Baylor Proud

We know that most alumni can’t make it back to Waco to enjoy the annual Christmas on 5th Street celebration tonight. But did you know there’s likely a Baylor Christmas celebration near you?

Baylor Alumni Network staff and volunteers organize gatherings of the Baylor family all over the country, from business networking events to sports watch parties. This time of year, the focus of many Network events naturally turns to Christmas.

Upcoming events in Dallas and Houston for young alumnae offer evenings of holiday recipes and Christmas cheer. Mama Bears and their families are invited for a Christmas picnic and parade in Austin and a cookie party in Dallas. This weekend, Bears will make Christmas wreaths together near Denver and exchange cookies in Washington, D.C. A holiday mix and mingle event in Houston will bring together Baylor lawyers, while a Christmas tea brings together Baylor women in Oklahoma City and a traditional Christmas party in Longview welcomes East Texans.

All over the state and even across the country, Baylor parents are gathering for Bear Care Packaging Parties, in which they assemble gift boxes for their children, their students’ friends and roommates. Many events have already taken place across the state (Austin, Dallas, Houston, Lubbock and San Angelo) and nationwide (Chicago, Colorado Springs, Denver and San Francisco). More Bear Care events are scheduled for Beaumont, Houston, San Antonio and St. Louis.

If you haven’t been receiving emails about events in your area, make sure your contact information is up to date in the Baylor Alumni and Friends Directory. Hope to see you at one of these events!

Sic ’em, Baylor Alumni Network and Baylor alums!

It’s not unusual for Baylor grads to find their future spouses here on campus; my wife and I are lucky to be among those numbers. But this story of a Baylor proposal that I received last week is just too cute not to share; here’s the tale from happy groom-to-be Colin Brown, BS ’12:

“My girlfriend, Sarah Hnatek, BSME ’12, and I met at freshman orientation the summer before we started at Baylor. A year and a half later we were dating, then leading a Welcome Week group together, and cheering on our Bears throughout.

“Baylor played such a big role in making us each who we are today that after graduation (in May 2012), we knew we wanted to come back as often as we can for decades and decades to come. So before graduation, we made a time capsule with a piece of paper rolled up inside. We signed it, dated it, and hid it at our own secret place on campus with the idea that when we come back to campus down the road, we can sign our time capsule and reminisce our great days at Baylor.

“Sarah came from a long line of Baylor Bears and has been to every Homecoming since she was born, so what better time to propose than Baylor Homecoming 2012? That day, after our Baylor football team’s beatdown of Kansas, Sarah and I made our way back to campus to our time capsule. We found it safe and sound, and as we were adding our new entry, I got down one knee and popped the question. “She said YES! 11/3/12″ was added to our capsule, and the rest is history. We’re getting married August 2013. Baylor has been, is and will always be a part of our history with a special place in our lives.”

Sic ’em, Baylor couples!

You might also like:
* Senior trip to Independence perfect for popping the question (May 2012)
* Baylor guys find creative ways to propose to their Baylor girls (Sept. 2011)
* Foreign language leads to love for Baylor couple (Nov. 2009)

[We learned of this story from a Bear who shared his Baylor pride. Do you know of an inspiring story, news item, or just a fun link that makes you proud of Baylor and the Baylor family? Let us know! Click here to submit your point of pride!]

During Homecoming, someone tweeted us a photo of a car on campus with a particularly green-and-gold license plate: a Baylor plate reading, simply, “BAYLOR.”

What a great way of showing Baylor pride! The Baylor license plates available from the State of Texas were redesigned in 2010 to a more distinctly green-and-gold look.

Since then, more than 200 Bears have purchased these plates, many using the opportunity to also personalize their license plate tag (those are real plates pictured at right). A good portion of the cost of the plates goes to scholarships, as well.

[Get your Baylor plate from MyPlates.com or Texas.gov.]

And of course, Bear fans inside or outside of Texas can always accessorize vehicles with Baylor license plate frames, window stickers, auto emblems and more.

Sic ’em, Baylor proud drivers!

As part of Homecoming, Baylor’s Reunion Honor Classes – those who graduated in 1967, ’72, ’77, ’82, ’87, ’92, ’97, ’02 and ’07 — are invited to a buffet reception Friday night.

Let’s take a look back at what members of each of those classes might remember from their senior years at Baylor. For instance:

• The Class of 1967 saw construction begin on Moody Memorial Library (pictured above) and rooted on fellow Bear John Hill Westbrook as the first African-American player in Southwest Conference football history.
• The Class of 1972 welcomed Grant Teaff to campus for the first time and was entertained by on-campus performances from the likes of Elton John and John Denver.
• The Class of 1977 were around for the dedication of the Steven Hudson Memorial Bear Plaza (the old bear pit) and watched as the towers on Old Main and Burleson were rebuilt after having been destroyed by the 1953 tornado.
• The Class of 1982 commemorated the inauguration of President Herbert Reynolds and cheered on all-time Baylor athletic greats Walter Abercrombie and Terry Teagle. (more…)