Baylor News
While many crossed city or state lines to get to Baylor, others crossed oceans and looked for ways to make Baylor home thousands of miles away.
Upon Kokernot Hall’s anticipated completion this July, the university will finish the plans it set back in 2013. With part of the construction budget now freed up for other projects, it opens up the question of what’s coming next for projects across campus. While there is no confirmed plan for a similarly connected string of renovations, Vice President for Student Life Dr. Sharra Hynes alluded to future projects in a September interview.
For some, sharing living spaces with siblings and family was the norm. Yelling at a sibling to stop hogging the bathroom, touching your clothes or stealing your personal items is a part of life for some, but for many, living in a communal space is a foreign concept that is difficult to adjust to.
Data from the National Association of Professional Organizers shows that disorganization can lead to a 20% loss in productivity. According to Mental Health America, a clean living space helps promote a daily sense of calmness and control in your life.
Waco News
Valentine’s Day came early to South Waco Elementary.
The Parent Resource Center at South Waco hosted a Valentine’s event Monday. Students and their families decorated sugar cookies and made valentines out of paper.
Campus Kitchen at Baylor baked the cookies and took them to the school.
Of the 88 flu cases the Baylor Health Center has seen since August, 83 of them have been this semester.
As of Wednesday, the Baylor Health Center has seen 10,174 patients since the beginning of the fall semester.
According to clinic records, the influenza virus is the most likely virus to crop up on campus and can have negative effects on coursework.
Dr. Sharon Stern, the medical director at the health center located on the second floor of the McLane Student Life Center, said the clinic is normally well equipped to handle the virus without seeking help from outside sources.
Wacoans will have a chance to speak with Texas legislators about hot-button topics before the end of the 83rd legislative session in May.
The Texas Tribune’s Hot Seat series will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 22 in the Stone Room at the Ferrell Center. The series will focus on topics from the legislative session—including public education and healthcare—and it will feature Texas Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson, Texas Rep. Kyle Kacal and Texas Sen. Brian Birdwell.
Five Baylor students and two Baylor-associated organizations received recognition for their volunteer work at the Mission Waco Mission World banquet Tuesday.
The students won Volunteer of the Year awards. Brooks Residential College and Zeta Zigga Zamma received special recognition.
The awards give the nonprofit a chance to recognize its volunteers, said Seth Dorrell, director of Mission World and volunteer director.
Covid-19
“Since July 1st, Baylor’s campus has had nine positives out of 48 tests,” Stern said. “And in the last month alone, we have had seven positives out of 29 tests, which is almost a 25% positivity rate.”
State News
President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, with the execution scheduled for 1 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Central Texas military installation, roughly an hour from Baylor’s campus.

