COVID-19 Hamstrings UT Men’s Basketball for a Year; Then Came Turnovers

byThomas Galindo

The University of Texas mens’ basketball program has had quite the year. Their 2019-2020 season was cut short by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. A year later, after battling through the pandemic, their 2020-2021 season was ended by something much more in their control: turnovers. In March 2020, going into the Big 12 Conference tournament, they […]

Without Assistance

byConnor Zimmerlee

For millions of Americans, the most recent stimulus checks they received offered temporary financial reprieve in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic. As part of the $1.9 trillion stimulus package, eligible adults received checks for $1,400 to help with rent, groceries, bills and other essentials.

A group impacted by these stimulus checks, or missing out, have been college students across the country. That is true for Haley Capps, a senior at The University of Texas at Austin, was ineligible for all three stimulus checks.

Doctors Provide Support for Pandemic-Related Mental Health Issues

byBrynne Herzfeld

AUSTIN, Texas — Health concerns across the state are improving with the distribution of vaccines, but the mental health effects of pandemic-related isolation can’t be treated with a shot. Isolation affects many people and in different ways. UT neuroscience student Sarah Stofel said she was more organized and motivated before the pandemic. Isolation has changed […]

NCAA Tourney Amenities Prompt Call for Greater Equity in Women’s Sports

byClark Dalton

AUSTIN, Texas — All 63 games of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament were played in Texas for the first time, including a few games in Austin, but amenities for the athletes at some venues drew national attention. Photos of a weight room with a single set of dumbbells displayed just one of several inequalities between […]

Home Buyers and Builders Face Pandemic-Related Construction Shortages

byKenny Jones

AUSTIN, Texas — Builders finished more new homes in Travis County in 2020 than any year prior despite facing challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Home Builders Association of Greater Austin said contractors completed a record-breaking 21,500 homes, even though there were decreases in the supply of building materials and labor. Many material and […]

Blood Donation Centers Respond to Multiple Challenges

byMaggy Wolanske

AUSTIN, Texas — Blood donation sites were among many businesses affected by COVID-19 closures and are now implementing new strategies to encourage needed donations.  Nick Canedo, Vice President of Community Engagement for the Austin-based We Are Blood, said the shift to remote learning and working decreased the number of individuals donating. “It’s been a challenge, pretty […]

Central Texas Food Bank A Godsend for Residents During Pandemic

byJillian Price

Food banks around Texas are seeing skyrocketing demand.

A year into COVID-19, UT’s non-white, low income students feel left behind

byAlyssa Weinstein and Alyssa Quiles

Yliana Roland, an 18-year-old student University of Texas at Austin student, was raised in Houston in a low-income community of color in which mental health was a taboo topic often swept under the rug. It wasn’t until she first arrived on campus during the pandemic this year that she was formally exposed to mental health […]

Cricket’s Popularity Reflects Central Texas’ Changing Demographic

bySumaiya Malik

Cricket, a team sport using a bat and hard ball, is thriving in Central Texas. Immigration from countries where cricket is popular, such as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa, has fueled the rise of the sport. 

Six Square Aims to Provide Brighter Future For Austin’s Black Residents

byMadelyn Gee

Austin’s Black population is dwindling, and formerly Black neighborhoods are gentrifying rapidly. Some residents worry about losing connection to African-American history and culture. The organization Six Square aims to protect that connection. 

Reporting Texas TV – April 1, 2021

byReporting Texas TV Staff

Journalism students from Moody College at the University of Texas made their first newscast of the semester on April 1, 2021. This week student journalists report on University Health Services efforts to vaccinate students, reaction to The Eyes of Texas History Committee’s report, how small businesses are faring one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and […]

Austin Small Business Revenue Has Long Term Impacts After Pandemic, Study Shows

byAshley Miznazi

AUSTIN, Texas — Researchers at the Cockrell School of Engineering hope to shed light on the impacts the pandemic had on Austin’s lifestyle and economy after a year. Their findings showed small businesses were hit hard. There are 40% fewer businesses open than pre pandemic days. For small businesses able to stay open, revenue dropped […]

Hays County’s Indigenous Community Continues Struggle for Recognition

byBrooke Nevins

Hays County Commissioners Court raised the ire of critics by failing to reappoint members of its historical commission during a meeting earlier this year, a move that effectively dissolved a committee that represented the interests of Tejano and Indigenous groups.  The criticism came from citizens after the court did not reappoint members of the Hays […]

Advocates: Austin Must Shift to Financially Responsible, Long-Term Approach to Homelessness

byCaitlin Davis

At the corner of Goodness Way and Peaceful Path sits a garden, park and dozens of chickens within a permanent housing community for those experiencing chronic homelessness. The hills are covered in colorful tiny homes with decorative flags and lights hanging from welcoming entryways. Formerly homeless men and women gather around a singer playing the […]

Austin Braces for 2021 Legislative Outcomes

byAngelo Gaunichaux

As the 87th Texas Legislature approaches mid-session, Governor Greg Abbott’s battle with Austin City Council over police funding is reaching a boiling point as a number of bills take aim at local governments’ control over police funding.  Last August, Austin City Council members unanimously passed the city’s 2021 budget, cutting one-third of the Austin Police […]

A League Together

byConnor Zimmerlee and Haley Riley

For the past year, soccer for many has been a perpetual COVID-19 red card, a harsh penalty suspending play for players for only trying to do the right thing during a pandemic. On March 15 of last year, the city of Austin implemented a lockdown that prohibited gatherings of more than 250 people. For the […]

“La Copita” Ushers in New Rivalry Between Austin and San Antonio

byAndrés Garcia

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas soccer fans are gearing up for the inaugural matchup between Austin FC and San Antonio FC. The game will take place April 1 as part of “La Copita,” a preseason tournament consisting of several Division 1 and 2 professional soccer clubs from all over Texas. San Antonio FC, formerly the San […]

UHS Encourages Students to Sign Up for Vaccine as Texas Opens Qualifications

byLibby Cohen

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Department of State Health Services announced that anyone over the age of 16 is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine starting this week. The new qualifications greatly expand who can receive a vaccine in Austin through the University of Texas at Austin, as campus serves as a vaccine hub for […]

UT Professor Releases Independent Report Countering the Eyes of Texas History Committee

byDominique LaVigne

AUSTIN, Texas — The Eyes of Texas History Committee released its report about the university alma mater on March 9, but some found it less than satisfactory.  Professor Alberto Martinez spent 15 days researching the song’s history to write an independent report on The Eyes of Texas after the official committee concluded the song was not […]

How the UT Campus Cats Survived the Winter Storm

byAshley Miznazi

AUSTIN, Texas – The daily ringing of the University of Texas tower bells at 6 p.m. prompts a big black and white cat to inch his way out of the bushes for dinner. Domino has called UT home for more than ten years.  “He is a lot of people’s surrogate pet. I think he is […]