THURSDAY, FEB. 10, 2022 VOLUME 96 ■ ISSUE 20
LA VIDA
SPORTS
Students and experts look into long-distance relationships and what makes them stressful.
Vivian Gray continues her final season as a Lady Raider with new honors to her name.
Representation and diversity for Black women needed in reality TV.
OPINIONS
NEWS
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INDEX
The Black Cultural Center under construction for the Texas Tech community.
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LA VIDA SPORTS OPINIONS CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS SUDOKU
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Registering Complaints Hundreds of students impacted by ticketing error prior to Texas game
By ARIANNA FLORES Editor-in-Chief
On Feb. 1, a record-setting 15,300 people walked into the United Supermarkets Arena to watch the Texas Tech men’s basketball team face the University of Texas. About 700 students who registered for the needed to attend five particular games — game were not among the historic number. three in the fall, two in the spring — to have The senior associate athletics director for priority access to registration. external operations and strategic communicaThe Mesquite native said he did not camp tions, Robert Giovannetti, said these numbers out; instead he got into the registered stuof pre-registered students are not specific to dent line at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday as soon as his whether a student did not enter the arena or classes were over. There he waited 2.5 hours was turned away. to get near the front of the line and see the David Kath, a third-year music education stadium doors close. student was one of the students who regis“Honestly, it makes me question going tered but was turned back in the future, or away before he could at least this season enter the arena. because there’s only Kath was conIf I could get all 40,000 Tech students a couple games left,” firmed as a part of Kath said. “I don’t the Royalty to Loy- into every game I would do it just even know if I want alty program, a Tech because the students certainly pro- to mess with going Athletics incentive vide the energy in the atmosphere again, just because I for students to be able in there. feel like my support to register for highwasn’t valued, and demand games. ROBERT GIOVANNETTI not just mine, but I Kath said he felt SENIOR ASSOCIATE mean all those stustrung along after ATHLETICS DIRECTOR dents who were out waiting in the line for there forever in the several hours before cold.” the game with no communication on what Isaac Contreras said he had planned since was happening. early December to attend the Tech versus “We didn’t quite know for sure what Texas game and knew he had to be ready once was going on because you could never get a registration opened. straight answer,” Kath said. The Lubbock resident said he is a die-hard Alex Achorn, the director of marketing Red Raider fan and logged in to register at for the men’s basketball team, said students 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 28 and secured his ticket
Black History at Texas Tech Brown Jr. flies toward history
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Students wait in line for the Texas Tech men’s basketball game against Texas on Feb. 1. There were two lines in front of the United Supermarkets Arena, one for students who pre-registered for admission and one for a limited number of walk-in students. “I wasn’t mad but I was just like, man, before the sold-out email from Tech Athletics I literally waited out here for three hours,” was sent out at 10:18 a.m. “We donate our time, our money and just Sheikh, the Dallas graduate student said. resources to go support the athletic team,” “I can’t feel my hands like my whole body is frozen right now, can’t Contreras said. “I felt feel my face. I can’t like it could have been feel my nose like I’m handled just a tad literally sick.” bit better. Now what Giovannetti said, those solutions are I don’t even know if I want to mess beyond me because with going again, just because I feel a student must scan I’m no nowhere near like my support wasn’t valued, and their student ID to the level of authority not just mine, but I mean all those enter the arena. If a student who regisor I guess, brain power to control (thou- students who were out there forever tered for the game is walking in the scansands) of wild college in the cold. ner will flash green, students ready to get DAVID KATH indicating they reginto the game, but it THIRD-YEAR MUSIC EDUCATION istered. A red scan was pretty unorgaMAJOR FROM MESQUITE means the student is nized.” unregistered. According to the “The system that we have in place has National Weather Service, temperatures dropped to 37 degrees outside the arena Feb. worked for a lot of big games, across the 1 and Humza Sheikh said he felt the cold board,” Giovannetti said. “So, we didn’t have immediately when he walked to the line and any, we didn’t have any reason to believe it SEE TICKETS, PG. 3 during the hours he spent waiting.
February celebration rooted in Black culture, history By STEPHANIE GHANDOUR Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: In celebration of Black History Month, The Daily Toreador will highlight a notable local person or event in each week’s print edition. Born in 1962 to a military family in San Antonio, Tech alumnus Charles Q. Brown Jr. rose up in the Air Force ranks to become the first Black chief of staff under the Trump administration in August 2020. In the same year he was announced chief of staff, Brown Jr. also was named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World.” According to National Public Radio, Donald Trump said about Brown Jr.’s promotion to chief of staff, “A historic day for America!” During his time at Tech, Brown Jr. majored in engineering, and was a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Officers Training Corps program in 1984, according to a Texas Tech news release.
In 2012, he was named a distinguished alumnus for the university. As chief of staff, Brown Jr. is responsible for leading the Air Force branch in its operations from budgeting to training, as well as working alongside the other branches. Over the course of his career, Brown Jr. has received many awards including but not limited to the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, according to the Air Force website. To date, Brown Jr. has logged 2,900 flying hours including 130 combat hours as a commanding pilot, according to the Air Force website.
Black History Month is a celebration that’s origin can be traced back decades. Black History Month is celebrated by different cultures all over the world, this has not always been the case. While Texas Tech students, faculty and staff take this month of celebration to commemorate the trials and tribulations faced by Black people, not everyone who celebrates may understand the origin of Black History Month. “The origins of Black History Month begin around 1915 with a figure named Carter G. Woodson,” Matthew Pehl, visiting assistant professor of history who teaches African American history, said. “Woodson was one of the first African Americans to get a Ph.vD. He wound up putting together a Black history exhibit, and from there, he wound up forming an association and founded a journal called the
Journal of Negro History. This was originally called Negro History Week. This is what he was originally proposing.” Negro History Week, Pehl said, began being celebrated more widely among Black people in the month of February because this was already a month of commemoration within the African American community. This was due to the fact, Pehl said, that both Abraham Lincoln as well as Frederick Douglass had birthdays in the same week of February. Due to this alignment, Negro History Week took place the second week of February. “For basically 50 years, it is a celebration in African American communities,” Pehl said. “So, the question is, when does it become a national thing, and that is really a product of the 1960s.” In the 1960s, Pehl said, there began a new wave of Black students in college pushing for changes at the collegiate level. At the time of the civil rights
and anti-war movements, Pehl said Black people collaborated with students in providing more awareness of the positive aspects of African culture that were still alive in African American culture. “It was sort of the combination of Black student activists at the university level with the overall civil rights movement that made Black History Month start to become a national practice in about the mid part of the 1970s.” Pehl said. Prior to 1970, Pehl said no college or university that wasn’t historically a Black college even provided an African American history department or departments that specialized in racially segregated peoples. African Americans have been associating education with freedom for decades, Pehl said. Gaining education was the way for Black people to equate themselves to others. “It’s basically showing others that, hey, we’re humans, too. We
SEE BLACK HISTORY, PG. 3
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Celebrating Valentine’s Day from a distance By STEPHANIE GHANDOUR Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love, whether it be the love of friends, family or a significant other. The holiday is best known for celebrating romantic relationships. Long-distance relationships come with challenges year-round. Celebrating Valentine’s Day while long distance, however, can prove to be more difficult than people realize.
anything to say, it’s kind of hard to just have to like be okay with that and not be able to just like lay around and not talk to each other and just like cuddle with each other and stuff.” Britt and her boyfriend have been dating for over a year. She said they have been in long-distance relationship since the fall semester. To cherish the time they get to spend and talk to one another, Britt said she and her boyfriend try not to text
I really felt alone. LAUREN STEELE LUBBOCK “So far, we mostly struggle with physical touch,” Boston Britt, a first-year elementary education student from Lubbock, said. “That’s both of our love language, so it’s just been really hard to not be around each other because when you’re on the phone and like talking and you don’t have
or talk constantly throughout the day to have deeper, quality conversations. “There can be a lot of anxiety there, particularly if it is a newer relationship,” Laura Worley, a licensed clinical social worker and licensed chemical dependency
counselor, said. “I think the most important thing, which is honestly going to be true for any relationship, is going to be communication and the development of trust.” Wi t h a longdistance relationship in particular, W o r ley said it can be a chronic stressor. Not being able to see significant others regularly can induce anxiety’s. This is especially the case for a newer or younger couple who may not have the established trust a couple who has been together for longer might have. “ We u s u a l l y t r y t o FaceTime throughout the day when we’re not busy,” Rylea Helmberger, a second-year biology student from Caddo Mills, said. “But at least we probably FaceTime about twice a week. So just like having time to just talk about us and sometimes we will watch movies together like with the watch party or like will go on dates will both get Whataburger and just FaceTime and eat it, so I guess just like stuff like that. It’s all over the phone but just seeing each other like face to face helps on FaceTime.” Helmberger and her boyfriend have been together for over two years. She said they have been long distance about six months while she has been away
for college. The biggest lesson she has learned is communication, Helmberger said. Communication is important in
any relationship but is especially necessary in a longdistance relationship. “Don’t take communication for granted because that’s, like, the most important thing,” Helmberger said. “Like especially if you have a problem with anything you need to talk about it before it just builds up and just always communicate what you’re doing, how you’re feeling like your needs, and it’ll make everything go much smoother.” It is much more difficult to solve arguments and to be intimate when in opposite parts of the world, Lauren Steele, an accounting graduate student from Lubbock, said. Steele has been with her boyfriend for over four years. She said she has had to spend four months away from him when she studied abroad in Europe. “I really felt alone,” Steele said. “We spent a lot of time, like sometimes we would both put on a movie like, in our separate spaces and then we would
stay on FaceTime, and we would watch it together. Make it a point to talk to e a c h other every day. Like physihear their not just j u s t l y
cally voice, text like physicalhear their voice every day.” Wo r l e y s a i d that talking through issues and problems as well as their feelings on their long-distance relationships is the best way for couples to handle problems
that m a y arise while at a d i s tance.
Vulnerability and honesty, Worley said, will aid young couples the most regarding their feelings about doing long-distance and the personal effects of it on their lives. “One of the things that COVID has taught us is
that there is a lot that can be done through telehealth,” Worley said. “Couples who are not living in the same town even can do couples therapy. That is an option for couples who are struggling at a distance that historically we have not had in the past and can be really effective.” It is important for couples to work around their partner’s schedule and allocate time for one another, Steele said. There are general anxieties and insecurities that may intensify when transitioning a relationship to long-distance, Steele said. This was a big problem until she and her boyfriend began getting into a routine with one another. “He actually surprised me and he’s coming home this weekend,” Britt said. “So, it is like that was my Valentine’s Day present. Essentially -- that he was driving home. But before that, we were going to have like a FaceTime date and, like, those really work because not dating someone but being in a relationship with them, is definitely not easy at all and requires a lot of maturity that I didn’t have when we first started.”
Don’t take communication for granted because that’s, like, the most important thing. RYLEA HELMBERGER CADDO MILLS
Although she will not be able to see her significant other on Valentine’s Day Monday, Helmberger said she is fortunate to be able to go home prior to the holiday and celebrate with him earlier. Steele, Britt and Helmberger all look forward to the future of their relationships and said they are glad to have the opportunity to grow as individuals and as a couple within their perspective relationships. “If it’s worth it, it’ll work out,” Helmberger said. “Nothing is ever easy. Like if you stop working at a relationship, if you stop working at anything, then it will fail. That is how everything works out. It’s just making sure that you’re each other’s priority at the end of the day.”
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Kim wins gold in Beijing
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On Feb. 1, the Red Raiders took on the Texas Longhorns at the United Supermarkets arena. After tickets sold out in under 20 minutes, students camped out for three nights to get good seats. However, some registered students never made it into the game.
TICKETING
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 wouldn’t work for this one, either. I think it’s important for us as a department, to not just abandon that process, but rather look at what were the outliers.” Giovannetti said these outliers included students camping out and saving seats once inside the arena. To compensate those students who registered but did not get in, Tech Athletics sent them an email giving those students “priority access to the Baylor game along with a concession voucher.” According to the email, the offer only applies to the students who registered for the game against Texas but did
BLACK HISTORY CONTINUED FROM PG. 1
that, hey, we’re humans, too. We have these wonderful traditions that we celebrate. We may celebrate them a little bit different from you, but you know, let me show you who I am and show you the positive parts of my culture,” Lynn Whitfield, an archivist at Tech, said. “And I think that’s why all these different months of celebrating different backgrounds is so important. And I think, you know, it’s actually become much more prominent at Tech.” Whitfield said she has been working on a timeline that tracks the history of Tech and
not scan to enter the arena. Kath said he received the email but he was still frustrated over missing the opportunity to see the oncein-a-lifetime game in person. “I don’t know, I just feel like a Band-Aid on a bigger issue,” Kath said. “I’ve given hours of my time. I’ve planned things around those basketball games to go so I could have priority access to specifically the Texas game and to not get in.” Giovannetti said he understands the opportunity for the Tech versus Texas game was big but there are other Big 12 teams the Red Raiders have yet to face. “I would say if I could get all 40,000 Tech students into every game I would do
it just because the students certainly provide the energy in the atmosphere in there,” Giovannetti said. “We recognize that students were disappointed, especially those (that) were registered, and that’s why we’re trying to give them that priority access to the Baylor game.” “That’s another big opponent, another huge game for the program. We need them there.” Giovannetti said. “It’s just one game of nine Big 12 games we play at home, and we need to instill in our students that we need that for every game. We need that kind of enthusiasm and attendance at every game. We’ll do our part to make sure that we facilitate them getting in.”
a part of this includes some of the substantial race-related events that occurred during the civil rights movement. Tech has records, Whitfield said, of the attempts to integrate Black students since long before integration actually commenced. “African Americans were the only ones that were banned from attending Texas Tech,” Whitfield said. “We integrated in ‘61, but there were attempts, you know, back in the ‘50s. And those are all on the timelines that I found so far. And so, the idea with the timelines is that you know, this kind of jump off place or these milestones are in one place that anybody can then go and do more research.” Tech has, since then, been
very active in accommodating both Black students and all students of color to make sure that they feel welcome on campus, Whitfield said. Organizations run by Black students, for Black students, Whitfield said, can be traced back to earlier years at Tech. For example, one of the longest Black student organizations, The Black Student Association, celebrated the earliest signs of Black History Month by bringing Black literature, music, poetry and dance to the Tech campus. “Student organizations have been a part of the planning of different colleges and units that have really planned out, you know, what are we doing for the month,” Jade Silva Tovar, assistant vice president
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American Chloe Kim has won gold in the women’s halfpipe at the Beijing Olympics. She turned in a strong opening run as she easily defended her Olympic halfpipe title. The last rider to drop into the halfpipe, and the contest already over, the 21-year-old American still attempted to go big one last time. She fell, quickly got back up and casually glided the rest of the way down the halfpipe Thursday as the Olympic champion. She greeted her fellow medalists at the bottom with an embrace. The only real drama was for second place, with 32-year-old Queralt Castellet of Spain taking silver at her fifth appearance at the Olympic Games. Sena Tomita of Japan held off Cai Xuetong of China for bronze. No one was matching Kim’s height or demanding array of tricks. Not after an opening performance that featured a variety of different spins and rotations, including a front and backside 1080 (three spins each). That flawless run even appeared to surprised her as she covered her mouth in excitement.
She later told her coach it was the best one she’s done. There are zero Americans entered in the men’s Alpine combined skiing race at the Beijing Games, the first time in Olympic history that event will take place without at least one U.S. representative. Thursday’s race only has 27 total entrants from all countries, compared to 43 for the downhill and 47 for the super-G earlier in the week. A spokesperson for the U.S. ski team said the original plan was to enter super-G silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Bryce Bennett in the combined, which adds the times from one downhill run and one slalom run. But Bennett, who is from California, tweaked his back before finishing 17th in the super-G on Tuesday and is headed home. Cochran-Siegle, who is from Vermont, decided to train in giant slalom ahead of that event, which is scheduled for Sunday. At least one U.S. man has been in the Alpine combined at each of the previous 11 Winter Games where it was held. It was off the schedule
between the 1948 and 1988 Olympics. Donovan Carrillo has completed his free skate at the Beijing Olympics. He’s the first athlete from Mexico ever to advance to the final round of an Olympic figure skating competition. The country hasn’t had an Olympic skater at all in three decades. In Beijing, Carrillo is one of 33 athletes from nine Latin-American teams. And he’s the only one of the four athletes representing Mexico who stayed in the country to nurture his talents. He was in fourth place after the first group of six at the men’s free skate, with a total score of 218.13. Chloe Kim grabbed the lead after the first run of the women’s halfpipe as she tries to defend her Olympic title. Kim performed two 1080s, three spins, and was so ecstatic over her performance she covered her mouth following her finish. She had the highest amplitude of any rider. Her score of 94 topped Sena Tomita of Japan. In third place after the first run was Cia Xuetong of China.
of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at Tech, said. This month Tech and individual student organizations, Tovar said, are having many different events in celebration of Black History Month. One of the things the university does annually is the African American lecture series, Tovar said, where they invite a guest speaker to Tech to discuss racial topics. “That’s been something that is an opportunity to incorporate students as part of those conversations. Who do they also want to see? What’s really big for us is that students are a part of this too, right?” Tovar said. “Everything that we do is for students and so we, our Office of Institutional Diver-
sity, continues that tradition of having a guest speaker come to speak to the campus community. There’s usually opportunities, depending on the topic and the speaker’s expertise, to have students have a one on one interaction with that guest speaker.” This year, Kevin Richardson, who is a part of the Central Park five, a group of five young Black and Hispanic young men convicted of a crime they did not commit that became known throughout the world, will be the guest speaker for the African American lecture series. In addition, Tovar said the university is looking forward to the opening of the Black Cultural Center that will open in April as well as
the Intercultural conference center set to open in August. “African American history is American history,” Pehl said. “It’s important to recognize that there are some things that specifically affected African Americans that didn’t affect anybody else. And there are specific elements of thought, culture, and achievement, that are part of African American communities that are unique to them. But that uniqueness is part of America. There are some things that are special and unique to them and that they did, but they are part and parcel of the entire whole. There is no American history without African Americans. You cannot write it.” @StephanieGhanDT
OPINIONS
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COLUMN
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Black women deserve equality in TV R
epresentation is very important when it comes to reality TV shows. Especially ones that are regarding dating or rely on a love theme. I, of course, love to see Black people incorporated in these settings as Black people also want to find love. However, the love story plot for Black women seems to fall short. Token diversity is placed in these reality shows and the characters’ treatment is not ideal. For example, the newest season of Netflix’s “Too Hot to Handle’’ features eight attractive people from all over the world. There are two Black women and while they are all supposed to be equally attractive, they are not anyone’s first pick. Instead, the tanned white woman with blue eyes is every man’s favorite and the show just becomes “The Bachelorette” as she just
Chyna Vargas is a second-year journalism major from San Antonio.
tries to fight off all the men who want her. The Black women are left stranded as to who they can be with as no one is fighting for their attention. This is a common theme in TV shows as the beauty standard has not changed nor has anyone elses preferences. Even Black women are not attractive to Black men in some reality TV situations. According to self.com, there are examples of reality TV show seasons where Black women do find love. As you go down the list whoever, it’s season nine of “Married At First Sight’’ or season 11. Or, it’s the show “Love is Blind”.
“Love is Blind” is a reality based on the idea that you do not see the other person until you are wanting to propose to them. Proving Black women are successful in the dating game when they are not seen. That creates an underlying problem. In these shows, Black women are not the first choice when it is based on attractiveness. Typically, it takes contestants time to warm up to them while the white contestants are naturally approached. In addition to that, Black women will have phenomenal personalities, ones that are even better than their counterparts but they will be kicked to the curb so fast. Especially dark-skinned women, which opens another conversation about colorism in the TV industry. Seeing someone who looks like me on TV is always
a comforting feeling and Black women all over are thinking the same thing. We are rooting for them, feel for them and of course, feel just as disappointed when they are eliminated or not picked. While it is just a show for entertainment, this is what is experienced in real life. Black women face the challenge every day of who will think they are worthy to date. That goes both inside and outside the Black community. So when Black women are put on a public platform and even more humiliated, it proves our point even more when it comes to Black women never being a contender. No, someone cannot change who they are attracted to but maybe the people who cast these shows can choose male counterparts who are less shallow. That, and be open minded as to
how women feel in these situations. Love has no race. Subconscious or not, men in these shows think with just their sexual desires and while that is the preface of some of the shows, Black women are still last in line for desirability.
Black women face the challenge every day of who will think they are worthy to date. That goes both inside and outside the Black community. There should not be shows created specifically for the Black community, only because Black people are the last ones chosen in
other shows. That defeats the purpose of Black people having an equal playing field. H o w e v e r, t h e t o k e n characters should not be placed in shows just for added diversity. They should be intended to be love interests amongst the cast. Not all reality dating shows intentionally outcast Black women, but the majority do. Reality dating shows need to evaluate the show they are being broadcasted and realize they are just amplifying the problem, they should help solve it. What needs changing is the casting. More women of color need to be the centerpiece and less portrayed of the background characters who never were going to be the main focal point in the first place. @ChynaVargasDT
COLUMN
Valentine’s Day represents a variation of love
from an independent firm, has been putting together a set of guidelines for several months that will be available to the teams in the spring. It will, they hope, lead to “an optimization of the hiring process,” according to Jonathan Beane, the chief diversity and inclusion officer. Flores’ charge of being offered $100,000 for each loss in 2019 to get the Dolphins to the top of the draft is being investigated by the league. “And when we know what those facts are and the impact it has on our game, we’ll deal with it very seriously,” Goodell said.
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candidates for coaching and executive jobs, or a new rule entirely. “I think that’s the core of the message that we’ve been talking about here is, OK, we’re not having this success we want with head coaches,” he noted. “How do we evolve that rule or do we have to have a new rule? Do we need to figure out some other way of being able to achieve that outcome? And I think we’re not going to rest until we find that and we get those kind of outcomes that I think are mandatory for us. That just has to be the way we’re going to move forward to happen inclusively.” The league, with help
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Even more so, Single Awareness Day finds a spot among one of the biggest retail events in the world, revealing the potential monetary gain for companies among these holidays. Furthermore, it is important to understand the repercussions of promoting co-dependent relationships. Valentine’s Day should cater to themes of self-love rather than emphasizing relationship co-dependence. This avoids shallow couplings
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While the league has made progress with other jobs, from general managers to coordinators, the most visible representative of a franchise is the coach. There are five minority head coaches on the 32 teams, two Black, one biracial, one Hispanic and one Lebanese. Approximately 70% of NFL players are Black. Asked if the process is flawed, from how interviews are conducted to who might be conducting them, Goodell said the league already is looking into that — whether it involves changes in the Rooney Rule that requires interviews of minority
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racism in the league and being offered money by team owner Stephen Ross to tank games, Goodell vowed action on several fronts. “ We w o n ’ t t o l e r a t e racism. We won’t tolerate discrimination,” Goodell said. “I found all of the allegations, whether they were based on racism or discrimination or the integrity of our game, all of those to me were very disturbing. They are very serious matters to us on all levels, and we need to make sure we get to the bottom of all of them.” That begins with the NFL’s poor record for hiring minorities as head coaches.
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INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Under a baking California sun, Roger Goodell knew the heat was coming. At his annual Super Bowl news conference Wednesday, the NFL commissioner was grilled on two hot topics that have put the league under heavy scrutiny: racism and discrimination in hiring. There were other issues that don’t shine a positive light on pro football, including threats to the integrity of the sport, and misconduct by players and team executives. A week after former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores, who is Black, filed a lawsuit alleging both
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The negative narrative around single people on Valentine’s creates a cynical reaction by this group, rather than encouraging self-love.
and the toxicity of superficial partnerships. Rather than criticizing people for being single, Valentine’s Day should encourage independence and love without needing a partner. While Valentine’s Day is promoted to all conceptions of love, other kinds of love such as platonic and familial often get overlooked. Creating positive perspectives of Valentine’s Day gives appreciation to the love all around, allowing people to celebrate the love from family and friends. Giving love to family and friends should be a priority of Valentine’s Day, rather than only romantic love. Events like Galentine’s Day, where women celebrate among their female friends, growth in popularity among single women who appreciate platonic love among friends. Whether celebrating with loved ones or by oneself, Valentine’s Day should be a time of self-love and self-care, giving an optimistic twist to the traditional holiday.
Goodell says league will not tolerate racism, discrimination
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culture. Holidays like Singles Awareness Day, celebrated the day after Valentine’s, is a direct result from this shift into self-love.
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away from the need to be partnered. As society changes, partnerships and relationships are seen as choices rather than necessities, relating back to an improved societal well-being. The pressures of partnership are being alleviated by choice. The freedom of singlehood appeals to younger people, with marriage and committed ties becoming a less-desired outcome. Translating into a more productive society, the growth in choosing to stay single challenges ideas of romance and partnership. Introducing a culture of independence questions the purpose of Valentine’s Day and the desire to be in a relationship. While Valentine’s Daythemed events and activities often cater to couples, selfcare opportunities allow single individuals to indulge in the festivities of the holiday. Moving toward a culture of empowering independence, singles are finding value in independence, straying away from the Valentine’s Day
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sweethearts and loved ones. Many companies bombard with romantic ads and antics that highlight couples. This modern take on Valentine’s Day targets couples with the intentions to profit from the mass amount of spending done on Valentine’s Day for gifts and other romantic gestures. However, this tends to ignore those without significant others, even creating a sub-culture of shame for single people for not having someone to spend money on. The negative narrative around single people on Valentine’s creates a cynical reaction by this group, rather than encouraging self-love and the appreciation of our other types of love. Focusing on the aspect of self-love, Valentine’s Day should appeal as a reminder of the love and care we give
to ourselves, recognizing that self-appreciation provides a healthy mentality contrasting from a lonely one. According to a Forbes article published in January 2022, there has been a rising trend in young people who are not in relationships or are childless in the U.S. This includes uninterested individuals and those who seek other ventures, such as education and work, over a relationship. This growing movement reflects deviates from tradition and improvements in economic and educational access. The deviation from the traditional notion of settling down reveals a positive outcome for younger generations, with an increase of financially stable and educated groups. According to the article, many young people are noting the importance in finding “the right one” and not rushing into relationships. Research shows young people believe that life should not be seen as better because of a relationship, moving
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Julianne Cervera is a third-year English major from Grand Prairie.
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Across the globe, Feb. 14 is marked down as a special holiday for many. With origins dating back to the Middle Ages, Valentine’s Day gets its namesake from that of Saint Valentine. Although many stories vary around Saint Valentine and the holiday’s origins, Valentine’s Day has stood the test of time as a day that signifies the celebration of love. Embodied by heartshaped decorations and shrouds of pink and red, Valentine’s Day has become a huge target for capitalism, relying on consumers to purchases gifts for their
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.
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Black Cultural Center construction begins By MELANIE ESCALANTE Staff Writer
Sparked by passionate students and staff eager to promote cultural awareness and knowledge of the Black experience, a Black cultural center on campus be open to the public. Assistant vice president of the Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Jade Silva Tovar, said the Black Cultural Center will be a place where academia coincides with culture to create a vigorous experience for the Texas Tech community. “The Black Cultural Center has been in the works now for a little over a year and was really led by our Black Student Association about a year or so ago and wanting to have a space that is representative of Black diasporic experience,” Silva Tovar said. “The president heard their need and was able to identify a building for us to be able to build a Black cultural center.” The building is under construction at the corner of 15th Street and Akron Avenue, across from the east side of the Student Union Building. “It is really important
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A Black cultural center is currently being developed on the Tech campus. The building is located at the corner of 15th Street abd Akron Avenue and will be open to the Tech and Lubbock communities when construction is complete. that we have the dedicated space so the future and the legacy that we’re leaving at Texas Tech for our Black students, as well as all students to understand the academic, the social and home-awayfrom-home experiences,” Silva Tovar said. The space will be an opportunity to build and bridge unity, not only across campus but in the local community. Silva Tovar said she envisions the space being a hub for alumni, students, faculty and staff, as well as children coming in for summer camps to be inspired by what they see. Tovar said although student organizations, administration and units across campus have worked to encourage the celebration of different
cultural and heritage months, the Black Cultural Center will provide an opportunity to not just experience black history in a single month. “Students are at the center of everything that we do, and that really is our model,” Silva Tovar said. The president of the Black Student Association, Christianah Adejokun, said her predecessor sat down with President Lawrence Schovanec to review BSA’s call to action, one which included the creation of a Black cultural center at Tech. “Fast forward to my year of being community engagement chair. I sat in one of those meetings with President Schovanec,” Adejokun said. “We were starting to talk
about the budget, and then plan, and have those blueprints and get the verification from all these officials in Lubbock, or like Board of Regents, to make sure that we can actually start construction.” The junior biochemistry major from Arlington said the opening of a Black cultural center on campus will deeply impact her future as a student. “Knowing that we have a Black cultural center just puts pressure on me and actually elevates me to not only just have a Black cultural center, but a Hispanic cultural center, Asian cultural center and make sure that our multi-cultural center that we have is more amplified,” Adejokun said.
Amelia Talley, associate dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the College of Arts & Sciences, said increasing the representation of students of color in STEM disciplines and careers has been on her agenda. “There’s the pipeline that exists which basically means that every year you advance further in education within STEM-based programs, you typically see a lot of fall out from communities of color from people who are desisting in their pursuit of STEM education,” Talley said. With regard to how the opening of a Black cultural center on campus can aid in this systematic flaw, Talley said seeing people of color give lectures about science, technology, engineering and math will allow students to feel represented and supported in such disciplines. “Those events and bringing people together will foster some really important dialogues that will hopefully ultimately create some change within our commu-
nity in terms of appreciating diversity and also hopefully ushering in a lot more inclusivity,” Talley said. The Black Cultural Center as a significant symbol of the celebration of Black History at Tech, Adejokun said. “This week actually, my board and I were passing out free cake for Black History Month and students who weren’t Black were like, ‘Oh, I can get cake too?’ and I was like, ‘Of course you can,’ Adejokun said laughing. “So many students really think that the Black Student Association, and the Black Cultural Center, and Black History Month is only for Black students to celebrate. “I think with opening this center we can use it as an experience for all students to know that they can celebrate our culture and learn more about our culture and be involved in our culture,” Adejokun said. “I think that will create a culture of understanding on campus.” @MelaniereDT
DATE SPOTS ON CAMPUS
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ERIN DIGIACAMO/The Daily Toreador
When walking out of the McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center there is a sitting area with a fountain in the middle, which is the perfect place for a Valentine’s Day date.
At night time the Horticulture Garden is lit up by lights. There are many sitting areas in the garden for people to use, especially as a place for a date.
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Brio, a fluffy, long coat, young male German Shepherd (black, tan & white) escaped our yard near 21st & Hartford Ave, Sunday after‑ noon. Brio was picked up by a young man in a brightly colored (orange stripe?) Toyota Corolla. He’s very friendly and we desperately want him returned!!! 806‑789‑7756
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Gray leads Lady Raiders in senior season By KAITLYN SALAZAR Sports Reporter
In her final year of eligibility and her second season with the Texas Tech’s women’s basketball team, senior guard Vivian Gray is averaging 19.8 points and two steals per game, both figures leading the Lady Raiders. Gray tallied 20 points during the 61-56 Lady Raiders loss to Texas on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the United Supermarkets Arena. In her debut at the United Supermarkets Arena, Gray recorded 24 points and eight rebounds. She wrapped up her first season in 2021 as the Lady Raider leader in points, rebounds, steals and blocks, according to Tech Athletics. After the 2020-21 season, Gray was named an honorable mention All-American by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for the third time in her career, ac-
cording to Tech Athletics. She also was selected for the First Team All-Big 12 and finished as a top 10 finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award, which is given to the top small forward in the nation. Gray said she hopes to accomplish many more goals to close off her career. “Team-wise, I would love to finish top three in the conference and then make a deep run in the NCAA tournament,” Gray said. “Personal goals, I want to be an All-American again, preferably first-team, and then my biggest goal is to be the Big 12 Player of the Year.” To kick off her final season, Gray was unanimously named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team for the third time in her career, according to Tech Athletics. The honors did not stop there, however. In the following weeks, Gray also was selected to the Cheryl Miller Award Watch List,
the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List and the Naismith Awards Watch List. When asked about Gray being named to the Wooden Preseason Watch List, head coach Krista Gerlich said her accomplishments are well-earned. “There is no doubt that Vivian should be included in a list like this,” Gerlich said. “She is one of the best players in the nation. Returning for her super-senior year, I think she has positioned herself to be in the tops of these awards and it goes to show her hard work is paying off. It’s great to see her get this special recognition.” So far this season, Gray has missed eight games due to an ankle injury that occurred during preseason. Despite this she leads her team with 257 points and 26 steals, according to Tech Athletics. While her injuries set her back, Gray said she is continuing to persevere.
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Vivian Gray fights for the ball with a Baylor defender on Jan. 26. Gray scored 21 points in the contest after shoooting 8-16 from the field and making both of her three-point attempts. Gray leads Tech in scoring with an average of 19.8 points per game, 10 more than the runner up (Thomas - 9.8).
“You know, what’s really been hard for me is trying to get past my injuries and trying to get back into the flow of my game and finding my game again after being out for so long,” Gray said . “But I think I’m finally finding my rhythm again and really back into it so yeah, hopefully it keeps getting better.” With seven games left in the regular season, the Lady Raiders hold an overall record of 10-12 (2-9), according to Tech Athletics. Gerlich said Gray’s recent performances are due to a change in her mentality. “I think that she has really developed a different focus over the last couple of weeks,” Gerlich said. “I think that her urgency is really on point for a senior, and I think that she’s just playing with a great amount of confidence and poise, not only for herself, but for her teammates.” This season, Gray has nearly hit the milestone of 2,000 career points, according to Tech Athletics. When asked about this, Gray said her focus is centered on the team. “I don’t think it necessarily means something specific to me,” Gray said. “It is kind of a lot of pressure, so trying to not focus on that and focus more on the team is what helps me. I’m just trying to put the team on my back and try to get some more wins and try not to focus on the points as much.” As the All-American’s time as a Lady Raider comes to an end, she is far from slowing down. Gerlich said the secondyear Lady Raider should continue to be recognized. “I just think that you’re seeing a warrior ’s mentality,” Gerlich said. “She
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Vivian Gray looks for an open teammate against Lamar on Nov. 19. Lamar was Tech’s third opponent of the season, but Gray made her season debut and scored 16 points off the bench. doesn’t think she has to do it all, but yet she’s doing it all because it’s just what the game is bringing to her.” Gerlich said Gray is excelling in multiple aspects of the game. “She’s playing good de-
fense, rebounding at a higher level, knocking down shots, being really poised at the free throw line, and just really giving us a great overall performance,” Gerlich said. @KaitSalazarDT