Issue 94, Volume 77 by The Cougar

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

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Cougars return home to take on No. 21 Baylor in mid-week match

March 27, 2012

Frontier Fiesta showcases UH diversity

Issue 94, Volume 77

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

RAs told to return financial aid to UH Miscalculation in allocations lead to recall of funds for residential assistants; some must pay as much as $5000 back to University Max Gardner

THE DAILY COUGAR Around 30 UH residential assistants were caught off guard at a staff meeting on Feb. 29 when they were told they owed money back to the university because they were over-awarded financial aid. Sophomore Journalism major Kathleen Murrill, a residential assistant in Cougar Village, was shocked to learn that she owed the university more than $5,000 after she had already paid off her account. “I had paid my tuition bill in full in January with the help of scholarships, loans and the compensation from being a RA,” said Murrill. “When I saw that I now owed back over $5,000, I was surprised and scared because I had no idea how I would be able to pay that.” Several RAs are facing similar charges and many are not ready to simply pay without trying to fight the charges. As the issue has not yet been resolved, none are willing

to go on record at this time. “The RAs affected are understandably upset. There has been some organization with the creation of a Facebook page and emails to each other,” said Murrill. “I think they just want to know why this wasn’t fully explained to us before we took the position and why we have to pay for this mistake.” UH assigns each student an expected cost of attendance when they enroll based on multiple factors, said Executive Director of Student Financial Aid Sal Loria Jr. Students can receive up to that amount in scholarships and grants that are awarded based on financial need. “We started hearing concern from some staff members that their financial aid packages were being readjusted,” said Executive Director of Residential Life & Housing Don Yackley. “Their aid was being adjusted down based on how much need they qualified for.” Residential assistants receive waivers to cover the costs of room and board rather than monetary compensation, Yackley

said. “The RA waivers are truly waiving their fees,” said Loria. “If you’re not an RA, you would have to pay completely out-of-pocket for those charges. So it is counted as a resource.” Counting the waiver as a resource that impacts the student’s cost of attendance because it is considered needs-based. This amount is factored into the overall amount of aid a student is receiving and counts towards the university’s set budget. “It was really the timing of when we received the (list of RAs) and how we posted those funds to their account,” Loria said. “It happened after students got refunds and that’s what caused the charge back. Some students had been over-awarded.” Once the financial aid office realized these students had been given more aid than their budget allowed, they had to inform them and reclaim the excess amount in compliance with federal law. “Here’s a cup of water and this is how much aid you are eligible for. Financial

ALUMNI

aid filled the cup based on your individual situation,” said Yackley. “Later, housing poured in the amount of what RA compensation is and it made the water spill over. Now we have to clean up the water and return it.” The amounts owed back range from $100 to $7,000 according to Loria, but financial aid is working with each student individually to try and reduce the inconvenience of the costs as much as possible. Loria says he hopes they can lower the number of students affected to about 20. “For any student that is left with an outstanding balance, it will of course be held at no interest,” said Loria. “We’ve paid back the feds so the institution will hold that debt as a zero, no interest loan.” Murrill said she has found the financial aid office helpful in the month it has taken to get her account back to normal, but she is still struggling with the fact that the problem occurred at all. “The situation continues to be RAs continues on page 3

FACULTY

UH Professor wins grant to work in bacteria detection

Student inventor competes

Wins first Houston area NSF biometrics CAREER award Bethany Redd

John Loner

THE DAILY COUGAR

THE DAILY COUGAR A recent graduate of the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston is competing for one of the three winning spots, decided by popular vote, in Walmart’s “Get on the Shelf” competition. If Verdin Jerome makes it to the top three, his product will be sold in Walmart’s online store and be given free marketing support. The grand-prize winner could also possibly see their product carried in Walmart’s stores. Jerome said he found the competition when a friend posted a link about it on LinkedIn. The Company Jerome cofounder, Vaeren, is submitting the Vaeren Ausion Surround Sound Floor Lamp.

Walmart will allow three winners space in their online store, and one winner will be given retail space in some Walmart stores. | Courtesy of Verdin Jerome The featured lamp has an adjustable speaker stand built in that conceals standard sized speakers underneath the lampshade; the speakers cannot be seen, even with lamp’s light on. “It’s a regular floor lamp, but I redesigned the inside so there is space for standard speakers,” Jerome said. “It’s not made for large speakers.” Jerome said the concealment of surround sound speakers was inspired by a friend’s need for more space. “I have a friend graduate

from NYU film school and he always playing around with his surround sound speakers, due to space,” he said. “He could put two speakers on either side of his sofa, to take up less space.” Walmart has not said if they will control the rights to the winning entry or not. The first round of voting began March 7 and will end Tuesday, when the top ten will move on to the second round of voting. news@thedailycougar.com

University of Houston’s assistant professor Wei-Chuan Shih has won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the first from the NSF’s Biophotonics Program granted in the greater Houston area. Shih was awarded a five-year, $400,000 grant to develop a new method to identify, count and profile bacteria more efficiently. “You can use very laboratoryintensive techniques to detect bacteria but that is very expensive and requires a lot of sample preparation,” Shih said. Shih’s research combines two different methods of Raman microspectroscopy coupled with computational image analysis to produce fast and accurate results. “A commercial Raman microspectroscopy system is

very slow,” Shih said. “We are building a new instrument that allows us to get the same kind of data but in a fraction of the time by using statistical analysis to mine and recognize patterns, which is more accurate than visual inspection of data.” The research Shih is conducting is useful in medical diagnostics, where bacteria cell culture experiments can take days to yield results. “There is a concern globally for abuse in antibiotic treatment, and part of the reason is that technology cannot help to get a quicker diagnosis,” Shih said. “This technology provides much faster confirmation whether bacteria is present, so doctors can then make a better decision whether to prescribe antibiotics or not.” AWARD continues on page 3

NEWS

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Presents:

The Daily Cougar

IN BRIEF

CAMPUS

Hip-hop conference to hold panels in University Center

“Acknowledging our Similarities, C e l e b r a t i n g o u r D i ff e r e n c e s ” Friday, April 20, 2012 from 9:00 am– 4:00 pm M.D. Anderson Library, Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion

The Awready! Hip-Hop Conference will come to the University of Houston from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday for A Screwed Up History. The event will feature four panels on Houston hip-hop history and culture. Two of the panels will focus on influential Houston artist, DJ Screw. The event is one of three parts of Awready! starting with the opening reception for an exhibit in the Betz Gallery from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight and ending with a

disc jockey battle at Rice University from 8 to 11 p.m. Wednesday. The conference is presented by UH Libraries, the HERE Project at Rice University, UH’s African American Studies program and the Mitchell Center. Although the gallery opening is free, the conference’s website says A Screwed Up History is at capacity, although there may be a limited number of admissions available for walk-up purchase. — Cougar News Services

CORRECTIONS Report errors to editor@thedailycougar.com. Corrections will appear here as needed.

FREE BREAKFAST AND MULTICULTURAL LUNCH! SPEAKER-DEAN JOHN ROBERTS ! PANEL DISCUSSION MULTICULTURAL FASHION SHOW ! ACTIVITIES ! PRIZE DRAWINGS For more information, contact Dr. Tamalia Hanchell at tshanche@central.uh.edu

, Reg dents http://c ister NOW at All Stu e r aps.uh.e taff a du/dive ty & S or t rsity r a P Facul F ir d s n t 25 Stud Atte o t e ! e n t Registe t m Even r Win a s to Welco FREE P s R i IZE! h t All of Co-Sponsors:

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

(713) 743-5360 Editor in Chief

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON Chapter presents,

“An American Nightmare” General Meeting, March 27th 2012 7PM UC Tejas Room Join us as we discuss the tragic death of

TRAYVON MARTIN

(Candlelight Vigil will follow at 9PM in the UC Arbor)

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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, March 27, 2012

RAs continued from page 1

frustrating because it feels as though RAs are suffering the consequences of a problem they didn’t cause or create,” said Murrill. “I do believe financial aid and housing are trying their best to help the situation in any legal way they can, but either way, RAs are literally paying for (someone else’s) mistake.” While Residential Life &

Candidates fight allegations of fraud

ichael McHugh and Mohammed Aijaz challenged their disqualification from their recently-won offices as president and vice president of the Student Government Association. See The Daily Cougar’s coverage of the trial online at thedailycougar.com. | Emily Chambers/The Daily Cougar

AWARD continued from page 1

This new technology has far reaching implications in not only the medical community, but in environmental sciences,

food safety and biological warfare defense. “One possibility is to be able to detect biological agents in airport security,” Shih said. Along with professor Jack Wolfe, Shih advises two doctoral candidates and three

undergraduate students who help him in his research. “Financial support from the grant will allow me to hire more research assistants,” Shih said.

news@thedailycougar.com

SALES CAREER FAIR Thursday, March 29, 2012 NEW TIME: 3 – 6 p.m. University Center – Houston Room

ALL MAJORS WELCOME Bring Résumé Professional Dress Required

news@thedailycougar.com

RECREPORT

DEPARTMENT OF CAMPUS RECREATION SPOTLIGHT

Men’s Volleyball Club Makes First Conference Tournament Appearance top universities in the state of Texas. Throughout the year, the men’s club has shown glimmers of success, eventually receiving a #10 ranking going into the SIVA Conference Championship this past weekend. The UH Men’s Volleyball Club ended their conference championship fight with an 8th place ranking, moving up two spots from their projected position. Club President, Brandon Cubina, is very proud of the success the club experienced in their first year, and is looking forward to next year’s season. If you are interested in joining the men’s or women’s volleyball club, please contact the Sport Club Graduate Assistant Jacoby Davis at 713-743-9947. Like the UH Sport Club page for more information and sports club updates.

he University of Houston’s Sport Club Program TIf approved, welcomes ideas for new sport club throughout the year. the University does everything within their means to support and promote new sport clubs on our campus. Sport Clubs that are competing in their first year on campus include: Baseball, Men’s Volleyball, Climbing, and Indoor Soccer. The Men’s Volleyball Club competes in the Southern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, which includes Baylor, LSU, SMU, TCU, UT, A&M, SFA, Rice, and many other

Housing and the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid are planning to reevaluate their current system for processing the aid on residential assistants’ accounts, Yackley said no department is particularly at fault. “Next year we are reorganizing the system to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” said Loria. “It’s avoidable and, when done appropriately, (the system) works.”

EXPERIENCE EXCELLENCE

Upcoming Events: 3/28/2012 – Women’s Volleyball vs. LSC-Kingwood, 7pm , CRWC 3/31-4/1/2012 - Water Polo Tournament, 9:30am 3/31/2012 – Men’s Soccer vs. LSC- North Harris, 12pm, Cullen Fields 3/31/2012 - Women’s Soccer vs. LSC North Harris, 10am, Cullen Fields

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

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Daily Cougar

OPINION THE DAILY COUGAR

EDITOR David Haydon E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/opinion

MEANWHILE, IN CHINA

by David Delgado

EDITORIAL BOARD INTERIM EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITORS SPORTS EDITOR LIFE

& ARTS EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Daniel Renfrow Mary Baak Taylor McGilvray, Joshua Mann Joshua Siegel Jose Aguilar David Haydon Amanda Hilow

STAFF EDITORIAL

Students’ hopes rest with Khator at board meeting

niversity of Houston President and Chancellor Renu Khator met with the editorial staff of the Houston Chronicle last week and said she would press the UH Board of Regents not to increase tuition. “We just made this commitment that we’re not going to do it,” Khator said. “To say that we can hold the line for a year, it tests your character.” Karen Clarke, associate vice chancellor for university relations for the UH System, joined Khator in the meeting. While this news is a welcome rest from all the increases in fees and tuition, mandatory and otherwise, Khator still has to convince the board of regents when they meet today. This puts things in perspective. Khator easily takes the flak for rising tuition and costs at UH — she’s the president after all — but the board of regents wields power as well. Although Khator is the university chancellor, she is also like a CEO, says Clarke, and she’s done her homework. Khator unveiled several documents at the editorial meeting including a 2012 president’s report, accountability report and UH system performance report that show exactly where UH stood a year ago, and aside from minor setbacks in research awards and annual giving, performance has been good. We’re not letting Khator off the hook, however. For example, she wants at least 25 percent of enrolled students to live on campus. As of now, 16 percent of more than 39,000 students sleep in an on-campus bed. Adding beds will be one component, but we strongly suggest Khator think about the need for other amenities. There are no 24-hour dining services on campus and barely any 24-hour study areas. If 25 percent lived on campus now, that would mean about 10,000 students in the tiny lounge dangling from the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library, and 10,000 students surviving on crackers and soda when the cafeterias close for the holidays and spring break. UH will have to be a home if it wants students to treat it like one. The board of regents meets today with an agenda for business. We trust Khator has an agenda for students.

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 to (713) 743-5384. Letters are subject to editing. ADVERTISEMENTS Advertisements 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.

KIPP has room for improvement F

ounded in 1994 by Michael Fienberg and David Levin, Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) Schools are the biggest sensation in education since integration. With more than 50 schools nationwide, the program has successfully educated hundreds Lindsay of underprivileged and Gary minority youth since its founding. As a former student of the original KIPP School in Houston from 2000 to 2004, I am a living testimony to the rigorous yet rewarding educational system. But I am also a witness to an area in which KIPP fell short. Knowing one of the co-founders and many of the teachers and administrators personally, I am sure the intention wasn’t to alienate the black students. In fact, Fienberg believes that “all instruction must be relevant to the learner, culturally and emotionally.” However, with its progressive ideas in education, during my years of attendance, KIPP reverted to arguably backwards practices in terms of cultural relevance in relation to the students with darker skin. Of my graduating class at KIPP, I was one of about 20 black students in a mostly Hispanic population. Being the minority wasn’t easy, and some of the teachers at KIPP didn’t make it any easier. There are a few incidents that vividly stand out to me. I can still remember “judgment day” as I once called it. It was the day that students would learn their fate in attendance at the end-of-year trip. As an extremely well-behaved and straight-A student, I had no worries about my fate. But something was different in the teachers’ eyes when I met them at the judgment table. They told me that I was not on the list to go on the trip. I was shocked and embarrassed. It was heartbreaking news for a former “Student of the Year.” They explained

that I had made an improper comment. As I searched my memory bank for any recollection of anything improper, one of my teachers explained my wrong-doing. The improper comment: “I understand and love learning about Jewish history, and I understand our founders are of Jewish heritage. I was just wondering if we could ever learn about black history or more about Hispanic history, since most of us are black and Hispanic.” I fought back tears as my fate was unveiled. I couldn’t understand what was so wrong about that statement. Did the opinion of a little black girl matter in such a school? There were many other instances when I felt this intolerance, such as the time we were told our black hair products were a joke, the favoritism Hispanic students received, the lack of information we learned about black history, the fact that we were often targeted for misconduct, and the fact that at least one of the school’s plays was about Hispanic culture and none were about my own. But Judgement Day was by far the most hurtful of all my culturally negative experiences at KIPP. Some may wonder if this experience was unique to me. I guarantee it wasn’t. Quotes on this topic from fellow black KIPPsters include: “We were always asked why we didn’t mingle with the Hispanic children but the Hispanic children were never asked why they didn’t mingle with us,” and “There were special programs that catered to the Latino students and parents, but we never had that.” After such negative experiences, I vowed to never express my opinion at KIPP again. In fact, my teachers eventually allowed me to go on the trip. But they threatened that if I ever made remarks like that again, I’d be put on a plane, alone, from California to Houston. It wasn’t until Harriett Ball passed, that I decided to openly voice my opinion again. In February, I received the monthly newsletter from a KIPP Alumni Association

representative and was extremely disappointed with what the newsletter mentioned, or should I say failed to mention. The newsletter highlighted Valentine’s Day and internships among other things, but made absolutely no mention of Black History Month, which as its name states, spans the course of the entire month. I was already disappointed with my recent discovery that the woman who had inspired and mentored the KIPP co-founders, was in fact a black woman. It wasn’t until Ball’s passing, seven years after I had completed my KIPP education, that I would learn anything about her. Don’t you think knowing this would have made a world of difference, created a pool of inspiration, for a little black girl at KIPP? Was it merely an accident or pure neglect that the newsletter failed to mention something so important to black people? I am not sure if KIPP is culturally the same now as it was then, but the 2012 February newsletter suggests that not much has changed at the original KIPP School. I am happy to say that KIPP schools like Liberation and Voyage have been created in predominantly black areas such as the Third Ward and are orchestrated by those who are familiar with black culture and history. But what about black students who don’t live in these areas? Should they be at risk to have their culture suppressed or even have their opinions taken away like I did? Should they have to feel less-than, blamed or alienated? Although KIPP is widely-recognized as successful, I urge administrators to survey the cultural satisfaction of minority students in a majority setting. Although primarily progressive, KIPP can learn something from the positive cultural trends unique to the era of segregation.

Lindsay Gary is a senior history major and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Daily Cougar

EDITOR Joshua Siegel E-MAIL sports@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/sports

BASEBALL

TENNIS

Cougars rally to keep streak alive Albert Torres

THE DAILY COUGAR

Shortstop Chase Jensen leads an offense looking to pounce on No. 21 Baylor tonight at Cougar Field. Jensen leads UH in batting average (.316), RBI (19), slugging percentage (.430) and total bases (34). UH is averaging 4.22 runs per game this season. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

It’s good to be home Gilbert Requena

THE DAILY COUGAR After spending almost the entire month on the road, the travel-weary Cougars will return home for only the second time this month to take on No. 21 Baylor in a midweek matchup. The contest gets underway at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Cougar Field. “(Baylor) is one of the elite programs in the country; they’re one of the best programs in the state,” head coach Todd Whitting said. “Coach (Steve) Smith has one of the best teams that he’s had in a long time up there. “This is going to be great to for our ballclub to play this tough opponent. I’m counting on our kids to come out and play

hard (tonight).” The Cougars have been playing hard all season, but they have also been piling up the errors. Whitting said that this is the reason for the club’s record. “Right now, what seems to happen to our ballclub is when we make a mistake, it becomes a huge mistake,” Whitting said. “We need to play better defense because when we play good defense it gives us a real good chance to win. The Cougars are 9-0 when making one error or fewer and 1-12 when they make two or more errors. Baylor (18-7, 6-0 Big 12) on the other hand has one of the stoutest defenses in the country. The Bears rank seventh in the NCAA in fielding percentage with a .980 average. They have 14 errors in 225 attempts. UH on the other hand, ranks

211th in the NCAA with 32 errors in 211 attempts for a .957 fielding percentage. In the batter’s box, the UH offense has been just like the weather in Houston— one day its hot and the next day it cools off. “That’s a pattern that goes with having new players and playing a lot of young players,” Whitting said. “We start anywhere from three to five freshman at a time in our starting lineup. “It’s a transition for those new players to show up and bring their ‘A-game’ every day.” Baylor comes to town riding a seven-game winning streak, including a three-game sweep of Kansas where they outscored the Jayhawks 27-8. Leading the Bears on offense and

The Cougars find themselves in the midst of a threematch win streak as they used both ends of the excitement spectrum to reel off two wins this past week. On Thursday, the Cougars steamrolled Prairie View A&M in a 7-0 shutout and won a hotly contested 4-3 match against Texas State on Sunday to improve to 10-6 this spring. The Prairie View match was a makeup of last week’s rained out contest and UH dominated in all aspects of play. “It’s always nice to get a win over a Division-I opponent,” head coach John Severance said. The Cougars were in control most of the afternoon as their top doubles pair of Giorgia Pozzan and Bryony Hunter came back from an early deficit to sweep their round. Maja Kazimieruk and Charlotte Phillips continued their dominant singles play as the Cougars swept that round as well. “We’re expecting a battle against Texas State on Sunday and we have to carry our momentum over against a team that has beaten some quality opponents this season,” Severance said of their next match The result went down to the wire as UH ended the match on top with their seventh 4-3 result of the season. “I was thoroughly impressed with how we handled doubles today,” Severance said. “We trailed early at the top two positions but they battled through it which made the difference in the match.” In doubles the pair of Giorgia Pozzan and Celia Fraser improved to 2-1 together, while Laura Ring and Liselot Koenen earned their seventh win of the season. “In singles, Charlotte (Phillips) cleaned up her game a good bit and you can see how dominant she can be,” Severance said. “Bryony (Hunter) had a tough matchup, but put it all together in the third set and Maja continues to be dominant.” Maja Kazirmieruk has come on strong as she stands with an 11-3 overall record after earning her sixthstraight victory on Sunday. The Cougars take on No. 29 Tulsa at 10 a.m. Saturday at the John E. Hoff courts. sports@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

Check out a recap of this week’s track & field action at thedailycougar.com

BASEBALL continues on page 6

FOOTBALL

Piland ready to lead Cougars Joshua Siegel

THE DAILY COUGAR On paper, many things have changed for the Cougars between their win in the TicketCity Bowl and the opening of spring practice — a new starting quarterback, new offensive coordinator, and an entire new group of starting receivers. David Piland is pretty comfortable though. New offensive coordinator Mike Nesbitt’s playbook is very similar to the one that Piland worked with the past two seasons, and with UH graduating all four of last year’s starting receivers, Piland will move into the starting

lineup with the group he worked with last season as a backup. “It’s a similar playbook,” Piland said. “I wouldn’t say it’s exactly the same, but it’s the same offense. It’s the air-raid, you’re going to throw the ball all over, but there’s still a lot of things to learn as a team. “You’ll see a lot of new faces, but a lot of big plays.” Piland looked sharp at practice on Monday afternoon. The practice reps that he had with potential starters at receiver, Dewayne Peace, Daniel Spencer, Mark Roberts, Isaiah Sweeney and Ronnie Williams last season has given him a head start on their timing. “We have pretty good chemistry,”

Piland said. “We’re really on the same page about what we’re doing.” After starting eight games as freshman, Piland redshirted last season when then-seniors Case Keenum and Cotton Turner returned. It was a great learning experience for Piland, but he is ready to now be a leader on the field and show what he can do. “It’s been great,” he said. “All of guys look to me for leadership, which is great because I like to be in that position. Obviously from having played and finally getting the reins where I’m not a backup and having to play in somebody’s shoes, it’s great. sports@thedailycougar.com

In eight starts as a true freshman, David Piland threw for 2,641 yards and 24 touchdowns. Piland will be the starter this season after redshirting last year. | Hendrick Rosemond/The Daily Cougar

SPORTS

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Daily Cougar

CROSSWORD \\\\\\\\\\\\\\

BASEBALL continued from page 5

Aaron Stewart has been one of the better arms out of the UH bullpen this season with a 1.80 ERA in five innings. | Brianna Leigh Morrison/The Daily Cougar

defense is second baseman Langford Layton. He is the Bears’ batting average leader with a .413 clip and leads the team in fielding percentage with a .990 average (one error in 66 attempts). Joey Hainsfurther will take the mound for Baylor. Hainsfurther is 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA. Pacing the Cougars’ offense is shortstop Chase Jensen. After a slow start, Jensen has surged at the plate, bringing his average up to .316. He leads the club with 25 hits and has four doubles, a triple and one home run. The Cougars (10-12, 1-2 Conference-USA) posted a 6-8 record in the March. They are 5-4 at home, 3-7 on the road and 2-1 at neutral sites.

International Students and Scholars

FREE TAX ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE If You Are Required to File an Income Tax Return, (Form 1040NR or 1040NR EZ) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). Volunteers Are Available to Assist You! This free service is available in the Bayou City Room (Room 202), University Center, 2nd Floor on the following Saturdays from 9:30 am to 2 pm:

March 17, 24, and 31; and April 7 and 14 (Saturdays only) You will need to go to the Bayou City Room to make an appointment. Bring the following: Your passport, Immigration Documents such as Forms I-20, or DS-2019; Any Forms W-2 and/or 1042-S; Forms 1099, if any; Records of all income and expenses.

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FREE TAX ASSISTANCE!!

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For additional information, please call the International Student And Scholar Services Office at (713) 743-5065. Don’t Forget to Make your Appointment with the Tax Volunteer on the Earliest Possible Saturday Among the Dates Listed Above

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ACROSS 1 Male admirer 5 River to the Caspian Sea 9 Sheer brilliance 14 Norse god of war 15 Mane area 16 “Jurassic Park” dinosaur, e.g. 17 Dog’s highpitched cry 18 Well for the French 19 “Philadelphia” Oscar winner 20 Reservation opening 23 Former Vice President Al 24 Briefest acceptance speech? 25 Happy folks on election night 28 Disrobe 31 “Simpsons” grandpa 34 Dusty memento 36 Wedder of Lennon 37 Door-to-door cosmetics company 38 “And now?” 42 Pupil’s colorful place 43 First of a vowel fivesome? 44 More maneuverable at sea 45 She may have quite a habit 46 Part of an Egyptian pound (Var.)

49 Make an effort 50 Victorian or Edwardian, e.g. 51 Line about which the earth turns 53 Frustrated crossword solver’s cry? 61 Unspoken, as an understanding 62 Tiniest of margins 63 Fully engrossed 64 Bail out from a jet 65 Bear in the night sky 66 Window picture 67 ___-eyed (close to tears) 68 Exercise establishments 69 Talking bird DOWN 1 Laddie, in Australia 2 Place of a very tricky serpent 3 Is green around the gills 4 Unfasten, in a way 5 Still enjoying womb service? 6 Came down in buckets 7 Did an impression of 8 Advanced, as cash 9 Alpine sounds 10 “Santa ___ Is Coming to

Town” 11 Suit size designation 12 Ancient emblem of life 13 Midterm or final 21 Shrink’s furniture 22 A caddy may hold it 25 Steve the late Crocodile Hunter 26 India’s first prime minister 27 Rubbed out, as a dragon 29 Boxing ring borders 30 Dir. from Memphis to Nashville 31 Prevent, as danger 32 Stocky dog breed 33 Ledger line 35 Nitpicky word for grammarians 37 California’s

39 40 41 46 47 48 50 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

Santa ___ winds Like some kites Vegetable in a pod Damascus is its capital Like a woman in a Roy Orbison classic Beijing belief In-crowd actors? Vote off, a la “Big Brother” Theatrical backdrop Couple on a gossip page Visitor to Mecca Hotshot pilots Mob hoodlum “Diff’rent Strokes” actor Coleman Frilly “Once ___ a midnight dreary ...” Italian volcano

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3/26

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Maggiano’s Little Italy Is now interviewing for Server, Banquet servers, & Cocktail servers We are looking for energetic people with smiling faces.

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Problem with puzzles? Call (713) 743-5350 to report errors. Thanks!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Daily Cougar

EDITOR Jose Aguilar E-MAIL arts@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/arts

STUDENT ART

‘unBlocked’ set to come undone Jed Ocot

THE DAILY COUGAR

Organizers of this year’s Frontier Fiesta officially opened the event to visitors who came to take part in one of UH’s oldest traditions. | Darlene Campos/The Daily Cougar

FRONTIER FIESTA

Parade, ribbon cutting open annual UH festival Darlene Campos

THE DAILY COUGAR Frontier Fiesta 2012 kicked off Thursday with music, cheers, and marching from various campus sororities and fraternities. The opening event started at 4 p.m. with a ceremonial ribbon cutting and parade at Robertson Stadium. This year’s themes included Diversity Night, Cougar Red Friday, and Family Fun Day with Joe Koppel Military Appreciation Night. Thursday’s Diversity Night included live music by a psychedelic rock band from Argentina, Espantapajaros (Spanish for scarecrow), comedy acts, a belly dancing show and mariachi presentations. “I thought this year’s Frontier Fiesta was pretty cool,” said Analicia Caylor, a petroleum engineering sophomore. “The store fronts were very well done; the live music was diverse.” University of Houston utility staff member Wilson Torres, who

has been working on campus for a little more than two years, said there was more fun to be had this year. “I felt that more people attended this year’s Frontier Fiesta than the previous one,” Torres said. “I enjoyed the music, performances, and variety shows during my breaks from serving hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos, barbecue and sandwiches to the public.” Pharmacy senior Omar Qureshi, who tries to make it out every year, said this year “really rocked.” “The music was awesome, the shows were great and the food was delicious. The carnival rides were also a nice touch to everything,” he said. “But most of all, I really appreciated the Military Appreciation Night to honor our troops.” It seems this year’s Frontier Fiesta was a successful time of diversity and fun. Though the celebrations are now over, next year’s Frontier Fiesta will be back on campus before we know it. arts@thedailycougar.com

Poet tickles, inspires crowd Christopher Lopez

THE DAILY COUGAR Frontier Fiesta always has a lot to offer students and on Thursday, with the help of the Mexican American Studies Student Organization, a Hispanic-Polish American self-named “Pocho Joe” took to the stage to tickle funny bones. Poet and comedian Joe Hernandez-Kolski, who has been featured on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, performed a good show that featured a lot of Hispanic heritagebased bits. Hernandez, it seemed, designed his show in order to make you laugh and give a more

in-depth thought to college life and the future. Along with humor, there was a serious side to his show, which provided some reflection not usually seen in comedy. Hernandez, aside from his comedic duties, is also a motivational speaker who visits universities and high schools across the country. The parts of his show that involved the audience were welldone and well-received by all, which entertained and made for a decent laugh. Overall, his witty remarks regarding the Hispanic heritage as well as standard observational humor made for a fun hour. arts@thedailycougar.com

For those who have yet to catch “F/16 Collective: unBlocked,” part of the 2012 FotoFest Biennial by University of Houston’s photography students, you have until Friday to check it out at The Jung Center. The collective is comprised of members of UH’s 2012 Photography and Digital Media graduating class and serves as the group’s senior-thesis exhibition. The show’s curator, Mary Magsamen of the Aurora Picture Show, chose the specific pieces displayed. Her job is to find pieces that work well with the art of other students in the show and to layout a cohesive floor plan for the work. Melissa Tran, one of the artists, said she loves what photography stands for. To her, it is more than referencing a specific moment in time; it’s an art form that can be used just as successfully as any of the traditional arts to convey conceptual thought processes and ideas, all while holding certain nostalgia within each photograph. A lot of her recent work is

focused on idealizations of beauty and the gender roles associated with them. “In the way the photographs have been mounted, they are treated as objects and, to some, reference hyper-realistic paintings,” Tran said. “Even as photographs, they appear hyperrealistic.” Tran said that the quality of the work “lends to the unrealistic expectations that society gives to women,” for which she listed the push of cosmetics and accessories like false eyelashes as examples. In her sculptural piece “Mimic (His & Hers),” Tran was inspired by an event at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston that featured contemporary artist Janine Antoni. “I was inspired to make connections between mass-produced items that were made to replicate parts of the body for everyday use — specifically, as shown in my work, hangers as representational of shoulders.” According to The Jung Center website, “unBlocked” references the UH School of Art’s Photography and Digital Media block program from which the 16 artists are graduating.

The students produced a wide range of contemporary work for the exhibition — everything from video and three-dimensional installations to a host of photographic processes learned during their time at UH. The works, the press release states, are both conceptual and documentary. The members of F/16 Collective are: Paolo Aninag, Michael Burgas, Brittney Connelly, Danielle Fessler, Os Galindo, Vanessa Godden, Brittney Imwald-Mahar, Nicole Henderson, Daniela Hernandez, Fatmeh Hmaidan, Brittney Imwald-Mahar, Claudia Melgar, Gisela Parker, Thais Verissimo, Megan Rath, Ian Russell and Tran. arts@thedailycougar.com

CHECK IT

“F/16 presents unBlocked” What: An exhibit featuring the work of 16 UH photography students Where: The Jung Center of Houston, 5200 Montrose When: Through Friday Info: www.junghouston.org/art

67 67

70 70

75 75

89 89

67 67

54 54

14 S. Dakota St. (27-7) 14

(22-11) 77 Notre Notre Dame Dame (22-11)

10 Xavier (21-12) (21-12) 10 Xavier

22 Duke Duke (27-6) (27-6)

15 Lehigh (26-7) 15 Lehigh

Michigan St. (27-7) 11 Michigan (27-7)

16 LIU LIU Brooklyn Brooklyn (25-8) 16 (25-8)

Memphis (26-8) (26-8) 88 Memphis

Saint Louis Louis (25-7) 99 Saint (25-7)

15 Norfolk St. (25-9)

215 Missouri (30-4) Norfolk St. (25-9)

2 Missouri (30-4)

10 Virginia (22-9)

4 Louisville

Mar 22

6 Murray St.

4 Louisville

3 Marquette

Phoenix

15 Norfolk St.

Mar 18

Mar 22

7 Florida

Omaha 7 Florida 15 Norfolk St. 50

Mar 18

7 Florida Omaha84

WEST

March 24

PHOENIX March 24

PHOENIX

WEST

Phoenix 7 Florida

Mar 22, 10:17PM - TBS

Mar 6217

Mar 17 Louisville 3 Marquette 58

Louisville

Mar 17

Portland Mar 17 4 Louisville 57

Portland

5 New Mexico

4 Louisville

2 APRIL APRIL 2

National National Championship Championship

MARCH 31 AND APRIL 2

NEW ORLEANS MARCH 31 AND APRIL 2

Final Four ®

® FinalNEW Four ORLEANS

***ALL TIMES EASTERN***

or online at NCAA.COM/MARCHMADNESS

2 Kansas

Mar 31 8:49PM CBS

2 Ohio St.

Mar 22

1 Syracuse Mar 17

9 Southern Miss. (25-8)

13 Montana (25-6)

*On March 11, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee will select eight teams to play the first-round games on March 13 and 14 in Dayton. The four winning teams will advance to a second-round site to be determined by the committee during selection weekend. Second- and third-round and regional sites will be placed in the bracket by the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee March 11.

Nashville

12 South Fla.

5 Temple (24-7) 12 South Fla.

12 South Fla.

5 Temple (24-7)

11 NC State

6 San Diego St. (26-7)

March 25

ST. LOUIS

6 San Diego St. (26-7) 66 11 N. Carolina 66 11 NC State St. (22-12) 79 Columbus 11 NC State 11 N. Carolina St. (22-12) Mar 18 74 11 NC State 57 Columbus3 Georgetown (23-8) Mar 18 63 3 Georgetown 3 Georgetown (23-8) 14 Belmont (27-7) 59 63 3 Georgetown St. Louis 14 Belmont (27-7) Mar 23, 10:17PM - TBS 69 7 St. Mary’s (CA) (27-5) 2 Kansas 80 St. Louis 60 Mar 23 10 Purdue 7 St. Mary’s (CA) (27-5) 10 Purdue (21-12) 72 60 10 Purdue Omaha 2 Kansas 10 Purdue (21-12) Mar 18 2 Kansas (27-6) 65 60 Omaha 2 Kansas 2 Kansas Mar 18 63 2 Kansas (27-6) 15 Detroit (22-13) 50 63 2 Kansas 15 Detroit (22-13) March 25

ST. LOUIS

Vermont

(29-5)

13 OhioMar 18 65 Nashville 4 Michigan (24-9) 60 Mar 18 4 Michigan (24-9) 62 13 Ohio 62 (27-7) 13 Ohio 13 Ohio 65 13 Ohio (27-7)

MIDWEST

13 Ohio

Mar 23

16 Vermont 16

77 1 North Carolina 1 North(29-5) Carolina

8 Creighton (28-5) 58 8 Creighton (28-5) 73 8 Creighton 73 8 Creighton 9 Alabama (21-11) 57 9 Alabama (21-11)

Mar 18 73 Mar 18

1 UNC87

Greensboro Greensboro

St. Louis

1 UNC

677:47PM - TBS Mar 23,

St. Louis

MIDWEST

1 UNC

BOSTON March 24

6 Cincinnati (24-10) 65 (24-10) 6 Cincinnati 65 62 6 Cincinnati 62 6 Cincinnati 11 Texas (20-13) March 24 59 Nashville 11 Texas (20-13) 59 6 Cincinnati 66 Nashville Mar 18 6 Cincinnati 3 Florida St. (24-9) Mar 18 66 St. (24-9) 3 Florida 66 56 3 Florida St. 56 3 Florida St. 14 St. Bonaventure (20-11) 63 14 St. Bonaventure (20-11) 63 2 Ohio St. 77 Boston Boston Mar 22 7 Gonzaga (25-6) 77 Mar 22, 9:45PM - CBS 77 7 Gonzaga (25-6) 66 7 Gonzaga7 Gonzaga 66 10 West Virginia (19-13) 54 Pittsburgh10 West Virginia (19-13) 54 Pittsburgh 81 2 Ohio St.2 Ohio St. Mar 17 Mar 17 2 (27-7) 78 Ohio St. (27-7) 2 Ohio St. 78 73 2 Ohio St. 2 Ohio73St. 59 15 Loyola15 Loyola (MD) 59 (24-8) (MD) (24-8)

EAST

Mar 22, 7:15PM - CBS

Boston

9 Southern Miss. (25-8) 64

Kansas St. (21-10)

64 5 Vanderbilt (24-10) 57 5 Vanderbilt 5 Vanderbilt 79 (24-10) 12 Harvard (26-4) 57 5 Vanderbilt 4 Wisconsin 63 Albuquerque 12 Harvard (26-4) 70 Mar 17 Albuquerque 4 Wisconsin (24-9) 4 Wisconsin Mar 17 60 (24-9) 4 Wisconsin 4 Wisconsin 73 60 4 Wisconsin 13 Montana (25-6)

72 UNC Asheville (24-9)

16 UNC Asheville (24-9) 65 8

8 Kansas St. 8

Pittsburgh

Mar 17

1 Syracuse 16 (31-2)

1 Syracuse

Pittsburgh 75 1 Syracuse 1 Syracuse 64

12 S. Fla. (20-13)

Mar 14

MW 12 California 54 12 S.(24-9) Fla. (20-13)

12 California (24-9) 54 Mar 14

8 Kansas St. 1 Syracuse 70 Boston

EASTBOSTON

16 Vermont (23-11) 71

Watch the tournament on these networks or online at NCAA.COM/MARCHMADNESS Watch the tournament on these networks

Mar 31 6:09PM CBS

1 Kentucky

Watch On

MARCH 13-14

Mar 14

MW 16 Lamar 16 (23-11) Vermont 59 (23-11)

Watch On

First Round* MARCH 13-14 DAYTON

16 Lamar (23-11) Mar 14

*On March 11, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee will select eight teams to play the first-round games on March 13 and 14 in Dayton. TIMES EASTERN*** The four winning teams will advance to a second-round site***ALL to be determined by the committee during selection weekend. Second- and third-round and regional sites will be placed in the bracket by the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee March 11.

Phoenix 4 Louisville 72

Phoenix

Mar 22, 7:47PM - TBS

61 61

Mar 18 18 Mar

99Saint SaintLouis Louis

71 7 Florida

5858

Mar Mar 18 18

Columbus Columbus 11Michigan Mich. St.St. 44

88 3 Marquette

11Michigan MichiganSt. St. 6565

15Lehigh Lehigh 15

58 6 Murray St.

Atlanta 3 Baylor Atlanta Mar 23

Mar 23, 7:15PM - CBS

Mar 17

Greensboro 10 Xavier Greensboro 10 Xavier 70

10Xavier Xavier 10

3 Baylor

69 4 Louisville

3 Baylor

March 25

ATLANTA March 25

SOUTH ATLANTA

SOUTH

DAYTON

® FirstFirst Four Round*

thedailycougar.com/bracketchallenge

Administered by Learning & Assessment Services

Link available@ www.survey.uh.edu

www.nssesurvey.org

Use your Login ID in the email to complete the survey @

Selected Freshmen and Seniors

NSSE ADVERTISING

10 Virginia (22-9)

7 Florida (23-10)

14 BYU

3 Marquette (25-7)

11 Colorado St. (20-11)

6 Murray St. (30-1)

13 Davidson (25-7)

4 Louisville (26-9)

12 Long Beach St. (25-8) 68

5 New Mexico (27-6)

S. Dakota St. (27-7)

Albuquerque Mar 17

Albuquerque 3 Baylor

4 Indiana

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

3 Baylor (27-7)

Mar 17

11 Colorado

68 11 Colorado

3 Baylor (27-7)

11 Colorado (23-11)

6 UNLV (26-8)

13 New Mexico St. (26-9) 66

Portland 4 Indiana

Mar 23

Atlanta

14 Iona (25-7)

Mar 13

Atlanta 1 Kentucky

1 Kentucky

1 Kentucky 102

Mar 61 23, 9:45PM - CBS

Mar 17 Portland

4 Indiana

62 12 VCU

12 VCU

13 New Mexico St. (26-9) 66 4 Indiana

4 Indiana (25-8)

12 VCU (28-6)

5 Wichita St. (27-5)

Mar 17 71

Louisville

8 Iowa St.

Mar 17

87 1 KentuckyLouisville

1 Kentucky

64 8 Iowa St.

9 Connecticut (20-13)

8 Iowa St. (22-10)

16 Western Ky.

1 Western KentuckyKy. (32-2) 16

1 Kentucky (32-2)

S 16 W. Ky. (15-18)

W (25-8) 14 BYU (25-7) 14 Iona

Mar 13

S1616Miss. Val. (15-18) (21-12) 58 59 W. Ky.

Mar 13

14 BYU (25-8)

16 Miss. Val. (21-12) 58

1 Syracuse (31-2)

MARCHMADNESS BRACKET CHALLENGE

THE DAILY COUGAR

8 The Daily Cougar