Author: Abby Rathburn

First-year students gathered around Fountain Mall to commemorate their first year at Baylor. Through ice cream, yard games and fellowship with friends, many students reflected on a year of growth.

Four years after freshman move-in, the Honors Residential College dorms remain home to many graduating seniors today. While many students started looking for off-campus housing for their freshman or sophomore years, some seniors found the community of Memorial and Alexander Residence Halls worth sticking around for.

Students who live in three of the two-year dorms at Baylor — Teal Residential College, Honor Residential College or Brooks Residential College — sign a two-year contract when they move in. For some, the experience grows their community. For others, it’s a fight to get out of the contract.

Residential chaplains are seminary students at George W. Truett Theological Seminary who choose to live alongside undergraduate students, dedicating 20 hours a week to providing spiritual support for the challenges of daily life.

The student-run organization Apparel Professionals hosted a clothing swap on Fountain Mall on Monday, where students could easily refresh their wardrobes while embracing a more sustainable approach to fashion.

Students might notice the green polo and khaki shorts-clad guides walking around campus with groups of prospective students — but what goes unnoticed are the challenges of being a Baylor tour guide.

Beta Upsilon Chi is drawing attention on campus after coming off a first-place Sing victory and recruiting 28 new members, nearly doubling its organization’s size. The men of BYX hope to continue this momentum as they share their “why Beta Upsilon Chi.”

For years, Baylor has identified as an evangelical Christian university while maintaining its Baptist heritage. However, a shift in recruitment strategy has shifted the student body away from its Baptist roots, and now, fewer students than ever identify as Baptist.

What started as a project in an advanced project management class may become a reality. A group of students has worked with University Architect David Bess for months to design a shed that protects e-scooters and bikes from theft.

Students across campus gathered to support “Kicks for CASA” Saturday evening at the BSB fields, raising funds for children in the foster care system. Although many teams competed, Sigma Alpha Epsilon took home the championship.

Over time, the church has made Christ’s death and suffering too normalized. His horrible pain and agony have been lessened in our hearts and minds, and it is easier now than ever before to forget the brutality of Christ’s crucifixion. Watching “The Passion of the Christ” will remind viewers of this sacrifice and realign their hearts toward God in an honorable manner.

Students, faculty and staff manned a prayer tent around the clock during FM72 for attendees to pray and worship anytime. Additionally, students of all denominations gathered each night for a special time of worship and a message, according to Director of Operations Anna Webb.

Amid ongoing staff shortages, Baylor students are taking steps to ensure a smooth Easter break. Some turn to smaller airports, such as Dallas Love Field and Waco, while others plan to arrive early.

Saturday morning, students, faculty and members of the Waco community gathered for the Bearathon. Through this, Student Foundation raised money for student scholarships.

The debate featured two panelists from the College Republicans and two panelists from the College Democrats, as well as the moderator, who fielded audience questions coming via a QR code posted at the beginning of the event. Upon hearing the question, each organization had approximately two minutes to answer.

TPUSA is coming to Baylor, and students have varying reactions. Some argue that Baylor is expanding free speech, while others argue that Baylor is making a clear political statement by inviting the organization onto campus.

Students from across the U.S. involved in Baylor’s OTD program gathered Wednesday afternoon for a social tailgate to bond with each other and celebrate their white coat ceremony.

With all 1,700 spots filled, Student Foundation achieved a record-breaking number of sign-ups for the Bearathon, selling out of tickets more than a month before the race.

Unlike traditional hands-on volunteering, the Steppin’ Out planning committee offers a unique service of coordinating the event itself. Those interested in joining should attend the Tuesday interest meeting for more details.

Alpha Epsilon Delta, the American Student Dental Association and the Physician Assistant Society collaborated through a joint clinical etiquette workshop Wednesday night in the BSB. Through this, professionals shared what to do and what not to do while job shadowing.

Whether you want to admit it or not, sex can never truly be casual. Even so, undergraduates routinely turn to it in college, as they seek after the “college experience,” in an effort to cure their own feelings of loneliness.

In building truly meaningful relationships, there is a connection between vulnerability and trust, where the success of one is likewise dependent on the success of the other. Associate Chaplain and Director for Chapel Rev. Dr. Erin Moniz encouraged her audience to consider how this shapes all types of relationships.

It takes mere seconds for hackers to access what took years to build. Alumni of the Cybersecurity Club shared their tips and tricks for entering a workforce with such high stakes on Friday evening in Cashion 314.

As the walls of Waco Hall begin to echo with songs and dancing, campus gears up for All-University Sing 2026. While opening night promises entertainment and dramatic reveals, what goes unnoticed is the real cost behind producing it all.

Baylor’s Society of Automotive Engineers will compete in a five day-long competition in Oregon with teams from all across the country May 7 through May 12. Throughout the entire year, this organization has worked to design and build a car from scratch.

With about 70 active members, HSA has remained relatively small. To afford hosting bigger events, such as Fiesta, they must first run smaller fundraisers.

On Friday and Saturday, Baylor hosted Invitation to Excellence, also known as I2E. This recruitment event invites high-achieving students from across the country to experience Baylor firsthand. By simply showing up, prospective students receive an automatic $5,000 scholarship.

Bella Howell, Class of 2025 graduate from Southlake, was honored as Clinical Teacher of the Year for the state of Texas for her student-teaching position during her senior year.

“In a way, it’s not a typical service where you have a straightforward worship leader and somebody guiding the entire service,” Wylie sophomore Aaron Cash said. “We do have structure to kind of just keep us going, but really it’s a space for people to come and worship together and to bring their own songs.”

As of fall 2025, 14.24% of Baylor’s student body are self-identified Catholics, ranking as the third largest religiously-identified group on campus behind only nondenominational and Baptist. Given differing theology, what draws Catholics to a Baptist university?