Issue 54, Volume 79 by The Cougar

LIFE+ARTS

OPINION

Choir performs at Reliant

Shoppers place deals ahead of lives

A new choir, ManCorps, was selected to sing the national anthem for the Houston Texans game on Sunday.

With seven deaths during Black Friday since 2006, Americans are risking lives with their frenzied shopping. SEE PAGE 4

SEE PAGE 7

CALENDAR CHECK:

DECEMBER

Ethics in Science. Using Creative Non-Fiction to Teach Research Ethics

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

Issue 54, Volume 79

O F

T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

O F

Monday, December 2, 2013

H O U S T O N

S I N C E

1 9 3 4

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

EVENTS

No need to fret during finals Nora Olabi Assistant news editor

Winter is fast approaching, and Christmas tunes have creeped up on radio listeners even earlier this year. The sound of “Jingle Bells” playing can have several different meanings, but for the studious it means one thing: finals are coming. As the campus bustles to life with students furiously attempting to end the semester with a bang, Cougars can keep an eye out for upcoming events and freebies.

Whether he’s completing passes or receiving them, freshman quarterback Greg Ward Jr.’s versatility on offense has provided a change of pace, making it tougher on defenses. Head coach Tony Levine said the coaching staff has searched for ways to get Ward on the field. | Caitlin Hilton/The Daily Cougar

FOOTBALL

UH captures Ward’s versatility Andrew Valderas Assistant sports editor

Freshman Greg Ward Jr. is the first player at UH to pass, catch and rush for a touchdown since 2007. | Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar

About a month ago during practice, head coach Tony Levine called over freshman Greg Ward Jr. to see if he could catch a punt. “If you can catch Richie Leone’s punt, you can catch anybody’s punt,” Levine said. He caught it. “Alright, he’s a natural,” Levine said. Then, Levine and the other coaches wanted to see if he could catch the ball while running a couple of routes. Again, he caught them. “OK. He can play receiver.”

Versatility Regardless of the two routes he ran, it’s certain that the degree of difficulty of those were incomparable to the dual-threat quarterback’s 19-yard touchdown in UH’s shutout win, 34-0, against SMU at Reliant Stadium on Friday. Freshman quarterback John O’Korn looked like he was attempting to throw the ball out of the end zone, as he was attempting to avoid the sack, scrambling toward the sideline. Ward’s leaping reception, in which he used good balance to keep WARD continues on page 8

Study break with new friends Furry creatures will head to the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library to comfort students during their breaks in the upcoming week of feverish finals from Dec. 9 to 12 in Rooms 106-T and 106-P. “Paws and Relax” is a new finals tradition whereby certified therapy dogs are brought in from local organizations for students to relieve stress. Cougars will be able to pet, cuddle and give treats to the dogs. The library has partnered with Faithful Paws to bring the therapy dogs to campus. They will be at the library at various times during the week in the evening. More information can be found at info.lib.uh.edu/ finals-events-library-fall-2013 or on the library’s Facebook page. Finals Mania Students will file into the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library for last-minute cramming sessions and all-nighters during a week that has come to be known as “Finals Mania.” In an effort to support the tired and hungry masses of students, Auxiliary Services has devised a plan: a late-night pancake breakfast. Staff will serve up hot pancakes, turkey sausages, snacks and FINALS continues on page 3

The Daily Cougar

2 \\ Monday, December 2, 2013

Careers in...

PHOTOGRAPHY

CALENDAR Today Vacation: Registration for Outdoor Adventure’s January group ski trip to New Mexico’s Ski Apache resort is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Dec. 16 at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The ticket price includes lift, transportation, lodging and most meals. Lecture: An ethics in science lecture on using creative nonfiction to teach research ethics will be from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Philip Guthrie Hoffman Hall, Room 232. Book Review: Moores professor of History, Gerald Horne will discuss and sign his two recently published books from 5 to 7 p.m. in Agnes Arnold Hall, Room 628.

Tuesday

START HERE. WE’RE HIRING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Fill out an application at thedailycougar.com/apply or visit the Student Publications Ofﬁce in Room 7, UC Satellite. Questions? E-mail editor@thedailycougar.com

Go from

Job Skills: The “Rock Your Resume” presentation will teach students how to create a professional resume from 3 to 4 p.m. in the University Career Services Conference Room, 106 Student Service Center 1.

Wednesday Women’s Basketball: The Cougars will face off against the University of Washington at 7 p.m. at Hofheinz Pavilion. Networking: Black Leadership Network Meeting will convene from noon to 1 p.m. in Agnes Arnold Hall, Room 628. Job Skills: The “You’re Hired!” workshop will help improve interview skills from 3 to 4 p.m. at the University Career Services Conference Room, 106 Student Service Center 1.

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.

STRESSED OUT

FREE TUTORING

CORRECTION

Learning Support Services Room N109 Cougar Village (Building # 56)

In the story “Committee recommends increase in student fees in annual report” that ran Tuesday, the Student Service Fee is $250, not student fees. The report should also have been referred to as “the SFAC recommendations.

FINAL EXAM HOURS Mon - Sun

Lecture: A presentation on neurofeedback will be presented for social workers throughout Houston from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Denton Cooley Auditorium at

St. Luke’s Hospital and is sponsored by the Graduate College of Social Work Alumni Association.

10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Schedule for specific course tutoring hours is available online at: www.las.uh.edu/lss

ONLINE FACULTY/COURSE EVALUATION http://accessuh.uh.edu or http://eval.uh.edu Use your myUH (PeopleSoft) ID or CougarNet ID to login

FOR MORE INFO:

www.las.uh.edu

STRESS FREE!

University Testing Services Accuplacer Credit by exam Advanced Placement International Baccalaureate GRE Placement tests

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Advertising (713) 743-5340 advertising@thedailycougar.com thedailycougar.com/advertising

Student Publications (713) 743-5350 stupub@uh.edu www.uh.edu/sp Room 7, UC Satellite Student Publications University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-4015

Issue staff Copy editing Errington Harden

Copy chief

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.

David Bryant

Closing editors

The Daily Cougar is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press.

Channler K. Hill, Jenae Sitzes

studentpress.org/acp

Monday, December 2, 2013 // 3

The Daily Cougar

NEWS EDITOR

Laura Gillespie

news@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

thedailycougar.com/news

TRADITION

Frontier Fiesta calls for applicants for Mr. and Miss Fiesta The Daily Cougar News Services The Frontier Fiesta Association is gearing up for next year’s Frontier Fiesta, reminding students that today will be the last day to apply

for the Mr. and Miss Fiesta crowns. Applicants will participate in a fund raising competition, raising money to partially fund $10,000 in scholarships that are given to

students “based on campus involvement,” according to a UH press release. “The competition starts whenever a completed application is turned in and ends minutes

before the opening of Fiesta City.” The students who raise the most money will receive the crowns. The application requires a $100 entry fee. Students may visit

the official Frontier Fiesta website for the application and more information. news@thedailycougar.com

FINALS

continued from page 1

beverages from 8:30 to 11 p.m. Dec. 10 in the library, free for students with UH IDs. This will also coincide with “Paws and Relax,” so students can enjoy their meals while cuddling with a certified therapy dog. The library will also be open 24 hours a day Monday through Thursday from Dec. 10 to 19. Highlight on higher education Chancellor and President Renu Khator will discuss how legislation has affected UH and higher education in Texas from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Sugar Land Marriott. The University has made strides in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and has received funding from both corporations and the state. Beyond the research and laboratories, though, UH has fostered a diverse student body from a range of ages and interests. Khator visited the state capitol for the Texas Tribune Festival 2013 to discuss the future of higher education in late September. “We know for sure that higher education will change more dramatically in the next 10 years than it did in the last 10 years or even in the last 25 years,” Khator said. “What I’d like to see is that my institution is agile enough, flexible enough, prepared enough to be able to navigate and find an anchor (of ) student success.” The UH System comprises the main campus, UH-Clear Lake, UH-Downtown, UH-Victoria and teaching centers across the Greater Houston area. With an operating budget of $1.6 billion for the 2014 fiscal year, the system serves almost 70,000 students, according to UH.edu. The Educational and Governmental Relations Divisions of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce will host the event at the Marriott at 16090 City Walk, Sugar Land, Texas. news@thedailycougar.com

As part of Finals Mania, a series of events to help students relieve stress during the hectic weeks of finals, students will receive the chance to pet trained therapy dogs Dec. 9 through 12 in the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library. | File photos/The Daily Cougar

The Daily Cougar

4 \\ Monday, December 2, 2013

OPINION EDITOR James Wang EMAIL

opinion@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

thedailycougar.com/opinion

NATION

The greatest value on Black Friday should be life

f you were still wondering whether Black Friday has all but sucked the last bit of joy out of the holiday season, let’s let Jdimytai Damour do the talking. Unfortunately, Damour is dead, and has been for five years — so it’s probably just best Cara to recount how Smith he faced his life’s last moments. In 2008 Damour was inside a Wal-Mart, wearing his pressed blue polo as all employees do. The doors opened at 5 a.m., and Wal-Mart employees nervously formed a human chain just beyond the store’s entryway, in an effort to slow down the frenzied mob of 2,000 that had gathered outside the store. When 5 a.m. struck, a stampede of deal-mongering shoppers blasted through Wal-Mart’s front doors. The employees’ chain was effortlessly splintered as shoppers leapt over police barricades and attempted to break the front door. Some employees were immediately knocked to the ground. Others found refuge from the horde atop vending machines. By the time the dust settled and the PS4s began flying off the shelves, maintenance employee Damour, 34, was already dead. He was seen gasping for air while being continually trampled by shoppers. EMT personnel who arrived for Damour were trampled, too, according to a police officer at the scene. “When they were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling, ‘I’ve been in line since Friday morning!’” said Kim Cribbs, a witness to the crime. “They kept shopping.” “His body was a stepping bag with so much disregard for human life,” said Damour’s cousin Ernest, 37, according to New York Daily News. “There has to be some accountability.” The store closed shortly after Damour’s death. It reopened its

doors at 1 p.m. later that day and was met with a comparably frenzied crowd. New York Daily News reported the store as having been “packed within minutes.” There was no candlelight vigil or modest assortment of flowers laid out in Damour’s memory, but there were plenty of signs advertising the new $798 Samsung 50-inch plasma HDTV, though. Shoppers didn’t have to look far to see flyers for the $8 men’s Wrangler jeans or the Bissel compact upright vacuum for $28. It’d be less revolting if we could say that Damour’s death was the only tragedy that’s happened on a Black Friday. It’s 2013, though, and things seem to have only gotten worse in the five years since Damour’s demise. We live in an age where having the latest and greatest electronic isn’t outweighed by much, and Damour’s fatality is only one in a string of havoc-related injuries. This year, there’s the cop and theft suspect who were both hospitalized in Chicago, as reported by The Washington Times. The cop latched himself onto the driver’s side of the suspect’s car when he tried to make his getaway from Kohl’s. The suspect was then shot by the police officer, who sustained injuries from being dragged throughout the store’s parking lot. Then there’s the guy in Las Vegas who was shot in the leg at a Target when he left the store carrying a big-screen TV. Three separate fights broke out on Black Friday in a California Wal-Mart, and a slew of suspects were arrested and taken into custody. Heck, there’s even a website called blackfridaydeathcount.com, which tracks any and all deaths and injuries incurred on Black Friday. Since the site’s inception in 2006, it’s reported seven deaths and 90 injuries. These patterns are disgusting, and their roots are far more despicable — risking life and limb to save a couple hundred bucks on, well, anything. Thanksgiving night

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

spent huddled around the entryway of your local Target has become the new normal, even if you’ve got nothing to buy. It’s just something we’re all expected to do nowadays, because you’d be a fool to miss out on a Samsung TV that’s marked down that much. For all of the protests and threats of boycotting stores that opened their doors on Thanksgiving, Americans surprised nobody by turning up at their local Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, Old Navy, Macy’s and Toys R Us with their bellies full of stuffing. Black Friday has grown into a euphemism referring to the 96-hour void of moderation that incurs Thanksgiving night and winds down on Cyber Monday. What was once a single day has now snowballed into a nationwide pop culture event. Whether you spent your Black Friday as an employee, a packed sardine at Kmart or in the comfort of your own home, most of us participated in one way or another. Within hours of stores having opened, Twitter trends like #WalmartFights and #Brawlmart began trending nationwide. Fights were uploaded to YouTube, which showed store employees screaming at the shoppers to stop recording the pandemonium on their cell phones. Then again, it’s not like we can blame the stores for opening that early if we’re just going to blow smoke on Twitter about the inhumanity of making employees spend Thanksgiving dinner with their managers. We’re all talk and all spend, and I’m betting Wal-Mart couldn’t care less if the guy buying a discounted Samsung Galaxy protested their policies on social media earlier that week. Forbes recently published the findings from a survey conducted by MasterCard, revealing that 70 percent of consumers’ Black Friday spending occurs at the first two stores visited, explaining the fiscal significance of being the first store

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

David Delgado/ The Daily Cougar to open. Further, a study conducted by the Georgetown Institute for Consumer Research found that the average shopper spends 50.7 percent of their gift budget between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Retail behemoths have a lot of factors keeping them from staying afloat, most notably their clientele’s dwindling funds and an endless sea of near-identical competition. They’re in the business to make money. If we choose to take time out of our day to give them more of our money, they’ll take time out of their day to take that money. We can oppose these infringements on our holiday season all we want, but words ring hollow when they’re only backed up until stores open their doors. Damour’s hand has already

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

been dealt. He’s one of a handful of Americans who have lost their lives in the chaos of Black Friday that only seems to be increasing. It would be nice to say that things have gotten better since Damour’s death, but the behavior that left him dead seems to be only increasing. ‘Tis the season, and ‘tis the victory of American consumerism surrounding a basic regard for human life. “I look at these people’s faces, and I keep thinking one of them could have stepped on him,” said one Long Island Wal-Mart employee who worked with Damour. “How could you take a man’s life to save $20 on a TV?” Senior staff columnist Cara Smith is a communications junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

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, December 2, 2013 // 5

The Daily Cougar

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*

L 19-14 @ UCF*

L 20-13

L 24-17

@ vs. Louisville* Cincinnati*

W 34-0 vs. SMU*

* conference game

GAMEDAY: SMU

SIDELINE REPORT

STAND OUTS During his final regular season home game as a player, senior defensive back Zachary McMillian nabbed two interceptions. He finished the season with four interceptions and 53 tackles. Sophomore running back Ryan Jackson broke loose and hit the sideline for a 37-yard touchdown. Jackson has been a consistent threat out of the backfield for the Cougars this year. Sophomore safety Adrian McDonald plucked away another interception, bringing his season total to five. McDonald is also fourth on the team in tackles with 91.

NEW MARK O’Korn breaks TD record

FOOTBALL

After throwing two touchdowns Friday against SMU, quarterback John O’Korn surpassed former quarterback Kevin Kolb’s record for most touchdowns passes thrown by a freshman with 26. O’Korn found junior receiver Daniel Spencer and freshman Greg Ward for scores during UH’s 34-0 win.

Shutout solidifies turnaround

OPPORTUNISTIC

Pressure from UH’s front seven forced SMU quarterback Neal Burcham to make quick decisions and allowed the defense to take advantage with three interceptions at Reliant Stadium on Friday. The Cougars’ defense shut out the Mustangs en route to a 34-0 victory. | Caitlin Hilton/The Daily Cougar

‘Third Ward Defense’ leads way a year after being one of worst units in country Harrison Lee Staff writer

The day after Thanksgiving, the UH defense was still hungry enough to make a proper meal out of SMU. With four forced turnovers, the Cougars (8-4, 5-3) had an easy time dealing with the Mustangs (5-6, 4-3), who were without senior starting quarterback Garrett Gilbert — leaving redshirt freshman Neal Burcham to be sacked five times and intercepted three times. The defense led the way as UH routed SMU 34-0 at Reliant Stadium on Friday. For the Cougars, the shutout placed a cherry on top of a defensive turnaround this season. UH went from having one of the nation’s

worst-ranked defenses a year ago to a squad that leads the country in turnovers and held Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, a potential top 10 pick in the next NFL draft, without a passing touchdown this season. After hiring defensive coordinator David Gibbs, the Cougars simplified their scheme, which has allowed more practice time for areas where the team struggled last season, like tackling and turnovers, said head coach Tony Levine. “Our guys have been flying around, and they’ve taken a lot of pride in playing good defense,” Levine said. “The turnovers have become almost second nature, and the tackling has been outstanding.” The UH defense, dubbed the Third Ward Defense, did what no UH team has done since Dec. 2, 1989 — they shut out a conference opponent. UH limited SMU to 295

total yards, including only 83 rushing yards. “Even when you play pee wee football, everybody gets excited about the (shut-out),” said senior cornerback Zachary McMillian. “I think we were all just trying to take pride in that. Defensively, we sub in a lot of people, and I think each person who was on that field took it personally when it came to not letting them score.” For the game, McMillian was responsible for two of the interceptions, while sophomore defensive end Eric Eiland contributed with one sack and a 62-yard return of a Burcham fumble that he returned to the 1-yard line. The Cougars cashed in one play later when senior running back Kent Brooks crossed the goal line. Sophomore safety Adrian McDonald got his fifth interception of the season in the fourth quarter.

Without Gilbert behind center, UH focused on rattling Burcham during his collegiate start. “We wanted to get after him and get him uncomfortable, and that’s exactly what we did,” Eiland said. At a school with a history of overachieving offense, the resurgence of defense is a welcome sight to the offense, said junior receiver Daniel Spencer. From the other side of the balls, the stellar play of the defense was enough to make the offense breathe a little easier. “You don’t stress as much when you don’t feel like you have to score every drive,” Spencer said. “It was really laid-back, and we weren’t worried about the score. The defense has been playing great all year for us, so hats off to the defense.” sports@thedailycougar.com

Cougars cause 40 turnovers After forcing redshirt freshman quarterback Neal Burcham into four turnovers against SMU on Friday at Reliant Stadium, UH pushed its season total to 40. The Cougars’ 40 turnovers have resulted in 134 points, including 10 against the Mustangs on Friday. The defense caused three interceptions and one fumble. UH has forced multiple turnovers in 11 of the 12 games this season and 19 of the last 20 games.

PROJECTIONS Cougars go bowling Read The Daily Cougar on Thursday for UH’s bowl projections and possibilities. Also, read about the importance of extra practice time for a young team still looking to improve.

The Daily Cougar

6 \\ Monday, December 2, 2013

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COMICS Cynical Ted by Francis Emelogu

Your Comic Here

Draw something witty, cute, funny and turn this in to the managing editor:

The Daily Cougar newsroom, UC Satellite, RM 12

ACROSS 1 Crouch 6 Soft mineral 10 Martial arts hero Jackie 14 Brown shade 15 “Hold your horses!” 16 Successor of the mark 17 Roofer’s equipment 20 House of Lords member 21 Savings acct. addition 22 “Bobby Hockey” 23 Set in order 25 “A” or “an,” e.g. 29 “Don’t make me laugh!” 30 Chess champion Bobby 31 Line from an operator? 33 Cornea irritant 35 Canal zone? 36 Exhibit sure footing 40 Morse code sound 41 Strong

smell 42 Turned on the waterworks 43 Airy shoe feature 46 Dog’s best friend 47 Firefighters’ quality 48 Money spent in Albania 52 Weeder’s tool 53 Day light? 54 Iran and Iraq do it 55 Escalator, essentially 60 Barbell material 61 “Fine by me” 62 Modify 63 Exspeaker’s name 64 Old symbols of social status 65 Migratory aquatic birds DOWN 1 First instruction, often 2 Code writer of a kind 3 External 4 Collapsible headgear

5 Compose, say 6 Strong string 7 On ___ streak (winning) 8 Cinema’s Chaney 9 Food label figures 10 Comedian known as “The Entertainer” 11 Paul Newman Western 12 “___ you with me?” 13 “Neither” counterpart 18 Lovelorn utterance 19 Painting and sculpting, for two 24 Pusher’s chaser 25 Happily ever ___ 26 Aviary sound 27 Left the ground for a moment 28 Be on the side of caution? 31 Slide through a card reader 32 Provide

or scan and send to

me@thedailycougar.com Puzzle answers online: www.thedailycougar.com/puzzles

THE DAILY COUGAR

33 34 37 38 39 40

44 45 46 48 49 50 51 53 55 56 57 58

food, uptown Computer communicator Palindromic musician Slammer Majestic swimmer Arm of the sea? Play-___ (modeling compound) Nary a trace Common noun suffix Kind of van or bus Berth places Taper off Artful dodges Firewood measure For fellows only Lots of secs.? Metal-inthe-rough Solemn promise Participate in a biathlon, say Dirtdishing newspaper

Monday, December 2, 2013 // 7

The Daily Cougar

LIFE & ARTS EDITOR

Paulina Rojas

arts@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

thedailycougar.com/life-arts

MUSIC

Choir makes big screen debut Newly formed group ManCorps got the opportunity to sing for fans at Reliant Diana Nguyen Staff writer

As the Houston Texans prepared for Sunday afternoon’s football game at Reliant Stadium, the UH men’s choir, ManCorps, stood just a few feet from them, waiting to perform the national anthem. “It can be kind of frightening to think about singing for 70,000, but I know I can trust the men of ManCorps,” said music education freshman and tenor singer Matthew Lydick. The singers were in for a surprise, for they shared the field with former President George H. W. Bush and defensive end J. J. Watt. “It was only slightly unsettling to see George Bush a few yards from you just moments before you sing the national anthem. In walking off the field, I was so overwhelmed and happy that I didn’t notice J.J. Watt attempting to fist-bump me,” Lydick said. ManCorps, which consists of 18 members and director Jeb Mueller, who is a Moores School of Music assistant professor, was created this semester as a new auditioned men’s chorus and includes both music and non-music majors. The group performs at concerts and events on campus and in the community. “We’ve had a great time making music together,” Mueller said. “The students work very hard, and that

ManCorps, a choir group that was formed this semester, is open to students of all majors. Currently there are 18 members . The group performs at concerts and events on and off campus and sang the national anthem at Sunday’s game at Reliant Stadium. | Photo Courtesy of UH Choirs allows us to accept opportunities like the Texans game. It’s an honor to represent UH.” Music education and composition senior Kody Pisney, who sings bass and baritone with the choirs at the Moores School of Music, felt proud to perform the national anthem. “I saw the players hyping

themselves up when we were walking onto the field,” Pisney said. “There was a large number of people in the stands when we were walking in. It felt good knowing that we would be able to make music for those people.” When baritone singer and media production junior Fajar Hassan first heard the news that ManCorps would

perform the national anthem at the game, he wasn’t sure how to react. “At first, I just sat there dumbfounded in my chair. ‘What’ was all I could say, really,” Hassan said. “After a couple of days, I looked back at the email and had a completely different reaction. By this, I mean I immediately went on Facebook and Twitter to tell all my friends about it.”

Hassan, who was itching to find people to sing with, said he feels proud to be a part of ManCorps. “ManCorps is by no means average,” Hassan said. “We are strong and proud of our voices, and we will sing to our heart’s content. We are also more or less eccentric.” arts@thedailycougar.com

The Daily Cougar

8 \\ Monday, December 2, 2013

SPORTS

WARD continued from page 1

one foot in bounds, gave the Cougars a threepossession lead. “He’s a great athlete, so you can put him anywhere,” said junior receiver Daniel Spencer. “He can throw the ball, catch the ball and punt return; hats off to him. He’s one of the best that we have.” The touchdown made Ward the first Cougar to pass, rush and receive a score since Anthony Alridge in 2007. Because of Ward’s ability to play a multitude of positions, Levine called him one of the most athletic players on the team. Ward was originally recruited as a cornerback. Ward was lined up at quarterback, receiver and punt returner on Saturday; however, he was unable to showcase his returning skills, as all three of his return opportunities were fair catches. He even rushed the ball on a few draw plays. “He’s just so gifted with that athletic ability. He’s a competitor. I haven’t seen fear in him in terms of being out there. There are older, faster and bigger guys, and he just wants the football and wants to play and do whatever he can to help us be successful,” Levine said. “That combination of a young man is what you’re looking for, what you hope you get when you’re talking to young (recruits) in high school. He’s got all those qualities, those intangibles of certainly being very, very successful.” Ward has not only brought a change of pace

Freshman quarterback Greg Ward Jr. threw 40 touchdowns before an interception during his senior year of high school. | Caitlin Hilton/The Daily Cougar for the offense, but he has also forced defenses to play on their heels, which has opened up the door for big-play opportunities. At UTSA, Ward‘s 6-yard touchdown run gave the Cougars their first lead of the game in an early back-and-forth contest. Down 17-7 against BYU, Ward’s 69-yard touchdown pass brought UH within striking distance, igniting an offense that struggled early in the first quarter.

Against Rutgers, he accumulated a careerhigh 127 total yards (91 rushing, 36 passing), including his 2-yard touchdown run that put an exclamation point in a 49-14 victory. Although he can play a variety of positions that can pose a threat, Levine said it’s important to put him in the right one in order to be successful, as he doesn’t want Ward to be overwhelmed as far as orchestrating the offense at quarterback, learning receiver calls and

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participating in special teams meetings. Levine said he and the coaching staff will have to be creative in how they get the football in Ward’s hands. He played well in his first debut, lining up in many positions, and with a diverse skill set, Levine said Ward’s role will continue to expand. sports@thedailycougar.com