Houston suffered a great loss with the passing of George P. Mitchell, 94, a businessman and philanthropist, on July 26 who greatly impacted the city and whose legacy will be remembered.

George P. Mitchell

Mitchell’s family immigrated from Greece to Galveston Island in 1907. His parents hard work enabled him to attend Texas A&M University and graduate with a degree in petroleum engineering.

After serving in World War II he started his own engineering company, Mitchell Energy & Development Corporation. His company pioneered new technologies in which extract natural gas from shale rock formations and allowed the United States to be less dependent on foreign oil.

Mitchell also led the way in master-planned communities. In the 60s, he acquired and developed 27,000 acres of land, which is now the Woodlands. His vision was to create self-sustaining communities for people to live, work and play. The preservation of trees and wildlife on the land was also a top priority.

Aside from oil and land developing, Mitchell dedicated his life to preserve a city close to his heart — Galveston. Throughout the 40s and 50s, he witnessed numerous historic homes and buildings being torn down and poured millions of dollars into the city to restore those that remained to create today’s historic district.

He spent his life determined to make changes for the better. He has donated millions of dollars to numerous schools and organizations with goals of improving society.

In 2003, Mitchell gave a $20 million donation, the largest grant in UH history, in honor of his late wife Cynthia Woods, creating the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.

“His legacy, and that of his wife Cynthia Woods Mitchell, lives on through the cutting edge arts programming we offer annually to the UH community and the public, supported by the endowment he established,” said Mitchell Center executive director Karen Farber. “We are continually inspired by his vision and grateful for his generosity.”

Mitchell was also a major contributor to the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, the University’s Tier One Scholars initiative and established the UH’s Distinguished Authors Award.

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UH Fan Appreciation Day had an abundance of features on Saturday. From bounce houses and face painting with cheerleaders to taking photos with the Heisman trophy, fans participated in a variety of activities.

Friends and families participated in the UH Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday by taking photos with the mascot. | Jasmine Tamez/The Daily Cougar

The 2013 football team assisted the smooth-running of the Cougar Youth Experience. CYE, which began in 2009, is a football clinic that is offered free to young fans in kindergarten through eighth grade.

“Fan Appreciation Day is a wonderful opportunity for student athletes to give back to the community,” said associate director of football operation Tory Tekyl. “Student athletes understand that they are role models, and this event allows them to interact with fans on a more personal level. The Cougar Youth Experience is beneficial to our student athletes, and to our youngest fans.”

Participants have an opportunity to work with players and take part in drills similar to those the team performs.

“My favorite part about (Fan Appreciation Day) was getting to work with the football players,” said 11 year-old future Coog, Andrew Smith. “I felt like I was at one of their practices, it was a lot of fun.”

Fans were also able to meet and take pictures with Shasta the cougar mascot, mannequins wearing the new UH football uniforms, Andre Ware’s Heisman trophy, the UH cheerleaders and Cougar Dolls.

Kids were engaged with the 2013 football team in activities. | Jasmine Tamez/The Daily Cougar

“Fan Appreciation day is our first chance to show the fans what we have in store for them on the field and sidelines,” said cheerleading head coach Shawn Perry. “It gives us a chance to get up close and personal.”

Following the hustle and bustle of fans visiting various attractions, the Athletics/Alumni Center took a more serene ambience. Tables occupied by the 2013 athletes lined the perimeter of the turf as fans waited patiently to have their posters, pictures, and on one occasion, child’s forehead autographed.

“I think my favorite part about today is the ability to meet the student athletes, the players, the cheer team and the (Cougar) Dolls,” said Spirit of Houston Alumni Association president Jennifer Garrison. “It’s a great opportunity to come out and mingle with the students.”

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Twenty Okinawan high school students were chosen to visit the United States and experience college at UH. After about two weeks of living at Cougar Village and learning English, the students performed traditional Japanese dances to celebrate their gratefulness in this opportunity. | Courtesy of Chieh Chen

Japanese foreign exchange students visiting UH celebrated their last week in the United States with music and dance on Saturday at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

The 20 hand-picked Okinawan high school juniors and seniors began a week of farewells with Japanese-pop choreography, skits, happi coats and the Houston-based Okinawa drumming dance troupe, Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Texas.

The audience was filled with host families, visitors and students in awe with the performances. Sociology senior Michael Lenmark, who is a member of the AIESEC UH chapter, was thrilled with the event.

“It was very interesting. I’ve never seen a Taiko-style dance before,” Lenmark said. “I’ve never really been exposed to a lot of Eastern cultures.”

The bright youths from Okinawa didn’t travel across the Pacific to dawdle; they came to study English and American life for three weeks at the University through Japanese government subsidies.

The Okinawa Prefecture Study Abroad Consortium chose the students from 65 high schools and a pool of 300 applicants for this unique opportunity. For three weeks, the selected students underwent cross-cultural Culture Bump training and ESL courses.

Carol Archer, a UH faculty retiree with ties to the Language and Culture Center, was excited to have worked closely with the students who absorbed the Culture Bump methodology that she created.

“What we’re doing here is creating global leaders for the future,” Archer said.  “My dream has come true in these young men and women.”

The representative director of OPSAC, Tadahiko Kinjo, coordinated with UH Japanese instructors Kagenobu Nakamoto and Helen Nakamoto to foster the growth of Okinawa’s future leaders.

“Houston is one of the best place for young students to learn things academically. [There is] NASA, Medical Center, many museums [and] so on,” Kinjo said. “UH main campus is a perfect university.”

For Amber Mapp, a Chinese senior and the Japanese Culture and Language Association president, who volunteered to be part of their team of teachers, the exchange students’ dedication and eagerness to learning was an inspiration.

“They seemed to have captured the essence of American culture,” Mapp said. “It wasn’t just learning about the language. It wasn’t about tolerating cultures; it’s about respecting other cultures and learning why they do certain things and embracing it.”

Emily Iramina, an Okinawan high school junior, was so thankful to have been selected.

“I love here. I love Okinawa. I love Houston,” Iramina said.

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“The To Do List” is a raunchy comedy where Aubrey Plaza plays Brandy, an all-around virgin, daughter of a judge, played by Clark Gregg, and rule-follower, who is preparing for college.

It’s summer in 1993, and Brandy had recently graduated high school as the valedictorian. She lives in Boise, Idaho and has a to-do-before-college list. She crumples that list, which includes things like buying school supplies, applying for classes and saving money for text books and starts her journey through sexual encounters.

Brandy is in love with Rusty Waters, played by Scott Porter, but Cameron, played by Johnny Simmons, loves Brandy. All three characters work at the local pool where Brandy is also a lifeguard. Throughout the movie, she explores sex through the list of goals she had set for herself, and at one point, sex appears to be her longing for validation in college.

“The To Do List” gets a solid ‘A.’ The movie is rated R with its highly-vulgar frame set that pushes boundaries and leaves the audience roaring in laughter or groaning uncomfortably in mild awkwardness, but it should be watched with an open mind.

The music was catchy with its lovable ’90s hits soundtrack. From the start of the movie, there’s no hiding what this flick will be about — the title of the movie, the opening song and the fact that 90 percent of the characters in the movie are graduated high school students. As soon-to-be-college kids, the cast also has the best fashion sense of its generation.

This film has a perfect cast, which also includes Rachel Bilson, Bill Hader, Alia Shawkat, Andy Samberg, Donald Glover and Nolan Gould, who most know him as Luke from ABC’s TV series, ”Modern Family.” Everyone played to their strengths.

“The To Do List” is funny. It’s raunchy. It’s got Aubrey Plaza, and it may be my favorite summer movie.

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Outdoor Adventure hosted a trip to the Grandview Trail in the Grand Canyon over Thanksgiving break in 2011. | Courtesy of Caleb Wells

The Outdoor Adventure program has given students the opportunity to hike through mountains, ride in kayaks and numerous other outdoor activities. Students are now preparing for their upcoming trip to Yellowstone National Park in August.

Offered by the Department of Campus Recreation, The Adventure was created in 2008. The first out-of-state trip was to Horse Pens 40 in Alabama. The staff consists of a trained group of students who strive to share their knowledge of the outdoors. Assistant Director Caleb Wells emphasizes the importance of safety and what it can mean for enthusiastic adventure goers.

“Outdoor Adventure is a program that allows the UH community access to varied levels of adventure in a safe hands-on learning environment,” Wells said.

“The best part is that students can get a chance to go places they have never been and do things they would never do on their own. Most people would be surprised that a majority of our participants have little to no experience with the activities they sign up for, so getting a chance to learn how to safely enjoy the wilderness is a great opportunity.”

The Adventure offers about 10 trips per semester, two summer trips, skills clinics, a climbing competition, special “101” level classes that are four weeks long and an 8-week adventure leadership program open to students.

The upcoming Yellowstone adventure consists of traveling through the Rocky Mountains, stopping in Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Tetons National Park, and spending time backpacking in Yellowstone National Park.

“For me, being back in the mountains is always enjoyable, but I’m most excited about teaching this group how to be safe in bear country,” Wells said. “For the students, getting away from the city and exploring will be a great experience.”

Through the Adventure, students have traveled to Grand Canyon National Park, Buffalo River, Gila Wilderness, Big Bend National Park, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, Eagle Rock Loop and more.

“After doing this for several years, it’s hard to put my finger on one trip and say it is the best,” Wells said. “Each one is unique, and it usually depends on the group rather than the location.”

The Adventure also offers programs for canoeing, kayaking, climbing, caving, cycling, backpacking, surfing and more.

“Students should walk away with an understanding of how to camp, how to use the leave no trace principles, a respect for our national parks and wild places and get a chance to get away from the big city and explore a place that is totally different than Houston,” Wells said.

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Hundreds of cyclists rode around Houston in Critical Mass Houston on Friday. The congregation of bicycle riders meet at 7 p.m. on every last Friday of the month at Market Square Park. | Courtesy of Chip Gates

For more than 20 years, thousands of cyclists and bike riders have gathered in cities across the U.S. on the last Friday of every month and ride for miles to celebrate their sport.

In 1992, the Commute Clot consisted of less than 30 riders in San Francisco and has since grown to more than 300 cities in the U.S. with a new name, Critical Mass. Critical Mass Houston began a few years ago with “100 to 150 riders on a good month,” according the Critical Mass Houston website. However, the number of riders continues to climb each month.

Critical Mass Houston gathers people from around the city who have at least one thing in common: they love to ride.

“I like that it is for everybody that enjoys getting out and riding their bike. I have seen parents bring their 8-year-olds riding their Huffy from Wal-Mart, and I have seen people do it on their unicycles,” said psychology junior Grant Ephross, who has participated for a year.

“I do it because it is fun in the cooler months. It feels good to get the fresh air. Since I am usually holed up in my room studying, it doubles as an excuse to meet up with friends.”

Philosophy senior Jennifer Mendoza has been participating for more than six months.

“I enjoy participating in Critical Mass because it’s an exhilarating experience to ride with fellow bike lovers. I like to ride with my boyfriend, and it has become our date night,” Mendoza said.

The ride, which usually begins at 7:15 p.m. can last around two hours, presenting a difficult challenge for bikers like construction management junior Javier Martinez.

Martinez loves to ride his bike but doesn’t ride it as often with his busy school schedule. He participated for the first time on Friday.

“I wanted to see how my endurance has grown since I first started riding. Since I didn’t finish the whole route, I am going to train to go back and attempt it in two months,” Martinez said.

Computer information systems sophomore Cristal Gonzalez has been riding for the past three months with a small group of friends and family and does it for the thrill of the ride.

“It’s so incredibly awesome, and it really gives me a chance to get out, put that expensive bike to some good use and be a part of this growing movement in the Houston community,” Gonzalez said.

Among her favorite things, Gonzalez loves the response the riders get while on the ride.

“It’s getting a chance to ride the city with a herd of people on their bikes, and the many spectators are either honking with you or honking at you, and I love seeing the communities we ride through. Second and Third Ward cheer us on, even if they don’t know what it’s for. It’s like we’re all riding some big parade.”

Critical Mass riders meet between 6:30 and 7 p.m. on the last Friday of every month at Market Square Park in Downtown.

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High school students attended the Houston Shakespeare Festival Summer Conservatory, hosted by the School of Theatre and Dance, for a two-week long camp. Students will also participate in the annual Houston Shakespeare Festival in August at Miller Outdoor Theatre. | Courtesy of Nicole Gamache

To prepare for the annual Houston Shakespeare Festival, the School of Theatre and Dance hosted a two-week conservatory that began Wednesday.

The Houston Shakespeare Festival Summer Conservatory is for high school students to attend classes such as Intro to Shakespeare, Stage Combat and Text Analysis to improve their acting, movement and vocal skills.

“We take classes every morning,” said high school senior Leah Hunt. “We have taken a class called Shakespeare Scansion, which is a rundown of iambic pentameter and Shakespeare’s blank verse.”

Classes are taught by some of the HSF actors from this year’s productions, “Antony and Cleopatra” and “As You Like It.”

“It’s cool that we’re being trained by professional actors,” Hunt said. “Shakespeare Scansion was taught by Benjamin Reed, who plays Orlando in ‘As You Like It.’”

The students learn about campus life. They stay in university dorms and eat at campus restaurants for the duration of the program.

“This prepares us for college,” Hunt said. “We have to get up early to eat breakfast and get to class on time.”

The students will also participate in the annual HSF in August at Miller Outdoor Theatre and perform in a “Green Show” prior to the Shakespeare masterpieces.

“The Green Show gets the audience engaged and teaches them a little something about the show they’re about to see,” said director and theater senior Nicole Gamache. “Some of the students even get to be involved in the HSF shows. A few of them play soldiers and have a few speaking parts.”

The conservatory serves as a transition into the students’ acting career. In addition to being introduced to professional actors, the students are able to network with each other.

“The reason why this program is so great because it starts their network,” Gamache said. “It helps them start to network in a professional environment. They get to be surrounded by professionals, and they learn what it means to do theater as your job.”

Even after the program is over, the ties that the students have built stay strong. Social media sites keep the students connected to each other.

“I love that the students leave here, and they’re all still friends. They keep in touch and go support each other by seeing each other’s shows,” Gamache said. “They might need these connections that they’re building in the future.”

High school senior Jayda Kolman, like many of the students, intends on using the Conservatory as an opportunity to start her career.

“What we learn here, we take into the real world,” Kolman said. “All the movement, acting choices and things we notice about the script are really going to help in the long run when we try to go professional.”

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With a $4,500 grant from the Marcus Institute for Digital Education in the Arts, the Blaffer Art Museum has added iPads to enhance their tours. The iPads provide interviews with the artist and curators. | Courtesy of Katherine Veneman

Blaffer Art Museum can be an intellectual challenge for some patrons as they struggle to grasp or initiate the dialogue between themselves and the artwork.

Blaffer is trying to eliminate this wall to progress the dialogue between spectators and the bold, contemporary art that the museum is known for through cutting-edge technology.

With the acquired $4,500 grant from the Marcus Institute for Digital Education in the Arts, Blaffer has revamped its tours by adding iPads. Additional pictures, notes and 1-minute video interviews of the artists, curators and the museum’s director will give visitors a chance to create a sphere of better understanding and appreciation.

“iPads will offer visitors an opportunity to hear from the artists themselves, which bring the works to life,” said Curator of Education Katherine Veneman. “They also provide an extra layer of interactivity with the exhibitions. They’re interpretative tools that enhance the museum tour experience.”

Andy Coolquitt’s “Attainable Excellence” presents his construction of abstract expressionist sculptural installations and is exhibiting on the museum’s first floor. His work presentation will be the first collection to receive the supplementary iPad treatment by including short interviews of him and his curator, Rachel Hooper.

“I think that it is exciting to see how much imaginations are activated by offering so many platforms for learning — a video, a picture, an audio clip — that can respond to what is interesting and important to the viewer’s experience,” Veneman said.

Guided tours like the Saleri Studio Saturday are just one of the ways the Blaffer has intertwined art and technology.

“Visitors have thus far embraced the technology naturally, as an integral part of their tour,” Veneman said.

“In the future, the learning environment of museums is becoming more and more interactive, and visitors will continue to participate — our upcoming exhibition, Feast, will showcase this.”

The induction of new iPads has enabled the museum to extend its reach to those who might have otherwise stumbled out of the doors as quickly as they stumbled in.

“You kind of have to give them a foundation and structure,” said Kristin Lehmer, a docent and communication sciences disorders graduate student.

“I know I get more out of it when I meet the artist. It allows you to open your world bigger to see things.”

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