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THURSDAY, SEPT. 24, 2020 VOLUME 95 ■ ISSUE 6

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Check out the results of the 2020 Raiders’ Choice Awards.

SPORTS

OPINIONS

ONLINE

INDEX

Tech volleyball set for season opener against Mountaineers.

Student editors stress voter registration.

Listen to our fall playlist on Spotify.

PG 5

PG 4

ONLINE

SECTION B

LA VIDA SPORTS OPINIONS CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS SUDOKU

3 5 4 2 5 5

FOOTBALL

Red Raiders to host Texas in conference opener

CONFERENCE KICKOFF Jones AT&T Stadium

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Junior wide receiver T.J. Vasher reaches with the ball during the game against The University of Texas on Nov. 29, 2019, at the Texas Memorial Stadium. The Red Raiders fell to the Longhorns, 49-24.

CUTOUT: Redshirt freshman SaRodorick Thompson searches for an opening to run through during the game against The University of Texas on Nov. 29, 2019, at the Texas Memorial Stadium.

The Red Raiders will meet the Longhorns for the 69th time this Saturday, Sept. 26.

By ZACH RICHARDS Sports Editor

Texas Tech football will be hosting Texas on Saturday in the first conference game of the season.

Texas Tech vs. Texas Series The Red Raiders have matched up against Texas in 69 total meetings dating back to 1928, according to TexasTech.com. In the series, Texas boasts 52 total wins to Tech’s 17 total wins. Tech’s most recent victory came on the road in 2017 after 237 passing yards from McLane Carter which resulted in a 27-23 Red Raider victory.

Last season, Texas took the win by a score of 49-24 at home in Austin.

The Red Raiders are looking to win at home against the Longhorns for the first time since 2008.

Despite the lopsidedness of the series, with exception to last season’s matchup, the Red Raiders and the Longhorns have had close matchups. In fact, four of the last five matchups between the two teams have been decided by a touchdown or fewer, according to Tech Athletics.

On the Radar for The Red Raiders The talk of the Longhorn foot-

ball program has been centered around Texas’ senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger. The fourth-year quarterback tallied 4,326 yards of offense for the Longhorns last season, according to NFL.com, the second-highest in Texas’ school history. The same website has Ehlinger as the third-ranked Heisman Trophy candidate for the current season.

The Longhorn quarterback drew praise from Tech defensive coordinator Keith Patterson in a news conference earlier in the week.

“Sam is probably one of the smartest quarterbacks you’ll coach against. He’s the smartest quarterback that I’ve had to coach against,” Patterson said. “He has such a great knowledge of what they do and how they’re going to attack you.”

Ehlinger threw for 426 yards with five touchdowns in Texas’ 59-3 victory over UTEP to open the season, according to ESPN. The aerial attack from Texas is on Tech’s radar heading into the matchup. The Longhorns had 10 receivers catch passes in their season opener against UTEP, according to ESPN. Joshua Moore, Texas’ leading receiver against UTEP, had six receptions for 127 yards, including a 78-yard reception. Tarik Black also had one touchdown to go along with 80 receiving yards and five receptions.

“They pose a problem on the perimeter, just with the size of those guys,” Patterson said. “The key against these guys is staying sound vertically … If you let them sit there and set up play action, it’s not going to be good.”

Moore is a 6-foot-1 receiver for the Longhorns and Black is 6-foot3. The duo of Moore and Black is the tallest that the Red Raiders have faced this season. Against Houston Baptist, Tech allowed 572 passing yards, including a combined 339 from the 5-foot-9 sibling duo of Josh and Jerreth Sterns, who also combined for three Houston Baptist touchdowns in week one against Tech.

The Red Raiders will face a new challenge in containing Texas’ passing game, but they have made adjustments for the Longhorns.

“We’ve spent quite a bit of time researching,” Patterson said.

“I feel good about our preparation and where we are from a knowledge standpoint for things we can do better, even from the game against Te x a s a year ago.”

The Red Raider Offense Sophomore quarterback Alan Bowman made his return to the field after missing the majority of the 2019 season due to injury. In his return, Bowman threw for 430 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, according to ESPN. Another weapon was established early for the Red Raiders

in junior wide receiver Kesean Carter. He was the leading statistical receiver for Tech against Houston Baptist, and his performance was outlined by six receptions for 86 yards and one touchdown, according to ESPN. Last season, Carter stepped up against the Longhorns and went for 150 receiving yards and one touchdown with 11 receptions. He was the leading receiver for Tech against Texas.

“You could see him getting more comfortable, and then he really got going the longer the game went on” David Yost, Tech’s offensive coordinator, said.

The Red Raiders’ leading rusher last season, SaRodorick Thompson, will be suiting up again for the Red Raiders after an arrest on Monday left his eligibility in question. However, Tech Athletics released a statement saying he will be active against the Longhorns on Saturday.

Thompson was the main rusher the Tech against Houston Baptist, tallying 22 carries for 118 yards and two touchdowns, per ESPN. He led the game in both rushing yardage and rushing touchdowns.

In similar fashion, Thompson led the Red Raiders last season against Texas in rushes with 16 carries for 86 yards.

SEE FOOTBALL, PG. 5

CAMPUS

Tech staff highlight COVID-19 contact tracing procedures, case reporting

By ADÁN RUBIO News Editor

With thousands of students, faculty and staff on the Texas Tech campus, the collection of COVID-19 case data and contact tracing may seem like a complex process to some.

From having to report daily COVID-19 case numbers to conducting contact tracing across campus, how Tech manages different aspects of the virus’ spread might involve multiple elements.

Dr. David Edwards, medical director of Tech Student Health Services, said he serves on the Tech COVID-19 response team.

“That’s a committee of individuals, which have been involved in designing and implementing policy and procedure for, really, the past two months or so in preparation for what the fall semester would look like,” he said.

Edwards assists with contact tracing on campus, he said. In addition to being on the phone with those who report positive cases, he said he was involved in helping develop contact tracing and symptom monitoring protocols.

“Currently, we have seven different groups involved in the contact tracing process for the university,” he said. “Those include medical professionals, trained volunteers

and graduate students who have been trained as well.”

Almost 80 people are either doing direct contact tracing or symptom monitoring, Edwards said.

In addition to being a part of this response team, Edwards said he worked with colleagues in information technology at Tech to help create an online reporting tool that can be found on the dashboard.

The Tech COVID-19 dashboard is one place members of the campus community can access information regarding COVID-19 cases and health precautions on campus.

The contact tracing process starts with a person getting tested for COVID-19, Edwards said. Once

an individual receives a positive test result, they are encouraged to go to the dashboard to report their results.

“Once they report a positive result in the system, then they are automatically connected to our database,” he said. “They also receive an email in which they are given instructions from the city health department and me, and also notifications are sent to the Dean of Students to help with academic accommodations and to our colleagues in TTU Housing for situations in which people live in the residential halls and need isolation in a separate room.”

Meredith Imes, COVID-19

coordinator at Tech, said campus contact tracers are focused on those within the Tech community, but they also work with the City of Lubbock by providing COVID-19-related information regarding someone not affiliated with the university.

“Our Student Health Services is in constant communication with [the city], sharing data to ensure that we’re identifying people within our walls,” she said, “and then we’re sharing the information with the City of Lubbock if there is somebody identified that is outside the Texas Tech community.”

SEE TRACING, PG. 3

2A SEPT. 24, 2020

NEWS

WWW.DAILYTOREADOR.COM

POLITICS

Voter registration deadline set for Oct. 5

By HANNAH ISOM Staff Writer

As the presidential and local elections approach November, knowing how to be involved in the voting process may be of interest to some.

Before going to the polls, voter registration is a step Americans may need to learn more about.

Before voter registration, which has a deadline of Oct. 5 for the Nov. 3 elections, Dorothy Kennedy, Lubbock County Elections administrator, said it is important to know one only can be registered to vote in one state.

“They’ve got to make that determination if they want to vote from Lubbock, or if they want to vote from back home,” she said regarding when choosing the state in which one wants to register.

Regardless, Kennedy said Texas does not have a way to register to vote online. A person

must download a paper form, print it off and mail it in. If they do not have access to a printer, they can go to the local post offices and libraries of Lubbock to get a form.

This form asks if a person is a U.S. citizen, if they will be 18 years old by Election Day, their name, address, date of birth and driver’s license number, Kennedy said. If a person does not have a driver’s license, they must fill in the last four digits of their social security number.

In Texas, Kennedy said students are not required to change their home address to register to vote in a different county. They may register to vote with a Lubbock County address, but the mailing address can be to their parent’s home if they so choose.

For some, registration is done at the time they attain a driver’s license, Kennedy said. If a student needs to know if they already are registered to vote, they can

visit votelubbock.org.

When getting ready to send in the form, Kennedy said the most important factor to remember is the form must be postmarked on or before Oct. 5 for voter registration to be valid for this November’s presidential election.

The address to mail the finished voter registration application to is the Lubbock County Elections Office at 1308 Crickets Ave., P.O. Box 10536, Lubbock, TX 79408.

Seth McKee, former associate professor in the Tech Department of Political Science, said more voter registration for this upcoming election will be really important.

“The stakes are so incredibly high right now,” he said.

McKee does not agree with the mentality that one vote will not be the deciding vote, he said. Voting is all about numbers, and all the small pockets of voters around the country add up and make a difference.

Additionally, Kevin Banda, associate professor in the Tech Department of Political Science, said it is important to register to vote because political figures do not have an incentive to listen to people if they do not go out and vote.

“If you want the government to be responsive to people with preferences like yours, then you have to actually participate,” Banda said.

Older people are the ones who vote, Banda said. For some 20-year-olds who do not vote, the government has no reason to listen to them.

In 2016, 65-year-old citizens had a significantly higher voter turnout of 70.5 percent, while 18 to 29-year-old citizen voter turnout was 46.1 percent, according to the United States Census Bureau website.

For more information regarding how to register to vote, visit the Lubbock County Elections Office website. @HannahIsomDT

CAMPUS

Professors discuss Zoom policies, accommodations

By NATALIE CERVANTES L a Vida Editor

Texas Tech professors discuss how they have implemented Zoom in their class

amid the COVID-19 pandemic and why.

Academic instruction has changed at Tech, Ryan Fay, a part-time graduate instructor at the School of Theatre

and Dance, said.

Everyone was in different situations when classes were moved remotely in Spring 2020, Fay said.

Fay designed his class to have the weekly lectures hosted on Zoom and attendance was optional, he said.

All assignments were turned in online.

“The main rule was keeping yourself muted when you were not speaking,” Fay said.

“I allowed my students to not have their camera on if they didn’t want to.”

The requirement of having the camera on is a privacy issue, and it could affect the students’ comfort level, Fay said.

“I would end up teaching to black screens a lot,” Fay

said. “It was a little hard to teach sometimes.”

When lecturing, Fay said he usually looks for students’ reactions to see if they understood the lecture. Since he could not see the students, he had to adjust how he got students’ confirmation.

“I would have to ask questions very regularly and often,” Fay said. “I would ask questions like, ‘Are you guys following me? Does this make sense?’”

Having feedback is essential to know if the students are following, Fay said. That may be why some professors require the camera to be on, for their comfortability in teaching.

John Nelson, an assis-

tant professor in the history department, said he currently only uses Zoom for office hours.

“I opted for asynchronous,” Nelson said.

Having to lecture to 300 students on Zoom would be problematic and not worth the hassle, Nelson said.

“I think that there is potential for a lot of distractions on Zoom,” Nelson said. “However, if my face-to-face class has to move online at some point over the semester, I will teach it over Zoom.”

Nelson would request that students have their cameras on because the class is a small upper-level discussionbased class, he said.

“I know some people who

do the opposite of that,” Nelson said. “But I need to be able to see students participating together in a shared environment of trust.”

Nelson would ask his students to be professional, especially about their backgrounds and their settings, he said.

Barbara Hahn, a professor in the history department, said she studies technological change. Society is going through is a technological shift.

“Two years ago, students and parents wanted more online classes,” Hahn said.

“And now, online classes aren’t good enough.”

When a desirable thing has shifted to an undesirable thing, Hahn said it indicates the world is in a new place.

“In my experience, when there was a massive technological shift, it was already happening,” Hahn said.

“Zoom and everything did not just exist, it was already here, the change just accelerated the process.”

The change has created many opportunities, Hahn said. Students are communicating more via email, and classes now have more independent learning.

“We are very eager to offer students more face-to-face classes because we know what it means to have that interaction for both student and professor, but this experience has taught us a lot of new skills,” Hahn said.

The shift in learning has taught professors to think more intensely about course design, Nelson said.

“I think it has forced us all to think about class prep a lot more,” he said. “It has also made us communicate over email and online more.” @NCervantesDT

WWW.DAILYTOREADOR.COM

TRACING

NEWS

to get medical attention,” tracing process. in, they answer these quick virus and isolate, the safer Edwards said.

Reporting a positive CO- questions and then there’s a people will be.

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 “The self-assessment F o r i n d i v i d u a l s w h o VID-19 case using the report- color tied to their response tool allows After a campus case has tested positive people to been reported, Edwards said for COVID-19, briefly and the contact tracing team will Edwards said a efficiently reach out to the individual to minimum of 10 take a step identify information about days of isolation back, think them. He said it is important is required. about how for people to answer their “The decithey’re feelphones when Student Health sion to test is ing that day Services calls. up to the indicompared Health complications, vidual and reto how they the symptoms one currently ally should be usually feel is showing and if one ex- made in conand then perienced any high-risk junction with plan acexposures or close contact the healthcare cordingly,” are examples of informa- provider,” he he said. tion Edwards said Student s a i d . “ B u t a With flu Health Services will ask for negative test season unduring the call. from someone derway, EdClose contact is defined in quarantine wards said as being within six feet of d o e s n o t r e people also a COVID-19-positive indi- lease them from should take vidual for at least 15 min- quarantine.” a flu vaccine. utes starting from two days At that “ We d o before symptoms started point when a or two days prior to posi- p e r s o n t e s t s AUTUMN BIPPERT/The Daily Toreador have those tive specimen collection for p o s i t i v e , E d- Healthcare professional calls a name for testing at the free COVID-19 walk-up testing as it opened at 10 a v a i l a b l e asymptomatic patients, ac- w a r d s s a i d a.m. in in Urbanovsky Park. Texas Tech University began providing free COVID-19 walk-up testing on through Student Health cording to the Centers for symptom moni- Sept. 4, 2020 through the Texas Department of Emergency Management in Urbanovsky Park.

Services Disease Control and Preven- tors will come as well as tion website. in based on the “Once we have identified severity of one’s symptoms ing tool on the Tech COV- that then can be shown through local pharmacies who those high-risk individu- and one’s medical history. ID-19 dashboard helps notify to gain access to different in the community,” he said als are, we can then reach out Symptom monitors will the Student Health Services areas depending on the regarding flu shots.

Self-screening tools and to those individuals and get a reach out to people after team and affiliated contact discretion of the person that tips on how one should monisense of whether they’re ex- their diagnosis every day in tracers to follow-up with wants them to use that.” periencing any symptoms or severe cases or every three individuals, Imes said. This Members of the Tech tor symptoms are not the not and then determine the to five days depending on helps determine who may community also have access only resources available on need for quarantine, which the situation. have had high-risk contact to a full-screening tool on the COVID-19 dashboard.

COVID-19 campus case is defined as a 14-day period Regardless, first reporting within the Tech community. the dashboard, which also In addition to the posi- is encouraged for people to information, which is compiled from a variety of local tive case reporting tool, take, Imes said.

Imes said the dashboard “The full-screening tool, medical sources, are rehas a quick assessment tool which is in addition to the ported and updated Monday that allows the user to an- quick assessment, gives ev- through Friday, Imes said. swer three basic questions eryone on campus the abil- Numbers reported Monday to determine their potential ity to review symptoms of afternoon include the data level of exposure to CO- COVID-19 and undergo a from the prior weekend.

The case data, which has VID-19. The tool is designed thorough self-screening if to be used at the discretion that’s what they choose to been publicly recorded since Aug. 3 when Tech moved to of various campus units to do,” she said. verify if a faculty or staff Both tools have been Phase II of COVID-19 opermember will be able to enter developed based on CDC ations, includes the number a certain facility on campus. guidelines and consulta- of total reported cases, new Faculty and staff mem- tions from medical profes- recovered people, total recovered people, new active bers are encouraged to take sionals, Imes said.

Utilizing a self-screen- cases and total active cases, some form of self-screening AUTUMN BIPPERT/The Daily Toreador daily before coming into ing tool could have differ- according to the dashboard.

Students wait in line for testing at the free COVID-19 walk-up ent benefits when keeping Regarding the potential work, Imes said. testing as it opened at 10 a.m. in in Urbanovsky Park. Texas “ A n d e a c h r e s p o n s e oneself healthy on campus. to report possible COVTech University began providing free COVID-19 walk-up testing Whether one is quar- ID-19 related hospitalizacomes with a green, yellow on Sept. 4, 2020 through the Texas Department of Emergency or red indicator that basi- antining and monitoring tions or deaths among the Management in Urbanovsky Park. cally helps provide users symptoms or one is showing Tech community, Imes said with either clearance or symptoms that could be al- the university always is of staying isolated in one’s a positive COVID-19 case additional information on lergies, Edwards said self- open to sharing more data own bedroom, using their may impact how contact trac- how to proceed,” she said screening can keep a person and including additional own restroom if at all pos- ers can seek out individuals regarding the quick assess- vigilant. The sooner a person information that can help sible and not leaving except at risk and start the contact ment. “So, the person goes can identify if they have the the campus community de-

SEPT. 24, 2020

3A

pending on the needs that may arise.

Regardless, Edwards said gathering and reporting this data can consist of a variety of factors, such as the dashboard resources and COVID-19 testing.

It is a 24/7 commitment to look at the case numbers, Edwards said. He is grateful for the online reporting tool that makes the process more efficient.

Due to the number of people who reported positive cases, Edwards said there can be a waiting period when reporting certain cases. Some COVID-19 tests are the rapid antigen tests that show results within 30 minutes to an hour, and some tests are polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which can take 24 to 48 hours to receive results.

“I’m confident that the results we’re reporting are valid both from our campus and from our city,” he said.

The cases Tech reports are daily assessments based on information from the city health department and reports from Tech Health Sciences Center testing and the Texas Department of Emergency Management testing site on campus, Edwards said.

Edwards is grateful for the TDEM testing site on campus, he said. The site has allowed the university to devote more resources to those sick with COVID-19.

A list of COVID-19 testing facilities can be found on the Student Health Services website.

In addition to getting tested, Edwards said he would prefer students to abide by the guidelines set forth in the Tech Commitment plan, whether that be staying home when one feels sick, wearing a mask not just in a classroom setting and social distancing.

“Taking these steps in terms of prevention, then hopefully we can slow the spread of COVID,” he said, “[We will] have fewer cases and then, you know, have a safer campus overall while continuing to enjoy the activities that the university has to offer.” @AdanRubioDT

OPINIONS

Page 4A Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020

EDITORIAL

@DailyToreador www.dailytoreador.com

Student editors stress voter registration T

his year has been a year with trial after trial hitting our nation and our Red Raider family. Now, we are about to be on the precipice of many elections and one that will shape the future of this country and our world. For most of our readers, it will be their first time to vote.

Therefore, we must understand the gravity of the responsibility that has been entrusted to us and the responsibility we have to ourselves. And with little over a week and a half left to register to vote in Texas, it was a consensus among the

editorial board to remind readers the importance of using our Constitutionallygiven right to enable change in our country.

As we saw last election cycle, voters between ages of 18 to 29 only had 46.1 percent turnout at the polls, according to the U.S Census Bureau in a report entitled “Voting in America: A Look at the 2016 Presidential Election”. It also reported this age group had the lowest voter turnout in the 2016 election.

As stated before, some of our readers have just turned 18 and have never voted before, and the ma-

jority of our audience were too young to have voted in the 2016 election. The only national elections students may have participated in may have been the midterm elections in 2018.

We realize voting is a daunting and anxiety-ridden task. However, this can’t stop us from voting.

Our generation is the voice of the future; we are paving the way for our generation and for future generations.

We stand up for injustice, and we support those who are in need, which is why we must take our civic responsibility more seriously and show up to vote

in November.

The editors of The Daily Toreador are dedicated to informing readers of candidates, the platforms they are running on and the opinions from local candidate’s parties. A special edition of The Daily Toreador will be printed on Oct. 8 to help give some last-minute news and information about this election and all elections going on in the state and city.

However, we encourage readers to do more in-depth research into each candidate to help educate themselves. We also encourage everyone not to be a by-

stander in this election and inform yourself, support your candidate and make an educated vote.

As stated in our staff handbook, “The opinions page is a forum for ongoing debates or rebuttals,” meaning, in the purest form, our opinion’s section is an open forum for our community to use, and in doing so, it belongs to the readers. That being said, the opinion’s editor will be publishing columns that some may or may not agree with.

Readers’ opinions are welcomed and can be submitted to opinions@dailytoreador.com for publica-

tion. However, it is at the sole discretion of the opinion’s editor if the columns will be printed, published online or even be published at all.

We deserve our voice to be heard and to count. No matter what political party you are affiliated with, we encourage you to register

by Oct. 5 for Texas and to go vote on Nov. 3.

@DailyToreador

COLUMN

Upcoming local elections warrant voter turnout

The upcoming weeks are going to be filled with political information as the country gears up for Election Day. Not only is 2020 a presidential election, but it is also an election for many state and local positions.

The U.S. Census Bureau released a report revealing 2016 voting trends entitled “Voting in America: A Look at the 2016 Election.” According to the report, 61.4 percent of people old enough to vote participated in the 2016 election.

This percentage is far too low, and we should all be exercising the right to vote come this November.

The U.S. is going through a pandemic, the economy is stumbling, wildfires are occurring throughout the Western region, there is a Supreme Court opening position and there are major protests in various cities.

Amanda Hampton is a junior public relations major from from Houston

Every vote is important, especially when there are so many pressing issues facing the country.

We must take the time to vote if we want to see these issues taken care of in our preferred way. We need to be active and engaged citizens within our communities in order to see change.

There are two common reasons I have heard from my peers as to why they do not vote.

First, they say their vote does not matter because Texas is going to vote for the Republican Party whether they vote or not. The second is they feel they do not have enough knowledge to make an informed decision.

Neither of these two rea-

sons should be why someone does not exercise their right to vote this November.

If someone does not feel informed, it is because they haven’t taken time to observe what is happening in Even if Texas is projected to vote for the Republican Party and is not considered a swing state, it is important to voice your opinion and contribute to the final results.

Additionally, the election goes much further than who the state is casting electoral votes for. There are also many closely contested local elections in need of voters turning out to support the candidates.

Local elections are just as important, if not more so, than presidential elections because change being made at the local level can impact communities at a faster rate than the national level can.

Low local turnout prevents accurate representation in the community because the position is determined by a select few.

Voting is a way we can participate in our country’s government, and it is a right many people throughout history have fought for us to have. We should take advantage of this hard work and vote out of respect for those who previously did not have the right to participate in politics.

By not voting, we take for granted the privilege we have to voice who we want to represent us in the government.

Regarding the feeling of

not having enough information to vote, we live in a time where information is easily accessible at our fingertips, so there is no reason to not be able to educate yourself.

We have social media, podcasts, news apps and websites all allowing information to be shared rapidly and viewed anywhere.

If someone does not feel informed, it is because they have not taken the time to observe what is happening in the world around them.

People who do not vote, despite being eligible, fail to recognize how everyone is impacted by political decisions.

Voting is often one of the easiest ways to show you care about the world around you and want to see positive change occur.

In my opinion, voting is an important aspect of our democracy, and everyone

should take part in this civic duty. Democracy works best when citizens actively participate in it by voting in elections.

Your vote is always important. There are too many issues on the table to stay silent this election. No matter who you choose to vote for, we should all get out and vote.

The last day to register to vote in Texas is Oct. 5. Be sure to have a plan for how you will be voting this year.

To register to vote or check your registration status in Texas go to www. votetexas.gov.

@AmandahamptonDT

COLUMN

CONTACT US Newsroom: 806-742-3393 Advertising: 806-742-3384 Business: 806-742-3388 Circulation: 806-742-3388 Fax: 806-742-2434 Email: dailytoreador@ttu.edu

Students discuss current reputation of Tech Evan Ray is a junior DMPC major from Sugar Land

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Chase Seabolt (806) 742-3395 editor@dailytoreador.com Managing Editor Mallory Rosetta managing@dailytoreador.com News Editor Adán Rubio news@dailytoreador.com La Vida Editor Natalie Cervantes features@dailytoreador.com Sports Editor Zach Richards sports@dailytoreador.com Opinions Editor Mateo Rosiles opinions@dailytoreador.com Multimedia Editor Autumn Bippert photo@dailytoreador.com Digital Content Manager Madeline Diffee online@dailytoreador.com Copy Editor Emma Sipple online@dailytoreador.com

BREAKING NEWS Email dailytoreador@ttu.edu, call (806) 742-3393 or tweet information to @DailyToreador.

CORRECTIONS

Texas Tech social media has been blazing the last couple of weeks, mostly stemming from a notorious video containing a student who claimed to “have COVID-19” and everyone at the party had it as well.

Tech says they are looking into it in an attempt to commence damage control for the university’s image.

This has brought a worthwhile question to mind for many, what is Tech’s current reputation?

What do other universities and people outside think about us? We need to work to improve our self-image.

As you will find out soon, our reputation leaves a lot to be desired.

While it was important to keep an open mind while obtaining the information for this column, there were at least a few expectations.

Those who were in college a couple of years ago might remember the infamous Final Four riot, where

ous that the surrounding area of Lubbock may show a warm behavior for these groups. When the subject turned to university handling of COVID-19, Byrd told me, without any mention beforehand, that he had viewed the infamous “COVID-19 party” video, and while he said it was irresponsible, he also said his own university, LSU, has had similar controversy.

Tech is looked down upon or even given an awkward glance outside of the Tech student population.

Last month, a rather large student party was broken up and gave LSU a rather inappropriate image. When asked if he thought Tech was a viable university for rising freshmen, he said he did. However, only with the caveat of pondering whether Tech should be even taking in any new freshmen, given the current COVID-19 situation.

Next, the same set of questions were asked to two students from The University of Texas. The first of which, was Ryan Bethke, a junior computer science and Spanish major from Houston. The other was a student named Andrew Mathews, a junior biomedical engineering major from Sugar Land.

After mentioning his friends currently go to Tech, Bethke said Tech always mystified him that such a large university was in Lubbock, the middle of nowhere, and not in Dallas, Austin or Houston.

Mathews said, while he respected the academic nature of the university, he heard the location was a little less than ideal.

And speaking of things less then ideal, Bethke mentioned knowledge of the infamous “Raider Rash” (a term used for STDs spread by students), and both students had knowledge of the Final Four riots listed above. After they were asked about comparison of COVID-19 handling with Tech and their own universities, they both said it was fairly similar, the main difference be-

ing that UT is ending their semester after Thanksgiving break. Overall, they both seemed to share a lot of respect for Tech as a university and a gateway to the professional world.

It was after conducting these interviews I formed the conclusion that Tech is looked down upon or even given an awkward glance outside of the Tech student population. Obviously, several of the sentiments expressed here aren’t exactly things we want to be known for or are things that we think are true.

We as Red Raiders know how things are really going on here on campus. If we wish to change our image, it will have to be a collaborative effort, either make the necessary changes or to prove that the statements are incorrect, and we are better than what is said about us.

@EvanRayDT

MULTIMEDIA

The DailyToreador strives for accuracy and fairness in the reporting of news.

If a report is wrong or misleading, a request for a correction or clarification may be made by calling (806) 742-3393 or emailing dailytoreador@ttu.edu.

Mallory Rosetta is a junior advertising and media strategies major from Lubbock

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION © Copyright 2020TexasTech University Student Media/The Daily Toreador. All DT articles, photographs and artwork are the property of The DT and Student Media and may not be reproduced or published without permission. The DailyToreador is a designated public forum. Student editors have the authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval.

drunken Tech students created a bonfire full of Lime scooters and flipped over a car.

We definitely have a past of being really enthusiastic at football games to say the least. Finally, our location in Lubbock also factors into people’s opinions, perhaps thinking us to be cowboys or ranch hands.

These expectations seemed to be met, upon speaking to Michael Byrd, a Louisiana State University sophomore theater major from Houston. Upon the mention of Tech, rural countryside was the first thing he said came to mind.

We proceeded to talk about rumors he has heard, and he mentioned hearing that Tech had a lack of diversity when it came to Black and Hispanic/Latino students, leading to them possibly being discriminated. However, also hearing that Tech was accepting and welcoming of LGBT+ students (again saying LGBT people of color may not be cas accepted).

Byrd retained sentiment that despite how the campus might be with these groups, he was very dubi-

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SPORTS

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VOLLEYBALL

Page 5A Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020

Tech volleyball set for season opener against Mountaineers most depth we’ve had in my four years,” senior libero Emerson Solano said in regard to COVID-19.

“Which means that any player that steps on the court is going to have a positive effect on the team. I think just having that depth prepares us for this change.”

By ANA ARTHUR

Sports Reporter The Texas Tech women’s volleyball team announced their eight-game Big 12 conference schedule in late August. Like many other sports, the 2020 season will be different, as all the teams in the Big 12 will compete in eight doubleheaders with competition against the same team in consecutive days.

Due to COVID-19, the Big 12 announced a revised 2020 volleyball schedule that allowing for matches to start Thursday Sept. 24 through Saturday Nov. 21.

The Red Raiders will jump into action at 6 p.m. on Sept. 24 against West Virginia at the United Supermarkets Arena. They will have the same 6 p.m. start time on Friday. Head coach Tony Graystone said this season is going to be a different coaching challenge, but he is looking forward to it.

“It’s nice to have a full week to get ready for a team. When you come up as a mid-major or a D2,

FOOTBALL

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 The Red Raider Defense Against Houston Baptist, junior linebacker Krishon Merriweather anchored the middle with a conferenceleading 12-tackle performance, according to the Big 12. His game against Houston Baptist earned him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.

In the secondary, Zech McPhearson will look to maintain momentum after earning his first career interception against the Huskies, according to Tech Athletics. Against the Longhorns last season, McPhearson had six solo tackles against the Longhorns, the most of any player in Tech’s secondary.

Returners

VOLLEYBALL SENIOR NIGHT

• • • •

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

Defensive specialist Emerson Solano celebrates another point for Tech during the game against the University of Kansas at on Oct. 16, 2019 in the United Supermarkets Arena. Solano, along with Haley Hartman and Allison Bloss, will be recognized at senior night on Sept. 24 and 25, 2020 at 6 p.m. you play back-to-backs all the time. So, this is going back to my coaching roots for sure.”

Last season, the Red Raiders defeated the Mountaineers 3-1 at home. The Mountaineers will return

after coming off a 12-17 season, which included its 700th win in program history, according to West Virginia Athletics. Tech has remained undefeated all three times competing against the Mountain-

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Kickoff between the Red Raiders and Texas is set for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium.

For those unable to be present, the game will be casted to a national audience on FOX. It will also be available on the Texas Tech Sports Network. The radio broadcast will be on XM channel 199, SiriusXM channel 121 or on the TuneIn mobile application.

In-person tickets may be purchased on game day at Gate 1, Gate 3 and at the main ticket office. All ticket offices will open three hours prior to kickoff and close at the start of the third quarter.

Masks are required for entry.

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

Sophomore defensive lineman Nelson Mbanasor sheds a block during the game against The University of Texas. The Red Raiders will welcome the Longhorns to Lubbock on Saturday for their 69th matchup.

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Tech will enforce the same clear bag policy as all other Tech events for the Red Raiders’ match against West Virginia. Masks will be required for entry, and the USA Ticket office will open one hour prior to first serve, per Tech Athletics.

Following the seasonopening weekend, the Red Raiders will hit the road to Iowa State to compete against the Cardinals on

more players back for the game against Texas, and the COVID-19 related issues are much more resolved than they were prior.

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The Red Raiders were missing a few integral pieces against Houston Baptist. Colin Schooler, Xavier White, DeMarcus Fields, McLane Mannix, Zach Adams, Gilbert Ibeneme, Tyree Wilson, Myles Price, Donovan Smith and JJ Sparkman were all inactive for injury or COVID-19-related reasons, according to Tech Athletics.

Despite being brief in regards to why some members of the team were inactive, head coach Matt Wells told the media in a press conference on Monday that he has

eers at home. The winning streak for the Red Raiders began in 2017 with a 3-1 win, which was followed by another 3-1 win in 2018.

“So, what’s great about this year ’s team, is we have a lot of depth. The

WHEN: Sept. 24-25, 6 p.m.

WHERE: United Supermarkets Arena WATCH: Big12Now on ESPN+

Oct. 2 through Oct. 3. The following weekend the Red Raiders will travel back down south towards TCU to compete against the Horned Frogs on Oct. 8 through Oct. 9.

The Red Raiders return home to Lubbock to face Baylor on Oct. 16 through Oct. 17 before traveling again to take on the Texas Longhorns on Oct. 22 through Oct. 23.

The Red Raiders will then return home to play against Kansas State at United Supermarkets Arena Nov. 6 through Nov. 7 and then Oklahoma Nov. 12 through Nov. 13.

The Red Raiders will then end their regular season on the road at Kansas against the Jayhawks Nov. 19 through Nov. 20.

Fifteen of the Red Raiders’ 16 matches will be available to watch on the Big 12 conference telecast.

They can be streamed on ESPN+. Tech’s two matches at Texas will be shown on the Longhorn Network.

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