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The Beautiful Struggle • Page 2
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Thursday, November 2, 2017 • Vol. 45, No. 4 • HCCEgalitarian.com
Astros atop of the baseball world See Page 3
Image by David J. Phillip/AP
Astros ride Springer to MLB championship John Cañamar
Jcanamaar@hccegalitarian.com
David J. Phillip/AP Photo
Houston Astros’ George Springer reacts after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of Game 7 of baseball’s 2017 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Your 2017 World Series Champs.” Is what the cover of Sports illustrated read back in the summer of 2014, claiming that the Astros would be crown champions this year. The player on the cover, George Springer. In Texas, we do things differently than the rest, so when people ask about the SI jinx we laugh, that is nervously; Houston in particular.
Everyone knows of all the close calls and blown leads that Houston sports is ridiculed for; always to be followed by the headline that reads “Houston we have a problem.” Not this time. Houston, we have a champion! The man of the hour is none other than Springer, that is World Series Most Valuable Player George Springer. How did SI know? Houston fans do not care,
The official student newspaper of the Houston Community College System
because Houston has a champion, and they are their beloved Astros. Pushing the train, the last week was Springer hitting .379 in the World Series after struggling in the ALCS versus the New York Yankees. Starting the series much like the ALCS, Springer struggled at the plate being struck out four times. “The first game of the World see MVP, Page 8
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The Beautiful Struggle: Roxanne Thompson Jımmıeka Mılls
Jmills@hccegalitarian.com
When Student Government Association President Roxanne Thompson enrolled at Houston Community College in 2015, she wanted to connect with other students but quickly found that was going to be a challenge. “As a non-traditional student on campus I noticed there wasn’t a way for me to network and start making connections with other students.” Roxanne is a double major planning on receiving both her Image Consultant Certificate and Fashion Merchandising Degree in Fall 2019. “Fashion and beauty have always been a part of my life. I did pageants and modeling with talent agencies when I was a kid, then I went into modeling as a teen and young adult.” She grew up in the northside community of Acres Homes in an environment that wasn’t always ideal but she used her experiences to motivate her to succeed. “My mother was on crack, I could have made the choice to become a drug abuser as well, but I realized early on that life was about choices and I decided to make the best ones I could in order to become successful.” That first choice for her was to focus on her education. She was accepted into Blinn College straight out of high school and decided to major in Psychology. “I was 20 and going to Blinn when I got pregnant with my son. I made the decision to leave school and become a mom, that’s what was more important.” Roxanne would eventually find a career in the oil industry but always had her real passion in the back of her mind. “I always dreamed about owning my own image consulting firm and boutique. I would see myself doing wardrobe styling for celebrities, and having my own evening gown clothing line.”
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Houston Astros atop of the baseball world John Cañamar
Jcanamar@hccegalitarian.com
Corey Seager hit a slow groundball to Jose Altuve who fielded the ball on his right knee, threw to Yuli Gurriel for the 27 out of Game 7 and the Houston Astros became the 2017 MLB World Champions! “I caught the last out for the Houston Astros to become a world champion. It was a groundball to me, I threw to first, and I think it was the happiest moment of my life in baseball,” Altuve said. Charlie Morton earned the win Pitching four innings striking out four and giving up two hits and the sole run to the Dodgers. George Springer earned the Willie Mays MVP Award. Springer led the team with five home runs in the series, one that came in the second inning to put the team ahead by five. Game Recap Springer started the game with a double off of Yu Darvish on the third pitch of the game. Alex Bregman reached second on a two-base throwing error from Cody Bellinger to Darvish allowing Springer to score. Bregman stole third and then
Alex Gallardo/AP The Houston Astros celebrate with the trophy after their win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of baseball’s World Series Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017.
scored on an RBI groundout by Altuve, Astros 2-0. In the bottom of the inning, Chris Taylor doubled to center field. Lance McCullers found himself with the bases load after hitting both Justin Turner and Yasiel Puig. The Dodgers left the bases loaded when Joc Pederson softly grounded out to Altuve. In the second frame, Brian McCann
worked a full count walk. Marwin Gonzalez doubled, moving McCann to third with no outs. McCullers helped his cause with a groundout to the right side allowing McCann to score. The RBI was the first of McCullers career. Springer would follow McCullers with a two-run home run that jumped off his bat at 110 miles per hour and traveled 438 feet into the center field,
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the fifth of the series, to extend the lead to 5-0. Clayton Kershaw entered the game in the top of the third; he pitched four scoreless innings in relief. Brad Peacock came in the game in the middle of the third inning with one out and two on the base path; he would fly out Puig and strike out Pederson to keep the game 5-0. Peacock pitch tw0 scoreless innings. Francisco Liriano came in to face Bellinger, who he forced into a force out at second. Chris Devenski took over after Liriano with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to lineout Puig. Morton came in on the top of the sixth after the Astros pinch-hit for Devenski. Bottom of the sixth the Dodgers cracked the scoreboard by manufacturing a run on a single by Pederson, a walk by Logan Forsythe and a pinch-hit RBI single by Andre Either, 5-1 Astros. Morton finished the game and earned the win. Parade Houston will host the Championship Parade tomorrow at 2:00 P.M. in downtown followed by a celebration at City Hall.
House Bill 2223 Ana Ramırez
Aramirez@hccegalitarian.com
Jimmieka Mills/The Egalitarian
“My mother was on crack, I could have made the choice to become a drug abuser as well, but I realized early on that life was about choices and I decided to make the best ones I could in order to become successful.” Enrolling at HCC would help Roxanne toward fulfilling that dream. As for her other goal of becoming more involved with students on campus Roxanne says that all changed when she was accepted into the National Society for Leadership and Success. “While I was going through the steps to induction I met great like-minded individuals and that’s when I realized that this is where I needed to be. I found out about student organizations that I could get involved with, make friends, meet people and network.” One of those student organizations was the Student Government Association. Roxanne was introduced to SGA by Mona ColterMosley who at the time was the President of the student organization. “Mona told me this would be her last semester as
president. She was graduating and her two-year term would be complete.” The only requirement Roxanne knew of was leadership ability of which she knew undoubtedly she possessed “I’m all about developing new skill sets and I knew that I had leadership ability within me so I figured why not apply.” Since becoming SGA president Roxanne has continued to look for other ways to get involved in other student organizations throughout HCC. “Once I got involved, immediately the first day that I went to my orientation I met Nelva the president of NSLS at that time and she told about the vacancies on the executive board. I ended up becoming the community chair-person for the spring semester and got to plan community service projects in the area
for society members. I have a new position this semester, I am the social events chairperson. I plan all activities within the honor society such as SNT’s, Speaker broadcasts, leadership training, orientation as well as outside events, like family fun day or bowling nights.” Roxanne considers her decision to become involved in student organizations to be one of the best one’s she has made since deciding to return to school to follow her true passion “When I started getting involved everything started to fall into place for me, because I was in a space surrounded by other leaders, who are likeminded and share a common goal.” Roxanne was recently accepted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars adding yet another
organization to become active in during her time at HCC. She wants all students to know that they all possess the same ability to impact their experience in a positive way as well. “No matter how much people may underestimate or judge you, whether you had a support system or not to help you get enrolled in college or mention getting involved in a student organization, make your decision solely based on your own life. We are all responsible for what we choose to do with our life. It’s not about doing what other people tell us to do and your history and past do not define who you are and who you can be. No matter what people say about you, or what you’ve been through— You can positively change your life at any point, you’ve just got to make that decision.”
“These students need advising, they need direction, and what we are doing now simply isn’t working,” said Rep. Helen Giddings, D-DeSoto, who authored the law, House Bill 2223. Representative Hellen Giddings (Dallas) has filed House Bill 2223 to overhaul development courses in the education System in Texas. “For too long, developmental education has been a well-intentioned, but failed investment. Instead of guiding students to college readiness, it has too often served as a roadblock to success,” Representative Giddings asserted at the meeting in Austin, TX. Texas House Bill 2223 was introduced to assist students who fall within the developmental threshold. Developmental courses will no longer exist in 2019. There will still be courses for those having problems but they will not be held as often as they are currently. Under this bill, each institution of higher education shall develop and implement, for developmental education, a corequisite model under which a student concurrently enrolls in a developmental education course and a freshmanlevel course in the same subject area for each subject area for which the student is referred to developmental coursework. “This is a major reform,” said Jacob Fraire, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Community Colleges. “It is a major rethinking of how we provide instruction.” Allowable appropriations for
a general academic institution’s developmental education program would be reduced from 18 to 9 hours and down from 27 to 18 hours for public junior colleges, public technical institutes, or public state colleges. Exceptions exist if the developmental course is in English for a non-native speaker. If the student fails, the university will offer the student a range of competency-based education programs to assist the student in becoming ready to perform freshmanlevel academic coursework in the applicable subject area. “This type of work that affects the people that we serve in Texas and has impact in the country is the type of work that we are talking about,” Goonewardene said during the meeting in Austin, TX The vision for Texas House Bill 2223: By fall 2017, Texas will significantly improve the success of underprepared students by addressing their individualized needs through reliable diagnostic assessment, comprehensive support services, and non-traditional interventions, to include modular, mainstreaming, non-course competency-based, technologicallybased, and integrated instructional models. The bill is there to take away all developmental courses in all public colleges and universities in the state of Texas. Each institution of higher education shall establish a program to advise students regarding coursework and other means by which students can develop the academic skills required to successfully complete college-level
Via The Texas Houser of Representatives Rep. Giddings introduces Speaker Joe Straus to District 109. In a visit arranged by Rep. Helen Giddings, Texas House of Representatives’ Speaker Joe Straus made his first visit to the University of North Texas at Dallas.
work. Instead of having developmental courses there will be extra work for students to work on and extra help for students who do not meet collegereadiness. Each institution of higher education shall develop and implement for developmental coursework, other than adult basic education or basic academic skills education, developmental education using a co-requisite model under which a student concurrently enrolls in a developmental education course and a freshman-level course in the same subject area for each subject area for which the student is referred
to developmental coursework. Each institution shall ensure that at least 75 percent of the institution’s students enrolled in developmental coursework other than adult basic education or basic academic skills education are enrolled in developmental coursework described by this subsection. Sarah Ancel, vice president of state policy at Complete College America, said “remediation deters students from graduating. Each developmental course leading up to the gateway course can discourage students, so creating co-requisite classes can help students move forward, she said at the meeting in Austin, TX. The latest figures from the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board show that only 9 percent of underprepared students enrolling in community college developmental education completed a first-level math course, 26 percent completed a first-level reading course, and 21 percent completed a first-level writing course. This is despite 87 percent of community college students not being deemed college ready in at least one subject. “Texas universities are the breeding ground for innovation, yet at this time, it is difficult to get those good ideas into the marketplace,” Button said during the meeting in Austin, TX.
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Texas governor voiced ‘concern’ about Red Cross after Harvey Paul J Webber
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday he raised concerns with the American Red Cross following Hurricane Harvey that hundreds of millions of dollars in donations wasn’t getting to people who need it. His comments heaped another powerful voice onto questions surrounding the organization’s response to the Category 4 storm that struck Texas in August and left behind what may become the costliest natural disaster cleanup in U.S. history. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett have previously discouraged donors from giving to the Red Cross after blaming the organization for problems at emergency shelters. Speaking to reporters from Washington, Abbott said he heard “multiple concerns” at the local level that people weren’t seeing aid from the Red Cross as expected. Abbott said he had multiple conversations with Red Cross President Gail McGovern, most recently about a month ago. “I did express concern that the money that was allocated, or let’s say donated, to go to Harvey relief was not getting into the hands of the people who need it and about some of the slowness with regard to the funds,” said Abbott, who was in
Washington to press the White House and Congress for more federal recovery dollars. “I know there was a lot of money — as in hundreds of millions of dollars in money — that was available for Texas that seemed not to be getting to Texas in either a timely fashion or in a well-organized, welldirected fashion.” The Red Cross has raised $429 million in donations and pledges for Harvey, with more than half the total amount raised for storm relief in Texas, according to a tally of major groups by The Associated Press. “We believe we have been transparent in our response to Hurricane Harvey, and Ms. McGovern will be reaching out to the Governor’s office to ensure that he has all the information he needs,” Red Cross spokeswoman Elizabeth Penniman said. “The Red Cross also believes the Governor has shown tremendous leadership during this response, and we look forward to continuing our work with him in the months ahead.” She said 91 cents of every dollar donated for Harvey will go to people affected by the storm and that the Red Cross has authorized payments of at least $400 to more than 573,000 households affected. Abbott said he saw the Red Cross do a good job at shelters after Harvey but his concerns surrounded where the money went.
Louis DeLuca/AP South Houston residents Oralia Guerra and Diamond Robinson huddle together to stay warm underneath Red Cross blankets at the George Brown Convention Center in Houston Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, he raised concerns with the American Red Cross following Hurricane Harvey that donated money wasn’t getting to people who need it.
The day after the storm began in Houston, the Red Cross quickly opened a “megashelter” at a downtown Houston convention center. Originally setting a capacity of 5,000 people, the Red Cross ended up with double that number in three days. It temporarily ran out of cots, forcing some people to sleep on blankets or strips of cardboard. Emmett, the county’s top elected administrative official, said the county had to divert vehicles at the height of the storm to move people from neighborhoods to the
convention center and other shelters — something he thinks the Red Cross should have done. “When you see them raising money, you go, ‘Wait a minute, what’s fair about this?’” he said in an interview in September. Still, the Red Cross has far outraised other groups working on the Texas Gulf Coast, off the strength of its reputation and with the help of commercials on national television and online. David Brady, who was CEO of the Red Cross’ Texas Gulf Coast chapter during Harvey,
defended the group’s response at shelters and said the storm presented unprecedented challenges. But Brady and two other top officials at the local Red Cross recently resigned. Brady said in a Facebook post that he disagreed “too often” with the national Red Cross over how to respond to Harvey. “It is not fair to the organization to have a leader in this role that is filled with that much doubt,” Brady said. “And it was not fair to me or my family to work where I am not happy and do not feel valued.”
Family profits from World Series Juan A Lozano
Associated Press
The Houston Astros’ victorious World Series run has not only given an emotional boost to a city still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. It has provided an economic lift as well. And for one Houston family, the journey to a championship provided them with a way to financially help their grandparents rebuild after the devastating storm. Brianne Bueno’s family had bought two tickets for Game 3 of the World Series in Houston but didn’t use them to watch their beloved Astros. Instead, the family raffled them off last week on Facebook and raised about $10,000 — money that will be used to help repair the Houston-area home of Bueno’s grandparents. “During Game 6, I got a text from one of the ladies who purchased a ticket. She put, ‘Glad it went well with the raffle. Was bummed to not win the tickets but really hope you guys were able to help out your folks,’” Bueno said. “This is like ... a whole week since the raffle and people are still showing their support for us, which is pretty amazing.” Local businesses saw increased sales, with people spending more money at restaurants, bars and hotels.
“It’s obvious more people were out on the streets, and more people were out spending money that they wouldn’t have spent otherwise,” said Patrick Jankowski, regional economist for the Greater Houston Partnership. “It’s like a shot in the arm for the city.” He said Houston’s economy had been rebounding after bottoming out in August 2016 due to falling oil prices — and then Harvey hit. That recovery will likely be delayed about three months because of the hurricane. Bueno said after Harvey’s torrential rainfall in late August flooded her grandparents’ home about 44 miles (70 kilometers) south of Houston in the city of Angleton, her father bought the World Series tickets with the purpose of raffling them off to raise money. Her grandparents, both 70 years old, lost most of their possessions and now live in the grandfather’s small law office. Bueno said when her father “saw that the tickets for Game 3 were on sale, there was no hesitation for him to buy those and use them for a better purpose rather than fulfilling a desire he had to go to the World Series himself.” She promoted the $20-a-ticket raffle on social media as well as in her classes at the University of Houston. One of her professors bought five tickets. Bueno had hoped to raise maybe $5,000 but
was surprised so many people found out about the raffle and wanted to buy a ticket. “I didn’t expect this reaction honestly,” she said. The tickets were given away on Oct. 26. With the raffle being a success, having the Astros win the World Series “was definitely the icing on the cake,” Bueno said. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Harvey highlighted the “can-do spirit” of the city’s residents. “It almost seems as though the greater the challenge, Houstonians see the greater the opportunity,” Turner said at a news conference Thursday. “So we meet challenges and then we turn around and take advantage of the opportunity.” Marcus Davis, owner of The Breakfast Klub, said the popular restaurant’s sales slowed down because of Harvey. But business picked up a lot when the Astros started their playoff run. The Breakfast Klub even hosted Dodgers fans who traveled to Texas from Los Angeles. “It’s not that our spirits are dampened. We just wanted to communicate to the world how strong Houston is and the Astros winning was just symbolism for us,” Davis said. “It verified and validated that yes we are strong. We’ve gone from underwater to the mountain top.”
Brianne Bueno/via AP The home of Beatrice and Dominique Gerard, which was damaged by flooding during Hurricane Harvey In Angleton, Texas. Bueno, Gerards’ granddaughter, helped organize a raffle
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Postal Service offers next-day Sunday delivery Hope Yen
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — As consumers demand ever-quicker and convenient package delivery, the U.S. Postal Service wants to boost its business this holiday season by offering what few e-commerce retailers can provide: cheap next-day service with packages delivered Sundays to your home. Retail giant Walmart says it is considering the Sunday option, which could reshape weekend shopping trips to the mall. The program, available in 20 major U.S. cities, allows consumers to place online orders with participating retailers before a cutoff time Saturday, the Postal Service said. Postal carriers pick up merchandise from local stores for delivery the following day, similar to the Sunday package deliveries it now handles almost exclusively for online leader Amazon in much of the U.S. The Postal Service hasn’t disclosed which stores may sign onto the new pilot program, launched in advance of retailers’ most competitive time of the year. “It’s one of the ideas Walmart is looking at,” company spokesman Ravi Jariwala told The Associated Press, citing the big-box chain’s recent focus on getting goods to shoppers’ front doors quickly. In recent months, Walmart has announced added shipping options to better compete with Amazon, from acquiring a sameday delivery service in New York to testing drop-offs of packages by Uber drivers and Walmart employees. Best Buy and Target, which recently added speedier holiday shipping options, declined to comment on the program. The next-day weekend service is part of the Postal Service’s aggressive push into the parcel business at a time when its more lucrative first-class mail is declining in the digital age. With Amazon continuing to raise the bar of
David Goldman/AP U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Michael McDonald, gathers mail to load into his truck before making his delivery run, in Atlanta. As consumers demand ever-quicker and convenient package delivery, the U.S. Postal Service wants to boost its business this holiday season by offering what few e-commerce retailers can provide: cheap next-day service with packages delivered Sundays to your home.
“free shipping” conveniences, from one- or two-day package arrivals to keyless in-home delivery via couriers, the financially beleaguered post office is billing itself as the trusted, lowcost carrier already serving every U.S. household. The expanded Sunday delivery is aimed at consumers like Susan Dennis, 68, of Seattle. Weary of weekend trips to the mall where she often ends up stuck in traffic or waiting too long in line, the retiree says she buys online whenever possible and isn’t wedded to just Amazon, if the product quality is good and the delivery “fast and inexpensive.” “More Sunday deliveries would be one of the sweetest deals ever — give me the URL and I will buy whatever,” Dennis said. Bolstered by e-commerce growth and its Sunday operations, the
Postal Service will reach new highs this year in holiday package delivery, with nearly 850 million U.S. parcels delivered from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, according to figures compiled by industry tracker ShipMatrix Inc. for the AP. That 13 percent increase from 2016 would exceed the single-digit percentage growth for UPS and FedEx, putting the post office on track to capture 45.6 percent market share in peak holiday deliveries, ShipMatrix said. The post office’s growth is due in large part to its established network in the “last mile,” the final and usually most expensive stretch of a package’s journey to a customer’s door. UPS and FedEx already subcontract a chunk of their last-mile deliveries to the post office. Due to slower growth this holiday season, the two private carriers are
expected to drop in market share, to 31.3 percent and 17.8 percent, respectively, according to the ShipMatrix analysis. UPS, in a dig at the post office’s financial woes, says it is focused on profitable growth and less concerned about expanding market share, “especially if it were to involve lossmaking service expansions.” FedEx said it had no comment on market share and would boost operations during the holiday season to meet customer needs. Courier services, such as Uber and Deliv, are expected to rise, delivering about 5.2 percent of the peak holiday packages. “Having a Postal Service driver on every street every day making deliveries, you can’t really beat that,” said Satish Jindel, founder and president of ShipMatrix.
The holiday plans include added postal delivery on Sundays beginning Nov. 26 and delivery on Christmas Day in some cities, the postal service said. It also offers a new online tool that allows consumers to reschedule package deliveries to ensure someone is home to receive them. The Postal Service also bucked the shipping industry by keeping package rates largely unchanged for the holidays. UPS for the first time is imposing holiday surcharges on ground shipments to homes during peak periods, such as the weeks leading into Black Friday and Christmas, while FedEx is raising rates for certain oversized packages. “The Postal Service is wellprepared to meet our customers’ needs during the holiday season, especially as demand for package deliveries continues to grow,” said Megan Brennan, postmaster general. Analysts have cheered the Postal Service’s promise in the digital age, noting that there now is little talk of ending Saturday mail delivery given rising package demands. “The future of USPS probably hasn’t been better in a long time,” said David G. Ross, a shipping analyst at Stifel Financial Corp. Still, its parcel success hasn’t translated into profits. An independent agency of government, the Postal Service has lost money for 10 years, primarily due to costs of its pension and health-care obligations. And while online shopping has led to years of double-digit growth in its packagedelivery business, it hasn’t offset declines in first-class mail. The post office is seeking flexibility to raise the price of mailing letters, and needs Congress to free it from a 2006 requirement that it pre-fund retiree health benefits. “The future is bright for the Postal Service — if it doesn’t go bankrupt first,” said Ravi Shanker, an equity analyst at Morgan Stanley.
Astros World Series celebration parade route
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Sports
Deshaun Watson
Ezekiel Elliot: has no chance
out for season
Larry Neumeister Associated Press
Jake Seiner
AP Sports Writer
Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson sustained a seasonending knee injury in practice on Thursday, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The rookie suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees and will go on injured reserve. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the injury. His injury is the latest blow to a team that lost three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt and linebacker Whitney Mercilus to season-ending injuries on Oct. 8. The former Clemson standout had been a bright spot in a challenging season for the Texans (3-4). The 12th overall pick in this year’s draft was the AFC offensive player of the month after throwing for 1,171 yards with 16 touchdowns and running for 145 yards and another score. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, talked about Watson’s injury, and noted that he rebounded from the same injury when he was with the Tigers. “I talked to Deshaun late this afternoon and we are disappointed,” Swinney said. “But, he is a person who has had some setbacks in his life, and always comes back stronger. Since he went through the rehab before, he knows what it takes.” Watson also tore his ACL in 2014 as a freshman at Clemson. “All he did after the injury in 2014 was come back and lead us to the national championship game twice and of course we won it last year,” Swinney said. “He started all 30 games the last two years here. I have no doubt he will come back from this. He has the resolve. His work ethic and drive are incredible.” Many people took to Twitter to
MVP, From Page 1 Series obviously wasn’t the best game for me, wasn’t the best game for anybody,” he said. “But I learned from it. And I learned how to kind of keep my emotions in check. I learned how to slow my breathing down slow myself down, because this is a time where it’s not just a game in June and then you’re going to come back again the next day and play. This is for everything.” After the game, Springer sat with Carlos Beltran for veteran advice. Beltran’s words to him were, “Go out and enjoy the moment, be who you are and enjoy it. I’ve played for twenty years, and it’s my second time here.”
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David J. Phillip/AP Photo Two people familiar with the situation tell The Associated Press that Watson sustained a season-ending knee injury in practice on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. The rookie suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees and will go on the injured reserve. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the injury.
express dismay at the injury and wish Watson well. Watt tweeted: “Minor setback for a major comeback. We’ve all seen what’s possible, can’t wait to see what’s next. With you every step of the way 4,”. NBA superstar LeBron James tweeted a link to a story about his injury and wrote: “This seriously just made me sad man!! Get well and stronger asap.” Watson’s development this season had been a revelation for a team that has featured a revolving door at quarterback over recent years. The Texans signed Brock Osweiler to a $72 million contract before last season, but he was benched before the season was over and shipped to Cleveland in the offseason. When Houston traded up 13 picks to take Watson, many assumed he’d be the starter to open the season. But Coach Bill O’Brien insisted he back up Tom Savage. Watson’s time as a backup was short-lived as Savage struggled in the opener and was benched at halftime, making the former Clemson standout the ninth quarterback the Texans have played in the past five years. Watson made his first start
Springer took the advice to heart and had a series for the ages. Springer will now be mentioned in the company of Reggie Jackson and Chase Utley, who are the only three players in baseball history to hit five home runs in the World Series. Springer hit one roundtripper in each of the last four games, a feat that only he can claim. His hitting line for the series was 11 hits 9 (five home runs), eight runs scored, seven RBI’s and a 1.471 OPS all while also setting another World Series record of 29 total bases. Not only did Springer have an MVP caliber series, but he also arguably had one of the top five best World Series ever. “The wildness of this series,
in Week 2 and immediately excelled, leading the Texans to a 13-9 win on the road against the Bengals. Since then, he’s turned a team known for defense into one with a high-flying offense. Under his guidance, the Texans had scored 30 or more points in five straight games to set a franchise record. Watson’s 19 touchdown passes are tied for the league lead and are the most in NFL history through a player’s first seven games. He leads all quarterbacks this season with 21 touchdowns overall and has thrown four or more touchdown passes in three games this season to join Fran Tarkenton as the only rookies in NFL history to do so. Now with his brilliant season cut short, the Texans will look to Savage to salvage this injuryplagued season and try to reach the playoffs for the third straight season. The Texans host the Colts (26) on Sunday and Indianapolis announced earlier Thursday that franchise quarterback Andrew Luck had been placed on injured reserve as he recovers from a shoulder problem that hasn’t allowed him to play at all this season.
the wackiness of this series, the emotional ups and downs, being able to play in this is something that I will never, ever forget, even if this is the only time I will ever get here,” he said. Game 7 was another example of how the Astros can beat you, no surprise that Springer was all involved in most of the big plays. Stating the game off on a double executed the teams plan on attacking Yu Darvish allowing his teammates to play small ball and produce runs. The exclamation homerun in the second completed the plan on knocking Darvish out early on and getting the Dodgers to go to their bullpen. “I just remember swinging and hearing the sound of the bat, and I knew it was a good
NEW YORK — Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has no chance with his latest attempt to delay a six-game suspension for alleged domestic violence, NFL lawyers said Thursday. The attorneys told the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan that it should not interfere with Elliott beginning his suspension Sunday when the Cowboys play Kansas City at home because the NFL Players Association “has no likelihood of success on appeal.” The union has asked the court to block the start of the suspension until it considers its request to overturn a lower-court ruling on the grounds that Elliott’s career will be irreparably harmed if his suspension begins now. The league said in a written submission that the public, including NFL fans and victims of abuse, have a “strong interest” in seeing that penalties stemming from domestic abuse by NFL players are promptly investigated and that discipline is imposed in a timely manner. It said “swift discipline” should not be manipulated by players and teams seeking to strategically time court challenges so that suspensions are served when they play weaker opponents or when an injury would already require a player to remain off the field. U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla ruled Monday that the 22-year-old athlete must begin the suspension that was imposed in August after the league investigated several alleged physical confrontations in the summer of 2016 with his then-girlfriend. The union said Failla erred by ruling that the NFL’s claims were supported by federal labor law because the league followed the collective bargaining agreement in suspending Elliott. Lawyers for the players association said Failla was the first judge ever to have “concluded that professional athletes with short career spans do not face irreparable harm” when suspensions are enforced before appeals options have been exhausted. The NFL said roughly 100 players have been suspended for approximately 500 games over the past season and a half. “Elliott’s claim of irreparable injury is indistinguishable from those that could be made by 100 other players,” the league said. If Failla’s ruling is not blocked, Elliott will not be eligible to return until the team’s final three games, starting Dec. 17 at Oakland. The Cowboys (4-3), defending NFC East champions, are in second place in the division. Earlier in October, a federal appeals court threw out a Texas court’s injunction and ordered the dismissal of Elliott’s lawsuit there.
Davd J. Phillip/AP Houston Astros’ George Springer reacts after hitting a double during the first inning of Game 7 of baseball’s World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, in Los Angeles.
sound. And then I saw the flight of the ball. And I got to first base, and I rounded third and got home, and that’s a crazy feeling. It’s a very surreal feeling because this is Game 7. This is what you dream of as a
kid. And for that to happen is indescribable,” he said. Springer returned the favor of Beltran, for Beltran like Springer will forever be Major League Baseball World Champions.
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Rockets win again in NY, 119-97 over Brian Mahoney AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK — The struggles stopped for the Houston Rockets once they got to New York. Nothing gets the Rockets right like a game in an arena where they keep on winning. “You’re in the Garden man, you got to bring it,” James Harden said. “The lights are on, so guys played well.” Harden had 31 points and nine assists, and the Rockets had their 3-pointers falling again in a 119-97 victory over the Knicks on Wednesday night. Harden made six 3-pointers and the Rockets hit 19 to bounce back after two straight losses. “Well, it’s a lot easier to make a 3 when you’re up seven instead when you’re down seven and you’re trying to make every shot that’s got to count and you’re also giving up points at the other end,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said. Ryan Anderson added 21 points for the Rockets. They won their eighth straight at Madison Square Garden, a streak that lasts so long that D’Antoni was the Knicks’ coach last time they beat Houston at home, back on Jan. 26, 2009. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 23 points for the Knicks, but Kristaps Porzingis was held to 19 as their three-game winning streak was snapped. Porzingis
had scored 30 in five of the first six games, including a careerhigh 38 in a victory over Denver on Monday night, and came in third in the league with 29.3 per game. The Rockets arrived in New York struggling a bit, particularly from long range. Houston had been held below 30 percent from behind the arc already four times, including 28 percent in its loss to Philadelphia on Monday night, and hasn’t had a 40 percent night yet. D’Antoni said the Rockets’ data showed they were getting similar 3-point attempts as last season, when they set an NBA record for makes, but they just hadn’t been nearly as accurate. They finished at 36.5 percent Wednesday — but only after they cooled off to a 2-for-12 final quarter with the outcome decided. New York led 30-24 early in the second before Houston ran off 16 straight points to go up by 10, and cruised from there. “I think they did a really good job of running in transition and creating something for their teammates and then just shooting 3s,” Porzingis said. “And that’s really hard to stop.” TIP-INS Rockets: Houston scored 36 points in the second quarter and 40 in the third. ... Clint Capela finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds. ... Eric Gordon had 17 points and Trevor Ariza 16.
Frank Franklin II/AP Photo Houston Rockets’ James Harden (13) shoots over New York Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis (6) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, in New York.
Knicks: The Knicks have three games remaining on a five-game homestand, their longest of the season. ... New York is 0-3 when scoring fewer than 100 points. ... Rookie Frank Ntilikina led the Knicks with eight assists, his season high. ONE-SIDED RIVALRY The Rockets beat the Knicks for the 23rd time in the last 25
meetings. Houston has swept the series in 10 of the last 12 seasons. CHANGE OF PLANS The Rockets decided to cancel their morning shootaround at Madison Square Garden because of the difficulty of getting to the arena from their hotel. They are staying in Battery Park, near where eight people were
killed Tuesday when a man drove his truck onto a bike path, and the investigation was ongoing Wednesday morning. D’Antoni said they had the bus ready to take them and figured it wasn’t worth it. “There was no chance to get here and no use being on the bus for two hours for that,” he said.
Baseball agent, trainer sentenced on smuggling convictions Curt Anderson Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) — A sports agent and a baseball trainer convicted of operating a sophisticated, sometimes violent network that smuggled Cuban players to the U.S. were sentenced to prison Thursday. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered a sentence of nearly four years for agent Bartolo Hernandez and just over five years for trainer Julio Estrada. Both were convicted by a jury in March of conspiracy and alien smuggling charges that included some high-profile Major League Baseball players who paid them a cut of their lucrative contracts. During a four-hour hearing, Williams heard from numerous friends and family members of the two men about how close they remain with most of the players who made it to the U.S. and how involved they are with youth baseball in South Florida. Williams acknowledged what she called a “paradox” between the upstanding community figure and smuggler within both men. But she said the case, which came to a close a day after this year’s World Series ended, is actually fairly simple. “This case is not about fulfilling dreams. This case is certainly not about love of the game. This case is about money, millions and millions of dollars,” the judge said. Hernandez, Estrada and members of the smuggling network received about $20 million for Cuban player contracts
Lynne Sladky/AP Photo Sports agent Bartolo Hernandez and Estrada are facing prison time at a sentencing hearing in Miami after their convictions for illegally smuggling Cuban players into the U.S.
worth about $230 million, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Davidson. “The truth is, these defendants corrupted young men. They attempted to corrupt the process,” Davidson said. Hernandez and Estrada were ordered to surrender Dec. 14 to begin serving their sentences. Trial evidence showed an existing Cuban smuggling operation that brought people from the communist-run island to Mexico became the platform in 2009 for the much more lucrative trade in elite ballplayers. People involved in that operation testified it was ultimately overseen by Hernandez and Estrada, and
it had connections to the violent Zetas drug cartel in Mexico. The players would be whisked from Cuba to Mexico or Haiti in a speedboat, sign papers claiming residency in their new country and eventually be cleared to sign with MLB teams. Prosecutors showed jurors how many of those documents contained false information, such as made-up jobs for players, and some travel documents were forged. One player, Chicago White Sox star Jose Abreu, testified that he ate pieces of his phony Haitian passport while flying to the U.S. in 2013 because he feared repercussions if he landed in Miami with
a false document. Abreu later signed a $68 million deal with the White Sox. Other players smuggled into the U.S. by the operation are Adeiny Hechavarria of the Tampa Bay Rays and Leonys Martin of the Chicago Cubs. Many others played in the major and minor leagues. Minor leaguer Reinier Roibal testified about witnessing an armed confrontation at a Mexican boatyard between one of the smuggling ring’s original leaders, Joan “Nacho” Garcia, and a group of men. Roibal said he heard gunshots and Garcia, who prosecutors called “the chief thug of Cancun,” was never heard from again. Attorneys for Hernandez and Estrada sought Thursday to minimize how much they profited from the operation, highlighting instead their good works in South Florida’s baseball world and how they helped talented players realize their MLB dreams by escaping an oppressive government in Cuba. Hernandez lawyer Jeffrey Marcus noted that two Cuban-born players, Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Yuli Gurriel of the Houston Astros, played key roles in this year’s World Series. Neither is connected to the Hernandez-Estrada operation. “The biggest beneficiaries of this entire episode were the players,” Marcus said. “They’re all here and they are all living their version of the American dream.” Hernandez and Estrada are planning to appeal their convictions and sentences.
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‘Thor: Ragnarok’ takes the god to funny heights
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Dia de los Muertos
Lindsey Bahr
P.W. Knight
AP Film Writer
In the stand-alone films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Thor always seemed to get the short end of the stick. The Thor films were never as popular as Iron Man, and didn’t gain steam like Captain America. They were perhaps a little too serious and a little too dull — none of which was the fault of star Chris Hemsworth, whose performances in the role have been so seamless and charming that he almost doesn’t get enough credit. But “Thor: Ragnarok” has been touted as a different take on the God of Thunder. Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Co. signed up a voice-y director in New Zealand’s Taika Waititi, whose riotous vampire mockumentary “What We Do In The Shadows” displayed a unique comedic sensibility. They took away Thor’s hammer, gave him a haircut, added some Led Zeppelin and told the set designer the more neon rainbows the better. The results are pretty decent, though perhaps not the total departure that had been hyped. The bones of the story are preposterous as ever. It turns out Thor has a long lost older sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett), who his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins, who appears to have shot for about two hours) locked away because she was so dangerous. An event happens that releases Hela to the world. She’s really strong, like stronger than Thor strong, and really angry and basically punches Thor into another dimension and she heads off to Asgard to take the throne. The movie literally splits in two at this
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Marvel Studios via AP This image released by Marvel Studios shows the Hulk, from left, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Tom Hiddleston as Loki in a scene from, “Thor: Ragnarok.”
point. Poor Blanchett, who has gone full vamp as Hela, is good as always but how lame it must be to be in the “fun” Thor movie and have to play one of the most blandly written villains ever. While she’s off waging her deathly serious takeover, Thor gets to join an irreverent comedy sideshow on the planet Sakaar — a sort of wasteland at the end of the universe run by a Grade-A weirdo who calls himself Grandmaster, played, fittingly, by Jeff Goldblum. It’s this section that is pretty amusing and where Waititi’s irreverence really gets to shine with pratfalls and witty writing. It’s no surprise that this is right up Goldblum’s alley, but the real delight is Hemsworth who knows just how to subvert the Thor character without turning him into a total
mockery. He’s a real comedic talent, which audiences got a taste of in “Ghostbusters.” And Tessa Thompson is fantastic as Valkyrie, a hard drinkin’ fighter with a secret past she’d rather forget. I imagine “Thor: Ragnarok” is one that might improve on subsequent viewings, when you have a chance to relax with the jokes divorced from the pressure of juggling the silly/serious plot. But it’s a fairly flawed movie on the whole with egregious tonal shifts. Some of the gags go on too long with the Hulk with too little payoff and sometimes it seems as though there’s a mandate that every 25 minutes there will be a big fight no matter what. One particular army of the dead sequence seemed like it could have been lifted from a
“Pirates of the Caribbean” movie — which is not the most flattering comparison. While Waititi’s energy and wit is apparent in the film, it still feels as though he had to operate from the same Marvel “base flavor” and was allowed on occasion to sprinkle a few of his own original toppings on. “Thor: Ragnarok” is the most fun of the Thor movies by a long shot, but it is still very much a Thor movie for better or worse. “Thor,” a Walt Disney Studios release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive material.” Running time: 130 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
Editor-in-Chief........................................... Jimmieka Mills News Editor................................................................ TBA Sports Editor............................................. John Cañamar Culture Editor.............................................. Erik Calderon Photo Editor............................................................... TBA Social Media Mgr....................................................... TBA Staff Writer..........................................Skarleth Valasquez Staff Writer...................................................Fabian Brims Staff Writer....................................................Ana Ramirez Staff Writer................................................................. TBA Staff Writer................................................................. TBA Staff Photographer..................................................... TBA ——— The Egalitarian has been the official student newspaper of the Houston Community College System since September 1974. The Egalitarian is published bi-monthly, every other Wednesday except during holiday breaks. Print circulation is 8,000 copies per issue and distributed to selected HCC campuses in the Houston, Spring Branch, Alief, Katy, North Forest and Fort Bend areas. Comments and contributions are always welcome. Deadlines for contributions and advertisements are one week before the issue print date. The Egalitarian is written and edited by students of Houston Community College. This publication does not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, interests, attitudes and tastes of the Board of Trustees, HCC administration, faculty, staff or students. Opinions and editorial content of The Egalitarian that are unsigned do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Egalitarian staff or adviser. The Egalitarian reserves the right to edit any submitted material for grammatical errors, offensive language, libelous materials and space constraints. It may also refuse any advertising that does not adhere to the HCC mission.
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The Egalitarian staff consists of HCC students who must complete all tasks required to produce the newspaper, which serves all campuses of the HCC System. We want all students from all majors to contribute. However, we must follow our submissions policy in order to operate under our limitations of time, energy and staff. All staff and contributing writers must be currently enrolled students at Houston Community College. The Egalitarian interacts with contributing writers via e-mail and telephone. Visiting The Egalitarian will not help contributors get published, only quality work will. Publication priority is given to staff members and assigned articles, and verbal commitments for assignments will not be accepted or recognized. Press releases, story ideas, news tips and suggestions are always welcomed. Any student interested in joining The Egalitarian staff may request more detailed information regarding story length, topics, style, etc., by e-mailing The Egalitarian Faculty Adviser Fredrick Batiste at adviser@hccegalitarian.com.
The Egalitarian
As I sat on a plane bound for Mexico City and the Dia De Los Muertos Parade and celebrations throughout the country, I had no idea what to expect. Multiple sources had told me to beware of the country and city and the dangers it may hold for foreigners. It could not have been farther from the truth. From the moment of my arrival there was a buzz of energy and excitement in the air. It was the second annual, and controversial, Day of the Dead or Dia De Los Muertos Parade. First we must understand the Day of the Dead. The real celebration is November 2; the other days of celebrations were adopted from the United States. These are sacred days in Mexican and Latin American Culture. According to People magazines Alex Heigl, “Mexico’s day of the dead is one of the country’s most revered holidays, but for most of its history it never had a parade.” Last year was the inaugural year for this particular spectacle in the heart of the city. It was inspired by the opening scene of the James Bond film, ‘Spectre.’ Heigl stated that last year “more than 100,000 attendees crowded the Paseo de la Reforma avenue in Mexico City in full garb...but historically, Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico are quieter, more family based affairs, but after a large-scale parade was created for the film, the country’s tourism board decided to go ahead and make the parade a real event.” What I discovered on the ground is that the locals neither care very much for or against the particular James Bond inspired parade, but some are less pleased because of the sacred nature of this day in the culture to honor loved ones. Unfortunately,
P.W. Knight/The Egalitarian An alter for a love one who has moved on in life in Teotihuacan,Mexico.
or fortunately, depending on how you feel about Dia De Los Muertos personally, I was stuck in Mexico City’s notorious traffic en route to the Second annual parade, so I missed the vast spectacle that was inspired by the Film. However, I attended a more personal and more genuine Day of the Dead celebration in a town outside of Mexico City called Teotihuacan. In Teotihuacan, I saw the real importance and reverence of the holiday, with loved ones actually building elaborate and beautifully decorated altars to those family members and friends who had passed away. It was upon seeing this that I had an understanding as to how some locals would be disenchanted with a parade inspired by a “gringo” film of a former colonial empire that was responsible for repression and the mutilation of other cultures as was inflicted upon the Mexicans ancient pre-Hispanic culture by the Spaniards. It was here that I saw the raw emotion and felt the power of remembrance and reverence to those one loves and calls family. It warmed my heart to witness the kindness and beauty of the People of Mexico and the culture itself. Coming from the
United States and with all the political turmoil, I had no idea what kind of welcome to expect. What I encountered was beauty, amazing food, kindness and welcoming from the people of Mexico to a gringo from Texas, and for that I will eternally be grateful. I recommend that, if given the opportunity, anyone who can, should visit Mexico during this time or anytime and go and explore the beauty and history and rich culture that endures and thrives and that is Mexico. On a personal note, it was incredibly moving to see the kindness of the Mexican people themselves after having suffered not one, but two devastating earthquakes on September 19 and 30. I witnessed sense of solidarity and community during my visit and it reminded me what was felt in Houston after our own disaster that was Hurricane Harvey. Witnessing this gives hope that even in times of great turmoil and disaster, no matter what culture or country one comes from, humanity finds a way to move forward together, and the people of Mexico City and Houston are a shining example of everything that is good and hopeful for the future in the world.
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