Issue 70, Volume 79 by The Cougar

LIFE+ARTS

HOLIDAY

Superstitions, traditions of lunar new year Students celebrate with red envelopes and family customs. SEE PAGE 7

UNIVERSITY

Re-examining Cullen Boulevard

Students have asked for repairs to the road for years, but some may be overlooking other options. SEE PAGE 4 FEBRUARY

CALENDAR CHECK: 14

St. Valentine’s Day. Be prepared to spend $50 on candy for the next week.

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, February 10, 2014

Issue 70, Volume 79

H O U S T O N

S I N C E

1 9 3 4

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

LAW

Alumni root for diversity in legal system Nancy Truong Contributing writer

John Cocharo, from Oakridge School in Arlington, has a long connection with Morgan and the contest. “I’ve come to this contest for several years now,” Cocharo said. “I just think it’s a well-run contest. I know Jeff, the professor who runs the contest, from his days at A&M. When he moved over here to the

The UH College Democrats recently hosted Sen. John Whitmire and candidate for the 113th Civil Court Steven Kirkland at the University Center North to discuss their campaigns and advocate a goal to mirror UH’s diverse population. “We have got to get more diversity into the courthouse,” Whitmire said. Whitmire and Kirkland attended UH for their law degrees before pursuing political careers. According to U H ’s I n s t i t u tional Research, 21.4 percent of UH students a re Hi s p a n i c , Whitmire 18 percent are Asian-American and 11.7 percent are interracial. Both candidates said they believe in a system that fights for diversity and hope to see equality for samesex couples, more assistance for middle- to low-class families and more minority representation among judges. “When you go to the courthouse and you’re a Spanish-speaking defendant with a judge speaking your language with your background, that has got to make a difference,” Whitmire said, who has been serving in the Texas House of Representatives for 10 years and represents the 15th Senatorial District. Kirkland began his political

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Can’t bring down the House Sophomore Danuel House’s dunk late in the second half helped the Cougars pull away with a 88-74 victory against Temple to end their five-game losing skid and obtain a .500 record. House, one of three Cougars to score in double figures, earned 16 points for the team. For coverage of the game, see page 5. — COURTNEY GREGORY/THE DAILY COUGAR

NSM

Math competition brings local whizzes to campus Maryland Faz Contributing writer

The Department of Mathematics hosted its annual Mathematics Contest, which attracted hundreds of high school and middle school students from about 60 different schools to meet and compete. The competition, which is overseen by Jeff Morgan, a math professor and associate provost of

Education Innovation and Technology, received $10,000 and 30 to 40 volunteers to bring the competition to fruition. Sophomore Sara Mughal volunteered at the contest and said the competition could change people’s perceptions of the subject. “It’s a competition, so it creates an interest in math instead of the thought that it’s a boring subject,” Mughal said.

The students competed in eight exams: algebra I and II, geometry, pre-calculus, calculator usage, APlevel calculus, statistics and physics. Afterward, there was a “smackdown competition,” a Jeopardy!-style game that had students racing against each other to answer timed algebraic problems. All the participants were enthusiastic during the morning. Teacher

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THE DAILY COUGAR

Clinical Evaluation of Soft Contact Lenses for Daily Wear The Texas Eye Research and Technology Center (TERTC) is seeking volunteers to participate in a research study to evaluate a new silicone hydrogel soft contact lens. You may be eligible for this research study if: • You are a current adapted wearer of soft contact lenses. • You have normal, healthy eyes. • Your current contact lens prescription is between -10.00 to +8.00 D, • You are 18 years of age or older.

CALENDAR Today Music: St. Louis Symphony flautist Mark Sparks will present a guest master class from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Dudley Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building.

Tuesday Workshop: The conference “Africana Aesthetics,” about African-Americans in film, media and communications, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Harris County Department of Education on 6300 Irvington Blvd. Fair: The Technology Career Fair will bring employers to campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

This study will consist of 4 visits over a period of three months that will require a total of about 4.5 hours of your time. Risks to subjects participating in this study are similar to risks associated with soft contact lens wear. The lenses will be worn on a daily wear basis (NOT overnight) for at least 8 hours per day, 5 days per week.

Celebration: Graduate College of Social Work students, faculty and staff will celebrate the Lunar New Year from noon to 1 p.m. in the GCSW Student Lounge on the second floor. Dumplings will be served.

Lenses and solutions will be provided during the course of the study at no cost to you. As an incentive, you will receive payment of up to $140.00 provided all study visits and questionnaires are completed, and all study lenses are returned. If you feel you qualify based on the information provided or if you have questions, please contact the TERTC office at (713) 743-1931 or TERTC@optometry.uh.edu or the principal investigator, Dr. Jan Bergmanson at (713) 743-1950 or jbergmanson@uh.edu.

Talk: Graduate students will present short talks on their research in the Social Sciences Lightning Talks from noon to 2 p.m. in the Rockwell Pavilion on the second floor of the M. D. Anderson Memorial Library.

This project has been approved by the University of Houston Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (713-743-9204).

HOSTED BY THE DAILY COUGAR

Talk: An informational session will be held about Austin legislative

SGA DEBATE

internships for 2015 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Graduate College of Social Work, Room 110J. Debate: A moderated discussion on climate change will continue the Energy Symposium Series, which addresses critical issues in energy, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the WaldorfAstoria Ballroom of the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Women’s Basketball: The Cougars will compete against Rutgers University from 7 to 10 p.m. at Hofheinz Pavilion.

Wednesday Workshop: Counseling and Psychological Services will present a discussion on relationships called “Dating 101” from noon to 1 p.m. in the Student Services Center 1, Room 210D. Networking: The Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management will feature guest speaker Denise O’Brien from 1 to 1:50 p.m. for the Dean’s Leadership Series to help students learn about the food service industry. The talk is open to all students. Literature: A poetry and prose reading will be presented by creative writing faculty from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Honors College Commons on the second floor 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. The Daily Cougar is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press. studentpress.org/acp

Monday , February 10, 2014 // 3

THE DAILY COUGAR

NEWS EDITOR

Amanda Hilow

news@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

thedailycougar.com/news

BRIEFS

UH, Humble advocate makes the ballot for seat on City Council The Daily Cougar news services Norman Funderburk has a long history with UH, and since his time as a mechanical engineering student, he has focused his efforts on contributing to the Humble community. After announcing his candidacy in mid-January for a seat on Humble City Council, he filed his application Jan. 29. “So it’s official: I’m on the ballot,” Funderburk said to Your Houston News. Funderburk’s father graduated from UH with a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering with support from the GI Bill after supporting the

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University of Houston, I knew that it was going to be a well-run contest when he started having it, and it’s always proven to be that way.” Team Project Competition, which had groups of up to four students who had worked on long and complex questions for a week, was the last presentation. Eisenhower High School student Brian Nguyen competed in algebra and calculus, and he was excited about the event. “I really liked the fact that the tests challenged us,” Nguyen said. “I liked when they threw the T-shirts at us and made us catch it.” UH student and faculty volunteers tossed more than 700

nation’s efforts in WWII. Funderburk spent his time at UH during the glory days when Bill Yeoman was the head football coach and Guy V. Lewis served as head basketball coach. He serves as vice president of Project Services for Koch Speciality Plant Services Inc. Throughout the years, Funderburk has remained involved within the Humble community, where he was raised and attended high school. He also serves as the authority vice president and is a member of the Finance Committee of the Northeast Hospital Board of Authority.

T-shirts into the crowd. The teachers and sponsors of the attending students also received Amazon and iTunes gift cards. The Department of Mathematics embraced the opportunity to encourage students to enjoy mathematics, have fun and discover the campus as well. “I hope they just have a great time, I really do, and it gives them an opportunity to see the University of Houston,” Morgan said. “There are a lot of students that just aren’t aware that there’s this incredible university right here in the middle of our city. We have an amazing university here, and I want people to know about that.” news@thedailycougar.com

“I believe that my track record of service in the community speaks to the level of pride, dedication and commitment that I have for the city and its citizens,” Funderburk said to Your Houston News. “My work experience, combined with 15 years of service on the NE Hospital Board of Authority, has prepared me to serve the citizens of Humble in this role.” Student Government Association begins campaign season The Election Commission that oversees the Student Government

Association elections has been working toward high voter turnout this season. The filing period for candidates ended with more than 80 applicants for president, vice president, undergraduate at-large and college senator positions at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Chief Elections Commissioner Kendrick Alridge said. The campaigning season began Sunday at midnight. Five parties have registered with the Commission: House of Red, Haus of Red, Cougar Pawlitics, The “We” Party and REDvolution. A presidential debate hosted by The

Daily Cougar, moderated by professor Simon Bott, will be open to the public from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Kiva Room at Farish Hall. Campaigning will end at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27. Voting will be open from Feb. 25 to 27 with polling locations at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, University Center and M.D. Anderson Memorial Library among other locations. More information on the election and its codes can be found on the SGA site. news@thedailycougar.com

Middle and high school students from all over of Houston gathered in the Science and Engineering Classroom Building to compete in a series of math tests and to solve the project problem presented for the day on visualizing objects in multidimensional space during the Department of Mathematics’s annual contest. | Courtesy of Trung Nguyen

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On the big comfy couch As part of the Muslim Student Association’s Islam Week, a couch was placed in Butler Plaza so students could spin a wheel, pick a topic and take a seat. The Conversation Couch was one of five events that were held throughout the week of Feb. 3, which included cooking, sermons and a “Count Your Blessings” challenge. — JENNA FRENZEL/THE DAILY COUGAR

career through the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement and said he sees that with the 2008 presidential elections, more judges of minority backgrounds are stepping up and running for positions. “We doubled the number of African-American judges sitting at the bench,” Kirkland said. “ We d o u bled the number of Hispanic Kirkland judges sitting at the bench, and we elected the firstever South Asian judge.”

Whitmore and Kirkland will be on the Democratic ballot for the primary election on March 4. Vice president of UH College Democrats Tatiana Lutomski works to promote the organization and organize events where guest speakers can share their knowledge and experience. “There are 40,000 or more students at UH, and I’m sure plenty are Democrats,” she said. “We’ve posted flyers and sent emails, hoping to reach out to those students that aren’t aware of our organization.” For more information about UH College Democrats, email collegedemsuh@gmail.com or visit its Facebook page at facebook.com/ collegedemsuh. news@thedailycougar.com

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THE DAILY COUGAR

OPINION EDITOR James Wang EMAIL

opinion@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

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UNIVERSITY

Repairs aren’t only option for Cullen Boulevard

et me paint a picture most Cougars will be familiar with. You’re commuting to campus after puttering through miles of traffic. You pass through the University gateway at the entrance of Cullen Boulevard. You trudge past the overpacked dirt economy lots Kelly with the hope of Schafler finding more luck in the Wheeler and Cullen corner lot. You’re betting that there will at least be a space originally intended for a Smart Car into which you can uncomfortably squeeze — if you can arrive in one piece. In order to reach this malnourished spot, you first have to make your way down the bumpy, suspension-murdering terrain that is the concrete road we students waywardly drive down. Cullen Boulevard is the thorn in the Cougar paw of our University. Multiple times we’ve heard promises that Cullen Boulevard would be remodeled, without any follow-through. However, during Mayor Annise Parker’s last visit to UH, she empathized with Cougars during her guest speech. Parker acknowledged that the Cullen Boulevard situation was less than favorable, and she said the city of Houston would begin looking for a solution to our treacherous terrain. UH has been in limbo with the city for awhile now concerning the rights to Cullen. While roads in Houston are meant to be maintained and repaired by the city and paid for by the taxes of the people of Houston, universities fall under different standards than the surrounding roads. I sat down with SGA Director of External Affairs Bria Riley to discuss her part as one of the frontrunners of the Cullen initiative. “Our main prerogative this year was really trying to get the city of Houston to give us a declaration or some type of timeline saying that they would go back in to rebuild

Cullen,” Riley said. In addition, Riley spoke with me about the ReBuild Houston initiative that Parker is involved with. Parker implemented it to make Houston a safer and more beautiful place. According to RebuildHouston. org, the project is “the city of Houston’s initiative to improve the quality of life and mobility for residents of the city by rebuilding our drainage and street infrastructure.” Basically, the city of Houston looks at the streets with the most deplorable conditions and places them on a priority list. Then they use the tax dollars collected from within that area to repair and maintain streets. Due to this fact, the main problem preventing any real work from being done to Cullen has been deciding where to get the funds to fix it. The problem is that UH is a university campus; therefore, the University is unable to collect taxes because it is an educational institution. Currently, UH administrators and officials with the city of Houston are in negotiations concerning finances toward the restructuring of Cullen. One finance option in the mix is connecting UH with a neighboring tax-increment-reinvestment zone so that the University may funnel work with this zone to, in a way, inadvertently pay for taxes. Following the financial debate, the next step would be finding the time to do this rebuilding.

In the end, the concern and dedication of the students is what spearheaded this operation, so it’s good to remember that we can make some kind of difference — even if it takes years.” Kelly Schafler, on the laborious process of renovating Cullen Boulevard

THE DAILY COUGAR EDITORIAL BOARD Channler K. Hill Natalie Harms WEB EDITOR Jenae Sitzes NEWS EDITOR Amanda Hilow SPORTS EDITOR Christopher Shelton LIFE & ARTS EDITOR Monica Tso PHOTO EDITOR Izmail Glosson OPINION EDITOR James Wang ASSISTANT EDITORS Laura Gillespie, Nora Olabi, Justin Tijerina, Andrew Valderas EDITOR IN CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

With the construction of our new multimillion-dollar stadium, Cullen Boulevard will hopefully receive patchwork before the grand opening in August 2014. Yes, I said patchwork. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed to find out that mere patchwork was being done. While I wasn’t expecting Cullen to be paved with golden angel tears, the word “patchwork” being used to describe the fixing of a street that needs to be completely rebuilt was disappointing. Some Cougars may now want to throw their hands in the air in light of hearing that the equivalent of a Band-Aid is going to be used to fix our street, but don’t lose hope yet, because definite changes are in the future. While these changes are not yet concrete, there have been options tossed around about how to proceed with Cullen. The most familiar option for Cullen Boulevard between Wheeler and Elgin is to eventually rip up the entire street and begin from scratch. Other options involve closing off a section of Cullen in order to encompass it into the campus community. This closed-off area may become either a series of walkways, grass and fountains used to connect the University or a grassy area used to host tailgate tents for the games. The Daily Cougar set up a poll to find out which of these options Cougars would prefer. As of Thursday, the poll showed that 38 percent of students want Cullen Boulevard to be completely repaved so that people may drive safely; 46 percent would prefer to have Cullen enclosed to create a series of fountains and walkways connecting the University to the dorms, stadium and gymnasium; 10 percent of Cougars would be content with patchwork that would not shut down the boulevard for an extended period of time. Only 6 percent of students would like Cullen Boulevard to be used as a tailgating space for football games and functions. (There were 276 votes

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 in the poll). In the beginning, Riley was unsure of how she personally felt about the options to change Cullen Boulevard. “Initially I was like, ‘No, there is going to be so much traffic if we have to go around, and there aren’t enough streets on this University as is, and it’ll get backed up. We need Cullen to stay open,” Riley said. “But now that I’m thinking about it, it would either be (Cullen being reconstructed) or making it a tailgate zone. If we are going to be shutting it down completely and encompassing it into the University, it doesn’t need to be a waste of space, basically. If we can utilize it to our advantage, we should.” After the initial patchwork is done, the hope is that major changes will be made within that

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 N221, University Center; 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

same year and finished within the following two years. In the end, students’ concern and dedication are what spearheaded this operation, so it’s good to remember that we can make some kind of difference — even if it takes years. In the meantime, students can go to the SGA-created Improve UH website at improve.uh.edu to discuss our campus community with their peers. Students are encouraged to make meaningful suggestions and to remember that administrators of the school look at Improve UH, so change is possible. There is hope for Cullen Boulevard — and our sanity. Senior staff columnist Kelly Schafler is a print journalism 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 N221, University Center; e-mail them to letters@ thedailycougar.com; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.

Monday, February 10, 2014 // 5

THE DAILY COUGAR

SPORTS EDITOR

Christopher Shelton

sports@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

UH ends skid, gets past Owls Jordan Lewis Senior staff writer

UH finally broke its five-game losing streak with a solid 88-74 win against Temple in a collective effort. Both teams had a balanced attack of scoring, but the Owls were unable to match the Cougars’ depth, which cost them the edge in the game. Junior forward TaShawn Thomas led all scorers with 25 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Danuel House had 16 points, and senior guard Brandon Morris added 15 points on five 3-pointers. UH found its stroke from downtown, converting on 11 3-pointers, and had four players scoring in double figures. Sophomore guard Jherrod Stiggers led the charge off the bench, contributing 20 points, including five 3-pointers of his own. “I feel like we can always play like this if we can share the ball,” Thomas said. “We have a lot of talented people on this team that can score, but the thing we have to focus on is defense.” The Cougars had 22 team assists and were pleased with the unselfishness of this game, said head coach James Dickey. Temple had five players score in double figures, which they needed since they only had six players to play more than 10 minutes. After a tough loss against Louisville ,UH was in need of a win to get

Junior forward TaShawn Thomas (25 points) and the Cougars came together in the second half to hold off a late Owl comeback | Courtney Gregory/The Daily Cougar out of its slump — having lost five straight and six of the last seven as it entered the game. The Cougars continued to struggle to protect the ball in the first half, allowing 11 points off turnovers. Early in the game, the Cougars’ defense was so solid, it was fighting itself for rebounds. The game got out of hand, but the Owls battled back in the second half to draw the deficit

within five, and House’s dunk with 7:35 left in the game gave the Cougars the momentum they needed to pull away and secure the win. “I went to the front of the bench, asking Coach to call a timeout because we weren’t ready. Then, out of nowhere, House dunked. Then I said, ‘Never mind — he’s got it,’” Stiggers said. Temple head coach Fran Dunphy

has led the Owls to seven straight NCAA tournament bids, but it doesn’t look like that will be the case this season. Temple has won only one of its last 10 games, and it is last in the conference, now with a 6-16 overall record and 1-9 in conference play. The Cougars’ starting lineup changed again. They went to a bigger presence in the frontcourt with

redshirt freshman Danrad Knowles, Thomas, House, Morris and sophomore L.J. Rose in the backcourt. The Cougars are now 12-12 overall and 4-7 in conference play. “We have to keep pecking away,” Dickey said. “There are still some games out there that we have to go get.” sports@thedailycougar.com

SOFTBALL

St. Pierre seeks strong second campaign Sean Alder Contributing writer

Sophomore outfielder Katie St. Pierre says a tight bond with her teammates had helped make a smooth transition from high school. | File photo/The Daily Cougar

Though she was only a freshman, outfielder Katie St. Pierre was a key part of the team last season as she set a UH record for highest freshman batting average at .376 and longest hit streak at 21 games. The Flower Mound native came to the team prepared to step in and contribute. St. Pierre said she enjoyed the transition from high school because her teammates made it easier. “It was a different atmosphere here. The team felt a lot closer than my high school, and I felt like this was a family,” she said. After St. Pierre made a strong impact during her first year, helping UH earn a 41-20 record and reach the NCAA tournament, head coach Kyla Holas said she believes St. Pierre will

continue to play a pivotal role. “She shows up every day, and she’s that consistent player,” Holas said. “She’s had a whole year under her belt, and we’re really expecting her not only to lead the outfield, but also to offensively be that spark plug for us.” Leading the team with 67 hits last season, St. Pierre is expected to help the Cougars transition to a new offensive philosophy. “Last year, the main goal was doubles. This year, we’re wanting more power,” said senior catcher Haley Outon, who was named the 2013 Conference USA player of the year. As a returning team leader, Outon said the Cougars need to work on communication and will need contributions from all 15 players to reach their goals. St. Pierre plans to take on these

jobs in stride while also growing into more of a leader by the time UH faces Sam Houston State on Friday for its season opener at Cougar Softball Field. “We did a lot extra stuff last year, and this year, we’re looking to put in more work. I’m looking to communicate more and be more vocal in the outfield, especially ,” St. Pierre said. “We have a lot of newcomers this year, and we need to help them out as leaders.” Though the team made the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season, the Cougars are preparing to put all of their effort toward an even better season. “We’re looking to build on last year and get 60 wins this year,” St. Pierre said. sports@thedailycougar.com

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The Daily Cougar

CLASSIFIEDS Find a home. Find a job. Find it here.

Bulletin Board

Help Wanted

ADS START AT $5/DAY

CALL 713-743-5356 Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Fertility Resources of Houston

Egg Donors Needed! Compensation $5,000-$8,000.

Must be: non-smoker, healthy, BMI within normal ranges, and between 19-30 years old. Visit www.fertilityresourceshouston.com or call 713.783.7044 for more information and to fill out a preliminary application.

SCIENCE FICTION: Changes may be genetically engineered, outside us or inside us, with or without our consent. WONDERS AND TRAGEDIES, a science fiction novel, is by Alan Kovski. Available via Amazon.com SCIENCE FICTION: After a global catastrophe, how will we rebuild our world? What vision will we follow? And who will corrupt it? WILDERNESS, a science fiction novel, is by Alan Kovski. Available via Amazon.com SCIENCE FICTION: The future may be beautiful, terrible, bewildering. People will have to deal with it somehow. REMEMBERING THE FUTURE: science fiction stories by Alan Kovski. Available via Amazon.com IT’S HARD TO FIND GOOD HELP these days, but not with The Daily Cougar Classifieds. Just one ad can reach thousands of potential employees! Call 713-743-5356.

Please submit resume or contact information to HR at personnel@thebriarclub.com or call 713-622-3667 ext. 2109

PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT needed for internet advertising for small auto dealership and wheel and tire shop. Must have internet experience and be knowledgeable with website design. Flexible hours. 20 to 30 hour work week. Apply with no phone calls necessary 7070 Southwest Fwy, Houston, TX 77074.

Children’s Museum of Houston hiring a gift shop associate

To help stock, organize and clean the Museum gift shop. Will operate cash register and work 20 hours per week and must be able to have flexible year round part-time schedule. Requires ability to work Thursday nights and weekends. Min. HS diploma required as well as previous retail experience.

Please apply at cmhouston.org/careers

Off campus? Online  Get more Classifieds daily at thedailycougar.com/classifieds

Children’s Museum of Houston now hiring for spring break Couryard Concessions (part time). Set up and/or take down outside concessions. Maintain inventory of stock levels. Monitor vending machines. Handle cash transactions and prepare cash for deposits. Must have ability to stand extended periods of time. Must be able to stay alert during slow periods. Must be able to endure climate change. Must be able to lift 25 pounds; carry, load carts and coolers.

Please apply at cmhouston.org/careers P/T EMPLOYMENT After School Program Instructor. 2-6pm M-F. Christian School, Galleria area. Email resume: cebbs@robs.org

COMICS Cynical Ted by Francis Emelogu

ACROSS 1 Canned meat brand 5 Guard on the deck 9 Milky way? 14 Beginning of a conclusion 15 Swirling current 16 Italian white 17 Not as much, to a professor? 20 Presley’s birthplace 21 Title for Laurence Olivier 22 Serve up mixed drinks 23 Poem full of praise 24 Locust or fly 26 Like a koala bear 28 Commits a boo-boo 30 What some keepers keep 34 Warmed the bench 37 Guitarist’s device 39 Skylit courtyards 40 Hoisted with one’s own petard

44 Verbally retract 45 Lose it during a debate 46 “Told ya!” 47 Ruler with absolute power 49 No mere spectator 51 Use shears 53 Omega predecessor 54 Miss identification? 57 Hopdrying kiln 60 Biting breeze 62 Lathered (up) 64 What not even the richest person on Earth has 67 1,000 kilograms, to a Brit 68 Popular lunch bag munchie 69 Eagle of the sea 70 Mary-Kate or Ashley 71 Ballet costume 72 Drink for Robin Hood DOWN 1 Brief fracas 2 Like

3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 19 25 27 29 31 32 33

a peacock? Showing shock Small burrowing rodent Asset Newspaper moneymakers 15th of March, say Line of a song Take off the shelf Canine’s canines Test one’s courage Tied up Sax player’s purchase River through Hamburg Part of D.E.A. Kind of boat or train TV dinner platform Daytona measurement Interesting historical periods Egypt’s main water supply Out of harm’s way

want more? Check out more Studentdrawn comics online...

thedailycougar.com/comics

Puzzle answers online: www.thedailycougar.com/puzzles

THE DAILY COUGAR

34 Seven card poker game 35 Ground floor apartment 36 Turn’s partner 38 Ship deck 41 Crowning event 42 City northeast of St. Etienne 43 Response to a sneeze 48 Antler prong 50 Situation for tear gas 52 Turn on a point 54 Part of a steeple 55 Reddishbrown dye 56 Whipped by a whisker 57 Snorkel’s dog 58 Missing from the base 59 Some family tree members 61 Land in the Andes 63 “May I speak?” 65 Marshy area 66 Like a prof. emeritus

Monday, February 10, 2014 // 7

THE DAILY COUGAR

LIFE & ARTS EDITOR

Monica Tso

arts@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

thedailycougar.com/life-arts

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Students, such as alumna Mai Nguyen, participated in lion dances to celebrate the Lunar New Year and observed family traditions to welcome good luck, fortune and happiness. | Courtesy of Mai Nguyen

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Diana Nguyen Staff writer

When the month of January came to a close and February crept around the corner, Asian families around the world, predominantly the Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, participate in the celebration of the Lunar New Year . Themes of good fortune, happiness, wealth and longevity are represented. Firecrackers are lit, red envelopes known as “li xi” or “tao hongbao,” in Vietnamese and Chinese respectively, are exchanged, festive lion dances take place, and a feast is shared to usher in the New Year of the Horse. To prepare for Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, many Chinese and Vietnamese families cook special holiday foods and thoroughly clean the house in order to sweep away any bad luck. Some traditions include visiting temple to pray for their ancestors or receive blessings from monks. Apart from the usual traditions of the Lunar New Year, the holiday is filled with surprising customs and even superstitions. Hotel and Restaurant management sophomore Tai Nguyen shares his firsthand experience of superstitions. “My parents make me walk through the front of the house during New Years so we are the first one

coming through.” Tai said. “I’ve always thought that was weird. And we pray to the kitchen gods.” Biology graduate Mai Nguyen, who has participated in Lion dances “believed to bring good luck to businesses for the new year” shares similar experiences. “My grandparents used to ask my older brother to be the first to enter their house on the new year.” Mai said. “They believed it would bless their house and bring them good luck. My mom also set up an altar for the kitchen gods.” Biology senior Tina Le Nguyen said her uncle is the go-to guy for her family because of his zodiac sign. “We always ask our uncle, who is a dragon on the Lunar zodiac, to come into our house on the morning of the new year.” Tina said. Another common superstition is the placement of a table. “According to my mom we have to place the table and incense in front of door to show our ancestors the way back into our home.” Tina said. Some other superstitions include not taking out the trash on the first day, which is believed will wash away good luck and prosperity, and not visiting friends and family on the third day, since it’s a day prone to arguments. On the seventh day, it’s a day to celebrate everyone’s birthday. Media Productions junior Lam

Nguyen celebrated the Lunar New Year by taking part in a parade. Nguyen was one of the flag bearers and marched from Wilcrest to Cook on Bellaire Blvd. The parade included floats that resembled dragons and traditionally Vietnamese cultural items. “Although some believe the Lunar New Year lasts 15 days, my family celebrates it in three days. We celebrate it by eating stuffed rice cake and going to the temple to bring in good luck.” Lam said. “There is this belief that we’re not supposed to do or say anything negative during this three-day period for it would bring bad luck into the home and family. We’re also not supposed to open drawers on new year’s eve because it would bringing in bad spirits.” Petroleum Engineer graduate Kyo Tran finds the Lunar New Year traditions a hassle. “There are so many rules and restrictions. I personally don’t believe in them but my mom does, so I try to make her happy,” Tran said. “I’m older now so I don’t receive red envelopes anymore. But I was pleasantly surprised when my professor for my Vietnamese class had given us a ‘li xi’ envelope with a two dollar bill. I think maybe this year will be lucky for me after all.” arts@thedailycougar.com

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THE DAILY COUGAR

LIFE+ARTS VOLUNTEER

Guiding, mentoring kids to success Diana Nguyen Staff writer

The Cougars for Kids community service volunteer program was established six years ago in an effort to give UH students a chance to make a positive influence on kids and give back to the community. Technology professor Jerry Evans created Cougars for Kids after being inspired by his wife’s company volunteer trip. Ten years ago, Gil Evans, who had worked as the project manager for the Fortune 500 Company, invited Jerry out to an elementary school to volunteer with her. Since then, the idea stayed with him, later inspiring him to create something bigger. “One night, six years ago, it was a November evening, after I taught my class and I was leaving around 9:30, I’d began seriously thinking about it,” he said. “We need to do something to get our kids at this college to start volunteering. And I thought hospitals, children’s hospitals.” As a result, Cougars for Kids began with 30 students from the College of Technology. Evans, who personally went to volunteer at the Texas Children’s, M.D.

Anderson and Memorial Hermann hospitals, decided to expand the program by asking the dean of technology to open it to the entire University. Cougars for Kids opened to the University at large the following spring semester, and it quickly grew with students with various majors. The program transitioned to include not only hospitals but tutoring and mentorship at local schools around the greater Houston area. “We read to children, play games with them and we tutor them,” Evans said. “We get all of these students with all these different degrees; we’ve got a real cross section of tutoring help. Whatever we can help them with. We are there to make their lives better.” One of the program’s objectives is to help students reach their goals. “In schools, we do mentoring — some tutoring but mostly mentoring,” Evans said. “They will be paired up with (elementary to high school) students to help them along. It’s kind of like, ‘What are your goals?’ That’s the big thing. Our students work with the kids to help them identify their goals and to make a plan to reach them.” Dean of Technology and assistant director of Cougars for Kids Lois

Founded six years ago, the Cougars for Kids gives students the opportunity to work with kids at local schools and hospitals to encourage motivation and help them reach their goals. | Courtesy of Cougars for Kids Nichols, who hosts Lollipop Radio at Texas Children’s Hospital, hopes to instill confidence in the students. “We hope to make them believe in themselves, to be able to think they can do more than they thought they could,” Nichols said. “A child may think that if no one in their family has gone to college, they wouldn’t be able to. It’s more of a positive influence and having them see their other options.” The program is open to the UH community. Volunteers are asked to give one to two hours of their time a

week if volunteering at schools and two to three hours a week at hospitals, and orientations occur once a month. “Some of them choose to go back to the school they came from. Some volunteers choose close to here since it’s close to their classes. We let them pick which one,” Nichols said. Education senior Angela Nguyen said she loves the idea. “I love that UH has this. I never knew about this program before, but I definitely want to join. I’m going to get my sisters involved as well,” Nguyen said. “I’ve had a vast experience babysitting

and with the Fort Bend School District teaching kids, but I feel volunteering has a very different approach, one that tends to be more personal.” Education senior Carlos Benito agrees that it’s a great idea. “Kids are at the stage where they are easily influenced. It’s important for them to have good role models or a good support system of people who believe in them,” Benito said. “I find their future success correlates with upbringing.” arts@thedailycougar.com

MUSIC

Review: Rap artist finds inspiration for motivation Kevin Lacson Staff writer

Born and raised in Houston, an ambitious hip-hop artist emerges to advance his music to the next level. Graphic design junior Sherif Omotunwashe released his mixtape “Artist Rendition” three years ago, marking the first cohesive project that he completed following a string of smaller works before he actually began to take music seriously. Omotunwashe never had the opportunity to promote this mixtape and push it out to the community, since he gave up rapping shortly afterwards. As of now, however, his inspiration is back, and this revisit is a prelude to Omotunwashe’s future work that he has been perfecting for the past couple of months. “I would like to think of my music as ‘music for the soul,’” Omotunwashe said. “I’m not trying to preach to you or tell you what the right thing is. I just talk about problems in my life in hopes that you can all relate to it.” The mixtape opens with the title track, “Artist Rendition,” instantly asserting the theme for the project with the subtle and coffee-shopesque female vocal background in contrast with Omotunwashe’s

Three years ago, graphic design junior Sherif Omotunwashe released a mixtape, “Artist Rendition,” that was created by cultural influences and musical inspirations. | Courtesy of Sherif Omotunwashe smooth but confident narration. “My main inspiration behind this mixtape was Lauryn Hill and Kanye West. I love the way he made his ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ album sound like a movie,” Omotunwashe said. “I was just observing the world and writing down my take on situations. That’s how this mixtape actually got started.”

His skill in wordplay is quite evident, such as when he utilizes the multiple definitions of “deserts” throughout the course of just a couple of bars. He continues by filling the song with a solid rhyming scheme, clever metaphors and some well-placed double entendres. The entire album follows a soulful and relaxing vibe, compounded with a steady flow and thought-provoking

lyrics. Notable songs include “Happy Birthday,” “The Ending,” “Nobody” and “The Battle.” “The Ending” is embellished with a melodic piano background, and Omotunwashe emotes his somber feeling about his relationship in a way that connects with listeners and allows them to relate to his words. He continues this feeling of melancholy with the next track, “Nobody,” and continues to display a deep understanding of album continuity and succeeds in his desire to create a cinematic feel for his mixtape, causing the listener to create a mental story that connects all of his songs into one cohesive unit. Omotunwashe ends his mixtape with “The Battle,” which begins with a monologue featuring a woman speaking about “conquering the enemy in yourself” in order to deal with anyone standing in the way of your dreams and the fact that, in order to accomplish that, you must be “humiliated, kicked and beaten.” This track is fantastic and is about feeling the motivation to keep going. Omotunwashe references Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream, the epitome of ambition and aspiration, which can be applied to his desire to get his word out and make a difference in the hip-hop world and

himself. The added layer of sound that can be interpreted as an old vinyl record or cassette tape leads the listener to regard Omotunwashe as an artist who will be remembered and listened for years. “I want to create my own lane in rap. I want to be remembered for my lyricism, but I want to be legendary for my ability to create music,” Omotunwashe said. “The way I put a song together and the feeling it gives you when you listen — I feel like there are plenty of rappers who say their music is soulful, but not a lot of them do it right.” arts@thedailycougar.com

LISTEN “Artist Rendition” track list

Artist Rendition (feat. Nick) As Cool As I (feat. Ohbeeswice) Let Loose Happy Birthday Old School (feat. Mahem Monroe, Ducey Duce) Interlude The Beginning (feat. Simone) The Ending (feat. Simone) Nobody Change The Battle