Thomas and Jakob talk about Baylor’s disastrous weekend and vote for the winner of NFL’s battleground divisions.
Author: Baylor Lariat
Video and story by Christina Soto | Broadcast Reporter Better Together BU hosted a fundraising concert event at Common Grounds in order to raise money for refugees. “So many people are being driven from their homes and have nowhere to stay,” Medford, Ore., junior Micah Furlong said. “So we started this organization initially to help with those refugees. We partner with two organizations: the Refugee Services of Texas and the Arabic Church of Dallas. They give money directly to refugees in countries where they are not able to work due to racial and religious persecution.” Meanwhile, several Baylor students have…
We can all agree that ISIS has it wrong — the extremist group is responsible for the almost weekly terror attacks across the globe that have killed thousands and forced millions to flee their homes. ISIS is masquerading behind a gross perversion of Islam, using tangential interpretations of scripture to rationalize their “just terror operations.” It’s easy to rally ourselves against the group, dismissing the Islamic faith tradition as a whole and hailing the Christian tradition as civilized, almost paternal in its superiority.It’s much harder, however, to turn this critical lens on our own faith, to recognize and examine the…
Video and story by Jacquelyn Kellar | Broadcast Managing Editor People were dying to get into the East Terrace House Museum for the Sitting Up with the Dead Victorian Funeral and Spiritualism exhibit. The exhibit served to demonstrate Victorian traditions and mourning practices and how much they differ from today’s. Curator of Collections for Historic Waco Foundation Rachel DeShong talked about the “creepiest” tradition of them all: post mortem photography. For many middle class members of that society, their first and only portrait could have been after their death. “We have a whole section on photography in funerals. They would pose…
We’ve all seen movies like “Terminator” and “iRobot” where artificial intelligence is portrayed as unreliable and dangerous when manipulated, yet now we’re one step closer to releasing autonomous machines into warfare in place of humans. The United State’s Department of Defense aims to create autonomous fighter jets that will fight alongside men. These jets would be able to identify enemy targets carrying weapons and would potentially reduce the risks of endangering soldiers’ lives. However, these jets, intended to be fully independent robots, pose a threat by relying too heavily on artificial intelligence.“It could not turn itself on and just fly…
The construction of the Dakota access pipeline has been making news headlines for the past few weeks. The standoff between law enforcement and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe over the controversial pipeline implementation has caused actors and actresses such as Mark Ruffalo and Shailene Woodley, as well as individuals across the nation, to stand in solidarity with the tribe. Recent violence at the protest site has incited controversy between police and the protesters involved. Though oil is a necessary commodity, this standoff serves as an opportunity for the American government to step in and make reparations for what has widely…
Video and story by Jacquelyn Kellar | Broadcast Managing Editor Baylor’s medical humanities program hosted a symposium on Saturday, welcoming several guest speakers to talk to students about the social and humanitarian aspects of medicine. “[Medical humanities] provides students with the opportunity to really understand themselves and the world in which they’re going to be operating in,” said Rebecca Lunstroth, associate director of the Center for Humanities and Ethics at the McGovern Medical School. “How do you help humanity? It’s not memorizing biological facts. It’s a social occupation.” Dr. Thomas Cole, director of the Center for Humanities and Ethics at…
Video and story by Katie Mahaffey | Broadcast Reporter Baylor Fiji, The Kappa Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta, held its annual haunted house know as Fiji Fright Night. The haunted house was free to students, but the fraternity sold shirts at the event to raise funds for the organization of their choice. This year, they are fundraising for United Service Organizations, known as USO. “We put it all together in about three days and it really takes a lot.” said Mark Burkholder, the Baylor Fiji philanthropy chair. The fraternity worked together to set up this event by coordinating costumes, music,…
Video and story by Christina Soto | Broadcast Reporter October served as Breast Cancer Awareness month. According to the American Cancer Society, 1 out of 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer within their lifetime, affecting the lives of many across the globe. “I am so passionate about breast cancer awareness. My grandmother passed away by breast cancer about a year ago and being able to honor her life through our philanthropy and all the other lives that are affected through breast cancer is really an honor,” junior Zeta Think Pink Chair Meggan Noggle said. The sorority Zeta Tau Alpha…
On Nov. 8, America will face another pivotal moment in its history – Election Day. In less than two couple weeks, Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump will have to accept the outcome of the election along with the rest of America. The only problem is, can the candidates and the American citizens, accept a president we have absolutely no respect for?This election’s game plan has been entirely different. We have seen Clinton and Trump grappling to take the lead during the presidential debates, even if it meant making a mockery of each other and forgetting professionalism.…
Video by Jacquelyn Kellar | Broadcast Managing Editor and story by Rae Jefferson | News Editor This week the Baylor Lariat sat down with former president and chancellor Ken Starr to hear what he’s been up to for the past few months. On Aug. 19, Starr and the university announced a mutual separation following a year-long scandal around the university’s mishandling of sexual assault cases. “The mutually agreed separation comes with the greatest respect and love Judge Starr has for Baylor and with Baylor’s recognition and appreciation for Judge Starr’s many contributions to Baylor,” according to a university press release.…
With the constant media coverage of this season’s presidential candidates, it’s almost impossible to forget that elections are rapidly approaching. In just a matter of weeks, the nation will elect a new president, and media outlets will most likely shift from reporting on the most recent scandalous comment or debate debacle to examining each candidate’s reactions to the vote. Reporters will begin to write about what a Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump presidency will look like and newscasters will converse about potential early decisions and what will happen when the president elect takes office. Meanwhile, the new president will begin…
Opinions make the world go ’round. Without passion, we would never have seen the instigation of the civil rights movement, women’s suffrage or the Vietnam War protests. However, in the media today we have seen a startling shift away from pure informational news toward a faster-paced, biased commentary. With broadcast stations hiring personalities with a personal agenda and newspapers selecting stories that fit with their bias of choice, the lack of objective news has begun to misinform the public. We implore media outlets to differentiate between fact-based news and commentary and encourage audiences to dig deeper and decide for themselves…
Video and story by Morgan Kilgo | Broadcast Reporter Mary Lou Retton became the first United States female gymnast to win a gold medal in the individual, all-around competition at the 1984 summer Olympics. Now a retired athlete and mother of four, Retton spoke at Baylor’s acrobatics and tumbling dinner. The dinner was held at McLane stadium where Retton shared her story of becoming an Olympian and the reasons why she supports the rise of acrobatics and tumbling. “The sport of gymnastics and acro and tumbling takes a tremendous amount of physical strength, but even more mental,” Retton said. “These…
ISIS has people turning to violence abroad, North Korea’s nuclear program is proliferating and nearly half a million Syrians have died in the country’s civil war. Knowing that these events are taking place, it makes sense that people are worried about the United States’ national security and military strength. However, the military should reallocate some of its funds to local matters such as the health and education of today’s youth. Though the U.S.’s discretionary budget puts education as the third-most invested-in industry, it trails behind the military by a whopping $530 billion annually. Simply moving $5 billion from the military…
Thomas and Jakob talk the upcoming NBA season.
Video and story by Katie Mahaffey | Broadcast Reporter Baylor Puppy Playtime is an event where students meet to play with dogs and allow the dogs to socialize with one another. The existence of this group has proved beneficial to the dogs and their owners. “Typically he doesn’t have a whole lot of interaction with other dogs. We live in a complex that doesn’t have many other animals and so he gets to come out and see everybody and make a lot of new friends,” Grapevine senior Nicole Pepper said. The pets get fresh air while students walking past get their…
Student-athletes aren’t your everyday students; they don’t keep traditional schedules and they certainly aren’t held to the same standards as the rest of the student body. They often have more on their plates, both metaphorically and physically, and unlike most students, their extracurricular activities tend to dictate the rest of their daily lives. No, student-athletes are far from normal, but the divide between athletes and traditional students at Baylor seems to be continually growing, perpetuated by privileges and rules that apply only to student-athletes, effectively isolating them from the rest of the student body. While this may be commonplace among…
Video and story by Morgan Kilgo | Broadcast Reporter Baylor’s graduating class of 1966 held their 50-year reunion Friday during Baylor’s annual homecoming weekend. The reunion was held in the Barfield Drawing room. Alumni took a class photo, ate dinner and had the opportunity to mingle with their past classmates. Three roommates, Margaret Skimmyhorn, Maris Williams and Gale Holton were reunited after 15 years apart. “We had one of those big rooms in Ruth Collins hall, and so we were right where the showers and the bathrooms were so our room was the place that everybody came. It was a…
The rush for Spring 2017 registration begins Nov. 2. Some students make mock schedules; some plan to fly into the process blindly. Regardless of the preparation involved, students will have to wait until their registration date to see if the classes they need are still available. This can be especially frustrating for those who are required to take smaller-sized classes, as those tend to fill up quickly. Classes that are required for specific majors have limited seats and high demand, and can be filled up before the second half of the registration waves are even given the chance to secure…
Thomas and Jakob try to figure out what’s wrong with the Packers, play a new game and talk about the crazy weekend of college football.
Video and story by Jacquelyn Kellar | Broadcast Managing Editor Gathered at the Baylor Sciences Building on Saturday morning were men and women of all ages, who come from all walks of life. The one thing they have in common: they all began their journey in medicine at Baylor. The Doctor’s Homecoming Breakfast welcomed not only alumni, but current students and Hillis Scholars. Dr. Hillis himself attended the event and was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award for his 30 years of service teaching at Baylor, as well as kick-starting the Medical Humanities program, the first of its kind…
Video and story by Jacquelyn Kellar | Broadcast Managing Editor and filming by Katie Mahaffey | Broadcast Reporter After a disappointing weather cancellation last year, the Homecoming Bonfire Extravaganza returned with a vengeance. Thousands of alumni, students and their families poured onto Fountain Mall to enjoy the festive music, food and fire. For many, this was their first homecoming as a Baylor Bear. Gilroy, Calif. freshman Jonathan Schmidt and his twin brother are the first in their family to attend Baylor and its homecoming. “Coming to Baylor, I wasn’t expecting there to be so much of a community,” said Schmidt.…
By Chandler Winston | Guest ColumnistMy goal in writing this response to Dr. Richard Duran’s lariat letter on Oct. 3 was to determine the purpose and value of studying a second language at Baylor, examine how that is achieved and determine exactly why or why not American Sign Language meets those requirements. Duran began his argument by saying, “American Sign Language is precisely that – American,” claiming there is “nothing international about American Sign Language.” This is entirely false. ASL is the main sign language used in Canada. It is also used in much of West Africa (Cambridge University). Furthermore,…
Thomas Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” The lesser-known continuation of that quote reads, “If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” In today’s society, it is easier to be informed of the latest Kardashian scandal, satirical debate or homerun blockbuster than about our constitution, our government and the history that has shaped our country. It is easier to make conversation about modern fads and celebrity obsessions than about…
Video and story by Christina Soto | Broadcast Reporter According to Dove’s Self-Esteem Fund, 71 percent of girls with low self-esteem feel that their appearance does not measure up — they do not feel pretty enough, thin enough or stylish enough. In high school, Mandeville, La. Junior Grace Valentine struggled through body image insecurities. She found herself not eating healthy. Valentine exercise daily to burn as many calories as she was consuming. However, it wasn’t until her friends brought it up to her that she made a change in her life. “Although, I looked happy, I wasn’t happy on the inside…
We see happy dog owners walking their dogs around campus, letting them play out on Fountain Mall and bringing them to the farmers market and other events around campus. All we see is how adorable the dogs are, and we think, “I want a dog, too.” What we don’t see is the commitment and the troubles of adopting a dog. Adopting a dog is easy. You sign a few papers and pay a small fee, unless it’s a special day at the Waco Humane Society and you get to adopt a dog for free. After your furry friend is spayed/neutered,…
When Justice Antonin Scalia died in February from a heart attack at his ranch in West Texas, it sounded like it was ripped from the screenplay of House of Cards. The Senate, led by the majority leader Mitch McConnell, has barred Obama’s Supreme Court Justice nominee, Merrick Garland, on the grounds that the pick should be reserved for the incoming president. In the meantime, more than 1,000 petitions for review have been rejected by the court, including a case about the NCAA’s policy about athlete compensation restrictions. Since it appears McConnell will continue to hold his ground, the future of…
Thomas and Jakob talk the undefeated Minnesota Vikings, the Prescott-Romo debate and college football impressions.
If you look on the Major Academic Planner (MAP) for a B.A. in journalism, it lists of four required courses under the category of lifetime fitness. According to Baylor University’s department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, “The purpose of the Division of Lifetime Fitness for non-major students is to provide health education, physical fitness education, and recreation education activities that will provide mental, physical, social, and leisure time preparation for lifetime fitness for all students.” However, while lifetime fitness is meant to be an outlet for students to de-stress and take some time to focus on being healthy, for…
