Daily Toreador The
THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2013 VOLUME 87 ■ ISSUE 111
Former GOP head Pauken running for governor AUSTIN (AP) — Gov. Rick Perry has drawn his first major primary opponent in the 2014 gubernatorial campaign. Former state Republican Party chairman Tom Pauken appointed a campaign treasurer Thursday. That allows a candidate to raise and spend campaign funds. Neither Pauken nor his treasurer responded to calls seeking comment. Pauken is an Army veteran with deep conservative credentials. He served as a White House lawyer under President Ronald Reagan. In the 1990s, he helped guide the party’s ascendance in Texas. More recently, Pauken served six years as a Perry appointee to the Texas Workforce Commission. Perry campaign spokeswoman Teresa Spears said the governor “was focused on the legislative session.” Perry says he’ll announce in June whether he plans to seek a fourth full gubernatorial term. He’s also mulling another presidential run.
24 people charged in meth case in Arkansas, Texas MAGNOLIA, Ark. (AP) — Federal and state prosecutors say 24 people have been charged with distributing methamphetamine in southwestern Arkansas and in Texas. U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge and 13th District Prosecuting Attorney Ian Vickery announced the charges at a news conference Thursday afternoon in Magnolia. The two say authorities executed five search warrants in Waldo and Magnolia, Ark., and Dallas and Desoto, Texas. Investigators seized an estimated three pounds of methamphetamine, five weapons and approximately $150,000 in cash. Eldridge says the investigation known as “Operation Crystal Clear” began in early 2012 and included controlled purchases of methamphetamine. The prosecutors say 16 of the 24 charged are in custody and the remaining eight are being sought. Those arrested are from Magnolia, Waldo, Dallas and Texarkana, Texas.
OPINIONS, Pg. 4
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SGA approves steps for sustainable campus By MATT DOTRAY STAFF WRITER
Texas Tech’s Student Senate is taking steps toward a more sustainable campus. During the meeting Thursday, senators passed a resolution that supports all public relations efforts to promote sustainability on campus. Joseph Corcoran, a senior history major from Boerne, and a senator from the College of Arts and Sciences, said senators met with students from the environment and the humanities degree program in the Honors College, as well as faculty members who focus on environmental sustainability. Corcoran said the resolution, Senate Resolution 48.71, represents some of the ideas the students and faculty have suggested and is a list of small ideas that will be beneficial to the future of Tech. The resolution states the Student Senate supports reducing the cost of beverages when students use their own containers, the placement of more recycling bins in residence halls, the use of recyclable containers for all to-go meals in dining facilities and the exploration of a more efficient watering
PHOTO BY LAUREN PAPE/The Daily Toreador MEMBERS OF THE Student Government Association meet for a senate meeting Thursday in the Media and Communication building.
system on campus. The resolution also supports the removal of the divider pages printed in the library and supports all public relations efforts made by the university to promote sustainability. “The Student Senate of Texas Tech
University supports the following initiatives and asks the administration to implement these ideas when it is feasible, effective and necessary,” the bill states. Erika Allen, a senior biology major from Temple, and senator from the
Honors College, said she met with Brad Johnson, a faculty member on campus who focuses on campus sustainability, and helped create ideas for a more sustainable campus. SENATE continued on Page 2 ➤➤
Tech system officials meet with US legislators By EMILY GARDNER STAFF WRITER
Texas Tech System officials traveled to Washington this week to meet with U.S. legislators and Tech student interns. The trip, Dr. Tedd Mitchell, Health Sciences Center president, said, occurs once a year in the spring. Interim President Lawrence Schovanec, Chancellor Kent Hance, Mitchell, Vice Chancellor Joseph Rallo, representing Angelo State, and vice presidents of research were in the capitol, Mitchell said. “What we do is we go around and visit with members of our delegation,”
Mitchell said, “you know, our congressional delegation, our senators, our congressmen, as much as anything just to let them know about the things we have going on.” While in the meetings, he said each president visits with public officials about what their school is doing and how it involves the federal government. Mitchell said the meetings provide each Tech system representative with the opportunity to update Texas congressional members on what is currently happening with the system so the legislators will know what to listen for. “For example, one of the areas we are working on is just the (Veterans Affairs) clinic,” he said, “you know, trying to
get a new VA clinic built here on the campus with us at the Health Sciences Center, and so we want to make sure that as conversations are coming up in Washington about various topics if they hear something, in our case, about the VA clinic come up, it’ll perk their ears.” According to a news release, Mitchell also discussed general research, primary care and rural and border health. The congressional members, Mitchell said, also had the opportunity to present questions to the Tech officials and let the Tech system representatives know what is happening at the federal level that legislators want Tech to pursue. Mitchell said Sen. John Cornyn
knows about HSC’s telemedicine program, and asked about HSC’s capabilities to provide mental health services for West Texas residents. “If there was a way to have a telemedicine program set up to help identify people that are having difficulties and through counseling or the campus,” he said, “and then perhaps through more detailed counseling, psychiatric counseling through telemedicine you can help identify people that are just time bombs waiting to go off, and get them the help they need ahead of time so you don’t have a Virginia Tech or something like that occur.” SYSTEM continued on Page 2 ➤➤
Tech tennis teams to play in 3 matches during weekend Sigler: Words with negative connotation lose meaning
Tech drag show drags in crowd-- NEWS, Page 2
INDEX Classifieds................5 Crossword......................2 Opinions.....................4 Sports.........................3 Sudoku.........................2
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By JORDON LEGENDRE STAFF WRITER
A full weekend is planned for both the Texas Tech men’s and women’s tennis teams. The Lady Raider’s (10-4, 1-0 in Big 12 Conference play) will open play at the McLeod Tennis Center at 10 a.m. today when they take on UTEP. Tech will return to the courts at 6 p.m. to take on West Virginia in the first of two conference matches in three days. The Lady Raiders close out weekend play against Iowa State at 1 p.m. Sunday. Tech coach Todd Petty said the team is prepared for the weekend play. “We’ve had a good week, this week, of practice,” he said. “This is the longest we’ve had to practice in a row without having to travel, so we’re going to be able to get better, work on some individual things, and use that against two conference opponents.” Tech is ranked No. 20 in the latest ITA Collegiate Tennis rankings. The Lady Raiders are the highest ranked team from the Big 12. The Lady Raiders look to continue their unbeaten play at home. The team is 4-0 at McLeod Tennis Center with victories against Denver, SMU, Wisconsin, and a conference win against No. 26 Oklahoma. West Virginia comes to Lubbock 0-2 in conference play with a 4-9 overall record. The
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Mountaineers have lost all five of the team’s away matches this season. Four of Iowa State’s six wins have come away from Ames, but the Cyclones are winless in Big 12 play. Tech junior Samantha Adams, coming off Big 12 Player of the Week honors, said the team has to take its opponents seriously. “These are two teams in the Big 12,” Adams said, “so we definitely want to get the job done. We know West Virginia is a little dangerous, they had a good match against TCU, so we’re definitely going in prepared.” Petty said the Lady Raiders are looking to continue the success of last season’s Big 12 Championship and appearance in the NCAA tournament. “I don’t think it’s unrealistic to think that they’re going for a repeat,” he said. “There is no question about that. They’re good enough to do that. Now, it’s not going to be easy, and I think they’ve set in their mind that they want to be a Sweet 16 team. I think they felt like they left a little on the table at the NCAA tournament last year.” The men’s tennis team also will play this weekend at the McLeod Center. The Red Raiders (11-5) take on UTEP at 11 a.m. Saturday. Tech is 5-1 at home this season and ranked no. 42 in the ITA rankings. ➤➤jlegendre@dailytoreador.com
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FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador TEXAS TECH PITCHER Chandler Moore throws the ball during the Red Raiders’ 4-2 loss against Jackson State on March 2 at Rocky Johnson Field.
Tech softball prepares for Rebel Classic By ELLEN CHAPPELL STAFF WRITER
The Texas Tech softball team will kick off another weekend of games Friday when it travels to Las Vegas, to participate in the Rebel Classic with the first game at 4:30 p.m. against Tulsa. Tech is scheduled to play four games against Tulsa, University of Nevada Las Vegas and two against Boise State on Saturday. This will be the end of the tournaments for Tech as it heads into the Big 12 conference schedule next weekend. “This weekend is big for us, it gets us ready for conference next week. “It’ll be a good test for us,” Tech coach Shanon Hays said.
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With this being the last opportunity for nonconference improvements, the team is focused on the little aspects of the game they need to improve on. The team, as well as Hays, is confident going into the tournament this weekend. “I hope we keep doing what we’ve been doing the past couple of weeks,” Hays said. “There’s a couple of things we really want to get better at as far as throwing runners out and the hitting in different situations and playing the small game. You always need to get better at that. But I’ve really seen our team improve over the past couple of weeks and that’s been fun.”
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