“What we really want is for our national caliber athletes to compete and show what we are capable of and make the finals,” head coach Leroy Burrell said. “With some of our developing athletes we want them to go out there and perform at their best because the venue and atmosphere are outstanding.”

The New Balance Invitational is the biggest collegiate-sporting event held in the New York-metropolitan area with 130 universities from 28 different states and global competitors from universities in France, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Ireland.

In its 11th year, the event hosts powerhouse teams from across the nation with an eye on both regional and national interest.

UH will be facing teams from conferences such as the SEC, Big 10, and Big 12.

“There are going to be ranked opponents, ranked teams and numerous teams,” said Burrell.

Burrell said that this will be a great opportunity for the Cougars to get exposure to a different level of competition

“We are going to be competing against many of the best track and field teams in the country,” Burrell said.

“The competition can be very stiff, but we have some athletes that can compete at that level.”

Burrell emphasized the importance of the location.

“Moving to the Big East, The Armory is the venue where our conference will be held, so it has added importance to the future of our program,” he said.

The student body has given their approval of the athletics referendum. The official results of the referendum were announced at noon today in the UC World Affairs Lounge. According to Executive Director of Learning and Assessment Services Patrick Daniel, the referendum was passed by a 4,745 vote margin.

“Of the 9,923 ballots casted, there were 7,334 in favor of the referendum,” Daniel said. “That means the referendum passes.”

UH students will start paying an additional $45 in student fees per semester to fund the construction, renovation and operation of athletic facilities if the increase is approved by the UH Board of Regents at their special meeting on March 27. If approved, the fee increase would take effect this fall.

Through the efforts of SGA, the athletics program and the Department of Student Affairs, 26.1 percent of the student body was mobilized to vote in the referendum.

According to Vice President for Student Affairs Richard Walker, this is the highest turnout ever for a UH student referendum. The previous highest turnout was in 1998 when 15 percent of UH students voted in the referendum for the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

“What a great day for athletics, and really I believe a great day for this university,” said Athletics Director Mack Rhoades.

“This is a game changer. Fifteen years from now, 20 years from now we are going to look back at this day and say that was a significant moment in the turning point of our intercollegiate athletics program. Bottom line, we want to be the best. We want to make sure that we have an athletics program that every one of our students can be proud of. That we can have national visibility, that we can win championships, compete nationally, but do it the right way. So what a great day, and certainly you did not get here without a great team effort. I just can’t quit smiling.”

SGA Senator Jared Gogets credits the team work between the athletics department, the Department of Student Affairs and UH students for the success of the referendum.

“Before I say anything, anyone in SPB that wants to go back to the office, you can turn off the Adele and put my ice cream away because it passed and I don’t have to go in there and be depressed for the rest of the day,” said Gogets, who is president of Student Program Board.

Gogets said the passage of the referendum was an prime example of how the students, faculty and staff of UH can come together as one in order to move the University forward.

“Thank you to the thousands of students that went out and set the record for voting. Try to tell somebody that you guys don’t care about UH now because you went out there and you showed that you care about moving us forward, you care about Tier One and you care about the athletics program.”

Riding a wave of momentum and exposure as a national brand, head coach Tony Levine unveiled his inaugural recruiting class Wednesday, which only added to the abundance of excitement surrounding the program.

“I would argue that there has not been a better time where there has been more publicity for the University of Houston football program than right now,” Levine said.

UH successfully addressed several areas of need, including wide receiver, where all four of last season’s starters were seniors. The Cougars signed five — and potentially six — at that position with the biggest splash coming from Deontay Greenberry, ranked as the No. 7 wide receiver nationally by Scout.com.

“He’s had a great relationship with special teams and inside receivers coach Jamie Christian from his time at Arizona State,” Levine said. “Deontay lives just west of here… in California, and is really excited to be a Cougar.”

The Cougars also signed a quarterback in Rex Dausin, who is already receiving comparisons to his record-setting predecessor Case Keenum.

“He [Case] was really a competitive player; he was good at every sport he did and I see that a lot in Rex when we were evaluating him,” offensive coordinator Mike Nesbitt said. “He did some things on his own to help his team become better.

“You see a guy who was really hungry for the opportunity to get here.”

The Cougars, ranked by some publications as the No. 1 recruiting class in Conference USA, also added a trio of offensive linemen, three running backs, four defensive linemen, four linebackers and three to four defensive backs to round out the class. Of the 24 signees, 11 earned All-State recognition, four of which were named as High School All-Americans.

“We’ve got extremely high goals and aspirations for our program and to achieve those goals, we’re going to recruit the best,” Levine said. “If you recruit the top 50 in the state of Texas and you get two or three to tell you yes, we’re going to get to where we want to be as a program.”

Two of the seven books being removed from classrooms were published as a part of Arte Público Press’ Hispanic Civil Rights series.

“Chicano! The History of the Mexican Civil Rights Movement” by Arturo Rosales and “Message to Aztlán: Selected Writings” by Rodolfo Gonzales were banned, said a UH news release.

Both books deal with the Mexican American civil rights movement, and their removal follows the dismantling of Mexican studies in schools in the beginning of the year.

According to the news release, APP has moved into a larger location at UH’s Energy Research Park. They now have more storage space for books, additional offices for their staff, and room for state-of-the-art book scanners and equipment necessary for working with EBSCO to digitize recovered work written by Latinos from the colonial period to present day.

APP is the nation’s largest and most established publisher of contemporary and recovered literature by US Hispanic authors. Books in the series highlight women’s activism, immigration reform, educational equity, citizen participation in a democratic society, civic culture and racial/cultural relations.

“Twenty-five years ago, our books were stored in university classroom closets, and now they sit in a massive warehouse. But in Arizona, they’re going back into the closet,” said Marina Tristán, APP’s assistant director, in the release.

Faculty members in the history department of UH who deal with Mexican-American history also commented on this recent controversy.

“The decision by the school district to ban Chicano studies courses and ban the books taught is based on the flawed notion that Mexican-American history is not American history,” says Raul Ramos, also an associate professor.

“These policies will have the opposite effect legislators intend, resulting in division and discord rather than unity and mutual understanding.”

By removing records of any single period of history, the school district is keeping its students from fully understanding other historical events, said Monica Perales, an associate professor.

“I am truly saddened by the events taking place in Tucson,” Perales said.

“The thing about history is that there is no single narrative of the past; there are multiple intersecting and sometimes conflicting perspectives. The tragedy here is that not only are Latino students being denied the right to have their history and culture valued, but that all students are going to miss out on understanding the richness and complexity of the American experience.”

news@thedailycougar.com

The bill outlines the need for students to come forth and “do the right, responsible thing” when it comes to reporting incidents, particularly drug and alcohol-related situations, political science senior Michael McHugh said.

“Fear of police involvement is the number one reason why many drug and alcohol related incidences are not reported. Students think they may get in trouble, and they stay quiet,” McHugh said.

According to the Students for Sensible Drug Policy’s website, this bill would encourage people who witness or suffer an overdose to call 911 by assuring them they will not be arrested, charged or prosecuted for drug or paraphernalia possession or under-age alcohol possession.

Many prestigious universities have already adopted the bill, including Cornell, Duke and Harvard, McHugh said.

“With this policy, students will be (up to) two and a half times more likely to call for help immediately when witnessing alcohol incidents,” McHugh said. “Saving lives should never be considered criminal.”

The grade replacement bill discussions, a bill designed to allow students to retake a failed class and have the grade replaced, have come to a halt—for now.

“We’re not voting on the grade replacement policy tonight,” said Speaker of the Senate Reyes Ramirez. “We’re dealing with concerns from the Faculty Senate.”

According to Academic Affairs Chairman Maggie McCartney, she approached Faculty Director Simon Bott about the bill.  Bott then told her the grade replacement policy comes before the Faculty Senate every few years and every few years it is rejected.

The Faculty Senate’s concerns with the bill consist of implementing the program correctly and taking into consideration the students and the retention rate. The goal is for UH to continue to be recognized as Tier One and help students at the same time, according to Mike Nguyen, a former College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences senator.

“We’ll leave it in committee until we can get everything finalized,” McCartney said.

The proposal of the amended GENDA bill by McHugh is being put on hold.

“We figured we should take care of the students first, starting by holding off on this legislation. We (should) have more details on this by next week.”

news@thedailycougar.com

“The Grey” is the story of tough, scum-of-the-earth oil drillers in Alaska and their struggle to survive against harsh weather conditions and a pack of wolves after a plane crashes deep in the Alaskan wilderness.

Based on the short story “Ghost Walker” by Ian Mackenzie Jeffers, “The Grey” is a film about hope and the will to live — and the strain that they inflict.

Liam Neeson leads the cast as the man in charge of protecting the drillers from wolves before and after the crash, and he portrays the toughest character that he has had to do since “Taken.”

Also starring in the picture are Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, Frank Grillo, James Badge Dale, Nonso Anonzie and Joe Anderson.

“The Grey” is like a new version of “The Edge” with wolves that are relentless in their stalking and killing.

The strongest point of the film is the fact that you get to know each character and care for them as they are killed off throughout the movie.

It is a survival film where the audience feels it every time someone is brutally taken by the wolves.

Filmed in a gritty and realistic way, the characters are followed closely. This makes the audience feel like they are right there with the actors.

The strong acting and settings in each of the films’ scenes establishes the extreme despair of the situation.

“The Grey” is the epitome of a survival film and how far they have come from films like “Jaws,” “Deep Blue Sea” and “Lake Placid.”

It is also going to be difficult to be topped in its genre, by films of the future as well as the past.

“The Grey” is a tough viewing experience but it is unlike anything else you will ever experience.

Neeson is dynamic as he leads these pessimistic outcasts through the tough wilderness to more despair, but with enough hope to keep them alive as long as possible.

Even with being suicidal himself after a personal tragedy, Neeson’s character Ottway finds the meaning in life through the toughest lesson of all.

If you are a fan of survival movies like the ones mentioned above, “The Grey” is a must-see. It is a worthwhile emotional experience that not too many movies can provoke out of their audiences.

It is thoroughly enjoyable for the entire hour-and-57-minute duration.

Also, be sure to stay for the short scene after the ending credits for an extra discussion regarding the movie’s conclusion.

arts@thedailycougar.com

Greenberry surprised the college football world by choosing UH over Notre Dame on Wednesday.

The Washington Union High School-receiver originally committed to Notre Dame to join his cousin, Tee Shepard, in South Bend, Ind., but Greenberry’s visit to UH last weekend caused him to change his mind.

“For the first time during his recruiting process, he was going to make a decision that was best for him and not what other people wanted him to do,” Washington Union head coach Jeff Freitas said.

Freitas said that Greenberry fell in love with the coaching staff at UH and the city. One of the most important parts of Greenberry’s descision was the relationship he had built with recently-hired UH special teams coordinator Jamie Christian.

“Jamie Christian has a real good rapport with Deontay, and I know when he was with Arizona State that he was interested,” Freitas said. “When he moved to UH a month ago, there was some interest in UH because of him.”

With all four of the Cougars’ starting receivers graduating, Greenberry also saw and opportunity to make an immediate impact on the field.

“He saw the opportunity to play early and he considers himself one of the best and he’s not scared of a challenge and he wanted the opportunity to get the ball and go,” Christian said.

Greenberry, who was ranked as the No. 7 receiver nationally and No. 46 player overall by Scout.com, caught 109 passes as a senior for a state-record 2,165 yards and 33 touchdowns, helping Washington Union capture the California Division III State Championship.

“What intrigued me with him when we first started talking to him and when coach Christian brought him up was just his mindset that he wants to be a big-time player,” offensive coordinator Mike Nesbitt said.

“Once he got on campus and he could really see the offense and what it truly was about, then that was the thing that sold it.”

Now in its 29th year, the festival begins with a recital by its founder Abbey Simon at 7:20 p.m. Friday at Moores Opera House.

Fellow piano masters Markus Groh from Germany and Albert Reyes of Uruguay will also present classes and recitals through Sunday.

“The International Piano Festival has been very successful for many years,” said Alan Austin, director of special projects for Moores. “It has gotten better every year, we will be doing them for a long time.”

Austin described Simon as the patriarch of the festival.

He said Simon is someone whose approach to music is something that students will take with them for the rest of their careers.

“With Simon’s history as a pianist, he will develop his students to play at these festivals with poise and confidence,” Austin said.

“The students come to (Moores School of Music) to learn that traditional sound that Simon instills in his students.”

The recitals and a special luncheon will provide festival attendees a chance to both speak with and get to know the artists.

The festival will consist of new masterworks by Groh and Reyes, Simon’s fellow masters.

Both will perform their award winning works during the festival as well.

arts@thedailycougar.com

Aquarius (Jan.20-Feb.18):

Consider how you might bring gifts of wisdom to your surroundings this week.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20):

Others might notice the added oomph to your stride and smooth-talking ways.

Aries (March 21-April 19):

Clarity and analytical thought might seem hard to find right now.

Taurus (April 20-May 20):

It’s time to move forward with your plans for artistic development.

Gemini (May 21-June 20):

Take advantage of this empowered state and you’ll probably be the class clown of the week.

Cancer (June 21-July 22):

You might find your amorous desires to be rather earthy. This sensual placement is beneficial to all matters in love.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22):

Take the inner tension and channel it into physical activities until next week when the full moon will help liven things up.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

If things aren’t going how you planned, take note on how to improve these trouble spots in your life.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

Recent lessons in emotional boundaries and relationships will begin to become apparent over the next week.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

Stand up for yourself this week in your career and scholastic responsibilities.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

The feelings of extra frustration in work and service can be channeled. Make lists of your goals to avoid distraction.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

Take note of structures that seem to be fading out in your life so you can prepare for stronger replacements in their stead.

arts@thedailycougar.com

Greenberry originally committed to play for the Irish on May 27, 2011 and hoped to join his cousin, Tee Sheperd, on the field.

However, the opportunity to play right away in a major market for an up-and-coming program was too much for Greenberry to resist.

Greenberry’s high school coach at Washington Union (Calif.), Jeff Freitas, said that the choice was easy for the receiver after spending a weekend on campus at UH. He fell in love with the coaching staff, the city and felt comfortable with the offense.

Freitas said that Greenberry made the move because it felt right for him, and that for the first time during the entire recruiting process, he was making decision for himself and not for others.

Neither the coaching staff at UH or at Notre Dame anticipated the switch. The Fresno Bee reported that no one was aware of the switch until Greenberry walked into his signing ceremony wearing red instead of navy and gold.

Greenberry comes to UH ranked as the No. 7 receiver nationally and No. 46 player, regardless of position, according to Rivals.com.

As a senior, he caught 109 passes for a state-record 2,165 yards and 33 touchdowns to helped lead 14-0 Washington Union to the California Division III State Championship.

His size, speed and leaping ability will make him an asset in the Cougars’ offense from the start.

The Cougars capturing Greenberry is not an anomaly. It’s just the beginning of a new era of football at Robertson Stadium.

At UH’s press conference for National Signing Day, head coach Tony Levine said that chasing top talent will be the norm from now on. Even if the Cougars are said to be counted out of the race for a player, it’s worth trying because otherwise you would never know.

On “Face the Nation” Sunday, Priebus made a condescending statement comparing Obama to Francesco Schettino — the embattled Captain of the Costa Concordia. Schettino abandoned his ship on which 17 people would eventually die.

“We’re going to talk about our own little Captain Schettino, which is President Obama,” Priebus said. “Who is abandoning the ship here in the United States and is more interested in campaigning than doing his job as president.”

Priebus attempted to clarify on Fox News’ “America Live” with Megyn Kelly on Monday afternoon.

“The analogy was made — and it was an analogy of leadership — that in a time of crisis, this president is leaving the White House and campaigning nonstop all the time,” he said.

He continued, accusing those across the aisle of pandering for effect.

“I think it’s pretty clear, but you know, if people out there — especially on the Democratic side — want to try to make hay of it, they’re going to be able to do that.”

“Last Word” host Lawrence O’Donnell lambasted Priebus for his comments. So did Chris Matthews on his show. Both used these quotes to prove that Obama has been egregiously disrespected by the Republican Party.

While it is certainly true that Republicans have attempted to undercut Obama’s authority, this event was not indicative of that.

Was it an apt comparison? No, not at all.

There seems to be both disrespect and a deliberate attempt to discredit that echoes from both the republican establishment and the outliers of the party. This is apparent in the vehement criticism that he has faced since before his first day in the Oval Office.

It began with claims that Obama was a Socialist or Muslim extremist. The cover of The New Yorker in July 2008 makes a prime example.

It continued with birthers’ claims that he was born in Africa. There are still people who refuse to believe that Obama was born in the US, even though he released his birth certificate a year ago.

Congressman Joe Wilson had the audacity to shout “You lie!” in the House of Representatives in September 2009 when Obama denied that health care legislation would provide free coverage for illegal immigrants.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stated that his number one goal was making sure Obama is a one-term President — not more important issues like the economy and unemployment or the spiraling national deficit.

I recount these events, not to hold a pity party for Obama, but to delve into the mindset of a party that is looking to delegitimize the president in any way possible.

With such overt examples that display a clear pattern of disrespect, it is easy to over-sensationalize any isolated event by blindly throwing darts at similar events and claiming to hit the bull’s-eye.

And sure, I believe that Priebus crossed the line in comparing the president to an accused murderer. But let us not overreact to a bad comparison.

As members of the media, we hold a responsibility to not over-sensationalize news or create narratives based on our own biases.

Fox News was formed out of the perceived lack of conservative influence in the media. Though the liberal bias in the media is vastly overstated, it does exist. Situations like this prove it.

Let’s save our scathing disapprovals for those who deserve it.

Christopher Shelton is a journalism junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

At 6:58 a.m. on Thursday, there were tons of cars on the road. Inside of each vehicle was someone gliding along to his or her profitable job that makes waking up early and sitting in traffic day-after-day, week-after-week, seem like a no-brainer. There is something else in each of those vehicles, and if you back up, you can see it — a college degree.

The University of Houston is one of the few public universities locally available to the city’s more than 2.1 million people. If we want people who want to work to be able to work, we need to make university degrees financially-accessible. Believe it or not, the cost of a degree is not universal and is not set by some higher powers. Sometimes, the control actually lies in our own hands.

Members of the Student Fees Advisory Committee propose to increase the per-semester student service fee by $50.

Given that entering students have at least eight semesters in front of them and the federal student loan rate in 2012-13 will be 6.8 percent, and that many loans run for 10 years, the fee increase would mean that someone without money is $550 further away from getting a university degree.

You can vote today and tomorrow almost anywhere on campus.

—Lara Appleby

Biology graduate student

Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich needs no introduction, being one of the most scandalized Republican runners. However, he apparently needs a lesson about college.

“Students take fewer classes per semester. They take more years to get through. Why? Because they have free money,” Gingrich said to Republicans in Florida last week.

The quote ended up in the Washington Post and spread to newspapers like the Houston Chronicle. There is no telling how many college students — former and present — read his words on the Internet.

If there were any young college students planning to vote for him prior to the remarks, there should be none afterward. Gingrich must know how wrong his words were. Not wrong in an insensitive or rude sense — wrong as in false.

First, there is “free” money, but there is no such thing as free money. Gingrich should be aware of this thanks to all the campaign contributions he’s received. Free money is as real as unicorns and honest politicians. What most students use to pay tuition is not “free” money: student loans and credit cards. Both of these things students must pay pack with interest.

Secondly, students take fewer classes per semester, true enough. Many students enroll longer and delay graduation. But this is because students have almost no money. With little money, many students take fewer classes and work to pay off their tuition.

The only answer to why Gingrich would alienate himself from young college-bound voters with such insults is that he thinks he does not need the young vote. By insulting the young, he compliments the old.

“I would tell students, ‘Get through as quick as you can. Borrow as little as you can. Have a part-time job.’ But that’s very different from the culture that has grown up in the last 20 years,” Gingrich said.

The only culture differences between now and 20 years ago is the cost of tuition. This may be news to Gingrich who has not attended college in years. He might expect an 18-year-old not to vote, but the average UH undergraduate is 22 years old. The average UH graduate student is 29. We’re not an anomaly, which puts his “culture of 20 years ago” comment out the window.

Age does not entitle him to be rude or ignorant. When he mentioned borrowing little and working part-time, he did not realize these are common steps, that completing college in eight semesters is no easy feat.

Other candidates have yet to show a cold shoulder to young voters. Rick Santorum was quoted saying that President Barack Obama wanted more students in college to “indoctrinate” the young into a “left-wing ideology,” but this isn’t technically insulting students or voters per se.

A 21-year-old in New Hampshire asked Mitt Romney in Dec. 2011 why college students should vote for him. Romney answered bluntly.

“What I can promise you is this: When you get out of college, if I’m president you’ll have a job,” Romney said. “If President Obama is re-elected, you will not be able to get a job.”

Admittedly, Romney was talking to only the one student. The message is still a bit hard to swallow. Will students not be able to get a job if the incumbent is re-elected?

Last but not least, Ron Paul has no trouble getting young voter support nor is he likely to insult them. Although Paul is not the only Republican candidate with a limited-government stance that appeals to young entrepreneurs, Paul won 31 percent of the youth vote (ages 18-29) in the South Carolina exit poll — showing off his popularity with student bodies. Gingrich got second place of that age group, but if he continues to make these insulting remarks about college students, that number might not mean much for long.

Not that it will make a difference if students stay indoors on election day. Some candidates are counting on it.

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

We’re trying to build a new football stadium and renovate Hofheinz Pavilion while also trying to build new residence and dining halls — not to mention our attempt at raising admissions requirements. But has anyone stopped to think what students at UH students actually want?

It’s not news to anyone that parking on this campus is terrible. It can take students more than an hour to find parking between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Sure, students receive e-mails at the beginning of the semester, warning them about the situation, but it’s not realistic for students to plan to come to school an hour in advance to make their hour and a half classes.

Furthermore, during game days — even for non-UH teams — parking is even more restricted. Should we really be putting more importance on sporting events than we are putting on education?

So what is the University doing to fix this problem? The construction of the new parking garage next to Robertson Stadium is a start, but when did UH start construction on it?

UH is also planning to build more residence halls, completely ignoring that the ones we have are unable to reach full occupancy. And don’t think an increased number of students in dorms would alleviate the parking situation.

With most dining options closed and a lack of things to do on campus during nights and weekends, students need their cars on campus just to entertain themselves.

Because UH is in the Third Ward with no viable dining options off-campus within walking distance, it forces students to either drive somewhere else or hope they don’t have a history of heart disease in their family. Maybe the University should be less focused on attracting new students and focus more on satisfying its current students’ needs.

Approximately 15 students escaped the rain yesterday to enjoy hot cups of soup with the Council of Ethnic Organizations  in the University Center Spindletop room.

Students learned from members of the Council how to make Pistou, a French vegetable soup, and Egg Drop Soup with chicken.

“In each of our lessons, we try to have a vegetarian option and a meat-eater’s option,” said Jimmy Mai, a pre-pharmacy freshman.

Complications with the maximum heat of the electric stoves that the cooks were using — which were chosen because they allowed the group to avoid dealing with fire permits — led to some problems with the soup.

“I didn’t expect this not to boil at all,” French sophomore Erica Tat said about her Egg Drop Soup. “It’s a disaster.”

The Council chose soup for this event because January is National Soup Month, Mai said, but in this year alone, they have hosted four other cooking lessons.

“We’ll definitely be doing more,” Mai said.

The fact that the cooks did not have immediate access to a sink also made things difficult, Tat said.

“We can’t readily wash out utensils or pots to use again,” Tat said. “We have to find really, really simple recipes with as few ingredients as possible.”

The program “Let’s Talk” is open to all UH students, faculty and staff and is recommended for students who aren’t sure about counseling, students who have a specific problem, students who want guidance to help a friend with an issue and faculty or staff members who are concerned about a particular student or individual, said Kay Brumbaugh, outreach coordinator and psychologist.

“We understand that meeting with a therapist can be anxiety-provoking. What’s great about ‘Let’s Talk’ is that it’s a drop-in service where students can have informal consultations without committing to therapy,” Brumbaugh said.

“What we have discovered is that some students feel more comfortable after ‘Let’s Talk’ and decide to make a follow up appointment at CAPS for continued services.”

After the 15 minute session, a therapist will make recommendations as to what the best option for help would be, which may be a referral to CAPS, another UH department or an outside agency, Brumbaugh said.

“I believe this program will absolutely help students with their problems,” Brumbaugh said.

“It’s a great opportunity to casually speak with a therapist, hear what recommendations they may have, and see how counseling might help.”

The “Let’s Talk” therapists are staff from CAPS and consist of licensed psychologists, post-doctoral fellows and advanced graduate trainees in counseling and clinical psychology, said Brumbaugh.

For more information on this and other CAPS programs, go to www.caps.uh.edu/.

The only change, Speaker for the Senate Reyes Ramirez said, will be the inclusion of a talk by Faculty Director Simon Bott.

The senators will discuss — and possibly vote on — a grade replacement bill which will, under specific circumstances, allow students who have failed a class to have their grade replaced upon retaking the class, rather than have both grades factored into their GPA.

The senators will also be taking a look at a resolution that would officially set the stance of the SGA in support of providing stipends for students who must teach at elementary or secondary schools as part of their education.

Students who work as student teachers usually find it difficult to find employment elsewhere, according to the resolution’s text.

If the resolution is passed, SGA would work with other organizations to provide the students with stipends, the text said.

Michael McHugh will also introduce the new version of the GENDA bill, which would add gender identity to the non-discrimination section of the student handbook.

A resolution asking the Board of Regents to make the change was passed last semester. However, the Board returned it to the SGA, saying the senate was better suited to make minor changes in the student handbook.

There is always hype surrounding an artist when they are coming out with a debut album. “Born to Die”, the first album released by Lana Del Rey (Elizabeth Grant), saw a massive wave of praise (or essential lack thereof) by critics.

In order to truly have an opinion of this album, fans need to forget all about her performance on “Saturday Night Live.” A difference must be made between what an artist can do in a live show than from what he or she can do in a studio recording.

Released in October 2011, “Video Games” is a calm and subtle masterpiece of collaboration between Del Rey’s vocals and the melodic, soothing orchestral instruments. It takes some artists more than their debut album to find a sound as sharp and defined as this track. Though it is not a revolutionary new sound, it is still something that can be admired.

In the album’s title track, there are trip-hop themed beats as well as some alternative interludes that are incorporated within seconds of the start of the song. Del Rey’s vocals match the rhythm and create an enchantingly confident vibe that some artists lack.

Though most of these tracks are something new, there is still a sense of déjà vu when listening to each composition. For example, a few seconds into “Blue Jeans” there is a screaming similar to that of Awolnation’s single, “Sail”.

In “Off to the Races”, there is a bit of Garbage’s style incorporated in the beats and lyrical compilation of the song. The track is also one of the few in which she does not use her “traditional” voice and instead uses a more feminine and higher pitched voice, making the song flow better.

“Diet Mountain Dew” is a catchy pop track which really should have been a single. It has a ’50s feel to it and gives the audience a true glimpse into the image that Del Rey tries to give off.

The remaining songs lack any deeper emotion or message. The only exception to this is “National Anthem,” which demonizes and re-writes the American dream by saying, “Money is the anthem of success. So put on mascara and your party dress.”

“Born to Die” spans many genres and does not solely focus on a specific demographic, allowing the album to have a broader appeal.

The album contains an Adele track to hook the listeners, as well as the ’90s Brit-pop tracks and the stereotypical American pop songs.

Overall, the album has respectable tunes but is not worth buying. Del Rey is still jumping around genres in this album, looking for the one that emphasizes her talents.

She is a talented signer and there is much to look forward to from her, but “Born to Die” is simply an album that serves as a stem to see in which musical direction she will chose to follow.

The first workshop, “Step-by-Step Plan to Setting and Achieving Goals,” will provide students with information about how to identify goals, develop an implementation plan and strengthen their commitment to that plan.

“It’s the perfect topic for the beginning of a semester,” said Kay Brumbaugh, outreach coordinator and psychologist for CAPS.

The workshop takes place from noon to 1 p.m. in the Student Service Center 1 Building conference room 210D.

“Students not only get a chance to see an informative presentation, but also interact and hear concerns or ideas from other participants,” Brumbaugh said.

Many students find it difficult to stick to their goals for new semesters, even after attending this type of workshop. In that case, CAPS offers private consultations for students who need extra help and support.

“It’s also a great opportunity for participants to meet a CAPS clinician and gain information about available CAPS services,” Brumbaugh said.

A variety of topics are available throughout the school year, Brumbaugh said, including “Understanding Depression,” “Communication Among Couples, Managing Anger” and “Dissertation and Thesis Survival”.

It seems as though many students disregard CAPS at UH because they assume that all services require appointments and fees.

“CAPS therapists hold walk-in hours at sites around campus and there is no appointment or fee necessary,” Brumbaugh said.

This is perfect for students not sure if they need services and just want to see what a CAPS therapist might recommend.

Following today’s premiere workshop, subsequent workshops will run every Wednesday this semester until April 25.

“Food for Thought” workshops are always free and registration is not required.

For more information on this and other workshops, visit caps.uh.edu/outreach-food.aspx