Hannah Yanowitch | Contributor18 years since their first show, Stompfest has become a annual tradition at Baylor University. This all-university step show bridges the gap across campus, as sororities, fraternities and independent organizations alike promote unity through stepping. Students can come experience this high-energy stomp battle at 7:20 p.m. Friday in Waco Hall. Stepping, a traditionally African-American form of entertainment, is an interactive form of storytelling and dance involving audience interaction, intricate rhythms and percussive movements. This energetic dance style is practiced year round by different groups on campus through the Nu Iota chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.,…
Author: Sarah Asinof
By Sarah Asinof | News Editor If you go to Baylor, you are familiar with the infamous attendance policy. According to the Baylor College of Arts & Sciences website, a “student must attend at least 75 percent of all scheduled class meetings.” However, I think the attendance policy causes more harm than good, and Baylor should get rid of it entirely.A year and a half ago, I was a first-semester freshman, navigating college life and getting adjusted to being on my own. From dorm room adventures to writing difficult essays, I was excited but slightly overwhelmed. Unfortunately, in October 2017,…
Matt Muir | Staff WriterSplashes of colored powder turned their appearance from plain to Pollockian under rainbow clouds of dust on Fountain Mall on Tuesday. The colorful chaos is part of the Indian Subcontinent Student Association’s (ISSA) celebration of Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors. Holi is a traditional Hindu holiday originating from India that signifies the arrival of spring. It is sometimes also referred to as the festival of love as people come together and put their grudges aside. Holi is celebrated for a night and a day, beginning the night of the full moon in the…
By Clarissa Pompa | ReporterThere are many people on Baylor’s campus and it can be hard to recognize the different faces. That is not the case with this student. He is not the average age of a college student, but that is not what makes him stand out. He walks to his classes like most other students. The difference is that Father Robert Verrill is wearing his white religious habit.Verrill is a Catholic priest of the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans, and is a doctoral candidate in philosophy with a specialization in physics. Originally from England, Verrill…
By Sarah Asinof | News EditorI, like many Baylor freshmen women, made the brave decision to live in Ruth Collins Hall my first year at Baylor. Before coming to college, my soon-to-be roommate assured me that living in Collins was the way to go. The social life, history and proximity to the Stacy Riddle Forum made Collins the place to be as a young, eager freshman woman. Leaving Collins open, without completely renovating it goes against Baylor’s mission statement. According to the Baylor website, “The mission of Baylor University is to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service…
By Clarissa Pompa | ReporterThe Latino Pre-Health Student Association is holding a shoe fundraiser until March 10 to benefit Venezuelans who are dealing with the consequences of populist policies. The boxes are placed throughout campus in order to collect 2,500 pairs of shoes.Cypress senior Giana Rodriguez is president of the new organization. LPHSA is in its second semester of existence and has 110 members who regularly attend meetings. Whereas the first semester was primarily focused on drawing members, Rodriguez is now placing a higher focus on service this spring.“When I originally founded this organization, I knew that I wanted to…
By Lizzie Thomas | ReporterMulticultural affairs (MA) signing day was designed as a way to give students the opportunity to commit to an organization that they might not have known was an opportunity for them. The event was held Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the MA Suite, located in the first floor of the Student Union Building (SUB). Geoffrey Griggs, assistant director of multicultural affairs, created MA Signing Day in 2017 so organizations could present again the benefits of joining to the student body. “In today’s day and age, we all love competition. Signing day was created…
Sarah Asinof | News Editor Baylor University President Dr. Linda Livingstone sent a university-wide email Monday afternoon promising students and Baylor families that Baylor takes all allegations of sexual assault firmly. The email was in regard to the three reports of rape that were entered into the Baylor University Police crime log, on Jan 28. The Lariat reported last week that according to the the crime log which is mandated by the federal Clery Act, the reported rapes allegedly occurred on Dec. 2, Jan. 19, and Jan. 20 at South Russell Residence Hall. The log noted that the incidents are…
Sarah Asinof | News EditorBaylor University sent an email on Thursday to South Russell residents assuring them that school officials have assessed and addressed the three cases of rape that were reported to the authorities earlier this week.According to the Baylor University Police crime log, which is mandated by the federal Clery Act, the rapes occurred on Dec. 2, Jan. 19, and Jan. 20 in the residence hall. All of the cases were reported to the Baylor University Police Department and officially entered into the crime log on Jan. 28.“These incidents are all related and involve the same individuals,” according…
By Sarah Asinof | News EditorAs most Baylor students hunkered down in the library to prepare for final exams, Baylor’s Helping Hands, a club designed to support mentally and physically disabled students on campus and throughout the Waco community, donated a $7,700 wheelchair to 7-year-old Alaina Davis. Davis has cerebral palsy, a congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture as well as severe scoliosis, which is curvature of the spine.Last semester, Huntsville senior and founder and president of Helping Hands Taylor Ernst received news from a physical therapist within Waco ISD that Davis desperately needed a wheelchair to help…
Story by Morgan Harlan | Staff Writer, Video by Julia Lawrenz | Broadcast ReporterBaylor’s newest sorority, Alpha Phi, made its first official step onto campus last week during Baylor’s formal Panhellenic sorority recruitment. Formal recruitment at Baylor consists of four days in total: open house day, philanthropy day, preference day and bid day. Each potential new member is assigned a schedule and invited to visit each chapter throughout the week. This year, Alpha Phi participated in open house day to educate potential new members about joining Baylor’s Alpha Phi chapter. Members of Alpha Phi from various universities such as University…
The three words “Baylor Interdisciplinary Core” inspires a reaction from all kinds of students — regardless of whether they are in the program or not. From “Oh, man! You’re in that?” or “I heard that is super hard!” to “I am in BIC too, it’s killing me!” the comments run wild throughout the Baylor community. But why? Why does BIC cause such a polarizing reaction? As a BIC student, I can tell you one thing that would help alleviate the harsh reaction and make the program less daunting: Expanding test resources for BIC students.As a BIC student, I have thoroughly…
By Sarah Asinof | Page One EditorA 3,000 year old woman covered in ancient artifacts was an unexpected discovery for a team of 20 Baylor students and professors who thought they would be recovering looted chamber tombs on a study abroad trip in Italy. Their discovery made headlines in Italy and granted them a spot in the town’s museum.Dr. Davide and Colleen Zori are well known in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) for being a power couple through their love for archeology. They, along with a team of 20 students and professors, went to San Giuliano for the third time…
Colton Underwood is named the next Bachelor.
By Sarah Asinof | Front Page EditorKenneth Hanson comes across as a typical Baylor student, a senior economics major from the small town of Pocahontas, Ark. But, Kenneth is much more when he embraces his musical abilities under the name Skinny Kenny, a SoundCloud rapper and music producer.Hanson started playing around with music such as Electronic Dance Music (EDM) in Eighth grade. He played the drums like his father who also was a drummer and played in various bands in high school.“He was always big on trying to teach us music and listening to music and trying to understand what…
ABC’s “Bachelor in Paradise” is in its fifth season and comprises past contestants from “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.” Each week, either the men or women hold the power of the rose. If a contestant earns a rose, then he or she is allowed to stay in paradise. This past week, the men held the roses and four women went home. To preface, two of the contenders, Tia and Colton, dated after Tia finished her season of the Bachelor and before Colton went onto the Bachelorette. Tia still carried a lot of feelings for Colton, while Colton was broken-hearted from…
By Sarah Asinof | Page One EditorStart to cherish the Ferrell Center as you know it, because it will be undergoing a renovation within the next few years. Baylor Athletic Director Mack Rhoades finally announced the “go ahead” for changes to be made to the Ferrell Center at the Big 12 Conference meetings in Irving in May.The Ferrell Center, originally built in 1988, will be renovated following futuristic design plans. This design change stems from a desire to have an overall better atmosphere.“I think, first and foremost, it is a facility that has become a bit antiquated in terms of…