Baylor News
According to Plano junior Oliver Dillard, a Waco Hall Ticketing Office staff member, the ticketing office allocates a set number of tickets to administration each year. The seats are usually in the center orchestra, and many are still unclaimed by the time Sing comes along. These tickets open to the public an hour before each show, so students can come early to secure a last-minute ticket.
Nearly 75 years ago, Baylor’s All-University Sing had little the pomp and circumstance it does today. On a rainy spring night in April 1953, a meager 13 souls gathered into Waco Hall to watch just eight groups perform after the weather had relocated them from their original location at the SUB Bowl.
The curtain may rise in February, but for the members of Baylor’s Student Productions Committee, the work behind All-University Sing begins long before taking the stage.
Sing Alliance is known for its high-energy themes and open-door policy; it’s become the route for many freshmen looking to take the stage in their first year at Baylor. For Waco freshman Zayn Matthews and Montgomery freshman Haley Conner, the organization gave them more than just the stage; it gave them a family.
Waco News
Incumbent Republican Judge Thomas West, 59, faces off against Barry Johnson, 68, who became a Democrat in December 2023 before filing for election. It is safe to say that neither thinks the other is fit for office. The issue with the opposing candidate, both agree, is not a matter of political lean, but of experience and character.
Despite its name, the Railroad Commission actually has nothing to do with railroad regulations anymore. According to The Railroad Commission of Texas website, the commission no longer has authority over railroads in Texas since the remaining jurisdiction was transferred to the Texas Department of Transportation in 2005.
The “Be Safe. Drive Smart” initiative aims to combat the growing number of pedestrian deaths and injuries on Texas roadways, particularly as National Pedestrian Safety Month approaches.
“At this time during the preliminary investigation; it is believed that an equipment failure during the normal production process introduced water into the furnace of molten metal, resulting in a steam explosion,” Soto said.
State News
Texas voters turned out in historic numbers Tuesday, delivering victories for State Rep. James Talarico and forcing a runoff between Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the state’s U.S. Senate contest that claimed national attention. The total early-voting turnout of more than 2.5 million marks the highest ever for a midterm primary election. The results also kicked off the 2026 midterm cycle.
National
Politics
INTERNATIONAL
Gas prices in Texas have surged more than 70 cents per gallon since the U.S. went to war with Iran three weeks ago. The near-total shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz has driven oil prices up more than 40%, pushing the national average to its highest point since 2023 and sending diesel past $5 for the first time in three years.
The largest U.S. military operation in the Middle East in decades unfolded as American and Israeli forces struck Iran Saturday, killing its supreme leader and triggering retaliatory strikes from the Gulf to Israel. The White House said the campaign is aimed at dismantling Iran’s military and toppling its government.
Dr. Joshua Alley, assistant professor of political science, said part of the Trump administration’s interest in Greenland has to do with America’s national security strategy.
The abduction of a foreign leader was not on most students’ bingo cards for winter break. Once news headlines began appearing about Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and how his wife were removed from Venezuela, most people scratched their heads in confusion, wondering where the news came from and why it happened.