Baylor Proud

May

2013

National Women’s Soccer League’s inaugural rosters include Baylor senior

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Athletics, Honors

Hanna Gilmore Brittney Griner and Brooklyn Pope aren’t the only Lady Bears headed to pro sports.

Former Baylor soccer standout Hanna Gilmore made it through tryouts to land a spot on the inaugural season roster of the Chicago Red Stars, part of the newly founded National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The eight-team league is organized by the U.S. Soccer Federation and began its first season in April, and the 22-game schedule runs through August.

Gilmore appeared in all 86 Baylor matches during her four years in Waco, starting 78 as a forward and midfielder for the Bears. She finished her tenure at BU last fall ranked sixth in program history in career goals and career scoring and aims to contribute that same sort of offense as a forward for the Red Stars.

The Spring, Texas, native isn’t the first Bear to get a shot at professional soccer. Former Baylor All-American Dawn Greathouse played all three seasons (2001-03) in the short-lived Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA); one of her BU teammates, Courtney Saunders, was drafted into the league in 2001 but did not appear in a game.

Sic ’em, Baylor soccer!

May

2013

New Pinterest board offers ideas for Baylor graduation day celebrations

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Student life

It’s hard to believe that the calendar has already turned to May… Weren’t we just putting away Christmas decorations? But here we are; classes end Friday, finals start a week from today, and graduation is barely more than two weeks away.

Are you ready? By now, seniors should probably have their caps and gowns lined up and their announcements mailed. But there’s still time for other last-minute details: graduation party planning, picking out a frame for that diploma, etc.

For that, we’ve launched a new board on our Pinterest page titled simply, “Baylor Graduation.” There, you’ll find green-and-gold cake designs (and other graduation-themed treats), some fun photos from past commencements (this one is a favorite) and more to help seniors get ready for their big day. (It might also bring back memories for you graduates of years past, and remind underclassmen reading this of what you’re working for.)

Of course, you’ll also find plenty more Baylor pride on our other Pinterest boards. If you haven’t started following us yet, here’s a taste of what you’ve been missing:

This framed Line jersey (a birthday present that could also be a fun graduation gift);
Home decoration ideas like this green-and-gold guest room;
This photo of the Eiffel Tower showing its Baylor pride;
Tailgating recipes like these Dr Pepper cookies; and
Popular Baylor gameday gear like this, this and this.

Sic ’em, Baylor grads and Baylor pinners!

Apr

2013

Bloomberg BusinessWeek includes Baylor entrepreneurship program among nation’s top 5

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Honors

Baylor Entrepreneurship products If you want to start your own business, there are few places in the country better to train than Baylor University.

Bloomberg BusinessWeek earlier this month ranked Baylor’s undergraduate entrepreneurship program No. 3 in the country and tops in the state of Texas, echoing the results of recent Princeton Review/Entrepreneurship Magazine listings which have included Baylor among the nation’s top five each of the last four years.

[Read more about how the Hankamer School of Business prepares entrepreneurship students for success in this feature from the Spring 2013 issue of Baylor Magazine.]

The new results are based on feedback from students at 124 different business schools nationwide. Baylor was the only university south of the Mason-Dixon Line or west of the Mississippi to crack the top five, joining such schools as Cornell and Syracuse.

One of the oldest and most respected entrepreneurship programs in the country, Baylor entrepreneurship continues to come up with new offerings for students, including the recently announced business incubator partnerships in Waco and Addison, Texas.

Sic ’em, Baylor entrepreneurship!

Apr

2013

‘Mama Griffin’ speaking tour to raise funds for RG3 QB scholarship

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Athletics, Extraordinary Stories

Raising RG3: A Conversation with Jackie Griffin

We are blessed to call Robert Griffin III a Baylor Bear. It’s hard to imagine anyone better representing all that Baylor stands for, both on and off the field, particularly on a national stage.

As a young parent, I’ve wondered what RG3′s parents did to raise such an outstanding young man. Now “Mama Griffin” is sharing her story in a series of events that also aim to raise money for the recently announced Robert Griffin III Quarterback Scholarship.

Jackie Griffin will speak to audiences in Dallas (May 2), Houston (June 13), Nashville (Aug. 22) and Waco (Aug. 29) about raising RG3 — stories of the Redskins QB’s youth and the philosophy that guided his upbringing. Tickets are available now for the events in North Texas and Houston; ticket info and details for the other two locations will be released when available.

[Here's a sample of Jackie talking about her famous son to Washington, D.C.'s ABC7.]

Proceeds from each event will benefit the RG3 Scholarship, which seeks to endow the quarterback position at Baylor (a similar approach to that taken for Duke basketball, Michigan football and other programs), thus freeing up budget funds to be used for other purposes. Thanks to the Griffins for lending their support to this effort!

Sic ’em, RG3, Jackie, and all those who have supported the RG3 Scholarship!

Apr

2013

Memorial service on Baylor campus honors fallen heroes from West explosion

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Service

Ferrell Center, site of ceremony for West firefighters

The 12 first responders who died battling the fire that led to last week’s explosion in West, Texas, were remembered during a memorial service in the Ferrell Center Thursday afternoon. Baylor University was honored to provide the site for the service, which was organized by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Texas LODD Task Force.

Following a processional down University Parks Drive that included 300+ fire trucks from all over the country, a capacity crowd filled the Ferrell Center, including President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, 4,000 uniformed responders, and thousands of other citizens paying their respects from the West, Waco and Baylor communities and beyond. Many more watched from other venues; on campus, in Waco Hall, the Bill Daniel Student Center and McLane Student Life Center, as well as at Baylor Ballpark, Getterman Stadium, and the Hurd Tennis Center, which were all opened and carried the broadcast for the overflow crowds.

[VIDEO: U.S. President Barack Obama || Baylor President Ken Starr || Governor Rick Perry || Memorial processional]

“No words adequately describe the courage that was displayed on that deadly night,” said President Obama, the 7th sitting U.S. President to visit Baylor, following Harry S Truman, 1947; Dwight Eisenhower, 1956; Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965; Gerald Ford, 1976; Ronald Reagan, 1988; and George W. Bush, 2002. “What I can do is offer the support and the love and prayers of the nation. We may not all live here in Texas, but we’re neighbors, too. We are Americans, too. And we stand with you and will not forget.”

[PHOTOS: From the processional and ceremony, courtesy Baylor Photography]

“America’s great poet laureate, Robert Frost, wrote that, ‘Good fences make good neighbors,’” said Judge Starr. “Today, there are no fences… because we are all together as neighbors. We are standing together, figuratively, arm in arm.”

Together, the entire Baylor family honors those who died last week in West and prays for all those whose lives have been affected by the tragedy.

Apr

2013

President’s Scholarship Initiative meets $100 million goal — five months early!

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Extraordinary Stories, Student life

President's Scholarship Initiative complete

Way to go, Baylor Nation: Your generosity has led to The President’s Scholarship Initiative topping its $100 million goal ahead of schedule!

At this semester’s final Dr Pepper Hour Tuesday afternoon, Baylor President Ken Starr shared the good news with a Barfield Drawing Room crowd full of students, faculty and staff, alums and friends of the university — just down the hall from where he announced the initiative’s launch less than three years ago.

[Click here to watch the announcement, and here for photos.]

The scholarship campaign was the President’s first major move after taking office, beginning just three months into his term at Baylor, and it backed up his early words that students are Baylor’s top priority. Tuesday, Judge Starr said the initiative has raised more than $101 million for student scholarships, thanks to gifts from more than 11,000 members of the Baylor family — almost half of which were giving to the university for the first time.

These funds — the largest scholarship push in Baylor history — will go a long way toward making our distinctive Baylor education accessible to those who are called to take their place in “That Good Old Baylor Line.” But today’s news doesn’t mark an end to the need for scholarship support from the entire Baylor family; it’s just the first step.

My wife and I were both blessed by scholarships when attending Baylor, and we’re proud to be able to give back even the tiny bit that we can afford as a young family. We’ve seen throughout the course of the initiative that every donor and every gift — large or small — makes a difference when we all come together. Please join us in supporting Baylor scholarships; click here for more information on how you can make a difference.

Sic ’em, Bears!

Apr

2013

Baylor equestrian moves forward with dedication of new Carlile Equestrian Building

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Athletics

Carlile Equestrian Building at Baylor

Fresh off a national championship in 2012, the Baylor equestrian program today celebrates the completion of phase two construction at their home, the Willis Family Equestrian Center.

The new Carlile Equestrian Building (to be dedicated in a ceremony this afternoon) provides the program with locker rooms, administrative offices, meeting space and a treatment and training room. Made possible by a lead gift from Baylor Regent Dr. Kenneth Q. Carlile, BA ’69, PhD ’96, and his wife, Celia, the facility benefits the 75+ student-athletes who compete for the equestrian program, which just completed its eighth season as a varsity sport at Baylor.

In that short time, Baylor has already won the 2012 Hunter Seat National Collegiate Equestrian Championship title and the 2010 Big 12 Championship under head coach Ellen White, BA ’81, who has led the program from its beginning.

If the Carlile name sounds familiar, it should. Ken and Celia have given faithfully to numerous projects across campus, including the Carlile Geology Research Building and the Ken and Celia Carlile Atrium in the Baylor Sciences Building, as well as the Kenneth Q. and Celia C. Carlile Endowed Scholarship, and many other Baylor initiatives in the sciences, student life and law.

Sic ’em, Carlile family and Baylor equestrian!

Apr

2013

Hearts of service: Three Baylor nursing students were among the first on the scene in West

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Service, Student life

Czech Stop - West explosion

Last Wednesday, two Baylor nursing students and one recent graduate were driving back from Waco to Dallas following ROTC when they decided to grab dinner at a popular I-35 stop just north of Waco. (You probably see where this is going already.)

The trio — seniors Ali Nordlander, of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Ashlyn McNeely, of Pampa, Texas, and alum Quianna Samuels, BSN ’12, of San Antonio — stopped at the Czech Stop in West just minutes before a nearby fertilizer plant exploded. They immediately ran more than a mile toward the mushroom cloud and were among the first responders to start pulling the elderly, many of them bedridden, from West Rest Haven, a nursing home that was devastated by the blast.

Dressed in their ROTC fatigues, the students’ presence commanded respect in the middle of what Ashlyn calls “complete chaos,” and those able to help listened as the trio gave directions to transport the injured to safety. These brave young women set up a triage area and treated countless injuries over the first four hours of the West tragedy as it all unfolded on national television, leaving only after those in the worst medical condition had been picked up and taken to hospitals.

In addition to the university’s response, Baylor students and alumni have shown initiative in finding their own ways to rally for West. A few examples:

A group of Christian artists (including Baylor alums Laura Cooksey, BM ’01, Jillian Edwards, BA ’11, Shaun Groves, BM ’97, and Robbie Seay) put together Songs for West, a compilation album that is free for download but for which listeners can leave tips; all money received will go to Baylor’s West relief fund. (As of this morning, the album had already generated more than $3,500 in tips.)
Friday, members of Alpha Phi Omega held a bake sale in the SUB to raise money for the people of West.
Jesus Said Love, a “ministry to the marginalized” led by Baylor alums Brett (BA ’98) and Emily (BA ’99) Mills, has adopted one family that lost everything in the explosion (including any keepsakes they had from a baby that died a year ago) and is working to provide shelter, clothing, food, furniture, etc. (in addition to pastoral care).

Do you know of other stories where the Baylor family has stepped in to serve following the West explosion? Please share them with us, and we’ll share some of our favorites in a later Baylor Proud blog post and/or pass them along to Baylor Magazine for consideration for their next issue. Click to here to submit your story.

Sic ’em, Bears, for serving so well!

(photo shared on Twitter by @AndyBartee)

Apr

2013

Baylor community rallies for West, Texas, as Diadeloso becomes DiaDelWest

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Service, Student life

Baylor students praying for West, Texas Few things could make me more proud than seeing how the Baylor community sprang into action following the explosion Wednesday night in nearby West, Texas (about 20 miles north of Waco).

Students organized a midnight prayer gathering in front of Waco Hall, drawing almost 100 people to pray for those affected. Overnight, the university rolled out a website (baylor.edu/relief) to gather information on how Bears could help; that was followed later Thursday with a Facebook group to help get updates out.

Thursday was also Diadeloso, an annual holiday for Baylor students. But the morning’s events were rearranged to make room for a prayer vigil in the Student Union Building between 10 and 11 a.m. Baylor Chamber took the bear mascot trailer out to Dia later in the day to collect water, blankets, etc. for the displaced from West, just one of many groups collecting aid around Waco.

(My wife called at 9:30 a.m. from the local Target, where she had stood in line behind two Baylor students who had a cart overflowing with similar supplies for West evacuees; the cashier said they were the second group of Baylor students to come through her line already this morning.)

Students, faculty and staff were urged to give blood at local collection centers (Carter Blood Care and Scott & White Blood Center), and lines at such locations stretched around the block. Baylor also began accepting donations (both online and in-person at Robinson Tower) for a fund to benefit the community of West. The Diadeloso headliner concert featuring Five for Fighting was moved to the Ferrell Center and opened to the public; cash donations to support the relief effort were accepted, and $1 from every concessions sale will go to relief efforts. [See photos from the concert and other Dia events here.]

Thursday evening, Judge Starr sent this email out to the entire Baylor family, noting that in less than 24 hours the fund mentioned above had already received nearly $15,000 in donations (not including donations collected at the concert).

So proud of how the Baylor family has responded; even Sports Illustrated has picked up on the Baylor spirit. I think this tweet sums things up:

Proud to be a Bear. On a day designed to celebrate all things Baylor, they are helping their neighbors in West. #DiaDelOso #DiaDelWest

— Laurie Cavin (@lauriecavin) April 18, 2013

Sic ’em, Bears!

Apr

2013

President Starr welcomes Sen. George Mitchell to campus for ‘On Topic’ conversation

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Photo Galleries

Sen. George Mitchell with President Ken Starr

Twenty years ago, George Mitchell was the Senate’s Majority Leader, overseeing the passage of landmark legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and NAFTA. Fifteen years ago, he was in Northern Ireland, helping negotiate peace after decades of conflict. In the last decade, he has provided Major League Baseball with an independent investigation into the use of steroids by players and served as a Special Envoy to the Middle East on behalf of the United States.

Tuesday night, he was on the Baylor campus as the latest guest in President Ken Starr’s “On Topic” series. In front of a Waco Hall crowd of students, professors and others from the local community, Judge Starr and Senator Mitchell spent nearly an hour and a half discussing conflict in the Middle East, issues of religious freedom abroad, the peace process in Ireland, and performance-enhancing drugs in sports.

[MEDIA: Listen to interviews with KWBU-FM (parts 1 and 2) and 1660 ESPN Radio || Read his interview with the Waco Tribune-Herald || The Baylor Lariat recap of Tuesday night]

Perhaps the biggest ovation of the night came when Mitchell explained his relationship with Bob Dole, who was the ranking Republican leader in the Senate when Mitchell (a Democrat) was Majority Leader:

“I can say, with some pride, that not once ever, in those six years or since, has a harsh word ever passed between Bob Dole and I, in public or in private,” Mitchell said. “We were, and we are, good friends. We disagreed almost every day. We negotiated, we did the best we could representing our beliefs and those whom we represented, but we understood that we had a higher loyalty, and that higher loyalty was what’s best for the country. … You have to have the ability, at least, to listen to the other side, to give some credibility, … [to] establish a sense of respect and personal relationship that allows you to have a somewhat more open mind to that person’s views. Not to immediately discount them or not to always think that you have the exclusive answer to everything.”

Mitchell is the fifth special guest to have been featured in the “On Topic” series, following following billionaire alternative energy proponent T. Boone Pickens, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and leading constitutional scholar Akhil Reed Amar.

Sic ’em, Senator Mitchell and Judge Starr!