Reporting Texas TV – October 24, 2024

Journalism students at the University of Texas produced their first newscast of the Fall 2024 semester on Oct. 24.

Early Voting in Texas Officially Kicks Off 2024 Election

byEvelyn Martinez

Election season has arrived in Austin, with a record-setting number of residents casting their ballot.  On Oct. 22, over 46,000 people voted in Travis County, surpassing the reported first-day early voting turnout of the last three presidential elections.  The LBJ Library and University Union offer two polling locations on the east and west side of […]

A Local Haunted House uses Scares to Beat Breast Cancer

byItza Martinez

MANOR, Texas  –Screams of terror echo outside SCARE for a CURE’s haunted adventure northeast of Austin that sits on the same property of Ghost Town Manor.  This is one of the city’s most interactive adventures and is in the middle of their Halloween season ‘Nightmares of a Legend,’ which runs until Saturday, Oct. 26. “We […]

Students Turn to Gaming for Relief from Midterm Stress

byKevin Myers

As students trudge through projects and exams at the height of midterms season, The Latinx Pop Lab hosted Video Game Day for students to take a break from their studies. The Latinx Pop Lab , located on the fifth floor of Patton Hall, was organized by Professor Frederick Luis Aldama, known to his students as […]

Disability Rights Groups Celebrate Ruling That Improves Accessibility for Voters — for Now 

byMadeline de Figueiredo 

Voters with disabilities could get expanded access to the ballot this election season after a federal judge struck down Texas laws limiting voter assistance.
The Oct. 11 ruling has yielded cautious celebration from activist and advocacy communities on the eve of early voting, which begins Monday. But the state might appeal the decision in time to thwart voter assistance efforts. 
“The ruling protects the rights of Texas voters with disabilities to get the assistance they need without fear of prosecution,” said Bob Kafka, the state coordinator for REV UP Texas, one of the groups that challenged the law.

Student Government Passes Proposal to Expand Big Ticket Section at DKR

byKevin Myers

AUSTIN, Texas — Negotiations to expand the Big Ticket section at Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium began after Student Government at the University of Texas passed a bill calling for an expansion of the Big Ticket section on October 1.  The student government bill came against the backdrop of the Longhorns’ first season in the […]

UT Austin Students Reflect on One-Year Anniversary of the Israel-Hamas War

byItza Martinez

AUSTIN, Texas –  Israeli flags rippled against the barricades as students gathered in line outside the Hogg Memorial Auditorium to honor the civilian lives lost in Israel on October 7.  The Longhorn Students for Israel alongside Texas Hillel, Texas Chabad, Texas Olami, and other Jewish organizations hosted the “Together We Stand” memorial ceremony on the […]

Small Businesses see Large Impacts with ACL

byEmily Trevino

The annual Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) is in full stride. Bringing music, food, and lots of vendors to the tens of thousands of people flowing through Zilker park. The 2-weekend pronounced festival is known widely on a worldwide stage, yet many small businesses and vendors right in the heart of Texas are the […]

Student Organization’s Rallying Generation Z to Participate in Upcoming Election

byAbby Chapman

AUSTIN, Texas – Yellow papers lined select tables on speedway as the University Democrats and Hook the Vote Agency tabled throughout the voter registration period marking Oct. 7 as the last day.  Students of the University of Texas registered to vote to participate in the 2024 Presidential election. Hook the Vote Agency, a nonpartisan group […]

Big Ticket Troubles 

byTate Chapman

AUSTIN, TX – Trouble with the Big Ticket has taken students at the University of Texas by surprise this semester.  Many Students have been unable to claim tickets for the football games, something many have never experienced in prior seasons. While the Big Ticket does not guarantee access to all games some students said it […]

Lost in Transition: Rainey Street and a Failure of Historic Preservation

byJenna Wilson

Anita Quintanilla sobbed as her sister drove her back to the airport in 1984. The memories of childhood and adolescence on Rainey Street — the visits to the air-conditioned bookmobile in the dead of summer, and blissful moments running around the spacious yard, raking pyramids of crunchy fallen leaves and climbing cottonwood trees — would […]

UT Students Say They Feel Betrayed After a Year of Dismantling DEI Programs

byAbby L. Johnson, Michelle Lavergne, Michael Nolan, Isabella McGovern, Anissa Sanchez

Texas is among the first states to successfully pass higher education DEI bans out of the 28 that have attempted to do so. The effects of the loss of these programs on individual students, staff and faculty, as well as the broader impact on campus culture are just now beginning to reveal themselves. 
UT dissolved its Multicultural Engagement Center on Jan. 1 and then terminated over 60 employees in DEI-related jobs on April 2. The newly renamed Division of Campus and Community Engagement and the Women’s Community Center were among those shut down.
“It’s such a betrayal,” said one student.

Petition Effort Poses Test for New Law, Progressive District Attorneys

byMichael Nolan

One of the first uses of a new Texas law aimed at removing “rogue” district attorneys could curtail the discretion of prosecutors in major cities, political and legal analysts say. Travis County District Attorney José Garza, a Democrat who recently won a primary in his re-election bid as the county’s top prosecutor, will soon find […]

From Page to Screen: UT Students Analyze The Process of Book Adaptations

byAriah Rivera-Clemente

The “Between the Lines” podcast dives into books making it to the big screen, delving into the most popular adaptations and unraveling the art of translating literary treasure into a cinematic experience. In this episode “From Page to Screen” host Janelle Tanguma and reporter Ariah Rivera-Clemente, senior journalism majors at the University of Texas at […]

San Antonio Reporter Dismisses Trae Young Trade Rumors

byRiley Glenn

As the San Antonio Spurs enter the final quarter of their season, attention is increasingly turning towars the offseason. Sitting on a mountain of assets, speculation continues to grow on how the Spurs plans to build around budding superstar rookie Victor Wembenyama. Rumors of a potential trade involving the Spurs and Hawks star guard, Trae […]

The Science of Sprinkles

byTiani Nelson

Undergrad can be a glorious four years of self-discovery and practice toward your dream career, but for some, it’s the reassurance they need to leave what they’d thought they always wanted.This is exactly what happened to Alex Posner, who graduated from the University of Texas in 2022 after following the pre-med track with a Human […]

Buehler’s Back in School Where an ‘Old Dog’ is Learning New Tricks

byAliya Carr

The hum of students shuffling across campus. Virtual strangers morphing into familiar faces. It’s the first day of the new semester at the University of Texas. Bob Buehler begins his walk to his first class, dressed in slightly wrinkled gray khakis and a purple plaid collared shirt. His round glasses sit squarely on the bridge […]

Waterloo Records Celebrates Record Store Day as Future Remains Open Question

byAnissa Sanchez

As other record stores closed amid the transition to digital streaming, Waterloo Records has survived and sometimes thrived. Waterloo was originally housed on South Lamar Boulevard where a veterinary hospital now stands. It moved to its present location on North Lamar 35 years ago. With rents skyrocketing in Austin, Waterloo’s future remains an open question.

Teacher Shortages Prompt Texas Schools to Recruit Worldwide

byMichelle Lavergne

To address a teacher shortage, more Texas school districts are turning to the Visiting Teachers Program, which recruits certified educators from other countries. Through that initiative, international educators who are actively enrolled in a J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program approved by the Texas Education Agency may receive a temporary visiting international teacher certificate.

Navigating Legal Frontiers: Rural Texas Struggles With Too Few Lawyers

byMichael Nolan

In 2021, over 65 counties in Texas had no local lawyer accept an appointment to defend an adult client according to a report from the Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
“There are some rural counties in Texas, with literally no attorneys registered with a business address,” said Andrew Davies, the director of research at the Deason Center.