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Coaches, players excited about re-emergence of Sims
Theatre students open self-made production
August 25, 2011 Issue 4, Volume 77
CITY
Open casting call searching for worst cooks in nation
There will be an open casting call for volunteers who want to be featured in the Food Network show, “Worst Cooks in America,” from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 10 at the Culinary Institute LeNotre, located at 7070 Allensby. The show stars celebrity chefs Bobby Flay and Anne Burrell as they help turn terrible cooks into amazing chefs. Volunteers selected to star in the show have a chance to win $25,000. Participants are required to bring a serving of their own worst dish. For more information about the casting call, visit www.theconlincompany.com or email worstcooks@theconlincompany.com. — Cougar News Staff
ENGINEERING
Grant helps teachers learn more about nanotechnology The National Science Foundation has awarded a $429,000 grant to the Cullen College of Engineering to fund the “Innovations in Nanotechnology” program. A Research Experience for Teachers initiative aims to educate specially selected middle and high school teachers as they spend the summer months working on nanotechnology research projects with UH engineering professors. “Such RET programs are designed to address the looming shortfall of science and engineering talent in the United States,” said Debra Rodrigues, an assistant professor of civil engineering and the grant’s co-principal investigator, in a press release. “We bring teachers here to show them what we do and experience what engineering is like so they can pass that information and that enthusiasm on to their students.” Twelve teachers will work in the program each summer for the next three years. — Cougar News Staff
UH SYSTEM
UHV president confirmed at Board of Regents meeting Phillip Castille was officially sworn in as the president of UH Victoria at the UH Board of Regents meeting on Aug. 17. For 13 years, Castille was a faculty member at UH Downtown, where he helped develop school programs. He holds a doctorate in English from Tulane University. — Cougar News Staff
Shasta and the marching band help rile up the crowd at the pep rally during Cat’s Back. The event also featured free food, music, contests and other activities designed to promote UH unity and celebrate the start to school. | Emily Chambers/The Daily Cougar
Coogs become one
Yearly Cat’s Back event fosters school spirit, sense of community among students Jennifer Postel
THE DAILY COUGAR UH continued its nearly decade-long tradition of ushering in a new school year as thousands of students, staff and alumni packed the University Center for The Cat’s Back event on Wednesday. Students were treated to an afternoon filled with free refreshments, music from Houston’s New Hot 95.7 and giveaways sponsored by student associations. The Houston Rockets, Dynamo and Aeros sponsored a slap-shot contest and gave away more than 100 free tickets to the former Calder Cup
INSIDE
Check out our Cat’s Back photos on pg. 6 & 7
Champions 2011-12 season. The afternoon was not all about free food and goodies. The Cat’s Back was a chance for students to develop a sense of school spirit and become more aware of the activities and student organizations that are available. “It’s somewhere where the whole school all gets to join together,” civil engineering sophomore Maria Gutierrez said. “I’m having a great time and I love the free stuff.”
The Student Government Association was on hand to help drive that spirit forward with a Car Bash – an event where students have a chance to take a hammer to a late ’90s model Saturn that is lined with the names of the rivals on the upcoming football schedule. The Cat’s Back is designed to “entertain, inform and inspire” students for the impending school year. Each year’s event is centered on a theme that is selected by The Cat’s Back planning committee, made up of students and staff. CAT’S BACK continues on page 2
ACADEMICS
High schoolers get head start on UH classes Monica Coleman
THE DAILY COUGAR Brayan Garza appreciates a good game of number crunching. Seeing the value in earning college credit while in high school, the accounting freshman successfully completed courses in calculus, statistics and government. His efforts paid off as the classes were
redeemed for nine credit hours that went toward his bachelor’s degree, saving him several hundred dollars. “It’s a load off your shoulder,” Garza said. “One less class to pay for.” Starting next year, UH will reward several local high school students who rack up college credits just as Garza did. Through a recently-awarded $605,000 grant from the Greater Texas Foundation, the University will expand its partnerships in Texas with the Early
College High Schools program, awarding financial support to 25 students each year from 2012 -2018. The University is one of five Texas colleges to receive the grant. ECHSs allow students to earn dual credit while in high school – up to 60 credit hours. UH is currently working with one local ECHS and will be able to start working with several others. “The idea is to get the students to start thinking HIGH SCHOOLS continues on page 14