021517

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017 VOLUME 91 ■ ISSUE 73

TENNIS

SIBLING WEEKEND

PG. 5

INDEX

CIRCUS PROTEST

PG. 6

ONLINE

LA VIDA OPINIONS SPORTS CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS SUDOKU

5 4 6 5 5 2

SOFTBALL

BIG 12 CONFERENCE

Texas Tech travels for competition in Puerto Vallarta

By JACK DENSMORE Staff Writer

Big 12 schools collaborate on sexual-assault prevention efforts

By MICHAEL CANTU News Editor

I

n an op-ed piece and video presented by presidents and vice presidents of the 10 Big 12 Conference schools, a new campaign to fight the stigma surrounding sexual assault was announced.

The campaign, dubbed Big 12 Together, brings awareness of sexual assault on university campuses and helps raise an understanding that sexual assault does not just happen in certain places, Ben Sharp, Texas Tech student body president, said.

“The public is generally growing more aware of the problem, and as awareness increases, people feel more empowered to talk about their own experiences that, maybe prior to, they had,” Sharp said.

According to a document provided to The Daily Toreador, Tech’s SGA found statistics on sexual assault that had a grim outlook.

Many women report being sexually assaulted within their first four semesters at a university. Around 90 percent of sexual assaults are perpetrated by acquaintances of the victims, 34 percent of multiracial women are victims of sexual assault, and gay and bisexual men are 10 times more likely than heterosexual men to experience sexual assault, according to National Institute of Justice statistics.

To raise the awareness of sexual assault prevention and campus resources, the heads of all 10 Big 12 student governments got together for a conference in November to discuss the problems in depth, Binna Kim, vice president for University of Texas Student Government, said.

This outreach to other universities stems from her campaign platforms at UT Austin, Kim said.

“My main focus for this year was the internal impact at UT and an external impact across the country,” Kim said.

The idea to have the different schools collaborate started with Kim because, even at her own university, that she hardly had any knowledge of sexual assault and resources for sexual assault survivors. So, during the annual Big 12 Student Government Conference in November, Kim said, she presented the idea to the various executives.

Since that conference, and a little while before that, Sharp said, the vice presidents from the various schools discussed ways to put the word out about sexual assault resources. For the Big 12 Together campaign, the student government executives put together a video, along with their op-ed piece, that speaks of the importance of sexual assault awareness and comforts survivors of sexual assault.

SEE BIG 12, PG. 2

CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT BY THE NUMBERS

1 IN 5

women are sexually assaulted while in college

1 IN 16

men are sexually assaulted while in college

90

Percent of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault

FOR SGA

OP-ED, SEE PAGE 4

Texas Tech softball started the season at 3-2 after the Century Link Classic hosted from Friday through Sunday. The Red Raiders will now travel to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.

The Red Raiders will face Cal S tate Fullerton, Florida G ulf Coast, Mississippi State and Fresno State. The contest against Cal State Fullerton Titans starts at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Tech coach Adrian Gregory said this is the most exciting season for her.

“You’re out of the mix of trying to talk kids into trusting you. Now they trust you, and they believe in what we’re doing. They’ve seen some production out of it,” Gregory said.

“I’m really enjoying our kids. I think they’re working really hard. They’re seeming to enjoy the game again, and in the first two seasons, we weren’t really in that mix, because we were kind of in work mode. When you play with some loose muscles and enjoyment, then that’s when it gets really fun.”

The Titans are 1-3 on the season after the Easton Invitational in Fullerton, California. After a canceled game against Ole Miss, they lost to Utah State, 7-3. Cal State Fullerton then defeated North Dakota State, 4-2, but was shut out by Pacific twice, 6-0 and 3-0, according to CalState Fullerton Athletics.

The Titans have 13 votes in the ESPN/USA Softball poll and are ranked No. 25 in the NCAA Women’s Softball RPI rankings.

Tech sophomore infielder Jessica Hartwell was a standout player during the fall slate, Gregory said.

Source: National Sexual Assault Violence Resource Center

SEE SOFTBALL, PG. 6

TRACK AND FIELD

LOCAL

Lubbock Lions Club to host 65th annual Men’s team earns No. 13 Pancake Festival Saturday for charities weekly ranking in nation The Lubbock Lions Club will host its 65th annual Pancake Festival from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday in the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center at 1501 Mac Davis Lane.

According to the Lions Club website, the pancake festival will feature all-you-can-eat pancakes and other breakfast foods such as sausage and bacon.

Prices for tickets in advance cost $6, while those purchased at the door cost $7, according to the website.

Ingredients for the all-youcan-eat event include 6,000 pounds of pancake mix, 41,000 ounces of syrup, 72,000 links of sausage and 23,000 slices of bacon along with 36,750 plates

and a total of 46,500 ounces of orange juice and milk, according to the website.

The purpose of the event is to give back to the Lubbock community through charities.

L a s t y e a r, $ 1 2 2 , 0 0 0 w a s raised and went to organizations including The Salvation Army, Adult Eyeglass Program, Children’s Miracle Network and Texas Lions Camp, according to the website.

The tickets can be purchased at the following locations: All Bolton locations, the YWCA on 35th Street and Flint Avenue, the Talkington Center on 62nd Street and Elgin Avenue, Catholic Charities on 102 Ave. J and The Lubbock Lions Club Office

PANCAKE FESTIVAL • • •

7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday in the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center Tickets cost $6 in advance or $7 at the door Event raised $122,000 for charities in 2016

at 4 Briercroft Office Park, according to the website.

People can also purchase a ticket from a member of the Lubbock Lions Club or on the organization’s website, according to the website.

Online ticket sales will close at 9 p.m. Thursday. @KirbyWarner_DT

After capitalizing at three separate meets over the weekend, the Texas Tech track and field team is ranked No. 13 in the nation in this week’s USTFCCCA and Cross County Coaches Association computer rankings, according to a Tech athletics news release.

Senior Kyle Collins came in with a time of 46.35 seconds in the 400-meter race at the Tyson Invitational, according to the release. He is now ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 Conference and No. 16 in the world.

In the men’s 4x400 relay, the Red Raiders notched a new personal best with a time of 3:05.49, according to the release. This mark sets the men at No. 2 in the Big 12, No. 7 in the NCAA and No. 5 in the world.

In the 800-meter race, sophomore Vincent Crisp and junior C.J. Jones came in first and second place with times of 1:48.96 and 1:49.09, respectively, according to the release.

Freshman Trevin Chambers ran for a personal best with a time of 21.16 seconds in the 200-meter race, according to the release. This puts Chambers at No. 5 in the Big 12.

In the 60-meter hurdle race, senior Darien Tennon ran for a lifetime best time of 7.89 seconds to place him at No. 3 in the Big 12, according to the release.

Up next for the Red Raiders, the track and field team will head to the Big 12 Championship on Feb. 24-25 in Ames, Iowa. @ABoutwellDT

2

NEWS

FEB. 15, 2017

WWW.DAILYTOREADOR.COM

LOCAL

Circus in town creates controversy

By BRANDI ADDISON Staff Writer

Recently, there has been a controversial argument on animal abuse within circus performances.

In Lubbock, the topic was brought into the spotlight when the Jordan

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World Circus hosted two Lubbock performances at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday at the Panhandle South Plains Fairgrounds.

Animal welfare in circuses became such an issue that the Ringling Bros. announced its closure after operating and performing for nearly 150 years because of lowering ticket sales and attendance, according to the Ringling Bros. website.

Debbie Metzler serves as the captive wildlife specialist at PETA and said she disagrees with the use of animals in circus acts.

“Animals are confined to small areas from each performance to the next. There is animal abuse (there). That is specifically why Ringling Bro. is now ending,” Metzler said. “The Ringling Bros. (closing down) is a testament that they cannot hide anymore. Businesses are going to have to get out of animal abuse.”

Founded in 1871, the Ringling Bros. hosted its first performance in 1884.

In 1919, it merged with Barnum & Bailey, according to the website. Since 1984, the circus has been operated by Feld Entertainment.

Earlier this year, Feld Entertainment announced that it will conclude its tour in the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on May 21.

According to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals website, Feld Entertainment paid a fine of $270,000 to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for violating the Animal Welfare Act. This is largest fine in history charged under this act.

Circus elephants live most of their lives in chains and some have visible wounds, according to the website. Starting as young as 21 months old, baby elephants are forced to stand on concrete while tied to a rope, unable to sit or even turn around for up to 23 hours a day.

Faraz Harsini, a graduate student in biomedical sciences from Iran, serves as the Texas Tech campus representative for PETA and president of the Animal Rights Coalition at Tech.

Harsini said closing Ringling Bros. is a good move.

“Society is afraid of big corporations,” he said. “It makes all of us optimistic.”

Harsini said he believes there is no humane way to keep animals in a circus.

“We should treat all animals in the way we treat our own pets,” he said. “These animals are held captive and I can assume are punished when they aren’t doing tricks correctly.”

The reason behind some people not noticing the abuse is they cannot make the connection that animals are creatures beyond cats and dogs, he said.

“Cats and dogs are their pets – they raise them, they live with them, therefore, they have compassion for them. But they don’t have compassion for other animals,” he said.

Jon McCord, a senior environmental engineering major from McKinney and member of the Animal Rights Coalition at Tech, said he is against animals being used for entertainment within the circus.

Cognitive dissonance is

BIG 12

From Kim’s experiences, there was a shock that came with the realization that there is a sexual assault problem on campuses.

That should not be the case anymore, Kim said, and students should be aware of sexual assault problems and methods for preventing the attacks from occurring.

Lack of that knowledge makes people and their communities vulnerable to such violence, she said.

“Just wanting to create that awareness was that first spark of interest, but with that being said, I’ve been working in this area for about two years now and learning a lot,” Kim said.

“I think initially it’s very awareness focused, but also know that the work just can’t stop there. My main focus for this campaign is for it not just to be a shallow awareness campaign.”

Using the platform of the Big 12 is an effective way to spread the message further than an individual university, she said.

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Most of what is advertised through the campaign pertains for resources after an assault happens. The thought most people have moving forward is how to stop this type of violence altogether, Sharp said.

“That’s really the great question here. This issue has been brought to the forefront, and now that it’s there, what do you do with it?” Sharp said. “How do you empower — specifically in our case, Red Raiders — to tackle this problem head on?

I think what it ultimately comes down to is something that we’ve preached all year, this concept of a Red Raider family and a family stands up for each other.”

Today’s

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why people still attend circus performances, McCord said, and it is no surprise there is cruelty in the circus.

“Basically, what we’re trying to do is remind them that these are real creatures and

real beings out there, who have emotions and can feel pain,” he said.

The circus can still be successful with solely human acts, McCord said, such as tightrope walkers, acrobats

and jugglers.

“Many circuses are animalfree now, with only human acts. The show will go on for them,” Metzler said. “And animal abuse will be no longer.”

But in working with all the different schools, the executives have found there is no one-size-fits-all way to combat sexual violence, Thad Brock, Tech SGA chief of staff, said.

“Each campus does different things, whether that’s marketing, programming.

All of that is scaled towards the culture,” Brock said. “So, things at Baylor may not work at Texas Tech.”

It all depends on the individual school’s perspective, and who and what resources it may have at its disposal, Brock said. So, there is now an even larger push with Sharp’s current administration to fight the stigma that surrounds sexual assault, teach people about the resources available and step-up efforts to prevent the violence.

The Tech SGA officers are within their last month of their administration, Sharp said, but he encourages the next administration, whether it is headed up by Fearless candidate Hunter

Hall or Raiders Empowered candidate Robbie Meyer, to take this initiative seriously.

This is a peer-to-peer issue that can and should be stopped, Kim said. There are no outside forces that come into campuses that factor into sexual assault.

The solution is simply to make people aware of what constitutes consent.

Putting this campaign together with 10 universities was difficult enough, Kim said, but the more challenging part will be to have it continue. This is why it is important for the various student government bodies to take control of what is going on in and around their campuses.

“I knew the platform of the Big 12 Conference would be larger than the university alone, but how can we take a step further in making sure we’re focusing on prevention?” Kim said. “So, the survivors on our campuses are not just seeing this video and saying, ‘OK, cool, another campaign video. How does this help me as someone who has already faced this?’”

I think what it ultimately comes down to is something that we’ve preached all year, this concept of a Red Raider family and a family stands up for each other.

BEN SHARP SGA PRESIDENT “What I’m wanting to encourage them to do is consider ways in which they might educate the student body on peer intervention, which I think is the ultimate way to curb (sexual assault),” Sharp said. “And then, additionally, to just continue to promote awareness of different resources that Tech has.”

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@MichaelCantuDT

ASSOCIATED PRESS

2 7 3

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.

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Jon McCord, a senior environmental engineering major from McKinney, and Ciara Birley, who wore an elephant suit, participate in the protest against the Jordan World Circus hosted by the Animal Rights Coalition of Texas Tech at the Panhandle South Plains Fairgrounds on Tuesday. The protest was hosted to raise awareness of animal abuse within the circus.

At least 6 tornadoes cause damage in Houston area

9 5

Puzzles by PageFiller

ELIZABETH HERTEL/The Daily Toreador

DALLAS (AP) — Residents of a coastal area southwest of Houston are cleaning up debris after severe storms, including at least six tornadoes, swept through the area Tuesday.

At least six people were injured in Van Vleck, about 70 miles southwest of Hous-

ton, by a weak tornado rated by a federal survey team as an EF1, with winds of 86 to 110 mph.

A preliminary review of the damage in Van Vleck indicates up to four homes were destroyed and several others damaged, said Doug Matthes, emergency

management coordinator for Matagorda County. Seven people were transported by ambulance for medical care and it’s not clear how many more may have been taken to hospitals by private vehicle, he said. The seven people taken by ambulance didn’t appear to have serious injuries, he said.

One of those injured in Van Vleck, a town of about 1,800 residents, was Harry Hobbs.

“I was going into the room

and the center blew off, then I got popped upside the head” by debris, Hobbs told KTRKTV of Houston. “I looked back and said, ‘I can’t take another one of them,’ so I went to block it and that’s how I hurt my hand.”

Said Sally Farley, Hobbs’ girlfriend, “We have nothing. We might be able to salvage some clothes and stuff out of the house, but everything’s gone. I just keep telling myself that at least everybody’s OK.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS

2 live men found beaten, tied to bridge in Mexican border city CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AP) — In a rare occurrence, two men found beaten and tied to a bridge Tuesday in the Mexican border city of Reynosa turned out to be alive.

Reynosa and other border cities wracked by drug turf battles have seen the lifeless bodies of drug gang victims hung by their necks from bridges.

But this time, the bound men were tied to a bridge’s railing, apparently not by their necks. Accompanying the men was a banner signed by a reputed drug capo promising to catch common criminals and leave them for police.

An official with the Tamaulipas state prosecutors’ office said the two men were being treated for their injuries.

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OPINIONS

Page 4 Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017

GUEST COLUMN

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Big 12 SGAs discuss sexual assault

D

ear Big 12 community, After years of reading headlines across the country and hearing heartbreaking stories from our peers, Big 12 student governments decided it is time to unite in our efforts and speak boldly against sexual assault.

Although there has been an increase of awareness and resources in recent years, it is evident there is still a lot of work to do on our campuses.

As we work for a better future, we hope this message is very clear to the survivors of sexual assault today: We believe you, it’s not your fault and we are here to help.

This past November, Big 12 student government leaders attended a conference in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Every year, this conference is hosted at rotating campuses to come together and share ideas from our respective universities.

During this year’s conference, we received indepth education from the West Virginia Title IX office, shared best practices offered at each university and filmed a video to unite our platforms and voices to create a stronger message than what we can offer as individual campuses.

Although our initial goal is to further the awareness of sexual assault on our campuses, we must not stop there.

Our #Big12Together collaboration focuses on two things: sexual assault prevention and survivor support.

Although each student government has established priorities and agendas for this school year, the collaboration keeps us, as student leaders, accountable to prioritize sexual assault.

Each university is offering programming this semester to bring tangible actions back to our campuses.

They are as listed: Baylor University: Baylor University will be engaging our student body about these efforts through

Big 12 student government representatives collaborated on this op-ed piece.

our social media platforms this week.

During the It’s On Us month in April, we will be partnering with our It’s On Us Student Advisory Council to host relevant speakers and programming that communicates our efforts to prevent sexual assault from occurring and to show support for our victims.

In addition to this, Student Body President Lindsey Bacque, Internal Vice President Joel Polvado and External Vice President Amye Dickerson will be advocating on these issues in the State Capitol.

Iowa State University: Iowa State will be actively engaging campus and its students through social media awareness from the It’s On Us campaign.

We will also be providing resources for students to access and learn about and most importantly the commitment of unwavering support for victims that Iowa State has.

Our student body president, senior director of governmental affairs and our director of legislative ambassadors will be advocating sexual assault prevention and awareness to state legislators for action and representation throughout Iowa.

University of Kansas: Many groups on the University of Kansas campus will be collaborating on a variety of programs during the month of April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

This year ’s theme is “Engaging New Voices,” so each week will focus on engaging specific types of students in conversations about sexual violence.

Events will include tabling, Bringing in the Bystander sessions, flags on the Watson lawn, Take Back the Night, Brown Bag Drag,

Dry Bar for Consent and many others.

Kansas State: Kansas State University will be hosting events this week in support of #Big12Together. Our Student Governing Association is collaborating with our university’s Center for Advocacy, Response and Education Office to host events that will educate students further on the resources our campus provides to support individuals in our community.

Another event we will be promoting is an event hosted by our university during #Big12Together Week that will provide students information on Title IX and the reporting process of sexual harassment and sexual violence cases. We will also be engaging in social media aspects of the week to promote our conference’s united front against sexual assault.

University of Oklahoma: Here in Norman, Oklahoma, we offer resources through both our Gender and Equality Center as well as our Title IX office. Our GEC offers many programs around gender-based violence prevention including our onehour interactive workshop titled Step in, Speak out.

The workshop focuses on the power of bystander intervention and what we can do as a community. Our OU Advocates is a group of staff advocates on-call 24/7 to respond if any person in the OU community experiences stalking, relationship violence, harassment, or sexual assault. The phone number is 405-615-0013.

Oklahoma State University: Safety is a priority on the Oklahoma State University campus. During the #Big12Together Week, our Student Government Association will be engaging our student body through social media about the efforts put forth by this conference to ensure the message of awareness and

prevention of sexual assault violence will be heard.

We will be promoting the events put on by the Title IX office on all of our social media outlets as well as in our senate, executive and constituency meetings.

Furthermore, we will be showcasing the It’s On Us collaboration video in the OSU Student Union.

Texas Christian University: We will host a weeklong launch of the It’s On Us campaign, incorporating all relevant stakeholders within the university including Title IX Office, campus life, campus police, counseling center, health center and wellness center; screening of “The Hunting Ground;” all day tabling day; and social media awareness of the It’s On Us campaign along with other resources for students to reach out to.

Our student body president, senior director of governmental affairs and our director of legislative ambassadors will be advocating sexual assault prevention and awareness to state legislators.

Texas Tech University: Safety remains one of our No. 1 priorities for all students, faculty and staff.

In addition to providing year-round programming through the Student Government Association, the Office of the President, the Risk Intervention and Safety Education Office, the Fraternity and Sorority Life Office, the Clay R. Warren Risk Management Series and the Center for Campus Life, we will be participating in multiple social media campaigns, tabling events and programs throughout the month of April, in coordination with multiple offices on campus.

We encourage all students to follow our social media pages at sga.ttu.edu, and follow our journey during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Make sure to stop

by our spring break survival pack pass out on March 6-8 in the Free Speech Area.

Texas Tech will be participating in the #Big12Together campaign and will be focused on this topic as the student body officers visit lawmakers in Austin and Washington, D.C. As West Texas hospitality holds true, we are all there for one another.

We encourage students to share their story with us and visit our dean of students with any concerns.

For more information on the Texas Tech #Big12Together initiative, visit our Facebook page.

University of Texas: During the week of March 20, the Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Coalition will be facilitating workshops at student organization meetings.

The IPV Prevention Coalition was created by Student Body Vice President Binna Kim as a space for student organizations focused on this work to strategically collaborate hand-in-hand with school administrators as well as develop university policy.

The coalition is currently made of Voices Against Violence, Texas Blazers’ MenCanEnd Campaign, BeVocal Bystander Prevention, Steps for Survivors, Women’s Resource Agency, Not On My Campus, Texas Orange Jackets and Student Government.

The coalition is advised

by Voices Against Violence and the Title IX Office with the support of the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs.

The purpose of this week of workshops is to dive into deeper conversations around why sexual assault happens on our campus.

The week will kick off with an open viewing of “The Hunting Ground” in front of the Tower at 6 p.m. March 20 and close with the Steps for Survivors walk benefitting our Survivor’s Emergency Fund on Thursday.

West Virginia University: We will have a week of programming in coordination with our Title IX Office and the It’s On Us event schedule during the week of April 3.

We will be hosting events such as tabling in our student union with support from our Peer Advocates program who will run the events the majority of the week.

During the programming, the Peer Advocates will promote education about confidential reporting and the Title IX office and the services they provide.

If you have any suggestions for what resources you want to see brought to your campus, please contact your Student Government directly.

The more we invest in learning about sexual assault, we become more aware of the complexities that come with this issue. We are eager to gain more understanding.

Sexual assault impacts 1 in 5 collegiate women and 1 in 16 collegiate men. These are our friends, our roommates and our coworkers. These are our classmates and our teammates. These are our peers.

We must do everything in our power to prevent these cases from occurring in the future and to uplift those who have survived something so tragic. This is much bigger than just one university and we cannot do this alone.

We are proud to be a part of a conference that is supportive of one another, regardless of the final number on the scoreboard. This #Big12Together collaboration is the start of a collective effort to communicate that we are truly better together.

While we may be an athletic conference based on the idea of competition, we now have the opportunity to be more than that: We have the opportunity to be the voice of change for students across the country and show that working together is more effective, more efficient and more impactful.

We hope you will join us. opinions@dailytoreador.com

COLUMN

Focus on national politics fleeting, insufficient

I

sat down yesterday to take a look at Jeff Sessions, the new attorney general.

I started researching, reading reports on which way senators voted and why, looking at moves Sessions has made in the past: the usual.

And while I was knee deep in articles about Sessions’ past, I couldn’t help but notice one consistent factor: the “we’ll be watching” commentator.

You know the one; the reader who takes it upon himself by sharing or commenting on an article that the U.S. is watching.

T h e o n e w h o ’s b e e n posting articles calling out corruption left and right since Donald Trump was elected president three — yes, three — months ago.

That one person who has taken on the responsibility to confront the government for its wrongdoings, to make it clear to all of his Facebook friends and Twitter followers how wrong and deceitful something is, if they deem it as such.

This is the “we’ll be watching” reader as in, “we’ll be watching you, Trump” or “we’ll be watching you, Sessions.”

Haley Britzky is a senior journalism major from Trophy Club.

We’ll be watching to make sure you don’t overstep your bounds. We’ll be watching to make sure you don’t screw all of us over.

We’ll be watching.

I guess I have two questions for that person. The first being, where have you been?

Where have you been during the years when politics was regarded to be — as they say — “politics as usual?”

Why are you just now tuning in to the corruption and lies spinning and tumbling out of the District?

From what I’ve personally seen, many of those people are well over the age limit to use the excuse that they’re just now old enough to understand politics.

College students can enjoy this excuse to a certain extent, given that they may not have been old enough the last election, and therefore, didn’t pay it any mind.

But to the parents, the “real adults,” the estab-

lished career men and women who are plenty old enough to have understood all of this for years: Why now? I haven’t seen and heard this much political warfare, well, ever.

Is it because your party was in office? Is it because you figured someone with a similar letter next to his name was running things, so you didn’t need to pay as much attention?

I m e a n , h e y, t h e y weren’t sending out tweets every time a scandal broke, so it wasn’t as obvious, right?

It wasn’t as clear that they weren’t necessarily playing by the rules but instead doing more backroom stuff.

No, Trump is not “the situation” we’ve found ourselves in.

Or is it because you just didn’t care until now?

You didn’t concern yourself with national politics to this extent because it was never forced into your line of sight as much as it is today.

But, now, it’s every-

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LETTERS

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where and you’re starting to realize that politics isn’t pretty.

Just think, had we been watching our country’s political scene closely over the years — asking this many questions, feeling so cynically on-guard about our politics — maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation.

And by the way, I’m not labeling Trump’s presidency as “the situation.”

I’m referring to the desperation found in more than half of our country’s population, the complete disgust in career politicians, which led us to believe Trump was the only option that made sense to break up that exclusive club in Washington.

No, Trump is not “the situation” we’ve found ourselves in.

The extreme distrust in the people who have been voted into office, who, compared to Trump, are a little slicker when they lie and who don’t shake hands as aggressively; that’s the situation we need to be addressing.

My second question is will you still be watching when Trump is no longer in office?

After Trump is gone in four years or eight years —

or a year and a half, if some of you have your way — will you still be watching?

Just think, had we been watching our country’s political scene closely over the years — asking this many questions, feeling so cynically on-guard about our politics — maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation.

When a new administration steps in and appoints new cabinet members, will you still be attending protests, demanding truth and exposing wrongdoings?

I hope we are. I hope this isn’t just a movement because Trump is so widely disliked. I hope we learn to see through the smoke when it isn’t so obvious and the U.S. president is tweeting every five minutes.

It’s easy to hate someone who makes himself an easy target. The louder someone yells, the more

phone number, student ID number and a description of university affiliation. Students should include year in school, major and hometown.

We reserve the right to edit letters. Anonymous letters will not be accepted for publication. All letters will be verified before they are published. Letters can be emailed to dailytoreador@ttu.edu or brought to 180 Media and Communication. Letters should be sent in before 3 p.m. to ensure the editors have enough time to verify and edit the submission.

GUEST COLUMNS

The Daily Toreador accepts submissions of unsolicited guest columns.

While we cannot acknowledge receipt of all columns, the authors of those selected for publication will be notified. Guest columns should be no longer

attention he attracts.

But, what about the person whispering sinister lies behind the curtain? Is that person any more innocent simply because you cannot hear him?

Is he more innocent because he produces fun popculture videos, makes fun of himself on “Saturday Night Live” or is younger and more attractive?

It’s not a crime to just now be tuning in. This election was unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

So, if you’ve been able to ignore it all in the past however many years, it’s not like you can continue ignoring it all with Trump in office.

But, if you’re going to paint yourself as a champion for the truth, don’t be so naïve to think the truth is only coming from one side.

One side may be in power now, but it won’t be that way forever. And it hasn’t always been that way.

So, are you willing to recognize the mistakes made in the past, and watch for mistakes that will inevitably be made in the future? Will you still be watching? hbritzky@dailytoreador.com

than 650 words in length and on a topic of relevance to the university community. Guest columns are also edited and follow the same guidelines for letters as far as identification and submittal.

EDITORIALS

Unsigned editorials appearing on this page represent the opinion of The Daily Toreador. 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 Daily Toreador 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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Page 5 Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017

COMMUNITY

CAMPUS

Local church hosts music Sibling Saturday to take place on campus this week recital to maintain organ Texas Tech’s Parent and Family Relations office will host its annual Sibling Saturday this week.

Sibling Saturday is an opportunity for siblings of Tech students between the ages of 8 and 15 to visit the campus.

They participate in different events and become familiar with the campus, according to the Parent and Family Relations website.

The last day to register is

today, and the participation fee is $35 for both the student and the sibling, according to the website.

Students staying in residence halls with their siblings will need to check in with the residence hall office starting at 11 p.m. on Friday, according to its website.

Sibling Saturday in volves many activities students can participate in with their siblings. Accord-

ing to the website, some of the activities include a comedy show with The Flying Tortillas, Tech’s improv group, a Lady Raiders basketball game and relaxation time at the Robert H. Ewalt Student Recreation Center.

For more information on Sibling Saturday, visit the Parent and Family Relations website. @DavidGayDT

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY

St. John’s United Methodist Church will host a benefit recital at 5 p.m. on March 5 at the church, located at 1501 University Ave. The purpose of the recital is to raise funds from donations to maintain the church’s organ, according a news release issued by the church.

The recital will feature the church’s organist Clint Barrick, who will be assisted by organist Betty Dotts, pianist Jeanie Bar-

rick and trumpeter Mark Halamicek, according to the release. Barrick will also be assisted by BARRICK the church’s Chancel Choir, directed by Justine Halamicek.

The organ has been at St. John’s for 25 years, and the goal is to raise $70,000 to finish the St. John’s Organ Project, according to the release.

The process of maintaining the instrument involves shipment to Ohio and disassembly by the organ’s manufacturer, Holtkamp Organ Company, according to the release.

Then, the organ will be shipped back to St. John’s, where it will be reassembled once it is repaired, according to the release.

More information on the project can be provided by the St. John’s Methodist Church website. @KirbyWarner_DT

SCHOOL OF LAW

‘Lights, Camera, Law’ series begins at Alamo Drafthouse

ERIN GRAHAM/The Daily Toreador

Students walk past the stainless-steel sphere “Comma” as they make their way to class on Tuesday.

Lubbock received about an inch of rain on Monday and under a half inch of rain on Tuesday. Today’s weather is expected to be relatively warmer with a high of 57 degrees.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

White House public tours to resume

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Chuck Grassley can tell his wife that White House public tours are resuming March 7.

The tours had been temporarily suspended, which is typical when there's a new president. But the length of the suspension apparently had begun to cause angst, notably in Grassley's household.

The Iowa Republican

tweeted this past Sunday: "Whoever monitors twitter at WH for businessman president Trump 'when is WH going to be opened for public tours?' Mrs G wants to know."

First lady Melania Trump gave Grassley and everyone else who'd been wondering an answer Tuesday when she announced that the popular tours are resuming early next month.

"I am excited to reopen the

White House to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come each year," she said in a written statement. "The White House is a remarkable and historic site and we are excited to share its beauty and history. I am committed to the restoration and preservation of our nation's most recognizable landmark."

Grassley tweeted his appreciation following Mrs. Trump's announcement.

The Texas Tech School of Law and Alamo Drafthouse have come together for a new film series called Lights, Camera, Law. This semester, four films relating to law will be shown in Alamo Drafthouse with a discussion following each film.

Tracy Pearl, associate professor at the School of Law, said she has wanted to have a law-related film series since she was in law school.

“There are so many amazing movies either about the law directly or that implicate really important legal topics,” Pearl said. “I’ve been looking to do it for a while.”

Pearl said she looks to have movies from different genres, including blockbusters and documentaries, offered as part of the series.

The series’s first movie this semester, “Legally Blonde,” will be the blockbuster offered in this segment of the series.

“Legally Blonde” will be screened at 7 p.m. today in Alamo Drafthouse. There will be an encore showing of the film at 10 p.m.

The movies in the series were chosen keeping in mind the topics covered in

the first year of law school, she said. These topics include property law, tort Law and criminal law.

PEARL “Each movie this semester covers a certain topic you would take a class in during your first year of law school,”

Pearl said.

Everyone can learn something from these movies, Pearl said, because they are not intended for law school students only.

“I know I look at movies differently now that I am a law professor than I did when I was a teenager or even a law student,” she said. @DavidGayDT

ASSOCIATED PRESS

SNL' keeps up Trump-inspired winning streak NEW YORK (AP) — NBC's comedy institution "Saturday Night Live" reached its largest audience since 2011 with last weekend's episode hosted by President Trump impersonator Alec Baldwin and featuring the return of Melissa McCarthy portraying White House press secretary Sean Spicer.

The show reached 10.8 million viewers, the Nielsen company said. To put that in perspective, the late-night show had a bigger audience than all but four prime-time

programs on TV last week.

Among younger viewers, only the Grammys had better ratings.

The viewership estimate is only a portion of their audience; it doesn't count millions of people who recorded the program for later viewing or watched clips of its skits online.

McCarthy opened Saturday's show with her Spicer portrayal and Baldwin, who has been host for a showrecord 17 times, rolled out his version of Trump ap-

pearing on "People's Court."

Kate McKinnon also did an impersonation of Trump aide Kellyanne Conway in a "Fatal Attraction" type relationship with CNN's Jake Tapper; she also impersonated Jeff Sessions and Elizabeth Warren.

It was the most-watched episode of "SNL" since Jan. 8, 2011, a show that featured Jim Carrey and the Black Keys. "SNL" ratings generally jump during election years and fade — but interest in the Trump ad-

ministration has kept the numbers high.

NBC wouldn't put forth an executive to talk about its good fortune on Tuesday.

James Andrew Miller, an author of an oral history of "Saturday Night Live," noted how Trump's tweets about the show have helped give it new life (he did not offer a Twitter critique on last weekend's show). There have been reports that NBC is also mulling a prime-time edition of the show's "Weekend Update" segment.

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Page 6 Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017

SPORTS

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

FOR BREAKING AND MORE

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

Daniel Mading commits to Tech Daniel Mading, a threestar basketball recruit from St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, New Jersey, announced his commitment to Texas Tech on Tuesday via Twitter.

Mading, who was originally predicted to go to Arizona State by 247Sports, had offers from Kansas, TCU, LSU, East Carolina, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Connecticut, Boise State, Colorado

State, James Madison, Memphis, Nebraska, Seton Hall, South Carolina, USC, Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio State and Kansas State.

Mading, who stands at 6 feet 9 inches and weighs 175 pounds, will join the class of 2017 on the Tech roster.

“Over the past 4 years I’ve had an incredible journey from Perth, Australia to the (United States) in pursuit to play

D1 basketball on the biggest stage,” Mading wrote in a Twitter post. “I want to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for giving me the gift to play the sport of (basketball).”

Mading previously visited Tech on Feb. 11, the day Tech hosted No. 3 Kansas in United Supermarkets Arena, according to 247Sports.

“I want to thank my family 4 supporting me during this

process, all the coaches who recruited me and have entered my life along with my mentors who have been a huge influence throughout my 4 years of development on and off the floor,” Mading wrote in the post. “On this day, I’m extremely excited to announce my commitment to play (basketball) at Texas Tech University. #GunsUp17 #Wreck’em.” @JackDensmore_DT

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Maltby picks up Big 12 honor after weekend wins After capitalizing in matches against No. 9 Vanderbilt and No. 3 Pepperdine, sophomore Felicity Maltby was named Big 12 Player of the Week.

This weekend, the women’s tennis team defeated Vanderbilt, 4-2, and shut out

Pepperdine, 4-0, according to Tech Athletics.

During the singles play against Vanderbilt, Maltby defeated No. 8 Sydney Campbell in three sets, 6-2, 2-6, 6-1, according to a Tech Athletics news release. This was her first

top-10 win of the season.

In the loss to No. 1 Florida on Saturday, Maltby and junior Gabriela Talaba defeated Florida’s No. 18 Belinda Woolcock and Josie Kehlman at the meet.

The duo also defeated Pepperdine’s No. 28 Luisa Stefani and

Jean Runglerdkriangkrai, 6-2, according to the release.

The Lady Raider tennis team will hit the road to compete in the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic on Feb. 24-26 in Montgomery, Louisiana.

SOFTBALL

Last season, the Eagles finished with a 32-27 and 2318 record at home, a 6-7 away record and a 3-2 neutral record.

The Eagles also won two games in the ASUN Softball Championship in the postseason against Kennesaw State.

Senior right-handed pitcher Dominique Alcocer, a native of Mexico City, said she is excited for the trip to Mexico.

“I will see my parents, and I’m really excited, and I think it’s going to be fun to see how my teammates speak Spanish,” Alcocer said. “So, it’s going to be really fun.”

The Red Raiders will then face Mississippi State at 7 p.m. Friday. The Bulldogs started the season at 3-2 after the Bulldog Classic in Starkville, Mississippi.

The Bulldogs defeated Georgia State, 4-0, and then Stephen F. Austin, 2-0. Mississippi State then fell to Western Kentucky, 1-0, according to Mississippi State Athletics.

The Bulldogs then defeated

Stephen F. Austin in the rematch game, 2-1. However, Mississippi State lost the rematch game against Georgia State, 3-1. The Bulldogs were ranked at No. 31 in the NCAA Women’s Softball RPI rankings at the end of the 2016 season, according to Mississippi State Athletics.

“I think it’s a great opportunity just to play in such a beautiful atmosphere and great competition, getting to play an SEC school, Cal-State Fullerton,” junior infielder Allison Knopp said. “I just think it’s another game to see good pitching, see good hitters to face our pitchers and get a few wins down there.”

Last year, Mississippi State went 26-31 and 3-21 in conference play. The Bulldogs also went 16-14 at home and 3-13 in away games, according to Mississippi State Athletics.

Fresno State will be the final opponent Tech faces in Mexico after a rematch game against Cal-State Fullerton, which will be at 9 a.m. Saturday, according

to Tech Athletics.

Fresno State is 4-1 on the season after defeating Indiana, Purdue, San Diego and Stanford and falling to No. 9 Oregon. Fresno State is ranked No. 21 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll, has 21 votes in the ESPN/USA Softball poll and is ranked No. 21 in the NCAA Women’s Softball RPI rankings, according to Fresno State Athletics.

Fresno State’s last victory was against Stanford, when it defeated the Cardinals, 24-8.

In that win, which included six home runs, eight runs were scored in the first inning.

Fresno State finished with a 42-12-1 record in the 2016 season and had a 22-1 conference record. It was also 17-2 at home and 12-1 in away games, according to Fresno State Athletics. The game against Fresno State will start at 9 a.m. Sunday and will close out the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge for Tech.

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 “Jessica Hartwell, I mean that kid had a fantastic fall,” Gregory said. “I mean if you watched her play, it was like a fireworks show. I think she had eight home runs in eight games, and she’s just incredible. There’s just a lot of vibrancy right now. There’s a lot of senior leadership, some kids that are seasoned, and we have young energy within our sophomore, freshman class.”

Tech will face the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles at 7 p.m. later that day. The Eagles are 4-0 on the season after defeating the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds four times in Fort Myers, Florida, and only allowing one run, according to Florida Gulf Coast Athletics.

The Eagles are ranked No. 100 in the NCAA Women’s Softball RPI rankings. The Eagles also finished 13-5 in conference play.

ABoutwellDT

@JackDensmore_DT

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