Issue 10, Volume 84

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Student veterans paying the price A nationwide delay in the disbursement of housing and tuition stipends to recipients of GI Bill benefits is taking a toll. | PG. 2

OPINION Houston needs better transportation

The city comes in as the fourth largest in the United States but ranks at No. 34 in transit connectivity. | PG. 10

SPORTS

Football rewards hard work with scholarship After joining the team as a walk-on , a senior has earned his starting spot and is contributing in a major way. | PG. 8

2 | Wednesday, October 17, 2018

NEWS

SARAH WHITELEY, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

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ADMINISTRATION

VA behind on student payments MICHAEL SLATEN

CAMPUS EDITOR @MICHAELSLATEN

A change this year in how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs processes payments to college students who are entitled to the Forever GI Bill benefits has caused delays for those expecting their stipends.

Monthly housing stipends and tuition assistance funds are among those being disbursed late. This has forced veterans to spend their own money or take on debt to pay their educational expenses in the meantime, even though they are legally entitled to those benefits.

There has been little communication from the VA. “We are kind of left playing the waiting game,” said architecture junior Kyle Scallan, a 32-year-old Navy veteran.

Scallan said he has received some of his housing payments but has not received his tuition assistance from the VA, requiring him to take out an emergency deferment loan that’s building up interest while he waits.

Program Director of UH Veteran Services Celina Dugas explained how the VA's calculations for housing stipends changed this year.

Before, it was based on the ZIP code where the student’s university is located. Now, it is based on where they are taking most of their classes physically.

For example, before the change a UH student would receive their housing allowance based on the UH main campus ZIP code, even if they took classes at Sugar Land.

A decrease in funds forced this year’s Homecoming Board to find new ways to engage students during Homecoming Week.

In 2017, the Student Fees Advisory Committee recommended a decrease in funding for Homecoming based on low attendance numbers from 2016, said Homecoming Chair Mayra Castillo. The committee did not approve funding for a Homecoming concert in 2018.

“There’s no concert, which

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The VA has had issues processing payments to college veteran students this academic year. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar

Now it would be calculated based on UH Sugar Land’s ZIP code.

The VA has to update ZIP codes for more than 950,000 veteran students for a total of $13.7 billion in aid, causing the delays, Dugas said.

Dugas spoke with a VA official last weekend, and he said workers have mandatory overtime to complete the transition.

For Scallan, this delay means working as much as he can — in addition to his time-intensive architecture major — to have money saved up.

“I’ve got financial aid,” Scallan said. “I can’t imagine the VA students that have an emergency deferment loan. They got no safety net like a loan or scholarship to help them out.”

On the University side, how UH verifies students who should receive GI Bill aid changed from a one- step process to a two-step,

Dugas said.

Before, tuition, housing and a book stipend were all paid out at the beginning of a semester after a student filled out the right paperwork, Dugas said. They would be verified by the University and payments would be processed.

Now, housing and book stipends are processed at the start of the semester like before, but tuition isn’t processed until after the Official Reporting Day, the last day to drop a class. Then students are verified for tuition assistance.

Dugas said the VA recommends processing payments with two steps because if a students adds or drops a course after the semester starts, they could have a balance or a debt to pay back to the VA. Every veteran student at UH has been verified, Dugas said. It’s now just about waiting for the VA to hand out those payments.

Scallan said he has had a hard time reaching the VA for answers during this time, because the numbers he used to call are no longer available.

Only a handful of students who need assistance have come into the UH Veteran Services office asking for financial assistance, Dugas said. The office connects students with resources to help veterans.

"Veterans are interesting," Dugas said. "They don't often like having to ask for help."

Robert M. Worley, director of Education Service with the VA, sent a letter out to students Oct. 10 and said they are 35 days behind on processing first-time applicants and 25 for re-enrollments.

“I shouldn’t have to be counting my blessings,” Scallan said. “I’ve earned these benefits.” news@thedailycougar.com

Morgan Horst COVER

Corbin Ayres

i

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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 COOG Radio.

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, inter-cultural competence, goal-setting and ultimately, degree attainment.

While our students are engaged in producing and promoting media channels and content, our goal is to ensure they are learning to become better thinkers and leaders in the process.

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‘Go Big and Come Home’: Homecoming emphasizes tradition SARAH WHITELEY

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is kind of frustrating because there are still students who are like ‘When’s the Homecoming concert? Who is the artist?,’ and I’m just like ‘There is no artist’,” Castillo said. “It’s kind of hard to explain to students why there is no artist and to get them to understand that it is not our decision.”

The budget cut also resulted in the Homecoming Fiesta’s removal from the list of events.

In previous years, the Homecoming Fiesta was put on through a collaboration with Frontier Fiesta, and the event included carnival games, henna

artists, bubble soccer, food and music.

Despite the change, the Homecoming Board has put a lot of effort into creating events to make up for the fact that there will not be a concert or fiesta this year, with an emphasis on tradition at UH, Castillo said.

“This year, our theme is ‘Go Big and Come Home’,” she said.

“We really want students to understand that when they graduate, like yeah, you are going to go off and do big things as alumni, but we always want students to remember

that this is home and that we all share this identity as UH students.”

This year, Homecoming will feature something old and something new.

Students can expect the return of old events like the kick-off pep rally Monday and CAN-Struction and Strut Your Stuff on Tuesday, Castillo said, because those are traditions and represent a large part of Homecoming’s focus this year.

The kick-off pep rally will

HOMECOMING TRADITION

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NEWS

SARAH WHITELEY, EDITOR

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NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5314

ADMINISTRATION

How does the University of Houston FIX-IT?

FIX-IT handles all repair requests at the University with different priority levels. | Michael Slaten/The Cougar

MCKENZIE MISIASZEK

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @MISIASZEKUH

Between 2,000 and 3,000 requests for on-campus maintenance are filed each month. Whether it be a clogged toilet or broken thermostat, students and staff rely heavily on FIX-IT, the University’s maintenance department.

When something goes wrong, UH students, faculty and staff can make a request through FIX-IT by logging into the AccessUH online portal. The FIX-IT request form will ask for the location and description of the problem.

HOMECOMING TRADITION

Continued from page 2

include pizza, games, guest speakers and the Homecoming Court Reveal, where nominees for Homecoming King and Queen will be announced.

CAN-Struction allows spirit teams to compete to build a sculpture out of cans in one hour. Strut Your Stuff is a talent show-style competition that includes skits, dancing and music.

Bed Racing will also return for a second year. Spirit teams will decorate beds to race in a tournament-style event next to the TDECU stadium. Students will have a chance to participate after the tournament ends.

New events include the Spirit Swap, where students can exchange old school shirts

“Rats have been a problem, I'm not going to lie. It's amazing the situation in the Bayou City here that we don't have a worse problem on campus.”

Jeffrey Benjamin, Executive Director for Facilities Services “FIX-IT itself is really our communications pipeline,” said Executive Director for Facilities Services Jeffrey Benjamin.

Within the organization are multiple departments including pest control, plumbing, electricity and general services. When someone

sends a request for service, the invoice goes to the respective shop.

From there, depending on the level of urgency, a worker is sent out to fix the problem.

A loose hierarchy of importance exists within the maintenance system. Most important would be

classified as an emergency. This includes a pipe break or anything else that could cause more damage to the surrounding area or harm to individuals.

When there is an emergency, FIX-IT will stop everything to address that situation, Benjamin said.

Urgent is the second most important and includes something affecting a number of people but not causing immediate damage or harm, such as hot water being out in one of the buildings. Lastly, routine calls would be the average request, including a clogged toilet or a light out.

“We typically try to get (routine calls) done within a few days, no more than 30,” Benjamin said.

In addition to the usual requests, the demolition of the Quadrangle and Chinese Star has led to an uptick in pest problems this year, Benjamin said.

“Rats have been a problem, I’m not going to lie,” Benjamin said. “It’s amazing the situation in the Bayou City here that we don’t have a worse problem on campus.”

Pests ranging from flies, millipedes and rats have been reported primarily at Cougar Place and Moody Towers.

No confirmed rat sightings have been reported for the past two weeks, Benjamin said. FIX-IT has gone into multiple rooms in Moody Towers and used wire mesh to prevent rats from entering the dorms. Students are also advised to keep their spaces clean to prevent

the pests.

But some students are still unhappy with the department’s request turnaround time for routine issues.

“The first time I moved (to Bayou Oaks) the air conditioner wasn’t working,” said psychology sophomore Dakota Robles. “They got it working after like … four or five days after I sent a request.”

Not all experiences with FIX-IT have caused headaches. Sometimes students have to wait only an hour for service.

“There was this really friendly guy who came and unclogged our toilet,” said communications sciences and disorders junior Bernice Tsao. “He was really fast. He did it in like five minutes.”

Benjamin said the majority of requests come from residence halls.

The department is working on communication between maintenance and residents. FIX-IT has been suggesting their workers leave behind notes when they have been inside a dorm to fix or inspect a problem.

Reviews are encouraged, and the option is offered at the end of every submission.

“We tend to treat residence halls a little bit differently than the rest of campus because it’s people’s homes and we want to make sure that they’re getting the treatment they’re paying for,” Benjamin said. “They’re paying to live there, and we want to make sure they’re happy.” news@thedailycougar.com

for a limited edition shirt that sports a popular old UH logo.

Old shirts will be donated to a no-kill dog shelter to be used as toys, Castillo said.

Thursday will feature a glow in the dark roller rink and arcade.

The Tailgate — where students can enjoy food, games and a zip-line — will conclude the week Friday. There will also be giveaways over the course of the week, Castillo said.

“So far, I have pretty high hopes for what we have planned,” Castillo said. “I hope students enjoy it and forget that there’s supposed to be a concert, and instead focus on the fact that we are having all these great events and that this makes them want to come out.” news@thedailycougar.com

Homecoming events begin on Nov. 5. There will not be a Homecoming concert this year. | File Photo/The Cougar

Wednesday, October 17, 2018 | 5

MAYBE YOU DON’T KNOW JUDGE MIKE MCSPADDEN The McSpadden-Bushyhead family is one of the most respected Cherokee families in the history of the Cherokee Nation.

Mike’s great-great-grandfather, Jesse Bushyhead, led 950 Cherokees over the tragic Trail of Tears in 1838. From the Cherokees, Mike holds the values of diginity and even-handed justice dear.

All defendants in the 209th courtroom --all victims and visitors --- everyone is treated fairly and with respect.

Robert N. Ross

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16x20 oil on campus

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On his own, he has visited at-risk fifth graders in Houston to talk with them about education, crime, and responsibility, which is why Child Advocates, the Samartian Center, Crime Stoppers, and the Assistance League of Houston have honored him. He was the first recipient of the Chuck Norris Team Spirit Award for his work with Kick Drugs Out of America and honored by the Sickle Cell Association of Houston because he exemplifies civic commitment.

Judge McSpadden is at or near the top in almost every Houston Bar Association’s Judicial Qualification Poll. He also had one of the most outstanding trial records in the history of the Harris County District Attorney’s office (1977-1981).

Mike is a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

For 36 years, as judge of the 209th Criminal District Court of Harris County, he has fulfilled his oath to “administer justice without respect to persons and to do what is right for the rich and poor.”

He appreciates your vote.

This ad was paid for by Friends of Judge Mike McSpadden.

Judge McSpadden does not accept campaign contributions from anyone in the criminal justice field.

1701 Hermann Dr. Houston, TX 77004

Early voting begins on Monday, October 22, 2018 and ends on Friday, November 2, 2018. Election Day is November 6th.

6 | Wednesday, October 17, 2018

LIFE & ARTS EMILY HUBBARD, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

ARTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5302

INVOLVEMENT

Why should you join an on-campus organization?

YMARIAM BEZ

STAFF WRITER @YMARIAMBEZ

Clubs and organizations allow students to have a free and open space among their peers to escape from the pressures of college.

According to UH's website, there are more than 400 on-campus student clubs and organizations, ranging from Greek Life to leadership programs. Regardless of major or organizational focus, clubs allow students to gain the necessary tools and social skills that will help later when seeking an internship or job after graduation.

“Being able to have that outlet outside of classes to make friends and express yourself is important whether it's creatively or professionally,” said biology freshman Bana Hagos.

Hagos and biology junior Asia Lee created Love Our Locks, a newer on-campus organization, along with biology sophomores Safia Ladan and Tara Okwuchi. The club’s focus is about embracing one’s natural hair and creating a safe space. Through Love Our Locks, students can gain new insight on all things hair and meet new people in the process.

“I wanted to start a club with natural hair representation of all hair types and have a community I could go to where if I had any problems or questions about my hair, I could ask,” Okwuchi said.

A sense of belonging gives a student an identity and place where they can be themselves while doing something they love. Being surrounded by others who share that common passion can lead to emotional, mental and social benefits.

According to studies from John D.

Foubert and Lauren U. Grainger from the College of William and Mary, students who are more involved on campus experience greater individual development. Students who weren't involved on campus experienced consistently lower development.

However, there are some who believe that being a part of social organization on campus has no benefit and is in fact dangerous. For example, hazing traditions in sororities and fraternities across the nation has frequently led to lost lives.

According to coverage by CNN, Mike Deng, a student at the Baruch College in New York, was killed in a 2013 Pi Delta Psi Inc. fraternity hazing.

“Deng ultimately suffered and died from a traumatic brain injury while participating in 'the glass ceiling,' a ritual that required pledges to run through a line of fraternity brothers who shoved, pushed and tackled the aspiring members to the ground,” according to CNN. But these negative experiences are not the norm, and should not prevent students from having the opportunity to expand their skills and meet like-minded people.

In addition to Love Our Locks, Lee chose to join Alpha Epsilon Delta, a pre-medical honor society. “(I'm) pre-med and wanted a better chance into getting into med school after college, due to the recommendation letter that would come along with this club. Without that, it would decrease my chances into getting into med school,” Lee said.

College is all about making memories and networking, and

The recently founded student organization Love Our Locks believes everyone should embrace their natural hair while surrounding themselves with similarly minded people. | Courtesy of Love Our Locks

that’s exactly the outlet on-campus organizations provide.

"The stage we’re in right now is the biggest developmental stage of

our lives," Okwuchi said. "Whatever experiences we learn here we will carry throughout our lives, so being in an organization certainly will give

life’s challenges." arts@thedailycougar.com

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Join The Cougar’s writing staff!

Fill out an application on Get Involved facebook.com/TheDailyCougar

The founders of Love Our Locks, Asia Lee, Safia Ladan, Tara Okwuchi and Bana Hagos believe that everyone should have a place to feel at home while still participating in University activities. | Courtesy of Love Our Locks

you what you need to get through

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Wednesday, October 17, 2018 | 7

8 | Wednesday, October 17, 2018

SPORTS ANDRES CHIO, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

SPORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5303

FOOTBALL

Underdog earns his chance to contribute

Senior linebacker Roman Brown did not play much in his first three seasons, but he has had a big impact this season as a starter. Brown is second on the team in tackles with 53. | Stephen Pinchback/UH Athletics

TRENTON WHITING

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @TRENTONWHITING

Many collegiate athletes are gifted with scholarships as a reward for their performance, but other athletes must battle for a slim chance to earn one of these elusive grants.

Senior linebacker Roman Brown knows this struggle well, but after earning a scholarship after two years, he is ready to see how far his dreams will take him.

Brown is UH’s perfect example of an underdog. He came to the University after playing only one season of football for Midlothian High School. He grabbed two interceptions, had 42 solo tackles and had nine and a half tackles for loss in only eight games. He received a few offers from other schools, but he eventually made the decision to continue his football career in Houston.

Though he had the skill to continue his career, he knew that

playing without a scholarship could bring a burden onto his family. Fortunately for Brown, his family supported him and allowed him to attend UH. He said his family is one of the main reasons behind his desire for success.

“I want to play for them because they gave me an opportunity to come here,” Brown said. “I didn’t have a scholarship at first. They could’ve made me go somewhere else, so I’m thankful for that and it drives me every day.”

Brown has taken full advantage of his opportunity.

After being redshirted in 2014, he has improved his game every year. He has already topped his previous record for most games in a season, and he is on track to play more games this year than he has in his first three seasons combined.

His stats have also benefited from the increased playing time.

He had four tackles coming into this season. Six games into the year, he has already gotten 53 total tackles.

Brown reached his highest total of tackles in a game against Tulsa with 13. The next week, he came back and got three tackles for loss against ECU in the Pirates' own stadium.

While his family has definitely helped his success, his own personal desire is the final piece to the puzzle. Brown could have started taking his foot off the gas pedal after receiving his scholarship, but he instead has increased his effort and improved his performance every game.

“I really just want to be great,” Brown said. “I feel like I want to get the most out of myself.”

The whole team was excited for him after he got the scholarship announcement from head coach Major Applewhite.

It was a cathartic moment that recognized Brown’s hard work up

to that point.

“It felt amazing,” Brown said.

“Everybody just jumped on me.

I never felt like that before and haven’t felt like that since.”

As the team enters the second half of the season, it will need good performances from Brown and the rest of the defense. In the Cougars’ six matchups this season, the defense has been able to keep only two teams under 20 points. With teams like Memphis and USF still on the schedule, Houston will have to be cleaner on the defensive side of the ball.

Brown can be a catalyst in helping the defense get better.

He has expectations for himself to improve every play and help the team as much as he can every week.

“I sound so cliché saying, ‘I just want to get better every day,’” Brown said, “but that’s the case.”

Now in his senior season, he has a good chance to be part of a UH team that wins the

conference championship.

UH is undefeated in conference play, and many of the teams on its side of the conference are struggling to win games.

Brown, an established leader on the defense, needs to be able to have a big impact for the success of the team. His influence on the defense will be invaluable for UH’s depth and performance.

He has transformed himself from a redshirt freshman with no scholarship and only one year of high school football experience to an important piece of a team with championship aspirations.

Despite having accomplished his dreams up to this point, he is still hungry to push himself as far as he can go. He refuses to put a ceiling on his aspirations.

“I don’t want to put a limit on myself,” Brown said. “I feel like I can do anything.” sports@thedailycougar.com

Wednesday, October 17, 2018 | 9

ANDRES CHIO, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

SPORTS

SPORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5303

SOCCER

Soccer making final push toward playoffs, facing tough competition JHAIR ROMERO

STAFF WRITER @JUSTJHAIR

Houston is on pace to qualify for its first American Athletic Conference Championship tournament since 2014. To reach this goal, it is important for the Cougars to continue playing hard on offense and stay consistent over the last three games.

“We have a tough task of going both to South Florida and Central Florida,” said head coach Diego Bocanegra.

UH’s next two road games are against the 10–2 Bulls and 8–4–1 Knights, who sit at the top of the conference.

Both teams from the Sunshine State have exemplary offenses, scoring a combined 65 goals to its opponents’ 24 this season.

But UH’s hard-nosed attack, headlined by junior forward Desiree Bowen, sophomore forward Jazmin Grant and sophomore midfielder Mia Brascia, has worked just as well with 27 goals.

Grant and Bowen have combined for 10 goals this season, close to 40 percent of the team’s total, and Brascia has seven assists.

The team has only lost one game in which it scored at least two goals, an overtime slug fest

against Temple that ended 2–3.

If the Cougars’ offense can keep it up for the home stretch, it is sure to make it into the AAC playoffs.

Houston must also worry about the problem that has shadowed it in all of the last three seasons without a tournament: inconsistency.

“The challenge is just keeping our foot on the pedal, keep going and going hard. This weekend will be a good test for us,” Bowen said.

The team is coming off a 2–0 win against Tulsa and only needs one more win to solidify a spot in the six-team tournament, but UH has a history of late-season losses costing it postseason berths.

Just last year, Houston came off a two-game win streak in its final three games and had to win its season finale against Southern Methodist to clinch a spot in the playoffs. But SMU's then-freshman forward Hannah Allred put the nail in the Cougars' coffin when she scored a season-ending goal.

This year, UH will meet Allred and the Mustangs again in the season finale Oct. 26, but this time the improved Cougars should be ready.

Bocanegra has upgraded the team with additions like

Head coach Diego Bocanegra (right) has the Cougars poised to make the American Athletic Conference playoffs for the first time since 2014. Last season, the Cougars missed going by just one game. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar

junior forward Amy Nguyen, a huge support on offense, and freshman defender Emma Clarke, a titan on defense.

Clarke will be essential in keeping UCF under control during the team's Oct. 21 match.

The Knights have scored at least two goals in each of their eight wins, including two games with five goals.

Sophomore forward Stefanie Sanders of Central Florida has 11 goals on the season, putting her in the top 10 of the AAC, and the team is riding a four-game win

streak.

The Cougars will have to watch out for South Florida’s top goal scorer, junior forward Evelyne Viens, who has 15 goals this year.

Viens’ importance for USF is huge since the player with the second-most goals for the Bulls only has four. Viens also has over twice as many shots as anybody else on the team.

Despite this, Bocanegra has confidence in the Cougars’ ability to take conference heavyweights head-on.

“We now know that it does not matter who we line up against.

We truly believe that we can compete with anyone in our conference and anyone in the nation,” Bocanegra said.

It is a tough final stretch of games, but when asked about Houston’s likelihood of qualifying, Bocanegra summarized his team’s attitude in just three words.

"Oh, we’re going," Bocanegra said. sports@thedailycougar.com

FOOTBALL

Cougars’ defense is starting to pull together ANDRES CHIO

SPORTS EDITOR @CHIOANDRES

While no one can call the Cougars' defense an iron fortress, its steady improvement in recent weeks might just make the difference in the team's pursuit of a conference title.

With the offense Houston has, the defense just needs to limit big plays while making some of its own to win games.

When it comes to yardage allowed, Houston is still one of the worst in FBS, but the team has been improving. The passing defense is ranked dead last, but it showed improvement against Tulsa and East Carolina.

The Cougars' run defense is No. 20 in the nation, and it allowed just 11 rushing yards

against ECU before the second string took the field. Likewise, the pass defense allowed just 237 yards and made three interceptions before the second string was put in.

Against Tulsa, the defense allowed just 227 passing yards and had another interception against Tulsa's run-based offense.

Because of the two teams' low standing in the conference, it is not a sign that all Houston's defensive problems are solved, but it is progress in the right direction.

Both Rice and Texas Southern were also sub-300-yard performances by the defense. It is mostly the terrible 605-yard performance against Texas Tech that drags down Houston's stats.

Yardage is not the only thing

that matters. A team needs to finish drives and score or all the yardage means nothing. It is there, in points allowed, where the Cougars are stronger than the yardage allowed makes them seem.

Houston's defensive efficiency is slightly above average, and the team is allowing just 28 points per game despite the high yardage numbers.

In the red zone drives, Houston has allowed 15 touchdowns in 25 attempts. Seven more resulted in field goals, and the rest saw opponents' offenses leave the field empty handed.

The Cougars finished the game against the Pirates with four turnovers, the most it has had in a game since the 2016 game against UCF.

Junior tackle Ed Oliver earned his first sack of the season and forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. | Stephen Pinchback/UH Athletics

Houston's next opponent, Navy, will be the run defense's biggest test, but if the team plays as it has all season, it should come out on top.

There are still teams on the

schedule that will test Houston's pass defense, and the team will need to be on its game to bring home a conference title. sports@thedailycougar.com

10 | Wednesday, October 17, 2018

OPINION WAFA KAZMI, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION

OPINION@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5304

TRANSPORTATION

Houston needs safe streets and efficient transit WAFA KAZMI OPINION EDITOR

N

icholas Lazarus had come to the board’s Budget Public Meeting on Sept. 19, because of the neardeath experience his wife had been through. She had been hit by a train while riding her bike near HCC, and when Lazarus called the Metro’s helpline, they ended the call.

As I watched him lead his limping wife out of the public meeting, I realized why instances like this weren’t shocking to me anymore: Houston is expected to be dangerous. In both transit equity and street safety, our city needs change. For the country’s fourth largest city, we are too primitive in our policies and infrastructure.

In Seattle, approximately 6,000 pedestrians and cyclists are involved in crashes every seven years. In Phoenix, approximately 11,500 pedestrians and cyclists are involved in crashes every four years.

In Houston, 12,707 pedestrians or cyclists have been impacted by a crash in the past four years.

This is unacceptable.

LINK Houston, a non-profit that advocates for street safety and transit equity, is working with the city to improve conditions.

LINK Houston has identified ten of the most dangerous intersections in Houston in order to narrow down specific areas for improvement. Ines Sigel, LINK Houston’s director of communications and outreach, has already seen positive feedback to their research.

“We have asked the city to form a multi-disciplinary task force, so that we can investigate what exactly is occurring at these hot spots," Sigel said. "Recently,

Houston is notorious for its dangerous streets. Change towards improving safety need to be made. | Photo courtesy of LINK Houston

The City of Houston agreed to conduct a Road Safety Audit on six of the ten intersections LINK had proposed. We went out with the city investigators and the Federal Highway Association, along with local stakeholders."

At each intersection, the group tried to understand the needs of the area, looking at factors such as design standards, efficiency of law enforcement, and positioning of road signs.

The audit will be reviewed by the Public Works Department, and necessary changes will be made. If the changes made are

beneficial, there is potential for wide-scale systemic changes to be implemented throughout the city.

But successes like these can often be an uphill battle. While advancements in street safety are slowly breaking through red tape, the lack of transit equity still remains a prevalent problem in Houston.

“Transit Equity” refers to the fairness with which transit is distributed in a city. Under-resourced communities are sometimes less dense compared to other areas in the city, so there

are less extensive and frequent transit options for them. In these areas, transportation expenses swallow the incomes of residents, off-setting the financial benefits of affordable housing.

Where transit is needed most, it fails to be comprehensively beneficial.

“Transportation should be a shared benefit among all communities,” said Sigel. “But in Houston, areas like Northeast Houston and East Houston could use a lot more transit services because they are the most under-resourced.

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borhoods suffered a lot during Harvey, so many residents are without cars. They are already under serviced in transit, and now they need it more than ever.

Interestingly, Gulfton, in Southwest Houston, is one of the most densely populated of Houston. But still, they are lacking efficient transit. The “density” aspect of transportation is supposed to work, but this area is still missed.”

According to a study done

by TransitCenter in 2016, “vast majority-minority areas on the southeastern side of the city have no access to frequent bus rail or lines.”

Clearly, there is much to be improved in Houston. Out of the 73 cities with populations greater than 250,000, Houston is ranked No. 34 on the AllTransit Performance score. This measures how well a city performs in transit connectivity. For the fourth largest city in the nation, with a booming economy and flourishing population, we should be performing much better.

Transit equity and street safety are important factors that affect everyone, and their significance should be recognized. The city needs to improve structural design, and increase enforcement of laws regarding the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

We should concentrate our transit resources into areas that are in need of them, so that our city can be a more fair, safe, and productive place to live and work.

Opinion editor Wafa Kazmi is a communication sciences and disorders junior, and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

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Propositon B overlooks important differences JANET MIRANDA STAFF WRITER

First Service: 7:15 am Second Service: 9:00 am Third Service: 11:00 am Fourth Service: 1:00 pm

Sunday School: grant equal pay to9:00 theam Houston The signs around the city Fire Department and the paint a misleading picture, WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY Houstonians will have the Houston Police Department simplifying the argument around 12 noon & 7:00 pm opportunity cast their vote on in similar ranks, a 25 percent Proposition B to “for firefighters” Bible Class Proposition B, also known as Pay increase for the fire department versusSunday “against firefighters. ” Parity, on Nov. 6. The proposition that would cost the city $98 Instead, the focus needs to be would link the salary of million per year for three years. on what’s actually on the ballot firefighters and the police force There must be a better solution and the impact of the cost on in the charter instead of setting that could give firefighters a good the city’s budget, which could wages based on similar-sized fire INTERESTED living wage changing the include layoffs, in other city IF YOU ARE INwithout ADVERTISING IN W ORSHIP DIRECTORY departments in Texas. charter and tying their departments.

SALES REPRESENTATIVE AT salary 713-743-5356 CONTACT Acity The ballot initiative would to the police force.

At first glance, the Houston

Police Department and the Houston Fire Department have a similar duty to the public: risking their lives for our safety. But it would be a disservice to HFD and HPD to say the job specifications are the exact same.

The way Proposition B is written implies that HPD and

PROPOSITION B

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As Nov. 6 draws closer, Proposition B has become a controversial ballot initiative. Though it will raise salaries of firefighters in Houston, it could result in repercussions for the city. | Photo courtesy of Corbin Ayres/The Cougar

HFD share enough similarities as a public service to be granted pay parity, but this is not the case in the structure, rank and access to equipment between the two departments.

The fire department has access to equipment that is provided by the city, while policemen have to buy their own ammunition and guns through an allowance that is included in their paycheck.

This disparity in sources of equipment displays the different structure of HFD and HPD due to the differences in job specification. If pay parity equalizes both departments, the way the departments are run in other areas, like equipment and scheduling shifts, would have to change.

The fight for Proposition B centering around pay equality pushes other pressing matters off the table. We should focus on finding a solution that gives firefighters a living wage and addresses their needs specifically.

HFD needs funding for more than higher wages.

A proposition that focuses on modernizing fire stations would be more efficient.

Although there is a disparity in the salaries within HFD and HPD, Proposition B does not properly address the different needs of each department. Hastily fixing it by equalizing pay would brush aside the unique needs of both departments and would put other essential city services at risk due to increased strain on the budget.

While it is essential in a fair society to pay those who risk their lives for our safety a

comparable amount, the way the city proposes to find the money for a 25 percent pay increase will cripple other Public Works departments. A solution that

would lead to more problems in layoffs and subpar service is not a good solution.

Mayor Sylvester Turner has said that if Proposition B

passes, the salary hike could mean laying off police officers, firefighters and municipal employees. This could include cuts in public services and works like community centers, libraries, park maintenance and garbage service, and could slow down municipal court cases.

Proposition B requires choosing between two essential services and the livelihoods of people who work to keep our city safe and functioning smoothly.

It is a decision that needs to be taken seriously, and the language on the ballot does not take it into account.

The $98 million each year will have to come from somewhere.

The best thing for the city of Houston would be to go back to the drawing board and draft legislation that raises firefighters’ wages without giving public works the guillotine.

Opinion columnist Janet Miranda is a marketing junior and can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

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