Wednesday, September 12, 2018 • Vol. 47, No. 1 • HCCEgalitarian.com
In Today’s Issue
Ruling on DACA Judge Andrew Hanen rules in favor of President Obama’s DACA program, shielding thousands of students.
see News, Page 3
Helping fight hunger The Houston Food Bank received helped from student and staff sorting food for needy families.
see On Campus, Page 4
Fresh Ink, Still Wet New maps, weapons, and badges are just a few of the updates to this eddition of the franchise.
see Culture, Page 7
Floodplain Changes
Will this help or hinder Houston homeowners?
Sarah Al-Shaikh
sal-shaikh@hccegalitarian.com
“A Costly and Unequal Burden” is what Austin-based advocacy group, Texas Housers, is calling Houston’s newly revised Floodplain Management Ordinance. Only eleven days have passed since Houston’s revised floodplain took effect, and already questions are arising on whether these new regulations are truly benefiting all Houstonians or are actually hurting low-income communities in our city. Seven months after Hurricane Harvey left Houston in complete disarray, this past April Houston’s City Council passed Mayor Sylvester Turner’s proposed refined floodplain regulations. Before September 1st, homeowners in the 100year floodplain were required to have flood insurance and build new homes 1 foot above the floodplain. However, as of now, Turner’s proposal increases elevation to 2 feet and expands the regulations to homes in the 500-year floodplain. A 500-year floodplain is an area with a 0.2 percent risk of flooding from a bayou, creek, or
other waterways. Meaning any architecture located in a 500-year floodplain have a minimum of a 0.2 percent chance of flooding in any given year. This is a big change from the previous 100year floodplain which pertained to land predicted to flood during a 100-year storm; which has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year. This revised ordinance for those in the 100year and 500-year floodplain pertains to new construction and already existing homes expanded by 33 percent or more. The push for these regulation changes come from homes in the 500-year floodplain flooding for three consecutive years. Harvey damaged a third of homes in the 500-year floodplain area, and a recent study showed 84 percent of buildings impacted by Harvey could have avoided damage with the suggested regulations. Now that these new regulations are in place, thousands of Houstonians are receiving notices that their homes must be elevated to meet new floodplain regulations. However, several families do not have the means to front the bill now asked of them. While this new ordinance
did pass, it was not unanimous. Houston Council member against this change, Jack Christie, disclosed his concerns about how expanding regulations to the 500-year floodplain forces homeowners to elevate their homes regardless of having flood history or not. Christie was not standing alone when not voting for these floodplain changes. Fellow council member Greg Travis also did not support these new regulations. He believes they are acting too fast because they are still waiting on updated floodplain maps. Travis expresses, “We’ve only looked at 5,000 houses in the 500-year floodplain. There’s not enough data. Nobody here is saying, ‘Don’t do anything,’ we’re saying, ‘Do the right thing.’” Along with Christie and Travis’ concerns, a new report by Austin’s Texas Housers asserts this new floodplain ordinance negatively affects low-income communities. In the 17-page report analyzing the revisions to Houston’s floodplain code, Texas Housers express their concerns about the unintended consequences on low-to-moderate income households and communities
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of color as a result of these changes. As it stands, not every Houstonian is equally protected from potential floods. Texas Housers mention how affluent neighborhoods are better protected with certain flood protections, while lower-income neighborhoods are left with only basic open ditch drainage. Along with these present divisions in flood protection, this proposed
regulation could: -place an enormous cost on low-and moderate-income households -shift the focus from public infrastructure projects to private-funded home elevations; which places the financial burden and responsibility on the homeowner -further divide the flood protection gap; where some homeowners have the means to comply with new flood regulations and are thus more protected from flood risks. Whereas some cannot afford the cost and remain in danger of potential flood damage In addition to these potential negative effects, Texas Housers share their own suggestion for see Floodplain, Page 2
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Homeless Students
Jimmieka Mills Contributor
Houston Community College Film student and community activist Justice Butler will debut a documentary based on her struggles through homelessness in Philadelphia, PA at the #RealCollege Conference. The documentary titled, InVisible focuses on Justice’s struggles through homelessness and enrollment at HCC while driving home the true impact of homelessness on a students’ ability to succeed. Justice’s experience through homelessness to college success has been nothing short of a miracle but she had a journey to get to the latter. “[When I was homeless] I would hold a sign and pray as the light turned that someone would find it in their heart to give what they could.” Usually it was enough for a meal from the McDonald’s she stood in front of. On some of the best days she would collect enough for a one night stay at a local motel, most nights she found refuge at a METRO bus stop or park bench “Jumping up every few minutes because I was afraid of being attacked.” A friend would be the life changing force she needed after suggesting that Justice enroll at HCC. Justice’s story was covered in The Egalitarian titled The Beautiful Struggle of Justice Butler and from there Justice admits things began to move rapidly. “After having my story published in the HCC Egalitarian, I began to get calls and emails from people interested in covering my story from national publications and individuals who wanted to help me.” One of those individuals turned out to be Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, Professor of Higher Education Policy and Sociology at Temple University and founder of both the Wisconsin HOPE Lab and the new Hope Center for College, Community and Justice. Dr. Goldrick-Rab’s research, which initially focused on ways to make college more affordable and accessible, evolved over time to include a focus on food and housing insecurity. Those neglected issues, recognized by students and some practitioners but rarely by college leaders or policymakers, she felt, needed highlighting. Dr. Goldrick-Rab and her team began to build a movement they call #RealCollege. According to its website: #RealCollege focuses on the struggles, triumphs, and realities of what it means to be in college today. Through education, innovation, and collective action we seek to change the landscape of higher education so that all students can afford and complete their studies. Dr. Goldrick-Rab defines #RealCollege as, “A program of research and action, and it includes an annual conference, but most of all it is about building community. That community is especially important for students like Justice.” Justice was invited to speak on a panel about student homelessness at the #RealCollege Convening held in 2017. There in front of an audience of 400 people, including college
FlOODplaIn, From Page 1 how to address flood issues in Houston. Their three-pronged approach to address flooding in low-income neighborhoods is to first, design, fund, and build stormwater systems to prevent flooding of these low-income neighborhoods. Secondly, create grants to lowincome households in these flood risk neighborhoods who choose to stay to rebuild and elevate their homes. And lastly, to provide residents wishing to move a buyout program providing sufficient benefits to households to move out of flood areas and afford quality affordable living in a neighborhood of their choice. Whether the city of Houston will take these suggestions is unsure at the moment. Not only did Texas Housers create this report, but they
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Fall 2018 EGALITARIAN STAFF presidents and a commissioner of higher education, she shared her story of homelessness and her insights into its impact on degree attainment, “A lot of students are in homeless shelters but attending college and institutions that wonder why their students drop out. It’s because students can’t survive. They come to school but there’s nobody to help them.” It was upon her return from #RealCollege 2017 that the vision for her InVisible documentary was born. Justices’ Film instructor suggested that the class film and interview her about her #RealCollege experience and her homeless story. “I was honored that my professor saw something so promising in my story and even more so that my fellow classmates did too!” Justice was so impressed her classmate Ryan R. Nitsch’s camera skills she decided to include him as the Director of Photography for the project. “I have a lot of life experiences and have worked with very talented film makers that I could have reached out to but there was something about Ryan Nitsch’s camera work that really struck me. I saw a lot of promise in him from the moment we met and I wanted to give him this opportunity to allow the world to see how amazing a Film student can be with someone to believe in them and give them that opportunity. I hope more film makers do the same thing for other Film students.” InVisible aims to put a magnifying glass to the issue of student homelessness by addressing the experiences and conditions of current and formerly homeless students. The powerful film which spotlights the students, staff and advocates that passionately do this work daily—starring former HCC student Moses Belton Sr., as well as HCC Alief Dean of Media Arts & Technology Jimmy Adams— opens eyes to the epidemic, journeys the real stories of homeless students, and documents how they won their lives back. The #RealCollege 2018 conference will take place at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA September 29-30. The next conference will be held at Houston Community College where Justice is a student, on September 28-29, 2019. Find information at RealCollege.org
also “filed a civil rights complaint against the city of Houston over discriminatory actions by the city that have produced a vastly inequitable system of stormwater protection to low-income neighborhoods of color.” The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development is currently investigating this matter. While these provisions are put in place for the future protection of Houston homeowners, it is coming at a hefty price today. While Texas Housers and the city of Houston do not necessarily have the same vision for how to deal with floodplains, it is ultimately in the hands of Houston council members what action takes place. This debate, along with the civil rights complaint, persists all while a separate $2.5 billion Harris County
Proposition A Flood Bond passed August 25, 2018. A year has passed since Hurricane Harvey poured 27 trillion gallons of water on southeast Texas, flooded 204,000 Harris County residences, and killed more than 80 residents in the region. While it is reassuring that measures are being taken to repair what was broken, the question still remains whether this new floodplain ordinance will be beneficial for all Houstonians from all different socioeconomic backgrounds. A year has passed, and yet thousands of Houstonians continue to feel the harsh repercussions Harvey left behind. Whether the revised Floodplain Management Ordinance will actually help all Houstonians or continue to leave lowincome households drowning in more renovation costs is yet to be seen.
Editor-in-Chief .......................................... John Cañamar News Editor ............................................................... TBA Sports Editor ............................................................. TBA Culture Editor ............................................................ TBA Photo Editor .............................................................. TBA Social Media Mgr. ..................................................... TBA Staff Writer ............................................. Sarah Al-Shaikh Staff Writer ................................................ Wendy Cortes Staff Writer .................................................Ana Gonzalez Staff Writer ...................................................Ana Ramirez Staff Writer ................................................ Marquis Wiley 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.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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.
3 neWs DACA Score Major Court Ruling Wednesday september 12, 2018
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Astrid Galvan
Associated Press
A federal judge on Friday declined to order that the U.S. government halt an Obamaera program that shields young immigrants from deportation, marking a blow to President Donald Trump and other opponents of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen said Texas and six other conservative states that sued to block DACA couldn’t prove that allowing the program to continue was causing irreparable harm. The judge questioned the legality of DACA but argued that more harm would be done to DACA recipients if they lost the program. The judge, who has ruled against DACA-related programs in the past, essentially said the states waited too long to ask for the preliminary injunction. “Here, the egg has been scrambled. To try to put it back in the shell with only a preliminary injunction record, and perhaps at great risk to many, does not make sense nor serve the best interests of this country,” Hanen wrote in his ruling. But he reiterated that he
believes DACA as enacted by former President Barack Obama is unconstitutional. “If the nation truly wants to have a DACA program, it is up to Congress to say so,” Hanen wrote. The states filed the lawsuit in Texas, hoping Hanen would stop DACA recipients from continuing to renew their enrollment. That would have triggered a conflict with three federal orders that have required the U.S. government to keep accepting DACA renewals, even after Trump tried to end the program last year. Legal experts say such a conflict would have drawn the attention of the U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. Department of Justice released a statement Friday commending the judge for addressing the legality of the program. “As the Justice Department has consistently argued, DACA is an unlawful attempt to circumvent Congress, and we are pleased the court agreed today,” spokesman Devin O’Malley said. With the Trump administration now opposing the program, some states that support DACA — along with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF — intervened in
the lawsuit to defend it. The lawsuit followed the same strategy that stopped an expansion of DACA also proposed by former President Barack Obama’s administration. After Obama announced he would create a program protecting the parents of children in the U.S. without legal permission, Texas sued in federal court in Brownsville, Texas, where Hanen is based. Hanen ended up with that case and ruled the expansion of protections was unconstitutional. In that case, an appeals court upheld his ruling, and the Supreme Court split 4-4 after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, leaving the ruling in place. On Friday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he was confident the courts would ultimately find DACA unconstitutional. He said an injunction was denied only because the states waited too long to request it. Texas was joined in filing the lawsuit by Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina and West Virginia. The states argued that Obama, as president, never had the authority to create a program like DACA because it circumvented Congress. The state also cited costs to
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Associated Press Stock Photo U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled against six states on legality of DACA program.
educate immigrants, which lawyers for MALDEF argued were “both irrelevant and grossly inflated.” The group also said that unlike the program Hanen struck down, which never went into effect, DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of people to work and pay taxes in the six years since it started. That, the group argued, benefits federal and
state governments. MALDEF said it was happy with the decision and expects the states to appeal to a higher court. “Today DACA beneficiaries like myself and my little sister breathe a sigh of relief. We all know DACA works,” said Greisa Martinez Rosas, the deputy executive director of United We Dream.
Guyger arrested on manslaughter charge Ryan Terinelli Associated Press
DALLAS (AP) — A white Dallas police officer was arrested Sunday on a manslaughter charge in the off-duty shooting of a black neighbor whose apartment she says she mistook for her own. Officer Amber Guyger was booked into the Kaufman County Jail after being taken into custody, the Texas
Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office The Texas Department of Public Safety said in a news release that Guyger was booked into the Kaufman County Jail.
Department of Public Safety said in a news release. The department said the investigation is ongoing and that no additional information was available. A jail employee said Guyger was released on bond. Online records initially showed Guyger was in custody, but she later was not listed on the jail inmate roster. Guyger fatally shot 26-year-old Botham Jean on Thursday at Jean’s apartment. Lawyers for Jean’s family had been calling for Guyger’s arrest, saying the fact that she had remained free days after the shooting showed she was receiving favorable treatment. They held a news conference Sunday night, shortly before the arrest was announced, making another plea for the officer to be taken into custody and saying their team had presented new evidence — a witness and video footage — to prosecutors. They didn’t provide details. The family attorneys weren’t immediately available for comment after the arrest came. S. Lee Merritt, one of the attorneys for Jean’s family, said Saturday that the man’s loved ones weren’t calling on the authorities to jump to conclusions or to deny Guyger her right to due process. But Merritt said they wanted Guyger “to be treated like every other citizen, and where there is evidence that they’ve committed a crime, that there’s a warrant to be issued and an arrest to be made.” Guyger, 30, is a four-year veteran of the police force. The Dallas Police Department released her name Saturday night. Police Chief U. Renee Hall said the day after the shooting that her department was seeking manslaughter charges against Guyger. But she said Saturday that the Texas Rangers, who
have taken over the investigation, asked her department to hold off because they had learned new information and wanted to investigate further before a warrant was issued. Jean’s family has also hired attorney Benjamin Crump, who is best known for representing the families of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. Martin, a black, unarmed 17-year-old, was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in 2012 in Sanford, Florida. Brown, a black, unarmed 18-year-old, was shot and killed by a white police officer in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. Crump has also represented the families of Stephon Clark and Terence Crutcher, both also black and unarmed. Clark, 22, was fatally shot earlier this year by officers in the backyard of his grandparents’ home in Sacramento, California. Crutcher, 40, was shot and killed by a white police officer in 2016 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. According to police, Guyger shot and killed Jean after returning in uniform to the South Side Flats, where they both had apartments, following her shift. She reported the shooting to dispatchers and she told officers who responded that she had mistaken Jean’s apartment for her own. Many questions remain about what led Guyger to shoot Jean. Hall said the officer’s blood was drawn at the scene so that it could be tested for alcohol and drugs. Investigators haven’t released the results of those tests. Jean’s mother, Allison Jean, wondered whether race could have been a factor. Her son, who grew up in the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia before attending college in Arkansas, is black. Guyger is white. “If it was a white man, would it have been different? Would she have reacted differently?” Allison Jean said Friday.
Jean wasn’t the first person shot by Guyger. She shot another man, Uvaldo Perez, on May 12, 2017, while she was on duty. According to an affidavit in the case filed against Perez, police were looking for a suspect when Guyger and another officer were called to assist a third. Perez got out of a car and became combative with Guyger and another officer. A struggle began and Guyger fired her Taser at Perez, who then wrested it away from her. She then drew her gun and fired, wounding Perez in the abdomen. Guyger was not charged in the 2017 shooting. Sgt. Mike Mata, president of Dallas’ largest police employee organization, the Dallas Police Association, on Saturday called for an “open, transparent and full investigation of the event,” the Dallas Morning News reported. He described Jean as an “amazing individual” and said that “if the grand jury deems necessary, this officer should have to answer for her actions in a court of law in Dallas County.” Friends and family gathered Saturday at the Dallas West Church of Christ to remember Jean, who had been working for accounting firm PwC since graduating in 2016 from Harding University in Arkansas, where he often led campus religious services as a student. They described Jean as a devout Christian and a talented singer. “Botham did everything with passion,” Allison Jean told the prayer service. “God gave me an angel.” His uncle, Ignatius Jean, said the killing has devastated the family and left it searching for answers. “You want to think it’s fiction ... and you have to grapple with the reality,” he said.
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On Campus
Hunger Games HCC Joins the Houston Food Bank
Ana Gonzalez AGONZALEZ@HCCEGALITARIAN.COM
The whole month of September is Hunger Action Month, and Houston Community College is participating in a variety of ways with the help of the Houston Food Bank. On September 8, HCC students, faculty, alumni, as well as their family and friends gave a couple hours of their time to help as many families as they could; even those families who are still trying to recover from Hurricane Harvey last year. More than 600 students volunteer every year and over 60,000 pieces of food are sorted and delivered to needy families and children thanks to HCC, according to their Facebook page. Other schools and groups such as Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of Houston were also in attendance to volunteer. They collaborated with HCC. Some HCC volunteers have already given their time to the Houston Food Bank in the past. Some, such as Atinuke Akingbade, professor of Geology, was her first-
time volunteering at the food bank. Her brother, who is visiting Houston from Nigeria, accompanied her on this wonderful experience. “My kids are out of the house, so I ended up having nothing to do,” she said, “I feel like with this extra time I could be helping other people.” Another first-time volunteer, Donna Rhea, professor of Government, wanted to do something special on that day as she prepares to give her time to the food bank. “I am doing this for my mom, who passed away [a few months ago]. Feeding the hunger was her passion,” she says, “It’s her birthday today, so it’s very special to me.” Some volunteers were spread into three groups. One group sorted out nonperishable foods in plastic totes, which determines which foods that were donated were expired and/or appropriate enough for consumption, then placed in boxes in preparation to give to consumers. Another group helped out with fresh produce, which placed a certain number of onions, carrots, and potatoes in one large bag. Children became an
essential part of this group. Akingbade enjoyed her experience as a first timer, and so did her brother. “It’s beautiful, and it made me open my eyes to the world,” she says. She will be returning to the food bank to volunteer again with HCC. Each HCC volunteer received a T-shirt with the social media hashtag that says #HCCServes, Not only you can donate time, HCC will have food donation boxes all over campus for students and faculty to donate non-perishable foods. Whole grain pasta, rice, canned goods, and other nonperishable foods are highly needed and the food bank greatly appreciates it. You can also donate online. Houston Community College has pledged $5000 toward the Houston Food Bank. If you are interested in volunteering for the Houston Food Bank with HCC, the next service dates are Saturday, September 22, and Saturday, September 29 from 1pm to 4 pm. For any questions, you may email the coordinator, Norma Olivia Garcia at normaolivia. garcia@hccs.edu.
All Photos by Ana Gonzalez / HCC Egalitarian HCC students and facualty help sort food for needy families.
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Sports U.S. Open Against Serena Williams 6
Wednesday September 12, 2018
Sarah Al-Shaikh
sal-shaikh@hccegalitarian.
“I don’t cheat to win. I’d rather lose,” asserts tennis champion Serena Williams to umpire, Carlos Ramos, during the 2018 U.S. Open this past weekend. The highly anticipated game ended in Naomi Osaka clenching a 6-2, 6-4 win against Williams. However, no one is really talking about Osaka’s win as the first player from Japan to ever win a Grand Slam. What is really on everyone’s mind are the tense exchanges between Williams and chair umpire for the match, Ramos that ended in Williams leaving with no championship, and instead owing a whopping $17,000 fine to the United States Tennis Association. The tense exchanges receiving headlines were all packed into the second set. During the second set, Williams was charged with three violations. The first violation was a coaching violation from Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, gesturing in the stands while watching the match. Ramos, a known stickler for the rules, interpreted this as coaching, leading to a code violation. It is a known rule that players are not to receive coaching during a match; however, this rule is not always strictly enforced. During tennis matches, players can be seen looking at their coaches boxes periodically without receiving violations. However, at this specific match with this specific umpire, Williams did receive a code violation that was just the first
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of many to come. Williams responded by approaching Ramos and explaining that she and Mouratoglou do not have “codes,” and continued with her now infamous statement, “I don’t cheat to win. I would rather lose.” However, this first violation was not what led to her point deduction. Per point penalty rules, this first offense was met with a warning. Williams had the lead in the second set, making it 3-1. It was after Williams hit her racket on the court because of playing poorly in a game, that Ramos then deducted a point; which subsequently led to Williams calling Ramos a thief later in the match. Frustrated over the point deduction, Williams contested that the racket violation should have been her first offense. Per point penalty rules, this second offense was met with a point penalty and any third offense with a game penalty. After Williams’ first point deduction, she would go on to lose the next two games, thus changing the score to Osaka at four games and Williams at three. Williams approached Ramos again, and demanded an apology for the deductions, calling him a liar at one point in their interaction. Ramos was not backing down and issued his third offense against Williams on the grounds of abusing an umpire. Because Williams calling Ramos a thief was her third offense, she received an entire game penalty. Osaka grasped an even greater lead with being awarded a game making the score 5-3. Ultimately, Williams
lost the subsequent game, which led to Osaka’s historic win. Osaka was emotional after her win, however, it appears as though they were not really tears of joy. She apologized after receiving her trophy, and expressed, “I know that everyone was cheering for her and I’m sorry it had to end like this.” This is not the first time Osaka beat Williams, however, this time was very different than the time before. A moment that should have been pure joy, appeared to be a bitter-sweet win for Osaka. All in all, Williams was met with a total of three violations. Even more than just losing her chances of winning her 24th Grand Slam tournament, she is now having to pay a hefty price of $17,000 from these violations. While the coaching violation did not result in a point deduction, it is seen as the catalyst to the subsequent events that did result in score deductions for Williams. This 2018 U.S. Open match not only raised eyebrows from the several turn of events throughout the game but more importantly raised questions on sexism in tennis. During the match, Williams explained how, “There’s a lot of men out there that have said a lot of things, and because they are men, that doesn’t happen.” Williams refused to stay quiet, and immediately voiced her concerns about sexist attitudes towards women in tennis. She is using this U.S. Open experience, and her platform to bring to light the fact that male tennis players do not receive penalties for their actions on
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Greg Allen / AP Serena Williams argues with the chair umpire during a match against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, during the women’s finals of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. the court while women time and time again, have. In a press conference after the game Williams expressed, “I thought he took a game from me, but I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things, and I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff.” She continued to call out the double standard and said, “for me to say ‘thief,’ and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark. He’s never took a game from a man because they said ‘thief.’ ” Williams is receiving support from her fans, tennis groups, former tennis players,
and most notably the Women’s Tennis Association. Chief executive of the WTA, Steve Simon, voiced, “The WTA believes that there should be no difference in the standards of tolerance provided to the emotions expressed by men versus women.” Simon continues, “We do not believe that this was done (during the championship match). The heated discourse was not left on the court but instead has sparked an intense debate that will not end anytime soon. What will come of this debate is yet to be seen, but this discussion is important for future tennis matches to come.
Mathieu (INT, fumble recovery) excels in Texans’ loss Jimmy Golen
Associated Press
Eric Christian Smith / AP Houston Texans defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, known by most by his nickname the Honey Badger, was Houston’s biggest offseason acquisition.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tyrann Mathieu intercepted Tom Brady’s pass and also recovered a fumble Sunday against the New England Patriots. Not good enough, if you ask the Houston Texans safety. “Yeah, I touched the leather, but I didn’t touch the end zone,” Mathieu said after the 27-20 loss in the opener. “We lost by seven points, so that’s how I look at it and how I judge myself.” A free agent who signed with the Texans after spending the first five years of his career in Arizona, Mathieu was Houston’s biggest offseason acquisition. The signing seemed to pay off in his very first game. Brady dropped back near his own goal line and took aim for running back James White across the middle. But defensive lineman Angelo Blackson deflected the ball, and Mathieu reached behind him to grab it as he went to the turf. “That’s why we brought him here,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “We think he’s an instinctive player, from what I can see.” Blackson said he anticipated that Brady would try to step up in the pocket and throw, so the goal was to get a hand in his face. The ball went off Blackson’s hand and fluttered downward before Mathieu grabbed it at the 17. But the Texans missed a chance to take advantage of the field position, losing seven yards before settling for a field goal that cut the deficit to 7-3. In the third quarter, Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski for a 25-yard reception before
the Patriots tight end was hit by Kareem Jackson and lost the ball. Mathieu scooped it up. The Texans advanced to the New England 17 but turned the ball over on downs. “He’s a great player,” defensive lineman J.J. Watt said. “We knew we were getting a great player and a guy that can change games and he did a great job today. With the pick, the fumble recovery, that’s another guy that can make game-changing plays and the more we can of that, and the more we can all start to do our part in that, the better we’re going to be.” A year after losing to the Patriots 36-33, O’Brien returned to New England with a healthy team that had hopes of beating his former mentor. Watt returned after playing only five games last season because of a broken leg, and Whitney Mercilus also returned from a torn pectoral muscle that put him on injured reserve in 2017. With Jadeveon Clowney recovering from knee surgery following the best season of his career and Mathieu joining the secondary, the Texans’ defense was a strong point. And with Deshaun Watson (176 yards passing, 40 running) also returning from an injury after a stellar start to his rookie year, the offense figured to be dangerous, too. But Brady and Gronkowski carved up the Texans at the worst times, including a twominute drill at the end of the first half after taking over at their own 22 with just 88 seconds on the clock. Brady completed 5 of 6 passes on the drive, hitting Phillip Dorsett on a 4-yard touchdown pass that extended the New England lead to 21-6.
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Splatoon 2: Still Fresh and Off The Hook Ana Gonzalez
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A
re you a squid, kid, or even an Octo? The world of Splatoon transforms once more with an expanded world, as well as new weapons and stages. During the course of E3 2018, gamers all over the US were gazing upon the upcoming releases of the latest games from consoles such as PlayStation 4, XBOX, and PC. However, Nintendo takes the cake this year with Splatoon. Splatoon is a new original franchise from Nintendo that showcases human-like squids, called Inklings, that participate in ink turf wars using weapons shaped of rollers, paintbrushes, and paint guns. The first game, which came out in May 2015 on the Wii U, was critically acclaimed for its originality. Its sequel, Splatoon 2, came out on July 2017 with new features such as hairstyles, clothing, as well as new stages. Fans were eagerly waiting on the day Octolings, who are octopus-hybrid kids and the lifelong rivals of the Inklings, become playable since the first game came out. During the Splatoon 2 showcase, they announced that they will continue rolling out updates on a monthly basis until the end of 2018. This would encourage players, new and old, to try out brand new strategies in both Turf Wars and Ranked Battles such as Splat Zones and the newly-released Clam Blitz mode, which is a “collect-them-all” mode
where the team with the most clams wins the match. Their most recent update was that one of their maps, Starfish Mainstage, will undergo maintenance for the whole month of September. No word on new weapon releases or stages at the time of publication. These updates include new weapons, maps, and maintenance patches. Their biggest update yet, which dropped during E3, would allow players to play as Octolings. Octo Expansion Splatoon 2’s very first paid-DLC has fans struggling and pacing through 80 of the hardest levels in the game’s history. Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion is one expansion. you’ll be grinding your teeth on. Released on June 14th, the player now has the ability to play as an Octoling in this single-player expansion. As you start, your character will wake up from amnesia. Your goal is to leave the deep dark sea and reached the Promised Land, which is Inkopolis. To do so, you are given the mission to find the four “thangs” that are scattered throughout the Deepsea Metro. You meet up with several characters who will help the main character out on their journey, notably Cap’n Cuttlefish, the leader of the Squidbeak Splatoon, as well as Pearl and Marina, who are Inkopolis’ latest pop stars. Although there are 80 levels in the DLC for the player to complete, the best part is that you do not have to com-
Image courtesy of Nintendo plete them. Your main goal is to find the four “thangs” within the Deepsea Metro lines. Each of the 80 levels have eraser-like trinkets, called “mem-cakes”, which allows your character to recover her lost memories due to her amnesia. And these levels? Ooooo. They are TOUGH! Well, some levels are tough, some are easy. Each of the 80 levels pose different challenges for the player to complete. All of them have an objective, and it depends on whether you use certain weapons, bombs, or even no weapons at all. The player pays a certain amount of CQ Points, the currency of the Deepsea, to start a challenge. Levels consist from splatting a certain number of enemies, to dodging enemies for a certain amount of time. Each level posed different parameters. For example, if you get hit during a dodging challenge, you automatically fail. According to some players, there were a few of the levels in the game that the “Ask For Help” option needed to be
used; which grants the player an automatic pass through the level, but does not grant them a complete “mem-cake”. Players who are looking for new gear for their in-game characters (both Inklings and Octolings), once you complete each line in the expansion grants you exclusive rare items that are not found in the shops of Inkopolis. According to Nintendo, they will be releasing Octoling Amiibo in December, which gives you even more items to collect for your character. Completing the Octo Expansion grants you the ability to play as an Octoling in multiplayer mode. If you are looking for a challenge that will definitely make you a little frustrated, consider downloading the DLC for Splatoon 2. It’s only $20. The rewards are worth it if you achieve the goal of reaching the Promised Land aka Inkopolis. Also, completing 80 of the levels grants you a special event. Good luck if you do take the challenge.
Nicki Minaj altercation with rapper Cardi B Marquis Wiley
the two where Cardi B continued yelling obscenities, even throwing her shoe towards Minaj. Cardi B, was escorted out by security, where the rapper then come takes to her Instagram accusing Minaj of “attempting to stop her bag” among other allegations but where Cardi B drew the line was at Minaj allegedly mentioning her child. On Monday Minaj took to her radio show after virtual silence regarding the debacle. Minaj kicked off the show of
“Queen Radio” by playing an audio clip of Cardi B stating that “nothing is off-limits” when it came to internet qualms, and goes on to state that she “hates when people come at me like ‘why are you coming at kids for?” the video was in response to Cardi B responding to an Instagram user by bashing her dead son, and refering to him as a monkey. Minaj then goes on to say that she “could not believe how humiliated it all felt”... “how we made ourselves look.” And goes on to say
that she would never discuss anyone’s child.” Minaj did mention that the rapper has made her career off of “sympathy and payola”. Payola being the practice used by record labels allegedly use the practice of paying stations to keep music from their label in daily rotation. As for stopping bags, which is referencing someone swaying another person opinion in working on projects with them, Minaj stated that the Cardi did have a male rapper not work
with her in the “Motorsport” video were both of the female rappers appeared in 2017. Cardi B is also facing backlash Nicki Minaj did not mix from two other separate words when it came to what she incidents resulting in violence describes as a “humiliating” from her entourage. incident between her and The incident nonetheless fellow rapper Belcalis Alminzar has divided the internet, better known as Cardi B. In many saying that Cardi’s a clip that quickly went viral actions of attacking Minaj between the “Hard White” on sight were valid, which rapper and Cardi B who is prompted Minaj’s response to shown yelling and attempting the incident. Talk show host to physically assault Minaj. and veteran radio personality Security from both entourages Wendy Williams chimed in quickly respond and separated saying that Cardi B’s displayed “disgusting behavior” and that it was not a good look for the talented females. Others such as the morning radio show “The Breakfast Club” named their Monday morning airing “Bring That Same Energy”, referencing that Cardi’s energy towards Minaj was consistent with what the rapper raps about. Regardless of how it was all viewed, Cardi B left the party with a sizeable knot on the left side of her forehead, reportedly from a bodyguard. Sources have reported that Minaj will not pressing charges on Cardi B, but Minaj did take time to express concern for Cardi B. stating that Postpartum is nothing to joke about, and that Charles Sykes / AP the rapper should take time and focus on her health and career and not the allegations This combination photo shows Nicki Minaj, left, and Cardi B at the Harper’s BAZAAR “ICONS by Carine Roitfeld” party at The Plaza in New York on Sept. 7, 2018. surrounding her parenting. MWILEY@HCCEGALITARIAN
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Wednesday September 12, 2018
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