Issue 5, Volume 89

@thedailycougar www.thedailycougar.com Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Est. 1934

Issue 5, Volume 89

IS DIVERSITY DEAD?

NAVIGATING INCLUSION ON A POST-DEI CAMPUS | PG.2

2 | Wednesday, November 1, 2023

NEWS

ROBERT DE LA GARZA, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

@THEDAILYCOUGAR

CAMPUS

Students’ frustration surrounding DEI resources grow as while they claim they don’t wish to deny benefits to student organizations, Tolman finds that they often ignore her requests for information. This makes it more difficult for GLOBAL and other organizations to function to their fullest extent.

“They are not preventing us from being an organization, but it’s a matter of over-compliance,” Tolman said.

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF

John Lomax MANAGING EDITOR

Cindy Rivas Alfaro WEB EDITOR

Emma Christensen NEWS EDITOR

Robert De La Garza

PHOTO EDITOR

Anh Le CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Jose GonzalezCampelo ASSISTANT EDITORS

Atirikta Kumar Logan Linder Regan Grant Riley Moquin

Going forward

SPORTS EDITOR

Starns Leland OPINION EDITOR

Malachi Key

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Anonymous letters will not be published.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.

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The Cougar is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press.

studentpress.org/acp

For now, students frustrated by the University’s SB 17 response continue to demand answers from the school. | John Lomax/The Cougar

JORDAN NAVARIJO STAFF WRITER

Since the passing of Senate Bill 17 and the closure of the LGBTQ resource center, students have been struggling to fill in the void created by the lack of diversity and inclusion initiatives for public universities.

For UH GLOBAL President Kaitie Tolman, replacing the LGBTQ resource center’s services remains a constant uphill battle, from coordinating with other organizations to dealing with the University’s response to SB 17. Tolman and other student leaders feel frustrated by not only the banning of these initiatives but also the lack of a suitable alternative and the silence of the university administration.

“They’re doing everything in their power to not assist us,” Tolman said. “I sleep an average of three hours a night because of the amount of homework because of all this. It is not fair to anyone on campus, but that’s the position we put ourselves in because the alternative is not having any help for LGBTQ students.”

According to Tolman, this issue spans across many LGBTQ student organizations and is among many other problems students have with the school’s compliance with SB 17.

Student struggles Under the text of SB 17, Texas public universities are prohibited from funding diversity, equity and inclusion programs. However, it does not explicitly prevent universities from delegating the responsibility of these resources from these programs to smaller, student-run organizations.

However, the University refused to share these resources to student leaders like Tolman who wish to take up the responsibility of the defunct resource center.

These include lists of how they ran programs, LGBTQfriendly providers and other internal information about how the resource center used to operate, more specifically which services were dropped by the University.

“We are kind of coming together to help out and make sure nothing gets dropped and supporting each other,” Tolman said. “And so when we don’t even know what is dropped, it becomes a problem.”

The process of acquiring this information requires students to search through archived internet websites and communicate with university administration, a long process for organizations and one that might not yield thw results they want.

The University eventually sent out information detailing the programs that were canceled due to SB 17, but only after public information requests made by students. Tolman feels that she shouldn’t have to take legal action to get this information and even then, this information is not enough.

According to Tolman, asking the university for guidance on conducting DEI programs becomes “a wild goose chase,” as administration officials refer her to others without providing any information.

The University’s interpretation Another issue for student organizations is the lack of transparency from the university as to how they are interpreting the bill.

While UH does provide similar information about DEI changes as the University of Texas and Texas A&M by outlining the extent to which the university can and cannot offer DEI resources, and that universities should not deny benefits to any organization that aims to conduct DEI programming, its actions after the passing of SB 17 are contradictory.

For Tolman, the University’s adherence to SB 17 is among the strictest of Texas universities,

For now, students frustrated by the University’s SB 17 response continue to demand answers from the school and going forward, they also plan on working with other student organizations that demand more change.

Organizations such as GLOBAL have received solidarity from other student associations in their frustration regarding the University’s actions, including Young Democratic Socialists of America, who platformed their outrage against SB 17 during their walkout protest.

The leader of YDSA, economics sophomore Harrison Martin, also feels the administration has abandoned LGBTQ students and other students who demand transparency. This led to him creating a coalition with GLOBAL and other organizations to promote collective support.

“Students don’t really have any power to affect the dayto-day happenings at the University, and I feel like we could turn out more people by bringing in more issues and getting the faculty on our side,” Martin said.

When inquired about whether the university plans to be more receptive to third-party organizations, the university claims that they are “adhering to SB 17 without exceeding the necessary requirements” and that the Center for Student Advocacy and Community will substitute the LGBTQ resource center. To many LGBTQ students however, this new center is not an adequate replacement.

“I feel frustrated and sad and scared because if the state can remove our safe spaces, what else can they do to us?” said biology senior Orion Harper.

“Safe spaces save lives, and the University has not been doing an adequate job of compensating for the loss of the resource center.” news@thedailycougar.com

Wednesday, November 1, 2023 | 3 ROBERT DE LA GARZA, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/NEWS

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NEWS

STATE

Texas House Bill 4 leads to outrage among Latino community

Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar

ATIRIKTA KUMAR COMMUNITY ASSISTANT EDITOR @ATIRIKTAKUMAR

Last Thursday, the Texas House passed three immigration bills after debating almost the entire night on them.

One of the bills that drew the most attention was House Bill 4, which if passed, would allow law enforcement officers to arrest, apprehend or send back immigrants who cross the border illegally.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. David Spiller, R-Jacksboro, will make it a state crime to migrate to the U.S. without legal authorization, said assistant political science professor Michael Kistner.

“This is important, because immigration enforcement is traditionally considered a federal responsibility – the nation as a whole decides how to police its borders,” Kistner said. “A first offense would be a misdemeanor, but repeated offenses or failing to return to Mexico when ordered to would be felonies that could entail multiple years imprisonment.”

In a rare move to end the

debate sooner, state Rep. Cody Harris, R-Palestine, made a motion to block new amendments. After the motion passed, House Speaker Dade Phelan called the house on a break and it stood at ease for hours, until lawmakers returned

of the Hispanic community remains a concern, unless a law enforcement offer actually sees someone crossing the border outside of authorized places of entry, it’s essentially impossible to know who is or is not a legal resident.

“This bill is heartbreaking. It tears families apart, it disrespects entire communities, and it shows where the true cultural values of Texas politics lie.”

Esme Ledezma, Senior sociology major

and the additional amendments were passed.

State Rep. Armando Lucio Walle, D-Houston, confronted Harris and said that it is unfair for Republicans to end a debate early.

“It hurts us to our f—-ing core,” Walle said, according to a video posted on social media.

“And you don’t understand that you don’t live in our skin. And that’s what pisses me off.”

Kistner said that harassment

“Passing this bill and giving these powers to state law enforcement officers, thus raises the risk that law enforcement officers use other cues – skin color, language proficiency, etc. – to accuse people of being illegal aliens,” he said.

The bill grants the power to any law enforcement officers that have the authority to enforce state laws to arrest any suspected unauthorized immigrants.

To restrict the power of state law enforcement officers, house Democrats introduced amendments limiting the enforcement ability to only apply when a border crossing is witnessed in person and limiting these powers to Texas Public Safety officials, but they did not pass.

Former legislative aid for Walle and sociology senior Esme Ledezma is outraged by this bill and said that it brings “constant fear” for families.

“This bill is heartbreaking.

It tears families apart, it disrespects entire communities, and it shows where the true cultural values of Texas politics lie,” she said.

Approximately 44.5% of the city is Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If this bill passes, it would have a broader impact on students at UH. “There is a significant Hispanic population at UH and this bill would tear families apart, which could impact enrollment and graduation rates. Additionally, it could provide more barriers to

undocumented students applying to the University,” Ledezma said.

Furthermore, students would be hesitant to reach out to UHPD for help if they think there is chance they or someone they know could be deported. This could lead to victims unable to get the justice or resources they deserve, Ledezma added.

The bill passed the Texas House by 84-60 vote and is now headed to the Senate, where there is firm GOP support for boarder security.

In the past courts have struck down laws when they think states are intruding on federal powers. The bill authors argue that this bill doesn’t preempt any federal authority, it only supplements it.

“While the bill’s text does not use the word “deport”, what it describes is very close to deportation. If this bill passes, I would expect this to get challenged in court, with a good chance that it makes it to the Supreme Court,” Kistner said. news@thedailycougar.com

4 | Wednesday, November 1, 2023

SPORTS NEWS

STARNS LELAND, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

@THEDAILYCOUGAR

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Kelvin Sampson has No. 7 Cougars ready for the Big 12 head coaches, Kelvin Sampson. The 68-yearold coach has built a basketball powerhouse out of a Houston program.

The head of the snake

Kelvin Sampson’s coaching has brought the Cougars to new heights during his tenure at UH. This year, Sampson and the Cougars will take on a new challenge in the Big 12. | Anh Le/The Cougar

KENDLE ARNOLD STAFF WRITER @KENDLEARNOLD

In the Big 12, there are no games off. Every game is a battle.

“There’s no game where it’s just ‘Okay, we know we’re going to win this game,’” said senior forward J’Wan Roberts. “Every game is going to be a challenge.”

For the Cougars, they have the talent and the right pieces to not only succeed in the Big 12 but also to compete for a conference title.

This year, expectations for the Houston Cougars continue to rise as they stand at No. 7 in the 2023-2024 AP Preseason Top 25

poll. They are the second-ranked club in the Big 12 Conference going into their inaugural campaign, trailing the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks.

Three members of this year’s Cougar team were named on Preseason Watch Lists for their respective positions going into the season. Senior forward J’wan Roberts was included on the Karl Malone Award Preseason Watch List, senior guard L.J. Cryer was selected for the Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List and senior point guard Jamal Shead was named to the Bob Cousy Award Preseason Watch List.

Perhaps most importantly though, is the Cougars are led by one of the nation’s best

There’s no question that this Cougar squad wouldn’t be where they are without the main man in charge, Sampson.

Entering his 35th season as a head coach and 10th season for the Cougars, Coach Sampson expects nothing less than 100% intensity and effort from his players every time they touch the floor.

Baylor transfer guard L.J. Cryer was one of the major pickups this offseason for coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff. As expected, Sampson and his coaching style took some getting used to.

“I knew it was going to be a lot of hard work coming in, but I didn’t know it was going to be this hard though,” Cryer said. “He called me out for getting last in the sprints, and eventually I started being in front of the pack.”

Coach Sampson’s attitude never changes, regardless of how well or poorly the team performs.

“We were ranked number one a bunch last year, but for a couple moments in practice you wouldn’t even know we were ranked,” Shead said. “When your leader doesn’t really focus on rankings and that type of stuff, your team doesn’t seem to. Having him at the head of our snake really helps a lot.”

Last year, the Cougars finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the country, won the

American Athletic Conference and made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the fifth consecutive time.

That didn’t happen by mistake.

A key component to having sustained success at a high level is having teammates who are willing to compete and do anything in their power to win. For UH, that fierceness is built against each other in practice.

“We damn near kill each other in practice,” Roberts said. “We feel like if somebody’s not going hard, we’re going to tell them.”

New conference, same mindset Heading into a talent-heavy conference like the Big 12, the mindset and core principles still remain the same for Coach Sampson and his team.

“Every game is going to be a challenge,” Roberts said. “Just having that mindset and going into every game being prepared that we’re going to get everybody’s best is important.”

To be a great team, everyone must be in accord. And for this Cougars squad, that’s the standard.

“Coach Sampson forces us to be together all day. It’s us versus him most of the time,” Shead said. “What we go through before the season even starts brings us closer together.

It’s not one person on this team that you wouldn’t want to be around, so that helps a lot with the character of everybody on this team. sports@thedailycougar.com

MEN’S BASKETBALL

UH guard L.J. Cryer growing into role with new team STARNS LELAND

SPORTS EDITOR @STARNSLELAND

With the departure of star UH guard Marcus Sasser to the NBA after last season, Baylor transfer guard L.J. Cryer has been tasked with replacing much of the production from the Cougars’ all-time leading threepoint shooter.

And so far since joining the team in April, teammates and coaches alike have had no qualms about Cryer fitting into the role as the primary scoring option. In fact, teammates like sophomore guard Emanuel Sharp see similarities between Cryer and Sasser.

“They’re pretty similar. L.J., like Mark, is one of the best shooters I’ve ever seen,” Sharp said. “Spot up, off the dribble, anything. He barely misses in practice or in shooting drills.”

Cryer’s reputation preceded him coming to UH. The senior guard finished his career at Morton Ranch High School as the highestscoring player in Houston public school history. In his three years at Baylor, Cryer won a National Championship in 2021 and scored 15 points per game last year as part of a guard trio that featured an NBA Lottery pick and All-Big 12 First Team selection.

Now with the Cougars, Cryer is set to join a legacy of explosive scoring guards that have made their mark in Houston under head coach Kelvin Sampson. Of the five players that UH currently has in the NBA, four of them are shooting guards, most notably

Sasser and Quentin Grimes.

“That’s L.J.’s lineage,” Sampson said. “There are a lot of guys that can make a shot, but they’re not shotmakers. He’s a shotmaker. “ With an unquestioned knack for putting points on the board, one of Cryer’s focuses since coming to Houston has been improving on the defensive end, a non-negotiable for any player under Kelvin Sampson.

“The adjustment for L.J. will be just to keep evolving,” Sampson said. “He’s getting better.

He wants to be a good defender. When you keep showing up with the right attitude and the right effort every day, you will be there.”

But becoming a good defender is much easier said than done. Where that evolution starts is during Sampson’s notoriously hard conditioning sessions and practices. Though undoubtedly grueling, Cryer has risen to the challenge and said he’s excited to see where the program takes him.

“I’ve been pushed to limits that I didn’t know I could be pushed to,” Cryer said. “He (Sampson) hasn’t let up since the first day I got here ... I love it honestly, because it’s only going to get me better.”

A big helper in that process is having a childhood friend as your point guard.

Jamal Shead and Cryer met as kids on the AAU circuit, where the two regularly played each other in weekend tournaments. It was in those meetings as kids that Shead saw firsthand Cryer’s natural scoring prowess.

“We used to play them all the time. We’d

meet them in the championship every weekend,” Shead said. “He was kicking our butt, the only person in the third grade doing stepbacks.”

When the two met again as benchcontributing freshmen in the Final Four in 2021, Cryer once again got the best of Shead when Baylor beat Houston en route to its championship.

“We’ve connected over the years and that time in the Final Four I was like, ‘Yeah, you got us,’” Shead said. “And then they won it and I was like ‘F you.’”

Now, after years of playing as adversaries, Shead and Cryer are finally teammates leading what is perhaps one of the nation’s best backcourts. And with the Big 12 lurking for UH, the pair’s longtime friendship will prove critical as the season progresses.

“He’s gonna really love playing with me because there’s gonna be some shots that he’s not expecting,” Shead said. “I feel like we’re gonna help each other a lot, just by being there and dependable whenever we need to.” sports@thedailycougar.com

L.J. Cryer transferred to Houston after three years at Baylor, and is set to play a massive part in the teams’ inaugural Big 12 season. | Anh Le/The Cougar

Wednesday, November 1, 2023 | 5 STARNS LELAND, EDITOR

THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM/SPORTS

@THEDAILYCOUGAR

SPORTS NEWS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

UH women’s hoops enters Big 12 hungry for competition work that you know you need to do.”

Meanwhile, Blair, who became UH’s first-ever All-AAC First Team selection last season, is set to have another career year after leading the Cougars in scoring the last two years.

“I suspect, Leila will have a tremendous season,” Hughey said. “And I don’t say that just to throw that out there. I say that because she put the work in.”

During the offseason, Hughey tasked each player with hitting 10,000 shots by the time the summer workouts ended.

Over the eight-week period, Blair blew everyone out of the water by makes 24,000 shots, far and away the best on the team.

“That work is going to reward her,” Hughey said. “Once you put the work in, the work will come back to you.”

The Big 12 bump Laila Blair is looking to build off her impressive junior last year as UH begins its first Big 12 season. | Sean Thomas/The Cougar

STARNS LELAND SPORTS EDITOR @STARNSLELAND

During last week’s UH basketball Media Day, the hunger and excitement from women’s basketball head coach Ron Hughey was palpable.

Entering his 10th season with the team, Hughey and the Cougars are coming off an AAC-runner up year in 2022-23 and are looking to bring their aggressive, fullcourt press style to tougher competition in the Big 12.

“Hear me clear: We eat what we kill,” Hughey said. “We play harder than a lot of teams in the country. I’m not shying away from that, every single day.”

With a massive year on the horizon with with even bigger challenges in talent and coaching, the Cougars have been spending this offseason preparing and trying to give themselves an edge.

Upping the intensity The number one pillar of Ron Hughey’s UH teams is the full-court press.

The team’s possession-oriented, aggressive playstyle has allowed

the Cougars to finish second in the country last year in forced turnovers and opponent’s three-point field goal percentage against AAC competition.

Now, as the only team in the Big 12 employing the press, UH is looking to use their defense to increase their chances on offense, where the team struggled mightily last season.

“Average game was about 81-82 possessions a game,” Hughey said. “We’re on track right now to get 100 possessions per game.”

Much like the men’s team under Kelvin Sampson, playing that style of defense and requires unrivaled ferocity and physical endurance from its players. In order to match the bump in intensity needed for the Big 12, Hughey has increased the intensity of the Cougars’ practices.

Conditioning benchmarks over the summer were raised, including a required 15-second improvement in the players’ mile times, and the overall urgency in practice and the season’s preparation was raised across the board.

“You have to have conditioning,” Hughey said. “You have to have toughness and you have to have that mindset to be able to do that.”

Veteran leadership

Bria Patterson has taken a leadership as a fifthyear senior. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

Despite adding six players in the transfer portal this season, this year’s team will go as far as its seasoned veterans take them.

With the return of vets such as senior guard Laila Blair, graduate guard Britney Onyeje and senior forward Bria Patterson, UH is looking to lean on its returning core to lead the way. In fact, it’s the growth of the leadership in players like Patterson and Blair that has Hughey so high on his team.

“They’re not letting those opportunities to step into that leadership role pass.” Hughey said. “ And that’s come with maturity, that comes with confidence, that comes with doing the

Along with the elevation of competition, Houston has been enjoying an immense bump in interest in recruiting and amongst fans.

The prestige of now being Big 12 has given UH a higher level of respect from potential recruits that otherwise would have passed on the team.

“The one thing I love about it is the local kids are calling us and we don’t have to call them now” Hughey said. “We

used to have to call everybody and call the AAU coach and the high school coach and all that. Now we’re getting all that interest.”

After the UH volleyball team set a school record for attendance at women’s sporting event against Texas in early October, Hughey has already noticed the rising amount of intrigue for his own team. Floor seats are selling out fast for women’s basketball games and the team is even getting calls to attend events that otherwise they would have had to host themselves to raise fan engagement.

“We are really getting great stuff. From all the tickets and everything,” Hughey said. “All that excitement that’s coming from volleyball, football, everything is already trickling down to us.”

Despite all of this forward momentum, the Cougars still have a chip on their shoulder coming into the season. Having failed to make the NCAA Tournament since 2005 and falling just short of the Big Dance the last three seasons, UH feels it will surprise many in a new conference.

“My expectation is to shock all of the people that didn’t believe in us coming in,” Blair said. “So going in there and not proving people wrong but proving each other, right; that we’re more than capable of being here and being great.” sports@thedailycougar.com

6 | Wednesday, November 1, 2023

OPINION NEWS

MALACHI KEY, EDITOR

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ACTIVISM

We need to change the way we think about autism MALACHI KEY

OPINION EDITOR @MALACHISKEY

Dealing with the idea of raising a child that’s “different” than their peers can be scary, even heartbreaking. But in many cases, the fear surrounding autism is misplaced, and giving into it can cause serious harm.

Fears of autism don’t just come out of nowhere; parents are pushed to think this way. From characters on “Boy Meets World” acting like their friend’s autism diagnosis is a death sentence to advertisements depicting sobbing parents, the cultural image of autism is not a pretty one.

These images don’t just exist in a vacuum, either. In many ways, a parent’s only experience with what autism is comes from popular culture, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that it can contribute to everything from parenting styles to treatment plans for autistic children.

Many parents want to be seen as normal, and they want their children to be perceived the same way. The problem with this core line of thinking is that you have to consider: Who gets to decide what “normal” means?

In most cases, “normality” is defined by non-autistic parents, teachers and physicians. The treatment for children with autism is rarely designed to help the kids adjust to the world around them. Autistic children and adults are often completely left out of these discussions.

And as anyone who has been through the American public school system can tell you, one size does not fit all. Children with autism, ADHD and other “disorders”

Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar

frequently need different kinds of support.

Multiple autistic traits, including noise sensitivity, the tendency to “stim”, or repeat body movements and noises, and the potential for overstimulation can make sitting quietly in a classroom an immense challenge.

Imagine if there was constantly someone sitting directly behind you in class continuously poking you or making annoying noises in your ear. It would be nearly impossible to focus, and if they refused to stop you might be tempted to snap at them or tell them to knock it off.

Now imagine if no one else could see that person, and whenever you tried to stop them from poking you, your teacher got angry with you instead.

While this is a deeply oversimplified example, many autistic children have reported feeling similarly punished for

trying to stop overstimulation. Some struggle with how clothing feels on them, while others are particularly perceptive and can hear electricity buzzing when others can’t.

This level of stimulation can be hard to explain, and when it becomes too much, meltdowns are likely to occur. But instead of taking measures to understand their child, many parents rush to a doctor, convinced that something is wrong with them.

At this point, a lot of autistic children are then placed in behavioral therapy clinics where they receive Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy. ABA therapy is meant to help autistic children learn life skills and do schoolwork in a less stressful environment.

For many children, especially autistic kids that need more support, ABA can be a godsend. Having dedicated clinical staff working with children on a regular basis

can help kids in a way that overstaffed school systems might be unable to.

But for some kids, ABA therapy is nothing less than a nightmare. Using methods as intense as electroshock therapy and repetitive punishment, clinicians aim to reduce “incorrect” behaviors in favor of “correct” ones.

While these extreme methods arguably work, the cost on clients’ mental health can be high. Children who have undergone this treatment might fidget less or make smaller amounts of noise, but their odds of suffering from PTSD are immensely increased.

Advocates of this kind of therapy might say that if these behaviors aren’t trained out of children, they’ll never make it in the “real world”. But what if we could imagine the “real world” itself to be better?

Think about it. Whether autistic or not, everyone needs some kind of support at one point or another. Odds are good that all kinds of workplaces could benefit from available headphones for overstimulated employees or an option to take more breaks as needed.

At their core, autistic people deserve to be treated as people. They’re not special snowflakes who need to be handled extra carefully, but they’re also not animals who need to be trained into compliance.

They’re doing their best to make it in this world just like anyone else, and they deserve the support necessary to achieve their goals. So rather than asking “how can we fix that person?” maybe it’s time to ask, “How can we support them?” opinion@thedailycougar.com

POLITICS

Campus protest movements need to learn from the past to achieve results MALACHI KEY OPINION EDITOR @MALACHISKEY

Protesting for important causes is practically a rite of passage for college students, and UH is no exception. In past years, students have protested over everything from LGBTQ+ rights to abortion access.

But in many cases, these movements lack the intensity needed to bring about lasting change.

That’s not to say that these movements don’t have an impact, however. Some protests, like the rallies held after the two tragic suicides that took place at Agnes Arnold Hall, attracted hundreds of students and received coverage from multiple major media outlets.

But despite the initially impressive turnout, the push for more mental health support on campus seems to have completely stalled just a few months later.

It can be easy to pin the issue here on lack of specific demands, but even when students have complete clarity in what they’re asking for, results are not guaranteed. For example, consider the “UH Divest” movement, which asked the university to stop investing in companies that manufacture weapons.

After an impressive social media campaign, multiple rallies and a push for SGA to discuss the issue, the organizers proudly declared a victory. They lauded the movement as an unprecedented success, but unfortunately, their “victory” was arguably meaningless in the long term.

While the organizers were able to convince student government to vote against sending money to arms manufacturers, this did next to nothing in convincing the University administration to actually adjust where the school’s money went to.

Again, the accomplishments of these organizers is impressive and should be recognized, but if students don’t learn from past mistakes they’re likely to repeat them.

Take for example the recent “Free UH” movement that’s formed to protest the closure of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, among other issues.

Despite a significant leafleting and social media campaign, the proposed “walkout” garnered no more than a few dozen attendees. Supposedly, a large number of students care about LGBTQ+ rights, graduate student pay and the other issues the movement rallied around. So why did so few show up?

For a start, timeliness could be a factor.

These protests took place over a month

Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar

after the LGBTQ+ Resource Center closed, meaning that it was likely not in the forefront of most students’ minds. Media was also less likely to be interested in covering an issue that few readers would be interested in.

But more than anything else, momentum matters when it comes to protest movements. All of these past movements stalled out because students stopped paying attention or organizers simply stopped organizing.

While the “Free UH” movement has

some solid, concrete goals, they should be wary of making the same mistakes their predecessors did. A renewed push surrounding specific, newsworthy goals, combined with action that really pushes administration to take notice is the only path forward.

It only takes a spark to get a fire started, after all. But if you want to keep the fire going, you have to keep turning up the heat. opinion@thedailycougar.com

Wednesday, November 1, 2023 | 7 MALACHI KEY, EDITOR

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LIFE ANDNEWS ARTS

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GAMING

Cyberpunk 2077’s redemption and what to learn from it ANIKET PANICKER STAFF WRITER @ANIKETPANICKER

Even the most casual gamers are likely to recognize the name Cyberpunk 2077. From having arguably the most disastrous launch in recent memory to destroying the reputation of a beloved studio, the game has made its mark as one of the most infamous titles in modern gaming.

Since the game’s release, CD Projekt Red has been desperately trying to salvage whatever goodwill they can. Despite being caught in the crossfire of various industry issues, their efforts seem to be paying off in more ways than one.

For starters, efforts were made to continue expanding the universe outside of the main game. “Cyberpunk Edgerunners,” an anime series based on the game’s world, released to massive critical and commercial success.

The main game has not been left to rot despite its initial failure. Cyberpunk 2077 has been consistently receiving significant updates from the developers in order to improve its playability and enjoyment.

But all of this pales in comparison to their most recent development: The version 2.0 update.

It’s an update that basically fixes close to everything that the game had wrong. Bugged questlines?

Gone. Game-breaking glitches? No more. And on top of all of that, CD Projekt Red also released a whole new DLC – the Phantom Liberty expansion.

Stick to the truth. Covering for others will set you back financially or emotionally. Concentrate on what’s important to you.

Take charge, make changes and inspire others. Settle in for the long haul and go the distance.

Refuse to let your feelings cause you to make decisions that can waste your time and money or damage your reputation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Listen to what others say and look for any hint of recklessness before sharing your thoughts.

Don’t let the changes around you trigger anger or defuse your confidence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Set yourself free, share your feelings and head in a direction that offers peace of mind, puts a smile on your face and helps you get ahead. Don’t bow down to

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All this buzz around the game has helped CD Projekt Red repair their damaged reputation. The past few months have created a classic redemption arc where learning is achieved through mistakes and forgiveness is achieved through actions.

It would seem like CD Projekt Red has nothing but sunshine and rainbows on the horizon for them. But should gamers perhaps be a little bit worried about this scenario?

CD Projekt Red deserves the fruits of their labor, and the job of fixing a game at the scale of Cyberpunk 2077 is not easy. But gamers should be concerned about the precedent that this sets for the rest of the industry.

Think about it for a second; it took CD Projekt Red three years to fix a game that they promised us six years ago. Even before release, the

game had already sold over 8 million units in pre-sales; despite being largely unfinished, it was profitable before it even hit the shelves.

While CD Projekt Red hadn’t intended to deliver an unfinished product, this kind of outcome is likely to encourage development studios to try to create this outcome in the future.

Game studios are still companies. And the only way companies survive is by making a profit and increasing their profit margins so their shareholders are pleased.

Unethical as it might be, the strategy of putting out unfinished products and then taking several years to fix them might well seem like an ingenious cost-cutting strategy to executives trying to balance a budget.

In Cyberpunk’s case, the game made a little over $550 million in sales during its launch year,

controlling people.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Spiff up your place, host an event or change your lifestyle to help you achieve your dreams.

Use intuition to dodge a problem with a friend or colleague. Be aggressive.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -Take time to hone your skills, do something you enjoy or rehabilitate your body, mind and soul.

Don’t let anyone push you into something you consider exhausting or wasteful.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -Dig in and finish things on time.

Don’t count on someone to step in and take charge. Opportunities will surface based on how you take care of your responsibilities. Be forthright.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -Pay attention to what’s happen-

ing around you. Someone will need emotional support. Extend a helping hand, and you’ll receive information that helps you let go of the past.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- A change will excite you and spark your imagination. Share your thoughts with someone you respect, and you’ll receive input that leads to something concrete.

Avoid hesitation and have fun.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Finish what you start. Don’t give in to temptation or change to please someone trying to control you. Keep your plans secret.

Stand up for yourself and don’t be afraid to say no.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- It’s up to you to do what makes you happy. Use your skills freely, and you’ll transform how you earn your living. Settle your differenc-

$125 million of which was spent on fixing the game. CD Projekt Red’s initial development cost was around $396 million, including marketing for the game.

Even with the significant cost of developing, marketing and updating the game, Cyberpunk still made around $42 million in total profits. Even more, it managed to simultaneously fix Projekt Red’s reputation.

Imagine a future where hype for certain video games is exploited in order to gain sales and profit and gamers are then delivered unfinished products. It’s pretty dystopian to think about, but it isn’t far off from where we already are.

Companies like EA and Activision Blizzard are no newcomers to such techniques. But what happens if a majority of the industry decides to stoop to their level? Other companies are likely to see these success stories and wonder if they could benefit from doing the same.

This could just be paranoia speaking. Many of these companies have a long history of ethics that they may be hesitant to break.

Well-loved ompanies like CD Projekt Red, Hello Games, Larian Studios and many others are unlikely to completely abandon their morals.

But if there’s one thing playing Cyberpunk 2077 should teach gamers, the reality of dystopias.

Just like in Night City, no matter how bad we think we might have it right now, things can always get worse. arts@thedailycougar.com

es with a loved one.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Consider your options regarding investments and contracts. Don’t feel obligated to take a position based on someone else’s needs.

Turn a change you face at home or work into an opportunity.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Someone will feel insecure if you are indifferent. Keep the peace, but don’t let anyone lead you down a path you’ll regret.

Call the shots and compliment others.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -Review an expert’s research; you’ll stay on course and avoid interference. You may not favor a domestic change, but the benefits will be apparent in time.

Make a friendly gesture.

- Eugenia Last

i The Cougar

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