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Governor Holds Teleconference With High School Journalists
By Jeanne Acton | Wednesday, May 27, 2009 12:50 PM
Two weeks ago I received a call from the governor’s office. Not exactly a call I was expecting.
But definitely a good call — especially for high school journalists across the state.
The governor’s office wanted to set up a teleconference call with high school newspaper editors and writers.
I blasted all 300-plus members of ILPC about the teleconference, and immediately advisers were excited about the opportunity for their students.
Start of New Job Marked With Unprecedented Changes, Gratifying Experiences
By Traci Neely | Friday, May 22, 2009 12:53 PM
Little did I know that the first two months working in the UIL office would be packed full of unprecedented events. I started work in late February, just in time to work the state championships for swimming and diving and the girls’ and boys’ basketball tournaments. Shortly thereafter, it seemed to calm down, and I was able to get a grasp on my new environment.
Then came the swine flu.
The end of April would bring a dilemma to the UIL that created historic consequences involving a very large number of spring sport athletes across the state.
The decision to cancel regional track meets brought on a deluge of public communication to the UIL office. The softball and baseball postponements created even more phone calls and frustrated athletes, coaches, school personnel and parents.
Finally, when all the events were rescheduled, some relief came but also so did some additional frustration. We knew that rescheduling events was the right thing to do, however it created more havoc on the previously adjusted details for softball, the late state track meet and other end of the year events such as high school graduations and senior prom.
Spring Changes in the Athletic Department
By Cliff Odenwald | Friday, May 15, 2009 12:58 PM
The first three months as Director of Athletics of the UIL have gone by quickly. The pace has been incredible. It seems just like yesterday that I was changing offices and preparing for the challenges that lay ahead.
With the promotion of Dr. Mark Cousins to Director of Policy and Rachel Seewald moving to Indianapolis, Indiana, the first priority was to hire two assistant athletic directors.
I knew it was going to be hard to replace the knowledge and experience of Rachel and Mark. Both of them were great leaders in the athletic department and were respected by all of the superintendents, principals and coaches in the state.
After going through a strong pool of applicants and an extensive interview process, Sheila Henderson and Traci Neely were named the new UIL assistant athletic directors.
Changes Coming in Fall 2009 for Computer Applications Contest
By | Tuesday, May 12, 2009 1:00 PM
Being a contest directly related to technology, Computer Applications promises to be an ever-changing entity. For the past year, information has been disseminated that the Computer Applications Contest will support only Office 2007 starting in the fall of 2009. Now is the time to be certain that your schools have Office 2007 for competition next fall.
Being directly linked to Microsoft Office, this contest must change as this application package changes. As students graduate into the workplace or into college, they are better prepared to compete with the current skills of Office 2007, which has already been in the marketplace for two years, instead of fettering them to Office 2003. Office 2007 operates in a very different environment than Office 2003, and these changes have impacted the contest. Many elements have changed their appearance and operation. Many have been added, and several elements have been discontinued in this transition. For the past two years, the contest has supported both platforms. This has impacted the tests which have included instructions for both platforms and printouts for both platforms whenever these have varied, and variances in the grading to encompass both platforms.
Floyd Honored with Distinguished Music Award
By Staff | Friday, May 01, 2009 1:06 PM
The Texas Music Educators Association recently honored UIL Music Director Richard Floyd with the Distinguished Music Award. The award, which was presented to Floyd during the association’s convention in February, is given to individuals who have made significant contributions to Texas music education. “His commitment to guiding UIL music programs in a most professional manner as well as serving as clinician, conductor and a teacher of teachers through in-service presentations throughout our state and the nation has benefited literally tens of thousands of students,” the association’s publication said. Floyd has worked as a conductor, music educator and administrator for 46 years. He previously received the American School Band Directors Association Austin Harding Award in 2002, and the Texas Bandmasters Association named him Bandmaster of the Year in 2006.
Doherty Joins UIL Staff
By Stephanie Ramirez | Friday, May 01, 2009 1:02 PM
Susan Doherty is one of the many new additions to the University Interscholastic League, and one that most likely everyone will get to know. Doherty was named the new executive assistant to UIL Executive Director Dr. Charles Breithaupt.
Doherty and her husband moved to Austin, Texas in 1995 after he was transferred from St. Louis for his job with AT&T. Doherty took a job with Southwestern University in Georgetown where she worked in the registrar’s office until 2007. Before coming to the UIL, Doherty worked at the Texas Girls Coaches Association as an administrative assistant for Sam Tipton.
In Doherty’s explanation of her job, it is basically to help out with anything Dr. Breithaupt needs, from booking appointments to updating information about the school districts and Constitution and Contest Rules.
After 3 Decades, Karen Day Retires From UIL
By Stephanie Ramirez | Friday, May 01, 2009 11:04 AM
At her retirement party, the University Interscholastic League staff joked about how many different times Karen Day had already tried to leave the League and wondered if this was actually Day’s final time to leave. But this time it was.
After 34 years of service with the UIL, Day’s official last day was March 31, 2009.
“My husband retired last year, and this is the time that we can both travel and visit our kids and grandbaby,” Day said.
Henderson Joins Athletic Staff
By Stephanie Ramirez | Wednesday, April 15, 2009 1:13 PM
The University Interscholastic League’s ebsite says that its purpose “aims to provide healthy, character building, educational activities carried out under rules providing for good sportsmanship and fair play for all participants.”
Sheila Henderson, the newest assistant athletic director for the UIL, says her philosophy for her work goes hand in hand with this goal.
A native Texan, Henderson received her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Texas at Austin, which she has used throughout her career in the Austin area. After a year of working for Taylor ISD, Henderson moved to Austin’s Bowie High School in 1988 where she remained until 2002 when she became the assistant athletic director for Austin ISD.
In February 2009, Henderson made another career change and joined the UIL staff where she is now in charge of girls’ basketball, softball, and co-coordinating track and field with Traci Neeley, a former Round Rock ISD assistant athletic director and now fellow assistant athletic director for the League.
Neely Leaves Round Rock ISD for UIL
By Stephanie Ramirez | Wednesday, April 15, 2009 1:12 PM
Whether it was the cold in Kansas or the appeal she saw in Texas the first time she was here for undergraduate studies that would later bring her back to Austin in 1996, the University Interscholastic League benefited either way as Traci Neely was named one of the new assistant athletic directors.
After graduating from Abilene Christian University, Neely went to work at Arlington Martin High School where she coached and taught from 1987 to 1994. When she decided to return to her home state and attend the University of Kansas for her Master’s in Sports Administration, it did not take her long to realize she wanted to return to Texas.
“I got back as fast I possibly could,” Neely said.
After her return to Texas, Neely took a job with Round Rock McNeil High School as the assistant campus coordinator and the girls’ cross country head coach and the track and field head coach. In 2004 she became the Assistant Athletic Director for Round Rock ISD where she worked for almost five years.
Journalism Director Wins Paschal Award
By Staff | Wednesday, April 15, 2009 1:08 PM
UIL Journalism Director and Interscholastic League Press Conference Director Jeanne Acton accepts the James Paschal Award at the the Columbia Scholastic Press Associaton's spring convention in New York City. CSPA honors state or regional school press association officials who have distinguished themselves in the field with with the award named for the late James Frederick Paschal, a former director of the Oklahoma Interscholastic Press Association and a former editor of The CSPAA Bulletin.