I've never had anything against Waco, but now that my freshman year has come and gone and I've lived in the Wack for roughly nine months, I appreciate it more than ever. Unfortunately, that is not the case for all Baylor students. I have heard people criticize Waco time and time again. "There is nothing to do here," "Waco is soooo boring," and even some obscene comments that do not deserve to be repeated. The thing is, Waco's charm isn't an in-your-face type of charm. It's hidden; you have to look for it. McLane stadium, Magnolia Market, and the beautiful Baylor herself are all well-respected and recognized landmarks. Today, I want to shed some light on a few elements of Waco, TX that I feel are not getting the recognition they deserve.
Location: Waco lies in central Texas, between Austin and Dallas. It is close enough that its residents can make day trips to these big cities but isolated enough that it never feels overwhelmingly metropolitan.
The fact is that the ALICO building is not only historically legit, but also always picture-ready. The ALICO (American-Amicable Life Insurance Company) building was built in 1910 and is 22 stories tall, making it one of the first skyscrapers in Texas and the tallest building in Waco by far. One of the main reasons that the good ole ALICO is so highly revered by Wacoans is because it was one of the few downtown buildings to survive the 1953 Waco tornado outbreak. Aside from being a landmark of the city, it still functions as an office building today. Plus, the ALICO looks good in summer, winter, spring, and fall.
I swear that there is something in the molecular composition of the atmosphere in Waco that makes the sunsets there more beautiful than most other places. I can't explain it anymore scientifically than that, but they are a sight to see, especially from the top floor of the Collins Parking Garage.
[PC: Sarah Ferguson]
If you keep your eyes peeled, you can always find something random to do. Within the last couple months, Waco has hosted a food truck festival, a Cinco de Mayo celebration, and a used book sale, all for free. Markets abound on a weekly basis — farmer's, artist, and flea markets. Take your pick. On any given day, tortilla tossing, rooftop hopping, and Enoing in Cameron Park are all right at your fingertips.
Waco is home to several diverse museums, not even including the ones on Baylor's campus. The Mayborn Museum, the Dr Pepper Museum, and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame are all within a five minute drive of one another. They were cool field trip destinations back in the day and they have tons of potential to be cool today too.
The plethora of locations for photo shoots: from colorful murals downtown, to the suspension bridge, to the court house, to perfectly imperfect walls in the most unexpected places, you can always find a place to snap some pictures. College girls, myself included, will use anything as an excuse to turn an outing into a photo shoot, so shout out to Waco for providing picturesque backdrops.
[PC: Ellie Thorne]
The sheer number of churches Waco contains: One time my religion professor said that, as a student, you could attend a different church every Sunday of your four years at Baylor and never repeat a church. I remained skeptical until I did the research and counted a grand total of 233 Christian churches in Waco alone (try this church search site if you don't believe me). All different denominations are represented: Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Non-Denominational — you name it. Perks of living in the Bible Belt, I suppose.
Wacotown, you are wonderful. Don't let the haters stop you from doing your thang.
