“The only thing that I have consistently done is music,” Obevoen said. “Since I was about five, I started playing guitar; then I taught myself how to play piano, drums, bass, a little violin and ukulele.”

Downtown Waco glistened with holiday cheer this weekend as Waco Wonderland returned to Heritage Square for its 13th year, drawing large crowds of families, students and local vendors. With the ferris wheel lighting up Austin Avenue, expanded food truck options and a busy Mistletoe Market, this year’s event blended familiar traditions with new features that kept visitors circulating through the plaza.

For generations, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” has been a staple of holiday traditions. From classic films to stage productions, Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey from miser to redeemed man returns each December, boasting familiar lessons and a sense of warmth. This year, Baylor University added its own twist, bringing the tale to life inside the Carroll Science Hall during Christmas on Fifth with an immersive, walk-through performance that invited visitors to step directly into the story.

Michael Rataj is listed as a guard, but has shifted up the lineup to play center due to injuries. He’s been an indispensable Swiss Army knife for the shorthanded Bears, leading the team in offensive rebounds while chipping in 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

“Linguistics develops analytical thinking and problem-solving, communication skills that are useful in virtually any profession,” Calafate said. “It provides students with a toolkit to work in fields that require understanding and navigating human interaction.”

While the demand isn’t quite at the same level as vinyl records, VHS is having a bit of a comeback in its own way. The aesthetic is more popular than ever, with music videos such as “Million Dollar Baby” by Tommy Richman and the “Deadbeat” album by Tame Impala referencing it on social media.

Who needs studying when there are all these fun holiday events in Waco this weekend? Just kidding — don’t neglect hitting the books, but sneak a little fun into your study breaks by exploring all that downtown has to offer.

We treat friendship like background music: comforting, constant, easily taken for granted. Yet friendship is the architecture holding most of us upright. It shapes us, steadies us, reminds us who we are when everything else feels unsteady. And still, with the people who show up for us most consistently, we hesitate to offer the simplest words: I love you.

College isn’t supposed to be an echo chamber; it’s meant to be a testing ground. The goal isn’t to argue louder, it’s to argue better. Listening, asking questions and speaking your beliefs without shutting someone else down are all traits that will help us improve our identity.

I transferred from Syracuse University last year, and its absence policy was determined on a professor-by-professor basis. Some classes had stringent attendance policies, while others had none. While that is the complete opposite of Baylor’s policy, I feel there should be a middle ground that balances regular class attendance with more situational leniency on the students’ part.

Even though the quality of the robots isn’t perfect — like humans — the idea behind bringing Starship robots to campus is to provide a convenient and efficient food delivery option for students and the broader campus community.

Most student-led organizations are lucky to sign up a few new members and get funding for an occasional meal. But one group, led by a network of college students across the country—including a Baylor freshman—has already gotten hundreds of students to sign up and received commitments for over $1 million in charitable donations. And they don’t launch until next month.

More than 5,000 students are now working on campus — up from 3,600 just two years ago. This increase is in part due to Baylor’s addition of a standalone student employment department, which oversees all student jobs on campus and provides one-on-one consultations for students seeking on-campus job opportunities.

As students prepare for finals week, many trek the familiar trail to Moody Memorial Library or the SUB. However, the crowding has significantly intensified this year — not just because of exams, but because of the construction in Moody’s garden level. The construction has temporarily closed much of Moody’s bottom floor, leaving only the atrium spaces, outdoor tables and the Makerspace open.

The penny has been in Americans’ pockets since 1793. But after Nov. 12, the U.S. Mint says it’s done making the iconic coin, largely because each one costs more than it’s worth. Economists say shoppers may barely notice its disappearance.