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Forecast, Page 2
University police report second daytime robbery in as many weeks Friday, February 5, 2010
Issue 87, Volume 75
thedailycougar.com
Resumes receive help from experts
UH police chief gives prevention advice
By Alan Delon The Daily Cougar
Students such as supply chain management senior Rodrigo DaSilva from Brazil took advantage of the career event. “The employer told me that I need to get my resume in good shape, that I should have a cover letter and make it shorter,” DaSilva said. “I am really excited and positive that I will find a job at the career fair after being helped today.”
UHPD police chief Malcolm Davis said there are ways students can help prevent crime. Not being hesitant to contact the police department when confronted with a suspicious or potentially dangerous situation, he said, is one of them. “It would help if students, faculty and staff let us know if they see people they haven’t seen before. Some suspicious reports don’t come back to anything, but maybe by reporting we could prevent someone’s window from being broken or a backpack being stolen,” Davis said. Davis reported minimal criminal activity during the break but does not expect the same trend this summer. “You tend to find out how good your holiday season was when students, faculty and staff start coming back and you may find a room was burglarized or someone left their car here and it was burglarized. We haven’t got much of
news@thedailycougar.com
see CRIME, page 6
Rockwell Career Center counselors and employers from different companies offered the business students from C.T. Bauer College of Business an “Emergency Help for your Resume” event. The event was held in the AIM Center for Investment Management lobby on Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “The idea behind the event is to trick students into getting their resumes reviewed, so the event has been themed as if this is an emergency room so you can get the students’ attention,” Employee Services of the Rockwell Career Center Director Brett Hobby said. “We have definitely increased the number of tables. We have more staff to help, more employers, and the event has grown as a whole.” Hobby, who has hosted the event since 2006, said that the Resume ER is not like meeting with the career
By John Brannen The Daily Cougar
David Shih The Daily Cougar
Members of Houston Think Tank, a UH student organization, take advantage of the Bauer Resume ER event to enhance their resumes in preparation for spring recruiting. The event took place Wednesday and Thursday. counselors but its purpose is to get the proper recommendations to prepare the students for career fair. The AIM center lobby was decorated with red and white balloons, all the tables had stethoscopes and the employers and career counselors were wearing scrubs. “Our goal is to give C.T. Bauer students access to employers, alumnus and other crew staff people to have their resumes checked in 10 to 15 minutes,” career counseling
director Donna Grady said. “The big event that is open to all the students is the career fair. Students need to know you should have a resume if you are looking for an internship or a job.” Grady said the Resume ER event has helped many students succeed in future interviews. “Resumes are the first impression that students have with employers so that is what we are trying to do at this event,” career counselor II Oliver Blanco said.
Student honored for work with children
UH Dining starts new takeout plan
By Aimee Buras The Daily Cougar
By Ashley Evans The Daily Cougar
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars in association with America’s Promise has recognized a UH student with a prestigious award for community service. Psychology and pre-med senior Cynthia Tsai has been honored with the Scholar of Promise Award for her efforts in helping children who have suffered from abuse. “I was really surprised and honored,” Tsai said, “I did it for the children.” According to the NSCS Web site, to receive the award, a member must “complete at least 50 hours of youth-oriented community service within a 12-month period.” Tsai completed 318 hours of service between August 2008 and August 2009. Tsai began her service when she was offered an internship with Justice for Children, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of children who have
endured various forms of physical, sexual or emotional abuse. As an intern, Tsai is responsible for answering the hotline, providing as much assistance as possible to the callers and keeping in touch with her assigned cases for changes in activity. “I have become well equipped in maintaining patience with those in distress and showing empathy while obtaining the information necessary to analyze the situations and provide aid,” Tsai said. Tsai said the experience was fulfilling, and that when she leaves the offices after a shift, she knows regardless of how little she feels, she contributed. Children and concerned relatives benefit from having someone to listen to their stories and give them the resources to establish a beneficial environment in which the children can be raised. “My time with Justice for Children has enabled me to make a positive impact within the surrounding community and has
Courtesy of Cynthia Tsai
Psychology senior Cynthia Tsai said she hopes people will be inspired to do community service after reading her story. reinforced my wish to work directly with those in need of help,” Tsai said. Tsai will continue with community service and returns to Justice for Children once a month. She hopes that others will follow her path. “I hope it will bring recognition to UH and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars,” Tsai said, “I just hope it will help UH achieve tier-one status.” Tsai will receive a pin, a letter signed by President Barack Obama and a certificate as part of her award. news@thedailycougar.com
In an effort to increase sustainability on campus, UH Dining Services has switched to biodegradable and reusable togo containers in all of UH’s dining areas, instead of the old Styrofoam containers. “It’s an initiative as a company that UH is embracing in order to become more sustainable,” marketing program manager Sevelia Johnson said. Johnson said though the containers were initially more expensive, the benefits are well worth the cost. On average, University Dining Services had an estimated 90,000 Styrofoam containers that were used per semester. Last semester Moody Towers used five to six hundred Styrofoam containers a week and Oberholtzer Hall used about three to four hundred a week. Initially, Foodservice Director
Edward Wrigley spearheaded the program as the University’s “sustainability champion.” Dining Services prepared a proposal to University Services and was able to get the first 2,000 containers at no extra cost to the University. University Services Marketing Manager Maria Honey said the best part about these new containers is that “they only require water, soap and sanitizer in order for them to have value all over again.” The residents at the dorms were the first to receive these new containers. They were handed out on the first day and Johnson and Honey both agree that they have had an overwhelmingly positive response. “The students are really taking ownership of the program, but the key to its continued success is going to be student responsibility,” Honey said. There have been two options implemented for returning the see GREEN, page 6