Author: Josh Siatkowski

According to Parallel’s application to the Waco Plan Commission, the complex will be 85 feet tall, and the inside will include amenities like a double-height lobby, a fitness center with a sauna, a market, an outdoor terrace and study areas. The application also lists some more unique fixings, like a “Sky Lounge” and an “influencer room.”

The challenge came from the desk of Business School Dean Dr. David Szymanski, who, in his first year at Baylor, has pushed for the adoption of AI across all business disciplines. Working alongside the entrepreneurship department, Szymanski wanted to lead something that combines a top-10 program with the popular technology.

The project looks to build up the riverside between Mary and Waco Avenues by constructing parks and public spaces, building a new city hall, adding a sports entertainment district with a ballpark, creating a performing arts district and convention center and significantly improving overall walkability around the city.

If Aranda, his coaching staff, and his players are as confident in the scheme as they say, we should prepare for game-altering plays not just every week, but every quarter, and maybe even every drive. Whether these fourth-down bets save or squander the Bears’ season is yet to be determined, but one thing is certain: they make every play matter.

Described as “nostalgic” at best and “elderly” at worst, residents of Dawson and Allen often felt their residence hall was more like Grandma’s house than a college dorm. But after 60 years of housing Baylor students, Grandma’s place just got a $44 million facelift, and probably even a handful of organ transplants.

Alongside continuing to supply students with fresh food and basic products, The Store will add to its selection of special diet foods, implement an online shopping system and begin a marketing campaign to encourage students to donate to The Store through donated money, food items or meal swipes.

Szymanski, a marketing professor by trade, plans to use his background to make sure employers, colleges and alumni understand the value of Baylor Business. He also announced plans to enhance student experiences through continued growth of international education, a focus on internships, the implementation of AI in all classes and more combined graduate degree programs.

As tough as it is to swallow an unexpected $5,000 increase in annual bills, the price hike may not be entirely unwarranted when you take a closer look. But if Baylor expects 10% more money from its families, students are equally warranted to expect a 10% better Baylor experience.

On one hand, the prospects for seniors are as good as ever: with low unemployment across the country and a 92% success rate for Baylor graduates, some find that their dream job is just a few steps away. But for others, the job market is a heartless domain ruled by AI resume scanners, elusive recruiters and hundreds of dead-end applications.

Hundreds of students from a range of communities filled the Alexander Hall study area on Friday afternoon to remember the life of Paul Yannarelli, a 20-year-old, Totowa, N.J. sophomore and health science studies major. With members of Baylor Wake, the Honors Residential College, the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, St. Peter’s Catholic Church and more present, there was not a single empty seat. President Linda Livingstone was also in attendance.

From lightly worn furniture to unused appliances, move-out week sees dumpsters overflowing with all sorts of nearly-new items. As the end of the semester approaches, a pair of business students have found a way to keep those goods out of the garbage and into the hands of the people who need them.

“I know this may not seem like something that’s making an impact, but I’m sure it will make an impact in the future and make a difference to the students on campus,” Merced said.

Five months after a team of sophomores formed the first cohort of University Innovation Fellows at Baylor, the organization is bringing in a new class of freshmen to ensure continuity of the group and its impacts.

By now, almost everyone has seen the viral video of Ashton Hall’s morning routine, where the comically muscular man takes six hours to meticulously prepare for his day. Although reactions to this video have been skeptical of the efficacy of Hall’s quarter-day “life-changing” routine, the video still signals that our infatuation with self-help has gone too far.

“What we’re really trying to push toward is a more aware student population,” Burten said. “If we keep our vets in a little bubble, then nobody else can benefit from their experiences, which kind of defeats the purpose.”

Cowan’s deep dive into the chastity-crazed, right-wing militant leaders of Brazil came from the desire to learn how two teenage students kissing on a bus could be seen as the essence of communism — something a Brazilian official actually said after being on that bus, according to Cowan. Analyzing the origin and effect of this reasoning is the larger point of the “Mobilizing Morality” series.

While it’s not a direct result of Rodman’s appointment as director of public safety, there’s been another development on the BUDPS front. After long backups, new police vehicles are finally arriving to rejuvenate BUPD’s fleet of cars.

RISE, which stands for Reflecting Cultural Diversity, Inspiring Leadership Growth, Strengthening Community Relations and Ensuring Lasting Impact, passed on March 6 in the student senate, with 32 of 35 senators voting in favor. It ensures 2.5% of the roughly $500,000 Student Government Allocation Fund — about $12,000 — is dedicated to helping sponsor cultural organizations.

As Baylis said, the impacts of this research are tremendous for the United States, as it could curb the problem of limited spectrum space for our increasingly internet-reliant world. This technology could also be used for defense initiatives such as more advanced radar and communication technologies.

The Fulbright Program, which offers U.S. government-funded experiences to recent college graduates, has been accepting more Bears than ever. Eighteen Baylor graduates received a 2024-2025 Fulbright scholarship and a record 48 have been named semi-finalists for the 2025-2026 school year.

Unlike other historic, yet revolutionary discoveries and inventions – like fertilizer, air conditioning, or aviation – oil and gas has not been able to quietly age into an unsung hero of modern life. Instead, the industry and its nearly 11 million American workers have been villainized and rejected by the very people who reap the benefits of oil and gas.

When a professor gives a lecture about matching kidney donors with the right patient, one might expect it to be held in the BSB. Similarly, for a lecture on racial bias among jurors, one might look to Sid Richardson for the statistics department. One wouldn’t, however, assume that this research came out of the same department –– and one certainly wouldn’t expect it to come out of the same building that’s home to Rising Roll and endless rows of Patagonia vests.

As pickleball tops the charts as one of the fastest-growing sports in America for the third year in a row, it’s easy to see the craze here on campus. It started off with some freshly painted lines on the McLean Tennis Courts between Penland Dining Hall and the Marrs-McLean Gym. Then it evolved into a trio of pickleball courts at the McLane Student Life Center. Latest on the list of pickleball’s imperial conquests are the Paul and Jill Underwood Pickleball Courts.

St. Amant is something of an expert when it comes to true crime. She’s helped create over 20 episodes of CBS’ hit crime show “48 Hours.” She hosts not one, but two true crime podcasts. She even has a television series in the works. Now, she’s telling the story behind those stories in “Killer Story: The Truth Behind True Crime Television.”

Along with a completely revised core curriculum and new electives, the total credit hours required to complete a major or secondary major has dropped from 36 to 30. Many prerequisites, which often barred non-majors from enrolling in a course, have also been stripped.

Mazumder, 42, joined Baylor in the 2021-2022 academic year. After four years in Waco at the Hankamer School of Business, Mazumder and his family will relocate to northern Georgia as the soon-to-be former dean begins his tenure as the ninth president of the sprawling, rural 2,000-student Berry College.

SGAF funding can be used for all types of campus groups, ranging from Greek organizations to cultural clubs and anything in between. The SGAF has provided funding for events like Pi Beta Phi’s “Howdy,” fraternity car washes, and even a luau. El Paso senior and Student Senate Finance Chair Aron Basurto said that Student Government prides itself on the diversity of the events it has funded.

According to career guidance firm Pathrise, it now takes an average of 294 job applications to land a position. That’s a 0.3% acceptance rate, which is 10 times more competitive than Harvard. Compared to Baylor — which just reported an all-time low 38% acceptance rate — it’s over 100 times harder.

In the second episode of Baylor’s Bearly Presidential Podcast, Aurora, Colo., senior, Student Body President and newly minted podcast host Lily Davis sat down with the redshirt junior and Mississippi State transfer. The conversation began with a discussion of a historic 37-34 win against TCU, moved into life as a student and as a Christian and finally found its way to an array of bizarre personal stories.

Democrat Barry Johnson — who switched parties on the day of filing for candidacy — conceded to incumbent republican Thomas West around 10:30 p.m. With 55% of voters reporting, Johnson was behind 32% to 67%, a 35-point deficit.