By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterIn addition to the traditional Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council, Baylor is also home to seven active organizations within the National Pan-Hellenic Council and nine active organizations within the Multicultural Greek Council.In 1980, the Baylor Lariat did a series about race on campus. In its first article, it discussed the creation of Zeta Phi Beta on campus, a social sorority for Black women after they expressed fear in pursuing the white-dominated sororities on campus.Jackson, Miss., senior Emani Sullivan is president of Baylor’s National Pan-Hellenic Council and has been a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha…
Author: Sarah Pinkerton
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterLinda Lewis, resident of Waco since 1946, said that growing up in Waco, she was warned not to cross the Brazos River without an adult, go downtown or ride the bus alone.“My grandfather didn’t believe that we should get in the back, so we just didn’t ride the bus,” Lewis said.She said the Baylor campus was referred to as a “Sundown Town” while she was growing up, an area where Black citizens were warned not to be after sundown.Her pen pal and friend, John Westbrook, was one of Baylor’s first Black students and the first…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterOver the summer, President Linda Livingstone committed to 100% student voter registration and participation with the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. As the presidential election nears, voter drives and panels continue on campus to reach this goal.Dr. Mito Diaz-Espinoza, associate director for Civic Learning Initiatives and preparer of the 2020 Voting Education & Engagement Plan, said that reaching 100% success is hard to predict.“If we get to the 100%, it would be phenomenal,” Diaz-Espinoza said. “And we would probably be studied for how we did that, but we know that’s a really big step because…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterIn honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Waco City Councilman Hector Sabido will be highlighting accomplishments in Latino culture while discussing the importance of voting on Friday at noon.This virtual event is called “A Heartfelt Conversation with Hector Sabido,” and is free, presented by the Hispanic Leaders’ Network in Waco.Sabido said that the Hispanic Leaders’ Network hosts quarterly luncheons with guest speakers. However, this will be the first one that is able to happen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.He said that he has been preparing for this event for a little over 30 days…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff Writer, Video by Grace Smith | Broadcast Reporter The university has decided to randomly test students that attended Saturday’s home football game against Kansas after fans appeared on TV not following Baylor’s guidelines. Baylor will be testing 175 students each day from Wednesday until Friday and an additional 75 students on Saturday. If students are then chosen for next week’s random surveillance testing, they must be tested again. Jason Cook, vice president for marketing and communications and chief marketing officer, said this testing is mandatory. “Any non-compliance will be sent to student conduct for handling,”…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterThe George W. Truett Theological Seminary is set to feature five acclaimed pastors and three plenary speakers from around the nation this week during its second annual African American Preaching Conference.Dr. Joel Gregory, professor of preaching and director of the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching, said that 400 people have already registered.Reverend Shawn Boyd, program coordinator for the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching, received and put together videos from each speaker featured at the conference.“We’ve edited this into a continuous kind of production and reductions with music supplied by one of the great…
Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterAs a part of the 2020 Family Weekend, After Dark has also shifted to a virtual format this semester. There will be a one-time link available at 6:30 p.m. on Friday for individuals to view different talents by Baylor students filmed in various locations around Waco.As opposed to years in the past, this year’s show will be free to the public.While around 20 acts applied, the show will feature a total of 11 acts ranging from dance routines, to singing, playing instruments, spoken word poetry and juggling.Each act has been pre-filmed at various spots around campus…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterFamily Weekend has been a tradition at Baylor since 1960, and as it transitions to an online format this year, Student Activities hopes to reach a participation number similar to Diadeloso.Dakota Farquhar-Caddell, associate director of student activities, and Robert Reid, director of the Baylor Chamber of Commerce, said that there are many difficulties about events going virtual, but with the new format, they are able to reach many more people.“When we first did Diadeloso virtual and we noticed tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people around the world really were logging in to be…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterTo recognize the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, a virtual panel was held on Tuesday, National Voter Registration Day. Speakers discussed the history of women’s suffrage, Black women’s suffrage and the way voter suppression continues.The W.R. Poage Legislative Library, the Institute for Oral History and the Women’s and Gender Studies program at Baylor partnered with the Waco National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to host the event.Dr. Andrea Turpin, associate professor of history at Baylor, Dr. Peaches Henry, president of the Waco NAACP and assistant professor of English at McLennan Community College…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterOwning pets while in college differs for everyone. While on-campus residence halls only allow certified emotional support animals, most apartment complexes and housing near campus allow any type of pet if the resident pays a certain fee. Since pets aren’t allowed in residence halls, students can apply to have an Emotional Support Animal with them through the Office of Access and Learning Accommodation.Anna Shaw, assistant director of OALA, said within the last few years, there has been an increase in requests for ESAs across U.S. universities.“Currently, I think there are five animals in the dorms,”…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterDue to continued restrictions on large in-person gatherings, Panhellenic Previews will be held virtually for the remainder of the fall semester.On Monday, session one of the first round of the virtual previews, which was scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., was canceled due to technical difficulties. Matt Burchett, director of student activities, said that the process that was developed for the meeting was taking too long to efficiently host the meeting.“Panhellenic, like many of our student organizations, continue to adjust traditional in- person programs to virtual delivery,” Burchett said.Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Phi, Chi…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterThe Baylor Line jersey is a well-known symbol to many Baylor fans. However, prior to the mesh jersey we have today, the jersey was made from a thick cotton material up until 1992. John Dillon, class of 1993, initiated this change to the material, and now watches as his daughter begins her freshman year at Baylor.Dillon was in charge of the Baylor Line during his time as a member of the Baylor Chamber of Commerce while a student at Baylor. After talking to some students and other chamber members during his junior year, they decided…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterA virtual event to welcome faculty of color was held on Tuesday in order to ring in the new school year. They discussed changes that have been made to campus to improve diversity as well as the different organizations available to faculty minorities.While this event has been hosted in-person in the President’s Suite at McLane Stadium and has featured appearances from the mayor of Waco for the past three years, it has shifted to a virtual medium this semester.Dr. Elizabeth Palacios, dean for student development, said it is a welcome reception for faculty of color,…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterAfter the suspension of Phi Gamma Delta on Aug. 26, 20 individual interim student suspensions have followed.Lori Fogleman, assistant vice president for media and public relations, said that due to privacy laws, the specifics of the investigation and disciplinary student outcomes are unable to be discussed.“Since day one, we have said that it is going to take all of us working together and taking personal responsibility for the prevention of COVID-19,” Fogleman said. “Unfortunately, when students will not follow the community standards that we’ve set forth to keep COVID-19 at bay, we’ve said we would…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterMost of us will only attend college for four or five years of our lives. It is an amazing opportunity to be in contact with and learn from some of the most knowledgeable individuals on our topics of interest. We have a wealth of knowledge and information at our fingertips and it is a time strictly dedicated to learning and studying.However, too many of us feed into the myth that if we’re not constantly working and staying productive, we are falling behind in our career aspirations. It is OK to spend at least one semester…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterAfter responding to tough questions regarding Baylor’s COVID-19 response, The Lariat spoke with President Linda Livingstone about the ways that COVID-19 has impacted the university’s finances, budget and potential for a tuition increase past the 4% threshold in coming years.The Board of Regents approved a $679.9 million operating budget for the 2020-2021 school year last spring, a 2.1% overall decrease from last year’s budget. Budgetary actions including $18.5 million in cost avoidances, $30.3 million in cost reductions and $24.5 million in one-time funding reallocations have also been incorporated.In light of this, how did the tents,…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterRunning the Baylor Line has been a tradition at home football games since 1970. The Line has been coed since 1994, before then, it only included men. As the 50th year of the Line begins, the prevalence of COVID-19 has changed the way this tradition will run.As capacity at McLane Stadium is down to 25% in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, there will only be around 500 students running the Line at one time.In past years, up to 2,500 students have been able to run the Line at once.Matt Burchett, director of Student…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterWith the requirement for students, faculty and staff to wear masks while on campus, many individuals have opted to purchase and wear disposable masks. These masks, however, could negatively affect the environment.According to Grand View Research, the disposable mask market has exceeded a value of $74.9 billion in Quarter One of 2020. With this growth of disposable mask use comes a growth of mask litter.Katy senior Christine Snow, president of the Students for Environmental and Wildlife Protection, said that she has noticed disposable masks laying on the ground throughout campus.“The other day I was walking,…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterThe Student Activities staff has released a plan that lays out aspirations for improvements on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in Greek Life on the Baylor campus within the next three to five years.Matt Burchett, director of Student Activities, describes it as one of the most transparent reflections on Greek life in the country.In its Greek Life vision, the university has laid out five pillars to affect this change. These pillars aim to tell the story of Greek life, celebrate diversity, engage advisers, provide safe spaces to gather and continue training and advocacy.Student Activities has…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterAs the first week of classes wraps up, students and professors begin the process of adjusting to various changes to both in-person and online-based classes. Different departments on campus have approached their courses in varying ways based on their needs, and they each have a unique story to tell.While in-person classes are now a possibility on campus again, many precautions have been laid out to reduce the risk of coronavirus spread as faculty have been given a checklist for the start of the semester.Baylor University Provost Nancy Brickhouse said that for in-person classes, students are…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff Writer, Video by Winston Margaritis | Broadcast Reporter Baylor fraternity Phi Gamma Delta (commonly referred to as FIJI) was suspended from campus after hosting at least one gathering of 10 or more people at an off-campus party last week. Students were warned against attending on- and off- campus gatherings in an email sent out by Dr. Sharra Hynes, dean of students & associate vice president for the Division of Student Life, on August 19. The email stated that suspension and a potential fine were possible if this rule was broken. Two calls were made to…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterAfter freshman students received gaiter face masks in their Line Camp packages , concerns about research on the effectiveness of these masks has emerged. They have since been banned from inside buildings on campus.The university announced an official face covering policy on June 22, but revisions implemented Aug. 17 in response to new research restricted the use of gaiter-style masks to outdoor locations only. Regular, over-the-ear masks are to be worn inside all buildings on campus.New and returning students are being given regular face masks in their Family First COVID-19 kits.Dr. Sharra Hynes, associate vice…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterEach day, the 2020 presidential election draws nearer and nearer. After Joe Biden accepted the nomination as the Democratic candidate last Thursday and Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination Monday, the countdown to election night begins. For many Baylor students, this will be the first time that they are able to vote in a presidential election and with that comes a somewhat extensive registration process. In order to ensure that everything is lined up for Election Day on Nov. 3, it is necessary that students start this process as early as Sept. 1.Students at Baylor…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterAs the journalism industry continues to grow and change, The Baylor Lariat newspaper has decided to transition to an online-based format for the upcoming school year and beyond with around six special print issues each semester.After Bruce Gietzen, director of student media, Julie Reed, assistant media adviser, and Jamile Yglecias, manager of advertising sales & marketing, researched data about online media before Gietzen presented that information to the Student Media Board. The board made the official decision to go digital.While the impact of COVID-19 played a role in this decision, Gietzen said it was not…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterWith all its changes and differences, the spring 2020 semester is coming to a close. With that comes the annual Excellence in Student Leadership Awards ceremony. This year it will be hosted as a livestream from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m Friday. Typically held on the last day of the spring semester, the event allows different departments within student life, alongside student government, to nominate individuals within their organizations for awards in leadership and service.Craig Willie, associate director of student activities for student involvement, said that since the event is now online, he feels it…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff Writer The various student activities departments on campus have not been taking this semester off. Union Board will be hosting their final Sundown Sessions series to support small businesses in Waco 7 p.m. Thursday on the Baylor Student Activities Instagram story.Individuals from Common Grounds, Revival Eastside Eatery, Waco Cha and Wacool Tacos, as well as individuals from Baylor’s own Wellness department, will be creating video tutorials, as well as a shopping list of various snacks and food items that students will then be able to make from home.Links to the Student Life YouTube channel will…
Phase One of a three phase process to begin
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterBaylor’s efforts in the Waco community continue during this time of school shutdown. After Waco ISD created the #WacoISDreads challenge last month, the Baylor Department of External Affairs created the Keep Reading Keep Learning campaign to support these reading efforts in Waco ISD. During phase one of their at-home learning transition, Waco ISD students were able to pick up at-home learning kits. The school district then asked that families post a daily photo of themselves and their kids reading with the hashtag #WacoISDreads to encourage creative posts. Over 20 videos and posts of at home…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff Writer The annual Bearathon has shifted the way runners are involved this year as social distancing requirements continue. This year’s event will take place Saturday and allows runners to choose from one of four options to complete their Bearathon 2020 race experience.Plano senior Alexis Layton, Bearathon co-race director for the Student Foundation, said it was important to create a virtual option for the Bearathon as it is on the Baylor bucket list and many participants have been training for months.“We want to recognize that effort for people and still allow them to showcase what they’ve…
By Sarah Pinkerton | Staff WriterDia Del Oso has been an annual tradition at Baylor since 1932 and this year is no exception. In light of social distancing rules, the university re-adjusted this year’s Dia with a day-long lineup of interactive and virtual events. For the first time in 88 years, Baylor students are not on campus for the day’s activities. With over 75 Instagram story posts along with many more re-tweets and Facebook posts, many members of the Baylor family got involved. The day was began at 9 a.m. with an official welcome and an at-home fun run and…