IT'S GAME TIME!

Rain, Rain Go Away

And here it is. The cornerstone of Baylor spirit and the centerpiece of the Homecoming weekend: Baylor Football. We win some, we lose some, but no matter what the outcome is, there is no doubt that Floyd Casey Stadium is always a sea of green and gold at this event. Every year fans and alumni don their Baylor gear and cheer their team to victory underneath the hot Saturday afternoon sun. 

Freshman Fans Adorned in Line Jerseys

However, the weather at this year's game offered a little more precipitation than expected. Baylor vs. Kansas State occurred October 23 at 2:30 p.m. but right before the kickoff, a monsoon-like rain hit the stadium. Audience members and players alike took shelter as a sheet of water covered the field. Although the game was delayed several times due to the storm, it did not seem to phase the Bears. A little rain never hurt anyone, and the Bears soared through the game, beating the Kansas Wildcats 47 to 42. At the conclusion of Baylor's victory, fans rushed the field and sang the school song with pride. This year's Homecoming game was especially significant, because it marked Baylor as the first team in the Big 12 South district to become Bowl Official.

*pictures taken from http://www.baylor.edu/homecoming/index.php?id=73728#

Facebook Hate Groups

 In the 21^st century, society relies on technology and social networks for a variety of reasons; one of which includes the promotion of adverse feelings towards certain iconic individuals. What was designed as a network to connect with friends, Facebook also serves as one of the main hosts of ‘hate groups’ on the web. A hate group could be defined as any organized group that advocates hostility to a certain individual, or a specific group of individuals, and the amount of hate groups present on Facebook’s Network is excruciatingly high in number. Two examples of the aforementioned groups are ‘I hate Justin Bieber’ and ‘I hate Sarah Palin’, both sharing many similar aspects, yet still very diverse from the other.

            The Bieber hate group has a total of 89,592 followers whereas the Palin hate group has 1,269 followers, both numbers growing steadily each day. Majority of the Bieber followers are male and generally in the late teens/early adult range. In contrast to the Bieber hate group, Palin followers do not necessarily fall under gender specifications, but political; most of these followers are democrats who hold opposite beliefs of Palin. The mission of Bieber’s group is solely “To Bring Justin Down” in contrast to Palin’s group, which does not have a defined objective, but compares her to an “American Idiot”.

            Both groups share the similarity of their followers posting hostile comments toward the objected celebrity. There is ample amount of ‘hate language’ used on both pages. Bieber followers include words such as “gay” and “queer” in their posts and Palin followers use words like “whore”, “idiot” and “stupid”.  The followers of each hate group have altered the icons names, and refer to them as “Justin Barbie” and “Sarah Pain” in their various posts. However, one major difference between the two pages is that on the Bieber page there is a sufficient amount of comments which support and stick up for the young pop star (mostly posted by teenage girls), where positive comments about Palin are next to none.

            Both groups are responsive and interactive to their followers in different ways. The Bieber hate group has a discussion board where followers can post their opinions on topics like what they hate about Justin Bieber, and which songs of his they despise. These discussion boards generally yield comments such as “I hate Justin Bieber, he sounds like Hannah Montana” and “He’s so stupid. He’s suppose to be 15, then why does he sound like he’s 6?” The Palin hate group does not have any discussion topics, but has frequent status updates either encouraging followers to invite as many people as possible to join the group or bashing Sarah Palin. The most recent status update was posted November 2 and reads, “Green Day’s inspiration for ‘American Idiot’ was Sarah Palin.”

            Both the “I hate Justin Bieber” and the “I hate Sarah Palin” hate groups lack any type of educational value whatsoever; the main focus of each is to merely mockingly bash the person of choice. Both groups are based solely off of biased opinions, however, even though there is no didactic evidence in the two groups, it does not seem to upset any of the fans, nor deter the fan group from growing. This in itself is one of the most powerful strengths of both groups: the sole fact that people continue to follow, even with lack of factual proof as to why hating these celebrities is necessary. Another strong point of both the Bieber group and the Palin group are that each has avid followers that leave insights and opinions, thus keeping both pages alive and active. The main weakness that both pages share is the irrefutable fact that neither group has a valid claim or point.

            All in all, “I hate Justin Bieber” has a stronger presence on Facebook than “I hate Sarah Palin” due to a variety of reasons. For the most part, more fans interact with the owner of the page, and leave much more opinionated comments. It is also very evident that its presence is more renowned in the Facebook world due to the amount of fans that like the page, versus how many fans like the Palin page.  However, if the Palin hate group page offered more interactive opportunities for its followers, such as leading discussion topics like the Bieber group, it would most likely be more liked and followed. Even though both groups have a sufficient amount of followers, perhaps if they both had an actual arguable point or claim, they would be even more successful. In conclusion, both groups are host to a number of people who hold hostilities toward Bieber or Palin, and with the aid of this social network, can easily voice their adverse opinions.

Homecoming Parade!

Baylor Bear Balloon

Yes, THE most HIGHLY attended event of the Homecoming weekend is absolutely the Homecoming Parade. There are many participants from the Waco community that are a part of the parade and many Alumni plan their trip around this entertaining event. Although it starts fairly early (usually hitting the Baylor campus between 8:30am-9:00am) many students roll out of bed to attend this event. 

KOT Float

Even though the huge blown up bear balloon is one of the most recognizable 'floats', the ones the audience most anticipate are those of the Baylor sororities and fraternities. Each year, each sorority teams up with a fraternity and builds an extremely elaborate float to be judged. It is clearly evident that hours upon hours are spent on these magnificent floats, and the ends most definitely justify the means. In addition to the floats, the Homecoming Queen and Court nominees and other organizations at Baylor are also a part of the parade. 

Vini, Vidi, Vici

I'm so happy to have finished my website! It took forever and a day, but I finally conquered it. And I'm pretty sure it is the bomb.com.

check it out!

http://www.wix.com/missmeagan214/meagan-adams

I have got a very, very busy week ahead of me. Several tests, extra credit assignments and ample amounts of homework due...but then it's THANKSGIVING! I can already taste the mashed potatoes, turkey and pieeeeee! :) so excited!

Fake Celebrity Obituary

        The talented and renowned comedian Chelsea J. Handler, 34, of New Jersey, died Sunday night due to an alcohol overdose. She was found unconscious in her Los Angeles home by her assistant, Chuy, who called an ambulance that came and immediately rushed Handler to California Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.  

Handler was a well-known comedian employed by E! Entertainment Studios, where she hosted her own late night comedy show entitled “Chelsea Lately” with assistant Chuy Bravo.  Born on Feb. 25, 1975 in Livingston, NJ. Handler was one of six children. At the age of 19, Handler decided to move from New Jersey to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, where she eventually decided to do stand-up comedy.

Although she originated her career by being a humorist (having been dubbed the “Queen of Comedy” by Vanity Fair) , this talented woman had many more accomplishments in her lifetime. Handler is very well known for her roles as a model, actress, television host, columnist for Cosmopolitan magazine, and a best-selling author. Not only has she performed in front of nationally sold out audiences as a stand-up comedian, but also this year she hosted the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, making Handler the second female in history to be the sole host of the ceremony.  

Some of her more recent projects included her late night talk show as well as a producing project entitled “Pretty Wild”, a reality television show on E! that Handler had been producing since the beginning of March.

Handler was preceded in death by her mother, Sylvia Handler, and is survived by father, Melvin Handler, of Livingston, NJ; her five siblings, and her nephew, Teddy Handler.

A Memorial Service in her honor will take place at 11am Friday at Heritage Memorial, located on 17712 Beach Blvd in Huntington Beach, Calif. immediately followed by a burial at Good Shepherd Cemetery.  

PIGSKIN 'REVUED'

With sold out shows year after year, it is no lie that Pigskin Revue is a highly participated event of the Homecoming weekend. This Homecoming tradition showcases the winning acts from the previous spring's All University Sing competition. The acts are prepared and performed by campus organizations such as: sororities, fraternities and Sing Alliance. This popular event is based off of broadway style productions, featuring musical renditions of popular songs, elaborate back drops, creative costumes and props and complex choreography. 

This year, there were four available performances of Pigskin Revue during the Homecoming Weekend with acts by eight different organizations. Unlike All University Sing, which is, in fact, a competition, Pigskin Revue has a more relaxed and fun atmosphere, as it is simply a show of entertainment for families, fellow students and Alumni.  

KAPPA OMEGA TAU IN "THE TOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN"

ALPHA TAU OMEGA IN "A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME"

DELTA DELTA DELTA IN "C'MON AND SWIM"

*Pictures taken from http://www.baylor.edu/homecoming/index.php?id=73731

The top eight groups that performed in Pigskin Revue 2010 are:

Kappa Omega Tau

Alpha Tau Omega

Phi Kappa Chi

Kappa Kappa Gamma

Delta Delta Delta

Kappa Alpha Theta

Chi Omega

Sing Alliance

Baylor Homecoming-New Experience for Freshman

Building Blocks of the Bonfire

As a fellow freshman, Homecoming at Baylor was an eye opening and fun experience. There are many components when surveying Baylor's strategic and traditional homecoming experiences, and one of the biggest events of the Homecoming festivities, for the freshman, is the building of the Homecoming Bonfire.

Freshman Class Building the 2010 Bonfire

On the Thursday night of Homecoming Week, a Freshman Mass Meeting is held (the very last time all the freshman will be together in one spot until graduation!), where the story of the Immortal Ten is recounted. In this time of remembrance and solitude, each freshman learns a very special and emotional story associated with the past of their school. This is also the time in which the freshman torch bearer is chosen, a significant event where he/or she is rewarded one of the immortal ten jerseys and becomes the designated leader of the freshman class.

After the tribute ceremony and selection of the torch bearer, all the freshman head out on a lit path past the immortal ten statue, memorial candles in hand, toward fountain mall.

The Completed Project

Once at fountain mall, the freshman then join together in the building of the annual homecoming bonfire. Working with one another, the students stack large crates on top of one anther creating a platform for the bonfire to take place. The symbolism of team work is irrefutable among the freshman, bonding together and representing years of tradition.

Crowd Cheers at Homecoming Bonfire

And of course, Homecoming is most definitely in full swing the following night, when the torch bearers set the wooden pillar aflame, entertaining a crowd full of alumnis, students, and future Baylor students alike.

Website...here we go.

So, the last time I created a website was for my fourth grade Science Fair. 

It was about the Solar System. Pretty awesome, right?? And btw, I use the word 'created' loosely...it was more like, 'watched-my-friends-mom-do-it-while-my-friend-and-I-played-nintindo' type of thing.

butttttttt I'm on a computer all the time, so making a website can't be THAT difficult...right?? :)

I'm actually kind of nervous. Me and technology don't get along all that well. But there's always a first time for everything, and I had better go ahead and learn. Better late than never, right??

I'm gonna rock this project! Hopefully. But I've already got a great idea about the layout, and considering the website is going to be a portfolio about me helps. I mean, everyone likes to brag on themselves! 

I definitely have my work cut out for me in this class, though. With the website, group project, and Facebook and Twitter hate group comparison? eeeep! 

(btw, when i typed facebook lower case, there's a red squiggly line, but when you capitalize it, there isn't...just saying! hello new mediaaaaaaaa!)

3,2,1 FALL BREAK!

I'm so excited to be going home this weekend for fall break. I'll begin my journey to my good 'ol hometown Lufkin, Texas where I plan on spending lots of needed family time. Also, I will be getting a hair cut :) you know how us girls are, we always gotta go to the same person we've been going to for years...I just don't trust anybody else with my hair.
On Saturday afternoon, you can find me in the city of Nacogdoches, Texas; where I will be observing a Stephen F. Austin State University Football game and cheering on my best friends while they twirl with the SFA Band during half time. (That's right, even when Baylor doesn't have a game I can't get away from football)
Which reminds me...THE TEXAS RANGERS FINALLY BEAT TAMPA BAY! Don't know how I jumped from football to Baseball Finals...but nevertheless...about time my boys stepped it up.
However, as marvelous as this weekend will be, I am mostly anticipating Sunday. My best friend and I will being driving up to Austin, Texas to audition for Disney Princess Look-Alikes for Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. We are so excited, and are planning on working for Walt Disney over the summer and will continue to try out for the coveted spots until we get the job. :D motivation rocks.

Steppin' Up and Steppin' Out!

Baylor University’s biannual service event, Steppin’ Out, is an all day event that will occur October 30 and consist of Baylor students and Alumni interacting and helping out the Waco community.  The event is completely free; volunteers are there to offer their hands and hard work in return for communal interaction.

Many projects involve painting
houses and walls

Steppin’ Out gives students the opportunity to literally “step out” and help their community in a variety of ways. From building wheelchair ramps, to painting homes, to picking up trash, and even giving a hand at animal shelters, Baylor students raise community awareness and interaction. Baylor Alumni also contribute to the cause, and participate in the event alongside the students. Other volunteers also partake in Steppin’ Out, all of which freely donate their time and energy to collaborate among their fellow Waco community.

Baylor sophomore Sterling Moore stated, "Steppin' Out is an awesome program. It provides an opportunity for people to help and have fun."

Because of Steppin’ Out’s commitment to service, the event has not only been nationally recognized, but also considered one of the largest community service projects on American college campuses. In past years, between 2,500 and 3,200 Baylor students and Alumni have sacrificed their time and volunteered at over 175 worksites around the town of Waco, Texas.

“I am a freshman here at Baylor Univeristy, and have heard all about this event. At first I wasn’t really sure what it was all about, but after talking to some of my older friends, I have never been so pumped up! I have already registered my team and am really excited to see what kind of project we will be assigned.” comments Taylor Bradford, 18.

Students cleaning up a local
resident's backyard

Steppin’ Out partners up with organizations like Keep Waco Beautiful, the City of Waco, and more than 140 local service agencies to work together and identify the needs of the community and people around Waco.

Steppin’ Out turned compassion into action in the spring of 1985 and had originated with a full week of events on the Baylor campus that built up to the day of community service around Waco. It progressed and eventually became a one-day event in 1989, occurring in both the fall and spring semesters.

By the year 1993, the project became officially known as an independent organization under the Department of Student Activities at Baylor University.

The event enables students to learn leadership and social responsibility while reaching out and interacting with local Wacoans. After the full day of service and hard work, a Block Party is thrown for the students and community members to celebrate the achievements of the day.

South Russell CL, Julie Phan, has contributed and been a part of Steppin'  Out for the past two years, and has enjoyed every minute of it. 

"I just loved it. To know that all of us here [at Baylor] are coming together as a community and in exchange helping our local community is rewarding in itself."

If you would like more information about Steppin’ Out, please feel free to call 254.710.3199 or contact Sonja P. Davidson (Co-Director) at Sonja_Davidson@baylor.edu.

If you are interested in registering and being part of this event, or if you are in need/know of a service project please email Steppin_Out@baylor.edu

*NOTE: deadline to register is Wednesday.

If you are interested in volunteering for the spring semester, the set date for Steppin' Out is April 19.

Casey Oates: Dance Like Nobody's Watching!

Oates outside enjoying
the sunlight

Everyone has a passion, and Casey C. Oates has a burning love for the art of dance. Oates was born and raised in Lufkin, Texas and has been dancing since the age of 3. A hobby that began inside the walls of tiny dance studios flourished into a passionate adoration for the classic art.

Oates in her
Rangerette
Uniform

Having grown up emerged in dance, it came to no surprise when Oates was awarded the title of Captain for her high school drill team and was adorned with the envious golden hat. After high school, she attended Kilgore Junior College where she auditioned and became one of the world renowned “Kilgore Rangerettes”. Oates completed her two years at Kilgore and transferred to Baylor University in Waco, TX were she is currently both an Officer and President of Baylor Dance Company. She is also teaching at Joy’s School of Dance.

As President of BU Dance Co. Oates collaborates with her fellow officers where they make important decisions involving upcoming events.

“We are getting ready for the Homecoming Parade and we also have a big show in the spring that we have to get choreographers for…we are mainly there as a delegating body to make sure the dance company is running smoothly.”

Oates also comments that the Baylor Dance Co. Officers performed at Baylor University’s After Dark this year.

“It was a totally awesome experience…we’ve never done that before.” she said, reliving the moment with a wide smile.

Oates also commented that they are hoping to perform for their fellow Baylor students at Chapel in the spring semester.

Oates performing on stage

When asked what her favorite dance style is, Oates grins and replies with

“That’s a hard one.”

After a slight pause, she goes on to say she prefers contemporary modern dance.

“It is much more in a 21^st century style…and is about natural movement…it is much more about the meaning behind the pieces that you are performing rather than just the way the movement looks and whether or not it looks pretty…there’s usually a story behind the dancing.”

After our interview I was lucky enough to follow Oates to one of her many dance practices, where I talked to Baylor sophomore Megan McGraw about Oates’ dance abilities.

“She is so trained! She’s taken dance for a while, and is very flexible. She puts power into her moves and is a very strong dancer.”

With her vast amount of dance experience, Oates has choreographed a momentous amount of dance numbers, but one in particular holds more significance to her.

Oates' tribute dance in her
mother's honor

“My mom was diagnosed with [Breast] Cancer last November…and I spent a lot of this past summer driving her back and forth from Houston to get chemotherapy.”

In her mother’s honor, Oates choreographed a symbolic dance where red handkerchiefs were used metaphorically as her mother’s illness. In the end, the handkerchiefs fell to the ground representing the triumph over cancer.

“[My mom] is finished with chemo, and she is cancer free right now…it has been hard, but it is definitely not something that I can’t handle. And it’s not something that our family can’t handle. ” Oates says with a smile.

Oates is a fifth year senior here at Baylor University and is majoring in Elementary Education. She has taken basic education courses that have built on her leadership skills and is currently doing a yearlong internship at Bell’s Hill Elementary School at a kindergarten classroom four days a week from 7:45am to 3:45pm.

Oates Student Teaching
in action

When asked if she wanted to pursue teaching kindergarten, Oates replied:

“Maybe for part of my life, but that is not the only goal I have. But it is definitely one of them.”

Casey Oates' miniature Dotson,
"Brooks"

One of Oates’ fellow officers, Lauren Page, a senior at Baylor, commented:

“Casey has amazing leadership skills. Since she is training to be a teacher, it makes her the perfect leader, because she can keep control of everyone. She is always really organized and a good leader because she has taken the classes for it.”

Aside from Oates’ busy schedule of student teaching, and dancing one to three hours every day, she still finds time for her beloved dog, Brooks. During my interview with her, the adorable miniature Dotson scuttled around our feet begging for her attention.

“He’s my baby.” she said as she touched her heart and grinned.

*If you would like to learn more about Baylor Dance Company, or see how to join you can click here for more information:

 http://www.baylor.edu/studentorgs/index.php?id=48049&orgCode=BDA

*To see the full interview with Casey Oates, you can click here:

First News Story...anddddd ACTION!

Sure, words tell the perfect story, and some people have the ability to use long flowing sentences, beautiful details, really Shakespeare it up, ya know? Well, ever seen somebody tell a story without words? Express emotions using only their body? Yeah...pretty cool, huh? 

I'm SO excited to be interviewing Casey Oates this week for my Baylor Personality Profile Story. She is a Senior here at Baylor University, and has a vast experience in dance. She is one of the officers in the Baylor Dance Company and even performed in After Dark this year. I know she plans on majoring in education, and I'm looking forward to finding out what her obstacles have been, and what she plans on pursuing in the future. 

I'm so happy, because personally, I think I nabbed one of the best people at Baylor to interview. Not only is she majorly talented, but she has one of those graceful and energetic personalities that light up a room instantly. 

I also know that she happens to be going through a personal hardship right now, facing one of life's most challenging adversities. Her mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, and has been under going treatments the past couple of months. Having personally been affected by a similar situation (an unfortunate situation others in society can relate to as well) I know that when a parent is sick, it takes a HUGE toll on your own life. 

I'm thrilled to have my lunch date with Casey this week, and uncover all the details, challenges, and successes she has accomplished thus far, making her the incredible, woman she is today. 

Restaurants in Waco

Recently, I have been to several restaurants in Waco, Tx. 

Today I met up with my cousin and had lunch. (On a side note, it was fantastic to see said cousin, because otherwise the only time I see her is at Christmas. Although living in Waco puts me closer to many of my relatives I rarely get to see, it consequently puts me much further away from my hometown and my immediate family; bittersweet!!) Anyway...we ate at Cheddar's (located on Franklin Street). I loveeee the atmosphere of the restaurant. It labels itself as a "casual cafe" and definitely promotes a very laid back, and happy atmosphere. The lighting is dim and the restaurant sports a very fashionable fish tank separating the bar from the eating areas. The salads and soups are tasty, and all in all I had a wonderful afternoon with my cousin: good food, good company, good Friday!

Last week, I went with my friends to the IHOP right across from the Baylor campus. Although I really enjoy breakfast food, I did not enjoy walking into the building and directly seeing the kitchen out in the open, with everybody's food orders waiting to be served. I prefer to NOT see the cooks, or the food splayed out as soon as I walk into a restaurant. A little more discretion in the construction of the building would have been appreciated. (After all, this is IHOP....not a southern diner) Other than that minor setback, the food was delicious, my personal favorite being a simple egg sandwich on sourdough bread with a side of golden hashbrowns...yummy!

Ourblook.com-The Future of Journalism

In class, we had a wonderful Skype interview with Sandra Ordonez. She explained that this was somewhat of a "baby" website, seeing as how it is only approximately 2 years old, essentially started when "blogging" became popular. The intentions and purposes of ourblook.com are to allow users to see what models could/and are used in the journalism world. 

Living in such a fast pace world can be difficult sometimes, with new media appearing everywhere we look. However, ourblook.com provides students and aspiring journalists with opportunities to get a hands on experience with newer technologies and social networking devices. It not only helps build the web skills that are quite pertinent in the journalism and media world, but also gives students a chance to read real life blogs and advice from successful journalists who once were in the exact same place.

When asked to define hyper-local, Sandra went into an in depth definition about what exactly this term means involving the community. She explained that we have drifted away from what newspapers "use to be" and are trying to revert back to the old ways of classic news, which revolves around community stories, with some tid-bits of big world news. 

In simple terms, hyper-local acts as a mirror to the community.  

Overall, it was an interesting interview, and humorously convenient that we interviewed over Skype (a relatively new virtual chat system) considering that the topics discussed consisted of practice using new media. I think that technology is the future of journalism, and although newspapers aren't out of style yet, we will come to find that more and more news will be broadcast via world wide web.

And more changes in Media

The 2010 Ap Stylebook made the two word "web site" into the one word "website" due to popularity and often use of the latter spelling. It is also now acceptable for social networking and media sites, such as Facebook, to be cited and used as a source when referred to in a news story. At the rate this nation's technology is expanding, there will have to be new versions of the Ap Stylebook printed annually. I mean, come on people! We've already lived through 4 generations of iphones in a mere few years! Not that I'm complaining. :)

New Media Terms...ohhh twenty-ten.

We have long surpassed the age of stone tablet writings (sorry Fred Flintsone) and have escaped the decade of written letters, and just when we thought email and facebook was the way to go...a little birdie had to pop up and disagree.
Twitter is the new sensation that is sweeping the nation. This mass social networking cite even has managed to get successful, famous, important people..."tweeting". And let me just say, it is one thing to hear Oprah talk about the latest news via twitter, but when Barak Obama utters the word "tweet" I can't help but giggle a little. You can choose to "follow" all the famous celebs on twitter, and in return people can follow and stalk, oops, I mean, keep up with your whereabouts and ideas.
And what the heck is a 'Twitter Party'?
"A twitter party is a fast and fun virtual party, using the twitter platform. Usually held in the evening, twitter parties typically last 1-2 hours and are a wonderful way for people to connect and discuss a topic of choice. Most twitter parties have an expert panelist and party host to keep the party on topic. How does a twitter party work? Twitter users tweet with a specified Hashtag (#) for the party. The party host will announce the hashtag prior to the event. If you look at the twitter party calendar, parties are listed by the hashtag (#)."


anyone up for a good ol' fashion tea party? :)