Baylor Lariat baylorlariat com
A
WE’RE THERE WHEN YOU CAN’T BE
Friday | February 21, 2014
The Art of Science Students look through microscopes to find inspiration By Amanda Granato Guest Contributor
For the last decade, the architecture of the Baylor Sciences Building has housed 508,000 square feet of bare, beige walls. However, a small committee has largescale plans for the bland walls, and they have taken their first steps with the installation of six pieces of student art in the building. This past fall, students from the Advanced Drawing class, taught by Julia Hitchcock, associate professor of art, spent six hours in Dr. Dan Sample’s histology lab observing tissue slides and creating their initial sketches for the pieces. The drawings are abstracted works made with
graphite and alcohol inspired by various tissue samples such as heart muscle, ovarian tissue and nerve. “I wanted the students to realize that there’s a difference between what we see here and what we see below the surface,” Hitchcock said. “The microscopic imagery was a vehicle to explore something different.” Put up through the efforts of the recently formed Committee for Art in the Baylor Sciences Building, the pieces are displayed on the second floor landing at the entrance to the A hall. Yukon, Okla., senior Carolina Low said she enjoys knowing her artwork is the first to hang in the building. “It’s neat to bridge the gap between sciences and humanities and arts,” Low said.
“I think anyone can benefit from seeing something interesting, especially when it relates to them. To see scientific artwork in the science building is special.” Known for incorporating artwork and paintings into his lecture slides, Samples, a temporary full-time lecturer, said he believes firmly in celebrating the similarities between scientists and artists, noting that centuries ago scientists like Leonardo da Vinci were artists as well. “If you think about it, scientists generally are curious and creative and they’re observant,” Samples said. “They record what they see, their observations. Artists are curious about what’s around them, they have really strong powers of observation, and they record what they see or their
Travis Taylor | Photo Editor
Art student viewed magnified slides of tissue to find inspiration. Artwork from this project hangs in the hallways of the Baylor Sciences Building.
interpretation of what they see in what we call art.” When Samples brought the art students into his lab, he found the students could pick out irregular pathologies in the tissue samples faster than many of his histology students did. Not surprised by this, Mark
Anderson, chair of the art department, said art students spend hundreds of hours learning how to see things, as opposed to simply looking at them. “There are several kinds of learning,” A n derson SEE ART, page 8
Hankamer to add online MBA program Paula Ann Solis Staff Writer
Constance Atton I Lariat Photographer
Tri Delts take the stage
Delta Delta Delta performs its act “Take Me to the Pyramids.” During the performance the group sang Run the World by Beyonce. The act received five stars from the Lariat Sing reviews. Read reviews for other Sing acts on B1.
Baylor professor finds joy through adopting child
SEE DAVID, page 8
SPORTS p.9
Sophomore forward Rico Gathers is the epitome of toughness on the basketball court. Vol.116 No. 19*
SEE MBA, page5
Networking provides small help in job hunt By Josh Gill Reporter
By Nico Zulli Reporter
All of the toddlers in the room ran around by themselves, ditching their parents to go play and wander around. But not David. During the Chinese New Year celebration at Baylor on Feb. 6, the 2 1/2-year-old boy never left the side of his immediate family, including his dad, Steven Cates, a senior lecturer in the mathematics department. David yelled and beamed as he clapped his little hands together in excitement at an elaborate Chinese dragon costume. Then he hoisted himself onto the makeshift stage set up for the program’s performers and began to dance. Cates and his wife, Cindy Cates, danced with him. “We are excited to introduce David to his Chinese heritage,” Mrs. Cates wrote in a blog post on Feb. 4 titled ‘Journey: Chinese New Year~Year of the Horse.’ “China has such a rich culture and Chinese New Year is the most significant holiday.” The Cates family welcomed David from China a year ago.
Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business is moving forward in the digital age with the launch of a fully online master of business administration degree program that begins in May 2014. The online MBA degree, which is now accepting applications through the business school’s website, is a 12-month program that will be offered for $50,000, which is a $40,000 savings from the traditional program. The savings, along with the broadening of students served by Baylor outside of the Waco area, are
two reasons Dr. Gary Carini, associate dean of graduate programs for the business school, said he is excited for the program’s launch. “We’ve been planning this for about 18 months,” Carini said. “This is not just a business school project. This is a joint project with financial aid, the cashier’s office, the registrar’s office and the Graduate School. It took an entire team to take us from initial planning to where we are now.” Baylor’s online MBA program is unlike others offered around the nation because there has not been one that distinctly works to maintain a
Courtesy Art
David wears his Baylor shirt while awaiting the Cates’ arrival to China. The Cates sent multiple gifts to David before meeting him.
College students looking to create job opportunities for themselves sometimes turn to Greek Life as a source of networking during and after college. While membership in a Greek organization, or any student organization, will not hurt students’ chances of being hired, business professors say more than just membership is needed to make students stand out to employers. Dr. James Henderson, academic director of the MBA Healthcare Program and The Ben H. Williams Professorship in Economics, was the faculty adviser to the Texas Theta chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon from 2000 to 2010. Greek membership does help students with professional networking but much of membership’s effect on the job hunt is left up to the student, he said. “Ultimately, it’s not the network that gets you the job, it’s your ability to sell
yourself,” Henderson said. “Often times getting your foot in the door is the biggest hurdle. Fraternity brothers aren’t going to give you a job if they don’t think you can make money for them.” Henderson said the networking benefits of Greek life are valuable and a key aspect of membership, but it is limited by geography even in regard to national organizations. “I think it’s the opportunity of creating networks that’s most important when you’re a member of an organization,” Henderson said. “The benefit of a national organization is that you have similar groups all over the country, although the further you get away from your local group the less you are going to be successful.” Katherine Evans, assistant director of professional development, said Greek life is one of many sources of networking for students. “You can network with friends and SEE
NETWORK, page 8
Inside NEWS p. 5
A&E p. B1
Van Davis, the director of McLane Student Life Center, is a woman of many hats and wigs.
Who performed the best? Check out the Lariat’s Sing reviews to see who rocked it.
First copy free. Additional copies 25 cents each.
© 2014, Baylor University
Opinion
Friday | February 21, 2014
2
The Baylor Lariat
EA cheats system, isn’t gamer friendly Editorial Electronic Arts used to be on top of the video game world. Carrying titles such as “Madden”, “The Sims”, various Star Wars games and “FIFA”, EA was once a well-respected video game developer. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. EA has come under fire recently for controversy surrounding the game “Dungeon Keeper Mobile.” The game was originally poorly perceived because it pales in comparison to its original. Bullfrog Productions and EA originally released “Dungeon Keeper,” a realtime strategy game for the PC, in July of 1997. The game was very well received at the time. On Oct. 10, 2013, EA released “Dungeon Keeper Mobile” for the App Store and the Google Play Store. The problem was that this new version is riddled with messages offering players a chance to purchase something that will speed the game up. EA slowed down the mechanics of the game and grinded it to a halt. Some areas of the dungeon even take a full 24 hours to unlock. In other words, EA intentionally released a worse version of “Dungeon Keeper,” and the only way to actually get a fun experience out of the game is to pay up. This normally wouldn’t be a problem. After all, the rules of economics should take over and EA should pay the price of selling a bad product. The problem is that EA is manipulating the system by constructing a dishonest rating system and buying up its competitors.
On the Android version of the game, a message pops up every once in a while (in between the messages asking you to pour your money into the game) and asks you to rate the game. This shouldn’t be a problem. After all, most apps nowadays ask users to rate the app. That’s how potential buyers and downloaders know that other peo-
ple have liked the product. Two options pop up on the rating screen. One says, “Rate 5 stars,” and the other says, “Rate 1-4 stars.” As you would expect, rating the game 5 stars does just that. If you want to rate the game 1-4 stars, you are redirected to a page that gives you the opportunity to send feedback to EA. Unfortunately,
your imperfect rating never gets applied. The only way to give the game a real rating, unless you want to give the game 5 stars for some reason, is to rate the game 5 stars and then change your rating in the Play Store. But when players see a screen asking them for feedback instead of giving them the option to rate
the game, they rarely care enough to jump through all of the hoops to give the game a fair review. This artificially inflates the game’s rating and cheats the system. In a fair world, consumers would just turn to other companies. EA isn’t playing fair here either. In the last five years, EA has purchased ESN, PopCap Games, Firemint, Mobile Post Production, Chillingo, Playfish and others. EA has been criticized for buying up smaller companies to either squash competition or cash in on successful franchises produced by smaller developers. EA has also gotten lazy with its developments because it doesn’t feel like it has to break new ground to turn a profit. Now that Madden doesn’t have competition in the NFL video game market, they can release what is pretty much the same game year after year with updated rosters. The Madden franchise used to have to compete with “NFL Fever” and games took strides in the right direction, but when was the last time a “Madden” game was released that was a significant improvement over the previous year’s game? The “Truck Stick” was introduced in “Madden NFL 06,” but since then, only minor tweaks like lead blocker controls and different game modes have been implemented. In this era of gaming, ads and micro-transactions are sadly accepted as part of the trade. Thankfully, developers have not gone this route with PC and console games, but EA is doing its best to nickel and dime even us regardless of current trends. Nowadays, developers release downloadable content (DLC) after
a game has been on the shelves for some time. DLC allows players to add to their game by giving them new areas to explore or adding new items to a game. DLC can be free, but sometimes consumers are willing to pay a small price if they thoroughly enjoyed the game. EA has released what is sometimes called day-one DLC or same-day DLC. This is extra content that is released very soon after the game is available to the public. This means that EA could have just put the added content into the game, but instead wanted consumers to pay even more for content, which isn’t what DLC is supposed to be. For the last two years, The Consumerist released survey results that labeled EA the “Worst Company in America,” the only company to win this title in backto-back years. Those that took part in the survey cited EA’s insistence on micro-transactions, poorly handled DLC, and unreasonable piracy prevention techniques built into their games. The Consumerist summed up the people’s sentiments when it said, “When we live in an era marked by massive oil spills, faulty foreclosures by bad banks, and rampant consolidation in the airline and telecom industry, what does it say about EA’s business practices that so many people have — for the second year in a row — come out to hand it the title of Worst Company in America?” Games should be fun, and EA has a habit of ruining the fun of video games. As consumers, it is our responsibility to refuse to accept this kind of business practice. It has gotten to the point where EA isn’t producing games. It’s producing money-grabbing gimmicks.
Abbott best for Texas Tolerance found all over Lariat Letters
While sitting down with Greg Abbott at Vitek’s, surrounded by Texas memorabilia, I can easily see why he is well on the way to be the next governor of Texas.
Danny Huizinga | Guest Columnist
Abbott understands the legitimate need of the party to become a “big tent” and appeal to other groups. “I bring a complete different style and perception that will connect differently with the changing Texas that we live in,” Abbott said. His wife, Cecilia, would be the first Latina first lady of the state of Texas, and Abbott is uniquely qualified to understand the “genuine connection between the Hispanic community and the conservative philosophy.” That would be a huge asset to the Republican Party of Texas. Facing semi-strong opposition for the first time in recent history, the party is trying to fight the grow-
ing Battleground Texas movement. With a growing Hispanic population, the Democrats, led by Wendy Davis, believe they can “turn Texas blue” within two decades. But Abbott, rightfully, isn’t worried. The fundamental principle of the Battleground Texas movement misses the mark. He correctly understands that the problem is not with conservative ideas — it’s the messaging. “All we need to do is do a better job of communicating that the Republican Party stands for conservative values that are really embraced by an overwhelming majority of the Hispanic community,” Abbott said. He cites an example from the last state Republican Party convention, when the “hardcore of the hardcore of the Republican Party” voted over two-thirds for “the most progressive guest-worker provision of any state.” If Republicans could only frame their message better, he argues, they’ll be better prepared to appeal to the Hispanic community. When Abbott believes in something, he doesn’t let anything get in his way. He was tragically paralyzed by a falling tree in 1984, but he doesn’t let his wheelchair hinder his dedication. In fact, he argues that it provides him with a unique opportunity to understand the concerns of those with disabilities. It is this perseverance that defines his approach to controversial political issues. Take voter-ID laws, for ex-
ample. It is Abbott who has taken the leading role as attorney general of Texas. The Supreme Court has already ruled that voter-ID laws are “perfectly constitutional,” says Abbott. He has prosecuted many cases of votes cast by dead people or foreign nationals. Abbott’s legal experience uniquely qualifies him to deal with these issues. After short periods in private practice, as a state trial judge, and serving on the Texas Supreme Court, he is currently the longest-serving attorney general in Texas history. But he doesn’t come off as a hardline conservative. When Abbott speaks to you, you feel as if he isn’t fishing for talking points or strategizing about his next line. He has an uncanny ability to sincerely connect with voters while maintaining the strong conservative principles he advocates. Wendy Davis, on the other hand, is “on the extreme wing, contrary to the mainstream Texans,” Abbott said. He’s right. Her filibuster of the state’s new abortion law identifies her with a position shared by a minority of Texas voters. Abbott should not have trouble winning the election. Texas should look forward to an inspirational governor that will bring the state to greater heights while understanding the importance of each and every viewpoint. Danny Huizinga is a junior Business Fellow from Chicago. He is a guest columnist for The Lariat. Follow him @HuizingaDanny on Twitter.
Two months ago, in an opinion published in USA Today, the president of Baylor University said that: “there is no tolerance without Christianity.” To suggest that Christianity alone is responsible for world peace would be to put faith over reason. Taking a whirling tour through history, Christianity has been quite intolerant, compared to other world religions. To mention a few events, we have the Crusades, the Inquisitions, the forced conversions of Native Americans, the Ku Kux Klan and more recently in history, some Nazis who massacred hundreds of thousands of Jews doing the “work of the Lord.” Tolerance arises not because of religion, but rather genetics. More commonly studied in the form of altruism, tolerance is seen in humans and many animal species. Quite frankly, I find it hard to believe that my cat, who is very tolerant of our hyperactive family dog, did so because it spent time looking at crucifixes and wanted to become more like Jesus. Other religions teach tolerance, too. Islam says, “You shall have your religion and I shall have my religion” (Qur’an 109:6). The Dalai Lama believes that people should retain their religions, instead of changing them. The supreme book on Sikhism religion, the Guru Granth Sahib, says not to call other holy books such as the Vedas (an ancient Hindu scripture) false. These are just three out of countless world reli-
gions that promote tolerance. Starr suggested that the Department of State “should mount an aggressive diplomatic initiative to convince Middle Eastern societies that they must protect their Christian communities,” effectively making the DoS a Christian missionary. As a former solicitor general, he should know that this suggestion does not only breaches treaties, it fails the lemon test by not being secular. As written in Matthews 7:12: “Do to others what you want them to do to you.” I invite President and Chancellor Ken Starr to demonstrate true Christianity and promote religious tolerance at our university. Currently, Baylor maintains its tradition of being xenophobic. Prospective faculty must disclose their religious affiliation, have “an active Christian faith” and submit a statement on their standing with the church. If they pass the test, they will face another challenge: everybody is Christian, except for two Jewish professors. Furthermore, students cannot form religious organizations that are not Christian. As Starr well noted, “other minorities also are subject to religious persecution around the world, including Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists.” Let this be a time to reflect and accept the mandate Jesus gave us all: to “love thy neighbor.” Rafael Deliz-Aguirre Arecibo, Puerto Rico, senior
Correction
@BUlariat
In the Jan 22 story “Sophomores welcome needed retreat” The Lariat reported that retreat coordinator Ray Small said that most Christians don’t know that business can be a sin. This was a typographic error. He actually said that busyness can be a sin. The Lariat regrets the error. Corrections can be submitted to the editor via lariat_letters@baylor.edu. Please contact The Lariat as soon as the error is noticed.
Baylor Lariat baylorlariat com
WE’RE THERE WHEN YOU CAN’T BE
Editor in chief Greg DeVries* City editor Linda Wilkins* News editor Taylor Griffin*
Assistant city editor Reubin Turner Copy desk chief Linda Nguyen*
A&E editor Taylor Rexrode* Sports editor Daniel Hill* Photo editor Travis Taylor
Multimedia Editor Robby Hirst Copy editor Maleesa Johnson
Broadcast News Producer Alexa Brackin* Asst. Broadcast News Producer Leah Lebeau Staff writer Jordan Corona Staff writer Rae Jefferson
Staff writer Paula Solis
Photographer Kevin Freeman
Ad Representative Jennifer Kreb
Sports writer Jeffrey Swindoll
Editorial Cartoonist Asher Murphy*
Delivery Brian Ham
Staff writer Rebecca Fiedler
Sports writer Shehan Jeyarajah Photographer Constance Atton
Photographer Carlye Thornton
Ad Representative Sarah Witter Ad Representative Lindsey Regan
Ad Representative Zachary Schmidt
Delivery James Nolen *Denotes member of editorial board
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2014
A3 News
A4
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2014
News
Students sacrifice spring vacation to serve By Madison Adams Reporter
For many students, spring break is a nine-day break from the chaos of midterms and a chance to let off some steam after those long All-University Sing rehearsals have finally ended. Many Baylor students have had their condos booked and bikinis packed since January for their shot at the perfect college spring break at destinations such as South Padre or Destin, Fla. It might come as a surprise, however, to know there will be other groups of Baylor students spending their days of freedom serving people through Baylor Missions. Holly Widick, Baylor’s coordinator for global missions, said these short spring break trips are gaining momentum. “This is the third year that we have really promoted spring break missions,” Widick said.
“This year we have 26 teams, most of which occur during the May mini-mester. But during spring break, we have six different teams.” Six teams may seem like a small number but logistically spring break missions are difficult to plan. “Imagine trying to get spring break flights to anywhere in the world. It makes it really difficult to make the trips cost effective and to where the students do not spend half of their trip on a plane,” Widick said. This year Baylor Missions is going to South America visiting the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala and two teams serving in Belize. There will also be one team staying in Texas and serving in the city of Eagle Pass. Attendance at Baylor over the years for spring break mission trips continues to increase, and Widick said this is partly due to
the programs providing specific activities that students can engage with and leave feeling that they have had an impact on the community that goes beyond just construction work or leading a local vacation bible school. Converse junior Christy Hinz said, “I decided to join the Guatemala trip specifically, because it is a medical mission trip. Being pre-med, I love being able to put my faith, education and passion all into practice, as well as see what life as a missions doctor really looks like.” In fact, most of the trips are discipline specific and lead by faculty in the student’s specific area of study. The Belize trip is focused on childhood development so most of the team is composed of family and consumer science or early childhood education majors. “We are trying to find ways that you can take what you are learning in the class-
room and apply it to an international or domestic service context,” Widick said. The Men’s leadership program is new team that will be sent to the Dominican Republic and will be allowed opportunities to teach the skills and methods they have learned in their Baylor Business classes to the people of the Dominican Republic. “A lot of the guys are friends and in the same fraternity, so once we realized everyone was business majors we talked with our partners and they found opportunities for the guys to be involved in entrepreneurship lessons, as well as teaching about accounting and finance,” Widick said. During her time working at Baylor, Widick has found that the toughest part about spring break missions is the small window of time. “Spring break missions are hard. There is only so much you can do but at the same time being involved for just a short time
changes you… It puts you outside of your comfort zone and allows you to see where you can impact you community back home and get involved,” Widick said. There are multiple ways that a student can spend their spring break, from laying on the beach in Florida to hitting the slopes in Colorado. For Hinz, however, she could not imagine a better spring break. “Honestly, I couldn’t see a better time spending my week than being abroad, with my friends, experiencing a new culture, spreading the love of the Lord, and helping those around us learn more about how to stay healthy,” Hinz said. Spring break mission trips are not for everyone but when thinking about how to spend your vacation, think about dedicating a few days or hours to get what Widick describes as a “quick taste of what it is like to serve.”
Steppin’ Out focuses on Texas waterway initiative By Rae Jefferson Staff Writer
Travis Taylor | Photo Editor
Ben March, the Keep Texas Waterways Clean initiative’s local coordinator, said the Steppin’ Out project will help clear trash on a stretch from the Baylor Marina to Cameron Park.
A statewide environmental initiative focused on cleaning up Texas waterways will soon make its way onto Baylor campus. This semester, some Steppin’ Out participants will have the opportunity to participate in a litter cleanup effort called Keep Texas Waterways Clean initiative, which is sponsored by the organization Keep Waco Beautiful. Ben March, the initiative’s local coordinator and Keep Waco Beautiful board member, said the project will allow students to help clear trash on a stretch of the Brazos River from roughly the Baylor Marina to Cameron Park. “We’ve partnered for several years with Baylor during Steppin’ Out,” he said. “Our major emphasis from now on will be the Brazos Corridor cleaning.” Erin Payseur, the Steppin’ Out adviser, said arranging projects with Keep Waco Beautiful has been beneficial for students, and is a passion of first lady Alice Starrs, who is a board member of Keep Waco Beautiful. “It’s been great to see Mrs. Starr share her passion for it and why it’s so important for Waco,” Payseur said. March said he did not yet know what Baylor group would be assigned to work with Keep Waco Beautiful for Steppin’ Out. Groups are usually assigned to volunteer sites by the Steppin’ Out coordinating committee. Payseur said she appreciates the work Keep Waco Beautiful does with Steppin’
Out because of the perspective it provides for students. “Sometimes students don’t think that picking up trash is glamorous or an important service, but it’s so necessary to the beauty of the city,” she said. “When each of us does our part, we take pride in our community.” Keep Texas Waterways Clean is sponsored by Keep Texas Beautiful, a state organization with the mission to “educate” and “engage” Texans about caring for their local environments, according to the Keep Texas Beautiful website. Companies and organizations around the state register to sponsor the waterways initiative, which began Nov. 1 and will continue until Oct. 31. Keep Waco Beautiful, a local environmental organization and affiliate of Keep Texas Beautiful, is a Waco sponsor for Keep Texas Waterways Clean events. According to its website, Keep Waco Beautiful uses cleanup and beautification programs to instill community pride in Wacoans. March said the organization focuses on a stretch of the Brazos from the Baylor Marina to the intersection of the Bosque and Brazos rivers near the Lake Waco Dam. March said this special attention to the river is rooted in a concern for preserving a token of life in Waco. “It’s one of the biggest assets the city has — this wonderful waterway,” March said. “With the new stadium we’re going to have more guests, so we want to make sure one of our biggest attractions is always clean.” March said Keep Waco Beautiful has plans to launch an amphibious assault
during cleanup projects this year. During this process, volunteers will be divided into shoreline cleanup teams and kayak cleanup teams, which will remove out-ofreach trash floating in the river and stuck in water reeds. Steppin’ Out may include these amphibious tactics if Keep Waco Beautiful is able to secure kayaks in time, March said. Keep Waco Beautiful is using the waterways initiative as a springboard for expanding its efforts in river cleanups, March said. The organization plans to end the year having completed four major anti-litter projects — one held earlier this month on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a spring and fall Steppin’ Out event and a summer event. “This is kind of a new project for us,” March said. “We’re going to be doing cleanups more often and utilizing clubs and organizations from Baylor. We’ll also use organizations and groups in the city of Waco, to get them involved as well.” March said Keep Waco Beautiful’s intentions are to simply complement the work city officials put in to maintaining the river. “The city of Waco does an excellent job of keeping the river clean — we’re just supplementing that,” he said. “We just want to help keep Waco clean and beautiful.” Payseur said she hopes students leave the event with a renewed sense of duty to the community. “I hope they see that it has an impact on the city and is more than just a few hours or a day of picking up trash,” she said.
30
to/from Baylor
A5 News
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2014
Wigging out
Passion for healthy living, sports come together in spirited SLC athletic director By Anja Rosales Reporter
In an office located on the third floor of the McLane Student Life Center sits Van Davis, the assistant director of the McLane Student Life Center. She doesn’t do much sitting these days, however, as she is involved in a number of activities ranging from training top-notch athletes to selling Girl Scout cookies with her niece. The amount of activities and teams Davis coaches also serve as a place for interviews, life talks and a behind the scenes business for some of her classes and clinics. Clint Patterson, who works with Davis as the coordinator for fitness at the SLC, said he enjoys working with Davis. “I absolutely love working with Van,” Patterson said. “She is a great boss who is very committed.” He said Davis is passionate, determined and memorable. He said Davis was the crazy lady with the wigs, as he described her school spirit at Baylor sporting events. Bianca Davis, Davis’ daughter, said her mom is an inspirational person who has taught her a lot about life. “My mom works a lot and is always giving it all for the people she encounters,” Davis’ daughter, Bianca, said. Bianca, who is now 22 years old, was the impetus to one of Davis’ several jobs.
MBA
“When Bianca turned 10, there wasn’t a good volleyball program for kids her age to start playing competitively,” Davis said. “So I started one of my own and founded the Waco Juniors Volleyball Club.” This inspired Davis to start the Waco Juniors Volleyball Club. The club started off with two teams and grew to over a dozen teams for all age groups. Davis said she was the first freshman at Tombstone High School, in Tombstone, N.M. to make the varsity team in the sports of both basketball and volleyball. A f t e r g r a du at i on , Davis decided to attend Eastern Arizona College so she could play both volleyball and basketball, but after two years of playing there, she transferred to Western New Mexico University to concentrate on volleyball. After playing two years at Western New Mexico, Davis became an assistant coach for her former team immediately after graduating. Two years after being an assistant coach, Davis took the position as head coach for her former team. When Davis moved to Waco after her husband and high-school sweetheart, Raymond Davis,
took a coaching job, she continued working in the fitness world although she no longer coached volleyball. Davis started her own fitness company, Fitness by Van, Co., in 1997 and then became the assistant director of campus recreations in fitness at Baylor in 1999. Davis said however, that her love for volleyball was too strong to abandon the sport altogether. “I still wanted a connection with volleyball although I wasn’t coaching anymore, so I became the official score keeper for the Baylor Women’s Volleyball team,” Davis said. “I remember when I started bringing Bianca to the games when she was 3 years old. She would lay on my lap and nap while I kept score, it was so cute.” Davis has been the official score keeper for the Baylor Volleyball games for 20 years now. Davis said perhaps the most significant event in her life was training and coaching a young volleyball player by the name of Molly Martinson. “When Bianca graduated, I stepped away from coaching for the Waco Juniors Volleyball club, but God had a different plan for me,” Davis said. Martinson’s mom asked Davis to coach for her, so Davis made an under 12 team for Waco Juniors Club for Martinson and Davis’ niece. “I had the best time coaching my under-12 team,” Davis said, adding that Martinson was the best player she has ever coached. During Davis’ time coaching her under 12 team, she experienced losing, and it wasn’t necessarily on the volleyball court. One day, Davis received a call from Martinson’s mom saying that Molly had to stop playing and start chemotherapy for brain cancer. A year later in May 2012,
from Page 1
Christian and ethical component, Carini said. Pattie Orr, vice president for information technology and dean of university libraries, said this effort by Baylor to open up to the online learning community is charged in large part by the teaching, learning & technology committee which reports to the Office of the Provost. The committee considers technological advancements in education. This past year, Dr. Elizabeth Davis, executive vice president and provost, charged the committee with exploring online courses and how best they could be incorporated at Baylor. “We must keep our eyes on the horizon to anticipate genuine challenges—and changes,” Davis said in her opening letter of the teaching, learning & technology committee’s June 2013 report “Engaging the Future of Higher Education.” The committee, which is made up of faculty from each school within Baylor and several graduate students, heard from several speakers and considered data that suggested the next move for online learning should target post-gradu-
ate and professional degrees. “Lots of research, talking and student feedback went into this,” Orr said. “If we were going to complete this we wanted the same rigor and quality we have on campus.” Baylor has an online doctorate program used within the School of Social Work and, at the beginning of this spring semester, launched
“I think this MBA program, even though it’s online, will be distinctly Baylor and very successful.” Pattie Orr | Dean of university libraries
the Semester Online program that offers virtual courses from colleges around the nation. Orr said the feedback from students on having online options has been positive. “I myself, as a professional, think this is really significant for people who work and who really want a Baylor de-
gree,” Orr said. “I think this MBA program, even though it’s online, will be distinctly Baylor and very successful.” To help Baylor recruit students and covert the degree program to an online application, the university has hired Academic Partnerships, a company that specializes in helping institutions benefit from technology, according to the company’s website. Carini said, although it is an online program, it is charged by Baylor professors who will work closely with students just as they do in the classroom. In fact, Carini said he is excited to see which online tools prove to be helpful and later incorporated in on-campus classes. One aspect he said is particularly excited about is the ability to interact with students that, in the past, might have chosen a school other than Baylor because of distance issues. Carini said undergraduates at admissions fairs would often inquire if Hankamer School of Business had an online option for graduate students. “We can finally answer ‘yes,’” he said.
Courtesy Photos
Van Davis shows her Baylor school spirit with a green pompom styled wig while attending a basketball game (above) and her bright pink wig (left). Davis is known for the many colorful wigs she can be seen sporting around campus and at Baylor sporting events.
died from the terminal disease. Davis said she thought she was going to be done with coaching after coaching her under 12 team, but Molly changed her mind. “I remember talking to Molly about two weeks before she passed and she asked me if I was going to continue coaching,” Davis said. “I’m honoring Molly by coaching. Her impact is tremendous. Volleyball was always part of my life but it has much more meaning because of Molly.” Another loss Davis suffered was when she lost her sister, who was the mother of the niece whom she now has custody of. “It will be two years ago this month that my sister passed away,” Davis said. “When my sister passed, I became the legal guardian of my niece, Kaitlyn, who I coached on my under-12 team with Molly,” Davis said. “I sell Girl Scout cookies because Kaitlyn and her mother loved selling Girl Scout cookies together,” Davis said. “I wanted her to keep the tradition going and help Kaitlyn with it as much as I can.”
Bianca, Davis’ daughter explained how supportive her mother is. “She’s a really good supporter in whatever it is you are doing and she treats everyone like family,” Bianca said. “She wants to take care of you and make sure you are happy and have everything you need,” Bianca said. Davis has had a total of 11 knee surgeries, one of which resulted in a torn ACL after competing for the American Gladiator. “My mom is so determined to do whatever it is her mind is set on,” Bianca said. “My quest now is to be the first bionic woman to compete with my husband on the Amazing Race as the first bionic woman with titanium knees,” Davis said as she laughed. Then she came back to a more passionate tone and said, “People cannot use their physical inability as an excuse to not take part in physical activity. I believe you must be physically active to truly live a happy and healthy life.”
A6
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2014
News*
Celebrating the beauty of knowledge, diversity Legacy of Baylor’s first black prof remembered by colleagues, friends technical,” Perryman wrote. “She emphasized that any solution that was not ultimately simple and elegant was probably Historical civil rights figure Dr. Vivi- wrong. enne Malone-Mayes is still on the minds “She also taught me the value of goof professors this Black History Month, ing back to the foundations of what I was as she was an inspiration to many and the working on rather than merely seeking to first African-American professor hired at add on to the work of others. Those lesBaylor. sons have served me well throughout my Mayes was born in Waco in 1932 and career; her voice is in my head haunting grew up in Waco. She graduated high me whenever I am working on any issues school at age 16 and went on to get her of substance or complexity.” bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Fisk Robert Darden, associate professor in University in Nashville, according to files the journalism, public relations and new from the Texas Collection. media department and founder of the Mayes attempted to earn her doctoral Black Gospel Music Restoration Project, degree at Baylor but said Mayes was writwas denied accepten about in African tance to the school be“She taught me that math- American and white cause of her race. She alike as ematics could be a thing of newspapers went on to study at the a hero of the integraUniversity of Texas, beauty — as much artistic tion movement of the where she became the as technical. She emphasized 1960s. fifth African- Ameriwas, at a that any solution that was very“She can woman in the U.S. early age, a math to obtain a doctorate not ultimately simple and prodigy,” Darden said. in mathematics. elegant was probably wrong.” “She wasn’t even necMayes was then essarily interested in hired at Baylor in Dr. Ray Perryman | CEO of the Perryman being something like 1966 as a full-time a martyr. She was just Group mathematics profescompelled to follow sor until her retirewhere her gift was ment in 1994. Mayes taking her.” would have been 82 Beluah Barksthis past week. She dale, a Waco resipassed away in 1995. dent, knew Mayes since the two were in Dr. Ray Perryman, a president and kindergarten together in Waco and grew CEO of the Perryman Group in Waco, and up with her to go on to Fisk University was one of Mayes’ mathematics students at together and become Delta Sigma Theta Baylor sisters. Barksdale said Mayes was always “Vivienne was a huge inspiration in goal-oriented, even as a child. my life,” Perryman wrote in an email to “Vivienne was always starting new the Lariat. “She was a civil rights advocate things, like an investment club, library and leader and very different from anyone clubs and such,” Barksdale said. “She just I had encountered before.” always had things in mind.” Perryman said he and Mayes became Barksdale said Mayes did face some close friends. discrimination through her education be“She taught me that mathematics could cause of her race. be a thing of beauty — as much artistic as “Her determination was even greater at By Rebecca Fiedler Staff Writer
Q
A
Photo Courtesy of the Texas Collection
Hired in 1966, Dr. Vivienne Malone-Mayes was the first African-American professor to teach at Baylor. She was a full-time mathematics professor until her retirement in 1984. Mayes passed away in 1995 and would have been 82 this past week.
the University of Texas because they were not nice to her there,” Barksdale said. “She struggled with the professors. They could hardly believe she knew the things she knew, but she did know it.” Perryman said Mayes didn’t let her students get off easily. “If you had the soul of a mathematician, you would find her amazing,” he wrote in the email. “If you didn’t, I suspect that life was not so pleasant. We had an exceptional group of math students when I was at Baylor, many of whom have gone on to be highly successful. All of us took multiple classes from her and hung on every word. To the student who was merely checking a box on a degree plan, however, she was probably avoided like the plague.”
Changing seasons can change moods
By Lauren Tidmore Reporter
cian, then they’re going to look at the past two years of your life. You have to have had two major depressive episodes that occurred during short-day length period of time and not at other times.
Winter inevitably brings with it the possibility of physical dangers because of weather, such as those related to perilous roads and bridges as seen around the Q: What qualifies a major depressive episode? nation within the past months, especially on the East A: A major depressive order means that you feel coast. However, the mental dangers prevalent in the sad or you’re not doing anything, plus you have some winter months should not be taken lightly. of these other things – change in eating, change in Psychological changes that occur within the winter sleep, change in activity, you feel tired, problems with months might still be affecting students, thinking, problems with studying, probdespite the weather’s recent lean towards lems with making decisions. spring. With the pressures of school, work That’s the hard part about depression and other commitments, students are is that, when students get depressed, then at times forced to sacrifice their health, not only are they not doing well in their physically and mentally, to meet the grade. classes, but if they are really having a major Dr. Renee Michalski, senior lecturer in depressive episode, they have trouble makthe psychology and neuroscience departing the decision about what to do. Should ment, received her Ph.D. in neuroscience I go see the professor and try harder, even from Baylor in 2006 and has researched though I don’t feel like it? Should I go to self-administered assessment instruments a therapist? Should I change my major? for post-traumatic stress disorders. MiShould I drop the class? You know, they Michalski chalski teaches entry-level psychology have trouble getting themselves out of the classes as well as upper level courses, such hole. as Abnormal Psychology, Lifespan Human Development and Forensic Psychology. She explains the psyQ: What is some advice you would give to stuchological process of stress disorders that could occur dents facing this issue? to students during winter months. A: Just some general things we know help depression is exercise. We’ve got the SLC, if it’s too bad to Q: As a professor, do you find that students lose go outside, which offers you a lot of different things. momentum near the end of the spring semester, Have a good support group. Talk to your friends. Get midway or near the beginning? enough sleep when you get really tired. Memories A: What I notice, from my perspective as a profes- are consolidated during dream periods. For somesor, is that in general students’ momentum at the be- body that knows that they have it, one non-medicine ginning of the semester is low — of any semester. Then treatment is a light box. You buy lights that put out a it picks up towards the end because that’s when you’re specific wavelength, and you sit in front of them for a getting close to the final result for the semester – their prescribed number of hours a day – a couple hours a grade. I notice that as a generality. day. That increases your serotonin production. Our counseling center has a really good deal. If Q: With the influx of winter weather within the they went out in the community for initial assessment, past months nationwide, what are the mental effects that office visit might cost $125 to $175. But they can of this on students? Is Season Affective Disorder, the go over here. It’s very inexpensive. They’re entitled to depression associated with late autumn and winter, a certain number of sessions – maybe seven or eight at play? sessions. So, you could get started there. A: It could be because Seasonal Affective Disorder Use your professors as resources. If you’re not dois tied to day length. So you not only see it when in the ing well in a class, then go in and talk to them. I think winter and days are shorter, but you might also see it if there’s so much pressure put on students to make good you change latitude and go someplace where the days grades. are shorter, where there’s not as much sunlight in a day. Students sitting in the class, when they start in on It’s because some of the production of the neurotrans- a class, they start out with the hope and the expectamitter, serotonin, is tied to daylight hours. Serotonin tion that they’re going to make an A, but not making drops when the number of daylight hours drops. Sero- an A is not the end of the world. People start college tonin is your “feel OK” chemical. When you don’t have and declare a certain major, and it’s not the end of the it, you either get anxious or you get depressed. world to change your major. Age is also a strong predictor of seasonality, with Know that if you do have Seasonal Affective Disoryounger persons at higher risk for winter-depressive der or if you do have a major depressive disorder, that’s episodes. That would put students in that at-risk cat- a disorder and it’s an imbalance of brain chemicals. egory. You need to do something. You need to get some help. In order to diagnose it, if you go to go to a clini-
Dr. Baxter Johns, a professor in the mathematics department, began teaching at Baylor in 1971 and worked with Mayes. Johns said Mayes received a large grant for an experiment she spearheaded in math education. “She was really interested in finding the best ways to teach students,” he said. Dr. Ray Cannon, a former professor of mathematics, came to Baylor in the 1980s and said he knew Mayes as well. Cannon said Mayes was very ambitious in her work, especially in context of the time period with racial discrimination. “As a black woman, she had to be driven,” he said. Johns and Cannon said they agree that Mayes was admired by her colleagues at
Baylor. Perryman said he would like to see a memorial erected in honor of Mayes. “She was passionate about civil rights and brought out the very best in the better students that she encountered,” Perryman wrote. “I have been blessed with many honors and accolades in my career, but none that I cherish more than being asked to deliver a eulogy for her at her request. “She was a remarkable woman who had a profound influence on many of Baylor’s best and brightest. I think that embracing and celebrating the sheer beauty of knowledge is one of the best things that any university can do, and Vivienne was the very embodiment of that spirit. That, to me, is her greatest legacy to Baylor.”
A7 News
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2014
Pencils help African children sharpen school skills By Paula Ann Solis Staff Writer
Putting pencils in the hands of underprivileged children around the world, giving them the chance to write their way to a better future — that’s the motivation behind one student organization in Waco, Upward Bound. Upward Bound is a federally funded collegiate preparatory program for low-income high school students. Members interact with college students at McLennan Community College, where the program is based, and at Baylor to get a feel for college life. The group has chosen The Pencil Project as one of its many volunteer projects this year. Upward Bound’s counseling specialist, Ameenah Snow, introduced students to this international mission she learned about online. “I was looking for something the students could do that wouldn’t take a lot of their time because they do have their high school classes and they come here on Wednesday evenings and one Saturday a month,” Snow said. “This
was something they could do that would make a big impact to other students like them. It was the perfect project.” The Pencil Project was born from an experience one woman had while in Africa. The woman saw a child grasping a broken and chiseleddown pencil he would not let go of because it was his most prized possession. That woman’s daughter, Maria Vick, started the organization to correct this problem, according to organization’s website, thepencilproject.com. Service groups around the world interested in helping with The Pencil Project can contact Vick through the website, at which point she puts service groups in touch with underprivileged schools in Africa and, in some instances, the United States. The 70 Upward Bound students in Waco are collecting unsharpened, new pencils they will send to two schools, an elementary school in Alabama and a kindergarten to primary level school in Swaziland, Africa. Snow said 94 percent of the students at the school in Alabama fall within the federal income guidelines to receive
free or reduced lunch. The students in Swaziland are mostly orphans living with AIDS. According to UNAIDS.org, 22,000 children under the age of 14 were living with AIDS in 2012. “There is just such a simplicity to it,” Snow said. “ If you don’t have writing utensils, you can’t do your math, you can’t address an envelope and you can’t do a lot of different things that we just take it for granted. We think pencils are available to everybody, but they’re not.” Snow said students were excited to hear about the new project and they are already planning to repeat it next year. Currently, the students have collected more than 700 pencils. The goal is to give two pencils to each student at the schools they are partnering with, which means the students at Upward Bound are aiming to collect 2,704 pencils by March 31. Patsy Jones, the project director for Upward Bound, said this project is a learning opportunity for the students as well. “This lets our students know how fortunate they are to have these simple things,” Jones said. “We want the students to have a sense of citizen-
ship and of giving back. You’re not only serving the community when you do this, you’re really serving yourself because you’re looking beyond yourself and asking ‘How can I help? How can I be of service to someone else?’” Jones said this service project also serves the greater mission of Upward Bound, which is to prepare students for college. Service projects like The Pencil Project help set students apart when they apply for scholarships and admission to universities, Jones said. As of now, students are asking classmates, church members and other local business owners to help them reach their pencil collection goals, Snow said. The Upward Bound leaders also have plans to included erasers and sharpeners, if they can reach their pencil goal. “This gives the students a feeling of accomplishment,” Jones said. “They feel like, ‘We’ve worked for this. This is an achievement. This is a goal I set and I reached it. I reached my goal.” To learn more about Upward Bound’s partnership with The Pencil Project, contact Snow at 254-495-4877.
Courtesy Photo
Courtesy Photo
Children in Malawi, Africa, receive their pencils during school one day. Upward Bound is collecting pencils to send to a school in Swaziland, Africa, and an elementary school in Alabama.
Upward Bound chose The Pencil Project as a volunteer project for the year. It helps put pencils in the hands of students around Africa and in the United States.
$515
A8News DAVID
from Page 1
The international adoption process began on Jan. 9, 2008. The Cates’ waited in line for a little girl for four to five years, but in the summer of 2012, they heard about a waiting list for children with special needs. “If you adopt from that list, it’s sometimes quicker, and they ask you what kind of special needs you are capable of handling,” Cates said. “We said we would be able to handle a child with a heart condition because my nephew on my wife’s side was born with a heart condition. So we kind of dealt with that before and felt comfortable with that situation.” On Oct. 3, 2012, the Cates finalized their paperwork for the Waiting Child List and were called back the same day with a match. “They told us it was a little boy with a hole in his heart,” Cates Editor said. “We were told it was really roject small and that it might close up on its own. But, if not, he might need an operation.” ment, New Day Foster Home staff hours sent the family a picture of David, sed to who was known to his New Day Foster Home family as Calvin. The ning,” Cates had chosen the name David for a son before they even married. “There’s just something about it when you finally see him,” Cates said. Soon after, they discovered that the New Day Foster home was a Christian foster home run by Americans in China. According
NETWORK
m
s nt
times ggest ng to u can
bena key ed by al or-
or of k life ng for and
to its official website, New Day’s core mission is to provide life-saving surgeries and a loving home for orphans with special needs from around China. “We were excited to know that David had been able to experience all of the Christian traditions and holidays, like Christmas and Thanksgiving,” Cates said. The Cates were unable to physically visit David due to Chinese government regulations, but this did not stop them from sending packages to him and learning everything about him possible through their adoption agency. “We found out that he was born on our anniversary, Aug. 2, 2011,” Cates said. “We also sent him a package with a teddy bear and a child-sized Baylor Bears t-shirt.” Finally, the time came for the Cates to receive their son, on what many adoptive parents consider ‘Gotcha Day.’ This is the day of celebration in which adoptive children are placed into the care of their adoptive parents. Although David had initially been in foster care in Urumqi and then transferred to New Day Foster Home in Beijing, Cates said it is protocol for the adoptive child to be sent back to its city of birth to be received by his or her adoptive parents. David was transferred back to Urumqi, and the Cates prepared for their flight back to the city of David’s birth.
“It was very hard all this time to only be able to interact with him indirectly,” Cates said. “And New Day was very up front with us and said ‘you cannot see him until the day he is officially given to you’.” But, as the Cates boarded their plane in Beijing on April 21, 2013, something unexpected happened. “We board the plane, me going on first with Steve and then my parents following,” Mrs. Cates wrote in a blog post on Sunday, April 21, 2013 titled ‘Journey: to Urumqi (Day 4).’ “As I entered the economy cabin, who do I see? David! Yes, David was on our flight from Beijing.” Mrs. Cates said it was the hardest thing not to grab him and hold him tight as she watched him wave at her wearing the little jacket she had sent him back in December. As they rode the elevator to the fourth floor of an office building the next day to receive David, Mrs. Cates said they were not sure who would bring him or what to fully expect. “I had his backpack full of snacks and some toys including bubbles, which seem to be a big hit for most adoptive families,” Mrs. Cates wrote in a blog post on Monday, April 22, 2013 titled ‘Journey: Gotcha Day Part 1.’ “We got to the floor, they took us into an office and handed David to us just like that, and he was ours!” When the Cates did finally receive David on April 22, 2013,
Follow us on Facebook: The Baylor Lariat
they considered it the completion of their journey and the beginning of a new one with their son. “We kind of wanted him to cry, because it would be therapeutic for him,” Cates said. “We wanted him to miss New Day. And the first day we got him, he was upset and cried for hours.” Cates said he and his wife were glad David was able to process through the difficulty of what mimicked another abandonment situation for him as he had to leave his New Day family behind. David did stop crying at one point, but when he was shown the teddy bear that had sent to him at New Day, he began crying again. “I attended an adoptive parents seminar before we received David, and I will never forget something the program director said during that seminar,” Mrs. Cates said. “And it was, ‘I want you to remember that your best day, when you meet your adoptive child for the first time and receive them, is going to be their worst day ever.” David did eventually stop crying and smiled. “And he hasn’t stopped smiling since,” Cates said. Cates said if God had answered his prayer to allow an adoption to happen quickly for him and his wife, they might not have ended up with David as their son. “The fact that He knew we were supposed to wait,” he said. “Thank God for unanswered
ART
from Page 1
family and alumni,” Evans said. “Greek organizations are just one more outlet of networking.” As for how Baylor students can network best, Evans said students should make connections through any national organizations in which students are inssoci- volved as well as create a profile ms for on the professional networking s ex- website LinkedIn. “You want your connections to connect you to other people,” s for Evans said. “Connecting to other said. chool people through your connections with will hopefully lead to a job or e, the good information. That’s kind of duate what LinkedIn is doing. It’s cono take necting you to other people.” re we While membership in Greek and other student organizations am is can be beneficial in terms of nethe na- working, Dr. Henderson said its n one effect on students’ future employain a ment depends on how students present their experience in their organization. Networking is only part of the process of being marketable to employers, as students also need to demonstrate that they have had valuable experiences and possess skills applicable to their desired job. Employers are looking for students with well-rounded skill sets, so students with varied experiences in their college career can
creatwhen Henal orroups urther p the
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2014
appear more hirable to potential employers. “From our interactions with employers, what we know they want to see is a holistic experience on campus,” Evans said. “If a student has been extremely involved in their organization, well then that’s another experience they’ve had in their Baylor experience.” Leadership roles within Greek and other student organizations are experiences of particular interest to employers. “I would say that we encourage any student involved in an organization to hold a leadership position just to highlight that they had the initiative to take a leadership position,” Evans said. While good academic performance is a factor in getting a job after college, Heather Wheeler, assistant director of internships in The Office of Career and Professional Development, said the varied college experience that students can achieve through membership in Greek and other student organizations shows employers that those students can handle the nuances of the workplace. “You still need to find an outlet other than good grades,” Wheeler said. “Employers want to see that the person has an outlet or will have fun. They need to see that you can handle the social settings
of work, so you need to find another way, not just good grades, or else you need to find a way to explain that on a resume.” Students can market their experience in Greek and other student organizations on a resume by highlighting leadership experiences, Wheeler said. “It’s all about how you present it on a resume,” Wheeler said. “Are you presenting the fraternal ‘We’re having a lot of fun’ side, or are you presenting the leadership and service side? Resumes are more professional so you want to focus more on the professional side of things.” While networking websites like LinkedIn can be used in tandem with membership in student organizations to connect with alumni in the professional world, less professional use of social media can hurt students’ image. “The biggest thing is that you have to be wise in how you go about advertising what you do,” Henderson said. “I happen to know that employers will go online to find out more about you. So, what you do in college can come back to haunt you, but you don’t have to be a member of a fraternity for that to happen. Be careful about not only what you post but what others post about you.”
prayers, but really he did answer my prayers, and now I have a healthy little boy.”As members of the First Baptist Woodway community, the Cates family said they are heavily involved in fellowship and that they intend to return to Beijing for a new purpose. “We are planning on going back to New Day when David is a teenager to volunteer,” Mrs. Cates said. “A lot of people from Baylor do it as well.” Today, Mrs. Cates maintains connection with a few different adoptive parent groups, mostly via Facebook and other online forums, which serve as a helpful community resource. Cates said there are many community members at First Baptist Woodway, Baylor students, adults and families alike, already involved with New Day Foster Home. One of these members is Hewitt freshman Hannah Johns— the adopted Chinese daughter of First Baptist Woodway youth director. “I’m actually interning with New Day this summer,” Johns said. “I will be leaving as soon as school lets out in May and will be there through July.” Johns said she would be completing a photography internship, where she will take photos of the children at New Day and serve as an extra set of helping hands. “I do definitely feel a connection to other kids in the similar sit-
uations that I was once in myself,” she said. Johns said she was adopted from an orphanage in Ma’anshan, Eastern China when she was seven-months-old, but first heard about New Day through Dr. Chris Kearney, associate professor of biology, and his wife Virginia Kearney, a part-time lecturer in the English department. Johns said she has forged a bond with the Kearneys’ two daughters, who were also adopted from China. “It’s an incredible experience to meet someone who was also adopted and that’s why I decided to be a social work major, so I could do just that,” she said. As Johns begins to pursue her service-centered career plan by taking her first step in heading back to China, she believes she takes along with her the strength of being able to relate on a personal level in giving back. And while David is only twoand-a-half, the Cates hope to return to China as volunteers with David to do the same - to give back. But, for now, they simply enjoy watching their adopted son grow, learn, and live life to the fullest. “I think I am going to start him in gymnastics,” Cindy said. “I could see him being really good at gymnastics.”
from Page 1
said. “The university talks about critical thinking as a goal for students, as it should, and visual awareness is an important part of critical thinking.” Leander senior Kendal Kulley said she felt the experience expanded her idea of the resources science can provide for art. “We went into the lab and I was just blown away by how much I had access to that I didn’t realize,” Kulley said. “Getting to know more of the science department was actually really helpful because I got a lot of pictures.” Motivated by the project to take up a deeper interest in science, alumna Sarah Groman spent extra time looking at slides with Samples and began taking introductory courses in science after graduation. “I think that art is a science and that science is an art,” Groman said. “Both are an attempt to discover a truth and both offer a lot of possibilities as far as learning and discovery goes. When you put the two together those possibilities are just exponentially increased.” Dr. Lauren Barron, medical humanities associate director, said the idea of introducing artwork into the building came from 2012 Cherry Award winner and organic chemist Dr. Brian Coppola, an art enthusiast. Barron
said she is extremely passionate about incorporating more art into the science building because she said she believes enriching the visual environment is important for students. “Scientists need to be able to see things from different perspectives,” Barron said. “They need to be able to shift paradigms, they need to be able to step out of their own habits of mind and be able to approach problems from a different angle. Science is very creative. There is a tremendous amount of creativity and artistry that goes into good science.” The committee for art in the Baylor Sciences Building has only met a handful of times. The committee consists of Samples; Hitchcock; Barron; Anderson; Dr. Robyn Driskell, divisional dean for humanities & social sciences; and Dr. Kenneth Wilkins, divisional dean for sciences. Anderson, the committee chair, said there are many challenges involved in bringing art into the science building, not least of which being the size of the building and the lack of pre-developed spaces to display pieces safely. However, he said he feels that art is important to a building. “In my experience, and I’ve been teaching 38 years, any time you put art up in a hallway or in someone’s office they will never
be comfortable with bare walls ever again,” Anderson said. With the large size of the science building and the difficulties involved in finding resources for a project of this scale, bringing art to BSB walls is expected to take several years. “It’s not something you want to rush into,” Samples said. “We’re not trying to decorate the building, we’re trying to bring art into the Baylor Sciences Building, and in my opinion there is a big difference.” In addition to searching for scientifically inspired art from outside sources, the committee wants to work on making more collaborations between the art and science departments possible and potentially making some of the equipment and instrumentation at the BSB more available to the art department. “Science is here to serve humanity; art is here to serve humanity,” Hitchcock said. “At the end of the day, the scientists go home and they have to navigate the same world the artists have to navigate when they go home. If we can each enhance the quality of life through our different disciplines then we are doing our jobs.”
B1
Arts & Entertainment Friday | February 21, 2014
The Baylor Lariat
Constance Atton| Lariat Photographer
Constance Atton | Lariat Photographer
Delta Delta Delta’s Egyptian-themed show “Take Me to the Pyramids” is one of the Lariat choices for “Reviewer’s Darling” for procision and creativity.
Kappa Omega Tau’s 2014 production “The Battle Within” was chosen as one of the Lariat favorites because of their innovative storytelling.
Students SING their hearts out By Taylor Griffin News Editor
As a newbie to the tradition hype that is All-University Sing, it certainly has been interesting to observe the Baylor culture in this way: guys in eyeliner studying in the library, girls complaining about late nights and the overarching sense of competition in the fresh February air. After research into past years and hearsay from peers, I have envisioned the elements of a perfect Sing act: a mix of current and old school music that is creatively chosen and has purpose; inflated energy throughout; a motivated plot that is driven without force, costumes and props that intensify; and a compelling, innovative theme.
KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA “Running Wild”
Kappa began the night in the heart of the African savannah, and in their attempt at paying homage to the artistic Broadway version of “The Lion King,” one thing is for certain: Kappa is not the most vocally talented. Besides the tribal, militaristic choreography that suited the theme, I didn’t see that incredible energy until the end. On top of which, the music didn’t flow as well together as Kappa’s competitors. The act had a host of vibrant props and a gorgeous backdrop, but the bobbing giraffes in the back resembled the likes of two Burger King chicken fries. I applaud them for taking a risk with the elaborate key change in a mash-up version of Katy Perry’s “Roar,” but using the top 40 current hit, “Pompeii,” was a mistake. Did they listen to the lyrics? Nothing about it screams “Hakuna Matata.”
PI BETA PHI & PHI KAPPA CHI “Romeo and Juliet”
I think the Bard of Avon would approve of this retelling. It was certainly a bold move for “Pi Phi Chi” to take on such an intricate production, but they delivered. The partner work was the best of the evening, and acting montages truly forwarded the storyline. However, those boys need to cool it with the facials. And if you’re going to take on a lead singing role, the least you could do is enunciate your lyrics. The group executed transitions well with minimal bumping, but the general choreography lost a bit of momentum throughout. My biggest annoyance was the interesting choice to use silk blue and burnt orange, and from the audience, it took away more than it gave to the performance.
ZETA TAU ALPHA “Rescue Me”
If there’s one thing Zetas know how to do, it’s how to entertain a crowd. From the mom jeans to the human hamster wheel, there was never a dull moment in their pet shop routine. A round of applause is in order for the creative music selection and choice of mixing at the end. The cutesy pet shop theme, though different, wasn’t the most inventive of the night and took away from the group’s superb showmanship prowess. Plus, the singing was a bit shaky opening night. Zetas are fearless on stage and know how to put on a good show. With a better theme, they would no doubt have stolen Sing.
KAPPA SIGMA “How We Roll”
Is it possible for a Sing performance to be both gritty and dapper? Apparently, this group can make it happen. I was wondering how long it would take for a Gatsby reference to show up in one of the acts. Thank you to Kappa Sig for giving it justice. Whether they were attempting a hat tip at the Prohibition Era or just an old-timey gambler scene, these guys were on fire from the start — don’t worry, I saw those day-old copies of the Lariat in hand. While props were in shorter supply than others, these guys committed to every single movement of the routine. I absolutely couldn’t keep my eyes off the stage long enough to put my pen to the paper.
KAPPA CHI ALPHA “Foreverland”
PI KAPPA PHI “Nightmare on Fifth Street”
DELTA TAU DELTA “The Delta Boys”
Despite working with a backdrop that reeked of Color by Numbers, this performance had lots of potential to be more ghostly with maybe a little more practice — and latex prosthetics. Excellent and eclectic choice of songs made for a more intriguing story. Bonus point for the Fall Out Boy addition; it added range and grunge to the mix. But they sold me on with the blacklit, Morphsuited skeletons. I’m a sucker for a good pop-and-lock section only if done expertly, which trust me, they don’t disappoint. The rest was lackluster, but darn it if they charmed me.
What happens when you throw together a Sing routine but somehow manage to all get the same color windbreaker? The Delts, and it was fantastic. The backdrop was a little confusing, and at times, the performance was so awkward it hurt. However, they did answer the ageold question: How does one solve the battle between N’SYNC and Backstreet Boys? Singing a Hanson song of reconciliation. But this performance had its high points. Yes, the boy band image was thrown around a lot, but did no one see the actual breakdancing battle in the back? It was nuts. Despite the lemonade stand in the back, they rocked their floody-water purple drawers.
ALPHA DELTA PI & BETA UPSILON CHI “Rescue Me”
DELTA DELTA DELTA “Take Me to the Pyramids”
This act had great potential to be incredibly adorable, but I was a tad disappointed with the misuse of material. The concept lends itself to a heck of a lot of clever songs, but the ones chosen didn’t heighten the act to its competitors. The beginning made me only slightly uncomfortable with the unintentional alluding to sexual harassment in the workplace, but I can brush it off as character acting. It just looked like too many folks on stage that weren’t put to good use, but those side floor lights were a nice touch though. The lead singing, too, was correctly casted. Overall, the performance just never took off from the ground. In a word, it was underwhelming. In a phrase, if you can’t A Capella, don’t.
Let me just say, TriDelts went to work on that stage, on so many levels. These girls ooze theater, exactly the makeup of a perfect Sing act. The chill bumps hurt my arms as they strutted. They utilized the dancers in their group and nailed it severely. While black bobs may not be for everyone, TriDelt knew exactly where to fill in the gaps. Just when I thought the Steve Martin “King Tut” reference topped it off, Cleopatra is brought out on a throne and leads the ensemble in a uproar of Beyonce girl power. They brought the whole act home by using a Tina Turner classic to mention the Nile River, which was incredibly creative. Brava, TriDelt. You had my attention even from the camel at the beginning.
CHI OMEGA “Mom’s Gone, Party’s On”
Girls running around the stage screaming? No, thanks. Aside from that, it was the choice of music that really threw me off, and they lost me with the Willy Wonka/Peter Pan mash-up opener. Of course, it was only a matter of time before a group pulled out the first One Direction tune. The choreography ventured outside of the typical box steps and jazz hands. However, sometimes it’s better to stick to the simple choreography than to dive head first into pirouette turns that only half the group can land. The performance itself made for great storytelling elements that were executed clearly. I could have done without the incessant squealing though. It really was cute, but the other elements within the routine just didn’t equal to success.
KAPPA OMEGA TAU “The Battle Within”
OK, so while Chi-O knows how to perform, there’s one big thing that stops me from giving a higher rating. I would venture to guess that when Chi-O met to choose the theme, they had to vote on either ‘90s throwback, house party and “Home Alone.” Then one girl raised her hand and had the genius idea of combining all three. Bad move, Chi-O. Bad indeed. This scatterbrained, caffeinated cluster on stage had me confused from the start. The dancing and props were sharp and well done for sure, but sometime during the countless hours of practice, they lost the element of plot. In short, it was a tornado of 20-too-many hair scrunchies and lack of organization. Chi-O, congrats on your “originality.” Next, please.
Exactly where do we begin with KOT? That’s a loaded question, but it’s one that always comes in full circle: these guys know what works. With the most compelling concept of the night, they are the epitome of effective storytelling and precisely why people keep coming back to Sing year after year. In particular, the mirror work with the Jekylls and Hydes proved for a chilling addition to this already frightfully exceptional act. This group hustles around the stage like it’s their job. They not only interest the audience; they grab them in a chokehold of curiosity and leave them absolutely awestruck. You want a performance, Baylor? You got one. SEE
REVIEWS, page B3
Photos By: Constance Atton, Carlye Thornton, Travis Taylor
B2 Arts & Entertainment
Lariat File Photo
Delta Delta Delta’s 1979 performance “Singing to Victory with the USO” finished wth sparklers onstage in Waco Hall.
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2014
Lariat File Photo
University Chaplain Dr. Burt Burleson helped choreograph and lead Baylor Chamber of Commerce in their 1980 performance “After Hours.”
Lariat File Photo
Kappa Omega Tau’s performance “The Toys are Back in Town” brought energy and bright costumes to the 2010 All-University Sing.
From the vault: Fans reveal favorite Sing acts By Kat Worrall Reporter
What makes a good All-University Sing act great? Judges look at five main elements — entertainment value, musical quality, choreography, theme development and creativity. While most top acts have a solid combination of all five, there is often one that dominates the others — an exceptional soloist, a never-before-seen dance trick or maybe a tear-jerking theme. As the 61st Sing begins, Baylor’s professors, alumni and current Sing chairs take a look back on the best acts of the past and what element made those acts excel. Entertainment value is the largest category for judges, and that is what Grant Clinkingbeard, one of Phi Kappa Chi’s Sing chairs, believes was best about his favorite act, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Kappa Sigma’s 2008 first-place act, “On the Town.” Their act centered on a night out dancing after navy officers returned from a tour, Clinkingbeard said. “They did a fantastic job of keeping me entertained the entire time,” Clinkingbeard said. “There was always something going on and never a lull. I felt like I was at wherever it was that they were dancing and having fun.” Kappa Kappa Gamma and Kappa Sigma quickly moved their combined dancers on and off stage. Even 10 to 15 seconds of transition can bore an audience and hurt entertainment value, Clinkingbeard said. With Phi Kappa Chi partnering with Pi Beta Phi this year, he has used that act as inspiration on how to avoid an empty stage during transitions and keep the audience engaged. “When it was over, it felt like it just started because you had been entertained the entire time,” Clinkingbeard said. Sing Alliance president Kellie Hooker also saw a high level of entertainment in another first-place act, Kappa Omega Tau’s 2010 “The Toys are Back in Town.” “No matter how much you know the choreography and it’s clean, if you’re not having fun with it and not bringing the energy – that’s what took it from a good act to a really great one,” Hooker said. Hooker, who as costume chair for Sing Alliance designs their costumes, also enjoyed Kappa Omega Tau’s creative spin on “Toy Story” and the costumes for each character, like the army men, raggedy Andy dolls and the cowboys. “You knew exactly what they were,” Hooker said. “The costumes made it feel that much more real.” Creativity is what set apart 1975 graduate and Roots owner Barby Williams’ favorite act. Williams has many favorite Sing memories, like seeing her son’s solo during his Phi Gamma Delta act and witnessing
her Greek alma mater, Kappa Kappa Gamma, do their signature move, “Kappa arms,” for the first time. However, her favorite was the first-place 1973 act by Phi Kappa Alpha – now known as Sigma Alpha Epsilon – titled “Sgt. Pepper’s Make Your Own Kind of Music Down by the Bandstand Smiling Singing Band.” The act was based off the 1967 Beatles album, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” and Phi Kappa Alpha dressed like a band just as the Beatles had on the album cover. What made the act stand out at the time was it had a band on stage with members playing Beatles music with the drums and trumpet, Williams said. Instead of crisp movements, Phi Kappa Alpha’s choreography was also more lively, she said. “When you have Beatles music, you have to do something fun,” she said. Alpha Tau Omega’s head sing chair Pierce Shivers drew choreography inspiration from Sigma Chi’s 1984 first-place act, “Basement Full of Blues.” Sigma Chi’s charter at Baylor was dissolved in 2010 due to violations. “I saw it last year when we were planning our saloon act and we wanted to take a few elements from them,” Shivers said. “It’s really fast paced and very entertaining. There’s never a dull moment.” Male dancers are often considered “lesser dancers” than female dancers, Shivers said, but seeing the Sigma Chis doing such a fast, clean and difficult dance impressed him. Sigma Chi even performed the act at the halftime of a sold-out Dallas Mavericks game and received a standing ovation from the crowd at Reunion Arena, according to the 1985 Round Up. “I’ve watched a lot of Sing acts all the way back to 1980 and that act was ahead of its time dance-wise and choreography-wise,” Shivers said. “I’d say in recent years we’ve seen a really big dance element added to sing and that act in 1984 had all of those things when maybe others didn’t. That’s what I think set it apart. Just as Shivers views Sigma Chi’s act as a dancing breakthrough for men’s groups, Dr. Bradley Lail, assistant professor of accounting and 1998 alumnus, said his favorite act, Kappa Alpha Theta’s 1996 “All in a Day’s Work,” introduced a new style of dancing for women’s groups. “What was interesting to me back then was the girls were always good, but it was always the guys that either knocked your socks off or made you laugh because it was so bad – but they knew it was bad too,” he said. Kappa Alpha Theta’s firefighter themed act was full of drama, lighting and scenery, but it was their more powerful, masculine form of dancing that captured Lail. Theta did not place in the top three but did go to Pigskin Revue, which was a shock to many of the stu-
dents who believed it was a top three act, Lail said Shannon King, a Kappa Kappa Gamma Sing chair, said she the theme development helped Kappa Sigma’s 2013 “United We Stand” act tie for first-place. “With theme development, people always say, ‘Aim your act so that a 5-year old understands,” King said. The theme does not have to be detailed or intense, just understandable, she said said. “People just have to connect to it,” King said. “That theme did, even though it was about the American Revolution. I think people can connect to military at all times.” Kappa Sigma’s mix of intense choreography and singing with slower songs also impressed King. “I think that takes a lot to do if you have a slow song and to make it engaging and entertaining and still powerful,” she said. Alumna Dr. Debra Burleson member of Delta Delta Delta and senior lecturer in the MIS department, used a special prop during her favorite Sing act that is banned from use today – sparklers. Any use of pyrotechnic effects has since been prohibited due to safety hazards, according to Cheryl Mathis, Assistant Director of Campus Programs. Members of Delta Delta Delta dressed in red, white and blue, stood in front of a similarly colored backdrop and lit the sparklers at the end of their 1979 “Singing to Victory with the USO” act. Musical quality placed an important role in this historical tribute, Dr. Debra Burleson said. The music contrasted between upbeat marching songs and mellow reflective songs about the troops being away, Dr. Debra Burleson said. With strong vocals and good back ups, it fit together with the costumes and backdrop. “If it’s historical information or witty or even if it is more of a serious tone, you just want it to tell a story and almost get lost in it,” Dr. Debra Burleson said. “When it’s over, you’re thinking, ‘Oh, I don’t want it to end.’” Delta Delta Delta’s act tied for third place that year and memorabilia from the act was showcased in the Student Union Building during Homecoming 2013. University Chaplain Dr. Burt Burleson said he has a slight bias toward his favorite Sing act, Chamber of Commerce’s 1980 “After Hours,” since he was one of the choreographers and Sing chairs. Dr. Burt Burleson, who has been watching Sing since high school, joked that Sing was even “his major” while at Baylor.
Across
Difficulty: Hard
1 __ Club 5 Eat __ 9 Film __ 13 Sleep __ 14 Mata __ 15 “I’m __ you!” 16 “__ to please!” 17 __-steven 18 SWAT __ 19 Blank 22 __ of bounds 23 Electric __ 24 Blank 31 “It __ to reason” 33 “You’re taking a big __” 34 __-TURN 35 Good for what __ you 36 Costa del __ 37 __ Elevator Company 38 “I Like __” 39 __ the scales 41 San Diego __ 43 Blank 46 Hopping __ 47 Jacqueline Kennedy __ Bouvier 48 Blank 56 Quod __ demonstrandum 57 __ to one’s senses 58 Shed __ 59 __-Honey 60 “Rock of __” 61 From beyond the __ 62 __ nuts 63 “__-a-Cop”: 1988 film 64 “Jane __” Down 1 X-Ray __: U.K. punk band 2 Take __: doze 3 Golda __ 4 “It’s the __ story” 5 __ of drawers 6 __ Shankar 7 __ Cakesters 8 __ circle 9 __ motel 10 “A Room of __ Own”
“After Hours” was about waiters in a 1940’s club who begin singing while wiping off tables at the end of the day. As the last song ended, Chamber’s performers walked off stage and turned off the lights like they were shutting down the club. The different ending as well as the music and vocal talent helped Chamber win first place, Dr. Burt Burleson said. Musical quality is an important part of Sing to Dr. Burt Burleson and he said he believes groups should look back at past acts to improve current acts. “We didn’t depart musically from the theme and I view that as one of the major mistakes people make,” Dr. Burt Burleson said. “Whatever their theme is, sailors and ships or whatever, instead of doing music from WWII, they drag in some contemporary music and I think that’s a mistake.” Sing acts commonly feature popular rock or hip-hop music, but Dr. Burt Burleson said it is a good chord progression that makes you want to dance. “If the people in the audience are sort of pining themselves, wishing to be up there, that’s when you know you’ve got the right song,” he said. As this year’s Sing begins, participants can gain inspiration on how to make their act great by learning from the past and staying ahead of the future. “Every now and then an act comes along that’s different,” Dr. Burt Burleson said. “It opens up pathways for other acts for years to come.”
Lariat File Photo
Answers at www.baylorlariat.com
11 “Take __ a compliment” 12 CD-__ 13 “I’m in __”: “Wow!” 20 Soap __ 21 __ and potato soup 24 Van __ 25 Carry-__: luggage 26 Victoria __ 27 Olive __ 28 __-level 29 Peau de __: satin-weave cloth 30 __ 22-Across: solve 31 Set __ 32 __ torch 36 Day __ 37 “__ to Joy” 39 Suit __ 40 __ Series: auto races 41 __-à-porter: ready-to-wear
42 __ Joe 44 Caveat __ 45 Civil __: protest 48 __ Canal 49 __ for life 50 Rib __ 51 “__ to that!” 52 “Lord knows __!” 53 __ Abby 54 __ birth to 55 “... __ I saw Elba” 56 __ and flow
B3 Arts & Entertainment
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2014
REVIEWS
from Page B1
BETA THETA PI “Crazy In Love”
You were right, Beta. It was crazy for trying, but boy, did you show us. I’m still not convinced this was their debut Sing performance since 1973. They not only did well; they completely gave a new definition of a comeback. Quite impressive, I might say. Beta clearly has a lot of hidden talent that’s finally ready to be aired out on the stage. The front man absolutely stole the show. They did tell the sweetest (or looniest?) story of the night, but I’m positive Sing enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to in the coming years with Beta. They showed up to win and did it in a big way.
SING ALLIANCE “Summer Fun Has Just Begun”
Call it a little corny, maybe even campy, but Sing Alliance has the right stuff. The minute the music drops, their energy levels are through the roof. Props to this group for accurately describing the counselors at my old summer camp: sugary-sweet yet ever so slightly obnoxious. Some of the members seem to enjoy Sing a little too much, but is that such a bad thing? The lead singers were some of the best of the night. Every one of those performers were exactly where they wanted to be, and they should be applauded for their kooky, caffeine-induced hard work.
ALPHA TAU OMEGA “Scotland the Brave”
Hello, biceps. This was the one group that I can attest to that fully got into their choreography. I’ve never seen such high knees-tochest jogging in my life. While the front row maybe saw a little too much under-kilt, these guys obviously had a blast yawping around the stage ripping off the “Braveheart” motif. Those guys gave every ounce of oomph they brought up there. It wasn’t the strongest ending, and the performance faded out at the end; perhaps waving a white flag in surrender?
ALPHA CHI OMEGA “O, Sister Where Art Thou?”
Honestly, I really wanted to like Alpha Chi’s ode to the jail cell. They had the set up, crazy bluegrass chops and “Chicago”-esque props to boot, but there was hardly any variety or change from the sharp choreography. They really used their dancers in the group in the right places, so for the performance to just be “meh” was a letdown. And the PowerPoint mug shots? Overkill, and it took away from the spectacle on stage. The songs had absolutely no attaching qualities with each other except that it sounded like the top five country songs in someone’s iPod.
Lariat Reviewer’s Darling:
SIGMA ALPHA EPSILON “Lifeguard”
Will the Real Slim Sharky please stand up? Sorry, I’m allowed only one bad pun. They employ the art of carelessness, and they ooze arrogance. Somehow, it’s much more honest than the other acts. Their traditional ploys (i.e. the serenading recorder ensemble) are far more endearing than other groups’ squealing with each formation change. I lost it when the human shark graced us with a melodic “Ave Maria.” And did anyone else catch the horse mask on the lifeguard stand? Their debauchery makes me smile.
KAPPA ALPHA THETA “Happily Never After”
If you’re going to go full-fledged theater, don’t cut corners. Take a note or two from Theta in that area. Theta’s first minute or so sets up the intensity of the act. Their fairytale could have taken a turn for the tacky. I’m still trying to figure out what purpose the white circles under the eyes served. The excellent music choices definitely added to the punk chic motif. Seriously though, the opening was delightfully creepy and certainly had more production value than most of the acts I saw. While their performance may have come off as more sugar than their intended spice at times, the group pulled it together seamlessly. Lariat Favorite:
Kappa Sigma - “How We Roll”
Kappa Omega Tau - “The Battle Within”
Delta Delta Delta - “Take Me to the Pyramids”
Alpha Tau Omega - “Scotland the Brave”
Participants juggle school, life, Sing By Ian Currie Reporter
Every year as the All-University Sing competition draws near, the Baylor campus readies itself for a festival of music, culture and memorable performances. The nights are filled with wonder as performances crafted over six weeks of intense preparation are realized on stage. But there is a worrying downside to the Sing festivities. In classrooms across campus, students are finding academic life increasingly hard. In common areas and lounges, friends hardly see each other outside of Sing commitments. Beds remain unused for long periods. The library is frequented less regularly. Mumbles in early morning classes all point to a common theme: Sing preparation is such a dominating factor in participant’s lives that they have little time for anything else – even areas of their lives that could be regarded as a priority. Wichita Falls junior Logan Long pointed to three areas of her life that suffered neglect due to Sing: sleep, social life and grades. Long has practiced for six weeks with four two-hour practices each week. As a result of this intense schedule Long said her focus on academics has dwindled. “I missed tutoring sessions, supplemental instruction or just didn’t have time to do homework or study.” Long said, “I didn’t get a good amount of sleep.” Maxey Parrish, senior lecturer in the department of journalism, public relations and new media, said there is no doubt that Sing hurts grades. “Unlike other extra-curricular activites like athletics, there is no infrastructure of support for students partaking in Sing,” Parrish said. While athletes have tutoring systems and study time, Sing participants have to find their own way through the often treacherous waters of more than half of a semester dedicated to Sing. “Some students pull it off, but most
struggle academically as a result of Sing,” Parrish said. Waco junior Grayson Wolf, who took part in 2013’s Pigskin Revue, said he also dedicated many hours to the cause of learning a routine. He said he also suffered similar academic problems. “I was often exhausted from having to do homework late at night,” Wolf said. “I often had to stay up late to study for a test the next day.” Wolf said professors attempt to be sympathetic to students, but can only give a certain amount of leeway as not everyone partakes in Sing. “I try to be understanding when students have Sing commitments, but it cannot be an excuse to not keep up with their work,” Parrish said. Wolf said another area of his life that suffered during Sing preparation was his social life. “There is less time to pursue relationships that exist outside of Sing,” Wolf said. “If your friends aren’t doing Sing with you, you probably won’t have any time to see them at all.” Sing takes a massive toll on the lives of its participants, often to negative effect. It is such a huge commitment that students lose the balance that a productive university life often requires. Parrish has found that while Sing is wonderful, it often results in misplaced priorities. “Some students delay graduation due to Sing,” Parrish said. “Some students skip internships so they can do Sing.” Wolf is one of many students that struggle to cope during the Sing period. “The time constraints and stress, physically, mentally and academically, make it almost not worth it,” Wolf said. However, both Wolf and Long have said they thoroughly enjoyed their experience of preparing and taking part in the event. “It’s definitely an experience that a Baylor student should have at least once,” Wolf said.
B4
Arts & Entertainment
Ready... Set...
Sing Kappa Sigma “How We Roll”
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Sing Alliance “Summer fun has just begun”
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Kappa Kappa Gamma “Running Wild”
Constance Atton | Lariat Photographer
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2014
Pi Beta Phi/ Phi Kappa Chi
B5
Pi Kappa Phi
“Nightmare on 5th Street”
“Romeo and Juliet”
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Alpha Chi Omega “O, Sister Where Art Thou”
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
“Lifeguard”
Constance Atton | Lariat Photographer
Kappa Chi Alpha
“Foreverland”
Constance Atton | Lariat Photographer
Beta Theta Pi
“Crazy in Love”
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Sports
Friday | February 21, 2014
The Baylor Lariat
B6
Smith blessed to coach two sons on diamond By Jeffrey Swindoll Sports Writer
Photo Courtesy of Baylor Athletics
Baylor head coach Steve Smith was inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. Smith specializes as a pitching coach.
Photo Courtesy of Baylor Athletics
Junior Ryan Smith goes through his windup and prepares to deliver a pitch. Smith was a member of the 2012 Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
It has all been about the wins for head coach Steve Smith. He helped make Baylor baseball into a Big 12 powerhouse. Smith is in the middle of his 20th season with the Bears, but this season marks a special new experience for him— coaching his two sons at Baylor. Junior right-handed pitcher Ryan Smith and freshman first baseman Case Smith are both members of Baylor’s baseball team and are coached by their father at the collegiate level. While this is Smith’s 20th year as Baylor head coach, it is not his 20th year of being a Bear. Smith graduated from Baylor in 1986 was inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. Baylor is not just a part of Smith’s chosen profession, it is part of his life and family. Growing up as the coach’s son and attending Baylor games as a child, Case, now 19 years old, said playing with Ryan and for his dad has been something he has dreamed of for many years now and is thrilled that his dream is now a reality. “It’s been a goal of mine since I was a little kid to play with my brother and with my dad,” Case said. “It’s always been an expectation of mine. Just being here, to finally be on the field, it’s just a dream.” Ryan, at 21 years old, is in his third season playing for his dad. Ryan got a taste of what it was like to have family on the team, but now with his only brother practicing and playing alongside him, he said it is better than ever. “It’s been pretty surreal for me the past two years, and now with Case joining the team, it’s even gone to a whole new level,” Ryan said. “This year’s really going to be exciting and we’re both looking forward to it.” Even with family on the roster, Coach Smith still has a team to manage, and winning is always the expectation. Coaches have had their sons be a part of the team several times in the past, but having two sons on the same team at the same time is a rare occurrence. “I don’t think we’ve ever [played another team with two coach’s sons] before,” Ryan said. “For both of us, it’ll be pretty cool.” From the outside, thinking the coach is giving preference to his sons is an easy speculation to make. With that said, it may be tricky for Coach Smith approaching his job with objective evaluation when his two sons are in that mix. Ryan and Case feel they are treated the
same way as others on the team from Coach Smith. “[Coach Smith] treats us with respect and treats everybody else with respect,” Ryan said. “He doesn’t really play favorites. He’s really just trying to put the best nine players on the field and win some ball games.” Being the coach’s son comes with a challenge to be fair to others, but Ryan said being the coach’s son also comes with an expectation of greatness from the head coach that no other players may have. At the end of the day, Ryan and Case are Smith’s two sons, and he wants them to be the very best they can be. “He does expect more of us off the field obviously,” Ryan said. “From a dad’s perspective, yes he does expect a lot from us on the field as well.” Smith specializes in coaching pitchers. Naturally, both his sons became pitchers and pitch for Baylor now under him. In the season opening series at Arizona State and in the home opener against UT-Arlington, Smith utilized four to six pitchers each game. Ryan and Case are part of a pitching lineup that Smith has confidence will settle into a rotation in their upcoming weekend series against Austin Peay. Case has not been on the mound yet for the Bears at home, but Smith said it is the coaching staff ’s intention to have starting pitchers go deeper into the next couple of games home and away. “We’ll still use common sense with all of them,” Smith said. “About the next 10 days or so are going to be really interesting challenges with the staff. It will become a real test to the staff.” Smith has been coaching for years before his sons were on the team, and he has already won a Big 12 championship with Ryan on the team. Smith has proven that he knows how to manage the responsibility of being a father and a coach, and he has exemplified that he is successful at doing both. Women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey and her daughter, senior guard Makenzie Robertson, have been on the same team for four years now. This season, they’re looking for another Big 12 title. Mulkey has made it work with Robertson over the years. Smith, with his two sons on the team now, is also looking to win another Big 12 title this season. Smith is only three wins shy of achieving his 700th career victory at Baylor. After three more wins, it will be a moment the entire Smith family can celebrate together.
Photo Courtesy of Baylor Athletics
The Smith family enjoys being at Coors Field in 2003, the home of the MLB’s Colorado Rockies. (Ryan, Case, Mrs. Smith and Coach Smith)
Photo Courtesy of Baylor Athletics
Freshman first baseman Case Smith always dreamed of having the opportunity to play baseball with his father and older brother.
Six Bears headed to the NFL Combine in Indy By Shehan Jeyarajah Sports Writer
Six Baylor football players have been invited to the 2014 NFL Draft Combine from Feb. 22-25 in Indianapolis, Ind. The six hope to join 10 other former Bears currently in the NFL by being selected in May’s 2014 NFL Draft in New York City. Baylor’s graduating class features two All-Americans and five AllBig 12 team members. Cyril Richardson, OG The redshirt senior capped off a strong career at Baylor by being named a consensus All-American and finalist for the Outland Trophy, an award given to the top interior lineman in the nation. Richardson was listed as a first round pick early in the season, but fell off when left tackle Spencer Drango went down with injury. CBS Sports and NFL Draft Scout both have Richardson projected as a second or third round pick in April’s draft. To move up draft boards at the combine, Richardson will need to
show off his strength and prove that he can hold his own against faster defensive lineman. Lache Seastrunk, RB The former five-star running back and Oregon transfer opted to forego his senior season and declare for the NFL Draft. Seastrunk’s stock has been inconsistent all season after suffering a groin injury against Oklahoma in November, but he likely possesses the best breakaway ability out of any running back in the Big 12 this season. CBS Sports and NFL Draft Scout both project Seastrunk as a third round pick. To move up draft boards, Seastrunk has to show off his speed and athleticism relative to other players. A slow 40-yard dash time could push him up down a round or two. Ahmad Dixon, S The four-year letterman from Waco enters the draft fresh off of being named an All-American by multiple publications after his performance during his senior season. Dixon is rated as the fourthbest safety in the class, but is pro-
jected as a fourth round pick by CBS Sports and NFL Draft Scout. Dixon needs to try and win teams over during the interview process with his character. Throughout the season, he earned a reputation as a hothead, including getting suspended from the first half of the Texas game after a targeting penalty. The physical skills are there for Dixon, but he still must prove that he can be a leader of an NFL defense. Jordan Najvar, TE After originally signing on to play at Stanford, Najvar transferred to Baylor before ever playing a game. The third-year starter was twice named All-Big 12. Najvar, a projected seventh round pick, will have an opportunity to show off his hands and strength at the combine. Baylor’s system uses the tight end as a blocker rather than a receiver, but the NFL is moving in the direction of receiving tight ends. For Najvar to find a spot in the league, he will have to exemplify a strong catching ability during the receiving drills.
Tevin Reese, WR The former Rivals two-star wide receiver broke onto the scene as a key cog of Baylor’s offense. Before dislocating his wrist, Reese averaged 25.0 yards per catch and scored eight touchdowns in only eight games for Baylor. Both CBS Sports and NFL Draft Scout have Reese as a seventh round pick, but he will have an opportunity to turn heads. Reese is one of the fastest players in college football, and the combine will be a place for him to prove it. To move up draft boards, Reese will need to post an impressive 40-yard dash time. Demetri Goodson, DB Perhaps no player needs the NFL Draft Combine more than Goodson. He comes in as a former basketball player who only played football fully during his senior year. Goodson has all sorts of athletic ability, and he will need to show it all off for him to even get a look. He played well as a covercorner at Baylor, but he still must demonstrate improvement during his position drills at the combine.
Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
Junior running back Lache Seastrunk rushes the ball on Sept. 7 in Baylor’s 70-13 win over Buffalo at Floyd Casey Stadium. Seastrunk decided to forego his senior season to enter the 2014 NFL Draft.
B7 Sports*
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2014
Schedule helped young Lady Bears By Jeffrey Swindoll Sports Writer
With only four games left before the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City, it is safe to say that the Lady Bears’ unorthodox schedule has played into the strengths and weaknesses of Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey’s young team. Mulkey said she did not have a complete idea of how her team would be able do this season, nor did she have set opinion on the way she felt about the schedule worked out. Before the season began, the majority of the players had never seen the other teams in the Big 12 yet. The Lady Bears played very different teams every week, with no real pattern to when they would play. The amount of different competition and game-planning for each team could have been overwhelming for both Mulkey and her players. This season though, almost every matchup against a Big 12 team, was followed up by another game
against that same team within a week. Texas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Kansas were each huge games for Baylor, both home and away. Remembering the strategy and tactics to beat those teams were fresh in the minds of the coaching staff and the players. It was less to take in at one time. This helped Baylor win and grow familiar with the players around the conference and recognize their tendencies. The schedule has allowed players such as freshman forward Nina Davis to really grow, even in her first season. “I feel myself getting more confident each game,” Davis said. Now Davis knows who she matches up against and has only two road games left in the season. The schedule has facilitated the first season for many of the Lady Bears in a more manageable way. It has helped players blossom and grow in their first year of college basketball. “They’re a lot better than they were four months ago,” senior guard Odyssey Sims said. “They
steadily impress me every day, every game.” Former Lady Bear Brittney Griner brought a lot of national attention to the women’s basketball program at Baylor. A lot of people wondered how the Lady Bears would do without their All-American player in the post anymore. National scrutiny was a big possibility for this very young team, but the Lady Bears started this season very low-key. Most of the games were at home, and few were even on television. This was no mistake from Mulkey. She wanted to give her players an opportunity to get comfortable with each other and their home court. The schedule was a strategic way of helping the team grow. “I think that we have protected the youth on this team by the schedule that we put in place,” Mulkey said. Knowing her team had not really played in any big games yet, the early season served as a build up to two of the Lady Bears’ toughest games this season — Kentucky
and Connecticut, two talented teams that got the best of the Lady Bears. “When you play the best, it gives you a gauge of how good you are, and maybe gives you a goal that you might not have had because you just didn’t know how good we could be,” Mulkey said. After playing Connecticut and losing 66-55 on Jan 13, there was nothing but Big 12 play remaining for the Lady Bears. Mulkey affirms that Connecticut absolutely is the best team in the country. That has made the Lady Bears’ Big 12 matchups seem easier. They quietly started out, but after going through some tough tests against good teams, including a triple-overtime defeat against Kentucky and a hard fought game against top-ranked Connecticut, the Lady Bears can look back and appreciate the way the schedule has helped them grow as individuals and as a team. The Lady Bears will next take the court at 11 a.m. Saturday against TCU in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs are 15-11 overall.
Carlye Thornton | Lariat Photographer
Senior guard Odyssey Sims dribbles the ball along the sideline during the Lady Bears’ Feb. 9 win over Oklahoma State.
Ten-second rule would change college football games By Shehan Jeyarajah Sports Writer
College football fans are divided on a proposed rule amendment by the NCAA Football Rules Committee that could slow down the no-huddle offense. The proposed rule change, spearheaded by Alabama coach Nick Saban and Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, would make it a penalty to snap the ball until 29 seconds remain on the 40-second play clock. If the ball is snapped before 29 seconds, a delay-of-game pen-
alty will be assessed. This rule was proposed under the theory that lessening the number of plays in a game could lessen the injury risk of the game. Fans and coaches of schools that run hurry-up offenses are not buying it. “I would have to see some scientific or statistical information showing an increase in injuries,” Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “To me right now, it’s just talk.” ESPN’s college football reporter Joe Schad tweeted that coaches
with hurry-up offenses feel as though they should be rewarded for having players that are in shape rather than allowing others to substitute. The direct allure of a hurry-up college football offense is to try and move down the field as efficiently as possible, but forcing the offense to allow defenses to substitute takes away from the power of the offensive strategy. In a football game, an offense can put pressure on the defense by forcing them to stay in motion and adjust on the fly to the quickly
changing schemes. Even if they do not snap within 10 seconds, simply the threat of the snap can dictate how defenses line up and substitute, leading to fatigued defenders and opportunities for offense. Coaches have a simple philosophy to dealing with hurry-up offenses: don’t legislate, just coach better. “If it’s only a small percentage of teams that it would affect, then why do it?” Baylor head coach Art Briles said. “If the large percentage are good with the way of things are then leave them alone.”
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was upset with the proposed change. He took to Twitter to express his displeasure, saying that college football’s popularity shouldn’t be messed with. Baylor would be one of the teams most affected by the rule, after running the fifth-most plays per game in FBS football this season. “People don’t want to come sit in the stands and watch the clock move,” Briles said. “If they’re going to change anything in my mind, change it to a 35-second clock.” Saban and Bielema coach two
of the slowest offenses in football. Alabama has lost two regular season games over the past two years, one to Texas A&M and one to Auburn. The Aggies and Tigers both run hurry-up systems. “It’s clear manipulation, through self-interest, by people who don’t want to coach within the parameters where strategy and ingenuity have taken the game,” Washington State coach Mike Leach said. “So now they want to manipulate the rules, and in needing an excuse to do this, they try to hide behind player safety. It’s ridiculous.”
B8
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY |FEBRUARY 21, 2014
Sports*
Seale’s selflessness aids track Olympic gold ties with A&T By Megan Grindstaff Reporter
At Wylie High School, Abilene senior Drew Seale was a self-proclaimed “basketball player who ran track.” The dream of following in the footsteps of a long line of Baylor Bears in his family led him to talk to head coach Todd Harbour about walking onto the track team as an 800-meter runner. “They didn’t think I would do anything, which is fine,” Seale said. “If I saw a walk-on come on, I’d probably think the same thing.” As a freshman, Seale stumbled into running with the 400-meter runners in the off-season out of fear of the half-miler workouts. “I was so scared to run the 800
comes to practice every day with a purpose, Harbour said. “He’s extremely dedicated and extremely intense.” Seale is not going to let anyone beat him at anything, whether it’s practice, a meet, video games or sand volleyball, Seale’s former roommate and Baylor track alumnus Phil Raaf said. Whether he is the most gifted competitor or not, Seale welcomes a challenge. “He never backs down,” Harbour said. “Even when he doesn’t have the physical tools.” Over the next two years, Seale earned two more All-American honors, four more All-Big 12 honors, and a Big 12 Championship. And for all of his hard work, dedication, and productivity, Baylor
Photo Courtesy of Baylor Athletics
Senior middle distance runner Drew Seale powers through a race. Seale is an All-American in the indoor and outdoor 4x400-meter relay team.
that I got good at the 400,” Seale said. Less than a year later, Seale was a two-time All-American and twotime All-Big 12 4x400m runner. When asked about his improvement in such a short period of time— Seale chopped two seconds off of his 400 time in his first semester at Baylor— he credits his event coach, Clyde Hart. “It’s a tribute to Coach Hart,” Seale said. Those who know Seale attribute his rapid improvement and success to his quality of character. He
track rewarded him with books. No glamorous scholarship, just books. Harbour said Seale deserved a full ride scholarship. Unfortunately, with his NCAA allotted scholarships already distributed across a 40-man roster, Harbour had no more financial aid to offer. Men’s track is in the unique situation of having nearly twice as many starters as the program has scholarships to offer. With 21 events and only 12 full scholarships, many starters go without financial aid.
“What other sport could you be an All-American?” said Harbour, “and not be on a full scholarship”. Despite his disappointment, Seale took it all in stride. First and foremost, he thanked God for blessing his family with the ability to afford Baylor without a track scholarship. “I always felt like if I needed the money, I could have gone and talked to him, and I think they would have pulled somebody off that wasn’t doing well and I could have been on a full ride,” Seale said. Understanding the frustration his coach felt in trying to make scholarship decisions with so little money for so many deserving athletes, Seale took the pressure off of Harbour’s shoulders. “I told him if they needed a scholarship, if someone was out there that was really good and it was coming down to me or him getting the scholarship, I said give it to someone else, because my family is blessed enough to afford here,” Seale said. For his fifth and final year at Baylor, Seale was given the option of receiving fifth-year aid. After an athlete’s eligibility is exhausted, coaches can give a former athlete fifth-year aid in order to help them finish out their degree. This money doesn’t count against the team’s scholarships. Seale refused to give up his eligibility for the 2013 season and was ineligible for fifth year aid. “He could have been on a full this last year,” Harbour said. “But that season was more important than that to Drew.” Seale only has remaining eligibility for the outdoor season, so he is continuing to train as his teammates compete at indoor meets. Hart said Seale is using his unusually long off-season to get more mileage in that ever before. As a result of his extra preparation, his coaches say Seale will be fresher and better prepared than ever in June when post-season competition starts. After graduation, Seale plans to use his accounting information systems degree to begin working for his family’s insurance company. His leadership on the track team will be missed. Seale’s ability to hold his teammates accountable during workouts and recovery alike will be hard to replace, Raaf said. “You hope all of your athletes can be Drew Seales,” said Harbour. “He is the epitome of what a Baylor student-athlete should be: a great student, a great person, a man of faith.” No matter the result of the 2013 outdoor season, it is certain that Drew Seale will leave behind a legacy at Baylor that reaches far beyond what a stopwatch can time. “Drew is an example to other kids that if you work hard, it doesn’t matter whether you come here on a scholarship or not,” Hart said. “There is going to be a spot for you.”
By Caroline Lindstrom Reporter
Shayla Kelley’s gymnastic meets always ended differently than other children’s. “My mom had to leave my meets before awards because people would swarm to get her autograph or take pictures with her,” said Kelley, a freshman acrobatics and tumbling team member. Shayla’s mother is Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton. Retton won the all-around gold medal in gymnastic, along with two silver and two bronze medals, in the 1984 Olympic Games. Although Retton clearly has a passion for gymnastics, she did not force Kelley to be in classes when she was younger. Kelley played soccer and softball and ran track before discovering she had a love for gymnastics too.
Carlye Thornton | Lariat Photographer
The A&T team practices on Feb. 11 at Marrs McLean Gym.
“My dad actually suggested I get into gymnastic classes so I could build my upper body strength for softball,” Kelley said. At 9 years old, Kelley began gymnastics, which she remained in for nine more years. Retton never coached her besides giving pointers when Kelley asked. Her favorite part of gymnastics is that it’s a self-motivating sport. She likes the independent nature of a gymnastic meet because she is a competitive person. Kelley’s junior and senior year of high school, she worked hard to make it to the level her mom did in the gymnastic world. “Genetics don’t get you to the Olympics,” Kelley said. “Hard work and dedication does and the Olympics just weren’t on my path.” Her path differed from her mother’s and led her to the acrobatics and tumbling team at Baylor. Kelley was excited about the Christian atmosphere at Baylor because it was similar to her high school in Houston. Once she arrived at Baylor, Kelley immediately became close with her whole team. “Shayla has an excellent work ethic and goes above and beyond for this team. She has a drive to be a winner,” said head coach LaPrise Harris-Williams, head coach. Kelley said the hardest thing about joining the acrobatics and tumbling team is adjusting to the team aspect of the sport. The acro team isn’t just one competitor against a balance beam or the uneven bars. This is a team of 46 women who work hard to pull of elaborate stunts. However, she finds it “uplifting and motivating” to have close bonds with all the girls on the team. “Shayla is a hard worker that pushes everyone around her. She wants the best for the team and
Shayla Kelley
will do anything to help the team achieve our goals,” said Tori Jackson, senior acrobatics and tumbling member. As for Retton, she trusts Coach Harris-Williams to do her job and prepare the team for meets. In fact, Harris-Williams says other parents are more involved than Retton is. She has let Kelley run her own course through gymnastics and not pressure her through decisions but support her through whatever she does. “Shayla’s parents worked hard to raise their children normally, even though her mom is a well known person in our sport,” Harris-Williams said. Kelley rarely thinks of her mother as “Mary Lou Retton,” who even has a flip named after her on the uneven bars. She’s not even sure where her mother’s medals are stored. However, perks such as attending the Golden Globes come around every now and then. Kelley said she appreciates having a mother who lets her follow her own dreams. “Overall she’s just the gold medal mom,” said Kelley. Acrobatics and tumbling’s next home event is at 6:30 p.m. March 29 against Oregon.
B9 Sports
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2014
Gathers epitomizes grit on the court for Bears 1.1 steals per game while leading his team to another Louisiana state title. Coming out of high school, When Rico Gathers steps on a Gathers had offers from Duke, basketball court, everyone takes notice. Even on the biggest stage of Florida, USC and LSU, among college basketball, the sophomore others. In August of 2011, Gathers is physically a man-among-boys at committed to play basketball for Steve Lavin at St. John’s University 6-foot-8 and 270 pounds. “Every football coach in the in New York City. During the 2012 season, howarea wanted me to come and play ever, Lavin was forced to spend football for them back in high school,” Gathers said. “It was actu- time away from the bench to really a big controversy in my area. ceive treatment for prostate cancer. When I chose a school that didn’t The Big East Conference was also have football at all, people were like beginning to go through realigndang, what are you going to do if ment, which led to a sense of uncertainty about St. John’s status things don’t work out?” Things seem to be working out heading forward. “With him going to New pretty well these days for the LouiYork, he wants to be 100 percent siana native. Gathers joined Baylor sure, ” Gathers’ brother Greg said as the second highest to ESPN at the time. recruit in a top five“Back in August [when rated class in 2012, and he committed], that immediately was part was before the Big East of a Baylor team that situation and Lavin’s overcame a slow start health. You want to be to win the National In100 percent sure with vitational Tournament leaving Louisiana and in 2013. going to New York.” The native of LaOne day before fall Place, La., led his Rivsigning day, Gathers erside High School rescinded his commitGathers team to a state chamment. And in came pionship as a sophoBaylor. more, while averaging The Bears had been on Gath19.8 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game on the way to ers’ radar since he was in middle being named Most Outstanding school, including in eighth grade when he attended Baylor’s camp. Player. “Yeah, he was already a manGathers was named Gatorade child back then,” sophomore cenLouisiana High School Player of the Year and the Louisiana Sports ter Isaiah Austin said. “Me and Writers named him Mr. Louisiana Rico actually said we were going to during both his junior and senior come to Baylor together in eighth years of high school. His final year, grade here at the Baylor camp.” Austin exploded into a top five he averaged 22.0 points, 17.0 renational prospect in the Dallas bounds, 4.1 blocks, 2.1 assists and By Shehan Jeyarajah Sports Writer
area. Austin and Gathers maintained their connection throughout the recruiting process. “We always had that expecta-
“When I see myself in the mirror, I just envision myself on the court. At the end of the day, I know what I really love to do and that’s play basketball. ” Rico Gathers | forward
tion of playing with each other,” Gathers said. “He actually tried to get me to play with his AAU team, the Compton Magic. It never did happen. But then I saw he had committed to Baylor, and I had just decommitted from St. John’s, I was like man, we can finally make that happen.” Around the same time Gathers started getting national attention, former Baylor All-American Tweety Carter was making his presence known at Baylor. Carter was a point guard who played under Gathers’ high-school coach Tim Byrd. “Tweety played a major factor,” Gathers said. “He was from the same area as I was and played for the same coach. That kind of played a factor in me coming out here for the first time.” When scouting, Baylor’s staff looks for players who can thrive in their system and on Baylor’s campus. They knew they had a stud in Gathers.
Best Floor Plan on Campus 805 Sq. Ft. of Luxury in a One Bedroom / One & a Half Bath Two Story Floorplan
400 Ivy (4th & LaSalle)
754-4351
& High Speed Inte e l b a C e r n e t w it h Fre
a 12 month lease
“Gathers went to Riverside, which was a small Christian school,” longtime Baylor assistant coach Jerome Tang said. “To some extent, Baylor is a bigger version of Riverside, so we knew he could thrive here.” Tang emphasized the effect the relationships Baylor had with Carter and Byrd on bringing Gathers to Baylor. “Having the connection between Tweety and Rico was unbelievable,” Tang said. “It was probably the key factor. We also had a great relationship with Coach Byrd. His being a devout Christian helped our relationship with him.” Gathers came on his official visit in January, and committed to play at Baylor on Jan. 27, 2012. He officially signed his National Letter of Intent in the spring cycle. “At first the thought of being in Waco, Texas, ain’t nothing to do out here,” Gathers said. “But then I realized none of that really matters. All of this is about me trying to somewhere where I could play and get better. I look at it like I have everything I need right here.” Since being at Baylor, Gathers has become a fan favorite for his sheer effort. The sophomore has come off the bench providing rebounds, energy and thunderous dunks. Whenever Baylor plays on national television, which has been often since his arrival, it seems as though every announcer points out how great of a football player Gathers could be. But that does not faze Gathers. “When I see myself in the mirror, I just envision myself on the court,” Gathers said. “At the end of the day, I know what I really love to do, and that’s play basketball.”
Carlye Thornton | Lariat Photographer
Sophomore forward Rico Gathers battles Kansas for a rebound on Feb. 4 at the Ferrell Center. Gathers is a fan favorite because of his toughness.
B10Sports
The Baylor Lariat
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21, 2014