Issue 17, Volume 84

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Issue 17, Volume 84

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Freshman’s role in a record-breaking season MEN’S BASKETBALL JACKSON GATLIN

SENIOR STAFF WRITER @JTGATLIN

This year’s men’s basketball team has a level of depth that past teams lacked, especially when it comes to scoring.

A key element of the No. 17 Cougars’ team also happens to be one of its newest members, freshman guard Nate Hinton.

“He’s a freshman, but he can play,” said head coach Kelvin Sampson. “He’s a high-level player. Nate’s one of the best guard rebounders around.”

Sampson’s fondness for a player who can hit the boards should come as no surprise, as

he has preached defense and rebounding above all else.

Off the bench, Hinton has averaged 4.3 rebounds per contest.

That is good enough for fourth-best on the team and second-best among guards, trailing only junior Armoni Brooks.

In addition to rebounding, Hinton has racked up a respectable number of steals this season.

He is leading the team with 1.4 steals per game, in large part due to his lively style of play.

NEWS Everything you need to know about running for SGA

The deadline to register as a candidate in the election for the 56th Administration is Feb. 1. Read on for information about the duties and qualifications of these elected representatives. | PG. 2

Possibilities

Hinton was a four-star recruit out of North Carolina and led his high school team to back-to-back state semifinals, as well as a state championship game.

Hinton received scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Boston College and Clemson — among others — but Sampson was the one who sold him on the program.

“In the recruiting process, coach (Sampson) told me about the vision and the plan about everything,” Hinton said. “This is my first college season. Everything is my first.

I’m just trying to adjust to everything.”

Although he has spent just six months as a Cougar, Hinton appears well-adjusted.

His impact on the hardwood has already been felt and praised.

“Highly energetic, high, high voltage freshman,” Sampson said. “There’s not one thing in this game that he’s not pretty good at.”

The head coach’s words ring true.

Hinton is like a Swiss Army knife on the court.

Against NJIT he was a facilitator and pickpocket,

LIFE & ARTS A glimpse into the so-called exclusive music community

The DIY music scene can seem intimidating but is home to some of the most unique atmospheres in the city. | PG. 5

finishing with five assists and three steals, both seasonhighs.

When Memphis came to town a week later, he was a scorer and rebounder, pouring in 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go along with nine boards.

The following game at Temple — the Cougars’ only loss of the season — Hinton stretched the floor and kept the defense honest as he shot 3-of-5 from distance for 60 percent.

FRESHMAN GUARD

Continues on page 8

OPINION Reconsider skipping class

Regular absences can hurt more than just your GPA — it can affect the whole college experience . | PG. 10

2 | Wednesday, January 23, 2019

NEWS

ALYSSA LETTS, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Here's what you need to know about running in the 2019-2020 SGA election JASMINE DAVIS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @JPAIGEDAVIS

The deadline to register as a candidate in the Student Government Association election for the 2019-2020 academic term is Feb. 1.

Here's everything you need to know about running.

Each spring, graduate and undergraduate students elect the SGA president, vice president and legislative branch — senators elected within each University college to represent those students, with the number of seats determined by enrollment.

Over the course of the year, these students will have a hand in decisions impacting students throughout campus departments. The influence of SGA can be seen throughout recent UH history, including the 2017 switch in food service providers to Chartwells from Aramark, the creation of Cub Camp and this year's launch of the Cougar Pack, a safety escort service operating from the library.

"We have a lot of influence and are injected into almost every policy-making process of the University. Examples of this include negotiating reasonable expansions in student fees, parking rates and services provided," said SGA President Cameron Barrett.

"We have some explicit power — such as managing our budget — we have a say in certain hiring decisions of the University, and we appoint a lot of people to a lot of places."

Qualifications

The candidate application can be found on the SGA website and must be filled out and returned to Chief Election Commissioner Bo Harricharran by 7 p.m. Feb 1. Applications can be either dropped off in the SGA office to N220B or emailed to sgaelect@central.uh.edu.

The SGA election is open to all students, but those interested in running for regular Senate seats will be entered into the race for their specific college. Students also have the option to run for At-large Senate seats, divided

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ISSUE STAFF CLOSING EDITORS

Jasmine Davis Cristobella Durrette COPY EDITING

Morgan Horst COVER

Kathryn Lenihan

Student Government Association senators vote during the final Senate meeting of 2018. Senators are expected to attend each meeting, but SGA President Cameron Barrett said a change to the organization's bylaws under the 55th Administration allow for senators in late afternoon classes to arrive late without penalty. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar

between undergraduate and graduate students, which represent all members of either the undergraduate or graduate student body.

Additionally, candidates must have at least a 2.0 GPA and be in good disciplinary standing.

Anyone interested in running for president or vice president is encouraged to register, Barrett said, but the election code requires that president and vice president candidates run as a pair.

Candidates for any position have the option to organize and run under a party, but it is not required.

In Spring 2018, Barrett ran alongside SGA Vice President Davis Darusman under the "Students Unite" party, but he said parties are not required to have a presidential candidate. Students are able to run for any position as an independent.

If a student desires to run with a party, however, they will need to provide that information during their registration, Barrett said.

While this necessitates speaking with other candidates about the election before the registration deadline, candidates are prohibited from publicly campaigning before Feb. 4, when an SGA information

session will address campaign and election code requirements.

The penalty for early campaigning could include a temporary suspension from doing so following the start of election season, Barrett said.

Duties

While senate seats are unpaid, the SGA president and vice president — in addition to the members of the executive board that will be appointed after the election — each receive a monthly stipend for the duration of the time they are in office.

For the 2019-2020 term, the president will be paid $800 per month, composed of student fees that are allocated to the organization each year, and the vice president will receive $702.

According to the SGA bylaws, the duties of senators will include attending all Senate meetings, a number of SGA functions and town hall meetings with the student body each semester.

Additionally, Senators will have to serve on a Senate Committee, which ranges from Student Life to Academic Affairs, unless they represent graduate or professional constituencies.

The SGA president has a number of powers within the

organization and University, including using funds in the organization's budget, vetoing legislation and appointing members of the Executive Branch with approval by the Senate.

The vice president, in addition to overseeing Senate Committees, will perform similar executive duties, including those delegated by the president.

Both the president and vice president are required to hold 20 office hours per week in the SGA office.

All registered candidates will be required to attend a campaign information session on Feb 4. Campaigning for this year's election will begin that day, and the election will take place through Get Involved from Feb. 21 through Feb. 27.

"Don't think about what you look like, what your involvement is, how smooth a talker you are, etc. That stuff makes only a small difference in the outcome of the election," Barrett said.

"The best advice I could give to anyone campaigning is to have a message that resonates with the average student, and be prepared to speak with hundreds — if not thousands — of students." news@thedailycougar.com

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ALYSSA LETTS, EDITOR

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NEWS

ALYSSA LETTS, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

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713-743-5314

GREEK LIFE

Twitter accusations spark dialogue within Black community FIONA LEGESSE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR @FIONALEGESSE

After a short-lived Twitter account accused former and current UH students — most being members of historically Black fraternities — of abuse against women, the University’s Eta Mu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha canceled a planned party in favor of hosting “It Starts With Us,” a seminar on sexual awareness, Friday.

The tweets, which levied accusations against five members of each different historically Black fraternity chartered at UH and one against a former UH student, sparked passionate responses from the Black community.

“The Twitter account, not directly causing it, but showed that this is probably the perfect time — that maybe we need to do something now, while the conversation is alive and well,” said Jeramaine Netherly, the adviser to Alpha Phi Alpha, of which he was president during his time as a UH student.

Netherly said he hopes the event can begin a dialogue within the

community.

“It kind of shed a lot of light to members in our chapter,” said Vice President and Director of Education of the chapter Christopher Porter, a mechanical engineering technology junior.

The chapter had been planning to host a similar event later in the semester, but the Twitter accusations added a level of urgency, Porter said. Netherly agreed that the incident provided a good opportunity to host the conversation.

In preparation for the event, the fraternity reached out to the Wellness Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, Equal Opportunity Services and the Women and Gender Resource Center to help aid the discussion.

As students and alumni entered the room, Alpha Phi Alpha members handed out raffle tickets and “It Starts With Us” bracelets that featured the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline Number inside.

The event opened with a welcome from the chapter’s president, Marlon

Black, which was followed by formal statements from representatives of the other fraternities. Each chapter emphasized its stance against sexual violence in their community.

The official Twitter for the Eta Mu chapter posted a Google Form asking UH students to share their experiences and questions about sexual misconduct before the event.

The chapter received more than 150 responses.

Black read the statistics gathered through the form about on-campus misconduct, in addition to a number of survivor-submitted accounts of sexual assault, following the event’s opening remarks.

Forty percent of respondents to the form said they had been sexually assaulted. Of those individuals, 31.1 percent said they didn’t report it.

“I was blackout drunk in bed with a friend of mine,” reads one anonymous submission.

“When I opened my eyes, she was riding me without a condom. This was the first time I never used a condom in sex. I felt like I shouldn’t think anything of it because I’m a

guy.”

Richard Igbinoba, a former president and current member of Alpha Phi Alpha, read the final submission aloud, detailing an anonymous woman’s four encounters with sexual assault.

“To this day, I’ve never said this number out loud. I never quite understood the shame that accompanies rape,” the submission reads. “I was a (psychology) major, for god’s sake. I knew, textbook-wise, why shame and fear and all those emotions flood the mind and body of a victim.”

“But for some reason, I couldn’t understand how anyone could feel responsible and ashamed of someone else’s actions toward them.

How could you blame yourself for something someone did to you?”

Following the reading, representatives from the partnering UH departments helped guide the audience in a discussion using prepared questions and those submitted through the form.

When the floor opened to questions from the audience after

presentations from each of the resource centers, some audience members, pleading with the male students in the room, asked what it was going to take for the community to believe women when they come forward with their stories.

“We do believe you, but we’re just students and we don’t know what you want,” said marketing and management senior Ashton Connely, a member of Phi Beta Sigma, one of the fraternities mentioned in the tweets.

Connely later clarified that he hopes these conversations will empower victims to continue to speak up about their experiences, and hopes that people will be quicker to hold each other accountable for their actions.

Assistant Director for Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Anneliese Bustillo echoed this call to action while mediating the audience discussion.

“When we let little things happen, we let big things happen,” she said. news@thedailycougar.com

Get to know The Cougar at these upcoming events

Wednesday, January 23, 2019 | 5

EMILY HUBBARD, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

LIFE & ARTS

ARTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5302

COMMUNITY

A look into the DIY music scene that many call home

Locals gather at a house show thrown by Derek Rathbun to support local Houston bands as they seek to make a platform to share their music with the greater community. | Courtesy of Dalton Randall

EMILY HUBBARD

LIFE AND ARTS EDITOR @_3MMY

The DIY music scene is picking at my brain. As many of you know, DIY stands for do-ityourself, which is just what these musicians and artists are doing. For some reason, there are certain stigmas around the scene.

Whether it is based on the type of music you like or how you do or don't fit in "aesthetically," the scene appears to be imbued with a haughty air.

It is intriguing and concerning to hear statements such as "I just don't look like I would belong there," "they are all so much cooler than me," or "everyone there is so intimidating." This is not at all what the scene is about.

"I know what events I can and cannot go to based on my appearance," said retailing and consumer science junior Hina Hasan. "It sucks because I feel like I have to look a certain way to be taken seriously or feel like a part of the community. That shouldn't be what music is about."

DIY has been around for decades within the music scene.

The notorious house show has existed for some time now, whether it started off just as a group of friends playing around or because of a lack of funds for venues. While this may seem like a new trend to some, the people

involved know this is anything but true.

For a lot of members, the scene is their family. It is a community where they identify themselves through making music and gaining friendships along the way.

My early days in the scene are hazy. I remember I discovered the scene through a guy I was dating at the time. Through this, I dived into the world of underground venues, BYOB, covers and show etiquette.

Bands commonly perform at a member's house or a friend's place volunteered for the night.

With no venue fee, bands on the set list make as much money as they can. DIY has become so popular for up and coming artists because they are able to manage themselves. "(There's) a passion to create and work for what you want, rather than to wait around for someone else to present the opportunities to you," said Dalton Randall, member of local bands HAHA! and Saint Rosa. "Every band was a local band at some point. DIY scenes give a genuine platform for anyone trying to pursue their art, and people attending shows are what truly keep the scene alive."

Before the time of Facebook events or Instagram stories, word of mouth would function as the main means of promotion.

The scene strives to create a home for not only musicians but other creatives within the community, someplace to call home. | Courtesy of Dalton Randall

Because of word of mouth, only friends of friends would have access to the show info. Thanks to social media, however, DIY artists now have more outreach.

"Making an effort to support up and coming bands and sharing events/artists with others impacts the musicians and scene more than many people realize," Randall said.

Even though these shows can vary in audience size, they tend to bring in around 50 to 100 people if the show's hyped up enough. Even though this sounds like a large amount of people to be fitting into a house or small venue, it is nowhere close to the amount you would find at a

traditional venue.

If you have ever been to a DIY show, you know the feeling of sharing sweat with the other attendees. People push through cramped kitchens to break free to the backyard just to get a breath of fresh air. Maybe it sounds gross, but it is exhilarating.

The idea of sharing this space with your friends, friends of friends and even future friends is exciting. After attending a few shows, unfamiliar faces in the crowd become familiar, accompanied by a name. People make friends, laughs and memories at these shows.

While all this is great, there are some things that people need

to understand about the scene.

Because everything and everyone is self-made, respect of others and spaces is a must. Fliers carry precautionary statements such as "respect the house" or "abusers not welcome" to avoid conflicts.

"At parties people steal, break things, start fights, get too drunk, harass women, the list goes on. House shows aren't exempt from that. It definitely can be reduced if you're careful about who you invite and if you have people around to be bodies," said Victoria AcuĂąa, member of band 16 Psyche. "I think that one thing to remember though is that house shows aren't suppose to be run by one person, you need a group of people with assigned roles."

The DIY scene is a place where musicians, creatives and other outcasts of society flock to find acceptance and community. The scene "needs support because we need inclusive and safe creative spaces. Women, POC, LGBTQ+, disabled, etc. We need this. DIY gives us the opportunity to create these spaces," AcuĂąa said.

When bringing groups of people together, there is always the risk of conflict. Spaces are so much more enjoyable without it, so respect the house, support local artists, BYOB and DIY or die! arts@thedailycougar.com

6 | Wednesday, January 23, 2019

SPORTS ANDRES CHIO, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

SPORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Roundtable: Mid-season MVP Three writers pick stand-out players from a well-balanced team THE COUGAR STAFF @THECOUGARSPORTS

The Cougars men's basketball team is having a historic season and leading the American Athletic Conference with an 18-1 record.

The team's lineup of good shooters, rebounders and defenders have brought it to the top of the conference and the No. 17 spot in the AP poll and Coaches poll.

The team has the best 3-point defense and best offensive rebounding in the AAC and the third most blocked shots.

On offense, the Cougars have made the most 3-point shots in the conference, but have just the seventh best 3-point accuracy.

The balance on both sides has elevated the program after its first NCAA tournament berth in nearly a decade last season.

Of course, basketball is a team effort, but three of our writers made their picks for Most Valuable Player so far this season.

Staff Writer Brayley Crowe Junior guard Armoni Brooks has emerged as the most crucial player for the Cougars’ success this season.

Brooks is second on the team this season in points per game with 14.3 and leads the team in rebounds per game with 6.5.

He is an incredibly efficient offensive player, as he averages nearly 40 percent from the field and 38 percent from three.

Brooks’ status as MVP this season stems from his importance in crucial games for Houston.

In Houston's prominent win over then-No. 18 Oregon, Brooks recorded a team-high 22 points, including draining six of 13 three-point attempts.

Inversely, in UH’s lone loss this season at Temple, Brooks only scored five points, his second-lowest this season, while shooting 16.7 percent from the field.

On top of that, he has the most 3-pointers made in the AAC. The team is quite balanced, but the Cougars' worst performances come when Brooks is having a bad game, so his level of success is most critical to Houston.

sports@thedailycougar.com

ANDRES CHIO

After some time on the road, UH teams are on back on campus to compete in front of home fans.

Men's Basketball The men's basketball team plays East Carolina tonight at 7 p.m. at the Fertitta Center.

The Cougars are riding a 29 game home winning streak, the longest in the country, while ECU has had an up and down season.

A longer preview of the matchup is available to read on page 9.

Women's Basketball

Senior guard Galen Robinson Jr. is just a few assists away from taking the fourth spot on the UH all-time assist records. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

While the women play tonight at Cincinnati, the team's next home game is on Saturday versus Tulsa.

The Cougars are riding a threegame win streak and are third in the American Athletic Conference while Tulsa is tied for fourth, so this matchup will effect the conference standings.

Track and Field The No. 4 ranked Track and Field team will host the Houston Invitational at the Yeoman Fieldhouse on Friday and Saturday. Houston will compete against Houston Baptist, Texas Southern, SMU, Lamar and Rice just to name a few schools.

The Cougars just ran the second fastest 4x400m time in the NCAA this season and have installed a banked track which should make #HTownSpeedCity even faster.

Staff Writer Samuel Loveday Senior guard Galen Robinson Jr. has been the Cougars' most valuable asset. He has averaged 37 percent accuracy from three and 43.5 percent from the field as an afterthought.

Surprisingly, these averages are not his greatest assets since he looks for the assist first, along with multiple steals a game to fuel his team.

He fills the team’s role of facilitator to utilize his teammates' strengths on offense, but if he has an open shot he won't hesitate to make it.

His game is very similar to that of NBA guard Rajon Rondo.

The only difference is that Robinson Jr. makes more of his shots.

This being said, Robinson Jr. has been playing at MVP levels, making his team more efficient while being able to put the ball in the bucket when the game demands it.

Up Next Throughout Campus SPORTS EDITOR @CHIOANDRES

Staff Writer Jhair Romero Houston has proven to have several valuable players on its roster, but no one does more for the Cougars on offense than senior guard Corey Davis Jr. Davis Jr. has transformed into a star player for the Cougars, taking over the vacancy left by the now-graduated guard Rob Gray in the UH offense.

His 15.2 points per game average so far in 2018-2019 is a step up from his 13.1 last season, and he has done it in roughly the same amount of minutes per game.

Davis Jr. has been deadly from the charity stripe and the 3-point line.

He boasts the best free throw accuracy in the AAC and the fourth most 3-pointers in the conference.

The Louisiana native is also on track to surpass his 458point total from last year. He has tallied 289 points through 19 games with 12 left to play.

Davis Jr. taking over as an offensive leader has greatly improved this team, and without him on the court there is no nationally-ranked Houston Cougars basketball team

713-743-5303

Tennis The tennis team will see action against Sam Houston at 2 p.m. on Friday at the John E. Hoff Courts next to the Athletics and Alumni Center.

The tennis team is coming off a win against Lamar and will be trying to keep up the positive momentum.

Houston will then play Incarnate Word on Sunday at 1 p.m. sports@thedailycougar.com

When he is not scoring, junior guard Armoni Brooks has been a key part of the Cougars' defense and rebounding efforts. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

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SPORTS ANDRES CHIO, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

SPORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

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FOOTBALL

Holgorsen brings familiar faces to coaching staff ANDRES CHIO

SPORTS EDITOR @CHIOANDRES

New football head coach Dana Holgorsen made two mores hires over the weekend to help form the front line in his new coaching staff.

Joe Cauthen has been hired as the new defensive coordinator and he will also coach the linebackers.

Cauthen was the defensive coordinator for Arkansas State for the past five seasons and put its defense in the top 50 in yards allowed per game three times in that span.

More importantly, Arkansas State was in the top 25 in touchdowns allowed for the past four seasons of Cauthen's tenure.

Brian Early was also hired to be the defensive lin coach after spending five years in the same position at Arkansas State as well.

Early's defensive line was in the top 50 in sacks and tackles for loss all five seasons.

With the duo of coaches, Arkansas State had one of the best pass defenses in the nation and allowed just 175.9 yards per game through the air.

Leading the rest of Holgorsen's hires is former Cougar receiver, Tyron Carrier, who is returning to the team as the assistant head coach and receivers coach.

Carrier played for the Cougars from 2008 through 2011.

As a player, Carrier set records for kickoff returns for a touchdown in a career and for

FRESHMAN GUARD

Continued from cover page “I just try to come out and compete and do my part for the team’s sake,” Hinton said.

Limits While Hinton’s transition to college basketball has appeared seamless at times, being coached by a basketball mind like Sampson’s is a huge advantage.

“A lot of my peers are in different situations,” Hinton said.

“Having the (good) leadership of the head coach and the staff is the key thing. I’m just enjoying the ride, and I’m just going to keep working.”

Sampson has been coaching for nearly 40 years and recently passed the 600 career mark and

Head coach Dana Holgorsen's staff so far is a mix of people he has worked with before and upstarts from other Group of Five schools. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar

making two or more receptions in all 53 games of his career.

As a coach, Carrier won FootballScoop’s Wide Receivers Coach of the Year award at West Virginia with Holgorsen and five players had at least 13 touchdown receptions.

Doug Belk was also brought over from West Virginia to become the co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach. In 2018, West Virginia ranked No. 20 nationally in interceptions made and had the most in Big XII conference play.

Belk has worked his way up for years. He started at Division II Valdosta State as an assistant, then worked at Alabama before joining West Virginia.

Marquel Blackwell has been signed as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and worked at West Virginia with Holgorsen as well.

Blackwell has 12 years of coaching experience that started as an offensive coordinator at Freedom High School, before working his way into the college coaching ranks.

Blake Gideon will coach the safeties and special teams unit and is familiar with the teams in the southeast.

Gideon first coached at Florida in 2014, before heading to Auburn in 2015, Western Carolina in 2016 and 2017 and finally 2018 at Georgia State.

Holgorsen hired Shannon

Dawson to be an offensive assistant and he has worked as a quarterback or receivers coach at Southern Mississippi, Kentucky, West Virginia and other schools previously.

UH also hired Ryan Dorchester to be the assistant director for football and Daikiel Shorts Jr. to lead player development.

Dorchester spent 14 seasons with West Virginia before coming to Houston and helped with organizing the business of the team and recruiting.

Shorts Jr. was previously an assistant at West Virginia last season and played there from 2013 to 2015, before being on the Buffalo Bills practice squad

in 2017.

Former West Virginia staffer Darl Bauer is joining UH as its Director of Strength & Performance.

Bauer spent the last 10 seasons at WVU as part of the team's strength and conditioning staff.

Former Texas Tech offensive line coach Brandon Jones has been signed up UH as its new offensive line coach.

Jones is another hire that Houston has made away from a Power Five program as Jones was hired by North Carolina in December before Houston plucked him away. sports@thedailycougar.com

has seen hundreds of players come and go.

As well as Hinton has played so far, Sampson knows there is still plenty of room to grow.

“Nate’s going to be a really good player. You can see how much better he’s going to be,” Sampson said. “He just needs to understand what he can and can’t do. Sometimes when you’re a freshman you think you can do everything, and then you realize you can’t. He’s not there yet.”

The Cougars, now 18-1 on the season, are competing at a level that has not been seen since the 1980s when Phi Slama Jama was around. Houston's next game is Wednesday against ECU at the Fertitta Center at 7 p.m. sports@thedailycougar.com

This year's men's basketball team is one of the deepest teams in the conference. The No. 17 Cougars have been projected by ESPN to gain a top sixteen spot in the NCAA Tournament. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

SPORTS

Wednesday, January 23, 2019 | 9

ANDRES CHIO, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

SPORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5303

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Cougars in for tough rebounding test against Pirates

The Cougars will need to fight and scramble for each ball against the Pirates. East Carolina has one of the tougher rebounding teams in the American Athletic Conference. | Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar

ANDRES CHIO

SPORTS EDITOR @CHIOANDRES

The Fertitta Center will host the fight between one of the American Athletic Conference's best teams and one of the worst at 7 p.m. tonight as No. 17/17 Houston plays ECU. While ECU has a big star player, Houston's overall defense and depth will be tough to overcome.

Houston has made its name this season as a tough defensive team with good rebounding.

ECU has also out-rebounded most teams this year to give itself second chances, and the team has made a good 43.3 percent of shots, which Houston is just slightly above at 43.5 percent accuracy.

The big difference is in three-point percentages, steals and turnovers. Houston has made 33.5 percent of its threes compared to ECU's 27.8 percent, and the away team does not have a single shooter making over 35 percent of their threes, while Houston has three such players.

The Pirates' three point defense is the second best in the American Athletic Conference, just behind the Cougars.

After a couple poor performances, senior guard Corey Davis Jr. and junior guard Armoni Brooks cannot afford to go cold against the Pirates

or one of the Cougars' main advantages will be lost.

The Pirates are also in the negatives when it comes to turnover and steal differential while the Cougars are well into the green.

ECU's main star is freshman forward Jayden Gardner. The 6'6" forward leads the team in rebounds and points and is third in assists and blocks.

Gardner has averaged 19.8 points per game, and the next two best scorers on the team have scored 12.9 and 11.7 points per game.

Stopping one of those three will be a key for the Cougars, but another will be the team's depth.

Houston's team is nine players deep, while ECU's starting five regularly play most of the game.

In its most recent game against Temple, ECU's bench played a total of 21 minutes. Houston's bench played over triple that in its game against South Florida.

Another trouble for the Pirates has been road games. The Pirates are 0-4 on the road while Houston is riding the nation's longest home court winning streak.

It could be a close game if Houston's elite perimeter shooters are stopped, but UH's depth should push ECU to the edge. sports@thedailycougar.com

10 | Wednesday, January 23, 2019

OPINION WAFA KAZMI, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION

OPINION@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

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POLITICS

The United States' nuclear strategy has issues RYAN NOWROUZI OPINION COLUMNIST

H

istorically, the United States has assumed the role of acting as the world’s nuclear police force.

Whether it’s through direct country-country deals with Russia, Iran, North Korea, and India, or through broader policy measures such as the Global Threat Reduction Initiative, it’s clear that the United States has taken the lead on this issue.

Through these talks, treaties and negotiated deals, the United States has been able to push for decreased nuclear proliferation and for more disarmament around the world. Recently, however, it appears the United States has made questionable decisions as it pertains to working toward a safer nuclear environment.

Specifically, the United States' approach to dealing with a nuclear Iran and North Korea is woefully ineffective in preventing further nuclearization and is indicative of President Trump’s proclivities as opposed to sound policy. The United States seems to have its policy decisions backward when it comes to working with these two countries to denuclearize, and if our country doesn’t act soon, we will lose on both fronts.

Satellite images released by Beyond Parallel in November 2018 show that North Korea has continued to work on its ballistic missile program, despite the victory President Trump claimed in convincing North Korea to work toward denuclearization.

Not only do U.S. officials have confirmed information that North Korea is continuing

to work on its ballistic missile program, but analysis conducted by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies revealed an undisclosed military base in the interior of North Korea capable of housing long-range missiles.

Leaked pieces of information such as this show that North Korea is working on nuclear weapons as if the meeting with Trump did not happen..

The overtly vague joint statement signed by both leaders at the end of the June summit lacks a verifiable plan of action, noting that both countries will "commit to implement the stipulations in this joint statement fully and expeditiously" without explaining clearly what those stipulations are.

People who support President Trump will claim that this statement is a step in the right direction and that more action will follow, but Trump's words indicate otherwise.

In a White House press conference on Nov. 7, 2018, after the midterm elections, Trump was questioned about further meetings with Kim Jong-un, to which he replied, "We think it's going fine.

We're in no rush. We're in no hurry."

This lack of urgency, coupled with Trump's false claim of success in diminishing the nuclear threat posed by North Korea, fails to function as sound nuclear policy and places the United States in an even more precarious position as North Korea continues to proliferate nuclear weapons.

In Nov. 2018, prior to the second meeting scheduled between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, Vice President Pence stated in an interview with NBC News that, "Until we have a plan—and that

President Trump has consistently acted against logical reasoning when it comes to nuclear strategy. Instead of imposing and withdrawing from deals, we should be working towards amnesty. | Fiona Legesse/The Cougar

plan is implemented—to achieve complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization, we're going to keep the pressure on."

If, and only if, President Trump is able to reach this kind of deal can he confidently say that North Korea is “no longer a nuclear threat”- a statement which, by the way, he already tweeted out after his meeting at the summit last June.

The Iran Nuclear Deal Trump’s action in abandoning the nuclear deal with Iran is counterintuitive. The Iran nuclear deal, a multi-national deal reached between the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and Germany, is exactly the kind of verifiable denuclearization plan that Vice President Pence called for with North Korea.

The Iran nuclear deal, penned in 2015 under the Obama administration, limited Iran’s uranium enrichment capability and provided oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog.

Despite the Iran deal being hailed as an international success on

many fronts, Trump campaigned on scrapping the deal as soon as he took office. He certainly stayed true to his word. With virtually no real reasoning except for the constant mention that it was “one-sided” and gave Iran too much, President Trump withdrew the United States from the historic deal, leaving the entire world in a compromised position.

By abandoning the deal, the United States has jeopardized the entire multinational deal and more importantly the stability of the nuclear community by withdrawing from the only deal that stood in the way of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.

Since the United States' withdrawal from the deal, Iran is preparing to increase its uranium enrichment capacity significantly above what is allowed by the 2015 deal that used to be in place. The little justification the United States provided for pulling out of a functioning deal along with Iran’s commitment to ramping up uranium enrichment could mean an irreparable strain on United States-Iran nuclear negotiations.

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Furthermore, if Iran is allowed to enrich uranium as it plans to this could bolster an irreversible step in obtaining nuclear weapons that the U.S. and other countries have worked to avoid for so many years.

The nuclear policy strategy practiced by President Trump is a dangerous reminder that he takes issue with facts. Not only has the president abandoned a nuclear deal with Iran that was verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency, but he has also allowed unmitigated nuclear proliferation in North Korea by claiming success.

It is imperative that the United States seek re-entry into the Iran nuclear deal or make another deal with Iran, in addition to seekin g a verifiable deal with North Korea before it's too late.

Inaction now could mean both Iran and North Korea making irreversible leaps and bounds toward the procurement of nuclear weapons.

Opinion columnist Ryan Nowrouzi is a biomedical sciences junior and can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

STUDENT LIFE

For the sake of your future, resist the urge to skip class CATHOLIC MASS ON CAMPUS

KRISTIN CHBEIR OPINION COLUMNIST

I

SUNDAYS: 10:45 AM - Religion Center 6:00 PM - Catholic Center WEEKDAYS: Tuesday—Friday 12:00 Noon CATHOLIC NEWMAN CENTER Confession: Before or After Masses Office # (713) 748-2529

t’s happened to the best of and even tainted relations with has the syllabus, powerpoint SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE us. Two weeks into the new professors are a few things to and entire exam posted on First Service: 7:15 am semester, the laziness comes consider.

Blackboard, but unfortunately Second Service: 9:00 am creeping back around. For some Let’s begin with one it goes a bit further than that.

Third Service: 11:00 amof the Service: 1:00 pm — OK, most — two weeks is overly Fourth obvious factors that comes Some professors count for Sunday generous. to mindSchool: when considering attendance.

9:00 am There are the resilient ones skipping a class: GPA. Good The second biggest thing that WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY who have managed to kick the grades are needed to pass the comes to mind when skipping 12 noon & 7:00 pm warm sheets off themselves semester, get into graduate class is the prospect of money.

Sunday Bible Class and fight the temptation to school, make those overly For most, college isn’t cheap lurk just a few minutes longer. critical parents proud and, let’s It goes without saying that But for those who are actively face it, a good GPA can make a between tuition, books, living skipping class for an extra hour person feel good whether they necessities and a bunch of of sleep for Netflix or sleep, admit it or not. other junk higher education the consequences of skipping By skipping class, you run a ORSHIP demands from IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN W DIRECTORY , us does not help class can add up quickly. GPA, of tainting, or worsening, with patching the financial hole SALES REPRESENTATIVE AT 713-743-5356 CONTACT Arisk money, missed opportunities your GPA. Sure, the professor left in our pockets. To add, the

average semester tuition for public universities is $9,139.

Some students argue that they fall asleep in class anyway and feel as though they are not getting their money’s worth from the professors.

While those reasons are understandable, it's important to also consider how absences impact other students in the class. Some majors, such as English and communications, require students to actively

SKIPPING CLASS

Continues on next page

Wednesday, January 23, 2019 | 11

WAFA KAZMI, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION

OPINION

OPINION@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5304

SKIPPING CLASS

Continued from previous page

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF

Jasmine Davis MANAGING EDITOR

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SPORTS EDITOR

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LIFE & ARTS EDITOR

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Corbin Ayres

CAMPUS EDITOR

Wafa Kazmi

Fiona Legesse Alyssa Letts

FEATURES EDITOR

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CHIEF COPY EDITOR

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OPINION EDITOR

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Trenton Whiting, McKenzie Misiaszek, Billion Tekleab, Tony Cianciulli

STAFF EDITORIAL The Staff Editorial reflects the opinions of The Cougar Editorial Board (the members of which are listed above the editorial). All other opinions, commentaries and cartoons reflect only the opinion of the author. Opinions expressed in The Cougar do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Houston or the 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 author’s full name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major.

Anonymous letters will not be published. Deliver letters to N221, University Center; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; send them via campus mail to STP 4015; or fax to (713) 743-5384. 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 e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Commentary should be limited to 500 words. Guest commentaries should not be written as replies, but rather should present independent points of view. Deliver submissions to N221, University Center; e-mail them to letters@ thedailycougar.com; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.

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

The Cougar is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press.

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engage with one another. When some members of the class repeatedly don't show up, they can unknowingly hamper the experience of their classmates.

Another reason to consider against skipping class is as simple as missed opportunities, such as bonus points, friendships and new interests.

Aside from getting good grades, going to killer parties and discovering yourself all throughout the way, college excels at one more thing that cannot be traded for the world: networking.

Being able to connect with another peers in an enclosed, common community with thousands of individuals pursuing the same interests as you are. In a time of social media, reconnecting as fellow colleagues one on one in person has never been more important.

By skipping class you miss out on a lot of social opportunities, which at first relates to trivial things like meeting up for a study group. But do not be fooled. Your time would most certainly not be wasted by spending 45 minutes with some classmates instead of hanging out with friends.

Not only would you solidify your knowledge, but also you run a higher chance of coming across an individual who might know a guy or two to get you a step further into your dream job. Nowadays, connections are everything and because of how impersonal social media is, simply following someone on Linkedin and Twitter is not just going to cut it.

Finally, you do not want to become ‘that kid,' who all the professors notice missing from their rosters.

Okay, maybe not to that extreme but your habit of skipping class, even if it's just one, will follow you and, like the point above, will miss you opportunities that Netflix just cannot offer.

Professors at universities have good — excellent, even — connections that can most certainly get your name around, something highly valuable in landing a full-time job after graduation. After all, being able to graduate with a job is one of the reasons why people pursue higher education, right?

Opinion columnist Kristin Chbeir is a sociology senior and can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

Professor Wendy Wood leads her ENGL 3306 course, Shakespeare Major Works, on Jan. 22. Attending class regularly is important to ensuring students get the most from their education. | Corbin Ayres/ The Cougar

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CATHOLIC MASS ON CAMPUS

SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE

SUNDAYS: 10:45 AM - Religion Center 6:00 PM - Catholic Center WEEKDAYS: Tuesday—Friday 12:00 Noon CATHOLIC NEWMAN CENTER Confession: Before or After Masses Office # (713) 748-2529

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

9:00 am

WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY 12 noon & 7:00 pm

Sunday Bible Class

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12 | Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg January 23, 2019

ACROSS 1 McMahon and Asner 4 Lady in a chocolatier’s logo 10 Nightlife spot 14 Stroke gently 15 Lean toward 16 First-rate 17 Bullfight cheer 18 Baseball film DVD that’s missing the last scene?

20 Fashionable 22 Nanny animal 23 Third Greek letter 24 Celebratory slap that doesn’t quite connect?

26 Socialist Marx 27 Tirade 28 Frantic scramble 31 Rap or rock 34 Rower’s need 35 4-Down suggestion 36 Near-miss remark that’s a clue to 18-, 24-, 50- and 58-Across 41 Santa ___ winds 42 Fitting 43 Alpha’s opposite 44 Crumb catchers

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47 2017 World Series champ, slangily 49 At one’s ___ and call 50 Mostly get rid of?

54 Lacking a partner 56 Oktoberfest quaff 57 “Spare tire” 58 Slightly early marital restlessness?

61 Elected officials 62 Innovator’s spark 63 Gossiped 64 Vote of support 65 Org. 66 “I’m all ears!”

67 Roseanne’s husband DOWN 1 Many, many years 2 New ___, India 3 “Shrek!” author William 4 It aptly bookends “Google Maps” 5 Mount Hood locale 6 Deeply religious 7 “My concern is ...”

8 Blow off steam 9 Sleeve tattoo spot 10 Duck, to a French chef

11 Appear imminent 12 E pluribus ___ 13 Second Greek letter 19 “Omigosh!”

21 Comedian Rock 25 Come to grips with 26 Corn syrup brand 28 “Geez!”

29 Like bachelor parties 30 Queen on Mount Olympus 31 Thom ___ shoes 32 Elbow-wrist connection 33 Political platforms?

34 A giant among Giants 37 Target of a heist

38 FedEx alternative 39 Fortune 500 abbr.

40 “Later!”

45 Nairobi resident 46 Slurpee kin 47 Simmer with anger 48 Old Toyota 50 Voltaire, theologically 51 Long Greek story 52 Literary uncle 53 Buddy who played Jed Clampett 54 Myanmar’s locale 55 Eye shades?

56 Wooden train maker 59 Stir in 60 “Good” cholesterol letters

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

1/22

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“One-Off” by Andrea Carla Michaels and Alan Arbesfeld