Making Memories at Austin’s Merry Trail of Lights
Luci Garza, Staffer
January 15, 2020
Every winter, downtown Austin is lit up by the festive Trail of Lights, which was started by a small group of Austinites in Zilker Park. Since 1965, it has become a popular attraction and a symbol of the local holiday spirit with over 400,000 people attending each year. What is known as the Trail of...
The East Austin Studio Tour: Why it Makes Austin, Well, Austin
Hanif Amanullah, Entertainment Editor
January 13, 2020
A cool breeze drifted through Austin this November and brought with it a fresh assortment of pictures, paintings, and other pieces of artwork as the annual East Austin Studio Tour (EAST) took place for its 16th consecutive year. In the fall of 2018, EAST’s 585 artists brought more than 50,000 art-lovers...
AISD School Closures Disrupt District Equality
January 9, 2020
In the next 10 years, seven thousand students from the Austin Independent School District (AISD) are expected to leave the district in favor of a charter school, an alternative school or an alternative district. AISD has claimed that under-enrollment has essentially forced the Board of Trustees to close...
A Merry Austinite Christmas
Alex Watson, Photo Editor
December 25, 2019
Now that winter has officially begun, it’s time to lace up your skates and spread some holiday cheer! Although there likely won’t be much snow in Austin, you can do just about everything else to celebrate this magical time of year. The city has many time-honored traditions to explore, from ice skating...
The Secret Lives of Fast Food Menus
Diego Prozzi, Staffer
November 4, 2019
Fast food restaurants in Austin offer more than just what is written on the menu. Home Slice Pizza and Torchy’s Tacos are two restaurants that offer items on secret menus, which are menus with unique items that are normally not available to customers. Torchy’s is a very popular chain of taco...
ACL’s Breakthrough Backstory
Jake Matz, Staffer
November 4, 2019
When Willie Nelson performed in Austin in Oct. 1974, his concert was taped on video. The next year it would become the first Austin City Limits (ACL) broadcast, which turned into a larger radio broadcast and massive music festival, making Austin the "music capital of the world". Thousands of people attend...
Capital Punishments: Is Lady Liberty Handing Out Justice in Texas?
Sophie Chau, Staffer
November 4, 2019
The legacy of racism in the U.S. prison system and the persecution of innocent people show that the system has, in some cases, failed to correctly differentiate between innocent and guilty. This has lead to the unjust deaths of innocent people, which highlights ongoing flaws in the American Justice System....
Construction Begins for Austin FC Stadium
Charles Taylor, Sports Editor
October 9, 2019
On Monday, Sept. 9, 2019, a few shovels struck the dirt somewhere in a 24-acre plot of land off of McKalla Place in North Austin. While the amount of material displaced was insignificant, the event marked a momentous project which will transform the city of Austin as we know it. Among the shovelers were...
Austin Faces Rising Rates of Urban Homelessness
Abigail Jackson, Staff Writer
October 9, 2019
Homelessness is on the rise in America. In Austin, there are over 2000 homeless people in need. Many of the homeless resort to living on the street or living in temporary housing provided by charitable organizations. The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH), which is run by Front Steps Organization,...
Introducing the Challenger News
Diya D'Souza, Staff Writer
October 9, 2019
When homeless advocate Val Romness heard about a local street newspaper fizzling out, she decided to take over the newspaper, The Challenger, herself and bring it back to life with the help of a staff of the homeless all around Austin. The Challenger is an Austin-based newspaper with homeless writers,...
No Blues on This Green
Max Domel, Entertainment Editor
August 21, 2019
Austinites do not have to travel far to find activities to do during the summer months. There are plenty of events to participate in in Austin over the break. One of the highlights is Blues on the Green (BOTG), a music festival that runs on select days throughout summer and invites locals to enjoy a...
Austin painted in vivid color
Alec Lippman, Staff Writer
May 14, 2019
Brush by brush, the Color Squad works together to create large, thoughtful murals throughout the city of Austin. Each mural raises awareness for various social justice topics such as LGBTQ awareness, the rights of immigrants and food justice. Color Squad is just one of three programs for teens around...