Issue 01, Volume 81

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Branching out UH is expanding its reach by adding a new campus in Katy and improving the programs at the Sugar Land location. Will your major be affected? | PG. 3

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ABOUT THE COUGAR The Cougar is published every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters, and twice during the summer and online at thedailycougar. com. The Daily 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 COPY EDITING

Taelor Marquetti-Gadison CLOSING EDITORS

Sean Alder Mónica Rojas Glissette Santana

ABOUT THE COVER Cooglife will not be replacing The Cougar, but complimenting it with articles and information on the fun things around UH. | Glissette Santana/The Cougar

Letter from the Editor

—Graphic design by A. Tomic

It's a girl...The Cougar gets a new sister

I

have a younger sister who is my opposite in every way. She likes pink; I like blue. She's tall; I'm short. She's a dancer, and I'm not. We compliment each other.

In the print issue (our biggest one of the school year), you'll notice there's something different: it feels a bit GLISSETTE SANTANA lighter. At only EDITOR IN CHIEF 44 pages, it's our smallest Back to School section in a while and there's a reason for that. There's no Life and Arts section.

No, we didn't forget to send it to the printers. And no, we didn't forget to assign stories to fill the space with.

It just doesn't exist anymore.

Now, I'm not saying it's because it wasn't successful, and not because we didn't like it. Realistically, it wasn't working. The content wasn't new or innovative and, really, most readers glossed over it on their way to the sports section.

So, we came up with an idea. A fresh, innovative take on all of the subjects that you, the reader, care about.

Entertainment? Check. Food?

Yeah, we're going to talk about that. We'll even try to help you find a place to live off-campus ( for those early birds who want to know what they're doing a year ahead of time.)

This summer, The Cougar's little sister was born. Her name is Cooglife and she's decided that she wants to be the diva in the

With UH's rapidly expanding system, the reach to potential students, faculty and staff is at an all-time high.

family that steals all of the attention. She's the social butterfly — a magazine that wants to tell you about the fun things happening around campus and the city.

She's gonna leave all the responsibility to The Cougar, which is going to focus on giving you more concentrated, accurate and timely news, sports and opinion coverage.

Any trace of movie or concert-related anythings can be found with coverage done by our friends at Coog Radio and CoogTV and you can look to The Cougar for all of your newsy stuff.

In times like these, where Buzzfeed rules the Internet in providing anything from presidential coverage to cat videos of the day, our organization needed to maintain a way to keep all of our coverage fresh. Sometimes,

changing how it's curated and published is the best answer.

Our sister publication is going to have a great year ahead of her, seeing as this is her first on campus. It's going to be a new experience for you and us. We've never published a magazine before, and UH has never had a publication dedicated solely to lifestyle and entertainment.

Like me and my sister, The Cougar and Cooglife compliment each other. And like most sisters, we're going to be trying to outdo each other through all aspects of life — or in our case, coverage.

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ABOUT CSM The Center for Student Media provides comprehensive advisory and financial support to the university’s student-run media: The Cougar newspaper, Student Video Network and COOG Radio.

Part of the Student Life portfolio in the Division of Student Affairs, the CSM is concerned with the development of students, focusing on critical thinking, leadership, ethics, collaboration, intercultural competence, goal-setting and ultimately, degree attainment. ultimately, degree attainment. While our students are engaged in producing and promoting media channels and content, our goal is to ensure they are learning to become better thinkers and leaders in the process.

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Henry Sturm, EDITOR

FINANCIAL AID

Gates Foundation proposes alterations to FAFSA LEEN BASHARAT

STAFF WRITER

As the government proposes possible changes to the FAFSA application, the Gates Foundation’s leading argument is that the jargon and length can cause confusion, exhaustion and mistakes that affect millions of college students.

“As dean, I support any changes to make the process easier and increase the number of students matriculating directly to college,” said Bob McPherson, Dean of the College of Education.

Every student seeking some type of financial aid — whether it is a federal grant, a scholarship or a subsidized loan — has to fill out the FAFSA application.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, more than $150 billion of financial aid is given to 13 million students paying for college across America through FAFSA. The application consists of approximately 130 questions.

These two factors are what members of the Gates Foundation

With a new set of proposals from the Gates Foundation, students and faculty alike are assessing the current state of FAFSA. | File Photo/The Cougar

are targeting. A recent proposition by the organization includes three changes to this national application.

The first is an elimination of complex questions that apply to a small portion of applicants.

“Personally, the FAFSA process was a complex and long process that required myself and my parents to put aside a good portion of the day to complete,” information and logistics technology freshman Jonathon Gomez said.

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"I had to fill out or skip a lot of things that didn’t pertain to me as (an) average high school student," Gomez said. "(They) caused more confusion and frustration than anything.”

The second change is a direct link to the IRS automatically filling tax related questions.

Brandie Cleaver, director of communications for the College of Education, agrees that a direct link to the IRS is a huge benefit for students and parents.

“The steps to completing the FASFA are at times difficult," Cleaver said. "Parents and students needed assistance. The direct link to the IRS and not having to wait for parents to complete the current year’s taxes seems to be an advantage for students."

The third change is the usage of tax information from two years ago allowing students the opportunity to fill out the application without having to wait for their parents to do the current year’s taxes. This change has resulted in

mixed reactions.

Chemistry senior Thuy Cao hasn't filed for FAFSA in three years, but she still remembers the complicated process from freshman year.

“A lot of things can change in two years," Cao said. "There can be a family where a student's parents make a lot of money but two years later one or both parents can be out of their job. So if that student applied that year and was recalling info from two years ago they wouldn’t get the FAFSA they deserve."

Like Gomez, some think that waiting on parents to fill out taxes, another long process, adds to the length of filling out the FAFSA application.

“College (students) have enough to deal with," said Sebrin Adbu, a biology sophomore.

“I feel like FAFSA shouldn’t have to be another thing on our plate worrying us.” news@thedailycougar.com

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Henry Sturm, Editor

RESEARCH

Your Brain on Dance: Professors make art from science

Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal looks at how the arts can influence learning potential and hopes Becky Valls' brain map will show promising signs. | Courtesy of Lynn Lane Photography

LEEN BASHARAT

STAFF WRITER

Research isn’t always just facts, numbers, data charts and pie graphs. Research can also be art.

Electrical and computer engineering professor Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal recognizes the diversity of research. With the help of associate professor of theater and dance Becky Valls, he is mapping brain activity while engaging in creative tasks.

“The process (of) creating art, whether (it’s) a performance, a painting or music, leads to innovation,” Contreras-Vidal said.

“With these new machines you're connecting the dots; you're looking beyond what you have in your hands. You’re trying to come up with something new using basic building blocks. Creativity and innovation go hand in hand.”

The project, Your Brain on Dance, has led to new findings on how the arts can induce learning potential for those with diseases such as Parkinson’s.

Contreras-Vidal’s project is simple, yet complex: a dancer performs with a brain cast, similar to a swimming cap, on her head. The cast has holes where 64 sensors are placed to listen to the brain. These sensors then capture electrical activity in the brain and record it outside.

A computer recognizes the patterns that relate to different gestures and expressions and is relayed outside in different ways – an alteration to the lights, the music and even the data, which is projected behind the dancer as she performs.

Once the data is all in, it is interpreted.

“We know that dance-movement, is not only moving from point A to B, but it’s about communicating,” Contreras-Vidal said. “If we understand emotions, moves (and) how the brain is affected by interacting with the people in the audience or with the other dancers, we anticipate using arts as a type of therapy with patients of different disorders in terms of communication.”

Valls said she has taught dance as a learning method to teachers at the UH Children’s Learning Center for five years, and that is what peaked her interest in the project.

“If you use creativity to teach science, it increases the learning potential that deepens knowledge,” Valls said. “That is really what Vidal is working with: ‘What is the role of creativity in the

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brain?’.”

But to Valls, there’s another part to the project.

“What I really like...is the performance element,” Valls said. “It is a visual, technological performance where you are watching the dancer...watching the brain waves change as you watch the movements change. Those two things really intrigued me – the performance aspect of it and the link to neuroscience and how we learn.”

Contreras-Vidal said the technology used to monitor the brain’s activity is an ongoing process, as easier ways to map activity, while not restricting the dancer’s movement, is important.

“The technology has to be light, easy to wear, provide the information (needed) and last for the entire time of the performance,”

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Contreras-Vidal said. “This (project) is really an intersection of arts, science and engineering.”

Contreras-Vidal has done a similar project before, but he used a painter instead of a dancer. And while his current project will keep performing monthly, he said he is interested in monitoring the brain activity of the Houston Symphony.

“All form of arts are important to my colleagues,” Conteras-Vidal said. “We know that art can provide great benefits to different clinical patients. We want to understand why and we want to see how we can enhance those effects.”

Your Brain on Dance’s next public performance is scheduled for September in the Hines College of Architecture. news@thedailycougar.com

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | 5

DON’T JUST BE ON CAMPUS

EXPERIENCE CAMPUS

Campus life is the time spent outside of the classroom that helps build character, shape leaders, and develop the next generation of UH alumni. From student organizations, outdoor adventure trips, mock interviews, and major campus and community events, we have so many opportunities to keep you on the right track for success.

GET INVOLVED.STAY HEALTHY.GET SUPPORT.LIVE ON CAMPUS.TAKE CHARGE. A.D. Bruce Religion Center | Admissions | Campus Recreation | Center for Students with DisABILITIES | Children’s Learning Centers Cougars in Recovery | Counseling and Psychological Services | Dean of Students Office | Diversity and Inclusion | Fraternity and Sorority Life Health Center | LGBT Resource Center | Scholarships and Financial Aid | Student Centers | Student Housing and Residential Life | Student Involvement Student Media | UH Wellness | University Career Services | Urban Experience Program | Veteran Services | Women and Gender Resource Center

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CITY

Mayor's Back to School fest returns for fifth year UH hosted the annual event for a third time to bring supplies for education to the Houston area LIDIA HERRERA

STAFF WRITER

Eager parents lined up with their children Saturday morning for the Mayor’s Back to School Fest, hosted

by Mayor Annise Parker and sponsored by Shell, at the Athletics and Alumni building.

“This program is about education, and we believe if kids come here to the University campus they can start dreaming about going to college,” said President Renu Khator. “All of our missions are the same. Our purpose is to prepare the little kids with all the tools and with a dream.”

This year Shell has provided more than 25,000 students with school supplies.

“The city usually looks for Shell to collaborate with, and five years ago we were really excited to discuss what we could do for the children in the community,” said Sharon Beshouri, a spokesperson for Shell. “We’re part of Houston and like to support it so it can be a

"Since Mayor Parker and her administration will be completing their term, we are hoping the next mayor will continue the Back to School program and the sponsor will continue to be Shell," said Beshouri, . | Pablo Milanese/The Cougar

great place for people to grow up.”

Three years ago another partner joined. UH began hosting the event on campus, and has continued to do so.

“A few years ago we got involved (with) Mayor Parker because she

wanted to bring this event to UH, so the students can have an expression of what a higher institute of education feels like,” said Susie R. Molina, director of community relations for the UH System Office of Governmental Relations.

The event offered school supplies, backpacks, clothes, City of Houston information, health screenings, immunizations and social service resources to the attending families.

“This is our second year; I loved

it last year and I love it more this year,” said Kia Brown, an attending parent. “The community is always coming together to do something for the families, and the event has a big influence on my daughter, Kinley.”

The event was not only packed with families but also with many volunteers from the Houston community.

“For three years, I have volunteered at this event; it’s one of my passions, “ said Lilly Warden, the volunteer captain.

For five years the Mayor’s Back to School Fest has impacted the Houston community positively, as many are hopeful that it will continue in future years.

“This event is important because it encourages parents to seek services for items they might need assistance with and encourages kids to stay in school; that’s one of our main objectives," Warden said. news@thedailycougar.com

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ACADEMICS

Social work program to transition master's program online

The graduate social work program will begin as a hybrid "experiment" in Fall 2016 as it will give students the ability to choose between online and face-to-face classes, eventually moving completely online.. | Sonia Zuniga/The Cougar

LEEN BASHARAT

STAFF WRITER

Students can obtain a master’s in social work completely online starting Fall 2016, adding yet another option of advancing education in the field of social work.

With this addition, the graduate social work program will become UH's 10th master’s program offered online.

“We were able to get support from the University to help in that development process," said Ginger Lucas, a clinical assistant professor and online master’s Social Work Program Director.

"It’s been a developing process for a year because we will be constantly tweaking, adding new things, creating new courses and offering more opportunities

for online students as we move forward.”

Social work graduate Cassie Manley did not find the online program option appealing at first.

“I wanted a classroom experience because I felt I could do better when I have a schedule and meet people face-to-face,” Manley said. “Then they transitioned into a hybrid last semester and it’s sur-

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prising what I appreciate about it. The program allows the best of both worlds. It gives people all these options to pick and choose what meets their needs best.”

The hybrid program will prominently take effect this fall as “an experiment” and move towards an online program, said Ann Webb, a doctoral student assisting with the hybrid program.

“We’re going to see how we can embrace that sense of community, sense of congeniality that happens in a live classroom into an online setting,” Webb said.

“That’s one of the challenges, we don’t know how that’s going to work. We have to figure that out as we go and that’s where we are right now.”

Although classwork is moving its way online, students are still expected to meet their field requirements. In the three years of the graduate program, students have to meet all 900 field hours in the community.

However, the idea of obtaining a master’s degree fully online is not appealing to everyone; Webb's

daughter took an online class and found it challenging.

“It requires a lot of self-motivation and not enough interaction and it didn’t work well for her,” Webb said.

One of the benefits the GSCW focused on planning for the hybrid and online option, is to offer this education at a wider radius.

“For people who are outside of Houston, it definitely provides greater access,” Manley said, “that’s the social workers goal.”

Lucas said that accessibility and opportunity were in mind when the College of Social Work faculty pushed the online program’s momentum forward.

“Online education kind of falls into the mission of social work which is to provide access to people who may not have it,” Lucas said. “We’re excited about the potential this allows for more people to become more educated, qualified and really be able to give back to the Houston community.” news@thedailycougar.com

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E G A G N E .

R E V O C S I D .

T C E CONN

COOGS GET INVOLVED!

Get Involved is a website that encourages university community engagement through Registered Student Organization involvement and events. Students can use Get Involved to search organizations and receive recommendations for involvement based on their interests. The University of Houston has over 400 student organizations and there is something for everyone. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Get Involved also allows you to register new organizations. Coogs, create your Get Involved profile today and get connected! Remember, successful UH students GET INVOLVED!

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1. Log in via AccessUH 2. Click the Get Involved icon 3. Click the “Organizations” tab to begin searching active organizations by name or category

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Weeks of Welcome Day of Service Saturday, August 29

Spend your day giving back to the local community and making friends.

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For more information visit: ww.uh.edu/csi/leadership

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UH SYSTEM

Campus expansion reaches Sugar Land, Katy

The $54 million expansion of the UH System to Sugar Land and Katy was made possible because of House Bill 100 funding from the Capital Constructions Bonds. | Sonia Zuniga/The Cougar

SONIA ZUNIGA

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

UH is growing beyond the main campus as it plans two separate initiatives: building a $54 million new facility at the UH Sugar Land campus and building an entirely new home in Katy, worth $46.8 million. Both projects are receiving funding from the Capital

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in UHSL won’t be completed until 2019, but it’s already created some buzz in the College of Technology.

A portion of the college will relocate into the fourth facility, a gradual transition that will add education, business, and health programs into the USHL campus, officially transitioning the institution to a university campus and the system’s fifth branch.

"I hope this new facility focuses on highlighting aspects in my study of field," computer information systems senior Adedeji Akinfaderin said. "It’ll be good for our department to get our name out there – they have great programs in digital production."

In 2013, Khator announced plans for UH to become the exclusive provider of baccalaureate and graduate programs at the Sugar Land campus from the UH System’s flagship university, according to the Task Force Report released in February 2014.

Now plans are under way to construct the new building, which will primarily house the College of Technology.

Standing in the intersection of Interstate 59 and University Boulevard, the 250-acre land was first transferred to the UH System from the Department of Transportation in 1998 to build a campus, which opened four years later.

The ever-expanding campus employs 200 faculty members and has an enrollment of 5,000 students, a number that is expected to rise roughly at 52 percent. An estimated 2,600 student applications are expected in the next five

years, according to a UH news release.

“We have a fairly large campus in Sugar Land, it’s a project that is growing and we are committed to grow with them,” Vice President for Governmental and Community relations Jason Smith said.

“Establishing a college of technology as our anchor college in the new building is very exciting.”

The UHSL campus had the 16-acre surplus land nearby for years. It was originally kept by TXDOT in case they needed to build a jug handle ramp, but the final design included an overpass at the intersection of Highway 59 and University Boulevard, so Associate Vice Chancellor for System Initiatives Richard D. Phillips said the land became surplus.

Student employment after graduation is a big goal behind the transition. Sugar Land's unemployment average comes at a low 4.2 percent, which is below the Texas average of 5.5 percent as of June 2014 according to its city data.

New home in Katy Roughly the size of Pittsburgh, which houses seven universities, the Katy area has a community of 305,000, which is expected to grow past 550,000 in the next 20 years. The area has three cities — Katy, Fulshear and Houston — and three counties (Harris, Fort Bend and Waller) within.

The new Katy campus will focus on having degree offerings concentrating on business, engineering and nursing.

“The Katy area has a pretty large business industry there,"

Smith said. "There’s an oil and gas interest and healthcare related companies in Katy, so those are the three we know about that will be some of the dominant programs.”

Katy’s current UH neighbor, UH Cinco Ranch, offers 20 degrees in its 37,000-sq.-ft. building. The Cinco Ranch teaching center, however, is enclosed by the surrounding development with no room to expand.

The new campus is expected to be developed in accordance to Katy’s higher education needs and engineering. Energy-related programs, along with nursing, were identified as natural fits for the region, Phillips said.

UH filed a preliminary request for a tuition revenue bond in January worth $60 million; according to the Katy Area Economic Development Council, this would’ve funded the purchase of land and construction of a 60,000-square-foot facility in Katy,.

The campus development is still on the early stages of planning, a parcel of land is yet to be identified, said Smith, and they’re still “looking at a bunch of options and putting the finances together.”

Budgeting is a factor, but Smith finds that the numbers are just starting points, and when the construction is underway, they’ll develop a budget alternative to make these projects work.

Phillips sees this as a welcome challenge.

EXPANSION

Continues on page 11

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | 11 thedailycougar.com/news

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EXPANSION

Continued from page 10 “This is not a one-time investment,” Smith said. “It’ll be for many years to come.”

Road to Growth Aside from the implementing programs that will take place in UHSL’s new building, the UH-Victoria nursing program will transition into UH School of Nursing, but remain on the Sugar Land campus, while expanding nursing programs in the main campus.

“It’s a big time for the university,” Smith said.

Phillips believes that leaving a footprint as a respected Tier One university brings in partnerships with respective communities relevant to Houston's growing economy.

Phillips said that expectations are high with the investment of the two buildings, and they’re just starting.

“UH is Houston’s university,” Phillips said. “Students can expect to get the highest quality higher education in a manner, at a cost and at a location that meets their needs."

news@thedailycougar.com

NEWS

Henry Sturm, Editor

Sugar Land Portion of College of Technology moves to new 150,000 sq. ft. facility New education, business and health programs transition to new facility

Katy New campus expected to house engineering and energy-related programs UH housing program moved to Katy

-Graphic by A. Tomic

news@thedailycougar.com

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FACULTY

Retiring CMAS director cultivated cultural conversations LIDIA HERRERA

STAFF WRITER

Empty bookshelves frame the small office while boxes, filled with old videocassette tapes, lie on the floor next to a desk, covered with scattered newspapers on top. This is it, the last moments Tatcho Mindiola sits in his office as the Director of Mexican-American Studies.

As the director of the CMAS for 43 years, his determination overcame obstacles in order to make the center successful for future students.

“With his leadership, focus, and vision, he has been able to develop, with the support of faculty and the community, one of the most important centers for the study of Mexican American Studies in Texas,” history professor Guadalupe San Miguel said.

Mindiola first came to UH as a student after serving seven years in the Army. In 1962, days before the new semester started, he was given his discharge papers and spent the next six and a half years finishing his degree in business.

Unsatisfied, he returned to school to complete a masters and doctoral degree in sociology, both at UH and Brown University.

In 1974, he returned to Houston to accept a joint appointment in

Sociology and Mexican American Studies. Six years later, he accepted the position as Director of the Center of Mexican American Studies— not knowing the impact he would leave behind years later.

“Very early on, the department pursued an effort to get funding from the state which lead to provide fellowships, money for our College Career Day, and helped encourage more Latino students to attend UH,” said CMAS Associate Director Lorenzo Cano.

“Our efforts have been a valuable catalyzed of making the campus a Hispanic serving constitution.”

Mindiola’s efforts for improving the CMAS was influenced by his involvement as a student in the League of Mexican American Students (LMAS), which was later changed to Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) and the Racia Unida political party during the Chicano movement.

“I think his motivation came from that Chicano movement in the late 60’s when (he was part of) the first group of Mexican Americans who attended the University throughout the country,” San Miguel said. “They began to realize that that the University could be utilized to promote an understanding of Mexicans in the

Tatcho Minidiola served as the director of CMAS for 43 years and helped both students and faculty supported by his involvement in the League of Mexican American Students while in school himself. | Pablo Milanese/The Cougar

US by using the knowledge and skills you obtain in the program.”

Mindiola’s persistent determination and hard work lead the center to develop a minor in Mexican American Studies, a visiting scholar’s program, research and graduate fellowships, leadership training, community services and a recruitment and retention component.

“One of his greatest accomplishments is that CMAS is still a strong and vital center after 40 years,” said Associate Professor and Director of History Monica Perales. “Of course, many students have passed through its programs. These many individ-

ual’s success stories will be his greatest legacy.”

Mindiola’s retirement announcement was a surprise to both faculty and students who have seen him change the center over the years.

“I never wanted him to retire and it saddens me to see him step down because he has always supported my research efforts," said San Miguel. "He’s been a good mentor, and provided me with guidance but I know he will be around.”

Mindiola’s struggles and success with the CMAS has greatly changed UH, but his influence on the community, faculty and

students will live on through his work.

Mindiola’s plans are to read, write, and rest as he begins his journey of completing his future book, “Race Talk in Mexican-American Cantina,” and completing other projects.

“I wish I was just now taking over," said Mindola. "I would’ve moved aggressively to get Mexican American Studies as a major, but the new director has the capacity to take the (center) into a new level. I think the university has just begin to scratch its greatest (success).” news@thedailycougar.com

CAMPUS

Nursing school moves to main campus JOSHLYN THOMAS

STAFF WRITER

The School of Nursing is becoming a full-blown University program, after moving around various satellite campuses. The school has now made its way to the main campus, and will commence classes in the fall semester.

“The program was under the University of Houston Victoria banner, meaning that the degree given was from that University, and now the University of Houston will be giving the degree,” said Kathryn Tart, Dean of the School of Nursing. “We were in Victoria, Sugar Land, and Cinco Ranch in Katy, and for a period of time we were in the Woodlands so now ... we’ll be going to

the main campus.”

This expansion promises more to students by bringing the School of Nursing closer to more doctoral and research opportunities.

“The University of Houston can eventually offer us a doctoral program that UHV could not,” Tart said.

“I think UH sees the larger picture of what the nursing profession can become. We need more nurses with their bachelor’s degrees, and we need more nurses in doctoral studies. UH is allowing that to happen by developing more health professional programs for a more educated workforce and more nursing research.”

By offering the program at

Sugar Land and its affiliation with the main campus, the School of Nursing hopes to reach to a larger pool of future healthcare professionals who may not have heard of the program before.

“I believe that the main campus could bring a lot more attention to the School of Nursing than UHV," said Chelsea Price, the program coordinator.

She said that UH-Victoria didn't have the name recognition that the main campus has, and that student interest is generating more now with the shift. But moving the school to the main campus does not mean that all those satellite campuses and

NURSING

Continues on page 13

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | 13 713-743-5314

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news@thedailycougar.com

NEWS

Henry Sturm, Editor

NURSING

Continued from page 12 former homes for nursing will no longer take part in the program.

“We will still be attending the campus in Sugar Land," said Kristen Torneda, a nursing student who expects to finish the second degree nursing program

by December.

"Jordan Sass has done an awesome job at keeping the students informed on the change and guiding us through all the steps," said Torneda.

But graduating through the main campus of the University system comes at a high cost for prospective students. While the School of Nursing was mindful of the financial situations of current students transferring, future students will have to look at a pretty penny.

“The (main) change from UHV to UH would be increased tuition,” Tondera said.

According to UHV’s online Billing and Financial catalogue, a graduate nursing student who is a resident of Texas will pay a total cost of about about $4,523.90 for 15 semester hours. The 2016 Academic Year Calendar for UH estimated $7,875 for 15 semester hours just for tuition and consol-

Although there are tuition differences from UH-Victoria to main campus, Cougars are excited for the chance to attend nursing school. | Sonia Zuniga/The Cougar

idated costs alone as a student in the School of Nursing.

“Students who transferred from Victoria to UH did not have their tuition increased. Students being admitted for this fall through the UH tuition will have to pay more,” Tart said. “People who are applying now are applying to that amount (charged by UH) but people who transferred from UHV to UH have not been harmed at all.”

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Despite the rise in tuition, more students have been able to apply to School of Nursing now that they are aware of it through its ties to the UH system as a part of the Sugar Land campus.

“I’ve already seen the effects that the news of our program has had on student interest,” Price said. “Our programs themselves aren’t changing, so I think our students will appreciate that we are keeping our current valued faculty

and procedures. Our current and future students will continue to benefit from the innovative nature and excellence of our programs for a long time to come.”

The School of Nursing is among the the top 4 percent in the nation.

This comes from a 100 percent first-time pass NCLEX-RN pass rate, the test that gives students the go-ahead to practice as an entry-level nurse. There is also a 100 percent pass rate of the Family

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“Nursing is a very, very, very important profession,” Tart said.

“Everybody at some point in their life is touched by a nurse from the time you are born, to the time you die, a nurse cares for you. They know they make a difference in people’s lives every day.” news@thedailycougar.com

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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

MONDAY, AUGUST 24TH / 11:30AM 1:30PM

Join us for FREE food & prizes at the Student Center Circle Drive

ACROSS 1 “30 Rock” star Baldwin 5 Aberdeen toppers 9 Busy folks in Apr. 13 “... ___, whatever will be, will be” 14 Skip 15 Glide via gravity 16 Chicken ___ (Ukrainian dish) 17 Great number 18 Ham’s place, sometimes 19 Queens TV character 22Showy bloom 25 Sleep inducer 26 Hidden advantage 30 Sobbed 31 Companionless 32 Early jazz 35 Frau’s beloved 36 Allen or Martin 37 Preserve meat by smoking 38 Personals, e.g.

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62 Safe cracker DOWN 1 Name as a price 2 Festive neckwear 3 Previously, in poems 4 Chevy automobile, once 5 Tabby’s mate 6 Chinese nurse 7 Short skirt 8 Eyelid problem 9 Chung of TV 10 Heavy coat .11 Up to this point 12 About 1.3 cubic yards 15 Two of a kind 20 Navel castaway 21 Kentucky explorer Daniel 22 Russian country house 23 Having land 24 They get what’s coming to them

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50 Close victory margin 54 “___ we having fun yet?”

55 Flashy wheel 56 Cadbury confection

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NEWS

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TECHNOLOGY

MRI-powered millirobots could heal in non-invasive way SONIA ZUNIGA

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

UH roboticists are developing a new form of non-invasive interference and drug delivery, using MRI-powered millirobots injected into the body, allowing patients to heal from the inside.

The most common brain surgery to cure such blockages like Hydrocephalus— or excess water (cerebrospinal fluid) that accumulates within the ventricles of the brain— requires cutting a hole into the scalp leaving a small scar behind for many patients. The roboticists hope to change this with their millirobots in a non-invasive procedure.

The Cullen College of Engineering’s electrical and computer engineering professor Aaron T. Becker, along two researchers at Harvard Medical School, developed a self-assembled Gauss gun, which injects these millirobots through the spinal canal, moving up “like ship channels throughout the body ( floating in CSF),” magnetized and manipulated by the MRI scanner.

“The cardinal rule for MRIs is (to) never take anything magnetic inside,” Becker said.

Because MRI scanners have strong magnetic fields, deaths have been reported when patients with undetected metal in their body enter an MRI scanner— making this a risky task.

“What we decided to do, as roboticists, was to purposely introduce small pieces of metal inside the MRI and then use the MRI to both see those pieces of metal and apply forces to steer them around inside somebody’s body,” Becker said.

The researchers initially struggled, finding that the MRI wasn’t powerful enough to penetrate the millirobots into the tissues on its own. The MRI magnets can only pull 40 percent of the power of gravity, Becker said, giving it a

bit of weight, but not enough to pierce the tissue.

“I searched online, and found this thing called a Gauss gun,” he said. “They call it a magnetic canon, I call it a Gauss gun, because it was the name I first discovered.”

The magnetic accelerator, very much like a sugared-up Newton’s cradle, has three high-powered magnets that separate a row of lined steel balls — filled with potential energy — which amplify the force when the first steel bar-bearings gently hits the next ball and sets off a chain reaction, gaining momentum.

The last steel ball flew right into the standing three pins, which Becker printed from his 3D printer, and into his laptop with surprising speed.

“I should have probably moved this,” Becker said.

The self-assembled Gauss gun is designed with three 3D-printed plastic components—the trigger (that fires), barrel, and delivery (with the puncture and drugs) containing titanium rod spacers that splits up two steel balls.

“We’d like to bring tiny robots to the goal location, and then self-assemble them into a tool that we can use to treat diseases,” he said. “That tool that we’d like to make it one that can puncture kind of like an auto-injector (diabetic injection).”

Mathematical biology senior Laura Ramirez found this new procedure to be beneficiary, seeing how it could barely leave a scar, and how exciting it sounds.

“It sounds very much like a science fiction procedure having tiny robots navigating through your body to cure you," Ramirez said. "The medical field could really change with this.”

It’s estimated that more than a million people in America suffer from Hydrocephalus, including one to two out of every 1,000

"This swarm of nano-sized robots lives in a bottle containing 10^14 nanorobots," said Becker.. | Sonia Zuniga/The Cougar

The most common brain surgery is one that leaves a small scar on the patient's skull and UH roboticists are working on non-invasive alternatives with the use of MRI-powered millirobots. | Sonia Zuniga/The Cougar

babies born according to the Hydrocephalus Association. The project, if successful, can operate on spinal cord blockages, brain injuries and even cancerous cells.

Doctoral candidate in Controls at the ECE Department, Shiva Shahrokhi has worked with Becker for a year and finds that if they can control thousands of robots simultaneously, they can achieve a medical impact.

“We could have millions of surgeons in our bodies that can potentially cure cancer in a short period of time,” Shahrokhi said.

“You can put some micro robots into the blood and navigate them to the cancer cells and they can kill them without damaging their healthy cells and get them out.

Our goal is to get to that stage.”

She laid down a couple of kilobots on a white board and illustrated how the tiny robots, which have two motors (such as vibrators in iPhones) navigated by the light to go either left, right or straight, each movement lights up by a color — red, blue or green.

“The same way the kilobots are navigated by light, the millirobots would be navigated by the MRI,” Shahrokhi said.

Commanding each robot simultaneously through global inputs is still a challenge that both Becker and Shahrokhi are working to strengthen.

“My lab's goal is to work with smaller and smaller robots into this nanoscale and eventually control trillions of robots,” Becker said.

The next goal for Becker is to get animal testing started and finding further funding options;

negotiations are currently under talks with MRIs in Houston, among other partnerships. Currently, Becker’s team is looking at how they can deliver pain blockers directly to individual nerves

to temporarily block individual pain receptors.

“Having a tiny delivery vehicle that we can control opens a world of possibilities." news@thedailycougar.com

UH CATHOLIC NEWMAN CENTER CATHOLIC STUDENT ORGANIZATION

OPEN HOUSE AT THE CATHOLIC NEWMAN CENTER Aug. 24th—Sept. 4th 9 a.m. — 9 p.m. during Welcome Week.

Free Ice Cream Sundaes from 1 p.m. — 4 p.m.

Free Lunch on Wednesdays after the daily Mass at 12:30 p.m.

MASS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Aug. 23rd at 10:45 a.m. at the A.D. Bruce Religion Center.

Auxiliary Bishop George A. Sheltz will be our main celebrant.

CATHOLIC STUDENT ORGANIZATION First Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 10th at 7 p.m. at the Catholic Newman Center

MASS SCHEDULE Tuesday — Friday at 12 p.m. at the Catholic Newman Center Sunday, 10:45 a.m. at the A.D. Bruce Religion Center (next to Quad Dorms) Sunday, 6 p.m. at the Catholic Newman Center (across from the Recreation Center)

RECONCILIATION SERVICE Before or after all the scheduled masses or by appointment with Fr. John Paul For more information call

(713) 748-2529 or visit uhcatholic.org

16 | Wednesday, August 19, 2015

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OPINION

EDITOR Anthony Torres EMAIL opinion@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/opinion

SATIRE PG. 6

Trump: Best president ever?

Barely 24 hours into his presidency, the newly-elected Donald fixes everything.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Police lives matter

The perception of officers around the country has left some to think there’s no humanity left in them. They’re wrong. | PG. 2 Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

2 | Wednesday, August 19, 2015

OPINION thedailycougar.com/opinion

LAW ENFORCEMENT

opinion@thedailycougar.com

Anthony Torres, EDITOR

Police lives matter

We need to remember law enforcement's humanity AUSTIN TURMAN

Mónica Rojas

O

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Sean Alder

NEWS EDITOR

Henry Sturm SPORTS EDITOR

Bryce Dodds

Police officers can sacrifice their sanity in order to protect and serve. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

complete apathy toward those they serve and protect.

The unfortunate truth which most people forget is each one of the over 477,000 police officers in America is as human as the rest of us.

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EDITOR IN CHIEF

Glissette Santana

MANAGING EDITOR

OPINION COLUMNIST

n August 3rd, Police Officer Sean Bolton of the Memphis Police Department was shot and died after approaching an illegally parked car and stumbling upon a drug deal. The news coverage repeated the same facts again and again; he was a veteran of the Iraq war, had a family and AUSTIN was tragically TURMAN OPINION gunned down COLUMNIST for less than two grams of marijuana.

A small vigil, a name on a wall and a passing news story is all that remains of officer Bolton; revealing a tough truth that we’ve come to have about police officers: we expect them to die.

The problem stems from our perception of police officers in our country. We think of them as Kevlar-coated machines that dispense justice without empathy and with

EDITORIAL BOARD

officers’ stress levels were linked to an increase in sleep disorders, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, brain cancer, heart disease, diabetes and suicide.

Perhaps the most troubling report comes from the National Center of Biotechnology Information which shows that between seven and 19 percent of active-duty officers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. To put that into perspective, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs shows the veterans of the two Iraq Wars had a PTSD rate of 13.8 percent.

The saddest fact is that the most common way for an officer to die is by suicide.

The routine stress of policing, combined with situational factors such as an authority role, peergroup pressures and "macho" values can affect the way officers deal with situations, leading to potentially violent encounters regardless the justification.

This leads to officers consciously or unconsciously rejecting any feelings of fear and anxiety, furthering the stereotype and causing officers not to get the help they need to stay effective.

In an interview with The Atlantic, former police officer Sean Riley explained, “How do you prepare or train an individual to see 26 children who have been murdered?

Those tragedies. Newtown. Aurora.

For any human being, how are they supposed to handle that?”

Local departments have increased the usage of less-thanlethal weapons such as the TASER from 60 percent in 2007 to 81 percent in 2013. Also, 32 percent of police officers now wear body

4/23/15 2:35 PM

“We think of (police officers) as Kevlarcoated machines that dispense justice without empathy and with complete apathy toward those they serve and protect.” cameras at all times. Departmental training is also at its most strict and regulated ever,.

And yet, it means nothing.

Police officers are still stigmatized as those who hassle the innocent and are cold calculating machines.

We’ve become a society that looks for problems and turns our backs to solutions and still wonder why nothing has been solved to our liking. Even as we dehumanize police officers, just as we say they dehumanize police brutality victims, all of us still lay in our beds behind locked doors, hoping we don't hear the noise of an uninvited guest downstairs.

We pray that we'll be safe from harm, and we pray that every time we dial those three numbers we still hear “9-1-1, what is your emergency?”

Opinion columnist Austin Turman is a political science junior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

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.

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Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | 3

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Anthony Torres, EDITOR

OPINION

STAFF EDITORIAL

Can we stop naming things after racist figures?

T

here comes a time during the evolution of cultures when we as a society reflect on our past and make a conscious decision about what sins we have in our history.

Slavery is one of the United States' worst sins.

Undeniably, the idea of treating a human being as property is almost unfathomable to Americans today. However, less than 150 years ago we were all killing each other over slavery.

While the institution has been abolished, there are still racist remnants of it left in our culture, especially in the South.

This summer there was a massive uproar wherein people finally questioned why there were still Confederate flags everywhere. Similarly, if you take a good look around, there are still street signs, buildings and even college dormitories given names after historically racist figures.

Running through campus is Calhoun Road, a street named after former Vice President John

The Lofts were only named for being adjacent to Calhoun Road, but the street itself was named after John C. Calhoun. | Photo illustration by Josué Díaz

C. Calhoun who was instrumental in annexing Texas into the United States.

Unfortunately, Calhoun is best known for his vehement assertion that slavery was a "positive good."

In fact, his reason for wanting to annex Texas in the first place was because he believed that Texas' annexation was imperative to preserving slavery in America.

The street itself was named by the city in the late 1800's, so it's understandable that Texans at the time weren't privy to sympathy for African-Americans.

Knowing all this, The University of Houston should take the opportunity to reconsider giving Calhoun Lofts a name more suited towards a diverse, Tier One research university.

The name "Calhoun Lofts" was originally only supposed to

be a placeholder and literally "became the name because it is located on Calhoun and the fact that they are lofts," said Teeba Rose, marketing manager for student housing and residential life.

Yale University is also considering renaming one of its colleges that is named after Calhoun. Just a few blocks away, a movement has already started to rename Dowling Street because

it is named after Confederate leader Richard Dowling.

In the heat of this Confederate flag backlash, now seems an appropriate time to consider removing this "placeholder" name and leave it to the students to decide. The fact that the newly built Lofts do not have a physical sign installed on the building makes that even more opportune.

People in South Carolina did not remove the confederate flag from their statehouse just because it offended some people; they did so because that flag represents a period in our history when we as a nation were divided over whether African-Americans should be treated as people or not.

Culture and tradition run deep in Texas, and some might disagree and say that we should still honor figures that helped make this state what it is today.

Tradition does not excuse something that carries a dark past with it.

—The Cougar Editorial Board

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4 | Wednesday, August 19, 2015

OPINION

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Anthony Torres, EDITOR

WEALTH

Income inequality doesn't equal democracy

Wages for the richest one percent have been increasing rapidly since the 1980's while 99 percent of Americans have seen virtually no wage growth in the same amount of time. | Ashley Alexander/The Cougar

ANTHONY TORRES

OPINION EDITOR

T

he United States of America is no longer a democracy.

This is not up for debate anymore. Multiple studies, including one from Princeton, confirm that the state of US politics resembles an oligarchy more than a democracy; meaning that the main influencing ANTHONY power in our TORRES government OPINION lies not with EDITOR the majority, but with a few groups.

The American public is aware of this. The stigma of politicians is that they're "all in the pockets of corporations," and anyone with

basic critical thinking skills can see this is, for the most part, true.

The Princeton study found that "organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy," and that "mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence."

Contrary to what conservatives like Ted Cruz might think, money does not equal free speech, but because of the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, unions and corporations can now flood the political spectrum.

We saw the result of this when over $7 billion was spent in political contributions in the 2012 election, making it the most expensive election in our nation's history.

But how has our society arrived to the point where people even

have that much money to spend on elections?

As many have heard before, the richest one percent of Americans are on track to having more wealth than the bottom 99 percent.

This is also not up for debate.

The rich are getting richer, and everyone else just has to sit by while wages remain stagnant.

This is shown by how CEO's pay have increased by 937 percent since 1978.

This is outrageous. People deserve to be successful and prosperous, but when they are doing it at the expense of others, that's when a conversation needs to be had about what is the morally right thing to do.

As much as Americans hate the word, the answer really is taxes.

Henry Blodget, CEO of Business Insider said that "some of the

most prosperous periods in US history have come during periods of super-high marginal income tax rates. And some of the most disastrous periods in US history have come after periods of super-low income tax rates."

One of those periods was during the Great Depression of the 1930's.

One of the reasons higher-income earners are staying so wealthy is because a lot of their profit actually comes from investments and capitol gains, which are taxed much lower than regular income tax rates.

Even Warren Buffet, the second richest man in the U.S., admits his effective tax rate is lower than his secretary's.

When Mitt Romney released his tax returns during the 2012 presidential election, we learned he only paid an effective tax rate of 14 percent.

Most Americans pay a tax rate around 25 to 30 percent.

When people get too much money to spend a tax break, it won't encourage them to actually spend that money; it just makes them ask the question how much more they can make.

You can only have so many cars, houses and boats.

This is about fairness. If everyone pays them same rate, then no one will complain that they are paying higher or lower taxes than anyone anymore.

Tax reform is desperately needed in this country, and it needs to happen now.

Just as the fictitious Warden Norton famously said, "Not tomorrow, not after breakfast, NOW." Anthony Torres is a political science junior and maybe reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

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Anthony Torres, EDITOR

OPINION

IMMIGRATION

Profiting off ICE detention centers needs to end SEBASTIAN TROITIÑO

OPINION COLUMNIST

I

mmigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, has managed to put a price on the deprivation of liberty.

In 2009, Congress placed a requirement on ICE to fund a minimum of 34,000 beds for the stay of detained immigrants.

This senseless requirement, also known as the national detention bed quota, deteSEBASTIAN TROITIÑ0 riorates the OPINION United States' COLUMNIST already busted immigration system and derails hope for comprehensive immigration reform.

The Detention Watch Network and the Center for Constitutional Rights recently published, “Banking on Detention: Local Lockup Quotas & the Immigrant Dragnet,” a report that exposes

the corrupt detention system the US government cheerfully participates in.

The report reveals that 62 percent of detention beds are operated by privately owned for-profit prison companies. As if that were not enough tax payer dollars being tossed at private companies, many detention centers owned by the government are serviced by privately contracted third party companies for services such as food, security and transportation.

“In the last decade the detention system has grown by 75 percent, an expansion that depends heavily on ICE’s increasing use of private contractors to operate and provide services at immigration jails across the country” the report says.

If that is not disappointing enough, a large portion of the 2016 fiscal year budget of over $2 billion will be for the benefit of for-profit contractors.

“ICE’s contracts with private detention companies have exacerbated the effects of the federal

detention bed quota by imposing local ‘lockup’ quotas, contractual provisions that obligate ICE to pay for a minimum number of immigration detention beds at specific facilities, referred to in contracts as ‘guaranteed minimums,’” the report says.

These contractual provisions obligate ICE to pay private contractors for beds, occupied or unoccupied, adding unnecessary pressured to hunt for bodies to keep the beds warm at all times.

Individuals who are detained for crossing the border without permission, or reside in the United States without written consent, are not a threat to the community.

“They’re not play-risk, they don’t threaten the safety of our community, and detaining them not only makes no sense, it wastes tax payer money,” said U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch from Florida.

The government is correct in intercepting and detaining those who violate immigration law, whether by crossing the border, or living and working without

There are currently 11 detention centers in Texas alone. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

permission. But time served in detention should be limited and bed quotas need to be abolished.

If only the United States would direct funding to other areas in need of improvement, such as education or health benefits, the country would observe a more lasting improvement. Instead, for-profit companies are leeching off our country's tax dollars.

Although The U.S. immigration system is not perfect, it’s never too late to solve the issue, oil up

the machine, and reboot it in an effort to implement a new system that promises respect to any human, regardless of nationality, and one which respects basic human rights.

This country tries hard to lead by example. It's time we live up to our own expectations.

Opinion columnist Sebastian Troitiño is a finance and marketing junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

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Anthony Torres, EDITOR

SATIRE

President Trump fixes everything within hours of inauguration DANE HALL

OPINION COLUMNIST

A

fter what can only be described as the most amazing, best, super-awesome political campaign in the history of the United States, Donald Trump was sworn in today at noon as the 45th chief executive of our beloved nation.

Trump’s inauguration followed that of his unexpected running mate and now vice president, DANE HALL his sentient OPINION toupee. Early COLUMNIST attendance estimates range from nine to 10 million, making it the largest political gathering in all of history.

As promised on the campaign trail, each attendee received $50 as a “political motivator.” Every person who voted for Trump will receive a package this week

President Donald Trump sits behind the Resolute Desk , which he said he "rightfully deserved" after brutal campaigning. | Photo illustration by Leah Nash

that includes their promised $20 and a limited edition clipping of Trump’s golden body hair.

In his inaugural address, Trump thanked the American people for their “overwhelming and entirely voluntary support”

of his campaign and once again reiterated that he was “only joking” when he threatened to kidnap and torture political opponents of his. In unrelated news, Megyn Kelly, former Fox News contributor, is still missing

ASTHMA STUDY Baylor College of Medicine is currently recruiting volunteers for a National Institute of Health (NIH) funded asthma study.

after three months.

Last Tuesday saw the release of a statement by President of Mexico Enrique Nieto confirming the completion of the 200 foot wall demanded by Trump.

As previously reported, the project was funded entirely by the Mexican government, costing American taxpayers absolutely nothing.

Trump applauded Mexico in his address, stating that “Mexico has done a valuable service to herself... and her people,” and “I’m honestly happy I don’t have to invade. I mean, really, I’m not saying that I won’t, but it’s certainly less likely now.”

Trump said that he intends to follow through with his campaign promise to end unemployment by confining the poorest 10 percent of the population to “systematically and efficiently harvest their precious life energy to keep myself forever young.”

Like Life-energy harvesters willus beon

contracted by the Federal government, and Trump encouraged citizens, especially retirees and students, to get involved by registering as an organ harvester on his $4 website, healthreap.gov The first item on Trump’s foreign policy agenda as president is “making sure that America has the tools it needs to negotiate favorable trade arrangements, get our jobs back and make America great again. And to do that, we’re gonna need a lot bigger guns, folks. I mean, look at what we have now; you think China’s scared of that?”

With these new actions, President Trump has established himself as the greatest president in not just American history, but the world.

All hail our beautiful-haired overlord.

Opinion columnist Dane Hall is a sociology senior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

The effects of a new drug in patients with mild asthma will be investigated. If you are between 18-60 years of age, with mild asthma and are not currently taking any other asthma medications except rescue medication (albuterol), you may be eligible to participate in this study.

You will be compensated for your time and travel.

For more information: Contact us at 713-873-8772 or email: asthma@bcm.edu facebook.com/thedailycougar

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OPINION

Anthony Torres, EDITOR

SATIRE

Fanfiction: an underutilized artform It's the chance to write out what you really wanted to happen at the end of Harry Potter CAROL CAO

OPINION COLUMNIST

I

n fanfiction, anything and everything is possible.

Harry Potter getting impregnated by Malfoy, James Bond living happily ever after in a committed relationship or even Edward and Jacob together forever.

Let’s set aside the movies of fairy tales revisions, that Harry Potter stage musical “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” and focus on the specific division of fanfiction CAROL that concerns CAO the Internet OPINION culture.

COLUMNIST Although, an example like “50 Shades of Grey,” originated from an online “Twilight” fanfic, might manage to break out of the online mold, somehow get printed in the mainstream for monetary profit and spawn a movie adaptation that somehow raked millions.

“50 Shades” hasn’t done much for the reputation of fanfiction culture.

There is seldom publicity about the benefits or the quality products of fanfiction, which has been suggested to help develop the writing skills of English as a second language students.

The old creative writing adage, “great writers steal,” also applies to fanfiction writers.

Except, there’s a density of pop culture deviation in fanfiction to be expected.

But that's not a bad thing.

If we’re encouraged to look to the assigned college-reading lists of classics for inspiration, don’t let the popular work be excluded.

Fanfiction can be a vehicle for fans to insert themselves into stories and interact (and makeout) with Jack Sparrow or Lara Croft. It can be an expression of

affection, and even dissatisfaction, over the original property that inspired their works.

Some fans feel that their favorite movie “didn’t develop this character or relationship enough.” They write that “missing or revised scene” as a way to sublimate their legitimate criticism. It’s like writing an essay, but transcribing it into visual scenes rather than a pedantic explanation. Someone could

"Fanfiction can be a vehicle for fans to insert themselves into stories and interact (and make out) with Jack Sparrow or Lara Croft. It can be an expression of affection, and even dissatisfaction, over the original property that inspired their works."

The Harry Potter series is a popular work that is used as the basis for fanfiction. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Music Director

Carol Cao, opinion columnist

write an extended fanfic that could evolve into an original, publish-worthy story of its own (richer than “50 Shades”).

Think about the unsung heroes who write high quality fanfics or even stuff that’s short of good for no profit. They post comments like “please give constructive criticism” because they’re irritated by the terse, “I lik yer story, update soon,” sort of reviews. And because of these writers, fanfiction is also an exercise ground for prospective critics who are willing to give constructive reviews.

Fanfiction deserves to be approached with respect and ambition. It’s an experience for writers to learn how to be true to the original work all while being true to themselves.

Embrace the art form. The realm is open.

Opinion columnist Carol Cao is a creative writing and media production senior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

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EDITOR Bryce Dodds EMAIL sports@thedailycougar.com ONLINE thedailycougar.com/sports

OFFENSE PG. 2

Who’s the man?

Will Greg Ward Jr. keep his starting spot, or will transfer Adam Schulz dethrone the incumbent quarterback?

PG. 3

New coordinator sees a ‘championshipcaliber defense’

Coach Todd Orlando promises to continue the physical defense Cougar fans are accustomed to. | PG. 3

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Bryce Dodds, EDITOR

FOOTBALL

Offensive coordinator Major Applewhite, right, spent last season traveling the country to observe other teams' systems and practices, before a return to coach in Houston. | Michael Calderon/The Cougar

For offensive coordinator, Houston isn't just a stepping stone MICHAEL CALDERON

STAFF WRITER @MWC0052

A key additions to head coach Tom Herman’s staff is former University of Texas quarterback Major Applewhite, who will serve as Houston’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Applewhite is somewhat of a household name in Texas, having spent his playing days at the helm of the Longhorns.

After his college career was over, Applewhite spent time at various schools before returning to his alma mater in 2007.

In his final four years at UT, Applewhite served as the co-offensive coordinator under Mack Brown, but was not retained by head coach Charlie Strong.

Applewhite’s once skyrocketing coaching career had fallen off and he spent the 2014 season away from

LAST The University of Houston and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences welcomes any undergraduate student interested in Latin America to the program and major in Latin American Studies (LAST).

This 18-hr minor is interdisciplinary and focuses on the histories, cultures, economics and politics of this broad region. For more information or to register in LAST 3300, a distance education course required for the minor, contact Professor Susan Kellogg, History Department, skellogg@uh.edu, or check the program website, www.class.uh.edu/last

football… mostly.

While he took the opportunity to spend time with his wife Julie and daughter Lila, a return to football was never far from his mind.

Instead of visiting hotspot tourist destinations, Applewhite took to meet with various coaches, share ideas and watch practices.

It was on his visit to Ohio State University that Applewhite reconnected with Herman, the Buckeyes' co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at that time.

The two crossed paths years earlier in Austin when Herman was serving as a graduate assistant.

When Herman was hired to take charge of the UH football program, adding Applewhite to coach his offense was a natural fit.

“It was important for me to find a guy that would be able to come in, who had no ego, who wouldn’t be set in his ways, who would be willing to learn the University of Houston’s offense,” Herman said.

One of the biggest reasons that Herman wanted to add the former Longhorn to his staff was a shared football philosophy that was rehashed during their reconnection.

“We are aligned in our philosophy, in that you have to be a physical offense number one, whether it be in the run game or the passing game,” Applewhite said.

“You’ve got to be prepared for a rainy day, literally.”

As a man with 12 years of coaching experience under his belt to go along with a successful playing career, Applewhite has earned the respect of players.

“Back when I grew up, when a coach asked me to run through a wall, I said ‘yes sir, how fast would you like me to go?’ Nowadays, you say run through a wall and a kid will ask ‘why?’" said Herman. "They

ask why a lot less when you can say ‘because I’m Major Applewhite and I have done this, this and this. It adds a lot of credibility to what they are preaching,."

So far, the Cougars are enthusiastic about Applewhite’s addition to the staff.

"It’s always exciting when you have a guy like that,” senior running back Kenneth Farrow said. “I’m looking forward to getting out there on the field with them.”

Applewhite however, is not so concerned with his reputation, after having been in the coaching business long enough to know that flattering comments get you nothing.

“You can be a guru one day and then the next day, you’re blanked,” Applewhite said. “This sport is very humbling.”

So far, the Cougars have taken to Applewhite and the culture of winning through practice habits, attitude and mental toughness that he and the other coaches are working to instill.

“I think they’ve understood that we are trying to do what’s best for them and what’s best for this university,” Applewhite said. “We are going to do what’s fair for Houston, and what’s fair for Houston is that we get great practices, put out a great team.”

The Cougar football program has gained a reputation for producing coaches that are snatched up by higher-level programs, but Applewhite said that he isn’t interested in leaving any time soon.

“I like where I’m at,” Applewhite said. “We are happy as can be and in the coaching world, you don’t want to move and I’m not interested in trying to move. I’m happy here.” sports@thedailycougar.com

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SPORTS

Bryce Dodds, EDITOR

FOOTBALL

With a new defensive coordinator, Cougars are ready for a takeover FRANCISCO CASILLAS

STAFF WRITER @FCASILLAS21

As the first football game of the season approaches with a new coaching staff led by first-time head coach Tom Herman, excitement circulates UH. Ever since Herman’s takeover at the helm, there has been speculation as to what the coach’s signature would be in the program, especially after hiring new coordinators Todd Orlando and Major Applewhite.

“We are going to be very physical," Herman said. “I’m excited to watch our defense...I think it's championship-caliber, and I’m excited to see them continue to get better as well as the physical and mental transformation of our team.”

Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando shared his enthusiasm and his expectations after getting acquainted with the defensive squad before the start of its training camp.

“There is a high expectation in the air, and I expect us to be very sharp,” Orlando said. “The

Be you. Belong.

®

While defense has always been a strong point for the Cougars, expectations for this season are at an all-time high, with a number of returning starters including a pair of ball-hawking safeties in Adrian McDonald and Trevon Stewart to lead the way in Orlando's attacking system. | Michael Calderon/The Cougar

one thing about this group that I was very impressed with was the amount of football knowledge — they know football.”

While there are some positive notes about the team, the coaching staff has needs to address after lossing key defensive players. "(The guys we lost) were a big voice in terms of leadership,"

“Our plan of winning is playing good defense...that's the culture of this program right now.”

Todd Orlando, Defensive Coordinator

Orlando said. "However, some guys have come along that I’m very anxious to watch upfront.”

Senior safety Adrian McDonald sees the benefit of developing the defense.

“I see guys that lead by example, and that’s big on the production level,” McDonald. said “If we ( force) a couple of more turn-

overs and get the ball back to the offense, that’s more time for Greg (Ward, Jr.) to work his magic, and that’s what we plan to do.”

Despite the setbacks, Herman said that with the guidance of Orlando, the squad will be able to produce.

“Our plan of winning is playing good defense...that’s the culture of this program right now and it’s a must for us,” Orlando said.

“The physical toughness is how we train; we are not going to have a physical football team if we are not going to tackle every day (and) not going to put them in competitive situations where they have to be physical.”

And when it comes to returning players, Orlando has already made a good impression with recruiting.

“It’s huge, especially for the young recruits; it starts at the field,” senior running back Kenneth Farrow said. “If we can go out and win games, it makes it easier on them [to] build a fence around the city like it’s been talked about." sports@thedailycougar.com

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Wednesday Rewind: Lewis springboards from UH to the natinonal stage One of the most decorated U.S. Olympians, Lewis began his road to stardom at Houston, capturing six NCAA titles.

Houston track and field has a history of decorated athletes, none more so than Carl Lewis, an Olympic legend who asceneded to new heights while under head coach Tom Tellez. While at Houston, Lewis would go on to capture six NCAA national titles. He would also set school records for the 55m dash, as well as both the indoor and outdoor long jump. Lewis would go on to compete in three Olympic games, winning numerous medals To read the rest of the story, head over to as well as World Championships. Now retired, Lewis has returned to Houston, where he is an assistant thedailycougar.com/sports coach for the track and field teams, specializing in aid to the sprinters and jumpers.

Bryce Dodds, EDITOR

FOOTBALL

Regular season looms large for Cougars Michael Calderon

Staff writer

Y T I N R FRATE

E F I L Y T I R O & SOR

E M I T E F I L A R O F P I H S R E D A E L D E S A B VALUES ations z i n a g r o 45+

and

dents

H stu U l l a g n i resent p e r s l i c n 5 cou

It's finally almost time for football. Predict the outcome of the Cougars' first game against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.

The Golden Eagles should be a good warm up for the Cougars. Expect a blowout score, somewhere in the neighborhood of 45-17. The early going of the game should feature the starters pulling away and sitting out the latter part of the game, with the back end of the roster performing mop-up duty and keeping Tennessee Tech from mounting a comeback.

Efren Diosdado Assistant sports editor

What one thing does UH need to do really well this season to make it to the AAC Championship game?

With the new coaching staff taking over and a new system being implemented, I think Houston needs to find their identity early in the season. They need figure out what works for them and stick to it, making sure that they’re making improvements weekly and that everybody is on the same page. Consistency will be also be a huge factor, especially late in the season.

Tevin Mills

Staff writer Which senior do you think makes the biggest impact this season?

Senior running back Kenneth Farrow. And apparently I’m not the only one who feels this way. Farrow was recently named to the Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List, the Doak Walter Award Watch List, and the Maxwell Award Watch List. I expect to finish his UH career on a high note.

Bryce Dodds

Tap into programs, relationships and support systems to help you succeed and lead. Find out how to join at:

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Sports editor What is the toughest game on the schedule for UH this season?

I think the toughest test of the year will be the regular season finale at home versus Navy.

Navy is one of the few programs in the FBS to still run the triple option, and with the trouble Houston had shutting down the run last year, I think the Midshipmen will give the Cougars fits

sports@thedailycougar.com

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Bryce Dodds, EDITOR

Head coach Gerrod Chadwell is heading into his third season at Houston, with a young team looking to build on the successes of last season. The Cougars return all but one player from last season and will be looking for a longer stay in the NCAA postseason. | Courtesy of the UH Athletics

WOMEN'S GOLF

The best team that no one knows MICHAEL CALDERON

STAFF WRITER @MWC0052

The men’s golf program at UH has a long and illustrious history.

The team has seen 16 team national championships, eight individual championships and produced several notable professional golfers like Fred Couples, Bruce Lietzke and John Mahaffey.

But few know of the women’s golf program, led by head coach Gerrod Chadwell.

“Everywhere I have been across the country, (people) are very aware of the men’s team and the history there, but they just assumed that there was women’s golf here,” Chadwell said.

In May of 2013, Chadwell was hired to build a women’s golf program from the ground up and he has wasted little time in developing his brand.

In the 2013-2014 inaugural year of the program, the Cougars had a roster of just four players, including freshman Kelli Rollo, who redshirted, and the team was ineligible to compete, but Chadwell still guided his players to individual success.

Junior Courtney Ferguson posted four top-20 showings and freshman Emily Gilbreth added a pair of two-20 finishes in their first seasons, but it was University of California—Davis transfer, Raegan Bremer, who stood out.

Under Chadwell's leadership, Bremer posted four top-10 finishes on the season, was named to the

All-American Athletic Conference Team, and captured the first tournament win in school history, and the first individual title of her career as well, with a win in the Houston Baptist University Husky Invitational, forever etching her name in Houston's record book.

That summer, Houston brought in former University of Kentucky Wildcat Lucy Nunn to be assistant coach and added enough players to compete as a team in the 20142015 season.

In the first season of competition, expectations were low based on a series of unknowns, but Chadwell wanted to set the bar as high as possible.

“My goal, selfishly…was for us to make it to the postseason,” Chadwell said. “I wanted us to make it to regionals so the girls could see what it’s like. I wanted them to realize the joy of moving on or the harsh reality of it being over.”

Whatever happened during that season, the bar would be set for the future of the team, and while that kind of pressure might be too intense for some players, it attracted others.

“A huge part of why I wanted to go to UH was because my first year was the first year of the program, which I think is really awesome,” sophomore Megan Thothong said.

“Not a lot of people can say that they were part of starting a team.”

For the Cougars, success spread from into the entire team, with Houston enjoying six top-5 team finishes and five top-3 showings in

Assistant coach Lucy Nunn, left, has plenty of postseason experience, giving her wisdom and experience to impart to the team. | Courtesy of the UH Athletics

2014-15.

At the University of North Florida Collegiate Tournament in Jacksonville, Thothong played a near-perfect round to capture the first individual title of her young career, sealing the program’s first team championship.

“We got our first win second semester, my first win collegiately, and that was a really big deal for our program,” Thothong said.

“It will forever be the first win in school history.”

Houston wrapped up the regular season with a third-place finish in their first appearance at the AAC Championship and earned the first postseason appearance in school history as the No. 12 seed in the NCAA San Antonio Regional.

For a first-year program to make it to regionals is rare, but the team expected nothing less.

“The whole year, we thought we

were going to regionals,” Bremer said. “I think that is part of what put us there, the fact that we believed we would make it there no matter what.”

The team finished 13th at regionals with a score of 293 and, while ineligible for nationals, the foundation of success had been laid.

“There were a lot of irons in the fire the last two years, but it’s coming to a slowing down point in a sense,” Chadwell said. “We’ve got a lot of pieces in place as far as the kids go. Now, we’ve got a lot of structure around them, people we want to surround them with.”

With a solid coaching staff in place and a young core of players, Chadwell said that this is the first summer where he can actually relax and enjoy the fruits of the past few years’ work.

Heading into the 2015-2016

season, excitement around the program is high and players are looking to continue their strong play.

“We are all coming back and no one is really new at what we are doing, so I think expectations might be a little bit higher for everyone," Thothong said. "But I also think we’ll do a pretty good job of living up to those expectations."

For Chadwell, the next step is taking on the big-name golf programs in the region.

“I want to be competitive with the Texas schools in our backyard,” Chadwell said. “If we can be one of the better schools in the state of Texas, then we’ve got a great problem on our hands.”

Despite all the team accomplished in just two years, they are still a relatively unknown group, even on campus, but that doesn’t bother the players.

“It’s nothing new,” Bremer said.

“We are comfortable there. I think everyone would rather be on the hidden side a little.”

They say the best predictor of coming success is past success, so the future of the Women’s Golf program at UH looks promising, and they won’t stay hidden for long.

“If we are consistent and put good results together, people will notice us,” said Chadwell. “And if we do that over a long enough period of time, everyone is going to know our product.” sports@thedailycougar.com

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Bryce Dodds, EDITOR

WOMEN'S TENNIS

For first-time head coach, Houston is a welcome challenge EFREN DIOSDADO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @EFRECORP

As the Houston tennis team welcomes in the new semester, they’ll have more than just professors to get to know.

Courtney Steinbock, a former assistant coach with Oklahoma State University, was hired this summer to take the place of the departed head coach Patrick Sullivan.

“I think this was a good opportunity for me, I had a couple opportunities throughout the last couple of years of being a head coach and I’ve been pretty particular where I wanted to be,” Steinbock said. “This was a good opportunity for me to take over a really good team in my first head coaching job.”

Steinbock left a successful tennis program at Oklahoma State as an assistant coach where she helped lead the Cowgirls to one of their best seasons in school history finishing 23-6.

She will be filling in the shoes of Sullivan, who led the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament berth

Junior Despoina Vogasari was a leader for the Cougars last season, and will be a center-piece of the team this season.. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

since 1998 and set a school record with an 18-game winning streak.

“As far as pressure,” Steinbock said. “ We put pressure on ourselves every day as coaches and these athletes are going to put more pressure on themselves than we probably will.”

Chris Young, director of tennis and head coach at Oklahoma State, is confident that Steinbock will be a perfect fit for Houston.

“I am excited for Courtney to have the opportunity to lead her own program at a great university,” Young said. “Courtney made great contributions to our program and I know she will help continue to grow the program at Houston.”

One of the first things on Steinbock’s agenda is working with the team and making any changes to their game as well as establishing their identity.

Growing up around a lot of guys, Steinbock said that toughness is a trait she had to pick up and hopes to instill it into her team.

“It’s just a different culture around here," Steinbock said.

"We kind of want to be the Ronda Rousey of tennis...This team already has the reputation of being tough as nails...so I think it’s just all of those little things, creating that culture and creating that identity for UH women’s tennis.”

Associate head tennis coach at Cleveland State University, Frank Polito said Steinbock brings work ethic, passion and positive energy to UH. “I miss the days of planning practice, going over scouting notes and talking strategy during matches with her,” Polito said. “She has a good eye and can pick up a players' weakness very quickly.”

Young said that one of the strongest assets that Steinbock brings to Houston is her work ethic.

“She loves being on the court with the girls and she will do a great job of helping the girls develop and create a fun environment for them to have a great

student athlete experience,” Young said.

She’s also been called a relentless recruiter by her former colleagues and Steinbock has not missed a beat.

“We’re constantly on the hunt for kids that are just tough kids who just love the game and are ready to get better and love the grind,” Steinbock said. “Maybe they’re not the flashiest or they don’t have the best ranking, but those kids that are really passionate about tennis and want to continue to improve and can show that they can compete with some of the best.”

As far as the pressure to take over a successful program in her first head coaching job, Steinbock said it’s normal.

“At the end of the day we’re not so concerned about the wins and losses, it’s just going to be about the process and,” Steinbock said.

“I think if we do a good job taking care of the details and being very specific in what we do I think the wins and losses will take care of itself.” sports@thedailycougar.com

EXTENDED HOURS: AUGUST 22 9:00 — 5:00pm AUGUST 24 — 27 7:45 — 9:00pm AUGUST 28 7:45 — 5:00pm AUGUST 29 9:00 — 3:00pm

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | 7

713-743-5303

thedailycougar.com/sports

sports@thedailycougar.com

SPORTS

Bryce Dodds, EDITOR

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Rebuild finally nearing the end for Cougars SHARDANNA JONES

STAFF WRITER @SHAYGOTIT

A turnaround for the entire program is in the works for the Houston women’s soccer team.

After going 1-11-5 last season, and entering his fourth year as head coach, Chris Pfau says he feels no pressure going forward.

“I have a very supportive administration that knows soccer takes some time to turn around a program,” Pfau said. “We recruit freshman and sophomores in high school, so there is no quick fix with women's soccer. The way we recruit it is about a six-year transition to build a successful program.”

This year, Pfau has a roster formed of mostly his own players, either through recruiting or transfers, with only one player recruited by former coach Susan Bush, and the sophomore and incoming class being his first recruiting class.

“I am getting there,” Pfau said.

Although he says it takes about six years for a team to really be his, Pfau is proud of his current group of players, saying everyone is there for the right reasons and he is comfortable.

“Honestly, I am always comfortable as a coach,” Pfau said. “I knew what I was getting into, and knew there were no short cuts.

Our administration understands the process.”

As he is able to bring in the players that he wants, Pfau said he can continue to build on the foundation that he wants: from how they play, but also how they are off the field.

He also looks to make sure every player is on the same page, and know that they are all in it together, which he felt the team did not have his first two seasons.

“We are one this year and there is no superstar,” said Pfau. “We need each other and will support

each other.”

In addition to roster woes, Pfau said the toughest part in turning the program around has been the transition to the American Athletic Conference.

“It is one of the toughest conference's in the country," Pfau said. "So it's not only trying to recruit and build a program, but changing conferences has been the most difficult. My first year, we made the Conference-USA tournament, but the jump to the American which has four teams ranked in the top 25 and eight of the 10 teams were at some point ranked in the top 100 in the country.”

The team lost only two non-conference games last fall, which Pfau said were mostly because of a lack in depth and players up front who can score.

His goal for this season is to turn at least half of the team’s ties into wins, which would in turn lead to more confidence as the team heads into conference play.

In part of the team’s need for more confidence, Pfau said the program also needs fan support.

“Most people on campus have no idea we have women's soccer and most people ask if I am the men's soccer coach,” Pfau said.

“Part of it is that we have to be better on the field to get fans, but I also believe we are starting to get the top players from the Houston area, and they will help generate fans."

Although his team is made up of players who Pfau calls “very young,” he has transfers and players whom he said have stuck it out because they see where the program is going.

“I believe we will be united..."

Pfau said. “Not players who have their own agenda, but players that will put the team first. Because of this, it will be unity, one and toughness.” sports@thedailycougar.com

Head coach Chris Pfau is entering his fourth season at Houston but feels more comfortable than ever. Pfau says he knows he has the backing and understanding of the athletic department. | Bryce Dodds/The Cougar

You and your guests are cordially invited to attend the

Fall 2015 ConvoCation Special Guests

Renu KhatoR President

Paula MyRiCK ShoRt

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Keynote address will be delivered by

John t. MCnabb, ii Founding Chair, UH Board of Visitors

Thursday, September 3rd Dessert Reception at six o’clock in the evening Program begins at seven o’clock Moores Opera House Entrance 16 from Cullen

Pfau feels he is set to coach a different type of team this season as they have grown more unified than in past years. | Bryce Dodds/The Cougar

RSVP by August 29 to 713.743.9010 or thehonorscollege.com/fallconvocation

8 | Wednesday, August 19, 2015

HOUSTON

THE BOX OFFICE AT REVENTION MUSIC CENTER OR CHARGE BY PHONE AT 800-745-3000

All dates, acts and ticket prices subject to change without notice. A service charge is added to each ticket.

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A special section of The Cougar

2 | Wednesday, August 19, 2015

EDITOR'S NOTE

W

For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you

I didn’t ask for material things.

Instead, I asked for personal things, such as matters of the heart or opportunities. More often than not, my prayers weren’t answered.

They say everything happens for a reason, whether we know it or not. People come into your life and people go. Opportunities come knocking, and we either open the door or peep through the eyehole enough to decide whether or not we should open it.

In the end, it is our own free will.

This is my second year of editing the Faith issue. A lot has happened in the past year and much of the U.S. is conflicted on the issues, particularly when it involves religion and beliefs.

Many protest outside of the Supreme Court and in front of the opposing crowd, and many pray that such issues do not pass or occur.

And if it does, what does it all mean? When it comes to such social issues, will we ever know if

hen the summer semester started, one of the first things I wanted to do was binge-watch one of the popular shows out, and find out what the hype is all about.

There were many to choose from, but eventually I went with HBO’s Game of Thrones.

A quote from one of the fantasy thriller’s villains captivated me.

“Pray to the SARA gods to have SAMORA mercy on us FAITH EDITOR all,” Cersei Lannister said.

“The gods have no mercy. That’s why they’re gods.”

The words stuck with me, because I have questioned the whats and the whys throughout my life.

I was most disappointed when I had a special request, doing exactly what Matthew 7:7-8 had instructed in the bible:

Religion has become one of the nation's hottest topics and finding common ground between the many faiths is among the world's top priorities. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

it’s right or wrong?

Whatever the answer is, we must coexist and accept it, whether we like it or not. How-

ever, it doesn’t mean we must react disrespectfully. We must be able to work together and hopefully one day, find the middle

i

ground we can all stand on.

— Sara Samora, Faith editor

The Faith Issue

The Faith issue is part of a series of special sections published by The Cougar. These sections are intented to give recognition and focus to certain aspects of student life that can often be overlooked.

EDITOR Sara Samora COPY EDITOR Taelor Marquetti-Gadison WRITERS Carol Cao Anthony Torres Jennifer Reiss

CLOSING EDITORS Sean Alder Mónica Rojas Glissette Santana

ADVERTISING TEAM Diana Nguyen PRODUCTION Josue Diaz A. Tomic

Contact The Cougar thedailycougar.com ABOUT THE COVER Graphic design by A. Tomic

NEWSROOM 713-743-5360 editor@thedailycougar.com facebook.com/thedailycougar twitter.com/thedailycougar

EDITOR IN CHIEF Glissette Santana

713-743-5362 editor@thedailycougar.com

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Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | 3

When faith takes center stage Even stage productions critical of religion don’t deny their enduring relevance. The reoccurring interrogations of faith and religion aren’t to disenchant people from belief. They exist to examine and renew it. Theatre isn’t straying from faith. Theatre moves it forward.

1

Oedipus

In the Era Before Christ, religion dominated the stages of Greece.

Mortal characters, such as Oedipus, the spotlight was put on humanity, their pride and mortality against higher powers.

2

Everyman

Transitioning into the After Christ period of medieval dramas, church festivals put on miracle plays to explore the lives of martyrs.

Furthermore, morality plays like “Everyman” also depicted the complexity of salvation.

3

The Fiddler on the Roof

The 1964 movie examined the stability of faith while also commending it. By the end, faith doesn’t help the village survive, but it helps the main character, Tevye, survive beyond the ghost of his former home.

4

Les Misérables

Musical theater has started an era comfortable with risky interpretations of faith. Musicals like “Les Misérables” are tame in their theme of redemption and embracing God.

5

Like us on

Jesus Christ Superstar

A liberal adaptation of the New Testament, it has been scorned by religious groups for portraying Judas as a sympathetic tragic figure in his betrayal of Jesus. Jesus himself belts out an angst solo to the heavens, questioning his heavenly Father before his imminent crucifixion.

6

The Book of Mormon

Courtesy of “South Park” writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Although the musical pokes fun at the kookiness of the tales that inspires faith, the creators describe the show as “an atheist’s love letter to religion.” To the concerns of the creators, faith exists for better or worse. But without it, we wouldn’t have the “better” of it.

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4 | Wednesday, August 19, 2015

The exterior of the Center aims to match the inviting appeal of the building's interior. | Pablo Milanese/The Cougar

The Center holds a University Chapel and Meditation Chapel available for weekend events, including weddings. | Pablo Milanese/The Cougar

A home for all walks of life

The A.D. Bruce Religion Center has served as a place of worship and celebration for students from every religious background since the facility's opening in 1965.

The Center holds office space and rooms for three Registered Student Organizations. | Pablo Milanese/The Cougar

The Center is open for students of all faiths and welcomes them to worship everyday. | Pablo Milanese/The Cougar

The two stories of the Center allow ample space for students to partake in activities and other celebrations. | Pablo Milanese/The Cougar

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | 5

WELCOME We’ve been waiting for you!

LUNCHEON DATES

Oct 14, 2015 & Feb 3, 2016 on UH campus

SERVICE TIMES

Sunday 8:00am 11:15am & 6:00pm Wednesday 7:30 pm

SERVICIOS EN ESPAÑOL

Domingo 10:00am & 6:00pm Miércoles 7:30pm

4308 STONEWALL STREET HOUSTON, TEXAS 77020 WWW.FWCOC.ORG 713-672-2654 (I-10 EAST AT THE WACO EXIT)

We are just minutes from the University of Houston.

If you are new to the city, or just searching for the right place, we believe the Fifth Ward Church of Christ is a great place to start. Hope you pay us a visit real soon.

6 | Wednesday, August 19, 2015

CONNECTING

CAMPUS

&CHRIST

COMMUNITY Come by to hang out, to study, grow spiritually, and make real connections!

Religious diversity: what it says about UH UH Wellness Center Religious Beliefs Survey

48.1%

450

SUNDAY AT 6 PM: Worship, Bible Study, and Free Food (RM107/Chapel) TUESDAYS AT 6 PM: Community service/Homeless Outreach (RM107) THURSDAY AT 11:30 AM: Interfaith Dialogue “Free Lunch” (ADBRC 2nd fl) uhwesley.org 713-743-5971 Office Phone 281-236-5599 Text Msg TheBridgeUofH

total students

26.5%

0.3% 22.7%

Identified as religious

Identified as spiritual (but many had connections to a certain religious belief) Identified as neither religious or spiritual Identified as neither Inforgraphic by A.Tomic

Source 2015 UH Wellness Center Survey

SARA SAMORA

STAFF WRITER

@THEREINVENTIONS

Construction management junior Anna Stone said that when she began attending UH, her views on religion didn’t change.

That is because she doesn’t believe in a religion.

“I don’t think there’s any general religious or faith view that people have here,” Stone said.

The National College Health Assessment collects data concerning students’ health habits, behaviors and perceptions. It’s an assessment many colleges use to study the health and wellness of the students. The survey – conducted by the UH Wellness Center –has never been done before, and in the past, homegrown surveys were utilized.

“We’re in the process of looking at that data and figuring out what that means,” UH Wellness Director Patrick Lukingbeal said.

The assessment was conducted in March through an email that was sent out to 450 random students. It measures everything from alcohol usage to mental health to sexual health.

However, it does not include questions about students’ religious or spiritual backgrounds.

The Wellness Center added the question in addition to the NCHA’s questions.

“With students, we see a lot of

(life changes) with the (college) transition,” Lukingbeal said.

“They’re starting to discover who they are, what do they believe in, what do they want their mark to be. Many of those things can be connected to a larger religious or spiritual belief.”

It’s the reason Lukingbeal added the question in the survey.

“We do good work around mental and emotional wellness, but one of the things that I’ve been really interested in of doing is more programing and learning about is, how do we help students who have a faith or spiritual background? How do we keep that part of wellness up?” Lukingbeal said.

Stone said she thinks that because the campus is so diverse, students’ views are not going to change if they continue to participate in religion-based organizations.

“Your views aren’t going to change a whole lot, just because you’re not exposed to (religion and traditions),” Stone said.

In the survey, students were asked to identify as religious, spiritual but not religious, neither or other. Lukingbeal said the spiritual and religion data was one of the identity demographics that they have amongst the survey.

DIVERSITY

Continues on page 3

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | 7

DIVERSITY

Continued from page 2

“People like what they like, there's no point in trying to change my view towards Christianity. There's not a whole lot in trying to change someone's views from one religion to another. They believe what they believe, and it's really hard to change that."

Anna Stone, Construction management junior The results showed that 48.1 percent identified as religious, 26.5 percent identified as spiritual, 22.7 percent identified as neither religious nor spiritual, and 0.3 percent identified as neither.

The top three religious populations in the survey were Catholic, non-denominational and Baptist.

Islam was the fourth largest group.

Lukingbeal said they have an idea of students identifying as religious and how the breakdown looks like. He also hopes to use that data to inform offices that perform health and wellness work.

Lukingbeal said the survey is a random sample of the UH student population, and not generalized.

“When we did the random sample, we did it trying to mirror the larger population,” Lukingbeal said. “What we saw was that there were more women than men, there was a good diversity of racial and ethnic groups.”

Lukingbeal also said they did not want to make assumptions about what the data told them, but they have data on how many students identify as strictly religious and what the populations look like.

“What’s so neat about this campus is that we have such a diverse population,” Lukingbeal said. “We have representation from all different major world religions, and I think that even if a student is starting to fall away, back away or question beliefs, what our data shows is that they may not feel connected to a larger major religion.” But if they grew up with a lot of traditions and parts of the culture, they still may connect to that.”

Have faith in our comedy. It might not be divine, but it's something.

What do you call it when Batman leaves church early?

Christian Bale.

Why did the sponge go to church?

Because it was holy.

How does Moses make tea?

Hebrews it.

8 | Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Saira Ramirez grew tired of the repetitive activities of the Catholic church that she was so accustomed to while growing up, and she needed to find a way to resurge her faith through some tough times as well as find application to her everyday life. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Conviction: starting over and the journey to a new religion SARA SAMORA

FAITH EDITOR @THEREINVENTIONS

When psychology senior Saira Ramirez lived in California, she went through a divorce and a

transformation of faith.

She decided to start attending church. Only that it would not be a Catholic church, the religion she practiced growing up — she never felt anything from the weekly

10424 Hillcroft St Houston, TX 77096 713.729.7880 westburycoc.com

Sunday Worship 9:00 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.

Sunday Bible Class 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

mass.

“It was very repetitious,” Ramirez said. “Sometimes I would get something form a sermon, but it was so far-fetched and I didn’t really feel like I could apply it to my life.”

Baptist Student Ministry Director B. J. Ramon said that religion is often an attempt people make toward making “ourselves approved or disapproved by others and, or, God.” “We throw ourselves into the competition and work so hard to obey the rules and rise to the top of that certain religion, only to fail or have our emptiness resurface,” Ramon said. “It seems (that) others find contentment in religion, so we jump to another religion because somewhere in there must be happiness or validation.”

Ramirez was 23 when she first stepped into a Christian church, and when she entered, she said it had a homey feeling.

“There were a lot of happy people from very different backgrounds, and it was a very new age-type church,” Ramirez said.

“They had a live band, and nothing at all to what I was used to.”

Ramirez said that is when she felt the conviction.

“Every time I went to church, the first song would start playing, and it didn’t matter what song was playing — I would be in tears," Ramirez said. "I (wasn't) able to sing along the first couple of weeks.”

Ramirez said that every time she went to church, she felt like the pastor was speaking to her.

“It was the same thing, spot on, every Sunday,” Ramirez said. “It was something we could apply to our lives that could help us change and actually start showing something from it.”

Ramon said some people will leave religion altogether, finding it just as empty and un-fulfilling as life without religion.

“Maybe they think, ‘Hey, without the constraints of religion, I can truly pursue personal happiness,’” Ramon said.

But for Ramirez, the conviction hasn't stopped.

“You feel the joy, the love, and just goodness,” Ramirez said.

“Going to a Christian church, it’s like ‘Woah! That’s what I’m missing.’ It’s like a stirring of a lot of emotions: it’s joy, it’s sadness, because you know that there’s something missing.”

Ramon said one issue that comes up a lot is the difference between condemnation and conviction.

“Condemnation is more like the cloud that covers (and) says, ‘You are bad,’ where conviction is more specific and says, ‘You did something bad',” Ramon said. “I believe upon belief in Jesus we receive His spirit which begins to convict us of things that do not align with the decision we made to trust in Him rather than ourselves.”

Ramirez held off on her Christian baptism until she felt she was

ready. Leading up to her baptism, there was a sermon that she said radiated through her.

“It was, ‘Yes, now’s the time,’” Ramirez said. “It’s like, ‘I’m done with all this conviction.

It’s drowning me. I need that baptism’.”

And Ramirez said the baptism came at a perfect time, as she was feeling pressure from her family, who continue to practice Catholicism.

“They were like, ‘You were already baptized, you were raised (like) this,’ but I said, ‘Yes, but this is my walk with God,’” Ramirez said. “And no one can take that way from you.”

Right before Ramirez was baptized, she was already in tears.

“It was such a good experience,” Ramirez said. “As soon as I went out there, they have you do the good confession, which is ‘Jesus is the Christ, and he is my Lord and savior. So you say that, and (you’re) accepting him into your heart. They take you down into the water, and (bring) you rising up."

Despite the clean slate after baptism, Ramirez knows she and others will still stumble and fall.

“You’re going to feel imperfect, and the thing is, everyone can still turn away from that,” Ramirez said. “And accepting that and taking that into your heart gives you that hope; that refueling that you need to be able to move forward."

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | 9

An overview of the world's major religions

Judaism Although not the oldest religion in the books, Judaism is the world’s first monotheistic religion. Jews follows the commandments of the Torah, which is a made up of the first five of books of the Bible. Judaism is separated into four major denominations that are determined by how strictly the religion’s teachings are followed. God is the Supreme Being in the religion, and Abraham is the leader. Jewish people observe Sabbath, the day of rest, which begins on Friday evening and lasts until sundown on Sunday. Hanukah, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah are three of the major holidays.

Christianity A little over 30 percent of the world’s population follows some form of Christianity. Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, son of God. As a monotheistic religion, Christians believe in one God who created the universe and its entirety. Jesus is the human embodiment of Christianity and the salvation of all through his crucifixion, dead and resurrection. Although all denominations follow the teachings of the Bible, the book that is most used depends on the denomination. The two biggest denominations are Catholicism and Protestant, followed by Orthodox and Anglican. Major holidays include Easter and Christmas.

Islam

Hinduism

Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam is a monotheistic religion. Islamic followers, also known as Muslims, believe that they must summit to the law of Allah, the Arabic translation for God. Muslims follow the Quran – the Islamic version of the Bible – and a five-piece code called the Pillars of Islam. The prophet Mohammad is known as the figure-head for Islam, although other prophets are also known to have lived. Six major denominations exist within Islam which differ according to ideologies and who the successor of Mohammad they believed should have been. Major holidays include Eid Al-Adha and Ramadan.

The world’s oldest religion started in Perhaps the most peaceful religion, India about 4,000 years ago. No person Buddhism is practiced in many Asian is credited with the creation of the countries and strives for enlightenment. religion and it has no formal or head Legend has it that the religious leader, representative. Followers of Hinduism Buddha shunned his wealthy upbringbelieve in many gods and deities whom ing for one of peace and knowledge. all form one universal spirit named In order to reach Nirvana, the ultimate Brahman. Scriptures and karma, a belief bliss, Buddhists must follow the Eightthat what is done in the present deterfold Path and believe in the Four Noble mines the luck of the future, guides Truths. Buddhism has countless sects, the life of Hindus. Although known as all of which are based on two schools of a peaceful religion – they use yoga as thought: Mahayana and Theravada. Like a way to salvation – Hinduism also Hinduism, Buddhists believe in karma follows a caste system which divides its and rebirth and that it is only through followers into classes and holds their nirvana that they will end their rebirth positions accountable based on karma. cycle.

Major holidays include Diwali and Holi.

—Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Buddhism

10 | Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Jewish Life at the University of Houston FREE lunch every Tuesday in the UH Hillel Student Lounge A.D. Bruce Religion Center, Room 106

Zoe Goldberg zgoldberg@houstonhillel.org houstonhillel.org 713-526-4918 Sunday Services: 8am – Traditional Eucharist (Solemn) 10:30 am – Traditional Eucharist (Hymns, Choir) 12:30 pm – Modern Eucharist (Jazz) Trinitymidtown.org @trinitymidtown FB: Trinity Episcopal Church, Houston insta: trinityepiscopalmidtown MetroRail Red Line Stop: Ensemble/HCC 1015 Holman at Main 77004 713-528-4100

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Long-standing traditions have dictated many religions to where they are today, but many people have interpreted aspects in their own ways, affecting the way they pass down the traditions.. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Your faith doesn't have to be in religion: how the Bible Belt shaped my views ANTHONY TORRES

OPINION EDITOR

A

s cliché as it sounds, the United States of America was founded on the idea of freedom. Our forefathers believed in it so much that they wrote a Bill of Rights to instill it as a value protected by law. What is also explicitly protected is the interference of one’s practice of belief.

This includes not just practicing religion, but the right not to practice as well. Living in Texas, the biggest state in the Bible Belt, that can sometimes be hard.

I was not only raised Catholic, but attended Catholic school from pre-K to high school.

I attended church services bi-weekly, was involved in youth group and even went through confirmation.

But the idea of faith has always alluded me. I understand believing in a higher power, but the worshiping aspect of Christianity, Texas’ largest religious majority, baffles me.

I place my “faith” in humanity and not in the spiritual or supernatural. My understanding of faith is the hopeful anticipation of something that will change or happen based on either evidence or observation.

Rationalism and reason, qualities that sometimes aren't stressed enough, are what guide me. My definition of “faith” evolved as I grew older.

I have faith that I will graduate from college. I have faith that I will have trouble parking in the economy lot at school. I take issue with believing in anything without evidence.

Living in Houston, religion is almost inescapable.

Houston has the two largest

megachurches in the nation. It’s impossible to go a week without seeing or hearing about Joel Osteen; whether it be Osteen collaborating with Slim Thug, or seeing his absolutely-so-perfect-it’s-creepy smiling face on his book sitting on your parent’s bookshelf.

I know many good people who take comfort in their religion.

Most of my friends have stories involving when they “knew” that they had “felt God’s presence,” and every time I hear these stories, I just get more and more confused.

Proverbs 3:5 of the North American Bible says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding,” which I interpret as blindly accepting that the “Lord works in mysterious ways” should be my answer for anything unexplainable.

After years of Catholic school and many theology courses, I just can’t accept that a God is the answer to everything I don’t understand.

I have no problem with religious people at all. Thankfully, most Texans tend to have a “stay out of my business” kind of attitude when it comes to either politics or religion. Because this is the Bible Belt though, there are still plenty of people who are vocal about their poor interpretation of the Bible.

Most of the time it’s shown with legislators, like Gov. Gregg Abbott, who try to impose their religious beliefs on same-sex marriage, women’s reproductive rights or education.

But then there’s the occasional crazy person.

Remember the Monster Energy 666 lady? That’s Christine Weick,

a notoriously vehement evangelical who not too long after that video went viral, charged a podium during Muslim Capitol Day, a day where Muslims gather at the Texas capitol to celebrate their religion, screaming, “I stand against Islam and the false prophet Muhammad,” before she was taken away by security.

It’s people like Christine Weick who give Christianity a bad reputation.

I stopped going to church because of people like Christine Weick. I grew up knowing some priests and nuns who were the most caring and welcoming people I ever met.

But during my Confirmation when a new pastor was brought in, I started feeling a little less welcome. He was this pompous New York monsignor who during his first week had all the boys in confirmation class gather in one room where he proceeded to go on a tirade about why masturbation was bad and why we will all burn for eternity if we did not talk about it in confession.

The last time I went to mass on my own, he gave a 45-minute sermon focused on why you can’t live with your significant other before marriage.

After that, I threw my arms up.

Now I’ve reached the point where I believe religion is not a necessity in living a good and moral life. I don’t need 10 commandments to tell me that killing is bad or that stealing is wrong.

But evangelicals in the Bible Belt will probably never understand that. Massive reform is needed, and I don’t see things changing soon.

Until then, I’ll enjoy sleeping in on Sundays.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | 11

The separation of work and religion JENNIFER REISS

STAFF WRITER

How would you feel if, while at Starbucks, you heard “Enjoy your coffee …and this scripture verse”?

These types of comments would be expected at private, religious organizations but not at others.

I went to Catholic school.

Because I was Catholic, I had to maintain certain principles and follow rules according to traditional Catholicism. Other non-Catholic students were not expected to participate. All that was asked was that they maintain a level of respect.

That was a private organization where religious affiliations are strict. The idea behind this is simple: if you want to come to us and use our services, you follow our rules.

This kind of thinking allows the Catholic Church exemptions from covering abortions in employee health care. It is fundamentally against what they stand for. The organization, not the individual employee, is allowed to refuse certain rights because there are (or should be) alternatives. That’s key.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prevents employers from discriminating against individuals based on their religion or lack thereof. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, just over 3,500 charges were filed and resolved under Title VII alleging religion-based discrimination in 2014. | Courtesy of BigStock

In a different situation, say, a Catholic pharmacist refusing contraceptives at his non-religious job – that’s not OK, if for no other reason than economics.

It’s bad for business; the individual is denying a service that is ordinarily offered. If the pharmacist doesn’t want to do the job, he should look for employment somewhere that aligns with his beliefs.

The right to further your religious convictions at the workplace ends with non-religious employers, especially in government positions.

Obviously, this does not include the employee’s right to practice religion, but when you are at your job, you are an entity of that corporation. You represent them and must abide by their regulations, and to advocate for your

religion on that time is a violation not only of policy, but of trust.

Put simply, as long as you are a compliant employee, your time at work does not belong to you.

This policy has been violated by some, including Texas courthouse clerks who have delayed, or outright refused, same-sex marriage licenses. As a public servant, it is their job — or dare I say, their obligation — to protect

and fulfill the civil rights and liberties of others, even if the Supreme Court-mandated right to marriage licenses may irritate one’s personal ideology.

On the weekends, the county clerks can protest what they please – how they spend their own time is their prerogative.

But as soon as that time card punches, the personal crusading stops, or they can find a different job.

You wouldn’t want your public school teacher giving lessons on her religion, would you? Or favoring students who aligned with her beliefs?

If you work for anyone or any corporation that is not explicitly religious, you give up your right to make religion a part of your job. Regardless of personal beliefs – that women shouldn’t have abortions or that same-sex couples shouldn’t marry – it’s foremost your duty to uphold rules set up by your employer and by the federal government.

You simply cannot police the lifestyle of strangers because you think it’s immoral, or because it disagrees with your religion.

That’s not your job.

12 | Wednesday, August 19, 2015