The Undergraduate Student Government released a statement Thursday addressing a tent structure resembling a teepee that was originally set up at McCarthy Quad. Some students found it culturally insensitive.

USG said in the statement that the event did not intend to be culturally insensitive.

Photo courtesy of Julian Wolff

The structure was put up by Sambazon, an açai bowl company that co-sponsored an Environmental Student Assembly event called “Purple for the Planet,” according to the statement released by USG.

“The Environmental Student Assembly would like to sincerely apologize for the culturally inappropriate symbol that appeared on McCarthy Quad today,” the statement said. “What was meant to be an event celebrating eco-beauty and promoting biodiversity, co-sponsored with the acai-bowl company Sambazon, turned into something unrepresentative of our core values and our mission.”

Native American Student Union president Mato Standing Soldier called the structure culturally insensitive because of how similar the design was to a teepee.

“I feel like there was some good dialogue happening and even if there wasn’t, it was still being shown that there is an issue embedded in USC’s culture revolving around indigenous populations [and] how they’re represented,” he said. “I think there is a small population at USC, and people are forgetting about our roles and our voices and how we choose to be represented.”

Julian Wolff, a sophomore majoring in public policy, saw the tent this morning and decided to approach the people at the structure to express his concerns.

“I told them, ‘This is a cultural image and a cultural symbol of Native people, and I don’t appreciate that your company is using this image for profit,’” Wolff said.

Wolff said he filed a bias report with the University and spoke to a USG official to express his concern. He also posted a picture of the tent in the USC Memes for Spoiled Pre-Teens Facebook group, expressing his concerns about the structure. The post was deleted from the group at 2:36 p.m. by a moderator of the group.

“When I approached the [event] organizers I was laughed at for being concerned and upset. This cultural image/display is not up for capitalist greedy grabs!!!!,” Wolff wrote in the post in the Memes group. “University of Southern California students, faculty and administrators should be ashamed that this culturally insensitive display is on our campus!!!!”

John Lynch, an administrator of the group, said the post’s removal was not sanctioned by the page administrators.

“I’m really sad the tent post got deleted,” Lynch said in an email to the Daily Trojan. “I want the memes page to be a place where everyone can have open dialogue about campus issues. I think it’s really important for everyone to be able to discuss their ideas whether you think someone else’s opinion makes them a clown or whatever.”

Wolff said he wanted to speak up about the tent because of his experiences learning about indigenous cultures.

“For my entire life I’ve spent my summers as a docent, as a volunteer, a camper and a camp counselor at Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Ariz.,” Wolff said. “I was constantly exposed to indigenous people and indigenous culture … I always felt a profound sense of appreciation for these cultures and learning about them respectfully.”

USG said the tent structure was not approved by the event administration.

“Once the construction of the structure was completed, we immediately recognized its detriment to our student body as being appropriative of Native American and indigenous cultures,” the statement said. “As representatives of student voices, this was not tolerable by any means.”

In the statement, USG said they asked Sambazon to take down the structure and shut down the event soon after the structure was built.

“You need to make sure that things like this don’t happen,” said Standing Soldier, responding to the USG statement. “It puts a sour taste in the mouths of all indigenous members of USC, but also the large indigenous community in L.A. We pride ourselves in being an inclusive community, but when things like this happen, when there is just a lack of accountability, I think that’s just really detrimental.”

Wolff said that while he appreciated USG’s actions following the incident, he wants the organization to be more aware going forward.

“I appreciate that USG is remorseful, I appreciate that they responded in a timely manner, I appreciate that they shut down the event, and that they are fully aware of why this is not okay,” Wolff said.

Sambazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Tomás Mier contributed to this report.

The post USG addresses structure on campus deemed culturally insensitive appeared first on Daily Trojan.

The No. 30 Oregon women’s tennis team’s quest for a Pac-12 Championship ended today with a heart-breaking 4-3 loss in the second round to the overpowering No. 13 UCLA.

The Ducks rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits, but were unable to pull off the upset win in Ojai, Calif.

Shweta Sangwan and Julia Lilien were able to tie the match at two before UCLA retook the lead. Daniela Nasser then tied the match again before the Ducks ultimately fell.

Because of UCLA’s dominant doubles play, the Ducks were down early. No. 88 Rifanty Kahfiani and Alyssa Tobita lost to No. 56 Gabby Andrews and Ayan Broomfield 6-1. UCLA then took the point when Alaina Miller and Ena Shibahara defeated Julia Lilien and Paiton Wagner.

Oregon’s victories were hard fought. Sangwan and Nasser each defeated a top-ranked opponent. Sangwan downed No. 30 Jada Hart 6-3, 6-1 and Nasser defeated No. 59 Abi Altick 7-5, 6-2. The win was Nasser’s first of her career over a nationally ranked opponent. Lilien’s win was equally impressive as she defeated senior Terri Fleming 6-4, 7-5 in the No. 3 position.

UCLA was able to hold off the Ducks in the end. No. 43 Tobita lost to No. 14 Shibahara 6-4, 6-2, which put the Bruins up 2-0 in the match. After Oregon tied the match, Miller, who was playing out of the No. 6 position, retook the lead for UCLA. The highly-ranked six position defeated Wagner 6-1, 7-6. The clinching win for the Bruins came from Broomfield. She defeated Julia Eshet in the fifth position 7-5, 6-4 to clinch the match for the two seeded Bruins.

Oregon’s hope for a Pac-12 title will have to wait at least another year, but given its status in the rankings and the hard-fought performance against UCLA today, they should expect to be playing in the NCAA tournament.

Follow Maverick Pallack on Twitter @mavpallack

The post No. 30 Oregon women’s tennis lose 4-3 heartbreaker to No. 13 UCLA in second round of Pac-12 Championships appeared first on Emerald Media.

Photos by Chimena Ihebuzor.

Federal judge upholds DACA, campus community remains unsettled

After months of uncertainty, a federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, must stay in place, after the Trump administration rescinded the program in September 2017.

If the Trump administration does not provide an adequate justification for rescinding DACA within the next 90 days, the government will have to accept new DACA applications, under D.C. judge John D. Bates’ ruling.

The judge’s ruling does not “change anything immediately,” according to Linda Tam, a lecturer at the UC Berkeley School of Law and the director of the immigration clinic at the East Bay Community Law Center.

The UC has spoken against Trump’s decision to rescind DACA and even sued the federal government in September 2017 over DACA’s repeal.

“We look forward to further defending our case on appeal on behalf of the thousands of DACA recipients who study at UC,” said a statement from the UC Office of the President. “These students, and all DACA recipients, must be allowed to continue to legally live, work, learn, and contribute to this country as the Americans they are.”

Many different groups of people will be affected, but those who aged into DACA — such as younger students or high school students — will likely be the most affected, according to Tam. She added that those who were turning 15 around the time of rescission will be most affected, as DACA applicants must be 15 years or older.

The recent ruling is significant for new DACA applicants, said Leti Volpp, a professor at Berkeley Law and director of the Center for Race and Gender, in an email.

“I definitely think this is a sign and a step in the right direction,” Tam said. “The courts are watching out and making sure that people’s rights are properly vindicated.”

Brenda Marquez, a DACA recipient and a campus junior said “there’s still no guarantee” that DACA will continue and that there’s uncertainty in her education.

“It’s not certain that there will be renewals,” Marquez said. “Many of us are in limbo, and I would say many people who qualify for DACA are somewhat excited that they have the opportunity to apply for DACA and continue their education and continue working.”

For Marquez, DACA means the opportunity to continue doing what “should already be a given.” She added that DACA allowed her to meet people and has brought her closer to her community.

“I think I should be able to work, go to school, and shouldn’t be in fear of deportation,” Marquez said. “I think DACA represents opportunity, and even though it’s not a guarantee for citizenship, I think it should be.”

Marquez said that when DACA was rescinded last year, it was “really hard” and “upsetting” for her.

“I wasn’t going to be able to be here anymore and be around my family and my friends,” Marquez said, “I can tell other students here felt the same thing.”

Contact Mariam Zagub at mzagub@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter at @MZagub.

The Daily Californian

Several vehicles were burnt on the third floor of the East Garage. University officials were asking students to move their cars away from the scene. | Oscar Aguilar/The Cougar

UPDATE: 6:00 p.m.: The University began letting students move their cars out of the garage at 5:20 p.m. Students were directed by University officials to move their cars away from the scene of the fire on the fourth floor.

Students could smell a strong chemical smell near the fire and black ash covered the fourth floor and cars nearby. Supply chain management senior Simon Tieu car was five cars away from the area of cars that were burnt. His car was covered in ash and said he felt lucky with his vehicle unaffected.

“I feel bad for the truck and everyone else,” Tieu said. “I hope everything gets settled fairly.”

UPDATE 3:47 p.m.: At least nine vehicles were visibly damaged by the fire in the East Garage on Thursday, UH spokesperson Mike Rosen said. It will be closed through at least Sunday.

No one from UH was injured, Rosen said. One HFD firefighter was admitted to a hospital with minor injuries, a source familiar with the situations said.

The Houston Fire Department is continuing to investigate the cause of the fire, which is currently unknown. When HFD finishes its investigation, students whose cars are parked away from the site of the fire will be escorted to their cars in small groups and allowed to leave, Rosen said.

A few of the cars are severely damaged, some to the extent that the license plates have melted and are unreadable, Rosen said. The University is attempting to notify the owners of damaged cars when possible, he said.

The University of Houston sign that faces Spur 5 marks the site of the fire, on the ramp from the third to fourth levels of the garage.

The fire, which damaged at least nine cars, started on the ramp from the third to the fourth level of East Garage. | Michael Slaten/The Cougar

All students holding an East Garage permit may park in any ungated lot, including both faculty and student, until the garage re-opens.

When HFD finishes its investigation, all cars parked in the garage will need to be moved. Then, structural engineers will evaluate damage to the garage itself. When it’s all clear to enter, students may begin to park in East Garage again.

1:50 p.m.: Two cars in the East Garage caught fire Thursday afternoon.

Anusheh Siddique/The Cougar

No one was injured, and by 1:45 p.m. the Houston Fire Department put out the flames.

Students with parking permits for the East Garage were unable to enter the garage, but firefighters on the scene said shortly after the fire was out that it would be soon safe to enter.

The fire originated with one car on the third floor but quickly spread to another, said H.P. Gonzales of HFD.

Students will be notified via UH Alert when it’s safe to enter the garage, a UH spokesperson said.

This story will be updated as we hear more.

news@thedailycougar.com

—
“BREAKING: At least 9 cars damaged in East Garage fire” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

Top-rated stress and anxiety management mobile app Pacifica offers students full access to mental health tools to help combat end-of-semester stress.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 26, 2018 — Pacifica, the #1 mental health mobile app, announced today that it is giving free Premium access to students, faculty, and staff, in order to help them manage the stress and anxiety related to final exams.

“We understand how stressful the end of the semester can be for students,” said Dale Beermann, CEO and Co-Founder of Pacifica Labs. “With so many different priorities competing for your attention, it’s important to take a break and destress. Pacifica can help you find a few minutes in your schedule to reset and find time to relax.”

Pacifica’s mobile app is based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness concepts, designed to help students learn new techniques for managing stress and anxiety. The app’s tools include mood and health habit tracking tools, relaxing guided audio meditations, and more.

“Usually when you feel like you don’t have the time to relax is when you need to relax the most,” said Christine Moberg, Ph.D., Head of Psychology at Pacifica Labs. “Pacifica’s tools are easy and convenient to use to help manage stress in just a few minutes a day.”

According to the National College Health Association’s Spring 2017 National College Health Assessment Survey, 44.8% of students reported their overall stress level over the past 12 months as being above average. High stress levels can have an effect on academic performance.

“Students often get stressed out about exams, which can negatively impact their ability to focus on studying, or affect sleep habits,” Moberg said. “Doing some deep breathing before a test, or listening to a sleep meditation before bed to calm your mind are easy ways to improve mental wellness.”

Now through June 15, students, faculty, and staff can download Pacifica in the App Store or Google Play and sign up with a .edu email address. Once they’ve validated their email, they will get free Premium access through June 15 (normally $8.99/month). Existing users with validated .edu email addresses will be also given Premium access through June 15.

“Part of our mission at Pacifica is to make mental health care more accessible for everyone,” Beermann said. “Using technology to put CBT tools in the hands of students during the end of semester crunch is one way that we can do that.”

About Pacifica Labs
Founded in 2014, Pacifica Labs is a mental health technology innovator based in San Francisco. Pacifica’s mobile and web application empowers people to manage their stress, anxiety and depression using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness techniques. In addition to its iOS and Android consumer apps, Pacifica Labs also offers Pacifica for Clinicians, a dashboard tool designed to help mental health care providers leverage the app with their patients and improve treatment effectiveness, and Pacifica for Edu, a comprehensive platform to bring mental health tools to the entire student population on college campuses. https://www.thinkpacifica.com/

###

Media Contacts
Ashley Toy
Head of Marketing
Pacifica Labs
ashley@thinkpacifica.com

The No. 30 Oregon women’s tennis kicked off its Pac-12 Championship play with its second consecutive 4-0 win over Utah, having defeated the Utes April 15, in the regular season finale.

Although Utah was the No. 10 seed, the Ducks must be pleased with the repeated dominant results over the Pac-12 foe.

Today started out very similar to their previous match, as No. 88 Rifanty Kahfiani and Alyssa Tobita defeated Taylor Calton and Whitney Turley again 6-3. The only difference in the one-sided doubles match was that the freshman duo of Julia Lilien and Paiton Wagner won their match 6-3 over Brianna Chisholm and Victoria Robertson 6-3 instead of the No. 69 pair of Shweta Sangwan and Julia Eshet.

Singles play remained an almost-replica of the Senior Day victory. Daniela Nasser improved on her previous result over Calton, winning 6-1, 6-2 and Wagner defeated Robertson for the second time on the day, this time in singles play, 6-4, 6-3.

Eshet moved up to the No. 5 position this time around and clinched the match for her second win over Utah this season, downing Turley 6-2, 6-4.

This result should be a much-needed confidence booster as the Ducks remain in Ojai, California, to take on the No. 2 seed UCLA Bruins for the second round of the tournament. Although the Ducks fell 4-0 to the Bruins on March 18, the Ducks haven’t dropped a point since the April 8 loss to Stanford three matches ago.

Thursday’s match against No. 13 UCLA will start at 2 p.m. with the Ducks looking to pull off their second victory over UCLA in program history.

Follow Maverick Pallack on Twitter @mavpallack

The post No. 30 Oregon dominates in first round of Pac-12 Championships, takes on No. 13 UCLA next appeared first on Emerald Media.

If you’ve ever opened Snapchat on UT’s campus, you’ve probably shared one of Jordan Villarreal’s geofilter designs with your friends hundreds of times, but unless you know Jordan, you’d never know that.

As a senior in high school, Jordan Villarreal stumbled upon the up-and-coming world of Snapchat filter design. Now a biology junior, Villarreal estimates he’s designed around 25 Snapchat geofilters, including a majority of the filters for the UT campus.

“I just kind of did one here and there over the course of two to three years,” Villarreal said. “And now its just kind of amassed into this collection of mine.”

Although Villarreal was never formally trained in graphic design, creating the filters became an exercise in his artistic abilities throughout the years.

“My first one was pretty basic — just fonts (and) basic shapes,” Villarreal said. “As I started getting more comfortable with it, I would start basing them off references and real life, and eventually it got to the point where I would just free-hand stuff.”

According to Villarreal, Snapchat doesn’t compensate him for his designs or publicly credit him for his art. 

“I realized a lot of people use these, and Snapchat doesn’t really credit the artist,” Villarreal said. “When I did (the Twitter thread), it just went to show that everybody knew about the filters collectively, but they didn’t know that one person designed them.”

While Villarreal doesn’t currently know of anyone else who creates filters, he encourages others to join the competition, to both keep him on his toes and to increase the overall quality.

“I think it would be cool to have a small community of designers,” Villarreal said. “It’s always been an obscure process. Not a lot of people know about it, but I encourage people who think they can do it to try their hand at it.”

Incoming Editor-in-Chief Dana C. Jones (left) and outgoing Editor-in-Chief Emily Burleson (right).

With less than a week left as editor, I’m a little emotional. My senior year, which starts in the fall, will be my first not coming into the Center for Student Media for hours and hours every week. I won’t miss the deadlines, but the memories made and the lessons learned here are priceless. Writing and editing stories at The Cougar has transformed how I think about journalism and its role in maintaining an informed citizenry.

I’m most proud of the first two weeks of the fall semester. Like the rest of Houston, our year got off to wild start by covering Hurricane Harvey from our laptops. Reporting from Laredo to Austin to Dallas, our fantastic editors covered evacuations, our athletics program, the rampant volunteering opportunities, and their own escapes from the storm’s wrath. And after publishing dozens of stories while UH was closed, we pulled together an entire Wednesday print with more stories about the storm in just 8 hours. Why? Because UH deserved it.

It’s been an absolute privilege to bring UH the news and watch the talented journalists in this newsroom grow. Your new editor-in-chief, Dana, will take our work from this year and run with it. I’m confident that I’m leaving The Cougar in good hands.

If you’re reading this, remember to check newsstands every Wednesday and your Twitter feed every day for fresh stories about your university, and use The Cougar to make your university better.

-Emily Burleson, outgoing editor-in-chief

When I first joined The Cougar a year and a half ago, I vowed that I would never write for news. I was an opinion man through and through. Six months ago, not only did I join the news desk, I became the first Features Editor that The Cougar has ever had.

Now, I’m on my way to being Editor-in-Chief, which is something else I — a black boy from Compton, California transferring from an HBCU — never saw coming.

I have to thank the people that I spent countless hours around. To all of my fellow editors, my advisor and mentor Glissette Santana and the outgoing Editor-in-Chief Emily Burleson. Each of you has shown me good journalism and instilled in me the confidence to pursue my path in this field even fiercer than I had before.

I look forward to growing as a journalist and editor, but more importantly, I am excited to show someone — whether it be an editor or staff writer — what I was I was shown when I was in their places only a short time to ago.

To the students, faculty and staff who read us, and those who read us in the future: Be ready for changes that will both grow us as journalists not only for our stories but to better serve the UH community as your No. 1 source for news.

The board and I are still ironing out our plan for the year ahead. Some of the things you can expect is more coverage of student life, a greater presence of social media, a new look of our print product, and integration of multimedia with the collaboration of CoogTV and Coog Radio.

I hope everyone is ready for this journey we’re about to take together.

-Dana C. Jones, incoming editor-in-chief

—
“Turning a new page of The Cougar with our new Editor-In-Chief” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

James Finney | Tech Editor

Sibylle Peretti works mainly in glass, but her expertise as an artist, however, is in desire and failure.

Born to the heavily forested and mountainous lands of Bavaria, Peretti dedicates her skill and passion to explore … Read More

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