- Give yourself enough time. Pulling all-nighters will not contribute to a successful exam grade. At least a week before your test, begin setting aside a designated amount of time to study.
- Consider making flashcards of the material you need to memorize. I am a huge fan of flashcards; it is a great way to quiz yourself and memorize material quickly.
- Have a quiet place to concentrate while studying. Sometimes studying at home can be incredibly distracting, for a change try taking your study session up to the UHCL library.
- Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Yes, it is important to be fully prepared for an exam, but you also need to remember that you are only taking a test, don’t freak yourself out.
- Make sure you are getting enough sleep and eating properly. Trying to study while being sleep deprived and living off chips and energy drinks is counterproductive.
- Make sure you are prepared on test day. Buy any materials required of you on test day ahead of time, rushing to the bookstore before the test will only stress you out.
- Do your best! Ok, I know that sounds pretty elementary, but it does make a good point. As long as you truly do your best you can be proud of the work you put in during the semester, and you won’t regret not having tried harder.

After all, this is only one week out of the semester and finals will be over before we know it. On behalf of The Signal staff I would like to wish everyone on campus good luck with their finals! I hope the above tips will help give you some peace of mind during this challenging week.

Taylor Clinton
The Signal
The Board of Regents meetings in May will give faculty, staff and students a look into how big the changes of downward expansion will be financially and how far those attending UHCL will have to dig into their pockets in the upcoming academic year.

The University of Houston Board of Regents is the governing body of UHCL, as well as the UH System as a whole. This means board members make executive decisions for UH, UHD, UH-Victoria, UH-Cinco Ranch, UH-Sugarland, KUHT Television and KUHF Radio.

The board will meet two times in May. May 13, the Academic and Student Success Committee, Facilities, Construction and Master Planning Committee, and the Endowment Management Committee will meet to discuss proposed items for those areas at each of the UH System schools. May 14, the Audit and Compliance Committee, and the Finance and Administration Committee will meet to further discuss how the funds in the UH System will be allocated to fit each school’s needs.

These meetings will give the final say in what the proposed tuition and fee increases will be for the next academic year and will give UHCL an indication of what to expect in the way of funding for the four-year initiative, beginning fall 2014.

Proposed Funding for Fiscal Year 2014
At the FY14 Combined Component Priorities Presentation April 17,  President William Staples described the funding for the four-year initiative as a “three-legged stool” that will be composed of three funding factors: department reserves, private fundraising and state appropriations.

“I am convinced more than ever that if we don’t make this transition we will be in a much more precarious position regarding the near term and especially in the long term funding of UH-Clear Lake,” Staples said.

Department Reserves
UHCL is planning to use $1.12 million from reserves to aid with the financial cost of downward expansion – money set aside within each department for the use of priority initiatives.

“The university swept money from departments’ reserves last year that they felt was excess money and they will sort of fund our needs from that greater pool of money for the next couple of years,” said Darlene Biggers, associate vice president of student services.

Private Fundraising
Houston Endowment has given a $1 million grant to UHCL for downward expansion.

The payments will be given in two increments of $500,000; the first was allotted to UHCL in March 2013 and the second will be granted in March 2014.

These funds will be apportioned to extend students services, including new academic advising, transition services and student services for freshman and sophomore students. Transition services are anticipated to help freshmen make the transition from high school to college, and student services is hoping to provide tutoring for lower-level math and sciences.

State Appropriations
A 20 percent funding cut by the Texas Legislature in 2011 left a $5.8 million gap in the UHCL budget.

This legislative session, UHCL is hoping to regain roughly 25 percent of that lost revenue.

“There is simply going to be a battle for funding,” Staples said. “It depends how the dominos fall.”

If awarded the state appropriation funds, UHCL has a proposed plan for a new Science and Academic Support building. The new building would provide more science labs, necessary for freshman and sophomore classes, and provide more space to expand academic support for the math and science disciplines.

“All decisions are sort of on hold right now,” said Zbigniew Czajkiewicz, dean of the School of Science and Computer Engineering. “We are planning for a lot of things and we have a lot of options, but no decisions will be made, I assume, until the legislative session is completed.”

Four-Year Initiative Affects on Tuition and Fees
In Texas, funding for public universities is primarily enrollment driven. As a result, when there is a drop in formula funding provided by the state, the educational institution often times has to increase tuition and fees to assure the needs of students are met for a quality education.

Tuition

The rate for designated undergraduate tuition is projected to be raised $9 per credit hour and $19 per credit hour for graduate students.

At this time there are no projected changes to statutory tuition, which is set by the state, or to differential designated tuition, which is decided by the school in which the student will be majoring.

“Of the 38 public institutions, with one being the highest and 38 being the lowest, we are 30 for tuition cost,” Staples said. “So we are a pretty good deal.”

Fees
The library use fee and parking fees may increase for students in FY14.

Library fees are projected to rise to $8 per credit hour with a maximum of $96 per student. For students taking more than 12 hours per semester, the fee will not be applied to additional credit hours.

“This money will hopefully do two things: it will allow for us to restore resources that we have had to cut due to state budget cuts, and it will allow us to add new ones,” said Karen Wielhorksi, executive director of the Neumann Library.

Student parking fees are anticipated to climb to $100 for an annual parking pass, $60 for a semester parking pass in the fall/spring semesters and $45 for a summer parking pass.

Adjunct parking fees are expected to increase to $50 for an annual parking pass, $30 for fall/spring parking and $25 for summer parking.

Employee parking fees are expected to increase to $100 annually and $170 for employees who have reserved lot parking.

The revenue generated by increased parking fees are being proposed by the UHCL Police Department to cover more Hawk Patrol employees in the parking lots and extended patrolling hours, maintenance and implementation of new security technologies, and mailing out parking permits.

The May 14 Board of Regents meeting and the decisions made by the Texas Legislature this session will be the ultimate deciding factor for the budget for downward expansion and the cost of tuition and fees.

Lei Wu, associate professor of software engineering, at his initial court date April 16. Photo by Christopher Rupley: The Signal.

Christopher Rupley
The Signal
A UHCL professor accused of making terroristic threats was arrested April 9 after a colleague contacted the UHCL Police Department and filed a grievance.

The Texas Penal Code defines a terroristic threat as one that “[places] any person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury.”

Lei Wu, associate professor of software engineering for the School of Science and Computer Engineering, reportedly made threatening remarks during a tenure discussion with his program chair, Sharon White. Wu was subsequently arrested.

White, associate professor of software engineering for SCE, is an acting member of the Peer Review Committee in charge of reviewing Wu’s tenure candidacy. Wu met with White to discuss his tenure review. Because White had lodged a previous complaint against Wu, this time White recorded the conversation.

UHCL Chief of Police Paul Willingham stated that White was advised not to contact Wu after she lodged an initial complaint against him with the police department April 2. During the April 2 tenure discussion, Wu expressed concern about how slow the tenure process was and stated that not getting his tenure would be a strain on his marriage.

“There is a lot of history between the two that is beyond this specific threat as it relates not just to the tenure, but even before that, that is actually related to why it is being grieved,” Willingham said. “There is some personal history between the two.”

White ignored the request from the UHCL Police Department to stay away from Wu and had a tape recorder ready for their next encounter.

The UHCL Police Report states that Wu purportedly made remarks to White such as “both will be blood,” and “it will be bad for either.”

Wu’s defense team was present at his initial court date April 16 at the Harris County Court at Law Number Four. The defense team included Michael Turner and son Christopher Turner, of the Turner Law Office in Baytown, Texas.

Wu maintains his innocence and offers a different account of the conversation that ultimately led to his arrest.

“Soon you will hear the truth,” Wu said. “The fact is Sharon White came to my office with the tape recorder. The judge will decide what was said when he has listened to the tape, not by what Sharon White claimed. The news only used one source. Justice will prevail.”

The “news” that Wu refers to includes a broadcast report on Channel 2 News and an article published in the Houston Chronicle.

Repeated attempts to contact White were unsuccessful. A county clerk verified that William E. Mejia, Harris County assistant district attorney, is prosecuting the case against Wu.

Stuart Larson, associate professor of graphic design for the School of Humanities and Human Sciences and mentor for new faculty members seeking tenure at UHCL, previously served on a gaming committee with both professors.

Larson’s view of the tenure process is unique because he was part of the HSH initiative started to guide new faculty members toward tenure.

“It can definitely be very stressful,” Larson said. “School does not prepare you for what the tenure process involves. The University of Houston-Clear Lake is far more supportive of faculty getting tenure than any other academic institution. We have the mentoring program and we’re always trying to improve the guidelines for what is required to get tenure.”

Larson has worked with both professors in the past.

“I’ve known Sharon White for a long time,” Larson said. “She has always been very professional and insightful. She is willing to work with people and programs outside of software engineering.

“Professor Wu and I interacted at the gaming committee. That was the first time I met Dr. Wu. He was working on a robotic arm to pick tomatoes.”

UHCL has limited Wu’s access to the university until the case against him has been resolved. He is allowed on campus to teach his classes, but he is not allowed on campus for any other reason while the case against him is ongoing.

Willingham is adamant that the university is under no imminent terroristic threat.

“He is allowed to teach the rest of his classes,” Willingham said. “We do not feel that there is a threat to the campus based upon our threat assessment. Otherwise he wouldn’t be here.”

WANTNEEDO by Kalan Lyra: The Signal.

That cyclic request that induces intense pondering and deliberation that we know as the budget proposal is once again upon the UH System Board of Regents.

It can be favored, and in turn, be scorned, especially where fee increases are concerned and especially if those increases are not solidly justified.

The culprit here is a proposed increase in parking fees.

The proposal is to increase parking permits is as follows: annual student and employee permits from $85 to $100; semester student permits from $50 to $60; summer student permits from $35 to $45; annual adjunct permits from $40 to $50; semester adjunct permits from $20 to $30; summer adjunct permits from $15 to $25; and annual employee reserved lot permits from $135 to $170.

These increases do not necessarily empty an individual’s pockets or seem too unwarranted until the exact intention behind the increases is uncovered – then the justification does not appear logical.

It must first be considered that faculty and staff have not had a pay increase in close to three years, and they have already adjusted to paying a parking fee increase that was implemented three years ago.

Secondly, parking fees are intended for parking improvements and lot maintenance, correct? Not necessarily in this case.

The proposed parking fee increases, estimated at $110,000 in increased revenue, would be used for:  1) increased staffing and hours of the Hawk Patrol; 2) maintenance of security technologies and implementing new technologies; and 3) for mail out of all parking permits.

All three items have been ill-received by the majority of faculty and staff who have voiced concerns through different campus committees.

Most complainants believe the current funding is sufficient, especially considering that in fall 2014, the incoming freshmen, sophomores and new faculty and staff should generate an increased parking income.

Faculty and staff would rather see the gate arms returned to parking lot B that were removed two years ago because it is now easier for parking offenders to park in the employee lot, which is causing an actual problem.

Some students do not mind the increase in parking fees – it is how they are set to be allocated that they do not agree with.

The Hawk Patrol is comprised of student employees working to assist the campus police department with transportation escorts and motorist assist services, such as unlocking doors, helping with flat tires and jump starting vehicles.

The patrol also enforces parking regulations and safety by being visible through lot patrol.  However, it is primarily lot D that is patrolled and the student employees are not required to complete any specific law or safety training. Only a valid Texas driver’s license, good driving record and clear background check are necessary to apply for a position as a member of the Hawk Patrol.

The maintenance of security technologies and implementation of new technologies involves obtaining, installing and operating a new access control system for campus rooms and buildings, and a campus enunciator for buildings and parking lots.

The access control system would convert the current keypad system to a physical card system, while the campus enunciator would allow for emergency announcements on campus to be made remotely and instantaneously from any location, even off campus. This sounds like a step in the right direction to upgrading campus security, but these improvements are not parking lot related and should not be funded through increased parking fees.

The idea of mailing out the approximately 6,400 parking permits sold each year simply does not make sense because it really just equates to a projected added cost of about $2.50 per permit. It would make more sense to give the purchasers of the permits a choice of whether they would like to have their permits mailed or picked up in person. Those who choose to have their permits mailed can do so by accepting the charges for the mailing cost.

The UH System Board of Regents will have the final say on what will be approved on this budget cycle when they vote May 14, and then the fate of the proposed parking fee will be revealed.

To ask questions or make suggestions concerning the proposed parking fee increases, contact the UHCL Police Department at policechief@uhcl.edu or the Facilities and Support Services Committee (FSSC) at http://uhcl.edu/portal/page/portal/PRE/Shared_Governance/FSSC.

Of course, this isn’t true. But your students believe it is.

The Signal reporter Trent Gibson. Staff photo.

This scenario is a replication of a situation that my ex-girlfriend is currently involved in at the high school where she teaches.

So what do you do? Go to the principal – he’s no help.

“Boys will be boys,” he says.

Call the authorities? Strike two.

“We don’t have enough evidence,” they say.

You are now struggling to make it through your days without crying in your car on your lunch break or hearing “maybe she’ll give me an A, if you know what I mean.”

“Victim blame” is a term coined to represent when “the victim(s) of a crime, an accident, or any type of abusive maltreatment are held entirely or partially responsible for the transgressions committed against them.”

Victim blame has been occurring for years, but this actually hits close to home. Amidst the controversy, the students at my ex-girlfriend’s school decided to get social media involved by tweeting from their personal Twitter accounts, as well as reposting others’ tweets.

Now this brings in a whole new subject matter that we won’t get into, but let’s just say that the law now has the authority to get involved – and they have. Students can be held responsible for libelous statements made online, which can ruin their future.

What these students do not understand is that things like this can ruin a teacher’s career as well. The situation my ex-girlfriend has been unwillingly involved in has tarnished her reputation and will follow her to every school she teaches at in the future.

Regardless, certain questions arise: Are the students just bored? Are they begging for attention? Do they think it’s funny? Or do they just have malicious intent toward the sweetest girl on the planet because she gave a student an ‘F’ on a paper when he didn’t even do the assignment?

Who knows.

It is important for real victims, like my ex-girlfriend, to be believed, as the outcome can be extremely harmful to their reputations. When situations such as this one arise, we need to understand that these victims aren’t just “crying wolf.”

Sometimes, we don’t think about the consequences of our actions. We believe falsities, accusations and rumors blindly, never batting an eye, and move on like nothing happened.

We’ve been taught as a society to fall in line, to conform. And when one person tells us something is true, no matter how outrageous, we feel the need to believe. But let’s face it. It’s human nature to gossip, especially when the subject matter is titillating or taboo. We want the good stuff – the guts.

There is a passage in the Bible that reads, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” I encourage you to seek truth in anything that you do. You never know the full harm that spreading falsity can do to someone.

I mean, I think the world of her, but what do I know?

The admission-free event is organized by the San Jacinto Museum of History, with assistance from Texas Parks and Wildlife and San Jacinto Volunteers. Visitors were able to view the San Jacinto Monument and Museum, the Reflection Pool and the Battleship Texas.

The primary mission of the event is to educate the public about local history and, more importantly, Texas history at the Battle of San Jacinto, in which General Sam Houston led the Texian Army to victory April 21, 1836. This victory won Texas’ independence from Mexico.

“History is important because we are the past; we are the sum of all the events – good, bad, and indifferent – that have happened to us, and this sum guides our actions in the present,” said Robert Hixon, chairman of the board of trustees of the San Jacinto Museum of History Association.

Hixon wants festival visitors to ponder the importance of the battle and whether or not Texas would still be a part of Mexico, had it lost the Battle of San Jacinto.

Hali Garcia, Baytown resident and festivalgoer, stated she took away “an understanding on how much of what has happened in history affects today’s society.”

A few new presentations brought to the festival this year were “The Women at San Jacinto,” presented by Mary L. Kelley Scheer, professor at Lamar University, and the “Rocking T Chuck Wagon,” which has been featured on the Food Network and competes in chuck wagon food competitions throughout the South.

This event had fun activities for all ages and included an entire children’s area of the festival. Children could take part in the petting zoo, face painting and archery zones.

The highlight of the day was the reenactment of the Battle of San Jacinto. Volunteers from historical organizations came from all over Texas to participate in the reenactment, which dramatizes the 18-minute battle between the Mexican Army and the Texians.

Throughout the day, the pathway to the battleground was lined with blacksmith and weaver demonstrators who taught spectators about life in Texas during the 1800s. Before and after the battle, guests were allowed to walk on the battleground to study how the soldiers on both sides lived during the time surrounding the battle.

As the reenactment approached, hundreds of visitors of all ages positioned themselves along the sides of the battleground. The performance used pyrotechnics for the cannons and muskets used in battle.

Despite already knowing the outcome, spectators were able to see the strategy used during the battle and the small mistakes that General Antonio López de Santa Anna made throughout the days surrounding the climax that led to his capture and overall defeat, which ensured Texas’ victory.

“The festival is so much fun,” said John Hesselberg, a volunteer portraying a Mexican soldier in the battle reenactment. “You get to hang out, dress up in weird clothes, and enjoy the carnival atmosphere, all while educating the public about what happened here.”

Video shot and edited by Ryan Little: The Signal.

Illustration by Shawn Domingues: The Signal.

Ashley Honc
The Signal
UHCL is recognized by the Environmental Institute of Houston for having an environmentally friendly campus and protecting the nature and wildlife inhabiting it.

The purple martin habitat located in front of the North Office Annex Building was built in an effort to raise environmental consciousness through education.

Sheila Brown, habitat curriculum specialist, got the idea to build the bird nest on campus while attending a meeting at the Wild About Birds nature store years ago.

“I wanted the kids [Clear Lake High School Earth Club] to learn about the purple martins, and so they started by cleaning the housing and placing pine needles in the compartments by Valentine’s Day each year,” Brown said.

Hurricane Ike took down the original multihouse dwelling for the martins. What stands now is larger colony housing with 22 total nests that was funded by the school and Matt Fendly, academic computing systems coordinator, who constructed the birdhouse.

What makes this birdhouse unique from others in the area is a miniature live streaming camera recently placed on the inner wall of one of the compartments housing a nest.

“The camera was installed to bring more attention to the purple martins and allow school kids to monitor the nesting progress from any computer,” said Fendley, who also manages and keeps the birdhouse operational.

Purple martins are migratory birds that nest in North America and travel to South America, typically Brazil, during the winter. From UHCL, this journey is roughly 4,900 miles one way.

“2008 was the first year with purple martins nesting at UHCL,” Fendley said. “They have been returning every year since.”

During migration, if their previous nest was managed properly, they will come back to it and continue to nest there every year during their lifespan. If damaged or gone when they return, they will relocate up to 50 miles away.

The purple martins that are nesting with the live camera were housed there last year as well.

“As long as they successfully raised babies the previous season, the adults will always return to their same nesting grounds,” Fendley said.

Purple martins are secondary-cavity nesters. This means they are dependent on human housing or previously used nests.

Fendley started the construction of the nests at UHCL with pine needles. The martins will then add elements of their own including mud and leaves.

With spring being the martins’ nesting season, any time now on the nest cam, you will begin to see the egg-laying process. The female martin will begin to lay one egg a day; the total amount of eggs laid ranges from two to seven. Approximately 15 days later they will begin to hatch.

Once the baby martins hatch, both parents continue to feed their young until they start to fly, roughly a month after hatching. Approximately two weeks after their first flight, they will continuously come back to their birthplace to feed from their parents and sleep at night.

Two of the purple martins’ leading predators are the English house sparrow and the European starling. Both are aggressive birds that will sabotage purple martin eggs when the parents are away from the nest and/or take over their housing.

“Purple martins, like all songbirds, can be victims of isolated predation (raccoons, snakes, hawks, and owls), but this pales in comparison to the toll taken on the purple martins’ numbers, due to the loss of available housing, thanks to the aforementioned sparrows and starlings,” Fendley stressed.

Precautions have already been taken so that this doesn’t happen to the UHCL colony.

“We prevent the starlings from nesting there by using special starling-resistant entrances that block them from entering the nest,” Fendley said.

Students are welcomed and encouraged to visit the purple martin birdhouse located north of parking lot D4. The live video camera inside the nest is also an alternative way to keep up with the reproduction cycle of the martins on campus.

“We will keep the camera live until the last martin nest has finished and there are no more staying the night in any of the compartments,” Fendley said.

To advance further study of the purple martins, Fendley hopes to get tracking devices for the birds on campus.

“I would love to have geo-locators or bands to track the martins here and during migration,” Fendley said.

To view the purple martins live nest cam, visit http://prtl.uhcl.edu/portal/page/portal/EIH/video.

Conference attendees and participants view the poster presentations that were displayed in Atrium II of the Bayou Building during the Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts April 16-19. Photo by Dave Valdez: The Signal.

Graham Clifford
The Signal
The 19th Annual Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts took place April 16-19 on the UHCL campus with participating students presenting professional-quality research in a variety of formats.

The SCRCA gathered students from 10 colleges in the state to present research topics in a professional manner and gain experience in presentation skills for future academic or business settings. Participants were required to have a UHCL faculty sponsor who is familiar with the student’s work.

“SCRCA provides [students] an exceptional opportunity to present professionally and get feedback on their research,” said Charlotte Haney, visiting lecturer in anthropology. “There are many publishing venues for student research. Investigate these, select an appropriate one, revise your research in light of the feedback you received and submit it for publication.”

The range of publishing venues offered to students included poster presentations, oral presentations, roundtable discussions and workshops. There was also a mock trial with a practicing judge for legal studies students to sharpen their courtroom skills.

Faculty members involved in the conference were quick to point out that although this conference is aimed at students, it is a professional conference where students present publishable quality work.

“The Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts was created to give students an opportunity to present their research in a professional environment outside the classroom,” said Stuart Larson, associate professor of graphic design. “Although the word ‘student’ is in the title, this is a real conference and counts as professional development on a resume. Presenting at this conference prepares a student for after-graduation in ways that classroom activities do not.”

The presentations and symposiums are intended to not only prepare students for a possible business setting, but also to prepare them for future academic pursuits.

“This track record of publication builds your C.V. and gives you a leg up on the competition for graduate school applications or on the job market,” Haney said.

Students participating in the poster presentation displayed their research in Atrium II of the Bayou Building. Their work ranged from “Gun Control: In Response to Sandy Hook Elementary,” to “Comparison of Zooplankton at Sites Along the Rio Negro (Amazonas Brazil).”

One poster titled “Digging Deeper: The Dichotomy Between Social Media Use and Personality Traits” displayed a large amount of information in the form of text and graphs that showed a sample collected on campus.

“The hardest part of preparing my poster was streamlining the data and information into a summarized format and making sure there were no errors,” said Brittany Davis, clinical psychology major and one of the authors of “Digging Deeper.”  “This was especially important because the final poster cost a significant amount of money to print.”

Student posters are only one of the forums for presenting research, however, and many students presented a topic in a symposium setting where a sponsoring faculty member chose the topic.

One of these symposiums was co-conducted by Sera Perkins, humanities major, and covered “American Eating Rituals.”

“Preparing for this conference has made me feel more ready to make a presentation in a future business setting,” Perkins said. “It took several weeks to prepare for this.”

For more information or to inquire about next year’s conference, contact the Student Conference at 281-283-3374 or email studentconf@uhcl.edu.

“For next year, our 20th anniversary, we will be bringing back past presenters who have done something significant in their field,” said Michael Hunt, SCRCA director and instructor in psychology. “A lot of people think of SCRCA as only a research conference, when it really is a conference of all scholastic work.”

Photos and slideshow by Dave Valdez: The Signal.

The TAPS students displayed posters they created signifying their experience with TAPS, a program designed to reduce the social distance between at-risk youth and law enforcement.

They also provided explanations and demonstrations of their art, many of them presenting in person for the first time.

While on campus, the TAPS students visited several campus programs/departments and learned about the everyday life of UHCL students.

Everett Penn, associate professor of criminology and mentor for the TAPS program, introduced the students to the campus with the hope it would inspire them to continue in the pursuit of their education.

“With the emerging reality of more police in schools, the relationship between teens and police must be one of trust and openness,” Penn said. “The teen must trust the police officer will operate in a manner that provides safety and fairness to the teen. The police officer must display openness to the teen so that diffusing of situations occur to avoid a justice system response. Involvement of the justice system should be viewed as the last result, not the first response.”

Patrick Price, Randy Mathews, Rodger Ayala, Desmond Words, Mario Ayala and Marcus Christopher were the six students from TAPS who visited UHCL.

“I changed my whole outlook on how I used to look at officers,” Christopher said about his experience with TAPS.  “What I understand is they are just trying to protect us and keep themselves out of harms way.”

“[It] changed the way I do things now,” Ayala said. “I talk to the police now.”

Through the TAPS program, the students gain more understanding of the police and how to interact with them.

“The most important thing about TAPS to me is how easy it is to connect to the police,” Matthews said. “They are so friendly.”

Ranging from wanting to study music, to social work and criminal justice, the visiting students from TAPS were interested in the different areas of UHCL.  They visited department offices, classrooms, the mock courtroom, the admissions office, and recreational areas of the campus.

“I like how the campus is spacious and big,” Price said. “There’s not that many people crowded around.”

In addition to various departments and locations on campus, the students were given a tour of The Signal newsroom and even provided their opinions on the technology that should be used to dispense the news to students. Unanimously, the students agreed that a mobile application would be the best form to deliver the news for students of the future – something The Signal staff is currently pursuing.

The TAPS students expressed an interest in continuing their education at a collegiate level, considering the UHCL campus as a campus they would like to attend.

The students who visited UHCL are six of the original students of the TAPS program.

For more information about TAPS, visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/TAPSAcademy.

To read more about the Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts, click here to read The Signal reporter Graham Clifford’s article “Research Conference provides students a venue to display work.”

My first bit of outrage was the use of the words “Homosexual Agenda” on the flyer.  Nothing brings up the heat within me more than using the word agenda by saying things like “liberal agenda” or “feminist agenda.”  With the fight in recent years for gay rights, and even historical fights against slavery and segregation, it is my view that equality is not an agenda  – it is a basic human right! The smear campaign at UHD showed the how vicious humans can be.  I believe that as a human race we are all inherently good.  This is why Mr. Sharp’s call to erase the stigmas associated with HIV/AIDS is so important. Dr. Maya Angelou says that, “when you know better, you do better.”  In my life, I have chosen to live those words, and I think they are words that all should live by.  If we choose to learn about each other and therefore “know better,” we can most certainly do better.  It is my firm belief that education and awareness can lead to a more open and accepting society.  Acceptance is what we should strive for as a society, not tolerance.

Incidents like the one that happened at UHD bring to light the importance of having support systems in place for LGBTQ students.  On our own campus there are support systems in place, but not many people realize they exist.  Our campus has many Safe Zone Allies; these include Students, Faculty and Staff.  Currently, our school is looking to fill the position of Women’s/LGBT coordinator within the office of IISS, a position that has been vacated since Summer 2012.  It is crucial that whoever holds that position serve both the Women’s and LGBTQ population equally.  I encourage every student to seek out the aforementioned services if they feel discriminated against or if they just need someone to talk.  In addition to IISS, the Unity Club, UHCL’s Gay Straight Alliance is here to help.  Please feel free to contact the Unity Club at unityclub.uhcl@gmail.com if we can support you in any way.

Colden A. Snow
Anthropology Major
Unity Club President