WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20, 2021 VOLUME 95 ■ ISSUE 15
LA VIDA
SPORTS
Student vloggers share experiences.
Lady Raiders look to continue success against Kansas.
SGA President welcomes students back.
OPINIONS
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INDEX LA VIDA SPORTS OPINIONS CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS SUDOKU
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CAMPUS
Schovanec addresses spring semester plans By CHASE SEABOLT Editor-in-Chief
Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec provided insight on how he felt the fall semester went and plans for the centennial celebration at Tech. With a sharp spike in positive COVID-19 cases on campus last fall after move-in dates, Schovanec said. Tech has to be prepared for an increase. “Certainly when you look at what’s happening in our state ,and across the country right now,” “we have to expect that those numbers are going to go back up,” Schovanec said. With the class schedule being similar to the fall semester; 40 percent face to face, 30 percent hybrid and 30 percent purely online. He said, they feel as if the inclass experience provided a safe environment. Tech plans to begin ramping up communication with the TTU Commitment program. “A lot of it is the same practices and protocols we had in the fall,” he said, “but we cannot relax even in spite of the fact that the vaccine
is out there.” On Jan. 14, Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) opened their free walk-up testing sites all over the state. Schovanec encourages everyone to obtain a negative test result before returning to class. The Tech community still needs to do what they have been doing, he said. TTU Commitment will just be a way to remind everyone about wearing masks, social distancing and practicing good personal hygiene. “I would say we have a sense of what the numbers could be like,” Schovanec said. “I believe the most cases we had in a week were 400, but in two consecutive weeks, we may have had as many as 600.” In the fall semester, Tech set aside about 400 rooms for students to isolate if they were living on campus, he said. At one point they were concerned that they did not have enough rooms, at some points getting up to 300 people in the rooms. “I believe now that we have a better perspective of just what sort
of capacity we need in order to accommodate that spike,” Schovanec said, “and our numbers provided a margin of safety in the fall.” Going into the fall semester, he said, they were estimating what they needed as far as isolation rooms and facilities. After the first week they began to look for more facilities thinking that there would be more than 400 cases a week and would not be able to accommodate them. Luckily, Schovanec said, that never materialized. “I think from that we have learned that if there is a spike, it might occur in a matter of two to three weeks as it did in the fall,” Schovanec said. “But, I do think the situation is different now. If you look at the end of the semester when there was a spike statewide and nationwide, there was an increase. But nothing as dramatic as the first two to three weeks of the semester.” Tech is prepared for whatever situation presents itself, Schovanec said.
SEE SPRING, PG. 2
FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador
TTU President Lawrence Schovanec answers questions regarding COVID-19 and student safety during a news briefing on Aug. 24 in the courtyard of the administration building. He plans to have more face-to-face classes in fall
COVID-19
Tech HSC doctors discuss COVID-19 vaccine By HANNAH ISOM News Editor
As COVID-19 vaccine clinics race to vaccinate as many individuals as possible, many may be wondering what potential side effects there are and when to expect to see the impact of the vaccine on case numbers. Dr. Steven Berk, Executive Vice President of clinical affairs and doctor of internal medicine and infectious disease at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, said almost all side effects will be considered non-severe. Non-severe meaning aches and pains that should go away. Long-term side effects are what people are worried about, Berk said, and there is no evidence to suggest long-term side effects. However, there have been some allergic reactions, though Berk said individuals with even the worst allergic reactions, some resulting in an epinephrin shot, were OK. The long-term effects from COVID-19 are what people should be concerned with, Berk said. Some of these effects include mental fogginess, skin problems and multiinflammatory syndrome in children.
CHASE SEABOLT/The Daily Toreador
Katherine Wells, director of public health for the City of Lubbock, holds a vial of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. The City of Lubbock has vaccinated over 10,000 people. “If we’re worried about longterm effect.” “We really should be more worried about long-term effects of the virus itself than of the vaccine,” Berk said. Another concern some individ-
uals may have is contracting the virus after receiving the vaccine, and while Berk said this is rare, it is not impossible. The vaccine does not produce many antibodies until five or six
days after injection, Berk said. People may be brewing the virus at the time they get the vaccine or catch it right after getting the vaccine. Again, Berk said this is very
uncommon, but possible. The second dose of the vaccine is a booster, Berk said. “It’s needed to make sure the antibody levels stay for a long enough time,” Berk said. The vaccine appears to be 95 percent effective, Berk said, and seems to be working on variant strains of the virus as well, based on studies done. To break the COVID-19 pandemic, most would say that takes herd immunity, Berk said. This means 70 percent of the population would have to have antibodies, either natural ones or those from the vaccine. Right now, it appears that only 60 percent of the Lubbock population wants to get vaccinated, Berk said. However, Berk said if individuals over 65 and those with underlying health conditions get vaccinated, the ICU’s could begin to empty and the number of deaths could drop, decreasing the severity of the pandemic. The City of Lubbock Health Department is hoping to give 5,000 vaccines per week, Berk said.
SEE VACCINE, PG. 3
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Texas Tech men’s basketball team suffers two postponements By RYAN MAINVILLE Editorial Assistant
On Monday afternoon, the Big 12 Conference announced that the Texas Tech men’s basketball game against TCU in Fort Worth on Wednesday, Jan. 20 would be postponed. The conference cited “interruption guidelines” as the reasoning behind the postponement, according to their release. Both teams will work with the conference for the game to be rescheduled at some point later in the season, according to the release. It was also announced that TCU’s game against the Texas
Longhorns on Jan. 23 would be postponed as well. Shortly after the conference announced the postponement, TCU head coach Jamie Dixon announced on his Twitter page that he had tested positive for COVID-19 during team-wide testing. The Red Raiders would suffer another schedule change on Tuesday afternoon when their game against Iowa State was postponed, according to a Big 12 release. The Cyclones paused all team activities on Jan. 15 due to the program’s COVID-19 protocols, according to an Iowa State Athletics release.
The Cyclones have now had four straight games postponed. The last game they played was against Tech in Ames on Jan. 9. The back-to-back postponements come after a few months of uninterrupted games. Earlier in the season, the Big 12/Big East Battle between Tech and St. John’s was cancelled on Nov. 30 due to COVID-19 concerns from the Red Storm, according to a Tech Athletics release. The Red Raiders next scheduled game is against West Virginia on Jan. 25. That gives them nine days off before their next game against Baylor. @RyanMainvilleDT
FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador
Redshirt sophomore guard Kevin McCullar dunks the ball during the Texas Tech vs. Texas men’s basketball game on Feb. 29, 2020. The Red Raiders have had three games postponed due to COVID-19.
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NEWS
JAN. 20, 2021
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CAMPUS
Challenges faced for departments at Tech By ANA ARTHUR
Digital Content Manager At the beginning of the fall semester for the 202021 school year, many questioned how classes will adapt to the new normal that is associated with COVID-19. As the fall semester neared, Texas Tech announced they will be offering a mixture of face-to-face, online and hybrid instruction. Accommodating to the new norm carried its own challenges for every department, especially those within the College of Visual & Performing Arts and Engineering. “It was really important for me to find ways for us to still accommodate our students in the best way possible,” Charlotte Boye-Christensen, an associate professor and Head of Dance at the School of Theatre and Dance at Tech, said. Boye-Christensen reflected on how her department dealt with the remarkably challenging semester. “I worked closely with our technical team who helped us in terms of setting up the technical infrastructure to make sure we could facilitate our classes in the way that they were intended,” Boye-
SPRING
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Schovanec said he feels as if Tech struck a reasonable balance in providing a safe environment and a college experience. “It wasn’t the same as there was frustration with some of the online experiences, or lack of face-toface instruction.” He said, “I think if you compare us to most schools we were more open, in the sense that we had more activities, more face-to-face than most.” In the upcoming semester, Tech has announced that spring break will be only one day in order to
Christensen said. “This gave us the opportunity to do hybrid version of classes.” For courses that require students to be in person, the School of Theatre and Dance produced a framework to have face-to-face and hybrid while also keeping with the CDC, Center for Disease Control, guidelines. To try and minimize the spread of the virus, a student capacity was placed for each studio. Mats were arranged in the studios for the purpose of contact tracing. Additionally, a few classes took place in the Student Union Building to facilitate some of the larger number of students and give then more space to spread out, and all while requiring everyone to wear a face mask when meeting in person. “We had the face-to-face version in the SUB and for the classes that were slightly smaller we had them in the creative moment studio and then we had a hybrid version and online. So, we had three different versions,” BoyeChristensen said. When discussing challenges that were faced in the fall, Boye-Christensen mentioned that there was a great deal of trouble with
equipment breakdowns, like Zoom call failures and actual equipment mishaps. “There’s so much insight to what we gained in the fall. We are continually finessing the technical set up because when you are trying to do so many different things to make sure equipment works on a consistent basis. “For most of us, that was the most challenging thing,” Boye-Christensen said. “We are more prepared because of having the reality check and the practical experience with us last fall. I’m so impressed by our faculty and students and their willingness to be so ever flexible.” The College of Engineering was another department that underwent profound changes during COVID-19. Majority of classes went online and hybrid. Additionally, students learned that the required study abroad trip needed to complete their undergraduate degree would be canceled and waived. Amongst all the changes the College of Engineering made every effort to still give their students the best education while also keep all students and faculty safe. “Last semester went better
than we expected. The students and the faculty learned a lot and worked together as a family to get through this,” Al Sacco Jr., Dean of the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, said. A big obstacle that occurred for some students during the fall was depression and struggling with the reality of the new normal and adjusting to online learning, Sacco Jr. said. “There were some students that had a lot of problems, they didn’t adjust well, and we would try to deal with them on a one-by-one basis,” Sacco Jr. said. “There was a lot of people who pulled out of class due to anxiety and depression.” Sacco Jr. would host monthly town meetings for the student’s parents to stay connected with them and get input to how it is going with in his department. “I would hold monthly town meetings with the parents to find out what their children are telling them, which is, you know, a different story that I get from the faculty,” Sacco Jr. said. “So, I try to get different in out from people to find out how it’s going.” Looking forward to the
reduce traveling exposures. “We were thinking about making a change in the spring semester,” Schovanec said. “We looked at what other schools were doing. Some did not delay the start of the spring semester and eliminated spring break and had what they called wellness days throughout the semester.” Tech made the decision to push back the start of the spring semester. With regular meetings between the Student Government Association and President Schovanec, he said he would hear a great concern about the health and wellness of students as related to isolation, stress
of new learning formats and personal issues. “We had some meetings in the fall with the health professionals on campus,” he said. “We talked about things we could do to enhance services for those students that relate to their wellness.” There will be enhanced communication between students and health professionals. The decision was made to add extra days to break up the semester. The wellness days will be Feb. 26 and April 5. Looking forward to next year, the centennial celebration will begin at the Carol of Lights in December of 2022.
“We have a commit tee in place for well over a year,” Schovanec said. “It will kick off in 2022 with the Carol of Lights and end with the Carol of Lights in 2023.” Tech is currently in the process of publishing a book called “100 voices for 100 years.” He said, they have finalized the list of the 100 names that will go into the published book. There will be an opportunity for one to nominate others on part of a website that includes other events and personalities people feel have had a significant part in the history of the first 100 years of Tech. @ChaseSeaboltDT
FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador
Students attend class in small groups in Urbanovsky Park on Sept. 28, 2020 as a part of the TTU Commitment in response to COVID-19. Texas Tech will continue to follow the TTU Commitment for the spring 2021 semester. spring semester, Sacco Jr. is hoping to add a few more faceto-face and hybrid courses, while keeping the same structure that the department had in the fall. “We’re going to do what we did in the fall with a few more classes added that we learned that we could do certain things safely for both the students and faculty,” Sacco Jr. said. “We were over conservative, so now we’re loosening the reins a little bit so that we can do face-to-face.”
Amidst all the obstacles that have been set in placed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the College of Engineering and School of Visual & Performing Arts have learned new ways to teach creatively. Looking ahead to the spring semester, Tech plans to continue in the spring with a variety of face-to-face, hybrid, and online course modalities while following all the health and safety protocols, according to a new release from Tech. @AnaArthurDT
FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador
President Lawrence Schovanec answers questions regarding COVID-19 and student safety during a news briefing on Aug. 24 in the courtyard of the administration building.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
GM, Microsoft team up on driverless cars SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — General Motors is teaming up with Microsoft to accelerate its rollout of electric, selfdriving cars. In the partnership announced Tuesday, the companies said Microsoft’s Azure cloud and edge computing platform would be used to “commercialize its
unique autonomous vehicle solutions at scale.” Microsoft joins General Motors, Honda and other institutional investors in a combined new equity investment of more than $2 billion in Cruise, bringing its valuation to about $30 billion. Cruise, which GM bought in 2016, has been a leader in
driverless technology and got the go-ahead from California late last year to test its automated vehicles in San Francisco without backup drivers. Auto companies have been joining forces and bringing technology firms on board to try to spread out the enormous costs -- and by nature, risks -of developing self-driving and electric vehicles. Honda is in on the Cruise project with GM, Volkswagen and Ford have teamed up with Pittsburgh autonomous vehicle company Argo AI, and Hyundai joined with Fiat Chrysler last summer in a deal to use Waymo’s driverless car technology. Toyota and Uber are also working together, while Amazon skipped over the automaker part of the equation and last summer bought selfdriving technology company Zoox, which is developing an autonomous vehicle for a ridehailing service. Mass adoption of driverless vehicles — and profits — are still a ways off, said industry analyst Sam Abuelsamid of Guidehouse Insights. “The reality is that the automated driving landscape is taking much longer to mature that had been anticipated a few years ago,” Abuelsamid said. “It’s probably going to be mid-decade before we start to see significant volumes of these vehicles.” Abuelsamid added that the importance of adding a company like Microsoft to the mix is its cloud computing power and the ability to analyze data from the vehicles to improve the technology. “Microsoft is a great addition to the team as we drive toward a future world of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “Microsoft will help us accelerate the commercialization of Cruise’s all-electric, self-driving vehicles and help GM realize even more benefits from cloud computing as we launch 30 new electric vehicles globally by 2025 and create new businesses and services to drive growth.”
@DailyToreador www.dailytoreador.com
CAMPUS
LA VIDA
Page 3 Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021
Student vloggers share experiences By AMANDA HAMPTON Features Editor
The transition from high school to college is not an easy step to take. To help de-stress the adjustment, the Department of Transition and Engagement has student vloggers video their everyday college experiences. “The TTU Vlog Squad is a group of students who video their daily lives and post them on YouTube to show what life is like as a Tech student,” Megan Ohlmann, assistant director for Transition and Engagement, said. Before having student vloggers, Transition and Engagement posted YouTube videos from the department’s perspective about student life at Tech, Ohlmann said. However, the department decided this was not the best strategy to reach students. “Incoming students don’t necessarily want to hear from me about what they need to do,” Ohlmann said. “We found that what students really wanted was to hear from other students about what their experience was.” Maky Haynes, a junior
VACCINE
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 “If that continued there would be a major impact on COVID-19 within a couple of months,” Berk said. Lisa Thomason, director of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, has been helping ensure that vaccine clinics run smoothly at the Civic Center. “ We ’ r e i n t h e e v e n t business, and this is a big event,” Thomason said. The Civic Center staff plays a large role in vaccine clinics. The staff helps maintain the facility and help move people through the space, Thomason said. Additionally, the staff helps assist in utilizing the space to the best advantage for the event, Thomason said. This is
PHOTO COURTESY OF TTU VLOG SQUAD
The TTU Vlog Squad is a group created by the Department of Transition and Engagement who make videos about their daily lives to show what life is like on campus as a Tech student. honor sciences and humanities and communication studies major from Shallowater, said she has vlogged for Tech for a year and a half. As a member of President’s Select, the student organization responsible for giving campus tours, Haynes uses questions she receives from potential students to determine what types of videos her
viewers are looking for, she said. “We make a lot of videos to reach high school students to pull them towards Tech,” Haynes said. “We also make videos for Texas Tech students to get them engaged with the community and excited about being a Red Raider.” It is important for the vloggers to capture what it
looks like to be an excited and passionate Tech student in order to attract high school students, she said. Haynes vlogged her experience camping overnight outside the United Supermarkets Arena to watch a Tech basketball game, she said. The video shows viewers the excitement Tech’s student body has for basketball. “Camping out for Ken-
especially important for vaccine clinics because you have to leave enough space to social distance. Though they continue to work out kinks and make tweaks, Thomason said things are going smoothly. Mostly, they are trying to communicate with patients that there is no need to come until their appointment time Thomason said. “It moves much more s m o o t h l y t h a t w a y, ” Thomason said. Dr. Victor Test, a pulmonologist at the Health Sciences Center and director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit, has been working on the frontlines since March and has not seen a non-COVID-19 patient in the ICU since. Typically, Test said the ICU is always full, but patients are in there for
short periods of time. In a COVID-19 ICU, the length of a patients stay has grown exponentially. “You don’t know on a day-to-day basis, which of your patients is going to live or die,” Test said. The vaccine represents a way to change the game, Test said. It is the first thing that can actively be done to get lives back to normal and could alter the course of the pandemic Test said. As an individual who works on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, Test said he is puzzled and sad as to why people will not get the vaccine. “Vaccines make some people nervous,” Test said. “I’ve never understood it very well.” Though the vaccine is a step in the right direc-
tion, Test said they do not expect to see relief in ICU’s for a long time. Because the ICU’s have been so full, they have not been able to provide much assistance to the outlying communities they traditionally assist, Test said. When cases drop in Lubbock, ICU’s will still be full because of the outlying communities. Working on the frontlines has been a struggle in many ways, but Test said working in an ICU where everyone has the same disease is strange and his concept of time is occasionally thrown. “There are times where I’ll work and I’ll not know for sure which day of the week it is, because every day is very similar to the last,” Test said. Additionally, Test said COVID-19 has added an
tucky is one of my favorite videos because it just really showcases what it’s like to be a Red Raider and how spirited everyone is,” Haynes said. Another priority for the TTU Vlog Squad is sharing what the first-year college experience is like for viewers, Ohlmann said. Molly Moczygemba, a freshman business and marketing major from San Antonio, said she started vlogging for the department before attending Tech. Her first vlog footage was of her high school graduation, which was used to show her transition from high school to college. Now that she is a Tech student, Moczygemba said she films herself going to class, eating at dining halls and attending football games. “I think it’s very beneficial for the potential students just to see what campus is like and what it’s like to be a Red Raider,” Moczygemba said. Other vlogs posted show viewers fun activities available in Lubbock, Haynes said. The vloggers have filmed themselves trying different local restaurants
and sharing cheap ways to spend time with friends. While the vlogs help Transition and Engagement to reach students, the videos also benefit the vloggers because they can revisit their memories, Haynes said. “I think it’s a really cool way to be able to look back at my memories,” Haynes said. “I like having all of my time at Tech documented.” The Vlog Squad is looking for ways to produce new and relevant content, Haynes said. One new segment they are starting aims to inform students about various student organizations on campus. “We are going to start highlighting different student orgs in some of our vlogs and reaching out to different organizations to just show different ways that as a Tech student, you can get involved,” Haynes said. Vlogs are posted on the Transition and Engagement YouTube channel every Thursday at noon and can be found on the TTU Vlog Squad Playlist.
extra burden to nurses, who have had to stand in for families unable to see their loved ones due to the pandemic. Thomason, Test and Berk
said it is important to get the vaccine if it is available, and until then to remain vigilant, wearing a mask and social distancing.
@AmandaHamptonDT
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Page 4 Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021
COLUMN
OPINIONS
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SGA president welcomes back students Hunter Heck is senior philosophy and spanish major from Panhandle.
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elcome back, Red Raiders! I hope that you all enjoyed a safe and restful holiday season. Last semester was marked by hardship, and I am so proud of you for your resilience, adaptability and strength. As we return to campus for the spring 2021 semester, I want to provide you with a couple of updates regarding SGA events and initiatives. COVID-19 Vaccine Survey and Reminders As we prepare to begin the semester, we encourage you all to obtain a COVID-19 test prior to your return to campus. Free oncampus COVID-19 testing is available through Texas Department of Emergen-
cy Management (TDEM) Monday through Saturday from 10a.m.-4p.m. at 2533 15th Street (building east of the SUB). In addition, we recommend that you take the time to review campus guidelines and policies through the Texas Tech Commitment. Please do your part to keep your campus community safe by wearing a mask, social distancing and following all local and state health guidelines. I also wish to notify you all that I serve as a member of the committee formed to coordinate the COVID-19 vaccine process as it becomes available to us this semester. If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact covid19@ttu.edu or myself. In order to effectively understand and represent your interests, I have prepared a brief survey about
the COVID-19 vaccine that will take just a couple of minutes to complete; you can find it on TechConnect via the SGA page or in your email I sent on Friday, Jan. 15. MLK Celebration Now more than ever, the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. resonates in the hearts of many, as a new generation of activists find their voice and the old remain emboldened by his legacy. Dr. King’s fight for voting rights paved the way for our first Black president, and now vice president, to be elected to hold office. Dr. King’s fight for desegregation paved the way for Ms. Lucille S. Graves to be the first Black student admitted to Tech in 1961. Dr. King’s fight for justice paved the way for us to witness one of the largest social justice movements
to date in June 2020. Simply put, Dr. King’s fight paved the way. SGA humbly honors the life of an incredible man who was not only the cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement, spanning from 1954 to 1968 but remains an inspiration to all those who stand for love, justice and equality. While it is our hope that you are inspired to continue the fight against systemic racism and modes of oppression, it is equally important to celebrate how far we have come due to the fearless contributions of Black leaders like MLK. Join in this year’s celebration of life by participating in these events: Wednesday -- Inauguration Watch Party (Virtual) Thursday -- ALL DAY, Virtual Movie Screening: King in the Wilderness
Friday -- 10:30 a.m.12 p.m., Lubbock Meals on Wheels Volunteer Service (to volunteer, email cory.powell@ttu.edu) For more details and updates you can visit the Tech website.
Simply put, Dr. King’s fight paved the way. Wellness Days We u n d e r s t a n d t h a t some were disappointed about the university’s decision to modify spring break to a single day, especially regarding the impact it could have on mental health. In response, we worked with the university to schedule an additional wellness day on Friday, Feb. 26. April 5 is also a scheduled day of no classes that can be used as an addi-
tional wellness day. We are hoping to plan events and provide resources on these days, so if you have any ideas or recommendations about how we can best serve you during these times, please let me know. SGA Elections Student Government Association elections are quickly approaching for the 2021-2022 school year. If you are interested in running for a Student Senate or Executive Office position, please visit the SGA website for important dates and requirements. Again, I am proud of you all and want to remind you that SGA exists to understand and represent your needs. Please contact me at hunter.heck@ttu.edu for any questions or concerns that you may have. Wreck ‘Em always! @DailyToreador
COLUMN
Optimism, unity needed during political turmoil Mateo Rosiles is a junior journalism major from Lubbock.
When we last left school, the world was OK. The federal government was moving along and everything seemed OK. Trump hadn’t conceded yet and the big pressing matter for the federal government and America was the omnibus bill. For
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a moment, I was thinking that maybe we would have a government shutdown. Federal Budget I truly did not understand the hang-up of a stimulus package when a few months ago former President Donald Trump was against any sort of stimulus package. Now here he was, advocating for a bigger package. This stunt was the start of the tragic events that were to follow. This was a desperate attempt to try and gain favor with the American people, and it seemed that it worked on his supporters. Thankfully, the government shutdown was averted but looking back at this, the event was just more kindling added to the pile that the 2020 Presidential Elections created. The Georgia Congressional Election In my eyes, this was not even something worth trying to analyze. For the former president to ask an election official to find votes to make him win the state's election is just blatant fraud. If a Democratic President did the same thing, the other side would be in an uproar too. There is no excuse for this action. Period. The President to continuing his lies of this
being a fraudulent election only added gasoline to the fire. The Speech, The Attack and The Count Jan. 6, 2021, will forever be remembered. Not as a day such as 9/11 where thousands of American lives were lost due to terrorists, but rather as a day that a President of the United States incited an insurrection against his government. The day the very heart of American democracy was defiled and blood was shed. “Because you’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong. We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated, lawfully slated.” These are words that the former president said to his supporters 15 minutes into his speech. About five minutes later, his supporters surrounding the Capitol breached the temporary barricades. The joint session of Congress had just been called into session. An hour later, something that hasn’t happened since 1814 occurred. No longer protesters, but rather domestic terrorists, stormed the Capitol.
The People’s House was overrun, offices destroyed, bombs were found and the greatest tragedy occurred; American citizens lost their lives. The halls of democracy will be forever stained. The former president to releasing a statement to ask his supporters to go home was nothing short of mocking the American people and the tragedies that unfolded that day.
Words for the Declaration of Independence and words that I sill value, 243 years later. H o w e v e r, I c a n s a y that I was overjoyed when many Republicans voiced their disdain for the former president and for the event that unfolded that day. I was even more thrilled that the senators showed the most respect by either not cosigning electoral disputes or even debating. Being part of Generation Z, born in 1999, this day will forever be ingrained in my memory, just as 9/11 will be forever ingrained in my parent's minds and Pearl Harbor will forever be ingrained in my grandparent's mind.
Impeachment A week after the horrific events, the House of Representatives voted in favor of the article of impeachment for inciting an insurrection. At the time of writing this, around 90 suspects have been identified and are facing charges. The Senate is now set to convene the trial soon. As of right now, no official date has been set, but it could be possible that the trial will start after the first 100 days of the Biden administration. I hope this is the case especially because America needs time to heal and celebrate the continuance of democracy. America has several just as important issues that need to be addressed as quickly as possible. I also hope that this time we can start seeing the full picture of what led up to the insurrection of the Capitol. First 100 Days Healing America and uniting both political parties to help the American people, COVID-19 and the vaccine and racial inequalities in America are just a few challenges facing President Joe Biden and his administration. Now, more than ever, the American people need politicians to work to-
gether to help their fellow Americans. Many face homelessness, are still without jobs and are uncertain about the future. America needs unity and hope. I hope that this administration will not shy away from the hard topics but rather face them and help America move forward. Conclusion We need our president and our legislature to support us and to keep the American dream and ideals alive. “That all men are created equal, that we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights.” Words from the Declaration of Independence, and words that I still value 243 years later. Words that gave hope to my grandparents, who immigrated to America for a better life and a better future for their future children and grandchildren. I also hope that our student government will continue the fight they based their campaign on, continuing to promote diversity, and that the student population will show tolerance toward all ideas that are either political or social. Finally, I also have hope that 2021 will still be a better year than 2020. @MateoRosilesDT
ASSOCIATED PRESS
One Good Thing: Special Olympian spreads message of love Gary Schottle arrived in time to see the other kids in line hitting and jumping on his young son. Nicknamed “Tank,” Derek towered over the pestering kids, yet lacked the confidence to stick up for himself and was too kindhearted to intentionally hurt anyone. Head down, he took the blows without reacting. Special Olympics changed everything. Tank felt accepted and confident. He blossomed into a leader, became an inspiration to everyone he met. Self-assuredness allowed Tank to take his message of hope and love to social media, where his daily affirmations have been a beacon of joy to more than 100,000 followers during the bleak days of a pandemic. “If you’d have told me back then what he's doing now, I wouldn’t have
LETTERS The Daily Toreador welcomes letters from readers. Letters must be no longer than 300 words and must include the author’s name,
believed it. There’s just no way," Gary Schottle said. “It truly is amazing.” Special Olympics, founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, have melded competition and confidence for people with intellectual disabilities since the first games in 1968. Special Olympics has since branched out to more than 170 countries, empowering more than 5 million athletes who had often been cast aside. The mission has always been one of acceptance and inclusion. Tank, a seven-sport athlete, paid it forward. As a young boy, he lacked social skills, had few friends and was often picked on by other kids. In 20 years of Special Olympics competition, Tank's confidence has soared, his leadership spreading across playing fields, the Houston area and beyond.
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Tank, 31, has received local and national awards for being an advocate for Special Olympics and anti-bullying. He regularly gives speeches about love and hope. Tank appeared on CNN and other networks to fight for Special Olympics when Education Secretary Betsy DeVos threatened to halt funding for the organization in 2019. Once one of the bullied, he has become a living embodiment of the Special Olympics message. “He's a gregarious individual, extremely outgoing, always positive,” said Aaron Keith, executive director of the Special Olympics Texas east region, where Tank competes. “What he’s done as a leader and a change agent for individuals with ID is way bigger than what he’s done on the field.” The followers soared
when Tank brought his message to Twitter. Tank posts daily messages of love, hope and inspiration that have attracted the attention of celebrities like Mark Hamill, Marlee Matlin, Maureen McCormick, Rachel Maddow, former NBA player Rex Chapman — a social media juggernaut in his own right — and NFL player J.J. Watt He's thanked doctors and nurses, comforted those who have suffered losses, offered congratulations for accomplishments and encouragement to others with disabilities. “I love to spread love and hope for our country and our world," Tank said. “We should all love one another and bring hope and inspiration to other people.” It's turned him into a celebrity. Tank has been featured
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on local TV and in newspaper stories, and is regularly asked to serve as the announcer on the first tee at golf tournaments. Tank was such a popular batboy for the Sugarland Skeeters, the minor league baseball team honored him with a bobblehead night. Fans lined up to take pictures with him after the game. The mayors of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Concord, Massachusetts, declared Dec. 12 and 13 Derek “Tank” Schottle Day when he received awards there. “It’s interesting because you never know what the next day is going to bring,” Gary Schottle said. The exposure does occasionally make him a target. Twitter can a vitriolic place and keyboard bullies have tried to attack Tank and his message.
EDITORIALS Unsigned editorials appearing on this page represent the opinion of The DailyToreador. All other columns, letters and artwork represent the opinions of their authors and are not necessarily representative of the editorial board, Texas Tech University, its employees, its student body or the Board of Regents. The DailyToreador is independent of the College of Media and Communication. Responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies with the student editors.
SPORTS
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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Page 5 Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021
Lady Raiders look to continue success against Kansas By ZACH RICHARDS Sports Editor
The Lady Raiders will look to maintain momentum on the road to take on Kansas at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20. The Lady Raiders are coming off of their biggest win of the season over No. 20 Texas. The long-standing scoring leaders of Tech, senior duo Vivian Gray and Lexi Gordon, are one of the highestscoring duos in the country. Gray’s 20 points per game is the highest on Tech’s roster, and Gordon trails with 17.6. However, both Gordon and Gray have had their off nights, and on those given nights, two talents have risen to the occasion for the Lady Raiders. Enter junior guard Naje Murray and senior guard Maka Jackson. The two have made the most of their increased playing time, combining for 24 and 29 points in their last couple outings, according to
Tech Athletics. They have brought to the team an energy that helps everybody out, Gray said in a news conference following the game. Since, the Lady Raiders’ confidence has grown. Against the Mountaineers, Murray garnered a career-high 18 points. But there was more to the game than just a career high. It was a pivotal loss for Tech. After the loss, Murray said the team got together and decided they would move forward with a successful future, and in every game, they would win, or lose giving everything they have, she said. The Lady Raiders will travel on Wednesday to the 5-4 Jayhawks, who have one conference win and a pair of conference losses. However, their losses have both been extremely narrow, including a seven-point loss to Texas and a three-point loss to TCU. The Horned Frog offense is led by Holly Kersgieter, whose 17.1 points
per game is good for No. 8 in the conference, according to Tech Athletics. The bulk of her offense comes from efficient shooting from beyond the arc, ranking third in the league in percentage at 39 percent. The anchor of Kansas’ post-game resides in Loanna Chatzileoni, who ranks fifth in the conference in rebounding with just over nine per game. As a whole, the Jayhawks are relentless on the boards, with only one team out rebounding them on the season. The meeting between Tech and Kansas will be their 36th, with the Lady Raiders winning seven of the last 10 matchups. The Lady Raiders won the most recent matchup last season in a dominant fashion, 89-72. Their offense came on the back of a junior Gordon, who finished with 19 points on the game to lead both teams. Despite a fluid and evolving offense, the Lady Raiders’
struggles reside on the defensive side of the ball. They currently rank eighth in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 69 opposing points per game, according to NcaaStatistics. They rank seventh in field goal percentage defense as well. They have shown flashes of solid defense, though. Against the sixth-ranked offense in the conference, Oklahoma, the Lady Raiders held them under double digits for the entirety of the third frame. In their last outing against No. 21 Texas, the Lady Raiders held the thirdranked Longhorn offense to 16 consecutive misses from the field. Their defensive lapses mostly stem from poor rotations, whether on closeouts or help-side defense. However, solid shot-blocking from Gray, who leads the team with 19, and freshman forward Khadija Faye, has assisted them a bit on the defensive side of the@ZachRichardsDT ball.
PHOTOGRAPHER NAME/The Daily Toreador
Senior guard Andrayah Adams dribbles the ball before attempting to shoot a basket in the Texas Tech vs. Kansas women’s basketball game on Feb. 12, 2020, in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Lady Raiders will play Kansas on Jan. 20, 2021, at Allen Fieldhouse.
BASEBALL
Big 12 releases 2021 baseball season structure By JACK BURGESS Staff Writer
The past year, due to COVID-19 and the many protocols that come with it, it has been extremely difficult for college conferences to devise a schedule that is acceptable and ensures the health and safety for everyone involved. Over the past couple of weeks, major college conferences have devised their plans
to carry out their 2021 college baseball seasons with the majority of conferences following a normal structure which resembles past seasons. On Tuesday, Jan. 19, the Big 12 conference followed in the footsteps of many other divisions (including P5) in carrying out a normalized schedule; they approved of a normal season structure for the 2021 season. With the coronavirus be-
ing an ongoing problem throughout the country, there had to be some drawbacks for the upcoming college baseball season, which are necessary to the health and safety of athletes, staff, and fans. The most notable ‘fault’ to this season is the roster change which prohibits Big 12 teams from dressing more than 30 players for both conference and non-conference matchups.
Further details concerning attendance, travel, and other protocols will be announced sometime in the near future. With this new, yet recognizable, format being formalized and drawn out, the Red Raider baseball team, along with the rest of the Big 12, are expected to release their 2021 baseball schedule(s) in the next coming days. @JackBurgessDT
MEN’S BASKETBALL
McClung wins first Big 12 Player of the Week By RYAN MAINVILLE Editorial Assistant
On Tuesday, the Big 12 announced that junior guard Mac McClung had been selected as the conference’s Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. McClung is the first Texas Tech player to win the award this season. McClung made his case for the award especially apparent when he made a game-winning shot against No. 4 Texas in Austin last Wednesday. McClung led all scorers in
the game with 22 points. McClung shot 6-of-14 from the field and 2-of-3 on three-point attempts against the Longhorns, according to ESPN. McClung also had five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one turnover in the game, according to ESPN. McClung put together another high-scoring performance against No. 2 Baylor. McClung once again led all scorers with 24 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field, according to ESPN. @RyanMainvilleDT
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SPORTS
Page 6 Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021
SPORTS
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Tech Athletics during winter break: What you missed By ZACH RICHARDS & RYAN MAINVILLE Sports Editor & Editorial Assistant
As students went home and enjoyed their holiday break, select programs at Texas Tech remained active in the athletic realm. Both men and women’s basketball, track and field and men’s and women’s tennis finished the break with winning margins. Men’s Basketball Over the break, the Tech men’s basketball program shot to 11-4 overall and 4-3 in conference play. Since Dec. 9, the last day of classes for students, the Red Raiders have gone 7-3 with all three losses coming at home. They garnered wins over No. 4 Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Iowa State. On the other end, they fell to No. 2 Baylor, No. 9 Kansas and Oklahoma State. Junior guard Mac McClung has been on top of the Tech offense thus far, averaging 16.3 points per game through 15 contests to lead the Red Raiders, according to Tech Athletics. On a conference scale, McClung ranks fourth league-wide in scoring. The Georgetown transfer’s performances of late earned him Big 12 Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, the first award for a Red Raider on the season. Tech was also sparked by the resurgence of sophomore guard Kevin McCullar, who was out the first nine games of the season due to an ankle injury. However, off the injury, McCullar has proved more than useful for the Red Raiders. Since his return, McCullar has averaged 11.2 points,
7.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, according to Tech Athletics. His rebounding average leads the team.
Lady Raiders vs. Kansas • • • • •
Location: Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. Time: 7 p.m. Date: Wednesday, Jan. 20 TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ Radio: 107.7 FM
Women’s Basketball For the Lady Raiders, the break started off on a high note with a three-game win streak over TCU, Southern and Incarnate Word. However, they cooled off quickly and lost the following four to Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Iowa State and West Virginia. Their most recent win proved monumental for the team, notching their first win in 14 games over No. 20 Texas. The Lady Raiders, following the break, have a 7-6 overall record and a 2-5 record in conference play. As they look to improve, the win against a ranked Texas squad is sure a good way to start. Leading Tech has been the senior tandem of Vivian Gray and Lexi Gordon, one of the top duos in the nation, according to Tech Athletics. They are one of six duos in Power 5 basketball averaging over 17.5 points per game. Gray with 19.9 points per game and Gordon with 17.9 points per game. Tech will look to rebound in its second slate of confer-
ence matchups after going sub-.500 in the first round. They will start off by travelling to Allen Fieldhouse to face Kansas in a conference matchup. They will then battle TCU before hosting West Virginia. Track and Field The 2019 national champions opened their season on a high note at the Corky Classic event at Tech’s own Performance Center in Lubbock. Three school records, world records and a flurry of personal bests was a result of Tech’s outstanding season-opener. Headlined by junior jumper Ruth Usoro’s world recordbreaking triple jump with a mark of 46’-10.25” (14.28m), according to Tech Athletics, the Red Raiders continued their path of excellence. Graduate student Takieddine Hedeilli continued the records with the fastest 800-meter time in the world with a 1:45.98, which was also a new school record, according to Tech Athletics. Courtney Lindsey also contributed to the newly improved record book, posting a 6.59, 60-meter sprint time which ranked third in the world. He followed that performance with a 20.45 200-meter sprint, good for second in the world, according to Tech Athletics. Senior thrower Gabe Oladipo recorded a new personal best, outshining his furthest throw last season by nine inches, according to Tech Athletics. Kayli Johnson also set the standard in throwing, winning gold in both the weight throw and shot put. The track and field program made great strides in its first meet of the year, much to head coach Wes Kittley’s approval.
In a news conference following the meet, Kittley said he was extremely impressed by the personal bests and records during the meet. Kittley and the Red Raiders will be back in action Jan. 23 at the Red Raider Invitational. Men’s Tennis The Red Raiders opened their season with a clean sweep of ACU. In the doubleheader, they won first 5-0, and then 7-0. No losses in either singles or doubles play highlighted the Red Raiders’ stellar debut. Sophomore Reed Collier sparked Tech with a singles win. He then moved on to doubles alongside junior Parker Wynn and won doubles 6-4. After a flawless outing at McLeod Tennis Center, the Red Raiders will now turn their focus to a matchup against the Iowa Hawkeyes in Columbus, Ohio, on Jan. 22 for their first road test of the new season. Women’s Tennis The women’s tennis program had its spring opener in Arlington, Texas, at the Big 12/Pac-12 Mock Duels. They concluded the mock event with a 9-6 overall record in singles, according to Tech Athletics. In doubles, they finished 4-2, both positive marks. The doubles tandem of Lisa Mays and Margarita Skriabina went a flawless, 3-0 on the event to headline Tech’s outing. They took home the doubles tournament title on the weekend. Unfortunately, for the program, their matchups against Kansas State, Tulsa and Oklahoma have been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns,
FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador
Wes Kittley holds up the National Championship trophy as the track & field team are welcomed back to Lubbock on June 9, 2019. The Red Raiders brought home the NCAA National Championship in Men’s Track & Field for the first time in school history. according to Tech Athletics, the team will not travel. Football Football season may be more than seven months away, but the Red Raiders added some notable mid-year enrollees over the break. Tech enrolled five transfers, three of which were transferring from a Power 5 school. Tech is welcoming sophomore defensive back Malik Dunlap from N.C. State, freshman linebacker Jesiah Pierre from Florida and senior defensive back Marquis Waters from Duke. Up front, head coach Matt Wells added some young depth in freshman offensive lineman Matt Keeler from Coffeyville Community College and freshman defensive lineman Bobby Young from L.D. Bell. The Red Raiders also enrolled its highest-rated quarterback since 200 in freshman Behren Morton, according to 247-Sports. Each of these transfer student-athletes will immediately join Tech for the spring semester.
The Red Raiders will also have a handful of high school signees make their debut on campus in the spring: Jed Castles, Jerand Bradley, Mason Tharp and the aforementioned Behren Morton Men’s Golf The Tech men’s golf team has yet to start its spring slate, but their rankings have given the program high hopes. According to Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll, Tech men’s golf team holds a No. 9 ranking prior to the season. They finished in the same poll No. 3 last season after a flurry of high tournament finishes. In Golfstat rankings, Tech holds a No. 24 national ranking. Tech golf continues under the leadership of head coach Greg Sands. The program has a bit of a wait before beginning their spring slate at the Arizona Intercollegiate from Jan. 25-26. @ZachRichardsDT @RyanMainvilleDT