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Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                Chris Elliott                        Zach Lee                  Christian Palmer
                Geronimo Rodriguez       Blake Whitaker       Kristen Young

Goodbye Spring Break, hello report card

Drunk sting: .075 out of .10

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission announced in August it would begin targeting patrons and employees for being drunk at, get this, a bar. Since then, 2,200 Texans have been arrested in TABC stings. 

It's great the TABC is trying to crack down on drunk driving, but it seems like a better proposal would be to monitor parking lots for intoxicated patrons about to get behind the wheel. On the other hand, the TABC said it's only busting patrons who are drunk enough to catch the attention of officers and who pose a threat to themselves or others. Here's hoping the agency stays true to that method, and doesn't start testing bar patrons indiscriminately in an attempt to make a statement. 

Imminent tuition increase: sigh

The administration has forecasted a tuition and fees increase for fiscal year 2007 that could raise the cost of attending UH full-time by up to 13 percent. Unfortunately, the increase, like taxes and puberty, seems to be unavoidable.

Rising utility costs, stagnant enrollment, accreditation and advising costs and a need to hire about 30 new faculty members are the culprits. Measures like acquiring more efficient lighting have been taking to save energy on campus, but only so much can be done. Believe us, no one wants you to quit taking showers after your afternoon on-campus workout. It probably wouldn't help, anyway -- costs are expected to go up by 30 to 40 percent. Provost Donald Foss said the accreditation and advising costs are necessary expenditures -- there's no reason to believe that's not that case. Also, professors and instructors, for some reason, demand compensation for their services. So, in the face of impending financial strain, what's a cash-strapped student to do?

Outside of groaning and rubbing your temples, there are myriad scholarships available to UH students, many of which you wouldn't know about unless you ask. Talk to your adviser and the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. And if you have any ideas for cutting costs at UH, don't keep them to yourself -- write a letter to President Gogue, The Daily Cougar or the Student Government Association Senate. It couldn't hurt.