Issue 93, Volume 74 by The Cougar

THE DAILY COUGAR Smart art: student pieces focus of library display /LIFE & ARTS

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UH intent on security fixes By Patricia Estrada The Daily Cougar

Hussein said. “Israel is not abiding by the 1967 boundaries that the U.N. has set.” The division of East Jerusalem will be a difficult hurdle in the negotiations. The dispute of the land dates back to the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel incorporated East and West Jerusalem. In 1980, it officially confirmed the territory as its capital, contrary to U.N. Resolution 242. Jerusalem is a historically important land to followers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Some of the most religiously significant sites of these religions are in East Jerusalem. “The situation in Israel and Palestine is not just a religious question,” UH director of Religious Studies Lynn Mitchell said. “(But) you can’t separate religion from culture and religion from society. That is especially true in parts of the world that have no real experience with what we call secular democracy. So you can never separate peace from dealing with religious issues.”

Even with increased police presence, crime alerts seem to have UH students afraid of the dark. “Until lately I did feel pretty safe,” business junior David Mares said. “Now, I don’t know. I’m a night student. I’m afraid to walk alone to my car. For night students it is kind of scary to walk alone on campus.” But UH Police Chief Malcolm Davis said he believes the amped up security is the change the campus needed. “In my line of business most of the time I don’t need 11 officers (on duty); right now I do,” he said. “We have officers on foot, bike and driving around common areas. Just because you don’t see them does not mean they are not there.” History junior Abdul Rashid said he wants to see officers’ presence at night, especially in the parking lot near Robertson Stadium. “The University can hire more police and increase their visibility. (And) they should put up cameras at each bus stop,” Rashid said. Music sophomore Alex Gonzalez said feeling uneasy on campus is nothing new. “It’s been unsafe for a long time. I used to work late on campus and some of my co-workers got jacked up in the parking lot,” Gonzalez said. “We need more cops on campus and in the parking lots. Crime is still increasing. During the day I do feel safe. But not at night.” Other students also share Gonzalez’s feelings. “I do not believe the University is safe for many people. Besides the shooting that has happened recently, there have been a number of robberies and assaults reported since I have been attending this college,” kinesiology senior Monica Bhakta said. Student Government Association is looking at alternative ideas to safeguard campus from the busy city streets that surround it. SGA president Sam Dike proposed the creation of natural barriers such as a tree line to pump up privacy. He also proposed closing Cullen Boulevard to cars to help control access points to the school and eliminate traffic and pedestrian problems. Dike said in order to create safe communities, students need to be alert and responsible. “Exercise good judgment,” he said. Sen. Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio’s bill to allow guns at Texas public universities may mean to put student’s safety in their own hands, but Robert Griffin, communications director of Students for Personal Safety, opposes the idea of guns on campus. “Sometimes the idea that there are weapons on campus would deter some criminals from coming on campus,” he said. “(But) you will always have to worry about the irresponsible gun owner. If the bill passed we will work hard to minimize the chance of someone irresponsible using their gun by signing people up for (concealed handgun license) classes.” Griffin conducted a survey last week on student’s feelings about this bill. His findings indicated that 61 percent of students who took the survey say the idea of people being able to carry a gun on campus makes them nervous. The survey also found that people are not informed on issues of gun control on campus and safety. Earth science senior John Sim said he likes the prohibition of dangerous weapons on campus. “We entrust to the security and the police department to bear the weapons and to prevent this from happening,” Sim said. “Whenever you introduce a weapon on someone’s person there is the temptation to use that weapon. There are people on campus too that do tend to have an aggressive side and it gives them one more excuse to have that weapon.” Davis said it is OK for students to carry pepper spray, small knives or even a taser gun. But he wants students to carry these responsibly.

see GAZA, page 3

see SAFETY, page 3

Regents plan to keep student scholarship funds intact By Heather Duran The Daily Cougar

news@thedailycougar.com

3-day forecast, Page 2

Monday, February 16, 2009

System spending curtailed The UH System Board of Regents Endowment Management Committee decided to decrease the System’s spending by an estimated $900,000 from fiscal year 2009 while maintaining the same amount of payouts in scholarships at Friday’s meeting. “Our primary concern is to issue as many scholarships as possible,” said Carl Carlucci, UH System vice chancellor for Administration and Finance. “We will use money from other funds to keep our scholarship accounts in full.” The board decided to reduce spending to 4 percent from 5 percent for fiscal year 2010. UH will lessen funds spent on areas such as travel, opting to rely on the Internet instead for video conferences and communication needs. The University will also cut back on administration costs such as office equipment in order to sustain funds allocated for scholarships. “One of the components of the endowment that we’ve really focused on is (UH System Chancellor Renu Khator’s) priority of scholarships. She really wants us to have the capacity to offer our students a full ride wherever possible. We’re doing our best to increase that capacity,” committee chair Carroll Ray said. While other universities such as Harvard and Yale are reporting decreases as large as 30 percent in endowment funding, the drop in funding for UH is not as drastic as other universities are facing, Ray said. “Harvard and Yale are private institutions, and private institutions historically have much higher levels of endowment. State-institution endowments are less because there is a certain amount of support from the state,” Ray said. “As a state-supported institution, our endowment was not huge, but it was robust … and we would like to become huge.” Ray said Khator is focused on increasing donor funds to the University. “One of Dr. Khator’s goals was to develop better relationships with the alumni group and to help them with their maintaining connections with all of our alumni and letting them see the value of supporting the University. That has resulted in a huge increase in g g Ray our alumni support,” he said. Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Michael Rierson said donations from alumni have more than doubled since last year. “We’ve increased our alumni giving from about 3 to 4 percent to 10 percent,” Rierson said. Cambridge Associates, a financial advisory group to the board, discussed ways in which the downturned economy has affected the endowment fund. Hamilton Lee, an advisor from the firm, said the $100 per barrel drop in oil “has been a fiscal stimulus in itself” because it helps the market. The board decided to invest funds in more diversified and conservative markets in order to prevent the endowment from decreasing at a faster rate.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Homesick: softball drops final game of Houston tourney /sports

Issue 93, Volume 74

DAVID SHIH The Daily Cougar

Hanging tough

irst-time climber Flor Mendez, a biomedical engineering freshman, overcomes her fear of heights before the final days of the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center’s Anti-Gravity competition, which is open to climbers of all skill levels, on Feb. 18 and 26.

Election stalls peace process By Brenda Maymí-Luna The Daily Cougar As Israel announced the results of its prime minister elections Friday, UH faculty and the Muslim Student Association weighed in on how the election may shape the fragile political and religious topography of the Gaza Strip. The tallies were neck-and-neck with the Kadima party’s candidate Tzipi Livni leading the Likud candidate Benjamin Netanyahu’s 28 seats to 27 seats. The election of two parties known for conservative policy and military force signaled the country’s willingness to stagnate the ongoing peace process initiated in Egypt after a 22-day long battle between Hamas and Israel. “I believe that the only long-term solution for the conflict in Palestine, or the land of Israel, is to end the occupation. The fact of the matter is that Israel to this day continues to occupy most of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,” UH Muslim Student Association president Mohammed

2 n Monday, February 16, 2009

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Man shot to death on campus Reporting disturbing news is duty of The Daily Cougar Dorm proposal benefits UH UH reacts to violence Campus considers gun laws

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Today Yearbook photo week: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Claudette Room, UC Satellite. Last chance to get your photo in the yearbook. Seniors can also get cap and gown photographs. Visit www.uh.edu/sp. Health professions fair: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Houston Room, University Center. This event will provide the opportunity for students to meet with representatives from schools and programs offering training in health care. Dress is business casual attire. Contact Jose Rodriguez at (832) 842-2100 or jrodriguezjr@uh.edu. Résumé workshop: Noon to 1 p.m. at Student Service Center 1, first floor. This workshop will help students prepare résumés that increase the chances of generating job interviews. Call (713) 743-5100 or visit www.career.uh.edu. ‘HTML III’ workshop: 2 to 4 p.m. at Room 107C, Social Work Building. Sponsored by Information Technology Support Services. Call (713) 743-1564 or visit www.uh.edu/ittraining. Campus Recruitment Workshop: 5 to 6 p.m. at Student Service Center 1, first floor. Completion of a Campus Recruitment Workshop (CRW) is required to participate in campus recruitment or on-campus interviews. Learn how to identify which employers are interviewing for full time, career level and internship positions. Call (713) 743-5100 or visit www.career.uh.edu.

Pampering my loved one

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The usual, pretending not to care

A night out

Casual night with someone special

Featured blog One man’s treasure Chuan Chen’s run-in with a four-legged campus inhabitant.

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Re: Man shot to death on campus

“Not only is posting this picture inappropriate but so was leaving his body uncovered for all to see for over four hours. The police should have covered his whole body … or closed Cullen completely. I drove by on Saturday around 10 a.m. completely unaware of what had happened and this was the most awful sight ever.” — -user “UH staff member” Re: Man shot to death on campus

“A real picture of the incident is so impactful and meaningful. It’s not disrespectful or tasteless. It makes us all realize that this really happened, right here, and it’s not to be taken lightly. -user “katie”

» In the article “Report card: unimpressed by war-funding, tobacco bans,”

(Friday, Opinion), The Daily Cougar made a mistake in reference to the Israeli military. The sentence should haveBlogging printed “The Hampshire College student group has condemned Caterpillar, United Technologies, General Electric, ITT Corporation, Motorola and Terex for being complicit in Israeli’s ‘apartheid poliThe usual cies’ by providing aid to the Israeli military.”

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UHPD if students see something or someone suspicious. “Bother us,” he said. “That is why we are here.” Students can reach UHPD by dailing 911 from any phone on campus or calling (713) 743-3333. UHPD offices are located at 3896 Wheeler St. news@thedailycougar.com

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“If you are going to take it out, make sure you use it,” he said. “If you don’t, you can make sure the bad guy is going to have (a weapon) and he will use it.” Davis said he also wants students to use the emergency blue boxes and the police escort service and to call

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Mitchell said disputes which are rooted in religious beliefs become political issues when dealing with the law and ownership of the land. “Orthodox Jews and Muslims believe that God gave them that land,” Mitchell said. “If God gave two different people the same piece of land, you are going to have to modify a little bit your religious perspectives if those two people are going to live safely and peacefully in that land.” Other areas of contention are the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and opening of borders in Gaza, which blocks Palestinians from vital natural resources such as arable land and water. Israel argues maintaining a presence in the area is critical to national security. A proposed “two-state solution” moves borders of Israel to pre1967 demarcation lines and creates a Palestinian state in all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Some conservative Israelis argue this solution was implemented by a 1922 British mandate, which created the Arab state of Jordan. “In a sense, any agreement would bring peace,” communication associate professor Frederick Schiff said. “Given what the Israelis have done on the West Bank, particularly with dividing, taking much of the water resources ... I don’t see how you could have a two-state solution.”

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A proposed “single-state solution” would integrate Israel, the West Bank and Gaza as a bi-national solution meant to give the population in the three regions equal rights and citizenship, without regard to ethnicity or religion. Schiff, who has a doctorate in political sociology from UCLA and has worked asa reporter and foreign correspondent in the Middle East, said the multi-cultural aspect of this solution would obstruct social and political cohesion. “Multiple nationalities within one state have often led to internal strife to civil war or minimally discrimination or inequitable distribution of resources,” he said. “So, it seems from all kinds of practical points of view, that there are less obstacles to creating a two-state solution.” Renewed hostilities in January in the Gaza Strip resulted in the deaths of 1,284 — 894 Gaza civilians, of which 280 were women and children, and 13 Israelis 10 soldiers and three civilians, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights. Palestinian militants launched rockets into Israel from Gaza and Israeli forces retaliated with missile attacks targeting tunnels along the EgyptianGaza border, which Israel said are used to smuggle weapons into the region. This latest conflict created a humanitarian crisis that has compelled leaders of Western European countries to meet in Egypt and try to stabilize the fragile truce in Gaza.

RED

GAZA

Monday, February 16, 2009 n 3

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2009 SFAC UNIT PRESENTATION SCHEDULE Monday, February 16, 2009, Bluebonnet Room, UC 8:45 a.m.

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4 n Monday, February 16, 2009

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OPINION

COMING TUESDAY: Gaza, again in aftermath. ONLINE POLL: Should UH postpone the University Center renovations?

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

EDITORIAL CARTOON

THE DAILY COUGAR edit o ri a l B o a rd 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 Sarah Krusleski, Features editor

STAFF EDITORIAL

V-Day stands as reminder of love’s power, danger

BISSAN RAFE The Daily Cougar

Energy outfits should curb costs Who else is tired of soaring energy prices? Texans have seen a massive increase in energy costs since the deregulation of the retail electricity market. Matthew Former Gov. Keever George W. Bush, who believed competition would “benefit Texans by reducing monthly rates,” signed the deregulation law on June 18, 1999. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Texans’ costs have risen 64 percent between 1999 and 2007, according to a report released Monday by the Cities Aggregation Power Project. CAPP, a nonprofit partnership of Texas municipalities, does not recommend going back to the pre-deregulation system, but says it wants the Texas Legislature to check market exploitation by limiting how much power any one utility can generate. Similarly to the hike in gas prices during Houstonian’s evacuation in the course of Hurricane Ike, some companies

are increasing prices simply because program,” UH President Renu Khator said there is a high demand. Who in Houston in a release. isn’t going to keep their home cool? This Fundamentals of petroleum seems to be dirty economics at its worst, engineering and geosciences combined a concern that seems to with economics, energy plague Houston even in law and business will Coupled with growth the wake of the Enron be the basis of the and the decline in the scandal. Market abuse degree plan. Marathon number of students in Oil, which is based in needs to be curbed. But who can take on the job? Houston, and Devon the nation pursuing Enter the University of Energy have shown their technical degrees, Houston with its Scarlet support by contributing and Albino White cape, $1.6 million toward the businesses are ready and willing to take program. Now where desperate for talent. on the task at hand. could they have gotten so Beginning this fall, much money to burn? a bachelors degree plan in petroleum Ramanan Krishnamoorti, chair of the engineering will be offered. According college’s department of Chemical and to the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Biomolecular Engineering told The Daily 40 percent of the industry’s workforce Cougar in a story published Feb. 5 he feels will reach retirement age in 2010. the new degree is a must-have degree for Coupled with growth and the decline the college. in the number of students in the nation “The way the industry has evolved, pursuing technical degrees, businesses these professionals cannot operate like are desperate for talent. before. You really are not able to do work “This is the right university, the right see KEEVER, page 5 time and the right city for this kind of

Texas science education evolves Thursday marked the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin, commonly referred to as the father of evolutionary theory, a subject of much debate in Texas. Born in Shrewsbury, England in 1809, Darwin later traveled to the Galapagaos Islands, where his theory on evolution Alana came about. MousaviDin Darwin kept his ideas to himself for fear of being viewed as anti-religious, later publishing On the Origin of Species only when his research was about to be usurped. The book became wildly popular, but sparked wrangling between religion and science and fueled many decades of argument. Darwin’s theory is simple: man evolved from another species during a period of thousands of years. How this highly sensitive subject is presented to

school-aged children has been a topic of controversy for decades. Texas, in particular, has been trying to find the best method of teaching the origin of man and unfortunately has failed to teach our kids anything. University of North Texas physics professor Donald Kobe, however, said it is important to distinguish between evolutionism and creationism from evolution and creation. “The first two are philosophies or interpretations, whereas the latter are both scientific concepts,” Kobe said. It was hard to remember whether creation or evolution was actually taught during my days in high school. When looking through old school projects from science at different levels in school, a pattern emerged. At all grade levels in high school, not one thing about the origin of humans was mentioned. Religion was taboo, but it seems Texas educators were more worried about

bringing the subject up for fear of opening that big can of worms. Jan. 23 brought the great debate into the ring once more. According to ABC News, 15 members of the Texas State Board of Education elected to eliminate wording that has allowed the standing of evolution in Texas classrooms to be attacked for 20 years. The offending phrasing gives opportunity for teachers and students to debate “strengths and weaknesses” of scientific theories. In practice, this was used as a pretext to argue lessons on evolution. Kobe said the definition of evolution is “change over time,” where evolutionism states that the universe and life exist without purpose. Creationism implies the earth is less than 10,000 years old and God created everything in seven days. “I don’t accept either of these,” Kobe said. “I believe that God created the universe at the time of the big bang and has guided its

V-Day, the shortened name for Valentine’s Day, conjures up positive emotions for many. Elementary school students devote an entire afternoon to decorating brown paper bags and eating candy. Couples take time out of busy schedules to celebrate their relationships. Store owners watch happily as greeting cards and flowers fly off the shelves. But for many women, the name V-Day also invokes emotions of strength and resolve. V-Day, an organization founded in 1998, “promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations,” according to the group’s Web site, http://newsite.vday.org. V-Day raises funds through volunteer performances of Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues across the country, producing documentaries about violence toward women both in the U.S. and foreign nations and hosting celebritystudded benefit events. Hollywood stars such as actresses Jessica Alba and Kerry Washington attended the annual V-Day luncheon on Friday in Los Angeles. The event focused on violence against women in Congo, but discussion also hit closer to home as talk turned to the dispute between singers Chris Brown and Rihanna. Both singers, who were dating, cancelled appearances at the 2009 Grammy Awards show after a woman reported Brown attacked and injured her after a pre-Grammy party on Feb. 8. According to newsday.com, Rihanna reported bruises and scratches on her face and is working with police to build a domestic violence case against Brown. “This is a problem that spreads from the Congo to Hollywood ... what I hope is that people become less and less afraid to talk about how truly devastating this social illness is,” Alba said at the luncheon. In having the bravery to report Brown to the police, Rihanna stands as an example of what any woman who has been the victim of abuse should be. Love can make one blind to another’s faults, but in some cases, it goes too far and the relationship becomes abusive. Neither partner should hurt the other, and having the courage to speak up against domestic violence is the most important way to bring the issue to light.

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

see MOUSAVIDIN, page 5

Copy editing Angela Hoang, Ruth Rodriguez, Ronnie Turner Production Mariah Davis, Matt Johnson

OPINION

The Daily Cougar

World leaders worry about AU Libya’s socialist leader Moammar Gadhafi was elected to head the African Union by a 53-member summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Feb. 2. Anousheh Before Kehar this, Gadhafi was unable to attain such a position because of his controversial stance in the international community. His philosophy has been questioned since he established a “state of the masses,” which undeniably became an autocracy. He presented more of a conundrum when the country was associated with terrorist attacks against the international community in 1988, stemming from the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Libya suffered from losing ties with the international community, from sanctions imposed by the U.N. and from repayment of compensation to the victims’ families. Gadhafi also failed to persuade the Arab nations to unite. Other Arab leaders viewed him as unpredictable

KEEVER continued from page 4

as a petroleum engineer without a background in geosciences,” he said. A master’s program for the degree is already available, and the bachelor’s curriculum is planned to build on the successes of its superior. For Cougars who graduate with a degree in petroleum engineering, wherever you get a job, take some morality with you, please. Personally, I’m in favor of the cool weather sticking around for a while longer. I’ve been able to keep my air conditioning off by opening a window, which has been a welcome change — my monthly energy bill is ridiculous. Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

MOUSAVIDIN continued from page 4

change over time. Science answers the questions of how and when. Christianity answers the questions of why and who.” As a parent, it is difficult to say how children should be taught about the beginnings of humans. What should be asked is why our kids haven’t been taught this before. Children will hold fast to their beliefs, whether they are churchinspired, book-inspired or selfinspired. It is only when they are made to question their beliefs that they look elsewhere for answers. Our schools should offer a simple explanation of both and be thankful our kids are mindful enough to question both ends. This would be a wonderful opportunity for them to bring the day’s lessons home for conversation, debate and, perhaps, reflection. Alana MousaviDin is a communication senior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

and did not give him the respect he demanded. However, the Arab people admired him for his courage. In 2003, Gadhafi began taking measures to reverse Libya’s isolation. His new agenda to build relations with the rest of the world and to exploit the oil reserves in Libya has been successful. After reanalyzing, Gadhafi directed his efforts to the panAfrican vision. He is ambitious in wanting to transform the continent into the United States of Africa, much like the European Union. His turning over a new leaf is being well received by the region. This is the first time in the 46year history of the AU and its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity, Libya will hold the chairmanship. “I think his time has come … he’s worked for it. I think it’s up to us to make sure it comes out best,” Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said. U.S. political analyst Benjamin Barber described Gadhafi as “surprisingly philosophical and reflective in his temperament  for an autocrat."

"He sees himself very much as an intellectual," Barber said. Rhetoric aside, Libyans remain under an iron fist. Not only does the government stringently control the media and suppress opposition, but corruption and violence are prevalent. Many Libyans remain in the dark about Gadhafi’s reformation and do not believe they will enjoy the benefits of Libya's wealth. Ghadafi’s attempts to renovate Libya may be an effort to strengthen his legacy before the transition of power away from him. At the declaration of Gadhafi’s new appointment at the AU, he brought an entourage, which referred to itself as the “traditional kings of Africa” and Gadhafi as the “king of kings.” “It remains to be seen if he is capable of being serious about anything,” said J. Stephen Morrison, director of the Africa program at the Center for International and Strategic Studies. Anousheh Kehar is an architecture sophomore and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

Monday, February 16, 2009 n 5

COME HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME

CHINA STUDY ABROAD June 10, 2009 to July 2, 2009 Asian American Studies Study Abroad Program still open for registration Information & Application Packets are available at: Asian American Studies Center 450 Farish Hall University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-5874 Tel: (713) 743-4982 Fax: (713) 743-9836 Downloadable at: www.uh.edu/aasc

www.thedailycougar.com Stay in touch.

SPORTS

6 n Monday, February 16, 2009

MEN’s BASKETBALL

WOMEN’s BASKETBALL

Houston, Nixon topple Tulane By Chris Elliott The Daily Cougar Eric Vianney didn’t have a prayer. Not this night. Not when Zamal Nixon was feeling it this much. Nixon sized up his man, started his dribble, crossed the ball over to his right and transitioned into a hesitation move. With the Tulane guard frozen in a dazed state of confusion, the Cougars’ crossover-artist put the finishing touches on his masterpiece. Nixon switched back to his dominant hand with the quickness and precision of a seasoned racer working the clutch, shifter and throttle on the drag strip. Nixon’s defender was left in the dust, leaving Nixon with a clear path to the basket. He elevated, doubleclutched and rolled the ball off his fingers for a layup  another thing of beauty. The point guard used plays like this to score a season-high 23 points in Houston’s 83-64 win over Tulane before a crowd of 3,243 on Saturday at Hofheinz Pavilion. “I was actually going to dunk the other one, but he smacked it out of my hand,” Nixon said with a noticeable air of confidence after his breakout game. “So I just had to finger roll it over the basket. The crowd was kind of like ‘ooh’ because they were expecting me to dunk it.” The Cougars improved to 16-7 and 7-3 in Conference USA, moving into a tie with Alabama-Birmingham for second place behind conference frontrunner Memphis. Tulane fell to 10-14 overall and 4-7 in C-USA. But the Cougars might not have

won by such a large margin had it not been for Nixon. Cougars head coach Tom Penders had said he wanted to see Nixon shoot more after his highly efficient seven-assist, one-turnover performance in Wednesday’s 69-56 win over Southern Methodist. Against Tulane, Nixon was given a chance to show how much of an offensive threat he can be when he is assertive. Guard Aubrey Coleman committed his fourth personal foul only four minutes into the second half. Houston’s leading scorer and second-leading rebounder could not get in a rhythm and finished the night with season-lows of two points and seven minutes. His previous season-low in minutes was 17 against Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 13. Houston needed someone to step up. “We played without him (Coleman) and won,” Penders said. “Two weeks ago, I think that would have been impossible. That’s great for the team. That’s great for Aubrey to see that. Now with the improved play of Zamal Nixon and some of the other guys, (we are a different team).” Kelvin Lewis, who was experiencing a shooting slump, also received a bit of a confidence boost after scoring 11 of his 16 points in the second half. Lewis, who also doubles as Houston’s primary defender, played a huge role in Houston’s second-half runs, shooting 3-for-4 from behind the three-point line. “I just worry about playing defense; it just so happens that the offense is coming,” Lewis said. “It’s been a tough couple of games, but

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The Daily Cougar

Hot shooting drops UH By Matt Miller THE DAILY COUGAR

David shih THE DAILY COUGAR

Sophomore point guard Zamal Nixon scored a season-high 23 points to lead the Cougars to their fourth consecutive win. I’m working through it. I’m working my behind off. It’s paying off.” Forward Nick Mosely also played well in 10 minutes off the bench. He finished with eight points, shooting 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. The Cougars entered the second half with a 39-21 lead. Tulane, however, outscored the Cougars 20-8 in the first nine minutes of the second half to reduce its deficit to six points with 11:12 left in the game. The Cougars, however, quickly retaliated, going on a two-minute, 9-2 run, capped by an alley-oop dunk by forward Qa’rraan Calhoun, who was assisted by Wade. Calhoun’s dunk gave the Cougars a 58-43 lead with 9:18 remaining, and Tulane would not recover. UH hits the road to face Marshall at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, W. Va. sports@thedailycougar.com

The Cougars outplayed Texas-El Paso in almost every facet of the game, but they couldn’t stop the Miners from making shots. UH fell to UTEP, 75-72, on Saturday at Hofheinz Pavilion, suffering its first home loss of the season. UTEP shot 55.8 percent from the field and 8-of-16 from three-point range to pull out its third consecutive victory. UH head coach Joe Curl was disappointed with the loss, but gave all the credit to the Miners. “I felt like our team gave every effort,” Curl said. “We got beat by a better team today. They shot the ball lights-out.” UH (16-8, 8-4 Conference USA) played solid defense, but it did not matter as the Miners made contested shots at critical points in the game. “A lot of times, our defense had them covered,” Curl said. “They made some tough shots at crucial times.” The Miners (15-10, 8-4 C-USA) held a 67-59 lead with 5:37 left in the game, but forward Courtney Taylor made two free throws and a layup on UH’s next two possessions to cut the lead to 67-63 with 4:21 remaining. Forward Ilda Chambe drained a jumper with 3:02 left, pushing UTEP’s lead to 69-63. But both defenses tightened up from there. Neither team scored until Hill connected on two free throws with 1:12 left to reduce the Miners’ lead to 69-65. Hughes stepped up on the

Miners’ next possession, nailing a jumper that gave UTEP a 71-65 lead with 51 seconds left. Hill responded with a bucket on the Cougars’ next possession to cut the Miners’ advantage to 71-67. Curl then called a timeout with 43 seconds remaining. “When we were in a timeout, I told them if they didn’t believe we could win this game let me know so I could sub in somebody who did,” Curl said. “I believed we had a shot at winning, and we proved that.” UH was forced to foul because time was running out, but UTEP guard Deitra Caldwell missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity. The Cougars grabbed the rebound, and point guard Porsche Landry drove down the lane and made a layup, pulling the Cougars within two points with 30 seconds remaining. The Cougars fouled Hughes on the following possession, and she made both free throws to give UTEP a 73-69 lead with 27 seconds left. Landry missed a layup on UH’s next possession, and Chambe pulled down the rebound for the Miners. Chambe was fouled immediately by Landry, but missed both of her freethrow attempts. With the door still open, UH guard Brittney Scott hit a threepointer from the corner, cutting the deficit to 73-72 with 11 seconds remaining. UTEP guard Sviatlana Trukshanina nailed two free throws on the Miners’ next possession, see WOMEN’S, page 7

SPORTS

The Daily Cougar

Monday, February 16, 2009 n 7

SOFTBALL

WOMEN’S

Hall dominates Cougar offense By Zaneta Loh The Daily Cougar The last time the Cougar softball team was shut out, it cost Houston a trip to the College World Series. The consequences weren’t quite as far reaching this time, but Houston’s 2-0 loss to Texas State on Sunday put the team at 1-2 in the Marriott Houston Classic and 4-3 on the season. “They just legitimately were better than us,” outfielder Laurie Wagner said. “We had a long weekend, which isn’t an excuse, but we just weren’t ready to play.” The Cougars dropped a 5-3 decision to Oklahoma on Saturday before beating North Carolina State 9-3 to get their only win of the weekend, but UH wasn’t able to carry that momentum into the game against the Bobcats. Houston earned just two hits against Texas State pitcher

Pass the mike

Favre retires; now what? Brett Favre has once again called it quits. Last week, the sure-fire Hall of Fame quarterback said, for the second time, that he is leaving the NFL. Will the Green Bay Packers’ fans and Mike Damante organization embrace Favre with a legend’s welcome and an inevitable retiring of his No. 4 jersey? Or is there still bad blood between Favre and ownership after coming out of his first retirement and playing for the New York Jets? Freeze out The underachieving Pittsburgh Penguins gave the pink slip to head coach Michel Therrien on Sunday. Replacing Therrein at the helm of one of the NHL’s most popular teams is Dan Bylsma, who previously coached the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton. Speaking of coaches getting fired, it won’t be much longer before Rangers’ coach Tom Renney is let go. The fans at Madison Square Garden were calling for his head after a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. Country for old men Are you ready for some baseball? Ken Griffey Jr. is ready at age 39 and looking to become an Atlanta Brave. Both sides have shown interest in bringing Griffey to Atlanta, and he may even sign with the Braves before spring training games begin. sports@thedailycougar.com

continued from page 6

Chandler Hall, who struck out seven Cougars in seven innings. Texas State was able to get seven hits off Houston pitchers Baillie Lott (1-2) and Amanda Crabtree (3-1), who combined for just one strikeout. However, UH head coach Kyla Holas said lost offensive opportunities cost the Cougars the game. “Today was about offense, not pitching,” she said. “We knew from day one that we had a young pitching staff and that they were going to take some time in the system with us. That it’s our job offensively.” The Cougars didn’t get into scoring position until the fourth inning when outfielder Katie Bush, who reached on a walk, advanced to third off catcher Melissa Gregson’s single. Bush was thrown out at home on the next play. Houston had another chance to put points on the board when

Texas State scored its first run in the second inning and solidified its lead with another in the bottom of the sixth. Houston returns to action when it faces Baylor in a doubleheader at Cougar Softball Stadium on Wednesday. The first pitch for Game One is scheduled for 3 p.m.

forcing the Cougars to make a three to send the game into overtime. Unfortunately for the Cougars, guard Jasmine Johnson could not connect on a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Hughes, playing in front of a national audience on CBS College Sports, showed why she was the preseason pick for C-USA Player of the Year, shooting 10-of-19 on her way to a game-high 26 points. She also had seven assists and three steals. “She’s proven to us that she is the player of the year (in C-USA),” Curl said. Taylor led the Cougars with 24 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, recording her 23rd career double-double. Hill added 17 points and nine rebounds, and Scott scored 15 points. The Cougars, who are now 11-1 at home, will look to shake off the defeat when they host Southern Methodist at 7 p.m. Friday at Hofheinz Pavilion. “I’m going to tell the players that it’s not what happens to you, it’s how you handle it,” Curl said. “I think we’ll handle this and get back (on track).”

sports@thedailycougar.com

daily cougar file photo

Senior outfielder Laurie Wagner, seen here against Nicholls State in 2008, drove in eight runs Saturday. outfielder Katy Beth Sherman, who pinch-ran for Elaina Nordstrom, stole second in the sixth. However, she was caught stealing third, ending the inning and the Cougars’ chance at a comeback. “You can score just as easily from second as from third,” Holas said. “That was definitely a mistake that caught us and hurt us at that point.”

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8 n Monday, February 16, 2009

LIFE & ARTS

The Daily Cougar

ART EXHIBIT

Exhibition calls on student creativity M.D. Anderson Memorial Library displays eclectic blend of student paintings, sculptures By Keith Cordero THE DAILY COUGAR

from the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Blaffer Gallery, Lawndale Art Center, the Menil The Student art Exhibit Collection and the UH Art opening, held Thursday on the Department, who selected each of third floor of M.D. Anderson the 28 student pieces. Library, unveiled the diverse Architecture senior Fabian works of 21 UH students. Vargas also showed a piece in the Architecture freshman Hung exhibit. Vargas’ “Mi Hispanidad” Pham garnished his own wall with is a reflection of his Spanish four distinct pieces including heritage. “Foreshortening,” “Emotional” “I did it in a day and a half. It “Changes,” “Personal Growth” and was a competition for Kleenex “My Heart.” for expressing your Hispanic “His work is really just heritage. I found out about it phenomenal. It’s varied, and it Friday, it was due Monday, got the shows all of the concept together “His work is really just great artistic and and I just architectural phenomenal. It’s varied, painted,” Vargas elements. He said. and it shows all of really stuck out Vargas has in my mind very only been the great artistic and much and I think painting since architectural elements.” November and we’re very lucky to have him at — Carolyn Meanley, is more familiar the University of events coordinator with planned and Houston,” events rigid art. coordinator Mechanical Carolyn Meanley said of Pham engineering freshman and his work. Ogechukwuka Azaka said his work Pham submitted five entries in “Endless Thought” describes the to the competition, all of which he everyday life of a man. created during high school, and “It’s more about a general man, four were surveyed by a jury and his life, what it’s all about,” Azaka accepted. said, “It has the picture of a man “I’m pretty proud of myself sitting with his wife.” and I think it’s still pretty Communication freshman competitive,” Pham said. Lisa Piedrasanta had two works The UH Student Art Exhibit selected for the exhibit. Her works jury comprised representatives featured on the first wall included

Liana Lopez THE DAILY COUGAR

Mechanical engineering freshman Ogechukwuka Azaka stands beside his piece Endless Thought. The M.D. Anderson Memorial Library displays his work in this year’s Student Art Exhibit in the red wing on the third floor of the M.D. Anderson library until April 15. “Sweetness I Was Only Joking” and “Blue Dresses in the Summer.” “That one really meant a lot to me, because it was like a personal statement that I was trying to express me,” Piedrasnata said of “Sweetness I Was Only Joking.” Piedrasanta was also very fond of art education junior Philip Stevens’ huge painting “Hands.” “You can tell he put a lot (into

his) work,” Piedrasanta said. Other students with work at the exhibit include architecture senior Juan Rosillo with “Someone Special,” and “Why,” art junior Le Huang with “Couples” and art senior Shane Maberry with “Plan B.” In Maberry’s piece viewers look through two holes in a wooden box to see a street sign, a boat, and a

hurricane evacuation sign. It was unlike any other work displayed, showing the diversity of the artists’ work. The Student Art Exhibit will run through April 15. Students of all majors are encouraged to submit work for next year’s exhibit. arts@thedailycougar.com

ADVERTISING

The Daily Cougar

Monday, February 16, 2009 n 9

The Department of Campus Activities Celebrates The DepartmentDAY of Campus Activities Celebrates PRESIDENTS’ 2009 2008 PRESIDENTS’ 2008 by Honoring the Following By honoring theDAY Following Student Organization Student Organization Presidents: Presidents Hernandez, LauraKelsey S. Lawton Moss, Amy Tomas Ortiz Slaughter, JeffSmith Abadilla, Arvin Jeremy Carlos Abanto Kang Cooper Chen , Jon Rebecca Godlove Sarah Jae Abii Roanna Cheung Yunes Golabbakhsh Mindy Le Chrystal Osborne Herrera, Rachel Sloan, EllenSmith Mouche, David Abbott, Elizabeth Corsi, Aaron Smith Suzanne Abu-Shaaban Arthur Chiang Julie Gomez Tommy Lee Kirby Seyi Jennifer Oteri Hoch, Katy Smith,Kofi Scott Munoz, Juan Agbu, Jennifer Covington, Kevin Jason Smith Martin Adame Priya Chinta Monica Gonzales Eloy Leibas Zenasni Oussama Holt, Michelle Smith, Kellie Myatt, Jason Aggarwal, Rani Creager, Morgan Rebecca Snyder Kenneth Adams Rachel Christensen Maria Gonzalez Andre Leonard Idalia Ovalle Hufford, AndrewEstefana A. So, Angela Myrick, Marvin Allison, Erin Crosson, James Allan Solomon Camisha Adams June Chu Carlos Gonzalez Leos Yves Ozoude Hui, Edwin S. Srinivasan, Nguyen, Trangle Almanza, Mauricio Cubria, Alejandro DavidSaravanan R. Sparks Ashley Agbim Matthew Alexander Clark Martha Gonzalez Brittany Levine James Packer Hussaini, Sumayah A Stanley, Sabrina Nguyen, An Alquicira, Fernando Dang, Christina Andrew Speed Michelle Aguilos Darnecia Claybon Christina Gorczynski Jordan Lewis Melanie Pang Brian Spencer Diane Aguirre-Dominguez Samuel "Matt" Clough Monica Granger Edward Lewis Nguyen, Kathy Joshua Pass Hussein, Mohamed Stewart, Jessica Alquicira, Jose Daniels, Charlisa Tessa Steil Mohammad Ahmad Natanie Liang Li DeMario Pate Imo, Ikeogu Stewart, Nicholas Nguyen, Lisa Al-Sad, Aleah DeCogburn Los Santos, RobertDanielle Gray Chloe Stewart Kamran Ahmend Alfonso Jose Colombano Jamie Green Yamei Liu Natasha Patel Ingram, Kerry Stinson, Kenneth Nounou, Mohamed Ismail Ankathi, Ramakrishna Demircan, Emrah Kenneth Stinson Mahabub Alam Rachel Coolidge Brittany Green Justin Loop Krishan Patel Itzep, Marvin R. Stockbridge, Eric Nwaozo, Vanessa Aouni, Nizar Dharani, Sunita Jonathan Stokely Heidi Alaswad Kevin Covington Robert M. Griffie Scott A. Looper Amish Patel Jackson, Robert Sugeno, Amy Sturwalla Obregon, Alexander Arabi, Sara Dhingra, Marsha Khadija Monique Alexander Merih Cuddus Paulina Guerro Susan Lopas Neel Patel Jacoby, James Sun, Zhihua O’Brien, Tim Arthur, Jr. Kobena K. Diaz, Bianca Darinee Suttajit Micaela Natalie Alfaro Shreyasee Das Robin Gupta Jeremy Lorino Jamila M Patten Jebara, Nouhad Dasha Lukina O’Brien, Timothy Veronica J. Patterson Swank,Kate Atiq, Sophia Dike, Sam Taber Murtaza Ali J. Mark Deaton Andres Gutierrez Stephanie Tahir Nizher McAnkur Alister Melissa Deaver Sara Guttilla Joshua Williams Lund Selenia Paz John, Phillip Tabaee,Sarah Nikou Ochoa, Dominique Awasthi, Dinh, Brian Tamez Jerrod Xochitl Allen Samantha Del Bosque Mai L. 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Daniel S. Lassiter

Monica Ortega

Faith Skaug

LIFE & ARTS

10 n Monday, February 16, 2009

The Daily Cougar

Lauded author to share stories By Solange Inzillo THE DAILY COUGAR Award-winning author Ha Jin will read today from his fifth novel, A Free Life, for the Inprint Brown Reading Series. A Free Life explores the lives of a Chinese family that immigrates to the United States during the Cultural Revolution. The reading will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for the Performing

Arts, 800 Bagby St. The evening’s events include a half-hour reading, a presentation, a book sale and signing and an on-stage interview conducted by St. John Flynn, director of cultural programming at KUHS. “We try to create a very intimate yet professional type of event. The bulk of the evening is spent with the audience hearing from the writers themselves,” Krupa Parikh, Inprint’s marketing

and outreach director, said. Jin, who teaches fiction writing at Boston University, has won several awards such as the Flannery O’Connor Award for Fiction. “We’ve had evenings when we’ve heard these amazing anecdotes from authors about their families, about their stories, about why they were inspired to write something,” Parikh said. “To hear the author share something about their writing style and their

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inspiration is memorable.” Inprint is a non-profit organization that fosters and feeds a stimulating literary environment. Parikh said he has seen Houston’s literary scene flourish since Inprint’s founding in 1983. “We’re trying to reach into different communities, and we’re trying to give everybody a chance to engage with the written word and become inspired by it,” Parikh said. Because Inprint’s readings are

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presented in association with the UH creative writing program, authors often visit campus for question and answer sessions or craft talks. Students are welcome to attend Inprint readings free of charge if tickets are still available at the door before the event. Tickets can also be purchased in advance at www.inprinthouston.org for $5 each.

HELP WANTED

Kids J.A.M on Wheels

ATTN STUDENTS!

Currently seeking outside marketing individuals. Need fun positive energetic people,who enjoy working with children. Work part time around your schedule.

$16 base /appointment. Flex Schedule. Great Resume Experience. Customer Sales/Service. Ages 17+/Conditions Apply. Scholarships and Internships Available.

Call Chris: (713) 664-5526. OFFICE COORDINATOR Coordinate work w/ office, outside vendors & agents for a Real Estate Mgmt. Co.

Monday - Thursday 8-12 pm. $10/hr.

For the locations: West/North/SW Houston

Contact 713-339-4171 281-463-4600 or 281-480-0434 www.workforstudents.com

Looking for a great summer job? St. Luke’s United Methodist Church has just what you need! We’re looking for people that love to work with children for our summer camp. The camp runs from June 1st through August 7th. We offer many great activities such as swimming, tennis, outdoor sports, arts and crafts, and weekly field trips.

I n te r e s te d ? Contact Laura or Kelly at 713-402-5075 lschmit@stlukes-hou.org St. Luke’s UMC is conveniently located at Edloe and Westheimer intersection.

OFFICE CLERKS:

MONTESSORI school near Museum dist. Looking for PT/FT. Infant to EC teacher assistants. Call Tara 713-520-0738 ADVERTISE with us! (713) 743-5356

Clark McDowell and Kic Realtors

(713) 528-5311

ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION WITH AMERICAN ACCENT CLASSES Learn to speak English like an American in the NEW YEAR! PRONOUNCE correctly and REDUCE foreign accent. Understand FAST speech & be CLEARER and more SUCCESSFUL in JOB, EDUCATION & SOCIAL situations! Classes begin in February, so call today!

www.AccentLoss.com Hillcroft/59 Area

713-974-3515

R.E. DEVELOPER seeks mature student to hold open houses on new construction, Sat-Sun 12-6p,. Good hourly pay. Fax resume/ letter to 713-869-5074

Summer jobS available

Part-time. Galleria area. Upscale customers. Weekend & Evening Availability. Immediate opening. Exp. helpful. Call 713-780-9222 Fax: 713-780-0191 12 noon to 6 pm

Direct sales. Very good pay. Call Nick 281-498-3232

STUDENT NEEDED to assist with PreSchool Gymnastic Program. Mondays from 9:00am to 12:00 noon. Movement background preferred. $12-$14/hr. Call (832)-367-0770.

STUDENT NEEDED with Tumbling/ Gymnastics. Experienced. To assist with Children Gymnastic Program. Mondays from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. Downtown. $12-$15/hr. Call (832) 367-0770.

Student Publications Committee The SPC will hold its February meeting at

4 p.m. WEDNESDAY February 18, 2009 in the Allison Room (Room 13), University Center Satellite The meeting is open to the public. If you require disability accommodations, please call (713) 743-5353 to make arrangements.

HELP WANTED

Career Opportunity Outside Sales, training and marketing tools provided. Must have transportation. Come join sales@ourteam.biz or call 281-565-2250

PART-TIME CLERICAL POSITION Greenway Plaza Area CPA Firm: 20 hrs per week, flexible schedule. Basic Knowledge of Outlook, Excel & MSWord required: general clerical, data entry, filing & phones. Send resume to Diane Kennedy via fax 713-621-0046 or email diane@bowleswomack.com WE ARE SEEKING a full-time or part-time International Assistant Buyer in the 610 Loop & Richmond area, with strong organization, verbal, and written communication skills, and proficiency in Microsoft Office. This is a good opportunity for those majoring in International Business. Please contact 713-527-9912

WE ARE SEEKING:

a full-time or part-time Web Designer in the 610 Loop & Richmond area, with knowledge of PHP and e-commerce, and experience in Dream Weaver. Please contact

713-527-9912

HIRING!!!

Certified lifeguards, desk staff,

swim instructors and water aerobics/fitness instructors. Great pay & flexible hours! Call 713-662-5892 or 713-662-5387 for information. MAKE UP TO 75 DOLLARS per online survey, www.cashtospend.com ADVERTISE with us! (713) 743-5356

In the time it takes you to update your

Facebook you could get in the yearbook.

*STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM* PAID survey takers needed in Houston. 100 percent FREE to join! Click on Surveys.

RENTALS 1-BDRM APT for rent at 3925 Woodleigh, $550/month. All Bills paid. Call-713224-7211. HOUSTON HEIGHTS. 30 minutes from the UH campus. 1 bedroom and 1 bath - $750; 2 bedroom and 1 bath - $950. CALL 713-682-7142. STUDENT/STAFF SPECIAL: U of H AREA-$99. 1st mo rent. Minutes from campus. 1bdrm $429. & 2bdrm $529. with a 1 YEAR LEASE. 3629 MacGregor Way-Office 713-523-0225 1 BED/BATH APT in Medical Center. $650 Holly Hall & Almeda. 800 sqt. Brand new appliances. 24hr gated. Swimming pool. Bus line. Contact: yeoha@hbu.edu or (832) 818-8973.

CARS CARS FROM $500! Hondas/Chevys/ Jeeps etc! Police Impounds! For listings 1-800-544-1092 ext. 3551

Jobs. Apartments.

Always in reach.

View Classifieds online at

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Here’s how:

HOUSTONIAN YEARBOOK PHOTO WEEK • 9 a.m.–7 p.m. February 16–19 • 9 a.m.–3 p.m. February 20 Claudette Room, UC Satellite Shoots available by appointment. Walk-ins welcome. No sitting fees!

Visit uh.edu/sp/houstonian or call (713) 743-5350 for registration info.

COMICS & MORE

The Daily Cougar

COUGAR COMICS

Online at thedailycougar.com/comics

The Waves by Bissan Rafe

today’s crossword ACROSS 1 Run off secretly 6 Sealed a deal 10 Math course 14 Expensive watch 15 Microwave 16 Prefix for dynamic 17 Wouldn’t hurt — — 18 Lose some 19 Warm-water shark 20 Rice and potatoes 22 Caught a glimpse 24 Urban cruiser 25 Pottery fragments 26 Muscle holder 30 Defense gp. 32 Fits to — — 33 Byron’s works 35 Dells 40 Giveaway 42 “Sweet” girl of song 44 Concise 45 Feasible 47 Mideast title 48 Dye-yielding plant 50 Noisy insect 52 Delphi’s god 56 Bank offering 58 Setting 59 Souvenir place (2 wds.) 64 Hair style 65 Liverpool poky 67 Historic shrine 68 Spotted 69 “Rosamond” composer 70 Burger go-withs 71 Miscalculates 72 Even 73 Ant-sized

Dim Sum by Ho Yi Lau

Man Law by Chris Jacobs

At the Hot Dog Stand by Mishele Lamshing

Monday, February 16, 2009 n 11

DOWN 1 Bullpen stats 2 Room under a roof 3 Earthen jar 4 Fellow citizen 5 — knife 6 Almanac section 7 Style of cooking 8 Just scrape by 9 Abhor

Answers online at thedailycougar.com/puzzles 3

24 26

30 33

today’s sudoku (Difficulty: 1/5)

6 0 61 62 6 3 66

2 7 28 29 31 34 36 37 38 39 41 43 46

4 9 51 52 53 54 55 57

Florida bay Broadcast again Ticked off Wares Vietnam capital Push Wilson’s predecessor French I verb Not e’en once Poor grades Slippery — — eel He loved Lucy He played Obi-Wan Succotash bean Oklahoma town Inoculants Blues street Coffee option Out of stock (2 wds.)

47 50

Chewy candy Undamaged Divert Kilted musician Less modern Mane possessors Helped the Tin Man Wild plum Cod kin “May it not be an —!” Nosegay Jackie’s tycoon

1 0 11 12 13 21 23 26

35 42

2009 United Feature Syndicate INC.

Previous puzzle solved T H U D S N I MO Y T E AMS T R A P P E I D I OM T H AWS E ON CO L L Y O C A R RO A R I E S C D S E HO E N E R N S

B O A A R L S S R C I E C L K T S

E N T S R B I T MA N A A P E P A L E C AME L E V E R S N E S T S Y A S L A G R EMO R E AM N S U E EM U K E S R E N I D E S T

B F L A T

E R E C T

T I T H E

E T H E R

D O O R S

P O S E

B E R U S E R A D

Answers online at thedailycougar.com/puzzles

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

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Limbo by Paulo Aninag

FREE TAX ASSISTANCE!! INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS Free Tax Assistance is Available

Sound like you? These symptoms could be more than just PMS — they can also describe PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder). Baylor College of Medicine is conducting a clinical study of FDA-approved drugs ,YAZ and YASMIN, to determine if they are effective in relieving PMDD stress in women ages 13 to 20. Participants will complete a diary in addition to receiving medication in this study. Females between 13 and 20 experiencing these symptoms and comfortable with tampon use may be able to participate. Parental consent is required under age 18.

Call 713-798-5295 volunteer@bcm.edu

If You Are Required to File an Income Tax Return, (Form 1040NR or 1040NR EZ) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)*

Volunteers Are Available to Assist You! This free service is available in the Bayou City Room (Room 202), University Center, 2nd Floor on the following Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm:

February 28; March 14, 21; April 4, and 11 (Saturdays only) You will need to go to the Bayou City Room to make an appointment. Bring the following: Your passport, Visa, Immigration Documents such as Forms I-20, or DS-2019; Any Forms W-2 and/or 1042-S; Forms 1099, if any; Records of all income and expenses, and Photo Identification (e.g. driver’s license/UH ID). The Houston CPA Society will sponsor this service. Plan to go on February 28. At that time you will be given an appointment to return on one of the dates listed above. Appointments will be made on a first come, first served basis. For additional information, please call the International Student and Scholar Services Office at (713)743-5065. *Houston Asset Building Coalition (HABC) is now responsible for all phases of the VITA Program.

12 n Monday, February 16, 2009

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