Browsing: community

“Events like these, like we’ve been doing with Levitt, and the farmer’s market, the whole point is to truly bring [Waco’s] mission to life… which is to bridge communities, to showcase artistry, talent, bring in talent, and then at the same time, create a space where everybody can connect,” Linares said.

Some of the recruitment events prospective new members can mark their calendars for are a painting class, a cupcake social, bowling night and a service project opportunity, which can be found on Baylor’s Student Activities website, according Hollywood, Fla. senior Jasmari Fontanez, who serves as the Chamber recruitment chair.

Several voices could be heard singing and echoing throughout the Bill Daniel Student Center on Thursday evening. Shortly after the singing stopped, thunderous applause lasted for several minutes. The building was filled with laughter and cheers as faculty, staff and students gathered around to watch the performances at the Black Student Welcome.

Within the first week on campus, flyers promoting services and ministries will be scattered in the Student Union Building and various churches will table on Fountain Mall. With endless possibilities and opportunities, students may attend services and events at numerous churches. This routine is well known as ‘church shopping.’

Serving as the editor-in-chief of The Lariat has been the greatest privilege of my college career. I never could have imagined how bittersweet it would be to unpin my prints from the board, design my last staff meeting presentation and pass my final story on Camayak. But here I am, shedding a tear or two writing this letter.

According to the International Mission Board, the 70 million members of the global deaf population are “some of the least evangelized people on Earth.” Only about 2% of deaf people have been introduced to the gospel. With no deaf churches between Dallas and Austin, that was just as true in Central Texas as anywhere — until Richard Larson came to town.

Inconspicuously situated on a once-vacant lot in a sleepy Waco neighborhood on the 1100 block of Taylor Street is an array of crop beds growing vegetables such as onions, cabbage, peas and sorghum. The property is the site of Global Revive — a nonprofit organization founded in 2013 to “revive our world back to nature” by encouraging people to grow their own food.

A lot of us may embrace and engage in the large prayer tent on Fountain Mall and various conversations surrounding the three-day Christianpalooza, also known as FM72. There is beauty in having a space for that on a college campus. However, this is one of numerous examples of public, almost performative, Christianity at Baylor.

Currently, it is mandatory for all first-year students at Baylor to live on campus, but what is the reasoning behind this? According to Baylor, it is “for first-year students to live and grow together and find their place.” However, I find that in some cases, the benefits of on-campus living do not always outweigh the drawbacks. Here are some reasons why I believe mandatory on-campus living should be reconsidered.

The Waco Police Department doesn’t get a day off in the fight against crime, but it isn’t alone in that fight. Waco Crime Stoppers is an organization of civilian volunteers who work to help solve cases in the McLennan County area. The service allows people to anonymously submit tips about unsolved crimes at the Crime Stoppers hotline or through the P3 Tips app.

Founded 12 years ago to combat human trafficking in Waco, Unbound Now has become a global nonprofit organization. Unbound executive director Kristi Hayes said it started with a small local church group that refused to let the issue go unnoticed in the community.

For the first time since its inception in 1969, Baylor’s Student Foundation is opening talent acquisition applications — a privilege previously reserved for rising juniors and seniors — to rising sophomores. Jefferson, S.D., senior and co-president Jensyn Younger said although applicants must be prepared to sacrifice their time, participation in Student Foundation makes it all worth it in the end.

With Black History Month commencing this week, we have the opportunity to highlight these businesses in our community. It is likely they will be receiving a bit more traffic than they typically would in any other given month due to the outpouring of support from locals in honor of the month. However, considering all that Black business owners go through in order to keep their businesses alive, shouldn’t we be giving them the credit they’re due year-round?

The problem that exists in attending a church aimed specifically at college students is that it lacks the opportunity for growth. I believe the beauty of attending church is that you can meet a variety of people from all walks of life. Spiritual growth flourishes most when you surround yourself with those who are different from you rather than those who are similar.