Cougars prep for big test against UTEP

In last year’s matchup against UTEP, the Cougars were coming off two momentous wins against Oklahoma State and

The Cougars are 3-2 against UTEP since the Miners joined Conference USA in 2005. UH last beat them in 2008.
Kendra Berglund/The Daily Cougar

Texas Tech. They had ascended to a No. 12 national ranking and were looking to get into the top 10 for the first time since 1990.

The Miners dashed those hopes with a 58-41 win in El Paso. While the Cougars went on to win five consecutive games afterward, it was an exposing loss.

UH will host UTEP on Friday at Robertson Stadium, and fans hope the team will avenge last year’s loss. But the coaching staff and players insist last year’s result has no bearing on Friday’s game. The fact that the game is the Conference USA opener is enough reason for motivation.

“It’s the first conference game, and that brings weight in itself,” quarterback Case Keenum said.

“We’re through talking about last year and what happened last year. We’re ready to go out and make our own name for ourselves this 2010 season.”

Linebacker Matt Nicholson said the team is using the philosophy of taking it one game at a time.

“We don’t forget about what happened last year,” Nicholson said. “But it’s an important conference game. We’re going to treat it like any other game.”

The Miners have experience to boast with 26 seniors on their roster. Head coach Kevin Sumlin said he feels UTEP is the most versatile team in C-USA.

“This team is probably the best blend of talent,” Sumlin said. “In the East, you have bigger, stronger guys. On the West, you have good speed type teams like us, Tulsa and SMU. This team is probably the best blend of both.”

In last year’s game, UTEP running back Donald Buckram ran wild on the Cougars for 262 yards and four touchdowns. Buckram missed the Miners’ season-opening 31-10 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday with a bruised knee.

All signs point to Buckram suiting up for Friday’s game.

“If I was him, I wouldn’t care how hurt I was. I would show up,” Sumlin said. “They tape me up, and I would go out there after putting 260 yards up on a team.”

Sumlin pointed out that Keenum leads the NCAA with 41 career starts, but UTEP quarterback Trevor Vittatoe is not far off with 37.

“At any level of football, an experienced quarterback with an experienced team is dangerous,” Sumlin said.

After Saturday’s 68-28 win over Texas State, the Cougars are ranked No. 27 in the Associated Press poll after receiving 60 votes. In the USA Today poll, they earned 87 votes and are at No. 26.

A win Friday could catapult UH into the top 25 in either poll.

The game will kick off at 9:15 p.m. and be televised on ESPN.

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Going to movies alone not such a bad thing

I’ve never really had a problem with going to movies by myself. It always seemed like a good way to get away from my responsibilities for a little bit. To be honest, I didn’t really think that it was weird until I was dating someone and she asked me why I didn’t answer my phone.

When I explained that I was in a movie, she didn’t ask me what I saw. Instead, she asked me who I went with. When I told her that I was by myself, she gave a look of silent confusion and obvious disapproval. This has been a look that most women I’ve dated have mastered rather quickly.

So, that’s the reason this Cougar Sutra series on being single will start with going to the movies. It’s also because the first date that most people have gone on is to go catch a flick.

It was certainly my first foray into the world of dating. For some strange reason, it seems much easier to ask someone to the movies, rather than actually asking them on a date.

I have heard that horror movies make for great date movies (this is wrong). Because of this misapprehension on my part, the first date that I ever went on was the go see “Saw”. Now, I showered and cleaned my car before I picked her up.  At about half way through the movie, I realized that I forgot to put on deodorant. If you’re going to use the pink hand soap that can be found in most public bathrooms, there is something that you should know: First, it doesn’t mask the smell of body odor. Instead, you get two competing smells. Next, it leaves a soapy circle around your armpits. Finally, the situation that you’ve just caused is far worse than being a little smelly.

I spent the rest of my date with my arms crossed and her asking me what was wrong.  If the same mistake were to happen today, I would admit my mistake right off the bat. It is a lot easier to laugh at stupidity than to hide embarrassment.

That was my first date. Now, I’ve been to the movies with different girls. I’ve learned that no matter what, always put on deodorant before a date, and that movies make for a really bad date. If you’re going to the movies on the first date, you’ve already established yourself as unoriginal. Save that for date five when you really have no idea what to do next.

If you’re going to be a good single person, you need to learn how to do things by yourself. If you don’t get used to going alone, you are going to be a plague on all of your friends any time you want to go see something they don’t want to see.

My advice is don’t go to movies to be entertained, but instead go so you can get away from all the issues in your life. You can go see whatever you want and smell however you want.

A little extra advice; I strongly suggest going to the movies when fewer people will be there. It is also probably best to stay away from children’s movies. If you really want to get away, it’s probably best not to do it somewhere crowded and looking a little creepy.

Please share your first date experiences by sending them to arts@thedailycougar.com.

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Quran burning is bad for America

Recently in the news, we have seen many Americans speaking out against building a community center and Mosque near Ground Zero, but now comes an even greater form of ignorance that just might cause an international crisis. Pastor Terry Jones from Gainesville, Fla., is holding a burn a Quran day on the anniversary of 9/11.  Does this make any sense?

As an American Muslim, just the thought of burning the Quran or any holy book makes me furious. I don’t know how much respect Christians give to their Bible, but Muslims are not supposed to sit or stand on, throw, and definitely not burn the Quran, and that actually goes for any book with words in it.

This act not only makes Muslims from around the world angry, but it makes us all, as members of society, ask the more important question — why would someone do such a thing? How much backlash would there be if some Muslims got together to burn the Bible? What makes Pastor Jones and his congregation different from any other radical regime? .

Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, issued a strict warning that “images of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan — and around the world — to inflame public opinion and incite violence.” Patraeus also believes this act of burning the Quran “could cause significant problems for American troops overseas.”

The viewpoint of the Founding Fathers did not mean one should dishonor another religion, but just the opposite.  We must respect all religions that coincide within our borders, and as we move to a more global economic world, we must respect all forms of religion.

The ultimate question then is will the burning of the Quran cause more hatred and negative feelings regarding the U.S. and its government?  With a doubt, yes it will.  We as Americans believe we live in the most civil society on the planet, but we forget to mention the fact that this country had years of slavery. The burning of books is nothing new to us, and maybe this is the problem.  The problem is that racism has evolved past skin color and reached a new plateau which includes religion.

As a Muslim, it would be a humiliation to watch someone desecrate the Quran or any word of God. As an American, it would be an embarrassment to see this.  And as a global citizen, it would only confirm the fact that we have yet to find any kind of honor in our own belief systems.

Omar Mohammad is a finance senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

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Pharmacy students recognized for community service

Students from the UH College of Pharmacy recently celebrated a list of accomplishments at their annual awards ceremony.

The chapter of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association was one of three finalists for the SNPhA-Rite Aid Chauncey I. Cooper Award for their community service.

Along with the achievement of the department, several pharmacy students earned individual title recognition.

Angel Trieu was elected as Region IV facilitator — marking the second year a UH student earned the position — and won the National Pharmaceutical Association Auxiliary Scholarship.

“I feel very fortunate to have been selected an award winner, and I am very thankful to the donor of the award,” Trieu said. “I am happy to be given the chance to lead the SNPhA chapters in the South Central region of the United States. I hope I can make a difference and motivate the chapters to do their best.”

Trieu’s position includes managing nine SNPhA chapters and encouraging members to serve communities through the profession of pharmacy.

“I hope to benefit this position by encouraging more inter-university communication by implementing more technology such as video conferencing and online calendar of events,” Trieu said. “I also hope to find new chapters to start within the south central region. I also hope to have all chapters hold a diverse array of events that will include all of SNPhA’s patient care initiatives.”

International pharmacy student Odelia Bongmba was granted a scholarship that allows her travel to a conference in Anaheim, Calif. to present research she has done with assistant professor Maria V. Tejada-Simon. She will present her findings at the conference for the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science.

“It covers everything,” Bongmba said.

She received the award from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Minority Access to Research Careers. This award will cover expenses including airfare, hotel stay, transportation, registration and meals. The award will also give her the chance to present her work and to also network.

“I’m very excited just to have the opportunity to present at the conference,” Bongmba said.

Another travel award was given from the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology to Mo Yang who works with associate professor Amalia M. Issa. She will travel to Brighton, U.K. to present her work at the Annual Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology and Therapeutic Risk Management.

Other student achievements include seven scholarships awarded to pharmacy students Amy Moss, Khushbu Patel, Britney Ross, Kristen Beard, Bernadette Asias and Leshawn Smith as national president-elect.

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Panel of experts dissects environmental issues

Some of Houston’s leading experts gathered Tuesday at UH to discuss sustainability issues.

Urban Harvest, a group that helps to build and nurture community gardens in urban areas, sponsored the event. The panel included professors from UH and Rice University, environmental lawyers and many other experienced individuals.

“Sustainability is important because we are in the process of bankrupting ourselves economically, socially, and environmentally,” former Urban Harvest executive director Bob Randall said.

Randall said that it would take approximately three and a half earths to support the level of consumption we are running on currently.

“Everyday choices really do matter,” professor of earth and atmospheric sciences Barry Lefer said.

He compares the current struggle with emissions of an elevator that is perpetually going up.

“We can stop it (the elevator) where it is, but we can’t bring it down, just like the Co2 emissions,” Lefer said.

Lefer said there are little things we can do to help. He suggests biking and car-pooling when possible.

Laura Spanjian, director of the office of sustainability for the mayor’s office, weighed in on what Houston is doing to be more eco-friendly. Houston is ranked eighth in the country in number of green buildings, jumping up in the rankings only within the last two years.

Another energy-saving initiative Spanjian’s team put into play was replacing all of the traffic lights with LED bulbs.  In less than two years, the city of Houston saw savings of $3.6 million and 65 percent in energy.

“With all the smart people in Houston, we should be able to draw startups and people who will focus on trying to get the solar technology to better and more cost effective,” Spanjian said.

Houston also plans on having a farmers market at city hall to provide local and organic food to the business professionals in the area.

Marketing Manager for University Services Maria Honey touched on what UH is doing to promote sustainability on campus.  Honey said the most important issue to tackle is recycling.

“For students to want to recycle it had to be visible and easy,” Honey said. “So we put a recycling container next to every trash bin on campus.”

She said another big issue for UH to tackle was green commuting.

“We are a campus of approximately 3,800 (commuter) students and we only have about 1,500 parking spaces,” Honey said.

University Services will be hosting a Green Commuter Fair to increase awareness and provide students with other options. Benefits are offered to those who participate.

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‘The Grand Design’ finally revealed

By Dick Hite

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Clinton keeping peace talks moving

Last Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met to set forth a timetable for dates during which they would debate issues ranging from the rights of Palestinian refugees to the political status of Jerusalem. These formal peace talks, taking place for the first time in 20 months, set precedent for future peace treaties and diplomatic negotiations that would affect much of the Middle East.

Clinton hinted at the laborious and daunting nature of the agreements, saying that “we’ve been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be.” She also conveyed confidence in the resolution of fundamental differences that have separated Israelis and Palestinians for the past few decades.

In their attempt to clear out the secondary conflicts first, they eschewed the primary issue at hand: an extension of the moratorium on constructing more Jewish settlements in the West Bank. If both parties do not reach an agreement in this issue — Abbas wants to extend the moratorium beyond September, while Netanyahu’s interests seek to maintain the commencement date — the peace talks will instantly dissolve.

But Netanyahu, politically dependent upon his conservative coalition, has so far not exuded any hints of extending the moratorium. Last Wednesday, President Obama addressed Netanyahu and Abbas, warning them that the talks — and the stability of the West Bank in its entirety — are of much more importance than the extension of the moratorium. His warning was substantial. The day before, Hamas claimed responsibility for the brutal murders of four Israeli Jews who were shot near the city of Hebron in the West Bank.

Clinton’s unbending commitment has resonated behind the scenes as well, where she has diligently studied what previous United States efforts have worked — and which have not. With a long history of political activism, Clinton may just be the player who facilitates the achievement of a final agreement between two of the most fervent political interests in the Middle East.

The second meeting is scheduled for Sept. 14 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

For stability to finally emerge, more will be needed than the political spout of Clinton. Netanyahu and Abbas must accommodate for the multitude of interests over which they preside. These interests must be addressed now more than ever.

Sagar Smith is a chemistry and economics freshman and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

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Cougar Comics

ROTSEE by Paolo Aninag
Robbie and Bobby by Jason Poland

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Show your Cougar pride, but do it the right way

The official attendance for Saturday’s football game against Texas State was a record of 32,119 people, but there’s always more than meets the eye.

A few desperate student fans resorted to hopping fences or finding other ways to sneak in, making the number smaller because it doesn’t include uncounted people. The same thing happened at last year’s Texas Tech game, which set the previous Robertson Stadium attendance record of 32,114.

Not only is this unethical toward the University, but it’s also a head-scratcher. Students enrolled in classes can get into games for free with their Cougar Card. If students are worried about not being able to make the game in time to get seats in the student section, $15 guest tickets guarantee a seat at the game.

But most importantly, we at The Daily Cougar wouldn’t say a game is worth hopping a fence for, despite our support for the football program.

We’re not asking you to pay for the concessions, which tend to be overpriced, but students should follow with procedure by entering through Gate 10. Not only because it’s right, but because it helps the numbers.

When the football team was riding high last season with a 3-0 record, the UTEP Miners spoiled that run. An intimidating crowd in a game with more purpose than last weekend can only be a plus. There’s nothing the team and its coaches would want more than rowdy fans to help distract UTEP. They need it, too.

With plans for a new football stadium to replace Robertson by 2014, attendance at games this year is essential to help with that process.  Cougar fans should be aiming for another record and sellout crowd against UTEP on Friday, but do it the right way. Wear red, be deafening for four quarters and enter legally.

The record for the Texas State game was impressive; it showed an increased amount of interest of the UH community to watch a game that was over by half time. Being able to report a record crowd two weeks in a row would be even more special, even if it’s only 32,120 fans counted through the turnstiles.

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Job market remains dire issue

President Barack Obama put a new meaning to Labor Day when he held a speech tackling the unemployment issue.

Obama stood in front of labor unions on Sept. 6 in Wisconsin, and touched on the fall of the working man and the dissipating middle class. After pulling troops out of Iraq and modifying health care plans, Obama is focused on this next big issue.

In his speech, Obama said he hopes that Congress will approve his stimulus package sometime before the Nov. 2 recess. He also plans to focus on 150,000 miles of roadwork, along with better rail and air travel infastructure included in his plan to stir up the economy and create jobs.

Education senior Patricia Miller said she sees this as an act of good will, and expects Obama to find the solutions to these problems.

“I put my trust in our president and our country. If he says it will help create jobs then I believe he will make the right decision,” Miller said. “As long as it doesn’t cost me anything I’m sure it will help.”

Obama did assure his audience and the world during the speech that this new project would not be built with their money. It will instead be raised in-house if the package is granted.

Obama said in a speech on Sept. 3 at the White House that he does see progress in the economy in terms of numbers.

“Now, the month I took office, we were losing 750,000 jobs a month,” Obama said. “This morning, new figures show the economy produced 67,000 private sector jobs in August -– the eighth consecutive month of private job growth.  Additionally, the numbers for July were revised upward to 107,000.”

Obama also emphasized that still more needs to be done.

“Now, that’s positive news, and it reflects the steps we’ve already taken to break the back of this recession,” he said. “But it’s not nearly good enough.”

Obama put emphasis on the Labor Day weekend on his new “no we can’t” motto, when he mentioned the division between the two parties on Capital Hill.

Some students on campus feel as if the division between the two parties will prolong economic success.

Education senior Samantha Valadez said she feels the pressure build with this issue as she finishes her last year in school.

“ I don’t think it will take that long to find a job.  I’m in a teaching program,” Valadez said. “But for those who aren’t in their profession I feel it would take a lot longer since there is a division in Congress.”

As mentioned before, Obama put emphasis on small businesses, which he said accounted for over 60 percent of job losses in the final months of last year.

“These steps are part of the reason about 70,000 new Small Business Administration loans have been approved since I took office,” Obama said.

He recognizes that solving the overall economy issue will not necessarily be a fast one, considering the facts.

” As I’ve said from the start, there’s no quick fix to the worst recession we’ve experienced since the Great Depression,” Obama said. “The hard truth is it took years to create our current economic problems, and it will take more time than any of us would like to repair the damage.”

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