Daily Toreador 032626

Lubbock dust poses long-term health risks

up

Dust storms, known as Haboobs, are a common sight in West Texas. But the towering walls of dirt that may come to mind aren’t typically the case. Most dust events are smaller and harder to see, but according to one Texas Tech researcher, they carry their own threats beyond the barrier of visibility.

“Dust storms, or events, are a meteorological phenomenon that happen when a strong wind picks

POST-GRAD

soil from the ground, lifts it and keeps it suspended in the air for hours or even days,” said Zyanya Ramirez-Diaz, a doctoral student in geosciences at Tech. Ramirez-Diaz has spent nearly seven years studying how those particles affect the human body and how risks increase the deeper they travel. Ramirez-Diaz said short-term effects, including coughing, eye and nose irritation and worsened allergy symptoms, are only the tip of the iceberg.

“When we breathe these particles,

they are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs, and some of them even pass the air-blood barrier and go into the bloodstream,” Ramirez-Diaz said.

For people with preexisting conditions, the consequences can escalate quickly.

“People who have asthma or COPD can see their symptoms increase after only one dust storm,” Ramirez-Diaz said. “Even up to 15 days later, elderly patients can still experience acute episodes.”

In a January report prepared for

local officials, Ramirez-Diaz found dust events are associated with a 5 percent increase in hospitalization and up to 16.8 percent increase in ICU admissions during and after Lubbock dust storms.

“There is a correlation between the concentration of dust particles in the atmosphere and heart attacks, strokes and overall mortality,” Ramirez-Diaz said on the threats posed to all exposed.. “Even a single exposure can increase risk.”

Over time, repeated exposure may contribute to long-term diseases.

“These particles can accumulate in the body and are associated with the development of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases,” Ramirez-Diaz said. “There are also associations with pregnancy complications and low birth weight.”

Ramirez-Diaz said the danger is both mechanical and chemical. Dust particles, tiny mineral fragments, can be so microscopic and sharp they have the ability to tear through cells.

“These are literally tiny rocks that can break the cell membrane,” Ramirez-Diaz said. “Over time, the lungs try to repair that damage, but repeated exposure leads to scarring that permanently damages the organ.”

The scarring, known as fibrosis, is only one symptom of inhalation.

Ramirez-Diaz said dust also has the ability to act as a carrier for more toxic agents. The dust particles act as transportation for urban pollutants like airborne bacteria, carbon monoxide, metal particles and cancer-causing chemicals.

While Ramirez-Diaz’s research

Students pursue passions despite job

By MANDIE HANEY FeatuRes wRiteR

Fluorescent lights hum softly over Texas Tech students’ steady hands as they work with metal, paper or instruments. Across campus, art-focused degrees are not simply about finding a job after graduation, but about following a passion strong enough to shape a future.

Allison Sessom, a career development specialist at the University Career Center, said creative degrees often begin with a deep sense of purpose.

“All of art, in general, is a passion-fueled career choice,” Sessom said. “I’d say in anything that you’re creating something for

others or for yourself, you’re going to be passionate about.”

That passion is what led Jetta Smith, a first-year metalsmithing and jewelry design major from Fort Worth, to pursue her field.

“I love jewelry, and I love to be creative and make art. I feel like jewelry is a really personal thing, because you can take it with you everywhere,” Smith said. “A painting you can just put on your wall in your house, but a ring can come with you all day, everywhere you go.”

While some creative fields involve producing art directly, others focus on sharing it with future generations. Emily Eligio, a second-year music education major

from Fort Worth, said her love for music and teaching grew through her experiences in band.

“I wanted to be a teacher when I was younger, but then I did band in high school, and I became a drum major,” she said. “Whenever I became head drum major of my band program, I was like, ‘Wow, I love band, I love this culture and I love teaching.’”

The impact of art programs reaches far beyond creativity and can ultimately change lives, Eligio said.

“I love education, and I love changing young people’s lives,” she said.

shows that children, the elderly, and immunocompromised face the greatest danger from both large and small dust events, they are far from being the only ones at risk.

Healthy young adults are susceptible to developing asthma, phenomena and in severe cases fatal cardiovascular and respiratory disease. One Lubbock physician Dr. Ragesh Panikkath has even coined the term “Haboob Lung Syndrome,” a respiratory illness that can result from prolonged exposure to dust inhalation that causes loss of lung function in other-wise healthy adults, sometimes leading to death.

Research by the National Institute of Health has shown that children that experience long-term exposure to dust during their formative years can suffer from reduced lung capacity that can last into their adult lives.

Despite the risks, Ramirez-Diaz said dust storms in Lubbock easily can fly under the radar.

“We don’t get many haboobs, those huge walls of dust you see in Arizona,” Ramirez-Diaz said. “Instead, we have around 29 dust events per year that are harder to see.”

That lack of large dust walls creates a false sense of safety, even as impacts ripple through daily life, Ramirez-Diaz said. In a report she submitted to the Lubbock Board of Health, dust events are linked to a 246 percent increase in school absenteeism the following day as well as the previously mentioned increases in hospitalization.

insecurities

By AUSTIN JACKSON spoRts RepoRteR

While preparing for the 2025 Big 12 women’s basketball tournament, Texas Tech associate coach Erik DeRoo felt an unusual pressure in his chest.

Having never experienced any major medical condition, the then33-year-old alerted the team’s athletic training staff of the pressure and continued his coaching duties, not

knowing that he would need to be shocked back to life a few weeks later.

“I was legitimately concerned of passing out or a potential heart attack,” DeRoo said. “It was, it was a feeling I never felt before.”

The Lady Raiders won their first game of the tournament against Kansas, meaning they would play another game against Utah University the next day. DeRoo was responsible for putting together the scout for that game and

was up late into the night preparing. Tech defeated the University of Utah and was set to play Oklahoma State the next day. DeRoo also was responsible for that scout, he said, and he drank a few energy drinks to help him stay awake through the night.

“That was an ill-advised decision,” DeRoo said. “You know, it forces your heart to move faster with the energy that you’re getting in Red Bulls, so I was up the entire night — slept about

an hour that night, knocking out the Oklahoma State scout.”

The next morning, while delivering the scout to the team, DeRoo continued to experience the pressure in his heart. During a break, he texted the athletic trainer, who checked his vitals and found that his blood pressure was elevated.

DeRoo monitored his blood pressure through the Oklahoma State game, as instructed by the athletic

trainer. The Lady Raiders lost that game by one possession and returned to the hotel.

“That night, I had the worst night of my life, physically,” DeRoo said. “I couldn’t sleep. I passed out in the shower. Like, physically passed out. I was sweating like you had the flu.”

DeRoo said his symptoms continued into the next day and on the flight home.

Law student found guilty of violating Honor Code

By SOFIA BUENO News editoR

Texas Tech law student

Ellie Fisher was found guilty of professional misconduct on March 11 under Tech’s Law School Honor Code after comments on social media in September regarding Charlie Kirk’s assassination prompted an investigation, placing her in academic jeopardy of the highest order.

Although Fisher will be able to graduate from Tech, the investigation will remain on her record and could follow her throughout her legal career. When she applies for licensure, she will be questioned and required to disclose the matter to the Texas State Bar, said Garrett Gravley, program counselor for Campus Rights advocacy

at FIRE.

“Simply put, the witness testimony showed that Ellie Fisher’s accusers are simply enraged that she does not share their viewpoints. They demand that this young, talented Black attorney be silenced before her career even begins,” stated Michael Thad Allen, Fisher’s attorney, in a Feb. 21 news release provided to The Daily Toreador.

Simply put, the witness testimony showed that Ellie Fisher’s accusers are simply enraged that she does not share their viewpoints. They demand that this young, talented Black attorney be silenced before her career even begins.

MICHAEL THAD ALLEN FISHER’S ATTORNEY

Gravley said Fisher and her attorney have the option to appeal the Honor Council system or file an injunction, though it is unclear whether they’ll choose to do so.

The specific honor code violation Fisher was found guilty of is 2H in the Tech’s Law School Honor Code, which states, “A student may violate this Code by failing to uphold

professional or fiduciary obligations including, but not limited to, performance related to clinical programs, student-bar association activities, leadership in student organizations, maintenance of financial records, and pro bono activities.”

Gravley said this charge wouldn’t be actionable under the Texas State Bar ethical standards or the American Bar Association’s Model Code, as it would be struck down as a violation of the First Amendment, and the Honor Council used “catchall” language to go after speech they didn’t like.

“This decision was a miscarriage of justice. It was very offensive to the First Amendment and to free speech values. FIRE is vehemently opposed to it,” Gravley said.

The Daily Toreador reached out to Tech’s School of Law for a comment but didn’t receive a response.

Fisher, Attorney Response

FIRE representatives met with Fisher and her attorney to write a letter to Tech Law, urging them to end the investigation. In the letter,

they account the following events, prior and leading to the investigation.

• On Sept. 10, Fisher verbally notified Texas Tech Law Criminal Defense Clinic co-supervisor Joe Stephens that Kirk had been shot. When people within earshot discussed Kirk, Fisher said nothing and headed to co-supervisor Patrick Metze’s office for a meeting with three other clinic students. During that meeting, professor Terri Morgeson entered and announced that Kirk had died. When one of the students asked who Kirk was, Metze said Kirk was a racist and misogynist, and Fisher said nothing. After the meeting, Fisher returned to the clinic suite and saw students playing a video of Kirk’s assassination. She briefly discussed it with one of these students, saying that it was bad and no one could survive such a shot. She otherwise did not discuss the assassination.

• On Sept. 13, Fisher posted the following on Facebook about Kirk’s assassination: “It’s not about the First

INTERNATIONAL

Amendment. It has never been about the Second. Domestically, what do you say when a kindergartner takes a round to the neck? Did you say anything at all? You watch Gaza and are silent. You support capital punishment. Do you believe in retribution or not? He was a Nazi.”

• On Sept. 16, Director of Criminal Defense Clinics Dwight McDonald requested Fisher meet with him and Associate Dean for Student Life Sofia Chapman to discuss “an incident that occurred in the Clinic Suite last week.” At this meeting, McDonald and Dean Chapman alleged that Fisher “announced” the assassination in an “overexuberant” manner and discussed rumors that she celebrated the assassination with her mother. They did not mention the Facebook post.

On Oct. 14, Texas Tech Law formally informed Fisher by email she was under a preliminary investigation for a possible Honor Code violation. The email did not specify what

conduct gave rise to the investigation. Fisher met with Honor Code investigator William Keffer and Tech’s general counsel on Oct. 21, and asked about rumors that she would be expelled. The investigator and general counsel did not confirm or deny those rumors.

• On Jan. 23, Texas Tech Law notified Fisher that she may have violated the “professional duties” section of Texas Tech Law’s Honor Code by “failing to uphold professional or fiduciary obligations, including but not limited to, performance related to clinical programs, student-bar association activities, leadership in student organizations, maintenance of financial records, and pro bono activities.”

Although this letter said administrators had probable cause to believe that Fisher violated this honor code provision, it still did not specify what specific conduct of Fisher’s allegedly violated the Honor Code.

@SofiaBuenoDT

Tech cancels Middle East travel amid conflicts, war

By AVERY MENDOZA News RepoRteR

Texas Tech System Chancellor Brandon Creighton announced via email March 7 the Tech System is suspending all business travel to the Middle East indefinitely after the U.S. State Department issued a safety warning to U.S. citizens in the area on March 2.

Business travel to Bahrain, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will be paused, according to the announcement. Creighton stated the pause was enacted due to security alerts by the U.S. State Department after the combined attacks of the U.S. and Israel against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the ongoing war with Iran.

“This action is intended to protect our faculty, staff, and students while allowing local authorities to address the ongoing situation without additional complications,” Creighton stated in the email to the

Tech System.

Tech joins other universities enacting travel bans to the Middle East. Penn State University and University of Colorado announced travel bans within their university systems on March 3 and 6, respectively. Northeastern University announced a similar travel ban on March 9, according to The Huntington News, the university’s student newspaper.

Kristina Butler, executive director of communications and media relations for the Tech System, said in a statement to The Daily Toreador the ban is a proactive measure.

“The TTU System currently has no faculty with registered travel to the Middle East,” Butler stated on behalf of the Tech System.

“The existing travel ban is a proactive measure to prevent future travel to the region during this time. Should any faculty be in the area, the TTU System has resources and support services in place to assist with travel and ensure their safety.”

While the System’s pause only applies to business travel, Colin Foster, senior study abroad adviser for Tech’s Office of Study Abroad, said any programs traveling to the Middle East will be canceled as well.

Foster said students wanting to enroll in Middle East-affiliate programs, which are abroad programs scheduled in partnership with outside organizations and approved by Tech, will be canceled.

“There is one program that we have to the United Arab Emirates that is through a third-party and that we halted at the moment,” Foster said. “If any student were to apply to that, we would say that really isn’t an option right now.” If students, faculty and staff are currently in the Middle East or planning to travel and request assistance, Creighton said they can contact the Office of Risk and Compliance at ttusrm@ttu.edu or 806742-0212.

@AveryMendozaDT

Banda pursues authenticity in photography

By ERIN DEMBO News RepoRteR

The shutter opens and closes as light flashes through the lens of a camera, encapsulating a scene in real time.

Aidan Banda finds joy in being a part of someone’s story by capturing their emotions and personal experiences through his passion for photography.

Banda, a fourth-year creative media industries student from Grand Rapids, Michigan, said it all started with his being inspired by his sister who was already into taking photos before him.

“She taught me what to do with the camera,” he said.

“From there, I drew that passion for it, where I just love to create stories and share a message through a still photo.”

serious when people started encouraging him to take photos more often.

“When I just started doing it, people were like, ‘These look really good,’” he said. “(They) start reposting my photos or using them for their profile pictures.”

A close friend of Banda, Trevor Carter, a third-year creative media industries student from Dallas, said Banda’s skills have grown in the past two years by taking his time getting to know his clients and using that to create a smooth session.

A good picture that transcends just being a picture is one that holds a memory or holds experience that’s being able to be looked back on.

AIDAN BANDA

FORTH-YEAR CMI MAJOR

Though he’s had a love for photography since he was young, he said his work behind the camera started getting

AIR QUALITY

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1

Compounding the issue, she said, is a lack of proper monitoring.

“We don’t have a dust storm monitor within 350 miles,” Ramirez-Diaz said. “The instruments we do have measure smaller particles from urban pollution, not the larger particles that make up most of the dust.”

Without accurate, real-time data, residents and officials alike are left guessing, even as dust storms carry real health and economic consequences.

“One of the things I find very frustrating about Lubbock, as a mom of two small kids, is the lack of information about dust,” said Jen Henderson, a geosciences professor at Tech, in her report. “We don’t have the appropriate dust monitors that I can publicly access to help me understand the risks on a particular day. So how am I supposed to protect my kids or myself?”

According to estimates included in Ramirez-Diaz’s policy brief to the city, not only do residents report a loss in quality of life due to health factors, individual farmers in the region have reported an average of $11,000 in annual crop damage due to soil erosion, plant abrasions and soil chemistry shifts from dust events.

“It’s very hard to know when there’s an actual dust storm,” Ramirez-Diaz said. “People are being exposed without realizing it and suffering the consequences even when they don’t leave their home. That’s why it is so important that the city takes this issue seriously and starts providing the community with more information so we can find solutions.”

According to an archived report on the USDA website, PM10 monitors were last used in Lubbock in the late 1980s. The devices were used by a group of Tech-based researchers, The Lubbock Lake Ambient Dust Project, in hopes of establishing a permanent record of dust levels and air quality.

Today, Ramirez-Diaz’s work is a scientific successor to this goal, advocating for city officials to purchase and install a PM10 dust monitor for the city. This data could then be used to provide real-time air quality data and early warnings for citizens.

A PM10 placed on top of a building would use internal lasers to analyze the air that passes through, detecting microscopic debris such as dirt

using music and short clips in order to his and his subjects’ stories.

“I think a lot of that stuff bleeds over, just the storytelling aspect of everything,” Carter said. “He will see what the person wants to do as well, it’s their story as much as it’s his.”

For Banda, a photo isn’t just a picture of something. Rather, it captures the feelings and emotions someone experienced in a given moment, leading to more value than just the image itself.

“The way he shoots is very personable. You never feel like it’s a chore, and he’s, like, your buddy,” Carter said.

He said Banda does content creation throughout YouTube and Instagram in addition to his standard photography. He said this allows Banda to take his audience through his life cinematically

and pollen that passes through the beams.

Ramirez-Diaz said the closest such dust monitor to Lubbock is located in El Paso, the distance rendering that data useless to Lubbock residents.

“I think a monitor is the first step to prevention and mitigation,” Ramirez-Diaz said.

The proposed system would cost roughly $32,000, based on her January report to city officials, which Ramirez-Diaz said is a relatively small investment compared to the health and economic burden associated with repeated dust exposure.

In January, Ramirez-Diaz began showing her research to city officials, including the Lubbock city’s Board of Health, Health Department and District 6 Councilmember Tim Collins, who she said took some interest in but have not advanced the issue as an action item for the city.

Ramirez-Diaz said timing is critical, as city funding decisions for the fiscal year are approaching.

“They were open and interested,” Ramirez-Diaz said.

“But unfortunately, no one has taken any major action on it yet. This is a key moment to push for this.”

This advocacy work also is personal for Ramirez-Diaz.

After moving to Lubbock, she said she developed asthma despite growing up in a heavily polluted city.

“I lived 20 years in Mexico City and never had something like this,” Ramirez-Diaz said.

“After a few years here, I was diagnosed with asthma. Now I use a daily inhaler.”

Ramirez-Diaz said stories like hers and the testimonies she’s collected from residents highlight the need for action.

“I hear from people all the time who were recently diagnosed or are struggling with symptoms,” Ramirez-Diaz said. “This is affecting families, workers and the healthcare system.”

For Ramirez-Diaz, the solution begins with one request.

“We need to take care of the residents. They need to know when it’s safe to go outside or not,” Ramirez-Diaz said.

“Without the first step of buying a monitor, we cannot do many of the things that could help the impacted population.”

As Lubbock enters one of its dustiest seasons, the windy months of March and April, she hopes that more attention and action will follow.

“We haven’t had a monitor in 30 years,” Ramirez-Diaz said.

“It’s time to bring that back.”

“A good picture that transcends just being a picture is one that holds a memory or holds experience that’s being able to be looked back on,” Banda said. “I want to be able to look back at my pictures like, ‘Wow, this was the exact experience that was happening because I captured this image so well.’”

When Banda shoots photos, he said he goes with the flow based on how the client feels when creating ideas. For him, a creative brainstorming session is crucial for truly capturing the nature of his subject..

“I leave it up to how it feels, like, at the moment, and then its authentic things come out

of the pure experience,” he said.

Banda said every moment has a color, and every color has a particular feeling. This is critical to evoking the theme the photo is attempting to convey.

“I think warmer pictures kind of bring over more emotion,” he said. “If I go black or white, I’m just seeing some-

one smiling, I’m not worried about anything else in the background, none of the colors are popping out, the shirt color doesn’t even matter. It’s just pure emotion.”

To truly encapsulate an authentic moment, Banda said it’s just as important to be real to himself and transparent with his clients.

“I think it’s big for photographers to show their personality, and that makes the people in front of the camera even more comfortable if you’re being your true self and laughing with them and joking with them and just being a human being,” Banda said.

For him, if his subject knows him, then he can know his subject.

College friendships shape lifestyle, future

is

Shifting from high school to college comes with a lot of changes such as new responsibilities, a different environment and a completely new set of people to choose to hang around. The people someone surrounds themselves with not only will shape their college and social life, but also influence their ambitions, habits and overall life direction.

Having a lot of friends is often desired, especially in college. Many students dream of having a big circle to constantly hang out with. In reality, quality matters more than quantity, and a few meaningful friendships will outlast the many surface-level ones that come along.

Friends in college influence habits and mindset more than students may realize. The people someone spends time with can shape how they think, what they prioritize and how motivated they feel on a day-

to-day basis.

A friend group that focuses on partying, drinking or skipping responsibilities can slowly normalize those poor habits, while the friends who prioritize academics or personal goals can push each other to stay focused and productive and even feel accompanied when doing so.

Strong friendships can lead to opportunities students may never pursue or find on their own. True friends encourage each other to apply for internships and jobs, run for leadership positions, join campus organizations or attend events where new connections can be made.

Most meaningful opportunities in college don’t come directly from a professor or a career-related event, but from the social circles students build around them.

Being surrounded by encouraging friends can make confidence stronger and put belief in future possibilities. These supportive friendships celebrate successes, provide comfort and encouragement after setbacks and push one another to pursue goals.

On the other hand, friendships built around negativity or discouragement can hurt personal motivation, making students question their ability to do things and feel less driven to pursue opportunities that could shape their future.

Good friends will be the ones there for support, often becoming the main support

system during college, especially when family may be far away.

A few close friendships can provide comfort during stressful weeks, difficult moments or personal struggles that come with balancing school and outside life.

Those same friends are also the ones celebrating the

small and big accomplishments along the way. Whether it is finishing a hard exam, getting an internship or reaching a personal goal, these friendships become the people students rely on most during their college years.

In college, friendships are one of the few things students have total control over.

Choosing the right people to spend time with can shape not only the college experience, but the direction of students’ lives afterward. The habits that are formed, opportunities taken and support systems built during these years often flourish with the good friendships students choose to pursue.

@tayloroshea_DT

The DT Crossword: Seasonal humor

Across

1. @@@ 4. Fundamental “Jackson 5” song, say 7. *Comedian born on the 3rd who stars in “Beverly Hills Cop” and voices Donkey in “Shrek”

12. Orangey-pink fish of the Last Frontier

14. Bit of excitement

15. Parking areas

16. “Very”, to Dora or Diego

17. “See next pg.”

19. Suffix for many language names

21. Top US fiber internet co. 23. *Comedian born on the 15th who stars in “The Interview” and “Neighbors”

27. Mexican hairless dogs, for short

29. Iridescent gemstone

30. Pot scrubber’s pad

31. *Prank played on the 1st, or what 7-, 23-, 38- and 57-Across could each be considered

33. In conclusion

36. Site to do one’s bidding?

37. “Alice in Wonderland” cake message

38. *Comedian born on the 4th known for a self-named talk show and the “Let Me In... Let Me INNN!” meme

43. One in 12th gr. 44. TTU Big 12 rival from Ft. Worth

46. Sir- and tender- enders

47. Bit of Mexican mayo?

49. Name for a smart guy

52. Wine menu heading

53. Bug buffs

57. *Comedian born on the 23rd who stars in an eponymous series with Angie and Benny

58. Big Apple baseball team (abbr.)

59. “Resident Evil” protagonist, ___ Wong

Down 1. Pesky pop ups 2. First syllable of 2020present’s top-grossing app

3. Feature of a bag of chips or Arctic ice sheet 4. “Pride and Prejudice” novelist Jane ___ 5. Section for horns or trombones

6. Neighbor to Pvt. and Sgt.

7. Electronic eavesdropping, or an anagram of what might be gleaned from it

8. Sith sobriquet, in a galaxy far, far away 9. Letters for the 6 key, on a flip-phone

10. Pensive sound

11. Uncontracted Southern pronoun

12. What “one little piggie” represents

13. ZzzQuil alternative, or a homophone of what one might say after taking it

14. Biol. and chem., e.g.

18. Tiny bit of liquid

20. Former monarch, say

22. General with the chicken

24. Nashville’s Grand Ole

25. Chicken, in a Thai dish

26. Aunt in “Oklahoma!”

28. Texas’ top export

30. British airline mentioned in The Beatles’ “Back in the U.S.S.R.”

31. Source of withdrawal?

32. Top law enf. agency

33. “Them”, à Paris

34. Cable network for “The First 48” and “Storage Wars”

35. As 5-Down, but for violin or cello

38. Funerary speech

39. Language of Vikings

40. ___ & Watson deli foods

41. Boxing periods (abbr.)

42. Suffix for a female tiger or emperor

45. Toyota sedan

48. Had lunch, say

50. The “L” in “León” or “La Paz”

51. Iconic American soda flavor

54. Ending for lag-, buff- and harp-

55. Deity

56. Pub bev.

GAMING

Rose turns tragedy into victory through esports

By CHRISTIAN JETER L a Vida Editor

Brian Rose played sports year-round growing up.

Whether it was during football as a defensive linebacker or baseball as a pitcher, he always found himself outside, on the field and surrounded by teammates.

Now, he finds himself trading in his cleats for a keyboard as he pursues gaming and electronic sports following an injury that changed the course of his life forever.

“It’s a horrible story, but the least I can do for people is telling my side of it and how much stuff you can still do without aspects of physical activity involved,” Rose said.

Rose, a current first-year graduate student from Salado studying sports management, was pitching at a baseball game during his senior year of high school. A rogue ball hit him directly in the skull, putting him out for the remainder of the game.

Not long after, he was stuck in a constant cycle of vomiting and motion sickness before culminating in his di-

agnosis of occipital neuralgia, a condition characterized by severe pain caused by nerve tension.

After the incident, Rose only attended 19 days of his senior year before being nearly bedridden until graduation. Here, playing player-versus-player video games such as Fortnite and Rocket League became his main source of entertainment.

“Every time I’d move, sit up, sit down, lay down, I’d throw up,” he said. “Sitting still playing a video game actually wasn’t that bad because the headache relation wasn’t really due to the motion on the screen or brightness and stuff. It was more due to movement.”

After the diagnosis, Rose found out he would never be able to participate in traditional athletics, such as football or baseball, again.

This led him to begin pursuing an education in esports after graduating high school, seeing an opportunity to combine his hands-on sports knowledge with his newfound affinity for competitive gaming.

During his search for an institution supportive of his skills and circumstances, Rose ran into Michael Aguilar, the director of Esports and Co-Curricular Innovation at the University of Oklahoma.

Hearing about his journey from traditional to electronic sports, Aguilar said Rose’s story represents more than just baseball or video games.

“Who’s going to define limits if it’s not ourselves?” Aguilar said. “Brian personifies what the actual championship mindset is and what it’s about.”

Rather than just being another player, Aguilar said Rose’s experience gives him a unique opportunity to combine his inherent sports knowledge with modern video game strategy.

“He understands discipline around competition for the athletics and traditional sports background,” Aguilar said. “Brian is pushing ahead of a lot of peers that don’t have that kind of team development in their teenage years and earlier development stages.”

Combining that unique skill set is exactly what Rose planned to do when he arrived at Texas Tech to be closer to his brother who attended at the time of his transfer.

Here, he joined the Tech Esports Association as a player before taking up the role as the captain for the organization’s Rocket League team.

Now, in between treatment sessions of medication and nerve shots to the back of his head, Rose coaches his team, providing in-game callouts and commands from on-the-field knowledge.

“(A) football team does film review after their games.

You do the same thing for Rocket League and other games,” Rose said. “You’re reviewing what your players did wrong, how to counter these aspects of the game that’s occurring.”

Clayton Boeker, a second-year personal finance major from Brenham, serves as the president of the Tech Esports Association and manages multiple gaming teams under the organization.

Seeing him transform a tragic incident into a new opportunity, Boeker said Rose acts as an inspiration to the team from both a personal and athletic perspective.

“The adaptability of Brian to go from the traditional space to the digital space just shows that you can start from anywhere and get to where you want to go, especially in esports,” Boeker said.

Beyond simply being a captain and coach, Boeker

also said Rose’s story embodies the flexibility that an esports player needs to have to succeed.

“To fit whatever the team is, and especially you as a player, if you want to improve, you’re gonna have to adapt,” he said. “I think he models those quite well.”

Through his current role in the Tech Esports Association, Rose said he hopes to see the university’s esports program continue to expand, whether that be Tech competing in more gaming competitions or providing more opportunities for students interested in the

field.

Yet, Rose said his story isn’t just about trading in a baseball mitt for a mousepad. Instead, it’s about finding the good in life even when it doesn’t seem like there is any.

I turned a really horrible tragedy that happened in my life into something that now I get to tell people a story about.

BRIAN ROSE TECH ESPORTS ASSOCIATION’S ROCKET LEAGUE CAPTAIN

“You can succeed when something went super wrong. It’s like the old statement of turning lemons into lemonade,” Rose said. “I turned a really horrible tragedy that happened in my life into something that now I get to tell people a story about.”

“That’s what I’m really passionate about, because my life was changed by band, and I feel like without being in my band program, I probably would have ended up doing something I’m not fully committed to.”

According to a 2022 study by the University of Sussex, a research institution based out of the United Kingdom, 76.9 percent of creative graduates are employed within six months of graduation, compared to 69.7 percent of non-creative graduates.

Three and a half years after graduation, that gap remains slightly higher with 88.8 percent of creative graduates employed versus 86.8 percent of their peers.

Sessom said creative careers sometimes require students to think about their futures in ways that differ from more traditional degrees. However, that doesn’t mean jobs are impossible to find.

“It’s pretty realistic to get a job after college in these kinds of fields. They may just have to look at it in a different way,” Sessom said. “Art is already so nontraditional, so they also have to go about finding a job a little bit nontraditionally.”

Smith said she acknowledges her path is narrower than some fields, but it’s still just as important.

“It’s still practical, it’s just a little bit harder to find a job with it,” Smith said. “You go to study jewelry, then you go be a jeweler or jewelry designer. With a business or marketing degree you can go anywhere, but with mine there’s a specific path.”

Society has become more open to people pursuing the work they truly care about, allowing students to prioritize their calling in the arts, Sessom said.

“Nowadays, there’s more acceptance for following what you’re passionate about, and those jobs exist for a reason,”

Sessom said. “We are very fortunate that we are able to pursue what we like. It may not be the most financially rewarding, but it’s going to be more fulfilling internally.”

People often misunderstand how many opportunities exist within creative industries, making it a realistic path to follow, Eligio said.

“Why would a degree exist if it wasn’t at least, to some extent, practical?” Eligio said.

“For me specifically, music has so many avenues you could go in. There’s a whole backside of the popular music you listen to every day that you will never see.”

Still, financial gain is not what motivates her. Instead, Eligio said the impact she can make does.

“I don’t expect to be making six figures, maybe ever,” she said. “I expect to be changing lives and giving young people somewhere to feel safe and supported.”

The arts are more present in daily life than many people realize, proving the significance of the career choice despite the neglect it faces in the world, Sessom said.

“I get really frustrated when people look down on any degree that they deem isn’t valuable,” Sessom said.

“Everything is valuable, and we have the arts in our everyday lives. They are such a vital part of our society, so they should be celebrated more.”

Despite the challenges creative students may face, Sessom said the value of the arts should never be dismissed.

“I think we’re in a time where people are so privileged that they talk down on the very things that they cherish without them even noticing,” she said.

LOCKER

That same day, DeRoo and his wife told a friend, who had a heart attack at a young age, about the symptoms DeRoo was experiencing. That friend convinced DeRoo to visit the emergency room the same night.

“He just looked at me, and he was like, ‘Hey, I’m a dad. You’re a dad,’” Deroo said. “‘You don’t want anything bad to happen.’”

DeRoo had his blood drawn twice at the emergency room before the doctors came back and told him

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that an ambulance was on its way to take him to the University Medical Center. The test results showed a high level of proteins that appear when a heart attack is about to happen or recently has happened.

At the hospital, he received a diagnosis of pericarditis, which is inflammation in the heart, DeRoo said. He then was released and scheduled to take a stress test at a later date.

A few weeks later, he went in to take his stress test, which was done through walking and running on a treadmill to test his heart.

“I do the stress test, and I feel like I just blow that thing out of the water,” DeRoo said. “Not that I’m in great shape, but the doctors and nurses in there were like, ‘Man, that’s the longest time we’ve had in like, two weeks.’”

a call, telling him he would need to do an angiogram to further investigate the condition of his heart.

On the third shock, my eyes woke up. My chest was above the ground, like it was off the bed, and I was back to life.

ERIC DEROO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ASSISTANT COACH

Three hours after leaving the testing facility, DeRoo received

Since it is uncommon to have complications with the procedure, he anticipated everything to go smoothly and even told his wife that he would drive

himself to the appointment.

During the final portion of the procedure, DeRoo’s heart reacted negatively to the dye and fell out of rhythm. The doctors performed chest compressions and delivered multiple shocks in an attempt to revive DeRoo.

“On the third shock, my eyes woke up,” DeRoo said. “My chest was above the ground, like it was off the bed, and I was back to life.”

DeRoo, with the support of Lady Raider Basketball, made a full recovery. Through the entire process, he continued to fulfill his coaching duties, including recruiting and

continuing to coach the Lady Raiders during the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.

One year later, DeRoo and the Lady Raiders earned the No. 5 seed in the Big 12 Tournament to compete in the program’s first March Madness since 2005.

“Everything since has been cleared,” DeRoo said. “I’m perfectly healthy to the best that I can be. There’s no checkups. I’m not on medication. They’ve cleared me of everything, which is great, but it was a pretty scary three months.”

McCasland brings off-court passion to Lubbock

By CORY WHITMAN SportS reporter

When Cece McCasland and her family moved to Lubbock in 2023, following her husband

Grant McCasland being hired as the head coach of Texas Tech men’s basketball, she discovered there wasn’t a rock climbing gym in the city.

The absence of rock climbing options created a problem for Cece McCasland, as her then-15-year-old daughter, Jersey McCasland, was a competitive rock climber without a place to train.

Cece McCasland said in order to create an environment where her daughter could train, her husband pitched a solution that would ultimately benefit the community at large.

build you a gym,’ and I looked at him like, ‘Excuse me?’” Cece McCasland said with a laugh. “Fast forward, I said I don’t know how to do that, and he said call the best people you know in this business, and I immediately knew who to call.”

Cece McCasland reached out to Bryan and Christina Robins, co-owners of inSPIRE Rock Indoor Climbing & Team Building Center, planning to meet with them in Houston to discuss bringing a location to Lubbock. The company had two locations at the time in Cypress and Spring.

The Robins had never been to Lubbock and were unfamiliar with West Texas, but once they were presented with the idea of a potential storefront they decided to do their own research.

of different business perspectives, the Robins decided to go forward with the addition of a third location.

“As we started building a dream, looking for land, you know, all the things that go into building and forming a business, it just has been a blast,” Cece McCasland said. “We knew the risk we were taking was going to outweigh the reward because Lubbock loves new things. They’re so excited to do something with their family.”

Construction for inSPIRE Rock Lubbock broke ground in November 2024, and after nearly a year of building, it opened its doors in October.

bock’s construction process.

“Every detail of everything you see on that building and inside that building, I was a part of,” Cece McCasland said.

“... At the end of the day we just all agreed let’s give Lubbock the best bouldering gym we can and hope it stays forever.”

Cece McCasland and her partners collaborated with Walltopia, a rock climbing company based in Bulgaria, to help design the interior of the gym.

perienced climbers.

“A lot of people are afraid they’re going to be judged for not being able to do hard climbs, but I’ve had anywhere from 2-year-olds to 60-yearolds on the wall,” said Ryan Williams, an employee at inSPIRE Rock Lubbock

The gym also is encouraging college students to be part of the rock climbing community. A day pass costs around $24 to climb and rent climbing shoes. However, since it’s a new entity in Lubbock, the gym is running a special for $20.26 for four weeks of climbing.

“Since we’re new to Lubbock, let’s give everybody to climb as many times as they can in four weeks and show them that they love it,” Cece McCasland said.

She said it’s been a rewarding journey seeing the Lubbock community take part in a passion she’s had for years. More specifically, she said she finds joy in seeing people gradually improve and create new experiences.

“My husband said, ‘We will

After going through a series

While the project was a collaborative effort, Cece McCasland said she was heavily involved with every characteristic put into inSPIRE Rock Lub-

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Walltopia allowed inSPIRE Rock Lubbock to create a variety of climbing options, including overhangs and angled walls for experienced climbers. However, when a climber walks into the gym, they’re met with a simple slab area that runs straight up and down. The design is specifically tailored to reduce intimidation to non-ex-

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Cece McCasland said the special is catered toward those wanting to see if rock climbing is something they’d enjoy while on a budget, specifically mentioning the large college population in Lubbock.

“We had one family come to attend their child’s friend’s birthday party, and then that night they came back as a date night, the husband and wife,” Cece McCasland said. “It’s an incredibly satisfying feeling to see people love it, and hopefully hundreds of more people do.”

Tech rebuilds roster amid NFL departures

By KEITH INGLIS SportS reporter level.

Texas Tech football’s historic 2025 season raised expectations in Lubbock. With 20 players lost to the NFL draft and 21 players exiting in the transfer portal, the Red Raiders are taking a similar approach to last season’s offseason additions.

Tech added 21 players through the transfer portal in January and holds the No. 2-ranked portal class, according to On3.

The pool of players is something head coach Joey McGuire said will replace lost NFL talent.

“It’s pretty easy to say that I don’t know if I’ll ever coach another David Bailey or a Lee Hunter for different reasons, but I think we will,” McGuire said. “There’s going to be guys that develop that way, but one of the biggest things that we tried to do is where we lost NFL players, we replaced them with NFL players.”

Bailey and Hunter are currently ranked among Mel Kiper Jr.’s top 50 NFL draft prospects. Former Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, the 2025 Butkus Award recipient, landed at No. 51, with three additional former Red Raiders landing inside the top 200.

Rather than relying on unproven talent, the Red Raiders targeted transfers who already have produced at the collegiate

Tech brought in a class headlined by defensive starters in senior outside linebackers Adam Trick and Trey White, along with linebacker Austin Romaine to reinforce a defense that lost multiple NFL-caliber contributors.

“I just think we’re going to look different,” McGuire said. “I think the production is going to be there. I think you’re going to look up and Adam Trick’s going to have eight to 10 sacks, but it’s going to look different than it did for Romello Height.”

Trick, a transfer from Miami University, and White, a transfer from San Diego State University, finished the 2025 season as sack leaders for their previous schools. Both players bring four years of prior experience to replace Bailey and Height’s Big 12-leading sack efforts.

Romaine, who transferred from Kansas State, said the high-level efforts have helped him learn more about the talent around him.

“Something when I entered the portal was I wanted to go somewhere that had a really good culture and that wins ball games,” Romaine said. “I came here on my first visit and the culture was just unbelievable.”

A culture built on winning efforts and producing NFL talent saw former outside linebackers coach C.J. Ah You join the Pittsburgh Steelers. However,

the Red Raiders didn’t just add transfer players with NFL potential; they added NFL coaches. McGuire added Atlanta Falcons outside linebackers coach Jacquies Smith and Minnesota Vikings assistant defensive line coach Imarjaye Albury Sr. in February.

Albury Sr. assisted the Vikings in making two playoff appearances during his time as an assistant, while Smith adds NFL experience to the staff both as a coach and player.

Smith, who spent the past two seasons in Atlanta, helped the Falcons set a franchise record with 57 sacks. Before becoming a coach, Smith played five seasons in the NFL as a defensive end for various teams.

“Adam Trick’s goal is to play in the NFL, and he’s being coached by coach Smith, who just left the NFL, and he had two rookies that had 17-and-a-half sacks,” McGuire said.

McGuire said the additions of experience, ranging from the sideline to the field, will allow the team to continue building on last season while pursuing its first playoff win.

“We didn’t win a playoff game,” McGuire said. “Our goals are still going to be to win the Big 12. We’ve got a great spot in the trophy room for the 2026 trophy and then we’ve got to go hunt wins in the college football playoffs.”