Author: Elliott Nace

The Latin language, although characteristic of old college campuses, makes few appearances on Baylor’s grounds.

Baylor and Waco’s rich histories are not without their tales of ghoulish intrigue. Here are five stories whose subjects have not yet been laid to rest.

If you happen to be in the country-hating camp, chances are that you have a certain image of what you hear on the internet and radio: listless, pitch-corrected vocals over compressed instrumentals that don’t even sound like the genre formerly known as “Country and Western.”

Students walking, scootering and biking along Bagby Avenue can expect changes to their commute as the City of Waco begins a $615,000 project to replace damaged sidewalks and curb ramps bordering parts of Baylor’s campus and nearby off-campus housing.

The club, whose events teach beginners and veterans alike a variety of partner dancing moves, aerial tricks and line dancing, aims to invite students into Baylor’s strong appreciation for country culture.

Students attending the event, whether in protest or to support Talarico’s campaign, held conflicting views over whether Talarico and his opponent Ken Paxton’s Christian values will be the deciding factor in the ballot box.

Now more than ever, Baylor seeks to protect its trees at both the institutional and academic level. New initiatives from faculty, staff and students over the past few years have all worked to further the Baylor mission of stewarding God’s creation.

The fire directly damaged an apartment before emergency crews and Brooks Flats’ fire suppression system contained it. Fire suppression and smoke subsequently damaged other surrounding apartments. No injuries were reported.

The renovation will include an aesthetic touch-up to Morrison Hall and aims to increase the first floor’s classroom capacity and better accommodate the Baylor community with additional seating, improved floor planning and a new graduate common area.

The new system eliminates CAEs as a standalone degree requirement and instead incorporates them into existing courses, following faculty discussions about how best to engage students in practical and creative settings.

Major storms at the end of April and beginning of May covered campus in a thick sheet of rain which caused lower levels of the Carroll Science Building and Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation to flood on April 26.

Baylor’s Model United Nations team represented Switzerland at the 2025 National Model United Nations, New York Week B Conference last month and took home the highest possible distinction — Outstanding Delegation. The team, made up of 16 undergraduate students, created resolutions to global issues with the help of research and effective public speaking.

The Toliver Chapel Student Showcase, which will shed light on the volume of topics found in the study of African American history, seeks to expose presenting undergraduates and attendees alike to the kind of work commonly found in the academic world.

In the modern era, but also decades past, some popular musicians find it acceptable to merely get up on stage and perform their songs as they appear on their records. These musical offenders can be found across every genre: pop singers and bands, country artists, classic rockers and others all indulge in this practice.

Baylor announced on April 14 it will participate alongside McLennan Community College and cyber education company General Assembly to offer students and professionals alike the opportunity to take two cyber skills courses. The initiative, which stemmed from a skill gap among technology professionals throughout the U.S., aims to provide additional certification and training to a wide variety of employees in the Waco community.

The Diana R. Garland School of Social Work began a new faculty-led research project, the Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse Advocacy and Research Collaborative, in 2023. The collaborative, which features faculty members from both the School of Social Work and from other universities, provides the university and greater academic community with a mix of research on clergy sexual abuse and increased advocacy for survivor awareness and legal reform.

The ACCESS at Baylor Act, which will take effect at the start of the fall 2025 semester if approved, seeks to provide the university community with the Waco Transit System, and therefore have direct routes leading to off-campus academic buildings and other important locations throughout the city.

The bill, which is the largest that student government has passed this academic year, aims to set into motion a renovation that provides students with updated study spaces featuring new furniture, redone carpet and repainted walls, which will be completed over the summer ahead of the Fall 2025 semester.

Attractions, free food and spring weather filled Fountain Mall during the university’s annual Diadeloso event on Tuesday. The student and partner-staffed event sported state fair games, goat yoga and a concert at Waco Hall featuring Joshua Bassett.

Ph.D. students Mitch and Libby Minyard, who were married in the summer of 2024, now call Waco their first home together as a couple. Between their studies and their spiritual lives, the couple has learned to embrace Baylor as the backdrop for the beginning of their marriage.

The Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office commenced the university’s annual recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month Tuesday night with an active awareness event on Fountain Mall. The event, which consisted of tabling from the office’s staff, provided attendees with information and memorabilia intended to inform students of Baylor’s commitment to identifying and handling cases of sexual assault.

The minor, which incorporates the study of the humanities into an examination of climate issues, now sports a wider array of courses and funding to facilitate student engagement.

The festival will feature panels and discussions from poets Victoria Chang, Carl Phillips and Christian Wiman, student-made exhibits across a wider swath of campus and an award ceremony commemorating the winners of a literary contest in both poetry and fiction.

The polymath archetype is nothing new and has not gone anywhere. The arts, sciences and understanding of the human person dictate our collegiate and professional studies today, and in many cases produce scholars who fit the description. But who are these polymaths, and where can we find them?

According to Jordy Dickey, director of Student Activities, Lady and her late sister Judge “Joy” Reynolds contributed to the atmosphere of Baylor campus life and the university’s mission. Dickey noted that the bears create academic opportunities for students.

According to a Baylor News Flash email sent to students, affected buildings included the Armstrong Browning Library, Bobo Spiritual Life Center, Carroll Library, McMullen-Connally Faculty Center and Tidwell Bible Building. All affected buildings were diverted to auxiliary power.

The discussed topics, which ranged from the mistreatment of Black women in the Antebellum South to the relationship between women’s health and religious institutions, sought to add academic context to a variety of key events in the history of women’s rights.

Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent with a cross of burned palm upon the forehead, brought campus together towards Christian repentance and the exploration of new spiritual practices ahead of Easter.

The university, which first attained the R1 designation in 2021, continues to expand its research portfolio by hiring and endorsing faculty researchers who benefit from increased funding and the development of new research infrastructure.

According to Magnolia, Ark. junior Olivia Claire Smith, Chi Omega president, repeat Sing performers bring the enthusiasm of the previous year’s performance. In the case of Chi Omega, which put on a top act last year, returning performers may help start a winning dynasty.