Tag Archives: Chapel

Building A Bigger Baylor

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By Jaziah Masters

As many of you may know, Baylor has a pretty large campus. Fear not! Campus seems to shrink, just a little, with each passing day that you spend here. However, as I walk around, I can’t help but notice things are beginning to look a little different. What’s going on reminds me of a well-known quote, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

So, you may be thinking to yourself, what really is going on around campus? Great question! I should mention now that I am a person who loves concept art. There will be a lot in this post…

Getting back to the question, what is going on around campus can be summarized in one word: Construction. There are several construction projects going on throughout campus that, upon their completion, will make our beautiful campus that much better. It’s pretty nice to think that as I seek to grow and become the person that I am supposed to be, Baylor is doing the same, but a little more on that later.

So, you may ask, then what is Baylor up to? Great follow up question! You may have already heard of some of the new projects that have already been completed, such as the redesigned, Penland Dinning Hall and, of course, McLane Stadium. These are just two recently finished examples of changes around campus. Some new projects that will be finished soon are:

Elliston chapel

Elliston chapel

business school

The Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation

fountain mall

And, my personal favorite, the Fountain for Fountain Mall

All of these renovations and additives are pretty incredible. Even more so is the fact that it won’t be too long before all of these improvements are operational. Campus is already pretty different from when I was a freshman, and I’m just a Sophomore now, so I can only imagine what it will be like in a few years.

You may be wondering how all of this connects with the quote I opened this post with. Allow me to explain. Baylor is entering into a defining period in its history. This University has strong momentum in terms of academics, athletics, and alumni. The way I see it, the construction on campus is simply a physical display of that momentum. Baylor University is becoming more and more of what is supposed to be. In other words, Baylor is realizing its potential. The growth I see on campus, in a way, reflects the growth of the student body, as we strive to become the people we know our Baylor education will allow us to become. Overall, there is some pretty exciting stuff going on!

Chin up, Chap! It’s Chapel!

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By Joe Bridgeman

Chapel is an old Baylor tradition – around for hundreds of years. You go twice a week for 35-50 minutes, and you either hear a guest speaker or have a mini-worship service. All students at Baylor are required to take chapel for two semesters, which they usually do during their freshmen year. It’s an experience that, at the time, is a favorite for people to bash. “Ugh, it’s so boring!” or “I can’t believe they make us go to this twice a week!” are common conversation topics among new freshmen. I understand; I’ve sat in those chairs in Waco Hall along with everyone else. It can be tough to motivate yourself to go on a lot of days, especially when that bed is so deliciously warm on that cold, winter morning. It takes some distance, perspective and maturity to begin to see chapel for what it is.

If you decide to attend Baylor University, you have the quickly-becoming-more-unique privilege of attending at private, Christian university. This means that not only can you come here to enrich your mind and explore new intellectual ideas, but also explore and experience different spiritual atmospheres. That spiritual exploration is exactly what chapel is for.

Every day in chapel is a little different. One day of the week tends to be topic-focused, and we’ve listened to all kinds of guest speakers, social activists, songwriters and others. Another day of the week is usually focused on worship – in many different forms. One day we sang hymns along with a pipe organ, another day we had a Christian rock-concert worship and another we watched a dramatic performance of the gospel. The point of chapel is to experience different perspectives on spirituality.  Nothing is forced upon you, and the chapel staff does a great job of presenting a diverse set of viewpoints.

So, here is the point. If you’re interested in exploring your spirituality or simply figuring out what that even means, Baylor is an excellent and safe place to do so. Your first experience with that will be chapel. I encourage you to soak it up while you’re there – you’re here to learn!  Looking back on it with two year’s distance, I can now see how privileged we were to be presented with such a dynamic and diverse setting for exploring spirituality.

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Waco Hall – the Destination of the Pilgrimage to Chapel

 

Being Christian at Baylor

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By Shannon Sandridge

Baylor is a great place to be a Christian. Though certainly not everyone here is a Baptist or a Christian, the university has done a great job creating an environment which fosters spiritual growth.

With chapel and all the events put on by the Spiritual Life Center, there are plenty of avenues to ensure that you keep God in your life, even though you’re away from your home church. We’ve had a variety of worship bands come play during chapel, including one from Cuba, a gospel choir of professors and, my personal favorite, a more modern band called All Sons and Daughters.

Every week, my friends and I eat at Penland after church.

Every week, my friends and I eat at Penland after church.

There are also plenty of opportunities for service through the university. I have friends who read to kids, eat breakfast with the homeless and teach “English as a Second Language” classes on a weekly basis. You are also given opportunities to serve abroad. For example, there are mission trips with professors that provide medical care and teach English in third world countries.

I love that I go to a university which provides so many chances to serve my community and the globe, but even more than that, I love that I am surrounded by so many students who are eager to serve. Many of my friends who are pre-med plan to do missionary work part-time, if not for their whole career. I also have friends who want to teach in underprivileged schools and who want to go into ministry.

Thousands of young people chose to spend Valentine’s Day weekend growing closer to God at the Passion conference, including many Baylor students!

Thousands of young people chose to spend Valentine’s Day weekend growing closer to God at the Passion conference, including many Baylor students!

Being surrounded by such people is really enriching. It isn’t uncommon or awkward to talk about faith; even those who aren’t Christian are open to discussion. I’ve learned a lot about my faith and been challenged by my peers in the best way possible. During particularly difficult weeks, some friends and I have worship nights in the chapel in our dorm to relieve some stress.

It’s typical small talk to ask what churches someone has visited. I ran into so many fellow Baylor students over Valentine’s weekend at the Passion conference; Baylor actually had the second most students there (we beat UT)! With so many incredible peers and such great opportunities to express my faith, I love being a Christian at Baylor.

“The Fellas” (by Sophia Cooper)

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My mom has a group of college friends known as “The Fellas.” I am on first-name basis with these guys (a big accomplishment in a household of “Mister” and “Missus”). I’ve grown up with their children, having play dates and goofing off at big family dinners. Looking at pictures of Mom with a 1970s perm, surrounded by these great nerdy guys, I wanted the same kind of college friendships. That’s when I realized it: the people I spend time with now will be my own group of “The Fellas” in 30 years.

I’ve known quite a few of my friends since Welcome Week. My friends Ryan, Sean, and I banded together to face Chapel and got lunch every Monday and Wednesday all of freshman year. Tannah and I have had multiple classes together every semester, becoming good friends and perfect study buddies. Kayla, Serge and I had every class together last spring and fall, and we decided to name ourselves “The Best Friends Club.” Lizzie, Erica and I were roommates on campus for two years, have classes together, and try to set aside time to get together just to chat and catch up. I spend a ridiculous amount of time with my current roommates Lydia, Stephanie, and Caroline, just laughing in our living room and making roomie dinner once a week. My boyfriend David and I have been friends since the beginning of freshman year, and he’s always the first person I turn to for everything.

These are just some of the people I hope to still be in touch with for the rest of my life. College is the time for late night study parties, too many hours in the lab, and so much laughter. My friendships from the past two and a half years have proved to be strong and true, helping me through many obstacles and celebrating many accomplishments. I am so excited to see what God has in store for my friends and myself as we work through our last year and a half together, and even more excited for what will come after graduation!

David and I

Lizzie and I

 

Tannah, Kalya, and I