By Preston Gossett | ReporterThe play “Rhinoceros” is an interesting tale exploring herd mentality and what it means to be comfortable in your own skin. The production provides a much-needed escape from reality and further impresses with the relatability the actors and set provides with a very modern mid-century aesthetic. Baylor Theatre will perform the play “Rhinoceros” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Jones Theatre. “Rhinoceros” tells a story of a French town plagued by rhinoceroses, but these are no ordinary animals. They are townspeople plagued by “rhinoceritis.” One thing the…
Author: Preston Gossett
By Preston Gossett | Reporter Established and Company started out as nothing more than a class project. Sarah Gardner, Austin resident, Baylor University alumna and co-owner of Established and Company, graduated Baylor with a degree in entrepreneurship and marketing and a merchandising minor. She said her background gave her all of the needed assets and strengths to make a class project into a fully-functioning business. “[The company] is all about combining fashion with university apparel,” Gardner said. “The willingness of Baylor to give us a license [to sell university apparel] and to give us a chance — that’s what made…
By Preston Gossett | ReporterBaylor’s chapter of International Justice Mission will host its annual Threads pop-up thrift shop from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday on Fountain Mall. The international organization is the largest anti-trafficking organization in the world, and there are over 80 chapters on college campuses in the United States. Belton sophomore Kamrie Rhoads, president of Baylor’s chapter, said this is the group’s biggest fundraising event of the year, and that last year they exceeded their goal by raising almost $3,000. She said all of the money goes to funding rescue missions and safely removing victims from slave…
By Preston Gossett | ReporterButtoned Bears was created in 2014 to be an outlet for Baylor students to stay up-to-date on the latest fashion trends, and today the online magazine provides just that for students. On Saturday, they took their brand to Pinewood Coffee Bar for their annual fall pop-up shop featuring eight vendors selling products from custom made stickers to thrifted Waco clothes. Jakarta, Indonesia, junior and current editor-in-chief Carissa Setiawan said it is important to have days dedicated to showcasing Baylor students and their businesses. By bringing friends out to support the pop-up, students foster a community and…
By Preston Gossett | Reporter, Video by Sarah Gill | Broadcast Reporter Waco Haunted Houses, located off of I-35 in McLennan County, approaches its 30th consecutive year of haunts and scares. Baylor students and local Wacoans alike have the options of two different full-sized haunted houses — the “Museum of Horrors” and the “Texas Chainsaw Nightmare” house. The “Museum of Horrors” is set up as an homage to the famous horror movie monsters — Pinhead, Jason and Freddy, just to name a few, while the other haunted house follows the story of the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Michael Vinzant, outdoor manager…
By Preston Gossett | Reporter Zeta Tau Alpha’s eighth annual fundraiser and male beauty pageant, Big Man on Campus, raised around $25,000 Wednesday night in Waco Hall. $30,000 is the goal for the end of the month. The event, which supports Zeta’s philanthropy, Breast Cancer Awareness and Education, awarded Big Man on Campus to Danville, Calif. freshman Clay Jeha and Glenwood Springs, Colo. freshman Colt Dickens for Alpha Chi Omega, and Mr. Congeniality to Tucson, Ariz. sophomore Blake Reilly for Pi Kapp. Dallas sophomore and Zeta member Susannah Turner said the event is a showcase for guys — who don’t…
By Preston Gossett | Reporter Author Marjorie Lewis spoke at Fabled Bookshop & Cafe on Tuesday night about her debut novel “When the Men Were Gone,” and signed copies of her book for attendees. Lewis was the first female sportswriter and beat reporter of the Dallas Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, as well a former writer for the Dallas Morning News. Her novel tells the story of Tylene Wilson, one of the first women in the nation to become a high school football coach. During Lewis’ presentation at Fabled, she shared how she discovered Wilson and where her research…
By Preston Gossett | ReporterEastside Market seeks to feature creativity in Waco through a variety of local artisans and vendors.The vendors the market creators bring out to the market aren’t random. Deoryen Thornton, one of the creators of Eastside Market, said that he and others who plan the market sit down and come up with a variety of local vendors to satisfy everyone’s needs. Eastside Market has everything from pumpkin vendors to vintage clothing vendors; even partnered with one of the local animal shelters for something children would be interested in.“Everyone is welcome; we don’t judge anyone. If it’s appropriate…
By Preston Gossett | ReporterStephen Harrigan, acclaimed author of “Big Wonderful Thing, A History of Texas,” spoke at Fabled Bookshop and Cafe Thursday night, as well as offered a book signing and Q&A session with attendees. Fabled recently opened in August, and with the spot still being a new bookshop, Fabled co-owner Kimberly Batson said they are trying to build their event draw for publishers and authors. For bigger names like Stephen Harrigan, the majority of contact and planning is through the publicists.“We’re hoping that Thursday’s event [was] really helpful in showing that we can host events that people will…
By Preston Gossett | Arts & Life Editor AUSTIN — Artist Kristen Flaherty, better known as K.Flay, had an interesting exposure to song-writing — she got into an argument with someone who said she had no idea what she was talking about because she had never written a song. “Well, I’ll write a song and then I’ll know what I’m talking about,” Flaherty said, hours before performing her first set of the festival. “And that is how I got into music.” The creative process for writing songs is largely about creating a good space for it, Flaherty said. Illinois born,…
By Avery Owens | ContributorLa Pa Ché, an online boutique started by Baylor student Carissa Setiawan, was born out of her love for fashion and business. Setiawan, a junior from Jakarta, Indonesia, is a fashion and business guru. Her brand, La Pa Ché, kicked off at the beginning of the school year.“I love fashion, not just the clothing part of it, but also the art part of it that involves the photography and sewing,” Setiawan said. “I was looking for a way for me to express this love.”Her first line was themed for game day. She had 20 pieces for…
By Preston Gossett | Arts & Life Editor, Video by Sarah Gill | Broadcast Reporter Singer-songwriter Jake Scott has been wanting to come to Waco for some time, but what got him here was a direct message through Instagram for him to perform at Waco resident Scotty Swingler’s proposal. Swingler and his now fiancé and recent Baylor graduate, Ambree Meek, are both musicians. He said that it was only fitting for their proposal to reflect their love for music. “I wanted it to be the best night ever for Ambree because she’s a mega-fan,” Swingler said. “So I dreamed up…
By Emily Guajardo | Contributor Buttoned Bears brings high-end student fashionistas and writers together to discuss the latest trends in the modern world of fashion — or at least in and around Waco. Buttoned Bears, an online publication platform focusing on fashion, decor and lifestyle, has allowed style enthusiasts to write and feature some of their favorite outfits, thrifting finds and style icons, as well as provide the latest news on what’s walking on the runway today. While their website reads “Waco’s premium source for fashion and lifestyle,” Buttoned Bears is predominantly student operated and focused on the who, what…
By Megan Tullos | ContributorIt’s no secret that Waco has it’s fair share of boutiques, but when Matthew and Kristin Postert opened Apricot Lane Boutique, something truly special arrived in Waco. Apricot Lane is a national boutique chain with stores in more than 33 states, but what makes it unique is that individual franchise owners hand-pick all styles themselves. Every Apricot Lane Boutique that you enter is customized for its specific location, and Apricot Lane Waco has an in-store selection that a lot of Baylor girls have expressed excitement about. McKinney sophomore Avery Philipps has been working at Apricot Lane…
By Preston Gossett | Arts & Life EditorBaylor student Jake Ward is still in the beginning stages of planning and organizing his business idea of a dongle holder (Dongle Buddy). He’s in the promising stage of talking with a plastics manufacturer about making it more than just a prototype.The Bloomington, Ill. junior is working on a product that holds the phone dongle because he believes the dongle is an extremely easy phone accessory to lose.“It’s truly innovative and could truly hit a market that has been developing in the last four years, which is the phone case accessories,” Ward said.…
By Preston Gossett | Arts & Life EditorFriday, Sept. 13Sam Riggs | 8:30 p.m. | Backyard Bar Stage & Grill | $12 – adultsVintage Clothes and Taco Pop-Up | 3 – 7 p.m. | WayLimited | Quetzal Co Taqueria will be serving authentic tacos while WayLimited will have 10% off in store and a t-shirt raffle!Public Milkshake Party | 5 – 7 p.m. (or until sell out) | Lovely Enterprises | LEnjoy a signature milkshake from Unshakeable Milkshakes.After Dark | 8 –9:30 p.m. | Waco Hall | $14 – general Public tickets, $10 – Baylor students | Baylor students will…
By Andrea Lindsey | ContributorToday marks Friday the 13th — the first one of 2019.With September barely brushing over our calendars, Halloween lovers aren’t quite ready to sink their teeth into their Halloween horror traditions just yet, but what better opportunity to dabble in spooky events than with the release of “IT: Chapter Two”?Disclaimer: The beginning of the film includes sensitive content that involves the murder of a gay man. The details are gory, and they spared no expense for the graphics in this scene. It doesn’t seem like the plot could continue without this crucial part, as it marks…
By Armstrong Simms | ContributorReal-world spies don’t live nearly as action-packed a life as our favorite on-screen espionage heroes. They don’t grab on to jets as they take off, and they usually don’t engage in high-speed car chases in overly expensive cars. “The Spy” is a Netflix Original Limited Series based on the life of Israel’s top spy in the 60s, Eli Cohen played by Sacha Baron Cohen. The show contains six 45 minute episodes, each one focusing on a certain event in Cohen’s five year career as a spy. It has its flaws for sure, but it’s dramatic and…
By Ben Coleman | Contributor After nearly a year and a half since the release of his last album, “beerbongs & bentleys,” Post Malone has dropped his new album, “Hollywood’s Bleeding.”Following the release of the infectious and melancholy single “Circles,” Post’s new album received huge amounts of praise from listeners, raking in millions of streams on every song after only a few days since the album’s release.From the first second of the opening track, “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” the album paints a gaunt image of modern-day showbiz. Post mixes in references to common fantasy tropes, singing, “Hollywood’s bleeding,/vampires feedin’/Darkness turns to dust,”…
By Preston Gossett | Arts & Life EditorFriday, Sept. 6Vendor Pop-Up at the Silos | 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. | Magnolia Market | FREE | Magnolia will be hosting a small group of artisans and vendors from across the country on their Silos grounds. Sunshine and shopping!Lovely Pop-Ups | Sept. 6 @ 10 a.m. – Sept. 14 @ 6 p.m. | Lovely Enterprises | Come see us for Waco Restaurant Week with Waffle Chic, Nightlight Donuts, etc.Restaurant Week Kick-Off Party | 5 – 11 p.m. | Brotherwell Brewing | FREE | Live music and fresh tacos are the perfect…
By Armstrong Simms | Contributor Here it is ladies and gentlemen, another Netflix Original film. From the people that brought a few good things and a whole bunch of stuff that you scroll past 20 times—a film actually worth watching.In “Murder Mystery,” Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston star as husband and wife who decide, after 15 years of marriage, to finally go on their long overdue honeymoon to Europe. While on the plane, Aniston meets a charming rich British guy who invites Sandler and Aniston (the Spitz’s) to a party on a yacht. They accept, which would normally be completely…
By Armstrong Simms | Contributor“The man who embraces his mediocre nothingness shines greater than any,” says Keanu Reeves in the new Netflix comedy, “Always Be My Maybe.” This is one of the great lines from Reeves’s showstopping, hilarious performance. Keanu Reeves plays none other than… himself. As if any other role would be worthy of his skill. Thankfully this movie isn’t mediocre nothingness. It’s actually quite good (for the most part).“Always Be My Maybe” follows two heroes—best friends Sasha (Ali Wong) and Marcus (Randall Park)—through their young days, growing up together and becoming best friends. Now, after an awkward parting…
By Preston Gossett | Arts & Life EditorFriday, Aug. 30Late Night | 8 – 11 p.m. | Moody Library, Bill Daniel Student Center, McLane Student Life Center, Bobo Spiritual Life Center, Russell Gymnasium | Over 225 student organizations open booths with free food, live music, games and other activities.Saturday, Aug. 31Nature Hike | 10 a.m. | Waco Mammoth National Monument | If you want to enjoy nature, join a nature walk with one of our rangersFootball: Baylor vs. Stephen F. Austin | 6 – 10 p.m. | McLane Stadium | Price Varies, Check Website | Support the Bears as they…
By Preston Gossett | Arts & Life EditorThere’s a reason Tik Tok’s motto is “Make Your Day.”One of the notable reasons for Tik Tok’s success is the fact that it focuses less on being a social platform, and instead focuses on other people’s creativity. Granbury sophomore Ashley Brooke Boyd uses Tik Tok for multiple reasons; most notably, she thinks it’s a fun way to blow off steam. When Boyd isn’t working or leading bible study, she spends her free time drawing and making stickers. She also said Tik Tok is a good platform for people who are trying to promote…
By Preston Gossett | Arts & Life Editor, Video by Kennedy Dendy | Broadcast Reporter Waco — the only Texas stop for American Idol’s summer auditions tour. As early as 2:30 a.m., auditionees began lining up outside of the Waco Convention Center, and by 6 a.m., the line was wrapped around the building. Johns Creek, Ga., sophomore Tori Templet has experience performing locally at Common Grounds and has previously auditioned for The Voice. Templet chose to sing Elle King’s “Ex’s & Oh’s,” which ultimately got her through the preliminary rounds today. Templet is inspired by a quote said by Jeffery…
By Preston Gossett | Arts & Life Editor Even as early as 2:30 a.m., American Idol auditionees began lining up outside of the Waco Convention Center, and by 6 a.m., the line had completely wrapped around the building. One thing is evident almost immediately: the energy in Waco today is electric and hopes are high as local Wacoans, Texans and out-of-state hopefuls prepare for their auditions and the answer that they’ve been anticipating. Strangers were coming together to sing songs like Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and Jessie J’s “Price Tag,” with as many as eight people joining in…
Baylor Theatre is preparing for some exciting new things.The productions are now being designated as either Green or Gold Series.“The gold series shows are going to be the ones that you’d expect from Baylor Theatre — the big budget productions with lots of resources,” Wood said. “Then we’re also going to do our green series shows, and those shows are similar to what we’d find out in the real world after college– in terms of working with smaller theatres.”Attendees or show-goers can look forward to seeing some classics being brought to the stage.Jump-starting the 2019-2020 production calendar with tickets on…
By Preston Gossett | Arts & Life EditorSaturday, August 24 Yoga and Granola | 8 – 9 a.m. | Milo All Day Patio | $15 Ticket | Pop-up yoga class with yoga extraordinaire Bonnie Finch. Join in for an hour class followed by a yogurt bar with fresh ingredients to build your own bowl. Meditation Workshop | 1 – 3 p.m. | The Studio Waco | $25 for Members, $35 for Non-Members | Meditation has been shown to help improve your physical and emotional well-being; come learn how to combat stress and tension with this time-tested practice. 24th Annual Margarita…
By Preston Gossett | Arts & Life EditorAmerican Idol is coming to Waco’s Convention Center on Tuesday in search of America’s Next Superstar.Having set the bar for all other music competition series, American Idol is returning for its third season on ABC with judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan as they set out on a journey across the country to find inspiring new talent. The Lariat got the chance to ask the Senior Supervising Producer, Katie Fennelly, questions in an email Q&A.Q: Is coming to Waco new? Has American Idol ever been before?A: American Idol is no stranger…
By Preston Gossett | Arts & Life EditorWith some helpful tips from Campus Recreation and Baylor nutritionists, the “Freshman 15” can be nothing more than high-school graduation click bait.According to Van Smith-Davis, assistant director of the Department of Wellness, one of the common misconceptions about the “Freshman 15” is that there just is not time to exercise because of studying, schoolwork and more studying. Smith-Davis said studies prove there is a direct correlation between physical activity and academic success.“I can almost guarantee that if you are active on a regular basis – you’re going to have higher academic success,” Smith-Davis…
