When you wake up in the morning, the first thing you do is probably reach over to your bedside table and pull out your phone to immediately check social media. What about before you go to bed? You’ll probably scroll through Instagram or Twitter for about ten minutes or two hours before going to sleep.Everyone is guilty of this. Whenever there is a dull moment in your day, it’s so easy to pull out your phone and check social media really quickly and disconnect from those around you. It’s the easy thing to do.When you do this, your feeding the…
Author: Baylor Lariat
Although upperclassmen may not miss the finicky showers, fluorescent lighting and twin-sized beds of Baylor’s dorms, the communal style of living fosters connectivity many of us lack in our latter college years. Residence halls cultivate relationships with fellow students through shared resources, community events, collective spaces and common goals.While upperclassmen who choose to move off campus often do so in search of more separation between school and personal life as well as more affordable housing, they forgo opportunities to live in supportive, community environments. Baylor should offer cooperative housing to upperclassmen so they can maintain close-knit community life off campus.In…
Throughout our schooling, we are taught to never cuss. We are taught to read, write, structure our sentences and speak in public settings, but we are never told when it is a good time to swear. Long seen as taboo and lazy, cussing is taking on a totally different connotation these days, which is why we can all use a little more cussing in our own lives, just as long as we are practicing safe swearing. A recent study done by psychologists Kristin Joy of Marist College and Timothy Jay of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, concluded that cussing is…
The debate on whether or not vaccines are necessary has persisted for far too long. Studies are continuously being done to debunk the notion that vaccines cause autism –– a claim that was first made in the 1990s by a British doctor who seemingly found a connection between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. In 2011, however, this report was found to be falsified, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Therefore, the money being spent to debunk the anti-vaccination movement is being wasted, because enough research has already been done to disprove the notion that…
With the digital world all around us, it can seem confusing or pointless for print publications to stubbornly persist. With all the information we could possibly need is at our disposal with the tap of a button or the touch of a screen, it’s important to remember that is that there’s plenty more value to print products than simply the information they provide. Newspapers and magazines offer a creative forum for designers and writers to express themselves, as well as for readers to enjoy. Magazines, for example, are some of the foremost outlets of art available. The skills and manpower…
Whether you’re sending a note to a professor or following up on a job application, knowing how to write an email professionally and eloquently is a skill college students should invest time in learning. Thanks to mobile technology, email writing has become much easier to execute, but also much easier to mess up. Slang, text-speech and informal greetings have become much more common in our fast-moving technological communication and can degrade the professionalism of an email. However, learning to write a professional email is not a lost cause and can sometimes be the difference between getting a job or a…
By Dr. Burt Burleson | Contributor The Bible, cover to cover, recognizes the significance of – and challenge of – getting along with one another. It is held up in some texts as the “yard stick” for Christian discipleship; in some passages it is evidence of wisdom, in others it is the calling to love whoever happens to be our neighbor or our enemy, and in some verses, making things right with others is essential for being made right with God. Getting along, seeking peace in community, being kind, being truthful in loving ways, reconciling as we are able, offering…
The few weeks of class between spring break and graduation can be hectic — between applying for jobs, acing your last finals and celebrating your last Diadeloso, there may not be much room for free time. However, most Baylor graduates will leave Waco after crossing the stage in the Ferrell Center, which is a big change. Before leaving the city you’ve called home for the past four years, there are a few of things we recommend you do. Other local websites have Baylor- and Waco-specific bucket lists, but our top 10 was compiled by students for students, and should be…
In need of a forum to access homework help and enact deadline changes? Class group messages are arguably the most underrated resource for students. Other than a professor or Teaching Assistant, no one can really help you with a course as much as a fellow classmate can. We have all experienced remorse over times we did not have a class group message.Moments a GroupMe would have been helpful:When class was cancelled last minute, and you never saw the Canvas or email notification before arriving to class.When you had a question about something said in class.When you needed a united front…
By Claire Crites | Guest Columnist The profile of a single, young male from Mexico compromising the majority of southern border migrants in the United States is no longer a reality. According to the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), 40 percent of apprehended migrants in 2018 were children and families. Compare this to 2014 when children and families compromised only 10 percent of apprehended migrants — it is clear a change has occurred. Migrants are also no longer primarily from Mexico. According to the Pew Research Center, there were more apprehensions of non-Mexicans than Mexicans at the U.S. border…
The sidewalk is a beautiful invention. It creates a path for people to walk, alongside the street and it’s specifically designated for pedestrians. And while you’re not driving a car on the sidewalk, there are still unspoken rules that you should follow when using a sidewalk to ensure your safety and keep others safe too.When using that beloved white pavement, be sure to use it as a road. If you’re out for a walk or a leisurely stroll, stay on the right side of the sidewalk or the “slow lane” so you stay out of the way of others that…
By Jordan Davidson | ContributorThe first time I heard about Chapel at Baylor, I was excited. Two whole class periods a week dedicated to worshipping, praying and learning more about God seemed like a perfect example of one of the reasons I chose to attend a private, Christian university. Maybe I was a little ignorant or just slightly blinded by my own excitement, but my first Chapel experience did not even come close to meeting my preconceived expectations.My first time in Chapel was a severe disappointment. As I stood up to leave Waco Hall and swipe the student ID that…
From wolf whistles to cat calls, some men seem unable to recognize that verbal sexual harassment is never welcome. In a 2018 study on sexual harassment and assault, commissioned by the Stop Street Harassment organization, 65 percent of those surveyed reported experiencing street harassment in the form of “someone whistling, honking, making kissy noises, ‘Pssst’ sounds, or leering/staring aggressively.” Furthermore, 66 percent of women reported experiencing some kind of sexual harassment in a public space. We all have a role to play in ending verbal sexual harassment. This kind of behavior is part of a larger social phenomenon that accepts…
We all have the relative that sits at the table during Thanksgiving, lighting the conversation on fire with their hot takes and weirdly specific facts they seem to pull out of nowhere. Usually it’s focused on politics, but sometimes it’s a weird fact they found on Facebook.You normally just brush it off, but it still sticks with you. You don’t take time to look it up online or check if it’s factual. Instead, you go and share the statistic with some friends, and it spreads. This can all be easily avoided by simply taking a few moments out of your…
Kathy Khang, speaker, activist, former director of campus access initiatives with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, and author of the book “Raising Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent and How to Speak Up,” was recently invited to speak in Chapel on Feb. 18. She is also one of the few Asian-American speakers we have ever had on campus. Her sermon text was Mark 5:21-33, the story of Jairus’s daughter and the bleeding woman. She shaped the sermon around the idea of having privilege and using such advantages to help those who are not as fortunate. She used several examples to highlight recent…
Baylor is a university well known for its school spirit, traditions and pride most evident in its athletic events. While football and basketball games and even the occasional soccer match have become seminal Baylor social events, baseball games at Baylor Ballpark are gems that largely remain untouched by the student body. While the Bear Pit and the Baylor Line provide a cauldron of support for the basketball and football teams respectively, the baseball team has had no such fortune. In fact, those of us who do go to games regularly would be hard-pressed to tell you what sections students should…
The practice of shaking your sillies out should be carried into college. College students exist in a perpetual state of sitting: from attending class to studying at the library to bingeing TV at home. Incorporating walking into an everyday routine benefits the mind, body and environment.A trend among elementary schools have started promoting movement breaks during the school day. While primary schools have blocked out class periods for recess, college students enjoy the freedom of more flexible hours. Walks, which can be as short as five minutes, do not even require a pre-planned schedule.Walks are arguably the most accessible form…
It’s almost impossible to not to sound like a grandparent looking back on a their long and happy life when you start a sentence with, “Kids these days,” … but nevertheless…Kids these days love YouTube. Although a majority of Baylor students don’t actually have a child, most can say that they have a younger sibling, niece, nephew or neighbor, and many of those sweet little kiddos spend hours a day watching videos on a tablet, iPod touch or smartphone. YouTube needs better child-proof systems in place for parents. This was evidenced early last week by the discovery of disturbing videos…
By Libby Feray | ContributorDear Lariat Editorial Board,I appreciated your recent editorial on how Baylor could do more to fight food insecurity among its students. The sober statistic you mentioned is that nearly 20 percent of Baylor students experience some level of food insecurity, or lack of access to affordable, nutritious food. While you highlighted several contributing issues which only authorities at Baylor can address, such as the need for more affordable meal plans or an extended shuttle system to take students to the grocery store, I wanted to inform you that there are many ways students themselves can fight…
For those of us who shop online, Christmas comes more than once a year. Instead of shuffling down the chimney, Santa knocks on our doors, dressed in a FedEx delivery uniform. Searching for that feeling of euphoria that comes from receiving a gift — even one you got yourself — in a brown cardboard box can be an addictive, wasteful and expensive habit. Researchers from Beijing Normal University published a study in 2017 that linked the addictive behavior of online shopping to internet addiction and compulsive buying. That is to say, online shopping addiction has connections to not one but…
In this day and age, we as journalists find ourselves having to defend our stances and face increased scrutiny. Because news outlets are desperately trying to fully represent their audience, we see more and more newsrooms aiming to include more diverse applicants in their team. While the term “diversity” is often associated with socioeconomic and ethnic background, newsrooms should also strive to incorporate reporters with diverse political perspectives and life experiences. We have seen a rapid increase in minority journalists in the last few years. According to the 2018 diversity survey conducted annually by the American Society of News Editors,…
Approximately half of the country’s college students are food insecure, according to a 2017 study published in the Educational Researcher. Food insecurity is the lack of access to affordable, nutrient-filled food. Baylor’s campus is no exception. In 2015, campus research showed that nearly 20 percent of the Baylor population is food insecure. That’s roughly 3,000 students who don’t know where their next meal will come from. Baylor has been taking many steps to correct this issue, and it’s made plenty of strides in that area — the creation of The Store and The Fridge are both effective ways to provide…
The world would be a stranger to songs like “Look at me!” by XXXTentacion or “Star shopping” by Lil Peep if it wasn’t for Soundcloud. This streaming platform is primarily used by hip-hop and rap artists and takes their songs from underground sensations to national phenomenon.Soundcloud is a hassle-free way to upload your music and try to create buzz around the brand you are building for yourself. It’s more convenient than YouTube because you can play music while your phone is locked, and it’s specifically geared towards music creators rather than video producers.Many artists have used their Soundcloud stardom to…
From an early age, most children are taught they can become whatever they want to be. If they have a passion for healing others, they can become a doctor; if they enjoy working with animals, they can become a veterinarian; if they’re moved by music, they can become a singer or dancer. However, some children grow up with these ideas of what they want to do and who they want to be, only to have their dreams squashed by discriminatory employers. There are various forms of workplace discrimination, including limitations based on gender, religion, weight and others. Race is a…
Coming to college, there are plenty of things we need to adjust to, not only in the classroom, but especially the rigors of living independently. While it may seem small, HEB does more to help the Baylor student assimilate to life on their own more than any business in the area. Unless you come from central or southern Texas, HEB was probably not the grocery store chain you grew up with. With Baylor’s diverse student population hailing from all corners of the United States, students come in from Kroger, Piggly Wiggly, Stop and Shop or Trader Joe’s households and are…
Since the increased popularity of the Enneagram test, knowing someone’s number allows us to form assumptions about the personalities of people around us. The Enneagram can reduce complex, unique people to a simple personality type. While tools such as the Enneagram help us learn about ourselves and relate to those around us — especially since college is prime time for self-discovery — they should never be used in isolation or taken at face value.The Enneagram, a test that identifies nine personality types, has risen to popularity recently. It identifies people’s prime processing methods — thinking, feeling or instinctive — as…
Hashtags like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter have been used to call out injustices against marginalized groups. Less discussed, however, is the discrimination overweight people face.In the past decade, the prevalence of weight discrimination in the U.S. has increased to reach rates comparable to that of racial discrimination, according to the American Journal of Public Health.While federal law prohibits workplace mistreatment on the basis of race, age, gender or religion, only one of the 50 states, Michigan, has any legal protections against weight-based discrimination.Weight stigmas may have remained socially acceptable because it has been suggested as a method for obesity control. The…
Sam Cedar | Contributor What a beautiful season this is. A season that allows us to reflect on just how fun the opening night of “Black Panther” was, wonder how “Shallow” could still be stuck in our heads three months after seeing “A Star Is Born” or marvel in awe at just how fat Christian Bale got to play Dick Cheney. That’s right, it’s Oscar season. So without further ado, my Oscar predictions go to… Best Picture: The Favourite Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos is known for his eclectic directing style and shock value, previously releasing critically divisive movies like “The…
Despite the age-old saying that sticks and stones break bones but words don’t hurt, words as well as tone can cause harm, especially at a young age.Even in their most formative years, humans are still sensitive to the language that others use, according to Dr. Patty O’Grady in an article for TeachThought. O’Grady advises that kindness must be experienced to be learned, and that in the same way, negativity and abuse can be learned if that is what is being demonstrated.Because these traits must be taught, it almost goes without saying that children should be educated by people who want…
A plea to the Baylor co-eds
