Baylor students participate in a Harlem Shake Video on Founders Mall on Friday, Feb. 15, 2013.
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photographer
Baylor students participate in a Harlem Shake Video on Founders Mall on Friday, Feb. 15, 2013. Travis Taylor | Lariat Photographer
By Taylor Rexrode
Staff Writer
On Diadeloso in 1996, Baylor hosted its first on-campus dance, forever lifting a ban on dancing at the largest Baptist university in the world.
Now nearly 17 years later, students dance to the beat of their own drum by the hundreds in banana suits, sombreros, Speedos and other costumes.
Students shuffled to the “Harlem Shake,” a 30-second, “anything goes” dance, at 4 p.m. Friday. They danced on and around the Judge Baylor statue in Founders Mall, wielding cut-outs of Queen Elizabeth and President Ken Starr, CPR dummies, foam swords and Baylor paraphernalia.
Carlsbad, N.M., junior Kevin Freeman coordinated the Baylor Harlem Shake event on Facebook after watching these gone-viral dance videos on YouTube.
“I thought it was pretty funny,” Freeman said. “I thought, ‘Hey, it would be cool if Baylor did that,’ so I planned it on Tuesday.”
What started as a Facebook invitation to 20 friends quickly turned into a Facebook group with more than 800 confirmed attendees. At the event, nearly 300 people showed up in costumes ready to shake it up.
Austin freshman Kristenella Chilinski, who started the dance wearing a bear coat inspired by the television series “Workaholics,” said dances like the Harlem Shake go viral for their oddity.
“I think it’s the really strange, unique things that go viral,” Chilinski said. “Everyone wanted to make a Harlem Shake video so it became popular. It was a chance to have a lot of fun and meet new people. People wanted to take the chance.”
Shreveport, La., senior Dylan Greenleaf danced at the top of the Judge Baylor statue wearing rainbow-colored shorts. He said he believes that the video shows Baylor students letting loose and showing the fun side of Baylor student life.
“I think most people have a perception of Baylor that the students won’t do crazy stuff,” Greenleaf said. “Baylor students are just as crazy as everyone else. They want to have a good time. A lot of freshmen were able to come as well as people off-campus. The turnout shows that several people from all classifications came to have a good time.”
Dickinson senior Casey Floyd, who filmed the Harlem Shake, said he agrees that people will see Baylor in a positive light with the video.
“If people look at us as a strictly Christian college that has a no-fun vibe to it, then it could change their opinions,” Floyd said. “I think people will think Baylor kids know how to have fun.”
Most of all, students believe that the dance itself shows how important it is to dance and go crazy despite other people’s opinions.
“I like how everyone just goes completely crazy and how no one cares what anyone else does,” Greenleaf said. “I like all the crazy costumes. Everyone is wearing crazy clothes so no one is judging you for looking insane. That’s the best part.”
When I saw this necklace on Etsy, I immediately wanted one, but I was not going to pay $75 no matter how much it was calling my name. So I Googled the name hoping to find some instructions on how to make one for myself. I found a YouTube video with step-by-step instructions. The YouTube video explains this DIY the best, but I’ve tried my best to write out the steps and include what I did differently.
Tree of Life Necklace (adapted from CamilleSharon’s YouTube tutorial)
What you need:
16 gauge wire (5 pieces at 8-9 inches each and one piece at 6 inches)
24 gauge wire (one at 8 inches)
Beads (I just bought a string of beads at a craft store)
Pliers
Something circular to form the hoop around (I used a water bottle)
Instructions:
1. Take the 16 gauge wire and make a loop around one end. She uses a pair of round-nose pliers for this but really a regular pair of pliers would do the trick as well. Or you can invest in a set of crafting pliers. I bought my set for about $10 at Hobby Lobby. Shape the rest of the wire into a circle forming your frame. Make a loop going in the opposite direction on the other end of the wire.
2. The next step was actually the trickiest part for me, but you’re going to essentially wire the two ends together. You accomplish this by taking the smaller, six in. piece of wire, threading it through one of the loops you made and twisting it around a couple times. Then you bring the two ends together and twist the wire around both ends a few times. Finally you twist the wire around the other looped end a few times, securing the wire. After that, you can cut off the excess wire.
3. Now you should have a hoop with two loops at the top. Next you’re going to take one of the 16 gauge wire pieces, fold it in half and twist it around the hoop. Twist it a couple times to secure it to the hoop, but don’t over-twist or you’ll break the wire. Then you’re going to string the beads on. This is where I started diverging from the video. Since my hoop was smaller, I didn’t need as many beads as she was using, nor did I use as much wire as she was using. I’ve found that the best way to do this pendant is to put half the wire branches on one side and the other half on the other side, so you don’t have to worry about try to move the branches to the other side of the pendant at the end. You can secure the wires all at once or do the branches one at a time. I typically do the branches one at a time.
4. Next you’re going to add the beads to the branch wires. This can be modified any way you want, but for this necklace, the order I used from left to right is 3-4-4-5-5 with three branches on the left side and two on the right side. This is entirely dependent on the size of your frame and the size of your beads. I like to eyeball it while I’m working on it so there are just enough beads. Also since the branches are divided in two, I split the number of beads further so I ended up stringing the beads 1-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-2-3.
5. I preferred to do one branch at a time, and from the middle out. So after you string the beads, twist wire to hold the beads in place. Eventually, you’ll have five branches with beads on them.
6. Now you have some more creative freedom. You’re going to twist the excess wires together to form the trunk of the tree until you almost reach the bottom.
7. Then you’re going to fan out the wires and twist them around the bottom of the hoop to form the “roots.” Don’t worry about being too exact because it’s a tree and imperfections add to the beauty of the piece.
8. Finally string a chain through the top loop of the hoop and you’re done.
In her video, she makes a two in diameter pendant. I thought it was a little big for me, so I shaped the hoop smaller to make the pendant smaller. The hoop ends up being the outer frame of the pendant. Therefore I used fewer branch wires and beads than she did in her tutorial.
This project has become one of my go-to projects for unique gifts and the tediousness of twisting the wire, adding the beads, shaping the necklace makes it also ideal when I need something to take my mind off of school and relax a little.
I gave this project a difficulty rating 4.5/5 because of the attention to detail involved in twisting the wires and shaping the pendant.
As part of a broader gun control plan he announced last month, President Obama said he will push Congress to fund research into the causes of gun violence – including, potentially, the role of entertainment.
Researchers have been tackling the subject of links between violent entertainment and violent behavior for years, often coming to divergent conclusions.
Here are a few intriguing findings:
In a 2009 study called “Comfortably Numb,” psychologists at the University of Michigan, Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and Iowa State University found that exposure to violent media numbs people to the pain and suffering of others.
In one part, 320 college students played a violent or a nonviolent video game for 20 minutes. Afterward, while they completed a lengthy questionnaire, participants heard a loud fight in which someone was injured outside the lab.
Those who played the violent games took 450 percent longer to help the injured victim, rated the fight as less serious and were less likely to hear the fight in comparison to participants who played nonviolent games.
In the second part of the study, 162 adults attending violent and nonviolent movies witnessed a young woman with an injured ankle struggle to pick up her crutches outside the theater.
Those who had just watched the violent movie took 26 percent longer to help than those who hadn’t.
In 2008, economists at UC Berkeley and UC San Diego presented a paper that credits violent films with actually making the nation safer, because of a phenomenon they called “voluntary incapacitation” _ essentially, when potential criminals were in dark theaters chomping on popcorn, they were less likely to commit acts of violence.
Studying crime data and film release schedules between 1995 and 2004, the researchers found that on weekends when violent films were in theaters, the number of assaults in the U.S. decreased by about 1,000. “The results emphasize that media exposure affects behavior not only via content, but also because it changes time spent in alternative activities,” the researchers wrote.
In 2008, psychologists at Texas A&M University studied 428 undergraduate students, measuring their aggression levels, video game habits, exposure to family violence and violent criminal behavior through a series of questionnaires. The strongest predictors of violent criminal behavior were a male gender and exposure to physical abuse. Once those factors were controlled for, playing violent video games was not a predictor of criminal violence. But, researchers wrote, aggressive individuals already prone to committing violent acts may use games as a “stylistic catalyst,” effectively modeling their violence on a game they’ve played.
Grades are important to everyone. Whether they’re worried about getting into graduate school, law school or even into the work force, grades are important. The academic scholarships most students have are also contingent upon maintaining a certain grade point average.
Academic distinctions, honors and societies are all dependent on maintaining a certain GPA, a certain ratio of A’s to B’s to everything else. It’s hard enough to maintain our GPA’s without having to worry about each professor trying to redefine the grading scale.
Baylor currently has a fairly standard grading scale in place: 90 and above is an A, 88-89 is a B+, 80-88 is a B, 78-79 is a C+, 70-78 is a C, 60-69 is a D and 59 and below is an F.
This is the grading scale students expect to have going into a class, but then occasionally, you walk into a class and a professor decides to deviate from this standard.
One of the most frustrating deviations, more so than when professors decide to do away with the plus system in their class, is when a professor dictates a student must get at least a 93 in order to get an A in the class.
It’s hard enough trying to get above a 90 in many classes.
When a graduate school, law school or medical school admissions committee looks at a student’s application and sees a big fat B for a class, it’s not going to matter whether that B was a 92 or if it was an 80. All that committee sees is that it’s a B.
When an employer sees a GPA or a transcript, there are no numerical grades there, just a letter grade. All of that student’s hard work is condensed into a letter grade. That’s bad enough, so why try to blur the lines between letter grades? Why make it so ambiguous?
There are many other ways to redistribute grades so they fall into a normal distribution curve. Raising the cutoff for an A is not going to help normalize the distribution of grades any more than keeping the cutoff for an A at 90.
From a student’s perspective, it just doesn’t make sense. We work hard to earn our grades and we’re shorted when a professor doesn’t give us the grade we would have earned in practically any other class without a skewed grading scale.
The grading system should be standardized. Professors shouldn’t just decide that they aren’t going to give A’s for 90’s. Students should be able to enter a class on the first day and say, “If I make a 90, I’ll make an A.”
At the very least, students should be able to enter a class and know, before a syllabus is given, what an A is.
While a professor should be able to lower the threshold to earn an A, raising of the threshold is deceiving and can really affect students who work hard.
It was only a few days ago that I found out one of the most interesting things about Texas. Did you know Texas still has a mutual combat law? In essence, dueling is still legal according to sections 22.01 and 22.06 in the Texas penal code.
The law states that any two individuals who feel the need to fight can agree to mutual combat through a signed for or even just verbal or implied communication and have at it (fists only, however). As long as no “serious” bodily injury occurs and both participants know what degree of risk they are hazarding, mutual combat is a defense for a criminal or civil suit that may be leveled against you.
Several states still have this as an active law, but the restrictions vary. For example, in California, the law is only applicable under the authority of a professional fighting association. But not in Texas!
I was decided on my career as a journalist until I made this discovery through a random Internet search and the chance reading of a few comments on Reddit. Now that I know dueling is still legal, there is no reason for me to pursue truth and justice through words.
Forget hoping that more people will muster the wherewithal to pick up a newspaper and get informed on important issues. Forget arguing with people through editorials and columns on problems we can’t really solve. As a result of this discovery I’ve decided to shed the veneer of civility and educated reason and replace it with the simplest answer to everything: physical violence.
I can easily see how things might escalate between two parties who seriously think they’re going to fight and not reap any legal consequences. But what if the restrictions for this law were the ultimate code of honor? What if honor in a fair fight was still a respectable way to handle disagreements? Wouldn’t it be beautiful? In a perfect world, if mutual combat was the first and last course of action in any conflict, then we would have our arguments, fight with respect and honor and leave the problems at the door the next day. But alas, I dream. I also have dreams where everyone knows kung fu and can speak any language they want with no effort.
I suppose it’s too much to ask that our modern, supposedly more civilized society, not degenerate every argument into childish slap-fests or passive aggressive actions that only make things worse for everyone involved. The world we live in is way too complicated and trivial to ever have the seamless coordination and equal codes of honor all around that I envision. And perhaps the prolific use of automatic weapons since their invention has complicated things.
But now that you know about this law, think twice about the next argument you have with a friend (or enemy). It may just save your relationship. You can decide not to complicate matters with excuses and rack your brain for eloquent (or not so eloquent) arguments and instead duel (the legal way) and accept the outcome.
Ashley Davis is a senior journalism major from Killeen. She is a copy editor at The Baylor Lariat.
As someone who rides their bicycle on campus, I apologize to motorists and pedestrians.
On my way to campus, I bolt through six blocks of traffic, speed through three stop signs and hardly glance left or right the entire time. I’m already late for class because I overestimated my biking ability, so I’ll be going pretty fast. If I have to get across Fountain Mall, I part the migration of students on the two narrow sidewalks like Moses parting the Red Sea.
Behind me, the path of my destruction can be seen in the skid marks of cars and dropped books of students. My headphones are in at full blast, so you shouldn’t bother honking or trying to get my attention.
Are you on a longboard? Better stay out of my way; you’re moving too slow! Is there another cyclist on the road? Instinctively, I start a middle-of-the-road, 12 mph race, ignoring walkers in our path or cars behind us.
Is that a moped? Those guys are cheaters! They don’t know how much work it is to ride a bike back and forth from class. I don’t care if they get over 100 miles per gallon; my 200-calorie bike ride is better for the environment, right?
I know this is somewhat of an exaggeration, but cyclist, motorists and walkers definitely don’t get along. I honestly think riding my bike to school makes me a worse human being. I don’t know for sure, but I would say that I have an extremely angry facial expression whenever I ride my bike to and from class.
I become hypersensitive of everyone else’s actions. It makes me mad! I can’t keep living like this!
So, as a cyclist, I propose a truce with all pedestrians and motorists. All we have to do is follow a few simple rules:
• Motorists, please just yield to bikes. Yes, we understand that we are a huge pain. We never signal our turns appropriately. We randomly swerve into the middle of the road. We have no sense of what is around us. But if you see us, just keep that foot on the brake. We promise to get better.
• Cyclists, keep the headphones on low. Look around once in a while. At least have the common courtesy to gradually slow down at an intersection.
• Cyclist and motorists, yield to pedestrians. Ending up on someone’s hood is not a good way to start the day when you are walking to class.
• Pedestrians, just keep doing what you are doing. As a cyclist, the most annoying thing to run into (sometimes literally) is an indecisive walker. If you see a cyclist coming your way, just keep walking in the same direction at the same speed. We see you, and we will go around you. I understand that I cannot speak for every cyclist on campus, but in general, we prefer to move out of the pedestrian’s way and not the other way around. And finally…
• Always yield to Brittney Griner. Always.
Travis Taylor is a junior journalism major. He is a photographer for the Baylor Lariat.
The Baylor women’s tennis team came out and battled against windy conditions to take down No. 48 Pepperdine. The win put an end to the Lady Bears’ five-game losing streak and was a much-needed boost of confidence for the team.
“This is a really big win for us, and I feel like we have finally clicked as a team this season,” junior Alex Leatu said. “This match has helped our confidence a lot especially after losing the last couple matches in a row.”
The day started off with the Lady Bears up 1-0 after duo of Ema Burgic and Victoria Kisialeva secured the doubles point. The lead was stretched to 3-0 when Burgic and freshman Maria Biryukova rolled over their opponents in straight sets during singles competition.
Burgic has emerged as a solid performer on the court this season. With only two losses in singles play this season, Burgic has become an unyielding competitor for the team.
““Ema is becoming a very mature player,” said Scrivano. “We like the way she is handling herself on the court and her mindset has improved so much since last year. We need her to continue to do this and even take it to the next level.”
The real excitement of the day, however, was found on court five where Leatu was in the process of making a comeback to clinch the match for the Lady Bears.
“What Alex did today showed real courage,” head coach Joey Scrivano said. “She just did a great job of handling her confidence level and not letting that affect her game and just battling through. That could be a break through match for her.”
Leatu came out in singles action and dropped the first set against Pepperdine’s Megan Moore. Despite the early loss, Leatu kept her confidence and came out to win the next two sets 6-2, 6-0 to win the match
“The score of the first set didn’t really reflect what I was feeling,” said Leatu. “I felt comfortable in the match, and I was confident in the game plan my coach gave me. I knew that I could get the win.”
Even though the Lady Bears have struggled in their last couple of matches, Coach Scrivano knows the team is steadily improving and said we have yet to see the team he knows they have the potential to be.
“The bottom line is that we aren’t going to be playing our best tennis in February,” said Scrivano. “We are going to be much better in the second half of the season and in the post season when it really matters.”
The match today proved that the team is learning to deal with adversity better with every match they play. The players have bought in to the game plan of Scrivano and are confident that if they stick to it, they will see more success in their future.
Baylor Softball beat Pacific 3-0 to win the Miken Classic. The Lady Bears went 5-0 in the tournament, but despite a weekend with offensive woes, Baylor got aggressive scoring 32 runs and giving up 3 in the Miken Classic.
The game was scoreless in the first inning when senior centerfielder Kathy Shelton tried to steal second, but the catcher saw it and threw it to second right before Shelton slid. Shelton is 86–of–93 in her career, making this the seventh time in her career that she got an out while stealing a base.
However, after back-to-back outs by junior left-handed pitcher Whitney Canion in the following inning, Baylor was back on offense and freshman outfielder Linsey Hays hit a home run to the left. Freshman infielder Robin Landrith bunted for a single, but she was out when Smith hit a ball toward second due to a fielder’s choice. Junior catcher Clare Hosack grounded out to the short stop to end the inning. The Hays’ homerun put on display the transition Baylor is trying to make going from a speed team to a power team.
“I definitely think we got better than last weekend,” Hays said. “That’s what we’re trying to do, trying to get better every weekend, every game.”
A great defensive play put Baylor back on offense when Pacific flied it out toward right field where sophomore outfielder Kaitlyn Thumann made a sliding catch as she drove to the ground, reading the ball off the bat, to grab the ball to put Baylor back on offense. Thumann had a base hit and stole second when Shelton was on the plate, but after back-to-back outs, Baylor was back on defense.
Hays gave the offense much needed power in the fourth inning with a base hit and slid to second due to an error by the right fielder. After two outs, Baylor got aggressive with freshman third baseman Sarah Smith hitting a single up the middle and advancing to second on the throw allowing Hays to score. Hosack was on the plate next, and Smith stole third before a Hosack walk. Strickland followed with a single to left field. Smith scored and Hosack advanced to second. Thumann popped out to the shortstop to end the inning.
“It was 100 percent better than last weekend,” Smith said. “I think we were more relaxed. We all had more confidence, and I think we just went up there knowing that we could hit it.”
Pacific wasn’t going away quietly. With an out and runners on second base and third base, Canion worked out of a jam with back-to-back outs to stop any threat of scoring. To close the game, Moore put in freshman right-handed pitcher Heather Stearns, who finished without any hits or runs.
“We got a lot better from one weekend to the next, pitching stayed consistently good to great.” Moore said. “We’ll need to continue to improve there as we face better competition, but very happy for what we found our about our pitching.”
Baylor is now 10-2 for the season and will begin the Texas Shootout at 7 p.m. on Thursday against Texas State in San Marcus.
The Baylor Bears went into Manhattan, Kan. prepared to take on the No. 10 team in the country, the Kansas State Wildcats. The Wildcats proved that they were worthy of their lofty ranking as they controlled the game and ended up winning 81-61 in front of a raucous crowd in Fred Bramlage Coliseum.
The Bears started out the game playing sound basketball and even led the Wildcats for a portion of the first half. Kansas State rallied when they were faced with a four-point deficit to Baylor, 16-12. From that point, the Wildcats went on an 11-0 run to take a 23-16 lead over the Bears. The Wildcats 11-0 run put an end to the Bears as they never led from that point on.
At halftime, Kansas State went into the locker room with a nine-point lead, 38-29.
In the second half, Baylor battled back to get within two points of Kansas State, but once the Bears got close, the Wildcats put the pedal to the metal and kept extending their lead. The Bears were trailing 43-32 when junior guard Brady Heslip buried a three, freshman forward Rico Gathers scored three consecutive points off a jumper and a free throw, and then Heslip knocked down another trey to close the Baylor deficit to only two points.
Sensing Baylor’s momentum, Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber called a timeout. On the ensuing possession, sophomore guard Angel Rodriquez silenced the Bears momentum by hitting a clutch three pointer. This spark set off a scoring streak for the Wildcats as three of their next scores were all three pointers to give the Wildcats a commanding 52-43 lead.
Baylor was plagued with turnovers, which has been its Achilles heel all season, by committing a whopping 19 turnovers in the contest. The Bears struggled to establish consistent momentum offensively as senior guard Pierre Jackson had a mere seven points in the entire game.
Senior guard A.J. Walton led the Bears in scoring with 14 points. Freshman center Isaiah Austin recorded 13 points and junior guard Brady Heslip knocked down four treys for 12 points.
The real star of the game was Kansas State’s Rodriguez, who earned a double-double with 22 points and 10 assists. Aside from Rodriquez, the Wildcats had three other players reach the double-digits in scoring. Junior guard Shane Southwell reached 18 points on six three-pointers. Senior guard Rodney McGruder and senior forward Jordan Henriquez each contributed 10 points.
The Bears will next take on the Iowa State Cyclones at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Ferrell Center.
The 18th-ranked Baylor men’s tennis team defeated Texas-Pan American and UT Arlington 7-0 in a doubleheader Saturday.
“In terms of our energy, our focus level, our execution, I think all those things are way better than they’ve been,” said head coach Matt Knoll. “I’m really optimistic about what’s coming up next.”
Senior Roberto Maytin was a standout, winning his two singles matches 6-2, 6-2 against UTPA and 6-2, 6-0 against UTA.
“I’m happy I’m playing better right now,” Maytin said. “Now I just have to keep practicing and getting better.”
Freshman Tony Lupieri also won four total matches, including a come-from-behind victory over Soren Goritzka 6-3, 7-5. He trailed 5-2 in the second set at one point.
Sophomore Diego Galeano won his singles matches 6-3, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-0 against UTPA and UTA respectively, and sophomore Mate Zsiga, ranked 76th in the nation, won in singles 6-2, 6-1 against UTA.
Freshman Julian Lenz, ranked 59th, won his singles match 6-2, 6-2 in dominant fashion in the No. 1 spot against UTA.
“It was a really special day for the whole team,” Lenz said. “I can feel how I improve from day-to-day, and it’s just getting better from every single practice session to the next one.”
Junior Patrick Pradella was also dominant in two singles matches, winning 6-0, 6-1 against UTPA and 6-1, 6-1 against UTA.
The team easily clinched the doubles points in both matches, making them a perfect 6-0 in doubles play all season. Doubles only makes up 13 percent of match play, but Baylor doesn’t take that aspect lightly.
“We’ve got a couple teams that are kind of gelling,” Knoll said. “I think we’ve got some guys who have been in the program that understand doubles, and that’s been a plus for us. We’re certainly going to continue to build on that, and I know the guys have a lot of confidence in doubles and that shows when they play.”
The team’s next match will be on the road against the University of North Florida on Feb. 21. Two days later, they will take on the No.11 Florida Gators in Gainesville, Fla.
“We don’t have a signature win yet, and we’re going to have another opportunity when we go down to Gainesville next week,” Knoll said. “We’re way more prepared than we were last time we played a team of that caliber, so we’re excited. We’re going to go down there and see what happens.”
The Baylor softball team won both games of its doubleheader Saturday to move to 9-2 on the season and 4-0 in the Miken Classic.
The Lady Bears won the first game of the doubleheader 4-1 over the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders. Freshman right-handed pitcher Heather Stearns got the start and pitched five scoreless innings. She recorded seven strikeouts in the process.
“We’ve got consistency in the circle for sure,” head coach Glenn Moore said. “We’re pretty happy with what’s going on there…I couldn’t be happier with what we’re doing in the circle.”
Baylor got off to a strong start in the first inning when senior center fielder Kathy Shelton singled to short. She advanced on a throwing error, which also allowed sophomore right fielder Kaitlyn Thumann to score the first run of the game.
Stearns got into a bit of a jam in the first inning. With two on and two out, Moore made some defensive changes. Stearns locked in and struck out the batter to end the inning, keeping Baylor ahead 1-0.
Stearns started to heat up in the second inning. She started the inning with back-to-back strikeouts and forced a pop fly to center to end the inning.
Stearns walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the third inning, but an athletic catch and throw by Shelton quickly turned two. After another groundout to second, the Lady Bears were back on the offensive.
Freshman second baseman Robin Landrith started the fourth inning attack with a blooper in front of the center fielder. She advanced to second after Islander pitcher Constance Brandenburg was called for an illegal pitch. Freshman catcher Bailey Chalmers eventually drove Landrith home on an RBI single to left to put Baylor up 2-0.
Shelton started the top of the fifth inning with a single to left field, but advanced to second on an illegal pitch. Junior first baseman Holly Holl followed with a deep shot to left field that bounced off of the wall for an RBI double.
Freshman left fielder Linsey Hays grounded to second, but reached first on an error. Holl advanced to third on the play. Landrith slapped a single down the right field line to score Holl from third base. Hays attempted to score from second, but was called out at the plate.
This gave the Lady Bears a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning. In the sixth, Baylor would make a pitching change to junior right-handed pitcher Liz Paul.
In the bottom of the sixth inning with one out, the Islander center fielder Mickayla Cochran hit a double off of the left field wall. She may have turned it into a triple, but she fell while rounding second and had to slide back in for a double. It wouldn’t matter as Islander first baseman Meagan McKinney followed with an RBI double.
The Lady Bears held on to win 4-1 and temporarily moved to 8-2 on the season.
Junior left-handed pitcher Whitney Canion got the start in the second game against the Islanders. Much like Stearns, Canion got in a bit of a jam in the first inning with two runners on base. She was able to escape the inning with no damage done on the scoreboard.
With two on and one out, Islander pitcher Ashley Elicerio threw a wild pitch to walk junior catcher Clare Hosack. Sophomore infielder Jill Reid scored on the wild pitch to put Baylor up 1-0 in the bottom of the second.
In the same inning, Thumann made contact and sent the ball up the middle with the bases loaded. The centerfielder was not able to field it, and three runs scored. This put the Bears up 4-0.
“I think overall, [the offense] was really good,” Thumann said. “We’re hitting the ball hard, which is always a good sign. I really liked our offense today.”
In the bottom of the third inning, Hays led off with a triple off of the left field wall. An infield single by freshman third baseman Sarah Smith drove the run home to give Baylor a 5-0 lead.
“It felt nice. I really just had to tell myself to relax at the plate, get a good pitch to hit, and do my thing,” Hays said. “I’m trying to get in a groove, persevering, and just staying with it.”
Thumann started the bottom of the sixth inning with a single to right field. After stealing second and third, sophomore first baseman Sarah Crockett drove her home with an RBI single. Smith followed with an RBI single to left that scored Crockett from second to put Baylor ahead 7-0.
Canion retired the last 17 batters in a row to finish the game. She finished with nine strikeouts and only allowed one hit.
“I felt pretty good. I keep feeling like the more I go on, the better I get,” Canion said. “I just really have to be mentally tough.”
Baylor is now 9-2 on the season. The Lady Bears will next play at 11 a.m. Sunday against the winner of Pacific and Northern Colorado.
The Lady Bears kicked off the Miken Classic with two big wins.
Head Coach Glenn Moore was upset in recent games despite their wins because the team’s offense wasn’t producing any runs. He challenged the team to be more aggressive, and it produced 26 hits and 18 runs in both games combined.
“I saw very confident hitters and you know, I thought we hit some pitchers pitches in situations that were in favor of the pitcher and we swung the bat well,” Moore said.
In the first game, Baylor was the home team, so Northern Colorado was on offense first. After two fly balls and a ground out, Baylor was up to the plate. Baylor started off with back-to-back base hits from sophomore outfielder Kaitlyn Thumann and senior centerfielder Kathy Shelton. Junior first baseman Holly Holl walked to load the bases. A groundout from freshman outfielder Linsey Hays allowed Thumann to score. After back-to-back outs, the first inning ended.
Freshman third baseman Sarah Smith gave the offense the power and speed it was looking for by hitting a triple. Freshman outfielder Justine Young came in as the pitch runner and freshman infielder Bailey Chalmers was up to the plate. Chalmers had a RBI-single to right, allowing Young to score. Strickland had a base hit, which allowed sophomore infielder Jill Reid to advance to second. Shelton was up to bat and had an RBI-single to right. Reid scored and Shelton advanced to second on the throw.
Baylor’s defense played a flashy game filled with diving catches including a clutch catch from Thumann. Baylor played a complete game, as they defeated Northern Colorado 8-1. After back-to-back games of not being able to produce offensively, this game gave the Lady Bears confidence.
“I think we were working though it. We’ve been struggling, and you have to stay patient in this game,” Shelton said. “You have to believe in yourself even when you are struggling, and I think we have come together as a team.”
In the second game of the double-header, the offense was even more explosive. Smith and Shelton made good things happen again in the second inning. After a walk from Smith, junior catcher Clare Hosack hit a single to the left that allowed Smith to advance to second. Strickland was on the plate next, and after a wild pitch, Smith advanced to third and Hosack advanced to second. Thumann walked after and Shelton was up to bat with the bases loaded and two outs. Shelton hit a RBI single allowing Smith to score. Hosack advanced to third and Thumann advanced to second. Holl was up to the late next and hits an RBI double as Hosack and Thumann score. Shelton moves to third while Holl advanced to third.
The offense didn’t stop there. After two outs, Smith was hit by the pitch and the offensive scoring continued. Hosack hit a single allowing Smith to advance to second. Strickland singled to left center allowing Hosack to advance to second and Smith to score. After switching pitchers, Pacific didn’t have an answer for Baylor. Thumann singled up the middle and advanced to second on the throw, allowing Strickland to advance to third and Hosack to score. Shelton hit an RBI double allowing Strickland and Thumann to score. Holl was next on the plate and walked. Hays was on the plate next, and after a wild pitch, Holl advanced to second and Shelton advanced to third. Hays singled to left field allowing Holl to advance to third and Shelton to score. Stearns hit a single and Hays ran to second base as Holl scored.
The Lady Bears had a dominant performance winning 10-1. The pitching was consistent and well and the defense played great. Junior left-handed pitcher Whitney Canion had a great night having an ERA of 0.59. The offense finally got on rhythm, helping the pitchers out.
“We needed that confidence tonight,” Canion said. “We needed that booster. Everyone knew that confidence going into the box, on the field and just as a team, to get into the dugout and everyone cheering for each other and I just think we gelled finally. And I hope we carry this over because we were finding ourselves in the past few games like we hadn’t found ourselves and I’m hoping today was the day that we found who Baylor softball was in 2013.”
Baylor University’s School of Music will be hosting its 19th Annual Midwinter Organ Conference which started Thursday and ends Saturday at various locations throughout Baylor campus.
The conference, which chooses to focus on the younger generation of organists, will feature many new rising stars in the organ community like Stephen Buzard and David Baskyfield, who are both award winning, young organists.
Isabelle Demers, assistant professor of organ and an organist with worldwide acclaim, said she looks at the conference optimistically.
“We’re always reminded of the difficulties the classical music world is facing, but we’ve also witnessed the emergence of a brilliant crop of performers these past few years,” Demers said. “Sometimes, one needs to see the glass half full, not half empty.”
Demers kicked off the conference Thursday with her opening recital followed by a panel discussion with Michael Barone, the host of the weekly organ radio show “Pipedreams”, and several young organists of critical acclaim.
“The pipe organ as we know it today is the most complex and, in the case of several of them, the largest musical instrument in the world.” Barone said when speaking about the instrument. “It is a sound producer. It is a tone color generator, and what it can do and the sorts of music it can play is only limited by the imagination of the person playing it.”
The evening continued with a performance of “Hindemith’s Third Organ Sonata” by Raymond Nagem,a young organist who has performed in the Julliard and Yale Symphony Orchestra, and ended with a Valentine’s Day Banquet with another concert and discussion afterwards.
Demers will start off the conference at 8:30 a.m. today in Markham Organ Studio with another recital. There will be a post concert discussion with Barone at 9 a.m. and an “Organ Scholarship” lecture given by Stephen Buzard at at 10 a.m. with all events being held in the Markham Organ Studio.
The afternoon activities open at 1 p.m. in the Paul Powell Chapel at the Truett Theological Seminary with a recital performed by Nagem followed by a lecture by Stephen Morris, professional musician and Baylor graduate, at 2:30 p.m. and a lecture/interview with Joyce Jones, who helps fund the conference and was once Baylor’s organist-in-residence at 4 p.m.
The conference will wrap up for the day with a recital at 7 p.m. in the Jones Concert Hall by Baskyfield and a reception at 8:30 p.m. at the house of Robert and Joyce Jones.
The final day of the conference, Saturday, will open with a “Master Class on Improvisation” at 9 a.m. hosted by Baskeyfield and a choral concert by Bella Voce at 11 a.m. in the Roxy Grove Hall.
All events are free and are open to the public. For more information, call the Baylor University School of Music at 254-710-3991.
There’s a trick to making it to Pigskin Revue, and no, it’s not bribing the Sing judges.
When asked about the secret to making Pigskin, Cheryl Mathis, assistant director of Campus Programs, said that there is no one special formula for success.
“It’s up to the judges’ opinions on what they think is best,” Mathis said. “I saw acts in years past that I thought were pretty good, and it was shocking to see some of the ones I thought could use a little extra work make it. It’s impressive to see how many different acts are seen differently by the entire audience.”
Judges come from four main backgrounds: dance, theater, music and higher education/student affairs.
Mathis said judges follow strict policies and procedures and are chosen carefully to avoid biased opinions.
“I know it can often get rumored that things aren’t fair and that we prefer groups over another,” Mathis said. “But the way the scoring is set up, the way we invite judges and the way the final tallies are created is very intricate and it’s quite tedious. I want people to know that the scores they are given are honest and true.”
Performing organizations can receive a maximum score of 100 points.
Points are awarded based on entertainment value, musical quality, creativity, choreography and theme development.
The top eight acts are invited to perform at Pigskin in the fall.
Kappa Omega Tau has the longest history of attending Pigskin, reaching back to the 1960s.
Mathis said this organization, along with other repeat Pigskin groups, have received high scores at Sing because of their work to keep the tradition alive.
“These groups that are the traditional winners hold that very dear and are proud of it,” Mathis said. “They want to continue that tradition of excellence and want to live up to what past alumni have experienced.”
Most of all, Mathis says that commitment from all performers within a group can separate the good Sing acts from the great Sing acts.
“Whether happy and cheerful or slow and dramatic, the more they can enhance that mood, the higher they will score,” Mathis said.
Baylor alumna Kim Turner, assistant director of student activities at TCU, judged last year and said judges notice the attention to detail and professionalism displayed in many Sing acts.
“I think professionalism, polish and energy on stage separate the great from the really good,” Turner said. “You can tell when they are enjoying what they’re doing. As a judge that energy is contagious and that makes you score them higher.”
Turner said judging can be challenging and scores can be close with many talented performers and creative shows.
“Being a student and having family that have participated, I have probably been to Sing 20 years now,” Turner said. “Judging is hard because we know how much time and energy students put into it. People may not realize how difficult it is to judge when every year there are so many high quality groups.”
Mathis offers one piece of advice for students getting ready for their Sing debut—have fun and give it your all.
“At this point, there’s no need to stress about things to fix because it’s show time. If you’re having a great time and can commit to what you have rehearsed, not only will you have a good time but the audience and the judges will have
In this Monday, Nov. 13, 2000 photo, Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of Dell, speaks during his keynote address at Comdex, in Las Vegas. Dell is trying to reassure shareholders about its proposed $24.4 billion acquisition by a group led by its founder, saying it considered a number of strategic options before agreeing to the deal and felt the bid is in the best interest of stockholders. Associated Press
Associated Press
ROUND ROCK — Dell’s fiscal fourth-quarter report is expected to show why the struggling personal computer maker wants to end its 25-year history as a public company.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
The results, due out after the stock market closes Tuesday, are being released two weeks after Dell Inc. announced it plans to sell itself for $24.4 billion to founder and CEO Michael Dell and a group of investors led by Silver Lake.
Michael Dell and his backers are betting the Round Rock, Texas, company will be better off trying to diversify its business beyond the PC market without facing Wall Street’s pressure to boost earnings from one quarter to the next.
The numbers for the three months ending in January are expected to show Dell’s revenue declined from the previous year for the fourth consecutive quarter. The latest drop could be the biggest so far, based on analyst forecasts calling for a 12 percent decrease.
The slump stems from weakening demand for PCs as more technology spending shifts toward smartphones and tablet computers. The challenges caused by that shift caused disillusioned investors to dump Dell’s stock, which stood at about $24 in early 2007 when Michael Dell returned for a second stint as the company’s CEO.
Dell’s shares sagged to as low as $8.69 three months ago. By then, Michael Dell had already approached the company’s board about his interest in engineering a buyout with other investors. The board set up a special committee last August to explore the possibility and negotiated with three suitors before settling on a proposal that will pay existing stockholders $13.65 per share.
Michael Dell is contributing about $4.5 billion, including his 14 percent stake in the company, to get the deal done. The rest of the money is coming from Silver Lake and about $15 billion in loans from Microsoft Corp. and a consortium of banks.
Although the proposed sales price is a premium from where Dell’s stock had been stuck at, the company’s two largest shareholders behind Michael Dell don’t think it’s high enough. Southeastern Asset Management and T. Rowe Price, which combined own a nearly 13 percent in the company, already have vowed to vote against the proposed sale, and other shareholders are expected to join the uprising.
Southeastern maintains Dell is worth $23.72 per share. T. Rowe Price hasn’t publicly shared its appraisal of the company. At least one analyst thinks Michael Dell and his investors will need to raise their offer to $15 per share to win over shareholders, although the company maintains it the current bid is fair.
The company’s conference call to discuss the quarterly earnings will mark Michael Dell’s first public remarks since the terms of the sale were announced.
Michael Dell already has been trying to boost the company’s revenue by expanding into more lucrative niches such as business software and technology consulting while also trying to develop an attractive line of tablet computers to compete against Apple Inc.’s trend-setting iPad.
WHY IT MATTERS: Despite its struggles, Dell remains one of the world’s biggest and best-known technology companies whose products and services are still widely used. The company’s proposed sale and brewing shareholder rebellion against it will also affect the values of millions of stock portfolios.
WHAT’S EXPECTED: After subtracting certain accounting charges, analysts polled by FactSet predict the company will earn 39 cents per share on revenue of $14.1 billion.
LAST YEAR’S QUARTER: HP earned $764 million, or 43 cents per share, on revenue of $16 billion. If not for certain accounting charges, Dell would have earned 51 cents per share during this period.
Doing is everyone what to conform to tendency the have people.
The sentence above breaks a social norm by being written in reverse.
According to a study by Dr. Kyle Irwin, assistant professor in the department of sociology, and Dr. Christine Horne, associate professor at Washington State University, people tend to look unfavorably upon and even socially punish people who break social norms even if they are benefiting society overall.
Irwin said the study, which was published in the journal Social Science Research, provides an explanation as to why individuals who do more than what is expected and benefit the community are punished by others in society.
“Lots of research has shown when people make generous contributions, they are rewarded,” Irwin said. “Recently though, some studies have shown people who make generous contributions are punished. There’s some level of resentment. Those individuals are ostracized. We thought it’d be interesting to ask why. It’s called anti-social punishment.”
Irwin said he defines norms as typical behavior: how people talk, how they dress and what people normally do.
“What we argue is that when there are strong norms for the way people should act, when people break those norms, they will be punished,” Irwin said. “They can do less than the norm prescribes or more than the norm prescribes.”
Irwin said what they were really interested in understanding is why the community would punish those who go above and beyond what is asked.
“Let’s say you have to do a lit review,” Irwin said. “You decide everyone should do one review and you show up and someone has done all four reviews. On one hand, maybe you really like that person or maybe you really resent that person for doing something that was against the norm.”
Irwin and Horne examined their questions by conducting a public goods study where individuals were randomly assigned to a group and were asked to decide how to divide their given resources. Their goal was to maximize the amount of points they have. They all started with an equal number of points. They had the option to contribute to a group pot which could be doubled and then divided among the group members regardless of how much they originally contributed. In each group, there was a deviant who would either contribute generously or sparingly. Afterwards, the participants were given the opportunity to punish the deviant by taking points away.
“What we find is when norms are strong and everyone’s doing the same thing, the deviant giving way above is punished stronger,” Irwin said. “Norms are motivating people to punish this generous person even if their contributions benefit everyone in the group. In the case of a free-rider, the norm makes no difference, everyone is frustrated. That’s universal across conditions.”
Irwin said previous research has mainly shown the effects of anti-social punishment, but this study is the first to present an argument as to why people are punished for doing and giving more.
“Maybe those who do more are considered do-gooders,” Irwin said. “The other people might feel inadequate, but that wasn’t one of the reasons. In every case, still the only predictor is norms even controlling for that other stuff.”
Horne said the most intriguing thing about the study was finding that people punish goodness.
“What is typical seems to be important,” Horne said. “In some ways, people valued conformity more than contribution, which we would not necessarily expect.”
Horne said she thinks these findings may discourage individuals from doing something that is beneficial because it is atypical.
“You can imagine this applying to a work group,” Horne said. “If the work group is made of people who tend not to work very hard, the person who works hard, even if it improves the output, will be punished by the other workers. It discourages people from excelling or from being altruistic.”
Horne said this is contrary to what groups would encourage.
“You can have a society where people are discouraged from doing things that would help the group,” Horne said. “We would want to encourage people to do things to benefit the group.”
Irwin and Horne are currently conducting another experiment to explore other possible explanations as to why people punish those who break the norms in a beneficial way.
“Kyle and I have different strengths so we complement each other well,” Horne said. “It was a very successful collaboration.”
Moody Memorial Library is now the first of any facility on campus to have private rooms for breast-feeding.
The two rooms on the second floor of the library include a chair, side table, lamp, changing table, clock, trash can and an electrical outlet, according to the Baylor Central Libraries website.The keys to each room are available to be checked out at the main circulation desk and require a Baylor I.D. card. There is no time restriction for the rooms’ usage.
Beth Farwell, associate director for Central Libraries, said the spaces came out of a need that Baylor had not yet fulfilled: a need for privacy and security for nursing mothers among Baylor’s on-campus faculty, staff and students.
“There’s not a really good place for you to do that on campus, because that really has to be private,” Farwell said. “Even the faculty that have an office, they may or may not share an office, sometimes their doors have windows in them, sometimes they can’t lock the doors. A student could just walk in.”
The rooms are considered by the library as a “pilot” project. This means the staff of the library will be following the rooms’ usage in the coming months and determining if the nursing rooms should continue to exist.
Although the library staff is “hopeful”, Farwell said the project is a pilot because of the possibility of the rooms not being used or needed.
“What if it doesn’t get used at all? What if people just don’t want to do this on campus? What we’re hearing is that they do,” Farwell said.
Along with the rooms for the new mothers, Moody has also installed baby-changing stations in its garden-level bathrooms and added to the Zeta Children’s and Young Adult Collection.
The initiative to create the rooms began last fall with Tiffany Hogue, Baylor’s chief of staff to the provost. Hogue said the idea came from graduate students who needed a space to breast-feed or pump on campus, but didn’t have one.
“As a working mother who loves Baylor, I was honored to have a small role in the conversations that led to the creation of these rooms,” Hogue said, “Our provost, Dr. Davis, was very supportive of this initiative as well.”
Dr. Elizabeth Davis, Executive Vice President and Provost, and Hogue decided to contact Pattie Orr, the Dean of University Libraries, because of the Moody Library’s central location.
“Everyone knows where the library is and all students use the library regardless of discipline,” Hogue said.
According to Hogue, Orr was able to quickly to put together a team, including Farwell, to explore potential places in the library to repurpose as nursing rooms.
“Dean Orr was really supportive, right from the beginning. So I give her a lot of credit,” Hogue said.
Assistant Librarian Ellen Filgo was among a group of Baylor staff who were also new mothers, consulted about what the rooms needed in order for them to be comfortable.
Filgo was also aware of the problem of privacy for nursing mothers on campus.
“I have an office with a door that closes, so I’m really lucky,” Filgo said. “I could have some private space, but that’s not the case for everyone.”
Filgo said she was glad that the central libraries were providing for nursing mothers.
“I think it’s great that we’re providing a space, because there isn’t anything else like that on campus,” Filgo said.
Emilie Cunningham, the president of the Heart of Texas Breastfeeding Coalition, and a Graduate Teaching Instructor of Health & Human Behavior, said the rooms were a big step for Baylor.
“If more mothers are able to breastfeed more, it’s a great thing.” Cunningham said, “It’s in the interest of public health.”
More information and contacts concerning the nursing rooms can be found at: https://www.baylor.edu/lib/centrallib/rooms.
Members of the band Savion including Jasper junior Savion Wright (Front Right), Coopersberg, Pa., sophomore Jake Cermak (Back Right), Shingle Springs, Calif., sophomore Jeremy Ashburn (Front Left) Stephenville freshman Jeff Traylor (Back Left) gather around the piano in the Barfield Drawing Room at the Bill Daniel Student Center on Monday. Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor
By Ryan Daugherty
Reporter
If you have ever passed by Common Grounds, odds are that you have heard Savion Wright singing. Wright, a junior from Jasper, is a multi-talented musician and singer who said he has always had music in his life.
“Music is a big part of my family,” Wright said. “All of my brothers and sisters sing and play at least one instrument. I kind of had to outdo them all and play every instrument that they played plus one more.”
Wright plays seven instruments including the saxophone, guitar, piano, accordion, mandolin, ukulele and harmonica. He is learning an eighth instrument as well: the cello. Wright, who writes and composes his music, is often accompanied by three other musicians.
Stephenville freshman Jeffrey Traylor plays the guitar, Shingle Springs, Calif., sophomore Jeremy Ashburn plays the keyboard and piano, and Coopersberg, Pa., sophomore Jake Cermak plays the drums. Together, they form Savion Wright and The Standard.
They play an alternative style of music, which is also categorized as New Wave music, a type of pop/rock music. Wright tells stories through his songs with a sound that he defines as soul etched with a hint of edge and alternative rock. Savion and The Standard has one big goal – to get their music out to the world.
“We all have a goal where we want to go in music and it seems like we are all far centered in that same place,” Wright said. “We came together, thought of things we wanted and it seems like it’s starting to work out. We’re excited for things to come.”
As talented and outgoing as Wright is, he said it wasn’t until he came to Waco that he knew the path he wanted to go.
“I actually really grew out of my shell when I came to Baylor so I’d say my freshman year was when I really wanted to perform in front of people,” Wright said. “I’d say that it’s been a big impact on me, just Baylor in its aspect.”
A big part of getting people to know an artist’s music is performing in public places, which is how Wright gained much of his popularity. Wright has performed at popular locations on Baylor’s campus including the Baylor Bookstore, Waco Hall during Chapel and Common Grounds.
“I played at the bookstore a couple of times, especially during the fall because it’s during football season,” Wright said. “When a lot of parents and alumni come, they ask me to come out and play. I usually play about six or seven times there a semester.”
Although he said he is a busy student, Wright is constantly writing songs for his band to play. Cermak has been around Wright long enough to know exactly what happens when he writes a new song.
“I’ve had conversations with him where he starts singing a song and you have to wait until he finishes the whole song to continue,” Cermak said.
Wright has big aspirations for himself and his band. Last year, one girl asked Wright why he thought he could actually go on a world tour and he said to her, “It’s not that I dream too big, it’s that you dream too small. I really want us to go places. That’s the main goal. It’s hard work but I think we can do it. These guys are talented and if we get our stuff together, we can go places.”
Traylor summed up the group’s goal best.
“I’d say together with all of that, we’re just trying to make a name for ourselves,” Traylor said.
Wright said he is running a campaign on IndieGoGo.com to raise money for his band. IndieGoGo is a website where aspiring artists put their names out for people to donate money to help them in their journeys. Wright is trying to get an album set up for his band.
“I already have the songs ready,” Wright said. “I just need them to be in the studio. We’re trying to get that out so we can actually show the world what we have to offer. Not just in Texas, but the United States and even Europe.”
Wright’s IndieGoGo campaign ends on March 8 and donations of any amount are accepted.
Savion and The Standard next perform on March 23 during Baylor’s annual Bearathon. They will also be opening for pop-rock artist Ty Mayfield at the Common Grounds concert in Waco on the same day.
Kappa Alpha Theta practices the synchronized swimming stunts for their Olympics themed Sing act in their Chapter room.
Kappa Alpha Theta practices the synchronized swimming stunts for their Olympics themed Sing act in their Chapter room.
By Ashley Davis
Copy Editor
Nothing consumes and defines Baylor life in the spring semester so much as All-University Sing, a marathon of Broadway-style shows put on by Sing Alliance, Baylor Chamber of Commerce and various Greek organizations every year in front of family and alumni from all over the country as part of a 61-year tradition.
When the curtain rises, all the audience sees is the glare of stage lights against dramatic make-up, flashy costumes and newly painted props. This year, 18 acts are performing, including paired acts and Sing Alliance, which consists of students who are not involved in Greek organizations but still want to participate.
This event is perhaps the most prolific tradition in university history, but the complexity of such a large gathering can be lost on the audience viewing the final product.
The long process of production begins with the election of Sing chairs. Each Sing chair is appointed by their respective organizations soon after the previous year’s Sing premier event.
The Sing chair is in charge of organizing a theme, designing a backdrop and props with group members as well as planning the choreography and music selections for the act. Some organizations design their own backdrops and props while others commission art or other special effects.
Fraternities and sororities have been known to hire older members who have participated in Sing or professional choreographers. The groups are given a budget from Student Activities to fund their production.
Throughout the spring and summer. Sing chairs plan and organize every minute detail of the act and in the fall, practices begin. The groups are expected to have the entire act together by November to be reviewed by the Student Productions Committee.
Full technical rehearsals begin the week before Sing.
Regular practices are held throughout the school year while technical rehearsals involve the coordination between all of the groups to fine-tune soundchecks, microphone placements and the timing between each act.
The technical rehearsals ensure that the show as a whole will run smoothly.
Student Productions selects the judges for Sing based on their involvement or knowledge of theater, dance, music and campus life/student administration. The judges must also have never witnessed Sing before.
There are 12-16 judges each year and they grade each performance based on: entertainment value (30 points), musical quality (20 points), choreography (20 points), creativity (15 points), and theme development (15 points).
Katy senior, Aimen Majeed, said Sing is one of the biggest amateur productions in the country on the university level. Majeed is a member of Student Productions committee and a Sing act producer for Alpha Tau Omega and Phi Kappa Chi fraternities.
he said preparation for Sing takes a massive amount of energy and time from everyone involved, but the Sing chairs take the worst punches.
“It’s a testament to how dedicated the members of Sing are. We don’t get scholarships and we don’t get paid, but we are at every rehearsal and every meeting. Sing unifies us into a family within each fraternity and sorority,” Majeed said. “I think being Sing chair is one of the hardest jobs to have. But the legacy they leave is very important to Baylor tradition.”
Majeed worked in the ticket office in the Bill Daniel Student Center last year and could often be seen selling will-call tickets for Sing long before the event.
Though Majeed is a biology pre-med major, as a film and digital media minor, she said she was fascinated by everything that went into Sing and the hustle and bustle of backstage. Last spring, she decided to apply for the Student Productions Committee and landed an interview.
“They were looking for people who were passionate about Sing and other Baylor traditions. It’s very important for the people in StuPro to have respect for the traditions and honor the secrecy,” she said.
Majeed said a major part of the Sing tradition is to keep the groups’ themes for their acts secret until the premiere. Each organization spends months rehearsing and fine-tuning every element of their act, making the final unveiling all the more surprising for the audience.
As a producer, Majeed said she has helped her groups with various aspects of the entertainment –making process. The producers coordinate with the Sing chairs and give helpful suggestions about themes, props, special effects, music and costumes.
The producers are there to ensure the groups follow the performance regulations outlined by Student Productions, make sure the acts are Baylor appropriate and that deadlines are met as well providing support for the Sing chair during practices.
Austin senior and Phi Kappa Chi Sing chair Chris Watkins said the event has been a major part in his life ever since he was appointed. Watkins said he got involved in Pigskin, the homecoming performance of the top eight acts from Sing, during his sophomore year.
He found he loved the choreography and was good at it. This, above all, induced him to become more involved.
“I played baseball in high school. I wasn’t involved in any kind of theater or dance,” Watkins said. “After I did Pigskin I decided to apply for Sing chair and I got it.”
As the Phi Kappa Chi Sing chair, Watkins can attest to the hardships and rewards these organizations get from Sing.
Watkins said the hardest thing about leading his organization is getting a group of guys motivated to sing and dance on stage when they aren’t used to it. However, Watkins said the group’s unifying values always help the show come together.
“Our motto is ‘One body, one life,’ and we try our best to incorporate our Christian values into the act as well as an entertaining show,” Watkins said.
Kappa Omega Tau’s (KOT) performance of The Ghosts’ Call is the No. 1 Lariat pick for its daring choreography, acrobatics and great vocals. This act was the Lariat favorite.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor
Kappa Omega Tau’s (KOT) performance of The Ghosts’ Call is the No. 1 Lariat pick for its daring choreography, acrobatics and great vocals. This act was the Lariat favorite. Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor
By Rob Bradfield
Assistant City Editor
I’ve seen a lot of Sing acts — 6 or 7 years’ worth of them to be precise. I have a very strong idea about what makes a “good” Sing act. I look at song choice, creativity, story, execution and, to an extent, cleverness. I appreciate novelty and new-ness, as well as risk-taking. I’m going to try to reward acts when they are good, but I’m not going to hesitate to criticize them when they miss opportunities (or notes during a solo). This year, we will be working on a 5-point-scale. A 5 is near perfection and a 1 is barely showing up. Since Chamber is actually competing this year, no zeroes will be given.
Phi Kappa Chi
When the Lights Go Out
Phi Kappa Chi took the audience on an above average rehash of the “Night at the Museum” film series.
Above average seems the best way to describe this group. The vocals were solid, the choreography was okay, but there wasn’t enough “pop” to really set the group apart. On top of that, the funk song mid-way trough was a little odd. On the whole, the biggest disappointment though was that the high level of performance they had during the final song, Party Rock Anthem, didn’t really show up in the rest of the act.
Kappa Alpha Theta
Going for the Gold
I’m going to use this time to state one of my biggest beefs with Sing performances — only using the front part of the stage to sing.
With a theme like the Olympics, the ladies of Kappa Alpha Theta could have been a lot more creative in their staging.
The tumblers do, however, deserve the lion’s share of credit for making this act stand out. Apart from that, nothing really set them out from the pack. Also, it was difficult to keep an accurate count, but I’m pretty sure only about 6 people sang in the whole thing. Although there weren’t too many problems, the whole thing felt average. Better luck next year.
Delta Tau Delta
The Final Frontier
Until I saw Delta Tau Delta’s performance, I had no idea that “The Final Countdown” had words. Now I know there’s a reason nobody ever sings the words.
I’m also not sure if the astronaut with his collar unbuttoned was supposed to look drunk, but if he was, the illusion was perfect.
The scant moments of humor were appreciated, but on the whole the act took itself to seriously and was too rough around the edges to be very good.
Also “We Can Work It Out” is a pretty transparent song choice for a scene about reconciliation. I did enjoy the “Rocket Man” bit, though.
Pi Beta Phi
Tacky Tourists
This act started as well as any act like this can.
I actually briefly enjoyed the incredibly unenjoyable experience of being crammed on a tour bus full of tacky people.
But unfortunately it lagged after the first song. I thought the beginning harmonies were good, but after that nothing really wowed me until “Land of 1000 Dances.”
The choreography there was great, and the solo dancer was the most memorable part of the act.
On the songs before that, however, the dancing was a little sloppy. That would be forgivable if the choreography look particularly complex, but — even if it was — it didn’t. Nothing that I saw made me think that this was anything other than an average Sing Act.
Alpha Tau Omega
“Flirtin” with Disaster
ATO’s act is an act of contradictions. I don’t think they know what the song “Poker Face” is actually about, but I thought they nailed “Ballroom Blitz.” I didn’t like most of the singing, but I thought everything fit well. Sometimes the dancing was absolute chaos and sometimes they nailed it. I have to give it an average score because I’m convinced that it could have been better, but I’m not sure it would have felt right if it were flawless. Either way, piano-man and barrel-dude deserve some mad props. Also I hope that one guy’s nose gets better. Keep rockin’ ATO!
Kappa Chi Alpha/Beta Upsilon Chi
Road to the Races
If my judging was based on the first minute of each act, Kappa Chi Alpha and Beta Upsilon Chi would be my favorite. I thought the opening was great, definitely the best harmonies out of the whole show.
Unfortunately it seems like those people had an unfortunate accident after their part in the act and couldn’t return to stage for the rest of it. This is, as I said, very unfortunate because if the act had continued from that high note or gotten better it would have been among the top acts.
Congratulations to the BYX on their first sing, though. You guys looked sharp, just don’t go to Derby Day without a hat or jacket next time.
Chi Omega/Phi Gamma Delta
Cut Loose
This act is basically what I mean whenever I say creativity.
The opening song choice was absolutely stellar, and it wasn’t even the high point of the show.
The act loses points on execution in the middle, and the “You Really Got Me” crossover didn’t quite work like it was intended, but it was a bold choice.
What really made the act was the final song “Footloose,” which is quite a thing for me to say since I hate Kevin Bacon. However, it had some dynamite choreography and probably the best trio of the night. I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed the vocals on the last number.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
The Secret Service
With SAE, it’s all about the little things.
The fact that they’re all wearing Baylor socks with their suits and short shorts, the giant, crying Bald Eagle with an American flag painted in it’s eyes, the presidential fight scene and the two-stepping were all just perfect.
That’s even before the act starts to get really funny. The act is supremely weird and just about the funniest thing I’ve seen all year. The whole time I didn’t know whether or not to laugh or shout “MURICA” at the top of my lungs. To quote the poet “It’s like George Washington marching down your throat to fight the Redcoats and the British.”
These five stars are essentially meaningless, but here you go.
Chamber of Commerce
Workin’ For the Honey
Really Chamber? Really? I’m a “B?” That’s the best you could come up with? Did you think it was clever? It wasn’t. The sad part is that that was probably the best dancing in the whole act right there. The two best parts of the show were the fact that we didn’t have to suffer through another rendition of “Welcome to All-University Sing” and the fact that everyone died at the end. No, honestly I thought that was a clever touch. It was also very satisfying, but it was a clever touch. If you want to compete with the big dogs, Chamber, you should expect to get bitten every now and then.
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Topsy Turvy Day
I liked this act, but I’m not going to pretend I understood it. If I had to guess I’d have to say that it was about Diadeloso, but I can’t be sure. Other than that, the vocals were good, the choreography was fantastic, and I really enjoyed the performances by the two head clowns. My only issue was that I had no idea what was going on, but I have a feeling that it was kind of meant to be that way.
Alpha Delta Pi
Ultimate Grand Supreme
I cannot lie, this is the most competitive I’ve see ADPi in a long time. Between the little cowgirl with the massive voice and the girl that sang “Dancing Queen,” they had some of the finest vocals of the entire night. If it had maintained that level of excellence the whole time, it would have been one of the best acts. As it stand, they will have to settle for top of the middle.
Kappa Omega Tau
The Ghosts’ Call
This act absolutely blew me away. From the first second it’s mesmerizing.
The spot on choreography, the consistently good male vocals and the daring acrobatics really put the whole act together for me.
When I first saw the makeup, I was excited for perhaps a similar act to last year’s “Zombies” act by Pi Kapp. What I got was both completely different and infinitely better. It had nearly everything I look for in a great Sing act.
Congratulations KOT, if there is any justice in this world you’re set for a top spot.
Delta Delta Delta
Checkmate
Tri-Delta’s chess-themed act was incredibly colorful, in spite of the fact that everyone was wearing black and white. The song choice was solid, the choreography was sharp and the act brought out a lot of the inherent drama that often escapes casual observers of chess matches. I especially liked the big, instrumental dance number and the vocalists on “Black Horse and Cherry Tree.” Unfortunately, all of this act’s strength centered on group talent and sometimes a strong individual performance is what makes an act truly great.
Pi Kappa Phi
“Fight Night”
I was a little disappointed with Pi Kapp’s performance this year. Instead of something original and exciting, it was standard and poorly executed. It felt like the guys on stage spent more time at the gym preparing for the act than in rehearsal. Most of them looked the part, but the whole thing wasn’t sharp enough. Also, in a singing and dancing competition you cannot blow the intro on a song and expect not to get a point deducted. I didn’t entirely hate it, but it could have been a lot better.
Zeta Tau Alpha
“Old Familiar Places”
Zeta’s performance was absolutely heartwarming. When you do these sorts of obvious plays to the heart-strings of every alum in the audience, there’s a danger that you will overdo it and cross the border into sappiness. Zeta didn’t, fortunately. Instead it was a charming tribute to all the memories we will collect at Baylor and beyond. The choreography was also very sharp when I was watching, but to be honest I didn’t watch it the whole time because I was so engrossed with the actress who played the old woman. She was fantastic. Great job Zeta.
Sing Alliance
“A Class of Their Own”
If I said anyone else had the best choreography of the entire night, it was only because I hadn’t seen Sing Alliance yet. It was fantastic, especially during the “Saved by the Bell” bit. Also the vocals were consistently high quality. The one part that I didn’t like was the middle when the “bullies” came out. It didn’t read well and nothing happened with them. As the theater kids I recognized in the cast will remember, conflict breeds excitement. There wasn’t enough of either to make this act great.
Alpha Chi Omega
“Bound by Midnight”
This act opened very well. The free-form ballet dance was beautiful and really fit the magical forest theme. Additionally, the first two vocalists were phenomenal, especially the girl in green. Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Know” was a powerful song choice for the finale and it paid off. The one glaring unfortunate part was in the middle when the fairies in black came out to dance. It was a poor song choice for the act, considering the vocal range of the participants. Apart from that one point the act was stellar, but that one point sticks out.
Kappa Sigma
“United We Stand”
Kappa Sig, I’ll forgive you once, just this once, for singing a Civil War song in an act about the Revolutionary War. I’m doing this solely because “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” was so incredibly awesome. I also found it delightful that a woman in soldier’s clothing was dancing in the front while the song from Mulan was playing. The choreography was sharp and the acrobatics were spot-on. There were some minor vocal and execution issues that kept you out of the top spot, but if you sharpen up there’s no reason you can’t be on top.
The Baylor Bears basketball team is right in the midst of contending for a possible Big 12 championship.
The Bears will take on No. 10 Kansas State Wildcats in hostile Fred Bramlage Coliseum at 6 p.m. Saturday in Manhattan, Kan.
This is arguably the most important game of the regular season for the Bears.
A win on the road against a top-ranked team would undoubtedly be the highest quality win of the season thus far. A win would also result in the Bears moving one step closer to the top of the Big 12 standings.
The Wildcats are tied atop the conference standings with an 8-3 record alongside both Kansas and Oklahoma State.
Just one game behind the leaders, the Baylor Bears have a 7-4 record, which ties them with the Oklahoma Sooners. Essentially a win against Kansas State will certify that the Bears belong in the upper-echelon of the Big 12.
“I think the best thing that we can do is just to focus on the next game,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew said. “For today, just getting better in practice. No matter what league you play in, the next game is going to be a tough one. With us, we’re just getting better each and every day. If you look ahead you tend to get yourself in trouble.”
Kansas State senior guard Rodney McGruder leads the Wildcats in scoring with 15.2 points per game.
With his 6-foot-4 frame, McGruder is a guard with valuable size and the Bears have shown that they are vulnerable this season against guards with elite size.
Iowa State senior guard Will Clyburn, who stands 6-foot-7, torched Baylor with 28 points on Feb. 2.
The tallest Baylor starting guard is senior A.J. Walton, who stands 6 feet 1 inch tall.
Walton will most likely be assigned to guard McGruder and the winner of this individual matchup could determine the outcome of the game.
“We just have to get after it,” senior guard Pierre Jackson said. “Just in case we get blew by on defense, we’ve got Cory [Jefferson], Isaiah [Austin} and Rico [Gathers] down there to protect the rim. Coach has been making us play a lot of defense in practice and put us in a bunch of game situations to help us out.”
One area where Baylor should have a sizable advantage is on the interior with freshman center Isaiah Austin and junior power forward Cory Jefferson.
Austin, at 7 feet 1 inches, and Jefferson, at 6 feet 9 inches, have a chance to dominate the paint in this game.
Kansas State prefers to start a smaller lineup and then bring in size off the bench if it is needed.
Sophomore Adrian Diaz and senior Jordan Henriquez are the two biggest players on the Wildcats’ roster. Diaz is 6 feet 10 inches and Henriquez is 6 feet 11 inches.
While the duo is certainly tall, they don’t receive too much playing time for Kansas State. Henriquez only plays 14.7 minutes per game and Diaz plays for less than a quarter of each game.
Baylor’s unique size on the frontcourt could force the hand of Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber to play a different lineup than usual.
“Playing in the Big 12, every game is physical,” Jefferson said.
Freshman center Isaiah Austin is the key difference maker in this contest.
Austin accounts for almost one-third of all of Baylor’s blocked shots this season. He also has more than one-fifth of the team’s rebounds on the year.
In 14 games this year, Austin has posted a positive plus/minus differential. In the six games where Austin has been negative or neutral in plus/minus differetial, Baylor has lost five of those contests. Austin’s performance on Saturday is the perfect thermometer to gauge Baylor’s chances of pulling off the upset win in Manhattan, Kan.
The ability to adapt to a changing environment is essential to survival. This principle is true in nature, the business world and in sports. In the age of national recruiting and high school power rankings, there is more pressure on 18-year-old kids to walk into a college gym in front of tens of thousands of fans and compete at a high level. Freshman center Isaiah Austin knows this first hand, and his journey has only just begun.
Once upon a time, even the best college players would stay until at least the end of their junior season. Even the great Michael Jordan played three years at the University of North Carolina.
The last three No. 1 picks in the NBA draft have all been players that chose to leave school after just one year. In 2010, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Kyrie Irving from Duke despite the fact that he only played 11 college games due to injury.
Austin is in the middle of step one of his journey: jumping from high school basketball to college basketball. According to Austin, the transition has had its ups and downs.
“It has definitely been a crazy transition from high school here to college,” Austin said. “The strength is way more physical. The speed is way faster. Just the knowledge of the game is on another level… In high school, you can get away with driving into the paint crazy a few times. People really aren’t going to step over and take charges like that, but in college, if you don’t step over and take a charge, then you’re going to be sitting on the bench.”
Despite being a dominant shot blocker in high school, Austin is still considered an offensive player. His 7-foot-1-inch frame helps him shoot over defenders, and his rare combination of height and handles make him a nightmare matchup for opposing centers. Because of the matchup issues that Austin creates, the offensive transition from high school to college has been relatively easy.
“Offensively I would say it’s really not that big of a change,” Austin said. “The only change is the speed of the game and the strength. I stick to my skillset. I know what I can and can’t do on the offensive end.”
While Austin has recorded nine double-doubles on the season, head coach Scott Drew wants him to improve his rebounding. Rebounding in high school is very different than it is in colleg Austin said. In high school, Austin would use his height to get to rebounds first. In college, rebounding is more physical.
“I really didn’t have to box out [in high school]. The ball came off the rim and I just went and got it,” Austin said. “I was so much more athletic and taller than everybody. In college, everybody is an athlete. Everybody is strong. Everybody has that ego saying that they want to be the best, so everybody is out there giving 110 percent each and every play.”
With this more level playing field comes a fundamental difference in how players go about cleaning the boards. Instead of reaching, players have to get a low center of gravity and push other players out of the way. When the ball comes off the rim, the paint turns into a war zone.
“If you’re not being the one out there that’s doing the hitting, you’re definitely getting hit,” Austin said. “Especially if you’re trying to crash the paint for boards or trying to get an offensive rebound, or even trying to get a defensive rebound. Everybody is in that paint. That paint is a battle area.”
In high school, Austin owned that battle area defensively. Where high school guards panicked, college guards know how to handle what they are up against.
“They’re way smarter than in high school,” Austin said. “In high school, they would go and just flip the ball up and I would just go get it. Here I have to play my percentages. Either I can go get it or I can’t. If I can’t go get it, then I need to hit my man and try to rebound.”
Earlier this year, Austin went toe-to-toe with a man that owns the paint in college, Kansas senior center Jeff Withey. Austin finished that game with 15 points and 11 rebounds, but Baylor lost the game 61-44.
“He’s an outstanding player. He’s a future NBA player,” Austin said. “Playing against him, he’s a senior now and I’m a freshman. It was a little nerve-wracking, but I have all confidence in my own skills. I just went out there, and I didn’t want to play timid.”
Withey is currently third in the nation in blocked shots with 4.08 blocks per game, but what makes him special is his ability to stay on the floor. Shot blockers can sometimes get into foul trouble because they leave their feet more often than other players, but Withey has recorded fewer fouls than everyone else in the top 30 in blocked shots.
Austin said that he surprised himself in his first college game. The Bears were taking on Lehigh, and Austin finished with 22 points on 10 of 22 shooting.
“Our chemistry that game was just amazing,” Austin said. “Lehigh is a tough team. They beat Duke last year and [C.J.] McCollum, he’s a handful to handle with. We definitely set the standard high for that game because we knew that was going to be a tough game.”
Austin had to leave that game after rolling an ankle, but senior guard Pierre Jackson and head coach Scott Drew liked what they saw out of the freshman.
“Isaiah, unfortunately he rolled his ankle, but he probably would have kept killing like he was. I just hope they keep it up,” Jackson said.
Drewwas also pleased with how austin played.
“I don’t think you can be any more efficient than he was, so we will have to get him healthy and now the rest of the world is going to know about him,” Drew said. “People probably didn’t know that he could hit the three as effectively as he did and for as athletic he is for his size.”
NBA scouts are seeing what Austin is doing, and a lot of NBA mock drafts predict that Austin will be selected in the lottery. Austin expects the transition to the NBA to be much like the transition that he is currently going through.
“The high school game is way different than college and college is definitely way different than the NBA,” Austin said. “In the NBA you have the defensive three-second rule, so the floor is always more spaced out than in college. In college, you can sit in the paint as long as you want as a defender. I think the transition is going to be just like going from high school to college. It’s going to be a brand new game.”
One former Baylor basketball player that is making that transition into the NBA is Perry Jones III. Jones was selected 28th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder, and his skillset is similar to Austin’s.
“He’s definitely more athletic than me. He’s a freak athlete,” Austin said. “I think I probably have a little bit more offensive skill than him. I think I’m a little bit more aggressive than him, but he is an NBA player. I’ve talked to him a couple of times. He said the transition is crazy. They have you traveling each and every day. You’ve got to keep your body right. There’s 82 games in a season, so it’s tough”
For Austin, the NBA is another test for another day. For now, he just wants to make this season a success.
“I just aim for trying to do the best I can for my team. We’re having a rough kind of season a little bit. We’ve lost a few games that everybody knows we shouldn’t have lost. So now people are looking down on us. Whenever we’re out there, we go out there as a team and everybody tries to do their part,“ Austin said. “Right now I’m just focused on college basketball and trying to help my team out, but I think my skillset can help at any level.”
Baylor softball (5-2) will compete in the Miken Classic from today to Sunday after winning its seventh Getterman Classic this past weekend. The Lady Bears continue their 12-game homestand and they are 12-4 all-time in the Miken Classic.
The pitchers have started the Getterman Classic strong. Junior left-handed pitcher Whitney Canion has started the season strong with a .38 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 18.1 innings. Freshman right-handed pitcher Heather Stearns has shown great promise in her three starts, which included a no-hitter against Northern Illinois on Saturday. She was the sixth freshman in Baylor history to have a no-hitter. Stearns has a 1.65 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 17 innings.
“I thought our pitching was terrific once again,” head coach Glenn Moore said. “We have to start being more aggressive at the plate, but I am proud of this team’s effort.”
After winning their first game of the season, Baylor lost to putting them at 1-2. The Lady Bears bounced back after realizing that something needed to be done. The leadership stepped up, giving Baylor the edge it needed to finish off the right way.
“We had Holly Holl. She called us into a huddle before we went out and hit that inning and she was like, ‘We need to make a change,’” freshman catcher Bailey Chalmers said.
That was enough to get the team going as Baylor responded with a four-game win streak heading into the tournament, but itstill have work that needs to be done. Moore hopes to see more runs scored to help out the pitching. Despite the wins, Moore said the team needs to be more aggressive. He had them work on drills like sliding in the mud to get the team in the habit of sliding for bases.
Baylor will begin the tournament playing its first game of the double-header against Northern Colorado at 3 p.m. today at home. Northern Colorado went 2-3 in its opening tournament, hitting .257 as a team. They dropped their last game to South Dakota State, which ended up costing them the tournament win. Northern Colorado pitcher Kelci Cheney leads the pitching staff with a 0.78 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 18.0 innings. As a team, they have an ERA of 2.58 and 28 strikeouts. Baylor’s pitching staff combines for 1.15 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 48.2 innings.
The key to winning this game will be for Baylor to continue its work on defense, but improve the offense. The pitching will also need to be strong, but Baylor has the experience, returning three pitchers for a combined 135 career wins. Stearns has also improved from her first start.
“I felt much more comfortable in the circle tonight,” Stearns said. “I just concentrated on each pitch and what I needed to do.”
In the second game of the double-header, Baylor will face off Pacific, who has a perfect 3-0 record. Pacific’s pitching staff combined for 0.33 ERA, 13 strikeouts and two shutouts. In the three games they played, they had 27 hits, seven doubles and 17 runs.
On Saturday, Baylor will play in another double-header, but itsecond game depends on how it finishes. Their first game will be against Texas A&M Corpus Christi (1-4) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at home. Their pitching staff combined for 5.82 ERA and 35 strikeouts in four games. In five games, they had 24 hits and 11 runs.
Baylor will finish off the day playing in bracket play depending on where every team finishes. The top-ranked team will faceoff the fourth-ranked team at 3 p.m. and the second-ranked team will play against the third-ranked team at 5:30 p.m.
The tournament will finish off on Sunday with the consolation game at 9 a.m. and the Championship game at 11 a.m. to determine the tournament winner.
Baylor men's tennis beat Purdue University 6-1 at the Jim and Nell Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013.
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photographer
Baylor men’s tennis beat Purdue University 6-1 at the Jim and Nell Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013. Travis Taylor | Lariat Photographer
By Phillip Ericksen
Reporter
The Baylor men’s tennis team is defined by hard work, discipline and excellence, and sophomore Mate Zsiga lives up to them all.
He was born in Germany and went to high school in the small city of Szeged, Hungary, and tennis was a pivotal part of his life from the very beginning.
“My whole family played tennis,” Zsiga says. “Both of my parents played at a high level. My dad became a coach and was coaching my brother, and I was there too.”
This homegrown coaching led to quick results, as he found success in the junior level circuit for players under the age of 18.
Zsiga played at the French Open, U.S. Open and Wimbledon, as well as the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.
His Hungarian team also won the European Team Championships twice, making it the first victory for the Central European nation.
Following Zsiga’s early successes, the opportunity to play tennis at Baylor wasn’t one to pass up for him. He was specifically influenced by the environment and by head coach Matt Knoll, who has led Baylor to 10 Big 12 titles in the last 13 years.
“We talked a lot and I really liked his personality,” Zsiga said. “It’s a great place. The campus is beautiful and the facilities are first-class. I think I made the right decision and I would not change it.”
The decision paid off quickly. Zsiga’s freshman year was full of victories. He finished with a 36-9 singles record and was 22-5 in dual matches in the No. 1 spot.
His most memorable victory of last year came against the 5th-ranked player in the nation.
“In Kentucky I won against Eric Quigley in straight sets,” he says. “That was probably my best win of the season. As a freshman against a senior, who was a three-time All-American already, I won against him. It was a very important win for us because we won 4-3.”
Victories such as this one led to Zsiga’s own All-American status, which he doesn’t take for granted.
“I just couldn’t dream of anything better than that,” he said. “It was just an honor for me to be a part of that group of great guys who were All-Americans at Baylor here before.”
Despite all of the wins and accolades, Zsiga remains humble and is constantly inspired by his family.
“I talk a lot about my family,” he says. “They inspire me a lot. We talk about how things are going, if I should do this or do that. My brother is probably my greatest supporter and talks to me all the time. He’s really interested and excited about my whole career.”
He is also inspired by NBA superstar Kevin Garnett, who is known for his passion on and off the court.
Zsiga also has plans to play professionally after his time at Baylor.
“I enjoy these four years and try to improve as I can and we’ll see what happens after that,” he says. “I’ll try to turn pro after that, but it’s still the future.”
In his free time, Zsiga prefers to spend time with his teammates and build even more team chemistry.
“We’re really like a family and I enjoy all my time with them,” he says. “They are the first choice. When you have free time, you always try to organize things and spend time together.”
Zsiga takes on this leadership role and realizes the importance of not only playing tennis well, but bonding as one unit.
“This is a part of Baylor. We are really a team. We are a family, we have to stick together and we do that.”
In this Aug. 5, 2012 file photo, South Africa's Oscar Pistorius starts in the men's 400-meter semifinal during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Paralympic superstar Oscar Pistorius was charged Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, with the murder of his girlfriend who was shot inside his home in South Africa, a stunning development in the life of a national hero known as the Blade Runner for his high-tech artificial legs. Reeva Steenkamp, a model who spoke out on Twitter against rape and abuse of women, was shot four times in the predawn hours in the home, in a gated community in the capital, Pretoria, police said.
Associated Press
In this Aug. 5, 2012 file photo, South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius starts in the men’s 400-meter semifinal during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Paralympic superstar Oscar Pistorius was charged Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, with the murder of his girlfriend who was shot inside his home in South Africa, a stunning development in the life of a national hero known as the Blade Runner for his high-tech artificial legs. Reeva Steenkamp, a model who spoke out on Twitter against rape and abuse of women, was shot four times in the predawn hours in the home, in a gated community in the capital, Pretoria, police said. Associated Press
By Gerald Imray, Jon Gambrell
Associated Press
Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee sprinter dubbed the Blade Runner, was charged Thursday in the Valentine’s Day slaying of his girlfriend at his upscale home in South Africa, a shocking twist to one of the feel-good stories of last summer’s Olympics.
Pistorius buried his face in the hood of his workout jacket as officers escorted him from a police station after his arrest in the shooting death of Reeva Steenkamp, a 30-year-old model.
Police said she was shot four times in the pre-dawn hours at Pistorius’ villa in a gated community in the capital, Pretoria. Officers found a 9 mm pistol inside the home and arrested Pistorius on a murder charge.
What sparked the shooting remained unclear, but police said they had received calls in the past about domestic altercations at the home of the 26-year-old athlete, who has spoken publicly about his love of firearms.
A police spokeswoman, Brigadier Denise Beukes, said the incidents included “allegations of a domestic nature.”
Pistorius made history in the London Games when he became the first double-amputee track athlete to compete in the Olympics. He didn’t win a medal, but he did make the semifinals of the 400 meters and became an international star.
On Thursday, companies quickly removed billboards and advertising featuring Pistorius, a national hero in South Africa who also inspired fans worldwide with the image of his high-tech carbon-fiber blades whipping through the air. Kenny Oldwage, Pistorius’ lawyer, told reporters the athlete was “emotional” after his arrest, “but he is keeping up.” Pistorius has had troubles in the past in his personal life, which often featured fast cars, cage fighters and women.
A spokeswoman for Pistorius at Fast Track, an international sports marketing agency in London, said the athlete was assisting with the investigation and there would be no further comment “until matters become clearer.”
The sprinter’s former coach, Andrea Giannini, said he hoped the shooting was “just a tragic accident.”
“No matter how bad the situation was, Oscar always stayed calm and positive,” Giannini told The Associated Press in Italy. “Whenever he was tired or nervous, he was still extremely nice to people. I never saw him violent.”
Firearms captivated Pistorius, the subject of an online Nike advertisement that featured him with the caption: “I am a bullet in the chamber.” In Nov. 2011, he posted a photograph on Twitter of himself at a shooting range, bragging about his score. “Had a 96% headshot over 300m from 50shots! Bam!” he wrote.
Linked to a number of women by the South African media, Pistorius and Steenkamp were first seen together publicly in November. She was named one of the world’s 100 Sexiest Women for two years running by the men’s magazine, FHM.
The leggy blonde with a law degree also appeared in international and South African ads and was a celebrity contestant on “Tropika Island of Treasure,” a South African reality show filmed in Jamaica.
Her tweets also focused on Pistorius, with one of her last messages noting her excitement over Valentine’s Day.
“What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow?” she wrote. “It should be a day of love for everyone.”
Police have not publicly named Steenkamp as the victim, saying only that a 30-year-old woman was killed. Steenkamp’s publicist, however, confirmed in a statement that the model had died.
“Everyone is simply devastated,” the publicist, Sarit Tomlinson, said. “She was the kindest, sweetest human being; an angel on earth and will be sorely missed.”
Police arrived at Pistorius’ home after 3 a.m., and paramedics tried unsuccessfully to revive Steenkamp, police spokeswoman Lt. Col. Katlego Mogale said.
Officers later took Pistorius to a hospital so doctors could collect samples for DNA testing and check his blood alcohol content.
Pistorius had both legs amputated below the knee before his first birthday because of a congenital condition, and campaigned for years to be allowed to compete against able-bodied athletes.
He was initially banned because of his carbon fiber blades — which critics said gave him an unfair advantage — before being cleared by sport’s highest court in 2008.
Shock rippled across South Africa, a nation of 50 million where nearly 50 people are killed each day, one of the world’s highest murder rates. U.N. statistics say South Africa also has the second highest rate of shooting deaths in the world, behind only Colombia.
“The question is: Why does this story make the news? Yes, because they are both celebrities, but this is happening on every single day in South Africa,” said Adele Kirsten, a member of Gun Free South Africa.
“We have thousands of people killed annually by gun violence in our country. So the anger is about that it is preventable.”
Last season, the Baylor Bears baseball team had a 49-17 record and won the programs third Big 12 championship. With 49 wins, the 2012 squad ended just one win shy of the Baylor record. On the diamond, the Bears also won a school-record 24 games.
They also had four Louisville Slugger All-Americans and had six players selected in the 2012 MLB draft.
The 2013 Baylor baseball team has a tough act to follow, but they are confident that they are up to the challenge.
“We didn’t lose everything,” head coach Steve Smith said. “We did take obviously some significant hits. You can choose to focus on that or it’s kind of worthless. What I’m trying to focus on, particularly on the pitching side, is that a year ago two of the guys that started for us in the rotation are back, Brad Kuntz and Max Garner.
A year ago, Trent Blank and Tyler Bremmer were in the bullpen and their success was a surprise to many. I don’t know who I would expect it out of on this team, but I believe that we will have guys that do things positively that we will scratch our heads at the end of the year.”
The starting rotation preliminarily has junior left-handed pitcher Kuntz as the number one starter. Kuntz will be followed by senior right-handed pitcher Garner.
“I expect when we roll it out the first weekend to go Kuntz, Garner and [Dillon] Newman,” Smith said. “Then we’ll just see how it evolves from there.”
Tonight, Baylor opens up a three-game series against University of California, Irvine. The Bears will take on U.C. Irvine tonight and on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
“We’re ready and very excited,” senior outfielder Nathan Orf said. “The weather has been baseball weather lately. It’s just that time of the year and we’ve put a lot of work in to get to this point and I think we’re all ready for the next step.”
Orf had off-season Tommy John surgery on his elbow and will most likely start the year in the outfield, even though his home position is usually catcher.
“I had surgery in June, so it’s been a lot of just getting healthy and getting the strength back and really just preparing the same way kind of we always do. Know yourself, learn yourself and get better at what you’re good at. So for me, it was about becoming more athletic and more quick, better speed, more strength and just be a better overall player.”
Orf will be a key returning player for the Bears.
Orf was the 2012 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Orf played in 65 games last season and started in the top three spots of the lineup in every game.
“Yeah, I think we have a lot of question marks, but I think a lot of the guys that stepped up last year weren’t really expected to do what they did,” Orf said. “{Josh} Ludy had 16 or 17 home runs and no one saw that coming. He had never been a steady starter so I think we have a lot of the same this year and a lot of young guys that have been waiting for their shot and you can see it in their approaches this fall that they saw how we were grinding last year and they really took that into how they were playing this fall. I think they’re ready for their shot.”
“We have our goals set,” Orf said. “The goal is to win a national championship and we fell short of that last year. I think we’re going to go the same way we did last year with our approach, one day at a time, one game at a time. Today is about getting better at our first practice today. Our goal is to win a national championship, to win the Big 12, to win our regional, host superregional and all that but it all starts today so we’re pumped for that.”
Another crucial returning player for the Bears is senior third basemen and outfielder, Cal Towey.
He started all 66 games at third.
“I’m just ready to get started again, especially after the way last year finished,” Towey said. “It’s the best thing to get back on the field and just have fun and grind out all the games and enjoy them all.”
With Josh Ludy playing professional baseball in the Philadelphia Phillies minor league system, the Bears are going to have to find somebody to replace the production that Ludy posted last season. That doesn’t necessarily mean replacing his home runs, but playing a different style of baseball consisting of more bunts, steals and aggressive base running. In other words, the Bears are looking to play more small ball this year.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of guys that are going to step up,” Towey said. “Not necessarily to try to replace Josh [Ludy] with all the home runs and all that, but just a different style of baseball. Probably a lot more stealing and aggressive stuff like that, not a lot of home runs.”
Last season, the Baylor baseball team relied on taking every game one pitch at a time and not getting too caught up with the big picture.
“I’d say we’re fighters,” Orf said. “I really think the competitive attitude that we carry and the way that we grinded out games last year and the way that we won games last year is just really set into our program and that’s going to be the way we play and that’s going to be the way we win. I don’t think we’re going to blow any teams away with 15 runs a game but we’re just going to have to grind-out wins.”
The Bears lost in the NCAA Super Regional in heart-breaking fashion as Arkansas defeated them in games two and three.
“We still ended up losing,” Towey said. “We didn’t get the result we wanted even though we had a great season. We didn’t end up being winners. There’s only one team that ends up being the winner. I’m just ready to get started again, especially after the way last year finished. It’s the best thing to get back on the field and just have fun and grind out all the games and enjoy them all.”
With the loss of several key players from last year, this year’s squad does have a few holes to fill. Some of the question marks lie at catcher, first base and center field.
“There’s really three {question marks} for me,” Smith said. “One is behind home plate, the other is first base and another is center field. I think we have answers for those. One that I think is the grayest right now is probably at first base. Max [Muncy] played virtually every inning of that for about three years. How we line up over there right now remains to be seen and I suspect that will probably change from time to time. Behind the plate, it’ll be a little bit the same way and potentially in center field. The other places, we’re fairly set. We’re fairly confident in what we’ve got but there are those questions that will remain. There are some questions on the mound in terms of the back end, especially the bullpen situation, but I think we’ve got answers there. I really think we’ve got good players and good kids.”
With the breakout season a year ago, the Baylor program is trending upwards.
The program is adopting a new mindset and the expectations are to win.
“Honestly, from the culture of our program and the way that we played the game last year, particularly the whole aspect of playing the whole game just one pitch at a time and all of the things that that involves, we are trying to continue those not just with this team but with all teams in the future. It’s just the way that we want to play the game. As coaches, we have learned better ways to get that message across and I think we’re just doing a better job of preparing our guys. ”
Soccer vs TCU on Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, at the Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor
Soccer vs TCU on Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, at the Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field. Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor
By Larissa Campos
Reporter
After a weekend of competitive and mentally taxing tryouts in Portland, Ore., senior soccer player Carlie Davis was relieved to finally be landing in Dallas on the way back to her home at Baylor University.
As the plane taxied, Davis noticed a missed call from an unknown number on her phone and held the phone to her ear as the voicemail played.
On the other end of the phone was Cindy Parlow, former national-team player and head coach of Portland Thorns FC.
She was inviting Davis to join the team on March 11 for their first preseason practices.
“It took a while for our conversation to sink in, “ Davis said. “I guess it took me a while to actually let myself believe that it was actually happening. That I was actually getting a chance to play professionally.”
Portland Thorns FC is part of the newly formed National Women’s Soccer League.
The league has eight teams throughout the United States and is expected to open up play sometime this spring.
After the folding of Women’s Professional Soccer in 2012, the NWSL was created in its place in attempt to establish a long-lasting league.
The NWSL looks to expand to at least 10 teams across the nation in the future.
To prepare for preseason in March, Davis has decided to put her “classes on hold” to continue preparing for the physical demands playing at a professional level requires. The regular season will begin in April.
After a weekend on the field with high-caliber players, Davis realized she would be pushed to her limits physically and mentally playing at a professional level. She decided that she needed to dedicate herself entirely to this opportunity.
The tryout took place last Saturday and Sunday at JELD-WEN Field, home of MLS team the Portland Timbers. More than 80 women’s soccer players showed up to battle it out on the field in attempt to catch Parlow’s eye. The first day was spent playing a series of eight-on-eight games. The second day the players were able to showcase their skills in multiple games of 11-a-side.
“I was not only surprised by the numbers that we had at the first Thorns FC tryouts, but also by the quality,” Parlow said. “There were some quality players. So many, in fact, that it will be difficult for me to choose which ones to bring into our preseason training camp.”
Davis played left back for the entirety of the tryout and did enough to gain an invitation to the club’s preseason training camp starting on March 11.
While the invitation does not ensure a spot on the final roster, Davis said she was more than happy with having the chance to play in the presence of top women’s soccer players such as United States National Team forward Alex Morgan, and also push herself outside her comfort zone.
“I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t scared out of my mind,” Davis said. “This experience is challenging me like nothing I’ve ever experienced but it’s a chance for me to glorify God and keep playing soccer so I’ll take it.”
Davis was a major factor in Baylor soccer’s historical season this past fall.
Her speed and hard-nosed tackling led the team to a 19-1-5 record, the best in program history. Davis started all 25 games for the Bears.
The team is sad to say goodbye to Davis in such a hurry but is proud to have a member of their family representing them at a professional level.
“Carlie is the type of player you dread defending you in practice,” freshman forward Bri Campos said. “She was a key part of our success last season and it’s exciting for me as a younger player to see her succeed at the next level.”
