UnitedHealthcare, Art in the Paint and members of the Tech men’s basketball team joined forces to give back to the community on Sept. 9. The event unveiled a newly refurbished and beautified court and offered a free basketball clinic for children in the local community. The new court is located in Rose Circle Park, near the West End Beltline, and the event is part of a larger initiative to create safe spaces for exercise in underserved communities.

Art in the Paint is a local organization whose main goal is to build community and public health through community art. They work to find spaces that need revitalization before connecting artists, community leaders and funding in order to improve and beautify the space.

From their website, artinthepaint.org, they identify three root problems that they aim to fix with their work.

Dangerous court conditions and a lack of proximity to community resources are two major ones, but the second problem listed on the site is most directly helped by the mural-clad courts.

The website describes that problem, saying, “Communities are often in the middle of food deserts and have little to no access to healthy foods, physical exercise classes/groups, and up-lifting messages.”

They aim to solve these issues by physically repairing courts, install social justice murals at each project site and work locally to “create programming and bring resources to the community directly.”

UnitedHealthcare provided the funding for this project, donating $25,000 and sending representatives to help at the unveiling of the new court. Dr. Toyosi Okurounmu, Chief Medical Officer of UnitedHealthcare of Georgia, was present to give tips about health and wellness to the attending community members.

The artist whose mural covered the court is local muralist Elaine Stephenson. She has done work for the West End area before and has works featured in other notable areas of Atlanta, including Old Fourth Ward and Atlantic Station. Her art and information can be found on her website, elainestephenson.com.

Part of Art in the Paint’s process is to include local community leaders in the installation and unveiling, with two members of Tech’s men’s basketball team filling that role for this event. Senior guard Michael Devoe and senior forward Jordan Usher joined for the ribbon cutting ceremony and led the basketball clinic for a handful of local kids afterward. Junior guard Coleman Boyd was originally expected to be in attendance as well, but appeared to be unable attend the event.

The players coached the youth for a while at the clinic, moving through drills in various skills. Devoe and Usher, arguably Tech’s two best returning players, are strong choices for the event as both athletes and community leaders. With their faces on billboards across Atlanta during basketball season, they serve as elite athletes and recognizable sights in local sports.

They both seemed to enjoy the opportunity to give back to the community. Usher in particular talked about the impact of the event, saying, “UnitedHealthcare and Art in the Paint are doing something huge. Not only do we have a refurbished court to play on, but [also] one that’s painted and looks beautiful.”

Usher shared Art in the Paint’s concern about access to athletic facilities.

“It’s always a plus when you can get outside on a free court with your friends, and it makes it even better and sweeter when it looks as good as this one,” said Usher.

UnitedHealthcare passed out safety kits at the event, containing hand sanitizer, wipes and other products that can help with community health. The kits will allow the community to remain safe on and off the court and allow them to enjoy the recent investment into their space.

Devoe and Usher took time to take pictures with the kids and organizers during the event, helping to boost awareness of the project. Organizers, community members and players alike enjoyed the event, and Rose Circle Park is now home to a new well maintained court complete with a mural.

Tech fields 17 varsity sports teams each year, ranging from football to track and field. While these teams are the school’s main draw for fans, a significantly higher number of students compete at the club level on over 40 different teams. Well over a dozen teams have over 20 members, and some years nearly two dozen of the clubs have membership that high. Many travel around the state, the southeast, or even across the country to compete. Several of the sports have club national championship tournaments and meets.

All official club sports of Tech are run through the CRC (Campus Recreation Center). Many field sports practice on the Stamps fields right next to the CRC, but some sports, like ice hockey, need different facilities and practice off campus. Dues range for each team, as does equipment, but many teams are looking for players of all skill levels and can help find gear.

One of the largest and most accomplished teams on campus is the club swim team. Founded in 1995, they boast over 100 members, putting them among the largest student organizations on campus. The club practices in Tech’s Olympic pool, giving them arguably the most impressive facility of any club team.

They helped found the College Club Swimming Organization in 2017, and have since won three straight national championships, including last year’s virtual championship. Tech will host the 2022 edition as they look for a fourth straight title. Club swim has a busy social calendar, a common theme among club sports.

Club ultimate frisbee is another one of the largest teams on campus. The men’s team is called Tribe featuring an A and B squad. The A squad competes all around the country and is consistently ranked in the top 25 nationally by the USAU power metric. Both squads compete in the Southeast division and the A team is a member of the Southern Appalachian conference. The women’s team is called Wreck and similarly competes at tournaments across the country, primarily playing southeast teams. A number of intra-squad social events between Wreck and Tribe (known as Tribeck when combined) happen on a semesterly basis.

Tech’s club tennis team has around 50 members of a range of skill levels, most of whom played in high school. They have a handful of competitions every semester and few intra-club events as well. They won Sectionals in 2020, giving them a potential nationals bid before the season was canceled due to the Coronavirus and won three of seven tournaments outright during their last full season.

Tech ice hockey plays in the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference (SECHC). The conference includes 16 schools, and the majority of Tech’s schedule comes against conference opponents. Tech joined the conference in 2019, but has had an active program for nearly four decades and is the longest active club hockey team in the southeast. They were awarded the 2021 Sport Club of the Year by Tech following their recent season. In an average year, the team plays around two dozen games. Some of the games are in mid-season tournament form and the SECHC tournament and Nationals occur at the end of the year.

Club lacrosse at Tech plays at the Men’s College Lacrosse Association (MCLA) level, and plays over a dozen games per year in the regular season. They run several lines deep, with over 40 members on the roster. They have seen recent success, making it to the semifinal round of the MCLA invitational tournament in 2021, losing to eventual champion BYU.

There are around three dozen other sports clubs on campus, including sport parachute, roller derby, sailing, and equestrian. Many are looking for members with any level of experience and often have vibrant social aspects along with the athletic side. The information for all sports clubs can be found at crc.gatech.edu/sportclubs. Links to each team’s website can be found as well as information about contacting each team’s president or captain.

Each team’s active season varies, but some play all year round. The CRC has three phases ­— fall, winter and spring — and many sports’ seasons last an entire semester, so be aware of changing practice times. Head to the website today if interested!

Art, in all forms and at all skill levels, is a good thing. Expression in many forms is a human instinct, and it does not take museum level talent for art to be worth the time or resources it takes to create.

Both with respect to its creator and its audience, amateur art has at least as much value as art that may be more widely considered “good.”

Everyone does art all the time. Most of it is almost idle. Doodling in the margins of class notes is simple visual art.

We become actors for a brief moment when we put on a false voice in a conversation or recreate a situation while telling a story.

Stacking rocks on a hike or making a little sandcastle at the beach are both basic sculptures. Offhand comments are basic comedy, decorating a room is a form of design and so many of the little actions we take to improve our lives are forms of art.

Expression is natural and healthy as well, so the simple act of expressing oneself in an even tangentially artistic way can be beneficial.

Art is about expression, and while more technical skill can lead to clearer expression, amateur art’s audience can simply be the creator.

Creating art is almost therapeutic by nature. Coloring books are a popular relaxation method and journaling is a common coping method.

Working with one’s hands is a good form of stress relief too, and many find that whittling, working with clay or even folding origami can be a good way to relax or pass the time.

Outside of instinctual art or habitual creation, though, many people are tentative to try different forms of art for fear that it isn’t “good enough.” What makes art good enough?

It is definitely nice to be able to benefit financially from work, whether that work is writing or painting or singing or any other form. However, the human instinct to create comes not from a need to make a few extra dollars — or a living — but rather from a desire to enjoy the world a little more. Just because art is not immediately deemed monetarily valuable does not make it less good.

The need to make money to survive has driven people away from picking up hobbies that are less “productive.”

If people are not immediately or already skilled at an activity, it can get pushed aside. While it does feel nice to do things one is skilled at, the process of developing skill is rewarding.

In a society that diminishes skills that don’t create value for shareholders, the drive to create art for oneself is devalued.

People who have their basic needs met are more able to create or to learn new skills for their personal enjoyment.

Amateur art has its own value to its creators, but that value gets missed when focusing on outside impact.

In order to encourage people to create, the focus needs to shift to the enjoyment of creating art and the appreciation of amateur creations.

For the 41st consecutive year, Tech baseball had a player selected in the MLB Draft. Three total players were taken from the Tech team that made the NCAA regionals in 2021. This extended a streak to 21 years of multiple Jackets being selected in the draft.

A pair of Jackets will be staying close to Atlanta as the Braves took junior shortstop Luke Waddell in the fifth round with the 157th pick. Atlanta followed that selection up in the sixth round by taking sophomore Justyn Henry-Malloy with the 187th overall pick. Junior left-handed pitcher Brant Hurter was selected by the Detroit Tigers eight picks later at 195th overall.

Waddell captained and started every game for Tech in 2021, leading the team to their ACC Coastal division win. He hit for .300 for his third consecutive season, compiling a slashline of .309/.402/.474 on the year. He had 21 extra base hits, including eight homers, and tied for the team lead in stolen bases. His 16 strikeouts were far and away the fewest of any starter, and his strikeout rate of 14.4 at-bats per strikeout was sixth nationwide and led the ACC. Waddell also paced the team in assists, fielding well from his shortstop position. His efforts earned him a first-team All-ACC selection in 2021.

Henry-Malloy played every game for Tech this season after transferring from Vanderbilt. He hit for both power and percentage, shown by his slashline of .308/.436/.558. His 29 extra base hits were second on the team, and he was one of the best in the country at drawing walks, co-leading the ACC with 46. He drove in 43 RBIs and earned a third-team All-ACC nod.

Hurter rebounded from Tommy John surgery that cost him his entire 2020 season to cement Tech’s starting rotation. The junior led all regular starters in ERA with his 3.90 mark, and his 85.1 innings pitched were the most by any Tech player. He held opponents to a .253 batting average and struck out 83 batters compared to only 19 walks. His 5-4 record gave him a team-best record among players with at least four decisions. Hurter was a second-team All-ACC selection for 2021.

Tech had a young team last year, with Austin Wilhite the only player listed as a senior. This gives the 2022 team continuity with most players returning. A few of this season’s notables may hear their names called in the 2022 draft, including sophomore catcher Kevin Parada, sophomore infielder Drew Compton and sophomore RHP Zach Maxwell.

Parada was Tech’s starting catcher after coming in as its top recruit. He was one of Tech’s best in batting average, extra base hits, total bases and putouts while also finishing tied for second in RBIs. He is a top prospect for the 2022 MLB Draft on many draft boards as his high fielding percentage and good bat skills give him a well-rounded game.

Compton is another highly ranked prospect for 2022 after hitting well and manning both third and first base for stretches this season. He had the third most putouts and only committed three errors. His 13 home runs led the team and his .567 slugging percentage paced all starters. He is a top-100 prospect by some sites for 2022.

Maxwell led relievers in most major categories, including appearances, wins, saves, opponent batting average, strikeouts and ERA. He allowed less than one hit per appearance and struck out 1.75 batters per inning. His fastball reaches into the upper 90s, giving him MLB-level velocity and a chance to be selected early in next year’s draft. He is ranked as Tech’s top pitching prospect for the 2022 draft on the back of his control and velocity.

At around the halfway point of the college basketball offseason, last season’s stars are preparing for their next chapter and newcomers have begun to arrive. The NBA’s Draft Combine was on June 21-27 and featured Tech’s Moses Wright among its 69 participants. Wright is one of two Tech players with their names eligible to be called on July 29 when the NBA holds its annual draft. Jose Alvarado is the other eligible prospect, and was one of 40 prospects at the G League Elite Camp that ran on June 19-21.

Wright got off to a strong start on day one of the combine. In five-on-five play he recorded 14 points and five rebounds while adding a block and a steal in 22 minutes. He had a balanced second game, scoring eight points and grabbing five boards, as well as a pair each of assists, steals and blocks. He measured at 6’7.75” without shoes and had a standing reach of nearly nine feet. He weighed in at about 226 pounds, putting him on the heavier end of the power forwards, but his low body fat percentage shows a player full of lean strength.

Wright’s testing numbers were generally strong. His 11.2 lane agility time was good for third among power forwards, but his shuttle time was second slowest among that group at 3.42. His three-quarter court sprint, which tests straight-line speed, was again good for third among his position group with a 3.15 time. His standing vertical of 31.5 was tied for third in the position, and his max vertical of 38 was third best as well. These numbers should boost his draft stock and cement him as one of the more athletic players at his position in the draft.

Alvarado measured at 5’11” and 175 pounds, making him the third shortest and second lightest player at the G League camp. His 7’10” standing reach was the second smallest and his 6’1” wingspan was the shortest among all players. His testing numbers were respectable, with a 27.5-inch standing vertical and a 34.5-inch max vertical. His three-quarter court sprint was near the top ten at the camp at 3.05 seconds, and he posted a lane agility time of 11.57 as well as a shuttle time of 3.13.

During scrimmage play at the camp, Alvarado recorded eight points, three assists, and two rebounds per game, shooting well from three point range but struggling inside the arc and at the free-throw line. He also blocked 1.5 shots per game, tied for third most, and his two steals per game was second most at the camp, showcasing his elite defensive play.

Michael Devoe was the first Tech player to test the draft waters after the 2021 season, but eventually declared his intent to return to Tech for another season in early June. Devoe was the ACC Tournament MVP for the Jackets’ miracle run to an ACC title and was the team’s third leading scorer on the year. He averaged about 15 points, four rebounds and three assists per game and shot at a 40-percent clip from three-point range.

Alongside Devoe, Jordan Usher, Bubba Parham and Khalid Moore will be the returning players with significant minutes played. Saba Gigiberia and Rodney Howard will likely battle for the starting center spot.

Joining the returning players is a top-30 recruiting class, highlighted by a pair of four-star shooting guards. Dallan Coleman is ranked as the 64th-best prospect by 247Sports and is listed as the 13th-best shooting guard.

Four-star shooting guard Miles Kelly is ranked 115th nationally and 27th at his position as the second half of that duo. Rounding out the class is three-star small forward Jalon Moore, ranked 157th nationally, and transfer Deivon Smith, who was a four-star point guard in high school and was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA, allowing him to factor this year.

Tech came off of what may have been its best season in over a decade last year. Returning multiple starters from a tournament team and fielding a top-30 recruiting class should help keep the Jackets in the thick of the ACC and could land them back in the tournament. Coach Josh Pastner’s shifting defenses should continue to be a problem for opponents, and with some offensive firepower to help, Tech will be on the path for another strong year. Last season’s success may become more of a norm for the program.

Golf

Tech golf qualified for the final round of stroke play after beating TCU in a playoff for the final spot on Monday, May 31. One of fifteen teams to qualify, this is Tech’s 30th all time berth in the NCAA finals. They finished at the 15 spot after Monday’s play, failing to advance to the quarterfinals.

Tech was one of six ACC teams to make it out of the weekend, of whom Florida State and North Carolina advanced to at least the quarterfinals. They qualified for the NCAA championships after finishing third in their regional tournament, only carding higher scores than FSU and Georgia.

The Jackets sat in 17th place after the first round on May 28, led by freshman Christo Lamprecht’s minus-one day. A strong second day highlighted by plus-one rounds from senior Noah Norton and redshirt junior Ben Smith moved Tech up to a tie for 12th after two rounds. Norton led Tech again for round three with a plus-two showing as Tech slipped on the last day before the cut. After it all shook out, Tech was tied with the Horned Frogs for the 15th spot.

A morning playoff determined the winner, and Tech handled TCU, winning 20-23 and taking four of five holes. Following the playoff was a rough final round in which Tech would have had to leapfrog seven teams. Instead, they finished the day plus-17 and ended the tournament as the bottom team among those making Monday’s cut, totaling plus-49 through the four rounds.

Track and Field

Senior jumper Bria Matthews and senior distance runner Nicole Fegans highlighted Tech’s track and field showing through the back end of the season. Matthews achieved her eighth career podium berth at the ACC outdoor championships with her second place finish in the long jump. Fegans set a meet and school record in the 10K as she cruised to a gold medal.

Matthews earned herself an ACC Women’s Field MVP nod for her efforts on the season and at the final meet. She accounted for nearly half of Tech’s total points, garnering 16 of the 36 total points earned for the Jacket women. It was her second ACC Field MVP. Neither the men’s nor women’s team cracked the top ten as a team at the ACCs, but the individual performances by each team’s best stood out with several first or second-team All ACC nods.

Nearly a dozen Jackets qualified for the NCAA East Regionals meet, headlined again by Matthews and Fegans. Both qualified for competition in the NCAA Championships Finals. Matthews finished top-12 in the long jump with a 6.37m leap, and followed that up with a fifth place finish in the triple jump, posting a 13.46m mark. Fegans earned a spot in the 5K championships with a 16:02.57 time, placing her fifth in her heat.

The finals for the two athletes’ events will be on June 10 for the long jump, followed two days later by the triple jump and 5K finals on June 12. The two seniors will look to add to their already illustrious careers.

Football

Fans excited for the upcoming football season have plenty to look forward to.

Tech plans to have Bobby Dodd stadium at full capacity, potentially resulting in crowds more than 50,000 strong.

A game in nearby Mercedes Benz Stadium against North Carolina on September 25 could even have a crowd of over 70,000.

While Jeff Sims looks to improve on a promising freshman season, fellow freshman Jahmyr Gibbs is one of two Tech players already receiving recognition for this year.

He was named to Athlon Sports’ all-ACC first team as a running back and second team as a kick returner. Linebacker Quez Jackson received a fourth team nod as well.

The season will open with a pair of non-conference tilts at Bobby Dodd, against Northern Illinois at 7:30 p.m. on September 4 and Kennesaw State at noon on September 11.

The Jackets then travel to face the powerhouse Clemson Tigers on national television on September 11 at 3:30.

The Clemson game starts a streak of eight straight conference games before Tech visits Notre Dame and finishes the season at home against archrival Georgia.

Four Tech prospects were added by NFL teams through the draft and the beginning of the undrafted free agent period. Wide receiver Jalen Camp was the first Jacket off the board, going in the sixth round, 209th overall, to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The nation’s best collegiate punter Pressley Harvin III joined Camp later that night when the Pittsburgh Steelers took him in the seventh round with the 254th pick. Defensive back and special teams star Jaytlin Askew also signed with the Miami Dolphins while linebacker David Curry signed with the Denver Broncos, both as UDFAs.

Camp was Tech’s leading receiver in 2020, compiling a solid statline of 29 receptions for 439 yards and four touchdowns through ten games. Camp had over 800 yards and five touchdowns over his career. His main draw for many teams was his rare combination of strength and speed. He ran an unofficial 4.43 40-yard dash and registered a 39.5-inch vertical at his Pro Day, which are strong numbers for a 6’2, 226-pound receiver. This explosiveness, coupled with his 30 bench press reps (the combine record for receivers is 27), sets Camp up to be a formidable physical matchup.

Harvin was Tech’s punter for the last four seasons, handling almost every punt since 2017. A freshman All-American and landed on All-ACC teams in three of his four seasons, Harvin averaged 44.7 yards per punt on 210 kicks through his career, including 48 yards per punt on his 45 tries in 2020. Despite his booming leg, the play that most fans remember is his 41-yard touchdown pass against Miami in 2019. His trick play ability may be useful during his time in Pittsburgh. Harvin won the 2020 Ray Guy award as the country’s best punter and became the first Black player to win the award. He also became a unanimous All-American, only the third in Tech’s history.

Camp and Harvin are Tech’s 211th and 212th NFL draft picks all time. This marks the second consecutive year that Tech football produced a draft pick after a two-year drought without any. It is Tech’s first year with multiple players taken since 2016.

Askew was listed as a defensive back but primarily contributed on special teams, helping Tech to the second best net punting average in the country as a gunner. Askew ran a 4.50 unofficial 40-yard dash at Tech’s Pro Day, showing speed that will help him at the next level. He looks to continue to contribute on special teams or in the secondary for Miami.

Curry led Tech in tackles each of the past two seasons, serving as a captain and receiving All-ACC honorable mentions in both as well. He recorded 161 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six passes defensed, three forced fumbles and an interception over the past two years alone. While not one of the larger prospects at the position, his game sense and ability to get to the ball will help him as he looks to make an impact in Denver.

Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Tech volleyball was in position to capture the ACC title, sitting at second place behind Louisville. Ranked 23rd nationally, they were set to face 22-ranked Notre Dame (then 12-3, 11-3 ACC) and unranked Duke (then 9-12, 7-9 ACC) to make their end-of-season push. Tech would need to win both matchups and see Louisville drop one of their final two to grab the top line in the conference.

Notre Dame would ultimately end Tech’s hopes of an ACC title on April 1, ending the Jackets’ 16-game home winning streak in a 3-0 contest. The Irish were able to build leads off of extended runs in all three sets, and won 25-21, 25-18 and 25-20 in each set. Sophomore hitter Julia Bergmann was Tech’s star of the day, recording a ten-hit, ten-kill double-double to go with a pair of blocks.

Tech bounced back with a win over Duke on April 3 to close the regular season. Tech won all but the third set, with scores of 25-18, 25-15, 20-25 and a strong 25-14 final set on the day. Junior setter Matti McKissock piled up 46 total assists while Bergmann had another double-double with 22 kills and 11 digs along with a pair each of aces and blocks. McKissock moved into the nine-slot on Tech’s all-time assists leaderboard with this weekend’s effort

Despite the win over the Blue Devils, perfect weekends by Pitt, Notre Dame, and Louisville kept the Jackets from the top of the standings as Tech concluded the season at fourth in the ACC. With a 13-4 (13-4 ACC) record that included no non-conference games, Tech was selected as an at-large team to the NCAA tournament and finished with the 23rd rank nationally.

The tournament starts April 14, when the Jackets will face Lipscomb (17-2, 11-1 ASUN) in the first round at 7pm. Lipscomb won both the regular season title and the ASUN tournament to earn a guaranteed bid. The winner will go on to face the tournament’s number-three seeded Minnesota the next day at 7pm. This is Tech’s tenth tournament appearance, the first since 2009.

Three Tech players received All-ACC nods, highlighted by Bergmann’s and Mariana Brambilla’s unanimous first team selections. Brambilla, a junior, earns her third straight all-conference award in a season where she eclipsed the 1000-kill threshold. She ranked second in the ACC in both kills and points per set. Bergman likewise received her second straight first team selection. She was the ACC leader in aces per set and finished in the top 20 in the country by the same stat.

McKissock rounded out Tech’s All-ACC picks with second team recognition earned despite an injury-shortened season. The reigning ACC Setter of the Year led Tech in assists on their way to first tournament berth under head coach Michelle Collier. All three of the Jackets’ All-ACC players are juniors or younger, setting the team up for another successful year after a hopeful tournament run, establishing Tech as an ACC contender under Collier.

The NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship tipped off Sunday, March 21 with the nation’s top 64 teams battling for the crown. 5-seed Tech faced 12-seed Stephen F. Austin in their first round matchup on the opening day. The Lady Jacks scored well early and pulled away in the first half thanks to poor shooting from Tech. The Jackets only broke ten points in the first quarter on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Kierra Fletcher.

Tech continued to struggle offensively in the second quarter, not scoring a single point for over five minutes in the frame. When Lorela Cubaj hit her head on the floor during a tie-up, the Jackets were already trailing by double figures, and after a second quarter in which Tech only mustered seven points, Stephen F. Austin held a 17-point lead at the half.

Cubaj would return fairly quickly, missing four minutes of game time after being helped to her feet in the second. The play was called a jump ball and turned out to not be a serious injury to Cubaj, but concern was visible on the faces of players and coaches as she was slowly helped to her feet and walked to the trainers table.

Tech came out of halftime with a purpose, holding the Lady Jacks to only five points in the third quarter and outscoring them by 14 to cut the deficit to just three entering the final frame. Stephen F. Austin stretched the lead slightly during the fourth quarter, but the Jackets drew closer until Anaya Boyd’s pair of free throws tied the game at 48 with just over a minute left in regulation. Neither team would score in the final minute, and the game went to overtime.

Tech struck first in overtime, taking its first lead since the first quarter on a pair of Cubaj free throws, and would increase the lead to as many as five. Lotta-Maj Lahtinen hit a jumper to make the score 54-49 with under two minutes left, and Stephen F. Austin only managed three more points before the final buzzer.

The Lady Jacks had an opportunity to tie with seconds remaining on the clock, but missed two shots in close before hitting a layup that was waved off for being released after the buzzer. Tech escaped with the 54-52 win, moving on to face West Virginia in the second round, who beat Lehigh in the first round.

Cubaj returned from injury to tie for the team lead in points and pace the Jackets in rebounds as she dropped 14 and 10. Lahtinen and Fletcher each scored in double figures as well, and Tech survived despite only shooting 34 percent on the back of Lahtinen’s four steals and Cubaj’s four blocks.

Tuesday morning before Tech’s second round matchup with West Virginia, head coach Nell Fortner released a statement condemning the NCAA’s unequal treatment of men’s and women’s players. Her full statement can be found on her Twitter, and the tweet has amassed over seven thousand likes and two thousand retweets at time of writing.

The West Virginia game began with three straight Tech turnovers, but they ended the first quarter only down by two after Cubaj hit a buzzer beating layup to finish the frame. A strong offensive second quarter gave Tech a four-point lead going into the half. A large rebound margin in the Jackets’ favor limited the Mountaineers’ second chances and gave Tech a possession advantage throughout the first half.

Tech was dominant out of the half. A 22-9 third quarter gave them a 17-point lead entering the final frame, and they would hold that lead when the clock ran out, sending them to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2012. Nell Fortner’s squad blew out a strong West Virginia squad and had one of their most complete performances of the season.

Tech ended the game with a plus-12 rebound margin and 52/43/69 shooting splits, totaling 73 points in the win. Their defense was strong as always, as they recorded four blocks and seven steals while holding West Virginia to 44/27 shooting splits from the field. Tech’s defense has been elite all season, but scoring well against a strong team bodes well for the rest of the tournament as they look to compete at both ends of the floor.

Lahtinen and Cubaj led the Jackets in scoring with 22 and 21 respectively while Fletcher added 14 of her own. Cubaj recorded a double-double with 12 rebounds and Fletcher led the team in assists with four. Lahtinen grabbed three steals, bringing her tournament total to seven. Tech moves on to face South Carolina on March 27 or 28. South Carolina beat Mercer and Oregon State in the first two rounds, and is one of the tournament’s four one-seeded teams.

For the first time in ten years, the Democrats control both the House and the Senate. It has also been a decade since, Republicans not having at least one chamber from which they can block even the most mildly progressive policy. For the first time in ten years, Republicans are interested in unity.

For the final two years of the Obama administration and the first two of Trump’s term, Republicans had complete control of the legislature and had zero interest in reaching across the aisle. When Republicans lost the House in 2019, newcomers, especially progressives, were vilified as a Senate majority and a red White House continued to push on with as little compromise as possible.

Two years removed from majorities across the board, it has apparently become the time for unity. Republicans like Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jim Jordan (R-OH) and others have called for unity via speeches and tweets. However, their brand of unity does not feel like unity at all.

Cruz is a notoriously staunch conservative, consistently ranking among the most politically right-wing. Cruz ranked as the fourth most conservative Senator by govtrack.us in 2019, and has been among the ten most conservative every year since 2015. Under a fifth of the bills he cosponsored were introduced by a non-Republican, again ranking in the bottom ten in that category. He is significantly more likely to have his bills cosponsored by a member of another party than he is to return the favor.

What then does Cruz consider unity? What do his Republican peers consider unity? It seems to be a one-way street, where unity is only unity if their opponents unify with them. In order to gain Republican support, they demand compromise, or blatantly block bills deemed too progressive. They often refuse to work with Democrats on even bipartisan legislation, as seen with the recent American Rescue Plan Act, where not a single Republican voted for the already heavily compromised plan.

The American Rescue Plan Act had a lower total cost than Trump’s CARES Act from 2020, but that passed in a unanimous 96-0 vote as compared to the Rescue Plan that needed Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie breaking vote to pass. The Rescue Plan was already a watered down, compromised version of the original bill, while Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) had to fight to keep unemployment provisions on the CARES Act. For a party that claims to be concerned with the budget at almost every turn, they tend to vote strictly along party lines even when it comes to similar bills.

Cruz further sought to divide the country when he joined six other Senators in voting to sustain the objection made to Pennsylvania’s vote counts in the Presidential election. The vote, along with comments made about multiple other states expressing similar sentiments, sought to ignore the will of millions of citizens in several states. The day before signaling his disdain for the people’s will, he implored the country to “come together and put this anger and division behind us” during the Jan. 6 mob at the Capitol building in Washington.

To be clear, I am not advocating for unity myself. I understand Biden’s strategy of trying to draw in swing voters by appealing to the center, but the less moderate wing of the party has seized that olive branch and interpreted it in a wildly different way, defining unity as agreement with their beliefs. As Republicans have pushed right in recent years, Democrats have often followed, trying to earn the vote of an ever-decreasing centrist bloc.

I want progress in spite of this. Republicans have won while moving to the right and a recent influx of progressives shows the feasibility of Democrats winning to the left. If attempts at finding a middle ground in a show of unity are rejected, why compromise? Democrats got the same number of Republican votes on the Rescue Plan as they would have before compromise. If Democrats want unity, they should run on and implement policy that improves people’s lives, not cave to the shallow, false brand of unity that Republicans whine about.

If shown a good faith brand of unity, a desire to work together for the betterment of the country and not just unifying behind a platform that works to disenfranchise voters, limit the rights of minority groups and cull the power of workers, I am all for working with the opposition. While the party that I somewhat align with holds power though, I want them to use it, especially when the other party does not hesitate to do so. I want workers’ rights, minority rights and guaranteed voting, and if it takes sacrificing a false brand of unity, then so be it.