THURSDAY, OCT. 14, 2021 VOLUME 96 ■ ISSUE 9
LA VIDA
SPORTS
Coming out for members of the LGBT members can be difficult. Read about the their experiences and support resources on campus.
A f t e r f a l l i n g t o TC U a t t h e Homecoming game, Tech is set to fact the Kansas Jayhawks on Oct. 16. Here is what you need to know.
As Tech celebrates Pride Week, read about columns supporting gay athletes and lifting blood donating restrictions for LGBT members.
Be on the look out for photos from the fifth annual Glamour & Fame Drag Pageant as it concludes Tech’s Pride Week.
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ONLINE
COVID-19
Tech to continue high encouragement of COVID-19 vaccines By MATEO ROSILES Editor-in-Chief
Editor’s note: All information provided in this article is accurate as of noon on Oct. 12. On Monday, Oct. 11, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed Executive Order GA-40 banning private entities from mandating the COVID-19 vaccine in the state of Texas. However, public institutions that receive public funding from the state, like Texas Tech, have been banned from mandating students, faculty and staff from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine under Executive Order GA-39 signed on Aug. 25. Meredith Imes, associate managing director of Emergency Operations for Tech, said Tech is highly encouraging the campus community to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through clinics on campus. “We definitely wanted to provide those opportunities for this fall,” Imes said. “And so that’s been encouraging to see people attend those clinics and so we’re always looking for opportunities for the future.” Current Cases As of Oct. 12, there are 18 active student cases on campus and seven employee cases. In total, 1,191 students have reported a positive COVID-19 test result, according to the Texas Tech Commitment COVID-19 Dashboard.
SEE COVID-19, PG. 2
OPINIONS
ONLINE
LA VIDA SPORTS OPINIONS CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS SUDOKU
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FEATURES
Students share coming-out experiences, moving forward By TANA THOMPSON Staff Writer
Pride Week began Monday, Oct. 11 and ends Friday, Oct. 15. In honor of Pride Week, students on Texas Tech’s campus shared their coming out stories on a personal level, and encouraged those who have not come out. Stephen Chao, administrator in the Office of LGBTQIA Education and Engagement, said the office’s mission is to serve the Tech community through facilitating and leading programs and advocacy efforts that are here to support the LGBTQ community. “We recognize that students often want to talk to just navigate this process, so we are happy to meet one-on-one with students and help with talking through what are things to consider when coming out,” Chao said. “Students may experience a wide variety of reactions, both positive or negative, or somewhere in between. Our office, we’re always happy to share any resources from other LGBT resources and organizations, or talk to students ourselves to think through how they might navigate this personal situation.” Griffin Tingle, a first-year prenursing student from Kingwood, said his coming out to his father did not go well at first, but his mother
File photo/The Daily Toreador
Supporters of the LGBTQIA community dressed up and took pictures at Lubbock Pride Festival at 12 p.m. on Aug. 24, 2019, at Maxey Park. Due to COVID-19 concerns, Lubbock PRIDE was canceled in 2020 and 2021. However, Texas Tech is hosting its annual Pride Week on campus with no COVID-19 restrictions. and sister were supportive. ing hate, which escalated into an out to her friends before coming out “There was a televangelist on entire homophobic rant about how to her family because she knew they TV that my dad was watching gay people would be condemned would be more accepting. Her sister that was preaching homophobic to hell. Then I came out and he is bisexual, so she saw the reaction stuff, which made my mom and I started crying and yelling at me.” her parents had and she was scared uncomfortable,” Tingle said. “We Hollie Whatley, a first-year ap- her feelings would be invalidated. started talking to him about how parel design and manufacturing SEE LGBT, PG. 3 he should turn it off for preach- student from Houston, said she came
FOOTBALL
Tech heads to Kansas to face Jayhawks By BISHOP VAN BUREN
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Editorial Assistant
Border residents rejoice as US says it will lift travel ban SAN DIEGO (AP) — Beleaguered business owners and families separated by COVID-19 restrictions rejoiced Wednesday after the U.S. said it will reopen its land borders to nonessential travel next month, ending a 19-month freeze. Travel across land borders from Canada and Mexico has been largely restricted to workers whose jobs are deemed essential. New rules will allow fully vaccinated foreign nationals to enter the U.S. regardless of the reason starting in early November, when a similar easing of restrictions is set for air travel. By mid-January, even essential travelers seeking to enter the U.S., such as truck drivers, will need to be fully vaccinated. Shopping malls and big box retailers in U.S. border towns whose parking spaces had been filled by cars with Mexican license plates were hit hard by travel restrictions. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said the economic impact was hard to quantify but can be seen in the sparse presence of shoppers at a high-end outlet mall on the city’s border with Tijuana, Mexico. The decision comes at a critical time ahead of the holiday shopping season. In Nogales, Arizona, travel restrictions forced about 40 retail businesses to close on the main strip in the city of 20,000 people, said Jessy Fontes, board member of the Nogales-Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce and owner of Mariposa Liquidation Store, which sells household appliances. His sales fell 60%, and he considered closing but instead cut his staff from seven to two.
INDEX
KATIE PERKINS/The Daily Toreador
SaRodorick Thompson runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown at the homecoming game on Oct. 9, 2021, at Jones AT&T Stadium. Tech will face the Jayhawks on Saturday, Oct. 16 in Lawrence, Kansas
The Texas Tech football team will travel to Lawrence, Kansas to take on Kansas State at 3 p.m. on Saturday as the Red Raiders hope to improve their overall record to 5-2 against the owner of the Big 12’s lowest win total so far this season the 1-4 Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas has yet to beat one of their Big 12 opponents this season, held to just seven points by both Baylor on Sept. 18 (45-7) and Iowa State in their most recent loss (597). Tech is coming off a Big 12 loss of their own after falling to TCU by a score of 52-31 that moved their conference record to 1-2. Both teams will look to end their skid in the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday in a game that will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Tech’s head football coach Matt Wells said there’s nobody he’d let out-work him after the loss against TCU. “You deal with wins, you deal with losses,” Wells said. “The result of a game is not gonna define me over a 25-year career or the nine years as being a head coach.” Tech’s defense gave up a net
total of 394 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to TCU according to the NCAA Scoring Summary report, and Wells said the Raiders’ scheme does not look good getting run through. “We’ve gotta tighten it up and we’ve got to be better schematically,” Wells said. “Whether that’s simplification and doing exactly what our guys can do against who we’re going against. This week’s a different animal.” Kansas’ offense ranks the last in the conference in average points per game (17.2), total touchdowns (11) and yards per game (181.6) this season, according to Big 12 Sports. With 86 points so far, they’re the only Big 12 team yet to reach triple digits. The one category that Kansas leads the Big 12 in is penalties committed, with a conference-low 22 penalties that have amassed for a total of 194 yards, which is only higher than Iowa State’s 168. The Jayhawks’ offense is led by fourth-year junior quarterback Jason Bean, a transfer from North Texas who leads Kansas this season in both passing yards with 852 and passing yards with 289.
SEE FOOTBALL, PG. 5
SUSTAINABILITY
Tech partners with City of Lubbock for on-campus recycling plant, city-wide sustainability efforts By ASHLEY CANTU News Reporter
Texas Tech is partnering with the City of Lubbock to bring bring back a recycling plant, located north of the Physical Plant, after COVID-19 shut down the previous recycling center on campus. Carey Hewett, director for Services and campus sustainability officer, said the center is for everyone in the Lubbock community and gave some backstory for those that don’t know why the center is now being put in place. “The center is intended for any Tech employees, students, faculty and
it is also available for the surrounding community to use,” he said. “After we lost the recycling center that housing services operated, we partnered with the city to provide a recycling drop off center here on campus, so that we could continue to recycle paper plastics, tin, newspapers, etc.” Hewett also said the importance of having an area designated for recycling on campus. “It’s an opportunity to promote sustainability here on campus, providing a location where recycling can be done easily here on campus that helps us meet some of our sustainability goals, and provides an opportunity
for student participation in recycling here locally, and on campus,” he said.
The center is intended for any tech employees, students, faculty and it is also available for the surrounding community to us. CAREY HEWETT DIRECTOR OF SERVICES It fits in with the sustainability
goals of the city, he said, and is partnering with the city to help increase recycling efforts. Sustainability is an important objective on campus and the recycling center is just one of the efforts that are going on campus as the Office of Sustainability is tracking the number of sustainability related classes or organizations available to students. Karen Marin, the sustainability coordinator, said the center came into place now as having people back on campus post COVID-19.
SEE SUSTAINABILITY, PG. 6
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NEWS
OCT. 14, 2021
COVID-19
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Individuals can selfreport by going to https:// www.depts.ttu.edu/communications/emergency/ coronavirus/. As of Oct. 12, there are 2,294 active cases in the Lubbock community and 861 deaths. In total, 64,690 positive cases have been reported, according to the City of Lubbock COVID-19 Dashboard. Tech does not report any COVID-19 deaths on campus, according to a statement from the Office of Communications & Marketing. “Texas Tech does not track COVID-19 as a cause of death,” according to the statement. “Any information that may be provided to us would be unverified and incomplete.” Booster Vaccine & Clinics Some individuals wonder if they should receive the booster shot as the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine got approval from the Food and Drug Administration for use on Sept. 22. However, Dr. David Edwards, medical director for Student Health Services, said a limited group is eligible to receive the Pfizer booster shot. According to the Center
for Disease Control, those eligible for the Pfizer vaccine are: • Individuals 65 years and older • Individuals over the age of 18 who live or work in high-risk settings • Individuals over the age of 18 who have underlying medical conditions • Individuals over the age of 18 who live in a long-term care setting “On Oct. 14, there will be a (FDA advisory council) meeting to discuss the Moderna vaccine and third dose potential recommendations,” Dr. Edwards said. “And then on October 15, they’re scheduled to meet to discuss the Johnson & Johnson vaccines specifically.” If recommendations do open up more to where students, faculty and staff can receive a booster shot, Imes said, the university will look for ways to provide those opportunities to the campus. “It’s been wonderful to partner with TDEM and with United Supermarkets, and so if this is something that’s required, we’ll definitely continue to research opportunities to see what we can offer to the campus community,” Imes said. Currently, the Texas
Department of Emergency Management will host normal vaccine clinics at Memorial Circle from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday until Nov. 19, according to the Texas Tech Commitment website. Contact Tracing Efforts “We have a dedicated team of nurses who check the TTU commitment site regularly to seek out patients who have self reported their positive test,” Edward said. “Our primary purposes, first and foremost, to make sure that the individual student is doing ok, and not worsening symptomatically.” Students have been referred to urgent care settings, Edwards said. Once identifying the positive individual, he said, the team then helps the individuals answer any questions about symptom management. Afterward, the team then tries to determine the exposure risks in the community. “We want to know about any kind of high-risk exposures, so we’re talking about people who they’ve been around for over 15 minutes,” Edwards said. Yo u k n o w, w i t h w h o m , they’ve had close contact that’s within six feet radius, or any kind of household contacts, especially in the 48 hours before symptom onset or 48 hours before they took a positive test or received a positive test.” After a student reports a positive test result, Edwards said, the team will contact them within 24 hours and then within four to six hours contact those
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who were at risk of high exposure. “When a student has a positive test result that they supply in the contact tracing system, they are immediately given a letter that they can provide to their professors, Dean of Students, work, whoever they need to, noting that positive test,” Imes said. “After the contact tracing call takes place in those high-risk exposures are identified, they are immediately sent a letter as well from the system.” Vaccine Incentive Program As of Monday, Oct. 11, more than 5,700 students have registered their vaccine cards into the program, according to the Office of Communications & Marketing. The final drawing for student prizes for the Vaccine Incentive Program will be on Oct. 20, according to the commitment website. Twenty $3,000 scholarships will be given away as well as 10 non-reserved parking spaces in the Flint Avenue parking garage for the 2021-2022 academic school year. According to the commitment website, 220 prizes have been awarded to students. Of the prizes, over $60,000 of scholarships have been awarded to students, over $12,000 in dining bucks and over $12,000 in campus store gift cards. Students can submit their vaccine cards before the final drawing by going to https://www.depts.ttu. edu/communications/emergency/coronavirus/.
Source: Texas Tech Commitment Graphic by: Mateo Rosiles
@MateoRosilesDT
ASSOCIATED PRESS
FDA authorizes first e-cigarette WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time, the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized an electronic cigarette, saying the vaping device from R.J.
Reynolds can help smokers cut back on conventional cigarettes. E-cigarettes have been sold in the U.S. for more than a decade with minimal
government oversight or research. Facing a court deadline, the FDA has been conducting a sweeping review of vaping products to determine which ones should be allowed to remain on the market. The agency said in September it had rejected applications for more than a million e-cigarettes and related products, mainly due to their potential appeal to underage teens. But regulators delayed making decisions on most of the major vaping companies, including market leader
Juul, which is still pending. Tuesday’s decision only applies to Vuse’s Solo e-cigarette and its tobacco-flavored nicotine cartridges. The agency said data from the company showed the e-cigarette helped smokers significantly reduce their exposure to the harmful chemicals in traditional cigarettes. While the products can now be legally sold in the U.S., the FDA stressed they are neither safe nor “FDA approved,” and that people who don’t smoke shouldn’t use them.
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LGBT
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 However, Whatley said when she came out to her parents, things went smoother than expected. “My mom replied, ‘As long as they’re good to you,’ and I assume she told my dad because he started to tease me about not only boys anymore but also girls,” Whatley said. “I think that was him trying to let me know that he was
LA VIDA
okay with it having to have a true conversation about it.” Whatley said staying in the closet does not invalidate a person’s sexual identity or gender. People deserve to feel safe in their own sense of self, but also should not have to conform to what is appetizing to others, she said. “Advice I would give to students who haven’t come out would be that there is no need to, especially in our current social climate,” Tin-
FILE PHOTO /The Daily Toreador
Supporters of the LGBTQIA community dressed up and took pictures at Lubbock Pride Festival. Lubbock Pride hosted their annual festival.
gle said. “LGBTQIA identity has become more normalized and a formal coming out is kind of outdated. If you do come out, at least in my personal experience, all of the other students at TTU are really chill about sexuality and everything, which was refreshing to find out after moving here.” Malasia Spain, a fourthyear social work student from El Paso, said she had to come out to herself before she could come out to the other people around her. “I always thought I was bisexual, but coming to college showed me I still didn’t have the interest other women had to men, and I learned more about compulsory heterosexuality,” Spain said. “It made me realize I forced my attraction to men. I came out to my parents right afterwards, which really solidified it for me because I was scared when I first knew I liked girls at 13.” There are events and groups on-campus that support students of all sexualidenties and genders.
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On Wednesday, Oct. 13, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Human Sciences Building room 111, the Tech Gender and Sexuality Association is holding its annual coming out stories event, Chao said.
... students at TTU are really chill about sexuality and everything, which is refreshing to find out after moving here. GRIFFIN TINGLE FIRST-YEAR STUDENT The association has its own way of how it structures the space. It is a private space, and individual stories are not shared outside of the space, Chao said. A l o n g w i t h t h e Te c h Gender and Sexuality Association, there are other people and groups on campus that students in the
SYDNEY BANOVIC/The Daily Toreador
Malasia Spain, fourth-year social work major from El Paso, shares her story of discovering herself, coming out and being a part of the LGBTQIA community. LGBTQ community can reach out to for guidance, assistance and resources. “Dr. Amanda Wheeler in the Student Counseling Center runs an LGBTQIA group, as well as a counseling group specifically
for trans and nonbinary students or any student who is questioning their gender,” Chao said. “It’s a confidential therapy group where students are able to navigate that in a confidential space. @TanaThompsonDt
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A second look for those denied student loans
Thousands of public servants who were rejected from a student loan forgiveness program will get their cases reviewed by the Education Department as part of a settlement in a lawsuit brought by one of the nation’s largest teachers unions. The settlement announced Wednesday aims to resolve a 2019 suit accusing the department of mismanaging its Public Service Loan Forgiveness program — a troubled initiative that the agency is separately working to fix through an overhaul announced last week. The suit was brought by the American Federation of
Teachers on behalf of eight members who said they were wrongly denied debt cancellation through the program. Created in 2007, the program promises that college graduates who take jobs in public service can have their federal student debt forgiven after making 10 years of monthly payments. But the vast majority of applicants have been rejected, often for failing to meet complicated eligibility rules. According to the lawsuit, the Education Department routinely made errors while processing applications yet offered no appeals process. It argued that borrowers were
illegally being denied their right to due process. The suit targeted the department and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. As part of the settlement, the department said it will automatically review applications for all borrowers who were rejected prior to Nov. 1, 2020, as long as they had made 10 years of payments. If the department finds that a rejection was justified, it will email borrowers to explain the decision and how they can become eligible. It goes a step further than a temporary expansion announced last week, which allows some previously in-
eligible borrowers to get loan forgiveness if they submit an application by the end of October 2022. A new appeals process also will be created by April 30, 2022, for anyone whose application is denied. All eight plaintiffs in the suit will also get their loan balances erased, estimated at nearly $400,000. Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, called it a “game-changing victory” for educators, nurses and other public workers who were wrongly rejected. “We just ensured that a promise made is a promise kept,” Weingarten said in a
call with reporters. “The settlement unravels the Gordian knot of PSLF’s botched implementation.” Kelly Leon, a department spokesperson, said the Biden administration is committed to improving the program, which she said has failed to live up to its promise. “We are pleased to settle this litigation and look forward to working with organizations including AFT to further improve the PSLF Program,” she said in a statement. Among the plaintiffs is Debbie Baker, an Oklahoma teacher who made 10 years of payments before learning
she had a different type of loan that isn’t eligible under the program’s rules. She will now get more than $80,000 in student debt erased. “This is just lifechanging — to be able to go to school and teach every day, and not have to deal with the anxiety and the anguish and the guilt and the feeling of just being trapped by debt,” she told reporters. “This is truly, truly lifechanging.” Some of the other plaintiffs said their student loan servicers incorrectly told them they were eligible for the program, only to find out later that they had an ineligible loan or repayment plan.
OPINIONS
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COLUMN
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Inclusivity needed in athletics M
any gay athletes in professional sports have felt the need to hide their sexual orientation from the public. This is understandable, as this is private information to some individuals. On the other hand, it becomes an issue because this is part of who they are. It is important to acknowledge the strides that have been made in creating positive change for the LGBTQ community. Progress has undoubtedly been made, as same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states, in addition to many accomplishments made throughout the years to help create same-
Henry Marginot is a first-year English major from Marfa.
sex equality. However, the LGBTQ community has had its fair share of unwarranted hate and acts of violence thrust upon the community. It is clear why some athletes hesitate to fully come out as gay to the general public and more specifically their team. This issue is mostly seen within the male sports community, rather than the female sports community
which has made significantly more progress than the men. This is, of course, not without a slow and difficult road for female gay athletes to have the courage to stand up for who they are on the inside.
They want to be included in a community in which they can show the passion and and talent they posses for a certain sport. As of 2021, Carl Nassib
has been the only active player in the entirety of the NFL to come out as gay to the public, according to NBC News. There have been other NFL players who have publicly come out as gay, like Michael Sam and David Kopay, but they were faced with much scrutiny following their announcements. There are notable factors in why this situation occurs, mostly having to do with the prominent masculine culture that has been at the center of sports for decades, according to NPR. When there is such a strong and sometimes unhealthy emphasis on mascu-
linity in sports, it creates an environment that can be less welcoming to gay athletes. There is also the big fear of how the team of a gay athlete would react if they were to announce their sexual preference to them. It can be a nerve wracking process, because the team becomes sort of a second family. Athletes become close with their teammates, sharing the victories and losses they experience together. The sooner we eradicate the fear that situations like these will happen, the sooner we will be able to show future generations the progress that has been made in sports. There may be aspiring
gay athletes who want to some day play at a professional level. They want to be included in a community in which they can show the passion and talent they possess for a certain sport. Slowly but surely, there has been progress made for the rights and equality of the LGBTQ community. Specifically in sports, advancement can be made. Gay athletes should never be afraid to share who they are, because who they are as athletes and individuals shines through on and off the field. @HMarginotDT
COLUMN
Immediate attention needed for state politics It is easier said than done, but as college students we need to brush up on politics. Not only are we the next generation to be in government positions, but state and local politics affects us the most at the moment. A topic that is prevalent in our lives is abortion. It is a constant circulating topic that affects students. Whatever your stance may be on the topic, it is important to know who actually runs these laws. Instantly, we connect the topic to our Texas governor, Greg Abbott; however, Lubbock has had its own elections with regards to abortion. However, not enough students knew about the “Sanctuary City for the Unborn” ordinance that happened right in front of our eyes.
Chyna Vargas is a second-year journalism major from San Antonio.
If anything, more people that are not affected by the ordinance voted for the ban of abortions. This is only a sliver of local politics happening that affect students. It is important to know what is going on because on the local level, that is what affects students the most. While, of course, state politics trickle down and have an impact on citizens as whole, it is important to remember that before we are state citizens, we are local citizens that should take part
in local government. Students’ priorities are on other topics at the moment, but at least some attention should be on politics. This is a lot for me to even admit, but politics are important to understand. Politics aren’t just for conversation starters. They’re important because governments can do whatever they want when no one is stepping forward or changing the polices. As younger people who are shaping the future, it is crucial that we at least know who our local politicians are. The research is easy to do, and finding out what role politicians have in our everyday lives is simple to find out too. The City Officials Directory website allows users to
search their cities and districts and find out who runs in governmental positions. It does not take long to find the mayor, chief of police and city council members, who are closer in contact than the president of the United States. These representatives can be your voice when speaking to higher officials. Whatever message needs to conveyed can be conveyed through the representatives for your cities to state officials and then on a federal level. Students’ voices deserve to be heard, but they have to utilize the tools that are given, even as far as going to local government events. Every month the mayor has “Coffee with Mayor,” where you can express your concerns and hopes for Lubbock.
Mayor Dan Pope then acts as the messenger and uses his role to fix problems and concerns. It all starts with us. It is a ripple effect when it comes to politicians. Once someone voices their opinion to the representative, it only works it way up.
Whatever your stance may be on the topic, it is important to know who actually runs these laws. COVID-19 opened eyes for some people of what kind of country they live in. Whether negative or positive, there was attention directed towards politicians.
Students who are now of age are in charge of their future, which means knowing about local politics and how it impacts their lives. It does not take long to do a little research on the people that represent you. In a sense, our future is in their hands, which is why starting now rather than later to do the research on government officials can guarantee a better future. These laws, policies and ordinances are not just for older generations but they are for all citizens. Now is the time to pay full attention to the people that speak for all and making sure they speak accurate truths.
@ChynaVargasDT
COLUMN
No restrictions needed for LGBT members to donate blood CONTACT US Newsroom: 806-742-3393 Advertising: 806-742-3384 Business: 806-742-3388 Circulation: 806-742-3388 Email: dailytoreador@ttu.edu
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After natural catastrophes, tragedies or even pandemics, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Red Cross, local governments and organizations across the nation host blood drives to help depleted blood banks. Now more than ever, blood donations are needed. The Red Cross sent out a message on Sept. 24 asking everyone to donate blood because there is a nationwide shortage of blood in general due to COVID-19. However, not everyone is allowed to. I love being a member of the LGBT community and I am proud of it, but there is one major disadvantage I have to face: not being able to donate blood. For those who did not know, it was not until 2015 that the Food and Drug Administration lifted the lifetime ban on blood donations from the LGBT community. Instead of a
Mateo Rosiles is a third-year journalism major from Lubbock.
lifetime ban, the rules changed to one-year abstinence from having sexual intercourse with the same sex in order to donate blood, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Progress, but not really. It wasn’t until the pandemic started that the rules were changed again from one year to a three-month deferral period, according to the American Journal of Managed Care. In my eyes, a huge win for the community, but it is not enough. Some may say the FDA made the change because we are in a national emergency. To that, I call bullshit. The FDA would not have made that change on a whim dur-
ing a national emergency without data and having long conversations behind closed doors. One part of the reasoning for restricting those in the community is because we are more likely to contract sexually transmitted infections or diseases; however, how can you judge a group based on one factor when you have another group with the same risk factor, if not higher? A heterosexual male or female can sleep with as many partners as they want to and is still able to donate blood. Members of the LGBT community are barred from donating blood for three months just because they had sexual intercourse with someone of the same sex. Where is the justice in that? Sadly, it doesn’t end there. Once dubbed the “gay disease,” HIV still is being treated the same way in 2021. Heterosexual men and
women are at the same risk of contracting HIV as anyone in the LGBT community. The FDA samples each blood donation with rigorous testing for STIs and HIV, so tell me why we still are being treated differently than others?
I love being a member of the LGBT community and I am a proud of it, but there is one major disadvantage I have to face: not being able to donate blood. The answers of, “You’re at a high risk,” “It’s an added layer of safety” or “It’s because you are a homosexual” are not acceptable answers anymore. We need updated
stats and a thought process not stuck in a time where it was the norm to discriminate against the community. I want to donate blood. I can donate blood now, but my sexual history should not be taken into consideration unless everyone else’s is too. Every time I walk past a donation bus or someone asks me if I want to donate blood, I feel guilty, dirty and un-American because I have to say no, even if I do qualify to donate. Yes, I know I can donate blood, but how can I when the system has taught me always to say no out of caution or to say no because I am gay? We need change now. We need advocates to stand with us to say that our blood is just as good as other people’s and it is not “dirty” just because we are part of the LGBT community. @MateoRosilesDT
ASSOCIATED PRESS
‘We have to be heard’: Texas women travel to seek abortions SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — The 33-year-old Texas woman drove alone four hours through the night to get to the Louisiana abortion clinic for a consultation. She initially planned to sleep in her car, but an advocacy group helped arrange a hotel room. Single and with three children ranging from 5 to 13, she worried that adding a baby now would take time, food, money and space away from her three children. She doesn’t have a job, and without help from groups offering a safe abortion, she said, she probably would have sought another way to end her pregnancy. “If you can’t get rid of the
LETTERS The Daily Toreador welcomes letters from readers. Letters must be no longer than 300 words and must include the author’s name,
baby, what’s the next thing you’re going to do? You’re going to try to get rid of it yourself. So I’m thinking: ‘What could I do? What are some home remedies that I could do to get rid of this baby, to have a miscarriage, to abort it?’ And it shouldn’t be like that. I shouldn’t have to do that. I shouldn’t have to think like that, feel like that, none of that. “We have to be heard. This has got to change. It’s not right.” She was one of more than a dozen women who arrived Saturday at the Hope Medical Group for Women, a singlestory brick building with cov-
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.
ered windows just south of downtown Shreveport. Some came alone. Others were accompanied by a friend or a partner. Some brought their children because they were unable to get child care. All were seeking to end pregnancies, and most were from neighboring Texas, where the nation’s most restrictive abortion law remains in effect. It prohibits abortions once cardiac activity is detected, after about six weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant. It makes no exceptions for rape or incest. As a result, abortion clinics in surrounding states are being inundated with Texas
women. The women agreed to speak to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity so they could talk openly about their experiences. The women agreed to speak to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity so they could talk openly about their experiences. Like many of the others, the 33-year-old Texas mother said she tried to schedule an abortion closer to home, but she was too far along. By the time she arrived at the clinic for the abortion on Saturday, she was just past nine weeks and had to undergo a surgical abortion rather than using
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medication. She said the ordeal left her angry with the Texas politicians who passed the law. “If I had to keep this baby, ain’t no telling what would’ve happened. I probably would’ve went crazy, and they don’t understand that,” she said, her voice filled with emotion. A 25-year-old woman made the 70-mile trip south from Texarkana, on the border of Texas and Arkansas. She said she was already five weeks along before she realized she was pregnant, and she knew it would be impossible to schedule the required two visits at a Texas clinic.
EDITORIALS Unsigned editorials appearing on this page represent the opinion of The DailyToreador. All other columns, letters and artwork represent the opinions of their authors and are not necessarily representative of the editorial board, Texas Tech University, its employees, its student body or the Board of Regents. The DailyToreador is independent of the College of Media and Communication. Responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies with the student editors.
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FOOTBALL
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 “ We j u s t h a v e t o b e sound,” Tech’s defensive coordinator Keith Patterson said ahead of the matchup against Kansas. “We have to execute, you can’t play outside the framework of the system … We’ve got quality runners this week, obviously they’re gonna try to run the ball and we’ve gotta do the same thing we’ve done against the opponents where we’ve shut the run down.” Tech’s offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie, who spent the last seven seasons with TCU before being hired to Wells’ staff this past offseason, said he enjoyed calling plays against his former head coach in Gary Patterson but wishes he would have seen more success. “I wish we would’ve won, I wish we would have scored more points and moved the ball up and down the field,” Cumbie said. “We just didn’t score points and that was based on what we didn’t do.” Kansas’ defense has given up the most average points per game to opposing offenses so far this season (43.8) according to Big 12 Sports. Cumbie will be tasked with continuing the high-scoring trend, but said Kansas’ scheme allows their players to play fast in terms of simplicity. “Up front they’re doing a nice job with their line games on third down and their linebackers are doing a good job as far as filling in the run, and then their secondary allows their guys to really play fast.” Te c h ’ s j u n i o r q u a r terback Henry Colombi brought his pass attempt total to 100 in the loss
against TCU on Saturday according to Tech athletics, surpassing the seasonopening starter and fellow junior Tyler Shough’s 92. Colombi, who transferred to Tech prior to last season in a move that reunited him with his former head coach at Utah State Matt Wells, has completed 65 of his 100 attempts this season for 942 passing yards, three touchdowns, as well as one rushing touchdown and two interceptions.
We need to limit t h e m e n t a l e r ro r s , stay focused, everyone know the game plan and do their job. Teams can barely stop us when we’re moving down the field; it’s only when we shoot ourselves in the foot that we’re really getting stopped. MYLES PRICE RUNNING BACK On the other hand, Shough was starting his first season with Tech after transferring from Oregon before breaking his collarbone in a loss to Texas. Before his injury in Tech’s first inter-conference game, Shough completed 64 of his 92 attempts for six touchdowns and three interceptions, totaling 872 passing yards but rushing for two additional touchdowns. “I’ve been really pleased with how Henry’s competed, the poise, the confidence that he’s played with,” Cumbie said of Colombi’s season. “I’ve been pleased with how he’s executed …
SPORTS and the accuracy he’s shown in the pocket as well.” Tech’s sophomore receiver Myles Price’s first season as a Red Raider resulted in him ranking fourth on the team in all-purpose yards and a 2021 Academic All-Big 12 selection. In the finale of his freshman season against Kansas, Price scored on a 70-yard touchdown run as well as hauling in two receptions for a game high 43 yards. With Kansas on-deck, Price said he’s hoping to replicate that success and bounce back from the loss against TCU. “We need to limit the mental errors, stay focused, everyone know the game plan and do their job,” Price said. “Teams can barely stop us when we’re moving down the field; it’s only when we shoot ourselves in the foot that we’re really getting stopped.” Kansas’ pass defense ranked fifth in the conference with an average 242.8 yards allowed per game according to Big 12 Sports, but they have managed to only force one interception this season which is the lowest in the Big 12. On the other hand, Kansas has sacrificed a conference high 20 rushing touchdowns while allowing an average of 251 rushing yards per game, also the most in the Big 12. Tech’s running back group will look to take advantage of the Kansas run defense and improve on their 214 yards and four touchdown performance against TCU. Leading the way will be junior running back SaRodorick Thompson, who rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns against TCU to place him amongst the top ten rushing touchdown leaders in school his-
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tory, according to Tech athletics. Thompson’s 29 rushing touchdowns rank eighth overall in school history, with the three from Saturday passing Baron Batch (2006-2010) and Zebbie Lethridge (1994-1997). Thompson is currently tied with Billy Taylor (19741977) and Byron Hanspord (1994-1996). Tech’s leader in rushing touchdown is Tauran Henderson, who scored 50 touchdowns from 2002 to 2005 according to Tech athletics. SaRodorick Thompson currently ranks 12th in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game (57) according to Big 12 Sports. The player ranked one slot ahead of Thompson at 11th is Kansas’s quarterback Bean, and the player ranked just behind him at 13th in the conference is Kansas’ running back Devin Neal. With a loss against TCU seemingly in the rear view for the Red Raiders as they prepare for a matchup with the one-win Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, Tech will look to improve to 5-2 overall and even it’s Big 12 record and 2-2 with a win before returning to Lubbock to host Kansas State on Oct. 23 for Tech’s Family Weekend football game.
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You deal with wins, you deal with losses, the result of a game is not gonna define me over a 25-year career or the nine years as being a head coach. MATT WELLS HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
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NEWS
OCT. 14, 2021
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TRANSPORTATION
Shuttle provides students rides home for upcoming breaks By NALANI NUYLAN News Reporter
Texas Tech students can purchase bus tickets to visit family for Thanksgiving and winter break. According to the Parent and Family Relations website, destinations include Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin for both breaks. However, students living in El Paso can only shuttle for Thanksgiving break. Director of Family Outreach & Engagement Christine Self said ticketing is purchased on an individual basis on the
BreakShuttle website. “It just got so popular and so big that it became really too big for our department to handle,” Self said. “That’s when we found BreakShuttle, and they started doing all the ticketing and all that stuff, so that we didn’t have to try to manage that ourselves.” Self said the partnership between Tech and BreakShuttle began about 10 years ago. Before the partnership, Tech bussed students to Dallas and Houston starting in 2009. Beginning in 2012, BreakShuttle is a transpor-
tation service that allows students to go back to their families for the holidays. BreakShuttle’s director of operations Terence Miller said the company partners with schools and contracts third party charter buses for the job. “We have a list of trusted vendors,” Miller said. “We’ve done extensive research on (them) or have had previous just relationships with working with schools.” Miller said the contract process is rather simple. BreakShuttle and the partner company send the contracts
We have to do what’s best, what we think is best for the situation and we talked to the schools. TERENCE MILLER DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
to each other. BreakShuttle provides the dates, location and passengers while the bus companies provide transportation. BreakShuttle serves 10 universities across the country. As
SUSTAINABILITY CONTINUED FROM PG. 1
“So with the recycling center being closed due to COVID the kind of, it’s something that we had considered. So it has been a few months in the works, but now I think it was a great opportunity with students coming back and having everyone back on campus,” she said. “So I think that that’s partially why but the reason was just working with the city of Lubbock.” The aim of recycling on campus is not just for keeping Tech clean but for students to learn to take these actions with them to spread sustainability, Marin said. “We want to increase recycling and increase our diversion rate, but also we want to promote awareness so that students aren’t just doing
File Photo/The Daily Toreador
Students recycling at the old recycling plant on campus prior to COVID-19 shutting down the center. The new recycling facility will be located north of the Physical Plant on campus. while they’re here, they take that information home or after they graduate and they have that awareness of how to recycle,” she said.
Jennifer Zamora, a freshman from Fort Worth majoring in public relations, said as a student she believes a spot that enables students to
recycle is very much needed. “I think it is great that we have this site,” she said. “Most students do not think about how important it is to recycle
the company approaches its 10year anniversary, Miller said the company’s goal is growth and maintaining relationships. “Our goal is to just add schools every year, maybe one or two schools a year,” Miller said. “That’s what we would like to do, is just be able to offer more kids these types of services. You know, moms and dads; they worry their tails off their young daughters and sons driving eight hours across state lines and a nice luxury bus. It takes the pressure off.” The company’s COVID-19 policy’s are the university’s
policies. Self said students who are riding a bus must wear a mask in accordance with CDC guidelines. “We have to do what’s best, what we think is best for the situation and we talked to the schools,” Miller said. “We listened especially to Texas Tech because Christine was very, very good about being forthcoming about, ‘Hey, this is what we want our policy.’” For more information about bus trips, visit the Parent and Family Relations website.
but as the news gets out there over the site more people will be willing to think twice about their actions. I really like how the school cares about issues that involve recycling as that is a big issue in the world at the moment.” The recycling site is new but Tech has been involved in dealing with sustainability issues as there are three centers on campus that focus on sustainability and have even won awards in the Association of the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Hewett said. “We report on the various sustainability efforts that are going on around campus. We’ve scored a bronze I believe for the last three years, which is, we’re proud of that. We’ve also been on the precipice reviews. Green Schools and the Sierra magazines postal list for many years
now,” Hewett said. The Recycling center is new but Tech is no stranger to equity. The new site will keep on teaching students and the people of Lubbock new ways in keeping sustainability as everyone can have the opportunity to have a clean campus. “Whether it be recycling or energy or, you know, water, procurement and things like that so we want to create opportunities for students, for one, and you know we just want to make sure that current students, alumni, prospective students, parents, and even faculty staff that work at Tech wants to know that you know sustainability is one of our priorities,” said Marin. For more information visit https://www.depts.ttu.edu/ BusinessServices/sustainability/index.php
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Most states have cut back public health powers amid pandemic Republican legislators in more than half of U.S.
states, spurred on by voters angry about lockdowns and
mask mandates, are taking away the powers that state
and local officials use to protect the public against infectious diseases. A Kaiser Health News review found that, in all 50 states, legislators have proposed bills to curb such public health powers since the COVID-19 pandemic
began. At least 26 states passed laws that permanently weaken government authority to protect public health. In three additional states, an executive order, ballot initiative or state Supreme Court ruling limited long-
held public health powers. In Arkansas, legislators banned mask mandates except in private businesses or state-run health care settings, calling them “a burden on the public peace, health, and safety of the citizens of this state.”