When psychology senior Saira Ramirez lived in California, she went through a divorce and a transformation of faith.

She decided to start attending church. The only being that it would not be a Catholic church, the religion she practiced growing up — she never felt anything from the weekly mass.

“It was very repetitious,” Ramirez said. “Sometimes I would get something form a sermon, but it was so far-fetched and I didn’t really feel like I could apply it to my life.”

Baptist Student Ministry Director B. J. Ramon said that religion is often an attempt people make toward making “ourselves approved or disapproved by others and, or, God.”

“We throw ourselves into the competition and work so hard to obey the rules and rise to the top of that certain religion, only to fail or have our emptiness resurface,” Ramon said. “It seems (that) others find contentment in religion, so we jump to another religion because somewhere in there must be happiness or validation.”

Ramirez was 23 when she first stepped into a Christian church, and when she entered, she said it had a homey feeling.

“There were a lot of happy people from very different backgrounds, and it was a very new age-type church,” Ramirez said. “They had a live band, and nothing at all to what I was used to.”

Ramirez said that is when she felt the conviction.

“Every time I went to church, the first song would start playing, and it didn’t matter what song was playing — I would be in tears,” Ramirez said. “I (wasn’t) able to sing along the first couple of weeks.”

Ramirez said that every time she went to church, she felt like the pastor was speaking to her.

“It was the same thing, spot on, every Sunday,” Ramirez said. “It was something we could apply to our lives that could help us change and actually start showing something from it.”

Ramon said some people will leave religion altogether, finding it just as empty and un-fulfilling as life without religion.

“Maybe they think, ‘Hey, without the constraints of religion, I can truly pursue personal happiness,’” Ramon said.

But for Ramirez, the conviction hasn’t stopped.

“You feel the joy, the love, and just goodness,” Ramirez said. “Going to a Christian church, it’s like ‘Woah! That’s what I’m missing.’ It’s like a stirring of a lot of emotions: it’s joy, it’s sadness, because you know that there’s something missing.”

Ramon said one issue that comes up a lot is the difference between condemnation and conviction.

“Condemnation is more like the cloud that covers (and) says, ‘You are bad,’ where conviction is more specific and says, ‘You did something bad’,” Ramon said. “I believe upon belief in Jesus we receive His spirit which begins to convict us of things that do not align with the decision we made to trust in Him rather than ourselves.”

Ramirez held off on her Christian baptism until she felt she was ready. Leading up to her baptism, there was a sermon that she said radiated through her.

“It was, ‘Yes, now’s the time,’” Ramirez said. “It’s like, ‘I’m done with all this conviction. It’s drowning me. I need that baptism’.”

And Ramirez said the baptism came at a perfect time, as she was feeling pressure from her family, who continue to practice Catholicism.

“They were like, ‘You were already baptized, you were raised (like) this,’ but I said, ‘Yes, but this is my walk with God,’” Ramirez said. “And no one can take that way from you.”

Right before Ramirez was baptized, she was already in tears.

“It was such a good experience,” Ramirez said. “As soon as I went out there, they have you do the good confession, which is ‘Jesus is the Christ, and he is my Lord and savior. So you say that, and (you’re) accepting him into your heart. They take you down into the water, and (bring) you rising up.”

Despite the clean slate after baptism, Ramirez knows she and others will still stumble and fall.

“You’re going to feel imperfect, and the thing is, everyone can still turn away from that,” Ramirez said. “And accepting that and taking that into your heart gives you that hope; that refueling that you need to be able to move forward.”

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“Conviction: Starting over with a new religion” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

I have a younger sister who is my opposite in every way. She likes pink; I like blue. She’s tall; I’m short. She’s a dancer, and I’m not. We compliment each other.

In the print issue (our biggest one of the school year), you’ll notice there’s something different: it feels a bit lighter. At only 44 pages, it’s our smallest Back to School section in a while and there’s a reason for that. There’s no Life and Arts section.

No, we didn’t forget to send it to the printers. And no, we didn’t forget to assign stories to fill the space with.

It just doesn’t exist anymore.

Now, I’m not saying it’s because it wasn’t successful, and not because we didn’t like it. Realistically, it wasn’t working. The content wasn’t new or innovative and, really, most readers glossed over it on their way to the sports section.

So, we came up with an idea. A fresh, innovative take on all of the subjects that you, the reader, care about. Entertainment? Check. Food? Yeah, we’re going to talk about that. We’ll even try to help you find a place to live off-campus (for those early birds who want to know what they’re doing a year ahead of time.)

This summer, The Cougar’s little sister was born. Her name is Cooglife and she’s decided that she wants to be the diva in the family that steals all of the attention. She’s the social butterfly — a magazine that wants to tell you about the fun things happening around campus and the city.

She’s gonna leave all the responsibility to The Cougar, which is going to focus on giving you more concentrated, accurate and timely news, sports and opinion coverage.

Any trace of movie or concert-related anythings can be found with coverage done by our friends at Coog Radio and CoogTV and you can look to The Cougar for all of your newsy stuff.

In times like these, where Buzzfeed rules the Internet in providing anything from presidential coverage to cat videos of the day, our organization needed to maintain a way to keep all of our coverage fresh. Sometimes, changing how it’s curated and published is the best answer.

Our sister publication is going to have a great year ahead of her, seeing as this is her first on campus. It’s going to be a new experience for you and us. We’ve never published a magazine before, and UH has never had a publication dedicated solely to lifestyle and entertainment.

Like me and my sister, The Cougar and Cooglife compliment each other. And like most sisters, we’re going to be trying to outdo each other through all aspects of life — or in our case, coverage.

— Glissette Santana, editor in chief

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“Letter from the Editor: We have a new sister” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

As cliché as it sounds, the United States of America was founded on the idea of freedom. Our forefathers believed in it so much that they wrote a Bill of Rights to instill it as a value protected by law. What is also explicitly protected is the interference of one’s practice of belief.

This includes not just practicing religion, but the right not to practice as well. Living in Texas, the biggest state in the Bible Belt, that can sometimes be hard.

I was not only raised Catholic, but attended Catholic school from pre-K to high school. I attended church services biweekly, was involved in youth group and even went through confirmation.

But the idea of faith has always alluded me. I understand believing in a higher power, but the worshiping aspect of Christianity, Texas’ largest religious majority, baffles me.

I place my “faith” in humanity and not in the spiritual or supernatural. My understanding of faith is the hopeful anticipation of something that will change or happen based on either evidence or observation.

Rationalism and reason, qualities that sometimes aren’t stressed enough, are what guide me. My definition of “faith” evolved as I grew older.

I have faith that I will graduate from college. I have faith that I will have trouble parking in the economy lot at school. I take issue with believing in anything without evidence.

Living in Houston, religion is almost inescapable.

Houston has the two largest megachurches in the nation. It’s impossible to go a week without seeing or hearing about Joel Osteen; whether it be Osteen collaborating with Slim Thug, or seeing his absolutely-so-perfect-it’s-creepy smiling face on his book sitting on your parent’s bookshelf.

I know many good people who take comfort in their religion. Most of my friends have stories involving when they “knew” that they had “felt God’s presence,” and every time I hear these stories, I just get more and more confused.

Proverbs 3:5 of the North American Bible says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding,” which I interpret as blindly accepting that the “Lord works in mysterious ways” should be my answer for anything unexplainable.

After years of Catholic school and many theology courses, I just can’t accept that a God is the answer to everything I don’t understand.

I have no problem with religious people at all. Thankfully, most Texans tend to have a “stay out of my business” kind of attitude when it comes to either politics or religion. Because this is the Bible Belt though, there are still plenty of people who are vocal about their poor interpretation of the Bible.

Most of the time it’s shown with legislators, like Gov. Gregg Abbott, who try to impose their religious beliefs on same-sex marriage, women’s reproductive rights or education.

But then there’s the occasional crazy person.

Remember the Monster Energy 666 lady? That’s Christine Weick, a notoriously vehement evangelical who not too long after that video went viral, charged a podium during Muslim Capitol Day, a day where Muslims gather at the Texas capitol to celebrate their religion, screaming, “I stand against Islam and the false prophet Muhammad,” before she was taken away by security.

It’s people like Christine Weick who give Christianity a bad reputation.

I stopped going to church because of people like Christine Weick. I grew up knowing some priests and nuns who were the most caring and welcoming people I ever met.

But during my Confirmation when a new pastor was brought in, I started feeling a little less welcome. He was this pompous New York monsignor who during his first week had all the boys in confirmation class gather in one room where he proceeded to go on a tirade about why masturbation was bad and why we will all burn for eternity if we did not talk about it in confession.

The last time I went to mass on my own, he gave a 45-minute sermon focused on why you can’t live with your significant other before marriage.

After that, I threw my arms up.

Now I’ve reached the point where I believe religion is not a necessity in living a good and moral life. I don’t need 10 commandments to tell me that killing is bad or that stealing is wrong.

But evangelicals in the Bible Belt will probably never understand that. Massive reform is needed, and I don’t see things changing soon.

Until then, I’ll enjoy sleeping in on Sundays.

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“Faith isn’t always religious” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

Even stage productions critical of religion don’t deny their enduring relevance. The re-occurring interrogations of faith and religion aren’t to disenchant people from belief. They exist to examine and renew it.

Theatre isn’t straying from faith. Theatre moves it forward.

Oedipus | In the Era Before Christ, religion dominated the stage of Athens, Greece. Tragedies were told of mortal characters, such as Oedipus, who gouged his eyes out as self-punishment for his prophesied patricide. Religion was the spotlight on humanity, their pride and mortality against higher powers.

Everyman | Transitioning into the After Christ period of medieval dramas, church festivals put on miracle plays to explore the lives of martyrs. Furthermore, morality plays like “Everyman” also depicted the complexity of salvation.

The Fiddler on the Roof | The 1964 “The Fiddler on the Roof,” examined the stability of faith while also commending it. A poor Jewish milkman, Tevye, in spite of his occasional complaints of his poverty, remains loyal to his faith. He confronts a spiritual crisis when a daughter elopes with a Christian and the government seizes his beloved village. By the end, faith doesn’t help the village survive, but it helps Tevye survive beyond the ghost of his former home.

Les Miserables | In the last few decades, Broadway musical theater exercised an era comfortable with risky subversive interpretations of faith. Musicals like “Les Miserables” and the parable-based “Godspell” are tame in their theme of redemption and embracing God.

Jesus Christ Superstar  | Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar,” is a liberal adaptation of the New Testament. It has been scorned by religious groups for portraying Judas as a sympathetic tragic figure in his betrayal of Jesus. Lyricist Tim Rice’s arguably humanistic approach helped stoke the controversy. Time Magazine quoted him as saying, “We don’t see Christ as God but simply the right man at the right time at the right place.” Jesus himself belts out an angst solo to the heavens, questioning his Heavenly father before his imminent crucifixion.

The Book of Mormon | Then 2011 was graced with “The Book of Mormon,” courtesy of “South Park” writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Two naïve Mormon missionaries set out to convert a vulnerable village in AIDS-ridden Uganda. When the “Book of Mormon” disinterests the villagers, missionary Elder Cunningham wins converts by fabricating stories colored with Boba Fett and frogs. Although the musical pokes fun at the kookiness of the tales that inspires faith, the creators describe the show as “an atheist’s love letter to religion.” Though famous for a Hakuna-Matata-inspired God-cursing song number, the show closes on “Tomorrow Is a Latter-Day,” a rousing affirmation to wield religion to create a better future. To the concerns of the creators, faith exists for better or worse. But without it, we wouldn’t have the “better” of it.

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“When faith takes centerstage” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

UH will officially be a tobacco-free campus effective Aug. 17, after designated smoking areas on campus are eliminated.

The use of tobacco products on campus has also been banned, according to an email sent out on Friday.

“In order for this policy to be effective, we need the courtesy, respect and cooperation of all University community members,” Floyd Robinson, chair of the UH Tobacco Task Force, said in the email.

The University defines tobacco products as cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookah, bidids, kreteks, electronic cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Chewing tobacco and any nicotine that is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration is also banned.

The move comes after the University scaled back on tobacco use in 2013 after becoming a tobacco-free school by limiting the number of smoking areas around campus, with the need for smoking areas being reviewed annually.

The policy applies to anyone who is on University property and violation can be reported through a portal on the Tobacco Task Force’s website.

“As a Tier One research institution, the University considers public health to be vital to our core mission,” Robinson said in the email. “We recognize our social responsibility to promote the health, well-being and safety of UH students, faculty, staff and visitors.”

news@thedailycougar.com

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“Tobacco products, smoking areas banned from campus” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

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“Sudoku solution: July 15” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

Bose was a vice chancellor and vice president of research and technology. He died Friday morning after battling a short illness. | Courtesy of UH

Vice chancellor and vice president for research and technology transfer Rathindra N. Bose died Friday morning after battling a short illness. He was 63.

“Under his tenure, our research expenditures achieved record-breaking growth,” President and Chancellor Renu Khator said in an email to faculty and staff.

“But those extraordinary numbers don’t fully reflect the personal commitment he brought to guiding our overall research initiatives while continuing his own innovative work developing a new class of anticancer drugs.”

Bose arrived at UH in 2011 and helped UH’s division of research grow to $140 million in research expenditures in 2014 from $92 million in 2011.

“Dr. Bose has provided transformational leadership to the University of Houston and the Division of Research in the four years that he was the vice president (and) vice chancellor for Research and Technology Transfer,” said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, acting vice president and vice chancellor for the division of research and technology, said in a UH news release. “We are eternally grateful to him for the same.”

Bose was also a biochemistry professor and was beginning clinical trials on a new drug he helped develop for a less toxic form of chemotherapy.

Bose’s wife, Anima, is an associate professor of engineering technology at UH.

news@thedailycougar.com

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“Bose, VP of research and technology, dies” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

When the campus carry bill passed, we snapped in the best way. We threw an endless party that went on into many nights, through dimensions and past lifelong dreams.

It was the party that ended all parties and it happened because of the passing of more gun laws in Texas.

“It is important to note that state university presidents are allowed to establish reasonable rules, regulations or other provisions regarding this law, including designating areas where handguns may not be carried on campus,” said President and Chancellor Renu Khator in a news release.

What’s wonderful about UH is that it’s a different kind of college. Our diversity is legendary, and our uniqueness is a part of our pride.

Whereas some people in the higher-education racket cringe at this legislation, UH has the ability to embrace it.

See, there are just so many areas on the UH campus where guns would be welcome, nay, preferred.

There are the various places dedicated to sports. TDECU Stadium and Hofheinz Pavilion are perfect examples of facilities in which vast crowds of people gather in the spirit of Americanism.

And to top that off, alcohol is available.

In all seriousness, you can’t have real fun with guns unless you’ve got a nice buzz, some sports to watch and some fellow Americans to cajole. Those factors only add to the excitement inherent in firearms.

Another area is the dormitories and on-campus apartments. These are places of privacy, where people can relax, nap, study and experience all the other comforts of home.

Home is where your gun is; without a gun in your dorm, or in your friend’s dorm, or when you’re just perusing the dorms, how will you get that homely feeling when you’re off on your own for the first time?

And let’s not forget the classroom.

The focal point of collegiate life, it is there, in the rooms and auditoriums, that young, unfettered minds are let loose to inhale the knowledge laid out before them.

But it is nearly impossible to have a real, honest debate without the possibility of violence. Guns and argument give the air a scent of brimstone, with a hint of mint. The perfect cocktail for your morning course.

This bill will help faculty members as well. A gun is the best way to keep a class in line or to deal with clowns, whiners and brownnosers.

But nobody wants to use their gun or waste their bullets.

It’s all just about security.

– The Cougar Editorial Board

opinion@thedailycougar.com

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“‘Happiness is a warm gun,’ especially on campus” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

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“UH to resume operations Wednesday after Tropical Storm Bill” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

President and Chancellor Renu Khator announced today that the UH System has begun talks regarding the campus carry bill that will likely by signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.

“It is important to note that state university presidents are allowed to establish reasonable rules, regulations or other provisions regarding this law, including designating areas where handguns may not be carried on campus,” Khator said in an email sent to faculty and staff.

“During the summer and into the 2015-16 academic years, we will form work groups at each UH System university, soliciting input from students, faculty and staff.”

The bill has the approval of the Texas legislature and is waiting to be signed by Gov. Abbott. Once signed, the new law would take effect August 2016 and allow licensed gun owners who are at least 21 years of age to carry concealed handguns at state universities.

“UH System Presidents (William V.) Flores, (Raymond) Morgan, (William A.) Staples and I are committed to addressing this significant new law in a thoughtful and carefully considered manner,” Khator said.

Once the UH policies are created, they will be presented to the Board of Regents for approval.

news@thedailycougar.com

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“BREAKING: Khator says discussions starting on possible campus carry policies” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar