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t h e o f f i c i a l s t u d e n t n e w s pa p e 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 thedailycougar.com
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Issue 99, Volume 76
Tuesday ®
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Read. Recycle. Repeat daily.
FINANCIAL AID
Got news? E-mail news@thedailycougar.com or call 713-743-5314
CAMPUS
Panel discussion focuses on the struggles of a deaf black woman A panel titled “The Untold Stories of Deaf Black Women” will occur at 3 p.m. on Saturday in room 101 of the Social Work Building.
FAFSA upgrades promise filing ease
“The deaf community as a whole is often overlooked, ignored and marginalized by society at-large,” said Sharon G. Hill, an adjunct professor in the department of communication sciences and disorders, in a press release.
Tax forms can be directly uploaded from IRS website
The discussion, sponsored by the American Sign Language Interpreting Program, will feature speakers including Shirley Allen, the president of Houston Black Deaf Advocates, and Michelle Martin, president of the United Methodist Committee for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Ministries.
THE DAILY COUGAR
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Travis Coggin at 713-743-4162. — Julian Jimenez/The Daily Cougar
GREEN UH
Caught Green Handed event rewards student recycling
Daniel Renfrow
Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is necessary for many students — and with recent improvements, it can be a much easier process. The Department of Education redesigned the 2011-2012 FAFSA and made it easier to use by adding a taxes import option and by eliminating 22 questions and 17 web screens from the online version. Questions about enrollment status and the TEACH Grant have been removed from the new form, and the work-study question has been revised.
Izzy G. Anderson, director of scholarship services, grants and fund management, said that the new form would be less intimidating to applicants. “It should take less time for the applicant to submit the initial information,” Anderson said. One of the new features added to the online version of FAFSA is a tool that allows students to import their tax data from the IRS so they do not have to fill it out themselves. This tool has been enhanced in the 20112012 version through expanded eligibility and Spanish language features. Anderson said that this tool could help eliminate minor errors. “Many students are not sure how to fill out FAFSA continues on page 3
The Green UH team will give awards for recycling from 10 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 2 p.m. today and tomorrow. “We want to promote and encourage all UH students to recycle,” said Billy Garner, program coordinator for University Services, in a press release. “What better way than to reward them with a $25 gift card?” Coupon codes will be handed to students found recycling. These codes can then be entered online into the drawing. For information about RecycleMania intiative, visit www. uh.edu/recyclemania. — Julian Jimenez/The Daily Cougar
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At a special SGA meeting, Tom Ehardt, associate vice president/vice chancellor of finance, discussed the upcoming budget cuts and what they mean for the UH community. | Nine Nguyen/The Daily Cougar
GREEN UH
Recycling pays off, efforts continue Cordero Jennings
THE DAILY COUGAR The UH Sustainability Task Force celebrated the success of the Silver STARS award while continuing its efforts to create a greener campus. Earlier this month, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education acknowledged UH’s sustainability initiatives with a Silver STARS mark of Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System. To be evaluated, the program requires an institution to record and report its efforts to maintain an ecological balance. “Earning a rating in AASHE STARS signifies that sustainability is no longer a project or one initiative at the University of Houston,” said Emily Messa, assistant vice president for University Services. “Sustainability is a part of being a Cougar.” The STARS evaluation measures colleges and universities in three principal categories: Education and Research; Operations and Planning; and Administration and Engagement. UH earned a total of 53.64 points, scoring 57.04 percent in Education & Research, 32.95 percent in Operations and 70.93 percent in Planning, Administration and Engagement. Green UH, a student-developed GREEN UH continues on page 3
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Cloudy weather — but hey, at least it’s warm
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EVENTS Architecture Lecture - Brad Cloepfil, ‘Occupation’ The College of Architecture is having a lecture on ‘Occupation’ by Brad Cloepfil in room 150 of the Architecture Theater from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Free Instructor-Led, Hands-On Computer Training A class introducing Excel 2010 will be held from 10 a.m. to noon in room 110-6 of the Social Work Building.
FOR MORE EVENTS, CHECK OUT
thedailycougar.com/calendar
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
SGA Pres travels to Austin for UH students Jose Aguilar
THE DAILY COUGAR UH’s student leader isn’t just asking you to sign a petition; he’s also taking the fight against the upcoming budget cuts directly to the State Capitol. In a letter dated Feb. 16, Prince Wilson, president of UH’s Student Government Association, highlighted the effects budget cuts would have on the UH community. “We are already facing fiscal issues due to the current state of the economy and it is not acceptable for the state to reduce our source of funding,” Wilson said in the letter. “Our tuition will rise dramatically, important courses will be
eliminated, student services will be reduced and many more significant factors of our education will be either completely removed or will face a reduction.” Wilson has also stressed the additional cuts that are unaccounted for in the estimated cuts to financial aid. The House and Senate budgets both propose eliminating the TEXAS Grant program, which helps many first-time students pay for college. UH is expected to lose up to $65 million for the biennium — and this excludes the TEXAS Grant cuts, which account for $19 million per year, Wilson said. “These cuts will affect the majority of our students who are struggling really hard to
earn an education in the midst of this tough economic situation,” Wilson said. In response, Wilson invited the community to sign ‘Texans Against Higher Education Budget Cuts,’ an online petition created for the cause. “It’s crucial that we as students stand together to say ‘no’ to these budget cuts,” he said. On Feb. 2, Wilson took the first of several anticipated trips to Austin for educational sessions with representatives from Houston and Harris County. “The SGA will make several trips to Austin in upcoming weeks to meet with state PETITION continues on page 3