Baylor News
Even in late January, love is in the air.
Today is the last day for any faculty, staff or student to enter Armstrong Browning Library’s second annual “How Do You Love Thee” love story contest.
This August, East Village will open to provide 701 beds for students.
Dr. Jeff Doyle, dean for student learning and engagement, said the construction of East Village is on target.
After East Village opens, Baylor will begin refurbishing older residence halls, starting with South Russell Residence Hall.
With the addition of East Village to Baylor’s facilities, Baylor could see an increase in the number of students living on campus.
Collins Cafe is here to stay.
The dining hall will remain open contrary to rumors on campus after discussions of closing the facility took place in the spring of 2012.
The discussions came in the wake of the announcement of the opening of a dining hall in the East Village Complex.
Dr. Kevin Jackson, vice president for student life, said the decision occurred during fall 2012, before prospective students ranked their residence hall choices for the fall of 2013.
In the course of his travels as a Foreign Service officer, photographer and professor, Dr. Colbert Held has taken photos in every country in the Middle East.
Out of the 19,000 individual Kodachrome slides he personally took, 175 pictures will be spread across different displays in all of the Baylor libraries starting Feb. 7.
Waco News
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.
INTERNATIONAL
The Iran war is now in its 46th day. Iran responded by restricting access to Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil, and moving to toll vessels transiting the strait. Waco drivers are already feeling it. The local average hit $3.38 a gallon last week, up 21 cents in seven days and 75 cents year-over-year, according to AAA data.
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.
