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Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Issue 14, Volume 85
They said it was ‘too expensive’ Allie Funk has fought for an accessible door since May. She didn’t get one until after she broke her arm. | PG. 2
Sports
Cougar Kendo’s founder didn’t know if she would survive after her cancer diagnosis. | PG. 5
opinion
STAFF EDITORIAL: Student orgs need more time to advertise the Homecoming Concert. | PG. 7
NEWS What comes after graduation? Alumni share their stories, struggles and successes | PG. 3
2 | Wednesday, November 13, 2019
NEWS ian everett, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS
NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
713-743-5314
Campus
Student breaks arm after housing claims accessible door too expensive, she says Daily Cougar Classifieds BULLETIN BOARD Robotics teacher Looking for an individual that works well with students ages 5-15 years. To work Monday - Saturday. Job offers 20-25 hours per week with training. Candidate must have experience working with EV3 robots and Coding languages. Should have their own transport. Needs to start immediately.
Email info@houstonmonart.com Tel #7133403220 https://cloud9robotics.com
HELP WANTED Office Assistant and Hospitality Apprenticeship Flexible hours. 20hr to 40hr which can vary to accommodate school schedule. Support General Manager, Director of Operations, Controller and Owner with office clerical duties, and various projects as assigned. Pre-opening office during renovation and restoration of La Colombe D’Or boutique luxury hotel and restaurant in Montrose as it prepares to re-open as the most exclusive and best hotel and resturant in Houston with 32 suites and a cutting-edge restaurant in the Montrose area. Will also assist working with tenants of commercial real estate company, Zim Interests. Ideal for Hotel & Restaurant Management students of any level. Job can lead to exciting hospitality career with a prestigious organization. Candidate requirements: Positive, can-do attitude and friendly. Skilled with MSOffice applications, creating spreasheets and excellent written communication. Problem- solving mentality. Excellent organization skills and taking initiative. Bi-lingual a plus but not required. Email resume to sergio@lacolombedor.com
To advertise go to thedailycougar.com
Since breaking her arm in her original door, Allison Funk has gotten an accessible door for her room. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar
Mckenzie Misiaszek
news editor @misiaszekuh
Since Allison Funk moved into her Cougar Place residence hall freshman year, she has had problems with her door. It’s not that it lacks a lock or is too loud when it closes. The problem is that she can’t always open the door herself, even after the tension on the door was lightened. Funk has been in a powerchair for most of her life. The chair does not make it easy to open the door and maneuvering it isn’t something she can always do. In the first week of October, Funk’s door closed, trapping her arm. She gets hurt all the time and didn’t think it was a big deal. After two weeks it was still hurting. She finally went to the doctor. Her arm was broken. “I was trying to open the door, and I just didn’t catch it with my
chair and, so I tried to grab it with my arm and it just closed to where I couldn’t pull my arm out,” Funk said, a playwriting sophomore. “I couldn’t really reach the door with my other hand, and I was too nervous to move my chair with my arm in the door. I called a friend in a room down the hall. I was there for like two minutes.” Since May, Funk has been contacting different departments within the University by email to get an automatic door. Many of the emails from the University said they are working on it, but no evidence of tangible action until after Funk broke her arm was taken toward an automatic door, according to emails reviewed by The Cougar from Funk. In-person talks about Funk’s inability to open the door between her, Student Housing and Residential life and The Center for Students with DisABILITIES had been going on since she moved in, she said. The issue became public after Funk began a Twitter thread detailing the issue with her door. The tweets included a picture of her arm in a cast along with a video of her attempting to open the door. The thread quickly went viral within the UH community. “Two weeks ago, I was opening the door when it closed on my hand. I finally went to the doctor and found out that it was fractured,” one of the tweets said.
“I contacted the disability office, housing, and even @UHpres to try and make my room accessible. Up until I hurt myself, it was ‘too expensive.’ “ The main problem with getting Funk a new door was expense, according to emails between her and Director of Housing Operations and Outreach Kenny Mauk. “It was weird, because I have a friend who lives on the fourth floor there and she has an automatic door opener,” Funk said. “I asked if I could have the same thing and they said, ‘no we’re not doing that anymore. It’s too expensive.’ “ In one of the emails, Funk requested SHRL modify her door like her friend’s was modified. Mauk responded that SHRL no longer modifies doors in the way Funk requested due to cost. “Because of the significant cost student housing and residential life has opted to no longer approve modification requests such as the one you have mentioned,” Mauk said in an email to Funk. “We will work with you to determine if there is an accommodation we can provide.” Many solutions given to Funk not being able to open her door were the same: get the desk assistants to open the door for her. While, most of the time, this would work for getting in the door, getting out of her dorm was more difficult, because it was hard to explain.
“They didn’t really (accommodate me) my first year,” Funk said. “I could always go to the front desk and get someone to let me in, but when I’d call them to let me out they’d just get confused, because they don’t deal with lock-ins very often.” When she would tell the front desk staff about her problem opening her door, both to get in and out of her room, they would understand for that shift but often times didn’t seem to pass the message on to their replacements, Funk said. Finally, Funk emailed the most senior person she could think of at the University, President Renu Khator. Funk remembered President Renu Khator once said if students had a problem they could email her and would receive an answer within three days. When Funk emailed Khator’s office she received a response from Executive Director of Student Housing and Residential Life Don Yackley. “They kept telling me to be patient and to handle it on their level,” Funk said. “But I did that all last year, and nothing got done.” He emailed her the next day and told her he had meetings with UH Facilities, UH Access Control and the Fire Marshal’s Office. “The UH Lock shop is taking information from the discussion and will be following up with some options for me to review later this week (Friday at the latest) that we believe will be a solution,” said the first email between Yackley and Funk. “Once we get the identified options... we will finalize a solution and a plan to address your door, and I will communicate that with you what the plan is.” Throughout the conversations between the two, Yackley has kept Funk updated on the solutions they’recoming up with to make sure the door will work for her. One of the ideas was to get her a door that would open automatically, but only after she turns the handle and begins to pull on it. She told him that she does not think that will work because of the weight of the door. After a little under a month of communication, Yackley and
broken arm
Continues on page 4
Wednesday, November 13, 2019 | 3
iaN everett, EDITOR
thedaiLYCouGar.Com/NeWs
NeWs@thedaiLYCouGar.Com
nEWS i
Graduation
What’s next? alumni share their stories after graduation IAn EvERETT AuTuMn REnDALL
features editor assistaNt NeWs editor @iaNeverettuh @autumNreNdaLL
There may be no time as contradictory as graduating college. Students experience a cocktail of emotions, usually joy, elation and relief, and at the same time, fear, doubt and turmoil as many changes lie ahead. The University’s six-year graduation rate has passed 60 percent and graduates have an average salary of $51,600, according to the Department of Education. The Cougar reached out to alumni from all walks of life to ask them what they experienced after they finished college.
Courtney brown - Stayed at her job after graduation Courtney Brown graduated 2017 with a degree in business administration, and was surprised that it didn’t feel as life changing as she thought. “I thought I was going to go from school straight to the workforce, but I worked most through college,” Brown said. “I transitioned fairly seamlessly, with no time stuck in that ‘limbo’ I think others feel.” However, Brown didn’t begin
working in what she felt was her field right away, instead staying at the job she was already at. “My boss thought my degree was in sales,” Brown said. “I appreciated having employment right after college, but it was not my forever job.” She went from her job in sales to a temp job as she searched for work that suited her degree and passion, which was higher education. “Do not knock temp agencies,” Brown said. “They’re the reason I have my current job, which eventually became full time employment.” Brown said she wouldn’t have made it without her parents and her boyfriend being there to help, as well as her roommate, who all provided her with many forms of support, including financial. “They knew if they supported me or gave me money, they didn’t have to worry about me paying them back when I could,” Brown said. Brown used to work at Escape Room off Louisiana Street, but now works at the Welcome Center at UH and at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts downtown. “I really like where I am now,” Brown said. “I only feel like I’m reaching where I want to be now, so it definitely can take time.”
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AbOuT THE COuGAR the Cougar is published every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters and online everyday at thedailycougar. com. the Cougar is supported in part by student service fees. the first copy is free. additional copies cost 25 cents.
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ISSuE STAFF CLOSInG EDITORS
michael slaten morgan horst
Nam-My Lee uprooted his life to live in Dallas for a time. | Courtesy of nam-My Lee
nam-My Lee - job offer after college Nam-My Lee graduated from the University in 2015, with degrees in economics and accounting. He spent five years at the University and after graduation felt relieved. “I was pretty excited, and I was pretty burnt out,” Lee said. “I love college, that wasn’t the issue at all, but I was ready to move to the next stage of my life.” Part of that excitement was due to already having a job offer straight out of college as a data analyst at Exxon Mobil Corp., a job he still works at and saw him move around, including to Dallas. “I changed degrees a lot,” Lee said. “I interned at Texas Instruments as an engineer, I worked at The Daily Cougar as a news editor, so I got tons of experience, and that primarily got me where I was.” It took Lee about six months to feel normal again after graduation, partially due to moving for work, Lee said. “Moving out of your support system is difficult,” Lee said. “You’re leaving your friends, the structure of college, and I moved to an entirely different city, so I didn’t have access to that support at all.” The most important thing a graduating student could have is an open mind, Lee said. “It’s going to be kind of weird,” Lee said. “After graduation, it’s a wild ride, and you can end up in a lot of places, so keep an open mind to opportunities.”
Chris Gervasio - Graduate program
Courtney Brown found work through temp agencies after graduating until she was able to land a job in the field she wanted. | Ian Everett/The Cougar
713-743-5314
Chris Gervasio graduated from Bauer College in 2017 with an undergraduate degree, and in 2018 with his master’s in accounting, but he went through a direct program that funneled him into his postgraduate degree and considers
2018 his real graduation date. “I was paying graduate tuition, but for all purposes I was in an undergrad mindset still,” Gervasio said. While Gervasio had a job lined up, he took several months to focus on the Uniform Certified Public Accountant, or CPA, exams until he began working Oct. 2018.
COPY EDITInG
mason vasquez COvER
trevor Nolley
i
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, Coogtv 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, inter-cultural 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. CEnTER FOR STuDEnT MEDIA
Chris Gervasio had a job lined up after college. | Ian Everett/The Cougar
“I was worried about finding a job since my freshman year,” Gervasio said. “I was one of those weird kids trying to work jobs and get internships since day one.” Gervasio wants graduating students to understand that life continues after the degree and leaving college. “This wasn’t the end,” Gervasio said. “Graduation is just another milestone, the same way getting married, getting to the wedding ceremony, isn’t the end. The relationship keeps going and so does life.”
AFTER GRADuATIOn
Continues on page 4
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4 | Wednesday, November 13, 2019
NEWS ian everett, EDITOR
broken arm
Continued from page 2 Funk came to an agreement on a door that will open automatically from the inside and out without her ever having to pull on it. The solution came about four months after Funk emailed Mauk asking for the same thing and he told her it was too expensive. That was a week before Funk announced her arm was broken. Although Yackley was responding to the problem before Funk broke her arm, she still didn’t have a working door for her until Tuesday Nov. 12. In an email, Yackley said the reason for the continuous push back of the completion date, which was originally Oct. 25, was due to a delay in the arrival of parts for the door and a longer construction time than expected. The Cougar contacted the University about the incident, and they said UH cannot talk about the specific incident due to the Family
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS
Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, but could answer general questions. Installing an automatic door for a student’s dorm costs approximately $12,000, Yackley said. Since Funk’s tweet went viral, four new automatic doors are being installed in housing units at the University. The four do not include the automatic doors that will be installed in four American Disabilities Act units in The Quad set to open in August 2020, Yackley said. While Funk is relieved she and others will finally be getting a door they can open, she is still frustrated it was as difficult as it was. “Suddenly they could get doors for everyone,” Funk said. “My biggest issue is why did it take so long, and why did it take someone getting hurt to fix it?” She hopes this ordeal will make it easier for the next student with disabilities to get what they need. “I hope they listen to disabled
Deborah Okoro struggled to find work after college. | Courtesy of Deborah Okoro
after graduation
Continued from page 3
Deborah Okoro - Took time to find a job Deborah Okoro graduated in May 2019 with a degree in psychology, after following a typical four-year plan. However, her plans stalled when she couldn’t immediately find work after graduation. Okoro moved home to live with her parents to start searching for jobs but hopes to find a better living situation now that she has work. “I was waiting, waiting, and I felt like I had to go back to the drawing board,” Okoro said. Fortunately, she now works as a recruiter for healthcare jobs, a job she found in July, which she feels will propel her into another career in workforce solutions or HR. “I don’t know when I’ll find a normal state again,” Okoro said. “I feel like with all the pressure of looking for a good living situation,
it’s difficult.” Okoro had the support of her family, but at times their expectations made things more difficult, especially in regards to work, she said. “My mom was kind of pressuring me to get started and asking me what my plans were,” Okoro said. “It made me feel stressed.” Even with the uncertainty, Okoro wanted graduating students to feel proud of what they’ve achieved. “You don’t have to figure it out right now,” Okoro said. “Graduation is a huge accomplishment.”
NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
Funk’s thread garnered over 600 likes and 400 retweets and highlighted her interactions with UH. | Screenshot via Twitter
students when they say something’s not accessible,” Funk said. “Sometimes if it doesn’t affect
you, you don’t realize something’s not accessible. That’s why they really need to listen to us, because
grad schools was daunting, Tolle said. After trying out a few different jobs over the last couple of years, Tolle is back at the Graduate College of Social Work pursuing a master’s. “I knew that I wanted to do something along the lines of psychology or sociology or something, and I feel like I’m in the right place with social work,” Tolle said. Having an enormous amount of support from her friends and family has been a huge help in life, Tolle said. However, she said after graduation it gets harder to maintain friendships, as it takes more intentional effort to find time to spend with each other. “You may realize that there were some people you were only friends with out of convenience,” Tolle said. “That’s OK. It’s OK for your circle to narrow a bit. Hold the ones who are dear to you close. Tell them you love them.”
Tolle said in her experience there’s a societal pressure to follow a formula of finishing school, starting your career, getting married and then having children. However, she said life has a different path for everyone and each one is valid. “The world is changing and people don’t typically stay at jobs for 30-plus years anymore,” Tolle said. “Family can look like a lot of different things. There are a lot of directions your life can go.”
Brooke Tolle - Graduate school and a job Brooke Tolle graduated in December 2016 with a major in liberal studies and was in a bit of a haze for months afterward. She had enjoyed her time as an undergraduate student, but her next plan was to “get a job she didn’t hate” and figure out what she wanted to study in grad school. Narrowing down her options for
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Brooke Tolle balances grad school and work. | Ian Everett/The Cougar
Rodolfo Yamba - Pivoted to law school Rodolfo Yamba graduated in Spring 2019 with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and liberal studies. During his studies, Yamba initially wanted to go to physician assistant school, but in his last few months at UH he wanted a career change. Now, he’s preparing for the LSAT to head to law school. “Stay engaged, stay involved, do things that you want to do, not because you have to do it, and be OK with changing,” Yamba said as advice to future alumni. Yamba took a variety of courses related to services at UH — from food security, poverty alleviation, education, genocide and more. “I realized in everything that I’ve been doing the link was with people and understanding and advocating for them in these different areas,” Yamba said. He slowly began to realize that he wanted to do more at the intersection of health and humanities, which ignited his passion to attend law school.
we’re the ones who experience it every day.” news@thedailycougar.com
Rodolfo Yamba decided to pursue law school. | Courtesy of Rodolfo Yamba
“Always just know that you can always spin your experience to make it work for your quest and what you potentially want to do,” Yamba said. Some advice that Yamba said he’d give to future graduates would be to not be afraid of a gap year. In his experience, once you have a job there are no breaks in life. So, if you need to take some time and figure out what you want in life you should go for it. “You’re not failing,” Yamba said. “Not everybody needs to go work right out. Everybody’s capable of doing that.” Yamba also recommends to stay connected with your former professors and fellow students and to take use of the networking opportunity your undergraduate studies gave you. “Who knows, they might funnel you to a potential job opportunity that you may want to do,” Yamba said. news@thedailycougar.com
Wednesday, November 13, 2019 | 5
jhair romero, EDITOR
thedaiLYCouGar.Com/sports
SportS
sports@thedaiLYCouGar.Com
713-743-5303
Fighter in foCuS
profiLe
When Shamina Chang was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in July, ‘we didn’t know if I was going to die soon or if I was going to be able to survive.’ Her illness hasn’t kept her from her passion — Cougar Kendo.
AnDY YAnEz
seNior staff Writer @aYaNez_5
With the door propped open by a kendo stick, 30-year-old Shamina Chang walks through the threshold and into her safe haven. Entering, she takes a bow as a show of respect for the dojo, a tradition for all members of Cougar Kendo, and prepares to instruct the practice. Chang, who graduated from the University with a double major in psychology and philosophy with summa cum laude honors, founded Cougar Kendo in Fall 2008. She is also battling an aggressive form of stage II breast cancer.
uncertainty “We didn’t know if I was going to die soon or if I was going to be able to survive,” Chang said. Her diagnosis came in July after undergoing a slew of tests over three months. In total, she must endure six chemotherapy treatments with the goal that the tumor shrinks to a size where it can be surgically removed. Chang has already undergone four of the six chemotherapy sessions. “For each round, I have to deal with some fatigue, nausea and diarrhea,” Chang said. “I also lose 5 pounds each time and have to spend a lot of time trying to get it back before the next round.”
Each round of chemotherapy also comes with unique side effects. “For the first round, I also had things like some bone pain, I had a lot of mouth sores,” Chang said. “For this past one, my nose and gums are bleeding, and I have hot flashes every night, which is making it difficult to sleep.” Despite the toll chemotherapy is taking on Chang’s body, there has been progress. “The tumor was originally quite large, like 3-by-3 centimeters,” Chang said. “It is now too small to physically detect.” She will only have to take medication treatments for an additional year if all signs of cancer are gone. If not, chemotherapy must continue. Chang and her husband, Cougar Kendo head coach Mark Kerstein, don’t have health insurance to alleviate treatment costs. Her treatments are estimated to cost $95,000. “I did not have insurance in the past because I needed to pay for other things like bills and student loans,” Chang said. “I haven’t managed to pay my bills, so when I go to the hospital, I have to pay for some things upfront, and I get billed the rest.”
unexpected help To help pay her medical expenses, former members of
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LoneStar.edu/Mini-Mester
Much to her students delight, Shamina Chang continues to teach martial arts at Cougar Kendo, which she founded in 2008, despite the several bouts of chemotherapy and other treatments she has undergone. | Andy Yanez/The Cougar
Cougar Kendo set up a GoFundMe page for Chang that has already raised over $21,000 of the $200,000 goal. Many have thanked Chang for her impact by donating to the fundraiser, and she has been overwhelmed by the support. “I didn’t expect it at all,” Chang said. “I’ve been blown away. There have been people who have contacted me who might have been a part of Kendo for one practice or who I haven’t seen in years donating.” Despite her illness, Chang refuses to stop doing what she loves — teaching. “When you have cancer, some people hide that they have it,” Chang said, “but that was impossible for me. These people are a part of my life.” Chang’s response to her adversity has left those around her awestruck. “I found out she had cancer at the start of the semester, and it threw me off,” said Vice President of Cougar Kendo Tevin McNeil. “I didn’t think I would see her a lot anymore, but it was only for her first treatment. After that, she was
here for every practice, and she hasn’t just been standing around either.”
Inspiring her pupils Chang’s impact on others goes beyond leading Cougar Kendo in practices. “Shamina never stopped believing that I would become someone,” said Cougar Kendo instructor Rose Nguyen. “She continuously supported me in every decision I made, counseled me with indecisive decisions and inspired me to never give up. She told me over and over again to push through the pain and suffering.” Nguyen’s experiences with Chang are not exclusive. “Shamina really has a way of bringing out your inner you,” McNeil said. “My first semester, I was really shy, really nervous. When I was in armor, Shamina would tell me to give it my all. She told me to never back up. She drilled that into my personality.” Despite the outpouring of love and appreciation, she remains humble. “I had no idea that I’ve impacted so many people, honestly,” Chang
said. “I’m devoted to helping people. I’m always there for them, but they are always there for me. That’s the strength of doing something like kendo.”
‘She is a fighter’ Actions speak louder than words, and what Chang does every day amazes members of Cougar Kendo. “She continues to strive to be the best version of herself,” Nguyen said. “She pushes the people she cares for to do the same thing. People have expressed their gratitude regarding Kendo and Shamina’s impact on their lives.” Many involved with Cougar Kendo look at how Chang has handled her trials and tribulations and leave with motivation. “She inspired me to see my obstacles as stepping stones to becoming a better person instead of weights around my ankles,” Nguyen said. “Even with cancer, she continues to push herself. She does not see cancer as a weight but as a trial, which she will surmount. “She is a fighter, and she taught me how to be one, too.” sports@thedailycougar.com
6 | Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Sports jhair romero, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/sportS
Sports@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
713-743-5303
Mental health
Athletics partners with Talkspace to address mental health
The addition of Talkspace allows for student athletes to have around-the-clock access to trained mental health professionals | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar
Katrina Martinez
Assistant sports editor @katrinamtz124
College students often struggle through lack of sleep, test anxiety and stress from classes, but student athletes must also endure the added pressure of competing at one of the highest levels of their sport, maintaining their class loads and representing their university. As a way to improve the overall mental and physical well-being of student athletes, the University announced in October that it was partnering with Talkspace, an app that allows access to therapists through texting and video calling.
“I think it’s great,” said DeJuena Chizer, the senior associate athletics director for student athlete development. “We wanted to have an opportunity to reach our kids where they are, and Talkspace provides that platform that they need, and we’re glad to have this resource for our student athletes.” Talkspace allows patients to have direct contact with over 5,000 licensed and vetted therapists who are available to talk all day. This partnership was prompted by the Pow6rful Minds Campaign, which was started in 2017 by the American Athletic Conference
Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). The main objective of this campaign is to bring awareness to mental health issues and decrease the negative connotations that often stop student athletes from seeking help. The app is a great resource for athletes, said Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman in a news release. Athletes have to juggle a full schedule between classes, homework, practices and games, and Talkspace allows them to address any mental health issues as symptoms arise. “We are constantly striving for innovative ways to enhance our student athlete experience,” Pezman said. “The physical and mental health of our student athletes is our top priority.” Before Talkspace, UH Athletics hosted Let’s Talk with CAPS on Mondays for student athletes to attend when they needed it. These sessions will still be available to student athletes,
but Talkspace offers UH an opportunity to meet them in a place that’s easiest for them — on their phone. “People don’t have as many faceto-face conversations as they used to, and (Talkspace) aligns with that,” said soccer head coach Diego Bocanegra. “I think it’s less invasive at first, and I think it’s a good stepping stone to seeing someone in person.” For Bocanegra, mental health awareness has been integrated into how he runs his team. He relies on weekly staff meetings where they discuss how the athletes are doing on and off the field. “Our players know we have an open-door policy, and we have a great staff, whether it’s medical staff or one of the assistant coaches,” Bocanegra said. “We all have different relationships with our players, and depending on those relationships, it allows us to know our players really well.” Another added benefit to
Talkspace is the judgment-free zone it provides for student athletes. Conversations with therapists on the app are confidential and are covered under the same privacy laws as in-person therapy sessions. “Maybe texting and calling is the first step, but they can actually get that help and not feel bad about it or not feel that something is wrong with them,” Bocanegra said. In the end, the University is committed to student welfare, and Talkspace is yet another way for student athletes to take initiative with a sense of security and ensure their mental and physical health. “Talkspace is just a good way to hopefully take away the stigma, give them more avenues and more options to speak with health professionals,” Bocanegra said, “and then it’s a stepping stone to if they need to speak with somebody in person.” sports@thedailycougar.com
volleyball
Despite lower turnout than other sports, coaches, players, fans enjoy Fertitta Center atmosphere Andy Yanez
senior staff writer @ayanez_5
A cheer erupts from the stands of Fertitta Center. The Cougars huddle together, celebrate and quickly scatter across the court into defensive formation, awaiting the opposition’s serve. “Point, Houston!” shouts Jared Gogets, Houston’s public address announcer. Houston has had an impressive 2019, going on a seven-game conference win streak. On top of that, UH will finish above .500 in American Athletic Conference competition for the first time since 2013. Increased fan support usually follows success, but attendance has remained stagnant for most of the Cougars’ home games. The Cougars brought in an average of about 631 fans in their first season at Fertitta Center. In almost every home game, the attendance ranged between 500-
575 with few exceptions. Most recently, Houston brought in over 1,000 in its final home game of the season, a 3-2 loss to UConn. The average attendance in 2019 is an increase from years past when the team played in the Athletics/ Alumni Center, where they averaged only 439 people per game in 2016. There’s one difference, however. Fertitta Center holds 7,100. Plenty of seats are left to fill. Meanwhile, the men’s basketball team drew in 5,205 people for the exhibition game Saturday afternoon against Angelo State. Attendance at Fertitta Center has not been the best for the volleyball team, but players and fans alike enjoy the new atmosphere at games in the arena. “Home’s always great, especially at the Fertitta,” said senior outside hitter Megan Duncan, who was on the team during its days at the Athletics Center. “It has a homey kind of feel. It’s only us in here. All
Crowds garnered praise from head coach David Rehr, who said, “I love what our crowds have done.” | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar
eyes are on us. We can perform to the best of our abilities here.” Duncan is not alone when describing the unique vibe at home games. “It’s not comparable to other sports. There are a lot of families here and a lot of high school students looking at these players as role models,” said alumna Leen Basharat. “A lot of people here know volleyball, which makes it super spirited. It’s live. Super competitive.” When compared to other AAC schools, attendance at UH is on par with other programs, according to the athletics department. Marketing budgets for each sport are determined before the season begins and are based on the number of home games teams have. The athletics department uses social media, emails to students and fans and printed
advertising as its main forms of promotion. However, views on how to boost attendance numbers differ. “You see (advertisements for games) around campus occasionally,” Duncan said, “but maybe they need to be broadcasted a little more.” Others believe the on-court product is what will get more people to show up to games. “For the most part, I love what our crowds have done,” said head coach David Rehr. “I think the biggest thing is if we win games, people will come.” The crowds at games have a big impact on the action on the court. When the energy slacks, team staff takes notice. For instance, after a Houston loss to Tulane, Rehr reflected on the atmosphere at Fertitta Center.
“Today was kind of flat,” Rehr said. “I don’t know why,” The attendance for that game was 454, the lowest all season for the Cougars against AAC competition. Regardless of the sport, UH depends on students to fill the stands because they are more likely to be emotionally invested. Edwin Mascorro, a public relations senior and UH superfan known to attend a great deal of the Cougars’ sporting events across all teams, agrees more fans should attend. “At the end of the day, we have our peers that are wearing Houston across their chest, and they are representing our brand,” he said. “People should come out and cheer for them.” sports@thedailycougar.com
Wednesday, November 13, 2019 | 7
opinion Maryam baldawi, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION
OPINION@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
713-743-5304
staff ed
Staff editorial: More time was needed to advertise the Homecoming Concert to students
Yung Deuce, Yung Me and Mike Jones perform at the last Homecoming Concert in 2017. Low attendance at these concerts is due to the University not signing their approval sooner. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar
The cougar staff Waka Flocka Flame will take the stage at Lynn Eusan Park on Thursday as the highlight event for this year’s homecoming week. The problem is, students had only three days’ notice as to who the headline performer was going to be. That makes it tough for students to plan to attend or even simply drum up interest that a major artist is coming to campus to
perform a free concert. Before a major event like this can be advertised, the University has to sign off on everything and give approval. Normal events put on by various departments within the University usually have several weeks of advertising, while a well-known artist being paid tens of thousands of dollars gets only three days. That doesn’t seem right. These concerts help build
tradition at the University and get students to come together before everyone’s finals come around and many go home for winter break. There was no Homecoming Concert last year because the Student Fees Advisory Committee, which funds these events and organizations like The Cougar, chose not to allocate funding, citing low attendance. But this isn’t fair to the organizations responsible for
upping attendance numbers. It’s on the University to get these performances finalized sooner so the student organizations that plan these events can do their job getting as many people to attend as possible. Come post-Homecoming, if the concert doesn’t have many attendees, that’s on the University. It won’t be the failure of the student organization hosting these events. There needed to be more time to
get the word out that Flame was coming. Getting these major deals worked out does take time, but big money is going into these concerts, and the University should hustle to get everything figured out. As for students, we encourage you to consider staying late on Thursday to check out Flame. His show is said to be fun for students. editor@thedailycougar.com
enrollment
UHin4 underclassmen shouldn’t get priority over upperclassmen rachel reynolds
opinion columnist
Class registration for students who aren’t in UHin4 or don’t have priority enrollment finally opened up Nov. 8. Already, most of the classes are either full or require students to get on the waitlist. I personally have a frustration with registering for classes every year because I’m not in UHin4. The program creates major enrollment problems. Every semester is the same. I watch everyone else register for their classes a week before my registration opens up. Then, all the classes I need are either full or waitlisted, forcing me to defer taking them for another semester or take a majority of
classes online. It seems like almost everyone is in UHin4 and that there’s a disproportionate amount of people. Those at the UHin4 office were contacted to find out just how many people are in the program, but they have yet to provide an answer, stating they are trying to get an answer from their communications director. If there are too many people in the program, that means those not in the program are put at a serious disadvantage. The purpose behind UHin4 is supposed to be to help ensure students graduate in four years, but the program isn’t doing a very good job of focusing on the people who actually need the help
finishing up their degree. “Those in the programs are helped exceptionally, and those who get left behind are left behind,” said electrical power engineering senior Yousuf Rashid. Having been at UH for more than four years, Rashid said since he’s not in UHin4, getting into the classes he needs is nearly impossible. Many students are left trying to find solutions in time to take the classes they need to graduate. “My plan is to figure out a way to get into the class by emailing the professor and getting approval,” said public relations junior Maia Mendoza. “If I don’t get into this class, I might have to take another semester, which will put me
behind in graduating.” Mendoza also said sometimes students in UHin4 will enroll in classes to hold a spot for friends until their enrollment time opens. UH needs to pay more attention to students who have been here longer than four years. The University has been so focused on getting incoming students on the right track to graduate on time that they have neglected having better class availability for upperclassmen. UH has many students who have been at the University for well over four years, oftentimes six or seven years. These are the people who need priority enrollment, not those who signed up for UHin4 at orientation simply because it was
made available to them. Enrollment for freshmen through seniors who do not have priority opened a full week after enrollment for UHin4 students opened up. Because of this, building the ideal class schedule this year will involve a lot of schedule rearranging and checking the Coursicle app, which tracks and notifies students of open seating in classes. For some students, class registration might even mean adding another semester to their already-long degree path. Opinion writer Rachel Reynolds is a liberal studies junior and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com
8 | Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Opinion Maryam baldawi, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION
713-743-5304
OPINION@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
state
The case for a high-speed railway in Texas
Editorial Board editor in chief
Michael Slaten managing editor
Morgan Horst
creative director
Jiselle Santos News editor
McKenzie Misiaszek
features editor
Ian Everett
sports editor
Jhair Romero photo editor
Trevor Nolley opinion editor
Maryam Baldawi assistant editors
Kathryn Lenihan Autumn Rendall Juana Garcia Santiago Gaughan Katrina Martinez
Chief Copy Editor
Mason Vasquez
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.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Bullet trains, like those in Japan, decrease travel time and can be implemented in Houston and throughout Texas. | Courtesy of ion66 via Wikimedia Commons
drew jones
opinion columnist
Last year, 3,642 people died on Texas roads. In Houston, 640 people die every year in traffic, which is the highest among the largest metropolitan areas in the country. Drug and alcohol-related crashes are the highest per capita of any city, and a study of traffic data from the Houston Chronicle showed the numbers are only getting worse. It’s past time for the city to act, and the path to a solution starts with getting cars off the roads. It’s no secret Houston needs more mass-transit options. Drivers spend nearly 75 hours stuck in traffic each year, wasting $1,400 in time and fuel, according to a report from Texas A&M University. Car dominance is bad for the environment. Emissions from vehicles contribute to smog and soot that leads to poor health outcomes, and the CO2 from millions of cars’ exhausts on
the road worsens the effects of climate change. A high-speed rail system would be a game changer for Texas. Not only would it move millions of people across the state, it would connect cities as a means of sharing talent, opportunities and innovation heading into the future. Texas Central has set out to create a high-speed rail line that will connect Houston to North Texas, a corridor with a distance of 240 miles. Inspired by the Shinkansen trains in Japan, the rail system would connect two of the fastest growing economies in the state and lower the drive time from Houston to Dallas to 90 minutes. The success of Japan’s system offers an insight into what’s possible. In 1964, the Shinkansen Bullet Train was unveiled. The initial rail covered a distance of 320 miles, connecting Tokyo to Osaka. The trains could reach speeds close to 140 mph. Today, the bullet train moves
nearly half a million people per day through thousands of miles of track. With hundreds of trains that crisscross the country, Japanese cities have become a network of commerce and opportunity. Any talk of large construction projects in the state is bound to be met with skepticism because of the competing interests of lawmakers, tax payers and land owners. The creators of the Shinkansen believed in the vision for the project, and today it’s seen as a shining example of what can be accomplished through dedication and persistence. Our leaders should feel empowered to show the same amount of commitment. The numbers are clear: the Texas Bullet Train would take 14,630 vehicles off the road per day on Interstate 45, save 81.5 million gallons of gasoline and, being 100 percent electric, the environmental impact would be immeasurably low.
Over 10,000 jobs per year are expected to be created during the train’s construction in the next couple decades, with $36 billion of revenue going into the Texas economy. The populations of the areas along the projected route are expected to double by 2035, so the time is now for bold, forward-thinking solutions. A functional high-speed rail system would make Houston stronger, safer and an environmental leader heading into the future. If the city is going to be successful in the 21st century, improving connectivity is a great way to start. Houston has always been known as a boomtown, and with the glory days of the oil industry in the past, the new road to prosperity is going to be built using mass transportation. Drew Jones is a print journalism senior and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com
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.
GUEST COMMENTARY Submissions are accepted from any member of the UH community and must be signed with the author’s name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Commentary should be limited to 500 words. Guest commentaries should not be written as replies, but rather should present independent points of view. Deliver submissions to N221, University Center; e-mail them to letters@ thedailycougar.com; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.
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