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News Reporting

The following are examples of my work as a news reporter, which were published through the North Texas Daily. As a news reporter, I have been able to pursue investigations involving higher education, business and local government. I have also been able to help provide accurate and in-depth election coverage, including background on candidates and concise and accurate explanations of policy stances.

I have also provided timely coverage of breaking news, sometimes picked up later by bigger, national publications.

News reporting has allowed me to cover stories with sizeable impact to my community -- something heartwarming here ig

Featured Article

Explore a featured selection of my writing work below.
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College of Education makes 78 changes to course titles and descriptions

The College of Education is making 78 changes to course titles and descriptions to take effect next fall.The altered courses are within the College of Education’s Department of Teacher Education and Administration. Course names and descriptions are reviewed, selected for adjustments and then rewritten by Brian McFarlin, an associate dean for undergraduate studies and research in the College of Education.According to an email sent by Assistant Professor Lok-Sze Wong to fellow faculty and obtained...

My Latest Work

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Faculty Senate meeting Dec. 13: University to require travel forms from faculty following governor’s executive order, university accreditation, construction on campus and a committee’s dissolution.

University Provost Michael McPherson and President Harrison Keller addressed the Faculty Senate Wednesday about various matters, including new university and faculty requirements to comply with Texas Executive Order GA-48.The order, signed by Gov. Abbott on Nov. 19, prohibits employees of higher education institutions from traveling for professional purposes to and accepting gifts from entities associated with countries deemed “adversarial” by the United States Chamber of Commerce in order to he...
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University under fire from national advocacy organizations for Senate Bill 17 ‘overcompliance’

National organizations advocating for civil liberties and academic freedom have condemned the university in recent days for what they say is “overcompliance” with a state ban on DEI and infringement upon the academic freedom of faculty.This follows the university announcing new guidance on research and teaching in the name of Senate Bill 17 compliance, making 78 changes to graduate education course titles and descriptions and making 130 changes to undergraduate education courses, all without fac...
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SGA unlikely to pass legislation this semester, misses 'unofficial deadline'

The Student Government Association missed the unofficial Nov. 1 deadline to introduce legislation, and will likely not pass any legislation this semester, SGA Vice President Jaidyn Watkins said.Watkins said the “unofficial deadline” marks the point where legislation no longer has the time to pass before Thanksgiving Break and be implemented before the semester ends. Watkins said legislation introduced after this point is often “tabled” during the winter break and into the following spring semest...
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North Texas Daily’s state candidate guide

U.S. Congressional SenateDemocrat Colin Allred is a fourth-generation Texan born and raised in Dallas. He later graduated Baylor University and later graduated from the University of California Berkeley School of Law to eventually become a voting rights lawyer. Allred also worked in the General Counsel’s office within the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Obama Administration.Allred then represented Texas’ 32nd District in the House of Representatives for three terms. During...
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Pro-Palestinian organizations’ campus walkout starts ‘Week of Rage’ protests for Israel-Hamas conflict anniversary

Local and student groups in support of Palestine held a walkout on the Library Mall Oct.7 as the first in a series of events to protest what the groups say is the university’s complicity in the conflict.Free Palestine Denton and the university’s chapters of Palestine Solidarity Committee and Young Democratic Socialists of America planned a “Week of Rage” Oct. 7-11 for the one-year anniversary of the conflict. The Associated Press estimates at least 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, 96,000 Pa...
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University president discusses higher education at Texas Tribune Festival

University President Harrison Keller took part in a panel discussing the future of post-secondary education during the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin last Friday.Entitled “Higher Aspirations: How post-secondary education in Texas can get its mojo back,” the panel featured President of Northwest Vista College Amy Bosley and Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System Tedd Mitchell in addition to Keller.The panelists discussed topics such as college affordability, state involvement in higher...
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University dissolves certain faculty senate committees and all faculty and employee resource groups to comply with Senate Bill 17

Provost Michael McPherson announced that three faculty senate committees and all faculty and employee resource groups are immediately dissolved to comply with Senate Bill 17 in an email to university employees this afternoon.This is the latest change made by the university in the wake of SB17, a Texas law passed June 17, 2023 aimed at removing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts from public colleges. “Last year upon the dissolution of [the Division of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access]...
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Campus responds to potential president

June 28 will mark the end of the 21 days required by state law before the University of North Texas System’s Board of Regents can finalize their decision to hire sole finalist Harrison Keller as president of the university. With the upcoming transition in leadership, university faculty and student leaders share hopes the potential new president will prioritize goals centered around student success.Neal Smatresk has served the university for a decade and holds the longest tenure since Alfred Fran...
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Sony buys Alamo Drafthouse after branch files bankruptcy, DFW’s ex-employees still left without pay

Editor's note: This story's headline has been changed from its e-edition's appearance to better reflect and specify its subject. The headline found on the June 20, 2024 issue reads "Sony buys Alamo Drafthouse post bankruptcy, DFW's ex-employees still left without pay."Two weeks ago, 600 employees were fired when the Dallas-Fort Worth Franchise of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema declared bankruptcy. Since then, Sony Pictures has bought the company while Alamo’s ex-employees are left without pay.On Thursd...
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University updates academic policy requiring new evaluation process for part-time faculty

Content disclaimer: Randy Loftis is the faculty advisor to the North Texas Daily and was interviewed for this article. Loftis does not read any article before publication unless asked by a reporter. He also does not approve stories before they are published.The university updated its academic policy, which now requires all colleges and departments to implement a new evaluation process for part-time faculty by next spring.The change in policy, announced in an email to faculty in March and include...

Local Lens Column Series

In preparation for the 2024 Presidential Election, I published a bi-weekly column entitled "Local Lens" which examined the local effects of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris' policies on a national issue.

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Local Lens: Trump, Harris and gun policy

National issues affect local communities. In anticipation of the upcoming presidential election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the North Texas Daily will run a series every other week called Local Lens. The goal of this series is to take national issues of debate and analyze how they affect Texas, Denton and/or university students.Gun violence and firearm deaths are a prominent issue in the United States and a contentious point of partisan debate. In 2021...
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Local Lens: Trump, Harris and abortion

National issues affect local communities. In anticipation of the upcoming presidential election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the North Texas Daily will run a series every other week called Local Lens. The goal of this series is to take national issues of debate and analyze how they affect Texas, Denton and/or university students.Abortion is one of the most contentious issues of this election cycle. The 2024 presidential election will be the first since...
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Local Lens: Trump, Harris and immigration

National issues affect local communities. In anticipation of the upcoming presidential election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the North Texas Daily will run a series every other week called Local Lens. The goal of this series is to take national issues of debate and analyze how they affect Texas, Denton and/or university students.Listen to the complete interview with university political science Professor Dr. Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha below.Immigration has b...
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Local Lens: Trump, Harris and the climate

National issues affect local communities. In anticipation of the upcoming presidential election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the North Texas Daily will run a series every other week called Local Lens. The goal of this series is to take national issues of debate and analyze how they affect Texas, Denton and/or university students.The issue of climate change and how to address it continues to crop up in American political discourse. It also impacts daily...
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Local Lens: Trump, Harris and voting rights

National issues affect local communities. In anticipation of the upcoming presidential election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the North Texas Daily will run a series every other week called Local Lens. The goal of this series is to take national issues of debate and analyze how they affect Texas, Denton and/or university students.According to the Constitutional Accountability Center, the right to vote is essential to democracy and is the most enshrined r...

Arts & Life Reporting

I started my writing career as an Arts & Life reporter, publishing feature stories and event coverage. Arts & Life allowed me to dive into humanity itself; its passions and desires which drive the creation of art and music for community.

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Fry Street Fair returns to Denton after 17 years

The Fry Street Fair returned to Denton after a 17-year hiatus last weekend, taking place over the course of two days and occupying over four city blocks.After a rocky start with the original organizers of the fair, the new organizer and owner of the Dirty Dicks bar on Avenue A, Andy Saunders, continued the tradition of the Fry Street Fair. According to Saunders, the event featured music from over 60 bands and many of the proceeds were donated to various charities and nonprofit organizations. “Or...
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University seniors team up for pop-up thrift business

For many, thrift shops are the source of unique outfits, vintage clothes and other stunning apparel. Whether searching for new styles or retro attire, thrift stores offer used clothing at an affordable price. Now, Nostalgic Nook brings thrifting directly to the campus with a wide selection of vintage clothes.Nostalgic Nook is a small fashion business that sells vintage clothes. Yaqin Al-Amin and Thomas Basa, seniors at the university majoring in design management, are leading the pop-up business...
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Denton artist with cerebral palsy creates new puzzle game focused on accessibility and entertainment

Joe Rivas, a Denton artist with cerebral palsy and an alumnus of the university’s class of 1998, created a puzzle block game with the goal of accessibility. According to Rivas, much of his work is pyrographic art, a style in which designs are made on material using heat or fire. He then sells his work through his online shop or at the Denton Community Market.Near the start of the new year, Rivas announced his latest game, “Cuatro,” on Facebook. It has recently surpassed his fundraising goal of $...

Opinion Writing

Opinion writing has allowed me to write about unique things I find interesting and valuable. Where news writing can be limited by locality, sources, data, etc., in opinion writing, the world is my oyster.

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‘Honky Chonk Beardonkadonk’: fat bears foster unity

Far away from the halls of Congress or the swing state campaign trails, chunky bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve prepare for hibernation. Snapshots of the bears at their plumpest allow for a competition known as Fat Bear Week in which the internet votes for their fat-favorite. This event inspires positivity and serves as a break from the political madness, proving unity is often built through feel-good oddity.The competition features a sloth of bears competing for a space in th...