Ultimately, voters are called to weigh the personal significance of a wide swathe of political topics — from abortion and taxes to health care and immigration. If, in the process of reflecting on all such topics, you recognize that abortion is the most important issue to you, then vote according to your opinion on abortion. However, if you neglect that reflection process, then you are doing a disservice to yourself and to the very idea of America’s representative democracy.
Author: Baylor Lariat
You may have noticed over the weekend that the sun started to set around 5:30 p.m., and afternoon turned into the dead of night in the blink of an eye. Even though winter won’t be upon us until Dec. 21, the end of daylight saving time marks the beginning of the darkest months of the year. From now until mid-March, many may struggle with seasonal affective disorder, also commonly referred to as seasonal depression.
Yes, it is relieving to relax and turn your brain off, but don’t forget you’re a guest wherever you’re staying — even if it’s home. Leaving for holiday breaks, you may be excited not to worry about a sink full of dishes or which roommate is going to take the trash out. That being said, be prepared to pitch in and help where possible.
While I cannot speak to Baylor’s historic reasoning for maintaining compulsory chapel, as director for chapel, I can tell you how we seek to exercise its value to Baylor students and our community.
Election Day is just around the corner, and as college students, it can be challenging to find a convenient location to turn in a ballot. Luckily, Baylor sought to relieve some of the stress of student voting by installing a voting site in the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center on Nov. 7.
At this point in the year, the combination of academics, work, internships and other school-oriented responsibilities can leave students swamped, and the light at the end of the tunnel can seem to grow frustratingly dim. Seasonal affective disorder is also coming into full swing, and it hits some people harder than others. While seasonal depression often requires more in-depth treatment, giving yourself plans to anticipate can certainly serve as a way to cope with the winter blues.
It’s no secret that politics is a black hole of economic jargon and social nuances. Yet, for some reason, college students are expected to magically have their views all figured out at 18. Tack it onto their to-do list, right after choosing a major and determining what line of work will fill the next 40 years of their lives.
As college students, there is pressure to base your future on the career of your choice. While it may sound cliche, a more fulfilling way to navigate the next phase of life is by establishing and maintaining strong relationships.
While we’re not telling you to shun all social media trends that are cute and funny or to look down on others for liking reality television or romantic comedies, it’s important to examine the implications of trends like the Roman empire, “girl dinner” and “girl math.”
There is honest and healthy debate to be had about Israeli politics and the path toward permanent peace in the region. But Hamas wants to play no role in that discussion. Hamas wants nothing but the death of the Jewish people. They have said so for years, and this Simchat Torah we watched in horror as they sought to make good on their word.
This is not something that can or should be reduced to a single repost in support of Israel or in support of Palestine. People are dying. Violence is ongoing. Having tunnel-vision on one opinion or another and making this about taking sides is insensitive. Violence to this extent is wrong, no matter what.
Baylor needs to implement free parking on a first come, first served basis across campus. This action would prepare students for the real world and the what-ifs while equalizing the start of everyone’s school day.
Especially at a rigorous school like Baylor, it’s easy to constantly compare yourself to your peers. Maybe you feel like you shouldn’t speak up in class because you think your ideas aren’t good enough. Perhaps you pass up applying for cool opportunities because you think your resume isn’t competitive. But the reality is that you have just as much to contribute as anyone else. Be confident in your own abilities, and know that there is a reason why you are exactly where you are.
Picture this: You’re in a Zoom meeting with an adviser trying to figure out what to study in college, suddenly realizing that this one small and seemingly insignificant decision might make or break the next 50 years of your life. Wait — that’s actually how it felt, wasn’t it? Being forced to choose your major before having 20 years of life experience under your belt is scary, but it doesn’t have to be the end all, be all.
So, scrap the excuses. No, the flu shot doesn’t infect you with an active virus. And no, just because you happened to get the flu after getting the flu shot when you were 11 years old doesn’t mean it’s completely ineffective. A lot of myths circulate on the topic. Don’t jump on the uninformed bandwagon just because it gives you a one-way ticket away from a needle.
Even when crime rates are down, your safety is always the first priority. Make sure you take it seriously and stay vigilant about your well-being.
At a university whose mission centers around leadership, academic excellence and “Christian commitment within a caring community,” it has become normalized to be religious on a more public scale.
Maybe you’ve witnessed your roommate call their sister for the third time in one day. Perhaps you overheard a classmate talking about the care package they just received from their mom. It’s hard not to compare those kinds of interactions to our own family dynamics. Be mindful that families function differently — and that’s OK.
Next time you or your friends try to use the “I don’t like sports” excuse, keep in mind that football games are just as much a social event as they are an athletic one. They’re about green and gold outfits and cowboy boots, tailgates in Touchdown Alley and the communal walk across the bridge, constant Sic ‘ems and the Baylor Line.
According to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, people between 18 and 34 years old make up almost 30% of deceased organ donations. As college students, it may seem like we’re invincible, but tragedy happens, and it’s important to be prepared. Becoming a registered organ donor doesn’t impact how you live; it just gives you the chance to help others after the fact.
I now know by heart how to make the best macaroni and cheese. To make the best dish, you must genuinely love the people you’re preparing it for. Love them enough to set ample time aside and to create an organized plan to begin the process. A rushed, cheesy macaroni dish will strip it of its best-tasting potential, creating only a tolerable, half-liked cooking reputation for yourself.
It’s 9:05 a.m. on a Monday. You take your seat in your first class and get ready for at least three surface-level class friends to ask how your weekend was. But while you hear others rattling off the frat parties they went to, you have nothing to talk about except a movie marathon, homework and more than one late-night trip to the Grease Pit — and that’s just fine.
As this new school year begins, let us never forget why the students before us picked the historic colors of green and gold that represent our beloved university. Baylor is built on the foundations of tradition, family and Christ, and it is known for its wonderful green and gold. Let us continue to fight for our gold.
By the time you get to college, you’ve already heard all the typical advice like ‘don’t bring your whole wardrobe’ or ‘don’t skip class.’ But as the years go on, there are plenty of lessons you learn along the way. Here’s what members of the Editorial Board wish we had known about college.
The mysterious world of health care often goes unnoticed by students, mostly because it’s a hard issue to digest. However, young people hold the power to influence American policies, and it’s important for students to know all of the facts, problems and potential solutions before they enter the real world after their time at Baylor.
With entry into university life comes plenty of new privileges for students, and the ability to vote is among them. For many Baylor undergraduates, the 2024 presidential election will be the first opportunity to put this power into play. However, what many students don’t realize is the buildup to the Nov. 5 Election Day has already started, and their chance to take action begins now.
In light of Baylor’s request to the Department of Education to affirm existing religious exemptions from Title IX, the Religious Exemption Accountability Project took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram to express its frustration. In the roar of social media, the posts went viral and sparked outrage from many in the Baylor community.
Whether you liked the film or not, be a girls’ girl (or guy) and practice empathy for others. Build up the women, men and people around you, validate their experiences and learn from the gender-related hardships they may face.
A 20-year-old organization at Baylor, the African Student Association aims to connect students of all races with their cultures, working to overcome the challenges its minority members face on campus and beyond.
67,325 deaths were preventable. Instead of focusing on incarcerating, over policing and arresting more, the justice system and lawmakers should refocus their efforts to harm reduction.