General News
Page 7 of 12 pages ‹ First < 5 6 7 8 9 > Last ›
15 Coaches Named UIL Sponsor Excellence Award Winners
By Chris Schmidt, Communications Officer | Tuesday, February 07, 2012 8:47 AM
UIL Sponsor Excellence Award winner Kelly Martin of Stamford High School works with a student during class.
The University Interscholastic League is proud to recognize 15 of the top UIL sponsors in Texas as the 2011 UIL Sponsor Excellence Award winners.
The winners were selected by a panel of judges in the areas of music, athletics and academics from nominations submitted by school principals and superintendents across the state.
The award, now in its 21st year, was created to identify and recognize outstanding sponsors who enable students to develop and refine their extracurricular talents to the highest degree possible within the educational system.
R&R Adds New Feature — Interactive Maps
By Jeanne Acton, UIL Journalism Director | Tuesday, February 07, 2012 8:21 AM
After the release of the 2012-14 Reclassification and Realignment, Dr. Mark Cousins, the athletic director, gives an interview to a local cable news station. The maps that the staff creates for each district within a conference stand in the background.
Photo by Jeanne Acton
For Athletic Director Mark Cousins, the 2012-14 Football and Basketball Reclassification and Realignment process was much the same as previous years.
He and his colleagues spent many long days and late nights working with enrollment figures trying to get the most equitable conferences and districts for 1,300 plus high schools in a state that spans more than 265,000 square miles. And while some still don’t believe it, he still used more than 1300 blue push pins and more than 250 orange rubber bands to paint the visual picture of each district.
“It’s a difficult balancing act,” Dr. Cousins said. “We try to limit travel and keep the most equity in the districts that we can.”
But not everything was the same as years past. Dr. Cousins and his staff added a new feature this year to R&R — interactive maps of each district and conference. The maps will help the public see what the districts actually look like.
Breithaupt Co-authors Book on Buna Basketball Legend, Cotton Robinson
By Jeanne Acton, UIL Journalism Director | Tuesday, December 06, 2011 7:25 AM
A draft of the cover of the book.
King Cotton: Coach Cotton Robinson and the Buna Boys’ Basketball Legacy, 1948-1963.
“I’ve been writing this book in my head for the past 20 years,” said UIL Executive Director and co-author of the book, Charles Breithaupt.
It makes sense.
Breithaupt grew up in Buna during the era of Coach Cotton Robinson.
“Since elementary school, I idolized him,” he said. “Anyone who grew up in the town did.”
Katy Superintendent Named New Legislative Council Chair
By Jeanne Acton, UIL Journalism Director | Monday, December 05, 2011 8:57 AM
At the October Legislative Council meeting, the council thanked and congratulated Mesquite Superintendent Linda Henrie for her service as the 2010-2011 Council Chair.
Photo by Jeanne Acton
At the October 2011 Legislative Council Meeting, Alton Frailey, the superintendent at Katy ISD who served as first vice chair in 2011, was elected as the new chair.
UIL Executive Director Charles Breithaupt said Frailey is a “tremendous leader and innovative thinker.”
“He is a huge supporter of the UIL,” he said. “I am looking forward to working with him.”
Frailey will replace Dr. Linda Henrie, the superintendent from Mesquite ISD.
Leaguer Moves to Issue-based Format
By Stephanie Ramirez, Communications Officer | Monday, November 07, 2011 3:02 PM
The Leaguer has had many makeovers during its time at the League. It's gone from a broadsheet to a tabloid to finally an online publication. Starting in December, the online Leaguer will return to an issue-based format and will continue to be published online.
In an effort to improve the online Leaguer and increase readership, the publication will return to an issue-based format published online.
The first issue will post Tuesday, Dec. 6. New content, including articles, columns, photos and media packages, will appear in each issue.
“This change should make it easier for our readers to know when they should visit the Leaguer online,” managing editor Jeanne Acton said. “Because we don’t have a full-time Leaguer staff to generate new articles every week, it is hard for our readers to know when new material is posted.”
The League will continue to use social media, like Facebook and Twitter, to give updates on breaking news, and it will move the weekly blog to the homepage of the website. Individual departments also will utilize their homepages to post time-sensitive articles.
Former Teacher and Biggest Loser Contestant Shares Her Journey with UIL
By Jeanne Acton, UIL Journalism Director | Tuesday, September 06, 2011 1:48 PM
Abby Rike,a former UIL State Champion academic coach, talks about her journey of tragedy and triumph with the UIL staff.
Photo by Jeanne Acton
When former Texas speech, debate and theater teacher Abby Rike shares her story about joining the cast of the Biggest Loser in 2009, she draws more than a few laughs.
“As ya’ll can tell by my accent, I am a nice Southern girl,” she said. “Southern girls don’t stand in their nekkid clothes and tell people their weight.”
For seven weeks, clad in only a sports bra and spandex, Abby swallowed that Southern pride and stood on a huge scale with a five-foot display screen in front of America.
She knew she didn’t have a choice. She desperately wanted her life back.
“I thought if I could get healthy, I could start living again,” she said.
‘Best in Class’ Magazine Highlights Impact of UIL
By Julianne Coyne, Intern | Thursday, September 01, 2011 3:15 PM
When Texas School Business Magazine decided to publish a special summer issue, Editor-in-Chief Jim Walsh knew the issue needed to emphasize the importance of extracurricular activities in students’ lives.
“We wanted to illustrate how artistic expression and athletic achievement often bring out the very best in students — and educators,” editor Katie Ford said.
And the editors knew who to tap to write the articles — Bobby Hawthorne, freelance writer and former UIL academic director.
New Deputy Director Brings Energy, Ideas to UIL
By Julianne Coyne, Intern | Friday, August 12, 2011 1:12 PM
Dr. Jamey Harrison drapes medals on the Lindsay Varsity Softball team at the UIL State Tournament. Lindsay was a semifinalist in 2011. Photo by Jeanne Acton
The new UIL Deputy Director, Dr. Jamey Harrison, has a long history of being involved with League activities.
“I’ve always had a strong connection with the UIL,” Dr. Harrison said. “I’ve served on the Legislative Council when I was a superintendent. When I was a student, I participated in all three types of UIL events, athletics, academics and music. It led to my career choice to teach and coach at the beginning of my career.”
While attending Hardin-Jefferson High School, Dr. Harrison competed for and won a state title in basketball.
“My best memory of UIL competition was the opportunity I had to win the state basketball championship at the Frank Erwin Center,” Dr. Harrison said. “The teammates I was able to share that experience with are still some of my best friends to this day.”
Mark Cousins Promoted to Athletic Director
By Julianne Coyne | Tuesday, May 17, 2011 2:07 PM
Mark talks with UIL staff at the 2010 Track and Field State Meet.
Dr. Mark Cousins started his career with the UIL in 1994 as an intern while he was pursuing his master’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin. From there, he’s held a variety of positions at the League: He’s been an administrative assistant, the assistant to the athletic director, an assistant athletic director and policy director.
Recently, he got one more position to add to that list: athletic director.
Rivera-Acuna Joins Finance Staff
By Stephanie Ramirez, Communications Officer | Tuesday, April 19, 2011 8:45 AM
Jose Rivera-Acuna
Photo by Mary Mendez
Jose Rivera-Acuna, the newest member of the UIL finance team, comes to the UIL after working in the financial departments for both American and Continental Airlines and their Latin American airline partners, Bank United and Dell.
“We’re so excited to have someone like Jose working in the finance department,” Dijaira Smith, Finance Director, said. “Jose will add so much to the already qualified staff working in the department.”