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Issue 28, Volume 82
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Why do we keep talking about
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Marialuisa Rincon, EDITOR
ADMINISTRATION
Founding dean brings new vision to Arts college KAYLEE DUSANG
STAFFWRITER @KAYLEEDUSANG
For Andrew Davis, becoming a founding dean means more than just running a college — it means developing a vision to improve an institution that can benefit the students and the community. The recently established Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts, called COTA by many students, announced the former professor and director of the Moores School of Music as the founding dean in late March. Davis is implementing a new vision for the College that will bring a more prominent on-campus arts community. “I have always been interested in this kind of work,” Davis said. “I had a mentor that told me a long time ago: if you want to make a difference in the university, then you have to get into the administration. You can’t do it by just being a
faculty member, so I took that to heart.” Davis first came to the University in 2003 as an instructor of music theory. In 2008, he became the associate dean of the honors college when he co-chaired the founding of the University’s National Honor Society Phi Beta Kappa chapter. In 2014, he served as an administrator for the School of Music. "He understands what we are trying to do and he knows what excellence means," said Director of the School of Art Rex Koontz. "It's because we share the sort of problems and same criteria for becoming a great School of Art, or being a great School of Music." When the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts was established in Fall 2016, Davis was given the position as interim dean. The search committee had originally planned to expand its
i
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Trey Strange Alex Meyer Leah Nash
Andrew Davis has a 14 year history with the University of Houston; he started as a music theory instructor at Moores School of Music. | Courtesy of Fallon Noel
scope nationally for a founding dean, but Davis adopted the role when the provost offered
him the position last month, he said. “It's what I’ve always wanted to do,” Davis said.
'Fit together'
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The College of the Arts associate dean, David Bertman, said an essential part of this vision is bringing singers, dancers, actors, painters and writers together to find a common ground in art. Bertman said works with Davis's initiatives as well as helping to run the College and contributing to his vision. Davis's plan also includes diversifying the college by developing interdisciplinary programs for the students’ curriculum. He hopes to educate them on how to work in all areas of the arts. Visiting artists such as musicians, dancers or photographers will teach students. “It’s all about the arts, and it’s all about everyone working together to make an impact, and to communicate a common vision and a common agenda; that’s how we make a difference,” Davis said. Director of the School of Art Rex Koontz said these interdisciplinary projects are an important addition, because they will involve all the schools that make up the College of the Arts. “This is going to make for
ARTS DEAN
Continues on page 5
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Marialuisa Rincon, EDITOR
CLASS OF 2017
How are commencement speakers chosen?
McConaughey, Schwarzenegger astronaut Scott Kelly were chosen by a selection committee
MARIALUISA RINCON
NEWS EDITOR
@LUCYRINCONB
One of the highlights of commencement — the traditional ceremony during which college graduates are awarded the diplomas they worked for years to get — is having a noted speaker welcome graduates to the real world. On March 21, the University announced that Arnold Schwarzenegger as the speaker for the third annual commencement ceremony. Commencement is composed of university-wide commencement, the more well-known event, and college convocation, in which each college confers diplomas and recognize students individually. The speaker at university-wide commencement, usually a prominent member of the community
or a well-known popular culture figure, speaks on their own experiences and are usually conferred an honorary degree. Like many universities, UH has a Commencement Speaker Selection Committee. The Committee, headed by the provost, has faculty, staff and student representation and meets and reviews potential choices and discuss costs, said committee member and former SGA President Shane Smith. Students and members of the campus community are able to submit possible speakers via a form available year-round. “It was partially community suggestions,” Smith said. “You could have just about anybody — Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, George Bush, George H. W. Bush. It’s really a whole bunch of possibilities.” Once the committee has
weeded out preliminary suggestions, they begin discussing more serious options. After an approval process by the President, an offer is made to a preferred speaker, who is announced once they accept. At most universities, the first people considered for commencement are alumni — at UH, Jim Parsons, Elizabeth Warren and Dennis Quaid have all been discussed as potential speakers — however, other factors such as speaker’s fees and scheduling conflicts cause committees to look elsewhere. For the past three speakers, UH has found inspiration from around the world — and beyond. The committee was lauded for their for the first high-profile commencement speaker at UH, Matthew McConaughey, who was paid $135,000 for his speech, $130,000 of which were
donated to his j.k. livin foundation. When retired astronaut encouraged Spring 2016 graduates to reach for the stars, he was paid $35,000. Schwarzenegger waived his $40,000 fee after learning of
its negotiation by his representatives. The ex-governor of California and movie star will deliver his address to the class of 2017 at TDECU Stadium on May 12. news@thedailycougar.com
The University announced Arnold Schwarzenegger as the spring 2017 commencement speaker March 31; commencement is May 12. | File photo/The Cougar
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Marialuisa Rincon, EDITOR
TECH
Researchers thirst for efficient water purification TRAYNOR SWANSON
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @TRAYNORSWANSON
Water is necessary for living, but the water purification process has problems — and two University of Houston engineering professors are working together to solve the costly issues of mineral scaling and biofoul buildup in water desalination plants. Debora Rodrigues, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering for the Cullen College of Engineering, and Yandi Hu, an assistant professor for the same department, teamed up in January with a $184,000 grant from the Qatar National Research Fund to begin a three-year research project to make water purification less expensive for desalination plants. “I want to try to develop technologies that are useful to society,” Rodrigues said. “This is one of them because the water problem is a worthwhile problem that affects lots of people. We’re having
more water scarcity, so desalination is a good alternative for using the water from the ocean. It’s an alternative to get clean water.” Saltwater, which makes up 97 percent of the earth's water supply, must go through the desalination process to become potable water. At desalination facilities, seawater passes through filters, or membranes, which remove salt and minerals from the water. Previously, Rodrigues worked with a UH startup called WAVVE Stream Inc. that offers technologies to enhance contaminant removal capabilities in water filtration systems — similar to Brita-type filters, she said. Her and Yu’s new technology improves the coating of membranes in desalination plants. The current problem is two-fold: The accumulation of microorganisms and salt on desalination membranes — known as biofoul build-up and mineral scaling, respectively
Professors Debora Rodrigues and Yandi Hu are working together to create a filter that will make water desalination more affordable for treatment plants and neutralize scaling. | Courtesy of Debora Rodrigues
— prevents water from flowing through. Purification plants must either increase water pressure or temporarily halt production to clean or replace the membranes.
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Rodrigues said the mineral scaling problem is akin to what happens in showerheads without water softeners. “It’s like when water dries up (on showerheads), and a whiteish powder builds up on the surface with hard water,” she said. “Sometimes, like in your shower maybe, it gets clogged … Scaling is a fancy name to say that there is the formation of these crystals of calcium that blocks the pores of the membrane.” Continuing the comparison, Rodrigues said that biofoul buildup is like going a long time without cleaning shower walls — microorganisms build up and turn the walls yellow. The biofoul is the same — an accumulation of microorganisms growing in the desalination membrane. Hu, who worked to remove lead from pipes during the Flint water crisis, said the duo divide the work into their two strong suits. “I’m more on the chemistry side, and she’s more on the microbiology side,” Hu said. “That’s why it’s nice to have collaborative work because one person knows one aspect. But this is a problem that is occurring simultaneously in the treatment systems. You have to solve both problems: mineral scaling and biofouling. You cannot solve only one problem because the other problem might become worse.” Hu said they have already developed a new membrane coating made of a polymer-modified graphene oxide nanocomposite, which has never been used in desalination membranes. The next step in their research is to see how the new coating reacts to
biofoul and mineral scaling. If their research is as successful as they hope it will be, then the new technology could cut down costs for desalination plants. Hu said that in one case, a California desalination plant spent $728,000 cleaning membranes — consuming about 30 percent of the plant’s operating costs.
“The water problem is a worthwhile problem because it affects a lot of people. Debora Rodrigues, Associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. “The membrane is part of the costs,” Rodrigues said. “There’s also the energy involved as well … And also, having to stop the water treatment to remove the membrane and replace it means the whole treatment system is down for several hours, and they lose money with that, too.” Though this is a three-year project, Hu hopes to continue working on the technology for even longer to collaborate with other faculty members in developing a better coating and, ultimately, improve to the water purification process. “I believe we can make it more efficient,” Hu said. “Basically, we could lower the operation costs and have longer membrane lifetimes.” news@thedailycougar.com
Wednesday, April 19, 2017 | 5
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ARTS DEAN
Continued from page 2 better and more successful graduates,” Koontz said. “They are going to be able to go out in the art world and the music world knowing how these things fit together in the life of a city.” As dean, Davis said he wants students and alumni to benefit from having been a part of a nationally competitive program. He said his team wants students' at the College of the Arts to get as much leverage and valuable experience as they can. Davis plans on appointing a student advisory council before the end of the semester. The council — a mix of undergraduate and graduate students from all the College of the Arts departments — will facilitate direct communication with students, so that he can talk directly to them about what works or does not work in the college. “The deans here are the people that have the power to fix problems,” Davis said. “We’re never going to solve all of them of course, but we really have a lot of power to shape the institution.” The creation of a college separate from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences has enabled Koontz to communicate more directly to the dean, he said. Koontz said Davis will effectively put together programs that advance the College and the University in the art world.
Rewarding job As the dean of the College of the Arts, Davis said he finds his job — running an educational system and an arts organization at the same time — rewarding; the companies and classes in the College put on about 400 concerts, performances and exhibits every year. “In some ways, it’s almost like running an organization like the Alley Theater or the Houston Symphony,” Davis said. “But, at the same time you’re working with students, you’re educating students and you’re developing curriculum and programs.” Davis's overall goal for the College is to impact the community through the arts, achieve excellence in programs and a provide more collaboration. “Conceptually and also in action, I think one of the things that he’s moving us
forward in the most is really taking ahold of the art world and the action within it,” Bertman said. “Whether it’s arts and education or arts and
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performance, it is going to be a very powerful contributor to the betterment of our society.” Davis said his best advice for students is to make
Marialuisa Rincon, EDITOR
connections when striving for success. "Close no doors and burn no bridges, that's the secret," Davis said. "If there is an opportunity
lurking go explore it, because it might lead to something really interesting." news@thedailycougar.com
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SPORTS
Viral videos started as a 'hobby,' creator says MARIALUISA RINCON
NEWS EDITOR @LUCYRINCONB
Wesam Hindi, seen here in a San Francisco 49ers t-shirt in one of the group's videos, "NFL in Real Life," used the football video as part of an entrepeneurship project—the video with the most views in the class gets extra credit. | Courtesy of Wesm Hindi
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Great ideas are born in the carpool lane. Marketing junior Wesam Hindi and his friends became the masterminds behind the comedic “Sports in Real Life” video series while on their daily commute to school. The videos feature Hindi's crew making sports plays around campus and went viral after the first one. “NBA in Real Life” was posted by ESPN Houston. The four videos spoof the national basketball, football and hockey leagues, as well as the World Wrestling Entertainment. Combined they have more than 216,000 views on YouTube and were shared by ESPN’s website, sports news website Bleacher Report and content aggregate blog WorldStarHipHop. “It was just a hobby at first,” Hindi said. “Then I realized I just want to come to campus and dunk on people.” The native Houstonian attended George Bush High School in Fort Bend County and transferred to University of Houston from Houston Community College. Hindi said the sports video series started out as a joke. He had experience making satirical skit videos from when he was younger, but his more than 7,000 Twitter followers wanted more. “It seems like it would be an elaborate plan,” said Fadi Hedayet, an electrical engineering junior and sports video actor. “But we came up with it in carpool.” The actors take turns filming, said pre-business freshman Mohamad Fatouh. All of the filming and some of the editing is done on an iPhone. For the first video, the group worked with the resources they already had. Hindi compiled a list of NBA players from jerseys his friends already owned, and who would appear in the video. Hindi found sound bites with comical or especially loud commentary featuring those players. He then laid them over clips of him and his friends picking, guarding and blocking unsuspecting passersby on campus. “Each of them I picked to reenact a play,” Hindi said. “Then we spice it up — throw in some weird facial expressions.” The group’s only expense for the basketball video was a $30 basketball hoop from Target.
The hoop became the star attraction in the video. One member moves and swoops with the players to ensure a dunk every time. The "it" factor of the videos is their candid nature, Hindi said. Students walking to class are caught on film while someone physically tries to get in between them and a tiny basketball hoop. That’s not to say that it was well-received by unknowing participants. The end of the NBA video shows Hindi portraying Houston Rockets guard James Harden. He bumps into a student at the M.D. Anderson Library and gets flipped off — uncut in the video, but censored of course, Fatouh said. “Whatever,” Hindi said. “He was just mad he couldn’t guard.” In another video, a student pretending to be former WWE competitor Stone Cold Steve Austin tackles and throws another "wrestler" to the ground in a seminar class. Hindi said it was particularly difficult to get professors to reply about filming in their classes. After five or six tries, the group found a professor willing to let them film during his auditorium class, but he backed out at the last minute. “He said, ‘You know what guys, I don’t feel like losing my job, I’m sorry,’” Hindi said. “I said you know, don’t worry about it, man. Then we went and did it in a random classroom anyway.” “NBA in Real Life” has gotten more than 4 million views on ESPN Houston. Though the videos have gone viral, Hindi said he made only a little bit of money from advertising revenue. The money goes toward expenses for other videos — around $600 so far. Hindi and Fatouh said they’re glad they’ve been able to put UH on the pop culture map, especially considering the University’s rising profile in academia and athletics. Though this particular series is essentially finished — baseball is difficult to emulate, Hindi said — the group’s sports video days are not over; this is just the beginning. They have plans to create two more videos in the fall semester. “I want to be great,” Hindi said. “I don’t want to settle for an okay video. I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder.” news@thedailycougar.com
Wednesday, April 19, 2017 | 7
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OPINION
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Thomas Dwyer, EDITOR
MENTAL HEALTH
Addiction, depression should not be social taboos Their prevalence, especially in small towns, must be addressed
D
ay in and day out, I see the devastation that addiction and depression cause individuals. Addiction and depression, especially among youth, may lead to suicides that could have been prevented if our society did not make them DELANEY CATLETTSTOUT taboo topics. We need to COLUMNIST learn how to talk about these things in a constructive manner so that those who need help can get it. I am from Columbia, Missouri — a small college town. The students from the three colleges there come and go, but those born and raised there sit next to the same people every day from kindergarten to senior year of high school. In Columbia, everyone is connected with the rest of the population. Rumors spread fast. As my classmates and I got older, we began to be personally affected by the toll addiction and depression had on people's lives. The first time I saw a family devastated by suicide was in 8th grade. A senior football player took his life. Everyone knew him. His sister was in my grade — she was my softball teammate and a good friend. It seemed like the whole town crammed itself into the halls of the Catholic church for his funeral. No one knows what his thoughts were in his last
moments. Why would someone so young — with so much potential — make that decision? In high school, people partied hard. Students threw parties because there really wasn’t much else to do, especially when the college students were gone. I heard stories about alcohol, marijuana and even cocaine. No one really thought anything of it. No one told anyone to stop. No one thought it would be a problem. I don’t know exactly why things were this way— they just were. Those who weren’t into the party scene remained ignorant to what happened, and those who knew about it felt it wasn’t their place to meddle in the affairs of others. People are afraid to talk about addiction and depression because they are taboo. They often see addiction and depression as weaknesses and are afraid to talk about it for appearing weak or not being taken seriously. As I made my way through high school, I lost classmates. Some, I barely knew; the deaths of others affected me greatly. The summer before my senior year, the class clown took his life. He grew up going to the small Catholic school and transferred to public school in 7th grade. He was the new kid, but he
made friends quickly. He had a goofy smile and a smart mouth. He was the type to comically roast anyone and everyone. No one was safe from his comical attacks, but no one left his jokes without a smile, either. His death had an effect on anyone who ever met him. No one can say what he was thinking or why he made that choice. We were all so close to graduating and moving on to new beginnings. Why would he make such a permanent choice?
dead in his apartment. Again, overdosed on heroin. I realized here was a problem. I asked one of my friends, who was much more engaged with people in school: "How many people do you know from school who do heroin?" "Eleven off the top of my head," she said. "But there are probably more.” This story is not just mine, my school's or my town's. Across the nation, addiction and depression are claiming the lives of young people at a rapid rate in smalltown America. In Beaumont, La Grange, Laredo, Waco, Corsicana and even Houston, the effects of drugs, addiction and depression are clear. The use of meth and opiDelaney Catlettstout, opinion columnist ates like heroine are on the rise Was there something we in Texas, and Mayor Sylvester could have done to save him? Turner even declared that there In the summer after my was a mental health crisis in freshman year in college, and our state. I stayed back home with some Opioid abuse is a serious old friends. My Facebook timeproblem. A growing number of line filled with posts mourning people in the state are becomthe loss of a classmate. He ing addicted to and even dying was popular and I had seen from the use of heroin and prehim walk around the school scription pain medications. surrounded by his soccer teamOne of the ways that advomates and friends, but I didn't cates in Texas are fighting know him well. against addiction is by supThis popular, young boy’s life porting the expansion of the was claimed by heroin. I was use of naloxone, a life-saving really taken back. How does drug that reverses the effects of someone at that age get their opioid use. hands on heroin? Communities face tragedy Just a few weeks later, a because of a lack of resources, friend of the first boy was found a lack of funding and a lack
“This story is not just mine, my school's or my town's. Across the nation, addiction and depression are claiming the lives of young people at a rapid rate in small-town America.”
of awareness. According to NPR, drug overdose is now the leading cause of death by unintentional injury in this country — more than gun deaths and more than car crashes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention record “unintentional injury” as the leading cause of death in the 15-24 age group. In that same age group, suicide is the No. 2 cause of death. The solution begins with making these subjects less taboo. People need to be able to talk openly about their struggles with addiction and depression without the fear of judgement. We need more accessible treatment centers for both addiction and depression. Small towns often lack the resources to help those in need. In Houston, a plethora of nonprofits and programs can help those affected. But small towns do not often have that luxury, and it puts its community at risk for tragedy. For those who are struggling with addiction or depression, please make an appointment with the Counseling and Psychological Services by calling 713-743-5454. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. If you are looking for help battling addiction, call the Recovery Centers of America at 1-855780-9700 to find help. For emergencies, please call 911. Delaney Catlettstout is a political science senior and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com
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HOUSTON
City ordinances lack foresight
T
wo homeless ordinances passed by the Houston City Council earlier this month will effectively prohibit makeshift shelters and panhandling in certain areas. While critics may see this as a way of NICK BELL COLUMNIST criminalizing homelessness, Mayor Sylvester Turner’s long-term intentions are good. The biggest problem with this initiative is that it happens too often not only in Houston, but also the rest of the United States. Instead of building alternative programs, shelters or counseling havens and then codifying homeless-related provisions, cities do the opposite. Before the Super Bowl, a small tent city largely populated by homeless people underneath U.S. Highway 59 was cleared. There isn’t a PR firm in the world that can convince me the big game wasn’t the underlying reason for the clearance. Sadly, those are the casualties of city planning when it comes to huge, national events. Mayor Turner became mayor when the Super Bowl was approaching, and his plans for other initiatives may have been put on the backburner until the game was finished. The most recent ordinances are in blatant preparation for the supposed housing-first approaches to come. So, what’s the hurry at this point? The Way Home Initiative is part of Mayor Turner’s plan to find supportive housing for Houston’s homeless population, but the functional aspects of the plan are still in the pre-production stages. Houston has made tremendous strides to reduce its homeless populations. The city deserves more credit for harboring change in the homeless community than the pre-Super Bowl clearing of encampments indicates, but this “ban and then build” effort to provide more counseling and housing resources is backwards. The two ordinances address differ-
ent issues, and I believe one has more merit than the other. The panhandling ordinance not only addresses more than just a nuisance; it is most definitely a safety concern. Some panhandlers are passive but others can become aggressive. For these reasons, I believe the ordinance should exist as a reason to prevent aggressive panhandling in the future, even if passive panhandling is largely ignored by law enforcement for practical reasons. Law enforcement and adequate social services are also seen as largely preventive measures for decreasing panhandling prevalence. The encampment ordinance is a little more troublesome. While people are still permitted to sleep on city property, it bans makeshift shelters with little recourse for action. Estimates of the homeless population from the Department of Housing and Urban Development make the distinction between the sheltered and unsheltered populations. Although theoretically those two terms are distinguished from each other, it is hard to make a distinction between the two in actual experience. Until recently, unsheltered individuals were at least sheltered from weather and other conditions through the use of makeshift coverings. The ever-increasing concern for the homeless communities can be seen in a number of coalitions that have popped up over the past few years. To outlaw something and then act as though we can effectively analyze and recommend preventative measures to curb the size of a demographic not allowed to exist is asinine. We will no longer be able to adequately prescribe the correct remedies to tent cities, panhandlers, or the outdoor population if we never take the time to understand what we are banning in the first place. Opinion columnist Nicholas Bell is an MBA graduate student and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com
ACROSS 1 Implied 6 Old Iranian leader 10 Carbonated drink 14Give a windy speech 15 Delicate and breezy 16 Bard of ___ (Shakespeare) 17 Never let your mind wander for fear that it ... 20 Unhealthy looking 21 Ethically lacking 22 Avian retreats 25 Manner of writing 26 Fuzzy brown fruit 30 Get ready for OR work 32 The scholarly world 35 Camel-like creature 41 Marrying a spellcaster for her money will only get you a ... 43 Confounds 44 Most intoxicating 45 Cherry throwaway 47 Airport section 48 Kind of uncle or treat 53 Word with “fire” or “transmit” 56 Native of Nazareth 58 Channeler’s state 63 If you plan on living forever and are reading this ...
66 Exam 67 Grab bag 68 Twisted dry, as laundry 69 Phrase of estimation 70 Child’s enthusiastic but selfish shout 71 Child minder DOWN 1 Hauls a car 2 Sometimes spectacular opera feature 3 Umpire’s “Out!” or “Safe!” 4 “___ all be over soon” 5 Mortise complement 6 Took a bit of a rest, in a way 7 Fruit drink in grocery stores 8 Build a fire under 9 “Battle ___ of the Republic” 10 Explorer Sebastian 11 Egg-making organ 12 Not out of town 13 Place to have a spat 18 “I ___ you one” 19 Abbr. on ambulances 23 Narrow strip of land jutting into the ocean 24 Breathing tube 26 Narcotic Polynesian drink 27 Like much tea 28 Beaver Cleaver’s
father 29 Charming country scene (var.) 31 Mama’s mate, often 33 Farm female 34 “Driving ___ Daisy” 36Headed up 37 Snooty one 38 Not even close to land 39 Kind of analysis 40 Poker pay-in 42 Burlap source 46 English dessert 48 “What she said” 49 Wedding helper 50 Pigtail 51 Major division of a long poem 52 All guys 54 “... for what ___ worth” 55 Go down with the ship and stay down 57 Come into view threateningly 59 Taj Mahal place 60 I of “I am here,” e.g. 61 Didi of “Grease” 62 Irritable and touchy 64 Ambition 65 Fish delicacy
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SPORTS
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Leonard D. Gibson III, EDITOR
FOOTBALL
First glimpse: New QB, running back lead team LEONARD D. GIBSON III
SPORTS EDITOR
@ LEONARDDGIBSON
University of Houston football wrapped up spring training in the annual Red & White Game on Saturday, giving Cougar fans their first glimpse into the next season — and new faces are leading the charge. The game featured a modified scoring system that pitted the offense (red team) and defense (white team) against each other. The system allowed the defense to score if they sacked the quarterback (3 points) or forced a turnover (3 points). The red team won the afternoon 51-33. The ground game proved to be the most prolific area for the Cougars. Sophomore running back Patrick Carr led the team with one touchdown and 122 yards on 15 carries. Carr had to sit out last season after transferring from Colorado. Coming from a season where
quarterback Greg Ward Jr. accounted for 518 of the team’s 1,912 rushing yards, the Cougars will have to adjust to a more traditional run game behind a running back. Junior running back Duke Catalon was expected to take the starting position, but he rushed for only six yards on two attempts on Saturday. Last season, Catalon battled concussions but led the team in rushing yards with 528. Sophomore running back Josh Burrell was second on the team in rushing yards with 38 on seven attempts. Meanwhile, sophomore running back Mulbah Car had a quiet day, rushing for only seven yards on four attempts. Last season as a freshman, Car saw some action, rushing for 208 yards. Cougar fans didn’t get to see the competition for quarterback, as senior Kyle Postma and sopho-
The Cougars' 230 rushing yards accounted for over two thirds of their total yards (319). Sophomore Patrick Carr led with 122. | Ajani Stewart/The Cougar
more D’Eriq King both had to sit out with injuries. Texas A&M transfer, redshirt junior quarterback Kyle Allen, received most of the snaps Saturday. He threw for 62 yards on 18 attempts. He started off his day on a sour note as the first play of the game saw his pass picked off by junior cornerback Jeremy Winchester. Allen later threw one more interception and a touchdown. Head coach Major Applewhite has yet to name a starter but said that he will decide soon. On the defensive side of the ball, the secondary proved many skeptics wrong. In total, they picked up three interceptions, including a pick by junior defensive back Isaiah Johnson, who just recently switched from wide receiver. The Red & White Game signals the end of spring practice, but the Cougars return to the gridiron Sept. 2 against UTSA.
Senior Linebacker Cameron Doubenmier led the defense with seven total tackles, six solo, and one sack in Saturday's action. | Ajani Stewart/The Cougar
Junior Kyle Allen took the majority of the snaps but senior Mason McClendon took the rest. | Ajani Stewart/The Cougar
Redshirt junior Kyle Allen took the majority of the snaps due to injuries down the depth chart | Ajani Stewart/The Cougar
Hundreds of fans turned out for the Red & White Game. | Ajani Stewart/The Cougar
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Leonard D. Gibson III, EDITOR
The height of Tom Herman's short tenure at the University of Houston was the 38-24 victory over No. 9 Florida State in the 2015 Peach Bowl. Houston finished the season ranked No. 8 | Courtesy of UH Athletics
LEGACY
Forming a family: The Herman era of Houston football
From underachievers to a powerhouse, the story of UH's rise to the national spotlight
J. D. SMITH
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @JDSMITH_08
At the end of the 2016 regular season, the Cougars found themselves in an all-too-familiar position: looking for a new head coach. After two years of bringing the Cougars to places never before seen by the school, Tom Herman took the head coach position at where his coaching career started — the University of Texas at Austin. In the final part of the series as spring football comes to a close, The Cougar looks back over the past two seasons, examining the highs and lows of the Herman Era at the University of Houston.
Creating a culture After leading the Ohio State University offense to a national championship, Herman had his sights set on bringing UH a championship from day one. He knew he had a talented team that was underperforming under Tony Levine. “I have always admired this program from afar,” Herman said in his introductory press conference. “There will be some bumps in the road — that I can promise you. I do feel like the pieces are in place here to compete for a championship.”
One of the most important first steps that needed to be done was changing the team culture. Learning under championship-winning coach Urban Meyer taught Herman how culture can lead to success, but the most significant teaching moment happened when he was an offensive coordinator at Rice University. In a 2015 guest column for Sports Illustrated, Herman told a story about how a highly sought-after Houston quarterback prospect was visiting the Owls. During the visit, Herman was trying to hide the dirtier parts of the facilities from the quarterback’s family. The recruit ended up seeing all of Rice’s “warts” and ultimately chose to go to Stanford. He eventually led the Cardinal to an Orange Bowl victory and became the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. But this experience taught Herman the importance of always putting the program’s best foot forward. At Houston, that started with the players. “Right when we got here, we needed to overhaul not just the motivation, but also the psychology of motivation,” Herman said. “We run the program like a family. Families are honest, families are open. When you mess up,
you’re going to know it and so are all your brothers.” Herman envisioned a trajectory similar to the one Texas Christian University had recently undergone: winning the Mountain West Conference every year, upgrading facilities — and preparing for an invitation to the Big 12.
#HTownTakeover A new mantra was born: the H-Town Takeover. Looking to make a splash in a city that has long been dominated by the UT Longhorns and Texas A&M University Aggies, Houston quickly took to the slogan. The school blasted it on advertisements all over social media and billboards. “This is our town, this is our city,” Herman said. “We plan to make sure that we defend this city, too, from people coming in and trying to recruit our city like they have in the past.” The #HTownTakeover made Houston football fun again and gave UH a larger recruiting voice in one of the nation’s hotbeds of high-school football. It paid immediate dividends May 22 when five-star defensive tackle Ed Oliver gave a verbal commitment to the Cougars and became the first-ever five-star recruit to join a Group of 5 school.
Just peachy Herman’s impact and culture were felt immediately as the Cougars won their first 2015 contest, a 52-24 drubbing over Tennessee Tech University behind a three-touchdown performance from quarterback Greg Ward Jr. Known as a quarterback whisperer, Herman transformed the one-time receiver into one of the most successful and dynamic signal callers in Cougar history. Ward threw three touchdowns the following week in a 34-31 win over University of Louisville. Highlighted by a kickoff return for a touchdown by cornerback Brandon Wilson in the third, the win projected a new message about the team: Never count out the Cougars, no matter who the opponent is. “We have a bunch of guys that love each other,” Herman said. “When you’re doing it for yourself, it’s easy — you just move on to the next thing. But when you’re doing it for somebody you love and you know they love you back, it’s impossible to give up.” The Cougars started the season 10-0, becoming ranked for the first time since 2011 and became the nation’s Group of 5 darling. Despite decisive victories over Texas State, Tulsa, SMU, Tulane, Central Florida and Vanderbilt,
it wasn’t all easy for the Cougars in 2015. The Houston defense, which had dominated all season up until this point, faced a true test on Nov. 7 against Cincinnati. They held off a comeback against the Bearcats for a 33-30 victory but not before quarterback Gunner Kiel threw for 523 yards and four touchdowns against them. They faced their biggest test of the season thus far the next week when they hosted No. 25 Memphis. Ward was injured late in the second quarter after Houston fell behind the Tigers 20-0. Kyle Postma came in for Ward and led the Cougars to one of the greatest comebacks in school history. A late 30-yard touchdown pass to Linell Bonner brought the Cougars into halftime down 20-7. Each team scored once in the third. The Cougars entered the fourth quarter down 27-14. Memphis added another score nine seconds into the period to take the lead up to 20. Scoring on three of their next four possessions combined with two Memphis turnovers, the Cougars completed the third-largest comeback in school history and largest over a ranked team. Postma finished the game 21-for-33 for 236 yards and a touchdown. He also added 6
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rushes for 49 yards and one touchdown, the 7-yard game-winner. “That is something that is engraved in our program now — that everybody prepares as if he was the starter,” Herman said after the game. With Ward sidelined the next week for the match against University of Connecticut, the Cougars suffered their only loss in the 2015 campaign, 20-17. They couldn’t wallow for long, though. No. 16 Navy came to TDECU the next week, with a spot in the AAC Championship Game on the line. With Ward back, the Cougars clinched the West Division title with a 52-31 win over the Midshipmen. Ward went 26-for-35 for 308 yards and three touchdowns in the air and 83 yards and one touchdown on the ground. With the win, the Cougars returned to a conference title game for the first time since 2011. The Cougars played host to
one of the final four. The nation was watching. In December, former No. 1 rated quarterback prospect Kyle Allen announced his decision to transfer from Texas A&M, and on Jan. 5 he officially joined the Cougars. He committed to a 2016 class ranked No. 41 by Rivals. com, more than 50 spots ahead of their 2015 class. H-town had been taken over. It wasn’t all hugs and puppies though, as rumors quickly circulated about Herman potentially leaving to take a head coaching job at University of South Carolina. He stayed at Houston, but seeds of dissent had been planted. All things seemed to be going great as the Cougars upset the Sooners on opening weekend at NRG Stadium. Highlighted by Wilson’s 109-yard field goal return for a touchdown, the Cougars left NRG on top the world, beating the Sooners 33-23 and ranking No. 6 in the AP Poll.
“Why you lie to us coach?” Ed Oliver, Defensive tackle on Herman's departure the first ever AAC Championship game, outlasting No. 20 Temple 24-13, securing their first conference championship since 2006. The win also secured them the spot as the Group of 5 representative in a New Year’s 6 Bowl. The next day, they were selected to play No. 9 Florida State in the Peach Bowl. Behind three total touchdowns and 305 yards from Ward, the Cougars dominated the Seminoles 38-24, their most prestigious bowl victory since beating No. 7 Nebraska in the 1979 Cotton Bowl. They completed the transition from underachievers to powerhouse that Herman first envisioned when he took the job a year before. “The players and the love that they have for each other and the trust and the love that they have in the staff,” Herman said after the game. “They have truly re-energized not just a program, they haven’t just rejuvenated this program, but really re-energized an entire university and to a certain degree an entire city.”
Lost that loving feeling With the win over the Seminoles, the Cougars thrust themselves into the national and college football playoff spotlight. If the Cougars could go undefeated with a season opener against No. 3 Oklahoma University and a November match against Louisville, they could have had a slot as
The Cougars handled their business over the next month, beating Lamar, Cincinnati, Texas State and UConn by an average score of 47–8.25. The next week, against Navy, the wheels started to come off. In the midst of Hurricane Matthew, the Cougars gave up 306 rushing yards and turned the ball over twice to the Midshipmen, losing 46-40. With the loss, the Cougars’ dream of a spot in the College Football Playoffs were gone. The Cougars held off a late rally from Tulsa to win the next week, but the mistakes from the Navy game were still apparent. After taking a 38-31 lead on a fumble return with 1:21 left in the fourth, it took a goal-line stand as time expired to avoid overtime. It was all for naught. The Cougars lost to SMU the next week, giving the Mustangs their first win over a ranked team in five years. In the 38-16 defeat, all hopes for a spot in the AAC title game were out the window. The loss was the worst one under Herman, and the Cougars went on to lose three of the final seven games Herman coached. Despite the embarrassment of a performance against the Mustangs, Cougar fans were given one last fond memory of the Herman Era on Nov. 17. In Ward’s final game at TDECU Stadium, the Cougars were unstoppable, especially
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defensively, as they routed No. 5 Louisville 36-10. The Third Ward D held eventual Heisman winner Lamar Jackson to 33 rushing yards, sacking him 11 times. Herman’s tenure closed on a sour note as the Cougars lost their regular season finale to Memphis 48-44. The next day, Herman accepted the head coaching job at Texas. While not openly expressing vitriol, many Cougar players eluded to being misled in the wake of Herman’s choice. Receiver Chance Allen told the Houston Chronicle that Herman told the players he wasn’t negotiating with anyone. Oliver vented his frustration on Twitter, tweeting —and subsequently deleting — a message. “Why you lie to us coach?” Oliver’s tweet read.
Building the future Overall, the Herman Era can be seen as one of building for the Cougars. They were brought into the national spotlight and are always at the forefront of conversation when it comes to joining a Power 5 conference. Cut to Fall 2017: A new indoor practice facility will open as
Leonard D. Gibson III, EDITOR
Under Herman's guidance, Greg Ward Jr. became one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in University of Houston history. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar
Houston continues to build the infrastructure needed to match up against other top tier programs in the state. Behind Oliver and Allen, the Cougars have a recruiting base that shows other prospects that they can be highly ranked and successful at Houston.
As the Cougars start a new era under Applewhite, players and fans can look at what Herman helped to build here and expand on it, not letting the H-Town Takeover die and creating a culture of their own. sports@thedailycougar.com
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