By Zainab Richardson | Staff Writer
Wonders of Waco, a cohort of 11 small businesses, debuted Tuesday afternoon during Dr Pepper Hour, and behind it is a push to solve a disconnect between the Waco community and Baylor students.
Co-hosted by Multicultural Affairs and Student Government, Wonders of Waco included laundry services and teeth-whitening services — in one of Baylor’s most beloved traditions. At the event, students in attendance had the opportunity to meet local business owners while enjoying a Dr Pepper float.
Behind the launch of the event were three years of planning, and its final fruition was the result of many hands working together.
Waco senior Mikey Condon, the student body external vice president and an event organizer, said this project is particularly special to him as a Waco resident.
“We wanted to bring businesses from all different aspects of Waco to showcase them off in a way that is positive,” Condon said. “We are residents here for our four years, so we should contribute to the local small-business atmosphere that Waco’s creating.”
The main objective was to help Baylor students burst the Baylor bubble and connect to the Waco community and its small businesses. To do so, organizers brought the Waco community into the Baylor bubble, allowing students to see what Waco has to offer without stepping off campus.
Acworth, Ga., sophomore Gracesherry Anika attended the event and said she appreciated the focus on minority-owned businesses.
“The ones that you hear about a lot on campus are restaurants when they’re trying to get food or funding for different cultural events,” Anika said. “But I haven’t heard of very many crafts or non-food businesses. So I was very glad to see a lot of them, especially with minorities.”
Though the event brought Waco into the Baylor bubble, organizers said they hope the event won’t be a one-time connection. Not only might it convince students to step outside to reconnect with the business owners they met, but Condon also hopes to continue the Wonders of Waco event each year so students can learn about the community they call home during their time at Baylor.
“We have a few metrics internally that we’re looking at and seeing how we want to continue today or how we want to reimagine it because it is a pilot year,” Condon said.
