Baylor News
The 2.25-mile Bear Trail around campus is mostly concrete, but three-fourths of a mile between the Dutton Garage and the intersection of Second Street and Bagby Avenue is a softer decomposed granite surface that narrows to just a few feet in some spots. Construction Project Manager AJ Mueller said that about two-thirds of that stretch is currently being upgraded to an 8-foot-wide concrete sidewalk, while the remaining third near Dutton Garage is tentatively scheduled for the same work.
Though the observances come from vastly different cultures and religions, Christians and Muslims across campus observe Lent and Ramadan this month, two practices involving fasting and sacrifice.
Dr. Lewis Lummer, senior lecturer of communication sciences and disorders, has taught ASL for 17 years at Baylor. Throughout his time as a lecturer, Lummer advocated for expanding the classes offered in the department to respond to the recent rise in demand.
The Student Government Allocation Fund distributes roughly $500,000 in university operational dollars each semester to support events, campus improvements and student initiatives. Funds are awarded on a merit basis to eligible student organizations, according to DeRidder, La., junior and Senate Internal Vice President Ashlyn Graves.
Waco News
The Baylor University Institute for Oral History hosted the Black History Month Walk to honor on the people in history that might have been forgotten. The annual event hosted about 100 people through the streets of Waco Saturday morning, beginning at the McLennan County courthouse.
Between Valley Mills Drive and Irving Lee Street — home to campus’s closest H-E-B — the southbound I-35 frontage road has been cut down to one lane since mid-2025. Its completion, along with other parts of the project, such as a new intersection at Valley Mills, will improve the driving experience in the area. But for now, traffic has swelled on the street where students make their final right turn into the H-E-B parking lot.
Previously a national security correspondent, Sid Balman Jr. has written a new novel that shifts from his focus on foreign conflict to a tragedy closer to home: “The Mural.”
Women of Waco’s inaugural networking conference, Level Up 2026, aims at providing women with a support network that fosters more inclusive workplaces and a community of women to thrive in professional careers.
State News
Texas voters turned out in historic numbers Tuesday, delivering victories for State Rep. James Talarico and forcing a runoff between Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the state’s U.S. Senate contest that claimed national attention. The total early-voting turnout of more than 2.5 million marks the highest ever for a midterm primary election. The results also kicked off the 2026 midterm cycle.
INTERNATIONAL
The largest U.S. military operation in the Middle East in decades unfolded as American and Israeli forces struck Iran Saturday, killing its supreme leader and triggering retaliatory strikes from the Gulf to Israel. The White House said the campaign is aimed at dismantling Iran’s military and toppling its government.
Dr. Joshua Alley, assistant professor of political science, said part of the Trump administration’s interest in Greenland has to do with America’s national security strategy.
The abduction of a foreign leader was not on most students’ bingo cards for winter break. Once news headlines began appearing about Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and how his wife were removed from Venezuela, most people scratched their heads in confusion, wondering where the news came from and why it happened.
“Parents have a significant impact on the value system and the ideological system that children develop over time. We’re all impacted by the messages that we hear growing up in our parents’ home,” McAninch said.