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Issue 39, Volume 76
Friday ®
October 15, 2010
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STUDENT GOVERNMENT
newsline
Senators to fill position
Find more news items at newsline.thedailycougar.com
GROUPS & DEPARTMENTS
Established poet reads in part of Hispanic Heritage month The Center for Mexican American Studies is presenting a book reading by famous Chicano poet Alberto Baltazar Urista Heredia — known as Alurista — during Hispanic Heritage Month today at noon in the Philip Guthrie Hoffman Building, room 216. He will be reading from his new book “Tuna Luna”.
SGA members discuss nominating and electing students for two vacant judicial branch seats
Assistant Director of CMAS Lorenzo Cano said that Alurista speaks about the Chicano experience, the movement and the struggle and need to come together in unity. “Many people would define him as cultural worker,” Cano said. ” The job was to provide clarity and consciousness to the community, to clarify our goals as a community and to teach history.” His major works include Floricanto en Aztlán, Nationchild Plumaroja and Spik in Glyph? Alurista played a key role as an artist during the Chicano Movement, working along side activist Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales. He was also a co-founder of Chicano student organization Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán, MECHA. Alurista will have a book reading later today from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Casa Ramirez in Houston. The event is being sponsored by the UH Center for Mexican American Studies, Nuestra Palabra, Casa Ramirez and Aztlan Libre Press.
Jourdan Vian
THE DAILY COUGAR
SGA President Prince Wilson and the rest of the senate discussed nominations for the judicial branch at their Oct. 13 meeting in the University Center. | Jourdan Vian/The Daily Cougar
The SGA acknowledged its need for a judicial branch, particularly when they ran into procedural problems while reviewing SGA President
Prince Wilson’s nominations for chief and associate justice. Wilson had plans to begin building the judicial branch at SGA’s Oct. 13 meeting; however, he ran into a snag when miscommunication had SGA continues on page 8
Group hosts annual prom Lauren Mathis
THE DAILY COUGAR
— Diane Sanchez/The Daily Cougar Got an item for Newsline? Let us know! E-mail newsline@thedailycougar.com
today & weekend
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ON CAMPUS Theater and Dance show The UH School of Theatre and Dance will be presenting “Up” by Bridget Carpenter and directed by Steven Wallace today and Saturday at 8 p.m. The performances will take place at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center by the communication building. Get tickets soon!
AROUND TOWN Aziz Ansari Actor and comedian Aziz Ansari will be in town Saturday at the House of Blues at 7:30 p.m. Ansari is known for his stand-up comedies and for his role on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.” Tickets are few, but if you get the opportunity, don’t miss it! Find more campus and local events or add your own at thedailycougar.com/calendar
CORRECTIONS J
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Students who were not allowed to attend their high school prom with their same sex partners will be able to at the UH 2nd Annual Rainbow Prom hosted by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Organization on Oct. 16 at the Cougar Den in the University Center. “Our last rainbow prom was a huge success,” history senior and PR Officer for GLOBAL Cody D. McGaughey said. “I’m expecting that this one will be an even greater success, thanks to a positive reputation, better planning, funding and greater organization.” Though the GLOBAL organization members did play a big part in creating this and last year’s prom, the current president — Kirk Loftin — is really the brains behind the whole event, McGaughey said. “Kirk came up with the concept of having a rainbow prom,” he said. “He diligently pushed for its execution last year and upon seeing our success, he queried our members, and decided that our prom would become an annual event.” Students at UH are in favor for the prom to become a yearly event too. “I can’t wait to attend the Rainbow Prom, it sounds like a blast,” PR junior Tali Wald said. “I have a lot of friends and some family who are gay, PROM continues on page 8
UH Department of Public Safety Chief of Police Malcolm Davis encouraged students to help contribute to campus safety in a Communications class on Oct. 11. | Jack Wehman/The Daily Cougar
Police Chief advises students UHDPS encourages students to communicate, stay cautious Joshua Siegel
THE DAILY COUGAR The numbers recently released in the Clery Report reflect a trend of less crime on the UH campus, but there is still room for improvement when it comes to campus safety — and the responsibility falls on the UHDPS and student community’s ability to work together. UHDPS Chief of Police Malcolm Davis believes that the two most important factors for the two parties to be successful in making UH a safer campus are “communication and agreeing to disagree.” “It’s a matter of understanding what is the thing that we have in common,” said Davis in a communication class on Oct 11. “You want to go to school here; to do that you have to feel safe. It’s our job to make it safe — not only feel safe, but for it to actually be safe — and the
only way we can do that is working together, so we have to put aside differences.” The most rampant problem on campus is crimes of opportunity; crimes which are not premeditated, but where criminals take advantage of a situation. Davis said that one of the ways to reduce these crimes is to increase the visibility of police officers and security. “If you’re here to do something nefarious, you see that it might be a cop, so you go someplace else,” he said. The UHDPS has added 32 security officer positions this semester and also improved the nighttime visibility of their uniforms. “We want the perception to be that there are lots of cops, lots of security. We have some of the four-wheel carts now that some of the officers are driving,” Davis said. “They have blinking yellow lights on them, and we’re working to get those on all of the carts.” In addition to the police adding more eyes to watch out for students, students should SAFETY continues on page 8