The International Affairs Office is hosting the 24th Annual High and Dry Exhibition in the International Cultural Center, highlighting semiarid and arid lands across the globe through photos. These types of lands receive little to no precipitation throughout the year, and photographers submitted content of the dry landscapes for the exhibition that ranged from West Texas, Colorado, Saudi Arabia `and more.
“Hopefully people will look at it (High and Dry gallery) and say, ‘Maybe if I took a 10-minute shower instead of a 15-minute shower, I can save this water for that purpose, or I can do this, or if I can recycle that,’” said Clifford Fedler, the director of the International Center for Arid and Semiarid Land Studies and associate vice provost for the International Affairs Office. Fedler encourages people to visit the gallery because he said bringing as much attention to these lands that don't receive a
SEE GLOBAL PG. 3
COMMITMENT Students avoid making resolutions
By NOAH DAVILA Staff Writer
As January comes to an end and the holiday season winds down, people across the globe are left to their own devices to maintain any New Year’s resolutions they made. Research shows that not only are some young people giving up on their resolutions, but more and more choose not to make them at all every year.
The western practice of New Year’s resolutions is believed to reach back to 17th century Europe as a way for knights and gentry to renew their vows to God and their station every year, but hundreds of cultural variations can be found, according to Merriam-Webster.
In the modern day, resolutions do not carry nearly as much symbolic value. According to a 2024 YouGov research survey, participants are mostly young adults trying to break old habits, improve health and set financial goals.
However, in recent years data shows a weaker effort in keeping resolutions and a decreased interest in even making a resolution.
COMMITMENT
5
JACOB LUJAN/The Daily Toreador
Martin Stupich’s photo of the Mesita Crater in Colorado received the first-place ribbon and hangs on the wall of the International Affairs’ Office as part of the High and Dry Exhibition. Photos from the gallery are available for the public to view for free until Feb. 20.
Hawkins directs on-court success
By CORY WHITMAN SportS reporter
Following Texas Tech men’s basketball 2023-24 season, head coach Grant McCasland was left without a point guard to officiate the offense.
Until McCasland found senior guard Elijah Hawkins through the transfer portal, who was second in the NCAA in assists per game with 7.5.
Hawkins, who previously played at Howard University and the University of Minnesota, has inserted himself as a large part of the Red Raiders’ offensive success. Hawkins said he prides himself on being a natural playmaker, and this move-aroundthe-ball style of play isn’t predetermined but rather just experience.
“I would say it just came from playing a lot of basketball and just kinda knowing where people are gonna be,” Hawkins said. “I wouldn’t say it’s like a thought process... .It’s not really something that’s calculated all the way down, it’s kinda just playing through the flow of the offense.”
Hawkins leads the Big 12 in assists per game with 6.4, which also ranks 15th na-
TRACK AND FIELD
tionally. Since the start of conference play, Hawkins has additionally only surrendered five turnovers, resulting in a 9.2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio, according to Tech Athletics.
In non-conference play, Hawkins totaled 22 turnovers, which McCasland said he believes is a driving factor to the impact and improvement Hawkins has shown to the team.
“The area that he’s really elevated his game is as a floor leader,” McCasland said. “Setting the table for our offense to be great. Maybe not to make the big assist play and then his ability to space the floor and make threes with so many different guys that we have that can score or can put leverage on the defense has put us in a different category offensively.”
Hawkins contributed in a scoring role for the Red Raiders as well, scoring 10 or more points in four out of six conference games so far into the season, including a season-high 22 points against Brigham Young University.
In non-conference play, Hawkins had only scored 10 or more points in two out of nine contests, according to Tech Athletics.
While Hawkins through-
out his collegiate career has been seen as an elite passer, he said after arriving in Lubbock, the Red Raider coaching staff was able to tune other attributes of his game, resulting in the improved play.
“They were able to help me in the summer whether just getting off my shot faster or getting better shooting twos and having less turnovers,” Hawkins said. “Me being a high guy in the portal — they didn’t really take it for slack though and didn’t let me just get through summer workouts. They actually held me high, which was good.”
Hawkins’ overall ability also elevates his teammates, specifically freshman guard Christian Anderson.
Anderson is in his first season of collegiate basketball and said the opportunity to learn and compete with Hawkins sharpened his game before he had stepped on the court.
“Obviously coming back as one of the top point guards in the country and going in and competing against him, being around him, kind of watching how he plays because he’s already done it at the highest level,” Anderson said.
Team unity sparks push for indoor title
By PETER PIERUCCI SportS reporter
Texas Tech track and field coach Wes Kittley is looking to win back-to-back indoor championships for the first time in program history.
With several returners and newcomers, Kittley said he believes they can make another run at the championship.
“We’re going to be way more of a team than just two or three really good individuals,” Kittley said.
Tech won its first indoor championship in 2024 with a score of 50.5, marking the second track and field championship and third school championship, according to Tech Athletics.
Antoine Andrews, a junior sprinter, emphasized the importance of working with his teammates and coaches to continue improving and working toward another championship.
“I feel like, the more we bond as a team and the more we stick together and support each other, I feel like that’s what wins championships,” Andrews said. “Not every meet is gonna go perfect, but the way that we could bring and uplift each other, I feel like that’s what brings a team together.”
Kittley said the importance of getting newcomers involved with the team is critical to a successful championship run.
“Most of these kids that
transferred here wanted to be on a good team,” Kittley said.
“They said, ‘We weren’t on a national-type team where they came from,’ so that’s something they’re wanting.”
Shelby Frank, a fifth-year weight thrower transfer from the University of Minnesota, said seeing Tech raise the championship trophy last year made a big impression on her.
“That was also a big drive to come here,” Frank said.
“Seeing how much success he’s (Kittley) had and the whole entire team has had in Red Raider nation as a whole.”
Kittley said the upperclassmen presence of some of the athletes from last year has helped the younger and newer team members prepare for the upcoming season.
“I think having the veterans there that are warming up with them, that are helping them, teaching them how to breathe and how to focus and how not to get worked up before the race,” Kittley said. “ I think its just imperative, and I always say you win national championships and Big 12 championships with juniors and seniors.”
“I think just watching him and being around him has just made me feel comfortable and be able to kind of know the ropes before I even step in my first game.”
Hawkins’ skillfulness as a point guard to formulate a cohesive offense is affected by the team’s chemistry, and Hawkins said, since joining the Red Raiders the compatibility has only gone up.
“I feel like everybody is figuring out what everyone likes to do,” Hawkins said.
“Me specifically, I’m figuring out what people like to
shoot, and my teammates are figuring out that I’m gonna find them if they get open or move to a specific spot. We talk about stuff like that all time just getting in the right spot and the right time. Just making things work like that.”
Hawkins had a lot of interest from programs after announcing his entry into the transfer portal for his senior year; however, he said what stood out about Tech was always McCasland.
“Coach Mac and how he is with his players, specifi-
cally his guards,” Hawkins said on why he chose Tech. “All of his guards have had tremendous years. When they came to him (McCasland) they went up in every statistical category. I just feel like him being my coach, and the players we had coming back and players we had coming in was great for me and my role.” Hawkins along with three other seniors will be recognized on Feb. 22 against West Virginia University.
@CoryWhitmanDT
By ANDREW GOODRICH SportS reporter
Texas Tech Athletics launched the Raider Power Rewards app on Jan. 7 to incentivize early and extended attendance for all of its home sporting events.
The free-to-use app, available to download on the App Store and Google Play, is exclusive to all Tech students who have paid the student-athletic fee.
After students confirm their location using either bluetooth or enabling
GPS permissions, the app will log students’ attendance. From there it will add points students earned from the attendance parameters, similar to digital currency, to purchase prizes from the store in the app.
“It’s really just another incentive for our students to continue to come to our events, support our student athletes and really kind of showcase what being a Red Raider and coming to our sporting events are about,” said Ryan Dede, director of Promotions and Fan Engagement.
The points model has three quotas to earn up to 20 points per event. Attendance in general earns 10 points. Arriving at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time and staying at least one hour into the game earns five points each.
“Right now there are tangible items in the prize store that you can purchase,” Dede said. “The points in the app store work just like kind of its own digital currency.”
Of the current 10 items in the prize store, prices range from 100 to 300 points. Texas Tech-branded apparel and accessories comprise the current selection of items.
The minimum number of
games for the least expensive items is five games, and the most expensive item takes at least 15 games.
Students can redeem their purchased items in the checkout section of the app. Purchased items can be picked up at designated “prize pick-up events,”or specific games throughout each month of the season, Dede said.
“We tried to make it really easy in terms of setting up your account,” Dede said. “We’ve got starting points in the system ready to go for you for registering and claiming your account.” Though no promises were made about future reward plans, Dede said his team will explore ideas including sweepstakes to earn sideline passes at football games during warm-ups and courtside opportunities at basketball games.
“If you’ve obviously shown your support by saving up and generating these points in your account, we want to reward that with exclusive opportunities,” Dede said. “We’re still working on what some of those will ultimately look like finalizing, but right now, there are tangible items.”
Texas Tech senior guard Elijah Hawkins dribbles the ball down court while Tech faces the University of Arizona in a Big 12 Conference matchup in the United Supermarkets Arena on Jan. 18, 2025.
FILE PHOTO/
ALESSANDRA RIOS/The Daily Toreador
Raider Power Rewards can be downloaded on the App Store and Google Play for free. Texas Tech students who have paid their athletics fee are eligible to accumulate points at Tech sporting events.
John Bostwick’s second-place photo of a
tion Jan. 22, 2025. Bostwick’s
motive behind the gallery.
“Those are all elements of what we’re trying to do, is to educate people on these different things that are out there that we aren’t using
every day because we don’t always think about it,” Fedler said.
Mattie Moriearty, project coordinator for the International Affairs Office, said the annual photo gallery has taken place since 2000 and attracts photographers
from all over giving an idea of how they interpret life in arid lands.
“Subjects are over people, places, things, and landscapes. They just have to have the focus of life or the arid and semiarid lands as a subject,” Moriearty said.
The High and Dry gallery was developed in part with ICASALS and the International Affairs Office to bring awareness to these regions.
“There are specific challenges and realities to life in those areas,” Moriearty said. “They kind of wanted to get
together and highlight what that actually looks like in an artistic way.”
Fedler said the goal of ICASALS is to focus on research related to arid and semiarid lands, looking at it from a holistic perspective.
ICASALS has existed since the 1960s, and although its mission has been modified over the years, Fedler said it is still largely related to arid lands.
“We were doing mostly scientific type work in the past, and we want to expand that to bring in things like art and the sociological aspects that are living in these areas and so forth,” Fedler said.
Steve Goff, this year’s exhibition juror and a retired professor of photography from Odessa College, said he has submitted his work to the High and Dry gallery for more than 15 years.
“I do, like, landscape photography and I like people photography,” Goff said.
“And so the annual High and
Dry Exhibit catered to a lot of my taste in photography, and that’s why I kind of got involved.”
Goff said the gallery has grown and expanded since he participated, with photographers from all over the country, region, and world submitting their work and emphasizing the importance of these lands.
“It’s a documentation of a special, unique climate or area of our world. And with climate change going on, stuff is going to change,” Goff said. “So it’s great that through the years of the high and dry exhibit, there’s documentation of what arid and semiarid lands look like.”
Participant of the gallery
Martin Stupich was awarded the cash prize of the exhibition for his photo of the Mesita Crater in Colorado.
The gallery is free for the public to view until Feb. 20 in the International Cultural Center.
Tech alumna launches self-owned marketing firm
By GRACE HAWKINS fE aturEs Editor
The Thrive Marketing agency, once just a daydream for two college undergraduates, became a reality for a Texas Tech graduate this month.
Mariana Gonzalez, a Fall 2024 graduate from Hobbs, New Mexico, launched her own business, Thrive Marketing, with her friend Emilee Jarrett, a current Tech student who has taken on the role of Thrive’s creative media specialist.
While studying abroad in Paris, France, the pair sparked the idea of owning a business through their coursework where they were pitching themselves and interacting with companies
INTERNATIONAL
professionally.
“We were sitting on Emilee’s balcony one day, and we were talking about how cool it would be to do marketing for multiple people,” Gonzalez said. “It was just one of those things where you daydream about it like, ‘Maybe one day we can have our own office.’”
Gonzalez said she felt called to help businesses, especially small businesses, promote themselves. Thrive already is set to work with local businesses.
“I love understanding the business, and that’s something that I take the time to do,” Gonzalez said. “Even if that’s meeting with the customer multiple times a week, I just want to make sure that they feel heard and seen, and
I do my best to understand what they’re doing.”
The name Thrive was never a question, Gonzalez said, but a word she’s always gone back to throughout her life.
“Even from that first conversation with Emilee about Thrive, that was the first name that came to mind, and it kind of just stuck,” Gonzalez said. “We never even thought about anything else because it goes perfectly with our mission and values. We’re here to help businesses thrive with honesty, transparency and trust.”
Gonzalez said her main inspirations and markets are women-owned agencies. She dreams of eventually working with Rare Beauty, a makeup brand, and Onset, a
women’s activewear brand.
“I get a lot of motivation from them to see that they can do it, and even though it’s scary to be a woman in business these days, just seeing them put their foot forward and make a name for themselves is inspiring to me,” Gonzalez said. Their goal for the agency is to continue learning and provide the best service they can for their customers, Gonzalez said. She looks forward to hiring Tech students and giving them opportunities to learn.
“I hope that it’s something that I’m able to keep growing and bring in more people to build our team so that we can have the best possible service out there for customers, and just to
ultimately help them thrive,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez owes her success partly to her professors at Tech and the organizations she was a part of, including the Pi Beta Phi sorority and Alpha Kappa Psi, a co-ed professional business fraternity, she said.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Tech,” Gonzalez said. “All the amazing opportunities that you get from here, it opens a lot of doors. And my professors were all very motivating through it all.”
@GraceHawkinsDT
Friends become family navigating life in US, at Tech
By MARIANNA SOURIALL Editor-in-ChiEf
In the southern part of India, Snehitha Chava’s one-story house sits a short 20-minute drive away from the Bay of Bengal. Home to one of the largest chili markets, the city of Andhra Pradesh is starkly different from Lubbock, Chava said.
Chava is a computer science graduate student from India who came to Texas Tech with her best friend, Rajahri Kondaveeti, in hopes of continuing their education in the United States.
A 23-hour flight away from their hometown, the two said their friendship is the closest thing they have to family.
“We are friends, so that’s why it helps miss our families a little bit less,” computer science graduate student Kondaveeti said. “Our friendship is like family.” Chava and Kondaveeti met at college in India while completing their undergrad. Chava said in India, students go through all four years of college with the same 60-participant class they started with.
“We met during the undergraduate year, that is our bachelor’s back in India,” Chava said. “We started planning to go for our master’s together, like we applied to different universities, and this was one of the most compatible university for us.” Scholarships were ultimately the deciding factor for the friends, however Chava said after experiencing snow for the first time
this year, it took a while to adapt to Lubbock’s colder temperatures in comparison to India’s tropical weather.
More than that, Chava said, in India, time seems slower.
“It is a wonderful country,” Chava said. “You have to definitely visit it. All the weather is tropical. You can enjoy every scenery over there, and the food is amazing.”
Both friends said it was the confidence instilled in them from their parents that encouraged them to travel outside of the country.
Chava said her parents told her to follow her dreams while Kondaveeti said she was taught to always apply herself and success would follow.
While they carry the messages from their parents, both said it doesn’t get easier living far away from them.
“It is really important to have friends,” Chava said after not being able to go home over Christmas break. “Because in holidays, we always miss them (family) the most because we are idle, and we don’t do anything.”
Chava said in addition to acclimating to being without family, the learning style at Tech was also an adjustment.
“Back in India, we used to get a lot of practice,” Chava said. “Here, it is based on us. We have to do all of the work based on the lectures. We have to understand everything, so it is a bit different.”
Nonetheless, the duo
said coming to Tech was about reaching more opportunities and seeing the
world from a different perspective.
“I like the technology
and that everything will be given in detail,” Kondaveeti said. “It’s one of the
top schools, and also it has scholarships.”
@ElijahFariasDT
COURTESY OF MARIANA GONZALEZ
Mariana Gonzalez (right) and Emilee Jarrett launched Thrive Marketing this month after coming up with the idea while studying abroad.
Abolition of DoEd, FAFSA could pose problems for students
During his campaign in late 2023, President Donald Trump promised his voters he would shut down the United States’ Department of Education in a video detailing his new education plans if he was elected.
Federal Student Aid, which is an official website under the Department of Education, is the largest provider of student financial assistance across the U.S. Their responsibilities include providing programs for grants, loans and workstudies, according to the FSA website.
The main way FSA processes the needs of students and allocates appropriate funds is through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, which sees more than 17.6 million applications each year.
It is unlikely that Trump would be able to remove the Department of Education due to the Executive Branch not holding that kind
of power on its own, but if he was to get the change through Congress, it could result in the complete abolition of FAFSA.
If FAFSA was completely removed along with the Department of Education, there no longer would be a streamlined process for applying for and receiving student aid for millions of college undergraduates and graduates across the nation.
According to the Education Data Initiative, which is also led by the Department of Education, the average cost of tuition in the U.S., including books, supplies and other expenses, is approximately $38,270. At the same time, it is reported that upwards of 87.3% of college students benefit from some sort of financial assistance while attempting to tackle such high costs.
If the Department of Education, along with FSA, were abolished, this could potentially mean that students would be forced to pay out of pocket for much more of their tuition, meaning the overall cost of education would rise even higher than it already is.
A Word-sorting gane. Can you identify the impostor?
Tuesdays and Thursdays
able to afford the higher costs, but other students may not be able to find the funds to continue their education and may be forced to withdraw if no alternatives are provided.
In tandem with higher costs for student attendance, the abolition of the Department of Education could see the possible removal of the department’s Office of Civil Rights, which upholds Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 – which, in turn, protects individuals from sex-based discrimination in education programs and financial aid allocation.
This could mean that decades of civil rights achievements regarding sex-based issues could be undone, opening Pandora’s box for education-based discrimination in universities across the U.S.
However, most of the issues that have been presented regarding the Department of Education’s dismantling remain in the air. Getting the Department of Education abolished will not be an easy task for Trump, as the process will have to be approved by Congress and not by the President’s office alone.
Theseus:
A sliding-block maze game. Can you escape the labyrinth?
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
Antonio.
For the past two decades, video game adaptations have been seen as lowhanging fruit when wanting to create a successful movie. Adaptations such as “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” and “Postal” are movies to skip or watch out of a morbid curiosity.
Recently, this trend has shifted in the opposite direction. Movies such as “The Super Mario Bros,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” and television series like “Arcane” and “Fallout” took critics and audiences alike by storm. With this positive shift, the future seems bright for video gameadapted movies. The reason for the suc-
cess of adaptations revolve around a few key elements: the actors and the portrayal of the characters they play, the familiarity of the property among everyone involved in the project, and the story’s ability to relate to both fans of the game and moviegoers alike.
Actors can make or break the audience’s immersion of the property, so finding the right person to play a character is important for a successful adaptation.
An example of a great acting decision is Jim Carrey and his role as Dr. Robotnik from the “Sonic the Hedgehog” trilogy. Carrey has been able to take the Eggman’s trademark insanity and amp it up to 10.
Familiarity with the property is another vital step for everyone involved, including screenwriters, props, actors and directors.
In preparation for her
lead role in the “Fallout” television series, Ella Purnell played the video game series to help with familiarizing herself in the role of Lucy.
It’s important for those working on the story to love the game, otherwise you’re left with a hollow shell of a movie.
Writing a compelling story for a video game property can be hard. Audiences do not want a one-to-one retelling of a story they already have experienced. Instead, screenwriters should focus on finding new ways to amplify the lesser known aspects from the video game.
It’s these factors that have helped many video game adaptations find success. as dedicated fans of these games now find themselves in lead areas to create the movie they would love to see.
Crossword: Let Bygones be Bygone
interpreting 17-, 19-, 60- and 62-across
42. Using a pickaxe, say
47. Go toe to toe 51. Prefix meaning “fire”
53. Big bang creator 54. “ It’s ___” (Let’s do it)
56. Follows orders
58. Not at home, or not at home in time
59. Sister 60. *Generational wealth*
62. *Superstitious belief*
65. Licorice-like herb
66. December 24 and 31, e.g.
67. Crockpot dish
68. Ran for the finish line
69. Don’t 34-down
70. Gently touches
1. Reinforce 2. Facial hair for Willy Wonka, in the original book
3. Put up a fight
4. “Kinda...”
5. Word following home or stand
6. Something Simba grew during the “Hakuna Matata” montage
7. Stadium cheer
8. Na 9. “The Secret ___ of Walter Mitty”
10. Insurance company with a spokesduck 11. Standards for altitude measurements 12. Patriotic “Uncle”
Rock
Debt letters
Ocean abysses
New logos for DT puzzles
Most well-off
Path
& 31. Cleverness
Completely
Pay via ApplePay
Theme park pam -
Question, on Jeopardy
Party animal?
NATHAN KENISON/The Daily Toreador
Christian Jeter is a junior technical writing major from Longview.
COLUMN
WINTER
Experts offer freezing weather protections
By AUDREY BOISSONNEAULT Copy Editor
As January nears an end, students will need to prepare for the remainder of Texas winter that will stretch on until March.
The month of January will have no chance of precipitation and will gradually rise in temperature from a low of 23 degrees Fahrenheit to a high of 58 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Winter will continue into March, leaving Texas with another chance for colder weather.
Students can find realtime reports of road conditions during the winter by following along with Drive Texas, an online website that gives frequent updates on Texas
WELLNESS
roads and highways. The cold also can directly alter a vehicle’s ability to drive by potentially lowering tire pressure and traction and causing delays in startup.
“I drive frequently so it’s (my car’s) staying warm, but you can tell when you turn it on, it takes longer than normal,” said Jaden Muller, a senior biology major from Haltom City. “It’s far from special maintenance, but if it’s cold for too long I will probably have to do something.”
Renters should watch out for drafts allowing cold air to come in, clogged filters in the heating system and an adjusted thermostat to maintain a consistent temperature within their apartment,
according to LBKapts. com.
Chris Storer, a veterinarian assistant and technician at the Lubbock Small Animal Emergency Clinic, said pet owners wanting to take their pets outside should be extra careful during the cold weather.
“Make sure you’re wiping their paws off, making sure they’re nice and dry,” Storer said. “If there’s snow salt, you don’t want them licking their paws and ingesting that.”
He added some pets may need extra layers to handle the cold and that outside strolls should stay shorter until the weather warms up again. Some concerns Storer listed include lethargy, indigestion and vomiting. She
Changing temperatures can bring health concerns
By ALLIE SCOTT Staff WritEr
Since Monday, Lubbock has experienced belowfreezing temperatures ranging from 8 to 36 degrees. Local doctors said the freezing weather can present challenges to staying healthy during the winter months.
Experts emphasize that preparing for colder weather is crucial to maintaining health as lower temperatures can raise susceptibility to illness as the cold reduces the body’s ability to fight off illnesses and infections.
Dr. Tom Basye, the
medical director of University Medical Center’s 24-hour urgent care, said it is important to have good handwashing and hygiene techniques.
“People that are demonstrating symptoms of illness need to avoid contact with non-sick people,” Basye said.
Vaccines have significantly reduced diseases that cause or have caused illness among babies, children and adults, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“(The) flu vaccine is very important to get every single year,” Basye said. When cold air enters
Last year, about 49 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 made at least one resolution, and of those, 13 percent dropped their resolution by the end of January, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
Researchers have yet to release the numbers for 2025.
However, a Brandwatch Consumer Report found a 50 percent decrease in online mentions of resolutions this
RIOS/The Daily Toreador year. To learn how Texas Tech’s population approached the New Year, The Daily Toreador posted a survey on social media.
The self-reporting poll revealed numbers higher than the studies mentioned above, with 66 percent of respondents making at least one resolution and 75 percent still dedicated to them. A slight majority of students reported that resolutions had not been a topic of discussion, with 52.8 percent
into the nose and airways, individuals are more likely to contract illnesses such as the common cold, flu and COVID-19, according to Northwestern Medicine.
There are natural ways to boost the body’s immune system in order to stay healthy, Basye said.
“Avoiding habits that we know are detrimental to our health — smoking and alcohol consumption, recreational drug consumption — decreases our immune ability,” Basye said.
“It makes us more prone to illness, so clean living and exercise, getting plenty of rest and sleep are all key.”
The Mayo Clinic Health
of respondents having not discussed the topic with fellow students.
“My New Year’s resolution is to find a new job in which I consider my occupational well being,” said Lucas Marsh, a sophomore sports management major from Lubbock. “I believe it is always good to set a goal for oneself. This helps me strive at something all year long.”
Interviewing and polling revealed many students use resolutions to set goals and approach the New Year with a sense of purpose.
“I usually make five to 10 ones (resolutions) each year to challenge myself and to see how many I can complete,” said Logan Glaze, a junior creative media industries major from Wylie. “I think it’s important to challenge myself in such a way to improve myself as a person each year in new ways and to push myself to see how I respond to these resolutions each year.”
System published recommendations for maintaining health and protecting the body from extreme temperatures.
Recommendations include avoiding long exposure to cold weather, dressing in layers, protecting feet, hands, head, ears and nose from low temperatures, staying wellhydrated and not wearing tight clothing.
It is important to maintain a proper, balanced diet, regular exercise and a vitamin regimen to support an individual’s overall health, Basye said.
“UMC 24-hour urgent care is a great place to be
seen for minor illnesses or injuries,” Basye said, “and they are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and see patients of all ages.”
Basye said seeking care from a primary care doctor or urgent care is crucial when feeling sick.
Although resources are available on Texas Tech campus, some students said they do not know what healthcare is accessible for them.
Tech students registered in the current school session are eligible for a multitude of services provided by the Student Wellness Center including behavioral
health and primary and urgent care at no cost, according to the facilities website.
Appointments for new clients must be made over the phone or in person.
Emma Hunzeker, a sophomore communications major, said she notices a trend of more people getting sick when it begins to get colder.
“I stay in as much as I can. I do not like going out in the cold weather,” Hunzeker, a McKinney native, said. “I typically try to stay inside and be away from people.”
ROBERT LOOPER/The Daily Toreador
A student’s bicycle stands in snow and ice outside a residence hall on Jan. 19, 2025, after Lub -
faced freezing temperatures and winter weather over the holiday weekend.
ALESSANDRA
@AllieScottDT
Cold front freezes over parts of Tech campus
ROBERT LOOPER/The Daily Toreador
Oluwatlmi Amarvi, a freshman computer science major, walks across the icy ground in front of Texas Tech’s Murray Hall Jan. 19, 2025. Lubbock experienced single-digit weather over the long weekend, which brought snow and ice across the city and Tech campus.
SAVANNAH DELEON/The Daily Toreador
ROBERT LOOPER/The Daily Toreador
family stands before the Texas Tech seal in front of campus to take photos amid the snow and ice Jan. 19, 2025.
ICE BABY
SAVANNAH DELEON/The Daily Toreador Shards of ice melt on the ground outside the Texas Tech Library after freezing weather hit the Lubbock area Jan. 21, 2025.
