THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022 VOLUME 96 ■ ISSUE 26
LA VIDA
SPORTS
Students deal with burnout post spring break in hopes to have a strong finish this semester.
Kurt Wilson helped the Red Raiders to a series win over Texas, in backto-back walk-off fashion.
Male athletes should be held more accountable for their inappropriate actions towards women.
OPINIONS
ONLINE Nicotine is an addiction many college students have picked up. Read about how this addiction has taken over some student’s lives.
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Bittersweet start to Adams era
By BISHOP VAN BUREN Sports Editor
T
he Texas Tech men’s basketball team ended its season undefeated at the United Supermarkets Arena and a Sweet 16 run in the NCAA March Madness Tournament. For Bishop Van Buren Mark Adams, this is his first year Sports Editor
as head coach. Nov. 9 - Tech’s first win of Adams era The Red Raiders claimed their 22nd consecutive season-opening victory with a 89-74 win over the University of North Florida. In his first game as a Red Raider, supersenior forward Bryson Williams scored a game-high 22 points in 17 minutes of playing time. “It was amazing being able to play in front of Red Raider nation,” Williams said after securing a 5-0 career record in season-openers with the victory over UNF. “Being able to experience that crowd and that environment from the jump, I’ve never seen anything like that.” The win sparked a 6-0 run by Tech to begin the season. Dec. 7 - Tech wins OT match up with Tennessee at MSG Facing their first ranked opponent the Red Raiders ended regulation tied with the University of Tennessee 44-44 but started overtime on a 6-0 run to secure the win in Tech’s first Jimmy V. Classic appearance since upsetting No. 1 University of Louisville in 2019. “We’ve just got to build on this win,” junior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. said after recording the second double-double of his career. “We can’t get too high, get too low. Just got to stay the course and play it game-by-game.” Jan. 11 - Tech takes down Baylor On Jan. 10, the defending national champion Baylor University Bears were the last unbeaten team in the country and sat firmly at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 Poll since Dec.
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Terrence Shannon, Jr., junior guard, goes for a dunk in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in San Diego, California. Kevin McCullar, junior guard, stands next to associate athletic trainer Mike Neal after defeating Notre Dame in the second round of the March Madnesss tournament in San Diego, California. 13. One day later, they surrendered a 15-point lead at halftime in a 6562 loss to the No. 19 Red Raiders. Jan. 24 - Tech loses to Kansas in double overtime Williams’ career-high 33 points couldn’t overcome a 37-point performance from Kansas’ senior guard Ochai Agbaji, who hit a threepointer to tie the game with seven seconds remaining in the first half overtime session. “This team is willing to fight and we’re ready to fight with whoever against whoever,” Williams said. “All those guys back there in the locker room, we took a note to know that we were going to come out here and fight.” Feb. 1 - Red Raiders defeat Longhorns in Beard’s return Tech’s former coach Chris Beard abandoned his position with the Red Raiders to begin coaching at the University of Texas ahead of the 2021-22 season, and the United Supermarkets Arena broke a new record with 15,300 fans in attendance for his return. After the game, Adams said he made the right choice by not following Beard to Austin. “It looks pretty good in the rearview mirror, I think I made the right choice, no doubt I made the right choice,” Adams said. “Thinking about this game, for our player
and for myself, it was really a lot of stress and responsibility …. A younger team may not have been able to handle that stress.” Feb. 19 - Tech sweeps Texas The Red Raiders defeated Baylor 83-73 after a double-double by senior forward Kevin Obanor with 23 points and 13 rebounds. With the win, Tech swept the season series against the Bears for the first time since 2005. Three days later, Tech traveled to Austin and won its fourth consecutive game in the state’s capital. Both teams had 28 points at halftime, but the Red Raiders started the second half on a 7-0 run and secured the sweep with a 61-55 win. “This game felt like a tug-ofwar,” Adams said. “They were fighting for everything and we were doing the same …. Our teams are very similar. We both guard and are very physical and tough. We were just fortunate enough that the clock ran out and we had a win.” March 10 - Red Raiders hold Iowa State to 41 points in Big 12 Championships opening round After losing two of the last three games of the season, Tech allowed the lowest scoring total to a Big 12 opponent in program history with the 72-41 win, according to Tech Athletics. While four Red Raiders reached
FOR YOU PAGE
Scroll through TechTok By TANA THOMPSON L a Vida Editor
Students often spend hours scrolling through social media. Time swiping up and down is spent on the TikTok For You page. However, students may be unaware as to how many of those videos are of fellow Texas Tech students. Ward Chakmakjian, a first-year finance student from Rockwall, currently has 598,000 followers on TikTok. “My first video I’d say that really blew up and I started doing it over and over again was that chair dance, and we called ourselves the lake boys,” Chakmakjian said. “We did that chair dance and it really, I’d say, took off my page to a new level. And since that I’ve just been posting other stuff but I kind of go back to that video a lot. But yeah, that’s the main one that blew me up to like keep going up more and more.” Chakmakjian creates these videos with his twin brother and said the development of a TikTok following has changed their relationship. “Well, the thing is he first, he
kind of came up with the idea for us to do it. He didn’t want to post on his page but I was like, I’m like, oh, whatever I will just post it to on mine,” Chakmakjian said. “But then I would say with our relationship, sometimes I gotta ask him to do stuff. He’s not as, you know, out there as me but he’s still willing to do lots of videos with me, but we’re, I mean, we’re twins. We live together right now in college too.” Emily Rosilier, a second-year fashion design and merchandising student from San Antonio, has 569,000 followers on TikTok, and she said she began her account promoting her sister’s phone case brand. Gaining a following can change a person in a number of ways, Rosilier said. She has become more confident. “It helped my personality come out more and not be as shy,” Rosilier said. “People are becoming more comfortable with who I am. But also be more aware that people will try to use you for certain things such as social media, for sure.” Rosilier said gaining a following
also has affected her mental health. “With gaining that many followers, it doesn’t mean it’s all nice people. There’s a lot of hate. There’s a lot of judgment and there’s a lot of opinions that are just thrown at you,” Rosilier said. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t have such a big following so I could post whatever I wanted without getting so judged. I feel like I can’t really post what I want sometimes because there’s so many eyes on whatever I post to where I have to be careful.” Nolan Goodwin, a second-year agricultural communications student from Tyler, has 67,000 followers on TikTok. He said he believes gaining a following also has affected his mental health. “People always have something rude to say but I know that they are probably going through something themselves and want to take it out on someone else,” Goodwin said. “What I realized over the five-ish years I have had TikTok, is that they are just another person behind a screen whose opinion does not affect me.”
SEE TIKTOK, PG. 2
double-digit scoring totals, led by Shannon’s 15 points, the Cyclones didn’t have a player reach 10 points. “The glass is usually half empty with me but tonight was just a great game for these guys, 40 minutes,” Adams said. “I just really was proud of their effort and just the intensity that we displayed and the team effort on both ends of the floor and sharing the ball. I just thought it was by far our best game of the year.” March 11 - Tech scrapes by OU in Big 12 Championships semifinal Oklahoma University’s Jacob Groves went to the foul line with the Oklahoma Sooners trailing Tech by two points with less than 10 seconds remaining in regulation. Groves made the first but missed the second that would have tied the game. After the game, super-senior guards in Davion Warren and Adonis Arms both said the key to keeping composure in tight games is staying together and trusting each other. “We have a great group of guys. We’re family. “Adams said. It was an ugly game and OU had a lot to do with it, but at the end of the day our guys pulled it out. They believed in each other and fought hard,” March 12 - Kansas prevents Tech from winning its first Big 12 Championship title
Playing in their first Big 12 championship game since 2005 under former coach Bob Knight, the Red Raiders were unable to beat Kansas after five Jayhawks scored more than ten points. Bryson Williams led Tech with 17 points and Terrence Shannon Jr. finished with 14 before both were named to the All-Big 12 Tournament team after the game. Tech’s 34 rebounds tied Kansas, but the Red Raiders shot less than 47 percent from the free throw line while Kansas shot over 78 percent, according to Tech Athletics. “This will help us. I thought we improved in this game. I was impressed with a lot of things that we did, and I am proud of our guys’ toughness. They continued to fight,” Adams said. March 18 - Red Raiders defeat Montana State 97-62 to begin NCAA Tournament run Tech started the matchup against Montana State by surpassing 30 points in the game’s first ten minutes for the first time in program history, recording a season-high halftime margin of 27 points, according to Tech Athletics. The Red Raiders tied a tournament record for successful threepointers (12) and went on to score 97 points for the most in a tournament game in school history, according to Tech Athletics. “Couldn’t be more thrilled with
SEE BASKETBALL, PG. 6
Page 2 Thursday, March 31, 2022
BASKETBALL
LA VIDA
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Players show appreciation to coach Mark Adams By MICHAEL ALVAREZ Sports Reporter
The Texas Tech men’s basketball team lost its Sweet 16 matchup against the Duke University Blue Devils 73-78 on March 24. During head coach Mark Adams’ first season as head coach, he received praise from several players who appreciated the impact Adams made. Tech finished the season with the 17th best defensive rating in the nation and first in the Big 12, according to Warren Nolan website. Super-senior forward Bryson Williams said he transferred to Tech to be a better defender. “Man coach Adams is a defensive guru,” Williams said after Tech’s second win over Texas. “I knew I had to be a better defender. That’s the main thing I knew. I had to be better on the defensive end and I put my trust in coach Adams to do that.” After Tech’s first win of the season against the Uni-
TIKTOK
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Goodwin’s first viral video featured him and his best friend blasting the theme song to “Sofia the First.” “More recently the videos with both at or reaching a million views were the ones kind of throwing shade at the University of Texas at Austin,” Goodwin said. “One of them points out that their GPA was not as high as everyone thought and one says that the people who
versity of North Florida, senior Kevin Obanor expressed his gratitude for coach Adams and said the whole team was grateful he was their head coach. “We all love coach Adams. He’s such a God-fearing man,” Obanor said. “He is so compassionate about the game, and I think all of us are eager to win for each other and especially him. There is a lot of emotion during the game, but just playing for a guy like coach Adams is such a blessing and we’re very grateful for that.” Tech finished the season with a perfect 18-0 record at home, a conference record of 12-6 and an overall record of 27-10, according to Tech Athletics. Tech started its perfect home record in conference play with an upset over No. 6 Kansas. Williams said after the game that he struggled with his individual game and Adams talked him through it. “For him to talk with me about it like that, it’s very
go there are mid. I have never hated anyone who went there but I knew it would at least get some attention because most of the Big 12 schools hate UT.” Since he has gained a following, Goodwin said people have begun to recognize him in public, which gives opportunities of meeting new people. However, for Chakmakjian, his opportunities have been different than expected. Chakmakjian filmed a video with Raider Red in front of the Seal, which had over 40,000
CARLOS GONZALEZ/The Daily Toreador
Head Coach, Mark Adams, and Texas Tech President, Lawrence Schovanec, smile together after defeating Texas at the Erwin Center in Austin on Feb. 19, 2022. reassuring,” Williams said. “Me and coach Adams had multiple talks about that and what I’m capable of and I believe in him 100 percent, 110 percent actually so I just have to stay true to the work, come in aggressive and things will go.” Super-senior forward Marcus Santos-Silva said Adams preached about de-
fense all year. “Coach Adams before the game really explained it well, the last two games, that feeling we get in that locker room celebrating with each other after we get a win,” SantosSilva said. “He said to keep on getting that feeling. Keep on going for it.” Tech secured a three-seed in the NCAA tournament and
likes on TikTok. “So Raider Red reached out to me on my TikTok and said he saw us do the dance on the campus already with my friends,” Chakmakjian said. “And he said, collab. So then I responded. I said, `Let’s do it.’ And he said just DM me on Instagram. Then boom, we just set up a date and time.” Each of these students has a different goal of outreach with their platform. Rosilier said she wants to help other young women cope.
“I’m so hard on myself. Being able to laugh at the thing that bothers me the most is the only way that I can cope in a way and my goal is to honestly help other young females or young males to know that,” Rosilier said. “Yes, it is difficult and really bad things can happen to us but if you can just look at it in a different light. Laugh about it, make a joke about it, like put some positivity on it. It will honestly make you feel so much better.”
advanced past the first two rounds. Following the loss to Duke in the Sweet 16, Adams’ opening statement in the postgame conference included him thanking the players he has coached all year. “Y’all get a small taste of what I get to enjoy every day with these guys,” Adams said. “I’ve been doing this a long time, and this is a team that really just loves the game. They love each other, they laugh a lot and they’re so competitive when they need to be. I’m just so thankful to be in the position I’m in and to have these guys in my life. We love competing together and we love being in the same foxhole and going out and fighting together. Love these guys. So blessed that I’ve had the opportunity to coach them and wish I could coach them another game.” After Tech’s season-ending loss to Duke, super-senior guards Adonis Arms and Davion Warren spoke about
Adams— the person as well as the coach. “In my opinion, we’ve got the best coach in college basketball to my right,” Arms said. “We followed his lead and listened to everything he had to say about fighting and hating to lose, and you get a full team like myself and Bryson and a bunch of veterans coming in and buying into that. All credit to coach Adams, I mean, my hat goes off to coach Adams to love him as a coach and a person at the same time. In my opinion, this is the greatest team I have ever been on.” Before another question was asked, Williams followed up on Arms’ comment. “Coach Adams, he’s the greatest coach in the country,” Williams said. “For him to pull a group of guys together who were all ‘The man’ at their previous institutions and get us to buy in and believe in the team and love playing defense. That’s special.” @MikeAlvarezDT
@TanaThompsonDT
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Ward Chakmakjian, a first-year finance student from Rockwall, re-enacts his viral TikTok dance video. Chakmakjian filmed this dance with Raider Red and his twin brother.
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SPORTS
Page 3 thursday, march 31, 2022
Four super-seniors recognized for their contributions to Tech By KAITLYN SALAZAR Sports Reporter
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Super-senior guard Marcus Santos-Silva looks to his teammate during the game against Iowa State on Jan. 18, 2022 at the United Supermarkets Arena.
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Super-senior guard Davion Warren sees an opening on the court when playing against Baylor University at the United Supermarkets Arena on Feb. 17, 2022.
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Super-senior forward Bryson Williams grabs the rim while scoring against Kansas at the United Supermarkets Arena on Jan. 8, 2022.
When the Texas Tech men’s basketball season came to an end, four players from the 14-man roster knew it was the end of their time as Red Raiders. These players included super-seniors Bryson Williams, Marcus Santos-Silva, Davion Warren and Adonis Arms. Out of the four players departing from the program, three of them, Williams, Warren and Arms, transferred from their respective schools last year to spend their senior seasons under head coach Mark Adams, according to Texas Tech Athletics. Meanwhile, Santos-Silva was one of the five players to stay in the program after a coaching change following the 2020-21 season. Williams led the Red Raiders throughout his final season, scoring 522 points with an average of 14.1 points per game, according to Tech Athletics. He also shot 53.5 percent from the field and recorded a teamhigh three-point percentage of 41.7 percent. The senior recorded his season-high of 33 points in the double-overtime loss against Kansas, going 14-19 from the field and shooting a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc, according to Tech Athletics. Throughout the season, Williams was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week twice, while also earning unanimous All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 All-Newcomer Team honors, according to Tech Athletics. Additionally, the decorated athlete earned the honor of NABC All-District First Team and was named to the USBWA All-District VII Team. At the post-game news conference after the team’s March 24 Sweet 16 loss to Duke, Williams said Tech is a special place to play. “Texas Tech, this is an institution of love and support,” Williams said. “Just the way
the fans and everybody was behind us and everybody that’s involved with Texas Tech, it’s just amazing. It was a blessing for all of us to play here.” He also expressed gratitude for the people he met in his time as a Red Raider. “I’ll remember these guys for the rest of my life,” Williams said. “I’ll remember coach Adams for the rest of my life and everybody on the coaching staff, every manager, every (general assistant), even the janitors at Texas Tech. I’ll remember them.”
Texas Tech, this is an institution of love and support ... It was a blessing for all of us to play here. BRYSON WILLIAMS FORWARD Warren started in 33 of the 37 games for the Red Raiders this season, scoring 349 points and averaging 9.4 points per game, according to Tech Athletics. The senior held a team-high 53 steals to lead the Red Raiders, recording four against Kansas State. Warren transferred to Tech last year from Hampton University, where he recorded 530 total points and averaged 21.2 points per game, according to Tech Athletics. After his season-high 23 point performance against Kansas State, Warren said each of the seniors have something to prove. “We pretty much got five seniors from all lower major conferences, and we’re showing that it doesn’t matter where you come from, basketball is going to be basketball,” Warren said. “We’re proving to the world that we weren’t
five star or four star recruits coming out of high school, we grinded our whole lives.” Arms is another player who transferred to Tech after leaving his previous school, Winthrop University, where he averaged 10.4 points per game, according to Tech Athletics. For the Red Raiders, he scored 317 points, averaging 8.6 per game, and held a field goal percentage of 44.8 percent. Arms led the team with 104 assists, recording his season-highs of seven against Mississippi State and in the Sweet 16 loss against Duke, according to Tech Athletics. Additionally, he was one of the three seniors named as an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. After the season-ending loss, Arms said he hopes he has left a mark on the Tech basketball program. “I think the legacy that I left myself is what I started with when I started to play basketball, ‘Never quit, never give up, and believe in God first,’” Arms said. “I think that’s what I left here at Texas Tech. I just want to credit coach Adams for giving me the opportunity to do that.” Santos-Silva transferred to Tech in 2020 after spending three years at Virginia Commonwealth University and is one of the five players to stay in the program despite the coaching change, according to Tech Athletics. The senior played crucial minutes off the bench for the Red Raiders this season, averaging 4.7 points per game and leading the team on the defensive end with 29 blocks, according to Tech Athletics. At the end of the regular season, Santos-Silva was named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. His teammate, redshirtjunior guard Kevin McCullar, said Santos-Silva was a key player for the team this season.
“Marcus, he’s a veteran,” McCullar said. “You know, he’s been in big-time games before. He can start on any team in the country right now, and he comes off the bench and gives us what we need.”
We’re proving to the world that we weren’t five star or four star recruits coming out of high school, we grinded our whole lives. DAVION WARREN GUARD Together, these five seniors were a part of the historic 18-0 home winning streak, something that hadn’t been done in school history, according to Tech Athletics. Warren said that while their time together as Red Raiders has come to an end, their memories together will last a lifetime. “These guys are my brothers,” Warren said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen once we all leave here, but I know we’re all going to have a memory of playing at Texas Tech.” @KaitSalazarDT
SHELBY FOSTER/The Daily Toreador
Super-senior guard Adonis Arms shoots a free-throw against Baylor University at the United Supermarkets Arena on Feb. 17, 2022.
OPINIONS
Page 4 Thursday, March 31, 2022
COLUMN
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The pedestal should be lowered for athletes
There are incidents, accidents or problems or whatever someone wants to call them happening frequently in the world of sports. Sports are a large source of entertainment, but the lengths and circumstances that professional leagues go through to protect their athletes is unethical. Athletes are people too, which means when they get in trouble with the law, they should have the same consequences as anyone else who isn’t an athlete. Which for the men in sports typically doesn’t go that way. For example, Antonio Brown has been known to be a rebellious player in the National Football League. His track record started in 2019 when he was released by the New England Patriots for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman. And then reportedly threatened the same woman
Chyna Vargas is a second-year journalism major from San Antonio.
through text message. According to the sporting news website, Brown was suspended for eight games from the NFL but not due to the sexual assault allegations but because he violated an NFL policy. That policy being that he attacked a driver of a moving company. Which is an entirely different situation in itself, but that was the reason for his suspension and not because they had to investigate for the sexual assault allegations. It is understandable that the athletes are innocent until proven guilty, but if multiple alleged assault cases rise up against a player, shouldn’t
time be taken to thoroughly investigate the situation? No more playing time until the case is truly figured out. Brown is not the only case in which an athlete gets to continue their normal day-today lifestyle while a crime is being investigated. According to The Ranker website, former soccer player Marlon King, in 2008, lost his soccer contract after being sentenced to prison for 18 months for sexually and physically assaulting a woman. After his release, he was signed by the Coventry City Football Club. He went to prison, yes, but he should not have been allowed to be on the same platform that led him to do those crimes. That seems to be the pattern among athletes is that when they are given this glorious second chance, it does more harm than good.
Reiterating that athletes are people, therefore mistakes happen, however, those mistakes should not happen again and there should be consequences for such actions. Taking away the privilege to play for a sports team is a huge way that professional leagues can actually make a difference. This would showcase not only that is unacceptable to any degree, but that after an athlete just thinks of doing an unforgivable crime, it’s over. There are other careers they can try again at that point but being an athlete and being given that platform is unjust and especially for the women that only get silenced. It’s shocking how the NFL or NBA places their athletes on a pedestal that no one can reach. Especially when it comes to the safety of women. It’s ironic because there are women working as reporters,
analysts or even referees. They are not thinking of the safety of the entire organization, but more so how can the athletes continue to bring them more money.
It is understandable that the athletes are innocent until proven guilty, but if multiple alleged assault cases rise up against a player, shouldn’t time be taken to thoroughly investigate the situation? Younger generations look up to these male athletes and organizations seem to forget that. They are sending a message for the future and so far
that message is it’s OK to be involved with sexual assault because the leagues are going to protect you as best they can. Athletes are not the ones we need to give the benefit of the doubt to, there are many other people who should actually be praised for their efforts in trying to change humanity. It’s enjoyable to watch sports and get excited over them, but it’s more disappointing seeing another case arise of alleged sexual assault and the NFL or any other league puts it under the carpet for it to be forgotten. All athletes, male or female should be held accountable for actions they chose to endure. Whether that’s stricter suspension, permanent removal from the league or actual jail time, consequences are needed in order for an actual change in how the athletic system works. @ChynaVargasDT
COLUMN
The Oscars show lack of representation for women in the industry Airing on Sunday, the Oscars have delivered amazing performances and entertainment for Hollywood and audiences all over. However, many celebrities and audience members alike noticed the lack of women’s representation in the show. According to an article published by The Wrap, an entertainment website showed women represented only 28 percent of individual categories this year, the lowest percentage in the three past years. The film industry is notorious for its mistreatment of women. The MeToo movement that exposed many prominent Hollywood figures
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Julianne Cervera a thirdyear English major from Grand Praire.
tells of this mistreatment against women. However, the Academy Awards are not innocent in holding these individuals accountable; for example, convicted child rapist, Roman Polanski was honored with an award in 2003, 19 years after his 1977 arrest. Famous actresses in Hollywood continue to speak on the pay gap for women in Hollywood. The unfairness of male actors being paid more speaks to many levels of Hollywood’s problems with regards to women. Hollywood’s history of silencing and disregarding women creates a male-dominated field that challenges women from entering. Statistics by Women and Hollywood expose this gen-
der disparity in movies. 66 percent of speaking roles belonged to males, with women only making up 34 percent of these roles. The gap proved to be even larger for the portrayal of LGBTQ+ and disabled women in film. The inclusivity in film is still weak for minorities; women and women of color represented 17 percent of leading or co-leading roles. Along with acting roles, women behind the scenes are seeing a lack of representation. 10.5 percent of film directors in Hollywood were represented by women and 22 percent of top leadership roles in film were held by women. The Oscars continue to lack representation for women in majority in the categories. Furthermore, misogynistic jokes and interviews enable this unfair treatment of women in Hollywood. The most-talked about spat of the Oscars night appeared to be the moment actor Will Smith assaulted co-
median Chris Rock on stage regarding a joke about the former’s wife, Jada-Pinkett Smith. The joke, which referenced Pinkett-Smith’s hair, exposed the underlying racism and misogyny that Hollywood forces upon women and their appearance. Allowing jokes about women feeds into the negative narrative that Hollywood has built for women and to disadvantage women. Smith’s actions have been called into question by the Academy. However, the Academy has supported well-known predator Harvey Weinstein to thrive in Hollywood. Weinstein, with 81 wins in the show’s history, reveals the Academy’s compliance with violence and hatred against women. Although the Oscars saw female wins in major categories such as Jane on Sunday Campion for Best Director and Sian Heder for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, moments such as the Smith and Rock situation
overshadowed the triumphs of women in film with the violence of men. Women are often severely criticized at these award shows while men escape the harsh critics that establish negativity around people. The overseeing of women’s work feeds into the cycle of abuse
Hollywood’s history of silencing and disregarding women creates a maledominated field that challenges women from entering. women face in Hollywood. The history of the objectification of women continues to represent on film and red carpets and ignore the talented women in the industry. The audience perspective caters to the male gaze and works to satisfy the
opinions of men, completely avoiding the women who make up the audience for these events. Women are as well moviegoers and yet the industry does not reflect this number in its films and content. The film industry should be held accountable for its mishandling of women’s representation and recognize more women in Hollywood. The ongoing Women’s History Month serves to celebrate and acknowledge the accomplishments of women. The Oscars failed in properly honoring the women that make the films we love. From award shows to the films on screen, Hollywood witnesses a misrepresentation for the women in the industry. Hollywood should be held responsible for creating the gap for women and responsible for closing this gender gap as well. @JulesCerveraDT
EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Arianna Flores (806) 742-3395 editor@dailytoreador.com Managing Editor Chyna Vargas managing@dailytoreador.com News Editor Arianna Flores news@dailytoreador.com La Vida Editor Tana Thompson features@dailytoreador.com Sports Editor Bishop Van Buren sports@dailytoreador.com Opinions Editor Chyna Vargas opinions@dailytoreador.com Multimedia Editor Emily Knepp photo@dailytoreador.com Digital Content Manager Téa Mcgilvray online@dailytoreador.com Copy Editor Vacant copy@dailytoreador.com
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Will Smith’s slap sparks debate on defense of Black women NEW YORK (AP) — It started with a Black man slapping another Black man on live television at the globally televised Oscars, presumably in defense of a Black woman who was being ridiculed over her hairstyle. But to many Black people, it was about more than a slap or an insult. It was about Black manhood, about what is expected of Black men in the 21st century — and about attitudes toward Black women. The stunning physical altercation between actor Will Smith and comedian Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday has sparked debate about the appropriate ways for Black men to publicly defend Black women against humiliation and abuse. While many women have long rejected the misogynist premise that their safety and protection is the province of men, some see Smith’s professed defense of his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, as a principled act of love and pushback to those who say Black men don’t do enough to protect Black women. Ayanna Abrams, a clinical psychologist and founder of Ascension Behavioral Health in Atlanta, said what protection from a spouse or partner looks like can be different for each woman.
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“Protection for some of us does look like something that is more assertive, in terms of going to speak to somebody,” said Abrams, who is on the board of Black Girls Smile, a nonprofit that focuses on Black girls’ mental health. Abrams added, “For some people, protection of Black women would have been (Rock’s) joke not happening in the first place. That’s also protection of Black women and their bodies, and how they are regarded in the media.” But for many observers, protecting Black women from verbal insults stops short of physical assault. During Sunday’s Oscars broadcast, Smith shocked the Dolby Theatre crowd in Los Angeles and millions of television viewers when he walked onstage after Rock joked: “Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it.” It was an unscripted dig at Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. The 50-year-old actor has spoken publicly about her alopecia diagnosis, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss, as well as the negative effect it can have on sense of identity and self esteem. When Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes in displeasure with Rock’s joke, her Academy Award-nominated husband strode onstage and open-hand slapped the pre-
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senter across the face. After returning to his seat, Smith twice shouted at Rock, “keep my wife’s name out your (expletive) mouth.” Baruch College professor Shelly Eversley said Smith’s language toward Rock left her questioning whether the actor’s motivation for slapping the comedian was an act of love. “‘My wife’ — get my wife’s name out of your mouth — is a logic of property ownership,” said Eversley, who is interim chair of Baruch’s Black and Latino Studies program. “In the history of racial slavery and violence against Black women, we can certainly see all the ways in which Black women in particular have been treated as property,” she said. “For Black men to do it does not make it any better than when white people do it.” Black men and women in the U.S. have navigated gender roles that historians say are rooted in the experience of slavery and Jim Crow, during a time when sticking up for each other in defiance of an enslaver or authority figure invited violence or worse. In the midst of legal apartheid and systemic racism, disproportionate poverty rates and mass incarceration, generations of Black men have been raised to
believe that success in life includes protecting the honor of one’s spouse and defending one’s family from danger in a white-controlled society. And on its surface, that’s not entirely unlike the expectations placed on generations of white American men, and men of other ethnic and racial backgrounds. Still, times have changed. Today, behavior like Smith’s slap at the Oscars is more likely to be condemned as a consequence of an unchecked ego than to be cheered as a righteous defense of a Black woman, Eversley said. “Jada Pinkett (Smith) is not a damsel in distress,” she said. “The idea that somehow Will Smith should be applauded for treating her as if she doesn’t have a voice or doesn’t have her own agency is also a problem.” “That he can get away with that kind of violence on national television, go back to his seat, receive an award and then go party,” Eversley continued, “suggests to me that even the tears about defending his wife aren’t really about defending his wife but his own ego.” As he tearfully accepted his best actor award for “King Richard,” Smith apologized to the academy and fellow nominees for casting a shadow over an event that, until he slapped Rock, was full of
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historic firsts for people of color, LGBTQ representation, the Deaf community, all happening in a room where Black people have fought to be represented. In a statement released Monday, Smith acknowledged his behavior “was unacceptable and inexcusable,” and offered an apology to Rock that he failed to offer during his acceptance speech. “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” Smith said. “I am a work in progress.” After condemning the actor’s behavior, the academy met Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group’s standards of conduct. The academy, which said Smith was asked to leave after the incident but refused, said disciplinary action could include suspension, expulsion or other sanctions. Smith has described looking out for his loved ones as a kind of lifelong mission. In his best-selling memoir “Will,” published last fall, he recalled watching his father punch his mother so hard that she fell and spit blood. Smith was 9 at the time and would long chastise himself for not defending his mother.
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MARCH 31, 2022
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ACADEMICS
Students combat burnout following spring break By GRACIE HANCOCK Staff Writer
Spring break marks the wind-down of the semester often leaving students feeling sluggish and unproductive. For many students, spring break, a time that is supposed to be relaxing, becomes taxing as they spend it stressing about work they have due when the break ends. “It was still stressful knowing I had to come back to tests and to homework and everything,” Isabella Ammons, a second-year accounting student from Dallas, said. “I mean, I had tests the day I got back.” The sudden restart after spring break causes feelings of dread and anguish among students and makes it harder to get back in the groove of going to classes. “I've been feeling really tired and sluggish, like not wanting to go to class,” Paetyn Kemp, a secondyear history student from Cyprus said. Kaden Clark, a second-
year animal science major from Kilgore, said he also has lost the will to do school since returning from spring break. Unlike the fall semester, students do not get as many breaks during the spring to unwind from their busy schedules. “I don’t even think it was a break,” fourth-year student Donovan Satchell, a global studies student from Plano, said. “Once you slow down you remember you still have tests and assignments to study for and you cannot neglect your responsibilities. It still felt like I was at school, just not going to class.” The stress of class assignments is still very present during the break. Students try to catch up on previous information, while also preparing for assignments that are due upon their return to campus. “Since coming back from spring break I have felt completely exhausted and I dread going to class. I feel like I am running on empty all the time,” Catherine Marnell, a first-year psychology student
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LEFT: Tech student showing his exhaustion at the Student Union Building after a week off for spring break on March 29, 2022. RIGHT: Tabitha Herrera, a third-year education student from Lubbock worn-out at the Student Union Building after having a week off for spring break on March 29, 2022. from Lubbock, said. With the effects of the end-of-semester burnout, students are trying to take measures to maintain their energy for the remainder of the semester. “I'm trying to go to bed earlier because I usually stay up real late and then take moments of time for myself,” Kemp said. “When I start getting tired I'll just like take 10 minute breaks and just chill out and relax.” Constantly feeling sluggish can lead students’ men-
tal and physical health to deteriorate, so it is important for students to take preventative action. Ammons said students need to break up spring break in a way that allows them to relax but also continue to be productive and ready for their return to campus. “It's such an awkward break,” Ammons said. “Give yourself a day or two at the beginning or even three or four days at the beginning, just to try to relax and then use that last part to get back
on track that way it's not such a sudden restart again.” When returning to campus, it is important for students to find ways to encourage and remind themselves of how little they have left of the semester. “And then try to think of milestones until it'll be done,” Clark said. The end-of-semester burnout has also gotten more difficult since the COVID-19 pandemic. Students have gotten used to virtual learning during the
pandemic, and returning to in-person instruction has been more difficult than ever. Clark said the pandemic has worsened his end-ofsemester burnout as he had gotten used to online class and a lighter workload. As the semester winds down, students will start to feel burnout and it is important to remember to pace yourself and take time to relax to avoid overworking your brain Clark said. @GracieHancockDT
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Number of Ukraine refugees passes worst-case U.N. estimate MEDYKA, Poland (AP) — The number of people who have fled Ukraine since Russian troops invaded has surpassed 4 million, the United Nations reported Wednesday as shelling continued in places where Moscow had vowed to ease its military operations. “I do not know if we can still believe the Russians,” refugee Nikolay Nazarov, 23, said as he crossed Ukraine’s border into Poland with his
wheelchair-bound father. Despite Russia’s announcement during talks on Tuesday that its forces would ease their assault near Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and elsewhere, Nazarov said he expects “more escalation” in the country’s east, including the city he and his father fled. “That is why we cannot go back to Kharkiv,” he said. “We are afraid of a new phase of war in eastern Ukraine.”
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MARCH 31, 2022
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Wilson steps up in series win over Texas By CHRIS WILLIAMS Sports Reporter
Since arriving in Lubbock as a freshman in 2018, Texas Tech’s senior shortstop Kurt Wilson has had his fair share of memorable moments at Rip Griffin Park. As a sophomore in 2019, Wilson sent the Red Raiders to their fourth NCAA College World Series with a go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning against No. 9 Oklahoma State in the Lubbock Super Regionals. Four years later, Wilson echoed similar heroics in Tech’s series win over the No. 2 Texas Longhorns. On third base with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning of the series opener on March 25, Wilson stole home as Longhorn closer Aaron Nixon went through his cadence to give Tech the 5-4 walk-off victory in the series opener. The next day, Wilson delivered his second consecutive 10th inning game winner, this time a grand slam that sailed over the right field fence for a
16-12 Red Raider win. Wilson said he was thinking of his teammate and fellow senior Cody Masters during the decisive at-bat. Masters, who was also on second base during Wilson’s home run in 2019, made his season debut against Texas after missing a large chunk of his senior season due to an illness that left him hospitalized. “I was really upset for Cody, honestly,” Wilson said. “He’s been through a lot, and I was just thinking in my head that I want to pick him up, pick this team up and get another win for this team.” Five years within the program have given Wilson the opportunity to establish relationships and, ultimately, develop himself into a leadership role. An example of this is the conversation Wilson had with fellow senior infielder and roommate of five years Parker Kelly, who batted 0-10 with nine strikeouts in the three games prior to Tech’s Big 12 opener against Texas. “I mean, he’s my best
friend,” Wilson said. “We were talking and I was like ‘I don’t care if we’re 0-100, the team needs you right now. You go put a good at-bat together’, and he always does. He’s a great kid.” Wilson has been a staple in the Red Raider lineup for much of collegiate career. An eight-position player, Wilson leads the current roster in career games started with 93, according to Tech Athletics. The Arlington native’s versatility in the field has earned him comparisons to Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Chris Taylor from Tech’s head coach Tim Tadlock. “I’ve mentioned it before, the Taylor kid that plays for the Dodgers, (Kurt)’reminded me of him since the day I ever saw him play,” Tadlock said after Tech’s 16-12 win over No. 2 Texas on March 26, “and then as he matures, obviously you’re seeing that toolset.” Wilson’s position of choice this season has been shortstop, where he has started every game thus far for the Red Raiders. Tadlock said Wilson has filled in the posi-
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Super-senior utility player Kurt Wilson hits a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning to secure Tech’s 16-12 victory over the University of Texas at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park on March 26, 2022. tion that wasn’t a hole in previous teams he’s coached. “It kind of came about this year where he needed to play short and we’ve given him enough time to settle in there,” Tadlock said. “Kurt’s like when you roll up to a ballpark and you’re looking at what a shortstop is supposed to look like. Big, tall, rangy guy … you can
BASKETBALL
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 the way we played. One of the best games we’ve played all year. Excited that our guys are showing some improvement,” Adams said. “That’s the thing we want to do is continue to grow as a team and I thought our guys did that.” March 20 - Tech earns first Sweet 16 appearance since 2019 In the 59-53 victory over Notre Dame, the Red Raiders recorded the lowest points scored in a NCAA Tournament win while simultaneously allowing the third-fewest points in a NCAA Tournament game, according to Tech Athletics. Kevin Obanor led Tech with 15 points and 15 rebounds while Bryson Williams and Kevin McCullar both added 14 points. In a game with 12 lead changes, Tech outscored
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Junior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. celebrates with teammate and fellow junior guard Mylik Wilson during a 83-73 win over Baylor University on Feb. 16, 2022 at the United Supermarkets Arena. Notre Dame 24-10 from the paint, 13-9 in second-chance opportunities and 6-1 in the fast break. “I just want to win. We
just want to leave Texas Tech better than we found it,” Obanor said. “Give credit to a good Notre Dame team. But we just want to
win and we just needed to do what it takes for us to win ... We’re grateful to be part of that and grateful to advance to the Sweet 16.”
tell I like him a little bit.” Offensively this season, Wilson has posted a careerhigh 27 RBIs while also launching four home runs, which ties his career high, according to Tech Athletics. Despite a handful of clutch moments on his resume and a spot on the No. 7 team in the country, Wilson said he finds March 24 - Tech falls to Duke in Krzyzewski’s 100th-career NCAA Tournament win Tech’s 2021-22 season came to an end in the Sweet 16 with a 78-73 loss to Duke University. The Blue Devils shot 71 percent from the field after halftime and Duke’s 6-foot10 freshman forward Paolo Banchero scored a game-high 22 points. After the loss, super-seniors Bryson Williams and Adonis Arms said Adams is one of the nation’s best coaches. “I don’t think I’m deserving to have these guys, but I’m so thankful that I was able to coach these guys,” Adams said. “I’m just so sad that we have to see this season come to an end because we want to keep playing. We just love competing together, and we love being in the same foxhole and going out and fighting together.” @BishopVB_DT
a way to stay in the moment when he’s on the diamond. “Whenever I get in those situations, I don’t think about the past or the future,” Wilson said following his walkoff grand slam on March 26. “I just think about right there in that moment. Just be there and win for this team.” @ChrisWilliamsDT
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Junior guard Kevin McCullar, scores a layup against Texas Christian University at the United Supermarkets Arena on Feb. 12, 2022.