Issue 136, Volume 75 by The Cougar

1934 – 2009

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In Focus blogger Holly Milkowski says new law will reform meals Thursday, April 22, 2010

Issue 136, Volume 75

thedailycougar.com

Senate debates budget

Banquet honors NSBE members

Faculty upset that Chronicle broke news on furloughs, not administrators gg

By Morgan Creager The Daily Cougar The National Society of Black Engineers will be hosting a scholarship banquet today to celebrate its accomplishments and cast a vision for the future. The banquet will be held at 7 p.m. in the Oberholtzer ballroom, located on the second floor of Oberholtzer Hall. UHNSBE will celebrate its success as an organization and honor some of the chapter’s most outstanding members, finance chair Olaide Quadry said. There will be door prizes, such as TI-89 calculators, and awards will be given to those with the most community service. Representatives from supportive corporations such as Marathon, Exxon Mobile, FMC Technologies, Conoco, Cameron and Fluor will be present. “This banquet will (also) show the companies our future plans,” Quadry said. Scholarships will also be awarded to members of UHNSBE. Two scholarships will be given from among the companies, and six will be awarded from NSBE, Quadry said. UHNSBE will also introduce next year’s officers and recognize the officers from 2009-2010. For entertainment, the chapter has asked a step team called ACTS, a singer and poet to perform. UHNSBE aims to provide resources and mentorship to black students majoring in science, technology, engineering or math. “(We) want black engineers to socialize together and get the tools they need,” Quadry said. With the diversity on campus, it can be difficult to find a place to fit in, Quadry said, but with the help of UHNSBE, he has been able to discover where he stands as a black engineering student. “I’ve been able to grow myself (and) to get out of my shell,” he said. Being in a regular organization where multiple ethnicities and backgrounds combine, it can be difficult to find students who understand one’s history and culture, Quadry said. “You don’t get the motivation from people from your background that have made it,” he said. see BANQUET, page 3

By Hiba Adi the daily cougar

as Curl’s assistant, Buchanan helped lead the Cougars to four postseason appearances and was integral in recruiting standout players and future WNBA top-10 draft selections Chandi Jones and Sancho Lyttle. While Buchanan is sure to put his own stamp on the coaching staff, Rhoades indicated that some of the current assistants would be retained. “He will be keeping two of the full time assistants, coaches Wade Scott and Tari Cummings, and also Tiffanie Gupton, the director of basketball operations. I feel they are all fantastic, and I have always given my new coaches the economy to do what they need to do when it comes hiring a new staff, but he maintained the importance of retaining these two coaches.”

The Preliminary Budget Plan for the 2011 fiscal year was on the top of the agenda for the Faculty Senate at Wednesday’s meeting. “In the presentation to the board, we will show them the base funding and the new funding. Today, what we’re focusing on is the dollars that will be shifted around this year,” Vice Chancellor Carl Carlucci said. One of the first items on the plan is to meet the state 5 percent reduction requirement. “We’re funding that out of our reductions and reallocation,” Carlucci said. “There may be additional reductions next year.” Carlucci assured the senate that certain positions would not be affected. “No instructional faculty are eliminated as a result of these reductions,” Carlucci said. Faculty and staff targeted consist of adjunct professors, primarily those who only teach one class, visitors and summer professors. At the meeting CLASS Senator Jeffery Sposato complained that the faculty and staff at UH learned about the furloughs through the Houston Chronicle. “We knew the furloughs were coming and that it was a possibility, but we learned about it from the Houston Chronicle rather than the administration, which I thought was really inexcusable,” Sposato said. “We didn’t get an e-mail until five days after the fact.” Carlucci apologized to the senate and said there was miscommunication between himself and the reporter. “The reporter went out and read the Web site, and she wrote the story from (that),” Carlucci said. “When she talked to us, I asked her to wait because I told her we were going to announce the details of the furlough, and if you read the story, she didn’t have the details.” Sposato said an immediate response from the administration was necessary. Carlucci said the suggestion of furloughs came out of a cost

sports@thedailycougar.com

see FACULTY, page 3

JAIRO RAZO The Daily Cougar

Todd Buchanan is back in the fold at UH, returning to lead the women’s basketball program that he helped coach from 2000-05.

A familiar face gg

Rhoades tabs Buchanan as new leader of women’s basketball program

By Phillipe Craig The Daily Cougar In keeping with his recent trend of moving quickly to fill vacant coaching positions, UH athletics director Mack Rhoades announced the hiring of Todd Buchanan as the women’s basketball head coach. Rhoades didn’t have to travel far to recruit Buchanan, who has served as the head coach of the Houston Baptist program for the last five seasons. Before that, Buchanan was a top assistant under Joe Curl, whom he is replacing. Curl stepped down on March 23 after 12 seasons at the helm. “When we began the search, it was similar to our men’s search. We wanted to hire someone with high, great character. Someone we knew really cared about our student-

athletes as much off the court as on the court,” Rhoades said at Wednesday’s press conference. “I have three daughters, and the last question I asked myself is who would I want my daughters to play for? Who would I want them to be mentored and coached by? “There was one answer — Coach Todd Buchanan. That’s important, because we’re in the business of mentoring and educating young people, and we can never lose sight of that. Yes, winning is important. There’s no question in my mind that we have someone who can do that and do it the right way.” During his tenure at HBU, Buchanan compiled an 80-68 record and led the Huskies to two berths in the NAIA National Tournament. He also oversaw HBU’s transition to Division I of the NCAA. While serving

2 n Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Daily Cougar

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Earn college credit in 3-4 weeks! Enroll today and make the most of your summer! Lone Star College offers freshmanand sophomore-level courses for credit at convenient locations across north Harris and Montgomery Counties. Online too! What could be more convenient? Register now! Courses available on campus or online! For a complete list of short Summer mini-mester courses, visit: LoneStar.edu/class-search.

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TODAY Summer Jobs Fair: 1-4 p.m., University Center, Houston Room. University Career Services will host the first Summer Jobs Fair on April 22, 2010 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the University Center, Houston Room. This job fair is open to all majors, and there will be opportunities for summer jobs (part-time and full-time), internships, and volunteer work. For more information, please contact Jessica Campbell at JCampbell11@uh.edu or (713) 743-5098. Employer registration is now open at http://career.uh.edu/careerfairs/summerjobs/2010/ 2010 School of Art Masters Thesis Exhibition: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., The Art Museum of UH. Each year, Blaffer Gallery presents an exhibition showcasing works by graduating Master of Fine Arts students in the School of Art. This year, 11 students are featured in the exhibition. The MFA candidates are Debra Barrera, Nancy Douthey, Geoff Hippenstiel, Sura Khudairi, Robyn

Lehmer, Grant C. MacManus, Richard Nix, Anne J. Regan, Keijiro Suzuki, Tala Vahabzadeh and Vanessa VanAlstyne. Admission is free, and refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact the Blaffer Gallery at kveneman@uh.edu or the website blaffergallery.org Fulbright Scholar workshop: 9:30 a.m.-noon, Honors College Commons (second floor of M.D. Anderson Memorial Library). The seminar is designed for scholars who would like to teach and conduct research abroad and will focus on the Core Fulbright Program. The program will be conducted by Dr. Andrew Riess, Senior Program Officer for Outreach and Communication for the Institute of International Education. Attendees will learn about lecturing and research opportunities in more than 150 countries and about how to prepare the application. They will also receive advice on selecting a country and making contacts abroad. Finally, Dr. Riess will discuss special opportunities in India.

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abo u t 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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NEWS

The Daily Cougar

Green holiday closes in on 40 years By Sarah Wiggins-Goff The Daily Cougar As Earth Day approaches its 40th anniversary, environmentalists continue to stress how the human race’s everyday actions affect the world. In an effort to give environmental concerns some political exposure, former Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day in 1970. “Actually, the idea for Earth Day evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962. For several years, it had been troubling me that the state of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country,” Nelson wrote in his essay “How The First Earth Day Came About.” “Finally, in November 1962, an idea occurred to me that was, I thought, a virtual cinch to put the environment into the political ‘limelight’ once and for all.” Nelson visited Washington, D.C. ,and convinced President John F. Kennedy to travel across the nation on a five-day 11-state conservation awareness tour. The tour was largely unsuccessful, but proved to be the spark that ignited what would one day become Earth Day. “All across the country, evidence of environmental degradation was appearing everywhere, and everyone noticed, except the political establishment,” Nelson wrote. “The environmental issue simply was not to be found on the nation’s political agenda. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not.”

Inspired by the antiVietnam War “teachins,” which were being conducted in colleges and universities across the country, Nelson got the idea in September 1969 to organize a massive grassroots protest over the injustices and ignorance surrounding treatment of the environment. In the seven months leading up to the first Earth Day celebration, interest across the nation rose. People everywhere wanted to be involved; it had expanded far beyond the hands of Nelson and his small team of volunteer college students. “The response was electric. It took off like gangbusters,” Nelson wrote. “Telegrams, letters and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air — and they did so with spectacular exuberance.” Nelson was convinced that the excitement of the people was enough to fuel the entire machine. “Nelson insisted the first Earth Day’s activities be created not by organizers in Washington, but by individuals and groups in their own communities,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency Web site. “As a result of this empowering vision, one in

10 Americans participated in the first Earth Day, drawing extensive attention from the media and jumpstarting an era of bold environmental legislation.” The EPA was formed in December 1970 as a response to the overwhelming support Earth Day had received and the invigoration it had given to environmental issues within the national political arena. This was important because it represented some of the first governmental action, and it paved the way for much more. In the following months and years, Congress enacted many new laws and amended previously existing ones concerning air and water quality, among a plethora of other environmental issues. “Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level,” Nelson wrote. “We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself.” Now, 40 years later, people around the world continue to recognize Nelson’s brainchild with the same care and concern for the Earth’s well being as ever, just as he intended. news@thedailycougar.com

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FACULTY

BANQUET

continued from page 1

reduction management survey taken by the faculty senate. “We’re going forth on the furloughs. They will save us about a million dollars, (but) we don’t know exactly what the voluntary portion will produce,” Carlucci said. The senate also considered the reallocation of resources to prioritize instructional initiatives and promote enrollment growth, national competitiveness and faculty and senate recruiting and retention programs at each campus as options in the reduction plan. “Enrollment revenue is targeted at instruction and financial aid. That we believe is the direction that we got both from the state and the board,” Carlucci said. “We want them to see that the amount we’re spending on enrollment/financial aid related item is equivalent to what we raised from both student tuition and fees.” The official budget plan will presented to the UH System Board of Regents on May 11. Chancellor and UH President Renu Khator spoke about student enrollment and the changes that will be made to admissions criteria. “An important part of student success is who enters the University, because we need to make sure those students are coming in academically prepared to succeed,” Khator said. “To this point, the proposal put in front of them will be that we will raise it to top 20 or 15 percent (for automatic admission) in the year of 2012 and bringing it down to top 10 by 2014.” news@thedailycougar.com

With the support of fellow black STEM majors, it is easier to succeed and find motivation in such a difficult career, Quadry said. Throughout the year, the organization works to promote its vision around the community and on campus. UHNSBE partners up with high schools and middle schools around Houston to encourage students in their math and science endeavors. One UHNSBE program is the Pre-College Initiative, in which the chapter makes an effort to assist students in grades 6-12 in their math and science skills. The chapter also attends math competitions with students from around the area to show support and raise awareness of the importance of education. Aside from helping out around the community, the organization also participates in the NSBE regional and national conferences every year. This year, NSBE chapters from around the country gathered in Toronto for the national conference. NSBE also hosts the Engineering Career Fair to provide minorities with the tools and resources needed to land a successful job. news@thedailycougar.com

Write to us! Click the “Write a letter” button at thedailycougar.com

4 n Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

COMING FRIDAY: Will the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act really fix the problems in the health care system?

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

Criticism is best served with a side of polite manners

USBICEF

Apple right to reject Adobe Flash Many people who are on the edge of the technological bubble have been loosely following Apple and its rejection of Adobe Flash, but many people don’t understand why Apple has taken this Michael Padon stance. Apple’s critics have cited many instances of how the company not supporting Flash is little more than a business tactic to undermine competitors. While that might be the case, there are many other problems with Flash, and Apple is smart to have passed it up. The first — and most important — fact about Flash is that, for only playing video, it is a computer resource hog. When watching shows on Hulu, my laptop processor can heat up to 170 degrees — 50 degrees above the norm. That translates to my processor having to do a lot to handle the load Flash is

throwing at it. Compare this to watching a QuickTime movie, which doesn’t elevate the processor temperature more than 10 degrees. This temperature increase directly translates to energy consumption; the hotter a processor gets, the more power it is using. If a mobile device such as an iPad or iPhone were to use Flash, the battery would quickly be drained, leaving users complaining about poor battery life. Apple responded to the video streaming questions by implementing (not creating) the HTML5 standard — the new Internet markup language standard, which includes video streaming capabilities. HTML5 is quickly being adopted as the new standard for streaming video, and Apple even has a list of Web sites that use it and are thus compatible with the iPad and iPhone OS.

Another reason for passing on Flash is that Apple has a very structured and controlled model for application distribution. Though the process is far from perfect, and the company has been criticized for its practices, Apple desires to remain the only source of applications. If Flash were to be made available to the platform, it would also bring a new channel of application distribution, and Apple refuses to let that happen. The bottom line is that Apple is looking toward the future and focusing on new standards in the industry. It views Flash as outdated technology that is processorhungry and full of security holes. The new HTML5 technology is much more robust, efficient and will eventually become the widely accepted standard. Michael Padon is an engineering sophomore and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

GUEST COMMENTARY

UH choosing harmful ways to save I’m an electrician in the maintenance department at the University. I’ve worked here for almost five years, and I’ve been a proud member of the Texas State Employees Union for Ron Gonyea most of that time. Recently, the UH administration announced a one-day, unpaid furlough for faculty and staff making more than $30,000 per year to take place on May 28 or June 1. The measure is part of a 5-percent budget reduction plan called for by Gov. Rick Perry. UH’s plan also includes cutting overtime pay and eliminating about 83 staff positions through a hiring freeze and layoffs. Other state universities have created similar plans to satisfy the reduction requirements. Meanwhile, tuition and student fees continue to rise as they have since the Texas Legislature deregulated university tuition in 2003. The combination of pay cuts, layoffs and tuition hikes couldn’t come at a worse time for Texans, as the statewide unemployment rate hovers at 8.3 percent. Cutting funding to public universities at

the expense of students, faculty and staff, however, is not a new trend. In 1982, 59.7 percent of the University’s total revenue came from the state, while only 12.7 percent was dependent on student tuition and fees. In 2008, only 28 percent of the University’s total budget came from the Legislature, while 31.1 percent came directly from students. This shows that as public universities receive less public funding, they are forced to put a greater financial burden on students and their families. The trend has negatively impacted campus workers as well. In 2003, the same year the state deregulated tuition so that universities could raise rates to whatever level they wanted, legislators also changed the rules and began to exclude university workers from any across-the-board cost-of-living raises that were passed for state agency employees. Since then, UH employees have seen no meaningful raises, and this was well before the recession hit.

To make matters worse, University employees are facing steep health care cost increases in September due to the underfunding of staff health insurance plans for the 2009 legislative session. Many will argue that because the country is in a recession, Texas must “tighten its belt” and “cut the fat.” But if there ever was any fat to begin with, it was cut a long time ago as lawmakers slashed university budgets year after year, even when the economy was fine. Faculty, staff and students at UH and universities across Texas should not be forced to sacrifice again and again in good times and bad. If Texas wants to continue having a first-class economy with a fully prepared workforce, it must provide affordable, quality higher education for working and middle class families, especially in the bad times when options are limited and family resources are stretched thin. Ron Gonyea is a UH employee and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

ost people have suffered wrongs they wish could be righted. Be it a grade or a traffic ticket they thought wasn’t deserved, they typically want to set it straight. And almost every example presents a right and wrong way to handle it. Granted, they all have intricacies that have to be taken into consideration, but ultimately, it boils down to the old adage: You can always attract more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. ... it boils With that in mind, we offer down to our fellow students a quick rundown of how to handle the old disputes that arise from errors adage: You in our publication, which unfortunately are part of the can always industry and even attract more journalism more prevalent in a college flies with setting. First, try to empathize honey than with the writer and editor. you can with As hard as it may seem when you’re dealing with what is an vinegar. obvious mistake in your eyes, there’s a good chance that those responsible didn’t do it on purpose and are likely going to want to correct the error as much as you do. If you’re having a hard time placing yourself in the proverbial shoes of others, then at least calm down before you confront them. There’s nothing that inhibits productive interaction more than flinging F-bombs left and right. Humans are, for the most part, an instinctive species that get defensive when attacked. The key is to keep the channels of communication open because most people aren’t going to be convinced if they are tuning you out. Also, when resolving your issue with the publication, don’t leave with a grudge in tow. Burning bridges is never a good idea, and you never know how you may end up needing the other party in the future. This is especially true for organizations and athletes, but not limited to people that are usually in the public light.

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.

Thursday, April 22, 2010 n 5

The Daily Cougar

SPORTS

COMING FRIDAY: Check in with the golf team as it gears up for the Conference USA Championships this weekend in Orlando, Fla.

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

BASEBALL

RESERVATIONS FOR SIX

Lamar walks off with win

Prime-time draft full of big names

By Tristan Tippet The Daily Cougar The Cougars’ midweek game against Lamar featured many swings, but ultimately came down to just one timely swing. Chase Dempsay has been Houston’s best pitcher this year with a 1.75 ERA, and he was trying to close out a slim one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth when the big blow came. The Cougars had scored two runs in the sixth inning to tie the game at five, and one in the eighth to take a slim lead. The erratic bullpen had also done its part and didn’t give up a run for four innings. However, all that was wiped out when, with a runner on third and two outs, Lamar’s Kevin Roebuck hit a walk-off two-run homer over the left field fence for a 7-6 Lamar win. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 24-15 on the season while the Cougars dropped to 1619. Head coach Rayner Noble said

newton liu The Daily Cougar

M.P. Cokinos went 1-for-4 with an RBI against Lamar on Wednesday, but it was the Cardinals who had the last word, walking off with a win thanks to a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth. it’s difficult to lose the game in that matter. “You’re trying to get one out, and they get a win with one swing of the bat, that’s probably the hardest way you can lose a game,” Noble said. Noble said Dempsay left a pitch up at the wrong time, and Roebuck took advantage of it.

“You just try to make quality pitches, you know, and Chase had been doing a pretty good job of it, and he had just kind of got his pitch a little bit up, and the guy hit it,” Noble said. Barry Laird was making his first start of the season for UH and see BASEBALL, page 8

The 75th NFL draft gets underway with a new three-day format starting at 6:30 p.m. today in New York City. While the format Keith may have Cordero Jr. undergone a facelift, something will be the same — namely Jets fans booing their pick. The St. Louis Rams will pick No.1 and it’s all but certain after the release of quarterback Marc Bulger that the Rams have their eyes on former Oklahoma and Heismanwinner Sam Bradford. The Detroit Lions hold pick No. 2 and should take former Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Suh and Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy are highly rated players, but with Suh gone McCoy should go to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who hope he can eventually play like an old Buc who helped them win a Super Bowl in Warren Sapp. After the top three picks I feel like the draft is very balanced and wide open. The best player in the draft is former Tennessee safety Eric Berry, who in my mind is the

next Ed Reed at the position. Berry is a freak athletically and easily is a top five pick and a sure starter for the Kansas City Chiefs with the fifth overall pick. Back to the No.4 pick, the Washington Redskins don’t have to waste it on a quarterback with the addition of veteran Donovan McNabb so I think it’s a no-brainer for new head coach Mike Shanahan to select McNabb’s blind side security in former Oklahoma State left tackle Russell Okung. The best offensive lineman in the draft, Okung, is very polished and will start right away in D.C. as the Redskins look to bounce back this season. Houston fans are excited coming off a 9-7 season; their first winning season ever, but there remains a huge question at running back and safety. What position should coach Gary Kubiak and owner Bob McNair go for? The Texans need a running back and with former Clemson super athlete C.J. Spillar most likely off the board by pick No. 20, Houston should take former see RESERVATIONS, page 6

SOFTBALL

Cougars break through on road By Chris Losee The Daily Cougar Freshman pitcher Bailey Watts delivered a nine-inning shutout to propel the Cougars to a 3-0 win over Texas State on Wednesday evening. It was UH’s first road win of the season. The game at Bobcat Field was scoreless going into extra innings before the Cougars (24-21) finally broke through in the ninth. Holly Anderson singled in Angela Spittler for the Cougars’ first tally and Ashleigh Jones followed with a

two-run single that extended the lead to 3-0. Jones was 3-for-5 on the night and was the key hitter for the Cougars. Holly Anderson and Brooke Lathan stepped up as well, going 2-for-4 each on the night. The Cougars are now 15-2 when opponents score less than three runs, while Texas State fell to 0-14 when scoring less than two runs and 21-19 overall. Watts (11-8) entered into the ninth frame with nine strikeouts and had allowed just five hits. With two outs and a runner on second base, Watts closed out the inning

with a fielder’s choice. The loss extends a four-game skid for the Bobcats. Entering Wednesday’s contest, the Cougars 0-13 on the road. Opportunities in the first and second innings were missed as runners were left stranded, but it was Watts’ tremendous performance that kept the Bobcats at bay as they left 11 batters on base. The Cougars will return to action this weekend, when they host East Carolina for a three-game set. sports@thedailycougar.com

daily cougar file photo

The Cougars finally notched their first road win of the season, but it didn’t come easy as they had to battle Texas State for nine innings before coming away with a 3-0 win.

TRACK

UH looking for sunny skies at prestigious Philly event Burrell & Co. aim to hold their own at star-studded meet

By John Brannen The Daily Cougar The Cougars will make their way to Philadelphia for the 115th Annual Penn Relays, which start today and run through Saturday. The Penn Relays is the biggest track and field event in the country, with more than 20,000 athletes expected to compete and more than 100,000 spectators expected to attend.

For some, including freshman sprinter Errol Nolan, this will be the first trip to the City of Brotherly Love and the historic meet. Nolan said the meet and atmosphere it g g Nolan provides have been hot topics for the team in recent weeks. He predicts that the crowd’s involvement will improve the team’s performances. “The team has been waiting for this meet since the beginning of the season. It’s the most crowdinvolved meet we’ll be at, and I’ve

never been,” Nolan said “But the way the team hyped it up, I can’t wait to go.” “They keep telling me the atmosphere is unexplainable. We should get some really personal bests for sure just by the atmosphere.” Although Nolan is confident going into the meet he said there would be the inevitable jitters. “Plenty of butterflies,” he said. “The mass of people I’m expecting to see shouldn’t affect my performance, but I’m definitely nervous.”

Part of the prestige associated with the Penn Relays is the professional athletes who are invited to compete at the meet. This year, Jamaica’s world-record 4x100-meter relay team will be present with Usain Bolt as the most notable athlete. Nolan said the Cougars will watch the professionals with curiosity but the main focus will be their own events. “We’ll all be watching the pros to see what they do differently from us and we’ll be taking it into consideration in some way. But of course, we have to focus on our own events,” Nolan said.

The trip to Philadelphia also marks the return to where head coach Leroy Burrell began his illustrious career in track and field. Burrell was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. But like Nolan, Burrell’s priority is a solid team performance from the Cougars. The Cougars will have one more regular-season meet on April 28 at Rice before they begin preparation for the ConferenceUSA Championships May 13-16 in Orlando, Fla. sports@thedailycougar.com

SPORTS | LIFE & ARTS

6 n Thursday, April 22, 2010

RESERVATIONS continued from page 5

Fresno State running back Ryan Matthews. Almost six feet tall and nearly 220 pounds while running a 4.45-seocnd 40-yard dash, Matthews is the guy the Texans have their eyes on. Spillar and former Florida cornerback Joe Haden, would be the only two players that I think the Texans would take over Matthews if they were available.

Being in Texas, I won’t forget about Cowboys fans, who have a first round pick at No. 27. Owner Jerry Jones and coach Wade Phillips cut safety Ken Hamlin, so I think it’s a sure bet the Cowboys go defense with this pick. It comes down to either former USC safety Taylor Mays (6-3, 235 pounds, 4.3-second 40-yard dash) or quiet but very talented former Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty. sports@thedailycougar.com

through my lens U H

S T U D E N T

P H O T O G R A P H Y

C O N T E S T

Open to all enrolled students, department-sponsored groups, and registered student organizations. Digital (.jpg file) and hardcopy submission is required with complete application and authorization for use of photo or likeness. Deadline:

Judging criteria:

Cash Prizes:

+ composition

May 17, 2010 at 5 p.m. 1st Prize: $300 and framed version of Handbook cover 2nd Prize: $100 3rd Prize: $50

+ originality and creativity

+ examples of diversity that reflect the vibrancy and beauty of the University of Houston + demonstration of/ appropriateness to the theme (abstract or literal)

All entries will be considered for inclusion within the Handbook Complete details on uh.edu/dos/hdbk or on the last page of the current student handbook.

The Daily Cougar

‘Undergrad’ comes to UH By Travis Hensley the daily cougar Undergrad the Musical is coming to Cullen Performance Hall at 6:30 p.m. Friday. One of the most spectacular aspects of the performance is the talent of young director Chris Davis. Davis became passionate about entertaining an audience at age 4 while putting on his own version of the Disney Classic Aladdin for his parents. While at Dobie High School, he was a member of a step team and helped choreograph its routines. He later attended Sam Houston State University, where he was given his first opportunity to present Undergrad the Musical. “At Sam Houston State, Undergrad the Musical was just a fundraiser for an organization I was a part of,” Davis said. “It did very well there and I was given the gracious opportunity to present my work on a larger scale here in Houston through the Urban Experience director Robbie Evans. “Undergrad the Musical is a compelling account about college life and many of the challenging issues college students face. This musical tells a very unique and dynamic story while exploring, explaining, and disproving many cultural stereotypes.” The show follows two college freshman, Dru Stone and Damian Buchanan, as they experience their first semester in college and the life lessons they learn. “Undergrad the Musical hopes

Travis hensley The Daily Cougar

The cast of Undergrad the Musical prepares for their show at a dress rehearsal Tuesday night. to expose the truth about cliques and social values, while providing a realistic edge and upbeat tempo,” Davis said. “The play incorporates song, dance, suave characters and real-life dramatizations. As the writer, director and choreographer, Davis drew inspiration from his own life in college, as well as that of some of his friends. One of the most important things is his drive and dedication to himself as an artist, he said. “I made a pledge to myself to always be different and too always try to be positive and walk down the right path in life,” Davis said. Davis had an open casting call for the show in January at Oberholtzer Hall. “I did auditions differently from a typical audition,” Davis said. “Instead of sitting in a chair and listening to them do something they have always done for every high school talent show they were in, I used a series of mimicking exercises that covered a wide array of emotion.

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“From a psychological standpoint, I want to see who would be charismatic and who would take risks and step outside of (the) comfort zone society constantly stays in when we audition for things,” Davis said. After the casting, Davis and his crew went hard to work at rehearsals to bring the show to life. “I was very assertive and aggressive with my style of directing, choreographing and rehearsals,” Davis said. “I made everything as simple and as clear as I possibly could, given the amount of time we had.” Davis hopes that Friday’s performance will be a springboard to future success. “I want to continue to perfect my craft,” he said. “I want to gain a better understanding of entertainment and continue to grow as a writer, director, choreographer and songwriter. “I feel like the world has limitless possibilities to engage in.”

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COUGAR COMICS

Find more daily strips at thedailycougar.com/comics

Robbie & Bobby by Jason Poland

today’s crossword ACROSS

Dim Sum by Ho Yi Lau

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

Thursday, April 22, 2010 n 7

1 Whipped cream spoonfuls 6 Reserve 10 Nature’s bandage 14 Rustic 15 Anatomical passage 16 “Zara” composer 17 Maestro — Previn 18 Sicilian volcano 19 Philosopher Immanuel — 20 Feed the fire 21 Treats for Rover (2 wds.) 23 Absorbed, as costs 25 Likewise 26 Pvt.’s superiors 29 Ogden locale 32 Cattle-herding people 37 Teacup handle 38 Lingerie buys 39 Defeated 40 Postcard message (4 wds.) 43 Pries 44 With, to Maurice 45 Mouth part 46 Rumormonger 47 Nudge, perhaps 48 Boot fillers 49 — -fi flick 51 Chromosome material 53 Goes berserk (2 wds.) 58 Stadium fixture 62 Curly cabbage 63 Santa —, Calif. 64 Large family 65 Bobcat 66 Sole 67 Two under par 68 Carnivore’s diet 69 Heifers’ hellos 70 Balked

DOWN

1 Pate de foie — 2 Alfred of stage 3 Church calendar 4 Down jackets 5 Winter precip 6 Made tracks

21 23

47 49

51 56

52 58

70 ©

7 Mr. Preminger 8 One dimension 9 Big Dipper neighbor 10 Purpose 11 Gullet 12 Blyth and Jillian 13 Gamble 22 Shop equivalent (2 wds.) 24 Common Market money 26 Informative 27 “Alfie” star 28 Welles or Bean 30 Frat letter 31 Nile dam 33 Contented murmur 34 Stone pillar 35 Hawk’s refuge 36 All thumbs 38 Ignore 39 Raise horses 41 Very warm

4 2 First lady? 47 Osaka apparel 48 Ms. Fawcett 50 Pool shot 52 Jots down 53 “Big-mouth” Martha 54 Arm bone 55 Adjacent to 56 Christiania, now 57 11th letters 59 Caron role 60 Proficient 61 Shortfall 62 JFK lander

2009 United Feature Syndicate INC.

Previous puzzle solved A L A S M A N G O C A M O

B O T H

C O R A

S P A R T OR A R E N I B OU T N T H R A RO H E A A T T B E Y

P I L A F E T U D E S

SWA B E RGO R U E S E N C H NG E A E MO B S EM I L OR E T A S I N DO T P E I T E S E WA L A I R H I L L I D L Y

R A P I D S

A M U L E T S

G I L L

E S S E

S H E D

E L S F EM I A I N MS S H E A L P I S A

R O B L E

S P I E D

R O C K

S E T S

SPORTS

8 n Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Daily Cougar

TENNIS

Conference tourney up next for UH By Joachim Clarke The Daily Cougar After having Sunday’s season finale against Conference-USA rival UAB cut short due to rain, the Cougars will now head to Tulsa to take on East Carolina in the first round of the C-USA tournament. Head coach John Severance was pleased with the team’s performance even though neither team picked up the victory. “It was encouraging today that during the start of the doubles matches we were controlling the play and that hasn’t happened in a while,” Severance said in a press release. “I think our girls feel a little better after today since they had a chance to beat UAB, which has beaten some good teams in our league. If we play well in doubles we have a chance (to) beat anybody in the conference.” The Cougars enter the tournament as the No. 10 seed after posting an 11-7 regularseason record. They face a higher ranked opponent in East Carolina, which sits at no. 7 after finishing the regular season 17-9. After an up-and-down regular season, the Cougars ended their campaign with strong showings.

continued from page 5

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allowed eight base runners on four hits and four walks through his four innings and was fortunate to surrender only five runs. The Cardinals had a 3-0 lead after three innings, but the Cougars responded in the top of the fourth when they scored three runs, including an RBI double by M.P. Cokinos and an RBI single by Caleb Ramsey. Laird, though, couldn’t post

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Excluding the season finale, the Cougars won three of their final four regular-season matches and showed some progress and improvement in all aspects of the game. This marks the sixth straight season that the Cougars have won at least 10 games under the tutelage of Severance. Severance

BASEBALL

StylishLiving Now Featured

tony nguyen The Daily Cougar

Laura Ring and the Cougars will try to put their best foot forward when they travel to Tulsa, Okla., for the Conference USA Championships this weekend. said that after the pleasing performance against UAB, he and his team are looking forward to taking on ECU in Tulsa. “We are very excited to play ECU,” Severance said Wednesday. “We are looking forward to playing well this weekend.” sports@thedailycougar.com

the critical shutdown inning in the bottom of the fourth when the Cardinals scored two more runs, including an RBI triple by Aaron Buchanan. The trio of Tanner Shiflett, Codey Morehouse and Dempsay didn’t allow a run in the eighth and gave the Cougars an opportunity to win. The Cougars will have a threegame series against Southern Miss beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Hattiesburg, Miss. sports@thedailycougar.com

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