THURSDAY, JAN. 20, 2022 VOLUME 96 ■ ISSUE 17
NEWS
OPINIONS
SPORTS
LA VIDA
Professors adapt to new classroom enviroments during the ongoing pandemic.
To gain validation, celebrities use performative activism, read about what our columnist think.
Jalen Seals uses his teams success as motivation to reach new heights.
For transfers students this adjustment is one they are adapting to while at Tech.
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INDEX LA VIDA SPORTS OPINIONS CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS SUDOKU
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Investing in Success & Growth Davis family gifts largest single donation in Texas Tech history By ARIANNA FLORES Editor-in-Chief
KAITLYN SALAZAR Sports Reporter
In 1989, Texas Tech started a legacy that was built on an idea of being a winner. Gordon W. Davis led the Meat Judging Team to a national championship title that lit a fire for current and future agricultural students. Fast forward to Wednesday Jan. 19, Tech announced its largest single-contribution in the almost 100-year history from the Davis family. Davis gifted $44 million to the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources to invest in the success and growth of those who come after him. “When it came time to make a decision on giving back, I thought it could’ve been specifically to some of the institutions or even the Future Farmers of America, but I thought it needed to go to Texas Tech,” Davis said. “I’ve gotten to know a lot of Tech kids through meat judging and livestock and so forth, and we have hired a bunch of Tech kids. This is all about the kids.” According to a Tech news release, this historic donation will
SYDNEY BANOVIC/The Daily Toreador TOP: During the Jan. 19, 2022 event announcing a major donation to Texas Tech, Gordon W. Davis passes a pig tail to President Lawrence Schovanec while Davis reminisced on his times at Texas Tech as a coach of the Meat Judging Team. LEFT: Because of the the Davis family’s historic gift, Tech is renaming the agricultural college to Gordon W. Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources.
He laid out a very clear plan for the excellence he wants us to strive for.” LAWRENCE SCHOVANEC PRESIDENT benefit three separate parts for student success. The first is a $25 million endowment that will go straight to the college. A $4 million donation to establish the Gordon and Joyce Endowment for Excellence in Meat and Food
Science. Lastly, a $15 million contribution to aid the research and education within the college. “He made a very significant investment today, $44 million into the people and the programs of this college, and he laid out a very clear plan for the excellence he wants us to strive for,” Schovanec said. Due to Davis’ historical do-
nation, the university will be renamed the Gordon W. Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. “[Gordon’s] connection here is deep and steep with this university. It’s deep within the agricultural industry, and we’re very blessed that he chose Texas Tech to be the school where he’s made his largest investment,” Scho-
vanec said after announcing the renaming of the college. This is not the first nor second gift from the Davis family. In 2006, the family donated half a million dollars to Gordon W. Davis Meat Science Enhancement Endowment. Then in 1997 and 2020, the family established a scholarship and foundation to support students in search of a higher education in the agricultural / meat industry. “Gordon’s gifts to these programs are filled with meaning and are driven by a passion for students, for education, and for agriculture,” Schovanec said. Though not a Tech alumnus,
Davis taught at the university for 10 years and ended his time in the Red Raider classroom in 1990. Davis started tearing up during his speech when he spoke about his final year teaching and said it is one of his greatest memories. “The reason I got emotional was because I thought about those kids in my last class. It’s the last class I ever got to teach. The top 10 [students] in that class got pig tails, it’s a great, great memory. I hated leaving the classroom. I just love the kids, I’ve always loved the kids and that’s our future,” Davis said. @DailyToreador
Biden administration reaches one complete year By CHYNA VARGAS Managing Editor
Jan. 20 marks one year since President Joseph Biden Jr. has been inaugurated into office and many events have happened in just 365 days. The pandemic being one of the nation’s biggest battle, Biden has had other priorities that may or may not be addressed. Associate professor from the department of political science, Joel Sievert from Lincoln Nebraska talks about Biden’s policies and if he had met them over this past year. “So if you’re a Democrat, you’ll be like what Biden’s doing and if you’re Republican, you’re more predisposed to dislike it. Now, again, that’s not unique to Biden,” Sievert said “That is in the last several decades, a pretty standard environment the Presidents find themselves operating.” Given the current circumstance, Biden has been put in a tough position, Sievert said. There may not have been a better way to do things in this situation. This is just the reality that a Democratic president faces. Regardless of party association, in just a year, it has been difficult for Biden to fulfill his ideals that he advocated for during his presidents Sievert said.
“Now, that’s not an indictment on Biden, but that’s just political reality, right? They don’t have a large majority and they can’t push through some of that agenda,” Sievert said. “But that’s probably over the next year at least going to be again this route.” The main struggle he faces going into the midterm Sievert said is figuring out how to keep the various factions within the Democratic party and continue to have support. Perspective varies amongst individuals and for even students here at Texas Tech. Colby Reynolds and Abby Voelk from political Tech student organizations explain what they believe Biden has accomplished or not during his first year. Republican point of view Colby Reynolds, a fourth-year mechanical engineering major from Denton is an ambassador to the Young Conservatives at Tech Chapter. Reynolds said he believes the future with Biden’s presidency is unclear and worrying for the nation. With regards to the pandemic, Reynolds does not believe Biden has done everything in his power to help alleviate the problem. Reynolds said the reaction Biden had to the pandemic only gave the United States worse reper-
cussions. “Huge increase on encouraging stimulus checks and stuff was very bad for the economy, as shown now because inflation is
up to what the highest percentage in the area was like what 99 percent And that’s the first time since 1982,” Reynolds said. Biden trying to enforce vac-
cine mandates was a bad call and deemed unconstitutional Reynolds said. It should be the
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GRAPHIC BY TÉA MCGILVRAY/The Daily Toreador
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NEWS
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Professors change class modality amid COVID-19 By MADISON VIDALES Staff Writer
The start of the 2022 spring semester looks different for many instructors as they have each implemented different accommodations for their students amidst the pandemic. Faculty have until Feb. 4 to change the format they will deliver class, online, hybrid or in person, according to the Office of the President. As an extra safety measure for those on campus, the Dean of Students Matthew Gregory said academic buildings will still provide sanitation stations. “We will still have sanitization stations in academic buildings, for students to use to sanitize hands, classrooms or, chairs in classrooms,” Gregory said. “We also still have testing available on campus and vaccination clinics. And of course, for any type of gatherings or events, there will be masking encouraged, but not required, and consideration for outdoor events as opposed to indoor just to help stop the spread of any type of contagion.” Gregory said COVID-19 protocols on campus will remain the same as we have seen
from previous semesters. “I think it’s going to be much the same from what we have experienced in previous semesters,” Gregory said. “Encouraging, distancing, masking, being careful in public gatherings. If we as a community member feel sick, let’s take it upon ourselves to stay home to not get the people that we go to class with, faculty or loved ones, sick.” Grad part-time instructor Record Camden Smith said the first change she made for operating her classroom to accommodate her students was lowering the previous expectations she held for students. “The first thing that has changed was not making the class easier, but lowering my expectations of everyone. I think (graduate instructors) go in and we’re like, ‘We’re taking attendance deadlines are mandatory, and if you missed that, I don’t care if you’re in the hospital. You should’ve been prepared.”, Smith said. “Since I’ve lowered my expectations, my students are connecting with me more than ever.” In one case, Smith said she made special accommodations for a student’s grade after the
student reached out saying his father passed due to COVID. “I had a student two semesters ago that contacted me and his dad had died of COVID and he said, ‘Don’t worry, I’m going to be submitting all my stuff. Just give me until after the funeral.” Smith said during this instance she told the student to heal properly and was empathetic to what college students face regarding strict deadlines and more. Because of this shift to online, online applications became more prevalent within instructions in regards to grading, teaching and more. “You may have noticed that if you were in school before the pandemic, a lot of us (instructors) barely used Blackboardwe used Blackboard, maybe to just report our grades,” Smith said. “Whereas now if you look at my Blackboard, I put links to get the textbook, to figure out how to access Microsoft Word and put everything into folders because I understand to have everything there for you guys, in case we’re not ever going to meet in person again.” Aside from using Blackboard, some instructors have utilized other forms of technology within their teaching. Eric Bruning, professor of atmospheric science in the Department of Geosciences, said he bought an iPad to use specifically for online lectures. “In my classroom, I prefer to lecture on a whiteboard and have students take notes,” Bruning said. “So what I did was I got an iPad with a pencil, and I treated that as a virtual whiteboard. Overall, I would say it worked fairly well, there were some side benefits there, which is that I actually had a record of what I said, which is not something I normally have.” Changing how he views students’ absences in class is another accommodation Brun-
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Texas Tech has announced several changes to class modality since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. For the spring 2022 semester each professor is in charge of how class will be taught, whether that be online, face-to-face or hybrid. ing has made. “I’ve certainly adjusted my sense of how I’m going to respond to illness and absences,” Bruning said. “Before I could fairly expect you’re enrolled in the class and you show up in the class, and that’s where you get the material and it’s not my responsibility to help you out outside of that time. It’s been important and necessary to be flexible and make sure that students can get caught up in whatever way they can manage.” Aside from the policies enforced, Bruning said he wished to see an instant COVID-19 test invented for daily use and a vaccine and mask mandate. “I would love to see something where we all agreed to test daily with a quick saliva test and then use some of that flexibility we have in policy to encourage people to stay home until they get better,” Bruning said. “I would also personally support a vaccine mandate and I would be absolutely happy
to continue wearing a mask. I think it would be a wonderful way for us to show solidarity with one another and to love our neighbors.” While not being able to connect with students in person, instructor of atmospheric science and Head of the National Weather Service in Lubbock Justin Weaver said he communicated with his students through the app GroupMe. “I try to get to know as many students as I can, it’s really important to me,” Weaver said. “Last spring semester, one of my students said, ‘Hey, would you mind if I created a GroupMe for the class?’ That allowed us to at least feel some kind of feel some kind of connection throughout the semester and I’ve been using GroupMe since as a way to communicate outside the classroom.” Weaver has changed the format of his class up until their first exam to limit the size of his class in person. He split the number of students that come in on Mondays and Wednesdays by last names and teaches class virtually on Fridays. “We just meet up with half the class on Monday, half the class on Wednesday, and then the virtual on Friday until we get to the first exam,” Weaver said. “Last spring of 2021 was really easy for me because all I had to do was post videos, respond to some emails and hop in the GroupMe once in a
while so from my standpoint, it was easier but not nearly as enjoyable for me. I just do it because I like the relationship with the students.” Aside from the accommodations he has made for his class, Weaver said he has always been an understanding instructor even before the pandemic. “Things happen with students’ lives throughout the semester, and I’m just not a real big unexcused notes guy and things like that,” Weaver said. “My default mode is to trust students and I know that some students take advantage of that, and that’s fine. I would rather be taken advantage of by a dishonest student once in a while than not help somebody who really needs it.” Jessica Richman, a firstyear journalism major from Lubbock said she was relieved when she found out one of her classes was moved online and how another planned to accommodate students who were unable to attend class. “I appreciate my teacher for going online for the first few weeks because I’ve been pretty anxious about everyone coming back from all over the state and I got over COVID about a week ago too,” Richman said. “My lab classes have said that if you end up getting COVID and can’t come to class, accommodate by doing a private catch-up class with the student.” @MaddieVidalesDT
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Students share thoughts on transferring to Tech By TANA THOMPSON L a Vida Editor
When choosing a college, students have many things to take into consideration. The first college may not be the right fit, but students have the opportunity to transfer. Students come from all over the place to attend Texas Tech University, and some of those are transfer students. Whether it is adjusting to class or campus sizes, finding friends or adjusting to a new life, transfer students face different experiences. “I’ll say it’ll be different in class size it can be drastically different because junior colleges, let’s say classes are way smaller. So at Texas Tech, It’s way bigger,” Francis Nizigiyimana,
BIDEN
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 individual’s choice and not forced. Although, the enrollment of vaccines when they became available for public use was successful. Because the vaccine became available a year and half later, those who did not take it, had natural herd immunity by then, Reynolds said. Reynolds said that he does not believe Biden has provided six million jobs but sees around him that help is wanted in various areas. “I worked at a locomotive plant over the summer and we had worker shortages all summer,” Reynolds said. “And that was because people weren’t working because they could just sit around home and do nothing all day and just get paid by the government.” Reynolds said that with the cancellation of stimulus checks in the state of Texas, it encouraged people to get back to work. Overall, he believes Biden has done more of the wrong things in his first year. Reynolds said according to Gallup polls Biden’s approval rating has been a stagnant 30 percent.
a fourth-year environmental engineering student from Burundi, East Africa, said. “And I’ll also say that maybe as a transfer student classes tend to be a little bit faster as there’s a lot on the syllabus to cover compared to junior colleges, in my opinion. So it’s just a different style of education.” Nizigiyimana, a student assistant at the admissions office, said that professors handle larger classes, so they may not have time to accommodate all of their students. Transferring from South Plains Junior College, Nizigiyimana said the classes were smaller and more hands-on. “Back then, it’s only a two year college so I wanted to get my Master’s in En-
vironmental Engineering,” Nizigiyimana said. “The only way to do that was to transfer to Texas Tech.” Cammarie Simonis, a first-year University studies student from Flower Mound, said Tech offers a number of resources for transfer students. “A transfer student coming into Tech should expect to be thrown a lot of information at once but also have a lot of resources and people there to walk you through the process,” Simonis said. “I honestly was so nervous to transfer in the middle of the year but the reality isn’t as scary because of how much help and support Tech gives you.” Nizigiyimana said the admissions office helps students
during their transfer process. The transfer process can be stressful due to the number of steps a student has to take during their application, Simonis said. “There’s a ton of steps to take and it takes a lot of patience. With that, everyone in Tech admissions was super friendly when trying to help out,” Simonis said. “The thought of potentially transferring could be scary or exciting depending on who you are and what your situation is. I think one thing to remember is that it’s not a bad thing if you feel the desire to be somewhere else than you originally planned.” Jacqueline Vazquez, a second-year accounting student from North Richland Hills,
Reynolds said this has never been seen by any president. “Pray for our nation and God help us all,” Reynolds said. Democrat point of view Abby Voelk, a fourth-year finance major from Plan is the Tech Student Democrat Public Relations and Marketing chair. Voelk said she sees the future of Biden as him combatting the pandemic and taking on other priorities such as renewable energy. Voelk said given the circumstances, Biden has done what any president may have done in his position. In response, Biden has passed a COVID-19 bill, but Voelk said she does not believe he fulfilled that. “I think he does really well with pushing everyone to get vaccinated and pushes people to get tested. But he does provide resources like I said, I just ordered free testing from USPS,” Voelk said. On the topic of Biden and reflection of women’s health, Voelk said she really wishes Biden made more of an impact as president after Texas banned abortions. It would have been nice to have his presence in matters as big as that as Voelk voted for him and was deceived. While the pandemic has
been Biden’s biggest challenge to combat, one of the impacting factors Biden has had in his first year is being present, Voelk said. It is nice to have someone experienced in politics in this position. “Like, it just feels like we’re not a joke to the world. And people are like, we have someone who’s educated and political and has been inspired, somewhat empowered,” Voelk said. While there have been mistakes made, she said that at least there is someone that is educated in this role. For the future, Voelk said that facing Omicron is what she sees happening for the president. In the summer, she said that Biden may address student loans even though he may not pay off every student. Although if he addresses it, there may be an explanation for that. “Hopefully we see more of a transition to renewable energy and going along with the student welfare and hopefully having some type of a plan that would educate people who worked in the oil and gas industry on how to be able to work energy,” Voelk said.
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said she has only been here a week, and the environment has been so welcoming. “In the couple days of attending Tech I can really see that all professors really care about helping their students succeed,” Vazquez said. “I recommend for students to also be outgoing and talk to your teachers and other students as this can help your chances in succeeding. Attend all the transfer events to meet people and look at what they offer, it will only help.” Vazquez said she knew Tech was the school for her when the business students received a rundown and were assured that if they put in their part in working hard, they would succeed. For Simonis, the comfort of being on campus made her
want to transfer. “I transferred to Tech because just visiting one weekend I felt immediately more comfortable here than I had at my last campus,” Simonis said. “I love the student life and the way everyone is so nice. It’s a great time here.” Simonis said it is important for transfer students to give themselves time to adjust to a new school. “Advice I would give to a transfer student is that you have to give yourself grace while adjusting,” Simonis said. “Not everything just feels easy and natural. It’s a lot of change at once so it’s okay to give yourself a break for not knowing everything right off the bat.” @TanaThompsonDT
Committee gets Trump documents WASHINGTON (AP) — In a rebuff to former President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court is allowing the release of presidential documents sought by the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. The justices on Wednesday rejected a bid by Trump to withhold the documents from the committee until the issue is finally resolved by the courts. Trump’s lawyers had hoped to prolong the court fight and keep the documents on hold. Following the high court’s action, there is no legal impediment to turning over the documents, which are held by the National Archives and Records Administration. They include presidential diaries, visitor logs, speech drafts and handwritten notes dealing with Jan. 6 from the files of former chief of staff Mark Meadows. The committee already has begun to receive records Trump wanted kept secret, said Rep. Bennie Thomp-
son, D-Miss., and Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the committee chairman and vice chairwoman, respectively. “The Supreme Court’s action tonight is a victory for the rule of law and American democracy,” Thompson and Cheney said in a statement pledging to “uncover all the facts about the violence of January 6th and its causes.” White House spokesman Mike Gwin called the ruling “an important step forward” for the investigation, “and in ensuring accountability for an unprecedented assault on our democracy and the rule of law.” The House committee agreed to defer its attempt to get some documents, at the request of the Biden White House. The current administration was concerned that releasing all of the Trump administration documents sought by the committee could compromise national security and executive privilege. Alone among the justices,
Clarence Thomas said he would have granted Trump’s request to keep the documents on hold. Trump’s attorneys had asked the high court to reverse rulings by the federal appeals court in Washington and block the release of the records even after President Joe Biden waived executive privilege over them. In an unsigned opinion, the court acknowledged there are “serious and substantial concerns” over whether a former president can win a court order to prevent disclosure of certain records from his time in office in a situation like this one. But the court noted that the appeals court determined that Trump’s assertion of privilege over the documents would fail under any circumstances, “even if he were the incumbent.” It said the issue of a former president’s ability to claim executive privilege would have to wait for another day.
OPINIONS
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Coachella inspires hope for future events Coachella just announced the lineup for spring 2022 and it looks like it is going to be a redemption. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an event that happens every year in the desert of California. However due to COVID-19, the event has been canceled or rescheduled in years prior. This year, it looks like the festival will happen for back to back weekends in April with performers headlining such as; Harry Styles, Ye and Billie Eilish. This California music festival may just be what will get people to see the possibility for a less chaotic future. This pandemic has been about many things but one of the largest impacting factors is working together to stop the spread, which has not been any easy task. No matter anyone’s specific beliefs, this pandemic has affected everyone in one way or another. This includes
Chyna Vargas is a second-year journalism major from San Antonio.
the cancellation of annual events like Coachella. With this marked on the calendar and sold out tickets, this will encourage people to keep themselves and others safe. While this event should not have been happening in the first place due to obvious reasons, I am exhausted from being negative. Instead, this will give people the opportunity to prove me wrong. For a moment at the end of 2021, music festivals, concerts or even Broadway were resurrected. People were out enjoying themselves. Whether they were masked, vaccinated or social distancing, it was possible to be
out and about again. Even attending sporting games was possible. However, with the new found freedom, it was rushed too quickly and spoiled really fast. In April, the hope is it can be like that again, people learned from last time with reopening. People will not fully relax on being cautious. Just because events are starting to return after two years, the pandemic is not over. At first I was hesitant on the idea of Coachella advertising for people to congregate together. These people would be coming from all over and who knows or how fast not just COVID-19 would spread, but any illness or sickness could spread. Coachella has a plan with regards to health and safety as on their website, they are requiring those who attend proof of vaccination or a negative
test result. In addition to those requirements, the Coachella website states “The event shall be presented in accordance with applicable public health conditions as of the date of the event and which may change at any time as determined by federal, state or local government agencies”. That statement is reiterating to who have bought tickets, it is not impossible for this event to change or be rescheduled based on given circumstances. This would naturally enforce people to stay on their best behavior with regards to COVID-19. I know if I had tickets to one of the world’s most popular music festivals, I would definitely try not to be out and about trying to contract a virus that would inhibit me to stay home for two weeks. Or, make sure I was not part of the reasoning for the festival to be canceled or rescheduled.
The 2020 Coachella was originally supposed to happen in April but got rescheduled for October.
With this marked on the calendar and sold out tickets, this will encourage people to keep themselves and others safe. It is unclear as for what the future entails with regards to the festival, but festival goers bought tickets for the event to happen in April and so it should happen in April. What determines part of it is people and their self responsibility. With only a few months to get back into shape before a crowded festival, action has to be done now in
order to prevent any more variants, spikes or out of the ordinary cases. While individual responsibility is only part of the way to fight this pandemic, it goes a long way and can have longer effects. If we are continuing the same actions we are now, Coachella will not happen in April and possibly may just be moved another year. This event should be motivation for people and everyone attending to practice good hygiene and to still be cautious. Every time there is a glimpse for this pandemic to be over, it gets squashed immediately by a new problem. Let this festival and even other in person events be encouragement it is possible to return to somewhat normalcy, but with the right and proper reopening process. @ChynaVargasDT
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Detoxing from phone creates new perspective I will be the first to admit, I use my phone too much. As of right now, I use my phone almost 6 hours each day. That’s bad. My eyes feel strained, my head hurts and my overall health is just more tired. I need a course correction. It’s time to stop scrolling. It can be easy to disconnect from the outside world while scrolling. Most times, I find myself not even looking at the content I’m consuming, rather just staring blankly down at my phone. It’s boring, but I cannot get off the phone. And when I manage to, it’s too easy to snap back into the zone.
Caroline Ragland is a first-year education major from Canyon.
After reading dozens of articles, I have planned to follow three easy steps to stop wasting so much of my time on a screen. It’s not helpful to delete all social media, at least for me. I get campus and organization updates from different platforms. The real challenge is knowing my limits and following my rules. My first rule is to answer my texts the minute I see them. I really struggle to remember to answer my texts. Usually, I’ll see the no-
tification, then I’ll open my phone to check another app. I try to remember to answer the text, but I always forget. This is a real problem, as at the end of the day, I have at least 15 texts from people about something I needed to do, a plan I needed to make, or just a general question I needed to answer or ask. It can get overwhelming, and I always feel guilty after I stay unresponsive to people. The best solution to this is to just respond automatically and avoid getting distracted. After I get on my phone to scroll when I should be looking at a text or message, I get trapped into the zone. As I mentioned before, it can be hard to look up from
my screen because I zone out so much. It’s only when I remember something that I finally get off my phone. The zone, or more technically called disassociation, is dangerous for a lot of reasons.
My eyes feel strained, my head hurts and my overall health is just tired. I need a course correction. Psychologist describe it as feeling detached from oneself. It can lead to damaged vision, headaches and fatigue. Mentally, though, indi-
viduals who disassociate frequently are found to have increased anxiety and depression. Making friends can be harder, and the more you disassociate, the more it becomes a habit. Putting down the phone and going outside, straightening my space, and focusing on my work can really help me get out of this habit. Finally, the best habit to start when detoxing from a device is to put it away an hour before bed and hour after you wake up. Getting ready to go to sleep, reading a few pages of a book and stretching are an easy way to decompress from the day. All these activities can be done without a phone. After waking up, instead of checking any updates,
I am going to start to get ready for my day without listening to music or a podcast. Silence helps to prepare the mind for the next stage of the day. Setting the phone on charge away from the bed and waking up at the first alarm starts and ends the day in a positive space. It truly can help. We are so lucky to live in a time of instant communication, but sometimes, our phones can be the downfall of our good habits. By creating phone priorities, putting the phone down when I need to, and starting and stopping the day without a screen, I can easily take back the time wasted on my device. @CarolineEliseDT
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COLUMN
Child free women create a new era
The wording of the term does not change its consequence; it means that fewer women are either opting out of the idea of starting a family or they simply cannot. Irrespective of the cause, it occurs to me that both the system and society are colluding to make this beautiful experience, skippable. Here is how the system can do better: Reasonable maternity leaves, affordable education based on merit so that not just women, but everyone alike is not entering the prime of their lives neck deep in debts and more importantly, affordable, accessible healthcare. This helps in one very huge way- it gives every individual a chance to start and experience family life just as
Navi Chiddarwar is a PhD candidate student from Pune, India.
easily as our predecessors did, what we make of that chance is a choice. Now here is how we-the society can do better: We can start by not glamorizing this situation and calling it a choice. Agreed, women are succeeding exponentially in all fields, but the wage gap still prevails. Women make 93 cents for every dollar men make. This is far better than the 80 cents to one-dollar ratio that prevailed just 4 years ago but it’s still not equal. No young lady wants to lose themselves into inescapable debt chasms therefore, the “choice” of not wanting to start a family is more dam-
age control or fear avoidance at best. This does not negate the fact that women who have everything going their way choose to make their own womb decisions, but the number is scanty. Only 34 out of 550 jobs listed in the census data pay women more than men. We have a long way to go, and we must not mistake our lack of resources as choices. Certainly, the society has already come a long way and women fortunately still can feel complete if they don’t have children or choose not to have children. Childbearing and child rearing are unique duties women get the opportunity to perform, everything from our mind to our bodies are
equipped to bring a life into this world—a venture that is almost God-like and fulfilling. Had I just been an idea and a choice my mother chose not to make; I imagine the number of things both her and I would’ve missed.
Now here is how we, the society, can do better: We can start by not glamorizing this situation and calling it a choice. As a young girl I saw my mother do it all including but not limited to: Having children, running a success-
ful medical practice, going to graduate school at the age of 45. The idea of motherhood excites me because my mother set a great example of it. Just imagine, if each one of us had the same opportunity as my mother did, we would make this whole thing look like a piece of cake. I did not even touch upon bodily changes and mental changes women go through during and after childbirth and how difficult it is to then reset and get back on track. Those topics might require an entirely new column which I would be happy to shed light on as a healthcare professional, as a woman and more importantly as one of you. Here’s to a near future of real choices. @NaviCDT
COLUMN
Celebrities overdo performative activism The world of today sees many anxious and worried feelings. From the ‘woke’ campaign with societal tensions regarding race from the ongoing pandemic, society often feels at a loss of hope. The roles of celebrities carry a lot of influence and impact. From social to political views, celebrity opinion has persuasive effects on public perception. Speaking on the injustices of the world, celebrities use their platforms to spread such information, sometimes to work in their favor. This disingenuous attitude contributes to the
LETTERS The Daily Toreador welcomes letters from readers. Letters must be no longer than 300 words and must include the author’s name,
Julianne Cervera is a third-year English major from Grand Prairie.
performative activism that plagues Hollywood. With 2020’s explosive affairs, social media witnessed a frenzy in divisive opinions and reactions to the world. For example, the Black Lives Matter movement saw a rise in action, following the death of George Floyd
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by police in May 2020. At a time of major media coverage, celebrities took to donating and protesting in response to the social unrest. However, these celebrities are the same individuals who have been “cancelled” or exposed for racist behavior. For example, reality TV and beauty mogul Kim Kardashian donated money to help those in need during these times of social unrest. However, Kim Kardashian is also viewed as someone who represents complicit behavior in appropriating
black culture. Furthermore, in the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, celebrities rallied to create a cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine”. Though the video was done to encourage hope, the cover was labeled tonedeaf. People criticized celebrities for hiding away in wealth while many others struggled to stay safe against COVID-19. Recognizing the underlying apathy shown by celebrities, performative activism is being called out for its lack of actual help. The problem in performative activism lies in the
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inaction behind celebrity’s flawed words. This hypocrisy is harmful to those relying on the help of others. Understanding the job of a celebrity is to be liked, the reason behind performative activism is not a complicated concept. However, societal opinion blurs the line between genuine values and false validation. By being true in one’s actions, celebrities can work to better the world by putting effort into the justices they believe in. @JulesCerveraDT
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
Page 5 thursday, Jan. 20, 2022
TRACK & FIELD
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Seals starts season with strong Corky Classic By BISHOP VAN BUREN Sports editor
Texas Tech’s Track and Field program opened their season with the Corky Classic from Jan. 14-15, and graduate student Jalen Seals finished in first place in the triple jump with a 16.12-meter mark. “I was going off a little short approach just to kind of try things out,” Seals said. “Got a nice little PR so I was pretty happy aout that.” With his winning jump, Seals surpassed his old indoor record of 16.06 meters from the 2021 NCAA Division 1 Indoor Track and Field Championships, according to Track & Field Results Reporting System. Seals was one of eight Red Raiders to walk away from the Corky Classic with a title, including senior Ruth Usoro from Nigeria, who finished first in the women’s competition for both triple jump and long jump. With a 14.76-meter triple jump, Usoro set an NCAA record and beat her own school record (14.36 meters), according to Tech Athletics. Seals said he’s proud of his teammate’s success and tries to replicate her strong performances. “Ruth is obviously an amazing, amazing athlete,” Seals said. “As soon as she did that … we wanted to just go out there and try to show that we can do the same thing, make sure we’re pushing each other as well.” In Seals’ first season as a Red Raider in 2021, he finished as an All-American for both the indoor triple jump and indoor long jump, and
a tenth place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships secured a Second Team All-American selection. Seals recorded a triple jump measurement of 16.17 meters in his NCAA Outdoor Championships debut, surpassing the 53-foot mark for the first time in his career. After claiming the title at the Masked Rider Open and earning the title of Big 12 indoor long jump champion for indoor competition with (7.69 meters), he eventually recorded a leap of 15.97 meters at the NCAA West Preliminaries to place in 16th place and into the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships. His triple jump measurement in the Corky Classic on Saturday was just two inches shy of his career-best from last year ’s outdoor championship, ending his first season at Tech after transferring from Baylor where he spent his first three years of eligibility. Seals said he credits his hot start in the Corky Classic as an effect of his first fulllength offseason with Tech. “Last year I wasn’t blessed with the opportunity to get a really good offseason training because I transferred right in January, I’m telling you I jumped probably one time before our first meet,” Seals said. “Being able to get that full fall training, I believe that really led to the big jumps early in the season.” During the 2021 offseason, Tech’s Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Wes Kittley announced that Kierth Herston would be the new assistant coach for the jumps and multis groups.
According to Tech Athletics, Herston came to Tech with experience coaching 38 All-Americans, two World Championship finalists, three Olympians and one NCAA Champion. Seals said the addition of Herston has helped improve his game over the offseason, and that he’s long had Herston on his radar. “It’s definitely been a lot different, I was actually looking at going to Florida State, where he came from, when I was leaving Baylor and I always knew he was a really good coach and I was really excited to see him come here and train us,” Seals said. Seals graduated from Boswell High School in Fort Worth, where he won the 2017 Texas 5A state triple jump title and placed second in long jump as a senior, according to Tech Athletics. Seals said his experience in high-level competition early in his career has proved to be a motivational tool. “I started at a really high level, so I’m going to keep pushing myself at that level,” Seals said. “Making sure I’m still trying to compete to the best of my ability.” Also in his senior year of high school, Seals was nominated to the 2017 USA Today’s All-USA Boys Track and Field First Team and earned 2017 Texas Track and Field Coaches Association Co-Field Athlete of the Year. After spending his first three years of college in Wa c o w i t h t h e B a y l o r Bears, Seals transferred to Tech after the COVID-19 shortened the 2020 season and was named an All-
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A former Red Raider jumper soars through the air during his triple jump at the Corky Classic on Jan. 13, 2018. Jalen Seals, now a graduate student jumper for Tech, participated in the meet but not for the Red Raiders. Instead, Seals was making his college debut as a freshman for the Baylor Bears program. American three different times in his first season as a Red Raider. Seals said he will only compete in the long jump competition in the Red Raider open, Tech’s next meet that will take place on Friday, Jan. 21 at the Sports Performance Center. “It’s really so different, It’s really even hard to explain,” Seals said of the difference between playing at Baylor and Tech. “I get on the runway and I’m really excited, I’ll start clapping, I’ve got all my teammates behind me and I’ve got the crowd with me. That energy itself makes you want to do bigger things.” @BishopVB_DT
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LEGAL NOTICE RECOVERED
The Texas Tech Police Department has come into the custody of a blue GT Men’s Aggressor Pro Mountain Bicycle. The person in custody of the property admitted they stole it from the Texas Tech campus on or about the 23rd day of January 2021. If the owner does not claim such property within 90 days from the date of this publication, the property will be disposed of through surplus property.
Page 6 THURSDAY, Jan. 20, 2022
LA VIDA
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New businesses face challenges with COVID-19, construction By TANA THOMPSON L a Vida Editor
From restaurants, to bookstores, to new gyms, Lubbock has had a number of new business openings in recent months, and a few more to come. For Texas Tech students, this means new hobbies and activities close to campus. For people opening a business, the pandemic has brought trials. “I think the biggest challenge has just been supply and subcontractor issues thinking that we were going to be able to open earlier than we did,” Nicki Turnbow, the owner of Stride, said. “We were thinking it was going to be November, but just due to the pandemic. It put us back a little bit but I will say on the positive side, especially in the boutiques fitness space. You know, there’s a lot of people just a lot of pent up demand to be exercising and to really be taking care of ourselves from a health perspective.”
Stride is an indoor treadmill studio that utilizes HIIT interval training for all ages and fitness levels, Turnbow said. “We are a new books, bookstore and publisher that is designed to support authors as artists by allowing them to keep 100 percent ownership of their books and provide a space of inspiration for readers, writers and book lovers alike,” Reenen said. Wild Lark Books, located at 513 Broadway St., is owned by Brianne Van Reenen. Wild Lark Books opened on December. T h e l o c a t i o n o f Wi l d Lark Books was chosen to help build a cultural bridge between East and West Lubbock, Reenen said. “It was absolutely a leap of faith, believing in the purpose and design of the bookshop and the publishing company together and seeing that Lubbock could benefit from an opportunity like this,” Reenen said. “The bookshop itself is just meant
LUKE SIEGEL FIELD
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Lubbock Baseball Academy’s Luke Siegel field on Jan. 16,2022. The field was dedicated to Luke Siegel, the son of former Tech men’s tennis coach Tim Siegel. Luke Siegel died in August 2021 at the age of 15.
to be a cozy corner. It serves as a cultural community center for art, writing for literature and for fun.” Opening in December caused the store opening to face a few problems, Reenen said. “Construction timelines, to receiving inventory, to making sure that the space is welcoming and safe for anyone that walks in,” Reenen said. “Everything takes an extra moment of patience and understanding. And I think that that’s a great reflection on what we want to do and what we want to bring into the community.” All American Eatery opened a second location of about a month ago. Abel Rocha, the managing partner at the restaurant, said this will be the place for great service and food, which will attract college students. This All American Eatery is located at 1902 34th St., Rocha said. “The quality of the food and then the prices of course, especially, you know, being an ex-college student,
I mean, you guys look for deals and specials as well just making sure the food is good quality,” Rocha said. “I mean, I think I got service, food and then daily specials, and that’s what we’re doing here at the second location.”
Opening the second location and All American Mexican Hideout during the COVID-19 pandemic was not all that bad, Rocha said. “We really honestly had really no problems hiring
people. Now again, it’s not a big restaurant,” Rocha said. “So I think we only need to hire like four or five people. So I think that’s helped out the situation as well.” @TanaThompsonDT
ERIN DIGIACAMO /The Daily Toreador
Server delivers food to patrons of the All American Eatery restaurant. Their newest location is closer to students located at 1902 34thSt.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Three cops face complex federal trial MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The federal trial for three former Minneapolis police officers who were with Derek Chauvin when he pinned George Floyd to the street is expected to be complex as prosecutors try to prove each officer violated the man’s constitutional rights. Jury selection begins Thursday in the federal case against J. Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, who also face a state trial later this year on counts of aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death. In the federal case, all three are broadly charged with depriving Floyd of his civil rights while acting under “color of
law,” or government authority. Legal experts say it will be more complicated than the state trial because prosecutors have to prove they willfully violated Floyd’s constitutional rights — unreasonably seizing him and depriving him of liberty without due process. “In the state case, they’re charged with what they did. That they aided and abetted Chauvin in some way. In the federal case, they’re charged with what they didn’t do — and that’s an important distinction. It’s a different kind of accountability,” said Mark Osler, a former federal prosecutor and professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
While the state would try to prove the officers helped Chauvin commit murder or manslaughter, federal prosecutors must show they failed to intervene. As Phil Turner, another former federal prosecutor, put it, prosecutors must show the officers should have done something to stop Chauvin, rather than show they did something to Floyd. Floyd, 46, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin pinned him to the ground with his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9½ minutes while Floyd was facedown, handcuffed and gasping for air. Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back and Lane held down his legs. Thao kept bystanders
from intervening. Chauvin was convicted in April on state charges of murder and manslaughter and is serving a 22½-year sentence. In December, he pleaded guilty to a federal count of violating Floyd’s rights. Federal prosecutions of officers involved in on-duty killings are rare. Prosecutors face a high legal standard to show that an officer willfully deprived someone of their constitutional rights, including the right to be free from unreasonable seizures or the use of unreasonable force; an accident, bad judgment or negligence isn’t enough to support federal charges.
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