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The track and field teams take their act to New Mexico Monday, January 25, 2010
Issue 78, Volume 75
thedailycougar.com
Sumlin, Khator receive extensions Board approves contract extensions, delays raise for president
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By Sarah Raslan THE DAILY COUGAR The UH System Board of Regents unanimously approved contract extensions for Chancellor and UH President Renu Khator and head football coach Kevin Sumlin at a special session Friday.
Khator received a two-year extension that keeps her at UH through 2013. Her base salary will remain $425,000. Sumlin, who is 18-9 in two seasons at UH, was awarded a new six-year deal that retains his services through 2015. The contract, which was announced last Monday, includes $6.8 million in guaranteed compensation. “Retention is very important,” Board of Regents Chairman Welcome Wilson Sr. said. “The
coach has been successful in the two years that he has been here, and we want to make sure we are able to retain him.” J Wilson Sr. Wilson said that the last two football seasons were impressive and that the Board came to the conclusion that Sumlin “deserved a substantial adjustment in
compensation.” Sumlin, who made $700,000 in 2009, is now the third-highest paid coach in Conference USA behind Southern Methodist’s June Jones ($2 million) and Central Florida’s George O’Leary ($1.15 million). “He is a good coach, a great person, and we are delighted that we can extend his contract,” Khator said. Wilson added that Sumlin’s method of emphasizing academic progress is part of the UH tradition.
“The University of Houston is better than average in terms of the graduation rate and the grades of our athletes,” Wilson said. “We have a tradition to be proud of, and it’s only going to get bigger and better under Sumlin.” Wilson had similar praise for Khator. “After she had been here one year, the Board of Regents was extremely pleased with her see REGENTS, page 3
Greeks begin recruitment Fraternities and sororities will promote friendship, charity J
By Josh Malone THE DAILY COUGAR
VOLTAIRE ARCHELUS THE DAILY COUGAR
Help for Haiti
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he UH chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People held their “food off my plate” relief drive Tuesday, accepting food and canned goods for Haiti on Tuesday in front of the University Center. Business sophomore Gino Collins, bottom right, contributed as one of many cash donators. As of Monday, the death toll from the Haiti earthquake, which registered 7.0 on the Richter scale, had risen to more than 150,000, according to a Haitian government minister.
With the start of the spring semester, fraternities and sororities across UH are recruiting prospective members with promises of camaraderie, selfimprovement and a lot of fun. But not every student is convinced. “I’ve thought about joining, but it’s not for me,” accounting senior Nathan Lovell said. “I don’t think I can spare the time with class, and if it’s just partying all the time, then I don’t think I’m missing much.” Matthew Marett, a member of UH’s Sigma Chi chapter, is aware of the criticism but contends that these are stereotypes that misrepresent Greek life. “Pop culture has painted fraternities as slackers and partiers with movies like Animal House, but it’s a perception that overshadows all the good work we do,” Marett said. “Because being in a fraternity naturally builds confidence, others will see us as cocky or overzealous. It’s not true at all.” Marett is an active recruiter for the Interfraternity Council, one of four Greek councils that together house more than 35 fraternities and sororities at UH. Many of these groups will be scouring the UH campus through this week attempting to attract as many new pledges as possible. Marett said the objective of all these organizations is friendship, responsibility and charity. “Fraternities are for people
looking for a deeper experience in education,” he said. “It’s for creating strong bonds and relationships, and for the support structure that gives you someone to turn to for any problem. It’s about being a better citizen and for gaining a respect for your fellow human.” Fraternities and sororities at UH encompass many different cultures and faiths. Alpha Psi Lambda and Omega Psi Phi are well-known fraternities for serving the Hispanic and African-American communities, respectively, while Sigma Pi prides itself on being the most culturally diverse on campus. The IFC requires at least 200 hours of community service from each of its chapters, and nearly every fraternity has a primary charity or cause for philanthropy. Delta Epsilon Psi members are required to complete at least 20 hours of community service. Sigma Chi’s UH chapter recently donated $1,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization that raises funds for children’s hospitals. According to Marett, it’s the largest sum any UH organization has donated to the charity. However, for a university with only 12 percent of students living on campus, some students are uninterested in remaining on campus after classes to participate in extracurricular activities because it can result in a longer commute. Kathy Adolfsson, a management information systems junior, said she hasn’t joined a sorority because it takes her an hour to get home, and she would not be able to stay longer than she has to for see FRATERNITY, page 10