Juvenile Delinquency

I volunteer a couple times per semester at a Juvenile Delinquency Center in Mart, just outside of Waco.  We go in and talk to the kids really about whatever they want to talk about and play a couple games of pick-ip basketball or volleyball with them.  Somehow it always gets brought up, but the kid will tell us why he's in the center. Usually this will be burglary, armed burglary, or sometimes sexual assault (which I won't lie is a little discomforting to hear from the child sitting next to me, no older than my little sister).

I always ask what they want to do when they get out.  Some will have stories of hope saying that they want to come to Baylor or college in general, and others say they just want to go home to their mother's cooking.  But you'd be surprised to learn how many of them are repeat offenders and have been in the same Juvenile Delinquency Center more than once.  This screams to me stigmatized shame and recidivism.  The kid will often go home and fall back into the patterns of hanging out with the same bad influence friends who go them in trouble the first time or family members who taught them that crime is accepted in society (Differential Association Theory) and land themselves back in the center.

I think that many people put a negative stigma on criminals, thinking that they are inherently bad people, but more often than not they were raised in an environment that led them to this life of being in and out of prison. Their parents and siblings may be the same way, usually coming from poverty, and it's sad to see this repetitive cycle that they become trapped within.

Clothing Norms

If you've ever heard of a flashmob, that's basically what Improv Everywhere does.  It is a group based out of New York City in which thousands of regular New Yorkers volunteer to participate in various flashmobs which test the social norms of society.  

This is their annual No Pants Subway Ride:

Look at how people react, it is absolutely against the norm to not be fully clothed in public. Volunteers are instructed to act normal as if they are not breaking any kind of norm, while hidden video people record the reactions of others around the partially clothed participants. If asked why they aren't wearing pants they'll simply reply with something like "Oh, I just forgot my pants."

Great example of a sociological experiment.

Aggie Ethnocentricism

Ethnocentricism: The tendency to assume that one's culture and way of life represent the norm or are superior to all others.


Aggies ethnocentric from the day they arrive at Fish Camp and integrate "WHOOP!" and "Howdy" into their vocabulary until the day they die.  Ask any Aggie about their many school traditions and they will defiantly defend their worth and importance to the university. 

The Century Tree:  According to legend, this tree has been around longer than anyone can remember which is why they dubbed it "The Century Tree." Somewhere, someone decided that if you walk under this tree alone you will be cursed with being alone forever, whereas if you walk under it with your true love you will be together forever. And for some reason walking backwards removes the curse.

It's just a tree...if it's really been around that long I'm sure thousands of people in history have walked under it alone and have lived lives full of friendship and love.

Sul Ross Statue:  This guy gave Texas A&M their name of the "Fightin' Texas Aggies" because he punched someone in the face when they suggested to dissolve the all boys military school that was Texas A&M back in the day. I believe he was a president of the university and had a policy for students about "pennies for their thoughts." Now, students believe that he will bring them good luck on their exams if they offer him a penny.

Or you could just study like a good Baylor Bear?

BTHO and t.u.: BTHO is an overused acronym meaning "Beat the Hell Outta" used by Aggies to describe what they intend to do (but hardly execute) to the opposing team, namely their rival The University of Texas. Aggies for some reason think that A&M is THE University of Texas and so refuse to call the actual University of Texas by its proper name and refer to it as t.u.

Every school has a right to school pride and their own traditions, but in my opinion these people take it too far.  At least they can finally say "goodbye to Texas university" as they get BTHO in the SEC :)