The Green Room

In this episode of The Green Room, host Jonathon Platt and Dr. Jerry Park, associate professor of sociology, discuss being a minority within a minority, an accidental baptism, and research on racial minorities within religious congregations. Park reflects on his childhood with his single mom, being one of a few Asian students at Carver High School in Philadelphia, and his baptismal certificate from the Catholic Church. He goes into detail about his work on the Baylor Religion Surveys and how some racial groups have been underrepresented within religious populations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Park explains how data can uncover the stories we often miss and why understanding each other is more important than simply counting diversity. Tune in for a conversation on how faith shapes every community.  We’ll have more new episodes of The Green Room for you every week.Oh, and to make sure you get each episode, make sure to subscribe to The Latest, The Weekly, or The Monthly newsletter from The Baylor Line. You can also follow our feed wherever you listen to podcasts — such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.—Credits: Our theme music is “Short Circuit” by Ryan James Carr, with a special guest appearance by – yes – Abner McCall.Our episodes are made possible by a grant from the Eula Mae & John Baugh Foundation. And special thanks to our managing producer, Nina Um, and digital editor Kassidy Tsikitas.

In this episode of The Green Room, host Jonathon Platt is joined by members of The Baylor Line team Kourtney Nering, editor-in-chief; Kassidy Tsikitas, digital editor; and Nina Um, executive assistant to the CEO,  to reflect on the year of growth, change, and gratitude for everything they have learned.  The Baylor Line team has all experienced big changes in their past year of life. Nering got married and welcomed her baby girl, Suzanna. Tsikitas graduated from Baylor with a B.A. in journalism, got her first job out of college, and officially moved to Texas. Um graduated with her M.A. in communications, moved back to Waco from Houston, and also got her first post-grad role. Platt asks about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the past year of life. The time spent together allowed the team to grow closer together and gain a new perspective on this current season. Tune in for laughs, life updates, and key takeaways of what we are grateful for. We’ll have more new episodes of The Green Room for you every week.Oh, and to make sure you get each episode, make sure to subscribe to The Latest, The Weekly, or The Monthly newsletter from The Baylor Line. You can also follow our feed wherever you listen to podcasts — such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.—Credits: Our theme music is “Short Circuit” by Ryan James Carr, with a special guest appearance by – yes – Abner McCall.Our episodes are made possible by a grant from the Eula Mae & John Baugh Foundation. And special thanks to our managing producer, Nina Um, and digital editor Kassidy Tsikitas.

In this episode of The Green Room, host Jonathon Platt and Amira Lewally, supervising producer at A&E, look back on a decision that changed the trajectory of Lewally’s career. A simple creative spark led her to add a film and digital media minor to her college studies, to which she credits her success in the film industry. What ignited this spark? A summer spent binge-watching Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. As a supervising producer, Lewally oversees hundreds of hours of content, like the award-winning shows Origins of Hip-Hop and Secrets of Playboy. Lewally is also a co-creator and co-host of The Table Is Ours, a podcast that builds spaces for Black voices across industries. Tune in to hear how a binge-worthy moment created a successful career. We’ll have more new episodes of The Green Room for you every week.Oh, and to make sure you get each episode, make sure to subscribe to The Latest, The Weekly, or The Monthly newsletter from The Baylor Line. You can also follow our feed wherever you listen to podcasts — such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.—Credits: Our theme music is “Short Circuit” by Ryan James Carr, with a special guest appearance by – yes – Abner McCall.Our episodes are made possible by a grant from the Eula Mae & John Baugh Foundation. And special thanks to our managing producer, Nina Um, and digital editor Kassidy Tsikitas.

In this episode of The Green Room, host Jonathon Platt is joined by three culinary entrepreneurs during the Waco Restaurant Week panel hosted by The Baylor Line.  Jake Patterson turned an abandoned Sonic Drive-In into Yaki Texas Teriyaki – inspired by a mom-and-pop teriyaki truck behind his former job at a dealership in Portland. Danielle Young, owner of Revival Eastside Eatery and Street Dog Cafe, came for her doctorate in psychology and stayed to create a biblical tasting experience. Revival Eastside Eatery, a restored church with its exposed brick and wood preserved, offers an atmosphere that continues to echo a spirit of service and community. Juanita Barrientos cultivated farm-to-table dining in Waco with Harvest on 25th after graduating from Le Cordon Bleu. Partnering with hospitality coordinator Paige Sullivan, Barrientos hosts Dinner in Waco—a multi-course meal where every ingredient tells a story. Together, their work captures the renewal of Waco’s growing food scene. We’ll have more new episodes of The Green Room for you every week.Oh, and to make sure you get each episode, make sure to subscribe to The Latest, The Weekly, or The Monthly newsletter from The Baylor Line. You can also follow our feed wherever you listen to podcasts — such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.—Credits: Our theme music is “Short Circuit” by Ryan James Carr, with a special guest appearance by – yes – Abner McCall.Our episodes are made possible by a grant from the Eula Mae & John Baugh Foundation. And special thanks to our managing producer, Nina Um, and digital editor Kassidy Tsikitas.

In this episode of The Green Room, host Jonathon Platt sits with Dr. Mary Landon Darden, president of Higher Education Innovation, LLC, and Dr. Ray Perryman, president and CEO at The Perryman Group. The group unpacks the focus of The Baylor Line’s article It’s a New World – skyrocketing graduate enrollment and what the future looks like with AI.Their conversations dive deep into the layers of what’s driving the surge in enrollments today – a pattern seen before with the inception of computers and the Internet, but now amplified with shifting job markets and an unpredictable political culture.Perryman and Darden examine how universities should evolve past their traditional degree offerings and credentials.“If you look at the American education system and most global education systems, they're a product of whatever era that country had its industrial revolution. They tend to evolve out of that, and ours happened to be in the era of the assembly line.” - Dr. Ray PerrymanThe gist: AI isn’t good or bad for jobs and education, but there are still lots of questions. Tune in as we navigate through a time of uncertainty and innovation.We’ll have more new episodes of The Green Room for you every week.Oh, and to make sure you get each episode, make sure to subscribe to The Latest, The Weekly, or The Monthly newsletter from The Baylor Line. You can also follow our feed wherever you listen to podcasts — such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.—Credits:Our theme music is “Short Circuit” by Ryan James Carr, with a special guest appearance by – yes – Abner McCall.Our episodes are made possible by a grant from the Eula Mae & John Baugh Foundation.And special thanks to our managing producer, Nina Um, and digital editor Kassidy Tsikitas

In this episode of The Green Room, host Jonathon Platt sits with Devin Li and Jaja Chen, 2025 Abner V. McCall Humanitarian Award honorees and co-founders of Cha Community – a Taiwanese and Chinese fusion boba shop.Their story begins in June 2018 at the Waco Downtown Farmers Market with laminated logos and borrowed tables, then known as Waco Cha. Now, Cha Community has pioneered itself into a cornerstone of Waco’s cultural scene. With a mission not just to be the first boba shop in Waco, Li and Chen hope to use their restaurant as a bridge to highlight Asian American culture. Li and Chen discuss their journey to becoming community leaders, including founding the Asian Leaders Network, which organizes Waco’s Diwali Festival and Lunar New Year celebrations. Tune in to hear a story of a business dream turned community.We’ll have more new episodes of The Green Room for you every week Oh, and to make sure you get each episode, make sure to subscribe to The Latest, The Weekly, or The Monthly newsletter from The Baylor Line. You can also follow our feed wherever you listen to podcasts — such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.—Credits: Our theme music is “Short Circuit” by Ryan James Carr, with a special guest appearance by – yes – Abner McCall.Our episodes are made possible by a grant from the Eula Mae & John Baugh Foundation. And special thanks to our managing producer, Nina Um, and digital editor Kassidy Tsikitas.

In this episode of The Green Room, host Jonathon Platt sits down with Carole Fergusson, Executive Director of Keep Waco Beautiful and founder of Waco Restaurant Week. She discusses the story behind Waco Restaurant Week – how it’s grown, the opportunities for growth, and the purpose of the week. What began in 2019 as an effort to spotlight local restaurants has evolved into a citywide celebration that has raised thousands of dollars for local nonprofits while driving economic growth. Waco Restaurant Week offers numerous opportunities for local businesses to share their culture and delicious recipes with Waco, Baylor, and visitors. The Baylor Line is a proud sponsor of Waco Restaurant Week and to kick off the party The Baylor Line is hosting a panel discussion highlighting Baylor Alumni-Owned Businesses at 6 p.m. October 27.Tune in for a story where the main course is community.  We’ll have more new episodes of The Green Room for you every week–Oh, and to make sure you get each episode, make sure to subscribe to The Latest, The Weekly, or The Monthly newsletter from The Baylor Line. You can also follow our feed wherever you listen to podcasts — such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.—Credits: Our theme music is “Short Circuit” by Ryan James Carr, with a special guest appearance by – yes – Abner McCall.Our episodes are made possible by a grant from the Eula Mae & John Baugh Foundation. And special thanks to our managing producer, Nina Um, and digital editor Kassidy Tsikitas.

In this episode of The Green Room, host Jonathon Platt talks with the founders of 1953 Tequila – a premium, women-owned tequila brand. Baylor alumna Lindsey Davis Stover and partners Shivam Mallick Shah and Adriana Lopez tell the story of their shared vision turned into community and empowerment. The year 1953 honors a historical moment when  women in Mexico earned the right to vote. Every step of 1953 Tequila’s process reflects its commitment to quality and purpose. With Davis Stover’s background in public service, Shah’s marketing expertise, and Lopez’s deep family roots in tequila production, the trio built a company that’s breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry. “We didn't always grow up with opportunity…  It's hard to take risks because you just don't have that same safety net… We have been each other's safety net and that is just priceless.” - Shivam Mallick ShahTune in, raise a glass, and “cheers” to these trailblazers. We’ll have more new episodes of The Green Room for you every week – stay tuned for the incredible list of guests we’ve already lined up, namely: Carole Fergussen, Executive Director of Keep Waco BeautifulDevon Li & Jaja Chen, Owners of Cha Community Jackie Baugh Moore, Eula Mae & John Baugh Foundation President And so, so many more. Oh, and to make sure you get each episode, make sure to subscribe to The Latest, The Weekly, or The Monthly newsletter from The Baylor Line. You can also follow our feed wherever you listen to podcasts — such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.—Credits: Our theme music is “Short Circuit” by Ryan James Carr, with a special guest appearance by – yes – Abner McCall.Our episodes are made possible by a grant from the Eula Mae & John Baugh Foundation. And special thanks to our managing producer, Hope Daughtry, and digital editor Kassidy Tsikitas.