The Mug – Page 7 – a BIC student publication

Compassion in Practice

QuickBIC Admin on November 18, 2015

Compassion is defined by Dictionary.com as “A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”

For one organization, the definition of compassion is embodied in a holistic context and put into practice by saving thousands of children everyday, spiritually and physically.

Compassion International is a child-advocacy ministry that pairs compassionate people with those who are suffering from poverty. The ministry assists children suffering from spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty. The goal is for each child to thrive in adulthood and fulfill their potential as humans in this world.

On Monday, November 16, 2015, Richmond Wandera came to speak to the chapel services in Waco Hall and shared his story.

Wandera grew up in Kampala, Uganda – a small town in East Africa. At the age of 8, Wandera came home to see his father murdered at the front of their home and his mother in the hospital. Doctors were able to bring his mother back to full health, but Wandera recounts that things were never the same after that moment.

Wandera’s mother was prepared for marriage at 13 and married at 15. Without an education, trade, or skill, she was left helpless and unaware when it came to the care of her six children. As a single mother without a job and limited money, Wandera and his family were soon kicked out of their home.

In search of a new place to live, Wandera’s mother found a home for them in the slums of Naguru, Kampala, just three miles down from their previous home. Wandera remembered that three-mile walk as the longest walk of his life, as little was said between himself, his siblings, and his mother.

When the family reached their new home, it was a 10 by 10 foot shack with a tin roof that let rays of light in. It was the only home their mother could find and afford.

When things seemed like they could not get any worse, Wandera’s mother made an announcement to the family that they had run out of money for food. Wandera said that that single announcement changed everything. Starvation started to arise and so did a sense of hopelessness.

As Wandera told his story and recalled the tragic conditions of the slum, the story took a turn for the better. Wandera and his family received news that he had been given a sponsor from Compassion International. A 15-year-old girl named Heather had decided to sponsor a child halfway across the world that she would never meet. A 15-year-old girl who took up a babysitting job in order to sufficiently finance the needs of a little boy in Naguru, Kampala of East Africa.

Wandera was given a number, a special serial number that allowed him to receive healthcare from the community clinic whenever he felt ill. This number allowed him to receive food and clean water to drink. This number gave him hope for survival.

Today, Wandera stood before us in chapel, an accomplished man. With a bachelor’s degree in accounting, a masters of divinity, and a doctorate in leadership philosophy in the process, Wandera is determined to go back home and make a difference.

Wandera said, “We are all made to be significant. We are all blessed with gifts from God and given opportunities to be great.”

Richmond Wandera, once a child on the pamphlets of Compassion International, now stands before Baylor University’s chapel service to inspire thousands of students with his personal story.

Compassion International gives everyone, student or adult, teenager or parent, the ability to change a life across the world. Compassion is needed across the world, as can be seen in the recent attacks in Paris and tragedies on college campuses. The travesties in the world do not seem to be going anywhere, but where we place our compassion can end the tragedies sooner than later.

By joining Compassion International, we have the opportunity to start alleviating suffering across the world. Children are in need and we have the means to help them survive. We have the opportunity to be a beacon of light for these children and families and impact someone’s entire world with a single decision.

The minute sacrifice of minimizing restaurant meals or cutting back on Starbucks for a week can fund a child’s life. Our opportunities are ample and our time is now.

Make the decision to live simply, so someone can simply live.

Visit www.compassion.com for more information.

Kassie Hsu is a freshman BIC student majoring in neuroscience.

Campus: The Intersection of History and Memories

QuickBIC Admin on November 16, 2015

We spend most of our days Monday through Friday walking through it, and some of us even spend our nights surrounded by it, too. But do we really see it?

Let’s take a moment and appreciate the campus that for four years we get to call home.

Baylor’s campus has long been considered one of the most beautiful in Texas, at least by faithful Baylor alumni. The trees in bloom and historic buildings are easy to appreciate. As students, we have a more unique experience. Here’s to the campus that looks beautiful from afar and has come to hold some of our most wonderful memories.

After three years of on-campus living and learning, spots around campus are not just locations but places where things have happened, places that evoke memories.

Instead of reminding you of all of the objectively beautiful buildings and fields, today, let’s go on a more personalized tour.

Across the street from the student union building, you will find the most beautiful tree on campus, according to me. It is nestled between the tennis courts and the Marrs McLean Gym. The branches of this tree come down and create a haven for those who sit beside its trunk. To me, this tree is a place for book club meetings, happenstance encounters with friends, and quiet reflection.

In Carroll Science, you will find the English Department. Before I go on, let me clarify for all of you science majors out there. I have had this conversation many times over the years, so allow me to fill in your part.

Carroll Science?

Carroll Science, you know, the building across the street from Morrison.

Not the building across from the Bobo Spiritual Life Center?

No, no that would be Carroll Library.

And the English Department is housed within a science building?

Yes. As the name suggests, Carroll Science used to be home to the science departments, but in the late 1900s, those departments moved to other buildings, and the English Department moved in.

As you can see from the numerous departments that have called this edifice home, this building has history which makes it beautiful. However, it is not Baylor’s history I think about when I enter those doors but my own. These classrooms are where I have discovered my academic interests. Some of the faculty offices housed inside the building are where I have received invaluable guidance and support that has helped me get to where I am today. When thinking back on my years at Baylor, this building will be a part of those reflections.

Then there are all of those little, unmarked places throughout campus. One such place is the fifth street curb, before the fountain renovation took it away. There is nothing quite like Baylor’s campus in the rain, and that curb was my favorite part of it all. The water would rise up against the steep curb, essentially begging you to take your shoes off and give into the stream. I welcomed each time the weather gave me a socially-acceptable outlet for my inner-child in the middle of the school day.

We have the privilege of living our days out on Baylor’s campus. We get to live in these buildings and landscapes and create our own history here. Here’s to the unique chance we have of weaving our personal stories into the beautiful story of Baylor’s campus.

If you are curious about the general history of Baylor’s campus, this website shows photos of some of Baylor’s older buildings ‘then and now:’ http://www.baylor.edu/about/index.php?id=89428

For more information on the history of Carroll Science, visit this article by the Baylor Alumni Association: http://www.bayloralumniassociation.com/baylor_line/past_issues/wint10carroll_science.asp

Kara Blomquist is a senior BIC student majoring in linguistics.

Favelas and Helots

QuickBIC Admin on November 12, 2015

“Part of my son’s skull landed here in the living room.”

-Terezinha Maria de Jesus

Over seven months ago, 10-year-old Eduardo de Jesus was shot to death in front of his home in Complexo de Alemão, one of the many favelas in Rio de Janeiro. While one might expect this horrible death to be the result of gang or drug violence, which so commonly plagues favela life, Eduardo was in fact killed by an unidentified member of the Pacifying Police Unit stationed in the favela. Ironically, these police forces which have been tasked with driving gangs and drug traffickers from Rio de Janeiro’s favelas have caused a great deal of civilian deaths.

Having been so saturated by an overwhelming amount of human of loss, Eduardo’s story was lost until this week when Rio de Janeiro authorities announced that they would not be charging any of the officers who were suspected of involvement with the young man’s death. Following the announcement of Rio de Janeiro’s decision to refrain from charging any of the officers suspected of involvement in young Eduardo’s death, protests have broken out in many of the thirty-eight favelas which are now under the influence of the government’s pacification initiative. Protestors are calling for the immediate expulsion of Pacifying Police Units from their local favelas in hopes of stemming the civilian casualties that have resulted from the initiative.

While Eduardo’s death serves as a stark reminder of the shortcomings of the initiative, the pacification process has dramatically benefitted certain communities. For instance, Vidigal, a pacified favela, once no stranger to gunfire and death, is now a popular tourism spot. Unfortunately, the situation is not as black and white as we might have hoped.

Before the initiation of pacification, many of these favelas were completely devoid of governmental representation. This lack of an authoritative presence allowed gangs and drug dealers to rule favelas however they pleased. Yet since pacification began in 2012, there has been a dramatic decline in reported deaths and robberies in affected communities.

Unfortunately, many police officers and civilians alike have been killed on account of the initiative. In the winding and narrow pathways of the favelas, civilians find themselves caught in the crossfire all too often. Police officers have also been ambushed and executed by gangs looking to send a message. While the pacification initiative has been shown to have a positive impact in some cases, many people are paying the price with their lives.

Could such senseless death be unique to our modern world, or can similar examples be found in ancient history? Understandably, if any major ancient civilizations took violent action against their lower classes, any surviving accounts would likely be “neutralized” or destroyed. There is one civilization, however, ancient Sparta, where the people were as backwards as they were beefy.

Spartan society was increasingly dependent on its slave class, commonly referred to as Helots, as almost every Spartan male was tasked with serving in the military and women were confined to the city; someone had to grow the crops. Helots did not live in Sparta proper, but rather in slum towns on the fringes of the city, similar to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.

The Helots were obviously treated very poorly. If they did not spend their entire lives growing food that they would never be able to eat, then they were conscripted to serve as skirmishers (bowmen, slingers, or peltasts) for the Spartan military, as true Spartans wouldn’t be caught dead (literally) without a spear and shield in their hands.

In order to prevent the Helots from rebelling against their cruel overlords, the Spartans organized annual “Culling of the Helots,” during which, according to Greek historian Plutarch,

“By the day they would disperse to obscure spots in order to hide and rest. At night they made their way to roads and murdered any helot whom they caught. Frequently, too, they made their way through fields, killing the Helots who stood out for their physique and strength.”

Such senseless violence suggests that humanity is not becoming more violent, but rather, more aware. When the Helots were culled year after year, there were no ancient Grecian Helot-rights activists who stood outside of Sparta with protest signs.

As educated individuals, we have a unique right which very few people possessed thousands of years ago: the right to be informed. What we do with this knowledge, this unique responsibility, is up to each of us.

If we stand by the oppressed, if we make their strife known, if we complain about injustice rather than red cups, I believe that we are doing right by our ancestors, those who, if they had been informed, would have been trembling with fear outside of Sparta, waving their protest signs which would have read, “Culling Helots? How ‘bout Hel-no.”

Lee Shaw is a sophomore BIC student majoring in professional writing and the current editor of the QuickBIC.

Further reading on the Cull of the Helots:

https://books.google.com/books?id=3umBAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT15&lpg=PT15&dq=cull+of+the+helots&source=bl&ots=J98v945gKR&sig=P6JCnCDger62bje25T-vhasAbSk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDYQ6AEwA2oVChMIq-Kr-sCJyQIVREgmCh0DSw-T#v=onepage&q=cull%20of%20the%20helots&f=false

http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/greekterms/g/011709Helots.htm

https://books.google.com/books?id=A9maBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=cull+of+the+helots&source=bl&ots=ZlhbsmKneY&sig=rJuvLu-j4Oz6Ug7CGPOMpYefBqw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEUQ6AEwB2oVChMI2pLm28GJyQIVQSQmCh3ISwyt#v=onepage&q=cull%20of%20the%20helots&f=false

Further reading on Rio’s Pacification Police Units:

http://contario.net/armed-peace/

http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/08/30/435993447/rios-favelas-feel-the-peace-and-the-pressure-of-pacification

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/11/world/americas/no-charges-against-rio-police-in-fatal-shooting-of-10-year-old-boy.html?ref=americas&_r=0

To Post or Not to Post

QuickBIC Admin on November 10, 2015

Image courtesy of business2community.com

Post, like, tweet, share, comment, and repeat – these are words that have become all too familiar with our generation and the world of social media.

We are all accustomed to the apps on our smart phones that consume most of our attention on a daily basis – we use our thumbs to scroll up and down timelines and news feeds scanning endless pictures and posts.

Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Yik Yak, Vine, YouTube, and the list goes on. The Internet, and what seems to be the world, has become accessible to us at the touch of a screen.

Social media has grown to encompass our entire lives, from posting pictures of family gatherings to tweeting about the disappointment of a cancelled Baylor Homecoming bonfire.

Within these realms of social networking, there are popular profiles or pages that have attracted followers from around the world. These accounts are usually owned by young men or women who seem to be living the ultimate dream – young adults traveling the world, free of responsibility, and doing everything we wish we were doing instead of writing Essay 2 for Rhetoric.

We follow these people – celebrities, models, advocates, and athletes – in awe as we scroll through their profiles full of exciting escapades and beautiful sunsets. We refer to these icons as being “Instagram celebrities” or “YouTube famous.”

Recently, a string of uproar has occurred within the world of social media as one famous YouTuber and Instagram phenomenon decided to speak up about the reality behind her picture-perfect posts.

Essena O’Neill, an 18-year-old from Australia, amassed half a million followers on Instagram with selfies, outfit posts, and fitness inspiration. A couple of weeks ago, O’Neill deleted over 2000 photos and changed the captions on existing photos with truthful reflections about how many tries it took to get the shot, posts she was paid for, and the pressuring “suffocation” she felt to look perfect. Renaming her profile to “Social Media Is Not Real Life,” O’Neill stirred up discussion amongst followers and fellow social media celebrities.

In a picture of O’Neill posing on a beach in a swimsuit, she edited the caption to: “NOT REAL LIFE – took over 100 in similar poses trying to make my stomach look good. Would have hardly eaten that day. Would have yelled at my little sister to keep taking them until I was somewhat proud of this. Yep so totally #goals.”

On other pictures, O’Neill accompanied her edited captions with capitalized phrases such as, “there is nothing real about this,” or “social media is not real is my point.”

In her last post on October 27, O’Neill wrote: “[Social media] is contrived imaged and edited clips ranked against each other. It’s a system based on social approval, likes, validation in views, and success in followers. It’s perfectly orchestrated self-absorbed judgment.”

O’Neill created a platform to speak out about the imperfect reality behind her seemingly perfect accounts on YouTube and Instagram. She made her voice heard and liberated herself of the restraints she had placed on herself as a public figure on social media.

In light of O’Neill’s recent account change, the idea of social media’s purpose has come into question.

Yes, the Internet can result in social stigmas and pressures that can have a negative impact – whether it is the pressure to be perfect for thousands of followers or feeling invisible and finding comfort from strangers on the Internet.

The only thing is, the Internet can be a beautiful thing. I am not only talking about the beauty of Google or SparkNotes. I am talking about the beauty of widespread knowledge that can be dispersed through the use of social media.

The Internet allows every single individual, whether they have half a million followers or ten, an opportunity to create a platform for themselves or for something bigger than themselves.

Through the use of the Internet and social media, issues such as police brutality and the refugee crisis have become prevalent knowledge to young adults that would not have learned about it otherwise. Some people find their safe haven in inspiring bloggers on YouTube or a weekly blog from an unknown writer. It is all about how you use the Internet.

It can spread negativity or positivity, but the possibilities are endless with a positive platform in mind.

Kassie Hsu is a freshman BIC student majoring in neuroscience.

Vacation Days: A Different Take

QuickBIC Admin on November 10, 2015November 10, 2015

Labor Day. Fall Break. Thanksgiving Break.

Students have a pretty sweet deal. We have vacations to look forward to throughout each semester.

Tell me something I don’t know, you say? Well, how about this: Once we’ve exited the education system and entered into the professional world, vacation days will be less of a given.

I know I do not need to remind college students to appreciate our vacation days. We are all counting down the days until Thanksgiving break (which is 16 days away, in case you’ve lost count). But we do not always realize the gift that these days are.

Our entire academic careers, from kindergarten until today, our school calendars have included vacation days. Days our teachers, and now our professors, cannot require us to come to class. We get to use these days however we like. While our breaks towards the end of the semester may resemble stay-at-home work days rather than true days of rest, a day which we get to decide how to spend is a gift no matter how we spend it.

In a few years, our calendars will no longer have these built-in days. Sure, there will still be Labor Day, and Thanksgiving will certainly occur, but we may not have these days off from work. (Ok, unless you are in residency studying to become a doctor, I am pretty sure we all get Thanksgiving off, but we may not have the three-day break like we do this year.)

The point of this message? Let us enjoy the days off we have stretching before us. Thanksgiving, Winter Break, and that three month respite we call summer break.

These breaks give us a chance to regroup from all that goes on during the school year. We have the opportunity to see our family and to simply have a change of scenery.

All of those things are wonderful, but our vacations are more than that; they can remind us of where we are in life. We are at a stage where someone higher above us is looking out for us. We have administrators who plan the academic calendar with our interests in mind. People we do not even know are trying to make decisions based on what will be best for us.

How many other people can say that? We are lucky. Not only because our next vacation is a mere two weeks away but also because of all that it implies.

A vacation is a sign that we are sandwiched between people who are looking out for us. Because of people here at Baylor who have our interests in mind, we have the chance to have a break from classes and go home to people we love.

As we count down the days until Thanksgiving break, let us remember this implication of our excitement. We are counting down to a manifestation of the way our community cares for us…and to pumpkin pie.

Kara Blomquist is a senior BIC student majoring in linguistics.

Sleep is for the Weak vs. Sleep for a Week

QuickBIC Admin on November 3, 2015

College students are often associated with the stigma of extensive caffeine intake, mastering the art of memorization instead of learning, and a significant lack of sleep. Well let me set the record straight on behalf of all my fellow college kids: the stigmas are true. Although course load varies from major to major, almost any student can relate to the constant desire for naps. Sleep deprivation is either the result of long nights of cramming or Netflix binging – regardless, it is more than prevalent on campus.

What is the harm in a couple sleepless nights? Students, especially in the BIC, often believe an A on the World Cultures test or Rhetoric Speech to Actuate is worth a little exhaustion the next day. We have the mindset that studying and succeeding in the classroom can substitute for the mindless act of sleeping.

Well, science proves otherwise.

According to David Dinges, a professor of psychology and the director of the Unit for Experimental Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, sleep is pretty darn important.

“When people get sleep-deprived, they don’t show positive emotion in their faces,” Dinges said. A sleep-deprived person may be happy, but their facial expression will stay neutral and unchanged. Positive emotions are difficult for sleep-deprived people to recognize in others and display themselves. The tolerance of disappointment is very low for people who do not achieve sufficient sleep.

Moreover, have you ever caught yourself staring into space after a long night of studying? Those are called “microsleeps.” Microsleeps are mini-snooze sessions that can last up 30 seconds – your eyes are open but they are essentially blind and your brain goes into a sleep state rapidly and uncontrollably. This is can be detrimental during lecture, but lethal if behind the wheel.

The amount of sleep we achieve every night does not only affect us academically, but also impacts our social interactions, our health, and our safety.

Now I think we can all relate to this next side effect of sleep deprivation: delirium. Delirium is the state where we become “loopy” after a minimal amount of sleep – more familiarly known as the stage that comes after grogginess, extended yawns, and teary eyes. It is the surge of energy we feel when overtly exhausted that causes disorientation and confusion. It is a false sense of hyperactivity that eventually results in the final collapse of our physical being.

Okay, so yes, students do not sleep enough, especially BICers, but so what?

Sleep will always be more beneficial to us than we will ever understand. According to Harvard Medical School, “the quantity and quality of sleep have a profound impact on learning and memory.” Research suggests that a sleep-deprived person cannot focus adequately and therefore cannot retain any new knowledge. Additionally, sleep itself has a role in the unification of memory – a valued attribute for learning new information.

I can continue to list every Google search answer for the benefits of sleep and hindrances for a lack of it, but that is the Internet’s job. Instead, I am going to explore why sleep has become a compromising factor rather than a priority.

Do we sacrifice sleep because we believe it is a waste of time compared to finishing a New York Times assignment? Or do we do it because why sleep when you can learn everything you ever need to know about anything for World Cultures?

We do it because we want to achieve. Yes, we would rather lose sleep over Netflix binges, but the fact of the matter is that we do it because we want to excel. We pride ourselves on being the best, which is why we are BICers. We want to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be because, in the long run, we are the only determinants of our futures.

Plot twist: We can only be the best versions of ourselves if we sleep. Sleep, ladies and gentlemen, and watch the world become a much happier, memory-worthy, wide-eyed place for all of us.

Think about it the way Albert Camus did, “Some people talk in their sleep. Lecturers talk while other people sleep.”

Let us all be the former in this situation.

Kassie Hsu is a freshman BIC student majoring in neuroscience.

References:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/the-spooky-effects-of-sleep-deprivation/ar-BBmDJq0?li=AAa0dzB

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/learning-memory

The Base of the BIC: The Students

QuickBIC Admin on November 2, 2015

We’ve talked about the professors; this one’s for the students.

The BIC would not be what it is without the BIC students, you guys.

My freshman friends have some unique BICers in their lives, their peer instructors and mentors.

These people have been where you are and navigated through it all successfully. What’s more, they’ve chosen to come back and help you.

This network of support has grown since my BIC beginning. When I was a freshman, three years ago, we had peer instructors in our World Cultures classes. Look at us now! World Cultures Peer Instructors, Rhetoric Peer Instructors, and BIC Mentors in your Examined Life classes. All of these people are reaching out to you. Take advantage of these people who have given their time to go to your classes. They have more to offer than academic help. They are invested in the BIC community and are ready to help you in this first semester in whatever way they can.

Beyond these lovely BICers, there are all of the other BIC students! One of the neat things about being in a program where we take classes over the years with a cohort is that we are all going through the same academic rigors at the same time. Are you stressing out about that next New York Times assignment? Chances are one of your BIC friends is feeling the same way. You will encounter obstacles in the BIC, but you will also have a community of people who understand what you are facing and will help you along the way.

One form that help comes in is study groups. Taking the same classes means having a built-in study group. All you have to do is find one group of BICers you work well with, and you can study for multiple classes, over the course of many years. Studying for exams may not be the most fun you have ever had, but when you do it with a group of people you know and perhaps grow to love, it becomes much more enjoyable.

After your freshman and sophomore years, massive BIC study groups become less essential, but by this time, you’ve found another benefit of your BIC friends. After all of those classes and late nights together, these people have become some of your close friends. You no longer need a common class to bring you together, you make the time to meet up with these students.

I met some of my closest friends in the BIC. Out of this group, I am the only one who is not a science major, which means that my friends and I do not randomly cross paths. (Nobody wanders from the BSB to Carroll Science, much less knows where Carroll Science is.) Yet after our years together in BIC classes and outside of them, these are the people who I find myself turning to when graduate school applications become just a little too overwhelming or when I want to plan a fun gathering.

That’s the beauty of the BIC. The people you meet along the way will stay with you long after you each fulfill your BIC requirements.

Kara Blomquist is a senior BIC student majoring in linguistics

Op-ed Review “Not Interested? Then don’t give him your digits”

QuickBIC Admin on October 23, 2015

On October 20, the Baylor Lariat posted an opinion piece entitled “Not Interested? Then don’t give him your digits” by Thomas Mott, the Lariat’s assistant broadcast news producer.

In this article, Mr. Mott encourages women “of our society today” to refrain from giving their numbers to men if they are not interested in dating those men.

According to Mr. Mott, “This is exactly the problem with our society today. Girls are too nice and do not know how to say that they are not interested. Why can’t girls just say no to a guy they clearly have no interest in instead of giving him their number and then not replying to his texts?”

Mr. Mott goes on to posit that women purposefully lead men on by giving them their phone numbers just to completely ignore these men later, or to further lead them on by offering such excuses as, “I’ve been busy.”

In his final call to all the women “of our society today,” Mr. Mott states,

“So ladies, next time a guy asks for your number, and you don’t want to give it to him, or he’s been talking to you for a while, just straight up tell him you’re not interested. Do not lead him on with facade that would make him think you are actually interested. He deserves an explanation. Yes, we will be upset at your bluntness at first, but we’d rather this than have you lead us on.”

If Baylor University had a tornado-siren-esque sexism warning system, red and white lights would be flashing, sirens would be blaring, and we would all be hiding under our desks with our hands above our heads, hoping these misogynistic ideals do not somehow worm their way into our brains.

The statement “he deserves an explanation” is, in itself, absolutely appalling. While Mott is completely correct in stating that it takes a lot of guts for a guy to go up to a girl he finds attractive and ask her for her contact information, by no means does this amassed gusto warrant an explanation from the woman in question if she turns the guy down.

Sorry dude, maybe she is just not that into you. Maybe she has heard your answers to questions in class and she is not impressed. Maybe she is already in a relationship or maybe she just is not looking for anything right now. Moral of the story: it is none of your business! By no means does she have to explain her decision to you.

Do you want to know why some women, or “girls” as you call them in your article, are “nice” to the extent that they will give their numbers to guys in whom they are not interested?

Women may be afraid of the backlash, physical or emotional, that they could potentially receive by rejecting the advances of these oh-so-gusty men! Why wouldn’t they be – with guys saying that they “deserve an explanation” – that this woman, who he does not know, somehow owes him something. In fact, Mr. Mott states, “We will be upset at first,” as if this anger is somehow warranted. As a man who occasionally asks for digits, I do not appreciate being lumped into this “we will be angry” nonsense. This attitude is a problem with “society today,” not the women who refuse to bruise fragile egos in observance of their own safety.

Is it not more appalling that the Lariat Staff edited and approved this opinion piece? Is it not more appalling that this blatant act of sexism was published on a Baylor-sanctioned news source? To me, as a feminist but even more so as a person with a conscience, I am horrified.

Women of Baylor and the world, I would advise that if someone asks you for your “digits,” whether it be woman or man, if you are not interested, you handle the situation however you please. You do not owe anything to anyone.

To read the article that will set off your sexism-alert for a whole month, click the link below:

http://baylorlariat.com/2015/10/20/tell-him-the-truth/

Lee Shaw is a sophomore BIC student majoring in professional writing and is the current editor of the QuickBIC.

Syria and Iberia

QuickBIC Admin on October 22, 2015

As the Syrian War unfolds before the world, as anarchy, disarray, and unrestrained violence becomes ever more commonplace on Syrian soil, we must ask ourselves, “How could this have happened?” It is undoubtedly difficult to even consider the fact that this horrible series of conflicts, broadcasted constantly on our TVs and becoming ever clearer from the cockpits of American bombers, is not the first of its kind. Unfortunately, if modern nations do not take a hint from the empires of old, it will not be the last.

“The Syrian War” is a term used to describe the current conflict in Syria, which has come to involve a complicated variety of engagements and the combined forces of over twelve nations. The Syrian War began as the Syrian Civil War, in which rebel forces rose up against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over four years ago.

The United States has since allied itself with the rebel forces, offering air support, supplies, and military training in an effort to topple the Assad regime. The military forces of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab states have similarly joined the rebel cause. The Syrian government under Assad is not without allies, however. Assad has enlisted the support of Russia, Iran, Hezbollah militants, and local loyalist militias. This war has raged for over four years and has resulted in thousands of casualties.

This conflict would be enough on its own, yet with the Islamic State (ISIS) added into the mix, the situation becomes as complicated as it is deadly.

The American-backed rebels have no interest in combating the ever-advancing Islamic State, who have ravaged the Syrian countryside, but are focused on bringing down the Assad regime. Meanwhile, the United States is openly assaulting ISIS positions while supplying its rebel allies. Kurdish militants have also been coordinating attacks with the United States against the Islamic State, but this has only increased tensions between the United States and Turkey, which has fought deadly war upon deadly war against Kurdish separatists. The tensions do not stop there, however, as Saudi-Arabian-backed militant forces have squared off against Iran and Hezbollah-backed loyalist troops, thus increasing the already apparent
turmoil in the Middle East.

The situation only worsened once Russia began launching airstrikes in Syria as of September of this year. Russian cruise missiles are targeting not only ISIS positions but also American-backed rebel groups battling the Assad regime. Accordingly, this has increased tensions between the United States and Russia; they have only recently signed a shaky pact as of October 20 regulating both nations’ airstrikes within Syrian territory.

As of January 2015, the United Nations estimated that over 220,000 people had died over the course of the Syrian War. Unfortunately, this death toll has only increased, and exponentially so.

With a death toll exceeding 220,000 people, it may be hard to believe that the world has ever seen such a complicated and deadly conflict, especially the ancient world.

Yet the first-ever Syrian War began in Saguntum, an ancient Iberian settlement that is now the small town of Sagunto on the southeastern coast of modern day Spain. It was the siege and consequent destruction of this settlement that brought about the Second Punic War, the conflict which would establish Rome as an international superpower.
Following the First Punic War between the Carthaginian Empire, based out of modern-day Tunisia, and the Roman Empire, based out of, well, Rome, these two powers held an uneasy peace. While Rome and its allies had the Italian peninsula firmly under their heel (get it, Italy looks like a boot), as well as the island of Sicily to the South, Carthage commanded firm control of the African coast, a large portion of the southeastern portion of Iberia (modern-day Spain), and the Balearic Isles.

Yet beyond their personal territorial holdings, both Rome and Carthage had a variety of allies across the Iberian Peninsula. For instance, Carthage held the Iberian tribes of the Oretani, Turdetani, and Illervacones as client states. Carthage also held some uneasy relationships with the major Iberian tribes of the Lusitani and Arevaci. Hannibal Barca, the general who spearheaded the Second Punic War, regularly bolstered his forces with Lusitanian and Arevacian troops.

Rome similarly had no shortage of allies. The Greek city states of Massilia (modern Marseilles) and Emporion (near modern Catalonia) on the Iberian coast were dedicated military allies of Rome. Many small Iberian tribes were also loyal to Rome, as they sought the lucrative trade agreements that came with such alliances. One such Iberian tribe were the Sagunti, who occupied the city of Saguntum.

Much like Syria, ancient Iberia was a powder keg of complicated hostilities and alliances just waiting for a spark. That spark was embodied in Hannibal Barca, the leader of the Carthaginian cause. After the Roman-backed Sagunti were accused of conducting raiding parties against the Carthaginian-backed Oretani, Hannibal took the situation into his own hands and captured the city of Saguntum, plunging the entirety of Iberia, Africa, and Spain into war.

This war would last for nearly twenty years, resulting in an estimated 650,000 militant deaths alone, not including civilian casualties.

Once again, history has shown itself to be cyclical. In modern Syria, we see a bloody mix of varying intentions and internationally-backed militant groups, just as we did in ancient Iberia. While we do not know how the Syrian conflict will end, we can be certain that the same formula resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths in the ancient world.

I will leave you with the thought-provoking notions of American literary theoretician Henry W. Said and his notion of imperialism,

“Every empire, however, tells itself and the world that it is unlike all other empires, that its mission is not to plunder and control but to educate and liberate.”

Lee Shaw is a sophomore BIC student majoring in professional writing and the current editor of the QuickBIC.

Further reading on Iberia in the Second Punic War:

http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey15.html

Perceiving Life

QuickBIC Admin on October 20, 2015October 20, 2015

Life – a four-letter word that holds a magnitude greater than any compilation of words in the English language. Every individual has a life full of trials and tribulations, triumphs and victories, as well as valleys and peaks. There are 7 billion people on this giant sphere we call Earth, and every life has a story. What signifies one from another?

The answer is attitude. Life does not regard our feelings or our circumstances, because at the end of the day, there are 7 billion people on this planet and each and every one of us will be tested. Whether it is financially, emotionally, spiritually, academically or physically, life will test us.

With that being said, we cannot dodge life forever, but we can alter the way we perceive this whirlwind of trials we all experience.

Last Monday, five days before her daughter’s fairy tale wedding, Kari Duane received a call from her 27-year-old bride-to-be daughter saying that the ceremony was off. Her fiancé had been having doubts about the wedding and the couple ultimately decided to call it quits before saying “I Do.”

To top it all off, this matrimonial ceremony cost the couple’s parents close to $35,000. The majority of this grand price had already been paid off when the couple decided to cancel the big day.

Mondays are rough, but this Monday was especially rough for this almost newlywed family.

Most of us regard Mondays with starting another week of classes, lectures, and quizzes. The thought of a nonrefundable $35,000 payment and a cancelled engagement never crosses our minds. For this Californian mom, this ordeal that looks like a catastrophe on the surface became an opportunity to service those with concerns that far surpassed her own.

Instead of cancelling the reception, Duane and her daughter decided to invite Sacramento’s homeless for a meal of a lifetime. On Saturday, October 17, Sacramento’s homeless community gathered at the Citizen Hotel, one of the city’s most elegant venues.

The paid reception was catered to serve 120 guests, but on Saturday night, it served 90 homeless single people, grandparents, and whole families with newborns. The meal consisted of courses ranging from appetizers and salads to gnocchi, salmon, and tri-tip.

As the doors to the Citizen Hotel opened for Sacramento’s less fortunate, Duane said, “Even though my husband and I were feeling very sad for our daughter, it was heartwarming to see so many people be there and enjoy a meal.”

Among the many who received a portion of Duane’s generosity was Erika Craycraft – a wife and mother of five. Craycaft said, “To lose out on something so important to yourself and then give it to someone else is really giving, really kind.”

Here at Baylor, and especially the BIC, we constantly feel bogged down by the course load and the responsibilities that we take on as BICers. We all face tribulations as college students, whether it is doing our own laundry for the first time or cramming to save our GPAs before finals season.

Rather than thinking about college as a stressor or a burden, we should perceive college as an opportunity to attain an education and shape a future that can potentially change a life. The opportunities we have as students today are not only blessings, but also an open door for us to explore the world and find our callings. There is no instruction manual to help us maneuver through college or life in general. The only thing we can do is change the way we perceive our circumstances.

Duane and her daughter could have easily sat in the reception hall of Citizen Hotel and pondered on the nonrefundable $35,000. Instead, they took their unfortunate circumstance to make a memorable impact on those who are struggling with feats of a completely different magnitude.

Attitude and perception is everything – whether it is a cancelled wedding or a final exam. We cannot avoid the trials of life, but we can trust in our own ability to change our outlook. We should take on our heavily-filled planners and deadlines as motivations to find ourselves and forge a path of pursuit towards the future.

The world is not going to change for us, we have to change the way we see the world for ourselves.

Kassie Hsu is a freshman BIC student majoring in neuroscience.

References:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/canceled-california-wedding-leads-to-feast-for-homeless/ar-AAfBshB