The House

By Frances George-A Baylor Parent

Last week my daughter, Mary Scott, called. She had been sick all week. The semester was drawing to a close. There were many things still on her plate before the semester ended. Sometimes 20 hours from home seems like a long way. But as I sat on the steps of our house and listened as my daughter spoke briefly of how badly she had felt that week physically, the call quickly turned to a more serious topic. She needed advice regarding a dear sorority sister whose mother is very ill and how to minister to her. In those moments of sorrow, I realized, what a wonderfully unique bond these girls have and how they are there for one another. I shared my advice of how to love and support in tangible and quiet ways, things I knew Mary Scott and her sisters would do with tender care and devotion. 20 hours seemed more like just down the street because just down the street was family…the sisters in her house.

At Baylor, sororities and fraternities do not live in traditional houses. The students instead, rent houses along several streets next to campus and then pass these houses down to younger members of the sorority and fraternity through the years. One little cottage of Kappas might be next door to a house of KOT men who live down the street from Chi O’s and across the street from Kappa Sigs. It’s more like a neighborhood of brothers and sisters than just random people in a college town. It’s family.

A week or two earlier, Mary Scott called and relayed a wonderful event her sorority and their dates attended, a tremendously fun outing to a Mavericks game in Dallas. Mary Scott and her co-chair were responsible for around 200 sisters and their dates, the logistics for transporting the group to and from Waco to Dallas and back as well as every other detail that is involved in a large out of town event (That is the life of the social chairs!). Mary Scott’s date, a fella from a fraternity on campus was the star of the night! “Mom, he was the best date! He encouraged me as I did my job and was patient when I had to attend to details, was helpful when I needed him and was still attentive to me, which made the evening special for me even though I was ‘on duty’”. Similarly, this has happened with another young man when Mary Scott was overseeing details for pledge formal for her house. The young man was a gentleman throughout the evening, encouraged Mary Scott, came early, and stayed late to cheer Mary Scott on. And I think they even managed to squeeze in a few dances together in the midst of the busy-ness, from the pictures I saw! He was “just the best!”

Why do I tell you these things, some of the events supremely happy ones and others borne out of deep sadness and sorrow? Because in the past months I have read with increasing upset, accusations against Greek houses on some campuses across the nation and though most, if not all, have been proven to untrue, they still leave the public with a bad taste in their mouths for collegiate Panhellenic (Greek) fraternities and perhaps, by extension, sororities.

But once again, the Baylor difference IS the difference. In all of these cases, whether in sorrow or supreme joy, the Greek system at Baylor has developed and trained young men and women who are able to rise to a challenge, whether it is planning a Dallas outing for 200 or being a shoulder on which a sister may cry who is in a very hard place. The girls in these houses greet each day with grace, dignity, and as examples to their community of what brothers and sisters are and what they do for one another.

I have spent much time on campus over the last three years getting to know Mary Scott’s friends in both sororities and fraternities. Many who know me here in North Carolina have heard me say more than once, that I have yet to meet a young man at Baylor that I would not be pleased to have Mary Scott introduce to us as a young man in whom she is interested in dating and all of these young men, without exception, are in fraternities. They have proven to be gentlemen, kind hearted, considerate of our daughter and “there” for each other. Mary Scott said it was at least second semester of her freshman year that she ever opened a door herself! A young man would rush ahead of her to open a classroom door, a car door, or a door to a campus building. Some may take offence at this gesture. But at Baylor, a gentleman is always welcome.

I have shared coffee with Mary Scott’s friends, both guys and girls, with and without Mary Scott in attendance, and I have been pleasantly welcomed by some of the most thoughtful young men and women, as they engage me in conversation as if they see me every day. But they haven’t! Remember, we live in North Carolina…20 hours away! That’s just how Baylor students behave. They are comfortable with peers and possess grace to spend time (even) with Mary Scott’s mom!

These young men and women in the Greek system at Baylor are unique. They serve. They lead. They have fun…a lot of it! They are polite. They are well spoken. They are gentlemen. They are ladies. They laugh together. They cry together. They pray together. The encourage one another. They lift each other up. They are experiencing life to the fullest together. They are a reflection of the institution they represent. And we will all be better because of their influence on our culture as they mature and go into the world. They are Baylor. And I am grateful.

As the time draws near for your student to decide where they want to invest the next four years of their life, it is my deep hope that they will choose Baylor. And even when 20 hours seems far, the quiet moment on the steps with a phone makes it seem like it is just down the street. The strength of character from outstanding young adults who support one another through joy and sorrow makes the distance seem small. Family is close by, the Baylor Family and their names just happen to be Greek… Kappa Kappa Gamma, Chi Omega, Kappa Omega Tau, Kappa Sig, Phi Chi…

So, won’t you join us for coffee at Common Grounds after class, breakfast at Café Cappuccino after Sunday church, or dinner at Ninfa’s when you arrive in town, with some of the most winsome and wonderful young adults you will ever know. Thank you Greek Life. Thank you, Baylor; the place where The House represents The Family. And suddenly it doesn’t seem so very far away.

Spring Break, Baylor Style

By Frances George- A Baylor Parent

A month or so ago, my daughter called out of the blue and announced, “I think I’ll come home for spring break.” Call me a bad mother, but I thought that was odd and told her so. Oops.

Instead I launched into a Mini Mother Sermon (do you ever do that?) that went something like this:
“Honey, this is your next to last spring break. EVER. You know, you don’t get those in Adult Land. Go and be with your friends at a wonderful destination and make memories. Get the most out of this unique and marvelous season called college! Home will be here waiting for you at Easter.”

In the end Mary Scott ended up going skiing in Colorado with ten other friends and had a ball after the 17 hour drive to the ski resort. (I received a text saying “I’m here!” at 4:23AM…. It was a beautiful sight even if it was the Sunday morning of Daylight Savings Time!)

Each day we received pictures of fun on the slopes, a day at the spa, tubing, dinners in the house, fun playing out in the snow, ski lift pictures, and sitting in the sun on the deck. By mid-week a phone call came and she said, “Mom, I’m so glad I’m here! We have had the best time. You know, we didn’t really all know each other that well when we came but now we’ve gotten really close and have had the best time being together! We have been able to relax, play games at night, pack lunches each day and just enjoy hanging out together.” Your normal spring break report, right?

Well, this is the part that makes Baylor, once again, so uniquely great. One day, Mary Scott called right in the middle of the day and I asked why she wasn’t skiing. She said, “Mom, I just decided to stay in today and have some quiet time alone. She told me “I wrote, had a long quiet time in the Word, prayed, listened to sermons and thought about the future. It was nice to just be still. Thank you, Mom, for letting me come.” How many college students do you know that go on spring break and take a mini retreat in the middle to dig deep in scripture, ponder their future, and then call to say “Thanks”?

After a week of skiing and relaxation, it was time for her to return to school. And very early Saturday morning, I received another text from Mary Scott at 3:23 AM claiming, “I’m back! Such fun!”

Third spring break in the books. One more to go. More memories to treasure. New friends along the way. In a day when so many students in so many other top tier colleges spend their spring break on one long continual binge of the “wild life”, Baylor students are a cut above; as someone once said, “These students are top drawer.” They have so much fun together and are grateful for every minute. Even though I personally knew only four of the eleven on the trip, I was not worried one minute about any of the group. You see, I have come to understand what constitutes a Baylor student and because of that, I knew they would look after each other and would be wise.

Studying the Word, breaking bread, laughter, snow, memories for a lifetime. This is the stuff of college as it should be.

This is the Baylor difference. It may not seem like an enormous thing but spring break at Baylor is just another reason why we love this school. The simple things sometime speak the loudest. Won’t you join the fun, Spring Break, Baylor- Style!

“This is My Home”

By Frances George

Do you remember when you first set foot on your college campus as a freshman, wondering what the next four years would hold, what memories would be made, would you leave any mark on the campus? Well, if you didn’t think those thoughts, I’m sure your mother did!

I have just returned from a wonderful weekend at Baylor with my daughter. A few weeks ago, Mary Scott called (actually texted…) and asked if I would come to Baylor for Kappa Mom Day, an afternoon set aside for the members of the sorority and their moms to make a memory or two. We painted sunflowers, 300 sunflowers between us!

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They were beautiful in every way, the sunflowers and our daughters. Lots of laughter and Michael Buble music in the background – oops, the playlist had a few stray Christmas songs in it which made for even more laughter! The day before, 91 new initiates to Kappa Kappa Gamma had celebrated their newly acquired sisterhood status with a luncheon at the stunning Baylor Club in McLane Stadium for new sisters and their families. As I sat with Mary Scott, who had served as recruitment co- chair for these new sisters and now as social co-chair, in charge of planning the luncheon, I looked around and thought, how lovely this event is. And as the new sisters were named and lined the wall of the great room, I wondered what their future at Baylor would hold, what mark will they leave.

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Saturday night, I took Mary Scott and her dearest friends out to dinner where I shared with them the Top Ten Bible verses on love. It was Valentine’s Day after all! I read the verses and applied a life principle for college, friendship and (one day) married life. I encouraged them to wait for God’s best, to not settle regarding a husband and to live life to the fullest here at Baylor, being a true friend on every level, as the verses said. I think the girls appreciated “Mrs. George’s Program.” (I always have a program!)

Sunday was full of early morning brunch with Mary Scott’s friends and their moms, followed by the painting extravaganza. We had a few minutes between events and headed to Common Grounds, the local coffee shop, and I felt like I was on the set of Cheers…as we walked in and there were friends galore all calling out “Mary Scott! Hey! And here’s your mom! Welcome!” After a much needed cup of caffeine, I returned Mary Scott to the Kappa room and then I headed to the local grocery store, the HEB (pronounced HEEB) to shop for Mary Scott while she attended a Kappa Counsel meeting, a friend’s birthday party, dinner squeezed in with a few special friends, and Sing practice until 11:00 PM (to say this was a full day, is an understatement!). One of Mary Scott’s friends had earlier announced to me, “Mrs. George, Mary Scott never sleeps! She’s always doing something for someone or for some event. We surely do love her.” By about 7:00 PM that night with three events still to tackle before bedtime, I realized the truth in the statement!

Before heading to the hotel late Sunday night, I returned to Common Grounds alone. One of Mary Scott’s best friends works there and I wanted to thank him for being such a supportive, kind and thoughtful friend. He said, “That’s easy. She’s great.”

Why do I write these things? It is not to tell you how special my daughter is. You see, Baylor has a campus full of Mary Scotts! Their names are Ashley, Hannah, Mason, Emma, Timmy, Cole, Michael…the list goes on and on. No, the reason I write this is to let you know that Baylor is a most special place that develops the most special people for life. It welcomes young adults and four years later graduates mature adults, able to plan events for 230, followed by events the next day for 300, to counsel friends in need, to find a life’s calling in counseling just by spending time, filling days doing life.

While having dinner with Mary Scott on Friday night at Diamondbacks, the only evening we had alone, Mary Scott said something that made my heart smile and reminded me that all the things I had wondered that first day on campus Freshman year, were truly coming to pass. One little statement was the hallmark of the weekend for me. And I watched the truth of the statement unfold before my very eyes over the weekend as I watched in amazement all Mary Scott and her cadre of friends had accomplished through such beautifully planned events. Mary Scott said, “Mom, as I was walking on campus last week, I had a thought as I looked across campus. I guess it’s kind of corny but it is true. This is my home.”

A truer statement has never been uttered.

As I flew out of Waco on Monday morning, I reflected on the zillions of things I had observed in my daughter’s life over the course of the weekend. And I was reminded of her Friday night comment and smiled as the plane climbed and I looked down on the now familiar campus: Baylor is her home. And what a lovely home it has become. I hope it will be your student’s home as well. You will not be disappointed. Welcome to Baylor. Welcome home.

The Next Step

By Frances George, a Baylor parent

Over Thanksgiving Break, my daughter (who is a junior) and I had long talks about her future. Whereas many of her friends are clearly set on their post graduate plans, some are not quite so sure, my daughter included. As we talked, I reminded her again that my advice to my children in college (which was the advice my dear daddy gave to me) is to study what you love during these wonderful four years and what you are to do next will unfold at the proper time. She has heard that many times but “crunch time” is approaching and she was a little unsure.

On the way to the airport at the end of the break, it was just the two of us (a rare early Sunday morning departure and so it was just me driving Mary Scott to the airport rather than the whole family), we picked up our conversation about future plans and I gave her one last piece of advice: “Mary Scott, you don’t need to know today what you are supposed to do in a year and a half. The only thing the Lord asks you to do is ask Him what you are to do tomorrow on campus. May 2016 will be clear when it needs to be clear. You don’t need that clarity today. All you need is a plan for Monday morning on Baylor’s campus. Whoever needs encouraging? Seek them out, and encourage them. What task has the Lord set before you in your sorority for next week? Do it with excellence. The path of the journey will be made clear as you walk on the path for today, tomorrow and next week. You don’t need the way lit to journey’s end right now.”

And Baylor is the place where this kind of advice is given, opportunity to take root and find nourishment with exceeding excellence among its students and from its faculty. The advice of a loving mother does not end where the campus begins. The Baylor experience nourishes and encourages with the wisdom of the ages. The advice I gave my daughter is the same counsel that would be given by her house advisor, by upperclassmen, and by faculty. The very next week, Mary Scott called with new energy and excitement. She said she’d spent the week counseling many friends and that she found complete joy in engaging her peers on so many topics and grappling with so many issues.

She returned to her campus confident that she would find answers, that there would be light for the path and encouragement along the way. Perhaps she will pursue a path toward post graduate work in counseling. Who knows for sure at this point, but a little light was shed on her path and she was encouraged! This is the Baylor experience. At a school where the possibilities are endless, where the support from faculty and friends is evident, and where students are encouraged to look at all things through the prism of the eternal, the “Baylor Prism” is lovely. Baylor is academically rigorous and at the same time there is something positively unique about the atmosphere among students. They look to the future with hopeful eyes, with a vision of doing all things better than they’ve been done before. It is the way they go through college, the way they tackle papers, the way they conquer tests, and the way they encourage peers. Post graduate life is simply a continuation of what is familiar to them. So many college campuses focus on the fun- only of the four undergraduate years and never mind the future (the final playground of childhood) but at Baylor, students have a broader and deeper view in the approach to college life. They live life, everyday college life, with a purpose and a focus. Even the “fun” is done with excellence: SING, Homecoming, Recruitment. I continue to be impressed with every aspect of the Baylor experience. (Did you see the homecoming floats? I give you Exhibits A, B and C in excellence!)

Just in case you wondered…is there much fun to be had at Baylor? Trust me, there is! I see it on social media everyday among my daughter’s friends.

So do we know the next step? Not yet but I am confident that the future will unfold with outstanding clarity with options galore and the path will be well lit. The path leading from Baylor to life will be a clear path, an exciting path, and not only for my daughter, but also for every Baylor student I know. And at its end will be a life’s work that makes a difference with eternity in view. This is the Baylor difference.

Homecoming From a Parent’s Perspective

By Frances George, a Baylor parent

Friday arrival: Our arrival kicked off with dinner with our daughter and her best girlfriends, TWO Pigskin performances, a late night Pep Rally (10,000 plus in attendance!), the band, the cheerleaders, an enormous bonfire and pictures galore with family and friends!

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Saturday: The day started with the early morning Homecoming parade, the largest collegiate parade in the nation, that rivals the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade (The floats are pulled with 18-wheeler tow trucks. They are THAT big). Then, we enjoyed coffee and spiced tea, tailgating on the Brazos in the early afternoon and a wonderfully packed walk across the bridge that led us straight to the beautiful new stadium where everyone was wearing green or gold! Following the crushing defeat of the Kansas Jayhawks, we attended the final performance of Pigskin Review!

Sunday: After a mid-morning brunch (it was a very late night, and we decided God would forgive our lapse in attending church – which is always a highlight of our visits), I gave a few words of motherly advice, hugs and kisses to my beloved daughter. Then, we returned to the airport to fly home.

During this hectic weekend, some thoughts cross my mind: When do they sleep? When do they eat? And study? And wash clothes? Then I remembered, it’s college. They are young. They eat on the run, they study late into the night and they wear whatever is clean and available (and when all else fails, they shop!). This is life lived to the fullest.

So, how is it different at Baylor? Most colleges have Homecoming. They all have fun tailgates and special traditions. But Baylor is different. On Friday at the Pep Rally, I noticed several things that made me think to myself, “This is no ordinary major university campus.” As I observed the students, faculty and parents all mingling together, I saw the Baylor difference right before my eyes. There was not a hint of alcohol on the breath of the tightly packed students. The conversations were pleasant and profanity free. Even when the announcement was made for the winning float, genuine cheers from the winning groups rang out but without the typical boos or hisses from the losing groups. Congratulations all around! As I stood watching the crowd, I noticed strollers from faculty and alumni with their young children. Students were polite as they could be to the guests on campus, mingling like one family. Younger siblings and parents were welcomed and treated with respect and honor amid all of the enthusiasm from the students. However, most outstanding to this parent was the opening of the Pep Rally. The university chaplain stood to officially open Homecoming Weekend, and a hush came over the crowd of 10,000 as he opened in prayer. He didn’t ask everyone to be quiet. Everyone just knew.

Baylor is a highly competitive university with a very diverse student body. It is made up of students from around the country and the globe who do not all share the same religion or background. But they are alike in the things that matter for a culture to thrive. They understand the importance of doing all things to the best of their abilities whether in the classroom or working on a top secret design for a Homecoming float or practicing endless hours for Pigskin Review. They have sense of esprit de corps (a feeling of fellowship and common loyalty shared by the members of a group) even when they don’t “win” a competition. There is a sense of pride (the good kind!) in how they treat their campus. The campus was as tidy Sunday morning when we left as when we arrived Friday night. All of these observations are not the result of students living under a long list of do’s and don’ts that are forced upon them by overseers constantly monitoring their every move. Actually, there are very few “rules.” These students seem to have an innate sense of right and wrong.  And when they do make a mistake, they seem to quickly acknowledge, take responsibility, understand what needs to change and make the adjustments. They use the word “grateful” frequently in conversations. They open doors for others and speak with grace. As a result, doors will open for them in life.

Baylor Homecoming. It is just part of this amazing place where you will make a memories in just four short years that will last a lifetime. And for parents, it is an amazing place to confidently send a young adult who right before your eyes will blossom into an adult with whom you will be happy to pass the baton. Baylor Homecoming…we can hardly wait for next year! Sic ‘Em!

You Are Entering Baylor Nation

By Frances George

Welcome to fall of your senior year in high school! A time filled with so many lasts (as my daughter called them back in the fall of 2010 when she was a senior in high school), so many memories and so many decisions to be made – some before the end of the semester. And amid all of the events of senior year, there is one overriding, all-consuming decision that you go to bed thinking about, wake up having dreamt about and go throughout your day pondering: “WHERE will I be next year at this time?”

___________ University

What institution’s name will fill in the blank? It is THE question on every Class of 2015 student’s mind. Overwhelmed? Don’t be. You see, there is an amazing school straight down I-35 South (or up, depending on which direction from which you originate!) in a wonderful college town in Texas, once known primarily as the birthplace of Dr Pepper but now known as the home of Baylor Nation. It is a school that has all the statistics to sufficiently impress you on every level: academically, socially, aesthetically, musically and athletically. But let’s be honest, there are lots of top tier schools that have a lovely campus and all of the bells and whistles to attract top scholars, athletes and artists. So what is it that sets Baylor apart?

Just last week my husband and I were in Dallas for a board meeting. Our daughter drove up from Baylor just for dinner and a quick visit (We are from North Carolina in case you are wondering). Three hours after she arrived, she was headed back down I-35! But in those brief moments, I caught yet another glimpse of what makes Baylor unique and why I am thankful our daughter is a part of this place called Baylor Nation.

When our daughter arrived in Dallas late in the afternoon, she read us the text sent from her professor, as she had to alert him that she would miss his mid-week class in order to join us for dinner. The response from the professor was astounding (An aside: That a upper-level course professor at a major university would take the time to text a student is rare, but what he wrote was even more unique). The professor texted our daughter this message before she headed to Dallas: “Don’t text and drive! Be safe. Have a great time with your parents. Don’t worry about missing class today. Being with parents is more important. Drive safely back to school and remember – don’t text and drive!”

That is Baylor Nation.

That night, we ate dinner with the full board and their spouses at a lovely uptown restaurant. Our daughter has met many of these board members, men and women from around the state of Texas and around the nation, multiple times over, during the three years she has been at Baylor. Somehow this night was different. Watching our daughter interact with financial officers, legal counsel, the chief executive officer and their spouses with ease, wit and grace that came as naturally as if she had known them her entire life was a joy to watch throughout the evening. Our daughter who came to Baylor three years ago as an out-of-state freshman, knowing no one, has been nurtured and taught life skills far beyond the scope of classroom and textbooks. She has grown into a dynamic young woman who seamlessly goes in and out of a variety of events with ease. Her regular exposure to and interaction with faculty and administration, her involvement and leadership role in her sorority house and her winsome group of close friends have helped shape her in ways that are a blessing to witness. She could learn all about journalism, public relations, communication and Spanish on any campus, but here at Baylor, something extra has taken place. She has become a young woman who will make a difference in her generation.

This is Baylor Nation.

The Baylor difference resides in the things you can see in your student as they go through their four years at Baylor: grace, poise and confidence in conversation. The Baylor difference resides in the big and little unseen things our students are taught by outstanding and uniquely gifted professors: “Don’t text and drive and have a great time with your parents” translates into “I care about you as a person, and I respect, admire and recognize the relationship you have with your parents.” What other major university professor says that? So, above all, the Baylor difference resides in not only the things you can see, but more importantly in the things you can’t see. It is reflected in the ever deepening character of your student and shaped by what takes place on campus and in the broader Baylor community. Growing up in a strong nation with strong leaders makes a difference. That’s the Baylor Nation difference. When you see the billboards as you enter Waco that read “You are entering Baylor Nation,” they are true. It is a place unlike any other. It is a nation building tomorrow’s leaders, leaders who will make a difference, rooted in Waco, changing the world.

In a Word…

By Frances George

Statue of Liberty: Freedom

The Tower of Pisa: Leaning

Dietrich Bonheoffer: Fearless

The Crown Jewels: Priceless

Many things, people and places can be described in a single word. As I look back over this year and the amazing privilege of writing for Baylor Admissions, there are many words that come to mind as I think of Baylor and what the university has come to mean to not only our daughter, but our family.

So, how would I describe Baylor? What do I think of when I hear “Baylor”?

In a word: (or ten)

Joy

Maturity

Opportunity

Introspection

Broadening

Deepening

Fun!

Valuable

Spiritual

New

Comfortable

Laughter

Lovely

Warm….Hot!

As this semester draws to a close and our students gear up for finals, a summer job at a camp, studying abroad, a first internship or a first “real” job post graduation, there is an opportunity and a challenge to look back in order to move forward. To think that my daughter is halfway through this very exciting academic adventure is thrilling and sad all at the same time.

While Mary Scott was home for Easter, we recalled the great highlights of the year: moving into her first house with the girls off campus, “Welcome Week” where SHE did the welcoming, new Bible studies through her amazing church, seeing familiar classmates and “old” friends on the first day of class, Recruitment, SING, Spring Break on a whim in Florida, home for Easter and coffee with Mom, gathering advice on all things heart related and now preparing to study in Spain with Baylor friends this summer. In a word: Busy!

Over Easter break, my daughter sought our advice on an issue with which she had been wrestling. She listened, differently than she had in years past. She inquired more deeply than before. She was honest in a matter in which she could have responded without emotion. She wanted to “hear” from her mother and her dad and process our words. As Mary Scott and I went out for breakfast and ran a few errands prior to taking her to the airport to complete the final weeks of school, she leaned over and said, “Mom, thank you for your advice. I needed to hear that. I am grateful for what you said.” In a word: Maturity.

At the Easter lunch table, with grandparents all around, I asked our guests, “What is the great blessing you have gleaned over the past year of life?” One by one, everyone gave their answer. When it was Mary Scott’s turn, she shared how she has realized more fully what a unique and wonderful place Baylor is. She said that she sees it more clearly now that she’s been there for two years and can compare stories with her friends at other schools around the country. She said she realizes how fortunate she is to have friends from such similar backgrounds as her own, with families who love and support, challenge and encourage one another and who have mothers and fathers who understand “family”. She is grateful for faculty who are caring mentors not just academic instructors. This doesn’t exist on most campuses…nor is it treasured. In a word: Thankful.

So, in the end, if we can say we are thankful for what transpires at Baylor in our children’s lives (the great moments and the ones through which our children wrestle and come out on the other side wiser and more mature), then its value is real and rare.

In a word: Baylor.  The name says it all. And for our daughter, our family and countless others, that has made all the difference.

Now for summer! In a word: ENJOY! (and thanks for reading)

Leadership Training AKA Baylor University

By Frances George, A Baylor Parent

Going to Baylor from North Carolina, having known no one, could have been somewhat scary and a little daunting. For a group of six girls, none of whom knew each other prior to walking onto campus in the fall of 2012, that was the situation. Six girls, five from different cities in Texas and one from North Carolina, descended onto the Baylor campus in August 2012. Over the course of the first semester, they became friends.

In January 2013, as Recruitment drew near (“Rush” for us old timers), they all had multiple houses they enjoyed and in which they had made friends. As the week of events narrowed the field, they prayed together in earnest as to which house they would choose (and that, hopefully, would choose them). They had friends in each house, and some were being strongly pulled to several houses. My daughter and I talked each day, and I tried not to influence her decision, as one of the houses was the house to which I belonged in college. As “Pref Day” drew near and the choice had to be made, I remember my daughter calling and saying that the Group of Six had, as a result of much prayer, decided that there was one house in which they wanted, as believers, to make a difference. It was that house they would all cast their lot and let God decide.

As it turned out, they all pledged the same house and in the short year that has passed, they have indeed made a difference. One was chosen to attend the national conference for that sorority this past fall where she representing Baylor and their house, an honor and privilege. One has been elected Recruitment Chair, one is Pledge Trainer and one is Chaplain. All of this to say, Baylor is a place where you do not have to be a legacy on campus (or in a sorority) to make a difference and to lead. Leadership training takes place every day, among peers who make deep and lasting friendships, who not only work and play together, but pray together, find their niche (Greek life, student government, athletics, and a host of other outstanding options) and look toward the mark they can make on campus.

This Group of Six lives with a purpose every day in every situation. These girls, my very precious Group of Six, are all beautiful, inside and out.  They are the kind of young women who will make a difference among their generation and in the world in just a few short years, but that difference begins now. It began at Baylor. It is nourished at Baylor. They are courageous and talented young women, with a heart for God and a vision broader than this weekend’s events or even this week’s Brit Lit paper.

They look to their older peers and learn.

They look to the younger ones and lead.

They look Above and listen.

Leadership training at Baylor exists in the most wonderful places and among the most amazing young women (and men, I’m sure!). So, if you are looking for a college that has it all and leadership training built in to the students’ DNA, look no further than Baylor.

Leadership Training AKA Baylor University.

And yes, my daughter’s house made it to “Pigskin Review” in the fall as a result of SING! Was it all I imagined? Yes…and so much more.  Just like Baylor.

SING! SING! SING!

By Frances George, A Baylor Parent

This is crunch time; you are entering the final months of high school and beginning to hone in on the decision for college based on all the wonderful acceptances you are receiving! Congratulations on the myriad of choices you have for the next wonderful chapter of life.

I talk with my Baylor daughter, several times a week. Sometimes she sends me texts saying thing like, “Pray for me! I’m getting ready to take my midterm in Spanish III.” Other times, she calls breathless as she walks between classes. Occasionally, I’ll hear from her in the late afternoon, and she’ll tell me about the previous weekend’s happy events. Then there are those coveted moments when I hear, “Oh Mom, I do love it here! Thank you for sending me to this place,” accompanied by a picture of sunset on the Baylor campus as she’s taking a late afternoon run.

Lately, however, all I see are texts that say, “Pray for me! One more week before SING!” or “More rehearsals, more rehearsals…it’s going to be GREAT! Hurry down!” with a picture of her crashed on the floor of her sorority room. All of these texts, Instagrams and messages, at all hours of the day and night, have to do with SING.

Sing, a musical extravaganza (unlike anything on any campus, anywhere in the United States, maybe the world), is an all-consuming competition between student organizations (usually the Greeks) that requires tireless hours, days and weeks of preparation for a full-blown Broadway-style performance that is nationally known. Sing includes professional costumes, Hollywood choreographers, enormous sets, six nights of sold-out performances that draw parents, students and friends from around the country to witness high-level entertainment from Baylor students! Could anything be more unique, more wonderfully exciting, more BAYLOR?

The level of enthusiasm is quite contagious and even though I’ve never been I have seen clips online from last year’s winning performances. I must say, I am expecting to be highly impressed. We have tickets for the second weekend this year. Mary Scott stood in line for FIVE hours to get our seats. Our son lives in New York City, and I have seen many Broadway productions over the years, and from all I hear, these rival the best of the best in the Big Apple. The top eight acts of Sing perform again in the fall at an encore presentation during football season. It is every group’s dream to be in the top eight. From the time school starts in January until the final performance of Sing, the students’ lives revolve around the planning, rehearsals and performances. Indeed, I think the spring semester academic schedule might be planned around this singular event.

Baylor is unique in so many ways. This is just one more reason to say “YES!” to Baylor. Our daughter has jumped into to Baylor life with both feet and has been blessed in every regard. She has been given academic opportunities (Spain this summer with Baylor – more about that in another blog), chances for spiritual growth through her amazing church and Bible study community and the ability to develop deeper friendships through Sing! All of this makes me smile when I think of the many choices our daughter had for college. None could be more rewarding than this Baylor education, this Baylor life.

As the day draws near for you to make your final choice for this next chapter, I’ll risk a little ridicule and say that I think you’ll SING for joy if your student chooses Baylor. I know we do! I’ll let you know if her sorority makes it to the top eight!

Blessings to you,

Frances George

Only at Baylor: Student Christmas Greeting Cards!

By Frances George, a Baylor parent

Welcome to second semester! For the parents of prospective students reading this, I understand how you feel right about now: Huge, life altering decisions are facing your darlings, and you want to make sure the trajectory of their life’s ambitions are perfectly on course when next August rolls around. I know. I’ve been there…twice and still have one to launch from the nest into college just two years from now.

Rest assured, if your student chooses Baylor, they will have chosen well! So many things make Baylor an outstanding academic choice but as you know, college is about more than just the academics. I addressed that in my December blog. Character and legacy are components as well that should enter into your equation.

What, you ask, makes Baylor even more of a stand out than superior academic possibilities and the sense of community the students receive from faculty as well as newly made friends?

A Christmas Greeting Card!

When our daughter came home for Christmas break, her room, with remarkable speed, was so messy it looked like a bomb had gone off. Clothes everywhere, unmade bed, notes and gifts from Baylor friends and Christmas cards – full fledged photographs and professionally printed greetings from “named” dorm rooms and houses where upperclassmen live! I had to take a double take. It was true. Neatly placed on top of all the “stuff” that came from one (big) suitcase, were Christmas greeting cards from classmates with her own house picture on top! The boys had clearly taken time to stage, pose and have printed cards with greetings, addressed and mailed to the girls. Our daughter’s little green cottage of girls had done the same; standing on the porch, tastefully decorated with Christmas lights inside the house and out, were three wrapped “boxed” presents (the three girls) with enormous wrapping bows in their hair. Say “Sic ‘Em”! There was a professionally printed and handwritten greeting along with a beautiful verse of Christmas scripture printed on the back of each card…from the boys as well as the girls. What other school has students who do this? What other school has this kind of community that celebrates the season…the real reason for the season…with “family” members in dorms and in cottages scattered throughout a few streets of the college community? I have never seen this kind of university community. I have seen the lovely cards sent from the university front office (Baylor’s was lovely, for the record) from around the country but none from students to students! It made me smile.

When I mentioned this to our daughter, she said, in such casual stride (as if every school in the nation must do this), “Of course we send cards. It’s what family does!”

I hope this cheerful blog makes you smile and gives you a window in the type of university Baylor is and can be for your student.

Praying for you as you begin make life’s trajectory choices! Oh yes, academics are so very important, but a sense of family is very near the top in our house!  Baylor accomplishes both and so much more, setting your student on the right course, unlike any other.