Jose Gonzalez Campelo/The Cougar

Wednesday, the UH System Chancellor and University President Renu Khator delivered her annual fall address. 

Khator highlighted the University’s achievements, new initiatives and discussed a bold future for UH. 

In the “most exciting news of the year,” UH now ranks No. 70 in the list of the 2024 Top Public Universities. Jumping 21 positions  — from 91 to 70 — in just one year, according to the U.S. News and World Report Rankings. UH ranks No.133 among all public and private universities. 

“Our progress is noteworthy as it has made us one of the nation’s most transformed universities but we cannot rest here,” said Khator. “Our goal is to ensure that at least 75% of our freshmen are graduating within six years.”

In comparison to graduation rates among schools with similar demographics, the drop-out rate is better by approximately 2% at the University, which is currently at 45%. 

Khator later acknowledged the impacts of mental health and the two students UH lost to suicide last spring. As a result, UH has initiated a $38 million plan to renovate Agnes Arnold and increase medical support for students, Khator said. 

“Our aim is to build a resilient campus that focuses on not just treatment but also support and prevention,” she said. 

Pending voter approval on Proposition 5, UH is among the public universities to get additional research funding due to the Texas University Fund. The fund would give the University an additional $1.3 billion in endowment support with no new taxes or bonds. Houstonians will be able to vote on this fund come Nov. 7. 

“The passage of Proposition 5, which requires no new taxes and no bonds to be issued, is critical for the University of Houston and the city of Houston.  It is also necessary to build another top 50 University in Texas,” Khator said. 

Khator unveiled four new construction projects in their design and programming phase: The Innovation Hub, the Hobby School of Public Affairs building, a new medical research building and the Memorial Hermann Football Operations Center. 

Last month, UH unveiled a  $35 million centennial campus enhancement project to transform the campus. 

“These developments collectively signify our unwavering commitment to academic excellence, research, innovation and community engagement, as we continue our journey toward becoming a top 50 Public University in America,”  Khator said. 

Khator ended the address by urging students to take care of their physical and mental well-being and quoted former UH football coach, Bill Yeoman. 

“Whenever he would find me feeling discouraged, he would say to me, ‘It’s not easy being a Cougar; but it is worth it … today and every day.’”

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“Khator highlights campus renovations, mental health in annual Fall address” was originally posted on The Cougar

Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar

Natural disasters in Libya and Morocco have led to the death of thousands and have devastated both nations in all aspects. Now, both nations are in the process of restoration and rebuilding.

Many student organizations have used their platforms to make a difference and raise awareness of the ongoing devastation and suffering. 

In Morocco, a  6.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Atlas Mountains region near Marrakesh last month. Shortly, in Libya Storm Daniel pummeled the town of Derna and led to the collapse of two dams.

Climate change may have accelerated and aggravated the storm in Libya, according to experts and researchers. 

The higher atmospheric temperature of the area and the warmer waters played a critical role in bringing such an unprecedented natural disaster to a highly vulnerable and resource-limited country. Further raising concerns about the role developed nations play in managing the effects of climate change.

The UN humanitarian aid response has moved its disaster response to supporting survivors with food, shelter, and medicine. International agencies and support for Morocco has been crucial in ensuring an efficient and proactive response. 

However, international aid has been complicated by geopolitical issues for Libya. While many Libyan students at UH were not directly impacted, they have expressed their sympathy towards the disaster. 

“On a personal level, as a Libyan, I do have great empathy for my ones who were impacted,” said economics sophomore, Sahar El Hoderi. “After realizing the intensity of the flood I went the through three sleepless nights and not being able to eat. The worst part was imagining what it was like for them while it was happening.”

Student organizations such as Ahlul Bayt Student Organization, Model Arab League and Muslim Student Association have all taken the initiative to raise awareness and support for those impacted in Libya and Morocco. 

“We’ve been proactive in raising support and awareness about the events in Libya and Morocco by creating an infomercial to guide our followers on how to help,” said business management sophomore and MSA representative, Maryam Morsi. “The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, with our followers appreciating the clarity on how they can make a difference.”

The MSA has played a critical role in responding to tragedies and disasters by serving as a hub of information and resources. They are responsible for organizing and mobilizing communities, offering direct support to those affected and raising funds through donation drives.

“By amplifying the voices of those in need, we contribute to a collective effort to address these issues,” Morsi said. 

University organizations have encouraged students to care and contribute to the cause because lives are actively being lost. Many Libyan and Morrocan people are enduring immense suffering, not only losing their homes but also their loved ones, Morsi said. 

“When we collaborate and coordinate our efforts, we can create a stronger and more effective response to humanitarian crises,” Morsi said. “Together, we can make a difference and bring hope to those who need it most.”

MSA stressed solidarity and unity among students and organizations to make a meaningful impact. 

“I appreciated the MSA support in raising funds for both Libya and Morocco,” said El Hoderi. “However, on an overall level, there was a noticeable neglect from the media in delivering the severity of the situation.”

El Hoderi explains that she felt that there was almost no empathy for the 10,000 dead Libyans. It took news media a week to shed a justified amount of coverage on Libya.

“I’d like for students to deeply understand that the people affected had future hopes, feelings, loved ones, and were so ready to wake up the next day for a peaceful beautiful day,” El Hoderi said. “But the 10,000 including parents, children, teenagers and young adults did not have that chance the next morning.”

Students can help by donating money to organizations providing aid to the two nations. 

Organizations such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Bank Al-Maghrib provide aid to people in Monaco. 

In addition to Libya in the UK, Islamic Relief and the International Medical Corps, these organizations donate support to people in Libya by providing them with necessities. 

Doctors Without Borders is focused on providing medical care and equipment to affected areas in both nations.

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“Student orgs raise awareness in wake of disasters in Libya, Morocco” was originally posted on The Cougar

Candidates (left to right) attorney Lee Kaplan, U.S. Rep. Shiela Jackson Lee and former City Council member M.J. Khan in attendance at the 2023 Mayoral Forum held Friday at Student Center South, Houston room. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

Friday, The Student Government Association, Hispanic Business Student Association and GenHTX hosted a mayoral candidate forum with five candidates attending. 

After a pre-mixer event filled with voter registration opportunities, raffles and complimentary food, five candidates gathered in the Houston room to respond to questions asked by members of SGA. Attending candidates include U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, City Council member Robert Gallegos, former METRO Chair Gilbert Garcia, former City Council member M.J. Khan and attorney Lee Kaplan.

“I definitely think we did accomplish our goals for the night. This was a ‘we’ project,” said SGA President Benjamin Rizk, citing SGA director of outreach Jordan Underwood as the architect of the event.

An audience of about 100 attended the forum, watching Rizk and other members of SGA ask the candidates questions on a variety of topics such as public safety, affordable housing, public transport and crime. 

One of the biggest topics the candidates discussed was their methods of preventing crime, from greater presence in the Houston police department to promoting community policing.

Candidates Jackson Lee and Gallegos both claim that the issue of crime within Houston, while milder than in previous years, requires additional support from the community and other organizations.

Jackson Lee, one of the race’s frontrunners, proposed increased cooperation with federal agencies and a stronger relationship between communities and police. 

“I think that we have a much better city than we might hear about,” Jackson Lee said. “I want to move to police-community relationships.”

Other candidates, such as Garcia, agreed with Jackson Lee’s and Gallegos’ prescription of more community policing, whereas Khan advocated for additional police presence in the city

“I will add $100 million dollars to the HPD budget, start hiring 500 more officers in my first 100 days,” Khan said. Khan also claimed that audits from other Houston departments will create the funding for them.

Kaplan criticized other Houston programs, saying that he would eliminate the ShotSpotter and gun buyback programs, both of which he claims to be a “waste of money.”

The candidates discussed other issues regarding economics, such as affordable housing and job creation.

Excluding Khan, the candidates espoused their support for additional units of affordable housing, with each explaining their methods of achieving that goal. 

Jackson Lee claimed that she would cooperate with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to create more housing. She encourages cooperation between both private and public developers.

“Everyone deserves good houses,” Jackson Lee said. “We will not have people being evicted because of high rents. We will build small developments and encourage you to buy housing with different housing projects, including public-private partnerships”

Garcia and Kaplan lamented the bureaucratic inefficiency that leads to extravagant wait times to obtain a development permit, both alleging that it takes years to get a permit from the city to build affordable housing.

The candidates also discussed the best ways of providing jobs to the city, with each candidate having different ideas on how to attract a variety of industries.

For Kaplan, tech jobs are the future of job creation in the city, and entrepreneurs will encourage the shift into the industry.

“I would always attract tech,” Kaplan said. “Tech is where we will do best. This is the thing that we need to agitate with our elected representatives in the state legislature to push so that more of that comes here which is where it belongs.”

A notable absence from the night was state Sen. John Whitmire, who did not show up despite SGA’s promise of his attendance. 

Despite his absence, Whitmire caught criticism from Garcia regarding his silence on committing to appoint pro-transit people to the metro board. In the last debate at the University, Garcia questioned Whitmire’s commitment to public transportation.

“There’s only one candidate that is threatening to take away the funding of METRO, he’s not here so I won’t use his name,” Garcia said.

The moderator of the debate, KHOU reporter Anayeli Ruiz agreed with Rizk that the mayoral candidate forum was successful in the goals that they set out.

“This is definitely a step in the right direction. You need to keep doing things like this in order to engage more and more students,” Ruiz said. “Hopefully this continues to grab more momentum and we see more and more students come every time there’s an event like this.”

news@thedailycougar.com

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“Mayoral Candidate Forum discusses future of city” was originally posted on The Cougar

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

During Wednesday’s Student Government Association Senate meeting, seven students were appointed to the Senate and five were appointed to university committees. 

Prior to Wednesday’s meeting, SGA had 21 vacant seats in the Senate out of the total 48 available seats, resulting in more than 40% of the chamber being unoccupied. Additionally, there were 29 open positions on university committees.

Because of the significant number of vacant positions on both the Senate and University committees, the SGA executive board has prioritized the appointment of new students, said SGA director of outreach Jordan Underwood.

“Students often don’t realize how big of a time commitment SGA can be,” Underwood said. “We have had several people drop out due to the commitment, so it is important that we get students who are dedicated.”

Each college or school within UH is represented in the Senate based on the proportion of students enrolled in the University, according to SGA’s constitution.  Consequently, larger colleges, such as the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, are allocated seven Senate seats, whereas smaller colleges like the College of Law receive one seat.

Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine was founded in 2019 and enrolled its first class of 30 students in 2020. The College is represented by one seat in the Senate due to the low enrollment rate.

Given the college’s recent establishment, the College of Medicine had not been allocated a seat on the Senate. However, this changed during Wednesday’s meeting when D Omenge was appointed.

“This appointment is a big deal because medical postgraduate degrees very rarely ever get filled,” said SGA President Benjamin Rizk. “The College of Optometry hasn’t been filled in eight years, but I’m working on changing that.”

In addition to Omenge’s appointment, six other senators were appointed: Dan O’Connell for Graduate at Large, Jacob Morehouse for the College of Engineering, Yusuf Islam for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, as well as Kamgne Merveville, Sebastian Ballesteros and Sana Ijaz for CLASS.

Five students were appointed to university committees: TaMyria Levy for the Activities Funding Board Hearing Committee, Abdallah Ghoneim for the Health Center Policy Board, Athena Economon for the Food Service Advisory Committee, Esther Gwa for the International Student Advisory Committee and Kirti Mhatre for the Health Center Policy Board.

In contrast to the multiple appointments, two members of the executive board announced their graduation this fall, marking the conclusion of their tenure as Senators.

Chief of staff Tasnuva Haque and director of public relations Gabriel Garcia will graduate after serving on the Executive Board since April 2023. 

“I’ve loved working with SGA and I’m so grateful for the opportunities SGA has given me,” Haque said.

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“College of Medicine Senate seat established, appointments made at most recent SGA meeting” was originally posted on The Cougar

G20 simulates the G20 Summit and provides students with leadership and debate experience. | Courtesy of Ola Dafaalla

With the decision to dissolve the Office of Global Engagement and Special Programs, Model G20 has recently been adopted under the Speech and Debate Program at the Honors College. Such a transition has garnered interest in the organization’s inner workings and its goals and future plans for students at the University.

Model G20 is an innovative model debate program that is designed to simulate a G20 Leaders’ Summit. The Group of Twenty (G20) constitutes of the world’s largest economies like the US, Argentina, India, etc. 

Formed in 1999, its goal is to bring together the most important industrialized and developing economies to discuss international economic and financial stability. Topics typically include trade, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change and anti-corruption.

“In the simulation, teams of five to seven represent a country or international organization where they work with other delegations to come up with solutions to a variety of global issues and issue policy recommendations on behalf of the G20,” said Model G20 head delegate Ola Dafaalla.

Dafaalla explains that the program helps students build necessary skills related to multilateral negotiations, public speaking, team-building strategy, and diplomacy. 

Dafaalla joined Model G20 after attending the annual Honors Organization Fair during her freshman year. Now years later, she is in a leadership position. She is constantly organizing events, marketing the organization, communicating and being transparent with her members, and navigating the University’s bureaucracy. 

“Being in a leadership position has its challenges and rewards,” Dafaalla said. “It’s an incredible opportunity to get to work with other smart, motivated, and passionate students and to collaborate with them to build a team from the ground up and watch that team succeed.”

Furthermore, the organization typically participates in national conferences throughout the year. Last year, students attended the summit held at the American University in March 2023 and received top honors for their representation of Brazil and the World Health Organization.

“We are really excited to see who we will represent this year,” Dafaalla said.

Currently, their goals for the organization are to increase funding to attend the international summit and travel to DC for free. They also hope to recruit more members to grow the organization. 

Model G20 is open to all majors and does not require previous debating experience. It’s an organization that highly encourages learning and stepping out of your comfort zone, explained Dafaalla. Students gain valuable leadership skills while directly engaging in cross-cultural dialogue. In addition, it’s a great introduction to model debate because there is only one summit and there is no formal procedure that needs to be learned.

“Students should join because MG20 is a fun, unique way to explore global issues, and international diplomacy,” Dafaalla said. “Benefits to students include developing and improving public speaking, negotiation, research, diplomacy and problem solving skills in addition to getting to travel to DC.”

In addition, students can build valuable connections with peers, faculty, and professionals in international relations. Historically, this has enabled students to receive various scholarships, study abroad opportunities, and fellowships.

“We’ve won awards at every conference we’ve attended so we’ve got a pretty good team,” Dafaalla said.

With the new changes in leadership and sponsorship, Dafaalla is enthusiastic about what this could mean for the organization. 

“Being part of the Honors Speech and Debate Program has given us access to a professional debate coach, potentially more funding, and other resources we didn’t have before,” Dafaalla said. “With this extra support, I feel like model debate at UH has the potential to really develop into a bigger and better program and I’m looking forward to seeing us grow.”

Lastly, the friendships and travelling were some of the most memorable aspects for many members.

“My favorite part of MG20 is the actual conference,” Dafaalla said. “It’s interesting and fun navigating conference shenanigans with your teammates and it’s a great bonding experience.”

Students should reach out to uh.mg20@gmail.com if they are interested in joining or come to a meeting.

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“Model G20 gives students a taste of international relations” was originally posted on The Cougar

Len Duena/The Cougar

As part of their Cultural Series, UH Dining Services hosted an event to celebrate Oktoberfest at Moody Towers Dining Hall. 

Millions of Americans celebrate Oktoberfest each year during Sept. and October by attending festivals, polka dancing and drinking beer. However, many might not be aware that this tradition stems all the way from a German state called Bavaria.

Oct.12, 1810 — The first Oktoberfest was held to honor a royal wedding.

The elites and townspeople of Bavaria congregated in Munich — then the capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria — to celebrate the wedding of the crown prince Ludwig I and his bride Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, which is now part of the German state, Thuringia.

The matrimonial festivals lasted five days. The townsquares were lavishly illuminated with lights and adorned with paintings, which the wealthy bid on. Among the wealthy were the national guards, including Italian banker Andreas von Dall’Armi. 

In fact, several sources credit Dall’Armi for inventing Oktoberfest. He’s mainly known for the horse race spectacle — the hallmark of the festivities — and the City of Munich even awarded him for this contribution in 1824. 

Despite this, he horse race was actually the idea of a coachman named Franz Baumgartner. He brought it to Dall’Armi, who then proposed it to King Maximilian I. Joseph — Prince Ludwig’s father, according to the Oktoberfest Guide Magazine, 

German lecturer of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages Tanja Reifenrath said that the legend of Dall’Armi creating the race might have been created to instill patriotic pride in Bavarians.

“I assume that someone had this idea of the horse race,” Reifenrath said. “And it just exploded. Munich, being the capital of Bavaria, country at the time, wanted to have something to celebrate themselves.” 

Once King Joseph approved of the horse race, the equine extravaganza took 12 days to organize. On the last day of festivity, the townspeople gathered beneath Sendling Hill to watch the show, which took place on the fields in front of the city gates, which were later renamed Theresienwiese, which means “Theresa’s Fields,” to honor the crown princess.

The locals had such a delightful time that they decided to entertain themselves in cheerful spirits the following year, and the year after and the year after that, spawning the tradition of Oktoberfest. Today, Munich holds the largest Oktoberfest in the world amassing over 6 million annual visitors.

However, Americans don’t need to voyage that far to take part in the jubilee. There are various festival tours, especially in the South. This German celebration spreads to the other side of the globe thanks to a changing world at war.

May 8, 1945 — WWII ends, partying begins

This day is Victory in Europe Day or V.E. Day, and about 1.6 million American soldiers were still on German soil, specifically in Munich, according to Wine Enthusiast. That means they witnessed the Bavarian style of partying, which involved heavy consumption of beer.

During the horse race at the first Oktoberfest in 1810, the townspeople were merry, eating and drinking beer as they watched the show. It was a cultural phenomenon akin to the American tradition of drinking beer while watching football.

Beer Appreciation lecturer of the Department of Global Hospitality Leadership Aaron Corsi, who spent one summer in Bavaria, said the people there would joke about Bavaria being “The Texas of Germany.”

Corsi said that, although Bavarians were brewing beer for Oktoberfest long before the founding of America, thanks to immigration, notably Germans migrating to New Braunfels, Texas, German immigrants partnered with each other to develop popular German beer brands like Budweiser, which are highly consumed by Americans today.

“Beer is ingrained in American culture,” Corsi said. “It’s backyard barbecues, football and baseball. My brewery makes an Oktoberfest every year. We make a traditional style of Märzen. We think it’s important this time of the year to sit down, relax and have some Bratwurst and a nice big liter of Marz.”

Wine Enthusiast also attributes the popularity of Oktoberfest in the U.S. due to German immigration, stating that between 1951 and 1970, around 800,000 Germans immigrated to the U.S., and today there are some 45 million people of German heritage in the country.

Reifenrath, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1990, is one of those 45 million people. She is deeply appreciative of the American enthusiasm surrounding Oktoberfest and German culture. 

“I’m super thankful to the Dining folks for coming up with this idea,” Reifenrath said. “I want all the students to know that Germans are grateful for this exposure. Thank you for being interested in our culture.”

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“Holiday history: Oktoberfest” was originally posted on The Cougar

Gerald Sastra/ The Cougar

During a recent Senate meeting, the Student Government Association was notified about longer-than-average graduation times for economics majors. 

Sen. Cody Szell, chair of the SGA Academic Affairs committee, noticed a few possible reasons why many economics majors fail to graduate within four years. These reasons span from scheduling conflicts to a lack of enticing classes for economics majors to enroll in.

“At first, I thought it might have been a lack of classes that stemmed from a lack of funding,” Szell said. “But it might not necessarily be because of a lack of classes or lack of teachers, but maybe because of how we scheduled classes and what classes students take.”

Szell  said a number of economics classes are almost empty and that many have scheduling conflicts with other courses. This issue has been a  consistent problem for the past four or five years, and has led to issues graduating on time. 

Chair of the economics department Dietrich Vollrath claims that the issue of extended graduation times for economics majors stems from budgeting issues that have affected all College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences departments. 

“The funds coming into CLASS weren’t sufficient enough to pay for business as usual,” Vollrath said. “Even business as usual probably was leaving some kids a little behind.” 

The University asked the CLASS departments to be more flexible with the resources they have, Vollrath said. This means having instructors teach extra this year or adjusting class sizes. 

“I know this is an issue for us, and it is a function of the fact that CLASS has had budget issues. Especially in the past few years,”  Vollrath said. 

Vollrath also noted that the process of the state of Texas approving funds for the University and the departments receiving the money is lengthy and, “It’s not something that is fixable immediately,” Vollrath said.

Vollrath said that despite funding issues in past years, the provost did provide some funding for CLASS departments, but not enough to help students who are behind.

The Texas Legislature decides the University’s state funding every two years. The University and the provost determine how funds will be distributed among each department. 

However, Szell and Vollrath proposed possible solutions to mitigate these issues.

“We’re gonna have a survey asking questions about the why, and then we’ll think of the how,” Szell said.

Szell said some economics professors proposed more undergraduate courses on Mondays and Wednesdays instead of Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to make them more enticing to students.

Students notified Szell about this issue by learning from other students about problems they were having with graduation. 

“It’s individual anecdotes I keep hearing over and over again,” Szell said.

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“Too broke for ‘business as usual’; CLASS budget issues lead to grad delays for econ students” was originally posted on The Cougar

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

The Student Government Association, Hispanic Business Student Association and GenHTX have partnered together to host a mayoral candidate forum on Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. in Student Center South. 

The event aims to motivate students to become informed and involved in local government, said SGA director of outreach Jordan Underwood.

“The mayoral forum is not about politics, it’s about empowering youth because this generation is going to be the future of Houston,” Underwood said. 

A pre-mixer will precede the forum at 4 p.m.. Students will have the opportunity to register to vote, enter raffles and enjoy complimentary food and merchandise.

Approximately, 3,500 people are expected to attend. CoogTV will also be streaming the event on TVs in the Student Center South, Underwood said. 

“We have around 200 volunteers helping us with the event,” said SGA chief of staff Tasnuva Haque . “So many organizations have helped us out and we’re very grateful.”

HBSA is hosting the pre-mixer and has played a key role in organizing the event, Underwood said .

“As president of HBSA, I’m really glad to be a part of this initiative,” said HBSA President Gabriel Garcia. “I wanna bring out young voters to get involved in politics and show politicians how important young voters are.”

GenHTX, a nonpartisan organization, will help SGA register voters in an effort to encourage young people to exercise their civic responsibilities. 

To recognize Hispanic National Heritage Month, the Ballet Folklorico Herencia Mexicana de Houston will perform prior to the forum. 

During the forum, candidates will be questioned by students.

“We chose students to ask questions because our main goal is to get students involved and allow them to have a voice,” Underwood said. 

The candidates expected to attend are: U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, state Sen. John Whitmire, City Council member Robert Gallegos, former METRO Chair Gilbert Garcia, former City Council member M.J. Khan and attorney Lee Kaplan. 

The mayoral election will be held on Nov. 7, but Houstonians can participate in early voting from Oct. 23 to Nov. 3. 

Currently, Jackson Lee and Whitmire lead the race, with 34% of Houstonians in favor of Whitmire and 32% of Houstonians prefer Jackson Lee, according to a poll conducted by the Hobby School of Public Affairs.             

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“Student organizations to host mayoral candidate forum Friday” was originally posted on The Cougar

Gerald Sastra/ The Cougar

This November,  the city of Houston is going to elect a new mayor for the first time in eight years.  

While there are 17 candidates on the ballot, according to polling by the Hobby School of Public Affairs, it’s a close race between U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Texas Sen. John Whitmire. Regardless of who wins, the next mayor will be the executor of the fourth largest city in the U.S. — a hefty responsibility.

“Houston has what’s called a strong mayor-council,” said political science assistant professor J. Bryan Cole. “Which is the arrangement for city government that gives the mayor the greatest amount of power.” 

This article will give you a basic rundown of the top candidates, as well as a little bit of what to expect this November. For students interested in getting to know the candidates in-person the Student Government Association is hosting a candidate forum Oct. 6. 

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

Jackson Lee has represented Houston’s 18th district in the U.S. House as a Democrat since she was elected in 1995. Before that, she was a municipal judge and served on the city council for five years. 

As a candidate, Jackson Lee  said her administration will focus on the city’s infrastructure, crime rates and homelessness. She also aims to prioritize economic opportunity by promoting small businesses.

Her campaign page also notes  her promise to help “working families thrive” and will “defend reproductive rights and civil rights.”

Crime is the highest priority for Houstonians in this election cycle. Jackson Lee said her administration  will take a comprehensive approach focusing on both prevention and enforcement, according to a Houston Chronicle editorial board report.

“I am committed to enhancing violence prevention and intervention programs while ensuring that our police department receives sufficient funding and resources to address the growing population and the persisting crime challenges faced here at home,” Jackson Lee told the Houston Chronicle editorial board.

State Sen. John Whitmire  

Whitmire has represented Houston’s District 15 as a Democrat in the state Senate since 1982. The UH alum previously served in the state House for 10 years.

As a mayoral candidate, Whitmire has taken a strong stance on curbing crime in the city and has repeatedly emphasized that crime will be his priority as Houston’s mayor. 

If elected, Whitmire has pledged to bring 200 DPS troopers to the city to help the Houston Police Department. This has yielded mixed reviews from Houstonians and has had mixed results in previous cities, according to Houston Public Media.

“We cannot live in a great city with those lack of resources, what we must do is acknowledge we’ve got a problem. You’re not going to fix a problem if you don’t admit you have it,” Whitmire said. “If we do not make ourselves safe by supporting our firefighters and (Houston Police Department), then nothing else matters.”

Whitmire, similar to Jackson Lee, has repeatedly emphasized his good relationship at the state capitol. At a mayoral debate at UH last week, he said it was crucial for Houston to build back its relationship with Austin. 

His experience in the state legislature has garnered Whitmire support from a number of leading Republican officials, Houston Public Media senior political reporter Andrew Schneider said. 

“There is very much the sense that, among leading state Republican figures, that Whitmire is somebody they feel that they can work with, even though he is a Democrat,” Schneider said. “They know him, he’s somebody that they’ve worked with for decades in the state legislature.”

Other candidates 

Gilbert Garcia, the former METRO commissioner, is the only candidate to poll at 3% — higher than the other candidates but significantly lower than the frontrunners. He identifies as a Democrat. 

His campaign is focused on the city’s crime rates, corruption, clean streets and attracting new businesses. 

“Our city needs help with crime, infrastructure, finances and more. My goal is to tackle these issues so Houston can be the thriving city it’s meant to be,” Garcia told the Houston Chronicle editorial board. 

Lee Kaplan is an outsider to the political world. He calls himself a practical Democrat, saying he has voted for candidates from all parties if he saw them fit for the job. 

His campaign is focused on crime prevention, traffic, city bureaucracy, clean streets and youth opportunities. 

“I really want to be a good mayor. I don’t want to be anything else,” Kaplan told the Houston Chronicle. “This is a great city, and it deserves the best leadership and the most thoughtful, hard-working people it can get.”

Looking forward

While the mayoral election is run on a nonpartisan ballot — the candidates are not identified as Democrats or Republicans — previous partisan political actions do influence the way voters think about the candidates, said Cole. 

“Whitmire is generally regarded as a little bit more moderate. So for independents, moderates and perhaps conservatives, Whitmire is a more attractive candidate than Sheila Jackson Lee would be,” he said. “She’s perhaps viewed as a little bit more progressive and so that does factor in. Especially because both of them have such well-established records in their respective posts.”

Computer science freshman Vincent Wren said the candidate’s previous voting record will factor into his decision when he casts the ballot. 

“You can go back and see their records on how they voted. Are they willing to work both Republicans or are they voting strictly Democratic,” Wren said. “I prefer someone who doesn’t really compromise on their values and someone who doesn’t give into the right-wing and stays true to their policies.” 

Senior researcher at the Hobby School of Public Affairs, Renee Cross, said that younger voters need to voice their opinions if they hope to be a part of the discussion. 

“Whether it is looking at issues at the neighborhood level or city-wide, young voters will need to engage with the candidates through forums, debates and volunteering in order to help shape the discussion and potential solutions,” Cross said. “If voters – of any age – engage with the candidates, the candidates are much more likely to listen.” 

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“Mayoral election 2024: What to know, expect” was originally posted on The Cougar

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This past week, the Writers Guild of America ended their multi-week strike with a decisive union victory. While the Screen Actors Guild has yet to reach a conclusion to their strike, this win demonstrates exactly how effective strikes can be and why they should be supported.

The WGA strike, which was the second longest in the history of the guild, won significant improvements for Hollywood screenwriters including paying writers based on a show’s streaming performance, minimum writer requirements for shows and employment length guarantees.

What this means is that the writers who produce your favorite content, from “Game of Thrones” to “Pretty Little Liars”, can now potentially live off the money made from these projects. Contrary to popular belief, television writers have been extremely underpaid, especially in the streaming era.

While the strike was successful in multiple categories, it did not come without cost. Multiple TV series and movies were put on hold or canceled, writers went without pay for months and critics of the strike have blamed the WGA for a significant drop in viewer numbers.

It can be easy to look at strikes as risky, high-cost ventures without much benefit, but the truth is that many of the freedoms American workers have today were won through striking unions. While these unions had their issues, their willingness to fight for their rights changed history.

Take for example the 1890 Battle of Blair Mountain, which some historians have described as “the closest thing America has ever had to a full-blown class war.” In West Virginia, the local coal miners’ union occupied the mines in protest over low wages, workplace safety and other issues.

What followed was an incredibly bloody battle as the miners took up arms against local police and eventually federal troops. In the end, the miners surrendered to the federal forces, and several dozen people on all sides lay dead.

But despite the immense death toll, the miners won in several key areas. For one, they defied racist ideas of the time by joining across racial lines, even desegregating food halls at gunpoint. Beyond that, their efforts and those of unions like them won Americans rights like the eight-hour workday.

In 2023, union efforts are a bit less intense than taking up arms against mine owners. The modern-day labor movement has declined in power significantly, with only one in ten American workers unionized, a sharp drop from one in three workers in the 1950s.

With valid concerns raised over issues like union corruption and groups like police unions protecting alleged abusers, it can be easy to dismiss union efforts as a thing of the past.

But for every potential downside unions may have, the alternative is inarguably worse. In so-called “right to work” states like Texas where it does not require individuals to join a union, state law has left unions significantly weaker. The end result was not “increased worker freedom” but rather lower wages for both union and non-union workers.

At the end of the day, massive corporations care about their bottom line first and foremost. They will gladly lie to and hurt workers if it serves their purposes. For example, several of the wins made by the WGA were previously declared to be “completely unfeasible” by higher-up executives.

The path ahead is uncertain for many industries, especially in the midst of state attacks on education and the continued decline of the humanities. Bold moves like strikes are full of uncertainties as well. Putting your livelihood on the line is not something to take lightly.

But at the end of the day, we only have each other. So whether it’s boosting strike demands from auto workers or taking a break from TV to support your favorite actors, now might just be the time to stand along the pickup line and join the call of “Solidarity Forever.”

Malachi Key is a Journalism senior who can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

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“Why strikes matter, how you can support them” was originally posted on The Cougar