Artist rendering of the new Track and Field complex. (Courtesy Photo)

The Baylor University Board of Regents met today and approved names for buildings in East Village as well as spending measures for a new business school building and a new track facility.

The Gordon Teal Residential College, the north building, will be housing for engineering and computer science students. The south building has been named Hallie Earle Hall and will house the Science and Health Living and Learning Community. The middle building will serve as dining and administrative space and will be called East Village Dining Commons.

“We wanted to provide these residential communities with a strong sense of identity by seeking out meaningful names that were Baylor specific, historic in nature, inspirational and timeless, and applicable to a residential college and living and learning center environment. Out of our committee’s research arose the names of celebrated Baylor alumni Gordon Teal and Dr. Hallie Earle, who fit our criteria perfectly,” said Kevin Jackson, Ph.D., vice president for student life. “With the endorsement of their surviving family members and now with approval of the Board of Regents, we are excited for the future of Gordon Teal Residential College and Hallie Earle Hall, which will engage a new generation of students in living, learning, leadership and life-changing service while carrying on the bold commitment to excellence, which has always been a hallmark of Baylor.”

The Regents also approved $2.8 million to continue developments for a new business school building. The building is expected to be 275,000 square feet and will include a 350-seat auditorium and various new technologies. The total cost is estimated to be $100 million and ground could be broken in December.

The new track and field complex will be located to the east of Baylor Stadium. The facility was designed by Populous, the same company that designed Baylor Stadium. The new complex will cost $13.6 million and will accommodate 5,000 spectators. It will include a 6,000-square-foot team building, training room, meeting room, equipment space and a 13,500-square-foot indoor practice facility.

“It is a great and humbling day for the Baylor track and field family,” head coach Todd Harbour said. “It will be a huge blessing for us to be on campus with all of our other outstanding facilities. When completed, the overall facility, including the indoor workout area, will be one of the nation’s finest track and field complexes. We thank all who have been involved in making this a reality.”

The current facility, the Hart-Patterson Track and Field Complex, is located next to Floyd Casey Stadium. The new complex will move the team to campus on the banks of the Brazos. Construction is expected to begin this summer, and competition will begin in the spring of 2015.

College tuition inflation rates historically increase two times faster than the inflation rate of the dollar, according to Simple Tuition Services 2013. With rates such as these, students may struggle to pay for college.

Baylor’s tuition was $18,430 a year with fees in 2003, and in 2008, the tuition was, with fees, $26,234. Baylor University’s current tuition is roughly $36,137 per semester, with estimated fees attached. Some simply cannot afford to pay.

This is the case for Jarod, a Baylor student whose name has been changed to protect his identity; Jarod said the situation has caused him and his family some embarrassment and stress, and he wishes to keep the details private.

Jarod said his time at Baylor was enjoyable until his family could no longer pay for the rising cost of attendance. If he didn’t have the financial problems, Hill said he would want to work through graduate school at Baylor.

“I love Baylor immensely,” he said. “But both my parents lost their jobs at the same time. With loans already attached to my first two semesters at Baylor, I couldn’t continue.”

Other schools in the Waco area cost less — in time and money.

Students at McLennan Community College pay by the semester hour, meaning their cost for classes is more dependent on the hours within the class. This differs from the structure of some private universities, where the cost is already determined, with or without extra classes. Specific classes with specific requirements such as laboratories will require fees, and students will plan accodingly. For 2013, the cost per hour at McLennan Community College is $106 for McLennan County residents, $124 for Texas residents, and $181 for out-of-state residents.

According to MCC’s 2012-2013 financial aid form, the cost of attendance for an academic year will likely cost no more than their current average at $16,062. For some, this savings is appealing. But some question whether other schools promise the same probability of success after graduation. Time spent in the classroom at MCC is shorter since MCC encourages two or three years of schooling to receive an associate’s degree, where as a student’s time at Baylor can take four or more. Although the two degree’s differ, one being an associate’s degree and the other a bachelor’s, the end result is still enough for some to get better work than without.

Houston junior Tumi Akingbade went to McLennan Community College after going to Baylor briefly. After discovering the difference in cost, Akingbade’s temporary decision became more attractive.

“Compared to my freshman year at Baylor, the difference is jaw dropping,” Akingbade said. “My school fees run about $2,500, including books. They didn’t really promise me much because I figured I would be back at Baylor by now, but I’ve had nothing but a good experience at McLennan Community College.”

Texas State Technical College, a two-year technical school system, costs $5,235 for 12 months (based on a 15-hour semesters) for Texas residents. Students are prompted to receive hands-on learning with the costs of student loans down when compared to university prices. Even the TSTC website slogan says, “Get In. Get Out. Get Hired.”

Kasey Neilson, a TSTC senior, said she couldn’t afford to take out loans for her pursuit of a dental degree. Her family wanted to prevent accumulation of debt after graduation. Neilson backs up her decision with appreciation for the program and the knowledge of her instructors.

“Being a technical school, we do most of our work hands-on with our instructor to prepare us for our work environment,” Nielson said. “They told me I should finish and be ready to graduate in a full two years. I started in January of 2012, and I will be graduating August 2013.”

At the time of publication, a Baylor official could not be reached for comment regarding students who transfer to community colleges.

MCC and Baylor started a program to help prospective Baylor students work towards a degree while attending classes at MCC and Baylor.

“I decided to join Baylor@MCC because it was my path into Baylor,” Denton sophomore Brittany Ladd said on Baylor’s MCC@Baylor website. “The Lord really had His hands on my attending both schools and I am so thankful.”

With many different financial decisions available, students can consider other financial options towards education.

Many college graduates have high expectations for a job right out of college. The reality is, many of those expectations won’t be met.

“In today’s economy, recent college graduates are taking the first job that offers a paycheck – not necessarily the job their college education prepared them for,” said Baylor graduate Kevin Blair.

“The current job market has forced people to find refuge in a collegiate setting, only to accumulate debt that must be paid off,” said Arlington sophomore Kacie Evans.

“Paying thousands for a college education and then working at Burger King to pay it off is a scary thought,” Malia Gandt, a Flower Mound sophomore, said.

Gandt is currently working at a department store to start paying off the debt.

Coming out of college, many students do not look for their dream jobs but rather any job to start paying off college debt.

Up to 24 percent of students say that debt has affected their career choices. With rising tuition costs, students are finding the need to just make money, rather than practice a vocation passionately.

Former Baylor student Andy Eagan dropped out after a semester in order to work a paid internship of $100 a week. With his piled up debt from the semester, Eagan knew college wasn’t the place for him.

Eagan eventually found a job working a contract job with at a production company, which wasn’t connected to his field of study in education.

“The job is a great opportunity, but it really just pays the bills,” Eagan said,

“The company can keep me as a contractor, but with no future of promotion.”

Rutgers University found that since 2006, only 51 percent of graduates went into full time employment coming out of college. “Opportunities available for college graduates in a slowly increasing job market are dim,” said USA Today college writer Eliza Collins.

Stories similar to Gandt and Eagan’s are seen across the nation. Students go to college and exit with debt that forces them into a paying job that may not match their degree.

There are success stories, however.

Jason Wilson graduated from college with internships and work experience in the field backing him up. As a business major with a focus on production work, Wilson was set to go to work full time as a production manager with a touring company.

Internship and career counseling provided by colleges provide a way to network and secure a future in a specific job market.

Evans said she was confident in finding a job because of the career-counseling services at Baylor.

“They really get to know your interest and match you up with amazing contacts who want to meet you,” Evans said.

“Graduates who found a job they studied for and had an internship before leaving college made 15 percent more that those who did not intern,” Collins said.

“It is rare for jobs to fall into your lap, so working hard and networking is the fastest way to achieve your goals,” Baylor graduate Clayton Hill said.

High school and college counselors are now being trained to guide students on career paths that will better guarantee a job upon graduation.

Dallas student counselor Kimberly Trask is also steering her students to apply forinternships and practicum programs.

She said she believes that building a strong portfolio is the key to finding employment in a field of study after graduation.

Participating in internships and other activities related to the job a student is going to school for can help that student find a job coming out of college.

Workers of the Austin Commercial-Flintco LLC construction group continue constructing the west side of the new stadium on Tuesday, May 7, 2013. Baylor Stadium, which is set to be completed and ready for use by August 2014, is now approximately 21 percent complete and still on schedule.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

“Baylor Football finally returns home,” said Judge Ken Starr, president of Baylor University, at a press conference held Tuesday, May 7, to update on the new Baylor Stadium.

Sailgating, 168 concession stands, 45,000 seats and access to campus are just a few of the things to look forward to in the new, $250 million on-campus football stadium that is under construction on the Brazos River off Interstate 35 in Waco.

“We are on schedule and we will be playing football on the banks of the Brazos in August 2014,” said Bryan Nicholson, associate vice president for facility, planning and construction.

Workers of the Austin Commercial-Flintco LLC construction group continue building Baylor’s upcoming football stadium on Tuesday, May 7, 2013. Baylor Stadium, which is set to be completed and ready for use by August 2014, is now approximately 21 percent complete and still on schedule.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

There are currently 250 members of the construction crew working on Baylor Stadium, and at the peak of the building process there will be 600.  Jim Heley, the senior project manager, gave an update as part of a media day tour of the construction site.

Workers have dammed up the lagoon and pumped 33 million gallons of water back into the Brazos River, brought in 22,000 truckloads, or 70,000 yards, of dirt to fill in part of the lagoon and to raise the elevation of the footprint of the stadium.   They have installed five miles of underground piping, poured 8,000 cubic yards of concrete and drilled 1,129 piles, all 45-50 feet deep.

The first milestone celebrated among the crew and everyone involved was with the Corps of Engineers when they received the permit to build on the

President Ken Starr stands at the podium with Bruiser as he speaks on the progress of Baylor’s new football stadium on Tuesday, May 7, 2013, at the Simpson Athletics and Academic Center.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

lagoon.  Encore Electric was the first contractor on sight. Texas Department of Transportation is helping with the expansion of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and the City of Waco is always willing to help with inspections of the site.

“We are trying to use as many local companies as possible.  Our mechanical contractor is local, the electrical contractor, paving and both of our concrete suppliers are local,” Horn said.

The crew is a little ahead of schedule on the lagoon and will be filling it up again in a month.  Two pedestrian bridges are in the works to be built, one over the Brazos River to reach campus and the other will connect with a walkway along the waterfront.

Jeff Horn, senior superintendent of the job site, gave more specifics on the structure itself.  He said that they have started the foundation, the concourse level and the columns.  “We started on the west side and are working our way clockwise around from west to east.”

One of the main challenges for the construction is the river.  The elevation had to be raised to get out of the floodplain.  The highest raised point is 10 feet.

“The biggest headache of the job,” according to Horn, “is everything has to be brought in.  The coordination of everything to be brought in on a timely manner is difficult.”

Workers of the Austin Commercial-Flintco LLC construction group hammer together boards at the site of Baylor’s upcoming football stadium on Tuesday, May 7, 2013. Baylor Stadium, which is set to be completed and ready for use by August 2014, is now approximately 21 percent complete and still on schedule.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

Horn made it clear that there are not many bad weather days built into the schedule.  It is a six-day workweek for the crew and sometimes they will use Sundays to catch up from bad weather or get ahead on one part of the project.  “It is a fast track job,” stated Horn, “we are about 20% done with the whole thing.”

“The steel and the precast for the stadium seats will take until the end of the year and then from the beginning of the year until opening will be the finishing stuff.”

“The stadium is very high profile because it is right on the freeway.  When the memorial service for West, Texas, was held, we wanted to do something special so we got an American flag and a banner that said ‘God Bless West, Texas’ and hung it on the side facing the freeway.  We did that in about two days.  Now that it is over, we are going to get all of the crew working on the stadium to sign it and then we are going to present it to West.”

Following the media tour, a press conference was held at the football practice field on campus. Athletic Director Ian McCaw spoke along with Baylor President Starr, Nicholson and Head Football Coach Art Briles.

“We have recently reached $100 million in private philanthropy donations for the stadium,” Judge Starr announced.

“In 15 months, the finest football stadium in America will be open,” he said. “Just this morning, the 300^th column of the stadium was poured. Columns are important to Baylor because of the four columns that stand on Academy Hill in Independence, Texas, just an hour and 45 minutes down the road, the first location of Baylor University.”

McCaw shared that 1,500 new season tickets were sold already for the 2013 school year.  All six Founders Suites, 39 Premium Suites and 79 Loge Boxes have been sold and over 1,400 stadium bricks have also been sold.  The club seats go on sale at the end of the month.

Coach Briles ended the press conference saying, “We can build a great facility and everyone is going to see it.  Over 42 million travelers on Interstate 35 are going to see the new stadium every year. It doesn’t need to be another miracle for Baylor to beat someone.  It needs to be just another day for us.  It’s a great day. It’s a good day. It’s a day to be proud.”

Photo Illustration courtesy of Travis Taylor | Lariat Photographer

You’ve had a few too many drinks and decided to drive home. You feel fine and your apartment’s only a few miles away.

As you make your way down the road, you see the red and blue lights in your rear view mirror. You pull over, and after failing a Breathalyzer test, you’re charged with Driving While Under the Influence (DWI).

So what does this mean for you or your parent’s bank account?

Baylor Police Department chief Jim Doak said by the end of the process, a DWI charge will end up costing more than $10,000.

“It’s a high cost for one night of foolishness,” Doak said. “It takes a long time to undo.”

Doak said he has given many students DWIs and it’s not an uncommon occurrence. Eight students have received DWIs this semester from Baylor Police Department.

In Texas, DWI is classified as a Class B misdemeanor on first offense if Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is 0.08 percent or lower, and a Class A misdemeanor if BAC is 0.15 percent or above. These standards became effective in 2011.

Texas also has an Administrative License Revocation (ALR) program. If someone fails a breath test, his or her license is automatically suspended for 90 days. Someone can refuse to take a breath test, but if they do, their license is suspended for 180 days. A $125 reinstatement fee is required before someone can get their license back.

Waco Police Department Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said there is no set sentence for someone who receives a DWI.

“There’s a variety of factors that go into deciding a charge,” Swanton said.

Swanton said someone could receive jail time, a fine or jail time and a fine.

Someone who receives a DWI must appear in court, and therefore have to hire a criminal defense lawyer.

Attorney Russell Hunt Sr. said attorneys can charge anywhere from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars.

“My typical fee for a first-time adult DWI is $5,000,” Hunt said.

Hunt said once he receives a DWI case, he goes to the district attorney and tries to get the charges refused or dismissed. A refusal means the prosecutor decides not to try a case before the case is filed. A dismissal means the prosecutor can dismiss a case with the signature of a judge.

“If there’s no way to get the charges refused or dismissed, we try to get a plea bargain,” Hunt said.

A plea bargain means someone pleads guilty or no contest to a charge in exchange for a lighter sentence. No contest means the person did not dispute or admit to the charges against them.

“An average plea bargain is about 18 months probation and a $2,000 fine, of which our client will pay $1,000,” Hunt said. “They’ll also have to pay court fees, which are around $300.”

In addition to the fines and court costs, the state of Texas requires an annual fee of $1,000 for three years after the case is over.

If the case goes to trial, Hunt said he charges an extra $5,000.

If a student lives outside of Waco or McLennan County, they and their parents may have to consider cost of travel to and from Waco.

Peter Miller, the deputy director of McLennan County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, said the court can charge fees such as restitution for an accident or damages in addition to the fine and monthly probation fee. He said auto insurance rates also increase due to a DWI charge.

Miller said the average length of probation for a DWI is less than two years.

“The sentence lengths vary now,” Miller said. “But the average probation sentence for a DWI is 12-18 months.”

Miller said in addition to the monthly probation fees, a first offender must take a DWI class, which costs $75. Multiple offenders have to pay up to $300 for the class. A person on probation must notify a probation officer of all non-essential travel at least 48 hours before they intend to leave the county. All changes of residence, job, or employment must be reported to the probation officer within 72 hours.

Fees must be mailed in or taken directly to the McLennan County C.S.C.D. office, open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. There’s no online payment system and all mailed in payments must be cashier’s check or money order.

The state of Texas requires anyone convicted of a DWI to file a Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate, also known as an SR-22, which costs about $70 per month. Lesser alcohol charges, such as minor in possession or minor consuming alcohol, are Class C misdemeanors and come with their own set of rules. Class C misdemeanors are finable-only offenses. If someone is charged, they could pay a fine up to $500. Justice of the Peace Kristi DeCluitt said students must take an alcohol awareness course and perform eight hours of community service on first offense. “Some students ask for more community service in lieu of the fine,” DeCluitt said.

Doak said a student could file for an expunction, or removal of a charge, if they receive a minor in possession or minor consuming alcohol charge, but they may have to hire a lawyer, which would be more expensive than the ticket itself. The court also requires filing fees. According to the McLennan County District Clerk Fees, the cost to file an expunction is $258, plus $18.50 for every agency the order is sent to. A charge could disqualify a student from certain jobs, such as federal law enforcement.

“It’s not devastating, but it’s costly and embarrassing,” Doak said. “I’ve never had a student come to me and tell me they’re proud of their charges.”

Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee holds up a a gay marriage bill after signing it into law outside the State House in Providence, R.I., Thursday, May 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island on Thursday became the nation’s 10th state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed, as a 16-year effort to extend marriage rights in this heavily Roman Catholic state ended with the triumphant cheers of hundreds of gays, lesbians, their families and friends.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed the bill into law on the Statehouse steps Thursday evening following a final 56-15 vote in the House. The first weddings will take place Aug. 1, when the law takes effect.

“I’ve been waiting 32 years for this day, and I never thought it would come in my lifetime,” said Raymond Beausejour, a 66-year-old gay North Providence man who has been with his partner for 32 years. “For the first time in my life, I feel welcome in my own state.”

After Chafee signed the bill, the hundreds of people who gathered on the Statehouse grounds erupted into cheers as a chorus sang “Chapel of Love.”

“Now, at long last, you are free to marry the person that you love,” Chafee told the crowd.

The day was bittersweet for Deborah Tevyaw, whose wife, state corrections officer Pat Baker, succumbed to lung cancer two years ago. Months before she died, Baker, relying on an oxygen tank, angrily told lawmakers it was unfair that Tevyaw wasn’t considered her wife in Rhode Island despite their marriage in Massachusetts.

“I’m ecstatic, but sad she’s not here to see this,” Tevyaw said. “I’m sure she’s watching, but she’s not here next to me. Before she died, she told me, ‘I started this, and now I’m leaving it in your hands.’ We worked hard for this. There were petitions, door knocking, phone calls. I think people decided, ‘just let people be happy.’”

Once consigned to the political fringe, gay marriage advocates succeeded this year thanks to a sprawling lobbying effort that included support from organized labor leaders, religious clergy, leaders including Chafee and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and hundreds of volunteers. Their efforts overcame the opposition of the Catholic church and lawmakers including Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, who voted no but allowed the issue to come to a vote anyway.

Supporters framed the issue as one of civil rights, arguing in daylong legislative hearings that gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and protections given to opposite-sex married couples. The Catholic church was the most significant opponent, with Bishop Thomas Tobin urging lawmakers to defeat what he called an “immoral and unnecessary” change to traditional marriage law.

On Thursday, Tobin repeated his opposition, writing in a letter to the state’s Catholics that “homosexual acts are … always sinful.”

“Catholics should examine their consciences very carefully before deciding whether or not to endorse same-sex relationships or attend same-sex ceremonies,” Tobin wrote. “… To do so might harm their relationship with God.”

The Rhode Island legislation states that religious institutions may set their own rules regarding who is eligible to marry within the faith and specifies that no religious leader is obligated to officiate at any marriage ceremony and no religious group is required to provide facilities or services related to a gay marriage. While ministers already cannot be forced to marry anyone, the exemption helped assuage concerns from some lawmakers that clergy could face lawsuits for abiding by their religious convictions.

Under the new law, civil unions will no longer be available to same-sex couples as of Aug. 1, though the state would continue to recognize existing civil unions. Lawmakers approved civil unions two years ago, though few couples have sought them.

Delaware could be the next state to approve gay marriage. Legislation legalizing same-sex marriage has narrowly passed the Delaware House and now awaits a vote in the state Senate.

Advocates in Rhode Island say that while they’re proud the state is the 10th to legalize gay marriage, they expect other states to follow quickly as support for same-sex marriage grows around the country. According to a November Gallup poll, 53 percent of Americans support giving gay and lesbian couples the right to marry, up from 27 percent in 1996.

Rep. Frank Ferri, D-Warwick, who lobbied for gay marriage before becoming a lawmaker himself, recalled that years ago he asked a sitting lawmaker if he would consider supporting same-sex marriage. “He said, ‘I’ll pour gasoline on my head and light myself on fire before that bill passes,’” Ferri recalled. That has changed, said Ferri, who is gay. Ferri said he hopes House Speaker Gordon Fox — who is gay — can marry him and his partner on Aug. 1, the day the new law takes effect, which also happens to be the couple’s 32nd anniversary.

“Today a dream has come true,” he said. “No more hiding in the shadows. No more being ashamed of who we are.”

Miami, Fla., sophomore Julian LeFort works in the Starbuck’s located in Moody Library as part of the work-study program to help pay for his tuition. (Travis Taylor | Lariat Photographer)

For students who are a part of the work-study program, the added element of work can provide help with bills and give students extra spending money for a few hours outside of class per week.

Federal work-study requires the college to pay students federal minimum wage, which is currently $7.25 an hour. Students cannot earn more than their work-study award in a semester. Baylor also offers jobs to students who do not receive federal work-study, but they must wait three weeks after the school year begins to apply for student worker positions.

Houston senior Sabrina Bosiacki, the student manager at Penland Dining Hall, said she does a little bit of everything at her job, from supervising student workers to creating schedules and filling out paperwork. She makes $8.05 an hour. She said students who work for Baylor Dining Services receive a 10 cent raise for each year they work and a 25 cent raise for each promotion.

“I’m clocked in for 15 hours each week, but I also do a bit of work outside of hours answering emails and things like that,” Bosiacki said.

Bosiacki said her shift starts at 3:30 in the afternoon and she tries to get everyone out by 8:30 p.m. The latest she has ever had to stay is 9:15.

“I live on campus, so the money I make at my job is just spending money, like if I need groceries or want to go shopping,” Bosiacki said.

Bosiacki said she would recommend a work-study job to students because of the convenience of on-campus jobs and the opportunities to move up.

“If you’re going to work, you may as well do it on campus,” Bosiacki said.

Baylor limits student hours to 20 hours per week while they are enrolled in classes to “protect the academic interests of the student.” In an email, the Student Financial Aid Office said students are allowed to work more than 20 hours per week, but they must be paid for overtime, which is one and a half times their usual pay. Media communications director Lori Fogleman said students can work overtime in instances of single events or short-term need by a department.

Payroll alerts the financial aid office if a student works overtime, and the financial aid office contacts the department to make sure the student is receiving overtime pay. They said they might recommend the department hire additional students if a student is regularly working over 20 hours per week.

According to the Student Financial Aid Office, students get paid every two weeks, though the federal requirements state students must only be paid once a month. Students cannot receive their work-study amount before classes begin. The Student Financial Aid Office could not be reached for comment about why some student salaries are capped.

Fogleman said the recommended student wage is $7.25 per hour.

“Departments work with financial aid if there is a compelling need for a higher wage,” Fogleman said.

Garland senior Chloe Rose, a forensic anthropology major, works as a student supervisor for Baylor Catering. She helps create student schedules, does paperwork at the Aramark office and helps train new employees.

She generally works 15-30 hours per week, depending on the number of events going on during a given week. If she works more than 20 hours in a week, she receives overtime pay.

She currently makes $7.80 per hour, and said students who work for the catering service receive a 15 cent raise each semester they work. She said she also received a raise when she became a student supervisor.

“The latest I’ve ever had to stay after an event during the school week was until about 11 or 11:30,” Rose said. “They’re good about letting students go early. They understand we have tests and classes and things like that.”

Rose said the latest she’s ever had to work is 2 a.m. after a football game.

“We started work late in the afternoon, and the football game starts at about 6 or 7, so it’s not like we work all day,” Rose said.

She said she generally makes enough per month to pay her rent, electricity and credit card bill. Her parents help her pay for gas and groceries.

“Most people don’t know catering has seasons,” Rose said. “From about December to February, there’s not a lot going on so my parents have to help me out more.”

Pickton junior Alyssa Miller said she works for the Executive office in the Sid Richardson building. She usually works 15 hours a week and receives minimum wage for her work. She said working as an office assistant does not provide opportunities for raises.

“I worked at Brookshire’s last semester in addition to my office job and school,” Miller said.

She said she did not return to her job at Brookshire’s this semester, so her parents help her pay bills.

“I usually make just enough to cover my rent,” Miller said. “I was supposed to have another person in my room at my apartment, but she ended up not being able to move in with me. So I pay half the rent myself.”

These experiences do not describe those of all students who participate in work-study, but they provide a snapshot of those students who choose to do so.

The Baylor men’s tennis team, ranked 13th in the nation, starts the Big 12 Championship Saturday as the top seed. The Bears (19-4) will play the winner of TCU and Texas.

The team began the season with a rough start in a loss at Tulsa, but then went on an eight-match win streak. The team then lost three in a row to top-five teams, including top-ranked Virginia. However, the Bears found themselves in every third set against the Cavaliers, making for a close match.

They won their last nine matches, including a perfect conference record to win the regular season championship.

The top-ranked singles player on the team, junior Patrick Pradella at 30th, has thrived playing in the No. 1 spot this season. He boasts a 10-2 record in that spot and will look to continue his consistent play into the postseason.

Q: How has this team grown since the start of the season?

A: I feel like we’re getting better every day. We are like a big family. Everyone likes each other and everything we do is helping us to keep getting better and to grow as a team. It’s always good when you have success. That helps a lot. I think we are on a good streak right now, so that helps us a lot. So even on not-that-good days, we can still win.

Q: Was there a turning point where you realized the team could win the Big 12?

A: I think we knew from the beginning of the season that we are a good team. We saw in the match against Virginia that we can beat everybody in the country, even if it was 6-1, but we were close in every match. We started winning matches at home then, against Cal, and those gave us a lot of confidence. I think right now with the win against Oklahoma, that was just amazing. So that really helps.

Q: Are you preparing any differently for postseason play?

A: No, not at all.

Q: Do you think this team has all the pieces to win the national championship?

A: We need to keep getting better, I think. Because everyone is not at his limit, and we are playing together and cheering for each other. When everyone keeps fighting for every point, then we can be a really, really good team in the end. You never know if you win, but I think we have a chance.

Q: Do you feel ready to take on the top players in the No. 1 spot and do you feel comfortable there?

A: Yeah, for sure. I like the challenge and I hope I can help the program, but I think all the other spots are probably more difficult because everyone expects them to win in the lower spots. I feel like it’s an easy position for me.

Photo Illustration courtesy of Monica Lake | Lariat Photographer

Completing the Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an integral part of helping to pay for college for most students. However, not many of them actually do it themselves.

Houston senior Amanda Padilla said her parents have completed her FAFSA application every year that she has gone to Baylor.

“I started to do it sometimes, but for the most part I just know it’s going to be a hassle,” Padilla said. “So I let my parents do it.”

New Orleans junior Taylor Jones works on the FAFSA application with her parents, and she said she understands the need students have for financial aid to be able to pay for college.

“College education is expensive,” Jones said. “I feel like it’s one of the fastest increasing sectors of our economy, so if you qualify for government aid, why wouldn’t you take it?”

In order to begin a FAFSA form, students and/or their parents need two sets of completed tax return information—their parents’ and their own from the current year. If that is not available, then use the information from the taxes that have submitted or will be submitted. The correct information can be updated on the FAFSA website using a pin number once the parent’s current tax information becomes available.

A pin number can be an important tool as it is the fastest way to sign the application. Students and parents apply for their own pin numbers on the Federal Student Aid Website. The pin not only works as an identifier, but it allows access to the online student aid report and corrections can be made if needed.

Once pin numbers have been acquired, completing the application online becomes a simple process.

For Baylor students, the application for the 2013-2014 school year was available to submit after January 1.

The priority deadline to submit the FAFSA to Baylor was March 1. Students who file for aid before the FAFSA deadline are given priority in considerations for financial aid. After the March 1 deadline, funds will be distributed based on availability.

Although completing the FAFSA application can be simple, things like late tax returns can lead to a more complicated and sometimes frustrating process.

According to the Department of Education, this year there was a major delay on processing tax returns. Jeff Baker, director of policy liaison and implementation with the U.S. Department of Education, issued a statement on March 13 and said the delays had the potential to impact students and their college enrollment decisions.The IRS data retrieval form was rendered useless for the people this delay affected. The retrieval form simplifies the FAFSA application process as it takes information directly from the IRS.

The retrieval form was implemented into the FAFSA process in January 2010. The Department of Education realized that there was a need to simplify and streamline the FAFSA process in order to make it easier for families applying for aid.

The IRS issued a statement on the delays last month. They said that they were aware of a limited number of software company products that affected some taxpayers who filed form 8863, Education credits, between Feb. 14 and Feb. 22.

This caused those tax returns to require more review by the IRS.

The FAFSA website also acknowledged the delay.

In Baker’s statement, he listed what to do until the tax returns were in. The current federal deadline for the FAFSA is June 30. However, in Texas, it depends on the school.

For example, Baylor has set a priority deadline of March 1.

As Baker said, a student can file an initial FAFSA with their copy of the tax return but without the processed return. After the tax return comes in, then the student can update their FAFSA with final, correct information.

If tax returns are late, the Department of Education said there are a number of ways to approach this problem.

“We offer a tool online, and it’s called the FAFSA forecaster, “ Christine Isett, the Department of Education representative said. “And students are still able to apply the previous year’s tax information in there to get a better idea of an estimate of what they may be eligible for. Also, they can work with their financial aid office. The financial aid office can help them complete their FAFSA.”

Isett said despite the delays, the correct information needs to be put onto the form.

“The FAFSA does require that you provide current year tax information,” she said. “Although there are delays, we know eventually that information needs to be provided for verification purposes.”

Chloe Toohey, poverty education AmeriCorps VISTA member, joined the program after graduating from Centre College, a small liberal arts university in Kentucky. She is currently serving at Baylor. (Courtesy Photo)

Serve America while still staying at Baylor: AmeriCorps VISTA members placed on Baylor’s campus have the opportunity to do just that.

AmeriCorps VISTA, Volunteers in Service to America, is a national program created to fight poverty. VISTA members serve for one year at either a nonprofit organization or a government agency. There are two available VISTA positions at Baylor, and only college graduates are eligible for the program. Benefits of the position include a modest living allowance and health care.

The AmeriCorps VISTA members placed at Baylor will work with the Office of Community Engagement and Service. The contract for both jobs is from July 2013-July 2014. Current VISTA members say their time at Baylor serving the university and the Waco community through AmeriCorps VISTA has taught them a lot.

Poverty education AmeriCorps VISTA member Chloe Toohey graduated from Centre College, a small liberal arts university in Kentucky, in May 2012 and said she wasn’t sure what her next step should be.

“I was like, ‘Hmm, what am I doing with my life?’” she said. “I wanted to take a year off before going back to school, and I wanted to have a meaningful experience during that year.”

Toohey said she was attracted to the VISTA position at Baylor because it incorporated many of her interests.

“I really like how it melded the passions I had for not only poverty and homelessness, but also my passion for student affairs and pursuing that professionalism,” she said. “This was an invaluable experience to have under my belt.”

AmeriCorps VISTA member for community development Randall Fowler, a Baylor alumnus, said the fact that the job was at Baylor is what initially attracted him to the position.

“Really what appealed to me was the fact that I could serve at Baylor and really make an impact on the community that I had grown fond of through four years at Baylor,” he said. “I learned to love Waco and really liked this place. So it was really a way for me to get plugged in here.”

Fowler said his work with both the community and student organizations on campus has helped him expand his worldview.

“It’s been really cool to be able to get the bigger picture, for me, and be able to learn more about Baylor and learn more about service and help connect student groups together,” he said.

Fowler will be taking his widened worldview to Amman, Jordan, where he will teach English as a part of the Fulbright program. He applied to the program last year but was put on the alternate list.

“So I decided to do this and then reapplied this year and got in,” he said. “I joke that AmeriCorps made all the difference.”

Graduates who aren’t sure of their future plans should consider applying for an AmeriCorps position, Fowler said.

One of the open positions at Baylor involves working with the re-entry of ex-offenders into society and working with the Parent Resource Centers in Waco ISD, said Mary Katherine Leslie-Van Hook, project coordinator and office manager for the Office of Community Engagement and Service.

The other VISTA member will work with the Heart of Texas Urban Gardening Coalition, she said. This person will also help with the Campus Kitchens Project at Baylor.

Leslie-Van Hook said applicants should apply as soon as possible. The deadline is May 10.

“We are already looking at applicants right now,” she said.

Students can find more information at: https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/search.do.