Author: Brooke Hill

By Brooke Hill | Copy EditorThe School of Education has won a prestigious national honor for back-to-back years in recognition of its Professional Development School partnership with local schools.The partnership between Baylor School of Education and Waco Independent School District has earned the Exemplary Professional Development School Achievement Award from the National Association for Professional Development Schools. The award was presented in March to Baylor and Waco ISD, along with three other university-public school partnerships, at the National Association for Professional Development Schools annual conference in Jacksonville, Fla.Dr. Terrill Saxon, Interim Dean of the School of Education, said it was…

By Brooke Hill | Copy EditorEight female leaders from the military, the campus and the community encouraged students Wednesday at the Bobo Spiritual Life center with their stories of servant leadership.The panel opened up discussions on transitioning between stages of life, perceptions of femininity and advice on how to become the best leader.Combat veteran, retired US Army chief warrant officer and award-winning author Lila Holley, said she didn’t have a proper support system when she started the transition from active duty to civilian after serving for 14 years.”I went into it like everything else in my military career with a…

Tea2Go is now NobiliTea.

By Brooke Hill | Copy EditorWith the recent soft opening of the restaurant Magnolia Table, the Chip and Joanna Gaines takeover has been more evident than ever across the Waco community. If I had seen one more picture of Magnolia Table on my Instagram story the week it opened, I would have screamed.There’s no doubt that the Gaineses have contributed significantly to the Waco economy, but the focus on Magnolia and Magnolia Table has turned Waco into a tourist trap and shifted the focus from what Waco truly is: a small town with local charm.If the Gaineses truly cared about…

By Brooke Hill | Copy EditorBaylor is a school of family traditions, and All-University SING marks one of the most elaborate of them all.For Dallas junior Madison Wachel, Sing has been passed down in her family through generations; her grandmother, mother, aunt and older sister have all participated at one point or another.”Sing has just always been a part of my life,” Wachel said. “I grew up coming to Pigskin for homecoming, and then I would always come down for Sing, especially when my sister was in it, and she was a chair. I kind of just grew up watching…

By Brooke Hill | Copy EditorIn May 2016, Harvard began the discussion of refusing to recognize all single-gender groups on campus. This would have the largest impact on sororities and fraternities, and it is presumably aiming to eliminate the possibility of facing problems with sexual assault and hazing, which are sometimes associated with Greek life. The university renewed adoption of this policy in December 2017. Needless to say, this did not go over well. Any single-gender groups that chose to remain on campus despite university’s new policy have started to see the effects of the new sanctions. The sanctions –…

By Brooke Hill | Copy EditorThe Jubilee Theatre was packed Monday morning in anticipation of Mission Waco’s day-long celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.Around 100 residents gathered to hear five children from the theater program perform a dramatic reading. The reading was a compilation of King’s most impactful and well-known sermons and speeches.”In my mind, the greatest way to honor a man of such a magnitude is to use the very words that he spoke and that he wrote,” said Jubilee Theatre Director Trent Sutton. “What is amazing about Martin Luther King is not only what he did while he…

By Brooke Hill | Staff Writer Snow labs, Santa and a model train display were just some of the events that were featured during Christmas at the Mayborn Museum on Thursday. The museum begins planning for the annual event a couple months ahead, according to museum engagement coordinator Anna McKay. “I just love Christmas at the Mayborn in general, not even this event specifically just because of all of the decorations that we have around the museum,” McKay said. “Then just being able to combine our science and learning with Christmas and wintertime themes, it’s a really fun challenge for…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterCandy cane soda, eggnog soda and hot Dr Pepper are some Christmas treats that aren’t all too common.At the Dr Pepper Museum’s 10th annual “A Dr Pepper Christmas” from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy musical groups from nearby school orchestras, bands and choirs, as well as to take pictures with Santa, make some crafts and receive a full meal.”I like seeing all the different music groups that come in,” said Mary Beth Farrell, communications manager for the museum. “We have some of the same ones that come every…

By Brooke Hill | Staff Writer When I went to Walmart to look for on-sale Halloween candy on Oct. 31, all that I could find was Christmas candy. I couldn’t have been more excited. Christmas decorations are already up in the Baylor Science Building (BSB). The Christmas cups are out at Starbucks. Countless homes have put up Christmas trees and lights. Everyone seems to be in a holly, jolly mood before the month of December arrives. Some people hate those that celebrate Christmas as soon as Halloween ends, seemingly skipping over Thanksgiving. It’s not that Thanksgiving is not important or…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterThere’s a new editor in town.Waco native Craig Cunningham said he is excited to be back in Waco as the new editor and creative director of the Baylor Line Foundation. In his office filled with Baylor paraphernalia, countless books and keepsakes, we sat down to discuss what brought him back to Waco, his goals and what he’s excited to bring to the Baylor Line Foundation’s magazine and its media.Q: Tell me a little bit about your family, I know you just welcomed a baby girl.My first baby, she’s 2 now. I’ve been married to my…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterAt Baylor, Christmas takes on a special meaning.Not only is it a joyous time of year, but it’s the time of year that Baylor alumni and others are able to give back to the university.The 2017 Christmas Catalog presents alums and other adults with ideas about how to give back to the Baylor community. Ranging from the Baylor Scholarship Fund to the Baylor University Golden Wave Band, there are ways to donate to every part of the community.Laura Lucas, director of annual giving at Baylor said the catalog usually has between 30 and 40 projects…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterThis student took the saying “lifting someone up” to a whole new level.Fair Oaks Ranch freshman Matthew Garcia was in the crowd for his brother’s youth football game in San Antonio when he noticed something strange. Addie Rodriguez, a member of the cheerleading squad for the opponents, was crying on the sidelines.The cheerleaders had planned a special set of cheers that included the cheerleaders’ moms and dads. First, the girls cheered with their moms, then their dads. All except Addie Rodriguez. Her father, Abel Rodriguez, is a senior airman and medevac tech in the Air…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterThe first thought that comes to mind when thinking about homeless individuals in Waco is not a child. However, the reality is that there are children in this community that do not have a place to call home or enough food to keep them healthy.Waco Independent School District estimates about 1,200 of its students per year are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.In spring 2016, the Sanctuary House, a short term emergency housing program for homeless families in the Waco ISD opened in an attempt to help the problem.The house is a…

Baylor sororities raise over $373,000 for philanthropies

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterThis year, furry friends in Waco will have something to be thankful for, too.The Mayborn Museum invited people to their Design Den on Thursday night to make fleece blankets to donate for use in animal crates at the Humane Society of Central Texas.”We are honored to be selected for this wonderful event,” said Don Bland, executive director of the Humane Society of Central Texas. “Going into the cooler months, these blankets will be put to good use by the animals at the shelter while they wait for their new homes.”Design Den coordinator Emily Clark said…

By Brooke Hill | Staff Writer Lions, tigers and bears, oh my! Creative Waco, Waco’s local arts agency, has partnered with the city to request proposals for sculptures of Cameron Park zoo animals to line the roads leading to the entrance of the zoo. The request for proposals is extended to individual artists, art students and design teams with no geographic limitations as to place of work or residence. Submissions may be in the form of new work or existing art available for purchase. The subject matter is limited to sculptures of animals found in the Cameron Park Zoo. These…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterCameron Park is a popular study and hang out spot among students, but now there’s a way to spend time at Cameron Park while getting class credit for it.This aerobic walking class meets at Redwood Shelter at Cameron Park. This semester was the class’s “trial run,” according to Jennifer Martinsen, part-time lecturer in the department of health, human performance & recreation. In the future, Martinsen said she wants the class to be latest class of the day or early in the day so that she doesn’t have to start late and let out early to…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterAmerican students dancing Bollywood-style and Indian students two-stepping is an exchange that happens quite rarely.Friday night in Jones Theatre of the Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center, students from Christ University in Bangalore, India, joined Baylor Theatre students in the “East Meets West” dance recital. Students and faculty of Christ University have spent the past three weeks at Baylor, and Baylor theater students got the chance to visit students at Christ University during summer 2017.Christ University students arrived at Baylor just in time to see Pigskin, which members said was a unique experience for them. They also…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterJust as perfect fall walking, running and bicycling weather sets in, the Lake Waco dam trail will be closed to pedestrians.Crews have started on a $1 million project to reconstruct the top of the dam to fix deep cracks up to 6 inches wide on the top of it, according to Jeff Boutwell, Recreation Business Line Manager for the Army Corps of Engineers.”The people who normally walk up there, this impacts them because it’s a part of their routine, but it’s necessary for safety reasons,” Boutwell said. “They’re going to be tearing up part of…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterThe toxic levels of lead in children’s blood levels in Flint, Mich., sparked outrage when discovered. Here in Waco, 17.6 percent of children in the 76707 zip code were found to have levels of lead higher than five micrograms per deciliter, which is the amount that is considered dangerous according to federal guidelines.”Most people don’t realize that lead is still an issue in our community, our surrounding states,” said Kelly Craine, public information specialist for the Waco-McLennan County district. “When we think of lead toxicity or lead poisoning, typically people think of Flint, Michigan, and…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterThe Baylor Symphony Orchestra proved there’s more than one way to serve, by providing the gift of their music.In early October, the group held a fundraising concert to celebrate Meals on Wheels Waco’s 50th birthday: that means 50 years of serving homebound individuals in Central Texas, bringing them meals, arranging transportation to their medical appointments, and organizing events and meals at senior centers.The orchestra is directed by Stephen Heyde, the Mary Franks Thompson professor of orchestral activities and conductor-in-residence at Baylor. Heyde titled the evening “There Is More to a Symphony than Just Beethoven” in…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterUpset with the way things have been handled at Baylor? The upcoming regents ballot is a way to ensure that alumni voices are heard.Baylor’s regents share a single goal: the continued advancement and support of an academically strong and Christ-centered Baylor University, according to Baylor’s media communications website.In June 2016, Baylor welcomed the first alumni-elected regents to service on the Board of Regents. Alumni-elected regents serve three-year terms. As Alumni-elected regents complete their terms, the graduates of Baylor University will elect or re-elect their regents. The process is outlined on the Alumni-elected regents website. In…

Story by Brooke Hill | Staff Writer, Video by Jessica Babb | Broadcast Managing Editor Gasps were heard around the room as students were presented with a photo of Waco from 400 kilometers above the Earth. The paw shape of the Baylor Sciences Building and the McLane Student Life Center were clearly visible all the way from outer space. Friday afternoon, NASA astronaut Robert Shane Kimbrough shared his stories about being commander of the International Space Station for six months this past year. Kimbrough’s daughter, Kaitlyn Kimbrough, is a sophomore at Baylor. Kimbrough showed students a 14-minute video containing highlights…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterThe traditional running of the Baylor Line will be particularly special this Saturday as nearly 900 women, who were freshmen at Baylor from 1970 to 1994, will experience running the Baylor Line for the first time. The Baylor Line was founded in 1970 as a spirit organization for first-year male students. A year later, the Baylor Sidelines was created as a parallel organization for women. The Baylor Line eventually became a co-ed organization in 1994. All women participating in the ceremonial running have their own Baylor Line jerseys with their class years and chosen names.…

By Brooke Hill | Staff Writer Students awaiting to hear how to make themselves more successful in the job industry packed an auditorium Monday afternoon in the Foster Campus for Business and Innovation. Cherry Award finalist Dr. Clinton O. Longenecker, from The University of Toledo presented “Career Success and Survival in the 21st Century: The Mandate for Life-long Learning.” Early on in his lecture, Longenecker listed a few fun facts to get students to fully understand the importance of loving their profession. Some of these facts (from census data in 2015) included that the average American professional spends 2400 hours…

Story by Brooke Hill | Staff Writer, Video by Rylee Seavers | Broadcast Reporter The expansion of Waco’s Riverwalk on the Brazos River is now expected to be open for Baylor’s final home game against Iowa State on Nov. 18. The $5.7 million project is more than 200 days ahead of schedule, according to Tom Balk, the senior park planner. The extension completes a riverwalk connection between Brazos Park East and McLane Stadium. “The contractors left room in their schedule to account for the possibility of heavy rain and flooding, which we’ve been fortunate enough to not experience much of…

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterDoughnuts, candy and being the voice for the one in four college women who will experience domestic violence is what Alpha Chi Omega’s “Fight Against Fear Week” is all about.Alpha Chi will have a booth on fountain mall from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. yesterday through Wednesday in honor of domestic violence awareness month. Monday’s theme is “Do-nut let love hurt” with free Shipley’s doughnuts, Tuesday’s theme is “These hands don’t hurt” while asking students to take the pledge against domestic violence, and Wednesday’s theme is “Your boo shouldn’t scare you,” where they’ll be handing…

Did you watch the Baylor Line run at the first football game and wonder why it looked like it was split into two separate groups?

By Brooke Hill | Staff WriterIf you love live concerts and eating snacks while watching movies, you’re in luck. Local entrepreneurs Shane and Cody Turner received approval from the downtown Tax Increment Financing Zone board for $226,112 toward a $3 million expansion of the historic Waco Hippodrome. The expansion will add three theaters, a new dining space and a rooftop patio. The TIF board oversees a taxing district that collects a portion of property taxes in downtown and reinvests them as public improvements and business incentives. The board’s recommendations must be approved by the Waco City Council. “We are very…