Browsing: Points of View

What does “Baylor Forward” mean for us as students? It means that, finally, students will be included in a unified alumni network that reflects the unity of our student body.

For years, there has been a tense conflict between the administration and the Baylor Alumni Association. As a current student, I want to ensure that my friends and I will be included in a global network that cares about every one of us.

Johnny Manziel is no stranger to preferential treatment. The Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner who has been dubbed “Johnny Football” comes from a family of success and oil wealth.

Behind Manziel’s fame and fortune is the story of a kid who has a lot of growing up to do, while the NCAA allows him to sink.

ESPN reported on Aug. 4 that the NCAA was investigating claims that Johnny Manziel accepted payment for autographs that he signed back in January. ESPN reported that a broker came forward and claimed that he had paid Manziel $7,500 to sign 300 helmets while attending an event.

Baylor has a great new student program. From orientation though one’s first year, Baylor offers students plenty of opportunities to acclimate to the university. One of these resources is student leaders.

Student leaders are sometimes easily overlooked.

As a former Welcome Week leader and Peer Leader, but also an impressionable freshman, I like to think I can understand both sides.

As I sit in my little corner table at Starbucks looking around at the eclectic bunch of people sharing my oxygen, I can’t help but wonder, “Why on earth am I here?”

The short answer is that I am here waiting on my triple tall espresso with one Splenda, the nectar of the gods and the reason that I am able to make it through each day. As sacred as my perfect piping cup of Starbucks coffee is and as happy as it will make me, I must tell you, I am peeved. Peeved by the fact that to get my slightly sweet black coffee with a punch, I have to endure yappy morning people, some weird pop/indie music and a very loud bean grinder, all before 8 a.m.

A new semester is upon us, and just as Baylor’s campus and students are going through changes, The Baylor Lariat is shaking things up as well. We promise to continue to deliver the news that you want to read, but we are no strangers to the changing times.

The fact of the matter is that the way that people consume news has reformed.

No longer do readers grab a newspaper, pull up a comfortable chair and dive in.

The people that care about what is going on are busy, and the news needs to fit this fast-paced lifestyle.

We tend to complain a lot about politics. There is an incredible amount of pessimism that persists in every discussion. We perceive Congress and our government to be a constant source of pointless bickering, trickery and sycophancy. To a point, we may be right. Sometimes, however, I think those in public service deserve more credit.

The epigraph of E.M. Forster’s “Howards End,” which reads “Only connect…” could serve as a statement of purpose for many a writer. This may hold especially true for writers of personal narrative.

As one such writer, it was my privilege and pleasure to spend a day and a half with Baylor journalism students discussing the subset of creative nonfiction called memoir.

This morning, I received an email from the Cashier’s Office. After the normal, mini panic attack I had, featuring questions like “Oh gosh, did I miss a payment?” and “Are they about to kick me out of school?!” I actually read the email.

The email informed me I was no longer allowed to use BearBucks off-campus. I disregarded it and tossed it in the trash, going on with my daily routine.

The Texas Senate unanimously passed legislation to mandate drug tests for welfare applicants, demonstrating the widespread support behind a measure that appears common-sense to many.

According to the bill’s introducer, Texas Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound):

“We found common ground to support a plan that makes sure state resources aren’t used to support a drug habit, while at the same time making sure children continue receiving benefits.”

Do you know what the official language of the United States of America is? If you think it’s English, you’re wrong.

You’re only wrong because there isn’t one. While several states and unincorporated territories have listed English as their official language, on the federal level it isn’t so, and I like it that way.

I recently read an article in the Onion called “Company Immediately Calls Job Applicant Upon Seeing ‘B.A. In Communications’ On Resumé.”

It was satire, of course, but for a moment, I indulged in the fantasy that it could happen to me: My potential employer would hire me based on my sparkling GPA, the line on my resumé that mentions I was a student in the Honors College, or just the plain and simple fact that I had a degree at all, proving I can suffer utter sleeplessness for four years straight.

When I first arrived at college, my primary expectation toward food consisted of Ramen, dining halls and Easy Mac.

Anyone who has ever eaten at Penland can see why these thoughts contain an elevated level of gloominess. However, my outlook broadened as I made friends with people who lived off campus.

The first thing that needs to be addressed about leggings is that they are not pants.

This is a fact that several people seem to be adamant about.

If you’re unfamiliar with the fashion trend, leggings are a tight, stretchy and usually black article of clothing, most popularly worn with an oversized T-shirt, sweater or dress.

The 14th anniversary of the Columbine shooting occurred last Saturday. As we remember the tragic massacre, we should remember it as it was and avoid perpetuating myths.

Dave Cullen’s book “Columbine” demonstrates the consequences of media misinformation. The book’s glowing reviews and awards from many sources are a testament to his extensive research.

My mom says she, along with countless other parents in Oklahoma City, were in a panic, scrambling to make sure their children were safe. I was 2 years old when it happened, and so naturally I have no exact recollection of that day.

The tragedies occurring in Boston on Monday and West on Wednesday have brought to light the several devastating things that can happen in societies not only across the world or in third-world countries, but also right here at home. My heart has gone out to the people who have suffered and are still suffering and it amazes me every day the generosity and kindness that human beings can show toward their fellow men and women.

Back in February, I received an email from my roommate. In the subject box, she typed “Thought you might get a kick out of this!” In the email was a link to an article published in the Daily Illini, the University of Illinois’ equivalent to the Lariat. The column, which ran Feb. 19, was titled “Student Athletes: The Kings and Queens of Campus.”

I was intrigued.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been asked what I think defines me. And for as long as I can remember, my mother has told me that I am a black woman first and foremost in all things. I have taken this to heart especially with the realization that even after decades of fights for equality both white and black America still has a prevailing tendency to alienate, demean and dismiss black women.

In the coming weeks, students around campus will prepare to leave Waco to spend their summer vacation at home with their families. Others will continue to take classes at Baylor, working towards, completing their degree. But wouldn’t it be nice if we could do both?

Concealed carry laws: They’re all over the news.

Congress can’t come to consensus on the issue. Here’s the answer: Texas should secede. Then we will be free to make our own laws. It’s the only logical solution.

This morning while I was getting Starbucks, the cashier annoyed me to no end.

Why, you may ask?

She was just too excited. She had the biggest grin on her face, like giving me my Passion Tea drink was just the best part of her day. I do believe it could have been me not having enough caffeine in my body at the time to deal with someone’s exuberance, but it was also the fact that since I wasn’t in a good mood, anyone else being in that good of a mood was just annoying.

Last week, the Associated Press deserved the criticism it received when it adapted the official AP Stylebook to exclude the phrase “illegal immigrant.” Arguing the world “illegal” can only describe an action, the AP instead mandated writers use “living in or entering a country illegally or without legal permission.”

The change affects hundreds of newspapers across the country, as AP Style is the industry standard for journalism.

Education is a right that many people take for granted, which is sad because people in other countries dream of that opportunity. As college students we should understand how valuable education is because it allows us to get ready for the real world.

April is National Sexual Abuse Awareness month, and it provides an opportunity to highlight sexual violence as a preventable problem.

Almost everyone has talked to someone who has been a victim of sexual abuse or sexual assault, whether you knew it at the time or not.

A bill that advanced through the state Capital yesterday would cut the amount of time necessary to earn a concealed handgun license by more than half.

The bill, proposed by New Braunfels Republican Sen. Donna Campbell, would reduce the class time necessary to get a CHL to a measly four hours because it’s apparently “long, redundant and boring” to spend the requisite ten hours learning how to properly and responsibly carry a potentially deadly weapon.

The airline Samoa Air is introducing a new flight-pricing program today. Passengers are to pay based on their combined personal weight and luggage weight in kilos.

Chris Langton, the head of the airline, has been quoted on several different news sources, including Australia’s ABC Radio, that this program is “the fairest way of traveling.” “He also said: “Airlines don’t run on seats, they run on weight.”

Schools are meant to keep their children safe, but one school district in Maryland has taken this duty too far.

St. Mary’s County school district has proposed a ban for elementary schools on hugs or pushing children on swings between parents and children who are not their own.