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Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

All content by Gracie Awalt
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UT students can build their own rocket ship through newly-launched program

Gracie Awalt December 10, 2018

Shooting for the stars just got a little bit easier for UT students hoping to build a rocket that could reach space.  This semester, UT is partnering with Firefly Academy, a nonprofit run...

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PCL offers resources for students studying for finals

Gracie Awalt December 7, 2018

Walking around the top floor of the Perry–Castañeda Library early in the morning, Travis Willmann sees a pair of feet sticking out from underneath a table and students sleeping in awkward...

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The University and some students call Young Conservatives of Texas ‘provocative.’ Members disagree.

Gracie Awalt December 5, 2018

On Oct. 3, chants of “we believe survivors” could be heard echoing across campus as more than 50 people protested the Young Conservatives of Texas demonstration in support of the confirmation...

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TX Sprouts program keeps Austin beautiful

Gracie Awalt November 29, 2018

Some urban children have never seen a seed transform into a plant or experienced the taste of fresh fruit straight from a garden. However, with the help of around 300 undergraduate students in the TX Sprouts...

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Littlefield Fountain functions under rules, regulations

Gracie Awalt November 26, 2018

Since March 1933, an estimated 64,000 gallons of city water have been running continuously through the Littlefield Fountain in front of the UT Tower.  The Littlefield Fountain has several...

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Additional cell service available at football game in case of emergency

Gracie Awalt November 16, 2018

If an emergency happens unexpectedly at the football game against Iowa State this Saturday, first responders will have access to an exclusive broadband network that will help them address the situation...

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Hillary Clinton accepts award from LBJ School honoring public service

Gracie Awalt November 14, 2018

The Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium was at full capacity as students and faculty watched Hillary Clinton accept the first-ever In the Arena award from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. The LBJ School honored...

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Campus trees trimmed for maintenance

Gracie Awalt November 8, 2018

Thousands of students have relaxed underneath the ancient branches of the live oak trees on Main Mall or walked amongst the fallen leaves on sidewalks around campus. The UT Landscape Services Team is responsible...

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Republican incumbent Greg Abbott wins gubernatorial race for second term

Savana Dunning and Gracie Awalt November 7, 2018

Incumbent Republican Greg Abbott won the election for governor for his second term by 14 points Tuesday night, defeating Democratic candidate Lupe Valdez. Abbott thanked Texans for electing him for...

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Prepare to vote: General election ballot explained

Gracie Awalt November 6, 2018

Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for — Election Day. If you haven’t voted, today is the last day to do your civic duty, and there may be some positions on the general election...

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Drone created by UT-Austin student aids campus water conservation

Gracie Awalt October 30, 2018

If students see a drone flying through the sky around the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, it means UT is looking for ways to improve water conservation on campus.   Electrical engineering...

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UT Chapter of Turning Point USA hosts debate with organization founder

Laura Morales and Gracie Awalt October 25, 2018

A crowd of about 40 students surrounded by officers from the UT Police Department gathered on the West Mall on Wednesday to debate Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA founder and executive director. Turning...

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Increased funding extends free tutoring at Sanger Learning Center

Gracie Awalt October 22, 2018

Last spring, the Sanger Learning Center (SLC) removed fees for one-on-one tutoring. Now students can expect the free service to continue due to increased funding.            ...

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Bats begin winter migration, Animal Make Safe available to save bats

Gracie Awalt October 18, 2018

With spooky season in full swing, students should look out for bats stuck in campus buildings or injured on the sidewalk. Every year in October and November, the largest urban bat population in...

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10,000 butterflies donated to UT Biodiversity Center Entomology Collection

Gracie Awalt October 17, 2018

A collection of butterflies gathered over the lifetime of a UT alumnus has found a final home at the UT Biodiversity Center Entomology Collection, adding 10,000 colorful insects from 50 countries around...

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Bevo’s horns grow 16 inches in two years

Gracie Awalt October 11, 2018

As the football team continues to increase their number of big wins this season, Bevo XV’s horns have been gaining big inches as well.  Bevo XV’s horns have grown more than one foot...

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Girasol program launched to support immigrants seeking asylum

Gracie Awalt October 8, 2018

Women and children awaiting the outcome of their immigration status are not allowed to hug each other at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, Texas. Often, these women and children stay for months...

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Street teams work downtown to inform community of scooter safety

Gracie Awalt October 5, 2018

Austin Lime scooter users have taken nearly 600,000 rides since the company launched 14 months ago, according to a press release from Lime in late September. With dockless scooters rising in popularity,...

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Schwertner lawyers say UT violated state, federal laws

Gracie Awalt October 4, 2018

State Sen. Charles Schwertner’s lawyers released a statement Wednesday saying the information provided to the press by three UT officials about a current sexual harassment investigation violates...

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UT marine science institute opens first lab after Harvey

Gracie Awalt October 3, 2018

After Hurricane Harvey hit last August, the UT Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas experienced around $45 million in damages. All buildings on campus were affected, with 68 experiencing partial damage...

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Texans discuss the midterms with national politicians at Texas Tribune Festival

Gracie Awalt September 29, 2018

After being asked about the upcoming midterm election, Democratic Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke said Texans are more optimistic than ever to vote in November. “The people of Texas are coming...

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Texas women leaders address gender in politics at Texas Tribune Festival

Gracie Awalt September 28, 2018

Only two women sit on the nine-member Texas Supreme Court, only three of the 10 major universities in Texas are led by women and women only hold a fifth of the seats in the Texas Legislature, according...

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$20 million gifts rename UT-Austin, Texas A&M mechanical engineering departments

Gracie Awalt September 28, 2018

Aggies and Longhorns have been rivals for decades, but now the universities have something in common. Both the Cockrell School of Engineering and Texas A&M College of Engineering share the same name...

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UT in New York program brings Texans to NYC

Gracie Awalt September 27, 2018

The city that never sleeps will become a new home for selected students in the Moody College of Communication, McCombs School of Business and College of Fine Arts through the new UT in New York program.  UT...

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UT drug trend study finds meth as top threat to Texas

Gracie Awalt September 27, 2018

While the opioid crisis has been heavily discussed by the press and politicians alike, a new report issued by a UT professor shows methamphetamine use was a factor in more drug overdoses in Texas than...

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Texas state Sen. Charles Schwertner accused of sending sexually explicit texts to UT-Austin student

Gracie Awalt September 25, 2018

Update (Sept. 26): Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, upon hearing of the allegations against Schwertner, said in a statement that he is "deeply concerned" and had "no advance knowledge" of the...

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School of Undergraduate Studies looks for own space on campus

Gracie Awalt September 20, 2018

Although there are 1,187 students enrolled in the School of Undergraduate Studies, students within UGS do not have a centralized place on campus to call their own, unlike students in most colleges.  Dean...

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New MyUT app to be released this fall

Gracie Awalt September 18, 2018

A new student-oriented app will be released this fall to replace the features removed in the most recent update of the University of Texas at Austin app, labeled TexasLonghorns on mobile devices. The TexasLonghorns...

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Jester Wendy’s adopts long-held nickname, “Jendy’s”

Gracie Awalt September 17, 2018

It is not just a nickname anymore. The Wendy’s located inside of Jester Center was officially renamed to “Jendy’s” Friday. Chris Corley, executive creative director for...

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$20 million donation renames Liberal Arts Building to Patton Hall

Gracie Awalt September 17, 2018

The building formerly known as the Liberal Arts Building, located next to the Student Activity Center, was renamed to Patton Hall during the summer. However, the renaming ceremony took place Friday with...

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Jester Wendy’s adopts long-held nickname, “Jendy’s”

Gracie Awalt September 14, 2018

It’s not just a nickname anymore. The Wendy’s located inside of Jester Hall has been officially renamed to “Jendy’s.” Chris Corley, an executive creative director for VML,...

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UT-Austin President Greg Fenves announces increased financial aid at State of University address

Gracie Awalt September 14, 2018

UT President Gregory Fenves announced at the State of the University Address on Thursday that all eligible undergraduates will have access to guaranteed financial aid through Texas Advance Commitment funding. Introduced...

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Clearing the confusion: Dispelling misconceptions about STIs

Gracie Awalt September 12, 2018

Many students are under the misconception that they cannot contract a sexually transmitted infection from oral sex, but this belief is false. The Centers for Disease Control found that 2.3 million...

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College of Liberal Arts searching for new dean

Gracie Awalt September 12, 2018

Randy Diehl started his career at UT-Austin as an assistant professor in 1975. During his 44-year tenure at UT, which will end with his retirement after next spring, Diehl rose through the University to...

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Students may soon face a $150 charge for incorrectly parking their Lime, Bird scooters

Gracie Awalt September 5, 2018

Bird and Lime dockless scooters help students navigate the puzzle that is campus transportation. But if students aren’t more careful about where they park their scooters before rushing to class,...

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New studio art minor starts this semester

Gracie Awalt September 4, 2018

Engineering majors who are swamped by numbers and science majors who spend hours in lab now have the chance to artistically express themselves though a University program. The Department of Art and...

‘Safe in the sun’: New sunscreen dispensers placed around UT Austin

Gracie Awalt August 31, 2018

Students toasting under the sun’s rays next to the Gregory Gym Aquatic Complex for hours on end now have the option of using free sunscreen provided by the University to prevent the development of...

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‘One of the most congested places on campus:’ New West Mall gateway to be completed December

Gracie Awalt August 29, 2018

Instead of receiving free stickers and T-shirts from student organizations tabling on the West Mall, students will pass by trucks carrying concrete as they head to class this fall. The West Mall construction...

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UT campus fills again during Mooov-In starting Longhorn Welcome

Gracie Awalt August 27, 2018

Coming from 44 states, 35 countries and six continents, an estimated 7,400 students are living on campus this year. University Housing and Dining helped students move into 14 residence halls from Aug....

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UT alumni, executive producer of ‘Get Out’ inspires radio-television-film students

Gracie Awalt April 24, 2018

When nearly 70 people in a lecture hall on Monday were asked how many had seen the Academy Award-winning film “Get Out,” everyone in the room raised their hands. The film’s executive...

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Grab your sunglasses; future of homeless population brightened by new student organization

Gracie Awalt April 19, 2018

Out of the total homeless population in Austin, 32 percent are chronically homeless, according to the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition. A group of students started taking steps to lower that statistic...

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Poetry on the Plaza celebrates the art of words

Gracie Awalt April 12, 2018

The breeze blew through oak tree branches and birds chirped in the midday sun, as the words of poets echoed against the outside walls of the Harry Ransom Center. Some people listened with their eyes closed,...

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Sexual assault survivors speak out, find community

Gracie Awalt April 5, 2018

The crowd listened closely, some in tears, while UT students told their stories about interpersonal violence. Voices Against Violence, VAV, a program within the Counseling and Mental Health Center,...

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Campus E+E Mexican American Cultures Committee hosts dinner on social justice for Latinx

Gracie Awalt March 30, 2018

When the crowd was asked how many of their parents or grandparents were migrant farmworkers, half of the room raised their hand.  The Campus Events + Entertainment Mexican American Cultures Committee...

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Campus E+E Mexican American Cultures Committee hosts dinner on social justice for Latinx

Gracie Awalt March 30, 2018

When the crowd was asked how many of their parents or grandparents were migrant farmworkers, half of the room raised their hand.  The Campus Events + Entertainment Mexican American Cultures Committee...

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Students earn free entry to SXSW by volunteering over spring break

Gracie Awalt March 19, 2018

Instead of spending spring break drinking on a Florida beach or traveling to visit family, some UT students decided to stay in Austin and volunteer at the South By Southwest Conference and Festivals 2018. Founded...

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Banned Blood Drive Protests FDA Regulations

Gracie Awalt March 1, 2018

Several milk jugs filled with a mixture of water and red food dye surrounded a Speedway table on Wednesday as students emptied blood bags full of the mixture into Mason jars for the Banned Blood Drive. The...

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Students swab cheeks to save lives of blood cancer patients

Gracie Awalt February 15, 2018

Every three minutes, an American is diagnosed with a form of blood cancer, and around 50,000 die every year. Partnered with the Texas Silver Spurs, Deutsche Knochenmarkspenderdatei Texas swabbed cheeks...

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Cards and donations help survivors of violence

Gracie Awalt February 6, 2018

The Native American and Indigenous Collective will spread the love by creating Valentine’s Day cards this Friday to send along with donated hygiene products to victims of sexual assault, child abuse,...

Study Abroad Fair inspires future travels

Gracie Awalt January 25, 2018

Students rotated from China to India to France — all booths found on Gregory Plaza — at the Study Abroad Fair on Wednesday. Sponsored by the International Office, the Study Abroad Fair provided...

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Molotov Seminar sparks open world of ideas

Gracie Awalt January 22, 2018

Students and faculty from across the UT’s campus filled a small room to the brim to discuss the Catalan Referendum at the 56th Molotov Seminar after a multimedia presentation on Friday evening. The...

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