Hey Bears!

Welcome back to Waco and the start of the second semester. Despite the dropping temperatures and the stress of classes, I cannot tell you how much joy I have found in being back on campus.

Every time I return after a break, I am reminded of the many lessons I am learning so far during my time here. The most recent of these is that we are here to grow. College is an incredibly formative time of life, and while the fun parts are awesome, there are a lot of challenges and adversities we face every day.

Whether it’s a difficult class, homesickness, insecurity, torn relationships or a number of other hardships (not to mention the impact of COVID-19), it can easily become overwhelming to get lost in everything that is going wrong. I know I do. It might feel like you’re “doing college wrong” because not every day is as fun as you feel it’s supposed to be.

I’m here to assure you that college is more than just Instagram moments with friends. It’s about growth and learning, both inside the classroom and out. One day you might be learning quantum physics and the next day how to stop shrinking your clothes in the dryer. Maybe you’re working on how to build positive friendships or manage your time better. Change is happening in all different areas of our lives because that is what college is really all about: growth.

As we go into this semester, start noticing all the ways in which you have grown here at Baylor. Every time you walk past your freshman dorm, remember the person you were when you first walked through those doors. Little did you know then what was to come, and little do you know now what is to be.

Here’s to a semester of resilience, joy, growth and hopefully picking up a lot of copies of The Baylor Lariat 🙂

As always, thanks for reading!

– Ava Dunwoody | Editor-in-Chief