Author: Mackenzie Grizzard

In the early morning hours Sunday, the Waco Police Department responded to a report of gunshots fired in the parking lot of The Grove at Waco, an apartment complex on University Parks Drive.

The No. 15-ranked Baylor Bears declawed the Arizona Wildcats in Saturday’s Senior Night matchup, 74-60, after a slow first-quarter start turned into an explosive performance from the 3-point line.

Nearly 75 years ago, Baylor’s All-University Sing had little the pomp and circumstance it does today. On a rainy spring night in April 1953, a meager 13 souls gathered into Waco Hall to watch just eight groups perform after the weather had relocated them from their original location at the SUB Bowl.

“It was great having Jeffrey here. He’s a prince. Next time, he is warmly welcome and encouraged to ‘break bread’ with me at the Allbritton House,” former Baylor President Kenneth Starr wrote in an email to disgraced New York financier Jeffrey Epstein. “His menu, my pleasure.”

For some, sharing living spaces with siblings and family was the norm. Yelling at a sibling to stop hogging the bathroom, touching your clothes or stealing your personal items is a part of life for some, but for many, living in a communal space is a foreign concept that is difficult to adjust to.

It’s an all too familiar time of year. As campus Christmas lights twinkle in the cold night, the bright fluorescents of Moody Memorial Library seem to echo a similar feeling of exhaustion and futility felt by its crowds of caffeine-filled students.

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.

Newly released files by the House Oversight Committee detail the email relationship between former Baylor President Kenneth Starr and the infamous New York financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

When you hear a statistic as startling as the rise in autism rates, your mind immediately searches for a reason. And like a knight in shining armor, Trump rolls out the red carpet of rhetoric, parading right over the big picture.

The Baylor Lariat, the voice for the student body for the past 80 years, was silent. An empty newsroom was echoed only by the fateful last stand of the Feb. 22, 1980, editorial. 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 remained empty.

Half a century ago, Baylor Homecoming celebrations included barricade kissing, snake dancing and “Hawny Frog” skits, trading elaborate floats for simple wagons and buggies. Today, much like 1909, the bonfire still burns bright, a pep rally flings green and gold afar, the parade bridges downtown Waco and campus and, of course, the football game is a staple. Decades of Baylor Homecoming shine brightly in their similarities, with some crown jewels fading into the archives.

With circus-level catches and YACs to the max, Trigg might be one of the best and most unique tight ends in the nation.

According to the report, campus burglaries increased by 18 reports, and on-campus stalking increased by 25 reports since last year. This sharp increase is contrasted with other categories like rape and aggravated assault, whose numbers have remained relatively the same year by year.

Baylor announced Thursday that Dr. Jon Singletary, dean of the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, will step down effective October 15. According to Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Singletary plans to return to the faculty to “focus on interdisciplinary research.”

“Buckingham Nicks” is a beautiful reminder of what we both gained and lost when the pair joined Fleetwood Mac, and how some great sounds will never truly die.

In its 173 years of history, Baylor appointed Dr. Linda Livingstone as the first female president of the university in 2017. At the time, Livingstone didn’t want her gender to matter as much as her qualifications. But she found that as a woman, leading the university out of an infamous scandal meant more to her community than she’d realized.

The Baylor community worshipped hand in hand on Fountain Mall, honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot at Utah Valley University Wednesday afternoon.

“We wanted to glorify God through this app and show people that you can have no experience and still be able to create something like this,” Koo said.

“It’s definitely an ‘it-takes-a-village’ mentality in pulling off these scholarships,” Beaudry said. “We really couldn’t do what we do without our many campus partners, individuals and organizations who support our work and make sure the right students find the right door to our office.”

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.

After years of deliberation, a donor fund materialized this semester and within two months, it was official — Welcome Week leaders would be compensated for $10 an hour.

Released at the end of March, the book is a major contribution to gospel music scholarship, based on over 150 interviews with Crouch’s collaborators, friends and family members. The project blends musical analysis with personal stories, tracing how Crouch’s groundbreaking songs, like “Through It All,” “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power” and “Soon and Very Soon,” became foundational in modern worship across denominations.

In the age of iPhones, MacBooks and Teslas, battery-powered devices aren’t just the future — they are our lives. But with great technological power comes scientific responsibility, and one Baylor professor is dedicated to keeping people and their devices as safe as possible.

Today, Vertical Ministries is a 1940s revival, a living room worship movement and a campus-wide ministry. With a history as rich as its mission, Vertical holds a special place in the hearts of Baylor students, echoing roots planted by generations before.

“You’ll often hear in the military that you are an officer first and a physical therapist second,” Condon said. “So we are looking for people who are comfortable and interested in leading and have a sincere desire to serve those who serve.”

“Brain-rot” is Oxford University Press’s term of the year, with the use of the term increasing by 230%. With this dramatic uptick, researchers start to wonder if our brains are actually “rotting” — and if it really is because of “those dang phones.”

Four undergraduate STEM researchers have earned the Goldwater Scholarship, which recognizes outstanding undergraduates interested in pursuing STEM research.

The only “green” our economy cares about is the dollar, and one day, we are going to wish we cared about the green on the trees a little more. So when the oil rigs run dry and our oceans are filled to the brim with waste, it won’t just be because of plastic straws — it will be because of us and our gluttony.

“The real beauty of anthropology is an understanding of cultural diversity across time and space,” Hoggarth said. “One of the things I love about being an archaeologist is the ability to write history for those who didn’t write down all the aspects of the past.”

Campaign season for Baylor’s next student body president kicked off Wednesday, with three experienced juniors vying for the title. These three candidates have each had extensive experience in different areas of student government, making for a close presidential race.