First Ever Pep Rally

Swoop, there it is! Houston Community College unveils new mascot, borrowedcheerleaders

This pep rally was HCC's first ever
Photo by Whitney Radley
Dr. Spangler introduces Swoop
Photo by Whitney Radley
Cougar Brass and Texans cheerleaders
Photo by Whitney Radley
The HCC Alumni Association passed out black and yellow paraphernalia
Photo by Whitney Radley

Houston Community College held its first pep rally on Wednesday afternoon. The purpose: To introduce the school's new mascot.

Complimentary hot dogs and ice cream, foam fingers and cheap pom poms drew a crowd of students out into the hot parking lot at the Southwest College's West Loop Center.

After music from the University of Houston Cougar Brass Pep Band, whose forceful sound belied its small size, and smiles from a pair of Houston Texans cheerleaders — one with a Sharpie tucked into her red, patent leather boot, presumably for autographs — Dr. Fena Garza, HCC Southwest College president, and Dr. Mary Spangler, HCC chancellor, brought the ceremony to a start.

"I know many of you have been waiting for this moment," Spangler said. "And that includes me!"

HCC students and faculty submitted potential mascot monikers throughout the summer — the person who submitted the winning name was promised a free iPad — and the rest of the student body voted for their favorite during the first weeks of classes.

Thus, Swoop the Eagle came to be.

From now on, Swoop will represent the college at community events, and will stand by the (soon to be selected) cheerleaders at HCC sporting events.

HCC's new athletics department has tripled in size within its first year in operation. Student athletes compete in basketball, golf, volleyball and flag football, among other sports, against club teams from other community college systems and nearby universities.

I hope that it cools down a bit before Swoop hits the streets — it looks pretty hot in that costume.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”