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SGA ELECTION 2012:: CANDIDATE Q&A
February 23, 2012 Issue 80, Volume 77
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
Cedric Bandoh
Candidate explains plans
Turner Harris
Joy Ramirez Amayrani Gomez
Michael McHugh Mohammed Aijaz
Femi Jekayinfa
Carl McGee
Josue Alvarado
Markley Rogers Camden Mahbubani
Joshua Mann
THE DAILY COUGAR The Daily Cougar: What are three things you think voters should know about you? Carl McGee: The first thing is I want to lower textbook costs. I can do that by enforcing House Bill 33, which was just recently passed by the Texas House. It states that schools in Texas have to have a textbook buyback program. It also states that they can’t set the prices for textbooks artificially high. Another thing it states is that the teachers have to get the word out to the students what books their classes will use a month in advance, that way they have time to search for the lowest textbook price.
The second thing I’d do would be to veto needless rules that limit freedom. The third thing would be to bring back the power to the students. I would let everybody know who the bosses are. Students are the ones paying thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars a year for tuition, and they need to start figuring out that they’re the boss. They’re paying for a service and for knowledge, so we need to help them out with their careers. TDC: Do you want to give a specific example of needless rules that limit freedoms? CM: Sure, there’s been lots of bills proposed last session in the student government that limit
THE DAILY COUGAR An Honors biochemistry junior Annie Pally was one of 20 UH students awarded at the 11th annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in November. With a double minor in business administration and Honors Medicine & Society, Pally received the award for her mouse model of autism, which analyzes potential methods of preventing abnormal cognitive and intellectual development. “I’ve always been curious to
David Williams Ramon Montano
Carl McGee Tarek Haidar
Each candidate was featured in our “Candidate Q&A” series this week. Source: Student Government Association
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
SGA senators reach standoff over grade replacement bill
Cougar wins research award Max Gardner
Jack Wehman
MCGEE continues on page 3
STUDENTS
Model analyzes ways to prevent abnormal cognitive development
Jeff Syptak
Joshua Mann
THE DAILY COUGAR
Annie Pally was awarded for her mouse model of autism in the Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. | Emily Chambers/The Daily Cougar see the underlying story behind scientific discoveries, to see how exactly ... we develop our current understanding of science and why we perceive certain things to be the way they are,” Pally said. “Research allows for a complete independence of thought and stresses the importance of questioning both the known and unknown.” Her research explored the effects of blocking the central AWARD continues on page 2
The Student Government Association senate debated and voted on the bill to add a University grade-replacement policy, but there was no action on the bill. Prior to the meeting, supporting senators modified the bill to focus exclusively on students in their first two semesters of college in order to reduce
drop out rates, said Honors College Senator Maggie McCartney. “Your freshman year really makes or breaks whether you stay in college,” she said. The bill now only applies to core classes taken in the first two semesters in college, and the classes must be retaken in the next semester they are offered, McCartney said. SGA continues on page 11
CAMPUS
Gas leak causes no lasting damage Joshua Mann
THE DAILY COUGAR A gas leak caused campus police to close part of the sidewalk and street at Entrance 14 near Science and Research 1 around noon Wednesday. A report came in to UH Department of Public Safety dispatch at 12:15 p.m. and fire marshals located the source of the leak quickly, Director of
Emergency Management Joe Mendez said. “We were trying to determine where (the leak was) coming from,” Mendez said. “This is a big place.” The brief delay in locating the source of was because of the wind moving plumes of gas around campus, Mendez said. A trash compactor drove over the gas line’s valve lid, cracking it and causing a leak, said Laura Cating, a CenterPoint Energy
spokeswoman. The gas flowing to the pipe was shut off at 2:15 p.m., Cating said. A crew from CenterPoint Energy arrived at the scene and worked with police and fire marshals to clear the area of pedestrians and vehicles around 12:35 p.m., Mendez said. No students have reported having averse reactions to the gas, Mendez said. news@thedailycougar.com