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Mackenzie Grizzard

Baylor University Class of 2026 

Journalism and Public Relations

Staff Writer for The Baylor Lariat

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Board of Regents approves new master’s degrees, explores affordability - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
The Baylor Board of Regents approved two new master’s degrees at its regular fall board meeting, making strides in the engineering and health sciences departments.
The Board of Regents is Baylor’s official governing body, which meets several times a year to vote on issues pressing to the university. University President Dr. Linda Livingstone said that the meeting — in addition to adding new degrees — explored options for growth in academics and research.
“W...
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Democrats aim to unseat Republicans on Texas Supreme Court - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
The fate of the Texas Supreme Court is more uncertain than ever, as whispers begin of 74 year-old Chief Justice Nathan Hect potentially retiring after voters rejected a proposition to raise the mandatory retirement age for supreme court justices to 75-79 years old.
The Texas Supreme Court has a total of nine justices who deal with civil matters, with three justices running for re-election with opposition. According to Ballotpedia, all nine justices on the co...
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Humane Society and City of Waco terminate 12-year partnership - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Boxes are piled high in the Humane Society of Central Texas’ administrative office as they prepare to vacate the premises, signaling the end of a 12-year partnership with the City of Waco.
On Aug. 23, the City of Waco announced in a press release that they terminated the Animal Services Agreement, a collaborative effort between the city and the Humane Society of Central Texas (HSCTX).
Monica Sedelmeier, a public information officer in the city’s communicati...
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As Waco grows, so does its homelessness crisis - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
The hit television show “Fixer Upper” created a brand for the city of Waco as the hosts revitalized old, rundown houses. Fixer Uppers are now a hot commodity, but that housing is out of reach for Waco’s impoverished.
Jimmy Dorrell is the co-founder and president of Mission Waco, a local organization dedicated to ending homelessness. He works with organizations such as The Salvation Army and the Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition.
Despite the revenue brought...
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First-year living experience propels Baylor to top rankings - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Living and Learning Communities, resident chaplains and resident faculty are just some of the aspects of Baylor first-year living that achieved its ranking in the top 10 for learning communities in the U.S. News and World Report.
The U.S. News report specifically recognizes Baylor’s first-year and LLCs, ranking them No.7 and No. 6 in the nation.
Dr. Rob Engblom, senior associate director for resident learning, said Baylor’s faculty involvement in student ho...
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Author Series uncovers historical sexual assault case - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
In 1894, when a young Baylor student was sexually assaulted in the university president’s backyard, she was referred to as “that Brazilian girl.” Today, the name Antônia Teixeira is a symbol of resilience in the face of the institutional oppression which Baylor played a regrettable role in, according to a lecture in the Baylor Libraries Author Series.
The Baylor Libraries Author Series hosted faculty authors Dr. João Chaves, an assistant professor of religio...
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Class of ’74 reunites for golden grad homecoming - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
A sea of green and gold flooded the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center Friday afternoon, marking the Class of 1974 “Golden Grads” Homecoming reunion.
The Golden Grad reunion, hosted each year by the Baylor Alumni Office in conjunction with individual alumni committees, celebrates alumni who graduated from Baylor 50 years ago. This milestone is commemorated with a distinctive golden diploma that alumni can pick up at the event.
Alli McBrayer, alumni engageme...
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Reject war-like politics, panel of speakers urges - The Baylor Lariat

MacKenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
When the shadow of Nov. 5 looms over the hearts and minds of American citizens, there is a light at the end of the tunnel — not in the next American president, but by finally waving the white flag on the political battlefield and treating each other the way Jesus intended.
Kevin Villegas, Dean of Intercultural Engagement at Baylor introduced two speakers to an audience of Baylor students in the Alexander Reading Room, searching for the intersection of Christian...
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Class of 2028 signs their legacy in stone - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
The night before the home opener, a sea of gold flooded the grounds of McLane Stadium. The sound of 3,000 freshmen bubbling with excitement was almost deafening. Friday night, they became a part of Baylor’s history forever.
Students donned their Baylor Line jerseys to participate in the annual Sign the Line event with their fellow classmates. This Baylor tradition involves freshmen and new transfer students signing their names on the golden Baylor Line leadi...
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Leadership speaker series searches for truth amidst political strife - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Amidst political turmoil, renowned author Dr. Natasha Sistrunk Robinson encouraged Baylor students to search for truth in the excess of lies.
Baylor Student Leadership and Development hosted Robinson in the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation Tuesday night for its fall Leadership Speaker Series.
In an age of political, economic and social turmoil, Baylor’s Leadership Speaker Series tells the leaders of tomorrow there is still beauty in the wor...
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Chapel requirement is deeply ingrained in Baylor history - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Chapel has been a part of Baylor’s core curriculum since its founding in 1845 and is the oldest tradition in American higher education, according to Baylor’s official website.
Sharing a birthday with the university itself, Baylor chapel was created for students to find their faith community — a mission that has continued to this day.
Dr. Burt Burleson, university chaplain, explained that chapel was a common practice in 1845, but with much less variety than...
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Love: the antidote to political division, civil discourse panel says - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Baylor hosted a virtual civil discourse panel with several faculty members on Thursday dedicated to finding a middle ground in the divisiveness of American politics and Christianity.
In a particularly polarizing election season, the panelists urged Christians to step back from combative attitudes when it comes to politics and start listening to other perspectives.
Dr. Leslie Hahner, a professor in the communications department, was on the panel and said th...
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Food, friends, fun: Dinner with the Livingstones kicks off Homecoming - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Baylor’s dinnertime tradition shone bright under the twinkling lights of 3rd and 4th Streets on Tuesday, marking a hearty start to the 2024 Homecoming week.
Local familiar favorites like Cha Community, Pop’s Lemonade, Vitek’s BBQ and more lined the street by the Allbritton House, allowing students to choose from many different options.
The event was free for current Baylor students, and students were given a voucher for a drink and a meal to enjoy somethin...
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Missions Week brings bounce houses, free food, tabling to Fountain Mall - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Baylor’s annual Missions Week kicked off Monday, making Fountain Mall the place to be to find opportunities to serve locally or globally through Baylor Missions.
Bailey Hebert, senior program coordinator for Missions and Public Life, helped start Monday off with a bang on Fountain Mall with inflatable bounce houses, free food and tabling for local service opportunities.
“We have over 35 organizations coming to talk about the missions they do,” Hebert said....
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Student Foundation scholarship opens doors for students - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Over 60 years ago, 13 men and women were selected by Baylor to become charter members of the Baylor University Student Foundation Steering Committee. Today, their more than 100 members continue that work.
Baylor’s Student Foundation has served the university since 1969 by fundraising events and serving the greater Baylor community. The unmistakable green-and-white-striped jersey symbolizes a “passion for Baylor and legacy of service,” according to their offi...
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American politics needs ‘an act of God,’ says best-selling author - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
New York Times best-selling author and political correspondent Tim Alberta believes November’s presidential election is a turning point for American Christians.
Alberta lectured on the intersection of American politics and Christianity at the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies annual fall lecture on Wednesday evening in the Armstrong Browning Library.
“We need an act of God,” Alberta said. “The stakes are high and people are fearful.”
Alberta is...
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Sundown Sessions smash attendance record, offer a break from studying - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Baylor Union Board holds weekly Sundown Sessions to give students a break from studying and make the Bill Daniel Student Center feel like home — this week, they had a record number of attendees.
Sundown Sessions are held in the Barfield Drawing Room of the SUB every Saturday night from 8 p.m. to midnight. The weekly late-night program began in 2017, according to Phoenix, Ariz. graduate student Jonas Tilburt.
“[The] Union Board is one of three sponsored progr...
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Fleetwood Mac went their own way, remain iconic - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
There are very few bands that survive the passage of time. From The Beatles to One Direction, pressure in the music industry and fame itself proves to be too much for many to handle.
Some artists release a few hit songs and fade into irrelevance as time goes on. Others might create a brand for themselves and use that brand to build an empire that withstands the test of time and inevitable band breakups. Fleetwood Mac is one of those bands.
One of the major a...
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Late Night to introduce students to 275 on-campus organizations - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Baylor will host the annual Late Night event with hundreds of campus clubs and organizations from 9 to 11:30 p.m. Friday.
Since 2001, Baylor’s annual Late Night has provided students with new opportunities to get involved on campus. Student leaders from 275 campus organizations will be present to connect with students at several on-campus locations, including the Bill Daniel Student Center, the Student Life Center, Russel Gymnasium, Vara Martin Daniel Plaza,...
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Greek life stereotypes are unfair, mostly for women - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
“Paying for your friends” has been a phrase we hear all too well during sorority rush season. Greek life serves as an opportunity for community amongst like-minded individuals, but too often it is diminished into a shallow process, a criticism that is disproportionally targeted towards young women.
More often than not, young women bear the brunt of Greek life stereotypes and negativity. From TikTok OOTDs to YikYak opinions, it seems like women are consiste...
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Baylor made full member of Baptist World Alliance - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
After two years with associate membership, Baylor achieved full membership status in the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) in July at its annual gathering in Lagos, Nigeria.
Representing Baylor at the gathering was Dr. Todd Still, dean of Truett Seminary. According to Still, Baylor gained membership after enduring a hefty application process.
“This process is able to indicate that this is an institution [that] has coherent convictions with the Baptist World Allia...