Tavis King, sophomore, dreamt of going to Baylor University his entire life. Being from Wheaton, IL, going to an out of state school seemed scary. Graduating high school, he had mixed emotions of sadness from one season ending and excitement for another. Baylor University hosts a new student camp throughout the summer to prepare students for when they come to campus. King decided to go and had no idea that one week in Waco, TX would change his life.
Attending Baylor Line Camp can be a scary time for most students. They must put themselves out there by meeting new people and being in a new place. Baylor claims, “At Line Camp, you will forge new friendships, connect with the rich history and tradition of your new home, and explore how Baylor's distinct Christian mission will animate your story.”. Line Camp leaders have to make the new students feel welcomed and create an authentic environment for them. King’s line camp leader created an incredible experience for him. Getting to camp King had no idea what to expect and was kind of nervous. He knew there would be lots of awkward interactions and on the first day he experienced lots of them. The first day of orientation, a speaker spoke on how everyone has a story and a calling, and how to create friendships that are meaningful. Hearing this speech, King knew he had made the right choice in attending Baylor. King was most nervous about making friends but later that night, King met his current best friend, Scott Ruane. Ruane and King instantly clicked and forged a friendship that will last forever. “Camp is a weird mix of introductions and Baylor traditions along with an intimate small group and team building setting. So much is happening, but it all works out in the end” said King. He left feeling confident and comfortable coming to Baylor in the fall because he knew the campus and people. He thought it was a great introduction to Baylor and Line Camp confirmed that he made the right decision.
Although not everyone has a positive Line Camp experience. Shae Whittle, sophomore, heard so many stories of creating long lasting friendships and having such an amazing week at camp. She went into the week with so much excitement and expecting the same experience that everyone raves about. Whittle expected to fall in love with Baylor all over again and meet new friends that would last forever, although this was far from reality. Since she had the expectation of making friends, she never thought about the fact she would have to try to put in the effort. Realizing this late into the week, Whittle left camp with few friends and even greater insecurities within myself. Whittle’s experience wasn’t all negative, her leader had a huge impact on her life. “Throughout my Line Camp experience, I definitely encountered numerous blessings, like being part of a really great group throughout the week and meeting who would later become my future big in my sorority” says Whittle. Although Whittle didn't have the experience, she thought she would, she learned a lot about stepping out of her comfort zone. She learned how to be comfortable in the uncomfortable which she thinks prepared her for her first couple of weeks in her fall semester. Whittle still believes that first year students should go to Line Camp, but students should not go in with high expectations like she did.
Since King had such an impactful experience at Line Camp, in September of his freshman year he decided to apply to be a leader. The interview process is very thorough, with lots of short answer questions, an introspective activity, video interviews and one group interview. King got the job out of over a hundred applicants. Immediately after finding out, King called his parents to gain their support. Since he is from out-of-state, King knew that his parents would want him home during the summer but being a leader, he would be in Waco all summer. His parents approved and he accepted the job. The training started during the spring semester with a leadership class with all the other leaders. Once the semester ended, King was so excited and couldn’t wait for the summer to start. Starting camp, King felt the same nervousness he felt going into camp as a new student. He spent the weekend before camp making sure he was prepared for every situation he could think of. King was reflected and sentimental when describing his summer. His face lit up and was relaxed while reflecting on his time as a leader. His first day, he felt as if all his work had paid off. As a leader, he wanted each member in his group to be fully known and loved so they could leave with a good experience like he did.
King expected to become friends with some campers throughout the summer but did not expect to get so close with the other leaders. Right before the second week's ending meeting, King’s dad called with the news that King’s mom was in the hospital. She had a heart attack, but it seemed like she would be okay. King said, “I had never had a family member be in a medical emergency and I thought I was going to lose my mom.” He went into the closing meeting and immediately his friends and camp director surrounded him with comfort and prayer. He had never experienced friends that were so quick to pray. The director told him if he needed to leave, he could but King there was no place he would rather be. King’s mom made a full recovery, but this was the first of several times the group came together in prayer.
One of the best parts of King’s week was going to Independence, T.X each week. It is the city where Baylor was founded. The original columns and arch are still standing. On the bus before they arrived at Independence, King would describe the importance of the night and would watch all of the campers' faces light up with excitement. It was his favorite moment as a camper and getting to experience it with his campers and other leaders was so special. They would worship and welcome the new students to the Baylor Line. Each student would receive their line jersey, a tradition at Baylor. “Most people who have attended Baylor have walked through the columns and arch that started Baylor and I would get to see new students join that group each week,” said King.
With lots of trials and learning how to be selfless, King had one of the most influential summers of his life. He learned how to step back and let his campers take the spotlight during the week. He noticed every time he stepped back, he felt proud of his campers and humility. There were several medical emergencies with campers and leaders during the summer, and he learned how to surrender to the Lord and the importance of Prayer. King reflected on how he learned even the mundane of camp were gifts from the Lord. “Line camp gave me the opportunity to show and tell all the good I knew to campers and now in my everyday life,” said King. Now in his everyday life, he is quick to pray, comfort and be selfless like he learned at camp. Line Camp is a place of learning about who you are and about the University the students are about to attend. For King, he experienced this both in attending and leading in the Baylor tradition of Line Camp.
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