By Joy Moton | Reporter A group of 52 students gathered to engage in a facilitated discussion with a Baylor professor and his teaching assistant about the sexual culture of modern society Friday evening. Dr. Ralph Wood, a University professor of Theology and Literature along with doctoral candidate Rachel Toombs discussed various aspects surrounding the hook up culture and purity culture. Wood said the world has obtained a highly sexualized culture that is ambiguous and nearly frightening. “We live in a world now so totally sexualized that we have no protocol for courting,” Wood said. Toombs said the hook up…
Author: Baylor Lariat
If you have the weekly meal plan,how many times have you been in a situation where you weren’t able to use all your swipes, or used them too fast? The weekly meal plans refresh every week and are designed for students who eat two meals or less per day at dining halls. These plans are convenient, especially for students who live off campus, because students are not limited to only eating on or off campus. However, if students are not able to use all their swipes in a particular week, those swipes are essentially wasted. The Block 60 and 90…
Contrary to the proposal in the Sept. 20 editorial about the Rice Marching Owl Band’s (MOB) half-time show, I think the MOB actually succeeded in not crossing a line. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Baylor football, but consider the situation: fans of a football team that recently suffered many allegations regarding Title IX are upset that someone pointed this out. It’s true that rape and sexual assault are nothing to joke about, but when the MOB satirized Baylor’s recent Title IX experiences, they weren’t joking about either. Instead, they were reminding us of our recent shortcomings. We need to…
The nation has looked upon Baylor during the recent Title IX controversy. The reaction I’ve heard most frequently is, “they just don’t get it, do they?” People affiliated with our community publish full-page ads supporting [former president and chancellor Ken] Starr for “exceptional care for students and their well-being.” I see startling displays of disagreement with [former head coach Art] Briles’ and Starr’s firing on Facebook and in person, and Kendal Briles and many of the offending staff members continue to work for the team. Baylor does not understand sexual assault. This is a Christian issue. This is a safety…
By Jacquelyn Kellar | Broadcast Managing Editor The first show of Baylor Theatre’s 2016-17 season will debut on Wednesday, September 28 at 7:30 pm in the Jones Theatre. Fiddler on the Roof, a classic Broadway musical, is set in turn-of-the-century czarist Russia, but is filled with colorful, relatable characters. “It’s one of the only shows that touches all audiences,” said Friendswood junior Nicholas Carlin, who plays the role of Tevye. “It’s been done 150 times in Japan, they absolutely love it, and I think it’s the only show that does that.” Every member of the cast and crew is equally…
A few weeks ago, we erroneously released an editorial condemning Baylor for what we thought was a recent amendment to the policies concerning transferring class credits from outside institutions. We have since spoken with Baylor representatives and would like to apologize for the error and correct it now. After speaking with students and looking at Baylor’s “General Policies on Transfer Credits” online, we mistakenly believed that Baylor had, over the summer, changed their policy to prohibit students from transferring upper-level courses (3000 level or above) from community or junior colleges to Baylor. This is not the case; the tranfer credit…
By Michael Incavo | Guest ColumnistAs American citizens, it is our duty to stay informed, especially during an election. Keeping track of a presidential race can be hard work, but it’s a lot easier if you know what to look for. There are four main areas to keep an eye on: polling, electoral math, voter turnout, money and media. First, take a look at the polls. Sites like RealClearPolitics aggregate polling from a number of sources to give you the best picture possible. If you see three polls or an average indicating “Trump +2” for example, it is safe to…
Students have many complaints, but the one that seems to arise most consistently is parking. Many people find faults with the constantly changing number of spaces and ever-rising expense of the parking passes, and many students use tricks and cheats to avoid the motorized enforcement teams. However,these attempts only cause frustration for those who do their best to follow the parking lot rules and more work for those charged with monitoring the parking lots. One of the easiest ways to avoid a ticket is to simply park where you are allowed. In the simplest of terms, students who chose to…
Thomas, Jacob and Jordan talk Baylor, AP Poll and more on this week’s Don’t Feed the Bears!
Video by Christina Soto | Broadcast Reporter and story by Meghan Mitchell | Sports Editor At the Methodist Children’s Home in Waco, head football coach Matt Rodgers finds himself at the center of children’s lives each day — lives that he wants to make an impact on. Rodgers uses the tragedy of the loss of his first son to better the lives of others. Rodgers and his team work together through adversities to make the bond between the football coaches and players who live at the home go deeper than just on the field. “They are all good kids, but…
Cartoon by Joshua KimRape is an ugly word; it has been defined by society as one of the most heinous crimes possible. When a person is sexually assaulted, their humanity, their perspective of themselves along with the world around them and their trust in the good of others is irreparably shattered. Rebuilding all of their reasons to live can take years, and to love or trust another person again may, for some, be impossible. On Friday, the Baylor football team came home with a 38-10 win against the Rice Owls. However, this victory was completely overshadowed by the Rice Marching…
Before reading this editorial, it never occurred to me how important addressing sexual health on college campuses really is. Baylor does, in fact, act like sex is something that students don’t do, or even think about doing for that matter. Sex is never mentioned out in the open for students on campus, and the truth is students may be too scared to mention it for fear of being judged. Despite Baylor’s statement on human sexuality, the university must accept the reality: Students are already having sex, or they are talking about having sex. College is the first time most of…
To whomever it may concern: Please thank whoever wrote the editorial, “Let’s talk about sex.”, printed on Sept. 8. Not only is it thought-provoking, but it was written with a very professional tone that I appreciated greatly. It is nice reading an article on controversial subjects such as sex without divisiveness or sensationalism (as in Brugger’s guest column; that, unfortunately, killed the message she was trying to get across).Pedro Reyes, Pasadena, TX Senior
By Katie Mahaffey | Broadcast Reporter Urban Missions is preparing for a new semester of service. Their ministries strive to show the love of Jesus to people in the Waco community who are in need. “At Baylor Missions we believe that God calls us to love God and to love our neighbors and so with Urban Missions we do that through relationship building and service,” Carole Meriwether, Assistant Director for Urban and Domestic Missions at Baylor said. Baylor students have the opportunity to serve their community in a variety of ways. There are children’s ministries, eldercare ministries, special needs ministries…
Cartoon by Joshua KimHow many times have you found yourself stuck in traffic as you attempt to navigate campus, only to see students driving Baylor-owned golf carts swerve into the bike lanes to speed past you? Veteran students know that driving through campus anytime near passing periods is a death sentence (if your average death sentence consisted of spending 15 minutes staring at the bumper of the car in front of you), but it is sometimes unavoidable, and there are few things more frustrating than watching Baylor’s golf carts bypass the rules we are required to abide by. According to…
Cartoon by Joshua KimApple’s new iPhone 7 is one of the hottest items on the market, but seems to be one of the most controversial phones yet. The jet-black iPhone 7 models and all versions of the iPhone 7 Plus were sold out from pre-ordersReuters article reported Thursday. With the addition of water resistance, increased processor speed, improved cameras and longer battery life, the iPhone 7 seems to be a must-have.Apple works hard to compete with their competitors and maintain their reputation of having top-notch phones. However, when a well-known company decides to take a leap of faith in changing…
I am a graduate of Baylor University in 2001 and 2003. I used to dread the start of each semester, venturing to the bookstore to spend anywhere from $300 to $700 on textbooks. As an alumnus of Baylor now paying back over $70,000 in student loans, I struggled financially during my college years. I would often survive on packs of H-E-B-brand hot dogs and lunch meat. I now teach for a Hispanic Serving Institution where the average family income is less than $40,000. My students often choose to pay their electricity bill or buy groceries rather than purchase a textbook.…
When I first entered Baylor, one of the first things I looked for (other than a grip on my sanity) was food. I knew that I would have to stop eating at the Chick-fil-a in the SUB eventually. So when I went with my friends to East Village for the first time I was super skeptical, convinced that NOTHING was better than Chick-fil-a to me. I was so wrong. I got the grilled cheese and fries as my first meal and it was glorious. I swear I heard angels as I took the first bite of the grilled cheese. The…
On Thursday, Sept. 9, an email was sent to the Baylor community announcing the members of the Baylor University Presidential Search Committee. This email introduced the members of the committee as well as reassured the Baylor family of the university’s commitment to identify the next leader of our beloved university, who will lead Baylor into the future.After reading through the bulletin, I was disappointed to see the lack of racial and socio-economic diversity in the Presidential Search Committee. This committee is comprised of twelve members. However, only three of them are women and only one member is a person of…
By Emily EdwardsArenas filled with enthusiastic fans showing national pride, athletes showcasing their life’s work on the world’s greatest stage and the world coming together for two weeks every four years.Most of us are aware of the Rio Summer Olympics that concluded about a month ago and are already getting excited about Tokyo 2020. If you are still craving that feeling of excitement and unity the Olympics bring along, you are in luck. Many people are not aware the Paralympics shortly follow the Summer Olympics and are currently taking place, with the closing ceremony Sunday, September 18. The Paralympics allow…
Running is one of the best ways to stay active, especially for students living on a college campus. The time of day you choose to run is completely personal preference. However, the safety of yourself and others while you run must remain your first priority, regardless of when you choose to run. There are countless people running on and off campus every day, and many of them fail to be safe. Safety rules may seem self-explanatory to most, but they are things that need to be recognized by the runners in the student body. First of all, please do not…
By Jacquelyn Kellar | Broadcast Managing Editor The Medical College Admissions Test, or the MCAT, has been evaluating future medical school students since 1928, when it was called the Moss Test. It has since morphed several times to fit the needs of the changing culture in medicine. The latest of these changes comes 25 years after the previous one, effective in 2015. The changes that come with the newest exam are far from subtle. The test has almost doubled in length from 3 hours and 20 minutes to 6 hours and 15 minutes. Three new subjects of course material were…
Cartoon by Joshua KimBaylor has an absolutely gorgeous campus. Here, students enjoy lush green grass, resolute red brick buildings and perfectly manicured gardens and hedges that are always brimming with color. While we enjoy all of the perks that come along with the campus aesthetic (cute Instagram photos, scenic views and lots of space to run), we do not enjoy being accosted by the smell and appearance of dog poop. Owning a dog in college seems to be a growing trend in recent years, and along with that comes the chance of a leaving a mess. Letting your dog roam…
Thomas and Jacob talk rookie QB’s, the least impressive win and the state of the Big XII.
By Morgan Kilgo | Broadcast Reporter Orangetheory is the latest fitness facility to hit Waco. Located in the Lake Air Shopping Center, Orangetheory is a different kind of workout compared to what Waco has seen before. Each member is given a heart rate monitor to wear during the workout. The monitor is then connected wirelessly to the TV screens around the room. Members are able to monitor their heart rate and how many total calories they are burning while working out. “I would say that Orangetheory Fitness is the closest you can get to a perfect workout,” said James Ratfliff,…
Video by Morgan Kilgo | Broadcast Reporter, Story by Nathan Keil | Sports Writer Baylor’s defense was not tested much a week ago against Northwestern State, having allowed less than 100 total yards of offense. However, SMU was up for the challenge. The Mustang offense was able to flip the script on Baylor and find success by spreading the field and putting their athletes in space. Despite allowing more than 200 yards of offense in the first quarter and a half, the Baylor defense consistently stepped up on third down and forced the Mustangs to settle for field goals inside…
Let’s talk about sex. Or not. Baylor is really great at starting conversations. There’s endless discourse about serving God, engaging the community, pursuing academic excellence and finding one’s purpose. But we’re only really good at talking about things that don’t challenge the traditional Christian mission. When it comes to the topic of sex, it’s like the university reverts to an awkward teen fumbling to have an honest discussion about what sex is while avoiding words that are too anatomically correct`. Sex is almost never mentioned out in the open, and finding on-campus resources about healthy sexual habits is kind of…
By Rose Brugger | Guest ColumnistSince returning to school this fall, I have felt a change in Baylor’s atmosphere. Within my first three days on campus, I read multiple Title IX announcements in my syllabuses, received several mini-lectures on the importance of reporting assault and opened numerous emails mentioning Baylor’s “progress” in implementing the Pepper Hamilton recommendations. A heightened awareness of assault is hanging over the entire campus. Of course it’s important for Baylor to reform the way the administration handles assault allegations, but administrators aren’t the ones who can “fix” the problem of assault. They can’t look into our…
The Bears’ season rocketed into victory with their win against Northwestern on Friday. Excitement sparked among fans at the staggering 55–7 blowout. Yet the excitement was tainted for some with frustration over Ishmael Zamora’s three-game suspension. When the athletic department announced Zamora’s punishment in response to an animal abuse charge, students, alumni and others across the nation criticized the punishment as being too lenient. We agree that Zamora’s suspension was too lenient, yet this stance is not based on the severity of the punishment in relation to what Zamora did. Zamora was convicted of a Class C misdemeanor, and is…
