Issue 72, Volume 78

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Thursday, February 7, 2013 // Issue 72, 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 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 T O N

S I N C E

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OPINION

HOUSING

Students buzz about new dorms Mary Dahdouh Contributing writer

Although noise from construction around campus has been ongoing, the commotion and excitement for the projects being built have just begun. Don Yackley, the director of residential life and housing, revealed the features and amenities of Cougar Village II and Cougar Place, the new student dorms being built on campus. “Besides just offering students housing, we want to also be about helping students to be successful,” Yackley said. “Everyone says that, but we want to actually do that.” The design of Cougar Village II mirrors that of the original Cougar Village, as it offers first-year students with the same suite-style dorms, yet it will now have compartmentalized bathrooms. This means the shower and toilet will be in separate rooms, which allows all four students to use the different areas of the restroom at the same time, Yackley said. Cougar Village II will also

Some sex has consequences LIFE+ARTS

The resounding clinks and clanks coming from the construction site of Cougar Village II will soon cease to annoy passersby with its completion by Fall 2013. | Mary Dahdouh/The Daily Cougar become the home of two new classrooms and residential life offices. Cougar Village II is not met without opposition. “I’m a bit upset with Cougar Village II because they took away that huge expanse of grass,”

said English sophomore Trisana Woodworth. “I saw it as sort of a park area, and now it’s just more living quarters. And the campus is going to be so cramped now with all these people living here.” Co u g a r P l a c e w i l l h o u s e

sophomores and upperclassmen. Cougar Place will have many of the same amenities as the Cougar Villages, such as two new classrooms, laundry facilities and full kitchens on each floor. Each suite

Dance club kicks into gear SPORTS

DORMS continues on page 11

CITY

UH to help connect the dots Expansion project will make public parks more accessible Jessica Crawford Staff writer

New kids on the block The Cougars picked up their first five-star recruit by signing Deontay Greenberry last year. Find out how they did on National Signing Day on Page 6. — File photo/The Daily Cougar

In order to expand and improve parks in the Southeast area of Houston, the U.S. National Park Service chose UH as a partner in its project to combine three major greenspaces. MacGregor Park, Park at Palm Center and Nelson (George T.) Park will be connected with the Houston Bayou Greenway Trail, creating the new 31-mile Brays Bayou Trail. “Houston Bayou Greenway Initiative” is being coordinated by UH; the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program; and The National Park service. Carroll Parrott Blue, principal investigator for the National Endowment for the Arts who funded Southeast Houston Arts Initiative based at UH, believes Houston has a lot more to offer than advances in energy.

“While touted as the world’s energy capital, Houston is also a lush green canopy of trees and multiple waterways of bayous, streams and lakes,” Blue said. The goal of the project is to make more of these hidden spaces available to Houstonians, according to Margarita Reza, a chemistry freshman and leader of the UH grassroots group. “Currently, only 27 percent of Houston community can access parkland within walking distance. With this project, that percentage will increase to 60 percent,” Reza said. Reza noted that in order for the expansion to be successful, they need consistant financial backing. “Our goal is to encourage City Council and keep them on board with the project,” Reza said. “Work has already started in some places, but lack of funding will impede progress.” Roksan Okan-Vick, executive director of the Houston Parks Board, believes the project is worth the price PARKS continues on page 11

Levine recruits bigger players GET SOME DAILY

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ONLINE XTRAS The SGA nomination process is in full swing. Faculty and staff act as catalysts for student motivation. Treatment of servers reaches tipping point.

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Thursday Dialogue of Civilizations Platform 2013: From 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel, The Gulen Institute will host "Solidarity against Inequalities: Global Efforts to Fight Poverty, Hunger and the Unjust Distribution of Resources." Admission is free. RSVP is required. We Need Not Be Enemies: Iran and the U.S. in the 21st Century: Beginning at 5 p.m. in the Honors College Commons of the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library, the Center for International and Comparative Studies will welcome Gen. Colin Powell’s former chief of staff, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, to campus. His presentation will explore opportunities for improving U.S.Iran relations. Basketball: From 7 to 10 p.m. at Hofheinz Pavilion, the UH womens basketball team will face off against East Carolina. Admission is free for students with their UH ID. Student Program Board: From 8 p.m. to midnight at the University Center Houston Room, Student Program Board will host a rodeo-themed concert night. The spectacle will feature Justin van Sant, who is playing at the Houston Rodeo, and Grievous Angels with country concert. Free food will be provided.

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Stadium: From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the South Entrance of the stadium site, the UH football official groundbreaking celebration

will commence. Admission to this event is free. Softball: From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m., at Cougar Softball Field, the UH softball team will compete in the Hilton Houston Plaza Classic. Admission is free for students with their UH ID. Music: From 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Moores Opera House, the Kosciuszko Foundation Recital features a piano performance by Yun Wei.

Saturday CougarTHON: From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the University Center Houston Room, students are welcome to groove in a dance marathon to support Texas Children’s Hospital. Admission is $10. Proceeds will go toward TCH. Softball: From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 5:50 p.m., at Cougar Softball Field, the UH softball team will continue its attendance in the Hilton Houston Plaza. Admission is free for students with their UH ID. Basketball: From 1 to 4 p.m. at Hofheinz Pavilion, the UH Men’s Basketball team will face off against Tulane University. Admission is free for students with their UH ID.

Sunday Softball: From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Cougar Softball Field, the UH softball team will conclude the Hilton Houston Plaza Classic in a match against Texas Arlington. Admission is free to students with their UH ID.

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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 and online at thedailycougar. com. The Daily Cougar is supported in part by Student Service Fees. The first copy is free. Additional copies cost 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 tips and story ideas to the editors. Call (713) 743-5314, e-mail news@ thedailycougar.com. A “Submit news� form is available at thedailycougar.com. COPYRIGHT No part of the newspaper in print or online may be reproduced without the consent of the director of Student Publications.

Closing editors Amanda Hilow, Samantha Wong

The Daily Cougar is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press. studentpress.org/acp

Thursday, January 17, 2013 // 3

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NEWS EDITOR

Natalie Harms

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CAMPUS

Services benefit students with learning disabilities Tara Gonzales Contributing writer

Some students require additional accommodations to concentrate on a test, take notes accurately or to study in a quieter environment. Thankfully, UH offers a solution to these learning-impaired students. On campus, there are several student resources that aid students in accomplishing their goals, such as the Center for Students with Disabilities and the Learning Support Services, which offers up to 50 different workshops each semester. “I had a lot of trouble with reading because I have dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD as well,” said Tyler Collins, a construction management junior. “So how I got over that trouble was I would make friends as soon as possible so I could have someone fill me in on whatever I seemed to miss. Everyone has their different ways of studying, but I think these workshops will definitely be useful,” Collins said. LSS, located on the first floor of

Cougar Village, is known for its free tutoring services, which include 50 people on staff that are trained by CSD, but the workshops have seemingly slipped through the cracks. “Honestly, I’ve lived on campus for a couple years now, and I’ve heard of the tutoring center in Cougar Village. I’ve even been past it a couple of times, but I had no idea that they provided workshops,” said art junior Teri Mills. The LSS workshops include a graduate student workshop series, as well as an attention deficit disorder workshop series. Students can sign up for these workshops on the LSS website. “Immediately after the workshop is done, we hand out an evaluation form, and about 95 percent of the time, we get positive comments and feedback,” said UH counselor Laura Heidel. The LSS specialty workshops include graduate student workshops that prepare students for their comprehensive and qualifying exams, help students use the APA writing

In addition to the learning disabilities programs, LSS offers a one-on-one tutoring atmosphere. | Mary Dahdouh/The Daily Cougar style effectively and prepare graduate students for their dissertation. The ADD workshops are also held but fairly new. “The attendance at the general workshops is around 30 to 40 students, but for the Attention Deficit Disorder workshops, we generally have around 10 students per workshop,” Heidel said. The ADD workshops benefit the attendees by teaching new skills in

time management and concentration. They are free to exchange tips and ideas with other students at the workshop in a lax area. The CSD provides quiet testing facilities, wide-screen computers for those with visual impairments, a transcriber, audio books, special counseling, enlarged notes, a sign language interpreter or a real time captionist that sits in class with the student and types out his notes.

In order to receive these accommodations from CSD, there must be medical documentation from a doctor given CSD. CSD directors then come up with a plan for the student in order to be successful in his school work. If there is an in between stage where a student still needs to use the CSD’s technologies and services, he may bring in whatever medical documentation he has and CSD will honor it with what is a temporary accommodation until there is an updated medical record. The student must also get an accommodation form from CSD and have it signed by the professor in order to have permission to receive the accommodations in class. “Most students who come in here say, ‘I don’t want to be here,’ and they leave saying, ‘I’m glad I came here because all of these resources are really going to help me with getting through school,’” said Cheryl Amboruso, CSD director. news@thedailycougar.com

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OPINION EDITOR

Aaron Manuel

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opinion@thedailycougar.com

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HEALTH ADVICE

Got itch? Trisha Thacker Staff columnist

G

rowing up, we all got a bit of a laugh at how awkward our parents were when trying to give us the sex talk. Even if your parents were nervous or awkward about “the talk,” we all had sex education seminars or health class. This talk is always followed by the delightfully vivid sexually transmitted disease talk, and if your parents were too nervous to be straight with you, health class would scare the daylights out of you with all of the imagery of STDs, like a sex version of “Scared Straight.” That all seems to go away in the heat of the moment. When the mood is right, any thoughts of “Is he clean?” and “Is that cold sore on her lip actually herpes?” are the farthest from your mind. The prevalence of STDs among young adults, particularly herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2, is shocking. Research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that there are almost 9.5 million cases contracted each year by individuals between the ages of 15 and 24. The Journal of the American

Medical Association found that 73.9 percent of the American population has some form of herpes. What’s more unbelievable is how relatively small precautions can help prevent a lifetime of sitting down to have the awkward “I have an STD talk” with a new partner. Virologist Dr. Anna Wald told The New York Times in 2010 that having herpes makes the conversation even more difficult. “Herpes has a stigma attached to it that even HIV doesn’t have anymore. It’s very rare to get people to talk about it as openly,” Wald said. Open dialogue about STDs is a powerful tool to help overcome the stigma attached to having an STD and can also encourage education about the condition. The CDC explains that herpes is a virus that exists in two forms, HSV-1 and HSV2. Because it is a virus, infection with herpes simply cannot be eradicated, only treated symptomatically. Herpes is particularly hard to recognize because most individuals are asymptomatic or experience flulike symptoms and skin conditions that are easily confused with other infections. According to the CDC, 81.1 percent of individuals with HSV-1 or -2 do not know they have the virus.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 can be contracted by skin-to-skin contact. Doctors recommend monogamous relationships in which both parties have been tested for sexually transmitted diseases. | Amanda Hilow/The Daily Cougar

Sexual contact is the most obvious mode of transmission for herpes, and is the only way to contract HSV-1. HSV-2 can be transmitted through any direct skinto-skin contact. Even a small peck can lead to infection. The CDC warns immunecompromised individuals to be particularly diligent in protecting themselves against herpes because HSV-1 and -2 can lead to lifethreatening complications such

as encephalitis, a swelling and irritation of the brain, and aseptic meningitis, a form of meningitis that can lead to encephalitis. A few simple tasks can greatly reduce your chances of contracting herpes. MIT medical advises that you wash yourself after engaging in sexual activity because herpes is a virus which means it is surrounded by a lipid coating that can be destroyed by soap. However, you cannot simply rely on taking a

shower; some form of protection is a must. A condom is a necessity when engaging in any form of sexual activity to protect against HSV-2 since it can be contracted by skinto-skin contact; though, lesions and blisters can form on areas of the body that protection simply cannot cover. The only surefire ways to ensure STD continues on page 5

VOICE OF THE PRIDE VOIC What is the mostt importannt news eveifein your l time?

THE DAILY COUGAR EDITORIAL BOARD Joshua Mann Amanda Hilow ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR Samantha Wong NEWS EDITOR Natalie Harms SPORTS EDITOR Christopher Shelton LIFE & ARTS EDITOR Paulina Rojas OPINION EDITOR Aaron Manuel ASSISTANT EDITORS Channler Hill, Kathleen Murrill, Jessica Portillo EDITOR IN CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

Email opinion@thedailycougar.com with the subject title “Re: Voice” with your answer. Keep these things in mind: ß Be respectful. ß Limit your word count to 500. ß Include your full name, major and classification. Faculty and staff should list their title and department. *Alumni should include their degree and graduation date.

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.

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,

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

ADVERTISEMENTS Advertisements in The Daily Cougar do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the University or the students as a whole.

Thursday, February 7, 2013 // 5

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OPINION DIVERSITY

Expand cultural horizons Staff columnist

Dance On is a student led philanthropic organization that fundraises for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals but the money stays locally at Texas Children’s Hospital specifically for the Charity Care Program.

M

STD continued from page 4

that you don’t contract herpes are abstinence or participating in a monogamous relationship in which both partners have been clinically proven to be without herpes. While this may not be practical for everyone, do your research on various methods of protection instead of neglecting to use any protection at all. If you don’t like condoms, try a spermicidal jelly with infection resistant properties. Don’t be tricked into thinking that oral sex doesn’t come with its fair share of risks; use a dental dam

February 9th, 2013 from 11am-8pm University Center Houston Room You can sign up at www.helpmakemiracles.org/event/UHDM If you can’t make the event, you can certainly donate there too! Email Jessica Ha at jessicah9885@yahoo.com for any further questions!

Iman Sahnoune

alala Yousafzai made global news as the young advocate for women’s rights and education in Pakistan. She was the bold, enlightened voice of a new future for Muslim women who desired an education and a better future. Her BBC blogs detail the musings of young girl seeking more but trapped in the ravages of war between the Pakistani Taliban and Pakistani military. The more vocal she became, the more the world stood up and took notice. Everyone took notice, especially the Pakistani Taliban. On Oct. 9, Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban terrorist. Ihsanullah Ihsan, chief spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, made it clear why they targeted her. “She considers President (Barack) Obama as her ideal leader. Malala is the symbol of the infidels and obscenity,” Ihsan said. Since then, her cause has garnered much attention, and her treatment has been followed in the media for months, but her story is just one of many that illuminate the struggle for equality and tolerance. The source of most strife in people, be it on personal or international levels, stems from ignorance. It’s an understatement to say we live in a diverse society. Anyone can see from walking in the streets of Houston that there has been a harmonious combination of cultures — from Vietnamese and Spanish street signs to the Middle Eastern and South Asian food markets — even Forbes.com named UH the second most diverse college

CougarTHON

Students (counter-clockwise from top right) Selena Choi, Moses Chavez, Anthony Perez and Helena Weathersby take a study break at the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library. UH enrolls students from more than 137 countries and is one of the most diverse universities. | Hendrick Rosemond/The Daily Cougar in the nation. These are only lights in a bleak world filled with prejudice and hatred, which continues to survive despite the advances made in racial relations. Some might blame parents for instilling their children with their prejudices, biases and stereotypes. Others say it’s our educational system because some sectors don’t have the opportunity to explore multiculturalism or they choose to ignore today’s multicultural reality. Some even claim it’s the media, reporting only facts that support its political agendas. Regardless of the source, people are growing up unaware about these crucial issues dividing our society. There is no excuse to be ignorant about our differences. We are surrounded by various races, ethnicities and religions on a regular basis. Classmates need to explore the cultures in which they live, ask questions and cast aside the veil. There is always the Internet for what real-life interaction doesn’t provide; it’s just a matter of typing a

query into a search engine. Ignorance is not bliss — not when it comes at the expense of others. There has been a rise in mental health concerns recently because of various shootings of late. Of all the shootings, people tend to forget the one in Oak Creek, Wis., where a white supremacist stormed into a Sikh temple, killed six people and wounded four. All for a supposed “race holy war.” Ignorance and intolerance should be confronted head on before more innocent lives are harmed or lost. UH statistics show that the student body is composed of more than 137 nations and that there’s more than 500 student organizations. Challenge yourself to speak to someone you wouldn’t ordinarily speak to. It may seem insignificant, but it’s these small moments of clarity that build the understanding and tolerance our society needs.

or a vaginal condom for protection. Whatever method you choose, respect yourself and your partners enough to be vigilant in preventing

the transmission of STDs.

Iman Sahnoune is a first-year neuroscience graduate and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

Trisha Thacker is a biology junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

If not partaking in abstinence, doctors strongly urge the use of contraceptives to help protect against sexually transmitted diseases. The Women’s Resource Center offers free condoms on request. | Aisha Bouderdaben/The Daily Cougar

Your perfect

all nighter t te companion.

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SPORTS EDITOR

Christopher Shelton

EMAIL

sports@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

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Freshman receiver Larry McDuffey was a surprise contributor for the Cougars and was named to the Conference USA all-freshman squad. | File Photo/The Daily Cougar

FOOTBALL

Haul of players, expectations arrive Levine focuses on power when choosing recruits Christopher Shelton Sports editor

Tyus Bower, a 6-3 defensive end from John Tyler High School, was hard to find for recruiters. Bower jumped directly into basketball after football season concluded and was tough to contact, head coach Tony Levine said. The Cougars made a late push this week and it paid off when the team was able to sign him. “It’s crazy because Levine when Coach (Doug) Me a c h a m b r o u g h t (Bower’s) tape in — anytime someone brings a late tape in there’s always a catch,” said defensive coordinator David Gibbs. “But the guy, he’s a freak: He had 24 sacks, and he was the quarterback on offense so he never came off the field.” The Cougars focused on players like Bowers who can withstand the increased

physical play in preparation for their move to the Big East. The average size of the four UH offensive line signees is 6 feet 6 inches tall and 329 pounds. “One of the things we tried to do is to get more size. I think we had an issue on our team of being physical — and size on positions across the board,” Levine said. “I think we addressed the issue with this class.” The Cougars also focused on junior college transfers to fill need positions, Levine said. Headlining that group is Butler Community College transfer quarterback Billy Cosh, who will compete for a starting job with John O’Korn, from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida, and the incumbent, junior quarterback David Piland. Piland struggled to find consistency last season and was benched in favor of former quarterback Crawford Jones for the final two games of the season. The position is open to whoever grabs it POWER continues on page 7

Cougars add four players behind center to add depth Kathleen Murrill Assistant sports editor

In an effort to re-evaluate the quarterback position and explore different options, the Cougars picked up four quarterbacks on National Signing Day. Junior quarterback David Piland struggled at times last season and was benched for the Cougars’ final two games. He will stay at UH and attempt to win his job back in the spring. Whoever performs Piland best in the spring will receive the top spot on the Cougars’ depth chart, head coach Tony Levine said. “We’ll go into spring, like we did last year, with every position on the football team being open,” Levine said. “We’ll see how it plays out through spring. I anticipate putting out a two-deep after the spring and regardless of position, including quarterback, that

could change up to opening day.” Billy Cosh comes from Butler Community College in Kansas where, in one season, he led the Grizzlies to the National Junior College Athletic Association championship game. Cosh was ranked a three-star quarterback by ESPN after throwing for 2,856 yards and 25 touchdowns with nine interceptions last season for Butler. Originally from Maryland, Cosh signed with Kansas State out of high school. After being redshirted for a year, Cosh transferred to James Madison University where he served as back-up quarterback for one season before switching to Butler. Another ESPN three-star quarterback recruit, D’Juan Hines is from Dekaney High School in Spring. The 6-foot-2-inch quarterback is also ranked as the number 23 quarterback nationally by ESPN. During his senior year, Hines threw for 1,269 yards and scored six rushing touchdowns. QB continues on page 7

Thursday, February 7, 2013 // 7

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SPORTS

QB continued from page 6

Hines will not be the only Cougar quarterback new to college next season. Fresh off a state title, John O’Korn comes to Houston from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Last season, O’Korn complied 2,552 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and only four

POWER continued from page 6

in the spring, Levine said. The Cougars are also working to improve their redzone offense with this signing class. They signed two tight ends, Chauntez Jackson and Deondre Skinner, to add a new element to the offense. Meacham, the new offensive coordinator, said a tight end will add diversity to the offense. “It gives you an extra gap in the run game — it spread the front out

interceptions. The state title MVP also broke his high school’s single game and season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. O’Korn is ranked as the number 38 quarterback nationally by ESPN. Greg Ward Jr. of John Tyler High School in Tyler has not always been a quarterback. During his sophomore year, Ward captured 53 receptions, 667 yards and eight touchdowns as a wide receiver. As a quarterback, Ward led Texas’ Class 4A with 39 touchdowns and 4,202 passing yards. He is ranked as the

a bit,� Meacham said. “You don’t have to scratch your head on every third down and short and in the redzone.� “If you have a tight end, you can cover people up and push the ball into the endzone.� On special teams, the Cougars put more focus on the return game, signing Donald Gage who could make an immediate impact on returns and kicker Ty Cummings. “(Gage) can make something out of nothing,� receivers coach Brandon Middleton told the Houston Chronicle. The class was ranked 50 by

number three quarterback in Texas by Dave Campbell and is another ESPN three-star recruit. The Cougars have placed an emphasis on evaluating their talent so the best player gets on the field. “( There’s) an emphasis on assessing our personnel — trying to figure out who we are, what our strengths are and what we can and can’t do,� said offensive coordinator Doug Meacham. sports@thedailycougar.com

Rivals.com and 60 in the nation by Scout.com, but for Levine, recruiting is about building a successful class and relationships. The Cougars signed five students from California because Middleton has connections in the state after spending time at Arizona State. But the class will be judged by what they accomplish in the next four seasons. “Everybody is going to say that on signing day that they’ve addressed their needs and got great recruits,� Gibbs said.

NEW COOGS 26-person class joins UH •

John O’Korn — Three-star QB. Florida’s 7A player of the year.

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Demarcus Ayers — Three-star WR. No. 5 athlete in the state by Dave Campbell

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Tyus Bower — Three-star DE. No. 34 defensive end nationally

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Billy Cosh — Three-star QB. Led Butler Community College to the NJCAA National Championship game last season.

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Ty Cummings — Three-star recruit. No. 1 kicker nationally by Scout.com

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Emerald Faletuipapai — Three-star OL. Named to second team all California Southern

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Nomluis Fruge — Two-star recruit. Played eight different positions in high school.

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Donald Gage III — Three-star WR. No. 25 player in Louisiana.

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Joseph Glen —Three-star RB. No. 45 running back nationally.

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Trevor Harris —Helped ASA College secure a 9-1 record.

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D’Juan Hines — Three-star QB. Threw for 1,269 passing yards and 12 TDs.

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Chauntez Jackson — Three-star TE. No. 45 defensive end.

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John Leday — Two-star WR. Had 49 receptions and four TDs last season.

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Tyler McCloskey — Two-star LB. Also played quarterback in high school.

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Damien Parris — Three-star OL. Named to the 2012 National Underclassmen Junior College Top 25 list.

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Elandon Roberts — Three-star LB. Had 107 tackles last season.

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Deondre Skinner — Three-star tight end.

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Ja’Braylin Thomas — Three-star OL. Received Associated Press honorable mention all-state honors.

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Josh Thomas — Three-star OL. MaxPrep Small Schools All-American

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Nick Thurman — Three-star DL. Had 14 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

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Caleb Tucker — Three-star LB. Had 77 Tackles and 3.5 Sacks.

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Turon Walker —Had five interceptions and six pass deflections at Diablo Valley College.

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Greg Ward Jr. — Three-star recruit. No. 3 quarterback in state of Texas by Dave Campbell

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Javin Webb — Three-star QB. Two-way player.

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The Daily Cougar

8\\ Thursday, February 7, 2013

LIFE & ARTS EDITOR

Paulina Rojas

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ORGANIZATIONS

Dance society brings latin flavor Julia Davila Staff writer

New clubs are formed on campus every day. Students are always looking for like minds to spend time with — from chess geeks, to super athletes and everything in between. For those who want to learn slick new moves that will impress on the dance floor, Latin dance might be what’s missing. The Sabor Latino Dance Society is a new student organization that brings flavor and diversity through dance. The types of dance that SLDS will focus on are bachata, salsa, merengue, samba and an Angolan style dance called kizomba. Dan Reyes, an electrical engineering sophomore and SLDS president, was inspired by his Honduran heritage. Reyes started the organization to bring students together to have fun learning Latin dance routines. “Besides teaching the basic steps, I want people to interact with each other and socialize to have more of a

university experience apart from the academic life,” Reyes said. There are a lot of transfer students on campus, and meeting people is not easy for everyone. He thought a fun way to meet people would be to throw a party where people could come and dance to Latin music. “I am shy, and I wanted to organize something that could be a social builder for people,” Reyes said. SLDS got its name from a few ideas thrown around by friends Reyes had met at the party he held. The name “Latin Flavor” was agreed on, but Reyes decided to have something in Spanish. The practices will stick to one style of dance each week in order for members to become comfortable with the steps. SLDS holds practices at 7 p.m. every Wednesday in Multipurpose Room 3 in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

Sabor Latin Dance Society is a new student organization that focuses on several Latino dance styles. The club practices every Wednesday in Multipurpose Room 3 of Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. | Courtesy of Sabor Latino Dance Society

arts@thedailycougar.com

LATIN DANCE 101 Latin dance is as diverse as the 20 countries that make up Latin America. Bachata: originated in the carribean nation of Dominican Republic it includes a lot of percussion and drums. Salsa: also originating in the Carribean from Cuba it is a fusion of afrocuban musical styles based on a rhythm called son Merengue: the most popular type of dance music in Dominican Republic. Partners dance often hold each other in a closed position Samba: one of the most popular Latin dance genres originated in Brazil during colonization when the Portugese brought west African slaves with them

Society members had a meeting earlier in the semester to set goals and make plans for the spring. | Courtesy of Sabor Latino Dance Society

MOORES SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Professors admired on- and off-stage Rebeca Trejo Staff writer

Moores School of Music faculty members moved from the classroom to the stage as they performed violin selections Tuesday night at the Moores Opera House. Professors Andrzej Grabiec and Kirsten Yon skillfully held the audience’s attention during their duets at the faculty recital titled “Two’s Company, Too.” “The way that the depth of the sound quality was carried through the ensemble, I thought was very impressive,” said violin performance

sophomore Nora Henschen. Grabiec had his Carnegie Hall debut in 1984 and was concertmaster for the Polish National Radio and Television Symphony. Grabiec is also a prize winner from the Wieniawski and Thibaud international competitions. Yon, another Carnegie Hall performer, toured with the Botticelli String Quartet. She will release a debut recording this year by Centaur Records, featuring Ravel and Kodály duos with cellist Jeffrey Lastrapes. Yon’s students praise her for

teaching abilities. “I actually came to hear my teacher,” said music performance junior Desiree Sanchez. “She’s a fabulous teacher, but she’s also a fabulous performer.” Sanchez said the whole recital has almost no comparison to others she has attended. Both artists captivated the audience with pieces from 18th-century Leclair to contemporary Bacewicz. Henchen called the performance a gift to the audience. “They’re both up there playing together in such close unity of

sound. That’s something I really marvel at and appreciate,” Henchen said. The concert started out with Jean-Leclair’s “Sonata No. 2 in A Major,” then transitioned to an entertaining ensemble of Georg Phllip Telemann’s “Gulliver Suite.” This piece was based on Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels,” and was described by Yon as joke perceived by the eye rather than the ear. She said the piece had large notes interchanged with tiny ones, that compared to Gulliver and the

small Laputans. Soon, Charles de Bériot’s “Duo Concertante for Two Violins,” a crowd favorite, was performed. To the audience’s delight, Grabiec and Yon performed two pieces by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók as an encore. Although most attendees are Moores students, they encourage a campus-wide turnout. “It’s good to expand your horizon of music,” said music education junior Maria Aleman. arts@thedailycougar.com

Thursday, February 7, 2013 // 9

The Daily Cougar

LIFE & ARTS THEATER

Coogs head to big apple Two cast members plucked from UH stage, taken to participate at Queen’s Theatre in New York City Aisha Bouderdaben Contributing writer

Walking past the Jose Quintero Theatre any of the nights between Jan. 29 and Saturday, one could hear laughter through the walls as alumnus Robert Wuhl’s satire “HitLit” entertained the audience. Alumnus Greg Cote, who played the lead’s best friend, Kelso, testified to Wuhl’s genius. “He knows what he wants,” Cote said. “He knows comedy.” Cote will be playing Kelso on stage at Queen’s Theatre when the play debuts in New York next month. He won’t be the only one leaving Houston. Two UH students have been picked to go with Wuhl to New York: stage management senior Rachel Dooley and theater junior Christly Guedry. “The actors were all selected by audition, including the equity actors who came from New York to work on the production,” said Steven Wallace, director of the School of Theatre and Dance and co-director of “Hit-Lit.” “So it’s talent and skill. Being ready at the right time and the right place. There is no real formula nor are there any shortcuts — just hard work.” Dooley is going to New York to work as a tech for the play. “Rachel will go as an equity stage manager. In other words, she will receive her union card and enter the profession working as a union member on ‘Hit-Lit’ in New York,” Wallace said. Dooley said she is excited to be picked for this experience. “This is not an opportunity someone gets at my age,” Dooley said. “I don’t often work with two directors, so that was new.” She recalled her freshman year, when the stage management program was still small. Now she teaches younger students. “Now, I have two ASMs (assistant managers). I help educate them about how things work and how we communicate,” she said. “We’re continuing to grow and produce bigger and better things. We’re not just doing college theater, we’re preparing for the outside world — the professional world.”

Guedry will be traveling to New York as an understudy. “She will understudy and watch an equity actress play the role. That should be a great learning experience,” Wallace said. Guedry agreed that getting to see the play from an outside perspective, as an audience member, would be helpful to furthering her career. Guedry worked with Wallace before on “Cripple of Inishmaan,” and described the director as intuitive and a great team player. She, like Cote, said Wuhl “knew comedy,” and she thought that gave the cast a lot of confidence. “His jokes were just there,” she said. “We didn’t have to work hard to make it funny.” Coincidentally, Cote, Dooley and Guedry have worked together before, on “Our Lady of 121st Street,” a play directed by Keith Byron Kirk, that debuted at the Jose Quintero Theatre in October. “Christly’s best quality is that she’s talented and works really hard. She’s not satisfied with (underperforming),” Cote said. “Rachel works hard, too. Rachel’s always doing things for the actors.” Wallace said he thinks the trip will be a great experience for Cote and possibly provide him with future professional connections. “It is a great vehicle for him to be seen in New York City and to use it as a bridge to the profession,” Wallace said. “He was selected because he can stay play the entire show; the rest of the actors would have to come back and continue on in their classes after Spring Break.” Wallace announced Wednesday that a supporter of UH and the School of Theatre and Dance will also fly 10 additional members of the cast and crew to New York City to attend the opening of “Hit-Lit” and UH Alumni Day at Queen’s Theatre. “It’s a generous act to fly our students to New York so they can experience the process of transferring a production from academic theatre to professional theatre,” Wallace said. “It’s through the generosity of individuals like this gentleman that the arts continue to grow and thrive at UH. We are grateful for his support of our undergraduate and graduate students.” Whether the trip to New York enables the beginnings of a career or not, the chosen few said they will benefit from and be thankful for the experience. arts@thedailycougar.com

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ACROSS 1 Part of an archipelago 5 “I really didn’t say everything I said” sayer 10 Spot in a crowd 14 Balkan citizen 15 Battleship’s protection 16 Arctic Ocean danger 17 Adds up 19 “Huckleberry ___” 20 TV friend of Doug Heffernan 21 Puts into motion 23 Buccaneer’s port 26 PC support person 27 Commanders of fleets 30 Miserable person 33 Hardly muted 34 Amoeba centers 36 Pool gear 37 Fairy tale meany 38 Respectful Bombay title

39 Where to live and learn? 40 Like some jazz cats 41 Colonial “masters” 44 Otherwise 45 Guru’s place 47 Indebted 49 Downward dog discipline 50 Run off and form a union 51 Former Spanish gold coin 54 Jamaican music 58 Go it alone 59 It has its supporters 62 Midnight twinkler 63 Ear bone 64 Rear of a plane 65 Fancy shooting marbles 66 ___ -mouthed (evasive) 67 Historical spans

DOWN 1 Theories 2 Sound before “Thanks, I needed that!” 3 One place to get fresh water 4 Latter part of the day 5 Any of three infielders 6 “Able was I ___ I saw Elba” 7 JFK debater in ’60 8 “Titanic” female lead 9 Questioning words with “a pair” and “all” 10 Wipe off completely 11 It might involve a small case of the sniffles 12 Indian cornbread 13 Pinings 18 Permanent body mark 22 “Ginger Spice” Halliwell 24 Deeply piled 25 Assign (to)

27 See ya in Hawaii? 28 Venetian rulers of old 29 “Anything that can go wrong will” 31 A mummy may have one 32 Atlas and others 35 Defamatory text 39 Assign 41 Pudding starch 42 Dental filling material 43 Any minute now 46 Chopper blades 48 Oil pricing gp. 51 Whispered call 52 Itty-bitty bit 53 Bald eagle cousin 55 Kind of gum in food preparation 56 Georgia’s locale 57 Congers 60 Juan Peron’s first lady 61 Be less than healthy

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NEWS

DORMS continued from page 1

MacGregor Park, the closest of the three parks that will be expanded, resides beside Bayou Oaks Apartments. | Courtesy of uh.edu

PARKS continued from page 1

tag. “Houston Bayou Greenways is an approximately $480 million project that will be tackled by many public and private stakeholders in several phases over 10 to 15 years,” OkanVick said. “When complete, the greater Houston area will have added 4,000 acres of new and equitably distributed green spaces that can also serve the function of flood control and storm water quality enhancement.” Blue agrees these additions to the parks will help improve Houston. “Houston’s leaders signal much promise in Houston becoming

a green and sustainable city. The Houston Bayou Greenway Initiative proposes to employ a series of connecting bike and hike trails to link all bayous to each other,” Blue said. “This new UH-Southeast Houston partnership, with the National Park Service’s RTCA program, will help us to achieve our goal of connecting UH to Southeast Houston by making most of Houston’s 656.3 sq. miles accessible by bike or hike bayou trails.” Reza has a completion date in sight. “We would like to see the expansion and preservation of all the Houston parks and bayou trails by 2020,” Reza said. news@thedailycougar.com

will have four single bedrooms with full beds that share one compartmentalized bathroom, a small living room area and an efficiency kitchen with a full-sized refrigerator and microwave, Yackley said. Cougar Place is appealing to students, especially compared to Cougar Village, by its current residents. “I’d really like to live in Cougar Place because it is still on campus, which makes it easier for me to stay involved in the school,” said economics freshman Marcela Arevalo. “It also has a more private atmosphere while still keeping a community cultures. It’s also a lot bigger than the Cougar Village dorms I’m at now, which is also a plus.” Cougar Place will also have a patio area that will exhibit art from the community and possibly include a new workspace for the Honors program. The new layout of Cougar Place will promote interaction between students and will provide many resources for them, Yackley said. The completion date for both

projects is mid-July, yet the housing offices will begin offering tours of the new facilities in March and open in August. Cougar Place will be more expensive than the Cougar Village dorms, but Cougar Village will be receiving a three percent increase in its housing rate. “The housing department doesn’t receive any funding from the state,” Yackley said. “We rely on housing fees for our revenues, and they generally increase each year because of basic operating costs, facility repairs, program improvements and debt services.” Students can now pay monthly for dorms by going through the housing office website. Other improvements for the next academic year include opening Cougar Woods during the weekend, as well as incorporating Bayou Oaks into UH’s housing management. With the completion of these new projects, UH hopes to begin remodeling and improving current housing facilities such as the Quadrangle and the Moody Towers in the coming years. In the mean time, students have Cougar Village II and Cougar Place to look forward to in the near

future. “It seems like there will be a good student community in Cougar Place,” said Solomon Sii, an accounting junior who plans to move to campus next semester. “Living off campus, I don’t really get that; so I’m excited to fi nally experience it.” While excitement and opinions over the new dorms vary among students, most students share a view with U Scholar freshmen Abel Rocha. “I think I’m just most excited about this construction being over.” news@thedailycougar.com

MONEY TALKS Comparing and contrasting the three newest dorms: Cougar Village I and II Double: $2,756 Single: $3,585 Cougar Place 4 Bed/1 Bath: $3,285 2 Bed/1 Bath: $3,585 1 Bed/1 Bath: $3,685

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