Issue 10, Volume 85

Beware Slimes

THE COUGAR

Welcome Slimes

PUBLISHED BY THE CENTER FOR STUDENT MEDIA OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON

VOLUME 85

HOUSTON, TEXAS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019

ISSUE 10

85 YEARS

the unsung heroes From stretching to laser treatments, sports medicine staff keep the UH athletics department going. | pg. 5

NEWS Dining bots — pick up orders and roll out!

With chartwells ready to begin the testing phase of its new food delivery revolution involving a fleet of autonomous robots in the coming weeks, students may be shocked to see the roughly 100-pound devices roll across campus after they begin operations in mid-november. | pg. 4

opiNioN china’s rise in power dangerous for businesses companies have been bending down to the country after its expansion into the world stage as a dominant economic superpower. Because of this, china has those corporations wrapped around its finger and coerce them into appeasing the atrocities of the government’s ruling party. | pg. 8

special 85th anniveRsaRy eDitiOn

2 | Wednesday, October 16, 2019

NEWS ian everett, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5314

85th anniversary

Letter from Editor: still chugging 85 years on

michael slaten

editor in chief @michaelslaten

The Cougar is celebrating, but it’s not slowing down.

This issue pays homage to the first edition of The Cougar published in its current iteration 85 years ago on Oct. 5. I often wonder how different it was being a part of the newspaper then.

Some of the stories covered then are happening today.

“Officials Claim Big Enrollment is Encouraging” reads one headline from back then. In this issue, University officials express satisfaction that this year’s

freshman class is the largest to date. Wherever the University is headed, The Cougar is going that same way to let the rest of the community know.

While the current crop of journalists here have been a part of the newspaper for only a small portion of The Cougar’s time, we have immense respect for the history of the oldest organization on campus. What would we not know today about the University’s history if The Cougar hadn’t written about it?

Over the years, however, The Cougar has had to adapt or die.

When the paper could no

longer sustain printing daily, it became weekly. The day when The Cougar can no longer support a print product is not far off. It’s inevitable for the industry as a whole.

The print edition might die with a whimper, or there might be mass outcry from the University community.

Either way, it’ll all be OK. The Cougar will still be here. UH students who care about this campus as much as anyone will still be working here.

The miracle of a new group of students coming in every year energized to cover the University

has never stopped. Students value this campus. Students want to tell its stories, big or small.

Not every university newspaper has as much support as The Cougar does. We’re lucky and grateful to be valued by the community.

This edition of The Cougar won’t matter in 10 years, save someone researching the University or a specific issue.

What will matter is The Cougar will be there for the University, to tell its stories and ask for it to aim higher. news@thedailycougar.com

organizations

Programs celebrate 50 year anniversaries, reflect on legacies Sydney Rose

senior staff writer @sydneyrose1029

Trevor Nolley/The Cougar

Many things at the University were different in 1969 — the students, the buildings and even the programs — but that year served as the starting point of two major programs celebrating their half-century anniversaries this semester.

The Public Art program and the African American Studies program both found their starts

in 1969. In celebration of the golden anniversary, the Public Art program has paused critical activities, like commissioning and acquiring new artworks, to reflect.

“We want to be mindful of our legacy while bringing artists and artworks that reflect our mission to promote dialogue, enrich the cultural

50th anniversaries Continues on page 3

Wednesday, October 16, 2019 | 3

ian everett, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

NEWS 713-743-5314

campus

Fall 2019 freshmen are ‘largest and strongest’ class to date

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.

“UH had always been portrayed as the most diverse and friendly school, which drew me in,” said marketing freshman Polina Bandrovskaya. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar

autumn Rendall

assistant news editor @autumnrendall

The Fall 2019 freshmen class is the “largest and strongest” in the University’s history with 5,682 students.

This enrollment is up 69 percent since Fall 2010, and the University is still growing, according to Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Paula Myrick Short.

“The University has positioned itself as a powerhouse globally,” Short said in an email. “We have many ranked academic programs and a wonderful campus culture.”

Short said this class shows strength in its academic talent and enrollment rates. The average SAT score of freshmen students is 1225 and ranks as the fourth-highest among public universities in Texas. More than half of enrolled freshmen students graduated in the top 20 percent of their high school class.

50th anniversaries Continued from page 2

and intellectual character of our universities, and connect with diverse audiences,” said Director and Chief Curator of Public Art María Gaztambide.

Public Art recently launched an initiative called “Temporary Public Art Program,” an active platform for short-term art

Short said a growing number of students complete college-level coursework before they finish high school.

“I believe we’ve achieved that title (largest and strongest class) because many students have realized the benefits of taking AP courses in high school, specifically college credit,” said hotel and restaurant management freshman Kylie Stevens.

Stevens said she believes her class has a “great mix” of artistic, STEM and business majors that all add their own unique skills to the entering freshmen class.

She also said career options for her class are always changing, so they’ve learned to be prepared for anything.

“We’re more eager to get in, get out,” Stevens said, “especially with the rise of technology playing a major role on many of our prospective careers.”

Freshmen enrollment among African American students is the

highest since Fall 2012, Short said, and freshmen enrollment among Hispanic students is the highest in school history.

“Throughout high school, UH had always been portrayed as the most diverse and friendly school,” said marketing freshman Polina Bandrovskaya. “And as someone who was never sure of which college to go to, that really drew me in.”

Bandrovskaya said her freshmen class also stands out because they were “highly involved” in their high schools’ clubs and organizations.

“I have not yet met a single freshman that was not involved in their school,” Bandrovskaya said, “and that type of time management is what makes us stronger students.”

President Renu Khator said at her fall address a typical freshman at UH is 18 years old, lives on campus, plans to graduate in four years, wants to study abroad and looks forward to gaining practical

experience while at UH. “I decided to come to UH for the inclusive environment and large networking opportunity,” Bandrovskaya said.

The population of Texas and Houston has steadily increased since Fall 2010, Short said. More students are graduating from local high schools, and that increases the demand for post-secondary degree opportunities. However, it’s predicted that trend will reverse in 2025.

Short said this will likely impact the number of freshmen students entering colleges and universities in Houston, but the University will stay dedicated to its students’ success.

“That will not stop us from working even harder to ensure that more students have access to degree opportunities and successfully complete their degrees at UH,” Short said.

installations, exhibitions, community-wide outreach and collaborative programming in the visual, digital, musical and performing arts.

“The artist Salvatore Scarpitta, a distinguished professor of art at UH in the spring of 1978, spoke of his Houston ‘public working situation’ as a two-way process,” said Gaztambide. “The idea is to

create an environment in which people, students in particular, can connect and come together around art on campus.”

For the African American Studies Program, there was a banquet held last May in celebration of the big anniversary.

“African American Studies is a distinct academic discipline that engages Africa-centered

research and teaching through an interdisciplinary approach to scholarly inquiry,” according to the program’s website.

African American Studies released a 50th anniversary edition of their newsletter that featured interviews, announcements and discussions

news@thedailycougar.com

50th anniversaries Continues on page 4

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

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

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.

ADVERTISEMENTS Advertisements in The Cougar do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the University or the students as a whole.

The Cougar is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press.

studentpress.org/acp

4 | Wednesday, October 16, 2019

NEWS ian everett, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

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dining

Autonomous food delivery robots set to debut on campus

During President Renu Khator’s fall address, she showcased a new food delivery robot set to “come on campus in a few days.” | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar

trevor nolley

photo editor @trevornolleytc

Students may find themselves surprised later this semester as a fleet of autonomous food delivery robots descend upon campus.

The autonomous robotos, according to UH’s dining partner

50th anniversaries Continued from page 3

about the program.

“We’re the oldest African American Studies Program in Texas, but we are the second to become a major,” said Director of African American Studies James Conyers. “We got approved to be a major in December of 2018,

Chartwells, will travel around campus at about 4 mph with the ability to deliver orders of up to 20 pounds, roughly the weight of three shopping bags.

“Robots will provide an extra layer of convenience for students and make delivery more accessible by offering additional pickup spots and later delivery

times,” said Chartwells District Marketing Manager Alexcis Mendoza. “Robots will deliver food even when restaurants are closed.”

The delivery service begins testing in the coming weeks and is planned to be available for public use by mid-November.

Thirty robots are expected to

roll out in the initial phase of the service. The devices will navigate sidewalks by making use of nine cameras and ultrasonic sensors.

“The entire campus will be mapped and delivery will be made to your building’s nearest outdoor entrance,” Mendoza said.

Students will be able to order

and we had our first graduate in the Spring of 2019.”

While the two previous programs are just now celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year, the Graduate College of Social Work celebrated theirs last year.

“Throughout the 2018-2019 academic year, the Graduate

College of Social Work held several events to celebrate our 50th anniversary,” GCSW Dean Alan Dettlaff said. “Events continued throughout the year, culminating with a 50th Anniversary Gala where we recognized 50 alumni who best represented our social justice vision.”

Dettlaff said that the college’s commitment to social justice is their primary focus and informs all of their work.

The college’s faculty are engaged in research that addresses complex problems, with the goal of informing policy and practice that will move society toward achieving justice,

delivery from several select on-campus dining locations in addition to restaurants available through the service only. A $1.99 delivery fee will be added to all orders using the delivery bots.

Starship Technologies, the company behind the robot, said on its website the device weighs no more than 100 pounds.

The device will remain locked until the recipient unlocks it with a smartphone app.

In the spirit of that interaction, a contest will be open for the public to decide the name of the devices.

News that the delivery service would roll out on campus was revealed by Matt Prasifka, Interim Executive Director of Auxiliary Services, during an interview with CoogRadio in August.

Earlier this month, the service was officially announced during President Renu Khator’s fall address.

UH is not the first university to bring autonomous food delivery to campus. Starship Technologies operates delivery robots on at least four other college campuses and is planning to expand to 5,000 bots by 2021.

“UH dining provides students the opportunity to be early adopters in technologies of the future,” Mendoza said.

“Robot delivery will grow opportunities for dining employees by increasing service hours and providing additional jobs dedicated specifically to servicing the autonomous robots.”

The bots are not the only service Chartwells is adding on campus. Next semester, Dunkin’ Donuts and a yet-to-be-named pizza place are set to open in the retail space within Garage 5.

There are also plans to bring a new 24/7 Starbucks location to the library by Fall 2020. news@thedailycougar.com

he said.

“Our biggest accomplishment is the over 5,000 graduates of the GCSW that provide essential services to the most vulnerable populations both in Houston and around the globe,” said Dettlaff. news@thedailycougar.com

Wednesday, October 16, 2019 | 5

jhair romero, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/sportS

Sports

Sports@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

football

Athletics

Sports medicine staff — unsung heroes of UH Athletics katrina martinez

assisstant sports editor @katrinamtz124

Brad Newton blindly chose the athletic training major in 2008 at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York when he noticed it on a list of potential career paths. There was no way he could predict that 11 years down the line he would find himself in Houston.

Newton, now one of 15 full-time athletic trainers, aids in servicing roughly 420 student athletes at UH. Houston athletic trainers do everything from first aid to stretching athletes to laser treatments and more.

They also treat around 150 to 200 athletes per day.

“We work a lot of hours, you know,” Newton, who is one of four football athletic trainers, said.

“Our typical work week is 80 to 100 hours year-round. We’re always here.”

Daniel Monreal, a fellow trainer but for track and field and cross country, has been with the staff since 2016. The Houston native, UH alumnus and former graduate student can relate to Newton.

“The only rest time I have when I’m usually not seeing athletes is from 6 to 7 in the morning whenever I come in to start getting paperwork done,” he said.

The sports medicine facility on campus houses some of the best medical equipment available to college and professional sports teams alike, Newton said.

They have an onsite medical lab, which allows the sports medicine staff to run tests and produce diagnoses quickly. Student athletes can even have flu shots administered yearly at the facility

713-743-5303

and can see a physician during clinics held on campus four times a week.

“In terms of capabilities within this room, it’s a fully operational healthcare facility,” Newton said.

“So, similar to when you would go to a doctor’s office. Besides doing an X-ray and MRI, we could do just about anything else in-house.”

The athletic trainers are first responders for all athletes.

Whether they are injured during games and practices or just need help stretching before a workout, athletes have access to athletic trainers most of the time.

“In terms of daily usage for student athletes, they all have our cell phone numbers,” Newton said. “So it’s 24/7 healthcare. They have the direct line to anything they might need at all times.”

While managing this department may seem like a daunting task, sports medicine head Michael O’Shea is mostly unfazed.

“First of all, you’ve got to love your job and love what you’re doing, which I’ve always done,” O’Shea said. “You’ve got to have a lot of desire to work with athletes, young student athletes, not only to help them out on the playing fields, but in the classroom, too.”

With all the treatment taking place, O’Shea said it is an all-day process that takes organizing to handle successfully.

“The biggest thing you have to do is train your staff before the fact so they can handle the kids when they come in,” O’Shea said. “It’s just a matter of organization and being able to organize the times.

You can’t have everyone coming in for treatment at 7 in the morning.”

Much of the success of the

By the numbers: UH’s loss to Cincinnati Jhair Romero

sports editor @justjhair

Graduate student Rachael Dickey, who studies in the athletic training program, operates the HIVAMAT device, which utilizes non-invasive intermittent electrical stimulation to help ease pain for student athletes. | Katrina Martinez/The Cougar

sports medicine facility rests in the hands of students.

Undergraduates who are certified in CPR and first aid can work with the athletic trainers on a work-study or volunteer basis.

Additionally, 12 graduate students in the athletic training program work in the sports medicine facility, which helps ease the load for the full-time athletic trainers.

“Without student help, our room doesn’t run,” Newton said. “I would say that’s probably true for a lot of college departments. The students are really what makes things tick around here.”

The department’s goal is to help students recover from injuries, and athletic trainers often see similar injuries over time.

For instance, football players commonly suffer knee and ankle injuries, but as a result of facility improvement, they have observed some major injuries decrease over the years.

“We’re very fortunate here,” Newton said. “We have a great weight room, so we’ve seen a very large down-tick in the last eight to 10 years in ACL injuries and those more severe injuries. Most of

what we’re dealing with is sprains, strains and contusions.”

For Monreal, he sees issues in the calves of distance runners, hamstrings of sprinters, knees of jumpers and wrists of pole vaulters and throwers.

With the growing support of UH Athletics around campus, the department is able to thrive and continues to play a key role in student athlete success from behind the scenes.

“President (Renu) Khator herself has moved this University in such a great way that athletics here at the University of Houston, you take pride in it,” Monreal said.

Monreal, who started working full-time at the sports medicine facility after graduating from the UH Master of Athletic Training program in 2018, doesn’t mind the long hours. He is living his dream come true at UH, and he helps others succeed in the process.

“In the end, I love what I do, and I love coming to work every day,” Monreal said. “I love this job.

It’s truly a dream job, and a lot of people can’t say they get their dream job right after graduating.” sports@thedailycougar.com

In a close game with the Bearcats, the Cougars fell to Cincinnati 38-24 Saturday night at TDECU Stadium.

Despite the result, UH’s loss can be broken into key numbers.

One Freshman quarterback Logan Holgorsen briefly came into the game after sophomore quarterback Clayton Tune missed two weeks of practice with a hamstring injury.

The backup finished with no completions and one interception, which led to a Cincinnati touchdown three plays later.

Two Tune, despite the shuffling under center, tossed for two touchdowns along with 184 yards on nine completions.

Three With three receptions for 120 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown in the third quarter, junior wideout Marquez Stevenson led Houston’s receiving corps.

The 6-foot receiver also had over 100 yards in kick return yards.

Four Bearcats sophomore quarterback Desmond Ridder scored four total touchdowns in Cincinnati’s win, with three coming in the air and one on the ground.

Five

football

Ground game, special teams key in UH’s matchup against UConn

The Cincinnati defense had five passes defended Saturday night, and it was evident given Tune’s completion of only 33.3 percent of his passes.

Brayley crowe

Six

staff writer @brayleycrowe

Houston’s trip to UConn on Saturday will be a battle of bottom feeders in the American Athletic Conference as both teams have yet to record a conference win in 2019.

The meeting will likely be the last time the two programs compete for many years with the Huskies planned departure from The American.

UConn is riding a five-game losing streak and have won just two games dating back to the start of 2018, both coming against FCS opponents. The Huskies have not defeated an FBS opponent since their victory over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Oct. 21, 2017.

As for the Cougars, they are off to their worst start in 15 years,

UConn preview

Continues on page 7

After the loss, Houston reached the halfway point of its season, and the Cougars have just six games remaining on its schedule.

UH, sitting at 2-4 overall and 0-2 in the American Athletic Conference, has just half a dozen chances to makeup for a rough start to 2019.

Houston will be facing off against one of the American Athletic Conference’s worst rush defenses when it takes on UConn on the road. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar

sports@thedailycougar.com

6 | Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Sports jhair romero, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/sportS

Sports@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

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basketball

Commentary: NBA hypocritical in response to China controversy

In a recent news conference during the Rockets’ trip to Japan, star shooting guard James Harden steered clear of questions related to the China controversy stirred up by general manager Daryl Morey, telling reporters he is “staying out of it.” Morey’s comments regarding Hong Kong’s struggle for democracy have sent shockwaves throughout the basketball world. | File art

andy yanez

staff writer @ayanez_5

The NBA is in danger of falling into a hole of hypocrisy that it might not be able to escape from as the league finds itself in the ultimate battle of “business versus morals.”

The NBA’s world changed dramatically on Oct. 4 when Houston Rockets’ General Manager Daryl Morey posted a tweet supporting the Hong Kong protesters in China, which has led to a massive fallout.

Chinese mainland officials were quick to react to the tweet by the Rockets’ GM. They contacted Houston officials, including the Harris County Houston Sports Authority and Mayor Sylvester Turner, pressuring the team to discipline Morey.

On Oct. 6, the NBA announced it would not punish Morey for the tweet, but the league’s overall response was an utter disappointment.

The NBA released a statement that left many upset due to the lack of support for Morey.

In the statement, the league seemingly apologized for Morey’s decision to express a belief and stated that the reaction the tweet

caused was “regrettable.”

That statement has made the NBA seem hypocritical, as the league has boasted for years about encouraging and empowering players to take on social issues.

In the summer of 2016, NBA superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony opened up the ESPYs with a call for social justice, for which the NBA was applauded.

While the NBA should be appreciated for supporting the players, those actions never put the league in a position to lose a serious amount of money, as with the situation in China.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who has long voiced his opinion on social issues, has remained silent during this entire situation. When asked whether he believed Morey should be fired for the tweet, Kerr refused to comment.

It is frustrating that one of the league’s most vocal coaches would not vouch for Morey expressing his own personal belief, which Kerr is known for.

This issue, of course, is extremely complicated.

The NBA and many of the players pull a significant amount of revenue

from Chinese endorsements. It’s estimated the NBA makes about $500 million in revenue annually from these deals.

James Harden, the Rockets’ star guard who is popular in China, was recently asked about the controversy during the team’s trip to Japan. His response?

“I’m staying out of it.”

What this situation reveals is the NBA is all for social justice until it puts the league in a financial strain, as it has demonstrated by leaving one of its top executives high-anddry after the controversial tweet.

The NBA is a business. Everyone understands that, and no one expects the association to challenge a regime that has been in power since 1949.

The problem, however, comes with the hypocrisy the league has shown in this fiasco, as no one in the association has openly supported Morey. Instead, the league has attempted to cater to the communist Chinese mainland.

Chinese officials have made it clear they oppose any expression that is against the mainland government. The NBA has made it clear it disapproves of that kind of censorship.

On Thursday, however, the

NBA still held a game in Shanghai between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. That game was banned from being televised in China due to the ongoing fallout from Morey’s tweet.

James, a member of the Lakers, gave his take on the controversy and stated he believed the Rockets’ general manager “wasn’t educated” on the situation and added that uninformed freedom of speech could harm people.

What James said about uninformed freedom of speech is true: it can be dangerous.

However, it does not apply to Morey.

The bottom line is simple, the league and its players have a lot of financial stake in the Chinese market, and as a business, protecting their interests makes sense, but to continue to disguise it as anything other than that is hypocritical.

The actions, or lack thereof, from the NBA this past week have contradicted years of work the league has done to build up its reputation, and now it has a tough decision to make.

The league can double down on its progressive identity, giving its absolute support to everyone who wishes to support a cause and accept any reaction China imposes.

Or it can continue to be passive, distance itself from the incident and hope the ban on games ends soon.

Only one choice will get the NBA out of the hole it has dug itself into. sports@thedailycougar.com

Responses around the NBA From players to league executives, big names across the NBA have spoken out about the China-Hong Kong controversy.

Adam Silver, NBA Commisioner: “It is inevitable that people around the world — including from America and China — will have different viewpoints over different issues. It is not the role of the NBA to adjudicate those differences.”

Tilman Fertitta, Houston Rockets owner: “I have the best general manager in the league. Everything is fine with Daryl and me. We got a huge backlash, and I wanted to make clear that (the Rockets have) no (political) position.

We’re here to play basketball and not to offend anybody.”

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers forward: “I believe (Morey) wasn’t educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke. So many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically, emotionally, spiritually.”

Tell us your opinion, use hashtag #REaDAllOver

Lebron James, shown during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, said Monday night Morey “wasn’t educated” and was “misinformed” on the ongoing conflict between China and Hong Kong. | Courtesy of Nbalg200 via Wikimedia Commons

Wednesday, October 16, 2019 | 7

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track aNd fiEld

carl lewis remains the face of track and field

Carl Lewis, the most successful track and field athlete in the Cougars’ history, is still one of the most notable names in the sport, even 40 years after the Birmingham, Alabama-born former sprinter first came to UH. | courtesy of uh athletics

katRina maRtinez

assisstant sPOrts editOr @Katrinamtz124

In a brightly lit stadium on a summer night in Tokyo, Carl Lewis and seven of the fastest men in the world stood side by side surrounded by thousands of onlookers when the shot rang out.

It was go time.

On that Sunday during the 1991 World Championships in the Japanese capital, Lewis ran a 9.86 100-meter dash, beating the previous world record set by American sprinter Leroy Burrell.

Lewis, a Houston alumnus and now assistant coach of the Cougars under head coach

ucOnn pReview

continued from page 5 and with matchups against Memphis, UCF and No. 19 SMU still to come, they run the risk of failing to make a bowl game for the first time since 2012.

Saturday’s matchup will be a battle of two of the conference’s worst defensive teams; both rank in the bottom three in points and yards against per game.

Defensive struggles Entering the matchup, UConn sits in last place in the AAC in both points against (51) and yards against (581.3) per game against conference opponents.

The Huskies’ 40.5 points conceded per game against all opponents is the fourth-worst mark in the FBS.

Burrell, represented the United States and UH in four Olympic games. He has amassed 10 Olympic medals and 10 World Championship medals.

“This past August, it would have been 40 years since I walked on campus in Houston,” Lewis said in an interview with KRIV (Channel 26). “It’s obviously been my home.

Everything that’s great that has happened to me as an adult has happened in Houston.”

Now, Lewis is set to be recognized in January with an induction into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame, about 22 years after he was inducted into the UH Athletics Hall of Honor

in 1998.

“I mean, being in the Hall of Honor at U of H and now to be in the Hall of Fame at Houston with some of the greatest people in world history, not just the city of Houston,” Lewis said, “I’m really, really honored.”

He began running for Houston in 1979 under head coach Tom Tellez and qualified for the 1980 Olympics but could not compete due to the Olympic Boycott.

Lewis won nine Olympic gold medals and one silver medal in his career. He dominated the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles by earning gold medals in all four of his categories: the 100-meter, 200-meter, 4x100-meter relay

For the Cougars, there is little room to laugh, as they are allowing 38 points per game through two conference matchups and let up an average of 452.5 yards in total offense.

Nationally, Houston has given up 475.7 yards per game against all opponents, No. 120 out of 130 teams.

The two teams have combined to concede 441 points and over 5,500 yards through 12 combined games played.

Neither side has had much success forcing turnovers either, as both sit at No. 108 in turnover margin with minus four. UConn averages 1.3 turnovers forced per game, while Houston averages just one.

side of the ball, the Cougars have the upper hand on the offensive.

Houston’s 478.5 yards per game against conference opponents is the third highest, while UConn’s 317.7 is the second lowest. The Huskies again finds themselves near the bottom nationally, as its 16.7 points per game rank 123rd.

Sophomore quarterback Clayton Tune has stepped up with senior quarterback D’Eriq King’s decision to redshirt, starting in Houston’s past two games and completing 53.2 percent of his passes while throwing for 308 yards and three touchdowns.

Perhaps most important will be the running back duo of senior Patrick Carr and junior Kyle Porter as they go up against the conference’s worst rushing defense.

Offense to the rescue While both teams are noticeably weak on the defensive

and long jump.

Then 35 years old, Lewis won his last gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where he surpassed Mike Powell and Joe Greene, who were among the best long jumpers of the time. This was Lewis’ fourth consecutive gold medal in the long jump category.

Lewis retired from professional track and field the next year, and he has since turned to coaching. He is in his fourth season as a full-time assistant for the Cougars.

“You can definitely tell he’s very passionate about track and field still,” said senior sprinter Jermaine Holt.

“He still loves the sport.”

Holt has trained with Lewis since joining the program in 2018. While Lewis primarily coaches, Holt said he also has a lot of wisdom to share with his aspiring athletes.

“Every track athlete’s dream is we want to go professional for this, and one thing he did teach me was there is a lot more to becoming professional rather than just running fast,” Holt said.

“He introduced the idea that opened my mind up to how I can better brand myself as not just

an athlete but as an individual.”

During his time as a professional athlete, Lewis’ performance brought a lot of attention to the sport, Holt said, and he believes that with the awards he has accumulated, Lewis is more than deserving to be recognized in the Hall of Fame.

“On top of what he has done for the sport, he also has given back because he’s still coaching, he still travels, speaks,” Holt said. “He tries to still push track to the next level in terms of publicity and how the sport is viewed.”

For many in the sport, Lewis left his mark.

For Holt, there’s a lot to live up to considering Lewis’ legacy.

“He’s not even running anymore, but when you think track and field, you still think Carl Lewis,” Holt said. “So, it made me really think about myself and figure out what I can do within this sport to reach that same status as an athlete.

“Basically, he set quite a high standard.” sports@thedailycougar.com

The pair have combined to record nearly 700 yards and have found the endzone five times.

special teams are special Houston suffered another loss on Saturday, but one of the brightest spots for the Cougars was senior punter Dane Roy’s boot.

In the loss, the Aussie’s punts averaged 54 yards, a new school record, and included three downed inside the Cincinnati 10-yard line.

If Roy can replicate his performance and pin UConn deep, the offensive struggles from the Huskies could give Houston great field position.

UConn has fallen victim to 20 three-and-outs this season, and with Houston having blocked three kicks thus far, the Cougars’ special teams could

Sophomore quarterback Clayton Tune now leads the Cougars’ offense. | trevor nolley/the cougar

end up being a massive factor as they look to find their first conference win. sports@thedailycougar.com

8 | Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Opinion Maryam baldawi, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION

713-743-5304

OPINION@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

WORLD

Corporate censorship for Chinese benefit should not be tolerated 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

The moral cost of bending to China’s will has created a new norm that should not be tolerated by anyone. | Courtesy of Andrew Mercer via Wikimedia Commons

kyle dishongh opinion columnist

Anybody who has followed the news in any capacity in recent years has probably been hearing about the same thing over and over again: China.

The country’s expeditious rise as the dominant, global, economic superpower, while not a shock to many, has left many businesses scrambling to establish footing in their markets.

But with China’s strict censorship laws and twitchy trigger finger, anxiously awaiting the chance to ban anything which may paint its government in a negative light, companies have been bending over backward to appease the Chinese Communist Party and gain its favor.

The moral cost of doing this has created a new norm that should not be tolerated.

On Oct. 6, Ng “Blitzchung” Wai Chung, a pro player of the video game “Hearthstone” from Hong Kong, spoke out about the current protests while being interviewed on a competition livestream.

In response, Activision Blizzard, the company that owns the game, banned Chung from playing the game competitively

for an entire year and denied him any prize money from the competition, citing a rule that disallows discussion of anything that will offend any group of people.

Public opinion has branded the company as Chinese bootlickers, taking specific note of Chinese tech company Tencent’s 5 percent equity in the company.

Fortunately, Activision Blizzard has since reduced the ban time by half and awarded Chung his money.

But it’s too little, too late for the company, as its reputation has been permanently soiled.

Many users have already begun deleting their accounts with the company’s services, and several employees staged a walkout in retaliation. People are clearly upset about this, and rightfully so.

In local news, the Houston Rockets have been entangled in this, too. Daryl Morey, the team’s general manager, made a now-deleted tweet in support of the Hong Kong protesters. This significantly damaged the NBA’s reputation with China.

Despite the company’s best efforts toward damage control, promotional activities have ceased and Rockets

merchandise is being pulled from store shelves in the country, all because of a simple tweet.

Activision Blizzard and the NBA aren’t the only companies that bend to the will of the Chinese Communist Party. In fact, they’re far from it.

Countless companies have been quick to apologize over the slightest misstep.

These missteps have ranged from seemingly innocuous transgressions, such as listing Macau, Taiwan or Hong Kong as independent countries or simply featuring quotes of the Dalai Lama, to more overt issues, like showing support for the democracy-seeking protesters in Hong Kong.

The subservience demonstrated by these companies is morally reprehensible. The Chinese Communist Party, which isn’t actually communist, has a notable history of severe encroachment of human rights and is currently continuing that trend by committing a literal holocaust against minority groups in the country.

This isn’t even the first time something like this has happened.

Anybody who cares at all

about this probably believes there isn’t much that can be done about it, but that’s not true. These companies are supporting China and its policies through their practices for one reason: money.

A boycott of the companies’ products and services would send the message that local consumers take issue with the idea of selling out to corrupt, totalitarian dictatorships.

There’s no way they’d risk losing local markets in favor of securing footing in a foreign market, hopefully.

So please, consider refraining from supporting any company that’s been caught censoring its products or employees over this issue.

Atrocities are being committed to millions of people right now, and Western companies should not be willing to side with the group perpetrating them.

A line must be drawn in the sand somewhere, and if it’s not at least at literal, actual genocide, then there’s something seriously wrong with what’s going on.

Opinion writer Kyle Dishongh is a finance junior 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.

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