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Environmental activists and legislators are preparing how to ensure environmental protections ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s administration and a divided Minnesota Legislature. 

Less than two months away from the start of the next legislative session, increasing partisanship, divided state support and Trump’s administration are all threats to protecting the state’s public water resources and climate conservation, according to government relations manager for Friends of the Boundary Waters (FOTBW) Steve Schultz.

Aaron Klemz, chief strategy officer for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA), said with an incoming fossil fuel-friendly Trump administration, any environmental protection efforts will rely on state legislatures.

“One thing that’s definitely true is we cannot count on the federal government to lead, and if anything, we can count on the federal government to try to make it harder to achieve some of our clean water and climate objectives,” Klemz said. “So it’s important that states like Minnesota lead on this.”

MCEA successfully lobbied the state legislature in May to provide $16 million for testing and installing filters into wells throughout the state to secure clean, safe drinking water for Minnesotans.

Getting legislation passed will be difficult, Schultz said, because of the split in the state legislature between Democrats and Republicans and extreme partisanship at the federal level. 

“Realistically, it’s going to be difficult for us,” Schultz said. “That’s not to say we’re not going to keep on trying, we’re going to get our supporters involved, we’re going to get them over to the capital as much as we can to try to put pressure on them, but it’s definitely an uphill battle through mud in a snowstorm.”

Sulfide mining is FOTBW’s biggest concern as they look to pass the “Prove It First” bill. The bill would require new sulfide mines to prove that a similar sulfide mine has operated for 10 years in the U.S. without polluting and one mine that has not polluted the natural area 10 years after closing, according to FOTBW spokesperson Pete Marshall. This bill would protect the Boundary Waters, Lake Superior and the Mississippi River, according to Schultz.

According to Marshall, one of FOTBW’s recent policy victories was instituting a 20-year ban on copper and nickel mining in the Superior National Forest near the Boundary Waters — a ban Trump pledged to lift during his presidency.

Minnesota state Sen. Jennifer McEwen (DFL-Duluth), the vice chair for the state senate’s Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee, said she wants Minnesotans to understand the immense influence oil, mineral and natural gas extraction companies have over legislators.

“(Their power) stretches everywhere from which bills are even possible for us to consider to which bills pass out of committee, which bills are heard at all, which bills will advance,” McEwen said. “They run the show in many ways. We have to actively be fighting them in order to get things done that they don’t approve of.”

FOTBW worked with President Joe Biden’s administration to re-cancel Minnesota mining company Twin Metals’ lease to mine near the Boundary Waters in 2022, according to Marshall. Trump reversed the initial cancellation of the mining lease during his first presidency and could reverse it again in his upcoming term.

Klemz said the typical federal agencies that protect against pollution and climate change like the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Forest Service face potentially major budget cuts.

In 2017, three U.S. governors formed the Climate Alliance to limit greenhouse gas emissions and now the alliance includes governors from 24 U.S. states and territories.

McEwen’s biggest concern heading into the 2025 session is safeguarding Minnesota’s public waters. She said none of her Republican colleagues are willing to work on water and environmental protection legislation and some Democrats are hesitant to block corporate power.

“I fear that we do not have the votes, either in the Senate or the House, to count on to protect our environment at this time,” McEwen said. “This is why I believe what it will take is massive organizing on the part of the public to make it crystal clear to elected representatives, both in the DFL Party and in the Republican Party, that this is a deal breaker, that they must protect our waters from corporate exploitation and our people from corporate exploitation, or they will lose their next election.”

Marshall said as Minnesota heads into the 2025 legislative session and a second Trump administration, he wants Minnesotans to not take the state’s immense clean water resources for granted. 

“I think now there’s an opportunity to really put that to test and strengthen the clean water protections we have, add to them and ensure that the water we have the natural places we have continued to, nurture people who live here, who visit here and continue to do so for future generations,” Marshall said. “Not just for 20 years of profit to foreign investors and foreign mining companies.”

Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar

Before social media apps such as Instagram or X, the way people consumed election news fostered a sense of community, balanced discourse and thoughtful engagement in stark contrast to today’s fast-paced and often polarizing media landscape. 

People still had to find a way to get election news, and this process was cultivated to their specific communities. They could form their own opinions based on their culture and customs within small communities rather than through sensationalized, often biased news.

This practice was also much less stressful with news on paper. There was a distinct lack of polarization we’ve become so used to.

“It’s making it easier to avoid politics for those disinterested… Its proliferation of one-sided information is polarizing politics, and it has pressured traditional news media to produce faster, more scandal-driven, less researched news,” said Harvard assistant professor Sunshine Hillygus.

Grabbing newspapers from local libraries, and subscribing to Sunday-only paper editions or newsletters will lead to more up-to-date information about the country and the world because traditional papers are not algorithmic. 

The newspaper cannot customize what’s on the front page; it simply shows articles with more digested takes. 

In the past, newspapers were the primary means of disseminating news, playing a crucial role in shaping public opinion during a time of rising literacy among the general population. This increased reading comprehension fostered greater political awareness with newspapers serving as a focused source of information.

While misinformation and sensationalism certainly existed, the absence of modern technology meant the spread of such ideas was far less ubiquitous or amplified than in today’s online environment where even unfounded ideas can rapidly gain traction across global platforms.

Before the internet era, community meetings, town halls and local debates were foundational to political life. These gatherings allowed individuals to express concerns, hear differing perspectives and engage directly with political candidates. 

In May of 1860, forty thousand visitors descended upon Chicago, drawn by the festive excitement surrounding the Republican National Convention. 

Dozens of trains carried the delegates and supporters of America’s youngest political party to America’s fastest-growing city. All along the routes, crowds gathered at every station, sounding their enthusiasm for the Republican cause with brass bands and volleys of common fire.

This and similar examples illustrate how news traveled across the United States—not on bright, algorithmic screens that cause turbulent emotions, but with excitement and human connection. These methods bonded people together rather than driving them apart over the nuances of politics and controversies.

From the deliberate pace of newspapers to the communal nature of town halls, historical methods of political engagement highlight the importance of fostering thoughtful, balanced and community-oriented discourse.

Reflecting on these practices offers a reminder of the value of slowing down, engaging with diverse perspectives and staying grounded in our communities. In doing so, we can better navigate today’s fast-paced media landscape and reclaim a sense of balance in our political and personal lives.

Melissa Unlu is a computer science senior who can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

—
“The internet has made news far too stressful” was originally posted on The Cougar

Before Colorado State volleyball originally played San Jose State Oct. 3, the question lingered if CSU would go through with the game or would they forfeit as others had done in response to an ongoing lawsuit.

It started when former collegiate athlete and political activist Riley Gaines filed a lawsuit that stated the NCAA’s Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy violates Title IX.

While CSU played the full match against SJSU, four other Mountain West schools chose to forfeit: Boise State, Wyoming, Nevada and Utah State. 

SJSU suffered its first loss of the season in the game against CSU, losing 3-0.

SJSU player and setter Brooke Slusser joined Gaines’ class action lawsuit, claiming she has a transgender teammate who she said she believes has a physical advantage over other players and stating safety concerns.

Slusser, along with 10 other current and former collegiate volleyball players and an associate head coach of the SJSU volleyball team, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Wednesday, Nov. 13 against the Mountain West Conference and Commissioner Gloria Nevarez claiming the conference’s transgender participation policy violates Title IX.

The lawsuit alleges three SJSU players left the team hotel the night before the game, against team rules, to meet up with a CSU player to discuss throwing the game in CSU’s favor. The suit further alleges that SJSU head coach Todd Kress did not properly initiate an investigation or report the matter to the Mountain West Conference when it was first brought to his attention.

In addition to allegedly planning to throw the game, one SJSU player is accused of purposely creating opportunities for the CSU player to hit the ball at Slusser to “‘blast’ her in the face during the game,” according to the official complaint.

The lawsuit claims SJSU Associate Head Coach Melissa Batie-Smoose reported witnessing an SJSU player and a CSU player wink at one another and “blow kisses” during the game.

When Kress was asked about it in an interview with ESPN, Kress denied any allegations of wrongdoing and claimed he and CSU head volleyball coach Emily Kohan reviewed film of the game and did not find any evidence for the claims made in the complaint. 

Following the reports of potential misconduct, the Mountain West conducted an investigation but did not find sufficient evidence to support the allegations and determined that no further investigation was necessary.

“Upon receipt of this information, the Mountain West Conference office, in coordination with both member institutions, immediately initiated a thorough investigation into these serious assertions. As a result, the Conference office has determined no disciplinary action is warranted and considers this matter closed,” MW Deputy Commissioner Brett Gilliland wrote according to the Associated Press. 

A spokesperson for CSU confirmed the university will not be providing any additional statements Thursday night after CSU’s game against Nevada.

The lawsuit was brought to court Thursday morning in Denver where U.S District Court Judge Shane Kato Crews claimed he will be taking his time to make a decision and issue a written ruling, taking both arguments under consideration.

Despite the controversy, there were not any usual starting players missing from rotation during Thursday evening’s game and players were not asked about the claims in the lawsuit, keeping outside conflicts off the court. 

Reach Sophie Webb at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @sophgwebb.

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The post Classifieds – November 22, 2024 appeared first on Daily Trojan.

Heartbreak, confidence and self-worth. These are the themes that Kelsea Ballerini explores in her new album “Patterns.” It was released on Oct. 25 with her co-producer Alysa Vanderheym.

The album is moderately a follow-up to her 2023 release “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat.” The piece depicted a more vulnerable lyrical style for Ballerini as she unpacked her emotions surrounding her divorce from Australian musician Morgan Evans in 2022. “Rolling Up The Welcome Mat” was rooted in anger. It served as Ballerini’s coping mechanism to deal with the ramifications of her high-profile separation.

The Beautiful and the Brutal

As she emerges from the darkness surrounding her previous relationship, this new album “Patterns” is laced with confidence. She has talked about this since publicizing her happy relationship with actor Chase Stokes in February 2023.

Ballerini announced the release of “Patterns” on her Instagram with words of self-admiration.

“The beautiful and brutal look into myself and the people I love the most. The celebrations and challenges in the name of betterment, growth and all around elevated vibes. The healthy habits that I hold close and the ones that gotta go,” she said.

The album opens with its title track, “Patterns.” It features a variety of instruments used in traditional country music. There is a hint of mandolin in the ballad accompanied by synthesizers.

“Sorry Mom” is reminiscent of Ballerini’s journey to self-identity. She examines her youthful indiscretions and how they have shaped her into the woman she is today. “I turned out alright,” she sings.

A New Avenue of Identity

“This Time Last Year” is a ballad that divulges all of the ways in which Ballerini’s life has changed over the last 365 days. “Nothing Really Matters” brings an angle of existentialism to the record as Ballerini dives into the notion with lyrics like, “we’re on a rock in space.”

“How Much Do You Love Me” is a pleading ballad that questions Ballerini’s loved ones’ loyalty and devotion to her. “Baggage,” “We Broke Up” and “WAIT!” dig up the skeletons of her old habits in relationships, but only to depict her pattern of fragility as she comes into her newfound confidence. “Beg For Your Love” highlights Ballerini’s standards for what she feels that she deserves out of a relationship.

This is then followed by a series of tracks like “First Rodeo.” This piece was inspired by her love and appreciation for Stokes’ unbounded patience. “I Would, Would You” and “Deep” bring a moody and sort of melancholic side to the album as they explore Ballerini’s inner monologue surrounding love.

Ballerini dichotomizes her flaws in “Two Things” with lyrics like “I’ll be your best and your worst day,” which shows her never-ending vulnerability. “Cowboys Cry Too,” a pre-released song that is a part of the album, features Noah Kahan and is perhaps the most memorable track.

A Human Story

“I’ve never felt so free and human making an album, and I credit it to the angel-on-earth women who made it with me,” Ballerini said in her Instagram caption, crediting work on the album to her team.

“Patterns” explores her newfound confidence and love for life through 15 songs within the bounds of a 46-minute album. She left her supporters with a variety of ways to connect to her words on her social media.

“Written from my truest self, but meant for you to project onto your own lives and try on for fit. Whether you relate, want a song to cry in the back of an Uber music video style to, dramatically/drunkenly tell someone how much you love them or scream sing about moments gone wrong before they went right … it’s all yours,” she said.

j.thornblad@dailyutahchronicle.com

@thornrosejayy

The post Album Review: Kelsea Ballerini’s ‘Patterns’ Breaks Old Habits first appeared on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

Houston point guard Gigi Cooke fighting to get to the net during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, November 17, 2024, in Houston, Texas, | Gillian Wisniewski/The Cougar

Redshirt senior guard Leilani Augmon made both of her free throws with two seconds left in the game to propel the Cougars to a 54-52 victory over Houston Christian on Sunday. It was Houston’s first win following three losses to start the season. 

UH jumped out to an early 7-2 lead to begin the game. With just under a minute remaining in the quarter, HCU’s junior guard Victoria Dixon splashed a jumper to even the score at 12 a piece. 

A layup by senior forward Kierra Prim and two made free throws by Dixon gave the Huskies a 16-12 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

Houston Christian remained ahead for most of the second quarter until the Cougars went on a 7-0 run to take a 31-29 lead ahead of halftime.

A made layup and free throw by Augmon followed by two free throws from senior guard Laila Blair gave the Cougars a seven-point lead and Houston led by as many as nine points in the quarter.

The Huskies did not back down as they responded with an 8-1 run to cut the lead to just two points.

Augmon swished a three to extend Houston’s lead to five points at the end of the third quarter.

HCU’s junior forward Jo Oly made back-to-back layups to pull within one point, but a layup by UH’s senior forward Peyton McFarland and a deep three by senior guard Eylia Love extended the lead to six points.

The Huskies went on a 6-0 run to tie the game but a last-second foul by senior forward Tiffany Tullis sent Augmon to the line where she made both.

Houston Christian had a chance to tie or take the lead with a bucket, but Blair stole the ball which secured Houston’s first victory this season.

Oly led the scoring for the Huskies with 12 points and picked up five boards. Dixon was a spark off the bench also finishing with 12 points in only 17 minutes of play. 

Prim had nine points and an assist and senior forward Amy Cotton had a balanced stat line with three points, four assists and seven rebounds.

Love led all scorers with 14 points and also managed three assists and four rebounds. Augmon scored 10 points and picked up four rebounds. 

McFarland scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds. Blair and sophomore guard Gigi Cooke both had a tough shooting performance as they combined for just 2-17 from the field for 11 points.

Rice outshoots the Cougars

The city of Houston was painted blue last Thursday as Rice defeated the Cougars 60-48.

In the first quarter, the Cougars and the Owls were neck and neck, with Rice leading 8-7 with 4:22 left before the Owls would end the quarter outscoring UH 11-3 to take a 19-10 lead.

Thanks to 12 points from off the bench in the second quarter, Rice would take a 36-23 lead heading into halftime.

Houston started the third quarter outscoring the Owls 11-5 six minutes in to cut Rice’s lead to five, but the women in blue would then score seven straight and outscore the ladies in red 9-3 the rest of the way to take a 49-38.

In the fourth quarter, the Cougars tried their best to keep up but to no avail, as Rice would put the bed with a 60-48 victory.

The Owls had three players score in double digits: junior guard Dominique Ennis led the team in scoring with 14, making four three-pointers; senior center Sussy Ngulefac scored 12 points on 6-7 shooting from the field and redshirt sophomore Hailey Adams had 10-9-2 with two blocks and a steal.

Cooke was the standout player for Houston, scoring 21 points on 50% shooting.

Houston will look to continue their momentum Thursday, Nov. 21, when they face off against Alcorn State at the Fertitta Center.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“UH women’s basketball gets first win after falling the Rice midweek” was originally posted on The Cougar

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Corn husk earrings and milk-topped cupcakes: Meet the vendors of Trojan Marketplace

Students and community members promoted their shops at McCarthy Quad on Tuesday afternoon.

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By NATHAN ELIAS

November 21, 2024

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The Marketplace featured a diverse collection of vendors that included fashion designers, bakers and artisans. (Nathan Elias / Daily Trojan)

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McCarthy Quad was loud Tuesday afternoon.

In one corner, a vendor told customers to try their skin-friendly products, “unlike that fuckass Trader Joe’s soap.” A visitor audibly reacted while passing by a table of strawberry and banana pudding cupcakes. Dozens of students and community members packed the quad with tables, clothing racks, surfboards and TVs promoting products to sell during Trojan Marketplace. 

The Trojan Marketplace, organized by a group of students in the entrepreneurship-focused registered student organization, Spark SC, featured a diverse collection of vendors that included fashion designers, bakers and artisans.

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Jaden Armond

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JJ’s House of Sweets sells more than your fair share of sweets: tall cheesecakes, mini churro bites, and two cupcake flavors topped with cookie crumbs and a small packet of flavored milk. (Nathan Elias / Daily Trojan)

On Armond’s table at the Trojan Marketplace, you could find more than your fair share of sweets: tall cheesecakes, mini churro bites, and two cupcake flavors topped with cookie crumbs and a small packet of flavored milk.

Although Armond — now a sophomore majoring in law, history and culture — spent her childhood in New Orleans helping her mother and grandmother roll biscuits, she wasn’t sure she could pursue her passion further. Her mother had insisted that she study and become a lawyer, and she felt pressure to pursue a profitable industry to build generational wealth. 

Armond spent roughly four years working in restaurants, and later took culinary classes while continuing her longstanding hobby of baking for friends and family, but said she was “scared” when starting her business, JJ’s House of Sweets, last summer. But when she launched her online orders, she got her first one within five minutes. After growing at a surprising pace, she now caters for club meetings and mixers, alongside her online orders.

“When you buy from JJ’s House of Sweets, it’s like buying something that your mom made for you, or your grandma,” Armond said. “I choose a lot of things from the culture that I grew up in … as well as parts of my identity because I want people to find themselves in my desserts.”

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Dante Lucero

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Dante Lucero’s story, and the stories of those who have crossed his path, led him to start his clothing brand, Lucidity — a name that means “clarity of thought.” (Nathan Elias / Daily Trojan)

Lucero, a freshman majoring in business administration, admitted he used to struggle with talking about mental health; when he was in his early teens, he said he didn’t understand why people couldn’t simply ignore their sadness. It wasn’t until a fellow student took his own life and Lucero’s sister began to struggle with her own mental health between late 2021 and early 2022 that he began a “period of growth” that continues to this day.

His story, and the stories of those who have crossed his path, led him to start his clothing brand, Lucidity — a name that means “clarity of thought.” All this brought him on a one-day trip to Las Vegas, Nev., where he secured a licensing deal with SmileyWorld — a clothing brand that has partnered with brands such as Karl Lagerfeld and Armani — at 17 years old.

In his yearlong journey with Lucidity, he said the business donated 200 beanies to a mental health-focused nonprofit, Active Minds. During that same time, he also found himself doing better at talking to his sister about her mental health journey.

“I didn’t really notice it … She told me, ‘Dante, you’re actually talking about my mental health,’” Lucero said. “No matter how this brand turns out — [and] we’re really getting it off the ground now — it’s honestly just a huge success for me.”

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Bianca Luna and Kaiden Valdez-Rachlin

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The founders of oudbom settled on a design that was sleek and elegant, taking inspiration from clothing brands to differentiate themselves from other soap companies. (Nathan Elias / Daily Trojan)

After trying “literally dozens” of different soaps, Luna — a third-year student at Orange Coast College majoring in marine science and technology — eventually found that the best soap to address her lifelong battle with eczema was her own brand. 

“They smell good enough to eat — but don’t eat them,” Luna said.

Almost exactly a year ago, she joined her high school friend in starting a business to sell affordable luxury soaps. Their table at the marketplace featured colorful cubes of soap snuggled in brown sleeves with their brand’s name: oudbom. 

Their display boasted eight unique scents — from “unscented” to “diet dr. oat,” because Luna said the soap they ordered from their manufacturer smelled exactly like Dr Pepper. 

Luna and Valdez-Rachlin — the co-founder of oudbom as well as a junior majoring in business administration — spent their year testing a wide range of products and designs, aiming to perfect their approach before bringing their product to market. They settled on a design that was sleek and elegant, taking inspiration from clothing brands to differentiate themselves from other soap companies.

“It’s taken a lot of trial and error to get to the point where we know what we’re trying to communicate to everybody,”  Luna said. “[Our brand is] a little weird for a soap company … It’s become a collaborative effort.”

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Citlalli Pacheco

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Rayos Del Sol sells a wide assortment of earrings, from enamel earrings featuring characters to handmade roses made from corn husks and traditional Oaxacan pots and pans. (Nathan Elias / Daily Trojan)

Pacheco has had a busy year.

Until November, she spent her time compiling lists for people to canvas for political candidates. Now that the election is over, she shifted her attention to her other career, Rayos Del Sol Mercado.

With Rayos Del Sol, a business she founded in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, Pacheco sells a wide assortment of earrings, from enamel earrings featuring characters from “The Powerpuff Girls” and Marvel to handmade roses made from corn husks and traditional Oaxacan pots and pans. 

The tools to make some of Pacheco’s more complex designs aren’t available where she lives in Los Angeles; instead, when she travels to Mexico once a year to visit family, she also takes the time to make all her designs in bulk to bring back to the United States.

As a lifelong L.A. native, Pacheco has vended at several popups in the local community, but she said she hopes to one day travel to sell her products across the U.S.

“I like what I have going on because it lets me save enough, and it gives me a way to express myself creatively,” Pacheco said, “but [it] also gives me the freedom and time to go travel, and that’s what I want to do the most.” 

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Lily Huynh/The Cougar

The lack of conversation about safe sex has halted the awareness of using contraceptives. 56% of unintended pregnancies in the United States result from not using contraceptives, according to statistics.

Safe sex goes beyond the social stigma of a form of entertainment or abstinence. The mental and physical health of each person is the starting point in each practice. 

The available services at UH are not only ready to provide these contraceptives, but even to educate and supply health support. 

Services available at UH

Over the past year, almost half of the visits received to the Women and Gender Resource Center were for condoms, menstrual and other safe sex products. 

Last academic year, students visited the WGRC over 2,600 times to obtain resources, said director of WGRC Laura Zavala-Membreno. 

In 2024 so far, the Student Health Center and Campus Pharmacy provided 50 different types of contraceptives in pills, injections or even vaginal ring form. They also conducted more than 15,000 sexually transmitted infections tests in 2023, according to SHC.

“If you are here in Texas and don’t know what to do, you’re like ‘Okay, I have an issue or unwanted pregnancy,’ and legally, we cannot advise on anything,” said assistant director of nursing at SHC Stephany Arnett. “Our hands are tied right now, so we’re trying to reach students before anything like that happens.”

SHC is partnering with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to provide free testing and treatment for students without insurance. There will be free STI testing on the first week of Dec. 2024 for World AIDS Day.

New resources the SHC will provide include long acting reversible contraceptives, intrauterine devices and other implants. This is project is currently work in progress and is estimated to release early next year. 

Vending machines will also be available on campus stocked with general hygiene supplies, over the counter medications, STI testing kits, emergency contraception and possibly even menstrual cups. These will potentially be available on campus by Jan. 2025. 

“I was a single mom commuting back and forth from Sugar Land to Galveston and didn’t have a job because it was a nursing school,” Arnett said. “I would like more free services because I know the costs of such services are really high and a burden on students. I was there and we’ve all been there.” 

Free condoms are available at the SHC during regular business hours or from the Condoms for Coogs Dispenser in the lobby anytime during the Health 2 Building hours.

UH Wellness Center also provides services for safe sex by providing education to help students make informed choices about sexual health, relationships, consent and abstinence. 

Free internal, external condoms and copies of “Coog’s Guide to Safer Sex” can be found there. 

There is an aspect to this exercise that goes beyond physical, emotional and mental effects that are key to creating a safe environment. 

“Encouraging open, empowering conversations around relationships and safe sex supports greater control over personal choices,” said interim director of UH Wellness Suzy Harrington. “We emphasize the mental health benefits of partner discussions and informed choices.” 

If feelings of discomfort or anxiety arise, students have every right to back out. 

Pushbacks

With living in Texas and the outcome of this past election, students have felt some pushback when it comes to normalizing the conversation of safe sex. 

“Especially after the election result, I think it might be a little hard to fully advocate for anything related to sex, reproduction and reproduction rights,” said biology sophomore Ana Martin Russi. “It might get harder in the coming years, but I’m hoping that everyone still stands for what they believe in.”

Some unknown factors may include if an individual is above 150 lbs and may have to take two plan B’s, and if they’re over 190 lbs, Plan B may not work at all.

A myth students found is how people who are pregnant or get STDs are not necessarily always promiscuous. Some are in long-term relationships, victims of assault or experiencing other special circumstances.

“The largest misconception we encounter is the ‘it doesn’t affect me,’ mentality,” said biology junior and founder of Cougars for Choice Aihanuwa Ale-Opinion. “Students of all genders, sexualities, ages and relationship statuses have a stake in protecting the reproductive health of themselves and others.” 

Continuing the conversation 

Students at UH have already made an impact by making their voices heard. Cougars for Choice, a coalition of student organizations advocating for increased reproductive resources on campus, have started a petition with over 1200 signatures. 

The core demands of this petition includes UH to provide generic plan B to students at a more affordable price, free condoms in University bathrooms and wanting a sliding scale insurance plan at the University health center.

“We wrote the petition after organizing roundtable discussions with students about their reproductive health needs and listened to their concerns,” Ale-Opinion said.

These resources are here for the betterment of the students. Dismissing a person’s health or overall well being can lead to greater consequences. Students can contact the Student Health Center at (713) 743-5151 or visit their location at Health 2 4849 Rd.

Students can also contact the WGRC at (832) 842-9472 or visit them at 4465 University Dr Rm B12 and the UH Wellness center can be at (713) 743-5430 or 4500 University Dr.

news@thedailycougar.com

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“Students at UH promoting safe sex, affordable women’s reproductive heath care products” was originally posted on The Cougar