By Sydney Matthews | Staff Writer
Baylor is opening the opportunity for graduating seniors to get their photos taken at McLane Stadium for the first time. Photos will be taken May 12 and 13 by a hired photographer and sign ups are open to graduating students and their families.
Joshua Bearden, director of McLane Stadium operations, said the organizers for the opportunity will have a photographer lined up from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days for a $125 flat rate.
“We have always had some interest in the past, but sometimes just renting the field individually can be too expensive, so we wanted to give it a try this year,” Bearden said.
He said this year will determine if this will be a permanent opportunity for Baylor seniors. So far, he said the feedback from students and their families has been great and time slots have been filling up quickly.
“I feel like this can be a great opportunity for seniors looking to take photos at McLane. It can be hard getting those photos by yourself,” Bothell, Wash., senior Dawson Drews said.
Drews said he knows a lot of seniors that are going to want to participate in this opportunity. He thinks it is an easy way to get photos of not only the student, but with their families as well.
Drews said he appreciates Baylor always finding new ways to recognize graduating seniors. Students work so hard during their time at Baylor and this is just another way to celebrate that effort, he said.
Students will have 15 minutes on the field with the photographer. After the photos are taken, the photographer will hand a QR code to the student with access to the photos.
Bearden said his team chose graduation weekend specifically for photos since families will be in town to celebrate. He said they decided this would be a way to offer photos at a lower expense.
“A lot of students have spent some time over here at the stadium whether if it was at football games, other student activities that host private events here or back in their freshman days when they were learning all of the traditions like the Baylor line and camp orientation,” Bearden said. “McLane Stadium has just kind of become a really cool focal point of Baylor’s campus, and this is a really unique opportunity for them to have those special memories and those photos stay with them forever.
Bearden also said time slots are filling up fast and sign-ups are open until May 11 by the end of the day. He said organizers will also try to accommodate more students by possibly opening up more time slots as the day gets closer.
