“Everybody deserves to be treated with a sense of respect, regardless of culture,” Hispanic Student Association (HSA) President and North Richland Hills senior Daniela Lopez. “In such polarizing times, it’s important that everybody remembers we’re all just people, and we’re all just trying to get through every day.”

Both Flavin and Van Gorder sketched an invitation and a warning. The real test isn’t in the heat of headlines, but in the quieter spaces — dinner tables, living rooms, classrooms and pews — where people chose to alienate or to listen. The health of democracy and national change, they argue, will be decided in those very regular, small acts of civility and grace.

Baylor Law HEAL (Help, Educate, Advocate and Learn), a student organization dedicated to advocating for victim-survivors in the legal system, will host its annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month event from 2 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 5 at Hotel Herringbone in downtown Waco. The event will feature community partnerships, donation drives and interactive activities designed to raise awareness and support survivors.

Baylor announced Thursday that Dr. Jon Singletary, dean of the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, will step down effective October 15. According to Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Singletary plans to return to the faculty to “focus on interdisciplinary research.”

“We want to briefly explore the history, causes, consequences and responses to political violence in the U.S.,” Villegas said, overviewing the panel’s discussion. “We want to role model and promote critical thinking, civil discourse and shared understanding. And lastly, we want to provide trusted expert insight, clear historical context and tools for informed civic engagement so that we can positively address the matter.”