Issue 28, Volume 84 by The Cougar

PRINT WEEKLY. DIGITAL DAILY

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Issue 28, Volume 84

uh.edu/csm

coogradio.com

thedailycougar.com

coogtv.com

Some communications students have attributed their delayed graduation to issues with advisers in the program. | PG. 2

NEWS Faculty remembers late physics professor

George Reiter, 77, was a member of the UH department for more than 35 years before passing away on March 30. | PG. 4

SPORTS On the home stretch

The softball team has gotten through a brutal slew of games, but is ready to take the experience and surge back up the American Athletic Conference. | PG. 8

OPINION Get to know the UH PAC

Students know the University is somehow involved in legislative sessions, but few know the group advocating on its behalf. | PG. 11

2 | Wednesday, April 17, 2019

NEWS

GREG FAILS, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

ACADEMICS

Valenti seniors attribute delayed graduation to advising issues

713-743-5314

The Cougar

thedailycougar.com

ABOUT THE COUGAR The Cougar is published every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters and online everyday at thedailycougar. com. The Cougar is supported in part by Student Service Fees. The first copy is free. Additional copies cost 25 cents.

COPYRIGHT No part of the newspaper in print or online may be reproduced without the consent of the director of Student Publications.

ISSUE STAFF CLOSING EDITORS

Jasmine Davis Cristobella Durrette COPY EDITING

Morgan Horst COVER

Fiona Legesse

Center for Student Media uh.edu/csm

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.

The Valenti School of Communication has only four advisers to serve its 1,641 students, according to the Office of Institutional Research. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar

VIVIAN BAINS

STAFF WRITER @VCBAINS

As the semester comes to a close, several seniors at the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication are having to postpone graduation due to issues they attribute to poor advising within the programs. Journalism senior Aimee Pezina transferred to UH in Spring 2018 after earning her associate’s degree from Houston Community College. She was originally set to graduate in Fall 2019 — something that she said she’d been told by her advisor — but she said that changed when she met with them April 4. “She looked at my degree plan, back at her computer, did some clicking and looked back at me and said I needed 37 hours, and 13 of those were miscellaneous hours,” Pezina said. “When she said that, all I could hear was, ‘You’re going to be here another semester and you need to come up with more money.” Pezina said her advising issues began in earnest during

orientation, when students were sent home early due to harsh weather conditions. They didn’t get to see their advisors to put their schedules together and were left to figure it out for themselves, she said. “I was new to the school, the waiting list was long and I didn’t really know how to get help,” Pezina said. Despite never getting the chance to see an advisor that first semester, Pezina managed to figure out her requirements and enroll in courses for both that spring and the following fall. When she finally was able to see an advisor in Fall 2018, she said they told her she did a fine job picking her classes and was on track to graduate on time. She still doesn’t know what changed between then and April 4.

Avoiding mishaps Trever Thomas, the lead adviser for communications students, said students can avoid surprises in their enrollment and get a better

handle on their graduation requirements by regularly and carefully reviewing program requirements with their adviser. She also said students should meet with their advisers earlier, rather than later. Meeting regularly with an adviser, however, has proven challenging for some communications students, with each adviser being responsible for more than 400 students. According to data from the UH Office of Institutional Research, there were 1,641 students enrolled in communications programs as of Fall 2018, and only four advisers serve students in those programs. While advising at Valenti does offer walk-in appointments each Wednesday, the Academic Advising page of the school’s website stipulates that those times are for small concerns only, and not for comprehensive advisement. Multiple students in COMM 3315, Social Media and News, reported additional issues with

advisers incorrectly recording the classes they’ve taken, marking certain requirements as satisfied when they were not. “It is very important that if this is happening with students, that those affected inform myself or their primary COMM adviser right away so that we can look into it, determine next steps and get it resolved before it is time for the student to graduate,” Thomas said. While talking to the advisers can resolve some of these errors, both Pezina and Nguyen said they are still being affected by mistakes from a lack of communication by advisers. Still, Thomas said, visiting one often is important for staying on track. “To avoid a student spending time and money in taking a wrong elective, it is strongly recommended that they first meet with their adviser,” Thomas said.

VALENTI ADVISING

Continues on page 5

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. CENTER FOR STUDENT MEDIA

(713) 743-5350 csm@uh.edu www.uh.edu/csm N221 Student Center University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-4015 ADVERTISING

(713) 743-5340 advertising@thedailycougar.com thedailycougar.com/advertising STUDENT ADVERTISING MANAGER Garreth Marchuk ADVERTISING REPS London Douglas DESIGN TEAM Ram Armendariz Kristen Fernandes

Wednesday, April 17, 2019 | 3

GREG FAILS, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

NEWS 713-743-5314

Apply today on Get Involved! @cooglifemag /cooglife

4 | Wednesday, April 17, 2019

NEWS

GREG FAILS, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5314

Director of the Department of Physics Gemunu Gunaratne delivered the eulogy for late professor George Reiter, 77, Monday afternoon in the A.D. Bruce Religion Center. "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, which began every episode of Reiter's radio show "Thresholds," played while attendees shared their favorite memories of Reiter. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar

OBITUARY

Physics professor remembered fondly for intelligence, passion IAN EVERETT

STAFF WRITER @TWITTERHANDLE

When Rene Bellweid was considering joining the University of Houston faculty, he was told there was only one person he needed to talk to: George Reiter. They met and spoke for 10 minutes about science, and they spent the following two hours discussing politics. “He was a real mensch,” said Bellweid. “Everyone who talked with him learned something.” Bellweid was among friends and family that came to the AD Bruce Religion Center on Monday to bid farewell to Reiter, 77, who passed away on March 30 after a year-long battle with cancer. Reiter joined the UH department of physics in 1981 and served as the UH Faculty Senate president in 2000, during which time he was among those who called to abolish intercollegiate athletics at UH and prioritize education. He and his wife, Debbie Shafto, were both active

members of the Harris County Green Party. “He had a deep concern for the downtrodden and how little we cared for them in the U.S.,” said Gemunu Gunaratne, chairman of the UH physics department. “He was a humanist in the best sense of the word.” Gunaratne wrote the eulogy for Monday's memorial service, remembering Reiter as “a highly regarded senior member” in the physics faculty. “He was one of the smartest people in the department,” Gunaratne said. Reiter’s colleagues not only regarded him as an intelligent man, but said he was outspoken on matters close to his heart and mind such as politics and education. “He was very vocal about many things,” said Ernst Leiss, former Faculty Senate president and professor of computer science. “He was something.” In 1993, the Faculty Senate made a demand — abolish intercollegiate athletics — which led to a vote to recommend forgoing Division

1-A athletics in favor of education, citing concerns that the department could not sustain itself and would eat into other University budgets. The vote passed 25-15, but the UH System Board of Regents denied the request, and UH remains to this day an athletics-oriented campus. “I’d be surprised if we still had intercollegiate athletics in five years,” he told the Chicago Tribune in 1993 after the Faculty Senate’s vote. “Do we really want to be a part of the entertainment industry?” This idealism was not limited to campus, as he sought election twice as a Green Party candidate: once in 2002

for Texas’ 25th Congressional District, losing out to Chris Bell, and more recently in November 2018 as Railroad Commissioner, but he did not qualify for the general ballot. Reiter was an anti-war activist, who insisted that “groups or countries should discuss their differences” Gunaratne said, and he was an active member of the Union of Concerned Scientists and Justice, Not War. He also hosted the radio talk-show "Thresholds," where he hosted guests from across various political and ideological aisles to discuss topics ranging from religion to politics and society. The song "Fanfare for

“Everyone who talked to him learned something."

Rene Bellweid, Faculty, UH Department of Physics

the Common Man," by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, began each show and also fittingly accompanied his memorial service. In the realm of science, he was a condensed matter physicist who tackled a wide variety of problems. He worked with the late professor Simon Moss on what became known as the ReiterMoss theory, which Gunaratne said explained how the structure of a liquid is modulated by an underlying substrate. Those that knew him remembered him as a brilliant and friendly man. “He was a pleasant man. Occasionally he was a little strident, but never unpleasant,” Leiss said. “He disagreed but he was never disagreeable.” Joseph McCauley, a professor of physics at UH, recalled that whenever he passed Reiter in the hall, they would share a hug. “He never met someone he didn’t like,” McCauley said. news@thedailycougar.com

Wednesday, April 17, 2019 | 5

GREG FAILS, EDITOR

VALENTI ADVISING

Continued from page 2

Future of advising Advisers are human, Thomas said, and mistakes can happen. To best prevent students from being penalized as a result of advising mistakes, Thomas said students should keep documentation of their advising appointments and make sure to quickly communicate any issues they find. If an adviser is found at fault, Thomas said the department will do what it can to help students meet their requirements by deadline through petitioning previously taken courses. Thomas said an adviser at fault would also likely have conversations with higher-ups in the department. “This is not everybody’s’ calling, and those that are called to it should be constantly sharpening the saw and learning to be better through constructive criticism,” Thomas said. “With this (advising) staff being new for the most part, there is coaching that they have to go through.” While petitioning courses is and has been a means to help make up for requirement

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

shortfalls, Thomas said the Valenti School of Communications and the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences are introducing higher standards for petitioning classes. “I would definitely say the door isn’t slammed on petitions, but we are being more careful,” Thomas said. She has to review and justify any petitions sent through to CLASS and the Provost — though, she said the issue could be helped by clearer guidelines from CLASS on both petition and degree requirements. Psychology senior Ivy Nguyen was surprised to learn from her major adviser as she was applying for graduation that a 4000-level COMM class she was enrolled in couldn’t be used to satisfy the requirements of her journalism minor. Though she hadn’t discussed the course with a Valenti adviser prior to enrolling, she said she was under the impression the course could be used. “I went to talk to the COMM adviser during walk-in Wednesdays, and she said I had to petition it to get the class I’m

NEWS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

currently taking approved, but it was a 50/50 chance,” Nguyen said. Her petition was ultimately rejected by the CLASS dean, and she now has to take a different elective over the summer in order to re-apply for graduation. “I still get to walk, but that’s another $1,000 I have to spend,” Nguyen said. “I can’t even sign up for classes until my graduation application gets denied.” While Thomas said the department will work with students to correct mistakes students have made, students will usually have to retake those requirements. Pezina and Nguyen both blame their issues graduating on unclear communication regarding advising and degree plans. “I decided that after taking six classes this semester and working two jobs that I will accept the later graduation date,” Pezina said. “I feel like I was set up for failure because there just isn’t a strong academic advising center.” news@thedailycougar.com

NEWS 713-743-5314

Many students at the Valenti School major in media-related fields, including as print and broadcast journalism. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar

6 | Wednesday, April 17, 2019

SPORTS ANDRES CHIO, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

SPORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5303

TRACK AND FIELD

Junior sprinter's unique attitude has acclimated him to new team BRAYLEY CROWE

STAFF WRITER @BRAYLEYCROWE

On a blistering hot afternoon in Houston, junior Jermaine Holt rushed around the track as the third leg of the men’s 4x400m relay and ensured another victory for the red and white. While Holt’s hustle and quickness highlight his competitive nature, the video he uploaded to YouTube a day prior emphasizes his contrasting but just as dominant personality trait: goofy. The video, titled "Signs You’ve Been Disrespected In Track And Field," is a six-and-a-half minute long film full of humor in the track and field world like many of his other videos. His channel is home to 26 videos and has amassed a total of over 61,000 views and 652 subscribers. His teammate, senior Obi Igbokwe, described Holt as goofy first, then hardworking and a genuine.

Junior transfer Jermaine Holt has warmed up to his new team with his humor and has become a key part of its NCAA outdoor national championship hopes. The Cougars are one of the top five teams in the hunt. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar

“There’s a lot of funny people, but he’s different,” Igbokwe said. “I’ve never seen someone be so

unserious and just so goofy and then be able to be 100% super serious. He’s just a funny guy,

and he’s easy going.” Prior to his time at the University of Houston, Holt ran

PACE BEND

LEAD CLIMB CERTIFICATION

5:30 - 8:30PM

$5.00

This class is for advanced climbers. You must be able to climb a 5.8 and be belay certified.

Registration Deadline 2 days prior to scheduled class date at 5pm. UHRecreation uh.edu/recreation

JUNIOR SPRINTER

Continues on page 8

SWIMMING & PADDLING AT

LEARN TO

APRIL 24

the 400m dash and the 4x400m at Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kansas, though he is originally from St. Louis. That is where his interest in shooting videos began. Holt began to shoot dance videos while in high school, and during his time in Coffeyville, Holt and his friends began filming track-themed skits to kill free time. Holt continued to pursue the hobby after he received positive responses on his first few skits, and those types of videos litter his channel today. But as Igbokwe said, Holt is also a fierce competitor and has emerged as a staple for the Cougars’ track team since joining the program in August. Holt made it clear he would fight for a position on the 4x400m relay team, which he eventually earned.

OUTDOOR LEISURE

POOL HOURS

MO – TH 3:00 - 8:00PM FR – SU 12:00 - 7:30PM

APRIL 27 $50 $75

NON-MEMBER

Price includes food, gear, and guides.

Registration Deadline 4.19.19 at 5pm.

CAMPUS RECREATION STRENGTHENING THE PRIDE

CRWC MEMBER

SPORTS

Wednesday, April 17, 2019 | 7

ANDRES CHIO, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

SPORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5303

FOOTBALL

Cougars show improvements at Friday Night Lights TAYLOR HAWTHORNE

STAFF WRITER @TAYLOWHAW_

Houston footballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rainy Friday Night Lights left the audience with some comfort in next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team but also some questions. Accompanying the coaching changes, many players are adjusting to a new style of play with many adjustments being made on both sides of the ball. A big question revolves around senior quarterback D'Eriq King, who missed the last few games last season due to a knee injury. King was still wearing his knee brace during Friday nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s practice but was moving well and said he's been â&#x20AC;&#x153;feeling 100% for a long time now.â&#x20AC;? Head coach Dana Holgorsen is making sure King is healthy and remains that way for the entire season. He had King watch videos of former Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray to model his successful protection tendencies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The main thing (Holgorsen) has drilled in my head is to protect myself,â&#x20AC;? King said. Holgorsen has completely altered the offense, but something that has carried through last season is the fast pace â&#x20AC;&#x201D; though the team can also slow it down to keep the defense guessing. The offensive line struggled last year to keep the opposing defense away from the quarterback and allowed 30 sacks, but the new offensive line distilled some confidence through their strength. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We came in with a different offense, and I love it so far,â&#x20AC;? said senior offensive lineman Josh Jones. New offensive line coach Brandon Jones has helped the new offense and is a big contributor to the new style of play the fans saw Friday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coach Jones has taught us a few different techniques that I think will help the whole O-line to get better,â&#x20AC;? Jones said. Jones mentioned the new offensive line coach has had a big impact on the offense but not just game-wise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since the first day he got here, he started building relationships with the whole O-line,â&#x20AC;? Jones said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just go up there to talk to him and get to know him. That is what I like the most about him.â&#x20AC;?

Last season, Houston relied heavily on the use of the tight end, but in Friday nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s practice, the offense relied on the wide receivers. This seemed to work for the offense and gave it more options down the field. Something that was a little worrisome was the amount of dropped balls and missed catches by the receivers, something fans will remember from last season and hope will be diminished by the fall. In addition to changing the offense, Holgorsen transitioned the defense from a three-man front to a four-man, which will give Houston some extra man power on the line. Senior defensive lineman Blake Young said he loves the new formation and played the four-man front in junior college and high school. The new defensive line coach Brian Early has made the new defensive formation transfer smoothly, but he also has helped the defense get better in many different ways. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coach Early is a great coach, and he knows a lot about the football game. He is so smart when it comes to the different techniques beyond the D-line, like learning feet and hands and what the offense might run,â&#x20AC;? Young said. Early and new defensive coorindator Joe Cauthen were at Arkansas State previously and that team was one of the best performing defenses in the country. The squad was 12th nationally in passing yards allowed per game compared to Houston, which was 130th. Junior linebacker Jordan Carmouche transferred from Navarro Junior College last season and reunited with old teammates junior Deontay Anderson and King. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Me and Deontay Anderson have been playing together since Little League,â&#x20AC;? Carmouche said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was telling me we were going to do something special here: weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing it for the city.â&#x20AC;? The fans have to keep in mind that there have been many changes to this team, and putting it all together might take some time, but the Cougars didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disappoint in many aspects Friday night. sports@thedailycougar.com

The Cougars showed off some of the same explosiveness on offense that the team had last season with deep throws to receivers like senior Terry Mark (above). Houston used a lot of four-receiver sets at the practice. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar

UNIT AMENITIES Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122;

Queen Size Beds Ç&#x2013;Ç&#x2022; Ć&#x17E; "&)&+$0 )(Č&#x2019;&+ ),0"10 !!&1&,+ ) 1,/ $" ) ,+6 1 &+)"00 1"") --)& + "0 &)" "+10

/ +&1" ,2+1"/1,-0 /!4,,! ),,/0

+1"/+"1 )" 0%"/ČĄ /6"/

COMMUNITY AMENITIES Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122; Č&#x2122;

gatewayoncullen.com (713) 893-3858 1901 Cullen Blvd. Houston, TX 77023

*-20 %211)" ,))"6 )) ,2/1 Ç&#x153; 12!6 ,,*0 Ç&#x2014;Ç&#x2122; ,2/ &1+"00 6*

1"! ,**2+&16 ,2+$" )2 ,20" 4&**&+$ ,,) 20&+"00 "+1"/ +Č&#x2019;0&1" &+1"+ + " 21!,,/ &1 %"+ČĄ ,2+$" )"1 / 0% * /1 ,*"0 Č&#x203A; ")" 1 +&10Č&#x153;

/gatewayoncullen @gatewayoncullen

8 | Wednesday, April 17, 2019

SPORTS ANDRES CHIO, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

SPORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5303

SOFTBALL

Softball rallying before crucial road trip ANDRES CHIO

SPORTS EDITOR @CHIOANDRES

The Cougars softball team is in the final stretch of its season and is sitting at .500 in the American Athletic Conference after starting to rally back in the conference. Houston started the season strong, then faltered a bit during a long stretch of mostly road games, but it is now firing back toward the top of the AAC. Houston played the other three teams projected to finish in the top four along with UH to start its conference season and came out with a 3-6 record. It was a tough start but also a great way to learn, said head coach Kristin Vesely. "It's been brutal," Vesely said."We got to see some of our mental toughness come out and gotten to see some things that we need to work on, but it was good to test us early so we can finish the season strong." The Cougars started the season with 22 of their first 23 games at home and then went on the road for 10 games, including its conference opening series at Wichita State, who was voted to finish second in the AAC. UH was voted third. It did not get much easier with the home series against preseason favorite USF, followed by the team going on the road to face Tulsa, the 2018 AAC champion. "It's our hardest year in our conference because we have some of the toughest opponents on the road, but it's good for us to be challenged, and that's why we scheduled so many home games early, so we weren't on the road the entire year," Vesely said. With the toughest part of the conference behind them, the Cougars took down the Huskies 3-0 and have Memphis and UCF on the road before the end

JUNIOR SPRINTER

Continued from page 6 “Jermaine worked as hard if not harder than any athlete I have ever had come to Coffeyville,” said his former coach Craig Perry. “He is very talented, but he also just outworks everyone around him. He is so driven and hungry to succeed that he refuses to lose.” In his first season with the Cougars, Holt has already

The Cougars have used a good mix of power hitting, small ball and speed to score opportunistic runs and take leads bit by bit. | Andres Chio/The Cougar

of their conference schedule against ECU at home. A key piece down the stretch could be freshman Rachel Hertenberger, who is the newest of the Cougars' four pitchers. Last season, the Cougars had just three pitchers, and having a

fourth has opened up options for the team. Houston can now swap out pitchers a bit more to rest players and keep opponents from facing the same pitcher more than a couple times in a game. Vesely called Hertenberger's seventh inning one-run

“It's been brutal. We got to see some of our mental toughness come out and gotten to see some things that we need to work on, but it was good to test us early so we can finish the season strong.” Kristin Vesely, Softball head coach

earned himself and his team a national championship, as the 4x400m relay team finished first at the NCAA Indoor National Championships last month. “I’m real proud of that dude. He was a real integral part of that four-by-four, and we needed that for sure. He went above and beyond,” Igbokwe said. Holt said he was drawn to Houston’s program due to its mark as a smaller Division I program, as he could relate to

its underdog mentality. Like him, the program had a chip on its shoulder and had something to prove. The transition from a junior college to a Division I program adorned with a $4 million facility, however, was not an easy one initially. The junior noted the significantly tighter schedule as one thing that stood out during his first weeks at Houston as opposed to his days at

performance Sunday phenomenal and what the team needs to see in the next few weeks. "I loved the way she attacked the zone. Her changeup was on and she could throw the strike on any count, and when she is doing that, as well as moving her pitches, she is going to be very successful, and it is much needed toward the second half of this year," Vesely said. Hertenberger had the chance to play quickly, and her performances have been steadily improving against tougher opponents. As of writing, Houston's pitching roster has a combined

1.96 ERA led by seniors Presley Bell and Savannah Heebner. Bell has a 1.16 ERA over 72.2 inning, and Heebner has a 1.76 across 115.2 innings. With the elite pitching, Houston's offense has been able to have some quiet performances, but that will be one area to improve in before the conference tournament begins and it potentially faces the other top foes again. USF swept UH 4-2, 3-0 and 3-0, and Houston cannot afford another weekend like that if it wants to snag a top seed in the AAC Tournament.

Coffeyville. The training program was more intense than he had previously experienced, but with the help of his new teammates, Holt said he quickly gelled. “Most (of ) the people in the videos became more of my core group of friends that I hang out with,” Holt said. While he is still very active in his comedy shots, Holt has started to venture into editing highlight videos, collaborating

with fellow track and field athletes at meets and other types of videos. But for now, the acting, shooting and editing is just a side thing for the athlete to keep him busy, and he is still focused on elevating his team so they can challenge for the NCAA Outdoor Championship in just a couple months.

sports@thedailycougar.com

SPORTS

Wednesday, April 17, 2019 | 9

ANDRES CHIO, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

SPORTS@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5303

TENNIS

New pieces on tennis team make for perfect fit TRENTON WHITTING

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @TRENTONWHITTING

The Cougars won 20 matches and made it to the AAC Tournament quarterfinals before losing to Wichita State last season. This year, despite hiring a new coach and bringing back only one returning player, the Cougars have not missed a beat. UH has found a way to make all of the new pieces work as it moves on to its second good season in a row. Head coach Helena Besovic deserves much of the credit for this year’s success. From the beginning, Besovic focused on creating a team culture that emphasized making the players comfortable. This was not an easy task with six new players, many of whom came from different countries. 10-11903 Cougar News April Ad “The main goal for us has been to keep growing as a team,”

Besovic said. “This is a whole new team. With the coaching staff and the players, a lot of freshmen, transfers.” With basically a completely new roster, however, Besovic was able to create a culture the players have bought into. After an accomplished career as a player at TCU and on the ITF Women’s Circuit, it seems Besovic developed a knack for coaching. Her first opportunity was when she became the interim coach at the University of Missouri. She was an assistant for two years prior, but she still led the team to an appearance in the Big 12 Championships. Later when she moved on to McNeese, she started making history for the team immediately. She was the second coach in their history to have more than 1_print.pdf 1 4/5/19 AM 10 wins in her first two11:45 seasons. The season before she left for

UH, she earned the Southland Coach of the Year Award as she led McNeese to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. It's no surprise Besovic has been able to be successful at UH with her coaching history. But there's only so much a coach can do. In the end, it comes down to the players under the coach’s lead. Fortunately for Besovic, she is in charge of a talented group of players, many of whom were accomplished at their high schools and previous colleges. Phonexay Chitdara, a junior who followed Besovic from McNeese, is one of the elder players on the team. While at McNeese, Chitdara gathered a 17-3 record in doubles play and secured a spot on the All-Louisiana Second Team. She helped out the Cougars this season by picking up 11 singles wins in the regular season.

The other oldest player on the team, junior Mimi KendallWoseley, had a great career prior to UH as well. In high school, she was a top 150 recruit all four years. In her freshman year at the University of Toledo, she won 18 singles matches and earned her place in the All-MAC Second Team. The season before she transferred to UH, she went 9-3 in singles play and went undefeated in February. The other players have also had high levels of success. Redshirt freshman Elena Tairyan and true freshman Stephanie Belovukovic were some of the best junior players in their respective countries before coming to college. Belovukovic was even in the top 100 sub-14-year-old players. Sophomore Ndindi Ndunda was ranked at No. 82 in her class and had a junior international ranking of 150.

Freshmen players Sophie Gerits and Jovana Vukovic have contributed to the team’s success by being effective in both singles and doubles play. All of these players came from different places and different backgrounds, but the puzzle pieces came together and fit perfectly in Houston. Now the new team has an opportunity to grow even further as it continues its successful season into the AAC Tournament. “With every match, we feel like we are more united,” Besovic said. “We cheer for each other, support each other, and that’s making a difference.” The No. 3 seed Houston will play its first match of the AAC Tournament in Orlando April 18 against the winner of No. 11 Tulane versus No. 6 SMU. sports@thedailycougar.com

10 | Wednesday, April 17, 2019

OPINION JORDEN SMITH, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/OPINION

OPINION@THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM

713-743-5304

TRANSPORTATION

Cyclists, pedestrians need to stay in their lane ANTHONY CIANCIULLI

ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR

he University of Houston is known for many things, but one of the little-discussed areas for improvement is cyclists. UH is a commuter campus, which means there is only so much parking to go around. Many students try to find ways around parking on campus, and some might consider Uber or catching the bus to campus. But some students choose the road less traveled and resort to riding their bike to campus. This is dangerous because of the busy streets that surround UH's campus. But their health is not the focus of this article. It's the well-being of all the other students who walk on campus that needs to be discussed.

Where the sidewalk ends

Cyclists have a tendency to be selfish when it comes to sharing the road or sidewalk. At some point, everyone has encountered a Lance Armstrong wannabe on the road. He's the guy dressed in tight biker garb with an expensive bike that he probably bought a couple weeks ago. The reason we notice them isn't because of their bike riding abilities, but because of their inability to use a sidewalk. They take up a whole lane and make cars move around them. Houston has laws that prohibit bike riders using

POLITICS

sidewalks in business districts, like the Galleria and Downtown areas. But UH has no rules that prohibit sidewalk usage. However, UH does encourage cyclists to behave in a safe manner and warn pedestrians when attempting to pass by using a bell or verbal warning. It should sound like a cathedral at noon every second of the day on the UH campus. Bells should be ringing and people should be shouting. Instead, all that's heard is the deafening silence of petrified pedestrians and the whirring of wheels closing in on them. Every now and then you can hear a distant scream of a cyclist taking another victim. This level of narcissism can be seen on UH sidewalks almost daily. Cyclists travel much faster than walking pedestrians and have every right to pass in a safe manner.

Cycling solutions

But this is rarely the case. Instead of slowing down and riding around a group of walking students, they choose to keep course. Cyclists like to do this thing where they ride uncomfortably fast around pedestrians rather than slow down and move safely. These are the same people who weave in and out of traffic on 1-45 while going 110 mph. This could be solved by

Cyclists and pedestrians have been at odds for a long time, as they both refuse to share the sidewalk. This disparity between the needs of the pedestrians and the cyclists plays out on campus everyday as students try to get to class as quickly as possible. Improvements can be made to suit both cyclists and pedestrians. | Fiona Legesse/The Cougar

creating a "slow zone." The zone would act in the same way as school zone speed limits and limit their speed during the peak busy times on campus. But if nothing is done about these perpetrators, then the campus will no longer be a safe environment for students. Cyclists weren't born malicious — they were created. They aren't the worst of society, simply misunderstood by the bipedal population. The life of a cyclist is long and hard. They must dodge cars even when in a bike lane. They deal with large groups

of pedestrians that take up the entire sidewalk and leave no room for responsible bike riders. Cyclists rely on bike racks to safely lock their source of transportation. This can be especially frustrating to UH cyclists. UH currently has 356 bike racks on campus, which is clearly not enough. The Cougar reported on the issue in 2014 and it continues to be an issue today. We have even more students than we did in 2014, which means more bikers. Those of us among the

worship

walking population need to understand cyclist's plight. It will be a healthy step in a more prosperous future for all who roam the UH campus. We must work together to help create a campus that's safe for all students. Whether walking, biking, skating or crawling, we all share a collective struggle; surviving higher education. Assistant Opinion Editor Anthony Cianciulli is a broadcast journalism senior and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.