Radford University’s Student-run Newspaper The Tartan | February 20, 2019

th

THE
VOL. CXXXV NO. 3 · 40 YEARS BEING YOUR NEWSPAPER
TARTAN
RUTARTAN.COM @RUTARTAN @RUTARTAN @THE_TARTAN

IT'S FREE,
TAKE ONE! WINNING | PAGE 10

Women’s Basketball
Make It 9 in a Row!

Q&A WITH LYDIA FLU ADVISORY: IT THE MEANING

RIVERS; BIG HAS TOUCHED OF THE DAP
SOUTH CO-PLAYER DOWN IN RADFORD TODAY
2 | The Tartan Advertisement

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www.rutartan.com
Editorial:
Editor-in-Chief
Dylan Lepore
dlepore1@radford.edu
Managing Editor
Ida Domingo
idomingo1@radford.edu
News Editor
Ida Domingo
The Tea Editor
Jennifer Bennett
jbennett49@radford.edu
Sports Editor
Davis Byrd
dbyrd16@radford.edu
Staff Writers: Jeremy Moser, Zach
Potter, Evan Mason, Tyler Martin,
Nay-Quan Bryan, Brian Angus, Lucas
Carr, Devin Stubbs, Chad Boxley, and
Dustin Staples (weather)
Photography and Advertising:
Photography Manager
Hailey Scherer
hscherer1@radford.edu
Staff Photographers: Chad Boxley,
Jordan Bennett, and Brian Angus
SMADs Manager
Yves White
ywhite4@radford.edu
For a full list go to rutartan.com/
wordpress/contact.
ABOUT US
The Tartan publishes 1,500 copies
per week and is distributed at more
than 26 locations on the RU campus.
The Tartan is always looking into
expanding  their distribution. The
publication is printed at Shenandoah
Publishing House in Winchester, Va.
The Tartan is part of Highlander
Student Media and is completely
student-run. As a newspaper, The
Tartan reserves the right to address,
explore and delve into issues that
affect the university student body
and the surrounding area.
Student Media
Advertising
P.O. Box 6895
Radford VA, 24142
540-831-6051
“We train future
journalists, editors,
radio producers,
news anchors and
even entrepreneurs
through our ever-
evolving student-
run media outlets.”
highlanderstudentmedia.com
CONTENTS
WOMEN’S
10 BASKETBALL MAKE IT
NINE IN A ROW!
04
FLU ADVISORY
Flu season is well
underway, and Radford
University responded by
issuing a flu advisory via
email, Thursday, listing
ways students can help
protect themselves from
the virus. Flu season
began in October and ...
Here is your
#TartanWeather
Forecast for
the week of
Wed., February
20-February 26,
2019.
*This forecast is
always subject to
change!!
By Dustin Staples
dstaples1@radford.edu
08
THE MEANING OF THE
DAP TODAY
The Dap. If you are not
familiar with the name, I
guarantee you have seen
people exchanging it
around campus. In its most
basic form, it is a type of
handshake. There is no
one way to dap ...
Wednesday, February 20, 2019 | 3
NEWS + CULTURE + THE TEA + SPORTS
04 JEFFERSON COLLEGE MERGER
UPDATE
05 BEING UNCONNECTED FOR 5 DAYS
Everyone is addicted to their cellphones and all kinds of media,
but for the next five days, I’ve decided to live without it.
Nowadays people are always taking selfies, debating politics,
creating never-ending Snapchat streaks, tuning the world out
with music, watching endless YouTube videos, and dating ... 
06 BLACK HISTORY MONTH MOVIE
NIGHT
As this year’s Black History Month closes in towards the end,
there are still plenty of ways to get involved; Muse Hall will be
hosting a Black History Month movie night which will take place
Thursday, Feb. 21 from 7 to 11 p.m.
00 ON THE COVER
LYDIA RIVERS BEING GUARDED BY A
LONGWOOD DEFENDER.
PHOTO BY CHAD BOXLEY
09 KATY PERRY “BLACKFACE” SHOES
11 Q&A WITH LYDIA RIVERS; BIG
SOUTH CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Lydia Rivers has been dominating on the basketball court over
this past week, and each of her notable performances displays
why she’s earned Big south Co-players of the week. River began
to dictate this week as she scored a whopping 14 points and
grabbed a massive 15 rebounds against Gardner-Webb in a 79-
69 Highlander win on Feb. 5. 
EDITORIAL POLICIES:
“Our Opinion” pieces are written collectively by members of
The Tartan Editorial Board. The Editorial Board is comprised
of the editing staff, the Tea writers, and other Radford
University students.
These undergraduate and graduate students represent
multiple class levels and different political, cultural, ethnic,
and religious backgrounds. Members may or may not belong
to a variety of student organizations. The Editorial Board is
open to all RU students who apply.
 4 | The Tartan News

Flu Advisory
Merger Update
By Jeremy Moser
jmoser9@radford.edu

S
ince January of last year, enhance Radford University’s the Roanoke campus next year
Radford University has reputation as a premier will be 10 percent less than the
Photo by Kelly Sikkema | Unsplash

been working to merge
the Jefferson College of Health
Sciences into the Radford
community.
In a “celebration of year-
long efforts,” the University sent
out a newsletter detailing some
By Jeremy Moser recent events and linking to
jmoser9@radford.edu
parts of Radford’s website that
contain updates about merger-
educational destination for
those seeking careers in health
sciences,” Bishop said.
The University’s website
says this merger will “better
meet the growing healthcare
needs in Virginia.”
The news release on
Radford’s website lists what
the merger committees have
current cost to attend Jefferson
College.
The website also confirms
that most letters of intent to
hire have been hand-delivered
to employees of Jefferson
College.
Governor Ralph Northam
is thanked in on the Radford’s
website for his inclusion of

F
lu season is well underway,
and Radford University
responded by issuing a flu
advisory via email, Thursday,
listing ways students can help
protect themselves from the virus.
Flu season began in October
and will last until May. During
this time, people are much more
likely to catch and spread the
disease.
The email lists known flu-
like symptoms and encourages
students to stay home should
they be experiencing them. The
symptoms include fever, cough,
sore throat, runny nose, fatigue,
headache, chills and body aches.
The instructions also suggest
afflicted students visit the
Student Health Center in the
The influenza virus is more related accomplishments. been able to establish so far. funding for the Roanoke campus
commonplace and therefore Dr. Nathaniel L. Bishop, This includes the confirmation in the budget bill he introduced.
treated less seriously. However, president of Jefferson College that Radford will offer every Delegate Nick Rush and Senator
according to the Center for and Radford University alumnus, program that Jefferson College Bill Carrico also receive a
Disease Control and Prevention said, “Jefferson College already currently has. special thanks. They introduced
(CDC), it is still responsible for enjoys a wonderful relationship Additionally, Ashley General Assembly bills that
tens of thousands of deaths each with Radford University.” Schumaker, Radford University’s will grant state approval of the
season. “This next step [the Vice President for University merger.
As of Feb. 9, the CDC reported merger] makes sense for both Relations, says that the tuition
that between 15.4 million and 17.8 institutions and serves to costs of students studying in
million Americans had caught
the flu, and between 11,600 and
19,100 people have died of the
disease this flu season.
While it has been particularly
bad these past few weeks, the
numbers of this flu season are
small compared to the numbers
of last year. According to Popular
Science, the 2017-18 flu season
saw 48.8 million afflicted and

lower level of Moffett Hall and
take steps to prevent the spread
of the disease.
These steps include covering
the nose and mouth during a
sneeze, washing hands often,
avoiding contact with those who
The
79,000 deaths.
Part of the reason this year
is not as bad as last year is both
the popularity and effectiveness
of the flu vaccine. The CDC says
that last year, only about 37
percent of Americans got their

are sick, disinfecting surfaces,
refraining from touching one’s
eyes and mouth, drinking plenty
of fluids and getting plenty of
rest.
The advisory also recommends
staying at home 24 hours after
the symptoms have disappeared.
This is to minimize the chance
of spreading the disease to other
students.
Tartan
flu vaccine last year. Additionally,
the vaccine was only around 36
percent effective.
This year, nearly 44.9 percent
of adults have been vaccinated,
and the vaccine is about 47
percent effective. Most vaccines
average out at just below 50
percent efficacy, and on a good
year, it barely hits 60 percent.

The Tartan would like to know

your opinion on our new logo!
Email tartan@radford.edu today.
 Culture
www.rutartan.com Wednesday, February 20, 2019 | 5

Arts and Entertainment in Radford

Being Unconnected for 5 Days

I love my phone and all of my from the night before, so I drank
B y E va n M a s o n Netflix binges, but I decided to some coffee to wake myself up.
emason3@radford.edu challenge myself. I didn’t feel well enough to

E
veryone is addicted to
their cellphones and all
kinds of media, but for the
next five days, I’ve decided to
live without it.
Nowadays people are always
taking selfies, debating politics,
creating never-ending Snapchat
streaks, tuning the world out
with music, watching endless
YouTube videos, and dating
strangers through apps on their
phones.
The world has evolved us
as social beings to be more
connected yet disconnected
than ever before with numerous
people staring at their pocket
screens instead of talking to the
people around them. Moreover,
who can leave out the Netflix
binges and long hours of gaming
Tuesday ... and so it begins.
My automatic response
when I woke up was to check
my messages, look at people’s
Snapchat stories, and check my
Facebook feed for news, and of
course memes.
What I was met with before
my brain could realize what
happened was the empty void
of no apps to indulge in with
my morning cup of coffee. So I
laid there in my thoughts before
finally deciding I was bored and
took a shower.
Of all the times I had to go
to the emergency room due to
not feeling well would be today,
which I only texted my mom so
she wouldn’t worry too much
but I was so restless sitting there
make it to class, and I couldn’t
drive anywhere because I was
loopy. I decided to clean my
apartment, and by clean I am
talking about Spring cleaning
level status cleaning for 5 hours
straight.
In the moments I took
breaks I made all my doctors
appointments, got bills taken
care of, did all my homework for
the week, and ate food.
It was almost 7 p.m., and I
was running out of things to burn
time with, but I was impressed
with myself on how much I got
done in comparison to many
other days procrastinating.
Even though I still wanted to
play games and check my social
media, but I will say I was a lot
more productive without it.

Photo by Katka Pavlickova | Unsplash

when they arrive home while
procrastinating on whatever
actually needs to get done.
So I decided I was going
to uninstall any social media,
music, and video apps, and then
put up my PS4, only leaving
myself with phone calls, and
the means to write for the next
five days. I foresaw this being
difficult because I am a gamer,
Photo by William Iven | Unsplash
in my thoughts at the hospital.
I can’t remember the last time
I had to sit in my thoughts this
long.
I just people watched and
sat there forever. The doctors
finally gave me medicine and
sent me home.
Wednesday
Still loopy from the medicine
Thursday
I woke up and immediately
took a shower. I didn’t eat
because I knew I was going to go
out to eat later.
It was a long wait, but I
went to a Kabuki Japanese Steak
House in Christiansburg and got
filet mignon and shrimp.
Embarrassingly I wanted
to take pictures of my food to
post about how fat I was about
to be while eating the food but
then realized I couldn’t because
of the five-day rule I made
to myself. Other than that, I
felt like it was easier to have a
conversation without wanting to
check random messages every so
often.
Friday
I went to my doctor’s
appointment, and then to class.
It was a little weird because I was
about the only person not on my
phone and the other half of the
class didn’t show up, probably
because it was Friday.
I then went to the library to
study and keep busy. After my
Friday night Tartan meeting,
I went home and wrote for my
poetry class and had an actual
conversation with someone
Saturday because I knew there
was a Pokemon Go event, and
I had already planned on going
to a Super Smash Brothers
tournament, so I wound up
caving and re-downloading all
my media.
As hard as it can be not to
use all the forms of media there
are, it was refreshing.
I would recommend people
to take a break just for a little
while to see how it affects your
life. I felt far more productive,
and since I had more time
to think I was more creative
than usual which can help in
particular types of classes that
may require it.
For my poetry class, I wound
up writing what my teacher said
was my best poem yet. I also
managed to sleep better during
the week which is a big bonus.
Coming back I can say I don’t

until I got tired and fallen asleep
at 11 p.m.
Saturday
I didn’t make it too far into
miss aspects of social media as
much, but I am happy to go back
to my Netflix binges, music and
games!
6 | The Tartan Culture

Black History Month Earn a SCUBA Certification

Movie Night B y T yl e r M a r t i n
tmartin100@radford.edu

B y T yl e r M a r t i n
tmartin100@radford.edu
I
diligent, and courageous African f you’re looking for a new
American individuals who have hobby this semester, RU
had an incredible impact on Outdoors is offering SCUBA

A
s this year’s Black History history, and their contributions diving certification classes in
Month closes in towards and lives should be honored.” the Christiansburg Aquatic
the end, there are still Coleman, a new member of Center where the next class will

Photo courtesy of RU Outdoors

plenty of ways to get involved;
Muse Hall will be hosting a Black
History Month movie night
which will take place Thursday,
Feb. 21 from 7 to 11 p.m. on the
first-floor lounge in Muse.
This event is not limited
to just those who live in Muse,
any student who is interested
may attend the event. Since
this kicks off at 7 p.m. Muse
dinner will still be open during
this hour, and students will not
need swipe access to get into the
building.
No movie is complete
without refreshments!
During the event, Free
Radford University housing, also
noted,  “I hope that students
leave the program feeling
uplifted, and I hope that they
will have learned something
new.”
The featured program of the
night remains a mystery, so mark
your calendar for this event.
It’s said to be a fictional movie
that portrays the lives of those
who have made a significant
impact on African American
history. Maybe you are in store
for a personal favorite or will be
introduced to something new
you may greatly enjoy.
Other campus events in
take place Sunday, Feb. 24 from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Students will need to provide
their own snorkel equipment,
but all SCUBA gear will be
provided.
The Radford website says
that “Participants will receive
classes over several weeks on
SCUBA, and be offered a checkout
trip during Spring Break.” The
course is broken down into three
parts: Academics, Pool Training
and Open Water Sessions.
Academics consist of an
online training course which can
be completed at your own pace,
and the Pool Training is to get
you suited up and comfortable
in the water with the equipment.
Lastly, Open Water Sessions
will have you complete at least
four open water dives and have
you use other knowledge you
have acquired through the
previous training.
Upon completion of the
open water sessions, divers
will receive their certification
and become a Certified Diver
which is a certification that is
recognized worldwide.
Radford’s website states that
“Course instructors will work
with you to find options that
meet your time and financial
needs for your open water
dives.” Fees for joining are $200
for Radford students and $250
for non-students.

popcorn and drinks will be
provided while supplies last,
but feel free to bring your own
snacks to enjoy the movie.
Muse Hall resident director,
Meghan Delsite Coleman states,
“I hope that students who
Highlander Chats
honor of Black History Month
include, Black History Month/
Pop Culture Game show Feb.
26 at the Bonnie Auditorium
and Black Leaders Attaining accompanying faculty member Dalton Kitchen will be
Careers (B.L.A.C.) History B y T yl e r M a r t i n out of the office or classroom offering a complimentary meal
Month Meeting Feb. 28 in Davis tmartin100@radford.edu and have a brief moment to to students and faculty members

I
attend the movie night will 142. There are also plenty of f you’re looking to make simply interact and talk about that are participating in the
understand that throughout resources on the main floor of a better connection with anything regarding college Highlander Chats.
history, although racism has McConnell Library that focuses a faculty or staff member progression or helpful career Reach out to your favorite
been a blight on the world, on Black History Month as well. here at Radford, the Highlander advice. professors or other faculty
there have been many strong, Chats is a great way to improve Highlander Chats will take members and join them in an
your networking. place the week of Mar. 4 through opportunity to network and
To place an ad in The Tartan newspaper contact The goal of the activity Mar. 8 from 10 a.m. through 4 enjoy good food.
smads@radford.edu for pricing, dimensions, and more! is to get students and an p.m.

Was on a staff, that in my two

years, won 11 national awards
(6 in sports) and paved the way
for my career as a sports
publicist and now freelance
sportswriter. Thanks, Tartan. I
owe you. Oh, and my now-wife
was then the ad manager while
I was [the] sports editor.
MIKE ASHLEY
YOU'VR READ IT, NOW JOIN IT!
www.rutartan.com Wednesday, February 20, 2019 | 7

THE TARTAN NEWSPAPER

WE'RE HIRING!

COPY EDITOR
As the Copy Editor, they will work closely with the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) and
Managing Editor on layout, design, optimization, and of course, making sure
that every article is accurate and error free.
The Copy Editor also checks/writes headlines, subheads and captions for
articles.
Reads and thoroughly edits all copy including captions and
headlines, grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, and accuracy of
names and identifications.

Interested applicants should send an application in at rutartan.com

by March 31, 2019.
The tea
8 | The Tartan
Editorials and Opinions
OPEN
POSITIONS
The Tartan is looking for dedicat-
ed, fast-learning, and self-suff-
ient student who can set their
own standars or goals for what
they would like to contritbute to
the Tartan.
• Culture Editor
• Assistant Culture Editor
• News Editor
• Assistant News Editor
• Staff Writer
• Staff Photographer
Interested?
For more information head to
Tyler Hall Room 025
Monday - Friday
10 a.m to 5 p.m.
Need a Correction?
The Tartan is committed to
correcting errors that appear in
the newspaper. Those interested
in contacting the paper for that
purpose can send an e-mail to
tartan@radford.edu or call the
main number, 540 831-5474,
to make a correction to any
section.
Looking for
Tartan Archives?
Rediscover the history of the Tartan
through exploring all the way back
to 1910, when it was initially called
the Grapurchat to when it was
rebranded as the Tartan in 1979.
Go to rutartan.com and select the
“More” tab to find those archives.
Do old newspapers bore you?
Check out our new photo gallery
on Flicker by selecting the “photo”
tab to wander our photos taken
by our exceptionally phenomenal
photographers.
The Meaning of the Dap Today
By Brian Angus
bangus@radford.edu
T
he Dap. If you are not
familiar with the name, I
guarantee you have seen
people exchanging it around
campus.
In its most basic form, it is a
type of handshake. There is no
one way to dap; however, the
most common variation that I
see around campus is a slapping
of the hands, followed by the
hands sliding down till the
fingertips meet, then a curling
in of the fingers till the hands
can clench on each other.
According to the Folklife
section of the Smithsonian’s
website, the dap began in the
late 1960s. Black soldiers started
it during the Vietnam War. At
this same time, there was racial
conflict in American cities.
The dap became a symbol of
unity for the African American
community, in war, and back
home.
It is believed that dap is an
acronym for “dignity and pride.”
PUT YOUR AD HERE!
Contact Highland Student Media Advertising at smads@radford.edu.
Today, you see many people of
every race giving dap. Although,
it is still almost entirely guys
using the handshake. While it
may happen, I have never seen
girls or women dap, nor been
told by any girl or women that
they dap.
The dap still carries much
meaning today. However, that
meaning can vary from person
to person.
To me, it is a symbol of
respect and brotherhood. When
I dap someone up, it shows that
I respect them, and I feel that
they respect me as well. I see the
dap as the entrance ticket to my
time with that person. It is the
first thing I do when I see my
friends.
I wanted to see how other
people felt about the handshake,
so I asked them what they feel
when they dap.
“I feel an emotional
connection with the person
I’m dapping with. It makes us
feel unified,” Alex Russell, a
freshman Health and Exercise
Science major, said.
Quote of the week
“One-fifth of the people are against
everything all the time.”
- Robert Kennedy
It seems that after forty
years the dap is still a symbol of
unity to people.
“When I dap someone it
feels more like an interaction,
like we know each other, like
this is someone you know, you
can mess with, this is somebody
you can relate with,” freshman
Biology major Evans Adams said.
I also wanted to see whom
people found it acceptable to
dap with. For example, do you
need to be friends with the
person or would you dap people
you don’t know?
On that topic, Adams said, “If
I know you I’m gonna dap you,
and if I don’t know you I’ll just
give you a regular handshake till
the point that I know you, then I
will dap you.”
I also asked if there was
anyone who it would be
unacceptable to dap with.
“I feel like if you do it with
someone like a professor that’s
just disrespectful honestly,”
freshman Journalism major
Steven Fierro said.
When greeting a professor,
The Tea
Photo by rawpixel | Unsplash
it’s probably better to keep to
the simple handshake. While
the dap may convey a certain
message to your friends, it could
carry the wrong message in a
professional setting.
“I pretty much dap everyone
I know, or I’ve come in contact
with once or twice, but I feel
like there’s a different type
of dapping depending on the
type of person,” said freshman
Business major Dawit Amare.
It depends on the person you
are with, and the context you are
in.
I find it interesting how little
the dap is talked about. It’s just
something we do. What’s more
interesting is that even though
we don’t give it much thought,
we know how it makes us feel,
and from everyone I heard from,
it makes us feel good.
Just by moving our hand
a certain way we can make
a person feel respected and
connected to us. I believe that
is a fantastic power to have on
hand.
www.highlanderstudentmedia.com
www.rutartan.com
Katy Perry
“Blackface”
Shoes
By Ola Elshaar
oelshaar@radford.edu
W
e should as people,
should be extra careful
of what comes out of
our mouths, sensitive, and fully
aware of other people’s cultures
and what might and might not
offend a specific community.
Being a celebrity or a
public figure, you should be
extra conscious about all of
that, because if you’re not
capable of being thoughtful and
considerate of other people’s
feelings, then at least do yourself
a favor and learn about all the
intuitive matters that might
negatively affect a large-scale of
our country.
Katy Perry’s new shoe line,
which seems to resemble the
stereotype of the blackface has
enormously offended the black
community for depicting the
blackface on the upper part of
the mules.
FOR MORE NEWS, SPORTS, CULTURE, AND TEA GO TO RUTARTAN.COM!
Amanda Rogers, a junior
at Radford University, said
that “The new Katy Perry line
has received backlash from
many communities about the
resemblance of blackface. I
think this launch has really
affected the black community in
general because of the history
of blackface, so it’s extremely
offensive.”
After launching her shoe
collection, the shoes that
depicted blackface went viral
on Twitter, and many people
demanded an explanation from
Perry. After Perry’s team took
action and pulled the offensive
collection from several retails
and websites, Perry released a
statement to USA TODAY saying
that it wasn’t her intention to
bring any sort of harm.
“I was saddened when it was
brought to my attention that it
Answers to last
week’s Sudoku
puzzle.
was being compared to painful
images reminiscent of blackface.
Our intention was never to
inflict any pain,” said Perry on a
statement from People.com.
When you offend a group
of people and then release a
statement and appear in media
to emphasize the fact that “this
wasn’t your intention,”  it doesn’t
make a difference to the people
that you’ve offended. What you
should have done is studied with
your team all the aspects, angles
and the consequences before
designing a pair of mules that
Wednesday, February 20, 2019 | 9
have the blackface on them.
They also should have made
entirely sure that if there was
a 1 percent chance that your
collection might hurt other’s
people feelings, then you
shouldn’t risk it.
Christopher Triplett, a junior
at Radford University said, “I
think the black community
will receive Katy Perry’s recent
shoe launch as offensive. The
Rue model, of Gucci’s recent
collaboration with Katy Perry,
depicts a black base shoe with
large red lips, blue eyes, and a
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Photographer
Today!
rutartan.com
Photo from twitter user @BlueJaybee1025
triangular nose. This has been
perceived as a depiction of the
derogatory practice, blackface,”
Perry’s collection caused
a huge disturbance within the
community.
Being oblivious and
insensitive is never OK, and
offending people by putting what
depicts stereotypes because of
the lack of feeling one might
have will never be observed as
what someone might think as a
fashion statement.
Sports
10 | The Tartan
WRITE FOR US!
RU an established, or
fledgling journalist? Or
maybe you just love to
write, and this might be
your first time showcasing
your hidden talent?
Want to bring your opin-
ions and unique views to
the masses? Love the idea
of reporting on and off
campus news, voicing your
opinion on topics ranging
from movies, laws, and on
the many fun, and some-
time’s unusual, attractions
going on around campus?
Then give Radford Univer-
sity’s Student-run Newspa-
per a shout and email the
Editor-In-Chief!
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been submitted to, posted
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letter head over to
www.rutartan.com.
Jokes
A blind man walks into a bar. And
a table. And a chair.
---
I know a lot of jokes about
unemployed people but none of
them work.
---
What’s orange and sounds like a
parrot? A carrot.
---
Did you hear about the italian
chef that died? He pasta way.
---
My wife accused me of being
immature. I told her to get out of
my fort.
---
As I suspected, someone has
been adding soil to my garden.
The plot thickens.
Women’s Basketball Make It 9 in a Row!
B y C h a d B ox l e y
cboxley@radford.edu
T
he Radford University
women’s basketball team
is continuing to improve
each game. They are currently
making history and have
expanded their outstanding win
streak to nine straight games
after their 81 to 52 shellacking
over the Longwood University
Lancers on Saturday, Feb 16.
It was a special day, in fact,
the theme of the evening was
named Play4Kay Day to support
Brest cancer awareness.
The game began with
Longwood receiving a technical
foul sending Destinee Walker
to the line as she drained her
two free throw attempts for
the Highlanders directly before
tipoff.
Following the technical
free throws the game tipped
off and the atmosphere in the
packed Dedmon Center was
unforgettable.
The Highlanders came out
playing hard as they never
Jones Earns Second Big South Player
B y C h a d B ox l e y
cboxley@radford.edu
T
he name Carlik Jones
has become extremely
common on the
basketball court since his arrival
at Radford University!
The Big South conference
announced on Feb. 11 that
Carlik Jones was selected as
their player of the week for the
second time this season.
This week was a special one
for Jones.
The Radford University
men’s basketball team took
on and defeated Hampton
University on Feb. 7 which
concluded in a thriller!   During
that contest, Jones once again
displayed why he is the heart of
the team!
During a strong performance
by the men’s basketball team,
Radford trailed Hampton 83
to 86 with one second left in
trailed a single time during this
contest, in while they shot 51
percent from the field.
Members of the Radford
Athletics team provided Pink
shirts during the pre-game
moments to the first 100 fans in
attendance!
The Highlanders controlled
the game and not once did
Longwood show any signs of
victory.
Even though the Highlander
lead didn’t grow out of hand
until after halftime, they still
performed with much intensity.
The first quarter was close
on paper as the score read 18 to
12 with the Highlanders ahead.
The Highlander outplayed the
lancers completely from start to
finish.
The Highlanders lead 38 to 26
at halftime, but the performance
they put on was so dominating
you would’ve thought the lead
was more.
Each time Longwood
attempted to tie or lead the
contest the Highlanders stopped
them as fast as they could begin.
the game. Jones attempted a
3 point shot and sunk it as the
clock struck zero, and the crowd
went insane.  That clutch shot
by Jones forced the Highlanders
into an overtime period where
Jones again did what he does
best and took over when he
needed to.
As the score was tied 98 to
98 during the overtime period,
Jones again had the ball in
his hands, and during the last
seconds Jones attempted a
deep contested 3 point shot and
drained it to put the Radford
Highlanders over Hampton
University on there home court
as the clock struck zero.
During this contest, Jones
scored a career-high 28 points
Also, Jones carried that
momentum against High Point
on Sat Feb. 9.  During that
contest, Jones struck again
as he put on a dominating
performance scoring 10 of his 14
Florence South Carolina
native  Senior Destinee Walker
lead the Highlanders from the
guard and forward positions
throughout the night as she has
all year.   Walker scored a team-
high 20 points while shooting
54 percent from the field and 50
percent from three-point range
hitting three of her six attempts
from downtown.
Sydney Nunley made her
presence known on the court
especially in the paint as she
amassed 17 points and had four
blocks while also grabbing an
impressive seven boards which
were a team high.
Freshman Mikayla Wilson
displayed to the audience in
attendance how the future of
the program is bright as she
scored a solid 13 points in her
role coming off of the bench.
Mikayla shot the basketball a
perfect five for five on the night
including capitalizing on her
three attempts from downtown.
Jen Falconer contributed
in a well-known manner as she
displayed her high basketball
total points with just 4 minutes
left in the entire game!
Jones has had a very
memorable first two seasons
with the Radford men’s
basketball program!  Initially,
he redshirted his freshman year
during the 2016-17 season and
that caused him to retain a year
of eligibility.
During the 2017-18
basketball season Jones, a
redshirt first-year student at
the time, would accumulate a
plethora of awards and honors.  season thus far.  He has lead the
Jones set a school record with
seven Big South Freshman of
the week awards which also tied
the conference record as well.
During last years Big South
Championship game with the
score tied up at 52 to 52 Jones
hit a buzzer-beating three point
shot as the time clock struck
zero to lift Radford over Liberty
in which they claimed the big
south championship.  Jones
Sports
IQ. She was producing a season-
high eight assist.
Longwood didn’t display any
signs of promise at all while the
Highlanders opened their lead
even more.  The lead was as high
as 27 points in the third quarter.
Shooting 73 percent in the
third quarter after beginning
the quarter with a 14-2 run
completely put this game away
as the Highlanders lead 52 to 28.
The Highlanders made the
fourth period a complete disaster
for the visiting Longwood
Lancers.   Longwood was only
able to cut their deficit to 24
points during the remainder of
the game.
The Highlanders surely
did display their ability to
play lockdown defense as they
held Longwood to 31 percent
shooting on the evening.
Will the Highlanders make
it to 10 straight victories. Join
them as they continue their
impressive win streak as they
take on Winthrop On Tuesday,
Feb 19.
was a key factor in punching
Radford’s first ticket in 9 years
to the NCAA tournament.
Jones has been growing
tremendously as a player over
the past year and is showing
no sign of slowing down.  He is
currently averaging 16 points,
five rebounds, six assist, and
roughly two steals per game this
season while almost shooting
50% from the field.
Currently, Jones, a redshirt
sophomore has had an epic
Highlanders to an 18-7 record
while holding an impressive
10-1 record in conference play.
Follow Jones and the
Highlanders as they look to
continue their historic season
by visiting Radfordathletics.
com or follow RadfordMBB on
Instagram and Twitter.
www.rutartan.com Wednesday, February 20, 2019 | 11

Q&A With Lydia Rivers; Big South

Co-Players of the week
B y C h a d B ox l e y
cboxley@radford.edu
Rivers: My family, they
have sacrificed a lot for me and
supported me through it all.

L
ydia Rivers has been
dominating on the
basketball court over
this past week, and each of her
notable performances displays
why she’s earned Big south Co-
players of the week.
River began to dictate this
week as she scored a whopping
14 points and grabbed a massive
15 rebounds against Gardner-
Webb in a 79-69 Highlander win
on Feb. 5.  She wasn’t stopping
there at all as she scored 17
points and snatched 16 more
rebounds in an 84-79 double-
overtime Highlander win as they
visited High Point on Feb. 9.
During the two games Rivers
averaged an outstanding 15.5
points and 15.5 rebounds.
Rivers would also reach
another milestone this past
TT: What aspect of your
game comes easiest to you?
Rivers: I have to work at
everything but probably my
ability to rebound and defend.
TT: Do you have any
personal goals that you’ve set
that you would like to achieve
this year, academically and on
the court?
Rivers: Academically my
goal is just to graduate.  On the
court, I want to make it to the
NCAA tournament.
TT: How do you feel about
the season thus far?
Rivers: I feel like we’ve been

Photo’s by Chad Boxley | The Tartan

week when she scored her
600th career point during
the Highlanders win against
Gardner-Webb in the Dedmon
enter.
The Tartan had the pleasure
pretty focused so far, but there is
still a lot of room for us to grow. 
We’ve only lost one game in the
conference so that’s not a bad
start.

Men’s Baseball Falls to ECU

to sit down with Lydia Rivers on TT: Whom would you say
Feb. 15 for a brief Q&A. has influenced you the most?

The Tartan: Where are you Rivers: My family, they’ve

from? instilled in me a strong faith that sixth. The sixth inning is when finished the 2018 season with
By Lucas Carr
without God nothing is possible. things got interesting for the above .500 play, they are eagerly
lcarr15@radford.edu
Lydia Rivers: Kinston, NC. Highlanders. looking forward to this spring

TT: What’s something
TT: Why did you choose interesting about you many
Radford? people don’t know?
Rivers: I chose Radford Rivers: I went to Africa this
because I was recruited by summer on a mission trip to
them for basketball. The area is make prosthetics.
beautiful, and I liked the team
and the coaching staff. TT: What can we expect
from you in the near future?
TT: What’s your major?
Rivers: Expect the
Rivers: Exercise Science & unexpected.
Health Education.
While Redshirt forward Lydia
TT: What do you plan on Rivers has been dominating in
doing after securing your every aspect of her game this
degree? season, she has also continued
to help lead the Highlanders to
Rivers: Working on a a 17 – 6 overall record, while
masters and eventually doing ruling conference plays with
something with strength and an extensive 11-1 record. Also,
conditioning. Rivers is now 29th in the country
in rebounds.
TT: What often motivates Follow Rivers and the
you? Academically and on the Highlanders as they continue to
court? show promise this season!
To place an ad in The Tartan newspaper contact
smads@radford.edu for pricing, dimensions, and more!
T
he Radford Baseball team,
unfortunately, dropped
their first two games
of the season. They traveled
to Greenville, NC to face #11
ranked East Carolina for a
doubleheader this past Friday.
The Pirates took the first game
6-2 for the 2 o’clock game and
then burst for a 15-9 victory in
the evening match-up.
In the first game, the senior
southpaw pitcher Zach Ridgley
made a successful return to the
mound. He threw 83 pitches
in under five innings where he
only had two runs on six hits and
walked three Pirates. Ridgley
let up the first run of the night
to the opposing side’s starting
pitcher.
The Highlanders answered
quickly back with two solo home
runs by designated hitter Garrett
Matheny and center fielder Kyle
Butler in the top of the third
inning.
After the Pirates tied the
score in the bottom of the
third, the visiting team were
unable to capitalize on scoring
opportunities in the fourth and
Left fielder Spencer Horwitz
was opening the inning with
a single and then stole second
base. A deep smack by right
fielder Andrew Szamski but was
stopped from leaving the park
by a gust of wind. After a forced
walk, Horwitz advanced to third,
but the exciting sequence was
ended by a pop fly out to right
field.
ECU ended the first game
with two runs in seventh, and
Radford looked to the evening
game for redemption.
The Highlanders struck first
in the nightcap and Szamski
smacked a two-run homer in the
top of the first inning, bouncing
in and out of the glove of the
Pirates left fielder and went over
the wall. The two teams then
traded runs, but it wasn’t until
the bottom of the second when
ECU exploded with 10 runs,
taking command for the rest of
the game.
Left-handed pitcher Hunter
Williams took the loss as the
Pirates finished the game with
15 runs.
Although the Highlanders
season. The 2017 Big South
Pitcher of the Year, Ridgley, is
coming back from an injury.
He posted a 7-5 record when
starting before redshirting last
season.
Other returning players
include 2018 Big South First
Team All-Conference Spencer
Horwitz who has made the shift
from first base to left field.
Virginia Tech first base transfer
J.D. Mundy batted .257 with
seven homers and 23 RBIs last
season for the Hokies.
The Highlanders will then
head for neutral ground in
Spartanburg, SC to take on the
likes of VCU, Pittsburg and
Wofford. To continue their
traveling, they will face the
Hokies in Blacksburg and a start
a three-game series against
the University of Alabama at
Birmingham the first three days
of March.
They will not make their way
back home until March 6th to
take on William and Mary. The
Highlanders are kicking off the
2019 season with high hopes.
12 | The Tartan Advertisement

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