By Gillian Taylor | Staff Writer
With COVID-19 restrictions easing after approximately two years, incoming freshmen got to experience Baylor Line Camp and Welcome Week in person, unlike many current upperclassmen.
Baylor Line Camp and Welcome Week are traditions that allow for a smooth transition for new students on campus. They aid in establishing friendships and help students adjust to their new home.
In the summer of 2020, Baylor Line Camp was held entirely virtually, with students joining in from the comfort of their homes. Welcome Week also had various restrictions in place to ensure safety during the pandemic.
“It was sad because people just weren’t as invested on camera,” Seattle junior Amelia Poad said. “They would walk away from the camera, and during Zoom, no one wanted to talk.”
Poad said she only knew one person in the new Baylor class. She said her online Baylor Line Camp leaders conducted “icebreaker” games to introduce the group members. Still, when she returned to campus, she said she was worried she wouldn’t recognize her group because they had never met in person.
“Some people I never saw after Line Camp or never reached out, and that’s OK,” Poad said.
Poad said she also felt many people in her group never bought into the idea of Baylor Line Camp.
For Poad, the main Welcome Week events were also held through Zoom. The annual Academic Convocation typically brings together administrators, faculty and students, but Poad said she had to watch from her dorm room.
“Socially, I felt OK going into my first week,” Poad said. “It was just hard because some people had huge groups of friends already because they were from Texas. I felt like I had four.”
Poad said she eventually made good friends throughout the first year, despite the challenges of the pandemic.
The freshman class of 2025 got a taste of a normal Baylor Line Camp and Welcome Week this previous year, and as COVID-19 cases continued to decline, the incoming class of 2026 this year had a similar experience.
Roswell, N.M., freshman Amelia Tenorio also came from out of state. Tenorio attended an in-person Baylor Line Camp and Welcome Week. She said it was the highlight of her summer.
“Everyone was honestly so willing to meet new people,” Tenorio said.
Tenorio said she isn’t nervous about settling into Baylor. She said she recognized many familiar faces on campus and feels much more comfortable after attending the two traditions. She also said she knows her way around campus better.
“I feel lucky because I know others didn’t have everything as we did,” Tenorio said.
