Issue 30, Volume 81

PRINT WEEKLY. DIGITAL DAILY.

Breaking news online thedailycougar.com

Are you watching? coogtv.com

Tune in to student-run radio coogradio.com

Join the Student Media team Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Some big paws to fill The student inside the Shasta costume is graduating this year, and the cheerleading team is looking for its next spirit symbol. | PG. 9

Issue 30, Volume 81

uh.edu/csm

2 | Wednesday, April 27, 2016

NEWS

thedailycougar.com/news

news@thedailycougar.com

Rebecca Hennes, Editor

Bauer alumni scholarship directly excludes women REBECCA HENNES

When associate professor Mark Tomforde, faculty adviser for mathematics honor society Pi Mu Epsilon, was asked to nominate a student for a professional development scholarship, he realized he couldn't suggest his first pick.

This is because the scholarship, The Gentleman Factory, is only intended for male students. Tomforde’s top picks were all women.

“It bothered me that if one wanted to participate in the scholarship, I would have to skip over all of those people to go to somebody that was less deserving, solely because of their sex,” Tomforde said.

Tomforde, along with PME student president Catherine Godfrey, reached out to Michelle Alvarez, one of the founders of the scholarship and a Bauer Alumni Association Board Member, as well as the president of the UH Alumni Association, with an email expressing their concerns that the Gentleman Factory is discrimina-

The Cougar

thedailycougar.com

ABOUT THE COUGAR

STEM

NEWS WRITER @BECCAGHENNES

i

tory of women.

Their concerns were met with an additional email from Alvarez in which she essentially dismissed all of their claims.

“It was frustrating because we felt like this is important, and because she’s a woman in business as well, I was hoping she would understand where we were coming from," Godfrey said.

The scholarship provides students with a new tailored suit and access to advanced personal development workshops, but it directly excludes women. Tomforde said his concerns also arise from women being severely underrepresented in STEM fields and business leadership positions.

“This sort of gender disparity should not be unfamiliar to those of you in the Bauer College or the business world,” Tomforde wrote in the letter to Alvarez. “As I’m sure you are aware, women hold almost 52 percent of all professional-level jobs in America, and yet they lag substantially behind men when it comes to their representation in leadership positions:

This is the first year The Gentleman Scholarship has been offered to students outside of the Bauer College. Estrada, a first-generation student and Bauer alum, started the scholarship three years ago after deciding he wanted to help underprivileged students who did not have access to professional attire.

Estrada said he partnered with SuitMart, a men’s clothing store, and has not been able to find a women’s retail business that will donate to his cause because the program is not an official nonprofit.

“The program is funded from my network, so I have limited resources,” Estrada said in an email.

Despite Estrada’s claim that

Tilman Fertitta, UH Chairman of the Board of Regents is the

HE’S GIVING SMALL BUSINESSES THE CHANCE TO MAKE IT BIG.

TUESDAYS 9PCST Stream on

Follow Tilman on TilmanFertitta TilmanJFertitta TilmanFertitta

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

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

ISSUE STAFF COPY EDITING

Emily Burleson CLOSING EDITORS

Sean Alder Mónica Rojas Glissette Santana

ABOUT THE COVER

he hopes to be able to incorporate women, as it stands now the scholarship still only caters to men in a field where women are poorly underrepresented due to discrimination, bias and lack of mentorship, Tomforde said.

The second part of the scholarship includes a workshop were students learn about leadership qualities. When asked why that half of the scholarship cannot be opened up to women now, Estrada said he’d prefer to wait until he could offer women the entire scholarship and “do it right.”

“We definitely want to (offer the scholarship to women) in the future,,” Estrada said. “When I (include women) I want to do it right for every single person and for every single student.”

Estrada said he is hopeful that the program will attain 501c3 nonprofit status by the end of the year and that one day he will be able to include women. Until then, it’s a boys-only game.

“This is another wonderful opportunity for growth and professional development that prevents half our population from participating,” Sarah Chehade, one of Tomforde’s top picks for the scholarship, said. “It's not fair to me or to any females who have career and professional goals just like male students do.”

Despite Estrada’s claims that he and his network are doing all they can to eventually include women in the program, Godfrey say it’s not enough.

“Scholarships like these are kind of reinforcing the idea that math is just for men,” Godfrey said.

“Honestly I think that what they are doing is good by helping underprivileged students, (but) I think this scholarship could do a lot (more) good if it included everybody.” news@thedailycougar.com

The student inside the Shasta costume is graduating, and the cheer team is looking of its next spirit symbol. —Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

i

Center for Student Media uh.edu/csm

ABOUT CSM The Center for Student Media provides comprehensive advisory and financial support to the university’s student-run media: The Cougar newspaper, 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, inter-cultural competence, goal-setting and ultimately, degree attainment.

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

CENTER FOR STUDENT MEDIA

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

(713) 743-5340 advertising@thedailycougar.com thedailycougar.com/advertising ADVERTISING REPS Jose Salazar MARKETING Ilse Hernandez Jordyn Chaffold Nina Nino Antonio Sustaita Ayodeji Owolabi DESIGN TEAM Jennifer Garcia Courtney Williams

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 | 3 thedailycougar.com/news

news@thedailycougar.com

Rebecca Hennes, Editor

NEWS

STUDENT LIFE

Suicide survivor encourages conversations LEEN BASHARAT

her family immigrated from the Philippines in pursuit of the @ LEEENCUISINE American dream. Because of the She sat on the kitchen tile floor language barrier and the unfamiliar trembling after realizing it was the environment, Aurelio's family found second time she has attempted to comfort and serenity in each other, take her life. but she never opened up to them She has struggled with anxiety about what she was going through since she was 8 years old, yet at 20, until she found herself helpless and she has attempted suicide twice in at an all-time low. one year.

“I knew it was going to be costly “I never knew why I felt that way on my family," Aurelio said. "I was I felt,” human nutrition and foods embarrassed to tell my family (of) junior Mariellee Aurelio said. “I had this secret because I had always a home. I’m on scholarships so I portrayed myself as someone don’t have to worry about money. I who is happy. I didn’t want them have a job, I’ve always had a loving to be embarrassed of me when I family and loving sisters, but somewas embarrassed of having these how I was still suicidal.” thoughts I couldn’t control.”

But with a smile on her face, As she grew older, her thoughts stress in her eyes from her bioprogressively got worse, but she chemistry courses and the constant kept a joyful mask on until she Nutrition junior Mariellee Aurelio hopes sharing her journey will help others. | concern for others, anyone could finally opened up to her boyfriend, Pablo Milanese / The Cougar have mistaken her for the average Dat Nguyen, in 2014. college student — even though “I tried to stop it, and I think Aurelio counted as the one in four that’s part of the reason why it took help.”

Even so, he found great difficulty in college students facing suicidal me so long to get help," Aurelio said.

University of Texas at Austin understanding what Aurelio went thoughts or feelings.

"I thought I could fix it on my own. junior Dat Nguyen stood by her side through.

Aurelio grew up in a family When I finally told my boyfriend as a friend prior to their relation“I was shocked, considering with sisters and two affectionate about it, that’s when we started ship, which began a year and a how strong of a person she is, and 10597-Cougar News March 30 Brand Ad Half Page-AD#1_PRINT.pdf 1 4/25/16 9:13 AM parents. Early in her childhood, finding plans for treatment and half ago, helping when he could.

I thought she would be the last ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

person I would hear (to) have suicidal thoughts from,” Nguyen said.

When things started going south in November 2014, Counseling and Psychological Services came to mind. She finally sought help after the second attempt to take her life.

She found comfort with CAPS psychologist Joshua Knox in February 2015.

Afraid to embarrass or burden her parents with her condition, Aurelio told her sister, Marianne Tang, two nights before she had her session with Knox. Tang found it difficult to comprehend what her sister was going through.

“It was even more difficult to accept what I had missed, being the sister she shared a room with growing up and being a nurse,” Tang said. “All of these (things) didn't matter by the time we found out she tried to kill herself. I thought about what was more important: to stand by her and to stay with her, to not ask questions but to wait until she was ready to talk, to not blame

AURELIO

Continues on page 5

4 | Wednesday, April 27, 2016

NEWS

713-743-5314

thedailycougar.com/news

news@thedailycougar.com

Rebecca Hennes, Editor

CAMPUS

Student ready to hang up Shasta suit after five years ROSE SINGH

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

When’s the last time you saw Shasta?

The beloved cougar makes appearances at all sorts of sporting events, including every football game and works to pump up the crowd and entertain audiences.

But what about the people who help make it happen? The UH students who work tirelessly for their fellow Cougars by donning Shasta’s furs and performing?

Like Sam, a supply chain & logistics technology senior who has performed as Shasta for the last five years and will be graduating in May. Sam still recalls his initial, inexplicable desire to join the Shasta squad when he became was a freshman in 2011.

“I had the chance to move into Cougar Village 1 early, and my group leader played Sasha, and I became very interested for some odd reason and started asking her how she got that job and who was Shasta at the time,” Sam said.

“I ended up having dinner with Bryan, who was Shasta during that time, and he introduced me to the mascot life. He let me go backstage with Shasta at a football game, and that’s where I fell in

love.”

Learning to be Shasta wasn’t easy and was even discouraging at first.

“I probably tripped over 300 times," Sam said, referring to the restricted vision that comes with wearing Shasta’s head.

What’s more, getting the walk just right – with all of Shasta’s signature swag – took practice.

But Sam said that the costume has over the years become more like a second skin.

Over his career, Sam has traveled with the UH cheer team to National Cheer Association Competitions, and more recently joined the UH football team at the 2015 Peach Bowl. He also enjoyed other benefits, including access to otherwise off-limits areas and the opportunity to meet high-up University associates, in addition to free Nike gear and scholarships.

Many occasions turned out to be rewarding for Sam. “My freshman year, I had the opportunity to play basketball with special needs kids to raise money for different charities, and seeing those kids’ smiles light up the room just made me feel so great about what I was doing,” he said.

Sam spends several hours at a time dressed up as Shasta,

Study Guides, Flashcards, Tutors

Sign up here and get $20 free tutor credits: bit.ly/uhcougars

www.coursehero.com

The student who has portrayed Shasta for the last five years will be hanging up his suit this May when he graduates. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

depending on the occasion. Baspursuing a career as a professional role of Shasta can learn how to ketball games require two hours mascot in the future, but he’s not become a mascot and master his each, whereas football averages leaving the gig empty-handed, famous walk. four to five hours for each game. either.

"Students that have never “The most asked question I “I plan to take the memories been a mascot before will not always get is ‘Is it hot in there?’ and ideas I have learned as Shasta hinder the chances at becoming and the answer is always, ‘Oh to better myself in the future," Sam a mascot, they just need a great my gosh, you have no idea." Sam said. "I find myself now as Shasta work ethic, a love for the Universaid. “The suit can get ridiculously outside of the costume, someone sity and school spirit," Arnold said. hot, especially in the Texas heat. with confidence who cannot be With graduation right around Imagine just wearing a full fur beaten and of course having fun the corner and his time as Shasta coat from head to toe and wearing along the way." almost up, Sam said he hopes it while jumping around and Cheer coach and mascot students take advantage of the cheering for at least two hours, instructor Jasmine Arnold said opportunities the University proand think how much you would she will miss Sam as much as her vides like he did five years ago. sweat.” senior students.

“Get involved because if not, The mascots often compete in "It was a pleasure working with you won’t meet new people and dance-offs with other mascots, Shasta and watching him mature won’t learn what others have to stunt with the cheerleaders, and inside and outside of the suit," she offer," Sam said. most of all, perform many, many said. "(Sam is) someone who loves Sara said Sam will be greatly push ups. The grand total for the UH, (he's) fun and outgoing." missed and that she was grateful 2015-16 season, for the time she Sam said, is got to spend 2,166 push ups. with him.

As the UH "There's no power couple, way he won't Shasta's other be missed," she half, Sasha, said said. "He's that she will miss guy. We all love Sam and their him, and we all time together. love hanging "We just out with him. clicked," Sara, To see him one of the two leave us is students who bittersweet. play Sasha, I'm glad...that said."We realwe got to end The student who plays Sasha, the other half that makes up the UH power ized that our the year with a couple, said Sam will be greatly missed. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar connection out bang. We killed of the suit is just it. Cheers to as valuable as it is in character.

As Sam prepares to move on in you, bro."

Now that I speak on it, the chemthe coming months, the mascot EDITOR'S NOTE: The real name istry between us was remarkable. team needs dedicated, spirited, of the students that play Shasta It was almost as if we were talking and bright UH students to take up and Shasta were both changed to to each other, but even then, as his mantle.

"Sam" and "Sara" respectively, to mascots you're not supposed to, so This year, tryouts for the new protect their identity and honor that was neat. It was kind of like mascot are being replaced with University tradition. mascotting with my twin." mascot workshops where stunews@thedailycougar.com Sam said he has no plans of dents interested in taking on the

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 | 5 713-743-5314

thedailycougar.com/news

news@thedailycougar.com

AURELIO

Continued from page 3 her, myself or the people around us for what has happened, but to see what we can do together.”

Knox was able to help Aurelio take the next step forward in recovery. He has been a licensed psychologist for seven years, three of those years at UH, and believes depression and suicidal thoughts are treatable conditions with the right assistance and willingness of the patient.

Asking someone directly about suicide and being willing to assist them in getting the help they need can be the difference between life and death, Knox said.

Aurelio debated for months on whether or not she should receive treatment for something she thought she could handle. But her session with Knox gave her a different perspective — that her situation should not be handled lightly.

“Dr. Knox told me this one thing that convinced me the most.

‘There’s a chance that you’re going to leave this room, go home and you’re not going to do anything to harm yourself, but there is that chance that you will. If you do, then it’s final',” Aurelio said.

When Aurelio agreed to receive

A psychologist helped Aurelio realize she needed help. | Pablo Milanese/The Cougar

treatment, her family was notified that she was on her way to Ben Taub Hospital. Aurelio was handcuffed and escorted by police to the hospital.

“At the time, I didn’t understand," Aurelio said. "I knew I was harmful to myself but I never thought I was harmful to anyone (else). But they don’t know if you’re experiencing psychosis, so it is for your own safety. I knew I needed help, I mean that’s why I was at CAPS, but I really needed that push.”

She spent two days at Ben Taub before she was admitted to the

NEWS

Rebecca Hennes, Editor

Behavioral Hospital of Bellaire for rehabilitation. She spent 10 days there on a pre-made schedule of group discussions and collaborations on topics including character development, life skills and health, yoga, therapy, movie nights, game nights, poetry writing and journaling assignments.

After being released and spending a year in recovery while taking medication, Aurelio decided to apply as a guest speaker for the Project Semicolon event in February. She was the first to reach out and sign up as a survivor speaker,

said Melanee Wood, assistant director of fitness at campus recreation.

“We had several survivor speakers at the event, but Mariellee is uniquely passionate about turning her personal struggle into a positive force for change,” Wood said. “She deeply understands that if we don’t talk about mental illness, nothing will change.”

Wood, whose uncle committed suicide eight years ago, commended Aurelio’s ability to share her story. Despite her nervousness, Aurelio’s eagerness to help her fellow Cougars prevailed, Wood said.

“From what I’ve seen, it seems that Mariellee has strengthened her sense of purpose through participating," Wood said. "The timing of the event was so serendipitous to her personal story. I think that helped the gears click into place for Mariellee; it helped her push through the fears she had about speaking and saw it as an opportunity to serve a greater good.”

Concluding her speech, Aurelio met American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Southeast Texas Chapter education chair Brenda Fitch, who not only nominated her as a UH Ambassador for the chapter but also introduced her at the Out of the Darkness walk in late

April.

Aurelio was the only speaker who was a suicide survivor. “(Mariellee is) determined to live, to do her part in saving her own life and to support others that may be struggling,” Fitch said. “(She) is a true hero in every sense of the word.”

After all the difficulty Aurelio had describing her experience to therapists, her psychiatrist, her family, her friends and in her journals, she finally felt comfortable telling her story to the 300-person crowd at the Out of the Darkness walk.

Although she received several words of appreciation for her speech at the event, she continues to work toward having University administration realize the need in supplying more psychiatrists.

“This is why I do this, not for the praise, but for the understanding,” Aurelio said. “This is my endeavor, to get people to understand the severity of what I went through and to join me in keeping the conversation going about mental health.”

Aurelio declined to disclosed the ways she attempted suicide, hoping not to influence others dealing with mental illnesses by suggesting avenues by which they can take their lives. news@thedailycougar.com

6 | Wednesday, April 27, 2016

OPINION 713-743-5304

thedailycougar.com/opinion

opinion@thedailycougar.com

Anthony Torres, EDITOR

ETHICS

UH betrays minorities by indirectly investing in prisons SEBASTIAN TROITIÑO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

T

here discrepancy between the University and how its funds are used with regards to its alleged appreciation of minorities.

The Houston Press reported a group of graduate students learned last month that UH has millions of dollars invested in major corporations that invest those funds in private prisons.

Private prisons are a business, and their business model cultivates a toxic disservice to SEBASTIAN humanity.

TROITIÑO CONTRIBUTING The model WRITER is simple: incarcerate as many people as possible, or, even worse, detain as many undocumented immigrants as possible.

By breaking up families, breaking hearts and breaking the American

code of morals and ethics, private prisons viciously gain the profit that unwary minorities give.

The system is in dire need of comprehensive prison reform since sense escapes the current model.

Prisons see minorities as a unit to profit from — as if that’s the only value they have to offer to the system.

All public institutions hold funds they plan to use for investments in return for profit. The distribution of such funds and the results they bring are treated like any other hedge fund between an endowment management firm and the University’s Board of Regents.

The Provost has committees in place to oversee the many complexities that manage the University, one being the Hedge Fund Committee.

Even if the millions of dollars going to firms that invest in forprofit prisons are indirect and unintentional, the University's most powerful leaders apparently don't care.

UH was revealed to have investments in companies that have ties to for-profit prisons. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

But student leaders like College of Social Work graduate students Nakia Winfield and Julia Kramp stand up for justice to put a stop to mass incarceration in any way they can.

“We came to this University because we believe in its values — its academic rigor, its values and standard of excellence," Winfield said. "Just as the University holds us to a high standard, we too hold our institution to high standards as well.”

Winfield and Kramp launched a

Banking on Bondage petition that urges UH to divest from the private prison industry.

“The University of Houston is better than this, and should divest, disavow the prison industry and never invest in it again,” Kramp said.

The petition is the only reaction to the incident. Even more concerning: for the first time in almost a decade, the Board of Regents and Endowment Fund Management will hold their yearly meeting at UH-Victoria instead of UH’s main

campus.

Such meetings are open to the public and give an opportunity for students, faculty and the general public to share concerns and question the Board of Regents' decisions.

“The change in venue puts a barrier between the Board and those it serves, which makes it much harder for the voices of students and constituents to be heard,” Winfield said.

President and Chancellor Renu Khator, along with the University, has betrayed the community and its minority students, their families and their neighbors by allowing such disgrace to happen in the most cowardly way.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The writer reached out to multiple UH representatives, and they declined to comment.

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

INTERESTED IN REACHING OUT TO MORE THAN 40,000 STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF AND ALUMNI? The Cougar is looking for new editors, writers, photographers, cartoonists, opinion columnists and copy editors! No experience is required. We'll teach you everything you need to know.

Submit your application through Get Involved.

See you in the newsroom!

Phone: : 7 e 13-743 -5360 Offic tudent S 221 r North e Cent

om ugar.c o c y l i da @the r o t i d /apply e m o c . r ga ilycou theda

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 | 7

713-743-5304

thedailycougar.com/opinion

opinion@thedailycougar.com

OPINION

Anthony Torres, EDITOR

IMMIGRATION

Immigrants have right to fear a Republican president EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF

Glissette Santana

COOGLIFE EDITOR

Karis Johnson PHOTO EDITOR

MANAGING EDITOR

Justin Tijerina

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Anthony Torres

Mónica Rojas Sean Alder

NEWS EDITOR

Rebecca Hennes CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Emily Burleson

OPINION EDITOR

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Leen Basharat Efren Diosdado Brittaney Penney Trey Strange Sonia Zuniga

SPORTS EDITOR

Bryce Dodds

STAFF EDITORIAL The Staff Editorial reflects the opinions of The Cougar Editorial Board (the members of which are listed above the editorial). All other opinions, commentaries and cartoons reflect only the opinion of the author. Opinions expressed in The Cougar do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Houston or the students as a whole.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Cougar welcomes letters to the editor from any member of the UH community. Letters should be no more than 250 words and signed, including the author’s full name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major.

Anonymous letters will not be published. Deliver letters to N221, University Center; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; send them via campus mail to STP 4015; or fax to (713) 743-5384. Letters are subject to editing.

GUEST COMMENTARY Submissions are accepted from any member of the UH community and must be signed with the author’s name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Commentary should be limited to 500 words. Guest commentaries should not be written as replies, but rather should present independent points of view. Deliver submissions to N221, University Center; e-mail them to letters@ thedailycougar.com; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.

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

The Cougar is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press.

studentpress.org/acp

SARAH KIM

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With graduation around the corner, many seniors are celebrating. But for some, the battle over the fate of 4 million immigrants in the U.S., a case heard in the Supreme Court last Monday is their own.

“Most of these students are here on student (F-1) visas, which allow them to remain in the United States for a period of 12 months after they have completed their degree for the purpose of training. If the student obtained a degree in a STEM field, then (they) would be permitted to remain for SARAH an additional KIM period of 17 CONTRIBUTING months,” said WRITER Evangeline M. Chan, attorney and professor of immigration law at CUNY School of Professional Studies and Hunter College.

Students then have 60 days to leave the U.S. Once students stop studying or graduate, the clock starts ticking.

If too much time passes, an immigrant can accrue unlawful presence.

If an immigrant stays for more than 180 days but less than a year and leaves before being deported, they will be barred from entering for another three years. After one year passes, they may be banned for 10 years. Any longer, and they could be banned for life.

Last week the Justices listened to arguments regarding President Obama’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programs. At a glance, it seems that the court is sharply divided.

“This case is a classic clash between powers of the executive and the powers of congress,” South Texas College of Law professor Josh Blackman said.

It is an age-old question of separation of powers and which branch of government is truly able to make laws.

“The outcome will depend on who the next president is,” Blackman said.

And none of the Republican candidates are considering even a moderate stance on immigration.

"I really find it amazing that Donald believes he is the one who discovered the issue of illegal immigration," Republican candidate Ted Cruz said. “I can tell you that when I ran for Senate here in

None of the Republican candidates have taken a moderate position on illegal immigration. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

the state of Texas, I ran promising to lead the fight against amnesty, promising to fight to build a wall.”

But concerns about the changes to come exist on a more personal level. Undocumented students and families anxiously watch the political tides, and they struggle to find a way to truly enter society. Should the court choose to support Obama’s plan, millions of undocumented immigrants could begin to work in the U.S. legally.

But states like Texas are leading the charge against Obama’s immigration measures.

One common belief prevalent in Texas is that most illegal immigrants are from Mexico, and many politicians would have the public believe that the problem is only getting worse.

But according to a recent study by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, “the nation with the most visitors who failed to leave at the end of their autho-

rized stay was Canada, followed

by Mexico and Brazil.” Other top countries included Germany, Italy and the UK. If a wall is to be built, it should not be built on the border with Mexico, but rather the Canadian border.

Pew Research Center also found that the study "includes no reliable trend data that could shed light on whether overstays are growing or declining.”

The children of immigrants I know do not fit the stereotypes perpetuated today. One had a family member who taught law at Yale, studied abroad and fluently spoke three languages — none of them were Spanish. Another’s parents owned a flourishing business and was classically trained to play the cello.

These are individuals indistinguishable from citizens, and we should not be so quick to allow misconceptions steer our country.

Sarah Kim is a political science senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

8 | Wednesday, April 27, 2016

SPORTS 713-743-5303

thedailycougar.com/sports

sports@thedailycougar.com

Bryce Dodds, EDITOR

CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT

8-team playoffs and the dilemma of the autobid BRYCE DODDS

SPORTS EDITOR @BRYCEJDODDSTC

Following the 2013 season when college football moved from the Bowl Championship Series to the new College Football Playoff, fans and pundits alike lauded the move as a step in the right direction. But while installing a playoff system was the right choice, a four-team playoff simply isn’t sufficient for the new world of college football.

There's a lot of debate about which teams should and shouldn't make it into the college football playoff, and with five power conferences and four spots, it creates the chance for some major problems.

Over the last two weeks of the conference realignment series, we’ve looked at the 72 teams populating the conferences and the basics of how the regular season scheduling would work.

In the final week, we’re looking at the proposed eight-team playoff

that would be used in accordance with the new Power 4 conferences and put that system into practical application, using the 2015-16 season as a guide.

How it all works Last week, we talked about how each conference champion earns an automatic bid into the playoffs, and that might upset some people, but allow me to explain.

In this model, the playoffs are expanded to an eight-team playoff, meaning each conference winner earns an autobid.

Then, the next four spots are up for grabs to the next best four teams. This is where the college football playoff committee comes into play. No, they didn’t lose their jobs in this scenario.

Much like this year, the college football playoff committee plays a big role in determining who’s in and who’s out. Starting after week nine of the season, they begin to

HOLY CHUTE!

Graphic by Courtney Williams

rank their own top 25, which is the end-all, be-all ranking.

How this plays into the playoffs goes like this: They rank each conference champion first through fourth. Those are the top four seeds of the playoffs. The next four spots in the final poll are the next four seeds. So theoretically, a college football playoff could look like this:

Playoff Scenario 1 Seed 1: Michigan State (Central Champion) Seed 2: Stanford (West Champion) Seed 3: Alabama (South Champion) Seed 4: Clemson (East Champion) Seed 5: Ohio State (At-large bid from the Central) Seed 6: Utah (At-large bid from the West) Seed 7: Navy (At-large bid from the East) Seed 8: Oklahoma (At-large bid from the South)

‘

Playoff Scenario 2

1-800-SKYDIVE 281-369-3337 Open 7 days • Group/weekday discounts • Great gift! • Get licensed in a week!

Conversely, if one conference has a really good season, the playoffs could look like this: Playoff Scenario 2 Seed 1: Michigan State (Central Champion) Seed 2: Stanford (West Champion) Seed 3: Alabama (South Champion) Seed 4: Clemson (East Champion) Seed 5: Oklahoma (At-large bid from the South) Seed 6: TCU (At-large bid from the South) Seed 7: Ohio State (At-large bid

from the Central) Seed 8: Houston (At-large bid from the South) This way, each conference gets one team in the playoffs and can’t complain about missing out, but if one conference is clearly the best that year, and the committee sees it that way, it is rewarded for its hard work.

Since we’re expanding the playoffs, that means we need more locations for the games. I propose that the quarter-finals rotate between the New Year’s Six bowls, the Rose, Sugar, Orange, Cotton, Peach and Fiesta Bowls, much like the semi-finals do now.

That means four of those games are taken by playoffs, leaving two for the next four at-large teams.

The semifinals are now their own games, much like the championship game is now, with these games taking place at two of the locations of the quarterfinals. The championship game would take place at one of the other two sites not used for the quarters or semis, which means that no more than two games are played at any one site.

Playoff Logistic Scenario: A hypothetical playoff from Scenario 1 looks like this: CFP Quarterfinal: The Rose Bowl – Michigan State vs Oklahoma CFP Quarterfinal: The Sugar Bowl – Stanford vs Navy CFP Quarterfinal: The Fiesta Bowl – Alabama vs Utah

REALIGNMENT

Continues on next page

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 | 9

thedailycougar.com/sports

713-743-5303

sports@thedailycougar.com

SPORTS

Bryce Dodds, EDITOR

REALIGNMENT

Continued from previous page CFP Quarterfinal: The Orange Bowl – Clemson vs Ohio State CFP Semifinal: College Football Semifinal 1 (Hosted at the Rose Bowl) Rose Bowl winner vs Orange Bowl winner CFP Semifinal: College Football Semifinal 2 (Hosted at Sugar Bowl) Sugar Bowl winner vs Fiesta Bowl winner CFP Final: College Football Playoff Championship Game (Hosted at the Cotton Bowl) Semifinal 1 winner vs Semifinal 2 winner.

The Cotton Bowl: Florida State (ninth-ranked at large) vs Michigan (12th-ranked at large) The Peach Bowl: LSU (10th-ranked at large) vs USC (11th-ranked at large) Again, these rotate among the sites, so each location would get its chance to host each of these games.

This approach presents the fairest rendering of a playoff system.

Each conference gets to send a representative to make a statement that it is the best in the conference.

Obviously, this is far from all the details that would need to be considered. But in a world where a system is never perfect, it’s always fun to play the role of the fixer. An

Graphic by Courtney Williams

eight-team playoff system offers the chance for a lower-seeded team to make a run at a national championship, mirroring the excitement

of March Madness on a smaller scale, while also generating more revenue for the NCAA, sponsors and schools.

But on the most basic level, it offers more college football and what I see as a more even playing field. In the end, we could all use

an extra week or two of football in our lives. sports@thedailycougar.com

TRAVELING CUSTOMER TRAINING PROFESSIONAL Want to travel after graduation?

Experience nationwide travel by joining the team that helps connect our clients to our products.

To Apply: Submit resume to careers@reyrey.com Learn more at www.reyrey.com/careers

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG: #REYREYLIFE

10 | Wednesday, April 27, 2016 |

10 Wednesday, April 27, 2016

CLASSIFIEDS

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

thedailycougar.com/classifieds

WORSHIP DIRECTORY

713–743–5356

Find a home. Find a job. Find it here.

PUZZLES

All positions require outstanding guest service skills

Hourly Positions Front Desk Agent, Cook, Restaurant Bartender, Dishwasher, Housekeeping Lobby Attendant, Housekeeping Room Attendant

Accepting online applications only.

All positions require prof of work eligibilty upon hire date. Magnolia Houston Performs criminal background checks and is a drug free workplace.

1100 Texas Ave. Houston, TX 77002 To apply onine please visit stoutstreethospitality.com/now-hiring.php

Sunday Worship Service First Service Second Service Third Service.

Fourth Service Sunday School

7:15 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

11:00 a.m.

1:00 p.m.

9 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Watch Live at www.wheelerbc.org Rev. Dr. Marcus D. Cosby, Pastor • Rev. Alexander E.M. Johnson, Associate Pastor for Worship & Ministry Rev. William A. Lawson, Founding Pastor Emeritus 3826 Wheeler St. • Houston, Texas 77004 713.748.5240 www.wheelerbc.org

Tangible Difference Learning Center looking

FULL OR PART-TIME ABA THERAPIST NEEDED • Northwest Houston, off of 290 between 610 & Beltway 8 • Katy, South of I-10 at 1635 S. Fry Rd.

Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 7a-6p • Special Needs interest preferred, particularly in Autism • Psych. and/or Ed. majors/minors preferred, not mandatory • Work with children daily • Attend staff meetings • Communicate with parents/caregivers • Engage in appropriate play, communication skills, socialization skills, and activities with children • Opportunity to become a registered behavior technician

Don’t wait for your degree.

Be a differencemaker today.

The Loop • Cypress • Downtown • Sienna • Spanish Visit HoustonsFirst.org for service times and locations

HoustonsFirstCollege @HFBCcollege

CATHOLIC MASS ON CAMPUS

713-993-7554

Director@TangibleDifference.com tangibledifference.com/employment/application.html

The Houstonian Estates

westburycoc.com

BULLETIN BOARD

121 N. Post Oak Lane, Houston, TX 77024 is seeking personable & energetic individuals for the position of VALET PARKING/BELL-PERSON FT, PT & temporary positions available.

Good driving record required.

We will work with your class schedules!

To Apply: Call (713) 680-2968 Fax (713) 680-1068 jorge@houstonianestates.com

CAFE & BISTRO

HIRING FOR ALL POSITIONS

Join our team! Looking for dependability, reliability and a great attitude.

MONTESSORI SCHOOL Located in the museum district.

Looking for Subs/Assistants.

4, 6, and 8 hour shifts available

IDEAL FOR STUDENTS! Call 713-520-0738

Sunday Bible Class

FIND YOUR NEXT JOB. Read The Daily Cougar classifieds every day — in print or online.

Off campus?

Online.

Rice and Memorial Locations Apply Monday - Friday 2 pm - 6 pm

(servers, cocktail waitresses, drivers, bartenders, and hostess) Full time, part time and seasonal available.

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

PLAYWRIGHT NEEDS PT MARKETING ASSISTANT. $100/week. 713-5232802. Marketing majors preferred.

More classifieds at thedailycougar. com/classifieds

RENTALS

BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN HOME available for lease 5 min. from UH campus, easy access to Hwys. 59 and 45 4 bdrs, 3 1/2 baths, 2396 sq ft. microwave, W/D and refirgerator included. Looking for 4 friends/ students to lease home $1,900/mo.

Call (281) 797 - 6162

The secret to finding a job?

That's Classified

ACROSS 1 Simple skills 5 On-the-run GI 9 Raced down an icy chute 14 Pile set afire 15 __ fide 16 Atmosphere protector 17 Footwear item for Inspector Gadget?

19 “Chicago” actor Taye 20 Necessitate 21 Chillax 23 Milne young ‘un 24 __ d’ 25 Ernie’s roommate, after gaining lots of weight?

27 About to go under the knife 28 Neighbor of a Malaysian 29 K’Nex alternative 30 Altitudes (Abbr.)

31 Rolling rock 33 Chophouse choices 35 Blow up a citadel?

37 Caviar fish 40 “I, Claudius” role 41 NYC hub 44 Singer-songwriter Tori 45 Develop 47 Not in the dark 49 Sound from a

toddler’s toy horn?

51 Actor Brody 52 Highchair wear 53 Put-__ (hoaxes) 54 Twinkling 55 Ferengi, e.g.

57 Stuck-together mass of towel fabric?

60 “Angie” star Davis 61 Latin “Lo!” 62 Classic Welles role 63 Famous car flop 64 Gift for a lover 65 Venue DOWN 1 Android extra 2 From memory 3 Chums 4 Posted for 5 Activist Hoffman 6 Sheep’s clothing?

7 Singer on “Double Fantasy” 8 Land on the Baltic Sea 9 Rustic retreat 10 Commando gun 11 Begin recycling, say 12 Fill with blood 13 Antique Chrysler makes 18 Noise blocker 22 Periodical figure 24 Speed abbr.

25 26 28 32 34 35 36 37 38 39 41 42 43 46 48 50 51 54 56 58 59

Stuff like that Ink spill result LG products Spanish region For the most part Not at all idle Handful Computing pioneer Charles Wrote to, without a writing implement Hotel areas Game with cestas San Francisco Bay area city Mattel man List of players Pileups, e.g.

Pitch-related Think similarly Parabola parts Chemical suffix Author Umberto Masters prop

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 | 11

713-743-5303

thedailycougar.com/sports

sports@thedailycougar.com

SPORTS

Bryce Dodds, EDITOR

COMMENTARY

A new age: the links between traditional and eSports SEAN ALDER

CREATIVE DIRECTOR @ SEAN_W_ALDER

You're watching a game on your laptop with two teams with completely different skill sets battling it out. You're watching the championship — the end of a long season — and you're so invested that you dedicated your entire day to watching. You're not watching the Super Bowl, though. You're watching the League of Legends World Championship — along with an audience of 27 million.

There are different sides to the conversation, but there are many similarities between eSports and traditional sports that can't be ignored. eSports is a newer genre of entertainment that has taken hold in the digital age in which teams are formed to compete in video games on a professional level.

Competitive gaming has broken onto the international scene and is continuing to grow in prominence as games continue changing.

Three of the most popular games

Graphic by Courtney Williams

on the competitive scene are Counter Strike, a first-person shooter, League of Legends and DOTA 2, which are classified as MOBAs, or multiplayer online

battle arena strategy games.

Players are now making names for themselves by being good at video games.

The eSports world is growing

to have a fan base similar to those of traditional sports. In 2014, only one sporting event surpassed the viewership of the League of Legends World Championship:

the Super Bowl. That year, the 40,000-seat World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea sold out and was accompanied by an online audience of 27 million, according to ESPN. “In terms of revenue and viewership, eSports are definitely on the way up,” UH Counter Strike: Global Offensive team member Brishen Thompson said. “Although they might not be up there with traditional sports just yet due to the lack of time that they have been available to everyone, I definitely feel that it will be there soon.”

But besides just the monetary aspect of eSports, the competitive gaming scene has a handful of important similarities with traditional sports.

It takes a certain degree of skill to be good at anything, but it is especially important to have a high level of mental focus in sports.

Most competitive gaming focuses on objective-based game modes

ESPORTS

Continues on next page

12 | Wednesday, April 27, 2016

SPORTS

ESPORTS

Continued from previous page that require players to develop a strategy, including win conditions, that compare to an athlete’s goals when competing in their sport.

“Once you actually get involved in a game, you can appreciate the strategy behind it,” UH eSports Club event commentator Zachary Fradette said. “Watching basketball, I got a lot more involved in it from knowing about eSports, because I’m like, ‘That’s impressive that it’s up to those five people on the floor to come up with a strategy, know who needs to run where and what needs to be done to win.’”

There’s still arguments against how much skill it takes to play video games, but gamers have special set of abilities they need to be the best of the best in their world.

“There’s no physical aspects to it like traditional sports, but there are mental aspects and reflexes that put it kind of close to it,” UH Counter Strike team member Nguyen Doan said.

As an eSports player is looking to make their next move, they are reacting to their teammate making a mistake or an enemy advancing, whereas a defensive end on the football field is watch-

713-743-5303

ing the opposing quarterback’s eyes to see where he’s throwing the ball. Both athletes then make split-second decisions on how to make the most of the situation and intercept the enemy or the ball.

The most important similarity is that both eSports and traditional sports are competitive. There are playoffs, tournaments and other operations. There are regular seasons and contracts that propel individual’s run at the championship while associating them with a team and fan base. Teams have coaches and analysts who provide insight into strategies and training regimens that allow the players to compete at the professional level.

Despite the similarities, how eSports are viewed often comes down to who’s asked.

“Right now, if you ask people at the age of 40, they probably wouldn’t recognize professional gamers as athletes,” UH eSports Club member Jimmy Chan said.

“But if you ask a 13-year-old who’s on Twitch 24/7, they’ll probably say, ‘Yeah, that’s an athlete.’”

But there is a level of training in the professional gaming world that matches, if not surpasses, that of a physical athlete in some aspects.

“Before school gets in the way, we have two days set aside to play and practice as a team. For

thedailycougar.com/sports

sports@thedailycougar.com

Bryce Dodds, EDITOR

eSports draws a significant viewership, in person and online through streaming services like Twitch. | Courtesy of Marco Verch/Wikimedia Commons

Koreans, playing individually and as a team, they can spend 12 or 13 hours training a day,” Chan said.

“Taking basketball for example, Kobe Bryant probably doesn’t spend 12 hours on the court and in the weight room because his body needs to rest.”

League of Legends teams have drawn serious attention from professionals, as basketball’s Rick Fox purchased a team spot in the League Championship Series last year. NRG, a professional League of Legends team, is supported by

Don’t take the summer off...

Take it on!

NEW REDUCED PRICING NO FRIDAY CLASSES ONLINE COURSES AVAILABLE

investments from Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, as well as baseball legends Alex Rodriguez and Jimmy Rollins.

“It can definitely help eSports,” Chan said. “I mean, even ESPN making a segment casting basketball like League, it was kind of weird, but it can definitely bring attention to the eSports world, so it’s a good thing.”

The statistics and similarities are apparent, but many cannot get past the idea that sports must be physical and athletes must

be, well, athletic. But that’s OK, because some gamers want to stay gamers.

“I would prefer them stay separate,” Fradette said. “I think that it’s two different things. In the end it’s all about entertainment…but I don’t really think there’s a need to put the two together. It’s definitely something that’s here to stay, and I think that it’s kind of what our generation is going to go forward with.” sports@thedailycougar.com

UNO ranks among the universities where students graduate with the least debt.

Graduate on time and get ahead!

summer.uno.edu

MAY 31