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Abortion providers battle proposed limits

By Rebecca Fiedler
Staff Writer

Texas Planned Parenthood abortion providers and affiliates have filed a joint lawsuit in federal court to block two provisions of a recently passed bill, Texas House Bill 2, which would place certain restrictions on abortion clinics, effective Oct. 29. The case will be heard on Oct. 21.

“We are challenging the provisions of the bill that will have the most immediate and far-reaching impact on women in our community and in our state,” said Natalie Kelinske, media representative for Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas and Waco.

One provision in the bill requires physicians to administer medicinal abortions before seven weeks of pregnancy.

The other provision states physicians who provide abortions must obtain admitting privileges, which are the right of a doctor to admit patients to a hospital or medical center, within 30 miles of where the abortion is being performed in order to provide specific diagnostic or therapeutic services.

Kelinske said the family planning center of Planned Parenthood, which provides preventative health care including cancer screenings, sexually transmitted disease testing and birth control, wouldn’t be impacted by the new bill, but women’s options to receive abortions would be limited.

“This law could cause at least one-third of the state’s licensed health centers, which provide safe and legal abortion, to stop providing that service next month,” a Planned Parenthood press release said.

Kelinske said she does not think the bill protects women’s safety.

“The law threatens the health of Texas women who have made the complex and deeply personal and constitutionally-protected decision to end a pregnancy, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure women have access to safe, legal abortions,” Kelinske said.

John Pisciotta, director of anti-abortion activist group Pro-Life Waco, said he agrees that Planned Parenthood is supporting a constitutional right, but said there is nothing stating the government can’t place regulations on abortion.

“Some things that were constitutional rights, we look back at them and regret that there ever was such an interpretation,” Pisciotta said. “We had a constitutional right to own a slave.”

Dr. Nicole McAninch, a lecturer in the child and family studies department at Baylor, said she understands Planned Parenthood’s position in challenging the bill. While the majority of Planned Parenthood’s services are services like checkups that promote women’s health, McAninch said, most of their funding comes from abortion services.

“Essentially, they will lose significant funding needed to be able to stay open if they’re unable to perform abortions,” she said.

Kelinske said the admitting privileges portion of the bill will prevent many women from making certain decisions about reproductive health care, because some physicians might not be able to receive admitting privileges for reasons that have nothing to do with their quality and or credentials, but rather with their location.

“Medical experts have agreed and testified all along that admitting privileges are not necessary for physicians to provide abortion or any other procedure that can be safely performed in a health care setting,” she said.

Kelinske said Planned Parenthood believes the bill’s restrictions placed on medicated abortion are inferior and outdated methods, and they deprive women of the what she calls a “safe, private and less invasive method of ending a pregnancy.”

Pisciotta said the Food and Drug Administration has allowed medicated abortion with tight protocol on its administration.

“It requires that they follow that protocol and that abortion facilities follow the FDA protocol,” Pisciotta said.

Kelinske said Planned Parenthood believes this provision goes against medical research that has proven that current protocol for administering medication is more safe and effective than those the law proposes.

“None of them do anything to protect women’s health and safety,” Kelinske said of the provisions. “They’re all medically unnecessary, all restricting a woman’s access to safe, legal abortion.”

The medicated pill option of abortion is something women can do at home, McAninch said. It’s designed to induce labor, and the process the body takes to expel the growing fetus could be serious. She said most women don’t anticipate the level of pain and bleeding that comes with the process.

Pisciotta said he agrees with McAninch about women being under-informed about what happens during medicated abortion. He said one of the things abortion clinics will say to a woman is there will be some bleeding when the abortion happens, and that it will be like having a heavy menstrual period.

“Many women will say, ‘My gosh, I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life,’” he said. “And they’re there to experience it on their own.”

Pisciotta said he acknowledges that women wanting abortions might have to travel to receive one. He said he believes the provisions of the bill are beneficial.

“All the provisions except the one about no abortions after 20 weeks are elevating the standard of medical care, in order not to make it really second-rate,” he said. “There have been cases this year of women who have died from abortions.”

McAninch said if women do not have an abortion clinic nearby, they might seek abortion services at places that may not meet medical standards.

Planned Parenthood and affiliates plan on discussing two other provisions included in the bill concerning the period of gestation at which it is legal to abort a fetus, and the licensing of abortion centers as ambulatory surgical centers, Kelinske said. These provisions will not be put into action until a later time, however, so the focus for Planned Parenthood is on more pressing provisions based on time and extent of impact, Kelinske said.

Collins, home of ‘flying saucer,’ to close

By Claire Cameron
Reporter

Collins Dining Hall is calling it quits.

It was announced Thursday at the student senate meeting that the dining hall will officially close in the fall of 2014.

“After careful consideration and research, we have decided that Collins was the best candidate for closure,” said Brian Nicholson, associate vice president for facility, planning and construction.

Baylor currently has five dining halls on campus: East Village, Penland, Memorial, Brooks and Collins.

Dr. Jeff Doyle, dean for student learning and engagement, said closing Collins is for the best because it will lower the cost of meal plans and give more money for improvements to the other dining halls.

“It’s sad to lose it, but it’s more beneficial to students,” Doyle said.

Nicholson said Baylor has been looking to improve its dining facilities. After research by student groups and advice from facilities management companies such as Aramark and Compass during the summer, it was suggested that one dining hall on campus be closed.

“Collins doesn’t offer social spaces like the other dining halls do,” Nicholson said. “Brooks is newer and has better facilities, as does East Village. Penland is the largest, and we would be unable to compensate its loss while Memorial is more centrally located on campus.”

Nicholson also said closing Collins will bring lower prices on meal plans and higher quality food to the other dining halls.

“We will be able to spend money on renovating the older dining halls and possibly even making improvements to the SUB,” he said.

No specific date had been set for the day Collins Dining Hall will close.

“Since Collins is one the more popular dorms for incoming freshman girls, we have made it known on the website that the dining hall will no longer be there and we have sent an email to all Collins resident letting them know of the impending closure,” Doyle said.

Concerns were raised that Collins Dining Hall is the only dining hall open during the middle of the day.

“I feel like students need it,” said Sugar Land junior Amira Legally. “I have a crazy schedule, so the only time I can get lunch is between 2 to 4 p.m. and Collins is usually the only one open at that time, so I rely on it.”

Legally said she thinks it is a terrible idea to close Collins.

“I don’t go to East Village,” she said. “I eat at Collins. It’s so convenient.”

Nicholson said all services Collins offers won’t be lost.

“Collins offers many things to students, however none of that will disappear,” Nicholson said. “It will move to another dinning hall.”

Houston senior Kyle Hinn said he thought closing Collins is for the best.

“I think it’s a bit of a shock, but I think in the long run it will be good,” Hinn said. “For the four years I’ve been here, I rarely eat at Collins and for other dining programs to sustain and grow, it’s necessary.”

Wendy Davis announces run for Texas governor

Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, smiles as she addresses supporters at a rally Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, in Haltom City, Texas. Davis formally announced her campaign to run for Texas governor (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, smiles as she addresses supporters at a rally Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, in Haltom City, Texas.  Davis formally announced her campaign to run for Texas governor (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, smiles as she addresses supporters at a rally Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, in Haltom City, Texas. Davis formally announced her campaign to run for Texas governor (AP Photo/LM Otero)
By Reubin Turner
Assistant City Editor

In a widely anticipated move by politicians at both the state and national levels, Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis stood before a crowd of more than 1,000 cheering supporters Thursday and formally announced her bid for the 2014 Texas gubernatorial election.

The Fort Worth attorney got a bachelor’s degree in English from Texas Christian University and a law degree from Harvard Law School, came to national prominence in June after filibustering an abortion bill with a 13-hour speech in opposition of the bill.

During her speech, Davis assured supporters education will be a top priority on her platform.

“Texas deserves a leader that understands that keeping education a priority is important for the future,” Davis said. “We want every child, no matter where they start in Texas, to receive a world class education, an education that can take them anywhere they want to go.”

Davis went on to urge listeners to help make “Texas a little less lone, and a little more star,” by voting for a leader that would put Texas and Texans first.

During her speech, she told the highs and lows of being a single mother and living in a trailer park, struggling to make ends meet.

“Coming in and finding that the electricity had been turned off, or the phone disconnected, was not uncommon,” Davis said.

She said it was the education-friendly Texas that she remembers allowed her to advance in life.

The race, the first gubernatorial election in which no incumbent is running for re-election since the election of Ann Richards in 1990, is expected to be competitive as Davis and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott have quickly risen as the front runners.

Although Davis’ move energized moderates and liberals across the country, Richmond, Va., graduate student Anne-Katherine Vath said she believes this could hurt Davis in the long run.

“While she’s probably qualified, and would be an effective governor, I think she would have a hard time winning because of the current political climate in Texas,” Vath said. “Texas is a deep-seeded red state rooted in conservative values which will be difficult for a pro-choice candidate to overcome.”

Sean Sullivan of the Washington Post, however, wrote in a blog post that he feels as though Davis’ chances are not as grim as they may seem, despite the fact that Davis is in a overwhelmingly red state.

Davis defeated Republican Mark Shelton in 2012, an election that Gov. Rick Perry invested much time and energy in, to unseat her.

According to a poll by Texas Lyceum, a nonpartisan, non for-profit group, Abbott leads Davis 29 to 21 percent which, according to Sullivan, signals “room for movement.”

Regardless, the upcoming months will not be easy for Davis.

Dr. Joseph Brown, associate professor of political science, said he believes that unless Davis can find issues that resonate with voters, she’ll have a hard time winning the election in November of next year.

“Given the fact that Texas is a strong republican state, it’s going to be an uphill battle for her,” Brown said. “The fact that all statewide positions in Texas are held by Republicans is an indicator of the difficulty she faces.”

According to the Atlantic Wire, pro-life groups nationwide, including Texas Right to Life, already have attack ads set to launch, one which calls Davis an “abortion zealot,” despite the fact the Davis herself is a single mother of two.

Asking for prayers and support as she walked off of the stage where she received her high school diploma 32 years ago, Davis faded into the audience as a new stage in her political career commenced.

As Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks stated in the invocation before her announcement, it’s time to for Davis take off her pink running shoes and put on combat boots.

Cyrus makes ghetto not so fabulous

By Ada Zhang
Staff Writer

Unless you’ve been hibernating in the arctic tundra for the past few months, you have probably heard of Miley Cyrus’ controversial shenanigans or seen a .gif of her twerking at the VMAs.

After taking a hiatus from music, Miley has certainly made a strong come-back. Her new wardrobe, which apparently consists only of crop tops and disco shorts, screams “I’m no longer Hannah Montana!” and with every new single, Miley acts more and more provocative.

Mike Will’s new song, “23,” features Miley, Juicy J and Wiz Kalifa. Miley raps a few verses in this song, and it is horrendous.

The song is supposed to be a tribute to Michael Jordan, but I don’t really understand how. Indeed, the song’s title is “23,” which was Jordan’s jersey number in the NBA. However, nowhere in the song is Jordan’s athletic skill ever mentioned. The song just keeps repeating “J’s on my feet,” referring to the Nike Jordan shoe brand.

The “23” music video is set in an inner-city high school. It starts out ominously. We see grungy teenagers lounging around wearing beanies and studded leather jackets. Miley’s character is smoking in the bathroom in slow motion. Then the bell rings, the beat drops and the song begins.

The lyrics make explicit drug references. Miley is “high off purp” (purp is slang for promethesine) and Wiz talks about getting high. In the video, Miley suggestively pantomimes smoking marijuana.

Miley sends the message that if you do drugs, you are with the “in” crowd. You are cool. You roll with an entourage and have sassy hair. I guess it just slipped Miley’s mind to mention how substance abuse can affect cognition, a person’s overall physical health and worst of all, it can destroy relationships.

In addition to promoting drugs, the song glamorizes the inner-city lifestyle and urban youth culture in which drugs are typically involved.

While the song completely fails to honor the most influential basketball player of all time, it succeeds at inadvertently pointing out that people from every socioeconomic class want J’s on their feet. It’s just a matter of how to get them.

In 1992, Michael Jordan became a spokesperson for Nike. This marketing tactic was remarkably successful because it reached out to both the white and African-American population, two different socioeconomic stratas. Jordans became a must-have, a symbol of chic and swag.

Sociologist Mary Patillo-McCoy conducted a study on African-American neighborhoods and found out that young drug dealers spend a substantial amount of their earnings on shoes- specifically, on Jordans. Owning different colors and styles of Jordans became a part of, as Patillo-McCoy quaintly put it, the “gansta lifestyle.”

Poor or rich, everyone finds a way to get their feet into a pair of expensive, shiny, clean Jordans.

McCoy would say that Miley has been sucked into the “ghetto trance.” Miley is romanticizing what it’s like to live in the ghetto, go to a school where kids smoke in the bathroom, and be immersed in drug culture.

All of this is make-believe for Miley. At the end of the day, she rides in limos, travels in a private jet and enjoys the luxuries of being rich and famous.

For youth who really live in lower class inner-city neighborhoods, getting sucked into the ghetto trance has serious repercussions. By adopting the thug persona, they are likely to become actual thugs due to the gang violence and drug activity surrounding them. They can’t get high one night and perform on Good Morning America the next morning. Compartmentalizing their life like that is not an option.

Many may argue that “23” is just a song, and therefore, not to be taken seriously. And this is true to some extent. Time and time again, however, media has proven itself capable of affecting society in powerful ways.

While Miley and her entourage make money rapping about drugs and Jordans, less fortunate youth are dealing with the very real pressure and allure of entering the drug dealing business to make quick cash.

Not everyone can legally get a pair of J’s on their feet. Maybe Miley and her entourage should think about that the next time they make a song condoning drugs and romanticizing the ghetto. Or maybe Miley should just never rap again.

Does government shutdown mean no FCC restrictions?

By Scott Collins
Los Angeles Times via McClatchy-Tribune

LOS ANGELES­ — The government shutdown that started early Tuesday has already hit the Federal Communications Commission, the government agency that among other things regulates obscenity on what used to be known as the public airwaves.

Which has led some viewers to ask: Does this mean that broadcast TV will turn into a rat’s nest of foul language and naked bodies? Teacher is away, so there might be orgies on “Castle.” No oversight, so that means f-bombs on “The X-Factor.” CBS might turn into HBO.

Not so fast. Yes, it is true that the FCC has closed up shop, telling roughly 1,700 workers not to bother coming in. Bureaucrats being bureaucrats, the good folks there even published a memo – an inaction plan, if you will – detailing how they would shut down in “orderly” fashion.

But thinking that an FCC closure means everyone on “Big Bang Theory” strips down is like thinking that the government shutdown means no more taxes (yes, exactly, say some conservatives – but that’s another story).

Odds are good that the FCC is going to come back again someday. And when it does, it will begin fielding complaints again – including those from viewers who took notes during the shutdown. A funding-related door-shuttering doesn’t overturn federal law or cancel the FCC’s mandate. It also doesn’t mean that the FCC can’t revoke the license of any broadcaster who flouts its rules, shutdown or no.

In fact, there’s evidence that during a shutdown, the FCC commissioners work anyway. That’s the contention of former commissioner Susan Ness, who wrote that when Westinghouse was merging with CBS in 1995, the agency chiefs kept working on merger issues straight through that shutdown, when House Republicans were battling President Bill Clinton.

So for anyone on network TV, the message might be: Swear today, pay tomorrow.

‘Royals’ Face-off: Why Lorde is the new anti-Miley Cyrus

By Glenn Gamboa
Newsday via McClatchy Tribune

NEW YORK — Oh, Lorde!

In an age where every twerk seems calculated and every hit single seems to be the product of a meticulous marketing campaign, young Lorde (the “e” is silent) and her smash hit “Royals” (Lava/Republic) is a true surprise. The moody pop anthem _ which champions regular folks instead of the ultra-rich and powerful, while maintaining a cool, detached vibe—jumped from her native New Zealand to the United Kingdom and finally to the United States this summer, where it is currently challenging Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry for the top of the pop charts.

(“Royals” already rules the alternative charts, where it has been No. 1 for seven weeks, the longest reign ever for a woman on that chart, passing Alanis Morissette’s 1995 run with “You Oughta Know.”)

Lorde, aka 16-year-old Ella Yelich-O’Connor, is in many ways, the anti-Miley. She shies away from the spotlight and the bling-filled trappings of the music industry. She says she wants her music to represent herself and her friends in New Zealand, regular people she feels aren’t generally seen much in pop culture, due to their location and their economic status. It’s a sentiment she captures in “Royals”—which includes the lines “That kind of luxe just ain’t for us, we crave a different kind of buzz”—and in other songs on her debut album “Pure Heroine,” which arrives in stores Tuesday filled with new potential hits like “Tennis Court” and “Team” that she wrote herself, not with a bunch of songwriters and producers for hire.

She’s clearly not interested in building a big pop persona, focusing instead on life as a suburban teen and keeping a lot of the details of her life to herself.
Lorde says the success of “Royals,” which she wrote in half an hour, has taken her by surprise.

“It’s weird, because, obviously, when I wrote it I had no idea it would be a big deal or anything,” she told Billboard. “I just wrote something that I liked and that I thought was cool….It’s strange, particularly with my lyrics….People are sitting in their bedrooms, covering it on YouTube. It’s been awesome, though.”

Don’t look for Lorde to be mounting a months-long tour or a massive publicity blitz any time soon. She declined to be interviewed for this article and has said she isn’t a fan of this age of tell-all pop stars.

“In a perfect world, I would never do any interviews, and probably there would be one photo out there of me, and that would be it,” she told Billboard. “I just feel like mystery is more interesting. People respond to something which intrigues them instead of something that gives them all the information—particularly in pop, which is like the genre for knowing way too much about everyone and everything.”

Given her deep, Fiona Apple-esque voice and mature writing style, Lorde surprises a lot of people with how much she has accomplished by age 16. Of course, she’s not the only music prodigy to exert so much control at a young age. Here’s a look at some other teenage dreams:

DEBBIE GIBSON
BIO: Gibson wrote nearly all her own songs (and still does). She remains the youngest female artist ever to write, produce and perform a No. 1 single, a feat she achieved in 1987 with “Foolish Beat” when she was 17.

FIRST HIT: “Only in My Dreams,” released at age 16

BIGGEST HIT: “Lost in Your Eyes,” No. 1 for 3 weeks in 1989

STEVIE WONDER
BIO: “Little” Stevie Wonder was only 13 when his hit “Fingertips (Part Two)” hit No. 1, making him the youngest solo artist ever to top the charts. In his early days, he was mainly a singer for the songwriters of Motown, but as he grew older, he began taking on more songwriting duties until he was in full control of his groundbreaking “Talking Book” and “Songs in the Key of Life” albums.

FIRST HIT (THAT HE CO-WROTE): “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” released at age 15

BIGGEST HIT: “Ebony and Ivory,” with Paul McCartney, No. 1 for seven weeks in 1982

TAYLOR SWIFT
BIO: When her second album, “Fearless,” won the prestigious album of the year Grammy in 2010, the then-20-year-old became the youngest artist ever to capture that award. However, she had already spent many of her teenage years as a singer-songwriter with hits on the country and, later, the pop charts.

FIRST HIT: “Tim McGraw,” released at age 16

BIGGEST HIT: “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” No. 1 for three weeks in 2012

Eli Young Band kicks off Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo

EliYoungBand FTWBy Alexa Brackin
News Editor

Texas country crooners Eli Young Band will be performing on the main stage Saturday at the annual Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo. The Lariat had the chance to chat with drummer of the band, and discuss their future and passion for music.

Q: How has your career changed with the success of the “Life at Best” album?

A: Things have taken off in a good way. We’ve seen some of the biggest crowds we’ve seen, especially being on the Kenny Chesney Tour this year.
It’s been pretty incredible.

Q: In your opinion, what made “Crazy Girl” and “Even if it Breaks Your Heart” as successful as they have been?

A: I think at the end of the day, it’s about people seeing something about your music that reflects something in their own life – “Crazy Girl” & “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” are two of those kinds of songs.

Both of those songs say something that most everyone has felt at some point.

With “Crazy Girl,” it’s the point in a relationship no matter which side you’re on where either someone says they need to step away, but they still love you — or that someone needs to hear that — that they’re loved unconditionally.

With “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” – everyone has a dream – something that they’ll go to the mat for. It obviously spoke to us because we’ve been chasing this dream of playing music for so long. But it’s a universal thing.

And both of these songs said things that everyone can relate to – but in a way that we’ve never heard anyone else or any other song say them before.

Q: So, in 11 years, most bands have seen some turnover in their lineup. How have you guys stuck together for that long?

A: At the end of the day, we’re still four best friends who went to college together. We’ve learned how to solve problems together, play music together, run a business together. We been there with each other through some of the biggest moments of our lives – as the 4 of us and now with our families.

Q: How do you think your music has evolved from your first album in 2002?

A: I think our music has evolved as our lives have evolved and changed – as we’ve gotten older, gotten married and started having families, your music progresses with that too.

Q: Congrats on the success of “Drunk Last Night” thus far! Why do you think this song, more than others, resonates with fans?

Thanks. I think this song, much like “Crazy Girl” or “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” – is about something that alot of us have experienced.

Guys especially know what it’s like to be in the position where you know you probably shouldn’t have made that call at that time – but you’ve done it.

And the guy in the song isn’t a jerk – so you can’t help but like him a little bit.

Q: What’s up next for the Eli Young Band?

A: We’re finishing up the new album and looking forward to it coming out early next year, looking forward to the CMA’s next month and are pretty pumped about being nominated for Group of the Year and looking forward to the “Drunk Last Night Tour” that we’re kicking off right now through the end of the year. Life’s been busy but really, really good.

Cadets soak in diverse world

The Cultural Understanding and Language and Proficiency program allows future officers to hone cultural skills. (Courtesy Photo)
The Cultural Understanding and Language and Proficiency program allows future officers to hone cultural skills. (Courtesy Photo)
By Trey Gregory
Reporter

Every year, the U.S. Army provides hundreds of ROTC cadets with the opportunity to visit 40 different countries for three weeks. The cadets can immerse themselves in a foreign culture and learn a new language through the Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency program, or CULP.

According to the U.S. Army’s Cadet Command website, CULP participants are exposed to everyday life in different cultures, which intensifies language studies. The Cadet Command states that the CULP program helps produce commissioned officers that possess the language and cultural skills required of an Army officer in the 21st century. Any Army ROTC cadets who wish to participate in CULP should contact their command for more information on the application process.

The Cadet Command website states that overseas immersions help educate future leaders in ways the classroom cannot.

Houston junior Anthony Rifaat and New Braunfels junior Tara Hutchison, both ROTC cadets, participated in the Army’s CULP program.

Hutchison spent most of her time in Miercurea Ciuc, Romania with the Romanian Army’s 24th Mountain Battalion. She said her favorite part of her trip was spending time with the Romanian officers.

“I really like the relationships we built with the Romanian officers,” Hutchison said. “We spent a lot of our free time exploring the city outside the base with the them.”

Rifaat traveled to Lithuania and said his favorite part of the CULP experience was learning about the local culture.

“I had a lot of free time to explore the local culture —a lot of time to get perspective,” Rifaat said.

Hutchison said she also gained a lot of perspective.

“A major life lesson I learned from CULP was that although the world is culturally diverse, we are all people with the same desires and necessities in life,” Hutchison said. “Every person around the world wants a family, their health, food on the table, and to live a life with minimal worry. We are all the same people.”

U.S. cadets participating in CULP are responsible for teaching English and U.S. culture to the host nation’s CULP participants.

Hutchison said she taught English to the Romanians in the morning then trained with them in the afternoon. Hutchison’s training with the Romanians included horseback riding, a live-fire range, an armored personnel carrier mission and training with Romanian tanks. Hutchison said her favorite part of training was shooting Kalashnikovs and machine guns during the live-fire range.

Rifaat spent most of his time teaching English to the Lithuanian cadets at their military academy in Vilnius.

Rifaat said some of his most eye opening experiences happened while teaching English to the cadets. Rifaat would start a conversation with his students in English and quickly learned about the economic hardships in Lithuania from their responses.

“Anybody could read a Wikipedia page on Lithuania’s economic situation, but it’s a completely different experience when you are directly listening to them,” Rifaat said.

On the weekends, Rifaat volunteered for community service, mainly in orphanages.

Rifaat and other U.S. cadets spent a lot of their free time with the Lithuanian orphans even though they didn’t have a translator.

“The kids didn’t speak English so we played sports to connect,” Rifaat said.

When Rifaat wasn’t volunteering with orphans, he was visiting Lithuanian castles, monuments and museums.

“The memories of the three weeks spent in an unusual country will last a lifetime,” Rifaat said.

Rifaat and Hutchison both said that they didn’t learn much of their host country’s language, but they agreed that learning about the people and their culture was invaluable because Lithuania and Romania are part of NATO.

“I realized how much these other countries can help us,” Hutchison said. “Romania has troops in Afghanistan. I could run into them again.”

Hutchison and Rifaat said their hosts showed them great hospitality. Hutchison stayed in a hotel close to the base and Rifaat stayed in a room at the military academy in Vilnius.

“I feel so grateful for the chance to experience a different side of the world,” Rifaat said. “This trip pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me the once in a lifetime opportunity to give and receive knowledge that I will never forget and will surely use later on in my career as an Army officer.”

New fitness program saves time, promotes healthy living

Students workout at the McLane Student Life Center on Thursday, October 3, 2013. Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Students workout at the McLane Student Life Center on Thursday, October 3, 2013.
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
By Rebecca Jung
Reporter

Thirty minutes a day could save your life.

“To stay healthy and fit you don’t need to run a marathon or even visit the gym,” said Van Davis, assistant director for fitness. “The key is to stay active.”

Starting Oct. 17, Baylor students will have a chance to do just that.

The Baylor Department of Fitness and the Baylor Department of Wellness have partnered to bring students a new program. The program called “30 on Thursdays” consists of an exercise activity and providing students with information on fitness, nutrition and overall wellness.

“This is really catered to people that aren’t already exercising — we’re going to show them and give them a workout card so they can take the activity with them,” Davis said.

This new program is only 30 minutes and provides students with ways to be active in their own space.

The class is different from the Bear X program classes which has regular attendees and is geared toward everyone.

What makes this program unique, Davis said, is that it not only provides students with an opportunity for physical activity, but it also empowers them to create a healthy lifestyle for themselves.

The first activity of the program will be a walk and tone, and later activities include yoga, Pilates and calisthenics.

The program is not just exercising in a class environment. At times, it will consist of independent or partner work.

The program is free and will run every Thursday from Oct. 17 until the end of the semester. The program is held at 4 p.m. on the third floor of the Student Life Center.

“The goal is empowering and equipping,” said Megan Patterson, director of wellness. “It is recommended that getting 30 minutes of activity five days a week is your best shot at maintaining health. We want to help students take care of one of those days.”

The 30 on Thursdays program is part of the Commit To Be Fit campaign programming for the semester.

Commit To Be Fit is the fitness theme the department adopted this semester, Davis said. It’s a commitment to be fit wherever a person is, and it’s for students and faculty.

Student groups who have 25 percent of their members sign up for the Bear X programs will get the recognition of being an “OsoFit” group. This applies to departments as well.

Students will receive a neon green and white bracelet featuring the slogan “commit to be fit,” and every class will receive a card with an exercise and wellness tips.

Students, who come regularly by the end of the semester will have a ring full of these cards with exercises and fitness guidelines they can implement into their lives, Davis said.

Professor launches study on food desert conditions

The closure of HEB locations on Speight Avenue and Dutton Avenue has Dr. Andy Hogue, director of civic education and community service program, concerned about food desert conditions. Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
The closure of HEB locations on Speight Avenue and Dutton Avenue has Dr. Andy Hogue, director of civic education and community service program, concerned about food desert conditions.
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
By Jordan Corona
Reporter

Neighborhoods without a source of healthy food deserve a second look.

That’s the thinking behind a research project Dr. Andy Hogue, director of civic education and community service program, is heading up with his African-American politics class and the Texas Hunger Initiative.

In August, the city of Waco bid adieu to two HEB grocery stores tucked in neighborhoods on either side of Interstate 35.

The HEB locations on Speight Avenue and on Dutton Avenue served a series of low-income neighborhoods in Waco. The Speight Avenue location also served college students.

Although a larger grocery store has opened its doors at the intersection of Interstate 35 and South Valley Mills Drive, the HEB closures have many wondering about the neighborhood potentially experiencing food desert conditions.

Hogue said a food desert is a place where people’s access to fresh, whole produce — fruits and vegetables — is extremely limited.

“We’re working with the Texas Hunger Initiative to figure out what we can do,” Hogue said. “How can we minimize the impact of losing a primary source of fresh or healthy food?”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, any area where 33 percent of the population or 500 individuals must travel more than one mile to the nearest grocery store or super market is a “low-access community.” That means individuals have significantly less access to healthy, whole foods.

“One of the things research shows us about food deserts is that these are disproportionately located in neighborhoods and parts of town that are populated primarily by minorities,” Hogue said. “And there’s a very close connection between things like access to food and issues of hunger.”

Before offering solutions to address food problems, he said the research will provide a fuller understanding of the community’s current access to food.

The study looks at factors inhibiting people’s access to healthy, whole food. Their findings about produce availability, even sidewalk conditions in the region spanning from Clay Street to Gurley Avenue, and 18th Street to Eighth Street, will be applied to a topographical map.

The study, which his students are carrying out in small teams, examines the region by blocks.

Lubbock senior Shelley Gregory, a member in one of Hogue’s groups, said part of the study includes students keeping logs of “food sources,” — neighborhood restaurants, gas stations, grocery and convenience stores — recording specific GPS coordinates for mapping.

Last week, she and two others started their portion of the research project. They talked to shopkeepers at the sources they identified.

Their questions concerned whether or not fruits and vegetables were stocked on their shelves, and if food stamps were accepted.

For every source of food they note, the group wants to know what’s available and to whom.

They logged a visit to Cruz’s Drive Inn, a small, family-owned convenience store at 11th Street and Cleveland Avenue.

Anita Cruz and her daughter Diana Hernandez run the store across the street from the Kate Ross government housing leasing office.

She said mostly folks using food stamps come to the store shopping for fruits and vegetables. But, since Cruz’s Drive Inn doesn’t accept food stamps, it’s not cost effective to stock produce.

“We’re considered a convenience store,” Hernandez said.

The study group made a note of the store’s lack of vegetables. It means the store, as far as the group’s research is concerned, is not a reliable source of fresh produce.

While looking for other food sources on 11th Street, the group stopped to make note of sidewalks in poor condition.

Gregory said sidewalks to and from food sources are important to pay attention to. Cracked, overgrown sidewalks are useless to someone pushing a stroller or someone in a wheel chair. She said sidewalks represent how accessible food is to the community that uses them.

On Aug. 19, Waco Transit changed its route No. 9 to provide access to the new HEB store location at 1821 South Valley Mills Dr.

Hogue said this research project between the university and the Texas Hunger Initiative is scheduled to be completed by the end of October.

The data will be used to determine what problems, if any, affect people living in the neighborhoods nearest the former grocery stores.

West committees begin funding resident recovery efforts

By Paula Ann Solis
Staff Writer

Five months after the West fertilizer plant explosion, the Long-Term Recovery Board has begun the distribution of funds for residents affected by the blast.

At a press conference Thursday in West, Ronnie Sykora, a Long-Term Recovery Center Board member, said the roughly $3.5 million collected from donations will be dispersed after petitioners are assigned caseworkers and necessary paperwork is filed, such as copies of medical bills, insurance claims and contractor estimates.

Sykora said West residents have an estimated $30 million in needs.

“We recently organized an Unmet Needs Committee, 15 people of our community that work and live here in the West area,” Sykora said. “Starting next week this committee of our friends and neighbors will hear presentations from the case workers. These cases will be brought to the committee anonymously, so we won’t know who is actually receiving the funds and they won’t know whose cases they’re reviewing.”

The Unmet Needs Committee will hear cases on a first-come, first-served basis.

Once a case file is fully written, it will be reviewed by the committee.

The committee will recommend the type of financial assistance the Long-Term Recovery Board should give to the petitioner.

The board will ultimately decide who will receive funds and how much is given.

Those selected to receive funds will not receive a check directly, Sykora said.

Finances will be sent to contractors or other businesses to be sure they are used properly.

Currently, 20 cases are ready to be considered by the committee and the funders’ table. Another 537 cases are in various stages of the case-filing process.

Sykora said case workers have acted as advocates for residents by helping some people find alternative funds or supplies while they wait to hear from the board.

One West resident, Crystal Ledane, 30, said the waiting has been the hardest part.

“I just don’t know where I’m at in the process,” Ledane said. “At a time like this I just need someone to tell me what’s happening.”

Ledane said she, her two children, husband and dog have been living in a borrowed motor home while they wait for an alternative to their unleveled home.

Ledane said caseworkers have been doing their best, but she said she feels West residents should not lead the Unmet Needs Committee because it may be slowing down the process.

“When you have people from the community who work at the front gate, sometimes they don’t feel your needs are more than others,” Ledane said. “Anonymous or not, everybody knows everybody’s story. Nothing is anonymous here.”

Sykora, along with Karen Bernsen, the executive director of West Long-Term Recovery, met with Ledane and other concerned residents after the press conference to discuss the frustration with delays in paperwork felt throughout the community.

Steve Vanek, West mayor pro tempore, and Dr. Marty Crawford, superintendent for West Independent School District, were also in attendance and spoke well of the relationship with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“We’re very thankful and very appreciative of them that they’re here to support the school children of West because they are so influential to the long-term recovery of this community,” Crawford said.

Demolition of West High School is scheduled for mid-November and construction of the new campus is set for spring 2014. Crawford said enrollment has not been affected by the use of temporary sites.

Vanek said at this moment the government shutdown has not affected FEMA funds but he said he is scared of what the impact could be in the long run if the shutdown does not end soon.

West mayor Tommy Muska was not at the press conference, but, when contacted later, said he has been speaking with FEMA employees and said the only impediment will be on time.

“Delays are the only things to worry about,” Muska said. “I hope the government will come to some agreement some time this week.”

For information about the Long-Term Recovery Board or the Unmet Needs Committee, contact the board’s Executive Director Karen Bernsen at 254-432-2487.

Lariat reporter Rae Jefferson contributed to this story.

No. 22 Baylor soccer hosts No. 20 BYU

Baylor soccer beat Boise State 2-0 at Betty Lou Mays Field on Sunday, September 22, 2013.  Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Baylor soccer beat Boise State 2-0 at Betty Lou Mays Field on Sunday, September 22, 2013.
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
By Parmida Schahhosseini
Sports Writer

No. 22 Baylor will take a break from conference play with a match against the No. 20 BYU Cougars for the last nonconference game of the regular season at 7 p.m. tonight at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.

“BYU is a great team,” Baylor co-head coach Marci Jobson said. “They have a lot of great players. The remind me of West Virginia some, so we are going to have to really lock down.”

This is the first meeting between the two teams. Baylor (8-1-2) and BYU (5-3-1) are looking to rebound as both are coming off a loss. BYU has dropped its last two games as its offense has struggled to capitalize on its opportunities. Despite outshooting Long Beach State 9-7 on Sept. 21, the ball wasn’t able to find its way into the net.

The Bears have scored 25 goals, 11 more goals than BYU, and are outscoring opponents 20-4 at home. Baylor also has outshot opponents 149-58, but the Cougars have been able to generate shots. Baylor’s defense hopes to limit its shots as it uncharacteristically gave up 19 shots to West Virginia on Sunday.

“After coming off the loss we’re all just really excited to get back out there and to get back to work,” senior defender Taylor Heatherly said. “It’s a great team and I think we are just so excited to play another opponent. There are some things we have to work on at practice this week in preparation, but we’re anxious and excited.”

The Cougars also score by committee with freshman forward Ashley Hatch and senior midfielder Rachel Manning leading the way with three goals apiece. The defense also will have to contain senior midfielder Cloee Colohan, who is second on the team in shots taken at 23. BYU’s style of play is similar to Baylor and has the potential to attack at any moment.

“I’ve heard that they play a lot like us, so it’s going to be a battle the whole game,” senior midfielder Kat Ludlow said. “They play like a family, they play rough and we play just the same, so it’s just going to be two good teams just going at it.”

The Bears defense leads the NCAA in shutout percentage at .818 and ranks 11th in goals against average at .437. The team defense is hoping to have its way with a struggling BYU offense, but the opponent isn’t shy about taking its shots. The Cougars have taken 134 shots and have been able to generate shots in its losses. Against No. 19 Denver on Sept. 26, BYU took 10 shots, but couldn’t capitalize on scoring chances.

Baylor has been able to generate offense this season with different players stepping up. Sophomore forward Bri Campos and freshman midfielder Ashley York lead Baylor with four goals apiece. Ludlow and junior forward Natalie Huggins have scored three goals each, and eight other players have scored one or more goals. Freshman defender Lindsay Burns has improved and making her mark on the offense with two goals against Oklahoma and West Virginia, as well as the defense. Burns’ goal against the Mountaineers sparked a potential comeback, but Baylor was in too deep a hole to dig itself out.

“You saw a team fight back from a three-goal deficit,” Jobson said. “A lot of teams would quit and they’re not going to quit and they’re never going to quit and that’s who they are.”

Baylor’s physical play will be a good matchup against BYU’s defense because the Cougars are capable of locking down players and stealing away possessions.

BYU has limited its opponents to 76 shots and have only given up eight goals. Baylor will have to press frequently and capitalize on its opportunities to pull away with a win.

The Bears host BYU at 7 p.m. tonight at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.

Big 12 football weekend preview

By Shehan Jeyarajah
Sports Writer

Kansas (2-1) vs. No. 20 Texas Tech (4-0)

Kansas head coach Charlie Weis has hardly anything to work with in Lawrence. Kansas may be 2-1, but two wins are against Louisiana Tech and FCS opponent South Dakota, both at home.

Texas Tech has been one of the more surprising teams so far this season. A rebuilding process was expected after former Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury took over as head coach in Lubbock. The Red Raiders rank third in the nation in passing yards with 408.5 a game.

Kansas doesn’t have the talent to keep up with the high-powered offense of Texas Tech, and the Red Raiders should move to 5-0 on the season.

No. 21 Oklahoma State (3-1) vs. Kansas State (2-2)

Oklahoma State is coming off of a tough loss against conference rival West Virginia, where the Cowboys elite offense generated 21 points.

Kansas State is coming off of a tough loss against Texas in Austin. Going to Stillwater is one of the more difficult places to play, especially for a team that has struggled to find an answer this season.

Oklahoma State should look to make up for their loss against West Virginia with a big win against Kansas State.

No. 11 Oklahoma (4-0) vs. TCU (2-2)

The Sooners seemed to finally put everything together last week in a big win against then No. 22 Notre Dame. Junior quarterback Blake Bell threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns. The committee-based running game rushed for 212 yards, 5.0 yards per carry and a touchdown. The defense looked dominant as well with three interceptions, including one brought back for a touchdown. Oklahoma is second in the Big 12 in total defense.

While OU is flourishing, TCU is slipping. To be fair, TCU has played the most difficult schedule in the Big 12, but they have struggled so far.

TCU flopped in a big game against Texas Tech by scoring 10 points. The defense ranks in the top 40, but TCU has not shown the ability to contend against high-powered offenses.

Norman is one of the toughest places in America to come out with a win, and this weekend should be no different.

Bears amped for Big 12 opener against WVU

Baylor football beat Louisiana Monroe 70-7 at Floyd Casey Stadium on Saturday, September 21, 2013. Robby Hirst | Lariat Photographer
Baylor football beat Louisiana Monroe 70-7 at Floyd Casey Stadium on Saturday, September 21, 2013.
Robby Hirst | Lariat Photographer
By Shehan Jeyarajah
Sports Writer

No. 17 Baylor football opens up Big 12 Conference play against West Virginia in a Saturday night showdown at Floyd Casey Stadium. When these two teams last met, the Mountaineers pulled off a 70-63 shootout win in Morgantown in the first-ever matchup between these two teams. Last year’s game will be in the mind of Baylor as the team prepares for its Big 12 opener.  

“You never want to think of football as a revenge type of game,” junior quarterback Bryce Petty said. “We are ready to go out there. Even though we did score 63 points last year, there were still points left out there. As a team, a couple things just didn’t go our way, but I thought we played really well being in that atmosphere. Opening up Big 12 at home against them, it needs to be a win for us for sure.”

Baylor football has been one of the most dominant teams in America this season on both sides of the ball. With the caveat that Baylor has not played stiff competition yet, Baylor has outscored opponents 209-23. The defense has not allowed a single touchdown in the second half of games, and is actually outscoring opposing offenses 28-23.

The Bears lead college football in scoring at 69.7 points per game, total offense with 751.3 yards a game and passing yards with 444.3 yards per game. Baylor also is fifth in rushing offense with 307.0 yards per game, despite the fact that senior running back Glasco Martin has missed time with an ankle injury and junior running back Lache Seastrunk has rarely rushed the ball in the second half of games this season.  

Petty leads the nation in passing efficiency and yards per completion with 20.02 yards. He also ranks second in the nation with a 74.6 percent completion percentage and is fifth with 333.7 passing yards a game, despite having never played more than a few drives into the second half.  

Seastrunk leads the Big 12 with 139.0 yards per game, and leads the nation with 11.0 yards per carry. He has rushed for 100 or more yards in seven straight games, which is a school record. Again, Seastrunk has rarely played in the second half this season.  

“We’re going to play them like we do everybody else,” Seastrunk said. “Everybody’s a threat. We’re going to treat them like a threat, and we’re going to win games.”

Senior receiver Tevin Reese and junior Antwan Goodley have been one of the more dynamic receiving duos in football. Both receivers rank in the top 10 in yards per game. The two receivers combine to average 240.0 yards per game, which makes up 71.9 percent of Petty’s total yardage. They have also caught seven of Petty’s eight touchdowns.  

With all the focus on the Baylor offense, the defensive performance has been overlooked this season. Baylor leads all of college football in tackles for loss with 11.3 per game, led by sophomore defensive end Shawn Oakman’s 2.7 per game. Baylor has forced two or more turnovers in nine of its last 10 games. Baylor leads all of college football in forcing three-and-outs, doing so 54.3 percent of the time.  

Baylor is on a six-game home winning streak. The Bears have not lost at home since Oct. 13, 2012, against TCU, including beating No. 1 Kansas State last November. Since 2011, Baylor has posted a record of 15-1 at home.  

On the other side, West Virginia is coming off of a Big 12 upset against then No. 11 Oklahoma State. 

The Mountaineers are an enigmatic team with no clear identity at this point in the season because their level of play has varied on a week-to-week basis so far this season.

“It’s all about matchups in football, just as it is in any sport,” head coach Art Briles said. “How do you match up with the other team? If you look at the two losses they have against Oklahoma and Maryland, those are two undefeated football teams and both games were on the road. Oklahoma State came into their place, hadn’t been there since 1928 and West Virginia does a great job of putting on a home crowd and a home environment and did a great job of protecting their house. They really played well Saturday on both sides of the ball.”

The defense has been solid for West Virginia. Through five games, West Virginia is top 40 in total defense and total points against with 345.4 yards per game and 19.6 points per game allowed.

The Mountaineers defense has accomplished all of this despite playing what USA Today’s Jeff Sagarin rated as the 13th most difficult schedule in America.  

The West Virginia offense has been much more inconsistent. The Mountaineers rank 78th in total offense with 392.6 yards per game and rank 101st in points for with only 20.4 points a game. Head coach Dana Holgorsen has been forced to play three different quarterbacks at different points this season. 

This will undoubtedly be the hardest test of the season for Baylor’s offense. West Virginia’s offense is not as prolific as Baylor, and the Mountaineers might find it difficult to match the scoring of Baylor’s offense.

The key for WVU last week was the Mountaineer defense holding Oklahoma State to 2.8 yards per rush. Baylor averages 6.58 yards per rush, compared to 4.26 for Oklahoma State. Baylor averages almost twice as many rushing yards per game as Oklahoma State. 

After watching West Virginia pull off a shocking upset of Oklahoma State, any trap-game potential for Baylor is likely gone. WVU has Baylor’s full attention.

Playing at home makes this Baylor’s game to lose and Baylor is anxious to start play in the Big 12 Conference.

No. 17 Baylor takes on West Virginia at 7 p.m. Saturday night at Floyd Casey Stadium.

The game will be broadcast nationally on Fox Sports 1. Baylor will be debuting their all-black uniforms with gold chrome helmets. Fans are encouraged to wear gold and “Bring the Bling.”  

Editorial: Baylor should conserve water during drought

Over-wateringComic.jpgCentral Texas is in a drought, but when walking on Baylor’s campus, no one would know.

Campus is slowly turning into a swampland, lacking only the gators and Cajun food.

The squish of nearly every grassy patch on campus indicates the healthy dose of water that was administered overnight by way of sprinklers.

While Baylor’s campus has lush green grass, it’s coming at a price.

The main problem is it seems Baylor overwaters the grass to the point of producing muddy ground.

We can probably all agree that walking in the grass shouldn’t feel like walking through quicksand. This, however, is just a minor annoyance compared to the waste of water in a time of drought.

It’s best to conserve water during a drought, but that’s not happening at Baylor.

The sprinkler system is on a timer. The sopping wet grass indicates that the sprinklers run for much longer than they should.

They also tend to spray sidewalks. The sidewalks certainly don’t need watering, especially when students are making late-night visits to the library or walking home for the night.

What only compounds the issue is the sprinklers run even when it’s raining.

During the flash flooding in Waco on Sept. 20, it rained most of the night and well into the day. Waco received 3.11 inches of rain that day.

Students posted images on social media sites that show water running through campus, clearly portraying a Baylor campus that was not in need of water at that moment.

However, the sprinklers on campus continued to run that night and contributed to the swampy growth of Baylor.

In a storm like that, the sprinklers should be turned off.

Why use a man-made sprinkler when natural resources are available?

Watering the grass during the night is convenient because students aren’t constantly walking across campus and do not have to fear getting wet.

In addition, the water keeps Baylor’s campus green because water evaporates quicker when the sprinklers run in the sunlight.

Both of these could be accomplished without causing the grass to turn to mud.

These minor pluses are not enough to overcome the fact that Central Texas is in a drought. Baylor should do its part and help conserve water by decreasing the amount of water used to feed the grass.

When campus has received rain, the sprinklers should not run. In addition, the time the sprinklers do run on a dry day should be cut down. Adjusting all the sprinklers’ run times may prove difficult and time consuming, but the water this will conserve is worth it.

Because some sprinklers on campus tend to aim at roads and sidewalks, these should be readjusted to aim at the grass or flowers on campus.

This will cost money, but what Baylor will be saving in water bills may make up for this cost.

As Voltaire once said, “Use, do not abuse; neither abstinence nor excess ever renders man happy.”

While watering is necessary to keep Baylor beautiful, the excess watering might cause alligators to start looking for real estate on campus.

Let’s help the gators look elsewhere and conserve water by fixing the sprinklers.

Volleyball battles Kansas on Saturday

Junior middle hitter Nicole Bardaji celebrates after scoring a point against Texas.  Baylor lost to Texas in four sets.  Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Junior middle hitter Nicole Bardaji celebrates after scoring a point against Texas. Baylor lost to Texas in four sets.
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
By Shehan Jeyarajah
Sports Writer

After two tough losses against top 25 teams, Baylor volleyball will look to rebound in a midday tilt against Kansas this Saturday. The Bears sit at 8-10, 0-2 in the Big 12. Kansas comes into the match with a record of 12-3 on an eight-match winning streak.

Baylor volleyball played a tough match against Texas on Wednesday night, losing 3-1. Baylor was not expected to win against the No. 4 defending national champions, but the Bears managed to win the first set that Texas has lost in all of Big 12 play in a thrilling third set, 25-23.

Senior outside hitter Zoe Adom leads Baylor with 197 kills and 3.08 kills per set. Sophomore outside hitter Thea Munch-Soegaard returned from injury after a four match hiatus against Texas. She is averaging 2.62 kills per set and 2.62 digs per set. Sophomore setter Amy Rosenbaum has come on in her first year starting and averaged 9.90 assists per set.

On the other side, senior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc leads Kansas with 197 kills on a .317 hitting percentage. Her 3.40 kills per set leads the team. Close behind her is junior outside hitter Sara McClinton with 175 total kills on 3.18 kills per set and a .270 hitting percentage. Senior libero Brianne Riley leads the team with 4.76 digs per set.

Baylor has struggled offensively for long stretches this season. The Bears hit only .206 on the year, despite having an 8-8 record heading into Big 12 play. Baylor allows opponents to hit .237 on them. In wins, Baylor has almost two more digs per set than in losses, which shows the importance of back row defense.

The Jayhawks hit .260 and hold teams to an impressive .166 hitting percentage. Kansas has won all six sets they have played against Big 12 opponents TCU and Kansas State.

“We’re starting out against the three toughest teams in the Big 12,” head volleyball coach Jim Barnes said. “But I think it’s toughened us up. We’ve learned a lot.”

Baylor volleyball
will take on Kansas at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Ferrell Center.

Woman attempts to bypass White House barricade, police chase ends in gunfire

Emergency personal help an injured person after a shooting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013. Police say the U.S. Capitol has been put on a security lockdown amid reports of possible shots fired outside the building. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
Police gather near the scene on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, after gunshots were heard. Police say the U.S. Capitol has been put on a security lockdown amid reports of possible shots fired outside the building.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Police gather near the scene on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, after gunshots were heard. Police say the U.S. Capitol has been put on a security lockdown amid reports of possible shots fired outside the building. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

By Bradley Klapper and Laurie Kellman

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A woman driving a black Lexus tried to ram through a White House barricade Thursday, then led police on a chase that ended in gunfire outside the Capitol, witnesses and officials said.

Tourists watched the shooting unfold on Constitution Avenue outside the Capitol as lawmakers inside debated how to end a government shutdown. Police quickly locked down the entire complex for about an hour, and both houses of Congress went into recess.

The pursuit began when a car tried to ram a security barricade blocking the stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the case by name and insisted on anonymity.

Witnesses said at least 20 police cars chased the Lexus toward Capitol Hill, where the car crashed outside the Capitol.

Tourist Edmund Ofori-Attah said he walked toward the scene, curious about what was going on.

“Then I heard the gunfire” and hit the ground, he said.

Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer said a woman was driving the car and had a child with her. Ofori-Attah said the child appeared to be about 2 to 3 years old.

Gainer said the child was taken to a hospital.

Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine said the driver was in custody. He did not disclose her condition.

A police officer was injured in the traffic accident but Gainer said the injuries were not life threatening.

“We heard three, four, five pops,” said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who was walking from the Capitol to an office building across the street. Police ordered Casey and nearby tourists to crouch behind a car for protection, then hustled everyone into the Capitol.

“There were multiple shots fired and the air was filled with gunpowder,” said Berin Szoka, whose office at a technology think tank overlooks the shooting scene.

The shooting comes two weeks after a mentally disturbed employee terrorized the Navy Yard with a shotgun, leaving 13 people dead including the gunman.

Before the disruption, lawmakers had been trying to find common ground to end a government shutdown. The House had just finished approving legislation aimed at partly lifting the government shutdown by paying National Guard and Reserve members.

People standing outside the Supreme Court across the street from Congress were hurried into the court building by authorities.

The White House also was briefly locked down after the incident at Capitol Hill and the stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the compound was closed to pedestrians. Secret Service said the procedures were precautionary.

Shots outside Capitol, police say 1 injury

Emergency personal help an injured person after a shooting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013. Police say the U.S. Capitol has been put on a security lockdown amid reports of possible shots fired outside the building.  (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
Emergency personal help an injured person after a shooting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013. Police say the U.S. Capitol has been put on a security lockdown amid reports of possible shots fired outside the building. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

By Bradley Klapper and Laurie Kellman
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A woman driving a black Infiniti with a young child inside tried to ram through a White House barricade Thursday, then led police on a chase that ended in gunfire outside the Capitol, witnesses and officials said.

Tourists watched the shooting unfold on Constitution Avenue outside the Capitol as lawmakers inside debated how to end a government shutdown. Police quickly locked down the entire complex temporarily, and both houses of Congress went into recess.

The driver’s condition was not clear after police fired at the car. Authorities performed several minutes of CPR on someone near the driver’s side of the car, then carried that person away.

Police described it as an isolated event and saw no indications of terrorism.

The pursuit began when a car with Connecticut plates sped onto the driveway leading to the White House, over a set of lowered barricades. When she couldn’t get through a second barrier, she spun the car in the opposite direction, flipping a Secret Service officer over the hood of the car as she sped away, said B.J. Campbell, a visiting tourist from Portland, Ore.

A fleet of police and Secret Service cars chased the Infiniti toward Capitol Hill.

“The car was trying to get away. But it was going over the median and over the curb,” said Matthew Coursen, who was on his way to a legislative office building when the Infiniti sped by him. “The car got boxed in and that’s when I saw an officer of some kind draw his weapon and fire shots into the car.”

Coursen watched the shooting from his cab window.

“I thought to myself, ‘The car is getting blocked in. The car is going to surrender,'” he said. “Now the cop has his weapon out. The car kept trying to get away. Then he fired shots.”

It was not clear whether the driver was armed.

Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine would not disclose the driver’s condition but said she was in custody.

Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer said a child was taken from the car to a hospital but said he knew of no harm to the youngster. Tourist Edmund Ofori-Attah said the child appeared to be about 2 to 3 years old.

A police officer was injured in the traffic accident but Gainer said the injuries were not life threatening.

“We heard three, four, five pops,” said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who was walking from the Capitol to an office building across the street. Police ordered Casey and nearby tourists to crouch behind a car for protection, then hustled everyone into the Capitol.

“There were multiple shots fired and the air was filled with gunpowder,” said Berin Szoka, whose office at a technology think tank overlooks the shooting scene.

The shooting comes two weeks after a mentally disturbed employee terrorized the Navy Yard with a shotgun, leaving 13 people dead including the gunman.

Before the disruption, lawmakers had been trying to find common ground to end a government shutdown. The House had just finished approving legislation aimed at partly lifting the government shutdown by paying National Guard and Reserve members.

U.S. Capitol Police on the plaza around the Capitol said they were working without pay as the result of the shutdown.

 

Photos: Volleyball vs. University of Texas Longhorns

10/03/13: The Baylor Lariat

Feds in NY: Website handled $1B in drugs

By Tom Hays
Associated Press

NEW YORK — A hidden website operated by a San Francisco man using an alias from “The Princess Bride” became a vast black market bazaar that brokered more than $1 billion in transactions for illegal drugs and services, according to court papers made public Wednesday.

A criminal complaint in New York accused Ross William Ulbricht of being the mastermind and charged him with narcotics trafficking, computer hacking and money laundering. A separate indictment in Maryland accused him in a failed murder-for-hire scheme.

The website, Silk Road, allowed users to anonymously browse through nearly 13,000 listings under categories like “Cannabis,” “Psychedelics” and “Stimulants” before making purchases using the electronic currency Bitcoin.

One listing for heroin promised buyers “all rock, no powder, vacuum sealed and stealth shipping,” and had a community forum below where one person commented, “Quality is superb.”

The website, whose other categories included “Erotica” and “Fireworks,” protected users with an encryption technique called onion routing, designed to make it “practically impossible to physically locate the computers hosting or accessing websites on the network,” court papers said.

Federal authorities shut the site down and arrested Ulbricht on Tuesday afternoon in a branch of San Francisco’s public library. Ulbricht was online on his laptop chatting with a cooperating witness about Silk Road when FBI agents from New York and San Francisco took him into custody, authorities said.

A library system spokeswoman, Michelle Jeffers, said she was told by staffers that on Tuesday afternoon they heard a loud commotion in the science fiction section of the library and saw a young man, who appeared to offer no resistance, pushed up against a floor-to-ceiling window by plainclothes FBI agents as they handcuffed him.

Ulbricht, 29, made an initial appearance in a San Francisco court on Wednesday, authorities said. A bail hearing was set for Friday. There was no immediate response to messages left with Ulbricht’s attorney.

A criminal complaint said Ulbricht “has controlled and overseen all aspects of Silk Road.”

He announced in a website forum last year that to avoid confusion he needed to change his Silk Road username, court papers said. He wrote, “drum roll please … my new name is: Dread Pirate Roberts,” an apparent reference to a swashbuckling character in “The Princess Bride,” the 1987 comedy film based on a novel of the same name.

The court papers cite a LinkedIn profile that says Ulbricht graduated from the University of Texas with a physics degree and attended graduate school in Pennsylvania.

It says he has focused on “creating economic simulation” designed to “give people a firsthand experience of what it would be like to live in a world without the systematic use of force.”

Along with drugs, the website offered various illegal services, including one vendor who offered to hack into Facebook, Twitter and other social networking accounts and another selling tutorials on how to hack into ATMs.

Under the “Forgeries” category, sellers advertised forged driver’s licenses, passports, Social Security cards and other documents.

As of July, there were nearly 1 million registered users of the site from the United States, Germany, Russia, Australia and elsewhere, the court papers said.

The site generated an estimated $1.2 billion since it started in 2011 and collected $80 million by charging 8 percent to 15 percent commission on each sale, it said.

Undercover agents in New York made more than 100 purchases of LSD, Ecstasy, heroin and other drugs offered on the site, the papers said.

In July, customs agents as part of a routine search intercepted a package from Canada that contained counterfeit identifications, all with Ulbricht’s photo, the papers said.

When confronted by agents at a San Francisco address where he was renting a room for $1,000 a month, he “generally refused to answer questions … however volunteered that ‘hypothetically’ anyone could go onto a website named Silk Road and purchase any drugs or fake identity documents the person wanted.”

The Maryland indictment alleges Ulbricht told an undercover investigator posing as a drug dealer this year he would pay the undercover to “beat up” a former employee he believed had stolen money from Silk Road. Later, it said, he wrote to ask whether he could “change the order to execute rather than torture” and agreed to make two payments of $40,000 each to get the job done.

The New York complaint cites messages from Ulbricht it says showed he plotted to kill another person who was trying to extort him.

Living-learning programs foster academic success

Living and Learning ProgramsBy Maleesa Johnson
Staff Writer

Living-learning programs are proving to help students succeed academically in addition to providing them with a close-knit community,

“When you actually put like-minded people in the same place to live, chances are they’re going to strike a friendship and they’ll help each other succeed,” said Dr. Rizalia Klausmeyer, director of the Science and Health LLC. “That’s the hope that we have.”

The addition of East Village Residential Community is one example of the growth of living-learning programs. LLPs consist of undergraduate students who live together in a section of the hall or of the entire hall and are part of an academic or co-curricular program.

In “Why Baylor has Living-Learning Programs,” a study done by Dr. Jeff Doyle who is the dean for student learning and engagement, he states that living-learning programs are one of the best ways to do residential community in college.

Most residence halls with living-learning programs have additional study spaces, classrooms, faculty offices, a library, a reflection or chapel space and a conference room. According to Doyle’s study, this is meant to encourage learning and faith development among residents.

These programs at Baylor have been included in national studies. These studies show that LLP students in comparison with non-LLP students are more likely to be academically successful.

“It has been proven that students that are in LLPs that have the same interests, tend to have a higher GPA,” Klausmeyer said. “That would be incredibly beneficial for us because we’re also in pre-health, so the majority of our students are going to want to get into medical, dental, vet or physical therapy school. So they’re going to have a small advantage, or hopefully a big advantage. But we cannot judge yet since this is our second month.”

In accordance with the national study, studies from the Institutional Research and Testing at Baylor show that freshmen living in living-learning Communities and residential colleges are more likely to remain at Baylor.

Klausmeyer said Baylor would like students of all classifications to live on campus.

“That’s what the university wants,” Klausmeyer said. “We’re moving towards having the majority of students living on campus, which would be a benefit for all of us. The freshmen students especially, when they actually have contact with upperclassmen, can see and ask questions on how they do it and what to do to be successful.”

The study conducted by Doyle also shows a comparative analysis made by the Educational Benchmark Inc. in partnership with Baylor. This compared LLP and non-LLP students.

The results included positive responses from LLP students with regard to interaction with faculty and the ability to study in their room. Overall, LLP students believed that living on campus helped them study more effectively.

The assistant program director for Brooks College, graduate student Melissa McLevain, attended Georgetown College in Kentucky.

The student body was smaller, but McLevain said Baylor’s programs help build the same communal feeling of a smaller school.

“One of the things I really loved about Georgetown was how small and residential it was, but of course that was a lot easier at a school with only 1,200 students,” McLevain said. “At Baylor, it’s 12-15 thousand students. It’s really unique and really cool whenever they can create environments that make that same sense of community in such a large school.”

The current renovation of South Russell Residence Hall and the plans to refurbish North Russell Residence Hall mark a transition in the style of residencies at Baylor. Previously, these halls were traditional halls, aimed specifically for freshman females.

Though no specific program has been chosen for the halls yet, Doyle said they want to provide communities that embody that of a living-learning program.

Baylor seeks students to combat poverty

IMG_0072 FTWBy Ada Zhang
Staff Writer

The Baylor Division of Student Life is currently accepting applications for the Shepherd Internship Program at Washington and Lee University.

This is a summer internship offered to anyone interested in using what they have learned in the classroom to improve the lives of others.

The Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty, led by Washington and Lee, includes different universities from across the nation. The consortium’s efforts are focused on preparing students “for a lifetime of professional and civic efforts to diminish poverty and enhance human capability.”

The program teaches students about poverty by placing students in agencies across the U.S. “that work to benefit impoverished members of society.”

Rosemary Townsend, director of business affairs and community relations, said a deadline for submitting applications has not yet been set. Five students from Baylor are accepted each year, Townsend said.

In terms of qualifications for this program, Rosemary said she will look at the students’ grade point averages and previous community service experience. Students also need to write a one-page paper about why they think the internship is a good fit for them.

A complete list of internships and the disciplines they match can be found on the program website https://www2.wlu.edu/x12105.xml. A faculty recommendation letter is also required.

To get started on the application, Townsend said students need to email her to introduce themselves. She said from there, she can give them guidance on how best to apply.

Sherman senior Rachael Bell was an intern for the Shepherd Internship Program this past summer and called her experience “rewarding.”

Bell was placed at the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which she said was a perfect fit for her since she is a nutrition sciences major.

Bell stayed in a dorm at Emory University and drove 30 to 40 minutes to work every day. Students who did not have a car took public transportation, Bell said.

Bell’s job varied from day to day, she said.

“Every day was different,” Bell said. “Some days, I worked in the garden. I’d harvest food in the morning. Anywhere from that night to the next few days, it goes on trucks to go out to churches that distribute food to people. The food I picked in the morning could have been dinner for people the next night.”

Bell said in addition to working hands-on in the garden, she was also in charge of the Plant a Row for the Hungry campaign.

She called different local organizations, Bell said, asking them to plant an extra row in their gardens to donate food to the needy.

“It encourages people to plant extra food,” Bell said. “We wanted people to be fed.”

Bell said students should apply for this program.

“Go in with an open mind,” Bell said. “It’s challenging because of the manual labor, but it’s enriching and gratifying. I didn’t know how to garden before, now I do. I’m a completely different person now.”

Townsend said students should seriously consider the length of the internship before they apply.

“It’s important that students think very seriously about their summer,” Townsend said. “This is an eight- to 10-week commitment.”

Students from across the U.S. who are accepted into the program have to attend an opening symposium at Washington and Lee, which is located in Lexington, Va.

At this first symposium, students will meet the other students they will be working with, Townsend said, and they will be given an overview of their job assignments and expectations.

Another symposium is held at the end of the program. Townsend said this closing symposium is where students show what they have learned.

They are required to deliver a presentation in the form of a paper or a PowerPoint to the Washington and Lee Shepherd International Program board of directors and faculty, Townsend said.

“Students are presenting to high-level people from national organizations,” Townsend said. “It’s an extraordinary resume builder to advance admissions to professional schools or jobs. That’s a distinct benefit.”

Townsend said the program gives students a stipend, an allowance they can use to buy food, clothing or whatever else they might want or need. Housing is also arranged by the program, Townsend said.

“Baylor’s part in this is that we underwrite the cost of their transportation,” Townsend said.

Baylor pays for transportation from the student’s hometown to Washington and Lee, and from Washington and Lee to the student’s assigned agency.

As the eight weeks comes to an end, Baylor also pays for transportation from the agency to Washington and Lee for the closing symposium, and finally, from Washington and Lee to the student’s hometown.

Townsend said the program is life-changing.

“It’s an extraordinary opportunity for people who really care about poverty and social justice and human capability to make a measurable contribution to the places they’re serving,” Townsend said.

White House meeting yields no progress

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, speaks to reporters following a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013. Obama and congressional leaders met at the White House on the second day of a partial government shutdown. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, speaks to reporters following a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013. Obama and congressional leaders met at the White House on the second day of a partial government shutdown. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
By David Espo
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama brought congressional leaders to the White House on Wednesday for the first time since a partial government shutdown began, but there was no sign of progress toward ending an impasse that has idled 800,000 federal workers and curbed services around the country.

The standoff continued after a White House summit with chief executives as financial leaders and Wall street urged a resolution before serious damage is done to the U.S. and world economy.

Obama “refuses to negotiate,” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio., told reporters after private talks that lasted more than an hour. “All we’re asking for here is a discussion and fairness for the American people under Obamacare.”

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said moments later, “We’re locked in tight on Obamacare” and neither the president nor Democrats will accept changes in the nation’s 3-year-old health care law as the price for spending legislation needed to end the two-day partial shutdown.

With the nation’s ability to borrow money soon to lapse, Republicans and Democrats alike said the shutdown could last for two weeks or more, and soon oblige a divided government to grapple with both economy-threatening issues at the same time.

The White House said in a statement after the meeting that Obama had made it clear “he is not going to negotiate over the need for Congress to act to reopen the government or to raise the debt limit to pay the bills Congress has already incurred.”

It added, “The president remains hopeful that common sense will prevail.”

The high-level bickering at microphones set up outside the White House reflected the day’s proceedings in the Capitol.

The Republican-controlled House approved legislation to reopen the nation’s parks and the National Institutes of Health, even though many Democrats criticized them as part of a piecemeal approach that fell far short of what was needed. The bills face dim prospects in the Senate, and the White House threatened to veto both in the unlikely event they make it to Obama’s desk.

“What we’re trying to do is to get the government open as quickly as possible,” said the House majority leader, Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia. “And all that it would take is us realizing we have a lot in agreement.”

Earlier, an attempt by Democrats to force shutdown-ending legislation to the House floor failed on a 227-197 vote, with all Republicans in opposition. That left intact the tea party-driven strategy of demanding changes to the nation’s health care overhaul as the price for essential federal financing, despite grumbling from Republican moderates.

The stock market ended lower as Wall Street CEOs, Europe’s central banker and traders pressed for a solution. Chief executives from the nation’s biggest financial firms met Obama for more than an hour Wednesday, some of them plainly frustrated with the tactics at play in Congress and with the potential showdown coming over the debt limit.

“You can re-litigate these policy issues in a political forum, but we shouldn’t use threats of causing the U.S. to fail on its obligations to repay its debt as a cudgel,” Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs, said after the meeting.

Democrats were scathing in their criticism.

“The American people would get better government out of Monkey Island at the local zoo than we’re giving them today,” said Rep. John Dingell of Michigan.

The Republican National Committee announced it would pay for personnel needed to reopen the World War II Memorial, a draw for aging veterans from around the country that is among the sites shuttered. In a statement, party chairman Reince Priebus challenged Democrats “to join with us in keeping this memorial open.”

Democrats labeled that a stunt. “We’ve already been working on a plan to open the Memorial — and the entire government — after the GOP caused them to close,” said party spokesman Mo Elleithee. “It’s called a clean” spending bill.

As it turned out, more than 125 World War II veterans from Mississippi and Iowa who were initially kept out of the memorial Tuesday were escorted to the site with the help of members of Congress. Officials made further arrangements to allow veterans groups into the memorial during the shutdown.

A sampling of federal agencies showed how unevenly the shutdown was felt across the government.

The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Housing and Urban Development listed only six percent of their employees as essential, and therefore permitted to work during the impasse. James R. Clapper, director of national intelligence, said about 70 percent of civilian employees in agencies under his control had been sent home.

By contrast, about 86 percent of employees of the Department of Homeland Security remained on the job, and 95 percent at the Veterans Affairs Department.

In an interview with CNBC before meeting with lawmakers, Obama said he would not negotiate with Republicans until the government is reopened and Congress votes to raise the debt limit.

“If we get in the habit where a few folks, an extremist wing of one party, whether it’s Democrat or Republican, are allowed to extort concessions based on a threat (to) undermine the full faith and credit of the United States, then any president who comes after me, not just me, will find themselves unable to govern effectively,” he said.

“The White House said Obama would have to truncate a long-planned trip to Asia, calling off the final two stops in Malaysia and the Philippines.

The shutdown also intruded into the race for governor of Virginia.

Terry McAuliffe, the Democrat, said he supported legislation to guarantee retroactive pay for furloughed federal employees. The Republican contender, Ken Cuccinelli, called on members of Congress to decline their pay as long as the shutdown lasts.

The House sidetracked legislation Tuesday night to reopen some veterans programs, the national parks and a portion of the Washington, D.C., municipal government. All three bills fell short of the two-thirds majority needed when Democrats voted overwhelmingly against this.

Republicans tried again, this time under rules requiring only a simple majority. The parks measure was approved on a vote of 252-173, with 23 Democrats breaking ranks and voting in favor. The vote to reopen NIH was 254-171. The House also voted to allow the Washington, D.C., government to use the taxes it collects to operate programs.

Votes were deferred on more bills, one to assure pay for members of the National Guard and Reserves and another to allow some veterans programs to resume.

The NIH bill was added to the day’s agenda after Democrats had said seriously ill patients would be turned away from the facility’s hospital of last resort, and no new enrollment permitted in experimental treatments.

Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York said the Republican response was a ploy. “Every time they see a bad headline they’re going to bring a bill to the floor and make it go away,” she said.

Some Republicans took obvious pleasure in the rough rollout Tuesday of new health insurance markets created under Obama’s health care law. Widespread online glitches prevented many people from signing up for coverage that begins in January.

Rep. Trey Radel of Florida said a 14-year-old could build a better website “in an afternoon in his basement.”

At issue is the need to pass a temporary funding bill to keep the government open since the start of the new budget year on Tuesday.

Congress has passed more than 100 temporary funding bills since the last shutdown in 1996, almost all of them without controversy. The streak was broken because conservative Republicans have held up the current measure in the longshot hope of derailing or delaying Obamacare, just as the health insurance markets at the heart of the law opened on Tuesday.

Ludlow sets the tone for No. 20 soccer

Senior midfielder Kat Ludlow jumps and scores a goal off of a header to lead the Bears to a 2-0 victory against Boise State on Sept. 22 at Betty Lou Mays Field.  Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Senior midfielder Kat Ludlow jumps and scores a goal off of a header to lead the Bears to a 2-0 victory against Boise State on Sept. 22 at Betty Lou Mays Field.
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
By Parmida Schahhosseini
Sports Writer

What you see isn’t always what you get when it comes to senior midfielder Kat Ludlow.

On the field she sets the tone of the game with her physical play, but in her free time, one can find her baking or crafting.

“She is very quirky and is really weird,” senior defender Taylor Heatherly said. “She’s the total package. She loves to cook and bake, but then she loves interesting music and then she’s really crafty. She has a little bit of everything, but then all of a sudden, she loves science and she wants to be a physical therapist.”

Ludlow, who said she will only wear white cleats, began to play soccer at a young age with her best friend. As she continued playing, she has formed many friendships, which she cherishes. Baylor’s sense of community has been one of her favorite aspects of Baylor soccer.

“The family and the friendships,” Ludlow said. “These girls are my best friends and we all help each other grow so much. I have become such a better person because of these girls. The ones that are older than me, the ones that are younger than me, they have all formed me to be a much more spiritually grown person. There’s such a difference between my freshman year until now.”

Prior to Baylor, Ludlow didn’t contact many college coaches, but Baylor assistant coach Chuck Codd saw her play in Houston and recruited her after that. That day was a blessing for Ludlow, she said, because it enabled her to go through this journey. While Ludlow has many fond memories of the time spend at Baylor, there is one that makes the top of the list.

“Winning the Big 12 Championship was really cool,” Ludlow said. “We had such a good team that year. We were so united and to have that year is such an honor to those girls to get that award.”

With hopes of winning another Big 12 Championship, Ludlow has been putting her team first and helping the defense set the tone of the game. While Ludlow plays as a midfielder, she is still an integral part of the team defense as she locks down on opposing players.

“She leads by making the plays and sacrificing her body day in and day out,” co-head coach Marci Jobson said. “The girls see that, they know that, and they know that she will do whatever she can to try to keep that ball out of the net.”

Ludlow’s impact can also be felt on the offensive side, as she contributes to the committee scoring. Ludlow has scored three goals this season and tacked on an assist. Her play-making ability earns the respect of her teammates.”

“She works hard,” Heatherly said. “She’s gritty, she has passion. She has all the components that it takes to be a leader on the field and people can see it.”

Ludlow doesn’t just succeed on the field. Ludlow has made the Academic All-Big 12 first team in 2011 and 2012.

She has made multiple Dean’s Lists and has achieved Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll five times. She is also the first Baylor soccer player to be a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award, which awards notable achievements in the community, classroom, character and competition.

“She excels at whatever she does,” Heatherly said. “She’s an awesome baker, she’s awesome at crafting and she’s awesome at this. She is unique.”

Volleyball falls to No. 4 Texas in four sets

Baylor volleyball lost to University of Texas three sets to one on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at the Ferrell Center. Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Baylor volleyball lost to University of Texas three sets to one on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at the Ferrell Center.
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
By Shehan Jeyarajah
Sports Writer

Baylor volleyball certainly did not lack heart in a hard-fought 3-1 loss against the No. 4 ranked defending national champion Texas Longhorns on Wednesday night in front of an all-time record crowd of 3,044 fans. Despite the loss, Baylor handed Texas their first set loss in Big 12 play by winning the third set in thrilling fashion.

“The crowd was incredible,” junior middle hitter Nicole Bardaji said. “We loved having all the fans.”

Senior outside hitter Zoe Adom led Baylor with 13 kills and three blocks on a .226 hitting percentage. Junior middle hitter Nicole Bardaji contributed with 10 kills and three blocks on a .261 hitting percentage. In her first match back from a foot injury, sophomore outside hitter Thea Munch-Soegaard finished with eight kills and nine digs.

“It was awesome to be back on the floor,” Munch-Soegaard said. “I was excited to get back.”

Baylor hit .094 and had 10 errors in the first set, while the Longhorns hit .400 for the set. The second set was a much closer 25-21 fight.

“We handled the pressure way better today,” head volleyball coach Jim Barnes said. “We kept our focus small instead of thinking about too many things.”

The third set was a raucous 25-23 come-from-behind victory for the Bears. Adom, Bardaji, Munch-Soegaard and sophomore middle blocker Adrien Richburg each finished with three or more kills in the set. Texas was held to a .209 hitting percentage in the set.

Baylor eventually lost in the fourth set, but there were many positives to take from this match.

In the two sets that got away from Baylor, they were out-dug by five, and in the sets they held tight, they won the dig battle by 10.

The defense also forced the Longhorns to hit .227 in the second and third set compared to .387 in the first and fourth sets.

“If we go into every match with the same intensity, we have a real chance a making a difference this year,” Bardaji said. “We played really free and weren’t worried about making mistakes.”

Baylor volleyball returns at 1 p.m. Saturday in a home match against Kansas at the Ferrell Center.

Theater senior tickled pink as lead in ‘Legally Blonde’

Sarah Beard shines as Elle Woods, a part she’s coveted since the musical began on Broadway. Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Sarah Beard shines as Elle Woods, a part she’s coveted since the musical began on Broadway.
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
By Michael Davidson
Reporter

Baylor Theatre is thinking pink for its first main-stage production of the new school year with the popular musical comedy “Legally Blonde.” The play is proving to be a favorite with audiences and has sold out every performance. For one cast member in particular, this show is a big opportunity.

The iconic lead role Elle Woods, a bubbly, California sorority girl turned Harvard Law student, is played by Sarah Beard, a Gulf Breeze, Fla., senior and longtime participant in Baylor’s theater department.

“I remember being 10 years old and seeing the movie for the first time and loving Elle and wanting to be her,” Beard said. “Then, when the musical came out when I was in ninth grade, I realized this was possible and that maybe I could actually be Elle one day.”

Eight years later, this possibility became a reality when Beard was assigned the lead role in Baylor’s main-stage performance of the play.

Growing up in Florida, Beard actively participated in theater productions throughout her childhood, often incorporating one of her other favorite hobbies: singing. Although she has acted in many lead roles throughout her theater career, for Beard, playing Elle Woods in this Tony Award nominated musical is a huge dream now becoming reality.

Most theater productions include a two-step try-out process. First, a large group of actors performs preliminary auditions. The director then narrows down that group and only calls back a select number to try out again.

However, Stan Denman, chairman of the theater department and director of the musical, said Beard was so fit for the role of Elle Woods that she was awarded the part after only the preliminary trials.

“She nailed the part so far above anybody else.” Denman said. “She was cast immediately. There was no need for a call-back.”

Beard’s success in Baylor’s world of theater has not come without hard work, perseverance and even disappointment.

Both Beard and Denman recalled a story from her first year of working in the department. After auditioning as a freshman for a lead role, for which she was not cast, Beard said she was devastated. Despite this loss, Beard nonetheless took criticism maturely, channeled frustration into practice and, as she put it, “went from the crying, little freshman theater girl to, now, Elle Woods.”

“Sarah is a terrific success story as far as her career here at Baylor,” Denman said. “She will always be someone that I will use as an example of somebody who has gone from great disappointment, to working their tail off, to then succeeding. I am very proud of her.”

After graduation in December, Beard plans to move to Dallas and hopes to work as both an actor and director for a few years. However, this step is only in preparation for her ultimate goal of moving to New York City and working in its renowned theater scene. But before she goes, Beard will have to take the stage here in Waco one last time.

It is only fitting that Beard’s last performance at Baylor’s famed Jones Theatre is her dream role, an experience that she can only describe as moving.

“This is biggest part I’ve ever had in my life,” said Beard. “On the last night of the show, after it’s over and we are all bowing, I know I will be emotional. I feel as if I’m ending my time here on such a positive note. I’m going out with a bang.”

Baylor BRIC launches innovative business program

The Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative houses Launch, a program that acts as a link between research, development and commercialization.   Matt Hellman | Lariat Multimedia Editor
The Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative houses Launch, a program that acts as a link between research, development and commercialization.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Multimedia Editor
By Nico Zulli
Reporter

Baylor students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in innovation and collaboration by working for the Launch program in the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative.

Dr. Greg Leman, the Hankamer School of Business chair in management and entrepreneurship, said the mission of the program is to assist existing businesses, researchers and entrepreneurs in accelerating sustainable economic growth through the commercialization of innovation.

“Launch itself is designed to make people and businesses think deeply about the right questions at the right times,” Leman said.

He said he began his career at Baylor in 2005 with a mission to create educational, innovative programs for entrepreneurship.

“I sort of work on the flip side of things now,” he said. “I am now working to do businesses a lot of good, but also help students along the way.”

The Launch program is a partner with the BRIC. The BRIC, located on 600 South Loop Drive in Waco, houses a research staff of varying expertise, full-featured laboratories, prototyping and testing facilities, technical workforce training capabilities and business formation and augmentation services all under its one roof.

Launch utilizes these BRIC resources in an effort to offer businesses cutting-edge methodology to further their individual purposes. Leman said the Launch program could impact graduate students heavily because it shapes their skills as researchers. Leman also said both graduate and undergraduate students are welcome to apply for internships with Launch.

Launch Crew is the team composed of selected graduate and undergraduate interns who work with and engage clients of the program.

“We actually have a professional selling intern right now,” Leman said. “We are engaging interns — but not as part of a class project.”

In addition, Launch has created the opportunity for students to participate in its professional mission by offering internships to undergraduate and graduate students.

There are four different Launch Crew positions available to students: marketing and public relations; film and digital media; photography; and sales. All graduate students, along with film and digital media, business, Business Fellows and engineering undergraduate students, are eligible to apply to serve on the Launch Crew.

Once students are selected for a position, they are paired with Launch industry clients and focus specifically on accelerating the commercialization of a client’s vision. Student are not only tasked with the challenge of assessing the feasibility and marketability of new technology, but also the viability of both established and fledgling business ventures.

“After looking into it, I think that an internship with Launch is definitely something I should consider applying for as a business major,” said Nashville, Tenn., junior, Tod Zhang.

Each of these sectors requires students to meet different criteria in order to be eligible to apply.

For example, in order for students to be eligible to apply for a position on the Launch Crew as a film and digital media intern, they must be studying within an area of relevance, such as film and digital media, possess strong communication skills, provide a link to their portfolio, and meet a required minimum GPA of 3.0.

Once accepted, each student must also perform field-specific tasks throughout their internship at Launch.

Leman said student interns, regardless of their sector of the internship, can gain practical experience and professional connections within their fields of study.

“Any experience with us will teach you to appreciate the whole,” Leman said. “You will be able to walk into any business and lead the discussion of what you have been taught to think about.”

Launch is one of many programs that faculty and staff believe to be reflective of Baylor’s endeavor to maintain its status as one of Bloomberg’s top ranked centers for entrepreneurship in the country.

“Our students are gaining valuable experience in the classroom and in business leadership roles as they create and manage start-ups,” said Dr. Terry S. Maness, dean of Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, in an article on Launch published in the Waco Chamber & Business Quarterly Second Quarter, 2013.

For more information on Launch internships, visit www.baylor.edu/Launch.

A higher call for success: Parents back the Bears in prayer

By Claire Cameron
Reporter

The Parents’ First Call to Prayer is an opportunity for parents to gather and bless students.

The First Call to Prayer was started about a decade ago by the Baylor Parent’s Network. Parents come together in various groups across the nation to pray for Baylor’s faculty and the students.

The First Call to Prayer is a monthly event hosted by the Baylor Parents Network.

All over the country, groups of parents meet up to “blanket the campus with prayer.”

Amy Sauer, the co-chairwoman for the parents’ prayer group in Chicago, said she thought the Parents’ First Call to Prayer was a great way to support Baylor’s campus.

“I believe in the power of prayer,” Sauer said. “We pray for everyone, we pray for faculty and kids and just the whole campus and that’s so powerful.”

Sauer said she has been part of the group for eight years and has a daughter at Baylor.

“It means a lot to my kids to know that other people they don’t even know are lifting them up in prayer,” Sauer said.

Denver junior Tessa Saathoff said she loves knowing there are parents praying for her and all the other students at Baylor.

“I think it helps take some of the stress away to know there are people out there supporting me,” she said.

The Parents’ First Call to Prayer doesn’t only benefit the students, said Wendy Saathoff, the chairwoman for the Denver group.

“It’s a very important resource for parents,” Saathoff said. “Being so far away it’s a chance for us to give support to our kids.”

Sauer said she also valued the prayer group for the support the parents give one another.

“We are sending our treasures thousands of miles away, so it’s wonderful to meet parents who know what it’s like and spend time before God with them,” she said.

Saathoff said it is important to pray for Baylor because everyone on campus benefits from it.

“Knowing that our children are at Baylor takes away a lot of worry about being away at college,” she said. “We know they are at a university that cares about their success. Praying contributes to the success of Baylor.”

Sauer said her group sees it also as a way to feel connected to their students while they are away.

“This is such an important time in the life of young adults, for them to figure out what they believe and it is not an easy journey,” Sauer said. “It’s a pivotal point in their life and it’s a parent’s job to support kids and this is one way to do that.”

Robin Jordan, chairwoman of the Fort Bend, Houston, group, said she sees prayers as an integral part to Baylor’s success.

“I think 100 percent that our prayers are a huge factor in Baylor’s success.”

She said she hopes students know that they are being prayed for by thousands of parents all over the nation.

“I think it gives them a sense of comfort and I hope it gives them confidence to know that they are being prayed for,” she said.

San Diego, Calif., senior Hayley Gibson said she didn’t know about the Parents’ First Call to Prayer.

“I think it great that parents can become involved in supporting us this way because prayer is a powerful thing,” Gibson said. “With all the stresses of our daily lives at Baylor, it’s great to hear that parents want to pray for us.”

Saathoff said she remembers how difficult college can be and that students need to know that they are being lifted up in prayer.

“We believe they can and will do great things. We know that sometimes they need some extra support,” Saathoff said.

Sauer said she will continue to pray for Baylor every day.

“I am truly amazed by the group we have praying for our students,” she said. “There is no greater privilege than to be able to pray for Baylor and all its students.”

Editorial: Out-of-class requirements unfair

OvertimeComic.jpgStudents have to balance a variety of schoolwork, jobs, as well as several extracurricular activities in any given week. As a result, many students have very little time to do anything other than their to-do lists, such as sleep or spend any time with their friends and maintain relationships.

To add to students’ already busy and unpredictable schedules, professors have been scheduling several out-of-class activities that students are unaware of when signing up for the class.

For example, out-of-class tests early in the morning or late at night or required lectures outside of class in the afternoon, during times students have other classes.

It is extremely frustrating for students to have required activities at a time where students are in class or at work. Students often times are blindsided by this on the first day of class.

Out-of-class activities should either be made clear when students are registering for class or done away with completely.

The students may realize they can’t drop the class and graduate on time and are then stuck jumping through hoops to meet the requirements.

We concede professors have the authority to require students attend out-of-class activities such as lectures and tests.

We also understand professors may want to give students more time to work on exams or supplement their class time with lectures and speeches from speakers who visit campus for a brief amount of time.

However, students should know about what requirements will be asked of them before registering for the class.

This can be accomplished several ways. The easiest way would be for professors to add the time that they expect students to spend on lectures, screenings or tests to the listed class times.

This way, students have that time marked off on their Bearweb schedule and they are able to make alternate arrangements for work and other activities.

Another way students would be able to know about extra is to have old syllabuses online for students to peruse before registering. This is particularly beneficial because students could know what is expected of them by their professor not only out of class, but also during classtime as well, before they step foot into the classroom or input the course number while registering.

A final way to fix this problem is for professors to make use of the time they have in class to accomplish what they need to do, whether it is listening to a speech or taking a test.

Professors may argue that 50 minutes or one hour and 15 minutes isn’t adequate time to administer an exam.

As students, we generally don’t like the idea of long exams, and if other professors can condense their exams to 50 minutes or one hour and 15 minutes, why can’t all professors?

Professors could also potentially split an exam into two class periods. This would be especially helpful in more conceptual and mathematically based classes.

One class period could be devoted to testing theoretical concepts and another could be devoted to testing applied concepts. Some people may argue that what professors are doing is preparing us for the real world where nothing is ever predictable or laid out for us to understand, and for the majority of people, we would love to do everything that is asked of us and to never say no.

Class and work schedules are set well in advance. Having to factor in an extra class requirement is unfair for students who must balance activities such as a full load of classes, a part-time job, research and club meetings.

Out-of-class, overtime work is expected when we get into the real world, but right now, is it too much to ask for a little head’s up?