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Issue 23, Volume 83
Gentrification closing in on Third Ward
OPINION
Liberty obstructed by Turkey’s jailings
Turkey is known for its jailing of journalists, claiming they spread “terrorist propoganda,” but in reality the country is surpressing freedom while the U.S. makes no effort to rebut. | PG. 12
uh.edu/csm
The historically black neighborhood surrounding UH is steadily becoming entrapped by new, outsider construction. PG. 4
SPORTS
Cougars exceeded all expectations
Although the team ended its season with a heartbreaking loss, fans should be looking at how far the team was able to come. | PG. 7
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Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS
EXPLAINED
Frontier Fiesta: How Jeremih, past headliners were chosen DREW JONES
CAMPUS EDITOR @DRWSZN
This weekend's Frontier Fiesta concert will feature headliner hip-hop/R&B artist Jeremih, who is well-known for the U.S. Billboard hits "Oui" and "Don't Tell 'Em" from his 2015 sophomore album Late Nights. The artist for the annual concert was announced less than a week before Jeremih will take the stage at 10 p.m. Saturday, but planning for his arrival started nearly a year ago. The process for choosing each spring's performer starts well before the school year begins, said Michelle Benjamin, the Student Program Board's vice president of membership. SPB, a student fee-funded organization that plans programming throughout the year, starts planning for the Frontier Fiesta concert by evaluating its budget for the upcoming year. First, the group discusses the price range of the options they want to consider, then sets out using a survey to probe students' interest in potential artists. SPB officers factor in upcoming releases of would-be acts, the expected turnout to determine the event's location, and since Frontier Fiesta
is always free to attend, how to allocate funds toward the concert. A couple of the runner-ups that SPB wasn't able to grab were T-Pain, who had a scheduling conflict with this weekend's In Bloom Festival at Eleanor Tinsley Park, and Cardi B, who was eyed early on, but due to a few successful collaborations during the summer of 2017, commanded an increased fee of "$30,000-40,000 more" than what the board was anticipating in a matter of weeks, Benjamin said. The organization decided around Homecoming in 2017 who they would attempt to finalize for the concert. Because there will be no Homecoming concert for the 2018-19 school year, another event SPB usually organizes and funds, the organization went all in to get a signature artist like Jeremih for this year's Frontier Fiesta. This weekend's Frontier Fiesta concert will feature headliner hip-hop/R&B artist Jeremih, who is well-known for the U.S. Billboard hits "Oui" and "Don't Tell 'Em" from his 2015 sophomore album Late Nights. The artist for the annual concert was announced less than a week before Jeremih will take the stage at 10 p.m. Saturday, but planning for
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ISSUE STAFF Jeremih's latest music was released in 2015. | Courtesy of Glenn Francis
his arrival started nearly a year ago. The process for choosing each spring's performer starts well before the school year begins, said Michelle Benjamin, the Student Program Board's vice president of membership. SPB, a student fee-funded organization that plans programming throughout the year, starts planning for the Frontier Fiesta concert by evaluating its budget for the upcoming year. First, the group discusses the price range of the options they want to consider, then sets out using a survey to probe students' interest in potential artists. SPB officers factor in upcoming releases of would-be acts, the expected turnout to determine the event's location, and since Frontier Fiesta is always free to attend, how to allocate funds toward the concert. Because UH is located within the historically black Third Ward neighborhood and it's popular on the radio and over streaming at the moment, most finalists end up being rap artists. A couple of the runner-ups that SPB wasn't able to grab were T-Pain, who had a scheduling conflict with this weekend's In Bloom Festival at Eleanor Tinsley Park, and Cardi B, who was eyed early on, but due to a few successful collaborations during the summer of 2017, commanded an increased fee of "$30,000-40,000 more" than what the board was anticipating in a matter of weeks, Benjamin said. The organization decided around Homecoming in 2017 who they would attempt to finalize for the concert. Because there will be no Homecoming concert for the 2018-19 school year, another event SPB usually organizes and funds, the organization went all in to get a signature artist like Jeremih for this year's Frontier Fiesta. Benjamin said that the process for procuring the artist works its way slowly through an exhaustive management and legal
proceeding. First, SPB contacts an entertainment contracting company, which speaks to the artists' managers, then it places a bid and the details of the final contract can finally begin. On the University's side, since SPB is a student-fee funded organization, the Center for Student Involvement and UH Business Services also need to approve any cost over $10,000, but Benjamin said that any cost below that threshold is typically easily approved. Since the outside acts enter into an agreement to perform on campus grounds, among other things, both University and management company's legal teams settle on the particulars of their performances. During this process, even though SPB may know who has signed, it can't release the artist's name. At any point during the process, if something goes awry, then the entire contract is void, Benjamin said. She said this year, SPB was ready to announce before spring break, but was forced to push the reveal back due to contract issues and ongoing discussions with Jeremih's manager. Once an act has signed, Benjamin said, even if they have a rise in fame, or as was the case with 2016 Homecoming performers Nico & Vinz, promise to release new music ahead of the event but fail to do so, the fee doesn't change. At the end of the year, SPB's budget will be released, and it will show how much Jeremiah received to perform, Benjamin said. The organization started with $100,000 to devote to its yearly events, and $20,000 was spent on the 2017 Homecoming, so the board had the remaining funds to work with, she said. news@thedailycougar.com
CLOSING EDITORS
Emily Burleson Jasmine Davis COPY EDITING
Morgan Horst COVER
Dana C. Jones
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CAMPUS
Roller rink, cook-off competition among Frontier Fiesta activities OSCAR AGUILAR
will open Cougar Casino to everyone for free, where they can win prizes if they're lucky. The University of Houston will If your friends refuse to pay host Frontier Fiesta, its yearly, the debts they racked up at the western-themed spring festival, Cougar Casino, you can lock this Thursday through Saturday them up in Sethna County Jail to in parking lots 20A and 20C, raise money for Frontier Fiesta adjacent to the East Garage and Scholarships. When they finally across from the Student Center. get out for good behavior, you The student-led event kicks off can take them to Dr. Walker’s with amusement rides, student Provisions for a snack. performances, concerts, and There will also be some oldmore. In anticipation for the school entertainment for those event, the planning committee who escape the county jail. has announced this year’s three Hopefully you’re not scared of themes: Throwback Thursday, heights, because Frontier Fiesta Latin Night Friday and Family Fun will have a Ferris Wheel and other Day Saturday. amusement rides. What to expect on arrival If you get past of all this and you The festival will offer free have special someone to impress, admission to everyone and free you can win them something at parking in the East Parking one of the carnival booths. Garage. What to expect on theme days Students and guests will also On Throwback Thursday, have a variety of options across Karaoke Knife Fight sets the tone all three days. To keep up with for the day’s events at 5:30 p.m. 10-11209_Cougar NewsFiesta March_1_PRINT.pdf 4:21 PMthe western tradition, Frontier Attendees1 can3/7/18 race around ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @ OAGU_16
Frontier Fiesta officially opens on Thursday. | File photo/ The Cougar
roller rink as they enjoy some of their songs. Later in the day, DJ Phon closes out the night with some of his mixes.
Latin Night Friday spices up your dance moves with Zumba, Latin dance, and Salsa classes. If you don't feel like the next Shakira
after this, you will after you rock out to Grupo Kache at 10 p.m. While you rest up after a daylong dance session, you can treat yourself to some fajitas and chili. But that’s only if you want to fully embrace your Latin side. Family Fun Day Saturday wraps up this year’s Frontier Fiesta with great food and some friendly competition. You and your family can eat specialty deserts, pie, ribs and anything else you can get your hands on. While you eat your fifth slice of pie, you can also attend the cook-off competition. Jeremih, the hip-hop/ R&B artist closing out the festival, performs at 10 p.m. on the main stage. It’s the perfect way to end a Cougar tradition. There’s even a special surprise in this year’s event schedule: drag bingo. There’s not a lot to explain for this one, but make sure you come prepared. features@thedailycougar.com
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Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS
Sonny Singh/The Cougar
CITY
Gentrification to entrap Third Ward neighborhood's perimeter DANA C. JONES
FEATURES EDITOR @DANACJONES_
Neighborhoods with black and brown culture tend to be targets of gentrification, the process of transforming lowerincome, typically minority neighborhoods into whiter, more expensive areas. Not the kind of gentrification that gives residents access to grocery stores, rehabilitation and recreation centers, but the kind that affects housing, turning quaint generational homes into modern style architecture. In the Third Ward, a neighborhood rich with culture and well-known
within and outside the city, is a predominately black neighborhood whose physical identity is changing. But the construction of townhomes by outsiders isn’t occurring throughout the interior of the neighborhood. They are mostly on the perimeter of the Third Ward, acting as a wall, entrapping the community from the outside. The Third Ward — in blue in the graphic above— is smaller than many think, spanning only 1,654 acres and surrounded by major highways — located south of Interstate 45, east of Hwy. 288 north of Southmore Boulevard, and west of Spur 5. Many Houstonians prefer
to live inside the I-610 Loop because of the proximity to popular attractions, venues, and, of course, jobs, driving up rent prices in the hottest areas. The Third Ward is inside that loop. The largest age group in the Greater Third Ward is 18-64 years old, and that group grew 12 percent between 2000 and 2015. That group encompasses the median age for first-time home buyers, 35, according to the Texas Association of Realtors.
Rising home prices Gentrification is highly visible through the proximity from the brand-new
townhomes to older traditional houses and a modern style of architecture. Paired with gentrified homes lining the perimeter of the Third Ward, the minimalist and blocky design of the town homes can resemble a gate or barrier. The parts of the Third Ward that aren’t lined with gentrified housing are lined by highways. A technique that has been used to segregate impoverished neighborhoods from affluent ones since the increased use of highways in the 1960s. The implementation of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 made the 41,000-mile interstate network possible.
Racial factors came into play when the states went to build these highways, explaining why the Third Ward neighborhood is surrounded by interstates. Chair of the Housing Advocacy of the NAACP, Belinda Everette, has launched initiatives to try to combat gentrification through community education, retention and investment. “You cannot find affordable housing in Third Ward; it doesn’t exist,” Everette said. “If you wanted to buy a house at the price point of ($125,000 to
GENTRIFICATION
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Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS
WOMEN
Latina professor sees role as voice for change in STEM DREW JONES
CAMPUS EDITOR @DRWSZN
Women’s History Month is a national recognition dedicated to commemorating the contributions and achievements of women throughout American history. Elevating women’s successes and sharing their stories means inspiring new generations of those who have been historically marginalized or overlooked to push the boundaries of what was once considered out of their reach and making it more attainable with each step. “Representation is powerful,” said instructional assistant professor Mariam Manuel. “Being in higher education and STEM education, those are two fields that tend to be very male dominated. So for me, (my role) is something that I don’t take lightly.” Manuel, who's also an alumna of UH, said her desire to pursue an undergraduate degree in science stemmed from an early curiosity in her surroundings during her childhood. For her seventh birthday, she received a chalkboard, which was a sign she had found her passion for imparting her knowledge onto others. She began to question her environments and through her discoveries learned she also enjoyed telling others about what she observed. As a high school student, Manuel was inspired to move into teaching by a chemistry teacher who gave her a textbook, which she still has to this day, and saw the potential in her to excel beyond what Manuel thought was possible. She graduated from UH in 2010 with a B.S. and a minor in science education and received a master's degree in STEM education from the University of Texas at Austin. Now, Manuel is pursuing a Ph.D. in Global STEM Education at Texas Tech University. As an undergraduate at UH, Manuel would study in advance of her study group meetings so that she could teach her peers the material. When she learned about the teachHOUSTON program, she said the trajectory of her life was changed. Since graduating, she has taught high school biology
and physics and now teaches Physics for Pre-Service Teachers at UH and works with middle-schoolers through teachHOUSTON's push to get younger generations interested in the STEM field. Manuel said she's fortunate to have spent the last decade at UH working alongside women like clinical associate professor for teachHOUSTON, Paige Evans, who she sees as a role model and a mentor. "Since returning to UH as a professor and master teacher, (she) has worked tirelessly to cultivate the next generation of outstanding STEM teachers," Evans said. "She has great visions and approaches everything with passion and commitment." As a woman in her early STEM classes, Manuel would frequently be the only person who looked like her in the room. She took her position and lessons from her parents as opportunities to find her voice and make room for other women and people of color in traditionally white maledominated spaces, she said. Manuel said students should seek out mentors organically and not look to someone who has the resume or credential they think they should be following. She wants women and girls to imagine the possibilities and not feel constricted by outside expectations. Her goal is to become one of many who look like her and share the same passions of educating and learning within the STEM field. For those who may look to her for inspiration of what they could become, she offers advice for them to take into the future. “Be willing to be brave,” Manuel said. “There will be times when you’re unsure of the path that you’re taking or if you’re deserving of the place you’re in. You have to be your own biggest champion. You have to advocate for yourself. If you don’t believe that you can accomplish the goals you’ve set for yourself, it’s going to be a tough journey because there will people who won’t let you believe it.” features@thedailycougar.com
Mariam Manuel combines her passion for teaching with her love of science to inspire a new generation of STEM students. | Drew Jones/The Cougar
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Continued from page 4
$175,000), the only thing you’re going to get is raw land.” According to the Homes and Rentals website for Houston, there are two listings for raw land in the Third Ward: one for $87,000 and another for $99,000 dollars, both on Elgin Street. Upon buying the land, you would then have to spend another one to two hundred thousand dollars to develop it.
Generational displacement Historically, cities with black mayors contained a high population of black residents. The New York Times reported that Washington D.C. and Chicago mayors Marion Barry in 1979 and Harold Washington in 1983, respectively, both oversaw high black populations during their time as mayor. At the time in Chicago, the black population was 40 percent. It has now decreased to 29 percent. When Barry died in 2014, D.C. had lost its title as the “Chocolate City.” In fact, it’s becoming “more vanilla,” according to an NPR report in 2011, decreasing from a peak of 71 percent in 1970 to 53 percent in 2009. Now, D.C. has a black population of 46 percent, according to the 2016 Census, and the main cause is the
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growing price of housing. In the last 20 years, Houston has had two black mayors: Lee Brown from 1998 to 2004 and current mayor Sylvester Turner. According to the city's website, the black population dropped 12 percent from 79 to 67 percent between 2000 and 2015. Even with a black mayor, the black population in the Third Ward has declined, and there has been no reported growth since Turner took office. Houston has little room for it to be anywhere near a “chocolate city” because of the high diversity and multiethnic population, but the black population has also declined in its historically black neighborhoods like the Third Ward. A primary reason is the same as what’s happening in D.C. — housing prices are on the rise. Everette has seen gentrification once before in her hometown of Chicago. “It starts politically, in city planning,” Everette said. “In Chicago, the entire lakefront on the South Side of Chicago in the '50s and '60s were dedicated to public housing.” Lakefront housing in Chicago was made for the poor. Now, it has become deluxe housing for the wealthy, forcing the area's original tenants out with increased prices. A similar problem is becoming apparent the Third Ward.
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Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS
The Third Ward neighborhood is now seeing displacement due to rising property taxes. When modern high rises are placed next to quaint older homes, it raises the property tax on all the property near the new construction. The lower income residents who were there first are often left with no choice but to move because they can
no longer afford their property taxes. The displacement of these lower income residents frees up more space for the older homes to be demolished, meaning more space for costlier high rises. Eventually, this practice changes the face of the community and leads to complete gentrification.
Everette considers community involvement and improvement means to prevent further gentrification. “If there is a true definition of good gentrification it would have to involve the community and the municipality or the county,” Everette said. “There [needs to be] collaboration.” features@thedailycougar.com
Gentrification changes the community by displacing families because of rising property taxes that residents cannot then afford. This can erase Third Ward Houston culture. | Dana C. Jones/The Cougar
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SPORTS
sports@thedailycougar.com
Peter Scamardo, EDITOR
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Despite loss, Cougars took another step forward with grit, toughness ANDRES CHIO
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @ CHIOANDRES
Heartbreaking. Gut-wrenching. Tragic. There are many ways to describe how the Michigan Wolverines ended UH's Sweet Sixteen dreams on Saturday with a single buzzer-beating three-pointer. But fans and band-wagoners alike need appreciate how far this team came, and for that, we must look at where it began and how much was expected of it at the beginning of the year. When the season started, major outlets, including Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports and more, projected UH would finish just sixth or seventh in the conference. Wichita and Cincinnati were the favorites, but UCF and SMU would be able to challenge them. Temple and UConn could be dark horses. But Houston? The Cougars could end up in the top five if Rob Gray played at his best, but that was all Houston was projected to be. Five seniors graduated out of the program last year, leaving behind just four of the nine players who made up the Cougars' main rotation in 2016-17. But the new lineup did not slow down, and the team evolved and improved. Senior guard Rob Gray Jr. improved his passing and vision
Redshirt senior guard Rob Gray Jr.'s last-second layup against the San Diego State Aztecs in the Round of 64 gave him a career high of 39 points and Houston's first win in the NCAA tournament since 1984. | Courtesy of UH Athletics
while leading the team in scoring. Senior forward Devin Davis improved in nearly every way, from scoring to rebounding to blocking. Junior guard Galen Robinson Jr. was a key pivot point on the team's set plays, and if not for Gray's standout season, he would have led the team in assists. Sophomore guard Armoni Brooks came off the bench and was one
of the best three-point shooters in the conference. The list goes on and on about each player's improvements. The team played with grit and toughness, which sometimes got it into foul trouble, but also enabled it to defeat tougher, bigger opponents such as Cincinnati and Wichita. As the commentators for the AAC championship said again
and again, the Cougars make for a short team. UH is the 319th-tallest in Division 1 basketball out of 351 teams. Despite the size disadvantage, Houston still managed to make the final 32 teams, and only a couple of points separated the Cougars from making the Sweet Sixteen. The Cougars were not a perfect team, but they didn't need to be.
They beat a top 10 team for the first time since 1994 not once but twice this season. They went to the NCAA tournament for just the second time in the last 26 years, and they won their first tournament game in 34 years. Gray put on one of the best performances in school history when he scored 39 points in the historic victory against San Diego, redeeming himself for his error in the conference championship game. It's moments like these that build a connection between the players, the fans, future recruits and the city. For the City. The motto of this team since Hurricane Harvey has been all about playing for a city where so many didn't have much to look forward to. This season has revitalized interest, and at least a dozen people have asked me, "When do they play next? Who should I look out for? Where can I watch the game?" I hope when next season starts and the Fertitta Center opens, all these fans, new and old, pack the place so the players can get the ovation they deserve. For the team. sports@thedailycougar.com
TRACK & FIELD
Q&A: Near-champion Burrell returning for final season PETER SCAMARDO
SPORTS EDITOR
@PLSCAMARDO2
Senior sprinter Cameron Burrell has spent the last three months on the sideline after using up his eligibility for the indoor track & field season. In his absence, his squad managed to reload for another title run highlighted by best senior sprinter Elijah Hall winning two titles at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Burrell's return has some media outlets predicting a top three finish for the Cougars at the NCAA Outdoor meet. The Cougar took time to talk with Burrell as he prepares for his final season with the team. The Cougar: What has it been like sitting out half of the track season? Cameron Burrell: Little bit boring. It’s not fun to have to train and not
be able to compete on weekends. To see all your teammates go out traveling and having a good time putting the program back on the map. You see it through. You put in the work — you have to — and you just do it for the next time you’ve got to compete.
Burrell: Unfortunately, my first home meet here didn’t go as planned. I suffered a minor injury, so I decided to rehab it and shutdown indoor season. So I didn’t compete at New Balance or the Melrose Games in New York. That was the original plan, but sometimes things happen.
TC: What are some things you’ve been working on while you have this time to focus on training?
TC: Your teammate Elijah Hall won big at the NCAA Championships in the 60m and 200m events. What was your reaction?
Burrell: Lot of strength training. We’ve got a new strength and conditioning coach, and he's done an excellent job with us so far. Focusing in on strengthening my body and working on my mobility a little bit, just trying to prepare myself the best for outdoor season as possible. We’re still running really hard and just trying to make up for time missed. TC: Have you been running at other meets?
Burrell: I was so proud of him. I normally don’t get to sit down and watch too many track meets. But to sit down and just watch him compete to the best ability, just go out and fight, I mean I was in the stands with his mom and everything. I was just overjoyed and in tears for what he was able to accomplish. Nothing short of excellent. It was marvelous to watch, and it was inspiring.
Cameron Burrell is the school record holder in the 60m (6.48s) and 100m (9.93s), records formerly held by Olympic medalists. | Courtesy of UH Athletics
I come out here and I run with Eli everyday, and as long as I’ve known him I’ve never seen him go out and
compete so fearlessly relentless and
BURRELL Q&A
Continues on page 8
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Peter Scamardo, EDITOR
Cameron Burrell helped anchor the men's 4x100m relay team to a national championship his junior year. Now in his final season, his return has made the men legitimate contenders. Burrell used up his eligibility for the indoor season last year, forcing him to sit out until now. But his pairing with senior Elijah Hall has the Cougars looking for another sweep of the sprinting titles. | Courtesy of UH Athletics
“ZOEY DEUTCH IS A GENUINE STAR IN THE MAKING.” –David Ehrlich, INDIEWIRE
“FUNNY AND MOVING. A WINNER!” –Zachary Marsh, SCREEN COMMENT
BURRELL Q&A
Continued from page 7 aggressive like that. It just motivates you to do that much more this outdoor season. TC: Considering you were the runner up for two straight years, what does it mean that Houston has the 60m champion? Burrell: I’m overjoyed. I came close plenty of times, but unfortunately things just didn’t go my way, and that’s OK. But as long as the program is represented in that manner, we brought one of those 60m titles back to Houston. That just shows how strong the program is. For something that I wasn’t able to do, the next man can accomplish it. I don’t have a bad taste in my mouth at all. It’s almost like it didn’t even happen. One way or another, Houston has a title, so as long as it comes here, whether it’s me or Eli or anybody else for that matter, I’m happy.
Bad decisions. Good intentions.
TC:How does the team look going into the outdoor season?
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Burrell: The expectation has risen. We have some big goals, we have an exact number of points we want to score at the NCAA Championship. We have some times that we want
to put out there, and now it’s just about putting in the work and executing day by day and following the steps it takes to get to that level. TC: What are the expectations to you to get back to the 100m final? Burrell: Just to get back to the final itself is automatic. There should be no reason we should even talk about getting to the final. The objective is to win, and the bigger objective is to sweep it. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish here at Houston. We want to establish a tradition of excellence, follow in the footsteps of our coaches and we want to be able to get back to the world stage. It starts there. TC: What’s the ceiling for this team? Burrell: There is none. It’s up to us, we determine that. All it comes down to is how much work we put in on and off the track. Whether we handle little issues here or there, it’s about how we go on about our day to day operations as a program. The sky's the limit for the team, it’s just a matter of how high we want to go. sports@thedailycougar.com
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SPORTS
sports@thedailycougar.com
Peter Scamardo, EDITOR
MIDTERMS
Roundtable: Does baseball's poor record mean failure? THE SPORTS STAFF @ THECOUGARSPORTS
The baseball team is off to its worst start since 2012, when the Cougars started 9-10. At press time, the team was 11-8, and it has struggled against both the top teams in the nation and some bottom feeders struggling to maintain a winning record. Is there any hope for the Cougars? The sports staff graded the team on its progress thus far.
Andres Chio, assistant sports editor Houston started the season strong with series wins over Holy Cross at home and Cal State Fullerton on the road, but the team has been up and down since. The Cougars' pitching has been good overall, and they are ranked No. 66 out of 297 teams with a 3.23 ERA. There were some slip ups against Kentucky, Vanderbilt,
McNeese and San Diego, but for the most part, the pitchers have been good. Hitting has been the main issue for this team, and it is ranked No. 212 in batting average. The Cougars have only hit seven home runs this season and are on track to hit just 24 total, far below the 60 they hit last season. In four of Houston's losses, the opponents won by one run, while the Cougars left an average of 4.6 players stranded on base. If the hitting was a bit better, this team would be 13-4, and the story of its season would be the team that just can't hang with top teams like Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Mainly because of the pitching, I'm going to give the team a passing grade for now. I think UH can still turn around its season if a couple hitters are able to step up to the plate. Grade so far: C
Tyler Bielamowicz and the pitchers have struggled in losses and wins so far this year. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar
Christopher McGehee, staff writer To be frank, the baseball team has under performed early season expectations. The Cougars have not taken advantage of opportunities to impress even the most casual fans. The team has a losing record (2-4) against competitors in the Top 25. In those six games, the Cougars were outscored 37-28, giving up almost two more runs per game than they scored. Against non-ranked opponents, the Cougars allow an
average of 3.64 runs, and against ranked opponents, that average climbs to 6.17. That 2.5 run difference is killing the Cougars because they put up virtually the same amount of runs against ranked and nonranked opponents (4.67- 4.54). Meaning: The Cougars' pitching needs to improve as they enter conference play. There are no ranked teams left on the Cougars' schedule, which provides an opportunity to improve their record. The Cougars also need to
improve their performance on the road and on neutral fields, as nine of their 11 wins have come in the comfort of their home field. They are .500 on the road but find themselves winless on neutral fields. For a team that came into the season looking to make a deep preseason run, the Cougars find themselves in a very precarious position thanks to their inconsistent play. Grade so far: D sports@thedailycougar.com
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10 | Wednesday, March 21, 2018
OPINION 713-743-5304
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opinion@thedailycougar.com
Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR
WORLD
Female genital mutilation continues to haunt women internationally
W
hen I was younger, I saw a haunting billboard ad supporting an end to female genital mutilation in Ethiopia. Confused, I asked the women in my family what it meant but was met with uncomfortable silence. I later learned that BETHEL BIRU ASSISTANT the torture OPINION EDITOR induced on girls as young as infants is an ancient tradition that feeds into patriarchal values of purity, cleanliness and eligibility for marriage under the guise of religion. Female genital mutilation or female ritual cutting is the altering or injuring of female genital organs done in four ways. Type one (clitoridectomy) is the partial or total removal of the clitoris. Type two (excision) is the removal of the labia minora including the partial or total removal of the clitoris as well. Type three (infibulation) is the narrowing of the vaginal opening by removing and repositioning the labia minora or majora then sewing it shut. Type four includes all other harmful procedures such as pricking, piercing, incising, swcraping and cauterizing the genital area. This heinous tradition done to preserve a woman’s chastity is usually performed in filthy places by people with no medical knowledge, using unsanitary and often blunt cutting tools which can severely injure the body even more. Beyond the ongoing list of health violations and physical harm FGM causes, it also creates mental trauma so deep, girls have often forgotten it’s even happened to them. I stumbled across an autobiography called Desert Flower which told the story of Waris Dirie, a humanitarian and supermodel who was barely five when she was cut against rocks in the desert under the scorching heat of the African sun. She was left under a tree for several days to recover from her operation. Her two sisters, who were also cut, did not make it. Koumba, a little girl from Guinea, was just 5 years old when she was taken by her village people two days after a Christmas ceremony and cut by force. She bled to death the next day. FGM is still prevalent in 30 countries, many of them in Africa and the Middle East, despite widespread prohibitions and educational campaigns working to
reduce the practice. More than 200 million girls and women suffer the consequences of it today. Even more shocking: The barbaric practice has found its way to American families as well. According to the Population Reference Bureau, half a million women and girls in the United States are at risk of suffering FGM, and one third are less than 18 years old. Girls, usually from immigrant families, are often sent to their home countries for "vacation cutting" during school breaks. While visiting family abroad, they are walking into a trap that affects their lives forever. FGM has been a crime under federal law since 1996 and is punishable by up to five years in prison. Yet it's not considered a crime in 24 states. Waris Dirie’s haunting story could become the story of the more than 3 million girls who are at risk of being subjected to female genital mutilation every year. Sometimes tied to a tree, other times held down, about 44 million of the survivors are girls no older than 15. In areas such as Sudan where antibiotics are not available, it is estimated that one in three girls undergoing FGM will die. Emergencies caused by FGM are not treated in time due to illequipped medical facilities and access, causing children who start bleeding uncontrollably or develop infections after FGM to die within hours. Not only does this barbaric belief feed into dangerous rape culture, there is no health benefit to FGM. In fact, the procedure
can cause menstrual disorders, problems when urinating that lead to cysts, infections, complications during childbirth and possibly death. Practiced by Muslims, Christians and other tribal religions despite no religious or holy texts supporting it, the cutting of a woman is considered a necessary practice in order to eradicate a woman’s irresponsible and wicked sexual arousal. According to the UN, FGM is internationally recognized as a human rights violation and has been banned since 2012, Nigeria being the latest country to criminalize the practice since 2015. But it is still being practiced today. No woman should have to undergo the tragedies of FGM. Cutting women's bodies and sewing them shut just so they can become bloody presents for future husbands is precisely the type of cruelty that sets us back from creating a safer, more
humane world for future girls. It’s up to us to end FGM by bringing this dark secret to light and changing beliefs so that no girl has to grow up with a part of
This is a good opportunity for those majoring in International Business. Email resume to eric@gekko-inc.com
Assistant opinion editor Bethel Biru is a broadcast journalism senior and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.
Sonny Singh/The Cougar
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OPINION
opinion@thedailycougar.com
Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR
WORLD
Students occupy conversation around dehumanizing Israeli apartheid BRANT ROBERTS AND SARAH TAWASHY
expansion, nor have they denounced or to only four hours per day. officially acknowledged the occupation of the A situation more akin to wartime is he two-state solution between the Israeli Palestinian people. considered peacetime in Gaza; the situation state, and the Palestinian Authority has In contrast, the South African government could not be more desperate yet the situabeen an utter and dismal failure. Over has announced its plan to cut diplomatic ties tion continues to get worse. the past seven years, Students for "Justice in with Israel - a show of solidarity with PalestinWhen asked about the Palestinian Palestine" has been organizing at the University ians in recognition of Israel’s lack of initiative political situation, University of Houston of Houston around the problem of apartheid in to reach a lasting peace agreement. This move Professor Abdel Razzaq Takriti said, “PalIsrael. Annually, they organize Israeli Apartheid is extremely Week highlighting the injustices inflicted on the important given Palestinian population within Israel, Gaza and the parallels that the West Bank. exist between In doing so they are recognizing that the the conditions of university is a space for making the next genapartheid South eration of professionals aware of the atrocities African history and committed against Palestinians. the current condiInequality for Palestinians living under tions in occupied Israeli law is apparent, including restriction Palestine. of movement, unequal access to natural Most resources resources, electricity and the longest running and privileges are military occupation in the world. The occupareserved for the tion controls all access to and from Palestine; in dominant populapractice, it has forced a one-state solution. tion with the most The building of illegal settlements in the West political represenBank has continued unabated, and the Gaza tation in the Israeli Strip is still blockaded by land, air and sea. In Knesset. Israel the West Bank, Palestinians have been pushed uses the facade The Wall for Israel Apartheid Week 2015 mirrors the Israeli West Bank Wall that into living under an military regime that conof a ‘democracy’ segregates Israel and Palestine. | Courtesy of Students for Justice in Palestine tinues to dispossess them everyday. In Gaza, to overshadow they live in an open-air prison with no sign of the reality that change on the horizon. anyone who is not a white Jew is treated as a estinians are denied any meaningful form It is in this context that apartheid did not second-class citizen with limited rights. of political power and are deprived of their end in 1994 after the transition in South Africa Amongst the plethora of restrictions and rights to self-determination and popular from white-rule to a liberal democracy; for Paloppressive tactics that Israel uses, the control sovereignty. They are subject to army rule of Palestinian water and the control of a plethora of security supply is the most forces, and can therefore be bombed with dehumanizing. Israel impunity and imprisoned at whim.” has exclusive control These security forces not only include the of approximately highly violent Israeli Defense Force (IDF) 60% of fresh water but also includes the Palestinian Authority from the West Bank’s (PA) which has acted as an equivalent to the mountain aquifer Bantustan governments in Apartheid South and the Sea of Galilee, Africa; even the President of the PA, Mahaccording to the BBC. moud Abbas, acts as a political puppet for Israel also seeks to the Israeli state. Bantustans functioned as minimize the number a way to maintain white-minority rule over of black inhabitants the majority of the land and to dispossess ,making it clear that it South Africans of their rights. is not a safe haven for It is well documented that the PA acts as all Jews as it claims to a security force for the occupation, arresting be. Rather, it is a setdissidents, and imprisoning journalists. tler-colonialist project For Palestinians who have to wait hours at On the back of the IAW wall in 2015, students could find the names of children that prioritizes Jews a time to cross security checkpoints and live killed by Israel the year before. | Courtesy of Students for Justice in Palestine of European descent under fear of seeing their homes demolished estinians, apartheid is, and has been since 1948, over Arab and African Jews. In 2013, it was by IDF bulldozers, seeing their leaders not an everyday reality. revealed that Jewish Ethiopian women were only vacillate in negotiations but also coopIn September of 2016, during the Obama given Depo-Provera birth control injections erate in maintaining their oppression can administration, the U.S and Israel made their without their knowledge. This was done to be debilitating. It is for these reasons that biggest military aid deal according to The New reduce the number of births to black Jews living Palestinians resist and rarely heed the calls York Times. This will amount to 38 billion in Israel. of the PA. dollars over the course of the next 10 years, and For Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, life As Palestinians continue to suffer from replaces the previous agreement made during is becoming unsustainable the United Nations high imprisonment rates, land and water the Bush administration. Israel receives the has declared that the territory will become theft, the destruction of their homes, in most aid from the U.S over any nation in the uninhabitable by 2020 if the blockade remains. Israel-proper and daily violence from IDF world, and remains unaffected by the Trump Israel’s policy towards the blockade of Gaza soldiers and settlers, we have to ask ouradministration’s cuts to foreign aid as it continallows them to maintain the illusion of abiding selves why our government is so supportive ues to garner 10.1 million dollars a day. by the two-state solution while also maintainof these crimes against humanity. American taxpayer money continues to fund ing control of the territory. Opinion Staff columnists Brant Roberts is a Israeli atrocities against Palestinians, meaning Israel’s blockade includes not allowing history senior, and Sarah Tawashy is a human we are complicit in the Israeli occupation. Our Palestinians to leave the coastal enclave. nutrition and foods sophomore can be reached government has made no efforts to pressure Infrastructure is crumbling from years of IDF at opinion@thedailycougar.com. the Israeli government to cease settlement bombing raids and electricity has been limited OPINION COLUMNISTS
T
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, Andres Chio, Bethel Biru, Richard Fletcher Jr., Erin Davis, Maya Dandashi, Brianna Myers, Oscar Aguilar
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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12 | Wednesday, March 21, 2018
OPINION 713-743-5304
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opinion@thedailycougar.com
Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR
WORLD
Overthrowing liberty begins by silencing journalists
T
he greatest number of journalists in history are being detained for reporting the truth to the world, and Americans remain blissfully ignorant of these human rights violations. Journalism is being criminalized internationally Media freedom is crucial to liberty. By targeting journalists, tyrants attack the reality that nourishes freedom. ANUSHEH Turkey SIDDIQUE OPINION EDITOR has become infamous for jailing journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists called it the worst offender of violating journalists' rights for the second year, with China and Egypt coming in close second and third places. Journalists in these countries face a variety of charges and allegations such as acts of terror and offenses against the state. In America, where our first amendment rights are held in reverence, it is easy to dismiss regimes with issues of censorship as regressive, but we also hold an obligation to every jailed journalist to tell his or her story. There is a misconception that a parliamentary, secular government cannot violate the rights of its citizens. But elected despotism is still despotism. Historically, tyrants often attained their power through votes, as was the case with Hitler or Caesar. The facade of a parliamentary democracy is not a sufficient defense against the violations of human dignities, such as censorship. The current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has worked since his election as prime minster in 2003 to dismantle the deeply secular structure of the Turkish government. He has amassed more power than any Turkish politician before him, mimicking the iron grip of the authoritarianism of the founder of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Turkey's famously secular system was a crucial aspect of its development, and there has been a movement to disregard religious freedom which contradicts a main tenet of the nation. There are opponents of this transformation, and Erdogan has severe consequences for them.
A business that doesn't support him will face regular tax and biased tax audits; a scholar who speaks against him will lose their credentials and degrees; and a journalist who writes against his despotism will be jailed. These frightening techniques have backed Turkey's political revolutionaries into a corner, but they have not stopped. Erdogan wants to silence the media because he wants to hide the crimes and oppression of his regime. Despite this, the journalists in his country refuse to hush. Journalism will always thrive in the face of oppression because that is when it is most necessary. Deniz Yucel, a jailed German journalist in Turkey, reported on the leaked emails of a government figure and the son-in-law of Erdogan and was detained for a year for spreading "terrorist propaganda." Yucel willingly went with the police because he understood that his nation's laws dictated that he could not perpetuate the truth. He understood the danger of being the voice of the tyrannized, persecuted and repressed, but he undertook this jeopardy. His recent release has been manipulated to convey progress, but the presence of five other German journalists detained in Turkish prisons contradicts this notion. In America, the land of the free, our president has labeled several news outlets devoted to accuracy as "fake news," taking the first step to distort the reality the press hopes to report. President Donald Trump has met with the leaders of these countries and has made no attempts to call attention to their misdeeds. An injustice to free speech overseas should be taken as seriously as an affront to our rights on American soil. The world has begun to turn its back on the brave reporters who shatter the facades imposed by oppressors. The United States' stance, or lack thereof, on this horrible treatment has coincided with the growing rise of jailing journalism. Countries such as Algeria, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Guatemala, Iraq, Morocco, Niger, Uganda and Ukraine are beginning to jail their journalists to suppress the possibility of revolutions. Whether they were detained like Deniz Yucel, the reporter awarded with the Leipzig Media
Sonny Singh/The Cougar
Prize for protecting liberty, or held hostage like Austin Tice, a UH alumnus, former reporter for The Cougar and veteran who was reporting the injustices and terror in Syria, or like Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel laureate who died from liver cancer on medical parole
from prison for telling the stories of the people, journalism is dying in these countries and the morale of the people is close behind. Writers regard truth as their most valuable possession and censorship steals that. Democracy dies in the darkness, and
as an international community we've willingly turned off the lights. Opinion Editor Anusheh Siddique is a finance freshman and can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.
The Dean of STuDenTS office presents,
the DeAn’s AwArD To promote service to the University of Houston by recognizing students for their outstanding contributions to the quality of campus life through service, leadership and spirit. Online applications are available on the Campus Leaders Reception website at:
www.uh.eDu/csi/clr For more information call:
832.842.6183 criteriA incluDe: • Demonstrated significant service and/or leadership; enthusiasm • Minimum 3.0 GPA; enrollment in at least 9 hours • Junior or Senior classification at the University of Houston
ApplicAtion DeADline: March 29, 2018