It seems that every day there is a new development adding to the giant snowball of the Baylor sexual assault scandal. I look through my social media feeds and find out another piece of the story that disappoints me.
Growing up, Baylor was a household name. My mother, aunt and uncles attended here along with countless family friends. When I thought of Baylor, what came to mind was football games at Floyd Casey Stadium, the homecoming parade and the gold dome that shined brilliantly across I-35. When I came to campus as a freshman three years ago, I never thought something like this would happen here.
I remember driving into Waco on moving day and seeing McLane Stadium stand brilliantly in sunrise. Little did anyone know what was going on behind closed doors that would change the name of our university.
With all of the money that has been poured into our athletics program, what real cost did Baylor have pay to get to the top of college athletics rankings? What cost did Baylor pay when it sold its soul for football?
Luke 12:3 says, “Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!”
Granted, we all have our flaws and we all have the skeletons we keep hidden in our closet, but when we come to terms with these demons, we become stronger and more resilient in the face of adversity.
As the actions of past administrators and staff are coming to light, it is especially important to stand with the university. We know that the Baylor that is talked about on ESPN is not the Baylor we know and love.
Baylor is not the AP rankings. Baylor is not the athletics program. Baylor is not even the campus here in Waco. Baylor is us — the students, faculty and staff standing together against atrocities such as sexual assault, discrimination and racial prejudice, mourning with those who have been affected and celebrating the triumph over these acts and fostering an environment where these things are not tolerated on our campus.
We can’t let what is being said in the media bring us down. In typical Baylor fashion, we must continue to move forward in excellence and virtue, accepting the consequences of our actions and moving forward to continue to be the light on the hill shining brightly for all to see.
