Issue 11, Volume 83 by The Cougar

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NEWS

OPINION

Hate crime reports rise dramatically

Liberal arts majors on par with STEM

Two years ago, no hate crimes were reported on campus. But a new report says that seven, ranging from religious to sexually oriented, occured last year alone. | PG. 2

STEM studies are invaluable to society, but liberal arts are vital, too. Our opinion editor spoke with three liberal arts students to understand their career goals. | PG. 12

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CAMPUS

Hate crime reports increase since 2015 CHRISTINA SOUKIS

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @CHRISTINASOUKIS

The UH's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, released in September, showed a significant rise in reported hate crimes over the past three years. In 2014, no hate crimes were reported to UHPD, but two were reported in 2015, and the number of hate crimes spiked to seven in 2016. Five of the hate crimes reported in 2016 were motivated by racial violence, while the remaining two were motivated by sexual orientation, according to the report. The hate crimes in 2015 were motivated by bias against religion and ethnicity. "A hate crime is the same as a traditional offense, but with the added element of being motivated by prejudice, hatred or advocacy of violence," UH Police Department officer Bret Collier said. "Motivation can sometimes be inferred through the

evidence collected or garnered during the course of interviews with involved parties." The report does not specify whether the cases were prosecuted. According to the Texas Tribune, however, a hate crime prosecution has not been completed in Harris County since 2007. Law professor Sandra Thompson said hate crimes are rarely prosecuted because it's difficult to prove the motive and whether it is reasonable prosecute a person with a hate crime. "There have been some really terrible cases where people have killed other people. There’s a gentleman named Byrd who was killed by three white males because they were just out to kill someone who’s African-American," Thompson said. "When they were prosecuted, the concern was that prosecutors used regular death penalty statute, which carried a possible death sentence, and any kind of hate crime statute would not.

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ISSUE STAFF Officers may have chosen to go to hate crimes training on their own, but UHPD does not offer any in-house. | File Photo/The Cougar

So sometimes (prosecuting a crime as a hate crime) may not provide greater punishment, which is a little ironic." Thompson said it is difficult to determine why UH has experienced a sharp rise in hate crimes. "Even if we had more data, even if it looked like there had never been any and one year we had seven, it’s hard to know

what was the cause of that," she said. "That’s always a challenge: to figure out why people commit crimes, or why they don't commit crimes." Center for Diversity and Inclusion Director Niya Blair said she thinks the hostile political climate contributes to the rise, but CDI’s diversity programs could help combat hate crimes. “We haven’t necessarily done programs that are specific to (hate crimes), but I think a lot of our programs and workshops talk about inclusive environments, which would combat hate crimes and hate offenses,” Blair said. By talking about inclusive environments and microaggressions, the mentalities that lead to hate crimes can be defeated, Blair said. While some officers may have chosen to go to hate crimes training on their own, UHPD does not have any programs discussing hate crimes, nor do it require officers to attend such programs, Collier said. "There would be no difference in how a hate crime is reported than with a traditional crime," Collier said, "but the victim should let the officer know if they have reason to believe the crime was motivated by bias." Blair said victims should come forward. “Don’t keep it to yourself. Share it, because I think these types of crimes hold its power because people don’t know about it,” Blair said. “Be able to share, talk about it, and then take the steps to find the appropriate people that can help you, so you can get some ** WE MOVED! ** STILL IN MONTRO 2901 S. Shepherd Dr. • 713-52 SE: type of conclusion about it.” 3-8701

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RESEARCH

Cancer treatment program aims to break down racial barriers AUTUMN RENDALL

STAFF WRITER @AUTUMNRENDALL

MD Anderson since 2005. She met Dr. Lorna McNeill, and the two have been working together since 2006 to demonstrate cancer disparities related to tobacco, diet and physical activity. For the past eight months, a group from UH and a group of from MD Anderson met every week for a few hours to begin applying for a grant from the National Cancer Institute's Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity. This is a fouryear grant that enables faculty members from institutions with underserved health disparity populations, like UH, and NCIdesignated cancer centers, like MD Anderson, to train scientists from diverse backgrounds in cancer research to effectively deliver cancer advances to underserved communities. Reitzel said this process was long and thorough and was not definitive until the NCI had sent a notice. U-HAND received the notice on Sept. 22. “This was a big application, and it involved a lot of both universities,” Reitzel said. Reitzel added that another intent of the program is to cut down racial lines. AfricanAmerican men, she said, are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and die from prostate cancer, and African-American women are more likely to have negative outcomes as a result of breast cancer compared to white women. “While black men and white men smoke at the same rate, black men are much less likely to quit smoking relative to white men,” Reitzel said. “That creates a disparity whereby when more black men continue to smoke, they are more likely to get cancers that are related to tobacco.” Reitzel said U-HAND hopes to capitalize on the fact that UH has a diverse student body. There is a need for science to reflect the population it is interested

For chair of the Department of Psychological, Health and Learning Sciences at the University of Houston College of Education Lorraine Reitzel, it is important to promote diversity in science. UH has formed a collaboration, known as U-HAND, with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to create a program to reduce cancer disparities. Reitzel is one of the partnership directors. “It really would have the ability to change people's lives,” Reitzel said. “If we can get more people into cancer disparities research, then we have the opportunity to affect the lives of many people that they will ultimately touch throughout their career.” This joint endeavor between these institutions is dedicated to the elimination of cancer inequities experienced by Hispanics and African-Americans through prevention efforts that reduce social and physical cancer risk factors, Reitzel said. Reitzel said U-HAND’s objective is to create excellence in educational programming, and innovation in research will be focused in two key ethnic Houston communities: the Third Ward and the East End. “We can help add to the next generation of scientists, public health people and folks in medicine who can have an influence on facilitating health equity with regard to cancer,” Reitzel said.Reitzel’s mother was never able to quit smoking, so their family was constantly exposed to secondhand smoke, she said. Both of Reitzel’s parents died of complications and conditions related to tobacco use, and Reitzel herself is a cancer survivor. Reitzel said she believes this created a personal connection between herself and her research. “It doesn't matter who you are. Cancer doesn't care who you are,” Reitzel said. Earn $10 per hour with a guaranteed minimum Prior to of 5 hours per event. her start of 281-727-8127 employment www.imperialtransportations.com at UH in 2013, Reitzel worked for the department of health disparities research at

HIRING EVENT VALET

A collaboration with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center researches how cancer affects minorities. | Courtesy of Lorraine Reitzel

in helping, and current science mostly reflects white men, she said. “Most research that society hears about is just broad generalizations,” said accounting sophomore Emely Martinez. “By looking into specific racial groups, we can bring more awareness to cancer and the severity of it in society today.” U-HAND will review publications from undergraduate to postdoctoral students coming out of the

of educational and research programming it provides. “We feel like that broad education is really the best for preparation in your career,” Reitzel said. The grant also provides a stipend for students working in the program. “We're hopeful that students we reach go on to graduate school careers and do their own research in cancer prevention or in other cancer-related health disparities,” Reitzel said. The grant also funds

two pilot projects. UH’s pilot project principal investigator is Daphne Hernandez, an early stage investigator at the UH Department of Health and Human Performance. Reitzel said this grant provides Hernandez with two years of funding to research the correlation between childhood stress and cancer risks in Hispanic adults.

CANCER RESEARCH

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HEALTH

New virtual program helps students with eating disorders A complex issue

Eating disorders can make concentration difficult. | File Photo/The Cougar

NOLA VALENTE

NEWS EDITOR @NOLAVALENTE

Those who suffer from an eating disorder — including up to a quarter of college students — can now receive treatment wherever there is private space with access to a computer, video and internet with the first-of-its-kind Virtual Intensive Outpatient program in Texas. The Eating Recovery Center is the only health care system that treats patients — male and female — at all stages of any eating disorder through multidisciplinary inpatient facilities across seven states, according to its website. The virtual version was piloted in California and later launched in Nebraska, Ohio and Texas. “The new program that we developed is to reach individuals who need treatment, who aren’t able to get into a center — you know, for travel reasons — they don’t have a car to get to treatment, or there isn’t one near by them, or it doesn’t fit with their life or

CANCER RESEARCH

Continued from page 5

“This is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience that will set students apart when applying for graduate school,” Hernandez said. “They will see different arenas of research that they are not exposed to in class.” The other pilot project will be conducted by researchers at M.D. Anderson and will focus on interventions for African-American men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer but have been recommended to

schedule,” said Casey Tallent, national collegiate outreach director at the Eating Recovery Center. It is also designed for transitional care, or patients who are returning to campus after inpatient treatment, Tallent said. VIOP offers the exact services as the one in person.Up to eight people connect for group therapy, nutrition groups and meal support via video on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings to best accommodate student schedules. The program also includes one weekly individual or family therapy session and biweekly meetings with a dietitian. “We have an app (Recovery Record) that gives 24/7 access to the therapist and the dietitian — to record your mood, your food intake, and then we are able to put therapeutic tools through that, too, so we could send mindfulness activities," Tallent said. "So it’s really a comprehensive program done virtually for convenience."

watch and wait before receiving treatment. “It's a slow developing cancer, and it's possible that not everyone needs immediate chemotherapy and other treatment,” Reitzel said. “You could live out your life, and it wouldn't progress quickly, but knowing you have cancer is a huge stressor for people.” M.D. Anderson will work with African-American couples to provide them with an intervention that attempts to decrease their stress and risk of cancer.

“Research estimates that 20 to 25 percent of college students will struggle with an eating disorder," Tallent said. "They have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. About one person per hour dies from an eating disorder.” Traditional diagnoses include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. Two recently coined diagnoses are drunkorexia and orthorexia. Drunkorexia is more of a term and not a diagnosis, Tallent said. It is the behavior of restricting calories prior to binge drinking that is “kind of a gateway behavior to both eating disorders and substance abuse,” and this is a behavior friends and family should watch for, Tallent said. Orthorexia nervosa, which refers to people who have an unhealthy obsession with food choices that become restrictive in variety and calories, will likely be a diagnosis once the next Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is released, Tallent said. “I think this program can be very helpful,” said mechanical engineering senior Lizette Ayana. “I was hospitalized for a month and had to withdraw for the semester two years ago. It got bad again last fall, and I looked into getting treatment in Denver, but I didn’t wanna lose a whole year.” Ayana started struggling with bulimia at 18. She said it was stressful to deal with an eating disorder

Reitzel said that the program’s ripple down effect will benefit those involved and those affected by the research. “The idea is that we want people to learn about aspects of cancer research then eventually they'll go and be independent on their own,” Reitzel said. U-HAND is in the process of creating an informational website about the program, but for now they welcome any all inquiries on the group’s Twitter page. news@thedailycougar.com

while in college. Even now, after she is further in her recovery, she sometimes worries about relapsing back into a cycle. “You get stuck binging and purging,' she said. "It consumes your life. I was always feeling alone and started drinking, and before you know, your body starts failing, and things like school stop being a priority." A recent study shows that nearly 50 percent of people with an eating disorder likely have problem with drugs or alcohol. Both of these components are independently correlated with higher rates of suicide and medical complication related deaths. The study showed that genetic, biological, environmental and psychological factors affect eating disorders and substance abuse.

Warning signs These are behaviors to look out for, according to the National Eating Disorders Association.

Signs of perfectionism in school or work Anxiety tied to living away from home and handling meals Isolation and withdrawal Compulsive and overexercising Increase in drinking— i.e. drunkorexia These are some steps you can take to help.

Set a time to speak privately Ask your friend to explore concerns with a counselor, doctor or nutritionist Avoid conflicts or a battle of will

Seeking help Reaching out to college campus resource centers can be the first step to have a healthy and successful college experience, Tallent said. The Eating Recovery Center now has the resources to provide an initial assessment for an eating disorder, enabling them to treat it or refer somebody else to treat it. UH's Counseling and Psychological Services has a list of eating disorder services with contact information for students. Tallent was a psychologist at University of Nebraska for many years, and she noticed that students often forget to incorporate their values into their schedule.

“If family is really important and you are away from family at college, make sure you schedule time to connect with family, whether it be via phone or via FaceTime," Tallent said. She also stressed the importance of getting enough sleep and scheduling meals. She recommends planning meals and snack times rather than eating around everything else in a daily agenda. Having time for fun and relaxing is frequently overlooked, but it can positively impact those suffering from an eating disorder. news@thedailycougar.com

Editor's gun column wins ACP award The Cougar's sports editor, Frank Campos, won second place in the Story of the Year category at a national collegiate journalism conference in Dallas on Saturday. "Are your guns really worth it," published in the 2016 Back to School edition, argued that guns should have limited place in society outside the military. Campos, an Army veteran, wrote about his personal relationship with guns that saved his life overseas.

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BASEBALL

Astros embody Houston's strength, resilience PETER SCAMARDO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @PLSCAMARDO2

This is the best team in Astros history. There is no debate. But it is not for what most people might think. It's not due to the 100-plus wins, all the home runs or just how close they are to winning a World Series title — closer than any Astros squad in the team's 52 years. The 2017 team is the greatest in Astros history because of what they have done for this city. These Astros have been a beacon for everyone in the city to gather around. When Hurricane Harvey hit this city, it was hard for people to think about something as trivial as baseball. So many people had to think about losing their homes, and others were mourning the loss of loved ones. It felt like the whole world had stopped. Once the waters receded and schools started up again, it was hard for people to forget the flooding and return to some semblance

With his clutch hitting and strong at bats, third baseman Alex Bregman placed the Astros in a position to win their first World Series in franchise history. After talks this summer of trading Bregman for a starting pitcher, he is now a contender for World Serive MVP. | Courtesy of Alex Bierens de Haan of the Houston Astros

of a normal routine. The Astros made it possible for us to make the first step. The players returned to Houston

and took time out of their schedules to help those who had been displaced from their homes. They saw what happened to so many

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people and took it to heart. Right after Harvey, I called for Houstonians to go out to the ballpark, noting an odd trend between disasters and success in professional sports. It looked like if people continued to support the Astros, something incredible might come out of it. Now, we're living in that reality. The Astros placed the Houston Strong patches on their jerseys and never looked back. Their quest for a championship became about more than just the players; it became about the city. Manager A.J. Hinch’s squad took it upon themselves to bring a title to Houston to show the world that the fourth-largest city in the U.S. is still here and still strong. When Harvey hit, the Astros were struggling. After the All-Star break, the team went 20-24 and at one point had lost 10 of 13 games in August. Some started to wonder if the Astros could recover from the devastation. But owner Jim Crane understood what the Astros could do for Houston. There was just one piece missing on the roster, and Crane told general manager Jeff Luhnow to get it regardless of the cost. The result was acquiring starting pitcher Justin Verlander in a trade with the Detroit Tigers. Verlander’s arrival in Houston sparked the team into a momentum from which they have never looked back. The team went 22-8 after Verlander’s arrival, clinching the American League West Division and entering the postseason with a bang, outscoring the Boston Red Sox 16-4 in the first two games of the AL Division

Series. Verlander has been the model for the Houston Strong movement ever since his arrival. Not only is he undefeated as an Astro at 9-0, but he is donating his postseason salary to hurricane relief efforts in Houston. He has fully accepted that Houston is his home now and is doing whatever he can to help the city while also doing everything he can to make sure the Astros win. The Astros may be notorious for trying to break the Sports Illustrated curse, but their success in the postseason has been more than just superstitious nonsense. This is a team of 25 players that has a fire in their stomachs because of the Houston Strong movement. From Jose Altuve to George Springer and Alex Bregman, every single one of those guys wants to win a World Series title so the entire city can celebrate. Just look at what they have done in the World Series. In games 2 and 5, they could have given up and tried to win the next day, but they refused. They kept playing, and the results were two games that sports writers are calling some of the best ever played. This team does not quit, and if they are going to be beaten, it will not be until the 45th inning of Game 7 at 2 a.m. on Thursday morning. The players live and breathe Houston Strong. Regardless of result, loyal fans and bandwagoners alike need to appreciate the group of men wearing orange and white at Minute Maid Park. sports@thedailycougar.com

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BASEBALL

Q&A: Whitting feels Houston's enthusiasm for baseball PETER SCAMARDO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @PLSCAMARDO2

Head coach Todd Whitting's baseball team bounced back from a rough 2016 season to win the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles. UH hosted the team's second NCAA regional in three years and were one run away from hosting a super regional. Whitting's team and the Astros both grace Houston with World Series this week, as the ALCS champions finished facing off with the Los Angeles Dodgers and UH's team faces itself in the annual Red and White series, which begins on Wednesday.

great to see them have that success.

learn about the new guys and see the development of your returning players. The Red and White Series is always a great way to end the fall. You’re under the lights, and you put the uniform on. There will be people in the stands. It’ll be a lot of fun to see these guys compete.

President Reid Ryan’s a really good friend of mine. Most of the kids on the team are hometown kids and Astros fans. So it generates overall excitement about the game of baseball, which is always great for us.

The Cougar: How has the team reacted to the Astros' success?

The Cougar: Has the team been hurt at all by the number of people who were drafted off of last year’s team?

Whitting: They’re locked in. A lot of the playoff games that have been on, some of those days games in the first two rounds, we had the game on here at practice over the PA system. They were kind of living and dying by each pitch as we kind of go through our practice. But it’s a buzz on the team. Guys are wearing all their Astros gear, and everybody’s pulling on them.

Whitting: Well, I think those are three With the Astros bringing baseball excitement back to Houston, Cougars head coach Todd Whitting feels the enthusiasm as his team prepares for the RedWhite World Series on Nov. 1 through Nov. 3. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

have been (on campus) already. Austin Pruitt’s in the rotation for the Rays on the big-league level, and (Jake) Scheiner’s been here so far this offseason. The Cougar: With the success (Corey) Julks has been back. (Connor) the Astros have had this season, The Cougar: You have a few Wong’s been around the office. Might what’s it been like seeing the city former players who were drafted get excited for baseball? by the Astros and are in the minor also see (John) King here pretty soon. But as they get closer to have to report league system right now. Have Todd Whitting: Well, obviously for spring training, those guys will all you heard from them at all? baseball in the city of Houston starts at start working out here. It’ll be good to the top with the Houston Astros, so it's Whitting: A couple1 of those guys 10-11039_Cougar News October_ad 2_PRINT.pdf 10/20/17 10:30 AMcatch up with them.

CMY

The Cougar: You have the red and white series coming up, how have the early stages of practice gone? Whitting: I think it’s a veteran bunch; it’s a really confident bunch. I think it’s one that is preparing and practicing with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder after not advancing to the NCAA tournament last year. But fall practice is a time to get better. It’s a time to

really good players we lost — those juniors we lost to the draft. But we have six, seven starters back, and we really only lost one pitcher out of the rotation: John King, a Sunday starter. So this sophomore class got a ton of playing time last year as freshman. We added a couple of JUCO kids I’m really happy with — a few freshman hitters that are doing well, and our pitching staff is really deep. There’s some guys that have made some jumps who had limited roles last year. Overall, I feel really good about going into the season.

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BASKETBALL

Cougars look to improve from last year's team REAGAN EARNST

With tipoff just over a week away, here's why there should be optimism for the upcoming basketball season.

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @REAGANEARNST

It's been 33 years since the Cougar men's basketball team has sniffed, well, any reminiscence of sustained success. Fans once flocked to Hofheinz Pavilion to catch a glimpse of the legendary teams that were eventually dubbed "Phi Slama Jama" by Houston Press in 1982. Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Michael Young highlighted the star-studded roster that revolutionized college basketball with an urban style of up-tempo play, which captivated audiences across the nation with pristine fast breaks and high-flying finishes. Now a distant memory, the state of Cougars basketball in 2017 is comparatively unrecognizable. Since four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths between 1980 and 1984, three straight Final Four appearance from 1982 to 1984 and back-to-back heartbreaks in the National Final in both 1983

Upward trajectory

Wes VanBeck has found few shots he didn't like. Last season, the senior guard led the team in 3-point and free-throw percentage. | File photo/The Cougar

and 1984, there's been virtually no reason to be excited about UH basketball. The Cougars have cracked the AP's top 25 rankings twice for a total of two weeks since the historic run more than three decades

ago and have appeared in the NCAA Tournament just four times — all ending in first round exits. Even still, the 2017 Cougars have a team that could make noise in the competitive American Athletic Conference this season.

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Houston's last two seasons have not been bad, depending on how you measure the success of season. Hear me out. Sure, the Cougars were embarrassed by Tulane in the first round of the AAC Tournament in 2016 and then had a valiant effort fall short against UConn after earning a first round bye in the tourney last March. Although the outcomes were obviously not what Houston wanted, the Cougars have posted 11 and 10 losses over the last two seasons, respectively, which is the lowest two-year loss total since 1991 and 1992. In this time, Houston is 0-4 in postseason play between the AAC Tournament and National Invitation Tournament, but the team's 44-21 record in regular-season play is a crucial first step in returning to basketball dominance. The University is putting its faith and finances into the program, in part through the state-of-the-art Guy V. Lewis Development Center that will soon be attached to the new home of Cougars' basketball in 2018: the Fertitta Center. If all goes according to plan, the unveiling of the new arena will be accompanied by a team carrying high expectations and poised for long-term success. To make this goal a reality, the Cougars must begin to build momentum when the season tips off in November.

Balanced roster Redshirt senior guard Rob Gray Jr. enters his third season wearing red and white and has proven himself to be the most prolific scorer in the AAC. Since transferring from Howard Junior College in 2015, Gray led the conference in scoring with 16 points per game in 2015 followed by a 16-point average last year. His accolades earned him a spot on the AAC Preseason First Team heading into this season. Alongside Gray is the likes of senior sharpshooter Wes VanBeck who has converted 41 percent of his shots from beyond the arc in his UH career. Where VanBeck lacks in experience with just five starts, he excels in development as the senior played his first two seasons as a walk-on until earning a coveted scholarship.

VanBeck rose to the occasion in 2016 and became the team's top shooter both from the 3-point line (48 percent) and free-throw line (87 percent). Overall, the pair of guards torched opponents for a combined 47 percent from the field, 42 percent from beyond the arc and 83 percent from the charity stripe. The duo of Gray and VanBeck gives the Cougars a tandem at the guard positions that will be rivaled by few teams, if any, within the conference.

Freshman talent Head coach Kelvin Sampson is revered in the basketball community, so it's no surprise that Houston is increasingly becoming a destination for premier talent in the high school ranks as well as transfer players from around the NCAA. Entering his fourth season, Sampson now has a full roster of players he recruited specifically to his system. Among freshman set to make team debuts in 2017 is Houston-area standout Fabian White. White was ranked as the No. 6 player in the state of Texas and as the No. 25 power forward among all high schoolers. The Atascocita High School graduate boasts a 6-foot-7-inch, 210-pound frame that will help the 18-year-old step in and make an immediate difference. Continuing the theme of bulking up the roster over the offseason, the Cougars added 6-foot-7-inch, 240-pound forward Nura Zanna as a graduate transfer from LIU-Brooklyn. A three-time letter winner with the Blackhawks, Zanna pestered teams in the paint last season en route to averaging 8.7 points per game on 63 percent shooting in addition to coming down with nearly seven rebounds per contest. Only time will tell, but it appears that the team's roster is built for both immediate success with the potential for long-term, sustained growth. Houston will play its final tune-up in an exhibition against Angelo State on Sunday before opening the 2017 season with a home contest against McNeese State on Nov. 10. Both games are set to be played at H&PE Arena at Texas Southern — the temporary home of UH basketball until Fertitta Center construction is completed next year. sports@thedailycougar.com

Wednesday, November 1, 2017 | 11

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Why diverse student bodies are not enough T hree years ago, the University of Houston won a $3.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to recruit more women and women of color into science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Within a year of receiving the grant, Erika MIA VALDEZ Henderson ASSISTANT was hired to OPINION EDITOR work with the provost's office and enhance the level of diversity in UH's faculty. Though diverse student bodies have been the focus of substantial public policy reform and media attention, diverse faculties are equally important contributors to social progress. This is what Henderson and the University hope to address moving forward. Higher education, meanwhile, has an invisible diversity problem.

Cutting down biases Henderson believes that the UH model for diverse faculty members is ahead of most institutions that understand the benefit of diversity and actually implement necessary changes in their recruiting processes. In the short time she has been here, Henderson’s office has already improved diversity levels among UH faculty. Part of her PowerHouse Recruiting Tool Kit strives to encourage a diverse array of professors to apply to the University and eliminate potential bias from the recruiting process. Part of eliminating that bias lies in screening for the qualifiers for the open positions, and then providing a diverse pool of candidates who meet those qualifiers, which ensures that minority candidates are not passed over in the hiring process. In an interview, Henderson acknowledged the social benefits of having professors from a variety of backgrounds and the strength of diversity within a model of institutional productivity. While many universities, including UH, have offices dedicated to diversity and inclusion, Henderson’s position

as assistant provost for Faculty Recruitment, Retention, Equity and Diversity work is located directly within the Provost’s office, where University policy is made. “I think that speaks to the deep commitment that UH has made to providing diversity to an already diverse body of students,” Henderson said. “I think that the University of Houston is providing a model for the future.”

White male majority It is important that students are exposed to a variety of professors from different backgrounds. The dynamics of authority in a relationship are unique in the social context of the U.S. Our social dynamics, which often deal with complicated issues of race, gender and status, are challenged when we must face one another in situations where the traditional structures of authority and privilege are exchanged. These exchanges with authority are good because they teach students that their impact and access to opportunity will be granted to them through ability — not privilege. According to the Office of Institutional Research, the University boasts 2,617 faculty members. More than 60 percent of UH's faculty are not professors, but of the 438 members (16.7 percent) who are professors, 71 percent are white, and squarely 82 percent are male. Whether they are full-fledged, associate, assistant, lecturer, adjunct or visiting professors, no less than 47 percent at a time are white, and more than half of them are male. Compared to the 311 white professors accounted for this year, UH has hired just 86 Asian-Americans, 22 Hispanics, 14 African-Americans, two international and three unknown full-time professors. Diverse professors build within students a mentality of success based on merit, wherein opportunities for success are more equally dispersed. These opportunities and experiences with professors from a variety of backgrounds give students a firmer grasp on their education. When faculties are not diverse, students are vulnerable to thinking that intellectual

A majority of UH faculty, across positions, are white men, which stifles the learning environment. | Katie Santana/The Cougar

authority is 50 percent more powerful when it comes from a white source, which reinforces narrow thinking that has proven itself to be so psychologically violent. Without diversity in academia, students and professors alike might be vulnerable to the perception that knowledge remains in the hands of an exclusive sector of our progressive society.

Connection with students Diverse faculties offer minority students the opportunity to see

themselves represented in the prestigious field of academia, increasing their likelihood of success. When minority students are taught by professors who uniquely understand their background and the psychological and practical obstacles that they face, those students are better positioned to overcome those obstacles. Cultural anxiety might prevent another professor from reaching out to guide students, which unfortunately leaves glaring disparities in the quality of

education and the opportunities that some students receive. The University has demonstrated its commitment to student diversity. It should continue to seek out excellent professors who would be considered minorities in their field so our students can enjoy an especially meaningful education from professors who offer a breadth of experience. Assistant opinion editor Mia Valdez is a creative writing senior. She can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

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Thousands study in the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, one of many programs within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. | Nabil Ahsan/The Cougar

Liberal arts show intellectual range on par with STEM

t universities, science, technology, mathematics and engineering majors are placed on pedestals because of their rigorous courses that most other people despise. Liberal arts fields, which encourage and foster invaluable DANA C. critical JONES thinking, do OPINION EDITOR not receive recognition as equally valuable and important. Going to college, I have seen STEM students offer up their qualms and grievances about the difficulty of their courses in a patronizing fashion. There's an underlying superiority because of their supposedly better job prospects and the prevailing thought that liberal arts students' classes are easy. The articles, museum exhibits and library archives we enjoy and rely on every day are products of what these fields teach that we don’t usually put into context. Definitions of liberal arts are broad and differ from school to school. In this piece, I will refer to liberal arts and social sciences under the same umbrella, as UH does with the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. The term "liberal arts" has varying interpretations, and a wide-ranging view that can even include mathematics. UH places liberal arts and social sciences under the same college to include communication, philosophy, economics and more. Liberal studies senior Michelle De Belen, corporate communications senior Glende Killough and creative writing senior Kathy Hill are a few of the

students currently studying in this valuable field. De Belen enjoys the behindthe-scenes administrative work that's necessary in all creative fields, but especially stage and film productions, her area of interest. “This curriculum is important because it teaches you how to think,” De Belen said. Her major of liberal studies — which combines three liberal arts minors to form one major— allowed her to study the technical work of receiving auditions and being the one auditioning. De Belen chose media production, interdisciplinary art and studio art, but she is considering switching one to public relations. “Both sides have a mutualistic relationship,” De Belen said. “On the actor side, I think about how to set up my resume and reel, then on the other side (as a casting director), I receive all of it and see what work appeals to me and what doesn’t.” Picking three liberal arts to study allowed De Belen, and others, to tailor their interests into the best

option for them. For example, aspiring reporters could choose a minor in journalism coupled with Mexican-American studies and anthropology to better enhance their reporting on some minority groups. Liberal arts fields have applications outside of the academy or the stage. Corporations often hire people with liberal arts backgrounds to conduct research on their staff, increasing synergy inside and outside the office. Glende Killough hopes to do just that. She switched from majoring in biology, with a pre-medical concentration, to the Valenti School of Communication. “I felt that I was a good peopleperson, and I wanted to get a degree like business without going into Bauer,” Killough said. Killough hopes to use her degree in corporate communications to start her own consulting firm to help small businesses with "development and getting (them) started with everything they need to be successful," she said. Her current role as the Student

Program Board’s social media and programming chair is helping her reach that ultimate goal, she said. Some liberal arts degrees have very specific — or broad — names and seem that they can go in only one direction. Despite studying creative writing, creative writing senior Kathy Hill doesn’t necessarily want to write as much. “I’m hoping to be an editor (and) go into publishing,” Hill said. Just like creative writing majors not always having to go into writing, English and history majors don’t always have to go into teaching. English majors can be copy editors or librarians and history majors can be archivists or exhibit designers. Liberal arts is not a throwaway field. The students who decide to take this path are not confused or unsure about their career paths. It's a field for innovators, just like math and science. Opinion editor Dana C. Jones is a print journalism junior. He can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

Liberal arts majors Michelle De Belen, Glende Killough and Kathy Hill explain why their fields are important and why they chose their professions.

STAFF EDITORIAL The Staff Editorial reflects the opinions of The Cougar Editorial Board. All other opinions, commentaries and cartoons reflect only the opinion of the writer. Opinions expressed in The Cougar do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Houston or its 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 writer’s full name, phone number or email address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Anonymous letters will not be published. Deliver letters to N221, Student Center North or email them to editor@thedailycougar.com. 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 email address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Commentary should be limited to 600 words. Guest commentaries should not be written as replies, but rather should present independent points of view. Deliver submissions to N221, Student Center North or email them to editor@thedailycougar.com. All submissions are subject to editing.