Happy November! Today on East to West we cover Kamala Harris visiting Boston, a new residential development in Allston, and more. Click here to stream this episode of “East to West” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or the streaming platform of your choice. FEATURING: Taylor Hawthorne, Lindsay Shachnow WRITTEN BY: Taylor Hawthorne, Veronica Thompson, Lindsay Shachnow EDITED BY: Lindsay Shachnow BASED ON DFP PIECES BY: Matthew Eadie, Ava Gordon, Teresa Jia MUSIC: Acid Trumpet by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3340-acid-trumpet License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Backbay Lounge by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3408-backbay-lounge License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5010-ultralounge License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This episode originally […]

A recent study at the University of Utah found that mindfulness training and meditation provides a natural high, and can be used to treat forms of addiction.

Eric Garland, a distinguished endowed chair of research and an associate professor of research, developed the Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement therapy, also known as MORE, to provide a solution for those suffering from addiction and pain issues.

“For more than a decade, we’ve conducted multiple randomized clinical trials of MORE therapy for people suffering from a wide array of addictive behaviors, but a lot of the work has focused on MORE as a treatment for opioid misuse and opioid use disorder among people with chronic pain,” Garland said.

This type of treatment is still being developed, Garland said, but the trials conducted have shown it is more effective than the usual treatment that people who are suffering from addiction receive.

“We found that the MORE therapy reduced opioid misuse by 45% at the nine-month follow up point, which was nearly triple the effect of standard supportive therapy,” Garland said. “At the same time, we found that the MORE therapy reduced chronic pain itself, so 50% of patients treated with the MORE therapy reported experiencing clinically significant reductions in pain.”

According to Garland, this therapy is so effective because of how it creates a high amount of theta waves within the prefrontal cortex and changes patients’ perceptions. A high amount of these theta waves are seen when the brain is focused and absorbed in a task.

“The greater the depth of the meditative state patients reported, so the more theta waves they experienced, the more patients started to experience the sense of self transcendence, the sense of being connected to something greater than the self,” Garland said.

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According to Richard Landward, an assistant professor in the college of social work, this change of perception that has been seen in patients is key to helping them change their habits.

“So, you can’t stop addiction if you’re in a state of fear,” Landward said. “The moment you move from fear to learning and growth, to compassion and empathy, which is an executive brain experience, you change. Mindfulness is how you move from primitive fear to executive learning.”

Mindful meditation helps us feel in control after we experience trauma, Landward said, providing an alternative way to dilute the pain and fear without turning to addictive substances.

“When you get stressed or hyper aroused or jacked up or irritated or frustrated, instead of escaping into a substance, you now have control to turn that system off by taking a deep breath and connecting to your source and senses and reframing your perception,” Landward said. “It’s a powerful tool that gives someone control in a space where they’ve not felt in control, and it empowers a person to take their life back.”

According to Landward, any sort of addiction treatment should include a mindfulness component of some sort to help the patient regain control, or else the treatment won’t be as effective. 

“You cannot do effective substance abuse counseling if you don’t have a way to deactivate the hyper arousal system,” Landward said. “It’s free on the substance. So mindfulness has to be a component of effective therapy for substance use.”

To further his research on mindfulness meditation, Garland plans to conduct more studies on how mindfulness is actually changing the brain and wants to be able to effectively help more people who suffer from addiction access this treatment. 

“We’re actively studying, doing pragmatic studies, practical studies to understand what’s the best way to implement mindfulness in addiction treatment in the real world,” Garland said.

s.shaughnessey@dailyutahchronicle.com

@steviechrony

UH will be closed most of the day tomorrow, Nov. 7 according to a message sent out by the University.

The closure is due to an expected influx of people downtown and surrounding areas as a result of the Astros’ World Series win. The city will be holding a parade to celebrate the win beginning at 11 a.m. The parade will begin at Smith and Preston and will finish at Tuam Street.

Normal University operations will resume at 5 p.m.

news@thedailycougar.com

—
“UH announces campus closure for Astros World Series win” was originally posted on The Cougar

Senior quarterback Clayton Tune posted 36 completions for 527 yards, seven touchdowns in a 77-63 defeat to SMU. | Sean Thomas/The Cougar

The Houston football team saw its three-game winning streak snapped after a 77-63 road loss to SMU on Saturday.

A high-scoring affair between both programs became a shootout as senior quarterback Clayton Tune finished the game with 36 completions for 527 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions as well as 111 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai recorded 28 completions for 379 yards and nine touchdown passes.

SMU opened the game and waltzed down the field to open the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Tanner Mordecai to senior tight end Ben Redding to lead 7-0.

Tune used his legs to power UH’s first possession of the game, as he finished the drive with a 55-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.

The Mustangs took a second trip deep into UH territory as Mordecai found senior wide receiver Rashee Rice for a 6-yard touchdown pass to lead 14-7.

UH equalized immediately as Tune hit freshman wide receiver Samuel Brown for a 12-yard touchdown to square the game at 14-14.

SMU powered down the field and wrapped up the first quarter with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Mordecai to Rice once again to lead 21-14.

In the second quarter, Tune found junior wide receiver Nathaniel Dell for a 22-yard touchdown on the first play of the period to even the scoreboard at 21-21. 

The Mustangs continued to roll with a fourth score in as many drives as Mordecai found sophomore wide receiver Dylan Gaffney on a 35-yard touchdown pass to regain the lead at 28-21.

Following the first turnover of the game, SMU capitalized on a short field as Mordecai found the end zone with his legs to extend the Mustangs’ lead to 35-21.

A second interception by the Mustangs’ defense set up SMU in excellent field position once again, this time capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass to freshman tight end RJ Maryland to double the lead at 42-21.

UH responded quickly with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Tune to senior wide receiver KeSean Carter to cut the deficit to 42-28.

SMU kept its foot on the pedal with touchdowns on back-to-back possessions with Mordecai connecting with Maryland again for a 1-yard score and Redding for a second time on a 10-yard pass to lead 49-35 late in the second quarter.

UH returned for more and cashed in on a 42-yard deep ball from Tune to freshman wide receiver Matthew Golden to trail 49-35.

With 36 seconds left in the second quarter, Mordecai tacked on one more score before the half with a 4-yard touchdown to Redding for his third of the game to lead 56-35.

Tune pushed the opening drive of the second half and finished the possession with a 2-yard touchdown to Dell to cut the deficit to 56-42.

SMU responded with Mordecai’s ninth touchdown pass of the game, hitting Maryland for his third to extend the gap to 63-42.

After exchanging punts for the first time in the game, UH drove deep into the SMU red zone and got senior tight end Christian Trahan involved with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tune to trail 63-49.

In the fourth quarter, Mordecai picked up his 10th passing touchdown on the night on a deep shot to sophomore wide receiver Moochie Dixon for 43 yards and stretched the lead to 70-49.

Tune found Brown for a second time on the night, this time for a 6-yard touchdown pass to close the deficit to 70-56.

Senior running back Tyler Lavine scoured for a 15-yard score matched by freshman running back Stacy Sneed’s 52-yard rushing touchdown to finish the scoring at 77-63.

The Cougars now head back home where they will play host to Temple on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. at TDECU Stadium.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“UH football falls in 77-63 thriller at SMU” was originally posted on The Cougar

It took eight rounds in a shootout at the culmination of a nearly three-hour match for the Old Dominion field hockey team to earn a spot in the Big East tournament final on Sunday afternoon. Graduate Goalkeeper Cam Macgillivray poked-check the shot away in the top of round eight, giving her sophomore teammate Frederique Zandbergen the chance to make the winning move. Zanbergen flicked the ball into the back of the net and pandemonium ensued as the Monarchs defeated 24th-ranked Temple (13-6) 4-3 in the semifinals of the Big East tournament.

Coming into the weekend, ODU was the number one seed of the tournament thanks to a victory over Liberty last weekend in a shootout. The Lady Monarchs improved their record to 15-2 (6-1 Big East). They have won ten straight matches and are ranked number 13 in the national coaches poll. With this victory, they have clinched their best record since 2011 and have made a strong bid for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. 

Throughout the first half of the match, the Old Dominion squad dominated most of the play, but they could not find the back of the net and the match remained tied at zero going into the half. Coming out of the break, the Owls stunned the Lady Monarchs with a pair of goals in the middle part of the third quarter that gave them a 2-0 advantage. Both goals against ODU came from breakaways that outnumbered the Monarch defense. In the closing seconds of the third quarter, graduate Courtney Lynch got ODU on the board after knocking in the rebound that made it 2-1 in favor of Temple.

Early on in the fourth quarter, Old Dominion kept up their momentum and tied the game with a goal from freshman Sanci Molkenboer with about ten minutes left on the clock. With just under five minutes to play, senior Delphine Le Jeune executed a penalty stroke that gave ODU the 3-2 advantage. Although the Lady Monarchs clawed their way back from two goals down to a tie, they found themselves in a deficit again when the Owls scored the tying goal with 2:20 left in the game. Macgillivray made three stick saves before the Owls finally punched it in on the ensuing rebound. The game remained at 3-3 as both teams prepared for Overtime. 

In the first overtime period, ODU came close to clinching a spot in the final as Lynch scored what was almost the winning goal, but it was just a split-second after the horn, resulting in no goal. Both teams remained tied through the first overtime period and it was once again time for a shootout. After seven rounds of back-and-forth in the shootout, the score remained tied. In round eight, Old Dominion prevailed and knocked in the game-winner to advance to the championship on Sunday afternoon.

Zandbergen, a sophomore from the Netherlands, missed her first attempt of the shootout and knew that the game depended on her making the second shot. . “After I missed the first one, I didn’t want to miss the second,” Zandbergen said. “Temple is a very tough team. We worked so hard to get here. I’m very, very happy.”

After the match, head coach Andrew Griffiths shared his thoughts on the Temple squad and the state of the Big East conference. He also spoke about his team’s resiliency and how they can unite in pivotal moments.

“Temple really played well. They’ve really improved over the last two years. This is clearly the best four teams the Big East has had in a long time,” Griffiths stated. “It’s not about who has the best players. Everyone has good players, but it’s about how you can hang together when the chips were down and they were down today a couple of times, and we really came through.”

Next up for the Lady Monarchs is Championship Sunday, where they will host the Liberty Flames in the Big East final at L.R. Hill Sports Complex. The Flames earned a spot in the championship after defeating UConn 2-1 in the other semifinal on Friday evening. Match time is slated for 4 pm, with a conference title and spot in the NCAA tournament on the line. 

Utah Football is coming off of big wins against USC and Washington State. The team is looking good, and look to continue their win streak against Arizona on Saturday. 

Arizona has been on a three-game losing streak, and aren’t looking their best. The Wildcats come off a 37-45 loss against USC, an impressively close game for playing a top-10 team. 

Arizona was defensively lost, allowing the Trojans to put up 621 yards in the loss. But they were also able to put up 543 yards against one of the better defenses in college football. 

This may be a threat to Utah’s defense, which has withstood many high-powered offenses this year. Offensively, Utah should have no problem moving the ball around. 

There are questions on the playing status of Cam Rising, Tavion Thomas and Dalton Kincaid. Backup quarterback Bryson Barnes filled the role last week, and Utah was able to take a 21-17 win over Washington State. 

But although the status of these players is still up in the air, Utah’s offense should have enough firepower to chop up Arizona’s defense. Nearly every player should be able to get a touch on Saturday. 

Utah is just four games from finishing the regular season, and hope to play in the Pac-12 Championship. The Pac-12 is flooded with top teams this season, and Utah will need to continue to win if they hope to play in the championship for a shot at the Rose Bowl. 

Offensively, Utah will rely on either Barnes or Rising to open up the passing game. With Utah’s receiving core, Arizona will have to focus on either the run or pass game. 

Arizona’s defense will have a hard time stopping the run and pass, and Utah will use this to their advantage. Despite Kincaid, Thomas, and Rising being questionable to play, the Utes have enough offensive weapons to dismantle Arizona.

On the other side of the ball, the only concern is the 543 yards that Arizona put up against USC. The Wildcats haven’t looked like the best team offensively, and this was a sudden spurt for Arizona. Utah’s defense will have to assume that this is their new normal, and prepare for the worst.

Once again, home-field advantage will be huge for Utah, with the fans and the MUSS cheering them on. Fortunately, Utah’s games against Arizona and Stanford will both be at home, and they certainly will be games that Utah hopes to win. With the end of the season coming around, Utah will need to win out if they hope to make the postseason.

Make sure to show up or tune in as Utah takes on Arizona on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. MST at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

s.overton@dailyutahchronicle.com

@SeanOverton3

(Pixabay/mohamed_hassan)

As midterm elections arrive, both voting rights and abortion should be at the forefront of Georgian minds. Since 2020, repeated attacks on voting rights and the legitimacy of voting has eroded the foundation of our democracy. After the Supreme Court’s spring decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and delegate reproductive healthcare decisions to the states, abortion has been a key issue mobilizing voters. Students heading to the polls must support candidates that value their voting rights and will defend people’s autonomy over their own bodies. 

To protect our democracy, two candidates standout: Bee Nguyen for Georgia’s Secretary of State and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) for senator. Warnock deserves our votes as he runs for re-election in Congress in order to protect reproductive rights, expand healthcare opportunities and support the economy, among other key issues. Warnock is facing off against Herschel Walker – a political newcomer, former football player and alleged domestic abuser.

Nguyen’s platform centers protecting and expanding voting rights in Georgia. Her opponent, current Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, supports efforts to restrict voting ability through SB 202, a bill recently signed by Gov. Brian Kemp. Additionally, during Raffensperger’s time in office, around 200,000 Georgia citizens were incorrectly purged from the voting rolls due to address changes that never happened. SB 202 further deteriorates elections due to its restrictions on polls.

Nguyen plans to address the harm done to Georgia voting rights by Kemp and Raffensperger by decreasing barriers to vote-by-mail, training each election board in the state and working to repeal the provisions against voting imposed by Kemp. Her time in the state legislature has already spoken for her competence. In 2019, she helped overturn legislation that purged 50,000 voters from the Georgia voting rolls. She has shown consistent dedication to voter rights for all in Georgia, and students should exit the polls thrilled that they supported a candidate that is committed to expanding voting access for all — not picking and choosing who deserves accessible voting conditions. 

Incumbent opponent Raffensperger has proven himself to be Kemp’s lapdog. He is ardently against abortion and has further dismantled the sanctity of voting during his time as Secretary of State. He is a danger to democracy in Georgia, and we must stand against him at the polls. Vote Bee Nguyen, vote for a better and more accessible Georgia.

Since taking office after winning Georgia’s special runoff election in January 2021, Sen. Warnock has proved himself a tireless fighter for Georgians on a number of issues, such as fighting for voter rights’ protection.  Alongside Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), he sponsored the Voters on the Move Registration Act and the Preventing Election Subversion Act. He is one of several senators leading the charge to pass the Freedom to Vote Act. 

Warnock believes that choices about reproductive healthcare belong to people and their doctors; he recently signed federal legislation protecting people who cross state lines for abortion care. On the other hand,  Walker has said he supports a full ban on abortion with no exceptions for rape, incest or if the mother’s life is in danger. He recently updated his position in a recent debate with Warnock to endorse Georgia’s ultra-restrictive 2019 six-week ban.

These aren’t the only areas that set Warnock apart from Walker. Warnock signed massive congressional bills including the American Rescue Plan, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Build Back Better, which provide economic stimulus, funding for infrastructure and energy projects and COVID-19 relief. He has also secured funding for Georgia ports to alleviate supply chain issues. Walker has criticized federal spending and regulations but offers no specific economic platform. During his time in Congress, Warnock introduced and sponsored several healthcare bills to lower prescription drug costs for seniors and Medicare recipients and to expand Medicaid. He has worked to cap insulin costs for Georgians and proposed legislation to address maternal mortality in the state. Warnock’s work in Congress far out runs an out of season running back. 

Environmental protections and gun safety are two critical issues also championed by college students, and Warnock has proven he will act in constituents’ best interests. Warnock wants to combat the climate crisis and notes its daily effects on Georgians including flooding, extreme heat, and lack of access to clean air and water. Warnock has also introduced the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act in an effort to boost the transition to clean energy. Additionally, Warnock has voted for major gun legislation that proposes stricter background checks, and keeps guns out of the hands of domestic violence offenders. He also supports red flag laws, increased funding for mental health provisions and a ban on high capacity assault weapons.

The seat Warnock and Walker are battling for could be the deciding factor in which party has Senate majority for the next two years. Democrats need Warnock as the 50th seat to hold their marginal majority, and projections call the Georgia race a “toss-up.” More than ever, voting is critical to ensure abortion rights, environmental protection and other critical issues don’t fall to the wayside. 

In Georgia, Nov. 4 is the last day you can vote early and in-person, and Nov. 7 is the last day you can register to be eligible to vote on Election Day. If you haven’t voted already, we’ll see you at the ballot boxes!

The above editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel’s Editorial Board. The Editorial Board is composed of Isabelle Bellott-McGrath, Rachel Broun, Evelyn Cho, Ellie Fivas, Marc Goedemans, Aayam Kc, Elyn Lee, Saanvi Nayar, Shruti Nemala, Nushrat Nur, Sara Perez, Ben Thomas and Kayla Robinson.

The post Warnock, Nguyen deserve your vote in this year’s election appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

INTRO MUSIC

STELLA MEHLHOFF: Hey, I’m Stella Mehlhoff and you’re listening to In the Know, a podcast by the Minnesota Daily. Each episode, we explore a new aspect of the University of Minnesota’s students and communities. This week, we’re talking about coffee shops, setting out to discover what local places mean to their employees, their customers, and their communities.

On Halloween, I went to the Como Neighborhood to speak with Em Astfalk, the store manager and team lead at Black Coffee and Waffle Bar. Astfalk makes a coffee and we sit down at a corner table next to a group of college-aged students.

According to their website, this was the first Black Coffee and Waffle Bar, opening in 2014. Now, they have three locations regionally. Between sips of coffee, Astfalk says that despite the expansion, this location has maintained a unique personality.

EM ASTFALK: This location in particular, we’re in like a industrial, almost like a rundown building that we’ve just covered with like art pieces of local artists that you can buy. Our bathroom, we joke that it’s like a coffee shop, dive bar, bathroom. It’s just covered with graffiti.

MEHLHOFF: Astfalk got their degree in Urban Planning at the University of Minnesota. They explain that their interest in coffee shops is academic. Places like Black Coffee and Waffle Bar play a particular role in custumer’s lives.

ASTFALK: This coffee shop is connected a lot to a concept of third place. The first and second place is your home and your work, so these are the places that you’re going to and from everyday, and obviously COVID has sort of altered that. But there’s a phenomenon called third places, which are just anywhere else you go: libraries, parks, coffee shops that you can just go and exist and connect with your community and just be in the world.

MEHLHOFF: While interviewing Astfalk, Aruchanan Armstrong was doing work on his computer and sipping a coffee. He wanted to comment about why he likes coming to coffee shops.

ARUCHANAN ARMSTRONG: When I said, I just get kind of stir crazy after a few hours in my apartment. It’s nice to just talk to people, like figure out what’s going on in the world and just kind of like getting out of your own space.

MEHLHOFF: Astfalk tells me that when most people come to Black Coffee and Waffle Bar, they spend their time eating waffles, hanging out with friends, and studying. But these are not the only things that bring people to the shop. Black Coffee and Waffle Bar also acts as a kind of public access point where people can get water, use the bathroom, and access wifi.

ASTFALK: I think a lot of times those are important resources that people come to use here. There’s a park right next door, so all the time we have like this group of little kids who come in and always want ice water and always want to use the bathroom and always want, you know, things like that.

MEHLHOFF: Astfalk tells me about one of their favorite guests, a regular named Barb. Barb’s lived in the same house in Como for years.

ASTFALK: And she is like really the heart of this community. She’s been coming in here every single day, sometimes twice a day. She always makes a point. She knows every single one of our names, she’s asking about my grandma, she’s asking about my boyfriend. You know, she’s very like engaged with us, and I have like built such a strong relationship with her as like sort of a grandmother figure in my life here, that last Sunday, me and one of my other coworkers here, we bond with her all the time over being readers and she had us over to her house on Sunday to come look through big stacks of books that she was like, “I have no reason to keep these sitting around, so you guys should come over and look through them.”

MEHLHOFF: To learn more about local coffee shops, I met with Ben Villnow over Zoom. Villnow used to be a barista at Gray’s in Dinkytown. According to the Minnesota Daily, Gray’s closed last July. According to the Daily, Gray’s struggled to cope with COVID-19 closures. Add to it the slow summer months with fewer people on campus. Villnow explains that Gray’s was largely targeted toward students.

BEN VILLNOW: That was kind of my boss’s main goal is like to have a place where like students can study, people can like do group projects, people feel comfortable like taking their families out to dinner there. Kind of just a comfortable place for college students that’s kinda like a go-to if that makes sense.

MEHLHOFF: When asked about his experience working there, Villnow emphasizes the community amongst his co-workers.

VILLNOW: This is funny. We always joked that my boss only hired hot people, which was like very narcissistic to say. Everyone was like really cool and I hate using this word, but everyone was like indie, and like we had a guy who made his own music and we have a girl who does art. Everyone was just like unique and like such a personality.

MEHLHOFF: He goes on to describe a favorite employee past-time.

VILLNOW: We would know when people were on a date at Gray’s. It was a very popular date spot. Like we would always know. So like we would always have our phones on us while we were working, so we would text updates about the date. So like the server would go over and overhear and like text me behind the bar and be like, “oh, I think it’s going well,” Or they’ll go update and they’d be like, “they’re still talking.” So like we would be invested in these dates people were on.

MEHLHOFF: Today, the building that used to house Gray’s is dark inside, but you can still check out the interior: a bookshelf, several tables, and the remaining funky decor.

VILLNOW: Like a lot of people liked Gray’s because it was a local sit down place in Dinkytown, and it kind of feels like it’s being bombarded by these pop in pop out, kind of chainy type places. Like we’re losing that side of Dinkytown, um, which is a lot of people’s favorite side of Dinkytown.

ASTFALK: There are very real issues just that comes with economic development a lot of the tim, with increasing rent prices and um, like people being drawn away from local establishments and going to like more name brand establishments just because it’s convenient, because they know it, because it stands out more.

MEHLHOFF: Armstrong offers a more optimistic perspective.

ARMSTRONG: You know I think there’s room for both, like local businesses and chain businesses. Like I mean sometimes even two coffee shops can complement each other.

ASTFALK: I just think there’s a bit more leeway and often times a bit more kindness in like local organizations and even in ways like we have a bulletin board there. And lots of times people come in, they put up their house show that they’re having, they put up a podcast that they’re hosting … We are just the hub for communicating that and for allowing people to like come together.

MEHLHOFF: After our conversation, Astfalk makes me a coffee and chats with another barista dressed as a frog. I stick around to get some work done and watch the customers come and go. Students sit and study, an old couple talks over pumpkin spice lattes, and a runner comes in for a quick glass of ice water.

ASTFALK: Um, hot miel, iced miel?

MEHLHOFF: Yeah, I’ll have a hot miel.

ASTFALK: Ok, Large? Small?

MEHLHOFF: Uh, I’ll have a small.

ASTFALK: Whole milk or…?

MEHLHOFF: Whole milk is good.

MEHLHOFF: This episode of In the Know was written by Stella Mehlhoff. It was produced by Abbey Machtig and Alberto Gomez. For questions, comments, or concerns please email us at podcast@mndaily.com. Thank you for listening. As always, we’re glad you’re tuning in. Don’t forget to like and rate In the Know wherever you get your podcasts. I’m Stella Mehlhoff, and this is In the Know.

Making the transition from one web platform to another is a lot like moving houses.  It can be near flawless or disastrously executed. Old Dominion University is in the midst of moving virtual houses to a new content management system (CMS) for their home website. 

What is a CMS? Essentially, it’s a program that allows a user to modify a web page without having to do any coding. It’s convenient because a lot of people either don’t have the time or patience to learn HTML, which is used to make modifications for things as simple as a 2009 Tumblr page.  

Back in the year everyone remembers fondly, 2020, ODU spoke about its ambitions to change its CMS provider from Adobe Experience Manager to Drupal, a free and open-source CMS. Open-source means that any users with the license can make modifications to the coding and redistribute it accordingly. This does wonders for keeping the source code flexible and up-to-date. Of course, Drupal’s flexibility is wholly dependent on the user’s coding skill level. Plenty of notable sites use Drupal, such as NASA, Tesla, Oxford University and Grammy.com (which was formerly a music oriented site). It’s an impressive feat for a CMS and shows that Drupal is not without merit.

Of course, moving the entire site at once would be a massive undertaking. ODU has decided to release the new design in waves. During the week of October 31st, ODU released the first wave of new designs for many different webpages. Their goals were to improve user optimization, to make the sites captivating, and to remove the labyrinthine experience of trying to find a specific page. 

Any form of migration on this scale will not be completely flawless. Different screen sizes and orientations are just one of many wrenches that can be thrown at a sophisticated site’s source code. This is especially true for mobile devices since viewing the site in landscape or portrait mode orientation can make the page dance like a 90s breakdancer. Despite ODU creating focus groups and speaking with stakeholders, faculty, staff and students, the redesign has not managed to avoid these problems. 

Now on to the designs. The new look does present a more modern approach but it’s hard to ignore all the sharp corners and excessive trapezoids in the new iteration of the main page. In a way, it’s reminiscent of the “Focus” theme on Google Slides.

A simple comparison can be done using the Wayback Machine, a handy site that preserves how a web page looked in the past. The new main page is definitely larger and has much more content than the original page. There’s a lot going on in the background, including video. On the mobile version of the new main page, certain pieces of text jump on top of each other instead of remaining separate and readable. From the looks of many redesigned pages, it seems as if certain images and blocks of text were placed over others to produce a 3D shadow effect. However, this can affect how text is displayed since it might overlap depending on the size of the screen and its orientation. 

The Web Redesign Project team aimed to make mobile usage the primary focus of optimization and user-friendliness. Whatever the reason for this decision, it’s not an easy task to take on considering how there are many different cell phones and mobile devices that have different screen sizes. As for user optimization, a case could be made for either side regarding how both the new and old designs attempt to avoid information overload. Sometimes, sites and even the drop down menu can look cluttered with text that seems to mix together. There are also some blocks of text in the update that have an awkward scroll bar on them.

Previously mentioned websites like Oxford University or Tesla hinge on a less-is-more approach. While there are many pages that got a full makeover, the main page probably has the most action going on, which may or may not be a problem to students and parents who aren’t even remotely familiar with ODU’s website layout. What can be appreciated from the former main page is that everything was easy to access without additional clicking. The video in the new design is certainly eye-catching and it seems to be the pièce de résistance of the main page. However, all the extra content tends to drown the video out. For example, a high school senior focused on trying to apply will probably scroll down only to realize the “Your Future Starts Here” button was the actual shortcut to get there. 

On a positive note, a lot of the awkward negative space in certain pages was eliminated. Not all pages have received a full makeover, but they will in the upcoming waves, which have yet to be dated. The new header and footer look much better than the former but I think a bar would look better than two polygons sticking out from the sides. The darker color scheme was a welcome change and makes everything pop out more. The contrasting colors are a big improvement over the former lighter color scale. 

Feel free to share your comments or thoughts about the page. Regardless of if you like or dislike the new design, it’s important to email webredesign@odu.edu to point out any page-breaking errors or provide feedback.

UH football senior quarterback Clayton Tune has taken home three of the last four AAC Offensive Player of the Week awards. | Sean Thomas/The Cougar

For one last time as a member of the American Athletic Conference, UH football will make the trip up I-45 to Dallas to take on in-state rival SMU on Saturday night.

The Cougars (5-3, 3-1 AAC) are looking to extend their winning streak to four and keep their hopes of a conference championship alive with a win over the Mustangs (4-4, 2-2 AAC).

A look at SMU

The Mustangs score a lot of points. SMU has put up 40 or more points in half of its games, averaging 35.6 points per contest.

SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai and receiver Rashee Rice have been the top offensive duo in the country. Whenever Mordecai throws the ball in his favorite target’s direction, good things tend to happen for the Mustangs.

Rice leads the nation in receiving yards with 982 and is tied for fifth in receptions with 62.

“He’s probably one of the most premier receivers in the country,” said UH defensive coordinator Doug Belk.

No other SMU receiver has more than 17 receptions or eclipsed 300 receiving yards.

In the backfield, the Mustangs have five running backs with over 100 yards rushing on the season led by junior Velton Gardner’s 277 yards on the ground. Tre Siggers, TJ McDaniel and Tyler Lavine have combined to score 13 of SMU’s 17 rushing touchdowns this season.

Struggles defensively are a large reason why SMU sits at 4-4 on the season. The Mustangs rank 105th nationally in yards allowed per game, giving up an average of 421.1 total yards.

While SMU has been solid against the pass, its rush defense has been one of the worst in the country. Through eight games, the Mustangs are allowing 201.9 yards on the ground per contest.

Key questions for UH

Will UH expose SMU’s poor run defense?

The ground game has been strong for the Cougars over their last two contests in a large part thanks to redshirt freshman running back Stacy Sneed’s 160 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries over that stretch.

Sneed and fellow freshman Brandon Campbell will likely see the majority of time in the backfield against the Mustangs but there is also a chance that senior Ta”Zhawn Henry, who had ankle surgery earlier in the season, returns and gets on the field.

With senior quarterback Clayton Tune playing lights out, winning three of the last four AAC’s Offensive Player of the Week awards, if UH can continue to get positive production on the ground it could make the Cougars offense nearly impossible to stop, resulting in a long night for the SMU defense.

Can the Cougars slow down Rashee Rice?

The SMU offense runs through Rice. If he gets going, the Mustangs are extremely difficult to stop.

Slowing down Rice will be a major focus for the UH defense and he will likely be double-teamed most of the night.

Responsibility will fall on the veterans in the UH secondary like cornerback Art Green and safety Hasaan Hypolite to limit Rice’s production.

If UH slows down Rice, the Cougars likely come away with the win.

How does UH match up with SMU?

Both offenses are high-powered and explosive meaning that this game will come down to which defense can get more stops and create turnovers.

The Cougars have the advantage defensively on paper as they are more balanced against both the run and pass compared to a Mustangs defense that has not stopped the run all year.

How to watch

The game is set to kick off at 6 p.m. and will air on NFL Network. It can also be listened to via radio on KPRC 950 AM.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“UH football: Previewing the lone star showdown against SMU” was originally posted on The Cougar