SPORTS
MEN’S BASKETBALL
FINE ARTS
First impression
Guest composer leads band
Sophmore forward Danrad “Chicken” Knowles displayed the skill set that made him a four-star recruit in his collegiate debut.
Daniel Bernard Roumain has worked with and encouraged the Mitchell Center band students for nearly a year.
SEE PAGE 5
CALENDAR CHECK: 22
SEE PAGE 7 NOVEMBER
On-campus lectures will honor the centennial Nobel Prize winner Albert Camus.
THE DAILY COUGAR
T H E
O F F I C I A L
S T U D E N T
Issue 49, Volume 79
N E W S PA P E R
O F
T H E
U N I V E R S I T Y
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
O F
H O U S T O N
S I N C E
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ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
NSM
SAFETY
UHPD warns of distracted student walkers Lecture bridges science, ethics
Hadiya Iqbal Staff writer
Every two hours, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash and 15 more are injured, according to a 2011 report from The National Highway Safety Traffic Safety Association. The report aggregated data from more than 69,000 pedestrian injuries and over 4,400 fatalities. At UH, student pedestrians are susceptible to these accidents and may become another statistic. The Pedestrian and Bicycling Information Center tells students to wear bright colors, not step into the street with an obstructed view and avoid cell phone use when walking in congested areas or crossing busy streets. Psychology senior Caroline Thouin takes extra precaution after the sun goes down. “Pedestrians need to remember that, especially when it’s dark, (drivers) may not see you,” Thouin said. “You need to always look to see if WALKING continues on page 3
Striking a chord for a cause Students from the School of Theater and Dance busted out their guitars and ukuleles and sang at the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication courtyard to practice for the school’s private fundraiser that will be on Dec. 5. The funds earned from the event will raise money for a renovated theater for the school. Laura Gillespie/The Daily Cougar
Dennis Kunichoff Staff writer
UHPD warns that texting and other distractions can lead to pedestrian injuries and fatalities. Students should remain fully aware of their surroundings. | Fernando Castaldi/The Daily Cougar
With a grant from the National Science Foundation, several professors at the University have initiated the Ethics in Science Seminar series, which began in Fall 2011 as a part of the “Experiencing Ethics” project. Duke University practical ethics professor Walter SinnottArmstrong presented the latest lecture Armstrong in the series, “Does Neuroscience Undermine Responsibility?” on Friday at Philip Guthrie Hoffman Hall. Focusing on cases that emphasize a person’s lack of control due to neuroscience, he asked whether we should deem those people responsible for their actions if it is truly out of their control — applying an ethical standard to new light brought by science. “I think it’s a wonderful thing to bring philosophers together with scientists, because scientists can learn from the philosophers and the philosophers can learn from the scientists,” Armstrong said. “Neither field alone is going to be able to solve these extremely complex issues so they need to work together.” The goal of the project, according to principal investigator and Eckhard-Pffeiffer Professor of Computer Science Ioannis Pavlidis, is to sensitize and educate ETHICS continues on page 3