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SPECIAL SERIES: 10 YEARS SINCE SEPT. 11, 2001
Coach to talk Cougar football on the air at Moody Towers This Tuesday, The Fresh Food Company at Moody Towers is hosting a live broadcast of “The Pulse with Kevin Sumlin.” All football fans are invited to join in while dining on a $5 all-you-caneat dinner. Every Tuesday night during football season Coach Sumlin is joined by Fox Sports’ Kevin Eschenfelder to discuss the ins-and-outs of Cougar football. Dinner is from 6:30 - 8 p.m., and if you can’t attend, be sure to listen to the show live on 790 AM — the Sports Animal. Fans can submit their questions for Coach at http://www. uhcougars.com/sports/m-footbl/ spec-rel/ask-coach-sumlin.html for a chance to have it read on the air. — Jennifer Postel
Bryan Dupont-Gray
THE DAILY COUGAR
ALTERING
PERCEPTIONS
CITY
UH research center to figure out METRO’s fuel savings With gas prices soaring and the nation’s economy waning, many cities are looking for ways to cut back on fuel costs, and Houston is no exception. The Metropolitan Transit Authority, which has added hybrid buses, has asked the University of Houston’s Texas Diesel Testing and Research Center to distinguish how much fuel Metro is saving with the recent addition to its fleet. For the next two years the research center will test drive a total of eight hybrid — which are heavier and more expensive — and regular buses to determine which are more fuel efficient. To learn more about the UH Texas Diesel Testing and Research Center, visit www.egr.uh.edu/diesel. — Jennifer Postel
HILTON
Hilton restaurant reopens weekdays fall semester Barron’s Restaurant is reopening for the fall semester today. Part of the UH Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, this student-run business is offering UH students, faculty and staff a great alternative to eat on campus. From breakfast items such as steak and eggs to lunch panini sandwiches, everything is $5.50 or $6.50. Barron’s will operate from 11:30 a.m to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday from Sept. 13 to Nov. 21 at the first floor of the college’s south wing, next to Cougar Grounds. — Pedro Pinto
Students struggle to acclimatize in increasingly discriminatory culture
Muslims across America have faced increased discrimination against their culture since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. | Daniel Cubillas/Wikimedia Commons
It was a normal, early morning when 20-year-old Shuruq Gyagenda, a Muslim UH sophomore majoring in creative writing and journalism, was traveling from Houston to Atlanta with her family. While they stopped by a gas station to fuel up on gas and perform morning prayer, they were quickly struck with fear when a US soldier, in uniform, yelled obscenities towards her and her family followed by several teasing, yet threatening antics using his giant pitbull. She recalls the confrontation as scary, and recalled the soldier as being emotionally driven. “I assumed that the soldier’s attitude stemmed from his own personal experience with fighting in Iraq,” said Gyangenda. “I feel that if he knew that I take pride in being an American, then I don’t think he would act that way.” Members of the UH Muslim Student Association said that even with experiences like this, in the 10 years since the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, the discouraging outlook on Muslim and Muslim faith has died down. “I think the negative perception of Islam and Muslim people has
NATION
September 13, 2011 Issue 13, Volume 77
subsided greatly, especially in areas of great diversity such as UH and Houston as a whole. I do believe that Muslims coming out of their shell and promoting the true image of Islam. Relations have gotten better. Image has gotten better,” said Imran Ghani, a business supply chain management senior and President of the MSA. “However, I’m not entirely sure about other areas in America that are without a diverse culture.” Some areas of the US have yet to find a common ground with those who choose to practice Islamic teachings and beliefs. In a 2009 FBI report of anti-Islamic hate crime statistics, it shows that there have been 107 incidents, 128 offenses and 132 victims of hate nationwide, an increase from the year before. In Staten Island, N.Y., Fox News reported last March of a 12 yearold boy who had been accused of harassing a classmate who was Muslim and then arrested on hate crime charges. Umer Arie, a biochemistry senior at UH, said that the mindset of skeptics and extremists have given up trying to comprehend and understand, opting instead for plain rudeness. “Some people ask me questions just to be offensive. If they wanted to offend me, I wouldn’t answer them because my answer would be 9/11 continues on page 3
CAMPUS
Veterans to lose school funding Experts host Post 9/11 GI bill sacrifices student aid to expand eligibility, reduce costs Nicole Carter
THE DAILY COUGAR For the Fall 2011 semester, changes are underway for recipients of the Post 9/11 GI Bill due to the enactment of the Veterans’ Education Assistance Improvement Act of 2010. To expand eligibility and to guarantee that the Post 9/11 Bill offers the same benefits as other versions of educational assistance, Congress was forced to reduce costs. This includes trimming portions of the original Post 9/11 Bill. Veteran benefits will be reduced so active duty personnel and the National Guard can receive a more equal piece of the government aid. The original 9/11 Bill has allowed veterans and active duty to attend colleges and vocational schools without having to worry about the daunting issue of high tuition. To top it off, students are allowed a housing and book stipend.
As a result of the changes, “interval pay,” or winter and spring break pay, is no longer being made available for veterans. The stipend helped recipients pay the monthly basic allowance for the weeks they weren’t in school, and plays a major part in the even distribution of benefits. Online students will have a little more money in their pockets this year as a housing allowance goes in to effect on Oct. 1. It accounts for half of the basic allowance for housing for on-campus students. Members of the National Guard that were mobilized by the orders before or after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, are now eligible for the new 9/11 GI Bill, and the percentage of their eligibility will be increased. Active duty members now have their benefits tiered, which means that the fees are prorated based on eligibility tiers that range from 40 to 70 percent, just as veterans receive. Students on active duty will also see a new book stipend that is
transferable to spouses. For veterans, the housing stipend will now be prorated based on the number of classes the student is taking. For example, if one is taking nine hours, they would receive 80 percent of the basic allowance for housing rate. This makes a significant difference, as before the new 9/11 bill, a veteran student had to be enrolled only half the time to get 100 percent of the housing allowance. Veterans will also be getting some perks. They can now receive reimbursement of fees paid towards national exams such as the SAT and ACT. In addition, veterans enrolled in non-college degree programs can use new benefits to pay up to $17,500 of in-state tuition. On-the-job training, flight programs and correspondence training under the new provisions are now available as well. news@thedailycougar.com
discussion on post-Sept. 11 journalism Xiaowen Chen
THE DAILY COUGAR Expert panelists emphasized the media’s role as an active member in the Sept. 11 narrative at a discussion hosted by the College of Liberal Arts and Social Science on Monday. Titled “The Role of The Media in Preventing Another Sept. 11,” the event commemorated the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “Currently, the media is not simply telling the story, the media is part of the story,” said Kathleen Brosnan, the Associate Dean for College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Panelists at the event included MEDIA continues on page 10