Author: Ava Dunwoody

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterBaylor University has earned three new accomplishments with the start of the 2020-2021 school year, including record enrollment numbers, ranking number 76 among National Universities and being named a 2020 Great College to Work For.Despite the irregular academic adaptations due to COVID-19, Baylor’s 2020 freshman class is the largest the university has ever seen. In a press release by the university, President Linda Livingstone attributed this to a “team effort” by Baylor faculty and staff in executing Baylor’s mission statement. “Even in the face of many unknowns and uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterThe added stress of the pandemic has led the Baylor Counseling Center to create a new support group, entitled “Quarenteam.” Starting Sept. 24, the group will meet via zoom from 5-6 p.m. every Thursday.Postdoctoral Fellow Lauren Volpei of the Baylor Counseling Center will be facilitating the meetings each week and said she is “looking forward to it.” In the What’s New BU email sent out on Sept. 14, she announced the formation of Quarenteam.“This is not therapy, but rather a safe place to support one another as a listener and participant,” Volpei said in the…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterThe Baylor Line’s 50th anniversary season has begun with new rules of conduct, including Bluetooth bracelets to be worn for COVID-19 contact tracing. In a press release posted on Thursday, the university outlined the precautions for the first home game, which will be against Kansas on Saturday.In addition, the Line will be limited to “approximately 500 students” and will “move directly to the designated student seating section to avoid the risk of extended close proximity” instead of forming the typical tunnel for the football team.Facemasks and social distancing will also be required throughout the game.The…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterInternational students returned to Baylor, bringing along with them the diversity that contributes to the university’s culture. While 62% of Baylor students come from Texas, 4.9% of students have come from out of the country to call Baylor home.The university’s 19,297 students, both undergraduate and graduate, come from a total of 96 countries.Sophomore Eunice Philip was born in Maiduguri, Nigeria, and is one of the many international students with a story behind how Baylor became her home.“In Nigeria, we have a lot of terrorist group activities that dominate the area,” Philip said. When she was…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterThe Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty joined the fight against childhood hunger during the pandemic with the Emergency Meals-To-You program. Since March, the organization has helped deliver over 28 million meals to around 270,000 children in rural communities in 43 states around the country.They have partnered with the United States Department of Agriculture, McLane Global, PepsiCo and Chartwells. Doug McDurham, director of strategy and programs for the collaborative, said these meals went to children of families that typically qualify for federal funding via free or discounted school meals.“We know that child hunger peaks in…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterLocal eateries around Waco have teamed up with Baylor University in a new initiative to bring food trucks on campus. Sept. 18 will mark the end of the first round of food trucks, which included Waco Cha and Heart of Texas Dog House.Jordy Dickey, assistant director of student union at Baylor, said the student activity department has reached out to local businesses and invited them to come to campus. From there, companies filled out an application, completed permit forms and scheduled a time to park their trucks.“A robust line-up of food trucks will participate in…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterBaylor Dining Services has halted the use of washable dishes in favor of plastic foam to-go boxes to abide by new COVID-19 policies. Additionally, self-serve stations have been removed and seating capacity is now at 34% in Penland Crossroads.The Waco-McLennan Public Health District has been in conversation with Baylor about updated health codes since the start of the pandemic. Sean McMahon, Aramark resident district manager, said they have been working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Jefferson Health guidelines as well.“We have had to implement multiple new policies and procedures in…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterBible studies and life groups have returned with the start of the school year, but they are no exception to the changes brought by the pandemic. The divide between forming close connections and being far apart has become a new challenge.Baylor Greek and religious organizations offer Bible studies with ties to the university, and churches all around Waco host life groups off campus. Carlton junior Caroline Crocker is in a Bible study with Harris Creek Baptist Church and has she attended the group since her freshman year.“I think some of the challenges that life groups…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterCollege students continue to enter the workforce despite the uncertainty of the fall semester. So far, Baylor University has given 2,744 job assignments to students around campus according to the Student Employment Center.This does not include the number of students working off-campus. As of 2018, the National Center for Education Statistics said 81% of undergraduate students work part-time and 43% work full-time nationally.Stephanie Horton, director of Baylor Human Capital Management & HR Service Center, handles the logistics of student hires and helps to complete necessary employment forms. She said a work-study program is a great…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterWhile a new semester brings students back to campus, it brings with it an increase in crime. For students on and off campus, the amount of car break-ins and vehicle theft is on the rise.Crime Prevention Officer Sofie Martinez of the Waco Police Department said that “burglaries in the Baylor area have gone up 31%” compared to this time last year. In August 2019, there were 97 reported burglaries. In August 2020, there were 143.“With a burglar, they are looking for an opportunity to break into a vehicle. If they go by and check a…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterChip and Joanna Gaines put Waco on the map back in 2014 with the HGTV hit “Fixer Upper” — and now it’s back. After ending the show in 2018, the couple decided to film another season to pair with the release of the upcoming Magnolia Network channel. Originally set for Oct. 4, the Magnolia Network launch has been pushed back due to the pandemic. The company plans to take over what is now the DIY channel sometime in 2021. The new season of “Fixer Upper” was announced on the Magnolia Blog Aug. 4.“It’s with a…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterLocal 18-and-up pub Scruffy Murphy’s is finding creative ways to stay afloat, including teaming up with Shorty’s Pizza Shack. The pub, locally known as “Scruff’s,” has been closed since March due to the pandemic.After reopening briefly at the end of May, Scruff’s, located at 1226 Speight Ave. in Waco, was forced to shut its doors again on June 26 and is still closed. Unlike many shops and restaurants, COVID-19 regulations do not permit reopening at this time.“It’s been awful,” Kevin McBride, general manager of Scruffy Murphy’s, said. “It’s been really really bad. It’s frustrating, because…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterWe’ve all heard of and probably feared the “Freshman 15” when we came into college — I know I did. But one thing I didn’t think I’d have to worry about is how my relationship with food would shift now that I was wholly responsible for what I ate.When I got to school, I quickly learned that eating in college can be really difficult. For the first time many students are given complete control over their diet, and while this can cultivate healthy habits, it can also lead to a constant battle with a student…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterSmall businesses like Shorty’s Pizza Shack in Waco are bouncing back with the return of students after COVID-19-induced economic turmoil. In a city that suffers when Baylor is out of session, the extended three months of quarantine proved especially difficult.Bob Woodard, shareholder at JRBT, a Waco-based accounting firm, and adjunct lecturer at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, works with companies in and around Waco on accounting and tax returns. He said about 90% of his clients are local businesses.“The last five months for many of my clients have really been a struggle. Baylor students spend…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterBaylor University President Linda Livingstone sent an email to parents Wednesday night outlining the repercussions of noncompliance with COVID-19 regulations. Penalties include suspension and expulsion.Two hours later, a similar email with additional information was sent to students. The email, sent by Dr. Sharra Hynes, associate vice president and dean of students in the Division of Student Life, updated punishments for noncompliance, including a repeated suspension and expulsion threat, and added a “fine of $250 per occurrence” for breaking local and state ordinances.“Baylor students who fail to comply with Baylor Policies and/or local and state resolutions…

By Ava Dunwoody | Staff WriterThe Commission on Historic Campus Representations is working to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement at Baylor University. The purpose of the commission, announced on July 6, is to research Baylor’s ties to injustice and form a proposal to be deliberated by the university.Members of the commission were appointed based on their ability to contribute to the group, including their unique perspectives, expertise in diversity and historical research and different positions throughout campus. The 26 members and three co-chair commissioners include students, faculty, staff and alumni who were named in a press release published…