04/12/19

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Baylor Lariat W E ’ R E T H E R E W H E N YO U C A N ’ T B E FRIDAY

APRIL 12, 2019 Opinion | 2 Educate yourself Learning about other colleges can help solve some problems.

B AY L O R L A R I AT. C O M

Arts & Life | 6 Art versus Artist

Sports | 8 Spring game time Baylor football’s annual Green & Gold event is this Saturday.

Should people dismiss the art because of the actions of the artist?

Student elections open for voting

LGBTQ inclusion bill passes in StuGov

MORGAN HARLAN Staff Writer Baylor student government elections are officially open for voting, as Baylor seeks to elect its newest student body leadership team, class officers, and class senators. Voting is open for students from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 11 and 12 on Connect.

Current External Vice President Sloane Simpson, a junior entrepreneurship and marketing major from San Antonio, is currently running unopposed for student body president. The student body president is the chief executive officer of student government and official spokesman of the Baylor student body to all Baylor constituencies, the public and media and other colleges and universities.

The student body president also advises class officers and the rest of the executive branch.

“Baylor is unique because of its interconnected community of engaged Baylor students and faculty, growing Waco citizenship and businesses, and passionate alumni, who all play a role in furthering the Baylor mission of worldwide leadership and Christian commitment. As student body president, I hope to advocate on behalf of all members of the Baylor family for resources and programs to grow our thriving university,” Simpson said in a statement.

Brooke Beard, a College Station junior majoring in political science, is running unopposed for internal vice president (IVP.) The internal vice president is the chief legislative and administrative officer of student government. This position also serves as the president of Student Senate.

“I am running for IVP because I not only want to be the voice of the students, but a booming voice for the students. During my three years on Senate, I got to serve on the Academic Affairs Committee, which means that my bills would mainly pertain to the improvement of Baylor from the academic

VOTING BEGINS >> Page 4

Branson Hardcastle | Multimedia Journalist

AUTHOR TALKS Mexican-American author Sandra Cisneros spoke on Baylor’s campus Thursday night, in hopes of giving a voice to those who have been silenced.

Renowned author speaks on campus ABBY GRANATA Contributor Students, faculty and Wacoans filled George W. Theological Seminary’s Paul Powell Chapel to hear renowned MexicanAmerican author Sandra Cisneros share her journey to success. The author one of her most popular works, “The House on Mango Street” read some of her work and also described the inspiration behind it.

Cisneros said she wanted her speech to give a voice to those who have been silenced which has fueled her career in the arts. She read her story “Eleven” and said that it mirrored her lifelong struggles, experiences of herself and her community.

Professor Macarena Hernández of the

journalism, public relations and new media department and the author’s close friend brought Cisneros to Baylor.

“I normally like to wing it in my introductions, but I had to write my thoughts down,” said Hernández. “I was afraid I would become some Mexican telenovela here and start crying.”

Hernández recognized Cisneros’ numerous awards and accolades, the MacArthur Fellows Program or the “Genius Grant” and recognition from Barack Obama for her unapologetically Latino literature that allowed many readers to “[see] themselves in print for the first time.”

Cisneros said writers and artists in the audience should tap into the aspects of their life that are the

most unique and untold.

“What was it that I knew that my classmates and teachers did not know?” said Cisneros.

“What could I write about that only I knew?”

She suggested the her own invention called the “Ten-Times-Ten Method”, which encourages writers to think of ten unique ideas that no one else knows, and ten things that they knew that they wish they could forget. Cisneros said that this strategy allows her to leave her ten “fingerprints” on her projects which gives them a special and personal angle apart from others.

Cisneros also said this method influences many aspects of her life, from writing to teaching

AUTHOR TALKS >> Page 4

Shae Koharski | Multimedia Journalist

LGBTQ BILL PASSES San Antonio senior Paige Hardy talks to the Student Senate about a bill she created regarding the status of LGBTQ orgnaizations on campus.

MATT MUIR Staff Writer Student government passed a bill Thursday intended to encourage inclusion of LGBTQ groups on campus.

The bill labelled SR 66-14, introduced by San Antonio senior senator Paige Hardy, asks Baylor Student Activities to “explore new ways of defining organizations to permit oncampus participation of LGBTQ groups.”

Baylor’s Student Policies and Procedures’ Statement on Human Sexuality denounces “homosexual behavior” as a deviation from the “biblical norm.” As a result, Baylor refuses to allow LGBTQ groups on campus.

According to Hardy, a change to the way student organizations are defined could allow LGBTQ groups to operate at Baylor without being officially chartered or endorsed by the university.

LGBTQ rights have been a topic of

LGBTQ BILL PASSES >> Page 4

English class benefits non-native speakers SAVANNAH COOPER Reporter

Shae Koharski | Multimedia Journalist

NEW ENGLISH CLASS A new English class, ENG 1301, is designed to benefit students at who speak English as a second language develop their skills on an individual level.

Vol.118 No. 52

Both cultural and language barriers are being broken on Monday and Wednesday afternoons thanks to an English class for undergraduate and graduate students. English as a Second Language: Composition Skills (ENG 1301) started in fall of 2016 originally for undergraduate students who are granted admission to Baylor based off of their merit, but failed the English placement exam.

ENG 1301 is structured by concept teaching where students are approached with a topics like plagiarism, paraphrasing and transition sentences; given the definition along with examples; then assigned a task using the subject matter.

Temporary full-time English lecturer and Baylor alum Juliet Brown is the sole professor of this course.

Her passion for multilingual

classes and ability to cater to her students individually helps her classes run smoothly as she teaches what writing in the United States demands.

“What we teach in there are what are the standards and expectations of writing here in the U.S.,” Brown said. “When we think about academic writing, there are different standards across the globe. Not everything is the same. What we focus on in the classroom is what are the expectations of academic and research writing here in the United States. We discuss everything from the basics of writing style and flow and organization, all the way to the more complicated issues of plagiarism and citations. It applies no matter if the student is in physics or economics because these are the American standards.”

In spring of 2017, Baylor’s graduate English department joined in offering this class to graduate students and visiting scholars — resulting

in two sections for this unique class. With the undergraduate section enrollment averaging at 15 and the graduate section enrollment capping at 10, Brown is able to give students ample individual attention.

Beijing sophomore Yuqiong “Stella” Jia took Brown’s class her freshman year and truly felt a difference in her confidence to express her opinions in a classroom setting.

“Professor Brown is different from any other professors I’ve had at Baylor,” Jia said. “She doesn’t solely give lectures and is very amiable and energetic. She prefers to share ideas with students through discussion and is always encouraging her students to speak so that we can improve not only our writing skills, but our communication skills as well.

I feel like she is a professor

NEW ENGLISH CLASS >> Page 4 © 2019 Baylor University

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opinion

Friday, April 12, 2019 The Baylor Lariat

b ay lo r l a r i at.c o m

We want to hear it. Send us your thoughts: LariatLetters@baylor.edu

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?

EDITORIAL

COLUMN

MLB should re-evaluate umpire system DJ RAMIREZ Sports Writer

Rewon Shimray | Cartoonist

Pay attention to other universities Ever since you first stepped foot on campus as a freshman, you hear about the Baylor Bubble. This is the “protection” Baylor students have when they are on or near campus from the realities of Waco. That Baylor Bubble goes beyond just the physical boundaries of Waco, though.

Often the issues we have here on campus, whether it’s mental health issues, food insecurity or attendance policies, are also issues other universities have, not just around the state of Texas but across the nation.

UT’s newspaper, the Daily Texan recently published two articles that relate to similar pieces the Baylor Lariat ran based on attendance policies and meal plans. This shows these problems are not only a concern for students at Baylor but at UT as well.

A solution to figuring out if an issue is something just Baylor is experiencing or if it’s prevalent at other universities is to read student newspapers at other institutions. You’ll get news straight from students and for students. Through this practice, you can discern if something is a systematic issue, like food insecurity, or a more Baylor-specific problem, like Chapel formatting.

When you read other papers, it also shows how different Baylor culture is from other universities. For example, not many other school papers publish stories about the Enneagram, while

the Lariat has multiple stories on Enneagram numbers and what they mean. The Enneagram is usually associated with Christians, so this discrepancy could be tied to the Christian college culture we have on campus. Further more, while many public universities publish many stories and columns about sex but rarely address religion, the Lariat has the opposite tendency.

Staying tuned in to the goings-on of other universities also gives us a better understanding of some of the issues public university students have. As college students, we are all in the same boat. We all wish there were a solution to the college loan crisis, the consistent tuition hikes, not paying for outside lecture material and universities having a better understanding of student disabilities. To accomplish these goals, we need to understand how all students deal with these struggles on a daily basis outside of the Baylor Bubble.

It’s a good idea to read other student newspapers to get a feel for the student body and to find out how they’re dealing with some of the same issues that we are. They might even have solutions for problems we face here at Baylor that we could implement at our school. We are all college students, and we need to learn to step outside the Baylor Bubble so we can learn from and support students at other institutions.

BEARS IN THE BIG CITY

Los Angeles myths need unpacking MCKENNA MIDDLETON Opinion Editor Los Angeles is one of the most my t h ol o g i z e d cities in the world. It’s been featured in countless films, resulting in a public idea of the city that blends fact and fiction. I grew up on the northeast side of Los Angeles, and living in Waco has given me a new understanding of this dichotomy between the perceived Los Angeles and the city I love. Each of the common myths I’ve heard over the years about Los Angeles has some grain of truth to it, but the city holds much more nuance than its public image suggests.

1. Los Angeles is basically just Hollywood and the beach.

When I hear people planning a trip to Los Angeles, many of them focus on seeing the beach and walking around Hollywood.

Of course, these two settings constitute a

large part of the mythology surrounding the city, particularly as a result of the film industry. Los Angeles is best understood on a county level rather than a city level since places like Santa Monica and Long Beach are actually independent cities. LA County is home to 10,441,080 inhabitants and 88 cities, according to the latest California Department of Finance report in 2010. Each part of Los Angeles, from Pasadena to the Pacific Palisades, is known among locals for its unique identity and culture.

2. The traffic is terrible.

The word traffic almost seems synonymous with Los Angeles. And while this myth about the city is anything but fiction, it’s important to consider the subtleties surrounding LA traffic, especially for people considering making the City of Angels their home. If you spend any time around people from southern California, you might have noticed that we love to talk (if not argue) about directions.

The SNL skit “the Californians” brought this character trait to public attention by satirizing our tendency to discuss freeways at great length. And, of course,

freeways are always pronounced with a definite article preceding the identifying number, such as “the 405.”

3. It’s so expensive to live there.

While expenses in Los Angeles are notoriously above average for the United States, especially compared to Central Texas prices, Los Angeles was actually ranked cheaper than New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., according to research from The Economic Policy Institute as reported in USA Today. As with any expensive city, the key to managing a higher cost of living is budgeting and paying attention to what you spend. For example, I use gas pricing apps to find the cheapest gas in my area.

In addition, a higher cost of living means wages are generally higher, including minimum wage, which is well on its way to doubling Texas’ minimum wage.

As with all myths, the public perception of Los Angeles holds some truth, but the reality is a diverse city that millions of people, including myself, are proud to call home.

McKenna is a senior journalism major from Los Angeles.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Molly Atchison*

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Thomas Moran

CARTOONIST Rewon Shimray*

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RADIO DIRECTOR Cameron Stuart*

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MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISTS Claire Boston Shae Koharski Branson Hardcastle

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NEWS EDITOR Sarah Asinof ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Madison Day PAGE ONE EDITOR Darby Good COPY EDITOR Caroline Yablon

No matter how you feel about several of the changes Major League Baseball has proposed for the upcoming 2020 season, most baseball fans can agree that the real change needs to happen in the evaluation of umpire performances.

We need look no further than to the most recent incident involving MLB umpire Ron Kulpa and the ejection of Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch in the series finale between the Astros and the Texas Rangers in Arlington on April 3.

Umpires are at the heart of baseball. They are responsible for keeping the game on track and for maintaining discipline. They have a substantial amount of influence on the outcome of a game. So it should only make sense for the guy in charge to be level-headed and to try his best to be unbiased and accurate in the way he does that job.

Kulpa acted far from levelheaded and unbiased in the face of criticism from several members of the Houston squad on a call they thought he’d missed.

While Kulpa had correctly called the pitch in question, the players had already been burned by several of the veteran umpire’s missed calls in the previous inning and would continue to be subject to his bias throughout the rest of the game.

As the inning continued, Kulpa began to leer at the Astros dugout as if to prompt them to challenge his calls.

This caused Hinch to go to speak to the umpire several times in order to get him to stop antagonizing his team.

Hinch’s peacekeeping attempts eventually turned into arguments, and he, along with hitting coach Alex Citron, were ejected from the game.

According to the Houston skipper, when he asked Kulpa to focus on doing his job instead of staring down the Astros dugout, the umpire responded by saying he could do whatever he wanted.

First, I’d like to put it out there that I am an Astros fan, but the reason this incident troubles me goes far beyond my team taking the brunt of bad calls. As a fan of baseball overall, the inconsistency and rash temperamental nature shown by Kulpa and other veteran umpires when faced with challenges is what makes me most upset. It also makes me question the way MLB evaluates the performance of its umpires.

In a study conducted by a team of graduate students at the Questrom School of Business at Boston University showed that in 2018 link to study, 34,294 incorrect ball and strike calls were made by umpires. In summary, the study discovered five things throughout the research about the performance of umpires between 2008 and 2018 by using data collected from Baseball Savant, MLB.com, Retrosheet, Pitch F/X and Statcast.

The result that stood out the most was that younger umpires had lower error rates than veteran umpires.

Umpiring is a physically and mentally challenging job, and younger umpires also have more to prove. They try harder to make the right calls to make up for having fewer years as officials.

The debate continues on whether umpires should be replaced by computers altogether, and this study paired with the backlash on the Kulpa incident adds more kindling to the fire.

While I don’t think the human element of the umpire should be removed from the game, technology could aid in getting more calls right. The many cameras and devices that already used to track pitches can help bring more consistency to the game. Independent leagues have already began experimenting with this technology with successful results.

MLB should also look into implementing a meritbased system when choosing officials for postseason games instead of going by seniority. This is a point the study by the Boston University students made when proposing solutions.

Baseball hasn’t changed much over the years, but at the same time it’s evolved gradually. Games shouldn’t be called the same way they were a hundred years ago. As for Kulpa, he may be able to do whatever he wants, but not at the cost of the integrity of baseball.

DJ is a sophomore journalism major from Opelousas, La.

STAFF WRITERS Morgan Harlan Bridget Sjoberg Raegan Turner Madalyn Watson Matt Muir SPORTS WRITERS Jessika Harkay DJ Ramirez

BROADCAST MANAGING EDITOR Bailey Brammer* EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Noah Torr* BROADCAST REPORTERS Kennedy Dendy Sarah Gill Julia Lawrenz McKenzie Oviatt Emma Whitt Grace Smith

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Opinion Editorials express the opinions of the Lariat Editorial Board. Lariat Letters and columns are the opinions of an individual and not the Baylor Lariat.

Opinions expressed in the Lariat are not necessarily those of the Baylor administration, the Baylor Board of Regents, the student body or the Student Publications Board.

Lariat Letters To submit a letter to the editor or guest column, email submissions to LariatLetters@baylor.edu. Lariat Letters should be a maximum of 500 words. The letter is not guaranteed to be published.

Friday, April 12, 2019 The Baylor Lariat

News

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Give your career a shake Handshake offers resources for students BRIDGET SJOBERG Staff Writer Whether it be through resume building, job searching or finding information about career events on campus, Career and Professional Development’s Handshake website seeks to connect students with career information or to potential employers.

Handshake is a free resource offered to all Baylor students, who automatically have an account upon entering the university as freshman.

Shelby Cefaratti, marketing and design specialist for CPD, described the platform as user friendly and as a way for potential employers to seek out Baylor students when open positions are available.

“I want to encourage students to use Handshake from freshman year on up,” Cefaratti said. “As soon as you come to Baylor, you have an account with Handshake and just have to sign in with your Baylor ID. It’s supposed to look like social media similar to Facebook or LinkedIn and be user friendly. It’s really important to complete your profile because employers and recruiters are looking in Handshake at Baylor to hire students. It’s specifically a platform for Baylor students there’s Handshake nationwide but it’s for each university.

The employers we have in our account are looking specifically for Baylor students.”

Some useful features about Handshake include the ability to add experience and a resume to a personal profile that recruiters can see and to make appointments on campus with a variety of helpful services, including: career advisements, mock interviews, resume building, career closet and more.

Additionally, there is a question-and-answer section about a wide variety of topics—questions include everything from “what skills do I need to succeed as a data specialist at IBM” to “how do I get a marketing internship at Google or a top PR firm.”

There is also the ability on Handshake to look at other Baylor students’ profiles for inspiration or comparison, to find on-campus career-related events and to search for jobs by categories like location, type of work or internship.

San Antonio junior Alex Green said he appreciates Handshake’s user-friendly features, as well as the internship opportunities it offers for students.

“Handshake is pretty intuitive it resembles LinkedIn, something I use often, so the similarity between the two has made it extremely easy to learn and use for me,” Green said.

“I would say the internship postings feature has been the most useful for me since that’s mainly what I’m looking for during the semester.

Cefaratti encourages students attending career fairs to look up the employers before attending on Handshake, to be informed about open positions or what skills a company may be looking for.

“When you go to introduce yourself, you can ask about specific positions being offered in a particular location which will make you stand out against the competition—those are the kind of things Handshake can do for you,” Cefaratti said.

Cefaratti wants students to know that Handshake is a platform that all Baylor students should take advantage of during their four years regardless of their major or classification.

“Some students think it’s just for business students, which isn’t true at all. Others think it’s just for looking for a job at the end of your time at the university, which is also not true,” Cefaratti said. “Some

students don’t understand the importance of it as a student, you’re concentrating on your degree and your time right now. It can be hard to think about what happens after here, but at the same time we have to focus on what’s next. The whole goal of getting a really amazing degree is getting a really amazing job. We want students know that there are resources easily available for

them to access.”

During the month of April, CPD is engaging in a promotional effort for Handshake, including a photo contest open until April 30.

Students who post a picture on Instagram that features the Handshake logo or incorporates the platform and tags @baylorcpd, could win a $50 gift card. Cefaratti sees the contest as a fun way to engage

students in the platform and spread the word.

“The photo contest is a fun way to engage — everything gets so tense with it being the last few weeks of school and we just wanted to have fun with this while also creating buzz and awareness about Handshake,” Cefaratti said.

Stay connected

Photo courtesy of Shelby Cefaratti

CONTEST Photo submitted by Milpitas, Calif. sophomore Alan Bond for the Handshake contest for the chance to win a prize.

What’s Happening on Campus?

Monday, April 15 Violin Studio Recital

5 p.m. Students of Bruce Berg, professor of violin at Baylor, will be performing in Meadows Recital Hall in the Glennis McCrary Music Building.

Friday, April 12 – Sunday, April 14 You have tons of opportunities to cheer on your Bears this weekend! For starters, Baylor baseball and softball have games each day; Athletic Director Mack Rhoades, President Livingstone and special guests will launch Baylor United at 10:45 a.m. at McLane Stadium on Saturday; and the spring football game will kick off at the stadium on Saturday at noon. For a full list of events, visit baylor.edu/greenandgold.

Friday, April 12 Spring Colloquium in Chemistry and Biochemistry

3:30 p.m. Dr. Graham Cooks, Henry B. Hass Distinguished Professor of analytical chemistry at Purdue University, will be speaking on “Organic Synthesis and Chemical Analysis

by Mass Spectrometry” in the Baylor Sciences Building, room C105.

Softball vs. Texas Tech

6:30 p.m. Support your Lady Bears as they take on the Red Raiders at Getterman Stadium! (Games also Saturday at 2 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 p.m.)

Baseball vs. Oklahoma

Movie Mondays at the Hippodrome: Andrei Rublev

7 p.m. This week’s Movie Monday features a Russian drama following the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. Admission is free. Tickets can be picked up at the Baylor Ticket Office or Hippodrome Box Office.

Voices & Vinyl

7 p.m. The Baylor Libraries and the Black Gospel Music Restoration Project present music inspired by the “Golden Age” of black gospel music, featuring the Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir, at 2nd & Clay, formerly the St. James Methodist Church.

Tuesday, April 16 Neighbor Night

6 p.m. Join Baylor students, faculty and staff for unique cultural cuisine, stories and fellowship in the Bobo Spiritual Life Center.

MLC World Cinema Series

6 p.m. The Department of Modern Languages and Culture presents another MLC World Cinema Night featuring the Chinese movie, Not One Less, in Bennett Auditorium.

Jazz Ensemble

6:35 p.m. Cheer on Baylor Baseball as they go head to head with Oklahoma at Baylor Ballpark! (Games also Saturday at 3:05 p.m. and Sunday at 3:05 p.m.)

7:30 p.m. Baylor’s Jazz Ensemble, led by Alex Parker, director of the Wayne Fisher Jazz Program, will perform in Jones Concert Hall in the Glennis McCrary Music Building.

Night Hikes at Lake Waco Wetlands

Wednesday, April 17 Spring Physics Colloquium Series

7:30 p.m. Explore the outdoors with a hike through the wetlands of Waco. Be sure to wear appropriate clothing and shoes, and bring a flashlight. Who knows what you will see!

Saturday, April 13 Steppin’ Out

Give back to our neighbors in the greater Waco area and show your support of our hometown. Make one of the largest community service projects on an American campus part of your Baylor experience.

4 p.m. Dr. Orlando Auciello, Endowed Chair of engineering and professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, will be speaking on “Science and Technology of Multifunctional/Biocompatible Ultrananocrystalline Diamond (UNCDTM) to Microcrystalline Diamond (MCD) Coatings and Applications to a New Generation of High-Tech Electronics and Implantable Medical Devices” in the Baylor Sciences Building, room E125.

Sundown Sessions

9 p.m. – 1 a.m. Head to the Bill Daniel Student Center for some late-night fun with a giant Easter egg hunt!

For more, join Baylor Connect at

baylor.edu/baylorconnect Follow @BaylorStuAct, @BaylorMA and @BaylorUB on Twitter.

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Tuesday, April 12, 2019 The Baylor Lariat

VOTING BEGINS from Page 1

perspective,” Beard said.

“These bills are a little harder to write because we deal with higher-ups in the academic fields, and it was very easy for those people to ignore our emails and our pleas for change.”

“I want to be IVP so they cannot ignore my voice any longer. My platform is sustainability, which means that I will be writing and pushing for legislation pertaining to making a greener Baylor,” Beard said. “I want to make steps towards installing solar panels on Foster and the BSB, because they are the newest building on campus and there is not tree coverage, so it would be direct sunlight, and more regular clean-ups of the Brazos River.”

Sutton Houser is a sophomore entrepreneurship and international business double major from Boerne and is running for the external vice president (EVP.) According to Baylor’s student government website, “The student body external vice president is a connecting officer for Baylor’s student body to the Greater Waco community. The EVP also serves as the liaison to state and national levels of governmental relations. By reaching out to city, state, national, and university partners in a broad spectrum of communities, this office is able to contribute to as well as advocate for a full Baylor experience. The office works in relational areas regarding community, government, alumni, and university in order to make the student experience at Baylor holistic.”

Houser said he is running for EVP because he believes the platform he and his team have worked on will be the most beneficial thing for the Baylor and Waco community.

This includes increasing transparency within student government so that Baylor students know what resources are available to them.

“Inspiring the kids of Waco to go gain a higher education.

Finally, I hope to further efforts of students as they lobbying to increase scholarships on the state and national level,” Houser said.

Breann Bates, is a corporate communication sophomore from Minneola, Fla., is also running for external vice president.

“I am running because as a two-term senator, I have

seen the power that student government can have in influencing positive change if placed in the right hands.

I have a reading buddy at South Waco Elementary that opened my eyes to the true, kind and hopeful Waco community. She has inspired me to get more involved with the vibrant community that Waco possesses. It is my hope that I can take my passion for service, community and sustainability and create a meaningful, loving relationship between Baylor and the greater Waco community. My heart behind ‘We are Waco’ is that whether we are here for four years or for the rest of our lives, I want our students to be encouraged to tap into the resources and relationships available to us.”

The third candidate for external vice president, is Alan Bond a sophomore and political science major from San Jose, Calif. Bond served as a cabinet member on the Student Organization and Engagement committee under Hannah Causey when she was last EVP. Bond said that he saw her passion and drive for this position and wanted to continue that by helping Waco.

“I knew that this position would be the best position for me because I am someone that is passionate about the community and having the inclusion of everyone.

Ultimately my goal within this position is to create a more connected Baylor that coexists with the vibrant community of Waco through student involvement, service and community,” Bond said.

“Involvement by creating internship and job opportunities for students, but also creating an atmosphere that promotes socializing at businesses outside of the Baylor bubble. Also, creating opportunities for students to serve in their community on a frequent basis for the betterment of the larger Waco area. Lastly, I want to bring Baylor together through community. I want to encourage students to see more than just the immediate vicinity of Waco and experience all that it has to offer. I believe that Baylor deserves to be at its best and this is the way I plan to.”

Ballots are also open for class senators and class officers.

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News LGBTQ BILL PASSES from Page 1 discussion on campus in recent weeks, partly in response to conservative commentator Matt Walsh’s visit to campus on Tuesday.

Hardy said the recent controversy surrounding Walsh gave her the push she needed to address issues she observed at Baylor.

“I think the controversy sparked me to finally write [the bill] and introduce it, but I had seen the problems with Baylor’s treatment of the LGBTQ+ community for a while,” Hardy said. “It was very hard to watch as some of my friends sat and cried at the hate that they have been getting on campus.”

Much of the debate during the hearing focused on the bill’s language. There were no senators who stated objections to the inclusion of LGBTQ groups on campus, but some expressed concern that the language of the bill was convoluted and unlikely to accomplish its goal. Ridley Holmes, a Waco junior and the operations and procedures chair of the senate, said

he was concerned because of Baylor’s overarching policies that would make the bill ineffective.

“My concern is that Baylor’s faith statement as it’s written, it precludes Baylor from redefining how they define student organizations. The Student Senate encouraging Baylor to change their student organization qualifications could only be done by us encouraging Baylor to change their faith statement,” Holmes said. “While the bill wanted the first thing that I just said, it didn’t want the second thing, so I saw it as a contradiction of terms.”

Holmes said that despite his problems with the bill’s language, he believes the LGBTQ community is a valuable part of Baylor’s campus.

“I absolutely support LGBTQ+ students and I absolutely believe that they have a place on Baylor campus and contribute to conversations,” Holmes said. “If I voted against the bill it’s because I believe

there’s a contradiction in terms, not because I don’t believe that Baylor should support [LGBTQ] students more or that those students don’t deserve more support than they have.”

According to Hardy, the bill is intended to send a message rather than provide a “prescription of what to do.” Hardy said that this, along with the constraints of Baylor’s existing policies, were why she left the bill’s language intentionally vague.

“I think the important thing is the message of the bill and the heart of the bill,” Hardy said. “I purposefully kept it vague because I know I don’t have all the answers.

I’m not the director of student activities. I’m not a member of the Board of Regents. I didn’t write the statements of human sexuality and faith statements.”

Hardy said the bill was an attempt to be proactive in supporting the LGBTQ community. She referenced hate crimes committed at Georgetown University in

NEW ENGLISH CLASS from Page 1

that really cares about her students. Her classes are never boring, and I love that she puts in the effort in trying to make the students feel more welcomed.”

While students matriculate through the course, Brown hears their frustrations of feeling like their English is still in its adolescent stage.

“A lot of the time, I’ll hear from my graduate students, ‘I know the knowledge, but when I’m speaking or trying to write about it it feels like an adolescent’,” Brown said. “You know what you want to say, but you’re lacking which is frustrating. I would say that better if I knew the better way to say it.”

Third year Ph.D. student Joseph Thangraj is studying seismology with aspirations of being a scientist. Thangraj earned his undergraduate and masters degrees in India, and through an email he learned about the course and has felt a shift in his proficiency in regards to his writing.

“Before taking the class, I would put multiple paragraphs together,” Thangraj said. “I wasn’t aware that it’s better to keep one idea focused on a paragraph, so that the readers attention is not diverted. I’m in my third year now, but

I still use all the things I learned, and I just finished writing a paper. I feel like it’s much easier for me to get those ideas, put them into a structure better now than before.”

With teaching a class of international undergraduate and graduate students, along with visiting scholars, representing a myriad of countries across the world, topics that aren’t writing related come up, and Brown doesn’t shy away from them.

“Spring 2017 was the pilot for the graduate section, and it was right after Trump’s Muslim ban. I had a student in there from one of the countries that was on the list, and they took time in the classroom to discuss their feelings and everyone listened respectfully and other people shared. I expressed how happy I was that this student is in the classroom, and I expanded that to Baylor appreciates you being here and wants you here,” Brown said. “I know that meant a lot to the student because that’s difficult, because even though that’s what you’re hearing I’m glad you’re here, I want you here and they worked hard to be here.”

2009, in which one student was beaten and an anti-gay slur was left on the door of an LGBTQ resource center, as an example of waiting too long to give LGBTQ students protection and representation. Hardy said she wants to avoid incidents like those at Baylor.

“I’ve seen how tragedy is sometimes the only way we change, and I want to change that narrative so that we can be proactive so students don’t have to get hurt for us to open our eyes and see that we need to protect them,” Hardy said.

Senate resolutions only act as suggestions for Baylor’s administration, and it’s up to the administration to decide whether or not to adopt the bill. Though the administration has the final say, Hardy says passing the bill is still representative of progress.

“Maybe it’s unrealistic, but I’m willing to try and give it a shot,” Hardy said.

“At the very least it’s starting a conversation that needed to be started a long time ago.”

AUTHOR TALKS from Page 1

to drawing. She said after her “breakthrough” in developing this technique, she claimed she found her voice and never experienced writer’s block again.

Cisneros said in telling individuals stories, empathy, understanding and inclusion become apart of the arts. She said love and compassion can go a long way.

“I want to write from love and unity, not fear and rage,” said Cisneros. “At this time of walls, let me serve as a bridge.”

Baylor’s Journalism, New Media and Public Relations Department Chair, Dr. Sara Stone said she thinks it is important for literature such as Cisneros to be apart of American classrooms.

“If you’re not careful and you only read the traditional American lit authors,” said Stone. “There’s such a bigger world out there of writers.”

arts&life AGE OF YOUTUBE

WHAT TO DO

Check out how different users view and engage with the site. pg. 6

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I think cancel culture with artists is a total necessity because as fans we’re the only people that can really hold these artists accountable.”

Emeka Nzeakor

Premiere>>> The much anticipated eighth season of Game of Thrones premieres at 8 p.m. CST, Sunday, April 14.

Thomas Moran | Arts and Life Editor

Art vs. Artist

Baylor debates the separation SAVANNAH COOPER Reporter With the releases of HBO’s “Leaving Neverland” and Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly,” viewers are reminded of the countless scandals associated with some of the biggest names in art and music. With this knowledge, a debate has risen among consumers of whether art can or should be separated from the artist and, in instances of alleged crimes or confirmed scandals, should consumers dismiss the art all together due to the actions of the artist behind it.

In this modern era of fame, artistry comes with an unprecedented invasion of privacy thanks to the increased access to information consumers have. Fifteen or 20 years ago, the world’s top artists’ personal lives weren’t common knowledge unless it was front-page newsworthy. Today, that barrier has dissolved and one sound bite, picture or video can change a career forever.

Dr. Michele Henry, division director and professor of music education, knows this argument is nothing new, but he said the integration of technology adds a different element.

“I can say that this is not a new quandary,” Henry said. “Some notable musicians throughout history were known for their poor personal life decisions. I think the difference now is the speed at which everything can be known about a person, and the potentially greater influence that has on the listener with regards to the music. I also believe that many today in the popular music culture use music as the vehicle to seek or establish celebrity—which is often the main goal (rather than the art).”

With the great allure of celebrity and the potential to become one overnight thanks to social media platforms, there’s also been the rise of “cancel culture,” a social mediabased ideology characterized by the collective expulsion of an individual from power or fame due to their personal opinions or actions.

Celina senior Emeka Nzeakor is the inhouse disc jockey at Scruffy Murphy’s, a popular nightlife bar off of Speight Avenue that caters to both Baylor and Waco communities. As a DJ, producer and music fan, Nzeakor said he believes “cancel culture” is necessary and valuable to fans.

“I think cancel culture with artists is a total necessity because as fans we’re the only people

that can really hold these artists accountable in my opinion.” because the people that are directly making Finding inspiration in artists like Frank money off of them are not going to do it,” Ocean, Tori Kelly, Etta James, H.E.R. and Daniel Nzeakor said. “I do think when cancel culture Cesar, Houston junior Sion Firew is a rhythm becomes hypocritical, that’s when it becomes a and blues, neo-soul artist and said she finds it problem because I think so often people kind possible to separate the art from the artist. of go off of, OK if this the public consensus it “It’s easier for me to distinguish music from must be right, and my opinion about it isn’t the person,” Firew said. “A lot of people who I necessarily valued unless my opinion is what listen to, I really don’t know their biography or everyone else’s opinion is.” what they’ve been through. I just know that they In the past month alone, Canadian neo-soul make incredible songs and those are inspiring, artist Daniel Caesar, Bronx rapper Cardi B and and they’re a great lyricist. As a musician, I Miami social media influencer Julz Goddard, wouldn’t want someone to not listen to my stage name YesJulz, have all been in cancellation music just because I disagree with them on a talks for a variety of acts that fans deemed certain topic.” problematic.

As a DJ who has to cater to a vast audience Common actions or beliefs that have that changes frequently, Nzeakor said he can’t placed celebrities separate the art from and public figures the artist due to the on the cancellation content of some chopping block are songs. issues like racism, “I do not separate sexism, homophobia the art from the artist. or xenophobia, I can’t,” Nzeakor as well as cultural said. “People like appropriation — to think the job of topics that have the DJ is to start the inflicted pain or party, to have the cultural trauma on party jumping, but certain communities. my number one job Houston junior is to have everybody MICHELE HENRY | Marion DuBose be comfortable. A reluctantly started PROFESSOR OF MUSIC EDUCATION perfect case is YNW playing the violin in Melly who has that fifth grade when his song ‘Murder on My older sister taught Mind.’ For all intents him. The stigmas attached to string instruments and purposes that song makes me feel terrible weren’t appealing to him until he came across hearing it because I come from a place, I use to the fairly new electric violin which transformed live in south Dallas, where that stuff happens him from a shy introvert to a well-rounded everyday down the street, up the street and to performer with business cards and a growing hear somebody sing about it so trivially is not clientele list.

OK.” As a musician, DuBose said he feels artists With this in mind, Nzeakor said it’s important have the right to be fully expressive of their to consider how others might interpret music opinions and shouldn’t experience repercussions and hold artists accountable for what they create. for it.

James Lewis, better known as DJ Batman, “I just feel you don’t have to necessarily cancel became the Ferrell Center’s first in-house DJ someone’s opinion out, or how they represent when WNBA Phoenix Mercury center Brittney themselves when it comes to a song or people’s Griner was finishing her senior year at Baylor, ideals on different things because if you think and the need for energized fans increased. about it we’re in a democratic country,” DuBose As a private, Baptist university where a said. “I think everyone should have a voice or an diverse body of fans attend home games, opinion and even though people may not agree from young students to older lifelong fans to with what people think or say, it’s still their right Waco natives, DJs face the unique challenge of

“

I think the difference is now the speed at which everything can be known about a person.”

satisfying a wide range of music tastes.

Working for local radio station 94.5 The Beat as well as the Ferrell Center, Lewis is cognizant of cleaning up today’s hits while also mixing in classic rock and karaoke staples to cater to his audience.

“Even though I clean it up, the song could still have some strong subliminal messaging. So I have to be careful on that,” Lewis said. “A lot of the hot songs I can probably play cleaned up.

For instance, ‘Mo Bamba’ was just fine until that sorority video where they said it and everybody saw, Shazam it [the song] and listened every word and it got totally exed out.”

Michael Jackson, also known as the “King of Pop,” became a cultural icon through his historical discography and innovation. Jackson transformed the Super Bowl Halftime Show into a highly anticipated event, integrated the then newly formed Music Television station (MTV) and provided a new framework for music videos with the release of the 14-minute-long “Thriller” video. His case in particular is difficult, because he’s hard to write out of the history books due to his deeply ingrained influence across all genres of music.

As a music educator, Henry said he recognizes that the release of new information, like that highlighted in “Leaving Neverland,” brings forward new challenges for lesson planning and accurate teaching.

“The question of what to do with all of this — particularly from the standpoint of a music educator — is tricky,” Henry said. “In many ways, it is similar to the question of the professional athletes who are viewed as role models, but make the same kind of poor choices. Do we want to hold these individuals up as aspirational models for our students? The difference, I believe, lies in the art itself. While a score or a timing in sports is relatively neutral and can possibly be obtained by multiple athletes whose careers will come and go with age, musical/artistic product is different, in that it endures. It is also different in that it is an expression of an idea. It communicates feeling and perspective, and therefore infuses value through the art.”

In a fast, social media-driven culture, consumers face the new challenge of witnessing the humanity of musicians in a more intimate way, but each individual consumer has the power to choose their beliefs regarding these artists, as well as which songs will stand as the soundtrack of their life.

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Yes Yes, it’s ranked 78/1,803 Yes That’s up to you Yessir The largest in the world Not at all See above See above Yes. GO LADY BEARS

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Arts & Life

Friday, April 12 Photo courtesy of Christian Wiediger at Unsplash

SOCIAL Since its launch in 2005, YouTube has become the second-most-visited site in the world and the foremost platform for a variety of uses including education, music streaming, movie premieres, self-expression and more.

: More than viral videos

Students discuss different uses of the site THOMAS MORAN Arts and Life Editor In December 2005, Jawed Karim, Steve Chen and Chad Hurley launched a site that would later become one of the most visited websites in the history of the internet — YouTube.

After the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake 2004 Super Bowl halftime show incident, the trio saw there were no sites that allowed the public to efficiently share and spread videos.

Less than a year after the site launched, Google acquired the company for $1.65 billion.

Since then, according to data shared by the site, 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute and users watch a total of nearly 5 billion videos per day. However, YouTube has become much more than simply a platform for the dissemination of viral videos like “Charlie Bit My Finger” and “Scarlet Takes a Tumble.”

Nashville, Tenn., senior Gregory Allen watches YouTube for a variety of reasons, but said its foremost purpose in his day-today life is educational.

“I think it can be helpful if you need to learn how to do something quickly, If you’re studying for a test and there is a piece of info that you think you know but you need a refresher on, YouTube has plenty of short videos that can explain stuff quickly,” Allen said.

One popular educational channel, Khan Academy, has 7,284 videos and 4.7 million subscribers. The channel features in-depth videos on a huge variety of subjects from biology to accounting. Another educational channel, Crash Course, has 9.2 million subscribers and 1,111 videos to date.

YouTube has also become one of the foremost platforms for music streaming and music video dissemination. After launching YouTube Music in 2015, the platform joined Spotify and Apple Music as a monthly subscription music streaming site.

Beyond the official YouTube Music streaming service, Vevo is a channel that features most music videos from popular artists. The channel has 18 million followers and 1,557 music and lyric videos.

“YouTube is great for streaming music. Similar to Spotify, almost any song you can think of is on YouTube and is free to play,” Allen said. “It makes studying much easier when you can have music going on YouTube.”

YouTube has recently broken into the entertainment market with original shows and films that users must pay to watch.

However, behind every single one of billions of YouTube videos is a “youtuber,” someone who produces and uploads their own videos. Among them is Washington, D.C., senior Hanna Rose Hunt. She began her YouTube channel as an outlet for performance and self-expression when she wasn’t working on a theater production.

Hunt said she values the site as an opportunity for personal brand building, regularly posting makeup videos, tutorials and lifestyle vlogs.

“It’s something that’s fun for me to do. Within the last month, I’ve been trying to make videos more geared toward my career ... What makes YouTube different is that anyone can do it. It’s really relatable and super accessible.”

After graduation, Hunt is planning to move to New York to fully pursue her career in photography and theater, using YouTube as a platform for herself.

Some users utilize the platform as an inexpensive platform on which can premiere their films.

Marion, Illi., senior Sam Cedar is a University Scholars major, concentrating in English and film. He regularly uses sites like YouTube and Vimeo, a similar video sharing site, to tune into such premieres.

“If you’re not yet established on a festival circuit, you can use YouTube,” Cedar said. “You schedule a date through online platforms, and then YouTube is set to premiere it at a certain time to post it.”

This feature helps users build their brands and generate buzz around their projects that might otherwise go unknown and unnoticed in a sea of video uploads.

Second only to Google in site visits, YouTube is only growing, and with such a wide range of uses, from educational to musical to social, its user base is continually increasing.

Splash on the Color - Art on Elm preview | 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. | Brazos Event Center | $20 | The event will include drinks, food, music, a preview of the juried art exhibition and an artist meet-and-greet.

Crawfish for CASA fundraiser with Spazmatics | 7 - 10 p.m. | Extraco Events Center | $125 | The event will feature crawfish, chicken, sausage gumbo and ’80s music by the Spazmatics, benefiting the Court Appointed Special Advocates.

Heart O’ Texas Speedway auto racing | 7 - 10 p.m. | Heart O’ Texas Speedway | $15 | The event will feature a variety of events, including junior mini stock, street stock, sprint car and more.

Free night hikes at Lake Waco Wetlands | 7:30 p.m. | Lake Waco Wetlands Research and Education Center | Cameron Park Zoo staff will lead the hike.

Saturday, April 13

Waco Downtown Farmers Market | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. | McLennan County Courthouse parking lot | Vendor will set up booths and sell a variety of goods at the weekly event.

Art on Elm Avenue | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Elm Avenue | The annual event features a variety of artists and musicians, as well as food and activities.

Gateway to India | 6 - 9 p.m. | Waco Hall | The annual event, held by the Indian Subcontinent Student Association and Baylor Activities Councel features dances, performances and free Indian food to share South Asian culture.

Amazing Spiderman By: Stan Lee

Dennis The Menace By: Hank Ketcham For solutions, visit the arts and life page at baylorlariat.com

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FOLLOW US >> Check out @BULariatSports on Twitter for live updates and breaking news.

BaylorLariat.com

Weekend Sports Schedule Men’s Golf vs.

Arizona State Thunderbird Invitational Friday Tempe, Ariz.

Women’s Tennis @ West Virginia Friday, 5 p.m.

Morgantown, W. Va.

Josh Aguirre | Multimedia Editor

READY TO ROLL Baylor freshman linebacker Logan Compton takes a break at a spring practice on March 21 at the Allison Indoor Practice Facility. Compton and the Bears compete in the annual Green & Gold game at noon Saturday at McLane Stadium.

Baylor football ready to showcase talent at annual spring game BAILEY BRAMMER Broadcast Managing Editor Hoping to affirm claims that Baylor is more than just a basketball school, the football team will take the field for the first time since late December for the annual Green & Gold spring game on Saturday at noon at McLane Stadium.

The Bears ended their 2018 season with a 45-38 win over Vanderbilt in the Texas Bowl. This spring marks the start of head coach Matt Rhule’s third year at Baylor, and Rhule said in a press conference on March 20 that he has a hard-working group of men and his strategies as a coach have changed even in the last two seasons.

“We’re just asking each guy to kind of build their game a little bit,” Rhule said. “If we do that, we have a lot of young players who have played. But they’ve had a chance now to step back after a year or two years and see where they are and what they need to do to become a really good player.”

Spring drills began mid-March and saw a mix of both veteran players and new recruits take the field. Senior offensive lineman Sam Tecklenburg said the team is happy with how far it’s come in just two seasons, but that the Bears are hoping for a Big 12 Championship this year.

“That was my dream when I came here and that was my goal, and to go beyond that as well,” Tecklenburg said. “That’s the same mindset for a lot of guys. We’re happy with what we did last year, but it’s still not good enough. We want more.”

Along with aiming for success, Rhule has emphasized this spring that each player has to fight for his spot on the field. This

allows new players to earn their place on the roster and deters veteran players from becoming complacent.

Junior quarterback Charlie Brewer, who spent the first half of the 2018 season as a rotating starter with quarterback Jalan McClendon, said the worst thing a player can do is be satisfied with where he’s at.

“I’m still out there competing,” Brewer said. “But I think with me being a junior now, you know, some of the younger guys look up to you. You need to set a good example of showing everyone you know what you’re doing and set the tone for everything.”

Rhule has Brewer listed as his starting quarterback but has redshirt freshman quarterback Gerry Bohanon and newcomer freshman quarterback Jacob Zeno in his back pocket to mix the offense up if need be. Zeno enrolled at Baylor in January.

The defensive line has also been a major focus this spring, specifically when it comes to turnovers. In 2017, the Bears recorded only 11 turnovers, and in 2018 that number dropped to 10. Both Frank Okam, defensive line/assistant coach, and Joey McGuire, defensive ends coach, have said that they are stressing the importance of creating turnovers and intercepting the ball to build a stronger defense.

Rhule’s newest class – which includes 20 players from the early signing period and five players from National Signing Day on Feb. 6 – is ranked 35th nationally, according to the Dallas Morning News. Top recruits include nationally ranked kicker Noah Rauschenberg, who boasts a long of 54 yards.

The Green & Gold game kicks off at noon Saturday at McLane Stadium, and the Bears begin their regular fall season against Stephen F. Austin University on Aug. 31.

First-place Bears host Oklahoma

Baseball vs. Oklahoma Friday, 6:35 p.m.

Baylor Ballpark Football Green & Gold Game Saturday, Noon McLane Stadium Men’s Tennis @ Texas Tech Sunday, 3 p.m.

Lubbock

Baylor x Nike Experience Baylor is partnering with Nike for United – an evolution in Baylor Athletics.

Fans will be able to experience United on Saturday before the Green & Gold game.

Gate C of McLane Stadium opens at 10:30 a.m.

DJ RAMIREZ Sports Writer Baylor baseball continues to lead the Big 12 conference with a 6-2 record, but the Bears aren’t letting that achievement go to their heads as they prepare to host the Oklahoma Sooners for their fourth conference series of the year.

According to junior catcher Shea Langeliers, the team is going to play their game the best way they know how.

“It’s nice to be at the top, but I mean it’s so early in the season that we just got to make sure that we keep doing our thing and playing our game,” Langeliers said.

“It’s just like any other weekend. It’s Big 12.

Obviously, every team that comes to your park is going to come in here and try to kick your butt, so we’re getting ready for that and we’re making sure we’re going to bring our A-game this weekend.”

The Bears are coming off two tough losses, including a 13-inning nail-bitter against UT-Arlington on Tuesday night where they had 12 hits against the Mavericks but left 18 batters stranded.

Baylor is “taking it with a grain of salt” and focusing on conference play. Freshman first baseman Chase Wehsener said the team got right to work in preparing for the weekend insisted of dwelling on Tuesday night.

Softball vs. Texas Tech Friday, 6:30 p.m.

Getterman Stadium

Branson Hardcastle | Multimedia Journalist

TOP DOGS Baylor junior third baseman Davis Wendzel takes a swing against West Virginia on March 24 at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears sit atop the Big 12 standings with a 6-2 record and host Oklahoma this weekend.

“Yeah, I mean we had a great practice yesterday. Real light, kept it fun. I mean, there was no worry after that game,” Wehsener said. “There was no panic from anybody. We’re ready to get here this weekend and win a series and do our thing, get back to what we’ve been doing the whole season.”

Currently, the Bears are hitting .326, slugging .509 and hold a .410 on base percentage in conference. Overall, they have a team batting average of .313, a slugging percentage of .481 and an OBP of .402. Junior third baseman Davis Wendzel is second in the Big 12 with a .383 average and sophomore shortstop Nick Loftin takes fifth in the league, hitting .363.

Loftin has held the leadoff spot in the lineup since March 10. With the Corpus

Christi native on top of the lineup, the Bears have scored 124 runs on 204 hits in the last 18 games. Individually, Loftin is 29-for-78 in the spot, he’s hit five homers, brought in 18 runs and has scored 20 himself. Head coach Steve Rodriguez attributes this success to Loftin’s versatility.

“He can handle the bat, he has skill, he can bunt, hit and run, he has power, he has speed, so he kind of gives you like a nice really versatile player to be able to put at the top of the order. Whenever big things kind of come up, I like the guy I have in the leadoff spot,” Rodriguez said.

Overall, the Bears have had big moments at the plate, getting a high percentage of their hits with two outs. They

BASEBALL >> Page 8

Ribbon cutting is at 10:45 a.m.

Baylor x Nike experience opens at 11 a.m.

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Friday, April 12, 2019 The Baylor Lariat

Sports BASEBALL from Page 7

Branson Hardcastle | Multimedia Journalist

SLIPPING UP Baylor junior outfielder Ana Watson swings for the ball against Texas on March 27 at Getterman Stadium. The Lady Bears have lost five straight games and host No. 15-ranked Texas Tech for a weekend series.

Softball looks to break five-game losing streak with Red Raiders coming to town JESSIKA HARKAY Sports Writer Putting last week behind them, Baylor softball looks to come out with an upset against No. 15 Texas Tech this weekend at Getterman Stadium.

The team comes off a rough weekend series against No. 2 Oklahoma. With a close matchup in the first game of the series (7-5), the Lady Bears fell in the other two games 8-0 and 16-0.

Tech (30-8) comes into the matchup having lost their last game.

Regardless, the Red Raiders hold an advantage to the Lady Bears in multiple categories. Texas Tech leads in batting average at .332 compared to .253, has double the runs per game (6.4), nearly a hundred more hits and more than double the number of home runs (45 to 18).

Underdogs going into the matchup, Baylor head coach Glenn Moore said the way to stay in the game is to “be fighters in the box.”

“As I said, they’re having one of their better years, maybe the best team I’ve seen since I’ve

been here out of Tech,” Moore said. “They feel good about themselves playing together and we’re not doing that. So that’s our challenge, to be more team-like, more chemistry and camaraderie, and a little more energy. Being at home this week, I’m hoping we’ll add that to it.”

Moore knows his team is up against an impressive Tech team. Ranked 11th nationally in batting average, the Red Raiders have held their opponents to fewer than three runs per game. With the help of senior pitchers Taylor Satchell and Erin Edmondson, Moore said the Tech team is full of dynamic players. “[Satchell is] a transfer that’s doing really well for them and is a completely different look than what we’ve seen in the other ones,” Moore said.

“We’ve been preparing all week for what we’ll see out of her and of course they have another pitcher in Edmondson that was giving us some trouble last year and in the Big 12 Tournament, a lefty. They got some options, a little arsenal there and they swing the bat well.”

The Lady Bears have a few weapons of their

own. Sophomore Sidney Holman has pitched a Big 12-leading 126.1 innings with 99 strikeouts and sophomore infielder Taylor Ellis comes out of the Oklahoma series with two home runs, the only player to do that against the Sooners this season.

On a five-game losing streak, the team believes they can be directed back to the right track. Ellis said she thinks the key is to keep moving forward.

“We’re just taking it day by day, and that’s all we really can do,” Ellis said. “We’re trying to stick together and finish on a high note and kind of prove some people wrong. We have a lot of games ahead of us and games were really excited for. Tech, this weekend, is a great team but we’re also a great team and we’re ready to show that.”

Hopeful that the team can pull it off, Moore said a win against Tech could throw the Red Raiders’ momentum off and get something started for the Lady Bears.

“You start looking at bottom dwellers and we’re certainly one of them,” Moore said. “You’re hoping they keep losing and you’ll find a way to win one or two games and get an advantage.”

have four walk-offs on the year and completed their 14th comeback win against Texas on Friday night. Langeliers said the key to getting those big hits has been in looking for the right pitch.

“I think it’s just making sure you’re hunting the right pitches. You’re looking for a pitch in the zone that you can handle and I you get it early in the count than take advantage of it and just be patient if it’s not there,” Langeliers said.

Baylor will face an Oklahoma team that is tied for third in the conference with a 5-4 record. The Sooners are 24-10 overall with a slash line of .278/.390/.401. They lead the Big 12 in pitching with a 3.11 ERA, averaging 8.92 strikeouts per nine innings. Sophomore righty leads the Sooners on the mound with a 2.22 ERA and 56 strikeouts, right above Dickens as fourth in conference.

Offensively, sophomore infielder Tyler Hardman leads Oklahoma at the plate with a .348 average.

Rodriguez said the Bears’ offense will have to be at their best against the Sooners pitching staff.

“Well, I mean their pitching is really good, so our offense is going to be on point in regards to our execution. Really just beating tough outs, so that’s going to be a big thing for us.

They have a really good team offensively, pitching wise and then their back end of the game guys are really good,” Rodriguez said. “So, you know, we just have to get out there and play well. You know we’ve being doing a pretty good job in conference thus far and as long as we kind of continue to do that we should have some pretty good baseball games this weekend.”

First pitch against Oklahoma will be at 6:35 p.m. on Friday. The Saturday and Sunday games are both set for 3:05 p.m. starts.

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month Baylor University is Committed to your safety and wellbeing.

Know someone who has experienced sexual harassment or interpersonal violence?

Learn about rights, amnesty, confidentiality and resources for support at baylor.edu/titleix Title IX Office

Clifton Robinson Tower, Suite 285 254-710-8454 Title_IX@baylor.edu