Decade of Dominance
Baylor acrobatics & tumbling this weekend won its 10th-straight NCATA National Championship, defeating No. 2 seeded Oregon in the final round. “This was not an easy championship to win, and I don’t want anyone to think that,” said coach Felecia Mulkey in a Baylor release. Mulkey won her first four national championships at Oregon, now winning all 13 nationals since the sport’s inception.
Tennis
Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams secured a spot in this year’s NCAA Tournaments, making their 27th-straight and fifth-straight championship appearances, respectively.
The No. 22 women’s team will open the NCAA Austin Regional against Boise State on Friday. The winner will advance to the regional final on Saturday, facing off against either Texas or Grand Canyon.
The No. 18 men’s team will play against Nebraska in the first round on Saturday in College Station. If they win, they’ll face either Texas A&M or Rice on Sunday.
If successful, both teams could end up back at Baylor’s Hurd Tennis Center, the site of the NCAA men’s and women’s quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals matches.
Esports
Nearly 1,400 middle and high school students descended upon the Hurd Welcome Center on Thursday for the Texas Scholastic Esports Federation 2025 Undisputed State Championships esports competition. From Thursday through Sunday, students will compete in Apex Legends, iRacing, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and many other video games. Watch the championship live on TexSEFI’s Twitch channel (I may or may not have it pulled up in another window as I’m typing right now).
Pro Mundo
The University launched the Institute for Global Human Flourishing, as Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR) unveiled the first wave findings from its Global Flourishing Study. “The GFS is one of the most comprehensive studies of human well-being ever undertaken, and its initial findings paint a picture of flourishing today which is defined as ‘living in a state in which all aspects of a person’s life are good,'” according to a Baylor release. If you’re interested in learning more about the study’s first wave of findings, visit globalflourishingstudy.com.
Not the 1986 classic
Baylor researcher Dr. Jocelyn Shealy McGee is celebrating World Labyrinth Day–the first Saturday in May–by sharing her findings on what was once an ancient contemplative or spiritual practice. She found that a sense of unity can be created by walking a labyrinth with others, kindling powerful emotional and spiritual experiences. Want to create connectedness, transcendence, and social action by labyrinth walking from the comfort of your own home? Try downloading this finger labyrinth and tracing the path!
Bye bye Brooks dining
The days of dining in a Harry Potter-esque setting are coming to a close, as Brooks Great Hall will no longer provide dining in the fall. The University cites increasing operational costs amid decreasing clientele, adding that “less than 10% of campus dining is delivered in the Great Hall.” The building will be repurposed for future student meeting and event spaces, as well as other needs. The longstanding Sunday evening dinner tradition for Brooks College residents will be sustained, and favorites like “chicken nugget Thursday” will be incorporated into other dining hall menus.
