Issue 41, Volume 78

Tuesday, November 6, 2012 // Issue 41, 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

Election Day arrives, students weigh in on presidential race Channler Hill Assistant managing editor

Today, President Barack Obama and Republican nominee and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney will see the effects of months of campaigning as voters cast their ballots.

For many students, trying to decide between the two candidates has not been easy. Public relations senior Allison Monroe participated in early voting and voted for Obama and Vice President Joe Biden because she felt uninformed about Romney’s plans to reduce the national deficit, cut spending and his view on select The two front runners in the 2012 Presidential Election are former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney (left) and President Barack Obama (left). They represent the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively. | Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

2012 continues on page 3

S I N C E

1 9 3 4

OPINION

Partisanship needs to go LIFE+ARTS

Hip-hop gets political SPORTS

President Khator tours Cougar Woods

M

onday, President Khator toured the new dining hall by the Quadrangle, Cougar Woods.

The new dining hall opened early this semester and is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

Team moves for court changes GET SOME DAILY

thedailycougar.com

— Ellen Goodacre/The Daily Cougar

INSIDE

ORGANIZATIONS

Check out our Election Day spread on pages 6 and 7.

SFAC ends with requests for increased funding

TOMORROW

Paulina Rojas, Amy Carl Contributing writers

Expansions for two of the three organizations that presented for the Student Fees Advisory Committee on Monday have caused each to request additional funding from the student body.

The Center for Students with Disabilities requested a base

augmentation of $431,306 and $5,906 in one-time funding.

CSD has experienced a 5 percent overall increase in the number of students that rely on its services, CSD said during the presentation. It requested funds to hire a new counselor. The position has remained vacant due to a change in hiring policies and above-average workloads.

“This has been the busiest

semester I’ve ever seen,” said Cheryl Amoruso, director of CSD. Despite the increased demand for services, students rarely wait more than a few days to meet with a counselor. CSD predicts the number of students receiving its services will increase by 8 percent over the following year, Amoruso said.

Intercollegiate Athletics asked for a base of $4,407,707, with no

augmentation.

Mack Rhoades, vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics, stressed his his commitment to maintaining a partnership with students as stadium construction begins and games move off-campus.

“We want to make it as convenient as we possibly can for our students,”

SFAC hearings have ended. What should you expect?

COUNTDOWN

0

It’s Election Day.

Time to hit the polls.

SFAC continues on page 3

The Daily Cougar

2 \\ Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Think you know how to design?

This is only a partial crime report.

Please go to www.uh.edu/police/ dcb.html for a complete record.

CRIME REPORT

Prove it!

UH’s Asian American Studies Center is launching a logo design competition.

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BE SMART. BE SAFE. The University of Houston Police Department is available around the clock to respond to your reports of suspicious or criminal activity. Make use of that resource!

If you do experience or witness activity that would benefit from a police or security response, be a good observer, and report the incident as soon as possible.

These factors are key to successful prevention and resolution.

The University has more that 110 emergency call boxes placed strategically around campus; use them! Your call will go directly to a police dispatcher.

For information on how to stay safe and help prevent crime visit uh.edu/police. To report a crime or suspicious activity, call 713-743-3333 or 911.

Criminal Trespass – At 7:07 p.m. 10/29/12 at Calhoun Lofts, a UH visitor was arrested for criminal trespass and released to Harris County jail. The case is cleared by arrest.

Theft – At 7:13 p.m. 10/29/12 at Cullen Oaks Parking Lot, a UH student reported someone stole his unattended/secured motorcycle. The incident occurred between 12:01 a.m. 10/25/12 and 7:13 p.m.10/28/12. The case is active.

Theft – A t 2 : 11 p . m . o n 10/30/12 at Cougar Village, a UH student reported the theft of an unsecured/unattended laptop computer. The case is active.

Theft – At 2:13 p.m. 10/30/12 at the University Center, a UH staff member reported that a woman stole two books from the bookstore. The case is active.

Criminal Mischief – At 4:36 p.m. 10/30/12 at Lot 4A, a UH student reported that someone purposely damaged his unattended vehicle. The incident occurred between 8:30 p.m.

10/29/12 and 4:00 p.m. 10/30/12.

The case is active.

Burglary of a Building or Habitation – At 8:17 p.m. 10/30/12 at Calhoun Lofts, a UH student reported someone made entry into his dorm room while he was at home. The suspect saw the room was occupied and ran away.

The case is active.

Robbery – A t 9 : 2 0 p . m .

10/30/12 at Lot 16D, a UH student reported he was struck on the back of the head with an open hand and robbed of his cell phone. The case is active.

Theft – At 12:28 p.m Wednesday at the South Park Annex, a UH staff member reported the theft of an unattended/unsecured UH-owned steel I-beam.

The incident occurred between

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County citation and a student life referral for consumption of alcohol by minor and released.

The case is cleared by citation.

Theft – At 10:17 a.m. Friday at the Cullen Oaks Apartments, a UH student reported that someone stole her unattended/unsecured cellular phone. The case is active.

Theft – At 12:49 p.m. Friday at M.D. Anderson Library, a UH student reported the theft of his unattended/unsecured laptop.

The case is active.

Theft – At 1:48 p.m. on Friday Lot 16B, a UH visitor reported the theft of his secured/unattended vehicle. An investigation showed the vehicle had been repossessed. The case is unfounded.

Criminal Mischief – At 4:23 p.m. Friday at the Bayou Oaks A p a r t m e n t s , a U H s tu d e n t reported that someone damaged the door to his residence.

The incident occurred between 7:15 p.m. Thursday and 3:00 a.m.

Friday. The case is active.

Theft – At 12:28 a.m. on Sunday at Calhoun Lofts, a UH student reported the theft of his unattended/unsecured cell phone.

The case is active.

Consumption of Alcohol by Minor/Public Intoxication – At 12:25 a.m. Sunday at Bayou Oaks Apartments, a UH student was issued a Harris County citation for consumption of alcohol by minor, issued a Student Life referral, and released to a responsible adult.

The case is cleared by citation.

Burglary of a Building or Habitation – At 7:39 p.m. Sunday at Cougar Village, a UH student reported that someone burglarized his unattended/unsecured dorm room. The incident occurred between 4:30 p.m. Friday and 6:40 p.m. Sunday. The case is active.

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12:00 p.m. 10/24/12 and 8:00 a.m. Tuesday. The case is active.

Theft – At 2:06 p.m. Wednesday at the Moore’s School of Music, a UH student reported the theft of her unattended/ unsecured laptop computer. The incident occurred between 11:00 p.m. Tuesday and 12:45 a.m.

Wednesday. The case is active.

Theft – At 3:15 p.m. Wednesday at Agnes Arnold Auditorium, a UH student reported that someone stole his laptop computer from his unattended/unsecured backpack. The case is inactive.

Bomb Threat – At 5:34 p.m. at UH Sugarland in Brazos Hall, a UH Sugar Land staff member reported that someone called in a bomb threat at the Sugar Land campus. A check of all buildings on the campus revealed no bomb.

The case is inactive.

Burglary of a Building or Habitation/Credit or Debit Card Abuse – At 11:51 p.m. Wednesday at Cougar Village, a UH student reported her unattended/unsecured wallet stolen and multiple unauthorized credit transactions made. The case is active.

Criminal Mischief – At 5:17 p.m. Thursday at the Bayou Oaks Apartments, a UH student’s secured/unattended vehicle was damaged. The case is active.

Assault, on Public Servant – At 12:38 a.m. Friday at Bayou Oaks Apartment, a UH visitor was stopped for suspicion of being a minor in possession of alcohol.

The visitor attempted to flee by assaulting a police officer. The visitor was arrested for assault, on public servant and released to Harris County Jail. The case is cleared by arrest.

Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor – At 1:01 a.m. Friday at Bayou Oaks Apartments, a UH student was issued a Harris

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012 // 3

The Daily Cougar

NEWS 2012

continued from page 1

citizens, she said. “Some of the comments he made about portions of the American people just don’t sit well with me,� Monroe said. “I don’t want the leader of my country saying it’s not his responsibility to worry about a specific group of people.�

Still, Monroe is not sure whether her views of Romney echo those held by other voters. “I’m honestly not sure who’s going to win. It’s like every day since the last debate, President Obama and Mitt Romney switch leads in the polls, so I guess I’ll just have to

SFAC

continued from page 1

Rhodes said.

Rhoades also praised UH’s student athletes for their academic performance. The cumulative GPA of student-athletes is the highest ever, as is the number of hours passed per term. “One of the things we’re most proud of is the type of student athletes we have,� Rhoades said.

Intercollegiate Athletics is looking into providing free parking and shuttle services for students who wish to attend off-campus games.

After Intercollegiate Athletics requested the same amount for this fiscal year, it received about $4,639,000, said TJ Meagher, associate athletics director for Internal Operations. He expects the same amount will be given to it for FY14.

The Division of Student Affairs requested a base of $533,746 and an augmentation of $330,195.

Richard Walker, Vice President for Student Affairs, stressed the importance and benefits of having a director of Assessment and Planning.

The office recently hired a marketing and communications manager, and $52,000 was requested to pay his salary. The office still needs to hire a director of Assessment and Planning.

Walker requested $75,000 to pay this salary. “One thing that we are trying to focus on is assessing our retention and graduation rates and how we can increase them. Having this position will help us demonstrate how we are improving,� Walker said.

This concludes the SFAC hearings.

The first deliberations will take place Wednesday. news@thedailycougar.com

EDITOR Julie Heffler EMAIL news@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/news

wait until (this evening) to find out,�

Monroe said. “As far as the debates, I feel like President Obama did a better job overall. He seemed a little off on the first debate, but what many people fail to realize is Mitt Romney had been debating all summer and even earlier in the year to earn the Republican presidential nomination; President Obama hadn’t debated in years, so he probably just needed a chance to get back into the swing of things.�

Of the 538 electoral votes, candidates need 270 to win the election.

According to a CNN.com electoral map, Obama leads with 237 presumed electoral votes, while Romney trails with 206 votes. New Hampshire,

Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada are currently listed as toss-up states on the map, leaving 95 votes unaccounted for.

Management information systems senior Malik Osei-Frimpong is also supporting the president. “First off, I believe that Barack Obama will win the election.

Although many people suspect that Obama only added to the problems initiated when Bush was president, this is not the case,� Osei-Frimpong said. “He may not have completed all of the tasks he promised us he would, but how can you expect him (in one term) to reconstruct the economy it took the previous president’s two

Jill Stein (far left), Rocky Anderson (left), Virgil Goode (right), and Gary Johnson (far right) are also running for president. | Photo courtesy of Wikimedia commons terms to screw up,� Osei-Frimpong said. “During the various presidential debates, it seemed as though Obama took more initiative to address current problems and how he would fix them, versus Romney spending the majority of his debate time to bash

Obama’s credentials. This is why I believe he will remain president.�

For information on voting centers in Houston please visit www.harrisvotes.org. news@thedailycougar.com

Judge for Yourself Making the decision to attend law school is huge. You feel confident and comfortable with the right choice. Our program offers: t BO FYDFQUJPOBM GBDVMUZ t UIF CFTU BEWPDBDZ QSPHSBN JO UIF OBUJPO t BO BXBSE XJOOJOH MFHBM SFTFBSDI BOE XSJUJOH QSPHSBN t B CSPBE BOE ĘFYJCMF DVSSJDVMVN UIBU JODMVEFT FYUFOTJWF DMJOJDBM TLJMMT QSPHSBNT t DPOTJTUFOUMZ BGGPSEBCMF UVJUJPO SBUFT t B IFMQGVM BOE LOPXMFEHFBCMF TUBGG t B EPXOUPXO MPDBUJPO JO QSPYJNJUZ UP NBKPS MBX ĕSNT BOE DPSQPSBUJPOT GPS FOIBODFE KPC PQQPSUVOJUJFT

We rest our case.

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4 \\ Tuesday, November 6, 2012

OPINION

EDITOR Lucas Sepulveda EMAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/opinion

ELECTION DAY

Felipe Campos | The Daily Cougar

Next president needs to end problematic partisanship James Wang Staff columnist

T

oday, change must come.

This is not an endorsement for either candidate, it’s about the way things are done on Capitol Hill.

The last four years have been a disappointment for the American people. Forget economic recovery or President Barack Obama’s policy decisions, the display of partisanship on both sides of the aisle is sickening

and will be the harbinger to the country’s early ruin.

The victor of the presidential election has only two responsibilities for the next four years.

First, fix the economy. The hiring rate has reportedly gone up, but so has the unemployment rate.

It doesn’t matter what numbers, charts or any media source says, if people feel the economy’s bad, then it is. The president will have to answer for it and push a solution through, or at the least make people feel like something’s

THE DAILY COUGAR

Republican primary making crazy people look sane and won his nomination on the strength of fringe groups leaking into the GOP. So many protestors have been shown on MSNBC touting racist and provocative signs that people have forgotten what the original stereotype of the conservative Republican voter had been: a blue-collar worker who spends his money on beer and his Sundays at church.

Obama isn’t free from blame either, and out of the two, has

insulted Texans personally. The U.S. Capitol getting a shuttle is perfectly fair and natural. Houston getting snubbed for a shuttle

by New York and California is a step over the line, but because of the way modern politics play out, it’s a natural step. Texas will not, under any circumstances, be going blue for Obama today, nor did anyone think it would during the campaign. Of course two of the most liberal, blue WANG continues on page 5

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.

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happening.

Whoever wins the election also needs to make sure, at least for the next four years, these political wars stop. This nation is not only broke, it is divided almost right down the middle and neither side is looking for a compromise. The politicians haven’t helped, nor has the media.

Unfortunately, two of the culprits are up for election today. Republican nominee Mitt Romney spent the entire

& ARTS EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR

Joshua Mann Amanda Hilow Channler Hill Julie Heffler Andrew Pate Allen Le Lucas Sepulveda

Tuesday, November 6, 2012 // 5

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

Choosing wisely Bryan Washington Staff columnist

E

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Keep religion out of politics Mónica Rojas Staff columnist

C

hocolate and bacon are great things, just not together — much like religion and politics.

Politics and religion can guide lives. They conflict with one another so much that mixing them is deadly.

The First Amendment reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” There is a good reason why the framers of the U.S. Constitution included the separation of church and state in the First Amendment: to protect the rights of everyone without the infringement of one religion in favor of another.

Take a look at countries whose politics are directly a result of a religious view. There, it is illegal to believe differently, which was one of the prominent reasons for the

establishment of the U.S. Entwining religion with politics would be a return of the ideals the founding fathers were against.

Mixing religion with politics inhibits fairness. Often, topics that are seen as the most controversial, like gay marriage, are because of religion.

The main argument against gay marriage is it is wrong according to the Bible. However, refusing gay marriage is unfair and violates the unalienable right to the pursuit of happiness for people who are gay and wish to get married.

Focusing on the candidates’ or the voters’ religion acts as a blinder.

Rather than basing their decision on the topics that matter — such as the economy, foreign affairs, education and many others — some voters instead pick the politician who most resembles their religious views, even if that means disregarding their stance on important subjects.

The U.S. may have been a Christian nation once, but its current diversity no longer reflects that.

People argue that by losing that title, it somehow means they lost their right to be Christian, but it is an invalid argument, based on the Constitution.

Though the morals instilled by religions are generally good — don’t kill people, don’t steal, respect your elders and so on — because their importance and subjects differ between groups and religions, they cannot be the basis of government.

While people cast their votes all over the nation today, they should set aside their religious beliefs and decide, which presidential candidate will fix the economy, protect civil rights and make the best decisions for such a diverse country.

Mónica Rojas is a journalism freshman and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

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very four years, citizens have the right to pitch a coin in the well of the U.S.’s future with no assurance that their decision will impact them in the future. But that’s not relevant — every vote counts. Regardless of how Texas ends up leaning, and it’ll lean to the right, these are decisions that voters will have to live with for the rest of their lives.

There’ll be no way to sleep it off and no pill to fix it. It’s a morning after that’ll affect at least the next few decades. If people are lucky, it’s a decision to look back on with some semblance of sentimentality.

If they’re not, they definitely won’t.

People will be voting for civil rights, women’s rights and how much smog the U.S. puts in the sky.

People will be voting on the livelihoods of the upper and lower class — a lot of whom are living in this state.

Citizens will be voting on

WANG continued from page 4

states in the nation will receive a shuttle, even when one of them had nothing to do with the space program in the first place.

The bottom line is that there needs to be a move toward the center and an appeal to both the sides. The partisanship has ripped Americans in two. This summer, Congress had a lower approval rating than cancer. It wasn’t just the Republican Senate or the Democratic House, Americans hated all of Congress.

That hate has spilled out onto the streets and has possessed normally rational citizens into doing violently irrational things.

There are stories everywhere of Romney supporters living in fear because their neighbors

which of their neighbors will see their families again and which of them won’t. They’ll be voting on their sisters’, mothers’ and their neighbors’ right to choose. They’ll be voting on the numbers in the financial aid office and the numbers in the gas station up the road.

The country that people vote for tomorrow will be the country they bring their kids into. It’ll be a country that goes to war or the country that doesn’t. It’ll be the country that ships jobs across the Atlantic Ocean or the one that favors local business. It’ll be the country that rejects, accepts or that doesn’t do anything at all because the support isn’t there.

The country belongs to the voters. That’s a pretty scary thing, but it’s just as beautiful. It isn’t something to take lightly, and regardless of how people choose, they should realize they’re not just choosing for themselves.

Bryan Washington is a creative writing and sociology senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

are Obama supporters, and of course the same stories are heard from Obama supporters. Idiotic supporters of both sides and ideologies have been reportedly vandalizing vehicles with the wrong bumper sticker and, in rare cases, even assaulting members of a different party preference.

Today’s winner will have to mend the hole in citizens wallets and close the gap in the aisles.

There has to be some legitimate and sincere effort to reach across the aisle and stop marginalizing voters who don’t support a specific party platform. Otherwise, no matter who’s in office, the next four years will be the same as the last four.

James Wang is a history sophomore and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

Get your speech on.

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The Daily Cougar

6 \\ Tuesday, November 6, 2012

TIME

TIPPING POINT STATES The probability that a state provides the decisive electoral vote

IOWA 6.8%

WISCONSIN 7.8%

NEW HAMPSHIRE

TODAY IS THE LAST CHANCE FOR CAST THEIR BALLOTS — MAKE S

3.0%

PENNSYLVANIA

BARACK OBAMA

2.8%

VIRGINIA 12.2% NEVADA 9.4% COLORADO 4.8%

OHIO 50.0%

WHAT IS A SWING STATE? Swing states, also known as battleground or purple states, are states in which no candidate has an overwhelming chance of winning its Electoral College votes. Political analysts use statewide opinion polls, political party registration records and past elections to choose swing states, according to an article in the Oregon Daily Emerald.

In non-swing or solid states, one candidate is already leading by a majority and is therefore likely to win the Electoral College votes. Ohio and Florida are among predictable swing states. Candidates often focus on these states because either has a chance of winning the election by gaining new votes here — this is how they became known as battle ground states.

FLORIDA 1.3%

President Obama supports the current program “Pay As You Earn,” which caps payment on a student’s loan to 10 percent of his or her discretionary income, his campaign website said. He says this will ensure that students will not be required to pay more than they are able to.

He supports strengthening the Pell Grant program, the American Opportunity Tax Credit and investment in community colleges.

Obama supports his previous federal investments in the autoindustry and US companies, his website said. He aims to end tax breaks to companies that outsource and end tax cuts for the top earners in the country, his website said.

Obama also supports environmentally friendly initiatives like wind and solar energy, but he also supports increased oil and natural gas production, according to his website.

HOW DOES THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WORK? The Electoral College was established by the Constitution as a compromise between the election of the president by a vote of Congress and election by a popular vote of qualifi ed citizens. While the selection of Electors varies across the nation, the political parties generally nominate them during state party conventions or by vote of the party’s central committee.

The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, each state getting one elector per member of congress. D.C. is also allowed three votes under the 23rd Amendment of the Constitution, and is treated like a state for purposes of the Electoral College.

A majority vote of 270 is required to win the presidential election. It is a winner takes all system— the electors in a given state vote for the candidate who won the popular vote in that state.

POLL AVERAGES POLL

DATE

OBAMA (D)

ROMNEY (R)

SPREAD

RCP AVERAGE

OCT. 29 NOV.4

48.8%

48.1

OBAMA + 0.7

The poll data above is from www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/ which makes an average of polls from a variety of sources including those from CNN, Gallup, the Wall Street Journal and Pew Research.

The poll above was last updated Monday at 10:30 p.m.

JILL STEIN Stein supports a program that will forgive current student debt, will provide free education for children kindergarten through college, will prevent public schools from privatization, will end the current system of national testing, will end testbased graduation and will stop using “merit pay to punish teachers,” according to her campaign website.

Stein supports the enactment of the Full Employment Program, which supports environmentally-friendly initiatives and jobs. She supports grants and low-interest loans for “green” businesses and groups, her website said. She also wants to end outsourcing abroad.

Graphics by Andres Garcia

Tuesday, November 6, 2012 // 7

The Daily Cougar

IS UP

MILLIONS OF AMERICANS TO SURE YOU KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION? If you can’t beat the system, join it. I’m voting for Obama because I think Harris County may actually have a chance of being a blue county this year, otherwise I’d be voting for Jill Stein because I think that’s where I wanted the Democratic party to be in ’08. It was about change in ’08. This year ... the slogan should be “Same.” Same thing for four more years – no improvements, nothing goes wrong, just four more years of okay.

A: MITT ROMNEY

— Colin Kirkeby, psychology junior The former Mass. Governor is opposed to a policy on education that funnels federal money into the system, according to his campaign website. His website says that federal expenditures drive up tuition costs and therefore student debt. He also supports “other models” of secondary education, according to his website. Specific policies include simplifying and bolstering the Financial Aid System, supporting private sector aid and ending regulations in the education sector.

Romney supports a cut in taxes across the board, 25 percent for corporations and 20 percent in marginal rates, according to his website. His website said that he supports a cap on federal spending at 20 percent of Gross Domestic Product. According to his website, he supports a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, a privatization of Amtrak, a reduction in subsidies for the arts, the humanities, and public broadcasting, an elimination of Title X Family Planning Funding and a reduction of foreign aid. His website also said that he wishes to end Chinese manipulation of its currency.

I feel that we need some type of change, and I have already voted. I’m neither Republican nor Democrat, but I believe that we’ve already had four years of something and it kind of didn’t work, so I guess we need to give somebody else a chance. And it’s like playing baseball: when somebody doesn’t do well, they take them out and put somebody else in.

A:

— Peter Cisneros, psychology junior

I feel that (the population) rushed their decision. A lot of the people, they didn’t follow the primaries, they didn’t follow Mitt before, they didn’t follow Obama himself during his presidency and I feel that that has led to a lot of rushed decisions and that’s definitely not good. A lot of people are basing their vote on the last three debates.

A:

— Carlos Quiroga, computer engineering sophomore

It’s going to be a close race. Both candidates have really put their points out on the Internet, the news and on the debates. I feel like it’s going to be a close race between the two.

A:

— Alex Bienko, biotechnology senior

GARY JOHNSON Johnson aims to place a voucher system into the public school system, which will let parents choose where their children go to school, according to his website. He supports a system that places funds into schools that are best and those that need to improve. His website says that the Department of Education should be ended, because he does not believe in a federally regulated education system, his website said. He disagrees with the “No Child Left Behind Act” and “other federal mandates,” his website said. He also attributes a “higher education bubble” to federal student loans.

He proposes that the free market enter into the higher education system, his website said.

It’s interesting to say the least. I feel like there’s a very clear difference, and not only a very clear difference, but I feel like it’s very obvious who actually cares about the country and the people of this country — and who doesn’t.

A:

— Mark Francis, photo/digital media Senior

I am undecided as of now. I’m leaning more towards Romney simply because, well I mean the election has been very close so far, and I think both candidates have done their fair share of shading the past if you will. So I’ve tried to watch all of the debates, I’ve tried to make the most educated decision, and as of now, I believe I’m voting for Romney because I feel that he has a much clearer plan when it comes the economic side of the presidency as far as coming from a simple economic standpoint. Putting all the social issues aside, I believe he has a clear, better vision of what this country needs.

A:

— Rachel Walton, education senior

A: All information above was compiled from the candidates’ respective websites. Blurbs (left) were written by Ellen Goodacre. Names, quotes and photos (right) were compiled by Julie Heffler.

At the very core of it all, it really breaks down to considering the two candidates in the sense of what particular field their expertise lies. The choices really boil down to: constitutional lawyer or man with an MBA, and when it comes down to the very essence of rebuilding an economy that has sluggish growth at best, I’d rather trust the MBA. — Spencer Frith, economics junior

Tuesday, November 6, 2012 // 8

The Daily Cougar

NOV. 6

NOV. 9

NOV. 13

NOV. 17

NOV. 19

NOV. 25

NOV. 28

DEC. 1

DEC. 4

CONCORDIA

FLORIDA A&M

at SAN JOSE

GRAMBLING

at TEXAS A&MCORPUS CHRISTI

at Prairie View A&M

at TCU

STATE

LOUISIANA COLLEGE

TEXAS A&M

STATE

(TEXAS) (EXHIBITION)

DEC. 8

DEC. 15

DEC 22

DEC 29

JAN. 3

TEXAS

LOUISIANA

CHICAGO

SOUTHERN

LAFAYETTE

STATE

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M

TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN

OO MEN’S HOOPS

SEASON PREVIEW PLAYERS TO WATCH TaShawn Thomas is primed to have a big season as a scorer and to become a team leader. He started all 29 games for the Cougars last season and averaged 10.6 points.

Thomas could become a match-up problem, using his quickness against bigger defenders and his size against smaller ones | File photo/The Daily Cougar

The Cougars huddle together in preparation for the final game of the season against Rice. | File photo/The Daily Cougar

UH hopes change brings wins Christopher Shelton Assistant sports editor

Head basketball coach James Dickey said the keys to a successful season are simple — the Cougars need to play together and get tougher, embracing the team concept.

“You aren’t going to see selfish play,” Dickey said. “You aren’t going to see guys playing for themselves. They’re going to be playing for the Cougars, and that is what is most important.”

UH stressed defense during summer workouts and is a tougher team because of it, Dickey said. The Cougars finished at the bottom of Conference USA in scoring defense last season.

Dickey also wants his team to become better rebounders, an area where they finished sixth in C-USA. “One thing that stood out to us is we have to be tougher.

Under that toughness comes better defense. We have to be better in the rebounding area,” Dickey said. “We have to take better care of the basketball and not be careless.”

The Cougars may be able to change the mentality of the team with six new players.

Gone are their two leading scorers — redshirt senior guard Jonathon Simmons went pro and junior forward Alandise Harris transferred to Arkansas.

Darian Thibodeaux, the team’s best defender last season — no longer has eligibility.

Sophomore forward TaShawn Thomas said UH lacked the mentality to play through adversity last season.

“We lacked toughness last year. When times got rough we had a lot of people that just sat down and let things happen,” Thomas said. “This year we have a tougher team. If something bad happens, we have people that will pick each other up and get us back on a good run.”

Now, presented with a talented freshman class, which is ranked 21st in the nation by ESPN, expectations are abound in Dickey’s third season at the helm of the program.

Freshmen forward Danuel House and center Valentine Izundu will be expected to contribute immediately. Associate head coach Alvin Brooks said Izundu could have an instant impact as a rebounder and as a defender. Izundu could provide the size UH lacked in the painted area last season.

Dickey said the transition to college basketball is tough and takes patience and understanding but House and Izundu can handle it.

“Almost every guy on our team was the best player on his high school team, and he wanted the ball in his hands,” Dickey said. “Now, they have to

Joseph Young is UH’s leading returning scorer at 11.6 points per game. Young, now in his third year in the program will be expected to contribute more than just buckets to the team.

On a team with one senior Young and Thomas will be counted upon for leadership.

STORYLINES POSITION CHANGE Young switching to shooting guard Joseph Young will still handle the ball at times but will play as a combo guard this season — he was the team’s point guard last season. His priorities will shift from and diversify. He will be expected to get his teammates involved and to be a scoring threat.

RECRUITING HOUSTON House, Izundu part of plan to keep local kids Joseph Young was the first piece in James Dickey’s strategy to keep local high school products in the city.

Danuel House, Danrad Knowles and Valentine Izundu were all Houston products who spurned other out of state offers.

Joseph Young tries an acrobatic lay-up as a Utah State player attempts to defend his path to the basket. | File photo/The Daily Cougar

be able to give it up and go some place else, and that has not been natural for them.”

UH opens the season today against Concordia at Hofheinz

Pavilion, where they have a chance to prove their renewed toughness on the court. sports@thedailycougar.com

Sell your stuff.

Call 713-743-5356 to get started. classifieds@thedailycougar.com

THE DAILY COUGAR

Tuesday, November 6, 2012 // 9

The Daily Cougar

NOV. 9

NOV. 13

NOV. 17

NOV. 20

NOV. 23

NOV. 27

at MISSISSIPPI

ALABAMA

at YALE

at MCNEESE

SEMO

UTSAI

STATE

STATE

NOV. 30

DEC. 2

DEC 8

NEW

TCU

CREIGHTON

MEXICO

DEC. 22

DEC 30

JAN. 6

JAN 10

JAN. 13

TEXAS

TEXAS TECH

DELAWARE

MEMPHIS

UAB

STATE

STATE

OO WOMEN’S HOOPS Guard hopes for reclamation year Injuries derailed Porsche Landry last season, now she’s grateful for another chance to lead

SEASON PREVIEW PLAYERS TO WATCH Porsche Landry was the most high-profile of an injury plagued season for the Cougars last season. She averaged 22 points per game in the three contests that she played. Head coach Todd Buchanan said he was happy to have his floor general back on the court. | File photo/The Daily Cougar

Terran Alford was one of only two players who played in all 29 games last season. She was named Conference USA freshman of the week once and was the top freshman shot blocker in conference.

STORYLINES NEW FACES 10 new players for the Cougars UH’s lineup will look completely different than when last season ended. The Cougars will welcome in six freshman, including twins Taylor and Tyler Gilbert. Four junior transfers will also see the court.

Porsche Landry dribbles down the court preparing to make a move against a defender. | File photo/The Daily Cougar

Aaron T. Manuel Contributing Writer

UH redshirt senior point guard Porsche Landry smiled while being surrounded by reporters and teammates, answering questions in the glare of the cameras and the microphones around her. After sustaining an injury just three games in the last season, she is thankful to take the court again.

Landry started last year by being selected for the Preseason All-Conference USA team and posted 37 points, seven rebounds and five steals in a losing effort against New Mexico State, during her first game.

In the first three games last season, she averaged 22 points, five rebounds and 3.3 assists in 34 minutes per game, setting the pace for a career year in what should have been her final season — it came to an abrupt end during a 36-66 loss at Georgetown.

“I’m ecstatic. It’s a blessing to be back on the court, because there were times where I didn’t think I would be back on the

court again, so I’m just grateful,” Landry said. “It’s a huge release; it’s like getting a big elephant off your shoulders ... I’m just looking forward to feeling the burn, the sweat and being out there with my teammates, building a new chemistry.”

For Landry, almost everything is new again — she has a new senior season and uniform number, changing from No. 20 to No. 5. She has 10 new teammates to build chemistry with — six freshmen and four transfers.

Freshman guard Jessieka Palmer has hit the court running, aiming for a Conference title and is pleased that Landry could be the component that can get them there.

“She’s a great leader. She’s like a big sister to everyone on this team,” Palmer said. “To have her around is great because of her leadership. We need that leadership.

It gives me something to look forward to everyday.”

Head basketball coach Todd Buchanan is grateful to have Landry back as well.

Two years ago, the women’s team had 26 wins, a C-USA regular season title and an

appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Landry had improved in Buchanan’s first season, averaging 14.8 points per game as a junior, nearly a five point per game improvement. When Landry came into her own during the New Mexico State game, it seemed as if she would be Buchanan’s go-to scorer. However, she was injured, along with several others, ending with a 3-26 season.

“From my viewpoint, it’s poetry in motion because she is so good at making everyone so much better. I think when you have someone orchestrating your team, which she does exceptionally well, you know she’s going to put everybody in the best case scenario — to be better — to push them to get better,” Buchanan said.

“It’s not just game time, it’s everyday in practice. She’s been absolutely chomping at the bit to get back.”

The Cougars take the court at 7 p.m. on Friday against Mississippi State at Hofheinz Pavillion.

APPEAL DENIED Texada out first 10 games Forward Destini Texada’s appeal to play immediately was denied by the NCAA. She must sit out the first 10 games of the season. She will make her first appearance against Texas State on Dec. 22.

Sell your stuff.

Call 713-743-5356 to get started. classifieds@thedailycougar.com

sports@thedailycougar.com

THE DAILY COUGAR

The Daily Cougar

10 \\ Tuesday, November 6, 2012

CLASSIFIEDS Find a home. Find a job. Find it here.

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COMICS College Problems by Austin Nash

want more?

See pg. 12 for presidential election comics Fresh Out of Logic by Kathleen Kennedy

ACROSS 1 Engage in a gabfest 5 Appear impressively large 9 Couch/bed hybrid 14 Prayer’s end 15 “What ___ can I say?”

16 Apparently amazed 17 Wash up 18 Do a farmer’s job 19 Not as well 20 Buddy from way back 23 Poet’s pasture 24 Succumb to gravity 25 Name tags, briefly 28 Impish one 31 Nutty, chewy stuff 36 Baseball starters, in number 38 Stick together 40 Shorelines do it 41 Tail end of

the work week 44 Drive back 45 Type of diamond earring 46 Absolutely positive 47 Sporting spots 49 Omen 51 Explosive palindrome 52 Covert fed. group 54 One-third of IX 56 Severed all ties 65 Mistake 66 One place to get fresh water 67 ___ Romeo (sports car) 68 Actor’s representative 69 Rent-a-car option 70 Skiers’ ride 71 Search with a divining rod 72 Longings 73 British nobleman

DOWN 1 Baby powder ingredient 2 Asian nurse 3 Jeans purveyor Strauss 4 Mournful peal 5 Listlessness 6 Some of this and some of that 7 Home of the Nobels 8 Canasta plays 9 One at an expo 10 Citrus variety 11 Narrative 12 Candid 13 Stereotypical computer programmer 21 New socialite, for short 22 Strike out, in baseball 25 Prefix with “red” or “structure” 26 Less rosy 27 Fools hunt it 29 Word of woe

Follow us on Twitter!

30 Clumps of grass 32 Samovars 33 Stop burning 34 Beautify with baubles 35 Group belief 37 Earthly paradise 39 Small accessory case 42 Ordering option in a restaurant 43 Sign of nerves 48 Attack word 50 Penpoint 53 Put to rest, as fears 55 Seeing red 56 Hoover Dam lake 57 Jason’s fleecefinding ship 58 Selected, as straws 59 Ages and ages and ages 60 Roof rim 61 Related 62 Napoleon’s first exile 63 A distant point 64 Unfunny Marx

twitter.com/thedailycougar

Puzzle answers online: www.thedailycougar.com/puzzles

Tuesday, November 6, 2012 // 11

The Daily Cougar

LIFE +ARTS

EDITOR Allen Le EMAIL arts@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/arts

“Hip-Hop the Vote,” which was organized by Occupy the Vote Houston, attracted approximately 75 students and faculty members on Friday to Lynn Eusan Park. The event mixed music and politics to appeal to the student voter demographic on campus and featured sets by local rappers. Members of Occupy the Vote Houston consists of UH alumni, who volunteered. | Allen Le/The Daily Cougar

ELECTION DAY

Hip-hop appeals to student voters

Brendan Laws, a ‘12 sociology UH graduate, emphasized the importance of voting for college students. | Allen Le/The Daily Cougar Allen Le Life & arts editor

The hip-hop appeal among the student voting demographic on campus was utilized as part of the final push leading up to Election Day by Texans Together Education Fund, a local political organization that initiates community events in historically disengaged

Harris County neighborhoods.

Texans Together, established in August 2006, serves as a parent organization, fostering several other enterprises that have branched off from its umbrella, including the Apartments Are Communities project, Empower Houston Leaders project, Occupy the Vote Houston and The San Jacinto River Coalition.

Occupy the Vote Houston hosted “HipHop the Vote,” a series of free concerts, featuring local rappers, who performed on Friday at Lynn Eusan Park to a sparse day crowd. The rappers encouraged students to take advantage of the last day of early voting and make their voices count.

The concert featured Chingo Bling, Doughbeezy, GT Garza, Sydnee, TK, Uzoy and Youngin.

“There was a momentum particularly in the youth in 2008 for the presidential election,” said event organizer Saeed Rose. “They say that momentum died down, but I don’t believe so.”

The UH chapter of TexPIRG, a politically involved organization, was present in late-September and early-October to help students register to vote. It arranged information and registration tables around campus and visited classrooms to hand out voter registration cards.

Occupy the Vote Houston also assisted students in registering to vote in the middle of the semester.

“Being on the campus, we did voter registration out here, and so we see the fact that

Occupy the Vote Houston, an organization under the umbrella of Texans Together Education Fund, cited the student diversity as the reason for hosting “Hip-Hop the Vote” at UH. | Allen Le/The Daily Cougar the students out here are very active so that’s why we’re basically keeping the momentum up,” Rose said. “We’re having great performances and making sure that they get to the polls.”

Texans Together consists of UH alumni members who volunteered their time to be a part of the Occupy the Vote Houston event.

The University ties and diversity were among reason the organizations chose to host the hip-hop concert on campus.

“This campus has a lot of history,” Rose said. “It’s very active so it’s more of an appreciation to the activism that’s going on in the community. We have a lot of fellow organizers that are alumni of this school so we really felt that we couldn’t have this campaign without coming to this campus

and making sure that students were able to enjoy the artists as well.”

Meanwhile, sociology graduate Brendan Laws aimed to leave students with reasons why they should pay attention to the election, as it can affect how college will be funded in the future.

“The various bonds going on in this city also impact college students, especially community college students so it’s a pretty important election,” Laws said. “Above everything else, it’s just important for college students to vote because college students don’t vote enough so if their voices are better heard, then they can be better represented afterward.” arts@thedailycougar.com

The Daily Cougar

12 \\ Tuesday, November 6, 2012

OPINION

Comic booth I

I Found UH by Catherine Mussio

n addition to the usual comic strips on Page 10, The Daily Cougar has asked its cartoonists to express their opinions about today’s elections. Find more comics at thedailycougar.com/comics. — Amanda Hilow/The Daily Cougar Newsgroup by David Haydon

HOMECOMING 2012

UH huh... by Roberto Torres-Torres

ing

mecom

ything For ever

you nee

t Home w abou o n k to d

coming

v

/ho .uh.edu isit www

Wednesday, November 7

STRUT YOUR STUFF

LOCATION: UC Houston Room TIME: 7–10PM

Thursday, November 8 Tuesday, November 6

GO COOGS DAY

LOCATION: Lynn Eusan Park TIME: 4–6PM

HOMECOMING BLOCK PARTY (NEW EVENT) LOCATION: Lynn Eusan Park TIME: 4–6PM

Saturday, November 10

PARADE AND GAME DAY Parade

ROUTE: Start at Parking Lot 8A PARADE TIME: 12:30–2PM PARADE SET UP: 10AM

Homecoming Game– Houston Cougars v. Tulsa Hurricanes LOCATION: Robertson Stadium TIME: 4PM