By Mckenzie Oviatt | ReporterAs Christmas looms, so does the inevitable question of what to get loved ones for the holidays. Malls are packed. Items are out-of-order. Some people can be hard to shop for. Well, here are some options for thoughtful and inexpensive gifts for even the pickiest of people.Fabled Bookshop & Cafe:While browsing Fabled Bookshop & Cafe, people can find thoughtful gifts throughout the entire store. If you are shopping for young children, there is a room filled with stuffed animals, dress-up costumes, picture books and action figures. Classic children’s books start at around $8 and there is…
Author: Mckenzie Oviatt
By Mckenzie Oviatt | ReporterBaylor is celebrating International Education Week on campus from Monday Nov. 18 to 22, partaking in events and offering resources for the Baylor community to promote diversity and inclusion. International Education Week is an event initiated by the State Department of Education, which tells campuses around the country about the dates set for the week and encourages schools to celebrate educational diversity. Baylor will have 16 events offered throughout the week for students and faculty alike and two events solely dedicated to faculty members.These campus wide events connect different departments to host events for students. Most…
By Mckenzie Oviatt | Reporter In honor of Veteran’s Day earlier this week, Active Minds hosted an event on Wednesday in the Bill Daniel Student Center to support veterans during the holiday season. Members of the Baylor Active Minds organization set up markers and card stock for students to write letters to veterans.Active Minds is a nationwide organization that works to change the conversation regarding mental health. With over 500 chapters across college campuses, they each work to put on awareness events and supportive efforts for students. Joplin, Mo., junior Jonathan Barnes has been in the organization since his freshman…
By Mckenzie Oviatt | ReporterBaylor professor Dr. Mandy McMichael recently published a book titled “Miss America’s God: Faith and Identity in America’s Oldest Pageant,” written after years of researching pageant culture in the South. McMichael has worked at Baylor since 2017 as the associate director and J. David Slover assistant professor of ministry guidance at Baylor. She was not only involved in pageants herself, but has also researched them for years through the perspective of a historian. Inspired by her home state of Alabama, she became motivated to learn more about pageant culture in the South. “Growing up there, it…
By McKenzie Oviatt | ReporterEach year, Waco hosts the Ironman Triathlon, bringing in more than 1,000 racers from across the country to compete in the rigorous course. Sunday’s 70.3 – mile race tested even the best of competitors. Families can stay along the sidelines to cheer on the athletes or can bike or hike around Cameron Park while the race unfolds. Some chose to stay at Magnolia Market, which provided refreshments for those supporting the racers. The course is difficult, yet beginner-friendly, and the event coordinators kept the swimmers just 50 meters from shore to maintain safety. This year, the…
By McKenzie Oviatt | ReporterChapel is a unique course that few college students have the chance to experience. For some Christian universities, such as Harding University and Biola, chapel is mandated every day during each semester of college. For Baylor, we are only required to attend two semesters of chapel throughout undergraduate. Since there are not as many opportunities to hear from different speakers, I think it is best to take full advantage of our time. My freshman year, I felt overloaded from hearing messages about the Bible and Christian practices. I was enrolled in chapel and the prerequisite Christian…
By Mckenzie Oviatt | ReporterLocated behind the Magnolia Silos in Waco, Savage Finds sells antiques and oddities, containing everything from old jewelry and house decor to artwork and classes for at-home projects. Customers can book a workshop, bid on auctions and view the online Etsy shop for antiques. Owners Joey MacArthur and Tamara Smith MacArthur moved to Waco from Seattle to start Savage Finds about two and a half years ago. They fell in love with Waco and MacArthur said their goal was to bring big city nightlife and shops into the growing city. When they opened the shop, they…
McKenzie Oviatt | ReporterIn “The Joker,” starring Joaquin Phoenix, the viewer receives background information about the famous character’s upbringing, leaving them stunned by what they just watched on screen, even hours after the movie concludes. Before “The Joker” was created, viewers did not have a grasp of who the character truly was or where the narrative of Batman originally came from. Dark themes pervade the movie, and the viewer is left wondering who they should ultimately feel sorry for. Arthur Fleck, the movie’s protagonist who ultimately becoming the Joker, makes the viewer question whether he should be shown empathy for…
By McKenzie Oviatt | ReporterReleased Sept. 13, the Netflix Original Show “Unbelievable” instantly pulls the audience in by confirming everyone’s worst fear: this is based on true events that occurred in 2009. This show is based on the Pulitzer-winning investigative reporting by ProPublica and The Marshall Project. “Unbelievable” is arguable one of the best crime shows I’ve ever watched. The narrative starts off by depicting a young woman, Marie (Kaitlyn Dever), crouched down crying after being raped in the middle of the night by a masked man. The first episode shows the rape taking place in Lynwood, Wash., where the…
By McKenzie Oviatt | ReporterGuess Family Barbecue has been a food truck since January of 2017 and recently opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant off Franklin Avenue. Their long hours preparing the meats and the personal storytelling behind the food makes this place unique.In the small town of Jayton, Texas Reid Guess, chef and partner of Guess Family Barbecue, grew up studying meat and perfecting the craft of barbecue. His dad was the only welder in Jayton and since the town was so isolated, and this small town in Texas wasn’t expansive enough to have their own catering company.When people wanted to…
By McKenzie Oviatt | ReporterThe Jonas Brothers just recently announced their new “Happiness Begins” tour and brought back many childhood memories.From a young age, kids were introduced to the Jonas Brothers’ band through their TV show “Jonas” on Disney Channel, and they starred in a Disney Channel Original Movie “Camp Rock” and “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.”They formed their pop rock band in 2005, with Kevin, Joe and Nick. They have released five albums: “It’s About Time;” “Jonas Brothers;” “A Little Bit Longer;” “Lines, Vines and Trying Times;” and their newest release, “Happiness Begins,” was dropped on June 7.Students,…
By Mckenzie Oviatt | ReporterCollege is often known as expensive and a financial burden that can weigh heavily on struggling students. For help, Baylor students can seek assistance on campus to navigate the financial world ahead. Baylor Student Financial Foundations offers resources and money management advice for students in need of assistance. Additionally, Baylor periodically offers an “Individual and Family Money Management” class through the Hankamer School of Business. In the class, the professor teaches students how to manage and plan for retirement, how to organize taxes and about the benefits of buying a home. They also learn interest rates…
By McKenzie Oviatt | ReporterWhen college becomes difficult, it is helpful to remind yourself why you are here and what college can do for you personally and professionally. College isn’t for everyone and most do not have the opportunity to go to college, but while you’re here it’s best to get the most out of it.No matter how much someone pays for schooling, education is always invaluable. To receive an education at Baylor costs roughly $60,000 per year. Scholarships aside, a Baylor degree is equivalent to $240,000. With this number in mind, it is advantageous to glean the advantages. The…
By McKenzie Oviatt | Broadcast ReporterI grew up in a small, conservative environment in southern California. The private Christian school I went to, the church I grew up in and my family all recognized the Bible as a literal, inherent book. This means that they see no flaw in the Bible and take every detail as factual, rather than being open to allegorical interpretations. It wasn’t until my freshman year of college, taking Christian scriptures, that I learned of any other viewpoint.Initially, my faith was rattled a bit. The voice echoing in my head was my former teachers, pastors and…
By McKenzie Oviatt | Broadcast RepoterCollege students have more of a political voice than we might think. We rarely get the opportunity to vote, but we can voice our beliefs everyday. Voting with our dollar is often an overlooked power we possess. “Voting with our dollar” is a phrase used to describe people who use their finances to back their political ideology or ethical beliefs. As kids grow up, they gradually accept more and more responsibilities. With that comes more choices and eventually, more financial decisions. The more financial opportunities people face, the more conscious we need to be about…
By McKenzie Oviatt | Broadcast ReporterAs a child, I remember driving past McDonald’s and asking my mom what the “M sign” meant. Fast food, processed goods and “kid food” were never allowed in the house. My parents were both college and later professional athletes who took their health seriously. As kids, my brother and I never noticed the difference between how we ate versus other kids our age. At birthday parties, I never found the cake or soda desirable because I wasn’t addicted to the flavor. This lifestyle followed with me until I came to college. As an athlete on…