Tag Archives: Fall Break

Construction Zone

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By Diana Cates

A certain peace filled my heart as I made the 75 mile trek back toward Fort Worth for Fall Break. It was my drill weekend for the Marine Corps. Unlike most Baylor students packing up their cars to go on mini vacations or settling in for a weekend catching up on Netflix, I was readying my uniforms to report in for three days of training. It was exciting to get off campus and get back to my military roots. During my seven years in the military, I gained a family only comparable to my flesh and blood. The bonds and ties that I formed with my brothers and sisters in arms is something I still cannot explain to civilians, but it is unbreakable. And the truth is that ever since getting off active duty, my heart has been aching to be with them again. We all crave that comforting sense of familiarity, but I think it is when we are out of those zones is when we truly discover who we are and what are our passions. Being at Baylor has opened my eyes to career goals I haven’t had since I was a teenager, and I have to say that is from the untarnished, thriving optimism and faith that radiates from the campus.

My relationship with Christ has grown so much stronger, and with every passing day, my path gets more aligned with him. Consequentially, my relationships with others are more genuine and healthy. Through fellowship with God, I have begun to open my heart in love and acceptance, and this has transformed my life to an abundantly rich one. During this weekend, I witnessed just how different I was from fellow Marines . . . a difference that wasn’t present two months ago. It was amazing how my leadership capabilities and skills had already evolved. So much of my life has changed, not because of Baylor but because of the core morals and values associated with it. Christ is glorified here on campus, and whether you are a believer or not . . . you too will have a sign on you that says “Construction Zone.”

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It’s Not an Adventure until Something Goes Wrong

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By Maria Dillman    

“I’m going home to Houston. My mom told me she’d take me shopping and to the spa.” This was the response I got when I asked one of my friends what she was doing for Fall Break last weekend. It sounded almost heavenly compared to what I had signed myself up for.

Baylor Outdoor Adventure organizes several trips for different breaks throughout the school year to adventurous destinations such as Utah, Colorado and Arizona. The trip two of my friends and I chose to go on for Fall Break was a backpacking trip in Arkansas. Here is how they described it on the brochures: “We will backpack via the Eagle Rock Trail, the longest loop trail in Arkansas, located in the southwestern portion of the Ouachita National Forest. October is the best time of year for this hike due to the mild temperatures and Fall foliage and colors.” What it actually was: 28 miles of hiking up and down steep slopes, carrying 25 pounds of our possessions on our backs, wearing one set of clothes with no deodorant and sleeping on the ground with no pillow.

When we first started off, one of the group leaders turned to me and said, “They say it’s not an adventure until something goes wrong.” Well let’s just say our trip was full of little adventures. We made lots of wrong turns on the trail that forced us to backtrack, some people didn’t have headlamps when we scaled the uneven cliffs in the pitch black at five in the morning and sometimes we just didn’t think we could go any longer due to exhaustion. But this perseverance made us stronger. We worked together as a group to help each other accomplish the impossible. We stayed positive even when things got tough. We laughed about the little things, such as going to a five-star bathroom in the woods (good leaves to wipe with, amazing views and simultaneously “doing business” next to an animal).  And we became a small little family that hiked, ate, slept and talked alongside each other for three days straight.

Even though I’m still so sore and having a hard time getting the stench out of my hair, I wouldn’t trade my fall break for anything. I got to enjoy the company of old and new friends, stand awestruck at the beauty of God’s creation, learn that some things in life are better if you work hard for them and live young, wild and free. Now that’s an adventure.

group picfriendseagle rock loop

Leaves

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By Mary Margaret Hambuchen

Fall Break is upon us. As I walked from class late last Thursday afternoon to my apartment, campus was silent. The shuffle of freshman loading their cars and hurrying off to embrace their anxiously waiting families had long subsided. Strange as it was to witness such a dead campus, it gave me the opportunity to experience how beautiful my home really truly is. In the midst of all the craziness of midterms, papers, homecoming preparation and social events, life occasionally throws you these beautiful little moments where you are reminded of how incredibly thankful you should be.

Baylor is an amazing place. It has allowed me to grow, change and become who I am supposed to be. But, sometimes in the midst of the buzz of everyday life, you forget what it is that this place is teaching you. So, bare with me for a few moments while I explore what it is that Baylor is teaching me.

During the past two years, Baylor has taught me to:

  • Laugh and love life with some of the most incredible friends a girl could ask for.
  • Know that life is a learning process, and it won’t be easy all the time.
  • Build incredible relationships with faculty that care about my entire wellbeing.
  • Become a leader in group organizations that have taught me servant leadership.
  • Experience the huge Baylor family that has loved me so intentionally.
  • Realize that I have an incredible support system to help me through!

Just a few pictures to demonstrate my points…

Kansas State Win

Howdy Festival

ATO Semi-Formal

As the leaves begin to fall and you make big decisions about college, take a moment to be thankful for what it is you have been blessed with.

Happy Baylor Fall everyone!

A Much Needed Fall Break

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By Valonia Walker

Fall Break is a three-day weekend that most students look forward to during first semester. It usually falls right after midterm exams, and people are ready to have a break from school. The weather starts to change, and the awful Texas heat turns into nice windy and somewhat cool days. It also starts to get dark earlier, and that is a sign that the time is going to change soon, which means I will be getting an extra hour of sleep. Sleep is so important in college. Don’t take it for granted.

Fall break can be a tease because the only day you get off is Friday. But, it is long enough that many people do travel home or to other surrounding cities. Sometimes fall break is the first time that a lot of students get to go home. I on the other hand did not go home for fall break. I figured it was only a three-day weekend, and I already don’t have classes on Friday. Let’s be honest, fall break should really be a Friday and a Monday.

Fall break at Baylor is what you make it. Staying in Waco definitely has its pros and cons.

Pros:

  • Having impromptu hangouts with other people who stayed.
  • Getting to study for upcoming tests.
  • Having movie nights by yourself/with friends.
  • Getting a lot of sleep.
  • Savoring the open parking spaces.
  • Enjoying the quiet.
Fall Break Eve

My friends Mecia Lockwood and Kimbrea Bruno having a Scandal watch party on Fall Break Eve!

Cons:

  • Dinning halls are closed.
  • You only get one day off.
  • Campus looks like a ghost town.
  • If your friends go home, you can be BORED!
  • It’s super quiet.
Fall Break

Excited about all the opportunities for Fall Break! 

I have stayed at school every fall break, and I have survived both the pros and the cons. Even if your friends or roommates do leave you all alone, you can use that time to get to know other people who are still on campus. Make the most of your down time.

Here are 10 ideas to keep yourself occupied during Fall Break:

  1. Invite your friends over for a movie night.
  2. Choose a new TV series to watch on Netflix and see how many seasons you can get through.
  3. Take time to rest and relax.
  4. Explore the city of Waco with your friends.
  5. Go to the Heart of Texas Fair.
  6. Try a local restaurant that you have been wanting to go to.
  7. Sleep in each day of the break.
  8. Get to know someone new on your floor or in your building.
  9. Take advantage of doing laundry and showering without having to wait.
  10. Study and prepare for the next week.

Fun Times at the State Fair

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By Sophia Cooper

Fall is upon us!  That means pumpkin spice lattes, football season, cute scarves and the Texas State Fair.  On our extra day of Fall Break, my boyfriend David and I headed up to Dallas to participate in this great American tradition.

The first stop on our trip north: kolaches in West, Texas.  This Czech town is known nationally for the fertilizer plant explosion that happened this spring, but in Texas it’s most famous for the delicious food.  Only 20 minutes north of campus, West is a very popular destination among Baylor students. The Little Czech Stop is right next to I-35 and open 24 hours a day, making it a great impulse road trip late at night.  For really good kolaches, however, you have to go a block towards downtown and visit Gerik’s bakery.  This “mom and pop” shop has THE BEST kolaches I’ve ever tasted and six inch diameter cinnamon rolls for only $2!

After a delicious and nutritious breakfast, David and I hit the road and kept going all the way to the Cotton Bowl in southeast Dallas.  We visited Big Tex (the state fair legend), ate funnel cakes and corn dogs, looked at Texas-sized pick-up trucks and people watched all afternoon. My favorite part of the day was all the cute animals. The Children’s Hospital sponsored an animal room that included goats, giraffes, zebras, yaks and cows.  While zebras are my favorite animals, the baby goats were just too adorable!

Big TexAnimals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We finished off the day by riding a rickety roller coaster. A major problem with studying mechanical engineering: I couldn’t stop thinking about the forces, potential and kinetic energies, and vibrations involved!  All in all, it was a great and relaxing way to spend my last fall break.  We ran into tons of other Baylor students enjoying the day off and stuffing their faces with fried foods, too!

David and I