THE DAILY COUGAR Same ole Bill: Maher’s ‘Religulous’ lands on DVD shelves /LIFE & ARTS
TODAY’S WEATHER
Coach: ‘We need to play our kind of basketball’ /SPORTS
3-day forecast, Page 2
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Friday, February 27, 2009
Issue 102, Volume 74
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Group educates students on HIV Anti-stigma symposium to increase awareness, teach tolerance By Melanie Pang THE DAILY COUGAR Being diagnosed with HIV is a harsh reality to face, but fighting HIV stigma is a battle unto itself. At the HIV Anti-Stigma Day Symposium, Live Consortium Inc. will be teaching students about the virus as well as how to help our peers cope and improve the quality of their lives. The symposium will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., March 10 in the Houston Room, University Center. The event will focus on the college mentality toward HIV, explain why social fears and HIV don’t belong together and ask students, “Would my friends tell me … could I tell them?” “Your friends are supposed to love you the most, and care for you the most, and I think you’re scared of what they’re going to think about you because you hold them in the highest regard,” said Beau Miller, C.E.O. and founder of LIVE Consortium, Inc., an anti-stigma
non-profit organization in Houston. “You don’t want to lose your friends, right?” LIVE Consortium, Inc. is comprised of Houstonians who come together to provide education, information and support so those living with HIV can live a stigmafree, healthy and full life. The UH event is the pilot collaboration for the program and what Miller hopes will become a nationwide effort in spreading the word about the anti-stigma campaign. “HIV awareness is essential to lessening the stigmas attached to the disease as well as providing accurate information that could quite possibly retard the spread simply by people altering their behavior. The Medicine & Society Program is glad to be a part of such a message,” said Helen Valier, coordinator of the UH Medicine and Society Program. Most of the time, a person can contract HIV through drug use, needle sharing, sex or bad blood transfusion, Miller said. However, regardless of the cause of infection,
we all need support. “I don’t want anyone to go through what I’ve gone through, which is having to try to hide it and having our friends not knowing where to go and deal with it,” Miller said. The University Anti-Stigma Campaign is an initiative to educate all college-level students about how HIV stigma affects people from all walks of life. “HIV is not going away anytime soon,” symposium moderator and HIV Specialist Dr. Shannon Schrader said in an e-mail. HIV stigma has existed since the first cases were diagnosed in 1981, when it was considered the “gay plague,” Schrader said. Unfortunately some people still maintain that perception. “On a more medical side, deciding not to inform insurance companies or being discouraged by medications’ side effects may hinder a person’s ability to get treatment,” Schrader said. “Houston has twice
Would you tell your loved ones you had HIV? “Why should I hide it? If you have HIV, the best thing to do is tell your friends. You already got it, why would you want to give it to someone else? That’s what I would do.” — mechanical engineering freshman Alex Cantor “I would say — yes. It would be difficult, but no one should have to go through that alone. And it’s important to raise awareness for things that can sometimes be prevented.” — English junior Danielle Henry “No, I wouldn’t be able to. I would wait awhile before I tell anybody. Let it hit me first. I would tell the person I am dating right away.” — mechanical engineering sophomore Guadalupe Magana “Yes, I would. If I had it, it would be something I would have to tell people because people need to be aware. If someone in my family got it from me through a blood transfusion, I would never be able to forgive myself. So, I would definitely make everybody aware, as shameful and embarrassing as it would be.” — business freshman Nick Tajian “Yes, if I was, I would tell my friends. I would only tell a couple of the friends, not everyone. It’s a secret that you would keep post-guarded. I would tell my best friend and if I was in a long-term relationship, I would tell that person.” — psychology freshman Alicia Ross “Unless they ask, I’m not going to just bring it up or anything. I wouldn’t just bring it up randomly “ — business sophomore Austin Whaley “Yes, I would tell a select group first and as I got more comfortable with it, I would tell more people later on.” - history freshman Cole Anderson
see STIGMA, page 3
Black history events conclude Program offers students a selection of opportunities to experience African culture By Sara Ali THE DAILY COUGAR
YVETTE DAVILA THE DAILY COUGAR
No. 1 Contender ormer unified lightweight champion Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz (above) is a pre-law political science senior at the University of Houston-Downtown. Diaz will box world No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter Juan Manuel Marquez at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Toyota Center for the WBO lightweight championship. Diaz holds a record of 34 wins (17 by way of knockout) and one split decision loss. He is enrolled in his last three classes at UHD and will graduate in May. Accompanying Diaz at his media day Wednesday at UHD was undercard fighter and 2000 Sydney Olympic silver medalist Rocky Juarez (right), who put on a shadowboxing show for those in attendance.
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The UH African-American Studies Program celebrated Black History Month with film festivals and nationally recognized lecturers invited to spread awareness of the Africana experience. “It’s not only us providing speakers for the campus and community, we’re also allowing our students to participate and hear discussions about the
African-American experience around the country,” AAS assistant director Malachi Crawford said. Guest experts invited to speak on the Africana experience and history include Oscar Williams from the State University of New York at Albany and Robert Weems from the University of Missouri. In addition to the lecture series, the program hosted a film festival every Friday of February, see AAS page 8
Clothing drive helps women dress for success By Shruti Purohit THE DAILY COUGAR The Women’s Resource Center is participating in the Dress for Success’ week-long suit drive to collect clothing for low-income women in the job market. Beginning Monday, donors can drop off items from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at either the WRC or Student Services Center 1. Dress for Success is an international n o n - p ro f i t
organization devoted to improving the lives of women everywhere. They provide clothing and support to low-income women so they are able to obtain a successful career. “We have always been a referring agency sending people over to Dress for Success, but this will be the first year that (we) will be participating in their suit drive,” WRC Director Beverly McPhail said. see DRESS page 3
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The Daily Cougar
CAMPUS BEAT FORECAST Saturday
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CALENDAR
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TODAY ‘Introduction to SharePoint’ workshop: 2 to 4 p.m. at Room 107C, Social Work Building. Sponsored by Information Technology Support Services. Contact Shawn King at (713) 743-1598 or visit http://uh.skillport.com.
SATURDAY CME Group Commodities Trading Challenge: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Melcher Hall. Sponsored by UH Finance Association. CME Group Commodities Trading Challenge includes universities from across the country and offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in commodities trading. For more information, contact Jonathan Hoang at (832) 6079448 or visit http://bauerfa.org. ‘The Vagina Monologues’: 7:30 p.m. at Jose Quintero Theater. This play celebrates the lives of women and female bodies, while addressing issues of violence against women. Join us for an evening of laughter and tears, fun and celebration, all in the name of a very worthy cause — ending violence against women and girls. Tickets are $10 general admission and $8 for students. Proceeds will benefit the Houston Area Women’s Center. Seating is limited, so advanced ticket purchases, available at the WRC, are recommended. Call (713) 743-5888 or e-mail wrc@uh.edu.
F L A S H B AC K
» This week in UH history. More at thedailycougar.com/campus_beat
Newsroom (713) 743-5360
1971: When Hofheinz was new
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his week in history on Feb. 25, 1971, The Daily Cougar’s Jimmy Allinder reported that Hofheinz Pavilion and the connected Melcher Gymnasium offered students the chance to participate in a variety of activities in one location. Amenities included air-conditioned handball courts, rifle ranges, weight rooms and a heated pool. The complex was used to hold classes and open to both students and faculty in the evenings. According to the UH Athletic Web site, Hofheinz Pavilion hosted its first athletic event on Dec. 1, 1969, when the UH men’s basketball team emerged victorious over Southwestern Louisiana 89-72. Since then, Hofheinz has been the home court for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams and has also been the site of concerts by Madonna and The Rolling Stones. Hofheinz also hosts the University’s commencement ceremonies. Hofheinz was named after UH alumnus
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judge Roy Hofheinz, who contributed $1.5 million to UH for the construction of the pavilion. In 1998, luxury seats were added to Hofheinz, which has a capacity of 8,500. In 1991, a new ceiling, lighting and sound system was installed. In 1997, UH students passed a resolution to build a new student recreation center. In 1998, students approved a $75 fee per semester to support the construction and operation of the new complex. The 264,000 square foot complex was completed in January 2003 and includes an Olympic-size swimming pool, outdoor pool with water slide, indoor soccer court and indoor rock wall.
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STIGMA continued from page 1
the national average for new cases, 50 percent of which are between the ages of 15 and 24. And more than 250,000 people in the country do not even know they have HIV.” Raising awareness and educating are the main goals of the symposium since there are still many misunderstandings about what leads to contracting HIV and how to interact with those affected. “I’m in that category where … the person I loved gave it to me in a way that wasn’t just me having unprotected sex with just anybody,” Miller said. “You can get it from someone you think you love.” Symposium panelist Teresa Presley is an HIV positive former addict. She said she was uneducated about the illness when she began to dig deeper into her addictions. It wasn’t until Presley attended outpatient counseling, after nearly doing jail time, she decided that she needed to become active in spreading the word about HIV.
DRESS continued from page 1
The suit drive will be accepting specific items for their cause such as professional women’s suits (pants or skirts), interview appropriate shoes in conservative colors, interview appropriate blouses, black and brown handbags, unopened pantyhose and scarves. “We are focusing more towards faculty and staff to get the items,” McPhail said. “This is not the time to clean out people’s closets. I don’t know if so much as students will participate in this.” Students may donate to the cause, and those who are in need are invited to take advantage of the event. “Students (who fit the criteria) should know that they can come to me, and I can hook them up with the agency to get the suit,” McPhail said. Dress for Success is selective of whom they help. “(The criteria is) low-income students who are graduating, or have a job interview or have an interview for an internship or are attending a career fair. If they have some of those stipulations they can come to me,” McPhail said. “You can’t just go straight to the agency. We are the
Friday, February 27, 2009
Presley said she even experienced stigma from of her grandmother. “Everything of mine had to be separated,” Presley said. “I had my towel — that towel could not be washed with any other towel.” Presley said her family’s lack of HIV education made living with it more difficult. Presley was diagnosed with HIV in 1999 when she found out she was pregnant. “I didn’t know anything about the disease except for that it killed people,” Presley said. Presley has made it her goal to educate as many people as possible about HIV through her experiences living with HIV, having had an uncle die of AIDS and wanting a more understanding place for her son to live, who is not HIV positive. Reverend Jeffrey Campbell of the St. Hope Foundation, a foundation which provides a multitude of services to the HIV affected community, will be on the panel of the symposium as well. His experiences as minister of health and wellness and dealing with black community youth offer a different insight to another stigma of
guilt. “It is not any type of punishment from God, to the gay community of any ethnicity. … Anyone who is having unprotected sex can be exposed to HIV and can actually contract the virus — it’s really not about a particular sexual orientation,” Campbell said. The stigma isn’t all rooted in homophobia or religiosity, Campbell said. “There are many, particularly African-American same-gender loving men, who struggle with selfesteem and self-image, who struggle with self-value, who struggle with their sexual orientation,” Campbell said. “Because of all of those struggles, many make poor choices because there’s no set value of self.” Though value of self may bring a person to seek treatment, the undeniable acceptance of the people we love brings a whole other kind of healing. “We need to foster that community of caring that our friends can give us,” Miller said.
referring agency, so we fill out forms and send it over (to Dress for Success) and they can help you get a suit.” The organization is also committed to providing women a great fashion experience while they are looking at suits they need for their interviews. “The place is set up like a shop. It’s clean and organized,” McPhail said. “The people are very dedicated to fashion and clothes. “They get a one-on-one volunteer and the volunteer helps them pick out the suit, pearls, a handbag and shoes so they can be completely dressed for the interview.” If a recipient needs more clothes after the first suit, they have an opportunity for them to go back to the organization. “They also have this thing called the second suit,” McPhail said. “If you go through the program and you wear a suit to the interview and you get the job, you can go back and get a second suit because you can’t wear the same suit to work.” Students can volunteer to help Dress for Success with its mission. “If students are really into fashion and clothes they can be volunteers and help women pick out clothes,” McPhail said. On April 4, the organization will
hold a Super Sort Saturday and is asking for volunteers to sort items. The event is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and of volunteers can work all or part of the day. Lunch will be served. Volunteers can RSVP with Dress for Success by visiting their Web site at http://www.dressforsuccess.org.
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Because Chris can be a woman’s name, too. Though The Daily Cougar strives for accuracy and fairness in its reporting, mistakes happen. Please report any errors you see in the paper to the editorial staff. Corrections will run on Page 2 as needed to amend the record. To report a correction, e-mail editor@thedailycougar.com or call (713) 743-5362.
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The Daily Cougar
OPINION EDITOR Shaista Mohammed
E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com
COMING MONDAY: Women helping women. ONLINE POLL: Always time for what you put first ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/opinion
THE DAILY COUGAR
EDITORIAL CARTOON
EDITORIAL BOARD 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
NYU protestors allowed to return, but no party is victor
N BISSAN RAFE THE DAILY COUGAR
Obama’s plan still lacking details Martin Luther, the father of Protestantism, once said, “You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.” With these words in mind, I settled down to listen to President Obama’s first speech to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. Only 44 percent of Americans anticipated President Obama’s speech to be “good,” according to CNN Opinion Research Corporation survey conducted on the eve of the occasion. However, in another CNN ORC poll taken just minutes after Tuesday night’s speech, nearly 85 percent of viewers felt “more optimistic about the direction of the country.” The question remains, though: did our new president say enough? In his speech, which focused around the $787 billion stimulus bill he recently signed-off on, Obama touched on many topics, including health care reform and a modernization of our educational system. “This budget creates new teachers,v new incentives for teacher performance, pathways for
advancement and rewards for success,” Obama’s goal for a more transparent he said. government, saying that he was “ready “We’ll invest in innovative programs to assist him to that end.” that are already helping schools meet Even California Gov. Arnold high standards and close achievement Schwarzenegger was on board. gaps. And “President Obama is we will right to seize our global It is still too early to determine expand our economic emergency whether Obama’s words will make as a time to lay a more commitment to charter solid foundation for our the necessary changes to our schools.” nation’s growth,”he said. country he touted so highly on Many It is still too early claimed the campaign trail. For the time to determine whether a lack of words will make being, the American public has no Obama’s firm details the necessary changes to option but to wait and see what our country he touted so hindered the nearly hourhighly on the campaign tomorrow brings. long oration. trail. For the time being, “I agree the American public has with the president that we need to no option but to wait and see what address education and energy, housing tomorrow brings. and health care, but right now the In the words of Rep. Roy Blunt, American public is hungry for details,” R-Mo., “more important than anything Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, said. President Obama says tonight is what “Unfortunately tonight we didn’t get the budget he unveils will look like.” those answers.” Jason Bess is a communication junior and The majority of reactions, though, may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. were favorable — even from the right. com. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) lauded
Women overcome obstacles at UH Myra Conley, UH alumnus and assistant dean of students, has seen change up close at UH. Conley arrived on the campus as a student in the ’70s, not long after the reign of Lynn Eusan, UH’s first AfricanAmerican homecoming queen. African-American women have transitioned from being students, to faculty, and even holding the highest office of university president. “Historically, higher education has been dominated by white males”, Conley said. “Although our population of African-American faculty is small, it has improved from when I was a student here.” Conley said when she was a student, most of the African- American faculty were in the African-American Studies Department, but now UH is more
diverse. Although the ’70s and ’80s was a time when many African-American women experienced racism and limitations, Conley said for her, that was not the case. “I’ve always had opportunities to move up, I never really experienced a glass ceiling,” she said. A glass ceiling is the unofficial, invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing in businesses dominated by white men. Marguerite Ross Barnett was the first African-American female president of UH who served from 1990 to 1992. Her life was cut short when she lost a battle to cancer at age 49. As UH faculty, Conley had the opportunity to work under the leadership of Barnett.
“I was excited.” Conley said. “I feel her presidency here was timely and she was well qualified for the position.” Conley said that she is proud of the progress that African-American women have made and are continuing to make at UH and all around the world. “UH is a great place to be because there is so much diversity and the differences of people are acknowledged, embraced, and celebrated here,” she said. “They are buckling down, overcoming obstacles, stepping out of their environments and making things happen for themselves.”
Kimberly Jones is a communication senior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.
ew York University offered deals Wednesday to the 18 students suspended for involvement in last week’s Take Back NYU! protest. In accordance with the deals, the students’ suspensions will end today, according to Washington Square News. Students who accept the deals — and all are expected to — will face a disciplinary review and other long term consequences, including the future denial of some campus leadership opportunities. NYU’s motives and NYU’s song reactions are transparent. hasn’t Officials are caving in to changed its pressure from within their own university and from attacks on tune. The their credibility from across the nation. lyrics are More than 170 faculty clear: more members presented the compliance, administration with a petition Tuesday, calling for the less suspensions to be revoked. progress. “If there is disciplinary action, it should follow — not precede — fair hearings, in which both sides are represented and the faculty consulted. … We view the Kimmel occupation as symptomatic of a deeper malady afflicting NYU: a lack of educational community. In such a community, students would not find it necessary to take over buildings to make their voices heard and their ideas respected,” the petition stated. While it is just for the students to be reinstated, the denial of future leadership opportunities is hypocritical on NYU’s part. It is unacceptable for an institution of higherlearning to reject potential leaders who have proven fortitude and conviction to make room for others who may fear the challenge of dissent. NYU’s song hasn’t changed its tune. The lyrics are clear: more compliance, less progress.
E D I TO R I A L P O L I C 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 ■ ■
Copy editing Trae Browne, Newton Liu Production Halima Salami
SPORTS | LIFE & ARTS
The Daily Cougar
Friday, February 27, 2009
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BASEBALL
Houston to face top teams Coming off hard losses, Cougars must step up their game at Houston College Classic By Ronnie Turner THE DAILY COUGAR The Cougars attempted to slay a giant in their last game, but were trampled with ease. Unfortunately for the Cougars, they could be in for similar treatment at this weekend’s Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park. UH, which dropped a 9-2 decision to Collegiate Baseball No. 10 Rice on Wednesday, will face three of the nation’s most talented teams in the premiere tournament, opening against No. 13 Baylor at 3:30 p.m. today. The Cougars will face No. 15 California-Irvine at noon Saturday and No. 6 Texas A&M in the tournament finale at 6 p.m. Sunday. The six-team competition also includes Rice and No. 21 UCLA. So far, the Cougars (2-3) have
delivered uneven performances. With an inconsistent pitching staff and offense, they’ve been outscored 41-16 through their first five games. The Cougars’ overall earned-run average is 6.6. They have also struggled to hold runners on base, allowing 19 stolen bases in 22 attempts. “We’ve got quality opponents (this weekend), and we’re going to have to ratchet up our game,” head coach Rayner Noble said. UH will send left-hander Wes Musick (0-1) to the mound against Baylor. Musick, who went 8-4 with a 4.35 ERA last season, was roughed up a bit in his last start, surrendering three runs on seven hits in four innings in Friday’s season-opening 16-2 loss to Kansas State. He won’t have it any easier against the Bears, who enter the DAILY COUGAR FILE PHOTO
see BASEBALL, page 6
Sophomore closer Chase Dempsay, pictured above against Texas in 2008, ranks second on the team with a .412 slugging percentage.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Cougars’ hot shooting stops Marshall By Matt Miller THE DAILY COUGAR UH kept pace with its Conference USA counterparts as four of the Cougars’ five starters scored in double figures to lead UH to a 6758 win over Marshall on Thursday at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, W. Va. The Cougars (18-9, 10-5) delivered an excellent offensive performance, nailing 24 of their 50 shot attempts, including shooting 5-of10 from 3-point range. The Cougars’ superior shooting came because of great ball movement, assisting on 16 of their 24 baskets. “We played with a little bit of anger today,” UH head coach Joe Curl said. “It may be from what happened to us last week (a home loss to Tulsa on Sunday). We moved the ball really crisp. We just did the little things we needed to do to get back on track.” The Thundering Herd used a 13-5 run to cut their deficit to 56-50 with 4:29 remaining, but the Cougars kept their cool and shot 9-of-10 from the charity stripe down the stretch to fend off a comeback. Guard Brittney Scott and forward Courtney Taylor led the Cougars with 16 points each, but UH received its best effort from center Cobilyn Hill. Hill was plagued with foul trouble, resulting in only 24 minutes of playing time. However, that
time was quite efficient as the sophomore scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, grabbed 9 rebounds and blocked 6 shots. Hill’s presence in the paint forced Marshall (14-14, 7-8) into low-percentage shots, playing a big part in the Thundering Herd’s 37.9 percent overall shooting. “She did a good job of coming off of her man and helping at different times,” Curl said. “She was blocking shots when her teammates got beat off the dribble.” UH also crashed the offensive boards well, grabbing 14 of 36 total rebounds off missed shots. “We were very active on the offensive end, which helped us get in better rebounding position,” Curl said. UH can lock up a first-round bye in the C-USA Tournament by defeating East Carolina at 1 p.m. Saturday at Minges Coliseum. The Pirates are 6-0 at home against conference foes this season, providing a tough task for the Cougars. “We need to play our kind of basketball,” Curl said. “They are very tough at home, but they have shown that they are beatable. We’ll go in there and give them the best we got.” DAVID SHIH THE DAILY COUGAR
sports@thedailycougar.com
Sophomore center Cobilyn Hill, seen here against Tulsa, blocked six shots in UH’s 67-58 victory over Marshall
Maher scorns religion By Mike Damante THE DAILY COUGAR
PHOTO COURTESY OF LIONSGATE
At the Mount of Olives, Bill Maher criticizes organized religion in Religulous, available on DVD.
With Bill Maher, you either love him or hate him. The same could be said of Religulous, his documentary — or mock-umentary, depending on how offended you are. Religulous is a scathing, intellectual argument against the institution of organized religion. If you are religious, yet open-minded, you may be able to sit through this film. If you are pious, the movie can be offensive.
Maher doesn’t discriminate and takes time to dissect the beliefs of all major religions, aiming at Christians, Jews, Muslims and Mormons. Maher points out how rational people can believe stories from the Bible, which includes a man living inside a whale, yet won’t believe in everyday fairytales. Being raised Catholic with a Jewish mother, Maher isn’t just an angry atheist. Maher has done his homework in regards to the Bible and religion as a whole. The film is deep in interviews and anecdotes that rebel against
religion’s hypocrisy regarding women’s rights, homosexuality and the people who use God’s word to fit their own agenda. One of the film’s funnier scenes features Maher interviewing a former Jew, who has since converted to Christianity and runs a Christianthemed store. The man shares a story about a miracle where he stuck his arm out the window and asked for water, and it see DVD, page 6
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Friday, February 27, 2009
SPORTS| LIFE & ARTS
BASEBALL
Student Publications Committee
weekend on a three-game winning streak. Baylor (4-1) broke out the bats in a big way against Houston Baptist on Wednesday in Waco, recording 13 hits in a 15-4 win. The Bears will start right-hander Kendal Volz, who helped Team USA win gold at last summer’s World University Baseball Championship. Noble altered his weekend pitching rotation, opting to start left-hander Ty Stuckey against UCIrvine (3-1) over right-hander Jared Ray, who was roughed up for five runs (zero earned) in Wednesday’s loss to Rice. Stuckey, who went 3-4 with a 6.54 ERA in 2008, gave up two runs during 3 2/3 innings of relief in Saturday’s 9-2 loss to Kansas State. UC-Irvine’s projected Saturday
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inability to rationalize and put religious beliefs aside. “Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking, those who preach faith, enable and elevate it, are intellectual slaveholders keeping mankind in a bondage of fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction,� Maher said during a monologue in the film. “Religion is dangerous for human beings who don’t have the answers, but believe they do.� Religulous, now out on DVD, includes deleted scenes not shown in the theatrical release.
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starter is Christian Bergman (1-0). The right-hander had a decent outing in his last start, allowing four runs (one earned) on seven hits in eight innings in a 5-4 win over Hawaii on Saturday. UH right-hander Frank Corolla will get the start against Texas A&M (5-1). Corolla made his first start in Sunday’s 3-2, 10-inning win over Kansas State, receiving a no-decision after giving up one unearned run on six hits with three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. The Aggies will probably oppose Corolla with either Alex Wilson or Clayton Ehlert. Both right-handers helped Texas A&M sweep Wright State in a four-game series last weekend, as Wilson tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings to earn his first win of the season.
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The Daily Cougar
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rained. Maher is quick to dismiss the miracle as a “mundane coincidence,� citing that it rains water all the time and had it rained frogs, then you may have a miracle. The man insists he knows heaven is a better place and that is where he will go one day. “If heaven is a better place, why don’t you kill yourself?� Maher said in reply. Maher uses his anti-religion argument as a plea for peace. He insists that the world can come to an end because of humanity’s
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RENTALS 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 FEW BLOCKS FROM UH, Nice area. 1-1 = $360; new 3 1 1/2 $800, cent. A/H, fenced. No pets. Call 713-834-4209. 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. GARAGE APT 1 block from campus. $490/mo. Bills paid. Deposit $400. Ready for move in. Call 832-329-9038 PRIVATE STUDIO ROOM in house next to campus. Quiet. Furnished. $300 a month plus deposit. Shared utilities. 713-208-2530.
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COUGAR COMICS The Robot is Sad by Tam Nguyen
COMICS & MORE Online at thedailycougar.com/comics
TODAY’S CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 7 10 14
Dim Sum by Ho Yi Lau
Man Law by Chris Jacobs
Spouts rhetoric Auditor Makes choices Unfair shake (2 wds.) 15 Above, in verse 16 Gullet 17 Take advantage 18 Go on the — 19 Pith helmet 20 Where to find rings (2 wds.) 23 Work, as clay 26 None 27 Vast chasm 28 Hold down a job 29 Compass pt. 30 Twist the truth 31 Grain holder 32 A fifth of MV 33 Cafe amenity 37 Wide st. 38 Assoc. 39 Summer drink 40 Grassy field 41 Wedding party member (2 wds.) 43 Pioneered 44 Chatty alien 45 LP speed 46 City rtes. 47 Long hike 48 Seaweeds 51 Sault — Marie 52 Cobra kin 53 Large swallow (2 wds.) 56 Brace 57 PC acronym 58 Ms. Lansbury 62 Cleanse 63 Likable prez? 64 Stale, as bread 65 Gave the once-over 66 Barbie’s beau 67 On the double
DOWN
At the Hot Dog Stand by Mishele Lamshing
Friday, February 27, 2009
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TODAY’S SUDOKU (Difficulty: 5/5)
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2009 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE INC.
Previous puzzle solved M O P S
U H U H
U K E S
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S C A E A L E B E T S C H I E D R E S S E N S T A L S H E I I K A RM H I M T E E P S I N V E N T A N ROO R A E RG A S D E A
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A P O D L I L E O T F A E Z Z A L A E X A E S L
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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
Limbo by Paulo Aninag
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Friday, February 27, 2009
SECTION
The Daily Cougar
AAS
Because the score was 21-7, not 21-70.
continued from page 1
Though The Daily Cougar strives for accuracy and fairness in its reporting, mistakes happen. Please report any errors you see in the paper to the editorial staff. Corrections will run on Page 2 as needed to amend the record. To report a correction, e-mail editor@thedailycougar.com or call (713) 743-5362.
the last of which will be held at noon today in Room 628, Agnes Arnold Hall. UH Ankh Maat Wedjau Honor Society students and AAS minors have also spent the month preparing their annual trip to the Model African Union conference. The National Council for Black Studies, a major professional organization for the AfricanAmerican Studies discipline, holds the annual conference in March. Hosted by Howard University in Washington, D.C., the conference gives students an opportunity to network with other university students from across the nation. However, conference trips and film festivals are not the only opportunities the AAS program provides to fully experience the discipline of African-American studies. Each summer, students have a chance to participate in a twoweek trip to Ghana as part of the AAS curriculum. “We travel around the country, learn about the culture and history of Ghana, and our students have a wonderful time,” AAS program manager Paul Easterling said. “ It’s a six (credit) hour, 5-week course and is also offered to anyone who wants to participate.” The AAS program pays for about two-thirds of the expenses, Crawford said, but students are asked to contribute to guarantee a seat on the trip. Last summer, AAS minor senior Tamara Spiller participated in the Ghana trip. “We backpacked through six cities in Ghana and were able to speak with the natives and visited W.E.B. Du Bois’ memorial site,” Spiller said. “We also went to the river where the slaves took their last bath, literally for six months, before coming to America.” Spiller said learning about her heritage is important to a strong foundation and that it has increased her awareness of her ancestry. “As an adolescent, I never knew
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anything about black people, but now, I get a personal satisfaction that I know where I come from. And I actually feel lied or cheated in some way after learning all this (history),” Spiller said. “How could I be proud of my heritage if I don’t know what it is or only know some of it?” Faculty and staff strongly emphasize students to partake in the Ghana trip. “We read about African and African-American history all the time, but going to Ghana and seeing the history and living the history there,” Easterling said. “Our students are able to put their experiences in a lot better context.” Easterling said the AAS program prioritizes student retention and graduation by making sure student needs are well taken care of. “We’ve done a number of good things,” Crawford said. “Last year, this program received the Sankore Award from the National Council for Black Studies, and the Sankore Award recognizes the top academic unit in the field of Africana studies in terms of research output, community involvement and student service.” AAS is offered as a minor at UH, but is anticipated in becoming a degree granting academic unit in the fall 2009 semester, Crawford said. Although the AAS program has seen an increase in non-AfricanAmerican students, Spiller believes ethnic contributions are not highlighted enough in schools and the media. “Black history is important to everyone because we helped build this country, but also contributions made by people from Indian or Chinese descent (and other ethnicities) should also be publicized more, so no one feels superior or inferior to anyone,” Spiller said. “We’re a melting pot, so everyone’s contributions should be publicized.” news@thedailycougar.com
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