Author: Julia Vergara

By Julia Vergara | Staff WriterThe amount of tourism in Waco has increased rapidly in the last few years, landing the city a spot on TripAdvisor’s Top U.S. Destinations on the Rise for 2018. Waco was second on TripAdvisor’s list, appearing just after Kapa’a, Hawaii and before Wilmington, N.C.Carla Pendergraft, director of marketing for the Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau said when Magnolia Market opened in 2015, visitor totals rose from 606,093 to 789,140. “We [Waco] went from almost 800,000 visitors to 2 million to 2.5 million in three years,” Pendergraft said. Pendergraft said the Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau…

By Julia Vergara | Staff Writer The Marketing and Professional Selling (MAPS) Career Fair will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, bringing in around 60 employers to meet with students and alumni on Baylor’s campus. The event will take place at the Meyer Conference Center in the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation and will be open to all Baylor students and alumni—regardless of major, Executive Director for the Center for Professional Selling Dr. Andrea Dixon said. “It’s a place for a student to build his or her network or further advance their understanding of what…

By Julia Vergara | Staff WriterBaylor’s Office of Student Employment is in the process of changing its entire structure with the purpose of benefiting students and the university.A year ago, according to Director of Student Employment and Career Development Julie Veselka, Baylor decided to create a new, centralized office for student employment in Career and Professional Development (CPD). The transition to being housed in CPD was made because the university wants a student development focus implemented in all work-study positions in Student Employment. “Right now, it’s just a way to help with loans, help get finances and money,” Veselka said.…

Julia Vergara | Staff Writer Baylor’s Christmas on Fifth Street tradition lit up the campus with holiday spirit Thursday night. The whole Baylor family of students, faculty, staff and alumni came together to celebrate the holidays and participate in a variety of festive activities. “Everybody loves Christmas. Everybody loves to celebrate it,” President of the Baylor Activities Council and Cumming, Ga. senior Hannah Neel said. “It just has a really good feeling about it and everyone comes to Christmas on Fifth with really high spirits.” The Baylor Activities Council brought in a lot of new activities and new decorations to…

By Julia Vergara | Staff WriterMaintaining a relationship, any relationship, takes work –– I think that’s a fact that most people tend to overlook. Instead of being considered something that needs to be cared for, we tend to see relationships as things that are just there and will always be there, which, unfortunately, leads us to take the people in their lives for granted. Showing appreciation to those in our lives is a small and simple task that should be used every single day, or as often as possible. For every platonic, romantic, parent-child, sibling or student-teacher relationship, it’s going…

By Julia Vergara | Staff WriterThe Baylor University Law School has once again been ranked No. 1 in the Texas Bar Exam results, which were released on Nov. 21, 2017.Baylor Law had a 92.92 percent pass rate according to the July 2017 Texas Bar Exam results, surpassing schools such as the University of Texas School of Law (91.60 percent pass rate) and Texas Tech University School of Law (87.12 percent pass rate).Since 2001, Baylor Law has been ranked No. 1 for 21 out of 33 bar exams given, according to Baylor.”We have led on the bar exam for any time…

By Julia Vergara | Staff WriterThe Baylor University Course Evaluations are open for the fall 2017 semester, giving students the opportunity to express their opinions and offer feedback on the classes they have spent the last few months in.Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Institutional Effectiveness Dr. Wesley Null said students spend more time with the professors than anyone else, so it is important to know their experience. “Students are tremendously important to the institution,” Null said. “Without students, we wouldn’t be here and they are the ones receiving the education and we want to make sure that they have…

By Julia Vergara | Staff WriterHomelessness is an issue all across the U.S. and the City of Waco is no exception. However, many Waco organizations and programs have been created to offer help to the local individuals and families who find themselves without a place to call their own.”Having a home is just merely a basic need — basic needs have to be met before we can work to address any other issues,” said Melinda Bonds, chairman of the Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition.The HOT Homeless Coalition is a nonprofit organization created in Waco to provide support for the local…

By Julia Vergara | Staff WriterA gunman opened fire into a crowd of people attending a performance by country musician Jason Aldean on Oct. 1, resulting in the death of 59 and injuring over 500 — Making the Las Vegas shooting the deadliest in modern U.S. history.On Nov. 5, a gunman opened fire at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, resulting in the death of 26 and injuring about 20 others, making the Sutherland Springs shooting the deadliest in modern Texas history. These two deadly shootings of 2017 disrupted the nation and heightened the debate over gun control.Following the…

Julia Vergara | Staff Writer The founder and CEO of PacMoore challenged Baylor students Thursday evening with the question, “How can your job be one of the places where you can best serve God?”Bill Moore’s presentation, titled “Faith in the Workspace and Marketplace,” took place at 4 p.m. in the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation.”The best place to reach people is in the marketplace — that’s where they go to work,” Moore said. “If you go to church and try to reach the lost — the lost aren’t in church. They don’t go there so the best…

By Julia Vergara | Staff WriterWith the professional world increasingly becoming more competitive, internships are increasingly becoming more crucial to impressing future employers. That is why Baylor’s Office of Career & Professional Development partners with administrative offices and academic departments each semester to offer students the Baylor On-Campus Internship Program.Through this program, students are able to gain professional work experience right on Baylor’s campus. Departments participating in the program include Campus Living and Learning, the Baylor Bear Foundation (Athletics), Multicultural Affairs, Engineering and Computer Science, Hankamer School of Business and many more.Internship Specialist Chelsea Waldrop said that students can start…

By Julia Vergara | Staff Writer20 out of 29 total thefts in October were bike thefts, according to the Baylor University Police Department’s (BUPD) uniform crime reporting statistics.”This is one of these situations where it is a community-police department collaborative effort to reduce crime,” said Baylor Police Chief Brad Wigtil.Wigtil said the community can reduce the opportunity for bike thefts that occur by locking their bikes with the right equipment and registering their bikes with the Baylor Department of Public Safety. Crime Prevention Officer Scott Curry said he has seen a bunch of bikes just laying up against a bike…

Story by Julia Vergara | Staff Writer, Video by Christina Soto | Broadcast Reporter A mistrial was declared Friday in the first Twin Peaks trial Friday for Jacob Carrizal, the leader of the Dallas Bandidos chapter. Carrizal had been on trial since Oct. 11 for two counts of organized crime leading to murder and assault in addition to an unorganized crime of directing activities of a gang. After 14 hours of deliberation, the jury was unable to come to a unanimous decision— leading 54th State District Judge Matt Johnson to order a mistrial. Thursday night, the jury had been sequestered…

By Julia Vergara | Staff Writer Members of the Baylor community came together at the Bobo Spiritual Life Center Chapel Wednesday to pray and show support for those affected by the mass shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. Sutherland Springs junior Ashton Huth said that the prayer service meant a lot to him, especially since there are so many schools that brush these incidents off or try to politicize it. The brief service that was led by the Chaplain’s Office focused on dealing with the grieving process and coming together as Christians to support each other Huth…

Baylor and surrounding areas have experienced 126 reported crime cases throughout the month of October 2017. Out of the reported crimes, 62 occurred on campus and 64 of those occurred off campus. The most frequent crimes overall were theft, burglary and criminal mischief. There were 40 cases of theft, 21 cases of burglary and 13 cases of criminal mischief. All three crimes were also the most frequent in September 2017. The next two most frequent crime cases were criminal trespass warning and possession of narcotics. The most frequent crimes on campus were theft, criminal trespass warning and alcohol – minor…

By Julia Vergara | Staff Writer In an after-dark tour of the Dr Pepper Museum, participants were able to tour the three-story building and learn about the paranormal activity that has occurred on all three floors. The Dr. Pepper Museum & Free Enterprise Institute’s DPM After Dark event took place Monday from 10 p.m. to midnight. Participants’ personal flashlights were the only light source available in the pitch black building. Associate Director for the Dr Pepper Museum & Free Enterprise Institute Joy Summar-Smith led one of the tour groups, starting with the outside of the building and the impact of…

By Julia Vergara | Staff Writer, Video by Christina Soto | Broadcast Reporter The Dr Pepper Museum will open its doors for an after-dark tour of the building Monday from 10 p.m. to midnight. The event, called DPM After Dark, will offer a tour of the museum — detailing information about Waco’s history and the paranormal investigations that have taken place in the building. Associate Director for the Dr Pepper Museum & Free Enterprise Institute Joy Summar-Smith said that DPM After Dark is an event for those ages 18 and up. “It gives adults a place to have their own…

By Julia Vergara | Staff Writer The Baylor University Police Department (BUPD) is bringing National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day to campus in order to help the Baylor community safely get rid of unused or unwanted prescription drugs.Through Monday, Oct. 30, there will be a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reception box for students, faculty and staff to drop off old prescription drugs in the lobby of BUPD’s station located at 1521 S. 4th St.Chief of Police Brad Wigtil said that it is best practice for all prescription drugs to be properly disposed of.”Any prescription drug can pose a threat to individuals…

By Julia Vergara | Staff Writer The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce connected college students to local employers by hosting an internship fair to encourage students to stay in Waco after graduation. The fair took place from 2 to 6 p.m.Thursday at the Waco Convention Center and had a number of local companies offering internships for a variety of majors.Lexy Bishop, a research intern in the economic development department of the Greater Waco Chamber, said that when students see all the companies that are actually in Waco, it makes them more inclined to stay because they see companies they are…

By Julia Vergara | Staff WriterBaylor and the University of Texas’ Circle-K International (CKI) chapters are competing with each other in the “UT vs Baylor Food Fight” to fight hunger.This week from Sunday, Oct. 22 to Sunday, Oct. 28, Baylor CKI will be collecting food cans in several locations on campus and in Waco in support of their partner Students Team Up to Fight Hunger (STUFH).”We call it a ‘Food Fight’ because it’s meant to kind of center around the Baylor vs UT football game,” Baylor Circle-K President Hunter Dentino said. “So our sister club at UT is also hosting…

By Julia Vergara | Staff Writer Students looking to gain hands-on experience through an internship can look for their opportunity with local employers at The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce’s Student Internship Fair. The event, which is open to all college students in the Waco area, will take place Thursday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Waco Convention Center. Lexy Bishop, a research intern in the economic development department, said that internships and hands-on experiences are important in today’s workforce. “So many people are getting their bachelor’s degrees and getting into the workplace and realizing they’re not as…

Homecoming, one of Baylor’s oldest and most popular traditions, will take place Thursday through Saturday.

BUPD hosted their second annual National Night Out on Tuesday

BUPD will be hosting their second annual National Night Out event Tuesday.

The 2017 Annual Safety and Security Report reveal that liquor law violations at Baylor have increased over the past two years.



Baylor students get the opportunity to solve a murder mystery at Mayhem at the Mayborn on Friday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

With all the responsibilities of college, it’s easy for students to forget to take care of the most important thing: their health and well-being.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjIxMDAwJTIyJTIwaGVpZ2h0JTNEJTIyMzAwJTIyJTIwc2Nyb2xsaW5nJTNEJTIyeWVzJTIyJTIwZnJhbWVib3JkZXIlM0QlMjJubyUyMiUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGZnVzaW9udGFibGVzLmdvb2dsZS5jb20lMkZlbWJlZHZpeiUzRnZpeiUzREdWSVolMjZhbXAlM0J0JTNEVEFCTEUlMjZhbXAlM0JxJTNEc2VsZWN0JTJCY29sMCUyNTJDJTJCY29sMSUyNTJDJTJCY29sMiUyNTJDJTJCY29sMyUyQmZyb20lMkIxbGgybGNRbzNJVmEzWldGQTMwd1ZoTmZSNzdMODNLLU0weEpab1NOcSUyNmFtcCUzQmNvbnRhaW5lcklkJTNEZ29vZ2Z0LWd2aXotY2FudmFzJTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNFJTBBJTBB[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]By Julia Vergara | Staff Writer Baylor and surrounding areas have experienced 116 crime cases throughout the month of September 2017. Out of those cases, 59 occurred off campus and 57 occurred on campus. The most frequent crimes were theft, burglary of a motor vehicle and criminal mischief. There were 36 cases of theft. 25 occurred on campus and 11 occurred off campus. There were 15 cases of burglary of a motor vehicle. Only two of those cases occurred on campus. There were 12 cases of criminal mischief. Four occurred on campus and eight occurred off campus. Public Intoxication and…

Baylor sent out a safety notification, acknowledging an increase in vehicle thefts, burglary of motor vehicles and residential burglaries.