The Baylor African Student Association held its annual cultural showcase, Afrique, on Saturday, offering attendees a night of traditional and modern African culture. Student organizers said they hoped the event would help cultural diversity become a medium to foster understanding and unity among Baylor students.
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Returning for its 29th year, Baylor’s Gateway to India will transform Waco Hall into an atmosphere filled with music, dances and community this Saturday. Hosted by the Indian Subcontinent Student Association, the Bollywood fusion competition will feature numerous teams coming in from across the country, local flavors and a packed lineup designed to keep the audience engaged from start to finish.
Students who ventured to Penland Dining Hall on Thursday afternoon were greeted with red lanterns and red envelopes filled with spices in celebration of the upcoming Lunar New Year.
Baylor welcomed Spanish professors from Yale University, Boston College and Washington University in St. Louis to discuss their new books and how refusing to acknowledge the past has caused modern Spanish society to experience “cultural amnesia.”
The viral Adidas Tang jacket started a trend of incorporating traditional Chinese design features in modern fashion. However, it comes with a new wave of debate as to why Chinese culture is not being credited properly when selling Chinese-inspired clothing, creating complicated questions in balancing fleeting trends and true appreciation of culture.
Nearly 35% of Waco’s residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, a demographic that comes to light during the Christmas season when families prepare festive food, drinks and decor.
“Students have the opportunity to speak a little bit of Portuguese, or if they don’t speak it, they can hear it, which helps them a lot,” Costa said. “This is about not only language, but also community and friendship as well.”
Long before Waco became a city on the map, its land was home to the Wichita tribe — a history often left untold in Texas classrooms and public life.
A tradition has lived on for generations: tamales bubbling over a large cooking pot, the smell of masa and fresh spices filling the air, friends and family gathered around a long table savoring the taste of their culture’s food. Despite the warmth and joy these traditions invoke, one Baylor professor says there is still a harmful immigrant narrative in the U.S. that is gaining ground.
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.
What began as an entrepreneurial dream for owners Kayla and Ismael Olvera has flourished into a thriving reality known as Mila Café, Waco’s first official Mexican coffee shop.
While people outside of the fanbase see us as poor, unfortunate souls grasping onto false hope, they overlook the characteristics that make a Cowboys fan a Cowboys fan — and believe it or not there are many appealing characteristics and qualities about us.
“I always feel lonely as an international student,” Liu said. “But when you go to the activities they host, you see a lot of international students from different places and even from the same country as you … and you feel belonging here.”
“We should be proud of our cultural and ethnic identities, but that pride should never, of course, make us feel better than other people,” Van Gorder said. “We should use our cultural heritages as resources, not only to share who we are, but to learn and listen and validate other people.”
Released at the end of March, the book is a major contribution to gospel music scholarship, based on over 150 interviews with Crouch’s collaborators, friends and family members. The project blends musical analysis with personal stories, tracing how Crouch’s groundbreaking songs, like “Through It All,” “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power” and “Soon and Very Soon,” became foundational in modern worship across denominations.
“It’s great to see so many people come together to celebrate their own cultures,” Huebner said. “It was neat to learn new things and see dances that originate from different cultures.”
“Sigma Week is the culmination of all our hard work and planning,” Salinas said. “It’s been a lot … but for it to be less than a week away, I’m really excited.”
On a cold Wednesday evening, Dr. Eric Williams captivated an eager audience at the Mayborn Museum with a lecture on his Smithsonian exhibition “Spirit in the Dark: Religion in Black Music, Activism, and Popular Culture.”
Despite technological developments, car culture remains significant. It is a link to the past, a tribute to man’s creativity and an avenue for self-expression. As a once capstone of American culture, car culture is more than just the machines. The passion this community shares collectively is fundamental to preserving its history and rich influence.
Students were eager to explore their options at the Study Abroad Fair on Tuesday during Dr Pepper Hour in the Bill Daniel Student Center, where representatives showcased a variety of international programs designed to broaden academic and cultural horizons. The event provided attendees with information on destinations, scholarships and immersive experiences, and it encouraged students to take their education beyond the classroom.
The second-annual Global Cultural Fest was held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursday at the Hankamer School of Business. The event was sponsored by the Dean’s Office, Department of Economics and the McBride Center for International Business as a way to bring the business school together to learn about different cultures and countries.
“A lot of times they use what’s called the blood quantum rule, so it dictates whatever percentage you are of Native American,” Canas said. “There’s also the tragedy of a lot of tribes nowadays; after the next generation, they will not be considered Native anymore. The whole philosophy and the identity behind it is dictated by the U.S. government, but currently, there is a big push between us to kind of build the identity for ourselves.”
The Mayborn Museum was filled with the harmonious sounds of native flutes for over an hour on Wednesday as a Waco local put on a concert in honor of Native American Heritage Month.
“I love coming to the international student Thanksgiving dinner and celebration,” Livingstone said. “It’s great to celebrate the culture of our students from around the world and then to help them understand a very American tradition of Thanksgiving.”
While many events are held throughout the month of November to celebrate Thanksgiving, the Multicultural Affairs department is responsible for sponsoring a variety of events to honor Native American Heritage Month.
“The events and celebrations are important because they expose the public to something rich and unique,” he said. “But for me, the real impact comes when we meet someone with a different life experience and heritage, listen to understand their way, and at the same time realize that our humanity binds us. Our differences just add to that wealth of understanding,” Crumpton said.
From Caribbean spices to the flavors of Southeast Asia, Waco’s ethnic restaurant scene has a lot to offer. Here’s a spotlight on some of the best places to eat your way around the world in Waco.
On Wednesday, the Asian Leaders Network is hosting their inaugural Diwali festival at Market Bridge Street Plaza. The festival will feature artists, performances, vendors and Indian student organizations Baylor Taal and Indian Subcontinent Student Organization.
Under partly cloudy skies in Indian Spring Park, Creative Waco hosted its annual Día de los Muertos festival on Saturday. Here, festival-goers enjoyed the usual parade, food vendors, dance performances, and more, but something stood out from previous festivals — the prominent monarch butterfly theme.
Cardoza-Orlandi said minority groups in the U.S. are framed by the tension between Blacks and whites, the so-called racial binary. People like him that are not included in this range often seem to be invisible.
