I have been accepted to Baylor and TCU. I like Waco but a concerned and I’m pretty politically conservative. I am from New York, upper-middle class, a Republican and Catholic. But, like all types of people. QUESTION: I have a concern about Baylor, is it very religious and anti-drinking. I"m not a big party guy, but want a be able to drink beers and dance on a Friday or Saturday night without being judged by really uptight super religious Bible Thumper types. A girl I spoke to from Connecticut told me she was drinking a bottle a wine with friends in her dorm room and the room mate report them to the RA. The RA called the police and they all got a $500. fine and 8 hours of public service because they are under 21. She transferred out. Is it really this uptight about booze?
I used to work as an RA in the residence halls (they call them Community Leaders, or CLs) and can help explain.
Baylor, being a Baptist university, does have a pretty strong alcohol policy. Alcohol is not permitted on campus. That’s fairly typical for most Big 12 schools. Even OU, which is a notorious party school, does not permit alcohol on campus.
However, you will find that people in Waco and Baylor love beer and drinking. There are a couple of good bars off campus (the Dancing Bear is a favorite) and you will often see fellow Baylor students, as well as grad students and faculty getting a drink. There are some people who are going to be a little disdainful about drinking, but for the most part, Baylor students love a social drink. I wouldn’t think that there is a dominant culture of people who look down on social drinking.
If you’re concerned about the policies, here is the simplest thing that I have told my residents who were freshmen: I don’t condone underage drinking, perhaps it would be better if there was legislation that lowered the drinking age to 18, but if you do, don’t come on campus until you’re sober. Crash at a trusted friend’s place off campus until you feel like you can get back on campus and in your res halls. As long as you’re responsible, you can enjoy alcohol and a drink every now and then, but you have to be careful.