Issue 132, Volume 76

sports

Cougars look to conquer C-USA 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

@thedailycougar

facebook.com/thedailycougar

Issue 132, Volume 76

Friday ®

April 15, 2011

Sign up for daily e-mail alerts

Read. Recycle. Repeat daily.

PARKING

newsline Got news? E-mail news@thedailycougar.com or call 713-743-5314

UH, Rice collaborate to present feminist pedagogies seminar The Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program at UH, in collaboration with the Rice Center for Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, is hosting “Feminist Pedagogies: Interdisciplinary, Transnational Practices & the Production of Knowledge” at 9:30 to 4:30 today in the Rockwell Pavilion of the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library.

National experts from Yale and Duke universities, and the University of California’s Berkeley and Davis campuses will present at the symposium, which is cosponsored by the UH English Department’s Martha Gano Houstoun Visiting Scholars Fund, the Tenneco Lecture Series and the UH Friends of Women’s Studies.

Plans for garage revealed Louis Casiano

THE DAILY COUGAR Student parking woes are being answered in the form of a new parking garage slated to begin construction this summer.

The garage will be located near Robertson Stadium in what is now parking lot 15D, and will be the largest on campus. Construction is expected to take nine months and has a completion date of May 1, 2012.

While construction is going on, 1,100

spaces on lot 15D will be out of service, so students will need to plan ahead to make sure they can secure a parking space.

The stadium garage will feature 2,300 parking spaces, of which more than 1,400 will be designated for students, as well as a bookstore, convenience store and a customer service counter for Parking and Transportation services.

The garage will also have a designated visitors parking area.

“Garages let us get a common area where we can get (visitors) out of the student lots,”

customer service manager Eric Holamon said. “And ultimately we’ll double the amount of student parking in this section (lot 15D).”

Finding a parking space has been one of the biggest complaints for students who commute to campus for classes.

Students have been known to sometimes search for over an hour to find a space, and the construction will make the search much more competitive.

GARAGE continues on page 3

Email wost@uh.edu for more information.

HEALTH CENTER

Officer found to have drugs in system at time of death

Clinic opens up, says ‘ah’

Medical examiners from Harris County reported the detection of cocaine in the system of a UH Department of Public Safety officer killed over Christmas break.

Officer Ann O’Donnell, 24, died around 1 a.m. on Dec. 24 while responding to a possible assault on Scott Street. Houston police notified UHDPS that O’Donnell’s cruiser had crashed into a tree in the 4399 block of North MacGregor Way.

Basic dental care administered on campus, now offered to students

O’Donnell died while being transported to Ben Taub General Hospital.

In a statement released on Thursday, UH offials said, “It is routine practice for the University of Houston to conduct a thorough investigation after any serious incident. So, the university retained an outside consultant to review training, policy and management responses at UHDPS. That review of procedures has not been concluded.”

Misti R. Mynhier

THE DAILY COUGAR

O’Donnell, who joined the department in 2009, was the first UH officer to die while in the line of duty.

CORRECTIONS J

Report errors to editor@thedailycougar.com. Corrections will appear in this space as needed.

86 LO 49

today

HI

Drink. Drive. Crash. Die.

N

ational Alcohol Awareness and Screening Day was observed by UH’s Cougar Peer Educators, Counseling and Psychological Services and the Department of Wellness hosted at the University Center. A wrecked car, the result of a drunk driver, was displayed. | Nine Nguyen/The Daily Cougar

UH is the first Texas university to add a dental clinic as part of its health services commitment to students.

UH’s Health Center began accepting appointments for basic dental care on Monday.

“A student’s health is very important to us,” said Kathy Fire, executive secretary for the Health Center Division of Student Affairs at UH. “Maintaining good dental health contributes to your overall health and wellness.”

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, studies have shown that maintaining strong wellness will enhance one’s ability to initially feel better and in turn work harder towards achieving his or her overall goals.

“The first thing you notice when you meet someone is their smile, the pearly whites have become quite the fad,” said Daniel Goodwin, student in the C.T. Bauer

Cloudy morning, sunny afternoon....

SAT SA AT

SUN SU N

MON MO N

DENTAL continues on page 3

TUEE TU

CAMPUS EVENT 83/55 83/ 83 /55

84/70 84/ /70 0

84/71 84 4/71 71

88/72 88 8/72 72

EVENTS Between the Lines Aura Contemporary Ensemble The Moores School of Music is sponsoring the event which is from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Moores Opera House.

Tickets are $15, $10 for students and seniors.

Now This, A World Premier, By Scott Kaiser The School of Theatre & Dance is sponsoring the premiere featuring the citizens of Purple Mountain. The show is from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $20, $15 for students.

FOR MORE EVENTS, CHECK OUT thedailycougar.com/calendar

Teams to kick off second UH mini world cup Lauren Mathis

THE DAILY COUGAR Soccer is taking over the weekend and UH fields in the second annual UH Mini World Cup. UH is hosting the event for both community and student soccer players and fans from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in fields located behind UH’s Wellness and Recreation Center.

Jose Pablo Ramirez, a finance student and

the president of the Latin American Students Association, is one of the main organizers of the event.

“We encourage everyone to come out and cheer for their teams. There is no admission charge and food will be sold at the event,” Ramirez said.

Organizers are expecting over 250 people to show up and have “more than enough room” to accommodate more.

“It comes about as a combined effort of three different school associations at UH to

put on a fun event for the international community at UH,” Ramirez said.

Associations involved with the mini world cup include LASA, the Brazilian-Portuguese Association and the Armenian Student Association.

Silva Gevorkyan, president of the Armenian Student Association, is friends with Gustavo Chamusca, president of the Brazilian-Portuguese Student Association, SOCCER continues on page 3

2

■

ONLINE / NEWS 101

Friday, April 15, 2011

The Daily Cougar

/ VAGINA

student feminist organization presents the

MONOLOGUES Friday, April 15 – 7pm m m Saturday, April 16 – 7pm Sunday, April 17 – 5pm m enter Pacific Room – University Center Tickets: $7.00 at door $5.00 in advance Advance purchase in Women’s Resource Center, 1-4pm 279A University Center For more information: email: sfoatuh@gmail.com visit: www.vday.org All proceeds benefit Houston Rescue & Restore. www.houstonrr.org

online

news 101

TOP READS

WASHINGTON

1. Texas: the fastest state in the US 2. Get your hands off my packed lunch!

3. Respect the right to free press, ideas 4. Middle East news isn’t fairly covered 5. Bioware: Job well done in latest Dragon Age installment 6. Syrian people protest for democracy

Bill passes house, cuts program spending

FEATURED COMMENTS Re: Rising gas prices punish students

EDITOR IN CHIEF of The Daily Cougar for Summer/Fall 2011

— user “John” Re: Texas politicians take aim at wrong issues

“The probability of finding a combat veteran under the age of 21 in college is very close to zero. So, in both the college of journalism and the college of engineering it stands to reason that almost every class has two people in it who are trained in the escalation of force.”

of the 2011-12 Houstonian yearbook APPLICATION DEADLINE:

5 P.M. APRIL 21 ELECTION: 4 P.M. THURSDAY, APRIL 28 TO REQUEST AN APPLICATION, VISIT ROOM 12,

(713) 743-5360 ■

Editor in Chief

Jack Wehman (713) 743-5362 editor@thedailycougar.com Layout Editor

Christopher Losee closee@thedailycougar.com Multimedia Editor

Newton Liu (713) 743-5361 photo@thedailycougar.com ■

Mother of four had second thoughts A 10-year-old boy escaped Wednesday’s horrific scene which left his mother and three other relatives dead after the mother drove into the Hudson River when she found out that her husband had been cheating on her.

The 10-year-old said to police Thursday that his mother had second thoughts after driving into the river. He said that his mother said she made a mistake.

Compiled by Christopher Losee

News Editors

Sports Editors

John Brannen Joshua Siegel (713) 743-5303 sports@thedailycougar.com ■

Life & Arts Editor

Mary Baak (713) 743-5302 arts@thedailycougar.com ■

Opinion Editor

Andrew Taylor opinion@thedailycougar.com ■

Web Editor

Matthew Keever webeditor@thedailycougar.com

Jose Aguilar Cristi Guerra (713) 743-5314 news@thedailycougar.com

Advertising

(713) 743-5340 ads@thedailycougar.com ■

Classifieds

(713) 743-5356 classifieds@thedailycougar.com

Business Office Phone (713) 743-5350 Fax (713) 743-5384 ■ Mailing address ■ ■

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

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.

UC SATELLITE OR CALL 713-743-5335.

The SPC meets monthly during the school year to hear updates from the department’s units, to give a forum for public comment and to elect the editors in chief of The Daily Cougar and Houstonian yearbook. For more information, visit www.uh.edu/sp/committee

■

Newsroom

■

EDITOR IN CHIEF

NEW YORK

contact us: ■

— AND —

The plan appropriates $38.5 billion to the federal government and also cuts spending in key programs.

“While Obama can influence who control gas exploration, TENNESSEE Search ensues for he can’t just tell oil missing 20-year-old companies when and where More than 400 volunteers, sevto start drilling. It’s a global eral sniffing dogs, and a helicopter market. if supply is cut in searched for a missing 20-year-old Europe because of Libya, even nursing student who was abducted near her Tennessee home by a man though we don’t get a large outfitted in camouflage. amount of our resources from The suspect was seen by the victhere, prices in he US will tim’s mother and brother dragging increase because the demand the 20-year-old early Wednesday morning after she left for school. for oil in world markets will increase.”

— user “anthonymartinez

THE STUDENT PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE IS CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE POSITION OF

The House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that approved the budget for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends September 30.

ISSUE STAFF ■

Copy editing

Natasha Faircloth

■

Production

Nine Nguyen

■

Closing editor

Jack Wehman

NEWS

The Daily Cougar

GARAGE continued from page 1

“It’s tough, once we get this garage up and going, we’re going to be ahead of the curve,” Assistant Director of Parking Operations Paul Lozano said.

“But we’ve got to go through these growing pains.”

Kinesiology senior Erika Jansson, who parks in lot 15D, is not looking forward to the construction, but is hoping that the new garage will reduce the time it takes to look for parking spaces.

“After the construction it will probably be able to hold more cars and people probably won’t get ticketed

as much,” Jansson said.

In order to compensate for the loss of over 1,100 spaces while constructions is going on, PTS has opened an additional 500 spaces in UH Energy Research Park.

Students will be able to park and take the Eastwood / Energy Research Park bus line to campus where it stops in front of the University Center.

“It takes about 15 minutes, but it’s probably 45 minutes faster (than circling for a space),” Holamon said.

The Route 3 Robertson Bus Line that currently services the area where the garage will be stationed will be given an alternate route once the construction start date nears.

For students who don’t want to use

Friday, April 15, 2011

the ERP, lot 16D, near Cullen and Elgin, will be expanded over the summer into a gravel lot, along with plans to construct temporary lots on Leek Street.

Metro is also offering students half-off on the Metro Q Fare Card for train and bus fares for full-time students.

Once construction is finished, students will have to purchase a garageparking permit, but they will be guaranteed a space for the semester.

For more information about the stadium garage go to www.uh.edu/ pts/parkstadium.htm or call the UH Parking and Transportation office at 713-743-1097. news@thedailycougar.com

Final exams still required

SOCCER continued from page 1

and said they had always wanted to organize an event together.

“As we are both passionate soccer fans, Gustavo told me he had always wanted to organize a World Cup event and it sounded like an exciting idea,” Gevorkyan said.

“It took us some time to formally begin organizing the event, but with help from LASA and BPSA members, we were able to pull off a great event,” Gevorkyan said.

The event will provide entertainment not only for the players but also for the fans, Ramirez said.

“The UH mini world cup is an event that takes the global appeal of soccer and uses it to make an event that celebrates what makes us alike,”

he said.

“It is a way to promote understanding by stressing what an international community has in common: soccer.”

Besides soccer, the event will include other things that students and Houstonians will enjoy.

“We will have raffles going on that will give away prizes like a soccer ball signed by the Dynamo players,” he said.

Organizers also will hand out charts for people to fill out with their bracket prediction, which they see as a good way to get fans to take part in the whole tournament.

The first day will be the group phase of the tournament, where teams will play against group rivals and try to qualify for the elimination round.

The elimination round will be on

Sunday and will end with the final.

Highlights for this year include the return of many of last year’s teams ready to face off again for the new grand prize, Ramirez said.

Another highlight will be the appearance of the Dynamo marketing team, which will bring their tent full of Dynamo memorabilia.

Last year’s tournament gave the main organizers — Ramirez, Gevorkyan, Chamusca and ASA member Araz Sarkissian — a sense of pride and provided inspiration for this year’s event.

“You can’t imagine the pride we felt when we saw how successful the tournament turned out to be, which is why, as (Ramirez) said, we gained confidence to organize an even bigger tournament for this year.” news@thedailycougar.com

S

eniors getting ready to graduate took part in the Senior Send Off on Wednesday. Live music, games and food were offered at Lynn Eusan Park. | Paris Jomadiao/The Daily Cougar

Rice University School of Architecture is pleased to announce a new summer program: LAUNCH LAUNCH invites applications from undergraduate students in any institution and discipline who are curious about architectural design, building a portfolio for future professional or academic work, or who simply want to engage the city around them.

DENTAL

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

continued from page 1

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

College of Business. “I know I can’t wait to have convenient dental services available.”

The UH Dental Clinic will be located on-campus in the Health Center. Available on-site services will include preventative dentistry, such as traditional cleaning, X-rays and check-ups, as well as limited major dental procedures.

Since the dental clinic is mostly funded through student fees and self-generated revenue, a student’s per visit costs will be minimal.

“A $20 visit co-pay is payable when students check-in at the UH Health Center; additional charges are based on the services provided and are charged at a reasonable and customary rate,” Fire said.

“Most dental insurance plans will be accepted.”

She said the needs of UH students prompted UH to look into adding the clinic.

“The Health Center recognizes that many of our students have the need for dental services,” Fire said.

Answering student’s needs has brought about favorable opinions among students regarding UH and the UH Health Center.

“I am proud to be a UH student and am thankful that UH is the first Texas university to add a dental clinic,” Goodwin said. “Look out UT and Texas A&M, one day you may ride our coattails.”

For more information on the new on-site Dental Clinic, insurance plans, student fees and the opening of the facility, please contact the UH Health Center directly at 713-743-5151.

Go to arch.rice.edu.

Navigate to Academic Programs and click on the LAUNCH tab.

news@thedailycougar.com

Friday, May 6, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.

June 6 - July 1, 2011 | arch.rice.edu

KSBJ SPECIAL EVENTS PRESENTS

April 28th | 7PM Berry Center, Cypress TX www.ticketservant.com

■

3

4

■

Friday, March 15, 2011

The Daily Cougar

opinion THE DAILY COUGAR

EDITOR Andrew Taylor E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/opinion

LOOK FOR THE HIDDEN MESSAGE Courtesy of USBICEF

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

Weigh consequences before you drink, drive

M

embers of the non-profit organization Krysta’s Karing Angels spoke with students in front of the UC on Thursday with a crashed car on display to raise student awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving.

Mark Rodriguez, a Houston firefighter, founded the organization with his wife Terri after their daughter was killed by a drunk driver in February 2010.

Krysta Rodriguez was in a car that was hit by a drunk driver on Highway 6 in West Houston. Her brother, Eric, said that as both a firefighter and a brother, his sister’s death hit especially close to home.

“We’re both in the fire department,” he said.

“We’re always helping people and when it happens to one of your own, that’s when it really gets to you.”

It is important to understand that the Rodriguez family is only one of thousands that are affected by alcohol-related fatalities. If you drink, either have a designated driver or stay where you are, because that will always be better than killing yourself or someone else because you’ve made an irresponsible decision.

As a society, we need to understand the repercussions of drunk driving. As it is, we’re too accepting of getting behind the wheel after having one too many, and the laws surrounding the issue aren’t enough of a deterrent to keep people from making the same mistake twice or more.

“My Little Krysta, she’s never going to have a second chance to do anything,” Mark Rodriguez said.

“And that really makes me angry.”

The responsibility to keep this from happening to our friends and family members is entirely our own — we can’t take this issue lightly, because this passiveness is how people lose their lives to drunk driving.

Krysta’s Karing Angels was created to help family members of victims and aims to spread awareness of the dangers associated with drunk driving.

“If a family suffers a loss like this to a drunk driver, they can call us,” Mark Rodriguez said. “Within 24-hours we’ll be at their house with money and supplies and to tell them the truth — that it’s not going to be OK. “When they have to bury their child, they’re never going to forget it.”

E D I TO R I A L P O L I C I E S 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) 743-5384. 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.

No excuse for unexcused time off

I

n late 2008 at MacArthur Middle School in Berkley, Ill., Safoorah Khan was fired after taking 19 days of unpaid leave against the school district’s permission to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. Khan complained of religious discrimination to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which recommended her case to the Justice Department. A suit, filed on Marcus her behalf in December Smith 2010, states the district failed to reasonably accommodate her religious practices. Though some may call the suit frivolous or say that Khan is wasting taxpayer dollars, this doesn’t seem to be the case. Hajj, a pillar of the Islamic faith, must be undertaken when one has the ability to do so, and to Khan her decision was clear.

Conservatives claim the object of the suit is political, an attempt to gather support from what they claim as being blacks, Jews and now Muslims for the Obama

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: In regards to the Rockwell lecture with Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson To the editor: Whoever was in charge of putting this lecture together failed. I have been waiting in anticipation for this lecture for a month now, and I was seriously disappointed. So many people, including myself, waited for an hour or more and were sent away at the last minute because there was no room. A larger lecture hall would have been a wiser choice. I am extremely disappointed.

Signed, Jacqueline Lerma sophmore/Communications major In regards to the staff editorial ‘Civil War anniversary shows a historical repeat’ Dear Editorial Board, Your op-ed of April 13th served a useful purpose: I used it to show my 15-year-old brother what a historically false, stunningly obtuse, and crudely written op-ed looks

administration, while Liberals answer with claims of anti-Islamic bigotry from the Conservatives.

How many days can one miss, or what accommodations can be made until their request for time off becomes unreasonable? It’s to be noted that such a prolonged absence could have a negative impact on students; especially since Khan’s pilgrimage fell during the critical end of the semester grading period.

Students maintain the right to acquire a good education and to be prepared for their exams. No matter what reason, a first-year teacher who fails to show commitment to her student’s is often something people say teachers should be fired for.

Khan’s attorney, Kamran Memon, stated “19 days sounds like a long time,” but insisted that, from a legal perspective that “doesn’t really matter.” What matters is whether the employer makes a reasonable accommodation, and in this case, he said, it made none.

This is apparently the case. The school district failed to negotiate with Khan on the

acceptable amount of days she could take off. Though this doesn’t settle the issue, the length of time is an important factor.

Judging by previous cases of this nature, like Trans World Airlines v. Hardison, where a man’s firing for being unable to work Saturdays due to religious obligations was upheld in court, it would seem like Khan would lose this case. However, with talks involving political motivation, she might have her day in court.

Chris Goetzman, a physics senior, said, “Though an agreement should have been made from the beginning, and it’s a shame to have an unsympathetic employer, there is an element of social burden that an individual upholds.

“The issue is a personal matter, not an issue a judge or society has to be accountable for.”

The school did what they had to do.

Kahn’s requests were something that would have burdened the school and her classes.

Marcus Smith is an English freshman and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

LEAVE YOURS @ THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM like.

As to being historically false, the op-ed incorrectly claimed that the post-Civil War Congress “compromised” with the South.

To the contrary, contemporary historians recognize that the “Radical Republicans” who controlled Congress following the War dramatically reshaped the entire United States with their legislative agenda. Historians refer to this time as a “Watershed” in American history. Please see the Reconstruction Acts, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. I also note that the South had no representation in Congress immediately following the War, making any so-called “compromise” a physical impossibility.

As to being stunningly obtuse, the article bemoaned the inaction of Democrats in 2006 and 2008. For examples of the far-reaching agenda passed by President Obama and the Democratic Party, please

see www.whattheheckhasobamadonesofar.com. Moreover, a comparison between post-Civil War Reconstruction and a budget compromise is inappropriate and a bizarre non sequitur. A compromise that avoided a government shutdown should be applauded as bipartisanship rather than bemoaned.

As to being crudely written, the article was logically incoherent, fragmented, and unfit for publication. Please see The Lively Art of Writing; Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, and Writing Essays for Dummies.

A friend of mine remarked after reading your op-ed: “Tier One status just went back under consideration.” I concur; a tier-one school deserves better.

Sincerely, Garrett Gibson Law Student Send your guest commentary or letter to the editor at www.thedailycougar.com.

Friday, April 15, 2011

The Daily Cougar

sports

■

5

EDITORS John Brannen, Joshua Siegel E-MAIL sports@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/sports

overtime

AARON CISNEROS/THE DAILY COUGAR

SOFTBALL

Holas sees Baylor games as solid run-up for incoming Hurricane The Cougars easily handled No. 15 Baylor in the first game of a double-header 8-0, then fell in extra innings in the second game 6-4.

With second-place Tulsa (32-9, 13-2 Conference USA) coming to town today, UH feels that level of competition prepared them for the weekend.

“Looking back, I don’t think we knew it would work out as well as it did for us to face Baylor and then turn around and face really good pitching from Tulsa,” head coach Kyla Holas said in a release. “Nationally, they are right with us in pitching statistics, so facing Baylor really helped prepare us for what’s coming in.”

If the Cougars (29-13, 11-4) play their cards right and get the sweep, they will surpass the Hurricane in the standings.

But that won’t come easy.

“Tulsa has solid everything,” Holas said. “They have solid offense, solid defense and good pitching. You have to play a great game against them.”

The Cougars lead the all-time series 9-6 over Tulsa. UH will begin with a double-header at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Junior Matt Creel has more responsibilities for the Cougars, serving as a designated player and relief pitcher. Creel is described by his teammates as someone who is willing to take on a challenge. | Newton Liu/The Daily Cougar

PLAYER PROFILE

Creel handles double duty Junior juggles difficult combination as hitter, member of pitching staff

— Cougar Sports Services Lance Jaramillo

THE DAILY COUGAR

BASEBALL

Weekend’s schedule of games rearranged The Cougars could be greeted by shaky weather conditions in Charleston, W. Va., today.

As a precaution, UH and Marshall will play a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. today at Appalachian Power Park. The second game is set to start at approximately 6:30 p.m. Unless conditions improve, there will be no games played on Saturday.

The finale will conclude with an early 10 a.m. showdown on Sunday.

— Cougar Sports Services

TRACK AND FIELD

Cougars divide team for two meets San Marcos and Walnut, Calif., are the different destinations the track team will head to this weekend.

A group of 14 female and male sprinters will head to the 53rd Annual Mt. San Antonio College Relays. The meet will feature over 15,000 athletes, ranging from junior high to professional.

The meet has some historical value for UH. Head coach Leroy Burrell, assistant coach Floyd Heard and Carl Lewis were three parts of a relay that still owns the world record for the 4x200-meter relay with a time of 1 minute, 18 seconds.

The remainder of the squad will head to the Texas State Invitational in San Marcos at the Jim Wacker Field at Bobcat Stadium.

— Cougar Sports Services

In Little League baseball, the best players can hit and pitch like an ace.

But as they grow into middle school and high school, the choice is made between being an offensive player out in the field, or as pitcher alone on the mound.

Junior Matt Creel, however, was just as versatile then as he is now for the Cougars.

Creel plays two roles, as a designated hitter and infielder that also brings heat from the bullpen as a right-handed reliever.

He is tied for second on the team in doubles with nine and has 26 strikeouts in 31 innings of work. Despite carrying a heavier load than his teammates, you would not see or hear Creel drawing attention to himself. He is known for being a team-oriented player that keeps his head down and does what is asked of him.

In his two seasons at UH, Creel has volunteered for a task that few players undertake.

“That’s how I was raised,” Creel said.

“My parents always taught me just do the right things and take care of my business. Everybody will see that and follow.

“You don’t have to verbally push your ideas on other people because if I’m doing the right things, taking care of business and working hard and putting in extra time, the results will take care of themselves. When everyone sees the results, they’ll follow.”

The man who taught him how to lead is also the one who was working with him on his swing since he was a 3-year-

That’s how I was raised. My parents always taught me just do the right thing and take care of my business. Everybody will see that and follow ... When everyone sees the results, they’ll follow.”

Matt Creel Junior designated player/relief pitcher old playing T-ball for the local church — his father.

He has grown so comfortable and trusting with his dad’s advice, they regularly talk about his swing — and sometimes it turns into more than just a phone call.

“He’s one of those guys who when I’m struggling, he’ll drive here — and it’s not a short drive — I’m from Baton Rouge,” Creel said.

“He’s the person I’m most comfortable with.”

Being within Houston Astros territory, it is only fitting that former great Jeff Bagwell is one of the players who Creel tried to emulate growing up as a fan.

However, the former first baseman’s signature batting stance didn’t stick very long. Instead, Creel has a more wideopen stance with his front leg on the chalk closest to the pitcher of the batter’s box. His hands start in closer to his right ear hole and move farther behind him as the pitcher delivers. It is reminiscent of another one of his favorite players — current St. Louis Cardinal first baseman Albert Pujols.

Finding a balance Though he is a regular DH and pinch hitter, pitching has come to share equal time in his preparation. It was not always the case, but the strong right-hander with a 4-4 record and 6.10 ERA now has

trouble choosing one over the other.

“Relief pitching is really different,” he said. “It’s basically trying to get as much adrenaline going as you can, get amped up as much as you can and give everything you have for one or two innings.

That’s it. There’s no pacing yourself or anything. You don’t have time to settle in because a lot of times you come in with pressure on.”

The weight room isn’t the only place Creel, who enjoys fishing and golfing in his down time, prepares for the game. He likes to prepare his mind before the game.

“We have a sports psychologist, Bryan Cane, we work with now,” he says. “I like to do what we call ‘concentration grids.’

I do one or two of those before every game.”

The grid is a collection of numbers that range from 0-99 in random order on a grid of ten columns and ten rows. The objective is to count the numbers in ascending or descending order as fast as you can in a minute. Creel uses it to sharpen his mind that may one day lead to another profession if playing the game is something he no longer can do.

Creel is accustomed to playing significant roles for whatever team he plays for. He was a varsity player in his four years at Central Private High School in Baton Rouge, La. He was a three-time state champion, all-district selection and was named as a Louisville Slugger AllAmerican three times.

Before transferring to UH, he played at LSU Eunice and won the Junior College Division II National Championship.

Though Creel is a psychology major, he begrudingly sees himself forever involved with the sport.

“As much as I’ve said I wouldn’t be a coach,” Creel said. “I’d probably end up trying to be one. That’s just one of the things where you like the game so much you don’t want to get away from it.” sports@thedailycougar.com

6

â–

LIFE&ARTS

Friday, April 15, 2011

The Daily Cougar

THEATRE

Playwright makes dreams a reality in script’s world premiere Ellen Goodacre

THE DAILY COUGAR The School of Theatre and Dance is putting on the world premiere production of Scott Kaiser’s “Now This� on Friday. Kaiser is in Houston for the showing and is excited about its premiere and seeing the play in its final form. “It’s been through a lot of forms,�

Kaiser said. “I think the most difficult thing of writing a play of this nature is having real human beings, real actors to help you.�

The play features 62 characters played by a cast of 19 and covers a

wide range of issues facing American culture. “Now This� seeks to call the attention of the audience to the consequences of modern culture. “The play has a lot to say about our consumer culture,� Kaiser said. “If I can just get people to think a little bit about the culture that we live in, grew up in and take for granted — which is driven by consumerism — and what the consequences of that happen to be, that would be good.�

Ideas are relayed to the audience by an ensemble cast and through the struggles or observations of each character. Kaiser worked very hard to

bring all of his ideas together. “At certain times in the development of each character, there were crisis points where I didn’t know where it was going to go,� Kaiser said. “There were times when I had no idea where certain characters would fit into the puzzle.�

However, he’s developed each character fully and the final product resulted into a fully-fleshed storyline.

When asked where his inspiration came from, Kaiser says that his characters all came from dreaming. “I was kind of blocked as a writer and a friend of mine advised me to start writing down dreams,� Kaiser

said. “So I started to write down dreams for a long period of time and accumulated small shards of monologues and material.�

Kaiser also attributes the development of the play and its characters to those who he has worked with at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the cast. “It’s an actor-driven piece,� Kaiser said. “The characters that you’re seeing — they’re an amalgamation of ideas given to me generously by actors who have been working on the roles for me. I don’t write in a vacuum.�

The playwright is also glad to

have a director who shares his ideas and sense of direction for the play. “There was never any disagreement about what should come first and foremost — that you always hear and understand the language,� he said. “There’s a lot of wonderful work in terms of costumes, scenery, projections, music and sound, but all of those elements are built essentially on a through line of language.

For me that’s the most important thing — and to have a director who understands that is really important to me.� arts@thedailycougar.com

ARCHITECTURE

Award-winning alum animates UH Emily Holley

THE DAILY COUGAR Award-winning filmmaker and UH alumnus Adam White held a Q-and-A session moderated by Alfred Cervantes in the College of Architecture on Wednesday. He also presented a few of his works then gave a brief tutorial on Adobe After Effects, an editing software used within the filmmaking business. “I know (After Effects) is a bit daunting, but I wanted to give you enough information to do it on your own,� White said. “If this is something that interests you, I wanted to point you in the right direction you needed to go.�

White touched briefly on the use of green screen and animated effects, specifically the ones used in his short film, “The Unconscious Sith,� starring his own son Christian. The film won best in show at the Star Wars Fan Film Festival

classifieds HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

713-743-5356 classifieds@thedailycougar.com thedailycougar.com/classifieds

HELP WANTED

8"*545"'' 1BSU UJNF GMFYJCMF TDIFEVMFT NPTUMZ OJHIU BOE XFFLFOET 1BZ TUBSUJOH BU QFS IPVS /P FYQFSJFODF OFDFTTBSZ 1BJE 5SBJOJOH

Egg Donors Needed. Ages 21-32.

Earn $5,000+, High demand for Asians.

Surrogate Mothers Needed.

Earn $25,000+, Ages 21-39.

(713) 771-9771 www.cooperinstitutearm.com email : ivf@cooperinstitutearm.com

Compensation $5,000-$7,000.

Must be: non-smoker, healthy, BMI within normal ranges, and between 19-30 years old. Visit www.fertilityresourceshouston.com or call 713 783 7044 for more information and to fill out a preliminary application.

GUNS!!! Do you have your Concealed Handgun License. Sign up for a class today.AMK123@LIVE.COM for more info

Need Responsible drivers to work 2 or 3x a wk as valet attendents. Pay $10. Flex hrs.

Contact (713) 206-1565 MONTESSORI SCHOOL in Museum district. Looking for Subs/Assts. Flex hrs.

Excellent for child dev, Education or Psy majors! Call 713-520-0738 *STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM* PAID survey takers needed in Houston. 100 percent FREE to join! Click on Surveys.

FOR SALE

Off campus?

Online. thedailycougar.com/ Ă“

classifieds

HELP WANTED )JSJOH $BUFSJOH

Liability from 38, auto*, home, business. Buy and Pay by phone Call today for Great student discount: 281-498-3133, 713-484-7707

Egg Donors Needed!

arts@thedailycougar.com

jobs, housing, services & more

LOW COST INSURANCE

Fertility Resources of Houston

entitled “Inside Out.� “I loved making this, I loved making a documentary,� White said. “I had a lot of fun and definitely want to do it again. You can use visual effects and graphics to tell a story.�

White graduated from the University in 2000 and has directed, written and edited several short films. He is currently in the process of editing his first feature-length film, written and directed by UH alum Michelle Mower. The film is titled “The Preacher’s Daughter,� starring Andrea Bowen and Lew Temple. “It’s been a really fun experience,� White said. “Logistically, doing a feature is where it is most different; the amount of footage you have, organizing everything and keeping your mind wrapped around it all.�

EYE CARE PRIVATE PRACTICE FOR SALE 25K. 713-816-1443 THE DAILY COUGAR CLASSIFIEDS. Like Craigslist, only less creepy.

RENTALS Beautiful Downtown Home available for lease 5 min. from UH campus, easy access to Hwys. 59 and 45 4 bdrs, 3 1/2 baths, 2396 sq ft. microwave, W/D and refrigerator included. Looking for 4 friends/ students to lease home.

Call (281) 797-6162 Lg 1 bdrm apt in nice neighborhood near UH. Like a small house. Grad student preferred. 713-743-2734 THANKS for reading The Daily Cougar!

NEED A JOB? WE’VE GOT ‘EM RIGHT HERE. THE DAILY COUGAR

ÂŽ

The Houston Improv Comedy Club

IS NOW HIRING! Box OfďŹ ce, Door/Usher, Server, Food Runners, Drink Runners FLEXIBLE HOURS/ GREAT TIPS apply in person: Mon-Sat 11am - 5 pm Marquee Entertainment Center 7620 Katy Freeway - 713.333.8800

5IF TFDSFU UP GJOEJOH B KPC 5IBUÂľT $MBTTJGJFE

HELP WANTED

òô

RIVER OAKS COUNTRY CLUB

is accepting applications for the following job openings: CertiďŹ ed Lifeguards, Experienced Dining Room Servers, Experienced Baker, Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivables.

To apply email hr@riveroakscc.net fax 713-529-2579

òô

BULLETIN BOARD

at Celebration V in 2010 and was presented through video by George Lucas himself. “I had no crew and a lead with a very limited attention span and patience for the process,� White said. “So I knew it wasn’t going to be beautifully shot and I wouldn’t be able to get the coverage I need, so I came up with the idea of making it a comic book. I could jump around in time and go from panel to panel then I could treat it in After Effects so it could look like it was drawn.�

White also shared two short films created for the 48 Hour Film Project: Houston, “Fellowship� and “Morning Sickness.� In these contests, the participants are given a prop, a line that must be spoken in the film and a genre. They then have to turn in a film within a 48 hour period.

White showed also showed a small portion of his award-winning documentary on his son’s autism

Find a place to live — and a job to pay the rent.

THE DAILY COUGAR classifieds

ÂŽ

COMICS & MORE

The Daily Cougar

Friday, April 15, 2011

comics

crossword

Must Be Something in the Water by Brandon Alexander

ACROSS 1 Drag along 4 Vitamin lead-in 9 Invitation addendum 13 “Honest” fellow 14 Love affair 15 Choir member 16 Quickly 18 Rousseau novel 19 Harem head 20 Reveals, perhaps 22 Huskier 25 Tombstone deputy 26 Political ploy 28 Pulp tree 32 Consumer org.

35 Well-known absurdist 37 Big name in candy 38 Waugh or Baldwin 40 Goofy 42 Laptop fare 43 Beauty shop 45 Declines sharply 47 Out of reach 48 Gumshoe 50 Quartet member 52 Till the soil 54 Raindrop sound 58 Line of latitude 62 Fixed gaze 63 Conscious 64 Range roamers 67 Eminent 68 Embarrassing display 69 Jeans go-with 70 Feeling joy 71 — -pocus 72 Former JFK arrival

The Fishbowl by Thomas Hernandez

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 Reindeer herders 2 Wolf-pack member (hyph.)

3 Painter’s ground 4 Gandhi honorific 5 “Pulp Fiction” name 6 Spanish article 7 Dance wear 8 Castle or Dunne 9 Did a new

1

2

3

4

13

5

6

9

17

22

23

24

26 34

38

41

31

45

56

57

42 46

50 53

60

47 51

54

55

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72 ©

10 11 12 15 17 21 23 24 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 39 41 44 46 49

survey Swatch Meadow rodent Veep’s boss Naughty kid Consequently Drop bait on water Sushi fish Fanatical Old keepsake Lettuce piece “The Thin Man” pooch Horses do it Low voice Humdrum Mr. Lugosi Gnomes Shopped carefully Pound sound Canceled Cuts drastically The nearest star

51 Herr von Bismarck 53 Celtic language 55 Fruit pastries 56 Coastal fliers 57 Adjust, as a timer 58 Hungry feeling 59 Troop truant 60 Pro — (in proportion) 61 Loony 65 Toshiba competitor 66 Wildebeest

2010 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE INC.

Previous puzzle solved S H S HO E R R R E D AWE L O E A WH D U N A P S

E T R E

P R A G M A T I C

Y D S

T E A R T A WA S S OME C R I E D P N R I T HO P I N E A N N D E R A R C C E M T S P

R I C H K A P P A T H O R

M A T A N Y I L S O E N E B L E H A A T S T A Y

FEED

KCAB HELP US SEE THINGS FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE — YOURS. We thrive on feedback and we take it in a number of forms: ONLINE E-mail editor@thedailycougar.com Twitter @thedailycougar Facebook.com/thedailycougar

ON THE PHONE Call 713-743-5362 to speak to the Editor in Chief.

IN PERSON Come by our office, Room 12, UC Satellite to talk to someone.

THE DAILY COUGAR

30

37

40

49

59

28 36

44

52

29

21

27

39

48

12

25

35

43

11

18 20

33

10

7

15

19

58

8

14

16

32

7

■

®

CHECK OUT PHOTOS AND DOWNLOAD AN ORDER FORM AT HOUSTONIANYEARBOOK.COM

S K I A N N DOG DWE E N S N T M I A N B I G A N I S U L L A T A R H A

L I M A

L E A R

V E T O

S N I T

R I V E T

E L S A

8

■

LIFE&ARTS

Friday, April 15, 2011

The Daily Cougar

AROUND TOWN

Montrose artists’ work showcased Art walk, home tour shows different styles Joshua Siegel

THE DAILY COUGAR

What was your excuse again?

You now have one more reason to place your yearbook order today: an iPad could be yours. More importantly, you’ll be investing in a keepsake you’ll cherish for a

Hidden between posh new townhomes and the old bricks of folk music venue Anderson Fair, artist Joan Son’s cozy bungalow and studio invites passersby to wonder what is inside with a colorful array of origami butterflies fluttering across its front porch.

The public will have the opportunity to explore Son’s and several other Montrose artists’ creative spaces as part of the East Montrose Civic Association’s Art Walk and Home Tour.

The art walk is free and will feature fifteen artists at seven sites.

The home tour will showcase six Montrose houses — from the area’s early 1900s cottages to its mordern townhomes.

One of those artists, painter and sculptor Lori Betz, is excited to show her studio to the public.

“They’re going to get to see

behind the screen of the art community,” Betz said. “We have the gallery up front, but now you get to peak behind the curtain and see the artist’s studios, houses, things they wouldn’t normally have access to.

“I think it’s interesting for people to see the different phases that a sculpture goes through before it becomes a bronze, and they’re going to be able to see that by walking around my studio. I think though for the public, the studio part is kind of fun.”

The art walk will stay true to East Montrose’s slogan of being a “living mosaic” by featuring the different styles of both art and the homes the works are shown in.

Sculptures, paintings, origami and even body butter art will grace a variety of homes ranging from 1900s cottages and 1920s art-deco to modern townhomes.

The planned route for the walk starts at Betz’s gallery on West Gray as it snakes its way through the neighborhood, wrapping up with Will Brooks’ ink and acrylic work at a townhome at 512 Fargo.

Along the way, tour-goers can

check out charcoal drawings from Constance Braden at 920 Damon Ct., along with a trio of sites at the intersection of Grant and Welch St., including Anderson Fair and the studios of Son and Gerida Brown.

A few blocks away, the photography of Gloria and Richard Stamper will be on display in their 1920s studio at 1904 Whitney. Prints and drawings of Penny Cerling can be seen down the street at 419 Willard.

“This community with the East Montrose Civic Association, it’s such an active community. It’s really like a small town,” Son said.

“It’s a small neighborhood community, and it’s a very artistic community.” arts@thedailycougar.com

Info When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday Where: East Montrose Price: Free Home Tour: $15, available for purchase at each home site.

lifetime: your college memories encapsulated in the Houstonian Yearbook.

Order must be placed by April 29, 2011 to be eligible for the drawing.

Consider yourself poked.

Get the order form and read about our iPad giveaway @

Become our fan at facebook.com/thedailycougar

yearbook.com