Issue 53, Volume 77

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November 22, 2011

Obama blocks stricter smog standards

Issue 53, Volume 77

UNIVERSITY

SGA green lights smartphone app for UH Taylor McGilvray

THE DAILY COUGAR The Student Government Association’s request for $59,125 of student fees for the development of a smartphone application was approved by the Student Fees Advisory Committee on Nov. 14.

“We need a Tier One way of communicating,” SGA President Michael Harding said.

“We are behind. Rice has an app. UT has an app.”

The app will include features such as Google Maps, which will allow users to take a photo of a building and have the program tell them the name of that building, the administrators in it and how to get to other places

on campus from that location; a parking alert system would inform students of which parking lots have spaces available; students would receive push notifications from sports games; updates from campus police; and various other school resources.

Harris said SGA plans to talk to other student organizations like Coog Radio, The Daily Cougar and the Student Program Board to see how they can also benefit from the app.

The first version of the app is planned to be ready for student use in the spring, according to Turner Harris, SGA’s director of finance.

Harris said the price of the app is middle of the road compared to some of the developers they looked into.

“We’ve had to turn down some developers because they were outrageously priced,” Harris said. “Apps can go from a couple hundred dollars to half a million.We don’t have those kinds of funds.”

He said they’re trying to get quotes from as many developers as they can before they make a decision.

The SGA originally asked SFAC for an increase in its base budget of $10,750 to maintain and add features to the app, but it was denied.

SFAC turned down their request because they wanted the app to be controlled by University Relations after its development, according to SFAC Chair John Evans. University Relations does not receive funds from student fees.

Evans added that the money that is left over from developing the app should be given back to SFAC. Harding said the app is essential for UH to keep up with its rival schools.

Students without a smartphone will still be able to use some of the features.

“They will still be able to use the webbased app,” Harding said. “Some of the functionalities, like Google Maps, can’t be used.”

The main difference, according to Harris, is that students without smartphones will not be able to use any of the features that require GPS. “We want it (the app) to be a tool that students use everyday — a necessity,” Harris said. news@thedailycougar.com

MUSIC

TRANSPORTATION

Performance to feature wind ensemble, symphonic band

Public transportation provides convenience

The Moores School of Music will host the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble II at 7 p.m. tonight in the Moores Opera House.

The program includes Persichetti: Symphony for Band, Vaughan Williams: Rhosymedre, Joseph W. Jenkins: American Overture for Band and other performances.

Tickets are $10 for the public and $5 for students and seniors.

For more information contact the Moores School of Music Ticket Office at 713-743-3313.

— Jennifer Postel

Students begin to embrace bus rides, carpooling as UH Commuter Club promotes ridesharing programs Alana MousaviDin, Erica Quiroz and Juliana Olarte

THE DAILY COUGAR

FACULTY

UH Law prof presented with award named in his honor The American Society of Legal History presented UH Andrews Kurth Professor of Law, Craig Joyce, with an award named in his honor on Saturday for his dedicated service to the organization.

Joyce is the founding co-director of the University of Houston Intellectual Property Program and has worked for the Society for more than 30 years. He currently serves as Chairman of the Committee on the Annual Meetings and the Committee on the History of the Society, The award, which is titled the “Craig Joyce Award”, will be awarded “to recognize members who have given long and outstanding service to the Society.”

— Jennifer Postel

Speaker helps homeless

A

s par t of the D istinguished S peakers S eries, the UH chapter of Phi Delta K appa International brought homeless advoc ate Noah Rattler to speak at Farish Hall on Thursday. To help raise awareness for h i s c a u s e, R at t l e r wa l ke d 1 , 8 0 0 m i l e s f ro m H o u s to n to Los Angeles. | Paul Crespo/The Daily Cougar

Amid soaring gas prices and parking woes on campus, university students looking for a way out have begun to embrace public transportation as a way to commute to campus, opting for either a ride on the METRO bus or joining a car pool to get to class.

According to METRO, the company charges between $3 and $4.50 each way for transportation from places like Katy, Cypress, Kingwood and the Westpark area to downtown.

The trips, which include a number of bus transfers, can sometimes take as long as two hours.

The METRO website also reported that more than 300,000 people use the company’s services each day, providing riders with guides and tips to ensure their safety.

“I have ridden METRO since I got here, from school to my home and other places such as bars,” Christian Martinez, a journalism junior said. “I have taken the METRO at 2 a.m. and got home safe.

“I don’t even remember being talked to on the bus — METRO is a safe ride.”

Another form of public transportation that students often use is carpooling, a method that, according to the 2011 U.S. Census report, nearly 10 percent of the workforce uses to get to work.

To help push more students to carpool, the University started the University of Houston Commuter Club, which has partnered with METRO to help those interested in starting or joining a campus van pool or car pool.

“We want to encourage more people to join van pools and car pools,” said Marcus Stewart, a customer service representative for UH Parking and Transportation Services.

“We monitor them so that everyone who wants to join or start one has a spot.”

A search tool on the club website for available van or carpools is forthcoming, but for now, the only way to locate and join one is through a supervisor at UH Parking and Transportation Services.

Students, faculty and staff must meet eligibility requirements before they can join the club.

TRANSPORT continues on page 3

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Tuesday, November 22., 2011

NEWS

The following is a partial report of campus crime between Nov. 14 and Nov. 17. All information is selected from the files of the UH Police Department. The information in bold indicates when the event was reported to UHPD and the event’s location. Information or questions regarding the cases below should be directed to UHPD at (713) 743-0600.

HOURS SUMMER

Monday - Thursday 9 am – 8 pm Friday 9 am – 3 pm Saturday - Sunday 1 pm – 4 pm

Monday - Tuesday 10 am – 7 pm Wednesday-Thursday 10 am – 6 pm Friday 10 am – 3 pm

COURSES Accounting Biology Chemistry Computer Science

Economics Engineering English Foreign Language

Finance Mathematics Physics Statistics

SCHEDULES FOR SPECIFIC COURSE TUTORING HOURS ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.LAS.UH.EDU/LSS

LEARNING STRATEGIES Workshops: Time Management Test Anxiety Over Procrastination And many more...

Counseling: Individual assessments and individual instructions in learning strategies

www.survey.uh.edu Student Satisfaction Survey NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement) for selected Freshmen and Seniors

www.las.uh.edu

Have information on these or other incidents of crime on campus? Call 713-743-0600

CRIME LOG

ROOM N 109 COUGAR VILLAGE FALL/SPRING

The Daily Cougar

www.eval.uh.edu Complete Course Evaluation online for selected courses.

Traffic Offense – Nov. 13 1:51 a.m.

– Lot 20 C — A student witnessed a vehicle striking a secured and unattended vehicle while parked in lot 20 C. The driver of the striking vehicle failed to leave the proper information required by Texas law.

The incident occurred between 1:40 a.m. and 2:05 a.m. on Nov. 13. The case is active.

Theft – Nov. 14 9:37 a.m. – Calhoun Lofts — A student reported that someone stole her unattended and secured bicycle from the Calhoun Lofts bicycle storage area.

There are no suspects. The incident occurred between 8 p.m. on Nov. 12 and 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 14. The case is active.

Theft – Nov. 14 2:15 p.m. – Cameron Bldg. — A graduate student reported that she left her cell phone in the 1st floor restroom of the Cameron building and when she came back to get it she found that someone had taken it. There are no suspects. The incident occurred between 1:45 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Nov. 14. The case is active.

Theft – Nov. 15 9:27 p.m. – University Center — A visitor reported that someone stole her secured and unattended bicycle from the bike rack between the UC and lot 1 B. There are no suspects. The incident occurred between 4:45 p.m. and 9:11 p.m. on Nov. 15. The case is active.

Theft – Nov. 16 12:37 p.m. – General Services Bldg. — A staff member reported the theft of 25 UH Invoices from her unattended and unsecured desk at General Services. There are no suspects. The incident occurred between 6:20 p.m on. Nov. 15 and 6:02 a.m. on Nov. 16. The case is Active.

Theft – Nov. 16 2:10 p.m. – M. D. Anderson Library — A student reported that someone stole his unattended and unsecure laptop computer from M. D. Anderson

Memorial Library. The incident occurred between 1:50 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Nov. 16. The case is inactive.

Burglary of a Motor Vehicle – Nov. 16 3:02 p.m. – Cullen Oaks Garage — A student reported his secured and unattended vehicle was burglarized, and several items were missing.

There are no suspects. The incident occurred between 7 p.m. Nov. 15 and 3 p.m. on Nov. 16. The case is active.

Manufacture or Delivery of Ctrl.

Substance Group 1 – Nov. 16 4:13 p.m. – Welcome Center — A manager of the UH Copy Center reported that a student attempted to mail narcotics through the Copy Center. The student was subsequently arrested and transported to the Harris County Jail. The incident occurred between 4 p.m. and 4:01p.m. on Nov. 16. The case resulted in an adult arrest.

Theft – Nov. 17 10:20 a.m. – Calhoun Lofts — A visitor reported the theft of Law books from Barnes & Nobel Bookstore inside Calhoun Lofts. The incident occurred between 4:20 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Nov. 17. The case is active.

Graffiti – Nov. 17 11:09 a.m. – A. D. Bruce Religion Center — A staff member reported graffiti written on the east exterior of the A. D. Bruce Religion Center. The incident occurred between 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 17. The case is inactive.

Fail to Comply with reg. Striking Unattended Vehicle – Nov. 17 7:01p.m. – Lot 19B — A contractor reported her secured and unattended vehicle was damaged by another vehicle. The other driver did not leave the information required by state law. The incident occurred at 5:41 a.m. The case is active.

For the complete report and to view past reports, go to thedailycougar.com/crime

CONTACT US Newsroom

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

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Joshua Siegel web@thedailycougar.com

THE DAILY COUGAR IS A MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS.

ABOUT THE COUGAR The Daily Cougar is published Monday through Thursday during the fall and spring semesters, and Wednesdays during the summer, at the University of Houston Printing Plant and online at http://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 Send 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.

NEWS

The Daily Cougar

Tuesday, November 22., 2011

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CAMPUS

Discussion centers on First Amendment rights at universities Deisy Enriquez

THE DAILY COUGAR Speakers discussed the First Amendment rights of public universities versus private universities during a panel discussion, “Extremism in a Civil Society,” hosted by the University of Houston Law Center and the AntiDefamation League-Southwest on Friday.

Erwin Chemerinsky, founding dean of the University of California-Irvine’s School of Law and Frederick M. Lawrence, President of Brandeis University, discussed six principles of the First Amendment and how they applied in specific Supreme Court cases.

In one example, they used the court case Phelps v. Snyder, in which Patrick Snyder, the father of fallen marine Matthew Snyder, sued Westboro Baptist Church for intentional infliction of emotional distress after members of the church picketed outside the marine’s funeral in Maryland.

The court ruled in favor of Fred and Margie Phelps, founders of the church, because even though their message was extremely offensive, they were not disruptive

TRANSPORT continued from page 1

The UH website states that potential members “must be an active full-time faculty or staff member of the University of Houston main campus, use an alternative transportation option for the duration of your membership, must not be an evening or night-shift employee and you do not buy a parking permit (except for 1-day temporary permits) for the duration of your membership.”

METRO provides the vehicles and there is no charge to join.

After eligibility requirements are

during the services and were legally on public sidewalks about 1,000 feet from the funeral, and at no time during the actual services could Snyder read what the signs said.

Regardless of how offensive their anti-gay and anti-lesbian messages may be, Chemerinsky argued, the Westboro Baptist Church’s right to protest was protected by the First Amendment.

“There’s no principle to the First Amendment, where the government can punish speech or hold it liable just because it’s offensive, even deeply offensive,” Chemerinsky said.

Another one of Chemerinsky’s principles centered on how “generally content-based restrictions of speech are not allowed unless they achieve a compelling government interest.”

Based on this principle, it is not up to the government to pick which messages can or cannot be heard based on its viewpoint or subject matter; the government cannot allow pro-war demonstrations without allowing anti-war demonstrations.

His main example of this was the Supreme Court case, Brown

met, the cost of gas is divided up among the number of passengers.

Added benefits include reserved parking spaces, complimentary daily parking permits and METRO Ride sponsoring, in which UH Parking and Transportation Services will pay 25 percent of your fare to get to UH. For more information about METRO-sponsored carpooling contact UH Parking and Transportation Services at 713-743-1097 or http://www.uh.edu/pts/CommuteClub/commute.htm For more information about METRO bus services contact 713635-4000 or www.ridemetro.org

v. Entertainment Merchants Association, which involved a California law that made it a crime to sell or rent violent video games to minors without parental consent.

Because there was no proof that playing violent video games caused violent behavior, ruling against it would be a contentbased restriction of speech.

This content-based restriction also applies when a public university allows student groups to use school facilities, as long as there are not religious speakers involved.

Chemerinsky said that because the First Amendment applies to only the government, public universities like UH are required to comply by the Constitution and private entities such as Rice University are not. Additionally, the first of Chemerinsky’s principles is that freedom of speech simply means that the government cannot tell anyone to be quiet.

In summer 2007, the Los Angeles Times reported that Chemerinsky was the frontrunner to be chosen dean of the University of California-Irvine.

He said he immediately began to

receive emails and phone calls asking if he knew that UC-Irvine was an anti-Semitic campus.

“This raised a great concern,” Chemerinsky said. “I learned that what it was about was that every year in late spring, the Muslim Student Union on campus would have a week of speakers and demonstrations.

“They would often bring onto campus individuals who would say anti-Israeli things, antiJewish things. Some believed that because the campus allowed the speakers to be present, that made the campus and its administration anti-Semitic, whereas the campus had no alternative but to allow the Muslim Student Union to bring these speakers. Any attempt by the campus to exclude them would violate the First Amendment, and campus officials knew this.”

On the other hand, if a similar presentation was planned at a private school such as Brandeis University, the school would not be constitutionally required to host the event.

“We are not bound by case law or the First Amendment,” Lawrence said.

Cherminsky summarized his six principles by connecting the discussion to the Occupy Wall Street protests, stating that though protestors have a right to use some government property for free speech purposes, the government can still regulate that speech based on three criteria.

“I received a lot of calls from reporters in the last month or two about whether or not cities have to leave open parks for the (Occupy movements), and my answer always is (that) the law is clear: There has to be a place where demonstrators can go, but there should be time, place and manner restrictions,” Cherminsky said.

“The Supreme Court said, for example, in a case called Clark v. Community for Creative Nonviolence, that the government has the right to keep people from sleeping in a park as a form of protest. The government doesn’t have to allow the movements to permanently occupy 24 hours a day, you have the right to be in the park from dawn to dusk, but you can’t sleep there.” news@thedailycougar.com

Get your event listed. www.thedailycougar.com/calendar

RECREPORT

DEPARTMENT OF CAMPUS RECREATION SPOTLIGHT

news@thedailycougar.com

TWO TEAMS TO REPRESENT UH AT REGIONALS

Think you can do better than this?

You might be right, but there’s only way to prove it.

Join The Daily Cougar staff today. We offer paid positions for reporters, photographers, columnists and editors. For more information, e-mail editor@thedailycougar.com or visit www.uh.edu/sp/jobs

THE DAILY COUGAR

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Last week, the Department of Campus Recreation hosted the annual Intramural Fall Classic Basketball tournament. Over 40 teams comprised of University of Houston students competed against each other for the opportunity to represent the University at the NIRSA/NCCS Region IV Basketball Championships being held at Oklahoma State University March 9-11, 2012.

After a grueling week with sometimes two games a night, two teams emerged as champions of the tournament - The Lady Cougars (led by sophomore captain Shelby Driskell) beat The Dream Killers 51-35, and on the mens side Team TGC (led by junior captain Bryan Okafor) defeated Team No Ceilings 69-54. Congratulations and good luck to these two The Rec Report is a paid advertising section for the teams as they prepare to represent UH at Department of Campus Recreation. the regional tournament next spring.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

EDITOR Daniel Renfrow E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/opinion

THE DAILY COUGAR EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITORS SPORTS EDITOR LIFE

& ARTS EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Jack Wehman John Brannen Taylor McGilvray, Julian Jimenez Joshua Siegel Mary Baak Daniel Renfrow Natasha Faircloth

STAFF EDITORIAL

Debt forgiveness group sends wrong message

M

embers of the Occupy Student Debt Campaign unveiled their plan for easing student debt woes this Monday in Zuccotti Park. Their plan calls for students to sign a debtors pledge in which they promise to stop making payments on their student loans after one million people have signed the pledge.

“There is no justice in a system that openly invites profiteering on the part of lenders. Education is a right and a public good, and it should be properly funded as such,” wrote the Occupy Student Debt Campaign on their website: occupystudentdebtcampaign.com.

While the group has some noble ideas, their members voluntarily took on their loans; there was no one forcing them to do so. Instead of taking on substantial student loans, these students could have attended cheaper universities or funded their studies themselves. There are many students who decide to work in college instead of taking on student loans.

These students often spend longer in college, but when they graduate they are not in debt. It would be unfair to these students if the debts of other students were forgiven.

“There’s this very strong moral and ethical belief that people don’t walk away from loans they voluntarily assumed,” said Anya Kamenetz, the author of “Generation Debt,” in an article on The Huffington Post.

Although the system is obviously broken, these students need to claim responsibility for their situation and pay off their debt. Their situation should serve as a warning to future students that they shouldn’t take on more debt than they can manage.

Deciding to stop making payments on their student loans will only make the situation of these students more dire. The last thing a loan-laden college student needs in today’s job market is a black mark on their credit score.

As of Monday night, only 253 individuals have signed the pledge — an indication that Occupy Student Debt has a lot of work to do before they reach their goal of one million signers.

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.

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Political miasma

Stricter smog standards smothered by Obama Administration

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hen she proposed stricter national standards for smog in September, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson thought she would have President Barack Obama’s support. Upset with the current doctrine, her plan for governing the ozone was pricier than the current program, but she believed the costs were offset by the health benefits. As the administrator of the EPA, she felt it was the government’s duty to place public Bryan priority over politics and Washington collective health over profit. The EPA validated it; the scientific community backed it. But in the end, President Obama did not.

In a way, it is fitting. The decision reinforced the precedence of industry over the environment. Despite visible deterioration and substantial reductions in public health, motions for change usually end up where they started. It’s as if the Obama Administration has a personal vendetta against the environmentalist, with the President’s Chief of Staff, William Daley, as the main conspirator.

Their attitude would be perfectly acceptable if there were some sort of logical reasoning behind it. If reducing the American petroleum industry’s waste allowance led to leaps in the country’s net

LETTERS

chocolate consumption, it goes without saying that most Americans would understand the administration’s decision.

Or if because of a reevaluation of the nation’s smog allowances, the black bear population of Shenandoah Park began to rival the mockingbirds, science advisers of the nation’s leading universities would probably lay off their protect the environment rhetoric. These are the kinds of fears that make sense to the American public — in line with sharks, high heels and escalators.

When asked why they chose to decline one of the year’s most significant public health documents, the White House turned to the economy. Too many jobs were linked to carbon dioxide emissions and sky blackening, and it wouldn’t have made sense to cut them.

Before concluding, they reassured questioners that new studies elaborating on current states of decay would replace the old studies in two years’ time. Daley was confident that any changes before then would be premature.

Unfortunately, these justifications are only political. The amount of money supplied by lobbyist groups is just enough to delay major reform in how they do business. It wouldn’t be fair to say that these groups are paying for the passage of their corporate practices, but they are almost certainly “investing” in future

Despite visible deterioration and substantial reductions in public health, motions for change usually end up where they started.

It’s as if the Obama Administration has a personal vendetta against the environmentalists.” governmental compliance. It’s understood that the president’s primary goal is reelection, but this goal shouldn’t get in the way of the obvious danger.

What results is an embarrassment for all parties involved: the EPA for their thorough investment, our president for the instability of his word and the country for falling victim to politics over public safety.

The biggest loser has been Jackson, whose only fault was believing in the officials who had assured her of their cooperation.

She’ll have plenty of chances in the future, but, if nothing else, the cards are now on the table. She’s seen the difficulties behind balancing the White House in one hand and greenhouses in the other.

Bryan Washington is a sociology freshman and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com.

Send yours to letters@thedailycougar.com

Undocumented students should receive student aid support Lately everyone has had fun beating up on Gov. Rick Perry for his stand on higher education for the children of undocumented workers. These children live in Texas, have graduated from Texas high schools and wish to pursue a college degree to become productive, positive citizens. Other GOP contenders denounce the ideology behind Perry’s policy — they could not be more misguided.

Gov. Perry and the State of Texas must not only hold the course on HB1403 — the Texas version of the Dream Act — they

must also expand student aid to include children of undocumented workers Extending higher education opportunities to qualified students, regardless of immigration status, adds to the intellectual capital of Texas. Improved earning equals higher tax brackets and more disposable income. People with four-year degrees are less likely to use government safety-net programs or to be incarcerated and are more likely to participate in volunteer community programs.

With Americans facing financial struggles, it is natural to want to pull back and hoard our resources. But this siege mentality is self-defeating; we continue

to consume resources but are unable to gather them. Now is the time to provide catalysts for growth. In this way, we emerge stronger rather than weaker.

Our higher educational system is one of the greatest renewable resources in existence. Everyone we educate in these universities provide us with an unparalleled advantage. The issue of student aid for all within our boarders is a issue far beyond immigration or student aid in general; it is about a stronger, more prosperous America for everyone.

— Kenneth Anderson Masters of Social Work

SPORTS

The Daily Cougar

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

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VOLLEYBALL

BASKETBALL Q&A

‘Tip’ takes leader’s role John Brannen

THE DAILY COUGAR Darian ‘Tip’ Thibodeaux is the self-described Energizer Bunny for the Cougars. The senior guard transferred to UH last season after playing his first two seasons at Navarro Junior College.

The 6’3 two-guard, has started three games so far this season and is averaging 8.3 points. The Daily Cougar spoke with him to get his thoughts on the young season.

Q : It may be your second year with the team, but you’re considered more of a leader now. What has that new role been like?

A: The team views me as a big brother. You automatically lead having that big brother-little brother relationship. A lot of these guys look for me to lead and show them the ropes. Coach Dickey does the same.

Q : Do you enjoy the new responsibilities or is it increased pressure?

A: It’s something I’m liking. I’m used to it because I have a younger brother.

Q : He had to wait a year, but freshman guard Joseph Young is getting his chance to play. Do you feel like he is prepared for the opportunity?

A: He’s ready. He’s hungry and

After starting the season 10-3, UH now stands 18-11 heading into its final match of the season Wednesday at the Athletics/Alumni Center against Rice. | Emily Chambers/The Daily Cougar

Senior guard Darian Thibodeaux leads UH in minutes per game for a second season, and is connecting on 46 percent of his shots from three-point range. | Aaron Cisneros/The Daily Cougar shows it every day. He hustles and comes out and competes hard every day. His hard work shows.

He’s learning more aspects of the game as far as defense and playing without the ball.

Q : What is Joe like when you aren’t playing basketball?

A: He’s a goofy kid. Very, very silly. He’s like my little brother.

Q : There were a few times last season when head coach James Dickey would keep calling timeouts and intentionally fouling even if the game was out of reach. What did you learn from that?

A: I’ll say the biggest thing I

learned was to never give up. Stay with it even when games get tough or when it looks out of reach. Just keep playing all the way until the end. In those situations, that’s just a true coach showing. Just never give up and play to the last horn.

That’s what being a championship coach is. He has a championship personality overall.

Q : Being a Dallas native how would you compare it to living in Houston?

A: Houston is similar to Dallas, but I love home. I’m not going to compare them like that. sports@thedailycougar.com

Cougars look to loosen up for finale Ricardo Rivera

THE DAILY COUGAR In light of UH’s (18-11, 11-8 Conference USA) loss against Southern Miss. at the Reed Green Coliseum on Sunday (16-25, 18-25, 25-23, 17-25), the Cougars will likely end their conference shuffle in third place regardless of the result of their home closer against Rice.

When the Cougars welcome the Owls to the Athletics/Alumni Center on Wednesday, the stakes will have drastically changed since the cross-town rivals did

battle to open the conference season in late September.

With rankings all but decided, the Cougars, instead look to tackle a different objective in the season closer.

“I would just like to see our team play and have fun,” head coach Molly Alvey said.

“If they have fun and communicate, all those other things will work themselves out.

I think we’ve been trying to work extremely hard, and maybe overkill, when really we’ve just needed to take two steps back and VOLLEYBALL continues on page 8

RECREPORT

DEPARTMENT OF CAMPUS RECREATION SPOTLIGHT

UH CRICKET CLUB WINS OPEN TOURNAMENT Whose house!!! The cricket playing fraternity in Houston finds out… The University of Houston Cricket Club wins the Saturday Open Tournament in the Houston Cricket League!

Cricket has been a popular sport at the University of Houston, and for more than a decade, students at this university have shown a passion and love for the game, which motivated the inception of a cricket club at the University of Houston.

The University of Houston Cricket Club was established in 2009 and participates in the Houston Cricket League which is a member of United States of America Cricket Association. Besides participating in the Houston Cricket League, the UH Cricket Club also competes against different universities located in and around Houston area, including Texas A&M University. With the support from the Department of Campus Recreation and commitment of cricket-lovers on campus, the club has reached the playoffs in two cricket tournaments.

The Saturday open tournament is a

24 overs per innings tournament played at Paul Rushing Park located in Katy, Texas.

For the 2011 version of the Saturday Open tournament, each team played 10 qualifying matches and the top 4 teams were selected for the semi-finals and the finals. UH Cricket Club defeated the Triggers Caricket Club in the first round. The UH Cricket Club faced off against the Bhakta’s India Cricket Club in the final.

The final was played on the 6th of November and was a very close game. UH Cricket Club batted first and made 147 in 24 overs in the first innings of the match. In the second innings, the bowlers setup a close game with 3 wickets needed in the last two overs and 15 runs left. The UH Cricket Club won the game by taking all three wickets with just two runs to spare.

The UH Cricket Club hopes to be

able to participate in other versions of this game played in the Houston Cricket League and thus represent the Houston team in the regional and national level tournaments. The club is open to all members of the University of Houston and is currently looking to add members to build the strength of the club.

The Rec Report is a paid advertising section for the Department of Campus Recreation.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

LIFE+ARTS

The Daily Cougar

CHEF’S NOTEBOOK

Thanksgiving 101: Cooking for the holiday The perfect turkey: The characteristics that make up a perfectly roasted fowl are crispy skin and juicy flavorful meat.

To meet these standards requires Jorge much preparation Porras and patience.

It is not enough to season the skin, which keeps the bird waterproof and will have no problem blocking out flavor.

You can get under the skin at the neck and rub the meat with your choice of herbs and spices mixed with butter or margarine to help keep it moist. You can also stuff the cavity with dressing, fruits or vegetables to get that extra bit of flavor.

Now for the crispy skin. The easiest way to get crispy skin without frying is to air dry the bird.

Air drying simply means to let the bird sit in the fridge uncovered over night. Drying out the skin cuts down the extra cooking time it would take to get the skin crispy and reduces the risk of drying the bird out.

Potatoes, goodness from the Earth When making mashed potatoes, it all comes down to the potato that you cook with.

The best potatoes to use are Yukon Gold or Fingerling potatoes because they have a high water content and low starch, giving them a fast cooking time and rich, buttery texture when mashed.

For every five pounds of potatoes to be cooked, heat one cup of butter, one cup of heavy cream and a half-cup of sour cream in a

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sauce pan.

You never want to add anything cold to your potatoes — mashed potatoes are one of the hardest things to reheat once they have gone cold.

After the potatoes are mashed and the dairy products have been added, begin to salt and taste.

Always add salt in small amounts, and remember it is always easier to add than to take away.

Keep them in a casserole dish in the oven at 200 degrees until ready to serve.

The lean, green dish There’s a pretty simple rule for preparing your greens.

Green beans, cauliflower, asparagus, squash and corn can be paired with the same basic flavor profiles of butter, salt, pepper and bacon.

While in the oven, avoid overcooking your greens or they will lose their chlorophyll and turn brown.

For cauliflower, thin slicing helps promote even cooking and allows for a more visually appealing presentation on the plate.

For delicious asparagus, adding a dash of salt and a bit of olive oil is all it takes. Roast the greens at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the leaves begin to crisp.

From my kitchen to yours, I hope this eases the stress of preparing one of the most celebrated meals of the year. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday. arts@thedailycougar.com

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COMICS & MORE

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

comics

crossword

The Fishbowl by Thomas Hernandez

ACROSS 1 Stage production 5 Kristy’s “Little Darlings” co-star 10 Liverpool elevator 14 Georgia ___ 15 Belittle 16 Cruise itinerary listing 17 With the bow, in music 18 Muscular canine 19 Cote chorus 20 Thee, updated 21 Second-sighted 23 Cake feature 25 Is wanting 26 Deck officers 28 The “D” in LED 32 Isn’t imaginary 34 First lady of Leeds 39 In addition 40 Pageant prop 42 Sound rebound 43 Mouth-watering 45 Cleared (as profit) 47 Encouraged 49 Pleasant scent 50 Prepares copy 54 Halt, legally 56 Power to move things by thinking 60 “Well ___-di-dah ...”

63 Flag down, as a cab 64 Lassoed 65 Opposite of difficulty 66 Israeli airline 67 Venerate 68 Bygone autocrat 69 Ford models of yore 70 Hatchlings’ homes 71 Units of current

That Monkey Tune by Michael A. Kandalaft

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

GET SOME DAILY

DOWN 1 Collar insert 2 Novel protagonist 3 Study ofthe supernatural 4 Reporter’s question 5 Billiards necessity 6 On a plane 7 Maneuver, on a runway 8 Consumer 9 Game show producer Griffin 10 Its flag is solid green 11 Son of Abraham 12 Steak cut 13 Campus ordeals 21 Dermatological diagnosis 22 Ersatz butter

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© 2011 UNIVERSAL UCLICK WWW.UPUZZLES.COM

24 He told of the ant and the grasshopper 26 Steak or veal, e.g.

27 Wheel spindle 29 Face in the mirror 30 Sculler 31 Cannon of the screen 33 Cookbook word 35 Start for “active” or “grade” 36 What supposedly emanates from a medium 37 Ark passenger 38 Bubbly beverage 41 End for “end” 44 Elongated tooth 46 Roadside diner sign 48 Nubian or Sonoran 50 Waters of blues 51 Apportioned 52 Trojan War tale 53 Reveals 55 Bounding lines 57 Tehran locale 58 Protuberance 59 Poetic collection

61 “... and make it fast!”

62 Linen marking 65 When a plane is expected to land (Abbr.)

Previous puzzle solved

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

VOLLEYBALL continued from page 5

relax a little.”

After kicking off conference play with back-to-back five match winning streaks, the Cougars have stumbled through the final stretch, dropping six of their last 10 matches.

SPORTS Among UH’s struggles, lategame offensive inefficiency has been the crux of the recent defeats. With the loss against the Golden Eagles, Houston dropped to fourth in hitting percentage among C-USA teams, after peaking as high as second midseason.

The Cougars are currently hitting .263 as a team, with senior Lucy Charuk continuing to lead at

.390 per match.

“The details stuff — hitting, decreasing errors or making defensive stops — they all become a lot easier when you just relax and let the game happen for you instead of forcing the action,” Alvey said.

For a team picked to finish third in C-USA, the Cougars widely exceeded expectations to

The Daily Cougar

start the year, ranking as high as first after a quick 10-3 start.

To Alvey, questions about the season’s successfulness in light of the recent late-season stumble deserve a broad perspective.

“We started out the season ranked at 91, and we got as high as 38 in the country,” Alvey said.

“That’s a pretty phenomenal season. We had our first top-25

win since I’ve been here. The Israeli National team coming was an impressive event.

“There’s been an insurmountable amount of success for this program.”

First serve against the Owls is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Athletics/Alumni Center. sports@thedailycougar.com