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Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Issue 27, Volume 84
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Holgorsen is catching up
NEWS Uber, Lyft drives students away
Concerns about safety surrounding ride sharing apps have pushed students toward public transportation. | PG. 2
SPORTS
OPINION
Spring training picks up
The Night King cometh
The football team is using the offseason to learn an all new offense and defense. | PG. 6
As ‘Game of Thrones’ comes to the beginning of the end, the Opinion Section discusses why the White Walkers should win the Iron Throne. | PG. 11
2 | Wednesday, April 10, 2019
NEWS
GREG FAILS, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS
NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
TRANSPORTATION
Students choose public transit over Uber, Lyft DELANEY RAMIREZ
Safety concerns
STAFF WRITER
With the recent murder of a University of South Carolina student, investment woes, numerous negative headlines and reports, many college students are dropping ride-share services like Uber and Lyft. Ridership on public transit is up, according to research from the Houston Chronicle and the Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Though many parts of the city are still underserved, METRO expansions on campus and in UH Parking and Transportation programs — such as Coogs On Alternative and Sustainable Transportation (COAST) — have been embraced by many students. “I prefer to save money. I carpool when I can or take the METRO instead, which is free for me through COAST,” said history sophomore Adrian Casasola. The fare for local buses
UH students are increasingly flocking to public transportation instead of popular ride sharing apps like Uber and Lyft. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar
and the METRO rail system is normally $1.25 a ride, but UH students are eligible for “discounted METRO fare cards and passes” that will allow them to ride for half-price. Students can get a discounted METRO card by submitting a request through their MyUH account. UH students also pay a
reduced rate for public transit when they participate in COAST. The program offers members $27.50 each month to go toward the payment of METRO fare, in addition to discounts on parking permits for carpooling, according to the COAST website.
The murder of University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson at the end of March has sparked an increase in conversation among college students about safety concerns when it comes to ride-sharing apps. Josephson was killed after getting into a car she mistakenly identified as her Uber and subsequently being trapped inside by her assailant, who had engaged the child locks on the rear passenger doors of his vehicle. The case has sparked an increased dialogue around the issue of ride-share safety as people in several cities have begun pushing to demand increased required signage for ride-share vehicles. “I don’t really feel safe taking an Uber or Lyft because of all the stories about things going wrong with drivers or riders committing crimes. I usually drive myself,” said media production sophomore Rachel Sweetland. Uber released a statement to a CBS outlet in the wake of Josephson’s murder saying they would continue working to raise public awareness about safety on their platform, something they’d been doing since 2017. Both Uber and Lyft provide guides on their websites on how to ride safely using their apps. One tip featured on Uber’s site is to make sure you’re getting in the right car. “I’m not usually concerned about safety but only because I makes sure to check the license plate of any vehicle before getting in,” said biochem sophomore Saniha Mody, who regularly uses ride-share apps like Lyft to get home when going out.
Harassment complaints Another common problem with ride-sharing services is stalking and harassment of female passengers by drivers, who obtained personal contact information via the apps. Last year, Uber made several changes to their app. These changes include not storing precise pickup location data in order to help curb privacy concerns and allowing victims
RIDE SHARING
Continues on page 5
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Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | 3
GREG FAILS, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS
NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
NEWS 713-743-5314
CAMPUS
Cougar Promise gives hope to low-income students MCKENZIE MISIASZEK
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @ MISIASZEKUH
The University of Houston’s main campus and UH Downtown both feature programs that provide low-income students with free tuition. Starting in fall 2019, the cap for eligibility for these programs will be raised from $45,000 to $50,000. Both programs have been around since the early 2010s, according to Media Relations at UH and UHD. “Both the Gator Pledge and Cougar Promise have many similarities and in many respects are parallel programs,” said UHD Assistant Vice President Enrollment Management and Registrar Daniel Villanueva by email. “They both offer financial aid packages to students with a family adjusted gross income (AGI) of $50,000 or less.” Cougar Promise and Gator Pledge are funded by Pell Grants, the amount of which is determined through a student’s submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA may not cover a
UH-Downtown and UH both have programs that offer free tuition to students whose families make less than $50,000 annually. | Trevoy Nolley/The Cougar
student’s entire tuition cost; the Cougar Promise and Gator Pledge Programs provide additional funding to fill the gap between cost and financial feasibility, according to the Cougar Promise website. “The funding for Cougar Promise is primarily made up of Federal Pell and TEXAS Grants,” Jans said. “No loans or student-employment are part of Cougar Promise,” said UH Exec-
utive Director of Scholarships and Financial Aid Briget Jans. Pell Grant eligibility is determined through the submission of a FAFSA. Students must demonstrate financial need in their FAFSA in order to be eligible for the Pell Grant. Financial need is determined by the U.S. Department of Education, providing information that is plugged into an equation that estimates the cost of
attending the university the student attends in comparison with their family’s income. Students must also meet the requirements that Cougar Promise and Gator Pledge list to be considered for a Pell Grant, according to College Board. “Amounts that are not covered by Pell Grants will be subsidized by a combination of TEXAS Grants and other funding sources with institutional funds added as needed,” Villanueva said. There is no limit on the number of students who can participate in the Cougar Promise and Gator Pledge programs. “Since 2014-15, there have been more than 1,900 students who have been covered by Cougar Promise,” Jans said. Students applying for assistance from these programs must be incoming freshmen. Those who are chosen to receive funding from Cougar Promise or Gator Pledge have to be full-time students and must maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA
for the four-year duration of the program. While UH requires students to submit their FAFSA by the January 15th priority deadline to be eligible for Cougar Promise, UHD asks that students submit theirs by May 1 to gain admission to Gator Pledge. “The Gator Pledge program will assist all students who are eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants and submit all financial aid forms with supporting documentation by May 1 or until funds are depleted,” Villanueva said. Although UH and UHD are both part of the UH System, UHD operates as its own entity. This absence of affiliation means that each university offers different financial aid programs. “We believe that making a high quality university education available and affordable to everyone in the Houston metropolitan region is an essential feature of our work,” Villanueva said. “The Gator Pledge is how we can put that commitment into action.” news@thedailycougar.com
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Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | 5
GREG FAILS, EDITOR
RIDE SHARING
Continued from page 2 of sexual harassment by drivers to sue the company directly, a reversal of previous policy that critics said often silenced victims. Despite these changes, ride-share passengers still experience harassment and have uncomfortable encounters with drivers. “Overall, I’ve had a good experience with Uber, but one ride that stood out to me was this guy who kept trying to convince my friend and I to look into the benefits of being a sugar baby,” said a retail and consumer science senior who asked to remain anonymous. “He gave me a card with some guy’s number on it. He was dead serious.”
Future expansion from UH While they do cost more than public transit — according to Lyft’s Fare Estimate tool, commuters from outside the beltway looking to catch a ride to campus can usually expect to shell out more than $20 for a
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS
one-way ride — many students say the prices of ride-sharing fares are generally reasonable. “I actually switched over to Lyft recently because I kept seeing that it was cheaper,” Mody said. “I think the prices are fair, though when there’s demand they definitely can go high.” Ride-share platforms also have a place in COAST’s goal to provide students with more transportation options. Uber and Lyft are listed as two recommended alternative ways to get to campus by Parking and Transportation Services, according to their website. In the past, Parking and Transportation have published a map of popular pickup points, though that map is currently unavailable available on their site. Parking and Transportation is exploring additional transportation programs to implement, such as bike, car and ride-sharing opportunities, according to COAST’s website. news@thedailycougar.com
NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
NEWS 713-743-5314
Canyfer Vasquez worked at the Tuesday pop-up for Big F*cking Tacos, just one of many food vendors on campus this week as part of the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship's annual festival. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar
Wolffest brings local eateries to campus The Bauer College's Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship puts on the Wolffest food festival every year, bringing in eateries from around the city for the three-day campus event that takes place in Butler Plaza. The festival allows Wolff students to put their negotiation and marketing skills to the test by recruiting restaurants and donations to the event. Wolffest will continue through Thursday, as students aim to surpass last year's sales and hit $400,000 in sales and donations to the event.
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6 | Wednesday, April 10, 2019
SPORTS ANDRES CHIO, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS
SPORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
FOOTBALL
713-743-5303
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Holgorsen looks to front lines as first priority Sampson's
bonus-filled contract
JHAIR ROMERO
SENIOR STAFF WRITER @JUSTJHAIR
There is something about the offseason that makes all football fans restless. Players and coaches have come and gone, and the rumor mills begin to overflow with potential news, which means fans get their fix with the only thing available: spring ball. Houston is only a few practices into its spring schedule and months away from its seasonopening matchup against Oklahoma in August, but new head coach Dana Holgorsen has wasted no time in scouting potential leaders for the team he took the reins of just three months ago. “I think we have the makings of a good leadership class. We’ve got guys that have played a lot, so that gives you hope. They just need to keep progressing,” Holgorsen said. Among those potential leaders for the Holgorsen-era Cougars is senior quarterback D’Eriq King, who in 11 games last season was responsible for 50 touchdowns, an American Athletic Conference record. King missed the final stretch of 2018 after tearing his ACL against Tulane and has been limited in practice by Holgorsen. “I’m trying not to let him run around too much. We have to protect him," Holgorsen said. Holgorsen has been adamant in training King to avoid big hits, much like old Big 12 foe and 2018 Heisman winner Kyler Murray. “I’ve watched a lot of film on Oklahoma based on being in a conference with those guys for the last seven years. Watching Kyler Murray, he is the best I’ve ever seen at not getting hit,” Holgorsen said. “We’ve watched a lot of his film with D’Eriq, not trying to be like him, but to try to learn to protect yourself at all costs.” Spring practice has also seen the rise of two other quarterbacks in the Houston depth chart — sophomore Clayton Tune, who has split reps with King throughout the spring, and Holgorsen’s freshman son Logan, who he described as “a sponge that communicates well with the other two guys.” Tune, a former three-star recruit of Carrollton, threw for eight touchdowns in the five games that he appeared in after
ANDRES CHIO
SPORTS EDITOR @CHIOANDRES
Head coach Dana Holgorsen is keeping senior quarterback D'Eriq King out of the contact drills and is not having him move around much for now as he recovers from his knee surgery. Holgorsen is trying to emphasize that King should slide and avoid getting hit as much as he can to help reduce the risk of injury. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar
King was injured, and he has continued to improve in the spring. “I’ve been very impressed with him. He’s a very smart kid. He is progressing as good as anybody on our football team right now,” Holgorsen said. Holgorsen said he would love to be able to redshirt him and play him in four games in 2019 to have Tune for three more years. On defense, Holgorsen transformed UH’s defensive line into a four-man front instead of a three-man, but it caused a slight depth and recruiting issue for the position that lost one of UH’s best players ever in NFL prospect Ed Oliver. “We have to keep building the depth to win a championship. Now our D-line, I think coach (Brian) Early is doing a really good job with those guys,” Holgorsen said. The other side of the trenches has also been a concern for Holgorsen in his short time observing the team, but he has worked on getting them to play "real football." “The (previous offensive lines) didn’t have to block in the pass, and they didn’t have to play hard. They didn’t have to do a whole lot of things other than run fast and score touchdowns, which is important, but it’s not real
football," Holgorsen said. Houston’s offensive line faces a lot of uncertainty heading into 2019, but Holgorsen has made it a priority to counteract that. One of the exercises he has introduced to UH practices is a staple of American football — the dreaded Oklahoma, or in Houston’s case, the Cougar Drill. The drill consists of three players: a runner hoping to get to the other side, a blocker protecting the runner and, on the other side, a tackler, whose only goal is to take the runner out. While the drill may sound
brutal, it is one of the biggest morale boosters to exist on the gridiron. On top of the actual skillbuilding the drill offers, the players love it. And Holgorsen knows it. “You guys get your cameras on,” Holgorsen said, excited to round up his players for the mostanticipated 10 minutes of the day. “Let’s go have some fun.” If Holgorsen has his way, the team's fun and hard work will end with wins come next season. sports@thedailycougar.com
Head coach Dana Holgorsen has worked to try and turn around one of the worst defenses in all of college football in 2018. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar
Head coach Kelvin Sampson signed his new $18 million, sixyear contract Thursday morning, and The Cougar has obtained all the details of the agreement. Sampson will receive $300,000 in base salary and $2.7 million in non-salary compensation each year. If he is fired by UH for any reason, he will still get all the money. If Sampson leaves early, the buyout is equal to his remaining total salary. So if he leaves in three years, then he owes $9 million. Bonuses he can earn are; • If the team's Academic Progress Rate - a score that takes the most recent four years of team academics into account - is 930 or higher, Sampson can earn $7,500 if the team's GPA is 2.6 or above. He will earn another $10,000 if the APR rises above 940. • $100,000 raise every time the team makes the NCAA Tournament. • $50,000 for making it to the Sweet Sixteen • $50,000 for winning in the Elite Eight. • $150,000 for an NCAA Tournament title. • $15,000 if UH does wins the NIT. • If season ticket sales are more than 4,500, then he gets another $10,000. • $25,000 if the team wins the conference regular season championship. • Winning a conference Coach of the Year Award will earn him $10,000, and a national Coach of the Year Award will earn him $20,000. • $20,000 for finishing in either the USA Today Coaches or AP Poll Top 25. • Other benefits Sampson will receive include a membership to a country club for fundraising events, a charter plane for the team's long distane road games and up to 40 hours of private plane use to help his recruiting. sports@thedailycougar.com
Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | 7
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8 | Wednesday, April 10, 2019
SPORTS ANDRES CHIO, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS
MEN'S BASKETBALL
A season to remember Cougars surpased all expectations The men's basketball team had a historic season that revitalized the student body's love for basketball and brought UH to heights it hadn't reached since 1984. The Cougars were hot all year and had a 15-game and 12-game win streak to go along with nine sell out crowds. Houston defended the nation's longest home winning streak for 33 games before falling in a close matchup. That loss along with the team's loss to Temple, the only other regular season loss, motivated the team to fight through the last part of the season and win the American Athletic Conference regular season title. It was the team's first league title since 1992 and the team went on to Sweet Sixteen, where it's storybook season ended. Though the season is over, the memories will remain with the team and the fans forever.
Photos by Mikol Kindle Jr/TSU Herald, Corbin Ayres/The Cougar, Kathryn Lenihan/The Cougar and Ahmed Gul/The Cougar
SPORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
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Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | 9
ANDRES CHIO, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS
SPORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
713-743-5303
FOOTBALL
Cougar prospects are ready for the NFL Draft ANDRES CHIO
SPORTS EDITOR @CHIOANDRES
The NFL Draft is just two weeks away, and many Houston football alumni and fans are waiting to see where some of last year's players will end up. The Cougars have a few picks that are near locks to be drafted, but the where and when is still to be seen. Ed Oliver played as a defensive tackle for much of his time with the Cougars, but he could be moved around away from the zero-technique. Oliver is smaller than the average defensive tackle, but he is similar in size to All-Pro defensive end Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams and could see action on the edge. His pro day went well, and his placements were similar to multiple NFL stars like the New York Giants' running back Saquon Barkley and the Denver Broncos' linebacker Von Miller. Another player with a good chance of being drafted is cornerback Isaiah Johnson. Johnson started his career with the Cougars as a wide receiver but made the transition in the offseason before his junior year. At the NFL Combine, Johnson had the highest Next Gen score of the cornerbacks as he ran the fourth fastest 40-yard dash, the third longest broad jump, fifth fastest three cone drill and second fastest 20-yard shuffle of the cornerbacks. His inexperience at the position showed on occasion in Houston's games, but his natural athletic gifts make him a player that can develop into a star. Linebacker Emeke Egbule was a stalwart on defense for the last two seasons and has a good chance of being drafted in the middle rounds. Egbule started for the last two seasons with Houston and did not miss a game in his four years with the team. Because his combine scores were around the middle of the road in most events, he was scored as a player with potential and was on the fringe of starter potential. Houston fans know that Egbule can be a consistent contributor in the center of the linebackers.
Oliver's draft projections •
CBS's Ryan Wilson: No. 9 overall pick to the Buffalo Bills CBS's Chris Trapasso: No. 9 overall pick to the Buffalo Bills CBS's R.J. White: No. 8 overall pick to the Atlanta Falcons CBS's Pete Prisco: No. 9 overall pick to the Buffalo Bills CBS's Will Brinson: No. 13 overall pick to the Miami Dolphins CBS's Jared Dubin: No. 9 overall pick to the Buffalo Bills NFL.com's Charles Davis: No. 12 overall pick by the Green Bay Packers NFL.com's Chad Reuter: No. 13 overall pick by the Buffalo Bills NFL.com's Peter Schrager: No. 4 overall pick by the Oakland Raiders NFL.com's Lance Zierlein: No. 12 overall pick by the Green Bay Packers NFL.com's Bucky Brooks: No. 18 overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings The Athletic's Dane Brugler: No. 6 overall pick to the New York Giants NBC's Ben Standig: No. 9 overall pick to the Buffalo Bills Draft Wire's Luke Easterling: No. 5 overall pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Johnson's draft projections •
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The Athletic's Brugler: Second round, No. 55 overall pick to the Houston Texans Draft Wire's Easterling: Fourth round, No. 103 overall pick to the Arizona Cardinals NFL.com's Reuter: Fourth round, No. 119 overall pick to the Cleveland Browns
Egbule's draft projections •
•
The Athletic's Brugler: Fifth round, No. 167 overall pick to the Kansas City Chiefs Draft Wire's Easterling: Fourth round, No. 132 overall pick to the New York Giants
sports@thedailycougar.com
Although Houston's defense was its weak point in 2018, it had plenty of raw talent on the team and at least three players are expected to make it onto a 90-man NFL preseason roster, if not the final 53-man one. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar
10 | Wednesday, April 10, 2019
OPINION JORDEN SMITH, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION
OPINION@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
713-743-5304
SPORTS
NFL, NBA dancers deserve fair compensation for their work RACHEL REYNOLDS
OPINION COLUMNIST
S
ideline cheerleaders at any sporting event are a staple to the fan experience. They are entertaining at games, but they also spend hours outside of game day practicing and performing at public events to support their team. At their core, these women are actually not cheerleaders but professional dancers. Most NFL and NBA teams, however, do not pay their dancers a fair wage. Most wages are either below or barely meeting minimum wage. These women are a fundamental part of the game day atmosphere, and they deserve to be treated as such. Why it's allowed NBA cheerleaders are considered independent contract employees. This means the dancers do not qualify for insurance or health benefits. Since the cheerleaders are contract employees, the teams not required to adhere to federal minimum wage standards. In the NFL, cheerleaders are required to hold another fulltime job in order to dance for the team. This must be because they know their payment is not a livable wage While it may be legal to pay them less than minimum wage, the question still remains: Why are professional sports teams OK with the poor treatment of these women who are so important to marketing and fan experience? NFL revenues have jumped from $4.28 billion in 2001 to $13.16 billion in 2016, reaching record-high amounts. These teams rake in hundreds of millions of dollars from games, marketing and concessions and yet somehow cannot pay these women minimum wage. It seems to me that teams
are so caught up in profits they pay concession stand workers more than their own dancers, who love to dance and cheer for their team so much they spend more than 40 hours a week practicing and performing, on top of holding mandated fulltime jobs. Maybe the answer is simple: Professional sports teams are OK with exploiting women. Legal action Dancers from different teams have spoken out and taken legal action against their former employers. The earliest case The Washington Redskins cheerleaders have had problems of their own with how they have been treated by was brought on by dancers management; their situation is not uncommon. | Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/user: SecretName101 against the NFL Buffalo Bills in 1995. The cheerleaders formed The Washington Redskins time hours,” which seems to the first ever union, claiming know how many girls would had an incident in 2013 when be the expectation from other unfair wages and mistreatment kill to dance on a professional they took their cheerleading teams as well. by their private owners, Buffalo sports team. Anyone who squad to the Occidental Grand Two former Raiderettes Jills Cheerleaders Inc. makes trouble can quickly be Papagayo resort in Costa Rica. dancing for the Oakland In 2014, several former replaced by someone who will Several cheerleaders say they Raiders won a class-action Buffalo Jills spoke out for keep quiet about the same were required to pose topless wage theft lawsuit after similar reasons, and the treatment. with body paint for a calendar company who managed the Jills claiming illegal wage in front of spectators the deductions and forced hours responded by doing away with Best in the world Redskins invited. of unpaid work. They won the dance team as a whole. The players on professional One evening on the trip, nine a $1.25 million settlement In 2017, legal action was sporting teams are considered of the cheerleaders were told after the Raiders admitted taken by former Milwaukee the best in their field. The NBA they had a special assignment: Bucks dancer Lauren Herington the wrongdoing and in turn and NFL players are the top to be personal escorts for forced the team to draw up against the team. She sued of the line. For many dancers, sponsors at a nightclub. new contracts promising a $9 the team for failing to meet dancing for a professional This kind of exploitation was an hour wage and overtime, requirements by the U.S. Fair sports team is the highest not completely forced, but it including rehearsals, practices Labor Standards Act as well as position they can hold. was mandatory for them to and mandatory appearances. Wisconsin’s wage and payment The players are the best follow along with these kinds laws. in their sport and are paid of requests. The Redskins even Emotional, physical Herington claimed that accordingly. In 2017, the collected passports from the mistreatment dancers spent an average of women upon their arrival at the minimum salary for an NBA On top of unfair wages, 30 to 40 hours a week across rookie was a whopping resort. dancers are often subject rehearsals, workouts, public $815,615 and $465,000 for a Among all of the professional to humiliation and unfair appearances and games. Their first-year NFL player. dancers that have spoken out, treatment by their coaches payment, however, was set at These dancers are also the their stories have one thing and employers. The Texans flat rates: $30 for practice, $50 best in their field and are paid in common: There is a great cheerleaders claim they for special events and $65 for pathetic wages. Even if some emphasis to the girls that they were regularly physically games. are replaceable. and emotionally abused Several Houston Texans Perhaps the teams pay these cheerleaders tell a similar story. and harassed. This alleged CHEERLEADERS women so little because they harassment ranged from verbal They claim that while they Continues on next page comments about weight to were paid the federal minimum duct taping one cheerleader’s wage of $7.25, they were not stomach to try and shame her compensated for much of their CATHOLIC MASS ON CAMPUS into losing weight. work including travel time, food SUNDAYS: AM - Religion Center In 2017, former Miami cost, team social 10:45 media upkeep 6:00 PM - Catholic Center WEEKDAYS: Dolphins cheerleader Kristan and appearances. Tuesday—Friday 12:00 Noon Ware filed a complaint with The girls specifically CATHOLICcited NEWMAN CENTER Confession: Before or After Masses the Florida Commission on that their employers were not Sunday Bible Class following the federal Fair Labor Human Relations, saying she was subjected to a hostile work Standards Act, which requires environment including ridicule that employee pay cannot be of her Christian values and below the minimum wage and that employees who work more lifestyle.Ware claimed she was a target for harassment when than 40 hours per week are members of her team and her owed overtime pay rates. higher-ups found out about her One cheerleader also said decision wait until IN marriage F YOU ARE INTERESTED IN to ADVERTISING WORSHIP DIRECTORY, her coach claimed Icheering REPRESENTATIVE AT 713-743-5356 CONTACT to have sex. was a “part-time job” with “full-A SALES Performers like the Milwaukee Bucks dancers work their whole lives to get to
worship DIRECTORY
the top. | Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/user: Flickr upload bot
Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | 11
JORDEN SMITH, EDITOR
THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION
CHEERLEADERS
Continued from previous page EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF
Jasmine Davis MANAGING EDITOR
Cristobella Durrette
SPORTS EDITOR
Andres Chio
LIFE & ARTS EDITOR
Vacant
PHOTO EDITOR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Corbin Ayres
CAMPUS EDITOR
Jorden Smith
Fiona Legesse Hadrian Barbosa
FEATURES EDITOR
Greg Fails
CHIEF COPY EDITOR
Morgan Horst
dance teams are independently owned and contracted entities, the NFL and the NBA still use their appearances and talents to market their sports teams. This makes them partly responsible for this kind of
OPINION
OPINION@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
treatment. While these professional dancers may not bring in any specific form of revenue for sports teams, they are a vital part of fan experience and game day atmosphere. Who would we watch during timeouts? Yet another Jersey Mike’s sandwich ad?
713-743-5304
Who else would get the crowd to get on their feet, the mascot alone or the jumbo screen that encourages fans to “make some noise?” Sideline dancers have been a part of the sports atmosphere for a long time. They have their own fan base and brand, and it is simply unacceptable to treat
them as disposable objects working for pennies on the dollar doing something they love. Professional sports teams simply need to do better. Opinion columnist Rachel Reynolds is a psychology sophomore and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.
OPINION EDITOR
ASSISTANT EDITORS
Trenton Whiting, McKenzie Misiaszek, Trevor Nolley, Tony Cianciulli
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Game of Thrones: Why the Night King will reign supreme JORDEN SMITH AND ANTHONY CIANCIULLI
OPINION EDITORS
W
inter has arrived and is here to stay, as long as the Night King has anything to say about it. For those of you who aren't well-versed in "Game of Thrones," the Night King and his army of White Walkers are the biggest threats to dismantling the Seven Kingdoms. Today we will focus on why the Night King is the best character and tell you why he will reign supreme. Warning: Spoilers ahead.
It’s actually quite interesting. We’ve never really been given the White Walkers' end goal. Maybe it destroys all humanity and creates a world where it’s winter forever, but we can’t be sure. Every other character has a clearly defined end goal. But with the Night King, we don’t know. Even with that uncertainty, it’s pretty clear the path to the end goal is plotted well. Can you see the Night King making a grand mistake right now? Because I can’t. He is consistently the only character who has done a good job.
Jon has gotten very, very lucky — he was dead. Dany lucked out with the dragons. Cersei would be Queen of the Ashes if that meant she would stay Queen. The Night King has a solid plan. And it shows. Let’s be honest with ourselves here — does Westeros deserve to survive? There have been years of fighting, suffering and a lot of degeneracy. The Night King is like the Sweet Meteor O’Death: effective and, honestly, we deserve it. Imagine a world where there’s no suffering, no war, no
famine, only a dead ice man who controls your every moment. It’s surprisingly beautiful. It’s like an authoritarian regime but without the suffering because you and everyone you know is dead. But seriously, the Night King is not human (anymore, thanks Children of the Forest). He does not have the empathy or emotions that weigh the other humans down. The reason Viserion died was because Jon did not realize it was a bad idea. The
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Jorden, Opinion editor The Night King is by far the coolest character in the entire show. Throughout every season, he has been one step ahead of every person who has come in contact with him. He’s beaten Jon Snow and goaded him into making dumb mistakes. Not only did he mark Bran Stark, but he used that mark to kill the Three-Eyed Raven. Viserion —the Night King went full Summer Olympics and got himself a dragon. And what about the last Children of the Forest, his creators? He took them out with ease. Their weak little fireballs knew nothing of the cold. Needless to say, the Night King is easily the one person (Being? Entity? Creation?) who deserves to win. The Night King is the only character on the show who remotely knows what he’s doing. His execution of doing what needs to be done is, in a word, impeccable. The only time he’s suffered any kind of loss or setback is at Hardhome when Jon killed one of the other White Walkers. Even then, as we saw in the first season, there are other White Walkers in waiting. So what’s one loss?
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incredibly powerful and has an ice-breathing, undead dragon. The Night King and his army Night King isn’t human. A huge of White Walkers are like the advantage. Patriots in the Brady-Belichick I personally cannot wait to era or Nick Saban's Alabama see the Night King on the Iron program: straight dominance. Throne as snow falls around him You might be asking yourself, and with Jon, Dany and Cersei "What does the Night King and all flanking him. This is the best his army have anything to do scenario for all of Westeros and with football?" Besides being the world of "Game of Thrones." completely dominant in their Dany may be the temporary respective ventures, they both breaker of chains, but the Night have very few weaknesses. King is the real breaker of chains; In order to kill a White Walker, those chains being life. you must either use Valyrian I for one welcome the glorious steel or dragon glass. Up until reign of the Night King. the last season, dragon glass was extremely rare. Tony, Assistant editor This is also the case for Valyrian I can't name another antagonist steel, which is more of a prized whose goal is completely family heirloom and uncommon unknown. There's the Joker in among swordsmen.This means Christopher Nolan's version of regular steel has no effect on "Batman" who simply wanted to White Walkers. Seriously, if Tom watch the world burn. But even Brady, Bill Belichick and Saban all he had plans: take over Gotham had a love child, it would be the and watch the people of the city Night King. That's how dominant consume each other. of a force he has proven to be. But the Night King has zero The "Game of Thrones" writers motivation that the audience is don't care about your feelings aware of. (RIP Ned Stark). If anything, the All we know is he's as cold show has taught us to never care as ice and holds one heck of too much about any character 1 4/5/19 a grudge.10-11903 We alsoCougar knowNews he's April Ad 1_print.pdf because no one is safe in11:45 the AM
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The Night King's intimidating figure shall rule all by the end of "Game of Thrones." | Fiona Legesse/The Cougar
Seven Kingdoms. Emilia Clark, who plays Dany, said she became depressed when learning about her character's fate. A similar sentiment was shared by Gwendoline Christie — the actress playing Brienne of Tarth — who said the ending will cause the viewers to seek
professional help. The "saddest" possible ending would be the Night King taking complete control of Westeros and killing every last living soul. Well, sad to the weak. But we do not write for the faint of heart here in the opinion section. The night is dark and full of
terrors, and the Night King is coming for us all. Opinion Editor Jorden Smith is a political science and creative writing senior, and Assistant Opinion Editor Anthony Cianciulli is a broadcast journalism senior. They can both be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com.