American Sign Language junior Taylor Coleman owned one of more than 40 cars and trucks that were broken into at the Campus Vue parking garage Tuesday. | Greg Fails/The Cougar

Like most Campus Vue residents, finance freshman Cameron Deloach started his second day of school with a warning from his friends to check his car.

His Subaru BRZ was one of more than 40 vehicles in the apartment’s parking garage that were broken into overnight. 

“They ripped out my stereo and went through all my compartments and everything,” Deloach said. “They actually jammed (the gear shift) back into fourth gear to get the radio out.”     

Deloach said the cost to replace his window and speaker could be up to $1,000. He believes the figure may be higher if there is any damage to the transmission.

Chemical engineering sophomore Danielle Hoffmeyer, who had a window on her Honda Accord smashed and a backpack stolen, joined Deloach in talking to HPD this afternoon and questioned how security at the Campus Vue was not aware of these incidents.

American Sign Language junior Taylor Coleman said she’ll most likely pay $360 to repair the damages to her vehicle. Though not angry, she spotted concerning signs at the residence hall during move-in.

“I went down (to find) a gatekeeper, and kept checking, but the gate wasn’t locked,” Coleman said. “I don’t want to complain, but I might as well because the staff was friendly but not helpful.”

Deloach and other Campus Vue residents pointed out the lack of security cameras — there is only one in the garage, where there was also a string of break-ins last week.

“That was (the thieves’) trial run. They were practicing, seeing if we had a response. There was no response, and now they come in with a whole crew,” Deloach said. “They know exactly what they’re after and they know they can steal it from anybody. This isn’t just some bullshit crew that’s just out in the neighborhood.”

Campus Vue declined to comment, although employees at their office have told residents that there will be heightened security.

Hoffmeyer and Deloach said that despite the promises they are considering moving from Campus Vue. They can’t, however, due to leasing obligations.

The Cougar has reached out to the Houston Police Department for comment.

Gabe LaBounty contributed to the reporting of this story.

news@thedailycougar.com

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“BREAKING: Burglars strike dozens of cars at off-campus apartment” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

Joel Osteen’s services are also streamed online on Lakewood Church’s official website. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Televised preaching does not, at all, fall in line with original Christian teachings.

While it does reach and inspire a massive audience, one of the primary perks of attending a church is that it helps one create relationships with the community around them. This is nullified if one stays at home and reaches out to God through the television.

Televangelism is something that has been rapidly growing across the U.S. since the 1950s when televisions began appearing in more and more households. Now, churches such as Houston’s Lakewood Church and its primary minister Joel Osteen have managed to turn their services into multimedia, internationally broadcast spectacles.

As someone who was raised Catholic, I couldn’t help but notice that televised services seem like some sort of show or performance. The opening of a Sunday service at Lakewood on Aug. 7 consisted of a 30-minute band performance and accompanying light show so impressive I forgot that I was watching something occur in a place of worship.

The Hartford Institute for Religion Research classified Lakewood as a megachurch, meaning it has an average weekly attendance of 2000 or more people. Osteen’s website states that 7 million Americans watch his services weekly and 20 million monthly. Sounds like a rock star who has found his perfect venue.

It also seems like the common style of televised preachers is “pray/hope for good things and you’ll be rewarded, and everything that you wanted will become a reality.” That’s nothing similar to many biblical teachings.

As much as there were miracles and good things happening in the Bible, there was just as much — if not more — struggle and strife in it.

Here’s my general gist of church: believe and attend. This is so that you’re covered in the afterlife and don’t end up hanging out with Satan for your post-life existence. It’s not about raising your hands high enough and singing as loud as you can every week so that all your wishes in life come true.

Unless someone is physically unable to attend church, there isn’t much of a reason for them watch church on television. All pastors must be good at their jobs, otherwise they wouldn’t have a congregation at all. 

Church services have the power to unify people and spread positive values and outlooks on life. But it is hard to perform your purpose when you deliver the message to people through a television.

Assistant opinion editor Thomas Dwyer is a broadcast journalism freshman and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

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“Small-screen sermonizing cheapens power of churches” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

Boxer Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Clay, had strongly-held Sunni Islam beliefs. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Belief will get an athlete far, be it toward a golden career or betterment in life.

Take a look at some of the sporting luminaries crediting faith as the drive for them to win every match in-competition and conquer every minute as an ordinary person.

Stephen Curry’s opening statement of his 2015 NBA MVP speech:

“This is a tremendous honor. First and foremost, I have to thank my Lord and savior Jesus Christ for blessing me with the talents to play this game, with a family to support me day in and day out. I’m his humble servant right now and I can’t say it enough how important my faith is to how I play the game. I’m just blessed and I’m thankful for where I am.”

Sugar Land-native Simone Manuel on becoming the first African-American to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming:

“All I can say is all glory to God, it’s definitely been a long journey these last four years. And I’m just so blessed to have a gold medal.”

Former Houston Cougar and NBA champion Hakeem Olajuwon on rededicated himself to his Islamic faith following the 1988-1989 season:

“I would arrive at the mosque after practice each day and I would pray and study, and before I knew it, it was eight at night. I was trying to memorize some of the chapters and verses of the Quran in the beautiful rhythmic tone in which it is recited properly. My time became very valuable to me, there weren’t enough hours in the day to read. I had found a community, and I felt completely at home.”

Tiger Woods’ public apology after his sex addiction was exposed worldwide:

“People probably don’t realize this, but I was raised a Buddhist and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside of ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught.”

Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL running back Ricky Williams on his unique faith:

“Religions are something that were developed based on culture. The religions are many, but God is one. I believe based on what I’ve studied, all religions say the same thing but in different ways. I really enjoy learning about different religions and different ways of doing things and different ways of looking at the world. Some people would consider the occult a religion or the mechanism behind religion. It’s using words and using your thoughts to create an internal reality.”

The late Muhammad Ali’s message to his daughter, Hana, before his passing:

“There is only one true religion, and that is the religion of the heart. God never named it Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc. Man gave the titles, and that’s what separates and divides us. My dream is to one day see a world that comes together to fight for one cause — the human cause.”

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“Glory in the game: Faith as agent for athletes’ success” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

Religion plays a necessary role in society and politics by providing a moral benchmark and bringing purpose and glee to an otherwise ignorant and evil society. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Everyone is always looking for something: to be a better person, make a difference or a sense of happiness.

There is an inherent need in humans to look to something higher and greater than us to fulfill whatever void holds our lives, whether that higher power may be. Money, government, power or God.

There is an inherent beauty in all religion, as it brings meaning to a seemingly devoid life. When we are born, we are nothing more than a small being with no power, future and meaning. Just a body.

But what is life without meaning? Humans have 100 years, possibly, to make use of our body, and religion gives us a chance to make our life worth living.

You see, the necessity of religion is that no matter what you’re looking for, it fills you up. Religion makes life better.

If you’re looking to be a better person, you find a reason to be a better person, you find a way to be a better person. If you’re looking to make a difference, you find a way to make a difference through service or helping others find a better life. If you’re looking for happiness, religion is there to give you something to believe, to be happy about.

Even at your times when you’re most down, religion is there.

Religion helps guide society, and the individuals in that society, to something greater. To best understand this, George Washington once said, “Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

If we trust in the government and society to make what is legal or moral, we come to the point of societal downfall. We no longer have a benchmark to look towards.  

The world is a dark and dangerous place — just look at news in the past month. As we scour the earth to find a sliver of meaning that made all the suffering worth it, religion gives us a reason to keep travelling through the darkest of nights.

Find meaning, find religion.

Opinion columnist Jorden Smith is a political science junior and president of the College Republicans. He can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

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“The inherent beauty and necessity that is religion” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

Fortune paper, fortune stick and moon blocks are divination tools that have been around since the Jin Dynasty in China from A.D. 265 to 420. | Nguyen Le/The Cougar

Let poems and wooden pieces reveal your future.

Whether it is the Chinese New Year, Vesak or some free time on a Wednesday, the Pien Hou Temple in Third Ward serves as a place for worshipers to reach out to the goddess Mazu, the bodhisattva Guanyin, the Jade Emperor and other guardians. You can also ask them if you will be doing OK in the coming times (usually the rest of the year) through “kau cim,” a practice that can be translated to “asking for fortune sticks.”

There are two ways for you to ask: simple or formal. Both are acceptable, and will require you to light incenses and share prayers to the deities and guardians that populate the temple first.

Simple

On the table in front of the Mazu, there will be number of cylindrical bamboo tubes with a plethora of flattened sticks. These are the “cim buckets.”

Pick a bucket of your liking, hold it in your head and start praying. Silently and truthfully tell the deity your name, age and wish. It is human nature to want many things, but for this occasion taking your most important wish to the front of the line is recommended.

Now bend the bucket away from your body and gently shake it until a stick falls out. Memorize the number on the stick that is written the painted end of the stick.

No two sticks will have the same number. At Pien Hou Temple, there are a total of 103 sticks or 103 fortunes.

Find the fortune with the corresponding number, which will be in the form of a yellow piece of paper. On it will be a poem, written in Chinese and translated into Sino-Vietnamese (Vietnamese words with Chinese origins) and Vietnamese, that will tell the condition of your year.

The temple usually has a supervisor who will be more than happy to give you the English version of your fortune. Ringing up your Vietnamese friend would also be great.

There are three types of fortune that you can get. “Xâm Thượng” means great, “Xâm Trung” equals to mediocre and “Xâm Hạ” refers to bad. Since there is no range for each type, the fortune you receive this year will be different to the next.

The goddess Mazu, who is popular among Taoists and Buddhists, is known to grant protection to those who traverse the seas. | Nguyen Le/The Cougar

Formal

Right next to the cim buckets will be “jiaobei blocks,” also known as “moon blocks” due to their appearance. They are used in pairs, to be thrown and, depending on their formation when they hit the ground, offer a “yes” or “no” answer.

Once you have received a stick, hold the blocks in your hand and quietly ask the deity for permission to get the stick. Now let go.

A “yes” answer would be when there is one block with its flat side down and the other in the air. This resembles the yin and yang in Chinese culture. If a “no” is given, place the stick back into the bucket and ask for another one.

Since this process can be time-consuming, you can also just use the moon blocks to ask for what you wish for. Again, one thing at a time is preferred, and three queries in total are best.

Don’t forget to rephrase your wish from a statement to a question, from “I want to get an A in my statistics class” to “Will I get an A in my statistics class this semester?”

The Vietnamese temples I have visited in Houston all offer tools for “kau cim” to visitors, which is interesting since this practice isn’t found in Buddhist temples back in Ho Chi Minh City.

It is fine to view “kau cim” as a fun activity without higher meaning. It is also fine to receive a bad fortune as well since it will let you be more aware of yourself and the surroundings.

As with all faiths, foreboding moments are temporary, and should be regarded as guidance rather than threats.

editor@thedailycougar.com

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“Know your fortune through verses and moon blocks” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

Music can be a great way to connect with your spiritual side, even if it’s not overtly religious music. | File photo/The Cougar

Faith can be expressed artistically — verses, murals and, in this case, music.

Take note of the playlist below. Add these songs to your library to keep the higher power close to you.

Marvin Sapp — Never Would Have Made It

In this song, Sapp credits God for shaping him into a wiser person today. The singer rejoices that he “made it through my storm and my test, because you were there too carry me through my mess.” Sapp said the song came to him after his father passed away. R&B singer Ciara, who lost her grandfather to cancer, would listen to “Never Would Have Made It” to overcome her grief.

Boston Trinity Church — Amazing Grace

Penned by the reformed John Newton in 1779 while braving an especially treacherous storm, the classic hymn erupted from the crowd at Boston Trinity Church during their June 13 vigil for the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting.

Yolanda Adams — Open My Heart

Adams opens up to God and asks for guidance in times of grey skies and uncertainty. “I know you’re the only one who can pull me through, so I need to talk to you,” she said in this soulful, soothing tune.

Brand New — Jesus Christ

From the point of view of someone who has given up their faith and is uncertain as to whether they can be saved, the narrator of this track poignantly expresses the struggles of accepting salvation. “I’m scared I’ll get scared, and I swear I’ll try to nail you back up,” the band sung at one point.

Hank Williams — I Saw the Light

The inverse of Brand New’s Jesus Christ, Williams croons about when Jesus came to him “like a stranger in the night.” Throwing off his past of blunders and aimless wanderings, Williams rejoices in his newfound life of faith. The song is also the title of the biopic starring Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen that was released in March.

Neutral Milk Hotel — King of Carrot Flowers Parts 1 & 2

This two-part opener from the band’s Anne Frank-inspired magnum opus poetically displays the absolute power that belief can bring into someone’s heart. In an epic climax in part two, the narrator exclaims “Jesus Christ I love you yes I do” while running through the streets.

Queen — Jesus

Though raised a Zoroastrian, Freddie Mercury expresses the charisma of a lifelong believer in this underrated Queen track. With a gospel hook and sweeping guitar solo, the song shows that despite differences in belief anyone can get caught up in worship.

Memphis May Fire — The Sinner

Sometimes the search for faith can be intense and this song exemplifies that. Here, vocalist Matty Mullins literally screaming for the help of his God by saying, “Keep me close, keep my head above water, I need to hear your voice, I can’t do this on my own.”

Lupe Fiasco — Muhammad Walks

Faith is a broad concept populated by a wide spectrum of religions and ideologies all equally legitimate as the next. Case in point: “Muhammad Walks” by Muslim rapper Lupe Fiasco, a song which tells listeners that “Hijab, Sunday clothes, Yamika, Kuffi, same mission beneath.”

We Are The World — Michael Jackson

Religion and faith are two of the most powerful forces in the world with the potential to inspire great war and great peace. In the words of the King of Pop, despite our differences in belief, we must come together because “As God has shown us by turning stone to bread, so we all must lend a helping hand.”

arts@thedailycougar.com

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“Religious songs to raise listeners’ spirits” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

The Rothko Chapel offers an unrivaled experience on several levels that can appeal to even those who don’t consider themselves religious. | Nguyen Le/The Cougar

The longer I gazed at the towering portraits, the deeper my mind slipped into thoughts of eternity.

The more I lingered, sitting in front of the paintings in solitude, the more quickly the moments flew by, like shooting stars in the galaxy of my mind.

Sounds like an excerpt from a sci-fi novel, right? Good guess, but these were just my thoughts after first setting foot in the meditative space of the Rothko Chapel, located in Montrose and directly next to the Menil Collection.

John and Dominique de Menil, who also founded the Menil Collection, commissioned the interfaith chapel. Its doors were opened in February 1971.

Its interior is dedicated to the work of abstract expressionist Mark Rothko through 14 colossal portraits.

But the chapel is devoted to something more than artwork, although the paintings surely play a definitive role in its purpose. An article from NPR revealed that the de Menils envisioned creating the chapel as a place for people to unite through their common humanity.

“(It is) a gathering place of people who are not just going to debate and discuss theological problems, but who are going to meet because they want to find contact with other people,” Dominique de Menil said.

Before the octagonal brick chapel was completed, Rothko had finished the art that is now on the walls. The artist never got to see the final project: He committed suicide in 1970, which was a year before the establishment’s opening.

His art speaks for itself, however. Each painting is dark in both mood and color, an attribute uncharacteristic for Rothko’s other, lighter work.

The paintings, the largest of which stands 15 feet by 11 feet, appear monochromatic at first glance. A closer look will unveil an overlay of pigment and alternating hues. They give off an almost tangible depth that adds to the sensation, and even a sense of obligation, to go deeper into thought, prayer or worship.

The chapel’s inclusive notion is visible throughout. Before coming in to the foyer, holy books like the Bible, the Quran, the Kordeh Avesta (Zoroastrianism) and the Bhagavad-Gita (Hinduism) are neatly displayed and arranged. Each year, over 90,000 people seek peace and worship in the Rothko Chapel, according to their website.

Many people have been impacted spiritually and mentally by the atmosphere and art of the chapel. Visitors are encouraged to record their unique experience in an extensive comments book upon exiting.

The de Menils’ vision for a space of open congregation for those all faiths, or those without it, is beautifully realized and commemorated in this piece of living Houston history.

So take an hour – or two, or three – and get lost discovering the beauty and depth of the Rothko Chapel.

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“Artistry, universality are the gifts of Rothko Chapel” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

The A.D. Bruce Religion Center hosts a variety of worship services and activities for every religion represented at the university. | File photo/The Cougar

As you will definitely notice, UH knows how to cook up events that will get you hype up for the rest of the semester.

But should you be in need for gatherings of the quieter and more religious kind — don’t worry, the University has got you covered. Have a look at a few of the events below.

Baptist Student Ministry

Breakfast and Prayer

8 to 11 a.m., Aug. 22 to 25

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“On-campus religious events to provide fellowship, clarity” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

To some, sports are merely entertainment, but to others, they are much more than that, providing an almost spiritual experience. | File photo/The Cougar

On Sundays, some services take place in churches, some in mosques, some in nature — and some in front of 80,000 screaming fans in a football stadium.

Sports are intertwined into the fabric of so many cultures, including our own. Take, for example, the sport of football and the National Football League. The NFL has sowed its seeds on a day that is often attributed to one of worship,and it has reaped one of the most lucrative businesses in the country.

According to Forbes, the NFL is estimated to generate just more than $13 million in revenue in 2016.  That’s not to say that religion and sports fandom are at odds, but rather that they are so closely intertwined that sports is almost a religion all its own.

In different groups, this manifests in different ways. In the south of the U.S., especially Texas, high school and college football dominate the sports landscape.

To the north and the east, you find a land where basketball reigns supreme. A little further north and it’s all about hockey. Take a trip across the Atlantic or below the Texas-Mexico border, and another kind of football, often called “The World’s Game” or “soccer” in the U.S., is the lifeblood of the people.

Even among demographics, there are trends. Among the younger people, e-sports are starting to rise and compete on the same level as conventional sports as far as viewership, and that market is only continuing to surge.

In 2014, the championships for a particularly popular e-sport, “League of Legends,” drew 27 million viewers and is the second-highest for any sporting event that year behind only the Super Bowl. This was, however, at a huge disparity, with 112.2 million viewers tuning in to see the new champions of the football world crowned.

That said, some of the events that the e-sports finale did beat in viewership are as prestigious as The Masters, the NBA Finals, the World Series and the Stanley Cup Finals.

But the infatuation with sports hits even harder when there’s the emotional tie of a family member on the field or the pride of an alma mater at stake. It can be a source of exhilaration or bitter disappointment in an almost inexplicable way.

To some, sports are entertainment, a hobby or something to get their kids out of the house two nights a week and run off all that energy. But for a portion of the population, it’s so much more than that.

This is no more evident than on Sunday mornings. The stadium is their church, the players are their heroes of biblical proportion and the gods are just as incomprehensible as those of any other faith.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Sports are a form of religion” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

Tandoori Nite’s saag paneer, or spinach with cheese, is best paired with the provided basmati rice and naan. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Living on campus can be a struggle, especially if you have dietary restrictions such as consuming strictly halal or kosher products.

For some, that may even be the reason they avoid living on campus. If you aren’t vegetarian, but are forced to temporarily become one due to the lack of food variety offered on campus, living in one of the residence halls probably isn’t worth it.

Thank goodness we go to UH, where halal and kosher options are all around campus.

Bullritos

Meet your competitor, Chipotle. Never mind, the match is over and Bullritos wins because it offers halal food on request. This place serves amazing tacos, burritos, and bowls. Located next to The Nook, Bullritos is a convenient walk from class. They also have free ice cream.

Tandoori Nite

This is the only on-campus restaurant that offers a completely halal menu. Located in the University Center Satellite Food Court, Tandoori Nite is open from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m, Monday through Thursday. Whether you are craving flavorful ethnic food with an abundance of masala or something spicy to please your taste buds, welcome to the perfect lunch spot.

Fresh Food Company in Moody Towers

This on-campus dining hall has opened a station just for halal, gluten-free food. Goodbye, bland salad, fries and soda. Have a meal plan? You may enter. Don’t have a meal plan? Enter, too — just pay at the door.

Crisp Doner Café and The Kebap Crew

These two food trucks often take shifts throughout the week. As if Houston isn’t hot enough, they bring the hottest kababs to town. The Crisp Doner Café Food Bus serves German street food with Turkish origins. The Kebap Crew offers a variety of halal chiken and beef shish kebabs galore with rice and veggies on the side. A heavenly pairing indeed.

Chopped N Smoked Halal BBQ Food Truck

This halal barbecue joint fulfills so many cravings that we often have, and it is within our very own campus. This food truck serves smoked brisket, ribs and beef sandwiches along with healthy sides of beans, coleslaw and potato salad. Don’t forget the signature barbecue sauce that will intensify all these delicious flavors.

Cougar Xpress Markets in the Student Center, Cougar Village and Calhoun Lofts

We understand the random cravings college students have throughout the day. If you ever feel the urge to snack on some kosher SkinnyPop popcorn, chocolate-covered fruit snacks or Golden Oreos, Cougar Xpress is the nearest campus convenience store to sprint to. In case you are looking for “real food,” you can even find here prepared meals like a Korean-style taco with halal chicken, or halal chicken tikka masala served with basmati rice.

Coreanos

Austin’s culinary scene is taking over Houston! No matter, as long as we get good food, who cares? Coreanos food truck claims to serve “Mexican cuisine with Korean in between,” and it is quickly gaining popularity. They will serve halal meat on request. You can find everything from Korean barbecue tacos to hot dogs and fries here.

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“Search for halal, kosher eats is made easy at UH” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar