Houston Forward J’wan Roberts (13) holds the ball as Texas A&M Forward-center Pharrel Payne (21) guards during the second half of an NCAA college men’s basketball game, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

Every year, Houston men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson unifies a new cast of players.

This season, however, four starters are returning, united by one goal: to transform their shared journey into a national championship banner, something they have come heartbreakingly close to achieving.

“We made it to the Final Four, Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. We just feel like we need one more banner,” said graduate forward J’wan Roberts. “We might as well use our additional eligibility to do something special that no one has ever done before.”

The decision to return to Houston wasn’t difficult for the sixth-year forward, who announced his return just days after the season ended.

Graduate guard L.J. Cryer joined the returning group alongside redshirt junior guard Emmanuel Sharp and senior forward J’avier Francis.

Despite the presence of these four leaders, the Cougars understand that there are no shortcuts in the early stages of the season.

“If it was a four-on-four league, we could start playing January basketball in September, but it’s not. We have to start from scratch,” Sampson said. “We are always adding, subtracting, piddling and tinkering.”

Every year brings a new narrative for the team. This year, the question is who will fill the role of Houston’s former point guard, Jamal Shead, who entered the NBA draft.

The Cougars plan to answer this question differently; it’s not about taking his place but evolving in his absence.

“We’ve got to pick up where Jamal left off. We all have to be louder,” Sharp said. “We have a standard here, and Sampson pushes us every year, and we continue to meet his standards.”

Appreciating every step of the journey, the squad recognizes that it wasn’t flashy plays or impressive shots that propelled them to a 32-5 record last season.

Instead, it was a resilient mentality that never faded, even during the final moments of the Sweet 16 contest against Duke, when an injury to Shead dashed their championship hopes once again.

“The journey has always been more important than the destination,” Sampson said. “But if you aren’t inside the arena, you only care about the destination. For the coaches and players dedicating their lives to helping each other through this thing we call a basketball season, to be judged on just one game is pretty shallow, but it doesn’t bother us.”

The depth is there for the Cougars, who are ranked No. 4 in the AP preseason poll.

They welcome back starters Roberts and Cryer, who were named to the Big 12 preseason first team. They will start alongside Sharp and Francis, with junior point guard Milos Uzan, a transfer from Oklahoma, rounding out the starting unit.

Sophomore forward Joseph Tugler and redshirt sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux are returning from injuries and ready to return to the floor. 

Other returners poised for impact include graduate guard Mylik Wilson, redshirt sophomore center Cedric Lath, and senior guard Ramon Walker Jr.

Redshirt freshman guard Kordelius Jefferson, redshirt freshman center Jacob McFarland, freshman guard Mercy Miller and freshman forward Chase McCarty are still awaiting their Cougar debuts.

Although the 2024-25 Cougars are composed of players at various stages in their college careers, no player will be left behind, even if they don’t see the court this year. Of the four returning starters, only Franics and Cryer logged any playing time during their freshman seasons.

“We encourage the new guys every day in practice, and they naturally get acclimated,” Sharp said. “That’s what October is for—long and hard practices that help everyone.”

At the end of the day, they all share a mission that transcends individual goals, whether they aim to take the next step after college or patiently wait from the sidelines.

Sampson summed it up best: “The goal of the game is not to impress anyone or have people talking about how great you are. The goal of the game is to win.”

For the Cougars, winning is a mindset they’re ready to bring to the court once again when they tip off against Jackson State on Nov. 4.

They have high hopes that it will culminate in a long-awaited banner. Until then, they will keep their eyes glued to the ones already hanging in their practice facility.

“Those banners are a good reminder of why everything we do now is important,” Sampson said.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“Unfinished business: Cougars set sights on championship banner” was originally posted on The Cougar

The Boston University approved funding requests, tables one funding request and endorsed a survey for data on student’s political affiliations at their fourth meeting of the semester on Monday.

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The post Classifieds – October 29, 2024 appeared first on Daily Trojan.

From recreation centers to libraries to both Cottonwood Canyons, the Salt Lake County government manages a variety of services and amenities across 30 cities and towns in Utah.

The Salt Lake County mayor is at the head of it all. They are responsible for drafting county budgets, enforcing policies and creating new ones. This election season, the position is up for grabs.

Jenny Wilson, a Democrat, is Salt Lake County’s current mayor. She’s running for another term against Erin Rider, a Republican lawyer.

Here’s what to know about their stance on the county’s key issues. 

Affordable Housing and Homelessness

Wilson has continuously advocated for more “deeply affordable housing” in the county. During the county mayor debate earlier this month, Wilson specifically pointed to a five-year plan her office launched in July aimed at ensuring “homelessness is brief, rare and non-recurring.”

“Those units will support our street population and people in deep need who have had mental health crisis trauma in their lives,” Wilson said at the debate, “And that deeply affordable [housing], as we’re proposing it, will have wraparound services to assure a path to success.”

According to the plan, these affordable housing units will range from units in group homes to permanent supportive housing with services for mental health or those experiencing homelessness.

Salt Lake County’s website says this plan will be funded by “Medicaid, opioid settlement funds, grants, state and federal resources and philanthropic contributions.”

Erin Rider’s campaign website lists housing and homelessness as important issues for her. She told the Salt Lake Tribune that part of her plan to address homelessness includes creating policies focused on reintegration.

She pointed to ensuring access to government IDs, a physical address for job or apartment applications and mental health and recovery services as ways to foster reintegration. 

“If you don’t have a government-issued ID or a physical address, how do you get a job?” Rider said during the debate. 

During the debate, Rider also said that if elected, she would create a 10-year plan to manage the county’s growth and development. 

“[There are] a couple things in mind with this that I’m looking at,” Rider said. “One of them is, how do you put home buyers on par with some of the big corporate buyers that are coming in and buying these houses for all cash offers that our residents just can’t compete with?”

The other, Rider said, is building a pipeline to home ownership. 

“We need smaller, single-family homes, larger homes, et cetera so that there’s an actual pipeline to ownership that our residents can use,” Rider said. “Right now, we’re kind of apartments and homes, and that’s really it.”

Rider told KUER that she would also work to create a path for residents to use rental assistance programs and help them build job skills, which she hopes will help them earn higher wages. 

County Spending 

Rider has been critical of the county’s budget throughout her campaign. For 2025, the county has a budget of about $2 billion.

“The county’s budget is roughly $2 billion annually, and yet one of the main complaints I hear is that the county never has money to maintain or invest in the projects they are responsible for,” Rider told KUER.

Rider also repeatedly criticized the number of deferred maintenance projects the county faces during the mayor debate. 

“One of the things that I want to do is to make sure that every single dollar we’re using is going to a core purpose that the county is responsible for,” Rider said. “How do you go through $2 billion a year and not have money to do something as basic as maintenance on your core assets?”

However, after Rider’s statement, Wilson clarified that most of the county’s budget must go to operational costs and programs, so there’s not much “wiggle room.” 

During the debate, Wilson also touted that she has proposed a balanced budget every year she’s been in office, meaning that the county wouldn’t need to find new or increase current revenue streams to meet the budget. She also said her budgets have all had bipartisan support. 

“As I work with the leaders on my team, we’re looking day in and day out to make sure that we are delivering great, important programs,” Wilson said. She specifically pointed to the My County Rec Pass program, which gives kids up to 18 years old free access to the county’s participating rec centers.

The county offers various other programs, including parks and recreation, arts and culture and assistance.

Environmental Issues

Both candidates have also expressed their commitment to preserving Great Salt Lake. 

“If you look at the challenge around water and water conservation, we have a lot working against us,” Wilson said in a media scrum after the county mayor debate. “We have a growing population. We have farmers who don’t want to change practices, and then we also have climate change impacting us on a regular basis.”

Wilson pointed to specific steps the county has taken to reduce water consumption, like replacing the grass in the county’s soccer fields with turf. She said the county has also worked to educate cities on water conservation and gave them grants to create water-wise infrastructure. However, Wilson did say during the scrum that she believes the state should take the lead in addressing the shrinking Great Salt Lake. 

“I think it’s incumbent upon the state to make sure that they remain in the driver’s seat,” Wilson said. “I’m hoping a leader emerges on the state side.” 

Meanwhile, Rider said during her media scrum that she wants to focus on monitoring development and encouraging xeriscaping with native plants. 

“To the development point, we have some interesting things happening where you now have developers buying single-family lots, but they’re putting mini apartment buildings on there, and it’s drawing [more] water than what that lot was originally intended for,” Rider said. 

Both candidates have also said they oppose the construction of a gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon, as UDOT has proposed. They also oppose a proposal to expand mining in Parley’s Canyon.

j.hinds@dailyutahchronicle.com

@JosiHinds

The post What To Know About the Candidates for County Mayor first appeared on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

When it comes to special education, the qualities a teacher possesses can make all the difference in the success and well-being of their students. Special education teachers face unique challenges that require a combination of personal traits and professional skills. These educators work with children who have various learning disabilities, emotional disorders, and physical or mental impairments. As such, they must be equipped to meet their students’ diverse needs while fostering a positive and supportive learning environment. 

This article will explore the essential qualities to seek in a special education teacher, focusing on their ability to provide both academic and emotional support.

1. Patience and Flexibility

One of the most critical qualities for a special education teacher is patience. Students with disabilities often learn at a slower pace or face more obstacles than their peers. As a result, progress may be slower, and setbacks are common. A teacher with patience understands that success doesn’t always happen overnight and is willing to keep working with the student until they achieve their goals. This attitude helps prevent frustration, allowing students to feel supported and understood.

Flexibility is equally important. Every student in a special education setting is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. Special education teachers must be adaptable and ready to adjust their teaching methods or lesson plans to better suit each student’s learning style. 

2. Strong Educational Background

A solid educational background is essential for any teacher, but it holds particular importance in special education. Teachers in this field need to understand both general teaching strategies and specialized techniques tailored to students with disabilities. A strong academic foundation allows them to draw from a variety of methods when working with students, ensuring they can adapt lessons to the needs of each individual.

In today’s world, special education teachers often gain diverse skills through online undergraduate programs, which can offer flexibility and new learning approaches. These programs provide the necessary foundation for working in special education while exposing future teachers to the latest techniques and educational research. Teachers who have taken advantage of such programs bring a modern and well-rounded perspective to the classroom, which is invaluable when handling the complexities of special education.

3. Communication Skills

Communication is an indispensable skill for special education teachers. Not only must they be able to convey complex information in ways that students can easily understand, but they also need to communicate effectively with parents, other teachers, and support staff. Building a strong partnership with parents is particularly important, as parents are a key part of the team that helps students succeed.

Moreover, special education teachers need to document and discuss student progress regularly. This might involve creating progress reports, explaining the results of assessments, or participating in meetings to review Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Effective communication ensures that everyone involved in the student’s education is on the same page, working together to provide the best possible support.

4. Creativity in Teaching Methods

Special education often requires a creative approach to teaching. Students with disabilities may not respond well to traditional methods, so teachers need to think outside the box to engage them. Creativity allows teachers to make learning more accessible, whether through visual aids, hands-on activities, or alternative teaching techniques.

For example, some students may need lessons broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks. Others might benefit from interactive games or the use of technology to reinforce concepts. A creative teacher can adapt their lessons to fit each student’s needs, making the learning experience more enjoyable and effective.

5. Empathy and Compassion

Empathy is another key quality that every special education teacher must have. Understanding what a student is going through—whether it’s frustration from struggling with a task or anxiety about fitting in socially—can help a teacher provide the appropriate support. When a teacher demonstrates empathy, students feel valued and understood, which helps build a positive relationship.

Compassion goes hand in hand with empathy. Special education teachers often work with children who face significant challenges both in and out of the classroom. These students may deal with behavioral issues, emotional difficulties, or other obstacles. A compassionate teacher shows kindness and offers support, creating a safe and nurturing environment for students to learn and grow.

In conclusion, a special education teacher with patience, flexibility, and strong communication skills can significantly enhance a student’s learning experience. Creativity in teaching and a compassionate approach further ensure students receive the support they need to thrive. These qualities are essential in creating a positive and effective educational environment for all learners.

Women carry out work on a daily basis which goes unseen and unrespected by the people around them, including eldest daughters like myself. Today, more and more people recognize the unpaid and underappreciated work that women often carry out in the home. In my life, this manifests in my experience as an eldest daughter, where it can feel like I might crush under the weight of invisible expectations. This issue seems to be hardwired into society, with adults giving girls more responsibility — a job that looks more like a pseudo-caretaker — from a younger age compared to their brothers and boy cousins. The work I’ve done every day for the people around me, and the work that many eldest daughters do, often gets taken for granted. 

The roots of these expectations go far beyond my specific familial role, as they are woven into  the misogynistic assumptions about women that many people unconsciously harbor. Even if all eldest daughters do not relate to some version of my experience, it is worth examining how the patriarchy often stereotypes women as natural homemakers, inherently skilled at organization, time management, the execution of interior decor and much more. A person free from these assumptions might imagine it is a good thing to be assumed to be skilled at something, but unfortunately, this is far from the reality. 

When a skill is assumed to be inherent to a person, they receive no support in developing it. Automatically, they are treated as failures if they do not naturally possess the “womanly” skills of homemaking and organization. Similarly, if they do have these skills, all tasks relating to them eventually become the woman’s responsibility. For many eldest daughters, these expectations can force them to act as encyclopedias for all familial matters. In my life, that means being aware  of everyone’s schedules, how their responsibilities fall into these schedules, the last time the dishwasher ran, how well my younger siblings are doing in school and what my siblings might want for Christmas, all the while staying on top of all of my own responsibilities. Not only am I the curator of all of this information, but I am the place family members go when trying to come up with gift ideas or gauge how someone else in the family might be doing. 

This emotional responsibility can easily become a burden. As soon as my school workload gets heavier or I’m fighting with a friend, I suddenly have a smaller capacity to carry all the extra information about everyone else floating around in my brain. This feeling can apply to anyone in a caretaking role. What once was easy to keep up just days ago can become an overwhelming stressor, only compounding one’s anxiety about whether or not they can handle all that her family or friends expect of them. 

In my life, these responsibilities go beyond just keeping track of things going on around the house — I was responsible for driving my siblings to school and sports practices, holding down a part-time job, and, of course, maintaining a high GPA to get into a good college. When it came  time to apply for college, I handled the application process myself, just as the people around me have expected me to handle everything else in my life. Then, when it came time for my younger siblings to apply for college, the same family that bragged  about my accomplishments came  running to me for advice as they did not have the vaguest idea of where to even start. This cycle is constant —  not just college applications, but job applications, drivers’ licenses, shopping for business casual clothes for the first time and so much more.

Although these are personal experiences, I can assure you that countless eldest daughters have carried unseen burdens for years and have felt their work taken for granted. For me, it was knowing what my brother still needed for his college packing list, the difference between the ACT and SAT and where to find professional clothes nearby, but, for someone else, it could be making sure their siblings eat breakfast or contributing to family finances. 

You may not see it unless you’re looking closely, but eldest daughters carry this burden with them wherever they go. Acknowledge their labor that often goes unnoticed — it makes a difference.

The post The Unseen Burden Carried by the Eldest Daughters appeared first on Technique.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2021, “76% of female murders were perpetrated by someone known to the victim.” 

My point may already present itself with the following question: who did it? The person responsible for murdering these women is usually men.  

The issue of femicide and gender-based violence against women is not just a gender-based issue. It is a world issue, only solvable by the involvement of every person, regardless of gender, to stop the normalization of the murder of women (and people) by men. 

This is not to say that women are the only victims of murder. In 2021, a striking 17,970 men were murdered and 56% of those were by someone known to them. Yet only 6% of those men were victims of intimate partner homicide, and in 2011 the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program of the FBI published a comprehensive homicide study found 89.3% of murders were by men.

Women are statistically more likely to be killed by a man. Men are more likely to be killed by a man. People of any preferred gender identity are more likely to be killed by someone who identifies as a man.

I know this is a lot of frightening, blunt information, but I am so tired of seeing the media refuse to directly highlight what we know to be facts, which is that men are murdering people at a much higher rate than women. 

In September 2024, following the Paris Olympics, Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei was murdered by her former partner, a man named Dickson Ndiema. I was shocked that he killed her by burning her, and then from the attack, she unintentionally died. 

Because of the Olympics’ popularity, this story caused an outcry against the global murders of women and femicide in various countries, and more news sources started talking about gender-based violence. 

However, the media coverage of female murder victims is not easy to read. I think it is obvious that the news media may shy away from covering something so frequent and disturbing as murder for the sake of positivity, but these stories keep happening, and the stories of many female victims are ignored. 

In the headlines, it should be clear who committed the murder and who is the victim. Even though we want to pay homage to the victim of a crime, knowing who is behind the crime will help Americans recognize this pattern of male-perpetuated crime against women and men. 

Cathy Krauseneck was killed by her husband, who wasn’t convinced until 40 years after her death. 

Breonna Taylor was killed by a male police officer. 

Not to mention the thousands of Native American women whose murders are barely reported on despite “the murder rate [being] ten times higher than the national average for women living on reservations” and murder being the “third leading cause of death for Native women,” according to Native Hope, an organization which addresses the injustices done to Native Americans and provides resources.   

We cannot shy away from this pattern and must ask ourselves what we can do. What should we educate ourselves on? How do we work together to stop this issue without making it a gender-divided topic? 

UN Women suggests that murders of women, “can and must be prevented through primary prevention initiatives focused on transforming harmful social norms and engaging whole communities and societies to create zero tolerance for violence against women. Early intervention and risk assessment, access to survivor-centered support and protection as well as gender-responsive policing and justice services are key to ending gender-related killings of women and girls.” 

Murder is not an inevitability, nor is it a partisan issue. The murder of women can and should be addressed because it is preventable. 

Through rain and lightning, OutFront Minnesota and other LGBTQ+ activists organized the “Protect our Trans Refugee State” rally outside the Minnesota State Capitol building on Thursday.

About 30 people attended the rally in St. Paul adorned with signs showing support for LGTQ+ rights and umbrellas for the rainy weather. The rally was designed to show support for a 2022 law that instructed state officials to disregard out-of-state laws targeting transgender youth who obtained gender-affirming care and their parents.

Minnesota House Rep. Leigh Finke, the first transgender person elected to the Minnesota Legislature, said the rally was a way for the trans community to make their voices heard.

“I just want there to be an opportunity for trans people and the trans community to speak for ourselves,” Finke said. “And it’s more difficult than it should be for trans people to get to have the mic and to say our own piece and to be able to speak for our own communities.”

While LGBTQ+ activists have made gains in states like Minnesota, activists argue that more needs to be done. According to a 2023 FBI report, anti-LGBTQ+ and Anti-Trans hate crimes increased by 32% from 2021 to 2022.

With the election two weeks away, transgender issues are still on the political scene.

Former President and current Republican candidate for President Donald Trump, as well as other Republican groups, have spent around 33% of their ads on anti-LGBTQ+ commercials, reported ABC News.

“We’ve seen an uptick in direct acts of violence even here in Minnesota over this last year,” said Kat Rohn, the executive director of the OutFront organization. “But moreover, what we’re seeing is a lot of impacts on people’s mental health. So right now about 90% of trans adults in this country are expressing fear or anxiety about the future political landscape.”

Singer and transgender activist Ryan Cassata, who attended the Thursday rally, said gender-affirming care saved his life. Cassata said the election will have a major impact on the trans community and people’s ability to access gender-affirming care.

While Minnesota has laws protecting access to gender-affirming care, many conservative states have taken a different stance. In 2024, many Republican-led state legislatures introduced bills to further restrict transgender youth’s access to gender-affirming care, according to reporting by AP News.

Nearly half of all U.S. states have laws restricting best-practice medication and surgical care for transgender youth, according to data from the Movement Advanced Project. Of those states, six make it a felony crime to provide care to transgender youth, according to the same data.

Cassata said queer youth who have anxiety about the upcoming election should practice self-care and use this moment to take action politically.

“I’m hoping people will use their fear and, and put it into wanting to go out and vote,” Cassata said.

Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.

Halloween is upon us, and the festivities are ramping up.

Halloween takes on a new meaning in college, with the holiday revolving more around dressing up and partying all weekend long. College students opt to attend Halloween-themed house parties as opposed to trick-or-treating, and the sheet ghost costumes of childhood are traded in for more revealing, risque get-ups. While these parts of the holiday are incredibly fun, they come with safety concerns that must be acknowledged.

Dressing up for Halloween is a fun and joyful ritual for people of all ages. It is a great time to express your creativity and imagination and to dress in a way that makes you feel empowered.

Many people — especially in college — feel beautiful and empowered in more revealing costumes, as Halloween is one of the only days of the year it is considered socially acceptable to go out in very little clothing. However, there is still much progress to be made to ensure that Halloween is safe and fun for everyone, regardless of what people are wearing.

“For those attending Halloween parties, being surrounded by people in minimal clothing does not mean you can throw common courtesy and respect out the window. Treat the people around you with respect, compliment the creativity of their costumes and, if you are looking to flirt, do it with respect.”

Bars and house parties alike can be incredibly hostile and unsafe spaces during Halloween, and a lot of that revolves around sexual harassment. The problem is one that has persisted for generations — that some people think a revealing outfit is an invitation.

All too often, individuals who choose to wear revealing costumes are accused of “asking for it,” which contributes significantly to Halloween rape culture and victim blaming. This idea suggests that a person in a revealing outfit is putting themself out there to be objectified and harassed. Despite all of the incredible strides our society has made to dismantle rape culture, it unfortunately still must be said: A person’s costume does not determine their consent.

The topic of consent comes up frequently this time of year, as over 50% of all college sexual assaults occur in the fall, with many taking place around Halloween. This indicates that Halloween weekend — known colloquially as Halloweekend — is one of the most high-risk periods during the school year for sexual violence and harassment, and much of that stems from the fact that people believe respect and boundaries go out the window when alcohol and costumes are involved.

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network defines consent as “an agreement between participants to engage in sexual activity.” It is also important to remember that consent does not only apply to sex. Consent also covers suggestive language, unwanted touches, kisses and any other words or actions that can be perceived as sexual advances. Any of these uninvited behaviors can and will cause significant discomfort and distress, regardless of what day of the year it is.

For those attending Halloween parties, being surrounded by people in minimal clothing does not mean you can throw common courtesy and respect out the window. Treat the people around you with respect, compliment the creativity of their costumes and, if you are looking to flirt, do it with respect.

For anyone who has been a victim of sexual violence or harassment, whether that be during Halloween or not, know that you are not alone, and there are resources to help you. It does not matter what you were wearing, how drunk you were, how you were dancing or anything else. It was not your fault. Do not hesitate to reach out to the police, Colorado State University’s Office of Title IX Programs and Gender Equity or the Survivor Advocacy and Feminist Education Center‘s Victim Advocacy Team. These programs are in place to provide confidential support to anyone who has been sexually harassed or assaulted and can supply anyone with the resources needed to recover.

At its core, Halloween is about fun, creativity and celebrating all things spooky. Everyone should feel safe expressing themselves and celebrating the holiday in a way that makes them feel confident. No one should feel like they have to look over their shoulder at all times due to the possibility of being victimized for what they are wearing. Everyone deserves to experience a fun and comfortable holiday, and the CSU community must look out for one another in order to make that happen.

Reach Astrid Thorn at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.