This spooky season, don’t get tricked. October is recognized as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but protecting your identity is essential year-round. There are a variety of ways in which a hacker or scammer can target you and access personal information, but there are measures you can take to keep yourself free from identity fraud.While identity fraud may seem like something that only happens to people worth stealing from, like celebrities or politicians, it is more commonplace than you think.According to IdentityForce, 1 in 15 people are victims of identity fraud. While getting hacked or scammed is often out of your…
Author: Baylor Lariat
When newspapers become gossip tabloids, journalism is threatened. The Washington Times published a story last week criticizing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) for a $300 haircut with the headline, “Self-declared socialist AOC splurges on high-dollar hairdo.” The articles claims Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could’ve saved $100 dollars at a Capitol Hill barbershop and subsequently compared her grooming habits to that of Attorney General Jeff Sessions — a man with, quite frankly, not very much hair. If this article were to have any merit or worth in a publication that considers itself to be a reputable news source, it should in no way…
The Warner Bros. film “Joker” took home $39.9 million in domestic ticket sales on its opening day Oct. 4. Surpassing films like “Gravity,” “The Martian” and “Venom” (2018), the highly anticipated drama broke the record for the highest grossing opening day for a film in the month of October. However, a film giving the origin story of the infamous DC Universe villain with a taste for violence was bound to be wrought with controversy. Even before the film’s release in theaters, writers and just about any concerned movie viewer with an internet connection bashed the film for being radical in…
Many an article, many an academic journal have been written about the decline of the humanities and the glorification of the sciences. The humanities departments shrink; the science and business departments grow. As an English major, I have casual existential crises once a month about how to apply my knowledge to the job market. But I also know there are many kinds of value besides economic, for I think studying the humanities are valuable on their own accord. On Baylor’s campus, I see this difference in attributed value exemplified in the respective buildings the departments inhabit.I like walking through the…
Cringe videos and compilations have exploded in popularity in recent years, developing their own in-jokes among YouTube audiences.In these videos, “cringe” is anything that elicits second-hand embarrassment. However, the hunger for that particular emotional reaction has cultivated a virtual “carnival freak show” of sorts where people are be ridiculed for videos posted of them.The earliest versions of cringe culture existed on online image boards like 4chan, and others like Encyclopedia Dramatica and Kiwi Farms. In those communities, people like Christine Weston Chandler and video game creator Brianna Wu have almost endless obsessions over them: Chandler, for her eccentric life and…
Different from other political involvement, or lack thereof, being involved with local government is integral because it’s being involved with your community.The types of things that can be addressed through local government, that people can directly have a voice in, include things like public improvement, construction, community health, primary education, local organization development and representation, as well as connection with the government. Current community issues like these can have information gathered by locals through resources like https://www.waco-texas.com – locals can find what local polices and officials are and decide if they want to get involved and initiate change or provide…
Six Degrees, the first recognized social media site, was created in 1997. Users were able to customize a profile and friend one another. Since then, social media has expanded dramatically into what is now a key part to modern life. There has been a shift from carefree, genuine content to commercializing and focusing on a number that the world will see.Who would have known that a click of a button could hold so much power?Not all individuals are consumed by the “like.” Some use social media for personal use and to connect and share with the world. Others use social…
The library should be utilized for studying and quiet hours. There are designated areas of the library where it is appropriate to talk or study with friends. In no part of the library, however, should you be shouting or raising your voice.Students go to the library primarily for the sole purpose of studying. It’s not a hangout spot, and it’s not somewhere you’re going to watch the football game. A lot of people can’t focus in their room or with noise, so they go to the quieter parts of the library. If there are large groups of people in these…
By Caroline Yablon | Contributor About a year and a half ago, Newport Beach, Calif., junior Trey Mena journaled after a church service about the idea that Christians are supposed to live as human solar panels. Little did he know that his journal entry would become the mission of his future company.On Sunday, Mena launched the cite for his clothing company called Solar Apparel on Instagram.This summer, Mena planned to go on a mission trip to Budapest; however, he received news that he was not able to go because of an illness. At that moment, Mena had two options: hold…
In regard to the article “Stop deafening life with your music” in the Oct. 1 issue of the Lariat: I completely disagree with the article’s statement that music puts students at a higher risk of depression. As well I am concerned about the relevance of the research used in this article to the argument expressed therein. The study referenced in the article’s claim that “With each level increase of music consumption, participants were at an 80% higher risk of depression” cannot be assumed to mean that people who listen to more music are more at risk for depression. The study…
It has become an automatic reaction. When we arrive at a destination early, when we’re bored during a meeting or when we don’t feel like making small talk with any of the people around us, we resort to the easiest distraction: our phones. It’s just a convenient and simple way to remove ourselves from a situation. We can easily assume it doesn’t offend or affect anyone else either, since it seems like everyone else is doing it too: in the classroom, in a coffee shop, on the shuttle. Rather than engage with what is around us, we shut out the…
Each day, we send out a variety of messages to communicate with people online. A recent Business Insider statistic even shows that the average person between 18 and 24 years old sends around 2000 texts every month. Our friends, family, coworkers and classmates receive texts and emails from us consistently about matters big and small. As automatic as communicating online may feel, the effort we put into crafting messages and showing common courtesy matters. Even actions as basic as sending a quick text takes on added significance considering that online messaging has become one of the primary forms of communication.…
There is no excuse to not recycle and recycle properly. Every year 18 billion pounds of plastic waste flows into the oceans contaminating the waters and creating massive plastic islands out in the ocean posing risks for sea life and ocean ecosystems. Additionally, 40% of plastic produced is for packaging and is used once and discarded. With these statistics, it is astonishing that most of the apartment complexes around campus do not recycle. Thousands of students live in various complexes around campus including Park Place, UPointe, The View, URSA, the Domain and the Outpost. None of these places offer large…
Many people only think of cellphones or drugs and alcohol when it comes to distracted or impaired driving. However, impairment can come in many forms: emotional distress, zoning out, eating or drinking, rowdy passengers, etc. You may think you’re “fine,” but if something is impairing your ability to focus on the road, you are driving dangerously — to yourself and others on the road or in the car. Each day in the United States, approximately nine people are killed and more than 1,000 injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver, according to the Center for Disease…
Baylor strives to be a caring community. Other communities are devoted to caring, too, such as hospitals, nursing homes, daycares, and soup kitchens. The fundamentals of caring are similar for all these institutions: caring for another, in the original sense of the word, means suffering alongside another, sharing another’s burden. But the specific form of caring is a little different for these different institutions. For example, caring for an Alzheimer’s patient is not exactly the same thing as caring for a homeless person or a child with autism. How, then, can Baylor become a caring community for all its students,…
For our generation, Twitter is a natural platform to express grievances about our Baylor experience — be it parking-related, I-35 construction, over-irrigation of the sidewalks, etc. The thing about tweeting @Baylor is that as cathartic as it may be, it is unproductive. The Baylor Twitter account is run by Baylor’s social media coordinator Rachel Miller-Moudgil. She is on the same team as the people who manage the official Baylor Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest accounts. While Rachel has an important role managing Baylor’s Twitter, she has no university policy-making power. Whenever @Baylor’s mentions are flooded with angry rants, her job…
College is the one time in your life that you get to live in such close proximity to such a large population of the perfect demographic for friends: people your same age, in the same stage of life as you. There is no other time you will live, work and play within a 2-mile radius of so many potential friends.While this may be exciting to some, it can be daunting to others. People are different. Some like to always be with people, at the center of the action, while others prefer to stick to themselves. It should be stated that…
Yes, Baylor is a private “unapologetically Christian” institution, and yes, Baylor’s doctrine says sexual intimacy is to be expressed in the context of marital fidelity. Because of this, many students often assume that Baylor doesn’t have any sexual health resources available. Don’t get caught up in all the talk and simply assume Baylor doesn’t offer these things because of its Christian status. If you just do a little bit of research you will find this is not the case. The health center does in fact offer STI testing, birth control consultation and well women’s exams. As a general rule, women…
We’re all human. We’re not perfect. We slip up. We learn from our mistakes. With the power and accessibility of social media, it can be easy to take one look and make an assumption about something you see while scrolling. One push of a button can shape the mindset of the masses. This often causes us to forget about the humanity in everyone. Someone’s reputation or even career can be destroyed by what many would call “cancel culture,” and it begins with mob mentality. An example this year of cancel culture occurred with James Charles, one of the largest YouTube…
It’s an easy habit to resort to — you make a comment in a conversation, and to counter what you said or to lesson its effects, you say something self-deprecating, often in a humorous way. Making fun of yourself, or using self-deprecating humor, is incredibly common and is usually thrown into a conversation sarcastically. Although a normal amount of this type of humor is perfectly healthy, constantly resorting to self-deprecation can also have unwanted consequences. There’s a definite difference between light-heartedly making fun of oneself and repeatedly tearing oneself down, even if it’s just for laughs. It’s normal and even…
Friends are there to support you through the rollercoaster of life; however, they should not be expected to fix your emotional and mental health issues. This culture of relying on loved ones to fill the role of a personal mental-emotional health professional or counselor is a toxic one. It puts unfair expectations and responsibility on loved ones and can strain relationships. No friend or significant other should feel emotionally responsible for you, and no one should feel like their emotional or mental health or stability is based off another person. Odds are, if someone really cares about you, they will…
September is recognized as National Suicide Awareness and Prevention month, however this topic is something that deserves more attention than 30 calendar days. The American College Health Association shows us that the suicide rate has tripled over the past 70 years for individuals between 15-24. For college students, suicide is the second most common cause of death.With college comes new responsibilities and freedom that can become difficult for individuals in this new chapter. They are separated from what is familiar, away from their family and now forced to balance life on their own. This can be particularly challenging for someone…
Despite a sixth person dying due to a lung disease related to vaping in the United States, you can still find students hitting their Juul in Moody Memorial Library. While the substance of vaping is believed to be less harmful than cigarettes, vaping culture has a far more sinister grip on teenagers and young adults today than smoking culture.Accessibility and Convenience One aspect is the overall accessibility of vapes and e-cigarettes, but most importantly the culture our generation has cultivated around this dangerous trend. When people smoke cigarettes habitually, they must carve out certain times of their day to satisfy…
On Baylor’s Active Attack Training video released Sept. 6:If you’re going to make an important informational video for all students to watch, don’t make one that requires a disclaimer. A video like this, especially one with such an important message, should be accessible and approachable to all students. But, it literally opens with a student getting shot in the face. I feel like it almost defeats the purpose. Students that are particularly disturbed by this kind of thing are probably the ones that would most need the kind of reassurance this video attempts to give. I understand that this subject…
“Meal plans are convenient, flexible, and loaded with options,” according to Baylor’s dining website. The reality is many students are not always guaranteed value or options due to misaligned scheduling and option availability.Meal plans for the general student population (undergraduate and non-student athlete) give you dining dollars to use at campus restaurants and cafés as well as “swipes” to use in the residential dining halls. There’s a conflict, however, when students can’t take full advantage and get their full value of the promises of their $835.63 (“the light eater 3”) to $2,991.56 (“the everyday 150”) meal plan when dining halls…
As a Texas university, football games often dictate most fall weekend plans. Football dominates everyday conversation and merchandise at the Baylor Bookstore. As much entertainment and pride football brings to the school, it is important to remember Baylor University Athletics is composed of over a dozen other sports.Every Baylor athlete is a student and fellow Bear. Most of us are overwhelmed with regular school obligations, and student athletes balance a full course load as well as practice. Their hard work should be respected and recognized. Cheering them on can take various forms.While not as popular, other sporting events can be…
In the past few days it has come to the attention of the Lariat staff that papers have been completely cleared out of several of the newsstands around campus. While normally a great sign for a student newspaper, there have been reports that these papers have been used for use in floats and set design. Last Friday, only 101 papers remained on stands, from the 2000 papers that were delivered that morning. Out of 33 newsstands, 24 had no papers by the end of the day.The papers of the Lariat are for reading by Baylor students, faculty and visitors. The…
College is a huge time commitment. While so many students say “I’m busy,” I don’t think that too many of them realize just how little time they have. From tangible events like classes, work and group meetings, to spontaneous happenings and time for rest and study, the clock can pass by rapidly.One of the biggest time sinks is relationships. Making time for friends, and being with them during their successes and struggles can eat into our daily allowance of time and energy. While it’s easy to think of these relationships as being only with other people, pets can also take…
Ben Shapiro, a prominent conservative political commentator and editor-in-chief of The Daily Wire, will be guest speaking at Baylor in November. One of Shapiro’s employees, Matt Walsh, spoke on Baylor’s campus last semester. His speech opposing gay marriage prompted peaceful protests and a petition with nearly 2,000 signatures in opposition to Walsh’s invitation to campus. Having Walsh’s superior, an even more prominent public figure, come to campus will likely be met with similar public upset. With Walsh and Shapiro, Baylor may appear to be an environment exclusively for right-wing representation. However, President Linda Livingstone is hosting a lecture series this…
While societal structures like the caste system or feudalism are no longer present in the United States today, sometimes people act as if there is they are ranked higher on the social totem pole than others.Everyone, regardless of race, job classification, age, sex, gender, etc. deserves respect. This understanding of inherent human dignity and value is the backbone of the U.S. Constitution. Yet, there are still clear instances where this common element of humanity is not acknowledged.Listening to someone talk is one of the best ways to validate their feelings and intelligence. Regardless if you like what someone else has…
