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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021 VOLUME 95 ■ ISSUE 25

LA VIDA

SPORTS

Tech cheer, pom squads to attend nationals in Daytona.

Former players react to Adams’ new position.

Artists deserve freedom in their work.

OPINIONS

ONLINE

PG 3

PG 5

PG 4

Vote on our poll online at www.dailytoreador.com

ONLINE

INDEX LA VIDA SPORTS OPINIONS CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS SUDOKU

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

Adams takes on new coaching role

By ZACH RICHARDS Sports Editor

April 1, 2021 was a day of great change within the Texas Tech basketball program, as they had lost what was at the helm for five years in historic, groundbreaking endeavors: head coach Chris Beard.

That Thursday, Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt said Beard called him late morning with the news, and shortly after, news broke of Beard’s departure to inconference rival, Texas.

But the five-year, former Lubbock-based head coach did not leave the program where he found it.

During his tenure as a Red Raider, Beard won AP National Coach of the Year honors while boasting a 112-55 record as a head coach, according to Tech Athletics, including an 2018 Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Division 1 National Tournament, and also a National Championship appearance in 2019, where Tech lost to Virginia.

With Beard, Tech earned its first ever title in the Big 12 conference and also its first appearance in the Final Four, according to Tech Athletics, defeating Gonzaga and Michigan State on the way to another honor of Tech’s first appearance in the national championship.

As hard as it is to regain traction and appear in the ladder stages of the tournament again, Beard’s last run as a head coach ended in the Round of 32 with a loss to No. 3 Arkansas in March Madness. This would be his last game as Tech’s head coach.

When the news broke, it trended on Twitter, ESPN and a flurry of other mainstream media outlets as Tech’s coach of half a decade returned to his alma mater in stunning fashion, leaving a short-term hole in the basketball program.

There was an instant domino effect.

Just minutes after his decision to leave, junior guard and two-year starter Kyler Edwards announced his decision to enter the transfer portal. But this was only the beginning.

Senior forward Marcus SantosSilva, and freshman Micah Peavy

also entered the transfer portal.

On the coaching side, all but two people on Tech’s coaching staff remained on scene: Mark Adams and Sean Sutton.

It was an empty house for the Red Raiders, whose program was depleted to the core.

No head coach, three starters in the transfer portal and a looming fear of even the recruits straying away from Lubbock was in the air.

But just as the program fell, it got back up within a week, and the answer was right under the program’s nose the whole time.

“The best and many would say the obvious choice, coach Mark Adams, a proven winner,” Tech president Lawrence Schovanec said in a news conference.

Born just minutes from the university, Adams’s dream of being named head coach of Tech came to reality on April 5, when he was named the new head basketball coach at Tech.

“It is probably the best day of my life,” Adams said. “Its been a dream of mine for, gosh, since I was 8 or 9 years old watching Texas Tech basketball and football growing up,” It is tough to be more West Texas than Adams, graduating from Tech in 1979, according to Tech Athletics, and staying in the South Plains for the majority of his coaching career, according to Tech Athletics.

And for a while, too, compiling 23 years of head coaching experience at Clarendon College, Wayland Baptist, West Texas A&M, Texas Pan-American (Texas Rio Grande Valley) and Howard College.

Even as a Red Raider, Adams has experience.

From 2013 to 2015, Adams served as a director of basketball operations, and after a brief break, returned under Beard as an assistant, and then associate head coach until he moved up to the head coaching role in 2021.

At all levels, Adams has gotten it done, being inducted into the Wayland Baptist Hall of Honor in 2017, and the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020, according to Tech Athletics. He has an abundance of not only head coaching experience, but successful

The Adams Family

KATIE PERKINS/The Daily Toreador

Mark Adams holds his Guns Up during a press conference on April 6, 2021 in the United Supermarkets Arena. Adams was hired as new head coach for Texas Tech men’s basketball on April 5. head coaching experience, leading Howard College to the NJCAA National Championship.

But the deeply tenured West Texas native has had one constant at each stop he has been to, and it has directly translated into a successful, 554-244 record as a head coach: defense.

Touted as the mastermind be-

hind Tech’s defense, in charge of rotations, roles, assignments and even minutes, Adams has gauged what it takes to head a defenseoriented program and has seen his plans blossom through the years.

Of his accomplishments stems the backbone of success for Tech’s 2019 national championship team, that led the nation in defensive ef-

ficiency, according to Tech Athletics.

The tandem of Adams and Beard made history, but only one has done it without the other.

In fact, Beard has not coached in a single college basketball game without Adams on his staff.

SEE ADAMS, PG. 5

CAMPUS

VorTECH simulates tornado-like winds

By JAVIER BACA Staff Writer

Photo Courtesy of Darryl James

VorTECH is a system that simulates tornado-like winds in order to examine what the loading on buildings is as a result of tornadoes. It also can simulate different type of tornadoes.

Darryl James is the vice provost of institutional effectiveness and is a professor of mechanical engineering at Texas Tech. James was able to explain what VorTECH is and what it does.

“VorTECH simulates tornado like winds,” James said. “The idea is trying to look at what the loading is on buildings as a result of tornadoes. We don’t produce a real tornado, but mechanically, we can simulate certain types of tornadoes and that is where we started.”

James said one purpose of VorTECH is trying to understand the loading on structures, particularly low-rise structures like houses.

“There is an existing code that describes the requirements to build a house,” James said.

“Part of that is the wind loading, but tornadoes aren’t included in that, and tornadoes blow structures much differently.

That is what we are trying to understand, how a tornado loads a low-rise building and how it is different from straight line wind.”

James said that around 90 percent of tornadoes have an estimated wind speed of less than 150 mph. Those wind speeds are the characteristics that can be

simulated using VorTECH. They work with atmospheric scientists like Chris Weiss. The atmospheric scientists gather data of what a velocity profile looks like and use VorTECH to attempt to mimic the wind profile the atmospheric scientists observed in nature, James said.

Chris Weiss is an atmospheric scientist and professor at Tech. Weiss described in more depth what a tornado genesis is.

“We are trying to understand how tornadoes form, and that is what we call a tornado genesis,” Weiss said. “It boils down to producing the initial tornado vortex, and the matter of maintaining it once it is developed.”

Weiss said the data they are looking for includes what storms will produce a tornado and understanding how long and how strong those tornadoes will be.

The vortex simulator allows the atmospheric scientists to artificially produce tornado like vortices, Weiss said.

“We have a big exhaust chain at the top that sucks air upwards and that simulates the updraft of the tornado,” Weiss said. “They have these little veins around the perimeter that you can adjust the angle of attack of the flow near the surface.

Basically, it can create a lot of circulation by adjusting the levers on the sides and then there is the updraft in the center.”

Weiss said the simulator does not give any context for storm scale, but it can give a very reliable representation of the tornado vortex itself.

VorTECH can replicate winds found in strong tornadoes. To simulate strong tornadoes, they generate a downward motion in the center and the single vortex that existed before will break down into four or five individual sub vortices that rotate around a common center, Weiss said.

DeLong Zuo, an associate professor of civil engineering and is the technical director of the National Wind Institute at Tech, explained what is being done with VorTECH and why tornadoes cause a great deal of damage.

“VorTECH doesn’t actually produce powerful wind,” Zuo said. “The wind speed is just one part of the picture; tornadoes cause damage because of high wind speed. It is also because the wind swirls, so you create a pressure field that can cause a lot of damage. What we are trying to do in VorTECH is we are trying to recreate the exact mechanism of a tornado because we cannot create the temperature profile of a tornado. We are just trying to reproduce the mechanical flow of the air.”

SEE VORTECH, PG. 2

2

NEWS

APRIL 8, 2021

WWW.DAILYTOREADOR.COM

AUTISM AWARENESS

Tech experts discuss Autism Awareness

By HANNAH ISOM news editor

As Autism Awareness Month kicks into full swing, it can be important to know what autism is and how it affects people socially. Texas Tech professors discussed autism and some ways individuals with autism can receive assistance through Tech.

Sherry Sancibrian, program director for Speech Language Pathology in the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, said she thinks of autism as a developmental disorder or disability, meaning that it can change over time and that being developmental means that every person with autism is different.

“What everyone with autism has in common is that it affects your communication, your social interaction and often there’s some behavior challenges,” Sancibrian said.

In children, these challenges may include throwing tantrums and in college students it could include being unsure of the expected social behavior at some events, Sancibrian said.

Individuals with autism can be anywhere on what is called, the spectrum, Sancibrian said.

“So, the way I think about it is based on how much sup-

port that person is going to need in their daily lives,” Sancibrian said.

Individuals at the higher end of the spectrum, with severe autism, will need more support in their daily lives like dressing and feeding themselves, Sancibrian said.

Those at the low end of the spectrum can do almost everything individuals their age without autism can do with very minimal support and those in the middle can participate if given that extra support such as an assistant or extra time on an exam.

“I’m not sure how many people realize how many students we have with autism,” Sancibrian said. “We have students with autism on the Tech campus and on the HSC campus, I’m not always sure if their instructors realize that.”

However, Tech does have support for these students if they need or want it through the Office of Student Disabilities Services, but according to rules set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is up to the student to self-identify, Sancibrian said.

If students do not speak up, Sancibrian said she does certain things in her class to address the fact there are multiple types of learners, whether they have autism or not, like using a visual

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

Cole’s Crew walks in the Burkhart Walk for Autism Awareness on April 28, 2019 at the John Walker Soccer Complex. This year’s Walk will be hosted virtually at 1 p.m. on April 24, 2021. or making it available for students to re-watch lectures.

This past year may have been a struggle for some students with autism, Sancibrian said. For some, college is where they become more socially aware and sometimes that can cause more anxiety and depression, because they struggle with things that in-

dividuals without autism do not. Adding masks and social distancing may have made these things worse.

“For some, it’s the first time they realize that other people might not struggle with this, and it’s hard to accept that, ‘this is really hard for me and it’s not hard for everybody,’” Sancibrian said.

The Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research offers assistance for students with autism as well.

Jennifer Hamrick, interim co-director of the Burkhart Center, said the Burkhart Center provides services for individuals with autism through the age of 30.

The Burkhart Center has a clinic program that is geared toward younger children. The program addresses deficits to increase the individual’s quality of life and advocate for themselves, Hamrick said.

“With COVID we have had to make some changes, and so a lot of the work that we’re doing is remote,” Hamrick said.

For adults, the Burkhart Center offers a transition academy program focused on individuals aged 18 to 30 who have graduated high school but may need assistance finding employment, with a focus on independent living, Hamrick said. The Connections for Academic Success and Employment program is geared specifically toward college students at Tech or South Plains College that may need help adjusting socially and emotionally. Additionally, the CASE program helps students with autism develop a plan for tackling college.

However, Hamrick said it is important to remember individuals with autism are hard to compare.

“If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism, and I think that’s the case with ev-

eryone, we’re all so different,” Hamrick said.

While celebrating Autism Awareness Month, an important thing those working in the Burkhart Center remember when planning events or ways to engage with the community is making sure to get feedback from individuals with autism they are working with.

“There’s a saying that I was actually talking about this in my class that I teach last week about, ya know, when we’re doing anything in terms of planning or work with the autism community, we really should keep in the forefront of our mind the phrase, ‘It’s not about us if it’s without us,’” Hamrick said.

The phrase is a reminder that individuals with autism must be included in planning, events and feedback during Autism Awareness Month, Hamrick said. Though Autism Awareness Month is important Sancibrian said she hopes at some point autism awareness moves to autism acceptance.

“Accepting that, ya know, humans, there’s so many differences between humans, having autism is just another one of the many things that can be unique about a person,” Sancibrian said.

For more information regarding Autism Awareness Month events visit Events Calendar | Burkhart Center | TTU. @HannahIsomDT

VORTECH

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Zuo said VorTECH can create a tornado-like wind, but it is not the exact same thing as a tornado. However, VorTECH is still useful to study how tornadoes can create damage.

The wind speed created in VorTECH is not powerful, Zuo said. VorTECH can create wind speed up to 25 mph as opposed to an actual tornado that has a wind speed of 200 mph, VorTECH creates the wind at a scaled level.

“For example, there is 25 mph wind that creates a specific amount of force,” Zuo said. “We can then use that specific amount of force to calculate what would happen if wind speed was at 200 mph and what that force will be.”

Zuo said VorTECH will be able to help with the building codes for new structures, but there may be a possibility for reinforcing existing structures. This and making sure society can be resistant to tornado hazards, it the goal of VorTECH. For more information regarding the VorTECH visit depts.ttu.edu/nwi/research/ facilities/vortech.php. @JavierBacaDT

@DailyToreador www.dailytoreador.com

SPIRIT

LA VIDA

Page 3 Thursday, April 8, 2021

Tech cheer, pom squads to attend nationals in Daytona

By TEA MCGILVRAY Staff Writer

After a year of unexpected challenges and intense preparation, the Texas Tech Pom Squad and the Texas Tech Cheer Squad are heading to Daytona Beach, Florida, where they will be competing at nationals April 8-10.

The 2019 national champions did not have the chance to compete last year due to COVID-19, which afforded them extra time to improve their routine.

The COVID-19 pandemic not only had effects on nationals, but also on the team’s ability to practice together, Erin Alvarado, Tech Pom Squad head coach, said. The team often had to split up during practice to maintain COVID-19 guidelines. It was not until March that they were able to practice together in the arena.

“I think we made the best of a situation we couldn’t

control, and I think people will be surprised to see how much we’ve grown, changed and evolved over the last year or two,” Alvarado said.

This competition will be the first nationals experience for most of the team, only eight members of the 27 have ever attended before. The preparation for this year’s competition consisted of both physical and mental preparation, Alvarado said.

“I think this year we’re prepared for anything,” Alvarado said. “Our team is so talented, and I am hopeful that they will be able to put their best product on the floor, and I think they will.”

Head cheer and mascot coach Bruce Bills said preparation for a competition is more than just hair and makeup. The athletes spend the year working on their skills and routines.

Tryouts begin in May the year before the competition, and they begin working early

in the year to curate their routine, Bills said.

The Pom Squad will perform two dance routines at nationals. The cheer team will perform stunts, basket tosses, pyramids and tumbling, Bills said. The athletes have been practicing these skills for years, and some of the biggest challenges they have yet to face are mental ones.

“The thing I keep telling the team is to just breathe and take a moment and just do what you know how to do,” Bills said. “Once that happens, the team chemistry and the overall performance is something to watch and exciting to see.”

Reagan Gill, a Pom Squad member and junior nutritional science major from Houston, is one of the eight members on the squad who has previously competed in nationals. She said one of the coolest parts about the competition is be-

ing able to compete on the beach in Daytona.

The spirit program team members receive benefits such as nail salon, waxing, skincare and tanning services, Gill said.

The Tech Pom Squad has coordinated hairstyles, makeup and costuming, which fits their routine’s theme, Gill said. Every year there is an element of backstage preparation as they each add rhinestones to their costumes.

“We have two girls who looked for specific makeup to match our costumes, and it’s super exciting because she gave us a tutorial, so we could all learn how to do it,” Gill said.

COVID-19 made the whole process leading up to the competition unusual this year, Gill said. Rather than having their qualifying event in Las Vegas, they auditioned from Lubbock and they faced challenges with practice loca-

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

The Texas Tech Pom Squad performs at a basketball game at the United Supermarkets Arena. The Pom and Cheer Squads are both performing at nationals April 8-10 in Daytona Beach, Florida. tions throughout the year.

For the nationals team, this past month has been all about nationals, holding practices almost every day.

Gill said preparing for nationals consists of a lot of late nights, early mornings and

intense weekend practices.

“It takes a lot of dedication and hard work, but it’s worth it because it’s all for nationals,” Gill said. “I can’t wait to finally be back and hopefully take home two national titles this year.” @DTMcgilvray

CAMPUS

Administration updates Black Cultural Center plans

By MADELEINE HALL Staff Writer

The Black Cultural Center being built on the Texas Tech campus is under way after it’s conception over a year ago. The vision for the center is focused on the representation and unity of black students on campus.

“When we began talking to students we really wanted to know what they wanted to see and get out of the space,” Carol Sumner, vice president of Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, said. “What we heard a lot was the word sanctuary, a space for gathering and celebrating the Black community.”

The creation of the Black Cultural Center is part of a three-phase plan set forward by the Black Student Association af-

ter a racially charged video went viral in December 2019. The BSA recognized a need for a space on campus for Black students to come together and for Black culture to be celebrated and has worked hard with the university to bring the center to life.

“We wanted to make sure that this space represented all of the Black experience such as LGBTQIA students, veterans, alumni- a place where people weren’t asking you to come in any other way than who you are,” Sumner said. “We saw a need for a space where Black culture and the Black experience could be recognized as part of the lived experience of students at Tech.”

Most of the plans for the center have already been finalized by the faculty, staff and students spearheading the project,

Sumner said. The center will be located in the old development building by the Student Union Building and completely renovated as a space adaptable for events, lectures and seminars, study spaces and more while highlighting Black culture.

“We’ve talked about opening up the entryway to exhibit art, and we’ve worked with the Dean of Libraries to talk about bringing in African American literature and scholarship into a potential library space in the building for students and community members to easily access these works rather than searching through the some 2.1 million volumes in the campus library,” Sumner said.

The creation of the Black Cultural Center has been primarily student led, Sumner said. The BSA as well as many

of the other Black student organizations and associations on campus have been working closely with the administration throughout the process.

A student advisory committee has been created in order to help run the center as well as represent the student needs on campus.

“The committee was handpicked by the BSA and has undergraduate and graduate students and members that have had some foothold in different endeavors whether that’s SGA, Greek life or anything else to have all different perspectives to advise for the center,” Naomi Yinta, a senior human development and family sciences major from Dallas and the BSA vice president, said.

The committee has reached out to all Black student organi-

zations on the Tech campus to ensure the needs and wants for the center are being met and the students continue to be involved in the development process, Yinta said.

Everyone involved in the creation of the Black Cultural Center has high hopes for the possibilities it will bring to campus.

“There are so many possibilities with what we can do,” Yinta said. “We very much have an all-inclusive, all hands on deck, all ideas matter attitude. The administration and Dr. Sumner have been amazing with doing everything they can to bring what we’ve envisioned to life.”

A common misconception, Sumner said, is cultural centers are only for the culture they represent. The goal for the Black Cultural Center is to welcome all students and look at the Black

experience at Tech and provide a deeper understanding through representation and education.

“I think it’s so important that we as Black students at Tech have a space to come together and for students of other races to learn about and celebrate our culture with us,” Andre Johnson, a junior psychology major from Houston, said.

A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for the Black Cultural Center in August 2021, and the center will be fully finished in January 2022, Yinta said.

“I can’t wait for the center to open, I’m excited to see the vision come to life and to experience all of the things they have planned,” Johnson said. “It means a lot that Tech has been so dedicated to creating this center and that our voices have been heard.” @MadeleineHallDT

OPINIONS

Page 4 Thursday, April 8, 2021

COLUMN

@DailyToreador www.dailytoreador.com

Artists deserve freedom in their work W

e must stop the backlash toward celebrities who make a transition to making more mature content. They have no obligation to retain a squeaky-clean image to appease anyone.

On March 25, Lil Nas X released the music video for his new single “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name).”

With its dreamlike, computer-generated visuals, the video alluded to the Garden of Eden and showed Lil Nas X sliding down to hell on a pole, greeting Satan with a seductive dance and then killing him.

The video racked up millions of views within a day of its release. It was highly memorable and controversial, undoubtedly because of its use of overt sexuality alongside Biblical imagery.

Toluwani Osibamowo is a junior journalism major from Plano.

The controversy around Lil Nas X’s public image has been building up for a while. He came out as gay at the peak of his “Old Town Road” fame in 2019; he dressed up in drag as Nicki Minaj after actively hiding his pre-fame support for her.

For many people, seeing the artist behind the 2019 song of the year — the song children were singing and dancing to in schools across the nation — with this flamboyant, scandalous persona was appalling. Lil Nas X was called demonic and disappointing online,

especially after the release of his Satan Shoe that was said to contain a drop of human blood inside, according to the fashion collective that released it, MSCHF. Whether or not people take issue with Lil Nas X’s actions is none of my concern. What puzzles me is how people are convinced their cries of outrage are enough to shame him into meekly apologizing and returning to his era of being a heterosexual rapping cowboy.

Lil Nas X joins the list of several other artists who have been shamed for putting out a more mature image and supposedly not doing their jobs as role models — Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande are a few.

Conveniently, these criticisms dance around any

mention of the abuse and exploitation many stars face that might contribute to a rougher persona as they age.

This refusal to let public figures grow up and explore their self-expression is obsessive. It’s shocking how puritanical our society shows itself to be.

Female and LGBTQ artists like the ones I have mentioned are cracked down on 10 times harder than others when they explore their sexuality.

It only takes one song like “Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj or “WAP” by Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B to send the Internet into a slut-shaming tizzy.

Probably the most tired, insincere defense of spewing hatred at celebrities is, “Think of the children!”

Most social media plat-

forms have a minimum age restriction in order to make an account.

TVs and other electronic devices come with parental locks. Streaming services have entire catalogs dedicated to children’s media.

They have no obligation to retain a squeaky-clean image to appease anyone.

There’s no denying that mature content is more prevalent and hard to shield children from in mainstream media, but the tools to protect your children’s innocence are abundant if you’re truly devoted to that goal. Why rely on adult celebrities to raise your children?

Society’s priorities are skewed. Our fixation on chastity and goodness is ironic considering the gruesome injustices that are carried out daily that we’ve become desensitized to.

As Lil Nas X wrote in a Tweet, “there is a mass shooting every week that our government does nothing to stop. me sliding down a CGI pole isn’t what’s destroying our society.”

People, including artists who have dedicated themselves to a life in the public eye, are allowed to grow and change. If that personal change is something you don’t agree with, I encourage you to take your hands off the keyboard before you give the human being on the other side of your screen a hard time. @TOsibamowoDT

COLUMN

Student prepare for summer after a year of COVID-19 Summer 2021 is going to the best summer for college students. For some students, it may have already started and they forgot there was a pandemic. However, for most, this summer is going to be redemption.

Last year’s summer was abruptly taken away. Not only was there a virus rapidly spreading as well as fear, anxiety and depression. This summer season is another ball game.

Coronavirus did not miraculously disappear, it never will. Just as the

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Chyna Vargas is a freshman journalism major from San Antonio.

flu, meningitis and other grimy diseases we get vaccines for the hope for a somewhat normal summer did not disappear either from students’ minds.

I experienced a sneak peek at what the summer is going to be like over this past Easter break. Leaving the state of Texas, I flew out to the District of Columbia for the wellness weekend and witnessed a progressive and positive change to traveling.

Of course, masks are worn by everyone in airports, and the airports themselves do such a magnificent job in making everyone feel safe and reducing the spread of germs.

Not a moment went by that it felt morally wrong to be leaving the state because of the allocation of personal protected equipment and the implication of sanitized

areas. These regulations will most likely remain the same for the duration of the next few months.

The regulations are casual actions to be made, and if anything, add another safety measure to one’s travels. Adding then reassurance you would not catch the virus. To truly feel like summer, the limitation of being sick is a key factor.

Doing small efforts here and there allows the fun to really happen. College students know all about procedures and protocols.

Doing their part for an enjoyable summer is no enduring task.

Beyond the traveling efforts, once they are in the destination of their choice, places have had over a year to adapt. The adaption may be even better than the original.

For example, reservations are everyone’s best friends now. Businesses are taking reservations so seriously now because not only it is mandated in various areas, but it as well creates a more personal

experience for customers.

At theme parks, reservations are needed, in addition to limited capacity.

At first, they may have seemed like a disappointment, but by spending less time in line for rides, there is more time spent being on the rides.

While they should have been doing all these safety measures before, because of the pandemic, there are no guaranteed safety measurements that can ease the mind for this summer.

This pandemic has taught us not only how to be healthier and more cautious when it comes to public areas, but how to as well truly indulge in our summers.

Due to last summer being the peak of coronavirus, the options to even do leisure activities were canceled. Nonetheless, this summer is about enjoying every second because we now know how to not take each day for granted.

This is why this will be the best summer yet. I’m not trying to say everyone will go buck wild, but people will know how to truly

live again. The pandemic last summer showcased to many there is so much more to life than being cooped up in our rooms.

Being in college is about stumbling, discovering and finding out who you are, and it was pretty difficult to do that when isolated. This summer is about taking back what was taken away.

From first-year students

However, for most, this summer is going to be redemption. coming into college to the ones graduating, this summer symbolizes a positive meaning to everyone.

It is beginning to look promising with the safety measures and vaccinations being rapidly rolled out.

Everyone’s guard should not be completely down but taking life for granted is not going to be tolerated.

Summer 2021 is ready for the people. It is ready to pave the path into some-

what normalcy after a hell of a year.

It is not fear that will drive college students into enjoying this summer. It will be appreciation and gratitude that there is a summer reparation.

It will be the best summer for these students because they have experienced wasted days. Not saying that all of the last summer was completely lost, but this summer, no day will be left behind.

Thank you to the companies that are trying to make sure this summer is still happening while also being safe. With their cooperation, college students can cooperate and support them. Beyond the benefits of our fantastic summer but for everyone else’s too.

This summer will be what could have been last year. Cancellation of trips is now an adaptation of trips. This will not only make it memorable because of the time we are in but because students have learned, they cannot take these days for granted. @ChynaVargasDT

COLUMN

Community should recieve the vaccine Sebastian Gomez is a freshman journalism major from Venezuala

The appearance of the COVID-19 vaccines has created a major controversy among people during the current pandemic.

Many people today are in great uncertainty about whether to get vaccinated or not.

Even in social media, a whole controversy has started around vaccination and possible mortal side effects. However, even though many people and institutions are speculating against vaccines, I consider that during these moments the people must get vaccinated.

You should get vaccinated for your integral health as an individual. In case you have not realized it yet, COVID-19 is not a game. The little we have known about this virus is that although some people are more likely to die from COVID-19, it does not discriminate against ages.

Therefore, regardless of whether you are in the population at risk or not, you should avoid becoming

infected. And the best way to do it is by getting vaccinated.

Even if you are a person who already had COVID-19 or that complies with the safety measures responsibly, nothing will protect you more against getting infected than the vaccine. Among the percentage of vaccine effectiveness against the COVID-19 in America, we have the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with 95 percent, the Moderna vaccine with 94.1 percent and the Johnson and Johnson vaccine with 66.3 percent, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Getting vaccinated is for the safety of others in the community. If you get vaccinated, you are not only taking care of yourself from becoming infected, but you are also protecting society from possible new outbreaks of the virus. And you may wonder how this is possible?

The answer to this question is quite simple, and it's called herd immunity.

This strategy consists in as more people in a group are immunized, fewer people

remain exposed, and there is less chance that an infected person will spread the pathogen to another person.

Therefore, if as many people today get the vaccine, the possibility of others getting infected could decrease exponentially.

Returning to normalcy and the end of this pandemic situation should also be a reason why you should get vaccinated.

I think it is a collective thought to want to return to life without a pandemic.

Although many people remain skeptical today, the unique solution we have as a society to get back to normal is the vaccine. According to the World Health Organization, if 60 or 70 percent of the global population is vaccinated, they can consider the world is stable with COVID-19.

Therefore, the more people are vaccinated, the closer we will be to returning to our normal lives.

If you reflect on these reasons, they provide enough evidence to understand that getting

vaccinated is the most accurate decision that you can take today. However, it is understandable if you still have doubts or fear about the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Daily Toreador Staff

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In case you have not realized it yet, COVID-19 is not a game.

Sometimes it can be difficult to decide to get vaccinated when there is a lot of information on the internet claiming that vaccines are unsafe and possibly dangerous for humans. Nevertheless, if your concern is the safety of vaccines, consider this fact, most people in their daily life consume products and foods that are not safe.

And even though people know the hazardous consequences of the products, they still consume them.

Therefore, considering that vaccines have passed through the most rigorous safety controls of the most

respected health entities.

It seems like an absurd idea not to get vaccinated because some unofficial information sources say that vaccines could be dangerous.

Having said this, I invite you to get vaccinated.

I can say that the vaccination process in Lubbock is easy, effective and free. If you want to get vaccinated, you just have to enter the city of Lubbock website, make your appointment and go get vaccinated.

I assure you that the psychological support when it comes to getting the vaccine, makes you feel safer when you are in a public place. However, after receiving the vaccine, we cannot lower our guard since the immunization is achieved after the second dose.

Besides, even if we are fully immunized, we must continue to comply with biosafety measures until the authorities authorize it. During these moments of crisis, the responsible actions are the ones that will help us move forward towards a new normal. @SebasGomezDT

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signature, phone number, student ID number and a description of university affiliation. Students should include year in school, major and hometown. We reserve the right to edit letters. Anonymous letters will not be accepted for publication. All letters will be verified before they are published. Letters can be emailed to dailytoreador@ ttu.edu or brought to 180 Media and Communication. Letters should be sent in before 3 p.m. to ensure the editors have enough time to verify and edit the submission.

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ADAMS

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 What makes Adams’ defense so special, though, is his no-middle concept, which deters any offensive players from the middle of the court in suffocating fashion.

The two built on the scheme and saw great success, but the departure of Beard led to the two separating for the first time in over a decade.

As Beard left, he was said to have offered every person at Tech a coaching position at Texas in Austin, according to Hocutt, former assistant coach Ulric Maligi followed, and other coaches also left, but Adams stayed, and planted his feet alongisde Sean Sutton in Lubbock.

“He loves his players, and he loves his school,” Schovanec said.

But when put in front of hundreds of Red Raider fans at his inaugural press conference, Adams was not critical of Beard. In fact, the opposite was true.

He thanked Beard for the opportunities given, Adams said, but also made note of his decision to depart from Lubbock.

“That is the one job, because it is his alma mater, that I’d heard him talk about early and that I thought could be attractive to him.”

Adams said while visiting with CBS Insider Jon Rothstein on his College Hoops Today podcast.

But Adams was quick to get on track, voicing his future and beyond for the program that is Tech basketball.

A new structure, new coaches, players and new systems bring hardships, but Adams is ready to work.

“I’m going to tell you what I’m going to do, I’m going to roll up my sleeves,” he said. “We’ll go out and get the best staff that we can possibly get ... We’re going to recruit, again, some of the best players. We’ve got a long list already.”

The one and only recruit, so far, signed to Tech is Jaylon Tyson, an emerging four-star prospect who can dominate scoring at all three levels.

“It’s easy to recruit here, you guys make it easy,” Adams said.

But as good as young, talented freshmen are, the Red Raiders’ calling card has always been in the transfer

portal, and with more players in the portal this offseason than in any other year in NCAA history, according to ESPN, Adams is looking to take advantage.

“We’ll be like everybody else, we’re in the portal now and looking to bring in the best players,” he said.

But a team has to have a core, and Adams’ hiring made sure some of Tech’s core from the previous season are still in Lubbock.

He hinted at it in his news conference, and it was confirmed later that Edwards, Santos-Silva, sophomore guard Clarence Nadolny and freshman Chibuzo Agbo would remain at Tech, according to Rothstein.

“Right now, no one has told us they’re not coming back,” Adams said. “We have a couple of guys that have gotten in the portal, but just visiting with them and their families, they’re strongly considering coming back.”

Offensively, though, Tech is faced with two of its top scorers potentially leaving for the NBA Draft, as sophomore guard Terrence Shannon will test the waters at the professional level, however, it is important to remember players may return to university despite declaring for the draft.

The other is junior guard Mac McClung, who transferred to Tech from Georgetown.

His future is unclear, but Adams shared his thoughts in talks with Rothstein.

“I visited with Mac the last few days ... He’s considering coming back and I’m going to meet with Mac and his family soon,” Adams said. “We’re going to be able to keep our core group here which is certainly a positive.”

He continued to emphasize that although he would love for players to come back to Tech under his leadership, he wants them to grow, and have the opportunity to do what they want to do, Adams said.

In terms of coaching, Adams has hit the ground running, hiring former Portland State head coach Barret Peery to his staff on Tuesday, April 6, according to Rothstein.

Peery is a defensive-minded coach, just like Adams.

In fact, Peery’s team, the Vikings, has full-court pressed more in the past three years than any other team in college basketball,

SPORTS according to ESPN. Coined the “Peery press” he aims to swarm opposing offenses and force turnovers.

In his team’s season debut with him at the helm, they forced 31 turnovers, but this was nothing new, as Peery led teams have ranked among the top programs nationwide in forced turnovers.

During the 2017-’18 season, his team led the nation in turnovers with 18.1 per game, according to NCAA Statistics. And it directly translated to winning for Peery, who, in his first three years at the helm, had tied the total for most wins in his first three years of any coach in program history, according to Portland State Athletics.

He also won more games in his debut season (20) than any other coach in Viking program history, according to Portland State Athletics. And the same man will now travel from Portland to Lubbock to join Adams in what will be a heavily defense-oriented squadron.

But expect Adams’ staff to be rounded out in the coming weeks as the program solidifies in all facets.

“We’ve got a few people that we’re close to making announcements on,” Adams said.

Peery’s hire was a slight surprise, but it is on par with a recent trend of high-major coaches taking, and adding mid-major head coaches to fill their coaching staffs.

Beard added mid-major coach in Rodney Terry, who went from UTEP to Texas to join as a Longhorn assistant.

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Texas Tech held an inaugural news conference for its new head basketball coach Mark Adams April 6, 2021. Adams will be the 18th head coach in Tech history, taking the reigns of Red Raider basketball less than a week after the position opened.

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His opposition to complacency is clear, and assuming the reigns on such a winning program, while maintaining that mindset should be a welcoming sight for Tech fans.

As for the front office, Hocutt and Schovanec see the same.

“We have one of the best basketball programs in the United States, and its only going to get better,” Schovanec said.

Met with standing ovations and cheers in an energetic United Supermarkets Arena saw the trio of Hocutt, Adams and Schovanec prod on the crowd, and they continued to put fuel on the fire.

“We are an emerging giant in the college basketball world,” Hocutt said. “Today we say, burn the boats.”

A term meaning to eliminate the possibility of retreat, brought to light, again, by the Red Raiders in the 2017-’18 season as they attempted to defeat Big 12 powerhouse, Kansas.

But it dwindled down to an emotional meeting on Tuesday afternoon, with Adams ultimately spending more time giving thanks than anything else.

It was a dream come true for the West Texas native, he said. In fact, Adams said his appointment to the head coaching role was perhaps the best day of his life.

But the job is far from over.

“We ain’t done yet,” Adams said. “I’m not here to compromise, I’m here to make a difference.”

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Former players react to Adams’ new position

By ZACH RICHARDS Sports Editor

When the Texas Tech head coaching position opened, Mark Adams was a clear-cut favorite by numerous former players.

T.J. Holyfield, Brandon Fancois and Dejan Kravic all shared their insight on Tech’s new coach here.

Mark Adams has been appointed to serve as Texas Tech basketball’s 18th head coach in program history, according to Tech Athletics.

But before he was hired, there was an extended period of time for Tech basketball that was left with emptiness and speculation.

Just as any job or employment search, there are numerous candidates, and more a school with state-of-the-art facilities, a high budget and a recent track record that rivals just about any program in the nation, Lubbock is hallmark for any coach looking to boost his or her resume.

Many names swirled around discussions, and many people chimed in ideas, but one name weighed more heavily than others, especially in the eyes of former players: Mark Adams.

On staff at Tech from 2013-15, and then from 2016 to present day, Adams has seen a lot of players come and go, and the program turn into a national powerhouse.

Just three years after his return to Tech, Adams helped lead the Red Raiders to a deep March Madness run, where Tech advanced all the way to the National Championship game, falling to Virginia.

H o w e v e r, w h a t b o l stered the team was defense. In fact, according to ESPN, Tech’s 2019 team had the top defensive efficiency in the nation

throughout the season, all thanks to the mind of Adams, who was, and still is, instrumental in the Red Raiders’ defensive strategies and alignment.

Fast forward two years, the same players Adams c o a c h e d a t Te c h f u l l y vouched for him to get a head coaching job and are grateful he was selected.

The latest to speak out was former Red Raider T.J. Holyfield, who played on the 2019-21 team that suffered a shortened season due to COVID-19.

Holyfield was a graduate transfer, spending only one season under Adams until he left Tech to pursue the overseas professional route. However, Adams made a lasting impact on the former starter.

“I love Adams,” he said. “He’s a perfect fit for Tech.”

And as a West Texas native, Adams has embraced the South Plains, coaching since 1981 all within arms reach of Lubbock.

The hire of Adams was internal and was perhaps the most popular choice. “ I b e l i e v e t h a t Te x as Tech hit a home run with this hire,” former Tech center Dejan Kravic said. “The people’s choice.

Coach Mark Adams knows this program more than anyone, and he also deserves this more than anyone.”

Kravic was a member of the Red Raiders from 2011 to 2013, according to Tech Athletics.

The internal hire of Adams immediately resulted in the retainment of Edwards and McCullar.

But even off the court, Adams has cemented his personality into the hearts of many former players.

Perhaps among the top players on the list, former

guard Brandone Francis, who competed for a national championship with Tech in 2019.

There are often clips of Francis and Adams play fighting and laughing whilst on the tournament run, with the joy of the game coming right alongside their joint successes.

“He’s a great role model,” Francis said. “Everyone loves him because of who he is as a person …

Outside the court he’s a man of God, and one of the kindest humans I ever been around.”

Adams’ personality was put on full display Tuesday, April 6, when he s howc as ed i n fr ont of United Supermarkets Arena at his inaugural news conference.

What took well over 40 minutes began with Adams thanking numbers of people, being drawn to tears several times in the process.

He wears his heart on his sleeve, and it has been a steady foundation of Adams’ career in West Texas.

But as emotional as he is, the on-court aspect of Adams’ prowess is nearly impossible to oversee.

“He is the genius responsible for the success of Texas Tech’s incredible defense these past few years,” Kravic said.

On the other end, Holyfield also spoke on not only Adams’ defensive schemes, but his offensive capabilities as well.

“I don’t think everyone realizes that he’s a great offensive coach as well,” he said.

The 15-time Coach of the Year has stepped into the limelight as Tech’s next head coach, and tasked with the mission to re-align the program, Adams is ready to roll up his sleeves, he said. @ZachRichardsDT

FILE PHOTOS/The Daily Toreador

TOP: Senior forward TJ Holyfield shots the ball during the Texas Tech vs. Kansas men’s Basketball game at 1 p.m. on Mar. 7, 2020 in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Raiders lost to the Jayhawks, 66-62. BOTTOM: Brandone Francis shoots the ball during Texas Tech’s Final Four game against Michigan State on Saturday, April 6, 2019, in Minneapolis.