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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 Nataleah Small
greg 2020-02-14_Senate Meeting_Yinuo

UT-Austin leadership discusses fall classes, football season options

Nataleah Small May 8, 2020

UT President Gregory Fenves announced options the University is exploring to reopen campus in the fall semester at a media briefing Friday. While a specific contingency plan will be announced by the...

llama_antibodies_courtesy of Christine Sinatra

UT-Austin researchers discover llama antibodies can help treat COVID-19

Nataleah Small May 7, 2020

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Daily Texan’s coverage of how coronavirus concerns are affecting UT-Austin. Read the rest of our coverage here. UT scientists are researching an...

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Scooter companies make cuts amid COVID-19 pandemic

Nataleah Small May 6, 2020

Electric scooters that once cluttered Austin street corners are now harder to find. Ride-sharing and micromobility companies such as Lyft, Lime and Bird have all laid off employees and altered scooter...

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Local bat experts educate public on bats amid coronavirus pandemic

Nataleah Small May 6, 2020

With misinformation spreading about the connection between bats and the new coronavirus, local bat experts say they are educating Austin residents about these misconceptions and the importance of bats.  “People...

Courtesy of Fuel our Heroes Austin

Student-led Fuel Our Heroes Austin campaign raises money for Dell Medical School

Nataleah Small April 29, 2020

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Daily Texan’s coverage of how coronavirus concerns are affecting UT-Austin. Read the rest of our coverage here. Fuel Our Heroes Austin, a student-led...

GoodApple_ChristianaPeek

Good Apple ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ initiative assists Travis County residents facing food insecurity

Nataleah Small April 23, 2020

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Daily Texan’s coverage of how coronavirus concerns are affecting UT-Austin. Read the rest of our coverage here. Good Apple, a subscription-based...

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UT nursing students translate about diagnosing, managing COVID-19 into Spanish

Nataleah Small April 21, 2020

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Daily Texan’s coverage of how coronavirus concerns are affecting UT-Austin. Read the rest of our coverage here. Two bilingual Colombian UT nursing...

masks courtesy of PharmE3D Lab

UT-Austin lab uses 3D-printing resources to make face shields for health care workers

Nataleah Small April 16, 2020

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Daily Texan’s coverage of how coronavirus concerns are affecting UT-Austin. Read the rest of our coverage here. A UT-Austin laboratory is creating...

Ventilators_courtesy_of_the_ABBU_Team

University researchers develop breathing unit to help combat ventilator shortage

Nataleah Small April 8, 2020

UT researchers are developing an automated breathing unit made from widely available materials, such as the windshield wiper motor from a Toyota Camry, to help solve the ventilator shortage caused by the...

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UT-Austin provides resources for deaf, hard of hearing students during online transition

Nataleah Small April 7, 2020

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Daily Texan’s coverage of how coronavirus concerns are affecting UT-Austin. Read the rest of our coverage here. The University is providing access...

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COVID-19 impacts construction projects, campus and facilities maintenance

Nataleah Small April 3, 2020

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Daily Texan’s coverage of how coronavirus concerns are affecting UT-Austin. Read the rest of our coverage here. Construction projects, facilities...

Mike Q&A Courtesy of Niya Raazee

SXSW artist Mike Melinoe talks finding his place in Austin music scene

Nataleah Small April 3, 2020

Mike Melinoe, Austin-based musician, visual artist and model, started his music career as a rapper in Detroit, Michigan. Since moving to Texas, he has worked on developing his sound with a musical style...

Tower_Amna

UTLA, UTNY cancel summer in-residence programs, launch $2,900 virtual programs

Nataleah Small April 3, 2020

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Daily Texan’s coverage of how coronavirus concerns are affecting UT-Austin. Read the rest of our coverage here. The UTLA Semester in Los Angeles...

Phangs Q&A courtesy of Kolby Schnelli

‘Shimmery’ pop artist Phangs talks sneaking into SXSW, maintains rebellious Texas spirit

Nataleah Small April 3, 2020

Alternative pop musician Jake Germany performs under the name Phangs. In contrast with his pseudonym’s vampiric connotations, Phangs’ music is delicate, contemplative and symphonic.  He...

Ryan Q&A courtesy of doryn fine

SXSW artist Ryan Cassata talks songwriting, inspiration

Nataleah Small April 3, 2020

Ryan Cassata is a musician, actor and LGBTQ+ activist based in Los Angeles. The 26-year-old is originally from Long Island, New York, and came out as transgender over a decade ago.  Cassata’s...

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Q&A: Hip-hop artist Naya Ali talks vulnerability, career changes from marketing to music

Nataleah Small March 27, 2020

Gritty. Honest. Vulnerable. Naya Ali, a hip-hop artist born in Ethiopia and raised in Canada, said she writes songs that embody those emotions. After beginning her career in marketing, Ali began...

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Banoffee shares struggles of being touring musician during pandemic

Nataleah Small March 26, 2020

When the “Tennis Fan” singer initially received word about South by Southwest, Martha Betty Glenn Brown wanted to travel to Texas and perform in spite of the cancellation. But as global fears about...

Housing_1119_EllaWilliams(SUpplemental Housing)

UHD charges $1,472 for emergency student housing amid COVID-19 outbreak

Nataleah Small March 24, 2020

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Daily Texan’s coverage of how coronavirus concerns are affecting UT-Austin. Read the rest of our coverage here. Students who are approved for emergency...

Dining_2018-10-02_Dining_Hours_Angela

Dining locations, hours limited amid campuswide closures

Nataleah Small March 19, 2020

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Daily Texan’s coverage of how coronavirus concerns are affecting UT-Austin. Read the rest of our coverage here. University Housing and Dining is...

Historic Trees_2020-03-13_Historic_Trees_Kara

Campus trees transplanted, repurposed as result of Moody Center construction

Nataleah Small March 13, 2020

As part of the Moody Center construction south of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, 86 trees were transplanted, repurposed or removed, said Jim Shackelford, director of Capital Planning and Construction.  The...

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LBJ School will move courses online starting March 30

Nataleah Small March 13, 2020

The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs will move its courses online starting March 30 due to concerns of the new coronavirus, according to an email Dean Angela Evans sent to LBJ students Wednesday.  Evans...

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UT set to host the first LBJ Women’s Campaign School this June

Nataleah Small March 12, 2020

The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs will host UT’s first Women’s Campaign School this summer, a training program for women wanting to learn how to run for office or manage a campaign...

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UT-Austin researchers find way to preserve vaccines to help developing countries

Nataleah Small March 11, 2020

University researchers developed a new way to preserve and deliver some vaccines without refrigeration to more easily distribute them to developing countries, according to a press release from the College...

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UT-Austin researchers use WebAssembly to increase Firefox browser security

Nataleah Small March 5, 2020

University researchers from Texas and California are using the WebAssembly programming language to make the Firefox web browser more secure.  Researchers from UT-Austin, the University of California...

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LBJ School of Public Affairs dean will conclude her tenure December 2020

Nataleah Small March 4, 2020

Angela Evans will conclude her tenure as dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs this December, according to an email from the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost sent last...

Biodegradable Pads_2020-03-02_Biodegradable_Pads_Yinuo

UT-Austin students, alumnus work to create biodegradable pads for women in Guinea

Nataleah Small March 2, 2020

Sanitary Aid for Everyone, an alumni and student-led research group, is working to create a biodegradable sanitary pad to help women without access to adequate facilities and menstruation products.  The...

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UT Student Government Supreme Court rules Connor and Camille campaign engaged in early campaigning, mass solicitation

Nataleah Small February 27, 2020

In a unanimous decision, the UT Student Government Supreme Court ruled the Election Supervisory Board was correct in determining Connor Alexander and Camille Johnson’s Executive Alliance campaign...

corona courtesy ut news_

UT-Austin scientists make breakthrough in coronavirus research

Nataleah Small February 25, 2020

University scientists made a breakthrough in novel coronavirus research by creating a 3D atomic-scale map of the part of the virus that infects human cells, according to UT News.  Jason McLellan,...

Jester West_2019-02-28_Jester_West_Jamie

Broken water pipe in Jester West Residence Hall causes hot water loss, power outages

Nataleah Small February 24, 2020

A broken water pipe left some residents of Jester West Residence Hall without hot water and electricity for parts of Thursday and Friday.  Rick Early, director of residential facilities operations...

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Moody Center construction causes disruptions for C parking permit holders

Nataleah Small and Sera Simpson February 19, 2020

Parking lot closures from construction on the new Moody Center multipurpose arena have led students with Class C parking permits to park further from campus on the other side of Interstate 35. Parking...

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Students request oat milk in UT dining halls as additional nondairy alternative

Nataleah Small February 18, 2020

Requests for oat milk as a dairy alternative in dining halls trickled in to University Housing and Dining this year, UHD registered dietitian Lindsay Wilson said. UHD continuously receives student feedback...

2020-02-17_Veggies_Alice

Ornamental fruits, vegetables add aesthetic beauty to campus during winter

Nataleah Small February 17, 2020

Landscape Services plants annual crops, such as ornamental fruits and vegetables, during the winter to add aesthetic beauty to the most visible areas on campus, said Landscape Services horticulturist Ty...

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Housing instability, food insecurity affects students, UT provides resources

Nataleah Small February 13, 2020

Homelessness affected 17% of “surveyed” college students in the past year nationally, according to a Hope Center for College, Community and Justice report.  Petroleum engineering senior...

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Longhorns gear up for auction amid campuswide construction

Nataleah Small February 12, 2020

Longhorn-branded gear and collectibles are up for auction online as they are being cleared out of athletics facilities undergoing construction. Jerseys, gloves and burnt orange-colored chairs are among...

jeopardy_evan

UT-Austin business student competes to win $100,000 in ‘Jeopardy!’

Nataleah Small February 7, 2020

Growing up, business sophomore Marshall Comeaux used to shout answers at the TV while watching “Jeopardy!” This spring, he will compete on the show with 14 other university students across...

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Nutritional sciences master’s program partners with online course provider edX

Nataleah Small February 6, 2020

The University’s nutritional sciences master’s program will be available on the online course provider platform edX starting this fall.  Since 2017, UT’s nutritional sciences...

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Dolph Briscoe Center to open new exhibition on women’s activism in late February

Nataleah Small February 5, 2020

A century after the 19th Amendment passed in the United States, an exhibition on women’s activism will be on display at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.  The exhibition “‘On...

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New Longhorn mural adds color to West Campus

Nataleah Small February 4, 2020

A multicolored, abstract mural of a longhorn will soon brighten the north wall of The Castilian above the sidewalk on 24th Street. American Campus Communities, which owns The Castilian, commissioned...

0130_Construction_DestinyAlexander

ID Center and Service Desk will merge to boost efficiency

Nataleah Small January 31, 2020

To boost efficiency and improve the services offered in the Flawn Academic Center, the ID Center and Service Desk in the FAC will merge into one desk. The ID Center and the Service Desk are located...

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University health officials provide information on coronavirus during China outbreak

Nataleah Small January 28, 2020

Although there are no cases of the new coronavirus in Travis County as of Monday, University Health Services sent a campuswide email on Jan. 23 to educate students about the virus and seasonal respiratory...

40ACRES_Barb

Forty Acres Pharmacy uses QR codes to share medication information with patients

Nataleah Small January 27, 2020

Forty Acres Pharmacy is cutting down on paper waste by printing QR codes with medication information on prescription receipts starting this semester.  By scanning the QR code with their mobile...

Halal_0124_HalalFood_DestinyAlexander

After years of advocacy, halal food is introduced in University dining halls

Nataleah Small January 24, 2020

Starting this semester, students can request halal burgers and chicken breasts in J2 Dining and Kinsolving Dining.  Halal options became available on Tuesday following years of advocacy from the...

mac-miller-circles- courtesy Warner Records

Mac Miller speaks from beyond the grave in ‘Circles’

Nataleah Small January 21, 2020

An artist’s legacy is cemented the moment they pass from one world into the next. They can no longer affect how they are perceived, who they can influence or how they will be remembered. With the...

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Physics professor wins Wolf Prize for twistronics research

Nataleah Small January 21, 2020

UT professor Allan MacDonald won the Wolf Prize in Physics for his theoretical and experimental work on the field of study twistronics, on Jan. 13. This work, which changes the electronic properties of...

animals_1206_DestinyAlexander(SameSexAnimals)

Same sex behaviors in animals less costly than previously assumed

Nataleah Small December 6, 2019

Scientists have observed same-sex sexual behaviors in over 1,500 animals species. However, many have assumed this behavior is costly because it does not lead to offspring. According to an article University...

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Texas bats threatened by disease, wind turbines

Nataleah Small November 22, 2019

Bats are one of Austin’s most iconic nonhuman residents, but their populations have been declining because of natural and man-made threats across Texas and the United States.  White-nose...

Waves courtesy A24

Waves is honest, emotional, visually stunning

Nataleah Small November 21, 2019

Waves is a cinematic masterpiece. The film starts and ends with calm steady breathing, but everything in between the opening and closing credits is thoroughly heart-wrenching.  The story focuses...

black marias Q&A_courtesy of Isabel Dunn

UT alumna documentary film featured in Black Maria Film Festival

Nataleah Small November 19, 2019

On a quiet Saturday evening, filmmaker Isabel Dunn gathered with a handful of friends and family members in the Harry Ransom Center. Over the past year, her short documentary was viewed by hundreds of...

lady antebellum review_courtesy of Big Machine Records

Lady Antebellum’s new album ‘Ocean’ explores emotional hardships

Nataleah Small November 18, 2019

It’s been two years since Lady Antebellum released new music and the band’s latest album is well worth the wait.  On Nov. 15, the country music group released its eighth studio album,...

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Turkey Trot Champions talk strategy, share memories

Nataleah Small November 14, 2019

For the past 28 years, runners have braved the late autumn chill to participate in the ThunderCloud Subs Turket Trot on Thanksgiving morning. The 5-mile run has grown to be the largest of its kind in...

KindClinic_BarbDaly

Sexual health clinic helps sponsor Austin International Drag Festival

Nataleah Small November 14, 2019

The Austin International Drag Festival brings performers and audiences from across the world to the Texas capital. From Nov. 14-17, nearly 2,000 spectators are expected to watch the event according...

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Researchers discover material that may replace silicon in computer chips

Nataleah Small November 13, 2019

University researchers have discovered a material that may increase the computing speed and data storage capabilities of computer chips.  In September, mechanical engineering researchers published...

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UT’s Special Education Department offering new autism course to be taught in Spanish

Nataleah Small November 12, 2019

UT’s Special Education Department will offer its first course taught entirely in a foreign language next semester. Mark O'Reilly, special education department chair, said the department will...

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Dancers from across the country unite at Austin Powwow

Nataleah Small November 4, 2019

The arena swelled with energy as dancers moved in time with the drum beat. During the Fancy Feather Dance, men clad in beads and feathers stomped and twirled in a fury of color as singers in the drum circle...

Wildcard review courtesy Vanner Records, LLC

‘Wildcard’ is an emotional whirlwind

Nataleah Small November 4, 2019

Country music singer Miranda Lambert released her seventh studio album on Nov. 1. Wildcard is a collection of musical vignettes full of spunk and grit, performed with the emotional range of a professional...

terminator q&a_courtesy of Skydance Productions and Paramount Pictures

Q&A: Terminator’s dark new villain shows his soft side

Nataleah Small November 1, 2019

“Terminator: Dark Fate” hit theaters Nov. 1. The film is the sixth iteration of the killer robot saga that first gained popularity in the 1980s. In the film, Gabriel Luna plays the deadly...

TERMINATOR_COURT OF PARAMOUNT STUDIOS

‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ is interesting, not mind-blowing

Nataleah Small October 31, 2019

“The Terminator” is back, again. Since 1984, the Terminator films have been set in a dystopian universe where the remnants of the human race unite to form the Resistance and battle the self-aware...

Water_bill_1029_LaurenIbanez(RegulateWaterBill)

Travis County to vote to approve groundwater conservation district

Nataleah Small October 29, 2019

Many residents of Southwestern Travis County rely on Trinity Aquifer for their water supply, but due to overpumping and lack of regulation, the water supply is rapidly declining, said a representative...

jesus is king review_courtesy of Getting Out Our Dreams II

‘Jesus is King’ is well worth the wait

Nataleah Small October 28, 2019

Praise be. Kanye West finally released his latest album, Jesus is King, on Oct. 25. The 27-minute composition weaves together gospel melodies with introspective rap lyrics to create a work of...

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Former Department of Defense official talks about business practices at the Pentagon

Nataleah Small October 22, 2019

A former defense department officer outlined the complications with implementing efficient business strategies at the Pentagon and the importance of communicating with Congress at a talk Monday. The...

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Biomedical engineering professor wins trailblazer award for stem cell research

Nataleah Small October 16, 2019

The National Institutes of Health granted biomedical engineering assistant professor Janet Zoldan $627,000 to fund her stem cell research for three years. Zoldan said the grant, which she received in...

ARIZONA review_courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corporation

‘Asylum’: A safe space for emotional healing

Nataleah Small October 14, 2019

It’s easy to fall in love with a band that is so good at writing songs about heartbreak. A R I Z O N A’s sophomore electro pop album, Asylum, was released on Oct. 11. According to Billboard,...

Goodenough_courtesy Adrienne Lee&university of texas

Goodenough to win: UT professor awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Nataleah Small and Brooke Sjoberg October 10, 2019

At 97 years old, John Goodenough is the oldest person to be awarded a Nobel Prize. On Oct. 9, the UT engineering professor, along with Stanley Whittingham of Binghamton University, State University...

nanogels_1010_Nanogels_StephSonik

Nanogel technology may boost efficiency of cancer drug delivery

Nataleah Small October 10, 2019

Nanogel technology may help deliver drugs to cancer cells directly while minimizing patient side effects, according to research by University scientists.  According to a study published in the...

Weyes Blood_courtesy of Sub Pop Records

Weyes Blood talks about her album inspiration, ACL expectations

Nataleah Small October 8, 2019

Experimental psychedelic folk singer, songwriter Natalie Mering of Weyes Blood said she has been performing on her own wavelength since she began writing music at 15. In April 2019, she released her...

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UT chemist awarded NIH grant to develop molecular tools

Nataleah Small October 3, 2019

University scientists are developing molecular tools that could impact future research on antibiotic-resistant bacteria and cancer drugs. Emily Que, assistant professor of chemistry, was awarded the...

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From Pumpkinheads to Moon Milk, there’s an autumnal drink for everyone

Nataleah Small September 30, 2019

It’s officially autumn. The season’s most infamous caffeinated beverage, the Pumpkin Spice Latte, is available at Starbucks locations across the nation. Predictably delicious, the latte inspires...

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Marc E. Bassy’s ‘PMD’ is sugary-sweet, then gone

Nataleah Small September 30, 2019

California-based R&B-soul singer and songwriter Marc E. Bassy dropped a symphony of hip-hop beats and heartfelt lyrics on Sept. 27. The artist’s sophomore album, PMD, was released on his personal...

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Eels overfished, affect natural Texas ecosystem

Nataleah Small September 26, 2019

There are eels in every major river basin in Texas, but most people do not know about them, said Dean Hendrickson, curator of ichthyology at the Biodiversity Center.  Researchers in the center’s...

blink 182_courtesy of Sony Records

‘Nine’ is the pumpkin spiced latte of pop-punk

Nataleah Small September 23, 2019

Fans searching for life advice from the dads of emo music can find it on Blink-182’s latest release, Nine. On Sept. 20, Blink-182 released their ninth studio album three years after dropping their...

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Darrell K Royal Research Fund grants $250,000 to Dell Medical School

Nataleah Small September 19, 2019

Dell Medical School will continue research and care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with support from a $250,000 grant from the Darrell K Royal Research Fund for Alzheimer’s...

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‘Hustlers’ expectations mixed ahead of release

Nataleah Small September 12, 2019

When it hits theaters Sept. 13, star-studded, female-forward film “Hustlers” could be the pinnacle of what has been labeled “hot girl summer.” Inspired by a New York Magazine...

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Students donate to emergency fund and explore student organizations

Nataleah Small September 5, 2019

Thousands of students explored hundreds of booths lined outside Gregory Gymnasium on Wednesday to learn more about student organizations, eat pizza and collect free swag at Party on the Plaza.   Chad...

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