Wednesday, March 25, 2020 | 1
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Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Issue 24, Volume 85
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It’s Here.
The University confirmed the first two cases of the coronavirus within the UH community. With the pandemic accelerating, more can be expected. | PG. 2
SPORTS Highly-anticipated moments were lost for many when the virus put the sports world on pause. | PG. 7
OPINION
This crisis has left us no other option than to stop the presses. For now. | PG. 8
2 | Wednesday, March 25, 2020
NEWS
AUTUMN RENDALL, EDITOR
@THEDAILYCOUGAR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS
CAMPUS
UH confirms its first 2 coronavirus cases
DONNA KEEYA
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @DONNAKEEYA_
Two UH community members have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the University announced Monday. The University did not release any additional information about how the community members may have acquired the virus and their role with UH. “In both cases, individuals had not been on campus and any person who may have been in contact with them has been notified,” UH said via Twitter. UH was notified of the first case on March 15 and the second case on March 19. The University forced all classes to transition to an online or remote format to potentially stop the spread of the coronavirus. Online classes began on March 23 and will continue for at least the rest of
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Spring 2020. “It is reasonable to expect that we will have several cases that will involve members of our community,” UH said on its COVID19 information page. “If there are any notifications to be made to potentially exposed individuals, that is handled by the city of Houston’s health department.” Harris County ordered its residents beginning Wednesday to stay at home, except for purchasing groceries, visiting parks and essential work. Houston-area coronavirus cases have risen to 202, according to KTRK (Channel 13). Parking and Transportation Services will transition over to demand-based van transportation that can be accessed through Quick Rides and requested during operating hours. news@thedailycougar.com
The University said in a statement more cases within the UH community can be expected as the virus continues to sweep across the country. | Jiselle Santos/The Cougar
CAREERS
As pandemic shakes up job market, graduates work to adjust DELANEY RAMIREZ
STAFF WRITER @DELANEYRAMZ
UH’s upcoming and recent graduates are adjusting to many changes in their job searches after the new coronavirus outbreak has shaken up the hiring process and created a need for social distancing. As the coronavirus spreads, companies are forced to find a substitute for the face-to-face hiring process, and jobs that can’t be done from home are now facing unique challenges. Some students, like political science senior Nimra Zubair, have already seen the effects roll in. “I was ready to start working, and the day before I was going to go in they called me and told me that I would have to wait for two weeks because they’re working with the most essential employees only,” Zubair said about a wealth management job she was set to begin before her May graduation. Working remotely, for those who have the opportunity and resources to do so, comes with its own changes that employees will have to adjust to. Some students already part of the job market believe this transition will affect their productivity. “It is refreshing for one or two days, but with family and
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pets, it is more difficult to focus on action items and academic deadlines,” said electrical engineering junior Arash Shariatzadeh in an email. “I would prefer to study on campus and work on my worksite. Given the situation, it may take a while and some adjustments for most of us.” Graduates and students who obtained internships and jobs before the outbreak are working
to get acclimated to performing their jobs from home, and some have found that some occupations — particularly those that rely mainly on digital tasks — work better remotely than others. “With the nature of my specific position being in an office setting, I am confident remote work isn’t a hindrance to my ability to get my job done,” said supply chain management graduate Gabriela
Velasquez in an email. “That’s obviously not the case for all jobs and even for certain fields within my own major.” Companies are adapting in various ways to the coronavirus depending on the line of work they’re in. Companies involved in travel and tourism, trade shows and business conferences
JOBS
Continues on page 5
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 | 3 AUTUMN RENDALL, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS
NEWS
@THEDAILYCOUGAR
REMOTE LEARNING
Students left with mixed feelings as classes transition online for remainder of semester SYDNEY ROSE
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @SYDNEYROSE1029
Mariah Ochoa, before the coronavirus pandemic, had trouble partaking in much of the college experience as a commuter. Most of the college experience she was able to get was just from going to campus to attend classes, which she can no longer do as students this week began taking classes entirely online or in an alternative format. Now, she worries this will affect her education. “I’ve connected with my professors to ensure that I’ll still be learning,” the psychology junior said. “Although (online) class discussions won’t be as effective, I believe I’ll still be engaged.” Ochoa is one of several students who understand but lament having to take online classes for at least the rest of the semester. They know this isn't forever but still feel the sting of losing a part of their college experience. For those starting their freshman year at the University, the cooronavirus interrupted not only studies but also student life. “I understand why it has to be like this, but it’s still a bummer,” said psychology freshman N’Namdi Jelani. “I didn’t realize the last time I saw (my friends) would really be the last time for a long while.” Jelani said going online was going to make things harder
Students working at a computer lab before campus moved to online-only classes. Starting Wednesday all campus computer labs will be closed. | Lino Sandil/The Cougar
because of how much selfmotivation it would take to complete his courses and in-person classes give him more incentive to work. English senior Jackie Primeau is having to balance her school work with parenting her kids at home. “There are so many ways to create connectivity and accountability in online classrooms,” Primeau said regarding online classes under normal circumstances. “With these (new) circumstances, online is tough because both of my kids need a device allotted for learning.”
Primeau said she usually would look for online classes and go from there, and while she has had some good and some not so great classes, she said it is better than driving to campus every day. “As a mother, transitioning to fully online while structuring online time for my kids is going to be challenging," Primeau said. "It is going to require distraction-free zones and structured times.” Another effect of the coronavirus is the postponement and cancellation of all University-sponsored events until the end of April.
President Renu Khator said in an email to the UH community that includes conferences, symposia and social gatherings. For the Student Program Board and their president political science senior Ed Gonzales, social distancing and event cancellations largely affect how the organization is run. “I 1,000 percent support the University’s decision to move to online courses, but when it did happen, I will say the first thing that did come to mind was my team and our jobs,” Gonzales said. “Our events are nothing without the students, but I understand that student safety
always comes first.” Gonzales felt the effect of the online transition as president and as a UH student. His classes are mostly discussionbased, so he was worried the material assigned will not be as interesting as his professors would have made it, he said. Gonzales said as a senior, a situation like this happening in his last semester could be a lot to handle, not just for him, but also for professors. Starting Wednesday all computer labs on campus will be closed as well as MD Anderson Library. With transitioning online, even though the University has remained open for students to continue staying on campus, many have chosen to go home to complete the online work. Student Housing and Residential Life and Auxiliary Services are offering these students a partial refund. Commuter students no longer have to attend their classes on-campus, so for many, the parking pass they have purchased will not be used for the rest of the semester. Auxiliary Services will be offering a parking pass refund from March 16 through May 31. “I'm very glad that the University was able to issue refunds for us,” Ochoa said. “At first, I was actually very shocked and didn't think they would, but it's only fair to do so now.” news@thedailycougar.com
STUDY ABROAD
UH cancels all summer study abroad trips AUTUMN RENDALL
NEWS EDITOR @AUTUMNRENDALL
The University announced Tuesday that all upcoming summer Learning Abroad programs are canceled in light of the new coronavirus outbreak. The decision was made by UH after “careful and thoughtful assessment” over local, national and global developments regarding the coronavirus, also referred to as COVID-19, according to an email announcement from the Learning Abroad office. Currently, fall programs can be planned, but the
Learning Abroad office said this availability may change depending on how the coronavirus pandemic unfolds. In light of this change, the Learning Abroad office will no longer process any summer applications or accept any course equivalency forms. Forms will be kept on file if students wish to access them once the Learning Abroad team is back at the office. The Learning Abroad office advises students who have already started or completed the application process for a summer program to get in touch with their program provider to
cancel or defer their application and find their options for any payments made. Students who have applied for Learning Abroad scholarship opportunities will be contacted later regarding their next steps. “We understand that this decision may be disappointing in certain cases,” said Maggie Mahoney, Learning Abroad adviser, in the cancellation announcement email. “We are happy to work with any student who still wishes to fulfill their goal to participate in a Learning Abroad program in the future.” news@thedailycougar.com
Currently, fall programs can be planned, but the Learning Abroad office said this availability may change depending on how the new coronavirus pandemic unfolds. | Jiselle Santos/The Cougar
4 | Wednesday, March 25, 2020
NEWS
AUTUMN RENDALL, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS
@THEDAILYCOUGAR
IN FOCUS INDIGENOUS ISSUES
For years, Native Americans in Houston have called for help. Something is finally being done about it. KATRINA MARTINEZ
MANAGING EDITOR @KATRINAMTZ124
This story is the second in a series regarding Native American issues at UH and in Houston There are an estimated 70,000 Native Americans who call Houston and its surrounding areas home, but there have been little to no services, centers or programs geared toward the needs of natives in the fourth largest city in the country. To fill the void, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, which has about 400 of its 1,200 enrolled tribal members living around Houston, opened the new American Indian Center of Houston in late February with their goal to help the underserved Native American population that lives in the Houston area. “They’ve been here,” said Nikki McDonald, the director of the new center and Tunica-Biloxi tribal member who has lived in the area for about 10 years. “They’ve asked for help. They haven’t been able to receive help. It’s almost kind of — I don’t want to say — a slap in the face, but there’s so many programs to help other communities, but I haven’t seen that program for Native Americans yet.” The center, which hopes to provide things like health services, mental health support, substance abuse rehabilitation, a fitness center, mentorship programs and community events in the future, was conceived after Tunica-Biloxi tribal councilmembers found Houston had such a large and underserved population of Native Americans. “We started looking at what programs and services are available for Native Americans in the Houston area,” McDonald said. “There’s not really a whole lot. Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States of America, and we have a population of 70,000 (natives). We have to do something about that.” McDonald hopes to grow the center into one like those in Dallas or Oklahoma, which both have large inter-tribal centers that have served natives for many years. They have even partnered with the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe, which is based out of Livingston, to provide more to the native community. The hope is to create a hub where all Native Americans can turn to for assistance and services, McDonald said. Despite the size of the Native
Jesus Navarro (left), Mauricio Turrubiartes III (center) and Uriel Garcia-Vega (right) of the Houston Aztec Dance group partake in a traditional dance ceremony to honor the last Mexica-Aztec tlatoani-leader Cuauhtémoc. The group meets weekly to learn the Aztec traditions and ceremonies as a way to reconnect with their indigenous heritage. | Photos by Katrina Martinez/The Cougar
American population in southeast Texas, there are no native reservations and no subsequent services available, but this is nothing new to those who live here. For instance, the closest office for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which aims to improve the quality of life, provide more economic opportunities and protect Native Americans, is in Anadarko, Oklahoma. That is about a 460-mile drive for Houston-area Native Americans. Additionally, the Indian Health Service, whose mission is to “raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians,” does not have any facilities or area headquarters in Texas. As an ethnicity, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Native Americans are most likely to lack health insurance, to be diagnosed with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, second-most likely to suffer from mental health issues and the most likely to live in poverty. Yet these essential health and wellness programs are not universally available to Native Americans. “We’re not from the res(ervation),” said Abuela M’api who is the Temachtiani, or guide, of the Houston Aztec Dance group. “We’re generationally here from
Texas, and Texas has never had BIA here or Indian Health services.”
Cultural resurgence While the American Indian Center of Houston works to improve the livelihoods of Native Americans, the Houston Aztec Dance group, or Calmecac Tonantzin Yolilitzyotl, aims to unite the native peoples and encourage a resurgence of native culture and traditions. The Calmecac is a group of about 40 people who meet regularly, practice traditional Aztec dances and ceremonies and showcase their heritage throughout the city of Houston. Most recently on Feb. 22 the group had the First Wind Ceremony, or Primer Viento, which was to honor Cuauhtémoc, the last Mexica-Aztec tlatoani-leader. As part of the ceremony, they burned sap, sounded conch shells, played the drums and performed traditional dances in Buffalo Bayou Park as a group. Houston Aztec Dance is inclusive in the sense that not only did they allow park-goers to watch their ceremony, they also allowed them to take part in certain traditions and a prayer circle. The group was started by Abuela
M’api, who trained under elders in Mexico and brought the practices back to Houston to share with those who wanted to learn. She has even brought group members to schools to perform for and educate kids about Aztecan traditions. “I was basically being assimilated into American culture and not being told anything other than I was Mexican American,” Abuela M’api said. “I was really disconnected from my roots in Mexico. I was disconnected from
Abuela M’api leads the Houston Aztec Dance group in their traditional dance by playing the drums. As a way to spread her culture she teaches free Aztec dance classes at Moody Park.
my indigenous lineage here in Texas, and we were just being raised Hispanic.”
Identifying as indigenous For people like Abuela M’api, who was raised as a Mexican American despite her indigenous lineage, it is common not to identify as Native American, which can make it difficult to get an accurate estimate of the native population. For instance, by the U.S. Census standards, there are roughly 11,000 Native Americans in the Houston area, according to Mark Fossett, the executive director of the Federal Statistical Research Data Center in College Station. But McDonald’s estimate of 70,000 is a “more inclusive definition of Native American,” which is better in some cases but not how the Census operates, Fossett said. “Many, many people have significant claims to Native American ancestry and heritage,” Fossett said. “But only some of them will identify as Native American in the Census.” Member of the Houston Aztec
NATIVES
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Wednesday, March 25, 2020 | 5 AUTUMN RENDALL, EDITOR
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UH alumnus and Houston Aztec Dance member Jason Colunga is cleansed with burning sap by the groups guide Abuela M'api.
NATIVES
Continued from page 4 Dance group and 2005 UH alumnus Jason Colunga said he was never allowed to learn about his indigenous heritage. To protect him from the treatment they received when they were younger, Colunga said his parents chose not to teach certain things like how to speak Spanish. As a Latino, Colunga said he is Native American because his family is indigenous to North America and has found a way to celebrate
JOBS
Continued from page 2 have all been affected, as well as manufacturers that haven’t received vital parts from China, according to USA Today. An employment forecast by Bill Gilmer, economist and director of the Institute for Regional Forecasting at the Bauer College of Business, estimates that Houston could lose almost 44,000 jobs by the end of 2020, with a potential for figures to look much worse through the second and
Mason Vasquez
that heritage by dancing in the Calmecac. “Our people, they come from all over the Americas,” Colunga said. “There’s been such a disconnect and that’s something that we don’t get taught much in public schools, even some colleges really gloss over it.” Colunga wishes UH would do more to educate students about Native American heritage and believes inter-tribal organizations would be a great start. “I think having a group like (the Calmecac) on campus is a great
way to unite people,” Colunga said. “Even though it may be different tribes, we’re all a part of the same culture. No matter what part of the Americas, there’s a lot to be shared and learned throughout.” The University has seen a near 50 percent loss of enrolled Native Americans in the last 10 years, which is not necessarily representative of the surrounding community. Fossett said despite the indigenous population being a small one in the Houston area, he doesn’t expect the number to change very much with the
upcoming 2020 Census. This means, although the number of Native Americans in the Houston area are expected to remain the same, UH is still losing significant amounts of Native American enrollment. Colunga feels this can be detrimental to those who hope to learn more about their heritage when they go to college. “For those students that aren’t a part of (cultural groups),” Colunga said, “it’s something that stays lost.”
third quarters of the year. Job applicants who have scheduled interviews may find that their potential employer now prefers to hold the meeting virtually. University Career Services has already made the switch to online for their on-campus interviews, in which employers would, under normal circumstances, use the department’s interview suites to meet with multiple students for an open position or internship. For those who are in the middle of their job search,
Cougar Pathway, the online platform provided by UCS, is available to all students and alumni who have graduated less than six months ago. Students can access the platform through AccessUH. “From our perspective, employers are still posting jobs in Cougar Pathway and engaging with our office. Depending on the industry you may see some furloughs or less job openings,” said assistant director of employer development and relations at UCS Caitlin Deis in
an email. “We are not aware of any hiring freezes, at this time.” To adapt to the University’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, Cougar Pathway now provides scheduling for virtual career counseling appointments. UCS also offers live chats for quick resume reviews, career advice, and Cougar Pathway can be used to search for and apply to jobs and attend workshops or meet-and-greets with employers virtually.
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COVER
Carolina Yanez
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Center for Student Media uh.edu/csm
ABOUT CSM The Center for Student Media provides comprehensive advisory and financial support to the university’s student-run media: The Cougar newspaper, 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, intercultural competence, goal-setting and ultimately, degree attainment. While our students are engaged in producing and promoting media channels and content, our goal is to ensure they are learning to become better thinkers and leaders in the process.
6 | Wednesday, March 25, 2020
SPORTS SPORTS
JHAIR ROMERO, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS
@THECOUGARSPORTS
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
The coronavirus pandemic hit us hard.
Now we need your help.
The Cougar’s sports section was especially affected when the coronavirus pandemic hit home. Now we need our readers’ help to adjust and bounce back as we navigate our responsibilities to the UH community during this crisis. | Jiselle Santos/The Cougar
S
ports, with few exceptions, are a constant in our lives, giving us a sense of comfort and normalcy no matter what is going on. In the rare moments where acts of God keep our favorite teams off the court or field, a sporting JHAIR ROMERO event can be SPORTS EDITOR a haven, even if it’s just to distract from whatever was negatively affecting our lives. But right now, with the coronavirus pandemic quickly sweeping the country, sports seem as insignificant as a firstdown rush for no gain. When the crisis hit home
earlier this month, effectively wiping out athletics at UH until further notice, The Cougar’s sports section was crippled. The paper had a plan, a strategy so our staff would not be blindsided once things inevitably got worse. No one was prepared for the sports world to grind to a halt the way it did, taking down many of the nation’s major professional leagues and college athletics with it. With our main source of coverage on hiatus, some of our readers may have noticed our sports section’s decreased presence both on our website and the other platforms we use to share our content. Despite the pandemic, it remains our job as the studentrun news organization of UH to
deliver our readers information and tell the stories of our University. We had difficulty fulfilling that expectation when the coronavirus firmed its grip and began disrupting our way of life, but anticipate The Cougar bouncing back. As we slowly begin to learn how to best navigate this new, temporary normal, for us and the community we serve, our focus will remain on continuing to do our job. This means informing you of the news as it happens and using our access to give our readers an inside look into the world of the teams they support so dearly. We have a plan to get ourselves back to where we were and strive to be. Starting now
our readers will begin to see it take shape. But we still need your help. The Cougar’s purpose is to serve the UH community, and to do that as best we can during these unprecedented times, we must hear from our readers, our reason for existing. Here are a couple things we ask of our audience: First, and most importantly, stay safe. Your health is more important than anything our section will ever produce. Follow the recommendations of health officials and experts. This isn’t just the flu, and if we don’t act accordingly, it will get much worse. Second, we want to know your interests so we can best serve you and the UH community. Whether it be student-athlete
profiles, analysis or anything in between, we want to know what kind of stories you want to see from us. Is there an athlete you’re interested in but want to know more about? Or maybe something you previously saw in our coverage that you want us to dive deeper into? Let us know. That’s what The Cougar is here for. Email us, message us on our social media, comment under our posts, engage and communicate to us what you want — or need — from us as we all navigate this crisis. Help us provide you with a sense of normalcy, even if it’s minimal, in a time when our world is rapidly changing. sports@thedailycougar.com
MEN’S BASKETBALL
What UH’s Top 25 finish means for outgoing senior Chris Harris Jr. ANDY YANEZ
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @AYANEZ_5
Although Chris Harris Jr. lost his chance at a final March Madness run, the outgoing senior helped the Cougars win a second-straight AAC regular season title. | Mikol Kindle Jr./The Cougar
The Cougars finished No. 22 in the final AP poll of the 2019-20 season and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches’ poll, marking the third straight season in which Houston ends its campaign ranked. In 2018-19, Houston finished the regular season No. 11 in the AP Poll heading into the
conference tournament and in 2017-18, it was No. 21. The accolades by the Cougars reflect senior center Chris Harris Jr.’s positive outlook during his time with the team. “I don’t think I could have asked for a better college career,” said Harris on Monday during the Kelvin Sampson radio show. “The way we play, I just knew we were going to be successful. Over the years,
the accomplishments of the program, I (can) say I left it better than when I came.” Harris played the final game of his collegiate career back on March 8 in Fertitta Center against the Memphis Tigers. While he knew that game was going to be his final one at home, no one knew that it
HARRIS
Continues on page 7
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 | 7 JHAIR ROMERO, EDITOR
ATHLETICS
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS
SPORTS
@THECOUGARSPORTS
What if?
When all UH athletic events were canceled, everyone was robbed of what could have been JHAIR ROMERO
SPORTS EDITOR @JUSTJHAIR
When the new coronavirus forced the cancellation of the remainder of UH athletics’ events and caused the sports world to pause earlier this month, moments many anticipated were suddenly lost. Senior send-offs, breakout seasons and potential championships all turned to dust, leaving many robbed of what could have been. Here’s what vanished when UH athletics had no other choice but to cancel the remainder of 2019-20:
March magic For the first time in the tournament’s history, March Madness will not be played. If it weren’t for the cancellation, Houston, which was projected to be a No. 7 or 8 seed, would be playing in the NCAA Tournament
for the third year in a row under head coach Kelvin Sampson. That hasn’t happened in over 35 years, and the Cougars will have to wait another year to have the chance to dance. Guards Caleb Mills and Marcus Sasser won’t be able to experience playing on college basketball’s biggest stage in their freshmen campaigns. And worst of all, outgoing senior Chris Harris Jr. won’t get the chance to finish his college career with a bang.
Hitting power Before the remainder of its season was canceled, the softball team was red hot. Houston was 16-7, having gone on an 11-game win streak earlier in the season, and sophomore Kati Ray Brown was dominating at the plate. The catcher’s .852 slugging percentage and nine home
HARRIS
Continued from page 6 was going to be the final contest of the season. The team had spent the entire week practicing and preparing to compete in the American Athletic Conference championship tournament after finishing with a share of the regular-season championship with both Tulsa and Cincinnati. Once the NBA suspended its season indefinitely after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, Harris and the rest of the team saw the writing on the wall. But it did not make the blow any easier to absorb once it finally it came. “I kind of seen it coming when I found out the NBA was no longer playing,” Harris said. “We took it badly. We wanted to play. We basically had a spot in (the NCAA tournament). We wanted to go out with a bang.” Instead of competing in the sudden death games that are synonymous with the excitement of “March Madness,” the Cougars got to stop at the Buc-ee’s in Madisonville on their way back to Houston after the AAC tournament was canceled, and started their offseason early. An abrupt end that no one saw coming and that no one wanted. For Harris, however, this was his final rodeo. While he is sad that he did not get to dance in the big tournament one last
runs led the American Athletic Conference. As a whole, Houston also led the AAC in those categories, posting a .592 slugging percentage along with 38 home runs, eight more than second-place Wichita State.
Continued dominance In recent years, Houston’s track and field program has been among the best in the country, getting close to winning national titles on several occasions. The Cougars had a shot in 2020, but with all NCAA championships canceled for the season, that dream is dead until at least next year. Houston, which placed second and third in the 2019 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, respectively, had sent six athletes to represent it in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for this year’s national indoor title meet before it was canceled.
time, he is excited for the future of the program and gave advice to the new players who will be joining the team in the future. “Your first month, you’re going to face a lot of ups and downs, and you have to get through it because coach is going to get on you but at the end of the day it is going to pay off,” Harris said. Harris ended his collegiate career leading the team with two blocks per game in the 2019-20 season. For head coach Kelvin Sampson, Harris is the final player who helped completely rebuild the identity of the University’s program. “Chris was the last of the kids that signed with us before we had any of our bells and whistles,” Sampson said after Houston’s win over Memphis on March 8. “He believed in us when nobody else knew who we were.” The Cougars officially ended the season with a 23-8 overall record and captured their second-straight AAC regular-season title with a 13-5 record in conference play. The 6-foot-10 center, despite not being the most vocal person in the world, made his mark as a leader on the team. For him, one of his biggest joys during his time with the Cougars came from getting to play in Houston where he grew up in. “It means a lot to me to represent the city I grew up in,” Harris said. “To represent the city is a great feeling.” sports@thedailycougar.com
Head basketball coach Kelvin Sampson’s squad was projected to be a No. 7 or 8 seed in the now-canceled NCAA Tournament. | Mikol Kindle Jr./The Cougar
Chance to three-peat Houston’s women’s golf team would be less than a month away from trying to win its third-straight conference title at the AAC Championships had it not been for its cancellation.
Last season, UH dominated the championships, finishing 30 strokes ahead of runner-up UCF. But now, like most, the Cougars are at home, waiting out the storm. sports@thedailycougar.com
THE DEAN OF STUDENTS OFFICE presents,
THE DEAN’S AWARD To promote service to the University of Houston by recognizing students for their outstanding contributions to the quality of campus life through service, leadership and spirit. Online applications are available on the Campus Programs website at:
WWW.UH.EDU/CSI/ CAMPUS-PROGRAMS/CLR/ For more information call:
832.842.6183
CRITERIA INCLUDE: • Demonstrated significant service and/or leadership; ethusiasm • Minimum 3.0 GPA; enrollment in at least 9 hours • Junior or Senior classification at the University of Houston
APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 27, 2020
8 | Wednesday, March 25, 2020
OPINION
SANTIAGO GAUGHAN, EDITOR
@THEDAILYCOUGAR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
We’re stopping the presses. For now. D
ear readers, The Cougar is halting its presses, for now. Monday was the first day all students began their classes entirely online or in an alternative format, which MICHAEL will be the SLATEN new normal EDITOR IN CHIEF for at least the rest of this semester due to the coronavirus pandemic. This means the thousands of
students, and the many faculty and staff, who typically come to campus won’t be there to pick up the weekly print edition. Due to this, we will not be printing our weekly edition for the foreseeable future. We will instead be releasing a biweekly edition digitally. There will be issues on March 25, April 8 and April 22. This will still have our most in-depth stories we work on across our three sections: news, sports and opinion. Check our Issuu page each Wednesday morning on those dates to read it, or subscribe to
our email edition and it’ll be delivered to your inbox when it’s released. The circumstances we find ourselves in because of the coronavirus pandemic are not ideal. We can no longer visit campus to see our friends, transitioning to online classes is tough and the uncertainty of what lies ahead can be stressful. Our entire staff now works remotely to do our part in serving you, the reader. It’s our job to keep up and work through this pandemic. We do our best throughout the week to keep the latest
updates on how the new coronavirus is affecting campus on thedailycougar.com. This week will publish stories about how the coronavirus is affecting students trying to find jobs and how the transition to online classes has gone for some students. If there is something that we ever miss, or you feel there is something The Cougar should shine a light on, our inboxes exist to connect us to you. We will get through this. For now, though, we must trudge on. editor@thedailycougar.com
CORONAVIRUS
Panic buying, wiping shelves does more harm than good ANNA BAKER
OPINION COLUMNIST
People are stocking up on toilet paper, masks and hand sanitizers in obscene amounts due to the new coronavirus, which is also referred to as COVID-19. This leaves so many people without their basic necessities like health care workers who are forced to treat patients without masks or families who can’t find toilet paper or soap. Some are even reselling toilet paper at $5 a roll in places. This hysteria around toilet paper is ridiculous and price gouging it is even worse, not to mention exploitative. No one should be stockpiling toilet paper in the first place, but if you have extras, give them away. To understand why people are stocking up, specifically on toilet paper, requires a bit of psychology. Steven Taylor, a psychologist who wrote “The Psychology of Pandemics,” said simply washing
hands does not feel like it’s big enough to take on the threat of the coronavirus. So, people take extreme measures and start hoarding supplies like toilet paper even if it doesn’t make much sense. Hoarding supplies allow people to feel a sense of control when all their school events, classes and sports have been canceled. If they over-prepare, they feel like they are doing something substantial against the virus, even if they really aren’t. It is understandable to want to prepare during a pandemic. Although we should recognize many people actually need these supplies and we should not be hoarding them away. More so, we should not upcharge products that some need like toilet paper and hand sanitizer. The irony: The reason people cannot find these products in stores is because of those hoarding them. We are in a pandemic. We shouldn’t see it as a business opportunity but a time to help each other. Many students support themselves and don’t have the money to pay $15 or more per roll. Additionally, if a student doesn’t have a car but lives on campus, they may have limited access to stores anyway. As Cougars, we need to take care of each other. Of course, we still have to social distance from each other but with social media and technology we can check up on each other.
EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF
Michael Slaten MANAGING EDITOR
Katrina Martinez CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Jiselle Santos NEWS EDITOR
Autumn Rendall FEATURES EDITOR
Vacant
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 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
Some experts say consumers panic buy and hoard supplies like toilet paper as an extreme — yet illogical — measure. | Katrina Martinez/The Cougar
Check on anyone you know who is immunocompromised. Their dire need for quarantine may prevent them from getting all the supplies or even the food they need. If you are healthy, check up on them and ask if they need anything. There’s no shame in buying extras if you’re giving (not selling) them to someone else in need. First people bought out masks, then hand sanitizer, then paper towels and toilet paper. There’s no telling what will sell out next.
Instead of panic buying 200 cases of whatever it is, buy what you need. Then ask your friends, who might be more vulnerable, if they need anything and don’t charge them for it. Instead, just do something helpful for a friend. Students need to help each other during these uncertain times, not profit off each other. Anna Baker is an english sophomore and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com
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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