Baylor's place on

the worldwide scene

Staff
Co-Editors
Meghan Merchant
Matthew Waller
Director of Student
Publications
Stephanie MacVeigh
Assistant
Media Adviser
Julie Freeman
Cartoonist
Ben Humeniuk
Cover Photo
Melea Burke
Writers
T. Parker
J. Anderson L. Burris
J. Kopecky J. Daniel
M. Anthony E. Moore
M. Briggs K. Rexroat
S. Gordon A. Best
H. Keenan A. Cantrell
Photographers
K. Moore
J. Gonzales
A. Turney
J. Dooley
J. Anderson
S. Heldenbrand
J. Deavenport
M.Burke
M. Merchant
J. Daniel
Focus Magazine is owned and
published by Baylor University.
It is produced through the stu-
dent publications department as
a supplement to the university's
campus newspaper, The Bay/or
Lariat. The entire content of Focus
Magazine is protected under the
Federal Copyright Act. Reproduc-
tion of any portion of any issue by
any means, mechanical or other-
wise, is not permitted without the
express written consent of Baylor
University.
(What's Inside)
3 Department Check
Baylor's classics department ranks with the
best of them.
4 Ca'reer Profil es
Inside advi ce from alumni on jump-star ting
your career path and choosing a job.
6 Bonding for Brooks
Their old residence hall has been demolished
but camaraderie lives on.
17 Christmas Festivals
Bright lights and festive nights bring Central
Texas' holiday season to life.
18 The Tailgate Craze
Football fans unite at some of Floyd Casey's
classic tailgating parties.
20 Energy Drink Trends
Marketing strategies move these pick-me-up
beverages onto campus.
21 Waco High Battle
Former students fight to preserve their old high
school as the building goes up for bids.
22 Internet Isolation
Recent studies explore the Internet's affects
on students' social lives.
23 Online Gaming Addiction
It's all fun and games until the 50th straight hour
on the computer.
Focus International
8 Culture Shock
International students find a new world at Baylor
and struggle to adapt to U.S. culture.
Photo by Kelly Moore
Lewisville Senior Ken Onyeglou sips a highly caffeinated tea at the Global Village's
Peru booth during Mission's Week.
10 Legal Aliens
These out-of-state students think
Texas is a whol e other country.
11 Crawford
Crawford changes from a
small Texas town to the home of
the Western White House.
14 Backpacking
Students explore the back roads
of Europe and pass on advice.
15 Defying Disability
A Truett seminary student uses
her disability to minister to the
disabled in India.
16 Photo Winners
Award-winning glimpses of
Baylor students' travels around
the world.
Ku os to Classi 5
Baylor department keeps
studies thrivingJ relevant
( By Tamara Parker )
E
veryone has heard of
Oxford and Cambridge,
homes of two of the
world's strongest classics depart-
ments. Each year, those universi-
ties teach eager students the lan-
guage and li terature of ancient
Greece and Rome. At the same
time, unknown to many, Baylor'S
undergraduate classics depart-
ment is among the top programs
in the nation.
Dr. Alden Smith, associate
dean of the Honors College, di-
Photo by Jessica Gonzales
Cl assics assistant professor Dr. Jeff Fish studies a papyrus image in the Classics De-
partment lounge. The actual papyrus is housed in a national library of Italy.
rector of the University Scholars
Program and interim chairman of
the classics department, sat down
to discuss the often overlooked
world of classics at Baylor.
"In the 1980s, classics was in
a fit of crisis," Smith said. "The
whole decade was reshaping."
Now, with 1,000 Baylor stu-
dents enrolled in classics classes,
the ancient studies are still alive
and kicking. Most classics ma-
j ors earn doctoral degrees, attend
medical school, enter the technol-
ogy research fi eld and enroll in
law school in order to put their
rhetoric to use, Smith said. But
don't be surprised to find clas-
sics students becoming teachers
and professors, especially at high
schools where their expertise is in
high demand.
Classicist Dr. Stephen Har-
rison, head Latinist at Oxford
University, credits the success of
Baylor's program to the leader-
ship and energy of the depart-
ment and its students.
"Baylor's classics department
under Alden Smith's leadership
showsa remarkable level of ener-
gy and commitment to both teach-
ing and research, for example in
my own area of Latin literature,"
Harri son said. "Having seen both
students and faculty in action, I
was certainly favorably impressed
with the work being done and the
Photo by Jessica Gonzales
Interi m classics department chair Dr. Al-
den Smith adds Texas twang to famous
classical fi gures' statues in his office.
standards achieved."
Dr. Gareth Williams, head of
the classics department at Colum-
bia University, was likewise im-
pressed by Baylor.
"Baylor boasts a very strong
department, whi ch produces
graduates of the fi rst order," Wil-
liams said.
Smith said studi es of Sophocles
and Cicero, Latin and Greek, and
mythology and great texts will not
go out of style anytime soon as
Baylor's classics department aims
to teach in a way that is relevant
to contemporary culture.
"Anytime you question truth,
truth will refi ne," Smith said. "If
it is true, it will get stronger."
The Semester in Quotes
professor of anthropology. said about proposed
changes to eliminate the forensic science major
and replace it with an anthropology major with a
concentration in forensic science. 10/10/06
campus. It doesn't hurt anyone," Sugarland
senior and former Sigma Phi Epsilon member
Chase Steffens said. 9/7/06
"We look at revenue we can count on, not dream
endowments we hope to get, and try to make
that match with what the university will be, "
Reagan Ramsower. vice president for finance
and administration, told the Student Senate.
10/27/06
"We 've decided to rename the program
to more accurately reflect what it is today
- anthropology, "Dr. Lori Baker, assistant
"If I know your image of God, I can tell all kinds of
things about you. It's a central part of world view
and it's linked to how you think about the world
in general," assistant professor Dr. Paul Froese
said. explaining Baylor's American Piety in the
21st Century study. 9/12106
"It is naive to think that no one is hazing around
"This is a Christian campus, and a lot of times
schools that are denominational schools will not
have greeks on campus. I believe that our greeks
have to be different from other greeks. And this
mentality of Animal House doesn't have a place
at Baylor, " Dr. Liz Palacios, dean for student
development, said about hazing. 10/12/06
All quotes taken from The 'Baylor Lariat
Fall 2006 3
Beginning the 9
'Develop a collection
of sl{ills you can use'
in several ways'
Traci Marlin
Public relations
S
ometimes landing the perfect job depends
on where you are willing to go. Traci Mar-
lin, a 2002 Baylor alumna, thought she wanted
the big city life. But after working in Houston
planning a law firm's annual Christmas party,
she reconsidered. Though she loved part of
the job, it also meant doing office work most
of the year.
"It was probably just being a headstrong
graduate, but I didn't want to use my four-year
degree to be a secretary," said Marlin, who
earned a bachelor's degree in public relations
with a minor in marketing.
She moved back to Waco to accept the direc-
tor of communications position at the Greater
Waco Chamber of Commerce.
At her job, Marlin produced all the publica-
tions, graphic and Web design for the chamber.,
as well as conducting media relations.
She said Waco welcomed her and let her
use the ski lls
Traci Marlin, left, speaks to members of the media on be-
half of Waco Independent School district. She was pro-
moting a celebrity cook-off fundraiser.
Marlin said.
As a young graduate, "it's important to have
a collection of skills" that can be used in several
ways, she said.
and talents she
had learned in
school.
"A smaller community will give you a chance to For Marlin's type of
work, she said social skills
Eventually,
Marlin be-
came "inCt'ed-
make a difference and use your degree. "
Traci Marlin,
are needed.
"You have to do a lot
of small talk with people
Community resource coordinator
for Waco Independent School District
ibly interested in working in education" and
said she couldn' t pass up a Waco Independent
School District position opening. Now she is
a community resource coordinator for WISD.
Marlin fundraises, plans events and writes grant
proposals for the school district. Marlin's most
recent task is planning a celebrity cook-off
Her advice to college students preparing to
enter the work force is to be open-minded about
who will give them the best opportunity.
''l\. smaller community will give you a chance
to make a difference and use your degree, "
4 Focus Magazine
you don't know," she said.
"Meeting, social, design, media relations, writ-
ing, time management and organization skills
are all skills that got me here," she said.
Waco may be small, but Marlin has managed
to stay busy. Along with her 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job,
she is on the board of directors for the Waco
PubJjc Relations Society of America (PRSA),
the board of directors for Fuzzy Friends Res-
cue, and one of the founding members of VVaco
Chamber of Commerce's Young Professionals
organization. She also has her own graphic and
Web design business on the side.
5 Grind
'It's about the l{ids'
Teresa Lusk
Teacher
E
ver since she was a little girl, Teresa
Lusk wanted to be a teacher.
A 2005 graduate with a degree in edu-
cation, she now teaches
eighth-grade math in
Dallas.
Lusk said Baylor
prepared her for the
teaching field since
the university required
time in a classroom
each semester.
"I felt like my first
year of teaching went
Lusk
pretty smoothly," Lusk said. "However,
right now I'm spending a lot of time devel-
oping lesson plans and getting used to the
curriculum. "
Dealing with children who don't have
respect for themselves or authority and
don't realize the importance of education
has made the job a chall enging one, espe-
cially because of large class sizes, she said.
"It's a lot of responsibility and pressure
to put on yourself"
Despite the challenge, she said being a
teacher is rewarding.
"It's definitely harder than I thought it
would be," Lusk said. "However, there are
days when it's good, and I was able to help
somebody."
Caring is the most important quality
people need to have when working in the
teaching field, she said, adding flexibility,
patience, organization, and ability to adapt
to change to the list.
"You have to be caring," Lusk said. "If
you don' t care about the kids, you shouldn't
be teaching."
Her words of advice to students pursu-
ing a teaching degree: Every day is not go-
ing to be perfect.
"What's important is you care about the
kids, and tlley know it, " Lusk said.
Start networking now, Prepare to be flexible,
Baylor alumni share advice they wish thejd
known before entering the work force,
( Story and photos
by Jill Anderson )
'Business requires
attention to detail'
John Minnix
Business
J
ohn Minnix, a 1981 Baylor graduate,
called his first accounting class in college
"fun." He went on to graduate with a Bach-
elor of Business Administration degree and
accepted the position of financial director of
administration with the Heart of Texas Coun-
cil of Governments (HOTCOG).
Minnix said he wanted to be a Certified
Personal Accountant and market his services.
However, after the birth of his son, Minnix
said he decided to stay in Waco and chose to
stay at the Heart Of Texas Council Of Gov-
ernments for the duration of his career.
"I really enjoy my job," he said. "I believe
in what the Heart of Texas Council of Gov-
ernments does, and the cities and counties we
serve in this six-county region."
Working for a nonprofit organization, Min-
nix said a challenging aspect is keeping up
with all the different funding sources.
"The HOTCOG has about 50 to 60 grants
and contracts - each with different rules and
regulations," he said.
Minnix said people wanting to work in his
field must be detail-oriented, patient and ana-
lytical.
"It's important to be able to iliink through
issues," he said.
Asked what advice he would give students
interested in financial sector jobs, Minnix said,
"I would tell them that working in the area of
accounting is very rewarding. You can see the
results of your labor through financial reports
and information you're able to give to indi-
viduals."
'Networl{ing, character and high ethics get graduates the job'
Robert Kibby
Lawyer
obert Kibby, a shareholder in the Munsch,
Kopf and Harr law firm, said his job is
challenging and a juggling act at times, but he
enjoys it. He's a corporate securities attorney,
which means he helps companies grow or real-
ize value through mergers and acquisitions.
Kibby graduated from Baylor in 1984 with
a degree in accounting and went directly to
law school at Southern Methodist University
after graduation.
A background in accounting prepared Kib-
by for his work as a corporate securities attor-
ney. He helps companies make major financial
decisions and must pay attention to detail.
"When a person hits an influx point in their
life, when they need to grow, that's when they
start using a lawyer like me," he said.
Kibby's work week isn't an easy one, but he
says he doesn't mind the 60-hour weeks. He
plans time to spend with his family.
His job's most challenging aspect is balance,
which he said includes everything from clients
to personal life. In a busy year, he'll complete
six to 10 transactions. However, "there's noth-
ing like closing a deal," Kibby said.
"It's the incredible fulfillment of working
towards a goal," Kibby said. "It's a great feel-
ing. There are ups and downs and late nights,
but it makes it worth it."
One piece of advice
Kibby wished he had
known as a recent gradu-
ate was the importance of
networking and staying
in touch with his Baylor
colleagues. Networking is
"what gets you a job," he
said.
Kibby
High ethics and character will take a person
far in his or her field, Kibby said, and that's a
given in his business.
Kibby said college is where true work hab-
its are formed. Those who work hard and dili-
gently will be successful.
Fall 2006 5
Banding Together
( By James Kopecky )
Residents still retain Brooks Hall camaraderie
A
n icon of the Baylor experience, the
late Brooks Residence Hall still inspires
testimony about the brotherhood and
communi ty within the residence hall.
"My favorite part of Brooks were the resi-
dents," Eric Salas, a former Brooks Hall com-
munity leader, said. "I felt like I could relate to
every single one of those guys."
From 1921 to 2006, Brooks Hall hos ted
variety of residents, including the Baylor [oot-
ball team, Baylor ROTC and, for a time, the
Uni ted States Army. It was even the birthplace
of Baylor's self-proclaimed "campus gadfli es,"
the Noble Nose Brotherhood.
In recent years, Brooks Hall and its resi-
dents created a unique identi ty and fostered a
strong group mentality.
The last residence hall director of Brooks
Hall , Larry Hughes, attributes the unity to
students who arrived at the dorm without ex-
pectations. They "make it for themselves," he
said.
During Brooks Hall's final year, Hughes
said he saw the community take on new life
that had never been seen before.
"I think it all started when they stole the
homecoming Aame," Hughes said. "Guys who
li ved across the hall [rom one another, but had
never met, all bonded together for a common
goal that night."
Photo by Aaron Turney
A Brooks Hall memorial service t-shirt quotes the Baylor
president after whom the residence hall is named.
Salas, an original member of the first
Brooks Hall raid on the homecoming flame in
2001 , said he is glad the tradition lived on and
that it's done better every year.
After taking a wick [rom the flame during
homecoming ceremoni es, the men of Brooks
Hall carried it back to their dorm. And they
still have it in their possession.
Many former residents say Brooks Hall oc-
cupants bonded ti ghtl y because the building
was so small it forced everyone to see each oth-
er daily. This lead to what Salas called a "we're
all in thi s together" mentality that Brooks men
share.
The camaraderi e,
coupled "vith bonding
experiences like steal-
ing the Aame, made the
confirmation for Brooks
Hall 's demolition on
Feb. 7, 2006, that much
worse for current and
former residents.
Photo byAaron Turney
Former Brooks Hall residents hold a wick stolen from who guarded the the
Eternal Flame as part of a 2005 homecoming ceremony.
Since 2002, Brooks
had hosted the annual
Brookstock concert,
featuring local bands
and benefitting Mis-
sIOn Waco. But last
year, with the news o[
Brooks' impending de-
molition fresh in every-
6 Focus Magazine
one's mind, ommunity leader James Royster
led Brooks Hall residents in an April memo-
rial service and wake in honor of their dorm.
The event featured Scripture reading, eulogies
and words of praise from former CLs and
residents, and a recitation o[ Samuel Palmer
Brooks' "Immortal
"It was meant to be a lime to remember
Brooks, but to me it felt more like a celebra-
tion of good times passed," said Salas, who at-
tended and spoke at the event.
"It was an interesting situation because you
love the place, but you realize it's time for it to
go," said Hughes. "It was very appropriate for
the time and place."
After formally saying goodbye, the men of
Brooks Hall began to prepare [or the end as
tll e school year wound to a close.
On May 12, with all residents moved out,
Brooks Hall 's doors closed A little
more than a month later came the demolition
of Brooks Hall that so many had dreaded. It
took crews three days to bring down the dorm
that had stood for 85 years.
"It was a sad day to see it go. I am not
ashamed to say that I shed a small tear as I
watched them bring it down," Hughes said.
Many of the former residents of the hall
have vowed to live in the new Brooks Vil-
lage when it opens next year. Frank Shushok,
dean of student learning and engagement,
has made assurances that former residents of
Brooks Hall wi ll be given preference on appli-
cati ons for the new Brooks Vi ll age.
Hughes said he was confident the former
residents planning to live in Brooks Vi llage
can work together to start a new legacy for the
building.
"I think we can take the great things about
Brooks and bui ld on them in some very unique
ways," he said.
In some ways, Brooks will live on physically
as well. The bust of Samuel Palmer Brooks
tll at adorned the archway of the former dorm,
as well as some stones from the arch, will be
built into the new Brooks Village.
Nevertheless, Hughes said, "It will never be
the same Brooks. It will be good. But it will
be difTeren t. "
A look at Baylor's
International scene
reen
&
lobal
Photo by Jessica Dooley
Sunday Simbo, a Truett seminary student from Cameroon, said his and U.S. culture difffer regarding upbringing, especially in terms of community.
Culture Shock
( By Mark Anthony )
T
ravel across oceans and
land can be done in
a matter of days, and
worldwide communication is
a click away. Internet and cell
phone technology connect
the world, so the possibility of
learning and experiencing a new
culture can be done virtually.
Still , to see another country
online or watch a foreign movie
can never fully prepare one
for ilie shock of immersion in
another culture.
And while Baylor's substantial
8 Focus MagazineFall 2006
international community and
outlook might not be obvious
when looking across campus, still
less obvious is the way tl1ese 400
international students from 72
countri es struggle to adapt to a
U.S. lifestyle.
"Culture shock IS hard to
define," said Dr. Willi am B a k e l ~
professor of Arabic and Middle
Eastern studies. "It is stepping
out of your cultural comfort
zone. You go to a cul ture that
is different than yours - the
language, food, habit, humor
- and you feel like a fish out of
water. You' re kind of at a loss
because you don't know how to
conduct yourself, and there is a
shock to your system."
When making ilie shift to a
new culture, Baker said, people
are often confused on how best
to interact and relate in the
new country. Things normally
accepted back home are no
longer socially acceptable.
Sunday Simbo, a George W.
Truett Theological Seminary
student from Cameroon, came
to Ameri ca in tl1e fall of 2005
and said he has been regarded as
strange at times.
"Nothing has been very strange
to me so far, but the complexity
in which we li ve today and tl1e
present differences in culture and
moilier tongue makes iliose who
move (to Ameri ca) to be looked
at differently, especially when we
talk.
"Most Ameri cans didn' t know
where Camerron was," Simbo
said of his West African home.
For some people, it may take
years before to fully become
accustomed to ilie new country.
Baptist Student Ministries
international ministries
coordinator Becky Robertson
grew up m Ivory Coast before
movi ng to the United States to
attend Baylor.
"I am more Americanized
now ilian I ever thought I would
be," Robertson said. "I had a
strong reaction at first when I
came to America because I fel t
such loyalty to my home back in
Cote D' Ivoire. It took me about
four years of li ving here before
I felt at home in thi s cul ture
even though I was American
by passport. But what does that
mean?"
Though American by birth,
Robinson said she fe lt African at
heart. Finding the ri ght balance
between the two proved harder
than expected, she said. And her
case is not an exception.
Elisabeth Schmidt-Hi eber, a
senior foreign exchange student
from Germany, commented on
some of the differences between
Germany and the Uni ted States.
"One big difference between
German students and American
students is church. German
young people don' t really go
to church, but here in Texas,
it seems like everybody goes,"
Schmidt-Hi eber said.
Social norms change as well.
Even shopping is different in
Texas. Schmidt-Hieber said
Americans buy more when
shopping than most of ilieir
German counterparts.
"In Germany, people mi ght
go shopping and buy enough to
fill one bag or so, but in Texas,
people fill their cars with bags of
things iliey bought. "
Others who move to Ameri ca
fi nd they don' t always know
how to act. Tessa Shocky, a
sophomore rai sed in Thailand
by mi ssionary parents, recalls
embarrassing herself numerous
times her freshmen year because
she didn' t know much about
pop cul ture or social norms.
"Going to the grocery store at
fi rst was a culture shock because
there are so many more products
that we can' t get (in Thail and).
There are so many different
brands, too. I can't beli eve there
Photo by Jacqueline Deavenport
Baptist Student Ministries international ministries coordinator Becky Robertson boasts
an ecletic array of African artifacts, including ceremonial music shakers.
is an entire aisle of cereal,"
Shocky said.
Robertson describes culture
shock is an awaking because
you "cross into a place where
you reali ze the things you once
accepted as normal are not
accepted as normal for everybody
else. "
Sudden j olts to familiari ty are
not relegated to long-term trips.
Students traveling on mission
trips or study abroad programs
may also have culture shock.
Dall as juni or Matt Alexander,
for example, went on mi ssion
Simbo holds
out pictures of
his family and
home.
The picture on
top is a tradi-
tional end-of-
year celebration
in Cameroon.
Simbo said that
most people
whom he met
in the United
States did not
know that Cam-
eroon is in West
Africa.
trip to Israel two summers ago
and was surprised by standard
military procedure.
"The biggest culture shock for
me in going to Israel was the way
the Israeli army was set up with
having 19-year-olds carrymg
around guns everywhere, and
it was not a big deal at all for
them," Alexander said.
"In the United States, 19-year-
old soldi ers are also given guns,
but they have to leave them on
ba e. Israeli soldiers have to
carry them wherever iliey go,
including the mall, movi e ilieater
or grocery store," Alexander
said.
Sometimes culture shock
comes in the form of profiling,
Sammy Shatnawi, aJ ordanian
on Fulbright Scholarship
studyi ng at Baylor, said he has
been profiled at times because
of hi s Arab ethnicity and his
Muslim faith and the current
international politi cal struggles.
Shatnawi said he doesn' t want
people in America to believe all
Arabs and Muslims are terrori sts
as he says the media claims.
However, he says, "It is also
the same way inJordan."
He has called his mother and
told her not to believe what is
said in the news about America.
"Not everything that the media
tell s us about Ameri ca is true,
Mama. Not everyone is pro-war
in America, and they are not
all as we see on TV, " Shatnawi
said.
There is more to Shatnawi 's
story. His first name isn't really
Sammy. Baker urged him to
start going by the name Sammy
during hi s time in the United
States because he didn't want
him to experience social rejecti on
because of stigma attached to
his name. Sammy's real name is
Osama.
Photo by Jacqueline Deavenport
Fall 2006 9
Out-of-staters
learn how to
survive Texas
( By Mallory Briggs )
A
minority group stands out on Baylor's
campus. They talk funny, they dress
differently, and for some odd reason,
they give you a quizzical look anytime you say
"y'all. "
Each day at Baylor they risk their identities,
either being drowned in Texas culture or being
made fun of for their own culture. They are
out-of- staters, living in the heart of a land
flowing with milk, honey and Texas Baptists.
"Texas is a very proud group of people.
The state has a unique and notable history,"
assistant professor of sociology Kevin
Dougherty said. "Texas was an independent
nation and those aren't ideas that pass easily. It
still colors the way people think."
Texas pride finds expression in "Don't
Mess with Texas" bumper stickers, shirts,
mugs, hats, pens and doormats.Wal-Mart sells
Texas-shaped chips, a shower curtain with the
state plastered all over it and bath mats in the
shape of Texas.
Kati e Picken, a sophomore from vVheaton,
Ill. , said she was surprised how much people
love Texas.
"People don' t get excited about Illinois,"
she said.
Both out-of-staters and Texans notice
language differences.
"I constantly get made fun of," Kyle Phillip,
a Chicago sophomore, said. "Every time I say
anything, the guys in my fraternity repeat it in
10 Focus Magazine
a Chicago accent."
Lexi Correll, a Scotch Plains, Nj.,
sophomore, said people kept asking her why
she didn't have a Brooklyn accent and what
the mob was like. She had to explain that not
everyone in New J ersey is like the Godfather.
Beyond the infamous "y'all " and "fixin' to,"
other words cause confusion.
Sam Chen, a Wescosville, Pa., sophomore,
said people make fun of him for his names [or
everyday items. People tell him it's sneakers
instead of tennis shoes, sucker instead of
lollipop, buggies instead o[ shopping carts.
Food differs in more than just name,
however. The type of food makes many
students miss home.
"The Tex-Mex is a lot better here,
obviously," Chen said. "But Philly cheesesteaks
in Texas just don't compare to back home."
Laguna Hi ll s Calif., senior Stephania
Hasan said, "I get shocked looks from people
when I tell them I'm a vegan."
Differences in food and speech are common
and expected, but cultural divides can run
deeper on issues regarding fear, religion and
lifestyle pace.
For exampl e, when a tornado hi t vVaco her
freshman year, Hasan was terrified. She didn't
know what people meant when they kept
referring to a tornado warning.
"I'd much rather be in an earthquake than
a tornado," Hasan said to a classmates, who
responded that they would much rather be in
a tornado than an earthquake.

lens
Illustration by Ben Humeniuk
Hasan said there is more diversity in
Californi a and religion is not an intense focus.
Peopl e keep religion to themselves at home,
she said.
"You don't see many J esus loves you'
billboards," Hasan said.
As for pace of lifestyle, Hasan thinks life
moves at a slower pace in Texas.
"I get teased about being really rushed in
things, " Chen agreed. " [But] how much of
a push there is in Texas football is how much
push there is for everything in the North. "
Whil e people feel out of place in anywhere
new, Phillip said Texas is an especiall y intense
environment.
"I felt like I had to go tll e extra mi le to fit
in. I now own a couple cowboy hats, a couple
pairs o[ boots, some chaps, and I bought a
truck," Phillip said.
The lives of tll ese out-of-staters are a
testament and a challenge: Explore the world
around you and get out of your comfort zone.
" [Being from out of state] helped bui ld
my character and made me a much more
independent person," Hasan said.
The out-of-state students said their
experience coming to Baylor made tl1em
stronger, wiser and more independent. Each
issued a challenge to search outside normaJ
experiences, even if it 's just a vacation.
Correll said it was worth it for her, and
Texans should do the same.
"It'd be funny if people from Texas got out
more," Correll said.
Amid international attention,
Crawford is a political paradox,
a home for those both for and
against its famous resident.
m cities to vehicles, hamburgers to hairdos, be-
ing big is important to Texans. Texas has six large
metropolitan areas, with populations surpassing
1 mill ion in Houston, San Antonio and Dallas.
However, many people living in the Lone Star State
prefer to reside in one of its countless small towns, where
life moves at a slower pace and people actually know their
neighbors.
About 30 minutes down the road from Baylor is Craw-
ford, one of those characteristic small towns. However,
this one is unique in the recognition it has gained world-
V \ ~ d e since tl1e presideI1l of the United States moved in.
Fall 2006 11
and politics and foreign affairs. It
has whet our appetite for more
knowledge, " Crow said.
For Cro\\, meeting the young
men and women who come home
from Iraq has been one of her
favorite Crawford experiences.
She said hearing their stories has
changed her life.
The town has become a sym-
bol for these men and women,
Crow said.
"Crawford represents some-
thing to them - it's a place where
people who support the president
will listen to them," Crow said.
Opening after Bush's arrival , the Yellow Rose sells a variety of Texas, American and President Bush souvenirs. Choosing Sides
Small-Town Charm
When President Bush
purchased 1,583 acres for his
Prairie Chapel Ranch in 1999,
he put the town of Crawford,
population 705, on the national
and international radar. Often
referred to as the Western White
House, Bush's ranch serves as
his vacation destination and has
hosted foreign dignitaries and
members of the press.
Although not the typical tour-
ist spot, the town and its people
welcome visitors with open anns.
The Coffee Station, a gas station/
convenience store/restaurant lo-
cated off the main highway just
past the sole traffic light in Craw-
ford, is a place where tourists and
locals come to fill their cars and
bellies.
Vicki Martin, a cashier of two
years at The Coffee Station, prides
herself on knowing frequent pa-
trons by their first names.
"VVe have our regular custom-
ers that come in every day to eat
and talk about the town and the
high school football team," Mar-
tin said.
Changing Times
In recent years, the Coffee Sta-
tion has become a stop for many
tourists who come through town
to see Bu h's ranch.
Brian Barr, a Crawford resi-
dent, said he likes the visitors.
"I love all the tourists that
12 Focus Magazi ne
come through. I was a tourist be-
fore I moved here. This little town
was dead before Bush. Now shops
and businesses keep moving in,"
Barr said.
Since Bush's move to Craw-
ford, three gift shops have opened
in the downtown area. The ad-
ditional money brought into the
town by tourists caused a 1 per-
cent increase in tax revenue. With
this money, the highway depart-
ment improved Crawford's high-
way and built a sidewalk from the
middle school to the high school.
"The older buildings down-
town have been refurbished.
People want to be proud of their
town," MarilynJudy, presi dent of
the Crawford Chamber of Com-
merce, said.
One of these buildings is the
Crawford Country Style Store,
run by cousins Norma Nelson
Crow and Larry Nelson.
Working and living in Craw-
ford has been an "experience that
could never be duplicated," Crow
said.
Originally slated to open April
I, 2002, the store opened two
days early when British Prime
Minister Tony Blair arrived in
Crawford vvith visiting press and
a flood of tourists.
"We were literall y unpacking
the store when the British press
started arriving," Crow said.
It was at this time that the
store's Texas Tea Parties tradition
was born. Crow wanted to do
something special for the English
press and visitors, so she served a
variety of English teas and Texan
finger foods. The idea was a hit,
and now every time a foreign dig-
nitary visits the president, Crow
and Nelson host a tea party.
Over the years, the store has
had many special visitors, includ-
ing Australian Prime Minister
John Howard, journalist Ann
Compton, White House staff and
foreign press members.
The effect Bush's Crawford
presence on Crow and Nelson's
business has impacted their per-
sonallives.
Crow said Crawford's new
connection to international
events has increased her interest
in politics.
"\tVe need to be more knowl-
edgeable of what is goi ng on. Peo-
ple come in and want to talk about
Whereas many Ameri cans to-
day are questioning the decisions
of the president, Barr said the
majority of Crawford residents
still support him.
"Crawford is not a pro-war,
anti-war community. \"'e' re a
pro-Bush community," Barr said.
This "pro-Bush" community
was angered last year when Cin-
dy Sheehan, who led a large anti-
war protest in Crawford during
the summer of 2005 after her
son died in Iraq, purchased land
in the area through a third party.
Some people call ed the deal un-
derhanded because Sheehan's
identity as the buyer was secret.
"Because it's a predominantly
pro-Bush community, Sheehan
knew that people here wouldn't
like her buying land, and that's
why it was done that way," Barr
said.
Seth Thompson, Mitchell Homer and Chuck Stewart relax and eat at The Coffee Sta-
tion after a weekend of hunting.
1
J
]
J
1
J
Sheehan said the purchase
was made because her group was
having problems finding a place
to continue protesting. Camp Ca-
seys I and 2, their previous sites,
were closer to Bush's property,
but city ordinances were created
that prevented the group from
continuing its occupancy of the
areas.
"We want to create a place
\Ihere we can have an institute
fo r a permanent peace presence
si nce George Bush is a self-serv-
ing war lord," Sheehan said.
Sheehan, now a part-time res-
ident of the town, said she plans
to spend time thi s year at Camp
Casey 3, building permanent
structures on the property and
\lorking with other Camp Casey
yolunteers.
Barr said he thinks the media
,lttention given to Sheehan and
\I'ar protesters has been over-
done.
"The media is trying to cre-
ate stories that aren't there. I wish
the media would) go away," Barr
sai d.
,\lthough the summer of 2005
\I'as a mess, Barr said, with pro-
testers impeding traffic and peo-
ple nooding the town, now the
. .
II1COnVel1l ences are not so great.
Peace House
After Bush's move to Craw-
ford, groups like Green Peace
started coming to the town to
protest. However, there were no
adequate facilities to host the
hundreds, sometimes thousands,
of people pouring into the town.
From thi s situation, the idea
for the Crawford Peace Ho'use
II as born through the sugges-
ti on of Waco's Friends of Peace
founder Skip Londos.
T he Peace House joined forces
with Sheehan and Camp Casey
in the summer of 2005 when the
community saw 10,000 protest-
ers pass through. Lucas said the
group's previous experience with
protests helped them know what
lI ould be needed to function.
. \lthough some people thought
the Peace House should be built
in Waco, Lucas said the proxim-
ity to Bush was an important fac-
tor.
"The Peace House needed
to be in Crawford because it's
where the image was being cre-
ated about Bush being a good 01'
boy," Lucas said. "There needed
to be another side of that. I sec it
as a voice of truth."
Not everybody in Texas agrees
with the country's national poli-
cies, Lucas said.
\tVhen the Peace House first
opened, there was somewhat of
a culture clash between the lo-
cals and protesters, said Judy, the
Crawford Chamber president.
"Everyone is so trusting in
Crawford. It's the type of place
where you leave your doors un-
locked. Now all these strang-
ers are coming into town, and it
make it difficult to adjust," Judy
said.
Dr. Dub Oliver, vice presi-
dent for student life at Baylor,
has served as pastor at Canaan
Baptist Church in Crawford since
2003.
On Aug. 17, 2005, he said
he received a message that the
town sheriff was trying to reach
him. Confused, Oliver called the
sheriff to find out the problem. It
turned out that the sheriff wanted
to caution him about the possibil-
ity of political protesters attend-
ing Sunday service at hi s church
and causing trouble, Oliver said.
That Sunday, the Secret Ser-
vice came in anticipation of riot-
ing or violence, but nothing oc-
curred.
"There were only a few pro-
testers present, and we assumed
anyone there was there to wor-
ship," Oliver said.
Crawford and the church have
embraced the opportunity to
share who they are with the rest
of the world, Oliver said.
Newfound Harmony
Over the years, the relati on-
ship between townspeople and
the Peace House has evolved, and
Crawford residents have come to
see Peace House volunteers as
their neighbors, Judy said.
"Crawford is a laid-back com-
munity. For the most parr, we're
too busy doing what we're doing
to noti ce what they' re doing,"
Judy said.
Although the initial local reac-
tion to the Peace House was any-
thing but welcoming, Lucas said
he has noti ced a change in some
attitudes.
"The locals have changed. We
get a lot more thumbs up and
peace signs now instead of mid-
dl e fingers," Lucas said.
In fact, some of the students
from Crawford Hi gh School
even took a field trip to the Peace
House a few years ago.
"They were curious, so their
teacher brought them here. I
think it was good because they
Above: Cindy
Sheehan talks
with reporters and
volunteers at Camp
Casey 3 outside of
Crawford.
Left: Rows of cross-
es at Camp Casey
honor the soldiers
who have died in
Iraq. The sign in the
back ground reads,
"For what noble
cause?" and lists
American dead and
wounded in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
found out we' re not Bush bash-
ers, and we don't hate Bush. We
don' t hate anything. We want
peace, " Lucas said.
Bush's presence in Crawford
has changed the dynamic of the
town - bringing in new business-
es, people and ideas. Throughout
these years of change and inter-
national scrutiny, the town con-
tinues to hold onto the one thing
that sets it apart: its people.
"My goal is to come back here
and retire, Crow said When I was
young, all I could think about
was getting out of here. I moved
away for awhile, and I've had
j obs and experiences all over the
world. But here, what you see is
what you get. There's no phoni-
ness, no plastic . .. you can come
home and be yourself "
Fall 2006
The Road Less Traveled
Backpacking provides
lifelong experiences
{ By Heather Keenan }
I
' ll always treasure the night I spent under
the starry sky in Caceres, Spain, camped
beneath a blue tarp after rocking out at a
Spanish concert.
Nate Newman will never forget the ride he
hitched on the back of Franka's motorcycl e
through the hilly countryside of the Czech
Republic.
Heather McLeod will always remember the
French couple she shared a meal and a lively
conversati on with when her overnight train
from Pari s to Madrid stopped in a small bor-
der town.
Traveling with a backpack may not guar-
antee authenti c cultural experi ences, but the
odds seem to be in your favor. My backpack
was my pill ow when I was sleeping amid a sea
of tents filled with tired Spani sh music fanat-
ics. Newman had hi s backpack strapped on
as he and Franka zipped through the Czech
countryside. And while McLeod talked the
night away with the French couple, her back-
pack waited for her at the train stati on.
The spontaneous and adventurous spirit
backpackers tend to embrace pl aces them
in an excell ent position to engage with a for-
eign culture. The stereotypical, 20-something
backpacker gallivants through foreign lands
for weeks or months at a time searching for au-
thenti c cultural experi ences on a tight budget.
Immersing yourself in the cultures you visit
is the best way to travel. That means getting
out of touri st packs.
Margi Erway, retail marketing manager at
STA Travel, the world's largest student travel
14 Focus Magazine
organization, advised students to stop by the
tourist office when they reach a new city.
"The guides know all about the city's tour-
ist sights, but try asking a guide what he does
on his day off," she suggested.
Taxi drivers are another group who know
the city or town like the back of their hand.
Whil e traveling in Europe, Erway "rented" a
fri endly and knowledgeabl e taxi dri ver to take
her to what the dri ver considers the must-see
li st of his city. Often, dri vers will throw in hi s-
tori c facts and you get an inexpensive, private
tour and a chance to see things that you would
have otherwise missed, she said.
A tour bus will showcase a city'S artistic
masterpieces and hi stori c landmarks, but a
backpacking adventure can provide intimate
contact with a regi on's best cultural testament:
its people.
"There are great, genuine people all over
the world," said Newman, a senior from The
VVoodlands. "You have to go out of your way
to find them sometimes, but it's worth it. "
During hi s eight-week independent trek
through Europe in the summer of 2006, New-
man encountered many intri guing local char-
acters in each of the 10 countri es he visited.
One of hi s favorites was Benjamin, the el-
derl y winemaker in Cinque Terre, Italy, who
invited Nate into hi s home, insisted he taste
every wine and suggested the best spot in town
for Nate to spend the ni ght - between two
boulders on the beach of Monterosso. The
authenti c Italian wine, a new fri end to hold his
backpack and hi s overnight communion with
nature made Newman's trip uniquely his.
The native people not onl y enhance a j our-
ney wi th their local charm, but they also can
open a whole world of undi scovered treasures
to those willing to get off the beaten path. Ev-
ery place you vi sit is some body's home, and
who better to recommend the best restaurant
or sunny afternoon activity than a person with
a lifetime of experience in that town?
Youth hostels are another haven for back-
Pictures from
backpack-
ing trips
show the
Grand Canal
in Venice
(above) ,
Cique Terre,
Italy (right).
Photos by Meghan Merchant
Above: Baylor Alumna Molly Haas backpacked in the
Alps from a base in Interlaken, Switzerland.
packers. Al-
though there
are occa-
sional nights
spent under
the stars or on
an overnight
train, travel-
r rs generally
stay in hos-
tels. T hese
inexpens i ve
hotel alter-
natives often
cram SIX or
more bunk
brds and a
melting pot
of travelers
into simple
rooms.
McLeod, a San Antonio junior, spent no
more than three nights in one place during
her four-and-a-half-week backpacking trip.
Each of the dozen or so hostels McLeod and
hrr three travel compani ons stayed in had its
O\\ n unique quali ty.
"Our hostel in Venice, Italy, used to be a
convent, and the ceilings were covered with
gorgeous fre coes," McLeod said. "But my fa-
\'ori te hostel was in Fussen, Germany, where
a friendly man rents out the top two fl oors of
his home to travelers like us."
The hostel scene is ideal for befri ending
other travelers and pi cking up helpful hints.
1 ewman spent an evening in Barcelona
with II other backpackers he met at his hos-
tel. The group represented seven countri es
and used fi ve languages.
"As we all sat there together, it was one
of those truly rare moments where everyone
speaks without inhibition and a lot of knowl-
edge is passed back and forth," he said.
European travel exposes the eye to fantas-
tic architecture, sculpture and painting, but it
al so can open the mind to a new way of look-
ing at people and places.
Baylor study abroad adviser Cathleen Cat-
lin stressed the worth of experiences abroad.
"As students travel, they gain a global per-
spective. A new environment not only teaches
students about the cul ture and values of the
foreign country, it forces them to examine
their own values and beli efs," Catlin said.
.\ myri ad of cul tural adventures await you
in Europe. Grab your backpack and take the
roads less traveled by. It really wi ll make all
the difference.
Truett student ministers
to the disabled in India
{ By Lauren Burris }
I
n a country where it's not uncommon for
the disabled to be hidden away inside clos-
ets, not al lowed to leave their homes or
ki cked out to the streets to beg, one George W.
Truett Theological Seminary student is using
her own disabili ty to reach a hurting people.
Born with cerebral palsy, a disorder often
caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain dur-
ing pregnancy or birth, Heather Herschap has
li mited control of her extremities and uses a
motori zed wheelchair. However, she hasn' t let
this slow her down.
"Whenever people say I can't do some-
thi ng, I've always turned around to do it,"
Herschap said.
"Before I met Christ, it was to prove people
wrong. Now it's to show them that I can do
anything through Christ."
Herschap graduated in 2002 with a bach-
elor's degree in psychology. }<o ur days before
graduation she said she felt God called her to
Truett seminary.
Two years later, Herschap said she felt God
call her to India. Though she wasn' t able to
go until the summer of 2005 due to plan-
ning complications, Herschap determinedly
searched for a missions organi zati on to facili-
tate her trip and made preparati ons for a year
and a half to go serve in Indi a.
After contacting numerous organizations
about opportunities in Indi a, Herschap found
her niche as an intern for proVi sion Asia, an
organizati on based in Bangalore, India.
"Our whole mini stry concept is disabled
reaching disabled," said J ean Kingery, direc-
tor of proVision Asia. "vVe've always felt a dis-
abled person can minister better to di sabled
people."
Kingery called Herschap the Joni Eareck-
son Tada of India. Tada is a woman who was
paralyzed in a diving accident as a teen but
has had a signifi cant publi c career encourag-
ing disabl ed people worldwide.
According to the most recent Indi an Cen-
sus, 2 percent of the country's popul ation is
disabled, though advocates say the census' def-
initi on of disabled is limited and inaccurate.

I abili
Courtesy Photo
Heather Herschap poses with children in India. She uses
her disability to minister to others who are disabled.
"They just want to feel accepted and nor-
mal in a culture where people ignore the dis-
abl ed," Herschap said. "I want to say, ' You' re
created this way in the midst of suffering and
gri ef for the glory of God.'"
Hersehap went to Indi a in the summer of
2005 as an intern, focusing on counseling the
disabl ed.
Herschap said the counseli ng process in the
U.S. is completely different from counseling in
Indi a.
"Here you would come into the office and
maybe the counselor would ask you ques-
tions," Herschap said. "In Indi a, in my experi-
ence, it's just sitting around talking to peopl e
and you have to let them bring up issues. You
can't ask questions and probe at the an wers."
While she said it was diffi cult to be pati ent
at times, she said she has grown to love the
Indi an peopl e. She returned thi s year for a
second summer.
Both years Herschap had four Indian
women as her assistants, helping her with ev-
erything from getting up in the morning to
getting around in the manual wheelchair she
has to use there.
Betty Talbert, director of spiri tual forma-
ti on at Truett, said a love of India is imprinted
on Herschap's soul.
"She feels j oy about her past mini stry there
and her future work there - the tr ue j oy that
is always the sign of God's profound call to
mini stry," Talbert said.
Herschap said she is thinking about work-
ing with the disabl ed in India long-term.
"To be true to myself, I have to share how I
cope with being di sabled," she said.
Fall 2006 15
Christmas Beyond Fifth Street
{ By Shelby Thompson }
espite the pressures of approaching
finals, the holiday season seems to be
in the back of everyone's mind. So
take a break and explore the holiday treasures
of Central Texas available less than 100 miles
from Baylor.
The Salado Christmas Stroll
December 1-2, 8-9, Salado
Driving south on Interstate 35, Salado's
exit can be missed in the blink of an eye. But
this quaint little town comes alive during the
Christmas season. The Salado Christmas
Stroll, a townwide festival held the first two
weekends of December, takes visitors back in
time to Victorian England at Christmastime.
The Christmas Stroll is another great way to
complete your Christmas shopping list with
unique gifts. Main Street, often referred to
as the "Mile of Shops," offers more than 100
shopping venues filled with j ewelry, antiques,
art and custom gifts. During the event, Main
Street becomes a winter wonderland, and
shops stay open late.
Outside fireplaces, apple cinder and hot
chocolate keep shoppers warm as horse-drawn
carriages jingle past and strolling carol ers fill
the air with music. The festival is topped off
with a live performance of A Christmas Carol at
the open-air Table Rock Amphitheater.
Armadillo Christmas Bazaar
Dec. 9-24, Austin Music Hall
The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar,
affectionately known as the 'Dillo,' was first
held in 1976. Today, the bazaar is one of the
top-ranked arts and craft shows in the nation.
More than 80 booths offer an eclectic selection
of unique gifts such as one-of-a-kind j ewelry,
handmade soaps, perfume, candles and blown
glass to satisfy everyone on your holiday
shopping li st. Continuous live music playing in
the evenings from local Austin musicians, such
as Toni Price and the Austin Lounge Lizards,
provide a cheerful, engaging atmosphere as
shoppers sample local food and drinks and
browse the booths. This Christmas season,
bypass the ubiquitous shopping maU and
discover Austin's unique cultural treasures.
Courtesy Photo
Visitors walk beneath the Trail of Lights in Austin. The trail opens the first Saturday of December.
Trail of Lights Festival
Dec. 10-23, Zilker Metropolitan Park, Austin
For a more traditional Christmas
celebration, the Zilker Park Trail of Lights
Festival will suffice with more than 1 million
lights. T he festival first began in 1965 as the
Yule Fest as a gift from Alden Mable Davis and
Beverly Sheffield to Austin citizens and visitors
with a lighted display of "The Twelve Days
of Christmas. " Now the Trail of Lights is over
a mile long with 42 lighted scenes, Santa's
House, the Yule Log and the Zilker Tree.
The Zilker Tree, a tradition begun in 1967,
was at that time the world's largest man-made
tree. The tree stands more than 155 feet tall
with 39 strands creating a spiral pattern when
looked at from the center of the tree. It is
tradition for visitors to be dazed by spinning
beneath the tree, called "spiraling" by locals.
For those in training for Bear-a-Thon,
the Trail of Lights Festival holds the annual
Trail of Lights 5K on the first Saturday of
December as a preview event. Participants
are the first to experience the lights as the race
takes them through the trail , which is lit for the
first time during the run. The Trail of Lights
Festival combines traditional holiday cheer
with its unique Austin "spiral."
The Street of Lights
Dec. 10-23, 37
th
Street, Austin
What started out in 1980 as friendly
neighborhood rivalry on 37'" Street has grown
into one of the most unusual Christmas
light di splays around, as the game of "one-
upmanship" keeps the light display growing
year after year. 37,h Street is not your typical
picture-perfect, drive-through light display
of reindeer and Santas, but rather includes
light displays of Pac-Man, President Bush
and Bin-Laden, with the random holiday
icons hanging from the power lines and many
more humorous, wacky lit objects. The street
is accessible by c a l ~ but the best way to see this
random explosion of light bulbs is to do so on
foot, where you can chat with locals as you
admire their Christmas spirit.
Whether you' re in the mood for Christmas
lights, shopping or live music, grab your friends
out of Moody Library and take the time to
enjoy the holiday season this year.
Fall 2006 17
A look at staple football parties around
Floyd Casey Stadium that carry on ...
The traditions of
. . '.
tailgating
( By Jordan Daniel )
I
t had rained all morning and
all afternoon, but lie skies
cleared up just in time for
the football game they were both
attending that night.
Brian and Kristen Ethridge
hadn't met before that night, but
strangely enough, football and
food brought them together.
"I was coming to pick up
some tickets from another tail gate
attendee but arrived before he
did," Kristen said. "While I was
just standing around, Brian came
18 Focus Magazine
up and introduced himself "
When Kristen's fri end didn't
show up, Brian offered her the
seat next to wm for the Baylor'S
game against Missouri in 2004.
She gladly accepted - for the rest
of their lives.
The Ethridges were engaged
on Christmas in 2005, a little over
a year after they met, and in the
spri ng of 2006 liey married.
"It's not every day a really
hot chick shows up by herself at
your tailgate," Brian said. "You
have to take advantage of these
opportuni ties."
Freshmen football
fans prepare for
a football game
at the Baylor Line
tailgate (above),
while Katy senior
Dave Jeans grills
hotdogs (left).
After the tailgate,
Baylor Line mem-
bers run onto the
field at the begin-
ning of each home
game to greet the
football players
and sit in reserved
seating,
Baylor Line com-
mittee members
said about 1 00
of the 1 ,000 Line
members attend
the tailgate each
week.
Photos above by Steven Heldenbrand
Since that evening, Brian and
Kristen said liey rarely have
missed an opportuni ty to tailgate
at Baylor games with their friends,
many of whom they've made
through their well-known tailgate
parties.
Baylor alumnus Hobby Howell
occupies the parking spot next
to the Ethridges' and said he is
mostly responsible for hosting tlle
festivities during halftime and after
lie games. Brian and Kri sten take
care of the pregame tailgate.
Howell, who moved back to
Waco in 1999, said he has to begin
smoking a brisket more than eight
hours before he serves it.
Kristen said they were able
to choose their tailgating spot in
the brown lot, along with Howell,
because of their annual donation
of $2,400 to the Bear Foundation,
which the Ethridges made for the
first time this season.
Parallel to tlle spots where
Hobby and Eli ridge's twin
smokers sit is legendary football
coach Grant Teaff's parking
spot, which is right next to Texas
football icon Dave Campbell's
reserved parking.
They have everything you
\\'ould expect at a tailgate: hot
dogs, hamburgers, cold dlinks
,md sausage, but the} also have
I dish that makes their tailgate
unique. Just a few rows over,
Baylor alumni Mitchell Horner
and Chuck Stewart serve dove
meat wrapped in smoked bacon:
a greasy, but urprisingly tasty
bite-sized entree.
All of this takes place close to
the entrance to the stadium, so
they can hear the player's pads
smacking together during warm-
ups.
The tai lgate craze started
innocently enough for Brian
Ethridge and a couple of his
friends at a football game in
1995.
The friends huddled inside
their truck, stuffing Fritos and
bean dip into tll eir mouths before
the Baylor football team kicked
of1' inside Floyd Casey Stadi um.
Despite humble beginnings,
Brian said he knew it was
something he wanted to continue
to do. After a while, hi s tailgate
parties grew larger and larger,
eventually requmng him to
upgrade his equipment to the
smoker he currently has.
Brian's smoker, made by former
University of Texas football player
Roger Roessler, first debuted at a
Baylor baseball game in 2004.
"The tailgate was growing,
and it made sense to expand our
operation in order to get more
people involved," he said. "Those
of us who were organizing the
tailgate decided we needed a
trailered smoker. "
The smoker, which can cost
thousands of dollars, proved to
be a valuable addition. Through
the years, the guests making
appearances at the Ethridges' site
have become a "who's who" of
Baylor sports, Brian said.
Head men's basketball coach
Scott Drew, men's tennis coach
Matt Knoll , baseball coach Steve
Smith and women's tennis coach
J oey Scrivano have all dropped by
the tail gate.
But it isn't just coaches who
come by. Many former Baylor, and
National :Football League, players
visit the tailgate, too. Super Bowl
"Obviously, it's bigger now than three guys
a truck eating Fritos and bean dip, "
Kristen Ethridge,
Tailgating Host
champion Thomas Everett, a
Thorpe Award-winning defensive
back, former defensive lineman
Robi n J ones and ex-linebacker
Robby Waters also partook in lie
tailgate at one time or another to
share food and memories with
Howell and the Ethridges.
Not all of their guests are
former players, eithec
Kri ste n said soph o more
basketball center Mamadou
Above:
Fans apply
facepaint at
a tailgate
Sept. 23.
Left: Fans
display their
painted
school pride
at the same
day,
Photo by Jordan Daniel
Baylor alumni
Mitchell
Horner and
Chuck Stewart
serve dove
meat wrapped
in bacon.
The alumni
prepare their
dish in addi-
tion to stan-
dard tailgating
fare.
Diene makes it a point to stop
by their tailgate parties whenever
he can, since being introduced to
the tradition by a friend last year.
She even takes credit for Diene's
transformation from a "skinny
kid from Africa" to one of the Big
12's best post defenders.
Diene arrived at Baylor two
years ago as a raw, 7 -foot-tall
talent who weighed less than 200
pounds. After a year of lifting
weights and eating barbeque at
tailgates, he now weighs more
than 250 pounds.
"We claim responsibili ty for 20
or 30 pounds of what (Diene) has
put on," she said.
One of their most unlikely
guests came in 2005 when the
Baylor baseball team played host
to the Kansas State Wildcats.
' ~ t one of our baseball
tai lgates, (former Kansas State)
punter and pitcher J ared Brite
showed up between games, in
uniform," Brian said.
Along with showing tll eir
fri ends and visiting team's fans
a good time, Kristen helps raise
money through a fundraiser call ed
"Burgers on the Berm" for the
Diamond Girls' travel expenses.
The fri endships liat have
developed at the tailgate parties
go past the field, Kri sten said, and
some of their weekl y guests made
it to their wedding as well.
"Obviously, it's bigger now
than three guys in a truck eating
Fritos and bean dip," she said.
Fall 2006 19
n rinks: Behi d t e Can
Manufacturers
use grassroots
advertising qnd
alcohol allusions
( By Emily Moore )
D
o you find yourself needing energy
you can't muster on your own? How
about a drink that gives you wings, gets
youJak'd, or lets you party like a Rockstar?
Flashy 16-ounce energy drinks are coming
to campus with vibes of extreme sports,
rebellion and the party-going nightlife alluding
to drugs and alcohol. For example, Monster
cans use phrases like "double shot," "killer
energy brew," "wicked mega hit," "twice the
buzz," and the jingle "Unleash the Beast."
The liquid itself is usually beer-colored.
"When you see these advertising tag lines,
the references are to reinforce the association
that energy drinks are part of an experience
that is hedonistic," said Dr. Chris Pullig,
director of the Center for Professional Selling at
Baylor. "Our society seeks and consumes large
quantities of goods that give us pleasure. "
Energy drinks also have been served
alongside and inside alcoholic beverages.
' J ager Bombs" or "Bulldozers," for example,
mix tlle alcoholic J agermeister drink and
energy drinks such as Red Bull. Liquid
Charge, a new citrus-flavored drink, contains
6.9 percent alcohol by volume plus all the
essential ingredi ents of energy drinks.
The stimulants in energy drinks deliver a
quick "pick-me-up," but when mixed with
alcohol they create a false sense of coordination
and soberness.
Recent graduate Dallas Pena worked for
Big Red by promoting Red J ak during his
senior year at Baylor and learned a lot about
the energy drink market.
''Although energy drinks and alcohol have
similar undertones, it is not necessarily witll
bad intent," Pena said. ''As tlle Red Jak label
reads, 'Car Jak - You CAN Drink J ak and
Drive.'"
20 Focus Magazine
Photo by Melea Burke
Members of the Bear Pit, a men's basketball student fan organization, sport jerseys sponsored by Red Jak. May 2006
graduate Dallas Pena used this advertising technique for "grassroots marketing."
Big Red, the maker of Red Jak, prefers to
do what Pena calls "grassroots marketing,"
where college students such as Pena promote
the drink by di stributing it personally on
campuses and in the surrounding community.
The company gave Pena about 15 cases - 375
cans - per week to distribute as he saw fit.
''At first I started out with mostly Baylor
functions, like sorority and fraternity crushes
and campuswide events, but eventually I
broadened my efforts to include the Waco
community during sporting events and other
public activities," Pena said.
Pena soon became known as the "Red J ak
man," and many of his fraternity brothers
became hooked on the drink.
Now Red J ak and Monster energy drinks
are sold in vending machines on campus.
"Body- and mind-stimulating" energy
drinks emerged from the Thai and J apanese.
And while Asia Pacific is the top market share
holder with 58 percent of total volume in
2004, its lead has declined as other areas catch
on to the energy wave. North America, which
holds the next largest share at 15 percent with
rapid growth rate, recently passed up Western
Europe.
Formulated in Austria and brought to the
U.S. a decade later in 1997, Red Bull dominates
the global market. According to Red Bull, U.S.
sales have increased by 200 percent every year
since then and reached $1 billi on in worldwide
sales in the year 2000.
Reasons for drinking these energy boosters
differ within age groups. For teens and young
adults, the over-the-counter amphetamine
serves as an acceptable party drink and helps
energize sleep-deprived coll ege students.
However, Pena said middle-aged, working
-class adults are Big Red's main market.
"vVhat people don't realize is that while
coll ege-aged people are an important group
to target, professional adult are just as ready
to drink them to get through their 8-to-5 jobs
with an enhanced performance," Pena said.
Despite the sugar, herbs and minerals, the
drinks' base element is caffeine. A central
nervous system stimulant, caffeine may make
an athlete feel more energized, but effects are
temporary.
According to a 200 1 article in Sports Medicine,
laboratory studies have shown caffeine in mild
doses often has proven effective to enhance
exercise performance for up to 120 mi nu tes,
but large caffeine doses can physical problems
such as li ght-headedness and diarrhea.
Over time, caffeine overdoses can speed
bone loss and possibly raise blood pressure.
The report says repeated consumption may
increase risk of heart di sease and premature
death, and Monster's can label read
"Consume responsibly - Limit tl1ree cans per
day. Not recommended for children, pregnant
women or people sensitive to caffeine."
The fate of a
downtown fixture
.
IS ...
Up For

( By Kelsey Rexroat )
orne call it trespassing. Others call it
dangerous. But for Baylor seni or Vinh
Pham, it's a hands-on way to learn
about vVaco through one of its most historic
sites: an abandoned building. In the heart
of" downtown, the old four-story Waco High
School building with an imposing and
boarded-over window is a site Pham has vis-
itrcl multiple times.
'" It looked like the school from Basion Pub-
hr," Pham said. "It just looked really scary and
intimidating in the dayli ght, so I thought it
mlLl ld be super scary at night. And it was."
While Ph am and hi s fri ends were inside
poking at yellowed textbooks and posing for
pictures in front of rusty lockers, they were
unaware of the uncertain fate the former high
school now faces. Last used as a hi gh school in
1971, the building at Ninth Street and Colum-
bus ,\venue is now up for bids.
The bidding process means confli cting
things to different peopl e. For library offi -
cials and members of Fri ends of Waco High
Schools, it means a scramble to come up with
a proposal that, if accepted, would turn the
site illlo an expanded library and an office
home for various community groups.
One potenti al renovation from a private
company is to turn the high school into an
apartment for famili es with low or moderate
IIl come.
In a Oct. 7 letter to the Waco 7iibune-Herald,
the Friends of Waco High School asked the
di strict to delay selling the building "until lo-
cal groups interested in it have had longer to
study options other than its sale to a private
dewloper."
'"Everyone who went there has their own
set of memories," Wilton Lanning, founding
presi dent of the Dr Pepper Museum, said.
Lanning, a 1955 graduate of Waco High
Photo by Melea Burke
Boards cover windows and entrances to the old Waco High building. The structure's future remains ambiguous.
and later said he would like to see the
school preserved in a way that would contrib-
ute to the community. To do so, organizations
must prepare an effective and timely proposal
against competing bids by developers.
Clifton Robinson is a longtime Baylor con-
tributor and former classmate of Lanning's at
both Waco High and Baylor. Both he and his
parents attended the high school, but he said
it should not be made into a shrine. Robinson
voiced frustration over the school board's re-
fusal to sell tl1e site to developers years ago.
"The building has had the opportunity to
become something for a long time and has
been repeatedly nixed by the school board,"
Robinson said. "The movement of the com-
munity to try to save the building was wrong.
They were never going to be abl e to raise $6
to 10 million."
His differing vi ew of the school may be
due in part to the sweeping view of downtown
\Naco from his spacious top-floor office in the
ational Uoyds Building on 9th Street and
Austin Avenue.
"People who are sentimental don' t have
the money to put up," Robinson said. "The
people who have the money got there by not
being sentimental. "
Despite hi s interest in the hi stori c value of
the building, Lanning admitted he doesn't be-
lieve it can be preserved without renovations
that are beyond the budget of nonprofit orga-
nizations.
''Anything that sits for a long time will even-
tually deteriorate, and that is what has hap-
pened to vVaco High," Lanning said. When
Lanning went there, the building housed stu-
dents who won more state-l evel awards across
the board - parti cularl y in athl etics - than any
other school in its category. Today it house
only pigeons, and the trophies from those long-
forgotten victories have spilled out of smashed
trophy cases to li tter the dark hallways.
Robinson agreed about the worsening state
of the building. "It's insanity that the school
has been sitting there looking like that for so
long, " he said.
Regardless of the fate of the building, the
two graduates wi ll always share memories
from their high school years. Robinson admit-
ted to being "a bad student" and Lanning said
he was not as athleti c as he would have liked to
be, but both enj oyed their time there.
In the meantime, some still appreciate the
building and j oin the long line of Baylor stu-
dents and graduates with memories shaped
within its walls. Whil e Lanning remembers
about what it was like to go to school before in-
tegration, others like Pham continue to make
their own memori es there. Pham remembers
finding a room-size scale model of a Roman
city in one classroom, 51 years latec
"It made you wonder about the people used
to go there and took all that time to construct
this really intricate little city," Pham said.
Of the other surpri sing discoveries made by
Pham and his fri ends, the highlights were an 8-
foot-long, three-dimensional pl astic swordfish
on a kitchen counter, a room stacked with bar-
rels of government-issue emergency survival
supplies and an antique dentist's chai r sitting
alone in an empty room, complete with a tray
of "creepy-looking" dentistry apparatuses.
Pham's explorations will be added to the
bank of memories provided by the building
for nearly 100 years. \"'hat kind of memories
it will provide in the future, however, remains
to be seen.
Fall 2006 21
( By Angie Best )
R
emember the days before
Facebook? Students had
to pick up the phone to
leave their fri ends a message, and
blind dates were reall y blind.
With the growing populari ty
of Web sites like Facebook,
M ySpace and Xanga, as well as
a significant increase in online use
16%
Commerce: Online
shopping or buying.
in general, the Internet, for better
or worse, is affecting general
social interaction in the United
States and generating attention
from researchers.
"I think everyone would
agree that it's had a far-reaching
impact on how college students
communicate within and outside
of their social circles," Beaumont
senior Andrew Ginaki s said.
5%
Search: Using web sites
such as Google, Yahoo!
Search or MSN Search.
What
we do
online
Source: Onl ine Publishers Association, September 2006 study
22 Focus Magazine
One study conducted by the
Pew Internet & American Life
Proj ect in 2005 suggests the
Internet has provided significant
improvements in communication
among fri ends and family. Sixty-
five percent of those surveyed
said the Internet has helped their
relati onships with friends, while
56 percent said it has helped
their relationships with family
members.
However, a study in 2000 by
Nati onal Public Radio, Kaiser
Family Foundation and Harvard's
Kennedy School of Government
found 58 percent of all adult
Americans report computers lead
peopl e to spend less time with
fri ends and famil y, and almost
half said computers have given
people less free time.
"I think people, including
myself, sometimes rely too much
on Internet sources to maintain
relationships," Dall as junior Kati e
Brooks said. "It's a lot easier to
send someone a qui ck e-mail than
to pick up the phone and spend
time having a real conversation."
While students like Ginaki s
recognize the downfalls and lack
of emotional exchange in online
communication, it is a medium
Illustration by Ben Humeniuk
that is hard to ignore, simply
because "it makes communication
easier," he said.
However, there is still the
argument that sites like Facebook
and MySpace only help peopl e
connect or reconnect with one
another. T hey offer a search
feature for Internet surfers to
search for people safely and
secretly.
Melissa Mathias, a senior from
Midwest City, Okla. , has been
able to find and keep in touch with
old fri ends through Facebook -
relationships that otherwise would
have been lost without the help of
the site.
"Facebook is a great medium
for connecting with people,"
Mathias said. "It's personal
enough to enable me to reconnect
with people from elementary
school, but impersonal enough
that it doesn' t feel odd."
It's not just online
communication itself that has
changed people's daily habi ts, but
the time it takes from other u ual
activities.
"With the Internet, people
are more inclined to spend a lot
of time during the day checking
their e-mail , which takes time
away from doing other things,"
.\foore said.
A report from til e Stanford
Institute for the Quantitative
Study of Society put Moore's
realization in more techni cal
ta ms. "Because there are only 24
hours in a day, time spent on one
activity must be traded off against
time spent on other activiti es.
Time online, thus, is an asocial
activity that competes with, rather
than complements, social time,"
the report stated.
The institute's findings
revealed the average Internet user
spends approximately three and
a half hours per day online, with
the resulting social impact being
a daily reducti on of around one
hour and 25 minutes from face-
to-face interactions with friends
and family.
Moore estimated her daily
Web time to be around two hours
a day.
But research also found that
time spent online affected more
than just social interacti on. For
the average user, an hour on the
Internet reduces sleep time by
about 12 minutes. For the average
Internet user, then, the daily
reduction in sleep time would
equal to around 52 minutes.
So what are people doing while
spending all of this time online?
What draws them to the computer
screen for hours at a time?
According to the Stanford
Institute for the Quantitative
Study of Society, 55 percent of
time online is spent on e-mail and
other communications, including
instant messaging and chat rooms.
The rest of the time is spent
browsing Web pages, newsgroups,
maintaining Web sites or usi ng
social networking/ dating sites.
College students said they
spent a maj ori ty of their Web
time e-mailing, downloading
music, instant messaging and
conducti ng research for class
- a fact confirmed by the Pew
findings.
"The Internet has made
research easIer and more
accessible," Brooks said. ' ~ n y
research using the Internet takes
half the time it would going to
the library and doing everything
there."
In addition to research, most
Baylor professors use Blackboard
and e-mail to communicate with
their students outside of class time,
demonstrating that the Internet
has become a necessity in the
everyday life of a college student
- not only for social reasons, but
for academic ones as well.
ame Over-dose
A glimpse of the little-known
world of online game addiction
( By Aaron Cantrell )
"I' ll stop gaming when they
pry the controller from my, cold
dead hands. "
For some, thi s statement, posted
on a video game magazine'S
message board, is just a j oke used
many times by gamers all over the
globe, but for others this statement
is strikingly literal.
On August 3, 2005, a South
Korean man sat down in a
cybercafe to play computer
games; a little more than 50 hours
later, he died of heart failure. The
man identified only by his family
name Lee, was said to have also
been fired from his job because of
his addiction to computer games.
For many gamers worldwide,
their pastime becomes an
addiction.
Most popular video games on
the market are designed to play
in small chunks of time, but some
reward players for longer stints of
game play.
These generally have persistent
onli ne worlds and are called
Massive Multiplayer Online
games, or MMOs for short.
Unlike other games, the virtual
world that gamers play in does
Photo by Melea Burke
A scene from World of Warcraft fl ick-
ers onscreen. Some game addicts have
played for days at a time.
not shut down when the player
quits playing. The world remains
behind, continuing without the
gamer.
Many gamers thus feel the
compulsion to keep on playing.
To them, this world becomes a
real world where gamers have
specific jobs.
In games such as World of
Warcraft, players form guilds
(groups of like-minded people) to
quest and play with. Within the
guild, each player has a specific
responsibility and many players
feel guilty if they let down their
guild.
In other games, like Second
Life, gamers playas professionals
that can be found in the real
world: realty agents, business
owners, etc.
According to Keith Bakkar,
director of the newly opened
Amsterdam Smith and Jones
Addiction Consultants, video
game obsessions are "an
underestimated addiction. " Along
with the Amsterdam clinic, there
are specialty clinics in the United
States and one in China.
These clinics see people from
youth to adults that are so addicted
to video games that they have not
talked to a person face-to-face in
many years.
To cure this addiction, the
patients are kept away from
games, taken on outdoor
expeditions and even dosed with
drugs. The people who are going
through video game detox even
show the same signs that drug and
gambling addicts do, according
to clinic staff members. Some
of patients experience profuse
sweating, whil e others experience
uncontrollable shaking.
These clinics do not blame the
industry for thi s problem. They
answer with encouragement to
play responsibly and in balance
with other social activities.
Signs of video
game addiction
> Gaming preoccupation
> Lying, hiding gaming use
> Disobeying time limits
> Ignoring other activities
> Withdrawal from family and
friends
> Psychological withdrawal
from gaming
> Using gaming as an escape
> Continuing to play despite its
consequences
Source: www.ne!addictlon.com
Fall 2006 23