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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Issue 51, Volume 79

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ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

GEOSCIENCE

Senate approves new UC veterans office

Awards proves students rock

Diana Nguyen Contributing writer

As the semester comes to a close, the last official SGA meeting of the year covered topics ranging from extending UH restaurant times to UH food truck options, from Cub Camp progressing to guest veterans speaking in hopes of regaining their rightful Veterans Services offices.

With the Veterans Services office currently located in the basement

of the University Center, a group of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury spoke on behalf of regaining their original Veterans Services office on the second floor of the UC as a peaceful place to study and decompress.

The veterans explained how the basement location can cause stress, often triggering bad memories, and SENATE continues on page 3

Rebeca Heliot Contributing writer

The Student Government Association voted unanimously Wednesday to house the Veterans Services office in the second floor of the New UC, as opposed to the basement. | Carolina Trevino/The Daily Cougar

Students strut to support healthy lifestyles UH fraternities and sororities gathered Wednesday in support of an AIDS testing event held by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. “No More Excuses, Know Your Status” was held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University Center Satellite.

Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar

The Geoscience Alumni Association presented awards to three students for posters they presented at the Houston Geological Society Joint International and North American Dinner.

The awards were split into three categories: Tier 1, for undergraduates and first-year masters students, with a prize of a $500 travel grant; Tier 2, for advanced masters and first year Ph.D. students, with a $750 travel grant; and Tier 3, for advanced Ph.D. students, with a $1000 travel grant.

The recipients were Maria De Los Santos, Long Huang and Azizuddin Aziz, respectively.

With the help of these travel grants, students are able to attend conferences and events to present their research posters. However, Petroleum Geosciences Programs Director and professor Donald Van Nieuwenhuise, who was one of judges of the posters, said students benefited from just being at the event.

LECTURE continues on page 11

SCIENCE

Local corporations pitch in to fund student research, maintain prestige Erika Forero Staff writer

New lab facilities with advanced technology, built through donations from Chevron Corp. and Agilent Technologies, were showcased by the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the Department

of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences this month.

DEAS professor John Casey, a principal investigator in renovating the facilities, said the new instruments include some of the latest technologies for analyzing isotopes, molecules and elemental

abundances in various geological materials — rocks, minerals, oil, gas and natural waters among others.

“They represent a quantum leap in not only productivity, but in our previous analytical capabilities and past limits of detection,” Casey said.

“Some of the instruments donated

by Agilent have only recently been developed, placing UH at the leading edge in terms of analytical capabilities.”

This, alongside equipment recently funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, will allow the University to advance its

study of the latest topics in the field with new technologies.

DEAS research professor Adry Bissada, a principal investigator alongside Casey, said these new technologies will also be helpful RESEARCH continues on page 12

The Daily Cougar

2 \\ Thursday, November 21, 2013

CALENDAR Today Training: “InfoEd Training: Getting Started with the eight Steps and Setup Questions to Creating a New Proposal” will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. in Room 407 of the Ezekiel W. Cullen Building.

Music: “Concer t Chorale: Napoleon and the Battle of the Nations” is a free concert that will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Dudley Recital Hall of the School of Music.

Workshop: A financial freedom workshop will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Oberholtzer Ballroom.

Men’s Basketball: The Cougars will face off against Howard University starting at 7 p.m. at Hofheinz Pavilion.

Friday Volleyball: The Cougars will

battle the University of South Florida at 6 p.m. in Tampa, Fla. Theater: The School of Theater and Dance will present the play “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday at the Wortham Theatre.

There will be additional showings at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets are $10 for students.

Saturday Women’s Basketball: The Cougars will go up against Creighton University at 6 p.m. in Omaha, Neb. Football: The Cougars will play against the University of Cincinnati at 11 a.m. at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Sunday Volleyball: The Cougars will face off against the University of Central Florida at 1 p.m. in Orlando, Fla.

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.

CORRECTION In Wednesday’s SGA brief, the deadlines for Non-Voting Student Representative Application and Student Regent Application were listed as Nov. 20. The correct deadline is Dec. 6.

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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

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David Bryant

Closing editors Natalie Harms, Channler K. Hill, Jenae Sitzes

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

Thursday, November 21, 2013 // 3

The Daily Cougar

NEWS Q &A Houston’s first lady promotes local citizenship KATHY HUBBARD Houston Citizenship Month started as Houston Citizenship Week in November 2009, when former Mayor Bill White approved the proposal. It has since flourished into 30 days of events and activities in November to celebrate civic diversity with organizations throughout the city. Kathy Hubbard, Mayor Annise Parker’s life partner, reached out to The Daily Cougar to discuss the importance of honoring the city’s diverse citizens.

The Daily Cougar: Citizenship month is being promoted by the theme of what it means to be a Houstonian and citizen of the city of Houston. How do you define that?

Kathy Hubbard: Citizenship has the traditional definition of being documented as belonging to a community. Nonetheless, we have many members of our community who have other nationalities per se, but are here for educational, diplomatic, commercial or for other reasons. Their presence benefits Houston and Houstonians as a whole. That is why our definition, our

bigger view, encompasses all of these Houstonians as well.

TDC: The city has done something different this year since its start in 2009. It has now transitioned from Citizenship Week to Citizenship Month.

Why the change?

KH: We now encompass the entire month because so many groups wanted to include so many events, but many could not logistically change an event they were planning to coincide with the week we selected. Therefore, it seemed like the right step to do was to expand it to a month.

TDC: Having a citizenship week or month isn’t something that other states have adapted to. Is Houston paving the way for other states to do the same?

KH: We certainly could be and we have had other cities contacting Citizenship Month expressing interest, “How are we doing it?” They’re learning some surprising things such as our own budget … is perhaps $20,000 to $25,000, which is not much for the hundreds of events. These are community events, and we’re providing a hub. The only citizenship week that I am aware of is in Canada. Perhaps we will see more in the future around the country.

TDC: How many years have you been involved with Houston Citizenship Week — and now Month — and what has been your most memorable experience?

KH: I’ve been involved for four out of

the five years of its life, and what’s most memorable for me is seeing the various communities coming together. I see so many wonderful connections, such as recently, two or three nature hunger assistance organizations contacting Citizenship Month who wanted to be in touch with (the other organizations’) CEO, and realizing that despite the different types of public groups, they’re still able to connect.

I’m starting to hear discussions and thoughts about what is Citizenship Month, what is a citizen? Spending part of our lives working on what is best for the community as a whole and not just our own families? What is independence, what is democracy? All of these things weave in and out of Citizenship Month conversations.

For the full Q&A, please visit thedailycougar. com.

— interview conducted by Channler K. Hill

The Daily Cougar

4 \\ Thursday, November 21, 2013

OPINION EDITOR James Wang EMAIL

opinion@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

thedailycougar.com/opinion

GUEST COLUMN

Hispanics weighed down by teen pregnancies Diana Munoz Guest columnist

Jane Fonda once said, “If adolescent pregnancy prevention is to become a priority, then our strategy, as advocates, must contain two key elements: civic engagement and education.”

Parents attempt to shield their children by not educating them about the realities of the world.

They can be so overwhelmed with the daily functions of caring for their children that they neglect to teach and guide them.

This reality includes the consequences of being sexually active and having unprotected sex at an early age.

One of these consequences is high pregnancy rates for teens, particularly those within the Latin community.

If parents took the time to engage civically and communicate with their children about intercourse and contraception, fewer unwanted teenage pregnancies would occur.

When it comes to teenage pregnancy, most parents take no responsibility for the role they play in their children’s misguided actions.

They are completely oblivious to the real factors that contribute to the problem.

Within the Hispanic community, the high rates of teenage pregnancy can be vastly attributed to a cultural disconnect.

The cultural disconnect is primarily due to the language barrier between the parent and their child.

Another factor includes the assimilation of the child, but the separation of the parent, into IMMIGRATION continues on page 5

David Delgado/ The Daily Cougar

SOCIAL MEDIA

Posts, photos outweigh GPA in admissions

T

he most daunting task for a UH senior about to enter the workforce is finding a well-paying job during this difficult economic period. The University’s Catalina students pride Campos themselves on working hard in their undergraduate careers but often playing harder on the sidelines.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to log in to your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts and see an array of friends partying it up on the weekends with alcoholic drinks in their hands.

It’s hard to imagine that this

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

accessibility in the social mediadriven age could be the culprit for never landing your dream job.

Recently, The New York Times published an article by Natasha Singer called “They loved your GPA, then they saw your tweets,” discussing the rising occurrence of high school students’ denied admission into their university of choice because of the admission staff searching through their social media accounts.

The article commented on a high school senior who attended an information session for a university and tweeted negative things while in attendance.

The admissions staff took note of it right away and denied her entry into the university as a

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

student.

“It was incredibly unusual and foolish of her to do that,” said Bowdoin College Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Scott A. Meiklejohn.

The college ultimately denied the student admission, he said, because her academic record wasn’t competitive.

“But had her credentials been better, those indiscreet posts could have scuttled her chances,” according to Singer’s article.

Although this doesn’t apply to us any more, in a way, the potential harm that social media can do could jeopardize UH students entering the work force or applying to graduate school programs.

Social media has been described

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

as a way to build a personal brand around yourself. In the November issue of Elle, Alice Marwick, the writer of “Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, and Branding in the Social Media Age,” was interviewed regarding the pros and cons of this new technologic age.

Marwick said “the Internet has amplified (the judgment of our appearance) because it allows for a broader audience. … It’s important to distinguish images for a professional context rather than posting thousands of ‘selfies’ with cleavage and bikinis. You should be able to do that, but if you do, you’re going to be taken less seriously.”

When we apply for jobs or GPA continues on page 5

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.

Thursday, November 21, 2013 // 5

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

CAREERS IN:

GPA

IMMIGRATION

continued from page 4

continued from page 4

graduate school, it’s important to clean up your images and content, make your accounts private or simply delete those crazy nights where you’re holding two liquor shots in your hands.

You are creating a personal brand around your image, and if a prospective employer reads an angry tweet about a professor, he might think you have a problem with authority.

Not all students agree, however.

Computer science junior Jarrett Hill believes that the two lives should be kept separate and that no prospective employer should judge someone completely based on one small snippet of social media commentary.

“I think it’s dumb for a company to read a snippet of a tweet, and it might be judged out of context,” Hill said.

“They don’t and shouldn’t know about my life.”

Unfortunately, this isn’t the opinion most hiring staff members share. It’s important to make ourselves look presentable and represent what a good UH Cougar stands for.

American culture.

While Americans are more likely to communicate with their children about sex and its repercussions, the Hispanic community abstains from such comments and conversations almost in its entirety.

Statistics regarding teen pregnancies within the Hispanic community are of great concern, for studies show that more than half (53 percent) of Latinas in the United States become pregnant at least once before age 20.

In addition, studies revealed that the rate of teen pregnancy for Latina or Hispanic teens is double that of their nonHispanic counterparts.

Furthermore, studies show that parts of the country, specifically the southern states, typically have higher birth rates than northern states.

Therefore, it is of absolute importance to address this issue as promptly and as effectively as possible.

Otherwise, such numbers

Opinion columnist Catalina Campos is an English literature senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

will continue to increase at a rapid pace.

In an attempt to reduce teenage pregnancies within the Hispanic community, culturally competent interventions should be implemented.

These interventions should be culturally sensitive to the values and social experiences of the Hispanic community.

It should also consider the level of assimilation of the parent and teenager into the American culture.

Such culturally competent interventions should also be bilingual in order to provide an effective intervention for both the parent and child.

In most circumstances, communication is lacking between a mother and child.

Therefore, it would be important to consider implementing workshops for parents as well.

Such workshops should empower the parents by providing them with the statistics of teenage pregnancies in the Hispanic community.

They should also illustrate how their own teenagers could become part of the statistics if they do not take action.

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In addition to the statistical information, parents should be provided with workshops that guide them on how to have an effective conversation about sex with their teenagers.

Parents should also be realistic when talking to their teen about sex.

Abstinence should be encouraged, but it is important to also discuss the proper use of contraceptives if they are or plan to become sexually active.

As a nation, we should be concerned about the high numbers of teenage pregnancies, especially those within the Hispanic community.

Our youth deserve to be informed and encouraged to seek help when they have questions or need clarifications.

Parents should be empowered to have the answers to such questions, but most importantly, parents should address the use of contraceptives with their children and stop erroneously believing that their child is not sexually active.

Diana Munoz is a social work graduate student and may be reached at munoz_ dianaflores@yahoo.com

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The Daily Cougar

6 \\ Thursday, November 21, 2013

SPORTS EDITOR

Christopher Shelton

EMAIL

sports@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

thedailycougar.com/sports

BRIEFS

ESPNU All-Access showcases UH players The Daily Cougar news services UH’s football program will be featured on ESPNU’s All-Access, set to air at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Reruns of the show are scheduled for 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and 1:30 a.m. Dec. 1.

An ESPN crew from the show was on campus Tuesday to catch a glimpse of the daily life of the program’s student athletes. Cameras followed UH players as they attended classes, spread out across Houston for community service projects, ate lunch at Cougar Woods Dining Hall, gave a tour of the UH football stadium construction site and attended team meetings.

Tennis grabs star signing class After putting together the sixthbest recruiting class in the nation and the top among all mid-majors during last year’s signing period, UH has brought another group of athletes during the early signing period.

Angela Lorenzo, Carolina Costamagna and Mina Markovic have all signed National Letters of Intent to continue their amateur tennis careers at UH, beginning in the 2014-15 academic year.

“We are thrilled with these girls and think they are every bit as strong as last year’s top-10 class,” said head coach Patrick Sullivan.

UH will stay true to its current mold of bringing in international athletes, as not one member of the current squad is originally from the United States.

UH hosts Invitational The swimming and diving team is set to host the annual Phill Hansel Invitational from today to Saturday at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium.

The three-day meet will begin each day with a morning preliminary session at 10 a.m. and diving prelims starting at 11 a.m.

Following a break, the teams will head back to the pool at 6 p.m. today and Friday and at 5 p.m. Saturday for the swimming finals. Diving finals begin at 5 p.m. today and Friday, with Saturday’s combined platform finals beginning at noon. sports@thedailycougar.com

Senior Richie Leone’s kickoffs and punts have pinned opponents deep, forcing them to travel long distances. | Austin Lassell/The Louisville Cardinal

FOOTBALL

Third phase becomes UH’s specialty Cougars’ emphasis on special teams leads to increased success Andrew Valderas Assistant sports editor

Special teams coach Jaime Christian and head coach Tony Levine spend extensive time each week working on schemes to assure that they will win each special teams match-up.

“The two together are great minds,” said special teams sophomore Earl Foster. “It’s just amazing.

They know their players and put us in position to make good plays with their schemes.”

Whether it’s redshirt freshman B.J. Singleton’s game-changing block at UTSA on Sept. 28, senior punter Richie Leone’s leg that pins opponents deep in their own territory or freshman kickoff returner Demarcus Ayers’ ability to put the offense in good field position, the simplistic scheme Christian and Levine conduct to the group has displayed success.

“As long as I’ve coached special teams, the 10 guys that have been covering punts for us certainly protected the punts and then covered the punts, and covering our kickoff is as good as I’ve been around,” Levine said, who has coached special teams for 12 years.

Foster has been noted for his key block on a BYU defender that allowed Ayers to return a kick 95 yards for a touchdown on Oct. 19.

B.J. Singleton’s field goal block at UTSA allowed teammate Brandon Wilson to scoop-and-score from 78 yards out. | File Photo/ The Daily Cougar UH’s kickoff return team is averaging better than 26 yards per return — tied for seventh-best in the nation.

“We keep it simple,” Christian said. “(Levine) and I put our minds together, spend time on the scheme and try to keep it simple for the players so they can relate to what we’re doing so they can play fast.”

Foster plays all four phases on special teams: kickoff, kickoff return, punt and punt return. Last season, he had only two tackles in 12 games, but after 10 games this season, he already has 19 and has been a valuable part of the group.

“Every little thing is just as important, because the slightest mistake

can cost you, such as a blocked punt,” Foster said. “The main thing I would say we do best is cooperate and be on the same page when it comes down to those situations.”

The return game has paid dividends, as the Cougars have shown a drastic improvement from last season. It has helped the offense with better field position by allowing it to start shop on average at the 34-yard line, compared to last season, when it started at the 27-yard line.

Leone has been named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, a recognition that is presented to college football’s top punter. His 42.9 yards per punt have forced his opponents

to start at their own 25-yard line, a six-yard improvement from last season at the 31-yard line.

Other than being an important piece on special teams, Singleton also plays defensive line, so the coaches said it is important to keep him fresh in and out of rotations. But Singleton keeps his motor running in both phases, regardless, because he knows that a special teams play can be the difference between winning and losing.

“That’s the important part of the game that everybody overlooks, and I think that’s why we’re so good at it — because we make that a strong focus heading into the game. (Levine) spends a lot of time and effort with the special teams. He gives me the freedom and puts me in a spot to make plays,” Singleton said.

Singleton is tied for second in the nation with three blocks, but said he feels he should have about six.

He said junior defensive lineman Joey Mbu has been a huge difference in the scheme: Mbu, who is 6-foot-3 and 318 pounds, draws a lot of attention in the middle and has forced double teams, opening gaps for Singleton to make the play.

There will always be areas to improve, but that’s not something the unit constantly hangs over their head. They keep it simple. Singleton said he and the team recite Levine’s saying: “Do what you do. Don’t do anything more. Don’t do anything less.” sports@thedailycougar.com

Thursday, November 21, 2013 // 7

The Daily Cougar

SPORTS FOOTBALL

Offense looks for more early-down success Christopher Shelton Sports editor

In their three losses, the Cougars have fallen just short.

Against BYU, UCF and Louisville, UH’s combined margin of defeat was 13 points. Many point to the final drive, where the Cougars had a chance for a walk-off win and failed each time, but the players and coaching staff said the games were decided much earlier.

For the past two weeks, the offense has narrowly missed connecting on the big plays that previously fueled a prolific squad. The old adage “football is a game of inches” has come to fruition for UH (7-3, 5-2).

Against Louisville, the Cougars took several shots downfield in the second half, but came inches short of making a game-changing play, said offensive coordinator Doug Meacham.

“Late in the game, they knocked the ball out of (freshman quarterback John O’Korn’s) hand as he was throwing it. We had a post wide open — if we had just thrown it, it would have

been a touchdown,” Meacham said.

“We missed Greg (Ward) on a post on the left side. We overthrew a takeoff route by about a foot that would have been a big chunk. We had a double move with two receivers on the boundary, and the receiver didn’t turn his head.”

Aside from throwing for a career low as a starter with 121 yards, O’Korn and the offense successfully completed only 31 percent of their third downs against Louisville, and in the first, third and fourth quarters, UH gained only 55 net yards. For the past two weeks, UH has combined for 27 points, which is eight points less than its season point per game average.

To correct the issues, the Cougars have emphasized a better attention to detail and a simplified offensive scheme in practice this week. The team is working on limiting mistakes like penalties and improving on early downs to provide its freshman quarterback with third-and-short so conversion rates will be better and the offense will be able to find the consistent rhythm it has lacked the

past two weeks.

“When you think about it, it is the little things that make teams like us — or any team that has a good record — a great team,” said sophomore running back Ryan Jackson.

“The past couple of weeks, it’s the little things that we’ve been slacking off on. I guess it just caught up with us in the end.”

But the task doesn’t get any easier this week when Cincinnati (8-2, 5-1) comes to BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday in a battle for third place in the American Athletic Conference — the Bearcats allow only 18.6 points per game. However, head coach Tony Levine said the only thing that can stop UH is itself.

“When we execute, the team that can stop us is Houston. There were some things we needed to clean up, execution-wise, from those two games,” Levine said. “They’re very big and physical, especially at linebacker, and they’re talented in their secondary, so we have to take care of the football.” sports@thedailycougar.com

The Cougars have struggled to execute on drives in final minutes that would have either tied or won the game, but head coach Tony Levine said his team could do better earlier in the game. | Justin Tijerina/ The Daily Cougar

The Daily Cougar

8\\ Thursday, November 21, 2013

JOIN THE CLUB With more than 500 student organizations on campus vying for students’ attention, sometimes it can be hard to get the word out.

Here are a few that you probably haven’t heard of but are equally important to student life. Visit thedailycougar.com/life-arts to check out more clubs you should know about.

Carolina Trevino/The Daily Cougar

UH DEMOCRATS Sabrina Lloyd Staff writer

Photo courtesy of Rodoclix.com

ARGENTINE TANGO CLUB Kasarena Batiste Staff writer

The Argentine Tango Club can become a favorite spot to experience Argentine culture and tango lessons.

Founded in 2008 at UH, the club conducts its classes at the University of St. Thomas and is open to the Greater Houston community. Artistic director and choreographer of the student performance group Mauro Marcone and director and administrative assistant at the College of Technology Elizabeth Wingfield are dedicated to providing essential leisure activities within a socially-connecting environment.

“We’re founded on a mission to promote and preserve Argentine tango and all of its forms — the dance, the music, the poetry. Anything that has to do with Argentine culture, we try to be a part of and bring that to the students and the staff and faculty here,” Wingfield said.

“It’s just something that I thought was missing and would be interesting to the students, because tango is a social dance.”

Although the club has been expanding without heavy advertising, the organization aims to bloom further by impressing students and getting them pumped about learning the art of tango.

“Our roster is around 50 members; since 2008, we’ve had over 600 people come through our dance classes,” Wingfield said. “It’s pretty popular; we don’t charge membership fees, and our

classes are always open and by donations only. Students come as they can and as their schedule allows.”

Students can look forward to quarterly dance lessons as well as a weekend of Argentine carousing.

“This semester, we’re offering group lessons, and we are just about to finish,” Wingfield said. “Unfortunately, we finish on December 3 for the fall, but we will start again in the spring with a beginner-level class that’s great for beginners and dancers of all levels, singles and couples — it doesn’t matter; you don’t need a partner.”

The Argentine Tango Club is also doing a day of tango with a weekend of music and dance on Dec. 14. A major upcoming event hosted by the club is the Tango Fest Houston from May 15 to 18 on campus.

“We’ll bring in teachers from Argentina, musicians from New York and Grammy Award-winning musicians,” Wingfield said. “For the students over 21, we’ll have wine and malbec from Argentina.”

The festival will be in the New University Center ballroom on May 17 and 18 as well as in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

“It’s about meeting people. It’s about getting together and having a good time, and that seems to be what all people are looking for these days,” Wingfield said.

The UH Democrats gather weekly for a chance to voice their opinions on prevalent issues, get connected with Democratic organizations throughout the Houston area and engage in political conversations with local officials, city council members and senators.

UH Democrats President Catherine Tassin de Montaigu was one of its founding members in Fall 2012. Originally, there were 10 members, a number that surprised Montaigu, considering it was an election year. She and Vice President Tatiana Lutomski took charge the following semester with the goal of getting more students involved and excited about politics.

“Being involved in UH Democrats is important if you want to have a real impact on politics. It’s also a great way to learn about how politics work in the real world,” Lutomski said. “We have speakers almost every meeting, like City Council member Ed Gonzalez and (State) Senator Sylvia Garcia, who give us insight on what goes on in their offices and what we can do to be more involved.”

Turning Texas into a blue state is a goal the club works hard for. They are involved in Wendy Davis’s campaign for governor and hosted a phone bank for her earlier in the semester.

“I am so excited for Davis. It’s interesting; even if she isn’t able to win, she will get Democrats out and participating,” Montaigu said. “She’s giving a voice to people who haven’t had one before, and we are hoping to have her on campus soon.”

Currently, there are 50 members, a number that Montaigu and Lutomski hope will continue growing. Participating in events such as Frontier Fiesta has allowed the club more exposure and demonstrated to students across campus that politics can be fun.

“Last year was our first year to participate in Frontier Fiesta, and we shared a booth with the UH Republicans. Our booth was called ‘Politically Incorrect,’ and we had a dunk booth called ‘Watergate,’” Montaigu said. “It was an opportunity to get everyone on campus to find out about us and show students no matter what your political affiliation is, we want you to be active and participate in whatever party you belong to.”

The booth won three trophies, including the creativity award and best carnival booth. Lutomski said they plan on having a more impressive booth this year and hopes it will recruit new members and gain name recognition around campus.

Meetings next semester will be held in the New University Center’s Student Government Association Senate Chambers.

“This is a project I have been dying to see finished so we can hold meetings in the swanky new rooms,” Lutomski said. “Catherine and I toured the Senate Chambers and thought they would be a perfect place to hold meetings. The New UC will be a hub for students to congregate, and we want our club to be present there.”

DID YOU KNOW? arts@thedailycougar.com

INFORMATION For details on their workshops and upcoming events, visit their website at argentinetangoclub.org.

UH has about 533 on-campus organizations registered in its directory.

533 organizations

Thursday, November 21, 2013 // 9

The Daily Cougar

EDITOR Paulina Rojas arts@thedailycougar.com thedailycougar.com/life-arts

EMAIL ONLINE

GRAPHICS Andres Garcia

COMPUTER SCIENCE GIRLS BoJanay Posey Staff writer

Of the 500 computer science undergraduates, 12 percent are female, and of those, about 4 percent will graduate, according to the Computer Science Department. To combat these statistics, students have formed an organization.

Computer Science Girls, the brainchild of senior Estefannie Gutierrez de la Garza, aims to encourage girls to stay in the field by inviting successful women for inspirational talks and offering workshops to help them hone their skills.

“It’s a very male-dominated field, and I wanted to create something that was for girls as well, to create a platform for them to become successful and continue in computer science,” Gutierrez de la Garza said. “I noticed that, two years in, a lot of girls switch majors to (management information systems) or even bio, so our main purpose is to keep them in this field and become successful by inspiring them.”

She was inspired to start CSGirls after reading about Anita Borg, the founder of The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, an organization that aims to increase the presence of women in technology. Gutierrez de la Garza Photo courtesy of Computer Science Girls felt something similar was needed at UH, and

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she was not alone.

“I was really looking for a place like this to join, because there’s no support for the girls,” said junior club member Rachel Madrigal. “It’s really hard to find somebody to relate to, and I think that’s why people would want this workshop.”

Madrigal says in a class of nearly 100, only four are women, including her.

CSGirls is the first UH computer science organization designed for women. It has grown to nearly 50 members and has gotten praise from UH professors and alumni.

The organization isn’t exclusive. They welcome all — undergraduates, graduates, non-computer science majors — interested in computer science. Alex Jimenez, head of CSGirls public relations, is a male computer science senior who recognized the need for the organization.

“I believe in the fact that when there is more diversity in the field, you get to accomplish more,” Jimenez said. “Whenever you have female roles in a group, it just becomes a little bit more focused.

Everyone becomes able to accomplish things easier, and it just becomes a better, friendly environment.” arts@thedailycougar.com

The Daily Cougar

10 \\ Thursday, November 21, 2013

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ACROSS 1 Impetuous 5 Hoot and holler in the stands 10 Canoodling couple, in the tabloids 14 Storybook beginning 15 Mr. ___ (con man on “Green Acres”) 16 Botanical branch point 17 Be peerless 19 ___ up (becomes hazy) 20 O’Hare and Dulles 21 Some are bookmarked 22 Pictures on the wall 23 Blender sound 25 “I’m Into Something Good” group 32 Puts into neat little piles 33 Swords used in an Olympic event 34 Known as, as a maiden name

35 On the road, in sports 36 Sow chow 37 What a caboose brings up 38 Soak, as a fiber 39 Striped creature 40 Compel through coercion 41 One place for privacy 44 Part of a church’s interior 45 It gets bigger with curls 46 Architectural drawings 49 He works in bed 54 Follower of “lip” 55 An evening of TV viewing, e.g.

57 ___ gin fizz 58 Cognizant 59 Weighty work 60 Outdoor accommodation 61 Characteristic carriers 62 Abbr. that can replace a lot of things

DOWN 1 Parks of history books 2 Planning to vote no 3 Surgery mark 4 Girls’ gettogether, in slang 5 ___ new course (seek new direction) 6 “Stop right there!”

7 Short-lived “The Dukes of Hazzard” spin-off 8 Velvet finish?

9 Corned beef holder 10 Weak and feeble 11 Horn sound 12 Business part of a blade 13 Confused condition 18 Brown buildings?

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Agnew 29 Chemically unreactive 30 Pass along learning 31 Like parched land 32 Ganges dress 36 Solidifies 37 Compartment in a sleeping car 39 Hits, raygunstyle 40 Strong point 42 Sharp surgical instrument 43 Stitches loosely 46 Whispered call 47 Grammy winner Lovett 48 Any minute 49 Arabian Sea gulf 50 When there were luters and no computers 51 Be civilly disobedient, in a way 52 Watson of film 53 Bit of fishing gear 55 Cloth for a car wash 56 Animal that goes back and forth?

Thursday, November 21, 2013 // 11

The Daily Cougar

NEWS

LECTURE

SENATE

“It’s a chance (for students) to interact with industries and see how an industry really works and get to see a professional meeting,” Nieuwenhuise said.

The dinner hosted the annual Robert E. Sheriff Lecture Series, where BP Vice President and Gulf of Mexico Appraisal Director Cindy Yeilding presented the R. E. Sheriff Lecture, “What a Difference a Few Decades Make: Exploration History of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Deepwater.”

“First, we’re going to talk about the first round of exploration here in primary super salts and then move into slightly deeper sediments and slightly deeper water as we talk about second-phase exploration,” Yeilding said. “Then we’ll come in and talk about, as we’re going deeper, in getting into more complex imaging and deeper water.”

Department Chair and professor Hua-Wei Zhou showed the progress of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

“EAS is expected to award 194 degrees in 2013, which is an all-time record,” Zhou said.

has constant noises, since it is near the bowling alley and arcade.

“You deserve your home away from home. I think it’s a matter of public safety,” said College of Business Senator Sunil Motwani.

The veterans’ bill passed by a unanimous vote.

Three new positions were declared to the SGA Senate. SGA Attorney General Shane Smith appointed Kendrick Aldridge as the new chief election commissioner.

“My mission will be to ensure that the integrity of the electoral process is protected and that a fair election is held,” Aldridge said.

SGA President Cedric Bandoh appointed Shane Smith to the Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee and Nestor Garcia as senator of the College of Technology.

“I work at a construction company and deal with concrete and drainage issues,” Garcia said, “and for that particular reason, I think I would be a great fit in order to fix the maintenance issues here on campus, dealing specifically with drainage and concrete issues.”

news@thedailycougar.com

news@thedailycougar.com

continued from page 1

continued from page 1

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12 \\ Thursday, November 21, 2013

NEWS

RESEARCH continued from page 1

The College of Natural Science and Mathematics received new lab facilities and equipment in a donation from Chevron Corp. and Agilent Technologies. The instruments, such as the ICP Ionization Source, right, can create charged particles. | Courtesy of John Casey

in the research and study of deep oceans for the petroleum industry.

“As the petroleum industry moves more into unconventional shale oil and shale gas and ultra-deep-water plays in the Gulf of Mexico, the need for high-grading and pinpointing sweet spots in the unconventional domain and for characterizing and predicting exploration outcomes in the ultra-deep-water plays is critical,” Bissada said. “Both donations will be instrumental in the molecular and trace-element characterization of the unusual crude oils expected from ultra-deep-water exploration plays.”

Casey said that having these highly sophisticated technologies at the disposal of the UH community

benefits the University as a whole.

“It feels wonderful. This shows a keen interest by the University in maintaining our status as a leading Tier One research university and a leading geochemical facility,” Casey said.

“The labs will serve the whole University and will be open for student and faculty use not only in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, but the college and other departments in various colleges in the University.

In addition, guest investigators from other universities or research institutions and our collaborators will use the facilities, bringing outside attention to the state-of-the-art facilities at UH.” By student population at both the graduate and undergraduate level, the DEAS is the largest geosciences department in the U.S. The department recently had two Ph.D. programs nationally ranked under the National Research Council’s Research University Stringent Ranking System. Casey said the needs of supporting such a large undergraduate and graduate population, maintaining national prestige and supporting the large community of students and faculty while providing modern analytical facilities are important to the status of the department as a research entity and the University.

“At a time when we are attempting to promote undergraduate research in addition to traditional graduate research projects, these instruments are timely in providing the ability to accommodate more and more firsthand experiential learning for all our students at all degree levels,” Casey said.

Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer Rathindra Bose said the renovations have created a remarkable mass spectrometry facility that will further the future of scientists and engineers on campus.

“We are thankful to both Chevron and Agilent Technologies for their donation,” Bose said.

The department works with both high-technology corporations and has long-term relationships in research and recruiting with each.

Casey said sharing resources with Chevron and Agilent allows students to be educated with the most advanced tools and become the next generation of employees in the industry.

“They, like us, have research problems to solve, new methods and application needs in geochemical and chemical analysis and personnel needs for the future,” Casey said. “If we share our intellectual capital and knowledge, it is a winwin for both the University and the corporation.” news@thedailycougar.com