Tuesday August 28, 2012 // Issue 2, Volume 78 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
THE DAILY COUGAR
T H E
O F F I C I A L
S T U D E N T
N E W S P A P E R
O F T H E
U N I V E R S I T Y
O F
H O U S T O N
Looking back at SGA’s summer Ashley Anderson Staff writer
The University of Houston Student Government Association closed the summer with various accomplishments, from reforming the parking appeal process to contacting federal legislators on behalf of UH students and improving communication with the student body. “The summer is a great time for us to work, and I feel really good about what we have accomplished thus far,” said SGA Vice President Turner Harris. “We have an outstanding team behind us and we’re all looking forward to the upcoming semester.” Working with other Texan politicians SGA officers contacted representatives across the nation to communicate that now is not the time to increase interest rates on student loans. Legislators decided against the hike in interest rates on June 30, a day before rates were set to rise. “We’ve had a very productive summer with SGA, and we’ve gotten a lot of things accomplished,” SGA President Cedric Bandoh said. SGA was also able to collaborate with other Texas college student
S I N C E
OPINION
governments to revive the Texas Student Association, Bandoh said. This will allow them to discuss matters important to all students enrolled in Texas public universities.
Stricter gun laws won’t help
Bylaw reform The SGA was able to pass resolutions, construct new bylaws and amend the SGA constitution, said Stephen Cronin, speaker of the SGA Senate. The summer Senate, Cronin said, passed the SGA Governance, Accountability, and Integrity Reform Act of 2012. It passed the act because the older bylaws were outdated, Bandoh said. By condensing these bylaws to be more concise, SGA made them easier to understand and thus, to abide by. This bill will improve the way SGA members govern themselves. The change to the constitution will redefine the Court of Appeals to ensure fair SGA hearings. Student life In addition, SGA completed a resolution that updated campus smoking policies. According to grant guidelines provided by the Cancer Prevention Research Institution of Texas, UH must be tobacco-free in
LIFE+ARTS
BB’s Cafe gets straight A’s SPORTS The SGA passed a resolution to reform UH’s smoking policies to comply with requirements by CPRIT. | File Photo/The Daily Cougar order to qualify as a smoke-free campus and receive the grant money. The CPRIT grant will be used to ensure that students
— residential or not — who smoke have designated areas for smoking, SGA continues on page 3
CAMPUS
UH, Metro resolve differences over light-rail line
Robertson’s replacement
History of public transport in Houston; conflict between agency, University ends David Haydon Managing editorr
The history of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County and UH began with the construction of the southeast light-rail line, but the legacy of Houston public transportation dates back further than UH. According to Engines of Our Ingenuity No. 1458, the first operation of electric streetcars in Houston began in 1891 with the publicly accessible electric transit and ended in 1940. The METRORail opened in downtown 64 years later. The sole operating light rail, known as the Red Line, runs from UH-Downtown to the medical district. A public referendum passed in 2003 for four other lines and an extension to the Red Line, with
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plans to be completed by 2012. Deadlines for the Southeast, East End, University and Uptown lines shifted after the 2008 recession par tially from funding issues. Investigations from the Harris County District Attorney in 2010 added to the disorder. Continued public unrest over a lack of transparency with former members of the Metro board and conflicts of interest in the Metro Political Action Committee also had detrimental effects on the progression. Funding for the rail lines, which comes in part from a $640 million bond approved during the 2003 referendum, is bolstered by sales tax revenues, mainly from Harris County. Metro also has a full-funding grant agreement with the Federal Transit Administration, surpassing
the $640 million bond. Southeast Line construction near the east side of Scott Street has been irregular because of problems with traffic congestion and property rights. University and Metro officials reached an agreement on Aug. 1 to continue construction of the Southeast Line on Wheeler and Scott Streets. “Metro continues talking and working with the University of Houston administration on details regarding construction of METRORail’s new Southeast Line,” said Jerome Gray, Metro vice president and senior press officer. “Earlier this month, we successfully reached a deal to start the next phase of construction. Metro is doing everything possible to see that light-rail service is available to students, faculty and the southeast community in 2014.”
Construction on the southeast extension — also known as the Purple Line — runs from Smith Street downtown to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Griggs Street. According to www.gometrorail. org, the 6.6-mile route is scheduled to open in 2014. Gate station crossings are expected near Elgin and Scott Streets, Scott and Clebur ne Streets, Wheeler Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and at MacGregor Park. However, according to Richard Bonnin, UH executive director of media relations, the property has not been worked on since the deal with Metro was made, and no further negotiations have been made since. news@thedailycougar.com
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CRIME REPORT
Have information on these or other incidents of crime on campus? Call (713) 743-0600
The following is a partial report of campus crime between June 12 and Sunday. All information is selected from the files of the UH Department of Public Safety. The information in italics indicates when the event was reported to UHDPS and the event’s location. Information or questions regarding the cases below should be directed to UHDPS at (713) 743-0600.
Sunday 8/19 Criminal Mischief – At 2:46 p.m. at the University Center, a UH staff member reported that a UH owned golf cart was tipped over. The incident occurred between 2:10 a.m. to 2:46 p.m. The case is active. Driving While Intoxicated – At 2:42 a.m. on 4600 TX Spur 5, a visitor was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and transported to Houston Police Department. The case is cleared by arrest.
Monday 8/20
was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and released to Harris County Jail. The case is cleared by arrest. Traffic Offense – At 8:46 p.m. at 3704 Scott Street, a UH visitor was arrested for a traffic offense and transported to Harris County Jail. The case is cleared by arrest.
Wednesday 8/22 Burglary of a Motor Vehicle – At 11:38 a.m. at Entrance 5, a UH visitor reported that someone stole his cell phone from an unattended and unsecured motor vehicle. The case is active
Burglary – In the Graduate School of Social Work, a UH staff member reported that someone stole her computer remote control from her unattended and secured office. The incident occurred between 5:40 p.m. on Aug. 17 and 11:45 a.m. The case is inactive.
Theft – At 2:05 p.m. at the School of Music a juvenile visitor was arrested for theft of a bicycle and released without charges. The
Possession of Marijuana – At 12:44 a.m. at 1200 Munger Street, a UH visitor was stopped in traffic and found to be in possession of marijuana. The visitor was arrested and released to Harris County Jail. The case is cleared by
Theft – At 3:51 p.m. in Philip G. Hoffman Hall a UH faculty member reported the theft of his unsecured and unattended laptop computer. The incident occurred between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Thursday. The case is active.
arrest.
Tuesday 8/21 Possession of a Controlled Substance – At 3:21 a.m. at 3700 Gulf Freeway, a UH visitor
case is inactive.
Thursday 8/23
Theft – At 5:06 p.m. at the University Hilton Hotel, a UH faculty member reported the theft of his unattended and unsecured backpack. The incident occurred between 7:32 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Thursday. The case is active.
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David Haydon Joshua Mann THE DAILY COUGAR IS A MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012 // 3
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NEWS
Oberholzter Dining Hall stays open Joe Fisher Staff writer
The Real Food on Campus cafeteria in Oberholtzer Hall will remain open for the fall semester because the new dining hall construction was delayed. “Delays were due to unforeseen underground utilities encountered below the building foundation as well as more than 30 working days of rain delay,” said Esmeralda Valdez, executive director of Auxiliary Services. “However, to their credit, the contractor has worked most weekends for the past three months to mitigate.” Computer science sophomore Bassem Elghetany prefers the OB compared to the Moody Towers Dining Hall and is pleased that it will stay open. “I really like that the OB is still open. It provides a nice, relaxing atmosphere. It’s quite more relaxed
SGA
continued from page 1
that smoking receptacles are in close proximity to buildings and that visible signs are placed around campus. Other developments include a parking fine reduction plan, which will lower parking fines if they are paid in a timely manner. Students who pay a citation within 24 hours will receive a 75 percent reduction, and those who pay within 48 or 72 hours will receive reductions of 50 and 25 percent, respectively. SGA also worked with UH Dining Services to keep food prices low, since students are utilizing the food trucks while the University Center is under construction. Construction As the UC is undergoing construction, SGA members have been attending meetings to provide insight on furnishings and development. SGA will also motivate students and alumni to donate to fundraisers. They have worked with the city and Harris County to discuss repairing Cullen Boulevard as well. Connecting to SGA online Another accomplishment was the construction of an updated website. The new SGA website offers better functioning and navigation, which will keep students better informed. “We want to draw students to our website to get information,” Bandoh said. “We want to step up our transparency and accountability, which is one thing we pushed for during
than Moody, which is all formal and stuff. And it’s really nice to just go and hang with friends at OB,” Elghetany said. “Well at OB it’s more of the casual foods — the pizza, the hamburgers, the stuff like that. At Moody it’s more like you have to sit down, grab a fork.” There will be some alterations to the OB’s facility since it will be open longer than expected. The cash register, serving area and seating area will be moved into a multipurpose room that was previously used as an extension to the original dining hall. The convenience store in Oberholtzer Hall will be be closed, but alternatives have been made available. “The Cougar Village store will be open until 1:00 a.m. most nights, and we have just added a new convenience store at the Stadium Garage that can also take
our campaign.” The website will detail upcoming events, photos, blogs, agendas and legislation. The website will also feature a news feed linked to their social-networking pages. Bandoh has established a socialnetworking account that he plans to use to keep students informed by tweeting about his attendance in meetings and the agenda. This will allow students quicker access to information as well as an opportunity to discuss things with Bandoh in real time. An additional web service that SGA worked on is the MindMixer, which allows ongoing communication between students and SGA members. “MindMixer is essentially a virtual town hall service,” Turner said. “Our MindMixer will be geared towards continuous improvement of the UH main campus at large.” According to Turner, the MindMixer will be a more efficient way for students to express concerns and ideas, an improvement on in-person town hall meetings previously held by SGA. “We like the online model because it gets rid of the time constraint on students – we can receive their feedback 24/7,” Turner said. “It also democratizes the process of idea collection and lowers our overall cost of collecting these ideas and feedback.” The SGA plans to continue working on these issues and more in the fall. To learn more and keep up to date with the SGA, visit www.sgawordpress.cougarnet.uh.edu.
care of the west side of campus,” Valdez said. The new dining hall will not be a reflection of the OB. It will have a reinvented menu that is similar to the dining hall in Moody Towers. “The menu for the new dining hall will considerably change in terms of variety and cooking methods,” Valdez said. “An action station with an international flare will be introduced; pizza will be served out of a brick oven, and the dessert station will feature an open baking concept allowing for a great visual and a magnetic appeal.” Students will not have to wait long for the new dining hall to open. “The new dining hall will be open in the near future. As of now, we are anticipating being open on Oct. 1,” Valdez said.
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OPINION
EDITOR Lucas Sepulveda EMAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/opinion
Gun control is not the answer Laws banning or restricting the sale of firearms would constrain the wrong people James Wang Staff columnist
I
t seems this great country just can’t get a break. If it’s not the economy, it’s the politics. If it’s not the politics, it’s the price at the pump. And if it’s not the price at the pump, it’s shootouts in our streets. A month after the tragic theater shooting at Aurora, Colo. and a couple of weeks after the Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin, another shooting at the Empire State Building shocked the nation. A laid-off, disgruntled worker of Hazan Import Corp. shot his former co-worker multiple times, even after the victim had fallen. At the end of the day, two men were dead: the victim and the shooter, who was taken down by New York City’s police. Nine innocent bystanders were injured. New York City — a place the anti-gun Brady Campaign gave a four-star rating — makes New York one of the strictest states in the nation for gun control. Of course, that doesn’t mean a thing for the shooter, Jeffrey Johnson, who didn’t even purchase the gun in New York. The weapon, a .45 caliber 1911, was purchased legally in Florida in 1999 and brought to New York illegally. But surely that’s no excuse to encourage citizens to actively carry a weapon. That’s all we need, a bunch of uneducated civilians carrying pistols and assault rifles around like a bunch of outlaws. Leave the protection of the public to the police, New York’s Finest.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons That’s right, the responding officers ended up injuring more people than the actual shooter, unloading sixteen rounds into a single target with six of those rounds missing completely. This left nine people hospitalized for gunshot wounds caused by the very people they entrusted their protection. To clarify, those casualties should not be blamed on the NYPD, because their inaccuracy can be blamed on the ridiculous 12-pound trigger pull of their standard-issued Glock pistols. For those not in the know, the 12-pound trigger pulls mean
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that their index force must exert a force of at least 12 pounds to fire the weapon, resulting in less accuracy. The problem is how shootings are rallying calls for greater gun control, but these recent shootings are happening where gun control is strict enough as it is. The fact of the matter is that these laws are creating nothing but shooting galleries for these crooks and in the case of the NYPD, leaving our last defenders much less capable. The Aurora Shooting took place in a gun-free zone, but that didn’t prevent James Holmes
from his murderous spree. This recent shooting happened in one of America’s most bustling cities, with officers responding in mere seconds. The gun was brought over illegally and in a place like New York City, it isn’t doubtful that the gun could be obtained illegally somewhere more local. The fact is that gun control is only a leash for law-abiding citizens. Criminals act outside the moral spectrum the rest of us operate in. Laws banning or restricting the sale of firearms will only limit people who care about following the rules.
It is hard to find anyone these days who does not know someone else who carries weed, yet weed is still illegal. With the federals shipping guns back and forth across the border, what are the chances there won’t be a black market for firearms too? The criminals carry functional guns, but the rest of us will be stuck to fend for ourselves while our police deal with handicapped guns. James Wang is a history sophomore and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com.
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.
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.
and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Commentary should be limited to 500 words. Guest commentaries should not be written as replies, but rather should present independent points of view. 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.
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SPORTS
EDITOR Andrew Pate EMAIL sports@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/sports
STADIUM
Cougars pair with firms for visionary stadium Roman Petrowski Staff writer
In 1942, the Fretz Construction Company completed a new football stadium for the Houston Independent School District. More than 70 years later, Robertson Stadium will host its final game. In January, more than 7,000 students voted “yes” on the referendum that allows the UH Board of Regents to approve construction of a new stadium. The turnout of nearly 10,000 students was a record for any referendum in school history. “What a great day for UH athletics,” said Athletics Director Mack Rhoades. “The athletics department can’t thank everyone enough for all the great work they did.” In Ju n e, t h e d e p a r t m e n t announced the PageSoutherlandPage and the DLR Group would join forces as architects on the project. PageSoutherlandPage has designed many buildings on campus. The DLR Group is nationally acclaimed and has designed football stadiums for both the University of Florida and University of Nebraska. “We are excited to welcome the
Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium is one of several high profile projects the DRL Group has renovated. The overhaul included concourse expansions, new sky box suites and an expanded press box. | Photo courtesy of UH Athletics architectural firms of PageSoutherlandPage and DLR Group onto our team,” Rhoades said. “The new stadium will become a centerpiece
of our campus, and we look forward to working with these two outstanding firms in completing a vision that our fans, university
community, and student athletes will enjoy with great pride.” Construction of the new stadium will begin following the final
home game of the 2012 Cougar football season. Plans for the project include an upgrade to 40,000 seats and possibly 60,000 seats. The $105 million project includes premium seating options. “This building and its functions will attract more visitors to the University of Houston campus – from loyal alumni and major donors to neighborhood kids with collegiate dreams – than any other,” said Lawrence Speck, PageSoutherlandPage’s design principal. “It will create a critical outreach to the community and a conspicuous window for Houstonians into their primary hometown academic institution.” Construction of the new stadium will continue through 2013 and the Cougars will move to the new facility during the 2014 season. “We want the University to be recognized for the outstanding institution that it is,” said PageSoutherlandPage’s principal in charge Jeffery Bricker. “It’s a very exciting project with so much potential, and we are excited to work with the university and its athletics department.” sports@thedailycougar.com
VOLLEYBALL
UH drops trio during opening weekend Harrison Lee Staff writer
Two of the Buckeye State’s top teams along with the University of Oregon proved to be a little too much for the Cougars volleyball team during the season’s opening weekend, but the trip was not all negative.Senior Katie Norris earned a spot on the Sports Imports DC Koehl Classic All-Tournament Team. “Katie did a good job leading the team this weekend,” said first-year coach Kaddie Platt. Norris, along with fellow seniors Abby Simmons, Chandace Tryon, and Stephanie Nwachukwu, amassed 39 total kills with 18 digs and two block assists on defense. The Humble native had two double-doubles for the weekend. Though the losses were tough and hard fought, Platt saw plenty of upside to the tournament results. “We have a lot of improvements to make as a team,” Platt said. “It was
good to play some tough matches to see what we need to work towards.” The tournament opened with a 3-2 loss to the University of Toledo Rockets. The first meeting between the two schools was a back-andforth that ended with the Rockets
It was good to play some tough matches to see what we need to work towards.” Kaddie Platt, UH volleyball coach, on the losses during opening weekend. winning by error, though Tryon’s offensive carried the team until the end. Afterwards, it was a match against No. 24 Ohio State University, the first ranked team Cougars have
played this year. Norris and Simmons helped UH rack a .240 attack percentage while freshman Olivia O’Dell came off the bench and added 11 digs, while Ohio State hit a quality .321 with 46 kills, overpowering UH in three straight sets. The weekend wrapped up against No. 20 Oregon Ducks. The Cougars hit only .108 with 24 kills against the Ducks’ .344 and 47 kills, overpowering the Cougars in another three-set sweep. Setter Simmons put up a good defensive game with 21 assists. This weekend, the Cougars will travel to Tennessee to compete in a tournament hosted by Lipscomb University. Play will open against the University of Missouri, then Appalachian State and finally host-team Lipscomb. After, the first home game will be played Sept. 7 against UTSA at the Athletics/Alumni Center. sports@thedailycougar.com
UH will again be tested when it hits the this weekend for a tournament hosted by Lipscomb University in Tennessee. | File photo/The Daily Cougar
Tuesday, August 28, 2012 // 7
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SPORTS SOCCER
North Texas proves tough road test Cougars out shot 11-3 by Mean Green during second half Monica Rojas Staff writer
The North Texas Mean Green, who out-rank UH by 66 spots in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s RPI rankings, defeated the Cougars 2-1 in their fourth non-conference game of the season. T h e g a m e, t h e second loss and second away game for UH was scoreless until the 12th minute Martinez when UNT’s K e l s e y Hodges scored off a free kick. The Cougars retaliated in the 60th minute with a goal courtesy of junior midfielder Jasmine Martinez, her second of the season. Unfortunately for the Cougars, the tie was unmade by UNT’s senior Michelle Young’s in the 82nd
minute. “I was very happy with the way we played (Sunday) afternoon,” head coach Chris Pfau said in a statement. “We did some great things against a NCAA Tournament cali-
Right now we just need games to gain that confidence in ourselves and our teammates.” Chris Pfau, UH soccer coach, following the loss at North Texas
ber team.” UNT outshot the Cougars 11-3 during the second half and 16-7 throughout the entire match. Shots on goal were provide by midfielder Kylie Cook, defender Kaci Bush, forward Sami Sackos, defender Rebekah Horsey, forward Lauren
Hodgdon and midfielder Jasmine Martinez. “ We’ve slipped and we’ve failed and been unsuccessful in moments but we’ve shown a lot of character and determination and shown ability of what we need to have on the field,” assistant coach Suzie Grech said. The lady Cougars face number 259 on the NCAA RPI list, Louisiana-Lafayette at 7 p.m. on Friday and the 43 ranked LSU at 1 p.m. on Sunday. “When we start to believe how we could be, we will be a tough team to beat,” Pfau said in a statement. “Right now we just need games to gain that confidence in ourselves and our teammates.” The first of six Conference USA home game will take place on Sept. 21 at Robertson Stadium against the SMU Mustangs. In total, UH will play 10 C-USA squads. sports@thedailycougar.com
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LIFE +ARTS
EDITOR Allen Le EMAIL arts@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/arts
CULINARY
UH graduate expands restaurant business Owner of local Cajun restaurant chain adds vegan dishes to well-rounded menu of New Orleans favorites David Haydon Managing editor
Students who want to dine at a Cajunstyle restaurant but have that one nagging, health-conscious friend no longer need to worry; BB’s Cafe’s latest opening in the Greenway Plaza now offers vegan dishes. The lexicon is the tricky bit when describing Brooks Bassler’s mashup of Tex-Mex and Cajun cuisine, incorporating what some call Tex-Cajun or Tex-Orleans. Bassler, who graduated in 2002 from the C.T. Bauer College of Business’ Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship program, said the Tex-Orleans wording is a conscious effort to keep away from the negative connotations some people associate with Cajun cuisine. In particular: battered, fried and unhealthy. While I find nothing inherently wrong with a large plate being completely hidden under a pile of string fries mixed with chili con queso and gravy — otherwise known as the Tex-Cajun Virgin — health freaks might flip. This is why Bassler incorporated alternative options into his menu. Namely, vegan voodoo tacos — a black bean salad on half a dozen miniature tortillas with salsa and steamed vegetables on the side. Is it “Cajun” by definition? Not strictly, but what is American cuisine if not the melting pot of food? It is somewhat TexMex, and Cajun food, after all, is based on
BB’s Cafe, a local restaurant that serves“Tex-Orleans” flavored food, opened its third establishment in the summer in the Greenway Plaza. | David Haydon/The Daily Cougar
simple preparations using locally available ingredients. In that light, mission accomplished. Pessimists would call this variety a
business decision — deviating from a strict po’ boy menu as a ploy to attract maximum customers and generate profit. But the menu contains no rush-job
recipes. Boudin, oysters, shrimp and hush puppies sit right next to salads and queso-covered fajita strips. It’s all there. Admittedly, students may be concerned about a $9 plate of Tex-Orleans fries, but that’s what sharing is for. The cup of red beans and rice for $3 is more than affordable, not to mention easy on the calories. However, foodies thinking of having a late night po’ boy once a week better have an extra $50 ready to drop each month, assuming a few drinks and a well-placed tip are included. Some would call this an identity crisis, like when a sports bar has free Wi-Fi and a kid’s menu, trying to do everything at once and failing at the attempt. You would think a Tex-Orleans cafe that serves everything from po’ boys to salads would have a similar problem, but BB’s Cafe works. The foods synergize with the drinks, the atmosphere matches the music and the decor — including the sign reading “shut up and eat” — it’s all perfect. BB’s newest cafe off Greenway Plaza is a bit of a drive from campus, but the original cafe is still right off Montrose Boulevard and Westheimer Road. The cafe in Montrose is open Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to midnight and open until 3:00 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. arts@thedailycougar.com
LITERATURE
Debut novel by UH alumnus lacks focus, narrative Obama presidency inspires author to self-publish book; story’s short plot leaves little room for development
Patrick Larose Staff Writer
Author and UH alumnus Chinedu Achebe attempts to address many of the political and social effects of the election of America’s first black president, President Barack Obama. However, the results fall beneath uneven prose and a directionless narrative. “Blunted on Reality” follows the life of Obi Ifeanyi, a Nigerian-born American, as he tries to organize his own future on the eve of Obama’s presidency. Throughout the novel, Ifeanyi confronts many life challenges, from dealing with ex-girlfriends to discerning his future career path. One of the strongest points is the way it shows the presidency through a young
man’s eyes. Ifeanyi and his friends slip into speeches resembling opinion columns that raise important questions about how Obama will react to the social inequality residing in the country. However, any big ideas grasped within the novel feel incomplete due to clunky prose rife with spelling and punctuation errors. The plot loses all sense of direction. The reader is left shifting through places and years at the drop of a sentence, which in the end, forbids the reader to adjust and maintain coherency. The most interesting aspect of the novel fails to be a political examination but rather the elaboration on Nigerian culture. Aside from the Nigerian-centric perspective of the protagonists, Achebe
breaks from the central story to provide the history of both Nigeria and Ifeanyi’s family. These narrative breaks provide a fairly gripping story about the Nigerians’ revolt against Euro-centric culture through the modern era. Still, the central characters in the book never live up to the description the narration provides. They are rampant with misogyny, and the idea presented by Ifeanyi’s parents that suggests women serve no further purpose than taking care of their men is, uncomfortably, never refuted. A large problem with the novel is that Ifeanyi never really faces any problems, nor are there ever really consequences for the character’s actions. Ifeanyi is just falling into one situation after another,
slipping comfortably into a resolution without the slightest signs of a struggle. The narration is disengaged from the story, and it passes the feeling onto the reader. None of this is helped by the book’s short length of 174 pages, which fails to leave any room for characters to develop and grow. This leaves the romantic relationships within the novel feeling rushed and creepy — one instance has two characters who seem convinced of marriage after being in a relationship for only several pages. Accompanied with stilted dialogue, Achebe’s debut fails to hit any emotional resonance promised in its premise. arts@thedailycougar.com
Wednesday, August 28, 2012 // 9
The Daily Cougar
LIFE+ARTS ART
Museum draws chic crowd
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The Museum of Fine Arts-Houston invited a variety of bands to perform for a crowd of young adults Friday night. The next MFAH Mixed Media Designed by IKEA event will be held at 8 p.m. Sept. 22. | Nine Nguyen/The Daily Cougar Alexander Pechacek Staff writer
The Museum of Fine Arts Houston’s Mixed Media Designed by IKEA event welcomed city-dwelling socialites to step out in style, enjoy local music and bask in the nightlife Friday at one of Houston’s most treasured institutions. MFAH has recently resurged its lights, music and mixer series this year, which features DJs and live performances. “The purpose of the Mixed Media events is to welcome great performers and late-night audiences to the MFAH and create a multi-sensory experience for the Houston community,” MFAH Director Gary Tinterow said in a press release. The event honed a roster of performers, such as Houston’s own Wild Moccasins and Orthy of Austin. DJ sets by Ceeplus Bad Knives, Josh Dupont and Mr. Castillo were also featured. The main level hall of the museum transformed into a stage set with purple lighting. Two bars sat on opposite sides of the room with a vast floor scattered with mini tables separating the two. The museum also added lounge-like ambiance to the occasion, courtesy of IKEA, who decorated the room with its bright chairs, patterned throw pillows and orange sofas. It was clear that the event had no dress guidelines. Some male attendees wore blazers while others wore T-shirts and tennis shoes. The freedom each person had in picking their own unique style for the event proved that having disparate styles packed into one place can make for an exciting people-watching experience.
The party area was quite crowded with people mingling in huddles, talking above a set from Ceeplus Bad Knives and another from Dupont, featuring some nudisco picks and tech house. The celestial pop act Orthy took the stage and played to a mostly inattentive crowd. Conversation proved to be the savory attraction throughout the majority of the band’s musical set. Orthy played a set of immersive, muggy, syrupy songs. If reverb was already a component of the band’s sonic character, the museum’s acoustics gave an exaggerated effect that didn’t work in the band’s favor. Mr. Castillo played a set of disco and new wave tracks that mixed seamlessly. The section of the crowd in front of the stage took to Mr. Castillo’s taste as they filled the entire dance floor and grooved the night away. Wild Moccasins indie-pop sound brought fresh air to the hall. All five members cohesively played together through their nine-song set, which featured four new songs, one of which was the highlight of the performance. In the new song, “Full Time Fetish,” lead singer Zahira Gutierrez’s vocals adds warmth to a dark-sounding song seemingly absorbed best in the sociable throws of the night. The aesthetic of the event certainly proved to be a sight to see when seeking out Houston’s nightlife. MFAH’s interior and furniture changes were welcoming, but they lacked in overall presentation when musical acts were thrown into the mix. arts@thedailycougar.com
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Tuesday, August 28, 2012 // 11
The Daily Cougar
OPINION
HEALTHY RESEARCH
America’s ultimate cure Matt Story Staff columnist
T
he hot topic of 2012 seems to be Medicare reform — Romney and Ryan have made it clear that this would be a top priority of their administration. The problem with Medicare is not the system, there is a deeper issue that no amount of reform can fix: Americans are getting older. Due to modern medicine, the baby boomer generation is going to be here for a while. Modern-day couples are having fewer children than the mid-20th century. There will be fewer working adults to pay for programs such as Medicare, which will have more people to care for. This demographic shift, along with Bush-era tax cuts and corporate tax loopholes are the causes of the deficit. Politicians are scrambling for a quick fix to patch up the system as opposed to confronting the underlying problems using a
long-term solution. Turning Medicare over to the private sector might alleviate the symptoms of this national ailment, but why not cure it by investing in the future? Lost in modern American poli-
Forget Medicare; the American public education system needs a complete overhaul. A longer school year, better trained teachers, increased standards, and improved systems for measuring success would do wonders for a national
Politicians are scrambling to come up wtih a quick fix to patch up thew system as opposed to actually confronting the underlying problems.� tics is the fact that education is in national decline. When it comes to education, slashed budgets, sub par standards and politically motivated curriculum have turned the US into a second-rate country. An uneducated population will have higher crime and unemployment rates. As the quality and quantity of American jobs decrease, so will the national income, making it hard to care for the country’s old, sick and disadvantaged populace.
school system that suffers a decline after once being considered among the world’s finest. Few people would disagree that education leads to economic success. The problem is that it takes 20 to 30 years. If the U.S. is going to be the economic and military stalwart of the 21st century, it must invest in its children. Matt Story is a kinesiology senior and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.
SUBJECTS NEEDED Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine need healthy, young adult volunteers to participate in a research study to evaluate a vaccine against norovirus, a common cause of short-term vomiting and diarrhea illness that occurs in our community (also comTVUS` RUV^U HZ PU[LZ[PUHS Å\ VY [OL JY\PZL ZOPW ]PY\Z Study requirements involve receipt of two injected doses of vaccine or placebo, an inpatient hospitalization (less than one ^LLR HUK ZL]LYHS V\[WH[PLU[ ]PZP[Z V]LY H TVU[O WLYPVKZ 7HY[PJPWHU[Z ZOV\SK L_WLJ[ [V ILJVTL PSS MVY H[ SLHZ[ H KH` VY TVYL *YP[LYPH MVY WHY[PJPWH[PVU HYL Z[YPJ[ ,UYVSSTLU[ PZ YLZ[YPJ[LK [V X\HSPÄLK Z\IQLJ[Z HUK WHY[PJPWH[PVU PZ HZZVJPH[LK ^P[O ZVTL YPZRZ Compensation will be paid according to the degree of a subject’s SL]LS VM WHY[PJPWH[PVU For further information contact study staff at:
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