By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff Writer With the switch to strictly digital methods of teaching, course evaluations have been affected as both instructors and students have had to make adjustments. Course evaluations for the spring semester were made available to all students and close on Thursday, May 6.In an email to all Baylor faculty in late March, Provost Dr. Nancy Brickhouse and Dr. Brian Raines, chair of the Faculty Senate, addressed topics such as the tenure clock and course evaluations.“Results from student course evaluations will be provided only to the individual faculty member so that they may use this feedback…
Author: Lucy Ruscitto
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterBaylor Campus Living & Learning sent out an email to all current residents of the on-campus residence halls Friday, announcing two options for students for move-out: wait until the City of Waco and McLennan County shelter-in-place is lifted, or “Pack Store Ship.”Working with The UPS Store and Campus Crates, Baylor Campus Living & Learning is allowing students to move out immediately, as the employees of The UPS Store and Campus Crates would pack up the resident’s belongings and either send them to the resident’s current location or store them until the upcoming 2020-2021 school year.Students…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterCOVID-19 pandemic has touched down all areas of Baylor’s campus, altering the ways and methods of departments. The department every student at Baylor has at some point interacted with, Undergraduate Admissions, is no exception.Baylor President Linda Livingstone sent an email announcement Tuesday to all Baylor faculty and staff, explaining the budget cuts the university was making due to COVID-19 challenges. In the announcement, Livingstone additionally addressed the concern of recruitment of future Baylor Bears.“It’s imperative that we do everything we can to encourage and enable both returning and prospective students to enroll at Baylor for…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff Writer College students have had to adjust to their new lives at home, away from their friends and belongings during this time of uncertainty. Three Baylor students have found a way to tighten up that distance by sending handwritten letters across the country.Spartanburg, S.C., freshman Faith Lee, said she has been writing letters to her out-of-state friends for years, but has found them to especially come in handy in an estranged time such as this.“I started writing letters and sending friendship bracelets in response to the mail I received while serving at Young Life camps,…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterFor many students, the transition from in-person to online classes, and the uprooting of their campus-lives has involved a bit of adjustment. However, for students who own small businesses, things have gotten little more complicated.Round Rock sophomore Rylie York owns “Rye Design Co!”, a sticker company. The name originated from her initials in monogram form. York began her business out of her Baylor dorm room in Feb. 2019.“I started out by just doing permanent vinyl stickers, but just recently I started creating printed stickers by drawing my own designs and getting them printed as die-cut…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterThe recent pandemic has disrupted student and staff life across the nation and globally sending college kids home prematurely before the end of the semester. While some international students have places to come home to in the US, others at Baylor do not.Baylor’s campus housed 725 international students in 2018, with the majority of these out-of-country students coming from countries such as China, South Korea and Nigeria. Additionally, Baylor’s average rate of the total international student population has grown to 9.4% over the last few years.International students of all nationalities and years at Baylor have…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterRyan Richardson, Baylor director of worship and chapel and associate chaplain, sent an email to chapel students Monday night reinforcing the still-standing attendance policy. The week prior had announced that the 1,000 word essay requirement for all students enrolled in Baylor Chapel was officially cancelled. The statement regarding the removal of the assigned essay made by Richardson was posted via Instagram, the comments section overflowing with positive reactions and the virtual applause of students.The revocation of the essay assignment came from an overwhelming amount of feedback that the chapel team received in regard to the…
Zoom hackers snake their way into meetings of students
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterNationwide, companies are working to help students who utilize their services by offering exclusive deals, discounts and free services due to the unexpected effects of COVID-19.Last week, Frontier Airlines announced that students could receive a special deal by using an “.edu” email address to fly free due to recent changes in the college system because of the effects of COVID-19. Students who sign up for the “Discount Den” subscription program, they receive a $100 voucher for future travel. All fights through May 31, 2020, are eligible for this deal.Last week, many airlines waived their exchange…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterWaco Mayor Kyle Deaver announced this morning that the City of Waco is in a “local state of disaster and public health emergency,” as all eat-in restaurants, bars and gyms were deemed to close in regard to COVID-19 concerns.In his official public announcement, Deaver went into specifics about locations Wacoans are to stay away from and businesses that must close.Tonight, this arrangement will officially begin and will continue to be enacted for 7 days unless officials say otherwise. Restaurants may only provide delivery or takeout services, and indoor or outdoor gatherings of more than 50…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterBaylor Student Foundation and Bearathon Race Directors cancelled the 2020 Bearathon Friday due to the recent COVID-19 warnings and the extension of Baylor students’ spring break until March 23.“We did not make this decision lightly but did so with the safety and well-being of all participants at the forefront of our decision making,” Student Foundation said.Students from all corners of campus were training for months for “The Toughest Half in TX,” putting in countless hours and effort in order to compete on March 21.Placentia, Calif., freshman Taylor Becker was one of the many students preparing…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterSpring break should consist of golden rays, captivating beaches, some unproductivity, slight sunburns and quality time with cherished friends and family. My 2016 spring break consisted of muggy air, one of Miami’s most crime-ridden pockets, borderline cancerous sunburns and the Zika virus.2016 was my freshman year of high school, and my parents had decided to treat my younger sister and me to a trip to the Virgin Islands, starting in St. Thomas and ending in St. John. They had traveled there for their honeymoon and wanted us to experience the beauty and people of the…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterThe United States made a peace agreement with the Taliban Saturday that called for the complete removal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan within the next 14 months.This withdrawal followed an ongoing 18-year war, the longest in U.S. history, continuing through many presidential terms and causing the loss of thousands of American and Afghan lives, according to BBC.Baylor Assistant Professor of Political Science, Dr. Peter Campbell, said he traces this conflict back to the Sept. 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks by the terrorist group, Al Qaeda.“The Bush administration said, ‘Give us Osama bin Laden or we are…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterThe Baylor American Sign Language Club will host its second “Striding for Signing” 5K, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday starting at the Baylor Sciences Building Fields and continuing on to the Bear Trail.Check-in for the race is at 9 a.m., and registration costs are $10 for adults, $5 for 12-year-olds or younger and an additional $5 to bring your dog. Registration will still be open the morning of the event.Sherman senior LaVonda Lewis, president of the Baylor ASL Club, said the main goal of this 5K is to gain more sponsors in the Waco area,…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterFormer Baylor professor Dr. Jacqueline-Bethel Mougoué returned to campus Thursday to speak about the closely related topics of nationalism and gender in Africa.Mougoué’s first book was published by the University of Michigan in 2019, titled “Gender, Separatist Politics, and Embodied Nationalism in Cameroon.” Mougoué is now a professor of University of Wisconsin Madison and centered her speech around a chapter from her book.“The chapter really reflects how women’s everyday actions are often perceived by citizens and community members as an important ingredient in making developing and preserving ideas about national identity,” Mougoué said. Mougoué said…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterThe Baylor Quidditch Association hosted their “House Games” tournament Sunday on the Minglewood Fields. House Gryffindor won the bracket against Slytherin with a score of 40-30.This organization hosts this event in order to promote unity among their members and to give them a break from the competition approaching in the nationals season — the battle for the US Quidditch Cup.The US Quidditch Cup is the ultimate game for colleges with quidditch teams to compete and show off their continuous effort put in throughout the year, according to US Quidditch. This year, Nationals are held in…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterHer Campus, an online magazine geared towards women, came to Baylor this fall as part of a worldwide publication. Her Campus began in 2008, when three women from Harvard pitched their lifestyle online magazine at the school’s business plan competition.Her Campus has around 300 to 400 other chapters both national and worldwide, and Baylor was just recently added to this list. A student can bring a chapter to their campus by becoming the “Campus Correspondent.” McKinney junior Chantal Canales said Baylor’s chapter of Her Campus began after she brought the online magazine to campus. According…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterBaylor’s Career Day is scheduled from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation and in the fifth floor of the Cashion Academic Center.The campus Career Center hosts Career Day to provide students with an opportunity to introduce themselves, create connections and seek out internship and job opportunities with over 150 employers.In the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation atrium, for-profit companies can be found meeting with students, and the fifth floor of the Cashion Academic Center will host nonprofits and government agencies.Shelby Cefaratti, the…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterThe Baylor Asian Student Association is hosting their 6th annual Lunar New Year celebration from 6-9 pm today in the Barfield Drawing Room of the Bill Daniel Student Center.Professional Chinese lion dancers and multitudes of organizations connected to Baylor’s Multicultural Affairs Department will unite to promote cultural awareness. Booths will also be featuring games, educational information and other Asian student organizations.Prizes can be won for participating in these games, and there will be giveaways for free T-shirts and Asian food.Austin sophomore Aldrian Widjaja, Baylor Asian Student Association president, said unlike the traditional calendar year that…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterBaylor’s business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi will be putting on their first Valentine’s Day Rose Delivery Fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday in the atrium of the Foster School of Business, and on Wednesday and Thursday in front of the Rosenbalm Fountain.Baylor Alpha Kappa Psi also plans to donate at least 10 to 20% of the total proceeds from the Valentine’s Day Rose Delivery Fundraiser to the Waco Humane Society.Bloomington, Ill. sophomore Melissa Reiss is this year’s Fundraising Chair for Alpha Kappa Psi. She said a huge reason the fundraiser is not…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterSan Antonio freshman Kaitlyn Cornes and The Woodlands freshman Kristina Ward have created their own business Oso Sweet, a cookie company run from their Brooks Flats dorm. The freshman thought of the business idea after attending Oso Launch, a program for freshmen who want to set their first business venture in motion. “We were just thinking about business ideas, and so I thought, ‘What if we did a treat delivery service?’” Cornes said. In high school, Ward brought her famous cookies to her fellow classmates once a week. The positive feedback she received combined with…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterThe Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition will host the biannual “Project Homeless Connect,” from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday at the First Baptist Church of Waco. Project Homeless Connect is a community resource for the homeless in Waco and McLennan County, and provides services they may need. The Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition said that at this event, stations will be set up with services for vision and dental screenings, HIV testing and haircuts. Additionally, hygiene items and housing information will be available. The local animal hospital will attend the event to provide vaccinations and…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterEach year from the months of December to February, Central Texans prepare themselves for “cedar fever” season, the annual seasonal allergy anomaly — and Waco is no exception. Dr. Sharon Stern is the medical director of the Baylor University Health Services. Stern is a medical practitioner and has experience with allergies, as she has been at Baylor for 27 years. Stern said with more intense winter weather, temperature drops and wind, the pollen takes flight more easily and is able to permeate the air better. The term “cedar fever” came from the mountain cedar that…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterKorçë, Albania junior Fjoralba Zguro won the concerto music competition this year with the piece “Piano Concerto in G major,” composed by Maurice Ravel. As the winner, Zguro will perform her concerto with the Baylor Symphony Orchestra next fall.Eight finalists performed Saturday in the final round of McCrary School of Music’s annual concerto competition in Jones Hall. Baylor concerto competition coordinator Dr. Kent Eshelman estimated that about 35 students applied to be a part of the concerto before cuts were made to eight finalists.“It’s a common thing for a school of music to have their…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterThe Baylor Chamber of Commerce will begin scouting for new additions to the historic club with interest meetings beginning this week. The first meeting will be held Thursday in the Cowden Room of the Bill Daniel Student Center at 5:30 p.m.Baylor Chamber has a number of responsibilities and founding. These include: as the creation of the Bear Pit at home basketball games, the establishing of “Yell Leaders” for home and away football, basketball and volleyball games and the Green and Gold Fountain which now resides in Fountain Mall and authenticated the fight song, “Bear Down…
By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff WriterThe return of “Sisterhood Day” extended this year’s Baylor Panhellenic recruitment process from four to five days. Sisterhood Day was recently reinstated to this year’s week of Panhellenic Recruitment and had not existed at Baylor since 2017’s Recruitment. This year, 901 female Baylor students participated in sorority recruitment.Southlake senior Whitney Woods is the Vice President of Membership for her sorority, and her chapter position plays a principal role during the week of Panhellenic Recruitment.Woods said that because of Baylor’s most recent chapter addition, Alpha Phi, candidates were given an additional day in recruitment to experience…