Homage to Waco

Last time I posted a blog, I was still in Scotland... phew, that was a long time ago. I have things written that never got posted and other ideas that I have been meaning to share. All will come in due time. Some day I may have an explosion of posts, but for today I wanted to finally post an entry about Waco!

Waco will always have a place in my heart. Of course, it is the city of Baylor University, my beloved alma mater, but also because of its unique characteristics and people. Waco, Texas is ranked as being one of the most poverty-stricken cities in America. It’s pretty dirty in most areas, dangerous after sunset (hell, even in broad daylight depending on where you go), and not really thriving economically. It’s a great mission field for brave folks who feel called to the streets of Waco to shelter the homeless, feed the poor, and donate to the needy. However, Waco was not always so tragic. There once was a time when Waco was a bustling metropolis destined to thrive and even compete with major cities like Dallas and Austin as a mecca of commerce, culture, and entertainment. Much of Waco’s initial success was due to the railroads running through the city back in the 1940s and 50s, but eventually the railroads stopped running which killed a large percentage of Waco’s business. Shortly after the railroad reached its caboose, poor Waco was almost entirely wiped out by a tornado that decimated its downtown, leaving the city with one lonely skyscraper (the Alico building), ruined businesses, and devastated residents of the city. Business has never been the same since.

Then some years later, some lunatic of a man, David Koresh, came along and began a cult on the outskirts of the city. He began a movement called the Branch Davidian, gathered followers, had them worship him, slept with all the women, and all ended with a blazing fire to the compound caused by the FBI. It was an awful massacre, an unforgetable crazy cult, and yet again another massive blemish on poor Waco. When I went overseas to study abroad in Scotland, I would tell people that I went to Baylor University in Texas, and when I mentioned that it was in Waco, 90 percent of time they replied, “Oh, Waco… like where the Branch Davidian stuff was? That crazy David Koresh cult?” Yep. The whole world will remember Waco, Texas for that.

Despite all of Waco’s tainted history, Baylor University, the greatest place of higher learning ever (I’m allowed to be bias) is there. Perhaps it’s a good thing that Waco isn’t some thriving metropolis like Dallas or Austin. The university could have been choked by such a large city; the campus dissolved into urban surroundings. For example, SMU in downtown Dallas is a beautiful campus. It’s located nicely off of I-75, near North Dallas, surrounded by all of the finer parts of Dallas. The campus is indeed lovely, but it has no room to grow or expand, and with all of the attractions of Dallas, it loses its appeal. On the other hand, Baylor almost begs you to stay on campus. The campus is gorgeous and lush, fun to explore, and has room to grow, which it has and continues to do so. And, it is certainly safer to stay on campus than venture into Waco. Secondly, UT is completely lost within Austin. The campus is fully integrated with downtown. The times that I have visited UT, there lacks the community feel. I would hate to walk to class and have it feel the same as walking to Starbucks. There is something special about crossing the quad, 5th street, Fountain Mall, and “Emo Park.” Walking down the street and passing the local laundry mat, Starbucks, skyscraper containing multiple business offices, and furniture store while going from class to class seems less appealing. College life should feel exclusive from the real world. UT’s campus being dissolved and integrated into the heart of downtown Austin, in my opinion, is downright lame.

So I think Baylor needed Waco, and Waco definitely needs Baylor. Lately, there have been larger efforts made to bring the university and the city closed together… efforts to break the Baylor Bubble. I mean, I do think that it’s terribly unfair that Baylor is this wealthy, private university surrounded by and yet secluded from poverty-stricken Waco, but there are new programs and organizations that link the university and the city. There is vision of Waco once prospering again and Baylor helping the city along in the process. I’m an optimist, yes, but there is only so much than can be done. It’ll be a slow turn around for Waco, but there are some great people at Baylor that break the Baylor Bubble everyday and get others to join them. Maybe Waco can be thought of as a vintage wine: it’ll only get better with time… older, but still better.

As homage to Waco, I’d like to say a few words about my favorite parts of Waco. I have fond memories of camping at Lake Waco and Lake Whitney. Also, I'm glad that no one went missing or died during the Global Night Commute where many of us students camped in downtown Waco on probably the only freezing cold night in Central Texas. The old abandoned high school downtown that some friends and I once explored will forever be on my favorite freshman memories. I hope that school always stays creepy, abandoned, and awesome. Waco cemeteries at night really got my heart racing, so thank you for being terrifying. I can't forget Bellmead Wal-Mart and making those late night runs to get beef jerky, gummi bears, chocolate milk, and deordorant (in that order). Also, I'd like to think I went to every HEB Waco had to offer, from the multiple ghetto HEBs to the Tahj-ma-HEB.

I cannot forget some of my favorite local restaurants: The Clay Pot, Quitoks, Bangkok Royale, Health Camp, The Slippery Minnow, Buzzard Billy’s, and Teriyaki Park. Of course there are other restaurants in Waco that I loved and frequented, but they’re franchised and not exclusively Waco. I also cannot forget my favorite bars: Crickets (for the atmosphere and because it’s the place “where everybody knows your name”… like Cheers, the TV show about that bar), Treff’s (for piano man and 75 cent wells), and George’s (for the big O drink specials). I should go ahead and include Scruffs (Scruffy Murphy’s). It’s the seediest dive bar in all of America; I stuck the floor when I first went there from all the unknown drying liquids on the floor. The door leading outside says “Have Sex of the Patio,” there’s crazy karaoke every Wednesday, cheaper booze, and no one ever goes sober… or leaves sober neither. The owner and a few patrons have been stabbed there, and an ex-Baylor football coach urinated on the bar. It’s a dangerous place, which was often quite fun. I’ve got good memories, bad memories, and regrettable memories… so here’s to you Scruff’s… I hate you and love at the same time.

I definitely cannot honor Waco without even mentioning the mighty Brazos River. I think the river water is rather foul, plagued with bacteria, probably holds the cure for cancer, and liable to generate mutant species of all kinds. However, I love canoeing down the Brazos, watching my friends attempt to swim across it, cleaning up around it for service projects, taking pictures near it, and tossing tortillas into from the Suspension Bridge. Tortilla tossing from the Suspension bridge is a classic tradition that must be done. Without a doubt, tortilla tossing nights and climbing statues were absolute favorites.

And finally, I want to give a last homage to the Alico building. We tried to climb you once but couldn’t find a way up. One day we will return and you will get climbed, Alico. Be ready for us. Driving down I-35 to Waco from Dallas, I can see you and the towers of Baylor taunting me, calling me to reach the top. As the only skyscraper in Waco, the lone survivor of downtown, the skyline of Waco rests in your stories. Stand tall, Alico… do it for Waco. I salute you.