By Piper Rutherford | Staff Writer
Hospitality Crew applications are open for students who want to be a part of the behind-the-scenes planning that goes into Baylor traditions like New Student Orientation and Line Camp.
Enrollment management director Jen McCrady said a total of 56,000 students submitted an application to Baylor for the fall 2024 semester.
“This is a record-breaking year,” McCrady said. “There are a lot of reasons as to why the numbers have increased, and our new student experiences are a big part of this, whether that includes the new Hurd Welcome Center or our first-year student traditions.”
As for the purpose of first-year student traditions, associate director of new student programs Keane Tarbell said the “H Crew” offers customer service to attendees of Orientation and Line Camp, so new students and their families feel a warm welcome to Baylor.
“We aim to support the guests on campus, either by greeting them with a friendly face, being in golf carts to transport people around from one location to another on those hot summer days, putting out tables and chairs for meals or setting up sound equipment for presentations about student life,” Tarbell said. “One, in particular, extends to the Baylor tradition of going to Independence and then making sure that milk and cookies are waiting for new students when they arrive back to campus.”
Tarbell said the Hospitality Crew application will ask more personal questions about the applicant so that they can learn about the distinct and diverse attributes the applicant will bring to the team.
This diversity, McCrady said, is becoming more prevalent at Baylor, whether that pertains to out-of-state students or first-generation students.
“We continue to see an awesome diverse student population,” McCrady said. “Just under 50% are applying from outside of Texas, including but not limited to states like California, Florida and Washington, and our first-generation students this year will comprise of about 33% of the student body.”
The types of service-oriented students that Tarbell is looking for are those who want to humbly serve Baylor by creating memories for new students as they begin acclimating themselves to their home away from home.
“We want students who love people and can speak positively about the school — students who can get excited about these beloved traditions as if it is their first time experiencing them,” Tarbell said.
Students can find applications to be a member of the Hospitality Crew in summer 2024 under Student Employment on Ignite, where they will find more information about wages and hours of employment.
