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Aggies trounce Cougars in last meet before C-USA championship

The Ton Tons rock Fitzgerald’s before tour

February 7, 2012 Issue 70, Volume 77

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

Town hall topics to include dining, on-campus housing A University of Houston town hall meeting will be held to discuss the upcoming campus renovations and add-ons from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Fresh Food Company dining hall inside Moody Towers. Executive Director of Auxiliary Services Esmeralda Valdez will be presenting future renovations on the UC, the new cafeteria, dubbed the West Dining Hall, and culinary additions to the first floor of the new parking garage. Don Yackley, executive director of the Residential Life and Housing department will be discussing the increase in meal plan prices. Also to be discussed at the meeting will be the five percent student-housing fee increase; the new roommate matching process; Cougar Village 2, which will be complete by June 2013 and have 1,144 beds; and the new sophomore housing where Cougar Place used to be. “The Town Hall meeting is a great way for students and faculty to be aware of the changes and improvements going on around them.” Billy Garner said. The topics of this meeting will be discussed again from 12 to 1 p.m. Wednesday in the E.E. Oberholtzer Residence Hall. — Kimberly O’Neal

WORKSHOP

Webinar to help students learn research, citation skills The Office of Undergraduate Discovery Programs will host a research skills workshop for science, engineering and computing from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday. The class will be a “webinar” hosted by UH librarians and will teach students how to properly cite in papers, as well as show them several places to find proper sources. Students must RSVP 48 hours in advance and can register to watch online at uh.edu/ discovery/ediscovery. The webinar is a part of the Discover Workshop Series, which will put on weekly workshops covering different aspects of research and writing. — Cougar News Services

CORRECTIONS Report errors to editor@ thedailycougar.com. Corrections will appear on the front page as needed.

Mohammed Haider started “Mo-Jo Sports Radio Show” with his co-host, Josue Garcia, in order to give students a sports radio news source that focuses primarily on UH athletics. Students can tune in at 9 to 11 a.m. every Friday at coogradio.com to listen to the show | Robert Z. Easley/The Daily Cougar

Get your Cougar fix

Student duo host only campus sports radio show, bring attention to UH athletics through new niche We never had any DJs ... sports talk show,” Haider said. John Loner Haider said he overheard students that expressed any interest THE DAILY COUGAR conversing about Coog Radio, and later that in doing a sports show, day learned he shared a class with Sofia Since the beginning of the semester, Straus, Coog Radio’s operations director. a lot of people were just into music. students can tune in to Coog Radio’s “Mo-Jo Haider and Garcia decided to start their People don’t equate college radio with Sports Radio Show” for talk radio focused own Coog Radio, which they named “Mo-Jo on the Cougars. Sports Radio Show.” sports.” The show airs from 9 to 11 a.m. Fridays at coogradio.com and is hosted by broadcast journalism senior Mohammed Haider and media productions senior Josue Garcia. “With a university this big, I was surprised to find that no one had started a

“We never had any DJs ... that expressed any interest in doing a sports show, a lot of people were just into music,” Garcia said. “We need that; it’s going to bring another aspect to UH radio.” When people think college radio, they

Josue Garcia, on Mo-Jo’s start think obscure music, spoken word and poetry, Garcia said. RADIO continues on page 3

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

TFN comes to UH, works with LGBT group Annette Santos

THE DAILY COUGAR A new advocacy group for social awareness now resides on campus; the Texas Freedom Network is a progressive organization in pursuit of religious freedom, defending civil liberties and strengthening public schools. “There’s a big difference

between politics and issue-based advocacy,” said James Lee, president of the TFN chapter at UH. “We definitely feel the need to bring up different issues that our representatives in Congress or our Senators can’t because they are limited to different political agendas.” The organization has teamed up with the LGBT Advocates, a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender

organization on campus to educate students on a number of progressive issues, such as sex education and LGBT equality — two of their main concerns. Yesenia Chavez, new president of LGBT Advocates and active member of TFN, said UH is a great place for advocacy because of its diversity. “This is something we should be focusing on our campus because it is so diverse,” she said.

“A lot of people on campus aren’t really politically motivated; they’re just apathetic towards politics. (It is) a really sad fact that the youth are not involved in politics as they should be.” In an effort to bring more activism to UH, the two organizations will be co-hosting a Valentine’s Day event called “Kiss In.” Their goal is TFN continues on page 3

NEWS

2 ! Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Daily Cougar

CRIME LOG

Have information on these or other incidents of crime on campus? Call 713-743-0600

The following is a partial report of campus crime between Jan. 31 and Thursday. All information is selected from the files of the UH Police Department. The information in bold indicates when the event was reported to UHPD and the event’s location. Information or questions regarding the cases below should be directed to UHPD at (713) 743-0600. Criminal Mischief: 11:26 a.m. Jan. 31, Lot 16B — A student reported that someone damaged her unattended vehicle after a parking space dispute in Lot 16B. There are no suspects. The incident occurred between 11:21 and 11:31 a.m. Jan.31.The case is active. Traffic Offense: 2:30 p.m. Jan. 31, Lot 20A — A student reported a traffic accident with another vehicle. The other driver left the scene without providing the required information. The incident occurred between 12:30 and 12:36 p.m. Jan. 31. The case is active. Criminal Mischief: 8:51 p.m. Jan. 31, Lot 1B — A student reported that someone intentionally damaged her vehicle while it was parked in Lot 1B. The incident occurred between 7:05 and 8:51 p.m. Jan. 31. The case is active. Criminal Mischief: 8:10 a.m. Wednesday, Lot 11A — A student reported that someone damaged the door handle of her unattended and secured vehicle while it was parked in Lot 11A. There are no suspects. The incident occurred between 8:00 a.m. and 5:25 p.m. Jan. 31. The case is active Burglary of a Motor Vehicle: 2:26 p.m. Wednesday, Lot 16I — UHDPS police officers were notified of a vehicle in Lot 16I with a broken window. An investigation revealed that the vehicle and one other in 16I had been burglarized. There are no suspects. The incident occurred between 1:45 and 2:26 p.m. Feb. 1. The case is active.

r ... Valentine’s Day is a time fo

Words

Traffic Offense: 4:25 p.m. Wednesday, Lot 11A — A student

from the

heart

FEATURE PRINTS: TUESDAY, Feb. 14

Credit or Debit Card Abuse: 6:23 p.m. Wednesday — A student reported that someone used her missing student ID to make several unauthorized charges without her permission. The incident occurred between Jan. 28 and Jan. 30. The case is active Theft: 11:55 a.m. Thursday, University Center Satellite — A student reported that someone removed her purse and its contents from the dining area of the UC Satellite. There are no suspects. The incident occurred between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. Jan. 30. The case is inactive Theft: 3:08 p.m. Thursday, Technology 2 — A student reported that someone stole his unattended and unsecured cellular phone while he was doing computer lab work. There are no suspects. The incident occurred between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. Jan. 30. The case is inactive. Theft: 10:00 p.m. Thursday, Campus Recreation and Wellness Center — A student reported that someone stole unattended and unsecured personal items from a bench in the CRWC locker room. There are no suspects. The incident occurred between 5:30 and 9:00 p.m. Thursday. The case is active. For the complete report and to view past reports, go to thedailycougar.com/crime

A Va Valentine le enti e entine nti e treat for only

DEADLINE: Noon, FRIDAY, Feb. 10

reported that someone damaged his vehicle while it was parked in Lot 11A. There are no suspects. The incident occurred between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. Feb. 1. The case is active.

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ABOUT THE COUGAR The Daily Cougar is published Monday through Thursday during the fall and spring semesters, and Wednesdays during the summer, at the University of Houston Printing Plant and online at http://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 Send 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.

NEWS

The Daily Cougar

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 ! 3

LECTURE

Michigan history professor gives lecture on Africa, uranium Audris Ponce

THE DAILY COUGAR African uranium mines have carried a significant political impact on international affairs since the Cold War and, more recently, in the Iraq War. Gabrielle Hecht, a University of Michigan Ann Arbor history professor, asked during her lecture on Thursday at the Rockwell Pavilion, “What explains the power of this phrase: Uranium from Africa?” Hecht discusses this question in her

TFN continued from page 1

to rally 214 people at Butler Plaza, in front of M. D. Anderson Memorial Library, between 12:30 to1 p.m., to commemorate a march held last year in support of LGBT faculty and staff. This year, they’ve made things a little sweeter. “We’re bringing attention to the fact that our LGBT faculty and staff aren’t treated equally to their heterosexual counterparts,” Lee said. “We’re getting all these students from different organizations and different parts of campus to come, show up on Butler Plaza and at a specific time everyone is just going to kiss. It’s going to be this big thing just to show support.” Kissing is not mandatory nor will it be the only way students can

book “Being Nuclear: Africans and the Global Uranium Trade,” which will be released at the end of the month. During the Cold War, Africa supplied 20 to 50 percent of the western world’s uranium, Hecht said. George W. Bush thrust African uranium mines into worldwide attention with his 2003 State of the Union speech, in which he told the public that “the British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.” Since Bush’s speech, uranium from

participate. There will be signs in shape of hearts and lips that read, “I support my LGBT faculty because...” and students will be able to fill in the blanks. “The students who come to the event can fill out these posters and make it something that they really believe in or that they really feel passionate about,” Lee said. “We’re also going to be passing out condoms because (sex education) is one of the things we do as a student chapter. We make sure people have a means to get contraceptives.” TFN also plans to host a music festival later in the year and will continue to be an available source for students who want to become more politically involved or reach out to the community. And although Chavez encourages people to become more involved, she says education is the ultimate goal.

RECREPORT

DEPARTMENT OF CAMPUS RECREATION SPOTLIGHT

he semester started strong for Intramural Sports, with a good start to basketball. There were some great matchups last week as we shot off the semester. Elite Supreme took a close win against the Total Package with a final score of 43-41. There was also a close game between two Greek teams who show up strong every year. Kappa Sigma came out with win over Triangle by only one point, 43-42. A lot of returning teams started strong, while some were surprised to see their new competition. Intramural Sports has some great tournaments and league sports coming up. This Thursday, February 9th is the X-Box Madden Tournament. The top two from the tournament will get to represent the University of Houston at the Region 12 Tournament at Texas State University. There is also a Bench Press Competition on March 1st; are you tough enough? But, the one tournament that everyone enjoys in their spring semester is Dodgeball. Grab your team and sign up by March 19th. If you want Dodgeball victory, well then come get it. If you can dodge campus traffic, you can dodge a ball.

The Rec Report is a paid advertising section for the Department of Campus Recreation.

African mines has become a constant source of speculation and discussion. “Africa remains the dark continent. We need new histories for Africa,” Hecht said. “That’s what this book tries to do.” The low ventilation within the mines caused health problems for the miners from Niger, Gabon and Namibia, who are portrayed in Hecht’s book. “The miners got more exposure of radon,” Hecht said. “Exposure became overexposure.” Radon is a decay product of uranium and can stick to dust particles that, if

QUICK FACTS

UH’s Texas Freedom Network at a glance: UH TFN meets Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the UC San Jacinto room 270 ! UH TFN has been an organization on campus since August 2011 ! James Lee, the previous president of LGBT Advocates, is the current president of UH TFN !

Source: Texas Freedom Network UH Facebook page

“The more people that are involved in this, the more we’ll be able to do,” Chavez said. “The most important part of this organization is to get information to students so that they can get mobilize on their own if they wish to do so.” news@thedailycougar.com

inhaled, increases the risk for lung cancer. Mine workers are also specifically told to ignore safety standards, Hecht said. Hecht says his book is not as much about the plight of African uranium miners as it is an effort to show readers how to go about the parameters of political debate. “I think it’s important for people to understand global discussions — in this case nuclear industry — and to also know the stories of faraway places,” Hecht said. news@thedailycougar.com

RADIO continued from page 1

“People don’t equate college radio with sports just because sports is a very mainstream thing,” said Garcia. It is important for UH to have a radio show giving students Cougar-focused content, something that other Houston sports radio shows don’t offer, Haider said, especially considering the University’s imminent move to the Big East in July of 2013. The Mo-Jo Sports Show focuses on UH athletics, but it also covers major league sports and other related topics. “We love to talk sports, but we also like to (add some) humor to our show,” Haider said. To get the word out about the

Mo-Jo Sports Show, Haider has reached out to local radio station hosts Matt Thomas and Dylan “Mighty” Gwinn of Sports Talk 790 and is using Facebook and Twitter. Haider, who hasn’t worked in radio before, has found co-hosting Mo-Jo to be a great experience and hopes it will get his “foot in the door,” he said. The pair have already begun generating content for the show. “We plan on having a special guest come in the studio with us, and we are getting ready for the draft at the moment,” Haider said. The Mo-Jo Sports Show has no plans for expanding their time slot and will stay on Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. through the spring semester. news@thedailycougar.com

4 ! Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Daily Cougar

OPINION THE DAILY COUGAR

EDITOR David Haydon E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/opinion

KOMEN FLIPS by David Delgado

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

Daniel Renfrow Mary Baak Taylor McGilvray, Joshua Mann Joshua Siegel Jose Aguilar David Haydon

STAFF EDITORIAL

Racist campaign ad is brazenly inappropriate

s they passed around potato chips during commercial breaks this Sunday, Michigan fans of the Superbowl were subjected to a brazenly ethnocentric and inappropriate campaign ad — an ad so inappropriate it makes MIA’s halftime finger slip look like the Sign of the Cross. The ad, in support of US Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), has his opponent, US Senator Debbie Stavenow (D-MI), and several Asian-American groups crying foul. The ad begins with the sound of a Chinese gong and video of an Asian woman riding her bicycle through rice paddies. The traditional Chinese music clues the viewer into the fact that the woman they are looking at is not in America, but is instead in some frightening foreign country — possibly China, but the viewer won’t know if this is correct until further into the commercial when Hoekstra speaks. The Asian woman continues her biking towards the viewer before stopping abruptly in front of the camera. The racism of the ad loses its subtlety as soon as the woman opens her mouth to speak. “Debbie spend so much American money you borrow more and more from us,” says the American actor in carefully-chosen broken English. “Your economy get very weak. Ours get very good. We take your jobs. Thank you, Debbie spend-it-now.” The racism of this ad harkens back to the ethnocentric media landscape of the early to mid 20th century. It conjures images of Mickey Rooney’s Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and racist ads of the 1950s. Hoekstra should apologize to Asian-Americans for the insensitivity of his commercial. Instead of stoking xenophobic fears, Hoekstra should focus on the real issues. He should see if he can make an honest win against Stavenow, a win not obtained through the use of a blatantly racist commercial.

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 to (713) 743-5384. Letters are subject to editing. ADVERTISEMENTS Advertisements 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.

For the cure

Komen foundation walked into PR disaster by playing politics

n the course of a week, one of the most powerful and well-respected cancer foundations in the world has managed to nearly destroy their nearpristine image. Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced on Tuesday that they Emily would cease providing Brooks grants to Planned Parenthood for cancer screening services. The outrage flared almost instantly. Many Komen donors threatened to redirect their support to Planned Parenthood, and Komen’s website was hacked the following night. By Thursday, three high-level Komen employees had resigned, and 26 senators had asked Komen to reconsider their decision. They did by Friday, but the damage had already been done. The once nigh-untouchable organization is now the subject of Facebook pages like “Defund the Komen Foundation” and affiliates all over the country are losing donors and sponsorships. Komen Founder Nancy Brinker — sister of late Susan G. Komen, who died of breast cancer in 1980 — announced that the foundation has gone into PR red alert and will ask Ari Fleischer, former Bush administration White House press secretary and previous Komen consultant, to manage the PR crisis. Why did Komen de-funding Planned Parenthood make people so angry? The Komen grants provided to Planned Parenthood were used to provide cancer screenings and mammogram referrals to women who otherwise would not have access to such preventative care. Komen pulled their grants due to political pressure at the expense of women’s health — the very thing they were supposed to stand for. Brinker is Republican and donates to Republican candidates, but the

Komen Foundation has remained apolitical, at least until recently. Last year, the foundation appointed far-right leaning, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Karen Handel to the position of senior vice president of public policy. Handel has publicly voiced her opposition to Planned Parenthood. Many Komen employees claim that she made the decision to cease the grants to Planned Parenthood, and that Fleischer was heavily involved as well. The Komen foundation claims that the decision to de-fund Planned Parenthood was made because of a new rule created by Handel that would prohibit them from supporting an organization under investigation. Never mind that Komen is still funding multiple other organizations also under investigation or that the investigation into Planned Parenthood is motivated entirely by politics. The Hyde Amendment — a rider routinely attached to annual appropriation bills since 1976 — prevents Planned Parenthood from using federal funds for abortion services. Every few years, a Senator decides to inspect Planned Parenthood’s books and make sure that the funds are being used accordingly. So far, none of these investigations have produced anything suspicious, and neither has Florida Rep. Cliff Stearns’ current investigation. Planned Parenthood provides abortion services, which many people do not agree with, but abortions account for only three percent of the services that Planned Parenthood offers. The rest is preventative care, contraception and OB/GYN care. The grants that they receive allow them to provide subsidized care to women who otherwise would not have access to health care. The Komen grants were used to provide breast cancer screenings and mammogram

The Komen grants provided to Planned Parenthood were used to provide cancer screenings and mammogram referrals to women who otherwise would not have access to such preventative care. Komen pulled their grants due to political pressure at the expense of women’s health — the very thing they were supposed to stand for.” referrals. When Komen pulled their funding from Planned Parenthood they showed the world they had become, in effect, a political organization. Pandora’s box has been opened, and now many other instances of the foundation’s unsavory behavior are coming to light. For example, Komen officials have been seeking legal action against other charity organizations for using the phrase “for the cure” as well as the color pink — as if cancer awareness is a profitable brand identity to be protected. In one week, Komen has fallen in the public eye from a model charitable foundation to the evil empire of nonprofits. Planned Parenthood, on the other hand, has garnered an outcry of public support and over $3 million in donations. The country stood up for women’s health, but the victory feels somewhat hollow. We won a battle last week, but we lost the soul of a great force for women’s health to politics. Emily brooks is an economics senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 ! 5

The Daily Cougar

EDITOR Joshua Siegel E-MAIL sports@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/sports

SWIMMING & DIVING

Diving in head first

Hillis

Kim Eason took first in the 200 free and second in the 100 free and 100 fly. Beccy Hillis took second in the 200 breast and third in the 100 breast.

HIGHLIGHTS

Channler Hill

THE DAILY COUGAR

LONNEGREN continues on page 8

Swimmers make their mark

Lonnegren is quickly becoming UH’s best

Earning her second-straight Conference USA Diver of the Week award, junior Julia Lonnegren is building an impressive resume at UH. Born in the cold of Lund, Sweden and diving in the heat of Houston, Lonnegren has been named the C-USA’s top diver five times this season. Lonnegren dove for first place in both the one! " Lonnegren meter (299.8) and platform dives (252.15) in UH’s Jan. 28 meet against LSU, Rice and Tulane, and placed second in the three-meter (312.6). She has also prevailed to be the eighth Cougar diver in the past nine years to be awarded C-USA Freshman Diver of the Year. Before upcoming meets, Lonnegren tries to get the most out of practice to help mentally prepare her. “I trust my body when I’m in the water and try to stay focused, I try and stay calm and relax,” she said. Lonnegren has big goals and the head diving coach, Jane Figueiredo, is also a big help in getting Lonnegren going. “I want to be an All-American (diver). That would be my ultimate achievement,” Lonnegren said. “Every day she comes with a ton of indescribable energy.” Figueiredo was among reasons why Lonnegren came to the US and why she chose UH. Raised on her family’s farm in Furulund, Sweden, Lonnegren likes the example she is setting for her four younger sisters. “I try to do the best I can as a student athlete,” she said. “I try to focus and eat healthy, especially when a meet is coming up.” Lonnegren uses her awards and accomplishments from the past 12 years of diving as the momentum for her bright future ahead. She is undecided on her focus within the Bauer College of Business, but she is leaning towards a

Eason

The Cougars followed strong wins over Conference USA foes Tulane and Rice with a 186-103 loss to No. 6 Texas A&M. Despite the loss, UH had impressive individual performances from Kim Eason and Beccy Hillis. | Brianna Leigh Morrison/The Daily Cougar

200 free Kim Eason .................................1:50.14 (1st) 100 breast Beccy Hillis .............................. 1:05.56 (3rd) 100 free Kim Eason .................................. 51.34 (2nd) 200 back Kimmy Ballo ........................... 2:07.64 (2nd) 200 breast Beccy Hillis ............................. 2:22.12 (2nd) 500 free Lizzy Justice ............................ 5:13.59 (2nd) 100 fly Kim Eason .................................. 57.74 (2nd)

UH can’t keep up with Aggies Travis Gumphrey

THE DAILY COUGAR In their final tuneup before the Conference USA Championship, the Cougars fell 183-106 to Texas A&M on Friday at the CRWC. Reigning C-USA Diver of the Week, junior Julia Lonnegren, had a solid performance taking third in the 1M (318.08) and fourth in the 3M (331.28).

Posting season-best marks, freshman Natasha Burgess took fourth in the 1M (314.93) and second in the 3M (339.08). The Cougar divers will most likely compete against the Aggies again in the NCAA championships later this year. “That was a great squad for us to compete against,” Jane Figueiredo, head diving coach, said. “We did well today, Natasha turned in a huge performance and it’s good to

see that performance at this time of year from a freshman.” Senior Kim Eeson had a strong performance on Senior Day, placing in multiple events. Eeson took first in the 200 free (1:50.14), second in the 100 free (51.34), and second in the 100 fly (57.74). Her times in the 200 free and 100 fly were season-bests. Seniors Beccy Hillis and Natalie Newcomb finished second and third, respectively, in the 200 breast

with Hillis at 2:22.12 and Newcomb at 2:27.83. Newcomb’s time was her best of the season in the 200 breast. Despite the loss on Senior Day, the Cougars had encouraging performances against the No. 6 Aggies from the departing seniors, as well as the Cougars’ future leaders. UH will next host the C-USA Championships from Feb. 15-18. sports@thedailycougar.com

TENNIS

Clean sweep UH knocks out McNeese St. 7-0 for first spring win Albert Torres

THE DAILY COUGAR The Cougars had to bring their match indoors due to Friday’s downpour, but managed to steam roll McNeese State in a 7-0 contest earning their first win of the spring season. “I’m very pleased with the win today,” Head Coach John Severance said. “We were the more disciplined team and that’s how we have to play from here on out. “Everyone had great attention spans and were very focused today.” Senior Giorgia Pozzan and freshman Liselot Koenen continued their winning ways with Pozzan taking her match 6-1, 6-0 and Koenen winning 6-0, 6-3 to both stay undefeated this spring at 3-0.

“We didn’t commit the mistakes that we have in the past,” Severance said. “We have to continue to play this way against out tougher opponents.” In doubles play, where Severance wanted see improvement, UH swept the Cowgirls, winning all three matches with senior Laura Ring playing her first match since the 2009-10 season. One player that Severance spoke highly of in the fall was freshmen Charlotte Phillips of Nottinghamshire, England. Phillips picked up her first win of the spring against the Cowgirls (6-2, 6-2). “Charlotte has a lot of talent and potential, and if she keeps improving she’ll be winning weekly,” Severance said. Phillips decision to come to UH was an easy one. TENNIS continues on page 8

Freshman Charlotte Phillips earned her first victory of the spring out of the No. 4 spot, defeating Andrea Nenu from McNeese (6-2, 6-2). | Catherine Lara/The Daily Cougar

6 ■ Tuesday, February 7, 2012

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012 ! 7

The Daily Cougar

EDITOR Jose Aguilar E-MAIL arts@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/arts

CONCERTS

WEEK IN PREVIEW TODAY

UH alum talks about walking the stars Bernard A. Harris Jr., UH Class of ‘78, will be the guest speaker for UH’s Urban Experience Program Mentorship Series from 6 to 8 p.m. today inside the World Affairs Lounge of the University Center. Harris was the first African-American to walk in space and is the author of “Dream Walker.” The series is presented by EPM in partnership with Cup and Chaucer, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Nicoletti, the Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists and The Urbanite. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the community. For more information or to RSVP, call (713) 743-6032 or e-mail uep@mail.uh.edu. —Cougar Arts Staff

More on Spain The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture presents “Work in Progress of Martinez LapeñaTorres Architects,” a lecture from Barcelona architect Elias Torres. The lecture takes place from 6 to 7 p.m. today in room 150 of the college. For more information, visit www.arch.uh.edu. —Cougar Arts Staff

THURSDAY

Let’s talk about progressivism The Honors College and Phronesis Program present the latest installment in the “Conservatism and Progressivism in America Lecture Series.” William Galston of the Brookings Institution presents a lecture which asks the question, “Does American Progressivism Have a Future?” The lecture is free and open to the public and takes places from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Honors College Commons 212D inside the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library. For more information or to RSVP, visit TheHonorsCollege.com/conservatismandprogressivism. —Cougar Arts Staff

FRIDAY

Blaffer exhibit relocates for renovation An internationally-recognized clinician and investigator in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development, Dr. Peter J. Hotez, will speak on “Innovataion in the Control of the Neglected Tropical Diseases.” In 2006, while at the Clinton Global Initiative, Hotez helped found the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases. The lecture will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday in PGH room 232. —Cougar Arts Staff

ONGOING

Blaffer exhibit relocates for renovation With the Blaffer Art Museum in the beginning stages of a grand renovation, its first exhibit of the Spring 2012 semester was relocated to a space downtown. The Nathan Carter exhibit, “Always Vocal on the Interboro Crosstown Local,” is a project of Blaffer’s “Window into Houston,” which seeks to highlight Houston’s artistic landscape. The project is being housed in a space owned by Jim Petersen Jr. at 110 Milam. The project is a fictional cityscape that the press release says, “seeks to capture the essence of the contemporary city, version 2012.” The Dallas-born artist currently resides in New York City. Carter’s works will be on exhibit through April 20. For more information, visit www.class. uh.edu/blaffer/window_nathan_carter.html. —Cougar Arts Staff

Touring behind a ton of gold Band hopes to bring the sound of Houston to the masses on current tour Zoe Quesada

THE DAILY COUGAR Coming out on stage with giant confetti balloons bouncing everywhere to a rambunctious crowd at Fitzgerald’s, Asli Omar, lead singer of local band The Ton Tons, told the audience exactly what she wanted: Everyone get down and dance to the band’s “baby-making music.” Friday, local indie-blues band The Ton Tons celebrated the first night of their West Coast tour to promote their October release “Golden. The EP.” It is an autobiographical record inspired by a familiar theme of love and loss. “For two years I was going through a relationship that was extremely consuming. It was a very intense relationship,” Omar said. “It honestly catalogues for me the stage (from when) we were very happy all the way (to) our break up. It’s just five songs based off of two years. I wish it was something more complex and deep, but that’s it.” The band wrote the album while Omar was studying art in New York. On one end of the country, Omar focused on the lyrics while bassist Tom Nguyen, guitarist Adam Martinez and drummer Justin Martinez wrote the music back home. “The (album) was two years of us going back and forth — they would write one thing and I would come home and work with them on another thing,” Omar said. “It was very time-consuming, but it’s five different songs that show how much we have grown since 2009.” Over the next few months the band plans on touring the West Coast and the Midwest before coming back home to

Local indie-blues band The Ton Tons rocked the audience at Fitzgerald’s on Friday before embarking on a West Coast tour. Singer Asli Omar, above, and band mates Tom Nguyen, Adam Martinez and Justin Martinez are touring behind “Golden, The EP.” | Zoe Quezada/The Daily Cougar play festivals such as South by Southwest and 35 Denton. As a band, they are happy to be touring and to be a part of the growing Houston music scene. “There’s so many amazing things happening and I think for the first time people are turning to Houston and looking at it like something cultured and willing,” Omar said. “It’s exciting to be a part of this generation of artists and to experience it and reap the benefits because it’s really been a slow process.” The Ton Tons hope to inspire people

with their latest release and encourage local artists to get out there and perform. “If you have a vision and you have an idea, there’s a way to achieve it, especially through music,” Omar said. “There are people doing amazing things with music and there (are) so many amazing musicians. “Houston needs more musicians, more artists, more writers. We need to be a force to be reckoned with.” arts@thedailycougar.com

COMMENTARY

Coog succumbs to pounds of infamy In a four-part series, a reporter chronicles her ‘Freshman 15’ struggle At the time I graduated high school in 2009, I was much thinner than I had been during previous high school years. I was excited to start college, but the “Freshman 15” were already haunting me. Extra weight had Darlene been a problem for me Campos throughout high school, but I was determined to stay healthy in college. With a gym membership and sack lunches from home, I managed to remain at a steady weight for my entire freshman year at UH. But then classes started to overwhelm me when I enrolled in summer courses to jump-start my sophomore year. In order to focus on my studies, I quit going to the gym. That’s when the infamous ‘Freshman 15’ finally got a hold of me. My summer courses were fast-paced

and left me little to no time to exercise at all. With so much homework due by the next morning, my only food options were Wendy’s or Dairy Queen, since I couldn’t prepare my own meals and write an essay at the same time. I ended the summer of 2010 nine credit hours ahead, a 3.7 GPA, but also with a larger waistline. In only one year, I gained 30 pounds and two sizes. When my sophomore year began, I found myself wheezing after going up a few steps for a class and my feet aching after walking around campus. I visited the Health Center and weighed in at 156 pounds, which is technically obese for a 5-foot-tall woman. I knew something had to be done. During my sophomore year at UH, I was enrolled in an introductory genetics class with professor Dan Wells and had to make a mini-documentary on a genetic condition as part of my grade. I chose to study the “thrifty gene”, a gene found in Native American and Hispanic populations that causes the body to store extra fat. Since Native Americans went through periods of starvation in the days of

hunting and gathering, extra fat was necessary to survive. Nowadays, the extra fat produces diabetes and other health issues because the thrifty gene is still present. As I completed my project, I interviewed multiple people with weight issues/diabetes. When I heard of their experiences, I officially decided I was going to lose weight right away. At the end of the Fall 2010 semester, I kicked off my winter vacation by joining a 24 Hour Fitness club near my home. My first workouts were hard and I felt like giving up after a few days. Whenever I wanted to quit, I thought of my project in Wells’ class and gathered the energy to keep going. The New Year showed up soon after that, and though I had dropped six pounds, there was still a long way to go. arts@thedailycougar.com

COMING UP

A look at Campos’ long-term weight loss process after her freshman year.

SPORTS

8 ! Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Daily Cougar

TRACK & FIELD

Bringing out the best Cougars set records in six events against nation’s top schools

championship division finals with a time of 8.28. Darrel Hill placed eighth, achieving a personal best with a mark of 17.62m in the men’s shot put championship division. Teammates Jacob Schultz and John Fortune finished 10th and 16th, respectively, in the same category. Senior Tai’Shea Reese claimed fifth place with a 6.20m mark in the women’s long jump championship division. Sprinter Errol Nolan placed fourth in the men’s 200m championship division after finishing second in the preliminary round. Burrell said that Nolan ran in a very competitive preliminary race and might have overscheduled him. “He showed signs of fatigue in the final,” Burrell said. “I would of liked to see him a little bit fresher. “The 60m took a lot out of him. But it was good for him since he is going to be one of

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The Cougars had a record-setting weekend at the New Balance Invitational in New York. “We had six athletes hit an all-time top-five mark in our program, breaking the school record,” Head Coach Leroy Burrell said. Yonas Tesfai set a new UH indoor record in the men’s 3000m with a mark of 8:21.71, placing eighth in his respectively division. Karley King set a new personal record as she finished sixth in the pole vault competition with a mark of 4.10m. Demeeka Jones also set new personal record, placing fifth in the consolation round of the women’s 60m hurdles

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our team leaders and we will ask more from him from time to time.” The men’s distance medley team that consisted of Tesfai, Doug Kelly, Dominique Charles and Nate Pineda finished second to Clemson with a time of 10:03.85 in the college division. “That really was not our best team,” Burrell said. “We had three freshman on that squad. We feel really good about our performance.” Burrell said that the meet gave UH the opportunity to see where they stand against some of the best competition in the country. “We learned quiet a little bit about our younger athletes,” he said. “They came in and performed really well under a lot of pressure. “They are all very talented kids, we are all very happy with the outcome of the meet.”

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“I loved the Houston atmosphere and felt at it was the best school for me academically,” she said. “And the weather is good compared to England’s.” Phillips’ goal, like the rest of the Cougars, is to achieve a national ranking. “I just want to keep improving and help the team win, which will get us nationally ranked. “I think I can help the team win and, by being left-handed, bring something different to the team.” The Cougars hope to continue their strong play with a pair of home-weekend matches. They will take on Northwestern State at 10 a.m. Saturday and UTSA at noon Sunday at the John E. Hoff Tennis Courts. “Northwestern and UTSA are two very good programs,” Severance said. “We’ll have to keep playing like we did this past weekend — focused with no errors.” sports@thedailycougar.com