SPORTS
SOFTBALL
EVENTS
From the ground up
Astros give UH group game passes
The women’s golf program has a good example to follow during its inaugural season.
Student Program Board given 100 tickets to encourage students involvement in Houston community. SEE PAGE 8
SEE PAGE 6 SEPT. CALENDAR CHECK: 21
Bayou Bucket. Get your “Ruck Fice“ and “What owl?“ shirts washed and ready.
THE DAILY COUGAR
T H E
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N E W S PA P E R
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U N I V E R S I T Y
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Issue 11, Volume 79
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ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
CAMPUS
Panel seeks to stop suicide stigma Laura Gillespie Assistant news editor
While suicide remains the third leading cause of death for young adults aged 15 to 24, more than half of the 30,000 Americans that commit suicide every year are men aged 25 to 65, according to the Suicide Awareness Voices of Education. World Suicide Prevention Day, held this year on Tuesday by the International Association for Suicide Prevention, seeks to change these numbers. UH held several events this year for World Suicide Prevention Day, including a panel of
three members from Crisis Intervention of Houston, an organization that provides a free, confidential hotline for those who are considering suicide. The panel sought to break down the stigma on discussing suicide, as it briefly covered how to help a loved one who is having suicidal thoughts and, perhaps most importantly, how to recognize when to turn the person over to a professional. The panel stressed the importance of breaking down the fear of talking about suicide. PANEL continues on page 3
A group of three panelists, all with different personal experiences with suicide, gave advice on how to help a friend or loved one who is thinking of taking their own life at the World Suicide Prevention Day discussion at UH. | Fernando Castaldi/The Daily Cougar
ANNIVERSARY
College celebrates 20 years Lesley Saenz Contributing writer
In 1993, the first group of doctoral candidates began their journey toward advancing their education in social work. This year, the Graduate College of Social Work’s doctoral program is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Professor Patrick Leung served as the first program director and helped make the program a reality.
“I am very excited,” Leung said. “It touched me a lot because I was the first director, and the program kept growing and growing and it has had a wonderful impact on the community.” Director of the doctoral program Sheara Williams is proud that the College has been able to sustain the SOCIAL continues on page 3
ACADEMICS
Never forgotten Capt. Kevin Braswell addressed the Houston Army ROTC Battalion in front of Hofheinz Pavilion on Sept. 11 to remind students that each year gives another opportunity to remember the sacrifices that have been made and to hold in memory the lives that were lost. Fernando Castaldi/The Daily Cougar
Hobby Center evolves into school Erika Forero Staff writer
UH will soon welcome another building on campus, as the construction of the Bill Hobby School of Public Affairs was approved by the UH System Board of Regents Jim Granato, director of the UH Hobby Center for Public Policy, said the decision is just one more step in the process. “The Hobby Center staff is working on expanding on their existing activities,” Granato said. “They are
outstanding and are ready to ramp up.” Fundraising activities are also going to expand as the center’s advisory board begins to adapt to the transition from being a center to being a fully operating school. The board will also provide guidance on planning issues, including the development of pre-existing bylaws. Granato said the idea for the school started as far back as 2005 and took a lot of work to finally become a reality.
“It was always the long-term goal. We would only proceed so long as we passed certain milestones,” Granato said. “About three years ago, the milestones were met, and it then was a question of the vision we had for the School and how that vision would differentiate us from other policy schools.” “We knew what other top policy schools were offering and we also knew we had strengths that we could HOBBY continues on page 11