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The hunger problem 'nobody' expected MCRAE PEAVY @ MCRAEPV1

Accounting senior Dalinda Oliver had to make a choice between meal plan or classes when she moved to Bayou Oaks.

As a freshman, Oliver loved the convenience and variety that came with her meal plan. Like any other on campus resident, she was required to purchase one. As soon as she moved slightly off campus to Bayou Oaks before spring of her sophomore year, Oliver was forced to cancel her now-optional meal plan to afford classes.

“Once I let (the meal plan) go, I actually tried to get food stamps, but sometimes I’m not able to qualify because I don’t work enough,” Oliver said. “I only work around my school

schedule.”

Oliver, and many other students, face food insecurity while they’re on campus. In a poll of 25 UH students, more than 50 percent said they have avoided eating on campus because options were too expensive.

This fits the definition of food insecurity as not having adequate food even for limited periods of time.

Many commuter students and even those living on campus forgo meal plans in an effort to cut costs and save money. On-campus restaurants and convenience stores, then, are often the remaining options.

“I basically had to choose between having a meal plan or having classes,” Oliver said. “I got rid of my meal plan because it was like $2,000.”

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High price, little support cause food insecurity on college campuses — including UH STAFF WRITER

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

ISSUE STAFF The Campus Community Garden at UH started in 2010 and aims to support local food security, which many students suffer from. | Bryce Dodds/The Cougar

COPY EDITING

Nguyen Le CLOSING EDITORS

Many people on campus are aware of the problem of food insecurity among UH students and are actively combating it, like Raven Jones.

Jones is the director of the Urban Experience Program, which helps first-generation, foster students and minority students succeed through one-on-one programming and planning initiatives. One of the

many roadblocks they eliminate is food insecurity.

Jones said that when students walk into her office and say they’re hungry, she gives them meal cards that are good for one swipe into a dining hall.

“When you think about food insecurity, you have to think about all the issues involved,” Jones said.

“Our program is holistic, so we look at the personal, the academic, the financial, the career and the civic leadership engagement. Those pieces have to work together.”

Auxiliary Services staff donates the meal cards in bundles of seven or 14, so students who come to the office can receive a little beyond a temporary fix. UEP also offers snacks in the office and has helped eligible students apply for SNAP benefits, the program that used to be called food stamps.

Assistant professor Daphne Hernandez, who has a doctorate in developmental and educational psychology and works with Jones to tackle food insecurity, said that SNAP benefits are restrictive.

“Students are required to work 20 hours a week, and there’s some other criteria that they have to meet,” Hernandez said. “It’s really hard to be a full-time student, get really good grades and meet those requirements. It’s really not a program designed for college students.”

Hernandez said there is a severe lack of federal programs aimed specifically at food-insecure college students. Primary and secondary school programs provide free breakfast and lunch to needy students, but eligibility for these programs ends when they graduate from high school.

“If they were on these programs in high school, it’s not like they graduate and become food secure. That’s where our problem lies — there’s

HUNGER

Continues on page 5

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FACULTY

Graduate College of Social Work dean strives for LGBTQ equality REBEKAH BARQUERO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

@REBEKAHBARQUERO

Alan Dettlaff challenges discriminatory policies against the LGBTQ community — one that he is a part of, as a gay man.

“Part of the mission of the social work profession is to achieve social justice," Dettlaff said. "Because of that, the profession supports full inclusion and rights of the LGBTQ population and freedom from discrimination."

At the start of LGBTQ history month, Dettlaff, who is dean of the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work and an active member of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s LGBT Advisory Board, took noticeable strides on campus to spread awareness of LGBTQ issues. He invited Homeless Gay Kids Houston, which works to provide a dependable safe place for LGBT youth to find support and access services, to set up a table in the GCSW. This is one of many endeavors Dettlaff has made to incorporate LGBTQ awareness into the GCSW environment.

As a result of this, GCSW students are taught to become active leaders and challenge complex community topics. They have an active LGBTQ student association and also recently completed a fall event series exploring LGBTQ issues.

His life's mission Dettlaff said he hopes to create a welcoming environment in GCSW through student programming and class content. He became dean in May 2015.

“He sets the tone for the entire department, and he’s very dedicated to his strategic development plan,” said Kamah Wilson, a first-year graduate student at the

GCSW and graduate assistant at the LGBTQ Resource Center.

“During orientation they told us he was brought to our college to help develop a strategic plan to revitalize the program and, so far, he has successfully done that.”

Since October is LGBT History Month, Dettlaff said it is important to know about the community's accomplishments and leaders who fought for civil policies currently in effect.

“Being out as an LGBT person now is not the same as it was 30 or 40 years ago, so it’s important to know the history of what our community has done,” Dettlaff said.

Dettlaff said that when he was growing up in the '70s and '80s, there were negative messages in society and a lack of LGBT role models. They made it more challenging for him to come out.

“I came out when I was 22 to my mother; she was the first person that I told,” Dettlaff said. “She was very supportive and accepting, but it was much more difficult back then because there wasn’t the kind of visibility of the LGBT community as there is now.”

Dettlaff strives to look for ways to advance social justice for the LGBTQ community on and off campus. He said that although UH is diverse and there are a lot of resources for LGBTQ students, room for improvement always exists.

“One thing I’ve heard from students is the need for all-gender restrooms for students who identify as trans or transgender,” Dettlaff said. “I think that’s something we could improve on and something I’d like to see at some point in the college.”

In addition to bettering policies on campus, Dettlaff also works to improve those in the city. He said it is concerning that a city as large

Alan Detlaff, dean of the Graduate College of Social Work, was named in summer to the mayor's LGBT Advisory Board, through which he has worked to spread awareness of LGTBQ issues in the city. | Courtesy of the Graduate College of Social Work

and diverse as Houston doesn't have a non-discrimination policy.

Personal touch As a committee member of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s LGBT Advisory Board, Detlaff helps to inform the mayor about issues of practices as well as city services and advocacy work to address the LGBT people's needs.

Dettlaff said it is vital for him, as dean, to know about all the issues that are impacting the LGBTQ community in Houston.

He is responsible for ensuring that GCSW students receive not just quality education but also the means to address issues of social injustice.

Wilson said that because the dean is active in social justice, it sets a model for students to follow his lead.

She said that they get to have more opportunities to be out in the community and be part of the movement.

“We’re not just learning about it.

We are about it,” Wilson said.

Dettlaff is also an active member of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus. His partner, Vincent Pryor, is on the caucus's board of directors.

Dettlaff met Pryor at Texas Christian University when both were undergraduate students.

As a football player, Pryor had a difficult time coming out, worrying that he would be kicked off the team or lose his scholarship.

“He was fortunate that he came out to his team right before their last football game as a senior and had the best game of his career — he set the record for the most sacks in one game,” Dettlaff said. “What he says is that it was the first time the felt he could really play to his full potential because he was out and open to his teammates.”

Pryor has done public speaking for the past five to six years to talk about the need for sports, or sporting teams, to be more accepting and affirming of LGBT people.

Dettlaff said he was fortunate to come out out to a relatively supportive family — something not

campusvueapartments.com | 866.823.8938

many people have despite a lot of progress has been made.

“About 40 percent of the homeless youth population is LGBT, and that’s largely because of issues with their family not accepting them,” Dettlaff said.

Both Dettlaff and Pryor are members of Homeless Gay Kids Houston.

During the organization's visit to campus, they provided students with information on safety options and support services for LGBTQ youth.

“He’s bringing people from the LGBTQ community into the GCSW and giving us the opportunity as students to volunteer and have exposure to groups we may not have known about if we were just out in the community,” said Kelsey Reynolds, a second-year graduate at GCSW.

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HERE ARE 9 IMPORTANT DOWN-BALLOT ELECTIONS After a tense and painful campaign cycle, Election Day is two weeks away. Although it's important to vote for the president, especially in this election, it’s important to know about the down-ballot candidates who will have more power over the day-to-day workings of the state of Texas.

The Cougar presents nine important non-presidential elections you should vote in.

Since ballots often vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, and even street to street, the candidates below represent the University of Houston (4800 Calhoun Rd.). This is meant to be a sample ballot fairly representative of Houston. — Marialuisa Rincon Texas Supreme Court

This is the court of last resort for civil matters in the state of Texas and they have administrative control over the State Bar of Texas. This year, positions three, five and nine are up for election.

Currently, Republicans fill all nine positions. This election could change that.

Place 3 Mike Westergren, Democrat: Westergren ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. He has 15 years of experience as a district judge, four years as a justice of the peace and eight years as the Nueces County attorney.

Debra Lehrmann (Incumbent), Republican: Justice Lehrmann has served on the Supreme Court since 2010 and was a family law trial judge for 23 years.

Kathie Glass, Libertarian: Glass ran for governor in 2014, but lost to Abbott. She is pro-life and doesn’t believe abortion is justified in the case of rape or incest. Glass also advocates an abstinence-only sex education program in schools and supports the “biblical definition” of marriage.

Rodolfo Rivera Muñoz, Green: San Antonio lawyer Muñoz bills himself as the “Indian” candidate. He seeks to educate people on the history of the native inhabitants of Texas.

Place 5 Dori Garza, Democrat: Garza hopes to use her position to reflect the changing demographics of the state.

Paul Green (Incumbent), Republican: Green has served as president of the San Antonio Bar Association, director of the State Bar of Texas and a member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association.

Tom Oxford, Libertarian: Oxford ran for the court in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014 and is an attorney with the law firm Waldman Smallwood.

Charles Waterbury, Green: Waterbury has been litigating since 1992.

Place 9 Savannah Robinson, Democrat: The Democratic nominee doesn't have a campaign website and hasn't raised or spent any money.

Eva Guzman (Incumbent), Republican: Guzman joined the Texas Supreme Court in 2009 and was the first Latina to sit on the court.

Jim Chisholm, Green: Chisholm unsuccessfully ran for the court in 2012 and 2014 and has his own practice in Houston.

Don Fulton, Libertarian: Fulton hopes to lessen punishments for DWIs and advocates traffic ticket reform and driving licenses for undocumented immigrants.

U.S. House of Representatives Texas District 18

Texas Railroad Commission

With one of the largest populations in the country, Texas has 36 representatives in the House. District 18 covers most of inner Houston, including UH. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) has been 18’s representative since 1995, which is longer than some college students have been alive.

Despite its name, the Texas Railroad Commission regulates the oil and gas industry, natural gas utilities, pipeline safety, the natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industry and surface coal and uranium mining in Texas.

The commissioner’s power resonates in a city that is as concentrated on energy as Houston. The current chairman, David Porter, is not seeking re-election.

Sheila Jackson Lee (Incumbent): Lee is a big supporter of NASA and has sponsored legislation aimed at expanding government funding for space research. She is also an outspoken proponent of comprehensive immigration reform in Congress. Lee has supported legislation that aims to eliminate health disparities, HIV/AIDS research and comprehensive health insurance coverage.

Lori Bartley: The candidate’s website describes her as a “Frederick-Douglass Republican.” She is pro-life, saying she "will always support and defend laws that protect and uphold life.” She is fiscally conservative, but “will initiate legislation that allows us to invest time and energy into getting to the core issue of why an individual has become homeless and then provide them with the tools and support they need to be self-sufficient and productive members of society.”

Thomas Kleven: The Green Party candidate says he aligns with all 10 of the party’s key values, which include decentralization of power, “ecological wisdom” and feminist values. He has been a professor at TSU’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law for 40 years.

Grady Yarborough: The Democrat candidate garnered an endorsement from the Dallas Morning News for the runoff election in May. His self-funded campaign advocates temporarily shuttering wells to protect nearby communities. He also hopes to develop a plan to move Texans’ energy dependency to more renewable sources.

Wayne Christian: With an endorsement from Gov. Greg Abbott, Christian, a conservative Republican, is a former Texas state representative where he served as vicechair of regulated industries and as a member of the Energy Resource Committee.

Mark Miller: The Dallas Morning News endorsed the Libertarian candidate for the general election. He is a retired petroleum engineer and believes in free markets and limited government.

Martina Salinas: The Green Party candidate wants to “back to its original intent to be the advocate for Texas Citizens and to hold the rights of Texans over rights of industry.”

Tax Assessor-Collector

Harris County District Attorney

While not a particularly exciting position, the tax-assessor collector calculates property tax rates in various school districts in Harris County. There aren’t many college students who own homes, but the tax assessor receives the money when you renew your vehicle tag and is responsible for voter registration.

This is the second time Democrat Kim Ogg and Republican Devon Anderson have faced off for the position. Anderson assumed the role after her husband, DA Mike Anderson, died in office in 2013. She was re-elected in 2014.

Ann Harris Bennett: The Democratic nominee’s platform revolves increased efficiency, inclusion of disenfranchised populations in elections and eliminating voter fraud at the polls.

Mike Sullivan (Incumbent): On his website, the Republican candidate says he employs a fiscally conservative approach to the county's tax office. He was first elected as a city councilman in 2008 for Kingwood and Clear Lake.

Ballot Measures Proposition 1: Stemming from an archaic law, the sale of alcohol is still prohibited in a section of the Heights.

Lifting the ban would allow liquor stores and an HEB to open in the Heights, something residents have greatly spoken out in support of.

A "yes" vote is in favor of lifting the ban on the sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption in the area formerly known as the City of Houston Heights.

Kim Ogg: Ogg advocates more leniency on misdemeanor drug charges, has experience in gang prosecution and proposes harsher human trafficking and animal cruelty punishments.

Devon Anderson (Incumbent): Anderson is the current DA of Harris County. Her many high-profile cases concern human traffickers and money launderers.

Harris County Sheriff Incumbent Ron Hickman served as constable for 14 years and was appointed to the sheriff’s office in 2015. The sheriff’s department is responsible for policing Harris County.

Ed Gonzalez: The Democratic candidate has earned an endorsement from the Houston Chronicle. He is also a former member of the Houston City Council and was appointed mayor pro tempore in 2012.

Ron Hickman (Incumbent): In his time in the constable’s office and as sheriff, the Republican candidate pioneered the use of technology and “progressive policing practices.”

Remember, you can't bring phones into the voting booth.

Circle your picks for each election, and bring this voting guide to the polls.

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STUDENT LIFE

Students working to bring guide dog organization to campus ANDREA FERNÁNDEZ VELÁSQUEZ

CONTRIBUTING WRITER @ANDFERVEL

Usually, if a student walks into class with a dog, they will be kicked out. When mechanical engineering technology junior Tim Kagel brought Jack Russell Terriers Olive and Ella into class, he was performing a service.

Kagel hopes to form Service Puppies and Outreach Trainers (SPOT), an organization that provides service dogs throughout the country. It will collaborate with Southeastern Guide Dogs, a Florida-based nonprofit founded in 1982.

"A lot of people see a dog and say, ‘Oh cool, a dog,’" said pre-business junior Kelsey Braxton. "Most people know not to pet them, but a lot of people aren’t really aware of the courtesy guidelines around working dogs.”

According to the Southeastern Guide Dogs’ website, the orga-

HUNGER

Continued from page 2 no real transition,” Hernandez said.

“When they do make the transition into college, it’s not like they’re transitioning into a higher income.

They’re actually losing income.”

Food insecurity is not a new issue at UH, but no one has been paying attention. Hernandez said that most food insecurity research was focused on children and mothers or just adults in general, “but not the college crowd.”

“Nobody has ever thought that college students could be insecure.

It just hasn’t been an area of concern, until now,” Hernandez said.

“It’s coming out as an issue.”

Not only are campus leaders at UH becoming more aware of the

nization serves more than 400 graduates across the U.S. and place more than 100 dogs each year into careers to help people.

SPOT's short-term goal is to raise 12-week-old puppies so they can become guide or service dogs in the future. SPOT, however, ultimately hopes to operate independently from SGD. “(The fact that there is no office in Houston) is part of the reason why, eventually, I would like for us to become autonomous from SGD," Kagel said. "We could also do service puppies out of the shelters and save some lives also.”

A student who lives on campus or apartment and a student who commutes may co-raise a puppy for about a year, which is the period SGD gives the dogs. SPOT doesn't pay for any major medical expenses or any vaccinations; SGD covers all of the related costs. “(By co-raising) the dog, it gets to deal with the city life, an apart-

ment type of thing and also living in a house with a yard,” Kagel said. “It gives it more exposure.”

Kagel shared his idea on several UH Facebook pages to get people’s attention.

That’s how Braxton, who has always been interested in dog training, found out about SPOT. Something Braxtons said she would like to see with this organization is to educate the student population about service animals and help end the stigma around service animals and about people who have them — especially for disabilities that are not visible.

One student, theater production senior Thomas, has a service dog named Aurora, who was rescued from a San Antonio animal shelter three years ago. Thomas, who has PTSD and anxiety from his service in the military, preferred not to give a last name.

“It is a huge help for a school community and the public because of all the prompts that

problem — it’s also receiving a national spotlight.

Four college campus-based

Government Resource Center and the Student Public Interest Research, polled students at 26

“Nobody has ever thought that college students could be insecure. It just hasn't been an area of concern, until now. It's coming out as an issue.”

Daphne Hernandez, Assistant professor organizations published a combined study that found that 48 percent of students interviewed were food insecure. The groups, College and University Food Bank Alliance, the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, the Student

four-year universities and eight community colleges.

“The thing with this issue is that it isn’t really very well understood.

People haven’t been talking about it or looking at the issue of student hunger for very long,” said James Dubick, organizer for the National

Welcome Dr. Talia Crawford Now Accepting New Patients

While training service animals, pre-business junior Kelsey Braxton is also hoping to raise awarness about non-visible disabilities. | Justin Cross/The Cougar

they have and with issues going on these days, whether they be domestic or real world, PTSD and anxiety dogs are great,” Thomas said.

SPOT is still in its early stages.

There are some steps that he and potential members have to complete to officially become one of the 500-plus currently active

organizations on campus.

“I am really passionate about trying to help other people and really passionate about animals," Braxton said. "Service animals combine those two together, so you can work with animals in a way that it helps people.”

Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness. “We wanted to understand the issue better and we wanted to confirm that it was really an issue across different school types, across different regions.”

Dubick said that the universities they looked at were mostly public.

To conduct the study, they made use of student volunteers, who simply polled students as they walked to class.

“Our hope is to get university programs to actually start tackling student food insecurity among college students as part of their own research,” Dubick said.

At the University, UEP and a few other organizations — including Campus Ministries, whose members provide free lunch once a week — are working together to

fight the problem.

Jones and Hernandez are in the planning stages of performing a formal study of UH student food insecurity. It’s an important issue to solve because, as Oliver said, it’s hard to focus when you’re hungry.

Oliver goes to class and works at the University. Without a meal plan as well as affordable and healthy food options on campus, Oliver said that she does not eat at UH, which is “every day from 9 to 5.”

“When I’m hungry in class I’m not focusing, or when I get out of class and I’m hungry, I don’t have the initiative to study because all I want to do is eat,” Oliver said. “It’s hard to focus in class when your stomach is growling.”

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PUZZLES

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF

Trey Strange

MANAGING EDITOR

Bryce Dodds

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Leah Nash

CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Nguyen Le

NEWS EDITORS

Emily Burleson Alex Meyer Marialuisa Rincon SPORTS EDITORS

Reagan Earnst Jonathan Valadez

OPINION EDITORS

Frank Campos Thom Dwyer ARTS EDITORS

Karis Johnson Greg Fails PHOTO EDITORS

Justin Cross Ajani Stewart SENIOR STAFF

Caprice Carter Bruce Chao Jasmine Davis Peter Scamardo Jorden Smith Douglas Van

The Chinese Star will be closed after the fall semester. | Justin Cross/The Cougar

STAFF EDITORIAL CAMPUS

SGA's restaurant survey gives students a voice for future decision on property ACROSS 1 Word with “-ARama” 5 Parting words 9 Errand runner 14 Common cosmetics ingredient 15 Prefix for “dynamic” 16 Caterpillar, initially 17 Turkish currency 18 Car wash supply 19 Had a home-cooked meal 20 Wild fights 23 Forest denizen 24 Breakfast staple 25 “___ I care!”

27 Do more origami work 30 Visible blight 33 Geller with the spoons 34 Bear that’s not really a bear 37 Indication of police action 38 Fail to see 40 Flounder in water 42 Easy dupes 43 Group of eight 45 Place for a barbecue 47 Romanian currency 48 Parents and some poker players 50 Car front

52 “Big Brother” host 53 Very pale 55 Brain of a PC 57 Feature of a disorderly fight 62 Certain shooting iron 64 Aquarium growth 65 Doing nothing 66 Like Santa’s workers 67 Department store section 68 Exciting star 69 Some bridge seats 70 Young winged god of the Greeks 71 Happy and appreciative DOWN 1 With no need to part?

2 Miscellaneous assortment 3 No longer new, as clothing 4 Primitive shelter 5 Bridgetown’s place 6 Decade makeup 7 Grain bane 8 “Eh” 9 Spectacles 10 Horse’s nibble 11 Wild melee 12 There is no good in it 13 Captain or general, e.g.

21 22 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 35 36 39 41 44 46 49 51 53 54 55 56 58 59 60 61 63

Egg part Mary ___ cosmetics Egyptian goddess Bit of gossip Longtime “All My Children” character Brawl ingredients Point to the right?

Drive away Follow, as a consequence High mountains Hawaii’s Mauna ___ Window frame Elaborate Catholic ritual Intensifies Black-and-white cookie Biochemistry abbr.

What six outs constitute Freud contemporary Music-score sign Ship workers Carpet feature Everyone has one Heroic person, to some Edible seaweed Honey-based drink On, as a candle

W

ith Chinese Star Restaurant closing at the end of this semester, the Student Government Association has launched a survey seeking student input about adding another campus food option.

There are many rumors behind the closure. For THOM DWYER whatever ASSISTANT reason, Panda OPINION EDITOR Express is still around to fulfill the Asian food option niche on this campus.

There are a lot of complaints about the food on campus and the lack of healthy selections and establishments open late or on weekends. Take this as an opportunity to voice these concerns to the parties that can address them.

An establishment that is open late at night is crucial. Staying open until midnight would be great, since no current food option besides the dining halls adn food trucks are open past midnight.

The survey contains a wealth of questions that serve to genuinely get a feel for the wants, and even needs, of students. There are inquiries about halal options and the relationship students want between food quality and cost.

An ideal restaurant would be one that is open late and on weekends to cater to students who live on campus.

Twenty-four-hour service is definitely a feature students would not use in a manner that justifies the costs associated with having the restaurant opening all day, every day. However, service until midnight would definitely be reasonable.

The second element Chinese Star's replacement will need is a variety of options.

A schedule-dictated menu would appeal to those who live on campus and commuters. A full menu for regular operating hours could exist alongside a reduced, late-night menu after 8 p.m. That way, there would be less daily waste of food during the late hours and also less strain on a light-staffed late shift.

There will also be plenty of selection for students during the normal class hours, which is when the number of people on campus is at its highest.

Since the University is the second-most diverse campus in the country, it would be ridiculous to not include halal and vegetarian food in the new restaurant.

People who adhere to specific diets must eat as well.

There are not many choices for Muslims who adhere to halal on campus besides skipping out completely consuming meat — with the exception of Bullritos and the dining halls.

I know that not everyone needs to have these elements in the food establishment that they want on campus. Hopefully, whatever is selected will appeal to and meet the wants or needs of the majority of survey takers.

This survey is a great opportunity for students. A lot of decisions that affect us seem to be made without asking students what they think. This is our chance to tell SGA and the faculty what we would like to see at that location in Fall 2017.

Also, for the love of God, please make it a place that accepts Cougar Cash.

Assistant opinion editor Thom Dwyer is a broadcast journalism sophomore and canbe 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.

The Cougar is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press.

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OPINION

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Frank Campos, EDITOR

STAFF EDITORIAL

Registered voters should use their voice this November

Don't waste your vote this Nov. 8.

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

E

arly voting has begun in Texas, and we implore all those registered to vote to get out there and have your voice heard this election.

Texas has seen a record number of voters register in preparation for Election Day. The question is: Will you show up to actually place your vote or complain for the next four years and ignore the fact that you didn't participate?

Fifteen million people have registered to vote in Texas.

This accounts for 78 percent of the voting population and is a record that could lead to surpassing the voter turnout of the 2008 election. Texas had 77 percent of the voting population registered before the 2008 election amounting to a little more than 13.5 million voters.

We at The Cougar urge the registered voters of Texas to cast a vote this election regardless of what party you follow. Polls all over the country are showing a close race in battleground states — even a close race in Texas as Hillary Clinton closes the gap on Donald Trump.

The old excuse that your vote doesn’t matter couldn’t be more wrong. Your vote matters in this election — more than you can imagine.

The candidates start with Trump and Clinton but there are third-party leaders, too. Despite what some might think, the names on the ballot also include public positions that can affect you on a more personal level than the presidential election.

It doesn’t matter who you vote for. It is just important that you take the time between now and Nov. 8 to actually do it.

Let’s all use our voice this November to say something regardless of the outcome.

Be proud that we did instead of letting everyone else decide for us. opinion@thedailycougar.com

O I D A R G O O C

BIRTHDAY BASHStudent oct. 26 Plaza free food, drinks, prizes, music, etc FREE BIRTHDAY BOXES TO THE FIRST 300 PEOPLE

8 | Wednesday, October 26, 2016

OPINION 713-743-5304

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opinion@thedailycougar.com

Frank Campos, EDITOR

MEDIA

Automated journalism is entering newsrooms

W

hile machine-oriented journalism is still young in development, it will undoubtedly become common in the near future.

The idea behind automated journalism is that an algorithm could effectively NICK peruse a large BELL amount of data COLUMNIST and regurgitate it into a coherently written piece, all of which based solely on deductions from the information provided.

At the moment, it’s hard to predict the impact of machinebased news reporting on the public — aside from some qualitative speculation concerning its effect on news media conglomerates and their organizational hierarchy.

The one area that concerns me is the field’s impact on the First Amendment and how artificial intelligence would

Machine-generated news is still in its early stages, but will no doubt be a common phenomenon in the near future. | Courtesy of Wikimedia commons.

be punished in the event of an error.

What exactly are the parameters of a machine’s freedom to formulate ideas?

Video games are protected under the First Amendment. The reason behind this protection is that "like protected books, plays,

and movies, they communicate ideas through familiar literary devices and features distinctive to the medium."

This legal definition could almost perfectly be attributed to a news-generating machine.

However, the output from these programs may cause the

creators to have to answer to a court of law someday.

If this legal gray area is left alone, a programmer or data-entry clerk (or multiple) may face an insurmountable amount of legal fees due to a lawsuit resulting from the algorithm’s reasoning pattern or data input.

One of the worst outcomes for this scenario could be a conviction in a defamation suit.

The best would probably be dismal: paying legal fees to set a precedent in an unexplored legal realm.

Although it would be hard to prove the argument for actual malice, even in most hypothetical cases, those running the website of potentially hosted articles would have immunity.

The financial burden, then, wouldn’t fall upon the machines in the first place.

I tend to lean toward the argument that an automated process would propel journalistic integrity and credibility, especially in the areas of financial analysis and Wall Street news. Recently, Norman Pearlstine, once the top editor for Time, The Wall

Street Journal and Bloomberg, announced that he would be joining the startup Money. net, a low-cost alternative to financial news and data analysis that is heavily invested in machine-generated news.

It’s obvious that there is a serious monetary incentive to bring this technology to market-makers.

While I’m skeptical of tampering with First Amendment legal precedents, I strongly believe that legislation could prevent a lot of future problems concerning the fourth branch of the government.

Litigation would tie down this new technology and potentially harm the innovators of Silicon Valley. The early stages of this phenomenon are taking place.

I think it would be best to be proactive about the inevitability of machine-generated news rather than wait for the issues to reach an appeals court.

Opinion columnist Nicholas Bell is an MBA graduate student and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

CARTOON

Snowball test proves global warming is a hoax

Wednesday, October 26, 2016 | 9

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SPORTS

sports@thedailycougar.com

Reagan Earnst, EDITOR

BASKETBALL

Tournament or bust: Men's Basketball sets new goal for 2016 DEZ EWELL

Developing younger players is an essential part to building long-term success in college basketball. This is more easily done with veterans on the roster.

Returning veteran players encourage an environment for development in the gym.

Younger players, through competing with more experienced ones, can improve their skills on the court and maturity in practice.

The younger players go on a learning curve as they will not take the reins as soon as the season starts. Transfer forward Devin Davis is a perfect example.

“Damyean Dotson has been with us for two years; Rob Gray, two years; Galen Robinson, two years.” Sampson said. “Chicken (Knowles) is now in his third year with us, and we added Devin Davis who is going to be a good player. Devin doesn’t have to step in and be the guy right away, he can learn from a bunch

STAFF WRITER @SRA_EWELL

After finishing 22-10 in 2015, the UH men’s basketball team is working on their weaknesses every moment in offseason to keep their loss column in single digits this season.

The team reached the National Invitation Tournament last year, but there is a loftier goal in sight as the new season just weeks away: reaching the NCAA Tournament. This is a target within reach for the Cougars as the team has both young talent and veteran leadership.

“For the first time, our returners are our best players,” said assistant coach Kellen Sampson.

“What we walked into (two years ago) was that we had to recruit a bunch of new guys and the first year everyone was new. Obviously, we had an opportunity to get our own group of guys in here last year, and a lot of those guys emerged and took over.”

The Cougar basketball team has placed a special emphasis on improving their defense before their Nov. 5 home opener. | Reagan Earnst/The Cougar

of returners.”

Last season, the Cougars seemed to score from all angles on the court. The biggest issue they had was keeping their opponents from doing the same thing.

Junior guard Wes VanBeck said that the team's defense will have the biggest improvement in the post. He said that the increases

in size and weight of their post players will change the dynamic in that area of the court.

In his opinion, Davis is more solid in size than Devonta Pollard was last year, and the addition of junior center Valentine Sangoyomi will improve the post defense.

“We’re working to develop a

defensive chemistry and a defensive swag,” said sophomore guard Galen Robinson Jr. “Last year, we were one of the best teams to put the ball in the bucket, but without defense that doesn’t mean anything. Our major focus for us this year is defense and defensive rebounding and doing all the dirty work on the other side of the floor.”

The coaches and players all felt that this is a team that can win the American Athletic Conference championship and get to the NCAA tournament.

With extra attention to their defensive play and the same prolific offense from last season, the Cougars are determined to surprise a lot of teams.

“If we don’t go to the NCAA tournament, that is a disappointment.” Robinson said. “That is not a goal, that is what we expect.” sports@thedailycougar.com

2015 STUDENT FEES

ADVISORY COMMITTEE PRESENTATION SCHEDULE

All sessions will be held in the Senate Chamber in the Student Center North building

FRIDAY, OCT. 28, 2016

8:30 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:45 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

11:00 a.m.

11:45 a.m.

Noon 1:15 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

2:45 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m.

4:30 p.m.

5:00 p.m.

Committee Business Dean of Students Office Break DSAES IT Services Veteran Services Health Center Public Comment Lunch Campus Recreation Center for Students with DisABILITIES Break Counseling and Psychological Services Speech and Debate Blaffer Gallery Band/Spirit Squad Adjournment

MONDAY, OCT. 31, 2016

8:45 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:45 a.m.

10:15 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

11:00 a.m.

11:30 a.m.

11:45 a.m.

1:00 p.m.

1:45 p.m.

2:15 p.m.

2:45 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m.

4:45 p.m.

Committee Business Center for Student Media The Cougar Break CoogTV/Student VIdeo Network Coog Radio Public Comment Lunch Student Centers A.D. Bruce Religion Center Children’s Learning Centers Break Frontier Fiesta Association LGBTQ Resource Center University Career Services Adjournmenmt

TUESDAY, NOV. 1, 2016

8:45 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

10:15 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

11:00 a.m.

11:45 a.m.

1:00 p.m.

1:30 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

2:45 p.m.

3:15 p.m.

3:45 p.m.

Committee Business Center for Diversity and Inclusion Center for Student Involvement Break Student Program Board Activities Funding Board Lunch Homecoming Board Metropolitan Volunteer Program Council of Ethnic Organizations Break Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life Student Government Association Adjournment

SFAC is charged with recommending funding allocations for Student Services Fees, making recommendations on behalf of all students. All presentations are open to the public, and a daily time is set aside for public comment. If you require disability accommodations, please call the Dean of Students office at 832-842-6183 to make arrangements.

For more information visit uh.edu/sfac

FRIDAY, NOV. 4, 2016

8:30 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

10:15 a.m.

Committee Business UH Wellness Cougars in Recovery Break Intercollegiate Athletics 11:00 a.m.

Urban Experience Program 11:30 a.m.

Public Comment 11:45 a.m.

Lunch 1:00 p.m.

Business Services 1:30 p.m.

Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services 2:00 p.m.

Process Wrap-Up Dr. Richard Walker, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services 2:45 p.m.

Adjournment

10 | Wednesday, October 26, 2016

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Reagan Earnst, EDITOR

Junior outside hitter Brianna Lynch has thrived since she transferred to Houston last season — and now she has become an important part of the Cougars' offense. | Justin Cross/The Cougar

VOLLEYBALL

Junior opts to return home for reasons bigger than volleyball J.D. SMITH

SENIOR STAFF WRITER @JDSMITH_08

It takes an out-of-state trip for members of the Cougar volleyball team to realize what they were looking for has been home the entire time.

For junior outside hitter Brianna Lynch, the decision came down to what her heart wanted.

After two successful seasons at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she started 19 matches for the Demon Deacons, the Richmond, Texas native felt it was time to come home.

“I was missing home,” Lynch said. “I wanted to see my little brother grow up and I felt like Houston was where I needed to be and where I fit in.”

The right decision It wasn’t until Lynch was in middle school that she discovered volleyball, but she quickly fell in love and decided to pursue it instead of basketball. She found success while at Travis High School, lettering every year while being named All-District First team twice and team MVP three times.

Lynch thought leaving home would be the best choice when choosing a college. She decided to go for more than 1,100 miles

away to Wake Forest.

“As a young athlete, I assumed I wanted to get out of the state,” Lynch said. “I’ve always been in Texas, so even though I love Texas it took going out and experiencing something different to tell me home is where I need to be.”

While in North Carolina, Lynch realized that her heart was calling out to her again.

After playing two seasons for the Demon Deacons, she felt that Houston was pulling her back.

The process of transferring can be difficult for all students, let alone student-athletes who have that extra wrinkle added in. Telling her former coach that she wanted to leave didn’t come easy for Lynch.

“After the last game against UNC, I pulled him aside the next day and we had a sit-down talk,” Lynch said. “It was really heart-to-heart and was a hard decision, but I told him that this isn’t where my heart is and I want to come home.”

Normally when transferring, the process of recruitment to the new school goes through a third-party as the NCAA prohibits coaches from talking to athletes at their schools. This situation was different.

Eventually, Wake Forest's head coach, Ken Murczek, worked it

After not feeling at home playing for Wake Forest University, Lynch made the decision to return home and play for the Cougars | Justin Cross/The Cougar

out with Cougar head coach, Kaddie Platt.

“In her situation, it was Wake Forest who called us because she wanted to come home,” Platt said. “We have a relationship with that coach up there, and Ken (Murczek) and I talked and he told me about her strengths and that she wanted to be back home and closer to her family.”

Genuine game changer Lynch has thrived since coming to Houston, leading the team in kills while appearing in all 20

matches this season.

Totaling 196 kills in 75 sets, the junior provides an offensive spark for the Cougars while bringing an inspiring presence to a team that features 14 total underclassmen with nine freshmen.

“A great team player and has a calmness on the court that’s needed with so many freshmen,” Platt said. “In a really balanced offense, she’s going to be really lethal. When we have to give her so many balls, it’s a little harder for her to terminate as much

and her efficiency will go up as we get better people around her.”

This season hasn’t gone the way the Cougars hoped, though, as they are 5-15 overall and have yet to win a match in American Athletic Conference play.

Lynch knows that what’s important to building a lasting program, despite the record, is building a culture and instilling a strong work ethic in the underclassmen.

“We work hard every day building relationships here, so it’s all about the culture,” Lynch said.

Whether it be in volleyball or in her life afterward, Lynch trusts her heart to lead her in the right direction, as it has so far.

Lynch, a human resources major, hopes to go to grad school and work overseas. No matter what she does, however, she wants to make an impact.

“Every day, I just hope that I make a difference," Lynch said.

"Whether it’s one point, blocking, getting one more kill or one more dig, or improving my teammates. That’s my dream, my goal every day is to make a difference.” sports@thedailycougar.com

Wednesday, October 26, 2016 | 11

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SPORTS

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Reagan Earnst, EDITOR

FOOTBALL

Cougars' colossal 3-game meltdown shatters league champion chance JONATHAN VALADEZ

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @JONOUNSEEN

As if being denied by the Big 12 wasn’t a big enough blow this week, the Cougars traveled to Dallas where they were gut-punched by the 22-point underdog Southern Methodist University Mustangs.

Houston is now 3-2 in the American Athletic Conference and their preseason goal of repeating as league champions is over, especially after the United States Naval Academy beat the University of Memphis by 14 points.

The Cougars’ season is in disarray after three-straight uninspiring performances on all sides of the ball. So much of what made the team good at in the first half of the season is nowhere to be seen as of late.

Rusty defense Through the first five games of the season, the Cougars had a fierce rush defense that gave up only 42 yards per game and was ranked No. 1 in the country.

In the three games since, UH has been unable to stop anyone on the ground as five different backs have rushed for 59 yards or more in that time span.

The Cougars once-staunch rush defense has given up an average of 192.7 yards in the past three games, although the Navy game accounted for 52 percent of the total rushing yards.

On the year, the Cougars are allowing 98.5 yards per game.

While this may keep them in the top 10, their defensive wall is broken.

There were also some worries that the UH secondary was going to get exploited due to its inexperience heading into the season.

Although the Cougars gave up more than 270 yards in three of their first five games, the unit was playing above their capabilities even in the absence of senior cornerback Brandon Wilson.

The passing yards allowed per game have only increased by 15 when comparing the first five games to the past three, but the three latest opposing quarterbacks have had ample time in the pocket to pick apart the Cougars’ defensive backs.

University of Tulsa’s senior quarterback Dane Evans lit up the secondary because he was able to hang in the pocket and read through his progressions to find the mismatch. The Cou-

The Cougars' epic collapse in the past three games has made their chances of playing in the conference title game almost non-existent. Now unranked, the team must set a new goal as the enter their final four games. | Ajani Stewart/The Cougar

gars won, barely, but allowed a season-high 365 yards through the air.

Part of why the secondary has finally been exposed is because the defensive front has not been able to generate pressure on the quarterback or in the backfield in general.

The most glaring stat is that Houston has only one sack in the past three competitions after piling up 18 sacks in the first five.

They have had trouble just bothering the opposing play caller, as they’ve only been credited for five quarterback hurries.

The Cougars have also struggled to produce tackles behind the line of scrimmage. The defense had 40 tackles for loss in the first five contests, but has only managed 14 lately.

Not only that, the few tackles that they have been able to make behind the line have been shallower. The 40 tackles averaged 4.2 yards for loss early in the season, whereas the recent 14 have notched an average of just 2.4 yards.

The defensive front’s failure to create chaos in the backfield has caused problems for the secondary. The opposing quarterback gets more time to throw, forcing the corners to stay in coverage longer and are more likely to break down.

The offensive line had a lack of experience heading into the season on top of being plagued

with injuries throughout the season. Still, they managed to find a way to shield Ward early

in the season.

Redshirt freshman Josh Jones and sophomore Will Noble were the only starters from week one who participated in the past three games. Noble, however, left the SMU game with an injury, which forced junior Alex Fontana to move over to center from guard.

The Cougars have given up 18 sacks on the year, but half of those have been accumulated in the past three contests.

The Mustangs’ defense abused the Cougars’ offensive line, causing it to break down on several plays that led either to a sack, a tackle for loss or an incomplete and often underthrown pass.

There are several factors that could be attributed to UH’s sudden downturn. Still, everything must be resolved quickly considering the season isn't over even though conference championship aspirations are. sports@thedailycougar.com

worship DIRECTORY

CATHOLIC MASS ON CAMPUS

SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE

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

First Service: 7:15 am Second Service: 9:00 am Third Service: 11:00 am Fourth Service: 1:00 pm 4VOEBZ 8PSTIJQ 4FSWJDF 'JSTU 4FSWJDF 4FDPOE 4FSWJDF 5IJSE 4FSWJDF 'PVSUI 4FSWJDF 4VOEBZ 4DIPPM

Sunday School:

9:00 am

B N B N WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY B N Q N 12 noon & 7:00 pm B N B N

8BUDI -JWF BU XXX XIFFMFSCD PSH

Sunday Bible Class

3FW %S .BSDVT % $PTCZ 1BTUPS t 3FW "MFYBOEFS & . +PIOTPO "TTPDJBUF 1BTUPS GPS 8PSTIJQ .JOJTUSZ 3FW 8JMMJBN " -BXTPO 'PVOEJOH 1BTUPS &NFSJUVT 8IFFMFS 4U t )PVTUPO 5FYBT XXX XIFFMFSCD PSH

Problems on offense Another huge reason the Cougars have stalled as of late is due to the offensive line’s inadequacy to protect senior quarterback Greg Ward Jr.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN WORSHIP DIRECTORY, CONTACT JOSÉ SALAZAR AT 713-743-5356

12 | Wednesday, October 26, 2016

SPORTS thedailycougar.com/sports

sports@thedailycougar.com

Reagan Earnst,

EDITOR

RUNNING

Cross country stays optimistic about championships PETER SCAMARDO

SENIOR STAFF WRITER @PLSCAMARDO2

The men and women of the Cougar cross country team are in the middle of a two-week preparation period for the American Athletic Conference Championships in Cincinnati.

Lately, everything seems to be going against the Cougars.

Challenges everywhere When both teams traveled to Alabama on Oct. 14 for their final regular season meet, they competed in their toughest competition. They also had no valuable athletes when it was time to run.

For the women’s team, redshirt senior and top performer Selena Sierra was suffering from a virus. The seasoned veteran still pushed through to finish 57th.

In addition, the women’s thirdbest runner sophomore Maria Gonzales ended up straining her calf and had to drop out.

On the men’s side, junior Justin Barrett strained his hamstring midway through the race and could only jog to the finish after that point.

“You hope that this all comes together during big races, but it wasn’t our day,” said head coach Steve Magness. “The positive is that we (have had) two weeks to heal and we still have room to grow. This week is a really tough week of work. We have the two hardest workouts of the year this week, so we’re hoping to build some toughness and gain some fitness heading into the final stretch.”

Magness continues to preach his message that teams are not defined by their ranking but how they bounce back.

He knows the strong culture on the squads will keep them confident and ready to perform well at conference.

At the start of the season, it would have been easy to predict that these two squads might not have accomplished much.

This is especially true for the men’s team considering their top two runners chose to redshirt this season.

Teams look up With the emergence of sophomore G.J. Reyna as a leader for the men, coupled with the combination of senior runners Sierra and Maddie Brown for the women, the Cougars have had an extremely competitive season.

Sierra (left) and Reyna (right) will try to bring home a cross country title this weekend in Cincinnati despite the adversity the team has faced | Ajani Stewart/The Cougar

The three runners have helped the men and women perform at a consistently competitive level so they can again aim for a top-three spot at the conference meet.

“I think throughout the season we’ve had little glimpses of what our true potential can be from different people,” Reyna said. “I think that what we’re trying to do really is get all these things to happen on the same day. I think if we can do that we’ll do really well.”

At the championship in Cincinnati this weekend, the men's team will compete against the University of Tulsa.

The women's team will face Southern Methodist University.

Tulsa is the defending conference champions and regularly recruits some of the best runners to keep themselves in the national picture.

Meanwhile, the SMU Mustangs have had a tremendous season that launched them into the national rankings.

Both the men and the women will shoot for a finisher in the third to fifth range.

This will be a great achievement against some of the nation’s best squads.

'They can accomplish anything' On a personal level, Reyna and Sierra have set on finishing in the top 15 All-Conference at the meet to capstone their tremendous seasons.

Both runners and their coach are extremely confident that they can get the job done. The hard work and leadership skills have prepared themselves for running against the best in the conference.

An all-conference finish would be the ideal conclusion to a breakout season for Reyna and prepare him for the road ahead.

Reyna said he is looking forward to next season because he expects cross country to perform better as a team.

For Sierra, who has been hoping to place all-conference since she joined the team, this will be her final chance to leave a lasting impression on the squad.

“These girls mean so much to me,” Sierra said. “I want to see them be successful. I try to break records and I try to place high because I want them to know that they’re capable of everything I’ve done. I want them to know that they can accomplish anything.” sports@thedailycougar.com

Redshirt senior Selena Sierra says her motivation comes from wanting to set a good example for her younger teammates. | File Photo/The Cougar