Dunn’s 26 points fuel BU comeback win over Colorado

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February 1, 2011

Nick Berryman | Lariat Photographer
Baylor No. 24 senior LaceDarius Dunn fires a shot against Colorado on Saturday. The Bears overcame a 17-point deficit to win, 70-66.

By Chris Derrett
Sports Editor

In the final minutes of Saturday’s tight game, the Colorado defense wanted the ball in anybody’s hands but senior LaceDarius Dunn’s. Too bad.

Dunn was a perfect 8 of 8 from the charity stripe in the final 1:27 and scored 26 points as Baylor erased a 17-point deficit to beat the Buffaloes, 70-66, at the Ferrell Center.

The Bears (14-6, 4-3) trailed the entire game until Dunn drained a pull-up jumper with 2:58 left in the game and put his team ahead, 58-57. From there Colorado (14-8, 3-4) went 4 of 12 from the field while Dunn iced the game from the line.

But ask Dunn, and he’ll say his most important statistic of the night was neither points nor free throws. He recorded six assists, one shy of a career-high.

“I’m not just an offensive player. I just have to do other things to get my other teammates shots and do whatever we have to do to get the ball in the bucket,” Dunn said.

Dunn’s last assist came after he gave the Bears the 58-57 lead. He sliced to the basket and kicked out to a wide open sophomore A.J. Walton, who connected from 3-point range.

Considering the Bears’ 49 second half points, coach Scott Drew was asked if Saturday was the best second half he has seen from his squad this season.

“Against a quality team, yes. That’s a pretty good half, holding them to 32 percent,” Drew said.

Much of Colorado’s damage came in the first half when it had more momentum, cohesion and energy than the home team.

Levi Knutson’s 3-pointer answered one from Dunn and gave the Buffaloes a 15-5 advantage just after the 13 minute mark.

Colorado’s Austin Dufault later caught an offensive rebound, missed a putback attempt, grabbed his own rebound and finally laid the ball in unguarded for a 24-15 lead.

The play drew boos from the crowd and illustrated what the team felt was the problem in the first half. Film sessions after the game made the lack of boxing out even more evident.

“We’re so used to using our athleticism [in high school]. In the Big 12, everybody can jump and people are a lot bigger. We have to hit and go get it,” junior Quincy Acy said Monday.

Turnovers also plagued the Bears in the period, as 13 turnovers became 12 Colorado points. The Buffaloes used Acy’s turnover with less than a minute left to earn two free throws and build their largest lead of the game at 35-18.

Acy finished with 13 points, joining Dunn and freshman Perry Jones III as the Bears’ double figure scorers.

Acy was not in the starting lineup, again, to help provide a spark off the bench. Junior J’mison Morgan, instead, started but played only three minutes with no statistics in the box score.

Along with Acy, freshman Stargell Love made significant contributions off the bench albeit netting only two baskets.

Love’s first bucket, an offensive rebound and dunk with 30 seconds left in the first half, provided a momentum boost heading into the locker room. In the second half, Love hit a fadeaway jumper to pull the Bears within 52-50.

“He finishes the half in a great way for us, getting that bucket. We come in the locker room, and second half he continues to give us a lift,” Drew said. “We don’t win this game without him.”

The Bears play Oklahoma at 7 p.m. in Norman tonight and attempt a second consecutive season sweep of the Sooners.

Women’s tennis beats ranked opponents; men bag 7-0 victory

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February 1, 2011

Jed Dean | Lariat Photo Editor
Junior Nina Secerbegovic faces Alabama’s Courtney Mclane in Saturday’s match. Baylor won, 4-3.

By Will Potter
Reporter

The No. 3 ranked women’s tennis team needed comebacks to win each of its dual matches last weekend, pulling out 4-3 victories over No. 55 Alabama on Saturday then No. 48 Rice on Sunday.

Both matches were part of the ITA National Team Indoor Qualifiers, and the wins put the women’s team in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Charlottesville, Va., beginning Feb. 18.

On Saturday, Baylor lost a doubles point and two of the first three singles points to dig themselves in a hole early but overcame the early deficit to win.

Sona Novakova secured the win for the Bears, beating No. 63 ranked Alexa Guarachi in three sets, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3.

On Sunday, Rice took two out of three doubles points to start off the match before Baylor’s singles play regained the lead and sealed the match.

“The way we won is by competing really hard and putting in our 100 percent effort and focus on the victory,” said senior Karolina Filipiak. “We knew what we had to do going in to the match it took us a little while but we got it done.”

With the match on the line, Sona Novakova came through for head coach Joey Scrivano’s team yet again with another three set win that clinched the match for Baylor. This time Novakova defeated Dominique Harmath by a score of 6-0, 6-7 (6), 6-4.

“I think that Sona has really embraced the attitude that we have here,” Scrivano said. “Her positive attitude and coachability have a major impact, and I couldn’t be more proud of her and the whole team for buying in to what we are doing here.”

Senior Jelena Stanivuk was confident there were positives that come from pulling out such a close match.

“We now know what we have to improve on, and starting tomorrow in practice, we know we have to be more focused.”

Next up for the women is a trip to Gainesville, Fla., to battle the second-ranked Florida Gators at 12 p.m. Saturday.

The Baylor men’s tennis team faced the unranked Islanders from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and had no problems of any kind. The Bears took care of the Islanders on every level throughout the match and won the dual, 7-0, improving their record on the year to 2-1.

Freshman Dennis Lengsfeld was the only Bear who needed a third set to win his match, recovering from a 6-1, second set loss to beat Robert Raguz 7-5 in the deciding third set.

Next up for the Baylor men are the sixth-ranked UCLA Bruins who come to the Baylor Tennis Center for a showdown of two of the top teams in the nation on Super Bowl Sunday. The match starts at noon.

Waco seeks to boost tourism

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February 1, 2011

By Ade Adesanya
Reporter

As Waco tourism dwindles and business budgets get trimmed for efficiency, local businesses continue to serve loyal customers.

Businesses are eyeing their operating costs since tourism is on the decline. Business managers have to monitor their costs and make changes where necessary.

“It is true that people are cutting back on travel and leisure, but when you think about it, we [are] faring much better than most of the country,” Susan Morton, sales and service manager for tourism markets at the Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau, said. “We are grateful for the Interstate Highway 35 and the business it brings to our community — especially to our overnight visitors who leave money in our community as they travel. Overnight travelers contribute significantly to the hotel-motel tax in Waco due to our strategic central location. The revenues are in turn used to promote tourism.”

A major goal of the Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau is to ensure Waco is a visitor-friendly city with many activities.

“We are trying to work with other Big 12 cities to ensure when they come for an event in Waco, they stay longer to explore the sites and activities within Waco,” Morton said.

In addition to I-35, Baylor serves to showcase Waco to people throughout the state and country by its athletic events and other competitions which bring in thousands of people annually from other Big 12 cities.

“The greater Waco economy is experiencing an upswing from the recession. Businesses are gaining from being generally more efficient and making better business decisions,” said Kris Collins, director of business retention and expansion at Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce.

But analysis of travel data by Dean Runyan Associates of the greater Waco area shows tourism has declined.

The June 2010 report on tourism by the same researchers shows that local tax revenue in the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area went down from $3.8 million to $3.6 million, which is a 5.3 percent decrease. According to the report, travel spending declined by 14.2 percent from 2008 to 2009.

The business community is keeping the economy in perspective by monitoring constantly changing economic indicators and tracking the performance of various sectors in the Waco economy.

Philosophy hosts ‘Adjustment Bureau’ screening

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February 1, 2011

By Jade Mardirosian
Staff Writer

Baylor’s philosophy department will host a special advance screening Tuesday of “The Adjustment Bureau,” starring Matt Damon.

The free advance screening will take place at 7:30 p.m. at Starplex Galaxy 16. The event is open to all Baylor students, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Dr. Michael Beaty, chair of the philosophy department, was enthusiastic that Baylor was chosen for a sneak preview.

“An event like this creates a lot of excitement and energy, and is something cool for our students to do,” Beaty said. “The philosophy department has good name recognition way beyond Texas, and I am delighted we were given this opportunity.”

The movie will be followed by a brief discussion concerning the themes of the movie, led by Dr. Trent Dougherty, assistant professor of philosophy; Dr. Thomas Hibbs, dean of the Honors College; and Dr. Sarah-Jane Murray, associate professor of medieval literature and French and faculty Master of the Honors Residential College.

The movie deals with philosophical issues and themes, such as free will and fate. Matt Damon stars as a man who glimpses into the future fate has planned for him and realizes he wants something else, according to the invitation to the advanced screening.

The post-movie discussion will cover questions the movie raises.

“One of the questions will be, ‘Is there a destiny, is there a fate for each person?’” Dougherty said. “One of the ways it is to manifest itself for Christians, is there one mate for me out there or not? Is that idea correct? Is it true that there is any kind of fate and if there is can you change it? What is the value of a choice? Are our choices real?”

Grace Hill Media is working with Universal Pictures, which produced the movie, to contact different universities to host special screenings and discussions of “The Adjustment Bureau.”

Johanna Cruz, representative for Grace Hill Media, worked with Beaty to bring the movie to Baylor and said Universal Pictures wanted to reach out to a few universities to not only show the movie but also encourage a dialogue.

“Grace Hill Media does marketing and public relations for the faith community, and we’ve known about Baylor so we thought this would be a perfect fit,” Cruz said.

“The movie was also screened at Fuller Theological Seminary and brought about a huge response, so we wanted to go ahead and give other Christian universities an opportunity,” she said.

Grace Hill Media and Universal Pictures hopes the preview screening will stir a dialogue and help students to address philosophical questions.

“One of the questions raised in the movie ‘Is, is there one person you’re meant to love and how far do you go to be with someone you love?’” Cruz said.

Dougherty hopes students gain two main things from the movie and post discussion.

“First, I’d hope they come away with a more thoughtful attitude towards the idea of fate, especially as it exits in the Christian context,” Dougherty said.

“Secondly, that they would come away with a greater inclination and ability to analyze the ideas presented in the movies they watch.”

Starplex Galaxy 16 is located at 333 South Valley Mills Drive.

Winter wonderland: Premiere students to visit campus, get questions answered

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February 1, 2011

By Sally Ann Moyer
Reporter

Current residential college students will lead tours during Saturday’s Winter Premiere to help assist prospective students decide where to live.

Keller sophomore Osalunosse Ovienmhada, co-chair of Brooks Residential College’s community and traditions committee, has been giving tours of Brooks Residential College since before her involvement with the committee.

“I was doing tours just because I was really happy about living here, and it’s definitely one thing that’s been really rewarding to me,” Ovienmhada said.

Ovienmhada has had friends tell her that her passion convinced other people to live at Brooks.

Previously, committee co-chairs and Community Leaders led all tours at Brooks Residential College.

“This semester, we’re trying something new and just having the actual residents volunteer to be a part of a new sort of group to be in charge of tours in the future,” Ovienmhada said.

Hopkinsville, Ky., sophomore Sherry Cheatham, chair of the Honors Residential College’s recruitment committee, leads tours and trains others to lead.

“It’s a really good experience to help people,” Cheatham said, “You’re doing something that’s helping people before they come to Baylor; you’re a mentor to prospective students.”

Some of the current members of the Honors Residential College’s committee were inspired to join after their own positive tour experiences as prospective students.

La Porte freshman Josh Dossey is one such member.

“It was really cool when I came, so when I had the chance to do it here, I joined the recruitment committee,” Dossey said.

Interacting with parents is Dossey’s favorite part of giving tours.

“I like parents asking the personal questions they feel like they can’t ask anywhere else,” he said. “Parents will ask you the type they feel like they can’t find out from faculty or their student’s adviser.”

Cheatham enjoys answering questions during tours.

“They normally ask about bathrooms and microwaves and refrigerators, but we have had questions about shoes — that’s a big one from girls,” Cheatham said.

Prospective students are curious about how many pairs to bring to college and how much storage space will be available to them, she said.

The tours aren’t always so easy. Sometimes leading tours takes patience, Ovienmhada said.

“You just have to know how to handle yourselves sometimes with the parents, even though you’ve probably answered [the same question] like 15 times,” she said.

Dossey always provides parents with his e-mail address in case they have any further questions.

“Parents are definitely intense,” he said, “Parents do their research a lot.”

Winter Premiere will run from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Saturday. Campus tours will occur from 11 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Gospel Fest singers prepare for annual choir concert

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February 1, 2011

By Lahmeik Stacey
Reporter

The Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir, in association with the department of multicultural activities, will present its annual Gospel Fest at 6 p.m., on Feb. 12 at Waco Hall.

Gospel Fest – which holds the theme of “Moving Forward” this year – was first established in 1991 and has been glorifying God with increasing numbers each successive year.

In order to draw attention to and help finance Gospel Fest, the Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir partnered with Pizza Hut this past Thursday, collecting 20 percent of all purchases made with the necessary Gospel Fest flier.

“Every little bit counts,” said Gospel Fest chairwoman and Fort Smith, Ark. junior, Brittany Hudson. “So, we are very thankful to those who helped out.”

Gospel Fest has attracted crowds of many people, from both the Baylor and Waco communities in past years. In the past, Gospel Fest has almost filled Waco Hall to capacity.

“Waco Hall has a capacity of 2,000 [people], and we once had 1,800 guests in attendance,” said Ronald English, adviser for the Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir. “We typically get the most ticket sales the night before the show and at the door the night of.”

While fundraisers, fliers and ticket sales prove to be a huge part of presenting Gospel Fest to audiences, the hard work put into the event by choir members each year must also be remembered, for the members are also students with busy schedules.

“We have practices every Monday at 8 p.m. in Miller Chapel and will begin to rehearse even more as Gospel Fest approaches,” said senior, Britney Thornton, a member of the Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir and former Gospel Fest chairwoman. “Everyone in the choir is really excited to see the audience and share the experience of praising God in such a powerful atmosphere.”

While many elements of this year’s presentation of Gospel Fest are still under wraps, Baylor’s Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir will be sharing the stage with the choirs from the University of Texas at Austin, the University of North Texas and Navarro College during this year’s presentation of Gospel Fest.

“Something we haven’t done before is Gospel poetry. We will be incorporating that into the show for the first time this year,” Hudson said. “And Gospel Fest will be amazing, as usual.”

While those involved in this year’s Gospel Fest presentation do not hesitate to demonstrate how excited they are for Gospel Fest, it is a bittersweet moment for some of the members of the Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir who will be graduating at the end of the semester.

“I’m excited about Gospel Fest this year, but am also sad that this will be my last time participating,” Thornton said. “I know how much hard work goes into organizing the event and hope that it continues to be as life-changing and amazing as it has been in the past.”

Those involved in Gospel Fest do not want the performance to just be a concert.

On the contrary, the participants of the Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir want those who attend to have a revelation of the true love of God.

Tickets for Gospel Fest 2011 cost $10 and are available for sale at the Baylor ticket office in the Bill Daniel Student Center or at Marilyn’s Gift Gallery, located at 818 Elm St. in Waco.

Track athletes succeed individually, as a team

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February 1, 2011

By Lindsay Cash
Reporter

Coach Todd Harbour’s track and field squad finished on a strong note after participating in the Razorback Invitational this weekend at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark.

Overall, Harbour said he was pleased with the performances, especially when team members shone individually.

“This was a good meet from a historical perspective,” Harbour said. “I was very pleased. You can never lump a victory together in track and field the way you can in football or basketball, because there are so many individual performances. And we are ranked nationally in sixth.”

Freshman Tiffani McReynolds exceeded current measures in the 60-meter races in Arkansas. On Friday, she ran the fastest qualifying time at 8.30 seconds, grabbing the eighth-best spot in the NCAA, but she wasn’t quite finished.

On Saturday, McReynolds was able to drop her time to 8.26 to finish as the event’s runner-up and capture Baylor’s record.

“She’s president of the ‘Mighty Might’ club,” Harbour said. “It’s amazing to watch someone her size, so tiny, run that incredibly fast.”

Senior Tiffany Townsend also grabbed the second spot in the 60-meter and 200-meter prelims, running the events in 7.35 and 23.12, respectively.

On Saturday, Townsend finished second in the 60-meter with a time of 7.38. Her 200-meter time propelled her into in the top five in the NCAA.

Baylor’s reigning record holder, sophomore Skylar White, finished second in the shot put. Her second-best toss at 53-6 puts her at second in Baylor’s program history.

White has impressively set two university records in her past two meets.

“The sky’s the limit with Skylar,” Harbour said.

She also now owns top eight all-time performances at Baylor.

Among other women performances were freshman Robyn Bennett, junior Sam Patty and senior Leigh Ann Ganzar.

Bennett placed third in the mile and broke the five-minute barrier at 4:59.62. Patty set her personal best at 9:58.59 in the 3,000 meters, placing third as well. Ganzar neared personal best and finished fourth with a time of 2:11.62.

Junior Jessica Ubanyionwu entered top five contention in the NCAA with a triple jump mark of 43-2.25.

In the men’s 60-meter, Marcus Boyd and Whitney Prevost placed sixth and seventh, respectively, after they each finished at 6.79.

They then joined Zwede Hewitt and James Gilreath for the 4-x-400-relay.

The men finished second at 3:07.88, closely behind Iowa.

“We had a slip up on the backstretch, but ran against a really good team,” Harbour said.

The men succeeded individually, as well. Junior Zwede Hewitt debuted his season with a 400-meter time of 47.41. Sophomore Gavyn Nero ran the Invitational section’s 800 meters and finished ninth at 1:50.44. Sophomore Ben Allen attained personal best in the mile at 4:19.80.

Baylor’s track and field teams will travel to New York City this upcoming weekend for the two-day New Balance Invitational on Feb. 4-5 at the Armory Track Center.

Editorial: Suppressing the ethics of journalism

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February 1, 2011

On Jan. 1, the Hungarian media was given more to talk about than just what’s to come in 2011. A new law enacted at the first of the year by the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban now requires all national media outlets — including bloggers — to register with a government-approved media authority and be subjected to government scrutiny.

The mission of the new law is to ensure fair and balanced media coverage. According to an article by the Mail Foreign Service, a British news outlet, if the five-person media authority determines an outlet produces coverage that is “unbalanced” and/or “offensive to human dignity,” the outlet may be punished with substantial fines.

Individual journalists are also affected, as they may be coerced into identifying confidential sources if the disclosure is found to be in the public’s interest. The authority has also reserved the right to monitor and limit news coverage concerning crime in or around the nation.

At first glance, a law requiring fair and balanced media coverage sounds ideal, especially since the slow corruption of media has been the target of increasing frustration and anger among the public.

However, the new law holds an ironic repercussion: the regulated media will be censored to only represent the best interests of the government rather than the well-balanced coverage the news industry’s standards call for. The media authority, undoubtedly greatly influenced by Orban, will most likely encourage a “balanced” opinion heavily weighted in the direction of Orban’s own biases.

However, this idea of an “unbiased” journalist has been argued against by many, claiming that the personal biases of writers make the goal of objectivity a moot point.

However, true journalists are those that have accepted a set of ethics that looks to ensure the accuracy of all work done.

In fact, it is a misconstrued belief to think that a journalist’s attempt to be objective is an attempt to be free of bias.

According to “The Elements of Journalism,” a book by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, the 1920s saw a “call for journalists to adopt objectivity” after years of corruption. At that time, the general public looked for journalists to “develop a consistent method of testing information — a transparent approach to evidence — precisely so that personal and cultural biases would not undermine the accuracy of their work.”

Implementing these tests, thoroughly editing articles and creating a set of company ethics are lengths organizations go to ensure their credibility. The Hungarian media will now be subjected to the tests of their country’s figurehead, about whom numerous editorial decisions will be made at news organizations.

Hungary’s new twist on the law is a form of dictatorship, especially since those who are found to “misrepresent” the government or current issues may be punished.

Bloggers, who are also included under this law, are basically online, self-published columnists. While in a way it is fair that bloggers are subjected to the law since blogging is fast becoming a popular form of general news media, it is still not permissible that bloggers must follow Orban and his media authority’s standards of bias.

Simply put, the new law would eventually eradicate personal opinion and its inclusion of bloggers is a severe suppression of self-expression. At the outrage of the European Union – of which Hungary is a member – Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics stated, “If there are really problems in practice, we will not hesitate to modify the law, which is in principle a good piece of work.”

This statement clearly implies a determination to control and regulate the media despite the disapproval of other European nations, which could potentially ruin international relationships and allies. Although the government claims to support the public’s interest by asking journalists to report fair and balanced coverage, censoring the media in favor of the Hungarian government is in fact hindering the media’s obligation to serve the needs of the public, first and foremost.

And while in principle this may sound ideal to the Hungarian government, it fails to provide balanced and fair coverage in the eyes of the Hungarian nation and the rest of the world. The ethical standards of journalists should remain out of the reach of any government. Journalists and news organizations should be kept answerable to the one group they are charged with educating — the people.

Editorials are written by the Lariat editorial board consisting of five staff members: Nick Dean, Caty Hirst, Carmen Galvan, Jessica Acklen and Chris Derrett.

Point of View: Diversity should permeate personal relationships, too

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February 1, 2011

By Caitlin Giddens

A student raises his hand to state his opinion, a belief that contrasts so starkly from your own you remember why you’ve never followed through with that coffee date.

His opinion is the polar opposite of yours. Therefore, it can be assumed you could never foster a friendship.

What would begin as a casual conversation would escalate into a heated argument and your debate quota has already been met in political science class as you discuss court cases and political leanings.

But as I’ve discovered from immersing myself in the various organizations on campus , and it is something your mom probably reminded you before facing kindergarten class: We do not have the same opinions because we are not all the same.

And it is this differentiation in opinions and cultures that defines us as Americans, as intellectuals and, dare I say, as humans.

I believe it is the closet narcissist in us all that causes us to gravitate toward people almost exactly like ourselves.

We think, “I can’t wait to get to know this person. He seems so interesting.”

But there’s no need to invest time in that person if they are exactly like you, unless of course you are tirelessly interested in getting acquainted with yourself.

How many times have you seen a cluster of girls with almost the exact same hair color, outfit and personality glued together? Or a pack of guys you couldn’t separate in a police line up?

Perhaps it’s my quirky side that wants nothing more than to unhinge these people and throw someone completely different into the mundane mix.

If we are seeking people exactly like ourselves, then there is no need to branch out by attending college.

Sure, Baylor may be a private Texas school with a Christian heritage, but there is plenty of diversity present on campus.

You don’t have to study abroad for a semester to find people with contrasting cultures. You just have to take a second look around campus. For a change, instead of focusing on the big-name organizations on campus, take note of some other campus groups.

The Association of Black Students organizes great events for Black History Month in February. And the Swing Dance Society brings an assortment of people together each week.

It’s a display of the anti-cookie-cutter personalities you pictured when you thought of college. It’s the type of organization you planned on joining first semester, just because it was new and exciting and different.

If you are completely rooted in your beliefs, then there is no harm in associating yourself with different types of people. In fact, I believe it grows your own thoughts and personality.

Finding someone who differs vastly from yourself can cement your sense of self, which, if I recall correctly, is one reason for attending college.

Also, the conversations you have could make for a more riveting Friday night.

Instead of thinking, “We have so much in common. So I think you’re cool.” You’ll realize, “We differ in a few ways, and that makes this exciting and challenging and surprising.”

Diverse friendships gently force us to become more knowledgeable and cultured people.

I’m not saying you should stumble into a situation that would leave you feeling uncomfortable.

That’s not challenging. It is just unwise. But instead of chastising your peers for their differences in opinion, celebrate each other’s differences.

Those are the very differences that make college a true experience and stretch your mind in a beautiful way.

Follow through with that coffee date. And enjoy a conversation that reaches beyond your mutual love for Nike shorts and studying in Jones Library.

By stepping out of your comfort zone, you’ll find experiences grow the person you are and the person you are becoming.

Caitlin Giddens is a sophomore journalism major from Tyler and a reporter for the Lariat.

Lariat Letters: Faculty could carry, too

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February 1, 2011

Friday’s article states that the Texas House Bill “could require Baylor to allow licensed students to bring concealed weapons onto campus.” An additional important point is that it would also allow licensed faculty to carry concealed firearms onto campus. Since the minimum age to get a CHL (concealed handgun license) is 21, it is plausible that more faculty might carry than students. The idea of allowing faculty to carry concealed weapons is gaining momentum, even in K-12 public schools, because allowing faculty to carry might deter or stop a mass school shooting.

The story on the bills was a little incomplete. There are two House Bills proposed regarding concealed carry on university campuses. HB 86 would prohibit private universities from regulating licensed concealed carry, but HB 750 would allow private universities to prohibit concealed carry. There is only one proposed Senate Bill proposed, SB 354, which would also allow private universities to prohibit concealed carry.

Kudos to Daniel Houston for including points of view from both sides of the issue.

-Jill Nichols
Full-time lecturer
Mathematics

Sudoku solution: 2/1/11

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February 1, 2011

Sudoku solution: 2/1/11

Crossword solution: 2/1/11

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February 1, 2011

Crossword solution: 2/1/11

2/1/11: The Baylor Lariat

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February 1, 2011

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Gospel tickets on sale

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February 1, 2011

Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir’s Gospel Fest 2011 tickets are now on sale at the Bill Daniel Student Center box office for $10. Gospel Fest will be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 12 in Waco Hall. Tickets are $15 at the door. This event will feature college and community choirs as well as other local talents.

Habitat hangout

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February 1, 2011

Baylor Habit for Humanity will host Hangin’ with Habitaters from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Fountain Mall. Join Habitat members and learn more about the organization. There will be games and prizes, refreshments and crafts.

Cultural show

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February 1, 2011

The department of multicultural affairs is kicking off Black History Month with a cultural show at 6 p.m. today in Kayser Auditorium in the Hankamer School of Business. Tickets for Black Heritage Banquet, Gospel Fest and All-University Sing will be given away as door prizes.

Sims leads No. 1 Lady Bears, 63-60, in packed A&M house

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January 30, 2011

Associated Press
No. 0 freshman guard Odyssey Sims shoots the ball against Texas A&M's Sydney Carter during the second half of the College Station game. Baylor won, 63-60.

By Matt Larsen
Sports Writer

The Lady Bears showed why they sit at No. 1 in the country Sunday afternoon, overcoming a No. 5/6 Texas A&M squad 63-60 in front of a record crowd who could not have asked for much more from two of the country’s best teams.

“We love it,” head coach Kim Mulkey said of the loud, nerve-racking environment. “That’s what it should be everywhere you go. To think that [head coach Gary Blair’s] got that many seniors and that many juniors and we battled. It wasn’t pretty; we’re far from a finished product. But we hung in there long enough, and we found a way to win.”

Texas A&M controlled the tip and the first few minutes of play, jumping to a 3-0 lead.

They held onto that lead until Baylor’s co-captains, senior Melissa Jones and sophomore Brittney Griner found their way to the basket for the tying and go-ahead layups to take a 15-13 lead.

The Lady Bears and Aggies went back and forth until sophomore Brooklyn Pope hit two free throws and a breakaway layup off a steal that sparked an 11-0 run for Baylor with just under seven minutes left in the first half.

Pope and company capitalized on their trips to the line in the first half, sinking 12 of 13, and took a 36-26 lead into the half.

On the defensive end Baylor held an Aggie squad that usually shoots 47 percent from the field to a 28.6 field goal percentage during the first twenty minutes.

“It comes from athletes on the perimeter, it comes from steals too,” Mulkey said. “Some of it is [Griner]. It’s just a commitment that we’re going to guard you. We lead the country in field goal percentage defense. The shots they made, they had to work for.”

The Aggies came out of the locker room and went on a 13-6 run, closing the gap to 39-42 before freshman Odyssey Sims provided an answer with a drive and layup.

The point guard seemed to have an answer every time her team needed it during the second half, putting up 10 of her squad’s 13 points during a critical nine minute stretch.

“She plays beyond her years, and I’m blessed to have her,” Mulkey said. “We didn’t execute very well, but that’s to be expected against that kind of defense, this kind of atmosphere and a freshman point guard. When all else fails, she knows how to find the rim, and she did.”

The Lady Bears gave up their lead when freshman Karla Gilbert sank a pair of free throws to give her team a 48-46 advantage with 9:11 to play.

Sophomore Kimetria Hayden drained a three in response, marking the final lead change of the contest.

The Aggies kept it uncomfortably close the rest of the game however, keeping the 13,162 fans loud and on their feet.

“They gave us their best game, here with a big crowd to feed off of,” Griner said. “It was just back-and-forth, possession by possession.”

Though multiple players remained on the court with four fouls, senior Danielle Adams was the only one to earn her fifth, fouling out at the 3:53 mark.

The conference’s leading scorer ended the afternoon with 13 points.

Reed Arena reached possibly the loudest point when senior guard Sydney Colson connected on a three-point attempt to tie it up at 60 with just 49 seconds left to play.

Sims gave her final answer of the day though when she drove the lane and laid it in, giving A&M 26 seconds to work with.

“I knew the game was on the line, and I had the ball in my hands,” the freshman point guard said. “I couldn’t run from the ball. So we cleared out the lane, I went off a ball screen, and I just created an opportunity for me to get the shot off.”

Jones made it 63-60 with a free throw after being fouled while scooping up a loose ball knocked away from a driving Aggie.

A&M saw a couple more looks but failed to convert on two three-point attempts as the closing seconds ticked off the clock.

Blair didn’t need many words to describe the game

“It was just a good ball game,” he said. “Our fans, right now, they should be buying tickets in Waco for the rematch. Take your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day and go to Waco.”

Dunn guides men’s 70-66 comeback

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January 29, 2011

File Photo No. 24 guard LaceDarius Dunn lays the ball up against Oklahoma State University last Saturday at the Ferrell Center. Against the Buffs, Dunn scored 26 points.

By Chris Derrett
Sports Editor

In the final minutes of Saturday’s tight game, the Colorado defense wanted the ball in anybody’s hands but senior LaceDarius Dunn. Too bad.

Dunn was a perfect 8 of 8 from the charity stripe in the final 1:27 and scored 26 points as Baylor erased a 17-point deficit to beat the Buffaloes, 70-66, at the Ferrell Center.

The Bears (14-6, 4-3) trailed the entire game until Dunn drained a pull-up jumper with 2:58 left in the game and put his team ahead, 58-57. From there Colorado (14-8, 3-4) went 4 of 12 from the field while Dunn iced the game from the line.

But ask Dunn, and he’ll say his most important statistic of the night was neither points nor free throws. He recorded six assists, one shy of a career-high.

“I’m not just an offensive player. I just have to do other things to get my other teammates shots and do whatever we have to do to get the ball in the bucket,” Dunn said.

Dunn’s last assist came after he gave the Bears the 58-57 lead. He sliced to the basket and kicked out to a wide open A.J. Walton, who connected from 3-point range.

Considering the Bears’ 49 second half points, coach Scott Drew was asked if Saturday was the best second half he has seen from his squad this season.

“Against a quality team, yes. That’s a pretty good half, holding them to 32 percent,” Drew said.

The Bears pulled within striking distance several times in the final 20 minutes. Dunn’s bucket and free throw at 14:45 brought the score to 41-35, the closest it had been since Colorado was ahead 8-2. Three minutes later freshman Perry Jones III, who tallied 14 points on the day, hit a jumper and made the score 44-42.

Dunn evened the game at 54, the first tie of the contest, with a pair of free throws with just under five minutes to go.

“I thought Corey [Higgins] did a terrific job on [Dunn] in the first half, and then LaceDarius got going in the second half and made some shots. He’s a hell of a player,” Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said.

For the Buffaloes, Higgins scored 16 points, and NBA prospect Alec Burks had 20.

Much of the Colorado’s damage came in the first half when it had more momentum, cohesion and energy than the home team.

Levi Knutson’s 3-pointer answered one from Dunn and gave the Buffaloes a 15-5 advantage just after the 13 minute mark. Knutson’s bucket was the first following a sequence in which Andre Roberson snagged two offensive rebounds but missed three shots in the same possession.

Roberson finished with 10 offensive boards, part of the Colorado’s 19 in the game.

A similar possession ended in points for the Buffaloes, when Austin Dufault caught an offensive rebound, missed a putback attempt, grabbed his own rebound and finally laid the ball in unguarded.

The play drew boos from the crowd and illustrated what Drew felt was the problem in the first half.

“I think they were more of the aggressor. They got all the loose balls and they got the 50/50 balls,” Drew said.

Turnovers also plagued the Bears in the period, as 13 turnovers became 12 Colorado points. The Buffaloes used junior Quincy Acy’s turnover with less than a minute left to earn two free throws and build their largest lead of the game at 35-18.

“We went into the locker room at half and realized we needed to get it together,” Acy said.

Acy finished with 13 points, joining Dunn and Jones III as the Bears’ double figure scorers.

Acy was not in the starting lineup, again to help provide a spark off the bench. J’mison Morgan instead started but played only three minutes with no statistics in the box score.

Along with Acy, freshman Stargell Love made significant contributions off the bench albeit netting only two baskets. Love’s first bucket, an offensive rebound and dunk with 30 seconds left in the first half, provided a momentum boost heading into the locker room. In the second half, Love hit a fadeaway jumper to pull the Bears within 52-50.

“He finishes the half in a great way for us, getting that bucket. We come in the locker room, and second half he continues to give us a lift,” Drew said. “We don’t win this game without him.”

Point of View: Second chance for America in democratic struggle

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January 28, 2011

By Jonathan Angel
Web editor

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a people subject to the British Empire. They worked hard to sustain their livelihoods, but tensions led to British officers firing upon crudely armed villagers. Eventually, this spark was fanned into widespread discontent of British rule; the people shucked the colonial yoke in favor of a new republic.

Over the course of decades, investment reformed the economy. The population exploded on both sides of the great river that divided the nation. And in 2011, protests against the autocratic president were met with water cannons, rubber bullets, and tear gas. Then on January 28, in the midst of these protests, the internet was disabled (probably at the government’s demand) nationwide.

America and Egypt have so much in common, from money to innovation to founding history. Thus, it is most surprising to learn that President Barack Obama and the United States Federal Government continue to speak support for the Egyptian autocratic president, Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, who clearly disregards the liberties of his citizens, even as they clamor for self-rule, for changes, for freedom.

Over the past two months, the Middle East has been in perhaps the greatest state of internal unrest since World War II. From the collapse of Lebanon’s pro-western coalition government to the night flight of Tunisia’s pro-western dictator from his post to the ever-more-forceful protests in other countries, especially pro-western Egypt and Yemen, the region may be headed towards an era of greater individual freedoms and less acquiescence on U.S. political interests.

In his June 2009 speech in Cairo, Obama extended a hand of friendship to the Muslim world – “A New Beginning,” to use the words of the speech title. He noted that America and Islam share the common higher principles of “justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.” He commended Morocco for being the first nation to recognize the fledgeling U.S.

Why, then, would Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stress just days before Ben Ali’s flight that “we are not taking sides” in this fight for [Tunisian] democracy? Even after a July 2009 State Department cable (classified, but released by Wikileaks) cited that Tunisia had “serious human rights problems” and that “major change in Tunisia will have to wait for Ben Ali’s departure,” the U.S. continued to insist on supporting Ben Ali until the day he fled the country.

The State Department, had it been more astute, would have enjoined support for the Tunisian people; its own cable stated that “most still admire … the American dream.” Instead, we’re likely viewed now at best as self-interested imbeciles without moral consciences.

The great news is that we have been given a second chance, an opportunity to form a lasting relationship with a people that will, whether tomorrow or in ten years, get rid of President Mubarak and install a truly democratic leader.

Second chances rarely come around, and when they do, it’s often at great cost. It took an attack on Pearl Harbor for us to reconsider entering World War II, despite the danger the Axis powers posed. Let’s not demand a second Pearl Harbor to learn our lesson this time.

The U.S. has long shared a special relationship with Egypt. From the Camp David Accords to the nearly $2 billion annual aid sent to support Egypt’s economic and military might, the two countries have a complex history of support.

Does the U.S. have the guts to make that support dependent upon reform? Is freedom worth risking a friendly relationship with a dictator?

That relationship should not hinder us from pushing unabashedly for much greater democratization in Egypt; it certainly didn’t hinder President Mubarak from unabashedly ordering crackdowns on nonviolent protests.

Photos of the Week: Jan 1-27, 2011

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January 28, 2011

[slideshow post_id=”1769″]

David vs. Goliath: Web upstart battles corporate giant Facebook

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January 28, 2011

Lamebook, the creation of two BU alumni, runs into legal trouble

Courtesy Photo
Baylor alumni Jonathan Standefer and Matt Genitempo, center, creators of Lamebook.com, pose with friends in the photobooth at their recent “You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Parody!” party. Lamebook.com is entangled in a lawsuit with Facebook.

By Liz Hitchcock
Reporter

Sometimes things are posted on Facebook that make you wonder, “Who thought it would be a good idea to say this?”

Matt Genitempo and Jonathan Standefer, Baylor alumni, saw the potential to profit from, and have a good laugh at, the most ridiculous Facebook content. So they created the Facebook parody website Lamebook.

“We started Lamebook a little [after meeting], and after a few months of doing that it got so popular that we were able to quit our jobs at the offices and do that full time,” said Genitempo, who graduated in 2007 with a degree in graphic design. “That brought a lot of other different design opportunities for both of us.”

While Genitempo and Standerfer, who graduated in 2005 with a degree in film and digital media, were just acquaintances in college, they became friends after graduating and went on to create Lamebook.com, which focuses on posts made by Facebook users.

Lamebook quickly became successful enough for Facebook to take note. Lamebook’s play on Facebook’s copyrighted name and logo led Facebook to threaten the company with a trademark infringement lawsuit in March 2010.

One of Lamebook’s lawyers, Conor Civins, said that after being contacted by Facebook, Lamebook owners decided to file a lawsuit for a declaratory judgment, which means they sued Facebook first in order to gain a preemptive judgement stating that no copyright infringement exists.

“[Lamebook] is a parody website; it’s supposed to be social commentary and it’s protected by free speech,” Civins said.

About a week after filing their lawsuit, Lamebook owners heard back from Facebook’s lawyers in California.

“It literally exploded overnight,” Standefer said. “And that next week we got countersued by Facebook.”

Along with their lawyers in Texas, where their lawsuit was filed, the owners of Lamebook have counsel in California and have been working closely on what Civins called “a strong case.”

Despite having a strong case, Civins admitted that Facebook is tough opposition.

“Facebook is a corporate giant with limitless amounts of money to throw at the case,” Civins said. “But Lamebook has hired very good intellectual property lawyers … We know a lot about this kind of lawsuit.”

The case between Lamebook and Facebook is still ongoing, and Genitempo and Standefer are doing everything they can to stand up to the social media giant, including nonconventional methods like throwing a party on Jan. 21 dubbed “You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Parody!”
They ask for support in their efforts against Facebook on their website, saying, “We really love running Lamebook. Aside from the laughs, it represents an opportunity to work on an incredibly fun project with our buddies that makes a lot of people happy and still allows us to make rent at the end of the month … Problem is, Facebook didn’t get the joke. They’ve decided to pick on the little guys: small business owners who seem to be no match for a multi-billion dollar behemoth. But this is one website that’s not going down without a fight.”
Facebook is just as resolute in its decision to beat Lamebook in court.
In a statement released on Fox 7 in Austin on Nov. 5, Andrew Noyes, communications manager for Facebook, said: “It’s unfortunate that after months of working with Lamebook to amicably resolve what we believe is an improper attempt to build a brand that trades off Facebook’s popularity and fame, they have turned to litigation. We are confident in our position and believe we will prevail in court.”
Aside from the controversy surrounding their biggest project, Lamebook, these Baylor alumni are busy with several projects, including the publishing of a best of Lamebook.com book, co-written by Josh Huck and published by Chronicle Books. The book will be released around September.
Additionally, Genitempo and Standefer are embracing their website’s popularity in the digital universe.
“We’re having a [South by Southwest] party along with the other blog, Texts From Last Night, and a few other pretty popular blogs,” Genitempo said, discussing the popular Austin music festival in March.
Genitempo is also part of another blog called Public School, which is composed of a team of designers who post different aspects of design and creative work.
“Public School is basically a group of creatives who got together because we were sick of designing from home and wanting to be in a creative environment,” Genitempo said.
Standefer and Genitempo advised students who are taking classes in the art department to not limit themselves to the curriculum suggested by advisers and to take classes that seem interesting, even if they aren’t necessarily required.
“All the people that I really respected in the art program and all the students whose work I enjoyed were all doing extra stuff, and I don’t think that you can do great things out of the art department if you’re not doing anything extra,” said Genitempo. “It’s a very competitive field.”
Standefer and Genitempo are in the process of coming out with a new website, one with content and a URL that will be released later.
Students can visit Lamebook and Public School at www.lamebook.com and https://gotopublicschool.com.

BU to fight concealed firearms bill

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January 28, 2011

Gun legislation — Photo Illustration by Jed Dean | Lariat Photo Editor

Starr headed to Austin in support of tuition grants

By Daniel C. Houston
Reporter

Baylor administrators will engage in “an orchestrated lobbying effort” to combat bills in the Texas Legislature that could require [PDF] Baylor to allow licensed students to bring concealed weapons onto campus.

The bill, filed by Republican Rep. David Simpson, would prohibit a public university or private or independent institution of higher education from adopting “any rule, regulation or other provision prohibiting license holders from carrying handguns on the campus of the institution,” according to the bill as originally filed in the Texas Legislature’s online database.

“I think this is an alarming situation when you have 14,000 students on a campus,” said Tommye Lou Davis, vice president for constituent engagement, who oversees Baylor’s department of governmental relations. “It makes no sense to me for students to be allowed even with a conceal-and-carry permit. It seems disturbing that that would be an option on campuses across the state.”

Davis hopes to convince legislators to include an opt-out clause exempting private institutions like Baylor from the bill’s provisions.

“We would first like an exemption for private institutions,” Davis said, “but if that does not happen, I think the wording in the bill is such that we can build a case for having control over the storage of the firearms.”

Baylor President Ken Starr will travel to Austin on Tuesday to try to convince legislators to scale back proposed cuts to the Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG) program, and will address other concerns that could include the concealed-carry legislation, according to Davis. Traveling with him will be Davis, Rochonda Farmer-Neal, director of governmental relations, and the Baylor Ambassadors, a student organization that lobbies on behalf of Baylor.

“Our goal over the next couple months is to have four or five trips down there to add back as much as we can, given that that much [TEG funding] has been proposed to be taken out,” said Chris Hayes, McKinney senior and president of Baylor Ambassadors.

“We understand there’s a good chance that we won’t be at the current level we’re at, but we’re hoping it won’t be as drastic a cut as they’ve proposed.”

A proposal released last week [PDF] by the Legislative Budget Board would cut $87.4 million in funding for the tuition equalization grants, a move that could affect up to 3,200 Baylor students who benefit from the program, according to Lori Fogleman, director of communications.

“We’re optimistic that we’re going to be able to minimize the damage,” Davis said, “that the cuts will not be as deep as in the original bill that was filed.”

Hayes said the Baylor Ambassadors are focusing on state grants in Tuesday’s lobbying efforts, but added that they could potentially address the concealed-carry legislation in the future.

“The TEG is definitely Baylor Ambassadors’ top priority,” Hayes said, “and has been for years.”

Allen Brittain, Garland senior and member of the Young Conservatives of Texas, said that the time has come for Baylor to have a serious conversation about concealed weapons policy.

Although he doesn’t think the policy ought to be imposed upon Baylor by state law, Brittain would like for licensed students to be able to bring weapons on campus due to his belief that it would make campus safer.

“There definitely should be an opt-out clause for Baylor because it is a private university and it has the right to make its own policies,” Brittain said.

“But, saying that, I do believe that as a school Baylor should consider this concealed carry policy and get the Student Senate and student leadership involved in making the decision.”

Despite the high priority being given to concealed carry and TEG funding, Davis said the administration will also focus on other possible cuts, such as those in nursing aid programs and the statewide library program.

“We have to be mindful of all the things that could impact our students,” Davis said. “We will be lobbying for anything that adversely affects our student body.”

Starr, Abbott stump for financial wisdom

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January 28, 2011

Nick Berryman | Lariat Photographer
President Ken Starr sits next to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott as they announce a financial literacy initiative for college students in Texas at a press conference Thursday at the Mayborn Museum Complex.

By Ariadne Aberin
Staff Writer

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and Baylor President Ken Starr have collaborated to provide Baylor students with resources to educate them on the importance of financial responsibility. The two spoke at a press conference at the Mayborn Museum to promote a new DVD designed to educate college students on the importance of smart financial decision-making and give students tips on how to responsibly handle their newfound financial freedom.

High-interest credit card debt is a growing problem among Texas college students. Various state and federal regulations have been passed in an attempt to combat this issue, such as the federal law requiring students to have a co-signer if the student lacks the funds to pay back the credit card, and the state law requiring colleges and universities to educate their students on personal financial management.

To address this issue, the attorney general’s office has developed an award-winning DVD titled “Money Crunch.”

“We wanted to roll this out so we could connect with the students because we see it as a dramatic problem,” Abbott said. “The time that we’re living, in the aftermath of the great recession — a cause for that recession was people living beyond their means, racking up too much debt on credit cards. In order for us as a nation to pull out of that, we must educate everyone, from students to seniors and people in between, about how to be responsible with debt, and that starts with being responsible with credit cards.”

Abbott said he hopes the DVD will be effective at grabbing students’ attention and connecting with them about the importance of being responsible with their newfound privileges and freedom of being exposed to credit. Baylor has also taken steps to remedy the ongoing burden of high credit card debt.

“Everyday we’re out there encouraging people to address this problem at Baylor University,” Starr said. “We’re still a best value, but that doesn’t help the families who are struggling with this and then the students who have this high debt as they leave.”

As a part of Baylor’s effort to combat the growing issue of credit card debt, credit card companies are not permitted to solicit on campus, and freshman orientation provides a program called “Cash Course” for students and parents, designed to increase awareness of the importance of smart financial management.

“I think that the overall Baylor program has been very well received,” Starr said. “I think these are financial talents and skills that you haven’t necessarily thought about, even with good parental guidance, until you are emancipated and now making your own decisions. Sometimes, one may be having an academic issue that may be affected indirectly by the stress of a financial situation, so we’re ensuring that we’re being very intentional and holistic about responding.”

There have been other solutions put forward in an attempt to help educate people on this matter. Dr. Jim Roberts, professor of marketing, has recently written a book, “Shiny Objects,” a culmination of his research on compulsive shopping, materialism and credit card abuse. The book will be published by Harper Collins and will be released in the fall.

“The book includes a lot of great stories and a lot of great research,” Roberts said. He explained that through his research, he has found that even the best students are impacted by credit card abuse.

He added that the first step to being responsible credit card users is to figure out how we relate to money.

“If we’re overly materialistic,” Roberts said, “we use credit cards more because that’s an easy way to get what we want.”

Roberts also said that his studies showed that our income and spending since the 1970s has shot up, yet our happiness has flatlined.

“We are no happier in 2011 than we were in 1970,” Roberts said. “The gist of the book is that you’re not going to find happiness through material possessions; you’re going to find it through strong relationships, community involvement, and feeling good about who you are, and money and credit cards can actually undermine our feelings of control and mastery.”

“Money Crunch” will be playing at Clifton Robinson Tower so students can view it while they are waiting in line at the Financial Aid Office. The DVD can also be viewed at the Texas Attorney General’s Website by clicking the graphic titled “Money Crunch.”

Bears to play Colorado at home

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January 28, 2011

Matt Hellman | Lariat Photographer
No. 24 guard LaceDarius Dunn lays the ball up against Oklahoma State University last Saturday at the Ferrell Center. Dunn scored 16 points and freshman Perry Jones III had 24 as the Bears won, 76-57.

By Chris Derrett
Sports Editor

Baylor basketball looks to get back on track when it faces Colorado at 12:45 p.m. Saturday at the Ferrell Center.

The Bears (13-6, 3-3) have few bad losses on their NCAA tournament resume, but quality wins have been almost as rare this year. A win over the Buffaloes would be just the second over a top-100 RPI squad. Baylor’s loss at Iowa State is its only defeat to a sub-100 RPI team.

“[Colorado] was picked to do better this year for a reason. And that is they have talent, and they have experience,” head coach Scott Drew said.

Colorado has proven dangerous not just at home, where it topped No. 11/13 Missouri and nearly upset Kansas, but on the road as well, taking down Kansas State in a 74-66 contest earlier this month.

A pair of wiry guards have led the charge for Colorado. At 6-foot-6, 195 pounds, guard Alec Burks is recording a team-high 21.7 points per game in conference play. His backcourt accomplice, 6-foot-5, 180-pound guard Cory Higgins, has averaged 15.3 against Big 12 foes.

Burks does heavy damage from the free throw line, getting to the line 51 times in league games and shooting 84 percent. He also hauls in a team-leading 8.2 rebounds per conference game, with 19 of those 49 coming on the offensive glass. His performance has some media outlets, like nbadraft.net, projecting him as a first-round NBA draft pick if he forgoes his junior and senior seasons.

“He drove it around every one of us. Our stances were bad and our help position was bad. I mean, he’s good. That was their offense: spread and drive. He and Higgins both gave us trouble,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said about Burks after the Jayhawks beat the Buffaloes.

Baylor knows how badly opponents’ offensive rebounding can hurt after surrendering 16 in its 69-61 loss at Kansas State on Monday. More importantly, however, is limiting the defensive breakdowns that have led to easy baskets and open shots.

“We would have like to have rebounded better, but it was better than it was the previous Monday,” Drew said.

Like Baylor, Colorado likes shooting the three ball. The Buffaloes have hit 42 percent in Big 12 games, good for third in the conference behind Baylor at 43 percent and Texas at 46. The three teams are the only in the Big 12 with accuracy greater than 40 percent.

While the Buffaloes differ, however, is in their rotation and bench play. Guards Levi Knutson, Andre Roberson and Shannon Sharpe combine for an average 19 minutes and 6.1 points in Big 12 games. Knutson leads both categories with 11.7 points and 25.8 minutes.

But the Baylor bench could see a spike in points and minutes as well, as junior Quincy Acy continues to serve as the Bears’ sixth man after moving from the starting rotation two games ago.

Freshman Stargell Love could get more playing time also given his 11-point, 18-minute game against Kansas State.

“Whatever’s best for the team. Sometimes A.J. [Walton]’s turnovers come from fatigue, so allowing him to have more rest would be a great option,” Drew said.

One thing for certain is the importance of Saturday’s game, especially for the Bears defending their home floor. After Saturday, the team must travel to Oklahoma on Tuesday then Texas A&M on Feb. 5.

“I guess both of us need this game as much as the next,” Acy said.

No. 1 BU meets No. 6 Aggies at College Station

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January 28, 2011

By Matt Larsen
Sports Writer

Whether it be national No. 1 against No. 5/6, Big 12 No. 1 against Big 12 No. 2 or the conference’s two leading scorers pitted against each other in the paint, Baylor will face its biggest conference challenge of the season at Texas A&M at noon Sunday.

After a 64-51 win over Tech last Saturday, in which the Lady Bears got outrebounded and trailed at halftime for the first time since the Connecticut game Nov. 16, head coach Kim Mulkey voiced her displeasure in the effort underneath the basket.

She expected to use the week of practice to refocus her team for their trip to College Station.

“I am sure it won’t be a fun practice when we go back,” she said after beating Texas Tech.

The Aggies bring the toughest road test for Mulkey’s team since that loss to the Huskies.

Undefeated thus far in conference play, the Aggies carry an 18-1 overall record, a win on the road against No. 12/13 Oklahoma and a bitter taste from their last matchup with the Lady Bears. Then 16th-ranked Baylor upset then 12th-ranked A&M, snatching a 65-63 win out from under their feet in College Station last February.

Last year, then-freshman post Brittney Griner took her team on her shoulders. She finished that game with 22 points, 21 rebounds and the go-ahead bucket.

This year Griner comes with a healthier and more developed cast of teammates around her.

Senior guard Melissa Jones and sophomore forwards Brooklyn Pope and Destiny Williams provide a wealth of rebounding presence in the paint, each averaging more than six boards a contest.

Meanwhile, freshman Odyssey Sims has established herself as a consistent outside threat, something the Lady Bears lacked last season. Sims follows only Griner in points per game (13.3) and leads the team in 3-point percentage (.481) and attempts (77).

The Aggies, too, return with a more developed core.

To say that core is led by senior post Danielle Adams would be an understatement.

A&M head coach Gary Blair set a challenge before Adams prior to the season.

“Leadership and dependability are traits of big-time players and Danielle has all the skills,” he said. “This is her year to step up.”

Adams stepped up in just about every aspect of the game.

The 6-foot-1, forward/center blend not only leads her team in points per game, but also leads the conference with 22.9 a contest. (Griner follows right behind her in the Big 12 with 22.2).

She hauls in a team-high 8.4 rebounds a game and has managed an unusual combination 31 blocks and 22 steals on the year.

As if her work in the paint were not enough to lead her team, she also has attempted more 3-pointers than anyone else on the squad (64), connecting on 34 percent of them.

Junior guard Tyra White picks up outside where Adams leaves off.

White, 6-foot, adds 13.9 points per game and boasts a .400 3-point percentage.

As a team, the Aggies look to capitalize off turnovers.

They lead the Big 12 in steals, picking opponents’ pockets more than 12 times a game.

The Aggies’ conference-leading turnover margin of +10.5 is nearly twice that of all Big 12 opponents. Baylor sits at No. 3 in the Big 12 with a +4.95 turnover margin.

Coming off one of the least satisfying wins this season, the Lady Bears know they can’t afford to come out slow on the road.

“We have to come with more intensity,” Griner said.

Her team’s focus aside, the co-captain will look to carry over a mindset she embodied both last week against Tech and last year against the Aggies.

“On the inside I just had to do whatever I do to help out our team, whether it is scoring or passing to the open players.”

Last year, her team needed her to score.

This year they will need to outscore the only player in the conference who averages more points a game than Griner does.

Somebody will have to score, and the 6-foot-8 sophomore post should not be surprised to find all eyes on her come noon Sunday.

Constantly lighting the way

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January 28, 2011

Makenzie Mason | Lariat Photographer
The 144 granite lampposts on campus signify the sacrifice made by Baylor students who have served in the armed forces.

Lampposts represent sacrifice of Baylor military men and women

By James Stockton
Reporter

On Oct. 25, 1946, the first 84 of 144 granite lampposts were erected at Founder’s Mall on Baylor’s campus to honor Baylor men and women who gave their lives in military service.

Today, students walk by the lampposts, ignorant of their significance to the Baylor tradition. Deacon Frank Jasek, a book preservationist for the Baylor Central Libraries, has plans to change that. For 10 years he has been working on a book to tell the story behind the lampposts.

“I just wanted to put a face with the plaque,” Jasek said. “A name with the plaque; a life with the cold plaque.”

Like many universities around the country, Baylor lost students to the cause of freedom.

To help those left behind keep up with their friends, Mrs. Anna Martin, a Baylor professor of psychology during World War II, began a newsletter that would bring news from the warfront to the classrooms.

As the war raged, the news came back with names of friends, family and students who wouldn’t be returning.

So with the proceeds from the newsletter, which cost $1, and with financial help from parents of students who were killed in service, the first lampposts were dedicated for $250 each, the equivalent of $5,000 today.

As the campus grew, so did the number of lampposts. Today the ranks of the granite honor guard, another name for the dedicated lampposts, include another 19 military personnel who died in service since World War II and other beloved members of the Baylor family who have passed.

Will Dean, a San Antonio senior and fourth-year cadet in the Air Force ROTC, said all students should remember what the lampposts mean.

“If it wasn’t for their sacrifice, we wouldn’t have the freedoms we have today,” Dean said.

As a member of the autonomous ROTC club, the Blue Knights, Dean and his fellow members each pick a lamppost and memorize the contents of the plaque.

On the anniversary of the death, each member places a bouquet of flowers on the lamppost to pay homage to their predecessors.

Major David Lamkin, assistant professor of aerospace studies, said he agrees with the practice of the Blue Knights, who work under his guidance.

“As a part of our American heritage, it’s important to remember what came before us,” Lamkin said.

Lamkin said remembrance is important even for those who are not in the ROTC and have no familial affiliation to the military.

“I think it’s important for the heritage of their school,” Lamkin said. “For them to know there were people, alumni of the school, who also gave the ultimate sacrifice not just for the betterment of the country, but so that … their freedoms to attend such a great university were also guaranteed.”

ROTC students recognize the significance the lights hold.

“The lampposts represent the ultimate sacrifice,” Dean said

Greener on the other side

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January 28, 2011

Nick Berryman | Lariat Photographer
Baylor plans to enrich campus aesthetics and make the campus more pedestrian-friendly by trading concrete for greenery. Plans are in place to demolish Best Western and China Grill along with various in-campus roads in order to give the campus a more eco-friendly appeal.

Baylor plans to beautify campus with grass

By Leigh Ann Henry
Reporter

The demolition of Ivy Square, which took place last August, left many students upset because of removed parking spaces.

Demolition is set to continue in the next four to five years as Baylor’s leases with China Grill and Best Western also come to an end and those buildings are razed for fields as well.

“We want people that come through Waco to be able to see campus, whereas they used to see Ivy Square and all those other developments up front,” Brian Nicholson, associate vice president of facility, planning and construction, said.

The plans are to turn some of that area of campus into playing fields for additional intramural space as Baylor continues to expand over the next several years.

Nicholson said the immediate benefit of the Ivy Square demolition is aesthetics; as people drive down Interstate 35, they can see campus unobstructed by
old buildings and wasted space.

Plans for continuing construction and expansion are set for this summer to remove the roads that run north and south bordering Fountain Mall and replace them with grass and sidewalks.

In the upcoming years, Baylor officials hold the same goal for the span of Fifth Street that runs in front of the Bill Daniel Student Center, where the road is blocked off to through-traffic.

These changes will give the interior of campus a more open and appealing look, which, administrators hope, will improve Baylor’s environmental personality.

“It’s an effort to make the campus more attractive and pedestrian friendly. This, in turn, encourages people to be outside more often and also promotes outdoor activities,” Smith Getterman, sustainability coordinator at Baylor, said.

This goal is apparent in the removal of the side road connecting Eighth Street with the I-35 access road located by Brooks Village.

Getterman said closing campus to more through traffic should make it safer and more pedestrian-friendly since there will be fewer cars driving around the streets.

Nicholson said prospective students determine the overall feel of a campus within the first few minutes of their arrival.

“Anything the university can do to improve the overall look says a lot, so it certainly helps the case,” he said.

Nicholson said the percentage of occupied spaces at Ivy Square was low and many of the units were unused.

Nicholson said that with age, some buildings get in a state of disrepair so they require much in maintenance dollars and upkeep.

“If you’re not going to utilize the space it makes sense to go ahead and get the land and use it for something else,” Nicholson added.

The demolition and construction Baylor will be tackling in the next several years looks to be costly, but, a lot is being done to salvage and recycle materials.

Nicholson said Lindsey Contractors, a local asphalt company, salvaged all of the asphalt from the Ivy Square demolition. The company did not charge Baylor for the removal process and recycled that asphalt for future use.

Both Getterman and Nicholson agree that as the campus expands, Baylor will attempt to utilize more companies and contractors for salvaging materials.

Religious debates converge in Waco

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January 28, 2011

By Jade Mardirosian
Staff Writer

Baylor’s philosophy department will host its sixth annual Philosophy of Religion Conference today and Saturday.

A number of philosophers from across the country will attend the conference as well as give presentations on various topics concerning the philosophy of religion.

Dr. Jonathan Kvanvig, distinguished professor of philosophy, organized the conference, which will be held at the Hilton downtown.

“The conference covers everything within the philosophy of religion,” Kvanvig said, “from arguments for and against the existence of God, to issues concerning the role of religion in ethics and public policy, as well as matters of philosophical theology concerning the nature of God.”

Dr. Michael Beaty, chair of the philosophy department, believes there is a good balance of philosophers attending the conference.

“It is going to bring to campus some very established philosophers of religion from all across the country as well as some younger philosophers who are really doing interesting work in the philosophy of religion,” Beaty said.

Speakers at the conference will present papers, which Beaty described as works in progress, which will cover a variety of ideas and issues. Presentations will be kept relatively short in order to allow time for a discussion.

Most of the papers presented will eventually end up in publication.

“Our faculty and graduate students will be in attendance and actively involved in the sense that the presenters will make short presentations and then expect questions from the audience,” Beaty said. “And certainly, interested faculty, staff and students are welcome to come also.”

Both professors feel the conference has and will continue to serve Baylor in a positive way.

“To be a great university, Baylor must celebrate and display the life of the mind in all its aspects, as well as make public the quality of work being done on campus,” Kvanvig said.

“Conferences such as this, which bring in major players from the best universities in the country, provide a perfect opportunity for high impact with other professors.”

Beaty said the conference makes a contribution to the intellectual community at large and also provides Baylor an opportunity to be projected in a good light.

“The conference has been a terrific success, both in terms of the quality of presenters that Dr. Kvanvig has brought to the conference, and also in giving our department an opportunity to interact with philosophers from all over the country and develop a network of people who know about the work that our department is doing,” Beaty said.

“It gives us an opportunity to present Baylor well and contribute to the kinds of conversations that are going on. It has certainly been a boost to our graduate program and our graduate students really enjoy it.”

Bar faces penalty for TABC violation

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January 28, 2011

By Caty Hirst
City Editor

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is forcing Mynar’s Bar to close its doors for seven days after the death of a 19-year-old Navarro College student last March.

Megan Helal died the morning of March 21, 2010, after she was found unresponsive in the Arbor’s apartment complex.

Although an autopsy report found that alcohol was not the cause of death, investigations show that Helal and other minors illegally obtained alcohol at an unauthorized Baylor Sigma Chi fraternity party held at Mynar’s Bar, located at 121 Oak Street in West.

In addition to a seven-day suspension of its permit starting in February, Mynar’s has until Feb. 8 to pay a $6,900 fine or must stay closed for the remainder of the month.

Carolyn Beck, director of communications for the TABC, said the bar did not receive violations for serving alcohol to minors, but for violating the place and manner section of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code.

“It says that their permit can be suspended or canceled if the place or manner the applicant conducts business warrants the denial of the permit,” Beck said. “It is sort of a catch all, and there are a lot of things that fall under that, but, generally speaking, running an establishment in a way that is unsafe.”

Beck said the punishment was determined by using a penalty chart that outlines the suggested penalties for infractions and by working with the attorney for the location. She also said since a settlement was signed between the TABC and Mynar’s, the issue will not need to go to court.

The settlement agreement was signed Dec. 20 and became official Jan. 10.

According to Abel Reyna, district attorney of McLennan County, the charges against the individuals involved in the case were refused Dec. 30, 2010. The owner of the bar, Linda McWilliams, and bartenders Carol Baker and Amy Free were originially facing criminal charges of furnishing alcohol to a minor, but the District Attorney’s Office dropped the charges because there was “insufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” according to the report. The charges against Baylor students Matt Crowe and Brandon Bingham were also refused.

Nationally ranked track and field travels to Arkansas

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January 28, 2011

By Lindsay Cash
Reporter

After both the men and women’s track teams received Top 25 spots [PDF] for this week, Baylor prepares to travel to participate in the Razorback Invitational on Jan. 28 and 29 at the University of Arkansas Randal Tyson Track Center.

With the brand new surface on one of the NCAA’s fastest tracks, the Razorbacks are eager to put the competing and contending sprinters to the test.

Ranked No. 12 nationally, the Arkansas track and field team shows no signs of holding back in its home meet. The Razorbacks have invited an array of competitive universities from the SEC and Big 12 conferences. This invitational undoubtedly serves as a revving competition for Bears fans.

Along with No. 25 Baylor, six other top-25 ranked teams will also be attending, including No. 1 LSU, No 8 Stanford, No. 9 Florida State, No. 11 Nebraska, No. 18 Texas and No. 19 Oklahoma State. Arizona, TCU and Iowa are also attending.

The Bears have continued to perform at a pleasing rate, and it shows.

The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association deemed both the Baylor women and men No. 25 nationally. These rankings are based off of current student-athlete performances at last year’s NCAA Championships, as well as the performances this season.

Baylor has 15 student-athletes ranked in the top 50, and it doesn’t plan on stopping there. Consistent improvement and healthy preparation are on the agenda for coach Todd Harbour and his team.

“Staying healthy is our main focus, and we’re where we need to be to succeed in Arkansas,” Harbour said.

With sophomore Skylar White continuing on from her personal best throw at 55 feet, 8.25 inches, she is looking forward to the indoor competition. Senior Marcus Boyd accompanies her, with the NCAA’s second-fastest 400-meter time of the year at 46.77 seconds.

Whitney Prevost and Jessica Ubanyionwu are also ranked in the top 10. Prevost is fourth in 200 meters, and Ubanyionwu holds ninth in the triple jump at 41-5.75.

Woodrow Randall was able to grab the 24th best 200-meter time in the country at his first-ever meet in uniform with a time of 21.36.

Reflecting on the solid performances at the Texas A&M Challenge, the women are set for success and continual improvement at this weekend’s meet. Freshman Tiffani McReynolds stands at No. 12 nationally after breaking an 11-year school record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.35 seconds. Diamond Richardson reached a national top-10 time in the 400 meters at 54.52. Transfer Brittany OgunMokun currently resides at 12th in the NCAA with her 800-meter time of 2:10:98.

The meet in Arkansas is scheduled to begin with multi-events at 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Field events begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, followed by the running preliminaries at 6 p.m. Saturday’s events will begin at 11 a. m. and end with the running finals.