By Kalyn Story | Staff WriterFor the first time, members of Baylor’s Board of Regents spoke publicly about details pertaining to the Pepper Hamilton report the university received in May.Findings from the report resulted in the firing of head football coach Art Briles and university president and chancellor Ken Starr. “There was a cultural issue there that was putting winning football games above everything else, including our values,” Baylor board of regents member J. Cary Gray said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Friday. “We did not have a caring community when it came to these women…
Author: Kalyn Story
By Kalyn Story | Staff WriterBaylor’s 2016 Annual Fire Safety and Security Report shows a 360 percent increase in reported rapes on campus in 2015. Baylor’s 2016 Clery Crime Statistics report recorded five on-campus rapes in 2014 and 23 in 2015. The Clery Crime Statistics report defines rape as, “the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim. This definition includes any gender of victim or perpetrator.” The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and…
By Kalyn Story | Staff WriterWASHINGTON – Bob Woodward shared his journalism expertise with college reporters from all over the country at the Associated Collegiate Press National Media Convention in Washington DC on Friday.Woodward told stories from his journalism career and took questions from the audience. He asked the audience to remember two things, that history is never over and to never stop writing.“Be tough, keep talking to people, don’t let people push you back,” Woodward said. “The purpose of an education is to learn to think for yourself, to break out of groupthink. Educate the public with your writing.”Woodward…
By Kalyn Story | Staff WriterBaylor announced its recruitment of search firm Heidrick & Struggles to aid in the selection of Baylor’s next president in an email Friday. Heidrick & Struggles specializes in the fields of executive search, culture shaping, leadership consulting. “We also welcome the expertise of Heidrick & Struggles. They are an exceptional organization, international in scope, and they will conduct a very thorough and far-reaching search process for the university’s 15th president,” Bob Brewton, chair of the presidential search committee, said in the email. After receiving nine proposals from search firms around the country, the presidential search…
By Kalyn Story | Staff WriterMeredith Lockhart was disappointed and frustrated by many Americans’ response to the Syrian refugee crisis so she decided to do something about it. volunteering with local groups and asking them what she could do to help refugees in Dallas. She was told one of the hardest things for immigrants coming to America is finding a job, especially for women. According to the U.S. State Department, Texas resettled 2,677 refugees between last October and March. The Dallas area received 659 refugees during that time. Seeing a great need, Lockhart started In April 2011, the Baylor graduate…
By Kalyn Story | Staff Writer Baylor filed a motion on Friday for the dismissal of a Title IX lawsuit against the school. Baylor attorneys Lisa Brown and Holly McIntush argued in the motion that the plaintiff has not stated a viable Title IX claim, nor did she state an arguable negligence theory, according to the Waco Tribune-Herald. “In particular, she has not alleged that Baylor had substantial control over either the alleged offender or the context which the assault occurred,” the motion stated. In the lawsuit, the plaintiff claims that “Baylor and the Baylor regents had created a hunting…
A car accident on 3rd Street and Dutton Avenue around 3:10 p.m. left one woman injured and the intersection to be closed for a short period of time. A Baylor student was turning left off of 3rd Street onto Dutton Ave when he hit a vehicle that was traveling northeast on Dutton Ave. The woman sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle that was struck was taken to a hospital in an ambulance. No one else was injured.
By Kalyn Story | Staff WriterFergus Falls, Minn., sophomore David Grotberg died Thursday night as the result of a hit-and-run bicycle accident on Franklin Avenue.Grotberg was a University Scholar, a member of the Honors Residential College community and a participant in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core. He played trumpet in the Baylor Golden Wave Marching Band, served as president of the Ballroom Dance Society and was involved in Alliance Bible Church in Waco.“We are devastated by the news of David’s passing,” said Isaiah Odajima, D.M.A., associate professor and associate director of bands in the School of Music, in an press release.…
Baylor’s Interim President David Garland appointed Kristan Tucker as Baylor’s new Title IX coordinator Wednesday night following the resignation of previous coordinator Patty Crawford. “Kristan Tucker is a capable and experienced Title IX professional, and I have full confidence in her ability to lead our Title IX Office,” Garland said in a press release. “Kristan has been an integral part of our efforts to build a strong and responsive Title IX Office, and she serves, alongside her staff members, on implementation teams focused on the recommendations from Pepper Hamilton.” When Pepper Hamilton conducted a nine-month investigation into Baylor’s handling of…
By Kalyn Story | Lariat WriterFormer Title IX coordinator Patty Crawford said Baylor “set me up from the beginning.” On “CBS This Morning” Wednesday morning, Crawford talked about her resignation for the first time. Crawford claimed that she increased reports of sexual assault by over 700 percent during her time at Baylor, but that it became clear to her that that was not what Baylor wanted. “I continued to work hard, and the harder I worked, the more resistance I received from senior leadership. That became clear that that was not something the university wanted, and in July, I made…
By Kalyn Story | Staff WriterThe nomination period for Baylor’s alumni-elected regent position on Baylor’s Board of Regents is now open. On March 8, Baylor and the Baylor Alumni Association announced an agreement that included the addition of three alumni-elected members to the Board of Regents. The first three regents were agreed upon by both parties and appointed to the Board in June 2016. As part of the agreement those regents would serve a one-, two- and three-year term, as opposed to the standard three-year term. “Over the past four years, the Baylor Board of Regents has expanded its membership…
Austin City Limits celebrates their 15th anniversary
Baylor’s presidential search committee is holding its first community listening session at 7 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church Woodway. The listening session will focus on what personal qualities and experiences a leader should have to assume as the role of Baylor president. “The next president of Baylor University will lead efforts to further strengthen Baylor’s national reputation for excellence in higher education while building upon its rich tradition of Christian commitment,” according to the search committee’s website. The committee hopes the listening session will allow communities with interest to express their concerns and pose questions. “These questions have to…
By Kalyn Story | Staff WriterAfter two years of research, The American Bar Association Commission on the Future of Legal Services released a report earlier this month finding that most people living in poverty, and the majority of moderate-income individuals, do not receive the legal help they need. In response to these issues, Baylor Law School launched a new program called Legal Mapmaker. Legal Mapmaker is a workshop at Baylor Law School designed to prepare lawyers to open their own law firms. It provides a model business strategy with two goals: to help lawyers succeed and help the public find…
In recognition of the multicultural world in which we live, most majors at Baylor require the study of a language other than English. I understand that. What I don’t understand is why Baylor does not recognize a language that is the only option for millions of people worldwide: sign language. Baylor’s own department of modern languages and culture’s website cites the need for proficiency in a second language to be able to participate in “today’s multicultural society and global community.” The website also points to Baylor’s Mission Statement: “The mission of Baylor University is to educate men and women for…
By Kalyn Story | Staff WriterThe Baylor presidential search committee is asking Baylor students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends to share their opinions on the search for Baylor’s 15th president. “In addition to any input you would like to share, we ask for your ongoing prayers throughout this process,” presidential search committee Chair Bob Brewton wrote in an email to the Baylor family on Sunday evening. “Prayers that our University will continue to be on [a] mission to shape the lives of our students for leadership and service; prayers for this search committee, that we will seek the candidate…
By Kalyn Story | Staff WriterThere’s a desert in the middle of Central Texas, but it doesn’t have sand or camels.Low income neighborhoods where the residents live more than one mile from a grocery store or food market are known as food deserts. The closest grocery store to some North Waco residents is 2.2 miles away. Mission Waco seeks to change that, and Magnolia is helping them.Chip and Joanna Gaines’ company, Magnolia, purchased the old Elite Cafe earlier this year. On Saturday, they auctioned off the contents of the cafe, including the restaurant’s famous sign and blue Cadillac. All the…
By Kalyn Story | Staff WriterFrisco senior Isabella Maso performed an original song in front of thousands just one month into her freshman year at Baylor. Now, as a senior, she prepares to sing and play the guitar this weekend at After Dark. “After Dark is so special to me, I am already feeling nostalgic about this weekend,” Maso said. “It’s almost as if my Baylor career is coming full circle with this performance.”This performance is particularly special to Maso because her brother is a freshman at Baylor and will be in the audience Saturday, along with their parents.Maso will…
By Kalyn Story | Staff Writer Baylor graduate Chris Charles Scott has won awards this year for directing a documentary on the history of Shreveport, Louisiana. Now, he has set his sights on the history of Waco. Scott and his crew started filming “What About Waco” in mid-July and hopes to finish filming in January. Scott plans to have at least four parts to the series. He wants the episodes to focus on the 1953 Waco tornado, the suspension bridge, the three-year period from 1916-1918 and Camp MacArthur. When he decided he wanted to make a documentary series about Waco,…
By Kalyn Story | Staff Writer Baylor announced its members for the Presidential Search Committee in a statement Thursday morning. The committee, which includes representatives from faculty, staff, administration, students, alumni and representatives from the Board of Regents, will be looking to find Baylor’s 15th president. “The search committee will benefit greatly from its leadership, chair Bob Brewton and vice chair Dr. Andrea Dixon, both of whom are extraordinary people of faith and leaders in their respective fields,” Baylor University Board of Regents Chair Ronald D. Murff said in the statement. “We have a strong vision for the University in…
By Kalyn Story | Staff Writer The Baylor Science Building is open as usual, following an abrupt announcement of the building’s closure Wednesday morning. Today between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m., an announcement came over the Baylor Science Building speakers saying “May I have your attention please: the Baylor Science Building is now closed.” Dr. Craig Moehnke, director of the BSB, said the announcement was a false alarm caused by the Central Texas Security and Fire Inc. changing out the voice electronics board on the fire security panel. The crew inadvertently activated the closing announcement that the BSB uses at 10…
For the first time, the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Brazos River float for Waco college students. In an effort to connect students to the Waco community, free food, music, games and tubing will be available at 2 p.m. Saturday in Indian Spring Park at the Waco Suspension Bridge. A valid student ID is required to participate. “We’re hoping to introduce students to the community in a fun, exciting way that everyone will want to participate in,” said Kris Collins, senior vice president of Economic Development for the Waco Chamber of Commerce. “We hope students will love…
Kalyn Story | Staff WriterSophomore wide receiver Ishmael Zamora will be suspended for the first three games of this season, Baylor announced Tuesday afternoon. Zamora has been waiting for his punishment to be put in place after the police received a video on July 25 that showed Zamora repeatedly beating and stepping on his dog. Zamora received a citation and was charged with a Class C misdemeanor for animal molestation. In addition to the suspension, Zamora must complete 40 hours of community service, participate in counseling and give his dog to an animal-friendly home. “Our football program does not condone…
Baylor theater hopes to diversify students and, therefore, stage productions.
By Kalyn Story | Staff Writer “Fixer Upper” took Waco by storm when it aired on HGTV in 2013. On July 27, Baylor alumni Chip and Joanna Gaines expanded their reach by adding Magnolia Bakery to the Magnolia Silos. The Silos opened in October 2015 and quickly became a must-see in Waco for “Fixer Upper” fans from all over the country. The City of Waco reported that the Silos attracts around 25,000-35,000 visitors each week. New Braunfels sophomore Lindsey Stange stopped by the Silos while passing through Waco just two days after the bakery opened. “I had to stop by…
A recap of Baylor’s eventful summer.
Baylor officially cut all ties with Judge Ken Starr on Friday morning.“Effective today, Judge Ken Starr will be leaving his faculty status and tenure at Baylor University’s Law School,” the statement read. “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.”Judge Starr became Baylor’s 14th President in June 2010. The Baylor Board of Regents removed Judge Starr from his role as Baylor President on May 26 following the conclusion of the Pepper Hamilton report on Baylor’s previous handling of sexual…
Since 1927, Baylor seniors have passed down tradition, responsibility and ivy to the class below them at the Senior Ring Out Ceremony. On Thursday, women from the 2016 senior class who were dressed in black graduation robes gathered in Burleson Quadrangle near the Baylor bell to continue this tradition. The women walked with a junior dressed in white, carrying a branch of ivy between them. The ivy symbolizes loyalty and steadfastness, and with it the seniors pass the charge of leadership to the next graduating class. Student body officers and the senior class custodian spoke to the seniors about their…
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Baylor has held several opportunities for students to get involved and educated on the issue. Although the month is ending, sexual assault awareness remains relevant. Justin Smith, 2010 Baylor Law School graduate and current partner vat Sloan, Bagley, Hatcher & Perry Law Firm in Longview, has tried several sexual abuse and assault cases. Smith said he believes it is a much bigger problem than people realize. “It is great that we have Sexual Assault Awareness Month, but we don’t need a month, we need 12 months,” Smith said. “We need 365 days of…
It was just last year that Baylor didn’t have a club swim team. Now, at the end of their first full season, Baylor Club Swimming placed first overall at the Southwest Swim League Championship meet on Saturday at the University of Texas at Dallas. Southlake junior Parker Tadlock was one of eight swimmers representing Baylor at the meet Saturday. He also serves as the team’s head coach. Tadlock said he always had faith in his team, but winning the championship was a pleasant surprise. “We took an exceptional group of people to this meet,” Tadlock said. “They allowed me to…