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STUDENTS

Scholarships for all expenses available to graduate students More than 100 scholarships are available for graduate students to help pay for all tuition, books and fees. Additionally, the winner would receive a monthly stipend of over $2,000 to help pay for expenses.

Bylaw changes promote push to flagship status

“GPA is not the most important thing. Involving in social activities, or doing volunteer work is a great competitive advantage,”said Ohm Culpepper, Air Force Health Professions Representative.

Faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences’ spring faculty meeting on Friday focused on how the college fits in with UH’s Tier One goal by adding a research committee. “This is really about CLASS and making sure the faculty has

For more information, please contact Ohm Culpepper at 210-3416802 or at ohm.culpepper@us.af.mil. — Tap Nguyen/The Daily Cougar

CAMPUS

Communications workshop provides personal and career tips Valenti School of Communication professor Deborah Bridges will host a communication workshop, open to all UH students, on Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the enclosed dining area in the Moody Towers. Bridges, with her experience teaching Fundamentals of Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication and Intercultural Communication and Organizations, will provide students with insight into the benefits of communicating effectively. Bridges has contributed to two communication texts published by Houghton-Mifflin. “The human connection — through effective communication — has been cited by countless leaders as the key to their personal and career success,”Bridges said in a press release. To reserve a spot or questions, contact Betty Hassell at ehassell@ central.uh.edu.

CORRECTIONS Report errors to editor@thedailycougar.com. Corrections will appear in this space as needed.

today

83 LO 55 HI

Possible morning showers....

81/69 8 /6

Read. Recycle. Repeat daily.

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a voice and a research policy in this college,” said John W. Roberts, CLASS dean, to an audience of 100 faculty members on April 8. “This is the first four-year university that I’ve been at that didn’t have a research committee.” As a bylaw change, the college has added a research committee in order to advocate, encourage and assist in the research of liberal arts and social sciences professors, an objective that falls in line with UH being named a Tier One university by the Carnegie Foundation.

“It’s a work in progress,” said Maria Soliño on behalf of Chris Murray of the faculty college governance and advisory committee. “It’s a first step.” According to Soliño, the purpose of the new committee is to assist faculty members to undertake new research projects and to offer support for ongoing projects. “This committee took into account how diverse our college is,” said Soliño. “They are very concerned that different sorts of research are taken into

account — whether it is a dance performance or publication of a book.” The committee also organized current bylaws to streamline the evaluation process for projects. Even with these changes, CLASS faces challenges in financing the sought after research. “It is equally important to find new sources of revenue to continue to sustain and enhance the quality of our programs, support our students and support CLASS continues on page 3

BAUER

Students yell prices at outcry contest Local contestant wins first places Miguel Cortina

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— Cordero Jennings/The Daily Cougar

83/59 83/ 83 /59

April 11, 2011

Research team enacted Anna Gallegos

WED

Graduate students who have a GPA of 2.5 or higher can apply for the scholarships. Five UH graduate students have been awarded.

TUE TU UE

Monday

CLASS

Got news? E-mail news@thedailycougar.com or call 713-743-5314

Issue 128, Volume 76

THU TH U

83/68 83 3/68 68

FFRII FR

84/59 84 4/59 59

EVENTS Instructor-Led Training Class A class introducing Project 2007 is available to faculty, staff, students and alumni. The class will be from 9 a.m. to noon in Room 110L of the Social Work Building. Registration is required to reserve a seat. Claiming Victory Over Violence Members of the UH Soka Peace Group and the UH-Clear Lake Soka Peace Group is hosting the Victory Over Violence from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the University Center Arbor.

FOR MORE EVENTS, CHECK OUT

thedailycougar.com/calendar

During the The C.T. Bauer College of Business’ commodity outcry competition Saturday, where more than 20 universities from around the nation competed, a UH student won first place. Francis Dorrego and Laurentino Rangel won first and fourth place, respectively. The Finance Association trained the UH team since the start of the semester. The competition also served as a challenge for another national competition that will be held in New York City next weekend. The competition consisted of trading different commodities on an outcry marketplace. “We are given simulated market orders and it’s the contestant’s job to execute the orders in the best way possible,” said Phillip Bannon, director of research and trade of the Finance Association. “They have to monitor the price at all times, they have to understand the lingo, they have to understand the words used, and then they have to execute those orders fast.” Because more than 120 students participated, the commodities outcry was very loud since the participants OUTCRY continues on page 3

Last week students played games and won t-shirts while learning about leadership and ethics. Some also competed in an ethics case competition and analyzed an issue using legal solutions. | Marie Munoz/The Daily Cougar

BAUER

Games to learn ethics, win prizes Last week students brush up on leadership skills Miguel Cortina

THE DAILY COUGAR The C.T. Bauer College of Business hosted Leadership & Ethics week, an opportunity for students to review their leadership and ethics skills to apply them in the corporate world with professionals. On Tuesday during Bauer Power, held in Melcher Hall, dozens of students participated in several games set up dealing with ethics where students collected tickets from the questions they got right to exchange them for a t-shirt. “This started out as a group project for one of my classes to throw an event to kick of the Leadership & Business Ethics week and we play games, try to promote knowledge of business ethics and try to get the students involved,” said J’Vonne Lowe, a marketing sophomore, who

was in charge of giving out the prizes. One of the games that had most of the students was “Who Wants to be Ethical,” a game based on the same format as “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” The students who were able to answer all questions about business ethics questions would get five tickets for the t-shirt. “Where I work, I’m the office manager at a clinic, and all these questions explain the daily life situations,” said Shalini Aggarwal, a business manager junior who participated in the game. “And pretty much helps me understand what I should do next if any types of these scenarios happen. All these ethical characters and responsibilities are all true and even though you have to work on the survey, it’s a lot of fun.” On Thursday, students had the opportunity to participate in the ethics case competition. Students were charged with choosing an industry or company, analyzing a related ethical issue and proposing a solution that considers the legal, financial and practical applications. ETHICS continues on page 3

2 ! Monday, April 11, 2011

ONLINE/NEWS 101

/ VAGINA

student feminist organization presents the

MONOLOGUES Friday, April 15 – 7pm m Saturday, April 16 – 7pm m m Sunday, April 17 – 5pm enter Pacific Room – University Center Tickets: $7.00 at door $5.00 in advance Advance purchase in Women’s Resource Center, 1-4pm 279A University Center For more information: email: sfoatuh@gmail.com visit: www.vday.org All proceeds benefit Houston Rescue & Restore. www.houstonrr.org

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TOP READS

WASHINGTON

1. Texas: the fastest state in the US 2. Bioware: Job well done in latest Dragon Age installment 3. Republican Rep. targets Muslims only 4. The outlook on Texas education is depressing 5. Education cuts hurt minority

FEATURED COMMENTS Re: Texas: the fastest state in the US

Obama unveils plan to for deficit reduction President Barack Obama is planning to announce a long-term solution to the deficit problem this week after the goverment faced a possible shutdown Friday at midnight. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that Obama will be unveiling his plan for deficit reduction Wednesday.

“Americans should look at The timing of Obama’s plan comes Germany as a model for after both Democrats and Republicans defining speed limits. 85 MPH is finally agreed on a plan to cut spendnot too fast when most drivers ing by $38.5 billion. already set their cruise controls TEXAS to that speed.” Fires continue to — user “EVILKINEAVIL” spead, worst in history Re: Texas: the fastest state in the US

“Maybe driving at higher speeds where your level of attentiveness needs to be at a certain level to maintain your own safety will keep people off of their cell phones for 5 flipping minutes.” — user “Whoppels” Re: Education cuts hurt minority students

The raging West Texas fires that have spread across the Panhandlecould be the worst in the state’s history, Forest Service officials said. The fires have set ablaze more than 60,000 acres of land. The fires are being fueled by a record drought and wind gusts of up to 50 mph. Firefighters have been unsuccessful at containing the largest of the fires, but have contained several smaller fires.

LIBYA

Leaders say Gadhafi “The only way you could keep those levels with out drastically agrees to cease-fire African leaders announced that rasing taxes on the people and Moammar Gadhafi has accepted plans buisness would be to close to initiate a cease-fire with the rebels. down all the other agencies in The plans for a cease-fire come after the state. There is your 25% that NATO airstrikes and rebels crippled would save you the money from Gadhafi’s advancing military. Leaders are meeting with Gadhafi on Monday. a budget crisis.” — user “Mac”

Compiled by Christopher Losee

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ABOUT THE COUGAR The Daily Cougar is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters, and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer, at the University of Houston Printing Plant and online at http://www. thedailycougar.com. The University seeks to provide equal educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability or veteran status, or sexual orientation. The Daily Cougar is supported in part by Student Service Fees. The first copy of the Cougar is free; each additional copy is 25 cents. SUBSCRIPTIONS Rates are $70 per year or $40 per semester. Mail subscription requests to: Mail Subscriptions, The Daily Cougar, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204-4015. NEWS TIPS Direct news tips and story ideas to the News Desk. Call (713) 743-5314, e-mail news@thedailycougar. com or fax (713) 743-5384. A “Submit news item” form is also available online at thedailycougar.com. COPYRIGHT No part of the newspaper in print or online may be reproduced without the written consent of the director of the Student Publications Department.

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ETHICS continued from page 1

To wrap up the week, Evelyn Angelle, senior vice president and chief accounting officer of Halliburton, spoke during an invitation-only luncheon held at the Hilton Hotel on campus. news@thedailycougar.com

OUTCRY continued from page 1

yelled the prices they wanted to get. “You have to learn how to make quick decisions in a chaotic environment and make it cohesive and coherent,” said Tony Nguyen, president of the Finance Association. Contestants were graded by a group of judges who wrote down the initials that the students had on their tags. The judges were all experienced floor traders, current energy traders and analysts from the energy industry. The first ten places won prizes in cash because of the different sponsors participating in the competition. The prizes ranged from $1000 for the first place to $100 for sixth through 10th place. “We are really grateful for all the money that they are sponsoring and giving to the participants,” Nguyen said. Wallis Paez, a finance and accounting senior, liked the competition and the real-world exposure she got during the outcry. “It’s been great, it’s chaotic, but it’s really fun. You get to learn a lot, you get a lot of experience, and it helps you when you get out there in the real world,” she said. Paez took home the 10th place and is looking forward to participating in New York City. “It makes me more confident for next week that we have to compete in New York,” Paez said. Bauer students Kristen Mayell and Rong Yu also won prizes in the competition. news@thedailycougar.com

CLASS continued from page 1

faculty research,” Roberts said. “I want to emphasize the importance of external research funding. It’s important that the faculty continue to apply for smaller grants and fellowships.” The changes could help CLASS due to recent cuts that have caused staff layoffs in business processing. “It is important to understand the role that faculty plays in the financial health of the University and college,” Roberts said. “The college budget is not directly determined by the number of student credit hours that we generate but it is heavily influenced much by it. Such is the logic of the illogical university budgeting system.” Asides from the layoffs, the budget strains will make it difficult to support a large number of adjunct professors. “Some tenure track faculty will be asked to take teaching assignments,” Roberts said. For students, cuts will be translated into shifting class times and sizes. Even with the cutbacks, CLASS continues to expand. The college will be graduating its largest class to date in May and debut the department of comparative cultural studies, which includes anthropology, liberal studies and religious studies in the fall. news@thedailycougar.com

Monday, April 11, 2011 ! 3

NEWS

The Daily Cougar

CAMPUS

Symposium to discuss future of space exploration Darlene Campos

THE DAILY COUGAR To celebrate 50 years of human exploration in space, the International Academy of Astronautics is holding its 18th annual Humans in Space Symposium Monday through Friday. This year’s event will be hosted by UH. This year’s theme is Integration and Cooperation in the Next Golden Age of Human Space Flight. “UH is a co-sponsor of the international space symposium that will bring space industry professionals to Houston to discuss the next phase of human space exploration,” said UH Media

Relations representative Marisa Ramirez. “Professor William Paloski from the UH department of health and human performance and formerly of NASA-JSC is an organizer.” Other presenters at the event will include Representative Pete Olson, Johnson Space Center Director Mike Coats, Japanese physician and space explorer Chiaki Mukai, and UH President Renu Khator. According to the event’s official website, the IAA is committed to promoting research and discussion about biological sciences linked to space exploration. A key presentation will be over Yuri Gagarin, the Russian space explorer who was the first human

to orbit Earth in 1961. There will also be a special presentation discussing astronaut and pilot Robert Chippen, who manned the first Space Shuttle mission that in 1981. “The symposium theme, Integrations and Cooperation in the Next Golden Age of Human Space Flight, will guide attendees to focus on the basic concept that collaboration and teamwork across cultures, nations, agencies, disciplines and objectives will be absolutely essential to the next chapters of the Humans-in-Space story,” the event’s website said. Researchers and other space industry professionals from around the world will attend, said Marisa

Ramirez in a press release. “Attendees at this conference represent a broad spectrum of the space life science community, and include representatives from government, academia, and private industry.” The 18th annual Humans in Space Symposium will be held at the Westin Hotel in the Galleria. Registration fees vary from $200 to $750. For more information, visit h t t p : / / w w w. d s l s . u s r a . e d u / meetings/IAA/. Paloski, key organizer from UH, could not be reached for further comment. news@thedailycougar.com

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4 ! Monday, April 11, 2011

The Daily Cougar

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EDITOR Andrew Taylor E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/opinion

TEARS OF SORROW Courtesy of USBICEF

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITORS NEWS EDITORS SPORTS EDITORS LIFE & ARTS EDITOR OPINION EDITOR

Jack Wehman Newton Liu, Christopher Losee Jose Aguilar, Cristi Guerra John Brannen, Joshua Siegel Mary Baak Andrew Taylor

STAFF EDITORIAL

Phony merchandise a bigger problem than ever

hen Houston hosted the Final Four last week, it got more than it bargained for in local business activity.

According to the Houston Chronicle, counterfeit merchandise was in abundance last week, ranging from phony t-shirts to fake championship tickets. And this is only a drop in the bucket for Houston’s counterfeit market. Houston is the nation’s top port city in both US imports and foreign waterborne tonnage — making counterfeiting not only easy but lucrative as well. “Definitely it is a growing problem and something we’ll have to contend with just on a continual basis, because the market’s out there, “ Houston Police Department Sgt. Frank Quinn said in an interview with the Chronicle. Arrests are being made, and there’s a good method in place to deal with counterfeiters, mainly due to laws that make importing fake merchandise a state and federal offense. And although HPD has seized more than $8 million in counterfeit trade items and filed 55 lawsuits with 41 alleged counterfeit retailers, it still hasn’t stemmed the tide of fake imports. Some of these items are actually dangerous. In March, prosecutors convicted 32-year-old Houston resident En Wang of importing 6,500 fake Viagra pills. A chemist from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals found that the pills were actually made from an ingredient commonly used when making sheetrock. Another counterfeiter bought 200 fake Cisco Systems networking cards from eBay for $25 each — and then sold them to the US Marine Corps for $625. Phony merchandise is becoming an increasing crime because the goods are easier to make in today’s economy. For instance, a person can now pirate software, burn it to a blank CD and sell the same software dozens of times — all at relatively no cost. And because the crime requires no physical theft or violence, stopping it is much harder than a normal robbery. But it is robbery, and people do lose money from false merchandise. If you care about your heath or the health of the economy, stop buying counterfeit goods — if there’s no one to sell to, no one can profit off another person’s hard work.

E D I TO R I A L P O L I C I E S 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 7, University Center Satellite; 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 7, University Center Satellite; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.

Online courses cause schools to suffer

aced with scathing budget cuts and significantly more criticism of teacher performance, many primary schools are now turning to non-traditional methods of educating students. These novel approaches usually aim to reduce costs and maintaining or improving the quality of teaching, but because these goals often conflict, fiscal matters usually end up Marc taking the priority. Anderson As a result, the most prominent of these strategies dispenses with teachers altogether and minimizes the importance of the school setting. Despite limited evaluation of its efficacy, web-based learning is now the predominant alternative to standard forms of education, due to its low cost and relatively low use of school resources. But the monetary savings could soon be overshadowed by poor student performance, inferior curriculums

and high school graduates ill-prepared for college. More than one million kindergarten through grade 12 students are enrolled in online classes, with schools benefiting from estimated savings in the thousands of dollars per student. A typical online course costs a school approximately $100 to $275 per student, while the same course taught in-person can be up to four times this amount, according to The National Education Association. However, this is an incomplete comparison because it fails to account for both the accrued expenses of having to remediate the students who receive sub-standard education and the intangible costs of lost student potential. Granted, both traditional and web-based schooling have the potential to perform poorly. In fact, the quality of in-person education is more variable in that it depends on the proficiencies of the teacher. However, certain aspects of online courses render

them far more likely to be deficient from the onset. To begin with, online classes are by necessity non-scalable, meaning that they cannot be tailored to meet the individual needs of students. They essentially reduce the education process to an algorithm, as if there were a simple formula for teaching students. A good teacher can assess a student’s strengths and weaknesses and personalize the curriculum accordingly. In addition, teachers engage students by forcing them to articulate their ideas and foster the development of critical thinking and effective communication. This type of learning is of special importance for primary school students and cannot be taught an impersonal computer interface. By comparison, online courses are uniform in design and are structured in a way that only addresses the needs of the ANDERSON continues on page 5

Texas politicians take aim at wrong issues

enate bill 354, which would allow college students with a concealed handgun license to carry on campus, was temporarily holstered on April 7. A lack of support put the bill on hold. Senators pointed out the need for amendments to teaching hospitals, high schools near or on colleges, and schools that have almost no students old enough to get a CHL. David The University of Haydon Houston, University of Texas and Texas A&M University all are figureheads of this debate, although the bill would affect all college campuses. These three colleges are stark and contrasted however, not only in student population, but demographics, culture, location and, of course, opinion. There are, however, a few things to consider.

Non-senior college students are typically under 21 years of age, so they are unable to procure a CHL, and therefore unable to carry. UH is a rare exception because the age of our average student is well over 21. Yet UH has a very large international student population, and such a law won‘t convince them (or any student with a parttime job) to go through the effort of paying the several hundred dollars for the class, fees and a firearm. Typically, international students leave once they graduate. That alone is enough to dissuade them from carrying, as they won’t be able to take their revolvers home with them. Last, but not least, is the female student population, who typically accounts for half of the student body. Gun culture is not a female-dominated one. By all accounts, females are the most targeted demographic for muggings and sexual harassment and would benefit the

most from the law. But even with the rise in females getting CHLs, don’t expect the ditzy sorority girl or the reserved and astute liberal arts major to pack heat if the bill passes. If the bill becomes law, it could possibly help or hurt if a school shooter occurs. But that would require far more students carrying CHLs than there realistically could be expected. Not to mention most colleges and universities have been vocally objecting to the bill in a similar fashion to the “our bodies, our choice” mantra. So the real question is, why are so many Texas politicians pushing for this gun-rights bill when there is equal opposition, and why do they care about our physical safety when our academic and financial well-being is of seemingly no concern to them? The sonogram bill, the voter ID bill and the campus gun rights bill all have one thing in common — they are political agendas. HAYDON continues on page 5

ANDERSON continued from page 4

average student in order to ensure a sufficient pass rate. As a result, the high performers are unchallenged and the low performers face continuing difficulties. As a further detraction, many web-based classes are intended for students who fail in their traditional classes and are intentionally less rigorous. The online classes then become a means by which schools can deceptively boost their graduation rates. This cheapens the value of a high school degree and allows unqualified students to game the education system. Colleges then end up bearing the cost of re-educating these students as they flood into their systems. Even non-remedial classes emphasize rote memorization over deeper understanding. As an example, in one online high school level English class, students were ostensibly learning to evaluate the life and works of Jack London. Yet, according to an article published in The New York Times by Trip Gabriel, the curriculum did not require them to read a single book — it only offered short excerpts of the author’s writings. This fractured approach to teaching that is implemented by online courses favors fleeting attentiveness, and given the prodigious number of children with attention deficit disorders, does little to promote focus and intensive thought. Budget shortfalls are a legitimate concern, but it would ultimately be more cost effective to focus on providing better primary school teachers. This in itself is a daunting problem, and one that does not have an immediate answer. However, the standards of education should not be further eroded while a solution is

Monday, April 11, 2011 ! 5

OPINION

The Daily Cougar

devised. Online courses may have a place in universities, but only if the incoming students have the ability to think independently, attentively and critically. It is far too difficult to learn these skills from a computer screen, and we can’t justify the use of online courses in elementary and high schools. Marc Anderson is a cell biology graduate student and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

HAYDON continued from page 4

They exist for the purpose of legislative legacy. It is unimportant to politicians that the cuts to spending will hurt more than help. It is irrelevant to them that the sonogram bill won’t stop women from choosing, or that there is no illegal immigration voting epidemic that requires voter ID. Most of all, it is of no significance to them that college students won’t have many nice possessions to protect after paying spiked tuition rates. Politicians don’t care because they get to say, “We are the ones who gave students guns. We are the ones who protected unborn children. We are the ones who kept voters safe.” Those sound bites are worth votes. As a student who has obtained a concealed handgun license, I am not specifically against the bill to allow students the right to defend themselves. However, there are other issues that are far more important to tackle, especially with Texas politicians such pushing useless and detrimental bills.

Think you can do better than this? You might be right, but there’s only way to prove it. Join The Daily Cougar staff today. We offer paid positions for reporters, photographers, columnists and editors. For more information, e-mail editor@thedailycougar.com or visit www.uh.edu/sp/jobs

THE DAILY COUGAR

David Haydon is a political science sophomore and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

Because your words matter. Have you been misquoted? 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 1 as needed to amend the record. To report a correction, e-mail editor@thedailycougar.com or call (713) 743-5360.

Rice University School of Architecture is pleased to announce a new summer program: LAUNCH

You heard right.

LAUNCH invites applications from undergraduate students in any institution and discipline who are curious about architectural design, building a portfolio for future professional or academic work, or who simply want to engage the city around them.

Apple iPad — surely the year’s hottest tech toy. More importantly,

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

you’ll be investing in a keepsake you’ll cherish for a lifetime: your

Friday, May 6, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Go to arch.rice.edu. Navigate to Academic Programs and click on the LAUNCH tab.

June 6 - July 1, 2011 | arch.rice.edu

Buy your UH yearbook and you’ll be entered to win a FREE 16gb

college memories encapsulated in the Houstonian Yearbook.

Learn more about the yearbook and our iPad giveaway @

6 ! Monday, April 11, 2011

The Daily Cougar

sports

EDITORS John Brannen, Joshua Siegel E-MAIL sports@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/sports

overtime

JACK WEHMAN/THE DAILY COUGAR

SOFTBALL

UH dominates UTEP

The Cougars slugged their way to a sweep with three runrule victories over UTEP as they continue their climb up the Conference USA standings. Over 16 innings, UH scored 38 runs and outscored the Miners (16-27, 1-11 C-USA) by 33 runs. The team has now won 10 straight, and 12 of its past 13 contests. The Cougars (28-12, 11-4) opened the weekend with a double-header. They won the first game handily 13-3 behind a stellar outing from starter Amanda Crabtree, who went five innings, allowing no runs and striking out 10. Jennifer Klinkert reached base in each of her four plate appearances and scored three runs. Catcher Melissa Gregson powered UH in their 10-2 victory to close Saturday. Gregson went 3-for-3 with two runs and five RBI. Donna Bourgeois earned her 11th win for the Cougars, pitching five solid innings. The Cougars closed the series with an exclamation point, winning 15-0. Brooke Lathan was 3-for-3 with three runs, six RBIs and a walk. For the weekend, Lathan went 6-for-7 and knocked in eight. Amanda Crabtree improved to 15-6 on the season by going five innings and striking out nine. The Cougars recent string of success will be tested when they face No. 17 Baylor (31-7, 5-3 Big 12) for a double-header tomorrow. The first game will begin at 3 p.m. at Cougar Softball Stadium, followed by the second at 5 p.m. — Cougar Sports Services

TENNIS

UH recovers after win streak broken The Cougars’ seven-match win streak was snapped, but they picked up victories in two of three matches. UH (15-7) opened with a 6-1 victory over St. Edward’s, but was foiled by No. 36 SMU 4-1 in the second match of Saturday’s doubleheader. The Cougars rebounded with a 7-0 win over Prairie View A&M on Sunday. Next weekend’s match against Louisville will be the last of the regular season. UH will face the Cardinals at noon April 16 at John E. Hoff Courts. The Cardinals are coming off of a 6-1 loss to No. 19 Tulsa. — Cougar Sports Services

GOLF

Cougars off to slow start UH finds itself in 14th place out of a field of 15 teams after the first day of competition at the Jim West Intercollegiate at Victoria Country Club. Freshman Curtis Reed shot an opening-round 77, the best among Cougars and good enough to earn a share of 42nd place. The Cougars resume play today at 8 a.m. and wrap up the final 18 holes at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. — Cougar Sports Services

The white team that consisted of defensive players had the upper hand over the red team and the offense at Saturday’s annual Red and White game at Robertson Stadium. Football season officially returns to campus in 145 days. | Jack Wehman/The Daily Cougar

FOOTBALL

New faces shine in spring game Most seniors sit out as younger players receive valuable playing experience John Brannen

THE DAILY COUGAR The Cougars know they can beat most teams in a foot race, but one of the most visible flaws in recent seasons has been their lack of size. That criticism could be a thing of the past as the Cougars fielded a larger team on both sides of the ball, and the defense (white team) outscored the offense (red team) 43-34 at the Red and White game Saturday at Robertson Stadium. “I told the guys I was tired of being the tallest guy in the huddle,” head coach Kevin Sumlin said. “We’re trying to get better and really increase the size of our football team as a whole. Not only with weight but height — with that height you get the ability to be a larger football team. But we don’t ever want to ever sacrifice our main advantage, which is speed.” To avoid injuries the majority of the starters were rested, including running backs Bryce Beall and Michael Hayes. This made way for running backs Randall Hollimon and Braxton Welford. Hollimon is a redshirt freshman and Clear Lake product. He was the leading rusher with 62 yards on 19 attempts, and caught five passes for 24 yards. Welford was effective making cuts and picking up yards after contact. He rushed for 40 yards on eight attempts. He also was a receiving threat out of the backfield, catching three passes for 33 yards. Welford is a walk-on and was not listed on the Cougars’ spring roster. The 25-year-old redshirt junior transferred from San Diego Mesa College and was

Darian Lazard (left) and Ronnie Williams (right) hope to convert their success in the spring to playing time in the fall. !"

ineligible during the 2010 season. “He’s been working hard in the program,” Sumlin said. “He’s been lifting and doing all the things we need him to do; he did an excellent job.” Quarterback by committee On offense the Cougars switched between senior Cotton Turner, sophomore David Piland and junior Crawford Jones. Turner was the sharpest, completing 16 of 24 attempts for 162 yards and two touchdown completions to Marcus Williams for 12 yards and Ronnie Williams for 21 yards. Piland made 14 of 20 passes for 127 yards, along with a touchdown to Isaiah Sweeney for 34 yards. Jones connected on 16 of 30 passes for 157 yards, but also received the most duress. He was sacked four times and threw the game’s only interception to cornerback D.J. Jones. Sophomore Drew Hollingshead received minimal playing time, hitting the mark on five of nine passes for 61 yards. He was sacked once. Darian Lazard led all receivers with nine catches for 74 yards. Ronnie Williams had 79 yards on seven receptions. Defense clamps down The secondary ranked toward the bottom of the NCAA in 2010 in passing yards allowed, but a crew of young players and transfers will be out to change that reputation. Sumlin said the defensive line remains the biggest unsolved issue heading into the summer.

“We put our young guys in some situations like we wanted, we got some of the older guys off the field,” Sumlin said. “You can see our new defensive backs Chevy Bennet and D.J. Hayden bring some attitude. Colton Valencia and Kent Brooks are coming along. I like the energy of our defense right now. “We had some personnel changes with the addition of four new defensive backs,” Sumlin said. “Our linebackers are bigger and stronger now and more comfortable in the system. We’ve got to be able to develop a little more depth in the defensive line and we’ll be all right.” Linebacker Phillip Steward kept pressure on the pocket, recording a game high of two sacks. Defensive back Alex Tillman and linebacker Kris Johnston led the defense with eight tackles apiece. On special teams, kicker Matt Hogan showed off his leg strength nailing field goals of 52 and 57 yards, but missed from 42 yards out. Sumlin will now hand his players off to Larry Jackson, the director of sports performance. Per NCAA rules, coaches cannot engage in football-related activities until the fall practices begin in August. While he is concerned about the time away, Sumlin said the Cougars will be in good hands with Jackson. “I’m always worried,” Sumlin said. “I always worry about the development of our guys, we always want to get better. He (Jackson) is going to do a great job with them. “We have to get some of these young kids who come in June up to speed without really overtraining them. We don’t want to push them so much where they don’t have a chance to get acclimated.” The Cougars will open the season in less than five months on Sept. 3 against UCLA at Robertson Stadium. sports@thedailycougar.com

Monday, April 11, 2011 ! 7

SPORTS

The Daily Cougar

BASEBALL

Cougars prevent UAB sweep with late-game heroics Gilbert Requena

THE DAILY COUGAR Maybe someone hid them out in Chappell Hill amongst the bluebonnets, or maybe someone hid them in Hermann Park in between the crowds at the Japan Festival. Wherever they were, the Cougars could not find their bats until Sunday. Through the first two games, the Cougars scored just two runs, but that changed Sunday. The Cougars cranked out eight runs on nine hits and literally squeezed out an 8-7 win against UAB at Cougar Field. With UH (17-17, 4-2 Conference USA) down 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Kyle Bacak struck out swinging for the first out. Landon Appling came up to bat and was hit by a pitch. Jake Runte followed with a single to left, and the leftfielder misplayed the ball allowing Appling to score and tie the game. Runte advanced all the way to third on the error. M.P. Cokinos came to the plate with the go-ahead run standing on third. After getting the signs from the third base coach, the Cougars executed a perfect suicide squeeze. Cokinos laid down the bunt and Runte simultaneously hustled in from third to give UH the lead. “I just wanted to get it down,” Cokinos said. “I went up there, got the sign, saw the pitch and put it down.” The Cougars started by jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. UH increased its lead to 5-0 with

The Cougars battled back to .500 with their comeback victory Sunday over UAB at Cougar Field. In home games the Cougars have accumulated a mark of 10-7. | Aaron Cisneros/The Daily Cougar John Cannon’s two-run homer. By the end of the fifth frame, the Cougars led 6-0. Then it started to head south. UAB (18-13, 6-3) started to get hits off starter Mo Wiley and those hits turned into runs. Wiley gave up four runs on four hits and was pulled from the game after six innings. Lead evaporates Relief pitcher Dakota Dill did not fare better. In one inning of

work, he allowed three runs, giving the Blazers a 7-6 lead. Jordan Mannisto entered the game in the eighth and put an end to the Blazers’ scoring, but the damage was done as the lead switched sides. Despite all the drama and some alterations to the starting lineup, the Cougars remained resilient. “It’s amazing what you can do when you play hard,” head coach Todd Whitting said. “Will can beat skill. We were able to win because

we had more will than they did and it showed all the way through the game. “We shook up the lineup and that added a little energy to our ball club tonight. Those guys that got the opportunities came in and played real hard.” Offense struggles in two losses Saturday’s contest featured another dismal performance from the Cougars’ offense. For the second straight game, UH was limited

to one run and lost 6-1. Starter Jordan Lewis went sixand-one-third innings allowing two runs on one hit while striking out five batters. UAB pitcher Ryan Woolley pitched a complete game and held the Cougars to three hits, with the lone run coming in the ninth inning. The Cougars dropped the series opener 10-1 Friday. UAB scored its 10 runs on 11 hits as opposed to UH’s one run on six hits. Starting pitcher Matt Creel had a rough outing, going four-and-twothirds innings, giving up eight runs on nine hits while striking out two. UAB came out of the gates swinging, scoring two runs in the first inning, including a one-run home run by Patrick Palmeiro — his fourth of the season. The Blazers would not stop the scoring there. They scored six runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth, giving them an insurmountable 10-1 lead. The Cougars’ sole offensive highlight occurred in the third inning when Codey Morehouse connected on a home run to left field. After this weekend’s action, the Cougars are now in a four-way tie for first in C-USA with UAB, Rice (23-13, 6-3) and Southern Miss (23-8, 6-3). UH will be back in action at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday against Sam Houston State at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville. sports@thedailycougar.com

8 ! Monday, April 11, 2011

The Daily Cougar

life+arts showtime

EDITORS Mary Baak E-MAIL arts@thedailycougar.com ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/arts

GLOBAL

Fundraiser definitely not a drag Diverse community gains support, raises funds for GLBT organization Tess Livingston

THE DAILY COUGAR DAVID LIDSKY

FASHION

UH alum participates in Houston Mod On Sunday afternoon, Houston Mod hosted a lecture on architectural highlights of Beaumont, from Art Deco courthouses built in the Great Depression to Howard Barnstone homes. Brian Hoffner, director of Houston Mod, asked UH Class of 2003 graduate Roxana Tamijani to volunteer to make his vision a reality. She found a vintage Jacqueline Kennedy chemise, combed her brunette pageboy into a flip and slipped on white gloves to greet artists over the weekend at the inaugural Houston Mod Market at Winter Street Studios. Followers of postwar and secessionist art poked through the cubicles and crannies of the white warehouse near the Heights. Hidden modern masterworks were showcased with important furniture from the ’50s and ’60s. “My vision is to grow Houston Mod to a 10-day venue, packed with lectures, art openings, pop-up shops and films to bring people in from the suburbs and from out of town,” Hoffner says. “Modern art is designed to make our mind’s eye a happy place.” Tonight there will be a lecture at the Museum of Fine Arts sponsored by Houston Mod on the Preservation of Modern Architecture. Dr. Theodore Prudon will speak about preservation efforts throughout Houston on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum of Fine Arts. The event will be presented by Houston Mod and the MFAH Design Council, with additional support from Preservation Texas, Greater Houston Preservation Alliance (GHPA), Rice Design Alliance and the Association for Preservation Technology International. There will be a public reception following the lecture. — Michelle Leigh Smith

BOX OFFICE

Natalie Portman gives up the green Natalie Portman, the Oscar-winning star of “Black Swan,” and star of “No Strings Attached,” “Your Highness” and “Best Buds,” turns out to be a former pothead, according to Entertainment Weekly. Recently announced, this clean-cut five-star perfomer has admitted to first experimenting with cannabis while attending Harvard University in her twenties. Now nearing her thirties and pregnant, Portman claims she’s too old to continue. Nobody would excpect the star of “Black Swan” to enjoy the drug, but she reflects her guilty pleasure in her comedic performance in “Your Highness” and is sure to again in “Best Buds,” an upcoming comedy about a bride-to-be easing her nerves by venturing on a Mary-Jane filled road trip to San Diego with her two friends. “I love stoner comedies,” Portman told Entertainment Weekly. “I smoked weed in college, but I haven’t smoked in years.” — Marcada Claybon

Free admission, a successful carpool, snacks, an engaging Mistress of Ceremonies and, of course, go-go boys, made up GLOBAL’s 4th annual Drag Show. Ursula Valour, or Nathan Estrada, opened at Meteor as MC, after making appearances in the audience trailing a pair of shirtless boytoys, with caulk and plaster jokes that sent everyone into titters.

“At the beginning I shmooze around with the audience to get them in a good mood and ready for the show,” Valour said. “To prep for all this, I usually start making people laugh as soon early in the day as possible, so I can be on a roll. When MC’ing I like to use a lot of comedy so I have to get ready to be able to roll with the punches, so to speak. And that’s just the MCing part, that doesn’t include when I’m prepping months in advance to build costumes and get songs ready.” After the audience warmed up, the performances began with renditions from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, lip-syncing to songs by Brittany Spears, Pink and Keri Hilson, among others. Lap dances, live singing, sock puppet duos,

segments from Disney’s “Mulan” and the musical “Moulin Rouge” along with intermissions starring undulating go-go boys had every eye on stage. Between acts, Valour disappeared into the sea of bodies to come back in a different outfit each time. “It was interesting and hectic to get into the costumes in time,” Valour said. “Especially since the changing area was way in the back of the audience. But it’s something I try to do to make the show more interesting and add a little humor to keep the audience guessing, ‘What is she going to come out with next?!’” Valour and the other performers like Cody McGaughey, GLOBAL public DRAG continues on page 9

AROUND TOWN

Culture shared in annual city festival Japanese festival gave Houstonians a chance to experience a different culture Julian Jimenez

THE DAILY COUGAR Houstonians had an opportunity to connect with a distant culture as the city hosted the 18th annual Japanese festival Saturday and Sunday at Herman Park. Boasting a diverse array of activities, foods and shows all celebrating Japanese traditions, the festival has been a window into a foreign culture that many residents of the Houston area know little about. In previous years, the festival brought in nearly 20,000 visitors and garnered a number of accolades, including Houston Press’ “Best Festival In Houston” award for 2009. This year, the organizers estimated that the event had its biggest turnout ever, as the two-day festival brought in nearly 25,000 people. The festival is a collaborative effort between four groups: the Japan Business Association of Houston, the Japanese Association of Greater Houston, the Japanese American Citizens League, Houston Chapter, and the Japan-America society of Houston. Gary Nakamura, the president of the Japanese American Citizens League in Houston, said that though his group only became sponsors with the festival in the past five years, he’s felt a strong sense of community with the event and feels that it’s a great opportunity for the city to build up foreign relations. “This festival is a way to spread Japanese culture and let Houstonians know more about other countries,” Nakamura said. “It’s a great way to get to know about Japan, learn new stuff, and build appreciation as part of the outreach.” Daniel H. Watanabe, a US–Japan relations consultant and a past president of both the Japan-America Society of Houston

Houston’s 18th annual Japan Festival took place this weekend and attracted a record-breaking 25,000 patrons. The festival is modeled after Japanese traditions and was organized by several Japanese organizations throughout Houston. | Nine Nguyen/The Daily Cougar and the JACL, agreed that it was a way to promote better relations between the two countries, but also explained that the origins of the event has roots in old Japanese traditions. Villages in Japan usually held festivals celebrating important seasonal events, such as harvest time or the blooming of the cherry blossoms, and the Japanese festival here in Houston follows in that same tradition. “It’s a time for people to all come out. Some festivals had religious basis, but here we wanted to demonstrate the kind

of things that would happen at a typical village festival,” Watanabe said. “It’s a family festival, with all the children’s games. And the turnout so far is overwhelming. We’re getting larger each time with an increase in participants.” “There is a very important US and Japanese relationship. Financial, commercial, trading — we probably have one of the strongest connections of all countries allied with the US. We want to maintain and improve that relationship. Japan is a strong CULTURE continues on page 9

Monday, April 11, 2011 ! 9

LIFE&ARTS

The Daily Cougar

BOX OFFICE

New action movie goes back to basics

playlist »

A playlist saved for a rainy day

ven with a 30 percent chance of rain, it could end up being sunny all day today since Texas weather always has something up its sleeve. For most, a rainy day means incredibly heavy eyelids, a desired movie marathon and about 7 percent motivation to leave the comfort of a warm bed. Why is that a bad thing, you ask? Because only a few can afford this sweet, sweet luxury. If you’re one of those people that can stay in all day, take advantage of it. If not, here are 10 songs about rainy days to listen to while yawning through every class. — Mary Baak

jorge Porras

THE DAILY COUGAR

DRAG continued from page 8

relations officer, put hours into making their looks convincing. “I can only speak for myself, but it was weeks of conceptualizing, shopping at various stores, resale shops and online vendors for the right pieces and accessories,” said McGaughey. “The make-up was beyond my own personal expertise, so I had various people assisting me, as I’m sure many others had as well. Some of the more esoteric aspects of performing in drag, which really bring out the whole evolution were tips shared with me by more experienced drag performers, such as our MC Nathan Estrada (Ursula Valour).” To encourage the performers and donate to HATCH, an organization that helps support young GLBT adults, people asked bartenders to change 20s to ones and bugged their friends for extras to

Saoirse Ronan stars in “Hanna” alongside Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana. The film opened everywhere on Friday. | Focus Features back raw eggs Rocky-style without blinking an eye. Her portrayal of Hanna is flawless — she fulfills her role as a girl who has been cut off from the world her whole life well. Sure, she can kill a man in seconds without blinking an eye, but she alsohas trouble participating in everyday social interactions. It’s exactly what the story described and it’s exactly what Ronan delivered. Eric Bana plays Hanna’s father, Erick, who trains her all her life to be a killing machine and eventually sends her out on a mission to kill a CIA agent named Marissa, played by Cate Blanchett. Though his speaking parts are limited, what parts he does have are definitely on point. In fact, Bana hasn’t kicked this much you-knowwhat since his role in “Munich.”

add to the rainbow assortment of buckets lining the stage. More than once, GLOBAL members had to empty them out to make room for more. “All the funding comes from the performance — people throwing money into our buckets. GLOBAL gets no revenue out of this except for the community,” said McGaughey. “Because the manager of Meteor gave us this venue free of charge, we had a larger budget for food and decorations. “My favorite part of the drag show was the community that was exemplified by so many people coming out,” he said. “Drag shows are a part of our culture; it’s a form of entertainment that exemplifies what makes us stand out from the rest of society: our sexuality and our gender identities. To have so many people of all sexualities, creeds and backgrounds showing up to support us is amazing.” arts@thedailycougar.com

Blanchett is absolutely ruthless as Marissa, and she shows her versatility in this performance as a CIA agent. With a southern bell accent that is only a mask for a persona that is just plain evil, Marissa tracks down Hanna across Europe and takes care of any loose ends. Armed with a silenced pistol, a charming accent and her green shoes, Blanchett’s Marissa is someone the audience will love to hate. Where movies like “Salt” have fallen short in creating a believable female action hero and fight sequences, “Hanna” picks up the pieces and shows that girls can hit just as hard as the boys. This is a great movie, and another great film to start us off for the summer.

Swimming in the Flood Passion Pit

It’s Raining Men Weather Girls

Make it Rain Fat Joe

Rain Madonna

Purple Rain Prince

Banana Pancakes Jack Johnson

Coming Clean Hilary Duff

Singing in the Rain Gene Kelly

The Rain Missy Elliot

When it Rains Paramore

arts@thedailycougar.com

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continued from page 8

Japan is a strong ally and a partner, and we want to maintain a stronger understanding between the two countries,” Watanabe said. A large part of the festival was dedicated to garnering support for Japanese relief efforts as well. Watanabe said that the festival

almost didn’t happen because of the disaster. “Right now, it’s supposed to be a somber time to commemorate the dead,” said Watanabe. “But we had a huge opportunity to help out with the Japan relief. It’s important that we increase our fundraising efforts to help with the large costs of the disaster.” arts@thedailycougar.com

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“Hanna” is a gritty action movie about a girl who has been raised all her life in the German wilderness away from the modern world by her father to be an extremely intelligent and deadly assassin. Once she is in her teens, her father unleashes her unto the world. The story is great — it strips down the spy genre to its very basics, as there are no cool gadgets, spy satellites, fancy cars or exotic women to distract you. Whereas most action movies today are often filled with unrealistic explosions or impractical fight sequences, “Hanna” gives you simple but well-executed action scenes that still manage to keep you on the edge of your seat without having to bring out the wire acrobatics. As opposed to movies like the Bourne Identity trilogy, where there seems to be limitless waves of government agents dispatched to take on the hero, the scale of the opposition in the film seems small, with only two main antagonists and maybe a handful of extra henchmen. This allows time for the characters to really develop, proving that less is more. Saoirse Ronan proves that a woman can be a great action star without having to look like an Angelina Jolie or a Cameron Diaz. Ronan is, for lack of a better word, hardcore because she plays a 17 year-old girl who can take on creepy German hitmen, military guards, and shoots

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NEWS

The Daily Cougar

ALUMNI

Joint scholarship helps south high school grads THE DAILY COUGAR A one-time scholarship will be offered to four UH students and graduates from Texas City or La Marque ISD, sponsored by the UH Alumni Association and BP. The BP Cougar Impact Scholarship, in the amount of $2,500, will begin Fall 2011 and continue until Fall 2014, totaling $10,000. “BP in Texas City is supporting the student that comes from the area in which they operate and wanted to promote higher education in the communities of Texas City and La Marque,” said sales and sponsorship specialist for the University of Houston Alumni Association, Bob Leaumont. This scholarship rewards students for their involvement in their communities. “It is a way of giving educational opportunities to college students entering their senior year in college from those communities,” Leaumont said. “BP Texas City also wanted to partner with The University of Houston and is supportive of the

Tier One status recognition recently awarded to the University. It’s important to remember that this is BP-Texas City giving the scholarships, not BP nationally.” Applicants must be UH juniors and high school graduates from Texas City or La Marque High School. “There is already a scoring rubric in place with scores for GPA, SAT/ACT, leadership experience, etc. that is used to determine top candidates,” said Leaumont. The UHAA scholarship committee will score the applications based on that criteria. “A marketing plan to notify qualified students will be in place to announce the scholarship,” said Leaumont. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is May 15. “An application is being prepared and will be available for those qualified students interested in applying.” BP – Texas City is funding the scholarship for the next four years and hopes to continue it following the 2014 academic year. news@thedailycougar.com

These articles aren’t going to comment on themselves, now are they? www.thedailycougar.com

UH was chosen to lead the Youth Impact Program at a press conference last month. Chosen students from Ryan Middle School, B.C. Elmore Middle School and Hogg Middle school will visit in the summer to learn core subjects and practice sports. | Courtesy Karl Hearne

COMMUNITY

At-risk youths targeted by program Nick Ragan

THE DAILY COUGAR This July, UH will be one of four college campuses from across the country to host the Youth Impact Program, an NFL-sponsored mentorship program targeting at-risk inner-city youths, which teaches mathematics, language arts, football and life skills to inner-city middle school boys. This summer UH, along with Syracuse, Tulane and Stanford, will host the Youth Impact Program for middle school boys from July 5-29. Between 60 and 120 boys will participate at UH, and hundreds more will participate nationwide. “We decided to bring the YIP to UH because of their strong ties with the inner city communities within the city of Houston,” said Marco Impeduglia, YIP director, in an email interview. “UH has established bonding relationships within the local middle schools that we felt would be a valuable asset for our

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Three-time Super Bowl champion and founder of YIP, Riki Ellison, worked with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, to partner with the Houston Independent School District, the Houston Texans and the NFL to bring the program to UH. The program will be run by the department of campus recreation under the leadership of Elwyn C. Lee, Linda Buonanno of Campus Recreation, and Jay Parks of the department of campus recreation. According to Parks, classroom spaces on campus will be used for the academic portions of the program and the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center field will hold the football components. The Campus Recreation and Athletics Department at UH will select four middle school teachers who will recruit approximately 100 inner-city middle school boys who will benefit most from the program.

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Monday, April 11, 2011 ! 11

COMICS & MORE

The Daily Cougar

comics

crossword

LIMBO by Paolo Aninag

ACROSS 1 Hair conditioner 6 Mixes in 10 Saki grain 14 Gallic goodbye 15 Mini-container 16 — — for the money 17 Treasure hunter’s aid 18 “Off the Court” author 19 Spurt 20 Like some friendships 22 Beethoven’s Third 24 Not rosy 25 Dollywood founder 26 Boxed up 30 Expose to danger 32 Stratagem 33 — — time flat 35 World-weariness 40 Trap 42 Most in order 44 Proceeds 45 Pavlov or Turgenev 47 Invited 48 N. Mex. neighbor 50 Cheech, to Chong 52 Hard-to-get cigar 56 Fossil fuel 58 Pep 59 Green liqueur 64 Prefix for dynamic 65 Garage contents 67 I or U 68 Scolds 69 Trouser part 70 Qatar rulers 71 Swing locale 72 Get fresh 73 “Walk Away —”

Must Be Something in the Water by Brandon Alexander

sudoku 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

DOWN 1 Speak hoarsely 2 Teen fave 3 Ricci of fashion 4 Musical chairs goal 5 Alps locale 6 Be of benefit

24 26

30 33

35 42

59 66

Distinguish between 8 Telegraph syllable 9 Drowses off 10 Severity 11 Mukluk wearer 12 Kid who rode Diablo 13 Hawke or Coen 21 Rock bottom 23 Gathered leaves 26 Deck hands 27 Ancient inscription 28 Club, briefly 29 Watch over 31 Theta follower 34 Diamond or Armstrong 36 Robins’ bills 37 Without the ice 38 Farmer’s org. 39 Centurion’s highway

41 For — — (cheap) 43 Machu Picchu people 46 Moves out 49 Sealskin canoes 51 — Cromwell 52 Muscular organ 53 Poet’s adverb 54 Threshold 55 Originated 57 Woodwinds 60 Iditarod terminus 61 Double 62 Attendee’s shout 63 “Anything —?” 66 Ms. Merkel

Previous puzzle solved B E A S T T H UMB B E D A T R I A R UMOR ONO MA I L S A G A P E I T T S O P H A S S E T E S C H EWS B A T T E R Y S T E E L E MOC H A P O L E S T OR R E N T S N I L ME L E E OU T COMB U S T S C HO I R B L O T S GRO T T O S P R A I N S L O A T H E D L E A S T C I T Y A D S Z E RO S O Z ON E T A P E T H E L N A V E S E L S S CON E S P A C E

CAN WE SAVE SHOW YOUR U of H STUDENT ID THE WORLD? & GET 10% OFF YOUR MEAL! Check out The Daily Cougar Green Guide, coming April 20

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12 ! Monday, April 11, 2011

LIFE&ARTS

The Daily Cougar

HONORS COLLEGE

Weekend performance of Greek tragedy is a breath of fresh air Maria Toscano

THE DAILY COUGAR This weekend The Honors College held their production of “Agamemnon” in the Wortham Theatre as part of Dionysia 2011. Directed by John Harvey and Jennifer Sommers, it is a refreshing take on the ancient Greek tragedy, which is the first in the Oresteia trilogy.

The play opens with the haunting trill of a piano, lingering long enough to leave the audience in a state of tension. As the chorus enters the audience finds that the ancestral elders that would traditionally have made up the chorus are now revamped into ambiguous figures clothed in simple crew-necks with striking designs in various colors. The designs, put together by

Ashley Hope, are ancient Greek symbols that signify important qualities of each member. Each chorus member colors the stage as much with their own unique persona as with the bright colors of their outfits. The chorus sets the scene of the play with grave pathos, aided by a mysterious watchman, Jonathan Sanford. We are next introduced to two women, Kylie Peiper and

Ashley Vilardi, clad in red gossamer gowns. Revealed to be Klytaimestra’s shadows, the two hover in and out throughout the play. The enigmatic blend of ancient and modern characters is a compelling and thought-provoking component of the play. Many who were new to the works of Aeschylus were also surprised by the startlingly intense and violent

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nature of the drama. “Agamemnon” is a story of murder, vengeance and cannibalism. It is a story of a house cursed by evil deeds and descendents that fall victim to the fate of their ancestors. Director John Harvey made the choice to preserve the gritty realism of the work in a translation he put together from various sources as well as with the help of the UH Latin Department. “I don’t like audiences to feel safe,” Harvey said. He reasons that the work is intended to disturb and offend, and his desire is to stay true to that purpose. Harvey says more specifically that he wants to reveal “something of the human becoming bestial.” To that end, Klytaimestra (Misha Penton), and Kasandra (Brandy Robichau Holmes) play a vital role. The dynamic performance of the two women gives the audience a sense of the savagely emotional. Kasandra’s fearful prophetic visions and Klytaimestra’s eccentrically lyrical monologues that build up to a piercing wail in the final scene allow the audience a glimpse into the extremes of the human psyche. Additionally, Klytaimestra’s hysterics play an interesting contrast to Agamemnon’s (Mark Carrier) calm and stoic demeanor and Aigisthus’ (Tyson Woolman) dark revelry. This is a story with many layers and a play textured with a fascinating array of characters. Its modern elements give it a stylist edge that is a delight to watch. And for any who may have missed the experience, Agamemnon will be performed once more for free at 8:00 p.m. this evening in Kohn’s Bar in midtown. arts@thedailycougar.com