Author: Magdalayna Drivas

By Magdalayna Drivas | ReporterWhen going to the gym for the first time, it can be hard to know where to start. Personal trainers are available on campus to help Baylor students, faculty and staff reach their fitness goals.The personal training program is designed to train a client’s body and mind so that they can exercise safely and effectively, according to the program’s website. Trainers have a variety of specialties including aquatic, cardiovascular, strength and sport-specific training.Cheektowaga, NY junior Antoinette Weatherspoon is one of five students who work as personal trainers through the wellness department. Weatherspoon has been a trainer…

By Magdalayna Drivas | Reporter At 7 a.m. on Tuesdays, while most of Baylor is still asleep, one group of students is preparing to serve patients at Baylor’s Laboratory for Exercise Science and Technology.The lab, located in Marrs-McLean Gymnasium, is home of Baylor’s Center for Healthy Living FitCheck program. The program, made possible through a partnership with the Waco Family Medicine Residency Program, offers free health and fitness assessments to the general public.“We open our doors up to the general public to provide what we call a comprehensive health profile,” associate dean for research collaboration and graduate studies professor Dr.…

By Magdalayna Drivas | Reporter It can be easy to lose sight of health and fitness goals during the holiday season. Baylor’s Department of Wellness is offering incentives to make it easier to stay on track. The department is hosting a Maintain Don’t Gain Holiday Challenge, a weight maintenance program to help students, faculty and staff avoid the “Seasonal Seven” that people tend to gain during the holidays. “Research has shown that a lot of people gain about seven pounds over the holidays,” assistant director of wellness Van Davis said. “This is a way that we can maintain our weight…

Counseling center offers help for people with depression at the McLane Student Life Center.

By Magdalayna Drivas | Reporter I had never stepped foot in Texas in my entire life before coming to Baylor. Now I never want to leave. I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, where we are taught that all Texans have thick country accents, wear cowboy boots with every outfit and love nothing more than Texas itself. I took a chance on the Lone Star State in hopes of finding warm weather and die-hard football fans, but ended up with so much more. From Tex-Mex to barbecue and everything in between, the food in Texas is life-changing. Not only is…

By Magdalayna Drivas | Reporter Like many other out-of-state students, I don’t have a car on campus. I don’t have a car at all. In fact, I don’t even have my driver’s license. People stand in shock when I tell them that I, at 20 years old, don’t know how to drive a car. They wonder how I can survive without a license and tell me that driving is really not that hard. People often assume I am either lazy, stupid or both to not have my license by now. I am not incapable of driving. I understand the rules…

Students of all majors are encouraged to take part in research labs that are developing solutions to complex issues in Waco and the world.

Members of the Baylor community learned how to recognize and respond to opioid overdose at a free training on campus.

By Magdalayna Drivas | ReporterBaylor’s department of geosciences is hosting a series of activities and events to celebrate Earth Science Week from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily through October 13 at the Mayborn Museum.Visitors are invited to engage with geoscience professors and students and participate in hands-on activities. Assistant professor and graduate program director Dr. Dan Peppe said this year’s Earth Science Week theme is “Earth and Human Activity.”“We have different events every day,” Peppe said. “The activities are related to how humans have affected the earth, and also how earth’s processes affect us.”Activities include rock and mineral identification,…

A team of over 50 pre-health upperclassmen provide support and skills to students.

By Magdalayna Drivas | Reporter Growing up, I wanted to be just like my brother. When he got a Game Boy for Christmas, I made sure I got one too. Hours would pass by as we battled each other in “Mario Kart” and traded Pokemon. But once we started playing more advanced games, I immediately felt left out, as nearly all major role-playing games are dominated by male characters. If, as the Wall Street Journal reports, nearly half of all video game players are female, why is the entire gender excluded from most games? Developers have been using the same…

Students of all fitness levels can train for free with the new Couch to 5K program

If you’ve been scared to leave the familiarity of the treadmill, its time to step out of your comfort zone.

Eating healthy in college doesn’t have to be rocket science. The Peer Nutrition Education Program helps Baylor students find healthy choices right on campus.

Donation buses will be on campus all week to collect blood for hospitals impacted by Hurricane Harvey

Sgt. James Huggins’ 29 years of field experience help educate the future of forensics at Baylor

The Yoga Pod offers free, unlimited yoga in exchange for 3.5 hours of work per week to interns

Students struggling with addiction can find help at the new Beauchamp Addiction Recovery Center

No time to shower? No problem. Baylor Wellness is introducing a new kind of fitness class this semester.