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CNN Live Today

Baylor University's Morale Boost

Aired September 04, 2003 - 10:08   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: At Baylor University, more tears and the welcome return of a bit of laughter. Comedian Bill Cosby is hosting what he's calling a pep rally for the school that was rocked by the death of basketball player Patrick Dennehy and the arrest of former teammate Carlton Dotson.
Our Ed Lavandera has been following the case, and he joins us with the latest from Waco.

Good morning -- Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Well, a few weeks ago, comedian Bill Cosby called the president of Baylor University and said that he would like to come here and help cheer up the students and faculty. And the president of the university says -- he thought it was kind of a joke at first, but Bill Cosby says that he was serious, that he's here performing free tonight.

This is the football stadium where fans usually come to cheer on the football team, but tonight the focus will be and the spotlight will be on comedian Bill Cosby. The stadium seats almost 50,000 people, and many of the students that we've talked to and faculty that we've talked to say that they're expecting a full house tonight, many people coming out to see Bill Cosby, to hear what he has to say.

And Bill Cosby says that he's coming to help cheer these students up, given it's been a very long summer with the death of Patrick Dennehy, the accusations that his former teammate, Carlton Dotson, is accused of murder in this case, and also the scandal that brought down the career here at Baylor University of basketball coach Dave Bliss.

All of the events taking place over the summer months. The students are back at school here.

But if Bill Cosby is expecting to find a lot of depressed students, we spent time on campus here yesterday talking to many students, and they say they're not depressed at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I don't think anybody ever expects for an organization that they're associated with, be it a university or a business, to end up in the news like this. It's never something that you expect, and so it was a surprise, I think, to a lot of people. But I think students for the most part have been handling it very well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know that we are just such a great school with so much spirit, and what has been portrayed in the news isn't really -- isn't really how we are at Baylor. So, yes, it's kind of hard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: You know, we talked to one student yesterday who said the lesson of what they've learned over the last couple of months is just how intense the glare of the media spotlight can be, especially when it's on your university, a place that you love to come to. And they say that's one of the lessons they've walked away with, knowing how to handle all of that attention.

Bill Cosby performs here tonight at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco here in the city of Waco starting at 8:00 tonight. And the public and everyone is welcome to attend -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, and Bill Cosby is just the perfect person to speak because this is a man that not only knows laughs, but knows tears. When it comes to murder, his own son, Ennis, was murdered back in 1997. So, he knows what it means to try to get through such a difficult situation.

LAVANDERA: And he wants to tap into that. You know, he spends a lot of time speaking to students and pursuing collegiate interests around the country as well, and that's one of the things that he hopes that his experience with all of that will help the students and faculty here.

KAGAN: Ed, thank you for that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired September 4, 2003 - 10:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: At Baylor University, more tears and the welcome return of a bit of laughter. Comedian Bill Cosby is hosting what he's calling a pep rally for the school that was rocked by the death of basketball player Patrick Dennehy and the arrest of former teammate Carlton Dotson.
Our Ed Lavandera has been following the case, and he joins us with the latest from Waco.

Good morning -- Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Well, a few weeks ago, comedian Bill Cosby called the president of Baylor University and said that he would like to come here and help cheer up the students and faculty. And the president of the university says -- he thought it was kind of a joke at first, but Bill Cosby says that he was serious, that he's here performing free tonight.

This is the football stadium where fans usually come to cheer on the football team, but tonight the focus will be and the spotlight will be on comedian Bill Cosby. The stadium seats almost 50,000 people, and many of the students that we've talked to and faculty that we've talked to say that they're expecting a full house tonight, many people coming out to see Bill Cosby, to hear what he has to say.

And Bill Cosby says that he's coming to help cheer these students up, given it's been a very long summer with the death of Patrick Dennehy, the accusations that his former teammate, Carlton Dotson, is accused of murder in this case, and also the scandal that brought down the career here at Baylor University of basketball coach Dave Bliss.

All of the events taking place over the summer months. The students are back at school here.

But if Bill Cosby is expecting to find a lot of depressed students, we spent time on campus here yesterday talking to many students, and they say they're not depressed at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I don't think anybody ever expects for an organization that they're associated with, be it a university or a business, to end up in the news like this. It's never something that you expect, and so it was a surprise, I think, to a lot of people. But I think students for the most part have been handling it very well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know that we are just such a great school with so much spirit, and what has been portrayed in the news isn't really -- isn't really how we are at Baylor. So, yes, it's kind of hard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: You know, we talked to one student yesterday who said the lesson of what they've learned over the last couple of months is just how intense the glare of the media spotlight can be, especially when it's on your university, a place that you love to come to. And they say that's one of the lessons they've walked away with, knowing how to handle all of that attention.

Bill Cosby performs here tonight at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco here in the city of Waco starting at 8:00 tonight. And the public and everyone is welcome to attend -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, and Bill Cosby is just the perfect person to speak because this is a man that not only knows laughs, but knows tears. When it comes to murder, his own son, Ennis, was murdered back in 1997. So, he knows what it means to try to get through such a difficult situation.

LAVANDERA: And he wants to tap into that. You know, he spends a lot of time speaking to students and pursuing collegiate interests around the country as well, and that's one of the things that he hopes that his experience with all of that will help the students and faculty here.

KAGAN: Ed, thank you for that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.