By Clara Snyder | Staff Writer
In the fall of 2020, I embarked on the journey of convincing universities that I did more in high school than label campus electrical outlets as fork holders and change my hair. When it came to college applications, my primary goal was to end up at least 1,500 miles away, in any direction, from my high school in Arizona.
Out of the seven schools I was most interested in, Baylor was the only university that didn’t meet my criteria for distance. I spent an unfortunate amount of time trying to convince myself that Baylor was not the right choice for me, purely because of the fact it was in Texas.
I spent most of my life thinking Texas had nothing more to it than reverence for the American flag and my greatest enemy, country music. My opinion remained unchanged until I arrived at Baylor and realized that I was predestined to live in Texas, the state I now deem as the most hilariously unique place in the United States.
The first aspect of my new favorite state in the U.S. is the eternal conquest of reconstructing Interstate 35. I have yet to ascertain proof for this theory, but I firmly believe that the City of Waco is attempting to set a world record for the most unnecessarily long construction project in American history.
We all owe the Texas Department of Transportation a thank you note for the unwavering unity it has fostered for us here at Baylor University. Such unity could not be achieved in any context outside of the shared struggle to find a single route to a daily destination that can be taken again day after day.
My second favorite characteristic of this great state is the ability to travel virtually anywhere in the world without leaving Texas. Do not bother squandering your paychecks on a plane ticket; it’s likely that the vacation destination of your dreams can be found within driving distance from the beautiful city of Waco.
If you’re currently desiring a getaway to the United Kingdom, today is your lucky day. The city of Liverpool awaits your arrival with a staggering population of 587 people, and it’s only a three-and-a-half-hour drive from our university.
For those looking for a luxurious escape and a taste of the West Coast, McLennan County has made that escape easily accessible to Baylor students by bringing Beverly Hills to our front door. A quick 11-mile drive will bring you to the untold treasures of Rodeo Drive.
Your desired destination is never far away when you’re within Texas state lines. If the above locations don’t spark your interest, you may consider visiting Miami, Moscow, Turkey or Santa Fe, all of which can be found here in Texas.
My final reason for my heart belonging to Texas is the unsurpassed audacity of the powers that require by law that students who attend public schools must pledge allegiance daily to the flags of the United States and the Lone Star State. Out of the 50 states in America, 17 have their own state pledge, but Texas solidifies its individuality yet again by being the only state to recite its pledge in public schools each morning.
The more I get to know Texas, the more my desire grows to unironically recite the Texas pledge when I wake up in the morning. Whether it be an elaborate construction prank on the city of Waco, a small town impersonating a foreign location or the Cockroach Hall of Fame Museum in Plano, there is truly something for everyone in the Lone Star State.
