I am a South African exchange student who is in Waco for the semester. I flew over here on the large ostrich Africans use for intercontinental travel and was intrigued to see how long it would take before I was asked my first “Mean Girls” question.

It could happen to anyone. Male, female. Any race. Any age. Sexual assault is a very real problem.

Baylor is ready to handle sexual assault cases. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights released its Dear Colleague Letter and it encouraged universities to actively be aware of Title IX issues.

Twas’ Christmas season some several years ago when we collected, close and cozy, as the recollections began to flow. We reminisced about the rings of reindeer. We talked of tinker toys. We then shared Santa stories from the spell when he was real. The thrilling time turned tragic when one friend told his tale.

My friend told us the story of the Christmas Eve night he caught his dad putting presents under the tree. His tale of deception was not much different than most. We’ve all experienced that moment when you realize that wasn’t really Santa’s lap you sat on at the mall.

Gosh, I hate finals, but who likes them?

As the last couple days of classes end, Baylor students near the dreaded finals period. It seems that I always get stuck with a final on the last day of finals, so I watch as the campus slowly becomes a ghost town. It is the loneliest feeling in the world waking up on that last gray, cold morning and driving to that last final.

Thanksgiving break is a treasured time for many students relax and recuperate with their families after a long semester. But for some, it is also a time of worrying about how they are going to get home, and even get to see their families. These concerns may not be on the radar of every Baylor student, but they are especially important for those of us who are not from Texas and have a long way to travel home.