a:15:{s:10:"source_url";s:42:"http://feeds.feedburner.com/thedailycougar";s:11:"source_kidx";s:32:"a911c6bd124d855677b619b0f8dcc5c5";s:8:"encoding";s:5:"UTF-8";s:5:"title";s:18:"thedailycougar.com";s:4:"link";s:25:"http://thedailycougar.com";s:11:"description";s:59:"The official student newspaper of the University of Houston";s:8:"language";s:5:"en-US";s:13:"lastBuildDate";s:29:"Tue, 08 Jan 2013 06:24:19 GMT";s:18:"lastBuildTimeStamp";i:1357626259;s:12:"pubTimeStamp";i:1357626259;s:7:"pubDate";s:29:"Tue, 08 Jan 2013 06:24:19 GMT";s:5:"items";a:20:{s:32:"9313513db9dc1dff8c613349766e689a";a:21:{s:5:"title";s:45:"Landry's clutch play paces Cougars to victory";s:4:"link";s:61:"http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailycougar/~3/UqL6pTpLXK0/";s:11:"description";s:313:"Despite a recent illness, redshirt senior guard Porsche Landry put on a stellar performance to help give the Cougars an 71-58 overtime victory against Delaware State. "An hour before the game we didn't even know if she was going to play. She had a severe stomach ache, and we thought she might have had food [...]";s:8:"category";s:18:"Women's Basketball";s:8:"comments";s:91:"http://thedailycougar.com/2013/01/08/landrys-clutch-play-paces-cougars-to-victory/#comments";s:4:"guid";s:34:"http://thedailycougar.com/?p=54022";s:7:"pubDate";s:31:"Tue, 08 Jan 2013 06:13:44 +0000";s:15:"content:encoded";s:4088:"

Despite a recent illness, redshirt senior guard Porsche Landry put on a stellar performance to help give the Cougars an 71-58 overtime victory against Delaware State.

Landry

Landry

"An hour before the game we didn't even know if she was going to play. She had a severe stomach ache, and we thought she might have had food poisoning,” said head coach Tom Buchanan. “Sure enough, she played lights out."

"Now they didn't exactly help Porsche to the locker room after halftime, like they did Michael Jordan, but there was no question that she wasn't feeling well, but yet responded to take this game over."

Landry eclipsed the 30-point mark for the fourth time in her career, including 12 points in overtime. She also had nine assists and nine rebounds, just shy of a triple-double. The Cougars needed Landry to respond late after a sluggish start to the game, Buchanan said.

"I looked at them two or three different times and tried to get them excited," Buchanan said. "We showed little to no emotion, and I'm not used to that.”

A 9-0 run gave the Cougars a ten point lead at halftime, creating some breathing room. Early in the second half, the Cougars took control.  Freshman guard Alecia Smith scored on a fastbreak layup to give the Cougars a 35-24 lead, their biggest of the day, with 17:52 remaining. Things started to get interesting when Delaware State put on a 24-7 run and had a six-point lead with just 5:53 left in regulation.

Then, Landry took over.

Senior guard Porsche Landry was one rebound and assist shy of a triple double. She scored 30 points, including 12 in overtime. Freshman forward Marche Amerson prepares to attack her defender from the wing. |  Darla Tamulitis/La Vita Loca Photograph

Senior guard Porsche Landry was one rebound and assist shy of a triple double. She scored 30 points, including 12 in overtime. Freshman forward Marche Amerson prepares to attack her defender from the wing. | Darla Tamulitis/La Vita Loca Photograph

She scored six points and had an assist down the stretch. With the Cougars down three, Landry, the smallest player on the court, grabbed an offensive rebound quickly put it back up for the bucket, making it a one-point game. On the next possession, she grabbed another offensive rebound then finished the possession with a fadeaway jumper to give UH the lead.

However, Delaware State dialed up a clutch play as well, Chelsea Dukes drilled a 3-pointer with seconds left in regulation to tie game and send it into overtime.

The Cougars took control early in overtime, as Smith hit a 3-pointer with 4:36 left. Following the long-ball by Smith, Landry put the game away with back-to back three-point plays. Landry said she just tried to be aggressive in overtime. Landry scored 12 of the Cougars' 16 points in overtime."I tried to pick up the tempo a little bit. I wanted to get into attack mode so everybody else could come together and attack too. I just tried to set the tempo."

The Cougars improved to 6-2 this season at home and will open Conference USA action against Memphis at 7 p.m. Thursday in Hofheinz Pavilion.

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ABC 13's former de facto watchdog reporter Wayne Dolcefino is sharing some of his investigative tips as the guest speaker for the Society of Professional Journalists at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Houston Public Library's downtown location, 500 McKinney St.

Known for his relentlessness in his investigations, Dolcefino ended his 26-year stint with the station in November. Since then he has created a communications company with his namesake.

Throughout his career of exposing corruption in the community, Dolcefino has won 25 Emmys while simultaneously being accused, in multiple lawsuits, of libel.

SPJ is a national organization to protect the rights of journalists given by the First Amendment and to unite the media industry.

A brief SPJ meeting precedes the event and light refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to nonmembers. Guests are encouraged to RSVP to houstonspj@hotmail.com.

news@thedailycougar.com

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Doug Meacham's transition from Oklahoma State's wide receiver coach to UH's offensive coordinator will not be as difficult as some think because the two teams have similar systems.

Meacham

Meacham

"The terminology is the only difference. The routes, the route combinations and the signals are all the same," said UH graduate assistant Brayden Stringer, who was a reserve quarterback while Meacham coached at Oklahoma State.

Meacham is expected to be announced as offensive coordinator on Monday according to the Houston Chronicle.

Meacham, who has spent the previous eight seasons at Oklahoma State, is a good fit because he's familiar with the offense and will have a positive impact on the team's receivers, Stringer said. He was inside receivers coach, tight ends coach and passing game coordinator at Oklahoma State.

"He's a great guy and knows what he doing. He's been in the same system that we've had. He's been in it for years and knows the plays," Stringer said. "He's a great fit for the receiving corps; Meachum has a great personality.”

“We're going to throw the ball. (Larry) McDuffey, (Deontay) Greenberry, and (Dewayne) Peace will be plenty happy with Meachum as coordinator."

During Meacham's tenure as tight end coach at Oklahoma State, Brandon Pettigrew was drafted in the first round.

This season, Meacham helped the Cowboy's offense score 45.7 points per game in 2012 and averaged 547 yards. Oklahoma State inside receiver Josh Cooper ranked in the top 10 in the Big 12 in receptions per game in both 2010 and 2011.

Meacham follows Mike Nesbitt, who resigned in September after one game as offensive coordinator. Quarterback coach Travis Bush fulfilled the role of play caller for the duration of the season. Meacham and Bush are expected to split game-planning duties. Bush may also assist in play-calling, Stringer said.

Bush and Meacham will serve as co-offensive coordinators, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Before joining Oklahoma State, he was the offensive coordinator at Samford.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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A few weeks ago head coach James Dickey said the identity of his team was its balance offensively; the Cougars have several players who can lead the team in scoring each night.

Dickey

Dickey

Now, Dickey's vision is coming to fruition.

On a night when the Cougars struggled defensively, Texas Pan-American shot 50 percent from the field, the team had five players in double figures and rode their balance to a 96-71 victory.

Redshirt sophomore Joseph Young, who scored a game-high of 25, said the Cougars' offensive options will push the team to get better.

"Everybody in our offense can score," Young said. "We help each other score, and if we can continue to do that, then we'll be a great team."

The Cougars had a similarly balanced effort on the boards. They out-rebounded UTPA 37-24 and didn't have any player with a double-figure total, though 10 players got at least one rebound. Senior forward Leon Gibson led the Cougars with eight boards.

Gibson only scored eight points in the contest but contributed energy and effort, helping spark a 16-4 run in the first half that gave UH a 16 point lead. He made the hustle plays. Gibson had four offensive rebounds before the break and dove for loose balls, giving his teammates extra possessions.

UH couldn't put UTPA away. The Broncs responded to the Cougars' 16-4 run with their own half-ending 12-2 run to cut the lead to single digits. During their run, the Broncs nailed five consecutive buckets, to cap a first half where they shot 57 percent from the field.

Dickey said the run both surprised and disappointed him.

“At halftime you  should go in with your biggest lead," Dickey said. "We had a 16-point lead and went in with a six point lead.”

“We didn't play well the last four minutes, which is always a critical period."

With sophomore forward TaShawn Thomas in foul trouble in the second half, Young and freshman forward Danuel House took the lead on offense. House scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds. His shot wasn't working from behind the arc so he starting driving to the rim and shooting the 18-foot jumper, House said.

Young drained seven 3-pointers, the fifth highest single-game total in Houston history and scored 19 points in the second half. Young (17.4 ppg) has found his groove in the offense the past five games, when he has eclipsed 20 points four times. Young is coming into his own, Dickey said.

"Anyone that knows (Young) knows he can shoot the ball. What he's doing is he's getting shots," Dickey said. "He's not hunting shots. He's not taking bad shots."

Young's prowess from long distance will be big for the Cougars in conference play. Dickey said he wants to play an inside-out style where the guards feed Gibson and Thomas in the paint to get open shots for their shooters, if the big men can force teams to collapse.

The Cougars will head into conference play 11-2 and ready, Dickey said.

"We have six days, and in those six days we're going to concentrate on are getting better and getting ready for SMU. We're not going to look further than that,” Dickey said. “In conference play, everybody thinks they can win the league. The intensity level is going to rise.”

sports@thedailycougar.com

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Paula Short

Paula Short

After former senior vice chancellor of UH-System and UH provost John Antel returned to UH faculty, the chief academic officers of the UH-System had a vacancy. President and Chancellor Renu Khator announced via email Wednesday morning that Paula Short will be acting as the interim provost.

“(Short) is a highly regarded administrator who is recognized as a leader on the impact of higher education reform on student success and completion and the role of the organizational culture in academic quality in higher education,” Khator said.

After serving about 10 years as vice chancellor of Academic Affairs for the Tennessee Board of Regents, Short came to UH in 2012 as the director of the Institute for Policy, Research and Evaluation and a distinguished professor in the College of Education.

In the 1990s, Short served as editor of the Journal of School Leadership and three terms on the editorial board of Educational Administration Quarterly. She serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Women in Educational Leadership, the Handbook on Research in Educational Administration, Cases in Educational Administration and International Studies in Educational Administration.

“Dr. Short will provide day-to-day operation direction to the Division of Academic Affairs,” Khator said. “I have also asked her to provide leadership in reorganizing the Provost’s Office in preparation for its transition to new leadership and to initiate the process of building a case statement for the forthcoming capital campaign.”

“Dr. Short will serve in this interim role, effective immediately, until a permanent senior vice chancellor and provost has been appointed.”

Khator said the UH-System is beginning a national search to fill the position of provost and invites faculty members to email her any thoughts, ideas or suggestions. Short will not be a candidate for the permanent provost position, but she is glad to serve temporarily.

“I am honored to be asked by President Khator to serve the University of Houston in this important role,” Short said in a statement. “I look forward to working with faculty, staff and administrators to advance the exciting goals of the University of Houston.”

news@thedailycougar.com

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More changes are abound for the Big East ? the conference UH will join in all sports for the 2013 to 2014 athletic year. Boise State decided not to join the Big East next season and will remain in the Mountain West in all sports, the school announced Monday.

Without Boise State combined with the announcement that the league’s seven Catholic basketball schools ? DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Villanova ? will leave the Big East, the future of the Conference’s membership is uncertain.

The UH Athletic Department released a statement on Boise’s departure:

“We are undoubtedly disappointed in the latest conference realignment shuffle. As stated throughout these developments, we will continue to concentrate on the best interests of the University of Houston and its athletics department and focus on the issues we can control,” the athletic department said in a statement. “We are always working towards long-term stability as our brand continues to grow with the help of a very viable market in the City of Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city, and a great fan base. Combine that with our history of athletic and academic achievements along with the beginning of facility upgrades and we believe we offer a promising and established athletics program.”

Despite never playing a game in the Big East, Boise State is expected to pay a $5 million exit fee.

";s:10:"dc:creator";s:97:"";s:14:"wfw:commentRSS";s:77:"http://thedailycougar.com/2012/12/31/uncertainty-continues-for-big-east/feed/";s:14:"wfw:commentRss";s:77:"http://thedailycougar.com/2012/12/31/uncertainty-continues-for-big-east/feed/";s:14:"slash:comments";s:1:"0";s:19:"feedburner:origLink";s:72:"http://thedailycougar.com/2012/12/31/uncertainty-continues-for-big-east/";s:12:"pubTimeStamp";i:1357007757;s:4:"kidx";s:32:"43b3fc9762a2aeafa1591482689e3cd8";s:16:"guid_isPermaLink";b:0;s:10:"categories";a:8:{i:0;s:6:"Sports";i:1;s:20:"Athletics Department";i:2;s:8:"Big East";i:3;s:11:"Boise State";i:4;s:22:"Conference realignment";i:5;s:2:"UH";i:6;s:21:"University of Houston";i:7;s:4:"UofH";}s:6:"source";s:18:"thedailycougar.com";s:10:"source_url";s:42:"http://feeds.feedburner.com/thedailycougar";s:11:"source_link";s:25:"http://thedailycougar.com";s:11:"source_kidx";s:32:"a911c6bd124d855677b619b0f8dcc5c5";}s:32:"8836f1b16e4af9cd73c41084146fbb89";a:21:{s:5:"title";s:57:"Cougars pick up 10th victory, avenge first loss of season";s:4:"link";s:61:"http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailycougar/~3/XR-7CYSRGfE/";s:11:"description";s:364:"With 1:29 remaining, Prairie View cut UH's once 17-point lead to four when junior forward Rasi Jenkins hit a jumper. To ice the game, the Cougars needed an offensive rebound from sophomore forward TaShawn Thomas and veteran play from a freshman to come away with a 80-75 victory. Freshman forward Danuel House hit four clutch free throws in the final minute, [...]";s:8:"category";s:16:"Men's Basketball";s:8:"comments";s:103:"http://thedailycougar.com/2012/12/30/cougars-pick-up-10th-victory-avenge-first-loss-of-season/#comments";s:4:"guid";s:34:"http://thedailycougar.com/?p=53958";s:7:"pubDate";s:31:"Sun, 30 Dec 2012 06:47:42 +0000";s:15:"content:encoded";s:5141:"
Sophomore forward TaShawn Thomas tied a team-high 22 points against Prairie View on Saturday.  | Darla Tamulitis/La Vita Loca Photography

Sophomore forward TaShawn Thomas tied a team-high 22 points against Prairie View on Saturday. | Darla Tamulitis/La Vita Loca Photography

With 1:29 remaining, Prairie View cut UH's once 17-point lead to four when junior forward Rasi Jenkins hit a jumper. To ice the game, the Cougars needed an offensive rebound from sophomore forward TaShawn Thomas and veteran play from a freshman to come away with a 80-75 victory.

Freshman forward Danuel House hit four clutch free throws in the final minute, putting the game out of reach. House said he was confident taking the free throws because he’s put in extra work in practice.

“I wasn’t thinking about missing because I knew Coach (James) Dickey would have jumped all over me if I would have missed them.”

After eight 3-pointers in the first half led the Cougars to a 46-32 lead, the Panthers made it tough for the Cougars to avenge their first loss of the season with a second half run.

The Cougars had good movement during the first half and shot 50 percent from the field. The Cougars played inside out, which led to good shots from long distance. Redshirt sophomore Joseph Young and House both hit three shots beyond the arc. House said he has been working on getting better from long distance.

"I spend a lot of time practicing 3-pointers. Brandon Morris and I practice shooting every day with Coach (Ronnie) Hamilton," House said. "We shoot 25 3-pointers from each spot on the court. Being able to make those shots today meant a lot to me because it showed that hard work and effort pay off.”

Freshman forward Danuel House scored 20 points or more in both contests against Prairie View. | Darla Tamulitis/La Vita Loca Photography

Freshman forward Danuel House scored 20 points or more in both contests against Prairie View. | Darla Tamulitis/La Vita Loca Photography

The second half was a different story though.

After scoring 27 points in the first contest, junior guard Jourdan DeMuynck matched that output in this game, but did most of his damage after the break. He was also able to get to the rim in transition and finish. DeMuynck kept his team in the game in the second half where he scored 20 points and 16 of the Panthers' first 20.

"DeMuynck is getting NBA calls already … He plays like an old man,” said Prairie View head coach Byron Rimm II.

 "He's not flashy. He doesn't just try to dunk or shoot 3s. In transition, he pulls up for a five foot jumper, and he always hits that."

The Cougars were able to slow down DeMuynck after Dickey's substitution placed a smaller defender on him.

The Cougars were one wing short and decided to play junior point guard Tione Womack and sophomore point guard J.J. Thompson at the same time. Thompson has more experience and would be more physical, Dickey said.

DeMuynck was not as much of a factor the rest of the way.

The Cougars' second half offense struggled too: their 3-pointers didn't fall in the second half, they hit only one shot from long distance, their ball movement wasn't as good and they shot 34.5 percent from the field.

The team won, but there are still things to work on, Dickey said.

"They outrebounded us, had 38 points off turnovers and second shots and that is really disappointing … I blame that last seven minutes on me as far as the offense," Dickey said.

"The other thing I’m really highly disappointed in was how undisciplined we were. There were situations where we have to be more disciplined.”

 sports@thedailycougar.com

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A student reported a burglary of his habitation at Cambridge Oaks on Wednesday; no witnesses or suspects have been reported on the case.

A visitor was stopped Saturday for a traffic violation and arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana. On Sunday, a different visitor was arrested for alleged public intoxication. Both visitors were transported and released to the Harris County Jail.

Cougar Village II construction workers reported Wednesday that the construction fence had been cut, but nothing was found missing, UH Police said.

news@thedailycougar.com

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There has been a rash of historical biopics with Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" and Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" and representing recent forays into the genre, Robert Michell's "Hyde Park on Hudson” is in the right place and time to profit from the association.

Unfortunately, Michell's film lacks all the qualities that separated Anderson and Spielberg's films: energetic, vibrant and raw individual performances in "The Master" and the sly, nuanced storytelling in "Lincoln." To be blunt, "Hyde Park on Hudson" is a mess.

Bill Murray is admittedly charming as Franklin D. Roosevelt, but it never seems like he encompasses Roosevelt. Murray is a toothy, winking rogue throughout and is enjoyable to watch, but only to a point. There is no depth to his performance, and the same is true of the film.

Laura Linney, who portrays Margaret Suckley, a historical character whose correspondences with Roosevelt, detailing their intimate relationship, were made famous after her death. Linney is moderately strong in the early going, but fades as an interesting, relatable character in the third act.

Samuel West, who plays the intimidated, stuttering and young King George VI forced by circumstances to travel to America to seek Roosevelt and America's aid against the looming threat of German aggression, is an island of heart and subtlety in a sea of blasé and lifeless performances.

The problem is that the alternative-lifestyle romantic relationship between Suckley and Roosevelt is the wrong lens through which to view the larger, historical events transpiring. Michell's direction and Richard Nelson's screenplay seek to juxtapose the scope and magnitude of world events with the backdrop of the rustic, quasi-incestuous dynamic between the two leads, but it feels inappropriate and misguided.

The film does make a very poignant point about the nature of discourse and media in that era with the last shot of the film showing a horde of paparazzi patiently waiting for Roosevelt to situate his disabled legs into his limousine before snapping inaccurate photographs of him. Roosevelt is idolized, knowingly so by the entire nation, and the film opines that the Roosevelt era was when Americans knew the value of keeping secrets and constructing an image that reflected the best, not the reality.

But the moments of significance are sadly drowned out by an unrelenting mediocrity permeating every shot, performance and moment of the film. The movie just isn't provocative enough to inspire any kind of epiphany about the human situation, and it fails in most of its attempts to stray beyond the superficial.

arts@thedailycougar.com

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"This Is 40," Judd Apatow's most recent film starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, is a rehashing, trite conglomerate of all the things that have made Apatow famous.

The film is billed as a "sort of sequel" to "Knocked Up," the 2007 raunch-fest that made Seth Rogen a leading man and household name and cemented Apatow's status as the zeitgeist chronicler du jour.

Apatow's "The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and "Knocked Up" ? to a lesser extent ? were breaths of fresh air when they were released and represented a significant shift in paradigm from Hollywood-as-usual. The narratives revolved around dissatisfaction with the transition from adolescence into adulthood were presented in a new and exciting way, and the films resonated with audiences.

Familiarity breeds contempt though, and "This Is 40," which follows the marital strife and struggles of Debbie and Pete, ancillary characters in "Knocked Up" played by Mann and Rudd, feels anything but fresh.

The host of thinly developed and superfluous supporting characters and constant stream of mediocre gags is a chore, and it feels as though it was probably as much of a chore to write as it assuredly is to watch.

It would be hyperbolic to suggest that "This Is 40" is a cynical cash grab, but it's not at all unfair to say that there is not enough heart or narrative meat to support a full movie here, and it shows.

While it is nice to see Albert Brooks getting work, his role feels haphazardly and needlessly thrown in. Brooks is lost amidst a sea of gross-out comedy that ceases to be shocking or provocative rapidly and just as quickly becomes boring and rote.

It's impossible not to look back to 2009's "Funny People," which received more tepid and mixed reviews than any of Apatow's previous efforts. It was hailed as Apatow's most mature effort to date but was generally regarded with mixed sentiment as a finished product.

"This Is 40" seems like a concerted and deliberate effort to jump as far back from the "mature" designation as humanly possible ? back into the relative safety of man-boy, gross-out scatological and sexual humor that made Apatow a cultural touchstone.

Unfortunately, it also eschews the soul and deeper, more profound wit that peeked out in his earlier films. "This Is 40" is worth a half-hearted viewing at best, but an evening with "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" or "Knocked Up" would still trump it.

arts@thedailycougar.com

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The Cougars won despite several tragedies that affected the team. |  Darla Tamulitis/La Vita Loca Photography


The Cougars won despite several tragedies that affected the team. | Darla Tamulitis/La Vita Loca Photography

On her way out of Hofheinz Pavillion after a 74-61 victory against Texas State, freshman forward Jessieka Palmer told her teammate, freshman guard Alecia Smith that she loved her and would miss her during their four-day Christmas break.

"You're only going to not see her for three or four days,"  said assistant coach Ravon Justice.

"I'm going to miss her for those 3 to 4 days," Palmer said.

The Cougars have grown closer as a team during the past two weeks and it showed on the basketball court, said head coach Todd Buchanan after several players faced personal tragedies.

Freshman guard Bianca Winslow lost a grandmother. Senior guard Porsche Landry lost one of her best friends and one of her cousins was in a serious accident. Senior forward Destini Texada's grandmother is deathly ill and freshman forward Yasmeen Thompson's cousin was killed, Buchanan said.

"When you go through things we’ve gone through, and then not playing for two weeks it’s tough. We’ve gone through trials and tribulations as a basketball family, and for them to come back out here and put all of that behind them for three hours is something I’m extremely proud of,” Buchanan said.

"For all of that to go through and happen within a two-week period or less is pretty devastating. On a personal note, one of my close friends back in Kentucky had to take his wife off life support. It's been a very trying — to say the least — two weeks."

Still, the Cougars had to take the court, where they made their coach proud.

One such player was Smith, who finished with a career-high 24 points. Smith played with guts and savvy, Buchanan said. She was given the green light to shoot freely once she got hot from the field and rewarded the team with a propensity to hit the big shot.

Freshman guard Alecia Smith led the Cougars in scoring with a career-high 24 points. | Darla Tamulitis/La Vita Loca Photography

Freshman guard Alecia Smith led the Cougars in scoring with a career-high 24 points. | Darla Tamulitis/La Vita Loca Photography

With 7:44 remaining in the second half, Texas State Freshman guard Erin Peoples drained a
jumper that brought UH's lead to single digits. Smith responded with a 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 11.

"Not only did she have 24 points, but she put the team on her back. She had crucial shots when we needed them most," Buchanan said.

Their backcourt tandem and pace carried the Cougars to victory. Landry and Smith combined for 45 points and 13 rebounds.

“(Smith) stepped up big and had a lot of big shots when we needed buckets,” Landry said. "Her maturity level is high right now. She played well.”

The Cougars had a tough time dealing with the Bobcat's zone defense in the second half and it slowed them down. After scoring 45 points in the first half, the Cougars scored only 29 in the second.

“(Their zone defense) threw us off balance for a while, but once we got the hang of what our coaches wanted us to do, we were able to hang onto the lead,” said junior forward Marissa Ashton, who scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

In the wake of what happened during the past two weeks, the game was bigger that just a sports competition, Buchanan said.

"We as coaches don't just teach basketball. We try to teach and coach the game of life. It's all about faith and it's all about family," Buchanan said.

sports@thedailycougar.com

 

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Former UH cornerback Stanford Routt was excited when he found out he was returning to the city where he accomplished a lot as a college athlete.

Routt

Routt

Routt was signed by the Houston Texans after the Kansas City Chiefs cut him eight weeks into the NFL season and nine months after the Oakland Raiders cut him one year into a three-year, $31.5 million contract.

Such is life in the NFL because contracts are not guaranteed. Players are transient: They move from city to city to find work.

Houston provides a sense of normalcy for a player who has been cut twice in less than a year.

"At first I was first worried about finding a place to stay and knowing how to get around in a new city, but (in Houston) none of that was needed," Routt said.

Routt returned to the city where he competed at UH from 2001 to 2003. Routt, an Austin native, said he has had several ticket requests from friends and family since joining the Texans.

Proximity aside, the Texans are also a good fit because the scheme directed by defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is similar to the one he played in as a member of the Raiders, Routt said.

Phillips oversees an attacking defense that uses man-to-man principles in the secondary most of the time, which is the same type of scheme defensive coordinator Rob Ryan employed during his tenure with the Raiders. Ryan now holds the same position with the Dallas Cowboys.

"I can play in any scheme needed, but it definitely helps to play man-to-man the scheme I played early in my career," Routt said.

Since joining the Texans, Routt has played mainly on special teams, where he can use his speed to make plays.

Routt has always been fast. While at the NFL combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds ? the second fastest time in the combine's history. At UH, he ran track and earned All-America honors in the 200 meters and was a semifinalist in the 200-meters at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Former UH corner Stanford Routt had seven interceptions during his tenure at UH. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

Former UH corner Stanford Routt had seven interceptions during his tenure at UH. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

He chose to attend UH because he wanted to play in a big city ? not because of the University's winning pedigree, since the expectations surrounding the football program then were not the same as they are today.

Rout said his most memorable moment came against Hawaii in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl during his last season when UH reached the post season for the first time since the 1996 Liberty Bowl. Before that, the Cougars hadn't reached the post-season since the 1988 Aloha Bowl.

"Back when I went to UH, we didn't always go to a bowl," Routt said. "We didn't have Case Keenum or Kevin Kolb until my final season."

In 2003, Art Briles and Kevin Kolb debuted as coach and quarterback, respectively. Briles' coaching staff, namely former UH special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey pushed him to get better and challenged him to be better prepared mentally, Routt said. McGaughey had credibility because he had worked for the Chiefs and Texans.

Also important to Routt is giving back, both to the community he was a part of and the university he played at.

Before this season, Routt made a donation to the UH Athletics Sports Medicine Department. He has also created the Routt 2 Success Foundation to help direct kids toward a positive life with the help of sports.

"I know growing up I had a lot of people just as good or better, but the one thing that gets us derailed is free time. The hours of 3 to 6 p.m. are critical when parents are still at work … You can get into things like drugs, gangs and teenage pregnancies," Routt said. "We're all blessed and have to give back. I like to give kids knowledge … Getting into trouble takes a split second, and having your life taken away from you for a split-second decision when you're 16 or 17 is difficult."

sports@thedailycougar.com

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Renu Khator

https://www.youtube.com/embed/7-1vxgm0bvw

President and Chancellor Renu Khator, the only female chancellor in Texas, is in high-demand among accredited universities ? so much so that she just reached a salary of $700,000.

The UH-System Board of Regents unanimously approved another three-year contract, with some additional compensation, that will guarantee Khator’s place in the University and expects great things from her in this time slot.

“We have just hit the tip of the iceberg on what the University of Houston System and the University of Houston flagship can accomplish. She has so many wonderful ideas and plans for this university,” said UH System Board of Regents chair Nelda Blair. “That’s why she wants to be here.”

Khator was appointed as president and chancellor in 2008 and is the first foreign-born president and second female to hold the position. She planned for the University to reach Tier-One status in five to seven years, yet accomplished it in four.

After her next term concludes in 2015, she will have held the office of president and chancellor for seven years ? the longest dual leadership in UH history. No chancellor has held office for more than six years, and no president has held the position for as long since Philip Guthrie Hoffman was president for 16 years from 1961 to 1977.

Blair said the Board of Regents hopes to keep Khator around for much longer.

“Now, the state of Texas only allows us to bind her for three years at a time, but we would probably do 30 if we could,” Blair said. “(Khator is) going to lead this university system into the next decade no doubt about it.”

“She is committed; she has made that promise to me personally.”

The new contract, effective since Sep. 1 until August 2015, sets Khator’s salary at a 40-percent increase than in her last term and grants her a one-time signing and renewal bonus of $150,000, an annual retention bonus of $100,000 and a contingent of $50,000 based on her performance ? all new to the term agreement.

“She has such passion, dedication and commitment to this university, and the Board feels that this new contract shows our commitment to Renu Khator,” Blair said.

According to The Texas Tribune’s Government Employee Salary Database, the president of Texas A&M University makes $424,999 a year; the president of the University of Texas at Austin makes $613,612; Texas State University pays its president $354,486; and Lamar University pays its president $306,034 a year.

According to the database, Khator is the highest paid university president in Texas colleges excluding university hospitals and medical branches.

“It’s what we think will help keep her here, and I know that the city of Houston ? particularly the business people ? will be very, very happy to hear that,” Blair said.

Blair had nothing but positive things to say about Khator and the renewal of her contract to UH. As far as Blair is concerned, UH will remain the home of Khator for the duration of the foreseeable future.

“She is such an enormously wonderful leader,” Blair said. “She has in her mind not only goals and dreams but real growth and accomplishments and wonderful things that are going to happen to the University of Houston.”

“This is where her heart is. She bleeds Cougar red.”

news@thedailycougar.com

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The major demolition of Robertson stadium is well underway.

Robertson stadium's demolition is underway. | Rebekah Stearns/The Daily Cougar The major demolition of Robertson stadium began on Dec. 10. | Rebekah Stearns/The Daily Cougar The new stadium is expected to cost more than 100 million to build. | Rebekah Stearns/The Daily Cougar UH has not decided where the student section will be. | Rebekah Stearns/The Daily Cougar The new stadium will feature more than 160 concession stands. | Rebekah Stearns/The Daily Cougar The new stadium will have the capability to expand to 60,000 seats. | Rebekah Stearns/The Daily Cougar resized ";s:10:"dc:creator";s:28:"The Daily Cougar Sports Desk";s:14:"wfw:commentRSS";s:73:"http://thedailycougar.com/2012/12/21/slideshow-robertson-demolition/feed/";s:14:"wfw:commentRss";s:73:"http://thedailycougar.com/2012/12/21/slideshow-robertson-demolition/feed/";s:14:"slash:comments";s:1:"0";s:19:"feedburner:origLink";s:68:"http://thedailycougar.com/2012/12/21/slideshow-robertson-demolition/";s:12:"pubTimeStamp";i:1356105388;s:4:"kidx";s:32:"7880c7a2899114d191bc289d34731753";s:16:"guid_isPermaLink";b:0;s:10:"categories";a:6:{i:0;s:8:"Football";i:1;s:12:"Construction";i:2;s:10:"demolition";i:3;s:17:"Robertson Stadium";i:4;s:9:"Slideshow";i:5;s:10:"Slideshows";}s:6:"source";s:18:"thedailycougar.com";s:10:"source_url";s:42:"http://feeds.feedburner.com/thedailycougar";s:11:"source_link";s:25:"http://thedailycougar.com";s:11:"source_kidx";s:32:"a911c6bd124d855677b619b0f8dcc5c5";}s:32:"cf60069f68e6fb6bd150b018d88bac0f";a:21:{s:5:"title";s:42:"Slideshow: New Stadium renderings unveiled";s:4:"link";s:61:"http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailycougar/~3/GyoC0p6HlY4/";s:11:"description";s:122:"With the path to a new stadium underway, the University has released renderings of what the stadium will look like.  ";s:8:"category";s:8:"Football";s:8:"comments";s:78:"http://thedailycougar.com/2012/12/19/new-stadium-renderings-unveiled/#comments";s:4:"guid";s:34:"http://thedailycougar.com/?p=53860";s:7:"pubDate";s:31:"Wed, 19 Dec 2012 22:47:37 +0000";s:15:"content:encoded";s:3468:"

With the path to a new stadium underway, the University has released renderings of what the stadium will look like.

The Bert F. Winston Band and Performance Center -- a 39,089-square foot building on the east end of the Houston Football Stadium ? will be home to the Spirit of Houston Band Recital Halls and classroom spaces. | Courtesy of UH Athletics The players will have the option of entering the game through the stands when the stadium is complete. | Courtesy of UH Athletics An uninterrupted, 360 view of the field will be available on 67 percent of the concourse. | Courtesy of UH Athletics The new stadium will have an east-west orientation as opposed to the north-south orientation of Robertson stadium. The Houston skyline will be visible from most seats in the stadium. | Courtesy of UH Athletics The construction of the Houston Football Stadium is currently estimated to cost approximately $105 million pending final Board of Regents approval and bid package pricing. | NorthEastPortalGate Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades and UH President Renu Khator reveal new stadium renderings. | Christopher Shelton/The Daily Cougar

 

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10. COOG Radio
COOG Radio ? a completely student-ran radio station ? officially launched online on August 29, 2011. The station tries to focus on songs that are not mainstream while also trying not to play songs from the Top 40 during the past five years.
COOG Radio is the University’s first and only student-ran station and gives students who are interested in a radio career an opportunity to practice their craft.
9. James Franco says no to UH, again
The UH Creative Writing Program attracted celebrities. Actor James Franco was one of the 20 applicants accepted into the creative writing program in April for the fall semester. Franco deferred attendance until Fall 2012 but again couldn't attend because of his busy schedule.
8. TicketCity Bowl
UH cruised past Penn State 30-14 in the TicketCity Bowl on Jan. 2, 2011. UH quarterback Case Keenum was named MVP of the game after throwing for 532 yards and three touchdowns. The Cougars out-gained the Nittany Lions 600 yards to 306.
The Cougars set a school record for wins with 13 in 2011. It was also Tony Levine's first game as head coach.
7. UH surpasses $100 million in research awards
On the way to becoming a Tier One Research University, there were milestones that preceded it. UH broke the $100 million ceiling in research awards for the fiscal year 2009, announced on Aug. 27, 2009. UH topped $104 million as 314 faculty members received research awards.
The number rose from $87 million in research awards the previous year.
6. President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities recognizes Blaffer
The Young Artist Apprenticeship Program ? an art workshop for teenagers from neighboring Houston Independent School District high schools organized by the Blaffer Art Museum ? received $10,000 from President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
The YAAP won a Coming Up Taller award and in a ceremony at the White House on Nov. 4, 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama presented two representatives with a plaque, recognizing their honor.
5. Energy Expansion
With a $110 million expansion of its Energy Research Park and energy curriculum, UH is positioning itself to serve the Houston market, which is big in the energy sector.
The school added programs that attempt to train future professionals in a variety of energy fields, including sub sea engineering and wind power. The school now has the fifth sub sea engineering master's program in the nation. UH President Renu Khator made these programs a priority because of the dominant role of the energy industry in Houston. The University purchased the 15 buildings comprising of the ERP for $27 million in 2009 after leasing them for years. During August 2012, the renovation of Building 1 of the ERP was completed and several departments moved in full time on Aug. 27, 2012. 
4. College GameDay visits Houston
On Nov. 11, 2011, ESPN's College GameDay visited the University for the first time as the Cougars prepared to face SMU. UH, ranked No. 11 at the time, was in line for a Bowl Championship Series and defeated SMU 37-7 in front of a sold out crowd at Robertson Stadium.
Quarterback Case Keenum became the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s all-time completions leader and the second player in NCAA history to throw for at least 4,000 yards in three separate seasons in the game.
3. Cougar Village, Cougar Woods, Calhoun Lofts open ? part of ambitious Master Plan
The University added variety to the way students lived on campus in an attempt to change the culture and the notion that UH is a commuter school.
Cougar Village opened as a residential facility for freshmen students during Fall 2009. Calhoun Lofts ? originally planned as luxury housing for graduate students ? opened a year later for the fall semester of 2010.
Cougar Woods dining hall served its first students on Oct. 1. It offers more options than the previous Oberholtzer Hall and gives more incentive to live on campus.
2. New stadium approved by students
In what was the largest turnout for a student referendum in UH history, students overwhelming voted to increase student fees by $45 to help fund the construction of a new football stadium and to renovate Hofheinz Pavilion on Jan. 31 to Feb. 1.
The referendum passed by 73.9 percent as 9,923 ? 26.1 percent of the student body ? voted; 7,334 of them were in favor of the fee increase, 2,589 against the measure.
1. Tier One research
In January 2009, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching named UH as a top research university in the nation, or Tier One.
UH became the third public university in Texas to be named a Tier One university. UH announced this on Jan. 18, 2011. The University of Texas and Texas A&M are the only two other public institutions in the state to receive the Tier One distinction.
The rankings are updated every five years, and the criteria include research expenditures, number of doctorate degrees awarded and the size of the university’s research staff.
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Recent UH grads are in a good position to start carving out their place in the work force.

According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, the economy added 146,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell 7.7 percent.

Graduating English senior Zeinab Kachmar is excited to get started in career post graduation.

“I am looking forward to the fact that I hopefully won’t have to take my work home with me,” Kachmar said.

The promise of a good career lures most students to college.

A college graduate will make nearly $1 million more than a person who only graduated high school in their lifetime, according to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

On average a college graduate, will make $45,000, while a person with only a high school diploma can expect somewhere around $21,000, according to the report.

Emily Holley, a journalism major graduating in December, isn’t sold on statistics for her career.

"In a dream world, maybe (I could make $45,000). Realistically, I know to expect something from $26,000 to $30,000 when I graduate, but that will go up with time and experience," Holley said.

The U.S. Census Bureau statistics vary by degree. A student with a degree in engineering can expect to make $80,000, while a student with a degree in English can expect $30,000.

“I feel like although (some) majors claim that they will be able to offer financial stability, there is nothing guaranteed in life, which is why you should learn about something that interests you rather than something that will make you money,” Kachmar said.

“Although I worry about what exactly I can do with my English degree, I would rather be working very hard and content than rich and miserable.”

Most graduating UH seniors are reflecting on their past while looking forward to the future.

"I went to college for myself, and no one can take that away from me," said psychology senior Jacee Labuff. "A degree gives your potential for growth. I can make good money in the future instead of bartending like I was before."

Being a college graduate does not only mean you will make more than a person who doesn't have a degree, but according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the jobs will be more white collar and less manual labor intensive.

There are many other advantages of obtaining a degree that cannot be quantified.

Media production senior Sean Ploch points out a few of those advantages.

"Regardless of my salary after I graduate, this has all been worth it," Ploch said. "It has been beneficial to learn how to interact with people. It has all been a series of baby steps closer to being in the real world."

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With one minute remaining in the game and his team up 20, head coach James Dickey was still pushing the Cougars to compete on defense and imploring his point guard, sophomore J.J. Thompson, to push the ball up the floor after rebounds.

Dickey wanted the Cougars to finish strong. They did, putting Louisiana-Lafayette away in the second half 66-52.

“The 3-point line changes the psychology of the game,” Dickey said. ”Whenever someone makes a three the opponent thinks they are about to go on a run… I didn’t want us to relax there at the end.”

The Cougars took control early, grabbing a 16-point halftime lead on strong a performance from the 3-point line, a trend that would continue in the second half.

The Cougars went 8-15 from the 3-point line in the first half, outscoring the Cajuns by 21. Freshman forward Danuel House, who was battling flu-like symptoms, hit four 3s before the break, including one attempt from the UH logo near half court.

“It was hard for me to breathe,” House said. “But I had to suck it up because my teammates needed me.”

Despite not starting, House finished with 22 points – a career high – and was aggressive on offense. He was too aggressive at times and had to reign himself in and take good attempts.

“There was a point where Joe (Young) had to tell me to set my feet to make more shots,” House said. ”Being able to work the team offense was crucial for us tonight. I’ve been working with the coaches lately, which has helped my game.

In the first half, a 19-4 run pushed a one-point lead to 15 with contributions from different sources.

“Tonight was about sharing the ball and making the extra pass,” House said. “Everybody on this team can score.”

UH connected 14 times from behind the arc. Young was one of the best performers, he hit 6-11 from long distance and tied a career high with 27 points.

Sophomore forward TaShawn Thomas — the Cougars’ leading scorer – didn’t lead the team in points but filled the stat sheet. He finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for his 15th career double-double.

“We don’t really care who is the highest scorer of the night. Everybody is going to have their night at some point.(Thomas) did a good job on the boards,” Dickey said. ”He went 3-4 at the free throw line and didn’t force anything.”

The Cajun’s played a zone defense that the Cougars capitalized on. The threat of Thomas in the paint and penetrations allowed for good looks from long distance, redshirt sophomore Joseph Young said.

“Our guards really set the tempo for us tonight. They were able to get inside the paint, and once the defense collapsed on them they found the open man,” Young said. “The point guards get all the credit tonight.”

sports@thedailycougar.com

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"This is another evolution in conference realignment and represents the state of college athletics at this time. Although disappointed in the latest developments, we have great faith in Commissioner Mike Aresco and the future of the Big East Conference while at the same time, as we've always stated, we will continue to concentrate on the best interests of the University of Houston and its athletics department.

"We are always working towards long-term stability and will continue to focus on the issues we can control. Our brand continues to grow with the help of a very viable market in the City of Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city, and with a great fan base. Combine that with our history of athletic and academic achievements along with the beginning of facility upgrades and we believe we offer a promising and established athletics program."

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The seven Big East basketball-only programs have decided to depart from the conference that UH will join in all sports for the 2013-14 athletic year.

UH athletic director, Mack Rhodes said the direction of conference realignment is uncertain but the Cougars are still committed to the Big East.

“We’re always going to do what’s best for UH, and what’s best for UH today is Big East,” Rhodes said. “When you look at conference realignment, you can’t predict it. I could tell you one thing today and by the time we wake up tomorrow it could be completely different.”

The schools released a joint statement announcing the move.

"Earlier today we voted unanimously to pursue an orderly evolution to a foundation of basketball schools that honors the history and tradition on which the Big East was established,” the school presidents said in a statement Saturday afternoon. “Under the current context of conference realignment, we believe pursuing a new basketball framework that builds on this tradition of excellence and competition is the best way forward.”

DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova are leaving the conference.

What could be next is a battle between lawyers to decide the date and cost of the exit.

Though Big East rules require departing members give the conference 27 months notice, the league has negotiated early exits already. The Conference has made settlements with Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia over the past year who all paid exit fees. But this situation is different, as a group of schools are preparing to leave this time.

Big East rules allow schools to leave as a group without paying an exit fee.

The seven schools emphasized the Big East’s focus on becoming a national football power as a reason for their departure.

"While we pursue this opportunity for our institutions, we believe the efforts of the past two years have established the foundation for an enduring national football conference.

Rhodes said the remaining members will have to be poised and creative, echoing sentiment from UH President, Renu Khator.

“Big East basketball schools leave…sorry to see them go but (there’s an) opportunity for us to think out of box and create something bold,” Khator tweeted.

UH joined the Big East because of its prominence in college basketball and position as a Bowl Championship Series automatic qualifier conference.

Neither would appear to be the case when the Cougars join next year.

Without Syracuse, Pittsburg and West Virginia in football and the Catholic seven in basketball, the conference, which is negotiating a new television deal, will not generate as much revenue in their next deal.

The Big East expects to have a 12-team football conference next season with six new members. Rutgers and Louisville both announced intentions to leave the Big East last month but will compete in a Big East conference schedule next year.

Rhodes said the remaining members of the Big East are prepared to improve the conference.

“I think there’s a sense of excitement. I talked to most of my colleagues today. There’s a sense of camaraderie and ‘let’s make this thing great.’ There’s nothing to be ashamed of. All of the members have great accomplishments.”

sports@thedailycougar.com

 

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