Issue 17, Volume 83

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Issue 17, Volume 83

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How to make March Madness For the first time in seven seasons, the Cougars have a shot at making it to the NCAA Tournament. | PG. 8

OPINION

Missing piece in Women’s March

Inersectionality is lacking in today’s feminist movements. Assistant opinion editor Bethel Biru discusses just how divided feminism can be and what needs to change. | PG. 12

NEWS

Law students given ‘rare opportunity’

Associate Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor gave future lawyers insight and advice in a panel discussion and Q&A, breathing life into normally distant case studies. | PG. 5

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Dana C. Jones, EDITOR

CAMPUS

Mars Rover competition exposes kids to STEM

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ABOUT THE COUGAR The Cougar is published every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters and online everyday at thedailycougar.com. The Cougar is supported in part by Student Service Fees. The first copy is free. Additional copies cost 25 cents.

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ABOUT CSM Riley (left), J.P. and Isabella from Sablatura's Gifted & Talented Academy used their brain STEMs to design a Mars rover and an "out-of-this-world" skit. | Drew Jones/The Cougar

DREW JONES

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @DREWKENDALJONES

Elementary and middle school students participated in a science and technology competition over the weekend at Student Center South as part of the 15th annual Mars Rover Celebration.

The competition is put on by the University STEM Center and is designed to get grade school students interested in the creative elements of engineering by allowing them to design and build their own rover prototypes that could one day travel to Mars.

“Engineers, and those in the STEM field, are heroes of the real world,” said mechanical engineering senior David Smith. “(We) are the people who solve the problems to save the world.”

Smith, along with physics senior Ryan Lopez, are both a part of the student branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. UH STEM majors volunteered for the event and demonstrated certain engineering challenges, like rocket launches.

Lopez didn’t grow up with any interest in the STEM field. He was an athlete all through high school. It wasn’t until he had a great astronomy teacher his senior year that his path became more clear.

“We had to design, build and fly these rockets,” Lopez said. “(After) I built a few rockets I told myself, ‘I want to do this for the rest of my life.’”

Smith says he also wasn’t naturally inclined to the type of science-based education the STEM field offers, but cites figures likes Neil DeGrasse Tyson, renowned author Michio Kaku and fictional Avenger Tony Stark (Iron Man) as inspirations for pursuing his degree.

Lopez believes it’s important to capture students’ interest early in their childhoods and allow them to be curious while also expressing their creativity. Smith said that students being able to use all of their mental energy to solve complex problems is one of the first steps for them deciding to one day work at NASA. Smith says he values the opportunity to volunteer for this event from an educational standpoint. Lopez says he wants to ensure that the next generation of students receives exposure in the STEM field for the progress of the country as a whole.

Hundreds of teens and children lined the carpet of the Houston Room and set up booths that held diagrams, specifications and explanations of their projects.

Judges rotated around the room and evaluated the creativity,

preparedness and knowledge students had readied themselves to present.

Riley, J.P. and Isabella are sixth graders in Sablatura Middle School's Gifted and Talented Academy. They designed and constructed an “indestructible” rover and acted out a skit in which Isabella plays an alien that is chased off by the vehicle.

Isabella says that the most challenging part was building the rover by hand and balancing all the parts. She says they used “a lot” of cardboard. The most fun they had was rehearsing their skit, and the team was resolute when asked if they thought they would win.

“Oh yeah,” Isabella said.

An emphasis of this year’s competition was opening a pathway for students in urban housing to establish a foundation in the STEM field. The Mars Rover is a convenient vehicle for students to be able to put together multiple aspects of a specifically science-based problem.

Sylvia Guilliam, a community health worker, helped elementary students this year build a structure that could support life on the red planet using household items. This is her first year being involved with the competition.

Guilliam says she’s excited to

introduce her students to STEMrelated problem solving because many of them aren't exposed to it in their schools. She believes in order to find their talents or be successful, they have to get hands-on and gain a foundation of knowledge.

“If you don’t know better, you can’t do better,” Guilliam said.

She recognizes that there is a gap for low-income students to the resources they would need to become inspired and interested in STEM. Her role in stepping in to help what she calls "isolated and disadvantaged communities" is due to her love for working with children to help them implement and develop their ideas.

Guilliam says that she wants students to take pride in their work and be recognized for the efforts. She believes that her students will be accustomed to rational thinking, because not only do they have to know what they’re building, they have to explain it to others in a way that makes sense.

“They’re sharing the different results that they’ve found based on what they’re looking into,” Guilliam said. “It excites me, and I have a student(s) that tell me, ‘I’m proud of myself.’” features@thedailycougar.com

The Center for Student Media provides comprehensive advisory and financial support to the university’s student-run media: The Cougar newspaper, CoogTV and CoogRadio.

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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Dana C. Jones, EDITOR

TRANSPORTATION

COAST program explained: Cheaper ways to get to campus MICHAEL SLATEN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @ MICHAELSLATEN

There is only enough room for 9,000 students to live on campus. The rest of UH students have to either commute or take online classes, and there isn't enough parking for everyone to be on campus at once. COAST is one option available to students trying to save money on their commute.

Parking and Transportation Services offers the Coogs On Alternative and Sustainable Transportation, or COAST, as one method to convince students to use means other than driving alone in their cars to campus. PTS lowers or subsidizes the cost of transportation if you choose to participate in COAST. There are three options for students to use COAST: METRO, carpooling or renting a Zipcar. Joining COAST requires students to agree not to join any

other subsidized program PTS offers.

The METRO program allows students to receive a Q-Card loaded with $27.50 every month.

Students can use it to take the rail, bus or Park & Ride to and from campus everyday. PTS said in a video about COAST that the $27.50 is enough to go to and from campus on the rail or bus five days a week for an entire month. However, the video states it will only cover 25 to 50 percent of the cost in a month if you use the Park & Ride.

Students can receive a reduced permit cost if they agree to carpool to campus with others. Two students sharing a permit will receive a 25 percent discount, three students get a 50 percent discount and four students get a 75 percent discount off the regular price of a permit.

Students must be full-time, living off campus and come to UH at least three days a week to

qualify for the carpool reduced permit cost.

It costs $15 a year to join the Zipcar program, according to PTS's video about COAST. Students will receive free driving credits each semester for six hours and 40 minutes of driving the cars. It costs $7.50 an hour after running through the driving credits. Renting a Zipcar includes gas and insurance.

There are five Zipcars on campus: two at Cougar Village 1 and one each at Calhoun Lofts, Cougar Place and Bayou Oaks.

Director of PTS Bob Browand said in previous coverage of COAST by The Cougar that the program had 2,825 participants in the fall semester, opening up 1,500 parking spots for others to use.

“We are sensitive to the cost of higher education, and that is why we are proud to offer COAST as a low- or no-cost option for students seeking a

more economical option for commuting,” Browand said in October. “COAST helps our department ensure that the cost of transportation should never be a factor in a student’s pursuit of higher education.”

Students who wish to participate in COAST and already have a parking permit can return theirs for a prorated refund. features@thedailycougar.com

Whether graduting or joining COAST, any student can return their parking permits for any lot or garage for prorated refunds. | File photo/The Cougar

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Dana C. Jones, EDITOR

Sotomayor touched on several topics, including ethics in law and the importance of having a strong base in core courses like corporate law and estates, so lawyers can help their families with common issues.| Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

CAMPUS

Justice Sotomayor brings cases alive at Law Center MICHAEL SLATEN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @MICHAELSLATEN

For a moment, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor traded in her Supreme Court robes for "one of the very best gifts" she ever received — an Astros jersey and baseball hat.

The switch happened Friday at the Law Center's Krost Hall, where hundreds of law students and other attendees heard a discussion between Sotomayor and a UH law professor. In a 45-minute question and answer period, students received personal wisdom from the justice.

“It’s one of those rare opportunities you don’t forget soon,” first-year law student Neil Young said about Sotomayor’s visit, the first appearance by a Supreme Court justice at UH since Sandra Day O'Connor came

over a decade ago.

Before the panel discussion, Sotomayor visited with roughly 100 law students and student leaders in a private event, Law Center Dean Leonard Baynes said. He said Sotomayor does not talk about current cases, but she touched the students deeply with her background, which "is so fitting of many of our students.”

“A lot of us respect her opinions and her views on important topics,” said Young, who attended the panel discussion and Q&A but was not part of the private event prior to the discussion.

“Hearing about her past and how she’s gotten where she is, through adversity, was impactful.”

Law come to life Sotomayor stood up after the Q&A with Micahel Olivas, the William B. Bates Distinguished

Law professor Michael Olivas, who led the discussion with Sotomayor, presented the justice with Astros gear as a thank you gift. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

Chair of Law, and began taking questions from current law students. She walked around Krost Hall shaking hands with almost everyone and stopping to take pictures with law students, trailed by one of many security personnel in the room.

First-year law student Bryce Romero asked Sotomayor how much of an influence having a personal, emotional connection to a case can influence a Supreme Court justice.

Before she answered the question, she walked up to Romero, who was standing in an aisle, and took an unexpected picture with him.

“We are human beings like everybody else. You don’t put on a robe and lose emotion,” Sotomayor said. “If it is something tugging at other people’s hearts, it tugs at our heart.”

Sotomayor added that justices must consciously identify their prejudices and biases or else they unconsciously apply them to one side of the argument.

First-year law student Laeh Badri was the last to ask Sotomayor a question. Badri asked for any advice Sotomayor had to give for young women working in law.

Sotomayor also took a photo with Badri and said workplace discrimination has gotten better for female lawyers, but it would be worth mulling over whether it would be easier to solve racial discrimination than gender

Sonia Sotomayor is the first Supreme Court Justice to visit the University of Houston since Sandra Day O'Connor over a decade ago. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

inequality.

Importance of core training Olivas asked Sotomayor in their discussion what law schools need to do differently. She answered that ethics training needs to happen at the start of students' law courses and emphasized throughout three-year law programs.

She also said law schools have an obligation to encourage pro bono services.

"I believe in slave labor," Sotomayor joked about lawyers performing volunteer legal work.

She added that students begin to understand its importance if schools force them to perform it initially.

Sotomayor continued in her discussion with Olivas that law students need to have strong foundations in the core courses: taxation, corporate law and estates.

"Everybody has family and friends who die," Sotomayor said. "You should be able to talk intelligently to family, friends and clients about making sure they protect their families before they die."

Olivas said that singersongwriter Prince died without a will. Sotomayor asked the audience how many of them had a will. Less than half of the room raised their hands.

She said everyone should have.

"There's a lot of lawyers in the room."

'Seeing a rock star' “For law students, seeing a Supreme Court Justice is like seeing a rock star. We read the cases, we learn about it and then you get to see the judge who actually wrote the case,” Baynes said. “It brings the case alive.”

Law school alumnus Blaine Larson echoed that sentiment from Baynes. Larson began law school in 2009, the same year Sotomayor was appointed to the Supreme Court, and said he studied her cases in class.

“It puts a human element to cases. Cases are very cold and distant, because you just read a piece of paper,” Larson said. “So it’s interesting to see them come to life a bit when you hear the person who wrote it speak and learn a little bit about their story.”

The Law Center invited Sotomayor to visit three years ago, Baynes said. He said it took years for her to show because Sotomayor has an aggressive travel schedule, but she was able to find time to visit the University this week because she was traveling in Texas.

After the discussion and Q&A were finished, Olivas presented Sotomayor with a red gift bag holding World Series winner gear.

“Now you see why I’ve loved this woman for so long,” Olivas said in his closing remarks. features@thedailycougar.com

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NATION

Solar panel tariffs could impact Houston energy companies DANA C. JONES

FEATURES EDITOR @DANACJONES_

The Trump Administration imposed a tariff on solar panels imported from China and other parts of southeast Asia on Jan. 22. With some of the solar energy industry worrying, this could influence parts of the U.S. with the most sunlight — southern states. Despite the diversity of Texas' energy production, the tariff could be a big problem for the state.

A trio of issues — trade conflicts with Asia, a desire to nudge U.S. solar panel manufacturers and the Trump Administration's affinity for coal, oil and gas — led to the tariff, which should be in effect for four years and decrease by 5 percent each year.

In large part, Houston’s economy is tied to the energy it produces, especially from oil and natural gas. Houston does have slowly increasing solar industry, but it only contributes less than 1 percent of total Texas power generation.

Solar growth Although solar energy accounts for 1 percent of the energy sector, it has been growing steadily over the past decade.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), from 2011 to 2012, the total amount of megawatthours, or Mwh, produced by solar energy increased nearly 500 percent. The 15,000 Mwh produced in 2012 contains enough energy to power electricity in almost 5 million homes for an hour.

From 2016 to 2017, solar energy grew even more, this time doubling from 94,000 to 193,000 Mwh. This growth still happened in spite of the push for the coal industry in the last election cycle.

The growth of the solar industry has continued even among the continued use — sometimes increased use — of oil, fossil fuels and petroleum.

In 2016, one out of every 50 new jobs served the solar industry. Over the last four years these jobs have increased 20 percent and have tripled since 2010, according to The Solar Foundation’s Solar Job Census.

Among other states like California and Florida, Texas is one of the top five states that have the most solar-related jobs.

Affects on industry Energy provider NRG, which boasts a Houston headquarters, also produces solar energy, but

A solar panel powers an emergency call box outside the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design. Solar energy was decreasing in price, but a new 30 percent tariff announced last week by the Trump Administration on Asian-produced panels might change that. | Dana C. Jones/The Cougar

Natural gases have the most production in Texas, with crude oil right behind. | Dana C. Jones/The Cougar

the firm declined to comment to The Cougar. A spokesperson said NRG is continuing to analyze the tariff 's impacts on the industry.

“Ironically, the tariffs will hurt the solar industry in the long run,” said Praveen Kumar,

Solar energy has had wide margins of growth, going up nearly 500 percent in the first recordable year. | Dana C. Jones/The Cougar

a chaired professor of finance at UH. “I say ironically because the justification is that the tariffs will protect the U.S. solar industry."

With over 90 percent of panels produced abroad, solar panel prices would double, and more than 88,000 solar — or one in three — sector jobs would be lost across the U.S., according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

In Texas, most of the power comes from natural gas, and after oil production exploded in the early 20th century, that gas became cheap. Without government incentive to create solar-based energy, it already has a hard time to come into the mix, unlike other states, such as California, Kumar said.

The tariff on the solar panels will trickle down into what consumers pay for installation on their homes.

“The cost of this equipment will rise, perhaps forcing many consumers to delay adoption of solar power for their homes,” Kumar said.

MBA candidate Dean Bendele, the president of the student-run

Energy Club, thinks otherwise.

“I think the people who are looking into buying solar panels want them and know they are going to be expensive, so they’ll look past that,” Bendele said.

Even with the tariff, Bendele thinks nonrenewable energy is key to the U.S. becoming energy independent.

"I think social convention is pushing that along regardless of where anyone wants it to go,” Bendele said.

The tariff won’t affect Houston much, according to Bendele.

Solar energy companies will increase prices to maintain profit margins, and hiring won’t freeze as solar continues to expand, Bendele said.

Because solar energy is still new — like all nonrenewables — it will have to work with existing energies that Houston already does well processing and selling.

“Natural gas and renewable supplementing each other to replace coal will lead us to energy independence and reduce carbon emissions,” Bendele said. features@thedailycougar.com

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SPORTS

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Peter Scamardo, EDITOR

Elandon Roberts went from the Cougars' benchwarmer to Super Bowl champion in just two years. On Sunday, he'll be the starting linebacker for the Patriots. | Courtesy of David Silverman, New England Patriots

FOOTBALL

From defensive leader to Super Bowl champion — and back again PETER SCAMARDO

SPORTS EDITOR @PLSCAMARDO2

Two hundred and fifty-three players are picked every year during the NFL Draft, and only about 60 are ever guaranteed a spot on an NFL roster when their name is called.

Nothing was guaranteed for UH class of 2016 linebacker Elandon Roberts when he was selected by the New England Patriots with the 214th pick in the sixth round. But in his rookie year Roberts took the challenge by the horns, becoming a starter by year's end and winning a Super Bowl in the same city he played college football.

Now in year two, Roberts is headed back to the Super Bowl with a chance to win his second ring in as many seasons as a pro.

“When I initially got to Houston and met Elandon, the first thing that stood out to me was his leadership skills and his want,” said former defensive coordinator Todd Orlando. “He thrives in certain situations and is very coachable. I am proud of his success at the next level and know he will continue to be that type of player for the rest of his career.”

Roberts' first start for the Patriots came in week six against the Cincinnati Bengals. He recorded six total tackles that day.

But his real opportunity to make

an impact came after the Patriots traded All-Pro linebacker Jamie Collins for a draft pick on Oct. 31, 2016. Roberts was able to move right into his inside linebacker spot and fill the void left by Collins. He started every game for the Patriots from there on out.

Roberts helped carry the Patriots all the way to the 2017 Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons, which was played at NRG Stadium. He recorded two solo tackles as the Patriots came back

from being down 28-3 to win 34-28 in overtime. This was the largest comeback and first overtime game in Super Bowl history.

In his second year, Roberts has only flourished under defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. He had 22 more tackles than he did the year before, 67 on the season, and had the first two sacks of his NFL career against the Miami Dolphins in week 12.

In the postseason, Roberts was second on the team with seven tackles in their AFC Championship Game win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Patriots' late defensive surge helped stifle the Jacksonville offense and send the Patriots to their second straight Super Bowl.

Roberts now has a chance to win a second Super Bowl ring, just four years removed from never starting a college football game.

A career year

Roberts started every game his senior year at UH, and the team lost just one. | File photo/The Cougar

Roberts transferred to Houston in 2013 from Morgan State University, an FCS school in the Mid-

Eastern Athletic Conference. But while he saw playing time, he never earned a start until 2015 when then defensive coordinator Todd Orlando came to town.

In his senior year with the Cougars, Roberts led the nation with 88 solo tackles as the Cougars stayed undefeated through the first 10 games. Roberts was the leader of a suffocating linebacker corps that held opponents to a little over 100 rushing yards a game.

The team’s one loss came against the UConn Huskies, when Roberts was disqualified six minutes into the game for a targeting penalty.

He was one of the driving forces between the team's American Athletic Conference championship and 38-24 Peach Bowl victory against the No. 9 Florida State Seminoles. Roberts was named first team all-conference for his dominant year.

That year Roberts led the conference with 142 tackles and owned a crucial interception that allowed a come-from-behind victory against the Memphis Tigers. His 2015 performance earned Roberts an invite to the NFLPA Bowl, giving him a chance to be viewed up close by the NFL scouts and ultimately drafted by the Patriots.

“When he got drafted by the New England Patriots, I knew that it would be a great fit for him

because of the organization and culture that they have established there,” Orlando said. “Elandon always figures things out when he or his coaches find a deficiency and he's very coachable. As a player, he just battles.”

Going pro Regardless of what the result may be this time, Roberts has become a figurehead for Houston players with dreams of joining the highest level of the sport. In one year, his entire career changed.

Former teammate Tyus Bowser has already followed in his footsteps, going from unknown draft prospect to second round pick by the Baltimore Ravens.

Sports writers are already predicting senior D’Juan Hines will be the next Cougar linebacker to go to the NFL. Any number could follow.

Even though Roberts may never have the flash of a Case Keenum, he is arguably the hardest worker to ever come out of Houston. Given his current status in the NFL, he might easily become the most successful.

The Patriots organization were contacted in order to speak with Roberts, unfortunately there was no time given other media commitments. sports@thedailycougar.com

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Peter Scamardo, EDITOR

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Closing the deal: the road to March Madness ANDRES CHIO

courts.

Houston's best chance to win may be against the Temple Owls, who are 11-10 overall and 5-4 at home. They cannot be underestimated, however, as Temple has lost many games by three points or less, including games against Cincinnati and Houston, and is better than its record shows.

Even if UH wins those three games and loses to Cincinnati and SMU on the road, it will end the season with a 7-5 road record, which is far from awful.

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @CHIOANDRES

For the first time in seven seasons, the Cougars — who own a 16-4 record so far — have a good shot of making March Madness.

The Cougars are in a great spot right now, and if they finish strong, a NCAA tournament spot is surely in their future.

But the process of getting from conference play to the NCAA tournament can be confusing. How do teams qualify, and what does Houston need to do with its 10 remaining games to earn a spot?

Getting to the NCAA Tournament The winner of the AAC Championship automatically gets a spot in the NCAA tournament, and that is the simplest way for Houston to qualify. Thirty-two conference champion teams join the bracket this way, barring any suspensions.

Otherwise, teams need to earn one of the 36 at-large spots chosen by the NCAA selection committee.

The committee uses a variety of criteria to select the remaining teams and rank them. The bottom eight teams play in the "first four," and the winners advance to the final 64 teams that make up the NCAA tournament.

The American Athletic Conference has only existed for four seasons, and the most spots it has received to the NCAA Tournament is four, in 2014 and 2016, while only two of its teams received invitations

Junior guard Corey Davis Jr. scored 17 points in UH’s win over No. 7 Wichita State. The win has the Cougars poised to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2010, but they still face some hurdles. | Marissa Reilly/The Cougar

in 2015 and 2017.

The addition of Wichita State made the AAC stronger this season, and it may receive more bids due to the conference's higher level of play.

The most losses that an AAC team has had and still made the tournament was 11 in 2016, when Temple got in with a 21-11 record.

But last year, SMU and Cincinnati made it in with six and five losses respectively while Houston, with 11 losses and a poor conference tournament performance, failed to make the cut despite ranking third in the conference.

To secure a spot before the conference tournament, UH needs to do a few things.

Defeat another tournamentlevel team The Cougars' recent win against

Wichita State will help Houston's resume tremendously, but having another win against a tournamentlevel team could secure their spot in the NCAA contest.

The Cougars have two home and two away games left against SMU and Cincinnati that give UH a good chance to earn those wins.

SMU is only 15-7 this season, but it defeated Wichita State days before Houston did and has won the AAC twice in the last four years.

Eighth-ranked Cincinnati has made it to the NCAA tournament for seven seasons in a row, making the Sweet 16 once and second round four times.

A win against Cincinnati in particular would give Houston two wins over a top 10 team and almost cement its spot in the tournament.

If Houston can take a road win

against either squad, that would strengthen one of the team's most glaring resume weaknesses.

Win on the road That weakness takes the form of a 4-3 away record, which includes a blowout loss against Wichita State, compared to the Cougars' 10-0 home win streak.

Every single game in the NCAA tournament will be a road game, so UH needs to prove it can perform well outside of H&PE Arena.

The Cougars have five road games left — they will face SMU, Cincinnati, Memphis, UCF and Temple. Wins against teams such as Memphis (13-8), which is 12-2 at home, and UCF (13-7), with 8-2 record at home, will show the selection committee that UH can defeat strong teams on their own

Clean up at home Lastly, UH needs to take care of business at home. The Cougars already defeated 11th place East Carolina in Pirate waters, so beating them again in Houston shouldn't be a problem.

Tulane defeated the Cougars earlier this season and also beat defending conference champions SMU, so the Green Wave is capable of beating UH again.

But in the Cougars' defense, the ice storm that delayed the semester's start also threw off their usual pregame routine, which delayed their arrival in New Orleans to just a few hours before tip-off.

The Cougars' last regular season opponent will be 2014 national champion UConn. But Connecticut is having a down season, and the Cougars should be able to close out with a win. sports@thedailycougar.com

TRACK & FIELD

C

Top-ranked Missouri transfer adds speed to key track event PETER SCAMARDO

SPORTS EDITOR @PLSCAMARDO2

For athletes coming out of high school, the decision to commit to a university’s athletic program is already stressful enough. But athletes who transfer from other colleges have the additional trouble of earning their way onto an entirely new squad.

Junior sprinter Kahmari Montgomery’s decision to transfer from the University of Missouri has proved mutually beneficial for himself and the UH track & field team. Head coach Leroy Burrell now has one of the top 400m sprinters in the country,

while Montgomery was able to leave an unfavorable situation in Missouri.

“It just didn’t fit for me at all,” Montgomery said. “I wasn’t comfortable in the position I was in. I did have a great first season thanks to my coaches.

But other than that, I couldn’t see myself graduating from there or succeeding further in my career as far as running the 400.”

As a freshman at Missouri, Montgomery was a two-time second team All-American in the 400m. He was the SEC Champion in the indoor and outdoor 400m, breaking the Missouri school records in the process (45.78s and

45.13s).

Those numbers showed Montgomery had a strong future ahead with the Tigers, but as a sophomore, those impressive figures did not repeat. He failed to make the finals of any race at the SEC Championships, failing to qualify for the NCAAs in the process.

Why did Montgomery struggle?

The Tigers were asking him to do too much. Between the indoor and outdoor seasons, Montgomery was running in ten events, regularly running

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Kahmari Montgomery is a former SEC Champion with international experience at the U-20 level. He gives the Cougars a new dimension in the 400m sprints and relay events. | Courtesy of Kahmari Montgomery

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in multiple at every meet. Now that he is with the Cougars, Montgomery focuses on and excels at running the 400m.

“It’s really a bit of a bonus for him,” Burrell said. “He comes here and he only has to worry about so much. Yet he gets some of the benefit of being on a team that’s really seeking high level championships.”

Taipei transfer Burrell and the coaching staff first got wind of Montgomery when they were making the roster for the USA Team at the World University Games in August 2017. Members of the UH track & field program made up a majority of the team with Burrell as head coach, but a few spots were open to athletes from other universities.

Montgomery was outspoken about his desire to represent all of the United States on the collegiate-level team, and in the process of joining it, Burrell learned that he wanted 10-11163_Cougar News January to transfer. While practicing in the weeks leading up the

Taiwan games, Montgomery was impressed by his UH teammates and decided to transfer.

“Taipei was amazing,” Montgomery said. “It was my second time being out of the country, running for another USA team. I was glad we were able to be representative as a school to represent the United States. We did our thing, we had some fun, came home with silver, and it was just great.”

A new element Last year, the Cougars were a non-presence in the NCAA 400m races. But now the title is up for grabs: Last year’s NCAA champion Fed Kerley of Texas A&M and runner up Michael Cherry of LSU graduated.

UH’s program is already feeling his presence, which gives the team a dimension it lacked last year and more credibility in the 400. In his first 400m race as a Cougar, Montgomery ran the fourth-fastest time in program history (46.83s) in Nebraska.

In addition, he ran the anchor leg for the men’s 4x400m relay at a last-minute Texas Tech 1-29_PRINT.pdf 1 1/26/18 10:10 AM invitational which broke the school record with a time of three

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minutes, 7.01s. That time, from a relatively unimportant track event, now ranks No. 5 in the country. That day Montgomery ran a 45.1s leg, his best this season but a time he has not replicated in an individual race.

“I think it was real easy,” senior sprinter Elijah Hall said. “He has more, I know he has more. He gave us a really easy race just to get through it. He didn’t even tap any of his potential (at Texas Tech). But for him to go out there and run an easy 46 like that, that was impressive.”

Montgomery’s 400m time is currently No. 22 in the country, six spots outside the qualifying mark for the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Burrell and the coaching staff decided to rest Montgomery at UH’s most recent track meet, the Houston Invitational, with hopes that he can run an NCAA-leading time this weekend at the Charlie Thomas Invitational at Texas A&M. Either way, Montgomery’s presence could prove crucial as the men’s team looks to finally win a national championship. sports@thedailycougar.com

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Peter Scamardo, EDITOR

Montgomery was the Missouri Tigers' school record-holder in the outdoor 400m, the indoor 400m and the indoor 200m sprints. | Courtesy of Photo Run

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Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR

POLITICS

Mayor of sanctuary cities stand up for immigrants

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arlier this week, in response to the Trump Administration’s threat to withhold government funding, a number of mayors of major cities boycotted the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting at the White House.

Their absence is evidence of widespread support for the country's undocumented immigrants SARAH TAWASHY and combats OPINION the negative COLUMNIST rhetoric that Trump perpetuates. The message sent by this blockage shows a collective effort to go against the President and stand in solidarity with sanctuary cities.

Houston, due to its proximity to the border, is often assumed to be a sanctuary city. This is not the case, but Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has openly defended the status of these safe havens.

He has assured his citizens that not being a citizen does not mean you will not get help, such as during Hurricane Harvey. He has stood against laws that transform local police into immigration enforcers.

The president's threat was issued to put pressure on “sanctuary cities” to release information about the citizenship or immigration status of their inhabitants.

Trump lambasted the mayors who refused to attend, describing the immigrant community as one of criminality and accused city officials of prioritizing “criminal illegal immigrants” over “law-abiding Americans.”

Mayors Bill de Blasio of New York, Eric Garcetti of Los

Angeles and Rahm Emanuel of Chicago all refused to attend the meeting; some went even further, directly calling Trump out on his racist remarks which demonized the immigrant community.

It is promising to see that city officials aim to protect the inhabitants of our cities, recognizing that they are parents, children and students who are seeking better opportunities than those available in their home countries. They are human beings and are no less worthy of rights to life than anyone else. Mayor caring for their citizens and prioritizing their needs like this is part of what makes this country great, and their action upholds the true core values of this country.

Our own University stands proudly as one of the most diverse schools in the nation. In December 2016 and May and August 2017, Hispanic and African-American students alone made up 34.7 percent of graduates.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions opposed the mayors’ move and placed blame on sanctuary cities for the existence of “gang violence and crime.”

However, those who oppose the current administration argue that these cities actually improve public safety by promoting a relationship of trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities.

They also minimize waste of resources, preserving them for more urgent needs than deporting respectable and innocent community members and separating families.

I grew up in the Sharpstown community of Houston, a predominantly immigrant neighborhood. My neighbors

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and childhood friends are all immigrants or children of immigrants, and I could not fathom what would happen if they were to be targeted by ICE raids.

Our city is one of the most diverse in the nation, and our officials must be considerate and sensitive and foster the dynamic that exists.

Previously, when the Trump Administration increased ICE crackdowns and deportations, Turner issued a statement asserting that Houston would not release information of the status of inhabitants. However, with increased threats from government officials, it is unclear if he will remain steadfast in the

future.

It is imperative that we continue to work to improve the conditions for immigrants in the U.S. so they may continue to pursue their goals and feel safe while doing so.

It is the only way to deconstruct the environment of fear and resentment toward the law that many feel when police transform into immigration enforcers. We must promote an atmosphere of cooperation and dignified interaction.

Opinion columnist Sarah Tawashy is a human nutrition and foods sophomore. She can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

The Cougar welcomes letters to the editor from any member of the UH community. Letters should be no more than 250 words and signed, including the writer’s full name, phone number or email address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major.

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The skyline overlooking our beautiful city displays the harmony and cohesion that the diversity of Houston is home to. | Courtesy of Jim Olive

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Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR

POLITICS

Letter to President Trump: In defense of 'shithole' countries

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ear President Trump, When my roommate told me, I thought that it was a lie. It honestly sounded like something that was made up.

Surely, the president didn’t refer to my country as a shithole.

I desperately wanted not to believe it, because I am the product of “those people.”

My parents came from somewhere PERREN else. A place WRIGHT SENIOR STAFF that helped to WRITER produce many influential “Americans,” like Sanya Richards-Ross and Marcus Garvey. A home to athletes, philosophers, doctors, and people like me, writers.

They are from the beautiful but

This country always guareteed me opportunity, freedom, and liberty. If President Trump thinks that he is enough to erod ethe ideals that this nation was built upon, he can try his best.

I believe that America is the one of the few places in the world where the sourest of lemons that life gives us can be turned into the sweetest lemonade.

More than forty years ago, the United States initially took in 125,000 Vietnamese refugees at the end of the Vietnam War. That number later rose after political and ethnic problems in the region.

These people needed a way out.

They just needed a chance at a new life, and we gave them that opportunity.

There are so many things that seem so essential, so perpetual to contemporary American lifestyle and culture. One of these refugees brought the gift of Sriracha to the

“What is most upsetting about the president’s comment is that it undermines the core of what I believe it means to be an American today.” treacherous island of Jamaica.

Like so many others, they came here to take a shot at a new life.

That desire, that hunger, that want, is the strongest and most powerful thing about the American immigrant experience. These are the people who look at life itself with the half-full mentality and life in America with a glass-essentially-full mentality.

They see America as this almost Technicolor dream land where if they work hard enough, their wildest dreams can become realities.

What is most upsetting about the president’s comment is that it undermines the core of what I believe it means to be an American today.

When you become an American, you essentially sign an informal social contract. This contract encourages you to work your hardest, and in return you will get a chance at happiness, an importune chance that may or may not reap returns. This informal contract is what unites us as countrymen, specifically for people who immigrated here. For example, all of my roommates' parents were immigrants, but they are united by that collective experience of reaching for the heights of American ideals.

American palate. As a country, we have benefited so much from people who escaped dangerous situations in both quantifiable and unquantifiable ways.

When I was in high school, one football coach always stressed the importance of “buying into the program.” At the core of “buying in” is trust -- completely trusting the system, the coaches and, most important of all, working hard.

What the U.S. needs is people who want to buy into our ideals and values; people who still strive for success in the face of doubt; people who won’t pack up and leave when the going gets tough; people who still dream. Emma Lazarus said it best in the “New Colossus:"

“With silent lips. ‘Give me your tired, your poor, (y)our huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the

homeless, the tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’”

Sincerely, A Child of Shithole Countries.

Senior staff writer Perren Wright is a biomedical engineering sophomore. He can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

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Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR

CIVIL RIGHTS

Women's March unified us, but movement falls short of intersectionality

Vita di dionseque pliatemperis autatin reped ut evelitation numqui doloreperia esti ut aut is harum dolent. | Courtesy of Name Lastname or Organization Woman's March posters are direct about obvious issues in society. | Jasmine Davis/The Cougar

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his year’s Women’s March, in Houston and worldwide, was filled with powerful testimonials and speeches that unified and brought women together, but it also brought to light the missing aspect of intersectionality within this movement.

Yet with everything feminism has achieved throughout the years, the lack of intersectional feminism poisons this BETHEL BIRU unity. Classifications ASSISTANT within feminism, such OPINION EDITOR as black feminism and white feminism, creates a divide based on privilege, which manages to conceal itself best within those who possess it.

Privilege is not being used to lift up those entrenched within systems of injustice, and this is turning what is supposed to be revolutionary change into poster competitions and a show of who was the most “feminist feminist” of the month.

It’s not easy being a woman. It never has been, and who knows if it ever will be. But with movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp, women are not allowing themselves to be silenced any longer and are going straight for the kill.

As college students, our generational perspective and access to education provides us a unique advantage of achieving this platform of equality. The obstacles that hindered us in the past have loosened their grip on the most diverse and educated generation.

Yet, all these benefits are lost on a group of people who are not unifying but rather pursuing individual victories in their rights. The blame for this rests on us all but specifically those who possess the privilege of affluence and representation.

Social media is a key tool to perpetuating the lack of unity within this perspective.because social media, especially Twitter, can be a nasty place.

Sometimes I catch myself deleting the app from my phone from time to time because of how toxic it can get.

While the platform is a great place to share experiences and shed light on

issues that would otherwise be ignored, it’s also fair game for all the ignorance people dump as well. It is immensely common to find individuals invalidating the experiences of others and deconstructing this crucial cooperation.

Saying negative and problematic things while hiding under the guise of feminism not only taints the movement’s image, Undermining one anothers struggles is key to deconstructing the movement, it steers people from understanding the main goal of advancing the rights and easing the trials of being a woman today.

It’s also this type of exploitation where public figures or people with a huge following on social media use feminism to glorify themselves, which ends up hindering the true meaning of feminism equality for all of humankind.

When it comes to exploitation however, Hollywood takes the cake. Like every popular trend, celebrities will partake in their fair share, showing up at Women’s Marches and pretending to care when in reality they themselves are what the march is protesting.

James Franco, for example, was recently accused of sexually inappropriate behavior by five women and was removed from Vanity Fair’s cover. Selena Gomez, a self proclaimed feminist who has given speeches about empowering and protecting young women, is recently working with child molester Woody Allen. Miley Cyrus, another known feminist, believes in equal rights for women and has publicly supported the movement while exploiting black women and culture in her music career at the same time.

Hearing things like this are disheartening and makes you wonder, how many people are actually fighting for the cause and how many are just showing face?

We cannot focus our attention on different parts of identities, of genders, sexualities and races that must be liberated, because this is inherently unequal. To satisfy the goal of feminism, which is equality across a broad platform of femininity, intersectionality is a mandate.

At the 2018 Golden Globes, many actresses wore all black to stand up against sexual harassment in Hollywood.

Oprah and Viola Davis were two of many who gave powerful speeches that filled the audience with hope for a future where a woman doesn’t have to stay silent when being harassed just to keep her job.

According to exit polls, 52 percent of white women voted for Trump. Out of this 52 percent, 44 percent were college educated. It’s like white feminists are enraged about injustice and fight for equality, but only because it’s affecting them. Like Tina Fey said in 2017 at a Facebook Live fundraiser for the American Civil Liberties Union, “You can’t look away because it doesn’t affect you this minute, but it’s going to affect you eventually.”

When it comes to feminism, there will always be a white and black feminism, both literally and figuritively, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With intersectionality, we can fight for equality together, creating true unification and not just visual feminism.

With everyone fighting together and standing up for all races, religions, and genders, we can focus on the main challenge of destroying a system built on the backs of others that weren’t white and male.

Assistant opinion editor Bethel Biru is a broadcast journalism senior. She can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

HEALTH

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Without empathy, we will lose more students to suicide

hat class is going to be so hard. Man, I’m going to end up Agnes Arnolding myself.”

A chorus of laughter rings behind me as that comment cuts through the air.

My heart ANUSHEH SIDDIQUE plummets, OPINION EDITOR sinking with the realization that ignorance will burden our campus until reminded of its danger.

The fall semester began in a

grim place. A student who died by suicide at Agnes Arnold Hall left our campus in a vulnerable and precarious situation. This condition can be identified by an amplified sensitivity in the student body. We began seeking out the source, the mistakes, those culpable for letting someone fall between the cracks.

This conservation surrounding mental health revives every time a student takes such an extreme action, but clearly, the infamy does not last.

There have been changes to UH's Counseling and Psychological Services. These

modifications include walk-in appointments and a more targeted initiative to reach out to students who are at risk of suicide.

Every time I begin to wonder if our campus is growing stronger in the wake of that suicide, this phrasing throws me off: "At risk of suicide."

As if ending your own life is some entirely unanticipated medical crisis with a simple solution such as vaccination or medication.

Often, it feels as though suicide jokes are not coping mechanisms but rather evidence of the insensitivity our society often fosters. And

that all comes at the expense of those mourning lost loved ones.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students.

This statistic has incited a movement that seeks to promote the significance of mental health, but this campaign has a long way to go at UH. The taboo that surrounds mental health has made seeking help increasingly inopportune.

The anxiety, depression and overwhelming stress students face in college have becoming heartbreakingly recurrent.

We’ve landed ourselves in the spring semester, emerging into

the freshness and opportunity that a new year provides but also a sense of naivety that places us at the disadvantage.

It seems the notoriety of suicide and its causes are buried faster than its victims.

I don't think this has to be the case. I don't think the University of Houston, the campus I have grown to love like a second home, lacks the empathy necessary to remain sensitive to this issue without tragic reminders.

Opinion editor Anusheh Siddique is a finance freshman. She can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.