While most of America remains preoccupied with the feuding between Democrats and Republicans, a new party is on the rise, and I would argue that it has the potential to qualify as a new third party. The Tea Party recently made a prominent breakthrough in Congress through its Freedom House Caucus, their loudest and most powerful mouthpiece within the government. In their singlehanded deliverance of a loss to the Republicans in Congress over the new healthcare plan, they demonstrated their underrated voting muscle. In addition to voting power, their money-backing through the Koch brothers provides them with the tools that…
Author: Brooke Bentley
By Brooke Bentley | ReporterAt their weekly meeting on Thursday, several members of Baylor’s Student Senate presented a bill to address the recent racially charged incidents on campus.The bill, which highlighted Student Senate’s disapproval of recent events as well as their efforts to combat hateful acts on campus, came following recent increases in reports of hate crimes on campus following the presidential election due to racial and political differences. The student senators who proposed the bill said they felt the need to acknowledge what has been happening as well as create conversation about change. “Right now, there has been so…
By Brooke Bentley | Reporter Baylor honored veterans on Thursday with a Veterans Day Ceremony as part of a series of events to celebrate those who have served. Following an electric guitar rendition of the national anthem and a prayer, guest speaker Col. William Dwiggins, Veterans Education Regional Coordinator for the Texas Veterans Commission and Marine Corps veteran, spoke on God, oaths, patriotism and unity. Organized by the Veterans of Baylor, Veteran Education and Transitional Services (VETS) and the Army and Air Force ROTC, the event was held at 3:30 p.m. in the Barfield Drawing Room of the Bill Daniel…
By Brooke Bentley | ReporterAfter over a year of preparation and anticipation, the Baylor Democrats and the McLennan County Democratic Party came together at Poppa Rollo’s Pizza Tuesday evening to watch the presidential election finally unfold. However it did not go as they had expected.Leaving their Trump piñatas intact, their celebratory cake barely touched and conversations gone silent, the two groups watched in disbelief as their campaign-long optimism faded. Despite most polls and predictions showing a clear path to victory for Hillary Clinton, she was defeated by Donald Trump. “I’m extremely disappointed,” said Mary Mann, the Texas Democratic Women of…
Just hours prior to the airing of a “60 Minutes” special on the Baylor University sexual assault scandal on Tuesday, Interim President David Garland announced the launch of the university’s “The Truth” website with hopes of providing transparency and details about the scandal.The “60 Minutes” special, which aired Tuesday night, interviewed former Baylor Title IX Coordinator Patty Crawford and current Senior Vice President for Operations and Chief Financial Officer Reagan Ramsower, who was Crawford’s direct superior during her time at Baylor. Included on the “The Truth” website was a letter addressed to Baylor alumni and students in which Garland announced…
By Brooke Bentley | Reporter While it’s easy to get caught up in our own political opinions, we have to remember the importance of taking a step back and listening to others. As intolerable as an opposing political ideology may seem, the only way to truly learn where you stand and why you stand there is to hear all sides of the argument. Especially during divisive times like today, in the midst of a crucial presidential election, it’s so important to remember to remain tolerant and understanding. Listening is key. Even if you’re not interested in switching sides or even…
By Brooke Bentley | ReporterWhen a normal, fun-loving Baylor freshman went to see a doctor on Sept. 12 about a cough he had, he never would have dreamed the diagnosis would be the word “cancer.”After running in the Baylor Line only a few times, Cole Harrison was forced to pack up his dorm room immediately, leave his newly-made friends behind and drive nine hours to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital located, coincidentally, in his hometown of Memphis, Tenn. “The radiologist read the ultrasound and wanted him to go straight to the ER for a CT scan, and I’m a dentist…
By Brooke Bentley | Reporter Early voting has begun in Texas and the polls are coming to life, but many students still remain unaware of how the voting process works and consider voting a hassle. Local officials such as Mary Mann, president of the Texas Democratic Women of Central Texas, seek to show students just how easy the process can be. The first step is to be informed, Mann said. “If students are already registered in McLennan County, they can go ahead and vote any time between now and Nov. 4,” she said. “Otherwise, students can still request an absentee…
By Brooke Bentley | ReporterWhile Greek life is often portrayed as a mere social club, each group has a philanthropy upon which it can make an impressive impact.Tri Delta’s national philanthropy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, researches and treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Unlike most hospitals, St. Jude never charges the patient’s family for the child’s treatment or accommodations surrounding it. According to its St. Jude representative, Baylor’s chapter of Delta Delta Delta recently moved up to the No. 5 fundraising chapter of Tri Delta in the U.S. and to the No. 1 fundraising Tri Delta chapter in…
By Brooke Bentley | Reporter After a record-breaking 84 million viewers tuned into the first presidential debate and 63 million to the second debate, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will have their final head-to-head meeting before the presidential election in November at 8 p.m. tonight. Providing free popcorn and drinks, Baylor student government will hold an open watch party at 7:30 p.m. at the Waco Hippodrome Theatre. Students are encouraged to watch the debate and stay afterwards for a post-debate lecture and group discussion led by Dr. Patrick Flavin, an associate professor of political science. “We’re hoping that there will…
By Brooke Bentley | Reporter As the presidential election closes in, many students still remain unsure of not only who to choose, but also how to choose. Constantly thrown an overwhelming amount of information about the important topics of today’s political world, students often have trouble sifting through the contents and finding a like-minded candidate. Although the impact of the youth vote is often underestimated in America, it has greatly impacted several past presidential elections, including the 2008 election in which Barack Obama stabilized his victory by receiving 66 percent of the youth vote, as opposed to Mitt Romney’s 31…
By Brooke Bentley | Reporter Fountain Mall drew an enthusiastic crowd Tuesday evening, complete with Instagram selfies with Police Chief Brad Wigtil, a dunking booth to dunk Baylor University police officers and parking staff, “drunk goggle” driving courses and more. The Baylor University Police Department held its first National Night Out event to join other Texas communities in an effort to focus on creating safer neighborhoods and building relationships with local law enforcement. Catered toward promoting overall campus safety and crime prevention, the event offered a fun and informative night for the Baylor community. “We’re real human beings and not…
“I don’t like either of the candidates, so I’m just not going to vote;” this is a statement I’ve heard too many times from young people my age. Whether you realize it or not, voting is one of your civil liberties, up there with your right to freedom of speech, right to privacy and right to a fair trial, so needless to say it’s a bigger deal than I feel many voting age students realize. The U.S. has one of the lowest voter turnout rates among highly developed, democratic countries, ranking a pathetic 31 out of 35 in the latest…
Brooke Bentley | Reporter In a lively Friday afternoon lecture, Dr. Thomas L. Pangle spoke on the Federalist and Anti-Federalist arguments that led to the formation of the U.S. Constitution as it is known today. Pangle, who holds the Joe R. Long Chair in Democratic Studies in the Department of Government at the University of Texas, spoke at Baylor in honor of Constitution Day. With pocket-sized copies of the U.S. Constitution free for all to take, Pangle led the audience through the various opinions of those who drafted what is considered to be one of the most stable political documents…
By Brooke Bentley | ReporterFollowing the 15th anniversary of 9/11, Baylor Air Force ROTC will hold its fourth annual Waco Wounded Veterans 5K at 8 a.m. Saturday in McLane Stadium. All the proceeds will go to the Wounded Warrior Project.Wilmington, N.C. senior Justin Bishop is an AFROTC Cadet Colonel and vice wing commander for the Baylor unit. He said the event is changing locations this year to engage the Baylor community more. “The past three years we’ve held it out at the Waco Dam, but we thought that we needed to get a larger student involvement on campus, so this…
With a historic presidential election just around the corner, many Baylor students have yet to register to vote and do not know where to begin. Whether students choose to utilize an absentee ballot, plan to vote in their home county, or decide to register in McLennan County, some students are still unaware of the crucial deadlines and important steps to becoming registered. “The first question students should ask themselves is whether they are registered to vote. Then, if so, they should ask themselves where they are registered,” said Mary Mann, Texas Democratic Women of Central Texas president. “Don’t just show…
Upon its return from summer break, Baylor Student Government is kicking off the fall semester with upcoming freshman elections. They will start Monday, when the filing period begins, and end Sept. 20 with the campus-wide election. With several freshman positions now vacant, including freshman class president, freshman class vice president, freshman class treasurer/secretary and positions in the Student Senate and Student Court, the current officers hope to encourage the new freshman class to run for election and get involved with the organization. “Freshman elections are a great way to get involved really early on campus,” said Old River-Winfree senior Joel…
Brooke Bentley | ReporterInspired by the upcoming presidential election, the Baylor College Republicans and the Baylor Democrats are each pushing for their party’s success.With a possible presidential victory in their sights, both organizations have events planned for the fall semester with goals of increasing membership and registering students and locals to vote in the election.In addition to their goal of having Hillary Clinton elected as president in November, the Baylor Democrats also support state and local campaigns for their party, as well as work with organizations like Citizens for Responsible Lending and Bears Care, an on-campus organization that works to…
