Issue 80, Volume 79 by The Cougar

SPORTS

FOOTBALL

Leone gets his opportunity Former UH Richie Leone punter was a highly scouted prospect who showcased his talents in front of coaches at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. SEE PAGE 5

EVENTS

Giving thanks through song

Karaoke night was the first event this week of Philanthropy Awareness Week, hosted to give thanks to alumni investments. SEE PAGE 7 FEBRUARY

CALENDAR CHECK: 28

Bowl-a-Thon. Make bowls to raise funds for the hungry from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Ceramics Studio in the Fine Arts Bldg.

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

O F

T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

O F

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Issue 80, Volume 79

H O U S T O N

REDvolution party presidential candidate Charles Haston and vice presidential candidate Erica Tat fought to remain on the Student Government Association ballot on Monday night after being charged with failure to submit required campaign documents, as well as charges against Haston for falsifying financial forms. For more than four hours, the SGA senate chamber heard from the defense. For the full story, visit thedailycougar. com/news.

The Center for Public History received a $200,000 grant and endowment from UH alumnus Welcome Wilson Sr. to preserve its endeavor to keep Houston and University history alive. Wilson, former chairman of the UH System Board of Regents, established the Welcome W. Wilson Endowment, which came at a crucial time for the financially struggling Houston History Project, now renamed to the Welcome Wilson Houston History Collaborative. “It was a crucial moment; we always had to hustle funding,” said Joe Pratt, director of the WWHHC and Houston History Magazine editor in chief. “The endowment and the grant as a whole is going to help us expand our project. It is going to help us to hire students.”

Staff writer

GRANTS continues on page 2

Alumnus Chris Cookson (top left) approached Welcome Wilson Sr. (bottom left) on behalf of the Center for Public History to discuss the possibility of an endowment to save the program. Wilson granted the Center a $200,000 endowment. | Courtesy of Nancy Clark magazine is that the magazine will continue. We’ve been publishing the magazine at the University since 2003, and for any project like that to continue, you have to have funding, so his grant makes a big difference to us for our future.” Martin Melosi, director of Center for Public History, said this grant and

Ryan Graham

HISTORY continues on page 3

Alumnus saves Houston History Project Staff writer

Sizable grants spur UH research

endowment will help the new history collaborative. “(Wilson) had been a patron of the Houston History Magazine as a subscriber, and it just took a third party to introduce us together to match his interest with our needs,” Melosi said.

ENDOWMENT

Timothy Payne

CLASS

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences was awarded a total of approximately $4 million in grants through various organizations during the last calendar year. Each year, grants such as these go to research projects in hopes that these projects will help society and advance UH as a university. “The whole Tier One push is about connecting research and students,” said Associate Dean of Faculty and Research Steven Craig. “The difference between a teaching university and a research university is that at a research university, the students are more directly involved, and that’s what we’re aiming for.” Grant projects cover a variety of topics and ideas and can come from any department within CLASS, but they share an end goal of having a positive impact on society. Examples of this work can be found at UH’s Anxiety and Health Research Lab and Substance Use Treatment Clinic. This group is a help clinic for people with issues such as behavioral health issues or drug addictions, and it is also a laboratory used to educate students in related fields. Nine different grant research projects are underway at the clinic. “We have a number of different grant projects at any given time. For example, one study is working on addressing anxiety in people who are HIV-positive and applying new treatment methods for people struggling to maintain their

— Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar

Funds for the endowment will help employ graduate and undergraduate students to gain hands-on experience by researching and writing about history, Pratt said. “The funding is in part to continue student support,” he said. “We also have costs, like the publication and the mailing of the magazine, but the student support is the big one. I think that’s what makes it a good project and particularly good for a man like Welcome Wilson’s support.” Debbie Harwell, managing editor of HHM, called it “a close one,” as Wilson’s grant came when the fate of the magazine was unclear. “We had reached a point where we weren’t sure the magazine would be able to continue. Obviously, things have become more expensive today to produce print magazines, where a lot of publications, including The Daily Cougar, are either cutting out or cutting back on print,” Harwell said. “I think the most important thing Welcome’s grant means for the

1 9 3 4

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

Battle to stay on the ballot

Much-needed grant arrives at opportune time for UH-run mag

S I N C E

2 \\ Tuesday, February 25, 2014

THE DAILY COUGAR

NEWS

GRANTS continued from page 1

We have Student Specials you can’t pass up!

Secure your space now for Fall 2014 & Spring 2015 Move in before the semester with great summer specials Enjoy having your own private suite

TEXT SAVOY TO 47646

Room N221, UC North

medication. Another is exploring smoking addictions,” said professor Michael Zvolensky, director of the center. “The study observes how smokers go about consuming their cigarettes, in ways such as how long they inhale or how long they go between inhales, and combines this with what we call ‘smoking topography,’ which observes smoking’s role in their sense of anxiety. The assessment is very in-depth in nature.” Another example of a psychology-based study is being run at the Sleep and Anxiety Center for Kids, titled “When Parents Go to War: Psychosocial Adjustment among the Families of Deployed Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Service Members.” More casually known as the Military Family Project, this study, funded by the Department of Defense, takes an in-depth look at the psychological effects of spouses and children of those serving in the military. The study takes a unique approach, forgoing question-andanswer sessions in favor of observing biological measures of stress to help avoid unintentional bias. The researchers take bio-readings and perform sleep studies with members of families of all walks of life. “Throughout my own military career, I saw a lot of my buddies’ families destroyed during our employment cycle,” said psychology graduate student Simon Lau, project coordinator for the Military Family Project. “I could only do so much to help since I wasn’t trained, but I wanted

to get educated so I could help military families more directly. Hopefully with this research, we’ll be able to develop more preventative or interventional ways to deal with these stressors before the deployment cycle begins.” Most grants to CLASS students fall under one of three departments: psychology, communication disorders or health and human performance. “These departments receive so many grants because the money is absolutely necessary for their research,” Craig said. “That’s not to say that other departments, like English or history, never receive grant money. They tend to use it in other ways, such as a community outreach program, an out-of-thenorm trip or to hire more grad students.” A project from a different CLASS department that receives grant money is the Gulf Coast Food Project. The GCFP is a group venture by documentary filmmaking professor Temple Northup and history professors Todd Romero and Monica Perales that attempts to take a close, intimate look at the varied cultures of Houston, using the subject of food to bring them all together. The project encompasses audio and video projects and was awarded a $100,000 grant from the National Endowment for Humanities last December. “The thing you have to remember is you can’t have a class called Creativity 101,” Craig said. “If you want to have a top-notch school, you need to integrate students and research into unique, creative projects so that everyone benefits.” news@thedailycougar.com

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

Center for Student Media (713) 743-5350 www.uh.edu/csm Room 221 UC North Center for Student Media University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-4015

Issue staff Copy editing

Joshua Cochran

Copy chief David Bryant

Closing editors

Natalie Harms, Channler K. Hill

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

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 // 3

THE DAILY COUGAR

NEWS EDITOR

HISTORY continued from page 1

“One of the major components of the Center for Public History is the focus on local and regional history. The endowment and the gift in general will provide to help us to continue to

produce the Houston History Magazine, further development of the Oral History Project on Houston topics, help to fund the Houston Archive we’ve developed and also the development of a project called UH Memories, which deals with a film history of UH.” Melosi said there is already a UH Memories film, but it focuses mostly on

the World War II era. The new collaborative established by the endowment is moving forward to bring the film to a larger scale. “I think our most immediate goal (for UH Memories) is to do a series of documentaries or a full-scale documentary that covers the whole history of the University and several important

Amanda Hilow

news@thedailycougar.com

themes of the University.” Wilson’s gift is appreciated by the Center for Public History, as it reinstates its focus on UH history. “Welcome is really an amazingly interesting individual. He lived through so much of Houston’s history, and he loves history,” Pratt said. “When I see Welcome, he immediately talks about

ONLINE

thedailycougar.com/news

history, telling me stories I never heard that are good stories about important Houstonians and the evolution of UH.” news@thedailycougar.com

OBITUARIES

Campus remembers professors The Daily Cougar News Services Former Optometry Dean William R. Baldwin, O.D. and professor emeritus James R. Benbrook have passed away at the ages of 87 and 75, respectively. The UH flag flew at half-mast last week in memory of Baldwin. Baldwin, Optometry dean from 1979 to 1990, was inducted to the Optometry Hall of Fame in 2011. The UH College of Optometry “took critical steps toward becoming a recognized vision research center under Baldwin’s leadership,” according to a UH press release. He served as the executive director and later chairman for the board of directors of the River Blindness Foundation, an organization established in 1989 in Africa to help fight river blindness. He also assisted in forming optometry schools in Poland, Nigeria, Israel and Sri Lanka. Benbrook served two terms as chair of the University’s physics department. He conducted research including studying cosmic ray intensity as a member of the UH Space Physics Group, and was the Undergraduate Studies Committee Chair. He received the UH Provost’s Core Teaching Excellence Award in 2008 before his retirement, “in recognition of his outstanding teaching.” Those who wish to make contributions in Baldwin’s honor may donate to the Dr. William R. Baldwin Scholarship at the UH College of Optometry. Those wanting to make donations in Benbrook’s honor may contribute to the Alzheimer’s Association, Parkinson’s Society, the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or the UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. news@thedailycougar.com

Denny Dao, Laurianne Dib and Taylor Moses are participating in the food stamp challenge this week with assistant professor Daphne Hernandez’s honors nutrition policy course. | Courtesy of UH

4 \\ Tuesday, February 25, 2014

THE DAILY COUGAR

OPINION EDITOR James Wang EMAIL

opinion@thedailycougar.com

CAMPUS

UH attendance policies unnecessary

ost of us start the semester off with good intentions. We’re on campus at the crack of dawn with a screenshot of our schedules in one hand and a moist palm’s worth of anxiety in the other. We park our butts in those rigid seats, prepare to take scrupulous notes and then summon a godlike focus, for the professor is about to speak. For some it may take a week; for others, perhaps two or three. But at some point Marcus the realization occurs: There’s Arceneaux no need to come to this class. The tests and quizzes correlate perfectly with the material in the book or online. Also, understanding and comprehending the material on one’s own is not daunting in the least. There is no need to “will yourself” out of bed in order to succeed in the course. Nor is there need to occupy space for the superficial purpose of apparent learning. Unfortunately, freedom comes at a price. After three absences, most professors start chipping away at a student’s grade. Or maybe, depending on who the professor is, the student is dropped altogether. A French course I’m taking this semester has one of the exact attendance policies mentioned above — after three absences, subtractions start to occur. The syllabus from French 1501 — Elementary French I — reads that students should “note that absence for personal convenience, (or) problem with transportation to campus, family event, personal or professional trips unrelated to University business, occasional sickness, will not be excused.” Using the phrase “personal convenience” is smart. Already, any obstacle life throws at you for not attending is marginalized to a petty, underwhelming circumstance. You’re not missing class because of something truly inhibitory, you’re missing it because of “personal convenience.” After speaking with French professor Christina Voulali concerning what seemed to be an unjust application of academic repercussion, not much was brought to light. She politely said that her department collectively agreed on this rule, and if exceptions were made for one, eventually, they would be made for all. Continuing, Voulali said that she didn’t have much say on the matter and suggested emailing the director of the French program, Claudine Giacchetti, who was on sabbatical. This was a dead end, however, for Giacchetti

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

ONLINE

thedailycougar.com/opinion

GUEST COLUMN

Stopping the cycle of racism Jessica Luong Guest columnist

knew if I didn’t come to class, points would be taken off my grade.” One should not have to uncomfortably reveal one’s private affairs — unless they prevent a student from taking an exam — to a professor, as if to receive a pittance of their compassion. If a student is capable of studying and managing the workload outside of class, let it be. However, there is a more ethical and fiscal reason why teachers harp on attendance: federal regulations regarding financial aid recipients. Federal regulations that prevent students from abusing aid programs are totally reasonable. However, do not punish the individual who is not erring on the side of academic dishonesty. A policy that applies exactly the same rules to everyone is a befuddling age-old approach where good suffers for bad. Suffice it to say, the message here is not that going to class is an obsolete and useless engagement. Sometimes attending class would absolutely behoove the student. For example, there is a lab course in Print and Digital Media Writing taught by professor Lee Harrington. Harrington doesn’t miss a beat on taking attendance. But every day — for the most part — students have something to turn in, and Harrington assigns homework for the next class period. A class such as this illustrates when attendance is important. However, for this one

Feb. 18, 2014, marked another court case that dominated the news and left many Americans divided on the concept of race. As a student at the second most diverse campus in the nation, I always see faces of all different colors and ethnicities. I believe diversity should be celebrated in all aspects regardless of color, race, sex, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender. We live in a country that values equality and freedom, and this has taught us to appreciate each other’s differences, which is why the Jordan Davis case was appalling and tragic. Referred to as the “Loud Music Case” by the media, a white male, Michael Dunn, approached a car with five young males and asked the teens to turn off what Dunn has been known to refer to as “thug music” and “rap crap.” When the teens refused, the situation escalated. Shots were fired, and 17-year-old Jordan Davis was killed. Michael Dunn was arrested, and a trial followed. Evidence supported the teens’ accounts that Dunn fired shots into the back of the vehicle and the teens attempted to escape the bullets. Michael Dunn was convicted of four counts of attempted murder, but they did not convict him for the murder of Jordan Davis. Florida’s “stand your ground” laws, which Texas also has, left the jury unable to definitively convict Dunn of murder. Racism in America is not old news. Children learn from their environment, their family and peers about stereotypes, discrimination and racism. The pigeonholing and disentrancement of black youth, especially males, as “thugs” or “criminals” originates from a fear of the unknown and historical

ATTENDANCE continues on page 8

RACISM continues on page 8

David Delgado/ The Daily Cougar simply said, “All attendance policies are listed on your syllabus.” Unsatisfied, the quest for understanding the professorial mind led to a wonderful place that did have some answers. Faculty Focus, a website that publishes articles about college teaching strategies, has a piece entitled “Five Techniques for Improving Student Attendance.” Its premise is definitive. According to the article, “the general consensus among most faculty members is that regular class attendance helps students learn and retain the course content more effectively.” In addition, the article said research demonstrates that the lack of attendance was statistically significant in explaining why a student received a poor grade. One attends class, and they succeed; one doesn’t, and they probably do poorly. Even without data, this is intuitive. Here’s the problem, though. If there is a self-inflicted punishment which happens to a student not attending class, it is unnecessary for a teacher to compound that punishment with unique ones of their own. Also, it’s a stressful thing for a student to reconcile life with policydriven attendance obligation. Business management senior Jonathan Martinez has had a few personal issues with attendance polices that he’s encountered. “I had a lot of family stuff going on, but I didn’t feel comfortable talking to the professor about it,” Martinez said. “At the same time, I

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

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

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.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 // 5

THE DAILY COUGAR

SPORTS EDITOR

Christopher Shelton

sports@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

thedailycougar.com/sports

SOFTBALL

Outon sets UH home run mark during weekend win Sean Alder Staff writer

Arguably one of the best punters in the country after being named a Ray Guy award finalist three years straight, former UH punter Richie Leone got an opportunity to compete at the NFL scouting combine this weekend. | Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar

NFL

Leone takes center stage

Former UH punter hopes to translate busy combine into professional success Christopher Shelton Sports editor

Richie Leone was poked and prodded during his three days in Indianapolis. The former UH punter was thoroughly examined about everything from his mental knowledge of the game, his physical health and ability to successfully compete NFL level to his personality away from football — and that was all before he took the field at the NFL scouting combine this weekend. Leone was the only UH athlete who competed at the combine, which attracted more than 900 members of the media, and helps decide the draft position of 335 NFL hopefuls. Leone said the mental workout was just as taxing as the physical drills. “You hurry up and wait,” Leone said. “They try to mentally tire you.

Richie Leone finished his career at the University second in UH history with an average of 43.1 yards per punt. | Caitlin Hilton/The Daily Cougar

I felt sluggish when I got on the field. It’s definitely a mental test.” When he arrived on Wednesday, he went to the hospital where he took several medical tests before giving six vials of blood made him woozy. “I almost passed out,” Leone said. On Thursday, Leone’s day began with a 4 a.m. drug test before a personal medical evaluation by each of the NFL’s 32 team doctors, which took three hours to complete. It was followed by a roundtable meeting with representatives from different teams speaking with different players at the same time. Friday was much more intimate for Leone. He met with coaches personally and discussed the mechanics of punting, his strengths and Leone weaknesses and what he does on Saturdays without football, which usually involves a round of golf, Leone said.

Finally, he got on the field and punted Saturday on the first day of the combine. “(He’s a) big, strong-legged, powerful punter capable of booming the ball with good hang, distance and accuracy. Has the tools to earn a starting job and serve as an emergency kickoff specialist,” wrote NFL.com draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki. But with a head coach who worked with special teams both professionally and in college, Leone had an idea of what to expect. The two have a personal connection after head coach Tony Levine recruited Leone to UH. Leone’s decision to play for the Cougars worked out for both parties. Leone closed out his career second in UH history with an average of 43.1 yards per punt. Leone had 219 punts for 9,430 yards in his four years with 79 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and just 18 touchbacks. This season, after being named as a Ray Guy Award semifinalist for the third straight year, Leone was named a second team All-American after pacing the American Athletic Conference

by placing 46.6 percent of his punts inside his opponents’ 20-yard line and 22.2 percent inside the 10. “I flew into Atlanta six weeks in a row and sat in his house six different evenings,” Levine said in November. “He was 17 years old, now he’s 21 years old. To see the development off the field, the change, the maturity process ... now they’re getting to either have a professional career and move out into the real world, and that’s why you get into coaching.”

Senior Haley Outon was aware she hit a home run as she rounded the bases. But she didn’t realize the milestone that was reached — at least not at the moment. Outon broke the record with her 48th home run in school history as UH defeated Nichols State in high fashion with a 12-4 run-rule at the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational. “I didn’t even realize I broke it right away,” Outon said. She was 2-4 at the plate and put the game out of reach with a threerun home run in which the Cougars scored nine runs on two outs in the fourth inning. “I’m glad Haley got that record out of the way now, so we can keep moving forward through the rest of the season,” said head coach Kyla Holas. In their second tournament of the season, the Cougars came out swinging, scoring 52 runs and bumping their record to 9-2. Junior Summer Groholski picked up the first win against Nicholls State as sophomore Selena Hernandez, Haley and junior Kris Davila all hit home runs to give the Cougars a 15-1 victory. Diedre Outon got her second win of the game as UH defeated Columbia in a 17-0 slugfest. Haley and Davila both returned with home runs with an additional one by senior Kendra Cullum. Their second game against Columbia went down to the wire, as UH was able to emerge with a 5-4 win. However, the Cougars were unable to defeat North Dakota State, losing 3-1. sports@thedailycougar.com

sports@thedailycougar.com

MEASURABLES Punter Richie Leone competed at the NFL scouting combine after his accomplished career at UH ended. See how he measured out. Height: 6-foot-3 Arm length: 31 and 3/4 inches Weight: 211 pounds Hands: 8 and 7/8 inches NFL.com Grade: 4.5 out of 10

Senior Catcher Haley Outon celebrates her record setting 48th home run with teammates. | Emily Chambers/The Daily Cougar

6 \\ Tuesday, February 25, 2014

THE DAILY COUGAR

CLASSIFIEDS

ADS START AT $5/DAY

CALL 713-743-5356

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

Bulletin Board

Rentals

Fertility Resources of Houston

QUAINT & CLEAN. 1 bdr. apt. for rent. Central A/C & HEAT. Hrdwd floors & celing fan. $500/month + deposit. 713598-8901.

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. EGG DONORS NEEDED

Ages 21-32 Earn $5,000 + Healthy, Regular menstrual cycles All ethnic groups, High demand for Asians

SURROGATE MOTHERS NEEDED Ages 21-38 Earn $25,000 + Healthy, Uncomplicated pregnancy history

713-771-9771 www.cooperinstitutearm.com email: ivf@cooperinstitutearm.com

SCIENCE FICTION:. First came the physical changes, spread by viruses carrying recombinant DNA. Then came the memories. WONDERS AND TRAGEDIES, a science fiction novel, is by Alan Kovski. Available via Amazon. com SCIENCE FICTION: A wilderness may be prowled by creatures of the forest. Or it may be urban, highly cultured, and just as deadly. WILDERNESS, a science fiction novel, is by Alan Kovski. Available via Amazon.com SCIENCE FICTION: Stolen memories, dreams, collapsing societies, lost souls, engineered life, our world transformed. REMEMBERING THE FUTURE: science fiction stories by Alan Kovski. Available via Amazon.com Available via Amazon. com

Help Wanted

1 BEDROOM 1 BATH 3.5 miles SW of the Medical Center. $600/mo. Phone 832 620 3309. Email gilweiser@ yahoo.com

Help Wanted Bar staff wanted

We are looking for outgoing people to fulfill our bar needs: door, cocktail, bartender. We will work with your school schedule and are willing to train. Contact us at

marquis2job@gmail.com or on Facebook at

The Marquis II

NEED A JOB? WE’VE GOT ‘EM RIGHT HERE. THE DAILY COUGAR

JOB – MUSEUM DISTRICT • Part Time 25-30 hrs/week • Pay based on experience • Long term/work with school schedule • Works well with others. Description Greeting and assisting patients; scheduling appointments; maintaining records and accounts. Duties Answering phones, making/confirming appointments, data entry, handling medical records, and other front office duties. Skills/Qualifications Multi-tasking, flexibility, customer service, organization, professionalism. To apply, send resume to lashan@tlcsurgery.com or call 713-493-7700

NANNY NEEDED. $10/hr. Children 2, 9, and 13 yrs. Must have reliable transportation. Light housework. Flexible hours. References and experience preferred. Call 832. 563.5783 for an interview. MONTESSORI SCHOOL in Museum district. Looking for subs/assts. Flex hrs. Call 713-520-0738.

Help Wanted

SELL YOUR STUFF. Buy a Classified ad and reach thousands of potential buyers in the UH community.

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

GREAT PAY! FUN & EXCITING! NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!

Part time • Full time • Summer • Year round

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

COMICS

Household Haiku by Marian Smith

Your Comic Here

ACROSS 1 Infant 5 ___ down (makes simpler) 10 Stick in one’s ___ (rankle) 14 Eye up and down 15 Burn, as energy 16 Australian parrot 17 “Now hold on!” 18 Attempt again 19 Mental germ 20 What the cowboyturnedcarpenter used? 22 Plumb tuckered out 23 Letter following sigma 24 Floebreaking vessel 26 Super-fine fiddle 30 Kind of salad or chips 32 Champagne and orange juice drink 34 Attack, to a dog 35 Part of a church,

say 39 Small banknotes 40 Dalai Lama’s city 42 German industrial valley 43 Belonging to Barbie’s old beau 44 Curtail one’s freedom of speech 45 “The ___ and the Sea” 47 Stock units 50 Grammarian’s topic 51 Did some wool gathering 54 Quebec’s ___ SaintJean 56 Rings loudly, as a bell 57 Be an abusive chef? 63 “Tat-tat” preceder 64 Poem with 17 syllables 65 Highpitched woodwind 66 Eagerbeaverish 67 Valuable or useful possession 68 Prepare,

as tuna in a pan 69 Strong inclinations 70 The ones here 71 Jekyll’s inner man? DOWN 1 They’re taken onstage 2 Turkish honorific 3 Command to Gabriel 4 “Totally” 5 Sorghum variety 6 Exhausts, as a supply 7 Parcel 8 Painful inflammation, as of the shoulder 9 Double agent 10 Be a schoolhouse thief 11 Cowboy contest 12 Sports palace 13 OK Corral figure 21 He gave us a lift 22 Filming locale 25 Chocolate source 26 Run ___ (go wild)

Puzzle answers online: www.thedailycougar.com/puzzles

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

The Daily Cougar newsroom, UC Room UC North, Satellite, RM221 12 or scan and send to

me@thedailycougar.com Apply at

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

THE DAIL Y COUG AR

27 Outfielder’s call 28 Revival meeting shout 29 Vegetarians’ dinner prep, say 31 River in Missouri 33 Aquarium growth 36 Speedy cat 37 Do a battingpractice chore 38 Sea eagle variety 41 Ready money 46 Good fortune 48 168 in a wk. 49 Quenches, as a thirst 51 Roll-on alternative 52 Throw, as a shot put 53 Use room service 55 Less than 90 degrees, anglewise 58 Ascent 59 Grandly appointed 60 Take heed 61 Pond dweller 62 Bone-dry 64 Magician’s prop

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 // 7

THE DAILY COUGAR

LIFE & ARTS EDITOR

Monica Tso

arts@thedailycougar.com

ONLINE

thedailycougar.com/life-arts

EVENTS

Giving back to contributors

UH shows appreciation to faculty, staff, alumni and other donators for philanthropic investments Monica Tso Life & Arts editor

UH is thanking its alumni and friends for this semester’s generous investments during Philanthropy Awareness Week, #UHPhil Week, with a series of events. Funds from the state of Texas covered 22 percent of the University’s budget last year, and student tuition and fees covered another 42 percent. The remaining 36 percent will be covered by private grants and donations by the end of February, according to UH’s philanthropy website. Faculty and staff are wearing “UH Gives Back” buttons to show their contributions, and big red bows, or “Gift Bows,” are tied around campus to illustrate other donations. UH hosted a karaoke night on Monday evening at Lynn Eusan Park and will offer students a second chance to perform or sing along at a second karaoke night from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday at Lynn Eusan Park. The University also encourages students to show gratitude to alumni and donors by signing cards during its Thank-A-Donor event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Philip Guthrie Hoffman Hall Breezeway. Members of Rising Stars are committed graduates who invest in their alma mater with a gift within the first five years of graduation. They

Today Events: Sign a thank-you card for alumni donors as a part of #UHPhil Week from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Philip Guthrie Hoffman Breezeway.

UH hosted its first karaoke night on Monday evening for Philanthropy Awareness Week, which is held each semester to show appreciation to its alumni and donors. | Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar are open to network and socialize with students during the Rising Stars Mixer from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday at Melcher Hall. Teams were created to participate in these events to earn points by taking pictures with Gift Bows, selling silicone bracelets and drawing thank-you banners. Winners have the opportunity to slime a professor at the #UHPhil Week

Celebration at 12:30 p.m. on Friday at Lynn Eusan Park. arts@thedailycougar.com

For more information, visit uh.edu/giving/students/phad.

HEALTH

Students fight attention deficit disorders Jasmine Tamez Staff writer

According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 8 million adult Americans live with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or attention deficit disorder. ADHD can have substantial effects on a student’s life from elementary school and even through college. Coping with the effects of the disorder can become difficult as a person advances socially and mentally. Trouble focusing in class, taking notes and completing assignments are some of the everyday tasks that may be affected by the disorder. Additional symptoms include trouble concentrating, restlessness, impulsivity, disorganization, low frustration tolerance and trouble coping with stress. Marketing senior Dustin Vandenberg explained how ADHD affects his concentration and test-taking. “ADHD has been an obstacle in my learning career. My biggest issue at UH came with the CASA testing center,” Vandenberg said. “The tight security, fingerprint scanning and proctors creeping over my shoulder really threw off my concentration. I now take my tests at the Center for Students with DisAbilities and do much better now.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

Events: Get a chance to plant seeds and pull weeds at Recycle Mania, hosted by the Campus Community Garden, from 3 to 5 p.m. near the Cougar Woods Dining Hall.

Wednesday Discussion: The Counseling and Psychological Services is continuing its Food for Thought Workshops with “Understanding Anxiety: Signs, Symptoms and Ways to Cope” from noon to 1 p.m. at the Student Services Center. Movies: The Student Video Network is screening Kill Bill Volume 1 and 2 from 5 to 11 p.m. at the New University Center Theater. The event is free; popcorn and drinks will be provided.

Thursday Events: Perform a solo or sing along to your favorite songs with #UHPhil week for Karaoke Night #2 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Lynn Eusan Park. Dance: The Houston Swing Dance Society is offering swing dance lessons at 6:30 p.m. at the New University Center Ballroom.

Friday Students with attention deficit disorders have found solace when taking exams at the Center for Students with DisAbilities. About one-fourth of students who use CSD have ADHD as of October. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons From daily planners and calendars to medications, students often make it their personal business to cope with ADHD. However, in the education environment, it is important for students to communicate with professors in order to manage the effects of the disorder and utilize accommodations. Additionally, there are resources and services on campus that are available to students with various psychological

and physical disorders. CSD counselor Patricia Aburime explained accommodations that are available to students on campus with ADHD. “We give students tools to talk and engage in open dialogue with their instructors. Many times, students are easily distracted during quizzes and exams, having difficulty completing or focusing in the given amount of time,” Aburime said. “CSD offers

accommodations for these students, including assistance with notes from instructors, extra testing time and quiet, stress-free testing environments.” As of October 2013, about onefourth of all students utilizing services at CSD had ADHD. With two computer labs and six private testing rooms, CSD can be used to take the stress and distractions out of test-taking. arts@thedailycougar.com

Workshop: To finish philanthropy week, show your appreciation to staff and faculty donors with a 6-foot cake from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Lynn Eusan Park. The winning #UHPhil Week team is sliming a professor, and limited free T-shirts will be provided. Arts: Create clay masterpieces in the 5th annual Bowl-A-Thon, hosted by the School of Art, from 3 to 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building, Ceramics Studio. The bowls will be purchased, and proceeds will be donated to the Houston Food Bank.

8 \\ Tuesday, February 25, 2014

THE DAILY COUGAR

OPINION

ATTENDANCE RACISM continued from page 4

continued from page 4

example, there are many that counter it, showing how mandatory attendance in a class is actually unjust. Not to mention de facto attendance-taking: the insidious art of taking attendance through pitiful daily quizzes or unannounced ones. Harrington said it was important to attend his class, but had different feelings about lectureformat classes. Let’s say there’s a class in which the student could read the information either on Blackboard or from the book and still get an “A” without attending and the teacher does not add anything to the lecture except complete regurgitation of the material or information a student could just access themselves. “Well, they’re a bad teacher, then,” Harrington said. If the teacher did nothing but read the course material verbatim, did nothing to offer explanation and added nothing beyond the information a student could get on his own at home — then that teacher is a bad teacher. Students are fully aware that this hypothetical realm is quite the reality. It sounded preposterous to Harrington — the idea of a teacher not going beyond a PowerPoint or a teacher who just verbally mirrors information from a book. But it’s far from fiction. Furthermore, we are then obligated to sit in that hard seat and feign receptivity. Of course, teachers aren’t operating on malicious intent; most truly feel they have the students’ best interests at heart. But penalizing students with blanket attendance policies is an unconscious dismissal of empathy for the specific reality of each student, and it’s time that reason and logic have a voice in the matter. To professors: If I can succeed without coming to class, please let me do so. I am capable of digesting the material without you. Do not take it as an insult to your professorial pride. If nothing else, it is an opportunity for you to invest more focus into those students who need you. If I do happen to walk on that thin tightrope between doing well and failing, don’t nudge me over, causing me to fall into the pit of failure because I haven’t “earned” that grade. No, that grade is the one you gave to me.

oppression. People classify strangers or those who don’t look the same into categories because they’re afraid for a variety of reasons, but ultimately this fear may stem from prejudicial beliefs that were learned. It is an ongoing cycle that will continue unless we consciously make an effort to question our biases. I am not an exception to this case. When my parents immigrated to America, their environment taught them the same prejudicial values, which I despise. These thoughts and beliefs that I grew up with are ingrained in my behavior and way of thinking. What sets me apart is that I

Opinion columnist Marcus Arceneaux is a print journalism junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

I hope you endeavor to make diversity a reality by questioning your personal biases and striving to eliminate them through exposure and self-education.” Jessica Luong, on stopping the racism cycle recognize my biases and strive to eliminate them. One of the ways I do this is by engaging with a variety of cultures through the Council of Ethnic Organizations (CEO) here at UH. By working and learning from UH’s diverse community, I have become more apt to appreciate others’ individualism and actively work to be inclusive of everyone. From noon to 7 p.m. on March CEO will be hosting Carnaval of Cultures at Lynn Eusan Park. CEO will be showcasing a variety of cultures from around the world to let students at UH meet their

fellow peers and enjoy foods and performances from organizations on campus. CEO expands the definition of diversity by providing fun and free opportunities for students to learn about other cultures, so students can foster a sense of appreciation of others and dismantle fear. When I interviewed for the assistant director position with CEO, I was asked how I defined diversity. My response was that I believe diversity will someday mean we no longer have to speak about diversity. In a truly diverse world,

everyone would be accepting of each other and understand that our differences are what make us unique individuals. Prejudices and biases would be replaced with the intrinsic thought that we are all part of one group, the human race. I hope you endeavor to make diversity a reality by questioning your personal biases and striving to eliminate them through exposure and self-education. At CEO’s Carnaval of Cultures, students will be able to learn about the vast diversities on campus and begin, if they have not already, celebrating the overarching diversity that is UH. Assistant director of CEO Jessica Luong is an accounting and management and information systems senior and may be reached at ceoad@central.uh.edu.

Need a new Job? Read the classifieds and see all the job offers. IN PRINT OR ON THE WEB

www.thedailycougar.com/classifieds

FREE TUTORING Learning Support Services Room N109 Cougar Village (Building # 563) Full Schedule available at www.las.uh.edu/lss/tutoring.aspx Mon - Thurs Friday Saturday Sunday

9 a.m. - 9 p.m. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.

All Students Welcome

Classes Offered:

Accounting English Arabic Finance Biochemistry French Biology Geology Chemistry History Civil & Env. Math Eng. Philosophy Comm. Physics Computer Psychology Science Spanish Economics Statistics AND MORE!

L SS WORKSHOPS

SPRING 2014

Location: N112 Cougar Village (building 563) Length: 50 minutes. Please be on time. No admittance after 5 minutes past the hour. Register: “Workshop Signup” at www.las.uh.edu/lss On–line registration is necessary to obtain a spot. Problems Registering? Call Laura Heidel 713-743-5439 or Jason Yu 713-743-1223 ** Workshops will be added when necessary throughout the semester. Please visit the “Workshops Signup” link on the LSS website www.las.uh.edu/lss for the most up to date information.

GRADUATE STUDENT WORKSHOPS Preparing for comprehensive/qualifying exams Thurs. 3/20 at 4 p.m. Rm. N112 School/Life balance - there’s life outside of school? Tues. 3/25 at 4 p.m. N 112 Using APA Witing Style Effectlivley Mon. 3/31 at 4 p.m. Rm. N112 Preparing a research article for publication Wed. 4/9 at 3 p.m. Rm. N112

ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER WORKSHOPS ADD: Study Skills for your prarticular classes Tues. 2/25 at 4 p.m. Rm. N112 ADD: Organizing your academic/home materials Tues. 3/4 at 4 p.m. Rm. N112

MID SEMESTER TEST PREPARATION Learning Beyond Memorizing Tues. 2/25 at 1 p.m. Fri. 2/28 at 10 a.m. Reducing Test Anxiety Wed. 2/26 at 3 p.m. Thurs. 2/27 at 3 p.m. Test Preparation Tues. 3/4 at 3 p.m. Thurs. 3/6 at 4 p.m. Overcoming Procrastination Wed. 3/5 at 2 p.m. Fri. 3/7 at 11 a.m. Increasing Motivation Mon. 3/17 at 3 p.m. Tues. 3/18 at 4 p.m. Time Management Wed. 3/19 at 2 p.m. Tues. 3/20 at 3 p.m. Test Preparation Tues. 3/25 at 3 p.m. Wed. 3/26 at 1 p.m. Giving Professional Presentations Wed. 3/26 at 3 p.m. Fri. 3/28 at 11 a.m. Studying For Natural Science Courses Mon. 3/24 at 4 p.m. Thurs. 3/27 at 3 p.m.

ENDING THE SEMESTER SUCCESSFULLY Time Management Mon. 3/31 at 3 p.m. Thurs. 2/3 at 10 p.m. Ending the Semester Successfully Tues. 4/1 at 1 p.m. Thurs. 4/3 at 3 p.m. Improving Your Memory Tues. 4/1 at 3 p.m. Wed 4/2 at 3 p.m. Improving Concentration Mon. 4/7 at 3 p.m. Tues 4/8 at 4 p.m. Improving Your Memory Wed, 4/9 at 1 p.m. Thurs, 4/10 at 4 p.m. Coping with Finals Thurs, 4/10 at 10 a.m. Fri. 4/11 at 11 a.m. Reducing Test Anxiety Tues. 4/15 at 3 p.m. Thurs. 4/17 at 1 p.m. Time Management Wed. 4/16 at 3 p.m. Thurs. 4/17 at 4 p.m. Overcoming Procrastination Mon. 4/21 at 2 p.m. Thurs. 2/23 @ 3 p.m. Coping with Finals Tues. 4/22 at 4 p.m. Thurs 4/24 at 3 p.m.