The Daily Texan Forum is a space for members of the UT-Austin community to voice their opinions and have them heard. We publish op-eds submitted to us by non-Daily Texan staff members with the goal of fostering conversations and productive public discourse on topics important to the people on campus. 

This fall semester saw many significant events — some popular, some controversial — that affected people all across our University, ranging from winning the Texas-OU rivalry game, to the 2018 midterm elections and even to the SAC and Texas Union’s initiative to start offering free menstrual products in women’s restrooms. We hope that we continue to see and encourage positive change this year.

The start of this new school semester follows the opening of the 86th session of the Texas Legislature. For the firstForum page of the year, we’re publishing two op-eds focusing on issues relevant to political efforts made by both the immediate UT-Austin community and beyond. 

Andrew Herrera, a government junior and president of University Democrats, criticizes the lack of University support for issues central to the student population, while encouraging students to keep working to advance the issues they care about. 

Social work senior Leslie Tufino urges Texas lawmakers to uphold the Texas DREAM Act and prevent undocumented students from being barred from receiving in-state tuition, saying that it is both a moral obligation and in the state’s economic interest to protect the act. 

Forum is an integral part of the Daily Texan Opinion department and connects students, professors and staff to the greater community. As always, if you have thoughts on this topic or any others, please reach out to us at [email protected].