THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023 VOLUME 97 ISSUE 8
Raiders’ Choice Awards
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STAND TOGETHER
Denim Day, April events push for sexual assault awareness on campus Staff Writer
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, during which Texas Tech hosts events to bring attention and support to survivors of sexual violence. The month revolves around consent education and informational opportunities for students and survivors alike to learn about preventative measures, as well as support resources available following an act of sexual violence. Alex Faris, Tech’s Title IX Training and Outreach coordinator, detailed the resources his office provides, as well as its role in a sexual assault case. “If it is something that occurred on campus with people who are affiliated with the university, it is highly recommended to connect them with our Title IX office for support,” Faris said. “There are many things we can do to help them academically. We can connect them with law enforcement if they choose to do so; we can get them connected with medical or mental health care resources, both on campus and in the community, that are available to them.” The Title IX office works with survivors to promote healing and communication, and can facilitate schedule
changes, excused absences, parking and housing accommodations and correspondence with law enforcement. “If they choose to work with our office, the very first thing that we do is provide them supportive measures. These are resources that the university provides that can help them in their situation, to either process the trauma or get medical care,” Faris said. “We don’t contact law enforcement without the consent of the survivor, but if they want that support we can help them.” Faris highlighted the significance of consent, and said it can be seen in every aspect of life. It is the basis of all intimate relationships. “At Texas Tech, consent
is mutually understandable words or actions that clearly communicate permission for sexual activity. It has to be something that’s informed, something that’s mutual and not coerced, and that consent can never be implied or assumed,” Faris said. “The absence of a no is not a yes, and it’s always to the advantage of anyone who initiates any type of sexual activity to get verbal consent.” Jorgann Holgersen, program manager for peer education and Outreach at Tech Risk Intervention and Safety Education (RISE), noted the impact a month dedicated to awareness and education can have. “Sexual assault has been something that has histori-
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By AYNSLEY LARSEN
cally been very prevalent on college campuses. Bringing awareness that this is an actual problem that we need to be addressing and to be speaking out about collectively, that’s a huge portion,” Holgersen said. “The month gives us time to do a variety of different outreaches and education about these things in a variety of different ways to hopefully reach as many people as possible.” Holgersen chairs the RISE Sexual Assault Awareness Month Planning Committee, which has prepared events ranging from Coffee & Consent at local coffee shops to the upcoming Denim Day and Take Back the Night events. Denim Day takes place on the last Wednesday in April, and originated with an Italian court case in the 1990s. An 18-year-old woman’s driving instructor was convicted of her rape, a conviction that was overturned on the basis that the survivor’s jeans were too tight, and thus she would have had to help the man remove them, denoting consent. The overturning ignited protests that reached the States, resulting in the development of Denim Day. “Denim Day brings awareness to the myth surrounding sexual violence and brings
awareness that our role is not to blame (survivors). Our role is to connect (survivors) with support,” Faris said. The events hosted by RISE and the services offered by Title IX serve to connect the campus community in promotion of a united front against sexual violence. “It’s a really great opportunity to have a collective voice to speak out against sexual assault and violence,” Holgersen said. McKenzie Johnson, a firstyear nursing student from Dumas, noted the importance of sexual assault awareness on a college campus. “A lot of sexual assault does go on (around) campus, especially during the night,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of damage that can come from (sexual assault) … so I think people being aware that it’s going on is good.” The month of April will highlight the impact of awareness and the importance of both preventive and supportive measures for survivors of sexual violence. At Tech, the resources, information and people available hope to offer a safe and welcoming community for survivors in need. @AynsleyLarsenDT
GLOW & GROW
Arbor Day unites, beautifies campus By ARIANNA FLORES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Spring is in full bloom and the last Friday of April mark’s Texas Tech’s push towards the beautification of campus. The Student Activities Board along with Grounds and Maintenance work together to plan Arbor Day, an annual tradition, to bring color and life to our home. Jazlyn Salazar, a firstyear biology student, a member of SAB leads this year’s Arbor Day, an event she’s planned since the beginning of February. Though this is Salazar’s first planting tradition, she heard nothing but great things.
“I think the one thing I was excited to see everyone out there and just like to see it come to fruition, especially it being my first Arbor Day in general,” Salazar said. “I’m really excited to see (and) working with the department and different people and all this stuff to actually seeing it happen.” The event begins at 11 a.m. April 28, with check-in for students and organizations. Participating students will receive a free T-shirt with their student ID with food to follow. This year, Arbor Day festivities will honor Tech’s Centennial with the grounds workers planting white pentas flowers in the shape of a 100.
“So I feel like it just gets With about 2,300 students along with 129 orga- students outside, it gets nizations signed up, Tech students into being feels like grounds and maintenance we just kind of bring that exconfirmed about 3,000 flow- citement of spring and summer and the warm weather,” ers for this she added. year’s Arbor ParticiDay. pating stu“I feel like dents and a b e a u t i f u l I think the one thing organizac a m p u s i s I was excited to see tions can w h a t d r a w s everyone out there count their people there,” and just see it come hard work Salazar said. to fruition.” i n Te c h ’s “I feel like for me whenJazlyn Salazar Centennial Volunteer ever the tuStudent Activites Board lips were in members project on the Cenbloom, I was tennial on campus a lot more and was spending website. Michael Quartaro, astime outside a lot more just walking around and looking sistant director of grounds maintenance, said plantat everything.”
ing flowers around campus symbolizes a sense of joy and allows flowers to bloom throughout the final exam season until the end of summer. “I think (tulips) bring a smile on campus,” Quartaro said. “I think everybody enjoys them.” The annual planting event was started in 1935 by former Tech President Bradford Knapp who wanted to ensure those who came to campus saw its beauty. SAB said there will be ax throwing, face painting and other activities for students to enjoy during the duration of Arbor Day. @AriannaFloresDT
ALUMNA
Tech grad, regent overcame obstacles By AYNSLEY LARSEN Staff Writer
Ginger Kerrick Davis, through her accomplishments, her intelligence and — most of all — her ability to overcome obstacles, has proven that a person’s limits are theirs to decide, and despair is a choice each of us must choose to reject. Kerrick Davis earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science degrees in physics from Texas Tech, graduating in 1991 and 1993, respectively. She went on to pursue a 30year career at NASA, where in 2005 she became the first female Hispanic flight director in the administration’s history. In 2016, she was named to the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame. Following this, in 2019 Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Kerrick Davis to the Texas Tech Board of Regents, of which she was named vice chairwoman in 2022. In each of these stages of her life, Kerrick Davis excelled. When looking at her accomplishments on paper, it is easy to paint her as a monument of success, a more-than-human representation of triumph and knowledge. But, like the rest of us, Kerrick Davis wrestled her demons and fought her battles to become the person she is, doing so with her humanity, her faith and her inherent joy intact. “My very first setback set the stage to equip me emotionally and with a level of resilience to be able to handle every other setback I’ve had since then,” Kerrick Davis said. “The first setback I ever had was watching my dad die right in front of me.” When she was 11 years old, Kerrick Davis’ father suffered a life-ending heart attack. In her emotional recount, Kerrick Davis said her father’s passing was paramount to her personal growth. “It, to this day, is the worst thing I have ever experienced in my whole life; and I’ve had some pretty crappy things happen,” Kerrick Davis said. “But it enabled me to prove to myself that if I could continue to move forward after that, then I could continue to move forward no matter SEE ALUMNA, PG. 2
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