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Housing Fair kicks off TTPA events

The Texas Tech Parents Association is partnering with The Daily Toreador to host the 2022 Housing Fair from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, in the Student Union Building courtyard as a part of the university’s Family Weekend activities.

Linda Swindling, TTPA president, said off-campus housing complexes have been invited to showcase their properties to parents and students for the 2023-2024 academic year.

“Families can see whether off-campus or on-campus makes more sense for next year. This is an opportunity to preview many apartment communities in one room,” Swindling said. “They can also make an appointment to view the properties, maybe the next day.”

Many properties begin offering pre-leasing spe cials in November, said Dawn Zuerker, advertising manager for The DT.

“On-campus housing can fill quickly for some of the more popular complexes,” she

said. “We encourage students to do their research before they feel pressured to sign anything.”

Student Legal Services and Red to Black Peer Fi nancial Coaching also par ticipate in the Housing Fair. Students and their families can talk with Student Legal Services to understand the legal language in the lease before signing. Red to Black peer financial coaching of fers financial education and awareness to students to empower students to achieve their financial goals.

This year’s Housing Fair will include representatives of the following Lubbock housing options: Park East, Centre Suites, Ulofts, Carl ton House, The Scarlet, The Holly, Capstone Cottages and Betenbough. A Lubbock Apartment Association rep resentative also is expected to be on hand for the event.

Students and parents need not be registered for Family Weekend events to at tend the housing fair, Zuerker said. The event is open to

anyone interested in learning more about securing student housing in Lubbock.

“We hope this event will be a great resource for any student or family who wants to get in-person information about what various properties have to offer their residents,” she said.

“Many of the questions our TTPA members ask with regard to housing can be answered at this event,” Swin dling said. “The housing fair is designed to alleviate some pressure and anxiety involved in choosing next year’s living arrangements.”

TTPA Facebook pages also feature postings from families that provide insight into good and bad experiences of rent ing locally, she said.

“It can be worth your time to perform a few searches and ask questions to determine the best place for your stu dent to live,” Swindling said. “You should seek information about what other students and families say about the complexes. Our family found that not all apartment com

plexes were created equal. Management companies and apartment services can vary greatly.”

The organization not only co-hosts the housing fair, but also provides resources to Red Raider families.

“TTPA supports family engagement and student suc cess. We have the largest campus tailgate the day of the Family Weekend game, park ing passes, discounted football tickets and T-shirts,” Swin dling said. “TTPA also pro vides scholarships, education, webinars and events. We offer community-based events, as well. TTPA has parent ambas sadors and volunteers all over the nation including Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and California. We are parents helping parents and families helping families.

“When your student is a Red Raider,” she said, “you are family.”

Visit the www.TexasTech Parents.org website to see the Family Weekend page as well as the organization’s member benefits.

Students prepare for Tech Family Weekend

By REESE GRIFFIN Staff Writer

have started preparing their houses and apartments for their parents arrival.

Some students are excited to show their parents around

the Tech campus and enjoy the football game on Saturday together.

Second-year journalism student from San Antonio

Heaven Marquez said taking her parents to Spanky’s and showing them around campus is a must for when her parents visit.

“Due to COVID, my family wasn’t able to spend a lot of time on campus when they dropped me off last year,” Marquez said. “Because of that, I’ve always wanted to show them how great of a place Texas Tech is. From the football stadium to the USA, I can’t wait to show them around.”

Although her family is excited for the Baylor game, Marquez said she is excited to show her family about her involvement in the Red Raider community.

“I would also show them around my workplace, the Womble,” Marquez said. “It’s a beautiful basketball facility. As a basketball coach, my dad is really looking forward to checking it out.”

In order to prepare for her parents to visit, Marquez said she and her roommate are deep cleaning their home one day at a time.

“We’ve started tidying up the living room, vacuuming the rugs, keeping the kitchen clean and taking out trash,” Marquez said. “We ’re a lso washing our dishes, sweeping and mopping the foyer.”

Being a full-time college student and employee hasn’t made the cleaning prepara tion any easier for a Marquez and her roommate.

“Because we’re both busy college students who work, we’re tackling the job of cleaning the whole house one task at a time,” Marquez said.

However, with Hallow een weekend being the same weekend, Marquez said they have found time to decorate their house for Halloween to welcome in their parents and the holiday.

“We started putting up fall and Halloween decorations on the first day of October and we have more spooky de cor in store for our parents,” Marquez said. “We’re going to add more Halloween decora tions and scary things for the holiday.”

Adam Bennett, a third-year creative media industries and advertising and brand strategy student from Allen, said he and his family enjoy going out to eat when they visit.

“Most of the time when my family comes to town we try to make it to our favorite res taurants and try something new,” Bennett said. “My fam ily really likes Capital Pizza, so we always go there.”

With his family also be ing big sports fans, Bennett said he and his family are excited for the Baylor game

this weekend. In preparation for their families to visit, Bennett said he and his room mates will be doing some light cleaning around the apartment.

Most of the time when my family comes to town we try to make it to our favorite restaurants and try something new.”

ADAM BENNETT THIRD-YEAR CREATIVE MEDIA INDUSTRIES STUDENT

“Getting the apartment ready is pretty simple , j ust straighten up the common areas and our bedrooms and bathroom space,” Bennett said. “Making sure there is no random trash, the area smells and looks good.”

Tyler Maurer, a fifth-year mechanical engineering stu dent from Fredericksburg, said he and his family does activities around Lubbock and visit their favorite restaurants as well.

“We usually go bird hunt ing or play golf at 4ore when my family visits,” Maurer said. “We also eat at our favorite restaurants like Taqueria Jalisco’s or Ike’s.”

Along with cleaning and decorating, Maurer and his roommates will have to hide cer tain things from their parents.

“Along with cleaning our bathroom and doing all the dishes, we’ll have to hide the dog because our parents don’t know we have one,” Maurer said. “We also need to hide the hole in the wall in the garage.”

Courtesy photo/TTPA

Families such as the one pictured above enjoy coming to cam pus to participate in the Texas Tech Parents Association’s annual Family Weekend activities. This year’s events include a dinner, photo booth and Housing Fair at the Student Union Building on Friday. Saturday’s activities revolve around a pre-game tailgate, the largest such event conducted each year on campus.

OLIVIA RAYMOND /The Daily Toreador

Texas Tech welcomed the families of Red Raider students at the Bowling for Soup live concert Oct. 23, 2021, at Raider Alley. Fami lies can experience Raider Alley and the pre-game activities before the 6:30 p.m. Tech football game against Baylor.

With Texas Tech Fam ily Weekend looming during Halloween weekend, students

Students discuss furnishing on a budget

By FAITH DOLAN Staff Writer

It is no secret that college students sometimes struggle to make ends meet. Tuition, rent, utilities and groceries add up quickly. With a home or an unfurnished apartment comes the need for furniture and for students, this can be a daunting task. Thankfully, students have found ways to furnish their homes on a budget. Gemma Folsom, a fourthyear creative media student from Sydney, Australia, said how she furnished her house in different ways.

“I looked a lot on Face book marketplace and differ ent thrift stores and stuff,” Folsom said. “Honestly, I asked my parents if they were not using any pieces of furniture.”

Folsom said she got a sideboard table from Face book for $25.

“I knew I could sand it down, repaint it and switch off the knobs and stuff and it would look good as new or better,” Folsom said.

As far as thrifting goes, Folsom thrifted all the fur niture in her living room.

“I got my couch and two chairs for free because they

were in some lady’s garage and she wanted to get rid of them,” Folsom said. “I got two side tables for $10 each.”

Folsom said she also asked her relatives if they were not using any pieces of furniture.

“I got a rug from my par ents and a chair from my grandma,” Folsom said.

David Morrison, a thirdyear creative media indus tries student from Austin, said that he got his furniture from his parents and Face book marketplace.

“I would look for the pret ty cheap route and put my own spin on things,” Mor rison said. “I have a couple pieces of furniture that I just put blankets over, so they do not look bad.”

Morrison said he bought an ottoman, a desk and a few chairs from the Facebook marketplace.

“I was trying to spend as little money as possible, even if that meant waiting a while before I could find something suitable,” Morrison said.

Morrison said he waited for two weeks before he got a $10 desk.

Clare King, a second-year advertising student from Mid land said the majority of her

furniture was handed down.

“My parents gave me their old table and chairs and our couch was handed down,” King said.

King said she got cof fee tables on the Facebook marketplace from someone she knew.

For other furniture, how

ever, King said she shopped at IKEA and Amazon.

“I went to Austin for a couple of days to see friends, so I bought the IKEA furniture there,” King said. “The ship ping adds to like $200, so I was not going to do shipping.”

King said that hand-medowns, IKEA and Facebook

ProsCons

marketplace helped her stay on budget.

“95 percent of the stuff in my room at least or the things I have contributed to the house, were handed down from Facebook mar ketplace or (are from) IKEA,” King said.

@FaithDolanDT

Owning pets in college homes

The best thing about having pets as a college student is the bond you share with them. They are essentially our first kids.

MITCHELL SMITH

SECOND-YEAR MICROBIOLOGY STUDENT FROM WICHITA FALLS

Unconditional love and purpose. Hav ing a dog also makes you more active.

DARIAN WINKLE

FOURTH-YEAR BIOLOGY STUDENT FROM SEATTLE

The biggest con of having a pet is schedules in col lege are constantly changing with classes, projects and socializing.

MITCHELL SMITH

SECOND-YEAR MICROBIOLOGY STUDENT FROM WICHITA FALLS

They don’t live as long as you, so you have to be sad eventually.

DARIAN WINKLE

FOURTH-YEAR BIOLOGY STUDENT FROM SEATTLE

MORGAN PICKETT/The Daily Toreador

The American Council of the Blind thrift store in Lubbock offers used furniture of all kind, inclucing couches, wall shelves and other household items.

MORGAN PICKETT/The Daily Toreador

The American Council of the Blind has a separate backroom of used furniture for students to browse from.

Students can find a new home at The Holly

Home to the most amenities in Lubbock and the only beach in West Texas, The Holly is the hottest spot for Texas Tech students to call home.

Our beautiful community stretches more than 30 acres with its own beach-entry lake stocked with almost 2,500 fish waiting to be caught by our outdoor-loving residents. Lakeside fun also includes our own floating island and a lighted jogging track perfect for twilight runs.

Our residents can use our grills to host a barbecue under the stars at our community picnic area or swim laps at The Holly Swim Club made up of two large resort-style pools with lounges. And, if there is time in the day for more, residents can enjoy our outdoor basketball and sand volleyball courts or take a pet for play time at our fenced-in pet park.

The Holly also has a Citibus campus shuttle that picks students up every 15 minutes in front of The Holly clubhouse.

Inside, our clubhouse is loaded with must-see amenities second to none. Designed by the renowned New York City interior designer Jon Call, every inch is beautiful and

created to enhance the lifestyle of our residents.

Along with our onsite management offices, residents can enjoy our JIM Fitness Center complete with an array of equipment, free weights, state-of-theart cardio machine and free tanning to give you a sunkissed glow all year long.

If a pick-me-up is in order, residents can swing by our JOE bar serving Starbucks coffee with all the finishes for the perfect cup before or after class.

At The Holly, there are many social and study lounge areas too. In the main clubhouse, residents can sit amongst the black, white and gold accents while cramming for a test or hit the books in our library overlooking the gorgeous Swim Club. For those needing a quiet spot or looking to host a group study session, two private conference rooms are also available.

At The Holly, you won’t simply sign a lease — you will become a member of boutique student club living

Whether you’re sunning along the private beachfront lake, hosting friends in the library or enjoying a workout at the JIM fitness center, you’ll

be able to nurture your creativity and live like an icon.

As a member of the Campus Life and Style Autograph Collection, The Holly apartments are in a league of their own. Each fully furnished suite offers private bedrooms, private bathrooms and a full-sized kitchen. Enjoy a private

patio or balcony and take in the views right from home.

We are happy to accommodate your unique living preferences and offer individual leases for each of our two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. When it’s time for class, our shuttle service to and from Texas Tech ensures you

don’t have to settle when it comes to resort-style living and an active student lifestyle.

Our Guest Services team is here to support your every need as a thriving student. Contact us today to secure your space. Hurry, spaces are filling up fast.

Our office hours are 9

a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. We are located at 3710 Erskine St. and can be contacted at (806) 744-3425 or by email at TheHolly@ clsliving.com. Visit our website at LiveTheHolly.com for more information.

The Scarlet offers unique, affordable living options for students

Which community has the most school spirit in Lubbock? The Scarlet student apartments.

Only a block away from Texas Tech, situated in the heart of the Overton District, The Scarlet has a premier location, all new

one-of-a-kind amenities and hotel-inspired service that cannot be found elsewhere in town.

The Scarlet even has its own Citibus campus shuttle station picking students up every six minutes.

We’ve re-envisioned traditional student living to bring you an experience that is truly in a league of its own. With access to an elite JIM fitness center featuring resistance equipment, free weights, state-of-the-art cardio machines, a spin room and free tanning, plus our fullservice business center with HPs and free printing and private study rooms, residents can take care of what’s most important whenever their schedule calls for it.

At The Scarlet, you won’t simply sign a lease — you will become a member of boutique student club living. Our must-see amenities also include our signature JOE bar serving Starbucks coffee with a variety of creamers and sugars to customize your cup, a Red Raiders War Room loaded with plush lounging furniture and ceiling-mounted TVs ready to catch every big game, and outdoor basketball and volleyball courts ready for any pick-up game. Residents love coming

home to a stunning resortstyle pool and hot tub.

Our beautiful, fully furnished apartments come complete with fullsized kitchens, walk-in closets and their own private washers and dryers. As a resident of The Scarlet, you’ll be treated as a VIP with our guest services and vibrant social community that encourages you to live life the way you want. Each unique living space comes

outfitted with a 50-inch flat-screen TV, hardwoodstyle flooring and private bedrooms and bathrooms.

With one-, three- and four-bedroom floor plans available, individual leases and our roommate matching service, we are happy to accommodate your unique living preferences. Plus, our petfriendly living, all-inclusive rent and exceptional customer service make this the best choice for

any student wanting to have everything at their fingertips to succeed.

Our office hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-4 p.m. We are located at 2202 Mac Davis Lane and can be contacted at TheScarlet@ clsliving.com or by phone at 806-747-2340.

Contact us or stop by today to learn more. Hurry, limited spaces are available. www.livethescarlet.com

Centre Suites provides housing options

to find your place.

A bustling hub of home, work and play where locally inspired flavor can be found everywhere, you are part of a welcoming com munity when you live at Centre Suites, 2300 Glenna Goodacre Blvd.

Located in Lubbock, just mo ments from the Texas Tech Uni versity campus, Centre Suites is community living that invites you

Feel free to stop by -- we’d love to see you.

Choosing your new apartment is important. It’s where you’ll host your first game-day party (go #redraiders). It’s where you’ll spend time with the friends you’ll have for the rest of your life. Your first apartment is responsible for memories you’ll look back on

STUDENT LEGAL SERVICES

fondly for years to come.

Centre Suites wants to be there for you every step of the way.

We provide the best off-cam pus student housing in Lubbock, right across the street from Texas Tech. We have a friendly on-site staff and amazing amenities that’ll have you excited to spend the weekend at home.

Hang out with friends in our sparkling pool or in game room after a study session in our study center complete with computers and printing. Other amenities include hot tub; on-site main tenance; TV lounge; dog park; gas grills; high-speed internet; clubhouse; and a state-of-the-art fitness center.

Centre Suites offers pet-

friendly studio, one-, two and three-bedroom apartments. Fur niture and renovated apartments are available.

Moving in has never been easier. Here at Centre Suites, you can walk into your apartment for the first time and know the hard part is already done -- your lights are already on, your modern ap pliances are ready for use.

The Lubbock community is full of life and provides the mod ern conveniences needed for the college lifestyle. The Centre at Overton Park is at the heart of it all. Our community, surrounded by restaurants, shopping and Jones AT&T Stadium, is waiting to welcome you home. Come by for a visit or call us at 806747-7700.

Free lease reviews offered on campus

By MEGHAN ROGERS Attorney for students

EDITOR’S NOTE: The infor mation contained in this article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

I like to think that somewhere in a cozy little apartment, college roommates are cooking dinner together and talking about their day while making plans to visit the local corn maze. Realizing there is a chill in the fall air, they turn on the heater, and it springs to life as they settle in with fuzzy blankets and appropriately themed snacks to watch “Hocus Pocus 2.”

I hope those roommates are out there, but they are not the ones I meet with and assist as an attorney for students at Texas Tech University Student Legal Services. We assist students who

are dealing with a multitude of off-campus housing problems: The stove handle shocks them when it is turned on, the friend they eagerly signed a lease with last year is now dating their exboyfriend, the air conditioner is doing everything but its job, mak ing sounds at all hours of the night while condensation leaks into their closet ruining the leather of their favorite boots only to find out the renters insurance they so aptly acquired excludes coverage for personal property damaged by water.

I could go on with examples of issues faced by Texas Tech students. Ideally, our office can work with a student to resolve the problem, but other times, students are frustrated to learn there is not a solution under the terms of their lease. The good news is most of these problems are avoidable or at least manageable with knowledge and preparation, and I am sharing some of my tips for selecting and living in off-campus housing.

The most important thing a renter should do is read the lease before signing it. Leases are often up to forty pages long, and most landlords provide them electroni cally. Much like my reaction to those pesky terms and conditions that pop up with iPhone updates, students tend to click accept and type in their name and initials without reading the fine print. But

the details matter.

Student Legal Services pro vides free lease reviews to current TTU students. The best time to review a lease with one of our at torneys is before it is signed, but students who already signed a lease also benefit from reviewing it to better understand their rights and obligations. Lease reviews ap pointments may be scheduled by calling our office at 806-742-3289.

It is important to research, read online reviews, and seek out firsthand experiences with a property before signing a lease, and argu ably even more important than deciding where to live is choosing who to live with. First-year college students frequently sign leases to live with newly made friends the following year; however, friend ships may (and do) change during that time. Students should con

sider lifestyle and study habits and engage in candid conversations about their housing standards and expectations with potential roommates.

Once it is time to move in, it is crucial to take photos and document the condition of the property with detailed notations of damages on move-in forms. It is also wise to make a copy of all paperwork related to a rental property rather than relying on management to make documents accessible in the office or through an online portal. The large number of students moving into apart ments at the same time makes it inevitable some forms will go missing. Students with a copy of their paperwork and pictures documenting the condition of the property are more likely to prevail in the event of a dispute over fines

or fees.

Unfortunately, no amount of preparation or documentation prevents all problems. Most leases do not require landlords to pay for theft or damage to renter’s personal property, and the insurance required by a lease only covers damage to the landlord’s property. Students should protect themselves with a personal renters insurance policy and carefully inspect the terms to make sure it covers loss caused by a variety of issues.

Moving into a college house or apartment is an exciting time in a student’s life. Making careful and informed housing decisions sets students up for success, and the attorneys and staff at Tech Student Legal Services are here to help when problems arise.

Meghan Rogers is an attorney for students at Texas Tech

Students give advice about off-campus living

By KAYLIN VRABEL News RepoRteR

For students considering moving off campus, there are a lot of things to think about and prepare for. Here are 10 things current students wish they knew before moving off campus.

1. Safety: Moving off cam pus means there aren’t as many safety precautions compared to the dorms, there are fewer people and less monitoring.

“The best practice to keep safe is to be aware of the po tential compromised safety and safeguard against it,” Maria Celeste House, a fourth-year management major from Com merce, said. “Always make sure your doors are locked. So many people leave their doors un locked for convenience, but it’s not worth it.”

2. Commuting: Depend ing on where students choose to live, the commute can be as close as five minutes to as far as 30 minutes by car to campus. Students can choose to buy a commuter parking pass, but they range from $45 to $600+, according to Tech Transpiration Services.

“Commuting to and from campus becomes really expen sive throughout the semester

without having public transpor tation,” Slade Lovelace, a firstyear communications student from Planes, said.

Tips: When choosing an apartment or house, see if the complex or sub division provides public transportation (Citibus) to campus. These are free buses that pick you up from your home and take you to campus for free. To find routes and run times, download DoubleMap on your app store. Electric scooters, like Limes, are also a good invest ment for transportation.

3. Utilities/extra expenses: When signing a lease, rent is only a portion of the expenses. Utilities are frequently charged. These things can add up quickly.

4. Roommates: Choosing who to live with off campus is critical for any living experience. The duration of a lease is typi cally a year, so it’s important to choose roommates wisely.

“Roommates can make or break your living situation,” Camryn Castro, a third-year marketing major from Rich mond, said. “It’s important to make sure everyone under stands the expectations of how everyone wants to live and be ing able to communicate when someone has a problem with

something.”

Tips: It is best to live with roommates with similar values. Partying, cleanliness and com mon ground rules are a couple of examples of things that should be covered. There are roommate finder quizzes apartments use to pair residents. Although this works, finding a roommate beforehand can be convenient for all parties. It is easier to plan and coordinate. There are apps such as, Roomie and Room mates by Roomster, that can help branch out and meet a new living partner.

5. Leases: Leases include other information aside from rent. There are different lengths, but are usually six to 12 months. Keep track of the lease’s start and end date, it is important to know when to renew or move out. If renters are younger and do not have a full-time job, they might need a guarantor to sign with them. A guarantor is someone who agrees to pay rent if the renter does not, this can be a parent or close relative.

Tips: Read the renters agree ment and lease thoroughly. Have a second party look over the lease completely before signing anything.

6. Pets: If students are bring

ing a pet or plan on getting one, there are important things to know. Almost all properties re quire a pet deposit or a monthly payment and some have weight and breed limitations. If the pet is a registered Emotional Support Animal, the landlord cannot charge additional rent or fees. The right to keep an ESA is covered by federal laws, such as the Fair Housing Act, according to the U.S. Department of Hous ing and Urban Development.

Tips: Do not register your pet as an ESA to get your fee waived. Meet the necessary requirements for needing an ESA, most places require proof of their certification.

7. Setting a budget: When you live off-campus, budgeting becomes harder. You are set to cover your own expenses. Utili ties and other expenses like gro ceries are something to plan for.

8: Shopping smart/meal planning: Unless you purchase a commuter plan, you do not have money in your Tech meal plan account. Learning how to properly shop is crucial for saving money. Meal planning is a technique that will help with this.

“Shopping smart is a huge part of living off campus, be

Tips for making moving easy

Moving is listed in the top five most stressful life events, according to UH Hospitals. Here are 12 tips to make moving convenient.

Use free boxes. Go to grocery stores or ask friends where they’ve had luck find ing boxes.

Color-code boxes. Mark packed boxes to specify their destination (ex ample: yellow=kitchen, red=bedroom, blue=living room).

Pack clothes on hang ers. Zip-tie hangers together to make carrying easier.

Use furniture drawer. Fill empty drawers with things you want to move. Wrap & pack vertically. In the kitchen, wrap and pack plates vertically so they’re less likely to break.

Wrap & pack break ables. Use bubble wrap or packing paper to wrap mir rors and pictures and secure with tape. Place in a box and fill empty spaces with crum pled paper. Store vertically.

Use what you’ve got. Save money on packing materials by using towels, sheets and T-shirts to help pack breakables.

Scrub it. Use a bar of white soap to fill small nail holes left in walls. Just rub the hole with the bar of soap until filled. Save the screen. Cover your TV with a sheet or

towel, then with bubble wrap or moving pads. Wrap with tape before placing in a box. Always remember to keep your flat screen sitting upright.

Don’t have a dolly? Use a skateboard or rolling office chair instead.

Zip it up. Use plastic zip per bags to move small items (jewelry, makeup, etc.)

Create a last-minute box. Pack items you’ll need immediately (laptop, phone charger, books, makeup, work necessities, etc.) last so they will be easily accessible

when you start unpacking in your new place.

Source: http://www. apartmentguide.com/blog/9apartment-moving-hacks, http://www.apartmentguide. com/blog/fan-submittedsmart-hacks-effortlessmove/

J A N E T W I L L H O L D T H E M A C C O U N T A B L E

cause the expenses pile up constantly. Monitoring spend ing and setting limits is key to setting yourself for financial success while in college and postgraduate,” Tyler Lewis, a second-year civil engineering major from Ankeny, said. “One way to save money is to buy food in bulk, like Costco, and meal prep for an entire week to help save time and money. Food will be one of your largest expenses off campus.”

9: Furnished vs. unfur nished: Apartment complexes are either furnished or unfur

nished. It usually costs more on your rent for furnishings, but buying your own furniture can add up quickly.

10: Extra expenses: Mov ing off campus means start ing over. There are things you wouldn’t think to buy a: kitchen appliances, cleaning supplies, bedding items, decorations, toiletries, etc.

Tips: Create lists and com plete most of your shopping done beforehand. Take advan tage of discount shopping.

@kayvrabeldt

Janet Dudding

Texas Comptrol

Texas has never had a CPA as its state accountant

the damn grid and fix it smart

methane it's fuel!

LMedicaid egalize it

OLIVIA RAYMOND/The Daily Toreador Darren Binny, a geosciences major, moves boxes to his new apart ment Oct.17, 2022.

SHOPPING

College must-haves

There are some items you may want to keep easily acces sible on moving day. This is a list compiled by DT staffers over the years. After all, no one wants to unpack 15 boxes just to find a light bulb, a fork or a roll of toilet paper following a long day of moving.

Bathroom: Plunger Towels, washcloths

Toilet paper

Toiletries Hand/body soap

Shampoo/conditioner Hair dryer First aid kit

Prescription meds (if applicable)

Bedroom: Blanket Sheets Pillows

Iron/ironing board

Hangers Kitchen: Dishes (or paper ones)

Utensils (or plastic ones) Cups (or plastic ones)

Pot holders/oven mitt

Can opener

Trash can/trash bags

Microwave Coffeemaker

Bottled water Dish towels

Measuring cups

Pots/pans Paper towels Dish soap

Cleaning: Broom Mop

Disinfectant wipes

Vacuum Dust cloths Miscellaneous: Tape Command Strips Extension cord/power strip

Chargers Batteries

Light bulbs Basic tool kit

HDMI cable

Stepstool Fire extinguisher Flashlight Air freshener

food & supplies

Decorate on a dime

Apartment space and stu dent budgets can be tight, so finding a way to fund room décor can be challenging. Let these tips (https://www. apartmentguide.com/blog/ decorate-on-a-dime/) help guide you to making your room reflect your style:

• Use window décor to con trol the natural light in your space.

• Make your space more in viting by adding cost-effective lighting. An old lamp can be refurbished with a new lamp shade, or inexpensive string lights can be hung to create an inviting atmosphere.

• Find inexpensive accesso ries or furniture items at thrift stores, garage sales or online. Some may require a little elbow grease (think spray paint or maybe just a good cleaning), but there is often treasure in someone else’s trash.

• Choose a few design ele ments and create a theme (think beach, a specific color or Texas Tech).

• Add inexpensive throw pillows, live plants, rugs and wall hangings to add punches of color, create depth and make the space feel homey

House plants for forgetful, busy students

College students are busy by nature and don’t have a lot of extra time to care for houseplants; however, add ing some live greenery is a quick and easy way to warm

up your space.

Interested? Try looking for these houseplants when you go out shopping (but be careful; some of these listed below are toxic to Fido or

your furry feline friend):

• African spear plant –Easy to grow; handles lowlight conditions and can thrive with very little water.

• Air plant – Doesn’t require soil and need little maintenance; can be wa tered as little as once a week, plus they’re pet-safe.

• Aloe vera – Succulent that requires little water; prefers bright, but indirect sunlight. Careful, though: They’re toxic to pets.

• Cast iron plant – Hardy and thrives “under the worst of conditions.” Prefers low light, is cold tolerant and can survive long periods without water.

• Chinese evergreen (Sil

ver Queen) – Low mainte nance and thrives in low light or medium light. Toxic to pets.

• Fiddle-leaf fig – Dif ficult to kill and simple to grow. Prefers bright, indirect sunlight. Toxic to pets.

• Jade plant – A bit more particular about its con ditions and may require some experimentation to get watering schedule right. Needs lots of sunlight. Toxic to pets.

• Lucky bamboo – Grows well in low light, often in water, but prefers bright light. “Mildly toxic” to pets.

• Parlor palm – Thrives in less-than-ideal condi tions but should be watered deeply. Sensitive to hard water buildup (which can be common in Lubbock). Nontoxic for dogs and cats.

• Peace lily – Prefers warm, humid conditions but can tolerate “overzealous air conditioning.” Toxic to cats and dogs.

• Pothos ivy – Low main tenance and seemingly thrives on neglect; tolerant of a variety of lighting con ditions. Toxic to pets.

• Purple shamrock – Re quires little care; OK with indirect lighting and infre quent watering. Toxic to pets.

• Red rubber tree – Simple to care for, low maintenance – and you can put it outside in the summer if you want it to grow tall. Likes bright light, well-drained soil and

occasional fertilizer. Toxic to pets.

• Snake plant (Mother-inlaw’s Tongue) – Thrives any where, even in dark rooms, and tolerant of infrequent watering. Not safe for pets.

• Spider plant – Thrives in low-light environments. Recommended as a pet-safe option.

• Staghorn fern – Easy to grow and non-toxic to pets.

• ZZ plant – Tolerant of low light, infrequent water ing; resistant to pests. Toxic to pets and children.

Source: Cheatsheet, https://www.cheatsheet. com/culture/best-house plants-that-are-impossibleto-kill.html

OLIVIA RAYMOND/The Daily Toreador

House plants can grow and add greenery to your new home. This house plant has lived inside for several months.

OLIVIA RAYMOND/The Daily Toreador

While some Lubbock flora need plentiful sunlight, puting a house plant next to a window is enough to keep it alive.

Prevent pesky pests from plaguing your palace

By BISHOP VAN BUREN Digital Content Manager

Recent heavy rain led to a noticeable increase in flies, mosquitos and other pests in and around the homes of Lub bock residents.

Nightmare infestations for homeowners and tenants oc cur when one insect makes its presence known in particular: bed bugs.

“They terrorize you,” thirdyear student Nojan Donesh said. “They’re so small that if your room is dark when you try to check your sheets, odds are you won’t even see them. I thought I was going crazy.”

Donesh spent his second year of college living in a house with three roommates and two dogs. The Houston native said he was excited to live in a house after moving out of the dorms, but the excitement was short-lived after finding bed bugs within a few months of moving in.

“I was super excited to get into a house after spending two semesters in a dorm, I’ve never felt more crammed in my life,” Donesh said. “That being said, I’d take a dorm over somewhere contami nated by bed bugs eight days a week.”

Donesh said his room mates’ favorite aspect of their house when they moved in was the back yard, an ideal play area for their dogs to exert some energy.

After the bed bug inci

dent though, Donesh said they knew that it was a large responsibility to be aware of what their pets could poten tially be bringing inside from the yard.

“My theory is the bed bugs hopped onto one of our dogs in the backyard and hopped off on our beds when we’d sleep with our dogs,” Donesh said. “I probably don’t need to explain why my dog sleeps on the floor now.”

Donesh said the bed bugs incident was enough to moti vate him to look for an apart ment for the following lease, where he feels safer from pests.

“Living in a house was good for the dogs to have space to play, but I just feel like the quality of living in that regard is better in apartments,” Do nesh said.

Bed bugs are professional hitchhikers. ... They are going to be a problem year-round.

TIM GAFFORD OWNER GAFFORD PEST CONTROL SERVICES

While Donesh decided to change his housing conditions, Cale Clark and the rest of his former roommates stayed put at his old house.

Clark is a fourth-year Tech student from Houston as well.

He is also a proud pet owner, which he said influenced him to stay in a house.

“It was gross finding the bed bugs, don’t get me wrong, but I couldn’t restrict my dog to a small apartment without a yard,” Clark said.

Clark and Donesh said they used Gafford Pest Control services, a Lubbock Extermina tion company owned by Tim Gafford.

“The key is checking your bed’s sheets and having a reliable exterminator to call,” Clark said. “We went with Gafford and I’m confident he can handle any problem we might have.”

For many insects — es pecially mosquitos — cold weather is their worst enemy and they can be driven into hibernation for weeks or even months in the winter.

Unfortunately for those who think the cold weather will save them from bed bugs, this is not the case.

“Bed bugs are professional hitchhikers,” Gafford said. “Because they become a prob lem inside the home they are safe from outdoor elements like cold weather or a dry climate. They are going to a problem year-round.”

It can be difficult to notice bed bugs during the day, but they are prone to biting the ankle area when a person is resting in bed at night.

“They wait until night time, when everyone stops moving and settles in bed. They’re at

Moving? be sure to change your address

There are lots of things to handle when making a successful move, but one of the most important tasks is changing your address. Follow these tips to make sure it’s done correctly and to ensure you notify everyone you need to:

• A week before your move, change your address with the U.S. Postal Service. Go to USPS.com/move to do so online (there’s a nominal fee) or go to your closest post office and request a Movers Guide packet (look inside for PS Form 3575). Once the change is completed and filed, any mail sent to your old address will be forwarded to your new ad dress for maximum 12 months.

• Notify the IRS (https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8822).

• Change your driver license (do it online at https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driverlicense/online-services).

• As soon as you have a new address and a planned date for moving, notify all utility companies that were being used in the home (gas, electric, phone/cable/internet and any others that might be pertinent).

• Prior to move in, notify the agency that handles your renter’s insurance and let them know about your new address.

• And don’t forget: your employer, bank/credit card companies, loan providers, insurance providers, other financial agencies, magazine/subscription services, online shopping sites, clubs/organizations and individual services (doctor, dentist, vet, etc.).

• Send out a mass email to friends and family to let them know as well.

Source: USAgov, https://www.usa.gov/moving, www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/online-services, and moving.com, https:// www.moving.com/tips/change-address-checklist-who-to-notify-when-you-move

tracted to the carbon dioxide that comes out of your body so that’s why you might wake up with bites around your ankles.”

If someone finds them selves in this situation, Gaf ford said it is pivotal to seek

help from a professional pest company as soon as possible.

There are various methods for treating bed bugs, but none of them should be performed unprofessionally.

“Some people use heat

treatment, some people use freezing, we flush them out,” Gafford said. “It’s a detailed job and takes quite a bit of time and quite a bit of product to be able to do what we do.”