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Cougars slug Miners out of the park in three-game sweep
Blaffer showcases grad student’s work
March 19, 2012 Issue 88, Volume 77
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Fuel costs cause woes Students deal with rising gas prices by carpooling, biking, taking different routes
Ariana Benavidez, Jed Ocot, Kimberly O’Neal and Travis Gumphrey
THE DAILY COUGAR
Last year’s gas prices at this time were more than $0.30 lower than current rates. | File Photo/The Daily Cougar
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As gas prices continue to rise, commuting students are faced with even more stress on how to balance their social life, schoolwork, workload and financial burdens. “Since I spend so much on gas every week, I try to limit myself from doing things that require driving, like going out with friends because most of my paycheck ends up being used for gas,” said civil engineering sophomore Sarah Eldiraoui, who lives in Katy. Gasoline prices are higher now
than they were a year ago, according to houstongasprices.com — the website that shows the average gas price on any given day compared to a week, a month or a year ago. On Sunday, the Houston average was $3.78 per gallon while the national average was $3.81. A year ago, the Houston average was $3.41 per gallon, and the national price was $3.54 per gallon. Crude represents 76 percent of the price consumers pay, so gasoline prices rise as the cost of crude oil rises. Some students ride a bike, take a bus or carpool to save money. Nick Mead, geophysics and
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chemistry senior, has been riding a bike for three-and-a-half years for his two-mile commute. “Let’s say you drive a truck or SUV to campus, you end up paying almost $1000 a year for gas if it stays around three bucks, and you only drive to school and back home. You have to add in all the other places you drive to,” Mead said. “I generally bike pretty much everywhere else I go in Houston, so I’ve probably saved around $3500 at the low end since I’ve been in college. GAS continues on page 3
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‘Invisible Children’ UH seeks members
Free diabetes screening available at health center UH students, faculty and staff can receive a free diabetes screening from the UH Health Center on Friday. Interested persons can present a valid picture ID between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the UH Health Center to receive the screening. No appointments are necessary, but participants are encouraged to not eat or drink anything other than water for at least eight hours before the test to get the most accurate results. — Cougar News Services
Organization can’t find interested students Max Gardner
THE DAILY COUGAR
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sororities will put on shows this year, including Delta Zeta’s “Silver Spur,” Pi Kappa Alpha and Delta Gamma’s “Crow’s Nest,” and Sigma Chi’s “Bella Union.” The UH Cheerleaders will also make an appearance. A few other organizations that are participating are Bayou Oaks, Cullen Oaks, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Cougar Red Friday and
Even with the recent surge of attention and controversy surrounding Invisible Children, University of Houston’s chapter is still struggling to garner new members. Originally founded within the Honors College, the chapter has attained most of its current members from that community, naturally. Mathematical biology sophomore Kendall Mills, the chapter’s president, says it is difficult to organize campuswide events with so few roots among the overall student population. “We’ve been trying really hard to make this a university-wide chapter,” Mills said. “We’re listed under the organizations, and we try to do things at PGH, but it’s harder than we thought it would be to get people
FIESTA continues on page 3
INVISIBLE continues on page 3
Frontier Fiesta preparation brings parking lot closures Parking on campus this week will be worse than usual due to preparations for Frontier Fiesta. Lot 12B will be closed until April 2 and lots 12A and 15D will be closed until March 26, according to a campuswide email sent by director of UH Parking and Transportation Services, Robert Browand. Students with economy parking passes will not be fined for parking in student lots today through Friday, Browand said. Parking will be available at the Energy Research Park, located at 5000 Gulf Freeway, and shuttles will run every 15 minutes, Browand said. For more information on where to park, go to www.uh.edu/pts. — Cougar News Services
Frontier Fiesta has been a tradition at the University since 1940. The event features carinival rides and musical performances. This year’s festival will feature theme days and more localized talent. | File Photo/The Daily Cougar
Frontier Fiesta returns to UH Courtney Johns
THE DAILY COUGAR Students can expect changes involving this year’s Frontier Fiesta carnival, which will take place Thursday through Sunday. Frontier Fiesta is preparing to bring some new things to the carnival that may surprise some people. This year, students can expect more than the two rides
featured last year, belly dancers and theme days. Thursday’s theme is “diversity,” with a comedian whose name is undisclosed for the time being, a mariachi performance and Russian belly dancers. Friday is “Cougar red,” and Saturday is “family fun day” during the morning and afternoon and “Joe Koppel military appreciation” in the evening. Some fraternities and
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)%($&*++,-(&$".& /+%0( 1. University police have a new chief 2. DJ shares beats, acts in top show 3. Students do away with Chick-fil-A 4. Lesbian denied communion at funeral deserves apology 5. Survival guide: How to identify, avoid hipsters
have their hands tied doesn’t mean somebody can’t reach out.” — user “Jess ” Re: Cougars go cold
“I’m not too mad, Tip and Joe had open looks, just weren’t knocking ‘em down which 1+%$'/+0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& doesn’t happen often. Young !"22+#$( went 0 for 8 behind the line, Re: Students do away with Chick-fil-A and that’s just weird. He knocks “I think organizing a week when even two down, and Tip knocks those who are against chickone of his like 5 down, then fil-a supporting homophobic the game isn’t even close. They organizations are encouraged to had open shots though, and boycott could be effective. For the ball just doesn’t fall for you one, many students disagree sometimes.” with the bigotry but love those — user “Diego L.” sandwiches so much they Re: Pretending to care won’t save allow themselves to support Limbaugh’s advertising revenue chick-fil-a. That one week, if “One thing that keeps getting promoted well enough, could left out of these discussions see diminished lines at either is Sandra Fluke was not in of the CFAs on campus. For front of that committee to talk another, with an informative about her sex life. She was not educational aspect to the begging for birth control so boycott, we could bring to light she could have all of the sex the issues that many may not be she wants, like Rush tried to aware of.” portray. She was there to testify — user “Matthew” about the medical needs of birth control and tell the story Re: Utah law enforces intolerant sex education of her friend that had to have “Sex education shouldn’t be her ovaries removed because left to one person. Parents have of cysts. Birth control may have a responsibility to think for prevented the need for surgery. themselves and care for their Small point, but it makes a big children’s mental and sexual difference in the narrative.” health. Just because teachers — user “Dylan”
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GAS continued from page 1
That’s paid for my bike and the maintenance and then some.” Mead said biking also keeps him in great shape, and his commute is rather easy compared to drivers who deal with traffic and parking issues. “My commute isn’t what you’d expect with biking,” Mead said of his 20 minute trip from his house to class. “(It) is really good compared to how long it takes people to drive. “I also can just bike straight to class, I don’t have to drive around looking for a place to park. I’ve saved a bunch of money over three and-a-half years on parking permits too.”
Eldiraoui carpools at least once a week to save money on gas. “With gas prices the way it is right now, I try carpooling sometimes, but it doesn’t work out everyday,” Eldiraoui said. “I feel like living on campus would be so much easier.” Most students are just learning to compromise and make sacrifices in order to maintain their daily routines. “I drive from (Sugar Land) to get here. I don’t car pool because my schedule is always different. Gas is expensive, but so is school. You gotta bite the bullet sometimes,” said engineering junior Jevani Barron. Elaine Naong, an English sophomore, never used to drive on the freeway, but the increase in gas prices has caused her to change that because her normal
route used more gas. “The gas prices now really forces us to compromise in ways we’re not going to agree with, like take us out of daily routines we have grown used to,” Naong said. Stefani Crowe, a public relations junior, lives in Sugar Land and drives to school four days out of the week. She said “the gas increase makes a huge difference.” Crowe, like many others, tries to avoid taking too many trips that will eat up gas. “I feel like I am filling up my car with gas at least every four or five days,” Crowe said. “I try to avoid making pointless trips to the mall or stores in general by just staying at home. It sucks, but you have to make sacrifices somewhere.” news@thedailycougar.com
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How long is your commute? FREE TAX ASSISTANCE!!
International Students and Scholars “I live off of 59 and Bellaire, so it takes me about 20 to 25 minutes without traffic. I drive, so I pay about $40 every week and a half to fill up. That takes me to work and UH and wherever else I need to go” Nicole Follins health senior
“I chose to live on campus for various reasons; one of them is to avoid the traffic and the long commute a lot of people I know have to deal with. Living on campus is just more convenient and less stressful.”
“I live three blocks down from school, in University Oaks (Faculty Road). I walk to school and it takes me seven minutes.” Alberto J. Fajardo-Cano finance junior
“My commute is usually over an hour. I live in Cypress and my class starts at 10, so I leave somewhere between 8 and 8:30. I normally get to campus before 9:30 because of all the traffic.”
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FREE TAX ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE If You Are Required to File an Income Tax Return, (Form 1040NR or 1040NR EZ) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). Volunteers Are Available to Assist You! This free service is available in the Bayou City Room (Room 202), University Center, 2nd Floor on the following Saturdays from 9:30 am to 2 pm:
March 17, 24, and 31; and April 7 and 14 (Saturdays only) Compiled by Ariana Benavidez, Jed Ocot, Kimberly O’Neal and Travis Gumphrey
You will need to go to the Bayou City Room to make an appointment. Bring the following: Your passport, Immigration Documents such as Forms I-20, or DS-2019; Any Forms W-2 and/or 1042-S; Forms 1099, if any; Records of all income and expenses. For additional information, please call the International Student And Scholar Services Office at (713) 743-5065.
INVISIBLE continued from page 1
to realize that we’re here.” Invisible Children was founded in 2004 to promote awareness of and activism against the actions of the Lord’s Resistance Army and its leader, Joseph Kony. Its programs focus on eliminating the threat of the LRA and rebuilding affected communities through education, rehabilitation and economic growth. The UH chapter is part of the organization’s Schools For Schools Program, which focuses on the construction and renovation of 11 secondary schools
FIESTA continued from page 1
the Children’s Learning Center. No major performers are expected to take part this year, and specific details of performances haven’t been announced yet, but Frontier Fiesta will bring one of its first Latina performers in almost 20 years to the stage. Local artists will be more of
in some of the most war-torn regions of Uganda. “Our chapter is in the Pabbo Secondary School cluster,” Mills said. “Ninety percent of the money we raise goes directly into the construction of the school for things like maintenance, hiring teachers and giving scholarships to students.” Members are given the chance to help make a difference and see the benefits of the funds through bake sales and events like their fall semester Pie-A-Thon. “I love that we can see directly what our money is doing,” Mills said. “We can see pictures of the school. Francis, the student that came to speak last year, actually
went to Pabbo Secondary School. I think that’s really great.” Invisible Children was brought to UH in 2009 by history senior Joshua Ellis, who was involved in high school. Ellis saw the organization as one with a pure message that was easy to support. “A lot of organizations have good effects on students when they join them. I feel like a humanitarian one would have one of the better effects,” Ellis said. “That was a lot of the motivation — to have something to support that had a greater cause and something we could contribute to.”
the focus this year, but there will be no battle of the bands. Frontier Fiesta is also bringing back the “Beard Growing Contest” which was a major event from 1940 to 1959. There are over 17 participants involved in six different categories: Most unique beard, scrawniest beard, funniest beard, reddest beard, fanciest beard and best all-around beard. Students can still expect the annual cook-off, which is already
full of applicants competing to make the best chili, beans and fajitas. UH Adaptive Athletics program will host “Wheelchair Basketball Rugby.” “I think the major difference between this year and last year is more student organization participation,” said Director of Productions Terry Chung. “It is more UH-centric.”
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OPINION The general election EDITOR David Haydon E-MAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/opinion
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STAFF EDITORIAL
Rick Santorum turned off by pornography
I
n the hope of solidifying his neoconservative base through his continued efforts to morally regulate the lives of Americans, Rick Santorum has added pornography to the list of industries he would like to shut down. “A wealth of research is now available demonstrating that pornography causes profound brain changes in both children and adults, resulting in widespread negative consequences…pornography is toxic to marriages and relationships. It contributes to misogyny and violence against women,” said Santorum in a press release. While it is exciting to see Santorum referencing scientific research to support his moral pandering, there are some holes in his argument. According to a 2006 study by Clemson University economist Todd Kendall, “the arrival of the Internet was associated with a reduction in rape incidence. However, growth in internet usage had no apparent effect on other crimes.” Even though this correlation exists, Santorum is still right about the effects pornography can have on marriages and relationships. However, so long as no one is harmed, it is not the job of the government to regulate what goes on behind closed doors. Regardless of one’s views on pornography, as long as the pornographic images are of two consenting adults there is no reason for those images to not be made available to another consenting adult. When you decrease the supply of a product, the demand for that product generally increases. Stringently enforcing federal obscenity laws will simply shut down businesses that follow the law by not using actors who are underage. However, the smaller businesses that break the law anyway by displaying underage models will continue to do so. While many might find pornographic images offensive, those images are not thrown at people. Individuals must seek them out. It is not the role of the federal government to protect consenting adults from viewing those images. Legislating morality has never worked and it never will.
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.
Fussing over the primaries will leave no energy come November
T
he Republican candidates have been at each other’s throats for so long that it seems they have forgotten what still lies ahead. As Sens. Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum grapple for each state and Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul trail behind, President Barack Obama’s approval ratings have been steadily rising. As the economy improves, more independents prefer the Emily incumbent. Last week Brooks in Ohio — an important swing state — polls showed Obama narrowly ahead of Romney, who won the Republican primary in the state. For the first time since 2010, more Democrats than Republicans have reported to pollsters that they are “excited to vote.” In a primary, candidates work primarily to please activists and their own party’s base; however, when the primaries are over, they move into the national sphere, where they must now appeal to independents, centrists and moderates without explicit party affiliations. This long, chaotic and particularly brutal GOP primary may end up alienating these voters, spelling disaster for the Republicans in the upcoming general election. In a recent NBC/ WSJ poll, four in 10 respondents said that “the GOP nominating process has given them a less favorable impression of the Republican Party.” This election was supposed to be about the economy, but as unemployment continues to fall and the economy continues to recover,
Americans have become more optimistic. Without the anger and pessimism of the recession, the GOP has had to move to a more emotional and social issue for Republican voters. New bills designed to limit women’s access to abortion and contraception are popping up in conservative bastions across the country. Santorum, the most extreme social conservative in the race, has attacked higher education, contraception, homosexuality and even women working outside the home. Romney soon followed, accusing Obama of assaulting religion and erroneously referring to the morning after pill as an abortion pill. Unfortunately for them, all of this posturing has done little more than leave a bad taste in the mouths of independent voters. In the previously mentioned NBC/WSJ poll, Obama is polling far better with independents than Romney — especially with female independents who have presumably been scared away from the Republican candidates by their recent attacks on reproductive health and women’s position in society. Even other Republicans are disturbed by the extreme right-wing views espoused by these primary candidates. Maine Republican Olympia Snowe is stepping down over the “hyperpartisan” climate in Congress. Even Jeb Bush, younger brother of former President George W. Bush, seems disillusioned. “I used to be a conservative,” he admitted after a speech in Dallas last week. “I don’t think I’ve changed, but it’s a little troubling sometimes when people are appealing to people’s
Even other Republicans are disturbed by the extreme right-wing views espoused by these primary candidates. Maine Republican Olympia Snowe is stepping down over the “hyper-partisan” climate in Congress. Even Jeb Bush, younger brother of former President George W. Bush, seems disillusioned. ‘I used to be a conservative,’ he admitted.” fears and emotion rather than trying to get them to look over the horizon for a broader perspective.” The small segment of the voting populace that wants to turn back the cultural clock is not large enough to ensure a Republican candidate will win the election, but they could be large enough to lose it. “It makes the party look like it isn’t a modern party,” Rudy Giuliani confessed to CNN. “It doesn’t understand the modern world that we live in.” The truth is that most Americans are far more concerned with their own lives and than what the couple next door is doing behind closed doors. The winner of the primary will have a great deal of public backtracking to do if they want to stand a chance with the swing voters. Emily Brooks is an economics senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com.
Hipocrisy in the 99 percent F
or about half a month, roars of applause have erupted from the stands of Reliant Stadium each night as some one-percent singersongwriter closed the night with some hit single, produced by one-percent studio developers and record labels, advertised thanks to some fat cat Wall Street name like British Petroleum or Ford Automotive. And of course, the whole James night was only made Wang possible thanks to the one-percent elites sitting up in their luxury pillbox, staring down at us lesser folk as we enjoyed our overpriced stadium food and seats. Who would have thought that the rodeo, a celebration of rugged Western heritage and the penniless pioneer headed out to strike his fortune in the open plains of the Wild West, was now a product of the one percent? That’s the easy way to put it, and exactly how most of the Occupy Wall Street protestors now reassembling in Zuccotti Park — with their iPhones and iPads — would put it as well. And of course, they’ll be doing so by furiously posting about corporate greed to their Twitter and Facebook accounts.
There is a hidden one percent in the rodeo circuit. They’re riding in from Reno and Cheyenne and little towns all across the Lone Star State, making the biggest appearance of their lives here in the Bayou City. They’re the ancestors of a breed that some Americans wish to acknowledge only as a product of Hollywood.” It’s very easy to condemn the obviously well-off, imagining all the evil things they must have done to get to their positions. Hard work hasn’t paid off for the protestors, so the amount of hard work put into a cause or goal by the upper class must be irrelevant. Maybe that’s why Occupy Wall Street still doesn’t have a clear cut goal. No goal means no effort, right? But there is a hidden one percent in the rodeo circuit. They’re riding in from Reno and Cheyenne and little towns all across the Lone Star State, making the
biggest appearances of their lives here in the Bayou City. They’re the ancestors of a breed that some Americans wish to acknowledge only as a product of Hollywood. They’re the professional bull riders of America and they’re a part of an even bigger group — the working one percent. There have been plenty of criticisms about the extravagance of the one percent; I’ll even admit to wanting to make a piñata out of the next CEO who fires an entire branch while accepting a corporate bonus for himself. That’s one of the few things I might agree with Occupy Wall Street protesters. Corporate CEOs shouldn’t pay fewer taxes than people who make three or four times less than they do by writing the budget-cut as an “investment.” While that might seem a justifiable reason to blast the one percent at full strength, take a few steps back. Forget Mitt Romney and his corporate cronies, and instead, think of Old McDonald, who, provided he was a good enough bull rider or steer wrestler, could have walked away with $100,000 in prize money, making more in one night than what apparently 99 percent of WANG continues on page 6
Monday, March 19, 2012 ! 5
The Daily Cougar
EDITOR Joshua Siegel E-MAIL sports@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/sports
It’s outta here SOFTBALL
Cougars slug their way to a weekend sweep over UTEP
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Sophomore catcher Haley Outon clubbed two home runs in the Cougars three-game sweep over UTEP. UH slugged six home runs for the series, outscoring UTEP 28-6. In their opening Conference USA series against Marshall, theCougars were held to just four runs. | Hendrick Rosemond/The Daily Cougar slam from Diedre’s sister and battery mate, Haley Outon. UH slugged six home runs for the series. In their series opening 10-0 win, UH got home runs from Holly Anderson, Gregson and
Outon. Gregson was a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI in the series finale. For the weekend, Gregson 4-for-7 with five runs and five RBI. The Cougars continue
conference play against Memphis with a doubleheader on Saturday and the series finale on Sunday at Cougar Softball Stadium. sports@thedailycougar.com
GOLF
UH takes third at Border Olympics Cougar Sports Services
Curtis Reed carried the Cougars to a third-place finish on Sunday at the Border Olympics in Laredo. The sophomore finished eighth individually after shooting two-over at the par-72, 7,319-yard course at Laredo Country Club. Reed shot par in the first and final rounds, and two-over in the second round.
UH rallies back Gilbert Requena
Matt Straw
The Cougars (15-13, 4-2) swept a three-game weekend series at Cougar Softball Stadium against the UTEP Miners. The series began with two games on Saturday where the Cougars played nearly perfect. They outscored the Miners 15-2 without committing an error. The Cougars took the third game of the series 13-4, polishing off the Miners with an eight-run sixth inning. The Cougars struggled in the first inning. Sophomore Bailey Watts gave up a hit and her defense committed two errors, but Watts got out of the inning unscathed, working out of a bases-loaded jam. In the bottom of the inning the Cougars jumped on the Miners by scoring three runs, led by a two-run shot by senior leftfielder Melissa Gregson. They kept the pressure on as they scored a run in the third and fourth inning each.. Sophomore catcher Haley Outon powered the Cougars’ offense through the series, smashing two home runs over the three games. Watts earned two wins for UH, with Sunday’s being her fourth straight. She started the second game of the series and pitched all seven innings, giving up only four hits while striking out five. On Sunday she went the distance again, striking out five. In the second game of the doubleheader, Diedre Outon got the start and pitched a complete game shutout for her fourth win of the season. The offense did their part as well, as the Cougars belted three home runs, including a grand
BASEBALL
The Cougars paced the 16-team field after the first round with a score of 290, but finished the tournament 18 strokes behind firstplace Lamar and 13 strokes behind second-place Baylor. Junior James Ross finished tied for 16th for UH. Freshmen Roman Robledo and Kyle Pilgrim tied for 29th place. sports@thedailycougar.com
Sunday’s final-round results at Laredo Individual results 8. C. Reed T16. J. Ross T29. R. Robledo T29. K. Pilgrim T50. J. Droemer
72 74 72 73 73 76 72 76 77 73 72 80 76 76 78
1. Lamar 2. Baylor 3. Houston
293 289 288 870 +6 292 301 282 875 +11 290 295 303 888 +24
Team results
218 +2 222 +6 225 +9 225 +9 230 +14
4. Iowa State T5. La. Tech T5. UL-Lafayette 7. Miss. St. 8. So. Miss. 9. VCU 10. C. Arkansas 11. Texas St. 12. Rice 13. E. Michigan 14. UTSA 15. Kansas 16. SFASU
296 305 292 301 307 292 302 303 295 303 304 295 304 307 295 301 308 298 296 304 308 311 306 298 300 309 307 310 302 306 304 308 309 312 313 300 304 312 311
893 +29 900 +36 900 +36 903 +39 906 +42 907 +43 908 +44 915 +51 916 +52 918 +54 921 +57 925 +61 927 +63
While you were enjoying your spring break by heading to the beach or just kicking up your feet at home, the Cougars were out on the road trying to stock pile wins. During the break, the Cougars played seven games finishing with 3-4 record.They started by heading to Oxford, Miss. to take on No. 14 Ole Miss. Things didn’t start well for the Cougars. Tthey were outscored 28-3 over the three-game series. They failed to score a single run in the first two games, losing 8-0 and 9-0, respectively. In the final game they lost 11-3. After the hurting the Rebels put on them, the Cougars returned home for a mid-week matchup against Sam Houston State. The bats that had gone silent in Oxford suddenly came to life as the Cougars clobbered the Bearkats, 12-2. Chase Jensen went 4-for-5 and drove in a career-high five runs and starter Austin Pruitt picked up his first win as a Cougar. “We needed to come out, pitch the lights out, play errorless baseball, and have a great offensive game,” head coach Todd Whitting said. “That’s what we did.” The team then headed north to Stillwater, Okla. to take on Oklahoma State in a three-game series. In the first game, the Cougars’ offense once again struggled to get on the scoreboard and the pitching staff couldn’t find the right pitches to stifle the Cowboys’ offensive attack. They dropped the game 14-0. But, as they have done all year, the Cougars bounced back with a resilient effort. They responded in the next game by slamming the Cowboys with a resounding 8-1 victory. “We came back and responded today,” Whitting said. “We have showed at times this year that we can be really good.” Starter Jordan Lewis had a dominant outing going seven strong innings, giving up one run on eight hits with four strikeouts. The Cougars also posted a season-high five extra-base hits, including two doubles by Casey Grayson. Landon Appling hit a home run — his second on the season. They came out on Sunday and put it to Oklahoma State again, but this time they just edged out the Cowboys 4-3. John Cannon paced the Cougars at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two singles. On the mound the Cougars used four pitchers, with Codey Morehouse picking up the win with 5.1 innings of relief work. Mo Wiley earned the save. Pruitt started the game and went three innings, allowing two earned runs sports@thedailycougar.com
OPINION
6 ! Monday, March 19, 2012
WANG continued from page 4
Americans can’t make in a year. Considering this is only one of many events on the Built Ford Tough professional bull riding circuit, the capacity for that fortune to grow depends completely on the hard work and determination that bull riders put into their work as well as the luck of not getting a bull named “Widowmaker 3000.” Wait a second. Hard work? A bit of luck? Sounds like the America I knew. One that didn’t depend on social entitlement programs, but just on the amount of sweat you’re willing to pour out and the bit of good luck that’s come your way. The working one percent of Americans don’t exist because of corporate or government handouts. Small business owners with good business sense are members of the one percent along with these bull riders. And they have to make the same excuse that those Wall Street CEOs make every time someone asks them about taxes — they get away with lower taxes because they have money to invest back into their work. Coming from a millionaire living on a hill, that might be hard to swallow. But if it was coming from
a bronco buster out of Fayetteville, I’m guessing those OWS protestors might change their tone when he said he had investments to make. Contrary to popular belief, not all people in the one percent are malignant tumors living off the tax code, writing off massive tax breaks as “investments.” — unlike some in the one percent who are just that. The working one percent, like the cowboys of our Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, must make investments simply so they can stay in business. It’s called breaking even and the reason they’re allowed to pay less taxes than Warren Buffet’s secretary is because all that prize money goes right back to raising cattle and training themselves to be better ropers and horsemen. Besides sponsorship deals, their only income comes from rodeo circuit winnings and livestock they manage to sell on the side. They’re entirely self-sufficient; they make their own money and nobody is paying for them to go anywhere — especially when they’re just starting off. They must pay for travel expenses, health and life insurance, and the cost to transport all their equipment and livestock. Some steers sell for $250,000 a head, well over the criteria to be
The Daily Cougar
taxed straight into the ground by the Buffett Tax. But after calculating all the necessary expenses, which are written off as investments, the prize money needs to be so big because it if weren’t, people would stop riding in the circuit because of the expense. Or in terms relating back to the one percent, they would stop because operating costs would be too high. So as OWS kicks off another round of guideless rabble-rousing, ranting against the one percent in New York and denouncing their corporate greed, remember the cowboys and cowgirls as they head home safely, some very content with their winnings and others lamenting the fact that they now have to pay for everything out of pocket with no prize money to soften the blow. Remember them and their urban counterparts; remember the small business owner who must make actual investments to keep themselves afloat but are now being denounced as evil by people who can apparently afford Internet access and little else. A good and proper investment can make a whole lot of difference between financial security and just scraping by. James Wang is a history major and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.
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Monday, March 19, 2012 ! 7
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EDITOR Jose Aguilar E-MAIL arts@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/arts
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Grad student reaches youth with art Authors exposed Artist expresses realities of Hurricane Katrina in work on display in Blaffer Gallery
to new audiences
Christopher Shelton
Jed Ocot
THE DAILY COUGAR
THE DAILY COUGAR After a step into El Franco Lee II’s cubicle in the Blaffer Art Museum and a gaze at the unfinished paintings that line the wall, you will realize his art is unique. As a UH graduate student, Lee conveys the realities of humanity. “I’m going off of instinct and what feels good to me,” he said. “My drive is just imagery I’ve had in my head for years.” Lee’s paintings capture the human struggle by broaching topics that many are afraid to visit. “James Byrd 1” is one of the pieces on display and depicts the dragging death of the subject in gory detail. The visual it gives you is derogatory, but so is the hate-filled event it represents. Also included in Lee’s gallery is a powerful message regarding Hurricane Katrina and the racially-charged controversy surrounding it back in 2005. It portrays the distress of ordinary citizens juxtaposed with the carelessness and callousness of the officers involved who are pointing guns at them while eating sandwiches. Whether you agree or disagree with the characterization, “Bayou Classic” draws you in. And that is the point, according to Lee. The aspiring artist uses art to pay homage to his favorite figures in music and sports; he is currently working on a piece that includes all members of the Houston-based rap group Screwed Up Click. Lee is driven and focused to succeed. “(I enjoy) the history you can create because it’s layer after layer and blood, sweat and tears. It’s nights and just passion put into building this imagery,” Lee said.
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A diner that can’t be beat
Chelsea Whiting
THE DAILY COUGAR The comfortable atmosphere, amazingly low prices, exceptional service and tasty food makes Avalon Diner like no other. The best thing about any restaurant should always be the taste of the food since that is what will bring people back. No matter what is ordered at Avalon Diner, it is guaranteed to leave a feeling of great satisfaction. Their breakfast quesadilla stuffed with cheese, two eggs and a choice of bacon, ham or sausage is wonderful Chorizo wrapped around in spinach with either a corn, flour or wheat tortilla is enough to make your mouth water. Their marinated pork chops served with creamy mac and cheese and twice-baked mashed potatoes makes for a great homeAVALON continues on page 8
and seeing how well they do and how much better they get from the time they start the course.” Lee hopes to bring a new voice to his community, which he believes has undervalued art as a whole. “Sad enough my work really doesn’t get to be seen by the people that it can really affect and that it really relates to,” Lee said. “I love the reaction from the youth because hate it or love it, the people that have been embracing the work have no idea about the context behind it.”
For over a year now, the University of Houston has collaborated with Rice University as part of their Visiting Writers Series to showcase major American and international authors at various locations in between the two campuses. Curated by Kevin Prufer and Ange Mlinko at UH and Joseph Campana at Rice, the series started last year and is free and open to the public. It began as a one-time collaboration between the two universities and ultimately determined that it would be ideal for both of the campuses to team up on literary projects. “We generally meet once a semester to talk about writers whose works seems particularly exciting, writers we’ve heard read, writers who might be of special interest to our students and the general public,” Prufer said. “We try to go for a range of sensibilities.” The readings do not take place on either of the campuses, but somewhere in between that are accessible to both schools. The Jung Center has been a favorite spot while future readings are set to take place at the Brazos Bookstore and the Menil Museum. “The idea is to embrace chaos
arts@thedailycougar.com
READING continues on page 8
One of El Franco Lee’s paintings depicts the natural disaster known as Hurricane Katrina that made landfall in late-August 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. | Courtesy of El Franco Lee II “Even if you get tired of the subject matter you’re dealing with, you’ve got to keep going and make yourself love it as it starts to form the way you’ve been envisioning it in your head.” As a function of his hard work, Lee’s work has been featured on all three coasts in shows across the nation. With only three semesters remaining towards attaining his master’s, Lee began teaching fundamentals of art courses at UH this semester. “I like teaching quite a bit. It took me by surprise,” Lee said. “I’m driven by watching the students draw
LIFE+ARTS
8 ! Monday, March 19, 2012
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READING
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continued from page 7
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a little, to hold readings in a variety of places,” Prufer said. “We love The Jung Center and it is often our first choice. We’ve had about one showcase a month, but much depends on funding and various authors’ schedules.” Authors each give a reading from their work and occasionally talk about the art of writing. Some of the authors that have participated already are Timothy Donnelly, Mark Halliday, J. Allyn Rosser, Susan Stewart and, most recently, James Richardson. A professor at Princeton University, Richardson was a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. His reading at the Jung Center on March 8 featured selections from two of his most recent poetry books “By the Numbers” and “Inter-Glacial.” It was his first time in Houston. In a crowd of roughly 25 people, the final poem and fan favorite of the night, “Postmortem Georgic,” elicited tears from a few of audience members. Pamela Carter was one who became emotional during the reading. “I’ve followed his career for a while now and when I found out that he would be in Houston, there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to go,” Carter said. “This poem speaks to me in a way very few do. It genuinely moves me and I highly regard it as one of his best.” arts@thedailycougar.com
AVALON continued from page 7
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comfort meal as well. Their Blue Plate Specials come with a choice of an entrée that changes according to the day, a choice of two sides, corn bread and dessert all for about $8. Avalon also has a wide selection of delicious floats and milk-shakes that will satisfy any sweet tooth craving. Apple pie, banana split and turtle chocolate are among the tasty treats worth the trip to the diner alone. Avalon Diner offers a variety of dishes that can be found on any mother’s stove at home like baked chicken, meatloaf, omelets and a lot more. It takes a minute to look over the menu with the plenty of options meant to accommodate anyone and everyone who walks in the door. The servers never let anyone wait for anything and they truly compliment the wonderful food. You are treated as if you are at home and they are the perfect hosts for a home-cooked meal. After the delicious dinner and the bill arrive, guests are pleasantly surprised to see the total is relatively low for a full meal with dessert. The affordable prices are almost a steal. Avalon Diner has been around since 1938 serving amazing food paired with wonderful service. They have expanded to three locations in Memorial Villages, River Oaks and Stafford. arts@thedailycougar.com