Reporting Texas TV – Nov 14, 2024

Journalism students at the University of Texas at Austin produced their third newscast of the Fall 2024 semester on Nov 7.

Safe Alliance Rallies Austin Community to End Abuse

byMahlah K. Freeman

At a packed luncheon filled with advocates, survivors and supporters, the Safe Alliance rallied the community of Austin in the fight to end all forms of abuse. Heartfelt stories and inspiring speeches filled the room as guests united over a shared meal to support the mission of ending violence and empowering those affected..  “Safe works […]

UT Austin Initiative Transforms Parking Tickets Into Home-Cooked Meals

byItza Martinez

The Food for Fines program, enacted in 2018, at The University of Texas at Austin, has been a biannual tradition where students with eligible parking tickets can dismiss them through donating nonperishable food items that go on UT Outpost’s shelves.  The UT Outpost is a free on-campus food pantry that serves enrolled students experiencing food […]

Students Face New Challenges Finding Transportation Home for the Holidays

byKevin Myers

Complaints against intercity bus services have mounted during the fall semester as the number of bus lines have dwindled. The bus troubles represented a new challenge for students at University of Texas at Austin as they made plans for the upcoming Thanksgiving break. Popular bus line Megabus ceased its operations across Texas in August amid […]

Texas Goalkeeper’s Work for Others Nets SEC Community Service Honor

byLuke Lawhorn

Like the rest of the University of Texas student-athletes, Megan Hogate received a bunch of Nike athletic gear when she stepped on campus in fall 2021. After watching the shoe boxes pile up in her closet, she decided to do something with them. She would recycle them into Valentine’s Day boxes with heart-filled messages for children at the Dell Children’s Medical Center.
Hogate’s Valentine initiative was just one of many volunteer and community outreach efforts she’s undertaken, earning her recent recognition by the Southeastern Conference to its annual women’s soccer Community Service Team — the first time Texas, a new SEC member, has placed an athlete on the team. She is one of 16 student-athletes chosen for the honor highlighting “an athlete from each school who gives back to their community in superior service efforts.”

Gen Z Voters at UT Election Party Say They’re Concerned About Economy, Immigration, Gaza

byJasmine Wright

    As the election results came in Tuesday night, University of Texas students swapped stories at a West Campus bar of finding polling locations, of voting for the first time and of the decisions that drove their choice for president. “Voting for president is a big decision,” Mauro, a UT economics senior said during […]

Reporting Texas TV – Nov 7, 2024

Journalism students at the University of Texas at Austin produced their third newscast of the Fall 2024 semester on Nov 7.

How Young Voters Impacted the 2024 Election

byLogan Dubel

Questions about what propelled President-elect Donald Trump and other Republicans to victory on Election Night are likely to be discussed for months. Early data suggests that young voters, particularly men, fueled Trump’s return to the White House. According to The Wall Street Journal, voters ages 18-29 made up 16% of the national electorate. While Vice […]

Divided Austin Council Expands Wheatsville’s Alcohol Sales Waiver on South Lamar

byRebecca Butler

A sharply divided Austin City Council on Thursday approved Wheatsville Food Co-op’s request to sell alcohol for on-site consumption despite its proximity to Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders.
Wheatsville, a community-owned natural foods retailer with two Austin stores, petitioned the council in August to waive the city’s ban on selling alcohol within 300 feet of a school, church or hospital for its store on South Lamar Boulevard. Over the objection of the Austin school board, the City Council approved Wheatsville’s waiver 6-5.

Student Safety Promoted During Halloweekend

byAbby Chapman

As students walked around West Campus in their Halloween costumes on Oct. 31, student safety was the priority for organizations like SafeHorns and University of Texas Transportation. The streets of West Campus were lively on the spookiest night of the year.  SafeHorns, a student safety organization, founded by parents in 2016 after the murder of […]

‘Sadly Disheartened’: Democratic-Supporting UT Students Express Fear, Anger After Election

byMeredith McKelvey, Sarah Gonzales and Madeline de Figueiredo

The day after Republican candidates swept the 2024 U.S. and Texas elections, many University of Texas students expressed excitement, anger, disappointment and fear for the state’s and country’s future.
“We are definitely feeling a lot of disappointment,” said Brian Peña, president of the University Democrats. “We worked very hard for the whole year and are reeling from the national and statewide results.”

Advocates Race to Inform Immigrants, Hospitals as Abbott Demands Citizenship Reports

byMadeline de Figueiredo

In the leadup to the Nov. 1 implementation of Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order requiring Texas public hospitals to report on health care for undocumented immigrants, advocacy groups raced to inform affected communities and providers about the policy’s implications and limitations.

Reporting Texas TV – October 31, 2024

Journalism students at the University of Texas produced their first newscast of the Fall 2024 semester on Oct.31.

At Election Watch Party, Austin’s LGBTQIA+ Community Vows to Remain Steadfast in a Second Trump Presidency

byMeredith McKelvey

As former President Donald Trump surged ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris in presidential returns Tuesday night, LGBTQIA+ community organizers and activists struck a defiant tone during an election watch party at an Austin gay bar. “No matter who the president is, things are going to be hard for progressive folks in Texas,” said Becky […]

Watson Tops Austin Mayor’s Race, Vows to ‘Chart a New Course’ in Third Term

bySarah Gonzales and Shunya Carroll

Kirk Watson says he’s ready to finish what he started after unofficially winning a third term as Austin’s mayor Tuesday night.

Photos: Voting on the Forty Acres

University of Texas students turned out in strong numbers at campus polling locations Tuesday for national, state and local elections.
Click for slideshow.

What Does It Take to Be a Store on The Drag?

Strolling down Guadalupe St. in Austin, Texas, an array of shops and stores line the street.   Known as the “The Drag,” it’s located across from The University of Texas at Austin’s campus, hosting restaurants, coffee shops and clothing stores within walking distance for the 55,000 plus residents nearby. Its placement in between West Campus, home […]

The UT Tower is Getting a Facelift

byTate Chapman

The iconic Tower at the University of Texas will begin undergoing restoration to its original 1937 glory.  The Tower will not only receive an exterior restoration but also future interior renovations. Starting in the summer of 2027, the Tower, a common backdrop for senior pictures, will be obstructed by scaffolding and a decorative covering. Project […]

Student Activists Stopped from Delivering Pro-Palestine Letter to UT President, Say They Could Face Disciplinary Action

byMichael Karlis and Meredith McKelvey

More students at the University of Texas say they face disciplinary action after attempting to deliver a letter to President Jay Hartzell demanding the university divest from companies connected to Israel’s war in Gaza.

Sole Mates: How Running Clubs Are Stepping Up When Dating Apps Stumble

byLuke Lawhorn

Sarah Spitler was ready to give up on dating apps after feeling nothing special was coming from her matches.  “I just felt they weren’t working for me,” she said.
Then as the COVID-19 pandemic eased and people resumed social interaction, Spitler found the Austin Beer Runners group, where she met Matt Russo, a computer engineer.  Their running club meeting led to three years of dating and now plans for a wedding in March.
They join a growing number of people finding social connection in running clubs. According to a research article from the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, couples who work out together can improve their relationship.