Browsing: Editorials

Maybe you’ve witnessed your roommate call their sister for the third time in one day. Perhaps you overheard a classmate talking about the care package they just received from their mom. It’s hard not to compare those kinds of interactions to our own family dynamics. Be mindful that families function differently — and that’s OK.

The term “self-care” is thrown around a lot in college and is often thought of as pampering and relaxation. Although these are great ways to show yourself love, sometimes the most basic form of self-care is attending to your physical well-being.

Next time you or your friends try to use the “I don’t like sports” excuse, keep in mind that football games are just as much a social event as they are an athletic one. They’re about green and gold outfits and cowboy boots, tailgates in Touchdown Alley and the communal walk across the bridge, constant Sic ‘ems and the Baylor Line.

According to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, people between 18 and 34 years old make up almost 30% of deceased organ donations. As college students, it may seem like we’re invincible, but tragedy happens, and it’s important to be prepared. Becoming a registered organ donor doesn’t impact how you live; it just gives you the chance to help others after the fact.

It’s 9:05 a.m. on a Monday. You take your seat in your first class and get ready for at least three surface-level class friends to ask how your weekend was. But while you hear others rattling off the frat parties they went to, you have nothing to talk about except a movie marathon, homework and more than one late-night trip to the Grease Pit — and that’s just fine.

By the time you get to college, you’ve already heard all the typical advice like ‘don’t bring your whole wardrobe’ or ‘don’t skip class.’ But as the years go on, there are plenty of lessons you learn along the way. Here’s what members of the Editorial Board wish we had known about college.

With entry into university life comes plenty of new privileges for students, and the ability to vote is among them. For many Baylor undergraduates, the 2024 presidential election will be the first opportunity to put this power into play. However, what many students don’t realize is the buildup to the Nov. 5 Election Day has already started, and their chance to take action begins now.

It’s vital to recognize the true situation of the places you travel to and to support them in their times of need. While “The Valley Isle” is evidently famed for a gorgeous landscape that attracts visitors from all over the globe, it’s much more than just a popular tourist spot. People live there too.

Whether you liked the film or not, be a girls’ girl (or guy) and practice empathy for others. Build up the women, men and people around you, validate their experiences and learn from the gender-related hardships they may face.

Although we have our flaws, we are much more than a lazy group of kids, just give us the chance to prove it. Just like the older generations are learning to live in a modern world, we are also trying to live in a world that has no former teachers that had to deal with everything new that’s being thrown at us.

If a medication has physical and mental side effects that impact the daily lives of so many women, it’s time to normalize having more in-depth conversations about those symptoms and other options before prescribing. There’s a level of casualness when it comes to putting women on the pill.

Your time at Baylor will teach you many things. You’ll leave with a degree and a load of wisdom you never knew you didn’t have when you first arrived. Let one of those lessons be this — being on your own to a certain degree is a part of life. Independence is a good thing, necessary even, and doesn’t have to be a lonely feeling.

The alert felt more like a chilling reminder that our lives could have been at risk for a moment. It was also very concerning to notice the message contained unclear information about where the potential shooter even was, as there is no specific “ITS building” on Baylor’s campus. 

This is not to say students should go around asking people whether or not they’re prescribed Adderall, and whether or not they’ve suffered from the consequences of the shortage. However, what we can all do is take this as an opportunity to be more patient with our peers and learn more about the stigma around medication.

Instead of letting yourself become addicted to your phone, use it as a tool to keep in contact with people you don’t get to see often or as a tool to deepen your understanding of topics you’re curious about. Right now, they are simply becoming a tool to dull senses, push away thoughts and numb emotions.

Throughout the 40-day period, those who observe practice serving alms and self-discipline on multiple occasions — something other Christians could learn from partaking in as well. Lent is not a “Catholics-only” season; it is a tradition people of any denomination can learn from as well.

These topics are only a few chapters of the intricate history of Waco and Baylor. Take this editorial as a stepping stone to becoming more familiar with the full story and use the knowledge to help educate other people too. Put yourself in spaces where you can meet people with backgrounds and experiences unlike your own. We need to get comfortable being uncomfortable in order to keep making strides toward a more equal and just society.

There are ways to pay teachers more, even if it means spending less in other areas. It should be everyone’s priority to ensure students are in good hands.