Here’s where to be and when this week in Waco!
Author: Thomas Moran
Thomas Moran | Arts and Life EditorThe Baylor Theatre production of Dear Edwina opened Friday and, under the direction of Lisa Denman and musical direction of Lauren M. Weber, the show was a success.“Dear Edwina” is a short, hour-long production and features a “show within a show.” Edwina, played by Granbury junior Kiersten Mathis, is a thirteen-year-old girl, desperate to prove to herself and others that she has equal talent to her peers and siblings. Each week, Edwina produces a musical show out of her garage during which she reads letters and offers advice to the senders in the form…
By Thomas Moran | Arts and Life EditorWalking through an art museum, visitors are sure to find an impossibly wide array of creations. It seems incomprehensible that a stunning sculpture of the human form like Michelangelo’s “David,” painstakingly carved from a piece of white marble, would have anything in common with Felix Gonzales-Torres’ “Perfect Lovers,” consisting of two common office clocks ticking simultaneously on a wall; but somehow, both are celebrated as pieces within the same greater genre — art. The dichotomy between representational art and conceptual art has caused antipathy within the art world for decades. Some argue that…
Local business owner Summer Shine tells all about her struggle with substance abuse and her journey to establishing the Luna Juice Bar.
Baylor’s Martin Museum of Art’s renovations will benefit student and outside artists, as well as contribute to the museum’s potential accreditation.
It’s no secret. Texas is way too hot. Some days it feels like the ninth circle of hell, and, judging by remarks made by students entering buildings, most of us are totally over it. Luckily, Baylor’s air conditioning game is strong, but that doesn’t stop students from sweating like animals the moment they step out the doors into the muggy lava pit. Most students wear as little clothing as possible in hopes of finding relief from the oven that is Waco, Texas. The most common outfits across campus include oversized t-shirts, athletic shorts and a gallon or two of sweat…
The 23rd Annual Margarita and Salsa Festival took place at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Extraco Events Center. All proceeds from the event went to the Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo scholarship program. The event kicked off with a contest in which participants presented their unique beverage and salsa recipes, in hopes of winning the People’s Choice Award or Judge’s Choice Award. The event also featured carnival food, a mechanical bull and other outdoor attractions surrounding the stage where Gary Allan, Aaron Watson and John Baumann played that evening.Wayne Gartman is currently serving as chairman of the Tenure…
There is more to the new downtown mural than meets the eye.
Here are some things to do in Waco this week.
The City of Waco park rangers offer plenty of free outdoor activities for the community.
After beginning construction in May 2017, The Waco Hippodrome Theatre completed its remodeling in June 2018. The latest additions to the theater include three new screens, a bar, an expanded event space and a new restaurant. The theater was constructed in 1913 and opened in February 1914. After several renovations by owners over the last century, the Hippodrome’s most recent renovations and expansions were prompted by current owners and brothers, Shane and Cody Turner. Carina Yebra began her role as marketing director for the downtown Waco attraction a year and a half ago, just before the construction commenced. Plans for…
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterBaylor’s Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity is officially back on campus as of Saturday evening when the chapter held its New Member Presentation to welcome its new pledges. Because the Xi Sigma chapter was off campus for five years, they had no current Baylor members to lead the induction. Houston sophomore Joel Trahan, one of the new pledges, said his class was brought in by the Killeen-Ford Hood alumni chapter. “We are kind of the revival line, the new line on campus, starting from nothing pretty much and trying to bring something new back to campus,”…
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterBaylor professor and Macon Chair in Religion Dr. Mikeal Parsons was awarded two notable awards this semester through the Southwest Commission on Religious Studies (SWCRS) and Baylor’s Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Achievement. Parsons has been teaching at Baylor since 1986 and teaches undergraduate Christian Scriptures and New Testament at the graduate level. He has earned more awards in the past semester than in the 32 years he has been teaching. “I hadn’t gotten anything like that in 30 years and then I get two in the same semester!” Parsons said. The first award, presented to…
By Thomas Moran | Staff Writer Baylor Parking Service now requires students to register their bicycles. Students who do not register their bicycles before the end of the school year, may risk having their bikes removed and donated. Matthew Penney, director of parking and transportation services, is working to spread the latest news about the new policy. Forgotten bicycles has become a large issue for Baylor in the past few years. Parking and transportation collected over 300 forgotten bicycles when they first addressed the issue several years ago. Last year, parking and transportation began a “tag it” program to prevent…
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterNew research conducted by the Pew Research Center suggests women in Christian denominations are generally more religious than men. By most measures, women are more active within their church communities and more likely to believe in heaven and hell.The study found that in the United States, 60 percent of women say religion is “very important” in their lives while only 47 percent of men said the same. The study examined several measures, including weekly church attendance, daily prayer and belief in an afterlife. In every measure, women were more religious to varying degrees. Baylor sociology…
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterGraduation is just around the corner, and for the thousands of Baylor students graduating this semester, the commencement ceremony marks the beginning of a new life chapter. There are a variety of options for students after graduation, including graduate programs or joining the workforce. Fortunately, Baylor has countless resources to aid students with their job search, including a mentor network, financial literacy programs and more.Donna Sparks has been working as the director of alumni engagement since 2014 and regularly engages with students facing the challenges of post-graduation life. “I help find alumni who want to…
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterUniversities in the 21st century seem to be constantly walking a thin line between maintaining tradition and being academic pioneers. Tradition offers schools a credibility and history that newer universities can only develop with time; however, universities also face the challenge of being ahead of the scholastic and social curves. On Baylor’s campus, this tension seems to have taken physical form through the school’s architecture. I love giving tours to friends and family that visit Baylor. In the thick of a challenging semester, I become less receptive to the beauty of campus; but when I…
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterIn the past year, men in positions of power have been accused of various forms of misconduct. Following the trend, the Rev. Bill Hybels, founder and pastor of an evangelical megachurch in the Chicago area, stepped down from his position on April 10 after allegations of misconduct were brought against him. According to the Chicago Tribune, Hybels announced his stepping down last October, but did not, at that time, explain that claims had been brought against him that he had engaged in inappropriate behavior with women of his congregation for decades, some of whom had…
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterThe Baylor Indian Subcontinent Students Association (ISSA) held their 23rd Annual Gateway to India at 5:30 p.m Saturday in Waco Hall. Student groups from various universities attended to compete for a cash prize with south Asian dances and musical performances. The event also featured a fashion show held by the members of ISSA. Houston junior Farhin Ali, ISSA’s culture show chair, spent the last year planning this year’s Gateway to India with a few other ISSA members. With a large audience and six dance teams competing, she said the event takes a significant amount of…
Baylor Title IX is working with several organizations to promote Sexual Assault Awareness Month, including several sororities, American Medical Women’s Association, It’s On Us and others.
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterThough the debate about the causes of mental illness is still prevalent today, one Baylor study suggests the belief that mental illness is biologically caused has become more common in recent years among both the public and health professionals. However, reducing negative stigmas surrounding mental illness might be more effective with a neutral approach. Assistant professor of sociology Dr. Matthew Andersson received his doctorate in sociology from the University of Iowa. He came to Baylor after completing his post-doctoral work at Yale University where his interest in the social factors that influence mental and physical…
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterA large congregation of students, professors and others gathered Wednesday night to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Baylor hosted “The Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Community Reconciliation Service Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of MLK’s Assassination” in Powell Chapel in Truett Seminary. As an outspoken activist and Baptist minister, King was a leader of the American civil rights movement. Though primarily remembered for his actions as a civil rights leader, King also used peaceful protest for the economically disadvantaged and the victims of other forms of injustice. King was assassinated on…
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterBaylor professors Dr. Mary Lynn Trawick and Dr. Kevin Pinney, united efforts in their cancer research studies. The two scientists and their laboratory staffs have made valuable contributions to cancer research using fascinating techniques. The two labs are working together on projects involving the vascularization of tumors, Pinney said. For tumors to grow, they need sufficient blood flow and, if that blood flow is inhibited, the cancer cells are weakened or die because they receive no nutrients or oxygen.Pinney began teaching at Baylor in 1993 and has been working on cancer research since then. Trawick…
Dr. Lynn Tatum teamed up with Baylor United for Unicef to promote understanding about social and political climate surrounding the refugee crisis.
Having siblings can feel like a blessing and a curse. They can simultaneously be one’s closest companions and arch nemesis. They can be a support during challenges and be a challenge in and of themselves. For twins, however, sibling dynamics take on a whole new meaning. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, in 2014 about 33.9 of every 1000 births in the US are twins — a record high. But what is it like to have someone that looks the same as you? Or in the case of fraternal twins,…
Some of Baylor’s most enterprising students are already pursuing their business ideas before graduation.
By Thomas Moran | Staff Writer March 23rd is National Puppy Day, and with finals just around the corner, puppy adoption might be the best relief for the inevitable stress testing brings. The annual holiday was created by Animal Planet in 2006 and, according to the website, National Puppy day is not only dedicated to the celebration of puppies and the joy they bring to the lives of their owners, but also to raising awareness for animal cruelty toward puppies. “It’s a day to help save orphaned puppies across the globe and educate the public about the horrors of puppy…
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterBaylor professor of neuroscience and psychology, Michael Scullin, said one of the most important ingredients for student success is something that students are often guilty of neglecting. In his opinion, the primary factor that may make or break a student’s success is their sleep schedule. Though he was originally interested in memory, Scullin said he found himself becoming more interested in how sleep and memory are related, as well as memory consolidation during his graduate studies. Now, Scullin researches sleep in the Baylor Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory. “We do some work on how sleep…
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterHEB held its annual Celebrity Cook-Off Friday evening at the Waco Convention Center to benefit the Waco Independent School District Education Foundation, which was founded in 1995.Waco ISD Educational Foundation President Taylor Bledsoe said this year’s cook-off was a huge milestone because the event has officially raised over $1 million for the foundation in its 12 year history. Bill Davenport is the General Manager at the HEB off of Valley Mills Drive and I-35 and has been involved with the event since its inception. Baylor director of student media Bruce Gietzen, a longtime affiliate of…
By Thomas Moran | Staff WriterIt’s a question many students have heard, though it comes in different forms: What are you doing after college? Do you know what you want to do with your life? What are you going to do with that degree?I’ve been asked this question by peers, mentors, professors and parents on countless occasions. In fact, I seem to have developed a brief monologue that I perform every time the question presents itself.It goes something like this: “I plan on working in corporate public relations for a while. The field is experiencing significant job growth. I think…
