By Jocelyn Fowler
Reporter
Baylor students may have the chance to do their sic ’ems in luxury next fall.
At Thursday evening’s Student Senate meeting, senators passed a proposal to create a student level of the Baylor Bear Foundation. The current Bear Foundation is an organization of Baylor alumni who make contributions to Baylor Athletics and in return receive several benefits.
The proposal’s author, Rockwall senior Nick Pokorny, hopes to bring a similar program to students.
“The Student Level of the Bear Foundation’s purpose is to enhance the student experience when it comes to athletics and to begin to foster a culture of giving where they join as freshman and hopefully stay on as long as they can as alumni in giving back to student-athlete scholarships,” Pokorny said.
For a fee of $60, students can join the organization and have access to benefits such as Waco Chamber luncheons for sports teams, ticket priority for bowl games and tournaments and access to members-only areas such as the Stone Room of the Ferrell Center.
Senators also passed a support resolution written by Barksdale Air Force Base, La., freshman Markus Reedy and Moody, Ala., senior Cody Brasher. The legislation offered the support of the Student Senate to the psychology and neuroscience departments in their efforts to expand their respective programs.
Both programs are rising in the ranks among similar programs at other schools.
Brasher and Reedy argued that psychology is currently the second-largest major at Baylor and should be staffed with 25-30 faculty members rather than the current 22 if it wishes to remain competitive with other programs. The duo also maintained the lack of a minor in both fields was an inconvenience to students who may find either field complementary to their majors, but are only left with the option of a double major and a prolonged graduation date.
“This bill will help students because it will hopefully encourage increasing the amount of psychology and neuroscience professors,” Reedy said. “A lot students want to minor in psychology but major in something else. This will help them.”
“The psychology and neuroscience departments at Baylor are very successful and productive departments and we just want to see them grow for future students,” Brasher said.
The improvement and ease of students’ lives will be a hot topic at the next Student Senate also. Senators are currently reviewing bills to provide free laundry in all dorms, improve the Arabic minor and preserve benches and swings on campus.
Senators will vote on these bills at their next meeting.
