Dozens of college students shuffle around tight corners of an overpacked shed, the twelve foot U Haul trailer filling the center of the space. Hockey players stand toward the trucks, heaving hot breaths into bright balloons, almost unrecognizable without jerseys, last names, and numbers. Ice Girls dance around the trailer, securing streamers to bare railings. Photos are snapped, videos flicked, and chats sent to the rest of our crew, informing them of the progress on our Homecoming parade float. The Baylor Ice Girls is a group of female supporters, cheerleaders, and organizers for Baylor Hockey, responsible for things such as filling water bottles between periods, creating care baskets for injured players, and bringing the spirit to every game. As the sun sets on float decorating, we add our final touches, preparing to party at sunrise the following morning.
We meet bright and early, but there is no light. We are simply there early, contemplating how Baylor’s Homecoming has been historically successful when college students are asked to be up before the sun. Loading our teams into two trucks and a trailer, we trek toward downtown for the celebration of the morning. With the parade flowing on Austin Avenue, local Wacoans line the streets of downtown. Children flock to the curb with buckets and baskets open, begging to be filled with candy. Parents and families sit back in lawn chairs, sipping on mugs of caffeinated fuel. Familiar faces of Baylor students are scattered among the crowd, avoiding the mass of bodies on campus.
Questions rise from the crowds as we pass, “Baylor has a hockey team? Is it ice hockey? Where do they play?” Yes, Baylor does have an Ice Hockey team! The current team was revived for the 2021-2022 season, successfully attracting players and fans for the last three years. Alongside this group, the Baylor Ice Girls became a social club for female Baylor students interested in hockey, aiming for the sport to thrive on campus. These two clubs run separately, but we deeply depend on one another for functioning.
Turning down 5th Street, the sun is rising higher, the music is louder, and the energy from our Ice Hockey float hits another wind. Bags of candy are tossed between trucks to prepare for the second wave of sugar-seeking children. We pause to rehydrate our fracturing voices and rest our sore limbs, worn out from screaming, waving, and throwing sweets through the procession. Hours of preparation flew by with the parade ending before we knew it.
Elizabeth Riley hails from Tennessee and is a senior double majoring in English and Professional Writing & Rhetoric at Baylor University. She works as a Transcription Assistant at the Baylor University Institute for Oral History and is President of the Baylor Ice Girls for the 2024-2025 season.
By: Elizabeth Riley
Back to school season can be overwhelming while acclimating to new routines and projects. As the weather begins to cool and our lives become packed with responsibilities, it is important to take time outside, surrounding ourselves with all the people, places, and events that Waco has to offer. The start of the semester also brought around 3,000 freshman University students to Waco. The greatest way to get comfortable with the city would be to get involved in the community in many ways.
Homework
Saturday, September 7, 2024: Waco History Scavenger Hunt
The Waco History Scavenger Hunt is a self-paced, online based activity, in which participants travel to historic locations across Waco, take pictures to post on social media, and enter the chance to win prizes. This activity can be started anytime from 8:30 am to 11:00 am by following instructions on the Waco History App.
Sunday, September 8, 2024: Church Hopping
There are almost 200 different churches in the greater Waco area. The start of a new semester is the perfect time to travel between establishments, finding a spiritual home that fits your needs. After sampling denominational communities and pastors, taste test breakfast and brunch restaurants around town, such as Harvest on 25th, Our Breakfast Place on Franklin, or The Toasted Yolk on Washington.
https://spirituallife.web.baylor.edu/campus-ministries-church-connections/local-churches
Monday, September 9, 2024: Genealogy Research Walkthrough
Does your family have deep ties to Texas or the Southeast? The West Waco Library and Genealogy Center is helping uncover and rediscover family histories from 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm on Monday. After searching through records of cemeteries, newspapers, and other archival sources, use the library space to get ahead with academic responsibilities. Study time is vital!
https://calendar.wacolibrary.org/event/11526027
Tuesday, September 10, 2024: Baylor Women’s Volleyball vs SMU
Baylor Women’s Volleyball takes on the ACC’s Southern Methodist University at the Ferrell Center at 7 pm. The women’s volleyball team has won all four of their opening games, and they are hoping to extend this winning record against the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge opponents. Volleyball sporting season lasts until November. If you’re unable to catch this week’s match, check out the schedule to find a game for you!
https://baylorbears.com/sports/womens-volleyball/schedule/2024
Thursday, September 11, 2024: Outdoor Adventure Club takes on Archery
The Outdoor Adventure Club is taking on archery for their welcome back activity! Designated for kids ages 6-11, this program will teach general safety for shooting arrows, care and maintenance for owning a bow, and history of the sporting event itself. Safely practice what you learn with the Outdoor Adventure Club from 4:30pm to 5:30pm on Thursday.
https://calendar.wacolibrary.org/event/12124212
Friday, September 12, 2024: Premier of Waco Civic Theater’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Love. Magic. Forests. Faries. From now until September 22nd, the Waco Civic Theater is performing the classic Shakespearean play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Tickets for the 7:30 pm show cost $22-$25, and they can be purchased online.
Baylor Family Weekend Begins
Friday kicks off Baylor’s Family Weekend, for which loved ones of current students are invited back to campus for festivities. This year’s activities include Taste of Waco food sampling, After Dark talent performances, and Vertical family worship. Baylor Football takes on Air Force at 6:30 pm on Saturday.
https://familyweekend.web.baylor.edu
Elizabeth Riley hails from Tennessee and is a senior studying English and Professional Writing & Rhetoric at Baylor University. She works as a Transcription Assistant at the Baylor University Institute for Oral History and is President of the Baylor Ice Girls for the 2024-2025 season.
Editor: In honor of Women’s History Month, we are featuring interviews with local women leaders. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media.
By Audrey Patterson
The green and gold glow from the top of Pat Neff Hall. The twinkling lights shine from the Magnolia Silos. The red lights illuminate the historic ALICO building. A spotlight is shining on Waco, and its new and old attractions draw tourists and students to Central Texas.
“[Waco] is so eclectic,” Jovan Overshown, Baylor University’s senior associate athletics director for external affairs, said. “People think of Waco as having this small, home-town feel, but it’s so much more than that. You can have that kind of close-knit experience, but you also have the energy, all the development, the building, the art scene and the boom of a big city happening here.”
Overshown joined Baylor Athletics in May 2017. She manages all aspects of the department’s external operations dealing with marketing communications, resource development, BaylorVision, creative services, and fan engagement.
“There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle,” Overshown said. “But they are all elements that have something to do with telling the story of Baylor athletics and our phenomenal 500-plus student-athletes. … We get to promote the amazing things we are doing here, this incredible university, whether that be in written form or by visually showcasing something really impactful.”
Overshown’s work with Baylor helps her interact with the Waco community. With her job, she engages the community and fan base through different projects.
“Baylor Athletics has participated in Bears for Books to help with literacy issues within the community,” Overshown said. “Our football team specifically has done a great job of engaging schools, whether it’s reading to kids or just engaging with them.”
Waco has the beauty of being in Central Texas. Overshown expressed how great it is to be surrounded by family and friends, never too far out of reach.
When asked about her hobbies, Overshown joked that she couldn’t count work as her hobby. Instead, she spoke of her love for her family.
“I’m the type to invite everyone to the backyard,” Overshown said. “Let’s cookout, let’s grill and hang out. I’m very much one of those people that is invigorated by community, but I also love to zone out and go for a run.”
Overshown considered the question of where she’d go if she had a bad day and wanted to be cheered up. Her response: to head into nature.
“Cameron Park was one of the first places my husband and I visited when we first moved here,” Overshown said. “We would run the trails all the time. … It’s great scenery, and it makes you feel like you’re not in Texas.”
Overshown advises to “not prejudge Waco. Get involved in your church or in your school community groups or whatever it is because there’s so much you can do, and there’s still so much growth that can happen here. Be intentional, get on that email list, get on those discussion board forums, and just really tap in.”
Audrey Patterson is a sophomore journalism and environmental studies double major at Baylor University. She is from California.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at [email protected].