The Baylor Lariat WE’RE THERE WHEN YOU CAN’T BE
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FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
SPORTS Page 6
NEWS Page 4
A&E Page 5
Soccer received votes in the last poll and is off to its best start since 1996. Next up: Texas Tech
The Passion 2012 University Tour will stop in Waco, aiming to inspire students to spread God’s word
NFL Blitz 2000 offered players hard hits, ridiculous plays and over-the-top action, making it an unforgettable game
Keep it going
FO
Praising Him
1st and 30
Vol. 112 No. 19
© 2011, Baylor University
Road Test
In Print >> Natural talent
Uproar’s Layne Lynch is thankful for piano and lyrical ability
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>> Stepping up
Safety Ahmad Dixon always looks for gamechanging plays
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>> Stiff competition
Three professors will visit Baylor in hopes of winning the Robert Foster Cherry Award, which comes with a $250,000 prize
US News college rankings disputed By Daniel C. Houston Staff Writer
The Bears open Big 12 play on the road against a tough Kansas State squad
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Viewpoints “Despite the fact that Mandarin and Japanese are arguably the two most important languages for business people to know, Baylor does not offer them as majors. That needs to change.” Page 2
Bear Briefs The place to go to know the places to go
Waiver denied Freshman running back Lache Seastrunk’s hardship waiver to play with the Bears this season was denied by the NCAA Thursday. Seastrunk, a highlytouted recruit from Temple,will have three years of eligibility beginning in 2012. Song and dance Legacy Cafe and Art Gallery, at 723 Austin Ave., welcomes visitors for a time of worship tonight featuring song, drama and poetry. Music starts at 7:30. Bouncing back After suffering a tough, five-set loss at Texas A&M, volleyball returns home and battles Kansas at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Meagan Downing | Lariat Photographer
By Tyler Alley Sports Writer
Baylor football has not started a season 4-0 since 1991 and has never won a game in Manhattan, Kan., the home of Kansas State. The No. 15 Bears look to do both this weekend as they begin Big 12 conference play, traveling to take on the Wildcats at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC. “[Kansas State] has a lot of
momentum,” head coach Art Briles said. “That’s why it’s the premiere game of the conference this week. They’re 3-0; we’re 3-0. We’re proud of where we are at this stage of the season.” For both teams, the remainder of the season consists strictly of conference opponents. “Now we start on the second phase, which is getting into conference play and going one game at a time,” Briles said. “Under-
stand that every game is going to be a war, and it will be no different this Saturday in Manhattan.” Baylor heads on the road for the first time this year after going 3-0 in their non-conference home games, including the dramatic 5048 victory over TCU. Headlining for the Bears is Heisman-candidate junior quarterback Robert Griffin III, who leads the nation in completion percentage at 85.4 percent. He
leads the Bears into Manhattan for the first time since 2007. “It’ll be a good experience,” Griffin said. “I’ve never been to Manhattan. I’ve heard it’s a great atmosphere. They have great fans. Sure they won’t be great toward us, but that’s how fans are supposed to be. They’re coming off a big win, so there’s going to be a lot of fans. And it’s going to be on TV, SEE
FOOTBALL, page 8
The National Association for College Admission Counseling released a report this week calling into question the criteria used by U.S. News and World Report, a magazine widely known for its annual ranking of America’s best colleges. The report cited NACAC members’ dissatisfaction with U.S. News’ emphasis on class rank and standardized test scores. The NACAC comprises 11,000 high school and college admissions counselors, David Hawkins, director of public policy and research for NACAC, said. “I think when most people look at the rankings,” Hawkins said, “they assume that what they’re seeing is an evaluation of what the college or institution offers to the student. In other words, what they assume they’re seeing is the value that the institution adds [to a student’s education].” In place of considering class rank and SAT scores, which reSEE
RANKINGS, page 8
How low can you go: Bassist to perform for BU By Ashley Yeaman Reporter
The double bass will take center stage this evening at 7:30 p.m. in Glennis McCrary Music Building’s Meadows Recital Hall. Dr. Sandor Ostlund, associate professor of double bass, will perform a concert featuring three unique pieces all including the double bass and created by Baylor composers. The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bow string instrument, traditionally a part of the modern orchestra. Houston junior Matthew Kline, composition major and the composer of the opening piece “Leap of Faith,” said he and Ostlund, his mentor on double bass, wanted to find a unique platform for the instrument. “We were really frustrated with most concertos written for bass,” Kline said. “We wanted something better [that would] really let the instrument shine. This concert is presenting the bass in a radically new way. Any kind of preconceptions you have of the
instrument — this concert [will put] it in a much different light.” Kline said the creative process behind his piece involved breaking these preconceptions of the instrument. “I was very passionate about exploring what the instrument can do,” Kline said. “I like to explore new timbres, sound and just possibilities about the way the bass can be expressed. I’m using a bass drum mallet, [incorporating] this technique where you have to use two hands and hit the [double] bass in a very unusual way.” Ostlund said Kline’s composition technique is inventive. “He’s really this kind of alchemist,” Ostlund said. “He’s up there trying to make gold.” Along with his individual approach to composing, Kline said inspiration for this and every piece he writes comes from individuals who, like him, perform the music they compose. Kline had the opportunity to study last fall with Francois Rabbath, a world-renowned double bassist, soloist and composer, and Ostlund’s former teacher.
Dr. Sandor Ostlund, associate professor of double bass, will perform a free concert this evening. Each of the three pieces Ostlund is playing was composed in a way that highlights the double bass instrument.
Kline will travel to Paris, France, again this spring to study under him. Italian double bassist Stefano
Sciascia is also an inspiration for Kline. Kline said “Leap of Faith” hints at Sciascia’s work. The inspiration for the title,
“Leap of Faith,” came from a discussion with Kline’s brother, a SEE
BASSIST, page 8
Footsteps fight against disease By Brittney Coulter Reporter
First aid Students can become certified in first aid through a five-hour class at the SLC beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday. The cost is $35. Associated Press
Meet Frank and Louie
A cat with two faces is held by its owner at its home in Worcester, Mass. The animal is known as a Janus cat. The cat’s owner calls the face on the left Frank, while the face on the right is identified as Louie. On Wednesday, the cat joined the Guinness World Record book as the oldest living two-faced feline.
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Ambika Singh | Lariat Photographer
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society will be hosting its annual Walk MS event at 9 a.m. Saturday. The event has been held in the Cameron Park Zoo for more than 10 years, but this year the walk will begin in Heritage Square in downtown Waco. “This is actually a brand new location for us this year at Heritage Square,” event director AnnaLeigh Kirk said. “We decided to kind of switch it up this year [and] try something new. We’re really excited.” MS is a “disease of the central nervous system that affects 400,000 Americans and 2.5 million people worldwide.” The disease interrupts the flow of infor-
TheLariat
mation from the brain to the body and causes paralysis, the website said. The National MS Society “funds more MS research than
“I decided that it’s my job to be someone who can make others aware of this disease...” Valonia Walker | Humble sophomore
any other private organization,” according to their website. Through walks and other fundraising efforts the society has played a key role in the development of medications for those suffering from the disease. “Eighteen years ago there were
no drugs for anyone with MS. Now there are eight approved drugs,” Kirk said. “In not very long we’ve made tremendous progress.” Humble sophomore Valonia Walker has made it her personal mission to help spread awareness about the disease. Her father, Truman Walker, was diagnosed with MS 15 years ago. “I decided that it’s my job to be someone who can make others aware of this disease because a lot of people don’t know what MS is,” Walker said. “It affects so many different people, young and old.” Walker created a team of nine people to participate in the event. In less than two weeks, her team, which she named “T’s Walkers” in honor of her father, has SEE
WALK, page 8
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