By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Imagine this scene: You walk into a restaurant, order a $5 sandwich, pay with a $5 bill and get your food. Does anything stand out to you? There’s one glaring omission that should become the standard across our economy: the lack of added sales tax at the register. Now don’t get me wrong here, this isn’t going to be a long-winded rant claiming taxation is theft or anything like that. Taxes serve an important government function, and we should all be glad for, or at least begrudgingly accepting of, their existence. However, what taxes…
Author: Matthew Muir
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Former congressman Chet Edwards advocated for science to reassume a prominent role in politics at an on campus lecture Tuesday, and he argued that increased funding and education is needed to continue the United States’ legacy of scientific progress. Edwards, who described himself as a “recovering politician,” previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Texas Senate. Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences hosted the former Representative Tuesday when he presented his lecture on the “politics of science.” Edwards said scientific advancement is a key component of this country’s identity. “I believe…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer, Video by Grace Smith | Broadcast Reporter Baylor Law School faculty attributed state-leading bar exam passing rates to a rigorous curriculum and real-world experience. Baylor Law once again led all Texas law schools in bar exam passage rates following the release of July’s test results. Baylor registered a passing rate of 93.48%, roughly 12% above the state average. Out of 38 bar exams since 2001, Baylor posted the top passing rate in 25. Brad Toben has served as dean of Baylor Law School since 1991. Toben said the key ingredient in Baylor’s “simply unmatched”…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterA confrontation at the Mayborn Museum Complex led to one man’s arrest for aggravated assault Wednesday night. Heath Duval Parrish, a custodial employee for Aramark, was arrested by Baylor Police around 9:18 p.m. Wednesday. Lori Fogleman, Baylor’s assistant vice president for media and public relations, said the confrontation involved Parrish exchanging words with another Aramark employee before pulling a knife. “Two Aramark employees got into a conflict and exchanged words,” Fogleman said. “One pulled a knife and threatened the other. BUPD responded and arrested the suspect for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.” Fogleman said…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterAfter controversy erupted around an American Sign Language class’ guest presenter, students who attended the class are divided on whether the lecturer crossed a line. Marshall junior Celia Scrivener kicked off a frenzy on Twitter when she posted a picture taken during the guest lecture in Dr. Lewis Lummer’s ASL III class Tuesday. As of Thursday night, the tweet has received 602 likes and 202 retweets. The picture showed guest presenter Jari Saavalainen, a Chicago pastor, displaying the homepage of the Deaf611 website emblazoned with the words “deaf Christians struggling with unwanted same sex attraction.”…
Matthew Muir | Staff WriterBaylor’s new welcome center and basketball pavilion both received approval for their first phase of development at Friday’s Board of Regents meeting. The board voted to approve funding for the phase one design of both the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center and the Baylor Basketball Pavilion projects. $5 million was approved for the welcome center of its anticipated $60 million budget, and $8.6 million of a roughly estimated $105 million was approved for the basketball pavilion. Phase one involves the design and planning of the project, including architecture and infrastructure work. Jason Cook, Baylor’s vice…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterFormer Baylor football player Logan Parker Compton was arrested Friday on manslaughter charges in connection with a fatal highway crash over the summer. Authorities booked Compton, 18, into the Falls County Jail in connection to a fatal traffic accident on Highway 6 near Riesel in June. Compton’s truck reportedly slid off the road during heavy rain, crossed the center median and struck a car in the opposite lane. The car’s driver, 30-year-old Hermaleen Haney, was pronounced dead at the scene. Haney’s passenger, Jeremiah Haney, and Compton were both treated for injuries at Baylor Scott &…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterMany freshmen arrive at Baylor University sporting the iconic “I know where I’m going” shirt. Now, the Baylor University Career Center wants students to leave Baylor saying “I know where I’m going next.” The career center’s new “I know where I’m going next” campaign targets graduating seniors with the goal of preparing them for life after graduation. The campaign was designed as a way to funnel students to the experts and resources the career center has to offer. Shelby Cefaratti, marketing and communications director for the Baylor career center, said the desire to “bookend” the…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterRepresentatives from around the world will converge at Baylor Tuesday for the International Christian Schools Job Fair, which will give students the chance to learn about job opportunities at international schools and organizations. Held from 2-6 p.m. in 506 Cashion Academic Center, the job fair was planned by Baylor’s Career Center in conjunction with the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). The job fair is a traveling event organized by ACSI with Baylor being the third stop; the job fair previously visited Grand Canyon University and Liberty University. More than 30 organizations from five continents…
By Matthew Muir and Tyler Bui | Staff Writers Dr. Nancy Fichtman Dana, the second of three Cherry Award finalists, delivered her lecture on inquiry’s role in teaching Monday evening. Dana, a professor of education at the University of Florida, was selected as one of three finalists for the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching. Dana, along with fellow finalists Dr. Jennifer Cognard-Black from St. Mary’s College in Maryland and Dr. Reuben A. Buford May of Texas A&M University, was required to present a lecture during the fall semester. The eventual winner will receive $250,000, $25,000 for their department…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterAfter three tornadoes ripped through North Texas, some of the Baylor community’s Dallas residents were left to pick up the pieces. Severe storms in North Texas produced three tornadoes, the strongest being an EF-3 Sunday night which tore a path of destruction through Dallas. Reports thus far indicate no deaths and few injuries. Courtney Bishop moved to Dallas after graduating from Baylor University in May and said the storm took her by surprise. “I really didn’t know it was calling for a huge storm. I saw rain in the forecast, but I wasn’t really thinking…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterVisitors of all ages interacted with experts and had hands-on experiences with science on Saturday at the Mayborn Museum’s Sic ‘Em Science Day. Sic ‘Em Science Day featured an array of activities and exhibits at the Mayborn Museum. Researchers gave visitors the opportunity to see cutting-edge science up-close from fields like engineering and biology. Lesa Bush, the Mayborn Museum’s associate director of education and programs, said this experience is a favorite among regular visitors. “People love the engagement. They love being able to talk to real scientists,” Bush said. “They love the topics that are…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer, Video by BrenShavia Jordan | Broadcast Reporter Two Baylor students are partnering with local apartment complexes to bring recycling services to student housing. Danville, Calif., Senior Madi Jeha and Houston senior Catherine Szuhay helped the Ursa apartment complex implement a recycling program as part of an environmental science research project, and are in talks with other complexes near Baylor to do the same. Jeha conceived the program last semester after observing the lack of recycling at Waco apartments, and said the research component was an extra benefit. “I came up with the idea for…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterGamma Alpha Upsilon, an unchartered LGBTQ organization, has a new meeting space. Gamma announced the new venue, 301 Marrs McLean Science Building, in a post on its Instagram page. The announcement said Gamma “FINALLY got a real room on campus” after “years and years and years of meeting in public in the SUB.”A statement released to the Lariat by Gamma said the change of venue was done to benefit the group’s members. “Gamma does not have an official room from Baylor; we are simply moving to a more private space to ensure the safety of…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer, Video by Grace Smith | Broadcast Reporter Baylor’s HackFest event challenged students to learn about and become better aware of handling cybersecurity threats. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and Tuesday night’s HackFest was part of Baylor Cyber Day, a two-day series of events to raise awareness about cybersecurity. Cyber Day continues with a public forum of cybersecurity experts at 1:30 p.m. today in Foster 250. The main event, a “King of the Mountain” competition, pit teams of students against each other in an effort to hack into and plant their virtual flag in a…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterThe Baylor community will have the chance to relive history and learn about traditions at tonight’s Friday Night Flashback event. One out of many annual events taking place during homecoming weekend, Friday Night Flashback will give visitors the chance to “walk through a flashback of Baylor’s history and traditions” from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Bill Daniel Student Center. Highlighted traditions and history include All-University Sing and Pigskin Revue, Diadeloso, athletic highlights and more. Twin Falls, Idaho, junior Caitlin Colver serves as this year’s coordinator for Friday Night Flashback. Colver said Friday Night Flashback…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer, Video by Kennedy Dendy | Executive Producer Baylor University Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials expressed satisfaction with the response to Thursday’s Eastgate Apartments shooting. The shooting left one man injured and put the Baylor campus into a shelter-in-place situation for roughly 45 minutes. At a time when DPS is working to educate the community about how to respond to dangerous situations, Thursday’s shooting was a real-world test of the programs and practices put in place. Mark Childers, associate vice president of Baylor DPS, said a warning from another law enforcement agency prompted the…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Prospective Baylor students previewed the School of Education (SOE) at Monday’s first-ever SOE expo.The expo, aimed at high school seniors in the process of applying to Baylor, gave the prospective pupils a peek at what Baylor’s School of Education has to offer. Dr. Jenifer Johnson, associate director of recruitment and first year experience for the School of Education, said the expo was designed to cover the most important aspects of an SOE education. “We start the day off with lunch in Penland, we have a welcome session and then we come here and we…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Amber Guyger was a Dallas police officer. Botham Jean was a risk assurance associate and Guyger’s neighbor. On Sept 6 2018, a meeting between the two ended with Jean dead.A jury sentenced Amber Guyger on Wednesday to 10 years in prison — though she’ll be eligible for parole in five — Wednesday for the 2018 shooting which left Botham Jean dead in his own apartment. Guyger’s defense was that she entered the apartment by mistake thinking it was hers — an honest mix-up perhaps, but a flimsy excuse for taking an innocent man’s life…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer, Video by Sarah Gill | Broadcast Reporter With scandal swirling around the White House and the specter of impeachment looming large, what do students think about impeaching President Donald Trump? Speaker Nancy Pelosi formally announced the Democrat-led House of Representative’s intent to begin a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump Sept. 24. The announcement came in the wake of allegations that Trump used his position to try to force the president of Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. An informal survey of 50 Baylor students revealed few supported the action. p.p1 {margin:…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Baylor Libraries’ Rare Business exhibit featured historic and hard-to-find texts on business and economics, including a first edition of Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations.” The first edition copy from 1776 was one of 21 historical works on display at the Foster Campus for Business and Innovation. The exhibit showed off rare books on business and economics from the Central Libraries Special Collections, with “The Wealth of Nations” as its centerpiece. Beth Farwell, director of Central Libraries Special Collections, said Baylor’s rare copy of “The Wealth of Nations” took an unconventional route to become…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer, Video by Grace Smith | Broadcast Reporter A live dorm room burn added some extra heat to Baylor’s National Night Out event, which was filled with a variety of interactive activities and was hosted by Baylor Police Department (BUPD). Tuesday’s National Night Out brought members of the Baylor community out to interact with the first responders who work to keep Baylor safe. Activities included a model dorm room fire, a cornhole tournament, a dunk tank, free food and a “Firefighter Challenge” involving an obstacle course. The model dorm room burn served as the evening’s…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterOpenness and understanding were two of the primary topics discussed at Monday’s Faculty Panel on Civil Discourse, where members of the Baylor professor panel pushed for humility and understanding over competition and persuasion when engaging in discourse. The panel of professors, hosted by Baylor president Dr. Linda Livingstone, fielded questions during this Baylor Conversation Series event at the Mayborn Museum Theater. Dr. Elesha Coffman, Assistant professor of American intellectual history, Dr. David Corey, professor of political science, Dr. Greg Garrett professor of English, and Dr. Leslie Hahner associate professor of communication discussed the importance of…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer Baylor’s Go Gold initiative connects the Baylor and Waco communities with special promotions as part of the Solid Gold Neighbor initiative, striving to foster partnerships between the university and Waco. Go Gold is composed of three branches: discounts for students, faculty and staff at local businesses with a Baylor ID; scavenger hunt giveaways designed to encourage interaction between the Baylor and Waco communities; and a spirit campaign aimed at cultivating Baylor spirit throughout Waco. Holly Burchett, director of community relations with Baylor’s Office of External Affairs, said she believes that Waco and Baylor have…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer, Video by Grace Smith | Broadcast Reporter A Baylor sleep expert shared tips for sleeping healthily and efficiently, especially through prioritizing sleep and avoiding factors that negatively affect typical sleep patterns. Dr. Michael Scullin, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor, researches the effects of sleep on physiological and neurological functions. His next study will examine the effects of insufficient sleep on creativity among freshmen. Scullin said his most important tip is to avoid distractions and prioritize getting a full eight hours of sleep each night. “The most important factor is that you prioritize…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer The most vocal students at Wednesday’s Hispanic Heritage Month Listening Session voiced discontent with the culture at Baylor regarding Hispanic students. Organized by Multicultural Affairs, the Listening Session invited students to discuss the experiences and issues affecting the Hispanic community at Baylor and figure out ways to make the university more inclusive. Problems with finding community and respect at Baylor dominated the afternoon’s discussion. Mission junior Jennifer De La Fuente said she feels uncomfortable as a Hispanic student at Baylor and points to a class discussion as an example of cultural insensitivity. “My white…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer After tropical storm Imelda drenched Texas’ Gulf Coast, some of Baylor’s Houston natives shared how it felt to see their home city flooded. Imelda made landfall last Tuesday and pounded southeast Texas through the end of the week. The storm left five dead and dropped as many as 43 inches of rain on some parts of the region, becoming the seventh-wettest tropical storm in United States history and leading Governor Greg Abbott to declare a state of emergency. Before college, senior Maryssa Smith lived in Houston her entire life. Smith said other floods from…
By Matthew Muir | Staff Writer A 2016 study found nearly 80% of North Americans can’t see the Milky Way in the night sky. A better study would ask how many of those people know what they’re missing. Or, at least that’s the question that came to mind as I lay on a pool chair and stared up at a sparkling night sky for the first time in what seemed like forever, courtesy of a blackout at my apartment not a mile down the road from Baylor’s campus. Staring up at the beautiful sight of a sparkling night sky, my…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterMISTER, which stands for Males Inspiring Success Through Education and Relationships, is a support group for minority men at Baylor organized by the Department of Multicultural Affairs. The group meets every third Thursday and aims to empower young minority males and help them succeed by providing a place to cultivate relationships, seek advice, discuss issues affecting them and, naturally, eat wings. MISTER founder Geoffrey Griggs, assistant director of Multicultural Affairs, wants to give minority men a place to be themselves and discuss issues that matter to them. “We created this group… almost six years ago…
By Matthew Muir | Staff WriterThe Sic ‘em for Safety campaign, which runs through September and is promoted by Baylor’s Department of Public Safety (DPS), coincides with National Preparedness Month and aims to educate students, faculty and staff about safety procedures and emergency services on campus. Sic ‘em for Safety will conclude with a National Night Out event from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 1 on Fountain Mall. According to the Baylor statement announcing Sic ‘em for Safety, many of the activities to take place during National Night Out are intended to “promote overall campus safety and crime prevention,” including a live…
