Living Outside The Lines: “Be True To Your School”

To have a degree from Baylor is something of value, employers have chosen Baylor alum as they know how vigorous our programs are, how hard we work, and what a prestige it is to have graduated from there.

by Becky J Miller & Brittany Miller

Why is it that loyalty is often a rare and precious commodity? Perhaps it is because true allegiance requires standing by something or someone even in the face of opposition. Loyalty requires courage and sometimes, we struggle with personifying the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz when we should be more like Dorothy who refused to let her friends be bullied.

“Be True to Your School,” released by the Beach Boys in 1963, speaks of devotion to your alma mater via the catchy words of the chorus, “So be true to your school now, just like you would to your girl or guy, be true to school now, and let your colors fly, be true to your school.” I’ve always liked the Beach Boys, and recently an article my daughter published on her website reminded me of the song.

Lately, Baylor University has been the subject of some not so flattering scrutiny. As a Baylor alumnus, my daughter has been queried on several occasions regarding not only the circumstances in the news but on whether or not it sullied her opinion of her school. What follows are her thoughts on the matter:

Sic ‘Em Forever:  Today as I drove past my alma mater, my heart was heavy. Baylor was my dream school in high school, and the day I got accepted, was probably one of the best days of life. Not only is it considered an “Ivy League of Texas,” with one of the top-ranking business schools, Baylor also upheld Christian values that aligned with my upbringing.

In my 4.5 years at Baylor, I received one of the best educations I could ever hope for, an education that few are lucky enough to receive. I had incredible professors who invested in my future. I had a major that literally did everything but show up for me, to help secure a post-grad job.

Everyone that I graduated with had jobs lined up after graduation, and most of them will go on to pass the CPA. That’s how great our program was, that’s how great our education and professors were. To have a degree from Baylor is something of value, employers have chosen Baylor alum as they know how vigorous our programs are, how hard we work, and what a prestige it is to have graduated from there.

As for outside the classroom: not once, did I ever feel unsafe at Baylor. Not once did I ever find myself in a compromising situation. Quite the opposite actually, I felt completely safe and at home at Baylor.

Baylor was a place of comfort, where I found friends and was able to grow and learn how to be on my own without my parents. Bears old and young, from Waco to New York are like a family. The atmosphere on campus is always so positive and joyful. The football games are unreal and even the City of Waco starts to grow on you!

So why is my heart heavy? It is because Baylor has been the hot topic of conversation in the media for the last year. They have taken a situation and completely exploited it like the media tends to do. The media has dragged Baylor through the mud and tried to tarnish its name and reputation.

Baylor is a great school and the people in the media have no clue because they aren’t lucky enough to be part of our community. They speak as an outsider. They take stories and twist and turn them and exploit every tiny detail just to get a story. It’s to the point that they are causing Baylor’s charter as a university to be called into question.

Because of this, many people recently have asked me what I thought about all of it and what it was like to go to Baylor.

So, I just want to say that I love my school, I am forever grateful for my education, I hang my Baylor degrees proudly, I wear my Baylor ring with pride, I support my Bears because I bleed green + gold. Baylor will always be my home; the alumni and staff will always be my family. And the way Baylor is being portrayed is SO FAR from the truth.

The actions of one student or one athlete do not define the character of the entire school or student population. The mistakes that a few people made do not change the values that Baylor upholds or the greatness of the education it gives to its students. Ask anyone that has graduated from Baylor and gone on to make a difference in the world; they will tell you that we are not the mistakes of a few people and that Baylor is not an unsafe or awful place.

Sic ’Em forever!”

Her final paragraph speaks volumes; “the actions of one student or one athlete do not define the character of the entire school or population.” That sentiment is true in any situation and exhibiting courageous loyalty demands such language. This Mama Bear couldn’t be prouder.

Until Next Time,

“Warrior Princess” & Daughter

Becky J Miller is a contributor and is exclusive to SM Corridor News. You can read more of Becky’s columns in Lifestyle.