Emily Lohec | Staff WriterThis October through early November, Baylor University’s Department of Multicultural Affairs is hosting a month-long celebration for Asian and Pacific Americans. This month long recognition is filled with activities such as Halloween costume contests, listening sessions, a fall retreat, mixers and banquet. The celebration ends with a showing of The Farewell, an award-winning movie of a Chinese love tale. Two students who help oversee Baylor’s multicultural affairs department said they believe in appreciation of all cultures on campus. The events are open to the student body in order to be celebrated by everyone on campus. Rachel…
Author: Emily Lohec
By Emily Lohec | Staff WriterThis week, Sigma Chi is hosting their annual Derby Days event, which began Tuesday and ends Thursday. In December 2012, Sigma Chi designated the Huntsman Cancer Foundation as their main philanthropic organization, and members have since worked to raise money and donations for the cause. Through a week of donations made from members of the organization, as well as other Panhellenic members involved in campus Greek life, the money raised is donated towards the HCF Institute for Cancer Research. Kansas City, Kan., junior Daniel Foulon, a member of Sigma Chi, said he believes that Derby…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Professor and student duo Wayne Hampton and Jacob Kehoe, who graduated Baylor in May, couldn’t anticipate the success they would achieve when they began partnering for their company Aerial Intelligence Reports (AIR), which specializes in drone technology affecting the roofing industry. Kehoe enrolled in Hampton’s Management 3305 class while at Baylor, and Hampton had worked on his Aerial Intelligence and Reports company a little over a year and a half before bringing Kehoe on his team. The company took off in July. “As a student, Jacob would always seek me out after class, and…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Baylor’s chapter of It’s On Us, a domestic violence awareness organization, is displaying “Christmas in October” to commemorate National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and teach students the signs of unhealthy relationships. The exhibit features Christmas trees and a banner reading, “What’s more out of place than Christmas in October? Violence in a healthy relationship.” There are handmade ornaments as well, each showing one of the 10 signs of unhealthy relationships and resources available at Baylor and in the Waco community. “Christmas in October” is located at the Vara Martin Daniel Plaza, and has been…
By Emily Lohec | Staff WriterBrett Biggs, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Walmart, spoke about the company’s dedication to bettering the lives of their customers and the environment as part of Baylor Career Center’s Executive Speaker Series. Biggs and his team work together for Walmart’s Enterprise Solutions that focus on financial functions as well as Global Business Services. Biggs said he is determined to provide customers with a cost-effective shopping experience that is devoted to everyday low prices.Biggs joined the Walmart family over 20 years ago and has been CFO for four years. Over his time working…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer, Video by Grace Smith | Broadcast Reporter What do you get when you put together a father of three, a computer science guru and a few old home photos of young kids? The product became an app called CRADLE, and its outcome is the ability to improve, if not save, young children’s lives. Back in October of 2014, Dr. Bryan Shaw, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Baylor, alongside Dr. Greg Hamerly, associate professor of computer science at Baylor, developed CRADLE when Shaw’s son lost his eye due to retinoblastoma when he was…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Baylor has announced the awarding of ten professors with the honor of becoming Baylor Fellows. The Baylor Fellow program is designed for professors to step outside the norms of the classroom and think of creative teaching strategies to engage with students.Baylor’s Academy for Teaching and Learning began in 2011, and it honors professors from different disciplines, providing them with a baseline to introduce new ideas for teaching. Each faculty member is granted a $1,845 donation, in honor of the year Baylor was founded, while receiving the title ‘Baylor Fellow.’Dr. Lenore Wright, director of the…
By Emily Lohec | Staff WriterAsk any college student how many times they have rushed to class five minutes before it starts because La Salle was backed up, or they slept through an alarm or they simply forgot they had a class. It happens. We’re all human. You’ve done it too.Baylor is a wonderful school, hence the student body growth. But with all these incoming and current students, our parking garages, to be frank, are just too small. So why refer to the hectic schedule of a student? When rushing to the late class, there are empty spots in almost…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Experience fitness, build community, make an impact— these are three core values of Waco’s Refit Revolution, which began with three inspired entrepreneurs looking to make a difference in the fitness industry. Catherine Ballas and Angela Beeler, founders of Refit, spoke about their passion for innovation in fitness Tuesday as part of the Hankamer School of Business’ Confessions of an Entrepreneur series. Beginning the lecture with an active workout for the attendees to complete from the comfort of their seats, Ballas and Beeler after answered a series of five questions focused on what it takes…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Both fraternities and sororities at Baylor have embraced the opportunity to welcome back alumni who once wore their letters proudly. Kappa Nu, the predecessor of Kappa Sigma, is holding a 50th celebration today in honor of the fraternity’s founding. John Yambao, Baylor Kappa Sigma alumni class of 1978, decided to create a celebratory reunion to show the impact the fraternity has had not only on himself but on all members of the chapter. He devoted some of his time toward celebrating the pledge classes that were formed during his college years. “Like many freshmen,…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Flashback to 69 years ago— Lily Russell, the original “Baylor beauty” herself, paved the way for women on Baylor’s campus, coining the term “Baylor girl” as a woman who leads with grace and integrity at the university. Baylor’s Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter used Baylor Beauties, a show beginning from the “Baylor girl” tradition, as a platform to raise awareness and profits for philanthropy. The show consists of 32 female students, eight from each class, that were nominated from various organizations on campus. They were then voted on in a university-wide election by their class.…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Baylor is celebrating 50 years of Student Foundation’s contributions on campus with a celebratory weekend Sept. 27– 28. Since 1969, Student Foundation has selected accomplished, likeminded students with a desire to improve and support Baylor as a whole. The Student Foundation 50th celebration anniversary activities next weekend will include an open house, a ceremony banquet and an alumni tailgate at the Iowa State football game.Jordan Hannah, associate director of Student Activities and the Troy and Betty Mays director of Student Foundation, values Student Foundation as an organization of students serving others while strengthening relationships…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer, Video by Igor Stepczysnki | Broadcast Reporter Justin Lee, a Christian advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, spoke to Baylor students about acceptance and standing united while on campus Tuesday night. The Diana R. Garland School of Social Work hosted Lee as a speaker for Baylor’s Conversation Series, which focuses on “civil discourse for the campus community.” Lee is an author and public speaker known for serving as a voice for the Christian LGBTQ+ community, and the founder of Q Christian Fellowship, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ Christian advocacy organization. Lee believes that in order to…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Denitia Blount, founder and owner of Oh My Juice in Waco, spoke about her experience taking on the challenge of starting her own business as part of Hankamer School of Business’ Confessions of an Entrepreneur (COE) speaker series. Blount began her journey of founding Oh My Juice, a healthy smoothie and salad restaurant, in 2014 with her friend Tierra Barber, both of whom are Baylor alumni. “I didn’t start my business because of a Baylor business degree or an entrepreneurship degree,” Blount said. “It started with the most embarrassing moment of my life— I…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Cindy Walker-Gensler, a Baylor professor and lecturer of German, kicks off her week by hosting German Coffee hour, or Kaffeestunde, at 4 p.m. on Mondays. The event is a weekly get-together that is held for students of all majors, languages and ethnicities wanting to practice their German while also diving deeper into German culture. The only rule in German Coffee Hour: You can’t speak English. “Wie heibt du?” which translates to “what is your name,” was the conversation starter Walker-Gensler would say to each student that walked in, and with little assistance, students would…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Members of student government serve as the voice of Baylor students when it comes to constructing and setting student legislative bills, as well as with facing issues on campus. Springfield, Mo., junior Katie Groves has been involved in student government since her freshman year and has had positive experiences throughout each term. “Through student government, I’ve met some of the most servant-hearted people on Baylor’s campus,” Groves said. “Each person involved in student government that I’ve had the opportunity of knowing has left a lasting impact on me and on many others in our…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Sarah Schnitker, associate professor of psychology, joined Baylor faculty with a $2.6 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation awarded to her and her partner Benjamin Houltberg, director of research at the USC Performance Art Institute. “Part of what attracted me to make this move to Baylor was because of the discussion around Illuminate and that there was this concentrated interest in human flourishing and in human character development,” Schnitker said. “Baylor has a lot of initiatives about student character development and cultivating character at multiple levels of society and it seemed like a…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Ten years ago, Dr. Cassy Burleson, a senior lecturer for the Journalism, Public Relations and New Media department at Baylor, used her knowledge and skills to bring an advanced public relations class to fruition. Dr. Burleson understands the demand in the workforce for those interested in the PR world and sees the potential met by students who have grown in their own communication and writing skills while participating in the class. “The ratio of jobs in our field is three to one— three in PR to one news ed, overall,” Burleson said. “I’ve studied…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Hurricane Dorian, which has been cast as a Category Two storm by the National Hurricane Center as of Tuesday night, has killed at least seven people in the Bahamas Abaco Islands, torn down thousands of establishments and caused intense flooding. The storm was labeled as Category Five Sunday night as Dorian hit the Bahamas but has since been downgraded to Category Two. Forecasters predict that the storm may move closer to areas around Georgia and South Carolina, as well as up to Virginia and North Carolina by Friday. Warnings have been issued along the…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer In 1993, Baylor began a mentor program for students to learn about the effective tools and knowledge needed to complete and have a successful semester. The program is composed of Baylor graduate students ready to assist undergrads with their daily schedules both inside and outside the classroom. Trish Baum, program manager for resources, works directly with the mentor program and wants to provide students with important skill sets to prepare them confidently for the work force in the future. “Our mentors, who are graduate students, have recently finished their undergraduate career so they know…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Today marks the annual Mosaic Mixer, a conglomerate event held for multicultural organizations to spread the word about what their groups do, their events for the semester and the various ways they are involved on campus. Rachel Bay, a graduate apprentice for Multicultural Affairs, helped coordinate the event and said that the evening provides unique opportunities for Baylor students to learn more about a variety of campus organizations. “I think it’s exciting for students to get back to campus, see their friends and have a night of fun on campus,” Bay said. “All students…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Just a week before the beginning of fall semester, Student Programs held the annual celebration of Welcome Week from Aug. 21 to 25—a popular event complete with both old and new traditions to make freshmen feel supported and excited for the upcoming year.Jada Holliday, head coordinator of Welcome Week, expressed that the week was filled with activities geared to excite the students and encompass what it truly means to be a Baylor Bear.“Not only do you connect with your Welcome Week leaders, but you will become closer with your small group from individuals in…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer As the summer begins to wind down, Baylor’s Give Light campaign is doing anything but that. An anonymous donor granted Baylor a $100 million donation last May, allowing for campus improvements and advancements.David Rosselli, vice president of advancement, believes the Give Light campaign holds the key to what will propel the future of Baylor forward. He explained the campaign as a set of three prioritized plans that touch on different areas that need improvement within the university. “It really is the first time in university history we have aligned an academic plan, facility comprehensive…
By Emily Lohec | Staff Writer Baylor Libraries purchased a one-of-a-kind edition of the St. John’s Bible for the Central Libraries Special Collections on campus during the summer, and a dedication ceremony will be held in honor of the acquisition in September. Although Baylor has other biblical works in the Library, this is the first full-sized reproduction of the St. John’s Bible the university has acquired.“The Bible was purchased through the Heritage program which involves the Waco Christian community,” Andrea Turner, special collections manager at the Central Libraries, said. “A few members of the Baylor faculty had been aware of…