• Student movement: ‘I’d rather have a Proverbs 31 woman than a Victoria’s Secret model’

    "I'd rather have a Proverbs 31 woman than a Victoria's Secret model"A five-minute walk through your local mall will give you a good idea of what American culture values: Beauty. Comfort. Entertainment. Wealth. In answer to that, five Baylor students have boldly stepped forward to carry the banner of a different message, launching what is now known as the Live 31 Movement.

    It all began just after Thanksgiving, when freshman Alex Eklund posted a simple Facebook status update: “I’d rather have a Proverbs 31 woman than a Victoria’s Secret model.” Several of his friends copied the message to their status, referring to the “wife of noble character” described in that book of the Bible, and from there the word began to spread.

    [WATCH: KXXV Channel 25’s story on Live31]

    A follow-up YouTube video has gathered more than 200,000 views in a little over a month. The group’s Facebook page has 13,000+ likes, and the @Live31Movement Twitter account has 1,500+ followers as men and women from all over the world have voiced their agreement with the group’s message: promoting virtue over surface beauty in a woman, and encouraging men to seek such character in a wife in addition to physical attraction.

    “Our society stresses, especially the younger generation, the physical qualities and the physical attractions of the opposite sex, rather than pursuing godly relationships,” says Jake Cockerill, a freshman business major and one of the group’s founders. “Going into college, it is a time where we all start figuring out who we want to be and what we believe, and I believe it is crucial that society’s perception of beauty needs to change.”

    Sic ’em, Live 31 founders!

    [We learned of this story from a Bear who shared his Baylor pride. Do you know of an inspiring story, news item, or just a fun link that makes you proud of Baylor and the Baylor family? Let us know! Click here to submit your point of pride!]

    [1/25/12 update: Since we posted this, it’s been interesting to see a debate springing up on campus about the movement, carried out online everywhere from blogs (like this entry from a current student and this one from a recent master’s graduate) to Baylor’s own Facebook page. Definitely some interesting points on both sides as students help to sharpen and refine each other.]