ELECTION 2013
VOTERS’ GUIDE: A LOOK AT THE MAYORAL RACE AND THE PROPOSALS THAT WILL AFFECT THE CITY AND STATE
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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
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U N I V E R S I T Y
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Monday, November 4, 2013
Issue 40, Volume 79
H O U S T O N
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ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
AWARENESS
Houston hub for human trafficking Rebecca Heliot Staff writer
a nostalgic replay of his nine touchdown passes against Rice, but the 30 minutes following the break was a plot twist that turned a romantic comedy into a tragic drama. Those who watched Keenum during his six years at UH weren’t surprised when he hit Johnson in stride deep twice for first quarter
The film “Slavery Out of the Shadows: Spotlight on Human Trafficking” will be screened, followed by a discussion panel with representatives from law enforcement agencies and anti-trafficking organizations from the Houston area. To raise awareness about human trafficking, the film will be shown from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in the Graduate School of Social Work Auditorium Room 101. Social work graduate student Esmeralda Sotelo hopes this will shine a spotlight on the issue in a local context. “The goal of the event is to raise awareness about human trafficking and to emphasize the different ways the Houston community can take a stand against the issue, which is very prevalent in our city,” Sotelo said. For Dixie Hairston, a second-year social work graduate student, the discussion will further the event’s mission because of the great minds they were able to attract. “We (are bringing) experts in the field, including city officials,
KEENUM continues on page 9
AWARE continues on page 3
Case Keenum nearly won his first home start against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football. | Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar
NFL
Texans doomed by Colts’ second-half surge Christopher Shelton Sports editor
With two minutes left in the game, the largest crowd in Houston Texans’ history began filing out of the stadium, assured that their team would fall just short to the Indianapolis Colts. Just an hour earlier, it seemed as if quarterback Case Keenum would lead the Texans to a victory, as he had so many times at UH. He threw three
first half touchdowns to receiver Andre Johnson, leading the Texans to a 21-3 halftime lead. But it wasn’t to be for Keenum and the Texans, as Houston native Andrew Luck led his team to a 27-24 victory at Reliant Stadium on Sunday. The Texans received the ball with 48 seconds and drove down the field, but a 55 yard attempt fell short, pushing the Texans to 2-6. Keenum’s first half followed the narrative of
CAMPUS
Bus brings Congress to campus Laura Gillespie News Editor Washington came to UH on Thursday as the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network bus, a 45-foot custom-built bus stuffed with the latest technology, rolled up to campus to show students the best that C-SPAN has to offer. C-SPAN is a nonpartisan,
nonprofit cable network that provides raw, unedited streams of federal government affairs, as well as other political and public affairs programming. The bus, which has been visiting schools and events nationwide since 1993, parked near Entrance 14 on Thursday afternoon by request from the Jack J.
Valenti School of Communication and assistant professor Arthur Santana. The bus was packed with MP3 players, smartphones, tablets, TVs, touchscreen computers and a smartboard to show the variety of programming, both online and on C-SPAN continues on page 3
Students were immersed in a multimedia experience as they enjoyed a variety of programming. | Laura Gillespie/The Daily Cougar
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CALENDAR CAREERS IN: JOURNALISM
Today
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Protect Your Health! r 4FYVBMMZ 5SBOTNJUUFE *OGFDUJPOT 45*T &EVDBUJPO BOE 1SFWFOUJPO r %PNFTUJD WJPMFODF BOE TFYVBM BTTBVMU r 0CUBJOJOH DPOTFOU GPS TFYVBM BDUJWJUZ r /BWJHBUJOH UIF )PPL 6Q $VMUVSF r 'SFF DPOEPNT GFNJOJOF IZHJFOF QSPE VDUT "EWJM BOE #BOE "JE University Center Room 279A
www.uh.edu/wrc 832.842.6191
Literature: Check out a book signing and review of Bernadette Pruitt’s “The Other Great Migration� from 5 to 7 p.m. in Agnes Arnold Hall, Room 628. Pruitt is an associate professor of history at Sam Houston State University. Mu s i c : E n j oy Pe rc u s s i o n Ensemble’s performance from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Moores Opera Center. Student and alumni tickets are $7.
WE’RE HIRING FOR: STAFF WRITERS OPINION COLUMNISTS COPY EDITORS CARTOONISTS PHOTOGRAPHERS ADVERTISING Fill out an application at thedailycougar.com/apply or visit the Student Media OfďŹ ce in Room 7, UC Satellite. Questions? E-mail editor@thedailycougar.com
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The Women’s Resource Center offers trainings on:
Ethnic: Celebrate Diwali, India’s most important holiday, with the Indian Students Association from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Rockwell Pavilion of the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library.
Tuesday Workshop: Harvard professor Chris Dede will present new ways to integrate technology with customizable classroom experiences from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Rockwell Pavilion of the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library. RSVP required.
Wednesday Art: Blaffer will host a Brown Bag Gallery Talk with visiting artists and a Rice art history professor in “In and Out of Algeria� from noon to 1:30 p.m. on the first floor
of the School of Art in the Blaffer Art Museum. Talk: The Women’s Resource Center will host its weekly brown bag discussion. This week, the topic will be “Dating after Trauma� from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. in the University Center, Room 279A. Fair: The Health Internship and Career Fair will hit campus from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Farish Hall in Kiva Room 101. Make sure to bring lots of CVs and resumes. Lecture: The Distinguished Leadership Series will provide a panel discussion on “The Future of Electric Power Generation� from 5 to 7 p.m. in Michael J. Cemo Hall’s Stubblefield Auditorium. Poetry : “Poetr y & Prose Shrimp Boat Projects� hosts readers from Ecopoetics on the Gulf from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Honors College Commons. Sports: Cheer for the men’s basketball team against St. Thomas University from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Hofheinz Pavilion. Admission is free for students with UH ID. Government: Student Government Association will meet from 7:30 to 10 p.m. in the Rockwell Pavilion of the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library.
If you would like to suggest an event for The Daily Cougar calendar, please submit a time, date, location and brief description to calendar@thedailycougar.com. The Cougar calendar runs every Monday and Thursday.
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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.
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Closing editors
The Daily Cougar is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press.
Channler K. Hill, Jenae Sitzes
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Monday, November 4, 2013 // 3
The Daily Cougar
NEWS EDITOR
Laura Gillespie
news@thedailycougar.com
ONLINE
thedailycougar.com/news
The C-SPAN bus, which has been touring the country for the past twenty years, has grown to now include a wealth of technology to show students what CSPAN offers. | Laura Gillespie/The Daily Cougar
C-SPAN continued from page 1
television, that C-SPAN provides. “(The computers) allow visitors to take trivia quizzes. They can also browse through our website, video library, and access how to follow Washington their way,” said C-SPAN marketing representative Jennifer Curran. “Primarily, when it was first created, it was a production vehicle. Now, in its current incarnation, it
AWARE continued from page 1
nonprofit and faith-based organizations, as well as an anti-trafficking art installation to campus in order to raise awareness among the student body,” Hairston said. The after-movie panel will be composed of experts on the topic, including Houston Police Department Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Social Responsibility Director of the Trafficked Persons Assistance Program of YMCA International Constance Rossiter and the Senior Staff Attorney for Children at Risk Dawn Lew. Texas holds 25 percent of human trafficking cases in the United States, with most of the incidents occuring in Houston, according to the Office of Administration for Children & Families Rescue and Restore campaign fact sheet. Houston is particularly susceptible to human trafficking because of its proximity to the Mexican border and industrial ports. “Texas is a hub for international human trafficking because of its many busy interstate highways, international airports, countless
is an interactive demonstration studio. “It allows us to travel across the country in a timely manner to visit middle schools, high schools, state capitals … I personally can’t think of any way for us to reach the entire country other than on a bus.” Curran emphasized the functionality and uses of the video library, a collection of over 170,000 recordings of speeches, hearings, sessions and other federal videos dating back to the 1970s. No n e o f t h e v i d e o s a r e
bus stations, the shipping commerce through the Gulf of Mexico, and its shared border with Mexico. This border is North America’s number one supply site for young children used in sex and labor trafficking,” according to the Children At Risk’s site. Second-year social work graduate student Jenna Cooper felt this caused the issue to hit home and pushed her to help organize the event by bringing the panel together. “It is because of our passion that we’re able to bring together several of the organizations in our community that play a key role in the fight against human trafficking,” Cooper said. “We didn’t simply just pass out flyers and make a Facebook page about human trafficking; we are uniting together under one roof to educate students and the community about this serious issue and show them what they can do in the fight.” There will also be exhibitors attending to promote different aspects of human trafficking awareness. Vendors include 2nd Cup Coffee, Redeemed Ministries, Free the Captives, YMCA International and Houston Love Project, among others.
copyrighted, letting anyone from students to national media organizations splice together video to create their own clips. “We welcome all students to come on board. There’s so much archived on our video library — over 200,000 hours. “If you’re a nursing, economics or education student, you’re going to find out more information by coming aboard the bus and taking a tour,” Curran said. The overwhelming majority of the students who showed up, however, were communications
students who came for class credit. “Several professors gave incentives to their students, so if they were here, they would get extra credit,” said interpersonal communication senior Carol Greenslate, a volunteer with the School of Communication. “I would have expected more political science students; I haven’t seen any. Everybody is from the School of Communication. ” Many did not understand C-SPAN well or know what the bus would be.
“I wasn’t expecting this … I kind of knew what it was because I read it online before I came in, but I didn’t expect (what the bus turned out to be),” said finance junior Anisa Bejko. Still, several said that they came out of the bus more educated on C-SPAN and the resources it provides. The bus went on to visit other locations around Houston, the latest city in a week-long tour across Texas from Laredo to Houston. news@thedailycougar.com
SFAC
Student fees up for grabs The Daily Cougar News Services
interact with the experts and find out ways in which they can be a part of the anti-trafficking movement.”
The Student Fees Advisory Committee will hold scheduled presentations from more than 30 organizations from Tuesday to Nov. 11 in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Rotunda Meeting Room. Every group that appeals for funding from the $20 million pool of student fees must go through an extensive preparatory process. This includes a lengthy questionnaire of goals, financial projections, among many other details before receiving a recommendation from the committee. This recommendation can come in the form of a base, onetime, or base budget augmentation allocation. The presentations are open to the public, and the committee will allot time for a public forum on issues discussed. More information can be found at UH.edu/sfac.
news@thedailycougar.com
news@thedailycougar.com
Graduate social work students hosted the screening and expert panel discussion to shine a light on the severity of human trafficking, especially in Houston. | Courtesy of Esmeralda Sotelo “There will also be a marketplace of fair trade businesses and anti-trafficking organizations throughout the evening,” Cooper said. “The marketplace will be a way for attendees to
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OPINION EDITOR James Wang EMAIL
opinion@thedailycougar.com
ONLINE
thedailycougar.com/opinion
NATION
Sexy replaced by racism in new trend O
h, America the Beautiful. It’s located neatly within the center of the Northern Hemisphere, despite it seeming like we live in the polar regions. Cheesy puns aside, the polarization of Cara our nation is Smith something we’ve all come to acknowledge. It originated in our politics and has perforated what seems like every other realm of our nation — even our most innocent, pagan-rooted holidays are no longer immune. Recently, a pair of men decided to take the plunge into devising — and, thankfully, sharing online — one of the nation’s most offensive and repulsive Halloween costumes: George Zimmerman and a dead Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman’s costume was easily assembled and even moreso easily recognizable — a simple black-and-white “Neighborhood Watch” tee was all that it took. Martin’s depiction, however, was completed through the usage of blackface — a term referring to when a white person paints their face to represent an AfricanAmerican — and a bloodstained grey hoodie. Smiling, the pair posed as the would-be Zimmerman held up a finger-gun to the head of the would-be Martin. The duo’s costume went viral within a few days of it being shared on Facebook. Captioned with “Happy Halloween from Zimmerman & Trayvon,” the photo was shared on international media outlets BuzzFeed, Gawker and The Huffington Post and subsequently removed from the individuals’ social media accounts. It should go without saying that this costume was completely despicable. It sought to profit,
socially speaking, from the premature loss of life of another human being. It made light of the death of a son, friend and fellow human being. It’s the equivalent of two guys dressing up as an Auschwitz victim and Adolf Hitler, or two guys dressing up as a murder victim and the murderer. That standalone information would’ve been enough to make headlines. Adding in the fact that a white man portrayed the late Martin, however, has completely shifted the nature of the buzz into a racially-charged outpouring onto America’s Anglo populace as a whole. Take, for example, how country singer Julianne Hough spent her Halloween, and why she’s had to spend her week profusely apologizing to the media conglomerate. As reported by the New York Daily News, Hough recently attended a Halloween bash in a prison jumpsuit and blackface. Wait, trust me — it’s not what it sounds like. Hough was dressing up as Crazy Eyes, a popular character from the Netflix original series “Orange is the New Black.” Crazy Eyes, despite what her name would suggest, is one of the series’ most beloved protagonists and an incredibly layered, emotional character. She’s also portrayed by the African-American actress Uzo Aduba, though — and that’s where the racism came in. Follwing outcry against the costume, Hough went on to tweet, “I am a huge fan of the show ‘Orange is the New Black,’ actress Uzo Aduba and the character she has created. “It certainly was never my intention to be disrespectful or demeaning to anyone in any way … I truly apologize.” Whether there was ever any
THE DAILY COUGAR EDITORIAL BOARD Channler K. Hill Natalie Harms WEB EDITOR Jenae Sitzes NEWS EDITOR Laura Gillespie SPORTS EDITOR Christopher Shelton LIFE & ARTS EDITOR Paulina Rojas PHOTO EDITOR Fernando Castaldi OPINION EDITOR James Wang ASSISTANT EDITORS Jessica Crawford, Nora Olabi, Justin Tijerina, Monica Tso, Andrew Valderas EDITOR IN CHIEF
MANAGING EDITOR
need for an apology, though, has yet to be addressed by the national media. Truthfully speaking, Hough’s costume wasn’t even true to the modern definition of blackface. Rather, Hough looked like she had undergone a deep spray tan, leaving her face and exposed shoulders evenly dyed a light mahogany. Both Hough’s and the Zimmerman-Martin costumes have sparked a national dialogue around blackface, though, which has inevitably sparked dialogue on the implications of blackface and how portraying a race that isn’t your own is an implied insult to that race. Sociology professor Russell Curtis found the offensive detail behind the costume to be rooted in the intent of those behind the masks. “There’s a huge difference between the two — Hough’s came from a place of respect and admiration, while the (Trayvon Martin costume) dealt with the issue of the death of a human,” Curtis said. “It was sadistic, insulting and making fun of a stereotype and death that simply isn’t humorous.” The major difference between Hough’s costume and that of the Floridians, though, and why this is even an issue being written about, is that people were offended by Hough’s costume simply because of Hough’s acknowledgement of Aduba’s ethnicity. Basically, Hough chose to include Aduba’s race into her portrayal of the character Aduba portrays. According to the reaction of our nation’s media, that is now to be regarded as a racist act: the simple acknowledgement of race in itself. If a member of one racial group wants to imitate a member of another racial group, it shouldn’t
RACISM 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. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Daily Cougar welcomes letters to the editor from any member of the UH community. Letters should be no more than 250
words and signed, including the author’s full name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Anonymous letters will not be published. Deliver letters to Room 7, University Center Satellite; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; send them via campus mail to STP 4015; or fax to (713) 743-5384. Letters are subject to editing. GUEST COMMENTARY Submissions are accepted from any member of the UH community and must
Francis Emogolu// The Daily Cougar
be signed with the author’s name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Commentary should be 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) 7435384. All submissions are subject to editing.
Monday, November 4, 2013 // 5
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OPINION ACADEMICS
New health officer to patch up UH
P
resident Renu Khator has appointed a new interim chief health officer. Earl L. Smith III, former dean of the College of Optometry, will serve to help launch the new Health Science Center. Katie The Health Wian Science Center was approved by the Board of Regents last January. The Center will aid the University in workforce preparation, innovative solutions to research problems, community outreach and patient care. With health care being the fastest-growing industry in Texas, the Health Science Center will be intrinsic to Houston’s development in the field. According to Smith, “the University of Houston is ideally positioned to significantly advance health care, particularly in Houston and Texas.” Smith will be working with the Health Center Task Force. Together, they will be analyzing
workforce needs and coming up with new degree programs to reflect the changes in and expansion of Houston’s health care community. “It is clear to me that UH has the potential to address the increasing demands for health care services and professionals,” Smith said. Houston’s Medical Center is the largest in the nation, employing more than 100,000 people, and that number is projected to skyrocket during the next five years. In fact, 24 percent of all degrees awarded by UH are in the health field — that accounts for about a quarter of all degrees in the region. The new Health Science Center may serve to make UH the primary Texas college for those seeking medical careers — as of now, that ranking belongs to Baylor. Smith will be working toward developing a launch plan for the center. Khator said, “Dean Smith brings the experience,
enthusiasm and energy required for this considerable challenge.” Considerable, indeed. Smith will work for two years fine-tuning the structure and launch of a new sector of the University, likely to be constructed behind the Optometry building. The program will be a huge boost to UH’s credibility and, by extension, standing within the college community. Ultimately, UH’s capacity and funding for research will be increased. These changes will improve enrollment, which will enhance the student experience. Smith has the perfect credentials to head up this project. As both a medical professional and a seasoned university leader, he will be able to understand both sides in terms of what the new Health Science Center needs in order to function and better serve its future students. Opinion columnist Katie Wian is a English junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com
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RACISM continued from page 4
be an act of bigotry to recognize the obvious dissimilarity in skin color. What it really comes down to is the intent behind the act — when a person would choose to mock an ethnic group rather than factually portray an ethnic group. It’s become something that implies discrimination, malicious intent or anything other than the basic, factual acknowledgement that different people have different skin colors. However, it might also be rooted in the epistemology of the act. Department of Sociology Director of Graduate Studies and associate professor Amanda Baumle shared some insight as to why the act of blackface may be inherently insulting, even without regard to the user’s intent behind it. “The sensitivity that surrounds individuals dressing in blackface likely arises from the origins of the practice, when white performers would paint their faces black in order to engage in a stereotyped and offensive performance of a
black individual,” Baumle said. “The intent of (the person in the costume) becomes less relevant when the image itself serves as a cultural reference to an experience of oppression and racism.” It’s a tough thing to digest — on the one hand, it’s completely understandable that the blackface trend would bring about an emotional purge from members of the African-American community, seeing as it’ll always connotate something not all can relate to. However, it isn’t necessarily right to live in a world where those like Hough aren’t able to portray a member of the African-American community that they admire. The fact that we have some nauseatingly racist ancestors shouldn’t still play a dominant role in the way we’re forced to view things. Retaining the original meaning behind blackface will inevitably lead us to retain the original bigotry behind the act — the kind that divided our nation then and the same kind that keeps us divided now. Senior staff columnist Cara Smith is a communications junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com
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Monday, November 4, 2013 // 7
The Daily Cougar
2013 Voters’ Guide Mayoral matchup
Constitutional Amendments Nine constitutional amendments will also be up for vote
Incumbent Parker faces competition in bid for third term
Occupation
Background
Top Priorities
Economy and Job Creation
Crime
Public Transportation
Infrastructure
Annise Parker
Ben Hall
Mayor of the City of Houston (Incumbent)
Attorney and founder of Hall Law Firm
A veteran of the oil and energy industry for 20 years, she transitioned to city politics and, in 1998, was elected as a council member. She moved on to serve another six years as city controller before winning her bid as mayor of Houston in 2009.
First working at the Vinson & Elkins law firm in Houston, he then served as city attorney during thenmayor Bob Lanier’s administration during the 1990s. He founded the Hall Law Firm in 2000, where he works to this day.
• • • •
Fiscal responsibility Public safety Infrastructure Quality of life
Parker wants to enacting ReBuild Houston’s pay-asyou-go system for repairs and maintenance of city infrastructure, alleviating debt for future generations of Houstonians.
Parker believes that public safety is closely tied to both quality of life and a strong economy and will continue to maintain strong relations with HPD. Parker plans to expand with new bike lanes and a plan to open up the downtown tunnel system. Parker’s plan is “ReBeuild Houston,” to support current infrastructure and future construction projects based on the “pay-as-you-go”
• • • •
Education Crime Transportation Infrastructure
Hall wishes to keep the flat property tax rate in Houston the same and give tax breaks to new businesses.
Hall has a multi-step plan to reduce crime, from working more with the Houston Police Department to upgrading radios.
Hall supports increasing public transportation through more bus and smart rail access. Hall supports improving the local infrastructure through new technology, such as allowing citizens to report road problems themselves.
Eric Dick Insurance lawyer
A third-generation Houstonian, Dick is an insurance attorney and small-business owner who once worked with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in the Welfare Fraud Division.
• •
Reducing the s i z e o f Ho u s t o n’s government City deficit
Dick proposes a businessman-like approach to balancing Houston’s budget, with reducing the mayor’s office’s payroll, cutting the office’s salaries and cutting the Department of Neighborhoods.
Dick opposes the recent ban on giving free food to Houston’s homeless and believes that further city ordinances should be put under due process. Dick believes that the current Metro light rail program is too expensive and wishes to reform the program. Dick has been critical of many of the red light cameras placed around the city.
Don Cook
Proposition 1
Texas delegate for the Green Party
Once a Texas parole officer, Cook is now retired and serves as the Texas delegate for the Green Party, as well as the at-large member of the Steering Committee of the Harris County Green Party
• • •
E c o n o m i c stainability Ecological wisdom Social justice
Co o k h o p e s t o w o rk toward a livable wage for all city employees, promote the space program and tax corporations that have received “corporate welfare breaks.”
Cook aims to expand a f t e r- s c h o o l p r o g r a m s and “decriminalize” small amounts of marijuana by issuing citations for possession of two grams or less. Cook is in support of expanding to create an efficient mass public transit system. Cook wishes to streamline the process of infrastructure maintenance, repairs and construction of roads and buildings.
Proposition 2
Proposition 3
Proposition 4
Proposition 5
Proposition 6
Proposition 7
Proposition 8
Proposition 9
“The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a member of the armed services of the United States who is killed in action.” “The constitutional amendment eliminating an obsolete requirement for a state medical education board and a state medical education fund, neither of which is operational.”
“The constitutional amendment to authorize a political subdivision of this state to extend the number of days that aircraft parts are exempt from ad valorem taxation due to their location in this state for a temporary period may be located in this state for purposes of qualifying for the tax exemption.”
“The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of part of the market value of the residence homestead of a partially disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a partially disabled veteran if the residence homestead was donated to the disabled veteran by a charitable organization.” “The constitutional amendment to authorize the making of a reverse mortgage loan for the purchase of homestead property and to amend lender disclosures and other requirements in connection with a reverse mortgage loan.”
“The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the state water implementation fund for Texas and the state water implementation revenue fund for Texas to assist in the financing of priority projects in the state water plan to ensure the availability of adequate water resources.” “The constitutional amendment authorizing a home-rule municipality to provide in its charter the procedure to fill a vacancy on its governing body for which the expired term is 12 months or less.” “The constitutional amendment repealing section 7, article IX, Texas Constitution, which relates to the creation of a hospital district in Hidalgo County.”
“The constitutional amendment relating to expanding the types of sanctions that may be assessed against a judge or justice following a formal proceeding instituted by the state commission on judicial conduct.”
Beginning this year, Texans are required to bring a recent ID to the voting booth. | Fernando Castaldi/The Daily Cougar
Bring your ID to the voting booth For the first time, Houstonians will be required to brandish a state photo ID to vote during the general election Tuesday, Nov. 5. Forms of acceptable IDs include a valid driver license, a Texas Election Identification Certificate, a Texas personal identification certificate, a Texas concealed handgun license, a U.S. military ID with photo, a US citizenship certificate with photo or a U.S. passport. Any ID that is more tan 60 days old will also be rendered invalid, but they can still vote provisionally and present their valid ID up to six days later. Though the legislation would have restricted voter turnout, a new record for early voter turnout was set, according to The Houston Chronicle. However, the restrictions seem to have a targeted effect on a certain demographic. “The Associated Press reported that rules requiring that a voter’s name on IDs exactly match that listed in voter registration databases are especially problematic for women,” according to The Houston Chronicle.
Infographic by Laura Gillespie Information compiled by Laura Gillespie, Nora Olabi and Jessica Crawford Information gained from forwardtimesonline.com and the official mayoral candidate websites of Annise Parker, Ben Hall, Eric Dick and Don Cook
The Daily Cougar
8 \\ Monday, November 4, 2013
W 62-13
vs. Southern
W 22-13 @ Temple*
W 31-26 @ Rice
W 59-28 @ UTSA
W 25-15
vs. Memphis*
L 47-46 vs. BYU
W 49-14 @ Rutgers*
W 35-23 vs. USF*
NOV. 9 @ UCF*
NOV. 16
NOV. 23
@ vs. Louisville* Cincinnati*
NOV. 29 vs. SMU*
* conference game
GAMEDAY: USF
SIDELINE REPORT
STAND OUTS Freshman quarterback John O’ Korn completed 22 of his 27 passes and threw for two touchdowns. O’ Korn’s 22 touchdown passes of the season ranks No. 8 in the nation. Junior linebacker Efrem Oliphant’s presence was felt all night, as he recorded a game-high 13 total tackles. He now leads the team with 78 total tackles this season. Sophomore running back Kenneth Farrow lead the team in rushing and receptions, scored a rushing and receiving touchdown and has scored five touchdowns since inserted back in the line against Memphis.
QUICK-STRIKE Fast-paced offense UH has had scoring drives of two minutes or less on 22 occasions this season and 10 under one minute. The Cougars’ win wasn’t pretty, but they made the necessary plays that propelled them to a 7-1 record. | Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar
FOOTBALL
Cougars overcome game set backs With turnovers in redzone, penalties that stall drives, UH narrowly earns win Andrew Valderas Assistant sports editor
UH handled its business against struggling South Florida — a team that had scored only six offensive touchdowns all season and entered the game without breaking the pylon in its last three games. UH couldn’t keep South Florida from scoring two touchdowns, but made just enough plays to capture a tough 35-23 victory on Thursday at Reliant Stadium to improve its record to 7-1. “It’s good to be in these situations. We’ve been in them before,” said sophomore running back Kenneth Farrow. “We are not going to stop playing until the clock (hits) zero; so it’s good to be in these
situations to know how to handle and know how to react when certain things happen.” Although the Cougars walked away now leading the American Athletic Conference at 4-0, their uncharacteristic miscues could’ve spoiled it, as Bulls had opportunities to not only make it close, but nearly steal the game. Sophomore running back Ryan Jackson rushed for 36 yards down to the South Florida 4-yard line on just the third play to start the second half, but coughed up the ball. A Jackson touchdown would have made it a three-possession game; instead, USF drove down the field and closed the gap to 21-13 after converting a field goal from 50 yards out. In the middle of the fourth quarter, the Cougars held a 28-23 lead and had an opportunity to increase it, but, on the third play of the drive, Farrow was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, which set the Cougars back 15 yards and helped stall the
drive. Farrow said the foul he committed was “selfish” and “made him sick to his stomach.” Head coach Tony Levine said it’s important to pick his players back up after making a mental error, especially with a young team. Levine “If you ever correct a student-athlete, it’s my philosophy that at some point … you come back and you build them back up certainly,” Levine said. “That’s uncharacteristic for Kenneth, and he knew it right away; and we’ll learn from that and move forward. He is one of our best leaders of our 120 student-athletes and what he wants to do more than anything is win.” After the UH defense held its
ground, the Cougars were in a position to put the game away, but junior receiver Damian Payne’s muffed punt paved the way for yet another opportunity for the Bulls to corral a comeback. “Those are things that are teachable, correctable and certainly things we hadn’t done until this point. We’ll get those fixed and addressed moving forward,” Levine said. With about four minutes remaining in the game, it looked as if South Florida finally took the lead on touchdown pass from 27 yards, only to be negated by a phantom offensive pass interference call. “In my mind, I went from no to yes very quickly,” Levine said. “It was a judgment call. The officials thought the South Florida receiver pushed off to catch the pass; and it was a critical play in the game.” The Bulls never recovered, but the Cougars did. The Cougars got their first turnover of the night on the ensuing
play, as junior defensive linemen Jeremiah Farley recovered a fumble that freshman defensive end Tyus Bowser strip-sacked. On the ensuing offensive drive, Farrow scored a five-yard touchdown, then sophomore safety Trevon Stewart’s interception on the next defensive drive sealed the contest and cancelled out the Cougars’ dismal play in the second half, where the Cougars gave up two turnovers. UH mustered only 154 yards of offense and obtained a mere 7:22 time of possession. “We had a slow start. They had a good game plan, and they were not trying to turn over the ball as much as we were trying to get it,” said junior linebacker Efrem Oliphant, who led the game with 13 total tackles. “We just kept fighting and, at the end, we got two big turnovers that helped with sealing this game.” sports@thedailycougar.com
Monday, November 4, 2013 // 9
The Daily Cougar
SPORTS EDITOR
Christopher Shelton
sports@thedailycougar.com
ONLINE
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Former UH quarterback Case Keenum connected with wide receiver Andre Johnson three times for touchdowns in the first half of the game against the Colts. | Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar
KEENUM continued from page 1
touchdowns and the Cougars’ fanbase certainly didn’t bat an eye when he tossed a third touchdown pass in the second quarter. The names of his receivers had changed, but the city and results Keenum provided had not. Instead of passes to former UH receivers Tyron Carrier and Patrick Edwards, Keenum helped lead Johnson to a career day with 229 yards and three touchdowns. “I remember standing in the tunnel thinking, this is pretty cool,” Keenum said. He gave the Texans a spark by being accurate on his throws, attacking the Colts vertically and using his mobility to extend plays. Keenum finished with 350 yards and three touchdowns. However, the Texans couldn’t recapture the same magic in the second half. Following 21 points in the first half, the team managed only three in the second, while Luck and the Colts shined. Luck found Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton three times for scores in the second half. After struggling in the first half to find a connection with receivers, Luck finished with 271 yards and three touchdowns. “We just don’t seem to make the plays at the right time,” said defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. “We played so well in the first half, but we couldn’t finish the game off.” After a field goal attempt that would have put the Texans ahead by three scores missed, Luck
promptly connected with Hilton for 58 yards and a touchdown to bring the Colts within five points. Luck found Hilton again from nine yards out to give the Colts a 27-24 lead after a 2-point conversion. The adversity piled up for Keenum and the Texans. All-pro running back Arian Foster left the game on the first drive with a back injury and never returned.
Head coach Gary Kubiak fell to his knees as he was heading to the tunnel for halftime. He was taken to the hospital, but did not suffer a heart attack, according to the Texans. Keenum made plays and gave the Texans a spark, but Luck became the tragic hero on Sunday Night Football. sports@thedailycougar.com
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Monday, November 4, 2013 // 11
The Daily Cougar
LIFE & ARTS EDITOR
Paulina Rojas
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EVENTS
Dia de Los Muertos comes to campus
A traditional mariachi band entertained students as they took part in Dia de Los Muertos, a celebration of those who have passed that is traditional in Latin America. | Emily S. Chambers/The Daily Cougar
Students take part in Latin holiday that remembers those who have passed on Kasarena Batiste Staff writer
As students joined the celebration of Dia de Los Muertos on Friday at Lynn Eusan Park, a six-man band initiated the festivity with live mariachi music. The memorialization not only promoted the music of the Latin culture, but also incorporated the culture’s food, dance styles like merengue and cumbia performed by Sabor Latino, face painting with “La Calavera Catrina,” or elegant skull designs, and games like la loteria to help create the atmosphere of a enlivened event. Students gathered to enjoy the celebrated tradition as they savored tamales, lemonade and a wellknown favorite, horchata. Biology senior and vice president of the Latin Greek council Yari Clavel refereed la loteria — a game similar to bingo — and announced words like “el borracho,” the drunk man, as players matched pictures with written Spanish meanings
below them. The object of the game was to place black beans on card spaces after hearing Clavel announce a card. “It’s just like the Mexican version of bingo, and the cards are kind of interesting. They’re not numbers and letters; they’re a little darkish,” Clavel said. “It’s just interesting if you look at the card.” Other members of the Latin Greek Council, like supply chain linguistics senior Alex Amador, were excited about student participation. “Today’s turnout is a lot more than I expected because it’s a Friday and Halloween weekend. People want to go home to their families,” Amador said. “I’m glad that everyone is coming here to get to know more about the Latin culture.” Sabor Latino dancer and psychology junior Victoria Celeste anticipated invigorating the crowd’s energy with her performance. “What we like to do is keep the spirit up because Dia de Los Muertos is about honoring the dead rather than being sad about their losses. We like to keep an upbeat pace,” Celeste said. “By dancing, hopefully we get people ready to dance and have a good time today
with our inspiration.” Organized by the Council of Ethnic Organizations and Latin Greek Council as a way for students to embrace those resting in peace, the Day of the Dead, according to hotel and restaurant management sophomore and CEO office assistant Murietta Flores, is “a way of still holding them with you even though they’re not physically here anymore.” “This event, for people who don’t know anything about the Day of the Dead, is just to show them that death is not always an ending. You can celebrate the life of the deceased,” Flores said. Hotel and restaurant management senior Mercedes Morones, one of the face painters for the event, gave the day a symbolic meaning. “My grandpa’s sick right now and he’s in the hospital,” Morones said. “I wasn’t going to come, but my grandpa is finally (more) stable.” “It’s all about your memories. It makes you realize you have to spend time with the people that are here.” arts@thedailycougar.com
At the event put on by CEO and the Latin Greek Council, there were also foods like tamales and horchata. | Emily S. Chambers/The Daily Cougar
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LIFE+ARTS TRADITIONS
Mr. UH competition lays down new roots Bojanay Posey Staff writer
Alpha Chi Omega and the Student Program Board teamed up for the first time to crown accounting senior Tyler Milliren as the winner of the third Mr. UH competition Friday night in the University Center Houston Room. The previous competitions have been hosted by the event’s founders, Frontier Fiesta Director of Productions Kelley Poblete and the Student Body Vice President Rani Ramchandani. Now that they are seniors, they are passing the tradition — centered around promoting school unity, spirit and philanthropic giving — to Alpha Chi Omega and SPB. Ramchandani said they passed the torch to Alpha Chi Omega because they are known to host a similar competition, Mr. Alpha Chi Omega. “It’s taken on a new life. Partnering up with a sorority, it’s definitely included a lot more Greek
life,” Ramchandani said. “At the same time, it is incorporating a lot of the other organizations on this campus.” Majority of the 12 contestants were members of fraternities, including Milliren of Sigma Nu. Still, some were from nonGreek organizations such as Mexican American Engineers and Scientists. After meeting other contestants, Milliren said he could feel the heat of the competition. “(My brothers) kind of just volunteered me for it and I didn’t think I had the best shot after seeing all the other competitors in the rehearsals,” Milliren said. “I definitely love my brothers for coming out and supporting me. I couldn’t have done it without them.” His name boomed throughout the Houston Room as his brothers, who came by the dozens, rooted for him the moment he took the stage. In the animated crowd were
I definitely love my brothers for coming out and supporting me. I couldn’t have done it without them.” Tyler Milliren, Accounting senior and Mr. UH 2013
several fraternity and sorority groups. This was a surprise for supply chain management freshman Vidha Dixit. She said she had seen pictures of the previous competitions on the Internet and knew that seeing the Mr. UH competition was a must. “We didn’t expect it to be a fraternity/sorority event, but we’re actually really enjoying ourselves. We’ve loved all the talent that is going on. “It doesn’t hurt that all the boys are really handsome, so we’re definitely enjoying ourselves,” Dixit said. Dixit and her friend were not the only two enjoying the lively atmosphere.
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Students were treated to snacks and had the opportunity to win two baskets in a raffle, one valued for more than $500 and another for more than $250. There was a disc jockey mixing up tunes, which caused a number of the crowd to jolt on stage and bust break dance moves in excitement. It seemed there was talent in every corner of the room. While the crowd danced and rooted for their favorites, the men on stage strutted in their swimwear and formal wear and engaged the audience with talents such as juggling, singing, rapping and acting. The final part of the competition was a round of questions from the four judges.
Through it all, Cougar spirit was apparent. Supply chain management senior Lindsay Walker, the Alpha Chi Omega member who coordinated the event said that with the competition being organized by Alpha Chi Omega and SPB, the tradition and spirit will live on. “It was important for us to do it with SPB, especially, because of their resources and how wellknown they are on campus. Greek life at UH isn’t extremely (popular), so this was kind of the best of both worlds,” Walker said. “SPB could tap into a new market that has previously not been available to them as much, and we can promote different organizations as well as Greek life and make it bigger and better.” The competition raised more than $1,200 for the Houston Area Women Center, a charity Alpha Chi Omega has been supporting for a decade. arts@thedailycougar.com
Visit o ur “Red Teams ”
The Office of Enrollment Services has a few “Paw Points” regarding registration for Spring 2014 classes. Enrollment appointments are now available for viewing in your myUH self-service account’s Student Center link Take advantage of the academic “myPlanner” feature to plan your Spring 2014 class schedule
UC Satellite Nov. 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Lynn Eusan Park Nov. 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Visit with your Academic Advisor for questions regarding your courses or academic plans Contact the Office of the Registrar for questions regarding your myUH enrollment appointments at 713.743.1010, option 7 Visit the Enrollment Services “Red Team” on campus November 5 - 6. The Red Team will be available to answer questions regarding Spring 2014 registration.