More than a Language
Many people form misconceptions about American Sign Language being directly formulated from the English language, but it’s actually its own language – and other countries have their own dialects. In recent years, as ASL has become a minor at Baylor and is now approved for a language credit, it’s seen a boost in popularity among students in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Baylor’s first known deaf professor, senior lecturer Lewis Lummer, noted in a Baylor article, “ASL also helps students build advanced critical thinking, complex cognitive skills, and stronger overall linguistic abilities.”
The article suggests as the popularity of taking ASL up as a minor continues to rise, future students and alumni will have more soft skills and cultural awareness to be an idea candidate for their careers.
The Intersection of Faith and OT
Ashley Westover (’22, OTD ’24) was inspired to pursue a career in occupational therapy by her older brother, who went through years of occupational and speech therapy, and the impact it had on him. During her doctoral capstone she had the opportunity to work with the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities, her role including evaluation of the accessibility of churches for people with disabilities.
After receiving her undergraduate degree, she continued to serve at Grace Church Hewitt, while working as a full-time pediatric occupational therapist. Westover uses her OT lens to help her church become more inclusive through intentional changes.
In a Baylor release, Westover said, “In our practice framework, faith practices and activities are listed throughout, but if you ask the majority of occupational therapists if they have ever asked about or addressed that in their practice, my bet would be that most would say, ‘no, that’s too personal,’ or ‘no, I don’t know enough about that.'”
3D Vision
“Our job is to take the variability out of new materials, manufacturing methods and processes, to make them predictable, inspectable, and scalable,” said Dr. David Jack – professor of mechanical engineering and graduate program director of materials science and Engineering – in an article from Baylor.
Led by Jack, Baylor researchers and students are using 3D printed materials aimed at making them safe for aerospace and automotive industries. Jack and his team are developing an acoustic wave-based process to inspect these to ensure peak safety. This will provide a certainty in the analysis of the part’s use.
Another Win for Baylor Football?
Baylor Football will return to McLane tomorrow at 11 a.m. to host Kansas State, coming back from a 45-27 win at Oklahoma State. Sawyer Robertson had a five-touchdown lead in Stillwater last week, and threw 393 yards, leading Baylor to its fifth consecutive road win. The last time the Bears met with the Cats, they fell from a 59-25 loss. In 2022, Baylor had a four-game winning streak until its 31-3 loss against Kansas.
Three Cheers for These Bears
On October 3, No. 8 Baylor equestrian is set to officially start its 2025-26 season while the team heads east to have a meet against No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 Auburn on Saturday. The equestrian team is 3-5 season openers during its head coach Casie Maxwell’s ninth year. The last time the Bears met with Georgia, they fell to a 12-4 loss.
No. 15 Baylor Volleyball is getting ready to host No. 18 Kansas today at 7 p.m.. The last time the two teams met the Bluehawks held a 3-0 win over the Bears. After the team’s 3-0 win over Houston, Baylor VB is coming in hot this season by remaining undefeated in the Big 12 portion of the season.
