THURSDAY, FEB. 26, 2026
VOLUME 100 ISSUE 7
CURRICULUM
Course cancellations concern students By NOAH DAVILA New RepoRteR
Texas Tech students are reporting disruptions to coursework and schedules after a series of course cancellations and ongoing curriculum changes. These changes come as a result of memos from September and December, the first stating Tech’s compliance with recent state and national legislation declaring there to be only two sexes and the second directing faculty to submit portions of syllabi addressing gender and race for review by the Board of Regents. “Each of our universities are required to comply with both state and federal law, executive orders, and directives issued by the President …and the Governor of Texas,” read the September memo by then Tech System Chancellor Dr. Tedd Mitchell. “As a public university system, our adherence to these requirements is fundamental to our responsibilities as stewards of public trust.” Specific subjects were not listed,
instead they required case-by-case approval by review by the Board of Regents. This process, originally expected to continue until late February according to Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communication, Allison Hirth, is ongoing. Ainsley Schwintz, a senior interdisciplinary studies major, said she was forced to scramble to find another course after Ethnic Minority Psychology was canceled in December. “If I hadn’t been sitting at my computer when I got that email and immediately enrolled in another course,” Schwintz said, “I’m not sure if I would be able to graduate this spring. There were only a few other classes I could take.” Schwintz said the changes have left her concerned about her future academic and professional prospects. “I’m a little worried that graduate schools are going to see that I graduated from Tech and question whether I received the level of education they expect,” Schwintz said. Another student, senior philos-
JADON CHESNUTT/The Daily Toreador
The Texas Tech University Administration building bell tower sits Monday afternoon as students wrap up classes for the day, Feb. 23, 2026.
ophy and arts double major Maya Lee, described restrictions in her philosophy courses. “We had a portion of our reading canceled because the professor had to submit our Plato portion to the Regents for review,” Lee said. Plato’s writings include discourse on how Athenian society understood sex and gender she said.
“It’s almost like we can’t even consider ourselves a true university anymore because we are so politically controlled,” Lee said. Lee also mentioned having developed a sense of anxiety in the classroom due to uncertainty about what she can discuss as a student. “Honestly, it’s like I don’t have the ability to ask my professor cer-
tain questions,” Lee said. “I have to think about what I’m asking and hope that my professor can actually give me a full answer without getting in trouble.” Lee said her personal work in an art class has been affected due to it addressing her own lived experiences as a Black woman. SEE CURRICULUM, PG. 2
MUSIC
Adenugba, Kwasi bring DJ, MC dreams into reality
MAKAYLA PEREZ/The Daily Toreador
Junior information technology major from Dallas, Daniel Adenugba, left, and sophomore computer science major from Prosper, Kwasi Boamah pose for a photo in the stands of the United Supermarkets Arena Feb. 17, 2026.
By ERIN DEMBO
tion and music of Daniel Adenugba and Kwasi Boamah. Adenugba, who goes by his stage As students gather in the stands name “DJ Danny,” has been acting of the United Supermarkets Arena to as a disc jockey for two years after support Texas Tech’s Red Raiders, the discovering his passion for the craft crowd moves and cheers to the direc- through a close friend who is also a DJ. FeatuRes wRiteR
“My DJ career I have right now, it’s bigger than me,” Adenugba said. “You can really chase your dreams, just with patience.” A third-year information technology student from Dallas, Adenugba said he didn’t have access to many DJ gigs for a long time. However, that all changed back in November 2025 during the Raiderville campout ahead of the Tech and Brigham Young University football matchup. Here, among the tightly packed crowds, tents and lawn chairs, Adenugba noticed an opportunity. During one of those frigid nights, he brought out one of his speakers and began DJing for the fans, football players and even a few coaches. “I know what type of energy a team will receive just from seeing the support of the school,” Adenugba said. “It’s like everybody got a return on their investment for something they did.”
From there, his music-mixing career continued to prosper, eventually landing him the opportunity to DJ at “College GameDay” on Jan. 24 when then-No. 12 Tech basketball faced the then-No. 6 University of Houston. Preparation for such a high-stake opportunity takes a lot of effort behind the scenes, he said. Adenugba typically accomplishes this by keeping an open mind and tapping into a variety of musical communities, including African, fraternity and Lubbock culture. “You have to be willing to connect with people and be able to take criticism,” he said. “I’m listening to all artists’ music — just researching and a lot of practice.” Even with his passion and love for music, Adenugba said he couldn’t have gotten the opportunity without his counterpart: Kwasi Boamah. Boamah, also known as “MC Kway,” is a second-year computer
science student from Prosper. When he arrived at Tech for his first year, he knew he wanted to get more into emceeing but was unsure how to begin building a name for himself. “I always thought about emceeing, but I never really knew how to get it off the ground,” Boamah said. “I knew that’s something that I wanted to do, and I knew that in my personality.” As Boamah was trying to get his career started, Adenugba was doing the same. Yet what brought the duo together was a bit of luck and a lot of hard work. On that same College GameDay on Jan. 24, their worlds collided as they both auditioned to be an emcee for the event. Boamah ended up receiving the position, but when he realized just how skilled Adenugba was, he advocated for him to DJ at the event as well.
SEE MUSIC, PG. 5
OUTSIDE THE COURT
Toppin’s season-ending injury stirs strong emotions By CORY WHITMAN spoRts RepoRteR
Texas Tech men’s basketball head coach Grant McCasland was two minutes into a statement to the media on Feb. 20 about star forward JT Toppin’s season-ending injury when he suddenly went silent. He rocked in the red Tech folding chair he was seated in for 20 seconds in complete silence. Tears began to creep over his lower eyelids before he composed himself and returned to his normal cadence. “I said, ‘How you doing?’ and he (Toppin) said,‘I don’t want people to feel sorry for me,’” McCasland said before a long pause. “That’s the part you love about JT, because he just said,‘I just want to play with our team.’”
Toppin suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee in the second half against Arizona State University on Feb. 17. Toppin was the Red Raiders’ leading scorer and rebounder, ranking in the top 10 nationally in both categories. McCasland said he was by Toppin’s side when he received the diagnosis, noting the challenges it brought emotionally for everyone impacted in the Tech program. “Being in the doctor’s office with him when he got the news was crushing. It was a tough couple days,” McCasland said. “ ... To watch him weep and to see how much this meant to him is hard. It’s hard to watch, and it’s hard for everyone involved.” Toppin returned to team practice the same week, sitting on the sideline
with crutches, watching from a distance. McCasland said he approached Toppin to ask how was handling everything, and Toppin’s answer showcased the unselfishness the Dallas native embodies. On the day Toppin found out he’d be sidelined for the season, the entire Red Raider roster decided to go to his apartment to support him. McCasland said the team is committed to building a strong support system for Toppin. Senior guard Donovan Atwell, who ,is in his first season in a Red Raider uniform, said the team quickly formed a bond beyond basketball despite not knowing each other prior. “I mean, we’re a family,” Atwell said. “When someone goes down, we’re right there with them, hanging out with him and making sure his spirits are up and
knowing that we’re gonna do this for him. Used to being locked in with him for sure.” Toppin’s abrupt absence brought on immediate questions for the Red Raiders, as their game plan stemmed around his ability to be double-teamed, which created space for others. Notably, Toppin and sophomore guard Christian Anderson have been regarded in the national media as one of the top pick-and-roll duos in the country. McCasland said he’s watched film of every possession without Toppin this season since the time of the injury with little to no sleep. Toppin said he feels his team doesn’t need to add any extra pressure to their game. “Let’s be honest, we’ve had the best tandem in college basketball, maybe in a long time,” McCasland said.“But now it’s
just going to involve more people, and I think that’s a good thing if you’re going to play together and you’re gonna win games where you can keep improving. This team has a higher ceiling now as a group.” In terms of individual progression, Toppin has many months ahead of him with the recovery process and physical therapy. Nonetheless, McCasland said there’s high hopes that Toppin comes back an improved player. “I honestly believe that it can make him stronger,” McCasland said. “I don’t know how to explain it. I can only tell you that I believe with all my heart that there are no accidents. This has a purpose, and whatever the purpose is, it’s hard to see in the moment, but because of JT’s competitiveness, he will come back stronger.” @CoryWhitmanDT
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