Category: News
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JFK and UTD: A 60 Year History
Paying tribute to the 60th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the McDermott Library provided a public collection of books, government reports, feature films, and documentaries. On the same day that hundreds gathered in Dealey Plaza for the anniversary of Nov. 22, 1963, the McDermott library put out 32 items from within the library on…
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Student Affairs removes Spirit Rocks for platforming ‘extended political discourse’
The Spirit Rocks, UTD’s preeminent platform for student expression, were removed from campus Nov. 20 after “extended political discourse” about the conflict in Israel and Palestine, raising concerns of censorship. According to an early morning email from Student Affairs, recent messages on the rocks “have been inconsistent with their original purpose and guidelines,” and “extended…
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A week of protests for Spirit Rocks
Hundreds of impassioned Comets participated in a week of events protesting the Spirit Rocks’ Nov. 20 removal, organized by the Progressive Student Coalition. The coalition, also known as PSC, was formed earlier this month by a group of student organizations to promote progressive causes on campus, primarily calling for the reinstatement of the rocks and…
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Student Government passes resolution demanding Spirit Rocks return
With a nearly unanimous vote and resounding applause, Student Government passed S.R. 2023-08 on Nov. 28, a resolution demanding UTD reinstate the Spirit Rocks. UTD admin removed the Spirit Rocks from campus on Nov. 20, triggering immediate student backlash, including multiple petitions for SG to push against the decision. Over the following week, SG senator…
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Student Affairs removes Spirit Rocks for platforming “extended political discourse”
The Spirit Rocks, a popular public platform for student expression, were removed from campus Nov. 20 after “extended political discourse” about conflict in Israel and Palestine, raising concerns of censorship. Students have been spray painting the Spirit Rocks with drawings and slogans to express themselves since Student Affairs placed the boulders on campus in 2008.…
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UTD students arrested for kidnapping and robbery of elderly couple
Biology senior Jeffrey Stayns Fernando and ITS graduate Akash Tyagi were arrested Nov. 9 as suspects in the kidnapping and robbery of an elderly couple in Midlothian, Texas. Midlothian Police Department investigators identified and charged Fernando and Tyagi with two counts of aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon, two counts of aggravated robbery, and one…
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Students Across Disciplines Team Up to Solve Global Health Problems
Two students launched UTD’s first-ever Interdisciplinary Global Health Case Competition, a contest where students across different schools come together to solve health crises affecting society. The competition, pioneered by policy junior Nandita Kumar and finance junior Avinash Chivakula, drew over 140 people, three times more than expected. Student teams were given a case on a…
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Comets gather for largest hackathon in Texas
HackUTD returned to ECSW on Nov. 4 for the competition’s 10th installment HackUTD is a weekend-long event where participants are given different challenges to solve by expressing themselves through technology. The 2023 hackathon included 1,001 people from 18 different countries. The total pool of prize money was $62,000, the largest amount HackUTD has distributed so…