The new H1N1 strain of the swine flu virus is “not a cause for alarm,” President Obama said in a meeting Monday with the National Academy of Sciences.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, however, the number of victims of swine flu is on the rise.

As of Monday afternoon, 40 cases have been reported — two in Texas and 28 in New York City.

This strain of the flu virus has already killed 149 people in Mexico, according to the Wall Street Journal. There have been no deaths from the virus in the U.S.

The New York students diagnosed with swine flu were among about 100 who became sick in the last few days at St. Francis’ Preparatory School, said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene commissioner.

Officials first suspected the students had swine flu when they were informed that some students had recently visited Mexico, where the outbreak is said to have begun.

Many known forms of flu exist, and the different varieties have the ability to exchange genes with one another.

The form of flu that originated in Mexico is a genetic mixture of viruses that have been seen in pigs, birds and humans, according to the CDC.

Containment is unlikely, CDC officials said, because the virus has been detected in multiple geographic regions, including people who have had no direct contact with swine.

The disease is called swine flu because the overall structure of the virus is the type that usually infects pigs, according to World Health Organization officials.

President Obama said the administration’s Department of Health and Human Services “has declared a public health emergency as a precautionary tool to ensure that we have the resources we need at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively.”

Obama said he is watching the situation closely and receiving updates from officials but American citizens need not worry.

“This is one more example of why we cannot afford to let our nation fall behind,” Obama said, citing the U.S. needs more commitment to scientific research. “And that is exactly what’s happening.”

Studies are still ongoing on how this particular swine flu is transmitted.

Flu is generally transmitted through the respiratory tract, so basic sanitation procedures are suggested.

Health researchers are currently working to establish whether the virus is spreading from person-to-person.

European Union Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou insisted Europeans be cautious about traveling to parts of the U.S. and Mexico because of the swine flu, Associated Press reported.

Vassiliou toned down earlier comments referring to all of North America.

“I meant a travel advisory, not a travel ban, for travel to Mexico City and those states in the United States where we have outbreaks of swine flu,” he said.

Recommendations to prevent infection by the virus consist of standard personal precautions including frequent washing of hands.

The public is also recommended to avoid touching their mouths, noses or eyes with their hands unless they’ve washed their hands recently.

Coughing into your hands and washing them right afterwards is advised as well.

All in all, it would seem that the suggested precautionary measures are not out of anyone’s reach.

The loss of life in Mexico is certainly a heartbreaking ordeal, but now that Americans are aware of the threat and on the lookout for symptoms, we can make sanitation a top priority for ourselves.

Given Houston’s close geographic proximity to Mexico, we need to keep ourselves safe, by getting vaccinations regularly and daily upkeep of hygiene.

It is important to remember that, although common, influenza is a potentially deadly disease. There is currently no known vaccine for swine flu.

Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

AT ISSUE: President Obama held a press conference Tuesday in which he addressed activity on the economic stimulus bill. Given that the economy is of global concern and students are following the activity closely, how does one interpret Obama’s conversation with the press?

Matthew Keever: Obama determined to stick to his guns

On Tuesday, President Obama held a news conference at the White House.

Before addressing questions from the correspondents, he gave the nation an update on how his administration is moving the economy “from recession to recovery, and ultimately to prosperity.”

The banking industry and housing market are making progress, Obama said, largely because of his economic stimulus plan.

He warned progress could stall if his budget proposal is not passed by Congress. The blueprint of said budget worries even some Democrats.

“We will continue to do whatever is necessary in the weeks ahead to ensure the banks Americans depend on have the money they need to lend, even if the economy gets worse,” Obama said.

Critics, both Democratic and Republican, feel America cannot afford Obama’s health care overhaul or his costly plan to fight global warming.

Defending his plan, Obama called critics (specifically Republican critics) shortsighted, reminding Americans of the $1.3 trillion deficit he inherited from a Republican administration.

For all of his talk of an inherited deficit and cautionary words to the public, Obama himself does not seem wary to spend.

Obama also defended his response to lavish AIG bonuses, which many Americans felt was late and unemotional.

In response to a loaded question posed by CNN’s Ed Henry, which implied Obama waited to speak on the issue until he had no choice, Obama said, “I like to know what I’m talking about before I speak.”

It was nice to see Obama show a bit of emotion and even an underlying bit of anger, though he managed to stay poised throughout.

Our new president will have to get used to finally getting asked the tough questions because Americans want answers.

Concerning the economy overall, Obama said he is pleased with what his administration has accomplished.

Though optimistic and relatively buoyant throughout the news conference, Obama repeatedly sounded notes of caution to the American people.

“I’m a big believer in persistence,” he said, noting his own campaign for presidency.

Andrew Taylor: Obama taking gamble with recovery plan

His tone confident and rhetoric solid, PresidentObama informed the nation of progress that is becoming evident and answered questions with confidence and real solutions on Tuesday during a news conference at the White House.

Journalists are not economists, and neither is the president. Our nation’s problem and most pertinent crisis is our economy.

This is no surprise, and almost the whole briefing focused on it. As a nation, we are eager to feel better times and even more eager for our country to improve.

The president’s budget, which he continually mentioned, looks encouraging, but is not an ending solution to our economic woes. It is neither a “silver bullet” nor a “quick fix”. The most crucial aspect of this crisis for Obama is time, and unfortunately it is not on his side.

In his address last night, Obama mentioned that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner had announced a plan that will “partner government resources and private investment to buy up the assets that our preventing our banks from lending money.” These government resources, which are our tax dollars, will be the capital private investors use to purchase these bank assets. The problem, as economists such as Paul Krugman see, is it creates an unfair, old situation unlikely to resolve our country’s banking and financial crisis.

Wall Street working with taxpayer dollars to solve our crisis by buying “toxic” assets is basically a risk-free situation for the investors and an enormous gamble for Obama and our country.

If the investors profit, they cash in. If they lose on this, they can walk because it wasn’t their capital to begin with.

The wager for this bet is Obama’s credibility and support from Congress, something he can’t afford to lose. If Geithner’s plan is implemented and fails to provide an adequate remedy, Obama could find himself in a bigger bind.

“This plan has already saved the jobs of police officers and teachers,” Obama said Tuesday. “It’s creating construction jobs to rebuild roads and bridges.”

What he did not mention was our unemployment rate is still on the rise and nearing double digits. Time is of the essence, and although our government could surely use a “silver bullet” for the economic crisis, careful decision-making is crucial.

At this moment, mistakes can’t be afforded. If mistakes occur, doubt and opposition from Congress and Americans will follow.

Alana MousaviDin: Americans should exercise more patience

President Obama’s speech Tuesday simply addressed the nation’s fears of massive economic downfall.

Obama explained the efforts of the stimulus plan and how it is affecting businesses, individuals and the government.

One of the most poignant aspects were his examples of how individuals are working to better their workplace for all employees by reducing their work week by one day so no one has to lose a job. This not only shows the compassion felt by our president, but the compassion of the citizens of our country to help make these hard times a little easier to deal with.

From students to retirees, the recession is being felt in ways unknown to most. Far from nearing a second Great Depression, what we are experiencing now is merely the crunch of our own fallacies in managing money.

Former President George W. Bush led us into a war that cost more than what we might have originally thought, thus furthering our national deficit. Americans relied on credit for purchases they did not have cash flow for, businesses spent more than they could make and the trust in our financial institutions began to falter.

Obama is trying to help us get through the worst of these times. Yes, his speech seemed a little defensive, but with reason. His plan has been attacked from just about every angle possible.

What people don’t seem to remember is that we have to get through the dark times before we can see the light. Meaning, we will feel the pain of cutbacks, from finances, jobs, and production. However, these very things will enable us to spend more wisely, cherish the jobs we have and not take the things we have for granted.

The task at hand for Obama is daunting to say the least, but he has tackled it head on, explaining every detail in a way that every citizen can understand and while many might not understand the entire process, they trust that the national deficit will be reduced.

“Look, if this were easy, then we would have already had it done, the budget would have already been voted on, and everybody could just go home,” Obama said. “This is hard, and the reason it’s hard is because we have accumulated a structural deficit that’s going to take a long time, and we’re not going to be able to do it in the next year, or the year after or three years from now.”

We all just need to have a little trust and a lot of patience.

Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

University should not focus on government defense contracts not worth the money, work required

Plain and simple, money will lead to flagship status.

The funds collected to support research and the products, both monetary and intellectual, are key in evaluation.

The 2007 report from those who bestow the status said, “In The Center for Measuring University Performance, our focus on the Top American Research Universities shows that the fundamental requirement for research university success is money.”

The report goes on to say, “University research is a product sold below cost to its primary consumers. Successful research universities find alternative, secondary consumers of research success who will pay the difference between the cost of research and the compensation provided by direct research sponsors in exchange for a wide range of benefits.”

Contracting out to a university rather than other institutes can have massive cost reductions. Not only does private industry take this opportunity, government does as well. Government funding for research has a large element in defense.

Research schools have been used under contracts through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In the 1950s, Massachusetts Institute of Technology was given a contract to create an early-warning missile detection system. A network was necessary to carry the information, spawning the idea in the minds of the scientists that eventually came to be known as the Internet.

Within the field, DARPA contracts are known to raise more conscientious scientists. Most research is subjected to review by institutional review boards for ethics. DARPA contracts are not included in these reviews. Also, DARPA blocks government transparency by releasing little info, as they should when dealing with defense.

So the only real issue to wonder about is legacy. Albert Einstein helped built the atomic bomb. To many people worldwide, this is thought to be his crowning achievement when actually he hated the power it bestowed upon its owner. He sought to regulate the use and possession of the technology. Review boards are meant to help ensure research benefits humanity.

However, our university should work on things other than defense. Despite the sums of money involved in DARPA contracts, the Center for Measuring University Performance said, “…the federal government provides large amounts of funding for research products that serve national goals, but almost never pays close to the full cost of the research it sponsors.”

These contracts set our rank back rather than advancing it. As we move toward flagship status, the University should stick to private industry and to limit the role of government in higher education.

— Abdul Khan
Contract funds are appealing, but moral consequences should be considered

Most Americans like to think about military vs. education as oppositional, as we see with the Obey Giant poster, “More Militerry, Less Skools.” There is, however, a third option: the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Basically, the Department of Defense, sometimes referred to as the “military,” contracts with universities to develop new technology for itself. These contracts are great sources of revenue for said universities. UH, in its quest to reach flagship status, would benefit greatly from a venture with DARPA.

Created in 1958 as a response to the former Soviet Union’s surprise launch of Sputnik, DARPA’s mission “is to maintain the technological superiority of the U.S. military and prevent technological surprise from harming our national security by sponsoring revolutionary, high-payoff research bridging the gap between fundamental discoveries and their military use,” according to its Web site.

Extra funding, plus getting to help our country — could there be a catch? A moral one perhaps?

During the Vietnam War, DARPA contracted many universities and private companies to develop weapons such as napalm, the jelly-like gasoline used in Vietnam as a weapon. Students at many universities were outraged that private companies were recruiting new employees on campus and, of course, outraged that their universities were involved with DARPA to begin with. Riots broke out, students were restrained and the fire was fanned.

But if UH doesn’t take money from DARPA, some other school will. With little to no opposition, mostly because of the student body’s lack of interest in campus matters coupled with how conservative we all are here in Houston, UH could be the perfect breeding ground for the next big weapon of defense.

Yet, a couple of questions remain. How important is it that UH becomes a flagship university and how quickly do we need to get there?

President Renu Khator, in her investiture speech last November, made it clear it was her top priority, saying that to “dream anything less is to shortchange our students, our region and our state.”

UH needs to stop attempting to stroke its own ego with this flagship business and instead focus on excellent teaching, standing out in community engagement through internships, partnerships and study abroad programs.

If flagship status comes with accomplishing said goals, fantastic. If not, UH is still a much better institution for these achievements.

In the mean time, bring the funds, DARPA. We need some new computers.

— Matthew Keever

Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

Shaista Mohammed

When Hugh Roy Cullen donated funds for the first building to be constructed on campus, he had a vision of the University that included a mandate to serve the community. Since then, UH has extended not only education, but also community support to the surrounding area.

The Child Welfare Education Project is a masters’ level training program for UH social work graduate students intending to work with Child Protective Services.

Peace Jam is an organization that provides youth with the opportunity to meet and work directly with Nobel Peace Prize laureates to incorporate and further pass on their ideals.

Charity is about more than giving money. In truth, the time of skilled, dedicated volunteers is invaluable.

At UH, each member organization chooses both a national and local charitable group to support.

Chi Omega, one of many Greek organizations on campus, sponsors Make-A-Wish Foundation nationally and The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation locally with fundraising and volunteerism when the opportunity allows.

One of the Chi Omega alumni started involvement with The Center in the ’50s, and Chi Omega’s involvement is mostly in the realm of on-site volunteering.

There are areas needing improvement on the institutional end of things, but the human contribution for service at UH is well-covered.

Alana MousaviDin

Judging by the past and current efforts by fellow Cougars, charity work and volunteerism appears to be a natural instinct of UH students.

From helping out children to dressing in drag for a few giggles in the process of helping others, our students have excelled in every attempt of charity work.

We’ve had fashion shows, music releases, auctions, fight nights and much more, all in the name of charity.

While some of these events may not have been performed by UH students, they did have a huge part in the organization and execution of the event.

One recent and powerfully effective volunteer opportunity was after Hurricane Ike.

The compassion and selflessness of students was inspiring to say the least.

Everyone was affected by Ike in one way or another, and to take the precious time and energy — when many of us lacked it — to get out there and work their butts off for zero pay, is gratification at its best.

Our campus hosts many different opportunities to volunteer or participate, and regardless of what your cup of tea may be, there is an organization for everyone.

An hour a week is something we can and should be able to spare for the sake of others less fortunate.

Matthew Keever

Given the University of Houston’s mandate to serve the local community, the recent events concerning the magic show, Where’s the Rabbit?, seem infuriating.

The Cullen Performance Hall was supposed to host the magic show, benefiting patients at Texas Children’s Hospital.

However, numerous miscommunications between the performance hall, student organizations and the magician Robby Bennett, caused the charity to fall through, as reported in “Magic Show for charity canceled,” (April 17, News).

Everyone is pointing fingers at one another, so figuring out what exactly happened seems unlikely.

Bennett said he mourns the fiasco, citing the unexpected increase in cost to rent the hall would have taken too much away from the event.

Then he said the event’s goal has been tarnished.

He mentioned a young girl who had received clearance from her doctors to go to the show. Bennett took the young girl out for a night on the town Saturday in lieu of the canceled show.

Sure, UH should definitely be involved in charities, but we should make sure everything is worked out.

UH may not be to blame, but regardless, we need to follow up on this kind of thing. Otherwise, local newspapers slam us. Meanwhile, the rest of the Houston community will wonder why we think we deserve Tier 1 status.

Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

In the last few weeks, Somali pirates have hijacked fourteen vessels, including the Maersk Alabama, which was carrying donated relief food for starving Africans, on April 8.

The USS Bainbridge made contact with the pirate vessel to negotiate. On Monday, a team of Navy SEALs parachuted into open waters under the cover of darkness. The team crawled onto the Bainbridge and took out three pirates with only three bullets to rescue captain Richard Phillips, who had convinced the pirates to let his crew go and hold him as the sole hostage.

To curb piracy, Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) suggests using Letters of Marque and Reprisal. Letters of Marque and Reprisal were used heavily in the War of 1812 and would offer citizens large rewards for hunting down pirates while abiding by the rules of war.

This power was written into the Constitution to allow the United States to hire private citizens to keep international waters safe.

“This is not an isolated incident,” said Paul in a YouTube video posted earlier this week. “I think if every potential pirate knew this would be the case, they would have second thoughts because they could probably be blown out of the water rather easily if those were the conditions.”

Experts say the pirates are not desperate robbers, but rather able opportunists in the most lawless corner of the planet. With nothing to lose, they have everything to gain.

Pirates have not been the only ones exploiting the vulnerabilities of the failed state of Somalia. In fact, piracy is arguably a product of the rest of the world’s neglect.

Somalia’s last functional government was brought down by the civil war in 1991. Since then, foreign vessels have pillaged the country’s 2,000 miles of coastline.

A report released by the United Nations in 2006 said Somali waters have become the site of an international “free for all” in the absence of the a serviceable coast guard.

Fishing fleets from around the world illegally plunder Somali stocks and are freezing out the country’s own rudimentarily-equipped fishermen. Former fishermen who have become pirates argue that foreign ships are threatening their livelihood by illegally fishing in Somali waters.

Somalia’s current government is still far from being able to stand on its own. In the wake of the 2006 Ethiopian invasion, which was supported by the U.S., monitoring and combating misdeeds done in Somali waters is near impossible.

Somali piracy has metastasized into the country’s only booming industry. Observers say most of the pirates are not former fishermen as they once were, but just poor Somalis seeking their fortune.

Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, the only pirate to survive the incident on the Maersk Alabama, arrived in New York City on Tuesday to stand trial for his role in the kidnapping. Muse, whose parents claim to be 16 but authorities say is 18, turned himself in before his cohorts were shot and killed.

His parents are begging the American government to go easy on him, claiming that the pirates lied to Muse, telling him they were going to get money.

The family is penniless and this was Muse’s first misadventure with them, his father told the Associated Press.

Muse will no doubt become a discouraging example for aspiring pirates. Assuming leniency is given and he spends the rest of his days in an upscale prison, he’ll give interviews and sign book deals.

Piracy under U.S. law is punishable by death, but this young man just won the Cape of Africa lottery. He’ll be in jail for the rest of his life, but it will be on our dime.

Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

President Obama, in an interview with CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday, said American automotive companies must do more to receive additional funds from the government.

General Motors and Chrysler have avoided bankruptcy because of $17.4 billion given in government loans.

Both have used most of their funds, but the economic downturn has led to the worst decline in auto sales in 27 years, so both companies are requesting more.

GM wants another $16.6 billion. Chrysler — rationally at least in comparison — wants $5 billion more.

Obama’s auto industry task force has concluded that Chrysler cannot survive as a stand-alone company. A proposed alliance with Italian automaker Fiat, if finalized by April 30, would warrant another $6 billion in government funds to Chrysler, Obama’s team said.

A deadline for today has been set for GM and Chrysler to submit completed restructuring plans meant to show their willingness to sacrifice now to succeed later.

Neither company is expected to finish its work. GM owes roughly $28 billion to bondholders. Chrysler owes about $7 billion in debt, mainly to banks. GM also owes about $20 billion to its retiree health care trust, while Chrysler owes $10.6 billion.

Though continuing to bail out these companies seems unproductive now, if they were to fail, the consequences might be dire.

In February, GM said it intended to cut nearly 20 percent of its work force, about 47,000 jobs, close hundreds of dealerships and focus on its four core brands — Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick.

Many jobs were lost, and the economy took another hit. 47,000 jobs is insubstantial compared to what would be lost if the company were to reach bankruptcy.

Obama, like much of the American public, is in favor of an American auto industry, but one that can support itself.

“It’s got to be one that’s realistically designed to weather this storm, and to emerge at the other end much more lean, mean and competitive than it currently is,” Obama said. “That’s going to mean a set of sacrifices from all parties involved — management, labor, shareholders, creditors, suppliers, dealers. Everybody is going to have to come to the table and say it’s important for us to take serious restructuring steps now, in order to preserve a brighter future down the road.”

GM’s chairman and chief executive, Rick Wagoner, is resigning. Wagoner’s step-down is aptly timed as much of GM’s failures have been attributed to his poor decisions.

GM will not comment at this time on Wagoner’s rumored leave, but the British Broadcasting Corp. is reporting that he was specifically asked to step down as a condition of additional loans from the U.S. government.

Obama cannot afford to give the appearance of using tax dollars to reward executives who have done a poor job, especially after the scandal surrounding AIG and its lavish bonuses. He has stated that he will be taking a tough stance with the automakers.

“Bankruptcy could void the warranties,” UH political science professor Timothy Howard said.

Having previously worked for Goodyear, Howard said he knows of contracts Goodyear and other companies have made with American automakers. Voided warranties, as well as loss of contracts and jobs, is likely why the Obama administration continues to throw money at these companies, but are they too big to fall?

“The market hates uncertainty,” Howard, who owns a few American-made cars, said. “Luckily, I have all of mine paid off.”

Obama is set to announce a plan Monday that will include government backing of warranties for both GM and Chrysler vehicles. The plan will be set up to give consumers confidence to buy, even if one or both companies are forced into bankruptcy.

The basic gist of a free market is that a person or company rises and falls on its own merit.

So is this the death of capitalism — or since this is the biggest government intervention in the financial system since the Great Depression, could the U.S. rebuild and become even stronger than it was before, as it did after the Depression?

Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

Breaking the law could ruin the point

A lot of people are upset about the situation at New York University, and how students affiliated with Take Back NYU! are being treated since the Kimmel Student Center occupation of the ended. Few people, however, are considering that the students broke into the building to occupy it.

We as a people have the right to assemble. If people choose to do so, their credibility must be intact.

Credibility is often the only currency that matters. When credibility is in question, a person is then no longer able to serve their cause.

According to UH Students Against Sweatshops’ blog, during UH President Khator’s investiture, while organized outside the Cullen Auditorium, Khator’s secretary stood in front of protesters in an attempt to hide their banner from the view of faculty attending the event.

“Do you have to stand right in front of me?” asked one of the protesters, which is when he was allegedly slapped. If this is any indication of how on-campus protesting at UH is handled, then we ought to be ashamed.

The UHSAS is planning another protest rally at noon March 31 at M.D. Anderson Memorial Library.

Stand up for what you believe in. Say it loud, but remember if you break the law, no matter how minor or severe the infraction, you muddle everything up and your cause becomes hopeless.

— Matthew Keever

Student protests evoke powerful messages

The UH student handbook allows for peaceful protesting, but looking back on the past at different protests around campus brings up the question — have we gone too far?

“Last fall there was a demonstration near the UC involving a guy dressed as a chicken, handing out candy and pointing to pictures of the tortured KFC chickens,” former UH alumnas Sara Turner said. “Normally, it would have been a non-issue, but at that exact moment a father was walking with his son toward the UC for lunch. The child saw the gory photo and heard what the feathered man was saying and subsequently burst into tears.”

Our feathered friend was doing nothing wrong. He was presenting the information and his opinion.

The same goes for the protest a few years ago where a student and a baby doll were carried like corpses across campus, smeared with fake blood. While also graphic, it was poignant and beautifully carried out. Immediately, students knew that there was another side to the war — an ugly, violent, life-robbing side that is far from peaceful and far from productive.

The students on our campus need to have opportunities to express views and passions. Protesting is an effective way to get the point across, and censorship of this right would simply be yet another cause for protest.

— Alana MousaviDin

Protest is undermined by misguided actions

Rational and peaceful actions deserve a rational peaceful response.

Last week, protests were staged at New York University regarding issues as varied as fiscal transparency to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.

About 70 students from NYU and nearby colleges, affiliated with the campaign Take Back NYU!, barricaded themselves in a dining room for about 40 hours, pledging to remain until a list of 13 demands was met.

“The demands included public release of NYU’s budget and endowment figures, student representation on the school’s board of trustees, scholarships for Palestinian students, tuition stabilization, universal public access to the school’s main library and amnesty for those involved with the protest,” according to The Brown Daily Herald.

Some of the proposals were pretty misguided but then again, what else can be expected from a bunch of hipsters?

The protest ended Friday but the issue is still far from settled.

Peaceful protest cannot be denied without setting a dangerous precedent, but reports have circulated of an injured security guard and breaking and entering occurring during the protests. This was exactly what the administration needed if they are looking to punish these students.

In order to make the greatest gain, your side cannot be the one to lose composure — this immediately discredits all prior action.

— Daniel Wheeler

The Texas Senate has adopted a change in its rules that may require a voter identification for citizens to vote.

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, sent a letter Wednesday to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. In it, he asked that a representative give counsel concerning this “dangerous” legislation.

Republicans claim changes are needed to stop ballot fraud, while Democrats say the GOP wants to keep voters away from the polls in order to stay in power.

According to Ellis’ Web site, “a lower voter turnout would perhaps be justified if there truly were an epidemic of voter impersonation at the polls. Fortunately, there is no epidemic.”

Ellis reinforced the words of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens’ decision during Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, which confirmed that requiring IDs of voters is not in violation of the Constitution.

“The only kind of voter fraud that (a photo ID requirement) addresses is in-person voter impersonation at polling places. The record contains no evidence of such fraud actually occurring in Indiana at any time in its history,” Stevens said in his decision regarding Indiana’s voter photo ID law.

On the flipside, Republicans say the bill is meant to enhance the integrity of Texas’ voting process. According to Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, it will ensure that noncitizens, and others who aren’t eligible to vote, do not influence elections.

“No one is going to be denied the right to vote,” Fraser said. “All we’re asking is that people verify that they are eligible, living, legal citizens and have the right to vote.”

Ellis calls the issue “the phantom menace,” implying that it does not exist. Citing the hotly contested Texas House race in 2004, he claims fellow Texans can see the supposed frivolity of this issue.

In 2004, every vote in question was scrutinized. But in the end, out of 41,000 votes, only 105 were deemed fraudulent. Of those, 96 were by people voting in the wrong precinct.

Texans are already required to show either a voter registration card or some other form of identification. Republicans want to add the requirement of a photo ID or alternative forms of identification. The bill is to be considered by all senators early next week.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the states of Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana and Michigan require a photo ID at election time.

“It’s the principled thing to do,” Cathie Adams, a Texas member of the Republican National Committee and leader of the conservative Texas Eagle Forum.

She said voter identification requirements will benefit both Republicans and Democrats by deterring fraud.

Regardless of whether this issue is a “phantom menace” or a pressing one, valid ID is required for far less important things: to withdraw money from the bank, to buy tobacco or alcohol and sometimes even just to use a credit card. Though it may not be the general consensus of our state, voting is more important than those things. So why not show ID?

Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

NYU students occupied the marketplace in the Kimmel Center a 10 p.m. Wednesday, their stay to last until the administration agreed to talk.

Come Friday, they were lured out under the guise of negotiation and suspended.

“Whose streets? Our streets!” came the cry from protesters outside the Kimmel Center late Thursday evening.

Police safeguarded the building and eventually forced protesters back. Take Back NYU!, the organization’s Web site, released a video showing an officer thrashing aimlessly toward the crowd with his baton.

According to Minding the Campus, a Web site dedicated to conversation on U.S. universities, protesters wanted public disclosure of NYU’s endowment and operating budget, a student on the university’s board of trustees, tuition kept at or below the rate of inflation, access to the library for the general public, and priority for student groups in buildings owned or leased by NYU.

They also demanded scholarships for 13 Gaza students, extra NYU supplies sent to rebuild Gaza University, amnesty for all occupiers and a reconsideration of the lifting of the campus ban against Coca-Cola.

According to the Web site, “the occupiers, 18 of them now under suspension, just got their timing wrong. Takeovers and non-negotiable demands seem to work better in the spring and fall, when the weather is better.”

Mike Riley and Will Schwartz, NYU class of ’08, created a Fake Back NYU blog to point out what they see as absurdity from the protesters. They claimed the students merely wished to “assuage [their] white guilt” and called them laughable, “largely because they speak a language of knee-jerk-faux-liberal-college speak that only they can understand,” making their disapproval for the protest clear.

The key demand seemed to be transparency of NYU’s budget and endowment. This would be accomplished partially through appointing students to the university’s board of trustees.

Unfortunately, when The Washington Square News interviewed 30 NYU students, not one of them fully supported the list of demands.

The issue here seems to be a combination of information overload and a lack of salience. Few students truly feel affected by the demands listed by Take Back NYU!. Without prominence and applicability, causes fail and occupations only last three days.

A good question to ask any student who becomes involved in on-campus protests would be, “How important is this issue to you?”

Unions and protests usually pick a specific issue to argue. For this reason, they usually only reach about 10 percent of students and fizzle out quickly. Take Back NYU! chose the big issues and combined them, but the end result was an eclectic group of demands which no one fully understood.

The occupation of Kimmel is finished and those who blockaded themselves inside are subject to the consequences, which look bleak. This occupation had the fewest occupiers, shortest occupation, least support among the student body and longest list of demands in the history of NYU. Students who have been identified as being involved have lost their housing status, but NYU is graciously offering them alternative housing.

Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

Safety has always been a key aspect of the American dream. All people want to feel they are protected. For this reason, we have police, security and rules in place. Unfortunately, after the massacre at Virginia Tech last year, students and parents have become wary of how safe college campuses around the country really are. In response to this, as well as the growing threat of identity theft on campus, the U.S. Department of Education released the new Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act guidelines, which will take effect this month.

FERPA has been reformed as of Jan. 8 in response to these threats. ED spokesman Jim Bradshaw said that the new guidelines’ purpose is to clarify schools’ rights to release information on students thought to be threats to themselves or fellow students. ED wants institutions of higher learning to know they have the right to notify parents, law enforcement and school and health officials of potential risks.

New student-privacy rules may make logging in, requesting transcripts and day-to-day computer usage more difficult.

Students can no longer use their campus identification numbers to access education records, except when coupled with other identifiers such as a social security number, date of birth or other authenticating factors. When one considers what is at stake, it seems a small price to pay for students to know that their hard work will remain theirs and not be stolen and used by someone with ulterior motives.

However, FERPA’s new guidelines with concern to reporting “suspicious activity” seem foreboding. Similar to The Patriot Act, signed into law in 2001 by former President George W. Bush in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, the question is, how far are we willing to go to keep our campuses safe? Though seemingly an easy question to answer, students’ privacy, which is supposed to be what FERPA protects, may actually have been jeopardized. College is known to be a place of higher education and presumably a place which nurtures advanced thinking and free speech. It is hoped that a fear of an impending doom and the unknown does not inhibit students from freely expressing themselves.

FERPA’s financial plans regarding these changes remain unclear. Operating budgets for schools are down and the U.S. is in a recession. To afford the campus Information Technology chiefs who will be making said changes, teachers’ salaries will decrease, funding for programs will be cut, or tuition will rise.

UH already has an emergency warning system in place, which e-mails and text messages students important information, but not all areas of campus have cell phone reception. Protection from an unknown threat is important, but thoughtful protections require reflection in order not to cause more harm than they prevent.

Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.