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Mackenzie Grizzard

Baylor University

Assistant News Editor at The Baylor Lariat

ACP 2025 Best of Show - Feature Story Runner-Up

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The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

Jeffrey Epstein visited Ken Starr on Baylor’s campus in 2012 - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Assistant News Editor
Former Baylor President Kenneth Starr invited disgraced New York financier Jeffrey Epstein to visit Baylor’s campus in July 2012, according to newly released files.
The initial visit took place on July 30, 2012, inside Pat Neff Hall and was organized by Starr’s then-assistant Jennifer Jarvis and Epstein’s assistant Lesley Groff. Epstein was picked up from the Texas State Technical College-Waco airport by two assistants — Jeff Wittekiend and Angela Gr...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

New AD Doug McNamee to leave ‘no stone unturned’ in athletics reassessment - The Baylor Lariat

Mackenzie Grizzard | Assistant News Editor
It was standing room only in the Mark and Paula Hurd Ballroom Monday evening as President Linda Livingstone officially introduced Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Doug McNamee to the Baylor-Waco community.
McNamee is a Baylor graduate who worked in the athletics office from 2012-2017, serving as the president of Magnolia for four years before joining the online publication Field and Stream in 2022. He succeeds Mack Rhoades, who...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

Newly released files show relationship between Ken Starr, Jeffrey Epstein - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Assistant News Editor
Newly released files by the House Oversight Committee detail the email relationship between former Baylor President Ken Starr and infamous New York financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The emails reflect a cordial friendship between the two, with Starr expressing his interest in visiting Epstein in New York City and Florida, discussing current events and even exchanging information about the sexual assault scandal implicating Baylor football and Starr in 2016...
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 •

Baylor students join in prayer for Charlie Kirk, unity in country - The Baylor Lariat

By Foster Nicholas | Editor-in-Chief, Mackenzie Grizzard | Assistant News Editor & Marissa Muniz | Social Media Editor
In preparation to memorialize the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, hundreds of miniature American Flags surrounded more than 150 Baylor students gathered on Fountain Mall Wednesday night. With prayer and worship, students reflected on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, who was killed earlier in the day at a Utah Valley University event.
Castle Rock, Colo., sopho...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

1980 Playboy controversy halted publishing for first time in Lariat history - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Assistant News Editor
For 125 years, The Baylor Lariat has been the constant, steady voice for Baylor students, by Baylor students. As administrations changed and the world carried on, Baylor’s student journalists published the news, wrote opinion columns, covered athletic events and analyzed the arts.
But in the spring of 1980, the lights went out in the newsroom. Students still went to class, and Fountain Mall still hummed with springtime chatter — but the newsstands...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

Trump, Tylenol and the distraction pulled over our eyes - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Assistant News Editor
In the last few months, President Donald Trump delivered medical advice to the pregnant women of America. At the same time, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lectured the American people on the inefficacy of vaccines.
Neither Trump nor Kennedy Jr. is a licensed medical professional, and neither has advanced degrees or any degree in a science-related field.
Authority does not always equal accuracy, but unfortunately, it has fo...
The Baylor Lariat - The official student news sour •

Baylor Annual Fire Safety and Security Report shows increase in burglary, stalking - The Baylor Lariat

By Mackenzie Grizzard | Assistant News Editor
The Baylor Annual Fire Safety and Security Report saw an increase in burglary, motor vehicle theft and stalking reports from 2023 to 2024, including incidents on the main Waco campus and branch campus locations.
The Clery Act requires institutions to cite reports of Clery-reportable incidents, so the numbers in the 2025 report may include more than one statistic for each reported incident.
This report is required to be published and distributed ev...
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 •

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...