Considering UH holds a large population of commuters, it would seem the possibility of late returns on library items — and subsequent late fees — would be great.

However, the library system has only accrued $1,484 in late fees since the beginning of its 2011-2012 fiscal year and $5,563 for 2010-2011. Both figures seem small in comparison to the library system’s approximate $18.4 million budget, said Lee Hilyer, head of Information and Access Services.

“The amount we collect in fines is less than one percent of our overall budget,” said Hilyer. “It’s not a revenue stream for us. It’s really just a deterrent to bad behavior.”

What is mainly responsible for this small income of late fees is the library system’s policy on overdue items. Some students do not have to incur the replacement and $25 processing fee if they eventually return the materials.

“It’s a different situation and a different issue with each student, and it depends on how high the fine is,” said weekend service desk manager Fransisca Sanchez. “If I get a legitimate answer and I know they are sincere, I go ahead and wave the fine for that student.”

Reserved materials, including textbooks, electronic equipment and other specific course materials are the only library services that seem to pose a risk of strict punishment. Reserved materials have a fine of $3 for every hour past the allotted time; for electronic equipment, the fine is $9 each day late. For the library staff in these areas, overdue items do not seem to be a frequent issue.

“We rarely have a problem with people turning in the electronic equipment late,” said Learning Commons Technician Fernando Zamora. “They get the items for three days, which is usually enough time for them to finish whatever they are using it for.”

Although the fine amounts have increased over the years, the loan period was extended from three weeks to six weeks for undergraduate students. The main focus is on student accessibility rather than financial gain on the library’s part.

“Loan periods are arbitrary. The undergrad today is different from the one of five years ago or 10 years ago. Their needs are different,” Hilyer said. “We are about getting materials into people’s hands. If they need the material for six weeks and nobody else wants it, why not keep it for six weeks?”

For some students, the ease with which they can access materials at the library, as well as the lenient late policy, was surprising. Journalism student Blythe Nguyen began utilizing library resources this semester and was impressed with the process.

“It’s been incredibly easy to find what I need. I’ve been going back and continuing to get the books I need for class as well as books I would just like to read,” Nguyen said.

“I think I have about 14 books out right now, and I just renewed almost all of them online. It relieves a lot of stress knowing that there’s one less administrative deadline to worry about.”

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Students can vote online from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. each day until Thursday at www.election.uh.edu, said Speaker for the Senate Reyes Ramirez.

The past administration has dealt with several big issues like the smoking bill and the athletics fee referendum. This is indicative of the larger role that the SGA has begun playing in campus affairs, Ramirez said.

“We need to follow that momentum up,” he said. “If there’s any time to start voting, it’s now.”

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Students, activists, staff members and alumni met to discuss the daunting future of the Chicano Mural Thursday.

The 19 people at the discussion searched for a way to keep the University from moving the piece from where it currently resides in the University Center Cougar Den.

Recent concerns with preservation of the mural were first discussed in December because of plans to begin renovations on the UC this summer. The University does not intend to destroy the mural; their goal is to preserve it in another area on campus, The Daily Cougar reported in January.

“This is not a living thing. It’s on a wall, but it comes off as something real, and I don’t want to see it moved or destroyed,” said pre-business freshman Kristal Rios.

Everyone attending agreed they did not want the mural moved.  Removing the mural without damage would cost the University about $3 million.

“This mural is a valuable part of history for the University; it recaptures roots with visual language and examines rebirth of a social consciousness in a time when people of color had no voice,” said Lorenzo Cano, professor and associate director of Mexican American studies.  “It empowers and is reconfirmation of who we are as Mexican Americans on campus — we are here to stay.”

The group said many students are not aware of what’s going on with the mural — let alone what it is.

“Students have always had the most power in the University,” said alumna Jezer Urena.  “And we will do whatever we have to do to publicize this and let people know that this isn’t just a treasure for the University but a cultural treasure for the city of Houston.”

At noon Friday, another UC Board meeting will be held to further discuss the details of the mural.

“I am willing to put the dedication in to save this mural,” Rios said. “What about everyone else?”

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“It was a conflict of interest for me to be running for student body president while being chair of the Student Publications Committee,” said Jeff Syptak.

“As chair of the SPC, I could influence the editor in chief to write more positive stories about me than the other candidates. The committee would like the image of the paper to remain unbiased and fair.”

The committee oversees the Cougar in monthly meetings and discusses the paper’s inner-workings — like advertising, production or content — and elects each semester’s editor in chief.

It is comprised of students, faculty, SGA representatives and professional representatives.

Joshua Siegel, who also serves as sports editor for The Daily Cougar, was voted in as vice chair of SPC at the meeting on Thursday. He previously served as The Daily Cougar representative to the SPC. He will take over the responsibilities of the chair until a new student is elected by the voting members.

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The Graduate College of Social Work held a round table discussion Friday on how Houston can contribute in changing the society as we know it through multiculturalism.

Guest speakers such as Professors Steven Klineberg and Jean Kantambu Latting, the Rev. T.J. Martinez and former city council member Gordon J Quan were on the panel, which was moderated by GCSW alumna Christopher Brown.

“Houston, Leading America’s Future” pointed out ways the University can have an impact on not only Houston’s growing future, but our communities as well because of the decrease in importance placed on Houston’s location.

“The source of Houston’s wealth in the 20th century had everything to do with our location in the east Texas oil fields,” Klineberg said. “Houston’s location that accounted for everything in the 20th century is going to count for less and less and eventually nothing in the 21st century.”

Martinez founded and is president of Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston, which is located on the southeast side of the city.

“What we have done is that we’ve created a system of education that will empower students to reach their potential,” said Martinez.  “One of the financial barriers that has kept our kids outside our schools and in the streets, especially in our private educational system, (is that education) costs too much. We have removed that barrier”.

Latting said that in order to assure Houston’s future, both social workers and ordinary citizens are important to help the growth of our city.

“People like you and me are a part of the social workers’ help also,” said Latting.  “We all just want a better life.”

In a growing city of roughly six million people, multiculturalism will not happen overnight.  The panel said the national and state governments will play a huge part, as will self-realization and understanding that everyone in Houston is responsible for the city’s future.

“We have in this city, I think, a great opportunity to bridge these gaps of social services,” says co-chairman of FosterQuann and former city council member Gordan Quan.  “But there is a lack of knowledge of what’s out there, and who is trying to help?”

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The individuals learned different techniques and methodologies of Applied Behavior Analysis, the science of modifying behavior using modern behavioral theory.

The workshop consisted of a series of lectures led by Ellen Catoe of Texana Children’s Center for Autism, and break-out sessions, where the participants divided in to groups of five and applied the theories and methods of ABA through role-play.

Catoe presented power point lectures called “ABC’s of ABA,” which illustrated basic ways an instructor can deal with a child with autism – such as prompting, assistance in getting a response from individual and fading out where less assistance is needed.

“Approximately one in 100 children are diagnosed with some form of autism. Our goal is to provide education and information on how they can help children with autism,” Catoe said. “The goal of these workshops is to help further educate the public on how to help these children to be successful and independent.”

Ellen Goudeau, member of FEAT, has a 21-year-old son who suffers from autism and is grateful for how much the organization has helped her tackle adversity.

“If it was available to us when he was three — when we knew what the diagnosis was — I think he would have progressed a lot faster. It has literally saved my life. One of us was going to have to leave home. He destroyed everything,” Goudeau said. “This program helped. He has more verbal and cognitive skills now.”

Even with the advanced technology and programs, some instructors are still having difficulties dealing with children who have autism. There are still many challenges these teachers face: the child not looking at the instructor, not sitting at a desk and throwing away the training materials.

“Autism is still prevalent and on the rise. Some schools still have funding difficulties and cuts. A lot of the population needs more individualized treatment that the school can’t provide. Unfortunately, a lot of the school personnel isn’t trained,” Catoe said.

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The event, called “Untold Stories of Black Deaf Men,” consisted of a panel moderator relaying questions to the five guests in sign language and their respective responses being relayed via interpreters.

The goal of this discussion was to highlight these fascinating people, who hardly get any exposure at all, said assistant professor Sharon Grigsby Hill, who moderated the discussion.

“What I think we accomplished was exposing people to a hidden part of a community … that people don’t even know exists,” Hill said. “People aren’t even aware that there’s a culture of sorts and a language of sorts and that within that community, you have this subgroup of black individuals who have their own unique sign styles, their own identity issues, their own issues with discrimination.”

UH has the only bachelor’s program in ASL interpreting in Texas, Hill said.

“This is an educational institution that is training individuals that are going to go out and interpret and now they have a broader experience, they have exposure to this community, norms, languages, terms and so we raise it for them and the community,” he said.

The tone of the discussion wasn’t sorrowful but upbeat and occasionally humorous.

Marcus Sylvester, a graduate of Barbara Jordan High School in Houston, recalled an incident in which a white interpreter was struggling to interpret a rap song, and it turned into a comical disaster.

Hill said another goal of the discussion was to reveal the personality and sense of humor of these individuals.

“I think culturally, it’s a part of black culture that we deal with the issues of oppression and pain,” Hill said.

“It’s just a typical part of our culture that even though we delve into these painful things, there’s still a lot of joking and laughing, and I think that it’s normal for anyone dealing with oppression or the abuse of power to try to find some humor and laughter, because that’s often the best medicine.”

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Senior Roxana Button set the tone for the Cougars (3-24, 2-13 Conference USA) during the first leg of the game with her early scoring, followed by Danielle Parks who carried UH to the finish line as they pulled away late and won 66-53 against UCF (12-15, 7-8) on Sunday.

It was the last game at Hofheinz Pavilion for Button and fellow senior Michelle White, who were both honored before the game. But Parks, who scored 24 points, stole the show.

Parks wanted to win so that her teammates would go out on top.

“I wanted it for them,” Parks said.

“I wanted them to know how it feels to win their last senior game on their home court.”

UH found a way to overcome the emotions of Senior Day and thwart comeback attempts by UCF.

“I feel like … the epitome of today and just full circle was (how) we played to win the basketball game today,” head coach Todd Buchanan said.

UCF opened the second half by doubling Button and it stymied the Cougars’ offense.

After two Button turnovers and three UCF buckets, UH trailed 41-38 with 11:45 remaining.

Button responded with three assists that opened up the UH offense and swapped the momentum.

Button’s dish to Parks out of a corner trap for a straightaway 3-pointer gave UH a 45-41 lead.

UH never again relinquished the lead and cruised to victory, ending their 12-game losing streak.

White was optimistic while continuing to compete in the last leg of their schedule.

“I think if we come with the same mindset that we did today, we can beat anybody on any given day,” she said.

Buchanan echoed White, who was the first recruit that he signed as a head coach at UH.

“We finally played together as a team,” Buchannan said.

“We finally caught that intensity and they really showed, and played like, for the first time, in my opinion, that they really cared about each other.”

Button and White exited the court with a tenth of a second left to a standing ovation from the crowd and an embrace from their head coach.

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The Cougars survived a close one Saturday night against SMU at Hofheinz Pavilion thanks to a career night from freshman Joseph Young.

Young scored a career-high 27 points and helped UH (13-14, 5-9 Conference USA) seal the 62-59 win.

“I just felt like I had the hot hand tonight,” Young said. “My teammates did a great job of attacking the gaps and finding me open in my spots.”

UH came out firing, opening the game on a 10-2 run.

“I told our guys I was pleased by the way we came out,” head coach James Dickey said.

The Mustangs (12-17, 3-11) rallied back to take a 20-19 lead on a 3-pointer by guard London Giles with three minutes to go in the first half.

With 5:12 remaining in the first half, sophomore Jimmie Jones checked into the game and swung the momentum back in the Cougars’ favor.

After entering the game, the walk-on point guard scored four points and recorded four steals to help UH go into the half on a 9-0 run with a 28-20 lead.

“I thought Jimmie gave us a great lift tonight,” Dickey said. “He really invigorated us right before the half.

“I thought he made some good decisions, really putting a lot of pressure on their transition defense. Guys like playing with Jimmie — he’s a pass first type of guy.”

The second half was a battle that Young was prepared for.

The Cougars held a close lead for most of the second half. However, a late surge from SMU led by Robert Nyakundi (24 points) fizzled when freshman TaShawn Thomas took a charge from SMU guard Aliaksei Patsevich with 11 seconds left, giving UH the ball back with a two-point lead.

In game’s final six minutes, Young scored eight points and knocked down two free throws that gave UH its decisive three-point lead.

“We all know that Joe can score, so we try to get him open shots. We have a lot of confidence in him,” said Thomas, who had 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

Dickey was pleased with the continued progress he saw from Young as he continues to evolve after redshirting last season.

“Sitting out a year is a tough task,” Young said. “You just have to build up your confidence and find your rhythm as each game goes by.”

Young definitely found his rhythm Saturday night against the Mustangs, helping him have one of his best games yet.

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The loss gave the Cougars (4-3) their first series loss of the season, and it was the first time they have been shutout this season.

“I thought we played really hard,” head coach Todd Whitting said. “I told the team after the game, ‘Today’s game, for the first five or six innings, was the effort and energy that I’ve been looking for all year.’ We’ve gotten away with it a few times and won a few games, but if we play hard like we played today, we’re going to win more than we lose.

“I’m leaving here today knowing they gave me everything they had.”

Runs were hard to come by in the first five innings, as both teams’ pitchers were dealing.

UH starter Aaron Garza pitched five-and-one-third innings allowing two runs and six hits, with three strikeouts.

“He’s as good as any freshman in the country right now,” Whitting said.

Texas State (4-3) starter Kyle Finnegan also had stellar numbers. He tossed six innings of shutout ball, scattering five hits and striking out four.

“I thought they pitched well,” Whitting said. “You have to cash in and you have to execute the offense. It’s paramount that you get leadoff runners on. We’re doing a very poor job of getting leadoff runners on.”

Texas State broke the scoring drought in the sixth inning when they put up three runs on two doubles and two singles. They added another run in the eighth and two additional runs in the ninth to push the score to 6-0.

The UH offense had five hits, but were not able to crack the scoreboard.

The Cougars opened the series with a dramatic, late-inning win Friday.

Entering the bottom of the ninth with the score knotted up at 1-1, the Cougars pieced together four walks and a fielder’s choice to push the winning run across the plate.

With the bases loaded and one out, Casey Grayson hit into a fielder’s choice, where the runner from third was forced out at the plate. Jacob Lueneburg came up next and was hit by the pitch, driving in the winning run.

Starting pitcher Jared Ray had another strong outing, going seven innings while allowing one run on two hits and striking out seven. Jordan Mannisto blanked the Bobcats in the final two frames.

With the win, the Cougars ended a six-game losing streak against the Bobcats.

Saturday’s game was less of a pitcher’s duel.

The Bobcats pounced on the Cougars 6-1 and evened the series at one game apiece.

Texas State cranked out 11 hits and used a three-run fourth inning and a two-run seventh to cruise past the Cougars.

The Cougars also had double-digit hits (10), but were unable to string them together to put runs on the scoreboard.

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On a stage that usually sees the likes of Nobel Peace prizewinners, hard-rocking bands Gym Class Heroes and VerseCity put on an energetic show for an equally energized crowd of UH students.

The Student Program Board-produced event took more than eight months to organize and Brittney Mathis, chair of the concert committee is glad that everything came together.

“The students loved Gym Class Heroes, and the band had a lot of fun too,” Mathis said. “They were such nice guys and simply incredible.”

Opening band VerseCity, who hail from Houston, got the crowd pumped for the Heroes. Many of the students asked had never heard the band perform before.

Lead singer for VerseCity Micah Walker is a UH alum who tweeted the day before the show that VerseCity was “opening for @GymClassHeroes tomorrow night… Can’t lie, I’m pretty pumped!”

UH students were pumped as well judging from how the crowd went insane when Gym Class Heroes came out.

Organizers even allowed students to rush the stage, which gave the concert an even greater energy and allowed for Heroes’ vocalist Travie McCoy to engage the crowd in a more personal way.

Midway through the Heroes’ performance, McCoy jumped off the Cullen stage and approached the screaming crowd that was held back by metal barriers. He crossed the barriers and joined the crowd of UH students.

“Welcome to the family,” McCoy told the crowd.

He also kept encouraging students to enjoy life and even did an exercise during the show where audience members were asked to hug the person to the left and right.

Throughout the show, fans were overheard shouting, “I love you,” to the band. Later, fans went crazy when McCoy wiped his face with a towel and threw it into the crowd.

The energy of the show was enough for both bands to take to Twitter afterwards and give a shout out to the concert-going Coogs.

“Thank you, University Of Houston! We had a blast,” read a Tweet on the GCH Twitter page. “Hope you did too!”

VerseCity’s Twitter page featured a Tweet that read, “HOUSTON, Thanks for the love last night!”

Mathis, a longtime GCH fan, said the planning of the show was “a dream come true,” and had nothing but praise for the many people that helped make the event a success.

“I really want to thank my amazing staff,” Mathis said. “They were incredible and helped me so much throughout the entire show. I’m so proud of my staff and the entire Student Program Board.”

UH student Kyle Corrales said the concert was more than just a concert.

“I think that the presence of Gym Class Heroes on campus is a great demonstration of how UH is building up our community and becoming more recognizable on the national stage.”

The concert was the first of SPB’S annual “Large Concert” series. Planning for the next show has not started yet. Once a new concert committee chair is elected, she or he will take charge and plan the next big show, Mathis said.

The show was free to the first 1,500 current UH students who were able to secure a wristband prior to the event. SPB used money from tuition and fees allotted by the Student Fees Advisory Committee to pay for the event.

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What follows is an exclusive Daily Cougar interview with Disashi Lumumba–Kasongo, lead guitarist and backup vocalist for Gym Class Heroes.

The Daily Cougar: Welcome to Houston

Disashi: Thanks. I was born here

TDC: Oh, really? What part are you from?

Disashi: I don’t remember — I was only here for about a year.

TDC: Well, that still counts.

Disashi: Yeah, (chuckle) I’ll take it.

TDC: When did you join the band?

Disashi: I joined the band actually before “The Papercut Chronicles,” was released. (The band’s second album released in 2005.) The day I joined the band we actually wrote “Cupid’s Chokehold,” so it was kind of crazy.

TDC: Well, that makes me think you are the mastermind behind the song then.

Disashi: (Chuckles) Yeah, well… no comment.

TDC: The new album, which came out last year, is the second part to (“The Papercut Chronicles”). What is different about this one?

Disashi: The big differences are that we have just grown as individuals and have had a lot of different experiences, you know, between the time that the album was written and now. Our band has grown in so many ways just in terms of our, I guess, popularity. People know about us a lot more. We have all had different family experiences. I am married now and a couple of us have kids, you know. Just life has happened. We’ve gotten a lot of new musical inspirations along the way and all of that has made its way into influencing the sound of the new record.

TDC: Since you have been with the band you saw the rise compared to some bands out there, it was quick. How did that feel?

Disashi: Well, even though it was quick in a sense, it always felt pretty gradual because we started out in a fifteen passenger van just touring around the country for two or three years straight without any specific mainstream success. Just playing clubs, opening up for whoever we could open up for — punk bands and hip-hop bands, whoever would listen. By the time that “Cupid’s Chokehold” finally got recognized by MTV and radio stations and stuff like that, we’d been doing it for what felt like a chunk of time for us. Then, once that happened, things really escalated at a quick rate, like you were saying.

TDC: That is a great surprise.

Disashi: Yeah, it was pretty cool. It was definitely a whirlwind at the time because it was such a new experience … there were so many experiences at the same time, and it was tough to take it all in. Now, I think my perspective has changed a lot,

We are fortunate enough that people still care about our band. It’s not as much of a whirlwind, and I am able to take each day as it comes.

TDC: For the album, “The Quilt,” you guys collaborated with a lot of people including Adam Levine. How was that?

Disashi: It was awesome. I wasn’t there when he recorded the song itself, but the first day that we were rehearsing “Stereo Hearts” — we hadn’t played a show in a good chunk of time, so we rented out a rehearsing studio in California — we were like, “Alright, lets practice the song, we have to practice since it’s the first single.” We started playing the song for the first time and, apparently — unbeknownst to us or Adam Levine — we were both in the same rehearsal space.

He was filming for “The Voice,” his show. So we start playing the song and then all of sudden, I guess Adam and his people were there and they were like, “Is that ‘Stereo Hearts’ playing right now?” So we were playing the song and (when) we get to the chorus, Adam just bursts through the door and just picks up the mic and starts wailing the chorus.

TDC: Was the sun beaming behind him?

Disashi: He had a cape on in my recollection — that’s how I remember it.

TDC: Milo left the band and made Ra Ra Riot, have you guys ever played with them?

Disashi: No, I don’t believe we have. I don’t think so.

TDC: That would be cool.

Disashi: Yeah, it would. Actually, I remember when I was joining the band, Milo was really cool, he wrote out all of the tabs for stuff that he had written and was just like, “Hey man here is the stuff. If you have any questions let me know.” He was really cool about it. It was a really amicable kind of thing.

TDC: Yeah, well, that is the awkwardness that some bands have — the whole break up and then the comeback. Like the hiatus that you guys had, there were so many rumors going around.

Disashi: Well, Travis was doing his stuff, and I think that it spawned a lot of talk about Gym Class Heroes being broken up, which we weren’t. The rest of us were always working on music for “The Papercut Chronicles II” while all of that was going on, and then eventually, after that, we got the lyrics in tune — so we have been working on that album for a long time. We’d do these things where we would be in a studio and we would be on a webcam and talking with kids on the Internet live saying, “We are in the studio…blah blah blah,” and then, like, I’d go on Twitter and see, “Gym Class Heroes is still broken up.” (Chuckles) We were just in the studio —we are here right now.

TDC: Well, in 2008 you guys played with Paramore. Who would you like to play with — not just at a Warped Tour, but in a general tour?

Disashi: I would actually like to do a tour with Paramore, in general. I love them and their music. I would love to tour with Radiohead. (Chuckles)

TCD: Is that what is on your playlist right now? Radiohead?

Disashi: Right now, I went back and started listening to “The Dreams” first record. It’s really good.

TDC: I know all of you guys bring different genres to your music. What do you think your genre is?

Disashi: I would go with classic rock — that vibe, just guitar and rock and roll.

TDC: You guys have all the genres in your albums.

Disashi: I think that is just a part of what it means to be in our band. We are lucky enough that our band is not limited to one kind of thing, because I think as an artist that could get boring.

TDC: That adds to your mass appeal also. Where are you guys going to play next?

Disashi: We are going to be doing a lot of college tour dates in March.

TDC: No other dates then?

Disashi: There is nothing specific but you know the door is always open.

TDC: And you guys are Gym Class Heroes, you can book whenever you want.

Disashi: Yeah, we do whatever we want. (Laughs)

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Villasenor, widely known for her appearance on “America’s Got Talent, showcased her ability for dead-on impersonations in the University Center’s Houston Room Thursday in an event sponsored by the Student Programming Board.

The list of cultural icons she mimicked ranged from Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus to Wanda Sykes and Dora the Explorer.

At the age of 12, she’d begun impressing her friends by mimicking Britney Spears. At 15, she’d performed her first stand-up set at the Laugh Factory Summer Camp in Los Angeles. Now, at age 24, with nearly 10 years experience, she seemed amazingly at ease and confident on stage, as if she was still just trying to make a group of friends laugh.

Her material wasn’t all just funny voices though; she also shared hilarious anecdotes about awkward high school experiences, annoying boyfriends, and her time working retail at Forever 21.

Daniella Garcia, assistant director of UH’s Council of Ethnic Organizations, enjoyed the chance to see the comedian.

“I loved the sort of uncomfortable moments … where I’m laughing and cringing at the same time,” she said.

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Those were the first lines of journalist Marie Colvin’s final report from the war torn Syrian city of Homs before her untimely death on Feb. 22.

Covin, an American expatriate, was in Homs covering the Syrian uprising for The Sunday Times, a British newspaper she had worked at for 20 years.

She died alongside 28-year-old French photographer Remi Ochlik in a rocket attack on a make shift press center that injured French journalist Edith Bouvier and British photographer Paul Conroy.

According to the U.N., an estimated 5,400 people have died in the Syrian uprising over the last 11 months.

As passive consumers of news, we often forget that some of the information we consume was gathered at great danger by journalists like Colvin.

While the U.N. can offer estimates on the number of Syrians massacred by their government, we need people like Colvin to humanize those numbers, to tell the stories of the dead and injured. Colvin and Ochlik did not die in vain. They died serving the people of Homs; they died heroes’ deaths.

CBS News correspondent Laura Logan, who suffered a brutal sexual assault while covering the uprising in Egypt last year, remembered Colvin while a guest on “CBS This Morning,” on Jan. 23.

Logan told hosts Charlie Rose and Gayle King that she felt guilty about and responsible for Colvin’s death.

When King asked her why she felt that way she responded, “For doing what she was doing. For being there on the ground, like Marie was, telling the story of people whose voices cannot otherwise be heard.

“If you’re not there to record the truth about what’s happening to them, then it cannot be stopped. No government can ever be pushed into stopping it.”

In a matter of minutes, one of the most hated and wanted men in the entire world had met his reckoning. That day, the world was allowed to breathe a sigh of relief, and the actions of a few avenged the deaths of thousands of innocents. Osama bin Laden was dead.

Yet there is still a legacy that follows bin Laden, one outside of his villainous story. Just as the brave men and women who were a part of Operation Neptune Spear were fathers and mothers and sons and daughters, the world’s most hated man was a father and grandfather. In the aftermath of the shooting, bin Laden was survived by several of his wives, four children and five grandchildren.

The elimination of bin Laden was a necessary action, and if the hands of time could be turned back, the only change to be made would be finding bin Laden sooner.

Though we should show no regrets or remorse in our actions towards bin Laden, according to Zakaria al-Sadah, his brother-in-law through his fifth wife, the 9/11 mastermind had seen the error in his ways towards the end of his life and cautioned his own children and grandchildren to “study, live in peace and don’t do what I am doing or what I have done.” He pleaded for his descendants to turn away from the road of bloody jihad.

It’s easy to say that bin Laden’s revelation is a sign of his acknowledgement that the Westerners are not all harlots and infidels. It might even show bin Laden’s desire to lay down his arms, end all the senseless violence and live a life of peace with the West — had his actions not caused the freedom-loving world to demand his head on a silver platter.

But as a father and a grandfather, bin Laden showed there was some sort of humanity left in him, one that might still be present in other terrorists.

It’s easy to demonize our enemies in times of war. In America, the Muslim population has had to put up with the same type of racial fear that plagued the Japanese, Germans and Italians in the 1940s, when World War II caused their neighbors to doubt their allegiances.

Although immoral and unjust, it is a purely human and natural thing to doubt someone who could be connected to our enemies, just as it is a purely human and natural thing to want the best for our children. What was best for bin Laden’s children was, apparently, peace with the west and an education in America.

A chapter in history has already been written. There’s no need to open a new book and tell how the revenge-driven offspring of bin Laden joined their father’s terrorist network and declared a new war against the west. Osama bin Laden is dead, but his children are not our enemies, nor are the children of the insurgents who have already been put down in the name of ridding the world of this plague called terrorism.

The effects of an American 10-year occupation of a Middle Eastern country can be felt in Iraq and Afghanistan. An entire generation grew into early adolescence developing a familiarity with American culture through the presence of US boots on the ground. With our presence, countless little Iraqi children have learned to listen to the music US Soldiers and Marines listened to when they were on patrol. They’ve tasted the food we eat. They’ve learned the way we think. With their own eyes, they learned that the American people are a proud and industrious people, not demons and infidels as Taliban leaders would preach to them.

We have won the hearts and minds of a new generation of Iraqis, one that will never tolerate the hate preached by al-Qaeda and their allies. Just as the hateful days of the Jim Crow laws have passed into the annals of history, so too might the days of Western hatred, and an entire people will no longer have to suffer under the oppressive thumb of the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

The surviving wives and children of Osama bin Laden are being held by Pakistan’s Inter-service Intelligences. These are the same people who were either too negligent to realize bin Laden was living on their own mail delivery route or were actively acting to hide bin Laden. Either way, the ISI should not be trusted with the survivors of the Abottabad raid. Children should not be held as prisoners for their father’s actions. They need to be released into the care of their uncle or be given safe passage to the United States.

Terrorism is a crime of treason against the human race and bin Laden was a terrorist, but his children are not terrorists. His grandchildren are not terrorists. And to ensure they understand why the entire world wanted their father dead, they must be given the chance bin Laden never had but always wished for them: A chance to live in the US and learn the ways of a freedom-loving people.

James Wang is a history freshman and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

She leads Conference USA in points per game (17.9), minutes per game (37.9), 30-point games (three) and 20-point games (13) and she added another proverbial banner to the her list of accomplishments on Thursday. 

Button was named to the Capital One Academic All-America team. She was named to the Division I First Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America. 

She is the first UH women’s basketball player to be selected for this honor.

Button is the first C-USA player to attain this award in 11 seasons. She joins Anne McDonald of DePaul (1998-99) as the only C-USA players to be selected to the first team. 

In addition to Button, this year’s First Team includes Elena Delle Donne of Delaware, Caroline Durbin of New Mexico, Amanda Johnson of Oregon and Glory Johnson of Tennessee.  

Button believes that her faith helped guide her to success. 

“Its a great honor, but all the glory goes to God,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it without his strength.” 

This season, despite the immense number of challenges for the Cougars, has been the culmination of years of hard work and dedication for Button. She has reached many milestones during her last campaign in a UH uniform. 

Button became the 22nd player in UH history to reach 1,000 career points. She is third all-time in three-point percentage (34.8) and free throw percentage (76%), and sixth in made 3-pointers (124) and minutes played (2,900). 

It hasn’t sunk in for Button yet.

“To tell you the truth I haven’t thought about it,” she said. “Maybe in April or May I might look back and look at it, but right now I don’t.” 

Button has also proven to be durable over the course of her career, competing in 118 consecutive games,  UH’s second longest streak. 

Head coach Todd Buchannan admires her grit.

“She’s as tough as they come,” he said.

“As tough, as gritty, as gutty as a kid I’ve ever coached in 23 years and that’s on the men’s side, women’s side, it doesn’t matter.”

Button has succeeded off the court this season as a student. She graduated this December with a degree in psychology. She finished with a 3.87 GPA. 

Coach Buchanan said that Button has been a great role model and strong pillar for the program. 

“She has just absolutely represented the University of Houston, our women’s basketball program, our athletic department and programs as a whole. 

“She’s as classy and as full, least well rounded rounded as she possibly can.”  

Button’s collegiate career is not over. She plans to attend the Paul F. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso and pursue a career as a medical doctor.

Students were in line to see New York rap-rock band Gym Class Heroes and Houston-bred rockers VerseCity for a concert produced by SPB.

The first group of students to get in line parked themselves on the concrete stage around 12:30 p.m. SPB wasn’t going to begin handing out wristbands until 3 p.m.

Nutrition senior Ola Aly, the very first person in line, found out about the event through Facebook and brought nine of her friends along.

“(Gym Class Heroes) are one of my favorite bands,” Aly said while waiting. “I’ve been to a Travie McCoy concert before, but I’m excited to see him perform with the band.”

While students waited during the warm afternoon, Anjuli Tuck, spokesperson for SPB, said the group was “just trying to keep a positive attitude and keep everybody excited.”

Students also helped keep each other entertained during the wait.

A student, who wished to only be identified as “J.K.,” went streaking past the line of Coogs in only his boxers.

“Well, I lost a bet to my friend yesterday, and so I told her that I would streak past the line of people waiting for tickets,” J.K. said before shouting, “Yeah, Gym Class Heroes.”

Minutes before the wristbands were handed out, an SPB representative took to the mic and reminded students that they must present a current UH ID card and that there were rules for the night: no purses, backpacks, recording devices, food, drinks or re-entry.

It was also noted that any damaged or cut wristbands would not be honored, which pretty much dashed the plan’s of one student who was overheard saying that he was planning on selling his wristband.

Health communications junior Jasmine Jones got in line 10 minutes after SPB began handing out the wristbands. The line was halfway down the sidewalk heading to Cullen.

“I’m praying (I get in). I’ve been in love with them forever,” Jones said. “I really hope I get in.”

When SPB finally began handing out wristbands, Aly went up to the cheers of the crowd. When she came down from the other side, she shot her hands up in triumph.

Coming Up:

Look for an interview with Gym Class Heroes and a review of the show in Monday’s The Daily Cougar.

Rice took control early in the first half and never looked back.

This brings UH’s current losing streak to 12.

Coach Buchanan thought that surprising was not a strong enough adjective to describe the tough loss.

“I was absolutely blown away with our lack of effort to start a basketball game, any basketball game, much less it being Rice, cross town rival, conference rival, in the city rival,” he said.

“It’s just a horrible feeling and I feel like so much of it was so self-inflicted on our inability to show up.”

UH showed signs of life early in the first half, cutting Rice’s lead to 7 at 13-6 when Button sliced through the lane and finished a tough lay-up with 12:51 remaining.

But Rice’s leading scorer, Jessica Kuster, continuously responded by scoring early and often from all areas on the floor. She scored 15 in the first half and paced Rice to a 38-16 halftime lead.

Kuster finished with 22 points and 16 rebounds, both game-highs. Kuster was made a habit of getting to the basketball and was rewarded at the free throw line, attempting eight free throws just in the first half.

“(Kuster) was phenomenal,” Buchannan said. “Great players make great plays.

“She went by us at will and we had no answer for her. It really showed our lack of depth, our lack of athleticism. Nobody could really guard her. Hats off to her.”

The Cougars had a tough time penetrating the Rice defense and were forced to take low-percentage outside shots. UH shot 25 percent from the field. Part of UH’s early-offensive woes was the inability to get senior Roxana Button going offensively. Rice gave her a couple of different looks and played her physically by bumping and trapping her. Button finished with 20 points. Amanda Lawson (14 points)  was the only other Cougar in double figures.

Button took personal responsibility for the low output.

“It was a lot of self-made turnovers, just on my part mistakes that I shouldn’t have been making,” she said.

Rice capitalized on UH’s mistakes, scoring 17 points off of turnovers.

UH has struggled all season offensively because they have been encountered a heavy dose of injuries,  inexperience and a lack of depth.

The Cougars had five players score, while conversely Rice had 11 players see the ball go in the hoop. The lack of depth hurt UH on a night when Rice’s second leading scorer, Briana Hypolite, had a tough night offensively, scoring three points on 1-9 shooting. The bench gave Rice a huge boost and helped carry the Owls to victory. Rice’s bench outscored the UH bench 37-1.   

UH lost the battle in the painted area 26-14 and on the boards as well, 59-38.

Rebounding is an area that Buchannan wants UH to refocus its efforts.

“You have to go back,” Buchannan said. “Take your lunch pale be blue collar, block out, put your butt on somebody, put your body on somebody.

“Rebounding is harder out of a zone at times, but if you’re at your points and you’re talking, its not as difficult as we make it.”  

The LGBT Resource Center and the LGBT Studies Minor Program at UH hosted the first in a series of lectures Tuesday titled “Religion and the LGBT Person,” featuring a panel of religious leaders to discuss how individuals can reconcile their religion with their LGBT identity and continue to develop spiritually.

Director of the LGBT Resource Center Lorraine Schroeder began the lecture by briefly introducing each panelist before each discussed their respective religions and how different religions have become more open to the LGBT community.

The Rev. Ginny Brown Daniel of Plymouth United Church became a pastor to a dying church in 2003. She said she came to that church saying, “I believe we are all made in God’s image,” and she was willing to publicly say that. They were open to accepting that message and the possibilities of what she was implying.

“Around the country, each church can vote to become open and affirming,” Daniel said. “I am part of the United Church of Christ denomination that is one of the only Christian denominations in the country that is open and affirming of those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning. Last year alone, we married four couples that are either lesbian or gay. There are communities out there that will welcome and bless you in that way.”

Rabbi Kenny Weiss is the executive director of Houston Hillel, the largest religious organization for Jewish college students. A few years ago they published a program manual specifically for LGBT inclusion.

“My oldest cousin, who is gay, expressed to me how when he was in college in the early 1960s, there was nothing for him. He really doesn’t do anything Jewish now because he was so turned off because there was nowhere to go,” Weiss said. “Now it is very much the opposite for the Jewish community.”

The Rev. Janice Ladd is part of the Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, a Christian Church that follows God’s call to justice for all people. They strive for the social justice for the LGBT community.

“We strive for the holy integration of our spirituality and sexuality. Most people leave the church because the church doesn’t do well with talking openly about sexual minds or our sexual bodies. That’s why our population has been outcasted more,” Ladd said. “We deal with so many who are hurting (or) lost and we try to bring them back to their faith  —  back into their relationship with God. We are here to demonstrate God’s unconditional love to all people through Christian action.”

news@thedailycougar.com

The Daily Cougar: What are three things you think voters should know about you?

Carl McGee: The first thing is I want to lower textbook costs. I can do that by enforcing House Bill 33, which was just recently passed by the Texas House. It states that schools in Texas have to have a textbook buyback program. It also states that they can’t set the prices for textbooks artificially high. Another thing it states is that the teachers have to get the word out to the students what books their classes will use a month in advance, that way they have time to search for the lowest textbook price.

The second thing I’d do would be to veto needless rules that limit freedom.

The third thing would be to bring back the power to the students. I would let everybody know who the bosses are.

Students are the ones paying thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars a year for tuition, and they need to start figuring out that they’re the boss. They’re paying for a service and for knowledge, so we need to help them out with their careers.

TDC: Do you want to give a specific example of needless rules that limit freedoms?

CM: Sure, there’s been lots of bills proposed last session in the student government that limit freedoms. One that comes to mind is the smoking on campus bill. When it was first proposed, it said that a student couldn’t smoke anywhere on campus at all, not even on their own patio — if they lived on campus — even if it doesn’t bother anyone else.

So, I’d make sure to veto those types of rules. I’d also work to reverse rules that limit personal freedoms other than those necessary to protect the rights and liberties of others.

TDC: What would you do to ensure that you’re accurately representing the student body?

CM: I would closely examine rules and advance those which support this cause — this personal liberty that I’m talking about — and attempt to modify or kill those which would degrade that cause.

I’d represent them by getting the message out that student government exists. I want the University of Houston students to be masters of their own lives and not to be subject to any other master other than the Creator.

TDC: What would you do differently from the last administration?

CM: I would do a couple things differently.

One of the things is I would help advance the cause of freedom. I want University of Houston students to be free to choose their studies, their lifestyles and the direction of their lives.

I want to really encourage students and really get the message out that they’re the bosses. It seems like everyone kind of forgot who the bosses are. It’s (not) to the administration or the teachers, it’s the students.

Michael Harding was a great president and he was really active, but I plan on being more active on campus. I live right here in the heat of UH, so I can get anywhere on campus within minutes.

I plan on having an open-door policy so students can come over when ever they want and talk to me about their problems.

TDC: What do you think has been the most important thing done by the SGA in the last year?

CM: SGA has done a great job of marketing. This year we have eight presidential candidates. They did a really good job of marketing and trying to get everybody to notice the student government.

They’ve also done a really great job of pride here on campus. It seems like when I’m walking around campus I see more people wearing UH clothes and UH apparel and they did a great job of letting people know that SGA actually exists.

TDC: What will be the first thing you do if elected as SGA president?

CM: The first thing I’d do is I’d get the word out that I’m open to any suggestions and problems that people have and I’d listen to them. I’d examine their problems and I’d help them in the best way that I could.

For more information on this and other candidates, go to thedailycougar.com/tags/sga2012.