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The official student newspaper of the University of HoustonTRANSCRIPT
THE DAILY COUGAR®
t h e o f f i c i a l s t u d e n t n e w s p a p e r o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f h o u s t o n s i n c e 1 9 3 41 9 3 4 – 2 0 0 9
years
Softball team suffers rough weekend in Alabama SportS »
What’s wrong with the length of federal bills these days? opINIoN » hi 81 Lo 65
issue 123, Volume 75 Monday, April 5, 2010 thedailycougar.com
WEAtHEr »
Forecast, Page 2
THE DAILY COUGAR.COM The Editor’s Desk discusses the most exciting part of his job
By Sarah RaslanThe daily cougar
The UH chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers won first place at the regional level of the Chem-E-Car competition in Beaumont on March 8, qualifying to compete at the national level in Salt Lake City.
The challenge was to design a car that would travel a distance of 50 feet while carrying a water bottle. The distance was revealed to each team a few hours before the competition.
“The car runs on the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of ferric chloride, which is a catalyst (and) accelerates the reaction,” team
member Walter Barta said. “Basically, it produces a bunch of gas, and the gas builds pressure in the tank. The tank feeds to a pneumatic drill, which is like an air-powered tool (that) propels the wheels.”
“Air goes to the drill, and the drill
By Aimee BurasThe daily cougar
A recent Houston area household survey conducted by the Census Bureau concluded that the local unemployment rate has fallen to 8.5 percent.
Director of the UH Institute for Regional Forecasting Barton Smith said that the job growth is too small to get excited about and that new job opportunities are scarce and widely dispersed.
“The job gains are small and are scattered about,” Smith said. “There is not a single sector that is contributing much, and in most cases, the gains are to be found in sub sectors, such as oil related energy exploration, etc.”
The way the surveys are conducted statistically affects the overall percentage outcome.
“Part of it is that discouraged workers have temporarily left the job market, and since they are no longer looking for work, they are not included in the pool of the unemployed,” Smith said. “However, part is due to the fact that the Houston region is adding a small amount of new jobs each month as well.”
Smith said that the national unemployment rate (9.7) is in worse shape than the local rate, and that the national rate affects graduating students who are looking for jobs in Houston.
“Most students are influenced by the national market, not just the local labor market, and nationally we’ve yet to start adding net new jobs,” Smith said. “That doesn’t mean that there aren’t jobs available, just that the new hiring is still not keeping up with the new layoffs.”
Smith said that students majoring in technology and engineering are the most likely to be able to find work, while business and social-science majors will have a hard time finding employment with an undergraduate degree.
“Those in tech-oriented areas will do the best,” Smith said. “Business students will struggle. There are
Employmentrate rises inlocal areas
Professor encourages students to gg
‘upgrade’ their education
Uh students engage in creating chemical car model for regional competitiongg
Courtesy of riChard ma
The UH American Institute of Chemical Engineers will compete in Salt Lake City at the national level of the Chem-E-Car competition for their “Cougalac- the Cougar Cadillac” model. The group won first place at the regional level on March 8.
Engineers craft win
Courtesy of uh.edu
Class Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies Sarah Fishman said the decision to discontinue the Visual Studies Program was made before the recent mandatory 5 percent budget cut because of a low student enrollment rate.
UH terminates programBy Josh Malone The daily cougar
The UH Visual Studies Program, one of only 12 in the country, will be discontinued after the fall semester because of apparent budget cuts.
“I was very disappointed to learn of the decision to discontinue such an important, timely, and cost effective program, which had developed so much good will and support in the community,” Director of Visual Studies Tracy Karner said.
A stand-alone minor within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the study explores all
aspects of the visual experience, from innovate uses of visual technology to the images used in art, photography and film.
Students who have already declared their Visual Studies minor will have the opportunity to complete their coursework with one final class in the fall before the program is officially discontinued.
Sarah Fishman, the associate dean of undergraduate studies for CLASS, said that the decision to cut Visual Studies was made earlier this year and before the recent 5 percent budget reduction plan required of UH.
“All of us loved the idea (of Visual Studies), and intellectually, it’s exciting. But the budget has always been lean and mean, and when we’re told to cut back, it’s painful,” Fishman said. “All programs have to operate on shoe strings. It’s not like we’re rolling in the dough like (the University of Texas at Austin).”
Fishman said the decision primarily came from former interim Dean of CLASS Joe Pratt and that Visual Studies was cut because of its relatively low student enrollment. She said that having Karner teach
see ENGINEERS, page 3
see PROGRAM, page 3
see EMPLOYMENT, page 3
UC Arbor, Room 32D713/743-2777
www.uh.edu/ucaf
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Cash, Checks, Credit Cards, andCougar Cash accepted.
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Saturday11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sunday2:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
(Lower Level, University Center)
April 5 - 11This Week on the UC Fun Floor
See YOU on the UC Fun Floor!
Shasta’s Now Accepts Cougar Cash!
Monday 9/21
Thursday 9/24
Friday 9/25& Saturday 9/26
Cougar Bowling Club7:00PM
Faculty/Staff League Begins6:00PM
Glow Bowling9:00PM - 1:00AM
Newcomers welcome!
Cougar Sing-OffTuesday 2/16
6:30PM - 8:30PMDoor Prizes, Drawings and
Appetizer Specials!
Partially funded by SFAC and your UC Fee.
$2 Billiards
6:00PM to ClosingBilliards $2 per hour, per table*With UH Student ID
$1 Cones to VictorySingle scoop/cone bowl for only $1*Only if we beat Rice!
Free Cookie with PurchaseFree cookie with any purchase.
Try our new coffee roast! “Katz’s Best” (now on a rotating basis)
Rolling Back the Prices!For a limited time only, Day and time restrictions apply!
$1.00 per game for Bowling! $2.00 per hour/per table for Billiards!
See YOU on theUC Fun Floor!
Karaoke6:30PM - 8:30PM
Tuesday 4/6
Thursday 2/15 Faculty/Staff Bowling League6:00PM
SPB & UCAF Presents...
College Nights at Chiliʼs Too
Cougar Bowling Club7:00PM
Monday 2/15
Sunday SundaesBuy 1 sundae, get 1 of equal or lesservalue for FREE!
Fair Trade Hot ChocolateSmall Fair Trade Hot Chocolate for only $1!
$1
Glow Bowling9:00PM - 1:00AM
Cougar Bowling Club7:00PM
Glow Bowling9:00PM - 1:00AM
Friday 4/9 SPB Fridays30% OFF with UH Student ID & SPB Tag
Friday 4/9& Saturday 4/10
Monday 3/29
Faculty/Staff Bowling League6:00PM
Thursday 4/1
Sunday 4/11
Free 2nd Scoop FridayFree 2nd scoop upgrade w/ purchaseof a single scoop waffle cone/bowl
$1 Coffee TuesdaysSmall coffee for only $1!
Friday 4/9
Thursday 4/8
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4:00 p.m. - 9:00p.m.
UC Lower Level713/743/4947
Monday 4/5Thursday 4/8
$1 Cones for International Customer Loyalty Month!$1 Cones All Day!
Tuesday 4/6
Are you interested in the
Medical Field?
Have you thought about Chiropractic?
Texas Chiropractic College5912 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, TX 77505
Come visit with Dr. Bob Cooper
to discuss your future in chiropractic!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
University Career ServicesFirst Floor,
Student Services Center
To make an appointment, contact
[email protected] 281-998-6007
or 1-800-468-6839
Walk-ins also welcome.
For more information visit
www.txchiro.edu/gotcc
In Chiropractic you will have the opportunity to...•Workinthesecondlargesthealthcareprofession• Buildrelationshipswithyourpatients withahands-onapproach• Consultandtreatmajorathletes• Beapartofaprofessionthatisprojectedtoincrease20%inthenext8years•Helppeoplelivelonger,havehealthierlivesandbeavaluablememberofthehealthcareprofession
Why TCC?• TCCisasmallschoolwithone-on-onetraining• Stateoftheartassessmentcenter•HospitalrotationprogramwiththeTexasMedicalCenter• Collegeathleticsrotationprogram• InternshipsandPreceptorships
2 n Monday, April 5, 2010 The Daily Cougar
TODAY
Resume workshop: noon-1: 30 p.m., Student Service Center 1, first floor. The purpose of the resume is to get you a job interview. The large major-ity of job candidates are screened out at the resume stage of the search. This workshop will help you prepare a resume that will increase your chances of generating job interviews. For more information, call 713-743-5100.
Story writing workshop: 5:30-8:30 p.m., Farish Hall, Kiva Room (101). One more exciting event by Pratham@UH is on its way: “Story Writing Workshop,” conducted by award-winning writer and author Chitra Divakaruni. Do you want to tell kids how to count numbers in an interesting and funny way? Do you want to tell about the stories you learned in your childhood? Do you want to tell about your culture or about your country? Pick any topic under the sky, pen your ideas and we shall guide you to convert them into an amazing story. If you want to reach a kid and make her/him smile, this workshop is no less opportunity for it. The main
motto of this event is to educate children. So just gear up and register and sharpen your brains to come out with cool ideas. You don’t have to be a writer; you just need a simple idea to share with the kids. Register at http://uh.edu/pratham/registration.html
TUESDAY
Campus recruitment workshop: 3-4:30 p.m., Student Service Center, first floor. Completion of a Campus Recruitment Workshop is required to participate in campus recruitment, or on-campus interviews. Learn how to identify which employers are interviewing for full time, career level and internship positions and how to request those interviews. At-tendance at a CRW the semester before you wish to interview is recommended, as there are rolling deadlines beginning early in the fall and spring semesters. The CRW can also be taken online. Log on to www.career.uh.edu, and click on “Campus Recruitment,” then click on “online CRW.” For more information, call 713-743-5100.
C A L E N D A R
F O R E C A S T
CAMPUSBEAT
CO R R E C T I O N S
CO N TAC T U S
A B O U T
I S S U E S TA F F
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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.
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ngCopy editing Giselle Bueno, Moniqua SextonngProduction Chenlong HengClosing editor Ronnie Turner
newsroom(713) 743-5360ngEditor in ChiefRonnie Turner(713) [email protected] EditorMatthew Keever(713) [email protected] EditorsPatricia EstradaHiba Adi (713) [email protected] EditorsPhillipe Craig Robert Higgs(713) [email protected]
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tuesday
81˚67˚Wednesday
79˚49˚thursday
72˚˚
Plan to attend our Career Choice Seminar:
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2010@ 7PM
at the Beverly Hills/ChallengerLocation:
11111 Beamer Houston, TX 77089
The Pasadena ISD Teacher Certification Program is offering Career Choice Seminars for anyone
interested in becoming a Texas certified teacher. Potential candidates must have a bachelor’s
degree or above by May 2010 and must have an overall GPA of 2.5 on the 4.0 system in ALL
semester hours attempted or a 2.7 GPA in the last 60 hours attempted.
The application deadline for the 2010-2011academic year is May 14, 2010
The seminars will provide an opportunity forpotential candidates to learn about our program
and the areas of certification offered.
Teaching Opportunitiesin Pasadena ISD
For more information, please call:
(713) 740-0029also, visit our website at:
www.pasadenaisd.org/atcp
The Daily Cougar NEWS Monday, April 5, 2010 n 3
essentially uses it just like any other motor to turn the gear, just like it would in your car. It’s pretty much the same way a car works,” team member Kennan Stuhr said.
Team members Richard Ma, Tola Ouk, Abel Morales, Vinh Nguyen, Allen Lo, Jorge Cubas, Barta and Stuhr named the car “Cougalac — the Cougar Cadillac.” The Cougalac consists of four main parts: the reactor, cooler, regulator and pneumatic motor.
“Richard was the leader because he was pushing for a pressure driven car. He’s the one
with the biggest idea,” Ouk said. The Cougalac weighs 26
pounds and can carry a load of 30 pounds.
“The UH car was the heaviest by a long shot ... 10 times heavier,” Stuhr said. “Everyone was looking at the UH car because it was so big.”
The UH team competed against eight universities, including Rice University, Lamar University, Texas Tech University, Texas A&M University and Texas A&M-Kingsville.
The Cougalac stole the show with a 44-foot first run compared to A&M’s 2-inch first trial. In the second trial, the Cougalac got within 2 feet of the required goal while A&M’s car traveled a
distance of 6 feet. “We won because we got 2 feet
from the goal line,” Barta said. Rice could not figure out the
water problems that it had, and Tech’s car broke down, leaving A&M as the only real competition.
“We overcame all the problems that they (A&M) had. The biggest key to the competition was consistency,” Stuhr said.
Morales said that he and his teammates more than deserved the win for their hard work.
“We didn’t win because the other teams’ cars didn’t work,” Morales said. “We won because our car was so good.”
ENGINEERScontinued from page 1
Visual Studies wasn’t sustainable when “a really small department like Sociology” needed her as an instructor.
Karner said she had “not been informed as to the rationale” behind the cut nor was she included to discuss the discontinuation of the program. She defended the program as economical and efficient.
“Visual Studies was a stand-alone minor within CLASS, so there was no departmental budget to economize with,” Karner said. “In the four years of Visual Studies,
approximately 96 percent of our funding came from sources other than CLASS and monies had been pledged from the community for next year’s budget.”
Assistant professor Keith Houk told his Visual Studies students of the cut late last month. He said that the news made for a tough classroom environment.
“It has been a tricky semester keeping enthusiasm in the class going, knowing that this is the final semester for the program,” Houk said. “I’ve got great students in there and they have been extremely engaged, which makes for a good semester, but knowing this is the last one can make things a little melancholy.”
Visual Studies has been offered since 2007 as an interdisciplinary program. Students can choose from a variety of elective classes, such as art, history and philosophy.
Houk emphasized the importance of the program in many fields of study and said that although its relative newness may have been a reason, the decision to discontinue Visual Studies was explained as a budget cut.
“As our culture becomes more global, visual communication becomes increasingly important,” Houk said. “I was disappointed. I think it is a valuable course for students in all fields.”
some emerging opportunities in engineering. Students with just a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and the fine arts will continue to find job hunting difficult for at least another year.”
Last year, the job market was especially hard on undergraduates. Smith encourages undergraduates to stay in school and study for a master’s degree or a Ph.D.
“For undergraduates, the pickings were slim,” Smith said. “Many who had graduated with a Bachelor of Science chose to go on to graduate school while the labor market settled down, which was an excellent idea.”
While studying towards a graduate degree can help students become a better competitor in the job market, earning an advanced degree has not proven to ensure employment in these difficult economic times. Smith, however, believes it will help when the
market stabilizes.“Use this as a time to upgrade
your education and experience,” Smith said. “Getting an advanced degree will prove very important in the recovery that will eventually emerge.”
Smith said that he does not foresee a significant change in the Houston job market next year.
“I believe unemployment will be down slightly next year,” Smith said. “But still high in historical terms.”
PROGRAMcontinued from page 1
EMPLOYMENTcontinued from page 1
Courtesy of riChard ma
The “Cougalac — the Cougar Cadillac” car model, created by the UH chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, weighs 26 pounds and can carry a load of 30 pounds. The cars in the Chem-E-Car competition were challenged to travel a distance of 50 feet while carrying a water bottle.
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4 n Monday, April 5, 2010 The Daily Cougar
The U.S. Constitution is less than 4,700 words long. The body of its text was handwritten on four pages.
Legislation today is often hundreds, if not thousands, of pages in length, and many times is released to Congress and the public less
than one day before it is voted on.There is something wrong when
a government established by such an elegantly concise document can routinely pass such large, clumsy pieces of legislation. It is absurd that the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act can be summarized in a few simple slide shows by the news media but needs 2,409 pages of barely comprehensible legal text to be passed into law.
Lawyers and judges who will one day have to argue over this bill deserve everyone’s pity.
The bill is exceptionally long, but it is far from being the only bill printed on four figures worth of pages.
Another piece of legislation is the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009, better known as the stimulus bill. At 1,100 pages, the bill was released to both Congress and the public a mere 13 hours before it was taken up on the House floor; it was passed that same day.
This sort of time frame is ridiculous. There is no practical way that anyone, much less a busy senator or congressman, could have read and considered the bill before it was voted on. Even though the bill was made available online to any member of the public who wished to read it, there was not enough time for the American people to familiarize themselves with a piece of legislation meant to have a huge impact on their everyday lives.
Looking around the country today, it’s apparent that American citizens are unfamiliar with the inner workings of the government or the legislation that our representatives must consider on a daily basis. Few people even pretend to be familiar with anything beyond the barest basics of major bills.
As no one reads bills in their entirety, it’s not a stretch to conclude that lawmakers aren’t always sure of what
they are voting on. All they can do is trust that nobody slid something unwanted and unwelcome into the bill and that the bill is indeed what they assume it is.
As technology allows the government to become more and more accessible, the American people are putting less effort into taking advantage of that availability.
When this country was founded, there was no way for everyone to have access to each and every piece of legislation being considered by Congress. Now, these bills can often be found online.
Few people, however, take the effort to actually read the bills and know what is going on in the government. Instead, they listen to pundits such as Glenn Beck and Ann Coulter and are content to accept the opinions these biased sources feed them.
The lengths of legislation must be shortened, and the American people — along with their elected officials — need to take the time to read them.
Casey Goodwin is an engineering freshman and may be reached at [email protected]
The consumer market has taken a hit during the recession, and some companies are feeling it more than others. One of the hardest hit companies is
PDA and cell phone manufacturer Palm.
The company recently attempted to revive its sales
figures with the release of the Pre and its breakthrough WebOS mobile operating system. The company then followed that up with the release of the Pixi, a dumbed-down, candy bar version of the Pre.
Despite the company’s major advances, it is barely afloat. Palm’s stock is at $4 a share, down from $17 in October, and it has very little money in the bank to create a new product or launch a reinvigorated marketing campaign. It seems as though the once-great company now has two options: acquisition or
dissolution.The recession has put consumer
companies under a magnifying glass. Many companies no longer have vast amounts of cash to cover up mistakes in either hardware or marketing, which is exactly what happened to Palm.
The most apparent failure was the hardware in the Pre. The issues range from dead pixels in the screen to cracks in the case to rare instances of the screen twisting right off. A survey from Precentral.net showed that close to 50 percent of Pre owners have had to exchange their units at least once.
That means that almost 50 percent of all Pre phones have been given away for free, and that’s assuming only one exchange per person. That is not something a struggling company needs to deal with during an economic downturn.
The second major issue fell in the
developer realm with Palm’s application catalogue for its WebOS. The company failed to launch a software development kit with enough bells and whistles to attract a hoard of developers; it also wasn’t launched until the Pre had already gone to market. Eventually, developers were able to use all the functionality of the Pre through a development kit, but it was too late for the platform.
More misfortune came to the company with the release of the Pixi. The overall hardware of the Pixi is actually impressive; the keyboard is nice and the form factor is better than the Pre.
But WebOS can’t run very well on a hardware setup that only meets the minimum requirements. Also, at the time the Pixi was released, people were able to buy an iPhone or the Droid Eris running
Michaelpadon
CaseyGoodwin
Legislation should be more concise
Poor decisions may cost company
EDITORIAL CARTOON
usBiCef
A Florida doctor recently posted a sign on his clinic door warning patients to seek treatment somewhere else if they voted for
Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. The sign also read, “Changes to your healthcare begin right now. Not in four years.”
Dr. Jack Cassell, a urologist from Lake County, told the Orlando Sentinel that he is not refusing care to any of his patients, “but if they read the
sign and turn the other way, so be it.”
Under Florida law, Cassell is not doing anything wrong. He is only expressing his opinion, which he is allowed to do under the First Amendment.
All of us at the Daily Cougar share a different opinion on the new health care law, but we are all in support of free speech.
Just as supporters of the law have the right to celebrate its passage, those who oppose it have the right to openly criticize it, even if they are doctors.
Some people are outraged Cassell would do this, primarily because of his profession, and the oath he is under, but we applaud Cassel for standing up and exercising his right to free speech.
This issue will likely affect his practice, but this is an issue that affects him professionally and personally. He and others have every right to say what they want to say, regardless of their profession.
The sign has caused a lot of controversy, as expected, but by posting it on his clinic door, Cassell has opened a vital forum. After all, not many people have discussed how doctors might feel about the new health care law.
Perhaps this will make people want to better educate themselves on all aspects of the law so that they can share a more informed opinion.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Doctor well within his rights to publicly criticize law
We applaud Cassel for standing up and exercising his right to free speech.
E D I TO R I A L P O L I C Y
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 [email protected]; 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 [email protected]; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.
THE DAILY COUGARE D I T O R I A L B O A R D
Ronnie Turner, Editor in ChiefMatthew Keever, Managing editorPatricia Estrada, News editorHiba Adi, News editorPhillipe Craig, Sports editorRobert Higgs, Sports editorTravis Hensley, Life & Arts editorAlan Dennis, Opinion editorJarrod Klawinsky, Special projects editor
see PADON, page 8
OPINION COMING TUESDAY: Are sexually-active women taking human papillomavirus seriously enough?
EDITOR Alan Dennis E-MAIL [email protected] ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/opinion
The Daily Cougar Monday, April 5, 2010 n 5
Rice shows UH no Silver Glove love
Manuel’s 12th-inning walk-off blast lifts owls gg
to three-game series sweep of Cougars
By Tristan TippetThe daily cougar
There are several sporting events that mark the official arrival of spring every year — March Madness, MLB’s Opening Day and the start of the NBA playoffs, just to name a few.
Well, UH fans can add the Cougars losing the Silver Glove Series to in-town rival Rice to that list, and this season is no exception.
In sweeping this weekend’s three-game series at Reckling Park, the Owls proved they could win in a variety of ways.
Rice dominated on the mound in Thursday’s 6-0 win and did the same in the batter’s box during Friday’s 11-2 blowout. The Cougars put up their best fight of the series Saturday, but Rice still won, 8-7 in 12 innings, to take the Silver Glove Series trophy for the 10th consecutive year.
“This (team) is a whole lot better than that, and it hasn’t been for a lack of effort,” UH head coach Rayner Noble said. “We’ve got to
develop some quality pitching, and that falls on my shoulders. I’m in charge of these pitchers, and I’ve just got to do a better job of getting these guys prepared.”
While Thursday’s putrid showing at the plate and Friday’s ineffectiveness on the mound were equally frustrating for Noble, Saturday’s effort provided some ray of hope that the Cougars can still compete with the Owls.
The Cougars (12-14, 2-4 Conference USA) got on the board in the first inning with two runs, but UH starter Eric Brooks had control problems. Brooks walked five and surrendered six runs in just one inning, the biggest blow coming on Anthony Rendon’s first-inning grand slam. Of Brooks’ 43 pitches, 26 were balls and he was lifted after walking the bases loaded without recording an out in the second inning.
The Cougars scored a run in the second and third innings, and Matt Creel shut down the Owls for five innings after relieving Brooks to keep the score at 6-4. In the eighth inning, UH’s Chris Wallace, who
homered in the second inning, hit a three-run shot to vault the Cougars ahead 7-6.
The Cougars’ opportunity for redemption was short-lived, however, as Ty Stuckey gave up a run in the bottom half of the eighth. The score remained tied until the 12th inning when Craig Manuel drilled
a shot to right field off of Taylor Hammack for his first career homer and a walk-off win for Rice (17-12, 4-2).
“We just gave them too many fat pitches,” Noble said. “I don’t know, I think we had 10, 11 walks, but it’s been our Achilles’ heel all season long, and it’s going to be a bumpy
ride for us the rest of the way if we continue to walk guys at the clip that we’ve been walking them.”
The Cougars will try to snap their four-game losing streak when they face Sam Houston State at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Cougar Field.
By Chris LoseeThe daily cougar
After ending their three-game series at UAB with an 11-3, six-inning loss Saturday, the Cougars came home empty handed as they failed to get a win at this weekend’s three-game Conference USA series.
The Cougars lost the first game 3-2 and the second 8-2 Friday and sit at 18-19 overall and 5-7 in C-USA play.
After returning from an injury that affected her all of last week, UH righthander Amanda Crabtree took the mound on Saturday. Crabtree started off by allowing a leadoff double and a bunt single in the bottom of the first. After surrendering another hit to the load bases, Crabtree struck out Mandy Lowman, but Kayla Orr followed with a single to left field to stake the Blazers to an early 2-0 lead.
Crabtree continued to struggle, walking two more batters before being relieved by freshman Bailey Watts, who inherited a bases-loaded jam and a 4-0 deficit that ballooned to 8-0 when UAB’s Martina Landrum smacked a grand slam over the left field wall.
Head coach Kyla Holas said this
weekend’s performance illustrates a need to re-examine the staff’s approach on the mound.
“I think our pitching staff is completely lost,” Holas said. “This coaching staff has a lot of work to do this week to get them back.”
Brooke Lathan led off the second with a triple, but was left stranded. The Cougars finally broke through in the third, scoring two runs on hits by Katy Beth Sherman and Mary Tyler Dobson to cut the deficit to 8-2. This pair would again record back-to-back singles with one out in the fifth inning, but they would be left on
base after Sherman was caught stealing.
UH catcher Melissa Gregson hit a solo shot to right center field in the sixth to make the score 8-3. The Blazers (20-9, 6-3) delivered the finishing blow in the bottom of the frame by scoring three more runs, ending the contest due to the run rule.
Hoping to get back on track this week, the Cougars will face off against Prairie View A&M in a midweek doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
By John BrannenThe daily cougar
The Cougars enjoyed improvements in three of their relays as they competed against top national talent at the 83rd Annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays over the weekend in Austin.
The women’s 4x100-meter relay team finished second in 44.18 seconds. The team consisted of Christie Jones, Whitney Harris, Quin’shundolyn McPherson and Grecia Bolton as the anchor leg. Head coach Leroy Burrell said he was impressed with the performance and feels the women’s relay team can contend at the NCAA Championships.
“That’s the fastest we’ve run in April in a long time. We have a legitimate team that can be competitive at the NCAA championships, so that’s really exciting,” Burrell said. “We passed the baton really well, but we have areas to improve. Once we develop a little bit more continuity in the team we’re going to run, then I think they’ll be able to run really fast.”
The Cougars set their mark without sprinter Kalyn Floyd, who sat out with a hamstring injury. Burrell said Floyd’s presence was missed at the meet.
“In order for us to run really fast to exhibit the kind of team we are,
we really need Kalyn Floyd,” Burrell said. “She’s too big a piece for us not to have her, especially at a meet of this caliber.”
The men’s 4x100-meter relay team earned third place finishing in 39.92 seconds. With the football team taking off from spring practice this weekend, dual-sport stars Tyron Carrier and Isaiah Sweeney made surprise appearances in the relay.
“We were fortunate the meet came on Easter and football took off so we had Tyron and Isaiah available to us,” Burrell said. “They came in and we kind of had to rush to put it together, but we got the job done.”
The men’s 4x400-meter relay team shaved off four seconds from last weekend’s performance, placing fifth in its heat in 3 minutes, 9 seconds.
Burrell said he might alternate other athletes in this event but wants to develop consistency first.
“They broke 3:10, which is pretty good for us considering the shape we’re in,” Burrell said. “We have a few more options we need to explore, but our objective is to
UH left begging for mercy
Coogs show flashes at star-studded meet
kendra Berglund THE DAILy COUGAR
Freshman Bailey Watts suffered the same fate on the mound as several of her teammates, as she surrendered a grand slam in Saturday’s 11-3 loss at UAB. The Cougars were swept by the Blazers in the three-game series and have now lost five consecutive.
SPORTS COMING TUESDAY: Fighting Words examines what’s next for the lottery-bound Rockets
EDITORS Phillipe Craig, Robert higgs E-MAIL [email protected] ONLINE www.thedailycougar.com/sports
BASEBALL
TRACkSOFTBALL
justin flores THE DAILy COUGAR
Even Chris Wallace’s two home runs Saturday were not enough to help the Cougars avoid a three-game sweep against Rice. UH dropped the finale, 8-7, for its fourth loss to the Owls this season.
burreLLgg
see TRAck, page 8
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6 n Monday, April 5, 2010 LIFE & ARTS The Daily Cougar
By Callye PeyroviThe daily cougar
After seven years of anticipation, Kimberly Caldwell’s journey to fearlessness has resulted in her emotionally exposed debut album Without Regret. The petite blonde is proving her powerhouse chops as 2010’s rising rocker doll.
The Katy native’s valiant vocals and internally charged writing abilities has landed her as a member of the Vanguard Records family.
“I feel like I’ve jumped over to the fearless side and realized I’m not gonna hold back anymore when it comes to anything,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell wants people to know the woman outside of the season two American Idol finalist that she is often recognized as. She’s experienced immense development as person and artist since her days of Idol.
Without Regret’s title was inspired from a tattoo on her wrist and it being how she tries to live her life in general, Caldwell said.
“The message being delivered in album is don’t regret anything you’ve done,” Caldwell said. “Just move forward and know that any mistake you might have made in your life are lessons and own it.”
Her inspiration came from personal life stories and writing about how you feel as in you’re in those moments, she said. She wanted the album to truly represent her and be believable to her fans.
“(It’s about) my broken family and going through relationships, whether they be friendships or serious ones,” Caldwell said.
Fearless, empowering,
emotional and sensitive is what she has come to be, Caldwell said. The album shows both the woman who is full of strength and the one who breaks down.
“I think you can be both of those things: human, feel emotion, and cry while being the girl on the bathroom floor. But I think you also have to be the person who pulls yourself back up and puts yourself back together,” Caldwell said.
Without Regret is filled with fiery hits such as rocker lady anthems of emotional scorn such as “Mess of you” and “Going
Going On.” Vulnerable ballads of heartache like “Say Love” and “Frozen” offer intimate reflections of Caldwell.
Caldwell co-wrote a large portion of the album. Her favorite song on the album is “Say Love.” She had already had it in her and it poured out, she said.
“I think it’s a song that people can relate to; you put yourself in these positions, and you figure out the relationship you’re in is toxic,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell attributes legendary female rockers for her southern, raspy resonance when she sheds
her soul in a track. Wynonna Judd, Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt and Pat Benatar are among her favorites.
The “Mess of you” video was filmed at the historic Roosevelt Hotel. It once served as the residence of Marilyn Monroe and the home to the first Academy Awards during the old Hollywood glam era. It is this look that is being channeled into the photos inside the album.
“Every girl in the world prepares their entire life for their wedding day, and I feel like my whole life has been preparing for
my music video,” Caldwell said.Caldwell was born with the
ability to belt out a passionate performance. She has learned to embrace all her flaws and leap into unknown. Her edgy and dark persona blends gracefully with a glamorous delicateness.
“Just know I feel like you feel, I cry like you cry, I laugh like you laugh,” Caldwell said. “I have friends and family like you do, and at the end of the day, I hope that we can all just be a little bit more kind to one another.”
Former ‘Idol’ finalist to debut album
Vanguard reCords
Second two American Idol finalist Kimberly Caldwell shows off her power voice in her debut album Without Regret.
What are the best places to eat, hang out and
study around Houston? You tell us!
Enter your picks for a chance to win an iPod, free movie passes or freebies
at several Houston-area restaurants such as Domino’s, Wing Stop and It’s Just
Good Soul Food. Enter today! Limit one entry per person.
Best food & dining: _______________________________________________________
Best shopping: ___________________________________________________________
Best bar/club: ____________________________________________________________
Best place to study: _______________________________________________________
Best place to be entertained: _______________________________________________
Best place to hang out on campus: __________________________________________
Name: ___________________________________________________________________
Zip code: __________________ E-mail address: __________________________________
Return the entry form to Room 7, UC Satellite. Questions? Call 713-743-5340.
Responses will be tabulated by Daily Cougar staff and the winning
picks will be featured in Houston’s Top Spots, which hits the stands
on campus and around town on June 1.
Find an electronic version of this survey athttp://surveys.thedailycougar.com
THE DAILY COUGAR® presents
The Daily Cougar COMICS & MORE Monday, April 5, 2010 n 7
TOdAY’S cROSSwORdcOUGAR cOMIcS Find more daily strips at thedailycougar.com/comics
TOdAY’S SUdOkU
how to playEach 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.
robbie & bobby by Jason Poland
At the hot Dog Stand by Mishele Lamshing
aCross 1 Prickly twig 6 Bang 10 hudson Bay tribe 14 Gambling game 15 hire a decorator 16 Arizona city 17 Top grade (hyph.) 18 London district 19 Diamond stats 20 opinion 22 Like vegan food
(hyph.) 24 Fiddle idly 26 Jingles 27 orchestra leader 31 Want-ad abbr. 32 Bauxite giant 33 Dough raiser 36 MD assistants 39 hardness scale 40 Specks 41 overly submissive 42 in days gone by 43 Bobby of indy
fame 44 Urbane 45 Behave 46 Got too big 48 Became tiresome 51 PBS relative 52 Averred 54 outback maker 59 A Great Lake 60 Tender cutlets 62 Broad valleys 63 Protracted 64 Ant horde 65 A funny Murphy 66 he wrote “Picnic” 67 - majeste 68 is inclined toward
doWn 1 Not be discreet 2 Cowboy gear 3 “- cost you” 4 Pin holder 5 hieroglyphics
stone 6 Almost grads 7 Uris or Spinks 8 improvised (2
wds.) 9 Dark 10 Rostand hero 11 Cube inventor 12 Sultans’ cousins
13 A piece of cake 21 Gift tag word 23 Count calories 25 Vacillates (hyph.) 27 Nursery word 28 Sleep like - - 29 Yodeler’s answer 30 Brillo rival 34 Summer, to Pierre 35 Slugger hank - 36 Posterior 37 Granular snow 38 Misrepresent 40 Lull or gap 41 Make faces 43 home of the
Bruins 44 Apple pastry 45 Claim 47 Raises a bet 48 Madonna role 49 Zipping through 50 Steel plow inven-
tor 52 Lox locale
53 Beaver projects 55 Commanded 56 Tynan portrayer 57 Curb 58 Avails oneself of 61 Wood ash prod-
uct
© 2009 united feature syndiCate inC.
previous puzzle solved
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS
Free Tax Assistanceis 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!
Bayou City Room (Room 202),University Center, 2nd Floor, Saturdays Only, 9:30 am to 2:00 pm:
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8 n Monday, April 5, 2010 OPINION | SPORTS The Daily Cougar
the Android operating system — both comparably better phones — for the same price.
The economic recession is forcing companies to trim their own
fat. Palm made some bad decisions when it came to hardware design and marketing, and the company is now suffering in a big way.
It no longer has cash to use in bandaging its problems.
If the company manages to survive this low point in its existence, we can expect it to
emerge from the recession as a technological powerhouse. But right now, everyone is tightening their belts, and some companies are just too fragile to handle the pressure.
Michael Padon is an engineering sophomore and may be reached at [email protected]
PAdONcontinued from page 4
run well enough to be competitive first and then start to plug some other people in and make ourselves deeper.”
On the individual front, Wesley
Bray placed fourth in the decathlon by compiling 7,429 points, which should be enough to qualify for the NCAA Championship meet.
The Cougars will now travel to Tempe, Ariz., for the Arizona Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
TRAckcontinued from page 5