February brings more than just deadlines and cold weather to campus. For Common Grounds, a new Valentine’s lineup just dropped, complete with pink signage, seasonal drinks and heart-themed names.

From sweet to spice, the chai latte has been a reliable coffee alternative for drink enjoyers across the U.S. While Waco has a wide variety of drink spots, I set out to find the best chai, ultimately rating them based on affordability, presentation and taste. Each category is rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with five representing an average. This week, Common Grounds, Brú, Pinewood Coffee Bar, Heritage Coffee and For Keeps were put to the test of creating a delicious coffee house staple.

Nothing screams “autumn” quite like sipping a deliciously pumpkin-spiced latte from your favorite coffee shop. But with so many options available in Waco, which one offers the best PSL?

Finding a quiet space to study can be challenging for new Baylor students, especially for those without a car. However, several walkable locations near campus provide options for studying, each with its own distinct atmosphere and amenities.

Musician and Shady Dale, Ga., junior Ethan Lynch didn’t grow up in a musical family. Instead, he spent his childhood on his family’s multi-generational cattle farm, working alongside his two brothers from an early age.

At 8 p.m. on Sunday at Common Grounds, alumnae and current “The Voice” contestant Tori Templet performed an array of original songs in a show alongside opener and Vail, Colo. senior Langley Cerovich.

I mean, could you imagine the uproar if they added a Chipotle to the SUB?

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to travel all the way to Dallas, Houston, or Austin this fall to get a fun live music experience. Here are some of the best shows to look out for this Fall taking place in the 254 that you don’t want to miss.

On Tuesday night at Common Grounds, under a full rainbow in the sky and tree branches above dripping with rainwater, Christian artist Luke Bower and his band put on a show for Baylor students. Despite the puddles on the picnic tables, students gathered around the band like a campfire, filling the backyard of the coffee shop.

Katie Klingstedt, coordinator of international programs, said the hope for the program is that international students get to see what it’s like to live in America outside of a college campus. They are matched with a domestic student, a faculty member or a local family to meet with once a month for a semester.

Vail, Colo., junior Langley Cerovich is the Music Industry Club’s newest signed artist, but he has been surrounded by music his whole life.

The Waco Poets Society co-hosted an open mic poetry night with the Baylor Poetry Club on Monday at Common Grounds, showcasing their talent and inviting anyone to present their poetry.

Having a job in college might not seem like that big of a deal, but when you take on this responsibility, you are playing an important part within the college community. Only putting in the bare minimum can certainly be a tempting option, but it’s a curse that smites us from the heavens.

As a former Starbucks barista, I used to dread the start of fall drinks. Every August, my coworkers and I would be bombarded by groups of people enthusiastically ordering the most famous seasonal drink: the pumpkin spice latte. I’ll admit, when I was a 15-year-old, I also enjoyed a festive pumpkin beverage, but after working at Starbucks and being around it, I’ll say it doesn’t deserve the hype that it gets.

When San Antonio senior Brando Lezzana began sharing his music beyond his computer, he needed a name for his new venture. So, he clung to his mother’s birthplace: Cordoba, Argentina.

With Interstate-35 separating Baylor’s campus from the “grease pit,” navigating Waco can seem awfully challenging without a car. However, there are plenty of things to do and places to see all within walking distance of campus.

If you’ve been racking your brain for how to fill up a day (or a few) in Waco, here is the only list you will ever need. From shopping to local music to outdoor adventures, here is the best the city has to offer all in one list.

“If there’s an opportunity for him to like, have more people listen to his music or be able to just perform at all, he will take it,” Langmore said.

“Whether you’re one of those people who are like, I know what I’m gonna do, and that’s fantastic, or whether you’re someone who is taking a lot of different changes and different majors and turns in your career, that’s okay, too,” Kade said. “You don’t have to have everything figured out.”

Festivities to kick of the reopening of Waco’s iconic bridge will include live music and a drone show. The official ribbon-cutting will take place Saturday, followed by a longhorn cattle-driving across the bridge.

There are several downsides to the drink, including yellowed teeth, peaked anxiety and a drained bank account, but the health concerns don’t stop there. This poses the age-old question among diligent coffee consumers: to drink or not to drink?

Despite all my pretensions to music snobbery, I have not once seen a show at Common Grounds (well, not since…

Indie folk band Seryn breaks the static, slow mold of the genre. The six-piece band will play songs from its newest album, “Shadow Shows,” at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Common Grounds.

One time I had a dream that coffee and ice cream would one day walk hand in hand. One day I woke up, read the Baylor Lariat and slapped a cow sideways while yelling yeehaw when I saw it was coming into reality.

Caffeine addicts and music junkies who have developed a love for all things Common Grounds will be pleased to know the coffee shop has found new roots on the other side of the highway. The quintessentially hipster chain is jumping on the food truck bandwagon with a trailer unit called the CG Container stationed at 6th Street and Franklin.

Music fans and coffee lovers, rejoice – the first live show of the semester at Common Grounds will headline Ohio band House of Heroes and feature Chiefly Palomino. The show is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday, and tickets may be purchased online or at the coffee shop for $5 each.

When not promoting a sold-out rock concert that can seat tens of thousands, Baylor students, alongside their guiding professor, are gaining first-hand promotional experience through Common Grounds’ Friday night concert.

Josh Garrels, Common Grounds’ upcoming sold-out act for Friday, balances his music with his Christian beliefs to appeal to a wide audience.

International students from five continents have found a temporary home at Common Grounds. Though they met as a group for the first time less than two weeks ago, more than 25 students from around the world gathered Wednesday to support one of their group and his acoustic session.

With no Baylor football game to attend this weekend, students can spend their Saturday night at Common Grounds sipping coffee, listening to music and helping fight cancer.

Common Grounds will feature six local artists, including three Baylor students, at 8 p.m. to help Braden James Guess, a University of Texas at Austin sophomore.