Tech student details life with, without official diagnosis
By MARIANNA SOURIALL Editor-in-ChiEf
Julia Crook often wondered why she couldn’t “just sit down and think” or why she forgot deadlines.
More than anything, she wondered why it always felt like she was struggling more than her friends.
In college, she wondered why she could focus in biology class but not chemistry or why study techniques didn’t work for her the way they did for others.
“Before I had a diagnosis, I
MENTAL HEALTH
would just blame myself,” Crook, a Texas Tech biology major, said. “I would struggle in social situations, before I knew I had autism, and I’d think ‘This is all my fault. People hate me because I can’t communicate, because I’m antisocial.’” Crook, a thirdyear student from
Fort Worth, said before she was diagnosed with autism, she always knew her brain worked differently. She sought out a diagnosis in high school, but her concerns only resulted in an anxiety diagnosis.
Unsatisfied, Crook continued to wonder if it might be more than anxiety. It wasn’t until she came to college that she was diagnosed
with late-in-life autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD.
Jared Burgoon, a program manager within Tech’s Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research, said it is not uncommon for individuals to receive a late-in-life diagnoses as most K-12 schools do not require a diagnosis unless there is an academic need.
“You see individuals who are smart, who can effectively
SEE RESOURCES, PG. 2 Graphic by Kayci Sandon / The Daily Toreador According to Texas Autsim Society
Student wellness plan set for fall launch
By AUDREY BOISSONNEAULT Copy Editor
Early this year, banners and posters flooded the Texas Tech campus with the words “Tech Thrive.”
Going into the fall semester, students will see the full effect of those words as the Tech Thrive program launches, introducing a new class, a well-being app and other initiatives meant to improve student wellness.
Texas Tech goes through a reaffirmation of accreditation every 10 years, and it requires the university to create a Quality Enhancement Plan. Tech Thrive is the QEP and will have a duration of five years where it will be used to improve the student experience on campus.
“We want students to hear the term and know it is designed to support their well-being,” said Jill Stangl, an assistant vice provost for student well-being and co-director for the QEP. “A Quality Enhancement Plan has to be focused on students. It’s not a student, faculty or staff effort. It’s a student effort.”
Compared to QEPs of the past, Jaclyn Cravens, an associate professor and co-director for the QEP, said Tech Thrive has a broader scope of what it hopes to accomplish with
ONE PILL Fentanyl
an increased focus on student mental health.
Part of that increased focus is introducing a new class on mental health and well-being, Cravens said.
“Some of the class assignments will have students get out and get across campus and utilize some of those resources,” Cravens said. “We’re really excited about the class, and that’ll kick off this fall and be offered in fall, spring and summer.”
Another piece of the plan is the mental health app Schmoody, which the university has already partnered with. Features on the app include a mood tracker, a chat box, a daily planner and more, according to the Schmoody website.
Tech Thrive has a designated website, but Stangl said she plans for it to have a directory for every resource available to students at Tech.
“Texas Tech has a plethora of resources, but not everybody knows what they are, and so the website is designed to address that,” Stangl said.
More will come within the following years, Stangl said, but no specific plans are confirmed as of now. Updates will be posted on the Tech Thrive website once the plan goes into
By AYNSLEY LARSEN nEws Editor
“One pill kills.” The tagline is recognizable, and it’s easy to understand: Fentanyl is here, and it’s deadly. But, when it comes to educat-
how to get their messages across. The Uncensored
Tony Williams of the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office
effect in August.
The idea for a mental-health centered QEP stemmed from student data which identified high amounts of loneliness and anxiety, Cravens said. She will follow that same data through the duration of Tech Thrive for any progress made in students.
“Over years of data, students felt less and less like Texas Tech cared about their overall well being,” Cravens said. “We’ve collected this data, and despite the fact, as a campus, we have so many great resources, many students weren’t utilizing them.”
has presented drug education courses at Tech several times.
He said he won’t show up to talk to students wearing a suit and tie because he finds they’re more willing to listen when he’s dressed normal, wearing Jordans and joggers.
“When I give this presentation, I’m huge on telling the truth and not sugar coating anything or holding anything back,” Williams said.
This truth-based approach includes presenting images of drug dealers previously caught in the region, videos of individuals overdosing on fentanyl and statistics on drug-related deaths.
The presence of fentanyl, Williams said, has morphed from the Hollywood powder product to a falsely marketed, largely counterfeit, pill form.
“We still work those cases at Tech where kids think they’re getting Adderall, and it’s fentanyl, or it’s a methamphet-
amine-based pill — completely counterfeit,” Williams said.
These pills often take the appearance of blue oxycodone M30 tablets, Adderall or Xanax tablets or, perhaps deceptively, candy-esque colors and shapes.
Williams said he and his office have seen two pills in the same bag be entirely different substances, enforcing that it is impossible to be certain what is taken.
The collected data will be used in the final two years of the program to evaluate the effectiveness of the plans in place. Cravens said from there they will decide what to keep or change.
cartoon-charactered pills target a younger age group, Williams said. Fentynal also varies from other drugs and narcotics in that its usage — whether in powder or pill form — is seen across different age, race and social class groups.
“When it comes to these pills, there’s no demographic,” Williams said.
When it comes to these pills, there’s no demographic.
“Kids go through the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program, or they’ll go through some drug program that shows you the hard drugs — meth, heroin, crack cocaine,” Williams said.
“ … But you get to college, and you’ve never seen a SweeTART that can kill you.”
The colorful, occasionally
The substances present in these counterfeit pills are not always fentanyl, Williams said. He has seen methamphetamine, mixtures and even rat poison present in capsules marketed as less-lethal drugs.
The price of the pills has also changed, Williams said. What once sold for $20 to $25 a piece is now running for $3 to $7.
JADON CHESNUTT/The Daily Toreador
Tech Thrive’s logo is wrapped around a campus bus to raise awareness for Texas Tech’s mental health initiative that is set to launch in the fall.
COURTESY OF THE LUBBOCK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Fentanyl pills were recovered by the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office.The department started working on pill-form fentanyl in 2020, compared to the previous powder form.
ing college students on the dangers of yet another widespread lethal substance, experts have varying opinions on
Capt.
CAPT. TONY WILLIAMS LUBBOCK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
RESOURCES
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1
function in a K-12 setting but might lack a little bit of that executive functioning piece,” Burgoon said as to why medical documentation is not always needed.
When evaluating latein-life diagnoses, Burgoon said most college students struggle with the executive function piece, which can look like difficulty managing deadlines or approaching harder tasks.
Additionally, autism in
ONE PILL
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1
Two to three grains of salt worth of fentanyl can be deadly, Williams said.
Compared to other drugs and narcotics in the region, fentanyl is not the
college students tends to manifest through social interaction, he said. For example, one neurodivergent individual may be talkative whereas another may not enjoy social interactions at all.
“Autism presents in so many different ways, and it’s just figuring out how to work with that with your unique autism diagnosis and to help you be successful,” Burgoon said.
After exhibiting some of these characteristics on her own, Crook decided to get tested again.
most prevalent. However, its less-than-threatening packaging and lethal dosage, paired with the ranging demographics of individuals found selling and distributing the drug, make fentanyl fatal and difficult to regulate.
“I was really relieved,” Crook said about her diagnosis. “Honestly, that was one thing that was keeping me from getting diagnosed, is, what if, again, they say, ‘No, you don’t have anything.’ That was my biggest fear.”
While she was afraid of being turned away again, she said at some point she just didn’t want to feel burnt out anymore.
In search of a testing center, Crook said Tech offered services at the Burkhart Center, but she wouldn’t get off the waitlist until May.
“They’re bringing a pill that doesn’t look dangerous from someone that doesn’t look dangerous,” Williams said.
The Safe Space Representatives of Tech’s Risk Intervention & Safety Education, con -
When an Ordinary Look
Burgoon said the center is aware of the waitlist, and members are not taking in new clients at this time. Those who are already on the list will receive care at the center or be directed to a nearby clinic.
Individuals seeking immediate testing can find clinics in the Lubbock area on the Burkhart Center’s website under the resources tab.
While testing is costly, averaging a couple thousand dollars, Burgoon said there are more resources available
trarily, acknowledge there are individuals who do take drugs and stress the importance of doing so as safely as possible, within the circumstances.
Catherine Cespedes, RISE vice president, said her office tries not to scare students with its presentations, but rather seeks to inform students on the substances and make them aware of the consequences and support resources.
“Our approach is more of a safe space,” she said. “We try to, like, stray away from (getting) very explicit in this. If anything, our more explicit content is through our words.”
for those with a documented diagnosis.
“I think it’s very helpful to have a name, but if the funding is not there, or if having a name is not that important to you, you can go read a book about how to be successful with autism,” Burgoon said, “or techniques that might be helpful for people with autism. If that’s what you want to do, that’s how you want to be successful — do that.”
While there are many people leading successful lives without the label, Crook
said receiving the diagnosis meant all the things she used to blame herself for were simply symptoms of her neurodivergent mind.
“I would blame specific portions of my neurodivergency as a character flaw before I knew, ‘No, it’s OK. These are symptoms of my neurodivergency,’” Crook said. To read more about Crook’s first-hand experience, read her column at www.dailytoreador.com.
RISE offers informational presentations on drugs and alcohol, a ses -
sion Cespedes said is requested by campus organizations or professors roughly every other week.
These Alcohol & Other Drug presentations, Cespedes said, pull information from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and professional medical reviews to provide students with unbiased, supported facts.
“We just try to tell the students that we’re not judging,” Cespedes said. “OK, we’re not here to make a huge judgment. We’re just here to tell y’all the facts and do it in a safer way.”
The RISE website also has a section which defines drug-related terms, differentiates between the seven categories of drugs and lists campus and community resources.
The Campus Response
The Tech Police Department will not typically receive drug-specific reports, but officers may find drugs or suspect usage during traffic stops or while interacting with students, said Tech PD Public Information Officer Caitlynn Jeffries.
Crime logs from the department will list infractions as drug charges, Jeffries said, but won’t include the specific drug type found on scene.
Tech PD’s Sgt. Tyler Snelson reinforced that counterfeit pills, which may contain fentanyl, are present.
“If you look at it next to a real one side by side, you can tell which one’s real and which isn’t,” Snelson said. “But unless you are looking for a fake, you’re not going to know it’s fake.”
Jeffries and Snelson agreed that, in the case of an overdose, the more information an individual can provide on the 911 call, the better the department’s medical response will be.
“If they happen to know what drug it might have been, in the case of an overdose, relay that information to the police,” Jeffries said.
The department’s social media accounts also publish safety tips throughout the semester. Jeffries directed students to campus resources through the Student Health Center and the Student Counseling Center for support.
“Our number one priority is going to be getting them help in that situation and not necessarily taking someone to jail,” Jeffries said. “Of course, like I said, it’s totality of the circumstances, but especially when an overdose is involved, we’re going to get them to the hospital.”
@MariannaS_DT
The DT Crossword: From C to Shining C
35. Image, informally 36. DVD player’s predecessor 37. Winning tic-tac-toe line 38. Vitamin and supplement chain 39. Channel featuring “cribs” 40. Unrefined mineral 41. “ ___ the season”
42. Drink with a wide straw
43. Famed boxer Muhammad 44. Competed for office
46. Like many French vowels
47. Hexed 49. Baseball hitting stat 54. Zuckerberg, to Meta 55. Asphalt ingredient
56. Superlative suffix 57. Unwell
58. Show set in Miami, Las Vegas or New York
A playable online version of this crossword and its solution are available at dailytoreador.com/ puzzles.
feature, for
with
JACOB NADOLSKY/The Daily Toreador
BEST FOOD & DRINKS IN LUBBOCK
Best Steak
1st: Texas Roadhouse
2nd: Triple J Chophouse
3rd: Las Brisas
Best Barbecue
1st: Rudy’s Country Store & Bar-B-Q
2nd: Evie Mae’s
3rd: Aloha BBQ Grill
Best Hamburger
1st: Blue Sky Texas
2nd: Whataburger
3rd: Twisted Root
Best Pizza
1st: One Guy from Italy
2nd: Capital Pizza
3rd: Atomic Lounge & Pizza Kitchen
Best Mexican Food
1st: Taqueria Jalisco
2nd: Chimy’s
3rd: Torchy’s Tacos
Best Italian Food
1st: Orlando’s Italian Restaurant
2nd: Italian Garden
3rd: One Guy from Italy
Best Asian Food
1st: Hayashi Japanese Steakhouse
2nd (TIE): Hayashi Midtown & P.F. Chang’s
3rd: Pho District 1
Best Margarita
1st: Chimy’s Cerveceria
2nd: Chuy’s Tex Mex
3rd (TIE): Caprock Café & Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
Best Place for a Cold Beer
1st: Bier Haus
2nd: Two Docs Brewing Co.
3rd: Caprock Café
Best Happy Hour
1st: Sonic
2nd: Chimy’s
3rd: HTeaO
Best Fast Food
1st: Chick-fil-A
2nd: Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
3rd: Whataburger
Best Late Night Restaurant
1st: Whataburger
2nd: Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
3rd: Taco Bell
Friendliest Service
1st: Chick-fil-A
2nd: Dutch Bros
3rd: H-E-B
Best Breakfast Restaurant
1st: The Pancake House
2nd: The Farmhouse
3rd (TIE): Toasted Yolk Cafe & Chicken Run Cafe
Best Coffee Shop
1st: Dutch Bros
2nd: 7 Brew
3rd (TIE): Starbucks & J&B Coffee
Best Sweets
1st: J’s Creamery
2nd (TIE): Insomnia Cookies & The Cheesecake Factory
3rd: Holly Hop Ice Cream Shoppe
Best Ice Tea
1st: HTeaO
2nd: Raising Cane’s 3rd: Sonic
Best Breakfast Burrito
1st: Rosa’s Café & Tortilla Factory
2nd: Raider Burrito
3rd: Torcy’s Tacos
BEST PLACES IN LUBBOCK
Best Supermarket
1st: H-E-B
2nd: United Supermarkets/Market Street
3rd: Walmart
Best Place to buy Flowers
1st: H-E-B
2nd: United Supermarkets/Market Street
3rd: House of Flowers
Best Beauty Salon
1st: Hello Gorgeous
2nd: Studio J Salon
3rd: Bloomington Salon
Best Car Repair
1st: Scott’s Complete Car Care
2nd (TIE): Christian Brothers Automotive
and Nick’s Automotive
3rd: Crash Collision
Best Car Wash
1st: Mighty Wash
2nd: Take 5 Car Wash
3rd (TIE): Mister Car Wash & H-E-B
Best Liquor Store
1st: Spec’s
2nd: Ravi’s Liquor
3rd: Pinkie’s
Best Sporting Goods Store
1st: Academy Sports
2nd: Cabela’s
3rd: QuarterFour
Best Department Store
1st: Dillard’s
2nd: Marshalls & HomeGoods
3rd: Ross
Best Women’s Clothing Store
1st: Lululemon
2nd: Chrome
3rd: J. Hoffman’s
Best Men’s Clothing Store
1st (TIE): Dillard’s & H&M
2nd: American Eagle
3rd: Academy
Best Chicken Fried Steak
1st: Caprock Cafe
2nd: Triple J’s Chophouse & Brew Co.
3rd: Cast Iron Grill
Best Chips & Salsa
1st: Chuy’s Tex-Mex
2nd: Torchy’s Tacos
3rd: Abuelo’s
Best Donuts
1st: Rise ‘n Shine
2nd: Krispy Kreme
3rd: Shipley’s Do-Nuts
Best French Fries
1st: McDonald’s
2nd: Chick-fil-A
3rd: Wingstop
Best Onion Rings
1st: Blue Sky Texas
2nd: Spanky’s
3rd: Sonic
Best Chicken
1st: Chick-fil-A
2nd: Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
3rd: Dirk’s Signature Chicken & Bar
Best Value Meal
1st: McDonald’s
2nd: Taco Bell
3rd: Wendy’s
Best Wings
1st: Wingstop
2nd: Buffalo Wild Wings
3rd: Wing Daddy
Best Queso
1st: Torchy’s Tacos
2nd: Chuy’s Tex-Mex
3rd: Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
Best Women’s Shoe Store
1st: DSW
2nd: Dillard’s
3rd: New Balance
Best Men’s Shoe Store
1st: Dillard’s
2nd: Academy
3rd: New Balance
Best Western Wear
1st: Cavender’s Western Wear
2nd: Boot Barn
3rd: Dollar Western Wear
Best Jewelry Store
1st: James Avery
2nd: J. Keith’s Jewelry
3rd: Paramount Jewelers
CAMPUS
‘The ideal athlete:’ Underdown powers into 2nd place
By CHRISTIAN JETER Staff Writer
In dedicating herself to reaching the top five, Brooke Underdown has raised her powerlifting numbers by over 100 kg since high school to achieve second place in her most recent competition. As the Matador Powerlifting team’s vice president, Underdown competed against 47 girls in the women’s raw division and 75-kg weight class during the Powerlifting Collegiate Nationals on April 3. She achieved a 187.5-kg squat, 100-kg bench and 185-kg deadlift leading to her second place total of 472.5 kg.
Underdown said she always wanted to be a top contender, and reaching second was immensely satisfying in reaping the rewards of her labor.
top five, and not only did I reach top five this year, but I got second place and was very, very close to reaching first,” Underdown said. “So, it really is an incredible feeling just knowing that all my hard work has paid off.”
Competing since high school in her hometown of Lumberton, Underdown said she has continued to rise the ranks every year she’s performed since entering university.
It really is an incredible feeling just knowing that all my hard work has paid off
Brooke
Underdown MATADOR POWERLIFTING VICE PRESIDENT
“I’ve gone to collegiate nationals four years in a row, and each year I’ve continued to place higher and higher,” Underdown said. “I think my first year I got 60 something, and the next year I was like 33rd, and the year after that, last year, I placed 10th.”
“I knew I wanted to be
Omar Rahman, a certified USA Powerlifting coach who personally trains Underdown, said her numbers in
2022 were approximately a 140-kg squat, a 70-kg bench and a 150-kg deadlift to total 360 kg. Since then, he said her numbers have jumped significantly due to her training and commitment.
“If you compare her past numbers to now, Brooke has made a huge jump in these past couple of years,” Rahman said. “This comes from just her putting the work in to be consistent and being a wonderful athlete to coach. All that comes together to get her from being top 30 to second place.”
With Underdown training four days a week, Rahman said she is the perfect competitor and excels at balancing her workout routines with her classes in chemical engineering.
“Brooke is the ideal athlete, and she makes my job super easy. I give her a program every few weeks and she follows each plan to a T,” Rahman said. “She makes time to eat enough food, stay hydrated as well and get enough sleep. She prioritizes gym training but also balances chemi -
cal engineering studies as an undergrad.”
Underdown said remaining focused and adaptable during her workouts has contributed to her success as a competitor.
“It’s taken a lot of time, discipline and figuring out what kind of training works for me and what doesn’t,” Underdown said. “Learning from those things, changing gears as needed
BEST PLACES IN LUBBOCK (cont.)
Best Place to Buy Tech Gear
1st: Red Raider Outfitter
2nd: Texas Tech Campus Bookstore
3rd: Walmart
Best Place for Oil Change/Inspection
1st: Take 5 Oil Change
2nd: Scott’s Complete Car Care
3rd (TIE): Rapid Oil Change & Firestone
Best Place to Study
1st: Texas Tech Library
2nd: Texas Tech Student Union
Building
3rd: J&B Coffee
Best Patio
1st: Little Woodrow’s
2nd: Miguel’s
3rd: Bier Haus
and just knowing that progress isn’t linear has led to me realizing that there’s always more than one solution to problems, especially when in training.”
Being a fourth-year student on the verge of graduation, Underdown said she plans to continue strength training despite not being able to participate in collegiate competitions in the future.
“Now that I’ll be grad -
Best Date Spot
1st: Stars & Stripes Drive-in
2nd: Funky Door Bistro & Wine Bar
3rd: Las Brisas
Best Place to Work
1st: Texas Tech Hospitality Services
2nd: The Daily Toreador
3rd: College of Media & Communication
Best Night Club
1st: Logie’s on Overton
2nd (TIE): Blue Light & The Roof
3rd: Rodeo 4
Best Bar
1st: Chimy’s Cerveceria
2nd (TIE): Logie’s on Overton & Little Woodrow’s
3rd: Bier Haus Lubbock
BEST ON CAMPUS
Best Residence Hall
1st: Stangel/Murdough
2nd: Talkington
3rd: Chitwood/Weymouth
Best Place to Eat on Campus
1st: The Market @ Stangel/Murdough
2nd: The Commons
3rd: Chick-fil-A @ the SUB
Best Texas Tech Tradition
1st: Carol of Lights
2nd: Tortillas
3rd: Masked Rider
Best Texas Tech Men’s Sport
1st: Basketball
2nd: Football
3rd (TIE): Track & Field and Baseball
Best Texas Tech Women’s Sport
1st: Basketball
2nd: Softball
3rd: Soccer
Best Non-Greek Student Organization
1st: The Daily Toreador
2nd: Goin’ Band from Raiderland
3rd: Bullet Ad Team
Best Texas Tech Landmark
1st: Texas Tech Seal
2nd: Memorial Circle
3rd: Will Rogers & Soapsuds
uating in December, I don’t get to go to those same college championships anymore. So, I’ve been thinking about what I want my next goal to be,” Underdown said. “I’m not exactly sure what that is just yet, but the overall goal is to always get better in seeing those increases in numbers, the bar moving faster or just the weight feeling lighter.”
Best Off-Campus Housing
1st: Capstone Cottages
2nd: 21 Hundred at Overton
3rd: The Carlton House
Best Church
1st: St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church
2nd: Redeemer Church
3rd: Indiana Avenue Baptist Church
Best Bank
1st: Wells Fargo
2nd (TIE): Chase Bank & Texas Tech Credit Union
3rd: Bank of America
Best Health Club
1st: Texas Tech Recreation Center
2nd: Hotworx
3rd: Nick’s Fight Club
Best Sports Bar
1st: Logie’s on Overton
2nd: Caprock Cafe
3rd: Buffalo Wild Wings
Best Greek Sorority/Fraternity
1st (TIE): Delta Gamma & Kappa Kappa Gamma
2nd: Pi Beta Phi
3rd (TIE): Alpha Delta Pi & Pi Beta Phi
Most Helpful Tech Department
1st: Hospitality Services
2nd: College of Media & Communication
3rd (TIE): Writing Center & Toreador Media
Best Head Coach
1st (TIE): Grant McCasland - Basketball
Joey McGuire - Football
2nd: Wes Kittley - Track and Field
3rd: Krista Gerlich - Lady Raider Basketball
ROBERT LOOPER/The Daily Toreador Texas Tech senior chemical engineering student Brook Underdown adjusts her hair during a workout in preparation for a powerlifting competition April 15, 2025.
@CJeter_DT
North chips in for the community
By GRACE HAWKINS L a Vida Editor
After assisting in constructing the Texas Tech Rawls Golf Course nearly 24 years ago, Lubbock local Jack North now gives back to the game by repurposing and donating golf clubs to the Boys and Girls Club of Lubbock.
Originally from Kentucky, North began working for Tech’s food management in 1989 and was hired as the managing director of The Rawls Course in 2001.
“Working at Tech and the golf course is probably the most exciting thing I’ve ever done,” North said, “because we did something that was unheard of.”
North said doing an inhouse build of a course is
uncommon, but the help of the Tech team made the work environment feel more like a family.
“We would meet with Tom Doak, who’s the de-
signer, Dewey Schroyer, Jack Miller and Debbie Cox,” North said. “It was really a combined effort. That’s unusual for a university to do that in-house
as opposed to hiring somebody outside.”
One big challenge loomed in the way of construction: the flat West Texas terrain. North said the team ended up using over 1.3 million cubic yards of dirt to build the course.
“Before Tom got here, he called me and said, ‘Jack, I need a topography map.’ And I said, ‘Have you got a kitchen table?’ And he said, ‘Yeah.’ And I said, ‘That’s it.’” North joked.
After the two-year project was complete, North owned Stone Gate Golf Course and retired to focus on giving back to charity — a venture he sees as a retirement hobby.
“We owned Stone Gate Golf Course after I left Tech, and we did a lot of club business up there,
and we just brought it to the house,” North said.
“We had no idea that we’d have as many people come by as we do.”
Five years ago, North decided to start working with the Boys and Girls Club of Lubbock to provide revitalized golf clubs to kids.
“We supply most of their clubs and help them out,” North said. “The director up there has done a great job getting these kids interested in golf and giving them a chance to play and learn about the game and the social aspect of it, which is so important.”
North said he hopes to leave behind a legacy that proves you can work within a university system and, despite the challenges, accomplish something no one else has done.
“The legacy is just a lot of people, a whole lot smarter than I am, came together and got this thing done. It’s a masterpiece. It’s just wonderful,” North said. “It surpassed all the goals, and, of course, that has to do with tech marketing and people putting their needs aside to help us out.”
Reflecting on the achievement, North said not only the collaborative effort behind the project but also the uniqueness of the course adds value to the Tech and Lubbock community.
“It’s a great place to do something with your family or with your spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend. It’s an experience that you won’t find for many, many miles around.” North said.
Red wolf resurrection set for Colossal failure
Cameron Zapata is a senior creative media industries major from San Antonio
In 1993, Universal Studios came out with the hit movie “Jurassic Park.”
The movie followed John Hammond, the founder of Ingen as he created a park filled with dinosaurs which break free and terrorize the people stuck on the island.
The central theme of the movie revolved around the idea of humans playing God, bringing back animals that
have long been dead and the ramifications brought about.
Fast forward 32 years later, and a bioscience company originating from Texas, Colossal, has taken the internet by storm with its announcement it has brought back the endangered dire wolf.
Colossal has expressed interest in both bringing back long dead species such as the Wooly Mammoth and the Dodo bird, as well as helping in current efforts to save critically endangered species around the world. One of which strikes close
to Texas in its efforts to help with the red wolf.
This attempt at undoing the damage caused, while needed for Texas, has the chance to fail as certain conditions for its first extinction still persist today. The technology and need for them are here, but conservation groups need to stop and ask themselves if they should.
Southeast Texas has seen a massive boom in development with cities like San Antonio, Austin and Houston rapidly growing and expanding over the past 30 years. New projects have
seen lanes expanded, suburbs grow and companies create massive factories.
This played a major factor in the red wolves first death in Texas in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The species may once again suffer the same fate.
Being one of the most critically endangered wolf species in the world, many efforts have been made to reintroduce them to their habitats in a bid to help them regrow.
One example of a successful reintroduction story comes from Yellowstone National Park where they
were removed from the park, leading to overgrazing by elk.
After being reintroduced in 1995, Yellowstone National Park watched as elk moved grazing patterns, allowing the land to heal. This scenario can be seen in Texas as it deals with a major population of feral hogs which the Texas Parks and Wildlife commission estimates cost around $1.5 billion in damages and prevention methods.
Although the problem sounds similar, the wolves at Yellowstone were able to flourish as they were
protected in the national park — the reintroduced red wolves would not have that luxury. Pair this with the possibility of hunters and farmers protecting themselves and their livestock, and this will further push the wolf to another early grave. Many of the problems that led to its first extinction in Texas still persist, if not larger than what they experienced before. Any effort to reintroduce them back to East Texas would have to battle not just critics, but the environment set up.
JACOB LUJAN/The Daily Toreador
Jack North looks through collections of youth golf clubs that he repairs for the Boy’s and Girl’s Club in Lubbock.
COLUMN
ROAD TO RECOVERY
Petty earns weekend slot post-surgery
By ANDREW GOODRICH SportS reporter
Last fall, Zane Petty sat on the phone with his father Kevin Petty almost every day during Texas Tech baseball’s practice.
Kevin Petty was checking in on his son, who was sometimes in tears, as he recovered from an April stress fracture in his right ulna bone that left two screws in it.
In that time, Zane Petty listened to his teammates on the pitching staff banter about living his dream: earning a weekend starting role for the upcoming 2025 season.
But Zane Petty was forced to wait—Unable to throw until November.
With three spots up for grabs and 23 pitchers on the roster, Zane Petty said was unfazed by the noise. He knew his mental and physical makeup.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
He saw his name on the Sunday starting spot for the first time as a Red Raider on March 2, and hasn’t looked back since.
“I expected it. I probably expect more out of myself than anybody does so I wasn’t surprised,” Zane Petty said. “I’m not being cocky. I’m just saying I’m confident in myself and that’s what I was trying to do.”
Zane Petty’s resilience was installed at a young age on a ranch in Corsicana. He learned the parallels between life and baseball amongst the unrelenting physical labor that comes with caring for livestock.
“He’s been through it. We’re cattle people,” Kevin Petty said. “There’s no time to quit when you’re doing that kind of stuff. Two things I always told him is if you don’t have nothing, make sure you have your word. And then if somebody has to ask for a tool, you’re not doing
your job right. So always be ready and you just live by that.”
Doing the work, keeping the routine for success translated to baseball for Zane Petty. He owns the most innings pitched out of any of the weekend starters this year, according to Tech Athletics.
Zane Petty has registered a 3.6 ERA across five of his seven starts this season, according to Tech Athletics. He threw a conference play career-high six strikeouts and 87 pitches in Tech’s 12-8 win against the University of Cincinnati on April 6.
His high school baseball coach at Corsicana High School, Heath Autrey, said the breakout season comes as no surprise. During Zane Petty’s illustrious high school career, Autrey oversaw his development as a teenager.
“You don’t get success and have success the way
he’s had success without sacrificing a lot,” Autrey said.
During Petty’s 2022 senior season, he led the state with 147 strikeouts, commanded a 0.95 ERA and went 12-2 on the mound, according to txhighschoolbaseball.com.
Although Zane Petty’s stats show it, his father said Zane Petty wasn’t born with the natural ability, but rather worked at it every day.
“Zane didn’t have talent growing up,” Kevin Petty said. “But he has heart and work ethic and that’s what we went back to. I said ‘you’re hurt? Only way you’re not going to be hurt is if we work through it and do exactly what the doctors say.’”
Mac Heuer, the Friday starting pitcher, said he can’t remember a day where he didn’t see Zane Petty putting in the extra hours.
“Zane’s been awesome this year, he’s been great for the team,” Heuer said. “I think it’s just how much hard work he’s put into it really. He doesn’t miss a day. When he’s at catch play, he gets after it. He doesn’t just go out there and play catch. He’s trying to execute stuff and get better.”
ITA dominance founded on instant bond
By KEITH INGLIS SportS reporter
Before climbing national rankings, Ave lina Sayfetdinova and Mariia Hlahola started with two practices — and a feeling.
The duo, now ranked No. 7 nation ally by the Intercolle giate Tennis Associa tion, built their success on trust and connection. Their 15-2 record helped lead Tech to a programbest 12 conference wins and a Big 12 regular season title.
“After two practic es, I literally came out to coach and said, ‘I think we’re gonna work so good together,’” Sayfetdinova said. “We both are very aggressive, and we both are
very emotional and loud on the court. I feel like this dynamic works perfectly fine for both of us, and we found that perfect connection
From the beginning, Hlahola said they shared the same philosophy of being fearless on the court. As their on-court chemistry grew early, it allowed the two to grow outside of a win-loss record.
“We don’t judge about the mistakes,”
Sayfetdinova said. “I know that if I miss, like, nobody’s gonna be like, ‘Oh, you missed.’ She (Hlahola) will always come to me and support me, and I’ll do the same
TRACK AND FIELD
toward her.”
The two said their relationship grew off the court into a friendship which allowed for a higher level of play.
“I think we just balance each other,” Hlahola said. “I feel like our friendship started to double as soon as we started doing better.”
Sayfetdinova, a senior and returning All-American, and Hlahola, a junior transfer from Belmont, became a permanent pairing after a strong fall season. Their breakthrough came at the ITA Texas Regional Championship.
Sayfetdinova said winning the regional tournament was the moment they realized their potential. Going 8-0 in the fall, the undefeated run confirmed they could compete at a
high level.
However, Tech women’s tennis head coach Adam Herendeen didn’t originally know the pair would work well together. After Sayfetdinova secured the program’s first ITA Doubles AllAmerican title, she needed a new doubles partner for her senior season.
“We put them together for the first term of the year. They won it and beat the No. 2 team in the country,” Herendeen said. “Even then, we were like, ‘OK, they’re good, but how good?’ It wasn’t till we went to regionals and knew they were going to play together all year and do some really special things.”
Herendeen said what separates the pair is their ability to embrace highpressure moments without losing their identity. With an
Depth, culture inspire Rhea’s success
By PETER PIERUCCI SportS reporter
Many track athletes run for many different goals. Some run for family, some for fame and others for fortune.
Texas Tech track and field sprinters and hurdlers said they run for each other.
Sincere Rhea, a graduate sprinter and hurdler, said even in the quieter moments of life they are by each other’s side, and off-the-track relationship builds a championship culture.
“It could literally just be as simple as, ‘Hey, you want to come with me to get my car fixed’,” Rhea said. “The thing I love about this team the most is we’re always with each other, it’s not like someone’s just always doing it by themselves, like, we’re always together, you can always see two of us, four of us, eight of us, it’s amazing.”
Rhea transferred from the University of Miami and said the team instantly welcomed him as they helped him move in.
The culture makes everybody work hard, Tech head track and field coach Wes Kittley said. He said it gives them a sense of pride and a want to be better.
“It’s a credit to the kids on the team that are in his (Rhea) area, of course, they really push each other each day,” Kittley said, “I think when you’re in that kind of environment where it’s all
category during the track and field Red Raider Invite in the Sports Performance Center Jan. 24, 2025.
positive and everybody’s encouraging everybody, it just makes a huge difference, and success breeds success.”
When looking for a new school, Rhea said he chose Tech for its team culture but also its roster of some of the best athletes in the country.
cording to the Track & Field Results Reporting System website.
Rhea said he credits his coaches and teammates helping him on and off the track.
aggressive play style, Herendeen said he views the two as leaders amidst the team.
“We’re very blessed to have both of them,” Herendeen said. means we’re usu ally up one-zero, so that’s always nice, but they’re also huge lead ers for us. I mean, they have set a very high competi tive standard that the other girls have really followed along with.”
The Big 12 Champi ship approaching serves as one of Sayfetdinova’s final opportunities to serve at the collegiate level.
Sayfetdinova said she will miss the emotions in the tough moments on the court that propelled her to want to bigger things. The pair said they hope to finish the season as All-Americans and be remembered by future Tech duos for the work they each put in.
“I want people to know that I was a good teammate, a good person and that I gave everything I had to Tech,” Hlahola said. “Like every match, every practice, I did my best. I just want people to know
@KeithInglisDT
“There’s so much depth here, and it’s like a track meet every day, it’s awesome.”
Rhea is fifth in the nation in the 110-meter hurdles with a 13.48 second time.
Teammate junior Antoine Andrews is ranked third with a time of 13.28 seconds, ac-
“Antoine Andrews, Malachi Snow, Devonte Ford, Samuel Bennett, and the list goes on and on,” Rhea said.
“The first two to three months of being here at Texas Tech has transformed me completely, even just besides on the track, off the track as well, just becoming a young man,” Rhea said. “I give all that to you know, Coach Rob, my teammates, you know, we’re just like brothers at this point. It’s like one big family, I feel blessed to be here.”
With several successful hurdlers and sprinters competing for Tech, Kittley said Rhea is a perfect example of what their culture has created.
@PeterPierucciDT
FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador
Texas Tech graduate student Sincere Rhea competes in the hurdles
MAKAYLA PEREZ/The Daily Toreador
Texas Tech junior Zane Petty pitches the ball during the game against Baylor University at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park April 12, 2025.
