Issue 129, Volume 75 by The Cougar

1934 – 2009

t h e o f f i c i a l s t u d e n t n e w s pa pe r o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f h o u s to n s i n c e 1 9 3 4

THE DAILY COUGAR Will the Astros turn their season around? sports »

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Forecast, Page 2

In Focus blogger Erika Moyer examines religion in the Congo Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Issue 129, Volume 75

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Paper, yearbook editors elected CLASS By Neal Dasgupta The daily cougar

newton liu The Daily Cougar

The Student Publication Committee elected Matthew Keever as editor in chief of The Daily Cougar for the summer and fall semesters. Patricia Estrada (not pictured) was elected as editor in chief of the Houstonian.

The Student Publication Committee elected the new editors in chief of The Daily Cougar and The Houstonian for the summer and fall semesters during its meeting on Monday at the University Center’s Lone Star Room. Communication junior Matthew Keever was chosen as The Daily Cougar’s editor in chief, and education and print journalism senior Patricia Estrada was voted editor in chief for the Houstonian. Keever, who serves as The Daily Cougar’s managing editor, ran unopposed and will replace Editor in Chief Ronnie Turner. Estrada, a co-news editor for The Daily Cougar and the yearbook’s marketing director, was elected over photo editor Kendra Berglund. Keever said he wants to continue the success of The Daily Cougar, which he said has traditionally had strong editors. “In the past, there have been some great editors,” Keever said. “I want to continue this tradition, increase readership and reward the hard workers.” Estrada hopes to use her experience to improve marketing

of the yearbook. “I want to promote the book,” Estrada said. “So much work goes into it, and it is sad that people don’t know about it. I am committed to increasing awareness that the yearbook is out there. “One of the ways I plan to do this is by reaching out to professors in the marketing department at Bauer (to) see if maybe they can make it a part of a classroom project or extra credit, or at least give us some pointers.” Keever said he wants communication majors of every type to get involved with the paper and communicate with professors and editors alike early on in their academic careers. “It’s important for students to develop a professional relationship with the professors early, so they get an understanding of how the journalism world works right off the bat rather than wait until their sophomore or junior year when they might already be mentally checked out,” he said. Estrada also said she hopes to improve the photography in The Houstonian, citing improved communication between the photographers and editor.

see STUDENT, page 6

see SGA, page 3

Senior’s design of a new tracking software system gets praised in New York-based publication

A senior student of the Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, Alfonso Olvera, was given the title of one of “America’s Coolest College Start-ups for 2010” by Inc. Magazine for his rail tracking software, RailTronix. “I designed a system (that) connects to networks that are already set up by the railroads, which gives you what they call car location methods,” Olvera said. He started his first business at age 16, a year after moving to the Woodlands with his family from Mexico City. “Everybody was going into working at McDonald’s and Starbucks and places like that,” Olvera said. “I already knew a lot about technology, so I just started my own computer repair business for residential and small

uh.edu

A Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship student, Alfonso Olvera, designed a software system that received garnered recognition, and he plans to expand his business ideas to other companies and industries. The system lets you know the location of the railcar, where it was last seen and whether it was loaded or empty. “Those are the three things that a car location message has. That’s what I call my raw data,” Olvera said. Olvera’s system helps companies realize inefficiencies in their supply chain by tracking when the rail car crosses the U.S.-Mexico border, if it has stopped along the way, why the stops were made and the amount of

By Jose Aguilar The daily cougar

time needed for the trip. “There are three networks that have been placed by the railroads, and my system processes this information to give you this kind of statistical data, which can tell you the path that the railroad is circling,” he said. Olvera’s next business move is to expand RailTronix to other companies and industries. “Everything was designed for

see SPC, page 6

businesses.” In 2007, one of Olvera’s clients, who was in the oil business, began transporting asphalt and oil throughout Mexico and the U.S. using railcars. Olvera designed a database for his company to keep track of their rail cars. “His company used to do everything in Excel sheets, which was awful for (the company) because they had to be passing the files from one person to the other and make changes, which was really inefficient,” Olvera said. “I basically designed this system to fit the needs of this customer, and ultimately they started using the logistic system.” RailTronix tracks each railcar by its license plate, or railcar I.D., the way a FedEx package is tracked with the tracking number. “You plug in the railcar number (I.D.) into my system, and it tells you exactly where it was last spotted,” Olvera said.

SGA sets council, tuition as top priorities on its agenda gg

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences is the largest college on the UH campus, with more than 12,000 students enrolled. As a result, it is represented in the Student Government Association with seven senate seats, the most in the legislature. Journalism junior Mila Clarke, elected to Seat No. 1, is the sole returning senator for CLASS in this administration. She has served as Speaker Pro-Tempore of the Senate, chair of the Internal Affairs committee and started off her SGA experience as Clerk of the Senate. “I ran for SGA, because I wanted to really do things for the University to make it a better place for students,” Clarke said. “I’ve always had a sense of pride about being here, and I wanted to feel even better about the University by actually being involved in it. SGA is one of the best ways of doing that.” Elected to Seat No. 5, public relations and political science student Lucia Ayala-Guerra has previous experience in student politics as a national leader in the College Democrats of America, the membership director of Texas College Democrats, and she has previously served in SGA as a public relations intern. “I don’t go into something unless I feel really passionate about it,” AyalaGuerra said. “(I ran for SGA) because I see things that are not happening, and I want to do something about it.” History senior Mike Nguyen claimed CLASS’ Seat No. 7 after defeating three other opponents. A transfer student from UH Downtown, Nguyen previously served as a senator of UHD’s SGA. “There is definitely more people here, so you have more senators (and) you have to represent more people,” Nguyen said. “UHD has only four colleges and four sets of senators, but I’m ready for it. It’s exciting to meet all these new people.” Meeting the students is at the

Student tries his hand at business By Sarah Raslan The daily cougar

senators focus on security

2 n Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Daily Cougar

THE DAILY COUGAR presents ®

CAMPUS BEAT FORECAST Wednesday

Thursday

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CALENDAR

Census on campus: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., UC Satellite, University Center and the Center for Public Policy (Heyne Building, Room 104). Census on Campus/Census representatives and CHIP interns will provide assistance and resources about the 2010 Census at various information tables. For the Houston community (including UH) to prosper, everyone should participate. For more information, contact Mike Angel at 713-7433976 or mangel2@uh.edu Financial wellness: 10-11 a.m., Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, Room 1038. These are workshops offered through UH Wellness, a department of Learning and Assessment Services in the Division of Student Affairs. The mission of UH Wellness, a campus-wide education and prevention program, is to promote healthy choices and create a healthier, safer learning environment across all dimensions of wellness, including social, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, physical and emotional wellness. These workshops promote various dimen-

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 study: _______________________________________________________ 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

Remembering Liberty: Cato the Younger in Lucan, Dante, and Addison: 4-6:30 p.m., The Honors College Commons, second floor of M.D. Anderson Memorial Library. Lecture by Francesca Behr, Professor of Modern and Classical Languages; an event sponsored by Phronesis: A Program in Politics and Ethics Francesca D’Alessandro Behr, recently named winner of the 2010 Ross M. Lence Teaching Award, is Associate Professor of Classics and Italian Studies at the University of Houston. Her published work inlucludes the book Feeling HIstory: Lucan, Stoicism, and the Poetics of Passion (Ohio State UP 2007) and articles on Virgil, Roman satire, reception studies and Italian Renaissance Epic. The event is free and open to all. Light refreshments will be served.

» Report errors to editor@thedailycougar.com

Corrections will appear in this space as needed.

Newsroom (713) 743-5360 Editor in Chief

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

Managing Editor

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

News Editors

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

Sports Editors

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

Life & Arts Editor

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

Special Projects Editor

Jarrod Klawinsky jklawinsky@thedailycougar.com n

Opinion Editor

Alan Dennis opinion@thedailycougar.com n

Photo Editor

Kendra Berglund (713) 743-5304 photo@thedailycougar.com n

Web Editor

Matt Miller webeditor@thedailycougar.com n

Advertising (713) 743-5340 ads@thedailycougar.com n

Classifieds

(713) 743-5356 classifieds@thedailycougar.com

Business Office

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

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

Blog Editor

Abby Lee blogs@thedailycougar.com

abo u t

Name:___________________________________________________________________ Zip code: __________________ E-mail address: _______________________________

sions of wellness and are offered to support student development, to increase retention, and to provide students with skills-building opportunities throughout the semester. Participation is free.

contact u s

Best food & dining: _______________________________________________________

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» Send event information to calendar@thedailycougar.com

TODAY

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

Friday

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.

iss u e staff

http://surveys.thedailycougar.com n

Copy editing

Meagan Washington

Production

Alan Dennis, Newton Liu

Closing editor Ronnie Turner

LIFE & ARTS | NEWS

The Daily Cougar

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 n 3

Drag show raises donations for GLBT youth organization By Jose Aguilar The Daily Cougar A night of illusions brought Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson and even Ariel and Ursula of the Little Mermaid, among others, to the University Center’s Houston Room on Thursday. Gloria Estefan also made an appearance, leading her own conga line around the crowd. UH’s Third Annual Drag Show, produced by the University’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender group, GLOBAL, moved to the main stage this year, complete with lights and a soundsystem. This was quite a move from where they hosted the previous two events — on platforms in the Cougar Den. “I had personally performed on the platforms, and it just wasn’t professional enough for my taste,” outgoing GLOBAL president Phillicia Karie said. “Plus, trying to walk in heels on a wobbly stage is an invitation for my neck to break.” The evening included both student and professional drag queens and kings in an event that lasted more than four hours. Ursula Velour, pre-psychology senior Nathan Estrada’s alter ego, served as the mistress of ceremonies, handling her duties with a touch of humor and quick wit. She said

SGA continued from page 1

top of each of the senators’ agendas. According to Ayala-Guerra, the attendance to both the SGA meetings and college town halls are very poor. “I’m hoping to use my PR connections in the senate to get better communications with organizations and try to get the town halls well-marketed, so that students know when the meetings are and know where to go,” she said. Clarke hopes to build on the success of previous administrations and tackle more issues affecting students. “SGA has a responsibility to be proactive on the students’ behalf and make sure we know what students want,” she said. “If students have issues of any sort, it’s our job to make them know we’re here to help.” Nguyen said she hopes this new administration gets more students to become involved. “I want to make sure that (students) get heard on campus on any issue,” he said. “Just come to us, email us or go to our Web site. We’re there for them.” One of the main issues affecting CLASS, according to Clarke and Nguyen, is the lack of a college council. “CLASS is so diverse. We have the most majors spread across the most fields,” Clarke said. “It’s great to see all of those majors represented, but it’s sometimes hard to reach so many students with such diverse interests.” Every major under CLASS would be represented on the council, which will serve as a forum for the various departments to come together to help get issues resolved.

handling the hecklers was her favorite part of the event. “The banter really was just so fun, and I’m sure the audience loved it,” Estrada said. “I was a theatre major, and I have always been able to entertain a crowd and keep them laughing and coming for more.” Estrada, a transfer student from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, said he appreciated that an event like this could even take place on a college campus. “I am so happy to be in a University that allows this type of event and just really brings so much spirit and hope to the lives of young adults in the GLBT community,” he said. “I am very happy to be here at UH and proud that my fiancée, who is male, and I can walk around and not feel like we are being judged or are going to be harmed.” The show was mainly for entertainment purposes, but the $480 in tips that performers received will be donated to the GLBT youth organization Houston Area Teen Coalition of Homosexuals. “Basically, HATCH is like a younger GLOBAL,” Stout said. “So, it is charity for a group that is very close to us on a personal level.” Communication senior Melanie Pang first thought of producing the drag show while serving as GLOBAL

“SGA would be like the federal government, while the college council will be more like the state government,” Nguyen said. Campus safety is also an issue that Nguyen and Ayala feel strongly about. Ayala, who is a commuter and stays on campus late, thinks of it as a personal agenda, but one that most students also have concerns with. She hopes to work with Metro to get a better schedule for late commuters. Nguyen agrees and thinks it’s a matter of respecting the students who stay on campus well past regular hours. “University operations do not end at 8 p.m.,” he said. “There are some operations that last through 11 p.m., and I think we deserve better lighting and better security.” Tuition is always a concern for SGA and students. Clarke said he is aware that it is an issue, and it will continue to be at the forefront of any SGA agenda. “The discussion is different every year,” she said. “So it’s SGA’s job to plan out the best way to combat a tuition increase for that year and formally present it to the administration.” Clarke, the veteran representative, plans on helping her fellow senators out with any questions or concerns they may have in order to tackle the issues affecting CLASS as a whole. The senators plan to work with one another to help get their respective agendas through the senate. “There are great ideas and agendas, and we’re going to do great things for the students this year,” Clarke said. “I expect nothing but the best from our administration.” news@thedailycougar.com

Jose aguilar The Daily Cougar

Members of the Gamma Rho Lambda sorority perform to the song “Bedrock” by Young Money at the Drag Show. president in fall 2007. The continued growth and success of the event has helped it become one of the organization’s “most beloved events,” said Pang, who did not perform but was in attendance as her drag-king persona Paco Bell. “We get to share a part of ourselves that society has probably never seen, or expected,” Pang said. “A shy, quiet girl can burst out of her shell and be a masculine, bold, rap star or a reserved, professional man can strap on heels and put on a dress and belt out his favorite song for

everyone to enjoy in an environment where it’s not only OK, it’s the whole point.” Engineering senior Jason Atabay’s drag persona, Candy Lane, didn’t perform but served as a backup dancer for a Lady Gaga performance. “I loved the atmosphere,” Atabay said. “The performers and spectators made it a great night, and the turnout was great.” The move to the Houston Room turned out to be a good decision. Whereas the limited space of previous shows brought in around 70

people, Stout estimated that around 150 people attended this year’s event. “The attendance for this year skyrocketed,” Stout said. “My initial reservation was for 100 seats, but (we) had to get more chairs for all the people coming in.” But the show was bittersweet for Stout because it marked the end of his term as GLOBAL president. “This is the only way I would have liked to have officially ended my term,” he said. arts@thedialycougar.com

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Presents:

Diversity Institute 2010: Uniting Our Journeys Wednesday, April 14, 2010

M. D. Anderson Library, Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion 9:30am -4:30pm

Open to UH Students, Faculty & Staff Please stop by at any time during the program! Learn how our multicultural journeys unite through dialogues, panel discussions and experiential activities!

PROGRAM 9:30am

Check-in, Complimentary Breakfast & Music by Moores School of Music

10:00am Introduction: Dr. Kimberly James, Assistant Director/Director of Outreach, CAPS, with

Program Overview: Dr. A. Chantelle Pseekos, Multicultural Postdoctoral Fellow, CAPS

10:10am Cross- Cultural Dialogues: African American, Asian American & Latina Staff, Faculty & Students 11:30am Panel Discussion: The Intersection Between Spirituality and Sexual Identity 12:30pm Complimentary Lunch 1:15pm

Multicultural Dialogues

2:00pm

Panel Discussion: Understanding Commonalities Across DisABILITY Status

3:00pm

Break Out Sessions: Gender Dynamics

4:00pm

Small Group Guided Imagery Exercise: Cultural Awareness & Closing Remarks by Dr. A. Chantelle Pseekos Plea se Register thro ug h Ema il : Dr. A. Chantelle Pseekos, Multicultural Postdoctoral Fellow E ma il: acpseeko @centra l.uh.edu C . E . U . C r e d i t s A v a i l a b l e : P s yc h o l o g i s t s , P r o f e s s i o n a l C o u n s e l o r s , S o c i a l W o r k e r s & Marriage & Family Therapists This event is co-sponsored by:

4 n Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

COMING WEDNESDAY: Is covering up the truth regarding war issues really an appropriate way for the government to act?

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

April Fool’s jokes should be taken as just that: jokes

mishele lamshing The Daily Cougar

Obama obsessed with flawed plan It’s clear that the U.S. economy is long overdue for a serious re-evaluation. For years, we deceived ourselves into believing a consumption-based economy supported by foreign credit was a model for Jason Cutbirth sustainable prosperity. Believing we could spend our way into the future, we had little to no regard for the structural imbalances we were incurring along the way. With the dust settled from the economy’s financial collapse, President Barack Obama seems to have recognized where and how the country went wrong. One example of this is Obama’s oftenrepeated phrase, “America must learn to live within its means,” working the theme that we must break our dependence on easy credit and borrowing. As the structure of the economy is re-evaluated, it becomes clearer and clearer that we’ve been out of touch with reality; people seem to have forgotten that the ability to consume comes from the capacity to produce. America cannot have a true economic recovery until we rebalance our economy away from consumer spending in exchange for production and exports.

Unfortunately, despite Obama’s correct diagnosis, his administration has yet to provide a realistic solution to the problem. A report featured in the March 31 edition of The Economist said that Obama is pursuing policies “that actually slow the rebalancing.” One reason the policies wouldn’t be effective is because consumer attempts to cut back and save money are being undermined and offset by increased government spending, so much so that net savings as a percent of the nation’s gross domestic product remains relatively unchanged. This is a serious problem, as it prolongs our dependence on foreign creditors such as China. Another problem exists with regard to the administration’s disposition toward “industrial policy,” which simply amounts to government support for domestic manufacturing. While this sounds like a reasonable solution to spurring increased production and exports, according to the Economist piece, it would actually “inflame relations with trading partners, provoke retaliation and ultimately slow the restructuring of the economy.” To bring about positive change, the government needs to stop undermining

private savings by cutting government spending and borrowing. Next, it needs to scrap any policy that amounts to protectionism; such policies hurt the economy in the long run, and we already have enough long-term problems to contend with. But if the government must do something active, it could start by supporting companies looking to join the international market. Currently, the startup costs attached to entering the export market dissuade many companies from expanding their businesses. By shifting the emphasis from protecting industry to encouraging new innovation and growth, we can accelerate the transition. Undoubtedly the free market will see to it that the economy rebalances itself, but as consumers cut back and save, trade deficits go down, and exports began to rise. The government must do its best to not make an already difficult process even harder. For the time being, however, it seems Obama is content to fix America’s borrowing and spending problems with more borrowing and spending. Jason Cutbirth is a business junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

early two weeks ago, The Daily Cougar ran an April Fool’s edition of sorts. In it, we told readers that we were going to end operations and disable the comment section of our Web site. Neither happened. Were The Daily Cougar to end operations, we can assure you that it would be frontpage news. Most of the feedback we received was from people who understood that it was a joke. Unfortunately, the Houston Chronicle’s readers are apparently not quite so fond of Why didn’t humor. anyone In the paper’s MomHouston blog was a list of practical jokes notice that for parents to play on their kids it was April for April Fool’s Day. One of the 1, laugh and jokes suggested parents tell their that “they were adopted then leave it children and now their birth mothers alone? want them back.” Readers were livid. It’s as if they expect the Chronicle’s MomHouston blog to raise their children for them. “Wait a second … you’re telling us we have to read what MomHouston tells us and then decide whether or not it’s an appropriate parenting technique, too? Oh no, that’s just too much work.” Then perhaps you should reprioritize, or you could put your kid up for adoption. Then it wouldn’t be a joke, and you’d have more time for yourself. “Many readers have let us know how unfunny and inappropriate that advice was,” read a followup story in the next day’s print edition of the Star section. But the section didn’t force any parent to tell their children this. Why didn’t anyone notice that it was April 1, laugh and then leave it alone? Are we really so sensitive? Here’s a news flash, mothers of the greater Houston area: Not everything you read in parenting books, magazines, articles and blogs is true. In fact, most of it probably isn’t, because there is no right or wrong when it comes to parenting. Every kid is different, and it’s up to the parents to decide how to nurture their child’s skill set. That’s not MomHouston’s job. Her job is to suggest and inform. And is it so bad for her to try and make you laugh from time to time? Absolutely not.

GUEST COMMENTARY

Suicide story ignorant of situation This commentary is a response to “Culture too eager to glorify suicide” by Alan Dennis, which ran in The Daily Cougar on Friday. There is little Marc evidence to support Anderson Mr. Dennis’ opinion that recent teen suicides are driven by either the adoration or imitation of more prominent suicides. To suggest so trivializes the real and perceived suffering that underlies suicidal tendencies. An individual’s decision to end their life is an internal one, driven by external factors that induce some combination of depression, hopelessness, contempt for others and fear.

Not all individuals respond to these feelings by killing themselves, which also indicates that neurobiology plays a determining role. The act of suicide is committed while an individual is focused on their own immediate pain and future relief from their condition. As such, society’s so-called “glorification” of suicide has little if any influence. It is more appropriate to implicate an increased disregard for the emotional well-being of others that allows groups of people to bully and belittle another individual to the point where he or she perceives no other escape but death. People have been committing suicide

long before there was conspicuous reporting of celebrity deaths and acts of suicide in literature, and even these cases are considered tragedies. Where suicide is glorified and even encouraged is in the realm of extremists and terrorists, not Hollywood and books. Outside of these deviant cases, people do not aspire to kill themselves, nor do they idealize the suicides of others. Mr. Dennis appears to confuse admiration toward an individual who ends his or her own life as an admiration of the act of suicide itself. Marc Anderson is a biology and biochemistry graduate student 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.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 n 5

The Daily Cougar

SPORTS

COMING WEDNESDAY: See if the baseball team was able to get back on the winning track

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

baseball

Cougars seek solid pitching against UTSA By Tristan Tippet The Daily Cougar Going into their game against UTSA at 6 p.m. today in San Antonio, the Cougars (13-17) have hit their worst stretch of the season after getting swept by TCU last weekend. Their 13-17 record marks the lowest point the Cougars have sunk under .500 this season. Since March 14, when they swept Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif., the Cougars have gone 5-12. With little over a month left in the season, head coach Rayner Noble says UH has the chance to turn things around, but he’s undeniably concerned. “When you can’t play defense, you can’t pitch, and the hitting is kind of in a swoon, (it makes me) very concerned,” Noble said. “But I have faith in my team; I have faith in my coaches. I think we can get this thing rectified and get moving on the right track.” Ironically, this rough stretch began March 30 against UTSA (1317). The Cougars lost 6-5 to the Roadrunners, who were 10-13 at the time. They were coming off an impressive series win against Central Florida in their Conference USA opener, and against UTSA at Cougar Field, Houston had a 4-3 lead going into the top of the ninth inning before the Roadrunner score three runs to steal the victory. Since then the Cougars are 1-7. As

the Cougars have struggled during this stretch, as has their pitching staff, which has a team ERA of 5.46. Over the past eight games, their starters have an ERA of 8.67. “We’ve got to find some people that want to start a game, and go out there and put up some zeros, and we’ve really struggled with that lately,” Noble said. “Nobody has really taken the bull by the horns and gone out there and given us a quality start on the weekend. Last weekend was horrible, so I’ve got to find somebody that wants to go out there and start a ball game on the right foot for us.” In Noble’s eyes, today’s game against the Roadrunners gives his team a chance to turn things around. “It gives us an opportunity to go out there and redeem ourselves a little bit after we played so poorly for three games,” he said. sports@thedailycougar.com

C-USA Baseball Standings Team

W L GB W L Pct

Rice Central Florida Tulane UAB Memphis East Carolina Marshall UH Southern Miss

6 5 5 5 5 3 4 2 1

Conf.

3 4 4 4 4 3 5 4 5

0 1 1 1 1 1.5 2 2.5 3.5

OVERALL

19 22 21 19 14 20 13 13 16

14 .576 12 .647 12 .636 11 .633 18 .438 12 .625 17 .433 17 .433 14 .533

Str

W-2 W-4 L-2 L-1 L-2 W-2 W-1 L-3 L-4

Standings accurate as of April 12

Fighting Words

Talking smack and sports

At issue: Are the Astros really the worst team in baseball? gg

»»Keith Cordero Jr.: Where’s their offense?

The Astros are absolutely the worst team in baseball, and, as a San Francisco Giants fan excited about a 5-1 start, I have some sympathy for the winless Astros (07). Houston has gotten nothing from their bats in the first six games and failed to beat slow-throwing pitchers Barry Zito and Jamie Moyer. Zito’s stuff is nowhere close to what he had in 2004 when he won the AL CY Young, and Moyer — are you kidding me — is almost 50 years old. His MLB debut in 1986 occurred before I was born. Moyer has a win in four consecutive decades and managed to throw his low 80’s pitches just well enough to survive the Lastros, I mean Astros. Unfortunately, Houston is

missing Lance Berkman, and they miss the departed Miguel Tejada, but 13 runs on the season is horrific — the Diamondbacks scored 13 runs alone in the fourth inning of Sunday’s win 15-6 win against the Pirates. Houston has to turn it on or new manager Brad Mills could get an early season axe.

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manager Brad Mills in the mix. The power hitters from last year — Geoff Blum, Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee — have batting averages that do not exceed .200 in seven games of play. I know that there are more than 150 games remaining, but I do not see the season getting better for this team. The numbers do not lie, and neither do the performances. The Astros need changes in all categories, starting with the man at the top, Drayton McLane. Minute Maid Park, along with the Astros, will not be worth a drop of orange juice by the end of the season if they continue to be the worst team in baseball.

»»Chris Losee: Same place as »»John Brannen: Is a winless

their defense

season a possibility?

With their worst start in over 25 years, the Houston Astros (0-7) are the worst team and the only one without a win in major league baseball. The roster is stacked with young players, and the only people who appeal to a national audience are Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee. Hunter Pence is also a great person to have on the team, but there is nobody else. The pitching staff has nothing and nobody. The offense is not there and neither is the chemistry, especially with new

While the Astros will remain in the cellar of the National League Central standings this season, fans can take consolation in knowing that they are not the worst in baseball, just one of the worst. Monday’s 5-0 loss to the Cardinals puts the Lastros on pace to go 0 -162, but that could change by the end of the week. On paper, the Astros are officially the worst team in the league as of today and could be well into May. Eventually, the Astros will peel off a couple wins

and separate themselves from the likes of the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals, but that is not the case today. Despite having All-Star caliber offensive players in Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee, it has not translated to postseason success. With Berkman out and Roy Oswalt hinting at a trade, it may be time to shift in a new direction. The neglect of the farm system, insistence on signing older players due to blind faith based on a miracle season has finally caught up with the Astros and owner Drayton McLane. The Astros will not finish the season as the worst team, but will definitely be one of the 10 worst teams in the MLB.

»»Judge Higgs: Worst Astros

0-7, the Astros don’t play a team that currently holds a losing record until San Diego comes to town at the end of the first week in May, so unless the Astros can muster up some passion soon, not to mention find their bats and their defense, it’s not totally inconceivable that they could fall into a 0-28 hole. I like your optimism, John, if saying they may be only “one” of the worst teams can be called optimism, but with what the team has shown so far, this looks to be a long season of losing for the Astros. By the end of it, they’ll be lucky if they end up being only the worst team of the season and not one of the worst of all time.

team in how long?

What other answer could you possible give to this question than an emphatic, “Yes!” The Astros have been outscored by a margin of 42-13 in their seven losses, they’re batting a paltry .196, and it’d be a major understatement to say that their pitching has left a lot to be desired. The last Astros team that started this poorly was the 1983 ‘Stros, who began the season 0-9. Already

Verdict The Astros’ precipitous fall from the level of play that took them to the World Series in 2005 can be put at the feet of one man, owner Drayton McLane. For making the point that change must begin with him, Chris gets the face time.

Facetime The NBA playoffs begin April 17!

NEWS

6 n Tuesday, April 13, 2010

SPC continued from page 1

“Photography is such a big part of the yearbook,” she said. “Communication with photographers will also play a huge part. The editor should

always know exactly what the photographer is going to shoot.” Keever emphasized that even the editorial board is comprised of students. “There are seniors who are print journalism majors that I don’t know,” he said. “Freshmen often get the impression that, if they

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Free t-shirts to first 100 people Meet at the UC steps and then march across campus to bring awareness to ending violence against women Program at 8 pm in Bluebonnet Room, with organizations and sexual assault survivors speaking Ends with candle light vigil at the UC Arbor Men are welcome and encouraged to join us WOMEN’S RESOURCE

STUDENT continued from page 1

this first customer of mine, then ultimately people started saying, ‘Maybe you could market this for other companies that are in the same business,’” Olvera said. “And that is exactly where I’m at right now. I’m trying to expand. It’s mainly been done for this customer and the oil shipping business, but it can be done for any industry.” Olvera has found the practical methods of teaching from professors at the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship helpful. “The Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship is a key factor in the success of my business, because it teaches you in a nontraditional way,” Olvera said. “Most of the professors here are really experienced, and they’re not really here to earn money. They just want to transfer their experience and their background and education to us.” news@thedailycougar.com

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Dim Sum by Ho Yi Lau

today’s crossword ACROSS

Limbo by Paolo Aninag

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

1 Joke around 7 MIT grad 10 Grandeur 14 Bayou dweller 15 Nothing 16 Great Lakes port 17 Conceal a message 18 Doctors’ org. 19 Pro — (in proportion) 20 Worker from home 23 More desolate 26 No. 27 Software buyers 28 Major Hoople’s word 29 Travel choice 30 Be sorry about 31 Float like a cork 32 Sundial numeral 33 Sugary treat 37 Moon or planet 38 Decide on 39 Columbus campus 40 Ms. Arden 41 Tie pattern 43 Heat meas. 44 Receive 45 Arabic lute 46 Bodybuilder’s pride 47 Cut back 48 Violent weather 51 Pipe bend 52 Sings gaily 53 Fruit bowls, maybe 56 Pentathlon event 57 Make top honors 58 Most current 62 Approach 63 Wk. starter 64 Fly 65 Fish without scales 66 Half qts. 67 Thawed

DOWN

1 Prior to yr. 1 2 Son of Val and Aleta 3 Toshiba competitor

We can’t hear you. Mostly because we’re a newspaper and we don’t have ears. But we would love to get your voice heard. Send us a guest column, around 400-600 words on a topic of your choosing, to opinion@thedailycougar.com.

THE DAILY COUGAR

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 n 7

20 23

42 45

67 ©

4 Honked 5 Church VIP 6 Film spool 7 Passes, as a bill 8 Mr. Spock 9 — rock (heavy metal) 10 Read 11 Expound at length 12 Bishop’s hat 13 Orchard produce 21 Justice 22 Wakiki wear 23 Jazz genre 24 Greek market 25 Torah reciter 29 Man or ostrich 30 Corrodes 32 Radio knob 33 Talk turkey? 34 Fit for a king 35 Apparent 36 Townshend and

Seeger 4 2 Postal workers 46 Sci-fi thriller 47 Stamen’s counterpart 48 Landscape 49 Conical tent 50 Ryan or Tatum 51 Orlando attraction 52 Depart 54 Sloping walk 55 Chowder tidbit 59 Pack it away 60 Fr. holy woman 61 “Cheers” actor Danson

2009 United Feature Syndicate INC.

Previous puzzle solved T O R T

A M A H

L O S E

C O P Y D S C R E T O A S E Y C K A L E MY S T O A B A T T R E A E A R L E GO S

WA T T S A P R E S R H I N E D I T T I OD E S E N S L I T S WE L H A I T I CON N C E R Y WO D E V I N E P I E DM I L L S B A L D S A F A S T

S P I L L

N O T A R Y

A G O G

R E N E

D E E D

P A D R A E DOR K R U S O E O L E N S Y L S N A C K E C HO S H E A S EWN

WEB COMMENTS

8 n Tuesday, April 13, 2010

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