Video and story by Morgan Kilgo | Broadcast Reporter
It’s no secret that Baylor university has been under the spotlight in recent months for the mishandling of sexual assault cases.
Those who have spoken out following the uncovering of the mishandled cases include former President Ken Starr, former Title IX Coordinator Patty Crawford and the Baylor Board of Regents. Until now, the university’s students have not been given a voice.
Upon asking students how the national attention on Baylor has affected them, the majority said they had not been drastically affected.
“I don’t really think it has affected me,” Sugarland freshman Tiffany Johnson said. “I’ve never really felt unsafe on campus, and overall; Baylor is still a really good school and I love it here.”
Jerry Parks, associate professor of sociology, credited this type of response to the culture that has developed on Baylor’s campus.
“What’s interesting about Baylor, every campus has its own culture, so its culture has been one that has suppressed a lot of these experiences, done a lot of victim blaming,” Parks said.
James Davidson, Waco sociology doctoral candidate followed Park’s response, saying that the “I’m not affected” answer is generally the response the administration is looking for.
“A big part of what they have been trying to do is say, ‘Hey look, there’s nothing to see here, everything is fine, everyone continues on as it should be.’
While some students have felt unaffected by Baylor’s national attention, others no longer feel the same way about Baylor that they previously did.
“I’m really disappointed,” Dallas junior Azlyn Vaughn said. “I love this school, I’ve always loved this school, so to see this happening is heartbreaking.”
Despite the negative controversy surrounding the university, the majority of students interviewed were still proud to be Baylor Bears.
“I would say I am still definitely proud to attend Baylor, to be a Baylor Bear,” Waco junior Olivia Andrade said. “Baylor is a community that does care for its own, but just like any institution, people aren’t perfect and so the institution won’t be perfect.”
