Waco-Baylor University: What is Waco really like? (Austin, Lubbock: 2014, house)

[deathpenalty03]

Originally Posted by KewGee

My daughter attended Baylor U from 1991 to 1994, so she was there during the massacre. Mt. Carmel is actually located 10 miles outside of Waco but still, too close for comfort. I worried about her all the time but not just because of that.

There was another thread about Baylor a while back and below is what I posted on that thread regarding Waco.

Baylor is a beautiful and wonderful Baptist University, but it is not in a very good part of Waco. My daughter received one of her degrees there and lived on campus for two years and off campus near the University for the other two. I worried constantly about her as things can and do happen on campus and near by.

There are homeless people and other undesirables that like to frequent the underpasses and streets near Baylor, so I would caution you to do much checking out in any areas which you're interested in living. Once while she was there, a weirdo off the street was found lurking in one of the girls' dorms.

Waco does have many great neighborhoods, but many crime-filled areas as well. Somewhere I read that Waco is becoming one of the highest-rated cities for crime in the nation.

My daughter had to work the whole time while she was in both of the universities she attended, Baylor for her Bachelor's and Dallas Baptist for her Master's. Therefore, she was on the road a lot traveling to and from her job even at late hours of the night. She also worked on campus for a while at the Ferrell Center and sometimes arrived back at her dorm at 4:00 a.m. due to getting the Center back to normal following concerts and the like. She was also fresh out of high school, a youngster.

Since your child is attempting to enter the graduate program, she is a bit older and since she doesn't have to work, I wouldn't think you'd need to worry about her like I did with Amy. She worked over 40 hours each week and managed to graduate with a great grade point average in spite of it, not a 4.0 but a 3.something. Now at DBU in spite of having to work, she did receive a 4.0. I greatly admire her for all her hard work and perserverance. She is delightful and knew at a young age what she wanted and went for it.

This is just a side note but after the fact, I found out my son and a few of his friends drove to Mt. Carmel when the standoff was going on. Of course, he couldn't get too close because of the area being blocked off but nevertheless, when I found out about it, I nearly had a stroke. He was 16 at the time, and we only live about 45 miles or so from Waco. I almost had his head on a silver platter, but boys will be boys, such bravery.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much. She's an adult and she'll be fine but like any place, one must use caution because there are strange people everywhere.

As far as the racial profiling goes, I doubt there would be any problem. I'm not positive about that, but I really don't think so. Hopefully, someone will come along on this thread to give you better information regarding such.

I just remembered when we went to the Baylor orientation in 1991, the campus police alerted the incoming students about using caution, carry mace, and so on because of problems that do happen. Luckily, my sweet daughter graduated from BU unscathed.

And you thought your post was long.

my lord to many damn colors

you went overboard

[hamiltonpl]

Originally Posted by getmeoutofhere

I think it's so quaint how Baylor is stuck back in the 17th century.

I'm not sure I should bite from a guy with your dubious screen-name, but what makes you think Baylor is stuck in the 1600's? Its student body and faculty isn't much different from any other Texas school its size and age. Sounds to me like you didn't get in.

[mountainocean]

My two year experience with Waco was enough for me to get out as quickly as possible when I was done with school. It's a terrible place to live compared to the rest of Texas. The per-capita crime rate, and specifically, the property crime rate was extremely high and probably still is. I was robbed twice in two years. A LOT of weirdos for a town it's size. Must be something in the water.

[padcrasher]

Waco is as right wing/conservative as they come. Baylor outlawed dancing until 1996 http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/19/us...at-baylor.html

Ted Nugent who has said some disgusting things about the President writes for the local newspaper.....showing what hypocrites they are that run the town.

I've attended Texas A&M, and SMU and am very familiar with the student scene at UT in Austin.

I can't imagine a more boring place to attend school than Waco or Baylor..bar none.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

I spent a few summers in Waco growing up and frequent there since my mom lives there. Ill throw in my two cents.

Waco actually offers a lot more than its peers in Texas in my opinion. Its close enough to DFW, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio for an easy escape and there is somewhat of a nightlife there. Waco does seem to be more (dare I use the word) "ghetto" than a lot of other cities its size in Texas (sans Beaumont or Laredo), but in the many years Ive had family there they havent had trouble.

Basically, when comparing Waco to places like Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, Wichita Falls, Tyler, Longview, Beaumont, and Laredo, I think Waco is the best pick of the lot. However, I would still never live there even though I have happy memories of the place.

[padcrasher]

Originally Posted by justme02

I spent a few summers in Waco growing up and frequent there since my mom lives there. Ill throw in my two cents.

Waco actually offers a lot more than its peers in Texas in my opinion. Its close enough to DFW, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio for an easy escape and there is somewhat of a nightlife there. Waco does seem to be more (dare I use the word) "ghetto" than a lot of other cities its size in Texas (sans Beaumont or Laredo), but in the many years Ive had family there they havent had trouble.

Basically, when comparing Waco to places like Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, Wichita Falls, Tyler, Longview, Beaumont, and Laredo, I think Waco is the best pick of the lot. However, I would still never live there even though I have happy memories of the place.

My type of "nightlife" back when I was in College wasn't geared for being able to drive 80 Miles to Waco from Mockingbird, Westhiemer, or 6th Street at 2AM in the morning.

[hamiltonpl]

Originally Posted by padcrasher

Waco is as right wing/conservative as they come. Baylor outlawed dancing until 1996 After 151 Years, Dance Ban Ends at Baylor - NYTimes.com

Ted Nugent who has said some disgusting things about the President writes for the local newspaper.....showing what hypocrites they are that run the town.

I've attended Texas A&M, and SMU and am very familiar with the student scene at UT in Austin.

I can't imagine a more boring place to attend school than Waco or Baylor..bar none.

I am willing to bet you never visited Baylor for a party. It's certainly not 6th Street. But the parties were nearly a carbon copy of SMU parties-- lots of rich kids at house parties with lots of kegs of beer and other alcohol. There were plenty of concerts, bars with live music and restaurants for the college-budget.

There are plenty of riff-raff in the Waco neighborhood next to Baylor. At first I scoffed at those people. But later, it made me incredibly thankful that I had my very blessed life.

It's true that Baylor didn't allow university sponsored dance parties to be held on campus until 1996. But that didn't keep the student body--or the university--from having dances off campus or students from having their own non-university sponsored dances on campus. I don't think university sponsored dances on campus is what makes UT Austin or Arizona State hard core party schools.

I think Baylor has some great facilities, but none of them are equipped to have a dance for the whole student body at one time. Instead, dances were mainly held in hotel ballrooms and the Waco Convention Center. Even today, "dances" are mainly held off campus. It's not that big of a deal. They aren't very popular after freshman year and I'm not sure many university sponsored dances are held today. Maybe I really missed out on the college experience because I didn't attend that many dances in the basketball arena at Baylor... but I doubt it. That seems kind of high-schoolish to me. But maybe I have that perspective because of going to Baylor. In college, going to house parties or to the bars was more fun. You're telling me that the on campus university sponsored dances were the big nightlife scene? No offense, but that seems pretty lame.

One of the main traditions at Baylor was called "Sing" where there was Broadway-production style singing and dancing (gasp) at Baylor -- since 1953. If dancing was forbidden until 1996, how did the university have one of its biggest events that included that "forbidden" activity?

So the no-university-sponsored-dancing on campus rule wasn't really that big of a deal. Its removal probably called more attention to it than anything.

Oh, and Ted Nugent writes a syndicated column and lives in Waco. So I don't see how that impacts Baylor. But I guess if you're throwing stones, you might as well throw as many as possible.

[hamiltonpl]

Originally Posted by padcrasher

My type of "nightlife" back when I was in College wasn't geared for being able to drive 80 Miles to Waco from Mockingbird, Westhiemer, or 6th Street at 2AM in the morning.

Dude. Your name is "padcrasher." Why would you drive 80 miles after a night of drinking instead of... pad crashing with a friend? I went to un-fun Baylor and figured that one out.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by hamiltonpl

Dude. Your name is "padcrasher." Why would you drive 80 miles after a night of drinking instead of... pad crashing with a friend? I went to un-fun Baylor and figured that one out.

Pretty much. Just a lot of exaggeration and lies in this thread. I wouldn't call Waco a great city, but it's nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be. I've attended many Baylor parties and events. The parties are pretty crazy and lots of fun. Baylor is a school that comes with lots of pride and school spirit; when you have so many events and festivals going on around the school; driving out of town isn't really needed much. As a college student; you learn to adapt to your surroundings and nearby offerings and deal. If your college experience was horrible; you have no one to blame but yourself.

[hamiltonpl]

"As right winger as they come" graduates Baylor University:
Ann Richards, last Democrat Governor of Texas and Brandeis Professor
Baylor BA 1950


Thomas Harris -- author of Silence of the Lambs and creator of Hannibal Lecter.
Baylor BA English, 1964

Thomas Harris - IMDb

Willie Nelson -- Country Music Legend, Pothead
(dropped out after 2 years, never attended another college)


John Eddie Williams, Harold Nix and Walter Umphrey, largest donors to Texas Democratic Party
Baylor Law Graduates, 1964


Clearly, Baylor is a hotbed for extreme right wing conservatism.