By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News Editor The World Cinema Series, sponsored by the Department of Modern Foreign Languages, held its last screening of the semester Tuesday night in Bennett Auditorium. Every week, a film is shown from a different country in one of the languages that is taught in the department of modern foreign languages. According to the department of modern foreign languages website, the World Cinema Series is an ongoing series of international film screenings aimed at exposing students to other cultures and languages. On Tuesday night, the series concluded with a screening of the film “Romance Out…
Author: Pablo Gonzales
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News Editor Located in a bright orange building on LaSalle Ave. between 10th and 11th street, the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce stimulates economic development in Central Texas by partnering with government leaders, small businesses and Hispanic consumers. According to its website, the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce works with the City of Waco and the City of Bellmead on economic development projects such and job recruiting. Corporate managers leverage their connections with Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to create connections within the community and to work on community outreach projects. Small business owners can…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News EditorEvery week this semester, members of the Festival Latino planning committee have sold Horchata, cinnamon and rice-flavored water, and other refreshments to raise money for Festival Latino, a new event that will take place in the spring that celebrates Pan-American culture. Festival Latino is the brainchild of two Baylor seniors Josh Rizzo and Monica Luna. The two have partnered with the Latinx Coalition and Baylor Multicultural Affairs to bring Festival Latino to campus. Dallas senior Monica Luna and Austin senior Josh Rizzo said they wanted to see a bigger event that celebrates Pan-American culture…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News Editor For many, Halloween is a time for fun and expression through embracing a costume that expresses your personality in a creative way. For others, Halloween is concerning because the costumes people choose may be culturally insensitive. Baylor has made its commitment to cultural sensitivity and inclusion very clear. Last year, Dr. Kevin Jackson, the vice president of student life and former student body president Lindsey Bacque sent an email to Baylor students, faculty and staff encouraging those who celebrate Halloween to wear costumes that are respectful to others, but also to celebrate Halloween…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News EditorThe department of communication is one of the fastest growing departments on campus. With over 400 communication majors, it can be tricky trying to navigate through the department. The communications coalition of minority students (CCOMS) serves to provide a place for minority communications majors to find community and build leadership skills. Dr. Rosalind Kennerson-Baty, CCOMS adviser and senior lecturer in the department of communication, believes that CCOMS creates a space where minority students can build community with activities and events with like-minded people with similar experiences as well as bring fellowship for minority students…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News EditorEvery day you are one day closer to death. One of the most sought after questions that humans have tried to answer is “what is next—what happens when you die?” For students in Dr. Kathryn Mueller’s SOC 4310: Death and Dying course, students study the process of death and its implications on society. Scholars and academics have studied the dying process for years and now Baylor students can study the process of death and grieving and how it affects our society. According to the Baylor Undergraduate Catalog, this course studies significant issues in the…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News Editor Waco is not the first place that comes to mind when you think about good Cajun food. Though it’s a long way from Louisiana, Cajun Craft has brought the Louisiana flavor to Central Texas. Located on 11th St. and Cleveland Ave., Cajun Craft is a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant that serves home-style Cajun food. Favorites such as gumbo, po-boys and jambalaya are on the menu, along with creative takes on classic dishes such as crawfish po-boys and creole shrimp salad. The restaurant itself is small. You walk up to the counter and order your…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News EditorDr. Joseph Stubenrauch, associate professor of history, was awarded the 2017 Frank S. and Elizabeth D. Brewer Book Prize for his book, “The Evangelical Age of Ingenuity in Industrial Britain.” This award is given by the American Society of Church History, a scholarly community that is dedicated to studying the history of Christianity and how it relates to culture in all time periods, locations and contexts. According to its website, the American Society of Church History is one of the oldest and most distinguished historical societies in the U.S. According to the American Society…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News EditorKun-Ying Helena Sung, Baylor class of 2009 alumne, is a recipient of the Benjamin B. Ferencz Fellowship in Human Rights and Law at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minn. She was selected by the fellowship committee to increase awareness about the International Criminal Court. World Without Genocide, a nonprofit organization at the law school, awards the fellowships. They work to protect innocent people around the world and prevent genocide by combating racism and prejudice, advocate for the prosecution of perpetrators and remember those whose lives and cultures have been destroyed…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News EditorSe habla español? Did you know that Baylor offers a Spanish course for students that are native Spanish speakers? The department of modern foreign languages and cultures, division of Spanish and Portuguese offers this specialized course and has grown in popularity among students who grew up speaking Spanish. SPA 2304: Spanish for Heritage Speakers, is a special Spanish language course for students who already speak, read, and understand Spanish on a fluent or almost-fluent level, according to the Baylor Undergraduate Handbook.Dr. Karen Lopez-Alonzo has taught the course for the past two semesters. Before last…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News EditorBefore guide dogs can lead the blind, they must learn how to do so. Guide dogs-in-training are coming to Waco and the Baylor campus to learn the basics of a service life. Guide Dogs for the Blind is a national nonprofit organization that pairs guide dogs with volunteers who train them to be service dogs. The organization was founded in 1942 and has since created a volunteer network of over 2,000 “puppy raisers” who raise and train guide dogs. The organization is based in San Rafael, Calif., and has chapters in Arizona, California, Colorado,…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News EditorBaylor University has been given an annual grant of $232,265 to introduce the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program. Named after Ronald McNair, an astronaut who died during the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger Mission, the program partners with universities to prepare minority students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. Participants are from disadvantaged backgrounds and have demonstrated strong academic potential. The program is funded by the United States Department of Education and is one of eight TRIO programs. TRIO programs are federal programs that provide services to disadvantaged and…
Give into your utmost desires: pancakes and steak.
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News EditorThis past weekend, Church Under the Bridge celebrated 25 years of service and commitment to the people of Waco. The 25th anniversary celebration began early Sunday morning with a 1.2 mile walk called “Walk for the Homeless,” an annual event held to collect toiletries and hygiene items for distribution at the church. Dr. Delvin Atchison, great commission director for the Baptist General Convention of Texas gave a sermon about living through life’s storms. The service was held at 11 a.m. In his sermon, Atchison spoke about how God shows up in mysterious ways and…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News Editor This fall, the Baylor chapter of Habitat for Humanity celebrates 30 years as a collegiate chapter. Since its founding, the organization has dedicated itself to providing homes for those in need in the greater Waco area.According to the Baylor Habitat for Humanity website, collegiate chapters are student-run organizations that partner with affiliate Habitat for Humanity groups in their area. Since the chartering of the first chapter, chapters have formed across the country with the mission to eliminate substandard housing. As the first collegiate chapter, the Baylor chapter has paved the way for over…
Newly opened Stone Hearth Indian Café brings authentic Indian cuisine to Waco.
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News Editor Moody Memorial Library is getting a new addition. In celebration of its 50th birthday during the fall of 2018, Moody Library will be receiving a new study area on the first floor. Moody Library was constructed in 1967 with the help of the Moody Foundation. When it was built, Moody stood as the sole library on campus. Baylor later added the W.R. Poage and Jesse H. Jones libraries in 1979 and 1992 according to the University Libraries website. The Moody Foundation, a philanthropic organization that gives grants to universities, hospitals, libraries and museums,…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News EditorNew students were welcomed to Baylor Tuesday evening at Latinx Night in the Barfield Drawing Room in the Bill Daniel Student Center. For many new students, transitioning to life at Baylor can be intimidating and difficult. However, student organizations offer a great opportunity for students to plug-in and find community at Baylor. Latinx Night provided an opportunity for students to learn about some of the Latino-oriented organizations at Baylor. Latinx Coalition President and Garland senior Denise Lopez said that Latinx Night offers Latino students at Baylor the opportunity to connect with people like them.…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News Editor Nestled in a quiet neighborhood away from the hustle and bustle of the Baylor campus, Pinewood Roasters has become one of Waco’s coffee staples . Since opening their original location in McGregor, Pinewood has expanded their operations beyond its coffee bean manufacturing to a full-service coffee shop and performance venue. After taking the short seven-minute drive from Baylor in the rain, I walked into the white-washed building to find a warm and welcoming refuge. Upon entry, you are greeted by friendly baristas eager to concoct your beverage. The ordering experience is seamless and…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant Web Editor The It’s on Us Advisory Council hosted its second annual Clothesline Project on Sunday evening in the Bill Daniel Student Center to launch Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Clothesline Project was started in 1990 on Cape Cod, Mass., to address the issue of abuse against women, according to the National Clothesline Project Network. The project was started as a way for anyone to express their feelings by decorating a blank T-shirt. All the shirts are to be hung on a clothesline so that they are seen by others in an effort to speak…
It seems that every day there is a new development adding to the giant snowball of the Baylor sexual assault scandal. I look through my social media feeds and find out another piece of the story that disappoints me. Growing up, Baylor was a household name. My mother, aunt and uncles attended here along with countless family friends. When I thought of Baylor, what came to mind was football games at Floyd Casey Stadium, the homecoming parade and the gold dome that shined brilliantly across I-35. When I came to campus as a freshman three years ago, I never thought…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant Web Editor The LatinX Coalition and THIS Matters hosted a forum Wednesday at the Bobo Spiritual Life Center to provide a space to discuss immigration policy in today’s America. The panelists included Laura Hernandez, professor at Baylor Law School, Kent McKeever, the director of the legal services program at Mission Waco, and Hope Mustakin, Waco Immigration Alliance member and graduate student at the Diana Garland School of Social Work. The panelists gave insight into the perceptions of immigration in American society and addressed concerns that many Americans have about immigration reform. “Immigration is a frightening…
By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant Web EditorVera Martin Daniel Plaza resonated with the sounds and colors of Latin America on Thursday evening during Fiesta!, Baylor’s all-university celebration of Latino culture and heritage.Fiesta!, hosted by the Hispanic Student Association in conjunction with the Baylor Activities Council, is an annual tradition that brings a Latin flare to the Baylor campus. Attracting both the Baylor and Waco communities, the goal of this event is to promote a cultural exploration of Latin America in a fun and relaxed setting, said Houston junior Damian Moncada, president of Hispanic Student Association.“Fiesta! brings the culture of Latin…