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Cougars look to extend C-USA reign
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BUDGET CUTS SERIES A scheduled report on the affect of budget cuts on community colleges, and its subsequent effects on UH, will be published the week after Spring Break.
Khator elected to national higher education board for one year Chancellor and President of UH Renu Khator has been elected to the Board of the American Council of Education, according to a post on Khator’s Twitter account Monday. ACE, which consists of over 1,800 accredited colleges and universities, conducts research and public education advocacy. It was originally formed as an emergency council in 1918 to educate military personnel in World War I. ACE has been instrumental in development and passage of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the founding of the US Department of Education and, more recently, the passing of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Khator’s term is set to end March 2012. — Nick Ragan/The Daily Cougar
Yale professor to present seminar on development of embryos The Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling will be hosting a seminar at 10 a.m. today in Room 102 of the Science Center. The topic will be “Translational Regulation of Oocyte and Early Embryo Development.” Presenting at the seminar will be Dr. Emre Seli of Yale University, an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences and director of the Third Party Reproduction Program. Jan-Ake Gustafsson will host the event. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 832-842-8803.
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March 10, 2011 Read. Recycle. Repeat daily.
Shadow cast over SGA elections Jack Wehman
THE DAILY COUGAR The Daily Cougar received firsthand knowledge of potential SGA election fraud Wednesday night — and the consequence may be disqualification. Vice Presidential candidate Craig Premjee was seen using his iPhone as a polling location at the Den around approximately 7:45 p.m. There were numerous witnesses, including Daily Cougar Opinion Editor Andrew Taylor, who saw the incident take place. “Craig came up to us and asked, ‘Have you voted yet?’ I said no,” said economics senior Joeanthony Leyva. “He (Premjee) said, ‘If you want to vote right now, I’ve got it pulled up on my phone.’ So I signed in and I voted on his phone.” The SGA election code prohibits this type of campaigning. Article 5, section 7, clause 1
defines a polling location as “a voting apparatus used by an individual other than the owner.” Article 7, section 4, clause 1 — titled “Prohibited Methods of Campaigning” — states that candidates are prohibited from setting up any polling location, or interfering with a person using a voting apparatus in any way. If this is found to be a violation, Article 10, section 1, clause 4 states three different penalties for election violations. A class three violation, which is the most serious, results in disqualification. Premjee did not deny allowing people to vote on his phone. However, he did say that people asked to use his phone, not the other way around. “Whenever someone asks me if they can use my phone to vote, I’m not going to say, ‘No, you can’t use my phone.’ I’m just going to give them my phone and walk away. I
think that’s perfectly fine,” Premjee said. “It may be explicitly stated like that in the election code, but when it comes down to it, an iPhone is just an electronic device that’s able to do these things.” When asked about the situation, Presidential candidate Michael Harding said that he was aware of what Premjee was doing. “OK, yeah, I mean, that’s what’s up, you know? People are trying to vote. A lot of times when people hear that we’re running, they just want to vote right then and there. And I know Craig provides them with a computer resource,” Harding said. “Personally I have yet to see Craig use his phone to let people vote, but he has informed me that that has happened.” For a full copy of the SGA election code, visit http://sga.uh.edu/index.php/electioncenter.html. news@thedailycougar.com
LEGISLATURE
Breaking for capital for second round SGA representatives to hold educational meetings with officials Anna Gallegos and Tap Nguyen
THE DAILY COUGAR
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Issue 111, Volume 76
TUEE TU
78/57 78 8/57
EVENTS Grand Opera Symphony Orchestra The Moores School of Music is presenting a performance by the Grand Opera Symphony Orchestra from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $15, $10 for seniors and students. Rascal Flatts The grammy-winning country music trio is headlining tonight’s show at RodeoHouston in Reliant Stadium. The show begins at 6:45 p.m., and ticket prices are ranging from $18 to $300. Parking starts at $10.
FOR MORE EVENTS, CHECK OUT
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Instead of going to the beach this spring break, 16 UH students are headed to the state capital March 14 and 15 on behalf of all students. “The Student Government Association will be having one-on-one meetings with state representatives on Monday and Tuesday,” said Kate Gaviola, director of external affairs for SGA and the current secretary for the Texas Student Association, in an e-mail interview. “For each day, we have scheduled to meet with at least three state representatives. We are also willing to meet with other state representatives’ staffs who are knowledgeable on the higher education topic.” Because of a projected $27 billion shortfall in the Texas budget, state support for UH’s operating costs will drop 12 percent for the 2011 fiscal year compared to what it was 10 years ago, as reported in a Faculty BREAK continues on page 3
Chemistry Senior Ayman Abdelrazek plays a game of ring toss at Green UH’s RecycleMania Olympics in Butler Plaza on Wednesday. | Jasmine Umenyi/The Daily Cougar
Bowling for Green Taylor McGilvray
THE DAILY COUGAR To help get students excited about recycling, Green UH held its RecycleMania Olympics from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in Butler Plaza. “We want to show the UH community how fun recycling can be by bringing various games made of recycled and salvaged materials out for them to enjoy,” said Billy Garner, marketing coordinator for University Services. Students played skee ball, horseshoes, ring toss, tic-tac-toe toss and competed in a tug-ofwar tournament. “It was really fun,” said kinesiology freshman Kathy Nguyen, after playing skee ball and waiting in line for horseshoes. Prizes included lanyards, sanitizers, Green
UH pens, Cougar trading cards, candy, and coupons. Students who competed in all five events received a recycled medal, Garner said. The games were all created using recycled material such as aluminum foil, paper towel tubes and plastic bottles. They were all made by UH students, Garner said. “We [played] a bunch of games to promote RecycleMania, which is pretty cool,” construction management sophomore Maegan Waggoner said. “I got a bus pass from the UC Satellite during the first event,” said Waggoner, who was working her way through the lines for each game. There was also an information booth where students could learn more about RECYCLE continues on page 3
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ONLINE
Israel
Innovative Hospitality It originated on the Kibbutz. Farmers would come in to the communal dining room after several hours of work and eat a meal t for a king.
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1. Space shuttle launch marks the end of an era 2. US should play fair or not at all 3. Somali pirates make a blood-red sea 4. Beer class leaves student interest brewing 5. UH beats Rice in all-around value
FEATURED COMMENTS Re: STAFF EDITORIAL – Secrecy breeds lies; don’t let it happen at UH
Over the years the Israelis adapted this tradition, and today this, and much more, are the standard for all 4 and 5 star hotels in Israel. Fresh Juice Coffee or Tea Eggs of your choice Israeli salad and olives Hard and soft cheeses Freshly baked bread with jam and butter
“Only 10 percent voter turn out? Sounds like many elections we have every year in this country. People who have a possible fear of losing their job in this wonderful P Bo economy don’t want their name attached to a comment, not a surprise there. Wether the fear is real or unfounded, they still believe it is a possiblity. All the article points out are realities that are nothing out of the norm.” — user “Mac” Re: STAFF EDITORIAL – Secrecy breeds lies; don’t let it happen at UH
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Jewish Campus Life
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“While this may seem as a general problem; it does not happen everywhere in particular not in organizations where top level people promote open and fair dialogue. Unfortunately, the current UH administration is part of the problem instead
of the solution. It promotes secrecy, discourages criticism, and wants to have dictatorial control over decisions. President Khator says that she want to have input from the community concerning budget cuts. Yet, she wants to control this input by insisting that this input be emailed to her directly (eliminating the possibility of anonymous inputs or any input critical of her decisions).” — user “Cougar101” Re: Westboro Baptist Church hides behind First Amendment
“These people represent the FIRST AMENDMENT. They have EVERY RIGHT to expose the immorality of our society, they have every right to expose the people who have left God to espouse perversions such as homosexuality, illegal wars, immoral politicians.” — user “Joe Rizoli” Re: Westboro Baptist Church hides behind First Amendment
“They say horrible things like “thank god for dead soldiers.” While I disagree with the vile filth and hate they spew, they still have the freedom to make themselves look like idiots.” — user “Michael McHugh”
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NEWS
The Daily Cougar
Fun on the frontier as Fiesta draws near Darlene Campos
THE DAILY COUGAR The University community is abuzz with the possible effects of looming budget cuts, but organizers of Frontier Fiesta report the festival has not been affected. “As far as budget is concerned, we have had no major setbacks to speak of,” said Matthew Robbins, director of operations for Frontier Fiesta. “An unexpected twist over past years is that our director of development has been extremely productive and has brought in lots of additional funding and sponsors that will add more activities to the festival,” Robbins said. Cameron Bailey, director of marketing and public relations for Frontier Fiesta, said the event still has strong community support. “We still have strong support from alumni and businesses that are interested in participating more with the University,” Bailey said. “Funding is coming along great this year.” According to its website, sponsors include Bud Light, Abercrombie and Fitch, 59 Diner and ExxonMobil. “Last summer a great deal of time was spent by marketing and development in the University Archives, making sure we stuck to our traditions,” Robbins said. “This year, you will see the revived mascot on our
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Senate budget presentation. Aside from this, UH will be faced with cuts in financial aid. UH is expected to lose up to $65 million for the biennium, said SGA President Prince Wilson in a previous interview with The Daily Cougar. This planned trip to Austin follows one Wilson undertook on Feb. 2 with similar intentions. The March 14 and 15 trip follows a rally at the State Capitol, planned for March 12, against public education cuts, not just those in higher education. “This was one of the events that was brought up (and) that could give public schools media coverage that will hopefully show how much students, faculties and administrators are against the higher education cuts,” Gaviola said.
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She also added that “UH students are more than welcome” to attend this rally. As for SGA’s trip, their intent is more focused. “The meeting will provide us a smarter and more efficient way to voice what UH will be facing with the looming budget cuts and how it will greatly impact UH,” Gaviola said. While only 16 students are scheduled to talk with state legislators, other UH students are able to join the group in Austin. “If students would still like to participate in our SGA Capitol days, they are more than welcome to meet us in Austin and we will include them in our meetings,” Gaviola said. “We will also have a workshop that will provide the participants more knowledge on the subject and what the process is like.” news@thedailycougar.com
Frontier Fiesta will take up parking lot 12B from Friday through Monday, April 4. | The Daily Cougar File Photo advertisements and the return of a UH Football Scrimmage Game on Saturday.” Fiesta revelers will also enjoy an increased number of vendors offering free samples and promotions. “Students can expect a classic tradition that is constantly improving,” Bailey said. “Student participation has been going up, and there will be a range of activities like paintball and variety shows.” While Frontier Fiesta aims for UH students and the Houston community to have fun, parking lots have to shut down to make way for all the attractions. Parking and Transportation will fence off economy lot 12B starting on
Friday. This lot will remain closed until no later than Monday, April 4, 2011. Students with economy permits may park in any student lot between March 22 and March 27. A complete map of parking closures is available on the Frontier Fiesta website. “Fiesta has been working with parking and transportation more than ever to increase awareness of the event and avoid major setbacks to student inconvenience,” Robbins said. Frontier Fiesta 2011 will take place March 24—26. For more information, visit www. uh.edu/fiesta. news@thedailycougar.com
RECYCLE continued from page 1
recycling and Green UH. Students were also reminded to keep collecting recyclables for the RecycleMania competition. “We [want] to encourage everyone to participate in the RecyleMania competition going on through April 5,” Garner said. RecycleMania is a 10-week competition between schools nationwide, ranking schools on a number of criteria, including the largest amount of recyclables collected per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita and
having the highest recycling weight, Garner said. UH won first place in Texas in the actual weight of recyclables and seventh in the nation in overall waste minimization last year, Garner said. For more information on RecyleMania and future Green UH events, go to www.uh.edu/recyclemania. To register teams for the competition, go to www.uh.edu/af/recyclemania/competition.htm. The next RecycleMania event will be the Art of Recycling Contest, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 22 at the UC World Affairs Lounge. news@thedailycougar.com
CONGRATULATIONS TO A
‘PERFECT’
TEAM!
The UH Cougars Women’s Basketball Team finished undefeated in Conference USA! Next stop: the C-USA Championship!
From all of us at Student Affairs: Go Cougars! Counseling and Center for Students with DisABILITIES Psychological Services Dean of Students Office Center for Student Involvement Campus Recreation
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Supporting student success 713-743-5390 www.uh.edu/dsa 114 Ezekiel Cullen Building
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Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Daily Cougar
opinion THE DAILY COUGAR
EDITOR Andrew Taylor E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/opinion
PHOTO Courtesy of US Navy
EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITORS NEWS EDITORS SPORTS EDITORS LIFE
& ARTS EDITOR
OPINION EDITOR
Jack Wehman Newton Liu, Christopher Losee Jose Aguilar, Cristi Guerra John Brannen, Joshua Siegel Mary Baak Andrew Taylor
STAFF EDITORIAL
This spring break, please don’t be ‘that guy’
F
riends, Cougars, countrymen, lend us your ears; we have come to speak about Spring Break. It is a great time to escape the grind and recharge your batteries — or just wear them out further, depending upon what your schedule entails. Either way, we urge you to “not be that guy” during your week away from campus. Please do not be the kid that falls off of the sea wall, or drives his/her car into a train or urinates on a cop car. These just are not things to do in front of people. We condone and encourage some well deserved partying, but please be responsible about it. Hard as it might be, please put your pride aside when you imbibe. Your friends are looking out for you — most of the time — and listening to them is usually a good idea. The hardest thing to do when intoxicated might be to see the big picture. Immediate desires and needs take over. “I need to drive home right now,” or “I really need to pee. How about that cop car?” These are not the best ideas. If your friends try to dissuade you, it is probably for good reason. Allow your friends to drive you home. Your car will still be there in the morning. Is it not more important to get home in one piece and without a DWI? You can also always crash, wherever you might be. Sometimes it isn’t worth it. Big picture, people — should you drive home intoxicated, or swallow your pride? Do designated drivers seem lame? Sure, the idea doesn’t pack much machismo. It admits defeat, but get over it and show some humility. Aside from getting a degree and having one too many hangovers, students usually leave college having evolved from teenagers into adults. It’s decisions like these that are a real indicator of progress in that transition. It might seem like a good idea in your drunken state, but please don’t be “that guy.”
uns can pose a threat to people, even when their use is wellintentioned in terms of defending the safety of others. Since the unfortunate event in Tuscon, Ariz., and the shooting a year earlier at the campus of The University of Texas, legislation concerning guns has been loaded into many agendas. In Texas, the debate centers around House Andrew Bill 1893 and its Taylor companion bill SB 354. Both bills propose that students will be allowed to carry guns on the campuses of higher education institutions. The argument over this bill is a simple one: allowing more guns on campus will result in many more opportunities for people to get hurt or even killed.
E D I TO R I A L P O L I C I E S
Newton Liu: Guns on campus: a loaded question
Republicans look to arm students
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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.
I don’t particularly have a strong opinion for or against concealed carry on campus. I see pros and cons to both sides.
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) 743-5384. Letters are subject to editing.
Advocates of the matter like to recite the phrase of “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” This statement has been proven to be — more or less — erroneous.
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.
Studies have shown that the presence of guns foster more aggressive behavior as opposed to the presence of your average everyday object (such as a writing utensil), thus rendering the rebuttal “you can kill people with almost anything” with little value. And if I recall correctly, studies have also shown that certain areas around the world allowing concealed carry have seen a decrease in violent crimes. It can go either way.
In January, a gun fell out of a man’s jacket and a woman was wounded by the gun as it discharged when it hit the floor inside of a Houston restaurant. The same thing could easily happen at a university inside of a classroom. More significantly, guns serve no constructive purpose on college campuses. Most supporters of the right to carry on campus claim that if those licensed to carry are allowed to do so, then they will be able to protect themselves and others in the case of another school shooting. Police forces around the country have deemed the idea of students shooting back as a very dangerous one. Most people who decide to commit campus shooting sprees don’t distinguish themselves in order to stand out from normal students. This becomes very dangerous, as cops have no way of knowing who the shooter is and who is wielding a gun in
order to help. One has to wonder how other students could accomplish what police would try do to in the same situation. How is one gun-carrying student going to be able to determine a gunman from a student who is trying to protect themselves? Since the year 2000, there have been six incidents on college campuses where a student has fired upon and killed others. Five out of those six times the student committing the shooting has ended up shooting himself. The one exception was in January of 2002, when a graduate student of Virginia’s Appalachian school of law was tackled and subdued after killing three people. This proves that students don’t need guns to solve a serious situation. Andrew Taylor is an economics senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.
John Brannen: Let’s not give guns to crazy people at UH Allowing firearms on campus would create an environment not conducive to learning. UH, or any other university, doesn’t need to be the place for Clint Eastwood-style showdowns. Some may assume that having a gun will keep them from falling victim to crime, but what if the criminal pulls a weapon out first? Chances are that criminal will not take kindly to you reaching for your protection. It is not about guns, but a mental health issue. Too often guns fall in the wrong hands — there is not a thorough enough screening for people to obtain them. In April of 2009, a professor at the University of Georgia shot and killed two people after murdering his ex-wife. Not all gun owners are manic, but too many people, whether adults or students, are not mentally stable enough for the responsibility of carrying a gun.
ONLINE POLL
Do you feel that students should be allowed to carry guns on campus or allowed to keep them in their campus dorms?
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Thursday, March 10, 2011
NEWS
The Daily Cougar
21 st ANNUAL UH STAFF COUNCIL/FACULTY SENATE SPRING EGG HUNT DATE: Saturday, April 9th, 2011 TIME: Activities to begin at 9:00 a.m. PLACE: Lynn Eusan Park The Staff Council/Faculty Senate Egg Hunt Team is searching for donations for the annual Spring Egg Hunt. This is open to all UH staff and faculty children up to 12 years old. Please help us to continue this tradition. Interim Director for Residential Life and Housing Javier Hidalgo spoke at January’s town hall meeting in which the recently-approved dining plan was presented to students. | Naheeda Sayeeduddin/The Daily Cougar
Students to pay more for dining services Plan calls for an increase in meals and door pricing for next year Naheeda Sayeeduddin
THE DAILY COUGAR UH Dining Services proposed plan was approved by the UH Board of Regents and will go into effect in the fall for the 2011-2012 school year. The plan, which includes meal plan and door pricing rate increases, is drawing concern from students, but University Services constituent relations coordinator, Jonas Chin, said the price increase in meal plans is not significant and is there to cover the cost of rising food prices. “If you see some of the news, what they are projecting is that food costs, chicken, milk, these things are going up and because of that we have to be able to buy the food and bring it here and take care of the labor,” Chin said. “That’s basically the reason for the increase.” Food Services Advisory Committee Vice-Chair Marinela AcunaArreaza voiced her concern in January’s town hall meeting over whether the meal plan rate increase was to profit Aramark at the students’ expense, but Chin said on Tuesday it was all about keeping up with the cost of food and to look out for the best for the students. “As far as (dining service) companies on campus, our job is to make sure they are providing the best service possible for UH students,” he said. “And that’s part of the reason why we have a food services advisory committee — to help evaluate that.” Although students may not be happy about the increase, some understand the need for it. “Rate increases have never been popular amongst students, but I feel that due to the increase in price of foods everywhere and the economic
downturn, the increase might be justified,” managing and marketing senior Kamil Khan said. “The only thing I can hope for as a resident that lives on campus is that the service is tantamount to the increased rate of dining,” Khan said. “And that the dining hall remains conducive to the eating habits of its customers.” UH Dining services has been working with the Food Services Advisory Committee in evaluating different alternatives to offer the best pricing to students. Chin said they looked at what other colleges are providing for the price that students are paying at those campuses. One of the plans reviewed was that of Texas Tech University. “What we’ve done is to look at if we were to go self-operational. If you look at Texas Tech’s meal plan, they’re double currently what we’re at, at UH. The University is not in the business of doing food,” Chin said. “We’re here to make sure that we have the resources for our students to be successful. But if you look at Texas Tech’s meal plan, they are a self-operational hospitality.” Tech’s meal plan prices are in a range of more than $3000, Chin said, and it does not offer students 33 different places where they can eat, like UH. The UH Dining Services meal plan proposal report shows that prices at UH are significantly lower than Baylor, Texas A&M and Rice. Even though Khan was unable to attend the town hall meetings, he is aware of the changes being brought to the campus and has a suggestion. “I am quite content with the dining options on campus, although I do wish that other facilities besides the Moody Towers dining hall had longer hours so the residents had more choices. During the weekends, a student living on campus doesn’t have the option to be picky.” news@thedailycougar.com
Small toys, stuffed animals, books, stickers, small note pads, coloring books, pencils, crayons, or T-shirts are welcome. We also need candy donations – small individually wrapped pieces that will fit into plastic eggs. PLEASE: No chocolate (it melts too quickly). Last year approximately 3000 eggs were filled and between 250 to 300 children participated in this event. Please contact a Staff Council Committee Chair below to coordinate donation pickup / delivery. Linda Jauregui at 3-5280 or via email ljauregu@central.uh.edu Audri Villalon at 3-8395 or via email avillalon2@uh.edu Donations accepted through Friday, April 1 st. We appreciate your support!
MARCH IS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH! JOIN US FOR THIS GREAT EVENT!
TODAY IS
NATIONAL WOMEN AND GIRLS HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY. The WRC will have a resource table in the University Center Arbor from 11am - 1pm TODAY. Free male and female condoms, information on HIV/AIDS, and condom negotiation. Women need information and resources to keep themselves sexually safe. Join us. EDUCATE AND EMPOWER YOURSELF.
Point. Click. Promote your event. Use the Campus Calendar at thedailycougar.com
FOR MORE GREAT EVENTS VISIT WWW.UH.EDU/WRC
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Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Daily Cougar
sports overtime
EDITORS John Brannen, Joshua Siegel E-MAIL sports@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/sports
BASEBALL
Bats come alive, UH blasts TSU Cougars get offense clicking again, blowout Tigers with seven runs in first three innings Gilbert Requena
THE DAILY COUGAR
AARON CISNEROS/THE DAILY COUGAR
SOFTBALL
Cougars head to Austin for last non-conference matchup UH is facing another formidable obstacle when they play the No. 13-ranked Texas Longhorns. The No. 25-ranked Cougars (16-5) have won 13 of their last 15 contests. Texas has a 14-3 all-time series lead over UH. In their last meeting on Feb. 21, 2010, the Longhorns beat UH 11-4 at Cougar Field. “It is a single game, so I think you’re going to definitely get their best, so we have to show up to play,” head coach Kyla Holas said in a release. The game starts at 6:30 p.m. today at Charline McCombs Field in Austin. The Cougars will host their first conference matchup this weekend, a three-game set against UAB, with the series-opening game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Cougar Softball Field. — Cougar Sports Services
The UH offense hadn’t been seen for a few games, and its picture was about to be put on the back of a milk carton — until it showed up Wednesday. The Cougars (7-6) showed up in a big way at the dish against TSU (5-8), padding their stats with 17 hits en route to a 13-3 win. “I put it on the hitters that we have got to get better,” head coach Todd Whitting said. “I think a lot of the focus has been on the lack of depth in our pitching staff. The pitching staff is not what got us to .500, 6-6. It was a lack of offense. “I put it on the hitters, telling them they need to get better, and they responded today. We had 17 hits and scored 13 runs. That’s a pretty good day at the plate.” Five Cougars had multi-hit games. John Cannon reached base in all three of his plate appearances and scored twice. Chase Jensen and Matt Creel both went 2-for-5 with multi-RBI performances. Caleb Ramsey scored two runs
FIGHTIN’ WORDS
and drove in three for UH. M.P. Cokinos also got into the act with a 3-for-5 night. “We came out and had a better approach at the plate,” Cannon said. “We just tried to drive the ball up the middle and the other way. It just worked out for us.”
back.” The Cougars will play their first series away from Cougar Field this weekend when they face Texas State for a threegame set. The first game starts at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos. sports@thedailycougar.com
Pep talk sparks offense Whitting said that he spoke to the team after Tuesday’s loss and talked about discipline at home plate because players had recently been anxious and in a hurry to hit. “We just talked about getting our pitch,” Whitting said. “Sit there, eliminate pitches and get something that we can drive.” The Cougars’ pitching staff had a better performance tonight. Four pitchers combined to allow only three runs and nine hits. Starting pitcher Jordan Mannisto pitched three-and-two-thirds innings and allowed only two runs, none earned. Whitting and Canon hope that this victory can be the starting point where things can start to turn for the Cougars. “We really needed it,” Whitting said. “We didn’t just need a win, we needed a big win. “I think that going into the weekend this will give us a little bit of our swagger
Houston 13, TSU 3 SCORE BY INNING RH E TSU 010 100 001–3 9 3 Houston 2 4 1 2 0 3 3 0 X – 13 17 3 TOP HITTERS TSU (5-8)
PLAYER Dilligard Felnoy
AB R
H
RBI BB SO PO A
LOB
3 4
2 2
0 0
3 0
0 0
0 1
0 0
4 1
0 1
HOUSTON (7-6) PLAYER AB R
H
RBI BB SO PO A
LOB
Jensen Ramsey
1 2
2 1
3 3
0 0
WINNING IP H Moran 3.1 3
R
ER BB SO AB BF
0
0
LOSING Williams
5 3
0 1
1 0
2 1
5 0
PITCHERS
1
2
13 15
IP
H
R
ER BB SO AB BF
3
7
7
5
2
1
17 19
Save — None E - HERNANDEZ, R (7); COOK, J (6). LOB - UH 7; TSU 11. 2B - Ramsey(6); Magliolo(1); Jensen(3); Creel(3); Davis(1); Cannon(2). 3B - Cokinos(2). SB - FLENOY,A(4); BROWN,J(3); Appling(3); Ramsey(1); Runte(3). CS - Still(2).
Stadium: Cougar Field Announced Attendance: 890 Time: 6:34 p.m.
Talking smack and sports
Is the addition of three more at-large teams to the NCAA Tournament good or bad? Christopher Losee: Don’t worry, be happy
Joshua Siegel: It’s really not a big deal guys
John Brannen: Let everyone play instead
Judge Wehman: Mixing up a cup of Cougar blood
Changing the 65-team field to 68 teams will not shatter the NCAA Tournament schedule.
I could not agree more with Avatar Hendrix Losee. I hate when people attempt to fix things that are not broken -- and the NCAA Tournament is far from broken.
Come on guys, haven’t you ever heard of the more the merrier? There is no need to discriminate against the Cinderella teams that come from mid-major conference.
Wow. Not a lot going on here in terms of brainpower, huh?
The change probably will go unnoticed, since most people do not tune in to the Tournament until it gets to the Sweet 16. On the other hand, the change could actually strengthen the tournament. The Final Four qualifiers of the Tournament facing off against the final four at-large qualifier makes for solid competition in sealing the 68-team schedule. Three teams will be added, that’s it. What’s wrong with giving three other teams the chance to win a NCAA championship? The schedule doesn’t change, and nobody is expecting a No. 68 seed to destroy a top-seeded team, so what’s all the fuss about? It makes for better competition in the higher seeded pools anyways. The teams are scheduled to play on either the Tuesday or Wednesday after Selection Sunday, so nobody will be having a heart attack wondering who is making seed Nos. 65-68. However, the downside to this transition is that this could be one step the NCAA is taking to reach a 96-team bracket, which would be an excess of teams. But as for now, nobody should be worrying about this.
TALK BACK
The move doesn’t change the actual tournament itself or give a No. 1-seed any more difficult of an opponent to pulverize, but it does create a few more opportunities for schools and television stations to make money. If this is actually a precursor to a 96-team tournament than this is stupid, but that’s not what we’re arguing here Avatar. This sort of expansion is insignificant. No. 16 seeds never upset No. 1 seeds. It doesn’t happen. It doesn’t matter who Jimmer Fredette lights up in the first round. The nation will not go into a state of hysteria when Missouri State is the last team left out. Cars will not be set on fire. There will not be riots because of this change. The NCAA Tournament is not the BCS. There are better things to focus anger towards, like how Mariano Rivera should have won the 2005 Cy Young over big fat Bartolo Colon, or that Curt Schilling is allowed to have a blog, or that beer is really expensive at sporting events. Those are all totally worthy causes for a human to devote their anger and rage towards. This is insignificant. I’m all for giving schools an opportunity to make some money and be on television and promote the great game of basketball. Let ‘em play.
Of course the 68-team field is a shape of things to come in the future. But forget the consideration of a field of 96 teams, the NCAA should totally bypass that thought. My proposition is that the NCAA should push for a minimum of at least 200 teams in March Madness. Could you imagine watching Kentucky play against the New Jersey Institute of Technology? Really though, the addition of three more play-in teams is obviously prolonging the inevitable - the underdog will get bounced by the top seed. But at some point a No. 16 seed will pull off the royal upset, and get a miraculous win over a No. 1 seed. Once that happens, people will be vehemently praising the addition and probably demand even more teams get invited, in hopes of their school pulling off the unthinkable. It wasn’t that long ago in 2003 when Carmelo Anthony and a non-ranked Syracuse got hot at the right time, and won the championship. Last season it was Butler from the Horizon League who challenged Duke in the championship game, more teams favors the underdog.
What do you think? Post comments at thedailycougar.com/sports
I guess you can declare Chris the winner if you’d like, but none of you really disagreed with each other. Or even managed to bring up original thoughts. At least Chris went first with his bland opinion. The rest of you, what happened? Josh, what are you even talking about? Mariano Rivera and the 2005 Cy Young Award? Wrong sport, and wrong topic. Low-seeded teams do manage to topple their bigger counterparts every once in a while. Go sit in the corner and think about what you’ve written. Verdict John, sorry bro — you denied me a win, I deny you a win. Karma pays in spades. Plus, you said pretty much the same thing Chris did, but you didn’t exactly address the question; he wins, so it sucks to be you today. Facetime I am in it to win it — a win here, a win there. Winning! Just winning! #winning
Thursday, March 10, 2011
SPORTS
The Daily Cougar
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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Cougars ready for familiar foes UH looking to keep up conference dominance
StylishLiving
Lance Jaramillo
THE DAILY COUGAR Winners of their last 16 games, the red-hot Cougars look to continue their dominance as the No. 1 seed in the Conference USA Tournament. UH will be matched up with UTEP, the host team of the tournament. After guiding UH to a firstround bye, C-USA Coach of the Year Todd Buchanan and the Cougars will look to repeat what they have done once before this season: conquer C-USA. Buchanan’s confidence is justified — his team was only the second to ever go through C-USA undefeated in the regular season. “We’ll prepare for whatever we need to prepare for,” Buchanan said. “It’s all about execution, poise and heart at this point more than it is about the Xs and Os. We’ll do our due diligence and tweak whatever we need to tweak. “We need to win no matter what. We have to come out and fight, be ready to play and win basketball games.” Look no further than senior forward Courtney Taylor — the reigning two-time C-USA Player of the Year, and C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Buchanan calls Taylor his “double-double machine.” Versatility to boast For good reason, UH is considered the Goliath of the tournament, and anything short of a C-USA crown will be deemed a disappointment. Buchanan said he feels that with so much depth and multitalented players on this squad, this incarnation of the Cougars is like a Swiss Army knife of sorts. “I think we’re really in a good
'12"3/'$#" '12"3/$''"4" After beating every team in Conference USA, guard Brittney Scott and the Cougars will attempt to run the table twice. | Aaron Cisneros/The Daily Cougar spot right now,” Buchanan said. “We’re so versatile because Courtney can play guard. Obviously Brittany Mason already plays guard but if we want to go small and really athletic we’ll throw her in a post-forward four spot. Lesslee can also handle the basketball. Jasmine (Johnson) stepped up (against Rice) as she’s done all season. We’re really a hybrid of an all guard-forward team.” Miners provide ample competition Though the Cougars (25-4, 16-0 Conference USA) blew by many of their opponents en route to 25 regular season victories, 16 of those wins came by 10 or more, UH will be not be a shoe-in win, as the Miners will have the homecourt advantage on their side. UTEP (16-13, 7-9) won in convincing fashion Wednesday, crushing SMU 75-57 to advance to the second round. In the previous meeting, the Cougars beat UTEP 77-61 at home on Feb. 20 to win the regularseason C-USA title. Before that, UH weathered the Miners’s come back attempt and pulled out a 70-62 victory on Jan. 16 at the Don Haskins Center. If the Cougars beat the Miners
they will play the winner of the No. 4-seeded Tulane and No. 5 seed East Carolina. ECU advanced after beating Tulsa 71-62 in the first round Wednesday. The Pirates and Tulane tip off before the UH game at 6 p.m. As the season has progressed, the Cougars have not been cocky, but are sure of themselves. “We go in with a lot of confidence,” Buchanan said. “We have a lot of swagger and not in an arrogant way, but they’re hungry. “We don’t hide from anything. I don’t portray myself to be a Rex Ryan guy, but I’m not afraid to talk about it either. “We know who we are, what we have and we know what we have to do to be successful.” The game tips off at 8:30 p.m. tonight at the Memorial Gym in El Paso. sports@thedailycougar.com
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MEN’S BASKETBALL
Marshall ousts UH Cougars Sports Services
The Cougars were eliminated from the Conference USA Tournament on Wednesday, suffering a 97-87 defeat to Marshall. The Cougars held a 36-33 lead at halftime and led 62-60 after two Zamal Nixon free throws with 8:52 remaining in the second half, a 18-2 Thundering Herd run shortly after put UH too far behind to rally back. The four-and-a-half minute offensive outburst was powered by 3-point daggers from Dago Pena, who scored all nine of his points during the run. The Cougars did a better job of boxing out, but still lost the rebound battle 33-29. They also still had their usual bouts with turnovers and poor shooting from the free-throw line. Nixon led UH with 21 points on 4-of-8 shooting and a perfect 12-of12 from the line. sports@thedailycougar.com
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Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Daily Cougar
life+arts showtime
EDITOR Mary Baak E-MAIL arts@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/arts
VACATION TIPS
Have a relaxing spring break Staying home during spring break doesn’t mean that you’re doomed to boredom Daniel Renfrow
THE DAILY COUGAR WIKIMIEDA COMMONS
LIVE MUSIC
Rascal Flatts at Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Thursday, 6:45 p.m. Reliant Stadium, One Reliant Park, Houston, TX 77054. For more information, call 832-667-1400 or visit www.reliantpark.com. $16 to $208.
Thee Oh Sees with Ware Wires and Dune TX Thursday 8 p.m. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak Houston, TX 77007. For more information call 713-862-3838 or visit www.fitzlive.com. $10.
Delicious Milk, Commie Hillfiger, Thunderkunt, Vincent Priceless and Skeleton Dick Friday, 8 p.m. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak Houston, TX 77007. For more information call 713-862-3838 or visit www.fitzlive.com. $5.
Lady Antebellum at Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
Whenever someone asks me what I did over spring break I always draw a blank. This is because I have never actually gone anywhere over spring break. I usually end up stuck at home because of work, or because I need to work on papers — but the latter of those two reasons never happens. I’ll usually go to my local library for the first day of the break for research and then find myself propelled through the rest of the week in a hedonistic stupor. I’m not going to kid myself anymore. Spring break is the time to have some fun. Whether I go to South Padre and down hepatitis-laced body shots, or sit at home and sip rum from a teacup, I’m not going to do anything at all. And, while I might initially feel studious and sophisticated sipping from my rum-filled teacup, that feeling is going to quickly dissipate when I realize I’ve blacked out on top of a textbook. Now, if you find yourself in the same position I usually find myself in over spring break there are a few things you can do to ensure that your spring break happiness quotient is met. The first trick I have learned is to do
If you don’t have big plans for spring break that include sand, palm trees and sun, there are ways to ensure an enjoyable spring break from the comfort of your own living room. Even if you’re stuck working and doing homework, you can always pretend you’re on a beach somewhere. | Wikimedia Commons semi-productive things throughout the week. Drink a glass of wine and then sweep the floor. Take a couple of shots, and then fold a couple towels. Check your mail on the way back from the liquor store. I’ve found that I feel less guilty about my spring break laziness when I am completing little tasks like this.
Also, my sense of accomplishment increases as the contents of the bottle of whatever I am drinking decreases. Thus, my spring-break-happiness quotient is met. Spring break is also a great time to get caught up on Netflix. Watching a SPRING BREAK continues on page 9
ON-CAMPUS EVENTS
Friday, 6:45 p.m. Reliant Stadium, One Reliant Park, Houston, TX 77054. For more information, call 832-667-1400 or visit www.reliantpark.com. $34 to $1035.
RHA celebrates Mardi Gras madness
Gnome Chomsky, St. Cloud and The Examples
Students took place in festivities at Moody Towers commons on Tuesday
Friday, 8 p.m. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak Houston, TX 77007. For more information call 713-862-3838 or visit www.fitzlive.com. $5.
Chris Webby with Caleb Mak, Cal Wes, Zeale Saturday, 8 p.m. Warehouse Live, 8813 St. Emanuel Houston, TX 77003, East End. For more information call 713225-5483 or visit www.warehouselive.com. $20 to $65.
Los Skarnales & Friends Saturday 8 p.m. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak Houston, TX 77007. For more information call 713-862-3838 or visit www.fitzlive.com. $10.
Deunbra Ivory
THE DAILY COUGAR There’s nothing more attractive to a college student than the sweet sound of free food, free stuff and a Mardi Gras party with free admission.
MARDI GRAS continues on page 9
Pokémon games back in black and white Nintendo returns with improvements and additions in the fifth installment to the series Phillip Tran
Saturday 8 p.m. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak Houston, TX 77007. For more information call 713-862-3838 or visit www.fitzlive.com. $14 to $16.
It is time once more to journey across a new land while capturing new creatures, training them and defeating an evil team. Nintendo’s newest entry to the Pokémon video game series is Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version. This is the fifth entry into the series — each entry features at least two versions with minor differences, new Pokémon and new areas to explore. The most obvious aspect is the visual upgrade from the previous four games. The game starts with a short movie
Saturday 8 p.m. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak Houston, TX 77007. For more information call 713-862-3838 or visit www.fitzlive.com. $10.
extensive line of students taking advantage of this rare opportunity. Most students were inquiring about the free t-shirts (the gold of all things free) which, not surprisingly, happened to be the primary reason they decided to show up in the first place. However, once the request was fulfilled, a majority of the students lingered around, socializing and even participating in some of the competitions.
VIDEO GAMES
SOJA with Mambo Sauce and Chris Boomer and Seedless
Los Skarnales & Friends
The Residential Housing Association hosted Mardi Gras Madness in the Moody Towers Commons on fat Tuesday, from 7 p.m. “until they got tired of dancing,” said Ed Hoff, vice president of Special Programs. This event was comprised of many fun and exciting games, as well as the latest pop jams and a variety of delectables from the food panel. The sight of chocolate-covered marshmallows encouraged most people to join in on the action, creating an
THE DAILY COUGAR
introduction, and there are other short movies during the game as well, like when the player first meets the Pokémon on the cover. The Unova Region, which is where the game takes place, has larger cities and a variety of environments to explore. The camera zooms out appropriately at scenic locations without interrupting game play. The battle system largely the same. A battle begins as soon as you enter the line of sight of another Pokémon trainer. Battles are turn-based and each Pokémon can remember up to four attacks. Each Pokémon is aligned to an element, which determines the effectiveness of attacks against them. Taking advantage
of the different elements is the key to winning battles, and it is encouraged to build a team comprising Pokémon of different elements. Triple battles and rotation battles are new to the series, but they are barely used in the game — most of the battles inside the game are one-on-one battles. 156 new Pokémon are added to the mix, bringing the new total to 649. However, the majority of the game deals with only the new Pokémon. This brings a new certain mystery to all the creatures that are encountered and forces the player to explore new options POKEMON continues on page 9
SPRING BREAK continued from page 8
season of your favorite show a day or a string of cheap horror films is a great way to distract yourself from the fact that the rest of your friends are partying it up on a distant beach somewhere and you are stuck at home. However, don’t let the fact that you are watching Netflix with your cat prevent you from making good use of your liver. Spring break is a great time to learn how to pair wine with whatever you are watching on Netflix. If you’re watching a romantic comedy, go with something sweet, like a Riesling or Gewurztraminer. For something gritty, go with a Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon — you’ll appreciate the tannins. For the harder to pair films, go with a versatile wine, like a Merlot. I’ve found that some of the sweeter Rieslings pair perfectly with “Pushing Daisies,” and that a Shiraz is a perfect compliment to “Braveheart.” If you work in the mornings and find it impossible to sit outside to tan over the break, consider stopping at a tanning salon for a quick ten-minute session. Obviously, artificial tanning is a big no-no, so don’t make a habit
MARDI GRAS continued from page 8
It was refreshing to witness the student body capture the Mardi Gras spirit, and even more vitalizing to see such a diverse crowd of people. The main purpose of the event was for people to have a good time and enjoy themselves, said numerous RHA committee members. This can be attested by a number of people who came and enjoyed the celebration. Although there was a collection of great components that contributed to the achievement of this event, the highlight of the entire festivity was the dance and limbo competition. Like any other participation request, students were
POKEMON continued from page 8
outside of old favorites. The designs of some of the new Pokémon seem to lack the charm of the older ones, but the large variety assures that most players will find at least a few that they will like. Older Pokémon are available through trading, online features and in areas accessible after the main storyline is finished. Just like the all the other Pokémon games, you start off in a small town and receive one of three starter Pokémon from the local professor. From there, you journey onwards to challenge other trainers and beat all eight gym leaders scattered throughout the region. Beating the eight gym leaders enables the
Thursday, March 10, 2011
LIFE&ARTS
The Daily Cougar
of it. However, a few sessions over the break are not going to kill you, and you will be able to have that tanned god or goddess glow when you return to class. I’ve found that I enjoy stand up tanning beds the most. I feel like the meat-center of a sandwich when using the ones you lay down in. Furthermore, if you use one of the standing beds and bring your iPod with you, you can dance away your sorrow for the duration of your session and no one will know. Just make sure your dance moves expose all parts of your body equally and you don’t break one of the bulbs. Obviously, be careful over the break. If you are someone who is lucky enough to actually go somewhere, make sure you are always aware of your surroundings. And of course, it’s imperative that you designate a driver if you’re planning on having a few drinks. If you are staying home over the break, just try to have fun in whatever you’re doing. Spring break is a great way to recharge your batteries and prevent yourself from getting burned out. If you have a lot of work to do, try to cram it into either this weekend or next weekend. Most importantly, have fun and be safe. arts@thedailycougar.com
apprehensive about signing up, but with the help of a little bribery, Rymonda Davis, president of RHA, was able to entice a couple of people into being a part of the two challenges, the first being a dance-off. The final two contestants battle on the dance floor to Ke$ha’s hit song “Tik Tok.” Then came the limbo contest, which unexpectedly included almost everyone there; this was obviously the crowd’s preference. The night was filled with laughter, fun and great entertainment. The Residential Housing Association, with the sponsorship of Green UH, did a magnificent job of hosting this Mardi Gras celebration that displayed pure fun and laughter. arts@thedailycougar.com
chance to battle the Elite Four and become champion, which is basically the end of the game’s story. Along the way, Team Plasma will be causing trouble and needs to be stopped. Three rivals will stop you for battles throughout the game, two of which are from the first town and the last one being a mysterious boy simply named N. Overall, Nintendo sticks to its original formula very closely and adds some new features in an attempt to add variety. The different Pokémon add a lot of customization to building a team. The new region offers plenty to explore and scenic locations to see. For anyone who is interested in turn-based role playing games, this might be one of the best choices for the Nintendo DS. arts@thedailycougar.com
Point. Click. Promote your event. Use the Campus Calendar at thedailycougar.com
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9
MOORES
University Choruses strike chords Louis Casiano
THE DAILY COUGAR Contemporary, classical and jazz came together Tuesday night at the Moore’s School of Music Opera House. The University Men’s and Women’s Choruses were featured in the concert “Songs of Love and Passion,” along with special appearances by several music groups. “The groups are independent from the University, but we come together sometimes to do concerts,” said Men of Moores group member Princeton Miles. The concert featured a variety of musical genres, ranging from ’80s soft rock and dance pop to classical pieces. A duet-rendition of the Jordin Sparks song “One Step At a Time” by Megan Wilhelm and Maria Aleman of the group AcaBellas sped up the tempo before moving on to the Irish folk song “The Parting Glass.” The group performs acappella arrangements of the pop genre. The University Women’s Chorus showed its versatility with romantic pieces by composer and pianist Johannes Brahms before ending with jazz legend Duke Ellington’s 1943 hit, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.” The Chorus, lead by conductor Besty Cook Weber, showed an exhilarating demonstration of talent. Men’s acappella group “Bob’s
Your Uncle” group member Edward Uzowulu came out and sang a soft solo version of “Africa” by rock band Toto. Bass singer Taylor Henderson got a loud round of applause with his solo of Mike Posner’s “Please Don’t Go.” The subtle dance moves brought the audience to a light laughter before giving up a loud
applause. Henderson gave a great performance that seemed effortless and inspiring. The group focuses on genres such as pop and barbershop, and sounded like a throwback to the days of doo-wop. The different varieties of music CHORUSES continues on page 12
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Thursday, March 10, 2011
OPINION
Time for a Debate
The Daily Cougar
Tackling issues that matter
Should students be allowed to carry concealed guns on campus to protect others? Christopher Losee: Guns don’t belong on campus
Josh Siegel: Solving a gun problem with guns is stupid
Allowing students, faculty and staff to carry a concealed weapon on campus is dangerous and unthinkable. The mentality of somebody carrying a gun is different than carrying a knife, which a lot of students carry on campus. If students feel so endangered on campus, then it is time to go to a different university. Our location — Third Ward — has nothing to do with it, and crime on the UH campus is small compared to other universities with 30,000plus enrollment. A student carrying on campus could have prevented school shootings such as the Virginia Tech shooting, but allowing students to bring guns on campus is not a plausible solution. A person can complete a CHL class in less than a day, and now they have the experience and stability to carry on campus? I don’t think so! If safety were the issue, then why would putting more guns on campus make it safer? The solution is simple, no guns.
TALK BACK
Why are we making laws based on hypotheticals? This is the stupidest idea, ‘Hey let’s save lives by giving people guns’. Yes, this must be the answer. This isn’t a cute science fair experiment. The idea of giving people guns to stop the crazies who might try to kill people with guns is insane. If students actually were to carry guns around on campus, it would only encourage more students to carry firearms out of fear. Maybe this will result in people carrying guns who never would have touched one in their life, but now have something at their disposal that can kill people. Why are we even introducing guns to the situation? Shouldn’t our goal be to eliminate guns and violence? Is our goal to keep the most people alive, or to look really cool and dangerous with our guns? When the Russians and aliens come and invade, then maybe it might make sense to have guns in the hands of students on campus. Until then, let’s please try to avoid experimental legislation that could end tragically.
Jack Wehman: Responsible people are due their rights
Mary Baak: Guns on campus bill should be shot down
Students can drive a car off an overpass at 16. They can ruin their credit rating and marry another person at 18. At 21, we trust them to drink responsibly and plan their future.
Allowing guns on campus is a deadly idea. Though statistics show that crime goes down when people are allowed to carry guns, it’s nearly inevitable that they will get in the hands of the wrong people.
Why, then, is there such a big fuss over allowing students to responsibly carry a gun where they spend a good deal of time? There is no evidence to show that concealed handguns cause any rise in criminal activity — look at the Department of Public Safety website and you can see exactly what I mean. Violent crime trends down in every category when concealed carry went into effect. People aren’t stabbing others or hitting people with baseball bats right now; why would a gun change any of that? It’s the person behind the sights that pulls the trigger. Allowing people to legally carry will only reduce the rate of crime on this campus. Criminals can already get guns — they don’t worry about following the rules. Responsibility is the key here. Treating people like adults and allowing them to protect themselves isn’t a bad idea at all.
But the question is — is it even possible for guns to be in the hands of the “right� people? So you have to have a concealed handgun license — that’s a hoop just about anyone can jump through if they’re willing to go through the course and pay fees. If everyone were allowed to carry guns, there’s no telling what would prompt people to pull the trigger. Furthermore, it could put the entire campus on edge because no one wants to mess with someone if they have a gun. We should feel safe here, not afraid of others carrying weapons. The moral of the story is that guns are deadly weapons — they’re way more dangerous than knives. Until we’re sure that people can be level-headed enough to carry a gun responsibly (which will probably never happen), allowing college students to do so would be a terrible decision on Texas government’s part.
What do you think? Post comments and vote at thedailycougar.com/polls
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THE DAILY COUGAR
ÂŽ
COMICS & MORE
The Daily Cougar
comics
Thursday, March 10, 2011
!
11
crossword
Robbie + Bobby by Jason Poland
ACROSS 1 Hieroglyphics bird 5 Nibble 9 Ground corn 13 Party handout 15 — —-tat-tat 16 Brand for Bowser 17 Type of jacket 18 Dots in “la mer” 19 He gave us a lift 20 Mantra chants 21 Siesta 23 Long-legged waders 25 Sushi ingredient 26 Carpentry job 27 Uneven 30 Feel grateful 31 Out in front 32 Amigo’s sandal 37 Sharp 38 Hazy 40 Rapper Moe Dee 41 Herb tea 43 Staff members 44 “— Daba Honeymoon” 45 Cat breed 47 Infant’s wear 50 Earthenware jar 51 More suggestive 52 Ploy 53 Film speed no. 56 Two fives for —— 57 Debtors’ letters 59 Sticky 61 Kublai — 62 Emmets 63 A Muppet 64 Counting-out word 65 Ship’s prow 66 Hubble component
Chili Fingers by Nam Nguyen
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
DOWN 1 In that case (2 wds.) 2 Oz penner 3 “Blue Tail Fly” singer 4 Turf 5 Like celery 6 Cease 7 Riviera summer 8 Erode (2 wds.)
1
2
3
4
5
13
14
17 20
21
6
7
28
16
18
19
22
23
29
38
41
33
39
42 45
49
36
53
54
55
46
50 52
56
57
61
62
64
65
58
59
Kiwi language Rocker — John Mocking Sports setback Go over again Wapiti Pitcher in a basin “The Matrix” name Arab bazaar Munro’s pen name Later on Shoal Sweetie-pie Curly-tailed dog UPC part Ground breakers Threat ender Tundra dweller Castle defense Rational State without proof Dessert choice
46 47 48 49 51 52 53 54 55 58 60
60
63 66 ©
45
35
43
51
28 29 32 33 34 35 36 38 39 42 43
34
40
44
26 27
12
30
37
48
11
24
32
47
10
26
31
9 10 11 12 14 22 24 25
9
15
25 27
8
2010 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE INC.
Previous puzzle solved
Hirt and Pacino Go swimming Tuna habitat Dingbat Long-handled tool Muddy tracks Queen —’s lace Onion covering Senate votes She loved Lennon Web addr.
S P A R A G O R A V O L T
T A P E
O L A F
K E R R
E S T E E R T EM E RMS L E S I A H C T R E ON E N D ME N I ME RO Y
S A S S H K E I S
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F P RO ON E S S T E P A C A L O I L L D Y E
OW D I I N NG D U K I N ON D NG L S P O C R U H Y D U E S S S T
P O L I N G
O P A L
O I N K
R E D S
D A C R A T N S
O R T H O
M I S E R
E V E R
R A N I
M D S E
S E E D
THIS AIN’T YOUR GRANNY’S BINGO HALL!
$0.25 PITCHER OF BEER!! Thursdays at
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Is your pencil
mightier?
The Daily Cougar needs editorial cartoonists to complement the Opinion page with insightful, bold, funny and provoking imagery about the issues and events of the day. Sound like fun? Download an Editorial application from www.uh.edu/sp and bring it with a two or three 6” x 4” sample editorial cartoons to Room 12, UC Satellite (behind the TV rooms). Questions? Email opinion@thedailycougar.com
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®
A QUARTER BUYS A PITHCER OF BEER! BINGOPARADISEHOUSTON.COM
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You can now browse recent publications in our virtual newsstand @ thedailycougar.com/ print-edition
12
!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
CHORUSES continued from page 9
made for great energy on and off the stage. To start the last session of the concert, the men’s chorus showed its school pride by marching on stage and singing the University of Houston fight song. The audience quickly joined in and threw
LIFE&ARTS
up their cougar paws and sang along loud and proud. Men’s chorus conductor Kelly J. Turner commanded the session with a riveting version of the Stephen Foster song “Gentle Annie.” The song is based on an Irish melody. The most energetic set of the night was the Men of Moores rendition of “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. Matt Mazzola performed
The Daily Cougar
the solo while the group did the background vocals and dance. The contemporary college A Cappella was made up of students from Concert Chorale and the University Men’s Chorus. Andrea Sanchez of the women’s chorus performed a flawless flute solo to “The Shepherd To His Love” by Lou Williams-Wimberly. Sanchez created a somber atmosphere with the colorful sounds of her instrument. From the standing ovation, the crowd seemed to be impressed with the performer’s effort and professionalism. After a night of jaw-dropping performances, who can blame them.
playlist »
Getting through the week list
W
ith just a couple of days left until spring break, time seems to be moving slower than ever. For most of us, a long week of midterms and deadlines have our exhaustion levels at a record high; but thankfully, we’re in the homestretch before our much-needed week off. Here are ten songs to help you beat the end-of-the-week blues. — Mary Baak
arts@thedailycougar.com
Hey, what’s happening?
Check the Campus Calendar at thedailycougar.com
Everybody’s Working for the Weekend Lover Boy
Weekend Smith Westerns
Hard Day’s Night The Beatles
Brothers on a Hotel Bed Death Cab for Cutie
Working Man Rush
The Way We Get By Spoon
Campus Vampire Weekend
She Works Hard for the Money Donna Summer
Taking Care of Business Bachman Turner Overdrive
All the Small Things Blink 182
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