Dear Division Colleagues,
Besides being National Cheese Fondue Day, today—April 11—is also National “James” Day. We tried to comté up with a cheesy joke, but we figured we’d leave gouda-nough provolone. If you’d like to share a grate joke with Jim Marsh for National James Day, you can fondue it here.
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SLSD Events – Our recent Student Life Staff Development Coffee and Conversation Roundtable event on March 25 focused on the theme of belonging, providing staff with an opportunity to connect, share their experiences, and discuss ways we can collectively create a more welcoming environment. Staff explored the importance of embracing differences, being mindful of our actions, and fostering an understanding that belonging requires intentional effort—from offering support to one another to making spaces where everyone feels seen and heard.
On April 2, the Student Life Staff Development Committee hosted the staff from the Office of Access and Learning Accommodations (OALA) to share about the new changes and current trends in accommodating the needs of students with disabilities. The new OALA director, Danny Hernandez, shared about Baylor’s current statistics regarding students identified on campus and what the office is doing to revamp the application process to remove barriers. Chelsea Reimann, Associate Director of Accessibility, shared about current process for students to be approved for accommodations, and Hope Brown and Natalie Szot helped clarify questions about the documentation needed to help accommodations specialists know how to best serve students. We are so grateful for this team’s willingness to spend the lunch hour getting Student Life up to speed on OALA!
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AAPI luncheon – The Department of Multicultural Affairs proudly hosted our Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month Luncheon earlier this month, celebrating culture, resilience, and leadership. We were honored to welcome Baylor alumna Caren Lock as our keynote speaker. Caren delivered an inspiring message centered around her "5 G’s": Be Genuine, show Grace, give Generously of your time, remain Grateful, and demonstrate Grit. Her message beautifully echoed this year’s Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) AAPI Month theme: A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported our Heritage Month series. Whether you joined us for Rita Bautista during Hispanic Heritage Month, Omari Head at the Martin Luther King Luncheon, or Caren Lock at our most recent event, your presence and support mean the world to us.
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Dia 2025 – Diadeloso was an exciting and vibrant success, packed with fun, creativity, and community spirit. Students enjoyed a wide array of attractions from high-energy thrills like the American Ninja Warrior course and dunk tank to laid-back fun like goat yoga and caricature artists. Unique experiences such as the splatter room and Pirates Revenge ride added extra excitement, while carnival classics brought nostalgic charm. The day rounded out with an electric concert featuring Jenna Raine and Joshua Bassett. Special thanks to Baylor Chamber, who’ve kept this smile-filled tradition alive since 1932 – this Dia truly delivered!
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Highlight AAPI Heritage Month – In the United States, the month of May is designated as Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month (also known as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month). May however also marks the end of the Spring semester and the majority of students leave campus after graduation mid-month. To avoid cutting short the celebrations, Baylor has designated April as our month to observe Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month. Don't miss Luau tonight on Fountain Mall.
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March Madness Bracket Winners – The men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments have come and gone with UConn winning the women’s and Florida winning the men’s tournaments, respectively. From witnessing a memorable Final Four weekend and epic last-minute comebacks, the winners earned well-deserved titles. In addition to UConn and Florida, we have winners in our second annual Division of Student Life March Madness Bracket Showdown Challenge Extravaganza Bonanza Slamza. Drumroll, please. The winners are ...
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Women’s: Jordy Dickey (Student Activities) |
Men’s: Keane Tarbell (New Student Programs) |
Jordy & Keane, be on the lookout for an email from Student Life on how to grab your Division of Student Life Yeti Tumbler and autographed signed copy of How to Know a Person. Thank you to those who participated in our second annual Division of Student Life March Madness Bracket Showdown Challenge Extravaganza Bonanza Slamza. We can’t wait to do it again next year.
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Luau, April 11 – Baylor Hawai'i Club is proud to say aloha and welcome to Lū'au '25 — Ho'oilina! With delicious food like teriyaki chicken and butter mochi and enthralling cultural performances from hula to fire dancing, they invite us to celebrate the people and culture of Hawai'i with them.
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SLSD event, April 17 – Join us next week at our final Student Life Staff Development Event scheduled for Thursday, April 17, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, in Cashion 506. We’ll continue exploring our Spring theme—From Vision to Action—toward developing practical skills to equip us for future success in advancing our division strategic plan. Our focus will be “Pursuing Excellence” as we carry on our work. Visit the Student Life Staff Development webpage to learn more about our themes, content and events from this year and years past.
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Neighbor Night, April 22 – Better Together is partnering with the Filipino Student Association (FSA) and Korean Student Association (KSA) in celebration of Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month. Held in the Bobo Spiritual Life Center at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, this month’s Neighbor Night will highlight FSA and KSA as we celebrate through stories, culture, and food. Everyone in the Baylor community is welcome to attend. For more information, visit their Instagram: bettertogether_bu.
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Farewell Receptions for Dr. Burleson and Dr. Jackson, April 24 and May 5 – Save the Dates for receptions honoring Dr. Burt Burleson (April 24, 3-5 p.m., Barfield Drawing Room) and Dr. Kevin Jackson (May 5, 2:30-4 p.m., Barfield Drawing Room). An RSVP has been requested for Dr. Burleson's reception. No RSVP necessary for Dr. Jackson's.
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Student Life End-of-Year Celebration & Appreciation Lunch –
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Join us as we wrap up another great academic year in Student Life at Baylor! We'll have lunch, a short program, and then time to honor and celebrate all of our retiring staff members at a short dessert reception.
Please RSVP by April 17. This helps us to order food (a great spread this year!) and makes us aware of any dietary restrictions you may have.
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Wednesday, May 7, 12-1:30 p.m.
Hurd Center Ballroom
Doors Open at 11:45 a.m.
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Lift Up Your Hearts Worship Service, May 8 – Faculty and staff are invited to join us for a service of prayer and worship as we bring the semester to an end. Various members of the Baylor community will lead in worship, followed by a complimentary luncheon. Register here to reserve your meal.
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Name: Rebekah Perkins
Department: Campus Living & Learning
Title: Residence Hall Director, Collins
Fun/interesting fact: "I've traveled a lot and hope to keep doing so for the rest of my life! Been to India, Africa, UK, Mexico, Turkey and always love it."
Most enjoyable about working at Baylor: "Being a part of a University that has such a rich history and is faith-based is a honor and privilege."
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New Staff Form: Please help us keep our mailing list up-to-date so that all Student Life staff can receive important updates and event invitations. Just a reminder that we have a form for you to submit information about new hires so they can be added to the staff mailing list. We encourage you to use this for GA's and interns as well.
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Nominate a Shout Out – In an effort to recognize and celebrate the good work performed by our dedicated Division of Student Life staff in a timely way, Spotlight Shoutout highlights staff who have gone above and beyond the scope of regular duties in a way that had substantive, positive impact on others and/or whose level of excellence in a particular program or initiative was exemplary. You may nominate any staff member within the division using THIS FORM.
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Above: Diadeloso was a massive success this year thanks to Baylor Chamber, Baylor Student Activities, and of course half a dozen goats.
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