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After the president banned travel from seven countries, community members set out to provide resources and advocacy for detained citizens in Houston and across the United States. | PG. 4

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NEWS

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Marialuisa Rincon, EDITOR

HEALTH

CAPS expansion looks to Sugar Land Psychological services aims to reach more students at new campus as part of initiative for commmuters ANDREA FERNANDEZ VELASQUEZ

STAFF WRITER @ANDREAFERVEL

College is a demanding, and sometimes nerve-racking, stage in the lives of students who pursue higher education. At the University of Houston Sugar Land campus, Counseling and Psychological services are available three times per week.

The 375-acre UHSL campus located in Fort Bend County, near the Brazos River, first opened its doors to CAPS in 2015.

“Sugar Land is a growing community and the UH Sugar Land campus reflects that,” said Jay Neal, assistant provost of academic affairs and operations at UHSL. “Our student population has increased. That means we want to make sure that we have resources to meet this increase, specifically those resources provided

by CAPS.” UHSL has undergone changes throughout the years as new programs have been acquired. In 2014, the College of Technology’s Digital Media program began its move. In 2015, the School of Nursing opened.

This semester, the College of Technology expanded its Biotechnology program to UHSL. “The growth of the Sugar Land campus is a vital part of the strategic plan for the expansion of the CAPS office and services to UHSL,”

CAPS began offering services at the Sugar Land campus in 2015, one year after the College of Technology moved.| Andrea Fernandez Velazquez/ The Cougar

said Leah McCoy, psychological counselor at UHSL and UH. “We continually evaluate the demands of both campuses and make adjustments, as needed, with the least amount of disruption to either location.”

Currently, CAPS services are offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at UHSL and only one counselor is available.Crystal Tran, a student representative on the Student Government Association's CAPS Advisory Committee, said students would benefit from more counselor availability.

“Nine hours of service to the Sugar Land campus weekly is definitely not enough," Tran said. "But it is currently the best we can do."

Norma Ngo, director of CAPS and the 2017 President-elect of the Texas University and College Counseling Directors Association, said it is unknown at this time whether the new influx of students to Sugar Land will affect demand for counseling services.

“CAPS has a ratio of 1: 3,648, and IACS recommends a ratio of 1 counselor per 1,500 students,” Ngo said.

“While CAPS needs more resources for the main campus, we expect that our current staffing for the UHSL satellite office should not have a significant impact on services at the main campus.”

Ngo said the impact will be clearer when data is collected in May, and that offering more counseling at UHSL will be considered if there is a

high demand.

“We just do not have enough clinicians to accommodate for the growing population of clients CAPS is seeing," Tran said. "Having the counselor commute from main campus to Sugar Land puts a hold on the amount of clinicians students would be able to see as well."

In addition to email, flyers and social media tools to raise awareness about CAPS, students, faculty and staff are informed of the services personally by the counselor, Neal said.

“Part of being a successful student means you are able to negotiate all the stresses that come with each semester,” Neal said. “Our CAPS counselor, Leah McCoy, is available to meet with students here on our campus and she often uses the building’s rotunda to meet-and-greet students and remind them of the services her office provides.”

CAPS also has counseling options available to students outside of normal business hours. As of Nov. 1, a service called ProtoCall assists students after business hours as a way to increase availability and efficiency to UH Main and Sugar Land campus students.

“We just have to get the word out farther and louder in order to raise this issue," Tran said. "Awareness is certainly key to see change happen." news@thedailycougar.com

UH SYSTEM

University expands Katy footprint with 46-acre purchase JULIE ARAICA

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @JULIEARAICA

UH Systems has finalized its purchase of 46 acres from Parkside Capital at the northeast corner of Interstate 10 and the Grand Parkway for its new Katy campus which will be known as UHS University Park.

For Katy commuters, this campus couldn't come soon enough.

“Every semester, I have to pick my schedule so that I can best avoid traffic. With this campus, I wouldn't have to worry about accounting for traffic, so I could take class earlier and end midday with no worries,” said biology junior Kevin Saravia.

Initially, UH plans to build 80,000 square-feet-facility. This facility is currently in its design phase. Director of UH System properties Jason Trippier said that the construction

will begin starting fall 2017 and that the new campus is expected to open fall 2019.

According to the Houston Business Journal, UH’s 46 acres will be part of the 125 acres of the new campus which is initially expected to serve 2,000 students, but with the systems’ master plan of 500,000 square feet of space, it will eventually be able to accommodate 8,000 to 10,000 students.

Trippier said that the planning for this university began in 2014 and that in 2015 UHS went to Texas Legislature to obtain funding.

“I established the Katy Task Force in October 2015 to develop the academic programming for the new Katy building including infrastructure needs,” Trippier said.

“Specific programs will be offered in Katy and students will be able to complete those programs at the Katy campus.”

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The University system opened its 10-acre Cinco Ranch satellite campus in 1989 and is selling the campus for $6.8 million. | Karin Keller/ The Cougar

The undergraduate programs that will be offered include: Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Computer Engineering. For graduate programs the school will offer: Petroleum Engineering, Subsea Engineering

and Master of Science in Nursing.

The school has placed a strong emphasis on engineering programs due to high demand along the West

KATY EXPANSION

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NEWS 713-743-5314

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Marialuisa Rincon, EDITOR

To protest the president's travel ban, speakers urged protestors to relocate to Terminal E of the George Bush Intercontinental Airport and demand the release of five detained individuals. | Jasmine Davis/The Cougar

IMMIGRATION

University works to provide resources after ban MARIALUISA RINCON

NEWS EDITOR @LUCYRINCONB

At least one student at the University of Houston has been prevented from entering the country as an effect of a temporary travel ban enacted by the White House Friday.

UH is one of many universities across the country whose students and faculty are being impacted by the travel restrictions. Around 280 UH students — graduate, undergraduate and exchange — hail from the seven Muslim-majority countries enumerated in the order, UH Media Relations said.

Nazir Pandor, a councilmember of the International Student Organization (ISO), said a team was being formed by the Office of International Students and Scholar Services (ISSS) to provide optimal resources to students who might be affected by the ban.

"They are formulating a team that will tackle this issue," Pandor said. "And, more importantly, provide information to the students that are affected here."

Citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are barred from entering the United States for 90 days, all refugee resettlement programs are suspended for 120 days and refugees from Syria are banned indefinitely, according to the executive order signed by President Donald Trump.

The University of Michigan has said it will refuse to release the immigration status of its students

Although it is unclear if UM or UH have been asked to do so.

Rice University President David Leebron has made a statement similar to Michigan's, and UH President Renu Khator released a statement Monday. "(The order's) immediate impact on the academic community is significant and is of great concern to the University of Houston," Khator said in the email, which was sent to all students, faculty and staff. "We understand the anxiety of the members of our campus community who may be affected by this and offer support to them."

The statement encouraged students affected by the ban to reach out to the Immigration Clinic at the UH Law Center or the ISSS. Nearly 4,000 students from 128 countries report to ISSS. The office is responsible for procuring academic resources for non-immigrants who are enrolled as students at the University, said ISSS Director Anita Gaines.

"We've already been communicating with all of our students in this situation," Gaines said. "For any student who might be hypothetically unable to come back, we are constantly in touch with information from the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State."

As the primary point of contact for international students, Gaines said the office's goal is to work with students to ensure they have continuously updated information.

"We have to remain flexi-

ble," Gaines said. "Because the information can change. It's not to our advantage to anticipate something that may or may not happen."

NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, has been coordinating with both ISO and ISSS to provide a consolidated form of information that university organizations can then diffuse to students.

For now, Pandor said, the support is purely technical — legal advice and travel advisories.

The emotional support will come later.

"We're providing resources," Pandor said. "We're not providing them with a way to actually vent.

For now, it's very concentrated on what we can do for the students from these countries."

ISO and ISSS hosted open information forums this week to facilitate the spread of resources disposable to students and are planning future emotional support forums.

Geoffrey Hoffman, director of the immigration clinic, was one of several attorneys associated with the University who offered their services at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Sunday.

"We made it clear that we were not protesting," Hoffmann said.

"But that we were there in support of families who were trying to get their loved ones released from detention."

Hoffmann said Customs and Border Protection is instructing people affected by the ban to apply for case-by-case waivers for

"I want my girls to grow up to be strong leaders for justice and for good and for love," said Jane Montealegre, a protestor who came to the U.S. from Central America 13 years ago. | Jasmine Davis/The Cougar

people who are currently unable to enter the country.

In the time that the group of attorneys rallied at the airport, several detainees were released, including green-card holders after the provision that blocked their entry was added to the initial order.

Hoffman and the attorneys have partnered with the Houston Immigration Legal Services Col-

laborative, which will set lawyers in rotation at the airport or call them for legal advice, Hoffmann said.

"For now its a step by step process," Pandor said. "We have this issue tight now. We're going to tackle this issue right now with the right information. And then we'll move on from there." news@thedailycougar.com

Wednesday, January February25, 1, 2017 | 5

713-743-5314

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news@thedailycougar.com

KATY EXPANSION

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Parking and Transportation Advisory Committee Chair Elliott Kauffman says the program could help reduce the risk of permit fraud. | Justin Cross/ The Cougar

PARKING

Permit buyback program prevents fines, liabilities TRAYNOR SWANSON

STAFF WRITER @TRAYNORSWANSON

Students, faculty and staff who no longer need their parking permits are in luck if they wish to return their permit for a refund.

Parking and Transportation Services now offers a prorated refund for anyone who has purchased a permit and returns it by the start of the last mini session scheduled for that term.

“Allowing for permit returns such as these allows us to better manage permit sales — and thus our oversell rate,” said Eric Holamon, the assistant director of Customer Relations for Parking and Transportation Services. “We know that people’s schedules and plans change, so the need for a particular permit might change midway through the semester.”

The permit buyback program is part of a multifaceted approach — along with the construction of new parking garages, the use overflow lots at the Energy Research Park and the COAST Program — to alleviate parking congestion on campus.

The buy-back program aims to accommodate people who no longer need their permits while also making the returned permits available to those who were unable to purchase a pass before the cap was met.

“This helps anybody that wants to return their parking pass for whatever reason: If you graduate, or let’s say, if you don’t have a car anymore,” said Elliot Kauffman, chair of the Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee. “There might be a thousand and one reasons you don’t want or need a parking pass anymore.”

A permit purchased for this spring semester can be returned to one of Parking and Transportation’s customer service locations for a partial refund until April 4, when the last mini session begins. An annual permit can be returned until July 10 — the start of the

last summer session.

The amount individuals are reimbursed depends on when they return it. The specific amount is determined by a formula built into Parking and Transportation’s myParking portal.

Generally, refund amounts decrease on a weekly basis.

Kauffman said the permit prices are divided into a weekly rate, then the number of weeks are subtracted since the plan became effective to determine the price of the refund. The next customer on the waitlist is alerted to the newly available permit.

“If it’s getting more people who want parking passes a reasonably priced parking pass, then this sounds fine,” said marketing and entrepreneurship junior Preston Boyer.

The permit buyback program is a safer alternative to selling a permit on Craigslist or Facebook, Kauffman said.

He said he highly discourages students from selling unneeded permits online.

“If you look at the Facebook class pages, you’ll see people selling their passes all the time,” Kauffman said. “I look at Facebook and see, ‘Who wants to buy my permit for x number of dollars?’ Then I look at how much they would’ve received if they’d just returned it to Parking and Transportation, and lo and behold, they would have made more money if they’d just done it legit.”

Students also face extra liabilities when they sell permits through other means. For example, if a student sells a permit on Facebook, the permit is still linked to that student’s PeopleSoft account, which means he or she is still responsible for any parking fees accrued on that permit.

“You can’t go to Parking and Transportation at that point and appeal the ticket just because it was on somebody else’s car,” Kauffman said. “You’re giving yourself a liability that you don’t have to.”” news@thedailycougar.com

NEWS

Houston Energy Corridor.

In a UH press release, president and CEO of the Katy Economic Development Council said that 40 percent of all engineers in Houston commute from the Katy area.

Biology freshman Sindy Zabala hopes that the new Katy campus will also offer advanced medical courses.

“It’d be really nice if the new campus could offer advanced medical courses. I feel like a lot of commuters from Katy are interested in working in the medical field, and having courses closer to home would help a lot,” Zabala said. “The worst part of

Marialuisa Rincon, EDITOR

being a commuter is dealing with an accident on I-45 at any given time, that stress coupled with the stress of trying to get into medical school can be a bit much at times.”

Saravia would also like to see the presence of a strong medical program at the Katy campus, but also said that he would like the courses offered at the satellite campus to be cheaper than the ones offered at the main campus.

UH System is selling its former Cinco Ranch campus for $6.8 million. The campus opened in 1989 and is being sold because the demand for the programs offered at that campus outgrew the facilities.

Unlike UH System’s Sugarland campus, there are no plans for a

shuttle and no plans for certain majors to move the majority of their coursework to the other campus. In the UH press release, UH System senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and UH senior vice president for academic affairs and provost Paula Myrick Short said that the purchase of this new plot of land will be the next step in UH System’s mission of expanding its ties within the community.

“By providing increased course offerings in the Katy region,we’re furthering the success of our students toward timely and accessible degree completion,” Myrick Short said. news@thedailycougar.com

The Cinco Ranch campus has the potential to attract students looking to avoid traffic snarls. | Karin Keller/ The Cougar

HIS MONEY TURNS SMALL BUSINESS INTO BIG BUSINESS.

TILMAN FERTITTA, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS IS THE

TUESDAYS 9P CST STREAM ON FOLLOW TILMAN: TilmanFertitta

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6 | Wednesday, February 1, 2017

OPINION 713-743-5304

thedailycougar.com/opinion

opinion@thedailycougar.com

Thomas Dwyer, EDITOR

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF

Trey Strange

MANAGING EDITOR

Alex Meyer

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Leah Nash

OPINION EDITORS

Thomas Dwyer Jorden Smith ARTS EDITORS

Karis Johnson Karin Keller PHOTO EDITORS

WEB EDITOR

Emily Burleson NEWS EDITORS

Marialuisa Rincon Julia Araica Jasmine Davis SPORTS EDITORS

Justin Cross Ajani Stewart SENIOR STAFF

Camille Mullery Katie Santana Peter Scamardo

Leonard D. Gibson III JD Smith

Thousands of people throught the U.S. took to the streets after President Donald Trump signed the executive order into existence. | Jasmine Davis/The Cougar

IMMIGRATION

Executive order creates moral conundrum

O

n Friday, Jan. 27, President Donald Trump signed a farreaching executive order on immigration.

This order bans immigration from seven Muslim countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria FARIHA and Yemen – JAWED for 90 days, OPINION suspends COLUMNIST all refugee admission for 120 days and bars Syrian refugees indefinitely.

This ban that originally included people on any U.S. visa category (such as greencard holders) has since been revised to apply to people who, regardless of status, seem suspicious. What doesn’t seem to make sense is why these countries were selected. President Trump has claimed national security and preventing terrorism as the motive behind the executive order.

However, no one has been killed in the U.S. by anyone from these countries. If anything, these actions propagate Islamophobia and hatred, and further the cause of terrorists who use these type of instances to justify their behavior.

While this is the most obvious part of the ban, there are other important takeaways from the order. The order says, “The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with

the Secretary of State, shall submit to the President a list of countries recommended for inclusion,” implying that this ban has the potential to extend far beyond just the current seven countries.

However, in some ways, it already does because no refugees from any country are allowed for 120 days.

Another alarming section of the order gives priority to non-Muslim refugees. The order declares prioritization for “refugee claims made by individuals on the basis of religious-based persecution, provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual’s country of nationality."

For all who refuse to admit it, this is a Muslim ban. Even though President Trump says it isn’t, that doesn’t mean his actions do not have that exact consequence.

This is obviously religionbased discrimination because all the countries included in this ban are Muslim countries.

Therefore, people of minority faiths in these countries, such as Christians, will be allowed entry into the U.S. The impacts of this ban have been widely seen this weekend, as people were detained at airports across the U.S. About 375 were impacted, in the form of being denied entry into the U.S., or stopped from boarding flights to the U.S. Large amounts of people also showed up to airports to

DISCRIMINATION

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A

s a result of President Donald Trump's executive order, protests have sprung up at various airports across the country and has sparked the hashtag #NoBanNoWall.

The Trump administration decided to sign the executive order at 5:30 p.m. on a JORDEN Friday, which SMITH is the basis ASSISTANT of all the OPINION EDITOR confusion surrounding what the EO actually said and what the provisions were. No one knew what was actually going on.

I’d be remiss if I didn't point out that none of this should have come as a surprise. Trump promised all of these actions during his campaign for the presidency. Kudos to Trump for doing what he said he was going to do, whether you agree with him or not.

There has been a lot of hysteria surrounding the EO; it seems like people just want to react without reading what’s in it. So let me explain what the EO actually does.

First, the executive order places a 120 day halt on refugee admissions to the U.S. so that the government can improve the current vetting process.

The executive order caps the number of refugee admissions at 50,000 per year. This isn’t crazy by any means; this has been the cap for the past four years.

Obama expanded the number

of refugees admitted from the W. Bush administration, so Trump is not narrowing the number of refugees admitted — he is continuing an already existing policy.

Second, the executive order places a 90-day ban on people entering from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia. These 7 countries are not just picked out of thin air.

They come from Obamaera policy. The EO specifically refers to a policy drafted by the Obama administration: “From countries referred to in section 217(a)(12) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12).”

The section of that policy is entitled “Not Present in Iraq, Syria, or any other country or area of concern."

Then, in early 2016, the Obama Department of Homeland Security named the five other countries of concern.

This is why these seven countries were named and not the other countries with terrorist ties.

The order does mention religion when it comes to those being persecuted for their faith — i.e. Christians in the Middle East.

And for those of you thinking that this kind of religious test is unacceptable, it’s actually required by law. As stated in Section 1158 of Title 8, US Code, “the applicant must establish that…religion…was or will be at least one central reason for persecuting the applicant.”

For the love of everything

NO SURPRISE

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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.

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Wednesday, February 1, 2017 | 7

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DISCRIMINATION

Continued from previous page display their support for the detained individuals.

Countries that have been included in the ban, such as Iran, have expressed how offended they are by President Trump’s actions.

Since this order has been implemented, the American Civil Liberties Union has sustained a federal court order that grants an emergency stay for the people who have already made it to the U.S., or are in transit.

Besides the fact that the countries chosen don’t pose a threat to the U.S., this ban sends a very clear message to people everywhere.

Following the rules, and even respecting the U.S. Constitution, does not mean you will be treated fairly.

There are countless amounts of people who have waited their turn and respected the immigration process, and yet are still being denied entry into the U.S. Whether or not you

follow the rules, you still get punished.

Everything about this ban screams "un-American."

Diversity is what makes this country such a great place to live. Blocking an entire region of the world in the name of "national security" is not an effective way to stop terrorism, and instead it inhibits diversity.

For the individuals that think people aren’t justified in being terrified for their well-being under Trump’s administration, you’re wrong.

People have every reason to feel worried or scared for all the uncertainty that is going to follow them. If this is any indication of what the next four years are going to be, people have every right to feel upset. Regardless, we need to continue to be vigilant and stand up for our rights and the rights of the people around us.

Fariha Jawed is an accounting and political science junior and can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

thedailycougar.com/opinion

NO SURPRISE

Continued from previous page that is good, stop calling this a Muslim ban; it is not.

The word “Islam” or “Muslim” is not found in the executive order at any point.

Anyone who says that the executive order is a Muslim ban is clearly misinformed or lying.

If this was a Muslim ban, then the 40 or so Muslim majority countries would also be on the list. Indonesia — the largest Muslim majority nation — is not on the list.

The media’s claims that the executive order is a Muslim ban is perpetuating the fake news they so love to hate.

The executive order is clearly constitutional. Those claiming that the order is unconstitutional are giving two pieces of reason: the 14th Amendment and whether Trump has the ability to do what the order states.

Firstly, Trump does have the ability to do this: it falls under the purview of the executive branch.

Those who are claiming

WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, EDITORS AND DESIGNERS

WAN T E D !

OPINION

opinion@thedailycougar.com

Thomas Dwyer, EDITOR

the exectuive order is unconstitutional are trying to prove that the Constitution applies to non-citizens, which is blatantly false. The inalienable rights apply to everyone, the Bill of Rights does not.

The 14th Amendment states,: “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

This would push the narrative that the Constitution applies to everyone, if the 14th Amendment didn’t begin by stating, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside,” which negates the application argument.

The biggest confusion about the order comes from the fact that no one seemed to know

whether the EO applied to green card holders and those with legal status. According to CNN, the DHS initially said that the executive order did not apply to those with special status. But, Trump advisers Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller interpreted the EO to mean the exact opposite and thus overruled the DHS. This whole saga is ridiculous. Those with legal status and those who hold green cards have already been through extreme vetting. This is just pure incompetence from the Trump team. And if it was done deliberately, they must be called out for it.

It remains to be seen whether this order actually does its job, but it most likely will not have an effect.

The level of hysteria surrounding this executive order only reinforces the fact that there is an epidemic of fake news in this country.

Assistant opinion editor Jorden Smith is a political science and creative writing junior and can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

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OPINION 713-743-5304

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Thomas Dwyer, EDITOR

CAPS

Too many complications to getting emotional support animals

J

ane Doe is a student at the University of Houston suffering from bipolar disorder.

She is seeking treatment at UH's Counseling and Psychological Services and got referred to UH Psychiatry, where she was diagnosed and medicated.

Jane Doe was struggling with her DELANEY CATLETTSTOUT diagnoses SGA COLUMNIST and lack of communication within CAPS prior to the holiday break.

She used her break as a time to think, strategize and reflect on how she could be successful.

One of the things she noticed was how much animals, particularly dogs, grounded her.

She always loved dogs but this seemed like more.

However, like many students, Jane Doe lived in an apartment complex that has a strict no pets policy. She mustered up the courage to speak with her therapist about the possibility of being recommended for an emotional support animal.

Her therapist was in full support; she had read studies and believed that Jane could benefit from this type of treatment.

Unfortunately, the therapist did not know the process and told Jane to speak with her psychiatrist.

Jane’s psychiatrist gave her the runaround and referred her back to her therapist.

This time, the therapist was on board but had to tell her director because she had never done this before. Jane, like many college students, acted prematurely and adopted a puppy.

A few days after Jane adopted the puppy, her therapist emailed her to inform her it was against CAPS policy to write letters for emotional support animals.

Jane recommends that you “save your time and your tears and find a good counselor in the community if you need more serious treatment options."

Jane’s story leads us to question why this policy was not clear and why this

One in four adults experience a mental health impairment in any year, and ESAs could help them. | File Photo/The Cougar

accommodation is not supported by our campus administrators.

The rise of mental illness Approximately 61.5 million Americans, or one in four adults, experience a mental health impairment in any year and one in 17, representing 13.6 million people, live with a serious mental illness, such as depression or bipolar disorder.

The rise of reported mental illnesses has also created an increase in students asking for accommodations.

One of those accommodations is for an emotional support animal or ESA. By their nature, and without training, these animals may relieve depression and anxiety and help reduce stress-induced pain.

Some may be asking, “What exactly is an emotional support animal and how is different than a pet?”

Well, an emotional support animal is not a pet; it is “a companion animal that provides therapeutic benefit to an individual with a mental or psychiatric disability. The person seeking the emotional support animal must have a verifiable disability” at the Michigan State University animal and legal & historical center.

The animal is viewed as a reasonable accommodation under the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 to those housing communities that have a "no pets" rule.

The Fair Housing Act was created to make sure that those with physical or mental disabilities are not discriminated against unjustly.

The Fair Housing Act protects against discrimination in university housing and apartments with "no pet" policies.

There has been substantial research across the health sciences that provides evidence of the human health benefits, including physiological, psychological and emotional, that can be derived from human-animal interactions.

However, universities, including UH, do not make this process a walk in the park.

The process is full of hoops to jump through that can easily discourage a college student who is seeking help.

To be eligible for an emotional support animal on the UH campus, you must first request accommodations through the Center for Students with DisABILITIES. If granted approval, you then must meet all of the requirements set by Student Housing and Residential Life.

The problem with housing’s policy is that the guidelines are incredibly subjective and lacks quantitative attributes.

For example, students may not have a dog unless it has up-to-date immunizations and is spayed or neutered.

This is an issue because students cannot have a dog with records prior to being approved by housing.

But before these parts of the process are even relevant, anyone needing an emotional support animal must obtain a letter from a licensed mental health professional that demonstrates there is a relationship between the practitioner and the patient along with how the animal would help the patient.

Restricting on-campus treatment Some students may think that they would be able to receive the treatment options they need from their campus counseling center, but this isn’t always the case. Even though in Fall 2018 UH students will be pay approximately $47.36 to CAPS through their student fees, CAPS will have several new policies that restrict extremely beneficial treatment options to students.

One of those policies is that they will “NOT provide

letters for emotional support animals.” However, this policy is obviously not one that is communicated amongst all staff members at CAPS. It also does not act in accordance with the U.S Department of Education guidelines as listed in Section 504 regulatory provision at 34 C.F.R. 104.3(j) (2)(i).

The Section 504 regulatory provision defines a physical or mental impairment as "any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech organs; cardiovascular; reproductive; digestive; genito-urinary; hemic and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine; or any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities.”

This act also mandates that colleges must accommodate individuals accordingly.

The Housing and Urban Development policy on emotional support animals has been on the books since 2013, and studies on emotional support animals have been a topic of public debate since at least 2010.

For our University to have unclear policies and protocols within a professional, feefunded institution for at least four years is unacceptable.

Students should utilize the services they pay for and should also be holding them accountable for their actions.

When comparing UH’s policy and guidelines regarding emotional support animals, the University of Texas is miles ahead of UH. UT has clearly stated definitions and policies that are laid out on their policies webpage.

UT does not let questions about mental health go unanswered on their webpage and lays out all relevant information and policies to allow for transparency for the students they serve.

Delaney Catlettstout is a political science senior and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

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Leonard D. Gibson III, EDITOR

New England Patriots quaterback Tom Brady is looking for his fifth super bowl ring, and to become the only quaterback in NFL history to do so. | Courtesy of Keith Allison/ Wikimedia Commons

ROUNDTABLE

Who do we think will win the Super Bowl?

For the first time since 2004, the Super Bowl has returned to Houston.

Matching up the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons, Super Bowl LI is set to kickoff at NRG Stadium, Sunday at 5:30 p.m.

All about the offense

Patriots 48 – Falcons 44 Two words: Tom Brady.

Brady’s revenge tour has one last stop in Houston, and there's no brakes in sight.

In the 2016 regular season, he had his arguably best LEONARD D. performance GIBSON III SPORTS EDITOR ever, despite having to sit for four weeks due to Deflategate. He broke the NFL’s touchdown-to-interception ratio, throwing 28 touchdowns and only 2 picks. His passer rating of 112.2 is good for second in his career, behind his 2007 season’s score of 117.2. To top it off, he did all of this at the age of 39.

Brady is unstoppable, and I don’t think the Falcons are going to be able to handle him. The Falcons are No. 25 in total defense and No. 28 in passing defense. Brady is going to have it his way when he’s on the field. If they can’t slow Brady down, their defense is going to fall apart quickly.

If the Falcons are going to have any chance at winning, Matt Ryan

and Julio Jones are going to have to outperform the Patriot’s offense substantially to make up for the difference in defense.

The Patriots’ defense is No. 8 in total defense and No. 12 in passing defense. Ryan had an MVP-caliber season with 4,944 passing yards, 38 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. He had the highest passer rating in the 2016 season with 117.1 and exceeded his previous best by 18 points.

If you’re comparing Ryan to Brady, you’ll find that the only concrete argument against Ryan is his zero Super Bowl rings compared to Brady’s four. There is no doubt that Julio Jones is the best receiver going into the Super Bowl. After his stellar performance against Green Bay, Jones will thrive on Sunday, regardless of the result. He put up 1,409 receiving yards in the regular season, just 40 behind first place.

The Patriots’ leader in receiving yards is Julian Edelman with 1,106 yards, 300 less than Jones. To top it off, Edelman has 98 receptions, and Jones only has 83.

Hopefully Jones’ toe injury won’t slow him down, but according to ESPN, he was a limited participant in Saturday’s practice. Without Jones being 100 percent, I don’t believe the Falcons have any chance at winning.

The combination of Ryan’s consistency and Jones’ explosiveness gives the Falcons the possibility to win it all on Sunday. The Falcons are, for some reason, a Cinderella

story coming into the Super Bowl.

For weeks now, everyone assumed it would be the Cowboys and the Patriots. Nobody mentioned the Falcons, even though they have proven themselves to be one of the best teams in the NFL. I think it’s going to be a shootout, and in the end, the Patriots are going to edge out the Falcons in a nail-biting finish. Both teams are going to come out of the gate hot, and I wager the punting units won’t make too many appearances. At the very least, it’s going to be an entertaining game.

Brady's revenge

Patriots 41 – Falcons 34 In a season marked by the unwarranted suspension resulting from Deflategate, quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will look to prove that revenge J. D. is a dish best SMITH served cold on ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Sunday night.

This matchup features experience against flash, as the Patriots play in their league-leading ninth Super Bowl, while the Falcons are in their second overall and first since 1998.

Brady and head coach Bill Belichick are in their seventh together, while Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and second-year head coach Dan Quinn

are in their first.

The Patriots head into the contest against the Falcons favored by three points after having no trouble with the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC playoffs.

An unstoppable Brady-led offense and league-leading defense will contain Atlanta en route to their second Super Bowl title in 3 years.

Despite Brady being suspended for the first four games and superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski sidelined early with an injury, the Patriots went 14-2, winning the AFC East for a record eighth straight season.

Brady was near-perfect in the regular season throwing for over 3,500 yards and 28 touchdowns against just two interceptions, the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in league history. At 39, Brady proved age is just a number as he seamlessly worked newcomers Martellus Bennett and Chris Hogan into the offense.

Wide receiver Julian Edelman was again Brady’s top target in the regular season, catching 98 passes for over 1,100 yards and three touchdowns. Edelman proved again to be his security blanket, resulting in 55 first downs, more than 20 above second place Bennett. Offensively, the Falcons are a powerhouse, leading the league in points scored behind the high-powered air attack led by Ryan. After another successful regular season, Ryan was able to silence many of his critics by dismantling the

Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers on their way to Houston.

Ryan passed for nearly 5,000 yards in the regular season while putting up 38 touchdowns against 7 interceptions. Leading receiver Julio Jones caught 83 balls and was second in the league with 1,409 yards and six touchdowns.

The rushing attack is a twoheaded monster of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman.

Together, they combined for 1,599 yards and 19 touchdowns in the regular season while Freeman also caught 54 passes for 462 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively the edge goes to the Patriots who led the league, giving up only 15.7 points per game. The Falcons, meanwhile, were ranked No. 25 in defense, giving up 24.9 points per game.

The Patriots secondary features standout cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan and is led by safety Devin McCourty. In the AFC Championship, they held the Steelers receiving corps to 314 yards and one touchdown, with allpro Antonio Brown catching seven passes for 77 yards.

While this will be a high-flying affair, the Patriots defense will be able to force a stop, while Brady will find endless holes in the Atlanta secondary leading him and head coach Bill Belichick to their fifth Lombardi Trophy together.

PREDICTIONS

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PREDICTIONS

Continued from previous page

Ready for the upset

Patriots 35 – Falcons 42 The more I think about this Super Bowl, the more I think about the national championship game.

On the one side, you have the clear favorite. A team with 14 wins, PETER a top scorSCAMARDO SENIOR STAFF ing defense and all the momentum they could ask for. On the other side, a team with a top scoring offense, a stud quarterback and a hunger from missed opportunities in the past.

The similarity is striking. Brady and the Patriots might not be undefeated, but it’s the NFL. They are however just as frightening as the Alabama Crimson Tide.

They are a team that makes you ask “How do you beat them?” But just as Deshaun Watson and the Clemson Tigers had the answer, so too does Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.

The Patriots are a team that

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have all the tools to win. That is why they are in the game. But they are used to it by now. The majority of them were on the team that won two years ago.

This isn’t anything new to them.

In contrast, the Falcons are hungry. The franchise has only been to the Super Bowl once in 51 years and have not been since 1998. 2012 looked to be the year that they might win it all, but a loss in the NFC Championship Game stopped them short. At the time, they thought that they might only need one more year, but a 4-12 finish in 2013 left them as far away from where they were the previous season as they could hope.

Ever since that loss, the franchise has been remodeling itself to become a winner. Gone is Mike Smith and Tony Gonzalez.

In came Dan Quinn and Davante Freeman, in came Tevin Coleman and Taylor Gabriel, in came Kyle Shanahan and Alex Mack, in came Jack Matthews and Vic Beasley.

Kyle Shanahan completely changed the Falcons offense when he arrived with Dan Quinn in 2015. Shanahan has been the offensive wizard that has had

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Leonard D. Gibson III, EDITOR

success wherever he has gone, and in Atlanta he has made the Falcons into more than just Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. Now they are a real threat that can run it with either Freeman or Coleman, or pass it to Gabriel or Mohamed Sanu. And with Shanahan bringing all-pro center Alex Mack over from Cleveland, Ryan has a line that can protect him to find Julio for the deep play.

But of course Dan Quinn cannot be forgotten, the mastermind behind the Legion of Boom.

Everyone knows the Falcons are going to score, that is not going to be the issue in this game. The issue is stopping Tom Brady. The Falcons defense is not Seattle, but they’re pretty good.

Vic Beasley is a stud edge rusher who can get to any quarterback in the league. If the Falcons want to win, he and the others will need to get to Brady as quickly as possible. As the game against the Texans showed, they have to make Brady uncomfortable in order to win. Because if Brady has forever to throw in the pocket, it does not matter how good the defensive backs are. sports@thedailycougar.com

Julio Jones's (11) explosiveness is going to be a necessary tool for the Falcons to pull off the upset | Courtesy of Georgia National Guard/ Wikimedia Commons

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TRACK & FIELD

Stockholm to Houston: The Klara Mattsson journey PETER SCAMARDO

SENIOR STAFF WRITER @PLSCAMRDO2

The track community was well aware that July 2016 was an eventful month for the Cougars.

A trio of sophomores, sprinter Mario Burke, hurdler Amere Lattin and mid-distance runner Brian Bell, all reached the finals of the IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

While the veterans were offered an opportunity to showcase their talents, the meet provided a proving ground for one of the track teams' newest members.

Freshman pole vaulter Klara Mattsson from Sweden was one of the twelve women who competed in the finals at Bydgoszcz.

While still in high school, she was given an opportunity to test herself against world class athletes.

"It was an amazing experience," Mattsson said. "(Bydgoszcz) was a special experience, not like any other meet that I've competed in, really. It was really fun and making it to the finals was really cool."

process, but they got it done.

"It's good," Tellez said. "I think for her to be coming from a high school situation in Sweden, to come over here to the states is a big transition. She has done a great job. It's been a little harder than someone from the states that's already here."

Immediate Impact Last year, the pole vaulters were not a major point-scoring unit for the women. Were it not for Mattsson's arrival, health and human performance sophomore Haley Houston would have been the only woman competing in the event.

Results are already showing this season after the duo have placed in the top three and top five in the first two meets, respectively.

Mattsson also serves as a training partner for Houston, pushing her to be better every day at practice. The pole vaulters are feeling the same boost of talent that the rest of the women have felt from the recent recruiting class.

"For her to be coming from a high school situation in Sweden — to come over here to the states is a big transition."

Kyle Tellez, Assistant head coach

Coming to America Although she didn't leave the competition with a medal, Mattsson's time in Poland only increased her value as an athlete on the roster. Her arrival in Houston was a big boost for a unit that was not a major factor last year.

The seed that led Mattsson to Houston was planted by freshman Anna Larsson. A Swedish multi-event athlete from Canada, Larsson had known Mattsson from her years in Sweden.

When Larsson had made the decision to compete for the Cougars, she suggested that Mattsson make contact, too.

Assistant head coach Kyle Tellez had an extensive email conversation with Mattsson, where the two went over her interests and goals. From there, the two made sure all her schooling and her classes were organized; it was not an easy

"It's definitely a lot more fun whenever you have someone that jumps a relatively close height as you," Houston said.

"You can look at what you guys do differently and judge off that."

So far, Mattsson has yet to match her personal best of 4.15m, her qualifying height at the IAAF World U20 Championships. Both her and Houston's season high came at the Reveille Invitational where she jumped 3.76m.

If she and the other pole vaulters follow Coach Tellez's message of just working one meet at a time, then good things should happen.

"I haven't been jumping the heights that I jumped earlier, but I'm hoping to get it all timed up and jump higher soon," Mattsson said. "(I want) to see the things that I've worked on this fall actually work when I'm competing." sports@thedailycougar.com

After reaching the finals of the pole vault at the U20 World Championships in Poland, Klara Mattsson leaves her home in Sweden to come to Houston to provide a massive boost in talent for the women | Courtesy of UH Athletics

worship DIRECTORY

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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 Sunday School:

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BASKETBALL

Freshman phenom thrives in college atmosphere BRANDI MEDRANO

STAFF WRITER @BRANDIRMEDRANO

It was a humbling experience for freshman guard Jasmyne Harris when she realized she would be starting for the first time in her collegiate career against the Memphis Tigers.

Less than 20 minutes before the game, head coach Ronald Hughey announced that Harris would start. For her first season in college, Harris worked as hard as she could to prove herself. Finally, it had paid off.

“It’s time," Hughey said. "She’s proved herself. She’s proved herself off the bench. She’s ready when her name is called. She has grown and it was time.”

Harris went on to lead the Cougars with 19 points and helped the team come within inches of victory in their 66-65 loss.

Since sitting on the bench, Harris made her presence known. She claimed two consecutive American Athletic Conference Freshman of

the Week awards in early December.

In the four games during those two weeks, she averaged 12.25 points and 5.5 rebounds. While she's excited about her own momentum, Harris says she’s not concerned with whether she’ll start more often throughout the season. For her, to start is more of a blessing than a right.

“Honestly, I don’t really care about (starting)," she said. "I just want to win. So whatever they have to do for us to win, that’s all that matters.”

On her journey from the bench to the court, she has spent an endless amount of time practicing and studying film. Harris also attributes her success to self-motivation, her coaching staff and her teammates.

Freshman guard Angela Harris, who was named FOW a week before Jasmyne, has known her since the seventh grade. Jasmyne's intensity and commitment to the game has allowed her electric performance to ignite her teammates.

“She has a great passion for the game,” Harris said. “She’s very ath-

letic and very energetic on defense.

So I think that that helps not just me, but it helps the whole squad.”

Beyond getting a few more wins this season, Jasmyne Harris has tremendous goals of her own.

“I’m not sure yet if I just want to go overseas or go to the WNBA, but either would be nice,” she said. “I do know that once I’m retired I do want to coach and teach special education.”

Harris has proved herself to be a valuable asset for the Cougars in her first year at the University. The future of the women's basketball team is going to center around her excellent performance. Hughey believes that Harris is fearless. No matter what position she plays, he knows that she’s going to be the best that she can be.

“She wants to be a star,” Hughey said. “And her work right now, the things she’s demonstrating, she’s on her way to being exactly who she wants to be in this game.” sports@thedailycougar.com

Freshman guard Jasmyne Harris has proven her worth. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

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