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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 Lauren Goodman
frontline student workers_Courtesy of Kelsey Bergman

‘This is history in the making’: UT-Austin graduates work on the frontlines of COVID-19 pandemic

Lauren Goodman January 29, 2021

Last weekend, Kelsey Bergman saw her family for the first time in five months since she started working as a resident nurse in the intensive care unit in August.  “I used to work at the same...

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Students get involved in Texas state government as new legislative session begins

Lauren Goodman January 29, 2021

UT students are working with state legislators in many forms this semester during Texas’ 87th Legislative Session. Over 1,800 bills have been introduced so far for the 87th Texas Legislature’s...

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Fall 2020: Looking Forward

Campus UT will offer almost 60% of spring classes online with a similar number of courses having online, hybrid and in-person modality as in the fall semester. Students living in residence halls may...

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Fall 2020: Looking Back

University The UT System Board of Regents unanimously approved Jay Hartzell as permanent president of the University on Sept. 21 after he served as interim president since June 1.  Campus Due...

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More than 100 education-related bills filed for 2021-22 Texas Legislative Session

Lauren Goodman November 24, 2020

Just over 800 bills have been filed for the 87th Texas Legislative Session, which will begin Jan. 12, including more than 100 education-related legislation.  About 550 bills were proposed Monday,...

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Texas Latino voters were ‘critical voting bloc’ during 2020 election, experts say

Lauren Goodman November 10, 2020

Joe Cascino, president of Texas College Democrats, said on Nov. 3 he was optimistic that Democrats would win four to five congressional seats in Texas. He said he felt confident Democratic candidate Gina...

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Joe Biden wins 2020 presidential election, defeats incumbent President Donald Trump

Lauren Goodman November 7, 2020

Former Vice President Joe Biden was elected the 46th president of the United States after securing over 270 electoral college votes Saturday morning. The Associated Press projected him as the winner...

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Young voters in Texas cast ballots in record numbers in 2020 general election

Lauren Goodman November 5, 2020

There was no line at the Flawn Academic Center and Gregory Gymnasium on the UT campus when Texas’ polls closed at 7 p.m. on election night Tuesday. The poll workers at Gregory Gymnasium had already...

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Trump beats Biden in Texas, wins 52% of vote

Lauren Goodman November 4, 2020

President Donald Trump won Texas’ 38 electoral votes Tuesday night, according to Decision Desk.   Trump won 52.16% of the vote, beating former Vice President Joe Biden, who had 46.4%...

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Incumbent Republican John Cornyn defeats MJ Hegar, holds on to US Senate seat

Lauren Goodman November 4, 2020

John Cornyn was reelected for his fourth term as a senior United States senator for Texas against Democratic opponent MJ Hegar on Tuesday evening. Cornyn was projected to win the race at 8:20 p.m.,...

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Explaining local Travis County races in the 2020 general election

Lauren Goodman October 30, 2020

The Daily Texan put together a list to help inform the UT community on races of interest on the Travis County 2020 general election ballot.  Early voting runs through Friday, and Election Day is Nov....

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US circuit court ruling allows counties to reject ballots over mismatched signatures

Lauren Goodman October 30, 2020

Counties can reject a voter’s mail-in ballot if election officials cannot verify the voter’s signature, according to a ruling from the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Oct. 19.  The...

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Explainer: What are Proposition A and B and how do they affect students?

Lauren Goodman October 22, 2020

Students registered to vote in Austin will be able to vote for or against two transit plans proposed by the city’s officials in the Nov. 3 election. Here’s a look at what is in the plans. What...

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UT student voters face confusion over where to deliver mail-in ballots

Lauren Goodman October 20, 2020

A legal battle is ongoing after Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to limit mail-in ballot drop off sites to one per county was overturned by a Texas judge on Thursday, causing confusion among student voters...

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Austin, Travis County launch emergency preparedness mobile app

Lauren Goodman October 13, 2020

The city of Austin and the University have launched mobile apps to help citizens prepare for emergencies.  The mobile app Ready Central Texas, launched Sept. 30, is designed to keep residents in...

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Restaurants deal with financial uncertainty, fear closure due to COVID-19

Lauren Goodman October 1, 2020

Some Austin restaurants near the UT campus are facing financial difficulties and are at risk of shutting down because they were forced to adapt their operations during the pandemic. According to a survey...

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UT institutions join coalition of over 40 Texas universities to increase access to academic journals

Lauren Goodman October 1, 2020

This month, the University of Texas System joined the Texas Library Coalition for United Action, a partnership between Texas universities to increase access to academic publications from their own faculty. Over...

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Former presidential candidate Julián Castro discusses pandemic’s effects on middle class, experience in politics at 2020 Texas Tribune Festival

Lauren Goodman September 29, 2020

Julián Castro, former presidential candidate and United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, discussed how the country’s leadership should address inequality during the pandemic,...

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Experts discuss lessons learned, impact of climate change at 2020 Texas Tribune Festival

Lauren Goodman September 23, 2020

Four climate science experts discussed climate change and its impact on race, politics and generations Wednesday morning in two prerecorded panels. The panelists spoke about the importance of climate...

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Explainer: Multiple congressional districts divide area around UT-Austin

Lauren Goodman September 16, 2020

TX Votes President Janae Stegall lives just a few blocks from campus, but her vote will be counted in a different district than those who live on campus.  The UT-Austin campus and surrounding neighborhoods...

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Two Texas legislators said public education is ‘number one focus’ at Texas Tribune Festival

Lauren Goodman September 14, 2020

Two Texas legislators said they are committed to carrying out their promises of increasing public education funding made during the last legislative session before the COVID-19 pandemic. Dan Huberty,...

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Students face financial uncertainty next year despite CARES Act extension

Lauren Goodman September 14, 2020

Some students were forced to take out additional loans for tuition costs this fall after a decrease in financial aid, despite extra assistance from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.  The...

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Texas university systems chancellors say reopening campuses provide students with ‘highest quality education’

Lauren Goodman September 10, 2020

Three chancellors of Texas’ largest public university systems said the reopening of their campuses for the fall semester was important to provide students with the “highest quality education.” The...

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Digital library will allow faculty to give students access to free educational resources

Lauren Goodman September 9, 2020

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board launched a digital library called Open Educational Resources on Sept. 1 to provide students with free educational materials in Texas higher education institutions. Funds...

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Travis County Clerk’s office setting up drive-thru locations to mail in ballots

Lauren Goodman September 4, 2020

Travis County will have three drive-thru locations for voters to mail in ballots for the November election. At drive-thru locations, voters can hand-deliver their ballots to the business office of the...

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UT research funding data ‘slightly distorted’ in accountability report, according to Office of Sponsored Projects

Lauren Goodman September 4, 2020

Research fund amounts sent to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for UT’s annual accountability report have been unintentionally “slightly distorted” over years to inaccurately...

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COVID-19-positive cases at UT who cannot self-isolate can go to Austin Public Health isolation facilities

Lauren Goodman September 1, 2020

UT students, faculty and staff who test positive for COVID-19 and cannot safely self-isolate will coordinate with the University and Austin Public Health to stay at the city’s isolation facilities,...

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Students unable to afford rent due to COVID-19 could face eviction after Sept. 30

Lauren Goodman August 27, 2020

Students in off-campus apartments struggling to pay rent may find themselves at risk for eviction next month as the Travis County order halting eviction proceedings expires Sept. 30.  The Justices...

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Shortened deadline for 2020 Census, COVID-19 causes challenges in acquiring accurate population count, experts say

Lauren Goodman August 26, 2020

Ezequiel Lozano, a chemistry and public health sophomore, says he has been the only person canvassing neighborhoods in his hometown of Coolidge, Texas to ask people to take the 2020 census questionnaire.  “I...

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UT-Austin reduces seating capacities, rearranges furniture in buildings before campus reopening

Lauren Goodman August 24, 2020

UT has reduced seating capacities in buildings and reorganized classrooms to meet COVID-19 safety protocols in preparation for in-person classes during the fall semester. Out of 11,586 total class sections,...

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Organizations make plans regarding recruitment, holding events in fall

Lauren Goodman and Meara Isenberg August 14, 2020

Texas Crew, a competitive rowing club, has a five-week recruitment process each semester that consists of tabling at the West Mall and bringing potential members to Lady Bird Lake to teach them how to...

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Austin City Council approves city’s annual budget, cutting $150 million from Austin Police Department

Lauren Goodman and Neha Madhira August 13, 2020

Update as of 8/15 at 4:39 p.m.: Austin Police Chief Brian Manley hosted a virtual media briefing Thursday about the new budget passed by the Austin City Council, saying the budget cuts would result...

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UT student commuters may be challenged to find study space on campus due to new protocols to reopen campus for fall semester

Lauren Goodman July 26, 2020

Accounting senior Kristen Moehlman regularly commutes by bus from her North Campus apartment to the UT campus. As many classes have been converted to an online-only format this fall semester amid the COVID-19...

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University Panhellenic sorority recruitment to take place virtually due to COVID-19 concerns

Lauren Goodman July 26, 2020

The University Panhellenic Council fall 2020 sorority recruitment will take place virtually for the first time due to COVID-19 safety concerns. Recruitment will take place from Aug. 17-24 as originally...

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UT students bridge generational gap during COVID-19 pandemic through online matchmaking platform

Lauren Goodman June 30, 2020

Although Lisa Griffis, a senior citizen from The Woodlands, Texas, and Alanis Ymbernon, a junior exchange student from Barcelona attending The Catholic University of America, have never seen each other...

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UT doctoral student creates viral hashtag uncovering stories of discrimination in higher-ed institutions

Lauren Goodman June 25, 2020

Joy Melody Woods, a communication studies doctoral student, woke up early June 7 to realize that the hashtag she and her friend Shardé Davis, an assistant professor of communication at the University...

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UT Libraries talks about LGBTQ+ immigration and intersectionality activism

Lauren Goodman March 12, 2020

The UT Libraries Diversity Action Committee hosted a discussion about LGBTQ+ immigration and intersectionality at the Perry-Castañeda Library Wednesday.  The committee is a volunteer group...

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Glickman Lectureship speaker, screenwriter talks about power of human experience in stories

Lauren Goodman March 5, 2020

A screenwriter and journalist spoke about his inspirations for screenplays during his keynote speech for the 2020 Julius and Suzan Glickman Centennial Lectureship, an annual Plan II event with significant...

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‘The time is now’: Drag queens perform to Drag Out The Vote for 2020 primary elections

Lauren Goodman February 24, 2020

Giving an opening, high-kicking performance, local drag queen Robin RoseQuartz introduced Drag Out the Vote’s civic engagement drag show Saturday night. “The time is now,” RoseQuartz...

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UT-Austin students make personal strides towards goals at Austin Marathon

Lauren Goodman February 17, 2020

UT students were among the 17,000 runners taking part in the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K, which carved a course through campus on Sunday.  The marathon has been an annual...

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Hindu festivities raise mental health awareness to achieve “fresh start” this semester

Lauren Goodman February 3, 2020

The Hindu Students Association hosted their annual Sankranti festival Saturday at the Main Mall, focusing this year on mental health awareness with their theme, “Always Forward.” Sankranti is a...

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