Journalism

New Bill Could Change Standardized Testing in Texas

Hays CISD public school teacher Jennifer Weathers has had to adapt and grow due to pandemic just like millions of other educators around the world. However, it has not been all negative as the mindset surrounding the standardization of education has begun to shift more rapidly due to the current circumstances.

Since joining the district in 2015  Weathers has seen a change in how we view education…

Hays Hawks: a new Chapter

Jack C. Hays high school, located approximately 20 miles south of Austin in Buda, TX, has long been known as the Hays Rebels. However, as of July 16, 2020 the school’s slogan of “Rebel Pride Never Dies” was no more as the Hays CISD school board voted unanimously to discontinue the Rebel as the Hays mascot.

The desire to change the school mascot from the Rebels has been brewing in the Hays community for years. In 2000 the school retired the Confederate flag as the official school flag. In 2012 the Confederate flag was banned from campus. In 2016 the school retired Dixie, a Confederate battle anthem, as the official fight song and now as the fall semester of 2021 is set to start, the Hays Rebels are now the Hays Hawks. This change was brought on not only by the influence of societal events at the time, but also by the growing population and increasing diversity that occurred in the county as the cities of Austin and San Marcos grew…

Students Working Through the pandemic

The pandemic has created many challenges for college students including online classes, lack of in-person campus resources and a loss of the “college experience.” However, for many students there is the added stress of the risks they take due to the job they have to support themselves financially.

On March 11 the University of Texas announced that spring break would be extended to two weeks as a plan for how to continue the semester with the spread of COVID-19 was formed. For most undergraduate students, they have yet to set foot back on campus as their education has shifted to become completely virtual.

West Campus Bars Feeling the Pandemic Pain in Sales

With the restrictions put in place due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the service industry as a whole across the country has been struggling to make up lost financial revenue. Austin has not been exempt from this including the area of town known as West Campus.

West Campus is a unique area of Austin. Thousands of students who attend the University of Texas at Austin reside in the 78705 ZIP code. Businesses in the area depend on college students as their main source of revenue, especially the local bars that they frequent. However, those students are not there like they used to be…

Trump visits Apple in Austin sparking protests

Donald Trump visited the Apple plant in Austin, TX to discuss a deal with CEO Tim Cook leading to protestors both against and for Trump to rally outside. 

December 11, 2019

Haunting at the Driskill

Being one of the oldest buildings in downtown Austin, the Hotel Driskill is rumored to have more guests residing there besides just the ones that are checked in. 

November 20, 2019

Kinder Morgan versus Kyle: Natural Gas Pipeline

The city of Kyle fights one of the largest energy companies on a pipeline scheduled to be built through the town.

October 14, 2019

WolfPac in the Texas Capitol Building

Todd Jagger moves confidently through the Texas Capitol building. He knows the halls, and to many there he is a familiar face. He walks from office to office knocking on doors, greeting whoever answers with a smile, a crowd of more than 40 people following behind him. They are WolfPAC Texas, and they have come to the state Legislature to demand change.

“It doesn’t matter where you stand on the political spectrum,” Jagger said. “Your values are not being represented in Congress, and the reason that is, is because Congress is not dependent on us anymore.”…

Austin Library Policy Questioned After the Arrest of Teenager

The Austin Public Library’s policy on dealing with disruptive youths is being called into question by citizens following the arrest of a 13-year-old girl on Feb. 5 at the Carver Branch.

The Austin Police Department responded to a 911 call that there was going to be a fight among a group of girls at the library. When police arrived they discovered one of the girls had a prior, unrelated warrant, and they arrested her.

East Austin Fears School Closures

When the morning bell rings at Zavala Elementary School in East Austin, 295 students file into a building made for 561.The school’s population has decreased by almost one-third in the past 10 years, a more extreme example of a trend that has been seen districtwide. With school consolidations on the way, East Austin residents are fearful of what this could mean for the area.

Because of the downward trends in enrollment, the Austin Independent School District is working on a plan that includes closing some schools starting in August 2020. The district will not announce which campuses will be closing until August 2019 and has not released criteria for how campuses will be chosen…

Thousands Rally for Texas PTA

Over 2,000 Texans funneled through the state Capitol’s front gates Feb. 25 as the sound of the Vista Ridge High School drumline rang out through the air. Parents, students and teachers had travelled from across the state to advocate for the Texas PTA and its 2019 legislative agenda at the Texas PTA Rally Day…