By Kalyn Story | Staff Writer
Monday morning, a banner hung above Waco Hall calling out former head football coach Art Briles and the current Board of Regents for their handling of sexual assault cases at Baylor.
“Bro. Martin LuthNoZe has made an appearance. Go to Waco Hall to find the NoZe 9.5 Theses,” the NoZe Brothers posted on their Facebook page Monday morning.
When read vertically, the poster spelled “Briles Knew.”
With points like, “Look the other way when crossing a road, not when running a university,” “Everyone wearing black doesn’t change that Briles knew,” and “Secrets are meant to be kept unless you’re the board of regents,” make it clear that the authors are unhappy with not only how the university handled sexual assaults but how the students are responding to Briles’ firing.
The poster also made a joke referencing former President and Chancellor Ken Starr: “Knock knock! Who’s there? Ken. Ken who? Ken you find me a new job?”
The banner was removed shortly after it was posted.
“While we believe ongoing conversations about Baylor’s response to sexual violence are vital to the university’s progress. This unauthorized banner was inappropriate, and it was immediately removed from the building,” said Lori Fogleman, assistant vice president for media relations and crisis communications.
Nashville, Tenn., sophomore James Worsham is familiar with the NoZe Brother’s pranks, and said he appreciated the banner.
“First of all, it wasn’t really destructive or pointlessly inflammatory. Though it reflects some of the distaste many students, including myself, have with the administration at Baylor, it is ultimately more about humor than anything else.”
Redlands, Calif., sophomore Garrett Collins had not heard of the NoZe Brothers previously but said he thinks organizations should speak publicly about their beliefs even if they are unpopular.
“I think their points are clever and are true statements, but I’m not sure what they’re getting at,” Collins said. “If the point is that Briles knew, he’s gone, so there’s not much more the school can do on that front, but they should keep calling out the Board of Regents if they believe there is still more the university needs to do.”
Collins said he thinks it was a bold move to hang the theses on Waco Hall. He said he has a lot more respect for the organization for risking getting in trouble with the university to post something like this.
“I think putting it on Waco Hall was smart because everyone will see it,” Collins said. “You can’t ignore it if it is in the middle of campus. A much safer move would have been to chalk it somewhere or just post it online.”
The Lariat reached out to the NoZe Brothers for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
The theses reads as follows:
Behold when Jesus Christ said, “repent” he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance
Remember: Liquor before beer, have no fear, but beer before liquor, never been sicker.
If one is interim president, one should shave their beard
Look the other way when crossing a road, not when running a university
Excluding a NoZe party, never drink the punch
Secrets are meant to be kept unless you’re the Board of Regents
Knock knock! Who’s there? Ken. Ken who? Ken you find me a new job?
NoZebody NoZe what it means, but it’s provocative
Everyone wearing black doesn’t change that Briles knew
When you want to be a NoZe brother remember….
