Author: Monica Rodriguez

Monica Rodriguez | ReporterDuring the fall semester, Baylor’s student government has been working hard on various activities, bills and other behind-the-scenes actions which have contributed to bettering the entire campus, along with student life. The student government often teams up with various other student organizations on campus such as Student Foundation and Baylor Student Activities. The events held are usually ones that offer help to the student body come together or support and promote their commitment to provide a caring campus community. Augusta, Ga., junior Palmer Brigham joined Student Government this year for the first time as their press secretary.…

By Monica Rodriguez | ReporterAs a self-proclaimed introvert, I’ve never been the person to have a huge group of close friends. When I was growing up, my family moved around a lot, so any friendships I did develop eventually ended up dissolving. The phrases “Let’s stay in touch” and “I’ll come visit you sometime” soon came to be just empty promises to me after my third or fourth time switching schools. So when I came to college, I was set on focusing solely on my schoolwork and only keeping a couple of friends. However, that all changed once I met…

By Monica Rodriguez | Reporter Baylor student government held their annual All-University Thanksgiving dinner Wednesday evening on Fountain Mall. The event was free and open to all Baylor students, faculty and staff as well as their families. As a popular seasonal tradition among the Baylor community, it was no surprise that the lines for the Thanksgiving feast were already packed with hungry attendees well before the festivities started at 5 p.m. The menu featured a main choice of roasted turkey breast or pit ham. There were also various sides to choose from, including green beans, corn bread stuffing, cranberry sauce,…

By Monica Rodriguez | ReporterAccording to the Gun Violence Archives, over 300 mass shootings have occurred in the United States as of Nov. 5, when a gunman opened fire on a church in Sutherland Springs. On Oct. 1, the deadliest mass shooting to occur in the United States happened at a country music festival in Las Vegas. On June 12, 2016, 49 people were killed at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla. On July 20, 2012, a shooter opened fire during a screening of the new Batman film at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo. On April 16, 2007, a mix…

By Monica Rodriguez | ReporterWhen I first started college, I was ready to enter the real world. I thought the horrible seven-hour school days, immature boys and having to follow everyone else’s rules were all in the past. I was ready to set my own schedule and be in charge of my own future. Little did I know how hard the transition would actually be. While I’ve always considered myself way too mature for my own age, borderline grandma-like sometimes, if I’m being honest, I found myself being sucked into the typical college lifestyle. Grocery shopping and running other errands…

By Monica Rodriguez | ReporterWithin the past week, social media has become riddled with hashtags followed by the words “Me too.” Actress Alyssa Milano tweeted #MeToo last Sunday, followed by a note encouraging women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted to post the hashtag on social media platforms to raise awareness of the magnitude of those who have also experienced some form of assault. As of yesterday, her tweet has been shared over 25,000 times, has around 53,000 likes and has half a million replies from men and women of all ages. Some of the responders included several more…

By Monica Rodriguez | ReporterOn Monday afternoon, Baylor’s Diversity and Inclusion program held a THIS Matters forum called “Patriotism, Protest and Pro-Athletes,” where eight panelists gave their take on the highly controversial “Take a Knee” political movement currently taking the political and sports world by storm. The movement, started by former San Francisco 49ers Quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, who took a knee during a game’s national anthem over a year ago. Kaepernick has since inspired several different professional athletes and NFL teams to do the same. However, various NFL owners and even President Donald Trump have offered their own different opinions…

By Monica Rodriguez | Reporter On Monday, the Baylor Religion Department hosted its annual Daniel B. McGee Endowed Lecture. The McGee lecture is named in honor and memory of longtime Baylor Religion Ethics professor Daniel B. McGee and his various contributions. The second lecture out of this three-part series was held at Miller Chapel and invited Baylor students, professors and faculty to come together with the Waco community to discuss the relationship between religion and politics. The presentation called “The People, Populism and the Church in the Era of Trump,” was hosted by Dr. Luke Bretherton. Bretherton, originally from England,…

By Monica Rodriguez | Reporter Throughout the past week, massive wildfires have been raging through northern California, destroying thousands of acres of land and adding the calamity to the list of one of the worst natural disasters to affect the United States this year. As of Monday night, the death toll had reached over 41, with over hundreds of people hospitalized from smoke inhalation or burns, and thousands more faced with homelessness. Among these feeling the effects are some families belonging to Baylor University students. Freshmen whose hometowns are in California make up for just over 11 percent of the…

By Monica Rodriguez | ReporterLast week, a teaser trailer for the new TV miniseries, ‘Waco,’ came out from Paramount Network.‘Waco’ is set to be a six-episode series that is based on the actions of cult and Branch Dividians leader, David Koresh, and his 51 day standoff with the federal government outside The Mount Carmel Center in Waco in 1993.The one minute and nine second clip gives insight into the religious mastermind behind the cult and the ensuing chaos that occurred between Feb. 28 and April 19, 1993 that resulted in the deadly fire that ended the lives of Koresh along…

By Monica Rodriguez | ReporterBaylor Women and Gender Studies hosted a Start Smart Salary Negotiation Workshop on the fifth floor of Cashion on Thursday. The workshop is specifically designed for college students about to enter the job market and helps them learn valuable skills such as negotiating salary, improving budget and negotiation skills and ultimately improving their lifelong earning potential. The event was promoted by the American Association for University Women whose research shows that women one year out of college are paid only 80 percent of what their male counterparts receive. Robin Bellerby, host of the workshop, works in…

By Monica Rodriguez | ReporterThe dictionary definition of balance is “a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.” Usually, this explanation is a goal most people seek to attain. Whether it be eating healthy and working out, getting good grades or having a social life, we often attempt to mash all these different elements together into our everyday lives; this is mostly because we believe this is the magic formula that will give us happiness or the type of life we desire. However, I believe this isn’t necessarily always the case. Many times, I have…

By Monica Rodriguez | ReporterBaylor’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program sponsored its third annual “Boundary Breaking Women’s Panel: A Call to Action” on Tuesday. This year marked the 100th anniversary of the Silent Sentinels, a group of women in the 1900s who were in favor of women’s suffrage and protested in front of the White House on Jan. 10, 1917. They continued their silent vigil for two and a half years until the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was passed. The panel specifically honored the group’s founder, Alice Paul, who led the Silent Sentinels, and nine other…

By Monica Rodriguez | ReporterOver the weekend, Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc through the Caribbean and up into the Florida and Georgia areas. On Wednesday, the Category 5 storm was projected to cause an enormous amount of damage to various islands and territories, including Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico, junior Crisitan Rigual says although there was a state of emergency declared in Puerto Rico and several people evacuated the area, his family decided to stay. “I trust that they’re going to be OK,” Rigual said. “They boarded up all the windows and doors in the house and have stocked up…

Visit this art exhibit to see how artists are using their art to show the affects of climate change and pollution on the environment.

Zambian Legal Practioner, Sara Larios, visited Baylor Law School yesterday evening to discuss her experiences working within the legal system in Zambia and an upcoming opportunity for Baylor students to come study abroad there next summer.