By Megan Rule | Staff Writer The department of multicultural affairs held its first event in the “What’s Next?” series addressing diversity and inclusion Tuesday night, but it was not without pushback from protesters. The event, put on by Baylor NAACP, was modeled after Maya Angelou’s Poem “Still I Rise” and started with Dallas sophomore Natasha Nkhama reading the line that says, “You may shoot me with your words.” After last week’s incident involving Nkhama being shoved off a sidewalk and degraded with a racial slur that was justified with president-elect Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, the event aimed to address…
Author: Megan Rule
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterNational Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week kicked off Sunday, and the week is full of local activities put on by various groups in the Waco community, starting with a presentation at Church Under the Bridge and ending with the 11th annual Central Texas Turkey Trot.“The goal is to give people the chance to learn,” said Eric Pritt, chairman of the Hunger Coalition’s National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week planning committee. “Hunger and homelessness are huge issues in our nation, but they’re also huge issues in our own community. We want people who come to our…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe downtown Tax Increment Financing Zone board (TIF) has approved $20.2 million for the development of the Brazos Promenade riverfront project. “It will draw from the existing urban buildings of downtown Waco, as well as the newer buildings along the river including the stadium,” said Paris Rutherford, principal of Catalyst Urban Development, the firm developing the project. “The goal is to have an eclectic mix of design and building forms that all work together with the landscape design to create a memorable place.”Rutherford said the $20.2 million will be used to clean up the environmental…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterStudents are planning to gather at Tidwell Bible Building to walk to the Baylor Sciences Building at 9:55 a.m. today in solidarity with Dallas sophomore Natasha Nkhama after she was reportedly pushed off the sidewalk and victim to a racial slur Wednesday afternoon.In a video she posted on Facebook, Nkhama said she was forced off the sidewalk by a male who said “No n—–s allowed on the sidewalk.” In her video, Nkhama said she was walking to class from Tidwell to the BSB when a male bumped into her and shoved her off the sidewalk,…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe stock market likes to stick to the status quo, which is hard to do when election years roll around, according to both Dr. Shane Underwood, associate professor of finance and the Lacy Chair of Banking and Finance, and John Riley, chief strategist at Cornerstone Investment Services. Tuesday night’s election proved this statement to be true.“In general, when one party is handing off to the same party, the market is happy regardless of who the person is,” Riley said. “The stock market doesn’t want to see change.” When Ohio was declared a victory for Trump,…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterA local favorite, the Waco Downtown Farmers Market, will be celebrating its fifth anniversary on Friday with a special night market.“This is a celebration of our five-year anniversary,” said Kristi Pereira, manager of the Waco Downtown Farmers Market. “We also wanted to do our second fundraiser of the year, so we thought this would be a great time to get the community together and celebrate.” The actual anniversary is Nov. 19, but the celebration will be held Friday. According to Pereira, it is a festival-type setting with activities for kids in addition to almost all…
By Megan Rule | Staff Writer The Republican watch party had a happy ending Tuesday as Republican candidate and businessman Donald Trump won the presidential nomination. “I’m very excited. I think the country has lost its way, and this is a good sign,” said League City junior Austin Hubbert. “I’m not 100 percent sure what Trump will do, but it looks like a grassroots movement. It looks good.” The watch party took place in the Den of the Bill Daniel Student Center with pizza, cupcakes and drinks for the students who went to watch. The watch party had a solid…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterAs bicycle safety has become a more pressing issue, the Baylor Police Department has started an educational effort to help students who ride their bikes on campus learn the rules of the road.“I can remember a couple of times where I would come up to the Third Street and Speight Avenue intersection to take a right to come towards the police department,” said Baylor Police Chief Brad Wigtil. “I look to my right to see that nobody is on Speight, and there are no pedestrians so I start to turn, and what happens is a…
Looking at the 196 countries of the world, there is one that sticks out. That one is America, with 365 freedom days and all the Super Bowl wins in history. Being American is more than just saying the Pledge of Allegiance and putting your hand on your heart. What does it mean to be an American? If you ask my grandparents, they would say it means getting the opportunity to leave Europe and come to a land of opportunity. If you ask my parents, it means to be as hardworking as their parents, because of all the work they put…
By Megan Rule | Staff Writer The development of six houses near the Baylor campus by Magnolia Realty is sparking excitement among the Waco community. The project has broken ground and is expected to be done by May 2017 so leasing can start in June 2017. “These houses excite me because Magnolia Realty has made such a big impact on Waco, and it’s cool to see them continue to spread to students at Baylor,” said Austin sophomore Rachel Ormsby. The project is not related to the show “Fixer Upper,” and Chip and Joanna Gaines are not personally involved in this…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) displayed its belief in the Second Amendment through a panel in Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation on Wednesday night, featuring speakers that strongly expressed their feelings about campus carry, which Baylor doesn’t have.”I believe strongly in the second amendment,” said McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara. “I believe in people having the right to protect themselves.”The event featured McNamara, McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna and Baylor alumnus Zach Maxwell who currently works with Texas Legislature as a campaign manager for Republican State Representative Candidate Mike Lang.The…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe holiday season kicks off this weekend as the Junior League of Waco puts on its annual Deck the Halls fundraiser Thursday at the Waco Convention Center.This is the 11th annual Deck the Halls event. The event is the prime fundraiser put on by the Junior League of Waco, and its purpose is to raise money to support the community. All the funds raised at the market go back into the Waco community for early childhood education and development. “I hope that Waco realizes that the Junior League puts on more than just a market.…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe biggest fundraiser of the year, the 54th Annual Book Sale for the Friends of the Waco-McLennan County Library, takes place this weekend, Nov. 3-6 at the Extraco Event Center.“The book sale is one of my kids’ favorite events every year,” said Kevin Tankersley, Baylor senior lecturer in journalism. “We always go Friday right after school then make another trip or two over the weekend.” There will be over 110,000 books, DVDs, CDs and more from over 80 categories, according to the library’s website . Admission is $5 on Thursday and free Friday through Sunday.…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe longstanding Festival of Faiths will take place from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday at the Mayborn Museum Complex, in conjunction with the National Geographic Sacred Journeys exhibit.“I just hope that lots of people will be able to come out and celebrate our diversity and learn from one another and perhaps want to support the work of the Interfaith Conference,” said Rabbi Laura Harari, president of the Greater Waco Interfaith Conference. The festival will include food samplings from a variety of cultures, tables exhibiting various faith traditions and tours of the Sacred Journeys exhibit for the…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe new Home2Suites in Waco had its grand opening celebration at 11 a.m. Thursday at 2500 Bagby Ave.“Short-term, we’ve just been really happy with the reception that we’ve gained within the community and the success that the team has had,” said Mark Ricketts, president and COO of McNeill Hotel Company. “We’ve been open three months, and in terms of guest satisfaction scores we’re the No. 2 rated Home2Suites in the entire brand, which says a lot about the team.” The grand opening celebration featured catering from local favorites such as Potbelly Sandwich Shop, George’s, Clay…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterBaylor University and South Texas College announced the creation of a Baylor Bound Transfer Agreement Monday, which allows students to transfer easily to the private institution.“Students have an opportunity to save a tremendous amount of money on tuition,” said Dr. Shirley A. Reed, president of South Texas College. “The way this helps most students is the money they’re going to save and the hassles they’re going to save regarding transferring. They won’t be dealing with the issue of ‘that course isn’t on your career plan’ or ‘it isn’t accepted here.’” The purpose of this program…
By Megan Rule | Staff Writer The sixth annual Walk-N-Roll Celebration in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month took place at 10 a.m. Friday at Heritage Square Park. The walk wasn’t a 5K type event, but rather a free gathering for people to come together and learn about the opportunities for people with disabilities to find jobs. The event was put on by a collaboration with the Heart of Texas Workforce and local vendors, complete with free food, music and the live broadcast from 94.5 The Beat. The resource fair featured more than 30 vendors participating and giving out…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe third presidential debate took place at 8 p.m. last night at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. At the Waco Hippodrome Theatre, a watch party put on by Baylor Student Government took place at 7:30, followed by a discussion afterward led by Baylor faculty.“I’m most excited for this opportunity for students with different viewpoints to come together in this space,” said Lindsey Bacque, Baylor student body president. “Having a space for students to come together and express themselves and meaningfully disagree, I think, is good.” The Hippodrome Theatre was full of students supporting…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe fourth annual Fuzzy Friends Rescue Zombie Run will take off at 5 p.m. Saturday in downtown Waco. The event will help Fuzzy Friends Rescue with their purpose of providing shelter, food and medical treatment to animals. “I’m excited for the turnout,” said Denise Gay, race director and volunteer with Fuzzy Friends Rescue. “I’m very pleased that we will have a big turnout in the community to support Fuzzy Friends Rescue. Animals don’t have a voice, and we, as humans, are their voice.” According to Gay, this is the shelter’s largest race ever with over…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe Waco Regional Airport is creating a master plan to implement changes over the next 20 years. “The impacts it has on the community is it gives the plan of anticipated growth and a good sense of what we anticipate to develop in terms of infrastructure,” said Joel Martinez, director of aviation at the Waco Regional Airport. A public information workshop was held on Thursday where members of the Waco community were able to share opinions about what potential airport renovations they want, said Jacob Bell, client manager for Walker Partners. Among the discussion were…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe Baylor University Board of Regents announced Friday a large donation from Baylor Regent and alumnus Emeritus Drayton McLane Jr., for the renovation of the Baylor Louise Herrington School of Nursing in Dallas. The $18 million renovation project of the former Baptist Building in Dallas is expected to begin January 2017 and be completed in fall 2018. According to Dr. Shelley F. Conroy, dean and professor of the Baylor Louise Herrington School of Nursing, the design plans are complete after 18 months of planning and collaboration with architects. The renovation will more than triple the…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe Providence Golf Classic will tee off at 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. today at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course as a fundraiser for the Providence Healthcare Network. “The main thing that I would emphasize is that I’m most excited about raising money for the people in the community through new medical equipment or just to provide better care,” said Paige Corley, director of the event. The proceeds from the golf tournament, from registration prices and raffle prizes, will benefit the Providence Healthcare Network. The registration fee is $150 per golfer or $600 per team of…
Magnolia sued for access to property
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterHalfway through the month of October, the cricket infestation is still going strong in Waco. “The crickets at home don’t fly and aren’t as prevalent,” said Frederick, Md., sophomore Laura Casadonte. “I’ve never gone to the grocery store at home and seen a bug light by the doors that is solely for crickets.” Walking through campus or downtown Waco, cricket corpses can be seen everywhere. Residents are finding dozens of them in their homes, and they’re covering the walls of buildings. These field crickets get their name because of their tendency to damage fields and…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe Central Texas Food Bank received a $15,907 investment from the Caterpillar Foundation, a philanthropic organization. These funds will be used to provide food to individuals facing hunger in McLennan County. “Hunger is an issue in every community,” said Hank Perret, president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank. “We are thankful to the Caterpillar Foundation for its commitment to fighting hunger and supporting children and families in need in McLennan County.” The Central Texas Food Bank provides food and groceries to almost 46,000 people each week with the help of nearly 300 partner…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThis year marks the 16th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, which will kick off at 6:30 a.m. Oct. 22 at Heritage Square in Waco. “We aren’t focused on running. Ours is a celebration of life and the men and women in our communities that have gone through something pretty terrible and come through to the other side,” said Mindy Weihrich, development and outreach coordinator with the Susan G. Komen East Central Texas foundation. An exciting component of Race for the Cure is the survivor parade that kicks off the race. The Susan…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe Young Conservatives of Texas Baylor chapter held a controversial bake sale from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday on Fountain Mall. According to a club email from YCT of Baylor, its plan was to hold an equal rights bake sale on campus. The announcement that came out Tuesday afternoon said the focus was to represent equality through pricing for the baked goods. “Essentially, we will have a sign with all the different skin colors, and yet everyone will be charged the same price,” the announcement said. “Our focus will be demonstrating how affirmative action is…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe Magnolia Silos will be hosting the three-day Silobration event from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today through Saturday, Silobration celebrates the one year anniversary of moving Magnolias to the Silos. Special after-hour features will also be included in the event full of family fun and sweet treats. “For us, it’s so important to have Texas brands come together and collaborate to support small Texas businesses,” said Katherine Couron, owner and maker of Boyd’s Farm, a vendor that will be featured at the event. The Silobration event is something that employees at Magnolia have been…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe Susan G. Komen East Central Texas foundation partnered with the Waco Hippodrome for the Dine to Donate event Tuesday. “I’m most excited for just a good turnout and to raise awareness for Susan G. Komen and for breast cancer,” said Casey Turner, event coordinator at the Waco Hippodrome. Dine to Donate is an event that occurs from 5 to 10 p.m. every Tuesday night at the Hippodrome. No ticket is required to attend; anyone who shows up in that time frame is a participant. The Hippodrome donates 15 percent of all proceeds from the…
By Megan Rule | Staff WriterThe city of Waco’s local college cable channel has partnered with the Lariat Television News (LTVN) to air news broadcasts, allowing Baylor students to communicate information directly to the Waco community. “This was a dream of mine from three and a half years ago. When we were looking at adding broadcast to the news room, and I knew there was a college channel,” said Paul Carr, director of student publications and journalism lecturer at Baylor. “I went and knocked on Mr. [Larry] Holze’s door just to find out what the college channel was all about,”…
