Beneath the beauty of a beach is a story that students do not see: shattered bottles, tar balls and food wrappers trapped in debris with micro-plastics glued to sand grains like scars. Even on Baylor’s campus, student events and daily activities impair waterways and air quality.

What once felt like home, students describe as distant and constrained after returning from studying abroad. Students said adjusting to life back on campus was more challenging than expected, with many experiencing reverse culture shock.

“Generally, tariffs are considered to be negative for economic well-being,” Davidson said. “So initially, stock markets around the world sank following the imposition of the Liberation Day tariffs. However, since then, the U.S. stock market has rebounded dramatically.”

Waco doctoral candidate and fourth-year graduate student Carol Raymond said she started working toward a doctorate in school psychology to make the “greatest positive change possible.”