Kirk joined The Baylor Lariat on Feb. 1, 1967 — his birthday — just one year before graduating. As The Lariat celebrates its 125th anniversary on Friday, Kirk reminisced on a radically different newsroom, a wooden — military-style structure behind Old Main, perched over Waco Creek.

When all we do is see our fellow citizens as their political identities — or hopelessly attempt to categorize them when we are unsure — we are doing a disservice to ourselves and those around us. Human connection breaks down when all we want to do is hate “the other side.” Most of the time, we really don’t even know who the “other side” actually is.

Before last summer, I considered myself an up-against-the-wall right wing conservative ready to shoot down anyone with my proverbial concealed weapon. Now, I’m willing to give the other side a fair listen.