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TUESDAY, JAN. 24, 2017 VOLUME 91 ■ ISSUE 60

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

PG. 5

INDEX

TODAY ON CAMPUS

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ONLINE

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NATION

KTTZ-TV documentary to be screened at national film festivals 1

By REECE NATIONS

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2 ABBIE BURNETT/ The Daily Toreador

1. Paul Allen Hunton, associate managing director of Texas Tech Public Media, directed the “Between Earth And Sky: Climate Change on the Last Frontier.” 2. David C. Weindorf, associate dean for research in the College of Agricultural Sciences & natural resources, is the executive director of “Between Earth and Sky.”

Staff Writer

documentary chronicling the research of Chien-Lu Ping, a professor of soil sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has been selected to be shown at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival as well as the 25th Annual Environmental Film Festival in Washington, D.C. The film, "Between Earth and Sky," was directed by Paul Allen Hunton, KTTZ-TV station manager, and produced by David C. Weindorf, associate dean for research at the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources.

"Our national premier will be March 15 at the Wilson Center in our nation's capital," Weindorf said. "We're looking forward to receiving national exposure and

conveying the message of the movie to a broad audience."

Weindorf, who was made an affiliate faculty member of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, said he wanted to document the research conducted on soil in the Arctic by Ping and his students. For years, Weindorf and Ping have been taking students on Arctic soil field tours to study the alterations to the environment brought on by climate change.

"Every time when I took students on this trip, they would come back and invariably tell me that they would never look at the world in the same way again," Weindorf said. "That was the experience we wanted to capture while educating the viewers on the effects of carbon buildup in the soil of Arctic ecosystems."

SEE FILM, PG. 2

SPORTS

CAMPUS

Baseball team picks up No. 14 spot in preseason ranking

Tech museum provides cultural enrichment

On Monday, Baseball America announced its placement of the Texas Tech baseball team in its preseason college top 25 poll.

The publication has Tech baseball at No. 25 in the poll, according to a Tech Athletics news release.

Tech has appeared in three polls over the preseason and was ranked No. 14 in D1 Baseball’s publication. Tech also acquired a top-25 spot and multiple Tech baseball athletes were mentioned in Baseball America’s poll, according to the release.

The Red Raiders have attended the College World Series twice in the past three seasons.

Tech was ranked No. 4 at the end of last season and ended the year with a record of 47-20 overall and 19-5 in conference play, according the release.

All-American junior outfielder Tanner Gardner and freshman All-Americans Steven Gingery and Davis Martin will return for the Red Raiders along with 17 other athletes from last year’s team. @A_HernandezDT

By KIRBY WARNER Staff Writer

Texas Tech students can enhance their knowledge of history outside of class, thanks to the university’s museum.

Opened as a nonprofit entity in 1929, the Museum of Texas Tech University was then known as the West Texas Museum. The museum is home to more than 7 million objects, according to the museum’s website.

ABBIE BURNETT/The Daily Toreador Cameron Saffell, the muVisitors look at a display case of vampire and werewolf action figures in the Museum of seum’s assistant director for Texas Tech University. operations, said the objects

in the museum are diverse.

There are collections ranging from anthropological and artistic to historical.

The museum’s focus is on procuring artifacts within the arid or semi-arid southwest region, Saffell said. The museum’s divisions decide on areas to collect these artifacts through geography or time.

“What we decide to put on exhibit,” Saffell said, “is somewhat up to curators to have ideas for particular exhibits.”

SEE MUSEUM, PG. 3

STATE

Greg Abbott announces 3 appointments to Texas Tech Board of Regents

By AMY CUNNINGHAM Editor-In-Chief

Two new regents and one returning member will begin six-year terms Jan. 31 on the Texas Tech System Board of Regents, Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Monday.

All three appointees are alumni of the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration, according to a news release

from the Office of the Governor.

J. Michael Lewis is a priv a t e i n v e s t o r, according to the release, as well as LEWIS a general partner at Coronado Resources, Olympia Royalty and Wellspring Royalties.

Lewis earned his bachelor’s degree in finance at Tech, accord-

ing to the release, before receiving his MBA from Southern Methodist University.

J o h n Wa l k e r is the CEO of EnSTEINMETZ erVest, Ltd. and has previously served on Tech System's Board of Regents, according to the release.

Walker also serves as executive chairman of EV Energy

Partners, L.P., according to the release. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Tech and his MBA at New York University.

WALKER Abbott’s reappointed regent, John Steinmetz, has served on the Board of Regents since February 2011, according to the Tech System website.

Steinmetz is the CEO of Vista Bank, according to the release, and he received his bachelor’s degree in finance from Tech in 2002.

Steinmetz was president of the Student Government Association while he a student.

All three terms are effective Jan. 31 and expire Jan. 31, 2023, according to the release.

The Senate must confirm the appointments. @DailyToreador

2

NEWS

JAN. 24, 2017

WWW.DAILYTOREADOR.COM

BLOTTER

Students arrested for drug paraphernalia Thursday 10:19 a.m. – An officer investigated a possible breach of computer security that occurred on Jan. 19, 2017.

A student reported she was attempting to install virus software on her personal computer. A person she believes was in India downloaded some data from her computer.

10:53 a.m. – An officer investigated an accident, without injuries, which occurred at the C11 parking lot.

Friday 3:06 p.m. – An officer arrested a student for theft, which occurred at Holden Hall.

The student was transported to the Lubbock County Jail.

3:50 p.m. – An officer investigated a theft, which occurred at Carpenter Wells Residence Hall. A music instrument was taken from an

unsecure room.

4:33 p.m. – An officer arrested a student for possession of marijuana, which occurred at Coleman Residence Hall. The student was issued a Lubbock County citation for possession of drug paraphernalia and transported to the Lubbock County Jail.

8:53 p.m. – An officer arrested a student for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia at Horn Residence Hall.

10:03 p.m. – An officer investigated and responded to a possible assault, which occurred at the south side of Murray Residence Hall. A student had visible injuries to his face and back. The student would not cooperate with the investigation.

Saturday 1:17 a.m. – An officer ar-

rested a student for public intoxication at Clement Residence Hall. The student was transported to the Lubbock County Jail.

2:55 a.m. – An officer arrested a student for public intoxication and possession of a fictitious driver’s license, which occurred at the R1 parking lot.

The student was transported to the Lubbock County Jail.

6:07 p.m. – An officer arrested a non-student for criminal trespassing and one outstanding warrant from the Lubbock County Sheriff ’s Office. The non-student was transported to the Lubbock County Jail.

6:58 p.m. – An officer documented information on a fictitious driver’s license that was found during a traffic stop, which occurred in the 1100 block of Akron Ave. 9:24 p.m. – An officer ar-

rested a student for driving while intoxicated at in the 1800 block of Indiana Ave. The student was passed out inside the vehicle and was transported to the Lubbock County Jail. The vehicle was impounded by Lubbock Wrecker Services.

10:59 p.m. – An officer responded to Coleman Residence Hall in reference to an unresponsive student. Emergency Medical Services transported the student to University Medical Center Emergency Room for possible alcohol poisoning.

11:17 p.m. – An officer arrested a student for possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, which occurred in the Coleman Residence Hall.

The student was transported to the Lubbock County Jail.

CAMPUS

Tech wins textile manufacturing grant Texas Tech won one of the U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund grants and will receive nearly $275,000 to focus on innovation in the process of textile manufacturing.

The prize was announced Monday by the Walmart Foundation and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, according to a Walmart

news release. Tech is one of six universities that will receive part of the nearly $3 million in grants to support research proposals.

“The research projects of Dr. Ethridge and his team addresses the need for cost-reducing, sustainable dyeing with indigo, which comprises one of the largest single types of dyes used

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throughout the world today and is of paramount importance for textiles made from cotton,” Steven Fraze, interim chair of the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, said. “The Walmart Foundation’s support of this project shows an awareness of need and a desire to help U.S.-based manufacturers reach new levels of efficiency and sustainability.”

The foundation awarded Tech $274,999 for its proposal to create a process to sustainably reduce cotton dyeing with indigo, a unique colorant for blue jeans, according to the

release. The non-toxic organic has been copied synthetically for more than 100 years.

“Advancing the production or assembly of consumer products in the U.S. is the number one goal of the Innovation fund,” Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and chief sustainability officer for Walmart, said. “As these projects come to fruition over the next few years, we hope the research not only enable cost-effective solution for manufacturers, but also improves the sustainability of the U.S. textile industry.” @MichaelCantuDT

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Puzzles by PageFiller

In Sudoku, all the numbers 1 to 9 must be in every row, column and 3 x 3 box. Use logic to define the answers.

Find the solution at www.dailytoreador.com

Another student received a Lubbock County citation for possession of drug paraphernalia and was released.

Sunday 12:27 a.m. – An officer documented damaged property, which occurred in the Stangel Residence Hall. An exit sign was damaged.

3:14 a.m. – An officer arrested a student for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and consumption of alcohol by a minor, which occurred at the Z5B parking lot. The student was transported to the Lubbock County Jail. A second student was issued a Lubbock County Citation for possession of drug paraphernalia and consumption of alcohol by a minor and was released. The vehicle was left legally parked.

8:09 p.m. – An officer documented information in reference to damaged property, which occurred at the C1 parking lot. The front passenger-side window of a vehicle was shattered.

Monday 12:18 a.m. – An officer investigated a theft, which occurred in Weymouth Residence Hall. Six exit signs were taken.

1:16 a.m. – An officer arrested a non-student for one outstanding Lubbock County Sheriff ’s Office warrant, following a traffic stop in the 1800 block of University Ave. The vehicle was impounded

by Lubbock Wrecker Services, and the non-student was transported to the Lubbock County Jail.

Information provided

by B.J. Watson of the Tech Police Department.

FILM

with its unbiased theme and factual relevance, Hunton said. By refusing to politicize climate change, the filmmakers hope to convey that there is a need for environmental conservation in today's world.

Without a doubt, the film explores climate change from a non-partisan standpoint, Hunton said. With the technology for alternative energies well within grasp, the filmmakers hope to influence a greater push toward conservational polices being put in place by government officials.

"What we hope to influence with the film is our impact on the global consumption of energy," Hunton said. "The movie is a huge asset for the legitimization of scientific findings that conclude that climate change is very much real."

Hunton said Tech's administration had a large role in supporting the cinematic project since its early conception phases. He has been at KTTZ-TV since 2011 and was a director, writer and producer for "Between Earth and Sky." He said he hopes to make the film available for online streaming in the future using services like Hulu or Netflix.

"What's interesting about climate change is that it's an observable phenomenon," Hunton said. "With coastal erosion continuing to be studied and less Arctic ice to be found, the consequences of our own actions are starting to be seen."

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 After Weindorf teamed up with Hunton, who has produced Emmy Award-winning content for Tech PBS affiliate station KTTZ-TV, the project received enthusiastic support from the academic administrations of former Tech President Duane Nellis and Tech President Lawrence Schovanec.

The film received joint funding from Texas Tech Public Media, the Allen Endowed Chair, the Soil Science Society of America, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and University of Alaska Fairbanks, he said.

The film includes interviews with business owners, train conductors and ordinary citizens who have observed climate change first-hand in their everyday lives, according to the movie’s official blog.

Being that oil is one of the biggest economic industries in the nation, the notion that climate change is a man-made phenomenon has become a point of controversy.

"Without a doubt, this movie is the single-most ambitious cinematic undertaking ever conducted at Texas Tech," Weindorf said. "The film aims to support the consensus opinion of the scientific community concerning climate change as an undeniable fact."

Several test screenings showed that audiences were pleased overall with the optimistic tone of the movie along

@ReeceNationsDT

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Abbott moves to replace UT regents

solutions@ dailytoreador.com

AUSTIN (AP) — Gov. Greg Abbott is replacing three University of Texas System regents long critical of UT Austin administrators.

Abbott nominated Monday former UT System regent Janiece Longoria, ex-East Texas state senator Kevin Eltife and Rad Weaver, top manager of the investments of longtime UT Austin sup-

porter Red McCombs. If confirmed by the state Senate, they would succeed regents Wallace Hall, Alex Cranberg and Brenda Pejovich when their terms expire Feb. 1.

Hall has sued UT Austin to get access to several hundred thousand pages of emails, interview notes and other records, including confidential student information.

LA VIDA

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COLUMN

Page 3 Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017

Academy Award predictions sum up year in film

T

he first few months of the year are the best time for film across the country. Theaters all over are releasing potential “award darlings” to the masses, giving the audience the chance to see the best of what cinema has to offer.

Today is the day where all of that hard work comes to fruition, the day the Academy Award nominations are released.

Critics all around the country have spent the first days of the year predicting which films will be nominated for and eventually win the coveted Academy Awards. But, there are six main categories that viewers mainly focus on: best picture, best director, best actor, best actress, best supporting actor and best supporting actress.

Following are some of the films that I think will be recognized by the academy today.

“La La Land”

MUSEUM

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Andrew Gedeon, the exhibits manager for the museum, said there were two types of general exhibits: in-house exhibits based on research conducted at Tech and traveling exhibits that the museum rents for display.

An exhibit starts with the conception of an idea for a theme, Gedeon said.

Then, objects are selected

“La La Land” has made history this awards season.

This beautiful film, reminiscing to the early MGM musicals of the 1930s and 1940s, received seven Golden Globes with seven nominations. This sweep consisted of winning the award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy as well as winning both musical or comedy acting categories for Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.

“La La Land” could make history again in the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony with locked nominations and possible wins for best picture, best film score, best song, best director and possible nominations for both Gosling and Stone. This film was

universally loved by critics and the general public, including me.

This is a film that historians will look back on and watch when they want to watch something from the year 2016. It’s that iconic.

“Manchester by The Sea” This wonderful but dreary film had the best acting performance this year. Casey Affleck shined as Lee Chandler, an uncle taking care of his brother’s teenage son after his death.

Kenneth Lonergan’s gorgeous direction and script gave the actors great material to make their own. Affleck’s performance as Chandler may have been one of the best performances I have seen in years. Affleck is a lock for a best actor nomination and my pick to win the Academy Award.

Other nominations that could come this film’s way

include best picture, best original screenplay and best supporting actress for Michelle Williams’ performance as Chandler ’s former wife.

This was an impressive film to watch and digest and will get some love today with the Academy Award nominations.

“Moonlight” Barry Jenkins’ masterpiece was the film that no one saw coming this awards season. “Moonlight” follows an AfricanAmerican male from his youth to adulthood, like the film “Boyhood.”

While this film won surprisingly only one Golden Globe award, Best Motion Picture - Drama, it still has momentum going into the Academy Awards.

The strength of the script and the acting ensemble will help its chances at an almost certain best picture nomination.

One performance in

“Moonlight,” Mahershala Ali’s role as Juan, was the best performance by a supporting actor this year.

While he didn’t get the Golden Globe, Ali should receive a best supporting actor nomination as well as his first Academy Award for this role, the best in his career.

Other films: As one of my favorite films of the year, I’m surprised “Arrival” has not gotten more awards attention. This smart science fiction film from Denis Villeneuve was one of the best times I had at the theater this year. From the smart script and the fantastic acting performance from Amy Adams, “Arrival” should be in the running for best picture.

Another film that I am shocked with the lack of awards love for is “Nocturnal Animals.” Tom Ford’s sense of style and direction made this film one of

the most visually striking films of the year. While Aaron Taylor-Johnson received the Golden Globe for best supporting actor, it’s surprising there hasn’t been more love for this film.

It’s transition stylistically from West Texas revengethriller to fashionable New York was impressive.

Viewers should also expect Natalie Portman to be nominated for her role as Jackie Kennedy in the film “Jackie” and Denzel Washington to be nominated for “Fences.”

that match the theme and are best examples to communicate that theme.

“In some ways,” Gedeon said, “you can kind of think of it as if you’re creating captions for, well let’s say, an article or a book. You’re going to make selections on what kind of images and how they’re going to look to best capture the feel of the story.”

The challenge to any exhibit is the curation of exhibits and deciding on the number of objects,

Gedeon said.

The museum also hosts programs and events that discuss specific exhibits for people of all ages, Jill Hoffman, assistant director for visitor experience at the museum, said. Hoffman helps plan these programs.

The educational part of the museum used to be viewed as something that could be cut because of budget, Hoffman said. However, because of a change in accreditation policies by the American Alliance of Muse-

ums a decade ago, museum officials decided education would be included in the museum instead of just how the objects are maintained.

“Part of my job is to look at our community,” Hoffman said, “and try to be responsive to what our needs are.”

One example of this responsiveness is a potential public fair that addresses issues with child abuse in the area, Hoffman said.

People tend to be sur-

prised when they learn Tech has a museum on campus along with the variety of materials within, Saffell said.

“Once you come over,” Saffell said, “you find a little bit of everything, and usually, you can find something you probably take an interest in or strikes your fancy.”

Heritage is an important part of preservation in a museum, Saffell said, as it shows humanity’s culture in the past and the museum has a responsi-

bility to preserve it.

While history can be dry when presented to people, it can also be like opening a diary, where modern people can see people have the same wants and desires across time, Hoffman said.

“Those kinds of stories play out over and over,” Hoffman said. “So, you could go, maybe to a museum and read something or see something, and you can say ‘Wow, I’m not the only one who felt xyz.”

David Gay is a junior journalism major from Cypress.

POCKET SHOT

ELIZABETH HERTEL/The Daily Toreador

NEW YORK (AP) — A "Saturday Night Live" writer has been suspended indefinitely after tweeting a poorly received joke about Donald Trump's 10-year-old youngest son, Barron.

A person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly told The Associated Press that Katie Rich was suspended immediately after writing an offensive tweet about the child. An outcry on social media followed, with many calling for a boycott of the TV show.

Rich later deleted the tweet, deactivated her account but then reactivated it Monday, saying she wanted to "sincerely apologize" for the "insensitive" tweet and "deeply regret" her actions.

NBC had no comment.

Barron found support from Chelsea Clinton, with the former first daughter saying he "deserves the chance every

child does — to be a kid."

This isn't the first time "SNL" has gotten in trouble for joking about the president's children. In 1993, then-cast member Mike Myers had to write an apology letter to the Clintons after a skit that mocked Chelsea Clinton.

"She's a kid, a kid who didn't choose to be in public life," ''SNL" executive producer Lorne Michaels said at the time. He also acknowledged that said his show treated then 9-year-old Amy Carter "a little rougher" during the 1970s when Jimmy Carter was in the Oval Office.

The current controversy over Barron Trump comes as President Trump has lashed out at the way "Saturday Night Live" has lampooned him, with the president saying Alec Baldwin's semi-regular portrayal of him "stinks" and calling one of the skits a "hit job."

@KirbyWarner_DT

Press Secretary: 'Our intention is never to lie'

Sriharsha Marka, a sophomore chemical engineering major from India, prepares to make a shot during a game of pool against his friends on Monday afternoon in the Student Union Building.

'SNL' writer suspended for tweet about Barron Trump

@DavidGayDT

ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK (AP) — White House press secretary Sean Spicer told a roomful of reporters that "our intention is never to lie to you," although s o m e t i m e s t h e Tr u m p administration may "disagree with the facts."

Spicer's first full press briefing was closely watched Monday following a weekend statement about President Donald

ASSOCIATED PRESS

This Academy Awards ceremony could be one of the most iconic and surprising moments in recent film history. The number of worthy films has been staggering this year.

It will be interesting to find out who gets nominated. We will all see who wins on Feb. 26.

Tr u m p ' s i n a u g u r a t i o n audience that included incorrect assertions. After White House counselor Kellyanne Conway received wide social media attention for her explanation that Spicer had presented "alternative facts," Monday's briefing was televised live on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC and, for a time, even ABC.

OPINIONS

Page 4 Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017

COLUMN

@DailyToreador www.dailytoreador.com

Columnist ranks video games from 2016 T he year 2016 was full of ups and downs.

We witnessed many famous figures die and watched the revitalization or — depending on how you look at it — the downfall of our government system.

It was the year Leonardo DiCaprio finally got his long-deserved Oscar and the year Britain decided to leave the European Union.

Love it or hate it, 2016 was full of historic events.

2016 was also a year full of video games, some great and others not-so-great. In the gaming world, “Game of the Year” awards play a huge part in how we look back on previous years.

For example, 2015 was the year of “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” and “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.”

While admittedly a bit late, I’ve put together my own list of awards to serve as The Daily Toreador’s Officially Unofficial 2016 Game of the Year Awards. Let’s get started, shall we?

In no particular order, my first category is Best Indie Game of the Year.

For those unfamiliar, Indie is short for independent, but these days it generally refers to a game produced by a small studio.

There were some fantastic Indie games in 2016, such as “Inside,” “The Witness” and “Firewatch.” In the end, I have to give the Best Indie Game award to the farming-simulator “Stardew Valley.”

Starting out as a simple project to learn programming, Eric Barone, the game developer, began creating a “Harvest Moon” clone,

Alex Olges is a freshman journalism major from Humble.

which eventually became “Stardew Valley.” Bringing game-play normally absent from P.C., PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, “Stardew Valley” has a charming world full of colorful characters and oddly addicting game-play.

I remember being quite reluctant to pick up a game about farming, but after hearing all the buzz about the game, I decided to give it a try. Almost 30 hours later, I don’t regret it all.

Taking a completely different tone, comes our second category: Biggest Flop of the Year. If you follow gaming news at all, this one probably comes as no surprise. The space-exploration game “No Man’s Sky” was met with a huge amount of hype since it was first shown at the VGX Awards in 2013, but following its release, gamers quickly found many of the advertised features were missing. The situation eventually escalated to the point where the U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority investigated Hello Games — “No Man’s Sky’s” developer — for

false advertising.

While the investigation concluded there was no foul play in the game’s advertising, “No Man’s Sky” is still disliked in the gaming community with an overall 31 percent positive userreview rating on Steam, the biggest P.C. game-distribution platform.

Of course, not all games crashed and burned as hard as “No Man’s Sky,” which brings us to our third category: Best RPG — or roleplaying game — of the Year.

Hands down, the best RPG of 2016 is “Dark Souls III.” With 125 hours of play time and counting, “Dark Souls III” represents not only my personal choice for Game of the Year but also my favorite game of all time.

The “Dark Souls” series is known for being extremely difficult and unforgiving and “Dark Souls III” is no exception. While the difficulty certainly turns many gamers away, it welcomes many others who are tired of games handholding them through the entire experience. “Dark Souls III” is a game about overcoming the seemingly impossible. With its excellently designed levels and bosses, tight game-play and brutal difficulty, “Dark

Souls III” creates an incredibly rewarding experience.

“Dark Souls III” may not be for everyone, but it is certainly a game every serious gamer should experience at least once.

I’m a huge believer in video games’ being art, which is represented in our fourth category: Best Art Direction of the Year.

There were a lot of games with fantastic art styles in 2016: “Abzû,” “Inside” and “Overwatch,” just to name a few. However, I’m a sucker for beautiful nature scenes — especially ones in forests and the like — so, I have to give the best art direction of 2016 to the story-driven experience “Firewatch.” While the game’s narrative was a bit love or hate, the game’s vibrant art style continued to awe from start to finish.

“Firewatch” is filled with countless wallpaper-quality scenes, depicting towering forests, mountains, caves and lakes. Show this one to anyone who says video games aren’t art, and he will certainly get a run for his money.

Finally, the last category before the big one: Best MMO — massive multiplayer online game — of the Year. For this award, I’ll admit I’m quite biased. I’ve

played “World of Warcraft” since its second expansion, which was released in 2007.

Since then, I’ve played on and off, but I’ve always come back time and time again.

With the release of the sixth expansion of “World of Warcraft” — titled “Legion” — I’ve returned to fight for the Alliance once again, and I can safely say this is the best state the “World of Warcraft” has been in for years. Following a pathetically barren fifth expansion, “Legion” is filled to the brim with content, ensuring that even the most active of players always have something to do. While it isn’t without its flaws, you’d be hard-pressed to find another MMO with as much polish and content as “World of Warcraft.” Give it a shot if you don’t mind your social life taking a hit.

At last, the final category: Game of the Year. Before I reveal my pick for Game of the Year, let me first explain my methodology. For a game to be considered this year’s top game, the game should satisfy three requirements.

First and foremost, a Game of the Year should be innovative; it should push the industry forward and raise the bar for the game’s genre. Secondly, it should be unique; it should offer

an experience you can’t find anywhere else. And lastly, of course, it should be enjoyable; video games exist to offer their players a good time.

So, with these requirements in mind, 2016’s Game of the Year is Blizzard’s hero-based, first-person shooter game, “Overwatch.”

Even if you aren’t a gamer, you’ve probably heard or seen something pertaining to “Overwatch,” as it has taken the world by storm.

With its varied characters and game-play styles, an art style with colors that pop and fast skill-based game-play, “Overwatch” pushes the shooter forward and offers an experience you can’t get anywhere else.

Taking cues from “Team Fortress 2” and bringing in some ideas from the “MOBA” — multiplayer online battle arena — genre, “Overwatch” offers great competitive experiences for both casual and hardcore players alike. It is a game that will remain relevant not only in 2016, but also in the years ahead.

Thank you for joining me for The DT’s Officially Unofficial 2016 Game of the Year Awards. See you next year. aolges@dailytoreador.com

CARTOON

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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION © Copyright 2017 Texas Tech University Student Media/The Daily Toreador. All DT articles, photographs and artwork are the property of The DT and Student Media and may not be reproduced or published without permission. The Daily Toreador is a designated public forum. Student editors have the authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval.

COLUMN

Six-man football remains small town staple

W

hile the world discusses the upcoming Super Bowl, most people will envision a 100-yard football field with 11 men on each team.

Little do many of them know that in the depths of small-town Texas, an entirely different type of football is being played: six-man football.

Six-man football, as it sounds, is played with six men on each side of the ball. Instead of a 100-yard field, the turf stretches only 80 yards.

The penalty of “illegal receiver down field” is nonexistent; everybody is an eligible receiver.

Furthermore, the first person to touch the ball after it is hiked cannot advance the ball past the line of scrimmage.

To deal with this rule, many teams hike the ball to a player, who immediately pitches the ball behind them to the quar-

Austin Martin is a graduate student studying kinesiology from Dallas.

terback, making him now dual threat.

Other than that, a sixman game of football is basically the same as a traditional one.

The existence of the sport arises from a lack of students and, therefore, is only played at small schools. Because of the small number of athletes, most starters play offense and defense.

Frequently, the team with the fastest and most athletic player will win.

From fourth to 12th grade, I played six-man football. I went to a small private school in Dallas, where — if we wanted to toss a pigskin — six-man football was the only viable option.

Now, the lore of sixman football lies in small rural Texas towns, not the

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rich suburbs of Dallas.

Naturally, when our preparatory school would load up the bus and drive to places like Blum — a town comfortably nestled in the middle of nowhere — we were somewhat out of our element.

It was not uncommon to hear nasty comments shouted from the sidelines: lot of those comments having to do with our suspected wealth and privilege.

When I say sidelines, don’t imagine the sidelines of a stadium. Instead, imagine four to five bleachers with 15 to 20 people — usually all of those people being parents — cheering along.

With six-man football, you often have no idea what you’re going to get when playing a new team.

It was not uncommon to show up at an opposing school and have no locker room in which to change.

I have many fond memo-

ries of putting on my football pads in a classroom and my eyes landing uncomfortably on pictures of Christopher Columbus and M. C. Escher paintings.

These were, as I’m sure you imagined, great ways to get myself psyched before a game.

Also, the fields were rarely top-notch. When arriving at an opposing “stadium” my freshman year, we were instructed by our coach to walk the field for an hour and pick up pieces of trash. We found many jagged shards of metal and glass that day.

The stature of your opponent was often the biggest unknown.

If we found ourselves playing a school in the first year of its football program, we usually ended up facing eight skinny farm kids who never even lifted a weight.

I have a fond memory of lining up on the defensive

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line against a center who was legally considered a midget.

Overall, my experience with this form of the sport was positive; our team made it to the state championship twice.

However, those who have played six-man football can empathize with me when it comes to the sport receiving disrespect.

When telling someone you played six-man football, people often ask if we wore pads or if it was even considered a contact sport.

After high school, I went on to play one year of 11man football at Fort Lewis College in Colorado. Out of the 80 people on the team, only two people had ever heard of six-man football.

So, as you walk around this week, hearing nonstop football talk, keep in mind that some of your fellow Texans played just as passionately with only six men. opinions@dailytoreador.com

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Page 5 Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2016

Tech looks to improve against No. 5 Baylor

By ALEXA BOUTWELL Sports Editor

The Texas Tech men’s basketball team will look to improve its Big 12 Conference record as the Red Raiders hit the road to face No. 5 Baylor at 7 p.m. in Waco.

Tech ended its undefeated home streak on Saturday against Oklahoma State, 83-64.

Oklahoma State maintained the lead throughout the game and did not allow Tech to close the gap. The loss to the Cowboys set the Red Raiders’ home record at 12-1.

Coach Chris Beard said he is impressed with how the team has handled the loss and is trying to improve during practice before facing Baylor.

“We have had good practices,” Beard said. “Yesterday they were high-spirited. I don’t think there was much of a hangover from our disappointment. So, it’s a fine line between trying to better yourself and also understand the competition that awaits the next game. I was proud and pleased with our effort yesterday in practice.”

The Bears are No. 2 in the Big 12 with a conference record of 6-1 and an overall record of 18-1. Baylor faced No. 18 West Virginia on Jan. 10 and defeated the Moun-

taineers, 61-57, in Morgantown, West Virginia.

“They have a really good team,” Beard said. “I think this year, to me from the outside looking in, their expectations are to try and win the Big 12. They’re the No. 5 team in the country.

They have our full attention and respect. I think this is a team that could play on that last Monday.”

Senior guard Devon Thomas said Tech needs to change its mentality to take the next step in improving on the court and put the loss against Oklahoma State behind.

“We just need to be tough and play hard out there,” Thomas said. “We all feel like we didn’t play as hard as we should have played.”

The Red Raiders have faced three top-ranked teams this season and defeated two of them. Tech overcame No. 18 West Virginia on Jan. 3 and formerly No. 25 Kansas State on Jan. 10. Tech also faced No. 2 Kansas on Jan. 7 and fell short to the Jayhawks, 85-68.

“I’ve been in the league for a long time, and I’ve followed it for a long time. This is the best the Big 12 has ever been, top to bottom,” Beard said. “If there is a bottom team, I would love to know who it is. Some people might perceive us as that right now, but I know that

we are a good team.”

Beard said the Big 12 is the strongest it has been in years, and the team needs to focus on improving in order to be successful on the court.

“The Big 12 is a different beast. You can do a lot of things great to improve your team and your players, but that doesn’t always mean the wins are going to come in this league,” Beard said. “It’s a real double-edged sword. It’s about you, but it’s also about the competition.”

Against the Cowboys, the Red Raiders shot 44 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc and 68 percent from the free-throw line.

“We just have to get aggressive and hit shots,” Thomas said. “When guys are getting good looks, we have to make those shots.”

Baylor ’s’ junior guard Manu Lecomte has made his presence known this season. He was named Big 12 Men’s Basketball Newcomer of the Week on Jan. 4. Lecomte averages 28.8 minutes and 12.2 points per game this season.

“They have some pretty good guards that shoot the ball,” Thomas said. “We just have to try our best defending them and play a great game in Waco.”

After the loss to the Cowboys, the Red Raiders are

ELIZABETH HERTEL/ The Daily Toreador

Top: Texas Tech guard Keenan Evans dribbles past the defense during the men’s basketball game against Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon in the United Supermarkets Arena. Right: Texas Tech guard Keenan Evans looks down the court for an open teammate during the men’s basketball game against Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon in the United Supermarkets Arena. Tech plays Baylor at 7 p.m.Wednesday at the Ferrell Center in Waco. ranked No. 7 in the Big 12.

The Red Raiders will look to beat Baylor and improve their overall record.

“We have shown that we

Rangers, Loney agree to minor league deal Rangers will be his fourth team since 2012 after the 32-year-old spent his first seven-plus seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A first-round pick by the Dodgers in 2002, Loney is a career .284 hitter with 108 home runs and 669 RBIs in 1,443 games. He hit .265 in 100 games with the New York Mets last season.

Jurickson Profar, Joey Gallo, Ryan Rua and fivetime All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton are the other current first base candidates for Texas. The list could be longer next month when the Rangers report to spring training in

ing as the last game was, we have got to get back to work and get ready for the next game.” @ABoutwellDT

CLIMBING UP

ASSOCIATED PRESS ARLINGTON (AP) — The Texas Rangers and free agent first baseman James Loney have agreed to a minor league contract, a person familiar with the deal said Monday.

Loney will join several others vying for time at first base for the Rangers after Mitch Moreland agreed to a deal with Boston and Prince Fielder was forced to retire because of a neck injury. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced.

If the left-handed Loney makes the major league roster out of spring training, the

are able to beat anybody on any given night, but we have also shown that we can get beat by anybody,” Beard said. “As disappoint-

Surprise, Arizona.

Hamilton, trying to come back from three surgeries on his left knee since last playing in 2015, is on a minor league deal as well.

Loney had career highs in average (.331) and home runs (15) in 96 games with the Dodgers in 2007. Five years later, he was part of the nineplayer trade with Boston that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford to the Dodgers.

After signing with Tampa Bay as a free agent, Loney hit .299 with 13 homers and 75 RBIs in 2013. Loney was released by the Rays before the start of last season.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Smith, NC State stun No. 17 Duke, 84-82 DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — The ball — and No. 17 Duke’s final chance to tie — bounced off Jayson Tatum’s foot and right to North Carolina State star freshman Dennis Smith Jr. Smith grabbed it and sprinted to the other end as the final seconds vanished for a stunning 84-82 win in the Blue Devils’ famously hostile Cameron Indoor Stadium. But he didn’t stop when the horn sounded —

continuing his downcourt charge, taking off a few steps inside the foul line and throwing down a rimjarring dunk.

It didn’t matter that the dunk didn’t count. Smith had provided the perfect capper to a spectacular performance Monday night, one that had his teammates mobbing him in celebration the moment he touched down.

“I’m not surprised at

all,” Smith said. “A lot of people say it’s an upset.

But I planned on winning.

I believe our team planned on winning.”

Still, that was something N.C. State (14-7, 3-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) hadn’t done in Cameron since 1995. And this was the same team that had lost four of five coming in, including a 51-point loss at rival North Carolina earlier this month.

ERIN GRAHAM/The Daily Toreador

Alex Phillips, a sophomore finance major from Clifton, rock climbs in the Robert H. Ewalt Student Recreation Center Monday night. The Outdoor Pursuits Center offers rock climbing classes for beginners during the school week.

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Lady Raiders take on No. 22 West Virginia

By ARIANA HERNANDEZ Staff Writer

The Texas Tech women’s basketball team hits the road for its second meeting with No. 22 West Virginia in hopes of maintaining the success the team has had against the Lady Mountaineers this season.

Tech first hosted formerly No.18/19 West Virginia on Jan. 11, defeating the Lady Mountaineers, 75-66.

The Lady Raiders are 5-5 all-time against the Lady Mountaineers.

“I think they’re good. I thought they were good two weeks ago,” coach Candi Whitaker said. “They’re good now. I think they’ve definitely been challenged. They had to go on the road to Baylor, and they played really well.”

The Lady Raiders have lost every game on the road this season with a record of 0-6.

While this season’s team is young, there is a noticeable

difference between the statistics at the end of the night of a home game and those from an away game, Whitaker said, and in preparation for the West Virginia game, the ladies need to fix themselves, both mentally and physically, on the court.

“I think somehow we have to figure out what’s wrong with us on the road and fix our mentality, fix our play,” Whitaker said. “We have to perform better on the road. Our stats are drastically different on the road versus home.”

When the Lady Raiders previously hosted West Virginia, the Lady Mountaineers came out strong in the first quarter, but their efforts were fought back by Tech when it started to pick up a lead in the second and third quarters.

West Virginia sophomore guard Tynice Martin has been an asset to the Lady Mountaineers’ roster this season.

Martin posted 17 points last time the two teams met in

Lubbock. She also hit three 3-pointers and went 2-2 from the free-throw line.

“They always started really fast, hitting a lot of shots,” Whitaker said. “We made some defensive mistakes. They made us pay, and they can do that. I think for us, we’ve got to do a better job at starting games. We’ve got to do our best to start quicker on both ends of the floor. West Virginia’s very capable of going on runs as are we.”

Tech’s last contest was against No.12 Texas on Thursday, when it was handed its first home loss of the season. The Lady Longhorns defeated Tech, 57-77.

The Longhorns and the Lady Mountaineers play with a number of similarities, including the way the two teams guard, Whitaker said.

“I think they’re similar as far as they want to impress you,” Whitaker said.

“They’re going to play manto-man. They’ve got bigs inside. They’ve got good

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presence at the rim, both defensively and offensively.”

Sophomore guard Recee’ Caldwell, Tech’s leading scorer, has posted single-digit points in the last two games. Caldwell brought in seven points in the loss against Texas.

Whitaker said while Caldwell has had a rough time putting her usual numbers on the board, she is still a dominant figure on the court.

“She’s got to find ways to get to the free-throw line.

She’s got to find ways to find open players,” Whitaker said.

“It’s our other players’ responsibility to hit open shots when she does her job there. She’s still got to score, but there’s other ways that I think she can be very impactful.”

The trip to Morgantown, West Virginia, is the furthest the Lady Raiders have had to travel this season within the Big 12 Conference.

Whitaker said the ladies cannot look at the upcoming contest as being a bigger challenge than previous games.

ERIN GRAHAM/The Daily Toreador

Texas Tech senior guard Ivonne CookTaylor drives to the paint against No. 12 Texas on Saturday in the United Supermarkets Arena. Tech travels to Morgantown, West Virgina, for a 6 p.m. matchup on Wednesday to face the No. 22 Lady Mountaineers.

“It’s the longest trip,” Whitaker said. “There’s just zero excuse for our players.

Travel is travel. We’re going to

get there, and we are going to get home. Our mentality can’t be that (it) makes it harder.” @A_HernandezDT

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Falcons look forward to Super Bowl South Carolina downs Mississippi State FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Dan Quinn certainly knows who the Atlanta Falcons are playing in the Super Bowl.

It seems as if Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are there every year.

One day after reaching the big game for only the second time in franchise history, Quinn and his players were back at their training complex in Atlanta's northern suburbs, rehashing the blowout of Green Bay before turning their attention to the team they'll play next.

"Going to the Super Bowl is not a reward," Quinn said Monday. "Playing really well and winning, that's the reward. It's going to be a hell

of a battle."

Immediately after the Patriots routed Pittsburgh for the AFC title , Belichick said he didn't even know the Falcons had won the NFC championship game.

No such ignorance from his coaching counterpart in Atlanta.

"Yes, I know," Quinn said with a smile.

It didn't have anything to do with facing the mighty Patriots, however.

"I generally don't after the games," the secondyear coach said. "I'm thinking about what we could've done different. Then today, we get right back into our process. Honestly, when you're around our building ... whether it's Week 4, Week 8, Week 12, Week 16,

Week 19, when you're inside these walls, it should feel the same. We try to put up a championship week every time we go."

The Patriots know a thing or two about championships.

They are the first team to reach the Super Bowl nine times, and the coachquarterback tandem of Belichick and Brady will be going for its fifth Lombardi Trophy.

Quite a contrast with the Falcons, who have never won an NFL title in their 51-year history.

It's been 18 years since their initial Super Bowl appearance, when a team known as the "Dirty Birds" was beaten handily by the Denver Broncos in John Elway's final game.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Dawn Staley was proud to take part in a showcase game with Mississippi State. She wouldn't be surprised to see one just like it on a much bigger stage in a few months.

A'ja Wilson tied her season high with 26 points and the fifth-ranked Gamecocks held off previously undefeated No. 4 Mississippi 64-61 in a Southeastern Conference showdown Monday night.

"It was a great game for the SEC. A great game for women's basketball," Staley said. "Two teams fighting it out."

And she thinks it's very possible to see a rematch at the Final Four. Earlier Monday, the NCAA Tournament selection committee projected

both the Gamecocks and Bulldogs as No. 1 seeds, slotted at No. 3 and No. 4 overall among the 16 teams picked.

"I hope I see you in Dallas and we talk about that," Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer said.

Nothing in this one dimmed either team's hopes of going that far.

It was a game filled with dramatic turns and stellar plays. The Gamecocks just made most of them down the stretch.

Allisha Gray had 16 of her 17 points in the final two quarters to fuel the comeback for South Carolina (17-1, 7-0 SEC), who trailed 35-28 at halftime and down 48-46 late in the third quarter. It was the ninth straight win over the Bulldogs (20-1, 6-1) who

ceded control of the conference to three-time defending champion South Carolina.

Mississippi State had several chances to win. Victoria Vivians could've tied the game at 62 after getting fouled on a 3-pointer with 18.6 seconds left. But after hitting the first two free throws, Vivians' final attempt rattled away and the ball went out of bounds off the Gamecocks.

Blair Schaefer's 3-pointer from the right corner with 8 seconds left missed the mark. Again, the ball came up Mississippi State's way on a tie up beneath the basket. But Vivians missed a short shot with 4 seconds left, Wilson collected the rebound and hit two foul shots for the final margin.

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Towns carries Wolves past Nuggets MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns and Nikola Jokic represent the big men of the new millennium — versatile, doeverything combo guards in the bodies of centers who are giving their downtrodden franchises hope that better days are right around the corner.

Towns has gotten the better of the one-on-one matchup against Jokic in all three games against Denver this season. On Sunday, he finally got a win, too.

Towns had 32 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists and hit the go-ahead shot with 42.5 seconds left to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 111-108 victory over the Nuggets.

Towns hit 13 of 19 shots and also had four blocks

a n d A n d r e w Wi g g i n s scored 24 points in Minnesota's fourth straight home win. Shabazz Muhammad scored 20 points off the bench and the Wolves rallied from nine points down midway through the fourth quarter for the win.

"He's playing out of his mind right now," Wiggins said of Towns. "He's doing it all. Rebounding, scoring, defending, everything. There's nothing he's not doing right now."

Gary Harris scored 22 points and Jokic had 18 points and eight rebounds for the Nuggets on the second night of a backto-back. Wilson Chandler and Jamal Murray added 17 points each for Denver, which played without Emmanuel Mudiay because of

a sore back.

Kris Dunn had 10 points and nine assists for the Wolves while starting for Ricky Rubio, who missed the game to attend his grandmother's funeral.

The Wolves were down 100-91 midway through the fourth quarter when Towns and Muhammad keyed a 12-2 run. Muhammad finished the spurt with a layup for a 103-102 lead, Wiggins hit a 3-pointer and Towns knocked down a jumper from the baseline to put the Wolves up for good in a thriller.

"At the end of the game when the ball touched my hands, I knew I wanted that shot," said Towns, who hit a similar jumper to help the Wolves beat the Clippers on Thursday.

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