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The semester is finally behind us and summertime is here.

After a year of hard work and commitment, it is time to reward yourself by enjoying the summer as much as you can. While partaking in summer activities can sound expensive, it is possible to have fun while on a college student budget.

Here are some affordable activities you can enjoy this summer.

Visit the Houston Zoo

The Houston Zoo located within Hermann Park is a 55-acre park that houses over 6,000 permanent animals and is home to the UH’s mascot, Shasta. Visitors will also be able to see the Galápagos Islands exhibit, a conservation project where they can see the Humboldt penguins and California sea lions.

The zoo offers free admission to all UH students, just show your student ID at the ticket window.

Visit Museums in Houston

While Houston may not be known for its museums, there are plenty in the city that are worth exploring. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston offers free admissions on Thursdays and discounted $20 tickets to students who show their student ID.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science doesn’t offer any student discounts but offers free admission on a first come, first served basis on Tuesdays.

On Thursdays, the Holocaust Museum offers free admissions from 2-5 p.m., the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum offers free admissions from 1-5 p.m. and visitors can see the Health Museum for free from 2-7 p.m.

Go to a sporting event 

Home to the Houston Astros, students can get discounted tickets to baseball games through XNow verification to select games. In addition to this, affordable tickets can be purchased through ticket platforms such as Seat Geek and TickPick.

While Houston may not be a soccer town, professional men’s and women’s soccer teams are located at Shell Energy Stadium. You can purchase affordable tickets to see the women’s team, Houston Dash and the men’s team Houston Dynamo from their websites.

Partake in other activities

At Cidercade Houston, you can purchase a $12 ticket for an entire day of arcade games, at no additional costs. Located downtown, the place offers over 275 retro and modern games.

For a day of fun with family or friends, other activities such as mini-golfing and go-karting are also available at places such as US golf and games and Speedy’s Fast Track. 

For theater enthusiasts, students can enjoy discounted performances at the Alley Theater with a valid student ID. In addition to that, Houston Ballet offers $15 tickets to college students 90 mins prior to the start of the performance, at select shows.

Finally, spending an evening watching movies is a staple for summer vacations. Theaters such as AMC and Cinemark offer student discounts on movie tickets.

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“Affordable summer activities, places for college students” was originally posted on The Cougar

Despite the restrictions, protesters made their presence known by wearing red syntax gloves and chanting “UH your hands are red, 40,000 people are dead,” as the board members made their way outside the meeting room.| Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

On Wednesday afternoon, the UH System Board of Regents met at ​​UH-Downtown’s Travis and Milam Rooms for their quarterly meeting. 

However, the meeting was overshadowed by the Pro-Palestine protesters, who despite not being allowed in the room due to overcrowding, used the open forum to call on the board to divest from Israel. 

More than 100 protestors along with the members of the Students for Justice in Palestine HTX, were at the Board of Regents meeting urging the board to divest from weapons manufacturing companies that supply the Israeli military with weapons. 

“I’m sure you’re sick and tired of ways to find excuses to relinquish yourself from responsibility, but allow me to make it clear: Your students are sick and tired of you,” said SJP representative and computer science senior Reem Abdelaziz. “Your students are not convinced by your insincere explanation as to why your hands are tied.”

The seven student speakers along with a faculty member urged the board to “divest from death” and called on their morals to consider the issue at a future meeting. 

“President Renu, you continue to drive us forward and tell us to be among leading institutions,” said student and speaker Belal Salama. “It’s not about profitability, it’s about morals. I ask you, please, we need to be leading in our moral and ethical values.”

In addition to the calls for divest, the speakers also voiced their fear of how their freedom of expression was under attack, as they continued to be a voice against Israel. 

Palestinian-American student and recent graduate Leaila Hammad told the regents that despite being a recent graduate from the University, the accomplishment is just another grim reminder of how many of her family members will never graduate from kindergarten, let alone a university. 

“Not only has Israel stolen my family from me, they have stolen my right to even speak about my own pain through extensive lobbying across the US to smear anyone who condemns their actions as wrong,” Hammad said. “It’s an attack on our most basic American right, our freedom of speech and the University of Houston has been complacent in this attack when students decided to pitch a Gaza solidarity encampment. The university wasted no time to arrest student protesters.”  

Last week, two students were arrested at an encampment at UH that was dismantled by the police within hours of being set up. 

The Student Government Association passed two resolutions that have called on the University to divest funds from companies that provide and support Israel in its war on Palestine. 

The most recent resolution which was passed last week also condemned Texas’s governor Gregg Abbott’s executive order which singled out Pro-Palestine student organizations and mandated Texas universities to revise their free speech policy. 

Despite these resolutions, the board did not put any form of divestment resolution on their agenda. However, they did hear the students’ concerns and thanked them for their comments. 

“On behalf of the Board of Regents, I’d like to thank you all for coming forward today and addressing the board. Thank y’all for your input and being so respectful. We appreciate it,” said UH Chairman Tilman Fertitta. 

Although SJP has continued to urge the University to divest from weapons manufacturing companies that supply the Israeli military with weapons, Texas laws prohibit them from doing so. 

State law prohibits government entities from investing or entering contracts with companies that boycott Israel and certain energy companies as well as companies that discriminate against firearm and ammunition companies. 

“While we appreciate our students exercising their free speech on issues important to them, the divestment demands made by student organizations would be inconsistent with Texas law. These actions are not under consideration,” University spokesperson Kevin Quinn said. “Texas state agencies, including public universities, are forbidden from engaging in such boycotts or contracting with companies that do.”

No one was allowed in the meeting room except for the presenters and members of the board. The protesters and some members of The Cougar were in an overflow room due to limited seating in the meeting room, according to office personnel. 

More than 100 protestors along with the members of the Students for Justice in Palestine HTX, were at the Board of Regents meeting wearing “Free Palestine ” shirts or keffiyehs.|Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

There was an increased police presence at the meeting. However, they did not take any action against the protesters and just stood by. 

In addition to that, there were notices around the room advising the protesters that signs were not allowed in accordance with UH-Downtown, Freedom of Expression code PS 04.A.08. 

Despite the restrictions, the protesters made their presence known by wearing red syntax gloves and chanting “UH your hands are red, 40,000 people are dead,” as the board members made their way outside the meeting room. 

news@thedailycougar.com

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“UH Board of Regents meeting is met with Pro-Palestine protesters” was originally posted on The Cougar

Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar

Students for Justice in Palestine HTX are organizing a sit-in protest Wednesday to continue calls for the University to divest from weapons manufacturing companies that supply the Israeli military with weapons.  

The board meeting is where school officials make decisions that impact students day to day lives, so it is the perfect opportunity for students to make their voices heard, ​​said SJP representative and commuter science senior Reem, who chose to withhold their last name due to fear of retaliation.  

“This is whenever they can actually make decisions, respond to our resolutions regarding divestment. So, this is a protest that we are going to push and continue pushing for divestment no matter what excuses the university makes,” Reem said. 

The sit-in protest comes after multiple protests organized by SJP throughout the school year in a continued effort to get the University to divest. In addition to that, the group has also revived their Boycott, Divest and Sanctions campaign on campus. 

The University has invested over $7 million between 2016 and 2021 in weapons manufacturers such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Electric and Raytheon that have been complacent in funding Israel, according to a social media post by SJP. 

Despite calls from SJP for the University to divest from weapons manufacturing companies that supply the Israeli military with weapons, Texas law prohibits them from doing so. 

State law prohibits government entities from investing or entering contracts with companies that boycott Israel and certain energy companies as well as companies that discriminate against firearm and ammunition companies.

Last week, the Student Government Association passed a resolution that called on the University to divest UH funds from companies that provide and support Israel in their war on Palestine and condemned Texas’s governor Gregg Abbott’s executive order.  

“So, everything that we’ve been doing for the last few weeks for the last semester, it has all been trying to drive the university to add it and include it to the agenda,” Reem said. “And make it something that they actually have to face and acknowledge.” 

Although the resolution is not on the agenda for the meeting on Wednesday, SJP will use any avenues available to them to make their voices heard to the board members, Reem said. 

“We refuse that, we reject their role as representatives of the student making decisions financially for the university in the best interest of students, without actually listening to any of their students,” Reem said. “So, we will find every avenue to make them see that they are not acting in our best interests. That they are actively ignoring us and that they are trying to find ways to suppress us.” 

news@thedailycougar.com

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“SJP orchestrate sit-in protest prior to the Board of Regents meeting” was originally posted on The Cougar

UH Chairman Tilman Fertitta and President and Chancellor Renu Khator at the Board of Regents meeting on Feb.21. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

Prior to the upcoming Board of Regents meeting, the Student Fees Advisory Committee and the four person committee appointed by UH Chairman Tilman Fertitta, resolved the tabled issue regarding the budget proposal made by the student committee. 

The latest recommendations relocated a few student organizations to the University Center Fee, bolstering changes to Counseling and Psychological Services and additional compensation for current employees in CAPS, to help job retention rates in the department. UH Athletics will continue to maintain its budget at $1.5 million. 

“Our charge was very clear, we had to leave athletics fully funded at the $1.5 million level. We had to find a resolution, to find extra dollars within the student service fee to be reallocated,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Paul Kittle. 

The UH admin did budget analysis for different fees at the University and went back 10 years to look at previous budgets. The admin looked for changes that could be made in the funding sources, which would remain aligned with good accounting practices and current state legislation, Kittle said. 

“We shifted things off of student service fees and we moved them into other funding sources that were available within the university,” Kittle said. 

UH students pay $135 a semester to the UC Fee, which “supports the maintenance and operation of the University Center.” SFAC agreed to relocate the Center for Student Involvement, the Center for Student Advocacy & Community, the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life and the Center for Student Media, partly or fully under the UC Fee to free up funds for reallocations. 

Through the analysis, University admin were able to allocate approximately $1.6 million for SFAC to utilize.

“We actually gave the committee $100,000 more than what they were originally asking for. So, once we did that analysis, we found the dollars and we had the bandwidth to do it,” Kittle said. 

The latest budget allowed SFAC to allocate funds towards CAPS, something the committee and student body were both passionate about. There are a myriad of different reasons why mental health services on campus are important, said SFAC chair and mechanical engineering sophomore Yusuf Kadi. 

“There are a lot of new struggles and new challenges here in college and the importance of mental health services can’t be overstated,” Kadi said. “I think it’s pretty imperative that new students coming to campus receive adequate mental health support so that they’re successful in college.”

The funds would allow CAPS to hire two additional embedded counselors, three mobile crisis respondents, one JED coordinator and one clinical care coordinator. In addition to that, the committee was able to offer additional compensation to current staff members at CAPS, which aims to reduce turnover rates and increase employee retention. 

“We are continuing to staff up the counseling center, but we’re also adding licensed clinicians and other support and programmatic roles that will increase services to students in partnership with CAPS. But then beyond and outside of CAPS, I think you’ll see a much broader approach,” Kittle said. 

The new changes to CAPS come a year after two students committed suicide on campus, which sparked debate over the state of mental health on campus. President and Chancellor Renu Khator had pledged to increase student outposts for mental health services and created CoogsCare in response.

However, in February Khator rejected the original budget recommendations made by SFAC, which proposed a cut of $1.5 million from UH Athletics and diverted the funds to other student organizations. Student organizers on campus protested the rejection and voiced their concern about the lack of adequate mental health support on campus. 

Despite student complaints and a heated exchange with Kadi, Fertitta made it clear that Athletics will receive its funding no matter what. He then tabled the issue to allow a four person committee, consisting of Kadi, Kittle, Administration and Finance Vice Chancellor Raymond Bartlett and General Counsel Dona Cornell to come up with a solution. 

While athletics will continue to receive full funding, the original recommendation cut the money from the department due to lack of financial accountability for the funds they were receiving. However, the committee asked athletics for more accountability and transparency moving forward, Kadi said. 

“We did ask for athletics to meet SFAC reporting standards, from next year and years moving forward just so that there’s a standard across all the units for how to report, where you’re spending student fee money,” Kadi said. 

Despite hurdles, the new recommendation, which will be presented  to the board members by SFAC and UH admin, has been informally approved by Khator, according to Kadi. 

“Based on the talks that we’ve had with administrators, she’s already signed off informally on this proposal,” Kadi said. 

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“SFAC, UH Admin resolve budget proposal ahead of the Board of Regents meeting” was originally posted on The Cougar

Students protest and call for divestment on Friday, May 10. | Emma Christensen/The Cougar

Friday afternoon, Students for Justice in Palestine HTX organized a community prayer event and protest at the Butler Plaza in front of M.D. Anderson Library to build community support after the events of the encampment on Wednesday and continue to call for the University to divest.

The prayer was organized to bring the community together after two students were arrested at an encampment that was dismantled by the police, said SJP representative and commuter science senior Reem, who chose to withhold their last name due to fear of retaliation. 

“It’s about bringing our community together. After the horrific events that we experienced yesterday and the university’s violence against the students, it’s a way to regroup and re-ground ourselves,” Reem said. 

The Khutbah, which serves as a formal occasion for public preaching, was led by a local mosque priest, Sheikh Ammar Shukry. 

A protest swiftly followed the prayer and students chanted various statements including: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” “Free Free Free Palestine, occupation is a crime” and “Renu Renu, you can’t hide, you’re complacent in genocide.” 

It is important to demand that the University divest from weapons manufacturers and stop being complicit in genocide, said history senior Leo Green. 

“I am here protesting the university’s lack of transparency in where their funds are going and I am protesting the genocide in Gaza in Palestine right now,” Green said. 

The protests are a good way for the student body to engage and learn about the conflict in the Middle East and it’s important to hold UH accountable for their actions, Green said.

“I think it’s so important that this reaches as many people as possible because what is happening in the Middle East right now is absolutely abhorrent and the fact that we have a hand in it is inexcusable,” Green said. 

Last week, the Student Government Association passed a resolution that called on the University to divest UH funds from companies that provide and support Israel in their war on Palestine and condemned Texas’s governor Gregg Abbott’s executive order.  

Texas law prohibits government entities from investing or entering contracts with companies that boycott Israel and certain energy companies as well as companies that discriminate against firearm and ammunition companies.

SJP plans to sit in and attend the upcoming Board of Regents meeting on May 15 to call for the University to divest from weapons manufacturing companies that supply the Israeli military with weapons. 

“This is a protest that we are going to push and continue pushing for divestment no matter what excuses the university makes. And they have no right and liberty to create these decisions about their divestment without looking us in the face doing it,” Reem said. “They need to be able to actually face us as they sign on that we will actually continue investing in genocide.”

news@thedailycougar.com

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“SJP organizes community prayer, protest” was originally posted on The Cougar

Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar

Students get to enjoy a weekend in the “Frontier Fiesta City” right on campus, with the spring event right around the corner.

The student-led festival is the University’s oldest tradition. However, the weekend of fun comes from the hard work of the board’s yearlong efforts. The work to put on Frontier Fiesta goes from May to May, said public relations junior and Fiesta board chair, Bailey Payne.

“We usually get 13,000 to 15,000 attendees. So that’s a really big event and we need a lot of time to plan it. So, we have to start planning in the summer, which is super fun, a little stressful but super fun,” Payne said.

An eight-person board is in charge of putting together the entire weekend. From making reservations for performances, and security to food, these students work for the entire year to build the spring festival on campus. Each director on the board has a unique set of responsibilities that they need to fulfill for the event, Payne said.

The director of productions works with Greek Life organizations for their variety shows and performances. The marketing and carnival booths for Fiesta are overseen by the director of outreach. The fun events such as the mechanical bulls are taken care of by the director of special events. 

The director of development works with sponsors and looks over any organization that would want to table at Fiesta or donate money. The vice chair works on the scholarship as well as the volunteer opportunities at Fiesta while the chair oversees all the departments and represents the organization at the Student Fees Advisory Committee and stakeholder meetings, Payne said.

“Something that’s super unique about Fiesta is that every single one of the directors can look at Fiesta and be like, this is my piece that I did,” Payne said. “As well as look at it as a whole and be like, this is this huge thing that we all did together.”

The director of performances Calvin Pham is in charge of making sure that there are opening and headline acts throughout the weekend. Additionally, Pham works with the student program board to put on the Fiesta concert, arguably one of the highlights of the weekend.

“I’m on a committee of people who choose artists. So, we know that this artist specifically has been trending a lot on TikTok. So, because of good trends, we believe that they make a valuable selection,” Phan said.

On Friday, Fiesta and the Division of Student Affairs announced that the Atlanta-based rapper JID will be the headliner for the free annual concert at the Fertitta Center.

Besides the headliner, the theme for the weekend is, “In my Fiesta Era.” The board wanted to do something that was relevant to the current population and the ongoing era’s theme from Taylor Swift’s tour was a favorite from marketing meetings, Payne said.

“Taylor Swift inspired, but the theme is not Taylor Swift. The theme is just like being in your Fiesta era because I think the internet has kind of taken that turn and ran with it,” Payne said.

The three-day spring festival will be held from April 18-20 and students will be able to attend for free. The oldest tradition on campus is aimed at students to have fun and relax at the end of the school year.

“When you come out to Fiesta, don’t stress about finals, don’t stress about the end of school. Don’t stress about moving out, like just come and have a good time and be in your Fiesta era,” Payne said.

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“Behind the scenes: How Frontier Fiesta comes together” was originally posted on The Cougar

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In this week’s Ask The Cougar, Community Assistant Editor Atirikta Kumar answers some questions about early career advice, procrastination and anxiety.

How do I get A’s in my classes if I’m too lazy? Tips for combating procrastination please. 

While I don’t have any advice for you to get As in your classes when you’re lazy, I do have you covered when it comes to procrastination. Procrastination is my old and annoying friend. We know each other too well and that means over the years I have come up with ways to combat it. First, make a to-do list of everything you need to get done and cross off the easiest task first and then make your way through the list. Crossing off one item will give you momentum to keep going through the rest of the list.

Another tip is to break down the big intimidating tasks into smaller fractions. For example, if there is a semester-long research project you have to do, it can be a recipe for epic procrastination tactics. It’s easier to break down the work by dividing the work you have to do.

One of my least favorite yet effective ways I have found to keep myself accountable is to put time limits on my social media apps. If I’m unable to use the apps, I am less likely to procrastinate while scrolling through TikTok. Having study buddies to work with can also help to keep you on track and not swerve off the road and procrastinate.

Good luck with the rest of the semester.

How can you move on after been ghosted? 

Hello anon, I’m so sorry that this happened to you. Not knowing why someone you’ve been talking to for so long suddenly disappears is hard. I’m sorry I wish I could tell you why people ghost, sometimes people just suck and they do things that might not make sense to you. But most of the time it’s a reflection of their actions and not necessarily something you did.

Having anxiety is difficult, sometimes it’s difficult to navigate relationships with it, especially when it’s with someone who you hardly know. I think it’s best to manage your anxiety through either exercise or doing something that makes you happy and keeps your mind off of this. In addition to that, if someone only adds on to your anxious feelings, then maybe it’s better to evaluate if they are someone you want to keep in your life.

The best way to move on is to do things that make you happy. Spend time with your family and friends, watch your favorite TV shows, and invest your energy in things that help with your anxiety.

I hope I could help; hope you feel better soon.

What advice do you have for graduating seniors/any early career advice?

Hi, congratulations on your upcoming graduation! My biggest advice for graduating seniors is to take one day at a time. Leaving school is a big step and even if you have been living on your own during your undergraduate years, chances are you’ll still be overwhelmed with the changes in your life. Take a deep breath and don’t leap into big decisions, rather take one step at a time.

As for your career, if you have a job already lined up for you, make connections within your new workplace. Talk to your new coworkers and build relationships at your job. These people will be a part of your day-to-day life for the foreseeable future, being friendly will make your experience better. If you do not have a job yet, don’t stop the grind. Keep applying for jobs and reach out to professionals in your field to network.

I hope I could help and I wish you the best of luck in your future career and life.

editor@thedailycougar.com

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“Ask the Cougar: Dealing with being ghosted, procrastination, graduation” was originally posted on The Cougar

Students gathered outside the Starbucks in the Student Center South to protest the University’s support for Israel in December. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

Editor’s note: The article has been updated with a statement from the University.

As the conflict in Gaza continues, university campuses across the globe are reeling with the effects of the international conflict. 

Last month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order instructing state universities to revise their free speech policies to address what his office calls a rise in the “acts of antisemitism in institutions of higher education.”

“Texas supports free speech, especially on university campuses, but that freedom comes with responsibilities for both students and the institutions themselves,” the executive order stated. 

The executive order singled out pro-Palestine student organizations, namely the Palestine Solidarity Committee and Students for Justice in Palestine, and said that the organizations should be disciplined for violating these policies. Expulsion from colleges should be considered appropriate punishment for violations, Abbott said. 

Despite this, the University’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine HTX will not stop advocating for Palestine’s liberation, said SJP representative and art history graduate student Frances, who chose to withhold their last name due to fear of retaliation. 

“We will not secede to these repression and fear tactics as we understand that the movement for the liberation of Palestine is far greater than any fear tactics that the governor could employ,” Frances said. 

According to Frances, students across the state have raised their voices in support of Palestine’s liberation and support the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement and the executive order is a way to crack down on these very voices.

“This executive order is an attack on the free speech rights, on the grounds of Palestine. It is not an attack on free speech rights for only the sake of free speech,” Frances said. “But it is an attack on free speech because of the material change that is coming out of students that are calling for BDS in regard to Palestine.”

In an Instagram post, SJP HTX asked students to participate in a mass email campaign to UH and South Texas College of Law administrators, urging them to protect the students right to assembly and speech on campuses. In addition to that, they asked that students continue to show solidarity with the movement.   

While Abbott’s claim that free speech “comes with responsibilities,” is all good and well, the executive order seeks to limit the power of pro-Palestine  groups on campus, according to Middle Eastern studies program director Emran El-Badawi. 

“In reality the executive order seeks to both limit and censor speech on campus, especially with respect to speech that draws attention to the ongoing massacre of Palestinians by Israel in its war on Gaza,” El-Badawi said.

The executive order requires all public state universities to update their free speech policies to address antisemitic speech and establish appropriate punishments, including expulsion. In addition, it mandates that these policies are enforced and include the definition of antisemitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, said assistant political science professor Michael Kistner. 

“While the executive order named two Palestinian student orgs specifically — Palestine Solidarity Committee and Students for Justice in Palestine, stating that they should be disciplined for violating policies. What this means in practice for Palestinian student orgs depends on what changes the universities themselves choose to make and how they enforce them,” Kistner said. 

Abbott has always been a strong supporter of Israel, he even traveled to Israel in November to show Texas’s support for the country. The state has anti-boycott laws that prohibit state agencies and government entities from contracting with businesses that boycott Israel. 

In a statement, Abbott said that the executive order will ensure that college campuses are “safe spaces for the Jewish community.” The latest memorandum also came close to a year after the state dismantled university’s diversity, equity and inclusion offices with anti-DEI laws. 

“The latest executive order takes place in a larger context where conservative politicians and legislatures are attacking the identity and ideas of the younger generation of students and so called ‘liberal-minded’ professors, including in matters such as race, gender and tenure,” El-Badawi said.

Abbott has not commented on if and how the state will protect pro-Palestine students, who have received increased threats of harassment and threats since the war started. 

According to the memorandum, the University Board of Regents has 90 days to report their revised speech and disciplinary policies to the state. 

The University is aware of the Governor’s executive order and will add additional language as necessary to our policies to comply with Executive Order GA-44, however, nothing changes right now said university spokesperson Bryan Luhn. 

“Our commitment to free speech and free expression is not changing: We are committed to fostering a learning environment where free inquiry and expression are encouraged,” Luhn said. “The University recognizes and supports the constitutional rights of free speech and peaceful assembly. The University encourages all who engage in expressive activity to do so safely and in a manner that respects the rights of others with differing opinions.”

Despite the push back from the state, SJP said they will keep pushing forward with their demands for justice, equality and freedom in Palestine and their BDS campaign on campus. 

“Especially considering the fact that this executive order comes during an ongoing genocide. We will not allow this executive order to freeze our actions because we understand that our campaign for freedom, justice and equality for Palestine is something that cannot secede to any pressure tactics by the state,” Frances said. 

news@thedailycougar.com

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“‘Limit and censor’: Texas’ recent executive order raises concerns among experts, activists” was originally posted on The Cougar

The Democratic candidate is running to unseat incumbent Tom Oliverson, who has held this seat since 2017. With a progressive vision for his political future, Robinson first thought of running for office because of the on-going abortion controversy in the state. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

While most graduate students would be focused on their classes and midterms, some are already preparing for their future. One such student is public administration graduate student and former UH mascot Brett Robinson, who is running for Texas House District 130.

The Democratic candidate is running to unseat incumbent Tom Oliverson, who has held this seat since 2017. With a progressive vision for his political future, Robinson first thought of running for office because of the on-going abortion controversy in the state.

“It started when the whole, abortion debate was happening in Texas. I wanted to know what my representative was doing about it because not all Republicans were for it,” Robinson said.

Oliverson, an anesthesiologist, is the co-author of the Heartbeat Act. The law bans any kind of abortion after six weeks — a period during which many women may not even be aware they are pregnant. The law took effect in 2021 and made no exceptions for rape or incest.

After seeing that Oliverson was running unopposed, Robinson made the decision to run against him.

“I looked up to see if he had a challenger in 2022 and he did not. And I was like ‘ok, I’m gonna make sure he’s got somebody against him next time.’” Robinson said. “So, when 2024 came along I had my papers ready to file.”

While there are core principal values between Republican and Democrats, Robinson said that current Republicans in power are not representing the voters in District 130.

“It is a reality in Texas that, a 14-year-old girl, if she is raped and becomes pregnant, she will face a harsher penalty for getting an abortion than her rapists will,” Robinson said. “That’s just a reality under their leadership. It’s just one example that shows you how unserious they are.”

While abortion is one of Robinson’s major focuses, public school education funding is another important thing he has been campaigning for.

School vouchers have become a hot topic in the state. Gov. Greg Abbott has been insistent on passing a voucher bill that has previously been defeated in the state legislature. However, many school voucher supporter candidates emerged victorious in this year’s primaries.

“I am for public education and that I would vote against vouchers,” Robinson said.

In his role as the Vice President of the UH Democrats, Robinson said that he learned how to engage young Democrats at a grassroots level. In addition, campaign work such as block walking and voter registration drives come naturally to Robinson now — thanks to his previous experience working for numerous campaigns such as Adrian Garcia’s, Robinson said.

“A lot of people are scared to block walk. They don’t want to knock on doors, especially with people that might disagree with them. There are safety concerns but I enjoy it. I like it very much. I like talking to people,” he said.

Moreover, Robinson thinks he does a good job at communicating with and being able to reach common ground solutions with Republicans and talk to them.

“I mean, I say this all the time, if you’re worried, I’m going to take your rights away or whatever, I’m 24 years old. I wouldn’t be knocking on your door if I was going to take your rights away,” Robinson said.

Bipartisan work is the key to providing solutions for issues Texan’s care about the most. Making reproductive freedom a big focus of the election, Robinson said that if elected he would be a wake-up call for republicans in the state legislature.

“If I do win, it’s going to be a wakeup call for all the Republicans in the legislature. If they’re not listening to their constituents on this issue, they’re going to reap the consequences,” Robinson said.  “And if I’m elected, I will be a constant reminder of that.”

The general election will be held Nov. 5 and the last day to register to vote is Oct. 7.

news@thedailycougar.com

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“Former Shasta running for Texas House, hopes to unseat incumbent” was originally posted on The Cougar

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TikTok, the popular social media platform could soon be banned in the U.S. The China-based parent company, ByteDance, has once again attracted concerns of national security and foreign influence from U.S. officials. 

On March 13, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the bill with a vote of 352-65. The bill, called Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, was passed through the Energy and Commerce Committee by a 50-0 vote earlier this month. 

The legislation requires TikTok to either divest from ByteDance or be banned nationwide. Officials in Congress cited concerns about TikTok’s influence and security risks and wants the app to be sold to another entity altogether, political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus said. 

“Congress is worried that the app is tracking individual movements and potentially raises security risks for people using it,” Rottinghaus said. 

Despite President Joe Biden stating he would sign the bill if it gets to his desk, Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign recently joined TikTok.  According to Rottinghaus, the legislation poses a potential political risk to the administration’s re-election bid. 

“I think there’s a political risk for the President in signing a bill that would ban TikTok. It’s a very popular entity and it’s always dicey to take peoples privileges and rights away, especially in the election year,” Rottinghaus said.

In 2020, former President Donald Trump attempted to ban the app through an executive order. However, courts blocked the move after TikTok sued. 

If the bill is passed, ByteDance would have 180 days to find another buyer for TikTok before the app is effectively banned. Although the sale could be a complicated process. 

Some view the potential ban as a product of a generational disconnect. While members of Congress have data from intelligence services, young staffers and lobbyists who are talking to them, they might not be fully familiar with apps like TikTok, Rottinghaus said.

“This is a real time ramification for not electing younger people to Congress. That is, Congress is less in touch with a lot of the newer technological changes than they have been in the past, and those limitations will be on full display when they make decisions that might be kind of less than fully informed,” Rottinghaus said. 

The bill could be challenged on the grounds of restricting free speech. According to The Washington Post, a company spokesperson said that the bill would strip 170 million Americans of their right to free expression. 

For media production senior Hannah Bittick, the legislation is yet another example of misplaced priorities within the U.S. House of Representatives. 

“Instead of banning a social media app, how about instead they turn all the focus on the violations of human rights in states,” Bittick said. “All the harmful abortion bans or anti-trans and other anti LGBTQ laws. How about they focus on all the school shootings instead?” 

While divestment from ByteDance could mean selling the app to a U.S.-based company, the bill mandates a “qualified divestiture” as something only the president can determine. The bill would also allow the president to create a process to designate certain social media apps “subject to the control of a foreign adversary,” leaving room for other apps to be targeted as well. 

“The fear is that there’s a slippery slope, where if you ban one social media app for some particular reason, it could cascade into other kinds of bans,” Rottinghaus said. 

This bill also takes away jobs from people who make an income through the app. Bittick, like many others, makes an income through TikTok and said that the bill also takes away jobs from people who make an income through the app.

“They’re taking away freedom of speech from millions of users on the app.  They are also taking away jobs from people that make income on the app, myself included,” Bittick said. “Not only influencers but small businesses and companies as well.”

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“TikTok ban could be ‘slippery slope,’ says expert” was originally posted on The Cougar