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Thursday, August 21, 2014 Issue 01, Volume 80

CAMPUS PG.8

Who is UH?

In arguably Khator's most progressive move yet, one Texas senator barked—and is trying to halt UH's momentum in shedding the commuter label.

STUDENT AFFAIRS & ENROLLMENT SERVICES

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2 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

Contact The Cougar

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Kelly Schafler

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NEWS EDITOR

LIFE & ARTS EDITOR Rachel Sloan

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SPORTS EDITOR

EDITOR IN CHIEF Cara Smith

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editor@thedailycougar.com

i

Change isn't always a bad thing. In some cases, it's just what is needed.

This year houses many anniversaries: some meaningful, some wildly insignificant.

Fifty years ago, the world first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly lines in Detroit; a decade ago, Janet Jackson managed to entice more men during Superbowl XXXVIII’s halftime CARA SMITH show than EDITOR IN CHIEF the actual @CARA_SMITH5 game. 87 years ago, Houston Junior College opened its doors to the Bayou City’s working class; seven years later, HISD’s Board of Education approved the junior college's eligibility to become a four-year institution, and the University of Houston was born.

In 1928, The Cougar became Houston Junior College’s student publication, to later become a daily publication. After 36 years of tirelessly serving the UH community, The Daily Cougar is no more, as you’ll notice our masthead is 33 percent smaller and 100 percent different. It's 2014, and there's a new tradition to get excited about—the return of The Cougar, and the first year of what this has all been building up to.

You might have heard that the publication dedicated to delivering accurate, relevant news to

Cougars and Houstonians alike had disappeared. The news is in, and this paper should serve as evidence that such rumors are simply that: rumors. The Cougar is alive and well, albeit in some new packaging, but the one thing that will continue to remain for our 86th year as UH's premiere student paper is our relentless passion for this University and its students, faculty and alumni.

The switch from operating as a daily print paper to a print weekly, digital daily publication has been in the pipeline for a couple years now.

In large part, it’s a result of changing trends in how readers gather and process news. We’ve completely overhauled both our print and web products, both of which will report on the news as well as the kind of news you care about in creative and compelling formats. Be sure to bookmark thedailycougar.com on your browser, as we’ll still be delivering high-quality content seven days a week.

It’s my sincere hope that you draw equal amounts of satisfaction from our web and print products. In the latter, you can expect to see us delivering more analytical, thought-provoking pieces (bear with us while we flex our bushy-tailed longform muscles).

We’re going to work consistently to produce the publication that you, the UH community, rightfully deserves: one that’s

visually stunning, compelling and filled with content you need to read. Look forward to each Wednesday as we publish a newspaper you can keep on the coffee table throughout the week. I will personally strive to make it one that encourages informed discourse, as well as one that serves as a platform for the voices of this University.

It’s the first year of The Cougar—not technically, but you know what I’m getting at. I speak for all who are a part of this organization when I say that this paper and all to follow are ones we are thrilled to present to you.

It’s been an electric ride getting to this point, and I encourage you to stay onboard for more.

So, what's new?

With a great paper comes great responsibilities.

Bolstered social media Social media will no longer be used simply as a platform for us to share our content, but as a way for us to interact with you.

Bold storytelling We'll be expanding the way we tell UH's stories, all in ways that'll be easy to digest.

Daily enterprises We'll be sharing the bigger picture behind what's happening on the surface.

(713) 743-5360

Jordan Lewis

(713) 743-5360

Letter from the Editor

(713) 743-5360

Nam-My Le

(713) 743-5360

The last print edition of The Daily Cougar ran on April 29, 2014. This year, The Daily Cougar moves to a "print weekly, digital daily" format and returns as The Cougar. | Izmail Glosson/The Cougar

OPINION EDITOR

(713) 743-5362

The Cougar

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ABOUT THE COUGAR

COPYRIGHT

The Cougar is published Monday through Thursday during the fall and spring semesters, and Wednesdays during the summer and online at thedailycougar.com. The Cougar is supported in part by Student Service Fees.

The first copy is free. Additional copies cost 25 cents.

No part of the newspaper in print or online may be reproduced without the consent of the director of Student Publications.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Rates are $70 per year or $40 per semester. Mail subscription requests to: Mail Subscriptions, The Cougar, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204-4015.

ISSUE STAFF COPY EDITING

Joshua Cochran Jenae Sitzes Christopher Shelton Cara Smith CLOSING EDITORS

Jenae Sitzes Christopher Shelton Cara Smith

NEWS TIPS Send tips and story ideas to the editors.

Call (713) 743-5314, e-mail news@ thedailycougar.com. A “Submit news” form is available at thedailycougar.com.

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Center for Student Media uh.edu/csm

ABOUT CSM The Center for Student Media provides comprehensive advisory and financial support to the university’s student-run media: The Cougar newspaper, Student Video Network and COOG Radio.

Part of the Student Life portfolio in the Division of Student Affairs, the CSM is concerned with the development of students, focusing on critical thinking, leadership, ethics, collaboration, intercultural competence, goal-setting and ultimately, degree attainment. While our students are engaged in producing and promoting media channels and content, our goal is to ensure they are learning to become better thinkers and leaders in the process.

The second goal of the CSM is to manage the revenue-generating activities — advertising and media services — that can be used to grow our student media programs and provide richer experiences to the students involved.

CENTER FOR STUDENT MEDIA

(713) 743-5350 csm@uh.edu www.uh.edu/csm N221 University Center University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-4015 ADVERTISING

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4 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

CALENDAR

l Sports | l Campus events | l City events | See more upcoming events at thedailycougar.com/calendar TODAY Game Night  The Student Program Board will host Game Night at Cougar Village 1 from 9 p.m. to midnight. Activities such as Just Dance and board games will be provided.

SVN Open Auditions  Student Video Network will host open auditions from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the University Center's Center for Student Media. No prior preparation necessary.

Alley Theatre presents: 

"The Old Friends"

The Alley Theatre will present "The Old Friends" at 7:30 p.m. in Wortham Theatre. Students can receive a discounted ticket price of $14 for any 7:30 performance during UH Weeks of Welcome with the promocode UHSTUDENT. Visit alleytheatre.org for more information.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 Party in the Rec  From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. students will be able to take part in sand volleyball, dodgeball, climbing the rock wall and

more at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. At 8 p.m. the outdoor leisure pool will open and Maleficent will play on the big screen. Food will be provided.

be open for use from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Students are invited to come enjoy bowling, pool and arcade games.

UH Women's Soccer vs. 

From 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. students can sing solo or with friends on the stairs of the U.C. North (in front of Starbucks).

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

The UH women's soccer team will take on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7 p.m. on Carl Lewis Field, its first game of the season.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 Party in the Park:  Welcome Back Concert The Student Program Board will host a concert in Lynn Eusan Park from 5 to 8 p.m., with performances from Mauricio, Charlie Oxford, A More Perfect Union and more. Burgers and hot dogs will be served.

Men's Soccer Cub Tryouts  Men's Soccer Club Tryouts will be held at 6 p.m. in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

U.C. Game Room  The University Center Game Room will

DIGITAL DAILY

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24

stadium's amenities. Admission is free of charge, and students will gain access with their Cougar Cards. Hot dogs, popcorn and soft drinks will be sold for $1 while supplies last. Activities include a Kids Zone with inflatables, premium item and door prize giveaways and autograph signings with UH Athletics legends at the entrance of Legends Plaza.

Freshmen Barbecue and 

New Year's Eve Party 

Karaoke 

Fellowship

The Christian Ministries on campus invite all students to Lynn Eusan Park from noon to 2 p.m. to learn how to get involved and enjoy Jenga and brisket.

Gulfgate Shopping Center 

Trip

Shuttles will transport students to the Gulfgate Shopping Center. Students should meet in front of the University Center Circle at 8 a.m. The shuttles will return to campus at noon.

UH Community Day  The new TDECU stadium will open to the student body and the Houston community from noon to 5 p.m. for a behind-the-scenes look at the

thedailycougar.com

This New Year's Eve party (held in August) will be from 9 p.m. to midnight in the University Center Ballroom. A DJ will be present to play requested songs and prizes can be won at a casino.

Other activities include a green screen, photography, an oxygen bar, free food and smoothies.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26 U.C. Theatre presents:  "Friday Night Lights"

Scatterpong Tournament  In this version of ping pong, there are no rules—bodies, walls and ceilings are fair game. The tournament will begin at 8 p.m. at the Baptist Student Ministries building.

Ultimate Frisbee in the  Dark Students interested in playing Ultimate Frisbee should meet at 8 p.m. in front of the Baptist Student Ministries building (across from the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center).

#INSTACOOG

Trending stories online at thedailycougar.com

The U.C. Theatre will present the classic sports movie "Remember the Titans" at 7:30 p.m. Free popcorn and Icees will be provided for all attendees.

The U.C. Theatre will show the classic film "Friday Night Lights" at 7:30 p.m.

Free popcorn and Icees will be provided for all attendees.

MONDAY, AUGUST 25

facebook.com/thedailycougar

U.C. Theatre presents:  "Remember the Titans"

Promote your organization's events by emailing us a description of the event with its location and time: copychief@thedailycougar.com

@thedailycougar

@thedailycougar

We took our favorite photos from Instagram that used #UH18 in the caption. This week, use hashtag #iloveUHfootballbecause to be considered for our Digital Daily page!

NEWS BREAKING: Freshmen housing requirement ‘dead‘ SPORTS Q&A: Quiet excitement grows for UH football coach Tony

Levine

L&A Houston Whatever Fest succeeds in Houston premiere OPINION Studying abroad: A valuable opportunity that should not

be abused

POLL OF THE WEEK Which new campus landscape addition are you most excited for?

Submit your vote to thedailycougar.com/polls through Wed., August 27

TDECU Stadium

The Green

Cullen Blvd. renovations

Alley Theatre relocation

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@laurennkatherine

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1 week until I move into my new home. #uh18

So in love with this campus here at UH and I am so excited for this next year. #UH18

#uh18

TOP ONLINE COMMENTS “Really upsetting that the Board would back down due to a minority voice on the matter. Campus living leads to higher grades and achievements, and the Board just voted against those merits."

by Will Fischer on "UPDATE: Freshmen housing requirement pulled from BOR agenda due to "mixed feedback from the community." | facebook.com/thedailycougar

“The only thing challenging about this year's schedule is keeping the players and fans interested. BYU, UCF, and Cincy are the only grown up games on the schedule..."

by Cranky Coog on "Q&A: Quiet excitement grows for UH football coach Tony Levine" | thedailycougar.com/sports

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 5

6 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

NEWS thedailycougar.com/news

news@thedailycougar.com

Nam-My Le, NEWS EDITOR

HOUSING

Senator 'singlehandedly sunk' housing requirement

A proposal ignites debate over UH's identity as either a commuter school or residential campus

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outstanding job. I think she got some really poor advice from her team of managers, or administration, and that alarms me.”

Whitmire graduated in 1975, when he got a Bachelor of Arts and then studied at UH's Bates College of Law. He commuted during his time attending UH, working full-time and living in a two-bedroom apartment with his mom in Oak Forest, where he paid most of the rent.

“I had no choice but to commute if I wanted to attend a public university,” Whitmire said. “I worked my way through UH. That is very typical of the UH experience then and now. I can’t emphasize the diversity of the UH student body. And it’s not just ethnicity, but it's life circumstances.”

Constituents of Whitmire’s have contacted him with different reasons why the mandatory freshmen housing proposal would not work for them, citing undocumented parents, gay and lesbian relationships, and ethnic tradition as main reasons why they didn't agree with the proposal.

“They’re first generation students and sometimes they do not feel comfortable with their young people living out of the home,” Whitmire said. “You’ve got a large part of our community that can’t get married. I’ve got young people that are members of families with undocumented parents, who feel like they need to be in the home, not on the UH campus residing.”

Because of his experience on the finance committee, Whitmire is determined to keep affordability to the students a main priority.

“It is unbelievable the cost of going to a public university. UH and other schools continue to raise tuition,” Whitmire said.

“It is almost unaffordable to go to college if you’re from a very working class family.

"Students are taking out loans to finance their education that looks like a house note when they get through.

"They’re in debt, often times for the rest of their life. Why would you add the additional cost for housing when they were already provided housing by their family or their partner?”

LEN

A proposal that would make it mandatory for first time in college freshmen to live on campus starting Fall 2015 is “dead” after state senator and UH alumnus John Whitmire opposed it, citing financial implications and UH’s commuter reputation.

“There appear to be people in this administration that are not familiar with the trials and tribulations and challenges of the student body,” Whitmire, the longest serving Texas senator and dean of the senate, said.

“We have many working class families that barely can afford to pay tuition and books. They live at home, they work – often times supporting their families, parents, or siblings – and to uproot them and require them to live on campus was really not indicative that the administration understands their student body.”

Whitmire confirmed to The Cougar that the proposal was no longer being considered after a text message exchange with

Chancellor Renu Khator.

“The university has assured me that it has been taken off the table and is dead,” Whitmire said.

“I will continue to monitor it and take whatever steps are necessary to see that it never gets any life again.”

The proposal required first time in college freshman who live more than 20 miles from campus, are not married and do not have any children to live on campus in UH housing.

It includes waivers for students who have a medical or Americans with Disabilities Act need, have financial difficulty and who have a reason that deemed it counterproductive for them to live on campus.

Whitmire is also part of the finance committee of the Texas Senate, which he says contributes to his reasoning behind why the proposal is “illogical” and a “terrible conceived idea," but holds no ill will towards Khator.

“I think (Khator) is probably the best thing to happen to UH in many, many years,” Whitmire said. “I think she does an

CUL

GLISSETTE SANTANA

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @GSANTANA347

Quadrangle 1950

Cougar Village 1 2010

Cambridge Oaks 1991

Moody Towers

Cougar Village 2

1970

2013

Bayou Oaks

Cullen Oaks 2005

2003

Buildings built since Khator’s apppointment

Infographic by Alex Tomic

“Students are taking out loans to finance their education that looks like a house note when they get through. They’re in debt, often times for the rest of their life.

Why would you add the additional cost for housing when they were already provided housing by their family or their partner?”

John Whitmire, Texas Senator and UH alum

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW? Whitmire compares UH to Texas A&M University and the University of Texas, saying they are not commuter schools and that UH will never be a destination school, which may represent what some may consider the old UH – the age of commuters and limited campus life. Since Khator's appointment in 2008, three new dorms, including both Cougar Villages and Calhoun Lofts have been built, and the demolition and reconstruction of Cougar Place in 2013 has upped the number of beds on campus to 8,008, the second most in the state behind Texas A&M. “I love this school and to me what he is saying there is that his degree, my degree, our degree, isn’t worth as much as UT or A&M’s. And I think that’s correct. Ours is worth more,” Student Government Administration President Charles Haston said. “Not everybody else sees it

that way, and I’m afraid that he doesn’t even see it that way. And that’s really disappointing.”

Texas A&M and the University of Texas have a more Anglo based population, with more students who don’t work and come from a middle to upper class income, according to Whitmire.

“It’s a different student body, different experience,” Whitmire said. “No, we won’t ever be a Texas or A&M but we have the opportunity to be an outstanding university, which we have made great strides, and one of things that’s going to make us more outstanding than A&M and Texas is our diversity, the cultural communities that gather on the UH campus to attend class.”

Under Khator’s leadership, graduation rates have increased, along with academic progress, according to Haston. Data included in the original pro-

HOUSING

Continues on page 12

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 7 thedailycougar.com/news

news@thedailycougar.com

NEWS

Nam-My Le, News Editor

IN FOCUS ACADEMICS

SGA bill proposes massive advising reform

Colleen Davies, one of two Bauer Honors advisors, during a session. Niche programs like the Bauer Honors Program have approximately 150 students to each advisor. | Photo courtesy of the C.T. Bauer College of Business

GLISSETTE SANTANA

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @GSANTANA347

The Student Government Association Senate introduced the academic advising bill, SGAB51004 Advising Reform and Graduation Success Act, that calls for UH to lower the advisor-to-student ratio on campus and allow for various requirements to be set in place to ensure that students receive quality advising.

SGA President Charles Haston has met with Provost Paula Short, as well as Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Student Success Teri Longacre throughout the summer to collaborate on the bill and ensure maximum success for the students and the University.

“We hear from students all the time that there are advising issues,” Haston said. “We started working with the Provost’s office, probably back right before summer started, and started asking for several things. We need data. Not only from our perspective, but to be effective all throughout the University.

You have to be able to quantify results.”

BEHIND THE NUMBERS One National Academic Advising Association recommendation would help move UH toward its goal of gaining Tier One status.

The NACADA recommends that the advisor-to-student ratio be an average of 250 students to every one advisor throughout the University. UH currently stands at an average 293:1 ratio, an improvement from last school year when the ratio was 381:1.

“One aspect of the University’s student success goal is to create an environment in which student success can be ensured,” said

Longacre. “Effective advising can help ensure that students stay on track to meet their educational and career goals by ensuring that they are enrolling in proper courses and in sufficient credit

careers — I think we can really change the dynamics of what advising is,” Haston said.

Smaller colleges at UH, such as the C.T. Bauer College of Business, have better student-to-advisor ratios because the number of students within the college is less, meeting NACADA standards.

SGA and the administration are working together to meet standards throughout the University and not just through the smaller colleges.

“We want the advisor to be able to counsel the student more than just run them through a spin factor,” Martinez said.

“We want the counselors to be aware that student might be intimidated to ask certain questions, so we want it to be a goal for the students to be able to talk to their advisors about certain things."

“Raising tuition is a touchy subject at any school, most especially at this university and we are very cognizant of that. There has to be a balance between meeting our student’s financial needs and meeting their academic needs, and right now we’re not meeting their academic needs."

Charles Haston, Student Government Association President hours. Advisors can also play a critical role in identifying barriers to student success and connecting students with appropriate resources.”

Larger colleges within UH, such as the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, have higher advisor ratios because their number of students is far greater, with ratios ranging from 500 to 600 students per one advisor, according to SGA Senator Enrique Martinez.

In order to ensure that every advising session on campus is up to standards, the bill suggests mandatory holds every thirty hours and surveys that are e-mailed to students after each advising session.

According to Haston, about 50 to 75 percent of time in advising sessions is dedicated to scheduling classes for the student.

“If we can take that piece out and make advising what it really needs to be — helping students make academic choices for their

PAYING FOR IT However, with more advisors comes more salaries and benefits that need to be provided by the University. Increased tuition or student fees have been discussed as a way to supplement the deficit. The most recent tuition increase came in 2013, when UH raised prices by $13 per every undergraduate semester hour taken. State funding for the University has decreased tremendously, going from 55 percent state funding to 22 percent. “(Advising is) the thing that we want to accomplish,” Haston said.

“Raising tuition is a touchy subject at any school, most especially at this university and we are very cognizant of that. There has to be a balance between meeting our student’s financial needs and meeting their academic needs, and right now we’re not meeting their academic needs."

SGA will try to prevent further tuition increases to keep the financial burden of the bill off

student’s backs.

"We have got to start doing the things necessary to ensure that we don’t actually have to bear the burden on students,” Haston said. “I think that there are a lot of alumni that would probably be interested in helping support (this bill financially), going beyond just scholarships and chairs.”

The bill also includes a system that profiles students and keeps record of their advising meetings, the content of those meetings, and their career goals, according to Martinez. Certain schools such as the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication book appointments through myUH, and Haston is a proponent of making this a campus-wide standard for all colleges.

“We really want to assess, for the first time, in a large-scale way, how advisors are doing,” Haston said. “I want us to train advisors and really put us in the position where we can start getting some change and identify what problems are and what we would be able to do.”

While SGA does not pass legislation that is binding, meaning that the administration can change the bill once it is passed, SGA and the administration are working together to ensure that students at UH get the highest quality education and, hopefully with the help of more advisors and higher quality sessions, more on-time graduates. “(SGA) has developed a really great working relationship with Dr. Longacre,” Haston said. “She’s really the point person on this

250:1

NACADA RECOMMENDATION The National Conference on Academic Advising was chartered in 1979

381:1

2013 STUDENT - ADVISOR RATIO

UH raised tuition in 2013, in part, to hire more advisors

293:1

2014 STUDENT - ADVISOR RATIO

The bill requires UH to meet the NACADA recommendations in the next 5 years and we’ve got the Provost on this.

We have received really positive feedback.”

“This bill demonstrates students’ recognition of the role that advising plays in supporting student success and their commitment to promoting high quality advising experiences campus-wide,” Longacre said.

“This type of student involvement in advising reform will undoubtedly have a positive impact on student-advisor relationships advancing our student success goals.” news@thedailycougar.com

8 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

Be you. Belong.

UH Daily Cougar Ad v05.indd All Pages

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 9

WELCOMING ALL PUTTING-IN-THEWORK-TODAY-FORA-GREAT-FUTURE COUGARS. New semester, new challenges, and new goals. You’ve already got enough on your plate without adding worries about financial stability. We can help. Now that TDECU is partnering with the University of Houston, you can count on us to make all your banking needs pretty much worry-free.

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Go Coogs, Go! Join us on Friday, August 29, at 8 p.m. for the opening game at the new TDECU Stadium.

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10 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

NEWS

thedailycougar.com/news

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Nam-My Le, Editor

CAMPUS

UH programs raise awareness of sexual assault On Campus Forcible Sexual Assaults from 2010 - 2012

LAURA GILLESPIE

23

STAFF WRITER @LAURAEVELYNG

On July 12, The New York Times published an article about a freshman student at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York who was sexually assaulted on campus. The student’s name and case was revealed to the university, and she went before a disciplinary panel who was not fully informed on her case.

In late 2012, Amherst College in Massachusetts came under fire for insufficient care for victims of sexual assault after one victim wrote about her experience in the Amherst Student, the university's student publication.

In March, an investigation was launched against Harvard College for failing to adhere to Title IX, a law that requires equal treatment of all sexes in the education system. In February, a Title IX sexual violence investigation was initiated for the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. In the past year, investigations have launched against the University of Kansas, the University of Delaware, Pennsylvania State University and many more.

As of August 6, 74 American universities are undergoing Title IX sexual violence investigations as universities are forced to re-evaluate their sexual assault policies. Americans are becoming forced to change the way they look at sexual assault on college campuses.

SEXUAL ASSAULT AT UH UH reported 16 forcible sexual offenses in residential facilities in from 2010 until 2012. This number is lower than other Texas universities, but due to its narrow superlative and the sheer rate of unreported cases of sexual assault, it does not paint an accurate representation of sexual assault on campus. Equal Opportunity Specialist with the Office of Equal Opportunity Services Jyl Shaffer acknowledges this.

“We definitely have seen more

University of Texas

Texas A&M University

16

University of Houston

Source: Data compiled from the respective university's annual security reports

Go to a safe place Report the crime:

than that,” Shaffer said. “We work closely with Residence Life, so we get reports that RAs have received, that the residents life professional staff receive, we have professors who contact us, we have students who contact us directly.”

“The sexual misconduct policy for UH covers behavior that happens between people who are affiliated with us, regardless where it happens.”

The Office of EOS is one of the University’s primary departments for tackling sexual assault and other kinds of harassment.

When EOS receives a report that a student, faculty or staff member, the victim is reached out to and support is offered. It is first determined whether the person has any physical issues that require a visit to a clinic or hospital, or if they require a visit to CAPS or other counseling service to make them feel safe. They are given legal options and told what UHPD can do to help, and if a student victim lives on campus, Residential Life is spoken to to make sure the victim feels safe in their room.

Next come several options.

Shaffer emphasized that victims of assault or harassment don’t have to seek support from EOS, but if they do, the subsequent processes and options will be explained, as victims have the option of filing a complaint with the University, contacting UHPD to file charges, both, or nothing.

“What we want to do — our first priority — is making sure that people who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual harassment, discrimination, that they know that they’re not alone

Tips to Prevent Crime: Lock your door when you take a nap or retire for the evening.

Require identification before admitting someone unfamiliar into your room.

Do not walk alone at night. Stay on lighted walkways and use the Cougar Patrol escort service.

Report suspicious people or circumstances. Stop a crime before it happens.

Offer your confidential assistance to the University Police.

Source: UHPD

21

What to do if you are sexually assaulted on campus:

and that they have resources to support them, that they don’t have to deal with it on their own,” Shaffer said.

In the past several years, EOS has been connecting with other departments that handle cases of sexual assault and harassment, such as the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life, Center for Student Involvement, the Athletic Department and even different colleges such as the

NATIONAL MOVEMENTS Hutchinson is the spearhead behind the UH branch of Take Back the Night, a national event held to raise awareness about ending sexual assault. This year’s event will move from the spring to the fall, when, according to Hutchinson, sexual assault is highest among freshmen students.

“We’re collaborating with different departments on campus like Student Housing and Res-

We are ahead of a lot of campuses, because we have a really solid process to use if something happens.”

Jyl Shaffer, Equal Opportunity Specialist Honors College.

“This is a campus full of really busy people, and it can be tough to get folks to come to programs, because it’s the end of a long day of studying, and you may just want to go relax.” Shaffer said.

EOS has reached out to students and asked what they want to see from the University to help combat assault and harassment.

Students want the University to avoid victim blaming — or saying that a victim of sexual assault is in fault. They have also asked for advice in domestic abuse and assault, the connection of drugs and alcohol to assault, and greater education and representation for LGBT individuals and men. “(EOS) in particular, we are trained to, number one, understand the dynamics that may be unique to a male survivor, compared to someone else, the dynamics that may be present in the LGBT community may look different than in a hetero community, and to think about culture — that’s part of what our office does, is work on diversity. So we are specially trained to handle that,” Shaffer said.

But others, such as Malkia Hutchinson at the Women’s Resource Center, believe the University still has a long way to go before it is fully inclusive, as the University’s education and preventive care is still catered towards heterosexual white women.

idential Life and Wellness and (the Student Program Board). We had a really good program (last year); we had an MC there who’s coming back this year; we had three survivors come to speak about their experiences with sexual assault and rape,” Hutchinson said. “We have an interactive portion with the audience to go over myths and facts over assault and rape which we’re going to revamp a little this year. There’s a march that happens after the first portion is over on a small area on campus, and then after that we have the candlelight vigil, and a speaker speaks afterwards.”

One of the main goals of Take Back the Night is to dispel common myths about sexual assault.

According to a Texas Department of Public Safety 2011 report of Texas crime, people in-between the ages of 15 and 24 are the most frequent perpetrators of sexual assault, while teenagers between 15 and 19 years of age are the second most frequent group of victims. Roughly 85 percent of offenders were not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the assault, and roughly 75 percent of assaults take place in a home.

“I think with the push of social media, the more visibility with

SAFETY

Continues on page 12

Emergency: 911 UH Police: 713-743-3333

Call a friend, family member, or someone else you can trust to give you support.

Preserve all physical evidence of the assault. Resist the urge to shower, bathe, douche, eat, drink, or brush your teeth until you have had a medical exam.

Even if you are unsure about making a police report or about whether you want the assailant prosecuted you should collect the evidence now and decide later. Physical evidence may deteriorate as time passes and may be lost forever.

Keep all the clothing you were wearing at the time of the assault. Put each item into a paper bag. Do not disturb the area where the assault occurred.

Get medical care ASAP. Go to a hospital emergency department or a specialized forensic clinic that provides treatment for sexual assault victims. Many physical injuries may not be apparent immediately.

If you suspect you were given a date rape drug, ask the hospital or clinic to take a urine sample. Some date rape drugs are more readily detected in urine than blood.

Write down as much as you can remember about the assault, including a description of the assailant.

Call Equal Opportunity Services at the University of Houston at (713) 7438835 if you need special arrangements to be made for housing or for class.

Do not blame yourself. The rape was not your fault. You behavior did not cause it— the rapist did. Alcohol did not cause it—the rapist did.

Other numbers to RAINN - 1-800-656-HOPE Women's Center: 713-528-7273

Source: UH ESO Webpage

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 11

12 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

NEWS HOUSING

Continued from page 6 posal presentation states that retention rates from year to year are higher when the student lives on campus, as opposed to commuting five times a week.

The presentation also states that GPAs of students who lived on campus were on average higher than their commuting peers, somewhere between .01 and .11 percent, with more significant increases in students of Hispanic and African American ethnicity, whose GPAs were .16 and .23 percent higher.

“If you look at what Chancellor Khator has done since she’s been here, she has really moved the needle for this university,” Haston said. “At an institution of higher learning, though, what we should be doing is having conversations, and having educated conversations about how to continue moving that needle and how to continue making this university competitive and even more competitive with UT and A&M and it makes me really sad to see one of our most public alumni, like John Whitmire, slam the university

thedailycougar.com/news

“There was not going to be a situation where there was a student that couldn’t afford to live here ... who would end up being displaced and somehow not be able to attend UH." Charles Haston, SGA President that way.”

Haston also points out that the proposal was just a talking point for students, meant to start a conversation and rules were put in place in order to keep students who could not afford to live on campus or had any other reason to not live on campus be heard.

“If you actually look at what the proposal was, it was laden with all sorts of exemptions and the ability to appeal based on any number of things, including

financial need,” Haston said.

“There was not going to be a situation where there was a student that couldn’t afford to live here that would do that, who would end up being somehow displaced and not be able to attend the University of Houston. Although we used the word ‘mandatory’, the number of exemptions and the ease at which the students could opt out of that was so significant that the notion that we would somehow be marginalizing students, like John Whitmire was when he was a student here, is just factually incorrect. And that’s what’s really frustrating for me.”

When asked for comment, the University redirected The Cougar to a previous statement,

Student Reaction Student reaction to the proposal has been somewhat mixed, from supporters who think that mandatory freshman housing would push UH to a new level, to people thinking UH should stay a commuter school for the sake of affordability. Whitmire has been the only public opponent to the proposal, and according

LAST The University of Houston and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences welcomes any undergraduate student interested in Latin America to the program and major in Latin American Studies (LAST).

This 18-hr minor is interdisciplinary and focuses on the histories, cultures, economics and politics of thus broad region. For more information or to register in LAST 3300, a distance education course required for the minor, contact Professor Susan Kellogg, History Department, skellogg@uh.edu, or check the program website, www.class.uh.edu/last

news@thedailycougar.com

Nam-My Le, Editor

SAFETY

to Haston “singlehandedly sunk this.”

“It disgusts me that a single alum of our university is given this much control over UH policy decisions, especially one that hasn't attended the school in 40 years, when we've become such a vastly different place in just six,” SGA Senator Clint Kirchhoff said.

While the old and the new both have different approaches, when it comes down to it they both have a common goal: student success and affordability. Whitmire is lead to believe by some that this is really more about money and that this would hinder students in the long run, referring to private apartment complexes going up near UH that rival on campus living.

“I’m very appreciative of my UH experience,” Whitmire said.

“I want UH to do well. I want UH to spend its money wisely. I would argue that UH deserves more money, which I do on a regular basis (in Senate).”

State funding from the state to UH has decreased 33 percent over the last 30 years, which Haston says is a reason why affordability on campus has become a concern from Whitmire.

“I think that we need to make sure that we maintain affordability in education so that we are able to serve those students,” Haston said. “It’s actually more affordable for a student to live on campus and attend classes here than it is for them to have an apartment off campus. What we’re really trying to do is prevent the student who can afford to live off campus from living at a private apartment complex adjacent to campus.”

SGA has invited Whitmire to their first Senate meeting on September 3 in an effort for Whitmire to meet with students and discuss the situation further. At press time, Whitmire has not responded.

“I think one of the things that really is important as one of our alums, as a state senator, is that he actually engages in conversations with the students here,” Haston said. “What’s really disappointing is that we are trying to do everything possible to contribute to student success at the University of Houston. And if it is true, which it is, that the data shows that students who live on campus are statistically more likely to graduate, take more credit hours, graduate in time, and have higher GPAs, then why wouldn’t you want to do that, or at a minimum, have a discussion about doing that?"

these types of issues in the news, I think it is changing a little bit, the perception of it, but even the things I hear from students and what their concerns are, it’s getting a safety whistle and walking to and from their car,” Hutchinson said. “The biggest date rape drug is alcohol, and it’s very easy to let your guard down and not really think about the ways you and your friends could be in situations with people you know, or people you care about, or people you just met. Those type of people tend to be the perpetrators most of the time.”

Shaffer believes the University’s programs are working, as the number of students who have come to the University to report cases of sexual assault are increasing. This increases the recorded instances of assault on campus — which is exactly what Shaffer wants.

“We wanted to know as more and more people understood their rights, as more education happens, they walk into a process that worked really well,” Shaffer said. “We have that. I think in that sense we are (way) ahead of a lot of campuses, because we have a really solid process to use if something happens.”

UH faces a unique challenge, as it must offer assistance to the diverse population of the University, including students of color, men, and LGBT students. The Women’s Resource Center, LGBT Center and UHPD are not confidential, as only Counseling and Psychological Services and the Student Health Center have state licensure to speak to students, faculty and staff confidentially.

To combat rising abuses among college campuses, the Obama administration has been pushing new regulations and reinforcing Title IX and the 1990 Cleary Act. The University has been working hard to keep in line with these regulations, and it’s this work that’s put them among the top universities in the state of Texas for assisting victims of sexual assault.

“There is nothing you can ever do, say or wear that would invite an attack on your body,” Hutchinson said. “The only thing I really encourage for all genders is to know what they’re comfortable with, (that) they’re expressing what they’re comfortable with, and (that) they know when to stop and to listen to their partners, even with non-verbal cues. I think that’s the important thing. “

news@thedailycougar.com

news@thedailycougar.com

Continued from page 10

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 13

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ROOM FOR RENT 2 minutes from campus.

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Puzzle answers online

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Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 15

Tune in to student life.

READ WATCH LISTEN

THE COUGAR IN PRINT ACROSS CAMPUS AND ONLINE AT THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM STUDENT VIDEO NETWORK IN THE RESIDENCE HALLS (CHANNEL 6) OR YOUTUBE 24/7 TO COOG RADIO AT COOGRADIO.COM ON YOUR DESKTOP, LAPTOP, TABLET OR MOBILE DEVICE

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LIFE & ARTS

PROFILE PG. 8

UH alum creates 8th Wonder For Aaron Corsi, returning to school revealed a new life path GREEK LIFE

Dove Love

Campus greek community grows for first time in 58 years | PG. 10

EDITOR Rachel Sloan EMAIL arts@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/life-arts

2 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

LIFE & ARTS

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arts@thedailycougar.com

Rachel Sloan, EDITOR

HOME

Three DIY decor projects for the craft-impaired From saving space to spicing up a room, these fun Pinterest projects are great for small areas RAZAN BEIDAS

STAFF WRITER

Decorating your room for under $5 is made possible thanks to Pintrest’s do-it-yourself dorm projects. Moving into a new apartment or dorm can be a hassle, and buying new furniture and décor can be expensive. These three DIY projects are easy and fun solutions to eliminate the stress of decorating your room.

With difficulty levels ranging from easy to about medium, all of these projects can be done in less than 45 minutes. The clothesline photo display allows you to put up as many pictures as you desire while eliminating the expense of buying frames for each photo. The shoebox cord organizer allows you to put an old shoebox to use for a more organized charging station. To save even more space and organize your school supplies, stack left over cans wrapped in cute ribbon and duct tape to create the pyramid supply holder.

These projects can be done by even the most severely craft challenged.

Share your own DIY projects with us by tagging

@thedailycougar

1

The pyramid supply holder adds life to a room and can be completed in under 15 minutes with minimal supplies. | Razan Beidas/The Cougar

This pencil cup pyramid is cool and saves a lot of space while organizing all types of school supplies. First, I got some cans from the recycling bin and wrapped them with duct tape. Although the duct tape looked a little messy on the first cans, I got the hang

of it by the last can and was able to perfect it without any creases in the duct tape. Be careful, the inside rim of the can may be sharp, so be cautious when wrapping. Next, I outlined the cans in different ribbons to cover up the remaining silver that I wasn’t able

2

to cover with the duct tape.

Lastly, I glued two cans to each side of the Mason jar, and then glued two to the top in the shape of a pyramid. I decided to use a mason jar because I didn’t have enough cans, it worked out just as well and added a little accent

to the design. I didn’t expect the cans to be as easily secured to the Mason jar, but the hot glue gun did the job well.

I enjoyed this project because the main focus was to have fun designing the cans, which made the project easy.

3

Photo clotheslines easily dress up a bland wall and are easy to make with just photos and a string to hang them on. | Razan Beidas/The Cougar

By gathering chargers in one location it not only reduces the challenge of cords but also consolidates the locations needed for re-powering devices. | Razan Beidas/The Cougar

Having an organized charging station would be ideal to eliminate the stress of constantly untangling wires. This project I found on Pinterest seemed like the perfect solution. First, find an old shoebox. Be sure to find a box with a high enough height to be able firmly secure the box shut with all the chargers inside.

Next, cover the box in old fabric or wrapping paper. If you’re a talented gift-wrapper (unlike me),

this step will be a breeze. Poke four holes, and use eyelets to outline each hole in the box.

This step turned out a little messy for me, but I was able to fix it by hot gluing the eyelets, purchased at Michaels Crafts Store for $4, into the holes. Scissors did not do the job well for me, so I would recommend using a knife or razor tool to cut the holes out.

Cut a hole in the back of the box for the power outlet stick

to go through. The power stick outlet cord was a little large so skipped the step of adding an eyelet to the back hole.

Be sure to find a shoebox that will fit the power outlet stick — after some shifting, I was able to fit my outlet stick in the shoebox, although it was a bit tight.

Lastly, decorate the box to match the theme of your dorm room.

Overall, this project is moderately difficult.

This is a cute, easy, and low-cost way to personalize your dorm or apartment with your favorite pictures without needing chunky and costly frames that take up valuable space.

All you need is some yarn, clothespins and pushpins. If you want to add your own touch, paint the clothespins to match the color theme of your dorm room with basic acrylic paint or even washi tape.

Measure and cut the yarn in the desired length. Then, make an open knot on each side of the yard. Next, use the pushpins to pin the yarn to the wall. Finally,

clip the pictures to the yarn using the clothespins.

I loved the overall old-timey vibe this photo display gave my room.

A fair warning, the clothespins cause dents in the pictures over time, so I recommend using this project for pictures off the printer or even funky Polaroids to give your room a vintage look.

Overall, this project is easy — the hardest part being that it took two people and a couple of tries to hang the yarn in a perfectly straight line. arts@thedailycougar.com

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 3

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4 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

LIFE & ARTS

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arts@thedailycougar.com

Rachel Sloan, EDITOR

MOVIES

Five movies to distract students this semester You've gotta see it to believe it: these movies are worth the high price of admission RYAN POPHAM

pointment. This film is definitely an Oscar contender.

STAFF WRITER

As Oscar season draws closer, the films that are released will improve more and more, leaving 2014 with some noteworthy releases. 2014 has been an interesting year for the movies so far; now that the summer market has had its run, a new season has come with its unique offerings. Check out the list below of upcoming features that look worthwhile!

“Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” – Aug. 22nd

Robert Rodriguez’s much anticipated “Sin City” sequel finally arrives almost a decade after the original, bringing more of the neo noir comic stories to life on the big screen. This time around there are four different storylines: Dwight McCarthy ( Josh Brolin) protects his former lover from her abusive husband,

“Nightcrawler” – Oct. 17th

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a freelance underground crime journalist in Los Angeles, where nothing is what it seems. This film will serve as an interesting character piece for Gyllenhaal’s body of work.

Rene Russo and Bill Paxton also star.

Sin City 2 releases August 22. | Courtesy of Troublemaker Studios

"Believe Me" releases everywhere Sept. 26. | Courtesy of Riot Studios

This popular book will be adapted to film. | Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Johnny ( Joseph-Gordon Levitt) tries to take down the biggest villain in the city; Marv (Mickey Rourke) attempts to find out why he’s woken among a group of dead bodies; and Nancy Callahan ( Jessica Alba) seeks vengeance for the death of John Hartigan (Bruce Willis).

“Believe Me” – Sept. 26th

"Gone Girl” – Oct. 3rd

Shot in Austin, this comedy tells the story of four broke college students who start a fake charity to pay for their tuition.

This indie film looks like a fun time at the movies. Nick Offerman and Christopher McDonald co-star.

Gillian Flynn adapted her best selling novel for master filmmaker David Fincher with a cast led by Ben Affleck. Nick Dunne (Affleck) becomes the targeted suspect of a media fiasco after his wife Amy goes missing. At a running time of 2 hours and 25 minutes, it will not be a disap-

“Exodus: Gods and Kings” – Dec. 12th

Ridley Scott’s newest epic exhibits the account of Moses’ (played by Christian Bale) hand in leading the slaves out of Egypt.

Scott’s films can be hit or miss, but never fail to be interesting.

“Exodus” will hopefully live up to the greatness of “Gladiator,” Scott’s true form lies in his period pieces. arts@thedailycougar.com

You are cordially invited to attend the

You are cordially invited to attend the

Fall 2014 Convocation FALL 2014 CONVOCATION Special Guest

Special Guests President Renu Khator

RENU KHATOR Keynote address will be delivered by President

&

Jarvis Hollingsworth

PAULA MYRICK SHORT Chairman, UH System Board of Regents

Thursday, September 4, 2014 Keynote address will be delivered by

JARVIS HOLLINGSWORTH Dessert Reception at six o’clock in the evening Chairman, UH System Board of Regents

Program begins at seven o’clock Grand Ballroom Hilton University of Houston Hotel Alumni Reunion following program at The Den

Thursday, September 4th

Dessert Reception at six o’clock in the evening

Program begins at seven o’ clock

Parents and guests welcome Moores Opera Entrance 16 from Cullen Blvd.

RSVPHouse,

by August 29 to 713.743.9010 or thehonorscollege.com/convocation

Parents and guests welcome RSVP by August 29 to 713.743.9010 or thehonorscollege.com/convocation

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 5 thedailycougar.com/life-arts

arts@thedailycougar.com

LIFE & ARTS

Rachel Sloan, EDITOR

BLOG

Nom Noms with Nam-My: Third Ward dining's must-eats NAM-MY LE

NEWS EDITOR @ NAMMYNOMNOM

Ignore the Third Ward label and remember what your elementary school teachers told you: don’t judge a book by its cover.

Aside from UH’s oncampus dining options, the surrounding area is surprisNAM-MY LE ingly diverse in its offerings, ranging from vegan/vegetarian options to some of the best fried chicken in the city.

Frenchy’s Chicken

3919 Scott St. Houston, TX 77021 What the original Frenchy’s on Scott lacks in aesthetics, it makes up for with old-school fried chicken and po’boys done right.

The location is effectively a food stand, one that has survived since

it first opened up in 1969; while there are more modern franchises around the city, the original’s location on campus makes it too good to pass up. If you’re ever feeling unsure about giving Frenchy’s a try or that you’re too good for a place that looks rundown, just remember it’s good enough for Beyonce.

Kanomwan

736 1/2 Telephone Rd. Houston, TX 77023 One of the first Thai restaurants in Houston, Kanomwan effectively serves up authentic dishes, spice and all, at reasonable prices. The Thai coffee or tea are must-haves at dinner, and family style options (table-sized orders where each person picks what they want) paired with ample space make this long-time favorite convenient for large groups with different preferences. I recommend getting the Tom Yom Gai soup and finding a specialty dish to pair that with.

Be sure to let your server know if you’re not a fan of spicy food and check their unusual hours before you head out.

Hoàng Sandwich

3509 Elgin Street Houston, Tx 77004 Sure, it won’t win an award for Best Vietnamese Food in Houston or Best Banh Mi, but Hoàng comes pretty close. Given its proximity to campus, it’s a treasure for die-hard Viet foodies (like me) and an ideal starting point for those looking to try banh mi and pho for the first time. Cheap, authentic Vietnamese dishes across the street from the UH softball field. Need we really say more than that?

Green Seed Vegan

4320 Almeda Rd. Houston, TX 77004 If you’re new to the Third Ward, you might be surprised to find a place like Green Seed in the area. Its menu size is impressive, and “burgers” like the Big Tex

Burger are definitely worth a try.

Granted, this isn’t going to be the best for you carnivores, but if the idea of cauliflower nuggets gets you excited, this is probably the place for you.

Notes from the blogger

Mandola’s Deli

I came to UH in 2010 with the intention of being a Houstonian as well as a Cougar and quickly found that it was impossible to be that without falling in love with its diverse food scene. As a 5th year senior, I've had the pleasure of eating authentic foods from every continent as well as trying modern, mismatched dishes that only our high level of diversity can bring to the table.

While it's impossible to keep up with the ever changing nature of food, I'll do my best to equip you with the knowledge to take the first step in your food journey.

4105 Leeland St. Houston, TX 77023 The first time I ordered at Mandola’s, Frank Mandola, the owner who opened up the Deli in 1975, asked me: “And what part of campus are you from? Business, engineering?” That sums up the quasi-partnership that his homey Italian deli has made with the campus community. The restaurant has a nostalgic feel with historic UH memorabilia from football seasons' past adorning the walls while serving up favorites like their chicken parmesan po’boy. It also helps that students receive a ten percent discount with their Cougar Cards.

Tell us what you want to see featured by using #nomnomnammy on Twitter.

Follow us @thedailycougar

arts@thedailycougar.com

Spectacular Symphony Opportunities for University of Houston Students All the class, none of the lectures.

SYMPHONY STUDENT PASSES FOR ONLY $50!

$15 STUDENT TICKETS

For $50, you get unlimited access to all the Classical and POPS concerts in the 2014-15 Season. Simply show up with your student ID and pass, and we’ll seat you in the best available seat.

Get your Student Rewards card at the box office for free with your first $15 single ticket purchase. Bring it along to every concert you attend, get it stamped, and reap the benefits. Buy three $15 tickets and get your fourth for $10.

Buy five concerts, get your sixth free!

Visit houstonsymphony.org/student for more information about the 14-15 Season and programs. Or call 713-224-7575.

POPS Presenting Sponsor

Official Television Partner

Official Health Care Provider

Official Airline

6 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

.

E G A NG

E .

D A L. E

N I JO

D E V L O EG T INV

Get Involved is a web-based program that encourages university community engagement through Registered Student Organization involvement and events. Students can use Get Involved to search organizations and receive recommendations for involvement based on their interests. The University of Houston has over 400 student organizations and there is something for everyone. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Get Involved also allows you to register new organizations. Coogs, create your Get Involved profile today and get connected! Remember, successful UH students GET INVOLVED!

Good news! Since you are a UH student, you already have a Get Involved account.

1. Visit www.uh.edu/getinvolved 2. Log in via Access UH 3. Click the Get Involved icon 4. Click on your name in the top left corner to expose the account menu 5. Click “Profile” 6. Update any of the fields available 7. Click “Update” when all edits have been made 8. Click the “Organizations” tab to begin searching active organizations by name or category

Office Hours Mon–Thurs: 8am–8pm, Friday: 8am–6pm

1st floor of the University Center North Rm. 103

Follow

www.uh.

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 7

T N E M E G A G N E IC

P I H S R E LEAD

CIV

Labor Day – Day of Service Monday, September 1st

Ignite Spring 2014

8:30am – 3:30pm Spend Labor Day giving back to the local community and making friends.

Breakfast, lunch, t-shirt and transportation provided!

A leadership program for Freshmen Leadership skills Public Speaking Ethical Decision Making Overnight Retreat Service and Social Events

Sign up online by August 29th www.uh.edu/csi/leadership/labor_day

Ignite Peer Mentors Meetings Friday 1pm – 3pm Apply online September 25th – October 3rd. www.uh.edu/csi/leadership

us on social media!

.edu/csi

csi@uh.edu

832.842.6245

CENTER FOR STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

8 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

LIFE & ARTS

thedailycougar.com/life-arts

arts@thedailycougar.com

Rachel Sloan, EDITOR

IN FOCUS PROFILE

Beer and books do mix: lecturer gains fame SARA SAMORA

STAFF WRITER

Aaron Corsi often says, “It’s interesting.”

With almost every response to questions about brewing, the Hotel and Restaurant Management lecturer began his sentence with the phrase.

Corsi, also the brew master and co-founder of 8th Wonder Brewery, says he’s passionate about what he does—in fact, Corsi even said he loves going to work.

“I was really interested in brewing and fermentation and distillation sciences, and when I decided to go back to school, Conrad Hilton was the first choice,” Corsi said. “I just moved back from Denmark where I really got into the raw material, grain and fruit for brewing and fermentation. I found that there were these courses available, but I wanted to dive deeper into it.”

Thus, Corsi approached his professors and he was given special challenges and areas of emphasis involving beer, wine and spirit fermentation as well as distillation.

He was later asked to come on as a lab instructor and received a teaching fellowship for his masters program at the Conrad N. Hilton College, where he met his business partner, Ryan Soroka.

As a result, a business plan was formed.

Corsi, who sold his very first beer at The Den, was then asked to return to teach and work on his doctorate. At UH, he currently teaches alcoholic beverage production; beer appreciation; and winery, brewery and distillery operations.

“This is where my passion grew into a career," Corsi said. "I really want to inspire other people to do it, and this is a career path that might not be on the radar for a lot of people, but the industry is in need for qualified people so I figured no better place than my alma mater, where I kind of got the start, where this seed was planted, to come back and help teach and help the industry out as a whole.”

Providing opportunities Charles Cannon, who graduated with a hotel and restaurant management degree in December 2013, was a former student of Corsi’s and he found his classes very informative.

“I learned a ton about beer and I already thought I knew a lot

Aaron Corsi currently teaches alcoholic beverage production, beer appreciation and winery, brewery and distillery operations in the College of Hotel and Restaurant Management in addition to working at the 8th Wonder Brewery and helping it move forward with distribution and brewing. | Jimmy Moreland/The Cougar

“I really want to inspire other people to do it, and this is a career path that might not be on the radar for a lot of people so I figured no better place than my alma mater ... to come back and help teach and help the industry out as a whole.”

Aaron Corsi, Hotel and Restaurant Managment Lecturer before taking that class, but I didn’t know anything as far as brewing goes,” Cannon said. “What really surprised me with what I learned was the very intricate parts of the brewing process and how just little things can alter a recipe or a beer in so many ways.”

Cannon wants to own and operate his own brew pub one day. He began an internship at 8th Wonder Brewery in January, but in May Cannon became a full-time cellar worker.

“As I was coming close to graduation, I spoke to Dr. Corsi about what I was going to do in the future. He offered me the internship in order to help me learn about brewing and on a large scale, not just what I do at home.”

One with Houston When it came to picking names, Corsi said 8th Wonder was not their first choice. A man from Pennsylvania had already claimed the name Heady Brewing Company—Corsi's first choice—for his online beer periodical and small distribution company.

Although Heady Brewing Company is still their LLC, Corsi and his business partner were happy to change the name. “We always like to say the trademark dispute was a blessing in disguise,” Corsi said.

“Although it was a little stressful for a while, we came up with a much better name.”

Corsi said 8th Wonder pays homage to the Astrodome. More-

over, he adds that the name “8th Wonder” is the next best thing, paying homage to Houston while also embracing the global aspect.

Surpassing expectations When the brewery opened in 2012, Soroka said he hoped for the brewery to still be open by next year. Since then, they were awarded best brewery in Houston at the Tastemaker Awards, an annual event in which judging is completed by the local food and drink industry peers. They also entered some of their beers into the first Beer Judge Certification Program Sanction tasting in Texas, in which they took home four golds and a bronze.

Corsi said business has been great.

“People are enjoying our beer,” Corsi said. “We love making it for people and we’re really happy. The city has been kind to us and the press has been kind to us. We’re actually in the process of quadrupling capacity just to keep up with demand."

“It’s hard as a brew master. If I just brewed everything I like, it probably wouldn’t sell really well.”

Nevertheless, he ensures the beer is the best quality they can brew.

“We don’t compromise any ingredi-

ents, we don’t compromise on the procedures,” he said.

Even so, it doesn’t mean Corsi and company do not flex their brewing muscles every once in a while. One of their most popular beers is a Vietnamese coffee porter called Rocket Fuel, which Corsi says is not of a usual brewing style.

One of Corsi’s influences for Rocket Fuel is Vietnamese food such as the soup, pho, or coffee.

Because of the dense Vietnamese population in Houston, he receives a lot of feedback on whether the taste is right or not.

"This is one of the industries that you can still have fun in, not just cranking out the same thing, over and over and over again,” Corsi said.

“The craft beer drinkers are usually the college-educated or are in college, and they like to experiment.

And we give them beers they can experiment with—kind of that mad scientist type of thing.”

Geology senior Mark Ferguson is a fan of Rocket Fuel. “I love coffee, and this beer mixes the strong coffee taste I like into a beer,” Ferguson said. “It’s perfect for a hot summer night here in Houston.”

HOME GROWN

Continues on next page

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 9 thedailycougar.com/life-arts

HOMEGROWN

Continued from previous page

Consumer driven The brewery makes one keg of beer at a time and taste-test the beer themselves. If the brew meets their standards, they’ll let guests try it during 8th Wonder's brewery tours.

“We usually have our tours every Saturday,” Corsi said. “But just because I like something doesn’t mean the consumer, our public — the reason why we’re in business — will like it. So we’ll let them taste it and we’ll get direct feedback.”

While Corsi says he loves praise from consumers, he respects criticism.

“They’re our sounding board, they’re our tasting panel,” Corsi said. “It also helps us by bringing new people of interests to the brewery, trying our normal stuff and seeing what’s out there.”

They also had collaborations with other breweries as well as local rap artists.

“Bun B is a big fan of ours,” Corsi said. One of the rapper’s favorite flavors is apple cider.

From this encounter, 8th Wonder now produces a Bun B Apple Brown Ale.

arts@thedailycougar.com

Rachel Sloan, EDITOR

New business ventures Currently, Corsi and his team are trying to figure out how to make it more commercially viable.

“At the moment, we’re keg only and draft only, so you can get it at restaurant and bars. But we are planning on canning by the end of the year.”

As for which beers will be canned, Corsi said they will probably go with their medal winners: Rocket Fuel, Alternate Universe and Hopston.

“But you know, the public is very vocal, they’ll let us know what they want, and we’ll make it happen for them,” Corsi added.

Ferguson is excited Rocket Fuel may be one of the beers to be canned.

“I can’t wait to take some home and sit on my back patio,” Ferguson said.

Before the canning can happen, the brewery is working on shelf-life tests.

“Coming from a science background, I want to make sure the product gets on a shelf, and maybe for whatever reason it’s not stored at a proper temperature, it can hold up to that abuse,” Corsi said.

Corsi sees breweries as a community thing. “Civilization has been

First Week of Classes August 23, 9am -5pm August 25 - 28, 7:45am - 9:00pm August 29, 7:45am - 5:00pm August 30, 9:00am - 3:00pm

LIFE & ARTS

started around breweries, cultures have been started around breweries — we kind of want to be that for the Houston area as well as the University,” Corsi said.

“Our first beer ever served was actually at The Den. It was the only bar open at the time, and then quickly after that Pinks opened and they support us. We hope to be in the new stadium so we want to be very involved in the community, and if the community ever needs anything, let us know. We’ll help when we can.”

Ferguson said he supports local businesses and sees it as him supporting the community.

“So many people tend to gravitate to the major companies because they advertise everywhere,” Ferguson said. “I like the small local places like 8th Wonder because their beer reflects their pride in brewing. Flavors like Rocket Fuel are distinct and they reflect the history of Houston.

"I think it's great to have a local place like 8th Wonder that is tied to UH and the local community. Their beer and their love of Houston is what makes them successful.” arts@thedailycougar.com

8th Wonder is served at Pinks Pizza on campus, which is currently distributing Alternate Universe and Intellectuale. | Cara Smith/The Cougar

Shop in-store or online 126 University Center Houston, Texas 77004 uh.bncollege.com

10 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

LIFE & ARTS

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arts@thedailycougar.com

GREEK LIFE

Dove love has arrived in Sigma Kappa New sorority joins campus for first time in 58 years, current Greek members fear number drop JASSIEL LOZANO

Five summer singles you need to know None of these ring a bell? Don't worry. We can keep a secret—just do yourself a favor and download these foot-tappers ASAP. compiled by Cara Smith

STAFF WRITER

The arrival of Sigma Kappa to UH marks the first new sorority in 58 years. A number of sororities applied to become part of UH, and the current UH Greek Life voted on Sigma Kappa after seeing their presentation.

“We feel honored to have this opportunity and look forward to getting to know members of the fraternity/sorority community and joining this outstanding campus,” Sigma Kappa Director of Extension Melinda Mettler said.

Recruitment Counselor Andrea Solorzano said she is ecstatic.

“Having a new sorority colonizing on campus is exciting because this is the first one to do so since 1956,” Solorzano said. “This is such a great time to go through recruitment since Sigma Kappa is offering leadership opportunities to women who want to grow the chapter. Therefore, more girls will want to rush which, will help the entire community grow even more."

Solorzano said Sigma Kappa is a breath of fresh air, which will inspire a renewed passion in the established sororities.

“I believe that bringing new sororities (to) campus is a good opportunity to increase the Universities diversity and allows the (Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life) community to grow stronger,” said education senior Ariana Cruz.

Not everyone is happy to have a new sorority on campus. According to Solorzano, a few people in Bayou Oaks are nervous about what might happen, as there will be an increase in competition for new members.

Like other Panhellenic organizations, Sigma Kappa has a long history. It was founded in 1874 by five women. Today, it has 113 collegiate chapters and more than 152,000 members worldwide.

The sorority wants to provide women with lifelong opportunities and support for social, intellectual and spiritual development by bringing women together to positively impact communities.

Its values are personal growth, friendship, service and loyalty, Mettler said.

“We are looking for women that will uphold our values and help us make our mark at the University of Houston,” Mettler said.

Sigma Kappa will recruit freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Any woman that is not a member of a National Panhel-

Rachel Sloan, EDITOR

Shadow Bleachers This bombastic Euro pop single RCA Records from Bleachers, the brainchild of fun.'s guitarist Jack Antonoff, delivers Antonoff's tender lyrics in somer refreshingly colorful, tropical rock packaging.

Come With Me Now Epic Records

KONGOS

KONGOS solidifies their unique brand of tribal-rock with this infectious, rowdy album-opener. You'll come for the chunky riffs, but you'll stay for the primal chants (we aren't requiring you to learn them, but...).

Arrow Fences ft. Macklemore

Sigma Kappa nationals sent a colonization team to UH in order to establish their newest chapter. This team will also help recruit for the sorority and guide the new chapter as it grows. | Courtesy of Sigma Kappa

“Having a new sorority colonizing on campus is exciting because this is the first one to do so since 1956. I cannot wait to see them adopting our UH traditions such as Homecoming and Frontier Fiesta.”

Andrea Solorzano, Panhellenic Recruitment Counselor

lenic Conference (NPC) sorority is eligible for membership in Sigma Kappa, and can apply at www. lovesigmakappa.com.

In a few weeks, a Sigma Kappa leadership consultant will introduce the sorority to the UH community. She will table in the University Center and host informative events.

Mettler said two information nights on Sept. 18 and Sept. 24 will provide more details about Sigma Kappa for anyone that is interested.

Sigma Kappa will host official recruitment events Oct. 1-7. The events are: • Monday, Oct. 1: Philanthropy Night • Tuesday, Oct. 2 and Wednesday, Oct. 3: Personal Visits • Friday, Oct. 5: Sisterhood

Night • Saturday, Oct. 6: Preference (invitation only) These events will take place after regular sorority recruitment dates.

An RSVP is not required for any of the events. Additional event details are available on www. lovsigmakappa.com under “What to Expect.”

One requirement for membership in Sigma Kappa is a Personal Visit. This 20 minute one-on-one meeting with a member of the Sigma Kappa team will allow potential members to learn more about the organization, the time and financial commitments and to be given an opportunity to ask questions.

Anyone interested can sign-up for a Personal Visit on www.love-

Sigma Kappa Facts With a new organization joining campus, knowing what it stands for is key.

Founders Day The official founding date for Sigma Kappa is Nov. 9, 1874.

Symbols The dove was accepted as Sigma Kappa symbol in 1984, with the heart being adopted in 1988.

Motto SIgma Kappas' motto is "One heart, One way."

Color The official colors for the sorority are maroon and lavender.

Jewel The jewel of Sigma Kappa is the pearl.

FlowerThe wild purple violet is the official flower.

sigmakappa.com (click “Sign Me Up” on the homepage).

Sign-ups became available Aug. 15. arts@thedailycougar.com

In an interview with Rolling Fences Stone, Macklemore shared that he used to frequent Seattle's poetry scene, to work on his cadence and delivery as a rapper. In "Arrow", it's clear the work paid off.

#88

Lo-Fang By divine intervention, someone 4AD managed to release a 7-minute orchestration featuring, among other things, a ukulele, piano, a cello solo and some serious synth. Conventional? Nah. Gorgeous? You could call it the Heidi Klum of singles.

Geronimo Sheppard

There aren't many frills around "GeronEmpire of Song imo"—it's a boisterious, uplifting acoustic track. If you're a fan of music that makes you feel good, don't waste any more time—put down this paper, open up Spotify and get to smiling.

Did we miss any?

Share your favorite tracks with us. @thedailycougar

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 11 thedailycougar.com/life-arts

arts@thedailycougar.com

Rachel Sloan, EDITOR

LIFE & ARTS

CAMPUS

Campus transit made easier with growing options SAMANTHA DAVIS

STAFF WRITER

Classes start Aug. 25, and students are getting in-gear for the beginning of a brand new semester at UH. The parking lots and streets will soon be filled with students on bikes, motorcycles and in their personal vehicles.

Traffic is coming to UH in more ways than one.

“Parking is an issue on any campus, (but) everything has changed in the past ten years here at UH," said Parking and Transportation Services Director Robert Browand. "Ten years ago, we did not have the Metro Q-Fare Card or Zipcar. The campus shuttle service did not have the number of buses running as there are today."

Not only have the options increased, but they have improved drastically: CougarLine buses have increased in number and become bigger and more comfortable over the years.

Not having a car is becoming less of an excuse — there are plenty of options for commuters, students living on campus, and even those with temporary vehicular issues such as a flat tire or a breakdown.

“UH Shuttle carries 1.4 million riders per year, 1,073 students have been issued a Metro Q-Fare Card, (and) in 2014, the Hertz car share program (which has now been replaced by Zipcar) had 1,040 members,” Browand said.

CougarLine Shuttles CougarLine is the free on-campus shuttle service that consists of four routes: Campus Loop, ERP Loop, ERP Express and Outer Loop. When students download the CougarTrax app, a real time GPS tracking system delivers updates on when the next shuttle will be at a specific stop. The app can be accessed via desktop or mobile. The maps of these routes can be seen below.

All CougarLine shuttles are handicap accessible.

Metro Q-Fare These reloadable cards give fifty percent off Metro fares. This option is not just for commuters; on-campus students can utilize Metro to get to popular destinations such as Minute Maid Park, Reliant Park, the museum district or the Galleria.

Starting this fall, students will be able to request Metro Q-Fare Cards online and pick them up at the Welcome Center after they are processed through the parking office (within two days).

In the past, these cards have been processed at Metro offices, having some students wait for more than a week to receive their cards.

Zipcar A new addition to the UH campus, Zipcar replaced Hertz once their contract expired.

EXPLORE YOUR

With this service, students are able to rent a car for as low as $6.50 per hour or by the day.

This price includes insurance, gas and up to 180 miles of driving.

You can even take Zipcars out of town. In a matter of minutes, UH students can sign up as a member online at zipcar.com/ uhouston. Upon approval, a membership card is sent to the user, which can be utilized as a key. For members who are over 21, this Zipcard gives them access to over 10,000 vehicles in the Zipcar fleet. They also have mobile apps.

“Zipcar is currently the world leader in providing ‘wheels when you want them.’ We were the first to offer cars by the hour to people under 25, and we were the first to launch a program for people 18 and older," said Zipcar Public Relations Specialist C. J. Himberg. "Overall, our members report saving, on average, about $600 per month compared to

owning a car which is a great option if the commuters ever decide to sell their car." arts@thedailycougar.com

By the numbers With a growing campus and students body, transportation is key.

Several options exsist on campus for every need, but what's the most efficient option?

Fare discounts The reloadable Metro Q-Fare cards give ffity percent off Metro fares.

Affordable outings With Zipcar, students can a rent a car for as low as $6.50 per hour, by the day or even up to a week.

Real savings Zipcar reports that members save about $600 per month compared to owning a car.

COUGAR PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS!

University Career Services is a full-service career center offering UH students and alumni resources and assistance on the path towards their career.

See what’s new at UCS for the 2014 fall semester!

Cougar Pathway Cougar Pathway will allow you to easily connect with both career counselors and employers through an easy to use appointment scheduler, resume database, on campus recruiting system, and a job database.

Focus 2 Focus 2 is an online tool that combines self-assessment, career and major exploration, decision making and action planning customized for the University of Houston to guide you to your ideal career path.

Connect with us online

uh.edu/ucs

106 Student Service Center 1 713-743-5100

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 12

CHARGE BY PHONE AT 800-745-3000

OPINION

EDITOR Kelly Schafler EMAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/opinion

INSIDE

Speak now or wait until next week

From sexual assault to sobriety, this section tackles tough topics

First Week of Classes August 23, 9am -5pm August 25 - 28, 7:45am - 9:00pm August 29, 7:45am - 5:00pm August 30, 9:00am - 3:00pm

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2 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

OPINION thedailycougar.com/opinion

opinion@thedailycougar.com

Kelly Schafler, EDITOR

CAMPUS

Cougars deny importance of being voted 'sober campus'

W

hen prospective students are deciding where to further their education, some may prioritize their list in accordance to proximity to home, student population, the surrounding area or the availability and success of their chosen major.

However, SHANE it seems that BRANDT some indiCOLUMNIST viduals may chose their university on the sobriety of their campus, or lack thereof.

According to recent rankings released by the Princeton Review, UH is one of the top 20 most sober schools in the nation. To some students that may be disappointing news, but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing for Cougars.

UH came in at 18th, according to students surveyed from schools around the country, and was one of two Texas schools on the list. Aside from UH, the list mostly comprises private and religious schools from around the nation, such as Brigham Young University, which placed 1st for the 17th consecutive year.

Although UH now has more on-campus housing than ever, the results aren’t necessarily surprising for students. In fact, they may not bother some at all.

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF

Cara Smith

MANAGING EDITOR

Jenae Sitzes

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Christopher Shelton NEWS EDITOR

Nam-My Le COPY CHIEF

Joshua Cochran

SPORTS EDITOR

Jordan Lewis LIFE & ARTS EDITOR

Rachel Sloan PHOTO EDITOR

Jimmy Moreland OPINION EDITOR

Kelly Schafler ASSISTANT EDITORS

Harrison Lee, Glissette Santana, Julie Nguyen

STAFF EDITORIAL

Francis Emelogu/The Cougar

UH has long been considered a commuter school. That isn’t as true as it used to be, but there may still be a perception and quality about the University that attracts the kind of people who aren’t as interested in partying on campus.

Being a sober school can either be a plus or negative for many potential students. There are plenty of reasons to attend UH, but it seems stereotypical college parties are not the priority for those who choose to attend.

Biology senior Shiv Divanji said he did not take UH's party life into account when choosing

a college.

“No, I didn’t think about that,” Divanji said. “I simply chose it because it was close to home, but after being here for three years, and starting my fourth, I love it. I don’t think I would’ve made the same type of friends I have if I went anywhere else.”

UH has a reputation for being a commuter school, but it also has a reputation for being a a diverse University.

Aside from ranking the University as sober, the Princeton Review has also named UH a great value school three years in a row, something that only five other schools in Texas have

been also recognized for.

Additionally, the diversity of the campus is well-known and acknowledged by the US News & World Report as second in the nation.

Houston is a large, diverse and industrious city. For those who want to party, there are plenty of great places to do that at, and there are plenty of places for drinking as well. Students often come early for classes before either going home or going to work.

The University’s location

SOBRIETY

Continues on page 4

The Staff Editorial reflects the opinions of The Cougar Editorial Board (the members of which are listed above the editorial). All other opinions, commentaries and cartoons reflect only the opinion of the author. Opinions expressed in The Cougar do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Houston or the students as a whole.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Cougar welcomes letters to the editor from any member of the UH community. Letters should be no more than 250 words and signed, including the author’s full name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major.

Anonymous letters will not be published. Deliver letters to N221, University Center; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; send them via campus mail to STP 4015; or fax to (713) 743-5384. Letters are subject to editing.

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OPINION

thedailycougar.com/opinion

opinion@thedailycougar.com

SOBRIETY

Continued from page 2 makes it easy for working adults to receive a valuable education while working and living the non-traditional student life.

A party atmosphere isn’t necessary because there are plenty of places throughout Houston to enjoy oneself. Perhaps partying is becoming less of a focus for students around the nation as tuition rates soar and jobs become scarce.

According to a CNN report, the class of 2013 graduated with an average of $35,200 in total debt. Many students owe much more, and it’s no secret that prices have been rising quickly over the years.

While having a good time is always something that high school graduates look forward to as they head to college, they are more than ever concerned with avoiding the issues of debt and poverty after college. Shannon Dudley, a recent sociology graduate, said that partying should not be deemed an important factor when choosing a university.

“Having a good time wasn’t a priority when I was choosing schools. I chose to go to UH because of its proximity to home and its relative affordability," Dudley said. “It’s just stupid to base an important decision like school on partying” Today’s students cannot afford to choose their college based on partying. That isn’t to say UH doesn’t have plenty to offer in terms of entertainment and fun, but it is not a priority for as many students. Too many students need to see a potential return in their investment before they concern themselves with the party atmosphere of the campus.

The campus might not have as lively a party or drinking scene on campus, but its students seem to be fine with that. We might not drink as much as the rest of the nation’s colleges, but that just means we take our studying that much more seriously.

This university offers a quality, affordable education. Located in the heart of one of the largest American cities with one of the most diverse student bodies and a tier one status, there are plenty of reasons to love this University.

Opinion columnist Shane Brandt is a petroleum engineering junior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

Sexual assault is a crime that happens more often than most people realize. In order to prevent and fight sexual assault, awareness needs to be spread that it can happen to anyone. | Photo illustration by Jimmy Moreland and Alex Tomic/ The Cougar

CAMPUS

Fighting sexual assault, searching for strength in numbers

W

hat would you do if you were sexually assaulted?

When students were asked, there wasn’t a universal reaction. Responses ranged from uncomfortable and awestruck to self-assured and likely unrealistic.

“I would tell the authorities, of course,” one said, while others declined KELLY to respond.

SCHAFLER OPINION EDITOR Many sexual assault victims struggle with

feelings of guilt and an inability to assign blame. It’s easy to place the blame on the assailant when it is a stranger, but if this is not the case, who to blame may not be clear to the victim.

National statistics show that 90 percent of sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone the victim knows, while off-campus assaults bring the number down to 70 percent, according to Jyl Shaffer, equal opportunities specialist at UH. “The idea of the stranger rape that we see on TV shows is very rare nationally, and is especially rare on college campuses," Shaffer said.

Moreover, sexual assault is marginalized as an issue that only affects women. However, any person — regardless of age, gender, race or sexual orientation — can be sexually assaulted.

Biology sophomore Kimberly Chairez said she was not aware that men could be sexually assaulted.

“I know for sure that (sexual assault) does happen in the community, but I would say that, typically, I always thought that it only happened to women,” Chairez said. “It wasn’t until recently that I found out it could happen to guys, too. And I really didn’t know that because I’m like, ‘How does that

Kelly Schafler, EDITOR

occur?’ ” The importance needs to be placed on how to help all victims.

Sexual assault is a physically, psychologically and emotionally scarring experience for all victims.

Physics senior Tristan Walker said he believes that it’s possible to care for everyone and not get caught up in the battle of the genders.

“Every lesson that we learn about female victims, we can apply to male victims and vice versa,” Walker said. “Hearing men’s rights’ (activists) talk about, ‘Women rape men more frequently than men rape women’ … it’s not a contest, guys. Nobody is happy when this happens to them; nobody wants this.”

Additionally, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network reported that straight male survivors may blame themselves and believe that they were not “strong enough” to fight off their attacker.

Like many interviewees, Walker was understandably hesitant to respond when asked how he would react to being sexually assaulted.

"I would probably not say anything,” Walker said after a lengthy pause. “I would go into my bedroom and hide and never talk about it again.”

This reaction is proven common, as RAINN reported that there are about 237,868 sexual assault victims every year; of those, 60 percent are not reported to the police.

LGBT Resource Center Director Lorraine Shroeder said she believes that men are even less likely to report an assault than women are.

“If they were assaulted by a woman, people sometime respond with the attitude that they liked it — this is true even if they are very young, (such as) 11 to 12 years old,” Shroeder said.

Walker said he feels the established social order for sexuality paints homosexuality as inferior, and that it would be worse if he was sexually assaulted by a man.

“We’ve made great strides, thankfully, but it’s not something that society is accepting of on a certain level," Walker said.

Sexual assault is an under-reported crime from the start.

Americans have been raised in a society where talking about sex, even consensual sex, is taboo. Make this sexual act a violent one, and conversation becomes scarce.

This feeling can be expanded for someone who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. A feeling of isolation can overcome a sexual assault victim, as LGBT victims are often treated poorly by the agencies that are supposed to assist them, Shroeder said.

“The person ( from a sexual

AWARENESS

Continues on page 5

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 5 thedailycougar.com/opinion

AWARENESS

Continued from page 4 assault resource agency) could say derogatory remarks to the LGBT person (by) telling them they are a sinner, saying ‘we don’t serve your kind,’ implying they asked for it or deserved it, or just showing a general discomfort or nervousness when speaking to them,” Shroeder said. “As people become educated about LGBT people, this is happening less and less. But, unfortunately, it does still happen.”

Mathematical biology and computer science sophomore Lester Moreira-Cruz said he believes society may treat sexual assault for a heterosexual man differently than it would for a homosexual man.

“I feel like if (sexual assault happened to) a gay man, it would pretty much fall under similar parameters as women simply because society doesn’t see homosexual men as ‘real men,’” Cruz said. “It would even almost be to the point that people may defend the assaulter and kind of question, ‘Well, what were you doing?’ and ‘You were asking for it’ and ‘Oh, you provoked him by staring at him too long and gave him the wrong signals.’”

In order to help raise awareness, colleges around the United States are consistently suggesting new initiatives that they hope will prevent sexual assault, as well as help provide solace for the victims who have been assaulted — whether that be by filing a report or by offering someone they can speak to.

UH has many places where survivors can go to seek help. Programs like Take Back the Night, the LGBT Resource Center, Counseling and Psychological Services and the Women’s Resource Center are a few of the places that the University offers.

These resources made available to college students are extremely important, especially since 80 percent of sexual assault victims are under 30 years of age.

“Research shows that the age of a traditional college student, 18 to 25 years old, is a high-risk age period for sexual violence,” Shaffer said.

“College campuses can easily create an environment where (sexual violence) can be heightened.”

There is no definitive reaction to sexual violence. Searching for a concrete answer is pointless because there is currently no concrete way to prevent sexual assault.

One thing is certain: no matter the reaction to sexual assault, sex needs to be talked about. There is great strength in numbers, and there is power in vulnerability. In order to gain numbers, we need to gain awareness.

Opinion editor Kelly Schafler is a print journalism junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

opinion@thedailycougar.com

OPINION

Kelly Schafler, EDITOR

Sexual Assault Statistics EVERY

2 minutes

AN AMERICAN IS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED

64%

Source rainn.org/statistics

Online Poll

We asked our readers about their range of experience regarding sexual assault. These were their answers:

39%

I don’t have any personal experience or connection with sexual assault.

30%

I know somebody that has had personal experience with sexual assault.

27%

I have had personal experience with sexual assault.

4%

I can’t properly define sexual assault, therefore I don’t know whether I’ve had an experience with it.

OF TRANSGENDER PEOPLE

HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED

Source nclrights.org

Infographic by Jose Cruz

MENTAL HEALTH

Giving the mind a break increases knowledge retention

S

ummer is winding down and it’s time to schedule study group sessions instead of pool parties and trade in beach balls for textbooks. It’s time to fall back into the routine of everyone’s favorite activity — studying.

Learning preferences and the type of class affect how students study.

While a RAMA Netflix maraYOUSEF thon the night COLUMNIST before a big test is never recommended, studies show that taking a break to do a distracting task can help one make better decisions, generate more creative ideas and refocus one’s attention on the primary task at hand.

Brain imaging research conducted by Carnegie Mellon University suggests that the regions of the brain that are activated during the decision making process are reactivated even when one is occupied with a different task.

Twenty-seven adults participated in a study conducted by Carnegie Mellon in which they read information about cars and other items. Before making decisions about these items, the researchers gave participants a distractor task where they had to memorize number sequences.

The study’s findings suggested that even though the participants were consciously thinking about the distractor task of memorizing the number sequences, participants’ brains continued to unconsciously process the information they received about

the cars prior to the new task. The findings also suggested that the participants were able to make better quality decisions when they returned to the previous task.

Business Insider suggests taking a shower to unconsciously process decisions. By giving ourselves a chance to consciously distance ourselves from the decision that needs to be made, such as what to write about for an upcoming paper, the solution arrives in our minds as the thoughts “incubate” unconsciously.

Biology graduate student Bhoomi Bhatt said that study breaks are a necessity due to the length and complexity of her readings.

“I take a lot of breaks,” Bhatt said. “Last semester, I had taken advanced molecular biology. We had a take home exam and I had to review five research papers.”

During finals time, Bhatt said she found it hard to concentrate on writing after having to do all the reading.

“It was really difficult and I wasn’t able to think properly.

Taking breaks really helps,” Bhatt said.

Dr. Alejandro Lleras, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois, said he doesn't believe the common idea that performance suffers when attention runs out.

Lleras said that attention is not the problem. He said that when our body becomes accustomed to a constant stimulus, such as clothing touching our skin, we no longer register the stimulus.

Similarly, when one’s attention is directed at a single task for an extended period of time, we become unaware of it.

Francis Emelogu/The Cougar

In his 2011 study, Lleras found that a group of participants given two breaks during a 50 minute task performed better than the control group that did not have any breaks.

“From a practical standpoint, our research suggests that, when faced with long tasks, it is best to impose brief breaks on yourself," Lleras said. "Brief mental breaks will actually help you stay focused on your task."

Now that school has started again, students should take some time in the first few weeks of class to figure out study schedules and what methods work best. Being aware of personal study habits and what works best is essential in reaching set goals for the semester.

Taking brief breaks between periods of studying is a great way to keep focused and ensure better performance on the task at hand.

Whether it’s watching TV or taking a walk, finding a stress-free activity to do in between study periods will help refresh the mind as it processes information.

For students interested in receiving tutoring or attending counseling or workshops to help improve study habits, visit Learning Support Services in Cougar Village.

Opinion columnist Rama Yousef is a creative writing senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

6 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

OPINION

thedailycougar.com/opinion

opinion@thedailycougar.com

Kelly Schafler, EDITOR

TECHNOLOGY

The smartphone age: Connecting with others through the Internet

T

hough it doesn’t seem like much compared to what we have today, what is now considered to be the first smart phone turned twenty on Aug. 16.

According to BBC News, the IBM Simon, which came out in 1994, was the first cell phone to offer computing features like a calendar, note taking EILEEN and email.

HOLLEY Now, accordCOLUMNIST ing to The Pew Research Center, 58 percent of American adults own a smartphone. Moreover, the Washington Post recently reported that the number of “smartphone addicts” — classified as people who open apps 60 times or more a day — is on the rise, based on a report by Flurry Analytics.

In the wake of these concerns, a recent YouTube video uploaded by Gary Turk about the problems of social media, entitled “Look Up,” went viral and currently has over 45 million views on YouTube. The video is in the form of a spoken

word poem that encourages people to look up from their smart phones and other devices and engage in the so-called real world.

"We’re a generation of idiots, smartphones and dumb people, so look up from your phone, shut down that display, take in your surroundings, and make the most of today," Turk said in the video.

"Just one real connection is all it can take, to show you the difference that being there can make.”

The video also includes a montage of a man asking a woman on the street for directions and their subsequent relationship and life together, all of which would never have happened if he just searched for directions on his smartphone. Though this type of romantic comedy "meet-cute" may be becoming a thing of the past, that does not mean technology has killed romance or social interaction.

On the contrary, dating websites and apps like eHarmony, OkCupid or Tinder create even more opportunities to find a partner. Increasingly popular apps like Couple and Avocado make it possible for couples to stay close even

“Loneliness is not in the global community.

If there's a commonality you just can't see, look a little harder, because we all want the same things: a day a bit brighter and friends who amaze us, a world full of beauty and laughter on a daily basis.”

Jarret, Murderbot Productions

when they are physically apart.

Modern technology like the Internet and smartphones brings us closer and makes the world smaller than ever. If anything, the Internet has given new life to social interaction and communication.

Computer science graduate student Arthur Dunbar said he believes that though social interactions online are different that what we are used to, that does not make them less valuable.

“It’s just different less than bad,” Dunbar said. “Every change comes with people used to the other way of doing it, telling young people how terrible their new way of doing it is. It’s just a different way of doing it.”

The Independent described the video as “life-changing” in its efforts to make watchers rethink their dependence on technology, while recognizing the irony of a video decrying social media and technology going viral through that very same platform.

Technology itself is the lifechanger, however. Nutrition senior Kathy Hsieh said she thinks that the convenience and efficiency of communication that the Internet and new technology have brought is greater than their disadvantages.

“It depends on what aspect of technology you’re looking at, but I definitely think the pros outweigh the cons,” Hsieh said.

Since the spread of "Look Up," many people have made video responses and parodies celebrating smartphones and the benefits they have brought and arguing

Francis Emelogu/The Cougar

in favor of looking down. In his YouTube video response, Jarret of Murderbot Productions revels in the ability to instantly share and connect with people and their experiences all over the world with the help of smartphones.

“Maybe it’s just popular to attack the smartphones for making us dumb, not our own personal lack of discernment, or taste, or presence, or thought, or moderation, or interest, or taut heartstrings just waiting to be plucked by the beauty daily by the family you have tucked in the back pocket of your jeans on Gorilla Glass screens,” Jarret said.

“Loneliness is not in the global community. If there’s a common-

ality you just can’t see, look a little harder, because we all want the same things: a day a bit brighter and friends who amaze us, a world full of beauty and laughter on a daily basis.”

Though Hsieh said she mostly agrees with the picture of society painted in “Look Up” and its message, she thinks moderation is most important. “(The video) is pretty accurate, but sometimes you just have to let it go.” Hsieh said. “(Just) don’t always be on your phone the majority of the time.”

It is important for individuals to find a balance. One can lose the very same job or relationship one found with the help of the Internet by spending too much time on their smartphone at work or on a date. Modern jobs and relationships are already incorporating smartphones and the instant connection they provide into everyday life. Being able to work together in real time with far away co-workers or instantly accessing a heartwarming picture, video or idea to share with each other on a date are all benefits of the smartphone era.

Claims that technology is ruining society are often sensationalized. Technology is a permanent part of the world we live in and it will only become a greater and more helpful part of our lives. We can either accept and even celebrate these changes or fight them and be constantly annoyed by realities of the world around us.

Opinion columnist Eileen Holley is a English literature senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com.

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 7

UH HEALTH CENTER DENTAL CENTER

GENERAL MEDICINE CLINIC

Board certified physicians provide treatment for shortterm and long-term medical problems and injuries to eligible students, faculty and staff. To make an appointment call

Preventive dentistry, restorative, and limited major dental procedures for eligible students, faculty and staff. To make an appointment call

713.781.1261

PHARMACY

713.743.5156

Provides prescription and over the counter items at very low costs. For more information contact

UH STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE Deadline to add or drop insurance is the Official Reporting Day of each fall and spring semester. Contact

713.743.5125

PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC

713.743.5137

WELCOME ALL STUDENTS

NURSING CARE

Immunizations and blood pressure monitoring.

Contact the nurse’s station at

713.743.5156

713.743.5131

713.743.5149

ORTHOPEDIC CLINIC

Diagnoses and treatments for musculoskeletal conditions including sports injuries and diseases of the bone and muscle. To make an appointment call

WOMEN’S CLINIC

Performs well woman exams and evaluations for gynecological complaints and provides contraception options as well as STI testing and treatment. To make an appointment call

Board certified psychiatrists that provide evaluations, treatment plans, and ongoing medication management. To make an appointment call

713.743.5156 MEN’S CLINIC

Diagnoses, treatment, and counseling on issues affecting men’s health. To make an appointment call

713.743.5156

ATTENDANT CARE SERVICES

Care and lifestyle assistance program to meet the needs of physically challenged students.

For more information, contact

713.748.8603

ALL VISITS AND INQUIRIES ARE CONFIDENTIAL FALL AND SPRING MTThF 8am–5:30pm, W 8am–6:30pm, SUMMER MTThF 8am–5pm, W 8am–6pm ENTRANCE #6, OFF WHEELER, BLDG #525 ON CAMPUS MAP Visit our website for more information www.uh.edu/healthcenter Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/uhhealthcenter Students who desire to quit smoking can consult a physician at the UH Health Center. There is no insurance requirement. Call 713.743.5151 for more information.

8 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

SPORTS

EDITOR Jordan Lewis EMAIL sports@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/sports

FOOTBALL PG.4

Anxiety at peak for Cougars

Head coach Tony Levine shares his players' enthusiasm for the upcoming season.

Putting student before athlete Athletic Director Mack Rhoades believes success off the field breeds winning on the turf. | PG. 6

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2 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

SPORTS

thedailycougar.com/sports

sports@thedailycougar.com

Jordan Lewis, EDITOR

VOLLEYBALL

Cougars focus on building camaraderie JORDAN LEWIS

SPORTS EDITOR @ JORDANLEW92

UH has made some key commitments that they hope will result in the short and long-term progress of the program.

The team finished last season with an 18-15 overall record and 10-8 in conference play. Head Coach Kaddie Platt emphasizes their desire to improve and become a great team.

“To achieve that level of play, our plan is to focus on being disciplined on our defense and scoring efficiently,” Platt said.

“We’ll have a strong emphasis on the serve and pass game and also focus on scoring mentally.”

The volleyball team has quite a few new players, all of whom Platt believes will help the team.

Incoming freshman include Keandra "Keke" McCardell, a setter expected to come in right away and compete for a starting position to be an impact player, Platt said. Madison Kucera is a powerful outside hitter. Chenelle Walker is a middle blocker — an athletic jumper and a great blocker. Bryanna Lawrence is

Despite a young team, head coach Kaddie Platt expects the Cougars to improve and compete. | File Photo/The Cougar

a petite outside hitter with an athletic jump and Platt said she believes Lawrence will help out right away with her competitiveness.

Chyla Thomas is another transfer player that will add good size to Houston’s front row at 6-foot-3. She has a solid blocking presence at the net and

is expected to contribute right away.

Although there are a lot of new faces, camaraderie is a focal point with this team, as they have been building a team bond since the second session of summer school, said newly promoted associate coach Jenny Andrew.

“We have a great bunch of

returners and they’ve done a great job of instilling the culture that we’re trying to do here and building the program,” Andrew said. “The newcomers are jumping right into that, (bonding) through team meals.”

Andrew said she believes the team is already going to have a great relationship going into

the season, coupled with the work ethic that has already been instilled with the help of their strength and conditioning coach.

Everyone arrived early at the beginning summer school to train together as a team. They were actually building team bonding for those five weeks before the coaching staff even started with the team in preseason.

Having those relationships prior to preseason is vital to developing chemistry.

“What becomes a good team are communication, trust, and effort,” Platt said. “Setting a standard and getting on the same page.”

The Cougars hope their work ethic gives them a chance to open more eyes to the volleyball program.

“We want to outwork our opponents and… we want to out prepare our opponents,” Platt said. “So keeping it general and working on the process that it takes to win matches are our focus.” sports@thedailycougar.com

SOCCER

UH confident for turnaround season SHARDANNA JONES

STAFF WRITER

After a disappointing 2013-2014 season with an overall record of 1-12-3 and 0-9 in conference play, the UH women’s soccer team is eager to have a bounce-back season and build the foundation toward becoming a top soccer program.

UH joined the American Athletic Conference for the first time last season. After facing their new conference foes, head coach Chris Pfau believes they have learned how to play against those teams — eight of whom are ranked in the Top 100 —and have to learn how to win.

“We are building a top program, and to do that every year, we want to take a step back,” Pfau said. “This year we want to be above .500 in non-conference and try to win our home games in our conference. I believe we now have a foundation of players to build on for a great future, but also realize that to beat some of the best teams in the country, you have to continue to play them. It doesn’t come overnight.”

Part of their excitement comes

from having several fresh faces on the team, which associate head coach Suzie Grech thinks gives them more options going forward and enables them to create a core group of girls who understand what they’re trying to get out of each game and how they want to play.

Grech remains encouraging, consistently emphasizing to the players that there is a future, and that they are putting the work in now for the future of the program.

“Last year, we had a great group of players, but we didn’t have that ‘oomph’ going forward,” Grech said. “Now we have players that can go forward and give more support to players like Kayla (Walker) and Alexis Weaver, so that we are not just relying on them versus four backs.”

Senior forward Kayla Walker calls this season “bittersweet” but couldn't contain her excitement about the team’s vibe and the possibility of doing significantly better this year.

“Last season was a little nerve-racking because the teams in the new conference are really

good, but it’s also good because it has heightened our competitiveness.”

In Walker’s final season, she says fans can expect her to play as hard as she can. She wants to create some havoc against the backline and is being looked at to create opportunities that the team wasn’t able to create last year. She also hopes to serve as a role model to her younger teammates and, most importantly, score more goals, which is the overall aspiration for the team.

Although currently in the rebuilding stage, UH remains optimistic. The foundation is planted; they are working towards the future. This season is only the beginning.

“The big thing is creating that legacy and creating those traditions, because what we implement now is going to carry through for the next 10-plus years,” Grech said. “We are trying to create a Top 25 program consistently, and the girls who are doing the work now are building the foundation for it.” sports@thedailycougar.com

The Cougars hope to improve on a season after they didn't win a game in the American Athletic Conference. | Shardanna Jones/The Cougar

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4 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

SPORTS

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Jordan Lewis, EDITOR

FOOTBALL Q&A

Quiet excitement grows for head football coach HARRISON LEE

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @ HARRISONCLEE

Working under the brand new lights of TDECU Stadium in his third season as head coach of UH football, Tony Levine took time from an early morning practice to talk to The Cougar about the upcoming season, the mindset of a coach and touching two famous trophies.

The Cougar: With less than two weeks to go before the season starts, are the goals in practice going from broad spectrum to more specialized?

Tony Levine: Not yet. They will be next week, but the first two weeks we really focus on us, UH, and independently and collectively improving. Come Monday, our focus will be on UTSA. We're right on schedule. As we look at these four weeks leading up to the first game, we spend the first two weeks focusing on ourselves and the last two focusing on the opponent.

TC: This is your third training camp as head coach; does anything feel different so far?

TL: I think if anything feels different it would be the amount of experience we have returning in our student-athletes.

We've got a number of seniors, juniors and even sophomores that have been in our program five, four, three and two years and have played a tremendous amount of football around here in some big games. If anything's different, it's that the last couple of years during August training camps we had a lot of inexperience and that's now changed.

TC: Is there any quiet excitement going through the team with the

In his third season as head coach, Tony Levine has high expectations for a squad that finished 8-5 last season, went to a January bowl game and returns the majority of its offensive and defensive starters. | File Photo/The Cougar

season opener coming up?

TL: Quiet excitement describes it well.

Our young men are focused right now on the task at hand and, most recently, that's improving individually and collectively and looking forward to UTSA. I think, outside of our program, there's a lot of excitement about the team and the season and TDECU Stadium.

TC: As far as you personally, how does your third year as head coach feel?

TL: It feels good. The changes we've seen in the program ... like the next stadium, new practice field, the changes that have been made on campus, even

Cullen Boulevard, are some of the things we've seen since I started here.

TC: Is there less of a back-of-thebrain worry about the rank of head coach the longer you stick with it?

TL: I think there's a learning curve, is what I'd say. I wouldn't say it's intimidating. I think the guys who aspire to be head coaches are always training, if you will, and learning and putting their philosophies together and when they get an opportunity, they have that plan in place. Year one I made mistakes and I'm still making some mistakes, but I don't like to repeat mistakes.

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TC: Is there anything weird about so many non-Saturday games?

TL: I think we've got a challenging schedule this year, not only in the opponents we're facing but in the days we're playing. We'll have some shorter weeks and some longer weeks, which may seem like a benefit but they can get you out of your routine. I think our staff does a good job of communicating with our student-athletes and whenever the schedules are released, we always look at them as a positive.

TC: What kind of mood has the team set so far?

TL: They're focused. We've been

communicating that since the day we started training camp. I see young men coming out here with a purpose every day trying to get better.

TC: As far as your travels in football and your career, is the Bayou Bucket as good-looking as Paul Bunyan's Axe (a giant axe, given to the winner between Minnesota, Levine's alma mater and Wisconsin)?

TL: They're both good-looking trophies and I've been fortunate enough in my playing and coaching careers to have held them both.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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Jordan Lewis, EDITOR

UH Athletics has created an 'insatiable appetite' to improve, because Athletics Director Mack Rhoades (center) has instilled that idea of passionate coaches, staff and players. | File Photo/ The Cougar

PROFILE

Rhoades focuses on building champions JORDAN LEWIS

SPORTS EDITOR @ JORDANLEW92

In just five years as director for Houston’s athletic department, Mack Rhoades’ success has started to roll in, but it began with putting the student before the athlete.

In 2009, Rhoades took over the helm as Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics; since then, the Cougars have been on a gradual, steady course back to national prominence.

Respect isn’t given but earned, and the Cougars' recent accolades in and out of the classroom have demanded just that, as student athletes have continued to set GPA records.

“We want our sports programs to become nationally relevant; however, as important as that is, it’s even more important that we continue to do well in the classroom and translate that into graduation rates,” Rhoades said.

UH had 10 of 16 athletics programs reach their respective postseasons, including all six of its spring sports. This year, there will be 17 programs competing from UH, with women’s golf able to compete as a team.

Of all the accomplishments of Houston sports last year, one of Rhoades’ favorites was watching the baseball team upset LSU. “Losing the first game and coming back and beating them twice in front of their home crowd. That was special,” Rhoades said. “That was adversity at its best that our student athletes were able to overcome.”

He also admires the turnaround Jonathan Dismuke was able to achieve with the men’s golf program, finishing No. 10 in the country. When Dismuke took over that program, they were ranked No. 175 in the country.

Rhoades is proud of the student athletes and coaches, but now realizes they have to focus on not remaining stagnant and constantly improving. Rhoades said if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.

He emphasized four key short and long-term goals of the athletic department: academics, competitiveness, facilities and fan support.

Rhoades said he believes that motivation comes from confidence the student athletes gain from succeeding in the class-

room.

When members of other athletics programs witness each other succeed, a contagious hunger to win is sparked.

“By nature athletics is competitive,” Rhoades said. “Our head coaches that see other head coaches build successful programs and see them take a program that hadn’t been in postseason play for a long time, and all of a sudden they build that program to playing in the postseason. I think that motivates other coaches as well, and it certainly motivates other student athletes.”

The recognition from being televised on ESPN and being successful simultaneously in a variety of sports has helped remold the brand of UH Athletics. The department strives to continue progressing so that all 17 sports reach their postseasons.

UH wants to win conference championships and go to postseason play, and then several of the sports programs need to be nationally relevant, Rhoades said. Some sports that Houston wants to immediately become nationally relevant include football, men’s basketball, baseball,

“You don’t win with just good facilities.

If you have good facilities and that’s all you have, then you’re not going to win.”

Mack Rhoades, VP for Intercollegiate Athletics

softball and golf.

“We want to make sure that every one of our student athletes has a great experience… we’ve got 400 student athletes and we want them all to have a great experience,” Rhoades said.

Another of Rhoades' key points toward progression is building new first-class facilities. Winning doesn't come from just having extravagant new facilities, Rhoades said, but it certainly serves as motivation.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to have good facilities to compete, but you don’t win with just good facilities," Rhoades said. “If you have good facilities and that’s all you have, then you’re not going to win.”

“We need to continue to upgrade our facilities. People ask why. ‘We won 20 years ago and we didn’t have those facilities.’ 20 years ago, nobody (else) did either but the reality is

(now) everybody else does have them.”

UH is focused on renovation and development, and its haymaker comes with its partnership with TDECU on a naming rights deal for the football team’s new stadium.

“They’re interested not only in helping athletics, but it was way beyond that,” Rhoades said.

“They’re interested in helping our students in terms of financial management, our campus, our faculty, our staff.”

Rhoades is excited to partner with them, mainly because he says he believes they’re the perfect match. He said they’re a great organization that truly is committed to helping UH grow, and UH hopes to help TDECU in terms of brand recognition throughout Texas.

RHOADES

Continues on next page

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 7 thedailycougar.com/sports

sports@thedailycougar.com

RHOADES

Continued from previous page TDECU made a great commitment to the University beyond the stadium, Rhoades said, and as the partnership unfolds, he believes students will begin to understand why the credit union was chosen.

Some fans are skeptical because they just want to see the Cougars win, but a majority of fans are excited for this ambiance of a fresh start the new stadium grants the program.

“Playing in the stadium… I’m most happy for our student athletes, our coaching staff and our fans,” Rhoades said. “We’ve had so many fans come up to us and say ‘they never thought this day would happen’ or ‘we’ve been waiting for a long time,’ and just to hear the satisfaction in their voices is special.”

The most important factor needed is for fans to come out and support. UH has been able to grow their season ticket fan base.

Rhoades envisions broadening the tailgate fan base to surround the entirety of Houston’s campus. There will be a designated tailgate area for students

Jordan Lewis, EDITOR

and different donors.

“If you go onto a campus at another institution, you tend to see tailgating throughout the campus, and initially our tailgating has been focused right around the stadium,” Rhoades said. “We want to be able to expand and go beyond because there’s some beautiful green space on the other side of Cullen.”

Cullen Boulevard will be closed down during game day, so fans can find some great spaces throughout to tailgate.

Rhoades can be spotted running in the mornings on this very road; when his busy schedule starts to clog up his thoughts, his method of clearing his mind comes from jogging around campus.

“I do like to run because it helps me think about the same things, but think about them in a different way,” Rhoades said. “It’s a good release for me.

Sometimes you just get bogged down and you have a problem that you just continue to look at and there’s not a solution. All of a sudden, I go for a jog and I’m like, ‘all right.’”

Rhoades’ positive impact has been felt since he took over for

SPORTS

former American Olympian Dave Maggard, but he knows that the Houston Athletic program isn’t where it wants to be yet.

While building this program, Rhoades said he expects integrity, passion, selflessness and an insatiable appetite to always get better from the coaches and players.

“Part of that is being a role model for our young people, and great passion… for this university,” Rhoades said. “I think that if you don’t have those two things, you can’t work here in this athletic department.”

Everything the athletic department does, they want it done the right way, and it all begins with finding exceptional people.

“First and foremost, the thing that you need above and beyond everything is good people,” Rhoades said. “That’s probably what I’m most proud of ... we’ve got good people, our head coaches, our staff and our student athletes. Not saying we’re perfect, but we have good people.” sports@thedailycougar.com

Rhoades is most proud of the quality people that surround and support UH Athletics | File Photo/ The Cougar

8 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

SPORTS

thedailycougar.com/sports

sports@thedailycougar.com

Jordan Lewis, EDITOR

CROSS COUNTRY

Magness seeks 'perfection' from Cougars TROY ALLEN

STAFF WRITER

Entering his third year at UH, Steve Magness is comfortable taking the veins as head coach of the men and women’s cross country program.

By first serving as assistant coach behind former head coach Leroy Burrell, Magness was able to create a bond with student athletes while gaining the necessary tools to effectively manage his team.

“I'm fortunate that Coach Burrell let me put my stamp on this program and offered a lot of guidance along the way,” Magness said. “The biggest take-aways were how to manage a large group of athletes and deal with all of the personalities that come with it.”

After a successful previous season, Magness looks to continue reaching for excellence, pushing to bring UH cross-country to the forefront of NCAA athletics.

“The goal is to continually elevate the program every year and get a little better,” Magness said. “We really want to take the next step and not only do things on a conference level but also on a regional and national level.”

The Cougars’ preparation for excellence began in the Texas

heat as runners took to their feet to train during the summer.

“What most people don't realize is that the summer is where our athletes put in the work that sets them up for success,” Magness said. “We have athletes running up to 13 miles a day in the Houston heat getting ready for the season.”

Magness has also completed some training of his own, mentally preparing himself for the task of taking over this program by reviewing last year’s actions to create new ideas.

“Personally, I spend my summer refining and learning from what we did last year,” Magness said.

“I go through our training plans and figure out where the mistakes were made and where areas are that we have room for improvement.”

Magness said that both the men’s and women’s teams are ready to contribute to the success of UH this year.

“On the men's side, I really think we have the potential to qualify several athletes to NCAA nationals and have a strong supporting cast around them,” Magness said.

“On the women's side, we have the deepest team since I've been here… and it wouldn't surprise me if we have several ladies compet-

ing for top spots in the conference and regional meet,” Magness said.

“I really think they are a group that is going to surprise some people.”

Magness said that managing the large number of participants is possibly the biggest aspect of coaching, but he has been relieved to find the cohesiveness of all runners throughout the program.

“I love the team aspect of it,” Magness said. “Yes, it's individuals out there competing, but what really matters is how we come together as a team. They spend more time together as group training than they do with their family, classmates, professors, you name it."

On the performance side of things, Magness said it was how much each athlete grew that he enjoyed the most.

Magness said that the end of the season probably brought one of the biggest highlights, with sophomore Brian Barraza placing 13th at the World Junior Championships among the successes of the team. “He was the first UH cross-country member to qualify for world juniors, so it was a big step in the program,” Magness said. “From top to bottom, we had people running personal bests.”

Head coach Steve Magness has high hopes of raising the bar in terms of their goals, following a successful season . | File Photo/The Cougar

Magness comes into the 20142015 cross country season setting an expectation for perfection not only in running, but also in the classroom, as he holds his athletes to a high standard for excellence.

“Going forward, we are going to keep the same plan of fostering excellence in and out of the classroom,” Magness said. “The goal is always to shoot for perfection.” sports@thedailycougar.com

WOMEN'S GOLF

New women's program looking to make noise JORDAN LEWIS

SPORTS EDITOR @ JORDANLEW92

After competing as individuals during their first season, the Cougars will enter tournaments as a team for the first time this year. | File Photo/The Cougar

This golf club was able to succeed with just two golfers last season, but now they have many new faces that officially give UH 17 sports programs.

This will be head coach Gerrod Chadwell and assistant coach Lucy Nunn’s first year at Houston, though the coaches actually started building their foundation last year with the two individuals they had.

“We’re going to be very young as far as experience goes, but I still think we’re going to be competitive on a national level and go forward and put out a good product for the school,” Chadwell said.

Junior Raegan Bremer and senior Courtney Ferguson are the golf program's only returners, and knowing what to expect has helped them develop well over the summer, the coaches said.

Nunn said she is excited to help build this program and continue

to grow on the successes of last season.

“It’s definitely going to be a lot different than having only a few individuals compete at tournaments versus an entire team, so it’s going to be a completely different look for the girls that we had and it’s going to be a great bonding experience," Nunn said.

With seven freshmen, it’s going to be anyone’s game, and it will be interesting to see who steps up and comes forward.

It’s going to be a similar situation in terms of youth when Chadwell first got to Oklahoma.

He believes consistency will be something this team will have to focus on.

With the new talent coming in, Chadwell said he believes there will be a lot more upside than expected from this team.

“I think it’s going to be a little bit of a roller coaster dealing with that many young kids… and the highs and lows of a year-long season,” Chadwell said.

The men’s golf team did well last season and that buzz has returned to Houston’s golf program. This made recruiting easier for the coaches, because anytime success is witnessed, that helps with the brand awareness.

Golf is one of the few sports that continues year-long for the student athletes, so that challenge will be there, but it’s one they’re ready to take.

They hope to make it to the regional tournament to start making a name for themselves early. They aspire to set a standard that they’re in the postseason every year because they want the chance to compete for championships.

Chadwell believes that when you get there anything can happen “I hope there is an environment created, this is going to be the first year that some of these kids have played on a team, much less a college golf team,” Chadwell said. sports@theddailycougar.com

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 9 thedailycougar.com/sports

sports@thedailycougar.com

SPORTS

Jordan Lewis, EDITOR

FOOTBALL

Trio of linebackers set to lead Cougar defense this year CAITLIN ANDERSON

STAFF WRITER

As the much-anticipated football season approaches, Houston’s three starting linebackers return to build on their anticipation and individual successes.

Seniors Derrick Mathews and Efrem Oliphant, along with sophomore Steven Taylor return as starters for the 2014 season.

They hope to build on last season’s accomplishments with a higher level of confidence.

“Any time you have success it breeds confidence. We have a lot of work to do, but the kids believe in the system, and they believe in the calls coming from the sidelines,” defensive coordinator David Gibbs said.

Oliphant impressively led the team last season in tackles with 134 total stops. He was ranked 12th nationally in tackles with an average of 10.3 per game, as a first year starter.

Last season, weakside linebacker Derrick Mathews was

viewed as a strong force on the field and a defensive leader for the Cougars, though Mathews humbly rejects that notion.

“I really don’t think I have to but if I do, I talk to people individually,” Mathews said regarding being viewed as a leader of the Houston defense.

Mathews was Houston’s second leading tackler, contributing 116 stops.

Sophomore Steven Taylor is certainly no stranger to confidence building. Starting off as a solid redshirt freshman, Taylor took over as Houston’s starting strong side linebacker in Houston’s third game last season.

He led all Houston linebackers last season with five pass breakups and has proven himself as a player to watch out for.

“Steven Taylor is a guy that’ll strike," said linebackers assistant coach Vernon Hargreaves.

"I guess you can call him the unknown entity of the team." sports@thedailycougar.com

Linebacker coach Vernon Heargreaves expects a strong season from his unit, which returns all of its starters from last season. | File Photo/ The Cougar

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SPORTS

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Jordan Lewis, EDITOR

SOFTBALL

Cougar softball ready to build on last season with new additions JORDAN LEWIS

SPORTS EDITOR @ JORDANLEW92

After a 32-22 season, head coach Kyla Holas and the Cougars are ready to get back on the field and keep working hard.

Holas said she plans to rebuild the team from the bottom up this year, placing importance on looking at last year’s strengths and weaknesses.

“The things we try to do as a coaching staff is try to reinvent ourselves each year,” Holas said.

“It’s really important that we sit down and evaluate some of our shortcomings and some of the things we did and make sure that every year we try to get a little bit better at something.”

With new assistant coach Greg Evans on board, 14-year veteran Holas hopes to make his addition as influential as possible.

“I am excited about that and also just in the recruiting,” Holas said. “We wanted to be able to get our hands on some other kids and really get some other coaches.”

A big factor of the Cougar’s success this year is the caliber of the team’s remaining and new players. With two of the team’s most important players, pitcher Deidre and catcher Haley Outon, having graduated, Holas looks to the returning talent to pick up where they left off.

“I do think (infielder) Selena

After losing key players, UH has an abundance of new faces and aims to improve following an NCAA tournament appearance. | File Photo/ The Cougar

Hernandez is someone who we’re really hoping to step in,” Holas said.

“We did actually get a few transfer players that I think are going to be some big leaders for us as well.”

Holas said that the most important factors contributing to the strength of the team are

the mentality of its players, the cooperation of the team and its fitness.

“We’re really coming together as a group of individuals and we understand that we’re all different, but all of us have to play together in order for us to be successful, and lastly learning to be in shape,” Holas said.

“We really spend most of the fall getting our base fundamentally and then getting strong in the weight room so we can handle a 56-game season.”

Holas tried to take last year’s postseason defeat as an educational moment and wants the team to build on the experience this season.

“I wanted them to really be present and not look past that moment and that feeling,” Holas said.

“So they can remember it, because we were going to use that as motivation for this entire year.” sports@thedailycougar.com

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Head coach Kyla Holas said conditioning is key if UH wants to return to the NCAA tournament this season.. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 11 thedailycougar.com/sports

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SPORTS

Jordan Lewis, EDITOR

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

New head coach to strive for greatness He’s the new architect of the Cougars—the man with the huge task of repairing a young team some would call broken. His name is Ronald Hughey.

The honeymoon months are filled with promise for a first-time head coach, but the Cougars struggled last season, as they finished 6-25.

Hughey was tasked with rebuilding a program that was ninth in scoring offense, eighth in scoring defense and only won one conference game in the 10-team American Athletic Conference.

“He is one of the rising stars in this industry, and we’re excited to have him join our University of Houston Athletics family,” Athletics Director Mack Rhoades said when Hughey was introduced.

Hughey comes to UH having been on six consecutive NCAA tournament coaching staffs at

Florida State, UCF, Rutgers and Texas. He said he brings the keys to success that he learned with his past teams to Houston.

“First and foremost is accountability and sacrifice,” Hughey said.

“The big-time programs have players that trust, protect and empower each other; that is what will happen here in time.”

With a conference that includes tough opponents like Connecticut, UH has the opportunity to better itself by facing the best.

But the conference is changing as Louisville, which finished in the Elite Eight last season, is leaving to the ACC and Rutgers moves to the Big Ten. Ten returning players will be joined this season by freshman guards Mariah Mitchell and Moesha Kinard, freshman forward Dejah Joshua and junior forward Sandra Davis.

After the rough season, Hughey said he is looking for the entire

After a disappointing 2013-2014 season, the Cougars are excited for the challenge that lies ahead of them, with a new coach and a new vision, they are determined to 'chase greatness' as a team. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

team to contribute.

“We’re going to be all-in in terms of playing hard, trusting each other and having accountability that flows throughout the program,” Hughey said.

“It takes a team to win consistently. We need to move forward in every aspect of the game. We are excited about that challenge.

The fans can expect us to play hard, play together and have fun.”

With the Cougars’ new motto of chasing greatness, Hughey said he plans on helping the team on and off the court.

“Chasing greatness means looking in the mirror when you wake up in the morning and say ‘I matter, I believe in myself, and

BASEBALL RECAP

Last season, UH took the step of nearly assuming college baseball's fabled rites of spring. At one point, the Cougars came within 18 innings of playing in Omaha, Nebraska for the College World Series.

JARED The team, ROBINSON having already PITCHER improved drastically the season before, put up a 48-18 record.

This was their best record in over ten years, and they took the Silver Glove from Rice for the first time in 14 years. They simultaneously moved away from the ghosts of their past and into the aristocracy of college baseball.

They even ranked for a good portion of the season, getting as high as the top 10 in all of the

sports@thedailycougar.com

50

HARRISON LEE

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @ HARRISONCLEE

major polls.

Head coach Todd Whitting received midseason recognition for the turnaround act, and was widely hailed throughout collegiate athletics.

Their moments, many happening before large crowds or on television, served to enhance UH's name. This was no small task, given serious competition like Rice University and the University of Texas.

Winning the American Athletic Conference championship in Clearwater, Fla. and then staging a remarkable comeback in the regional in Baton Rogue, Louisiana were top highlights of their season.

They relied upon the then-unknown right hander Jared Robinson to slash their way through a few high-pressure situations.

While falling to UT in the Super Regionals and losing a few players in the draft, the team goes into fall ball with a relatively intact nucleus of players with proven — albeit some brief — records of performance.

sports@thedailycougar.com

Show Your Colors!

UH's strong postseason highlights spring success Cougars reach super regionals, almost reaching the CWS

I will be the best that I can be in anything I do,’” Hughey said.

“Walking to class, free time with friends, studying, cleaning my room, anything you can think of that goes into what we consider ‘winning the day’ is chasing greatness."

40

ADAM COLEMAN

STAFF WRITER

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Weekday, Month XX,21, 2014 Thursday, August 2014

A PUBLICATION OF THE COUGAR

The Faith Issue

THE FAITH ISSUE

How different Teaser Headline religions pursue goessame heregoal the INSIDE PG.XX

First, second year players PG. 4 see extensive playing time

G d N n I e G k N e O e L E w B September 12-14 *Register

Online Today Where do you Belong?

Come and experience a weekend that will

change you forever. Have fun, find freedom, and become part of God’s family.

* Registration Includes Transportation,Lodging, and Meals Location: Carolina Creek Christian Camp

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| The Faith Issue

EDITOR'S NOTE

About Cooglife The Faith Issue

The Faith Issue is the first in a series of new special sections published every month by The Cougar. These sections are intented to give recognition and focus to certain aspects of student life that can often be overlooked.

EDITOR Sara Samora COPY EDITORS Joshua Cochran Jenae Sitzes Cara Smith WRITERS Laura Gillespie Nora Olabi Jassiel Lozano Michelan Willie

PHOTOGRAPHERS Laura Gillespie Sara Samora Cara Smith PRODUCTION Andres Garcia Jose Cruz Alex Tomic SALES Jose Salazar

ABOUT THE COVER The books on the cover display the various ideas as well as the diversity at the University of Houston. | Cara Smith/The Daily Cougar.

Contact The Cougar thedailycougar.com NEWSROOM (713) 743-5360 editor@thedailycougar.com facebook.com/thedailycougar twitter.com/thedailycougar

EDITOR IN CHIEF Cara Smith

(713) 743-5362 editor@thedailycougar.com

T Israeli soldiers patrol the streets of Palestine. | Courtesy of Justin McIntosh

Editorial: Stopping the blame game NORA OLABI

COLUMNIST @NORAOLABI

The history of the conflict between Palestinian resistance to occupation by Israel extends far beyond this year, but here’s the end result: Lives are destroyed.

Homes turn to rubble. Homelessness, joblessness, hunger, desperation and all of the ripe ingredients for prime extremist recruitment rise, and the vicious cycle of Israeli-Palestinian aggression begins again, finger pointing and all. Israel won’t come to the table for meaningful peace talks, another uprising will happen and another round of bombs will be dropped to quell the Palestinian insurgency.

Currently, the back and forth blame game between the Palestinian-militant resistance group Hamas and the Israeli government has done nothing but exponentially increase the devastation upon the Palestinian people living in an open-air prison in the Gaza Strip, a fourth of the size of Houston but with almost 85 percent of the population.

During this recent eruption that started in early July, over 1,500 Palestinians died and, by some counts, nearly half-a-million civilians were displaced in the Gaza Strip. In two days alone, the small strip on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea was devastated by over 400 tonnes (not tons) of mortar fire and missiles. But the borders are sealed off by an Israeli military blockade, which has been in place since 2007, thwarting the passage of any civilians desperately trying to escape the devastation.

Hamas operates in a densely-populated urban area, firing missiles into Israel from heavily populated Palestinian areas and putting civilians at risk when Israel returns fire. But the Israeli government indiscriminately sends missiles into Gaza without a care for Palestinian life, though it claims to have a “pinpoint” operation. It only gives residents seconds to flee their homes before being fired on. This, unsurprisingly, re-legitimizes Hamas’s fight against an

BLAME

Continues on page 6

here is a line from one of Madonna’s songs that I adore.

“I’m not religious, but I feel so moved. It makes me want to pray…” she sings on “Nothing Fails,” from her 2003 album American Life.

Like Madonna, I grew up Catholic. However, as I got older my faith began to wane. Still, I felt I had to be a part of something involving God, to find something to move me. Thus, I SARA SAMORA decided to try out Lakewood Church.

When I signed up to join the Marines, I became a Catholic again. Going to church was an escape from the drill instructors, and a chance to pray and help me at the most difficult boot camp and to help me earn the title.

Since then I haven’t stepped in a church, but I still believe in God. I felt as if I needed to, or else I would have felt an invisible hole in my chest.

The interviews and research done by the writers for this issue have made me believe in the purpose of religion again.

The A.D. Bruce Religion Center, for example, is a beautiful piece of architecture that I have so many times passed by, but never entered until this opportunity arrived.

I no longer attend church. However, what I do believe in is being a good person and doing what’s right as a decent human being. Regardless of what religion or deity you follow (or don't follow), as long as you yourself are a good person, that's all that matters.

This is what moves me. I hope this issue does the same for you.

COME AND JOIN US! Oremus meetings on Wednesdays at 12:15 PM at the AD Bruce Religion Center, in the 2nd Floor Chapel or visit us any time at AD Bruce Religion Center - Room 108

visit us online at www.lcmhouston.org

| The Faith Issue

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Practicing or not, UH students tell us why LAURA GILLESPIE

STAFF WRITER @LAURAEVELYNG

When looking at a student body as diverse as the one found at UH, it’s no surprise the religious beliefs of UH students would be equally diverse. According to the 2010 U.S. Religious Census, Texans are largely of the Catholic and Baptist denominations of Christian faith, at 18 and 14 percent of the population, respectively, with over 40 percent of Texans listing as “unclaimed by any faith.” But a random sampling of UH students proves to hold a much greater diversity, including non-denominational Christians, Muslims, Hindus and more.

Mengying Yuan Mechanical engineering graduate student Religion Christian Raised in it? No When I’m in a bad mood, (Christianity) makes me feel peace and feel happy … (when) something bad happens in this society (religion) makes me believe that it will not last forever, because something (good) will come.

Rachna Biochemistry doctorate student Religion Hindu Raised in it? Yes A lot of people assume that we’re all vegetarians, which is not true. That would be one of the biggest things that I come across … You meet people from every kind of religious background (at UH).

Leoncio-Bacani Biology alumna Religion “Broken” Catholic Raised in it? Yes I’m technically Catholic, but I don’t really practice it anymore. I don’t go to church and I don’t really pray anymore… (I stopped for) family reasons a year ago; I just kind of stopped. I don’t consider myself atheist, I just don’t think about religion at all.

Zara Khan Petroleum engineering sophomore Religion None Raised in it? Parents are Muslim and Christian I think religion is a cultural thing — (my parents) respect that I didn’t choose one. Me personally, I believe in energy… positive energy, you release it, you take it... But I do believe in a God, I do believe there’s something out there that’s bigger than us.

I think religion in general is a learning thing, it tries to guide you through life. That’s what my parents taught me.

No matter the religion, students expressed the sense of community, hope and faith their belief system brings. Many people form lasting friendships through campus religious communities. | Courtesy of BigStock

Different paths chasing the same goal SARA SAMORA

FAITH EDITOR @THEREINVENTIONS

As the new school year begins, many freshmen will arrive on campus nervous. Some may be content that some of their former high school classmates will be attending UH, while others will arrive from out of town or state. How does one begin to adjust in a place where one knows nobody?

In 2010, the U. S. Religious Census came out with the statistics of religion affiliation.

In Harris County alone, the top five leading religions included four Christian denominations, while the fifth is the Muslim Estimate.

Judaism is a distantly ranked below Christianity and Islam.

“In contrast to many of the other religions on universities on campus or the vast majority of Jewish students, Judaism isn’t as much a religion as it is a culture,” said Rabbi Kenneth Weiss, a professor of religious studies. “So I think that a lot of the vast majority of Jews on campus identify themselves culturally with Judaism rather than religiously.”

Weiss also said that Judaism is centered around many different aspects of life; the aspects of faith normally associated with religion—cultural practices, food and social customs—would almost be at the bottom of the list.

With these statistics, there is a possibility a freshman or a new transfer with a religious background will encounter others with similar interests. It's worth asking whether religion eases a student's transition into college.

“I think it’s a question of faith in general,” said Weiss. “You know, people in college are sometimes making transitions from high

school or other aspects of life.”

Weiss adds the example of people living on their own the first time.

“A lot of times when you’re in a period of transition at any point in life, it’s nice to have something that grounds you, something that’s familiar and comfortable, something that perhaps helps you to connect with other people who you don’t know, with whom you’ll have something in common,” Weiss said. “And so whether it’s Judaism, and Hillel at the University of Houston, or any number of other different organizations or faith traditions, those things help you during times of transition."

“It actually helped me a lot because when I applied to UH and when I got in, I didn’t know anyone except for maybe one or two people from my high school,” said philosophy sophomore Daniel Smith. Smith is a follower of Judaism, and is also the acting president for Speak Up, a pro-Israel group founded in fall 2013.

“I had pretty much no friends coming here, and my roommate (at the time) turned out to be Jewish, so we’re friends,” Smith added.

Smith and his roommate then attended a Houston Hillel barbeque event; it was here that he said he met more people. “So it’s kind of the whole Judaism has introduced me to a lot of other people,” Smith said. “And I have become really close friends with."

Houston Hillel is an international organization that works with college students throughout the world. In Houston, Weiss says the organization addresses the needs of Jewish college students throughout the entire greater Houston community.

“In fact, we do things in Galveston, Sam

Houston State University; we’re all over the place,” Weiss said. “We do an awful lot of stuff for graduate students and also for young professionals, people in their twenties, which is relatively unusual in the Hillel world.”

As for living on campus, Smith admits it has its ups and its downs.

“I was actually happy living on campus because I could connect with the other people with both here on Hillel on campus, and other people who are out doing other things,” Smith said.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the Jewish students to meet each other and connect with the Houston Jewish community and with each other,” Weiss said.

For electrical engineering sophomore Nancy Ibarra, who also serves as vice president of events for the Catholic Student Organization, college was the time she came back to her faith. Ibarra said she grew up as a “cradle Catholic” (born and raised in the Catholic tradition). Up until high school, she attended Catholic Church-affiliated schools, so she was mostly surrounded by classmates with the same faith. It wasn’t until she attended Michael E. DeBakey High School that she experienced a culture shock.

“I didn’t realize how that affected me,” Ibarra said. “Once I got into college, and I started coming back to my faith, and I asked questions and I went through the process, I looked back and realized how much in high school I practiced, I understood, and I could see it, but I no longer felt it. I didn’t have it in me. I didn’t say, ‘This is my faith.’”

GOAL

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6 | Thursday, August 21, 2014

BLAME

Continued from page 2 oppressive and abusive force.

What’s important is to realize is that Hamas and Israel are both trying to manipulate the situation for their political agendas, and this conflict is just another game to them. But it is a reality to Palestinians attempting to hide in homes, schools, hospitals, somewhere, anywhere when fire is raining from the sky, but they have no place to run to, no place to hide. Whatever

10424 Hillcroft St Houston, TX 77096 713.729.7880 westburycoc.com

| The Faith Issue

the excuses on either side, real people with families, friends and neighbors are being extinguished. There is no excuse that can justify the massacre of innocent civilian lives, especially when almost one-third are children. None.

Violence only begets violence. So stop the Hamas-Israel blame game. It’s time for meaningful conversation about the fundamental problems between the state of Israel and the rights of those living in the divided Palestinian territories. Only then can there be an end to this blood bath.

Sunday Worship 9:00 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.

Sunday Bible Class 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

Jewish Life at the University of Houston FREE lunch every Tuesday in the UH Hillel Student Lounge A.D. Bruce Religion Center, Room 106

Zoe Goldberg zgoldberg@houstonhillel.org houstonhillel.org 713-526-4918

Lines blurred between religion and spirituality LAURA GILLESPIE

STAFF WRITER @LAURAEVELYNG

It's sometimes difficult to distinguish between religion and spirituality, but those differences takes greater meaning as college-aged students across the nation begin to share a mindset remarkably different from the one they were raised in, where organized religion falls by the wayside in favor of a general but strong faith.

“Both ( faith and religion) are actually describing something different,” said Religious Studies Director Christian Eberhart.

“Both have something to do with God, but they are different in that religion usually refers to an institution, an institutionalized thing, whereas faith refers to an internal sentiment or feeling or tradition of trust into something, and that’s where they are quite different."

Eberhart adds that one can be a bit more firmly defined.

“The thing about religion — there are religious traditions, there are obviously different world religions and we can talk about what are the religious affiliations of students at the UH campus,” Eberhart said. “When you ask the question regarding faith, you can’t ask what kind of faith are you.”

In a 2009 survey from LifeWay Christian Resources, 79 percent of 18 to 29-year olds said they were “more spiritual than religious,” a term that has gained popularity in the past several years. Following the tenants and traditions of an organized religion falls by the wayside in favor of a general — but no less resilient — faith.

“In postmodernism you have exactly this kind of mindset, where we question the way everything is in place,” Eberhart said. “Fifteen years ago, a hundred years ago, you lived in a village, and there was only… the same church, and of course there was newspaper, no internet, no nothing, and you wouldn’t even have the chance to be in touch with the other religions.”

Eberhart described his own experience going to university in Germany, when he saw people with vast wine cabinets, a strict change from the “no drinking, no smoking” rules he was raised with.

A 2007 Social Science Research Council study stated that if Americans are going to change their beliefs and religious practices, it’s during college, as church attendance tends to dip at the age of 22. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that students lose religion altogether.

“I think in a way (introspection) happens

Statistically speaking, many college students are drifting away from organized religion and are being drawn toward a more individualized spirituality. | Courtesy of BigStock

automatically when you start moving,” Eberhart said. “When you move — let’s take someone who lived at home, went to church with his or her parents, and then maybe never switched his church congregation , maybe you speak with the same church of the same denomination… suddenly you realize that there’s differences.”

“Some forms of religiosity, like how important religion is in one’s life, witness far smaller declines,” the study's author wrote. “More than one in four young adults who avoid college reported lower ‘religious salience’ than when interviewed as adolescents, compared with just 19 percent of young adults pursuing a traditional college education.”

The report also states that “there is religious disaffiliation — when youth no longer identify with any religious affiliation at all.

Whereas 20 percent of those that did not pursue college renounced any and all religious affiliation, only 13 percent of four-year college students had done the same.”

A 2010 U.S. Religious Census shows that, contrary to popular stereotype, 40 percent of Texans consider themselves “unclaimed by any faith,” with the most popular religious bodies being Catholic, Southern Baptist, non-denominational Christian, Methodist and Muslim.

“Faith is something which is personal; there’s something that people just have trust in or assume the existence of a higher being or transient being," Eberhart said. "I think that’s probably the most widely-held definition of faith."

| The Faith Issue

GOAL

Continued from page 4

Christian Bale stars as Moses in the upcoming film, “EXODUS: Gods and Kings,” scheduled for release in December. | Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Miraculous adaptations may not be true to form JASSIEL LOZANO

STAFF WRITER

Most entertainment mass media can be traced back to two of the best-known works of mankind: the works of Shakespeare and the Bible. wThese sources have served as the inspiration for a variety of books, songs, and movies.

While Shakespeare-inspired movies have brought laughter, tears and an array of emotions for many generations, movies based on the Bible have brought controversy.

“Hollywood provides wonderful entertainment but sometimes expands beyond the biblical text,” said Rabbi Kenny Weiss, a religious studies professor at UH and the executive director for Houston Hillel, a non-profit corporation. “That’s not a problem, except when people start to confuse Hollywood fiction with the biblical text.”

Biblically inspired movies are not the only films Hollywood has modified. With historical situations like that of the "Alamo"

“Hollywood provides won-

derful entertainment but sometimes expands beyond the biblical text. That’s not a problem, except when people start to confuse Hollywood fiction with the biblical text.”

Kenny Weiss religious studies professor and executive director of Houston Hillel

and even comic book characters (the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman), accuracy has given up for entertainment value, which often causes backlash.

Another upcoming Biblical movie, “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” has already stirred up controversy with the whitewashed casting of Biblical characters as well as allegedly giving European features to the Great Sphinx of Giza.

“It’s not exactly unusual for historical movies to be full of little inaccuracies,” said Gavia Baker-Whitelaw of The Daily Dot. “Particularly when they’re blockbuster epics such as ‘Exodus’.”

Business sophomore Alejandra Villasenor said she feels these kind of movies are terrible, and do not follow what scripture actually says.

“It is not true to the book,” Villasenor said. “These Biblical stories are turned into movies for the purpose of entertainment so they are exaggerated or some parts are added in order to be a more appealing movie to the audience.”

"The problem that comes up is that those who have no real knowledge of these Biblical stories will believe everything that a Hollywood movie is showing them," said mechanical engineer junior Isaac Gonzalez. "This could lead to some confusion and lead people farther than the truth."

Others think it is a good way to expose this new generation to the Bible.

“As a man of faith, I think it’s great that

HOLLYWOOD

Continues on next page

Ibarra had also heard before she arrived to campus that Catholicism was dying. That trend isn't limited to UH or the Houston area, but is present around the world.

“That’s how I kind of felt sometimes; my traditions, my beliefs - they’re old,” Ibarra said. “With many things you see online, with all these different ideas you start to say, ‘Man, am I some old person in a young body?’ But I realized it’s not that. There is a community; it’s my job to show others what my community’s about, but how can I do that if I’m not part of my community?”

Petroleum engineer senior and Muslim Student Association president Javid Sultan said he didn’t have a lot of Muslims around him when he was growing up.

“When I came to the University — and we have one of the largest MSAs — I saw a large group of the Muslim population in general.”

Sultan said. “That’s where I found myself hanging around more Muslims, doing a lot more Muslim-y things, and I just found out I enjoyed it.”

Sultan said he also wanted to delve deeper into the Islamic religion.

“I found it was something I guess I was

Sunday services 10:00 & 11:30am

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 7

missing throughout high school and middle school. I guess it was because I was never really in a big Muslim group or anything like that. I was never really exposed to that, so it’s just a new community. So the people you hang around affect you as a person, so I guess it affected me for the better,” Sultan said.

“Getting into an area where you have people who are all the same, whether it be the CSO or G.R.A.D.E. (Girls Reaching and Demanding Excellence) camp, you realized, and ‘You know what? We’re all reaching for the same thing,’” Ibarra said. “We’re just so spread-out on a campus of 40,000. It’s hard to find them, but when you get involved and when you see that, it just makes you say, ‘You know what? This is possible. It’s something I can do.’”

“I guess that’s the aim of all these religious student organizations on campus, not just the MSA,” Sultan said. “That’s where you’ll find most of your friends. It helped me transition. I can speak for many other people that most of their friends came through the same community that they found at the university. So yeah, it definitely helped with transitioning, which is one of the main goals for any religious organization here.”

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Finding faith, religion in secular music MICHELAN WILLIE

STAFF WRITER

In 2004, secular artist Kanye West made waves in the music world with “Jesus Walks,” a hip-hop banger where he raps his longing for Jesus’ guidance in his life.

In the song, West brings up an interesting point: rappers can rap (successfully) about anything but religion.

“That means sex, guns, lies, video tapes, but if I talk about God my record won’t get played,” West says in his single.

Ironically, Kanye’s song was a hit, peaking on Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 11 for two weeks. It was played on every radio station, even in clubs.

Kanye isn’t the only secular hip-hop artist to reference religion in his music.

Artists like Macklemore, Kendrick Lamar and Nas are not the typical religious figures preaching through their music.

However, they use their music as a channel to express their spiritual and religious experiences.

“I think it is awesome that secular artists are expressing their spirituality in their music,” said biology junior Mike Burke. “It lets people know it’s okay to feel confident in their beliefs.”

HOLLYWOOD

Continued from previous page these stories (and) events are being told to a new generation,” said UH alumnus Rene Ventura.

“It might be the only way to get the youth of today to learn about the most important book of all time through mainstream entertainment.”

This brings up the issue of whether or not people should take the Bible for a literal translation, which reverts back to whether or not Hollywood should keep making these film adaptations and take the risk of having some affront people.

According to Weiss, the best thing people can do is to explore the Bible’s themes so that can learn more about themselves, their relationships with other people and the world around them. Although some people may disagree, an old and complex book like the Bible is feasibly up for interpretation.

Weiss agrees.

“Movies like ‘Evan Almighty’ and ‘Bruce Almighty’ are great explorations and interpretations of the Bible and its meaning today,” Weiss said. “In a world so big, there will be different ideas that can lead to the same understanding.”

Kanye West's 2004 album "College Dropout," which featured "Jesus Walks." | Courtesy of Def Jam Records

Macklemore sat down in an interview with one of New York’s most popular radio shows, Sway in the Morning, on radio station Shade 45. When asked if he parallels religion with his music, he confesses that though he is not religious, he is spiritual.

He’s connected with God through his music.

“When music is in its purest form, you’re just a conduit for something greater than yourself,” Macklemore said. “You don’t have to think about it. You don’t have to

force it. It comes through the pen. And that’s not you. I don’t take credit for those moments. That’s something bigger than me.”

Christian Eberhart, professor of religious studies, believes that religion and its spiritual foundations are a part of mainstream culture.

Artists reflect on modern mainstream culture as a part of their art.

“Sometimes, people might not even be aware of the fact that a certain principle or proverb is biblical,” Eberhart said. “For example, when somebody says ‘an eye for an eye’, talks about the ‘Exodus,’ or finds that something has ‘apocalyptic’ dimensions."

Finance graduate Ketul Patel does not buy Macklemore’s explanation. Patel said secular artists simply use religion in their music for profit.

“I think they use religion to attract a different crowd, a newer market, to their brand,” Patel said.

Psychology senior Sarah Hayes said she believes it’s a way of expression.

“Music can be a somewhat of a religious experience,” Hayes said. “That’s why people get emotional sometimes listening to it.

Music is their outlet.”

Religious figures throughout history SARA SAMORA

FAITH EDITOR @THEREINVENTIONS

Throughout history, many famous figures have made a huge impact in their respective religion. From the past to current religious figures, these are the founders and ground-shakers who continue to make an impact.

Pope Francis (March 13, 2013 – present) Religion Catholic Jorge Mario Bergoglio was named the 266th pope of the Roman Wikimedia Commons Catholic Church on March 13, the first pope from the Americas. Pope Francis has also been named Time magazine's “Person of the Year” and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Joel Osteen

Sara Samora

Religion Non-denominational Christian (March 5, 1963 - present) The son of Lakewood Church’s

original pastor, John Osteen, the younger Osteen followed in his father’s footsteps shortly after he passed away. Since Osteen has taken over, membership has grown. Osteen is also a New York Times best-selling author.

Swami Vivekananda

Religion Hinduism (January 12, 1863. -July 4, 1902) Born Narendra Nath Dutta, Vivekananda was responsible for Wikimedia reviving the Hindu religion. He Commons established Ramakrishna Mission.

In 1893, he traveled to the United States and attended the Parliament of Religions. He is also responsible for bringing meditation and yoga to the States.

Dalai Lama

Religion Buddhism (July 6, 1935 -present) Lhamo Thondup became the 14th Dalai Lama at the age of 15.

Wikimedia He has conducted thousands of Commons lectures around the world. He has also taken action in attempting to establish an autonomous government in Tibet.

INTERFAITH QUOTES Khalil Gibran "I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit."

The Dalai Lama "All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives."

Baha'u'llah "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."

Swami Vivekananda "The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him - that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free."

Confucius "Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire."

St. Thomas Aquinas "To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary.

To one without faith, no explanation is possible."

Lao Tzu "Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who are not honest. Thus honesty is attained."

Karen Armstrong "All religions are designed to teach us how to live, joyfully, serenely, and kindly, in the midst of suffering."

Mary Baker Eddy "I would no more quarrel with a man because of his religion than I would because of his art."

Carl Sagan “Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.”

Rumi "There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground."

Desmond Tutu "My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together."

Huffington Post ­— Interfaith Quotes From Religious Thinkers

Let us know your favorite quote by using #CooglifeFaithQuotes on Twitter or Instagram.

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THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE ORGANIZATION at the University of Houston has

8:00 AM - 3:00 PM 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

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Platform 9 3/4: UH's hidden building SARA SAMORA

FAITH EDITOR @THEREINVENTIONS

“Are you familiar with Harry Potter?” A.D. Bruce Religion Center Manager Bruce Twenhafel asked me. He has held his position for the past four years.

Twenhafel recalled a story of a young woman — a UH alumna — who was getting married. The woman wanted to get married at the religion center and see it for herself first.

“I said, ‘We’re right next to the football stadium,’” Twenhafel said. “She said, ‘Where?’ and I said, ‘Weren’t you a student?’"

The woman said she really did not know

where the center was. Twenhafel asked her what her major was; she said it was English.

“I said, ‘Ma’am, we’ve been behind Roy Cullen for four years.’ She said, ‘Oh! So that’s what that building was! So we jokingly call it, ‘Platform 9 ¾’ because if you don’t know anything about it, you just think it’s a building you go past,” he said.

Twenhafel noted that most people spend four or five years on campus, but never visit the A.D. Bruce Religion Center—including faculty and staff.

“Everyone thinks that this is the wedding chapel,” Twenhafel said. “Nobody knows we’re here. It’s amazing.”

Twenhafel thinks this has a lot to do with

“(The Muslim Student Organization has) close to 20,000 students coming through the center, including faculty and staff, to attend their events. It’s phenomenal how this building is used so quietly and so often, and people don’t recognize it.”

Bruce Twenhafel, A.D. Bruce Religion Center Manager

people associating a degree for a higher education with classrooms.

“They’re thinking of the typical kinds of things they had in high school and grammar school,” Twenhafel said. “And so, you’re going to have the fitness centers, (and) they may not be aware of the Health Center or the University Center, but they never hear about faith or spirituality.”

"Back in the '40s, '50s, '60s, we had our campus ministries in the little houses. The neighbors would get upset that the University was bleeding over to their property," Twenhafel said. "So there was an immediate need for some kind of religion center.”

The University first began as a community college, later transitioning into a private college. “As a private college, it didn’t really matter,” Twenhafel said.

“They were working with Gen. Bruce, and he knew we would eventually become a public university. So he said, ‘If you want a building on this campus, you need to do it now.’”

Back in the '50s and '60s, while the center was being developed, a lot of the denominations were building stand-alone centers specific to their beliefs and their religion around the campus. The religion center is one-of-a-kind: a negligible number of major and smaller public universities in the United States have a facility like A.D. Bruce Religion Center.

“There are only three public universities that I have found in all of my research that have something similar to A.D. Bruce Religion Center, with Penn State and Southern Illinois State University being the others," Twenhafel said.

When the University Center took responsibility for the management of the religious center in Sept. 2009, the building was brought up to speed in terms of reservations and the provision of other services.

“How those kinds of things were different is that there’s a whole new philosophy, in which students come first and how provide those services,” Twenhafel said.

Nine months later, when Twenhafel came on board, he noticed the building was in disrepair.

“We needed new carpet. Certain areas hadn’t been painted in a long time. (By) paying attention to the cleaning, we were able to go to the Student Fee Advisory Committee and make the case (that) this is one of the student centers,” Twenhafel said.

In addition, the religious center needed new chairs and tables as well as an improved sound system in the chapel.

“It’s not just weddings we have. We hold Mass, and some of the fraternities and sororities use the chapel for inductions for their

RELIGION CENTER FACTS The religion center is named after retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen., Andrew Davis Bruce. He became president of UH on Sept. 1, 1954; in 1956, he became Chancellor. The center was not dedicated to him until nine years later. He passed away in 1972 and is buried in Arlington Cemetery. Davis saw religion as an essential on campus. "Exclude religion entirely from education and you have no foundation upon which to build moral character," he said. In a cover letter, he wrote "University of Houston believes very strongly that religion must have a central role on campus, as part of the student's daily life." The Jewish denomination was the first religious group to campaign for funds for the new religion center. Weddings at the religion center make up only five percent of profits. The rest are due to bookings by student organizations. Religious groups could be “chartered” in the religion center if they donated a minimum of $10,000. Stained-glass windows were originally part of the construction plan. However, due to shortage of funds, only one set of windows are stained-glass. When searching for a spot to build the center, architect Frank Dill saw a tree with twelve branches. The branches represented the number of religious groups at the time. The contractors tagged trees to be removed on the building site. Ralph Frede of the Development Office wanted the tree to remain. It still stands today.

groups,” Twenhafel said. “We have alumni events, recitals, musical events so we’re able to justify it is a student center facility.”

Additionally, students come to the center to meditate, while others use the chapel for a quiet place to study.

“We have Wi-Fi,” Twenhafel said. “Students practice on the piano. Students of architecture would be sent to draw sketches of the building, which is great example of post-modern design facility.”

The University will also be celebrating the religion center’s 50th anniversary. They are currently in the planning stage, with a committee to plan activities that will occur in Feb. 2015.

RELIGION CENTER

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RELIGION CENTER

Continued from previous page “We would like to have an opening ceremony,” Twenhafel said. “We’ll have concerts, we’ll have lectures (and) we'll have food events."

In addition to weddings, the majority of bookings are with the student organizations.

One of the organizations that frequents the center is the Muslim Student Association.

“They have close to 20,000 students coming through the center, including faculty and staff, to attend their events,” Twenhafel said. “It’s phenomenal how this building is used so quietly and so often, and people

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | 11

don’t recognize it.”

Twenhafel adds that the hallmark of the religion center has been interfaith dialogue throughout its 50 years of existence.

“Our Campus Ministries Associations has been working hard to make certain that in collaborative process in an education component, that in a comparative culture way, people have an opportunity to understand each other,” Twenhafel said.

“So that once you know not only the character of the person, but the beliefs of the person you have a better understanding of them and an appreciation of what they are and likewise, they will have a better understanding and appreciation of who you are.”

The A.D. Bruce Religion Center has worked to establish its place on campus as a student center and will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. | Courtesy of A.D. Bruce Religion Center

Courtesy of A.D. Bruce Religion Center

Courtesy of A.D. Bruce Religion Center

Canterbury Ministry of the Episcopal Church on Campus

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