120718 Finals Frenzy

FRIDAY, DEC. 7, 2018 VOLUME 93 ■ ISSUE 29

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­INSIDE DECEMBER GRADUATES FACE CHALLENGES AND PERKS

RETAINING INFORMATION FOR FINALS REQUIRES NEW MINDSET

PROFESSIONALS SHARE ADVICE ON OVERCOMING TEST ANXIETY

WHAT TEXAS TECH SPORTS WILL BE DOING OVER BREAK

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NEWS

FINALS FRENZY

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December graduates face challenges, perks

By MATTHEW SETZEKORN News Editor

With the holiday season quickly approaching, many students have a lot more to worry about than just the stress of gift giving and having relatives over.

Many Texas Tech seniors have to worry about their upcoming graduation, which takes place on Dec. 14-15. While the stress of finishing college on a high note is on their minds, they also have to worry about entering the work force.

Although some students worry about obtaining a new job after college, statistics prove upcoming graduates should not worry as much.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics found the unemployment rate for college students in 2018 was, on average, 2.1 percent.

There are many perks December graduates have to look forward to when it comes to entering the job market.

This includes companies hiring a lot of new employees around the new year.

“December graduates are

graduating at an ideal time for employers who often follow a hiring cycle of the fiscal year instead of the academic year,” Nicole Noble, associate director and employer relations & marketing at the Tech Career Center, said. “Employers usually find that to be a good time frame to hire candidates.”

Another perk December graduates encounter is having the luxury of entering a less crowded pool of candidates.

Due to less students graduating in December as compared to May, the applicant pool is smaller, Noble said.

Shelby Oubre, an English graduate student from Garland, said she agrees December graduates have the perk of having to deal with a smaller crowd when entering the job market.

“I would think it would perhaps be easier for December grads just because of the new year,” Oubre said.

“I also feel this would be the ideal time since there are less people graduating now compared to May.” However, with these perks, there are also some drawbacks

when it comes to December graduation. With the holiday season in full swing, many employers simply are not looking to hire anyone during that time period, thus leaving a large gap of time when students are left struggling to find employment.

“A lot of employers are making their decisions for when they’re going to hire earlier in the semester,” Noble said. “This time of year, there’s the holidays coming up, there’s a lot of things people are trying to work around schedule wise in order to hire someone, so it can be a slower process.”

One way students can prepare to enter the job market if they know they will graduate in December and worry they will run into the challenge mentioned above, job searching earlier rather than later is always the way to go, Noble said. “(Students) can prepare ahead of time ideally,” Noble said. “Trying to stay organized, single tasking instead of multitasking. So, you set time aside to look for opportunities available in fields

REMEMBERING 41

AUDREY KERR/The Daily Toreador

The flags at Memorial Circle were lowered to half-staff and the carillon bells were rung Wednesday Dec. 5, 2018, in memory of President George H.W. Bush. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered the flags at all state agencies be flown at half-staff for 30 days.

MCKENZIE GARZA/The Daily Toreador

Students receive their Texas Tech rings at the McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018, in the McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center. It is tradition for seniors to wear their ring during graduation and turn them around when they have officially graduated. they’re interested in instead of getting distracted by emails or social media or other things. Also prioritizing, setting some clear, concrete that hopefully aren’t too large of goals, but specific and doable.”

On that same note, No-

ble said the best time for students to start their job searches is in the months of September and October.

“Ideally they can start applying certainly in the heavy recruiting time frame, the September and October time

period,” Noble said. “They could start even sooner than that. Over the summer or even attending career fairs in the spring before that. So, sooner rather than later, but it’s never too late to start looking.” @MattSetzekornDT

AP

Nation bids goodbye to Bush with high praise WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation bid goodbye to George H.W. Bush with high praise, cannon salutes and gentle humor Wednesday, celebrating the life of the Texan who embraced a lifetime of service in Washington and was the last president to fight for the U.S. in wartime. Three former presidents looked on at Washington National Cathedral as a fourth — George W. Bush — eulogized his dad as “the brightest of a thousand points of light.”

After three days of remembrance in the capital city, the Air Force plane with Bush’s casket left for a final service in Houston and burial Thursday at his family plot on the presidential library grounds at Texas A&M University in College Station.

His final resting place is alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years, and Robin Bush, the daughter who died of leukemia at age 3.

His plane, which often serves as Air Force One, arrived at Ellington Field outside Houston in late afternoon. As a motorcade subsequently carried Bush’s remains to the family church, St. Martin’s Episcopal, along a closed interstate, hundreds

of people in stopped cars on the other side of the road, took pictures and shot cell phone video. One driver of a tanker truck climbed atop the hulking vehicle for a better view, and at least 15 firefighters scaled a pair of stopped firetrucks to salute.

Upon its arrival at the church, Bush’s casket was met by a military band and Houston Democratic Mayor Sylvester Turner.

The national funeral service at the cathedral was a tribute to a president, a patriarch and a faded political era that prized military service and public responsibility. It was laced with indirect comparisons to President Donald Trump but was not consumed by them, as speakers focused on Bush’s public life and character — with plenty of cracks about his goofy side, too.

“He was a man of such great humility,” said Alan Simpson, a former Republican senator from Wyoming.

Those who travel “the high road of humility in Washington, D.C.,” he added pointedly, “are not bothered by heavy traffic.”

Trump sat with his wife, a trio of ex-presidents and their wives, several of the

group sharp critics of his presidency and one of them, Hillary Clinton, his 2016 Democratic foe. Apart from courteous nods and some handshakes, there was little interaction between Trump and the others.

George W. Bush broke down briefly at the end of his eulogy while invoking the daughter his parents lost in 1953 and his mother, who died in April. He said he took comfort in knowing “Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom’s hand again.”

The family occupied the White House for a dozen years — the 41st president defeated after one term, the 43rd serving two. Jeb Bush stepped up to try to extend that run but fell short when Trump won the 2016 Republican primaries.

The elder Bush was “the last great-soldier statesman,” historian Jon Meacham said in his eulogy, “our shield” in dangerous times.

But he took a lighter tone, too, noting that Bush, campaigning in a crowd in a department store, once shook hands with a mannequin.

Rather than flushing in embarrassment, he simply quipped, “Never know. Gotta ask.”

NEWS

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FINAL FRENZY

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CAMPUS

Retaining information for finals requires new mindset

By ADÁN RUBIO Staff Writer

With final exams taking place, students are resorting to different studying techniques to retain class material.

While studying, retention of information may not be easy for those stressing over multiple tests.

Retaining the information needed for a final exam may be challenging, as students can be preoccupied with other classes, work or personal matters. With the need to cram for different tests, retaining necessary information could be more difficult.

Michael Serra, Texas Tech cognitive psychology professor, said not every student has been taught the efficient study techniques needed to retain material for tests.

“Many students also have beliefs that don’t hold up or are not valid,” he said. “A lot of students see value in rereading the textbook, rereading the notes.”

Reviewing class material is a technique Serra said is not detrimental, but rereading is a form of studying he said does not prove useful compared to other methods.

Testing oneself is a great way for students to study for tests, Serra said. Although, with this process, he said students sometimes exhibit inefficiencies.

“For example, one form of self-testing while studying is to use flashcards,” Serra said.

“A lot of students, once they answer a flashcard right, they drop it.”

Setting aside a flashcard or notes after learning its material is a common part

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

Texas Tech students study and work on classwork Monday, Oct. 1 2018, in the Starbucks at Barnes and Noble in the Student Union Building. With finals season hitting campus, the need to cram for different tests and retain all the necessary information can be difficult for students. of studying Serra said can be helpful when wanting to focus on unlearned information. But when a student revisits facts they have already learned, he said they can improve their retention of information.

“There is also a benefit of doing the retrieval itself,” he said. “The more times you retrieve information, the more likely you are to be able to retrieve it in the future.”

Despite how one studies for an exam, stress can be an influential factor students cannot control when studying and cramming for finals, Serra said.

Stressors, whether they be positive or negative influences, are distractors Serra said can prevent a student from fully focusing on their study

material. When cramming for a final exam the night before the testing date, he said students can be susceptible to these distracting stressors.

“You might find yourself mind wandering to other things that are more fun or interesting or just easy to do,” he said. “You might also mind wander to topics that verge on worry or anxiety.”

For some students, studying may not be the most interesting activity to do when class is over, but not being engaged in what one is learning could be distracting and prevent retention of the material.

Patrick Bohn, associate director of Support Operations for Academic Retention, said learning can be hard when students do not like what they are studying.

“What makes it easier to retain that information is if you kind of relate it to something that you either know or something that you do or something that you like,” he said. “It’s able to stick there.”

Relating the class material to an interest can help a student stay positive about studying and the goals they hope to achieve, Bohn said.

“Realize how much time I put to studying is in benefit toward my grade, towards that exam, then it usually helps,” Bohn said. “Another big thing students kind of do incorrectly is the generic ‘I’m going to stay up all night and study.’”

Studying for long hours is a method Bohn said is antiquated. For students who have multiple finals to study

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Documents show Facebook used user data as competitive weapon Internal Facebook documents released by a U.K. parliamentary committee offer the clearest evidence yet that the social network has used its enormous trove of user data as a competi-

tive weapon, often in ways designed to keep its users in the dark.

Parliament's media committee accused Facebook on Wednesday of cutting special deals with some app develop-

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Residents return to California town leveled by wildfire PARADISE, Calif. (AP) — Joyce and Jerry McLean sifted through twisted metal and broken glass Wednesday on the property where their mobile home once stood, hoping to find precious family possessions that might have survived the devastating California wildfire that leveled Paradise.

They were among hundreds of residents who were

finally allowed back into neighborhoods on the east side of town a month after the blaze killed at least 85 people and destroyed about 14,000 homes.

The couple, wearing white hazmat suits and leather gloves, searched for his gold wedding band, a Bible that belonged to his great-grandmother and Christmas ornaments their son made when he was a boy.

ers to give them more access to data, while icing out others that it viewed as potential rivals.

In other documents, company executives discussed how they were keeping the company's collection and exploita-

tion of user data from its users.

That included quietly collecting the call records and text messages of users of phones that run on Google's Android operating system without asking their permission.

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for, he said it is best to reduce distractions and break the studying into separate, short sessions. Short study sessions throughout the week could provide students with free time for other daily activities.

Although, some students may sacrifice certain activities to study for their exams.

Sleep is an activity Bohn said can be an issue when a college student does not take time out of their schedule to rest.

“It’s the easiest thing to do, but it’s that hardest for people to actually stick to,” he said. “The longer you don’t sleep, the longer it’s going to take to get into an actual sleep pattern to actually be of benefit.”

Whether it is setting time to relax or deciding the best times to study, one’s schedule could be a determining factor that affects their efficiency while studying, he said.

“For most students, it’s time management,” he said.

Regardless if a student manages their time well or utilizes the best studying techniques, retention of information for finals could rely on one’s learning in the classroom.

A student’s interaction with the professor and their engagement with the material are factors that may need to be considered when wanting to make the most out of a college lecture.

Rebecca Densley, peer consultant at the Tech Teaching, Learning and Professional Development Center, said class lectures should be student-centered.

“A lot of that comes down to how the students are

choosing to engage in the information,” she said.

Even though the student can choose how to learn class material, the performance of the faculty member in a classroom also could have influence over a student’s study habits.

Checking in with the students is one task Densley said faculty should do throughout the semester.

“Encourage students to compare notes in the class-

The longer you don’t sleep, the longer it’s going to take to get into an actual sleep pattern to actually be of benefit.

PATRICK BOHN ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR room,” Densley said. “A lot of instructors are trying to encourage student study groups.”

Talking to students about strategies they have used when studying for finals is one way Densley said professors can further help students to retain information during lectures and study sessions.

Regardless, there are a variety of ways students could improve their retention and develop better study skills.

“Utilize some of the resources on campus,” Densley said. “There are a lot of great opportunities on campus to help students.” @AdanRubioDT

OPINIONS

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CARTOON

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COLUMN

Wrapping up my college career with one last column

A

s the semester winds down, so does my undergraduate career. I thought for my last piece in the paper I would reflect on the most important things I have learned during college, so those that are lower classmen may learn from my experience.

The first thing I learned in college is that it is OK to ask for help. I learned this the

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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION © Copyright 2018TexasTech 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.

Drew Welty is a senior psychology major from Dallas.

hard way. I totally neglected my mental health my freshman year of college, and because of that both my grades and my mind suffered. I won’t go into all of the details about the depression I experienced as a freshman, but I can sum up the experience in a word.

Preventable.

I began to judge myself so harshly that I created a negative mental feedback loop, which is common in people that are depressed, and did not get help. I was too proud or embarrassed to ask for help. Because of that, I suffered in a way that I hadn’t expected to my freshman year.

I am a better person because I went through this, but overall I would greatly recommend that my peers, especially freshmen, recognize that depression among students is common and is not

something to be ashamed of.

The second thing I learned in college is that I love to learn. Because of the depression I experienced early on in my college career, I immediately assumed school was part of the problem. But as soon as I started to get better, I began to realize I truly loved learning about topics that interested me.

Previously, I had been an engineering major and hated every second of it. I realized after I began to enjoy economics, philosophy and psychology that I didn’t hate to learn. I just hated certain subjects. This discovery set the stage for the rest of the key things I learned throughout my college career.

The next thing I learned was I had to speak up when I had a disagreement or question in class. This really shifted my performance and made me learn a lot more in all of my classes. I found that I retained more information and learned how to clearly articulate objections or questions when I began to do this

with high frequency.

This led to me developing several very positive relationships with professors across multiple subjects. I found that after I began to speak in class more I also became more confident and less scared of looking stupid by asking a question. I highly recommend doing this in your classes where appropriate and would tell you that at first this was nerve racking, but soon becomes normal and even fun.

I also learned that reading books is the best way to learn. This may sound silly, but prior to making this discovery I believed that the internet was a superior tool due to its near infinite information. I found that the internet was like someone gave you a telescope to look at the night sky.

By this I mean that you could choose to look at any star in the distance, but the image was fairly low resolution and you don’t learn that much about each individual star due to the overload you receive.

A book is like a detailed picture of just the sun. Books are specific and focused in a way that the vast space of the internet is just not. I especially preferred books once I began to use audio books, because I could listen to books while doing the ordinary mundane things, we all have to do every day rather than listening to music like I used to.

The last thing I am going to mention is I discovered is people that disagreed with me on political and philosophical matters are not evil or stupid. This one is big. As a young adult who had just discovered politics, I began to polarize in a way that led me to believe that literally everyone on the other side was crazy, stupid or evil.

I know now this is not the case and that my peers that disagree with me are simply operating in different moral matrices than I am. This is a term coined by Jonathan Haidt, a famous moral psychologist, that refers to the matrix in which people live that shapes their moral in-

tuitions and decisions. This knowledge allowed me to be more understanding of those I disagree with and tolerate the fact that I am called names and accused of motives I do not have.

If you are more curious about this topic, I highly encourage you to read The Righteous Mind or look up Haidt’s Ted Talk on political morality. The book instantly became my favorite after reading it.

Overall, I view my college career as a transformative experience in which I became a man that I am proud to be. I greatly look forward to the future and will miss Texas Tech with all my heart.

Thank you to Texas Tech, The Daily Toreador and, most importantly, my peers for giving me what I can only call a fantastic college experience.

I will miss you and look back fondly upon this experience with a smile.

Keep your minds open, your hearts warm and your Guns Up. @DailyToreador

AP

Kansas house gets new GOP majority leader, top democrat TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans in the Kansas House elected a new, more conservative majority leader Monday and Democrats dumped their firebrand leader in the chamber in favor of lower-key veteran with a reputation for being able to work with the GOP. The selection of conservative Rep. Dan Hawkins of Wichita as majority leader for the next two years is likely to complicate Democratic Gov.-elect Laura Kelly’s efforts to pass her legislative agenda, particularly a plan to expand the state’s Medicaid health coverage for the needy.

Defeated Majority Leader Don Hineman, a moderate Dighton Republican, has

supported expanding Medicaid while Hawkins, the House health committee chairman for the past four years, strongly opposes it.

Hawkins said he’s not heard “clamoring” from fellow lawmakers for the idea.

“I’ve heard a lot in the press. I’ve heard a lot from other places, but in the people I’ve been talking to, I’ve not heard a lot of people say, ‘Let’s go spend all of our money on Medicaid expansion,’” Hawkins told reporters after he was chosen by GOP House members and members-elect.

Republicans maintained their 85-40 majority in the House in this year’s elections, but conservatives picked up at least six seats

at the expense of GOP moderates. Hawkins prevailed over Hineman, 48-35, with one lawmaker absent and another not voting.

“Our caucus shifted to the right,” Hineman said after being ousted.

Hawkins is an insurance agency owner who was first elected to the House in 2012. Hineman, a farmer and rancher, first won his House seat in 2008.

House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a conservative Olathe Republican, won a second, two-year term as the chamber’s top leader, besting a challenge from conservative Rep.-elect Owen Donohoe, of Shawnee, on an 80-4 vote.

But the result in the

majority leader’s race suggested that Democrats still have opportunities to form coalitions with GOP moderates to pass legislation.

To help shepherd Kelly’s agenda through the Legislature, they turned to Rep. Tom Sawyer over Rep. Jim Ward, who’d held the job for the past two years with conservative Republicans Sam Brownback and Jeff Colyer as governor.

While Brownback and Colyer could pass legislation with GOP votes alone, Kelly will have to build bipartisan coalitions.

“I think that’s going to be more important than ever, that we’re able to build relationships and compromise and get things done,”

Sawyer said.

Both Sawyer and Ward are veteran lawmakers from Wichita, but Ward has a reputation for being the harder-charging partisan and more likely to deliver fiery speeches and public statements. The vote among House Democrats was 24-16 in Sawyer’s favor.

Ward also launched a run for governor in August 2017, dropping it nine months later because he couldn’t raise enough money in the face of Kelly’s candidacy.

Sawyer said some Democrats felt Ward’s run for governor distracted from winning legislative seats and in a good year for the party nationally, Democrats should have gained at least a few.

AP

Colorado's Hickenlooper staffs up for possible 2020 presidential bid DENVER (AP) — Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and his allies are taking new steps toward launching a presidential campaign, including interviews with dozens of potential staffers and hiring a pollster and na-

LETTERS The Daily Toreador welcomes letters from readers. Letters must be no longer than 300 words and must include the author’s name,

tional fundraiser, according to a person close to the Democrat.

He's already launched a political action committee that allows him to raise money nationally and hired his 2014 campaign manager, Brad Komar, to

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.

run it. Since the PAC was formed in September, Komar has done 80 interviews with possible campaign staffers, the person said. Of those, Hickenlooper has conducted or participated in 30 interviews. The operation has

hired Democratic veteran Anna Greenberg as its pollster and FK & Co. as national fundraisers; it raises money for Democratic senators including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Hickenlooper isn't expected

GUEST COLUMNS The Daily Toreador accepts submissions of unsolicited guest columns. While we cannot acknowledge receipt of all columns, the authors of those selected for publication will be notified. Guest columns should be no longer than 650 words in length and on a topic of relevance to the university community. Guest columns are also edited and follow the same guidelines for letters as far as identification and submittal.

to make a formal decision on running for president until his term ends on Jan. 8. The person close to the governor requested anonymity because Hickenlooper hasn't yet formally launched his campaign.

EDITORIALS Unsigned editorials appearing on this page represent the opinion of The DailyToreador. All other columns, letters and artwork represent the opinions of their authors and are not necessarily representative of the editorial board, Texas Tech University, its employees, its student body or the Board of Regents. The DailyToreador is independent of the College of Media and Communication. Responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies with the student editors.

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CAMPUS

LA VIDA

Page 5 FINALS FRENZY

Professionals share advice on overcoming finals test anxiety

By BRIANNA MALDONADO Staff Writer

Testing anxiety can be a challenge that college students must overcome multiple times throughout the semester.

As finals approach, professionals encourage students to stay focused and have the right mindset before entering an important exam.

Jerry Jerabek, an online instructor for Texas Tech’s K-12 school, did his master’s thesis project on testing anxiety. Typically, testing anxiety builds from a past bad experience and the expectation of perfection, he said.

“Inevitably at some point, there was somebody who was typically hard on them, where they were ridiculed for poor performance,” he said.

Similar to a computer having too many browsers open and slowing down, Jerabek said the same things occur in a student’s brain during a test.

“Your brain is essentially a high-powered computer, while the open windows are all the distractions and negative things,” he said.

“The worry and distractions and the fear all distract you on focusing on the task at hand, which is whatever problem you’re working on at that moment.”

Because of this anxiety, some students rush through an exam because finishing becomes more important than doing well in the moment, he said. In turn, it leads to many mistakes students would not have made if they relaxed and focused.

A big problem with testing anxiety, Jerabek said, is the effect it has on selfesteem because the student thinks he or she is not capable of doing well.

Some students also listen to the thoughts in their head that they will fail or were never destined to do well on the exams before they even begin.

A way to conquer this, he said, is by imagining a transparent bubble or shield around the desk that blocks all negative thoughts and worries. Jerabek said there is power in the mental discipline capable for that.

Another solution is to only focus on one problem at a time. Using blank sheets of paper or folding the exam allows the brain to use a slow, deliberative approach, taking it one problem at a time. Also, he said, there is power in mints.

“If you’ve ever watched somebody’s brain when they take one, your brain lights up like a Christmas tree when you pop a mint,” he said. “All your synapse

AP

fire at the same time. It’s kind of like rebooting a computer. That too, helps you do the very best you can for the next problem you’re gonna do.”

Bradley Cruce, a junior marketing major from Lubbock, said he had extensive testing anxiety from seventh grade up until junior year of high school, to the point he would shake during exams. Cruce said it occurred because he was always scared and wondered if he was studying the correct material or even retaining the information.

To overcome it, he said he started to chew gum. Whenever Cruce would study, he would chew a specific kind of gum and then would chew the same gum while he took the exam.

“I did it more and got over it. I chew gum every single test since,” he said.

“I think it’s more of a comfort thing, but I do think it helps me.”

Patrick Bohn is the associate director of the Support Operations for Academic Retention, which focuses on helping students achieve academic success, according to its website. The SOAR office is located inside Holden Hall, room 80, and offers supplemental instruction and the learning center.

“One misconception is

that all anxiety is bad – some anxiety is good,” he said. “Really, anxiety is an indicator that what you’re doing is important, so it makes sense to have anxiety before a test.”

Even if students have fear of failure, Bohn said students should view exams as a learning opportunity, as opposed to a problem. A problem that occurs, he said, is students do not know how to fully prepare for the exam because they are unsure what kind it is – multiple choice or short answer.

He said he encourages students to simply ask the professor or see if they would be willing to share a previous exam to view the structure.

Testing anxiety comes through with psychical, emotional and behavioral symptoms, he said.

Physical symptoms are shown through headaches, sweating and intestinal issues. There are intense feelings of helplessness, fear and disappointment for emotional symptoms.

Behavioral symptoms are present through negative attitudes or comparing oneself to other students and their grades.

Other than studying, Bohn said students should get plenty of sleep, get pre-

pared by getting a scantron and pencil beforehand and avoiding sugary and energy drinks. They should also remain optimistic.

“There is a fear of repeating past mistakes,” he said. “Getting in your own

head and psychologically telling yourself that I’m not going to do well is going to gravitate to that. If you go into a situation with a positive mindset, it makes a huge difference.” @DailyToreador

AP

Global emissions of carbon dioxide up in 2018 Living Coral named 2019 color of the year NEW YORK (AP) — It’s the color of underwater reefs hanging on for dear life. The sky at dusk. Some of the latest iPhones and the latest looks on the runways of Marc Jacobs and other top fashion designers.

Living Coral has been chosen by the Pantone Color Institute as its 2019 color of the year.

Can a color be convivial?

Laurie Pressman, the company’s vice president, considers this saturated orange base with a golden undertone not only warm and welcoming but versatile and life-affirming. It energizes with

a softer edge than, say, its pastel and neon color cousins.

“With everything that’s going on today, we’re looking for those humanizing qualities because we’re seeing online life dehumanizing a lot of things,” Pressman told The Associated Press ahead of Wednesday’s annual color unveiling. “We’re looking toward those colors that bring nourishment and the comfort and familiarity that make us feel good. It’s not too heavy. We want to play.

We want to be uplifted.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — After several years of little growth, global emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide experienced their largest jump in seven years, discouraging scientists.

World carbon dioxide emissions are estimated to have risen 2.7 percent from

2017 to 2018, according to three studies released Wednesday from the Global Carbon Project , an international scientific collaboration of academics, governments and industry that tracks greenhouse gas emissions. The calculations, announced during negotiations to put the 2015 Paris climate

accord into effect, puts some of the agreement’s goals nearly out of reach, scientists said.

“This is terrible news,” said Andrew Jones, co-director of Climate Interactive, which models greenhouse gas emissions and temperatures but was not part of the research. “Every year that we

delay serious climate action, the Paris goals become more difficult to meet.”

The studies concluded that this year the world would spew 40.9 billion tons (37.1 billion metric tons) of carbon dioxide, up from 39.8 billion tons (36.2 billion metric tons) last year.

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CAMPUS

Seniors share finals week study tips

By HANA KELETA Staff Writer

Finals week, a stressful week of exams or projects that draw upon students’ knowledge from an entire semester, is a rite of passage all students must undergo.

Seniors, having gone through this rite many times, have learned tips and tricks to get them through the week.

Iyerusalem Negash, a senior mechanical engineering major from Houston, said her experience with finals were similar to any normal exam because the stress was brought on by the closeness of all of her exams. Negash said exams themselves didn’t worry her too much unless the class was one she wasn’t doing well in.

“I learned to study for my finals based off of when they were occurring,” she said. “I made sure to study for a few hours daily for each final until I took them.”

Negash recommends making a final exam schedule and to know which exams will be taken, what date, time and

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

Texas Tech students study, eat and socialize Monday, Oct. 1, 2018, in the Starbucks in Barnes and Noble in the Student Union Building. what materials will be covered. She said once students have all this information, study accordingly.

Review the information that will be on each final slowly over time until the day of the examination comes, she said.

“Don’t cram. Try to study the information little by little over time,” she said. “The more often you review the

information, the easier it’ll be to remember/understand.”

Students should isolate themselves while studying for finals, and practice testing themselves over the information that will be on the exam as if they are taking it already. Negash said this will help to test the knowledge students have and will let students know what material

they need to review again or in further detail.

“The key to success in studying for finals is simple.

Find what works for you, flash cards, practice problems, et cetera,” she said. “Do your best to find a studying technique that works for you and repeat that process over a period of time leading up to your finals. This should help

ensure that you have good results on your exams.”

Yasmine Abubaker, a senior kinesiology major from Dallas, said she remembers feeling overwhelmed when she went through her first set of finals.

“Some of my classes had premade reviews for finals, and some didn’t,” she said.

“Since I get anxious about assignments and exams, I started studying two weeks in advance. It made it less stressful for me and allowed me to take my time with my reviews.”

Abubaker learned that starting ahead of time is the key to success and that it’s important to know what dates finals are at least two weeks beforehand. She said she learned the hard way that professors will not just hand out answers, and that it’s necessary to meet with professors during office hours throughout the semester to keep the communication open.

Nadien Albanna, a senior kinesiology major from Dal-

las, said she recommends students set out the dates of the final exams a few weeks before study days.

“Once you do that, look online or ask your professors for exam reviews. Find out if the exams are cumulative or not, and begin working on exam reviews,” she said.

Albanna recommends students avoid cramming the night before an exam because it never works. It is also important for students to get healthy amounts of sleep during finals, she said.

“I find that reading notes in the form of a story helps me make the information easier to understand and remember,” she said.

“Working with classmates and collaborating also helps, as long as you all focus and stay on track.”

The key to success while studying for finals is startin ahead, Albanna said.

“Get good rest and make sure you have energy so that you retain all of the information,” she said. @DailyToreador

CAMPUS

DAILYTOREADOR

Campus offers resources during finals week As students prepare for finals week, a range of departments across the Texas Tech campus are offering resources and support.

Student Union & Activities is hosting Study at the Student Union Building. The SUB will be open for 24 hours during finals week, from 7 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, to 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 and from 12 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 to 11 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, according to the Student Union & Activities website. No music will be playing on the speakers after 5 p.m. from Dec. 6-12.

Additionally, free events and items will be available during the week. Free pancakes and sausage will be available on Dec. 6, 7, and 9 at midnight in the SUB food court. Free donuts and coffee

will be available on Dec. 1011 from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the main info desk across the Barnes & Noble and in front of the SUB CopyMail.

Free scantrons and blue books will be available on Dec. 6-7 and Dec. 9-11 from midnight to 7 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the main info desk across the Barnes & Noble.

They will also be available at the East Info desk from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on those same dates.

Additionally, there will be a free showing of Night School with free popcorn Saturday, Dec. 8 at 9 p.m. in the SUB Courtyard.

More information is available on the Student Union & Activities website at https://www. depts.ttu.edu/sub/study.php.

The Tech University library is open 24 hours until 8 p.m. on

MCKENZIE GARZA/The Daily Toreador

As finals week approaches, the library, Student Union Building and more are hosting events to help students relieve stress.

Wednesday, Dec. 12. Additionally, the University Library will be hosting the Dog Days of Finals. Dogs from the South Plains Obedience Training Club will be brought in to the Croslin Room to help students de-stress

on Friday, Dec. 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

More information is available at https://cal.library.ttu. edu/event/4818956. @AkhilaReddyDT

AP

Supplies for migrant shelter low as holidays draws near LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — An exhausted Alonzo Juan Jose sat still on a cot inside a shelter in southern New Mexico. For six days, the 24-year-old migrant from Huehuetenango, Guatemala, says he and his 5-month-old daughter, Allison Yajaira Juan Miguel, slept on a concrete floor while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention.

Now they were moments away from a good night’s rest following a nearly monthlong journey through Mexico, to an El Paso Port of Entry, to the refuge of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Ca-

thedral in Las Cruces.

“I just want her to sleep,” Juan Jose said in Spanish as he rocked his daughter.

More migrants like the father and daughter duo are coming. Shelters run by volunteers in the U.S. say they are getting hit with an expected surge of new migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. who need temporary housing. Nonprofit groups and churches — especially along the U.S.-Mexico border — are racing to get donated clothes, diapers, cots and meals for Central American migrants as the holidays approach and resources begin to dwindle.

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ATHLETICS

Page 7 Finals Frenzy

Keeping up with Tech sports over the break

By SPORTS STAFF

The Daily Toreador With Winter Break fast approaching, students will be away from campus with all things school related “out-of-sight and out-ofmind.” However, while students are away, several Tech sports will continue their seasons, and we’ve got you covered on what to keep up with over break.

Men’s Basketball The Texas Tech men’s basketball team will play in eight games over the holiday break. Five games will be at home against Northwestern, Abilene Christian, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Kansas State and Oklahoma with three away games against Duke, West Virginia and Texas.

The first game over the break will be against Northwestern State at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 12, in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Demons currently stand at 2-7 on the season, according to NSU Athletics.

Their first win comes from the season opener against Centenary and the second win against Alabama A&M. The Red Raiders will play the annual throwback game

at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, against Abilene Christian in the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum. The Wildcats are currently 8-1 on the season and senior forward Jaren Lewis is leading the team averaging 15.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, according to sportsreference.com.

Tech will then go on the road to face Duke at 6 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 20 in Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Blue Devils are No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings and have a record of 7-1 on the season, according to Duke Athletics.

Duke’s freshman forward RJ Barrett earned the title of ACC freshman of the week after leading the team with 23.1 points per game.

The team will close out 2018 at home against UTRGV, who are 6-4 on the year and 2-3 on the road, according to UTRGV Athletics. Junior forward Leslie Varner Jr. is the team leader with 14.6 points per game, while sophomore guard Jason Levi is leading with 5.3 assists per game, according to sportsreference.com.

The first game of 2019 will start Big 12 play for the Red Raiders. The game will be away against West Virginia

at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2.

The Mountaineers are currently 5-3 on the season and senior forward Esa Ahmad is leading the team with 15.9 points per game, according to sportsreference.com. West Virginia is outscoring their opponents by 64 points and have a field goal percentage of .440 on the field.

The Red Raiders will come back to Lubbock for a two-game homestand starting with a contest against Kansas State at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Wildcats are standing at a 6-1 record and are seventh in the nation in defensive rating allowing just 84.5 points, according to sportsreference.com.

The second game of the homestand will be against Oklahoma who is currently 7-1 and 2-0 away, according to OU Athletics. Senior guard Christian James is leading the Sooners with 19.9 points per game, according to sportsreference.com.

While sophomore forward Brady Manek is leading with nine rebounds per game.

The last game Tech will play before students resume classes will be against Texas at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12,

in Austin. The Longhorns are currently 5-2 on the season and senior guard Kerwin Roach Jr. is gathering 16.7 points per game, according to sportsreference.com.

Women’s Basketball The Texas Tech women’s basketball team will continue its 2018-2019 season during Texas Tech’s winter break. The Lady Raiders are scheduled to compete in nine matchups from Tuesday, Dec. 15, through Saturday, Jan 16.

The Lady Raiders will begin the winter break with a three-game home stand, Dec. 15, against Southern University before hosting Texas Southern University, Dec. 22, according to Tech Athletics.

Tech will then compete against Abilene Christian University, Dec. 29, in the United Supermarkets Arena to close out the home-stretch.

Tech will start its Big 12 Conference play, Jan. 2, by traveling to Norman, Oklahoma, to face off against the University of Oklahoma before returning home to host Baylor University on Jan. 6, according to Tech Athletics.

Shortly after, Tech will have two back-to-back road games, according to Tech athletics. The Lady Raiders will hit the road once

again to travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to compete against Oklahoma State University, Jan. 12.

Students and staff will return back to campus, Jan. 16, which is when Tech will travel to Fort Worth for a showdown with Texas Christian University.

Track and Field The Red Raider track and field teams will begin their 2019 seasons over winter break, on Saturday Jan. 12, at the Texas Tech Corky Classic.

The Red Raiders will follow up their first meet of the spring semester with the Tech Invitational, Jan. 25 and 26, according to Tech Athletics. Last season, Tech had three women recognized as All-Americans, and the men’s team had 11 All- American athletes.

Over the break, Tech legend Corky Oglesby, who died in Nov. 2017, will be inducted in to the Texas Track and Field Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame, Jan. 11, in Grapevine, according to Tech Athletics. Oglesby boasted the longest tenure for a track coach in Tech’s history, coaching the Red Raiders from 1975-1995.

Men’s Tennis The Texas Tech men’s

tennis team will start its 2019 campaign on Friday, Jan. 11, with a doubleheader in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Red Raiders will take on Bryant at 1 p.m. followed with a match against Tulsa at 6 p.m. the same day.

One Tech doubles duo is coming of a successful run in the fall semester. Juniors Bjorn Thomson and Parker Wynn placed second in the ITA National Fall Championships after falling to a University of North Carolina duo.

The rest of the Red Raider squad finished their fall slate in Austin at the Longhorn Invitational. However, the matches were called do to inclement weather.

Women’s Tennis The Texas Tech women’s team will look to build off a trip to the Elite Eight in 2018 when the Lady Raiders start their 2019 slate in January.

They will start the season at the Kansas Invitational on Friday, Jan. 11, in Lawrence, Kansas, with more matches the next day.

In the fall, several Lady Raiders made a run in several ITA tournaments, including senior Francesca Sella who advanced to the ITA Regional Semifinals. @DailyToreador

IKECHUKWU DIKE & CIARA PEROZZI/The Daily Toreador

LEFT: Freshman guard Kyler Edwards fights past a defender during Texas Tech’s game against Incarnate Word on Tuesday, Nov. 6, in the United Supermarkets Arena. MIDDLE: Junior guard Eryka Sidney goes up for a layup during the game against Stephen F. Austin State on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018, in the United Supermarkets Arena. RIGHT: A Texas Tech track and field male jumper competes in the Texas Tech Classic Track and Field Meet Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018, in the Sports Performance Center.

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

Mooney provides leadership in first season at Tech

By ELEANOR GUINAN Staff Writer

Even though this is guard Matt Mooney’s first season at Texas Tech, he has brought talent and leadership to the Tech men’s basketball squad in the short time he has been in Lubbock.

In the graduate student’s first seven games of the season, he put up 74 points, 26 assists and 16 steals, according to Tech Athletics.

Originally from Wauconda, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Mooney said the adjustment to Lubbock after living in a small town for three years was not so hard since he has moved from two different schools in the past four years.

“I think I could live anywhere, you know, I was at the Air Force Academy, I was in South Dakota and a small town,” Mooney said. “Grew up in and around Chicago and now Lubbock. So the adjustment? I don’t know, just new people.”

Tech stood out the most to him because he knew the coaching staff would spend time with him and help him grow, Mooney said. Since key players from last year’s Elite Eight team have moved on, he knew Tech needed some-

one with his experience, and he could help the team.

“The coaching staff, really like Coach (Chris) Beard and his staff, I knew if I came here that they’d be invested in me, and I know that the opportunity was there and that they needed someone with my skill set after losing Keenan Evans and Niem (Stevenson) and a lot of guards and players from last year, but mostly the coaching staff,” Mooney said.

The way his teammates play and act on and off the court is one of his favorite parts of being on the team, he said. Like every player, he said he likes to win, and being part of an undefeated and ranked team is another reason why he enjoys being a Red Raider.

“Playing with unselfish guys is fun, guys that move the ball, playing unselfishly, don’t care about their own personal stats just, you know, want to win,” Mooney said. “So, it’s fun winning and being 6-0 and being in the rankings for the first time in my career.”

Since Mooney’s father was a basketball player too, he said his dad was the reason he got into the sport. His father would expose him to basketball legends at a young

age and help make him a more well-rounded player.

“My dad taught me the game from a young age,” Mooney said. “He pretty much taught me everything growing up and worked with me, and he was a big basketball fan. He was a really good player too back in the day, and he grew up in the Michael Jordan era in Chicago, so he would go to a lot of Bulls games. He would sit me down in front of the TV when I was little and show me Michael Jordan videos, Larry Bird, Isaiah Thomas, all those guys.”

Another role model Mooney said he has is his older brother, because of his great work ethic and devotion.

“My older brother for sure, Daniel, he’s a great role model for me,” Mooney said.

“He’s a great person, has a strong faith, just a guy that everybody loves to be around.

He’s a selfless person, and his work ethic is unlike one I’ve ever seen.”

Some professional basketball players give him inspiration on the court, he said, and its why he wears 13 on his jersey.

“Steph (Curry) is my favorite player now, I loved (Allen) Iverson when I was little, then I loved (Steve) Nash,”

Mooney said. “That’s actually why I wear the number 13, a little inspiration from Nash and now I love Curry. I love Derek Rose still.”

Superstition does not impact Mooney before games like it did before his college career, he said. To him, how well he plays is not because of the items he wears, but because of how able-minded he is.

“I read, not an article, but I just read this quote that said, ‘Superstition is a form of fear,’ and it’s kind of like, if I don’t have the wrist bands that I have when I play good, then in my mind, I’m not going to play as good tonight,” Mooney said. “It’s like nothing should ever matter, what shoes you wear, what you do before the game, nothing should ever matter.

You should just be able to play your game and just be strong mentally either way.”

Since Mooney has been playing collegiate basketball for four years, he said he brings many roles to the semi-young team. He is still engaged on improving and helping the team in any way he can.

“I bring competitiveness, toughness, leadership, little bit of scoring, little bit of play making, from a basketball stand point I don’t think I’ve really shown what I can bring

CIARA PEROZZI/The Daily Toreador

Graduate student guard Matt Mooney passes overhead during the game against the University of Texas at El Paso on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. In Mooney’s first seven games of the season he scored 74 points. yet,” Mooney said. “I’m still working on getting better and playing better, scoring more efficiently, getting my teammates involved.”

The two previous schools Mooney was at had a smaller fan base than Tech. Mooney said when he walked on the court for the first game of the season and saw all the fans, it was a great experience.

“It’s a lot better, it’s a lot of fun, fan base has been fun,” Mooney said.

“You know a lot of times in non-conference games, you’re not going to get a lot of people to show up. It’s football season, not playing your conference opponents, so there’s not as big games.

But that opening night when there was, I don’t know, 10,000 in here and it was loud. I stepped out there, ‘this is pretty cool,’ part of the reason why I came, it’s fun.” @EleanorGuinanDT

FOOTBALL

Several Big 12 teams face coaching turnover

By AUSTIN WATTS Managing Editor

After the conclusion of the Big 12 regular season, several teams have decided to partake in the coaching carousel, with three head coach changes already in motion and possibly more on the way.

Of the changes already known, three schools will start the 2019 season with a different coach than in 2018.

Those three schools are Kansas, Texas Tech and Kansas State. Tech and Kansas both fired their head coaches, with Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury relieved after a 5-7 finish, and Kansas coach Dave Beaty being informed he would not re-

turn in 2019 after a 3-6 start.

Kansas State coach Bill Snyder announced his retirement after 27 seasons, compiling a 215-117-1 record at Kansas State.

Of the three teams already dealing with turnover at the head coach position, both Tech and Kansas have found their successors. Kansas chose the tenured coach route to help turnaround a stagnant program that last saw success in 2008, failing to top .500 in the decade since.

Les Miles, former head coach of the LSU Tigers and Oklahoma State Cowboys, will be the head coach of the Jayhawks in 2019 after signing a five-year deal

with Kansas. Miles’ all-time record between his tenures at LSU and OSU is 142-55, with one National Championship title on his resume.

Meanwhile, Tech did the opposite of Kansas, signing a relatively young head coach from a lower conference, rather than a borderline HOF-coach like Miles. Matt Wells, former head coach of the Utah State Aggies, compiled a 44-34 record over six seasons at Utah State.

Wells is expected to continue to build around the players left behind from Kingsbury’s tenure, having moved on from the former coach after years of inconsistency.

Of the three vacancies,

Kansas State is the only team still searching for its next head coach. With Snyder retiring on Dec. 2, a successor has yet to be found for the Wildcats.

With recruiting deadlines fast approaching, a decision will likely be made by Kansas State on the school’s next head coach over the coming week.

Of the seven schools that have yet to make a coaching change, several are expected to return their head coaches in 2019. Texas, Iowa State and Baylor all had coaches with relatively successful years, while both coaches at Oklahoma State and Texas Christian are long tenured, and at the very least expected to get another season.

Tom Herman, coach of the Texas Longhorns, took his team to the conference championship for the first time in nearly a decade and has the safest job of the bunch.

Gary Patterson, head coach of the TCU Horned Frogs, has been head coach since 2000, and despite the struggles and 6-6 finish, TCU is not expected to make a change. Likewise with Mike Gundy, head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who has been the head coach since 2005, with the Cowboys finishing with a 6-6 record this season.

Matt Rhule, head coach of the Baylor Bears since 2016, saw a five-win improvement in 2018 and will likely return in 2019. Iowa State finished with an 8-4 record, so head coach Matt Campbell’s job is relatively safe moving into 2019.

The only other Big 12 head coaches that may see some change is Oklahoma and West Virginia, two of the conference’s top teams in 2018. Rumors continue to swirl around Lincoln Riley, head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners since 2017, that he will receive heavy interest from NFL teams needing head coaches once the NFL season ends.

With the NFL season

concluding in late December, it would likely be right around the time of the College Football Playoffs, which Oklahoma is the fourth seed in. Riley will start that process if he chooses to do so. In the past Riley has stated his commitment to the Sooners football program, but until the dust settles, speculation will remain.

The other Big 12 head coaching uncertainty lies i n M o r g a n t o w n , We s t Virginia, as rumors have swirled that both coach Dana Holgorsen and WVU have looked into the possibility of a mutual split this offseason. Any change made would likely come after WVU’s bowl game, so until the Camping Bowl on Dec. 28, a formal decision will likely remain in the dark.

All in all, the Big 12 is poised to look very different next season, whether it be changes with the head coaches or the rosters they field.

OU and WVU will search for their Heisman-caliber quarterback successors, and potentially their coaches successors. Other Big 12 teams will be searching for footing under new head coaches, while tenured coaches prepare for their newest rivals. @AustinWattsDT