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Mackenzie Grizzard

Baylor University Class of 2026 

Journalism and Public Relations

Assistant News Editor for The Baylor Lariat

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The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

Camp Mystic counselors return to Baylor, reflect on flooding tragedy - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Assistant News Editor
When Camp Mystic staff members found themselves trapped on the roof of “Cozy Cabin,” they weren’t listening to the roaring flood quickly inching upward or the thundering storm above — they listened to the faint singing of worship songs from the recreation hall and the whispered prayers of friends beside them.
These whispered prayers are what kept Vicksburg, Miss., sophomore Nancy Clement and her fellow counselors from giving up completely.
“We had n...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

Livingstone addresses future of DEI at Baylor - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
President Linda Livingstone met with state legislators on Monday in Austin to evaluate the future of diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Baylor after a wave of state-wide bans swept the state of Texas in recent weeks.
“You will see us continue to lean into supporting students and faculty from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences,” Livingstone said.
State legislators passed Senate Bill 17 last spring, a law prohibiting DEI offices and initiativ...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

Board of Regents approves tuition increase, scholarship initiative, 2 academic degrees - The Baylor Lariat

By MacKenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
At their regular February meeting, the Baylor Board of Regents took major steps towards its five-year strategic plan, including approving a tuition increase for the 2025-26 school year, a new scholarship initiative and the addition of two new academic degrees.
“The regents took several steps to ensure we’re laying a foundation for the aggressive implementation of our new strategic plan, Baylor in Deeds,” President Linda Livingstone said.
One of these steps...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

VP of student life reflects on tenure at Baylor ahead of retirement - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Dr. Kevin Jackson, Baylor’s vice president of student life, announced his retirement from Baylor last week, after 16 years with the university.
“To be able to finish my career at a school where we can truly work with our student’s mind, body and soul has just been amazing,” Jackson said.
Prior to his time at Baylor, Jackson served in a similar student life-related position at Texas A&M University for almost 20 years. However, his time as an Aggie does not...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

Baylor history professor named Big 12 Faculty Member of the Year - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
While 2024 wasn’t a Big 12 Championship year for many Baylor sports, it was a winning year for the faculty, as Dr. Stephen Sloan, professor of history and the director of the Institute for Oral History at Baylor, took home the first-ever Big 12 Faculty of the Year award.
In November, The Big 12 Conference announced the nominees to highlight one exceptional faculty member from each of the 16 universities belonging to the conference.
These faculty members wer...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

Baylor business school named among top 100 for future leaders - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
Baylor joins several prestigious institutions like Harvard, Yale and Stanford Universities on TIME Magazine’s list of the 100 Best Colleges for Future Leaders 2025, marking a strong start to the new year.
Partnering with Statistica, TIME ranks Baylor at No. 61 in the nation and No. 3 in Texas for producing excellent future leaders across disciplines. Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business was specifically highlighted in this ranking for demonstrating the unive...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

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...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

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...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

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...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

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...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

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...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

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...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

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...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

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...