Cali→Texas→Cali→Texas

Posted on November 11, 2014 by alicroom

By Kilani Ju

Flying Back to California

After making the ultimate decision to attend Baylor University, I knew that my life would change completely. Not only would it be the first time I moved in general, but I was also moving out of state and away from my family. I knew that not seeing family would be extremely difficult, and flying back to California would be a rare occasion.

Since transferring to Baylor, I have lived away from home for about two and half years. My first semester in Texas was especially difficult because I was adjusting to my new life living away from home. It was challenging but in a positive way. I wouldn’t be the same person I am today had I not made the decision to move far away. I grew as an individual, I became more independent and most importantly, I discovered that it was possible to live on my own. I learned that as long as you keep in contact with your family through FaceTime, Skype, emails, letters, text messages or phone calls, it’s not bad living away from home.

I make it a priority to talk to my family at least a few times a week. It’s important to not only update them on what’s happening in my life, but to also see what they are up to as well. As a college student, classes and outside activities can take over your life, so I recommend that you look over your daily schedule beforehand and set a time to contact your family. You may think your parents are relieved to have you out of the house, but trust me, they love you too much to not miss you. Give them a call!

Construction Zone

Posted on October 27, 2014 by alicroom

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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Finding Home Away from Home

Posted on May 5, 2014 by alicroom

By Patara Williams

Every once in a while, I need some soul food, aka momma’s cooking. Every once in a while, I need to jab my brother in the stomach – sibling love. Every once in a while, I need to escape the worries of assignments, papers and tests.

As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes…I just need home.

I thought I had it made…my family lived 90 miles away. Not too far. Not too close. Just right.

In my earlier years, when I needed a taste of the home-life, it only took an hour and a half to get there. But for some of my friends, their issue of family and spatial proximity was not as fortunate. Three-day long breaks aren’t enough time to go home to Colorado let alone Nigeria or China to see mom, dad and siblings.

That forced them to figure out ways to fill the distance and feel the love, like:

Skype, FaceTime, Oovo, etc.
Call with that good ol’ fashioned telephone
Spend time with friends and their families during school breaks
Snapchat
Write letters….
- Who does that anymore? Email…

My little brother (who I call Little Brother) caught me taking a selfie while on FaceTime…awkward.

Or you can have your parents do what my mom did last Thursday….

Move to Waco O_o

Now don’t get your panties in a bunch. Living a few miles from mom isn’t that bad. Now that my mom and little brother are right here in home sweet Waco, I can look forward to good cooking, sibling rivalry and five mile drives to get away from the worries of college life. So, when finals week rolls around and I can’t find a study portal in the library, off to Mom’s.

Finding a home away from home won’t be a difficult task. The challenge will be allocating time toward family and friends and maintaining contact despite a hectic and exciting life away from home!

Embrace your years as a college student, but don’t neglect your family and old friends. It’s far too easy to become overwhelmed and consumed with the college life. Cherish family. Cherish friends. Cherish home.

I hope that Baylor will be your home away from home.

Sic ‘Em

He Is Risen!

Posted on April 25, 2014 by alicroom

By Emily Woodby

This past weekend was the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the amazing gift that was given to us through God’s perfect son. Easter weekend has always been a special tradition and a fun time to spend with the whole family. I was especially thankful this year that Baylor gave it’s students both Friday and Monday off from school. The semester is almost over, and the long weekend was exactly the break that I needed.

Although we don’t have Easter egg hunts anymore, one tradition that is still a part of the holiday weekend is dyeing eggs. On Saturday night, we gather around the dinner table, cover it with newspapers and get creative with tie-dye and technocolor Easter eggs. From trying to dye the brightest egg, to writing names and drawing pictures, we have an unspoken competition to see who can create the stand out egg of the year! It sounds so dorky, but its one of my favorite memories that comes to mind whenever I think about my family.

Easter is such a unique time that celebrates our Lord and all that we have been given, but on lighter terms, it also signifies that summer is right around the corner. The flowers are in bloom, the pastel colors are everywhere and the family is all together!

Home Sweet Home

Posted on March 27, 2014 by alicroom

By Torie Abbott

I had a wonderful spring break this year! I did not go anywhere extravagant or do anything extraordinarily fun; my week, however, was wonderful. For my Spring Break this year, I went home. The best part though was getting to bring my best friend from Baylor home with me. We had such a blast!

I love those special times when my high school world and my college world collide, and I get to be surrounded by all the people I care about. In high school, it was easy for my friends to get to know my family. Also, since most of my friends all attended the same high school, they all knew each other as well. In college, this is a much more challenging feat. Not only is it hard for my friends at college to get to know my parents, it is almost impossible for them to get to know any of my friends from high school. When it does happen, however, it is such a great time!

Being able to bring friends from Baylor home to get to know my parents and brothers, along with my high school friends, was a rare and great opportunity. Though it might not seem like the best Spring Break to some people, I could not have asked for a better break for myself.

Christmas Time is Here, Happiness and Cheer

Posted on December 21, 2013 by alicroom

By Ashley Woo

As the semester comes to a close, a sense of excitement seems to creep onto campus. We all know that with each passing day, Christmas gets closer. But of course, with Baylor being THE greatest university in the world, the university goes all out for the holiday in an event they call Christmas on 5^th Street.

Lights that outline to peaks of the buildings, themed Christmas trees in the Student Union Building and garland on all the lampposts – it seems as though within a week the entire campus of Baylor has been transformed to resemble a small Christmas town in anticipation of Christmas on 5^th.

On the day that of the event, there are so many things to do on campus and so many photo ops. This year, I was given the opportunity to sing in the International Christmas Caroling Competition with my Chinese class. Every year, each language class offered at Baylor prepares two songs that they sing in their respective languages. If you’re in the mood for more Christmas music, the Baylor Religious Hour choir also puts on two shows during the night. However, if want to use this time to get some Christmas shopping done, local vendors from around the Waco area set up shop on the third floor of the Student Union Building (SUB). Be sure to get some Christmas cookies on the way up there!

Also in the SUB is a place to take pictures with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. While waiting they have cute Christmas decorations for you to take picture with. Here is this year’s picture with the Claus’.

Other things that happen on Christmas on 5^th include Kappa Omega Tau’s Annual Christmas Tree lighting, carriage rides, petting zoo, a Christmas movie on the lawn (“Elf”) and a concert by Matt Kearney.

One of my favorite things to see during Christmas on 5^th is the tree farm. Many student organizations on Baylor’s campus decorate a Christmas tree with ornaments that usually represent their organizations passions for a chance to win money that goes to their philanthropy. Pictured below is the Tri Delta Christmas tree. Personally, I think this one is the best, but I might be biased.

Christmas time is one of the most wonderful times of year, and being at Baylor has made me love this holiday even more. At the end of the day, my favorite thing about Christmas is not the fanfare and festivities (while those are great!), but being able to spend time with the people I love and cherish: my friends and family.

Merry Christmas y’all.

How to Enjoy Thanksgiving Break and Still Get Homework Done

Posted on December 8, 2013 by alicroom

By Courtney Roberts

Unfortunately, there’s only one week of classes between Thanksgiving break and the study days before finals. Often times, that last week of classes is the last push before finals, and many classes still have tests. I realized last week that I have two tests and a 5-page essay due during that week. How am I supposed to enjoy my Thanksgiving break and sufficiently prepare myself for these exams?

For my 5-page essay, I tried to pace myself through a 250-page book about Communist China for my world history class. I actually started this book the Sunday before Thanksgiving, so I blame myself for that one. It was a dense read, but I annotated and highlighted important lines as I went. By Friday night, I had an extensive outline typed. I may not have completely finished it, but it’ll be smooth sailing on Monday afternoon when I start putting the essay together for Tuesday.

As far as my other two tests, Italian and Organizational Behavior (a management class in the business school), I’ll just have to put together study guides and study groups on Monday. I’m not worried about it because those are later in the week, and the essay is my first priority. But for right now, I feel pretty accomplished!

As for enjoying my break, I definitely still got to spend some quality time with my family. I ran errands, shopped with my brother, cooked with my parents and decorated the Christmas tree. To me, Thanksgiving break feels like a teaser for Christmas break. But at this busy point in the semester, it was much needed!

Christmas on 5th

Posted on December 5, 2013 by alicroom

By Abby Loop

I love holiday times at Baylor. Everyone is such in a great mood, and there is an aura of happiness around campus. The times of dreaded final exams and packing up for home is forgotten and the hope of holiday fun arrives. One of my favorite Baylor traditions is Christmas on 5^th Street.

I’m especially looking forward to Christmas on 5^th Street this year. Complete with a live nativity scene, food and music, it’s a great time to come together! I’ve gone every year with my friends, and this year will be my third year. The first year I went, I was surprised to see a real live camel as part of the nativity scene and loved hearing a Baylor choir sing Christmas carols in the Student Union Building (SUB). This year, I’m hoping to go to even more of the activities.

I love how the night includes everyone, from freshman and seniors to alumni and their kids to faculty and local Wacoans. It really encompasses the spirit of togetherness and cheer. Last year when I attended, I met a few alumni who had attended Baylor in the 80s. They were so glad to be back at Baylor, and they absolutely enjoyed coming back for the Christmas season to participate on Christmas on 5^th Street.

I remember as a freshman, I worried about there not being any Christmas events at Baylor. When I found out about Christmas on 5^th Street, I was thrilled. Hopefully, when all you new students arrive in Baylor next fall, you are able to experience Christmas on 5^thStreet. It’s a Baylor tradition that you will end up loving, and it’s so much fun to go with your friends and maybe even your family. I encourage everyone to go and have fun this year!

This is my friends and I at Christmas on 5th last year!

Thankful for Family Time

Posted on December 5, 2013 by alicroom

By Laura Beth Moore

Whew! Part of me can’t believe Thanksgiving break is already over so quick! My sister Mary Catherine and I enjoyed the beautiful Texas sunset as we headed to meet my parents at my Uncle Greg’s ranch in Edgewood, Texas. This year, there was a new addition at Uncle Greg’s, our new 7-week-old baby cousin Abigail Catherine! There may have been arguing over who got to hold her next.

When it comes to the Thanksgiving meal, my Papa Homer and Uncle Greg take the cooking seriously. My 76-year-old Papa stayed up all night smoking the turkey to perfection. Our Thanksgiving traditions start off with sleeping in and catching the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on television. Then, we eat. As we finish the meal, we all go around the table saying what we are thankful for. We all got choked up listening to my Uncle Greg talk about how thankful he is for the blessings of his new wife Natalie and their little girl Abigail Catherine. Both Natalie and my uncle had never married and were in their late 30s and early 40s when eHarmony matched them up almost 3 years ago. We joke with them saying, “Good things come to those who wait.” The special time wrapped up with my precious Papa Homer leaving us all teary-eyed at the end of his talk. “Take time every day to encourage someone,” he said.

Little did I realize, the weekend was just getting started as Mary Catherine and I traveled to Ft. Worth. Her boyfriend’s family treated us to dinner at Texas de Brazil before we headed to Billy Bob’s. This was our first experience at Texas de Brazil, and if you haven’t been before, they come by continuously with racks of meat for you to pick and choose from. My sister and I were in shock and a tad overwhelmed by all the food constantly coming our way. You have to understand we grew up without brothers…so we were introduced to a whole other world. Those boys can put away so much food! It was Thanksgiving Part Two. After dinner Mary Catherine, her boyfriend and I headed to the famous Billy Bob’s, located in the Fort Worth Stockyards. I had heard Baylor friends from the Dallas and Ft. Worth area talk about Billy Bob’s before. I always wanted to go, and as a fan of country music and two-steppin’, I quickly fell in love. We’re talking about taking a big group of friends up there sometime soon over dead days to go two-steppin’. Besides the dancing, I loved belting out some of my sister and I’s favorite Florida Georgia Line songs like “Get your Shine On” and “Cruise.”

The next morning was Game Day! We headed to tailgate with my sister’s boyfriend’s family, who are regulars at the TCU games. Our parents joined us to enjoy Chick-fil-A nuggets, Panda Express and several other tailgate take-out treats. Thankfully, one of our parent’s family friends grew up a TCU fan but now goes to Baylor, so we weren’t alone in our green and gold. As we walked to the stadium, we were shocked by all the green and gold sprinkled among the purple crowd. If you didn’t see the game, it was quite the nail-bitter! Mary Catherine and I cheered like crazy as Terrell Burt intercepted TCU’s hopes of tying the ballgame, but her boyfriend’s family turned to us stunned. While it was too close for comfort personally, it was good to see the Bears take home another win for the season!

Having a Sibling at Baylor

Posted on November 4, 2013 by alicroom

By Abby Loop

I’m currently a senior, and I have always enjoyed experiencing Baylor with my friends. This year however, my sister enrolled as a freshman. Having your sibling with you in college might be an inconvenience for some students, but for me, my year has become better.

Having family with you at Baylor can make those homesick days a little more bearable, and it’s fun to teach and learn from one another about different Baylor traditions.

When my sister started her freshman year, she was nervous, and I thought I was going to have to play tour guide for a while. However, this experience has strengthened our relationship and allowed us to connect on a different level. While she made many friends, we started spending more time together than we have in a long time.

From the Homecoming bonfire to football games, we’ve met up at events and introduced our friend groups to each other. We also try to meet up once on weekends. While siblings can be annoying at times, it’s great to have them around when you need them.

So, if you have a sibling at Baylor, be glad you have someone to help you adjust to college life. It can be a good thing that they’re at school with you. Besides, by going to the same school, you won’t be rivals and can root for the best team together. That’s an added bonus!

Sibling

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