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THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022 VOLUME 96 ■ ISSUE 30

LA VIDA

SPORTS

People come to Lubbock and bring their unique cultures and identities.

Read about the ones presented at the Oddities Art Market.

Sharon Bruner and Dru Baker share their stories about life after graduating from their collegiate sport.

Toxic masculinity promotes male domination and is an out dated mold for men to continue to follow.

OPINIONS

ONLINE The Bullet Ad team prepares for semifinals after winning districts.

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PG 5

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ONLINE

INDEX LA VIDA SPORTS OPINIONS CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS SUDOKU

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ARBOR DAY

Rooted Traditions

Arbor Day continues to unite Tech

By TANA THOMPSON L a Vida Editor

The celebration of Arbor day on the Texas Tech campus began in 1938 when President Bradford Knapp proclaimed one day each spring would be dedicated to beautifying the campus.

At the first Arbor day, over 20,000 trees and shrubs were planted by faculty, staff and student organizations, according to Southwest Collection.

A l i c i a Thomas, a lecturer of horticulture, said this yearly celebration has a positive environmental impact on the Te x a s Te c h campus.

“So generally, planting more trees is obviously going to be good for the environment for a lot of different reasons.

We’re generally really good at chopping down trees and sometimes we need to put more trees out there and recuperate that,” Thomas said. “We don’t just like to put trees in the ground. We also put other things like a lot of annuals and all that. So, there’s a lot of diversity put into the landscape as well.”

Although at the first Arbor day trees were planted, Tech now plants flowers, mostly geraniums, to in-

crease the beauty of the campus.

This celebration also impacts the people who are gathering to plant both flowers and trees.

“So, whenever we do that, we are also working together to get that done as well,” Thomas said. “And I think that brings a lot of people together. Whenever they’re working to actually get a certain goal done.

They get to know each other and you get to have a conversation with somebody maybe you hadn’t met before. And it also gives a lot of the clubs on campus an opportunity to kind of do something with one another instead of just meeting in a classroom or something.”

Arbor day helps people recognize what trees truly mean to the world, Russell Plowman, a senior lecturer of horticulture, said.

“By the time you get to college, people are deciding what’s important in the world and what they want to focus some of their attention to and usually ecology, it goes in and out of vote but it always comes back to (that) without trees we are a dead world,” Plowman said.

Arbor day raises awareness of the importance of trees for society, for nature and for the environment, Mark Stoll, a professor of history, said.

“You can plant trees for all

About 26,000 flowers will be planted this Arbor Day and 1,846 students, faculty and staff have signed up to be a part of the event this year.

sorts of reasons. They can be useful you know, it can be fruit trees, trees and things like that. shade trees, windbreaks,” Stoll said.

“They serve all sorts of purposes, but they also are habitat. They preserve moisture in the soil, prevented erosion. And their leaf litter increases fertility. So, they have a lot of functions, you know, protecting watersheds is a really important one.”

Stoll said trees being planted on Arbor day can have a positive impact on the air people breathe.

“We also think about trees as potential carbon things to take carbon out of the air because a big tree has a lot of carbon in it, all of which comes from the atmosphere from CO2,” Stoll said. “We’re worried about global warming … for some people today they’ll recommend planting billions of trees worldwide, in order to help moderate temperature rise. Whether you can do that or not is another practical possibility. It’s another question but it’s not a bad idea.”

Texas Tech will celebrate Arbor day on Friday at Memorial Circle from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., with events taking place all day, Student Activities Board spirit and traditions coordinator, said. There are over 1,000 students in 106 student organizations signed up to participate in Friday’s planting.

“To me, Arbor Day is just a way of giving back to the Texas Tech community,” Kaden Downing, a second-year digital media and professional communications student from Kilgore, said. “It just helps beautify the campus and just makes it more appealing for visitors and everything.”

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

Arbor Day was hosted at Memorial Circle back in 2017. Students, staff and local community came out for multiple activities including planting in a plot.

All students must have their student ID to check into Arbor Day

@TanaThompsonDT

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

Flowers bloom in front of the Seal at Texas Tech University. During Arbor Day, the Student Activities Board said they will hand out geranium flowers for participants to plant.

Arbor Day was hosted at Memorial Circle back in 2017. Students helped in planting pansies across campus.

Page 2 Thursday, April 28, 2022

ART

LA VIDA

@DailyToreador www.dailytoreador.com

Oddities Art Market displays unusual art styles

By MADISON VIDALES News Reporter

The number of spiritual shops in Lubbock is outnumbered by the number of churches located within the city. The Oddities Market curated and highlighted some of the artists and spiritualists in Lubbock that are inspired spiritually to pursue their craft.

The Oddities Market is a bi-annual market organized by Mary Elizabeth Burt, Kaitlyn Salazar and Sam Gaitan. According to the market’s Instagram,

odditiesartmarket, the event curates artists with unusual and odd creations.

Kaitlyn Salazar is one of the creators of The Oddities Art Market. Salazar said she created the art market to bring unique vendors together in Lubbock.

“I got the idea for the Oddities Market from markets in bigger cities and there was nothing like that here,” Salazar said. “I really wanted to make it available to other people and all come together just to cater towards the weirdos.”

At Salazar ’s booth sat

MADISON VIDALES/The Daily Toreador

Shelby Hatch and Lauren Lewis offers tarot and oracle card readings at the Oddities Art Market on April 23, 2022.

hair clips decorated with teeth and terrariums with animal skulls and crystals.

Salazar said this market was made to sell items that are anything but ordinary.

“This is exactly what we wanted,” Salazar said.

“We curated it so the items are specifically darker and weirder because there’s just not really anything like this around West Texas.”

Shelby Hatch and Lauren Lewis are intuitive tarot and oracle card readers. The two met through being in the addictive disorders research program together at Tech. Hatch said providing readings and selling handmade items is a creative outlet for when school becomes stressful.

“We came to Tech as Ph.D. students in the same program and realized we’d both been on this journey of really reconnecting with our energy and the Earth,” Hatch said. “I had been practicing tarot and we were just looking for a way to express ourselves creatively. We always came to these markets and spent all our money and thought how it would be like to be on the opposite side, vending.”

Spirituality is something that inspires most of the artists at the Oddities Market to continue their craft. Whether this craft is their spiritual practices or the crafts they make into art, Edie Sanchez, koreys.korner on Instagram, said embracing diversity in spirituality is important.

“Being spiritual and having beliefs other than Christianity is not something to be afraid of,” Sanchez said. “I think a lot of people stigmatize or demonize paganism and Wicca. Teaching people

MADISON VIDALES/The Daily Toreador

Edie Sanchez sells a bone hair clip that they made to a customer at the Oddities Art Market on April 23, 2022. from a young age that it’s not scary and to have respect for others should get across to them.”

At Sanchez’s table sat concha and marranito earrings next to jewelry with beads color coordinating with pride flags. Sanchez said their identity is what inspires the jewelry and art they create and share with others.

“I feel inspired by my spiritualism, being a big supporter of the LGBTQIA community and my heritage,” Sanchez said. “I would always make my own jewelry and one day thought how I would love to share these with other people and have a little sense of my style in their own.”

Trudy Rice does tarot

readings and makes art Rice said as she grew up and attended Texas Tech receiving a masters degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Anthropology, Classics, and Visual and Performing Art, she expanded her spirituality beyond what she was previously taught.

“I grew up in the Bible Belt and it was very difficult for me there so I went and got educated in order to not be afraid,” Rice said. “People I think fear the things they don’t understand. I tend to teach people about how time is cyclical and how a lot of Christian festivals are pagan festivals ripped off.

A lot of ancient Egyptian and Greek scenarios have transposed themselves into a lot of Christian rituals.”

Rice said her tarot readings and art are interconnected with other women selling their art and performing spiritual services.

Alongside her business, Valhalla Bound by Courtney Headley, Patrica Trout and LaQuetta Purkiss attend markets together to support one another.

Purkiss makes jewelry and reads runes, Headley makes soaps and Trout sells witch bags. “ We d o a l l s o r t s o f things,” Rice said. “She (Purkiss) sells jewelry and reads runes, I make goat milk soaps, we all have something to bring to the table. We all help each other out in many ways to support each other.” @MaddieVidalesDT

Page 3 THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022

WEATHER

NEWS

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Climate change experts urge corporate solutions

By ASHER MCPHERSON News Reporter

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas according to the United Nations.

Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide and methane that are wrapped around the earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures.

Associate professor Kerry Griffis-Kyle is part of the Tech Climate Science Center where she does wildlife research as it relates to climate change.

“Anytime you are going to be thinking about managing wildlife, you need to think about climate change,” Griffis-Kyle said.

“Because we’re basically trying to come up with solutions for conditions we haven’t even seen yet.”

Griffis-Kyle refers to climate change as increasing variability and what we see in the environment, like the weather. UN reports show global warming is projected to reach around 3.2 degrees celsius by the end of the century.

“You have this overall long-term heating up of the atmosphere because we’ve pumped more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere,” the Ohio native said. “And that has given us this nice, warm, heated blanket. It basically has added energy to weather patterns, and we get these huge variations that we didn’t see before. So, we’re dealing with bigger droughts, stronger storms, all that kind of not so good stuff.”

Griffis-Kyle said climate change is also considered a threat multiplier as it

TEA MCGILVRAY/The Daily Toreador

Information sourced from UN.org climate change fast facts. is completely shifting the “Humans are the cause, conditions on which every- and so we have a responsithing has been working and bility to help mitigate some interacting, but it doesn’t of those issues of climate shift them in the same way change since we did it,” for everything.

Griffis-Kyle said. “Some of “I do wildlife, so some my research is focused on wildlife (are) better able how we can better manage to handle it than others,” our water resources, so we Griffis-Kyle said. “It chang- can do a better job supportes the winners and losers in ing wildlife.” terms of competitors and Griffis-Kyle said she predators. It also makes thinks politics have a huge any stressors that are in impact in climate change the environment, it could being considered ‘controbe pollution, habitat, deg- versial’ because of polarizaradation, any of those sorts tion of the parties. of things, it makes them “It’s gotten to the point worse.” where in order to be part Intense droughts are a of the party,” Griffis-Kyle result of climate change said. “You need to tow the according to the UN, and party line. If you aren’t precipitation and water agreeing with everything availability are being af- the party says, well then fected. Griffis-Kyle does you’re not a good part of work in the southwestern that community. This is a deserts of the U.S. and big shift away from when is working on coming up political parties were supwith solutions for how to posed to be there for us, deal with the loss of water rather than us there for the availability. political party.”

Second-year digital media and professional communications student, Chloe Laing, said she thinks large corporations need to be more conscientious.

“A lot of companies can use more sustainable options, but they still use plastic because it’s easier and cheaper,” Laing said.

“The transportation, the type of gas, packaging, stuff like that. I feel like if we make the switch, it would make a huge impact.”

Laing said a lot of people put pressure on citizens like everyday people, and really it is a very small percentage.

“Of course, everyone could be doing more, I’m not saying that’s insignificant, but the biggest parts are from corporations,” the Granbury native said. “Everyone can do their part, try and use sustainable options, reduce your use of plastic, try to remember to

turn off the light switch.”

H o w e v e r, L a i n g s a i d ideally, she wishes larger corporations would make the switch to be more conscious about their influence on climate change, and no one wants to take ownership for their contributions.

“Every industry contributes, oil and gas (are) fracking, the agriculture community contributes a lot like the methane from cows, so I don’t think anyone wants to risk losing profits, and they’re all very profitable systems,” Laing said. “I think they deny it as a way of not taking accountability for profit losses.”

The Climate Science Center has been communicating science and climate change to make sure people hear about what is going on, try and correct misconceptions and get people to understand that there are things you can do.

“I don’t know if we’re ever going back to what the climate was before we started pumping all the greenhouse gases,” GriffisKyle said. “However, we can make it easier on ourselves, if we slow it down a lot. It’s

just right now we’re making things worse.”

Griffis-Kyle said some things people can do to make a difference is reduce their carbon footprint, so there are more energy efficient houses. People can bike more rather than driving, take more fuel-efficient cars, reduce, reuse recycle.

“Anything that reduces the amount of energy that they use,” Griffis-Kyle said.

“Just make good choices and don’t be wasteful. It might not be perfect, but nothing in this world is perfect. I can hope.”

Griffis-Kyle said one thing about humans is they often do not change their behavior until they absolutely have to, and we are pretty much at that point.

“We absolutely have to,” Griffis-Kyle said. “People are dying, we’re seeing impacts. It has to happen at all levels, it has to be personal choices, as well as government choices. It absolutely has to be everyone.”

@Ashermcp_DT

OPINIONS

Page 4 Thursday, April 28, 2022

COLUMN

@DailyToreador www.dailytoreador.com

COLUMN

Toxic culture enables dangerous attitudes, actions Law makers target LGBTQ children

Toxic Masculinity is a broad term that describes the cultural pressures on men to behave in a predetermined masculine way. Toxic masculinity promotes male domination, aggression and homophobia to fit a mold of what is deemed manly by society.

The power play toxic masculinity feeds into negatively and affects how men are deemed to act in society.

Dangerous behaviors such as male violence and anger are glorified by this idea of toxic masculinity and acceptance by society feeds into these dangers.

The situation between rapper Tory Lanez and rapper Megan Pete also known as Megan Thee Stallion highlights the consequences of toxic masculinity, especially how it is harmful towards women.

In this specific circumstance, during an argument, Lanez shot at Pete causing a bullet to hit the latter’s foot. News outlets exploded with the story, however, misogynistic comments towards the victim exposed these negative attitudes brought

Julianne Cervera is a third-year English major from Grand Prairie.

upon by society’s justification of male violence towards women. Comments deeming Megan Thee Stallion as lying due to her large stature compared to her assailant’s smaller stature ignore her suffering.

The ideas that place categories on what is deemed manly are fruitless in a society that constantly changes what is masculine and what is feminine. The ever changing gender and nonbinary norms fight against conformity.

Although society is changing, toxic masculinity holds onto outdated forms of masculinity.

Masculine activities such as smoking, drinking, careless sex and violence promoted negative stereotypes that cause harm to men ingrained with these ideals.

Homophobia, which is emphasized by toxic mas-

culinity, introduces harmful actions and attitudes against members of the LGBTQ+ community and puts their lives in danger. It is important to understand that toxic masculinity invites consequential effects.

In a newly released Netflix documentary Conversations with a Killer, serial killer John Wayne Gacy fed on the toxic masculinity of the police and society to ignore the disappearances of gay men and boys, allowing his murders to take place for a long period of time.

Gacy understood the disregard for these individuals based on their sexuality and used homophobic attitudes to work in his favor against his victims.

Society must work to dispel toxic masculinity by encouraging transformative and personable ideals towards masculinity and what it means to be a man.

No one can tell anyone what it means to be a man, only oneself.

The counterpart to toxic masculinity is toxic femininity, a term that describes the cultural and societal norms

that are placed on women to fit the idealized version of a woman.

Toxic femininity encourages submission and the objectification of women.

Toxic femininity dangerously promotes the adherence to patriarchal acceptance and emphasizes the uneven power dynamic between men and women.

Although society is changing, toxic masculinty holds onto outdated forms of masculinity.

Moreover, toxic femininity can play into the manipulation of others by women through the exaggeration of their femininity.

The ongoing trial between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard reveals the harm of toxic femininity towards victims of abuse. This case examined how Amber Heard, a white woman, allegedly falsified a narrative of abuse for financial gain in hopes of

defaming her husband. Although the trial is currently ongoing, evidence coming out has revealed Depp’s own abuse at the hands of Heard.

Toxic femininity creates false images and harms those affected by these artificial ideals.

In society, the toxic feminine form of a woman emphasizes docility and submission and negatively impacts disadvantages how women are seen and treated. Setting back equality for women, the cultural norms that promote toxic femininity hold women back as well.

When women are forced to abide by harmful societal norms, they are forced to submit to the dangers of violence from toxic masculinity.

Society must work together to disregard these toxic norms and create healthy conversations of masculinity and femininity. The acceptance of non-binary norms is helpful in expanding the world’s view and moving away from what is manly or what is feminine and instead what is human. @JulesCerveraDT

COLUMN

Marijuana should be legalized federally

On April 1, the House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, which would decriminalize marijuana in the United States. This is definitely a milestone as it is one step closer to potentially normalizing the use of marijuana in our country.

Unfortunately, until it passes the Senate, marijuana will continue to be a feder-

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Faith Dolan is a second-year English major from Midland.

ally controlled substance.

The Senate should definitely vote to pass this bill as it will bring many opportunities for citizens of the U.S. Although the bill would only decriminalize marijuana and not legalize it, it is important to consider how beneficial it would be to legalize marijuana.

For one, any argument that includes the potential misuse of marijuana should also apply the same principles to alcohol and tobacco. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “An estimated 95,000 people (approximately 68,000 men and 27,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually,15 making alcohol the third-leading preventable cause of death in the United States. The first is tobacco.”

Currently, according to the Transformations Treatment Center, “Despite the low overall chances of dying from a weed overdose,

some fatalities do occur.”

Many of these deaths include children who “have stopped breathing and gone into comas after consuming cannabis intended for adult use.”

These deaths are tragic, but many of them are a result of a lack of child-proof storage and responsibility.

Being concerned with the negative effects of marijuana is valid, but only if one acknowledges that tobacco and alcohol, both of which are legal for individuals 21 and over, are much more dangerous than weed.

There is no reason why individuals who were using marijuana to help with pain or anxiety, for example, should be crimnally charged.

Drugs such as cocaine and heroin, both of which are incredibly dangerous, should remain on the controlled substance list as they do not offer any psychological or physical benefits. Marijuana, on the other hand, has many benefits.

According to medicalnewstoday.com, marijuana can help with “chronic pain, alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, cancer, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.”

Demonizing marijuana does nothing but prevent individuals with mental or chronic illnesses from getting resources that would seriously benefit them. If doctors are able to prescribe Xanax or oxycodone, then they should be able to prescribe marijuana as well.

Additionally, the decriminalization of marijuana will help with overcrowding in prisons. According to interrogatingjustice.org, “Some states spend billions of dollars per year on prisons. This puts a strain on taxpayers and limits funding for other rehabilitation programs.

Most states spend far more per person incarcerated than they do on K-12 students.

They also spend exponentially more on prisons than they do on higher education for state residents.”

Releasing individuals who are charged with possession can help decrease the amount of money spent on prisons and jails. States can

spend more of their money, time and resources on criminals who commit crimes such with murder, assault, child abuse or DWI/DUIs. The legalization of marijuana can also help with “Increased tax revenues, job growth and investment opportunities,” according to investopedia.com.

Additionally, legalizing marijuana will make it safer for marijuana users as states can regulate the drug and make sure that it passes health/quality inspections.

There is no reason why individuals who were using marijuana to help with pain or anxiety, for example, should be criminally charged.

Decriminalizing and even legalizing marijuana should also be accompanied by state and federal programs that offer support and resources to prevent marijuana addiction or dependence and to help those who are already struggling with it.

Individuals will continue to use marijuana, regardless if it is illegal. Legalizing marijuana will result in its regulation, which will result in healthier and safer consumption. @FaithDolanDT

CARTOON

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Austin Garrison is a first-year journalism major from Fort Woth.

Kindergarten plays a crucial part in a child’s development. Not only do children learn the fundamentals of learning to read, write and count; It is in kindergarten when they begin to develop their beliefs as an individual.

Parents, teachers and peers alike set the stage for children to grow into proficient students and later into successful adults.

There are many hands that go into what that looks like and how people will impact who a child will become.

The state of Florida is directly targeting the LGBT community.

Last March, Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis signed the “Parental Rights in Education Bill” into office. Coined the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, the law will prohibit grade-school teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten to third grade in the state.

Advocates for the bill have been quick to point out the bill’s second purpose to encourage the parent’s beliefs on their child’s worldview.

The bill will remove a handout of a child’s life vital to an important characteristic: Acceptance.

Like that of different races, cultures and socio-economic statuses, different gender identities and sexual orientations play a part in developing acceptance. It is important to have that role model as well. That openly queer instructor lets a potentially queer child know that they will be accepted.

Coupled with the out-ofplace inclusion of such a niche demographic, the reason for HB-1557 inception is put into question, foretelling the function of the bill’s true nature: to discriminate.

What makes the debate about HB-1557 most difficult are the blurred lines. The discussion of if you like boys or girls is no different than the discussion of how babies are made: No one knows when a child is ready for that talk other than those who know them best. In this case, DeSantis’s proposition holds some merit.

But what guarantees the true purpose of the bill is its practicality. Teachers regardless of stretched thin enough, when these teachers must slant their introduction on the first day of school…what would be the protocol?

The principles of “Don’t Say Gay” are being adopted in several states, including Texas.

So for the students and staff at Tech with younger siblings and young children, read carefully: Have HB-1557 be revised to match the intentions spoken by DeSantis and others… maybe the bill would benefit America’s children. But as the bill stands, going into effect July 1, HB1557 will not fulfill its purpose.

Instead, its true, hidden intent will play out: to marginalize a belief of some people that other people disapprove of.

People should learn at a young age how to tolerate people with different views than their own. It is only then when prosperous students will grow into successful adults and foster a community of acceptance. @DailyToreador

LETTERS The Daily Toreador welcomes letters from readers. Letters must be no longer than 300 words and must include the author’s name,

signature, 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.

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SPORTS

Page 5 Thursday, April 28, 2022

POST GRADUATE

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Former student-athletes reflect on life after Tech

By CHRIS WILLIAMS Sports Reporter

Many college students face the same question when they reach the end of their time on campus: what now?

This feeling of uncertainty is prevalent in student-athletes, whose entire college experience is based around and tailored to their specific sport. For the majority of these studentathletes, their playing days end when they pick up their diploma.

According to a 2014 study conducted by the NCAA, less than two percent of college athletes will become professionals in their sport. Even for the minority of athletes that do make it professional, like former Tech outfielder Dru Baker, the decision to make that leap can be equally as stressful.

“The decision was a tough one, for sure,” Baker,

COURTESY PHOTO

1982 Tech graduate Sharon Bruner with former Tech Track & Field coach Jarvis Scott.

AUTUMN BIPPERT/The Daily Toreador

2021 Tech graduate Dru Baker, drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 130th overall pick in the fourth round, admiring a hit during a home game against Rice University on March 6, 2020. who signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Rays after they selected him in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft, said. “Texas Tech was so good to me … it ultimately came down to what was right for me and my family, and we felt that was to sign and start my professional career.”

Like most student-athletes, Baker said the desire to extend his playing career only grew once he arrived on campus.

“I loved both football and baseball but most of my collegiate interest came from the baseball side,” Baker said. “Once I got into college, my love for the game grew and I knew playing professional baseball is what I wanted to do.”

The career of a professional athlete tends to be a financially rewarding one, but aspiring athletes have to endure through struggles before

then. For some this means countless hours of practice, sacrificing leisure time and in many cases injury.

For two-time All-America long jumper Sharon Bruner and many others, financial and logistical hurdles made the path to the professional level difficult.

After Bruner graduated from Tech in 1982, she was deciding whether to complete her student-teaching certificate or devote her summer to training for a

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1982 Tech graduate Sharon Bruner celebrating one of her many accomplishments.

SHARON BRUNER TWO-TIME ALL-AMERICA LONG JUMPER

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new line of work, Bruner said she still misses the camaraderie that she experienced as a member of the Tech women’s track and field team.

“When you’re on a team, you’re with each other every single day … they become your family,” Bruner said.

“You build this camaraderie and this friendship with this team and you realize that everybody’s gonna go their separate ways, it was a hard adjustment.”

As a former student-athlete that has experienced this transition firsthand, Bruner said those in similar situations should plan for life after college while still enjoying their time as a member of a team.

“You really have to think about it, what are you going to do for you and what are you going to do as far as raising a family,” Bruner

You really have to think about it, what are you going to do for you and what are you going to do as far as raising a family. You start thinking about these responsibilities you haven’t had to take care of. “

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spot in the U.S. Olympic Trials. Bruner, who had already been a part of the “Nike List” for two years, said the funding required for the training and travel deterred from seriously pursuing her dream.

“When that happened I just kind of lost hope,” Bruner said. “I got my first teaching job and after a year out of being competitive like that, you just kind of lose it.”

Bruner did continue to be a part of Tech’s track program after she graduated as a part-time coach, and she said reality set in that her competitive days were over when the team left for their annual conference meet.

“It’s really over,” Bruner said as she described her thoughts during that moment. “It kind of made me sad there for a little bit until I decided it’s time to grow up.

It’s time to decide what you want to do with your life.”

For Bruner, that next phase would be in education. She has been a head track and field coach and teacher in Grand Prairie ISD since 1985. Though she appreciates and enjoys her

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APRIL 28, 2022

6

Springing into finals season on campus

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Rebeka Benoy, a third-year animal science pre-medicine student from San Antonio, searches through shirts at the sustainable clothing day for “Green Week” in the free speech area on April 26, 2022.

Texas Tech students help guests and other volunteers in their booth at the Touch a Truck event for the annual Tech to Town service event on April 23, 2022.

Blayke Wilson, a fourth-year psychology student from Lubbock, brings her dog to the Bark in the Park event at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park on April 26, 2022.

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Lydia Dalton-O’Dell, a fourth-year biochemistry student from El Paso takes her bike to the bike clinic to get fixed on April 27, 2022 at the free speech area.

Social Media preacher, Sister Cindy, stands surrounded by Tech students and speaks about her religious views at the free speech area on April 27, 2022.

A group of students listen to Alex Faris, a program manager of the peer education and outreach at Risk Intervention and Safety Education at the Take Back the Night event on April 27, 2022.

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April 27, 2022 marks 50 years since the placement of the Texas Tech Seal at the Broadway and University entrance in what has since become known as the Anmon G. Carter Plaza.

The Nepal Student Association takes the audience through a traditional Nepali wedding at the World Wide Showcase in the Allen Theater on April 23, 2022.

Visitors from all over Lubbock attend the town’s largest flea market, with over 250 vendors that sells home goods, jewelry, toys, electrons and more.