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Forecast, Page 2
Check out this semester’s entire lineup of comics and online exclusives Thursday, February 4, 2010
Issue 86, Volume 75
thedailycougar.com
Band finds start in UH apartments By Matthew Keever THE DAILY COUGAR
The cost of the UC to be renovated, as of now, is $99, 997,213. Sopko also said the reason why construction time was shortened was to reduce cost. “Phasing a construction project is expensive and time consuming,” she said. “The change in the project calls
Texas is known for its music. Cities like Austin are known as music havens, while Houston is best known for its rap and hip-hop. Because of this, local musicians in Houston don’t usually get acknowledged, but UH’s own VerseCity is hoping to change that. Communication junior Micah Walker and music sophomore Marcus Edwards, who met at Bayou Oaks apartments in Fall 2006, write most of VerseCity’s music and lyrics. They also provide the bulk of the vocals and guitar, respectively. Edwards also plays the saxophone on “Lullaby,” the band’s most-downloaded track. “If I had to describe the sound, it would be rock/soul/pop,” Walker says. “The idea (behind the band) is to push a positive message while having a good time.” The two, who originally played basketball on opposing high school teams, began to write music together at Bayou Oaks. “We were jamming as an acoustic duo for about two years,” Walker says. VerseCity’s first show as a full band was on Jan. 12, 2008. The band has recently celebrated its two-year anniversary.
see NEW UC, page 3
see BAND, page 5
COURTESY OF UH.EDU
The University Center opened in 1967. In 1973, it was expanded to include the UC Underground. In 2001, there were some smaller changes made to it, but there have not been major changes made to the structure. This will all change when construction for the new UC is completed in 2014.
More building for the dollar By Moniqua Sexton THE DAILY COUGAR Renovations for the New University Center are now expected to cost less and be done quicker according to the projects committee members. “Last November (after) working with Executive Vice President for
Administration and Finance Carl Carlucci, we realized an opportunity to take advantage of the low interest rates in the bond market,” UC 2010 Initiative Co-Chairperson Nicole Sopko said. Initially called “the UC 2010” the plan details the remodeling and addition to the University Center. “The initial project called for
a three-phased renovation and reconfiguration of space within the existing footprint of the UC building, which is what the students and SGA approved funding for and at the time was deemed most cost effective,” Sopko said. Construction is set to begin in May 2011 and be completed May 2014.
State aid not equal for all universties By Roland Henshaw THE DAILY COUGAR For some students in Texas, financial aid is the deciding factor on whether they will continue their education at their respective institutions. According to the office of scholarships and financial aid, more than 80 percent of the students at UH receive financial aid. For political science sophomore Marquis Crowder, financial aid is the reason he did not return to school this semester. Crowder and many students probably would have received the financial aid they needed if state funding were distributed among public institutions evenly. In 2009, the state funded the University of Texas at Austin with
the sum of $540 million dollars, and funded Texas A&M University with $478 million dollars while UH only received $288 million in state funding last year. While these institutions receive more money than any other schools in the state almost certainly because of their flagship status, others that have not reached flagship have to manage the funds that the state provides them with. The state of Texas spends millions of dollars every year on students who do not need financial aid, while not adhering to the needs of lowincome students who actually need the monetary assistance. Low-income students are then placed into a financial bind because the institutions they receive see AID, page 3
NICOLE ADLER THE DAILY COUGAR
Waiting for the Q
T
he University Services Department hosted the Green Commuter Fair on Tuesday and Wednesday to sign up students for the Metro Q card. The student organization that registered the most members will receive a pizza party. Jonas Chin, University Services program coordinator, said that the number of students that signed up for a Q card this semester surpassed last semester’s.