Reporting Texas TV Newscast October 15, 2020

AUSTIN, Texas — Journalism students from Moody College at the University of Texas made their first newscast of the semester on October 15, 2020. This week’s show covers concerns about ballot drop-off locations,  an on-campus flu shot clinic, and ways the university is helping support students and staff struggling with mental health issues during the […]

Negative COVID-19 Tests Required for Student Seats at DKR Stadium

byStephanie Witt

AUSTIN, Texas — In order to attend University of Texas home football games, students with Big Tickets must get a proactive COVID-19 test. The Big Ticket is a season pass to Longhorn home games in football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, soccer, and track. Fewer than 4,000 students paid for the package this year. Senior journalism […]

Hope Austin Expands Reach Despite Pandemic

byAlyssa Crosby

AUSTIN, Texas — Monica von Waaden volunteered with Round Rock ISD’s Clothes Closet for years. When her children graduated, von Waaden started Hope Austin to focus on the issue of food insecurity. “I thought, if there’s a need for clothing…there has to be a need for food,” von Waaden said. “Lo and behold, there [was] […]

Thousands Get Flu Shots at UT Student Union

byStephanie Witt

AUSTIN, Texas — University Health Services is hosting its annual flu shot clinic in the Texas Union Ballroom through October 23. “The flu shot campaign this year is a little different than years past,” said Sherry Bell, a member of the UT Health Services Public Information Team. UHS is taking COVID-19 precautions to ensure the […]

UT Students and Staff Address Mental Health Due to COVID-19

byAlyssa Crosby

AUSTIN, Texas – University of Texas senior Aidan Stone has had mental health struggles for years—and then the pandemic hit. Like many other students, Stone opted to take all of his classes online. More than 75% of classes are being held virtually. The lack of socialization has taken a toll on Stone. “There are days […]

Governor’s Order to Remove Drop-Off Ballot Boxes Brings Questions

byBismarck D. Andino

AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott’s proclamation limiting counties to a single mail-in ballot drop-off location made people question whether he has the legal authority to do so. In a lawsuit brought by the League of United Latin American Citizens and the League of Women Voters, a federal court ruled that he doesn’t. Attorney General […]

UT’s Music Majors Struggle in Pandemic

byRebekah Philip

As a senior music major at The University of Texas at Austin’s Butler School of Music and future student teacher, Alessio Nachtergaele hoped he would be teaching at Westlake High School and Cedar Creek Elementary. Although he continues to create lesson plans, quarantine continues to hinder him in many ways.  “The only music making we […]

Quality Connections in Quarantine

bySamantha Hall

  Austin, a city known for its traffic, high density and crowd-drawing festivals, is closing in on two months of staying home. Public discourse has been inundated with stories of premature death, economic demise and fear. This is not one of them. Human beings are innately social creatures. We crave connections with others. Even introverts […]

Pandemic Upends Latino Lives

byJennifer Martinez

El que no nada se ahoga. He who does not swim drowns.

Growing up in a traditional immigrant household, this six-word declaration proved fundamental. My parents, both Salvadoran natives, imparted its wisdom on their children in response to misfortune— at times as a warning and at others as encouragement. It’s a lesson they learned from years of working long hours at one blue collared job or another, scraping together enough money to renew heftily priced work visas and keep the lights on, and finding a way to remain afloat as immigrants in the U.S.

UT 2020 Commencement Ceremony Goes Virtual

byRyan Chandler

The University of Texas at Austin announced late last month this spring’s commencement ceremony will be held online on May 23. The change comes in light of social distancing orders that restrict the traditional event from bringing thousands of graduates and family members to the Main Mall. The University says that while the situation is […]

Reporting Texas TV Newscast May 7, 2020

Austin – Journalism students from Moody College at the University of Texas aired their final newscast of the semester on May 7, 2020. This week students looked into the impact COVID 19 has on the traditional ring ceremony, restaurants reopening and a behind the scenes look at the planning for UT’s first virtual graduation.

South Texas Animal Shelter Needing More Fosters as State Reopens

byMarco Ramirez

EDINBURG – Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, The Palm Valley Animal Society has kept providing the best care possible to all the animals that have shown up at their door.  But their primary focus during this pandemic, has been to keep both their employees and the community safe.  “This has been an unusual situation for all […]

Some Restaurants in No Rush to Reopen During Pandemic

byMason Carroll

LUBBOCK – The empty dining room of House Café Gastropub is filled with the chatter of employees preparing takeout orders. Jason and Kate Diehl have owned a restaurant in this spot for more than seven years, and it is the first time their doors have been closed like this. Restaurants’ dining rooms around the country […]

Cinemas Offering Virtual Film Options to Audiences

byNataleah Small

Movie theaters in Austin across Texas could reopen at 25% capacity on May 1 according to an announcement from Gov. Greg Abbott. However, many cinemas have decided to remain closed due to concerns about COVID-19.  Violet Crown Cinema, located in downtown Austin, began its temporary closure on March 17, but managers have yet to determine […]

Zoom Dates, Facetime Meets, and Drive-Ins? Oh my!

byAlaina Hayden

HOUSTON – Social distancing may be prohibiting some forms of human connection, but it hasn’t stopped people from meeting prospective romantic partners. Dating apps such as Bumble, Tinder and Hinge have seen an approximate 30% increase in user messaging according to Time magazine. Avid swipers such as 21-year-old Chandler Gibson are taking advantage of this […]

Restaurant Owners Say Reopening is a Tough Choice

byLaura Laughead

HOUSTON – While restaurants across Texas can now partially reopen, owners are faced with the choice whether to let their customers come back and dine inside.  An early poll from the Texas Restaurant Association shows that restaurants are about evenly split on reopening during the first wave that started May 1.  A restaurant in Harris […]

Reporting Texas TV Newscast April 30, 2020

Austin — Producers, reporters, anchors and the rest of the Reporting Texas TV group bring viewers the latest on the impact COVID-19 is having on the Austin and UT community.

Austin Announces an Emergency Fund for Artists

byAndrew Almeter

For almost two months, the nightlife in the live music capital of the world has been shuttered. Since COVID-19 caused the cancellation of South By Southwest in early March, Austin musicians and venues have struggled. Connor McCampbell is the founder and frontman of the Austin performance group TC Superstar. He was looking forward to one […]

Ensemble Group Takes Its Tempo Online

byFaith Castle

Among many organizations that cancelled activities due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Mariachi Parades, an ensemble upholding Mariachi traditions, found a new ritual for their performances.  UT Austin’s Mariachi Parades performs weekly virtual songs on their Facebook and Twitter accounts to provide content to their audience. The students individually practice and then send their clips to […]

Hairstylist Petitions Texas Governor to Reopen Salon

byCarli Rappaport

ROUND ROCK – With businesses shut down, many hairstylists are struggling to make ends meet.  Sarah Johnson, a cosmetologist at A-Zany-Do Salon & Spa in Round Rock, Texas, petitioned Governor Greg Abbott to allow hair stylists to see clients one-on-one. Her petition reached over 15,000 signatures in less than seven days. “I’m definitely blown away […]