _______________________________________________ Best place to hang out on campus: __________________________________________

Return the entry form to Room 7, UC Satellite. Questions? Call 713-743-5340. Responses will be tabulated by Daily Cougar staff and the winning picks will be featured in Houston’s Top Spots, which hits the stands on campus and around town on June 1.

Find an electronic version of this survey at

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Census on campus: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., UC Satellite, University Center and the Center for Public Policy (Room 104 Heyne Building). Census on Campus/Census representatives and CHIP interns will provide assistance and resources about the 2010 Census at various information tables. For more information, contact Mike Angel at 713-743-3976 or mangel2@uh.edu

Corrections will appear in this space as needed.

Newsroom (713) 743-5360

Best place to study: _______________________________________________________

Submission deadline for VisVidFest 2010: All day, Philip Guthrie Hoffman Hall, Room 216. The VisVid festival is an annual event put together by the Texas Learning & Computation Center to promote its state of the art visualization theater located on the second floor of the PGH. TLC2 is a campus-wide center supporting interdisciplinary research and education. Off-campus experts in the field will judge the festival. First prize is a 28-inch flat screen TV; second prize is a 2 TB storage unit. All UH students are eligible to enter, and all entries will be screened publicly. Entries can be made online or in person. For more information, visit www.tlc2.uh.edu/visvidfest or http://www.vimeo.com/9998513

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TODAY

What are the best places to eat, hang out and study around Houston? You tell us!

Monday

About the Cougar The Daily Cougar is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters, and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer, at the University of Houston Printing Plant and online at http://www. thedailycougar.com. The University seeks to provide equal educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability or veteran status, or sexual orientation. The Daily Cougar is supported in part by Student Service Fees. the first copy of the Cougar is free; each additional copy is 25 cents. Subscriptions Rates are $70 per year or $40 per semester. Mail subscription requests to: Mail Subscriptions, The Daily Cougar, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204-4015. news tips Direct news tips and story ideas to the News Desk. Call (713) 743-5314, e-mail news@thedailycougar. com or fax (713) 743-5384. A “Submit news item” form is also available online at thedailycougar.com. Copyright No part of the newspaper in print or online may be reproduced without the written consent of the director of the Student Publications Department.

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Friday, April 9, 2010 n 3

Club offers students DEAN chance to dance

continued from page 1

Quintin Coleman The Daily Cougar The UH Social Dance Club gives both students and nonstudents an opportunity to get to meet new people, learn a variety of different dances and participate in competitions every semester. Their next competition will be held April 17 and 18 at the University of Texas in Austin. The club offers its members a chance to learn from professional dance instructors who teach both basic and advanced techniques of ballroom dances such as tango, salsa and the waltz. The meetings are held on Sundays at the University Center Underground Cougar Den from 5-8 p.m. The fees are $40 a semester

TEACH continued from page 1

Scholarship recipients are selected based on grades and professional performance. Recipients are expected to major in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics field and work towards a teaching certification. The program is headed by UH professors Jeff Morgan and Susan Williams. Students raved about their inspirational teaching methods that motivate them to develop a love for teaching. “My professor, Susan Williams, has been a role model for me,”

or $100 a year for UH students and $60 a semester or $150 for a year for non-UH students. It is not necessary to have previous dance experience or a partner in order to join the club. “There aren’t many places you can go and get all of those dances for such a good price,” club president Ashley Hurst said. Hurst said the best part about being in the club is that she gets a workout by doing something that she enjoys, and it’s an opportunity to learn something new while meeting new people. “It’s really rare to be able to offer something like that. The professional teachers and the variety of classes are what makes it very special,” Hurst said. news@thedailycougar.com

Martinez said. “(She) inspired and motivated me through her teaching. At that moment, I felt that my dream of becoming a teacher was possible and that the barriers that prevent me from fulfilling my goals and dreams were not barriers anymore. “She has helped me as person and as a student to learn about myself, to take challenges that I wouldn’t have before and to always believe in myself. I believe that because of her, I am ready to face new challenges and to make a difference in students’ lives just as she has in my life.” news@thedailycougar.com

at the college by teaching the K-12 leadership program, the higher education program or both. Wimpelberg’s interest and passion in educational leadership has grown with time. After completing a bachelor’s in Russian language and literature from Yale University in 1968, Wimpelberg taught Russian to middle school students for seven years. “It was during this time that I got interested in school leadership, and I moved away from Slavic languages to start a master’s degree in school leadership at the University of Chicago,” he said.

TRANSFER continued from page 1

dates. In order to avoid delays in the admission decision or transfer credit evaluation, it is important that all transcripts are sent as soon as possible. History junior Nathan Wendt transferred from Sam Houston State and Montgomery Community College and had transcripts sent electronically from both colleges. “It took two to three weeks to have my transcripts evaluated,” he said. “It was relatively quick. I didn’t have any problems,” Many students are unaware that there are unresolved issues regarding their transcripts until a hold has been placed on their accounts. “I didn’t know that one of my courses hadn’t transferred until I

During his first year in the master’s program, Wimpelberg was invited to join the doctoral degree program and was offered a Ford Foundation Fellowship, which he accepted. In 1981, Wimpelberg was awarded a doctoral degree in administrative, institutional and policy studies from the University of Chicago. Wimpelberg served as the Dean of the College of Education at the University of New Orleans for eight years before his move to UH. “I was essentially brought here to bring the college into the tier one conversation,” Wimpelberg said. “What that means is that we have hired young faculty who are very research-oriented, and we have been working with the whole

faculty to bring them along in this kind of thinking. “In 10 years the college has come a long way. Many came in a day when we were primarily about teaching and working in outreach with the communities. We haven’t given any of that up, but what we’ve had to do is to sharpen the edge of research.” Wimpelberg said the college is headed in the right direction. “If I look back 10 years at what has really changed in a major way, other than the faculty and what they are able to do in research, it’s our support and infrastructure that has improved,” he said. “I am really proud of the progress we have made.”

went in to discuss my degree plan for graduation,” art history senior Jennifer Gonzalez said. According to the Office of Registration and Academic Records, if a student feels that he or she should have a different type of credit, they must petition the course. Undergraduate transfer credit petitions can be found online and should be completed with the student’s academic advisor. This process takes approximately four to six weeks from submission to decision. All regionally accredited college course work will be evaluated for credit. A student may receive direct course equivalent credit or elective credit. All colleges from which credit is to be transferred must be accredited by one of the six regional accrediting associations or the appropriate ministry or board for

overseas studies. A student who is mandated core complete by the standards of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board upon transfer is considered core complete at UH after evaluation. “I got credit for all the credits I took at San Jac, and I didn’t have to spend (more) money here at UH,” kinesiology freshman Madhuri Dasmohapatra said. “The credits were sent here directly, so I didn’t have any problems. Once I started applying for my classes, everything automatically showed up.” Only grades of C-minus or higher will be considered for transfer to UH, and a maximum of 66 semester hours of lower division transfer work will be allowed to apply toward a baccalaureate degree.

news@thedailycougar.com

LONE STAR continued from page 1

and graduate programs in fields such as communication, business, information technology, humanities, education, criminal justice and science. The space will include 15 classrooms and an enrollment services center for academic advising, recruiting and instructional support. The UH System will pay $2.3 million to furnish the space. Students interested in recruitment can attend the upcoming orientation meeting and open house on the Lone Star Campus from 3-8 p.m. April 29 during which they can meet with counselors. Louis Evans can be contacted via e-mail or telephone for more information at evansl@ uh.edu or 217-221-2766.

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4 n Friday, April 9, 2010

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

COMING MONDAY: Will a disarmament treaty between the U.S. and Russia really lead to the end of nuclear weapons?

EDITOR Alan Dennis E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/opinion

THE DAILY COUGAR

EDITORIAL CARTOON

editorial B oard Ronnie Turner, Editor in Chief Matthew Keever, Managing editor Patricia Estrada, News editor Hiba Adi, News editor Phillipe Craig, Sports editor Robert Higgs, Sports editor Travis Hensley, Life & Arts editor Alan Dennis, Opinion editor Jarrod Klawinsky, Special projects editor

STAFF EDITORIAL

Textbooks won’t be leaving classrooms any time soon

DICK HITE JR. The Daily Cougar

Culture too eager to glorify suicide When someone commits suicide, people close to the situation are eager to cast blame on what they perceive to be the most obvious cause. They attempt to justify the person’s decision to take their own life. In that haste, however, people fail to look past the surface in examining Alan Dennis every possible reason as to why the person made that choice. On Jan. 14, Phoebe Prince of South Hadley, Mass. hanged herself in the stairwell of her family’s home. Prince allegedly committed suicide after suffering relentless bullying from several of her classmates at South Hadley High School. Then on March 28, 13-year-old Jon Carmichael of Joshua ended his life after being picked on for years, according to his closest friends. Sources said Carmichael had been stuffed into a trashcan by several students the day before his death. Everyone in the media has been in such a rush to blame school officials and other students for both suicides

that they haven’t taken time to examine who or what is really at the root of the problem. Bullies may be partly responsible for the actions of Prince and Carmichael, but the problem goes much deeper than just taunting. We as a society are sending a message to today’s youth. We celebrate the Hemingways, van Goghs and Cobains of the world as superstars — martyrs who chose to die for their art — instead of acknowledging that they were simply people who failed to realize all the reasons for which they had to live. The world’s most famous love story even goes so far as to romanticize suicide, as both Romeo and Juliet kill themselves at the thought of having to live without one another. If the aforementioned references seem a bit dated, look no further than the popular Twilight Saga for something more current. The series’ protagonist, Bella, an isolated teenager who has problems adjusting to the rigors of moving to a new town and school, ultimately tries to kill herself after her boyfriend breaks up with her. It’s a sad statement for our culture

that such icons are glorified and revered for their actions, because people’s reactions to suicide in real life are a stark contrast. We’ve created a society that espouses the virtues of death over life, and it’s now taking its toll on people too young to see through the lie. Children need to understand that there is nothing romantic or noble about suicide, and the only way they’ll receive that message is if we deem it necessary to tell them. Prince and Carmichael should be used as cautionary tales of what happens when life imitates art. More needs to be done to prevent future youth from emulating their actions. Children need to be sent a different message, not that people who commit suicide are inherently bad or wrong, but that life is never so bad that it’s worth ending. Everyone has a responsibility to put that message out. Any time someone considers suicide as an acceptable alternative to life, we have all failed. Alan Dennis is a communication senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com

Digital readers are not going to replace textbooks. It would be great to have modern technology save the day for students, but it will never happen. One reason for this is it would place everything a student needed for their class in one place. Any student who has ever had a hard drive crash right before they had to turn in a paper will tell you that having a large amount of information crucial to a certain class stored only in one place is a bad idea. Students What textbooks do is need spread information that must otherwise be purchased into something locations capable of that can be several taking the beatings associated with college life. used as an Another reason students umbrella, a shouldn’t look forward to using coaster or a readers anytime soon is the fact doorstop ... that they remove the process of book lending. There are a lot of students who purchase previously used books secondhand; many students also buy one copy of a book to share with others so as to save money. If you think that it would be possible to share books through readers, try copying someone’s entire iTunes playlist and listening to it on an unauthorized computer. And just think, that’s how far Apple goes to protect songs that cost less than a dollar. But the main reason that digital readers should never replace textbooks is that students don’t want them to. Readers would be great to have and would most definitely make everyone look more like a member of the Jetson family, but they just aren’t practical devices for college students. Students need something that can be used as an umbrella, a coaster or a doorstop more than a poor excuse for a laptop. And if laptops haven’t replaced textbooks by now, there is no reason to assume that a less practical device would. So every student who gets a strange thrill out of buying textbooks can rest assured; they’re not going to be replaced any time soon.

GUEST COMMENTARY

Dissident took wrong approach This commentary is a response to “Doctor well within his rights to publicly criticize law,” which ran in The Daily Cougar on Monday. I disagree with The Daily Cougar editorial Julio board’s decision to Penaloza applaud Dr. Jack Cassell, the urologist who posted a sign on his door advising supporters of President Barack Obama to seek medical care elsewhere. While Cassell can certainly exercise his right to free speech, is this really the sort of hyper-partisan vitriol we should be applauding? The board defended it as a free speech issue, but the “outraged” people criticizing

Cassell have as much of a right to express their opinion as he does. Free speech is a two-way street, after all. Cassell has a right to say idiotic things, but we reserve the right to point them out as idiotic. Furthermore, if conservatives saw a sign outside their workplace that read, “Palin supporters need not apply,” outrage would be appropriate, even if the employer later gave a back-peddling interview on CNN where he claimed, “Well I won’t really turn them away.” Wink wink, nudge nudge. What Cassell represents is the worst elements of divisiveness and rabid partisanship that currently exists in the

country, and I hate seeing it infect The Daily Cougar’s staff. As a hesitant and reluctant supporter of the health care bill, I don’t appreciate being called an ignorant “Yes” man in the editorial, and I hardly think the grand majority of free-thinking liberals and independents on campus who support the bill appreciate it either. The editorial said it was patriotic to express dissent, and that’s exactly what I’m doing here. I simply hope that it doesn’t stop being patriotic as soon as I dissent from the paper. Julio Penaloza is an English major and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

E D I TO R I A L policy STAFF EDITORIAL The Staff Editorial reflects the opinions of The Daily Cougar Editorial Board (the members of which are listed above the editorial). All other opinions, commentaries and cartoons reflect only the opinion of the author. Opinions expressed in The Daily Cougar do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Houston or the students as a whole. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Daily Cougar welcomes letters to the editor from any member of the UH community. Letters should be no more than 250 words and signed, including the author’s full name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Anonymous letters will not be published. Deliver letters to Room 7, University Center Satellite; e-mail them to letters@ thedailycougar.com; send them via campus mail to STP 4015; or fax them to (713) 7435384. Letters are subject to editing. ADVERTISEMENTS Advertisements published in The Daily Cougar do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the University or the students as a whole. GUEST COMMENTARY Submissions are accepted from any member of the UH community and must be signed with the author’s name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Commentary should be kept to less than 500 words. Guest commentaries should not be written as replies to material already printed in the Cougar, but rather should present independent points of view. Rebuttals should be sent as letters. Deliver submissions to Room 7, University Center Satellite; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.

Friday, April 9, 2010 n 5

The Daily Cougar

SPORTS

COMING MONDAY: Find out if baseball tamed the TCU Horned Frogs

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

baseball

softball

Cougars to tussle with TCU

Late-season push is job No. 1 for UH

By Tristan Tippet The Daily Cougar

The Cougars will host Conference USA foe Memphis for a three-game series starting Saturday at Cougar Softball Stadium. UH (20-19, 5-7 C-USA) is coming off a sweep of nonconference opponent Prairie View A&M, which the Cougars outscored 30-0 in two games. The Cougars snapped their fivegame losing streak with Tuesday’s breakout performance. Now as UH jumps back into league play, head coach Kyla Holas knows this series is crucial to improving their seeding for the conference tournament. The Cougars enter the series in seventh place in C-USA and has limited opportunities to climb the ladder. “We can keep continuing on this downward spiral or we can find a way to win at home,” Holas said, “which is what we have been able to do so far this season.” Memphis sits one spot ahead of the Cougars with a C-USA record of 6-5 and 19-13 overall, which is their second best start in school history. Tigers’ pitcher Carly Hummel (11-6) leads the pitching staff with 145 strikeouts.

The Cougars will get a chance to see how well they’ve turned the page on a bad season when they take on TCU. UH (13-14) enters this weekend’s series well prepared from a competition standpoint, having already faced perennial powers Texas, Rice and Arizona State. The Horned Frogs have won all but one of their six weekend series, including sweeps over Sam Houston State and Texas Tech. In their seventh season under head coach Jim Schlossnagle, who is 271-127 in his career at TCU, the Horned Frogs are 20-7 and ranked No. 12 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll. TCU enters this weekend on a season-high two-game losing streak after dropping its series finale against San Diego State on Saturday and losing 4-2 to Oklahoma on Tuesday, with both losses coming in Fort Worth. “It’s another good test for us,” head coach Rayner Noble said. “We desperately need to win some ball games against a quality team

By Chris Losee The Daily Cougar

newton liu The Daily Cougar

Head coach Rayner Noble hopes his team can come together this weekend against TCU and build on Tuesday’s win as the regular season winds down. to get our RPI back to where it’s respectable, and there’s no better opportunity than this weekend against the Horned Frogs.” The Cougars had their worst stretch of the season last week when they lost to Texas San Antonio and were swept by Rice for a season-long, four-game losing streak. The main issue during UH’s current streak is the same one

that has reared its ugly head all season — the pitching staff, which gave up at least six runs in all four losses. The Cougars put a stop to that Tuesday when they defeated Sam Houston State 4-2 on the arm of starter Michael Goodnight, who went 5 2/3 innings, surrendering five hits with zero walks and eight see BASEBALL, page 8

“Memphis is a program that has been at the bottom of this conference for a really long time, and people kind of look past them a little bit,” Holas said. “They have done nothing but get better and better.” The Cougars hold an 8-5 advantage over the Tigers in the all-time series, but will have a score to settle after being swept in a three-game series in Memphis, Tenn., last season. “Sometimes we have a tendency to think of them like they are still at the bottom,” Holas said. “That is how they can cause problems.” During practice this week, the Cougars have been focusing on two areas of concern — situational hitting and pitching. Holas said that she wants to see the team producing runs when players are in scoring position and for the pitchers to get ahead of batters. “We have to make sure that every time we are playing that we play to the best of our ability,” she said. Saturday’s opener will begin at 1 p.m. and the second game is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday’s finale will start at noon. sports@thedailycougar.com

soccer

Dynamo fans voice opinions By Alan Delon The Daily Cougar The Dynamo have established themselves as one of the best teams in Major League Soccer, having won back-to-back championships in 2006-2007 since relocating from San Jose, Calif. to Houston. Dynamo fans who have flocked to Robertson Stadium and been treated to a world-class product on the pitch now anxiously await a world-class downtown stadium for their team, scheduled to be ready for the 2012 season. The

project has been in limbo for more than two years, but it has recently gained momentum and appears to be on the verge of being finalized. The new stadium is expected to cost $80-85 million, and it would have a capacity of 21,00022,000 people. The proposed site is southeast of Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston. “We would love for the Dynamo to have its own stadium. This is a great team, we have great fans and people show up to the games,” said Chris Smink, a director of the Texian Army, a

grass-roots fan club. Smink said fans love to support their team by buying tickets to see them play. “We need our own stadium to help the Dynamo stay in Houston,” Smink said. UH student Oscar Leon, who has been following the Dynamo for three years and has traveled to several cities to follow the team, also supports the Dynamo getting their own stadium. “It’s about time. The Dynamo deserves it,” Leon said. “The field will look nice throughout the see SOCCER, page 8

Courtesy of katy umana

Dynamo Supporters Alliance members call for progress in the team’s quest for a downtown soccer-specific stadium.

tennis

Cougars ready to double up, finish regular season strong By Joachim Clarke The Daily Cougar The Cougars are back to their winning ways after a pair of 7-0 victories last weekend against Prairie View A&M and St. Edwards and look to keep the streak alive Saturday against LouisianaMonroe at John E. Hoff Tennis Courts.

While head coach John Severance gave praise to all players on the team, he noted the importance of setting the tone early with top players picking up victories in their respective matches. “For the most part, our whole team has been playing well,” Severance said. “I give a lot of credit to our top three players

Bryony Hunter, Laura Ring and (Joanna) Kacprzyk. It’s very important for them to set the tone of the match. “Having said that, I expect four, five and six to do well all the time.” Severance also attributed their success in part to the fact that they are playing at home for the first time in almost a month.

“Our team is very comfortable at home,” Severance said. “We know the courts, we know the bounce and just the familiarity of playing at home is definitely an advantage.” With last weekend’s victories, UH improved to 10-6. Severance, however, still sees room for improvement. Although the Cougars have won doubles points

in each of their previous two matches, he said that doubles play is one of his biggest concerns. “I thought we performed very well in singles in the last two matches,” Severance said, “but we are still not where we need to be in doubles play.” This aspect of the game will be see TENNIS, page 8

Life & arts

6 n Friday, April 9, 2010

The Daily Cougar

health and fitness

Taking honest steps to complete a marathon By Robert Higgs The Daily Cougar The least surprising thing about running a marathon is that 26.2 miles is a long, long, long, unnaturally long distance to run. Last summer, when I began training for the marathon I planned to run only a few months later, the longest distance I had run was 6 miles in the cutely named Turkey Trot of the previous November. The month of Thanksgiving also happened to be when my marathon was scheduled. In the course of a year, I’d go from having run 6 miles to 26.2; except I had lazily dallied through seven months, not running more than 5 miles at a time. I’ve always been a glutton for punishment, so it was fitting that I’d only given myself five months to increase my endurance the last 76 percent of the way necessary to assure I wouldn’t end up a crumpled fetus somewhere between mile-marker 7 and the finish line. What can I say? I work best under pressure. The most surprising thing about training for a marathon is watching yourself do something you know you can’t. When you’ve

only ever run 6 miles, you know there’s no way you can run 20 miles, or 16, or 12, but you can run 8. So you lace up your shoes and content yourself with doing what you can while those longer distances loom like bogeymen. Those specters, the doubts that say, “No way can you do this,” stay with you as you manage 10, approach and pass 12, attain 15, until somewhere along the way it hits you in the face like a well-aimed water balloon full of courage, “Look how far you’ve come, you can do anything you put your mind to.” The marathon got its name and distance from a possibly apocryphal story from the GrecoPersian wars of the fifth century BCE. The Greeks were up against daunting odds, facing a massive fleet under the command of Persian king Darius I. After the Greeks shockingly managed to turn back the colossal Persian force, a Greek messenger, as the legend goes, by the name of either Pheidippides or Eucles or Philippides ran the 26.2 miles from Marathon, the site of the battle, to Athens, bursting into the assembly to exclaim “Nenikékamen,” ‘We have won.’ He subsequently collapsed dead

on the spot. There’s something to be said for going out on top, but for me, I wanted the triumph without the dying. The day of the marathon, Nov. 15, came, and by that time all doubt was gone. I had progressed past 18 and finally reached the dizzying heights of 20; I could feel an inkling of vertigo when I’d look back to the time I could only run 6. My girlfriend, a marathon runner herself who I’d been training with, told me, “Once you’ve run 20, the last 6 are a piece of cake; only mental.” I tell you, I never wanted to believe something so much in my life. On the course, as the milemarkers loomed and fell away, so did so many of the fears a person accumulates over the course of a life. “I’m not good enough.” “There will always be more things I can’t do than can.” “Why do I hold myself back?” As the finish line appeared before me, I took a moment to indulge in the fantasy that I was a kindred spirit to that ancient Greek messenger, thinking, “I have arrived, and I bring astonishing news!” arts@thedailycougar.com

courtesy of robert higgs

After training, Daily Cougar Sports editor Robert Higgs was able to run in the San Antonio marathon last year, finishing in 4 hours 43 minutes.

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COMICS & MORE

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COUGAR COMICS

Find more daily strips at thedailycougar.com/comics

Coogie by John Palamidy

today’s crossword ACROSS

Robbie & Bobby by Jason Poland

today’s sudoku How to play

Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3-by-3 boxes must also contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Previous puzzle solved

Friday, April 9, 2010 n 7

1 Walk back and forth 5 Tent supports 10 - Krishna 14 Rock’s Jethro 15 Percolate 16 Sunburn remedy 17 Met highlight 18 Chain mail 19 Singer - McCoy 20 Occur 22 Drain uncloggers 24 “Auld Lang -” 26 Mild rejoinder 27 Energized 30 Future ferns 34 Pleased sigh 35 Clapton and Heiden 38 Tequila cactus 39 Rural addr. 40 Cut too short 42 Herd animal 43 Bygone rulers 46 Takes a bite, maybe 48 - out a living 49 Heir’s legacy 51 Cringed at 53 Mr. Lugosi 55 Poetic twilights 56 Make the best of 60 Remain loyal 64 Unser rival 65 Valentine decor 67 S&L offerings 68 - - song (cheaply) 69 Peace goddess 70 Quiche ingredients 71 Wild guess 72 MTV watchers 73 Light pink wine

DOWN

1 Nile god 2 Subtle emanation 3 Barrette 4 Pass 5 Organizers 6 Above, for short 7 Bedside fixture 8 Quebec school 9 Monsieur’s gestures 10 Shamefaced 11 Toward shelter

24 27

51 54

48 52

55 59

60 66

1 2 Thunder 13 Scaleless fish 21 Bronte governess 23 AutoZone competitor 25 Royal decree 27 Do Latin homework 28 Solemn promises 29 Bread ingredient 31 Entered a 10K 32 Call to mind 33 Basted 36 Airport rental 37 Ride the banister 41 Suffuses 44 Environment 45 Quell 47 Sunflower product 50 Draw forth 52 More pale 54 Sky blue 56 Switch positions 57 Nonsense!

42 47

31 38

53 56

26 30

5 8 Greenhorn 59 Pentathlon event 61 Thus 62 Scraps of cloth 63 To be, to Brutus 66 Lodging place

2009 United Feature Syndicate INC.

Previous puzzle solved F A D E G L O B F R A T

U T A H

ME B AWL T A R A GH A N T E B OOM S MOOG B L O B O S C E L A T I N U H A U D E B RO R A L S H E E P L U E E Y E D B MW O P D ROO P S Z O R E S NO MA I A P A S P A R MO K I S A K A T A A T MS

S N O R U O T S A C L P A O S O S D L E EM S

I O N I C

B R U S H

S A S E

H O D S

E C R U

D I E M

S N A G

E D I T

I L L S

Student Publications Committee At its April meeting, the SPC will elect the

EDITORS IN CHIEF OF

THE DAILY COUGAR AND HOUSTONIAN The meeting will be open to the public:

4 p.m. Monday, April 12 in the Lone Star Room, University Center

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Sports

8 n Friday, April 9, 2010

SOCCER continued from page 5

whole season. You won’t have football stripes blocking the way of what actually is happening in the field.” Willie Shaver, a Houston resident, has been following the Dynamo since 2006 and likes the idea of the new stadium in downtown.

BASEBALL continued from page 5

strikeouts. “It was a lot better because I was able to control my fastball. When you control your fastball, it’s a lot easier to pitch, so it was a good outing,” said Goodnight, who made his first mid-week start of

TENNIS continued from page 5

crucial for UH to beat LouisianaMonroe this weekend. Severance said that the team has been working to improve their doubles play this week so they can be in top form for Saturday’s match.

“I want one. We need one,” Shaver said. “The Texans have one, the Astros have one, and the Dynamo needs one.” Teo Pineda, who owns an orange bus with a Dynamo logo on it, goes to all the home games and travels to watch the team’s playoff road games. “The Dynamo deserves a new stadium because they have two championships already, and with the new stadium they are going to

have more fans,” Pineda said. Kenya Amaya and Melissa Pulido have been supporting the Dynamo since 2006. They both agree that the Dynamo deserves a new stadium. “I really want it. It’s something we fans want so much and have been waiting for a long time,” Amaya said. “The guys have done so much for us, winning two cups for Houston.” Added Pulido: “Having a new

the season. “It was just a fastball with a little bit of movement, and just trying to attack hitters early and get like one- to four-pitch outs for every batter. That way, you can go deeper into games.” Noble said it was an opportunity to take a step back and start afresh after a tough stretch.

“Anytime you come off of a weekend where it was a little disappointing, wins are a good thing, and we talked about what we’ve done to this point,” Noble said. “(Our record of ) 13-14, that’s an old season. We just start a new season today and see how we can do the rest of the way.”

“ULM is a team that is very tough,” Severance said. “They’ve beaten a few teams that we have beaten already this year. Our key to success will definitely have to be the doubles aspect of it. “It’s not the end of the world if we lose the doubles point; however, I think it will set the tone for the match if we can pull it off.

The Daily Cougar

stadium will have monetary advantages and scheduling will be the best thing.” Pulido said a new stadium will give more scheduling freedom in the weekday games and will be more positive than negative for Houston. The downtown location is also a plus for Dynamo fans. “The location is perfect because soccer is a multicultural fan base,” Smink said. “So it

has to be centrally located, and that is what is going to keep our attendance steady through the years.” Pulido said the downtown location will be better for the Dynamo than the suburban stadiums of other MLS teams. “I think to have a stadium in downtown will represent Houston,” Pulido said. sports@thedailycougar.com

“ those who profess to favor freedom, and yet

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depreciate agitation,

We are going to try to emphasize doubles because our singles play is in good shape right now.” The matchup is one of three remaining in the Cougars’ regular season before the Conference USA tournament begins April 22 in Tulsa, Okla.

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