By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer A Baylor economics professor and his wife taught aspiring beekeepers the basics of the craft Thursday night at the Mayborn Museum. The three-part Beekeeping for Beginners course is part of Baylor’s Continuing Education program and seeks to educate prospective keepers on the fundamentals of hobbyist beekeeping. Fourth-generation beekeepers Lourenço and Rosangela Paz presented the first class Thursday night, and, though no live bees were present, began with the necessary disclaimers that come with handling stinging insects. “[Beekeeping] is a risky activity,” Lourenço Paz said. “Not as risky as crossing the street, but you should…
Author: Matthew Muir
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterSocietal pressures and stigma keep many in the African-American community from seeking mental health services. Veronica Shelton, an African American marriage and family therapist, wants to change that.Shelton, a military veteran who now practices therapy in Killeen, spoke at Monday night’s Mind Games forum. Hosted by Baylor’s Rho Eta chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, the lecture covered why seeking help for mental issues is important, particularly for members of the African-American community.The African-American community, Shelton said, has a deep-rooted stigma surrounding medical treatment. Much of this, she said, stems from the United States’…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer and April Oddo | LTVN Intern The Chapel guest speaker Wednesday sparked controversy with a speech some in the Baylor community have criticized for being political and un-Christian. Kaitlin Curtice, Christian, author and member of the Potawatomi Nation, spoke on politically charged topics. In her speech, Curtice said fighting for “true justice” means undoing the historical effects of colonialism. “For the world to survive, for true justice to take place among us, decolonization must be a goal,” Curtice said. “We must fight against systems of oppression, systems like toxic patriarchy and capitalist greed that…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer People’s Law School will bring bite-sized legal classes to the Waco community from 9 a.m to 12:45 p.m. Saturday at the Baylor Law School.Baylor Law School hosts the annual event focused on educating members of the community on common or public interest legal matters. Sessions are taught by law school faculty who volunteer to teach on topics ranging from property law to presidential power.The event consists of three one-hour long sessions and is open to anyone who wants to attend. Pre-registration is encouraged but can be done on-site Saturday morning.Patricia Wilson, a law professor…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterWaco’s chapter of the League of Women Voters hosted roughly 20 political candidates for a meet-and-greet Monday night at the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame. The event included candidates from both major political parties running in next month’s primary elections seeking local, state and federal offices.Ivy Hamerly, the voter services chair for the Waco League of Women Voters, said that Monday night’s event took months of planning. Hamerly is responsible for reviving the League’s Waco chapter following the 2016 election.She said she wanted to grow a healthy political climate in the local community.“After the 2016…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer, Video by Grace Smith | Broadcast Reporter The Baylor Student Senate rejected a restructuring bill Thursday night that would have fundamentally changed the makeup of the body. The bill focused on refining the allotment of seats in the Senate. The Senate would have increased its number of seats from 52 to 58 and added more reserved seats for representation of different groups on campus, including ethnic minorities and members of different academic programs or majors. Some seats would remain elected by the student body at large. While the bill garnered a slim majority of…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterAfter a rare night of snowfall, I arrived at the Dutton parking garage Thursday at 9:20 a.m. to find a parade of cars snaking up and down the building. Though the sign outside said there were upward of 250 open spots, the fourth floor was closed off, along with the top decks of each other parking garage on campus, displacing scores of students who rely on campus parking.In an attempt to keep students safe, Baylor completely bungled everything else.Earlier that morning, at 6:51 a.m. to be precise, the official Baylor Twitter account tweeted informing its…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer The Senate acquitted President Donald Trump of both articles of impeachment Wednesday concluding the impeachment saga in the same partisan divide with which it started. The final tallies of 52-48 on article one and 53-47 on article two in favor of acquittal fell well-short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict the president. Sen. Mitt Romney (R) of Utah became the first Republican to break with the party on conviction when he announced his intent to vote in favor of removing Trump from office on the first article, abuse of power. In the end,…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Austin and Julia Meek, owners of Pokey O’s Waco, shared the lessons they’ve learned from small business ownership with the next generation of potential entrepreneurs. The couple, who have turned their mobile cookie and ice cream trucks into a Waco staple since 2015, spoke at Tuesday’s installment of Confessions of an Entrepreneur. The lecture series is hosted by Baylor’s John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise and features business owners and their stories. “A confession to start off: I am not a business major,” Austin Meek said. Though the pair now own…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterBaylor celebrated the birthday of Lady and Joy, its two live mascots, Saturday at the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat. The bears turned 18 and 19 years old, respectively. The sister bears were born at the West Cost Game Park in Bandon, Ore. Each came to Baylor as a 4-month-old cub and have spent nearly all their lives at the university. The bears are cared for by students from the Baylor Chamber of Commerce through the Bear Program. With the bears now being the same age as many of Baylor’s freshmen, including Katy senior…
Fourth season brilliantly wraps up shows run with tear-stained existential bow, but sheds comedic tone en route
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterFor gearheads and racers alike, Baylor Driving Club is the university’s slice of car culture. Thursday night on top of the East Village parking garage, the club convened for its weekly meeting. Sugar Land senior Lucas Martin, the Baylor Driving Club president, was one of a couple dozen mingling and checking out other’s rides. His even-keeled demeanor was hardly a match for the $8,000 of modifications underneath his 2016 Subaru WRX. While attendees and their cars continued to trickle in, Martin listed the array of activities the club is involved in. “We meet every Thursday…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer In the immediate aftermath of NBA legend Kobe Bryant’s death Sunday, media outlets nationwide scrambled to report the news as quickly as possible and totally embarrassed themselves in the process. The facts we now know are that Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed when the helicopter they were flying in crashed near Calabasas, Calif. shortly before 10 a.m. PST. TMZ broke the story at 11:24 a.m. and immediately bungled their report. Early versions of the story ran with a line saying Bryant was survived by his wife and four daughters. Further…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer A sexual assault occurs every 73 seconds in America. At Sigma Gamma Rho’s pRHOtect Yourself presentation, Tracey Tevis explained how to stay safe from these dangers and where to seek support after suffering them. Tevis, a training and prevention specialist with Baylor’s Title IX department, presented a lecture about how to identify, seek support, avoid sexual assault, intimate partner violence and other related issues at an event hosted by the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority Tuesday night. Baylor’s Title IX office is one place victims can seek support. Title IX services are available to anyone…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Baylor Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) members reflected on the program’s success Thursday and looked to the future at the group’s 50th anniversary celebration. Founded on Jan. 9, 1970, Baylor PRSSA has provided public relations students with training and experience for half a century. The professional association, which has chapters all over the nation, helps students develop the necessary skills they need to build a career in public relations. Dr. Marlene Neill, an associate professor in the department of journalism, public relations and new media, serves as the group’s faculty adviser. Neill…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Six local nonprofits received an injection of funding from Baylor’s philanthropy and public good course. Baylor presented $75,000 in grants to the nonprofits during a ceremony on Jan. 14 at McLane Stadium. Christian Women’s Job Corps, Family Abuse Center, the Talitha Koum Institute, Greater Waco Legal Services, Inspiracion and The Cove were selected from more than 60 candidates. The recipients were selected by the philanthropy and Public Good course, a class which entrusts grant money to Baylor students and tasks them with deciding which nonprofits should receive it. The Talitha Koum Institute, which received…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterLocal groups are trying to boost Baylor’s voter registration numbers. Members of Baylor Democrats held a non-partisan voter registration drive on campus Tuesday. Texas’ primary election, which is open to all registered voters, takes place on March 3 with a voter registration deadline of Feb. 3. The 2020 general election on Nov. 3 will include the presidential race, Texas’ Senate election and congressional races around the country. Shreveport, La. freshman Veronica Penales, Baylor Democrats’ vice president, was one of the volunteers at the event. Penales said that while many students’ permanent addresses are out-of-town or…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Dr. Phillip Donnelly urged Christians to use the art of grammar to realign the message of prayer from a request of God to act to an invitation to enact God’s will. Donnelly, the director of Baylor’s Great Texts Program, presented his lecture “The Grammar of Prayer” Friday night in Robbins Chapel. At the public lecture, Donnelly said a common misconception is that grammar is only rules and information. “Rather than understanding grammar as either information or arbitrary judgements, we need to understand grammar as a verbal art,” Donnelly said. “That is, as a knowledge…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the stressful and hectic environment of college life can be hard, but it’s not impossible. With the proper preparation and dedication, students can eat right and stay active. “The first thing I tell people is that it can be done,” Dr. LesLee Funderburk, a professor in the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences said. Funderburk is an expert in nutrition, and recommends that students trying to eat healthy on a budget should focus on plant-based foods. “We are always going to tell people to focus on plant-based foods…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Six candidates made their case for the Democratic nomination on the Iowa debate stage Tuesday night. With no further showdowns scheduled before the Iowa caucuses kick-start the primary cycle on Feb. 7, Tuesday’s showing may have been the last opportunity to solidify a spot as a frontrunner. Aggregate polling shows former Vice President Joe Biden with a firm lead over the six debating candidates at 27%, followed by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren at 19% and 16% respectively. South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who has polled competitively in some…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Police have a suspect in custody months after a Halloween party shooting that left one man dead. 19-year-old Jamarine Jashan Long was arrested by Hillsboro police Friday afternoon in connection with the Nov. 1 shooting, as confirmed by a release issued by Sgt. Patrick Swanton of the Waco Police Department. The early-morning shooting took place outside a Halloween party at the Grove at Waco Apartments. D’airse Holder, a 22-year-old Waco resident and father was killed. A second victim, Davion Hawkins, was also injured. The arrest was carried out on a Waco police department warrant.…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterProtests in Hong Kong have raged since June, and now two Baylor faculty members are dissecting the situation and its potential consequences. Hong Kong’s history is that of a territory juggled by two powers. Britain took over Hong Kong in 1842 and leased surrounding land from China in 1898. When the lease expired in 1997, Britain transferred control of Hong Kong to China with an agreement of 50 years of near-autonomy for the territory. Now the territory’s values and governmental systems stand in stark contrast to those of China, which is eager to expand its…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterWith finals approaching at an almost breakneck speed, Baylor’s studying experts weighed in with tips to survive the last weeks of the semester. The staff members of Baylor’s Academic Support Programs specialize in helping students succeed in their studies. Sally Firmin, director of academic support programs, said students need to avoid cramming and break up their study sessions instead. “I have one really good piece of advice: study in smaller chunks of time, like 45 to 50 minutes, followed by a 10 – minute break,” Firmin said. “All the studies show when studying in shorter…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Oso Esports is bringing Baylor into the ever-expanding world of competitive gaming. Oso Esports was founded in 2017 and operates as the Baylor chapter of Tespa, a collegiate esports organization. Dallas senior Ben Swayze, Oso Esport’s president, said the group caters to students with an interest in esports, but welcomes casual gamers as well. “The goal of the club was to bring together a group of people who not only shared a love for video games, but for the competitive, business side of the industry,” Swayze said. “[We also] wanted to create an open…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer, Video by Igor Stepczynski | Broadcast Reporter Ben Shapiro attacked what he sees as a left-wing war on science in his speech Thursday night at Baylor, one of several stops as part of the Fred Allen lecture series. The 35-year-old conservative commentator for The Daily Wire drew a packed house at the 2,200-seat Waco Hall for his speech titled “Why Does the Left Hate Science?” Shapiro’s speech was sponsored by Baylor’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom. In the hour-long speech, Shapiro took aim at three issues he claims represent liberal denial of science:…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterStudents took a whirlwind tour of countries and cultures in Around the World in 80 Minutes, an event put on by the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures as part of the Center for Global Engagement’s International Education Week.International Education Week is dedicated to exposing students to different world cultures, and is “a week of events at Baylor that promotes and celebrates international exchange worldwide.” Wednesday evening’s Around the World in 80 Minutes event combined the week’s themes into a rapid-fire series of seminars.Professors in classrooms scattered throughout Old Main presented short presentations on the…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterBaylor’s campus experienced tremendous growth and modernization during the 2010s, with changes ranging from construction of new buildings to renovations of existing spaces. Over the decade, a handful of new buildings sprung up around campus. Across the Brazos River, McLane Stadium opened for the start of the 2014 football season, replacing the Bears’ prior home at the historic Floyd Casey Stadium. Next to McLane, the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium saw its first season of use in 2015. On campus, the East Village Residential Community first housed students in 2013 and the Paul L.…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterOn Saturday, Baylor football fans gathered to cheer on their team against the University of Oklahoma — the atmosphere was electric with cheers and jeers after every big play, but McLane Stadium didn’t host the only fan-filled event. While the action against OU unfolded at home, 100 miles away, the Baylor family found community in Austin. While the definitive way to experience Baylor football is in the stands, the best alternative may be an alumni watch party. A few dozen fans descended on the Cover 3 restaurant in Austin for Saturday’s watch party. Packed in…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterThe Baylor Animal Rescue Klub’s fall adoption event is bringing dogs to campus with the hope of finding them homes and raising awareness about rescue pets. BARK’s first-ever on-campus adoption event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday on Fountain Mall and is a partnership event with the Humane Society of Central Texas. BARK co-president and Austin junior Emmy Frigo said the event’s purpose is twofold: finding homes for dogs and supporting the Humane Society. “We’re having Mike Gray, who’s the volunteer coordinator at the Humane Society, come greet us at noon with…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Baylor students quenched their thirst for knowledge and caffeine at the Mayborn Museum Complex’s Science of Coffee event.Thursday night’s event was open to Baylor students, and Houston junior Gabby Hicks, an intern for the Mayborn, said it was intended to provide a relaxed atmosphere where students were encouraged to grab some refreshments, hang out and enjoy the night. “We are marketing this as a study night and a hangout session where students can gather and see this as a very casual environment to enjoy the museum,” Hicks said. “We had a band that played,…