Flying in an airplane these days is a major hassle and relief is not on its way.

Major United States airline companies are removing old, hefty seats in airplane models and replacing them with slimline model seats that will take up less space from front to back.

The conclusion of the shutdown episode has brought a flurry of analysis and harsh criticism of Congress. But there’s something missing in it all. As tempting as it might sound to fire all of our elected leaders, it isn’t just Congress who needs to step up to avoid another government shutdown. It’s our responsibility too.

I truly pity the knots that Baylor coaches have to tie themselves in to recruit elite athletes who are gay or lesbian. As a career sports writer (now retired) I know the school has had several gay or lesbians athletes and the coaches have to worry constantly that someone will out them or that they will out themselves and their scholarships will be immediately in jeopardy because of these contrived morals standards held by both the university and the student government. I’ll leave aside the fact that I know (and so do the women athletes) that female athletes, especially, are slurred by fans as “lesbian” with great regularity and without regard to their actual sexual orientation.

Shelby Leonard’s recent coverage of student senator Trenton Garza’s proposed amendment to the Sexual Misconduct Code exposed a long-ignored issue at Baylor: how the university’s official policies address sexuality. As a former two-term student senator, it is clear to me that Baylor has some well-written codes that affirm its many countercultural views, but no policy so blatantly fails to address reality as does the Sexual Misconduct Code.

Last semester, The Lariat published a special issue examining the cost of college. While highly informative, many stories reminded me of the harsh reality that accompanies student loans. This year, the staff and I went in a different direction.

Put yourself in the shoes of somebody who needs government assistance to purchase groceries. If it weren’t for your Electronic Benefit Transfer card, you wouldn’t be able to purchase enough food for your family to eat. If you did, then other bills would go unpaid.