Browsing: Points of View

It seems that Baylor’s happy-go-lucky, rainbow-sunshine demeanor is restricting people from telling the truth about their lives, for fear of being judged by the seemingly picture-perfect peers that surround us. This phenomenon seems unique to Baylor.

With roommates, not only did I have a solid, close-knit group of friends already established, but they were literally close enough that I didn’t have to worry about getting too far out of my comfort zone or even leaving my room.

It’s hard to deny the power of television, and reality TV is today’s cultural epidemic. And if you’re among the rare few who don’t watch, I envy your freedom. Reality TV is an entirely different ballgame.

In a world where classrooms and social media compete for our attention, it’s hard not to wonder who shapes us more: the traditional education system or the influencers we follow. Both play a major role in how we see ourselves and the world around us, but the balance between them is defining Gen Z as they enter the workforce.

When people talk about the “college experience,” they usually think about late-night study sessions, game days or the freedom of living away from home for the first time. But if you ask anyone who looks back fondly on their time at Baylor, chances are they’ll tell you their most meaningful memories came not from the classroom, but from the clubs and organizations they joined.

Peering through dozens of tiny eyes, insects watch us. Tiny beings caught in a world too large and too dangerous, targeting them for the sin of being present. They may begin to understand their time has come to an end without the choice to reason, plead or defend their life. Knowing that never again will they rest upon the petals of a lily, nourish a vegetable garden or spin a dew-coated web, they may silently accept their fate. And hopefully, an afterlife full of sugary fruit and warm sun will greet them kindly.

When Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the first American pope, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, on May 8, 2025, history was made at the Vatican. In his first few months as head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo connected with people around the world. After watching him and listening to social media, one thing is clear: Pope Leo is the best pope for Gen Z.

Our “best” is never characterized by a carnal, self-protecting fear, or even by our grandest worldly accomplishments, but by the fear of God. My perfectly crafted self-image is nothing compared to the image of God within me.

Sometimes people approach faith like it’s a competition. A verse or passage is read, and instead of seeking to understand it, the focus shifts to proving who is right. When the rush to be right takes over, conversations that could be moments of learning or reflection turn into debates about who can quote Scripture the fastest or defend their interpretation the strongest.

As tough as it is to swallow an unexpected $5,000 increase in annual bills, the price hike may not be entirely unwarranted when you take a closer look. But if Baylor expects 10% more money from its families, students are equally warranted to expect a 10% better Baylor experience.

Missing your meal plan? You’re not alone. Between rising grocery prices, busy schedules and spoiled leftovers, life after the dining hall isn’t as glamorous as we thought.

When I look at the people doing this predator-catching, I can’t help but wonder if they truly care about children or if they’re bloodthirsty weirdos who have to pick on someone they know can’t and won’t fight back. I mean, what other scenario can you beat the bricks out of someone and post it online?

In a time of constant communication, it seems like sending a letter is trivial and time-consuming. It might take a week or two to gain a response when you could have what you need within seconds of sending a text. However, the art of writing letters should be embraced and leaned into.

We tend to treat endings like losses, like the last page of a favorite book or the final scene of a show. And sure, graduation feels like a big, dramatic final scene. But instead of mourning what’s over, maybe we should celebrate the little things that made it all so special: the professor who believed in you when you didn’t believe in yourself, the stranger you ran through the rain with and the late-night food runs with someone you barely knew a semester ago.

I was so terrified of the answers to my questions that I simply stopped asking. How could the Church love gay people but hate that they were gay? Why did the same people who quoted Exodus and Deuteronomy refer to other human beings as “illegals”? Was I actually going to go to hell because my family went to church on Sunday instead of Saturday? If God was good, why was I so alone?

Part of learning how to get over my social anxiety was learning that conversations with strangers could be playful, fun and deeply fulfilling at the same time if I was willing to reject some social norms and shift to topics that brought a deeper narrative, such as the ones I asked the first gent.

In the modern era, but also decades past, some popular musicians find it acceptable to merely get up on stage and perform their songs as they appear on their records. These musical offenders can be found across every genre: pop singers and bands, country artists, classic rockers and others all indulge in this practice.

Needless to say, life moves pretty fast, and you probably are always going to be a little bit tired. It is one of life’s inevitabilities. But everyone goes through it and just because you’re feeling it doesn’t mean you need to share it.

Now, don’t get me wrong — there’s nothing wrong with ambition. You should always put your best foot forward, set goals and strive for growth. But every once in a while, it’s necessary to take a step back and enjoy the journey, not just the results.

While it is important to recognize the significance of an all-female crew, Perry should not be getting more attention than the women who have dreamed their whole life of going to space and worked to do so.

Real transformation doesn’t come from crystals. It comes from aligning your choices with your values, which, I hate to break it to you, are not coded in your Mars placement or rising sign. Growth begins when you look in the mirror and say, “Maybe it’s not the moon. Maybe it’s me.”

For Superman, Hollywood was obsessed with the idea of an evil version of the character. From characters like Homelander, Omni-Man and to an extent, the DCEU Superman, the archetype had shifted from a kind and caring hero to an unstable villain that abuses their power for personal gain. The original idea of an altruistic Superman-like character was pushed aside with that darker depiction taking over.

The only “green” our economy cares about is the dollar, and one day, we are going to wish we cared about the green on the trees a little more. So when the oil rigs run dry and our oceans are filled to the brim with waste, it won’t just be because of plastic straws — it will be because of us and our gluttony.

In recent years, platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn push content toward young adults, glorifying nonstop productivity and six-figure salaries — often at the cost of sleep, social lives and mental health. These unreasonable standards can lead employees to equate their self-worth with career success and ultimately lose their sense of purpose.

There’s a suffocating pressure at our university, not always shouted out loud but whispered through glances, side-eyes and subtle exclusions. It tells you that if you’re not wearing the right outfit, worshipping at the right church or saying the right things, you don’t belong. The phrase “Love thy neighbor” gets thrown around, but only if that neighbor blends in.