TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019 VOLUME 93 ■ ISSUE 64
NEWS
SPORTS
ONLINE
18th Street reconstruction progresses, nears completion.
Take in the sights of the College World Series with our highlight photos from Tech’s first semifinals appearance.
Read our recap on our website of Tech’s College World Series run and the program’s first ever College World Semifinals appearance.
PG 2
PG 4
INDEX
ONLINE
NEWS SPORTS CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS SUDOKU
2 3 3 3 2
CLOSER THAN EVER
Despite semifinals loss, Red Raiders showed improvement all season By MAX HENGST
T
Staff Writer
he Texas Tech baseball team’s season came to an end as they were eliminated from the 2019 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska after a loss from Michigan in the semifinals. Opening their season, the Red Raiders suffered a 9-4 loss against Oregon in the first game of the season at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. The Red Raiders bounced back to win the next two games of the series for a 2-1 series win. After the loss, Tech won six-straight games, posting a 6-1 record as the seven-game streak at home came to a conclusion. Tech then tested its skills on the road, traveling to the Dr. Pepper Ballpark for the 2019 Frisco College Baseball Classic. The Red Raiders lost their first two games of the classic, losing to both Nebraska and Mississippi State. The team left Frisco, finishing 0-2 in their first test on the road after their game against Sam Houston State was canceled because of rain. The Red Raiders bounced back and won five consecutive games, sweeping San Diego State in a two-game series on the road and Wichita State in a three-game series in Lubbock.
SEE BASEBALL, PG. 3
Cody Masters hugs Joe Hughes after the loss to Michigan. The Wolverines beat Texas Tech, 15-3, at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. on June 21, 2019. The loss eliminated Texas Tech from the CWS. Photo by MICHELLE BISHOP for The Daily Toreador
LOCAL
Summer swimmers risk illness from pools depending on pool cleanliness By ADÁN RUBIO News Editor
No one wants to have their pool day ruined this summer, but with the occurrence of recreational water illnesses, one may need to take extra precautions before and after swimming. Recreational water illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, can arise when people swim in water containing certain germs or chemicals. RWIs can include ear infections, rashes, diarrheal illness and irritation of eyes and lungs. Dr. Miguel Villarreal, staff physician at the Texas Tech Student Wellness Center, said diarrhea is the main illness that derives from being infected in swimming pools. He said if diarrhea lasts for more than two weeks or is severe, one should get help from a medical professional. In addition to getting checked, Villarreal said a person should stay out of the pool when having diarrhea and should stay out two weeks after it has cleared. “If symptoms are worse than usual, if symptoms are causing trouble with daily activities, then they should come on in and get checked out,” he said. “There are certain types of pneumonia that are possible, so if they are running fever, coughing a lot, come on in.” Regarding a majority of RWIs, Villarreal said people who are infected just need to take time to heal.
He said staying out of the pool when one is sick or when one has open wounds are ways to prevent obtaining and spreading RWIs. “For the most part, most of the conditions that people get from the swimming pool are what we call self-limiting, which means they clear up on their own,” he said. “Just give it some time. Get some rest, get some fluids, and things will probably be fine.” Regardless of the main symptoms of RWI’s, one may also consider how he or she gets infected while in a swimming pool. As people swim in pools, Villarreal said the common parasite that one may face is Cryptosporidium. He said people with a normal immune system tend to clear out Crypto on their own, whereas people with a weakened immune system can have a lot of trouble with the parasite. “The chlorine doesn’t kill that,” Villarreal said regarding Crypto. “It has a very tough shell around it. If somebody swallows water, then it will get into the intestinal system, and it can cause diarrhea.” When swimming in a pool, one may want to know the measures that need to be taken to ensure a pool is clear of infections. Kai Zhang, associate professor in the Tech Department of Biological Sciences, said swimming pools should be treated with chemicals, such as chlorine. He said the chemicals should eliminate most of the pathogens.
FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador
The Texas Tech Aquatics Center controls all of the pools on campus, including the leisure pool. All of these pools use 1,200,000 gallons of water. The pool is open until 8 p.m. during the week and is free to students with their student IDs. “It really depends on a lot of factors,” Zhang said regarding the efficiency of chemicals in killing pathogens. “Temperature, the water activity, the usage and things like that. Sometimes, the chemicals may not be sufficient.” In some circumstances, a pool may need more chemicals, as there can be content in the pool, such as urine, vomit or feces, that needs to be removed, Zhang said. When accidents occur, he said emergency
maintenance is necessary to clean the pool. The strength of the chemical and the types of pathogens in the pool are other factors Zhang said can affect a pool’s level of contamination. “On one hand, it depends on how fresh the chemical is,” he said. “Also, there are naturally some microbes that are more resistant to chlorine than others.” Before going for a swim this summer, people may wonder how a staff
keeps a pool clean for the public. Jennifer Walker, aquatics and special programs coordinator at the City of Lubbock Parks and Recreation department, said maintenance crews at Lubbock pools need to complete certain tasks to keep the water clean. She said tasks can consist of checking the potential of Hydrogen levels, also known as pH levels, and adding disinfectant in the pools.
SEE CLEANLINESS, PG. 2