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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 Rachel Thompson
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Austin Rodeo upholds tradition, gives back to students

Rachel Thompson March 19, 2012

In 1938, 16 animals were featured in the Travis County Baby Beef Show at Congress Avenue and 11th Street. Rodeo Austin has come a long way from its humble beginnings, but it hasn’t forgotten its...

Women divers head to NCAA Zone Diving Championships in Iowa City

Rachel Thompson March 9, 2012

Three Texas women’s divers will strive for small splashes at this week’s NCAA Zone Diving Championships in Iowa City. Juniors Shelby Cullinan, Samantha Holland and Diana Wilcox will compete...

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Wildflowers give hope after drought

Rachel Thompson March 8, 2012

After months of brutal drought in Texas, a seed of hope is finding its way through cracked soil during the upcoming wildflower season. Wildflowers are fairly well adapted to drought and germinate based...

Austin plastic bag ban passed, stores and customers must accommodate

Rachel Thompson March 7, 2012

With the passage of a new city ordinance that will ban the use of disposable bags next year, some Austin grocers may have to alter parts of their stores in order to comply with the ban. The ordinance...

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Court approves redistricting for timely elections

Rachel Thompson March 1, 2012

Federal court officials in San Antonio created five congressional House districts in Travis County on Tuesday, outlined by newly drawn maps. The maps will be used for the upcoming primaries and potentially...

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Mid-semester evaluations can help professors gauge student comprehension

Rachel Thompson March 1, 2012

Mid-semester course evaluations allow professors to incorporate student feedback into their course before moving on to a new batch of students. The Center for Learning and Teaching met Wednesday with...

Study finds Congress is full of ex-Longhorns

Rachel Thompson February 29, 2012

Upon leaving the 40 Acres, many UT alumni have gone on to win Pulitzer and Nobel prizes, compete in professional sports, establish major corporations and serve as members of Congress. The contributions...

Brackin looks forward after Big 12 Championships

Rachel Thompson February 29, 2012

After four days at the Big 12 Championships in Columbia, Mo., the Longhorns returned home to Austin with a second place finish to Texas A&M. Head coach Kim Brackin had hoped for better. And so had...

Santorum’s social conservatism fares well with Texas Republicans

Rachel Thompson February 28, 2012

Rick Santorum fared better than other Republican candidates by a significant margin in a recent UT and Texas Tribune poll. The data was collected from Feb. 8 to 15 in the midst of the increasing media...

Horns grab second place behind Aggies

Rachel Thompson February 27, 2012

After four days of trailing behind Texas A&M in the lanes and on the boards, Texas placed second in the Big 12 Championships in Columbia, Mo. The Longhorns arrived in Missouri to start racing on Wednesday,...

Ex-football player funds nerve research after injury

Rachel Thompson February 23, 2012

Influenced by personal experiences with nerve damage, a former UT football player is now funding research to help others who have facing similar conditions. Doug English, the president of Lone Star Paralysis,...

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Women’s swimming team faces A&M rival

Rachel Thompson February 22, 2012

Eighteen members of the women's swimming and diving team will grab their swim bags and head to Columbia, Mo. for the Big 12 Championships on Wednesday with thoughts of rivalry tucked beneath their...

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Bispo honored fourth time this season

Rachel Thompson February 21, 2012

Receiving the Big 12 Swimmer of the Week award is an honor for any swimmer. Senior swimmer Karlee Bispo has now had that honor four times this season. Last week, she became the first female swimmer in...

Texas recovers from recession with jobs, revenue growth

Rachel Thompson February 16, 2012

Texas sales tax revenue reached the $2 billion mark last month for the second time since November, indicating that the economy is gradually recovering and people are spending more on luxury goods. A letter...

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Deep in the Heart chronicles one man’s journey from alcoholism to success

Rachel Thompson February 16, 2012

When Dan Wallrath heard a movie was being made chronicling his father Dick Wallrath’s alcoholism and later rise to success, he didn’t quite believe it would happen. “I thought they were...

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Pair of Texas swimmers juggle Olympic aspirations and college careers

Rachel Thompson February 14, 2012

Olympic dreams have long been in the making for swimming stars Karlee Bispo and Laura Sogar, but they aren’t letting the looming trials cramp their style in the pool during collegiate competition. Bispo,...

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School officials take measures to prevent high school students from attending annual Roundup

Rachel Thompson February 14, 2012

Despite University and high school officials discouraging prospective UT students from attending Roundup weekend activities, students in Greek organizations don’t expect less high-schooler turnout. The...

UT grad student examines classic Texas twang

Rachel Thompson February 8, 2012

In Texas, it isn't unusual to hear a “y'all” tossed around in casual conversation, but the tone of language we use differs depending on whom we're talking to, according to a new...

UT soccer player shows some recovery after falling victim to hit-and-run

Rachel Thompson February 8, 2012

UT soccer player Kylie Doniak is still in critical condition but is showing signs of improvement, according to an Austin American-Statesman article released today. Doniak, an award-winning forward, was...

Company recalls faulty birth control

Rachel Thompson February 3, 2012

Oral contraception users on campus are worried after at least one million defective birth control pill packets have been pulled from the shelves in a national recall by Pfizer Inc. The company recalled...

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Highly-touted Crouser starting college career on right foot

Rachel Thompson January 31, 2012

On meet days, freshman thrower Ryan Crouser washes his shoes and weight belt and carefully re-inscribes his name on his discus. Then, sometimes, he gulps down a 64-ounce bottle of orange juice. “It...

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Children from instable families require extra push

Rachel Thompson January 31, 2012

Family instability may negatively affect student performance in rigorous high schools and impact decisions to attend college, according to a new study on family backgrounds. Sociology associate professor...

UT student organization seeks to address political, nutritional issues of food production

Rachel Thompson January 24, 2012

National dialogue about food production and consumption hits home with UT students in the new Food Studies Project. The group held a live viewing party of the Jan. 21 TEDxManhattan conference, “Changing...

Graduate studies dean returns to teach, research

Rachel Thompson January 20, 2012

Victoria Rodriguez, the University’s vice provost and dean of graduate studies, is stepping down after nine years in the role and returning to the LBJ School of Public Affairs as a professor and...

Christian foundation organizes mission to help Bastrop community

Rachel Thompson January 18, 2012

In the aftermath of the Texas wildfires, thousands of families found their homes destroyed and their belongings in ashes. Some UT students helped restore residents’ property — and their hope...

Graduate survey expresses opinions, raises concern

Rachel Thompson December 6, 2011

Ninety-two percent of UT graduate students surveyed would recommend the University to friends, according to a student satisfaction survey the University conducted. Sociology professor Chandra Muller led...

Cactus to close temporarily for construction

Rachel Thompson November 29, 2011

Local Austin musician Matt the Electrician will perform at Cactus Cafe’s last concert on Dec. 10 before the venue closes briefly for construction over the winter break. The cafe is set to close...

Austin icon ranks high in Rolling Stone’s greatest guitar players list

Rachel Thompson November 29, 2011

Smiles came easily whenever the late Austin musician Stevie Ray Vaughan was around because of his positive spirit and the revolutionary sound of his music, said music photographer and friend Susan Antone. “When...

Texas Exes continue tradition with Hex Rally

Rachel Thompson November 22, 2011

The eyes of Texas gazed down upon 2,000 red candles burning with Longhorn pride as students gathered to hex that “other” Texas public university before Thursday’s game. The Texas Exes...

UT partners with SunGard, research safe way to file-share

Rachel Thompson November 22, 2011

When searching for an academic institution to partner with for research purposes, SunGard Availability Services needed a great city and a top-rate institution. They found both in a recent partnership with...

Students plot study abroad experiences on new map

Rachel Thompson November 15, 2011

A colorful world map covered with pins placed by Longhorns on cities in which they have studied abroad was mounted in the map room of the Perry-Castañeda Library earlier this week and was unveiled...

Broadcast journalist discusses life’s work

Rachel Thompson November 15, 2011

Bill Moyers was preparing to pursue a Ph.D. when he received a call from Lyndon Baines Johnson, who was running for president and sought Moyers’ assistance. Moyers deviated from his plans for a doctorate...

Creativity is for anyone, professor says

Rachel Thompson November 8, 2011

When architecture professor Larry Speck helped design Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, he tried to prevent the crowded feeling he often felt walking through ordinary airports, he said. “I...

Local bike shop, radio station team up to build bikes for underprivileged children

Rachel Thompson November 8, 2011

On the morning of Dec. 16, 750 underprivileged Texas children will head out to a parking lot full of bicycles, knowing that one of those bikes will be theirs to take home. Local Austin bike shop Mellow...

Professor argues for archiving genocide

Rachel Thompson November 1, 2011

 It is a nation’s duty to record the truth through archives and to overcome the challenges of assembling those archives, said John Ciorciari, assistant professor of public policy at the University...

The Spirit of Sound

Rachel Thompson November 1, 2011

Nothing screams Halloween quite like a theremin — that is, the musical instrument used to create spooky sounds in early Hollywood blockbusters such as “Spellbound” and “The Day...

Professor parallels plant genes, humans

Rachel Thompson October 25, 2011

The plant kingdom has been a source of inspiration for the management of the human population, said Lesley Stern, a professor at the University of California in San Diego. Stern spoke to the Department...

China a ‘laboratory of architectural ideas’

Rachel Thompson October 25, 2011

China is an architectural powerhouse with new projects constantly underway, said Qingyun Ma, dean of architecture at the University of Southern California. Ma presented a multitude of projects currently...

Powers releases Campaign for Texas update

Rachel Thompson October 18, 2011

UT President William Powers Jr. released a statement Monday discussing the Campaign for Texas, a fundraising effort that has raised more than $1.7 billion for the University. UT uses the donations to...

Troubled adolescents could find help in the arts

Rachel Thompson October 18, 2011

UT professors are joining Austin community members to cultivate creativity among adolescents otherwise considered derelicts by some members of society. Travis Marcum of the Austin Classical Guitar Society...

Workshop speakers discuss border control

Rachel Thompson October 11, 2011

Eighteen-year-old Esequiel Hernandez Jr. was shot and killed by a Marine while tending to his family’s livestock in Redford, Texas, near the U.S.-Mexico border. The corporal who fired the shot believed...

Learning Center moves to new department

Rachel Thompson October 11, 2011

The Sanger Learning and Career Center recently moved into the School of Undergraduate Studies, but it has already been aiding students by providing resources and staff to help freshman and other students...

Scholars program promotes student involvement in major issues

Rachel Thompson October 4, 2011

The need for technologies to prevent and respond to a nuclear attack is growing, according to the National Academy of Engineering website. This global challenge, along with others, is a focus of a new...

Holocaust artists remembered

Rachel Thompson October 4, 2011

In order to escape deportation to Auschwitz during the Holocaust, prisoners of Theresienstadt concentration camp tried to join the Freizeitgestaltung, a group of artists and musicians who put on concerts...

School of Information students discuss banned books at Read-Out

Rachel Thompson September 27, 2011

[Corrected Sept. 27: Changed spelling of Jessica McClean] When Information sciences graduate student Jessica McClean was in high school, she read J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”...

Death penalty protests continue after Davis’ death

Rachel Thompson September 26, 2011

At the Texas Capitol on Friday, students commemorated the death of a man they say was wrongly executed and protested against the death penalty. Troy Davis was executed in Atlanta by lethal injection on...

Natural Sciences Career Expo offers internship opportunities

Rachel Thompson September 20, 2011

Students donned ties and trousers and polished their resumes for the fall 2011 Natural Sciences Career Expo at the Frank Erwin Center on Monday. Inside, a wide range of employers, from small start-up companies...

Recalled ground turkey contains salmonella

Rachel Thompson September 13, 2011

Poultry distributor Cargill Inc. recalled 185,000 pounds of ground turkey products on Sunday after traces of salmonella were found in them. These products included chubs of Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey...

European ethnic groups played a large role in Texas’ founding

Rachel Thompson September 6, 2011

Students and professors gathered Friday to learn how Scots, English, Welsh and particularly Irish played a role in shaping the history of Texas. Marian J. Barber, associate director of the National History...

Party on the Plaza helps students join UT organizations

Rachel Thompson September 1, 2011

Colorful posters, white tents and enthusiastic students covered the pavement outside Gregory Gym on Wednesday for UT’s 12th annual Party on the Plaza. UT RecSports has hosted the event since 1999...

Rising obesity rate triggers UN discussion

Rachel Thompson August 30, 2011

The Lancet, a British medical journal, released a report last week describing the epidemic of rising rates of obesity in America and across the world. According to the study, 50 percent of American adults...

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