LIFE AND ARTS
CAMPUS
OPINION
Athletes ‘smash’ in tournament
Veterans Day not about sales Shoppers focus more on discounts and forget the purpose of the day.
Wheelchair rugby competitors promote awareness, raise funds.
SEE PAGE 4 NOVEMBER
SEE PAGE 7
CALENDAR CHECK: 14
The Cougars will chase down the UTSA Roadrunners at Hofheinz.
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
Monday, November 11, 2013
Issue 43, Volume 79
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ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
STAFF
Council introduces new events, members Sabrina Lloyd Staff writer
Membership and Elections committee chair member Sawsan Shatleh nominated three members of UH staff for induction into the Staff Council on Thursday. “Staff Council is an overall advisory body for the staff on campus,”said Staff Council Program Manager B. Renae Milton. “It consists of elected staff members from each division, representative of the entire staff body, who come together and discuss issues related to staff, then come back and report to the President.” All nominated candidates were voted in and include Samantha McKinney, office coordinator for academic affairs; Robin Taylor, student health insurance coordinator for student affairs; and Stephen Canales, analyst auditor for the administrative and finance division. Taylor was also nominated and voted in as the council’s new historian. The historian’s duties include keeping track of the group’s media, history and news clippings, as well as maintaining a photographic archive of all Staff Council events and activities. “I like to do things with my university and my community,” Taylor said. “It’s a privilege to be nominated, and I’m excited to help get out information to my peers and be able to extend myself to others.” Events chair member Mary Helen Meza drew attention to the council’s annual Spring Egg Hunt, for which Council President Ron COUNCIL continues on page 8
Freshman quarterback John O’Korn and the offense struggled in the first half, but after a blocked field goal and a defensive stop, he nearly led the Cougars on a game-winning drive late in the final quarter. His fourth down pass inside the UCF 10 fell incomplete. | Nick Leyva/Central Florida Future
COMMENTARY
Young squad falls 7-yards short at UCF Christopher Shelton Sports editor
Though the Cougars lost both the game and the control of their own destiny for an appearance in the upcoming Bowl
Championship Series, the team gained several passengers on its 2014 bandwagon. UH (7-2, 4-1) proved that it could be set up for a bright future, even if the young squad is not
ready to win big games in tough venues, during a 19-14 loss to conference foe UCF (7-1, 4-0) at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando, FL. The team could change current fan reactions by
defeating Louisville on the road on Saturday. As in the Cougars’ first loss of the season, the game was decided SHORT continues on page 5
AWARENESS
Community comes together on trafficking Rebecca Heliot Contributing writer
Five students from the Graduate College of Social Work brought students, faculty, staff and community leaders together on Thursday for a documentary viewing and discussion on the topic of human trafficking — especially human trafficking in Texas. A number of Houston organizations directed at human trafficking awareness, volunteer programs or
vendors working with safe houses lined up in the social work building’s hallway to speak with attendees. Some of the organizations included Redeemed Ministries, the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition, UH Women Center, Houston Love Project and The Butterfly Project. “We buy jewelry from women in safe houses all over the world,” said Baranna Baker, a spokesperson for
The Butterfly Project. “We buy the jewelry outright at the price they ask for, and these are women who have been rescued from sex trafficking. … This is a way for them to make money and get to the point where they can get out of the safe houses.” The documentary “Slavery Out of the Shadows: Spotlight on Human Trafficking” was screened, and a panel of experts opened a discussion for further information. Among the
panelists were Senior Staff Attorney for Children at Risk Dawn Lew, Executive Director of Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition and Chair of the Mayor’s Human Trafficking Task Force Maria Trujilio, social work professor Melissa Torres, YMCA Social Responsibility Director Constance Rossiter and Harris County Sherriff Adrian Garcia. Torres and Trujilio discussed AWARENESS continues on page 3