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Latino History Essay Competition Added to UIL Academics
By Kate Y. Hector, Media Coordinator | Tuesday, October 02, 2012 9:28 AM
The Latino History Essay Competition will join the Barbara Jordan Historical Essay Competition as part of the University Interscholastic League’s growing list of academic events.
Both essay competitions originated in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin, of which UIL is a department. With the addition of these contests, UIL now offers 24 academic competitions to member high schools across the state.
Kate Hector Hired as Media Coordinator
By Chris Schmidt, Public Affairs Representative | Tuesday, October 02, 2012 9:23 AM
In September, Kate Hector joined the UIL staff as the new media coordinator.
Photo by Chris Schmid
Kate Hector joined the UIL media department in September as the new media coordinator for the League. She will play an integral communications role with the UIL writing press releases, attending official meetings and facilitating media at state championship events.
“I am really excited to work with high school athletes and competitors and also be a part of an organization that serves so many high school students who are just figuring out what they want to do, and what they like and what they are good at,” Hector said.
Though she is not a native Texan, Hector has lived in the Lone Star State since 2006 when her family moved to Killeen from Lawton, Oklahoma. Upon enrolling at Killeen Harker Heights High School, she joined the UIL informative speaking team and experienced first-hand the positive effects UIL events can have on student participants.
Dr. Bradley Kent Joins Music Department
By Kate Y. Hector, Media Coordinator | Tuesday, October 02, 2012 9:10 AM
Dr. Bradley Kent
The music department has an energetic new member in Dr. Bradley Kent. Kent started as the new associate music director after Labor Day and is excited to put his years of experience to use here at the League.
“As a young teacher, I experienced what UIL did for me and my students,” Kent said. “I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for what UIL does for our music programs in this state.”
Kent started his career in music as a teacher at Lewisville High School, north of Dallas, but his musical interest started long before that.
Beasley Inducted into Beeville Hall of Fame
By Jeanne Acton, Journalism Director | Tuesday, October 02, 2012 9:05 AM
Assistant Athletic Director Darryl Beasley accepted his award in his hometown Beeville.
Darryl Beasley has lived sports all his life. He played high school and college basketball. He coached at both the high school and college level. And for the past eight years, Beasley has been an assistant athletic director at the League.
So it probably wouldn’t be a shock to anyone that his hometown, Beeville, inducted him into its Hall of Fame this month.
But it was to Beasley.
“The call came out of the blue,” he said. “I didn’t expect it.”
Opportunities for Student Participation May Expand After Council Meeting
By Jeanne Acton, Journalism Director | Tuesday, October 02, 2012 8:41 AM
Each year on the third Sunday in October, the full Legislative Council meets. This year the Council will meet on Sunday, Oct. 21 and Monday, Oct. 22.
Photo by Jeanne Acton
After the UIL Legislative Council meets Oct. 21-22, Texas students may have a few more options for participating in League events in the future.
The academic department is proposing a new pilot — Student Congress, for the 2013-14 school year. Student Congress is a mock legislative assembly competition, where students propose laws and position statements that the assembly debates and votes on to pass into law under the structure of parliamentary procedure.
Speech and Debate Director Jana Riggins said she first introduced the idea of a Student Congress event several years ago, and each year support for the contest has grown.
Backpack Drive Gives Back to Community
By Kim Carmichael, Chief of Staff | Monday, August 27, 2012 5:54 PM
Central Texas area students choose backpacks from the donation site in Austin. UIL staff donated 72 backpacks to the non-profit.
Photo by Kim Carmichael
Back to school means a fresh start to a new school year.
For some children it also means worrying about having the supplies they need for a successful school year. For the second year in a row, the UIL staff wanted to erase that worry for local school children grades Pre-K through fifth grade by hosting a backpack collection drive.
This July, UIL staff partnered with an Austin-based non-profit organization to provide the tools that students need for a productive school year. The back-to-school initiative is an important community program that provides children living in poverty with one backpack, a set of school supplies, books, and two new sets of clothing. The program helps children to feel confident and creates positive experiences at the beginning of school to promote academic success.
The 2012 UIL backpack drive resulted in 72 new backpacks donated by UIL staff members to help some of the 2,000 students who benefitted from this year’s program.
We wish all students, teachers and coaches and school administrators a successful 2012-13!
Former UIL Athletes Compete in London Olympics
By Chris Schmidt, Public Affairs Representative | Monday, August 27, 2012 5:45 PM
When Brigetta Barrett was at Duncanville High School she brought home the 5A high jump state championship in both 2008 and 2009. At the London Olympics, she won the silver for the same event.
Photo by Photo courtesy of Duncanville High School
Olympic competitors are some of the most talented and well-trained athletes in the world so it’s no surprise that many of them were successful high school student-athletes. Several former UIL state champions made waves representing Team USA during the 2012 London Olympics. Several even medaled at the games.
The following is a rundown of how former UIL state medal winners fared at the 2012 Olympic Games.
League Promotes 4, Hires 4 Over Summer
By Jeanne Acton, Journalism Director | Monday, August 27, 2012 5:35 PM
Like most school districts, the summer is a time for new hires and shuffling of staff. UIL is no different. This summer, the League had a variety of staff changes and new hires for the upcoming school year.
Heather Bollinger
Last year, UIL Executive Director Charles Breithaupt started a new mission at the League — archiving the League’s history and preserving it for generations to come. This year, Breithaupt is continuing that initiative and hired archivist Heather Bollinger in July.
“I am working on documenting the history of the UIL,” Bollinger said. “This includes organizing and preserving photographs, audio-visual materials, manuscript records, department records, fielding research requests, etc. I am currently working on digitizing the Leaguer and the Constitution and Contest Rules.”
UIL Dives into Social Media
By Jeanne Acton, Journalism Director | Monday, August 27, 2012 5:24 PM
This is not your parent’s organization.
Over the past five years, UIL has moved quickly and thoughtfully into the technology age.
The printed Leaguer is gone. Athletic manuals are posted online. The UIL even has a Facebook page and Twitter feed.
West Texas A&M Student Activities Conference Canceled
By David Stevens, Academic Director | Monday, August 27, 2012 3:26 PM
The Student Activities Conference scheduled at West Texas A&M University on Oct. 20 has been cancelled.
Due to marching band contests on the original date and other conflicts throughout the fall, we are unable to reschedule this SAC.
The UIL will still host three conferences.
September 15 — Tyler Junior College, Tyler
September 22 — Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi
September 29 — The University of Texas at Austin
The conferences are a crash course of all things academic related and are designed to help high school students and coaches begin to prepare for spring contests. Conferences will begin at 9 a.m. and will end by 1:30 p.m. All Student Activity Conferences are free and pre-registration is not necessary.