Issue 12, Volume 82 by The Cougar

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Issue 12, Volume 82

Does Donald Trump fit into America? In an election filled with contention and name calling, one student is voting for Donald Trump, and it has nothing to do with Hillary Clinton. | PG. 7

What happened to Bernie's revolution? Supporters of the left-wing leader have moved on to promoting progressive ideals in Houston and in the national election. | PG. 5

The evolution of the Alt-Right A new political and ideological movement, known as the Alt-Right, is starting to appear on the national stage, but is it something to be feared? | PG. 9

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A GENERAL GUIDE TO YOUR ELECTION DAY i Election Day isn’t so far away with only days remaining until voting comes to an end on Monday.

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ABOUT THE COUGAR

On Election Day, voters must vote at their assigned precinct that can be found on their voter registration card.

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For those living on or near campus, here’s a list of the closest polling locations for the respective districts. All early voting locations are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday when the early voting period ends.

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ABOUT CSM The Center for Student Media provides comprehensive advisory and financial support to the university’s student-run media: The Cougar newspaper, Student Video Network and COOG Radio.

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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.

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THE LEFT

College Democrats prepared for blue wave coming to Texas MARIALUISA RINCON

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @LUCYRINCONB

Born from the momentum of Obama’s reelection in 2012, UH College Democrats is a relatively new organization, but has made a significant footprint on campus and beyond. The local branch of the national organization College Democrats — not to be confused with Young Democrats — actively works with local candidates and officials on campaigns. Through countless block walks, phone banks, rallies and watch parties, the group has increased its presence in the Houston political scene. “We’ve made it a point to stay away from just rubbing shoulders and taking pictures and really getting out the doors and on the phones,” said political science senior John Seydler, College Democrats president.

Intense campaigning Throughout its short history, Col-

lege Democrats has hosted several high-profile guest speakers and worked with large-scale campaigns. Notable names include former Sen. Wendy Davis, Sen. John Whitmire and Kim Ogg, who is the Democratic district attorney nominee in Harris County. “Students talk to them face-toface (so) when they see their name on the ballot they can put a face to it,” said human resource management junior Daisy Salazar, vice president of the College Democrats. Like any student organization, College Democrats works to inspire future leaders — especially in a political group, where students may want to work in the business or run for office themselves. Members can have meaningful conversations on a topic that is often uncomfortable to discuss with strangers. “We’re doing what really needs to be done,” Seydler said. “Talking to voters.” Economics senior Cameron Barrett is a numbers' man. The self-described “data analyst” for

College Democrats predicts that Hillary Clinton will win the election with around 49 percent of the popular vote. The College Democrats registered more than 1,000 students to vote before the Oct. 19 state deadline, a feat they called significant headway. “There’s no way that Texas will be a swing state in this election or even in the next one,” Barrett said. “I can see Texas maybe being a swing state in 2024.” That all depends, of course, on the "sleeping giant" that is the Latino vote. Though Latinos typically vote conservatively, the current rhetoric of the Republican Party and its candidate threatens to turn the simple majority of Texans blue. With the election neck-andneck in a reliably red state, Seydler and his Democrats are taking the opportunity to mobilize a volunteer base that might be surprised to know how, this time, every vote really could count.

The College Democrats support a number of down-ballot candidates in Houston, including Kim Ogg, pictured above. | Courtesy of the College Democrats

“When they say that, they mean that it is within the margin of error,” Barrett said, quick to point out that Texas is not really a “swing state” as such. Only time will tell, however, as poll results all over the world can be wrong — most notably with Brexit. With scandals surfacing in the campaign cycle's last days, there is an air of healthy skepticism and hopeful optimism on both sides that maybe the controversy of one will ruin the other. “Normally, I’m skeptical of polls,” Seydler said. “But (Texas becoming a blue state) is within reach.”

For Election Day

Despite being a relatively young organization, the College Democrats have been active in the Houston political scene, including working phone banks, block walking and registering students to vote. | Courtesy of the College Democrats

Welcome Dr. Talia Crawford Now Accepting New Patients

On the night of the most contentious and controversial election in memory, the official youth branch of the Democratic Party at UH has appropriately ambitious plans. “We’ll be doing a myriad of different things,” Seydler said. “Some are going to be volunteering with candidates at polling locations. Some will be doing last-minute phone banking all the way up until the polls close in both time zones.” Time zones aren't something people consider when readying themselves for the results of a general election. The U.S. is spread over

six time zones, Texas over two, and after the polls close in Houston at 7 p.m. there will still be another hour of campaigning in west Texas. “We still have a lot of work this next week,” Salazar said. Next Tuesday, the College Democrats will host a joint election result watch party with the College Republicans at Calhoun’s Rooftop. Salazar said the organization is already looking past the election: They plan to hold forums in the Spring about the results. While College Democrats has not drawn up any legislation, the “big goal” is to focus on the Texas Legislative Session that begins in January. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to predict who will win on Election Day. The road to 270 electoral votes is paved with doubts and scandals that could turn the election on its head overnight. With only a few days to go, the public is burned out and ready to move on from the political circus of the past year. “Whether (Trump) incites a civil war or just accepts that he lost, I'm guessing he's gonna spend the next four years questioning everything Hillary does," Barrett said. news@thedailycougar.com

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THE RIGHT

College Republicans divided over Trump for president ALEX MEYER

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @TWITTERHANDLE

For UH College Republicans, the stakes of the 2016 election have never been higher. It took former presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, dropping out of the 2016 race for political science senior Karen Ben-Moyal to even contemplate endorsing Donald Trump, an action she never anticipated doing. Although Ben-Moyal considers herself predominantly conservative, there are issues in which she differs from the Republican Party such as abortion and same-sex marriage. She did not take the decision to endorse Trump lightly.

Tough decision As a recruiter for the UH College Republicans, Ben-Moyal felt moved to make a difference in the political environment around her. When the organization decided not to endorse Trump in May, Ben-Moyal left her position to become UH chapter coordinator of Students for Trump. "I saw freedom of speech on college campuses slowly becoming obsolete," Ben-Moyal said. "I saw people being bullied, shamed, mocked by their friends at school and their professors all because of who they were voting for." For Ben-Moyal, who is also a member of the UH Mock Trial Debate Team, it was important that her fellow Republicans be confi-

views in general." Students' aggressive judgement of Ben-Moyal made her feel even more aligned with Trump. She discovered a correlation between the media's treatment of the presidential candidate and Republicans in general. Ben-Moyal chose to keep an open mind and weighed her options despite the many political upsets that Trump has encountered. Supplemented by her belief that U.S. news outlets were biased against Trump and that the alternative presidential candidate — Hilary Clinton — was a criminal, Ben-Moyal's increased her perseverance to drive the Republican Party forward. Since the UH chapter of Students for Trump was established, the growing organization has reached 25 members of varying ethnicities and backgrounds — some are former Democrats, others Libertarians or conservatives and others are first-time voters. When members aren't throwing debate watch parties at Calhoun's Rooftop, they're going door-to-door to gain support for their organization. They used to pass out flyers and put them on billboards, Ben-Moyal said, but passersby would either rip them off or laugh at the organization's members. The organizaiton has stopped posting flyers entirely. Even so, Trump's UH supporters haven't lost hope. "We all have to live with the

For many of the College Republicans, the decision to endorse Trump has not come lightly. | Jasmine Davis/The Cougar

2012 election. In 15 of Texas' largest counties, the number of early voters has risen 42.6 percent. Following Trump's incendiary remarks about women and the FBI reopening its probe into Clinton's classified emails, voters have begun demonstrating urgency. History senior Matt Wiltshire,

who has been the director of public relations for the UH College Republicans since May 2014, said that the organization's members decided not to endorse Trump because he did not align with UH College Republicans' ideals. Made up of social conservatives and Libertarians, capitalists and protectionists, foreign-policy hawks

and isolationists, classical liberals and neocons, the UH College Republicans considered Trump a "highly-polarizing figure," Wiltshire said. For Wiltshire personally, the decision to not endorse Trump was one of academia.

COLLEGE REPUBLICANS

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“I saw freedom of speech on college campuses slowly becoming obsolete. I saw people being bullied, shamed, mocked by their friends at school and their professors all because of who they were voting for.” Karen Ben-Moyal, Students for Trump UH Chapter Coordinator dent in expressing their opinions. When she started admitting her support for Trump on social media, however, she encountered uncensored insults, harassment and even threats from her professors. "I never had a prejudice bone in my body, but when I claimed to be associated with Trump and his campaign, I was automatically classified as a racist, anti-Semitic, sexist lunatic," Ben-Moyal said. "I found these insults sort of humorous because of the fact that I was a female, Jewish, Israeli-American who had gay relatives and mixed

stares and anxiety we get when we are gathered together watching a presidential debate in our (Make America Great Again) hats, but it’s OK," Ben-Moyal said. "We now know that we are not alone. We have each other to lean on."

No proper candidate In the countdown to Election Day, tension has risen since scandals in both parties have spurred citizens to vote. According to a New York Times poll, Texas' early voting participation has drastically changed since the

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COLLEGE REPUBLICANS

ELECTION

Former Sanders supporters rally for local progressive candidates JASMINE DAVIS

SENIOR STAFF WRITER @JPDAVIS_TDC

Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign is long over, but members of the student group Progressive Student Alliance, formerly known as Coogs for Bernie, continue to aid and support his political revolution. “From the beginning, as Coogs for Bernie, we always had this idea that getting Bernie elected wasn’t the end goal,” PSA President Gabriel Silva said. “It was just one of the battles we had to fight.” Silva said that while Sanders' loss was disappointing, it wasn’t the end of the Vermont senator's movement in Houston. Houston Area Progressives, Silva said, became a community when volunteers and campaign staff from Sanders' Houston effort decided to come together despite a fruitless presidential bid. “He’s like the flag-bearer of today,” Silva said of Sanders. “As long as he’s in government and he’s making any kind of efforts toward these progressive issues then of course we’re going to continue to support him.”

'Still work to be done' In the past few months, the organization has prioritized registering voters above all else. Silva said PSA has registered around 200 voters in the last few weeks and more than 500 since Coogs for Bernie was first established. “It’s a known fact that the more people you have registered and the more people you have turn out, the more progressive the outcomes tend to be,” Silva said. “The more people we can register, for whatever reason they’re registering, the better chance we have of turning Texas blue.”

Former-Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has seen a movement he started carry on long after his campaign has ended, which has spilled over into the Houston political scene and UH. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

According to a Houston Chronicle article, which features PSA officer Emily Garcia-Briones, volunteers in Harris County registered a record number of voters this year. There are now more than 2.2 million registered voters in Harris County, representing the highest increase in voter registration in the last 16 years. “The reason we’re in this state is because people don’t vote,” Garcia-Briones, a human nutrition and foods junior, said. “Here in Texas, the voter turnout is abysmal, which is what causes our representatives to not really to represent us.” For now, the organization has shifted focus away from the presidential election and chose not to endorse any of the remaining candidates. PSA has instead decided to support and endorse local progressive candidates such as Kim Ogg for district attorney and Ed Gonzales for sheriff. “We’ve just kind of picked

up where he left off with his campaign,” Garcia-Briones said. “We had our disappointment, but we had to realize that there’s still work to be done. There’s still local elections.”

Continuing the revolution Silva said the organization’s decision to stay out of the presidential election is largely because it does not want to further divide the progressive movement. Additionally, PSA has more potential to have a real, visible impact when it comes to local issues.

out and work with Houston Area Progressives and The Houston Free Thinkers, among others. “These groups will be working with other statewide groups,” Silva said. “Basically, it’s going to be a system of grass roots organizing from bottom to top.” Next year, Silva said the group plans to travel to Austin with other Houston-area progressive groups to testify before the legislators. PSA is becoming an officially registered student organization this week. Silva said this will allow the organization to receive

“Even taking a position on the presidential election would be like assuming we could change the water level of the ocean by putting in a drop of water. It helps keep people involved in a group when they can actually see the change that we’re trying to make happen.”

Hofheinz Pavilion filled with supporters when Sanders mad his appearance at the University of Houston in the summer of 2015. | File photo/The Cougar

"Being an advocate for conservatism requires studying philosophy, economics, philology and history, just to name a few disciplines," Wiltshire said. "Donald Trump has neither a conservative character nor an understanding of the principles that animate those who fight for liberty." Wiltshire, who resigned his position in the Student Government Association as associate justice of the Supreme Court after the #RemoveRohini controversy, also refused to support Clinton. Her corruption is so apparent, Wiltshire said, that his Democratic friends proclaimed as "old news." "We’ve had bad presidents before," Witlshire said. "We’ve had incompetent presidents before. Never have we had someone so overtly corrupt that they threaten to upend the trust our society holds in historically apolitical organizations such as the FBI." When comparing the two candidates, Wiltshire considered Trump's scandals largely personal and Clinton's as political. Therefore, he wasn't surprised by the election's negative tone. As an advocate for former presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, Wiltshire would prefer to see neither candidate win. "Barring a miracle, on Nov. 9, nobody will have won — America will have lost," Wiltshire said.

The 'beginning of the end'

funding and host events, which will hopefully lead to an increase in membership and, ultimately, a larger impact on the University’s political engagement. “Although Bernie isn’t the nominee of the Democratic Party, our drive hasn’t decreased in the slightest,” Biology junior Jillian Gauthier said. “Our shared views on Bernie Sanders brought us together, but Bernie’s revolution was never just about Bernie.”

Pre-business sophomore Andrew Teoh, who identifies as an independent — fiscally conservative and socially liberal, was leaning right during the primaries until Trump rose in the poles. "I was almost certain that I would be voting Republican regardless of whom the nominee would be," Teoh said. "While I agree with some of his stances, Trump has no action plan and hasn't demonstrated a willingness to learn." "If the rest of the world ever associates U.S.A. with Trump, I would be embarrassed," Teoh said. As for the fate of the American people following the 2016 election, Teoh predicts a drastic change in the nation's history. "We may finally see the beginning of the end of the modern two-party system," Teoh said. "That alone may be the only good thing to come from this election cycle."

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Gabriel Silva, Progressive Student Aliance President “Even taking a position on the presidential election would be like assuming we could change the water level of the ocean by putting in a drop of water,” Silva said. “It helps keep people involved in a group when they can actually see the change that we’re trying to make happen.” Going forward, Silva said that a regrouping of the Sanders camp is likely. PSA and the progressive movement in general will focus on growing and becoming more interconnected. The organization plans to reach

Continued from page 5

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OPINION

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Frank Campos, EDITOR

GUEST COMMENTARY

Why I am voting for Donald Trump this November

never thought, not in a million years, that I would be endorsing Mr. Donald J. Trump as the next president of the United States. I did not endorse Trump in any way until Marco Rubio, the candidate I truly believed in and wanted to win, dropped out of the presidential race. So, I grew to support Trump long after his campaign first KAREN BEN-MOYAL began.

An unlikely candidate Among other things, my political views are not entirely conservative ones. Although I lean right, I differ from the party on issues like abortion. I believe that just like everyone else, it is a woman’s constitutional right to do whatever she wants to do with her body. I have also always supported same-sex marriage. Because of my

personal relationships with those close to me, I grew up understanding that love is love, and all men and women are truly created equal. Everyone should have the right to choose whom they want to marry. However, when it comes to the military, small government, genuine environmental issues, taxing and spending, I am a true conservative. Also, government regulation, constitutional rights, equal opportunity and social justice for all under the law are other issues I take a conservative stance on. I believe that capitalism is the fairest system that has ever been created. When I first started to consider whether to hop on the "Trump Train," I remember thinking to myself, “What does the moral person who recognizes that Clinton is waging war on women and minorities do when her opponent has his own imperfections?” What does a person of self-worth, integrity and decency do if they are fully aware that Clinton's corruption remains unprecedented at the

national level, to this day? Among other things, I contemplated the threat posed to the existence of the "American Dream" and the future of the Supreme Court. After coming up with every excuse I could think of against Trump, I logically thought about the intensity of both outcomes. I weighed my options and realized that, although I value the virtuousness that comes with morality and hold my potential leaders to a fairly high standard in this respect, morality involves both intentions and consequences. The problem with having pure intentions and riding a moral high horse — as a natural response to embracing those intentions — is that those pure intentions can actually produce terrible consequences.

Trump backlash In retrospect, the main reason I decided to accept the position of UH Chapter coordinator of Students for Trump was precisely because of what I saw was going

Karen Ben-Moyal did not endorse Trump until Marco Rubio, the candidate she wanted to win, dropped out of the race. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

on around me. I saw freedom of speech on college campuses slowly becoming obsolete. I saw people being bullied by their friends at school and their professors all because of who they were voting for. This is hard to admit, but I accepted the position to become president of this club in order to make a difference. I wanted other Republican students on campus to be able to express their voices and opinions

just as their fellow peers did with such confidence. I also wanted them to feel like they belonged somewhere. A safe space, so to speak, because I knew exactly what they were going through and did not want them to go through it alone. Although I accepted the position of president, I was still in the early stages of my personal support for

TRUMP

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Frank Campos, EDITOR

Guest Columnnist Karen Ben-Moyal hopes that people can read her story and think twice about the things going on or even develop the courage to express their own views. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

ELECTION

Trump supporters are overly demonized Continued from page 7 Trump. I still felt I had to conform to what the status quo deemed acceptable and “morally correct.” I was quickly shamed for being associated with Trump and attempting to gain support through social media. I never had a prejudice bone in my body, but when I claimed to be associated with Trump, I was automatically classified as a racist, anti-Semitic and sexist lunatic. I found these insults sort of humorous because of the fact that I am female, Jewish, Israeli-American and have gay relatives. I remember I was even called a disgusting human being two or three times when I came out as a Trump supporter. The people did not even know my name, but they sure knew I was disgusting. That insult wasn’t as funny. I had professors threaten me and tell me that my intentions were bad. People of all ages constantly wanted to debate me after finding out my political views. Talking about it now, it truly sounds ridiculous that I had to hide my beliefs. I did not want others to suffer in silence and alone the way I did.

Misunderstood viewpoint Coincidentally, Trump is always called these same names. If you look up the facts that these people claim are true, you find out that Trump is the complete opposite of a bigot and racist. He openly supports the LGBTQ community, he is all for minority programs that promote equal rights, he loves the state of Israel and he has hired more women than

men to work for his company and American, and Indian students, great again. Trump Tower. and we all share one common As corny as it sounds, it’s a damn I guess I started seeing a corbond. beautiful feeling. relation between the way I was We all love this country and The members of the Students for being treated and the way that want to see America reach her Trump group at UH all support him both Republicans, in general, and fullest potential. Additionally, we for different and various reasons. Trump, himself, have been treated share similar experiences with Some have supported him from in recent years. The entire system is other students and professors that the beginning while others, such as to blame for this. have given us such a hard time for myself, have realized that the alterThe government in power conexpressing our opinions in the past. native is far worse. When you face trols all of the United States’s major We all have to live with the stares the facts instead of spewing out the information outlets, so the reason and anxiety we get when we are garbage you hear from the blatantly for this deep and hate-fueled bias is gathered together watching a presbiased media, who — by the way — self-explanatory. idential debate in our MAGA hats, are reporting far more negatively on So, one day, I Trump coverfinally decided age, you actually “We all have to live with the stares and anxiety that if I was start to realize going to commit we get when we are gathered together watching you like some of to this position, his policies. a presidential debate in our MAGA hats, but I was going to Personally, it’s OK. Because we now know that we are fully commit. I it terrorizes finally figured me to think not alone — we have each other to lean on.” that if someabout what a Karen Ben-Moyal, President of Students for Trump Hillary Clinton thing was going to change, it presidency could only be done by doing somebut it’s OK. Because we now know would do to this country. thing about it. that we are not alone — we have Ever since then, I have suceach other to lean on. Too important to risk cessfully recruited a full board of Moreover, the connections I have As I stated earlier, Trump wasn’t students with about 25 members in made with these people these past even my first choice. My No. 1 total, and we are still growing. few months are indescribable. It is choice for president was Marco We all have such controversial honestly such a strange connection, Rubio. I agreed with him on opinions, but we are supporting the one that I have never really experialmost all the issues, and Trump same presidential candidate. We enced within a group of friends or was probably my last choice at also come from such different back- group of people in general. the time besides Rand Paul. grounds. Some of us are former It is certainly frustrating at times Objectively speaking, the 2016 Democrats, libertarians, conservabecause all of our views are so elections will either signify an end tives — and some are even voting mixed. I feel like it is insane that or will make way for a new beginfor the first time. we are all supporting the same ning. This election will determine candidate when we have such whether U.S. democracy stays or A diverse group contradicting beliefs. goes. That’s a terrifying thought, Contrary to popular assumpIt has been a long journey, but we right? tions, the majority of the group have not given up. We all share that If you aren’t scared, you should is not white. Our Students for hopeful spirit. We share the same be. Trump group is made up of many passion for this country and its To me, this election is not only different ethnicities. You will find people, but, ultimately, we all share significant in determining the path Asian, Hispanic, Arab, African the same dream: To make America that the United States will take. It is

arguably one of the most important in U.S. history. I turn to you, fellow millennials, and ask that you remain honest and open-minded. Why not go against the status quo for a change? It is the only burden that is hindering the American people from seeing the clarity in our decisions. Unfortunately, we the people have been put in such a tight position. Now this beacon is our only hope, yet everyone chooses to ignore it because that is what they were told to do. For once, why not give the underdog a chance to Make America Great Again? This is just a chance to spread a little knowledge on a different perspective — a perspective that you don’t hear every day — from my own philosophy on this crazy election cycle. This is just my way of being honeswt in order to provoke those who continue living in fear of coming out with their own opinions and beliefs on Donald Trump. I believe it is their right to express their opinions, even if they differ with the majority, and I am hoping people can read my story and think twice about things going on, or even develop the courage and confidence to express their own views. After all, America needs our ideas to be successful. Every single citizen’s voice matters, especially in this election. So please, speak up people. It’s your country that’s at stake. Karen Ben-Moyal is a political science senior and the president of Students for Trump.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 | 9

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EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF

Trey Strange

MANAGING EDITOR

Bryce Dodds

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Leah Nash

CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Nguyen Le

NEWS EDITORS

Emily Burleson Alex Meyer Marialuisa Rincon SPORTS EDITORS

Reagan Earnst Jonathan Valadez

OPINION EDITORS

Frank Campos Thom Dwyer ARTS EDITORS

Karis Johnson Greg Fails PHOTO EDITORS

Justin Cross Ajani Stewart SENIOR STAFF

Caprice Carter Bruce Chao Jasmine Davis Peter Scamardo Jorden Smith Douglas Van

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 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

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OPINION

THE OTHER RIGHT

Alt-right is a new, evolving movement

ately, a (semi-)new political movement has been popping up sporadically in the media and gained full mainstream attention with Hillary Clinton’s speech in Reno, Nevada on Aug. 25. But everyone is still wondering, "What exactly EJ NUNEZ is the alt-right?" OPINION Should we be COLUMNIST triggered by it and seek safe spaces? Spoiler alert: Even the alt-right doesn’t know for sure. However, before we get into the core of its ideas and attraction to so many Americans, let’s highlight what the mainstream media and Hillary Clinton have laid out for us so far. Everyone and their mother are claiming that the new right is racist, sexist, misogynist, xenophobic, white supremacist and every other negative "-ist" under the sun. Clinton also claimed that it is a fringe political movement that has no place in today’s political ecosystem. Even people on the right like Ben Shapiro and Rick Wilson have criticized the new movement. It is, however, not fringe. It is definitely not your daddy’s old religious right conservatism.

Not just jokes If you are an Internet-slashnews addict like me, you have probably noticed strange memes from anonymous individuals such as Donald Trump as a frog, triple brackets, Trump in gold armor looking like an emperor and Taylor Swift saying Adolf Hitler's quotes. There are also words like “cuckservative” and “kek.” These can be a lot to take in if you’re not used to

4chan and other silly places on the Internet. I'd start with the central concepts, except that there aren’t any in the movement (or sort of, nobody knows). Pretty much everyone in the alt-right, however, agrees to two principles: the complete annihilation of political correctness and pride in European heritage. Even better is that members of the movement have just one entertaining tactic to accomplish goals — be as much of a troll as you possibly can and trigger everyone. As soon as anyone cries racism or sexism, they will double down and post the most racist and sexist things that their animeriddled minds can think of to get as much attention as possible. As a result, there’s going to be a whole lot of Nazi jokes. In fact, so many that people have started to think that’s what they actually believe in (has anyone ever heard of satire?). A deeper look into the movement shows that members are not into true fascism or Nazism. On the contrary, they usually support classical liberal principles, but there is a distinct streak of nationalism notwithstanding. What is nationalism though? Is it fascism? Not quite, fascism is a political ideology that is totalitarian in nature and leads to a more socialistic economy. While most in the alt-right do not like socialism, they are not completely open to international free trade either. Here is where their support for Trump comes into play (Trump is not alt-right just to be clear). Our current economic neoliberalism of the Chicago

The Alt-right movement deserves a chance to become its own politcal entity. Don't pre-judged before you know the facts. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

school of economics support free trade among nations. In the past 50 years, however, we have seen how it has stifled middle-class Americans by sending cheap-butwell-paid manufacturing jobs overseas. To the alt-right, this is unfair to American workers and the country as a whole. A company uses resources here and as soon as they’re worth anything they bring their operation overseas to help foreign laborers. Americans, meanwhile, are jobless. This is belittling the U.S.' labor movement, and is why both alt-right and Bernie Sanders' supporters can agree on trade issues.

Long-term movement Still, we can’t ignore the streak of European or white nationalism in the alt-right. To elaborate: nationalism and supremacism are different ideologies. A considerable amount of leaders in the civil rights movement of the '60s were clearly black nationalists, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A quote from late singer James Brown, “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud!” shows this sentiment. People should be proud of who they are and where they come

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from. After all, this is self-love. I mean, really, do the sins of the father pass onto the son? If your father was a murderer but you have lived in peace, should you receive imprisonment for his crime? While some say "yes," I think that most Americans would say "no." Supremacism of any kind is clearly wrong. Yet, pride in your cultural or ethnic heritage does not mean that you are a racial supremacist. It just means you’re proud of who you are and of your ancestors. Bottom line is that the alt-right is here to stay, especially with the disenfranchised's up-and-coming political right. They believe in free speech and respect cultures for their innate individual values. Let's not hastily cast judgment because our political leaders say that they are terrible in whatever way they decide for that day. With what’s been going on for the past 50 years and all the corruption in politics, we should, if anything, pay more attention to the movement. Opinion columnist EJ Nunez is an economic sophomore and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com.

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FOOTBALL

Halftime adjustments throttle Cougars past Golden Knights REAGAN EARNST

SPORTS EDITOR @REAGANEARNST

Heading into the locker room at halftime Saturday, the Cougars looked lost. Trailing 21-3 to the University of Central Florida Golden Knights — a team that they obliterated by 49 points a season ago — onlookers couldn’t help but wonder, "What happened?" more than they already have in recent weeks. “There is a big difference between playing not to lose and playing to win,” said head coach Tom Herman in the postgame press conference.

Chaotic October Playing not to lose is exactly what this team has fallen victim to for the better portion of October, a month they would like to soon forget. A wet game against Navy on Oct. 8 started the Cougars' free fall. Even if the rain or Navy’s unorthodox offensive style is to blame, the Cougars were overmatched and lost 46-40. After slipping by the Tulsa Golden Hurricane a week later, the team traveled to Dallas on Oct. 22 where they were expected to beat up Southern Methodist University like so many teams have done in recent years. Looking utterly uninterested and disorganized, the Mustangs defeated their first ranked opponent in five years. Nothing was going right for the Cougars again on Sunday when empty stands served as a

The Cougars overcame a lackadaisical start to the game in order to steal a win from the University of Central Florida Golden Knights Saturday.| Ajani Stewart/The Cougar

having already thrown three interceptions — partly due to bad luck. Facing an 18-point deficit, Herman sensed the enormity of the task at hand. “It is a matter of responding play after play and being mindful and intentional with your thoughts and actions, knowing that every play is its own entity,” Herman said. “For six seconds you have to have a singular

and go do it again. Our guys responded.” Responded is right. The team went on to force four takeaways on the same UCF offense that picked apart the Cougars in the first half. Senior cornerback Brandon Wilson played with a chip on his shoulder on his way to collecting an important sack, forcing a fumble and grabbing a key interception on what looked to be a close play. “I knew I caught the ball,” Wilson said after the game. “I was just out there doing my job and doing what I was told to do. When you do your job, good things happen.” Wilson has been hobbled by an ankle injury for the better part of his senior season. Still, he looked like the dynamic playmaker whom Cougar fans have grown accustomed to over the last four years.

Live on the edge Senior quarterback Greg Ward Jr. rushed for two touchdowns in the second half that helped seal the comeback victory. | Ajani Stewart/The Cougar

reminder of the team's recent shortcomings. Senior quarterback and former Heisman Trophy candidate Greg Ward Jr. jogged to the locker room

focus, a laser-light focus, on what your job is and executing that job. When the play is over, good or bad, take a deep breath, get the signal from the sideline

It was Wilson’s playmaking that salvaged the Cougars’ season and helped them to secure the third-largest comeback in UH football history. Despite having some of his confidence shot in the tumultuous first half, Ward took the field in the final 30 minutes on a

“For six seconds you have to have a singular focus, a laser-light focus, on what your job is and executing that job. When the play is over, good or bad, take a deep breath, get the signal from the sideline and go do it again. Our guys responded.” Tom Herman, Head Coach mission. “The main thing I was focusing on was taking care of the ball,” Ward said. “I didn’t do a great job in the first half. The offensive line played a hell of a game. The receivers made plays outside and made blocks on perimeters so our running backs could have some big games in the stretch.” Ward’s feet rarely fail him and Saturday was no exception. The senior found holes in the UCF defense that were nonexistent in the first half. Ward scrambled for two scores and found sophomore tight end Romello Brooker for a touchdown on what was just his second catch of the season. All in all, the Cougars provided a gutsy effort when they needed it most, a force that has

been missing in recent weeks. Even with the low likelihood of attaining preseason goals, the team put forth an admirable performance when all hope was nearly lost. Although it may not have been pretty or gone the way they intended, the second half on Saturday could be a catalyst that propels the team to the finish line. “Most of (the adversity) was self-inflicted, and obviously we have to play better in all four quarters,” Herman said. “We can’t continue to live on the edge like this. I’m going to celebrate this one because we’re banged up, we’re tired and we fought like I’ve never seen them fight.” sports@thedailycougar.com

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Sights from Saturday Honoring Keenum and Klinger The number seven will never be worn again following the 2016 season as UH Football retired both Case Keenum and David Klingler's number during halftime. Keenum led the Cougar offense from 2007-2011 and still owns 17 NCAA records including career passing touchdowns (155), career passing yards (19,217) and completions (1,546). Now the NFL's Los Angeles Rams signal caller, Keenum finished his career with a 37-14 career record as a Cougar. Klingler, who could not attend the ceremony due to a prior commitment, currently owns 15 NCAA records himself. Cougar fans will not soon forget Nov. 17, 1990 when he threw an NCAA record 11 touchdowns against Eastern Washington.

Tale of two halves Nothing went right for senior quarterback Greg Ward Jr. and the Cougars in the first half Saturday. Ward entered the locker room at the half having already thrown three interceptions to the UCF defense. The senior then took matters into his own hands by accounting for three second half touchdowns and helping the Cougars seal the comeback victory.

Wilson makes presence felt Senior cornerback Brandon Wilson put on a show Satuday as he filled his stat sheet in the most opportune times. Wilson wreaked havoc on UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton by grabbing his first interception of the year in the second half and recording a clutch sack for a loss of 12 yards.

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Last season, the Cougars season ended in the American Athletic Conference Championship game with a 7-2 defeat at the hands of the University of Connecticut Huskies. | Ajani Stewart/The Cougar

BASEBALL

Coach sees improved offense in 2017 baseball season PETER SCAMARDO

SENIOR STAFF WRITER @PLSCARMARDO2

After competing in the American Athletic Conference baseball championship game for the third consecutive year, the Cougars fell just short of making it to the NCAA Tournament last season. That concluded a season where the Cougars were among the top teams in the nation in various pitching stats, but were near the bottom in many offensive categories. The team hit just .271 over the course of the season with 37 home runs, 14 of which came from a single player. Since their heartbreaking loss to the University of Connecticut in the conference championship game, the Cougars have been hard at work to get back to their winning ways. The team’s annual RedWhite World Series last week presented a great opportunity for new and returning players to earn the open spots on the roster. The games served as the first chance for fans and coaches to see the team perform in game scenarios. With five of the nine offensive slots and a few spots in the

pitching rotation still vacant, head coach Todd Whitting and his staff want to see who is going to bring effort, energy and attitude to fill them. “It gives us a game-like experience,” Junior outfielder Corey Julks said. “It’s always good to compete and have intrasquad scrimmages so you get gamelike reps. Practice is one thing, but when you’re actually playing against somebody else you get more amped up for it, and that’s always good.” Despite last season’s result, Whitting is returning a strong nucleus of players who are going to help lead the team. Experienced hitters like Julks, junior Connor Wong and sophomore Joe Davis should bring power and speed that will help junior pitcher Seth Romero and the pitching staff find wins easier. Whitting viewed this training period as valuable time where veteran players instill a team mentality and culture about what they are trying to accomplish in younger players. The seventh-year Cougar head coach knew that, to earn championships, his players have to build relationships. “I think this team has a little chip on its shoulder,” Whitting

said. “Whereas last year we were ranked high in the preseason, (we) had a talented team that kind of got devastated by injuries. I think some of those returning players who have postseason experience were pretty upset and disappointed that we didn’t make the postseason.” Whitting said that the way last year went gave his players a bit of a competitive edge entering the 2017 season. Players like Julks are doing their best to get the younger players to see the game slower. Knowing firsthand how drastic the change in speed and athleticism the game is played at the college level, Julks and others hope to get the young guys improve their focus and play at the best of their ability. When all the dust settled, the Red team claimed the intrasquad title over the White squad two games to one. Whitting is impressed with what he saw as his team wrapped up their fall workouts. The Cougars will now rest to prepare for the 2017 season, which is set to begin on Feb. 17. “I think this (team) has a chance to be our most offensive team yet,” Whitting said. “I think we’ll still consistently

Junior outfielder Corey Julks says that the Red-White World Series gives his team valuable game-like reps that differ from practice. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

pitch well like we have over the last five years. But I think from an offensive standpoint, we have the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark more

than we did last year. It’s a team that, offensively, I’m really excited about.” sports@thedailycougar.com