Issue 19, Volume 85

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Wednesday, February 5, 2020 Issue 19 Volume 85

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Stressed Out? Most students nationwide say academics are difficult to handle. What can they do to quell the pressure? | PG. 2

News

sports

Opinion

In the Jim Crow era, UH was a white school. Despite improvement, some say it still needs work. | PG. 3

Everybody knows Kelvin Sampson, but not many are aware of his son, Kellen, UH’s head coach-in-waiting. | PG. 5

It’s a sad time to be a Cougar after UH’s failure to stand up for the little guy and defend the Quad workers. | PG. 8

2 | Wednesday, February 5, 2020

NEWS

ian everett, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

@thedailycougar

news

Academic pressure from family, society takes toll on students Higher-perceived education-related stress can lead to lower achievement, finds International Journal of Adolesecence and Youth

The American College Health Association found that 51.2 percent of the students they surveyed felt that their academics were difficult to handle within the previous twelve months. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

cristobella durette

staff writer @crist0bella

Joel Phillips has experienced academic pressure his entire educational career.

The Management Information Systems junior attends UH on a scholarship that necessitates maintaining a high GPA, pushing him to do well in his classes to continue receiving funds.

While Phillips cites the source of his stress as internal, the effects of the academic pressure he experiences have manifested externally.

“Academic pressure has caused me to feel a lot of stress over my time in college,” Phillips said. “I have lost sleep, lost productivity, and I frequently forget to eat when I have deadlines coming up.”

Phillips is not alone in this experience.

The American College Health Association found 51.2 percent of the students it surveyed felt that their academics were difficult to handle within the previous twelve months.

Potential Impact Academic pressure is formally defined as an experience in which a student is burdened by the demands of time and energy to achieve specific academic goals. This stress can come from a variety of potential sources and have a myriad of impacts on students both emotionally and academically.

“Academic pressure could be self-imposed, family imposed or imposed by society,” LAUNCH Academic Counselor Laura Heidel said. “Academic pressure

can be a positive force, causing the student to want to do well, or it could be a negative force, causing the student to have anxiety while studying, concentration problems or test anxiety.”

Students in college who experience higher-perceived academic-related stress are more likely to have lower academic achievement, according to the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth.

Phillips has personally experienced a negative impact on his academic performance due to the stress of academic pressure.

“Freshman year I wasn’t good at handling stress, and it ended up causing me to do worse in all of my classes because I put too much effort into the class that is stressing me out the most,” Phillips said. “My grades freshman year weren’t as high as I wanted because I hadn’t learned to break my tasks up into smaller segments yet.”

Developing healthy lifestyle habits such as getting enough

sleep, exercise and good nutrition can help students handle their academic pressure, Heidel said.

“If you put these positive inputs into your body, you will have better outputs: concentration, memory improvement and lower stress,” Heidel said.

For Phillips, he manages his academic pressure through physical activity and tutoring.

“My favorite way to deal with academic stress is to go to the rec,” Phillips said. “Being able to channel my mental stress into physical exertion has always been best for me. I have made use of academic tutoring in the past to deal with academic pressure as well.”

Surviving the Strain Students struggling to manage academic pressure can find support through on-campus resources.

Learning Advancements for Undergraduate Cougars of Houston is a resource offered by the Undergraduate Success

Center that provides peer tutoring for over 100 courses, success workshops and individual academic counseling.

“Our drop-in tutoring and group tutoring programs should help build confidence in a subject,” Heidel said. “More confidence about content and learning strategies should lead to a decrease in academic pressure.”

Counseling and Psychological Services is also a resource for students who have experienced detrimental effects to their mental health from academic pressure.

Phillips recommends that students who are going through similar struggles take the time to find studying and coping strategies that work best for them.

“If you are a freshman and haven’t found out what works for you in college yet, don’t stress,” Phillips said. “Through trial and error, you will find the way that you deal with stress best.” news@thedailycougar.com

Wednesday, February 5, 2020 | 3 ian everett, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

NEWS

@thedailycougar

campus

Black History Month showcases University history, student experiences Sydney rose

assistant news editor @sydneyrose1029

When the University was established, if black students applied to UH they were referred to Texas Southern University.

UH was designated as the white school and TSU was the black school, both of which had started as junior colleges.

For 35 years, UH did not enroll black students.

It was in June 1962 when the University welcomed the first African American student, Charles Rhinehart.

While the inclusion has continued to grow, some believe UH still fails to uplift the black community on campus.

“It’s very clear to see that regardless of how much the school claims to love and accept the diversity that it has, the institution is very weighed against the black population,” communication sciences and disorders senior Yvonne Taboh said. “The neglect is genuinely disheartening.”

To remember and reflect on the movements and actions of those who came before, Taboh describes her celebration of Black History Month as a learning experience from before her time.

“I believe that celebrating the accomplishments of the many things black individuals have contributed to today’s society shouldn’t be confined to just a month,” Taboh said. “Black History Month is a step forward in the million steps we have to take in recognizing the amount of work that African Americans have put into building America.”

The start of UH’s black history on campus began even before non-white students were allowed to enroll.

Andrew Joseph Pegoda, a professor of Women’s Studies at the University, wrote for the Houston History Magazine that it was at least 1956 when black Americans wrote to UH requesting admission.

In Pegoda’s thesis, it’s mentioned that the only reason the University considered desegregation was due to financial troubles and the amount of debt UH was in while still being a private institution.

Demographics, as well as circumstances, have had a serious turnaround since that time, as told by some current students.

“I usually celebrate (Black History Month) with my family,” finance senior Eric Rowe said.

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Lynn Eusan cries at the Astrodome upon hearing she was chosen as homecoming queen. Eusan was the first-ever African-American selected for this accolade at UH. | 1969 Houstonian

“We’ll get together and just talk about it, and I’ll read some articles to educate myself on some of the black history as well.”

The first impression of the black community on campus Rowe had was Greek life and the historically black fraternities and sororities.

The University is home to Greek chapters involved in the National Pan-Hellenic Council that is comprised of nine historically African American and international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities sometimes referred to as the “Divine Nine” originally formed at Howard University.

There are other organizations at the University that are considered historically black such as the Black Student Union and the Nigerian Students Association.

“Being a part of organizations such as (NSA) has been the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” said Taboh, who is also president of NSA. “However, as the years have progressed, I began to notice the neglect of proper recognition and celebration of cultures that make this the second most diverse school in the nation, as they like to enunciate constantly.”

Taboh, who identifies as black and African, said there can be some disparities in how people identify themselves among black Americans, African Americans and Africans, but she has a Pan-African mindset and believes in the power of unity of the black race.

In 1968, Lynn Eusan became the first black homecoming queen crowned at the University.

Eusan was not just the first black homecoming queen at UH, but in the South in general, which Taboh said she recently learned.

Identities in the black community on campus are varied among students. Public health junior Jlyn Carpio-Paez said she tells people she is Hispanic when asked about her ethnicity.

“I used to explain to (these people) that my parents are from the Dominican Republic and that Dominicans come in all shades,” Carpio-Paez said. “It hasn’t affected my college experience negatively, if anything, college students are more aware that AfroLatinos exist.”

There are other organizations on campus that cover this spread of diversity such as the Caribbean Students Organization and the

Society of Afro-Latino Students in America.

SALSA president LeGbara Gbaanador said SALSA has many events in the works to celebrate this month.

“SALSA has opened my eyes to how well people can connect regardless of racial or cultural differences,” Gbaanador, a computer engineering junior, said.

Afro-Latinos are underrepresented in UH, CarpioPaez said. She feels as SALSA and representation was something she did not realize she needed until she actually experienced it.

While most UH civil rights milestones happened in the 1960s, like integrating the athletic teams in 1964, one of the more recent milestones happened in 2018 when African American studies was declared a major.

African American studies as a program was added in 1969 as a response to student protest.

Director of African American studies James Conyers told The Cougar that while the major was approved in December 2018, the

black history

Continues on page 4

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4 | Wednesday, February 5, 2020

news

IAN EVERETT, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

@THEDAILYCOUGAR

OrGaniZatiOns

Filipino student community embraces ‘huge diversity’ at UH Ian EVERETT

FEATURES EDITOR @IANEVERETTUH

UH exists in one of the most global cities and as one of the most diverse universities in the nation.

The Filipino community within the University reflects that reality.

This community is comprised of a mosaic of dialects and culture made up of people who know how to adapt and share their values with outsiders.

“As Filipinos, you assume it’s one culture, but in reality, there’s a huge diversity in that one community,” said business freshman Angela Villaruel. “That’s beautiful.”

Filipino students at UH can find a vibrant community that shares their background, even if they feel like they’re losing their sense of identity.

Villaruel speaks Tagalog, one of the largest dialects among over 150 in the Philippines. She wasn’t born in the Philippines but lived her early, language-forming years there.

Her siblings don’t speak Tagalog because they were born in America and never had the chance to live in the language as she did, Villaruel said.

Villaruel didn’t have the chance to use Tagalog often in her daily

life and most Filipinos she knew spoke English or another dialect.

Richard Nigos, a chemistry junior who grew up in Cavite near Manila in the Philippines, said he predominantly speaks English except when he talks with his parents.

Speaking Tagalog was less useful in Houston than Spanish or Vietnamese, Nigos said, but meeting another Filipino was “special.”

being bilingual Psychology sophomore Sofia Nicole Lumbo speaks Tagalog fluently but finds her thoughts are mostly English now.

“I woke up once and was thinking in Tagalog,” Lumbo said.

“That was really weird for me.”

Lumbo’s parents reinforced speaking Tagalog and showing her Tagalog in media, Lumbo said, and she had no difficulty learning English by living in America.

“It’s not hard if you’re exposed to the other language a lot,” Lumbo said.

A teacher asked Villaruel in preschool what her favorite fruit was, and she said “mangga,” which is the Filipino word for mango, confusing the teacher and herself

in the process.

“I didn’t know there was another word for the fruit,” Villaruel said.

“It was always called mangga to me.”

Different meanings Keri Isabel Semilla, a public health sophomore, was born on an island called Cebu in the Philippines. She speaks a dialect of the Filipino language called Bisaya, specifically Cebuano, which can cause minor issues when speaking with other Filipinos.

“I definitely can’t respond as quickly and there are references I can’t catch because I don’t actually speak (Tagalog),” Semilla said.

“I can’t make the same quality of jokes I could make if I was speaking Bisaya.”

Semilla moved from the Philippines when she was 2 years old and grew up near Brownsville at the border, where a community of Filipinos that speak Bisaya have gathered into a “mini-Philipines,” she says.

However, Semilla said she was happy to find a community at UH in the Filipino Student Association, as she felt she’d lost touch with Filipino culture.

The Filipino Student Association often puts on cultural dances. | file Photo

“Open and welcoming” The Filipino Student Association is dedicated to promoting Filipino culture through performances, demonstrations and social gatherings.

UH’s chapter of FSA participates in an annual event called The GoodPhil Games, put on by the Southern Collegiate Filipino Alliance, where students compete in dance and a two-day sports tournament.

“You get to hang out with people from your culture, and promote that culture to people that don’t know about it,” Nigos said.

FSA is also open to non-Filipino

members interested in learning more about the culture.

“FSA is very open and welcoming,” Lumbo said. “They want to bring people in.”

Semilla said FSA was “everything” for her because she has found a place where she could embrace her culture without feeling embarrassed.

“Even though I miss my mom and my dad, and my family in the valley, and in the Philippines,” Semilla said in Bisaya, “coming to Houston I found people I love because I chose them and they chose me.” news@thedailycougar.com

blacK hISTORy

Continued from page 3 first graduate of the program came in Spring 2019.

Black history on campus can be traced to former University president Marguerite Ross Barnett as well. She made leaps of progression in being the first woman and the first black president of the University and left her mark nationally by becoming the first black president of any major American university before her death in 1992.

The month of February as a whole can be celebrated in different ways for each student.

Students such as Rowe tend to lean toward talking about relevant topics with friends and family, while students such as Taboh take the time to attend the cultural events when the campus offers them.

“Black History Month is a time to acknowledge and praise how we as a people have overcome and continue to battle unjustified adversities,” Carpio-Paez said.

“February is just a month, but a black person is black every day. We are still faced with prejudice, but it would be an injustice to those who came before if we chose to settle for less than what they fought for.” news@thedailycougar.com

From being considered the ‘white school’ during a time of segregation to becoming one of the most diverse universities in the country, UH has changed in many ways to promote inclusion and diversity. | Jiselle Santos/The cougar

Wednesday, February 5, 2020 | 5 JHAIR ROMERO, EDITOR

men’s BasKetBaLL

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

spOrts

@THECOUGARSPORTS

‘Everybody loves Kellen’

The story behind houston’s other Sampson

Kellen Sampson, UH’s head coach-in-waiting, began coaching in 2007 shortly after his playing career at Oklahoma ended, spending time with the Sooners and Indiana as a graduate assistant and at Stephen F. Austin and Appalachian State as an assistant. | Kathryn lenihan/The cougar

A few minutes pass since practice officially ended for the Cougars the Friday before Houston’s win over USF. Head coach Kelvin Sampson finishes meeting with media and has left the court floor of Fertitta Center.

Some players remain on the hardwood, getting in a few extra shots and others are working on drills.

Off the seats of an empty arena, a voice echoes throughout the concourse. At times it screams encouragements, other moments it taunts a player for not defending well during a drill, and somehow in between, a Fortnite reference gets thrown in.

The voice belongs to one of the Houston assistant coaches, Kellen Sampson, Kelvin’s son who has been with the program since 2014.

While Kellen, and all the assistant coaches, may often be overshadowed by Kelvin on game days, the 2006-07 Oklahoma team leader in 3-point percentage has carved out his own mark with the program and a lot of it can be found with the players.

“That’s my guy,” sophomore guard Nate Hinton said.

Kellen’s biggest strength, according to his dad, is his personality.

“Kellen’s got two things going for him,” Kelvin said. “One, he is incredibly smart, and two, his energy and his passion is

contagious, and he has a way of drawing people to him.

“Everybody loves Kellen.”

A big factor why Kellen is beloved by Houston’s players is because he takes the time to get to know the people behind the athletes.

“Just the daily relationship with us, it’s bigger than just on the court,” Hinton said. “Off the court, we talk about academics and making sure I’m straight mentally and stuff like that. Making sure I’m becoming a better person all around, our relationship is very deep.”

Those words are not just to flatter the assistant coach either.

There is a reason why Kellen has a lot of success recruiting players, and why he is able to get players, like Hinton, to commit to Houston before they even step foot on campus.

“It starts with honesty. It starts with being genuine,” Kellen said. “You got to build that trust ... You got to be vulnerable.”

Kellen is a huge reason why Houston has been able to convince some big-time athletes to join the program.

“If it wasn’t for Kellen, we wouldn’t have got Caleb Mills,” Kelvin said. “We wouldn’t have gotten Nate Hinton. We wouldn’t have gotten Devin Davis.”

Of course, another big reason the players Kelvin listed chose to join Houston has to do with the success Courtesy of UH athleti cs

anDy yanEZ

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @AYANEZ_5

of the program the past few years.

Banners are a big recruiting tool too, which the head coach made sure to point out.

The Cougars have made it into the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons, and could well be on their way for a third-straight appearance in 2020, and Kellen has played an integral part on the technical side as well.

“He’s as good as (anyone) I’ve ever had at developing kids,” Kelvin said. “From 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. he is in this gym. This program is not dependent on five stars and one-and-done’s, it depends on developing players.”

Kellen can be found many times before or after practice just working on one-on-one sessions with players, which is a key role in

developing them.

“He takes that time with individual players,” Hinton said.

“He has the energy, just trying to get (the players) better. He wants everyone to get better, everything is detailed oriented, it is planned and has a purpose.”

For Kellen, the reason behind working all the extra hours with the players is simple.

“It’s our mantra,” Kellen said. “If they walk through the doors two, three or four stars (recruits), it’s our job to make them five stars. We have to bridge that gap.”

Every now and then, however, Kellen takes a step back and reflects on his dynamic with his father, who just happens to be a high-level head coach.

“I’m blown away every single day just how good he is at his job,” Kellen said.

“How much of a blessing it is for a young assistant coach to learn from him every day. He has such a clear unmistakable identity for what this program needs to be.”

Once the games end and the lights go off, however, Kellen also takes time to just be a son.

“We get to have a lot of cool moments,” Kellen said. “After a big road win, that’s something you can’t duplicate ... The fact that my mom gets to come on a lot of road trips, too, those are the moments 10, 15, 20 years from now I think I will miss the most.”

Luckily for Kellen, who was named head coach-in-waiting for the Cougars in April 2019 after inking a three-year deal with UH, those moments will continue even after his dad retires and he takes the program over.

Kelvin, who signed a 6-year extension worth $18 million around the same time as his son, has constantly offered advice to Houston’s future head coach.

“Don’t sacrifice your bottom line for anything,” Kellen said. “There’s a lot of adjustments that you’re gonna make as a college coach, but you yourself have some non-negotiable’s as a person. You yourself have a bottom line.

“Don’t ever negotiate that.” sports@thedailycougar.com

6 | Wednesday, February 5, 2020

spOrts

JHAIR ROMERO, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

@THECOUGARSPORTS

sOFtBaLL

Pressure is on

Kristin Vesely isn’t fazed by Houston’s ambitious 2020 goals heading into the new season Jala MaSOn

STAFF WRITER

@MASONJALA

Head coach Kristin Vesely has successfully led the Cougars to three consecutive 30-win campaigns after hovering around .500 the two seasons before and has turned UH into a competitive force.

With multiple votes in preseason polls, like USA Today/ NFCA Coaches and the USA Softball/ ESPN.com, and the win totals increasing each year, Vesely has no plans on slowing down.

Every year brings new challenges and with the team set to compete in the Houston Invitational on Friday, Vesely is prepared to start the marathon again.

new year mindset Going into each season with winning on her mind, Vesely focuses a lot on managing her resources.

“We make sure that we’re using our personnel adequately and to their strengths to see how many adjustments we have to make to win more ball games,” Vesely said on her approach to new seasons.

Houston has become a nationally recognized program, reaching the NCAA Tournament in back-toback years, but getting it there was not a simple task.

“It took a lot of restructuring and getting

the right kind of personnel in here,” Vesely said. “We get a lot of support from the community and our diamond club, which has really helped improve our facilities and land top recruits.”

The constant drive to improve seems to be the motto for the Cougars this season, especially after the groundwork laid by the 2019 graduating class.

“The footprint (was) laid by our senior class last year,” Vesely said. “As long as we’re continuing to get top players, we can do our best to coach and continue to be competitive and get better every year.”

With the increasing success of the

Head coach Kristin Vesely, entering her fourth year at the helms, has led the Cougars to three 30-win campaigns in as many seasons. | Photos by Katrina Martinez/The cougar

program, all eyes are on Houston to continue the trend into its upcoming season, but the pressure does not faze Vesely.

“It’s not pressure.

It’s more of a challenge and excitement,” Vesely said. “The girls actually set the goals for us, and we just coach according to that.”

As for the new season, the goal for the players is straightforward.

“They’ve said 40 wins, which would be one more than last year,” Vesely said. “I think with our talent level, we should be able to achieve that.”

postseason each year, and we strive to get further each year.”

As for the future of the team, it continues to develop.

“You can just tell the culture is growing, and I don’t see it stopping any time soon,” James said.

Senior outfielder Lindsey Stewart feels the same way about the capabilities of the team and has her sights set on the ultimate goal.

“We’ve gone to regionals, then to the finals,” Stewart said. “This year, we’re going to take the

whole thing.”

While the extensive practices, top recruits and competitive mindsets are all important aspects of making up a successful program, the component Vesely values the most is simple.

“Find the kids that want to be here, that want to be in this city, that want to be in this program,” she said. “As soon as you get those type of kids, the program is going to elevate.” sports@thedailycougar.com

Program builder Vesely’s go-getter spirit has inspired the attitude of her team.

Senior infielder Arielle James began her career with Houston as a freshman and has witnessed the program’s evolution over the course of her three years on the team. She now prepares for her final collegiate season.

“I think we’ve grown immensely,” James said. “I would say the culture of this team has become more competitive each year. We’ve gone further in the

Many of Vesely’s players believe the Cougars can build on last season, even having the potential to reach 40 wins.

Wednesday, February 5, 2020 | 7

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker August 22, 2018

ACROSS 1 Infamous standoff site 5 Preceded (with “to”) 10 Famous wise men 14 Letters of urgency 15 Make up for 16 Heaven on earth 17 Gala treats 20 Howling carnivore 21 “Little Red Book” readers 22 Cut in porcelain 25 Country near the equator 26 Rascally young’un 29 Small amphibian 31 Type of angel 35 “... snow ___ rain ...”

36 A Muppet 38 Pentathlon weapon 39 Hearty breakfast, for some 43 Ex-St. Louis pros 44 “Kama ___” (love manual) 45 Drink freshener 46 Next-to-last state 49 Sneak a look 50 Comfy place

8/22

51 Hill builders 53 Gardening tool 55 Dressed for changing weather 58 Icon 62 Asian condiment 65 Middle East governor 66 Open, as a cage 67 Racehorses with long odds 68 Physiques, informally 69 Photo finish 70 “Darn!” alternative DOWN 1 Common load 2 With a gray face 3 C/O word 4 Think out loud 5 Place for a computer 6 Et al. kin 7 Ruin or ruination 8 Open with a twist 9 Tea varieties 10 Like doses 11 Collier entrance 12 Salon goops 13 Advantages, politically 18 Entangled, as hair

19 Become exhausted 23 Apple discard 24 Puts up, as a portrait 26 Prefix with “red” 27 Standing upright?

28 “The ___ Ballerina” (Degas) 30 Seek buried treasure 32 Insect born pregnant 33 U-turn from war 34 Super masculine ones 37 Lab compound 40 Trying ones?

41 Length x width 42 Mouth dabber

47 Had down, as facts 48 Hotel lobby, often 52 Medicinal plant 54 Alter, as writing 55 Swank ride, briefly 56 Etching substance 57 Money destroys it 59 Culture advancer 60 Infatuated with (with “over”) 61 Old “while” start 62 Fighter in gray 63 Wine container, big-time 64 Angry feeling

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

8/21 © 2018 Andrews McMeel Syndication www.upuzzles.com

FIRST CHINESE DISH By Timothy E. Parker

8 | Wednesday, February 5, 2020 Santiago gaughan, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION

OPINION

@theDAILYCOUGAR

campus

UH’s failure to act is for Quad workers is embarrassing and shameful

Editorial Board editor in chief

Michael Slaten managing editor

Katrina Martinez creative director

Jiselle Santos News editor

Autumn Rendall features editor

Ian Everett

Chief Copy Editor

Mason Vasquez

sports editor

Jhair Romero photo editor

Kathryn Lenihan opinion editor

Santiago Gaughan assistant editors

Juana Garcia Donna Keeya Sydney Rose Lino Sandil Andy Yanez

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

Workers, students and professors gather to protest on campus for unpaid wages that eight construction workers have filed a complaint about. The workers say they were not being paid at least $43,000 from 2019 while working on the Quad Replacement project. | Lino Sandil/The Cougar

kyle dishongh

opinion columnist

Construction on the new dorms is well underway.

However, a serious problem has come into the public eye.

Workers are not being paid and they are not taking it sitting down anymore.

On Jan. 23 construction workers held a protest on campus demanding payment of the $43,000 in wages they were underpaid while working in 2019 on the Quad Replacement Project. While it is good students, faculty and workers are taking a stand, the indifference from the administration is alarming.

This shows a lack of care, whether intentional or not, toward the workers they have contracted.

Several contractors working on the new dorms filed complaints about not receiving wages in November of last year.

This resulted in a small group of protesters to attend the UH System Board of Regents meeting that month where they

were eventually escorted out.

The most important leaders on campus were made well aware of this issue long ago.

Both of these protests involved the Workers Defense Project whose mission is to aid mistreated workers. It would be difficult to overstate how important and admirable their work has been in the last few years for workers.

In response to the outcry, the University issued a statement about the matter. They said Austin Commercial was the contractor employed by UH over the Quad Replacement Project and the University found no “identified no irregularities regarding prevailing labor rates and no issues on the part of UH” and would not take any further action.

The statement also suggests workers are better off talking to the Texas Workforce Commission or the U.S Department of Labor.

This blatant blame-shifting is just shy of the worst

response UH could have given.

Regardless of whether or not the University is responsible for this fiasco, their outright refusal to do anything to even mediate the situation comes off as a complete disregard for the well-being of employees on their campus.

The Workers Defense Project said in a tweet Texas’ prevailing wage statute covers their complaints and UH has not talked to the workers. The fact that they’ve refused to aid in any way, either by acting as a mediator in this situation or even meeting with the WDP and their representatives, is abysmal behavior on the school’s part.

This situation has gotten so bad that it has drawn the attention of Elizabeth Warren, former UH professor and current presidential candidate, who made a tweet reprimanding the University for its decisions and letting it get to this point.

Considering how she has a history of ignoring UH, the fact

she took the time to point this situation out and comment on it should make this situation even more embarrassing and shameful for the University’s administration.

If I have not made it clear, the school’s stance on this situation is abhorrent. These workers are entitled to their wages and the University should ensure that any company they partner with is behaving ethically.

If they took this opportunity to stand up for the little guy and defend the rights of these workers, it would have been a great moment to show the character of this school.

However, their decision to bury their heads in the sand, blame another company and wait for it all to blow over has shown only indifference and callousness towards these workers.

It’s a sad time to be a Cougar.

Opinion columnist Kyle Dishongh is a finance junior who 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.

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