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Looking back 45 years: The 1967 Cougars find fame for the team
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August 1, 2012 Issue 123, Volume 77
Metro strikes deal for rail line Joshua Mann
THE DAILY COUGAR UH and Metro have come to an agreement that will allow construction to continue on the UH leg of the Southeast light-rail line. Metro will be allowed to begin work on the line following Wheeler Avenue to “a point east of Scott Street,” said UH spokesperson Richard Bonnin in a press release yesterday. UH President and Chancellor Renu Khator said in a statement that both sides worked hard to reach this agreement.
“We have come to a resolution that both the University and Metro are happy with and that is in the best interests of the community,” Khator said “We look forward to completion of the Metro line and to the continuation of our partnership.” As part of the agreement, Metro will address access issues caused by the construction, including those for the Childcare Center and the UH Department of Public Safety. The construction stopped when the University wanted to hold on to land along the east side of Scott Street on which Metro planned to build a station and part of the line.
As of this deadline, no information has been released as to whether this conflict has been resolved, but construction has already begun on the east side of Scott Street just south of Elgin Avenue, north of the disputed area. Metro plans to have the Southeast line completed by 2014. The line begins downtown, travels through TSU and UH and ends at Griggs Road. This is one of four lines in the works in the Houston area, according to Metro’s website.
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Construction stopped in early summer. | File photo/The Daily Cougar
RESEARCH
CAMPUS
Theoretical laser put to the test by UH professor
Hines creates a green classroom
Chemistry researcher receives grant that will allow him to test work in a multi-million dollar laser lab in Montreal
The Graduate Design/ Build Studio makes solar-powered learning environment
Max Gardner
THE DAILY COUGAR A UH chemistry professor will see his theoretical research on organic semiconductors put to the test in an experiment that will fire photons into a semiconductor sandwiched between two mirrors. If his theory holds true, the prototype will emit a powerful laser that may eventually carry sensitive J Bittner information. Professor Eric Bittner, a 2012-13 Fulbright fellow, will use the funding from the fellowship to observe the experiments with physics professor Carlos Silva at the Universite de Montreal and to lecture on his findings there. “Carlos’ group is really at the cutting edge of the experiments. Nobody has done this experiment yet,” Bittner said. “He has sunk a lot of his energy and
resources into doing this.” If Bittner’s predictions are correct, this process could produce a focused, bright burst of radiation — a laser — in a specific direction. This potential result has sparked the interests of many security companies. “Depending upon how you prepare the state, you can encode information in the light that is being emitted. You can use it for optical communication, most importantly for quantum cryptography,” Bittner said. “If you have an intermediate receiver that destroys the quantum information, then you’ll know that you’ve been tapped. So the security agencies are really interested in this kind of stuff. It’s an unbreakable encryption, so you know if somebody has intercepted your signal.” Unfortunately, this sort of technology is at least a decade away, but for now, Bittner’s grant will cover his living expenses for four-to-five months while in Montreal. BITTNER continues on page 8
Brenda Resendiz
THE DAILY COUGAR
Shasta’s serves up a small scoop
I
n response to the University Center renovations, Shasta’s Cones & More has opened up a small stand in the UC Satellite. According to a UH’s website, the parent store will not be open again until fall 2014. | Hendrick Rosemond/The Daily Cougar
What began as only a community garden site has turned into a one-of-a kind project for UH’s Graduate Design/Build Studio, a part of the University of Houston’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture. This summer, graduate students are working on a solar-powered outdoor classroom in a community garden in Alief. The structure will serve as a place for individuals to cool off and will also serve as a classroom area for lessons in gardening. It will be accessible to all community members. For the past 23 years, GB/BS has designed community projects in the Houston area. Every year a new location is chosen for renovation based on which sponsors apply. GD/BS Director Patrick Peters is the leader of this project. “Its purpose is two-fold — to SOLAR continues on page 2