Kirk joined The Baylor Lariat on Feb. 1, 1967 — his birthday — just one year before graduating. As The Lariat celebrates its 125th anniversary on Friday, Kirk reminisced on a radically different newsroom, a wooden — military-style structure behind Old Main, perched over Waco Creek.

McClay is the first ever solely Beyoncé-focused journalist — a highly competitive role which she obtained in November 2023. She said her job entails eating, sleeping and breathing all things Beyoncé. The role is challenging and there are always surprises, but it’s something she’s always wanted, she said.

“They feel empowered by the strength and wisdom that they have collected over the years,” Moody-Ramirez said. “Many times they feel that it would be wrong to keep this wisdom to themselves, so they feel led to either share it on social media platforms or in books. Many of them, like Grace, end up doing both.”