THE DAILY COUGAR Splish splash: Coogs take on Conference USA rivals/SPORTS
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Issue 100, Volume 74
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Alumnus runs for mayor Candidate’s history of activism spells potential success for city By Francis Vazquez THE DAILY COUGAR Gene Locke, UH alumnus, former student activist, former city attorney and, perhaps, the next mayor of Houston, continues to reflect and affect the University of Houston. Locke graduated from the University in 1969, less than a decade after the campus had broken the grip of segregation. He helped J Locke leave a lasting mark on the University as a part of its continued rise in national recognition. Locke, who has decided to run for mayor in the 2010 election, is well known by city officials and is working to be better known by the public. “I would like for the University
MAURICIO LAZO THE DAILY COUGAR
Amir Omran, education senior Amanda Zaidan and UH alumna Kellie Abou Awad tend to mock graves in a symbolic protest against violence in the Gaza Strip.
Demonstration aimed to inform By Sara Ali THE DAILY COUGAR Houston Youth for Peace in Palestine held a demonstration in front of the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library on Monday and Tuesday for the people of Palestine affected by the crisis in Gaza. “It’s basically a memorial to honor the people who were lost. It’s a symbolic cemetery to raise awareness in the student population,” demonstration organizer and UH alumna Kellie Abou-Awad said. from and. Students, volunteers, and alumni attended the event. “A lot of people that have passed by don’t know what the Palestinian flag looks like, they’re not sure where Gaza is, and they don’t know what exactly is going on,” Abou-Awad said. Abou-Awad and a team of volunteers passed out fact sheets to students who walked by the demonstration. Abou-Awad said the fact sheets were gathered from credible American media sources and not Arab media outlets for the purpose of keeping objectivity,. “We’re not pushing a political agenda. All we’re saying is that
we’re honoring people that have been lost. They are victims of an unjust offensive against them,” Abou-Awad said. Political science sophomore Dmitry Galushko said the demonstration was a great way to educate the public, but he held a different opinion on the crisis in Gaza than the demonstrators. “I can’t say that it’s only Israel to blame for. It’s also Hamas at fault for this, and in some cases, even Israel was provoked. We cannot justify the killing of 1,400 people, but it’s not only Israel’s fault,” Galushko said. Similarly, philosophy graduate student Andrew Elizaga said he intially wasn’t sure what the demonstration was about. He said he thought it was a Mexican event because of the flags, but was curious enough to find out more. “Despite their attempts to convey what’s happening...it seems to be a one sided portrayal. I don’t think it’s an adequate representation of everything, but they’re also trying to argue that what you get from the media is not adequate, either,” Elizaga said. Abou-Awad said the see GAZA, page 3
family to be proud of the fact that one of its own (could be) the mayor of the city of Houston,” Locke said. Locke’s community activism can be traced back to his student life as an active player in the AfroAmerican for Black Liberation group. Locke helped start the University’s African American Studies program, which in 2009 was recognized as the nation’s second oldest. During Locke’s time at UH, other universities were just starting to open their doors to black students who wanted higher education. “We were in the forefront of the fight for the African American Studies program because the number of African-American students at the university was small. It meant we had to build coalitions with other groups to be able to achieve our objectives,” Locke said. As an alumnus, Locke has held administrative positions
in groups at the University. He served on the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association and participated in its activities. “I was the founder of the UH Black Alumni Association, which was my effort to try to get black students to come back and give back to the University,” he said. Locke continues to support UH. He has told past presidents that he is willing to help the University achieve its goals when the Texas Legislature is in session. As a mayoral candidate, Locke points to his collective body of work to show he has the necessary capabilities to attack the city’s problems. He said he wants to provide services to all Houstonians and to be a sense of pride to the community. His focus is on issues of public safety, quality of life and rebuilding the infrastructure of the city. see LOCKE, page 3
King’s dream debated By Annie Truong THE DAILY COUGAR Panel members at the 3rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. panel discussion said although the standard of life for blacks has greatly improved, the economic and educational opportunities are still substandard in comparison to the average white American. Hosted by the African American Honors Student Association on Tuesday in the Honors College, the panel discussion featured students and professors who discussed whether King’s goals expressed in his “I Have a Dream” speech have been achieved. UH assistant professor of political science and African American studies in The Honors College Christine LeVeaux said the election of President Obama pointed to increasing racial equality. “You can be whatever you want, baby,” LeVeaux said. “The check has been cashed, making the American dream possible for anyone. The dream has been realized because of King’s speech in 1963. This is the starting point.” The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, states that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Retired military general and panel member Harvey Augustine said Jefferson’s
JUSTIN FLORES THE DAILY COUGAR
Communication senior Ronnie Turner told listeners Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of full equality is still only partially realized. words were meant for all U.S. citizens “It’s not just for African Americans but for us all,” Augustine said. Communication senior and panel member Ronnie Turner said more progress needed to be made in terms of blacks’ pursuit of happiness in the form of economic advantage and opportunity. Turner cited facts from Dalton Conley’s book Being Black, Living in the Red. In 1865, at the end of the Civil War, blacks owned 0.5 percent of the total worth in the U.S. By 1990, 35 years after the end of slavery, blacks owned 1 percent of the total wealth. “Dr. King’s dream called for full equality, not just gaining the civil rights, but gaining a piece of the American pie,” Turner said. “We’ve
been shut out of that pie for so many decades.” The panel agreed that although King’s dream of change is slowly progressing, it cannot be fully realized unless it becomes a priority for all races. “It’s what we all have to do,” associate history professor Linda Reed said. “Dr. King’s dream is slow to see in effect in our lifetime.” UH alumnus Okechukwu Ofili agreed that achieving racial equality is a joint effort. “It doesn’t really matter about the individual,” Ofili said. “It’s about the community. It is about everyone in the community bringing up the people.” news@thedailycougar.com