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THE DAILY COUGAR UH digs itself into hole in conference matchup against Miners /SPORTS

TODAY’S WEATHER

Student showcase: art in the digital age /Life & Arts

3-day forecast, Page 2

Hi 63 Lo 36

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Issue 81, Volume 74

www.thedailycougar.com

Students adjust to new shuttle schedules, routes By Holly Prevost The Daily Cougar

Tony Nguyen The Daily Cougar

Students participate in Recyclemania with environmental pledges to increase use of public transportation

UH holds commuter fair By Kelsie Hahn The Daily Cougar

Nine hundred students signed the UH Green Commuter pledge for a cleaner environment, simpler parking and a little less money spent on gas when Metropolitan Transit Authority and UH teamed up Tuesday and Wednesday to teach about the public transportation Houston has to offer. Students registered for Q-cards, a debit system implemented by Metro in 2008, at three stations around campus at the UH Green Commuter Fair. Maria Honey, auxiliary customer service coordinator for UH business services, said as enrollment grows, public transportation can help ease the stress of searching for convenient parking and appeal to a growing national interest in

green solutions. “(We) knew this was the best time to start getting this message across,” Honey said. “We want to make travelling to their workplace, their educational institution, as easy as possible.” Though the fair is over, students can still sign up for half-price Q-cards by bringing their CougarOne cards when they sign up for a Q-card at Metro’s RideStore on 1900 Main St., Switan Emily Messa, assistant vice president of University Services, said. Students considering the Q-cards said they hoped the buses would provide a convenient alternative to driving. “I don’t have a car, and I want to do stuff, go Downtown or the Galleria,” German freshman Jessica Bauman said. see METRO, page 3

UH parking and transportation aim to improve service by putting campus shuttles on timed schedules and modifying routes this semester. Joint ventures with AFC Corporate Transportation and Metropolitan Transit Authority will provide new resources and technology like online shuttle tracking and a passenger counting system. “The system worked, but at times the headway between buses would disappear and two buses would be at the stop at the same time, resulting in a long wait until the next bus would arrive,” said Bob Browand, director of parking and transportation. “This made it hard, at times, for students to plan their trips.” Parking and transportation assigned an additional bus to Tan route, which serves the East Transit Center (ETC) where students can transfer to and from Metro buses. The changes to the route cuts service time to the ETC in half, with shuttles making a rotation in 12 minutes. “More Cougars are taking mass transit to and from work and school,” Browand said. “Parking and transportation has been working closely with Metro to increase usage by the campus community. Prior service to the ETC was limited and had too long of a headway between buses to make it an attractive option for commuters.” The Garage/Circulator route runs clockwise this semester instead of counterclockwise to eliminate left turns on busy streets. “Eliminating the left hand turns not only made the route safer to drive,” Browand said, “but also shortens the time it takes to make a trip around campus.” Shuttles have also been placed on a timed schedule designed by parking and transportation. “In the past the shuttle buses ran on a continuous loop concept. Upon completion of one loop, it immediately began another without regard to time or bus spacing,” Browand said. “The timed schedule eliminates this and will make the service more reliable.” The modifications have required comprising some routes. Expanding Tan route meant combining Satellite see SHUTTLE, page 12

‘She was the queen of the Cougars’ Cullen family matriarch lived life of philantropy, devotion to UH By James Rincon The Daily Cougar Wilhelmina Daisy Cullen Robertson Smith was 16 years old when she witnessed her father, Hugh Roy Cullen’s first major philanthropic gift to the University of Houston. Since that day the Cullen family’s contribution to the development of UH was and is without compare. Smith died Monday in her home. She was 86 years old. UH President and UH Systems Chancellor Renu Khator address the University about Smith’s passing. “The University of Houston family is saddened to learn of the death on Monday of Wilhelmina Cullen Robertson Smith, matriarch of the Cullen family and one of

our most devoted friends and supporters,” Khator said in a press release. “I know you join me in expressing our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Mr. Smith and the extended Cullen family at the passing of this most beloved and remarkable lady.” The last living child of H.R. Cullen and his wife Lillie Cranz, Smith was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, aunt. Smith was also a devoted Cougar fan. “I would think that she would want to be remembered by Cougars and a Cougar alumn, as a Cougar fan and supporter, and she would want everyone to be as proud of the university as she was,” Smith’s daughter, UH Regent Beth Robertson said. “She was the queen of the

Cougars, and her spirit will always be there. She would want them all to be the best that they can be. She had a lot of faith in everybody.” Smith was born on Dec. 3, 1922 in Houston. She attended The Kinkaid School and graduated from Dana Hall in Wellesley, Mass. She left Sweet Briar College in Virginia at the beginning of World War II and returned to Texas to finish college, graduating from UH. Smith served as the first Trustee of Agriculture for the Cullen Foundation alongside her older sisters Agnes and Margaret at its inception in 1947. The foundation’s $160 million gift to UH was the University’s largest endowment and, at the see SMITH, page 12

Photo courtesy of Beth Robertson

Wilhelmina Daisy Cullen Robertson Smith died at home Monday at 86.

2 n Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Daily Cougar

CAMPUS BEAT FORECAST Friday

Saturday

63˚38˚

67˚48˚

C A L E N DA R

Sunday

68˚48 ˚

» Send event information to

calendar@thedailycougar.com

Today UCS Résumé Workshop: 10 to 11 a.m. at Student Service Center 1, first floor. Visit www.career.uh.edu. UCS Internship Workshop: 2 to 3 p.m. at Student Service Center 1, first floor. Visit www.career.uh.edu. Student Economic Association General Meeting: 4 to 6 p.m. at the Pacific Room, University Center. Learn about networking, internships and scholarships. Membership is $20 per semester or $30 per year. Super Sandwiches, Delightful People: 4 p.m. at the World Affairs Lounge, UC Underground. Join Students for Sensible Drug Policy at UH for Wii games, a raffle and sandwiches. Visit www.uhssdp.com.

FIVE MINUTES

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International student types in two languages

Newsroom (713) 743-5360 n

Sylvia Saumell; Where are you from? Hong Liang: I’m from China. Saumell: What made you choose to go to UH? Liang: I think UH is a good place to further my studies. Another reason is that my boyfriend studies in Houston. Saumell: There’s no reason to be embarrassed. What’s your boyfriend’s name? Liang: Bei. Saumell: How long have you two been together? Liang: Two years. Saumell: Valentine’s Day is around the corner. Any plans? Liang: We’ve never spent a Valentine’s Day together because for the last two years I was in China and he was here. We’ll probably go out to dinner and the movies. Saumell: What do you want for Valentine’s Day? Liang: Maybe some chocolate. I don’t like flowers. Saumell: Me neither. What movie do you want to see? Liang: I don’t know what movies are out. Maybe I will check out what’s out online.

Karaoke Night: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Chili’s Too. Grab some friends for dinner and sing karaoke, sponsored by the Student Program Board.

CO R R E C T I O N S

Hong Liang, doctoral candidate in physics

Sarah Krusleski: How do you type Chinese with an English keyboard? I get that American keyboards have a key for each letter, but do Chinese keyboards just have lots of keys? Liang: I download a program. (Liang accesses the Baidu website on her laptop.) Krusleski: What’s Baidu? Liang: It’s like Google. Saumell: So you use that to look up Chinese websites? Liang: Yes. (Types Chinese words using English letters.) See? Krusleski: That’s pretty cool. Saumell: Wow.

Photo by sarah Krusleski

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Moody Towers Sunday February 1, 2009 5pm-10pm       

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About the Cougar The Daily Cougar is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters, and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer, at the University of Houston Printing Plant and online at www. thedailycougar.com. The University seeks to provide equal educational opportunities

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NEWS

The Daily Cougar

METRO continued from page 1

She added the buses also run near her home in Kingwood and could help her get home without calling her family. Pre-pharmacy sophomore Carmen Leung commutes from Sugarland and said she was pleased with UH’s decision to highlight Metro’s options but hadn’t quite decided whether to sign up for the Q-card. “I’m thinking about it because gas is going back up, and it’s way hard to find parking,” Leung said. Associate professor of geology and thermochronology Peter Copeland said he uses a Q-card to ride the bus once or twice a week from Clear Lake and carpools on other days. “I started taking the bus when the price of gas was so high, and now I find it to be convenient sometimes,” Copeland said. “It’s stressful to have to drive in the traffic, especially coming home at night. If it’s raining and five in the evening, it’s stressful, I don’t have to worry about that sitting in the bus.” Copeland said the bus doesn’t save him quite as much money since gas prices went down and bus fares rose in November, but he doesn’t have to buy a parking permit. Commuters can add money to their Q-cards online, but Copeland said he’s had issues in the past with his account not updating his balance. “Their system for adding and keeping track of your card on the Internet is pretty clunky. It’s always

Thursday, January 29, 2009 n 3

a couple days behind,” he said. plans are still in the works, she In regards to Copeland’s trouble said. with the card, Danicel Whitaker Assistant professor Michelangelo the deputy director for Metro, said Sabatino, a faculty senate she hadn’t heard many similar representative for the Gerald D. complaints. Hines College of Architecture and “It seems like an isolated a member of the UH Sustainability incident. We’re more than willing Task Force, said a positive change to research and find a solution. for the University means a positive We’ve had a great response, not change for the community. only from students and patrons “The important dynamic that’s and ride sponsors,” Whitaker going on now is people are starting said. “Our web loading is the No. to think twice about using a car all 1 form of loading value onto the the time … to spend more time, Q-card. We have ride sponsors, quality time, off the highways and we have retailers more on the who do a lot of web “ The important dynamic campus here transactions, so it that’s going on now is at UH, doing works extremely things that well, v e r y people are starting to think students innovative.” should be twice about using a car all Honey said doing, like the time … to spend more hanging out, the Commuter Fair also included reading, time, quality time, off the information sports highways and more on the playing about vanpooling and doing campus here at UH.” with VPSI Inc., a everything promotion geared — Gerald D. Hines, College of Architecture else.” primarily toward The most faculty senate representative faculty and staff, important and has many of goal of the the same benefits as riding the bus. effort was to get students thinking More information is available at and talking about how to improve www.vanride.com. their way of life, Sabatino said. The Commuter Fair is part “Maybe the solution is trying of the outreach during UH’s to find somewhere in between, RecycleMania, a two-month where you can rely on public recycling competition and transportation as well as private awareness campaign that began cars . . . It doesn’t have to be ‘either, last week, and commuters can also or.’ It can be more of an ‘and,’” make e-pledges online at www. he said. “I think as the University uh.edu/recyclemania to help them administration and task force, it’s think about ways to save energy. incumbent on us to think to the UH plans to coordinate Metro future, not only how to make UH a and UH shuttle bus stops, study better place, but also how to make the efficiency of UH shuttles, and our city a better place.” install a Q-card reloading station in the Welcome Center, though these news@thedailycougar.com

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& InvItes You and a Guest to a specIal advance screenInG of

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Call 713-798-5295 volunteer@bcm.edu

pick up passes todaY at tHe uc GaMes rooM thursday, January 29, 7:30 pM

aMc studio 30 No purchase necessary. One pass per person. Each pass admits two. Available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Please arrive early, as seating is limited to theater capacity and is not guaranteed. This movie is rated PG-13.

OPENS IN THEATERS JANUARY 30, 2009

4 n Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Daily Cougar

OPINION

COMING FRIDAY: Weighing the pros and cons of renaming UH Downtown. ONLINE POLL: How do you feel about the wait time for the new shuttle schedule?

EDITOR Shaista Mohammed E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/opinion

EDITORIAL CARTOON

THE DAILY COUGAR e d it o ri a l B o a r d Zaneta Loh, editor in chief Signe Cluiss, managing editor James Rincon, News editor Matt Miller, Sports editor Sarah Tucker, Life & Arts editor Shaista Mohammed, Opinion editor

STAFF EDITORIAL

Cullen name synonymous with philantropy

this would be logically sound, because higher education is arguably one of the few avenues lawmakers could use to get a statewide income tax approved with little opposition. The mandatory top 10 percent college admissions standard also needs to be addressed in some form, as this is indirectly related to the need for more flagship institutions in the state. Two of the largest universities in the country, the University of Texas and Texas A&M, have such enormous student populations because of the 10 percent rule that getting enrolled in lower-level classes in some colleges is needlessly arduous. More flagship universities and elimination of the 10 percent rule will encourage students to consider other options for post-secondary education, sincewe all know how much prestige matters.

In an age in which the rediscovery of philanthropy in America is coming to the forefront, there are a few people who have never lost the connection to that value. Wilhelmina Daisy Cullen Robertson Smith is a member of not one, but two families with a tradition of philanthropy whose specific gifts and dedication to education in general affects all of us. The history of the University is inseparable from the history of the Cullen family in this century and the last. From the initial gift of $260,000 in 1938 to build the Roy Gustav Cullen building, so named in memory of Wilhelmina Cullen’s brother, the Cullens have made significant contributions to the development of UH. Several campus buildings are named for her family, as is the College of Engineering, but the greatest contribution Cullen and her family have made to the students of this community isn’t in the brick and mortar of the campus. Hugh Roy Cullen saw the University as a place where area students from economically difficult backgrounds could get a reputable education. Cullen was a largely self-educated man. He expanded his oil fortune rapidly by taking risks others would avoid and developing deeper drilling techniques through self-education on geologic structures. His prioritizing of education and technological advancement is mirrored in donations to the University and in the establishment of the $160 million Cullen Foundation in 1947, of which Smith was a trustee along with her two sisters, Agnes and Margaret. The Cullen name is emblazoned across the city of Houston’s museums and medical institutions as testament to the active nature of the values Smith’s father passed on to her. So too has the name of Robertson had a lasting impact on the city and the University, most visibly in Robertson Stadium, home to the Cougar football and soccer teams. There is also a University of Texas Medical Branch scholarship in her name, honoring her service to the Cullen foundation and its donations to Houston’s medical community.

Daniel Wheeler is a pre-business sophomore and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

E D I TO R I A L p o lic y

Rami Schindler The Daily cougar

Reregulation may cost students Student life is financially volatile because college is not cheap. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst realized this as well, announcing a bill last week to reregulate tuition and deal with the top 10 percent admission issue at state universities. Daniel Almost six years Wheeler ago, Dewhurst was part of a successful movement to deregulate tuition. Removing caps and allowing universities to set individual tuition rates resulted in a 53 percent increase in tuition and fees at universities statewide. Deregulation was intended as a bailout for the state, which was facing a severe budget shortfall of roughly $10 billion caused by declining tax revenue and increasing expenses at the time of the bill’s passage. With a budget shortfall came big hits to state funding for schools, funds intended to offset the burden of tuition for low-income Texans, which ultimately led to the deregulation bill in order to recoup loss of capital. The prospect of deserving young

Texans being priced out of vital postsecondary education has brought about the current sentiment. Dewhurst and many state lawmakers must pass legislation capping tuition and dealing with other issues pertaining to the admissions process and funding of higher education. With the regulation of tuition comes the prospect of many schools losing vital funding necessary to maintain and improve facilities, faculties and curriculum. The amount of funding a school needs is in direct relation to its student population. The former must increase with the latter, or all of our degrees will be devalued. Lawmakers may not be thinking of it now, but next in line — and perhaps rightly so — is a state income tax. Reregulating tuition may be the catalyst lawmakers have been waiting for to justify instituting a statewide income tax. Texas, Florida, Wyoming, Washington, Alaska, Nevada and South Dakota are the only states without a state income tax. The reasoning behind a proposal such as

Stimulus could relieve victims of Ike Since Sept. 13, when Hurricane Ike made landfall in the early morning in Galveston, Texans previously unsure of exactly why flood insurance is mandatory in some areas were indeed happy to have it. For many of us, Ike is a distant memory, but others are still feeling the Matthew aftermath. KPRC Keever Channel 2 has discovered more than 3,000 Texans who are still battling with their insurance companies to receive compensation for their losses. According to MSNBC, insurance companies have settled 60 to 80 percent of claims as of Dec. 10., but thousands more remain unresolved. Many have flood insurance, but not everyone has wind insurance. President Obama should move boldly to create thousands of jobs in the Texas Gulf Coast by including the Houston and

Galveston region in the current stimulus with the stimulus package and deliver on package. the change he has America believing in. Help is needed not only by Homeowners who suffered damage municipalities and businesses, but also from Hurricane Ike have received only two by homeowners who need help fixing forms of relief from the government. Texas homes that were damaged Comptroller Susan by wind and, in many cases, Combs has approved a President Obama needs the storm surge. Despite sales tax exemption on to address (hurricane warnings from the National labor charges to repair Weather Service, many relief) with the stimulus damage caused as a Galveston homeowners result of the hurricane package and deliver who believed they were and Harris County protected by the 17-foothas agreed to allow on the change he has seawall did not realize their homeowners to pay America believing in. insurance policies did not their property tax bill, cover damage from the which is due Feb. 2, in storm surge. four equal installments without incurring The decision by the Texas Wind penalties or interest. Combs also plans to Insurance Association not to pay for include measures to alleviate the deficit in storm surge losses has created an state revenue created by businesses being unprecedented amount of hardship for closed in the aftermath of the storm. thousands of homeowners. President Obama needs to address this situation see Keever, page 5

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 Room 151, Communication Building; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; send them via campus mail to STP 4015; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. Letters are subject to editing. ADVERTISEMENTS Advertisements published in The Daily Cougar do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the University or the students as a whole. 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 kept to less than 500 words. Guest commentaries should not be written as replies to material already printed in the Cougar, but rather should present independent points of view. Rebuttals should be sent as letters. Deliver submissions to Room 151, Communication Building; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.

Issue credits n n

Copy editing Busra Akin, Trae Browne, Wilson Chang Production Matthew Johnson, Colby Kibbe

OPINION

The Daily Cougar

Thursday, January 29, 2009 n 5

Shuttle changes positive for students Gone are the days of being able to zip around campus — traffic is too heavy and parking lots far too limited. However, UH Parking and Transportation has worked diligently to make the shuttle services faster, safer Alana and more MousaviDin accessible. Some students have expressed concerns about a significantly longer wait before the shuttles arrive, but we are only two weeks into the semester and new shuttle changes.

Keever continued from page 4

Homeowners without funds are facing the prospect of entering the upcoming rainy season with only a blue Federal Emergency Management Agency tarp between their home, their children and the rain. Gov. Perry needs to coordinate with President Obama to direct stimulus package funds to homeowners who need help with roof and foundation work, removal of debris and replacement of electrical wiring and appliances. Homeowners would benefit from such help, as would the unemployed who need jobs. Businesses which provide the materials and products for repair would benefit, and everyone

Just like everything else in life that is new, we have to wait for the kinks to get smoothed out. It is unfair for the student body to scratch all the efforts of UHPT department so quickly. After talking with Robert Browand, director of Parking and Transportation Services for UH, I was quite impressed with his extensive amount of research and actual concern for the students on campus. Equally interesting is how closely Browand and UH have worked with METRO in attempts to get the campus community to use METRO services more frequently. Perhaps an unanticipated twist

benefits when houses are restored to homes for families. For many, Ike was just a minor inconvenience that forced a back-to-basics mentality for a few weeks. As Ike left the city without power, Houstonians were forced to read by candlelight, brave the humid Houston weather without air conditioning and drink roomtemperature bottled water. It was a horrible endeavor, but most have weathered the storm and are now continuing on with life. Those of us lucky enough to have fully recovered from Hurricane Ike should now be much more thankful for the things often taken for granted — like a roof over our heads. Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

“ those who profess to

favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want rain without thunder and lightninG.”

Frederick Douglass American abolitionist, Author, orator (1817-1895)

This thought about free speech is brought to you by

THE DAILY COUGAR

Send letters to the editor to letters@thedailycougar.com Send guest columns to opinion@thedailycougar.com

in these changes is that certain routes, particularly one that has combined the two previously separate Tan and Blue routes, do in fact take a little longer once on the bus. The reason for the extra time here is because the route must now go out further, hit more stops, and therefore will take a little longer to get students where they want to go. The drivers and students are all adjusting to the new schedule and routine, but these have been expected. As mentioned before, very few things work perfectly the very first time you try them, so we should all just stop whining in anticipation of miserable wait

times and long shuttle rides. Instead, be patient, plan ahead, and know that these services are here for students’ benefit, and not the other way around. Sometimes it’s hard to think about anyone else when we have our heads so focused on getting to the next class or to work that we forget that they are here for us. Put yourself in the driver’s seat for a moment. What if you were the one having to adhere to a new schedule with strict guidelines to be followed, a new route system, name changes, and all of the other dealings with the shuttle system, and then had to deal with irate

students who are only concerned with complaining to the person behind the wheel. That’s a large load to carry, so think, before complaining to or about your drivers. We all have burdens to bear, so remember to smile and say “Thanks” when you exit the shuttle. I suppose we all can think of this as the “Mojave Experiment” of the UH campus. We have to be willing to give it a chance before we give up on it. Alana MousaviDin is a something something and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

INCREASE YOUR READING SPEED

FREE

R e A D y F o R A g R e At s e m e s t e R ? How do you score on the effective reading quiz? Yes No

Are you:

Did you know...

1. Using the same reading method that you learned in elementary school to read college level material?

...eating before an exam can be detrimental to your score?

2. Behind in your reading? 3. Distracted or bored while reading? 4. Wanting to make better grades?

...studying for more than 1 hour at a time lowers your comprehension? ...highlighting and underlining are two of the worst ways to study?

We’ll teach you hoW to study more effectively and improve your grades!

this seminar is for students interested in better grades and more free time.* thursday, January 29th,

2:30, 4:30 & 6:30 at the UH Hilton (Rm 183) *sessions are 1 hour and 15 minutes. please arrive early to ensure your seat. no reservations are required.

“I learned more about improving my reading in this one hour than my entire educational history“ -Senior Accounting Major

Questions? Email freeseminars@erlcs.com

www.erlcs.com

sponsored by the educational research & learning centers

weekend

6 n Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Daily Cougar

30FRIDAY

LIFE+ARTS

On Campus: Lucio Silla, an opera by W. A. Mozart The Moores School of Music presents this Roman opera, sung in its original Italian, through Feb. 1. 7:30 p.m. at the Edythe Bates Old Moores Opera Center. Reserved seating, tickets are $15/$10 students and seniors

At the Movies: New in Town A Miami businesswoman, played by Renee Zellwegger, relocates to a small town in Minnesota. Rated PG-13. Midnight Madness presents: The Princess Bride Princesses, ogres, wizards, and villains in the best fairytale movie ever. Starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright Penn and Billy Crystal. Midnight Friday and Saturday at The River Oaks Theatre. Rated PG.

31SATURDAY On Campus: Florencia en el Amazonas by Daniel Catan The Moores School of Music presents this exotic opera, sung in original Spanish, through Feb. 7. 7:30 p.m. at the Edythe Bates Old Moores Opera Center. Reserved seating, tickets are $15/$10 students and seniors.

Around Town: Da Camera presents Songs of the Earth This chamber orchestra concert features music inspired by the “cross-fertilization” of Chinese and Western classical music. 8 p.m. at the Cullen Theater of the Wortham Theater Center. Tickets range from $25 to $45; student tickets are half-price. Closing Reception for Iraqi Artists in Exile Exhibit Free food, drink and entertainment! Donations will be accepted with all proceeds benefitting Gaza humanitarian charities and the 2009 Palestine Film Festival. 7 p.m. at the Station Museum of Contemporary Art, 1502 Alabama. The Brilliant Lecture Series: Maya Angelou Listen to inspirational speaker Maya Angelou. 7:30 p.m. Sarofim Hall at the Hobby Center for Performing Arts. Tickets range from $25 - $82; students with a valid I.D. receive 10% off.

01SUNDAY Around Town Black Stone Cherry at Scout Bar This Kentucky-born band redefines hard rock while remaining true to their Southern roots. Free admission, 21+ at Scout Bar, 18307 Egret Bay, Houston TX 77058 Chorus! Houston Grand Opera presents a rapidly-sung collection of over 20 famous choral pieces. The performance opens Jan. 30 and runs through Feb. 13. 2 p.m. matinee at the Brown Theater at the Wortham Center. Tickets start at $20 Compiled by Sarah Tucker

Photo courtesy of The Aurora Picture Show

Studio art senior Kelly Quarles’s work IPOD GENIE is being screened with other student’s works on Saturday at The Aurora Picture Show’s Sound Forms.

Aurora Picture Show presents student art Works integrate digital media, technology in innovative exhibit By Sunita Dharani THE DAILY COUGAR Interacting with nature, delving into imagery captured by the human mind and even extracting movement to create notes of music — these are just a few of the works audiences will experience at the screening of Sound Forms at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Aurora Picture Show. Unlike art exhibits in the traditional sense, Sound Forms focuses on integrating technology with creative expression that reaches far beyond the canvas frame. The screening features works by current students and graduates of the UH School of Art. Each of their works touches base on subject matter that is both individualized to the artist and relatable to the viewer. Third-year MFA candidate in painting and drawing and participant Norberto Gomez Jr. states that, for him, the virtue of technology comes from opening itself up to new opportunities of usage. “(It is) unlike charcoal or graphite, for example, which is about as far as that can go. Technology is so present that artists haven’t really tapped into it completely, whether on a technical or conceptual level,” Gomez said. A common echo amongst the student artists is the innovative use of video art as the media chosen for the screening — combining several elements at once allows for a greater

freedom for the artists themselves. “The medium is so different from painting,” said Jessica Ninci, a postbaccalaureate and one artist of Sound Forms whose work involves including the artist herself in the performance of the piece. Ninci’s Forest Love Dance Remix contains revealing footage of the individual seeking to connect with the natural world, but deconstructed in a manner that exposes the viewer to the process behind the film. Photography/digital media senior Chuck Ivy took a different path in his submission for the screening. His approach involved the concept of timebased media, such as photography or movie stills, which capture images in a smaller time frame, instead of constructing videos from pictures that are minutes, hours and even longer apart. Ivy chose to have his audience rely upon the human brain’s capacity “to fill in the gaps” between the images displayed. For Nick Bontrager, a recent graduate of the photography/digital media program, screening of a video documentation gives a new meaning to the term “musician,” as he utilizes physical movement to be interpreted as data and composed as music scores. In addition, a number of other student artists’ work is also part of the screening — Camilo Gonzalez, Kelly Quarles, Alex Nguyen, Jenny Westbury, Marian Ochoa, and John Madji, just to name a few. Curated by Stephan Hillerbrand and Mary Magasamen, a husbandwife artist team and both professors in the UH School of Art, Sound Forms

aims to show a different side of digital media in an age dictated by technology. Specifically, the content of the screening explores various subject matter through the medium of video art and video performance. Initially created as a prelude to the performance by Laurie Anderson and the Society of Performing Arts in October 2008, the project developed into a screening that not only doubled in size, but also grew to include manipulating sound — the overarching theme of Sound Forms. Magasamen and Hillerbrand said that in several of the works, the artists turn the camera on themselves as they work with performance or turn it on existing media appropriated from television. Images from outside sources and sound that is originally created is all manipulated by the artists in order to develop something new. The advent of video technology over the past fifty years has enabled artists to not only capture their works on film, but also allowed for increased accessibility by audiences as well — whether in galleries and museums, or in public forums such as Sound Forms and the internet. “We really just want people to come and see how creative and talented the University of Houston School of Art students are working in non-traditional and non-narrative ways to express their ideas and explore technology,” Magasamen and Hillerbrand said. During the ten years since its inception, the Aurora Picture Show has given support to independent see Aurora, page 7

LIFE & ARTS

The Daily Cougar

Thursday, January 29, 2009 n 7

Moores opens two operas Early Mozart work to make Houston premiere The Moores School of Music is opening and alternating two operas this week — Lucio Silla by W. A. Mozart and Florencia en el Amazonas, by Daniel Catan. Sung in Italian with English surtitles, the opera Lucio Silla is about a Roman dictator by the same name who falls for his arch nemesis Cecilio’s wife. “Throughout the opera, Cecilio tries to get back to his wife, Giunia, who Silla has tried to (keep) for himself by telling her that (Cecilio) is dead,” music performance graduate Shannon Langman said. A Houston premiere, Lucio Silla stars some of the finest singers of the Moores School of Music. The cast includes voice performance graduate students Andrew Peck and Steven Uliana, who share the role of Silla. Vocal performance graduate Jennifer Noel and music performance graduate Shannon Langman share the role of Cecilio. “This is a quality opera. It has a good plot and it moves very quickly. It is very early Mozart, so it isn’t done quite as often and this is the Houston premiere of the opera, so it will be fun to hear Mozart’s music that influenced his later work, such as Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro,” music education and vocal performance senior Briana Kruse said. Cinna, the ambiguous adversary of Silla and ally of Cecilio will be played by vocal performance senior Gwendolyn Alfred during Friday’s performance and music education and music performance Rebecca Weinmann will take over the role during Sunday’s performance. Celia, the sister of Silla, will be played by graduate student Abigail Charlton during Friday’s performance and Kruse will take over the role on Sunday.

Sillia’s advise, Aufidio, will be filled by vocal performance senior Frankie Espinoza on Friday and voice graduate student Jack Beetle on Sunday. “Aufidio is a really neat character. I’ve never played an in depth character before. He’s very manipulative, sinister, selfish and controlling. It’s such a fun role to play. It’s not every day that a tenor gets to play the bad guy,” Espinoza said. Lucio Silla runs for two days only, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Sunday at the Edythe Bates Old Moores Opera Center. Florencia en el Amazonas by Daniel Catan is an opera about an opera singer, soprano Florencia Grimaldi. Sung in Spanish with surtitles, Florencia details a trip down the Amazon and the havoc that ensues after a storm. Commissioned by Daniel Catan of the Houston Grand Opera, this will be Florencia’s first production at UH, and its second production at a university. Florencia opens at 7:30 p.m. today and plays Saturday through Monday at the Edythe Bates Old Moores Opera Center. Reserved seating is available and tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and senior citizens. Both operas are produced and directed by Buck Ross, director of the Moores Opera Center. Of Lucio Silla, “It’s Mozart’s earlier work. He wrote this opera while in his teens and it has beautiful arias. It’s such a neat show. I think there are characters that people can relate to in an extreme way. They’re over the top characters. Also, it would help to support your fellow UH students,” Espinoza said. arts@dailycougar.com

Credit: Tony Nguyen The Daily Cougar

The Moores School of Music presents Spanish opera Florencia en el Amazonas tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Midnight Madness returns River Oaks Theatre to start film series with classic fairytale comedy By Paulette Ehmer THE DAILY COUGAR Beginning Friday, River Oaks Theatre will launch their first Midnight Madness viewing of 2009. A River Oaks Theatre tradition, Midnight Madness screens classic (and not so classic) films every Friday and Saturday night. The first screening of the year will be The Princess Bride, starring Carey Elwes, is considered by many to be a satirical fairytale. Also being screened at midnight at a later date is Tron, Amelie and Conan the Barbarian. Midnight Madness is perhaps best known for its screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a 1976 cult classic, complete with a live cast. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a quirky tale about a newly

engaged couple that gets lost while driving and stumbles across the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite who is holding an annual convention for visitors from the planet Transsexual. This interactive masterpiece originated in 1975 but was quickly shelved and considered a failure. After some slight revamping and tweaking, a new and exciting era of movie watching was born. For many moviegoers, the idea of throwing rice, toilet paper and water during a movie is unfathomable, however this is all a part of the RHPS experience. The entire idea of this film is to get the crowd involved and let fun and action take control. Things such as screaming out profanities and shooting water pistols are perfectly acceptable. After a successful 33 years, RHPS

is the longest theatrical release in film history. RHPS is also the first movie from a major film studio to be in the midnight movie market. One of the many things that distinguishes this film from many others are the 1950s style costumes. These costumes have become a must for avid RHPS viewers and dressing up in character is a way that seasoned fans display their RHPS solidarity. Like many others around the world, Houstonians can join in on the RHPS fun. RHPS is performed the second Saturday of every month. For times and ticket prices call 713-866-8881 or visit http:// www.landmarktheatres.com. For more on the Beautiful Creatures, visit myspace.com/houstonrhps. arts@thedailycougar.com

Aurora continued from page 6

artists working in the Southwest, through endowments from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Brown Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts, the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, the Nightingale Code Foundation, the Oshman Foundation, the Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Through over fifty programs and exhibitions every year, Aurora strives to provide for a public arena where artists in new media and forms can have a thoughtprovoking exchange with their audiences. The Aurora Picture Show’s screening of Sound Forms will run for one night only on Saturday at the Aurora Theatre, 800 Aurora Street. Admission is free with a valid student I.D, with tickets selling for $6. For additional information and to purchase tickets to Sound Forms call the Aurora Theatre at 713868-2101 or visit http://www. aurorapictureshow.com. arts@thedailycougar.com

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8 n Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Daily Cougar

SPORTS

COMING FRIDAY: See the results of the women’s basketball team’s trip to Southern Methodist. ONLINE POLL: Vote on our basketball teams’ ncaa tournament chances.

EDITOR Matt Miller E-MAIL sports@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/sports

Men’s BasketBall

Miners’ second-half surge stops UH By Chris Elliott the daily cougar The largest student turnout of the season, by far, came out to support a UH squad that desperately needed that “extra something” for Wednesday’s contest against the Texas-El Paso Miners. Undoubtedly, a large majority of them made their way to Hofheinz Pavilion Wednesday night — for the first time this season — to give a sidelined Aubrey Coleman support, while cheering on the Cougars in a crucial Conference USA matchup. They’re left with the taste of a gritty 62-55 loss to the Miners in their mouths. They watched a UH team that was supposed to be overmatched without its most complete player on the court cruise to a 34-25 lead at the half. In the second half, they witnessed the same team show just how much No. 12 contributes to the fluidity of the Cougars’ offense and rebounding. “That’s something that (Coleman) does for us is get the long offensive rebounds and the ones that hit the floor,” UH head coach Tom Penders said. “We missed that part of his game, obviously. He makes everybody better.” The Cougars held the Miners to 38 percent shooting from the field, but they had a hard time finishing off

defensive plays. The Cougars were outrebounded by the Miners 51-34. Seventeen of those Miners’ rebounds were of the offensive variety. “The kids fought defensively,” Penders said. “They played their hearts out defensively. Part of defense is grabbing the defensive boards, and we did not clean up enough of those” UTEP caught fire to start the second half, jumping out to a 41-34 lead. They came out of the break on a 16-0 run that was highlighted by a sophomore guard Randy Culpepper four-point play with 17:24 left on the clock. “We came out with momentum, but we did not sustain the lead that we had,” said DaShaun Williams, who got the start for Coleman and finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. “That first five minutes of the second half they had a good run. We tried to counter it, but it was not enough in the end.” The Miners targeted senior center Marcus Cousin and junior guard Kelvin Lewis in the second half. Each had hot starts at the beginning of the game, but cooled off after the half. Lewis finished with 11 points, while Cousin picked up another double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Cousin had trouble adding to his nine first-half points due to zone defense and double teams. Penders countered the Miners

second half run by using a packed student section to his advantage. The students’ support helped the Cougars attempt to claw their way back from what would turn into a 5441 deficit with 10:43 left in the game. Penders ushered the crowd of 3,917, half of which were students, to get rowdy. This is something he hasn’t been able to do all year due to low turnout, but tonight Penders’ team fed off of the crowd’s energy. With momentum on the Cougars’ side, Williams took a chance and reached. It worked. He picked senior guard Stefon Jackson’s pocket and went coast-to-coast for a layup that cut the Miners’ lead to 56-55 with 4:46 remaining. That play capped off a five minute 12-0 run by Houston. Unfortunately for the Coleman-less squad, the run was also the pinnacle of the second half for UH. “(The students) helped us climb back into it,” Penders said. “We were down by 12 or 13 and got it back down to one. If we could have gotten over that mountain, just one step over that mountain, we could have pulled it off.” The Cougars continue their conference schedule when they travel to Tennessee to face Associated Press No. 18 Memphis on Saturday at noon. The game will be broadcasted nationally on CBS College Sports. sports@thedailycougar.com

WoMen’s Basketball

Cougars to face top team By Matt Miller THE DAILY COUGAR Road trips have not been friendly to the UH women’s basketball team, which faces yet another daunting task when it squares off with Southern Methodist at 7 p.m. on Thursday in Dallas. The Cougars (12-6, 4-2 Conference USA) will face their third straight first-place opponent, as the Mustangs (127, 5-1) currently share the top spot in C-USA with Marshall and Southern Miss. UH head coach Joe Curl realizes how detrimental losing to SMU would be, considering the Cougars already lost a possible tie-breaker with Southern Miss because of their 74-65 loss to the Golden Eagles on Jan. 22. “We know that (SMU) has beaten some good teams,” Curl said, “but beating Central Florida the other night showed we’re back in the saddle. We’re approaching it as another game; a game that we’re capable of winning.” The Mustangs are currently on a four-game winning streak, which includes wins at Tulsa, Tulane and Texas-El Paso. A team that is working on all cylinders is always tough to stop, especially at their place. “We have to take care of the

GREGORY BOHUSLAV THE DAILY COUGAR

Senior center Marcus Cousin, seen here against East Carolina, scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Cougars 62-55 loss to Texas-El Paso on Wednesday at Hofheinz Pavilion.

Tennis

Tennis takes two matches in Oregon Cougar Sports Services

DAILY COUGAR file photo

Sophomore guard Jasmine Johnson, pictured here against the Houston Jaguars, has stepped up her game since replacing Roxanna Button in the starting lineup. first four minutes,” Curl said. “We’re going to try to have tunnel vision during the first four minutes. We want to establish ourselves and put a little doubt in their mind.” UH’s defense has been

tremendous at home, but transferring the same physicality and energy on the road has proven difficult. “We have to keep our defensive see WBBALL, page 9

The UH tennis team started its season in a solid manner, posting victories over Portland State (7-0) and Idaho (4-3), before falling to Oregon (6-1) Jan. 23-25 in Oregon. The Cougars fought hard in their loss to Oregon, but were outmatched by superior athletes. UH’s only doubles win came in the No. 1 doubles slot, where senior Vicky Simpson and sophomore Lucy Forward claimed an 8-4 g g Young victory over sophomores Stephanie Macfarlane and Pavlina Smatova. The Cougars dropped their other two doubles g g Forward matches, along with five of their six singles matches. UH’s sole singles victory, and its only point in the match, came from freshman Alix Young, who defeated sophomore Siobhan Cavan 6-4, 6-3. After losing their first two matches against Idaho, the Cougars stormed back with singles victories, courtesy of Young and Simpson. Young took care of sophomore Yvette Ly 6-2, 7-5, while

Simpson crushed sophomore Jana Siwa 6-3, 6-0 Senior Lynley Wasson gave UH its third straight victory of the day when she topped sophomore Silvia Irimescu 2-6, 6-1, 6-3. Sophomore Joanna Kacprzyk dropped her match to sophomore Barbara Maciocha 4-6, 5-7, but junior Neila Starratt came through in the final match of the day, defeating Alexandra Ulesanu 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. In their season opener, the Cougars dominated Portland State, dropping zero sets en route to a dominating 7-0 victory. Sophomore Laura Ring came closest to losing a set in her 6-4, 6-1 victory over sophomore Anya Dalkin, while Simpson blanked freshman Kylea Gleason 6-0, 6-0. Wasson made quick work of sophomore Molly Knox, winning 6-2, 6-2, and Young topped freshman Victoria Bravo 6-2, 6-0. Forward and Ring claimed an 8-1 doubles victory over sophomore Caitlin Stockling and Knox. Young and senior Jordan McCombs teamed up to top sophomore Alyssa Ferry and Dalkin 8-4. The Cougars final doubles win in the match came from Kacprzyk and Wasson when the duo demolished Bravo and Gleason 8-1. UH continues its season against Steven F. Austin and Louisiana Tech on Saturday in Nacogdoches. sports@thedailycougar.com

SPORTS

The Daily Cougar

Thursday, January 29, 2009 n 9

C-USA Notebook

Rice, UH top preseason polls By Ronnie Turner The Daily Cougar Conference USA released its baseball preseason coaches’ poll Wednesday, and it came as a surprise to no one that Rice was named the league favorite for the fourth consecutive year. The Owls, who have made 14 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and advanced to the College World Series in each of the last three seasons, received all nine first-place votes (81 total points), making them a unanimous league favorite for the third time in four seasons. East Carolina was the runner-up with 67 points, followed by Southern Miss (62), Tulane (55) and Houston (49). No one can argue against Rice’s selection as the preseason frontrunner. Since the Owls began C-USA play in 2006, after relocating from the Western Athletic Conference, they’ve manhandled all of their league rivals. Since that first season, the Owls have gone 65-7 in C-USA, winning at least 21 league contests per season. They won 17 consecutive C-USA series before losing two of three games to Southern Miss last March. Including its tenure in the WAC, Rice has won 33 of its last 34 conference series and 13 consecutive conference regularseason titles. As usual, Rice has a wealth of talented players in its fold. The Owls return 16 lettermen and six

three-time C-USA Pitcher of the Year Angel Shamblin (94-33 in four years with the Cougars). They hope that sophomore Baillie Lott, junior transfer Lindsey Olson, sophomore transfer Amanda Crabtree and freshman Kaela DeBroeck can fill the void left by Shamblin’s departure. UH opens its season on Feb. 6 in Cathedral City, Calif. sports@thedailycougar.com

sports@thedailycougar.com

DAILY COUGAR file photo

Senior infielder Jessica Valis was selected to the 2009 Amateur Softball Association of America Top 50 Watch List. runs, 57 RBIs). The Cougars also have 2008 C-USA Freshman of the Year sophomore first baseman Jennifer Klinkert (15 homers, 55 RBIs) and senior catcher Elaina Nordstrom (13 homers, 52 RBIs) back in the fold, so they shouldn’t have any problems producing runs this season. However, head coach Kyla Holas and the Cougars will be hard pressed to find a replacement for

continued from page 8

intensity,” Curl said, “even in games that we lost, it was a matter of (the other team) getting a spurt on us at the wrong time. We didn’t have enough energy to come back, but I think we do now. I think we’re getting our legs (now).” SMU has jumped on its opponents early, outscoring them 639-580 in the first half. The Cougars must set the tempo early and not allow the Mustangs to gain a comfortable lead, something that plagued UH in some of its road games this season. “The first four minutes establishes what’s going to go on,” Curl said. “We have to get a spurt on them and take a little wind out of their sails.” On the other end of the spectrum, the Cougars have outscored their opponents 641603 in the second half. After coming back from a 16-point second-half deficit at Tulane on Jan. 9, the Cougars know they are capable of pulling out games in the clutch. “I’m excited about how our girls are going to respond,” Curl said. “We try to feel out our players and see how they’re going to play. If somebody plays great in the first half, they’ll see more time in the second half.” Curl said the Cougars’ biggest w“We feel like we can really put pressure on their guards,” Curl said. “We’re quick enough to keep them from going to the basket.”

position starters, including junior right-hander Ryan Berry (8-5, 3.63 ERA in 2008), junior catcher Diego Seastrunk (.353 batting average, 61 RBIs) and sophomore shortstop Rick Hague (.348, six home runs, 54 RBIs). This is to say nothing of a talented incoming freshman class, which includes standout pitcher Taylor Wall (Westside High School). Of course, it also helps that the Owls have one of the nation’s best head coaches in Wayne Graham, who is 787-299 in 17 seasons at Rice. The Owls, who are ranked third in Collegiate Baseball’s preseason rankings, will probably sprint through the league this season. As usual, no one will be surprised. UH softball at the forefront The UH softball team, which is the preseason favorite to win the C-USA regular-season title, was ranked No. 16 in the ESPN.com/ USA Softball Top 25 preseason poll released Tuesday. The Cougars, who claimed the league’s regular-season crown the past two years, return 11 letterwinners from last season’s 5411 squad that advanced to the first NCAA super regional in program history. UH has seven of eight position starters returning, including 2007 C-USA Player of the Year senior shortstop Jessica Valis (team-high .431 batting average last season) and senior outfielder Laurie Wagner (.401, team-high 19 home

WBBALL

10 n Thursday, January 29, 2009

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COMICS & MORE

The Daily Cougar

COUGAR COMICS

Online at thedailycougar.com/comics

The Waves by Bissan Rafe

today’s crossword ACROSS 1 6 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2 2 23 24 26 29 31 32 33 34 38 40 42 43 46 49 50 51 52 53 57 59 60 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73

Dim Sum by Ho Yi Lau

Man Law by Chris Jacobs

Brandish Assns. Kukla’s friend Ho-hum feeling Actress — Miles Cameo, maybe Breezing through Online auction Six to an inning Speeder’s hazard (2 wds.) Fort Knox bar Consult a book Party thrower — — few rounds Positive Bullring shout Trail behind Dance move Central Park sight Hotcakes acronym Get spliced Geodesic — Get lost! (2 wds.) Lampreys Colony member Moppet Gush forth Homey dessert Yacht basins Guide On one’s own Coffee containers Pelt Sitter’s bane License — Broad sts. Red inside Privileged few Tolstoy and Fender Got in debt “Blowin’ in the Wind” singer

DOWN

At the Hot Dog Stand by Mishele Lamshing

Thursday, January 29, 2009 n 11

1 Have on 2 Ancient empire 3 Novelist — Bagnold 4 Of the moon 5 Ramble 6 Went in the hole 7 “Fancy” singer

Answers online at thedailycougar.com/puzzles 3

21 23

46 49

51 56

52 58

70 ©

today’s sudoku (Difficulty: 1/5)

8 Visual aid 9 Pronounce 10 Kind of alignment (hyph.) 11 Blush makeup 12 Low voices 13 Treetop refuges 21 Tight as a drum 22 Cuba, to Castro 25 Awesome! 26 Facile 27 Diamond Head locale 28 Thrilled 30 Fencing weapons 35 Shower bar 36 Atlanta stadium 37 Distribute 39 Slowness 41 Used up

4 4 Ground up 45 Pharm. watchdog 47 Knowing look 48 Snowed under 53 Taj — 54 Still in the game 55 Cowboy meet 56 Horse’s bedding 58 Movie set wheels 61 Fox’s prey 62 Go yachting 63 Jazzy — James 64 Caught redhanded 66 Slangy pal

2009 United Feature Syndicate INC.

Previous puzzle solved T B S P S H E E R A M O R

A L E E

R E A L

A U R I C T I L O S E R A S A U OC K R T T A A G I P I N E F E

C B A R L O C A N H I C E S S M SWE R A S A L O T C H E C L E M R O

E R L O L A R A C A I R D I I D T Y O R O A A T R E

O S A U T T T EM E P A S R UM N T E R E R A S H D A L I AWA I L K S O S T E N I V S N E O GR

K E P T

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How to play

Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3-by-3 boxes must also contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Previous puzzle solved

www.thedailycougar.com

Where do I get the latest UH news?

Limbo by Paulo Aninag

12 n Thursday, January 29, 2009

NEWS

The Daily Cougar

SHUTTLE continued from page 1

Liana Lopez The Daily Cougar

Students riding Red route will have to start looking for the Robertson Line in next two weeks.

Parking route, which shuttled students directly to and from the parking lot on the corner of Wheeler Street and Scott Street last semester, with one shuttle from Blue route, which takes students to and from Cambridge Oaks, Cullen Oaks and to outlying economy parking lots on Cullen Boulevard. “I liked it better when it was Satellite only,” said Calvin Williams, Satellite/Blue route shuttle driver. “This change is messing with a lot of peoples’ schedule.” Browand is working with AFC, the shuttle and driver provider of the campus shuttle service, to see how the new schedules and routes work over the next weeks. “So far, (AFC) has been nothing but supportive,” Browand said. “Right now they are testing the time schedules we developed to make sure they are realistic. We will make any adjustment to the times based on their recommendations.” Future plans include the addition of bus shelters around campus in an effort to work

with Metro to provide shared bus stops. Metro will also help institute a bus tracking system to allow parking and transportation to view bus locations online and project arrival times. A passenger counting system will be used to make adjustments to routes and times that are reflective of actual usage. Names of routes will also be updated to better identify the area of campus they serve. New signage and electronic messages on the shuttle buses will be put in place in the next two weeks, but the color coding for each route will remain the same. The Garage/ Circulator will become Campus Loop, Tan route will become the Eastwood/Business Park Line, Red route will become the Robertson Line, Blue route will become Oaks/ Satellite Line and the Purple route will become Bayou Oaks Line. Currently, most shuttle services run Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on Fridays, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. “There may be some changes when the metro light rail arrives,” Browand said, “but for now this is all we have planned.” news@thedailycougar.com

SMITH continued from page 1

time, one of the largest in the United States. “She grew up with UH, within all the philanthropy that her parents were engaged in,” Robertson said. “Her advice would be for everyone to do the best that they can, and to give back as she gave back, how she learned from her parents to give back. That’s what she told “Her advice everybody their duty was would be for – to make the everyone to do world a better place than the best that what it was they can, and when you got to give back there.” as she gave Smith was married June 6, back, how she 1945 to U.S. Air learned from Corps Captain Corbin James her parents to Robertson and give back.” was with him until his death — Beth Robertson, in 1991. Smith’s daughter A f t e r years of philanthropy throughout Houston and beyond, Smith retired from the Cullen Foundation in 1997. That same year, she met Edgar A. Smith and the two married in April 2008. Smith was preceded in death by her parents and siblings: Roy Gustav Cullen, Lillie Cullen di Portanova, Agnes Cullen Arnold, and Margaret Cullen Marshall; her husband, Corbin James Robertson; and her great grandson, Corbin James Robertson IV. She is survived by her husband, Edgar A. Smith; her children Wilhelmina Elizabeth Robertson, Corbin James Robertson, Jr. and his wife Barbara , Lillie Therese Robertson, Carroll Christine Robertson Ray and her husband Hugh, and Alison Susan Robertson Baumann and her husband Peter and her grandchildren. “What meant so much to her were the people produced out of University of Houston,” Robertson said. news@thedailycougar.com