Author: Phoebe Suy

By Phoebe Suy | ReporterBaylor’s “Christian atmosphere” is both the reason I chose to attend this university and the reason I, at times, longed to leave. What does it say about us as Christians if the only thing connecting us to Christ is the Bible verse we quote on social media? If the mission trips we take turn into photo-ops? If the only time we pray is following a crisis or before a meal? How can we educate students for worldwide leadership and service if our Christian commitment only goes as far as we are comfortable? When being a Christian…

By Phoebe Suy | Staff Writers Cindy Fry was 6 years old when she sat on her dad’s lap and watched Apollo 11 land the first two humans on the moon. “Dad, I want to do that,” she remembers saying. Her father told her she could do whatever she wanted to do. The rest isn’t history, it’s today’s story of women seeking careers in fields like STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), the military and even ministry.Now a senior lecturer in Baylor’s computer science department, Fry said in the last couple of years she has seen more and more women…

By Phoebe Suy | Staff WriterA U.S. District Court dismissed parts of former Baylor student Dolores Lozano’s lawsuit against the university Thursday evening, denying her Title IX, negligence and gross negligence claims but allowing her to amend the claims for negligent hiring, retention and supervision.Lozano filed a Title IX lawsuit against Baylor in October 2016, in which she accused the university of failing to identify and eliminate a hostile environment after she was allegedly physically assaulted by former football player Devin Chafin. The original lawsuit claimed Title IX violations and gross negligence.“Baylor is pleased that the Court has granted the…

By Phoebe Suy | Staff WriterIn a Wednesday night court filing, Baylor said controversial emails revealed in a Title IX lawsuit were mischaracterized by the plaintiffs, 10 anonymous women. The filing was a response to last week’s discovery of offense emails from former Interim President Dr. David Garland, in which the plaintiffs’ lawyer said he was victim-blaming survivors of sexual assault. “The most remarkable thing about Plaintiffs’ discussion is the complete disconnect between their argument and the content of Dr. Garland’s actual email,” Baylor said in the filing. “They impose their own interpretation of the Bible and literally put words…

By Phoebe Suy | Staff WriterLed by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, the U.S. Department of Education released new interim guidelines for university Title IX compliance. The announcement on Friday ended Obama-era policies that the Department said lacked due process and fundamental fairness.Some significant changes from the new guidelines include that schools and colleges have the option to apply a higher burden of proof in sexual misconduct cases, can seek informal resolutions and no longer need to operate under a fixed investigation time frame.Following the Department’s announcement, Baylor said it would maintain its commitment to providing a safe and secure…

By Phoebe Suy | Staff Writer Emails from former Interim President Dr. David Garland were revealed in a lawsuit filing Wednesday. The prosecution’s lawyer said the wording of the emails speak to a larger picture in which Baylor victim-blames survivors of sexual assault.The emails were exchanged between Garland and vice president for student life Dr. Kevin Jackson, in June 2016 following a rally of sexual assault survivors on campus.“It was heartrending to hear the deeply wounding experiences of the survivors, yet at the same time, the courage each demonstrated was inspiring,” Jackson wrote.In the emails, Garland tells Jackson of two…

By Phoebe Suy | Staff WriterThe stigma surrounding mental health in Christian circles has changed according to Dr. Jim Marsh, executive director for counseling services at Baylor. Historically, he said people were inclined to think, “If I come and seek mental health services, maybe I’m weak or I’m not depending on God as much. I’m not as much of a Christian. I don’t have much faith.”In contrast to this, Baylor’s Counseling Center services have expanded significantly to accommodate students’ needs. Some of the changes Marsh emphasized were no counseling session limits, no fees and extended hours.“There’s just been much more…

By Phoebe Suy | Staff Writer As many as 20,000 sexual assault forensic exams, known as rape kits, lie untested in forensic labs across Texas, but hopefully not for long. The Noble NoZe Brotherhood initiated a fundraiser Tuesday to support the testing of rape kits by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The NoZe Brothers are selling “Make Baylor Great Again” hats for $20 each. One hundred percent of sales will go to crime labs that conduct testing for rape kits. The Brothers also set up a GoFundMe campaign, “Help NoZe Bros End Rape Kit Backlog,” for those who may…

By Phoebe Suy | Staff WriterIgor Stravinsky’s early twentieth-century Russian ballet met the smooth jazz ballads of Bob Florence as Jones Concert Hall filled with the sounds of The Baylor Symphony Orchestra, The Baylor Wind Ensemble and the Baylor Jazz Ensemble at the Kaleidoscope Instrumental Concert on Saturday afternoon.The Baylor Symphony Orchestra was led by conductor-in-residence Stephen Heyde, director of the Wayne Fisher Jazz Program. Alex Parker directed the Jazz Ensemble and professor and director of Bands J. Eric Wilson conducted the Wind Ensemble.The concert began with a trumpet prelude by an award-winning Baylor ensemble. The group placed first in…

By Phoebe Suy | Staff WriterBaylor is seeking to ban short-term rentals in all multi-family residential properties near campus. The ban would specifically affect apartments, townhouses, condos and lofts.Short-term rentals are defined as the rental of a residential property for a period of less than 30 consecutive days. Baylor’s request specifically bans “Short Term Rental Type III” properties, which includes multi-family residential properties, private residences that are occasionally rented and full-time rental properties.The Waco Plan Commission will meet Wednesday to discuss Baylor’s request to amend the city’s short-term rental ordinance within the confines of the College and University Neighborhoods Overlay…

By Phoebe Suy | Staff WriterBaylor’s Title IX office offers a number of resources for survivors of sexual assault or harassment. However, in the instance that an individual is seeking off-campus support, the Waco Police Department and the Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children are two resources in the Waco community that survivors can reach out to.Sgt. Patrick Swanton of the Waco Police Department said the first thing the police department always encourages is for victims of any criminal offense to contact the police immediately and make a report.Specifically for sexual assault victims, Swanton recommends calling 911 first if…

By Phoebe Suy | Staff WriterIn the wake of the start of the Iraq war in 2003, members of Baylor faculty and staff traveled to Iraqi Kurdistan to present higher education workshops to professors and students who remained in the war-torn region. Members of the team reunited on Thursday to share their stories at “Education Goes to War.”Retired U.S. Air Force colonel and Baylor professor emeritus of political science William A. Mitchell led the effort, known as “Operation Baylor in Iraq.” The first expedition took place in 2003, and the fifth and final journey was in 2007.Mitchell’s book, “Baylor in…

Baylor’s First Gentleman Brad Livingstone is the first to fill this new role at the university. Livingstone teaches history and government at Vanguard College Preparatory School in Waco. He is a history buff who loves his students and has plans to go skydiving in the spring. The Lariat sat down with Livingstone and here’s what he had to say. Q: How has it been being the first First Gentleman at Baylor? That’s been an amazing journey as well. Again, we’ve only been here for, I guess we just crossed the 100 day threshold. One of the things that’s kind of…

Baylor’s OALA office supports hundreds of students every semester on their Baylor journey.

Education Secretary DeVos said the current system isn’t working for both survivors and the accused. She is seeking public feedback from a variety of resources going forward.

Phoebe Suy | Staff WriterIf you enjoy hot green tea and the original NCIS, you just might find your new best friend in Baylor President Dr. Linda Livingstone. Today marks Livingstone’s 100th day as Baylor’s first female president. In her short time at Baylor so far, Livingstone has actively worked to engage members of the community and emphasize Baylor’s mission and calling. Livingstone joined the Baylor family during what may have felt like an uncertain time. Unfolding sexual assault scandals, multiple lawsuits and major administrative changes left big shoes to fill for the next university president. Board of Regent Chair…

ESPN investigative reporters Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach detail Baylor’s sexual assault scandal in their new book “Violated: Exposing Rape at Baylor University Amid College Football’s Sexual Assault Crisis.”

The college experience goes beyond your decisions, it goes to finding your why.

Former Title IX investigator Gabrielle Lyons sued Baylor in the university’s ninth Title IX lawsuit.

Hurricane Harvey continues to devastate coastal regions and the greater Houston area.

Vice President for Facilities and Operations Brian Nicholson will soon be leaving the campus that he transformed during his 14 year career at Baylor.

Dr. Reagan Ramsower will be the third Baylor administrator to transition out of an executive role this year.

Lawsuit alleges meaningful reform has yet to take place on campus.

Baylor’s thousand acre campus will now be reinforced by 1,030 cameras.

Baylor students learn about what it means to be a caring Christian community in the context of interpersonal violence.

Tommye Lou Davis has served under 6 of Baylor’s 16 presidents.

Phoebe Suy | Staff Writer Times are changing, and so is The Baylor Lariat. Beginning this fall, the Lariat will only publish in print on Tuesdays and Fridays while broadening its digital presence. Breaking news and university developments will be published on the Lariat website, mobile app, social media accounts, Waco Cable Channel 18 and Morning Buzz e-mail newsletter. “Our goal is to be the best source of information about Baylor,” said assistant media adviser Julie Reed. “None of that is changing. What is changing is the medium.” The switch from physical papers to scrolling screens is a natural progression,…

Phoebe Suy | Staff Writer While welcoming a new president this summer, Baylor’s recent sexual assault scandals continue to follow the university. In addition to the filing of the latest in a series of lawsuits against Baylor and the settlement of a previous suit in the span of four months, the university was ordered in a third existing lawsuit to release underlying information from the Pepper Hamilton investigation.Baylor hired Pepper Hamilton law firm in fall 2015 to conduct an independent review of Baylor’s institutional response and compliance to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The nine-month investigation ultimately…