Issue 18, Volume 83

PRINT WEEKLY. DIGITAL DAILY

Breaking news online thedailycougar.com

Are you watching? coogtv.com

Tune in to student-run radio coogradio.com

Join the Student Media team Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Issue 18, Volume 83

uh.edu/csm

Speed City’s next generation With only a few months of experience under their belts, two freshmen sprinters are earning top ten times and continuing the legacy of UH track & field. | PG. 7

OPINION

Recognition needed for homeless

As the light along Hwy 59’s famous bridges dimmed, Houston was able to pull together a fund to reignite them, but when it comes to the issue of homelessness, the city stays silent. | PG. 10

NEWS

SGA senators upset by ‘ridiculous’ vetoes Of five bills passed in the fall semester, four of which passed by large majority, all of them were rejected by SGA President Winni Zhang, who cited a variety of reasons. | PG. 2

2 | Wednesday, February 7, 2018

NEWS 713-743-5314

thedailycougar.com/news

news@thedailycougar.com

Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Semester's worth of bills vetoed, senators disgruntled

i

The Cougar

thedailycougar.com

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.

COPYRIGHT No part of the newspaper in print or online may be reproduced without the consent of the director of the Center for Student Media.

ISSUE STAFF CLOSING EDITORS

Emily Burleson Jasmine Davis COPY EDITING

Morgan Horst COVER

Thomas Dwyer

i

Center for Student Media uh.edu/csm

ABOUT CSM

Senators at the January 24 senate meeting. Five bills were vetoed that night, or all the bills passed in the second half of the fall semester. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar

MICHAEL SLATEN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @MICHAELSLATEN

Only three major pieces of legislation have been passed and signed this year within the Student Government Association: three bills that supported awareness and University action for DACA students, mental health and climate change.

Five bills the Senate passed in the fall semester were all vetoed in January

by SGA President Winni Zhang. Senators expressed dissatisfaction with the vetoes that were debated and passed in many multi-hour meetings.

Four of the five bills were passed by large majorities in the Senate.

“I think they're ridiculous, because all of them except for one was supported by the majority of the Senate,” Undergraduate at Large Sen. Valentin Perez said. “All it's going to do is come back, and we are going to approve it again.”

The five bills vetoed were the SGA Financial Transparency Act, the Stipend Policy Readjustment Act, Social Media Professionality Act,

the Townhall Act and the Reasonable Accommodations Act.

Five vetoes Reasons for the vetoes vary widely. Zhang said at the Jan. 24 Senate meeting that students were not asking for the Financial Transparency Act. She said the Stipend Policy Readjustment Act did not stop acting appointments from being paid and called the Social Media Professionality Act, which called for a LinkedIn SGA page, a useless bill.

Zhang said she would support the Townhall Act if it was rewritten to not call winter and summer sessions "semesters." She said the Reasonable Accommodations Act, which would allow graduate senators more leeway with missing SGA Senate meetings, would leave graduate students unlikely to get involved in SGA. The Financial Transparency Act, the Stipend Policy Readjustment Act and Social Media Professionality Act were all delivered late, entailing an automatic veto, Zhang said.

However, she added she would have vetoed the bills regardless.

“The Financial Transparency Act was vetoed that it would be an ‘information overload’ for the general public,” College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Sen. Valerie Campos said. “Some senators and I are going through when that was vetoed, going through more bylaw jargon.”

At multiple Senate meetings, Zhang reminded senators that bills need the proper font, called Crimson, or else they would likely not be signed by her to maintain the professional image of SGA. Crimson is the official font used for university documents, she said.

According to the SGA legislation docket webpage, past administrations have averaged one veto a year. With elections coming before spring break and a new administration beginning in April, little time is left to introduce, debate, pass and sign new bills.

“Nothing really gets done, or the things that seem like accomplishments really don't meet the actual need of the University,” said College of Education Sen. Ayodele Shofoluwe, who wrote the Financial Transparency Act,

which would have required SGA to post its budget online.

No overriding process Perez said there should be bylaws in place that would override a veto if a bill was passed by a large Senate majority, similar to the U.S. Congress' ability to override a presidential veto with 2/3 majority vote in both congressional chambers.

“You know, the president has the power to veto bills, but at the same time, if it's a majority of the Senate saying that they want this, why would there be need for a veto?” Shofoluwe said.

Perez said the SGA bylaws aren’t well written, allowing lots of ambiguity in interpretation.

The next SGA meeting is Wednesday, with the focus expected to be appointing associate elections commissioners to help run upcoming elections. Unless a new bill is passed and signed this week, it will be months since legislation has gone through all necessary steps for approval. 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.

CENTER FOR STUDENT MEDIA

(713) 743-5350 csm@uh.edu www.uh.edu/csm N221 Student Center University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-4015 ADVERTISING

(713) 743-5340 advertising@thedailycougar.com thedailycougar.com/advertising DESIGN TEAM Ram Armendariz Kristen Fernandez

2/15 Icon For Hire 2/24 Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra 3/13 Wallows & Public Access TV 3/18 Vinyl Theatre & Vesperteen

THE BOX OFFICE AT REVENTION MUSIC CENTER OR CHARGE BY PHONE AT 800-745-3000

All dates, acts and ticket prices subject to change without notice. A service charge is added to each ticket.

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER FOR SPECIAL OFFERS AND PRESALES 520 Texas Ave Houston, TX 77002 www.ReventionMusicCenter.com

4 | Wednesday, February 7, 2018

NEWS 713-743-5314

thedailycougar.com/news

news@thedailycougar.com

Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS

ACADEMICS

UH ends short-lived push for big commencements

Past University-wide commencement speakers UH has not had many commencement speakers in the past. We’ve had a streak over the past three years but now that is ending with smaller graduation ceremonies being split up by colleges and not the entire graduating class. Out of the speakers we did have in recent years, they consisted of an actor and California governor, a UT actor and an astronaut.

Let’s take a look back of the last three years of commencement speakers.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Actor

In 2017 action movie star and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was chosen to speak to the graduating class. Although offered, he did not take the speaking fee.

Matthew McConaughey Actor

Weather events like the intense rains that moved University-wide commencement from TDECU Stadium to Hofheinz Pavilion in 2016 are among the reasons why UH will move to only college-specific ceremonies. | File photo/ The Cougar

DREW JONES

CAMPUS EDITOR @DREWKENDALJONES

The University provost announced via email on Friday that the school will move away from holding commencement addresses and using TDECU Stadium to present the ceremonies, citing weather concerns and stating that it will use the convocations to recognize graduates in a more student-focused manner.

The change means that starting with the Spring 2018 graduating class, new graduates will attend only the convocations of the college that corresponds with their major.

The email sent by the provost said that almost 9,000 were in the last commencement held at TDECU Stadium in which former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger assured graduates that they would "change the world."

"There's something special about having a commencement," management information systems senior Rae Kim said.

"All the emotions, and the environment and the feeling of being among all those people."

Kim, who will graduate this spring, said she feels like her graduating class will miss out on the pomp of the tradition.

She said that it will affect the national profile of UH, because speakers who are not experts on a specific major-related topic won't have the big stage to just present one speech, so they may look elsewhere instead of preparing multiple speeches.

"Convocations will proceed as they normally do," director of media relations Mike Rosen said.

"Going forward, the move will not change students' ability to walk across the stage, have their names called, be recognized by the University and receive their diplomas."

This spring, graduates of UH's largest colleges, including the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the C.T. Bauer College of Business, will walk at NRG Stadium, nearly 6 miles from campus.

Smaller colleges such as the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts and the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management will hold ceremonies on campus at the Cullen Performance Hall.

Other commencement locations include NRG Arena and the College of Architecture.

A complete list can be found on UH's website.

Christine Klocke, director of marketing and communication

for the provost's office, said that there will still be convocation speakers and president Renu Khator has encouraged colleges to schedule the best speakers available.

"The change is considered by the provost's office to be a thoughtful decision made by the University leadership in an effort to avoid weather delays and cancellations, and ensure an optimum experience for students and their families," Klocke said.

"Commencement ceremonies have evolved over the years," Klocke said. "What has not changed is our focus on recognizing the conferral of a graduate’s degree as the pinnacle of their academic achievement."

The sheer number of UH graduates means smaller, less time-consuming convocation ceremonies are a better idea, biology senior Alicia Gray said.

"It's easier because there are a lot of students, and it will be faster," Gray said.

Klocke said that the University recognizes that receiving a degree is the pinnacle of students academic achievement.

The University is aware of the trend among large universities booking celebrity and highprofile speakers, but emphasizes

the importance of students' accomplishments.

"Smaller commencements allow the University to honor the students by name at the key moment of degree conferral in a single ceremony," Klocke said.

UH's first University-wide commencement in May 2015 was a rainy affair at TDECU Stadium featuring actor Matthew McConaughey. The following year, astronaut Scott Kelly spoke to graduates inside Hofheinz Pavilion after a last-minute change due to heavy rains.

The most recent commencement address by Schwarzenegger took place in blue skies.

With the $60 million renovation of the Fertitta Center underway and scheduled to complete before the 2018-19 basketball season, Klocke said the University has not made a determination whether the tradition of University-wide commencement ceremonies will return at some point and be held there.

Klocke said the University is concerned with ease and wants to avoid any interruptions, while keeping the focus of graduation day squarely on the students. features@thedailycougar.com

In 2015, Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey spoke to the graduating class. This was a controversial pick because of his alma mater, UT, and the $135,000 speaking fee.

Scott Kelly Astronaut

In 2016, astronaut Scott Kelly spoke to the graduating class. Kelly speaking to the graduates hit close to home because of work at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, located in Houston.

Also, the $35,000 speaking fee looked better in comparison to the year before.

C

M

Y

M

Y

Y

MY

K

Wednesday, February 7, 2018 | 5

713-743-5314

thedailycougar.com/news

news@thedailycougar.com

NEWS

Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS

ELECTION

2018 primaries preview: Where can I vote?

JAKOB WALKER

STAFF WRITER @JAWALKER56

The election cycle is here again. Primaries will feature elections for offices such as the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Texas Governor, and additional positions within the government.

Incumbents Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott are running for reelection in the highest profile state races. Early voting will begin Feb. 20 and end March 2. The ballot by mail applications close on Feb. 23, and Election Day is March 6.

The nearest polling station for students is in downtown.

Tribune. During the primaries, if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the votes, then a run-off is held between the top candidates. More than 200 offices in the state are up for grabs.

Primary elections for all of the state house and half of the state senate are occurring.

There are also elections for lieutenant governor, attorney general, state Supreme Court seats and U.S. House seats.

How can I vote?

Students with a registered address in the University of Houston district are eligible to vote at the Harris County Law Library located at 1019 Congress Ave, Houston, TX What are the primaries?

77009 on Election Day. If a Primary elections are student's registered address is elections that pick a single at a different location in the person from a party to represent state, they will not be eligible to the party in the November vote at the location on election elections. In Texas, some offices day. You can vote at any polling have as many as 22 candidates location in your registered 10-11163_Cougar News January 1-29_PRINT.pdf 1 1/26/18 10:10 AM running, according to the Texas county for early voting.

Students are advised to refer to the Harris Votes website to find their correct polling station if they intend to vote on election day. More information about voting can be found at VoteTexas.org.

For people who have not yet registered, they will be unable to vote in the primaries as the registration period closed on Monday. Since Texas is not a state that allows same-day registration, those who missed the deadline are unable to vote in these primaries. However, people wishing to vote in the 2018 general elections will need to register by Tuesday, Oct. 9.

To vote or not?

Liberal studies junior Cassidy Preuninger doesn’t plan on voting. She said she does not know much regarding the 2018 elections.

“If I knew more about what was going on, I would vote,” Preuninger said.

While she may not vote, she

Voting registration for primaries passed Monday, but you can still register to vote for the general election in November. | File photo/The Cougar

stressed the importance of voting.

“It’s very important to vote and get your voice heard,” Preuninger said. “It’s important to get your voice out there and to change something that you want to be changed.”

Mathematics senior Diego Cepeda said he will be voting during the Texas primaries, something he says he does every time it comes around.

Broadcast journalism senior Jack McCraw also said he will be voting.

“I believe it is my due diligence as a citizen to go vote,” McCraw said. “The best way to get our voice heard is to vote.”

Beyond the primaries, the 2018 general elections will begin with early voting on Oct. 22 and will end Nov. 6. news@thedailycougar.com

6 | Wednesday, February 7, 2018

NEWS 713-743-5314

thedailycougar.com/news

news@thedailycougar.com

Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS

ELECTION

Facebook helps users register to vote in 2018 local, statewide primaries

Facebook urges users to register to vote via a banner. | Dana C. Jones/The Cougar

DREW JONES

CAMPUS EDITOR @DREWKENDALJONES

Facebook urged users to vote and reminded them of voter registration deadlines in the weeks leading up to the March 6 primary election, indicating that the social media site is attempting to shed its negative reputation for being neutral in the wake of the 2016 presidential election.

The move signals that Facebook,

along with Turbovote, is engaged in an active push to boost voter turnout for millennials, a demographic who according to a Pew Research Center study hovers at around 50 percent participation in national elections. Turbovote is an online organization founded in 2012 that focuses on "making voting easy" by keeping track of elections and deadlines in all 50 states. "(Social media) is a good way to

get the word out," psychology junior Wesley Camet said. "So many people use it, and honestly (we) look at social media more than we do the news, so it's the ideal platform at the moment."

Facebook said in November that it aims to provide people with more context to help them make more informed decisions, advance news literacy and education, and it is working to reinforce indicators of publisher integrity on its platform.

Renee Cross, senior director at the Hobby School of Public Affairs, said in an email the 18-25 year old demographic has always lagged behind older voters, but turbulent times have historically spurred younger people into action. Cross said that voter participation has been trending up among millennials since 2000, but the younger generations are finding a different way to impact policy rather than just at the booth.

"Young people today are active politically, but just in different ways than young people of decades past,"

Cross said. "A millennial may work tirelessly on a cause – say environmental justice or animal welfare – rather than work for a candidate or vote in every election."

Rory Nimmons, a junior who studies hotel and restaurant management, said that participation in the electoral system is one of the most important things a citizen can do, especially those who are newly eligible. Nimmons said supports any avenue that reminds college students to vote because students' voices and beliefs deserve to be heard.

"Whatever means social media platforms use to make sure you're talking to your representatives," Nimmons said.

J. Bryan Cole, an assistant professor of political science, said that youth turnout rates rise as people grow older because voting becomes a habit and people become increasingly aware of how the political process affects them. Cole said there's a cottage industry of those who want boost turnout regardless

LA

T NN N E W D

OHTX 2BR LO M T T N COUCH

INSURANCE

features@thedailycougar.com

FREE T-SHIRTS!

CREDIT

ROWMONTROSE RD A PARKING A/C $ P D A

of political affiliation, and that faceto-face reminders are always more effective than indirect methods, like a phone call or mail reminders.

"Social media is a way by which people can become politically involved," Cole said in an email. "(Though) users must be vigilant with regard to the use of these platforms to spread misinformation and fake news. If you encounter information on social media regarding where and how to vote, you may want to check with your county clerk’s office to ensure that it is accurate."

Facebook, along with Twitter and Google, has been criticized for its role in perpetuating "fake news" due to poor oversight in determining the veracity of what content made it on to user's News Feeds. The social network also came under fire for allowing Russian bots to populate its network posing as U.S. users, and even had to answer to Congress for its actions.

GYM

THE HEIGHTS

FURNITURE

TENANT

DEPOSIT LEASE POOL PET-FRIENDLY DRYER RENT MI CASA ES SU CASA WASHER&

ROOMMATES

FIND YOUR NEXT COOGS HOUSE! Join us for the Cooglife Housing and Decór Fair TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20th/ 10 A.M. - 2 P.M. / Butler Plaza Look out for our sponsors at the event!

Wednesday, February 7, 2018 | 7

713-743-5303

thedailycougar.com/sports

SPORTS

sports@thedailycougar.com

Peter Scamardo, EDITOR

TRACK & FIELD

Freshmen sprinters echo upperclassmen's speed PETER SCAMARDO

SPORTS EDITOR @PLSCAMARDO2

Lately, the track & field team has been about all things fast. But while "HTown Speed City," as the sprinters have dubbed the squad, is focused on immediate success on the track, they are also preparing for the future.

Freshmen sprinters Joe Williams and Nick Alexander are just the latest in an ever-growing talent pool of sprinters collected by head coach Leroy Burrell.

Even with only a month of competition under their spikes, their presence on the team has already been felt. Williams and Alexander have top ten times in both the 60m and 200m in the American Athletic Conference.

“It’s exciting,” said junior sprinter John Lewis III when asked about the freshmen’s early success. “Carl (Lewis)’s recruiting the best, and when they get here and perform like the best, then I know we’ll have a bright future here at UH even when my class is gone.”

High school speedsters Both sprinters were highly recruited during their successful high school track careers.

Despite attending Bremond High School, a UIL-classified 2A school, one of the smallest in Texas high school athletics, Williams still had great success athletically. The small town native won state titles in both the 100m and 200m sprints his senior year. Williams had already won the 100m title his junior year.

Nick Alexander was a high school star and is now shining early with the team. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar

Freshman Joe Williams (center) won two state titles and the Texas Relays 100m as a high school senior. Now with the Cougars, he is already one of the top sprinters in the conference in both the 60m and 200m sprints. Surprising considering Williams had never ran the 60m before college. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar

Williams also won the Boys D1 100m final at the 2017 Texas Relays, one of the most prominent track & field meets in the country.

Alexander, who hails from outside Dallas, ran for the Mustangs of Sachse High School, a much larger UIL 6A school. While Alexander did not win a state title, he did graduate as the school record holder in the 200m (20.98s).

Joining an elite club Their success saw both sprinters get recruited by schools like Texas Tech and Alabama, the No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the country, among others. Ultimately it was coach Burrell and the Cougars who got their commitment.

Williams said the chance to get coached by him and assistant coach Carl Lewis seemed like the best possible choice, an opinion not uncommon on the track & field roster.

“I’m a big believer in iron sharpens iron,” Alexander said.

“A lot of the sprinters that they (have) here like Eli (Hall), Cam (Burrell), Mario (Burke), they’re some of the top guys in the country. So to compete against them every day in practice is only going to make me better.”

Three years ago, the men’s track & field team had the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation with many talented sprinters.

Those same athletes are now juniors and have taken on the role of mentor to these freshmen.

Junior sprinter and NCAA First Team All-American Mario Burke

was paired with Williams in their offseason workouts. Lewis told Burke that he saw similarities between Burke and Williams — mainly their strength and speed — hence their pairing.

“I call Joe my little brother, my son,” Burke said. “From the time I was working with him I saw that he’s got a lot of potential and he’ll make it far. Nick has a great work ethic, he works hard, he never complains and he’s got the tools to be successful.”

almost the exact same times that Burke was running as a freshman, it makes sense that he believes they can surpass his time to become the best class that ever came through the University.

“We’re going to keep the

tradition going,” Alexander said.

“Nothing’s going to be given to you, but as long as you work hard it’s going to pay off. HTown Speed City, we’re going to live on together.” sports@thedailycougar.com

The collegiate level Both Williams and Alexander had little, if any, experience in the 60m when they arrived at UH. But both have become two of the top runners for the Cougars in the event.

One or the other has ran in every meet since the season opener, the Reveille Invitational on Dec. 9.

Their times of 6.77s and 6.79s respectively are No. 5 and No. 6 in the conference.

Only Burke and senior sprinter Elijah Hall rank above them from the Cougars.

In addition, Alexander and Williams have the No. 7 and No. 9 conference times in the 200m, running 21.63s and 21.68s respectively.

At least four Cougars were in the final for either race at the conference championships last year. With the way Williams and Alexander are running right now, they have a chance to do so again.

Considering they are running

** WE MOVED! ** STILL IN MON 2901 S. Shepherd Dr. • 713-52TROSE: 3-8701 BUFFALOEXCHANGE.COM •

8 | Wednesday, February 7, 2018

SPORTS 713-743-5303

thedailycougar.com/sports

sports@thedailycougar.com

Peter Scamardo, EDITOR

BASKETBALL

Non-sibling duos dancing Cougars into the postseason

LEFT: Sophomore guard Angela Harris and her counterpart Jasmyne Harris are the defensive and scoring threat that has gotten the women to the brink of 20 wins this year. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar RIGHT: Junior Corey Davis Jr. has been able to move and score the basket all year for the men and provide assists for his big man, senior forward Devin Davis, no relation. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

ANDREW TUAN, TRENTON WHITING

STAFF WRITER, SENIOR STAFF WRITER @ANDREWTUAN1, TRENTONWHITING

Getting to the big dance always requires a partner.

The NCAA Tournament is no different.

The men's and women's basketball teams, both ranked in the top three in conference, both sporting nearly identical records so far this season, each have their best chance in seven years at getting invited to the senior prom of basketball.

And each has a pair of athletes often mistaken for

siblings who make up the brunt of their teams' forward momentum.

JUCO bond Redshirt senior forward Devin Davis and junior guard Corey Davis Jr. share a last name, but they took quite unique paths to get to where they are today.

Both started their careers playing at junior colleges: San Jacinto Junior College for Corey and Odessa Junior College for Devin, by way of Indiana University.

Both were NJCAA First

Corey Davis Jr. is second on the team in minutes played (28 per game). He will be clear leader at point guard in one year's time. | Marissa Reilly/The Cougar

Team All-Americans at their respective schools and earned the recognition that got them onto the UH roster.

The two have worked hard to get to where they are today, and their unorthodox paths from JUCO to UH has formed a bond between them.

“Coming from JUCO, it makes you a lot tougher,” Corey said.

“Me and Devin have a similar background and we kind of gelled as soon as we linked up with each other.”

Obstacles overcome Devin has struggled with injuries in the past, dating back to a severe car accident while at Indiana.

As a junior with the Cougars, he missed 11 games due to hand and foot injuries.

But he is finally healthy this year after making some key changes in his lifestyle.

“I’m doing the necessary things, stretching, making sure I’m in the training room with John Houston, who’s been my best trainer this year,” Devin said.

A healthy Devin has proven to be a key component for the Cougars this year.

He leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per game and has taken a much bigger role offensively, averaging a careerhigh 10.7 points.

Corey has been strong at the point guard position.

While playing great defense, he has also stepped up on offense, averaging 12.8 points per game and providing consistent ball movement.

cinnati, the team appeared to hold its own against a ranked opponent.

“Being up eighteen points, we gotta take that as a

Forward Devin Davis is having a career year, averaging 10.5. Davis leads the team with 138 rebounds, 6.3 per game. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

He has been extremely efficient from beyond the arc, shooting a team-high 46 percent from three.

“Ever since I picked up a basketball, it’s just in my blood, and I just love the game that much,” Corey said on his passion for the game.

Ultimate goal Their performances are a big reason the team is 17-5 and second in the American Athletic Conference.

The Davises came up big in wins against the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Wichita State Shockers, and even in the recent near-loss to Cin-

learning experience, and we understand how good we can be,” Devin said about the loss to Cincinnati.

“We gotta take positives away from it and learn from the mistakes we made in the second half.”

Just like the women, the men have not made the NCAA Tournament since the 2010-2011 season and have a legitimate chance on getting a bid this year if they continue their stellar play.

“It’s so important, not just to me, but I want the program NON-SIBLINGS

Continues on page 9

Wednesday, February 7, 2018 | 9

713-743-5303

thedailycougar.com/sports

SPORTS

sports@thedailycougar.com

Peter Scamardo, EDITOR

NON-SIBLINGS

Continued from page 8

and this team to be like the stepping stone for what’s coming after us,” Devin said on the importance of making the NCAA tournament.

“I want us to experience it as a team and as a family. I think it would just be amazing, and we would remember it forever.”

'Harris sisters up next' Sophomore guards Angela Harris and Jasmyne Harris have known each other for a long time.

The two first played against each other in eighth grade and later on the same AAU team their junior year of high school.

It was their performances that made one memorable to the other.

“I was the best one on my team and she was the best one her team,” Jasmyne said.

“We were both basically scoring all the points on our teams.”

Though they have no blood relation at all, it has not stopped other people from making that assumption.

“Last year we were going somewhere and we were checking in our bags,” Angela said.

“The check in lady was like, ‘The Harris sisters — you’re up next.’ We had to tell her that we aren’t sisters.”

This mistake is not unique to that airport employee.

Jasmyne and Angela both said

Having started every game this year, sophomore Angela Harris is second on the team in points, averaging 13.1 points per game. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

it happens all the time.

Whether they are sisters or not, their chemistry is undeniable.

They take the top two spots in total assists and points per game for the Cougars and are a huge factor in the team’s 18-6 record, their best start in six seasons.

So far this year, it seems the team goes as they go.

Carrying the workload Jasmyne has established herself as the premier scoring option for the Cougars.

She scores difficult layups, open and contested threes and also dishes out several assists.

The team rode a 35-point

performance by her to come back from a 21-point deficit to Tulane in the first week of January.

Angela has made her role an elite defender.

Her pesky defense means she leads the conference in steals (71).

She can carry the offense, too, when need be, as she averages the second-most points on the team.

Earlier in the season, Angela led the team to a comeback win over Texas Tech after picking up 17 points and five steals.

But in a huge loss to UConn, Angela was held to three points, Jasmyne was held to

Sophomore Jasmyne Harris has won two conference and oone ESPNW Player of the Week Honor this season, the first player to earn the honor since the team moved to the American Athletic Conference. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar

23 percent shooting from the floor and both were forced into five turnovers each.

The Cougars didn’t have production from their two best players, and as a consequence suffered their worst loss of the year.

The Harrises bounced back in the next game, each scoring 20-plus points, and the Cougars scored their highest point total of the season in a rout of

the Temple Owls.

Every win this season came when either Angela or Jasmyne played well.

When they both had good games, the team played as well as any other in the conference.

Only time will tell how far this team, now 18-6, will go, but they will go as far as the Harrises will take them. sports@thedailycougar.com

Angela Harris has been stout on the defensive side of the ball, leading the team with 71 steals, 20 more than the second best. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar

10 | Wednesday, February 7, 2018

OPINION 713-743-5304

thedailycougar.com/opinion

opinion@thedailycougar.com

Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF

Emily Burleson MANAGING EDITOR

Jasmine Davis

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Sonny Singh WEB EDITOR

Marialuisa Rincon CAMPUS EDITOR

Drew Jones

FEATURES EDITOR

Dana C. Jones

CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Morgan Horst

SPORTS EDITOR

Peter Scamardo COOGLIFE EDITOR

Julie Araica

PHOTO EDITOR

Thomas Dwyer OPINION EDITOR

Anusheh Siddique ASSISTANT EDITORS

Michael Slaten, Drew Jones, Andres Chio, Erin Davis, Maya Dandashi, Brianna Myers

STAFF EDITORIAL

The brilliant lights on 59 are back on, but the issue of homelessness in Houston that deserves more attention continue to persist. | Courtesy of Jona Garcia

COMMUNITY

City cares more about flashy lights than homeless neighbors

T

he iconic bridges on 59 that once lit immense stretches of the road have gone dark. These bridges have become synonymous with the ingenuity and unity of the city and a quintessential support for #HoustonANUSHEH Strong.

SIDDIQUE OPINION EDITOR These colorful and useless bridges obviously mean a lot to Houston, and their disappearance has led to an outpouring of support from its citizens, but such an immense and expeditious response for something as trivial as lights is ridiculous when Houston is home to such an enormous homeless population.

In Houston, more than 6,300 people are homeless according to recent statistics, and this ongoing issue has only been exacerbated in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

After the legal dispute that the Montrose Management District had, the lights had to be shut off because the district could not collect taxes or pay any utility bills.

This caused such an immense

outrage because the arching lights had defined and lightened many routes home.

Local donors, residents, and many businesses in the area donated to get the lights back on as soon as possible, including the mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner, who offered to pay these bills out of his campaign fund.

All of this shows the unity and perseverance of Houston, but at the end of the day these are just lights.

The same mayor who extended his immediate assistance to this issue has been known to turn his back to the issues of homelessness.

There has been an initiative in place to essentially hide the homeless, attempting to ban homeless encampments because they are supposedly a threat to public safety and discouraging commuters to offer panhandlers money under his ‘Meaningful Change -Not Spare Change’ campaign.

The many Houston citizens that found themselves on the streets after Hurricane Harvey aggrandized the situation and brought more attention to the homeless population.

This attention did not persist though.

The city’s backwards response to this ever growing issue is

immensely discouraging. As a commuter, I pass by entire communities of homeless individuals every day, and it's heartbreaking to see their struggles.

Donating food, money, and clothing feels like a small gesture in the wake of this problem.

In the absence of one night of illumination, dozens of donations came flowing in efforts to change this. We've faced the issue of homelessness for years, and those same donors never found it to be troublesome.

The responsibility does not lie entirely on Sylvester Turner.

It does not lie at the feet of one particular sector or business enterprise.

It is up to the people of Houston to decide whether we can rechannel the awareness we give to decoration around our city to the citizens of it.

This sentiment doesn't have to be accompanied by a financial benefit, the care itself is the gateway to change.

It is so easy to overlook these people, and we’re encouraged to do so. Our privileged and luxurious lives desensitize us from the reality that our city, and many cities, face.

Ironically, as students,

this risk encroaches upon us more rapidly and begs for our attention, as there are 58,000 homeless students on college campuses nationwide.

It becomes more difficult to neglect this problem when it follows us from the streets to our schools.

Homelessness is not invisible to us, not when we see it in plain sight every day in Houston.

We see these people stripped of the most basic dignities, mendicants on street sides and under highways, risking their lives to cross a street to fetch a couple of dollars that can bring them a step closer to survival.

As a city, we stood united through a hurricane, through a world series win, and through the dimming of our lights.

Yet, we refuse to confront the problem that has plagued our city for years, that is a testament to the quality of life here.

It’s time we take the compassion and generosity we have for those vivid lights and redirect it to the thousands of homeless sleeping underneath them.

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

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.

ADVERTISEMENTS Advertisements in The Cougar do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the University or the students as a whole.

The Cougar is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press.

studentpress.org/acp

Wednesday, February 7, 2018 | 11

713-743-5304

thedailycougar.com/opinion

OPINION

opinion@thedailycougar.com

Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR

TECHNOLOGY

Slow internet impedes technological advancement in Houston

W

e click, we tap, we scroll, without a care in the world until the loathed loading symbol shows up. Internet, the lifeblood of every college student, is unnecessarily slow in the great United States and in Houston.

Faster internet speeds would guarantee our city, the hub of oil and gas, a place in the international PERREN competitive WRIGHT SENIOR STAFF arena.

With almost 6 million people living throughout the sprawling metro area, can the city of Houston actually make a reasonable attempt at getting gigabit-speed internet to its people? A city with a GDP comparable to the country of Argentina deserves correspondingly modern infrastructure to support it.

Texas has slightly-under-average internet connection compared to the rest of the U.S. The Houston area ranks far below our interstate rival of Austin, which recently made Amazon's shortlist for a new headquarters.

One report recently ranked the U.S. as No. 10 in average internet connection speed. This is ridiculous because America is considered the birthplace of the Internet after UCLA professor, Leonard Kleinrock, used the internet to convey the first message to a colleague of his. Comparatively, Germany was responsible for the invention of the automobile and their brands still represent the pinnacle of automotive luxury and innovation Faster internet is enormously better for residents and businesses, so what can the people of Houston do to get faster access to the internet?

Chattanooga, Tennessee, was the first U.S. city to offer its residents gigabit speed internet. There were a lot of obstacles impeding its path toward this achievement.

One reason: Telecom companies do not consider Chattanooga an ideal site for fast-paced internet.

And the city was updating an aging power grid, and a desire for smart meters led officials to bring fiber-optic cables to homes and businesses throughout the area, turning the power company into an internet service provider as well.

Fiber-optic cables contain glass strands that use pulses of light to carry communication signals and

100 Mbps can carry higher internet as universities, libraries, K-12 speeds than standard coaxschools and public spaces.

90 Mbps ial cables.

Students and the general 80 Mbps The local telecom compapublic would benefit from nies were irritated and tried being able to easily connect 70 Mbps to prevent this project from and take care of homework, 60 Mbps succeeding because it was research and general enternot initiated by them. This tainment needs.

50 Mbps level of control is alarming, Given that Google, one of 40 Mbps because it can leave the telethe most valuable comcoms with the responsibility panies in the world, can’t 30 Mbps of deciding which cities can make connecting houses 20 Mbps advance. with fiber-cables feasible However, in the end on a small scale, I believe 10 Mbps Chattanooga became the that expanding into homes first city in America with the would be unnecessary, espeDallas Houston Austin Garland Irving “gig.” cially if this initiative was Internet Speeds in Texas Download speed Meanwhile, gigabit-speed publicly funded.

Upload speed internet is already available Infrastructure makes or in Houston, mainly within Sonny Singh/The Cougar breaks a city. In order for master-planned communiHouston to compete with ties in far-flung suburbs, thanks to not place the confidence in our city they would probably provide the the San Franciscos and Austins AT&T and Comcast. that we have earned. highest return on investment. It is of the technology world, we must However, it can be difficult and I would propose starting out shocking that these places do not invest in the roads of the modern prohibitively expensive -- espeby providing fiber-optic connecalready have these high speeds age: the internet. cially for stingy cable companies tions to the main economic hubs of connection, because they're Senior staff columnist Perren Wright -- to install the fiber-optic cables of the city: at least Downtown, responsible for medicine and busiis a biomedical engineering sophnecessary to achieve higher interthe Texas Medical Center and ness enterprises omore. He can be reached at opinnet speeds in already-developed the Energy Corridor. These areas I would then expand to all acaion@thedailycougar.com. areas. drive Houston's economy, and demic and public institutions, such This doesn’t account for areas that don’t even have decent access to the internet already. These areas, coincidentally, often lie in low income and minority neighborhoods.

Telecoms are deciding the fates of these neighborhoods and cities, and without their support progress is nearly impossible.

Chattanooga dedicated its efforts to investing within itself, but not every community has the resources or ambition to do so.

Houston, the heart of oil and gas, should have the proper bait to lure telecoms in, but they still do

worship DIRECTORY

HELP HELP WANTED WANTED We Weare areseeking seekingaafull-time full-timeor orpart-time part-time International InternationalAssistant AssistantBuyer BuyerininNorthwest Northwest Houston, with strong organization, Houston, with strong organization,verbal, verbal, and andwritten writtencommunication communicationskills, skills,and and proficiency proficiencyininMicrosoft MicrosoftOffice.

Office.

This Thisisisaagood goodopportunity opportunityfor forthose those majoring majoringininInternational InternationalBusiness.

Business.

Email Emailresume resumeto toeric@gekko-inc.com eric@gekko-inc.com

CATHOLIC CATHOLICMASS MASSON ONCAMPUS CAMPUS

SUNDAY SUNDAYWORSHIP WORSHIPSERVICE SERVICE First FirstService: Service: Second SecondService: Service: Third ThirdService: Service: Fourth FourthService: Service:

7:15 7:15am am 9:00 9:00am am 11:00 11:00am am 1:00 1:00pm pm

Sunday SundaySchool: School:

9:00 9:00am am

SUNDAYS: SUNDAYS: 10:45 10:45AM AM--Religion ReligionCenter Center 6:00 6:00PM PM--Catholic CatholicCenter Center WEEKDAYS: WEEKDAYS: Tuesday—Friday Tuesday—Friday12:00 12:00Noon Noon CATHOLIC CATHOLICNEWMAN NEWMANCENTER CENTER Confession: Confession:Before Beforeor orAfter AfterMasses Masses Office Office##(713) (713)748-2529 748-2529

WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAYBIBLE BIBLESTUDY STUDY 12 12noon noon&&7:00 7:00pm pm

Sunday SundayBible BibleClass Class

IIFF YOU YOU ARE ARE INTERESTED INTERESTED IN IN ADVERTISING ADVERTISING IN IN W WORSHIP ORSHIP D DIRECTORY IRECTORY,, CCONTACT ONTACT AA SALES SALES REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATIVE AT AT 713-743-5356 713-743-5356

12 | Wednesday, February 7, 2018

OPINION 713-743-5304

thedailycougar.com/opinion

opinion@thedailycougar.com

Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR

COMMUNITY

Black Panther embodies meaning of Black excellence

F

or nearly 40 years since Richard Donner’s Superman, white superheroes have been saving the day again and again in films and reboots, yet not a single black hero has played the lead since Wesley Snipes’ Blade in 1998.

With Black Panther, everything will change.

BETHEL BIRU July, 1966 ASSISTANT - the year OPINION EDITOR America would see its first ever black superhero.

Yet Hollywood has grown a bit too comfortable with its all-white hero complex. With five Superman reboots, eight Batman movies, and three Spidermans with three different reboots, it’s ridiculous that America’s first black superhero is finally coming to the big screen 52 years after his introduction to the world, but a perfect way to start Black History Month.

Hollywood tends to give minimum, if any, limelight to POC when it comes to lead roles.

They’re usually cast as “urban” characters, comedic relief, or play thugs/bad guys in most productions. By feeding into these

tired and oftentimes negative stereotypes, it stunts any growth for character development and prevents POC from getting serious roles in films.

“Representation is important in all communities, so to think there are kids today that have gotten to see a black president, black Olympians, black scientists, and now a black superhero is historical,” said Vice President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. at the University of Houston, Michala Padgett. “This time in history will be looked at as a pivotal moment for African Americans.”

By having not only a black man playing the protagonist but also having a predominantly black cast, including a black director and black writers, the movie promotes more jobs in Hollywood for POC and creates opportunities for more inclusive films to be made.

Another advantage is that they show African Americans and Africa in a positive light. Black Americans are not burdened with stereotypical struggles such as racism, slavery, or surviving the ghetto, and Africa is seen as a technological advanced society instead of the poverty and famine stricken place media alludes it to be.

“It’s a great way to get people aware of indigenous African

cultures from the past, while incorporating something that everyone loves,” said Alya Muses, Vice President of Students of East Africa at the University of Howuston.

Along with reclaiming black image the cast had social media in a frenzy, showing up in royal African attire at the movie premier and selling out more advance tickets in 24 hours on Fandango than any other Marvel movie, including Captain America: Civil War, effortlessly debunking the myth that “black movies don’t sell.”

Lack of representation also affects the way colored children view themselves in society.

T’Challa (Black Panther) is not only king and protector of Wakanda, he is also a scholar and master physician, politician, inventor and scientist. The impact of children finally seeing a superhero that looks like them is so anticipated that activists like Fredrick Joseph are starting GoFundMe pages to help underprivileged colored kids in Harlem see the movie for free.

The film will expose black children of all ages to black excellence, giving everyone the opportunity to see the melanin in their skin being portrayed as symbol of strength and power in a world where it is usually

CARTOON

Trump: 'State of the Union' couldn't be better

Tamor Khan/ The Cougar

Sonny Singh/The Cougar

condemned as inferior - and that, is everything.

“I can definitely say that this movie in itself can be seen as a political statement with how powerfully black it is." said Programming & Research chair for NAACP Unit #6806, Ronson Smith.

“I think that any political influence this movie can/will have will come from what viewers decide to do after this movie is over. Will it be seen as just a movie? Or will it be taken to heart and lead people to make a change? That really depends on us as the people.”

Wakanda, in all its beauty, is what nations across Africa could have been 300 years ago had they been able to continue their culture, royalty, and wealth. It’s a fictional country filled with technology that is centuries ahead of the western world and is refreshingly ruled as a matriarchy filled with strong, intelligent woman, played by black women of all shades and hair types - another major thing lacking in Hollywood.

While Black Panther is a beacon of hope for the black people around the world, it’s still a process for POC as a whole.

I realized this movie was important because deep down, we were all mourning, reminded of a history that was taken away from us. A great history reduced into something dark and overbearing

that still shadows us today. Films such as Roots, Django, The Color Purple, Mississippi Damned, even Tyler Perry’s movie franchise were all built on black struggles.

Slavery, victims of rape and child abuse, addicts and abusers - these were all images we had grown up internalizing, believing this is what we were made up of and who we would ever be when in reality, we are so much more, and Black Panther shows us exactly that.

“Hopefully we will continue to see black roles in Hollywood and the generations to come can feel empowered knowing they do come from royalty,” Padgett said.

Black Panther is black excellence, because it shows us the possibility for a future where a black people will no longer be defined by a dark past but instead become inspired to create a future filled with power, beauty, and excellence like in Wakanda.

“I look forward to seeing more diverse and black casts become the norm. I look forward to my own kids having a plethora of black role models to look up to. [I look forward to] more movies like Black Panther,” Smith said.

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