Presidential Perspective - May 25, 2023

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

Based on the volume of responses and comments I have heard over the past few days, I know many of you have already seen and shared in my excitement over two of the newest additions to the Baylor Family: Judge Belle and Judge Indy!

Cousins by birth, these American black bear cubs are now in the gold-standard care of the AZA-accredited Baylor Bear Habitat team and are making themselves right at home here in Texas. We are thrilled for everyone to get to know and love them when they arrive at the on-campus Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat in the coming months.

The early word from the Bear Habitat caregivers is that Indy enjoys snacking on blueberries and blackberries and particularly thrives during her water playtime – a good habit for the upcoming summer heat! Belle is a skilled little climber and has taken a slower approach with her solid foods, starting with a few licks of honey.

I will have more to share with you about Belle and Indy's progress over the summer months as we continue to get to know these remarkable bears and prepare for "Move-In Day" into their campus home in mid-August, alongside our 2023 incoming class of students.

Some updates for this week …

• MEALS-TO-YOU: For a fifth summer, the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty will operate its innovative Meals-to-You program funded by a $7.2 million award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When school is out for the summer, Meals-to-You delivers shelf-stable meals directly to the home addresses of children in rural, frontier and tribal regions who often are underserved in the federally funded, state-administered Summer Food Service Program. Meals-to-You was piloted first in Texas in 2019 and then rapidly scaled up in summer 2020 to serve children in 43 states and Puerto Rico as "Emergency Meals-to-You." I'm so proud of this successful program that has changed the landscape of childhood food security efforts and expanded options for children to receive healthy meals during the summer months. 


• FAMILY ORAL HISTORY: When we visit with extended family over the summer, we often hear family members share their life stories or firsthand experiences as eyewitnesses to history. So how do you capture and preserve those precious memories? Historians Stephen Sloan, Ph.D., and Adrienne Cain with Baylor's renowned Institute for Oral History share seven best practices to help family members begin oral history conversations that enrich the recollections of the past. 


• REMEMBERING: Monday is Memorial Day, a day our nation set aside more than 150 years ago to honor and remember service members who died while serving our country in the U.S. Armed Forces. At Baylor, we've long had our own way of recognizing those who made the ultimate sacrifice through plaques that adorn the red granite lampposts all across our campus. This tradition – started in 1946 just after the conclusion of World War II – honors Baylor alumni who were killed in action with a plaque in the shape of a military shield. As you walk campus, take a moment to stop at some of these memorial lampposts to read about our alumni, to remember and honor them and to pray for their families. If you're on campus Monday, the McLane Carillon in the tower of Pat Neff Hall will ring a Memorial Day recital at noon. 


• REST FOR YOUR SOULS: If you were unable to attend "Lift Up Your Hearts," our semester-ending faculty and staff Chapel service, The Baptist Standard has included a transcript of my sermon as part of its Baptist Preaching series. As I shared with the Baylor Family, polling firm Gallup has reported educators at all levels report "the highest level of burnout of any industry." Good educators need to rest their souls, and I pray that you find such time over the summer months. 

Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend!

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Of course, this week’s photo is of Indy and Belle! Indy, the larger of the two cubs, is pictured climbing a tree, while Belle is running across their enrichment area.