In a typical Baylor classroom there might be a freshman who’s left home for the first time and a senior who’s trying to figure out what to do when she graduates. There might also be a former Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who’s nine months pregnant, or a bearded Army retiree. There are 130 veterans at Baylor, 85 of whom are undergraduates. They are outnumbered by the 18 to 22 year olds who make up almost 95% of Baylor’s undergraduate population. But Baylor is doing its utmost to make them feel welcome here, and to ease their transition into student—and civilian—life.…
Author: Helena Hunt
By Helena Hunt, Staff Writer Notes played on a piano stream out of an office in Roxy Grove. A piano pedagogy student bends over the black and white keys, playing what he came here to study, showing the work of years at Baylor. The student is Damascus, Syria, junior Amjad Dabi. He has been studying the piano here since 2013. Dabi, like so many other students at Baylor, is also pre-med. After he graduates in 2017, he might continue to pursue music in graduate schools, or apply to medical programs. As any undergraduate, he is still deciding exactly what to…
This month isn’t just December, for some, it’s Dressember. Dressember is a call, not only to wear a dress for 31 days in a row, but to give attention and funds to the International Justice Mission, which advocates against human trafficking.
Baylor’s administration is considering the creation of a Chief Diversity Officer position that will enhance the diversity of campus in accordance with the university’s Christian mission of hospitality and unity. The CDO would largely be responsible for facilitating increased diversity among faculty and staff. While Baylor’s student body is the second-most racially and ethnically diverse in the Big 12 (after University of Texas at Austin), its faculty does not reflect the same level of diversity. 35.4 percent of the undergraduate student population is a minority. However, only 13 percent of Baylor’s full-time faculty, and 17 percent of its full-time staff,…
By Helena Hunt, Staff Writer For the first time this semester three of Baylor’s most difficult departments—biology, chemistry, and psychology/neuroscience—have instituted a peer-to-peer mentorship program to usher beginning students through the rigors of their first year. The Student Ambassadors program, which gives upperclassmen in these programs the chance to tutor and advise their freshmen peers, began as the idea of Dr. Lynn Wisely, the director of undergraduate enrollment initiatives. She noticed similar programs at other universities, and hoped that a university-sponsored mentorship program in the sciences would give beginning students a model for success. “It’s intimidating to be a new…
Retrospectives typically look back on an entire career, gathering together the works that embody and encompass an artist’s career. The exhibit opening this week in the Martin Museum does the opposite, looking forward on three young Baylor artists’ careers.
Introduction to Mass Communications is a class of about 300 students. It introduces many of these students to the history, evolution and influences of the mass media. Each year when he teaches his class of hundreds, Professor Robert Darden gives a lecture on the effects of advertising on men and, even more significantly, women. He explains how the images presented by the media present unrealistic ideals and goals that negatively impact media consumers’ self-esteem, body images and personal welfare.Darden said that each year students come to him personally expressing the significance of that lecture. “Each year I’m contacted by an…
The stage looks like home. Maybe not a home today, but the home of one’s grandparents, and the home of the American Dream. Mid-century modern furniture is arranged in a family circle, and household keepsakes clutter the shelves. To the right of the stage there is a child’s room, and a doll’s house ready for play.
The racist incidents and their aftermath at the University of Missouri have attracted national attention throughout this week. Students at the university have protested campus administration’s slow response to racist epithets and symbols that have recently cropped up at the predominately white school. On Saturday night, 30 members of the university’s football team declared that they would not play their game against Brigham Young University if the school’s president, Tim Wolfe, did not resign. On Tuesday, Wolfe stepped down. Now, with a national spotlight trained on Missouri, the university must find lasting solutions to the racial problems that have plagued…
Pretty soon, Magnolia Market won’t be the only new home store on the block. The Findery, located just across the street from the silos, will be opening its doors and lighting its candles for its first visitors next Wednesday.
Minimalist, maximalist and artist Frank Stella comes to Baylor for the first time today for the Albritton Art Institute’s annual lecture. The renowned painter and sculptor will be coming to Baylor to discuss his life and work with art critic Jason Kaufman.
Every student is a writer. Each term paper, essay and exam contributes to carpal tunnel syndrome and everyday hand cramps. But some students choose to write, not just their research papers and daily assignments, but entire short stories, poems and novels.
By Helena Hunt, Staff Writer Student government and several other on-campus organizations are working to register student voters, especially before the joint general election that takes place today. “My office has a table in the SUB every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. where we’re waiting to answer questions, register students to vote,” said Houston junior Steven Newcomb, student government’s external vice president. “We can mail it off or take it to them ourselves. We’re there every Wednesday, and we’ll continue to do that for the rest of the semester and next year too.” Those students wishing to register…
In front of the Magnolia Market storefront there is a memory. The sign from the Little Shop on Bosque, Chip and Joanna Gaines’ first retail store, is printed on a banner in front of the new location. This weekend, the Little Shop and its iconic Magnolia sign will be wheeled away for the last time at the grand opening of the downtown market at Waco’s iconic silos.
By Helena Hunt, Staff WriterOn Saturday, a vehicle plowed through the crowd gathered to celebrate the Homecoming parade at Oklahoma State University. Four people, including a 2-year-old child, died in the incident. Forty-seven others were injured.Although the suspect, Adacia Chambers, has been taken into custody, the OSU campus and community are still reeling from the weekend’s tragic events.At the same time that the OSU community experienced this tragedy, Baylor was celebrating its own Homecoming. Now, in the same spirit of homecoming unity and camaraderie, Baylor is reaching out to its Big XII rival to offer its sympathy for the losses…
Halloween is a two-edged holiday. Candy, tricks and treats make Halloween a quintessential children’s favorite. But ghouls and vampires, no matter how much kids like them, can sometimes give the day an adult-only R-rating.
By Helena Hunt, Staff Writer Since its inception in 1909, Baylor Homecoming has welcomed alumni and guests to a weekend of bonfires, parades, reunions, and football. This year, rain will prevent several of these festivities from continuing as planned. Saturday morning’s parade has been canceled, although floats will be put on display at a later date. Tonight’s Extravaganza and Pep Rally have been moved to the Waco Convention Center on Washington Avenue, and the bonfire and fireworks show have been canceled. The football game against Iowa State University at 11 a.m. Saturday will continue as planned. “We have a number…
Due to weather forecasts predicting severe rain, thunder and possible flooding, the schedule for this weekend’s Homecoming events has been adjusted.
The stage at Waco Hall will be lit up once again during this Homecoming’s traditional Pigskin Revue. From Thursday to Saturday, Pigskin will welcome the spring’s top Sing acts back to the stage to reprise their performances to audiences of alumni, students and guests to Baylor.
A study conducted by Oregon State University in 2011 found that most college students fail to consume the amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Baylor nutrition sciences program coordinator Janelle Walter said that a balanced diet is integral to students’ performance in the classroom.“Proper nutrition fuels your brain. If your brain’s not working, you can’t learn very well,” Walter said.Walter said eating balanced meals may be difficult as students adjust to university life. At home, many students had ready access to fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, and whole grains—all five food groups. At school,…
At most restaurants, diners come with friends and family and sit at a table to themselves. Waco’s Farm to Table Dinners, hosted by Milo Local Provisions and Kindred Event Studios, isn’t like that. At Thursday’s dinner, guests will be arrayed along a communal table meant to bring them together around food and conversation.
On Thursday nights, about 30 students —sometimes more, sometimes fewer — gather in a crooked circle to talk about sex. But they aren’t talking about sex, exactly. They’re talking about something much more fundamental to who they are, and how they approach relationships, faith, education and community: their sexual identities.This is Sexual Identity Forum. It’s an informal discussion group that meets once a week in the Bill Daniel Student Center to talk about sexual identity. Homosexuality, heterosexuality, transsexuality, queerness, bisexuality, asexuality, gender, sex and how these things relate to God and Christianity are all up for discussion.The group presents topics…
When Bryan senior Landon McGee plays the guitar, he closes his eyes. It’s not because he has the stage fright of a first grader playing a cow in his first school play. He closes his eyes because his music, even when it’s shared with an audience, is his own private world.
Superstar cellist Yo-Yo Ma will be performing with the Waco Symphony Orchestra in Waco Hall on Thursday. The gala concert is now sold out, but students and members of the public with tickets will be treated to a Dvořák concerto that is known to be one of the most stunning, technically demanding pieces written for the cello.
By Helena Hunt, Staff Writer ABC’s reality competition “Shark Tank” will welcome a Bear to the show this Friday night at 8 p.m. Baylor alumnus Matt McClard and his business partners will bring their subscription sock service, Foot Cardigan, to the titular Sharks to compete for a coveted business deal. McClard sat down with the “Baylor Lariat” to talk about what he’s been up to since college and how you could start selling socks online—and competing for money on TV. How did the idea for Foot Cardigan first arise? I’ll have to appropriate my business partner’s story. Basically my business…
By the the end of this month, the city of Waco will finally have a permanent location for Indian food. The Tandoori Trailer will serve such authentic Indian cuisine as chicken curry, vegetable biryani and garlic naan from a food truck at Franklin Avenue and University Parks Drive.
Selections from San Antonio art collector Joe Diaz’s collection are on display in the Martin Museum of Art from now until November 13th. The collection features the artwork of Hispanic artists, featuring prints and sculptures by the eclectic Luis Jiménez.
A summit to discuss poverty and food insecurity will be held on campus Wednesday through Friday. The Together at the Table summit, hosted by the Texas Hunger Initiative, will welcome speakers to discuss solutions to hunger and poverty.
Grammy-winning Christian rapper Lecrae will be performing in Waco Hall at 7 p.m. tonight after an opening by fellow Christian rapper and Baylor alumnus Tedashii.
Rod Dreher is a noted writer and senior editor for The American Conservative. His most recent book, How Dante Can Save Your Life, will be the subject of today’s lecture, given at 4 p.m. in the Alexander Reading Room.