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FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 30, 2012*

SPORTS Page 9

SPORTS

A&E Page 7

The seniors on the football team are on a mission to take their first and last win over Oklahoma State

Don’t miss the special edition of the Lariat coming Monday and today’s limited edition poster of Terrance Williams on page 5.

Common Grounds’ event coordinator shares the venue’s secrets to success

Going out strong

Vol. 114 No. 51

A little something extra

A key to the grounds

In Print >> PICKING A BRAIN Find out how one visiting professor thinks the relationship between religion and politics affected the last election

Page 4 >> THE RIFT

The Lariat looks at the relationship between Baylor and the Waco community

Page B1-B12

On the Web

All the Christmas joy

Catch stills of the best moments during Christmas on 5th in the Lariat slideshow. Only on

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Viewpoints “Some, men and women, will never be married. Some will work out another arrangement and some will have a traditional marriage. What’s important is we do what we deem is right.”” Page 2

Bear Briefs The place to go to know the places to go

End in worship

Join the Spiritual Life advisory committee, the President’s Office and the Office of Spiritual Life for a time of worship and prayer to close out the semester. The Lift Up Your Hearts service will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Powell Chapel of Truett Seminary

That’s all, folks

The last day of school will be Monday. Study days are Tuesday and Wednesday and finals will take place Dec. 6 through Dec. 12. Find your exam times at baylor.edu/registrar/index. php?id=84416

BU counseling services unwrapped High demand and short staff has plagued the center

International students face unique challenges in counseling By Hayley Gibson and David McLain Reporters

By Holly Renner Reporter

This semester, Baylor counseling services faced a high demand for counseling with a short-staffed office. With seven full-time counselors and one full-time psychiatrist, counseling services does not meet the minimum counselor to student ratio according to the International Association of Counseling Services’ standard. The association encourages each institution, depending on the size, to maintain one fulltime equivalent professional staff member to every 1,500 students. Baylor enrolled 15,364 students this semester, so the standard is 10 full-time counselors. Baylor counseling services is short by

Photo illustration by Hayley Gibson | Reporter

two. Dr. Jim Marsh, Baylor counseling services director, said although they have been behind with staff this semester, they are actively seeking to fill the two fulltime positions. One full-time counselor left in June and the other left in August. They have been in the process of conducting numerous search committees with interviews for

potential counselors, but are currently waiting to choose the right candidates for the positions. Marsh said when he came to Baylor 13 years ago, there were only three psychologists on staff. “We have done a lot, and I’m really proud of what the university has done and how they have supported us,” Marsh said. “The need for students has increased, SEE

DEMAND, page 11

Waco puts on walking shoes for arthritis

Lacking awareness of counseling benefits is causing some international students to look elsewhere for advice in times of high stress. During the peak of counseling sessions, faculty members are concerned about the additional pressure international students face in adapting to a new environment alone. While counseling services may be an outlet of support via the Baylor Counseling Center in the McLain Student Life Center, currently there is no program specifically for international students, nor is there a specific counselor designated to receive them, according to Dr. Jim Marsh, Baylor counseling services director. “We do see international students for sure,” Marsh said. “We don’t specifically break out inter-

national students.” International students are not typically aware of these services and seek other means of support in times of stress, often from residential chaplains or language teachers, said Trevor Stephen, Brooks Flats residential chaplain, where a large number of international students reside. “Early in the semester they hear about it at orientation, but later that info isn’t as fresh in their minds and they don’t know about the services,” Stephen said. International students may face stress that requires counseling, which can sometimes lead them to contemplate withdrawing from Baylor, according to Heather Fritz, coordinator of academic enrollment management. When international students face such a significant amount of stress that they decide to return home, Fritz is the final Baylor SEE

FLOURISH, page 11

SEE

WALKING, page 11

Another chronic, daily affliction heaped upon the unoffending student body

Sarah George | Lariat Photographer

Hey Joseph, who needs a donkey? Baylor students, faculty and alumni watch the live manger and camels in front of the Bill Daniel Student Center on Thursday at Christmas on 5th.

UN vote recognizes state of Palestine By Edith M. Lederer Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations voted overwhelmingly Thursday to recognize a Palestinian state, a victory decades in the making for the Palestinians after years of occupation and war. It was a sharp rebuke for Israel and the United States. A Palestinian flag was quickly unfurled on the floor of the General Assembly, behind the Palestinian delegation, as the final vote was cast. In an extraordinary lineup of international support, more than two-thirds of the world body’s 193 member states approved the resolution upgrading the Palestinians to a nonmember observer state. It passed 138-9, with 41 abstentions. The historic vote came 65 years to the day after the U.N. General Assembly voted in 1947 to divide Palestine into two states, one for Jews and one for Arabs. Israel became a state but the Palestinians rejected the partition plan, and decades of tension and violence have followed. Real independence, however, remains an elusive dream until the Palestinians negotiate a peace deal with the Israelis, who warned that the General Assembly action will only delay a lasting solution.

TheLariat

Associated Press

Palestinians celebrate as they watch a screen showing the U.N. General Assembly votes on a resolution to upgrade the status of the Palestinian Authority to a nonmember observer state, Thursday In the west bank city of Ramallah.

Israel still controls the West Bank, east Jerusalem and access to Gaza, and it accused the Palestinians of bypassing negotiations with the campaign to upgrade their U.N. status. In the West Bank city of Ramallah, jubilant Palestinians crowded into the main square, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “God is great!” Hundreds had watched the vote on outdoor screens and televisions, and they hugged, honked their horns and set off

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By Reubin Turner Staff Writer

The Arthritis Foundation will hold its 23rd annual Jingle Bell Walk for Arthritis event Dec. 8 at Cameron Park Zoo in downtown Waco. This nationwide event, created to help raise awareness for arthritis, will also raise money for the research, health education and government advocacy to help improve the lives of those living with the condition. Arthritis is America’s leading cause of disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, approximately 294,000 people under the age of 18 have been clinically diagnosed with the disease in the United States. “The prevalence of arthritis in our nation is surging, and we cannot ignore it,” said John H. Klippel, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation. He said events like Jingle Bell Walk/ Run for Arthritis help promote community and awareness about arthritis. The event will consist of a 5-K run and a 1-mile walk. The snowman shuffle, an event for kids 12 and under, will feature a six-tenths of a mile route. There will also be a Sleigh Gate area where costume contests for all ages will be held. Participants are encouraged to tie jingle bells to their shoe laces and wear costumes to the event. Rachel Martinez, the community development director for the Arthritis Foundation of the Heart of Texas area of the South Central Region, said having a variety of events gives people of all ages and health conditions a chance to participate in the event. “We have countless numbers of families and senior citizens who come to support the event and we like to give them an opportunity to walk or run, depending on their physical condition,” Martinez said. She also said in the past, some participants brought their dogs and walked them during the event. “It definitely one of our biggest events of the year,” Martinez said. In addition to the many people who come to participate in the event as athletes, Martinez said the event relies heavily on the number of volunteers who come to help, due to the increasing number of participants for the event. Martinez said students from Baylor makes up a large portion of the volunteers who come to help every year. “We’ve had a lot of support from Baylor in the past few years,” Martinez said. She said in the past, former football coach Guy Morriss, who was an honorary chair for the volunteer com-

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fireworks as the final vote was cast. The tally came after a speech by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in which he called the moment a “last chance” to save the two-state solution. “The General Assembly is being asked today to issue the birth certificate of Palestine,” the Palestinian leader declared. The United States and Israel immediately criticized the vote. SEE

PALESTINE, page 11

Best Student Newspaper | Houston Press Club

Opinion 2 | Baylor Lariat Marriage is not inevitable and neither is divorce the

FRIDAY| NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Editorial In the past, nontraditional lifestyles have been looked upon with berating eyes. As a society, we are moving more toward universal acceptance, but a new trend might come as a shock to some people. The fact of the matter is that fewer and fewer guys want to get married. It used to be that men would grow up, go to school, get a job, get married and have kids. The family would raise their boys, if they had any, to do the same, and the cycle would continue. This has changed. According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, the percentage of women saying that a successful marriage is the most important thing in their lives has risen over the past 15 years. For men, the number has decreased to less than one in three, and has steadily declined. Instead of laying the blame on certain groups or movements, let’s try and do what people have been doing more and more in America: accept people for who they are. Staying single is different between the two genders. A woman that stays single is commonly viewed as strong and indepen-

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dent, and there is nothing wrong with how society views these women. For men, it’s a different story. It is easy to label men that choose to remain single as nerdy, introverted, immature people who can’t talk to women and would rather sit at home and play video games all day. First of all, don’t hate. Second of all, the choice to remain single is backed up by some pretty convincing facts. It’s common knowledge that a lot of marriages end in divorce. It’s also no secret that divorce is expensive. To a cynic, marriage, as recognized by the state, is betting half of your belongings and money that you will not get divorced. For Americans, the odds aren’t good. Not only can you lose your house, car, children and possessions, but every state except for Indiana, Kansas and Louisiana has what is called “standard of living alimony.” This means that once a person is divorced, they are required to pay their former spouse to have the same lifestyle as before for a certain period of time. In other words, if someone gets married, lives in a mansion, and drives nice cars, then once they get divorced, they have to

pay for their former spouse to enjoy a mansion and nice cars. Some states have permanent alimony, which means that people are required to give their former spouse money for the rest of his or her life. In the 1970s, the United States Supreme Court ruled that gender should not play a role in rewarding alimony. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been put into practice. As of 2006, only 3.6 percent of people receiving alimony were men. All of a sudden, marriage kind of seems like a bad idea if you are a guy. So let’s not look down on a lifestyle choice just because it is nontraditional. We’re better than that. And just in case you are reconsidering the decisions you will likely make in the next 10 or 15 years, fear not. Just like any other lifestyle, staying single is not for everyone. If you feel that you are called to marriage, then don’t let divorce scare you, just be mindful of it. Just as an athlete shouldn’t stop practicing for fear of injury, a person called to be married and raise a family shouldn’t stop because of the fear of divorce. Marriage is a great thing, but it’s not for everyone. Some, men and women, will

never be married. Some will work out another arrangement and some will have a traditional mar-

riage. What’s important is we do what we deem is right. The sooner society realizes

this, the sooner we can move toward universal tolerance and acceptance.

Print gives voice to the voiceless, volume to the quiet Viewpoint

When I was a girl of 14, I was in an accident that left me unable to speak for some time. I learned two things from this experience: 1.) Teenagers are cruel. 2.) The written word is immeasurably powerful. I was effectively mute, unable to express opinions, give directions or talk about my feelings. My vocal chords had been damaged and took some time to heal. Perhaps the most inconvenient thing I experienced during this time was being unable to shout at my family to turn off water in the kitchen while I was showering. My parents owned an old house, and to turn on a faucet in the kitchen or run the washing

machine meant the shower water turned frigid. We’re a forgetful bunch - often, they would forget I was showering and run the water. Because I couldn’t remind them, I took a lot of cold showers in the days following the accident. I tried various other methods of communication during this period, including pantomime, which mostly failed to get my point across and made me feel ridiculous to boot. I did, however, become a master at charades. I also learned to write: not just my ABCs, but the real stuff, like how to organize my thoughts, effectively convey my point, and avoid fluff. It’s a skill I’m still mastering. It’s why I’m here at Baylor, and I want to spend the rest of my life doing it. I had an English teacher who

Caroline Brewton|City Editor

made me read Ray Bradbury’s “Fahreheit 451.”It was dense prose for a high school freshman, and I am not ashamed to say I struggled

through the book. Untrained in literary criticism, the finer points of Bradbury’s writing were lost on me. I did find a few gems, quotes that resonated with me at the time. I only really understood them later, when I realized even if a story is not literally true it can contain elements of truth. I learned this, too, from a book — Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried.” If knowledge is power, then writing is a conduit to power: it’s how we share knowledge. There are parts of the human experience that are shared among mankind — maybe not everyone will experience all of them, or gain profound and real wisdom from the experience, but these elements are recognized by the collective we. That is what Bradbury meant when he said “The good

writers touch life often. The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. The bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies.” This is true of fiction, but it holds true for us journalists, as well. Through writing, we become human conduits. We share information, stories that move and touch us. We put faces on tragedies. We shine lights on accomplishments. Newswriting allows us to be a voice for others who might otherwise pass unnoticed. I understand voicelessness — perhaps better than I’d like to — and that experience ignited a passion in me. I do not want others to experience the same. I want to serve as a mouthpiece for the news. I want to serve those who need to be heard. Speaking, too, is important,

but to me, at least, something about writing is eternal. When we talk about books, we use the present tense — even if a work was published years ago. Dead people only get the past tense, however great they were. This article, for example, will remain in the Lariat archives online long after I have left Baylor. Even if I move, die, or change my name, this work and what I hope to express to you in it will remain. So though I never regained my full vocal capacities — I still can’t scream, for example — I can type in all caps, AND SOMETIMES THAT IS MORE POWERFUL. Caroline Brewton is a junior journalism major from Beaumont. She is the city editor at the Baylor Lariat.

Old Round Ups are a window to the zanier parts of Baylor’s past Viewpoint “Beware lads the ‘Gold Rush’ is on.” This was the warning for men on campus in a 1936 publication of the Lariat, preserved in an old Round Up yearbook, when a band of Baylor ladies formed the Golddiggers Club. Yes. I said Golddiggers, as in women who care more about a man’s bank account than they do about the man. To be eligible for such a club, one of the beauties of Baylor has to have “successfully looted the allowances of at least five boys during the fiscal year.” You may be thinking, “Come on now, this is absurd.” Of course it is, but might I point out that the underlying principles of this absurdity are strikingly similar to today’s “Ring by spring” and the “M.R.S. degree.” In a moment of pure bore-

dom, I found myself wandering through the Round Up office and decided to flip through the old yearbooks. It was then that I

Alexa Brackin |News Editor

realized the pure humor of our great and double great grandparents. These people were hilarious, whether they meant to be or not. The women of the 1936 Van-

ity Fair section of the Round Up also flaunted their man-eating qualities. One Baylor woman was said to have “an enviable record of achievement, including getting her man” while another “looks well in white…can be reached for dates at Memorial.” So why can’t the women today just come out with another Golddiggers Club rather than beating around the bush? It would be much more entertaining. In the 1909 edition of The Round Up, a grieving co-ed wrote a recipe titled Misery. “Take a little provocation, say a broken date or two; Add the yellow of one jealousy till the doubts rise thro’ and thro’; Then fret and worry, grieve and flurry in proportion to the fear; Keep stirring, always worrying, and for the flavor add a tear.” I must say, this is a rather eloquent way to describe the antics of a mildly obsessed, melodramatic teenager who, in today’s

the

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world, would fling her worries and grievances all over Facebook and Twitter. Thank you to the ladies of 1909 for keeping it classy. While on the topic of classy, the 1908-09 women’s intramural basketball teams were anything but. Teams such as the Goblins, Witches, Bull Dogs and Scraps geared up in their moo-moos and turtlenecks to go face to face on the basketball court. The term “ballin” definitely didn’t apply to them. I would even go as far as saying they greatly lacked swag. A group that didn’t appear to suffer from the swagless gene is the “Naughty Niners.” The name was given to the senior football team of 1909 who put the junior team to shame throughout the season. The junior team was reportedly “undismayed by the beef ” of the Niners, though. The 1951 Round Up documented the game of a football team of a different sort. The Beau-

ty Bowl, Baylor’s campus wide version of a powder-puff game, described the Senior Beauts dominating the field over the Sophomore Brutes while, the ohso-beautiful drum majorette took home the title of the “Home-Going King.” His outfit of choice was a traditional drum major uniform complete with a short hemline, baton, moustache and cowboy boots. No wonder he won. Can we please make this Baylor tradition prevalent once again? The students of 1969 suffered from the very same ailment our generation of students experienced a few years ago: a less than impressive football team. The Round Up made sure to describe their shock and joy when they beat the Aggies for homecoming, but not before mentioning, “losing homecoming had all but become a Baylor tradition, and everyone at Baylor had just accepted it.” I must say, thank the lord that

we have these books to look back on. I cannot begin to describe the fun I have had spending hours laughing over the Round Ups of the past 100 years. The 1908 book actually described itself as “the only chance of the senior class to take revenge on the faculty and other enemies for four years of insulted dignity, and right well do they usually accomplish it.” Perhaps this smart-mouthed, straightforward approach is the reason the older books are sprinkled with spouts of humor that are so entertaining today. I would like to challenge you my fellow students to humor me with your wit in years to come so that when I am old and gray my great-grandchildren can look back mockingly on my college years. Alexa Brackin is a junior journalism major from Beaumont. She is the news editor at the Lariat.

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Opinion The Baylor Lariat welcomes reader viewpoints through letters to the editor and guest columns. Opinions expressed in the Lariat are not necessarily those of the Baylor administration, the Baylor Board of Regents or the Student Publications Board.

NYPD officer’s act of kindness Altruism to homeless sparks online sensation Associated Press

A tourist’s snapshot of a New York City police officer giving new boots to a barefoot homeless man in Times Square has created an online sensation. Jennifer Foster, of Florence, Ariz., was visiting New York with her boyfriend on Nov. 14, when she came across the shoeless man asking for change in Times Square. As she was about to approach him, she said the officer — identified as Larry DePrimo — came up to the man with a pair of all-weather boots and thermal socks on the frigid night. She recorded his generosity on her cellphone. DePrimo, speaking to reporters on Thursday, remembered the night clearly, that even with two pairs of socks on, his feet were freezing. The homeless man “didn’t even have a pair of socks on and I could only imagine how cold that pavement was,” the 25-year-old said, clutching a box containing cufflinks given to him by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. Foster’s photo was posted Tuesday night to the NYPD’s official Facebook page and became an instant hit. More than 420,000 users “liked” it as of Thursday evening, and more than 140,000 shared it.

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FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 30, 2012

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Annual tree lighting to unite county By Maegan Rocio Staff Writer

Associated PRess

Officer Larry DePrimo of the New York Police Department talks to a shoeless homeless man in New York City shortly before giving him a pair of boots. His action has become an internet sensation.

Thousands of people comDePrimo said he only told his mented, including one person who family about the incident at the praised him as “An officer AND a time, and was surprised when a Gentleman.” friend told him the photo was The photo shows the officer posted on the Internet some time kneeling belater. side the man Foster, who is with the boots a dispatch man“I have these size at his feet. A ager at the Pinal 12 boots for you, shoe store is County Sheriff ’s seen in the they are all-weather. Office, said she’s background. worked in law Let’s put them on “I have enforcement for these size 12 17 years and has and take care of boots for you, never been more you” they are allimpressed. weather. Let’s “His presenOfficer Larry DePrimo to put them on tation of human the homeless man and take care kindness has not of you,” Foster been lost on myquoted DePself or any of the rimo as saying Arizona law ento the man. forcement officials with whom She wrote: “The officer squatted this story has been shared,” Foster down on the ground and proceed- wrote on Facebook. She said she ed to put socks and the new boots never got the officer’s name. on this man. The officer expected DePrimo said he has been on NOTHING in return and did not the NYPD for 2½ years. know I was watching.” He is assigned to the Sixth PreDePrimo said buying the boots cinct, encompassing Greenwich “was something I had to do.” Village and the West Village, and He tried to persuade the man lives on Long Island with his parto get something to eat, but he de- ents. clined and left. He said he keeps the receipt “When I brought out the shoes, from the boots in his bullet-proof it was just a smile from ear to ear,” vest, as a reminder that even when he said. “It was a great moment for things are tough, some people have both of us.” it tougher.

While Christmas is a time for celebration, is it also a time for remembrance. The McLennan County Crime Victim Coalition will host the second annual lighting of The Tree of Angels to honor victims of violent crimes. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the Bellmead Civic Center. The general public is welcome to attend the event. Melissa Beseda, the director of the Victim Services Unit at the Waco Police Department, said families who have been affected by a crime or who have lost loved ones to a crime will be specially invited to attend the tree lighting. “The event is meant to honor the crime victims of McLennan

county and their families,” she said. “What we do is we send out invitations to families of crime victims we’ve had in McLennan County.” Beseda said the coalition asks the families to bring an angel ornament in honor of their loved one. “We’ll name different kinds of crime, and whoever is honoring a victim of that crime, they’ll get up and place an ornament on the tree,” she said. Beseda said the tree will be put on display in the entrance of the civic center during the month of December. She said the ornaments will be saved and labeled so the families of the crime victims can pick them up after the event. The event will include musical selections and the lighting of three candles that represent hope, peace and healing. Beseda said an agency head

of each group that makes up the McLennan County Crime Victim Coalition will be present at the event, such as Mayor Malcolm Duncan Jr., Waco Chief of Police Brent Stroman and others. The event was created in 1991 in Austin by People Against Violent Crime and later 34 similar events were created throughout Texas. The McLennan County Crime Coalition is made of victim service providers from the Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children, the McLennan County District Attorney’s office, the Waco Police Department, Bikers Against Child Abuse, the Bill Logue Juvenile Justice Center, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers the Texas Department of Public Safety and Family Abuse Center.

Student Government agrees to fix stairs By Jocelyn Fowler Reporter

At their last meeting of the semester, student senators engaged in a heated debate about the limits of their own power. Houston senior Daniel Lin started the debate when his controversial legislation Committee Voting Procedure went to committee. The legislation proposed a restriction on senators’ votes so that senators who had authored a bill would not be able to vote on it in committee. The bill lost in committee by a vote of three for, five against, but won on appeal to the entire senate, thus making it eligible for a pass or fail by senate but it ultimately failed to get the required two-thirds majority in a vote of 17 for, 17 against. While several senators argued that Lin’s proposal was an attack against a right senators had been fairly given through their election, Lin countered with an argument that current procedures create a bias and allow poor quality bills to be put up for a vote in senate. “One thing that this bill ad-

dresses is that it stops not well written or researched bills from getting recommended in committee,” Lin said. Opposing senators, such as Rockwall senior Nick Pokorny, maintained that Lin’s legislation was a “disservice” to the men and women who had died and given senators the right to vote. Supportive senators, such as Sugar Land senior Cody Orr, argued that the poor attendance at meetings determining fund distribution necessitated the bill. When it comes to meetings for limited allocation funds (LAF- allocations of amounts less than $2,500), Orr argued that the required senators frequently missed the meetings and the decision to distribute money often rested on the wishes of a few people, including the person who wrote the bill. While Lin’s bill failed to pass in the senate, he said he is confident issues with LAF can still be resolved within the finance committee. “We will pass our own precedent restricting the author from

voting in our committee,” Lin said. “I think the major reason why this bill failed is because people don’t think it should apply to all committees. This is mostly a finance issue.” In regards to a campus wide issue, senators passed the Poage Library Steps legislation. The bill, authored by Carlsbad, N.M. junior Sarah Staub, encourages campus officials to repair the steps outside of the Poage Legislative Library. Staub said she once observed three students slip or fall down the stairs all within a 15-minute time frame. Staub said the staff of the Poage Library has notified risk management of the issue, but she has seen no attempt to fix the problem. Staub hopes the additional voices of student senators will help. “The bill is to fix the stairs so that the edges are no longer slippery,” Staub said. “This is just safer for the students and faculty and it will save Baylor a lot of money from being sued.”

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Sociology professor talks conflict of religion, politics By Jessica Chia Reporter

James Davison Hunter is a distinguished visiting professor in Baylor’s Department of Sociology. He is also a Labrosse-Levinson distinguished professor of religion, culture and social theory at the University of Virginia, Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia and the author of seven books concerning politics, religion, morality and culture.

standing of how to rightly order public life. American religiosity will inevitably spill over into political commitments. The more complicated answer, but just as true, is that all of culture, even politics, is moral in nature. There is no neutral ground. Every law presupposes a cosmology. To be human is to be moral or ethical in your orientation. There’s nothing that isn’t moral. Because all knowledge at the end of the day is faith-based, how could faith ever be pulled apart from politics?

Q: Baylor is a faith-based institution. As a scholar of religion, do you think faith and morality affect the political realm? A: Yes. There’s a simple answer and a more complicated answer. The simple answer is that most Americans have some faith commitments or notion of spirituality and that can’t help but inform their under-

Q: What role does today’s technology play in politics? A: The technologies of communication also tend to polarize. The average sound bite has gone from 30 seconds down to 8 seconds over the last 30 years. These sound bites don’t represent any subtlety or nuance. They’re bold statements that tend to inflame rather than provide understanding. The Internet does

that, as does texting, tweeting and direct mail. It’s all about generating emotion and, more often than not, fear. So you get these contrasts between good and evil that don’t represent reality; that don’t promote understanding. Q: Looking back, what do you think the 2012 election revealed about Americans and American politics? A: The 2012 election reinforced what we’ve seen in previous elections- that we are a deeply divided nation. Among political consultants, the battle for the presidency was over a very narrow group of independents. Most of the population had already made up their mind about the candidates long before the election ever happened. Q: If the current level of partisanship persists, what will it mean for democracy? A: Partisanship is very healthy for democracy and so you want people in a democracy to hold strong

opinions. But the very nature of politics requires compromise. You see, democracy is fundamentally an agreement that we will not kill each other over our differences, but rather that we will talk our differences through. If you’re a politician and not willing to compromise, you shouldn’t be a politician. And neither you should ever get married! Q: Do you see any hope for the future of policymaking? A: Well there’s always hope. It’s not just that people have bad motivations. I don’t think that’s the problem. I think part of the problem is the way in which money is used. There are all sorts of other factors as well, but big money influences this kind of ‘take no prisoners’ approach to politics. Big money reinforces intransigence and the unwillingness to compromise. This Q and A has been edited to run in the space allotted. A full version is available online.

Santa Claus showers $100 bills on storm-hit New Jersey, New York By Verena Dobnik Associated Press

Lohan in chains

Associated Press

Lindsay Lohan, second from right, is escorted from the 10th Precinct police station, with her face shielded, Thursday, in New York after being charged for allegedly striking a woman at a nightclub.

Seminary school takes preventative measures to avoid student burnout By Linda Nguyen Staff Writer

Baylor undergraduates aren’t the only ones getting burned out this season. Because many pastors become burned out due to overworking and not maintaining personal relationships, George W. Truett Theological Seminary is taking preventative measures to ensure its students leave with the skills and relationships necessary to avoid being burned out in the future. Dr. Angela Reed, director of spiritual formation and assistant professor of practical theology, said the seminary uses spiritual formation groups called covenant groups. Covenant groups meet for one hour every week. “We create a covenant group process,” Reed said. “The intention is to provide a small group experience so students can learn from one another and hold each other accountable for their spiritual growth.” Reed said they hope to facilitate student relationships with one another that they can maintain over time. “It’s a toolbox in a sense of spiritual processes that they can take with them to churches,” Reed said. Reed said pastors can get burned out because they spend so much time worrying about the people in their congregation; they forget to nurture their own spiritual growth and development. Pastors work unpredictable hours, which can lead to less and less energy, which in turn can cause them to leave the ministry. “Our intention is to teach them, in the midst of a busy life, it’s important to continue to make a space where one’s spiritual life is a priority,” Reed said. Reed said sometimes seminaries assume students take care of their own spiritual lives. “We felt in order to best encourage that to happen, we need to create an intentional space,” Reed said. Intentional space refers to an environment to facilitate spiritual development. Reed said the students attend peer covenant groups throughout their time at the seminary. “We begin the first few semesters with each group having a mentor who often is either a graduated student, local minister or sometimes a senior Truett student who has taken my classes in pastoral burnout and has shown themselves to be a leader in this kind of area,” Reed said.

“We aim for everyone to have the experience to work with a mentor until we feel that particular group is ready to lead itself.” Reed said the seminary has had this covenant group model since the beginning of the seminary. Spiritual formation is a person’s growth and development in regards to and as the result of spirituality and religion. “From the beginning, Truett had these groups formed,” Reed said. “From the very beginning, spiritual formation was considered to be one of the core elements of the training.” Reed said the program is not unique to Baylor but Baylor was one of the first seminaries to have a program of this kind. “Truett was somewhat of a pioneer,” Reed said. “It’s one of the reasons I wanted to come here to teach.” Hayfield, Kan. third year seminary student Aaron Mussat participates in the covenant groups at the seminary. He also serves as a mentor for first year covenant groups. “I find covenant groups to be encouraging and very uplifting, and a time to just be present with other people not have anything pressing on the agenda,” Mussat said. “To go deep into each other’s lives and know about each other and pray for each other.” Mussat said many times pastors don’t have time to get prayer or support spiritually. “Facilitating groups has helped me rely on others. It’s a very good thing to keep in contact with one another and to pray for each other,” Mussat said. Mussat said he’s seen many covenant groups grow closer and even last longer than the duration of seminary. “They’re a good way to get to know one another and to be honest do something else besides school work,” Mussat said. “I think that it’s important for pastors too to do something else. Being with other people and pouring your heart out is encouraging.” Reed said the underlying goal of the covenant groups is to remember that pastors also need support and prayer. “All ministers need ministers essentially, and so our hope is to invite our students to recognize that need,” Reed said. “They don’t go into that ministry alone and there are ways to get support and that will make a significant difference in their ability to stay in the work for the long haul.”

NEW YORK — A wealthy Missouri man posing as “Secret Santa” stunned New Yorkers on Thursday, handing $100 bills to many in Staten Island who had lost everything to Superstorm Sandy. The Kansas City businessman is giving away $100,000 this holiday season, and spent the day in New Jersey and New York giving away thousands. But he says money is not the issue. “The money is not the point at all,” said the anonymous benefactor as he walked up to surprised Staten Island residents and thrust crisp bills into their hands. “It’s about the random acts of kindness. I’m just setting an example, and if 10 percent of the people who see me emulate what I’m doing, anybody can be a Secret Santa!” A police motorcade with sirens took him across the borough, passing a church ripped from its foundations and homes surrounded by debris. At a nearby disaster center run by volunteers, a woman quietly collected free food and

basic goods. “Has anyone given you any money?” he asked her. “No,” replied Carol Hefty, a 72-year-old retiree living in a damaged home. “Here,” he said, slipping the money into her hand. “But this isn’t real money!” said Hefty, glancing at the red “Secret Santa” stamped onto the $100. “It is, and it’s for you,” he tells her. She breaks down weeping and hugs him. And so it went, again and again. Secret Santa started his daylong East Coast visit with stops in Elizabeth, N.J. Keeping close watch over the cash handouts was his security entourage — police officers in uniform from New York and New Jersey, plus FBI agents and former agents from various states. Some have become supporters, wearing red berets marked with the word “elf ” and assisting “Santa” to choose locations where people are most in need. He himself wears an “elf ” cap and a red top, plus blue jeans. The group must choose stops carefully, and refrain from simply

to/from Baylor

Associated Press

Carol Hefty hugs Secret Santa after he gave her a $100 dollar bill while she was looking for supplies at a temporary supply house at the Oakwood Heights VFW Post 9587 Thursday in the borough of Staten Island, New York, N.Y.

appearing outdoors in a neighborhood, lest they be mobbed by people hearing that cash is being handed out. At a stop at a Staten Island Salvation Army store, one woman is looking over a $4 handbag. “But you get $100!” he tells her, offering the bill. “Are you serious?” said Prudence Onesto, her eyes widening. “Really?” “Secret Santa,” he deadpans, breaking into a broad grin. The 55-year-old unemployed woman opened her arms and offered him a hug. An aisle over, 41-year-old Janice Kennedy is overwhelmed: She received four $100 bills. Unemployed with a 2-year-old

daughter, she lost her home in the storm and lives with her boyfriend. The money will go toward Christmas presents and her toddler’s next birthday. “You’re not alone. God bless you!” the Missouri stranger tells Phillip and Lisa Morris, a couple in their 30s whose home was badly damaged — but now had an extra $300 in cash for rebuilding. Secret Santa took up the holiday tradition from a close Kansas City friend, Larry Stewart, who for years handed out bills each December to unsuspecting strangers in thrift stores, food pantries and shelters. Stewart died in 2007 after giving away more than $1 million to strangers in mostly $100 bills.

Photos by Student Publication Staff

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GOP lawmakers propose immigration reform bills By Alicia A. Caldwell Associated Press

WASHINGTON — After Mitt Romney’s loss in the presidential election, Republicans quickly identified one of their mistakes as the party’s dysfunctional relationship with Hispanic voters, who overwhelmingly voted for President Barack Obama. But the earliest efforts by GOP lawmakers to tackle immigration policy on Capitol Hill aren’t likely to win them new support among Hispanics. The first immigration-related bills offered by Republicans this week would provide legal status for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants — but no way for them to become U.S. citizens — and would eliminate the popular diversity lottery that randomly awards green cards to would-be immigrants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. The two bills have virtually no chance in the lame-duck session, but they are significant because they are the first on the legislative agenda since the election. Early reviews aren’t enthusiastic. “We don’t see the writing on the wall,” said Lionel Sosa, a Texas Republican who served as a Hispanic media consultant for presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. “We don’t see that the electorate is changing and we need to make changes. The longer we send out messages that Latinos take some offense to, the longer it’s going got take us to recover the Latino vote.” Republicans are offering some olive branches to Hispanic voters. Retiring Republican Sens. Jon Kyl of Arizona and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas introduced on Tuesday a narrowly tailored DREAM Act-like bill dubbed the Achieve Act. It offers visas for some young illegal immigrants who arrived before they turned 14 and are 28 or younger and are in the military

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Associated Press Associated Press

This Nov. 6 file photo shows voters lined up in the dark to beat the 7 p.m. deadline to cast their ballots at a polling station in Miami.

or pursuing a college or technical degree, but it wouldn’t allow them any way to become citizens. The DREAM Act, which narrowly passed the House before being defeated in the Senate two years ago, would offer citizenship for young illegal immigrants. Such proposals have been derided as “amnesty” by GOP lawmakers — and by Romney, who promised he would veto the legislation. This week, House Republicans are also considering a bill that annually would give 55,000 new green cards, or permanent visas, to foreign students in science, technology, engineering and math. The so-called STEM bill would also make it easier for those green card holders to be reunited with spouses or children living abroad. But it would eliminate the popular diversity lottery, and Democrats have argued that it actually would reduce overall legal immigration. Kyl, one of the bill’s sponsors, said the timing of the legislation isn’t a political response to the election. “We have to get the ball rolling,” he said. Romney’s chief political strategist this week said the campaign’s biggest mistake was how it dealt with Hispanic voters. “We should have done a better job reach out to Hispanic voters,” Stuart Stevens said in an interview with CBS’s Charlie Rose on Thursday.

“We should have done it earlier and in a more effective way.” One day earlier, in an op-ed published in the Washington Post, Stevens noted that Romney did better than Obama among what he described as middle-class voters, especially white voters younger than 30, and described Obama’s strategy as “being too liberal and too dependent on minorities.” Democratic lawmakers said their political opponents are missing a chance for bipartisan support on the STEM bill by adding conditions such as ending the diversity lottery. “That’s not the way we are going to achieve success,” said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. “There was a deal on the table, it could have been a good step forward.” Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., said: “It’s almost as though they didn’t hear the call from voters on Election Day on Nov. 6.” Sosa, who has made a living appealing to Hispanic and Latino voters for Republican candidates, said the Republican efforts should at least be considered a step in the right direction. But he warned that the party has to move to center on immigration. “We need to quit making offensive gestures to the Latino community,” Sosa said. “Wanting to oppose the DREAM Act, in my opinion is totally ridiculous.”

A Hostess Twinkies sign is shown at the Hostess plant in Ogden, Utah, in this Nov. 15 file photo.

Potential buyers hungry for Twinkies and Ding Dongs By CANDICE CHOI Associated Press

NEW YORK — The future of Twinkies is virtually assured. Hostess Brands Inc. got final approval for its wind-down plans in bankruptcy court Thursday, setting the stage for its iconic snack cakes to find a second life with new owners — even as 18,000 jobs will be wiped out. The company said in court that it’s in talks with 110 potential buyers for its brands, which include CupCakes, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos. The suitors include at least five national retailers such as supermarkets, a financial adviser for Hostess said. The process has been “so fast and furious” Hostess wasn’t able to make its planned calls to potential buyers, said Joshua Scherer of Perella Weinberg Partners. “Not only are these buyers serious, but they are expecting to spend substantial sums,” he said, noting that six of them had hired investment banks to help in the process. The update on the sale process came as Hostess also received approval to give its top executives

bonuses totaling up to $1.8 million for meeting certain budget goals during the liquidation. The company says the incentive pay is needed to retain the 19 corporate officers and “high-level managers” for the wind down process, which could take about a year. Two of those executives would be eligible for additional rewards depending on how efficiently they carry out the liquidation. The compensation would be on top of their regular pay. The bonuses do not include pay for CEO Gregory Rayburn, who was brought on as a restructuring expert earlier this year. Rayburn is being paid $125,000 a month. Hostess was given interim approval for its wind-down last week, which gave the company the legal protection to immediately fire 15,000 union workers. The company said the terminations were necessary to free up workers to apply for unemployment benefits. About 3,200 employees are being retained to help in winding down operations, including 237 employees at the corporate level. The bakers union, Hostess’ second-largest union, has asked

the judge to appoint an independent trustee to oversee the liquidation, saying that the current management “has been woefully unsuccessful in its reorganization attempts.” Hostess had already said last week that it was getting a flood of interest from potential buyers for its brands, which also include Devil Dogs and Wonder bread. The company has stressed it needs to move quickly to capitalize on the outpouring of nostalgia sparked by its liquidation. “The longer these brands are off the shelves, the less they’re going to be valued,” Scherer said Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York in White Plains, N.Y. Last week, Scherer had noted that it was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for buyers to snap up such well-known products without the debt and labor contracts that would come with the purchasing the entire company. Although Hostess sales have been declining over the years, they still clock in at between $2.3 billion and $2.4 billion a year.

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Creativity is key at Common Grounds By Hayley Gibson Reporter

Common Grounds live event coordinator and musician Wes Butler lets the Lariat in on the secrets to success at CG’s rapidly growing backyard stage presence. From the details on what exactly Butler looks for in an artist to the gigs CG is working on bringing to us next year, Butler reveals the details of CG’s backyard. Q: How has the CG stage evolved or changed since artists started playing here? A: I think one of the great things that happened was a lot of the artists that came and played at CG continued to play at CG and as they grew, our platform grew. We started hosting bigger and bigger shows, maybe because of the growth of our artists. Caveman’s Callback, Green River Ordinance and Jillian Edwards are some of those artists that were smaller when they started playing here [who] blew up and continued to play here… we even had John Mayer come one year. There is actually going to be a documentary on what goes into making a show here with filming [today] at the Shane & Shane show.

Q: What do you typically look for in an artist that you want to play at CG?

through Texas on tour. Q: Why is the stage important to the atmosphere of CG?

A: I look for original content and something that’s real. The reason we don’t book a lot of pop artists is because we are looking for more depth in songs and things that people just have to be listening to. We’re looking for the “you’ve gotta hear this” feeling. The “it-factor” with me is when you say “I want to share this with you.” The biggest things I look for are originality, depth and even just creative musicality. That’s what music is.

A: It’s outside. The inside of CG is like a tree house. That’s what you feel like when you’re in there. Outside is the art that it sits in. The stage is the front lawn. This is where we all gather and have fun and watch movies and share our songs. I think that CG would be severely lacking if we didn’t have our stage here. It just completes our whole atmosphere.

Q: How do you manage to book big name bands like The Civil Wars or Mutemath? A: We were fortunate to get Civil Wars before they won the Grammy. Basically what we try to do at CG is expose great music and great things about the city of Waco to our customers. I think it is a gift that we’ve had Sondre Lerche. A lot of people don’t follow him, but he’s a phenomenal artist. It’s been awesome that we were able to have him. Sometimes it’s people that contact us or we work with different booking organizations that work with artists who come

Q: At open mic nights, a lot of local bands and Baylor students have a chance to play. Why are open mic nights core to the CG community? A: We try to promote originality at open mic night. We don’t ever want to turn away people from expressing themselves or playing shows or covers. We want to inspire creativity in any way we can. We want to inspire the creative experience, the transparence of sharing your songs and who you are. Being your own person. CG is great because we want to share a lot of great things but we also want you to share yourself and be yourself.

Courtesy Photo

Creativity is key in booking artists to play at Common Grounds, where their outdoor stage serves as a backyard getaway.

Q: What’s in store for CG next semester? A: There are a lot of things we’re working on, but not a lot

nailed down. We’ve targeted a lot of bigger acts and the possibility of having Justin Towns Earle, Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, and Ginny Simmons come.

We will also have a “Rock Star Pass” here where you pay $100 for the semester to get into all live events at Common Grounds.

Panda Joe Tacos offers inexpensive Mexican cuisine By Kayla Reeves Guest Reviewer

Cartoon pandas are usually pictured with a bamboo stalk, but Panda Joe Tacos has chosen a sombrero as its mascot’s prop. The taco vendor at 900 S. 18th St., which has recently become its permanent location, draws customers in with the cute Mexican panda bear painted on its truck. Panda Joe has only been in business for one year, but it has

begun to make a name for itself as a quick, inexpensive and authentic Mexican food vendor. As soon as I stepped out of my car at the bright blue taco truck, I could smell the spices. It smelled more like a real Mexican restaurant than a Taco Bell, which is always encouraging. I stood under the tin roof in their small outdoor seating area and assessed the menu, some of which I could not understand. A friendly woman recommended a

Food REVIEW breakfast burrito. I got one with bacon and egg, and was surprised by the price of only $2. After waiting less than five minutes, the woman at the window handed me a brown paper bag with a foil-wrapped burrito inside, along with a few different sauces in little plastic cups and half of a lime to squeeze over my breakfast. It tasted fresh, like it had just

been cooked, and was not greasy or soggy. The sauces were nice too: one orange Tabasco-like spicy sauce and one tangy green. Lunch at Panda Joe was just as pleasant. They have a menu full of taco, burrito and quesadilla choices, and some things I had never heard of like sopes, tortas-cubanas and huaraches. All of those can be served with beans and rice, and they have addons like vegetables and cheese for a quarter extra. They also have daily

“panda specials” that make everything even less expensive. I went on a Thursday, so all tacos were one dollar each. I ordered a fajita taco and a chicken taco, both on flour tortillas with cilantro and onions. Again, the woman included a lime and two sauces. The tacos were surprisingly flavorful for having so few ingredients. The meat was seasoned perfectly: not too overpowering, but not bland. With my Diet Coke added, that meal was

$3.

Overall, I would say Panda Joe Tacos is much more authentic and reasonably priced than many taco trucks, and it was an enjoyable experience. I got two separate meals for $5 total, and was satisfied with both of them. The only negative detail is that they only take cash payments, but I think that is overlookable. It may not be a gourmet meal, but if you want something fast and tasty, it is a good choice.

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Poppa Rollo’s Pizza offers fun for all ages

story above us. Our waitress was kind but distracted by the busy atmosphere. My group of friends chose a safe option — a four-meat specialty pizza with pepperoni, Italian

sausage, hamburger and Canadian bacon. The pie took a while to cook but the homemade pizza loaded with fresh ingredients was well worth the wait. A month or so passed and

I wanted to visit Poppa Rollo’s again. I finally returned a second time on a Wednesday evening. As expected, there was no wait. My friends and I were seated in the same place near the kitchen, which

is now unofficially our Poppa Rollo’s booth. This time, we ordered the Rollo’s Special pizza with bell peppers, pepperoni, hamburger, sausage and jalapenos. Like the meal from our first visit, the pizza overflowed with fresh toppings, leaving plenty of little sausage and hamburger bites to nibble. The bell peppers were deliciously bright green and fresh, a pleasant surprise for me, since I am a meat-and-cheese pizza kind of person. However, I was disappointed with the jalapenos that were shriveled and lacked flavor compared to the other pizza toppings. Both pizzas I tasted at Poppa Rollo’s were delicious and cost less than $10 per person. It’s nice to know that Poppa Rollo’s doesn’t change their standards whether it’s a calm Wednesday night or a bustling Friday crowd, and I respect their attention to detail. Aside from its delicious pizza, Poppa Rollo’s is well known for having a fun atmosphere for all ages. The restaurant contains a large arcade room for kids and a secret door that leads to a sports bar area for adults. It frequently hosts parties and events for every occasion. Poppa Rollo’s is open from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. on weekends.

and pictures placed throughout. Chickens appear as the theme of the decor, and there are as many egg puns as there are tasty buns, beginning with their “eggcellent” dishes. As I sat in my quaint booth for two, my waitress offered me a wide variety of morning beverages. I went with the fresh-squeezed Valencia orange juice. The children next to me ordered four hot chocolates. I watched their eyes grow wide as the whipped cream overflowed from the top of the mugs. As I went through

the menu, I had trouble deciding whether to play it safe with a traditional breakfast, or be adventurous and try one of the many omelette varieties I had never even heard of before. After much thought, I decided on the Hiker’s Benedict and the Mediterranean Frittata from the “Smarter Choices” list. The Hiker’s Benedict is a great hearty meal that has the culinary elegance of brunch: the poached eggs of a benedict, diced Canadian ham, steamed fresh asparagus spears, tomatoes and savory Portobello

mushrooms all piled high on two English muffin halves. Dill hollandaise sauce was drizzled over the ensemble while two strips of bacon topped it off. The meal featured a side of roasted potatoes that was both satisfying and delectable. The plentiful amount of protein and vegetables will fill you up for the day but not leave you so full you can’t move. My second choice was healthier, something light and airy, but also full of flavor. The Mediterranean Frittata featured egg whites accompanied by diced grilled

chicken, fresh mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and Greek seasoning. The side of fresh fruit included an assortment featuring melons and grapes. This is a great choice for those who want something delicate yet delicious. My coffee cup was always full and my choices always rewarding at The Egg & I. You’ll enjoy the casual ambiance but also appreciate the check being paid at the front, saving you time on a busy morning. After the bill is paid, you’re on your way and feeling ready to take on the day.

By Taylor Rexrode Guest Reviewer

Food REVIEW Amid all the fast food chains on Valley Mills Drive lies one of Waco’s most popular family-owned restaurants, Poppa Rollo’s Pizza. This unique pizzeria has served the Waco community since Roland Duty opened it in 1969. The award-winning restaurant moved to its current location in 1979 and continues to boast the title “best pizza on Earth.” As a Baylor student and selfproclaimed “foodie,” I had to visit this Waco legend. My first visit to Poppa Rollo’s Pizza was on an exceptionally busy Friday night. The waiting line pushed out the door and onto the sidewalk. It was one of the longest waits I have ever endured. However, when I stepped inside the doorway, my eyes scanned the walls, which were spattered with Baylor paraphernalia, collectible Dr Pepper and Coca Cola signs and bits of Waco history. Every little detail piqued my interest and made the restaurant more like a home. Needless to say, I found our long wait a little more bearable since the surroundings kept me entertained. We were seated in a small booth in a corner of the restaurant near the kitchen. Classic cartoons like Tom and Jerry played on the

Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

An old-fashioned red fire truck has a permanent spot in front of Poppa Rollo’s Pizza in Waco. The restaurant has been serving customers since 1969 and boasts the title of “best pizza on Earth.”

television behind me. Stained glass windows converted into ceiling lights cast a warm glow on the families below. A giant fork and spoon stood like strong pillars holding up a second

The Egg and I gets you ready with the day’s most important meal By Jenny Philen Guest Reviewer

Food REVIEW

There’s nothing like waking up to a warm breakfast. Sizzling bacon, a fluffy home-style biscuit topped with sausage gravy, or a stack of apple cinnamon granola pancakes with cinnamon butter. You can find all this and more at Waco’s new restaurant, The Egg & I. This breakfast bistro, located at 4600 Franklin Ave., Ste. 100, has a menu with an abundance of breakfast delights so long you won’t

know what to choose. Don’t let the strip mall exterior of this restaurant fool you. Behind that boring exterior lies the smell of fresh-ground gourmet coffees available while you wait to be seated. Additional tables outside allow customers to enjoy the comfort of “people watching” on a nice day. The inside of this little breakfast nook is cozy and inviting. There are tables and booths, warm colors on the walls and little knickknacks

Carrie Underwood, still a country star years after ‘American Idol’ By Steve Knopper McClatchy-Tribune

With the exception of perhaps pop singer Kelly Clarkson, no “American Idol” graduate has had as much career quality control and album-making vision as 29-yearold Carrie Underwood. She knew she was a country star since before her 2005 season on the show, and this has allowed her to focus — on her image, as

an elegant, beautiful Faith Hill successor; on her songwriting, which relies on subtle detail and classy metaphors; and, most of all, on her singing, which can both hammer a high note and draw out a nuance.

centerpiece of the “Idol” winner’s 2005 debut “Some Hearts,” “Jesus, Take the Wheel” is a rarity — a new gospel classic, in which the narrator simultaneously surrenders herself to a higher power and takes control of her life.

Here are five of Underwood’s best songs, including some from this year’s “Blown Away” album.

2. “Before He Cheats.” Judging from Underwood’s tone of nasty revenge, the dude in “Before He Cheats” better not show up for dinner.

1. “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” The

She starts off soft and steady, but quickly ramps up to a gleeful chorus about scratching a key into his beloved truck and taking a Louisville Slugger to his headlights. 3. “Two Black Cadillacs.” Underwood co-wrote this superb 2012 vignette, about a funeral for a man whose widow and “the woman who loved him at night” show up in separate Cadillacs, and she belts it as if it were a Nirvana

DAILY PUZZLES

Difficulty: Evil

Across 1 John and Paul 6 Capital on its own gulf 10 Bar or bel intro 14 Imminent, old-style 15 Shots served neatly? 16 Country on its own gulf 17 Mimic mackerel? 19 Tolled 20 Seed cover 21 Tony winner Roger 22 Many an Everly Brothers hit 23 “__-hoo!” 24 Mimic masquerades? 26 Early Pilgrim family 28 Ready 29 County bordering Mayo 30 Fairy tale threat 33 Mimic magazine managers? 38 The gamut 39 Obtain despite resistance 42 Key of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 24 47 European tourists’ rentals 48 Mimic masquerades? 52 “__ we having fun yet?” 53 Like much mouthwash 54 Pearl Buck heroine 55 “Dang!” 56 __ uncertain terms 57 Mimic miseries? 59 Bread brushed with ghee 60 Stationary surgical patient 61 Rival of Helena 62 In addition 63 “The War of the Worlds” foe 64 Slurpee cousins Down 1 Tropical fruits 2 Hot 3 Regular 4 Rank below marquis 5 Capacity-exceeding letters 6 Gold-medalist decathlete Johnson

anthem. 4. “Last Name.” One of Underwood’s most joyful songs, from 2007’s “Carnival Ride,” this over-the-top rocker is a one-woman “The Hangover” — complete with Cuervo and Las Vegas. By the end, the blotto narrator has switched from “I don’t even know his last name” to “I don’t even know my last name,” a small but important lyrical distinction.

5. “Cupid’s Got a Shotgun.” In this track from “Blown Away,” Cupid modernizes his arsenal. Unfortunately for him, the singer is prepared with weapons of her own, and we’re not just talking about the rockabilly guitar solo. “Little does he know I strapped on my Kevlar vest,” she sings. “I pulled out my Remington, and I loaded up these shells/ He’s about to find out I’m a dang good shot myself.”

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7 Less receptive 8 Painter’s undercoat 9 __ Wednesday 10 Back fin 11 Sends, in a way 12 Taper, e.g. 13 Gulp down 18 Speaker of Cooperstown 22 Crude meas. 24 Letter run 25 Finn floater 27 I problem? 30 Wrong, with “all” 31 Meter opening 32 Dick Cheney’s eldest 34 Blabs 35 Has a mortgage, say 36 Tourist’s options: Abbr. 37 Break up 40 End of the slogan that starts

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“Everybody doesn’t like something” 41 African dangers 42 Big food problem 43 __ column 44 Salon dyes 45 It starts with thunder and lightning in “Macbeth” 46 Mr. Rogers 47 Blow off steam 49 Irish lullaby start 50 Eating may relieve its symptoms 51 Compels 55 Frisbee, for one 57 “Lou Grant” production co. 58 Portugal’s Manuel II, e.g.

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Seniors, team want first win over Oklahoma State By Krista Pirtle Sports Editor

No one on this Baylor football team has ever beaten the Oklahoma State Cowboys. “To beat them would be a great wrap up to my career,” senior wide receiver Terrance Williams said. “OSU is a team that we as a senior class haven’t beaten yet, so to beat them here would be a great wrapup.” Baylor’s last win against Oklahoma State came in 2005, a 44-34 victory. The Bears have not scored more than 28 points against the Cowboys since that 2005 win. Last season, the Bears suffered a 59-24 loss in Stillwater, converting only three of six drives in the red zone. “Sickening comes to mind because you know how important it is to punch it in in that situation,” coach Art Briles said after the game. “It’s not like you are going to pitch a shutout game against them, but you certainly better match scores when you have opportunities and we didn’t.” This season, it is a different story for both teams. Yes, Baylor is without Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, but senior quarterback Nick Florence isn’t far behind RG3’s numbers. “Nick [Florence] is a once in a lifetime kind of person,” Briles said. “It is a privilege to be able to be around people like that. You wonder why people are able to do extraordinary things and then you study them and you realize they do it because they are dedicated, disciplined, they have faith, and they are trustworthy. He is the definition of a leader.” Right now, Florence has 3825 passing yards, only 362 yards behind where Griffin was at this point last season. Also in the last matchup, now senior wide receiver, AFCA AllAmerican and Biletikoff finalist

Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

No. 11 quarterback Nick Florence passes the ball during the Texas Shootout against Texas Tech on Saturday in Cowboys Stadium. The Bears are now Bowl Bound once again after the 52-45 victory over the Raiders.

Terrance Williams caught eight passes for a career-high 154 yards, including a 72-yard fourth-quarter touchdown. As for Oklahoma State, it is without quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who are both in the NFL. This season, the Cowboys don’t

have one specific quarterback but three. Junior Clint Chelf and freshmen Wes Lunt and J.W. Walsh have each put up at least 1.000 yards behind center. Returning at running back, junior Joseph Randle has 1212 yards and 14 touchdowns on the year. Randle ran over the Baylor de-

fense last season for 152 yards. Through the air, sophomore wide receiver Josh Stewart is the favorite target for the trio of quarterbacks, recording 988 yards and six touchdowns so far this season. The Cowboys are fresh off an overtime upset against instate rival Oklahoma, 51-48. “I don’t think there’s any ques-

tion it’s a challenge for us as coaches and players that we recover,” Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy said. “It starts with us. We have to get over it first, and then we have to make sure our players understand, which they do. This is a mature group and they’ve been in enough games. If we don’t practice well to-

morrow, it takes about 30 percent of our chance away from winning on Saturday. There just really isn’t any option,” he said. Baylor averages a Big 12-best 575.5 yards per game, with Oklahoma State second at 547.9. But, while the Cowboys are fifth in total defense, Baylor is allowing a conference-worst 509.7 yards per game, 100.6 more than Oklahoma State. Baylor’s game against Oklahoma State is also its Senior Day. Twenty-three Baylor football student-athletes will be honored prior to the game. “I could talk about each one of them for five minutes,” Briles said. “They have all done great things for Baylor University. First of all, by getting their degree, but they have also changed the face of Baylor football.” The game will be the last at Floyd Casey Stadium for offensive lineman Alex Bonilla, cornerback Chance Casey, linebacker Rodney Chadwick, Florence, safety Mike Hicks, offensive lineman Jake Jackson, defensive tackle Kaeron Johnson, defensive tackle Nick Johnson, offensive lineman Cameron Kaufhold, kicker Kolton Lye, defensive lineman Gary Mason, Jr., student assistant Anthony Moore, defensive end Kevin Park, running back Jarred Salubi, wide receiver Lanear Sampson, safety Marcus Santa Cruz, wide receiver Darryl Stonum, wide receiver Michael Valdez, center Ivory Wade, wide receiver Terrance Williams, safety Josh Wilson, kicker Chris Winkler and fullback Erik Wolfe. Casey, Chadwick, Florence, Hicks, Jackson, K. Johnson, Kaufhold, Mason Jr., Monk, Salubi, Sampson, Wade and Williams are all four- year letterwinners. “This senior class has been a part of a lot of things at Baylor,” Florence said. “It hasn’t really hit me yet that it’s coming to an end, but I’m sure it will so we have to channel that and funnel that and use it to our advantage.”

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Elite Eight rematch Matt Hellman| Lariat Photo Editor

No. 55 junior guard Pierre Jackson maneuvers around Kentucky players during the NCAA Elite 8 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga. on Friday, Mar. 23. The Bears left the court with a 82-70 loss to the Wildcats

Baylor basketball travels to Kentucky to face Wildcats By Greg DeVries Sports Writer

Last season, the Baylor men’s basketball team fell in the Elite Eight to the eventual national champion Kentucky Wildcats. Even though every starter from that Kentucky team is gone, the Bears will still get their shot at revenge at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Lexington, Ky. The Bears have stumbled out of the gate so far with a 4-2 record. Baylor started the season in the top 25 and has been ranked as high as 16, but losses to Colorado and College of Charleston have

dropped the Bears out of the rankings. Now they are only receiving a few votes. “We’re upset, but we can only be upset with ourselves,” senior guard Pierre Jackson said after the loss to College of Charleston. “Prior to the game, we didn’t prepare well enough as a team. We didn’t pay enough attention to the scouting report, and they executed well and capitalized on our mistakes.” No. 8 Kentucky has experienced some early trouble, but the Wildcats are still 4-1 on the year with their lone loss coming to No. 2 Duke.

In its first game, Kentucky struggled to beat Maryland but pulled off the victory late by a score of 72-69. One of the interesting matchups to keep an eye on will be freshman center Isaiah Austin against Wildcat freshman center Nerlens Noel. Noel was the top-ranked recruit coming out of high school last year, and Austin was just two spots behind him at no. 3. Both players have long arms that alter shots in and around the paint. Statistically, the players are similar. Both average over 10 points

per and eight rebounds per game. “I’m not really nervous. It’s kind of like playing AAU all over again,” Austin said. “I’ve played against a lot of those guys on the [AAU] circuit before. The only difference is going to be the crowd. I haven’t played in front of a crowd of 24,000. That’s unheard of, but it’s going to be fun.” The crowd noise has been something that no team has been able to overcome at Rupp Arena in years. Kentucky’s last loss at home was in March of 2009. Senior guard A.J. Walton has charged himself with the responsibility of keeping his team under

control. “Home court advantage is going to play a role, so I’m going to be making sure young fellas and returning players don’t get hotheaded,” Walton said. “[I will be] making sure they get the touches that they need, making sure we stay together as a team, trying to tune out the crowd. I know it’s going to be loud in there.” Baylor has suffered its fair share of injuries this season. It started with Austin rolling an ankle early in the year. In a stroke of bad luck, junior guard Brady Heslip had his appendix removed.

He has been going through limited practice, but the team hopes that he will be ready to go for tipoff. “When you play a team that has the nation’s longest [home winning] streak, you want to be at full strength and you want to put your best foot forward, especially on CBS and a great opportunity like this,” head coach Scott Drew said. “We’re hopeful that we will be a lot [closer to] full strength than we were last game, that’s for sure. It’s been nice to have a full week of practice for once too.”

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and Baylor has had large classes and student population continues to go up.” Because of the staff shortage, students seeking appointments can face a waiting list. Marsh said the maximum wait time is typically 12 days, especially in November, at the busiest time of the year. One student last year, however, was put on a waiting list for nearly a month. Stephanie, a student whose name has been changed to protect her identity, said she called counseling services on Nov. 15 last year and was put on a waiting list until Dec. 15. Stephanie was told if she wanted an individual counseling session, she would have to call at the very beginning of the semester

FLOURISH

unless it was an emergency. Marsh said if a student does not want to be on the waiting list, the on-staff case manager could refer him or her to different services in the counseling center or another counseling center in the Waco community. There is an after-hours crisis hotline that is open from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. and 24 hours on the weekend to provide students with additional help outside the counseling center. Normal office hours for the counseling center are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon, then from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the McLane Student Life Center. Students seeking to book appointments in crisis situations are an exception to the wait time.

Marsh said crises are specifically designated by these categories: suicidal, homicidal, psychosis, assault (sexually or physically), victims of robbery and death of a family member. Marsh said the staff sets aside two crisis appointments each day, although he said the staff will do what it takes to accommodate crisis appointments exceeding the two set aside. “In that case, with the wait, if we feel someone is at risk we will make sure they are ok – we will not put them on a wait list,” Marsh said. “We have a system where if we feel like a student is in crisis and we need to follow them, we will follow them and take care of them as long as we need to.” Stephanie said she had no prob-

lem getting seen immediately due to a crisis at the beginning of this month. “I have a history of cutting and my friend knew this. She told me that she wanted me to go to the counseling center because they would be able to see me immediately,” Stephanie said. “I called at 8 a.m. Wednesday and they saw me Wednesday at 1 p.m.” She said the counselor was very friendly and made it easy to open up about what was going on. “She wouldn’t let me leave without a plan of action,” Stephanie said. The first seven individual counseling sessions are free of charge with a $10 fee per session thereafter. There is a limit of 12 individual sessions per semester. Group ther-

apy is offered, which is free and unlimited. Marsh said many students utilize group therapy, which is just as effective as individual therapy. Marsh said counseling services has received positive feedback from it so far. Baylor counseling services also gives students the option to integrate Christian faith into therapy sessions. “We are all licensed mental health counselors and psychologists who follow standard protocols, but we are very faith-affirming,” Marsh said. “All our staff is consistent with the mission of the university. We have those conversations all the time with students. Some students don’t want to talk about it. Not every student at Bay-

lor is a Christian, so we don’t force anything either. We just really want to see what is important to students.” Recent Baylor alumna April Leman said she went to counseling her senior year when she found out she was pregnant. “I met with a lady once a week. She was wonderful,” Leman said. “I don’t think it revolutionized my life or anything, but that’s not what I needed. I just really needed a safe place to talk to someone who could be objective. I would highly recommend the counseling center and feel that Baylor students should really take advantage of the free sessions.” Hayley Gibson and David McLain contributed to this story.

professors, student organizations or resident hall directors. Melanie Smith, international student relations coordinator, is the advocate for international students discussed by the board. “If any of those students are international, we put our resources together to help them,” Smith said. “That might include academically, legal resources, tutoring or counseling.” However, some international students are wary of the help available to them because of a negative cultural stigma attached to counseling. “There are perceptions of these services that counseling doesn’t have a positive connotation,” Stephen said. However, in Smith’s experience, international students she interacts

with have either gone to counseling on their own or have allowed her to take them to counseling sessions. “They have never said, ‘No I’m not going to do this because of my culture,’” Smith said. “Even if it’s not something they do in their own country, they will do it here. They see that we will be sincerely confidential about it and that gets them the help they need.” Like domestic students, there are many different causes of high stress for international students, many of which result from entering into a new environment. “Culture shock plays a role,” Stephen said. “That adaption period might be a bit of a struggle. There is the pressure of classes; they need to create a support systems, which is the most challenging.”

Baylor does have opportunities for international students to develop these support systems outside of classes. One avenue is the Global Living and Learning Center housed in Brooks Flats. Currently only six of the 54 students enrolled in the community are international students. Kenta Okuyama, a Tokyo exchange student from Hosei University, was able to work through a period of stress with the help of friends he made through his Global Living and Learning community and the Japanese language professors he was referred to by the faculty members of Global Living and Learning. “I think, because I’m an exchange student and this is my first time in the United States, the first couple of months were rough,”

Okuyama said. “Now I have good friends in America, American students, and I go to their house very often.” Okuyama said he was not likely to use Baylor Counseling Services, instead opting for advice from the relationships developed with friends and professors over the course of the semester. Holly Joyner, director of the Global Living and Learning community, said faculty-in-residence are selected specifically for their ability to interact and relate to students, which provides an additional safeguard for students. Joyner said Jonathan Tran, the faculty-in-residence for Brooks Flats, was chosen because he relates well to international students. These are things the community puts into place to encourage stu-

dents to be more involved in their Baylor experience. Whether international students seek free professional counseling or create a support system within their living community, Baylor has much to offer these students during stressful times. “It’s so great to know that we have these professionals on campus to help them in their need,” Smith said. “Help is right here on campus and falls in line with the Baylor mission statement.” Holly Renner contributed to this story.

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employee students receive advice from before they finalize their decision to leave Baylor. “We certainly deal with people who are very distressed and it appears to them that they only have bad choices,” said Fritz. “It requires compassion and delivering hard news and info so students don’t see that situation as hopeless.” Although Baylor does not have counseling services specifically for international students, there are safeguards designed to help students thinking about withdrawing from Baylor. One safeguard is the Students of Concern Board, which is a multidisciplinary team of faculty members from departments all over campus. Members of the board meet once a month to discuss any Baylor student referred to them by

WALKING

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mittee, sent football players to the event. Various fraternities and help organizations from the university have helped as well. Martinez said she is extremely grateful for the relationship they’ve developed with Baylor over the past few years. Montrose, Colo., sophomore Sarah Pulliam said she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis a year ago, and that many people underestimate the issue. “Giving students an opportunity to help those who suffer from arthritis is an amazing way for Baylor to be a part in something providing relief and awareness to our society,” Pulliam said.

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“Today’s unfortunate and counterproductive resolution places further obstacles in the path of peace,” U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice said. “Today’s grand pronouncements will soon fade and the Palestinian people will wake up tomorrow and find that little about their lives has changed save that the prospects of a durable peace have only receded.” Calling the vote “meaningless,”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Abbas of spreading “mendacious propaganda” against Israel in a speech he rejected as “defamatory and venomous.” “The resolution in the U.N. today won’t change anything on the ground,” Netanyahu said. “It won’t advance the establishment of a Palestinian state, but rather, put it further off.” The vote grants the Palestinians the

same status at the U.N. as the Vatican, and they will keep their seat next to the Holy See in the assembly chamber. Associated Press writers Michael Astor and Peter Spielmann at the United Nations, Haitham Hamad and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, Robert Burns and Bradley Klapper in Washington and Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

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Down the Years

THE RIFT :

BAYLOR AND WACO Bridging the gap between two worlds

How attractive is Waco to graduating students?

Fall 2012

Waco colleges join forces to better higher education

Practicing a different faith in a Baptist town.

The Baylor Lariat

2 THE RIFT The Baylor Lariat*

Some suggestions Table of Contents for downtown Waco 3 Finding Waldo in Waco... how Baylor There’s an old saw that gets repeated with some frequency around Baylor. It goes, “There’s nothing to do that’s fun around Waco.” Well, to some extent that’s true. Encouraging growth downtown has been the goal of various organizations in Waco for nearly 50 years. While we are sure that these various organizations have been doing their jobs to the best of their abilities, it seems that little progress has been made in the way of establishing a stable community of businesses and residences downtown. Downtown has certainly grown recently, but it seems that there’s still not enough to attract a bustling group of students every night of the week or even reliably over the weekends. However, it for all the work and input that has been gone into improving downtown one voice has been overlooked — the voice of students. Waco has a fairly sizeable university right next to downtown, a large community college not far away and a technical college. All of these schools have students with money — some admittedly more than others — that they spend on entertainment and food. Tapping this market will be crucial to the revitalization of Waco’s downtown. To that end, we have put together some suggestions of things that downtown Waco could use to get students downtown and get them to stay downtown: Dance hall, yoga studio, dueling piano bar, street food vendors, a riverboat, downtown trolley system, Pedicabs, Alamo Draft House-style theater, a dedicated outdoor concert venue, more boutique shops, a downtown grocery store, a convenience store, multiple walkup ATMs, a local all-night diner, jazz

clubs, cheap food, a place to buy smokes and beverages, better public transportation, moderately priced dining and a good coffee shop/ hangout spot. Like we said, just a few. There is obviously much more that can be done and some of these are less serious than others, but they all come from places with bustling city centers. The walkup ATMs are especially important. When people eat their dinner and decide to walk around downtown to find something to do, incidental costs might arise and people need an easy way to get cash to spend. Another important aspect is price. So many downtown restaurants have failed to garner the business they needed for longterm survival because they were out of reach for many students and even most Wacoans. The Green Room, Sebas Cocina, Garrett’s and Gratziano’s — to name a few — have all been upscale downtown dining that failed to make the grade. We need relatively cheap dining and entertainment downtown and everything that goes with it. That means we need easier ways to get downtown, easier ways to get money downtown, and more to do so our trips aren’t seemingly wasted on one mediocre meal. Baylor students want to get involved in downtown life— we do. Its just not easy for us to justify the time and money right now. Some of us already are, though. These pioneers are helping to shape the nature of the Baylor/Waco relationship and as a group may have a greater impact on Waco’s future than anyone in the past 50 years. Read on as the Baylor Lariat explores what divides Baylor and Waco and what is bringing us together.

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Baylor Lariat | STAFF LIST

students stand out

A look at the way Baylor students are perceived in the eyes of Wacoans.

A Passport to Waco

School is down but not out.

A new program gives students an incentive to spend money in the Waco community and exposes them to downtown restaurants.

Baylor students give new life to Brook Avenue Elementary, and the students that learn there.

Baylor students enrich the lives of kids Baylor students help Mission Waco keep local kids off the streets.

BU scholar finds drawback on focusing on family and religion

Waco, Baylor divided by live tunes

New study finds that focus on family and religion hurts civic participation

A look at the Baylor and Waco music scenes, how they differ and how they’re coming together.

heroes fight sex trafficking 10 Unsung even in Waco

A look at how international crime can touch even our community.

Visit us at www.BaylorLariat.com

Editor in chief Rob Bradfield*

A&E editor Debra Gonzalez

Copy editor Ashley Davis*

Staff writer Reubin Turner

Photographer Dana Dewhirst

Ad Representative Aaron Fitzgerald

News editor Alexa Brackin*

Photo editor Matt Hellman

Staff writer Maegan Rocio

Sports writer Daniel Hill

Ad Representative Shelby Pipken

Delivery Casser Farishta

City editor Caroline Brewton*

Assistant city editor Linda Wilkins* Copy desk chief Josh Wucher

Sports editor Krista Pirtle*

Web editor Antonio Miranda

Multimedia prod. Ben Palich

Staff writer Linda Nguyen

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Sports writer Greg DeVries*

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THE RIFT The Baylor Lariat

Finding Waldo in Waco...how BU students stand out

By Jessica Chia Reporter

On a scale of one to ten, how easy is it to spot a Baylor student out in the Waco community? To get the scoop, I interviewed members in the community in the aisles of WalMart. I asked shoppers which signs identified Baylor Bears outside of their natural habitat. The No. 1 one way respondents said they could spot Baylor students was by Baylor or Baylorrelated T-shirts, jerseys, shorts, caps, auto decals and accessories. “A lot of times they’re in Baylor shirts or have got some kind of Baylor logo on them someplace,” said Clint Anderson, 49, of Waco. Of the 12 respondents who mentioned Baylor gear as an identifying factor, four said it was the only marker they could think of. The second most common response concerned Baylor students’ general appearance. For the most part, people said generally positive things about Baylor students’ dress and appearance. Adjectives included youthful, attractive, nicely-dressed, athletic, preppy and well-kept. Dress is also a distinguishing factor. “They dress like college students. Socks and flip flops,” said Angela Schulz, 40, of Waco. Six respondents mentioned t-shirts specifically as one of the identifying markers of a Baylor student. One respondent said she found Baylor students’ dress simply inappropriate. “They dress half-naked,” said Ann Johnson, 55, of Waco. Responses concerning attitude came in third place. Johnson weighed in on this as well. “They’re very disrespectful. They don’t have any manners,” Johnson said. Unlike Johnson, five other respondents found Baylor students to be pleasant or at least harmless. Attitude descriptors mentioned by respondents were nice, perky, outgoing, dignified, pleasant, courteous and polite. Another respondent added “confused” to the list. “I don’t know if it’s because they’re away from home, or just because they don’t know Waco,” said Kelly, 33, of Waco, who declined to give her last name. Finally, the fourth most common tip-off mentioned: Baylor students travel in packs. “Rarely do you see one at a time,” said Allen Clark, 38, of Waco. “It’s usually a group of collegeage kids.” This response was cited by four different respondents, one of whom also mentioned speed as a factor. “They’ll have two or three in a group. They move more rapidly, just like zing, zing, zing,” said Joe Singer, 53, of Waco. “They’re real quick, especially the girls,” he said. Only two respondents said they could identify Baylor students without reference to clothing, dress or age. Other respondents saw few distinctions. “There’s no real tip-off. Just by what they wear. Nothing social-wise,” said Karen Darcy, 44, of Waco, who is also an alumna. One resident said he didn’t see a distinction at all. “I really can’t. I’ve lived in Waco all my life, so to me, everyone’s just a person,” said Gary Brink, 62, of Waco.

4 THE RIFT The Baylor Lariat*

How attractive is Waco to graduating students? By Linda Nguyen Staff Writer

College is a time of transition. Some arrive knowing they’ll go on to jobs in other cities or return to families and hometowns, but others stay. Some Baylor alumni have found a home in Waco, living in and giving back to the community where they received their higher education. After finishing his undergraduate degree from Baylor, alumnus Justin McBride started an internet company based in Waco in April that sells ecofriendly stationery and products like pens. “I stayed in Waco mostly because I had a lot of friends still here in Waco and there wasn’t anything for me in my hometown,” McBride said. McBride said he h a d n ’ t envisioned staying in Waco when he first came to Baylor his freshman year. “My original plan was to go to medical school somewhere, but from freshman year, your plans change a lot by the time you g r a d u a t e ,” McBride said. Mc B r i d e said the Justin McBride community he found in his church Korean United Methodist Church also influenced his decision to stay. “I started going to a church here my freshman year,” McBride said. “I still go to that church, so I’ve made a lot of good relationships here.” McBride said he was involved with the Waco community throughout his undergraduate experience. He said the organizations he was in that facilitated community involvement were Medical Service Organization, Korean Student

Association and American Student Dental Association. “We’d do things like go out to lowerincome areas and hang out with kids, play with k i d s t h e r e ,” McBride said. “I

always did Steppin’ Out. All the community involvement I have right now is through our church and we randomly go take food to homeless people. Our church also goes to Friday morning breakfast with Mission Waco.” McBride said he believes Baylor does a lot to influence the Waco community. “Honestly, just from my general perspective, it seems like Baylor and Waco are two totally separate things, and I feel like Baylor helps Waco survive,” he said. McBride said Baylor helps Waco in many ways. For example many Baylor students frequent the local businesses and restaurants. Baylor also has a variety of student programs that try to connect Baylor and Waco. “Waco is important to Baylor because it provides a somewhat h u m b l i n g experience,” McBride said. “With the poverty rate so high here in Waco, I find that it’s much easier to be thankful for the things we have and often take for granted after seeing and experiencing how others who are less fortunate live. Hopefully we can continue to learn and grow with each other.” McBride said he thinks Jillian Buttecali alumni don’t stay in Waco Courtesy Photo

because they d o n’t

have an incentive to

Tran, who graduates in May, said she is not necessarily opposed to staying in Waco, but her decision depends on the job market. “I didn’t think I would ever stay in Waco, but it’s grown on me over the past four to fourand-a-half years,” Tran said. “It’s grown to be called my home. I never did think coming in I would want to move to Waco or possibly move here permanently.” Tran said she’s really enjoyed interacting with the community outside of Baylor. “My greatest experience outside of Baylor, is outside of Baylor, I’ve become more aware of what the community does for each other,” Tran said. “There are so many great social service agencies in Waco. Everyone has a great heart as a whole in Waco, which is something I appreciate and love.” Jillian Buttecali graduated in May and found a job in North Houston but left for a different opportunity in Waco. “My new job is with the Dwyer Group, which is well respected,” Buttecali said. “The CEO is a Baylor Bear and when I was offered the position, I jumped at it. There’s a lot more room for growth and they

stay in Waco. “If Baylor offered alumni an incentive or a reason to stay, I think they would,” McBride said. McBride said one way Baylor could motivate alumni to stay would be through the McLean Student Life Center. “What would be cool is offer an alumni plan at the SLC or at least a half-off charge at the SLC,” McBride said. “There’s not that kind of plan at the SLC and it’s $10 per trip. If Baylor offered alumni an incentive, a reason to stay, I understand think they would.” the value of a Some students may not Baylor education.” decide to stay in Waco The CEO of the indefinitely but decide Dwyer group is Dina to stay a little longer Dwyer-Owens, who after receiving their attended Baylor from undergraduate degree and 1981 to 1983. pursue post-baccalaureate work at Baylor in the form of graduate school Buttecali said when she graduated and left or law school. Waco, she felt like she was Baylor 2012 alumna Melissa leaving home. Tran is currently a graduate student in Baylor’s Master of Social Work She said she hadn’t program. expected to feel so close to “I thought about going to a school Baylor and Waco when she first came here. out of state, and I actually made the “I think it was a gradual decision to do that, but when I made it, I felt really uneasy about process,” Buttecali said. “Lots it,” Tran said. “In the end, Baylor of times, you go off to college was a year-long program and I and enjoy the experience. got an internship in Dallas, so it made it You associate the college easier for me to commute back and forth.” and college town as home. Tran also cited the community she found at Melissa Tran Gradually I became more and Baylor as a reason she decided to stay. more in love with Baylor, and “It was easier to be somewhere I already Waco is an extension of that.” knew and be around community that was already established,” Tran said. Photos by Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

THE RIFT The Baylor Lariat

Students challenged with the Passport to Waco By Jocelyn Fowler Reporter

Grab your passports and prepare for an adventure with the Baylor student government. Destination: Waco, Texas. Starting next semester, students will once again be able to participate in a program from student government called Passport Waco. Late last semester, former external vice president Angela Oliver began the program with positive reception, but did not have the chance to develop it due to a lack of time. Current external vice president Briana Treadaway has revamped the program in hopes of bridging the gap between the Baylor and Waco communities. The program enlists the help of several local businesses to get Baylor students into the Waco community. Students involved in the program will receive passports and get stamps as they visit participating businesses and make a minimum purchase. Participating businesses are Oso’s Frozen Yogurt, Penguin Pete’s, Tres Mexican Restaurant, Outdoor Waco, Vitek’s, Baris, Amici’s, Jake’s Texas Tea House and What About Cupcakes. Community relations’ coordinator Grant Taylor said he hopes the involvement of Waco’s distinct establishments will encourage students to step outside of the “Baylor Bubble” and embrace the community they live in. “The goal of the program is to encourage students to actually get out of the ‘Baylor Bubble’ and actually expe-

rience Waco,” Taylor said. “All of the businesses businesses receive vital support and exposure. that participate in our program are privately The benefits to students do not stop at intangible goods owned. T h e y ’r e a n d foods, n o t “The goal of the program is to encourage students to however. chains or actually get out of the ‘Baylor Bubble’ and actually franchisStudents es around experience Waco,” Taylor said. “All of the businesses that who fill the na- participate in our program are privately owned. They’re a predetermined t i o n . not chains or franchises around the nation. They are amount They are grassgrass-root kind of places that are made just for Waco.” of their root kind passport books of places Grant Taylor | Community Relations Coordinator will be that are eligible m a d e just for to receive Waco.” prizes throughout the duration of Passport The benefit of the program, Taylor says, is Waco. At the conclusion of the two-fold: students get new experiences and local

program, an iPad will be given to the student with the most stamps in his/her book or the winner will be selected from a drawing of all the students who filled their books, depending on participation. Despite the prizes, Treadaway maintains that the most important aspect of the program is connecting Baylor students with Wacoans. “Being in Waco, even if you’re only going to be here for two or four years, it’s still important to meet the locals and see where they got started and see what this community is about,” Treadaway said. Passport Waco will begin in February and last until mid-April. Planning for the program is ongoing. For more information, follow student government social media sites where updates about the program and special contests will be posted.

6 THE RIFT The Baylor Lariat

Baylor students help enrich the lives of local kids By Travis Taylor Reporter

When you walk into Mission Waco’s Youth Center, it’s almost like walking into a high school student’s dream hangout spot. Foosball, a pool table and a big screen TV are just a few of the amenities the center offers. But the center isn’t just about having fun: It’s about education, too. At Mission Waco’s Youth Center, Baylor students work with local high school and middle school students in an after-school program designed to teach kids skills they may not learn in the classroom. San Antonio senior Jessica Jimenez, a social work major who is the youth director at the center, said the youth program offers classes in cooking, woodshop, music, theater, art and photography. “We really try to give a wide range of things that our kids will be interested in that teach skills such as math and writing but not in a classroom-style setting,” Jimenez said. The youth center, located in West Waco on North 15th Street and Colcord Avenue, usu-

ally has between 17 to 25 kids, but recently the center has seen more than 30 kids who show up after school, Jimenez said. “Ever since we changed our program layout and really have focused on doing more non-traditional classes, and trying to get them to learn some skills that will help them at school but don’t have them sitting down, a lot of our kids have been bringing their friends and they’ve been really interested in it,” Jimenez said. The youths attend a number of local schools, including Indian Springs Middle School, Tennyson Middle School, G. W. Carver Middle School and Waco High School. Jimmy Dorrell, executive director of Mission Waco and lecturer in the George W. Truett Theological Seminary, said work with the area’s youth began when he moved into the neighborhood 33 years ago. “Obviously, children living in poverty and those that are marginalized have a lot of issues,” Dorrell said. “So one of the first things that happened when we moved into the neighborhood, we began to have children’s clubs and then we built a basketball court at my house, and kids began to come over and play. And through the

years, as Mission Waco developed, the teen program was really important.” The youth program is split into two groups, one that serves the “normal at-risk kids,” or those who are in school that struggle with poverty and other issues; one that serves the “throwaway kids,” Travis Taylor | Reporter or youths who have dropped out Local kids play pool during the after-school program at the Mission Waco Youth Center on Nov. 5. Many Baylor students volunteer at the center to help of school and have educate kids about things they don’t learn in school. had issues with the law, Dorrell said. better for society.” “We just know that if we don’t get in there Lansing, Mich., senior Erin Costello, a voland deal with them when they are struggling, unteer at the youth center, said the program is then they’re going to be poor or end up in pris- more about forming dependable relationships on,” Dorrell said. “So the sooner we intervene, than simply providing an after-school service. the more chances they have of making it and the SEE KIDS, page 7

Waco school may be down, but it’s not out By Natalie Yeaman and Julian Rueda Contributors

Crime surrounds them. Yet they hope. Brook Avenue Elementary teachers are determined to help their students grow academically. According to the U.S. Census, the number of individuals living below the poverty line in Waco is 16.8 percent. Brook Avenue Elementary is located in Waco. Brook Avenue officials said the school is ‘academically unacceptable,’ according to the Texas Education Agency, but test scores have increased over the last four years. The increase indicates that students are better understanding the material they learn at the school. According to its website, Brook Avenue is committed as a unified team to providing an education of excellence for their students with the support and involvement of parents, community, and Partners in Education, thereby developing lifelong learners with the social and academic skills that will enhance our diverse society.

Courtesy Photo

Students at Brook Avenue Elementary School pose for a picture. The school was rated ‘academically unacceptable’ this year by the Texas Education Agency.

partment of Education. One academic program the school offers is the after The program is intended “The lesson plans for the to help fund programs that school program. Afterschool Center on work to enhance local reafter-school programs Education allows students form efforts. These local are designed so that who are struggling acareform efforts include helpstudents can learn while ing students meet academic demically to have safe place, standards in core subjects structured and supervised, having fun.” intended for learning and including math, reading, social interaction, according science and social studies, Emily Netherland | WISD official to the Texas Ace 21 website, by providing out-of-school time services to students and a resource for Texas afterschool programs. Students their families. must apply to be in this program. The after-school program is open to 30 stuThe after school program is federally funded dents at a time at Brook Avenue because of the through the 21st Century Community Learning Center program administered by the U.S. DeSEE SCHOOL, page 7

limited number of tutors. All tutors are Baylor students. Mechelle Mitchell, the after school site manager at Brook Avenue, said students in the program are chosen on a need-basis. “We have to review the Academic Excellence Indicator System report, grades, attendance and behavior,” Mitchell said. “The AEIS report is used to create the lesson plans to aid students who are struggling.” Robinson sophomore Emily Netherland works for Waco Independent School District. She is responsible for creating lesson plans based on the Academic Excellence Indicator System for the after school program. “The lesson plans for the after-school programs are designed so that students can learn while having fun,” Netherland said. “They get to participate in experiments that other students don’t.” Students in the after-school program are able to participate in the garden club, which teaches responsibility by keeping students accountable for the fruits and vegetables they grow. Joshua senior and tutor Colton Dearing said, “The most rewarding thing is seeing the growth of the students that participate in the programs both academically and personally.” Amanda Diaz said the programs offered at Brook Avenue have helped her child, specifically in the area of reading. Cynthia McDonald said she has kept her child at Brook Avenue because she feels like she can easily communicate with staff and faculty that are involved with the programs.

THETheRIFT Baylor Lariat KIDS

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“It’s important to meet these kids and get to know them,” Costello said. Costello said as a volunteer, she enjoys getting to know the kids, “even if it’s pretty chaotic.” “It’s not ‘stuff these envelopes and send them out,’” Costello added. Jimenez said the youth center is always looking for volunteers to help with enhancing the education of kids in the program. “If there are any Baylor or MCC or TSTC students that are big on education or skilled in a particular area, we are always looking for more volunteers that come in specifically to tutor our kids,” she said. Jimenez said college students are especially equipped to help with the non-traditional education that the program provides. Jimenez added that the youth center has two work-study

students from Baylor and that the vast majority of volunteers are Baylor students. “The number one thing we need are education students who want to do tutoring time,” Jimenez said. “Our dream is one tutor for two students.” A.J. Parks Jr., a Waco High junior, has been involved with the youth program since he was in sixth grade. “The counselors, they’re basically like brothers and sisters to me now,” Parks said. “I don’t see them as counselors; I see them as family.” “This is my home away from home,” Parks said. Students who are interested in volunteering at the Mission Waco Youth Center can find more information about the center and the youth program at www.missionwacoyouth.org.

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Some students are eligible to receive a free or reduced-priced lunch. This number has increased from 93.8 percent in 2009 to 98.3 percent in 2011, which indicates students’ financial situations overall have gotten worse. Brook Avenue also receives donations from churches, such as Columbus Avenue Baptist Church. Columbus Avenue offers students attending Brook Avenue Elementary uniforms, consisting of khaki pants and a colored polo. They also offer a mentoring program under the direction of Anne Broadus, director of Kid’s Hope ministry. “They provide professionals from across the city that come weekly to interact with our students as role models, assist mentees with classroom assignments if needed, and oftentimes

come to just be that listening ear,” Brook Avenue assistant principal Vicki Stone said. Brook Avenue also has speakers who have experienced similar situations to the students come talk to the students Baylor graduate Terrance Ganaway spoke at Brook Avenue. He told students his experience growing up in a poor family but also told students to “let your actions dictate who you are,” according to the Waco ISD website. Ganaway is the youngest of nine children and was the first person in his family to graduate from college. He is currently playing football with the St. Louis Rams. Working toward improvement despite limitations is the motto at Brook Avenue.

BU scholar finds drawback of focusing on family and religion By Linda Nguyen Staff Writer

You would think a strong interest in religion and family would be a good thing, but a Baylor scholar has identified at least one negative effect: interest in religion and family do not facilitate secular and civic engagement. Dr. Young-Il Kim, a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Baylor Institute for Religious Studies, published a study in August an online edition of Social Science Research journal titled Bonding alone: Familism, religion, and secular civic participation. Kim co-authored the study with his dissertation advisor Dr. W. Bradford Wilcox from the University of Virgina. “I looked at the connections between traditional family values and secular civic participation,” Kim said. “When you hold strong orientation toward marriage and the family, you’re likely to decrease your involvement in secular voluntary associations.” Kim said his research took unique approach. He said many do not study how an interest in religion and family might affect civic participation. “When you look at the literature, there is much research on religion and civic engagement and there are lots of research articles on religion and family, but very few look at the connection between family-centered orientation and civic participation and no studies have ever examined interconnections between familism, reli-

gion and secular civic participation,” Kim said. “Given that religion and family as social institutions are strongly tied to each other, I wanted to see how these bonds might inhibit involvement in secular organizations.” Kim said he found religious people without a strong sense of The exterior of the Mission Waco Youth Center on 1315 N 15th st. familism tend to be members of secular organizamay simply have little time left for secular intions. volvement beyond religious participation. For People with a strong sense of familism, a whatever reasons, familistic people tend to have strong commitment to lifelong marriage and more exclusive sociability.” childbearing, religious congregations reinforce Assistant Professor of Sociology Dr. Jeremy staying almost exclusively within their social Uecker said Kim’s study does a good job of circle. showing how commitment to family and reli“This might be news to family-oriented peo- gion conflict with participation in secular acple who are also active in their religious congre- tivities. gations.” Kim said. “It’s an impressive study,” Uecker said in an “Those people may be anxious about the email to the Lariat. “Kim and Wilcox compelwell-being of their family and try to protect lingly show that strong traditional committheir families against secular influences. Or they ments to marriage and family are at odds with

Travis Taylor | Lariat staff

participation in civic life, and that this is exacerbated by participation on civic engagement. It can lead to further insularity among those with strong familistic attitudes.” Kim said his interest on the added affect of religion on family and civic engagement stemmed from his own involvement in his church. “I don’t really think of my research to change people’s behavior,” Kim said. “If anything, I must first change myself. It would require some level of intentionality though, particularly living in a city like Waco.”

8 THE RIFT The Baylor Lariat

Waco colleges join forces to better higher education By Amanda Tolentino Reporter

Waco is the center of the hustle and bustle of three higher education establishments: Baylor University, McLennan Community College and Texas State Technical College. The relationship between the three institutions is effective because they work together to educate students and develop individual skills for the work force. Each college collaborates academically with the construction of the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative and the Baylor@MCC co-enrollment program. TSTC’s Center for Astrophysics, Space Physics & Engineering Research (CASPER) will be incorporated into one of the BRIC’s research centers. This will be one of the first interdisciplinary activities the center completes. “CASPER is an interdisciplinary university research center that started out 12 years ago as a process of establishing a lab facility,” said Dr. Truell Hyde, vice provost for research, director of CASPER and professor of physics. “There was an agreement between Baylor and TSTC for Baylor to lease a lab space at the TSTC campus.” Hyde said an additional 45,000 square feet will be added to the BRIC for an advanced work force technology training and development for TSTC programs. TSTC will also provide the BRIC with technological support to Texas businesses, 3D modeling and testing facilities. Hyde said Baylor has a good partnership with TSTC because the CASPER lab can give TSTC graduates higher starting salaries, and

Baylor students and faculty can learn from TSTC faculty and students about the technology in the lab. “TSTC is a jewel in the Waco community. It provides training for national labs for students coming out of high school,” Hyde said. “It makes both sides stronger and provides the local community with a caliber work force from technicians in the lab to the Ph.D.’s in the lab.” Another Baylor collaboration is the co-enrollment program with MCC. The program is for students who qualify for Baylor admissions acceptance but cannot be accepted due to space constraints. “The program is for students who entered the regular admissions pool, but were waitlisted,” said Diana Ramey, associate vice president of enrollment management. During their freshman year of college, students can co-enroll for both institutions

while taking classes at Baylor and MCC. Students can choose to join the program for either one or two years and live in the Kokernot and Martin Residence Halls. Ramey said she thinks the program has proven to be a great collaboration between the two campuses. Ramey said students can benefit from living on Baylor’s campus, as well as getting to know the community more than they would if they had only attended Baylor. “It’s been great for students to develop relationships,” Ramey said. “We anticipated the program to be beneficial for Waco students, but we’ve also received students from outside of Waco and Texas.” Emily Stottlemyre, MCC associate professor of child development, said the relationship between faculty and students from each institution is beneficial. “I think it’s favorable for MCC students,” Stottlemyre said. “It’s

great that Baylor recognizes the strengths MCC students have.” Stottlemyre said MCC provides a financial opportunity for MCC students that serves as a foundation for them to receive recognition from Baylor. “You’re either Baylor or MCC. I guess I feel that MCC and Baylor are in a way connected, but not very much,” said Robinson junior Miriam Hernandez. Hernandez went to MCC for two years before attending Baylor. Hallettsville TSTC student Dylan Barton said it would be great if they all worked to pull their resources together. Barton said he has no bias toward Baylor or MCC because each institution educates students differently. “I think it would be a good idea if somehow students from Baylor could take credits at TSTC and vice versa,” Barton said. Mart TSTC automotive program student Justin Allen said students at Baylor tend to be wealthier than those at TSTC. “People also tend to think TSTC is not as high up as Baylor, but each one has a different environment setting,” Allen said. Sugar Land TSTC student Stephen Mathews said Baylor plays an important role in Waco. “Waco is where education is supposed to be and I think that influences MCC and TSTC,” said Mathews. Wylie junior Megan Judd also said Waco is a center for education. “MCC and TSTC shouldn’t be discredited even though they aren’t four-year universities. College should be an ultimate goal for people and Waco seems to be at the center of it,” Judd said.

THE RIFT The Baylor Lariat

Waco, Baylor divided by differences in live tunes By James Herd Reporter

Despite Baylor’s place in Waco, there could not be a further distance between the two in terms of the live music scene. Or so it seems. Live venues on or near campus, such as Common Grounds, have begun to cater to the Baylor audience. According to Wes Butler, the live events coordinator at Common Grounds, the venue has begun its own crossing over between the two atmospheres of Baylor and Waco. “I feel like we cross over more than most people in the area. We are trying to get in some country shows, because I think that there is a market at Baylor of students that would want to come to those shows that we haven’t really offered in

the past,” Butler said. “That’s something that we’re trying to do to kind of blend those things, capitalize on the market that is here at Baylor, which is our target market just because of our geographic location.” As for the identity that Common Grounds has created for itself in relation to the music scene, Butler said the venue tries to keep the type of performances by bands and musicians consistent. Butler said Common Grounds tends to look out for its audience through their show selection, but only Jack Ingram because he feels that every show should be worth the money that students spend to attend. “We really try to guard ourself with things that we feel that we can put our full weight behind. We want you to know that it’s always going to be a good show. It’s always going to be worth your money,” Butler said. Where off-campus muPhotos by Matt Hellman and Makenzie Mason

sic is concerned, Kieran O’Connor, manager of local country music venue Wild West, said he believes the separation between the two cultures is for the best. O’Connor said he believes the future will reveal similarities between the two scenes. “I think in coming years we’ll probably see a little more crossover. However, I think there will still be two distinct genres playing and in all honesty, that’s a good thing,” O’Connor said. “That way, Baylor has their music and their genre, and they can bring in students in their crowd, and we can have the crossovers here or at other locations within Waco. That way it allows for us to focus on country.” “The other thing you have to look at is the venue,” O’Connor said. “Common Grounds is a great venue for smaller bands, but when you look at bringing in some of the larger country music bands they’re not typically equipped to handle that kind of sound equipment that’s necessary.” On-campus, Uproar Records does several things to promote the up-and-coming Baylor artists as they begin their professional music career. Uproar Concert Promotions, a newly formed division of Uproar Records, aims to promote large-scale concerts at larger venues, such as Waco Hall. Areli Mendoza, assistant vice president of publicity for Uproar Records, said the group, along with Common Grounds, seeks to expose new musicians to the eye of Baylor students. “I think Common Grounds has done a great job at bringing musicians to Baylor students,” Mendoza said. James Lafayette, the owner of Legacy Cafe in downtown Waco, said he wants Legacy Cafe to be an avenue between the Baylor campus and downtown. While Legacy Cafe hosts a variety of music, except for hip-hop, and often feature Baylor oriented bands such as Dreamboat, Lafayette said there needs to be a link between the two locations, rather than a separation. O’Connor said the separation between the Waco and Baylor music scenes could be because of Baylor’s Baptist orientation. “We tend to play a lot of Texas country music. It’s bar music. So you get a lot of the songs that come through, that you know country music tends to revolve around you know, drinking, partying, and a lot of things like that, some things that Baylor wouldn’t necessarily endorse,” O’Connor said. Butler, however, said the reason Common Grounds often hosts Christian bands is due to the type of students at Baylor. “We’re not bound by anything Baylor. So you know we’re not subsidized by Baylor in any way,” Butler said. “So we really have the freedom to do whatever we want. The reason that we have so many Christian shows is just because of the market

here, and a lot of us that work here, we really like those artists anyway.” Regardless, there are many opportunities both on campus and off campus for students and Wacoans to become apart of the live music scenes and to experience what Waco has to offer in terms of entertainment. Such opportunities include the various concerts that Uproar Records has in venues such as Common Grounds or even Waco Hall through Uproar Concert Promotions. Off-campus opportunities include the live shows that are held at locations such as Art Ambush, Wild West or Legacy Cafe, to name a few. Live music schedules can be found at each of t h e locations’ respective websites.

Michael Gungor

10 THE RIFT The Baylor Lariat

Unsung heroes fight sex trafficking in Waco By Holly Renner Reporter

Don’t be fooled by the Baylor Bubble. A woman in Waco can disappear in moments and become a victim of sex trafficking, an umbrella term that covers the recruitment or transportation of people for the purpose of subjecting them to involuntary service in the sex industry. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the country each year. The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported in an online bulletin published in 2011 that some young people are recruited into prostitution through forced abduction, pressure from parents or through deceptive agreements between parents and traffickers. According to the bulletin, the lifestyle of victims revolves around violence, forced drug use and constant threats. It can take place in any state or city — including Texas. In 2011, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center’s hotline received 19,427 phone calls – almost double the calls from 2010. Next to California, Texas was the second state with the most incoming calls. Children at Risk, a nonprofit organization created to help children through research and education, said in the research article “The State of Human Trafficking in Texas” that Texas is a big hub for international human trafficking because of its busy interstate highways, international airports, bus stations, shipping commerce through the Gulf of Mexico and its shared border with Mexico. According to Children at Risk, the TexasMexico border is North America’s number one supply site for young children subjected to sex trafficking. The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported in an online bulletin published in 2011 that some young people are recruited into prostitution through forced abduction, pressure from parents or through deceptive agreements between parents and traffickers.

According to the bulletin, the lifestyle of victims revolves around violence, forced drug use and constant threats. Unbound, Antioch Community Church’s nationally-growing, anti-human trafficking organization that began in March in Waco, works to end sex trafficking through education, rescue and aftercare, public policy and prayer. Currently, there are eight Unbound chapters

in the United States: Waco, Bell County, College Station, Dallas, Seattle and three in Boston. Susan Peters, the national director for Unbound and a Waco resident, said young girls are being sexually advertised every day in Waco, and Houston is the number one area for sex trafficking. Peters said one of the most important ways to bring an end to trafficking is through education. “We’ve done several education and awareness training for the church and for the community at large because awareness saves lives,” Peters said. Unbound teaches people to never approach a victim or a pimp, but to let police know what is happening so something can be done, Peters said. The training is done for all chapters.

herself from her family. She was trafficked all over the United States. Peters said the rescued girl went to her mother’s home and is still in the recovery process, but her recovery may be a long process because of the emotional suffering caused from her experiences. The second victim lived in Iowa. Peters said the victim’s friend attended a Waco mission conference at Antioch with a seminar on sex trafficking. Upon returning home to Iowa, the friend let a mentor know she was concerned the girl was a victim of sex trafficking, and they contacted the girl’s mother. Peters said Unbound intervened with the help of lawyers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and volunteers who conducted research. Through thorough investigation, they found the girl had been trafficked for two weeks. The girl is currently receiving treatment and therapy in a safe house. Liz Griffin, Unbound’s director for strategic growth, said on an average night, Waco has 20 to 40 minors trafficked through online sources. “They’re forced to post their own ads so it looks more like prostitution,” Griffin said. “If it’s self-posted, under the control and supervision of the trafficker, it’s kept secret.” Griffin said Unbound has research teams that gather weekly to scan through Internet ads and are trained to identify girls because many of them are made to look much older than 15 years Photo illustration Matt Hellman | Lariat Photographer old. Griffin said they are working to develop software to gather developing curriculum for girls in juvenile cen- more data and cover more cities in order to take ters and schools to educate them so they will be a large chunk out of Internet trafficking. Most pornographic materials have a minor equipped to resist coercion or be able to get out in them, which is considered sex trafficking, of an abusive relationship if one has formed. In addition, Peters said the organization is Griffin said. Since there is such a high demand collaborating with members to create small sup- for sex and a low supply, trafficking is rampant, port groups within poor areas where traffickers she added. Griffin said lowering the amount of sex trafmay look. Peters said they plan to have this fificking victims could be done through educanalized in January. Peters said since March, Unbound in Waco tion and awareness in the United States. “We think it’s a child chained to a bed in a has rescued two victims — both over 18-yearsold — from sex trafficking. One of the girls, brothel. Many times you pass a victim of trafwhose name could not be released, was a stu- ficking at a mall,” Griffin said. “There are also dent who graduated from a local Waco high students who attend school who are being trafficked. It’s hidden in plain sight. The lack of unschool and went to college, Peters said. She was seduced by her boyfriend and derstanding of what it looks like in a western dropped out of school, left her job and isolated culture is huge.” In addition to Unbound’s educational training, the organization offers specific trainings for police departments, social workers and other areas in the Waco community — those working directly with victims. “We are committed to quarterly training and to facilitate specific training for professionals on the front line,” Peters said. Peters said Unbound is in the process of

THE RIFT The Baylor Lariat*

A non-Baptist in the ‘Baylor Bubble’ Bible Belt By Maegan Rocio Staff Writer

Baylor University, which is known for its openly Christian beliefs and mission, is also home to many non-Christians. However, according to the Student Activities website, students that wish to create a prospective religious group must share the ideals of the university - so where do the others go to practice their faith? Some members of the Baylor community have found common ground with like-minded residents in the wider Waco community. One such person is Dr. David Jortner, an assistant professor of theater arts at Baylor who is Jewish. Jortner said the large Jewish community in Waco has helped him and his family locate people with whom they can relate. There are two synagogues in Waco - one that follows the reform school of thought and one conservative. “We’re members of both synagogues and we have a very active religious life through both,” he said. Jortner said he nearly didn’t

larger place and need to reserve a room, I don’t think we’d have any problems.” Jainism is a religion from India that teaches its followers how to live their lives through harmlessness and

““I don’t think they chastise any type of belief system, but they don’t promote them,” he said. “They do a good job of not excluding non-Christians.” Praveen Merugumala | Junior

apply because of Baylor’s religious affiliation; however, being in a majority-Christian community at work has not affected him much. “It was a concern and I almost didn’t,” he said. “When I did apply and I came to the theater program, it was really a nonissue in that I felt so comfortable with the people in the theater program, my colleagues here, that it isn’t something that worried me at the time.” Jortner also said his experience at Baylor hasn’t been affected by the university’s Christian atmosphere. He said the university’s atmosphere reminds him of America in general. “I really feel that a lot of world is like this, a lot of America is like this, is Christian and conservative and that’s fine,” he said. Sugar Land senior Nevin Shah, who is a Jain, said he still finds outlets to practice his beliefs and that attending Baylor hasn’t hindered him from practicing his religion. “If we have a religious holiday, which is a lot more centered about festivals, I think we’re fine with going to someone’s apartment and going there,” he said. “If need a

renunciation of worldly attachment. The goal of living a Jain life is to attain the soul’s liberation. Shah said despite Baylor and Waco’s predominantly Christian environment, his faith has not been affected. “I haven’t felt hindered spiritually. I’ve really en-

joyed the experience at Baylor,” Shah said. Shah said being at Baylor has even helped him find common ground with his fellow students that have a different religious faith. “The majority of the time, engaging with other students of any faith is about finding a set of core vales that we all agree on,” he said. “We all can come together and sit and have a discussion and we’re understood by everyone else that is around us.” Overall, Shah said his experience at Baylor has been fair because the university does support religious diversity and the students of other religious faiths. “I would say so, at least from a more generalized standpoint,” he said. “I haven’t heard any other non-Christian students say they felt hindered about practicing their faith on campus. I’ve never really felt that way.” Austin junior Praveen Merugumala is an atheist who lives on campus in Allen Hall. Merugumala said the views of his floormates are different from his own. “Everyone on my wing is incredibly conservative Christian,” he said. “Literally, everyone disagrees with me on every political issue.” Despite this, Merugumala said he does not seek like-minded individuals. “Generally, I don’t go outside of campus to eat with my friends,” he said. “I feel safe in the Baylor bubble because Waco is really crime ridden. There really isn’t a place in Waco to go to.” Merugumala said he doesn’t feel isolated at Baylor because he uses social networking to connect to his friends, who are of the same mindset as him, back home in Austin. He said he also talks to other Baylor students who are more analytical. “I hang around people who are pretty into school and are really studious, those who want to be doctors and lawyers,” he said. Merugumala said he thinks Baylor walks a careful line concerning its predominant Christian outlook and the non-Christian students it houses. “I don’t think they chastise any type of belief system, but they don’t promote them,” he said. “They do a good job of not excluding non-Christians.” Still, Jortner said he thinks the university should encourage interfaith dialogue to include members of the community who aren’t Christian. “I think interfaith dialogue is always a good thing,” he said. “One of my personal experiences has been, because of my area of specialization, I study Buddhism quite a lot and being Jewish and studying Buddhism has enabled me to see things in different ways and has enriched my Jewish life as the more I’ve studied Buddhism. I would encourage people at Baylor to continue to have interfaith dialogues. I think they’re quite rewarding.”

12 THE RIFT The Baylor Lariat