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Cougars steal the win from UCF in final game on home court
February 27, 2012
Heroes on campus, no cape required
Issue 81, Volume 77
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Library late fees bring little to overall budget Max Gardner
THE DAILY COUGAR
Late fees account for less than one percent of the $18.4 million annual budget of the library system. | Daniel Renfrow/The Daily Cougar
Considering UH holds a large population of commuters, it would seem the possibility of late returns on library items — and subsequent late fees — would be great. However, the library system has only accrued $1,484 in late fees since the beginning of its 2011-2012 fiscal year and $5,563 for 2010-2011. Both figures seem small in comparison to the library system’s approximate $18.4 million budget, said Lee Hilyer, head of Information and Access Services. “The amount we collect in fines is less than one percent of our overall budget,” said Hilyer. “It’s not a revenue stream for us. It’s really just a deterrent to bad behavior.” What is mainly responsible for this small income of
late fees is the library system’s policy on overdue items. Some students do not have to incur the replacement and $25 processing fee if they eventually return the materials. “It’s a different situation and a different issue with each student, and it depends on how high the fine is,” said weekend service desk manager Fransisca Sanchez. “If I get a legitimate answer and I know they are sincere, I go ahead and wave the fine for that student.” Reserved materials, including textbooks, electronic equipment and other specific course materials are the only library services that seem to pose a risk of strict punishment. Reserved materials have a fine of $3 for every hour past the allotted time; for electronic equipment, the fine is $9 each day late. For the library staff in these areas, overdue items do not seem to be a frequent issue. LATE FEES continues on page 3
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SPC chair steps down Vice chair to take over responsibilities until new student is elected Taylor McGilvray
THE DAILY COUGAR The chair of the Student Publications Committee resigned during Thursday’s meeting to ensure The Daily Cougar remains unbiased during the Student Government Association elections. “It was a conflict of interest for
me to be running for student body president while being chair of the Student Publications Committee,” said Jeff Syptak. “As chair of the SPC, I could influence the editor in chief to write more positive stories about me than the other candidates. The committee would like the image of the paper to remain unbiased and fair.” The committee oversees the Cougar in monthly meetings and discusses the paper’s inner-workings — like advertising, production or content — and elects each
semester’s editor in chief. It is comprised of students, faculty, SGA representatives and professional representatives. Joshua Siegel, who also serves as sports editor for The Daily Cougar, was voted in as vice chair of SPC at the meeting on Thursday. He previously served as The Daily Cougar representative to the SPC. He will take over the responsibilities of the chair until a new student is elected by the voting members. news@thedailycougar.com
The mural stands about eight feet high and was made by student activists in 1973 and later donated to the University. | Emily Chambers /The Daily Cougar
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UH holds Q&A with deaf African Americans Students, faculty, staff Moderator: Event highlights previously unknown subculture in community Tristan Tippet
THE DAILY COUGAR As part of the final celebration of Black History Month, UH’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the UH American Sign Language Interpreting Program and the Communication Axess Ability Group hosted a panel discussion featuring five deaf black men Saturday. The event, called “Untold Stories of Black Deaf Men,” consisted of a panel moderator relaying
questions to the five guests in sign language and their respective responses being relayed via interpreters. The goal of this discussion was to highlight these fascinating people, who hardly get any exposure at all, said assistant professor Sharon Grigsby Hill, who moderated the discussion. “What I think we accomplished was exposing people to a hidden part of a community … that people don’t even know exists,” Hill said. “People UNTOLD continues on page 3
want mural to stay put Courtney Johns
THE DAILY COUGAR Students, activists, staff members and alumni met to discuss the daunting future of the Chicano Mural Thursday. The 19 people at the discussion searched for a way to keep the University from moving the piece from
where it currently resides in the University Center Cougar Den. Recent concerns with preservation of the mural were first discussed in December because of plans to begin renovations on the UC this summer. The University does not intend to destroy the mural; their goal is to preserve it in MURAL continues on page 3