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
®
GET SOME DAILY
thedailycougar.com
83 LO 55 Wednesday HI
Freshman displays impressive handle on and off the court THIRD WARD
Communograph art series continues with event, lunch The “Communograph: Mapping Through Creative Action” series continues with artist Ray Carrington at 12:30 p.m. this Saturday at the Eldorado Ballroom, located on 2310 Elgin St. Ray Carrington is a photographer who is known for his innovative arts education program at Yates High School called “Eye on Third Ward”. The event will be followed by a conversation over lunch with invited art and culture community leaders. The event is free to students and public and lunch is $10. Reservations are required. For more information, call 713-526-7662. — Saniya Maya
LAW CENTER
UH Speaker series to feature Harvard Law school professor A lecture in the UH Law Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Center Speaker Series features Richard J. Lazarus at noon today at the UH Law Center, Room 240. Lazarus is the Howard J. and Katherine W. Aibel Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and is the recipient of the American Bar Association’s Award for Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy for 2011. The author and advocate has represented many governmental and environmental groups in 40 U.S. Supreme Court cases. The event is open to students and the public. Lunch is provided for people who RSVP. For more information, please contact Jessica Eberle at jeberle@central.uh.edu or at 713-743-2134. — Saniya Maya
UNIVERSITY
UH forges partnership to help low-income students The University and the Knowledge is Power Program have joined forces to bring a new program to campus that offers support to low-income UH students who are the first in their families to attend college. The KIPP program offers students and their parents the chance to attend seminars that will offer information on admissions, enrollment and financial aid as well as ways to be successful throughout their time at UH. For more information about KIPP Houston and KIPP Foundation visit http://kipphouston.org/. — Jennifer Postel
Activision serves third helping of ‘Warfare’
November 16, 2011 Issue 50, Volume 77
BUDGET REPORT
SFAC releases student fee budget proposals Suggests more than 10 percent increase in fees for first time in history
WHAT'S NEXT? SGA will vote on whether or not to send the student fee increase to student referendum in their meeting on Nov. 30.
Taylor McGilvray
THE DAILY COUGAR The Student Fees Advisory Committee recommended a student fee increase of more than 10 percent for the first time in the University’s history Monday, which would raise the fee to $240 from $190 beginning in the Fall 2012 semester. The $50 per semester increase would consist of a $5 hike to offset decreased state funding, an increase in facility maintenance costs due to consolidation and the increased enrollment and participation within the organizations that use student fees. The additional $45 fee, which has the potential to last for up to 25 years, would go to the Athletics
Department to pay for the construction, maintenance and operation of its facilities. “(The fees will) go toward the building of the new football facilities and renovation of the basketball facilities,” said SFAC Chair John Evans, who was appointed by the Student Government Association. “It is my understanding through SFAC this (fee) will be going to the construction of future stadiums and renovations.” The fee has several steps to take before it is enacted because it exceeds the 10 percent of student fees SFAC is allowed to recommend without approval. “The increase is not effective unless approved by a majority vote
VPSA Richard Walker gives his input on the budget requests the committee considered during deliberations last week. | Yulia Kutsenkova/The Daily Cougar of the students voting in an election called for that purpose — that is, to increase it over 10 percent — or by a majority vote of the duly elected student government,” said Associate Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students William Munson, who serves as a non-voting advisor for the committee. SFAC has advised that SGA votes to send it to a student referendum. The SGA will vote on whether
CEO
or not to let students vote on the fee increase in its Nov. 30 meeting, according to SGA President Michael Harding. If the fee increase is approved by either the SGA or a student vote, it will be sent to President Renu Khator and Vice President for Student Affairs Richard Walker for approval, and lastly given to the Board of Regents for a final vote, SFAC continues on page 8
CAMPUS
Marketplace wows students Cultural Internationally-focused event promotes diversity Zahra Ahmed
THE DAILY COUGAR Tuesday’s rain might have forced the Council of Ethnic Organizations to move the International Marketplace event indoors, but it didn’t stop the event from offering access to UH’s diverse student organizational community. More than a dozen ethnic organizations, student services offices and student educational and recreational programs were present at the University Center Arbor on Tuesday to promote and celebrate international education, awareness and culture. “I think as the second-most diverse campus in the nation, we don’t really have events that display what awesome cultures we have,” CEO director and senior Seida Omar said. “It’s important to have events like this so we can make students really proud of that fact.” The most visible display of cultural uniqueness was different
ethnic cuisine. The UH chapter of the NAACP served gumbo, the Indian Student Association created an entire vegetarian meal, the Kappa Delta Chi sorority sold Mexican baked goods and the Asian Medical Professional Society sold tapioca drinks. AMPS president Cecilia Nguyen said she wanted to spread the Asian culture. “For us to be able to walk around and experience all these cultures in one place is something very unique and rare,” Nguyen said. Many clubs also raised funds to give back to their native countries. Pratham, an Indian charity organization, funds educational expenses for children in Mysore, India, and the Pakistani Student Association raised money for victims of the 2010 Pakistan floods. Other organizations provided services to help international students adjust to life in the states and to assist American students hoping to study abroad. Representatives of U.S. Postal and Printing offered applications for renewing US passports. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community was also
represented. The sisters of Gamma Rho Lambda, who focus on health, sold vegan and diabetic-friendly cookies and the LGBT Resource Center booth played trivia games that focused on their community. “It’s always a good thing to learn from people’s differences,” LGBT Resource Center director Lorraine Schroeder said. The International Marketplace is just one of CEO’s events offered throughout the semester. The organization works year-round to promote cultural awareness at UH. Currently CEO is celebrating November as diversity month, which Omar said is its busiest month. The organization will be hosting other multicultural events throughout the month, with small events that focus on specific cultures and large-scale events, like the Marketplace, that represent all of the cultures UH is home to. “One of the things that CEO is trying to do this semester is broaden what student diversity means,” Omar said. “Everything we do is geared towards students.” news@thedailycougar.com
talent show highlights countries Juliana Olarte
THE DAILY COUGAR More than 100 people gathered in the Cullen Performance Hall on Wednesday to witness the different kinds of talent other cultures have to offer at the International Explosion. Sponsored by the Council of Ethnic Organizations, the event kicked off with a statement of the group’s goals. “Basically, we are a group on campus that is completely free,” said Armand Viscarri, marketing director of CEO. “What we are trying to do is bring events on campus that just promote diversity and are completely free, you don’t have to drop a single dime.” EXPLOSION continues on page 8