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March 1, 2012
Production brings witch trials to UH
Issue 84, Volume 77
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Alleged fraud plagues election Taylor McGilvray
THE DAILY COUGAR Reports of voter fraud are once again circulating the Student Government Association elections. Amber Khan, a biology sophomore, said when she logged on to vote Tuesday, the website said she had already voted. “I hadn’t even been on the website. I didn’t even select a candidate; I was going to read about them, but then it said that I already cast a vote so I got concerned,” Khan said. Simon Bott, her chemistry professor, said he encourages his class to vote, and she went to him asking for help. “I asked her if she had given (her birth
date or PeopleSoft number) out recently, and she said yes, there were some people after class. There was a petition out there on Tuesday about the M.D. Anderson bathrooms and they had the PeopleSoft IDs and birthdays,” Bott said. Khan said the petition was to replace faucets in the M.D. Anderson library. “This was on Tuesday around 5 or 5:30 or something like that. I was coming back from class, and I ran into these two students,” she said. “They asked me about if I’ve been to M.D. Anderson library and used the bathrooms over there.” She said the students — who claimed they were part of a student organization, but didn’t name which one — told her if they got 500 signatures on a petition, the University would change the faucets.
“There was a sign in sheet, and they were asking for PeopleSoft and date of birth, your name — first and last name — and I think they asked for your major or something like that,” Khan said. “When I went to the voting site, I put in my information and it said that I had already cast a vote.” Arsalan Razakazi, chief elections commissioner for SGA, said as of Wednesday night, he had not heard any reports from students, but if any came up he would investigate it. Anyone with information about this, or who has had trouble casting their votes, should contact Razakazi at sgaelectioncommission@uh.edu news@thedailycougar.com
SGA ELECTIONS 2012
Student Government Association elections end at 11:59 p.m. today Where to vote: !!
www.election.uh.edu
When to vote: !!
7 a.m. to 11: 59 p.m. today
Presidential (vice presidential) candidates on the ballot: !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !!
Cedric Bandoh (Turner Harris) Femi Jekayinfa (Josue Alvarado) Carl McGee (Tarek Haider) Michael McHugh (Mohammad Aijaz) Joy Ramirez (Shannie Lipsie) Markley Rogers (Camden Mahbubani) Jeff Syptak (Jack Wehman) David Williams (Ramon Montano)
Senatorial candidates on the ballot: !
Students can vote for senators to represent their college and for senators-at-large, who represent the entire student body
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
Additional student housing under construction Two new dorms will add space for 18,000 additional residents; costs not expected to increase Annette Santos
THE DAILY COUGAR
The original Cougar Village was opened in the fall semester of 2010. Cougar Village 2 is already in design and is expected to be completed in the fall semester of 2013. | Emily Chambers/The Daily Cougar
According to UH Residential Life and Housing,18,000 additional bed spaces are expected when the construction of two new residential halls is complete in fall 2013. Designed for sophomores and upper level students, Cougar Place 2 is already under construction, says Executive Director of Residential Life and Housing Don Yackley. Construction of Cougar Village 2 is set to begin in April. “We are extremely excited about our two new residential construction projects that will
assist us in developing a residential university experience that supports student success,” said Yackley. “Almost two thousand more students will be able to live on campus when these projects are completed.” Cougar Place 2 will feature single rooms with shared common living areas and will house about 800 beds. Cougar Village 2, whose design will mirror that of Cougar Village, is estimated to provide space for 1,000 beds — in two-room units with shared bathrooms. Both new facilities will include study lounges, community lounges, a computer lab and a small fitness area. HALLS continues on page 12
DINING
Cougar meal plans for residents, commuters introduced John Loner
THE DAILY COUGAR Meal plans at UH are broken down into two categories — residential and voluntary — that include Cougar Cash and can be used at Fresh Food Company at Moody Towers and Real Food on
Campus at Oberholtzer Hall. Residential meal plans are mandatory for students living in Moody Towers, the Quadrangle and Cougar Village; voluntary meals plans are for commuters and students living in Bayou Oaks, Cambridge Oaks, Cougar Place, Cullen Oaks and Calhoun Lofts. “I live on campus with no access
to a car, so the meal plans have worked out well for me,” said advertising senior Fadi Moighnieh. Dining services offers plans based upon how many meals students expect to eat; 21 or 15 per week, or 160 per semester for residential “lifestyle” plans. Students on the voluntary “block” plans can get 80, 40 and 20 meals per semester.
“The most popular plan over all was Lifestyle 160, but very close to that is the lifestyle 21,” said Operation Director Geoffrey Herbert. All three residential meal plans cost $1,610 per semester plus tax, while voluntary plans differ in price ranges from $610 - $200 per semester plus tax. “This is the first semester that
I got a meal plan. I have (classes) all day, and it was just easier to go eat in a dinning hall than bring my own food,” said advertising senior Lauren Proff. “The one thing I wish was different about the meal plans is that I would like to be able to substitute one of my meals at Moody MEAL continues on page 3