While the first day of the semester is dedicated going over syllabi and establishing a common understanding of classroom expectations, no such thing was ever done in the transition to online classes.Here are a few recommendations for in-class conduct at “Zoom University.”Use the mute function.While you may be able to get away with whispering snide comments to your friends in class, no such mischief is possible in online classes. Your audio is equally accessible to everyone in the call. The clanging of your family cooking in the kitchen or even the sound of your own typing may be ambient noise…
Author: Baylor Lariat
With states across the country ordering Americans to shelter-in-place, many people are cooking from home, or using what they have left in their pantries. We are all being urged to stay inside, so choosing to stay home and cook with what we have is typically the best option. When we do choose to go out to eat, however, chains are often seen as the simplest option. Few restaurants are still allowing customers to sit and dine inside—none in Waco—but many are offering takeout options and deliveries. Since we have the choice of which restaurants to order from, it’s important that…
Although we are isolated from one another physically, we can still make an effort to be there for each other.When campus switched to online instruction, roommates, students, professors and staff were all torn from the schedules and campus that held them together. Everyone was forced to accept a new reality. Yet while these new circumstances look different for each person, every experience is challenging in its own way. In a time like this, it’s important to extend grace and understanding to the people in your life; everyone has their own struggles and ways of coping.A popular way of coping with…
While we all adjust to a new “normal,” daily life has changed dramatically for almost all of us. As college students, we are used to a fairly structured schedule—whether that be with class, organizations, sports or jobs. Without any physical class for the remainder of the semester, we find ourselves on our own with a lot of free time on our hands. However, this does not mean that your daily life has to change completely. With a schedule, you can retain some sense of normalcy.It’s easy to fall into a spiral of laziness—with no places to go or other obligations…
Winter student-athletes started their season, then it was taken from them without a warning. Stability is important, and closure is important. Give the kids another chance.Imagine you were working on a project for work or for school, and it had taken years. Years of your life were put into making this project perfect, and then you found out whoever you were turning it into had no use for it anymore. It wasn’t necessary.Now, think about the seniors who have been working toward this spring for over a decade. They’ve fought through injuries and both bad and good seasons. They’ve fought…
Some people have been taking the quarantine well. Some people have used it to catch up on passion projects or take advantage of valuable family time. Others, not so much. It’s time to hunker down for the good of society, no matter how much money or influence a person has.“High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens made news with her complaints on the COVID-19 shutdown during an Instagram Live on March 16.“It’s a virus ― I get it,” Hudgens said. “I respect it, but, at the same time, like, even if everybody gets it, like, yeah, people are gonna die. Which…
It’s easy to forget the world has only been at a standstill for a couple of weeks. But before life as we knew it ground to a halt, 14-year-old Jalaiah Harmon was on a whirlwind media tour. The inventor of the “Renegade” dance which took TikTok by storm made appearances on Ellen and at the NBA All-Star Game. Harmon is a rare case. Creators of these viral dances rarely receive national acclaim for their creations. In TikTok’s own list of 2019’s top dance trends, the featured video of its top viral dance, “The Woah,” uses a video making light of…
After Baylor announced its decision to move all classes online, teachers across campus were tasked to find out how to make their entire course load fit into the new platform and some departments held technology training days to help students best make the transition. However, some professors will be forced to get creative. Classes such as lifetime fitness, photography, labs, etc. are harder to transfer because of the physical presence required for course learning.Students should respond to these unusual circumstances by looking for ways to build each other up instead of tear each other down, and that courtesy extends to…
It is no new news that the COVID-19 is more dangerous to people over the age of 50— and while young people are much more likely to completely recover from the virus, there are still many complications that could occur. Social distancing, a term now commonly known, is one of the most effective and important measures to eliminating this virus. Staying at least 6 feet apart from others and avoiding mass groups of people will limit the transmission of the virus as it is transferred from person-to-person. Not only will this protect you, but those around you. With this information,…
Coronavirus seems to be everywhere. It feels as if in a matter of days, the pandemic has gone from being something people were aware of to something that impacts all aspects of daily life. Along with school being moved online for the rest of the semester, nearly all social events for the next few months are cancelled. In some areas, restaurants and bars are also closed off to the public besides opportunities for pick up or takeout. The CDC recommends that gatherings of more than 10 that may include at-risk members be cancelled, and its been encouraged to increase social…
Spring break is the last time college seniors are allowed to be kids before they graduate and brave the new world. Most students travel, go on a mission trip or find other ways to enjoy the time-honored holiday. However, many students decide to return to their hometowns or stay in Waco for what has become known as a ‘staycation’ where students spend most of the break sitting on a couch. Instead of opting to lounge at home for spring break, students should go out and explore different opportunities before they lose their chance.Staycations have many benefits because they allow students…
This may come off a bit preachy, but maybe it should. I mean, come on, virginity as a plot device? Chris Harrison, you’re better than this.Madison Prewett is the latest victim on the newest season of ABC’s “The Bachelor.” Before heading into fantasy suite-week, Madison let the bachelor, Peter Weber, know that if he slept with either of the other two women, she may not be able to continue because of her beliefs.Victoria F. and Hannah Ann went into full attack mode, saying Madison was giving Peter an “ultimatum,” and that it wasn’t fair for her beliefs to get in…
From a young age, we are taught to respect our elders. Sayings like “this is grown-up talk” and “you’ll understand when you get older” instilled a concept of a bar of entry to adulthood. There is an invisible yet very salient relational distance between those who are adults and those who are not.For college students, who have always grown-up with this reverence and even fear of adults, it is time to knock those walls down.The gap between us and the adult world is quickly closing. The reality is that we are adults now, too. Once we hit that 18-year mark,…
waiting on the cartoon
Hazing — the culture that normalizes forced activities, partying and drinking to prove yourself — needs to end. Since 2019, there have been six reported cases of hazing by Baylor, those being by: Baylor Baseball, Phi Gamma Delta, Alpha Tau Omega, Kappa Omega Tau, Delta Tau Delta and Kappa Kappa Psi. Hazing is by no means an effective way of creating group bonds and ultimately causes more harm than good.Baylor University defines hazing as “any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, occurring on or off campus of an educational institution, by one person alone or acting with others, directed against a…
The saying goes that “ignorance is bliss.” The thing about ignorance, though, is that a lack of awareness can often lead to the neglect of unaddressed issues. Undereducation or misinformation can keep people from realizing their unhealthy eating habits are a classified DSM-5 eating disorder. Healing and recovery can not begin before there is recognition of a problem. This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and it is all too obvious that more than a single week or a single editorial is needed to address this topic. According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), “eating disorders have the…
Campaign funds have continuously been influenced by the numbers in the polls and proved more influential than candidates’ platform values. Most recently, we have seen Michael Bloomberg soar in the 2020 presidential election polls after self-funding over $400 million into his campaign. In October, two-thirds of the Democratic candidates spent more than they raised. Since then, candidates Kamala Harris and Corey Booker dropped out of the presidential race in December and January, citing a lack of funds as their most prominent reason for leaving the campaign trail. A presidential candidate’s chances at winning the presidency should not be determined by…
Controversy ensued in response to Feb. 12 Chapel speaker Kaitlin Curtice, an author and citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, as some students felt that she was pushing a liberal agenda, while other students believed she was only expressing her Christian views in a different way than most Baylor students would be used to.Conflict carried onto Twitter with a variety of complaints from students and even parents, one of whom even called The Lariat personally and asked if divisive speakers like this are the norm at Baylor.The reactions to Curtice revealed discrepancies in what the Baylor community believes is appropriate for…
One in four people in the world will be affected by a mental health or neurological disorder in their lifetime.While this is a widely held statistic from the National Institute of Mental Health, it does not include everyone who needs treatment to remain happy, healthy and lead a life worth living. Nobody’s PerfectAlthough many people may think they lead a perfect life, they can be proven wrong even by the words of a teenager. “Nobody’s perfect. I gotta work it, again and again till I get it right,” Hannah Montana said. Even though she is a fictional pop star living…
No matter what classes one is in, it’s common to hear sensitive topics discussed and subjects that may be triggering brought up. This is completely normal, and it’s beneficial for students to become better educated about the issues that affect ourselves and the people around us. Sometimes tough topics can be lectured about in class, a video demonstration is shown, or a guest speaker is brought in to present. All of these ways of presentation are typically well-intended—the issue lies not in difficult subjects being covered, but in them being brought up without warning. If a complex topic like domestic…
With celebrities always in the headlines and the spotlight, it’s easy to get lost in their world portrayed by magazines, news outlets, television and social media. However, we often don’t realize how manufactured celebrities’ appearances really are. The truth is that most celebrities portray a false or altered version of themselves. Although they may not mislead us intentionally, they are held to a higher standard where their imperfections are called out and criticized at a much higher extent than the average person. Behind the scenes of these seemingly perfect pictures taken by or of celebrities is often a whole team…
By Cameron Copeland | ContributorTwelve former Baylor basketball players, including Chuck Lincoln, Kerry Castleberry, Pat Nunley, Craig Kaiser, and Jay Shakir, who played together from 1978-1984, reunited Saturday to watch the No. 1 Bears take on No. 14 West Virginia at the Ferrell Center. The former players were recognized by Baylor sports announcer Derek Smith at the game during a time-out call. Shakir, who played as a point guard through 1985, said witnessing the team evolve decades later makes him proud to see what Baylor basketball has become. “To see them rise to this level that they’ve probably never been…
Subtitles are tiny. With such good movies filmed in languages other than English, it’s time for the American audience to get over the little-word hump.“Parasite” won the Oscar for best picture. It’s the first foreign-language film to win in the category in the 92-year history of the program, and it’s a major milestone for the foreign film community. When “Parasite” won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, director Bong Joon Ho got on stage and said once Americans get over the “one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles,” there is a massive number of amazing films they can enjoy.Take “Roma,” last…
I’m a bit of a Baylor nerd. I sometimes imagine myself being at convocation as Samuel Palmer Brooks Immortal Message was delivered in May of 1931. The thought alone makes me giddy. Brooks was nearing the end of his life when he wrote the salient manuscript which seems to prophetically speak to the future.“To you I hand the torch. My love be unto you and my blessing be upon you.”This past Saturday, I performed my last set as the head DJ at Scruffy Murphy’s. While I’m no university president, I can’t help but feel a tinge of what Brooks must…
By Emily Cousins | ContributorThere have been very strong reactions to Kaitlin Curtice’s chapel speech Wednesday, specifically over her prayer and the content of her message.When I read in KWTX News 10’s article and Baylor Young Conservatives of Texas’ official statement that she prayed to “Mother Mystery,” I will admit I was skeptical of her message. However, I went online and watched her entire speech in Chapel myself, and she prays to “Mystery,” not “Mother Mystery.”This discrepancy may not seem like a big deal, but it changes the whole meaning of her prayer. Some students were saying this was a…
The female body has always been something society views as taboo. In the past, it was evident in the strict concealment of collarbones and ankles. Even now, in the 21st century, these prudish restrictions on women linger within the remarks about female performers.Judging women for the way they choose to present themselves is antiquated. Some may believe they are advocating on behalf of women by demanding more modesty. This side argues that women are exposing themselves to be objectified when dressed scantily. Yet it is precisely because of the way women’s bodies have been used to justify harassment that it…
Each Senator is allowed to write a 500-word opinion within a week of any bill being voted on by the full senate body. The six Senators listed below chose to combine efforts for their dissenting opinion on the failure of Senate Enactment (SE) 67-10. This bill aimed to restructure Student Senate into a more representative body by creating seats reserved for each academic and college program, valuable student populations such as First In Line or Multicultural Affairs Coalitions, as well as five at-large seats per class.As we stand in solidarity with those whose voices are not welcomed at the table…
By Meg Peck | ContributorOn Wednesday, progressive Christian author, poet and storyteller Kaitlin Curtice spoke during Baylor’s chapel.As a multiracial woman and citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, Curtice centered her talk around decolonization and balancing her Native heritage with her Christian faith. She began by performing a land acknowledgment to recognize the indigenous people of this area. From there, Curtice explained her upbringing as a biracial person in the Midwest and evangelical church and how she reconnected with her Potawatomi culture later on in adulthood. She discussed how colonization and the removal of the Potawatomi Nation from the Great Lakes…
Since the last time the Baylor Lariat published an editorial on e-cigarettes, many things have happened:All states raised the legal age of smoking from 18 to 21 in Sept. 2019.The FDA banned certain vaping flavors. The FDA cracked down on specific vaping products, such as Juul.However, vape juice is still leaking through the cracks within the legislation. Students turned their attention from the limited Juul products and pre-filled pods to a similar product: Puff Bars. Puff Bars made it through the strict confines of laws restricting vaping and tobacco products.The quick and easy replacement of Juul proves that FDA’s legislative…
With the start of Black History Month in February, it’s a time to recognize both past injustice while also focusing on ways that we can better our nation moving forward. While our country has taken huge strides forward in terms of representation and equality for African Americans, we still have a long way to go to fully tackle institutionalized racism. In a month that celebrates black culture and recognizes both past and current injustice, it’s important to focus on ways that black individuals are being portrayed in media and pop culture, particularly as the Oscars are held Sunday. \When nominations…
