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Stepping into a different world
The LARPing community started from three friends playing in front of the Cougar Village residence halls. | PG. 2
Issue 1, Volume 85
uh.edu/csm
2 | Wednesday, August 14, 2019
NEWS
ian everett, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS
NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
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CAMPUS
UH LARPers build inclusive, charitable community IAN EVERETT
The sport of fighting is the main draw for many playing Amtgard, evidenced by the original game that the club played, called Dagorhir, focused more on fighting than roleplaying.
FEATURES EDITOR @IANEVERETT8
By the star in Lynn Eusan park, student LARPers, or Live Action Roleplayers, dressed in vibrant costumes and carrying foam weaponry step into another world of adventure and magic. LARPing might conjure images of Dungeons and Dragons and sitting around a table, as well as exclusive nerds gate-keeping out more fairweather fans of roleplaying. The reality of UH’s LARPing club is the opposite: friendly, charming and dressed in colorful clothes, they are eager to share the culture of their game, even inviting total beginners to practice sparring. “The group is inclusive. They respect pronouns and they try to show everyone good sportsmanship,” said Amy Rivera, a biology sophomore who’s been LARPing for under a year at UH. Such inclusivity blossomed from a humble place. Emil Revote, a 2019 UH graduate and founder of the group, said he started the club early in his college career simply because he wanted more people to fight. “We started with about three people: myself, an acquaintance of mine and another person from the Cougar Village dorms. From there, I tried to expand pretty hard,” Revote said. “By the end of the year, we had maybe 11-15 people a session.” With help from a few friends interested in seeing the community expand, Revote recruited, with the challenge of being a new group on campus. “It was pretty difficult to grow at first,” Revote said. “We wouldn’t get a lot of attention since it was new.” Despite that, the group has expanded to roughly 20-25 active LARPers, and with that growth a strong, charitable community that turns volunteering into competitions took form. “Our Kingdom runs a lot of charity events,” Revote said. “Last year, our standing monarch wanted an Egyptian-themed reign. His service project was that anyone who volunteered at a service shelter, cats preferred as a joke, would get extra credits for a class.” The UH LARPers last year raised over $3,000 for the Food Bank, winning an annual competition called Food Fight in
Cultivating the future
Sean Nanowsky, monarch of UH’s LARP club, enjoys sharing LARPing with new players. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar
the process, Revote said. The club’s current monarch, a position analogous to a club president, Sean Nanowsky, was practicing martial arts outside Cougar Village when Revote approached them with foam weapons and introduced them to LARPing. “He asked us if we were interested in something different, and we were curious,” Nanowsky said. Initially thinking of it as a play fight, Nanowsky was struck in the head by a spear Revote threw, which sent him sprawling, but that didn’t scare him off from the game. “Suddenly, I’m on the ground, I’m wiping dirt off myself and wondering what just happened,” Nanowsky said. “But I thought, okay, this is a contact sport. And I felt drawn to it after that.” Nanowsky has been running the group since May but has been involved for three years since Revote recruited him. “(Revote) is the person that rounded us all up and said, ‘Hey, we’re gonna kick a bunch of nerd butt, let’s do this’,” Nanowsky said.
LARPing events usually, as cooks, game runners, security and clean-up volunteers,” Revote said. “Volunteerism keeps the game going smoother, so a lot of us have a good selection of skills because of that.” Amtgard spans the United States and even has groups in Europe, and it is separated into Kingdoms, which contain the smaller groups like UH’s own Crossways. Crossways is officially under the Kingdom of the Wetlands, which covers parts of Texas and Louisiana and has roughly 300400 members, Revote said. The LARPers of the Crossways all have personas and classes within the game that they step into when they come to play.
Amtgard employs an “order system,” which gives ranks based on what roles someone pursues, Revote said. “Orders are given based on your proficiency in a facet of the community,” Revote said. “A good service person would be a Rose, whereas a leader would be a Lion.” The most coveted prize, Revote said, is the maximum rank of Warrior. “Most people on their tenth Warrior (rank) are martial artists, athletes and other extremely fit and active fighters who care about constant improvement,” Revote said. “That sort of thing takes a decade or two of constant practice.”
Not satisfied with where they are now, Crossways has plans for the first weeks of school and beyond. “We’re planning a welcome back week, and we’re potentially going to different parks, or we might stay (at UH), but we’re going to fight for a whole week straight,” Nanowsky said. “Just to see who’s interested and who wants to come out.” The group is currently wanting to host an event called Dragonmaster at UH on Oct. 5, where according to Nanowsky the “best of the best” in the Houston area meet at one location and three judges crown the best creator of the reign. The game rewards people who invest in different skills, giving them ranks in pathways like fighting and crafting. Nanowsky loves the variety of skills and roles in the game and, above that, loves that he has an avenue for being an entertainer. “I used to be a music major when I was a UH student,” Nanowsky said. “The last event, I played my guitar, and it was me and 20 other people. It was the best music. We sang all night until the sun came up.” news@thedailycougar.com
Another world UH’s club, the Crossways, officially joined a larger game in 2018 called Amtgard, a LARP system focused on high fantasy in which LARPers can focus on fighting, casting spells, crafting gear and even skills like expanding the community or leadership. “When we volunteer, it’s for
LARPing can be a physically demanding sport, requiring players to carry pounds of gear. | Courtesy of Sean Nanowsky
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 | 3
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4 | Wednesday, August 14, 2019
NEWS
IAN EVERETT, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS
NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
713-743-5314
CAMPUS
UH’s expansive public art collection
“Double Physichromie,” 2009, Carlos Cruz-Diez: Originally commissioned for the Welcome Center Parking Garage and acquired in 2009, the painted aluminum and steel sculpture was relocated to the Arts District in 2018 to allow it to be viewed as the artist intended. Cruz-Diez died this year on July 27 at 95 years old. | Cristobella Durrette/The Cougar
“Winged Woman Walking,” 1996, Stephen de Staebler: the piece “was a gift and placed at the Moores School of Music specifically to celebrate their new building,” said PAUHS curator Michael Guidry. | Cristobella Durrette/The Cougar
“The Statue of Four Lies,” 2010, Michael Galbrth and Jack Massing: There aren’t actually four lies in the art installation, and claiming that is a lie of its own. Instead of four lies, the statues features bronze facsimiles of its creators and a time capsule with intentionally incorrect dates for when the capsule was sealed and the University’s 100th anniversary. | Cristobella Durrette/The Cougar
“Fiesta Dancers,” 1991-93, Luis Jiminez: the piece was purchased to honor current and former faculty in the Katherine G. McGovern College of the Arts. | Cristobella Durrette/The Cougar
“Shine and Rise,” 2007, Randy Twaddle: this piece hangs above the entrance to the Honors College Commons room and was commission using leftover funds from a renovation project at M.D. Anderson. | Courtesy of Martha Hayes
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 | 5 CoUNtY
On-campus voting to be available for students IAN EVERETT
FEATURES EDITOR @IANEVERETT8
Students will have a much easier time this year voting in November’s local election with Harris County allowing people to vote at polling locations on campus. Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman recently announced that voters no longer need to report back to their precinct for election day voting, which means students will be able to vote at an on-campus polling location. Like early voting, registered voters in Harris County can vote at any election day polling location, according to the County Clerk’s website. In the 2016 elections, the Student Center North was precinct 389’s polling location. Kate Dentler, Harris County Democratic Party’s precinct 389 chair and political science junior, said Trautman also
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requested UH to be an early polling location. “Before County Clerk Diane Trautman took office, the county had not instituted countywide voting programs,” Dentler said. “Therefore, only voters registered in precinct 389 were able to vote in their precinct’s polling location on election day. Precinct 389 includes on-campus housing.” The distinction being many students aren’t registered to vote using their on-campus address. Jessica Hulett, Student Government Association’s director of external affairs, said the UH Recreation & Wellness Center will be the likely spot for on-campus polling, and SGA has plans to increase student voting this year, including busing students out to early polling locations. However, with Trautman’s announcement that any voter in Harris
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County can vote at any polling location, students may not need to bus out through SGA if they don’t want to on election day. Even if students can’t vote, Hulett hopes to increase their involvement with elections and educate them on ways to be engaged in the process. “Civic engagement can be participating in activism, and canvassing for candidates, or helping with phone banks,” Hulett said. “It can even be as simple as going with your friends to vote.” Our next mayor will be decided on Nov. 5, as well as several seats on city council. “We’re trying to put an emphasis on the importance of voting in local elections,” Hulett said. “Local elections can have even more of an impact on their lives than presidential elections can in some ways.” Hulett said SGA is planning a three stage
LL TEA A B T O O F R A G A COU
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Jiselle Santos/The Cougar
approach to getting students involved in voting. SGA is currently registering people to vote. Once the voter registration deadlines arrives 30 days before the election, it will then distribute nonpartisan information about the candidates, Hulett said. The registration phase will go up to 30 days
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before the election, the deadline for signing up to vote, but SGA has already made efforts over the summer. “So far, we’ve registered about 250 people, and they’re all incoming UH students,” Hulett said. SGA is also planning an event for National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 24, and they hope to have free food and live music,
at TULSA vs. NAVY
Hullett said. Last year 500 people showed up. For the second step, Hullet said they usually have representatives from the League of Women Voters on campus distributing information, and someone from the County Clerk’s office that brings a simulated polling booth so people can practice ahead of time. Thirty days before the election, SGA will begin doing tablings to distribute information about candidates and how to vote, Hulett said. SGA also plans to bus people out to polling locations if they need it. “Last year we had over 600 people go vote, which is insane for young people,” Hulett said. news@thedailycougar.com
VICTORY MONDAY SCHEDULE: *
Tuesday
6 | Wednesday, August 14, 2019
NEWS
IAN EVERETT, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS
NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
713-743-5314
NEWS
Khator ranks high among best paid educators in the nation William H. McRaven [Chancellor] $2, 578, 609
2,600,000
2,000,000 1,800,000
William H. McRaven [Chancellor] $1,500,000
1,600,000 Renu Khator $1,300,000
1,400,000 1,200,000
600,000
o
William H. McRaven [Chancellor] Renu Khator $1,090, 909 $850,000 John Sharp John Sharp [Chancellor] [Chancellor] $708, 435 $688,962
John Sharp [Chancellor] $1,280,438 John Sharp [Chancellor] $1,285,147
Renu Khator $850,960
John Sharp [Chancellor] $1,358,440
Renu Khator $913,351 Key University of Houston Texas A&M (College Station) University of Texas (Austin)
2015-2016
800,000
Francisco C. Cigarroa [Chancellor] $864,660
2014-2015
1,000,000
William H. McRaven [Chancellor] $1,500,140 Renu Khator $1,399,581
2018
2,200,000
highest paid chancellors in texas
2016-2017
2,400,000
2013-2014
University of Houston Chancellor and President Renu Khator was the fifth highest paid public educator in the U.S. in 2018, according to a national survey conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Khator is one of the top highest paid members of UH. Head football coach Dana Holgorsen and head basketball coach Kelvin Sampson total compensation outdo the UH president. Khator is paid about nine times as much as the average full-time UH professor, which, according to the survey, is paid $149,087. “I can say unequivocally that the chancellor’s compensation is appropriate based on her stellar track record and achievements overseeing an organization that serves more than 70,000 students, has a budget that exceeds $2 billion and an
economic impact on the state of Texas of over $7 billion,” said Tilman Fertitta, the chair of the system’s governing board, in a statement. While Khator is one of the highest paid chancellors in the nation, so are many of her Texas colleagues. William H. McRaven, the University of Texas’ recently retired chancellor, was the highest paid executive educator in the nation in 2018. Texas Tech and two Texas A&M leaders also round out the top seven highest paid leaders. Factoring in base pay along with bonuses and other perks UH pays for, including her house near Rice Village, Khator’s compensation has been steadily increasing since she started in 2008. In the 2013-2014 year her compensation bumped her to the highest paying college leader in the nation, earning $1.3 million due to big bonuses. “The rest of her total compensation is made up
Amount in Dollars
MCKENZIE MISIASZEK
NEWS EDITOR @MISIASZEKUH
YEARS Jiselle Santos/The Cougar
of $200,000 in bonus pay and $400,000 in deferred compensation paid,” wrote the Houston Business Journal.
“Not included in her total compensation is $200,000 in deferred compensation set aside.” During Khator’s more than ten
years at UH, the University has
KHATOR SALARY
Continues on page 7
WHY SHOULD I LIVE ON CAMPUS? Students who live on campus have an average GPA of 3.0 and are more likely to graduate in 4 years.*
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Wednesday, August 14, 2019 | 7
ian everett, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS
NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
NEWS 713-743-5314
CAMPUS
Distribution of updated Cougar Cards delayed by supply shortage CRISTOBELLA DURRETTE
STAFF WRITER @CRIST0BELLA
Manufacturing delays have pushed back the rollout of the new Cougar Card design, which won’t be ready in time for residential move-in. The new Cougar Cards will be distributed to the campus population throughout the fall semester in two phases, but there is no definitive date for when the cards will become available to returning students, faculty and staff. The updated cards, which have been in development for the past two years, will become available to incoming non-residential students on Aug. 19, the first day of classes for the fall semester. The Cougar Card Office will continue to issue the current Cougar Cards until the new Cougar Cards become available, said Executive Director of University Services Esmerelda Valdez. The updated Cougar Card is “a smart card that supports the various technological platforms in the market,” according to the Cougar Card website. The new technology is intended to improve flexibility and security across the UH System. The new Cougar Cards are equipped with a chip as well as the existing magnetic stripe, Valdez said. “The enhanced chip provides robust security functionality, as it protects against card cloning and fraudulent activity,” Valdez said. The process of implementing a smart card that supports the variety of technological platforms in the market was an expansive endeavor that included testing the new smart card across
An industry-wide shortage contributed to delays in the implementation of the new card, meaning students won’t get them on move-in. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar
campus partners and the systems that integrate with the new card, Valdez said. “As with any major project, delays are inevitable and the process has been expedited to the extent possible,” Valdez said.
Implementation An industry-wide supply shortage contributed to delays in the implementation of the new card, Valdez said. “Manufacturing delays across all major suppliers caused a major backlog in the fabrication of the new cards,” Valdez said. The distribution of the cards to the campus population will take place in the fall semester in two phases, according to the Cougar Card website.
During phase one, the updated Cougar Cards will be distributed to new 2019 residential and nonresidential students. New 2019 non-residential students can pick up the updated Cougar Cards on the first day of classes at the Cougar Card Office, located in the Welcome Center retail corridor. On move-in day, new 2019 residential students will receive the old version of the Cougar Cards, according to the website. The updated Cougar Cards will not be available for residential move-in, which is scheduled to take place Aug. 15-Aug. 17. “Due to manufacturing delays, the new cards will not arrive in time for move-in,” Valdez said. “As such, new incoming residents
will receive current Cougar Cards during move-in.” Returning residential and non-residential students, as well as faculty and staff, will be able to use their current Cougar Card until they pick up their new Cougar Cards during phase two of the distribution process. Direct messaging will be sent to students, faculty and staff with information on the distribution of the new card, according to the Cougar Card website. No date is provided for when phase two is set to initiate.
Student impact Students who have experienced difficulty with the current Cougar Card design are eager for the transition to the
KHATOR SALARY
Continued from page 6
Renu Khator made almost $1.4 million in 2018, making her among the highest paid educators in the nation. | File Photo
grown in size and recognition. Namely, becoming designated a Tier One Research University by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Only 115 out of America’s 4700 public universities qualified and seven Texas universities qualified for the designation. “I give the credit to our faculty, our staff, our students and our Board of Regents who have been so supportive the last few years,” Khator said in 2010 when UH was named a Tier One university.“ But, at the end of the day, great communities build great universities. It is
new Cougar Card to take place. “With the past Cougar Cards, I have constantly misplaced or lost them, being unable to get into my dorm,” said nutrition sophomore Sherellin Posana. “Having a chip would be extremely helpful and more convenient for me.” The tap-and-go functionality of the new design would also require less swipes and less wear and tear on the cards. “The old Cougar Cards were very susceptible to wearing down, making them difficult to use after you’ve had them for a long time,” said political science and history sophomore Gigi Eaton. “A chip is just more dependable.” news@thedailycougar.com
a compliment to the city and the state and to our fabulous delegation members, our legislative leaders who believed this was an important initiative.” The president is the administrative and educational head of the university and the chancellor being the executive head of the school or system. In UH’s case, Khator takes on both roles and is the head of the entire UH System. Other colleges have separate leaders for their flagship college and their university system, including the University of Texas System and the Texas A&M University System. news@thedailycougar.com
8 | Wednesday, August 14, 2019
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The Cougar Predicts predicitions for the 2019-20 Houston football season straight from The Cougar’s editors. Jhair Romero, sports editor: Given some of the tougher games on the Cougar’s schedule, I can’t see the team doing any better than 9-3. Houston is sure to improve with Dana Holgorsen’s new offense, but the defense being installed by the Coming back from a knee injury in 2018, senior quarterback D’Eriq King is set to have a good season with the Cougars. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar
JHAIR ROMERO
SpORTS EDITOR @jUSTjHAIR
To call Houston’s 8-5 finish in 2018 a disappointment is an understatement. Houston started strong, going 7-1 through its first eight games, but its dismantling 45-31 loss at the hands of SMU derailed then-head coach Major Applewhite’s hopes for a successful season. UH would go on to lose three of its next four games, including a historic 70-14 loss to Army in the Armed Forces Bowl. It was the straw that broke the back of Applewhite’s twoyear tenure with Houston. With the hiring of Dana Holgorsen as his replacement in January, many, including UH President Renu Khator, again have high expectations for the team. While the world of college football is unpredictable, it doesn’t hurt to analyze UH’s potential ahead of what is poised to be a crucial year for the program.
The First Third Houston’s schedule during its first four games of the season is brutal.
coaching staff makes me nervous for UH. Michael Slaten, editor in chief:
Within just 18 days, Houston will face Oklahoma, Prairie View A&M, Washington State and Tulane. Only the PVAMU game will be at home. When it comes to UH’s Sept. 1 season opener at OU on prime-time national television, the Houston Cougars and Holgorsen have a lot to unpack. First things first, its game against the Sooners is the team’s most important and most challenging game of the year, and it’s not even close. Both Holgorsen and Houston have recent history with Oklahoma. During his seven years coaching at West Virginia, the Mountaineers never took down the Sooners. Meanwhile, in the two teams’ latest matchup in 2016, then-No. 15 UH upset then-No. 3 OU 33-23 in the season opener. Both Houston and Oklahoma have Heismancaliber quarterbacks on hand with junior D’Eriq King and senior Jalen Hurts, respectively. Six days later, UH will line up against PVAMU for the first time in the two schools’ history at TDECU Stadium
for its Sept. 7 home opener against the Panthers. Houston’s rough 18-day span to start the new season will then take the team to NRG Stadium on Sept. 13 for the Texas Kickoff game against, in a humorous twist of fate, Washington State, the Cougars’ namesake. The Cougars and the Cougars have not met since 1988, when WSU beat UH 24-22 in the Aloha Bowl. Tulane will close the first third of Houston’s schedule in New Orleans before moving on to a more forgiving portion of the year.
Calm Before the Storm Sept. 28’s matchup against North Texas kicks off the calmest month of UH’s schedule. Houston will head to Denton before returning to TDECU Stadium Oct. 12 to face Cincinnati. The Cougars boast a twogame win streak against the Bearcats dating back to 2016, when an Applewhite-led team bested Cincinnati 40-16. Holgorsen and company will enjoy a bye week before making the trek to Hartford, Conn., Oct. 19 to play UConn, which went 1-11 in 2018.
SMU closes out the second third on Oct. 24 for Houston, which must shift focus before another big game.
Shifting Gears Two of the biggest Group of 5 schools in the country will battle it out Nov. 2 when UH and UCF go toe-to-toe in Orlando, Florida. The Knights finished No. 11 in 2018’s final AP Poll, and ESPN has the self-proclaimed 2017 national champions set at No. 17 in its preseason rankings. Because of an extra week allotted into the NCAA’s season schedule, the Cougars will have a much-needed bye week following its match with the Knights. Once Houston returns to the field, it will oppose Memphis in its homecoming game Nov. 16. Hopefully for the Cougars, the Tigers will not give it as much trouble as it has in recent years. Houston’s final away game of the regular season will have it pitted against Tulsa Nov. 23 then followed by the regular season finale versus Navy at home Nov. 30. sports@thedailycougar.com
As good as it would be to beat Oklahoma in week one, I don’t think Houston will. The only other loss I predict for this year is to UCF. Kathryn Lenihan, assistant photo editor: As an avid Cougar sports fan, I’m saying that Houston will have an undefeated season. The only loss I think could happen would be a mid-season slipup with Cincinnati. McKenzie Misiaszek, news editor: Being someone who knows absolutely nothing about sports, my prediction holds no weight. I’m going to make one anyway. I’m going to say 8-4. So, sorry Holgorsen, you are getting fired.
Tell us your opinion, use hashtag #REadAllOver
10 | Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Sports jhair romero, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/sportS
Sports@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
713-743-5303
Athletics
Houston’s biggest moments to look forward to
With the ongoing success that Houston’s athletic department has experienced in recent years, many of its games and matches have transformed into big-time events for the Cougars. | File photos
Brayley crowe
staff writer
@brayleycrowe
With the fall semester a few weeks away, a new wave of students will fill Houston’s growing 46,000-plus campus. A staple of large universities in the U.S., college athletics draw devout fan bases from young children to alumni, but no support is as unique as that of
a current student, and Houston is no exception. Whether a freshman stepping foot on UH’s campus for the first time or a seasoned senior set to graduate soon, here is a list of ten must see events for the 2019-2020 athletic year.
10.) Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup – Volleyball
Coming off a 17-16 record last year, the Cougars’ will look to new head coach David Rehr to start their 2019 season with success at the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup, the annual tournament the program hosts. With four games between two days (Aug. 30-31), UH will battle two power five conference opponents in Arizona St. and LSU, as well as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UT-Arlington in its first matches at the Fertitta Center
Memphis, who welcomes the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. UH and UM’s last meeting, a 61-58 win for the Cougars in the 2019 AAC Tournament, was exciting as is, and given the circumstances heading into next season, the matchup between the two conference powerhouses should be fun to watch.
9.) Phil Hansel Invitational – Swimming and Diving
Houston’s track and field has been the pinnacle of success in recent years, including a second-place finish at the indoor NCAA Championships and third-place at the outdoor NCAA Championships in 2019. Expect an early April date for this fast-paced, all day affair where some of the fastest, strongest and most talented athletes in Texas and the surrounding areas will compete, which will be held at the Carl Lewis International Complex.
Named for nearly 40-year former head coach Phil Hansel, the Cougars’ push for an American Athletic Conference title three-peat will takeoff at the invitational. While the dates and opponents for the annual fall event have not been announced, a mid-November slot is expected and about 10 schools should submerge themselves at the Campus Recreation Natatorium.
8.) All-American Intercollegiate – Men’s Golf Another event without official dates or opponents yet, the All-American Intercollegiate is a must see for UH students at the Golf Club of Houston, which once hosted the PGA’s Houston Open every year. A mid-February weekend will most likely be the timeline for the 15-team invitational, and the Cougars will look to improve on last season’s tied-for-second finish.
7.) Rice – Soccer Coming off a 7-10-2 record last season, Houston will try to upend cross-town rival Rice and snap its current twogame losing streak against the Owls, including 2017’s 4-1 defeat. UH will make the 10-minute, four-mile trip to Rice’s campus and battle on Aug. 25 at Holloway Field.
6.) UConn – Women’s Basketball Goodbye Huskies. UConn is set to join the Big East after 2019-2020, and with its team still undefeated (120-0) against AAC opponents all-time, nothing would say good riddance like a monumental upset. Coming off a 15-16 season and a fourth place conference finish, the Cougars will look to impress a home crowd at the year-old Fertitta Center. While no date has been set for the home meeting, conference play will start in early January.
5.) Memphis – Men’s Basketball Coming off its best NCAA Tournament finish since 1984, the Cougars’ are looking to repeat another trip to the Big Dance. With a loaded returning roster, including Fabian White Jr., Nate Hinton and Dejon Jarreau, UH will have some key pieces to do it. Unfortunately for Houston, so will
4.) Houston Alumni Invitational – Track and Field
3.) Washington St. – Football Mark your calendars for Sept. 13 as the Cougars take on the Cougars in the Texas Kickoff at NRG Stadium. Houston, welcoming in new head coach Dana Holgorsen off the heels of last season’s 8-5 finish, look to defeat the school that inspired its mascot over 70 years ago. WSU tallied a school-record 11 wins last season, powered by its aggressive offense led by head coach Mike Leach.
2.) Cincinnati – Men’s Basketball Despite more than 1,000 miles separating the two universities, it’s hard to say the Cougars do not have a fierce rivalry with the Bearcats. The two programs have split its past six meetings over the course of the past two seasons, including back-to-back AAC Championship games, which Cincinnati has won both times. UH defeated UC in the programs’ two regular season meetings, and another home meeting in 2019-2020 should be full of excitement, especially since the Bearcats return Jarron Cumberland, 2018’s AAC Player of the Year.
1.) Oklahoma - Football Three years ago, then-No. 15 Houston knocked off then-No. 3 Oklahoma at NRG Stadium in a 33-23 upset of the Baker Mayfield-led Sooners. Come Sept. 1, the Cougars will travel to Norman, Oklahoma and take on the No. 5 Sooners, again, on national prime-time television. Nothing says “here’s to football being back” like piling in a car and making the six-hour trip to watch Houston battle one of the most storied programs in college football history, and perhaps repeat the success of 2016’s matchup. sports@thedailycougar.com
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 | 11
jHAIR ROMERO, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SpORTS
SPortS
SpORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
713-743-5303
iNtrAMUrAl
Intramural sports add ‘value to college experience’ TRENTON wHITING
STAFF WRITER
@TRENTONWHITING
Houston has taken on a crusade to become a national powerhouse in athletics. It seems every sport represented at UH is making efforts to become a factor at the national level. However, UH has a population of athletes that do not participate in varsity sports. These are the UH’s intramural athletes. Intramural sports at Houston have become a non-conventional option for students to experience organized team athletics without having to be a Division-I athlete. With over 10 leagues and 20 sports clubs, athletes have plenty of options to get involved. Despite the extra time commitment, the players that participate seem to have positive experiences, and many returns to play for multiple seasons. For many players, intramural sports are another valuable part of their overall experience in college. It serves an opportunity to play a
sport they enjoyed in a monitored and organized environment. “It definitely did add value to my college experience,” said former intramural basketball player Tim Claycomb, “its made it a lot more fun and was kind stress reliever.” Players of all skill levels participate in the leagues, from the most experienced players to athletes picking up the sport for the first time. In any case, they are offered an opportunity to try a sport they might not have tried otherwise and gain a new appreciation for the skills they develop. “I had never played soccer until I joined my friends’ indoor soccer team,” said former intramural athlete Damon Whaley. “Now, I love playing soccer.” Not only can players add to their sports resume, but they can experience the camaraderie that comes with playing organized sports. Teamwork and cooperation are main themes and lessons that can be learned from participating in
The University’s campus recreation department offers many alternatives for students wanting to pursue athletics outside of traditional varsity sports, including flag football and indoor soccer. | Courtesy of UH Campus Recreation
intramural sports. The players create new friendship and become closer with friends that they already have. “Some advice I would give is to find is to find a group of close friends to play with so it’s all just all-around fun,” Claycomb said. People who have never had a
chance to play organized sports gain the ability to sign up for any of the sports offered by the Department of Campus Recreation. They can grow as people and as athletes, stay fit and connect with others in a competitive outlet. Because of this, intramural sports on campus have been
thriving, and so have the athletes that play a part. “I have really enjoyed playing intramural,” Whaley said. “It gave me a way to be competitive and active with my friends, and I made some great memories.” sports@thedailycougar.com
UHRecreation uh.edu/recreation
STRENGTHENING THE PRIDE OUTDOOR ADVENTURE
INTRAMURAL SPORTS TOURNAMENTS
DATE
TIME
REGISTER BY
Table Tennis Singles 9-Ball Pool Singles Kickball 10v10 Badminton Singles
9/20 9/27 11/4 11/22
3:00 - 7:00 pm 3:00 - 7:00 pm 3:00 - 7:00 pm 3:00 - 7:00 pm
9/18 at 5:00 pm 9/27 at 3:00 pm 10/30 at 5:00 pm 11/20 at 5:00 pm
LEAGUE SPORTS REGISTER BY
Hiking @ Sam Houston Saturday , September 14 $25 - UH Student Adventure is just down the road. In our local pine and oak backcountry, you will learn about the beautiful sights of the forest’s flora and fauna while hiking 8.7 miles on the nationally acclaimed Lone Star Trail. Visit the website for more information trips uh.edu/recreation
PLAY BEGINS
Indoor Soccer 5v5 9/4 9/8 Flag Football 7v7 9/4 9/9 Dodgeball 6v6 10/23 10/28 Register on myrec.uh.edu, for a full listings, visit: uh.edu/recreation
JOB FAIR @ CRWC
HIRING
STUDENT STAFF 8/27 4- 7 PM Bring your resume for a first round interview to work for Campus Recreation. uh.edu/recreation
AMERICAN RED CROSS TRAINING Lifeguard Training DATES REGISTER BY 8/23 - 25 8/21 9/6 - 8 9/4 Friday 3 - 10pm Saturday and Sunday 8am- 8pm
FITNESS + FREE GROUP GoPro
Michael Kors Purse
Beats Wireless
Stop by the Fitness Zone Desk on the second floor of the CRWC to complete a Group Fitness Participant Waiver. Please have your Cougar Card ready, all classes are FREE. .
Price: $225.00 Lifeguard Review 8/31 8/21 Saturday 8am - 8om Price :$125
GAIN THE KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED TO BECOME A PERSONAL TRAINER! Sign up for this $45.00 Prep Course taught on THURSDAYS, 9/26 - 11/14 from 4-6pm. Register at myrec.uh.edu
+
@ 4:30pm
12 | Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Sports jhair romero, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/sportS
Sports@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
713-743-5303
soccer
Jazmin Grant’s journey through soccer From high school to international, the junior forward has excelled at her sport.
Junior forward Jazmin Grant started in nine of 16 matches for the Cougars in 2018 and notched five goals, including a second-overtime game-winner versus the Eastern Carolina Pirates. | File photo
brayley crowe
staff writer @brayleycrowe
Jazmin Grant, Houston’s electric junior striker, has found success in practically every factor of soccer. Whether at the collegiate level, where she has amassed 10 goals and six assists in her two seasons with the Cougars, or at the international level with the Jamaica U-20 national team, with her goal against Nicaragua at the 2019 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, Grant has flourished. She even dominated the field in high school, as she earned both first- and second-team AllState honors after leading Atascocita High School with 72 goals in three years. While UH’s Aug. 11 exhibition match against HBU has come and gone, Grant has her eyes set on more success in her third year with the Cougars. The key? Her team. “We’re trying to build team chemistry on and off the field,” Grant said. “Just trying to control the things we can control, and things we can’t control we just have to move on and work past it.” On top of it being the start of a new year, this season’s
exhibition match also had an important connection to what inspired her pursuit of the game she loves. Devon Grant, her older brother and former defender for HBU, influenced her to participate in the world’s most popular sport back in high school. Two years her senior, Devon always had aspirations of being a professional and pushed his younger sister to continue their joint pursuit of the game. The two are some of the most talented soccer players to come out of Atascocita. “Honestly, I don’t think I would have played soccer without my brother,” Grant said. “My brother started playing before I did. He always made me work throughout all of this.” Although Grant had the connection to her openingmatch opponent, her eyes are now set on Houston’s regular season finale at SMU on Oct. 31. Since Grant’s freshman season in 2017, the Cougars have lost both meetings against the Mustangs 1-0 and 3-0, respectively. Both resulted in the team missing out on an American Athletic Conference
Championship Tournament bid. The Halloween meeting could be a decisive one in determining Houston’s postseason chances, which Grant has yet to experience as a Cougar. Along with defeating the Mustangs for the first time in her collegiate career, Grant has her eyes set on reaching the AAC Tournament for the first time in her career and the first conference tournament appearance for the Cougars since their 2012 loss to Colorado College in the Conference USA opening round. Along with her continued development at UH and Jamaica, Grant will eye another successful season as one of the Cougars’ lead players and hope to match one of her favorite memories as a Cougar: scoring the winning goal in overtime against East Carolina last season. She prefers, however, a game-winning assist instead. “I’d rather it,” Grant said. “I’m not a person that I like all eyes on me. I’d just rather be in the bag.” sports@thedailycougar.com
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 | 13
oPiNioN MARYAM BALDAWI, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OpINION
OpINION@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
713-743-5304
PolitiCS
Protests against treatment of migrant children needed KYLE DISHONGH
OpINION COLUMNIST
As of late, tens of thousands of undocumented South and Central American immigrants have been arrested. They’ve been detained and kept in inhumane conditions, which has led to fatigue, disease and even death. It should go without saying, but this is beyond unacceptable. Friday, July 12, hundreds of people gathered around the Southwest Key detention center at the corner of Prairie and Emancipation Avenue in the heart of Houston. The purpose of their meeting was to protest the living conditions that undocumented children have been put through in recent months. This was part of a greater event called Lights for Liberty, which saw similar gatherings in over 700 cities all over the world on the same day. The goal of these demonstrations was to bring attention to the separation of families and the deplorable conditions these children have been made victim to. Allegedly, the Houston complex in question operates below the standards of the rest of the city’s shelters. Apparently, they do not have a kitchen or a full-time doctor, requiring food deliveries and hospital trips when deemed necessary. Additionally, nonemployees don’t seem to be allowed to enter the facility and check on the conditions inside. All of this is, obviously, highly suspect. While the Houston protesters acknowledged that conditions in Southwest Key aren’t as bad as they possibly can be, especially when compared to centers on the border, they still took issue with the fact that it played a part in the separation of families. It’s inspiring to hear that an increasing number of people are standing up against what can only be described as a human
rights disaster. About 80,000 immigrants are being held in government custody. Large numbers of these people are being forced to deal with overcrowding and little to no access to hygiene products, medical attention or even bedding. To make matters worse, some government facilities that are involved in these mass detentions are not currently allowed to accept donations or volunteer work from people who wish to aid them. Partisan politics may have you believe this is a political issue, but it’s not. This is purely a question of ethics and humanitarianism. If your deciding factor on this issue is your political party, it shouldn’t be. In fact, politicians from both parties, such as Democratic Rep. Terry Canales and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz — both Texans — are crying foul at the current system. The only question that should be on your mind in regards to this topic is whether or not people deserve to be treated with dignity, especially if they haven’t brought harm to anybody else. If you still think this isn’t a serious issue, then please consider the following information: more than 24 immigrants have died in government custody since 2017. Five of them were children. As an aside, I recently watched “Spider-Man: Far from Home.” In the movie, the villains repeatedly use variations of the same line, which always hover around the phrase, “I’m going to kill those kids.” The screenwriters had them say this to emphasize how evil these characters are. It’s bad when kids die, and everybody knows that. That’s why it was hammered home so fervently in a superhero movie made for kids to understand. The idea of preventing the death of a minor is easy to rally behind and should convince people to root for those who promise to stop injustices before more harm can come to more children.
Juana Garcia/The Cougar
So, if this is the case, why are people still being treated like dogs in a kennel when it’s been proven that it’s causing children to die? The U.S. is supposed to be an advanced and civilized nation, founded on the ideals of justice and liberty. The American Dream draws the disenfranchised here with the promise of a better life. Instead, they’re being locked up and treated like chattel. It’s not only heartbreaking to hear about this. It’s embarrassing. This shouldn’t be such a complex issue. Hopefully the voices of the Lights for Liberty protesters weren’t lost on the ears of the relevant politicians. Their hearts are in a good place, and they’re fighting for what’s right, but this is only a step in the right direction. We should see even more people standing up and speaking out for the rights of the children who can’t speak for themselves. Then maybe a difference can be made for these poor kids before the unthinkable happens to any more of them. Opinion Columnist Kyle Dishongh is a sophomore finance major and can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com
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Wednesday, August 14, 2019 | 15
opinion Maryam baldawi, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION
OPINION@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
713-743-5304
social
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Staff editorial 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.
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Friendship is attainable in college, but it requires some work Kyle Dishongh OPINION columnist
Loneliness isn’t something that was promised as part of the college experience on TV, but many of today’s students are forced to make acquaintance with it once they start higher education. In the modern college climate, friendship may seem like a commodity, which falls into the laps of the fortunate and picks its targets at random. That’s simply not true, as everybody is capable of making friends, but it requires some work. There’s a loneliness crisis on college campuses. If you ever feel as though you aren’t capable of making friends or that people just don’t want to hang out with you, put that out of your mind. It’s not your fault. The landscape has changed in the last decade, and relationships don’t form as effortlessly as they used to. Making friends at college isn’t easy. It’s even harder for those who live off campus. Classmates most frequently tend to themselves and strangers often keep their heads low. Even for those living in the residence halls, while they might have an easier time, their neighbors will probably be hanging out with friends that they already have, or staying in their rooms. What are you supposed to do when trying to make friends? You need to make an effort to branch out. But finding a situation where you’re comfortable with socializing is somewhat of a daunting task, especially if you get anxious easily. Talking to strangers is the tried and true method of making new friends. It’s how I found my friends. To many, this is the most terrifying notion that they could be approached with.
Finding friends is hard, especially if you commute but it’s important to make some as you start college. | Katrina Martinez/The Cougar
It seems as though everybody wants to be left alone and anybody who interrupts their silence will be seen as little more than a nuisance.
But here’s a well-kept secret — that’s not true. Ninety percent of the time, talking to strangers will be a pleasant experience for both parties — and that
other 10 percent won’t result in anything worse than a fleeting awkward moment. If that’s not your style, then joining a club is probably your best
option. It’s the most common piece of advice given to people who are dealing with this issue
Friendship
Continues on page 16
16 | Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Opinion Maryam baldawi, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION
CAMPUS
UH should look into opening dental school After the College of Medicine enrolls its first class, the University should fill this need
Jiselle Santos/The Cougar
Maryam Baldawi
OPINION EDITOR
A dental school should be the next goal as UH is going to have a medical school by next year. The University already has a pharmacy school, and Maryam an optometry BALDWAWI school. The OPINION EDITOR procedure and reasoning of opening a new medical school can also apply to open a dental school. A major hurdle in getting
Friendship
Continued from page 15 for good reason. You’re almost guaranteed to find people with common interests there. So, why should you make friends in college? Well, it’s important. Spending time with friends is not only important for de-stressing, but is also an
approval for a new medical school, which is a similar problem in petitioning for a dental school, is proving there is a need and proving the school will fulfill that need. The medical school gained support by advocating the need for primary care in rural Texas communities. So, the medical school will focus on graduating doctors of primary care or family doctors. Because the school’s goal is to close the primary care gap, it will have its medical students complete residencies in the Houston communities. This is the same reason, to close the
primary care gap, that a dental school needs to open. Texas House of Representatives approved $20 million last April to help with the medical school’s startup cost. Again, they approved the medical school due to its promise to serve underserved areas in Texas. Just as there is a gap in primary care in those areas, there is also a gap for dental care. More than 30 million Americans live in areas that don’t have enough dental health professionals. The goals for the medical school, which a dental school can also have, consist of
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educating diverse physicians with a focus on primary care. The medical school approval had to go through the University of Houston System Board of Regents, graduate and professional studies, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Initiate Liaison Committee on Medical Education, Southern Association for Colleges and Schools and the Texas Legislature and governor. The road to getting a dental school approved is not shorter, but it may be easier due to the fact that there are less dental schools than medical schools. The main objection with opening a medical school was that we already have too many, but the need for primary care physicians was already proven. So, there is a need for more doctors. Also, Houston has the largest medical center in the world, but many areas in Houston have “high to moderately high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage.” And the greater Houston population has tripled since 1972, when the last medical school was established. A dental school may cost less to build because some schools that offer both a medical school and dental degree can combine the first year for students. In other words, they have the same curriculum for the first year then branch off, with dental students focusing more on clinicals dealing with dentistry. With the medical school already approved with $450 million in funding up to date, a dental school should be the next venture for UH to close the dental care gap. Opinion Editor Maryam Baldawi is a biology junior and can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.
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excellent catalyst for fine-tuning your social skills, which is vital to finding and keeping a job. Friendship is a scary thing to be without in a new environment, and the loneliness and fear that accompany that absence are far cries from what anybody wants to subjected to in such an important transition in their lives.
You don’t have to be stuck in that situation, because there are plenty of opportunities to meet people on campus. Plus, you have plenty of resources to assist you through the process. You just have to put yourself out there. And if you’re still having trouble talking to new people, then try to remember this:
We’re all college students, just like you. If you can’t think of anything else to break the ice, then you can always fall back on the classic, “What’s your major?” Opinion Columnist Kyle Dishongh is a finance sophomore and can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.
Design Team Ruchi Khakta