Goin’ Band celebrates 100th year
By ALLIE SCOTT News editor
Texas Tech’s Goin’ Band from Raiderland will celebrate its centennial year as a sea of red and black will flood the field for the largest halftime performance in Goin’ Band history.
During halftime of the Aug. 30 football game against ArkansasPine Bluff, the current band members will join alumni on the field for the historical performance.
“Texas Tech has something special. In a day and age where nothing lasts, the Goin’ Band has lasted 100 years and is still going strong,” Gordon said.
The Goin’ Band is the largest and oldest spirit organization at Tech.
Joel Pagán, Goin’ Band director, said the band is looking forward to getting a share of the field and as he looks back he recognizes the band’s excellence and all the aspects that have brought them to the point over the last 100 years.
Pagán said he is looking forward to celebrating 100 years with 1,200 past and current Goin’ Band members, individuals he referred to as family.
“We’re gonna have over 1,000 alumni coming back, which I think it’s a testament to just how special the traditions and family experience (are),” Pagán said. “It’s gonna be a really special
day for us.”
Altogether, during the halftime performance there will be 900 alumni on the field and another 300 alumni in the stands. This includes 440 current Goin’ Band members who will make up a marching unit of 1140 people. Pagan said the considerable part of preparation is coordinating 1400 people on the field. He said it is primarily logistics, but also explaining to the individuals that this is a special moment because these
people are coming back to be a part of something that has meant so much to them and everyone before them.
Through its time as an organization, the Goin’ Band has etched its mark on the campus.
Kelly Gordon, centennial chairperson and membership chair for the Goin’ Band Association, said in 2023 a board of directors was assembled to create a plan to celebrate the Goin Band’s 100 year celebration.
The Goin’ Band is among some of the top marching bands in the nation, receiving the prestigious Sudler Trophy in 1998. The origi-
nal band, entitled the Matador Band, was formed in 1925 and consisted of 21 members. By 1926, the Matador Band had 80 members and continued expanding for the following years.
Today, the band consists of 440 members who perform at all home and away games.
During its time the Goin Band not only has become apart of the tradition of campus but has also innovated the college band culture.
On Oct. 30, 1926, the Matador Band was the first college band to travel to an away game. They traveled to Fort Worth for a game against Texas Christian University.
After this game, the band assumed the name the Goin’ Band.
“It was years later as they built upon that, that it became the Goin’ Band because they were always going to other events. We were the first collegiate band to travel out of town,” Gordon said.
Schovanec’s garden shows beauty in hardship
By JACOB LUJAN editor-iN-Chief
Located a block away from Texas Tech, a symbol of regrowth lives through Tech President Lawrence Schovanec’s garden, containing hundreds of plant species.
Growing through the ashes of a garage fire, which burned many family memories, the garden is now a place where Schovanec can be found sipping his cup of joe, admiring the greenery and getting lost in the distant sound of the Goin’ Band from Raiderland’s tunes.
“I’ve always been a great admirer of the beauty of nature, and I was raised on a farm, where you really connect with nature,” Schovanec said. “If you were raised on a farm, you know what the smell of soil is, and you can be out there all day until the evening when the sun is going down. Sometimes, nature will cause me to stop and look
Eli Heath, a junior Honors College student, is the 20th student regent of the Texas Tech System. Read more about his goals for his term.
JADON CHESNUTT/The Daily Toreador
The Texas Tech Goin’ Band from Raiderland marches during halftime as Tech faces Baylor in its homecoming matchup at Jones AT&T Stadium Oct. 19, 2024. The Goin’ Band will celebrate its centennial year kicking off the 2025-26 football season with a performance from more than 1,140 current band members and alumni.
JACOB LUJAN/The Daily Toreador
Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec stands outside of one of two greenhouses in his backyard garden at his home in Lubbock Aug. 20, 2025. Schovanec uses the greenhouses to germinate a variety of seeds before planting them in his garden.
Listening, learning guide Heath as student regent
By AYNSLEY LARSEN Managing Editor
Eli Heath is a bridge. Career-wise, he hopes to one day contribute to connecting clinical practice with research in cancer care.
In his summer internship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, he worked as a scientific intern for a company working to eliminate the gap between industry and research to share life-changing information. And on Aug. 14, Heath
was sworn in as the Texas Tech System’s 20th student regent — a role that, in its simplest form, is a bridge between the System and the student bodies it serves.
“I can’t embody 64,000 people,” Heath said, “but I can sure try my best to talk to as many of them, to talk to different groups and different students.”
He is the seventh Tech student to claim the title, and he said he hopes his one-year term in the role is built on informed leadership.
A junior chemical engineering major within Texas Tech’s Honors College, with minors in bioengineering, biology and chemistry, Heath boasts a full schedule of research and constant learning.
The skills he has learned in organizations, classes and research labs have prepared Heath to act as student regent, though the correlation between cancer care and campus representation may at first seem unclear.
“(Research is) critical thinking, and it’s changing your thinking paradigm, and it’s applying critical problem solving, and it’s such a dynamic field,” Heath said, “and it’s really sharpened my ability to listen and learn and collaborate.”
Heath said those three pillars — listening, learning and collaborating — will guide him in his time as student regent.
The Tech System oversees five institutions — Tech, Tech Health Sciences Center, Tech HSC El Paso, Angelo State University and Midwestern State University — the students of which Heath now bears the responsibility of representing.
He said he plans to connect with these students through existing campus institutions and student leadership: student government.
Heath himself served Tech’s Student Government Association for two terms, first as a member of the First Year Leadership Association and then as a student body senator for the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering.
that I saw how much the administration really does value the student voice,” Heath said.
In his preparation for the role, Heath has made contact with each institution’s student body president to facilitate collaboration between the five universities. He’ll host monthly meetings with the representative in hopes of addressing issues beyond campus initiative.
“My role in that is just to maintain a Systemwide perspective,” Heath said. “Each SGA operates at the campus level and at the institution level. But what I’m hoping comes out of these meetings is the ability for each SGA to maintain System-wide perspectives and for us to align and to pursue System-wide initiatives.”
He also has made plans to visit each of the Tech System’s campuses.
While Heath recognizes he’ll never meet faceto-face with all of the students he represents, he said being on their campuses and working with their elected student representatives will teach him about the institutions he now serves.
“Informed leadership is good leadership, and good representation is informed representation,” Heath said. “And so I’m going to really focus on just, how can I be the most informed student regent that I can be?”
I can’t embody 64,000 people, but I can sure try my best to talk to as many of them, to talk to different groups and different students.
ELI HEATH
TECH SYSTEM STUDENT REGENT
“It (SGA) was the first time here at Texas Tech
not enough time to enact radical change, he said he will prioritize voicing students’ opinions on these issues so the administration can move forward in addressing them.
The oneyear term does have its limits, Heath said.
Major issues facing higher education — including retention, affordability and mental health — are at the forefront of the System’s agenda, he said. And while a year is
“It’s just a back and forth of listening, learning and collaborating — no personal policy agenda, no personal priorities that I want to pursue,” Heath said.
When Heath began his time at Tech, he didn’t know he’d one day represent his classmates on this scale.
He views this role as an opportunity to give back to an institution that has taught, served and supported him.
Throughout his term,
he hopes to become a thoughtful, informed representative dedicated to listening to, learning from and collaborating with the student bodies he has sworn to.
“It’s not about a title,” Heath said. “It’s just simply ensuring that the student perspective is available to the Board when they want to hear from me about the decisions that they’re making that are affecting the future of the university system and every student in it.”
Heath’s term will expire on May 31. Students wanting to contact Heath can do so via email at eliheath@ttu.edu.
JACOB LUJAN/The Daily Toreador
Eli Heath, a junior chemical engineering Honors student with minors in bioengineering, biology and chemistry, was sworn in as the Texas Tech System’s student regent for the 2025-26 academic year Aug. 15, 2025.
@AynsleyLarsenDT
BEHIND THE SCENES
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1
around, and utter ‘thank you.’”
After moving into the property in 1989, Schovanec has continuously made his thumb a hue greener by turning his once barren yard into a symphony of flowers and greenery.
“I have no artistic talent. I can’t draw. I can’t sing, but in a way, gardening, to me, is kind of a form of creativity, and some mornings when I’m leaving, I’ll stop and look, and think ‘yeah, this turned out the way I wanted it,’” Schovanec said. “It’s a form of creativity that’s awesome and a way to create some beauty.”
new seeds for his garden. He keeps a black-bound journal to document the specific care process for each seed type needs.
“I love to keep records. When I first started gardening, my friends would give me lilies, and I would keep track of every day until it would bloom,” Schovanec said. “When it comes time to plant. I put the date when I planted them. I put the kind of soil I used, and I keep track.”
find their way to Tech’s Horticulture Gardens to see the wide variety of plants.
“I just love to talk about flowers. I try to learn from them. I’m amazed at some of the stuff they (Horticulture) do over there. It’s really cool. They have plants that I think would never work in this sun,” Schovanec said.
LAWRENCE SCHOVANEC
TEXAS TECH PRESIDENT
While the president enjoys crafting the garden, it also serves as a way to connect with students and faculty from Tech’s Horticultural Garden Department. He uses the department to add new species to the garden and learn how to germinate in Lubbock’s climate conditions
Schovanec, who has tended to the garden for nearly 3 and half decades, finds peace within nature’s creation. However, it is also a place to remember how life and loss can coexist as charred bark from the garage fire sits next to new growth.
Schovanec, while appreciative the beauty of nature, is also deliberate and precise when it comes to the germination of
Schovanec recounted how, during walks with his wife, Patricia Schovanec, they usually
While the garage fire burned many pictures, memories and trophies from his kids’ childhoods, a book, given to the president by a Tech alumnus, also helped Schovanec see the losses in his life from a new angle, he said.
“Sometimes I’ll sit here and I’ll say, thank you, God, for this beauty. I do this because nature is a way to connect with something much bigger and deeper than you, and life is full of loss,” Schovanec said.
Sometimes I’ll sit here and I’ll say, thank you, God, for this beauty. I do this because nature is a way to connect with something much bigger and deeper than you, and life is full of loss. @JacobLujan_DT
JACOB LUJAN/The Daily Toreador
Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec holds a Dahlia flower in his yard that had recently bloomed in his home garden Aug. 20, 2025.
JACOB LUJAN/The Daily Toreador
Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec sits on a bench in his home garden for a portrait Aug. 20, 2025. Schovanec’s garden is located at his home a block from the university.
PUZZLES
The DT Crossword: Trademark Traditions
ACROSS
1. First half of a magician’s phrase
5. Director of Goin’ Band from Raiderland, Joel E. ___
10. Small bloodsucker
14. Pairs
15. Pleasant smell
16. Aware of 17. “___ boy!” (cheer of approval)
18. ___-gritty (down to the details)
19. Facial flare-ups
20. School fundraiser group
21. Bound 22. Top card
23. Mexican wrap, commonly seen flying at Jones AT&T Stadium
25. Stars and Stripes
country
26. “___, ___, ___!”
- Stooges’ chuckle
27. Choral performers
32. Famous figures and symbols seen at sporting events…like 23-Across, 41-Across and 50-Across for Texas Tech football games
35. Companions with
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY Government & Public Service . Internship Program
paws or feathers trained to help with stress, abbr.
38. Fragment
39. High-fashion Parisian brand
40. Marshy wetland
41. Nomadic horsemen, or men’s group on campus that rings victory bells and wraps statues
45. Up-and-coming socialite
46. Beehive state
49. Fishing stick
50. Victorious competitor, or part of the name given to the Masked Rider’s horse
54. Wii character creation
55. Small pile
56. Messenger of genetic code
57. Against 59. “___ means family”
61. Seized
62. Fuze
63. Horse-driving straps, commonly seen on 50-across
64. Absolutely certain 65. “The Menu” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” actress, ___ Taylor-Joy
66. Awards given for outstanding TV performances
67. Mental health condition seen in veterans DOWN
1. Change to suit circumstances 2. Fastener on clothing
3. Type of phone that was spun in order to call
4. “Fit ___ fiddle”
5. Group of experts
6. Font often used in Word documents
7. Received a check
8. Abbr. for quantity
9. Legislative “no”
10. Woman relative in Spanish-speaking families
11. Words preceding instructions for an emergency
12. Tex-Mex hearty chili variant
13. Hinge joint in the leg 21. Enjoyable to be around 24. Yank
25. Gen. Z slang for an older individual 28. “Glee” actress, ___ Rivera
29. Grateful text abbreviation
30. Machinery often referred to as a “nodding donkey”
31. U.S. ID number
33. Appearance or manner
34. “And you” in Caesar’s betrayal 35. Sixth sense, for short 36. Architect of the St. Louis Gateway Arch 37. With skill and ease 42. Redbox rental
43. Take back
44. Motor oil brand
47. What one might do to another’s dirty laundry
48. Distinctions or accolades
51. Pooh’s misspelled sticky treat 52. Accumulate 53. Bare 54. Parental figure, informally
58. Civil rights pioneer, ___ B. Wells
59. Mineral source
60. Sewing detail at a garment’s edge 61. Small unit in recipes, briefly
Providing students with the following opportunities:
• Explore Different Career Options
• Network with Industry Leaders
• Incredible Life Experiences
• Develop Leadership Skills
• Build a Strong Resume
• Scholarships, Housing and Academic Credit
• A unique combination of a professional internship and a study abroad cultural experience byvisitingourwebsite orcontactusat�.....� gpsip@ttu.edu
XAVIER GONZALES/The Daily Toreador
Weather, plans dictate gameday fashion
Taylor O’Shea is a junior journalism
major from Missouri City.
Texas Tech football gamedays kicks off Aug. 30, and while most people are counting down to kickoff, others are stressing over something just as important: what to wear for the occasion.
A good gameday outfit isn’t all about making sure you look cute for your Instagram story. It’s more about making it through a day at ease that could include a long day of tailgating, standing through hours of football and celebrating afterwards.
When choosing your outfit, there are a few things to keep in mind. It’s smart to think about the weather, comfort, how long you’ll be wearing it, what you’ll be doing and whether you feel confident
in it, which might be most important.
West Texas weather is unpredictable, so checking the weather in advance before deciding what you will wear is a must. Early in the season, while it is still hot, make sure to wear short sleeves, light and breathable fabrics, as well as colors that won’t show sweat.
As the games get colder, sweaters, flannels, long pants and warm fabrics become essential. Don’t be afraid to throw on a heavy jacket if the weather calls for it. Puffer coats are a fashion statement too.
Finding out through personal experience, being in an uncomfortable outfit makes gameday more torture and less fun. Constantly pulling down a skirt, making sure you don’t look bloated or walking around with broken blisters due to new boots is extremely annoying. We can only handle the
phrase “beauty is pain” to a certain extent.
Common gameday outfits women could wear include an oversized Tech jersey with broken-in boots or a cute dress paired with sneakers. Wearing a cute blouse with shorts or pants is also a staple you could never go wrong with.
For colder games, pants and a puffer vest with a long sleeve under is a go-to for many.
There are so many outfit options to choose from, so it is nice to choose something that you know you will feel great in.
For men, it is common to wear polos with khaki or athletic shorts paired with sneakers or broken-in boots. For a more casual look, a Dri-FIT shirt or jersey paired with athletic shorts and sneakers is a comfortable way to go.
In the winter, it is common to wear a polo with a fleece vest, jeans and boots. For a more comfy
look, a Tech crewneck or hoodie and joggers are also perfect outfit choices. You could also wear a long fleece polo if it gets too chilly.
Fabric in men’s clothing is versatile depending on the weather.
It is also important to think about how long you’ll
be in your outfit and what you will be doing. This also ties into being comfortable.
Whether you’re spending the whole day tailgating, watching from the student section at the Jones or catching the game at a bar, your plans will shape what’s most practical and
stylish for gameday. Looking good makes for a happy gameday, but feeling confident makes for a comfortable gameday. Tailoring to your personal needs, wants and individual style will ultimately lead to the perfect outfit on gameday.
@TaylorOShea_DT
Proposed chain changes create cracks in the barrel
A bitter cold cuts through the Texas Hill Country, but warmth gathers around the candle-lit dinner table.
For the evening, the Cracker Barrel staff has dimmed the lights, and the iconic Coca-Cola advertisements and worn hand tools now dance in the soft glow of gas lanterns. Above heavy plates of food, conversation between distant relatives swirls.
Following the unveiling of Cracker Barrel’s new “All the More” campaign on Aug. 18, it is now clear that even the most grounded of corporations take no issue with turning their backs on their heritage.
After the reveal, then immediate repeal of the new store logo, Cracker Barrel has successfully subverted the American Public into thinking that they have won. This is far from a victory over the household restaurant chain, however.
While the classic logo will remain, still banished are the soothing earth tones, genuine antiques scattered on the walls and the overall homegrown feel of the restaurant. These are the traits that create the dining experience at Cracker Barrel, not the logo.
Still moving into restaurants across the country will be sterile white paint and geometrically perfect
yet uninspiring farmhouse decor.
Amidst updates from other brands worldwide, Cracker Barrel in particular represents the death of core American identities and values and the rise of corner-cutting late-stage capitalism.
Customers have never traveled to these locations for the logo — they go to be sent back in time. To be wrapped in classic Americana resembling that of your grandparents’ house, a collection of a life’s worth of artifacts.
By bleaching these restaurants in bright white paint, chic black furniture and fictional antiques, Cracker Barrel is actively working against what has made the corporation a household name, all the while telling the American public that they’re so down-to-Earth they haven’t touched the logo.
Corporations believe these minimalist updates serve as cost-cutting measures, an order of operations seen by many as having been spearheaded by the fast food empire McDonald’s following the pandemic.
This minimalist trend was quickly followed by other companies in the early 2020s, with the likes of Dunkin’ Donuts, Burger King and Taco Bell. One after another, streets were
quickly lined with flat, color-saturated descriptors where colorful brand identities once stood.
A new norm was being set on every level, and with each brand redesign, the writing on the wall was emboldened that the goal of today’s businesses is to make money, not uphold community.
By cutting amenities like comfortable seating and interesting decor, the appeal of a business is stripped to the necessities. This means less time is spent by consumers loitering in the restaurant, ensuring the pipes of industry would never be clogged by conversation between customers.
The most difficult part of accomplishing this streamlining, however, is ensuring the company’s customer base returns after changes. By creating and then dissolving controversy around the logo, Cracker Barrel has not only made headlines worldwide, but also made other changes go undetected.
ROBERT LOOPER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ... Cracker Barrel in particular represents the death of core American identities and values and the rise of corner-cutting latestage capitalism.
These decisions were informed by analytics, mathematical estimations on how a company’s customer base will react. According to the NASDAQ, from Aug. 18 to 25, the company dropped 10.62 percent in stock value shortly after unveiling the “All the More” campaign. While certainly unnerving for the company, it was quick to take the easy way out. Maintaining the original logo serves as a minimum-effort, maximum-impact sacrifice.
After the backlash, Cracker Barrel will move forward with its updates, using the fallout from the logo change as a Trojan horse. When all is said and done, this fiasco is a disguise for corner-cutting methodology that dismantles old-school Americana culture.
Robert Looper is a junior advertising major from Weatherford.
COLUMN
KAYCI SANDON/The Daily Toreador
Raider Riot expands to all Tech sports
struggled
By TY KAPLAN SportS
and Red Raiders who don’t know about the program have the opportunity to get involved by simply showing up.
“Every single student that shows up in our student sections is a part of Raider Riot,” Cooper said. “And it’s that easy.” In 2024, seat allotment was a common complaint from the student body not involved with The Red Sea or Raider Riot. At football games, students who attended a meeting hosted by The Red Sea prior to gameday were given a bracelet that gave them early access and a guaranteed seat in the student section.
Cooper said it will be firstcome, first-serve for all sports in 2025. However, there is a possibility for pregame events to have early access, such as if “College Gameday” comes to Lubbock.
“I think there will defi -
nitely be some added incentives for our students,” Cooper said. Three executives will oversee individual committees per sport. The committees are at-large with three to four leaders per sport. They will not act as enforcers or managers; instead, Cooper said, they will be responsible for distributing giveaway items, posters, flags and other fan engagement items.
Raider Riot has already announced seven collectible rally towels for the football season. Cooper said face paint also will be a common item provided, along with occasional non-Raider Riotbranded T-shirt giveaways.
“We would rather give out something that is cooler, that potentially avoids the Raider
Riot branding,” Cooper said.
“It’s more useful for our students than actually spending more on something to get the branding on it.” Students interested in participating don’t need to sign up or bring anything besides their student ID to sporting events. Raider Riot has not announced any tailgating events, but Cooper said students should keep an eye on social media for future announcements. All Raider Riot social media accounts are the same as the program’s name. “We’ve seen across the board,” Cooper said, “the more students that show up, the louder they get, it really does affect the game for our student athletes.”
MAKAYLA PEREZ/The Daily Toreador Fans cheer from the student section during Texas Tech’s first football game of the 2024 season against Abilene Christian University at Jones AT&T Stadium, Aug. 31, 2024.
NFL past roots Ah You’s coaching style
By KEITH INGLIS SportS reporter
C.J. Ah You’s coaching philosophy extends beyond the X’s and O’s of a markerboard. The fourthyear Texas Tech outside linebacker coach roots his player-first mentality in the lessons he was taught while in the NFL.
Ah You played five seasons in the pros with the Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Rams before moving into coaching. Along the way, Ah You said his coaches valued him as more than an athlete.
So it’s his duty to pay it forward, he said.
“I’ve had a lot of great teachers, a lot of great teachers that are very detailed, very high demanding,” Ah You said. “They held me accountable as a player.”
Besides studying film from the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos, Ah
You said he leans on lessons from his former coaches when coaching his athletes. Brendan Daly, Jerry Montgomery and Pete Jenkins all left an impact on Ah You, he said, but long-time NFL defensive coach Rod Marinelli is a mentor and friend he can confide in.
The two swap texts regularly. Marinelli serves as a clinic for Ah You when it comes to evaluating the Red Raider pass rush. Ah You said Marinelli’s mentorship has benefited his career.
Ah You’s experiences have helped him show younger players how to grow within a unit. He pointed to freshman outside linebacker Cheta Ofili as a player who has leaned heavily on older teammates since arriving in Lubbock.
“Just like an NFL locker room, when you go in as rookies, you try to get attached to a vet and see how they do,” Ah You said.
Ofili is one of several young defenders competing for time in a position group with veterans and transfers filling out the room. Ah You said the expectation is that younger players will continue learning through daily examples.
Ah You’s outreach extends beyond his homegrown talent, but also amongst one of the more experienced players in the locker room.
Senior transfer outside linebacker Romello Height said he has leaned on his own experiences after playing across multiple conferences, but now also uses Ah You’s teachings to bring energy amongst the Scarlet and Black defensive front.
Ah You said communication and accountability are some of the things in his coaching philosophy that he tries to push daily in the outside linebacker room.
Height reiterated that approach when describing
how he sees his role as a teammate on the field.
“I try to create some type of energy for my teammates,” Height said.
“Whether it’s just pumping them up or seeing them make a play and going to smack them on the helmet
… I always want my teammates to be hyped.”
With an emphasis on paying past experiences forward, Ah You said he has been impressed with how well his messages have translated to the outside linebackers.
“Every team in the country has talent,” Ah You said. “That doesn’t matter. It’s all a matter of how they work. They stay at the task at hand, and they’re coachable.”
@KeithInglisDT
Option routes to open avenue for creativity
By CORY WHITMAN SportS reporter
The ability to make crucial decisions in a split moment is a necessity in college football, and with Texas Tech’s veteran wide receiver group that’s the expectation.
The Red Raiders will utilize “option” or “choice” routes heavily in the receiving room this season, allowing for players to run a route with multiple outcomes that they feel will cause the most success in accordance
with the defense’s decision. Wide receivers coach Justin Johnson said he’s confident in his receivers abilities to run freely on the field, but iterated to achieve success they had to make sure one man is on the same wavelength.
“The biggest thing for us is to be on the same page with the quarterback,” Johnson said. “... At the end of the day, if we’re on the same page with the quarterback even if we’re making a wrong decision and we’re not confusing him, we’ve
got a shot at it.”
Junior receiver Coy Eakin is coming into his third season with the Red Raiders and his first with new Tech offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich. Eakin compiled a total of 1,068 yards and nine touchdowns in his previous two seasons.
Eakin said under Leftwich’s new offensive scheme it grants receivers the ability to run various routes in different formations while gaining the potential to find an opening at all times.
“It just kind of frees you up as a player,” Eakin said. “It’s really your fault if you don’t get open. If he sits inside, break out. If he sits outside, break out, you know, do your thing.”
Senior receiver Reggie Virgil, who spent the past three seasons at Miami University, was named the starting “X” receiver on the Red Raider depth chart on Monday.
Having option routes throughout the offensive game plan opens the door for receivers to make big
plays without having to actively go deep, which he said is a major part of his game, Virgil said.
“Players like Roy (Alexander) he doesn’t need to run past everybody, just get the ball and he could go 50 or 60 (yards), so making people miss.”
Virgil said receivers like Eakin get to showcase different aspects of their game and find routes that fit their respective traits.
“The little option routes we have in the slot like Coy’s able to pick and
choose which way he goes based off of the defender and he gets to show off his run after ability,” Virgil said.
“... I think that’s what’s really good about our offense is that you choose what you like to do and it fits everyone’s game style.”
Tech receivers will showcase their abilities on the field for the first time this season at 6:30 p.m. Saturday against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Jones AT&T Stadium.
@CoryWhitmanDT
JACOB LUJAN/The Daily Toreador
Texas Tech outside linebackers coach C.J. Ah You steps in as the team’s interim defensive coordinator during the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against the University of Arkansas hosted at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 27, 2024.
Legacy of late Jorgensen carries on in team
By CHRISTIAN JETER la vida editor
Danica Jorgensen began training the Texas Tech Equestrian Team as the head coach in 2009. Even when she received the news she had breast cancer, that didn’t stop her from being with her girls until the end.
“Two days before she went to the hospital, she was at the barn helping us with the show,” Katy Williams, the vice-president of the team, said through tears. “Then she went to the hospital and never came out.”
Williams is a fourthyear advertising major from Dallas who has been an equestrian for a number of years. She said Jorgensen’s drive and love for the sport drove her to be at the team’s training grounds, the Tech Equestrian Center, even when she was in poor health.
“She had a lot of resilience. She never gave up. She was always here till the end,” Williams said. “The horses were everything for her. She should not have been out here, but she was.”
Jorgensen was diagnosed with her third onset of breast cancer during spring of last year. She battled the cancer for about a year before succumbing to it on February 27. The team had a show the following three days at the University of Oklahoma.
Team, said Jorgensen’s poor health became more evident shortly before that weekend’s show.
“At that point, her body started to show signs of how hard it was fighting. She couldn’t hide it as well anymore,” Smith said. “But the rest of the team didn’t know how bad it really was until probably the week before she passed.”
When Jorgensen was eventually hospitalized a few weeks before her passing, she would watch livestreams of the team’s events from her bedside. She would also keep her phone close in case they needed any assistance.
The Hunt Seat Captain of the English section of the team, Madeline Hicks, a third-year classics major from Roswell, New Mexico, said Jorgensen would still make an effort to help from the hospital.
“When she was in the hospital, I had called her about a situation with the lights that I needed help with,” Hicks said. “I called her and I was like, ‘Dani, I don’t know where the light switches are.’ And she was like, ‘They’re here, here and here.’ Even in the hospital when she wasn’t doing well, she’d still pick up the phone.”
She’s in our hearts, but she created a family, and that’s how we’re moving forward.
JESSICA TAN MEMBERSHIP CHAIR TECH EQUESTRIAN CLUB
Addison Smith, a fourthyear business management major from Boerne, and the equipment safety supervisor for the Tech Equestrian
As she wiped her eyes, Hicks said Jorgensen took such good care of the team because she was just as much a mother as she was a coach, even when outside of the arena.
“She had 50 of us and we were her kids,” Hicks said. “She had to have so much
patience to mother 50 of us, because she really did on and off the saddle.”
Jorgensen was consistent in her ability to coach, be empathetic and work hard to make the team the best it could be, said Jessica Tan, a fourth-year biology major from Amarillo, and the membership chair for the organization.
“She didn’t only act in teaching mode when we saw her – she was like that all the time,” Tan said. “Everywhere, no matter what, she had that same bit of stubbornness, teachability and ability to coach and be compassionate about everything that she did.”
Even after she passed, Jorgensen continued to take care of her girls. Tan said she did this by passing
down many of the qualities she embodied which helped them through the tragedy.
“We did it because we were together, because she taught us compassion, teamwork and everything she knew,” Tan said. “We weren’t necessarily prepared for that, because I don’t know how you could ever be prepared for that, but we knew we were going to be okay.”
Tan said although their coach might be gone, she turned a team into a family, and that unity has continued to carry them forward.
“We’re a family – that’s what she created. So how are we living without her right now?” Tan said.
“She’s in our hearts, but she created a family and
that’s how we’re moving forward.”
The day before she passed away, Grace D’Alessandro, a fourth-year psychology major from The Woodlands, and the Tech Equestrian Team president, said the team made a promise to Jorgensen to carry on her lineage.
“We promised we wouldn’t let anything happen to (the team). We promised we would keep her legacy alive,” D’Alessandro said. “We would do everything the Danica way, and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing up until now.”
To continue the care and commitment that their head coach brought to the team in life, the group set up the Danica Jorgensen Memorial Endowment
Fund. This is a scholarship program that enables the organization to purchase necessities such as equipment, tack, horses and other resources.
Smith said this program enables new members to know who Jorgensen was, even if they never had the opportunity to be coached by her.
“All new riders will get to experience who she was because her name will be on their scholarship,” Smith said. “It’ll bring up questions and everyone will get to talk about her.” Those wanting to donate to the Danica Jorgensen Memorial Endowment Fund can do so through the Office of Advancement.
@CJeter_DT
MAKAYLA PEREZ/The Daily Toreador
A Texas Tech Equestrian Team member holds onto two horses during one of the first team practices of the fall semester at the Equestrian Center Aug. 20, 2025. The team will begin new member tryouts on Sept. 2, 2025.
MAKAYLA PEREZ/The Daily Toreador
Texas Tech Equestrian Team president Grace D’Alessandro adjusts equipment safety manager
Addison Smith’s saddle while she rides during practice at the Equestrian Center Aug. 20, 2025.
MAKAYLA PEREZ/The Daily Toreador
A Texas Tech Equestrian Team horse walks around the pen during practice drills at the Equestrian Center Aug. 20, 2025.
By CHRISTIAN JETER
a Vida Editor
L
When Lars Northcut slipped his arms into his white coat at the School of Medicine’s ceremony on July 25, signifying his entrance into medical school, he knew the individual patient would be the focus of his career in medicine.
“I like to remind myself that patients, at the end of the day, are the most important thing, and that all this knowledge and skills that we’re gaining are to help those patients,” Northcut said.
Northcut, who grew up in Belton, follows a family line of medical practitioners. His stepfather is an emergency room physician while his older brothers, Armand and Willem, both went through medical school before him.
Following in the footsteps of his family, Northcut said he always had gravitated toward the medical field, but his career path was solidified after working with patients prior to graduate school.
“(Transporting) was definitely the biggest, most meaningful experience that I had to solidify that medicine was at the pinnacle of what I am interested in as a career,” Northcut said.
As he enters his first year of medical school, Northcut said he will focus on remembering that patients are the focal point of medicine and the most important thing in the field.
“It’s a patient-focused career – they are why we’re here,” Northcut said. “Keeping them in mind throughout this training will keep my eye on what’s important at the end of the day, which is that
we are caring for them and that we’re using our knowledge and facilities to do the best we can.”
Dr. Felix Morales, a professor under the Health Sciences Center, assisted recipients in donning their White Coats at the ceremony. As he watched Northcut cross the stage and receive his coat, Morales said the medical student has a natural sense of empathy, which can be rare in the field.
“Being kind and caring is something that we strive to find in people who apply to our medical school,” Morales said. “But with Lars, I just feel like he’s going to have that quality without a whole lot of coaching or teaching.”
Morales briefly oversaw Northcut’s older brothers during their time in the medical program. He said Northcut’s compassionate approach to medicine is something he saw in both of his brothers as well.
“He’s very, very kind, caring and empathetic. He has qualities of both his brothers,” Morales said. “He has Armand’s ability to speak and talk to people, but he also has that reserved, serious side that Willem has.”
Not only does he have his brothers’ compassion, Morales said Lars also inherited his siblings’ perseverance.
“Medical school is hard to get into but all three of them have demonstrated that ability to keep on pushing forward,” Morales said. “That work ethic is there amongst all three of them.”
As he prepares for his subsequent career in medicine, Northcut said it can be easy to focus on the quantity of patients. Instead, he said it’s important to remember that
the patient is a person and individual, not a statistic.
“Inevitably, you take care of so many people that sometimes you might get lost in
and
the numbers. They say physicians can take care of up to 150,000 patients in their career,” Northcut said. “So, you always want to remind
yourself that people aren’t a number; everybody’s an individual and they should be treated as such.”
and plans to pursue these during his graduate research.
JACOB LUJAN/The Daily Toreador
Lars Northcut poses in the white coat he received from the School of Medicine’s ceremony sitting on a bench in Urbanovsky Park Aug. 26, 2025. Northcut wants to focus on surgery, anesthesia
procedural medicine during his medical school research.
Northcut has an interest in surgery, anesthesia and procedural medicine
@CJeter_DT
CENTENNIAL
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1
Band director D.O.
“Prof” Wiley served as director from 1934 to 1959 and then was inducted into the Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame in 1975. He was one the four inaugural inductees. Under WIiley’s tenure the band size grew to over 200 student musicians, according to the Tech School of Music website.
The Goin’ Band received “Best Dressed in the Nation” in 1982 after its adoptions of new Spanish-style uniforms that still march on the field today, according to the Tech School of Music website. It was rekindled from the band’s original uniform worn during the 1920s.
The original band in 1925 wore Spanish style uniforms, while the band’s first permanent director, Harry LeMaire, wore a sombrero.
The Goin’ Band was the first band to perform a halftime show in the Big 12 Conference.
On Aug. 31, 1996, Tech competed against Kansas State. The game was the official kickoff of the Big
HISTORY
12 Conference, which was founded two years earlier. Furthermore, Tech was the first Texas college band to perform the famous “March Grandioso,” which is still performed at games today, according to the Goin’ Band Association website.
One of the Goin’ Band’s most recent milestones is its historic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
On November 23, 2023 the Goin’ Band marched in the parade. The band was one of 10 marching bands chosen to perform and they performed “Wreck ‘Em Fanfare,” a compilation of Tech spirit songs.
“It’s humbling,” Pagán said in response to what it means for him to be band director during the Goin’ Band Centennial Year. “It’s gonna be a lot of eyes on us seeing what we do and we [hope that we] live up to that expectation.”
The Goin’ Band remains rooted in its traditions that have kept the organization alive with the same morals it was built upon.
“I think the fact that we have never lost our roots is what really is a motivator to keep on,
keeping on and to represent Texas Tech University in a great way,” Gordon said.
Gordon said the band has never strayed from its original morals and, while it is not overly exclusive — as they allow 385 to 450 individuals into the band — it demands and requires the same work ethic that it always has.
The roots of the Goin’ Band lie in its 1925 founding with a traditional look of the Spanish matador. Key traditions include the march in and march out during home games where fans will line the streets.
The band is known for its innovative halftime shows with award-winning performances and unique themes, according to the Tech History & Traditions website.
“I keep going to traditions and family, and that’s really the big thing,” Pagán said. “I think that’s what sets us apart from a lot of other organizations is how deep these traditions run in the Goin’ Band.”
Biggers’ Goin’ Band legacy marches on
By CHRISTIAN JETER L a Vida Editor
Nearly 30 years ago, Carter Biggers first stepped onto the Jones AT&T Stadium field, leading his drum section as crowds cheered the Goin’ Band on. Today, his son, Harrison, has been inspired by his father to do the same.
“My dad is almost the whole reason that I’m doing what I’m doing today,” Harrison Biggers said. “Not everyone gets to say that their dad is their hero, but I get to say that my dad is my hero.”
After earning his undergraduate degree from Tech, Carter Biggers continued on to get his doctorate from the University of Iowa before traveling to Pennsylvania State University as the assistant director of the school’s athletic bands.
Harrison Biggers said it was this period of watching his father conduct that made him want to march.
“One of the most renowned college marching bands is the Penn State Blue Band. They’re really good at what they do, and that was what solidified what I wanted to do in some capacity,” Harrison Biggers said. “I didn’t quite know if I wanted to be a music major at the time, but I definitely knew that I wanted to be in a college marching band and play an instrument.”
Not long after, Harrison quickly became enamored and skilled with instruments during the fourth grade, Carter Biggers said.
“During those days, he wanted to play the trombone, and that was his first instrument,” Carter Biggers said. “The trombone was about as tall as he was and he could barely reach fifth position, but he was really good and
was able to match pitch.”
Carter Biggers played in the Goin’ Band from 1996 to 1999 and rose to the drum line section leader position. Now, Harrison is a third-year music education major and an assistant drum major.
Being in the same percussion section where his father previously was, Harrison Biggers has encountered numerous former band members who attest to Carter’s skills. He said this has further solidified his desire to follow his father.
“Whenever I’m meeting a bunch of alumni, they’re always like, ‘I marched with your dad. Your dad’s the best,’” Harrison Biggers said.
Harrison has a twin brother, Palmer, who also was in the band before him. He has since moved on to perform in the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum Corps, a professional marching band based out of California.
Carter Biggers said seeing his sons take the field during their first football game, much like he did during his time in the Goin’ Band, was meaningful to him.
“Seeing them in that uniform for the first time was quite emotional. It was really neat seeing them perform their first halftime show, that first march to the stadium,” Carter Biggers said. “All those firsts were very special for sure.”
The most memorable event was in 2023 with the Goin’ Band’s trip to New York to perform during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Carter Biggers said.
“I think the greatest memory was the following year with the Macy’s Parade,” Carter Biggers said. “Going to New York to see the band marching in the parade and being right there on the
street — getting there at 4 o’clock in the morning to get a seat right on the rope line so we can wait five hours to watch them pass by us in 15 seconds — it was worth it to see them.”
Lisa Rogers, a professor of percussion studies and the associate director for Applied Programs and Faculty Affairs, tutored Carter Biggers when he was in middle school and she was in undergrad.
Rogers then was hired at Tech to teach and oversaw Carter Biggers during her second year as a professor. She said he became section leader because of both his musical and leadership skills.
“When he came to Tech, he was section leader of the drum line,” Rogers said. “That’s a big responsibility that goes
to a person that not only performs well as a musician, but they have to have leadership qualities too because they are the role model for everybody else in the section.”
Rogers said Harrison Biggers exhibits the same exemplary traits as his father.
“(Carter) is just a very positive person, team player and has leadership qualities that you need –just like his son,” Rogers said. “You’ve got to have somebody who is a role model as a musician.”
Carter Biggers is now the director of bands at Texas Woman’s University. Like his father, Harrison Biggers said he wants to become a director, albeit in his own direction.
“I do see myself becoming a college marching band director. (Dad)
wanted to take more of the side of a wind band conductor — that’s what he’s doing now, and he’s having the time of his life,” Harrison Biggers said. “But I feel like I’ve gravitated a lot more towards the marching arts than concert arts.”
Carter Biggers said his sons’ interest in music was never forced and has always been something they wanted to pursue. As they march further into their careers, he said the family will back them up completely.
“The career that he and his brother are both taking is not something that we ever pushed them into, but this is something they wanted to do,” Carter Biggers said. “We’re going to be behind them 100 percent.”
@CJeter_DT
JADON CHESNUTT/The Daily Toreador
Harrison Biggers, a percussionist in this year’s Goin’ Band from Raiderland, holds a photo of father Carter Biggers, who marched in the same drumline as his son 30 years ago.
JACOB LUJAN/The Daily Toreador
Texas Tech’s Goin’ Band from Raiderland performed for the first time Oct. 3, 1925. In 2023, the band represented Tech in New York at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
@AllieScottDT
Tackle Tech, Lubbock 2025 bucket list
The Texas Tech bucket list is a composite list of various activities students may complete to make memories throughout the year. Send photos of yourself completing the list to The Daily Toreador for a chance to appear on our social media platforms.
Participate in at least one activity each day during the multi-day Raider Welcome event
Attend RaiderGate before a home football game
Have your picture taken at the Two Tons of Tradition ring sculpture outside the Texas Tech Alumni Association’s McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center
Visit the Lubbock Lake Landmark and learn about the fossils found on the South Plains
Hop on a Citibus and explore Lubbock beyond the Texas Tech campus
Build a snow sculpture in Urbanovsky Park
Smile and say hello to a random individual in the Student Union
Take a selfie at a campus landmark and post it to social media
Join an intramural team and participate
Conquer the rock wall at the Rec
Attend a Student Government Association meeting
Participate in a face-to-face academic advising session
Earn a spot on the Dean’s or President’s List
Start a “Raider Power!” chant at a Tech sporting event
Attend a party
Find the Blarney Stone on the Texas Tech campus
Visit Prairie Dog Town in Lubbock’s Mackenzie Park, located just east of I-27
Invite your parents/family to Family Weekend/Family Days on campus
Start your own podcast by visiting the Library and utilizing one of its podcast studios
The Daily
Attend a university production — a play, musical, concert or recital
Eat at Skyviews of Texas Tech, 1901 University Ave. #600 (in the University Plaza Office Building)
Drop by Raider Red Meats in the Animal and Food Sciences building for a burger
Enjoy a weekend of college-themed movies (“Animal House,” “Old School,” etc.)
Attend a Tech home softball game
Buy one or two toys you loved as a kid and donate to a local holiday toy drive
Visit the Career Center and explore ways it can help with your career plans
Catch a live concert by a Lubbock-native musician
Pull an all-nighter at the Library
Take a date to the Stars & Stripes Drive-in and order the Chihuahua sandwich
Visit the National Ranching Heritage Center or Texas Tech Museum
Take a day trip to nearby Palo Duro Canyon State Park (120-mile drive)
The Daily
Take a selfie with the Masked Rider and her horse, Centennial Champion Stand in the center of Memorial Circle, inside the seven reservoirs of Pfluger Fountain, and listen
Take in one of the free Late Night Movies offered each week at the Student Union
Go a full semester without missing a class
Recycle when and where you can on campus
Find one (or more) of the painted murals in town and grab a Lubbock selfie to post to social media
Make time to take in a few West Texas sunsets
Contact The Daily Toreador and suggest an idea for a story you’d like to see
Visit the Buddy Holly Center, 1801 Crickets Ave., and grab a photo of yourself with the giant glasses art installation out front
Wear a fun, campus-appropriate Halloween costume to your Oct. 31 classes
Find your favorite barbecue restaurant in Lubbock
Spend a Friday evening taking in the sights and sounds of the First Friday Art Trail
Go bowling or miniature golfing with friends
Round up some friends and go on a road trip to an out-of-town Tech sports event
Attend an on-campus event just for the
Take
Participate in one of the many Tech Homecoming activities, like the bonfire or the parade
Stop in and listen to one of the speakers in the campus Free Speech Area
Eat some fried cheese at Spanky’s, 811 University Ave.
Attend
Spend
Get
Go to the Rec Center and work out daily for two weeks
Play flashlight tag at Memorial Circle at midnight with a group of friends
Take part in one of the trips offered through the Outdoor Pursuits Center
Take at least one selfie with Raider Red each year
Float the Lazy River at the Leisure Pool
JADON CHESNUTT/The Daily Toreador
MAKAYLA PEREZ/The Daily Toreador
JACOB LUJAN/The Daily Toreador
MAKAYLA PEREZ/
Toreador
MAKAYLA PEREZ/The Daily Toreador
JACOB LUJAN/
Toreador
JADON CHESNUTT/The Daily Toreador
Caution necessary despite lower crime rates
By NOAH DAVILA news reporter
As new students arrive in Lubbock, many carry concerns about crime and safety. Those fears however, don’t match the reality on the ground according to Texas Tech Police Lt. Brady Cross and Information Officer Kasie Davis.
“Crime actually in Texas across the city has dropped about 35 percent in the past three years, and that’s pretty substantial,” Davis said.
To get a clearer picture, the department looked at specific areas surrounding campus.
“From 2023 to 2024, the overall crime number of crimes dropped by about half,” she said.
The perception of Lubbock as unsafe lingers because of old narratives.
However, crime data from surveyed areas surrounding Tech dropped precipitously, Cross said. “I hear and see the same things you do and see those reports and see how it causes family concern,” Cross said. “But I think once you’ve been in Lubbock for a little bit, you find out that that’s just simply not the case, and that all those stories are a little bit misleading.”
The officers noted that property crimes, especially vehicle break-ins, remain the most common problems students encounter. Often newcomers are not used to the precautions necessary in a city.
“They are more susceptible to being victims of property crime because maybe they come from a small town,” Cross said. “They’re not used to
having to lock their car up … . When you move to Lubbock, it’s a little bit different speed and pace of life.”
For the most part, these are crimes of opportunity, said Cross.
“Oftentimes, criminals are looking for an easy target,” Cross said. “We see some broken windows, but for the most part, they’re just pulling door handles and finding unlocked cars. So, if we had to boil it down to one or two pieces of advice, it would just be to lock your car and take your valuables.”
Davis and Cross stressed that Lubbock’s number of reports does not necessarily equate to more crimes, but rather is the effect of thorough police work.
“Our city has come a long way,” Cross said.
“These numbers show that. So I think hopefully you can impart that we report stats in the federal
ies, but that overall safety
Tech Blackboard converts to RaiderCanvas
By AVERY MENDOZA
Texas Tech has fully migrated its Learning Management System to RaiderCanvas after phas -
its user-oriented
ing out Blackboard over a 13-month period. Tech IT supervisor Cy -
rill Dwamena said the university’s contract with Blackboard expired early this year, and the school
looked for numerous alternative options for their LMS, including Blackboard Ultra and Canvas.
After discussing with faculty and staff, the university chose to go with Canvas due to a userfriendly educational interface.
“Canvas provided better tools for educators through its initiative mobile app, educatorto-student communication and integration with other educational tools,” Dwamena said. “There was a lot of support for Canvas.”
Jay Walder, a marketing major and fourth-year transfer student from North Central Texas College, said he preferred the move to Canvas over Blackboard.
“I work exclusively off calendars and Blackboard’s calendar is terrible,” Walder, a Bowie native, said. “Blackboard only showed one day or the whole month. Canvas ignores days that aren’t busy while Blackboard just won’t show you things.”
Walder said that using Blackboard felt confusing
after using Canvas for years at NCTC.
“Blackboard’s menu navigation was different; it threw me off the entire year,” Walder said. “I had been using Canvas for the previous five years ,including high school.”
Canvas utilizes multiple third-party tools in its integration like lockdown browsers and embedded videos, but all tools have been approved by Tech for use, Dwamena said. Canvas integrates third-party applications through a standardized framework called Learn -
ing Tools Interoperability. LTI allows educational institutions to add, arrange and manage external tools within the Canvas application, according to the Instructure Canvas Community website.
Tech branded the Canvas app as RaiderCanvas to better fit with Tech’s identity and branding.
“Switching helped brand RaiderCanvas, which better suits the identity for Texas Tech,” Dwamena said.
@NoahDavDT
JADON CHESNUTT/The Daily Toreador
The Texas Tech Police Department remains visible on campus, which has contributed to lower crime rates. However, officers still urge caution and offer safety tips for students.
news reporter
The Daily Toreador
Tech has switched to Canvas due to
network.