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 Sylvia Butanda

Trash to Treasure drive to accept donations

Sylvia Butanda May 4, 2012

Students getting rid of used items can consider contributing to a campus-wide drive that is looking for donations ranging from pairs of gently worn shoes to notebooks and household goods. The eighth annual...

DOM_MAYDAY_2012-05-02_Mayday_Protest_and_March_Thomas_Allison113

First of May marks May Day, or International Workers Day

Sylvia Butanda May 2, 2012

Laborers and activists around the world, including in Austin, acknowledged the first day of May through political demonstrations on Tuesday. International Workers Day, or May Day, developed from rallies...

2012-04-25_Final_Orchestra_Performance_Thomas

UT Orchestra features noted, ‘high caliber’ works at show

Sylvia Butanda and Colton Pence April 25, 2012

With the works of famed composers filling the air, listeners on campus were taken on a musical journey that led them through Rome and London. The University Orchestra held its final concert of...

2012-04-24_Multicultural_Show_Pu

Cultural Showcase exposes University’s diversity

Sylvia Butanda April 24, 2012

From modern Indian and Latin dancing to traditional mariachi and West African music, a night of cultural enrichment exposed students to a diverse group of student organizations Monday. The Cultural Showcase,...

DOM_2012-04-20_UT_contour_fashion_show_Andreina_Velazquez3589

Graduating students exhibit takes on ‘Contour’ theme

Sylvia Butanda April 20, 2012

From psychedelic mushroom-inspired dresses to a “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”-inspired collection, graduating designers showcased their final works at the Frank Erwin Center on Thursday night. Twenty-three...

Austin Police officer fatally shoots dog

Sylvia Butanda April 18, 2012

A response to a domestic disturbance issue in East Austin left the dog of an Austin resident dead due to a misunderstanding of the location of the disturbance by the Austin Police Department. Officer...

Former UT professor to be honored with development of theater history center

Sylvia Butanda April 17, 2012

Oscar Brockett, a former UT professor, was one of the world’s leading theater historians, and his leadership will continue to be honored by the development of an academic research center in his area...

Texas ranks in top ten healthiest colleges in the US

Sylvia Butanda April 13, 2012

Health programs, services and healthy dining hall food options contributed to UT’s number seven place among the Top 25 healthiest colleges in the nation. Greatist.com, a health and wellness blog,...

PEDICABS_2012-04-13_Petty_Cab_Rebeca

Austin City Council passes updated regulations for pedicabs

Sylvia Butanda April 13, 2012

With the increasing popularity of pedicab transportation downtown and in surrounding areas, Austin City Council members approved new regulations Thursday to hopefully increase safety of pedicab operation...

Texas ranks top ten in healthiest colleges in the US

Sylvia Butanda April 13, 2012

Health programs, services and healthy dining hall food options contributed to UT’s number seven place among the Top 25 healthiest colleges in the nation. Greatist.com, a health and wellness blog,...

Second UT Energy Poll reports increasing public support for domestic energy

Sylvia Butanda April 11, 2012

A national online poll has revealed the growing public backing for domestic energy, with many showing support for natural gas and renewable energy production, said Tanya Andrien, associate director of...

Loose convict causes concern

Sylvia Butanda April 10, 2012

A convicted sex offender who purposely cut off his ankle monitor and fled his residence has still not been found by authorities and is considered a cause for concern by campus police and safety organizations. Robert...

2012-04-10-Comm_Town_Hall_Jorge

Council strives for student improvements

Sylvia Butanda April 10, 2012

Online course work should be emphasized during the summer so that students will be encouraged to continue their degrees during their three month break, said Communication Council president Patrick White...

iPhone app lets users share memes

Sylvia Butanda April 9, 2012

When students can’t find the words to express themselves in a Facebook status update or text message, an iPhone application created by a UT alumna could be the solution. Founder and CEO of Blurtt...

CEO discussed child abuse, philanthropy

Sylvia Butanda April 6, 2012

Americans need to take more action to prevent abuse instead of just talking about a problem that impacts children around the country, said Jim Hmurovich, CEO and president of Prevent Child Abuse America. The...

RESHALLS_2012-04-04_Energy_Conservation_Zen

UT teaching students to save energy through competition

Sylvia Butanda April 4, 2012

Campus residence halls will attempt to reduce their energy use for the month of April as part of a national energy conservation challenge. The second annual Campus Conservation Nationals competition’s...

2012-04-03_Solar_System_Gabriella

New solar charging station on campus for student use

Sylvia Butanda April 3, 2012

Students on campus can now charge their electrical devices outside using solar energy without the hassle of trying to find an electrical outlet in or around a campus building. The Sol Design Lab, founded...

2012-04-03_Juan_Gonzalez_Batli

Author: media misrepresents minorities

Sylvia Butanda April 3, 2012

The history of portraying members of minorities in colonial America from the perspective of the upper-class white culture has stuck with the media through the past four centuries, said investigative journalist...

2012-03-28_Garrett_Bauer_Rebeca

Convicted insider trader warns students against committing similar crimes

Sylvia Butanda March 28, 2012

A former insider trader who is soon facing life behind bars advised students to steer clear of illegal activities that may cause them to end up in his position. The Texas Undergraduate Investment...

Gates_2006

Former secretary of defense to give keynote address at graduation

Sylvia Butanda March 27, 2012

Robert Gates, the former secretary of defense and former Texas A&M University president, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the spring commencement ceremony in front of about 8,000 graduates...

2012-03-27_Ranking_engineering_Pu

Several graduate schools recognized as top in country

Sylvia Butanda March 27, 2012

Three University departments were recognized in a recent report revealing the top graduate schools in the country. In addition to the number three rank the College of Education received, the College of...

0326_bats_betsycooper

Climate change brings bats to Austin

Sylvia Butanda March 26, 2012

With the emergence of warm spring weather comes the return of the Mexican Freetail bats under Congress Bridge and the remote possibility that a feared and foreign species of bat could make its way into...

2012-03-23_Mazetti_National_security_talk_andreina_velazquez3330

NY Times correspondent talks Iraq, dangers of war coverage

Sylvia Butanda March 23, 2012

After more than 10 years of war overseas, the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts have calmed down, but the United States is still engaging in secret battlegrounds in addition to these declared war zones. The...

Study finds troubling rate of university matriculation

Sylvia Butanda March 21, 2012

A new study shows four out of five eighth-grade students in Texas will not go on to complete college degrees after high school graduation. The Houston Endowment foundation collaborated with the National...

AP_Mexico Drug War_admi

Texas DPS warns against visiting Mexico for spring break

Sylvia Butanda March 9, 2012

Whether students plan to stay in Austin or visit their hometowns, students should not consider planning a risky trip to Mexico, according to the Department of Public Safety. This week, the DPS released...

2012_03_06_Health_Fair_Batli

Health Fair educated students on health possibilities

Sylvia Butanda March 6, 2012

Staying healthy throughout the year means increasing food and exercise variety in your daily lifestyle instead of restricting yourself through brief diets. The Student Dietetic Association and the Nutrition...

Press_Longhorn_bars

UT alumni create Longhorn Bar

Sylvia Butanda March 2, 2012

With an interest in helping the University and providing healthy food, two Texas Exes members created a brand of energy and protein bars that has gained momentum since its launch in November 2011. Martha...

Officials investigate cause of fire on fourth floor of Welch Hall

Sylvia Butanda March 2, 2012

A chemical storage refrigerator may have caused a fire on the fourth floor of Welch Hall’s west wing Thursday morning, officials said. The fire started at about 4 a.m. and caused minimal damage....

2012_02_29_Senatea_Zen

Students discuss financial aid concerns at SenaTea

Sylvia Butanda February 29, 2012

Students voiced concerns about increasing college tuition and the structure of the student financial aid website at a discussion Monday. The Senate of College Councils met at the Student Activities Center...

2012-02-28_Love_Your_Body_Gabriella_Belzer4171

Love Your Body Week kicks off with jean donation drive

Sylvia Butanda February 28, 2012

Barbie and Ken stood on display at Gregory Gym Plaza Monday to show students how mainstream media and pop culture influence an unrealistic body image for men and women. National Love Your Body Week kicked...

2012_02_24_Prayer_Rebeca

Day of prayer revived on campus

Sylvia Butanda February 24, 2012

Campus ministries across the nation joined together Thursday as part of a national movement to unite Christian students in a day of prayer. The National Collegiate Day of Prayer effort was organized by...

2012-02-24_Election_Sa_Wang2440

UT Senate elections appoint 2012 positions

Sylvia Butanda February 24, 2012

The Senate of College Councils gained a new executive leader Thursday night after electing its former communications director as president. President-elect Michael Morton, a journalism senior, said he...

2012_02_23_Professor_Karl_Gebhardt_Raveena

$10 million private donation to be used in expanding supercomputer center

Sylvia Butanda February 23, 2012

The Texas Advanced Computing Center will receive a $10 million private donation to advance the supercomputer center’s data-driven science. The Peter O’Donnell Foundation has donated in past...

2012_02_22_Veterans_Welcome_Zen

Veterans receive help, information during Veteran Welcome Week

Sylvia Butanda February 22, 2012

After ending his military service in 2009, sociology senior Donald Davis returned to the classroom for the first time in over a decade, but had trouble assimilating to civilian life at the University after...

2012-02-21_Barbara_Jordan_Freedom_Foundation_Batli

Political heroine’s school discipline debate revived

Sylvia Butanda February 21, 2012

Not only a pioneer in Texas’ political and civil rights arenas, Houston native Barbara Jordan was also a faculty member at UT where she is remembered each year on her birthday. Jordan will be celebrated...

Return of student integrity-advocacy week to feature variety of events

Sylvia Butanda February 21, 2012

The re-installment of IntegrityUT Week will emphasize the University’s Honor Code policy with the goal of promoting honest academic behavior among students on campus. IntegrityUT Week, hosted by...

Primary election delay to deter UT student voters

Sylvia Butanda February 17, 2012

After final exams end in May, some students may be more interested in summer vacation than political primaries, while others will still find a way to cast their vote. With the recent Texas redistricting...

Hinduism Awareness Week hosts educational yoga-related activities for students

Sylvia Butanda February 17, 2012

Members of the Hindu Student Association hope the next time people hear the word “yoga,” they will think of its relation to Hinduism rather than its contemporary status as a relaxing, pose-making...

DOM_2012-02-15_Gerre_Hancock_Memorial_Thomas

Gerre Hancock remembered at memorial service

Sylvia Butanda February 15, 2012

Family, friends and colleagues celebrated the life of a beloved UT organist with a memorial service on Tuesday that included performances of his renowned works. Gerre Hancock, a former professor of organ...

2012-02-14-AustinPetsAlive_LoveAustinWeek_Shannon

Website helps raise awareness for local nonprofit organizations

Sylvia Butanda February 14, 2012

Austin is showing some love for nonprofit organizations this week as part of the first Love Austin Week created by Snoball.com, starting Monday with dog treat sales for the Austin Pets Alive! organization. Snoball...

Study shows people turn to leisure activities in spare time

Sylvia Butanda February 10, 2012

If people had a window of opportunity for more time off work, they would spend it on leisure activities rather than efficient actions such as studying or cleaning, according to a new economics study. Economics...

2012-02-08_Thousand_Voices_Thomas

Fair Trade USA fights poverty through business

Sylvia Butanda February 8, 2012

With a one-way ticket to Nicaragua, Paul Rice left the U.S. fresh out of college with the mentality that he could change the world. Now 29 years later, he is the founder and CEO of Fair Trade USA. Fair...

Princeton Review names UT top college for value

Sylvia Butanda February 8, 2012

The Princeton Review named UT-Austin one of the top 10 Best Value Public Colleges in the nation for 2012. The list featured 150 schools and 37 states overall and assessed their rankings from institutional...

New building allows for collaboration between communication departments

Sylvia Butanda February 7, 2012

An online tour of the upcoming Belo Center for New Media allows students to virtually explore the facility and preview KUT’s new home. The tour went online at the beginning of February and unveils...

The Project unites alumni, students in community service

Sylvia Butanda January 30, 2012

Fifty Texas Exes alumni chapters and the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement will team up to host The Project, a community service event aiming to renovate two Austin area neighborhoods on Feb....

2012-01-24_Kung_Fu_Batli

Self-defense classes empower, educate women

Sylvia Butanda January 24, 2012

Self-defense classes teach women not only to protect themselves with tasers and pepper spray, but also with their own body when those weapons fail them, said kung fu instructor Aaron “Moy 10 Tung”...

2012-01-21_Violin_&_Miro_Quartet_Zachary

School of Music to host 2014 violin competition

Sylvia Butanda January 23, 2012

The Butler School of Music will host the “Olympics for the violin” in 2014, said School of Music director B. Glenn Chandler. The school has been selected as the first North American location...

Digital archive of Guatemala’s police force launched at conference

Sylvia Butanda December 5, 2011

A digital archive featuring millions of images and documents from the National Police of Guatemala could help people searching for family and friends who have disappeared, said Karen Engle, law professor...

Students learn study abroad etiquette

Sylvia Butanda November 21, 2011

Females exposing their knees in public, which may be found offensive in areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, is an example of etiquette which students who plan on studying abroad must become familiar with, said...

First waste-free grocery store to open, sell local produce with no packaging

Sylvia Butanda November 14, 2011

[Updated on Nov. 18, 2011 at 10:44 p.m., store opening indefinite, pendant on building permit] Forty percent of the 1.4 billion pounds of waste that enter landfills in the United States every day is single-use...

Conference students discuss US-Mexico border issues, solutions

Sylvia Butanda November 14, 2011

Border violence and security in relation to drug consumption in the United States drove one group of American and Mexican students to propose an awareness campaign that highlights the connection between...

500th Moonlight Prowl reveals unfamiliar UT history

Sylvia Butanda November 7, 2011

From stories about the University’s first dormitory to the birth of “The Eyes of Texas,” the campus has a rich history the UT community explored over the weekend. Students, staff and...

Collegiate EMS Week will teach CPR, first aid

Sylvia Butanda November 7, 2011

According to a 2010 comparison conducted by the Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services, only 34 percent of cardiac arrest patients received bystander CPR in the Austin area compared to Seattle,...

Museum hosts fright fest for kids

Sylvia Butanda October 31, 2011

The 3rd Annual “Fright at the Museum” at the Texas Memorial Museum featured special exhibits that highlighted the museum’s scariest specimens and offered a variety of Halloween-themed...

UT Alumni Share Olympic Experience

Sylvia Butanda October 31, 2011

UT Olympians earned 14 medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, enough to tie with Kenya for 18th in the national medal count. Some of UT’s former and current Olympians returned to campus to share their...

Hogg Foundation awards $1.6 million grants to increase mental health workforce

Sylvia Butanda October 20, 2011

 Doctoral psychology students in need of training in the mental health workforce have better opportunities for finding internships with the help of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. The foundation...

Texas Quidditch holds first scrimmage of season

Sylvia Butanda October 17, 2011

Students rode broomsticks and wore Hogwarts house colors while playing muggle, or non-magical, Quidditch, based on the wizarding sport played by the characters in J.K. Rowling’s young adult book...

Navratri Celebration Honors Women

Sylvia Butanda October 17, 2011

Students performed three traditional dances as part of Navratri, a celebration of women empowerment in the Hindu culture. Hindus observe Navratri four times a year in correspondence with the lunar calendar....

Lecture Examines Marriage and Happiness in U.S. and Japan

Sylvia Butanda October 10, 2011

The happiest periods of marriage occur with the early honeymoon phase and later on following the departure of children from the house, according to a study comparing marriage within the United States and...

Family Fossil Day features dinosaur exhibit and children’s activities

Sylvia Butanda October 10, 2011

“Family Fossil Fun Day” at the Texas Memorial Museum offered a look at a dinosaur discovered by a UT professor and hands-on activities for children. The Texas Natural Science Center hosted...

National award honors two UT scientists

Sylvia Butanda October 3, 2011

[Updated at 10:29 a.m., Sara Sawyer quote] Clarification: Ali Khademhosseini is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard University visiting UT for the fall 2011 semester. Two UT scientists...

Campus Safety Week bringing awareness to students

Allie Kolechta and Sylvia Butanda October 3, 2011

Training 80 percent of the student body to conduct CPR chest compressions is one of the many safety goals of John Suffredini, Longhorn Emergency Medical Services director. He demonstrated proper CPR execution...

Pecan Street Festival celebrates 30 Years

Sylvia Butanda September 26, 2011

Hundreds of vendors, artists and events and thousands of people from Central Texas took over Sixth Street on Saturday and Sunday for the 30th year of Pecan Street Festival. The LEGO Experience Tour, the...

Lecture series explores relation between memory and the future

Sylvia Butanda September 26, 2011

Memories directly affect day-to-day actions and therefore help predict the futures, said Alison Preston, an assistant psychology and neurobiology professor. Preston lectured during the Hot Science-Cool...

Reuniting pets and owners lost by wildfires

Sylvia Butanda September 19, 2011

The recent wildfires in Bastrop County have destroyed homes and disrupted daily life for local residents and their pets. Officials at area animal shelters say they are doing what they can to reunite pets...

Center for Women’s and Gender Studies receives grant

Sylvia Butanda September 8, 2011

The Center for Women’s and Gender Studies received a $100,200 grant, which will initiate a program for women’s empowerment, encouraging a more active participation in politics. The Embrey...

Longhorn Recycling Roundup cleans up tailgaters’ trash

Sylvia Butanda September 6, 2011

While the Longhorns kicked the Rice Owls’ cans on the football field, student volunteers collected the cans tailgaters left around campus Saturday afternoon. The second year of Longhorn Recycling...

Activate Search
Sylvia Butanda