Issue 20, Volume 83

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Issue 20, Volume 83

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Hammer time

Star hitter Joe Davis brought a new Avengers-themed tradition to UH. This year, he hopes to bring back his excellent freshman record and raise the hammer high. | PG. 7

NEWS

Bike tours strengthening community

Since May 2015, LetsDoThisHouston has allowed Houston residents and visitors alike to tour the city through themed events which promote and encourage engagement. | PG. 6

OPINION

Primaries hold power over Texas politics With the start of early voting on Tuesday, Texans have the greatest power to choose their representatives. Read, think, find your polling place and vote. It’s crucial. | PG. 12

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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.

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

At 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, six students will debate campus issues in the Student Center Ballroom. Before the questions begin, senator candidates will be mingling and talking to students about their own, often college-specific, platforms. And don't forget: There'll be free pizza, too. | File photo/The Cougar

COVER

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Presidential candidates prepare to face off in annual SGA debate MICHAEL SLATEN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @MICHAELSLATEN

The Student Government Association 2018 presidential debate will be at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday in the Student Center Ballroom. Six students will be debating to prove themselves eligible to represent the student body.

The debate is hosted and moderated by The Cougar.

The six students running for president of the 55th administration and the parties they represent are: •Chris Yellowe: Coogs United •Christopher Caldwell: Impact Party •Winni Zhang: Spirit RED •Vishaal Kuruvanka: Element Red •Cameron Barrett: Students Unite •Alexander McCollum: Reform UH Parking is once again the forefront of issues for party platforms along with campus safety. Candidates will be asked questions about how their specific plans to tackle these issues along with better serving underrepresented students.

College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Sen. Valerie Campos will be at the debate. She is not running

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

Two years ago, only three students ran for student body president. Now, six students are vying for the head role of the Student Government Association. Candidates will each answer questions specific to them, audience questions and randomized questions about their goals and experience. | File photo/The Cougar

csm@uh.edu www.uh.edu/csm N221 Student Center University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-4015 ADVERTISING

for re-election, choosing instead to focus on her last year of undergraduate studies and secure a job. She hopes candidates show they are committed to the hands-on issues of the university.

“I think there is going to be some interesting dialogue. We have the current President Winni Zhang who is running for reelection and we have outsiders who may not have the same experience in SGA but have been influential,”

Campos said. “It’s really going to show who has been talking to the students.”

Last year’s debate House of Innovation’s Jordyn Chaffold won the debate exit poll by wide margins. He ended up losing the election to Zhang, however.

Voting for student government president and senators begins February 27 through March 1. Vote through GetInvoled on AccessUH. The winners for the

presidential and senate races will be announced in the days following the elections.

Voting for student government president and senators begins February 27 and ends March 1. Vote through Get Involved on AccessUH. The winners for the presidential and senate races will be announced in the days following the elections. features@thedailycougar.com

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

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NEWS

Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Candidate profiles: Who will be next SGA President?

Pool includes an incumbant, two newbies, a graduate student, a cost-cutter hopeful and a committee chair THE COUGAR EDITORS

After finishing his day on and SGA would dedicate their campus, Barrett drives home funds to acquiring textbooks CAMERON BARRETT at about 9 p.m or 10 p.m. students need.

Cameron Barrett’s grandAt home, he plays video “At the very least, if someone mother told him once that games, watches videos online, asks, ‘What does the SGA do?’ you’re more likely to find and finishes his leftover work.

Well, oh yeah, you can go to someone that has done “When we started running, them and get a free rental on meth in his hometown of my friends were asking, ‘Well your textbook for the semesNew Caney, located about 30 what’s the scandal?’” Barrett ter,” Barrett said. miles northeast of Houston, said. “I really just go home at Additionally, Barrett said than someone with a college the end of the day.” that commuter students who degree. Now, Barrett is midway Barrett first got involved on also maintain a job are the through his master’s degree in campus by joining the Student ones most likely to be a victim economics.

Democrats and running their of crime. Part of the Students “It was kind of like the same finance and research. He was Unite platform is a safer mindset as just a bachelor's for on the board for a year, and campus. most people,” Barrett said. “It after leaving, became more He said there are too many almost seemed not optional.” involved in SGA. security guards hanging Barrett is a first-year Student If Barrett is elected, he around the residence halls Government Association senwants to start an SGA textwhen the bus stops are more ator, but he's been involved in book exchange service, where likely to be target areas for SGA for two and a half years. students can go to SGA and crime.

He is running for SGA presiget a free textbook rental for “A lot of people have said dent with the party Students their class. Students would be we won't win because work10-11208_Cougar News February_New Brand_PRINT.pdf 1 2/12/18 8:27 AM Unite. able to donate their textbooks, ing class kids don't vote, and @THEDAILYCOUGAR

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SGA presidential candidate Cameron Barrett. | Michael Slaten/The Cougar

they have a point,” Barrett said. “The SGA should give those working class students a reason to vote.”

SGA CANDIDATE PROFILES

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SGA presidential candidate and incumbent Winni Zhang. | Michael Slaten/The Cougar

The first time Christopher Caldwell visited Houston was for his New Student Orientation at UH. Caldwell, a Dallas native, said he chose UH for its political science department, despite his parents insisting he attend elsewhere.

The political science and sociology senior is running for president of the Student Government Association with the Impact Party.

The Impact Party is running on a platform composed of what Caldwell calls “three pillars,” each encompassing numerous smaller goals. Caldwell said

members of his party, if elected, will focus on improving the student experience, fostering academic success and encouraging community advancement.

Caldwell graduated high school with an associate’s degree and arrived to UH in Fall 2016 as a junior by credit hours. As a senior, he spent the better half of Fall 2017 looking into graduate programs, and even taking the LSAT, but he ultimately decided he isn’t ready to leave the University.

“I’ve been involved thoroughly on campus, but I haven’t done enough. I haven’t influenced every student in the way that

Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS

WINNI ZHANG

SGA CANDIDATE PROFILES

CHRISTOPHER CALDWELL

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The incumbent Student Government Association president, Winni Zhang, is running for re-election this year as the candidate for the Spirit RED party, which is focused on better access to health services, a more intuitive advising system and improved parking on campus.

The SGA election, which takes place Feb. 27- March 1, comes at a moment of increased engagement and attention to governing matters as a whole in this country, and that excitement has trickled down to campus. As leader of the executive branch, Zhang looks back on her tenure positively and hopes to build on the gains she’s made heading into the next year.

“I feel good. We made three campaign promises, three big campaign promises last year,”

I really could,” Caldwell said.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, Caldwell said he hopes to remain involved in student leadership for the remainder of his time at UH. While he said all of his positions on campus have taught him about the potential for a single student to impact the rest of the University, being chair of the Food Service Advisory Committee has given him the greatest ability to advocate for students.

This year was the first time all residential students were allowed to remain on campus during winter break.

Caldwell said the increase in students

on campus during the University closure meant a difficult decision — whether the dining halls should also remain operational.

“We are a working man’s college. There are some students who, like myself, can go here simply because of financial aid,” he said. “I think the University has a responsibility to make sure all 44,000 people are fed, they have a place to sleep at night.”

In addition to FSAC, he currently serves on the Student Centers Policy Board, the Student Housing and Residential Life Advisory Committee and the Activities Funding Board, and holds two on-campus jobs.

ALEXANDER MCCOLLUM

SGA presidential candidate Alexander McCollum. | Courtesy of Alexander McCollum

Alexander McCollum, an economics junior, is running for Student Government Association President with the Reform UH party. He initially decided to go to the University of Houston to stay in town to help his family.

McCollum said he thinks a big problem with previous Student Government Association administrations was being at odds with the UH administration and other organizations when trying to accomplish goals.

“It’s a lot of fire and emotion, and not a lot of practical action,” McCollum said. “One of the things that I think would be different about this administration is that we’re into data analysis. A lot of people on this team know how to take large amounts of data, compute the

Zhang said. “One was to improve mental health services on campus and health services as a whole. The second was to improve parking, and the third was to implement the open textbook network here at UH. All three have made major progress.”

Zhang mapped out what she wants to accomplish should she be re-elected and reflected on the progress she’s made during her tenure. She lauds the efforts to raise mental health awareness on campus and wants to continue growing CAPS. Zhang said she takes her critics head-on.

“Criticism is always welcome,” Zhang said. “I’m not going to do this job perfectly, because nobody’s perfect.”

Zhang's administration has

faced criticism for a semester filled with miscommunication within the governing body. Zhang wants to increase the transparency of SGA by letting students have access to the organization's budget for clarity on what its funds — provided by student fees — are used for.

She values the voices of those who push her to do better and sees her role as a force for change that SGA brings about. She said some in the organization can be caught in the insular nature of their positions and sometimes miss the higher purpose.

Zhang’s view of her own leadership is guided by the words “service above self,” and her hope for members is to dream big together and remember the larger picture.

SGA presidential candidate Chris Caldwell. | Dana C. Jones/The Cougar

numbers and produce a result that says, ‘Okay, we need this, and here’s why.'”

McCollum commutes from Sugar Land, he said. He was born in The Woodlands but moved to Branson, Missouri while his mother went to school. McCollum then spent a year in Jerusalem and another in London while his mother earned her master's degree in philosophy and religious studies.

His party has developed a plan to increase funding for student organizations that involves cutting the salary of the president and some cabinet members to redistribute to organizations that are lacking, McCollum said.

“I honestly would cut my salary down to zero if SFAC will let me,” McCollum said. “I’ll cut it down to whatever the bare minimum is.”

Other SGA administrations have been successful in cutting student government funding in the past.

Shane Smith’s 53rd administration cut its budget of $153,169 down by $2,717 in 2016.

“We’re going to face roadblocks along the way. We’re going to run into the same problems that everybody’s run into, and that’s the truth,” McCollum said.

McCollum has not been involved in student government before, he said.

“I’ve heard a lot about the SGA. One of the reasons I got involved was because it didn’t feel right," McCollum said. "I felt like the student body was getting ripped off by a social club."

CANDIDATE PROFILES

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VISHAAL KURUVANKA Between handling research projects and tutoring students in the Third Ward, mathematical biology and economics junior Vishaal Kuruvanka has a lot on his plate — and he wants to add being Student Government Association president into the mix.

Kuruvanka is heavily involved on campus.

He wants to introduce a University-wide peer mentorship program and make campus safer for students. He's never been involved in SGA before.

Being so involved, Kuruvanka said he will be able to fulfill the roles of student government president because he's expecting a reduced class load.

His proposed University-wide peer mentor-

thedailycougar.com/news

ship program would connect underclassmen to upperclassmen. He said the juniors and seniors can help freshman peers in the same majors get an idea of what classes to take and tell them what their major is like.

Kuruvanka said he would have found a similar program useful. He majored in biology his freshman year, hoping to go to medical school after graduating, but he changed his major and is now reconsidering medical school.

“There should be a student that has been through the entire process that can tell you ‘this is what it's going to be like. Are you sure this is what you want to do?’” Kuruvanka said.

Throughout the year, Kuruvanka goes to HISD schools in the Third Ward to tutor students. He started the organization Cougar Tutors after

CHRIS YELLOWE

Cougarcandidate Ad.pdf 1 2/13/2018 AM | SGA presidential Chris 11:25:03 Yellowe.

Courtesy of Chris Yellowe

Newcomer Chris Yellowe is looking to change engagement and participation both inside and outside SGA. Yellowe is of the newly formed Coognited party. The party's motto, “Coog ideas matter,” suggests some of its main policies, like more student voting throughout the year. Yellowe said he roots his party in the will of the students. It relies on both student involvement and what the students want, and he is willing to

news@thedailycougar.com

Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS

reading that HISD test scores are falling.

"I went to Klein ISD and they are pretty well-funded and have a lot of good teachers,” Kuruvanka said. “I felt like it’s not fair I was only able to receive those resources, other kids should be able to do the same thing.”

He gathered his friends and started tutoring at elementary schools in the Third Ward. If he were elected, he wants SGA to have more outreach initiatives in the Third Ward.

Element Red put out a poll asking students if they feel safe on campus, Kuruvanka said.

“An overwhelming majority of students said they don’t feel safe on campus,” he said. “We need to get more officers out there, more emergency call boxes, and we need more lighting at night time.”

completely change his initial platforms to reflect the campus climate.

The political science junior is a transfer student from Arizona State University. Originally from Katy, he transferred back home to UH after taking almost two years off from school.

“Tuition was a lot, (even) with scholarships and financial aid,” Yellowe said.

“I went to Arizona because I wanted to see what another state would be like.”

Having never held a formal position in SGA — not from a lack of trying — Yellowe believes the SGA president's platform can help set out the goals he

has for the campus.

His main goal is to have the student body be more involved in SGA elections and the entire organization. In the 2017 elections, 3,670 students voted out of the 45,364 that were enrolled, resulting in only 8 percent of students voting.

“More people just need to know about SGA,” he said.

As a student outside of SGA, Yellowe says that he has had problems having his “ideas and concerns heard and expressed” on campus. As a commuter during his first semester, he feels that commuters “don’t feel like they can tap

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DAY OF REMEMBRANCE 02.27.18

NEWS

12 Noon

A.D. Bruce Religion Center

SGA presidential candidate Vishaal Kuruvanka. | Michael Slaten/The Cougar

into the University.”

Yellowe stays up on current events and believes that will help if he becomes president. Being aware of national topics allows him to be sensitive to the student body and the social climate at any given time.

“At the end of the day, I’m representing the student body. My opinion doesn’t matter,” Yellowe said.

He compared the student body to a firm, saying that he, as president, would be responsible for representing thousands of students.

“45,000 students are the same as shareholders or clients,” Yellowe said.

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Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS

The bike tour went to Discovery Green and the George R. Brown Convention Center. The music accompanying the ride was a medley of Marvin Gaye's greatest hits. | Marissa Riley/The Cougar

CITY

Yellow bicycle box opens nostalgia in Houston DANA C. JONES

FEATURES EDITOR @DANACJONES_

Sitting in the parking lot next to the vegan bakery, Crumbville, on Elgin St., there is a large streetlight-yellow box with "3rd Ward Tours" written on the outside.

“Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye is playing. Every weekend, the company LetsDoThisHouston engages with the community through one of the first activities you learn in childhood.

LetsDoThisHouston gives tours of the city with rides on bikes with light-up wheels. In May 2015, Prairie View A&M alumnus Alan Moore created his business to encourage the community to both try different activities they wouldn’t typically do on Friday night and find a fun way to get active.

The inception for this idea came organically. Moore decided to use a bike from Houston’s BCycle, which has stations spread out through the city. One of the closest BCycle stations to campus is at Emancipation Park.

“I hopped on a bike, rode around the city, stopped and got something to eat and called my first event Bike and Brunch,” Moore said.

In the yellow box, Moore stores dozens of bikes for his events. They were acquired from a nonprofit called Tour De Hood, also located in the Third Ward, which informs people on living a physically and mentally

Blake Simon (left) and owner Alan Moore, (right). | Marissa Riley/The Cougar

LetsDoThisHouston has night tours every weekend. | Marissa Riley/The Cougar

healthy lifestyle.

“I was able to use my resources, add themes to (the events) and I was able to put them on social media, and people came out to the events,” Moore said.

At PVAMU, Moore earned his degree in social work. One of his goals is for his biking events to actually affect the community.

“An upcoming event is the Voter Registration Ride, where we’re encouraging the community to register to vote and have an impact on their surroundings,” Moore said.

Along with his partner Blake Simon, Moore stresses the safety precautions of riding in the street.

Simon and Moore met in college at PVAMU. “Everybody that was in his particular building I became close friends with, so ever since 2007 we’ve been close friends,” Simon said.

Simon patrols the back of the

Mars, Drake and reggae being used in the past.

Even though this kind of ride is geared toward beginner and new riders, there are cyclists that keep coming back.

Phyllis Kinsey has been riding with LetsDoThisHouston since October and found out about it through a Facebook post through all the digital clutter.

People participate in these night rides for different reasons, but the reoccurring ones are for being active and unique. “I don’t want to do the same thing, going to a club on a Friday night, having a drink,” Kinsey said. “It’s something different and fun to do with a group of friends.”

One thing that is consistent between not only Moore and Simon but also the other riders is the sense of community. “As a business owner myself, I know how critical it is to lend that

group to pick up anyone who can’t finish the ride or severely crashes.

“The objective is to make sure that people don’t get left behind,” Simon said. During the ride, Moore and Simon both stressed two important rules: staying to the right and moving through lights.

Luckily, on this ride, no one fell off their bike. Falls from customers have been minor thus far. The worst fall in the past was from Simon himself.

“Whenever we did a college ride at Prairie View, I didn’t see a bench, ran into it and somersaulted into the air,” Simon said. “A couple of students thought I was dead, but I was alive.”

There are different biking events, clubs and organizations that are happening in Houston, but one thing that separates LetsDoThisHouston from the rest is its music. Most of their events are music-themed, with Bruno

support,” Simon said.

While riding in a group of 15 people, and taking rides through Discovery Green Midtown and other city sites, everyone is supporting each other and socializing. Sometimes having 100 people come out over the course of the weekend just further pushes their goal of community engagement.

LetsDoThisHouston sell tickets to their rides through Facebook, which links their events through the ticket seller Eventbrite.

“People come to ride and say, ‘oh my God, I thought I was going to die, that car was honking at me and I was just scared out there,'" Moore said. "People’s reactions of being able to achieve something they thought they couldn’t and encouraging people is something that I like and enjoy.” features@thedailycougar.com

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SPORTS

sports@thedailycougar.com

Peter Scamardo, EDITOR

BASEBALL

Junior brings the hammer, leads team for hits

Junior designated hitter Joe Davis opened the year with a hit and an RBI against the Holy Cross Crusaders on opening night Friday, one of two RBIs for the Cougars on the day. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar

ANDRES CHIO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @ CHIOANDRES

Junior first baseman Joe Davis broke a pair of records and helped bring the Cougars to the conference championship game during his freshman season.

Davis wanted to have an even greater 2017 campaign, but injuries slowed him down and he often found himself in the dugout instead of the field. Now, Davis says he is back at 100 percent and ready to contribute to a Houston team that is looking to win back-to-back conference championships.

"This is probably the best I’ve felt since I’ve been at U of H, and strength levels have picked up," Davis said. "You learn some things from a season like that, and now I'm going in with a better feeling."

In his freshman year, Davis beat the school record for home runs and RBIs by a freshman and tied the record for doubles in season, winning AAC Rookie of the Year and a spot on the AAC First Team.

With all that behind him, Davis and the team looked forward to the 2017 season with hopes of having an even greater sophomore campaign.

"Well, he didn’t," said head coach Todd Whitting. "Just

because of all the injuries."

Davis battled a wrist injury for most of the season and ankle injury for the latter parts that kept him to eight home runs and 46 RBIs, compared to 14 home runs and 58 RBIs in his freshman year.

That would be a good year for most college baseball players, but it was a letdown for Davis.

"I struggled. I didn’t live up to my own expectations. I hold myself to a pretty high standard and not living up to my own expectations dampened my spirits," said Davis.

A little R&R Davis used the offseason to heal the problems that forced him into a designated hitter role instead of first baseman for a majority of the season.

"I was proud of him for grinding through that, but this offseason was about getting those things fixed and getting healthy," Whitting said. "Right now, he’s 100 percent ready to go."

Added to the injuries was increased pressure and scouting from the opposing pitchers, who changed up their pitches to get by the all-conference slugger.

"I definitely got pitched different than most guys. They attack me with more off-speed

than fastballs, because that’s what I’m known for hitting," Davis said. "But at the end, baseball is baseball. At every level, if you’re good then things will be put against you, so it’s just something you have to get used to."

He adjusted to the pitchers during the season and had 73 hits by its end, just six below his freshman total.

During the offseason, Davis spent most of his recovery trying to regain control over his swing.

His wrist injury forced him to rely on power more than finesse since he didn't have as much control over his hand and swing.

"I've been working on my timing," he said. "Last year, I was just laying it on everything because I couldn’t get the bat where I wanted it, but this year everything feels better. As long as I get my timing down on the pitcher, I’ll be ready to hit."

Bring the Thunder Davis' freshman season brought him praise from around the nation, and he won over a dozen weekly and season honors.

"We knew when we recruited him that he was one of the elite power hitters in Texas high school baseball," Whitting said.

"He immediately was a presence, and he’s lived up to the hype.

We’ve been real pleased with him so far."

Even if he hadn't contributed in all the ways he had hoped, Davis added a key piece to the team's culture: the hammer.

A homemade replica of Thor's Mjölnir has become the signature of the team.

Whenever a player hits a home run, they get to raise the hammer high and hold on to it until another player hits one.

"I thought it was great. It became a trademark of not just last year’s team, but of our program as well," Whitting said. "The fans really seem to gravitate to it and hopefully we get to raise that a bunch this year."

Davis said he was inspired by other teams' home run celebrations.

While he was at his brother's house, he saw the hammer lying around and decided to bring it in.

"I saw some clips of other colleges doing some other home run celebrations and I was like, 'We could start our own,' and it was on ESPN, so it’s become a pretty neat thing," he said.

Good feelings Now that Davis is healthy,

Whitting said that his expectations are high.

"I expect him to lead our team as an offensive force," Whitting said. "If we’re going to have the season that we want to have, it’s important that Joe Davis has a good year. That he continues to grow mentally as a player."

Last year, even with Davis injured, the Cougars were able to win the conference, raising the hammer 60 times on the way but losing to Texas A&M in the regional final 4-3.

The Cougars opened their season last weekend in a three game series against Holy Cross where Davis opened his scoring account with an RBI in Friday's 2-3 loss.

The team bounced back, running away with game two, 7-1, and winning the third in extra innings, 3-2.

Davis expects the team to continue its winning ways to make it deeper in the NCAA Tournament and maybe the College World Series in Omaha.

"I think with the guys we have we’re going to be a good hitting team and a good pitching team, so I expect a good year," he said.

"Sometimes you just get a good feeling, and I have a good feeling about this team." sports@thedailycougar.com

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sports@thedailycougar.com

Peter Scamardo, EDITOR

TRACK & FIELD

Men aim to extend conference title streak at championship PETER SCAMARDO

SPORTS EDITOR @PLSCAMARDO2

Dominant. There is no better word to describe the men’s track & field team at the conference level. Since Leroy Burrell took over as head coach in 1999, the men have won 14 indoor conference titles in both the Conference-USA and the American Athletic Conference.

On Friday, the men will start their quest in Birmingham, Alabama to win a fourth straight AAC Indoor conference title It would be the third time in school history they have done so – they did it twice from 19972000 and 2007-2011.

Although the athletes have put pressure on themselves to win that fourth straight indoor title, Burrell’s message to them has not changed, even in his 20th season as head coach.

“One of our core themes is be your best when it matters most,” Burrell said. “They’ve excelled and distinguished themselves at this (point) in the season. My message to them is keep doing what you’re doing. I think we have some of the most talented guys in the conference, so what we need to do is just handle the things we can handle.”

Continuing the dominance The men already made history last year by winning their third-straight indoor title for the fourth time in school history and setting the conference record for points scored at the championship: 174.

Even with the absence of graduate sprinter Cameron Burrell and junior jumper Trumaine Jefferson, champions in the 200m and long jump respectively, the team has been running the times and hitting the marks that are reason to believe it can win that fourth consecutive title.

The Cougars own the top times in six different events, and 13 athletes own top five times in eight events. Senior sprinter Elijah Hall, who did not run at last year’s meet due to an injury, has been at the front of the pack for the men all season long.

Hall owns top times in both the 60m (6.58s) and 200m (20.51s) and is the only sprinter with top five times in both events.

“It’s been a lot of trials and tribulations that I’ve been through, but I’ve been ready for this moment for a long time,”

Junior sprinter Mario Burke (center) and senior sprinter Elijah Hall (right) are looking to bring a fourth straight American Athletic Conference Indoor title to the university. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar

Hall said. “Staying healthy was the key and so far so good. We’re going to go out there and we’re going to do what we have to do. We’re going to make some noise.”

Last year’s 60m final was the greatest display of the team’s dominance at the meet. Six of the eight lanes belonged to a member of the track & field team.

Cameron Burrell and junior Mario Burke were separated by thousandths of a second as Burke took the title.

The talk on the team is that they are aiming to have all eight spots filled this year.

New additions

Even with senior Cameron Burrell ineligible till March, the men have the tools to win a fourth straight indoor conference title. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar

Some individuals to keep an eye on are those who did not compete at conference last year: junior thrower Felipe Valencia and junior sprinter Kahmari Montgomery.

Valencia was redshirted last year to give him a full year to focus on training and improve his mark in the shot put.

He and senior Cameron Cornelius have won every indoor shot put title since the conference’s founding in 2014.

Valencia currently owns the top

mark at 18.49m.

Montgomery, a transfer from the Missouri Tigers, has been influential in both the 400m and 4x400m relay.

A former SEC champion and NCAA qualifier, Montgomery has been climbing his way toward the school 400m record in consecutive races and has earned a top conference mark (46.00s) in the process.

“It makes me even hungrier to know I’m just that close to making the school record,” Montgomery said. “I know that eventually I’ll be able to get to that point, and when I do I’ll just keep breaking it and breaking it until I can’t anymore.”

The missing link The team’s success in the 4x400m relay is by far the biggest difference from the men in year’s past.

The men have broken the school record in the event twice this season, the current time of 3:04.18 being set by junior Amere Lattin, Hall, Burke and Montgomery at the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 9.

Last year, the men were able to be competitive in the 4x4

relay, but this year they have taken the next step and become competitive on the national level.

Currently their time is No. 4 in the NCAA. “I’ve seen this team struggle.

I’ve seen us work as hard as possible, and I’ve seen our 4x4 increase every year,” Lattin said.

“We’ve been working on this since I got to the University. Our 4x1’s together. Now it’s time to put our 4x4 together and build this championship team that we all speak of.”

But for everyone on the team, this is their literal last chance to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station on March 9.

Only three athletes have times inside the NCAA Top 16, the qualifying mark, the same number as this time last year.

In interviews, the athletes agreed that they expect to see personal records and conference titles come Saturday evening.

If enough of them follow through on that goal, the Cougars will have a fair sized squad heading to the NCAA’s. sports@thedailycougar.com

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 | 9

SPORTS

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Peter Scamardo, EDITOR

TRACK & FIELD

Returning women hope to end title drought PETER SCAMARDO

SPORTS EDITOR

@ PLSCAMARDO2

The women’s track & field athletes has been living in the shadow of their male teammates for over a decade. The men have won nine indoor conference titles, while the women won their last in 2006.

However, the spirit of the team has changed in the last year. Consecutive talented freshmen classes have propelled the women back into the group of teams vying for a title in the American Athletic Conference. Last year, they finished third at the indoor conference meet, their first time since 2014, and the women are looking to build off that performance.

“I feel like we have a lot more confidence,” said sophomore jumper Samiyah Samuels about the difference between the 2017 team and the 2018 team. “I feel like we’ve all built up the confidence to know that we have the potential to win conference this year.”

Samuels was one of the top

recruits of the 2017 freshmen class. In her debut season, she took silver in the indoor long jump at the conference meet, and in year two, she has continued to improve.

At this time she owns the top long jump mark in the conference at 6.15m. Samuels is one of three athletes with top times and marks in their respective events. The women as a whole have top five marks in 10 events.

Sophomore sprinter Brianne Bethel was another top recruit from Samuels’ class. Bethel has led the team all season in the sprints, owning top times in both the 60m and 200m. Her 7.36s in the 60m and 23.78s in the 200m are No. 3 and No. 8 in school history.

“I worked hard all offseason for this, so I’m just glad I’m ready for conference this year,” Bethel said.

“Everyone just needs to give their best efforts. Just don’t give up.

We’ve just got to go to war and not stop fighting till it’s over.”

Other returning athletes, like

sophomore sprinter Sierra Smith and senior distance runner Maddie Brown, will also continue their history of scoring for the Cougars. Brown owns the second fastest 5000m time in school history, the No. 3 conference time of 16 minutes, 53.99s.

But freshmen like sprinter Ariele Adams and hurdler Naomi Taylor have arrived to help round out the squad. Taylor in particular has already ran the third-fastest 60m hurdles time in school history, a conference-leading 8.26s.

The women will miss the contributions of senior jumper Tonye’cia Burks, the defending champion and school record holder in the triple jump. Burks had top two marks in both the triple jump and long jump, including a conference leading 12.92m triple jump mark.

So while it is a positive that the women have a youthful core of talent, that lack of upperclassmen leadership might be the one thing holding them back from greater accomplishments, according to

LA

Brianne Bethel owns the team's top times in both the 60m and 200m, following through on her freshman success. | Peter Scamardo/The Cougar

head coach Leroy Burrell.

Even with his doubts he is confident of his team ahead of the team’s trip to the championships in Birmingham Friday.

“I think we can perform at a very high level this year,” Burrell said. “I think we’ll have the meet that we’re capable of having. I

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think we can put our self in position (to win), and then it’s going to be about who wants it more. Who on our team really wants to do something that hasn’t been done before, and I think we have to see what happens.”

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Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR

COMMUNITY

Program that protects, supports DREAMers proves crucial

B

ack in September 2017, when the Trump administration announced its plan to rescind DACA, President and Chancellor Renu Khator issued a statement in support of recipient students at the University of Houston.

Standing as among the most diverse colleges in the nation, approximately 70 percent of our student population is comprised of Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanics and international students.

SARAH TAWASHY Among these students, OPINION there are many DACA COLUMNIST recipients and undocumented students who face unique challenges throughout their academic careers. Donald Trump’s announcement is not only a direct threat to their efforts as college students, but also to their right to live and work in this country.

There are approximately 800,000 people in the U.S. who were brought here illegally as children; under DACA they were afforded rights that allowed them to legally establish themselves. In a few weeks, when DACA expires, each following day an average of 915 Dreamers will no longer be protected from deportation.

How are they expected to uproot their lives here, when the United States is the only place they know and call home?

The office for the Urban Experience Program, or UEP, is open to all students at UH. Staff members work with students on a wide spectrum of circumstances, catering to students out of foster care, from low-income or underrepresented groups, DACA recipients and students ready to enter the workforce after graduation.

Since the efforts to change the DACA policy began, there has been an increased effort by UEP to keep the morale of DACA students up. Charlene Laud, who is a counselor for UEP, expressed to me that there has been a noticeable drop in student GPAs. She believes that the emotional stress caused by the uncertainty of their futures in the U.S., amongst a multitude of other stressors, is contributing to this drop.

UEP's work includes assisting DACA students in renewing their paperwork, scholarship assistance and peer mentoring and support. It is “dedicated to expanding opportunities for DACA and undocumented students by providing the support they need to achieve the social and economic mobility they desire.”

Going to college is difficult enough for those of us who do not know the same struggle that these students do. Many might see their drive to succeed as admirable, and understandably so, because they thrive despite a system that works against them.

However, romanticizing their plight does more harm than good, somehow making it seem acceptable and even expected that these students must jump through hoops to secure rights that are easily afforded to others.

Abraham Garcia, a math and finance junior, is a student leader working at UEP. His family

came to the U.S. when he was only 3 years This is not to say that our DACA students’ old, and Houston is his only home. Abraham value lies in what they can contribute — that believes it is important that students feel narrative is often used to defend them — but comfortable sharing their concerns with him in order for him to properly guide them in the right direction.

When asked how he deals with the stress of knowing his status here could change at any moment, Abraham graciously responded that it is more important to him to take advantage of the time that he still has to better himself and work towards his academic goals.

He wonders if anyone would notice if students are “deported,” especially at University of Houston, where he believes we are all unified.

The student population is generally accepting of DACA students, and Abraham believes that UH could be considered one of the more “DACA-friendly” schools.

But our University, like many others, is not explicit in its stance towards DACA and undocumented students.

UEP is not considered an official liaison for DACA students, and as a program established and funded by the University, it is not politically involved, nor does it have the power to advocate for change. Over time, it has developed certain programs after learning about the needs of DACA students whom they have Sonny Singh / The Cougar established relationships with.

As a public university, the funds given to programs like UEP also cannot be used to do exclusive work for it is imperative that people are aware of the one particular group. This has made it diffieffects of this political shift. cult for the office to pursue more things that As Abraham puts it: “The majority of us are would benefit DACA students on our campus, here to be able to give back to our communisuch as offering scholarships available only to ties. Our goal is similar.” UEP and the Center them. for Diversity and Inclusion, a partner of UEP, UH is a partner college of TheDream.US both recognize the importance of catering scholarship program, which is specifically for to the DACA students on campus. But there DREAMers and students of similar immigrais only so much they can do, given that they tion status. For scholarship recipients, this are limited politically and not all projects are partly resolves the issue of financial strain, as logistically feasible.

DACA students have more limited access to Nonetheless, the emotional and social supscholarships and financial aid. port that UEP offers is absolutely necessary.

Considering that DACA students comprise Many of the students who work there a significant portion of our student populahave an emotional connection to it. This is tion, it is good to see that there are efforts a valuable aspect of this program, because being made to assist them. emotional support is just as important to By investing in these students, UEP overcoming these obstacles. reinforces that undocumented students are They have goals to help empower the youth, an integral part of the social fabric of our and coming from disadvantaged backgrounds campus community, as well as Houston as a means that they use every opportunity and whole. skill they have to reach these goals.

There is so much more could be done on This is a lot more than anyone can say for our part, though. Imagine if these students those of us who take things for granted. were deported; this would change the Sarah Tawashy is a human nutrition and foods dynamic on our campus to such a noticeable sophomore and can be reached at opinion@ extent that it would not function the same thedailycougar.com way.

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Sonny Singh WEB EDITOR

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SPORTS EDITOR

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Julie Araica

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Michael Slaten, Andres Chio, Bethel Biru, Richard Fletcher Jr., Erin Davis, Maya Dandashi, Brianna Myers

STAFF EDITORIAL The Staff Editorial reflects the opinions of The Cougar Editorial Board.

All other opinions, commentaries and cartoons reflect only the opinion of the writer. Opinions expressed in The Cougar do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Houston or its students as a whole.

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

Anonymous letters will not be published. Deliver letters to N221, Student Center North or email them to editor@thedailycougar.com.

Letters are subject to editing.

GUEST COMMENTARY Submissions are accepted from any member of the UH community and must be signed with the author’s name, phone number or email address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Commentary should be limited to 600 words.

Guest commentaries should not be written as replies, but rather should present independent points of view. Deliver submissions to N221, Student Center North or email them to editor@thedailycougar.com. All submissions are subject to editing.

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Wednesday, February 21, 2018 | 11

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OPINION

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Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR

CULTURE

Mental health taboos plague, hinder black communities from growth

I

f you went to church, you wouldn’t feel this way.” this and similar narratives are the responses many people in the African American community get whenever voicing their struggles with mental health.

With suicide being the third leading cause of death BETHEL BIRU among the ASSISTANT black youth OPINION EDITOR from ages 15-24, but only 2.4 percent getting treatment for it, this cannot remain the norm.

The belief that going to black people don’t have time to feel depressed or that spiritual salvation is the solution is a toxic mindset that plagues the African American community. Many African-Americans have trouble recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions, often times dismissing traits of depression, anxiety and other illnesses as moods you can just snap out of with determination and pray when it is actually much more complex than that.

Because of the lack of information surrounding mental health, it is not always clear how to find the help you need or if you should even seek any help at all.

While the lack of empathy and minimum knowledge concerning mental health plays a huge factor in stopping African Americans from getting necessary help, so does socioeconomic backgrounds.

Historical hardship such as slavery, racism, Jim crow laws, and other race related traumas

involving health, education, social and economic resources transcribe into the socioeconomic disparities experienced

by African Americans today.

According to Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problem than the general population and are prone to developing severe cases of depression, PTSD, and even schizophrenia more than the average American, yet the stigma and lack of resources forces those suffering within the community to continue practicing a culture of silent suffering.

According to the US census bureau, as of 2012, 19 percent of African Americans had no form of health insurance, making it

difficult and nearly impossible to get the medications and therapy they need.

While implementation of the Affordable Care Act has helped to close the gap in uninsured

individuals, 15.9 percent of African Americans, versus 11.1 percent of whites Americans were still uninsured in 2014.

Due to the lack of black therapists and psychologist, there is a fear that majority of healthcare practitioners are not culturally capable or aware enough to treat or understand specific issues that pertain to African Americans. Less than 6 percent of American Psychological Association members are Black, which causes patients to feel uncomfortable or unable to relate to their therapists.

There have even been reports of slight ra++cism and cases of microaggression which disrupts the process of therapy and creates more harm than healing.

Despite the milestones achieved over the years, racism continues to have a major impact on the mental health of African Americans. Negative stereotypes, blatant racism and rejection from society affect the

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subconscious, even more when it’s because of the color of your skin.

Education about mental disorders and the treatment process is extremely critical in breaking the stigma that disrupts the black community. By creating public education campaigns, educational presentations at community venues, and open information sessions at local mental health clinics, we can address the issues that haunt many African Americans and encourage them to seek treatment by making it easier to find, instead of sweeping it under the rug and pretending that African Americans are invincible to mental health issues.

This silent suffering has plagued the community for long enough.

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Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR

The Ballot

POLITICS

Midterm primaries key to shifting the tide of Texas politics

U.S. SENATOR: Ted Cruz & John Cornyn Candidates: Beto O'Rourke Edward Kimbrough Sema Hernandez Bruce Jacobson Jr. Geraldine Sam Mary Miller Stefano de Stefano Ted Cruz (incumbent) GOVERNOR: Greg Abbott

Advocates for political parties are getting the attention of voters at the primary election booths. | Courtesy of AJ Durrani, Democratic National Committee

T

he upcoming primaries are fast approaching. Early voting began on Tuesday, and this whirlwind of political activity will decide the future of the offices of Texas' governor, junior senator and countless other offices. The 2018 primaries hold up the stereotype of everything being bigger in Texas, each office has received plenty of candidates ANUSHEH for each office, SIDDIQUE OPINION EDITOR both Republican and Democratic.

The misconception of the government as a broken system has hindered many from voting or even lending themselves to this ideology of political efficacy, but the truth is the government caters to the needs of those who understand how to use it best for their

tial candidates on the race to the White House. The position of governor, lieutenant governor, land commissioner and railroad commissioner will be contested in this election, making primaries the most relevant decision to the lives of Houstonians and Texans.

Whether you're an adversary or advocate of our current political administration, we are all bearing the consequences of it every day.

Texas has among the lowest voter turn out in the country. The state routinely proves itself as detached from the electoral process. In 2016, Texas was ranked 42nd in voter turnout, making us among the lowest in the country.

"Local legislation very rarely looks like (its) constituency," said Imaad Khan, a lobbyist for Texas Impact, which provides theologically grounded policy analysis.

This is a growing concern — that citizens will grow so disinterested in voting that representation will vary drastically

Early voting has begun in several spots around Texas, including Katy, Downtown and Galleria | Courtesy of Chris Eudaily, Texas Public Radio News

purposes. It attends to the small minority that turns out routinely to polls and determines change in the grand scheme of things.

March 6, the first primary in the U.S., will determine the representatives and Senators who will support eventual 2020 presiden-

from the needs of the communities they come from.

Registration for primaries has already ended, but voters can still vote in midterm elections once primaries have been decided.

Registration for this ends April 5. There are booths for voting

stationed in Downtown, Galledetached from our system that ria, Katy, Cypress, and more. A there is no inclination nor responcomplete list of locations is on sibility to vote. There's a great deal harrisvotes.com. of Texans not being represented Primaries pose an immense by their representatives. amount of power in the political The approach of the primaries climate. A major Texas publication for politics, The Texas Tribune, focuses a vast amount of effort and energy into primaries. I asked their Operations Manager why this was. “The general election becomes a more binary choice, but a primary presents itself as a nuanced possibility” John Jordans.There’s the potential to select a moderate or Informed voting is crucial. | Courtesy of AJ Durrani, Democratic National Committee conservative member of either party.

Few Texans understand where to direct their frustration signals the opportunity to shape with the government. The default the upcoming elections. target is the federal level. This rea“Due to gerrymandering, soning keeps them from investing presidential nominees are often in these upcoming primaries. selected from primaries” said AJ This doesn't feel like a coinciDurrani, a Super Delegate of the dence: The rifts between rural and Democratic National Party. urban ideology and Democrat This forgotten and un-emphaand Republican leave Texas, the sized election paves the way for once confidently red state, open immense change and opportunity, to change if all these parties were yet we can't seem to step away to substantiate their beliefs with from our day to day concerns votes. to vote for individuals who will The schism within the two control the laws, taxes, and reguhouses of Texas is apparent. The lations that dominate our lives. conservative mentality of the Voting isn’t enough. As college Senate tends to be balanced and students, we bear the respondiluted by the more moderate sibility of an educated vote. As outlook found in the House of beneficiaries of a system where Representatives. The inherent our representation is determined issue in our political system is the by the people’s voice, not guns lack of emphasis on voter engage- or hereditary lineages, we owe a ment. Most voters probably don’t great deal of debt to the portions even realize who represents their of the world that are alien to district. democracy.

With 150 representatives in the Opinion editor Anusheh Siddique House, it is far easier to use the is a finance freshman and can be broad brushstroke of democracy reached at opinion@thedailycougar. to umbrella yourself underneath com all this representation. This lack of relationship leaves us so

Candidates: Adrian Ocegueda Andrew White Cedric Davis Jr. Grady Yarbrough James Jolly Clark Jeffrey Payne Joe Mumbach Lupe Valdez Tom Wakely Barbara Krueger Greg Abbott (incumbent) Secede Kilgore ATTORNEY GENERAL: Ken Paxton Candidates: Justin Nelson Ken Paxton(incumbent) LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: Dan Patrick Candidates: Michael Cooper Mike Collier

Dan Patrick (incumbent) Scott Midler LAND COMMISSIONER George P. Bush Candidates:

Miguel Suazo Tex Morgan Davey Edwards George P. Bush (incumbent) Jerry Patterson Rick Range U.S. House District 1 Brent Beal Shirley J. McKellar Anthony Culler Louie Gohmert(incumbent) Roshin Rowjee U.S. House District 2 Ali. A. Khorasani H.P. Parvizian J. Darnell Jones Silky Malik Todd Litton Dan Crenshaw David Balat Jon Spiers Jonny Havens