Browsing: Editorials

If you are a dog or cat lover, your heart may be on the verge of breaking for the animals in Waco.

In case you weren’t aware, the Humane Society of Central Texas was denied funding and in a matter of just two months, will be forced to put an end to its adoption program, turning it in to a 72-hour kill shelter.

Furthermore, Waco’s Animal Birth Control Clinic has exhausted all of its funding, which will result in a major decline of spaying and neutering of animals in Waco.

Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech; or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

When prospective students and their teary-eyed parents walk on to this campus, there is a invariably a certain awe that comes with viewing the pristine lawns, the vibrant and strictly manicured gardens and the simple yet complimentary fountains. Baylor all but forces people to take note of its verdant and overly-watered campus as a point of pride in its appeal to incoming students. We at the Lariat are happy to acknowledge that most of the expense and trouble Baylor has gone to over maintaining its grounds has contributed toward making it as sustainable as possible.

The debate on the correct balance between news and entertainment has been going on for decades.

A prime example of this debate can be found right here on Baylor’s overly-watered but oh so green grass: Castellaw Communications Building.

The bottom floor hosts the film and digital media department while journalism, public relations and new media stay on the top.

There is hardly any crossover.

This year has been fraught with controversies, one after another: some big, some small; some tragic and some arbitrary. The nature of social media in an ever-shrinking world ensures that there’s always a new problem to fight about. Breast-feeding has been a long-standing point of debate with many sides and many points of view.

Voting is a right that, as Americans, we are fortunately blessed with.

It stands to reason, therefore, that everyone should have equal opportunity to register to vote, right? Wrong. The Baylor Democrats, and other student political organizations, have been out on the front lines every election year trying to register people to vote, and they have met with success.

There’s an old joke that goes – Jews don’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah, Protestants don’t recognize the Pope as head of the church, and Baptists don’t recognize each other in the liquor store.

As funny and exaggerated as that last line is, it does hold an element of truth. In many areas of the Protestant faith, not only Baptist, there is a sort of “see no evil” mentality. A preacher can drink a beer after the ball game on Saturday as long as he serves grape juice for communion on Sunday.

juniors and seniors for you young whippersnappers — deserve to “live the good life” while ending their careers here at the good ol’ Baylor U.

In order to truly embrace the ignorant saying, “YOLO,” upperclassmen must be able to do as they please without the burdens of Baylor and its financial requirements.

Thankfully, a new wave of freshmen has come in to fill the void and care for them in their dotage.

As college students, we at the Lariat understand the difficulties inherent in balancing a budget. To allocate funds in one area sometimes means to leave another without.

However, some dues must be paid. It would be ridiculous to buy a new video game or a pair of high heels with money that should be used to pay an electricity bill. In this instance, it makes sense to skip the luxury items and pay your dues.

In the U.S. it’s completely permissible to have your own opinions and beliefs. However, people tend to forget there is still a line of social responsibility that cannot be crossed without equal repercussions. History has amply taught us that words can be just as deadly, if not more, than any physical weapon. In this case, it was a film.

A thought: what is the true cost of an honors degree? What are the benefits?

We can’t speak to the post-Baylor effects an honors transcript might grant the hard-working holder (being but students ourselves), but today we’d like to talk about in-house benefits.

Nobody likes dry mouth.

However, at the Sept. 2 football game against SMU, several game-goers experienced problems due to the heat.

The temperature reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the game, and with a bustling body of people anxious to cheer on their team, the heat seemed even worse.

Fellow students, we all remember a time when we checked Facebook five times a day, each time taking 30-45 minutes scrolling through other people’s statuses and photos. Some of us have proudly narrowed that down to two times a day now. And only for about 10 minutes each (hopefully).

There is a dilemma here at Baylor. Yes, it is one of many, but this one in particular will only get worse the longer it is ignored. Every year shows an increase in student enrollment and the addition of classes to accommodate this rise in numbers. However, the allotted amount of Pawprints per student, which is 400, stays the same.

Baylor cafeterias need more Oreos.

OK, so maybe that’s not the healthiest option to help prevent college weight gain.

Baylor has four cafeterias in dormitories.

Penland Food Court offers the mall food court type of feel with plenty of options and late hours but not too high healthwise.

RFoC at Memorial brings some home cooking to campus.

As Baylor undergraduates, we must feed ourselves, clothe ourselves, rent apartments and purchase textbooks. We pay dues for extracurricular activities, pay for parking decals, and gas up our vehicles all by ourselves…or with the loving assistance of our parents. Regardless, somebody’s pocket is taking a major hit. But as tuition and fees continue to increase, are we really reaping any benefits, or just paving the way for future debt to ensue?

All things Baylor will pass.

To think otherwise would be foolishness, it has happened before and it will happen again.

For example, there used to be a very large pool where our very large practice field is now. Brooks College and Flats — the insular havens for “potterphiles” and married couples ­— is a completely new creation. It used to be a men’s dormitory called Brooks Hall. The face of Baylor has fundamentally changed over the years, and will continue to change in the future.

Every year the Lariat editorial board interviews student body officer candidates in order to understand platforms, gauge abilities and represent the student body’s voice. This year’s editorial board has chosen to continue the endorsements. We are endorsing junior Kelly Rapp for student body president on a 5-0-0 vote and Raechel Adams for external vice president on a 5-0-0 vote.