Undergraduate UT System students whose families make $100,000 or less for the tax year will qualify for tuition-free education starting fall 2025, according to a UT System press release Wednesday. As an expansion of the Promise Plus program, the initiative is used to help support UTA’s Blaze Forward Program, introduced in 2022. As odd Wednesday, UTA has not officially determined how it will adopt the threshold requirements. Currently, the UT System’s program covers 100% of tuition and mandatory fees for families who make less than $65,000 and partially supports tuition costs for families who make $125,000. When UTA adopted the program, it adjusted to fully cover tuition and mandatory fees for families making less than $85,000. To be eligible, students must be Texas residents, full-time undergraduate attendants and be able to receive federal and state grants. There is no required application for the program, but students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA, or Texas Application for State Financial Aid, TASFA. The UT System Board of Regents’ Academic Affairs Committee preliminarily approved the introduction of $35 million across all nine academic institutions. The board will officially vote Thursday morning. “To be in a position to make sure our students can attend a UT institution without accruing more debt is very important to all of us, and as long as we are here, we will continue our work to provide an affordable, accessible education to all who choose to attend,” said Kevin Eltife, chairman of the Board of Regents, in the press release. The plan makes the UT System the first in Texas to offer such a sweeping financial aid benefit, according to the release. The $35 million campus investment will derive from endowment distributions, the Available University Fund and other resources. This article is ongoing. @amandaLaldridge news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Arlington City Council approved several items, including road safety plans, veteran support initiatives and funding for new police vehicles at Tuesday’s meeting. The council unanimously approved the consent agenda, including a $400,000 general assistance grant from the Texas Veterans Commission to fund homeless veteran outreach services and events in the Arlington Entertainment District. The city's convention and event services requested the initiative aims to meet veterans where they are, outside of traditional shelter locations. The entertainment district, which includes landmarks like AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field and the Medal of Honor Museum, was chosen due to its high traffic to raise visibility for veterans’ needs, according to the city staff report. The initiative aims to draw community support, foster a sense of belonging and encourage local businesses and residents to contribute. The council also passed the Safe Streets Arlington Plan, which aims to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from Arlington roadways by 2050. The city used crash data from 2018 to 2022 to create a High Injury Network and to inform existing conditions analysis. The plan was prepared with specific actions, policies and other recommendations, including discussion with stakeholders and community input. Once the plan is adopted, the city will be eligible to apply for additional funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program to support implementation. The consent agenda also included the purchase of 29 new vehicles for the Arlington Police Department, with a budget not to exceed $1,679,935. The new vehicles will replace ones that have exceeded their useful service life, which can risk increased annual maintenance costs if not replaced. @fluffsjourney news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

If traveling isn’t in the cards for you this Thanksgiving break, don’t count yourself out of the deliciously gratifying festivities, just yet. UTA’s annual Thanksgiving dinner invites university and community members for a feast 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Connection Café. Students with meal plans can enter with a meal swipe, otherwise, entry is $10.89 plus tax at the door. Created in 2017 by the Office of International Education, the event began as a potluck to introduce international and study abroad students to the American holiday. Global Engagement director Adam Sichta said the event aimed to share a slice of American traditions while recognizing that holiday breaks can be difficult for those not from the U.S., considering a majority of the university leaves campus. The feast, however, has evolved. “I definitely have a lot of empathy for that and I think that’s why it’s such a great thing for them, but that quickly changed,” Sichta said. “In 2018, there was recognition like, ‘Hey, why are we just doing this for international students? Shouldn’t we have everybody else included there too?’” The event is advertised as an “all you care to eat” buffet, and Sichta said menu options have grown to be more inclusive of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets. Some Native American cuisines will be available as well. While they want people to enjoy the food, Sichta highlighted the importance of understanding its origins and history by ensuring the event has an educational component. Attendees can write down what they’re thankful for and add it to the “cornucopia of gratefulness,” later collected and kept by the department. The tradition began as a “gratefulness wall,” eventually sprouting into a “gratefulness tree” before becoming what it is now. “It’s just a great reminder of what it means to be grateful and reflect on in our lives, and that’s also very significant,” he said. “I think the foundation of a really great tradition has been started.” Unsure if there’s any other UTA event like it, Sichta said watching the community unite to enjoy each other’s presence despite the world’s stress is what makes it one of his favorites. “It always just leaves a warm feeling in my heart, and I don’t say that to be cheesy. It genuinely does,” he said. “I’m proud of that event and I think it’s something that a lot of other people really appreciate and look forward to as well.” @hjgarcia0 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The 2024 presidential election result was definitive: Not her, either. In 2016, Americans didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton. In 2020, women couldn’t get the nod. This year, President-elect Donald Trump beat the second woman to ever win a major-party nomination for president — eight years after he beat the first. In their climbs to shatter the highest glass ceiling for a female leader, Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris have persisted and resisted. They delivered promises and policies. They had hopes that America was ready to help them achieve the historic feat. And one by one, America proved them wrong. “There’s just no doubt about it, that there’s an inclination amongst American voters, male and female, to hold women to different standards than men,” said Stephanie Cole, chair of the history and geography department. Throughout history, many reasons have been given for why women can't achieve the highest political peak: She doesn’t have the personality. She doesn’t have the experience. Or, just simply, she’s a woman. Even if she plays the game, rides the momentum and is willing to be subjected to sexist remarks, it still wasn’t enough. She played the game Political science professor Rebecca Deen said that after women earned the right to vote, there wasn’t an immediate shift in behavior. Women didn’t rush to the polls, and social structures still reinforced the view of women as the property of men. This cultural inertia slowed the full impact of the legal victory. The 1960s and 1970s marked the rise of second-wave feminism, pushing for greater gender equality in all areas of society, including politics. Among those who took advantage of that rise was U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan, the first Black woman elected to represent Texas in Congress in 1972. Jordan was a smart politician who chose her battles carefully, Cole said. Her relationship with Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes put Jordan as the vice-chair of the redistricting committee, allowing her to draw her district in Houston in 1970. After the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, once the state had to create districts to make sure that Black voters were represented in the voting districts, Houston was an obvious place to do that, Cole said. “She was from there. She was able to run successfully for Congress,” she said. Jordan never gave up, said Janet Mattern, president of Texas League of Women Voters of Tarrant County. Jordan lost her bid for the Texas House of Representatives twice before winning a seat in the Texas Senate in 1966. But the game wasn’t set up for a woman to win. Harris shares many of the same personalities with Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected into Congress in 1968. She also became the first Black woman to run for a major party’s presidential nomination in 1972. The bid enhanced Chisholm’s national profile but also stirred controversy among her political colleagues, who believed that her campaign heavily favored women, people of color and the poor. “Black male politicians are no different from white male politicians. This ‘woman thing’ is so deep. I’ve found it out in this campaign if I never knew it before,” Chisholm said of her presidential run. Ericka Roland, a higher education assistant professor whose research focuses on Black women and leadership development, said racism, sexism and patriarchy will maintain their place in society. Many people would categorize Black women voting for Harris as identity politics, she said, but people rarely have that conversation about white people voting for white candidates. “It’s less of what Black women have to do,” Roland said. ”I think we’ve done all the things we can do.” She rode the momentum Ann Richards put herself in the spotlight following her keynote address to the 1988 Democratic National Convention. That moment carried her to become the last woman — and only elected in her own right — and Democrat to serve as Texas governor, serving from 1991 to 1995. Cole said Richards was elected in a different moment of partisanship when some conservatives still identified as Democrats before shifting to Republicans. She was an incredibly gifted “retail politician” who spoke well, understood how to talk to voters and worked her way through the Democratic Party in Texas when it was still possible for a Democrat to be elected statewide, Cole said. That, however, was not enough for her to win a second time against George W. Bush, Republican nominee and future president. She was the last incumbent Texas governor to lose reelection. But a new wave of momentum for women may be coming. In 2025, 148 women will serve in Congress, with five more races still too close to call. A record 13 women have been elected to be governors. She was subjected to prejudice When state Sen. Wendy Davis rose to prominence in June 2013, people were expecting big things. That month, she performed a filibuster to block a Texas bill that proposed to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The success was short-lived, as then-Gov. Rick Perry called for a special session and successfully signed abortion restrictions into law in July 2013. What stuck, though, was a nickname for Davis: “Abortion Barbie.” In a crushing landslide, Davis lost her 2014 gubernatorial race against Greg Abbott. When she ran for Congress in 2020, she lost by over six percentage points. The name-calling and subjection of women to stereotypes is not unfamiliar in the political world. Dustin Harp, communication associate professor — whose research explores the intersections of women, gender and intersectional identities and journalism and mass media — said two women with proven qualifications have lost twice to a politician who slurred his words, rambled and emulated a sex act with a microphone at one of his rallies. “Had a woman done those things, behaved that way, illustrated the competence that that man had, she would never be elected,” she said. “Because even when she is completely competent and articulate, she’s not elected.” People have a binary idea of gender, Harp said. A leader is strong, logical, not too emotional — and only allowed to be angry if he is a man. Women, however, are expected to be kind, loving, submissive and nurturing — none fit the description of a president, she said. “So they’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t,” Harp said. But she doesn’t exist Women have held powerful positions in U.S. history, whether it’s as vice president, U.S. House speaker or secretary of state, Cole said, but she believes the presidential ceiling will be broken by a conservative female candidate. “Until there’s a Margaret Thatcher, in the American political context, I have my doubts as to whether or not we’ll ever elect a woman president,” she said. Black women are not angry, Roland said. They are tired but still embrace so much joy in existing possibilities. Roland said she wants Harris to get a good rest after having done her part. “Sometimes it’s getting us closer and closer,” she said. “We’re building on this momentum. Maybe in the next two or three, it won’t just be one, we will finally be elected the president of the country.” Deen said that progress toward a woman president is not linear, with setbacks and advances along the way. A decade ago, she didn’t believe a woman would become president in her lifetime, but she now feels it’s possible. The question, then, is whether Harris’ run in the 2024 presidential election marks the beginning of a new era, in which women can ascend to the presidency, or whether the barriers to the ultimate political office will persist. Cole doesn’t find deficiencies in Clinton and Harris as candidates, she said. They campaigned well. While Clinton made a few mistakes, on the whole they did not embarrass themselves. Clinton was a senator. She became the secretary of state. She helped her husband, former President Bill Clinton, design policies during his eight years in the White House. Harris is the vice president. Plenty of men in her position and with her experience were perceived to be enough to become president. Their hopes, however, will remain in the history books as the candidates who couldn’t quite ascend to the nation’s highest office. @DangHLe @taylor._.sansom news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA athletes’ performances are often judged by their statistics on the court. However, there’s a process behind that. There are families left behind. There are sacrifices made. There are moments of self-doubt that can only be figured out within themselves. “Unsaddled,” a docuseries deep diving into the personal lives of student-athletes and coaches produced by the Athletics department, aims to highlight those stories. The biweekly series began streaming on YouTube in September, with 20 episodes planned for the 2024-25 athletic year, said Duane Lewis, senior associate athletic director for external relations. UTA Athletics shuffled through different ideas for an engaging docuseries. After exploring concepts from coaches’ shows and other UTA properties, the team landed on “Unsaddled,” Lewis said. The creative team took elements from “Wright Your Story,” a series only focused on UTA women’s basketball, and expanded the concept across every sport for “Unsaddled.” “We wanted to tell the story of the season through the eyes and ears of our student-athletes and coaches, and here we are,” Lewis said. Luis Diaz, digital strategies and branding assistant athletic director, worked with Lewis to envision how to create the show with less narration to rely more on coaches and athletes for the storytelling. “Unsaddled” focuses on breaking down who the teams and players are as people, Diaz said, giving fans the chance to hear their personal stories during the season. As one of the series’ subjects, Brody Robinson, men’s basketball junior guard, said it’s cool to see into players’ lives, the sacrifices they’ve made and how they ended up at UTA. Before joining UTA, Robinson played Division One basketball with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before transferring to Garden City Community College, where he continued playing at the junior collegiate level. “It was a culture shock, out in the middle of nowhere,” Robinson said in an episode. “I’ve always been in Houston my whole life. It was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” Returning to Division One competition at UTA gave him a deeper understanding of the level of effort it required, what was at stake and what he needed to strive for to be the best version of himself. “Everybody sees the outcome, but you never see the work that’s put in,” Robinson said. “I think it’s really cool that people can experience the day-to-day, the hour-to-hour work that we do put in and how much treatment and workouts and extra workouts that we do.” Once the idea was formed, Lewis said he and Diaz presented it to the creative team to see if it could be consistently presented throughout the year. Blueprints from past coaches’ talk shows were reimagined to create the series. Around 12 to 15 directors, creative services and marketing members have a hand in it, Lewis said. The series relies on team contacts who know storylines down to details like who’s playing well and who’s emerging. “Everyone has a voice. Everyone’s opinion is heard, and we talk through and figure out what’s the best way to execute every segment of every episode,” Lewis said. Diaz’s favorite part of the series is having a creative vibe where everyone wants to differentiate the product from a typical docuseries, he said. The team is constantly capturing footage, questioning what shots tell the story or what captures the best emotion, also focusing on post-production aspects — something Diaz said he’s found beauty in. While the team has improved its production on a show-by-show basis, it’s ready to take it to the next step by moving the series to a larger platform, Lewis said. “That’s our driving mantra, if you will. To do what we can to showcase our student-athletes and our coaches for the betterment of our department, and ultimately, UTA as a university,” Lewis said. Each episode is reviewed by the creative team and he enjoys the conversations that strike up, Lewis said. Everybody is critical, wanting to put out the best product. “Everybody brings their perspective. I enjoy the different levels of thought in terms of trying to get to that core goal of the best presentation that we can every time,” Lewis said. Not only has the series strengthened the creative team’s relationship, but it has also brought the team closer to the athletes and coaches, Diaz said. “We’re storytellers, right?,” said Jordan Stepp, associate athletic director of strategic communications. “When it comes down to it, I enjoy that part of it more than probably any part of my job — to be able to tell stories.” Stepp said the show gives fans and viewers the ability to pull up the series and look back on the effort that was put in to highlight UTA’s program, student-athletes and coaches. “We get to showcase UTA Athletics and what we’re trying to be, which is winning program upon winning program,” he said. @heyyyitslando sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

For the first time in 22 years, the UTA volleyball team is a regular season conference champion. The Mavericks (24-2, 14-0) defeated Tarleton State University (7-20, 2-12) 3-1 to remain undefeated in the Western Athletic Conference — claiming the outright WAC title. The Mavericks have dominated the WAC all season long, and this latest accolade comes in the midst of a 15-game win streak. Thus far, the team has notched 16 season sweeps and clinched the number one seed in the WAC tournament Saturday in a win against Utah Valley University. Graduate outside hitter Brianna Ford led the team in Monday’s victory with her 13th double-double of the season, recording 19 kills and 12 digs. Freshman outside hitter Sjakkie Donkers chipped in with 11 kills. Head coach J.T. Wenger has repeatedly lamented how vital the role of his graduate players has been this season, with five of their key rotation players being graduate students. However, this team’s depth has been evident all season with younger players like Donkers. The WAC volleyball tournament will be held Nov. 21 to 23 at College Park Center with the Mavericks taking the court 7 p.m. The bracket has yet to be announced. The Mavericks will continue their final road trip of the season with a game 7:30 p.m. Thursday against Southern Utah University. @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Jake Paul, YouTube creator turned professional boxer, made an appearance at Dog Haus Biergarten at the Arlington Highlands shopping center after announcing a partnership with the fast-casual chain. The business serves everything from wings to burgers to hot dogs and now: knockouts. At the event, Paul said the partnership started after he tried the restaurant’s cheeseburger with its signature Hawaiian bun. His team reached out to the chain’s CEO and the rest is history, he said. The Arlington spot is one of four locations opening in Texas. “It just works out perfectly. I have a huge fan base in Texas and it’s really one of the hearts of America,” Paul said. “What better way to serve the best American food to all of my fans here?” The event promised exclusive giveaways, drink specials and a chance to meet Paul in person. The first 200 guests in line at 2 p.m. received a free Jake Paul Meal. Arlington resident Mahogany Matthews was the first person waiting in line at 8 a.m. after hearing about the event on Facebook. Although running on little sleep after coming straight from an overnight shift, she said it was “definitely worth the wait.” Matthews was one of the few people to personally place her order with Paul, followed by photos and autographs. It was nerve-wracking, but she’s been a fan since she was in middle school watching his YouTube videos, she said. “It’s crazy to me that people come out and show support. And the Jake Paulers, it’s an awesome group and squad, and they're the best,” Paul said. “They’re the reason I’m standing here today, is because of their support, truly. They just continue to support me and I’m just super grateful for them.” Arlington resident Mike Meadows said he typically goes to Dallas Cowboys games on Sundays but he didn’t want to miss the restaurant’s grand opening and Paul’s appearance. Meadows arrived around 9:30 a.m. before the line wrapped around the building. Once inside, he couldn’t wait to try the wings. His interaction with Paul was short but sweet, and he said it was a moment he’ll remember. Allen, Texas, resident Kylie Paz, 13, attended with her father for the chance to meet Paul. She stood on a table shouting, “Jake, I love you.” Paz said Paul gifted her three tickets to Friday’s event after she declared her admiration and told him how long she’d watched his videos. “He gave me three free tickets, which is literally crazy,” Paz said. “He took a picture with me, and people were recording and sent me the videos. And now I get to say that I met and hugged Jake Paul. Like, that’s crazy.” Paul will face off against legendary boxer Mike Tyson in an eight-round, heavyweight bout Friday at AT&T Stadium. The event will stream on Netflix and is hosted by Most Valuable Promotions, a boxing promotion company Paul cofounded. Paul said it’s been difficult to sleep at night because of the nerves and adrenaline for Friday’s fight, which will be the biggest moment of his career. “I’m excited to see how hard Mike Tyson hits,” Paul said. “I want a war. I want the fans to be entertained and I want to show the world my boxing ability.” @heyyyitslando sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA men’s and women’s basketball, cross country and volleyball will all be back in action this week. Volleyball claimed at least a share of the WAC regular season championship and could clinch the title with a win Monday night. This is the schedule for Nov. 12-18. Men's basketball The men’s team will hit the road to face off against the University of Southern California at 10 p.m. Wednesday. The game will be transmitted on the Big Ten Network. The team will return home to face Texas College at 7 p.m. Friday at College Park Center. The game will be streamed on ESPN+. Women’s basketball UTA women’s basketball will be on the road for two games starting off against Arkansas State University at Bud Walton Arena. The game will be held 6:30 p.m. Thursday and will be available on ESPN+. UTA will then travel to Commerce, Texas, to face off against East Texas A&M University at The Field House at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 18. Volleyball UTA volleyball will travel to Utah for two road games. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the team will face off against Southern Utah University. Continuing in Utah, the team will battle against Utah Tech University at 11 a.m. Saturday. This game will be played at the Burns Arena in St. George, Utah. Cross country The men’s and women’s cross country teams will be participating in the NCAA South Central Regionals in College Station. No time has been set yet. @stephanie_q03 sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Residents have various entertainment options this week including a Dallas Cowboys vs. Houston Texans game, a yappy hour event and a chili cook-off, including seasonal events like Coca-Cola Classic Christmas and The Nutcracker ballet performance. Sports The Dallas Cowboys will take on the Houston Texans at 7:15 p.m. Nov. 18 at AT&T Stadium. Tickets, required for ages two and up, are available online and. Doors open 5:30 p.m. Holiday entertainment Coca-Cola Classic Christmas is an immersive holiday event held 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. daily from Nov. 22 to Dec. 29 at Choctaw Stadium. Guests can enjoy a Christmas light display, holiday market, ice skating, snow slide, live entertainment, themed nights and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Tickets are available online. The United Performing Arts Guild presents The Nutcracker Ballet from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at the Arlington Independent School District’s Center for Visual and Performing Arts Robert C. Copeland Concert Hall. This ticketed holiday performance invites the audience to experience a journey to the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Seating is reserved and prices range from $32 to $47. Local Dining Doggie Depot Yappy Hour will be 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 21 at The Tipsy Oak. This event supports The Doggie Depot, a new off-leash dog park in downtown Arlington. The restaurant will donate a portion of sales to help fund the park. Attendees can enjoy food, live music and the company of fellow dog lovers. Leashed dogs are welcome on the patio. Residents can bring the heat to On Tap’s fifth annual Chili Cook-Off from 2 to 5 p.m. Nov. 17 Participants can enter their chili recipes for a chance to win the judge’s choice $100 prize or taste and vote for their favorite chili in the people’s choice competition for $5, with a $50 prize for the winner. Entries must check in and pay the $15 entry fee by 1:45 p.m. @fluffsjourney news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

As Texas results rolled in on election night, the answer to a long-pressing question came swiftly: Can Texas turn blue? By 8:12 p.m. Nov. 5, a little more than an hour after polls closed, now President-elect Donald Trump had won Texas. He eventually won over Harris by 14 percentage points. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz defeated U.S. Rep. Colin Allred by nine points. The numbers reaffirmed the Republican Party’s dominance of Texas. Democrats didn’t just underperform — they lost by bigger margins than in previous election cycles, and former strongholds flipped red. What’s left is a continuously weakening case that Texas is a battleground state. Democrats also lost three seats in the Texas Legislature and nearly every contested state appellate court race and saw Republicans win 10 countywide judicial races in Harris County — reversing several years of Democratic dominance in Texas’ largest county. “What seems clear to me from the 2024 results is that Democrats don’t seem to have a clear message that the voters are buying,” said Mark Hand, political science assistant professor. Every election cycle, the state is seen as a potential flip for Democrats although Texans haven’t elected a Democrat to a statewide position since 1994. The last time Texas went blue for a presidential candidate was in 1976 for Jimmy Carter. “The Democrats probably have a lot of soul searching to do here on what is the message that is as clear and as strong as the message that Donald Trump and more MAGA-leaning conservatives have offered to voters,” Hand said. Texas Democrats need a real rebuilding cycle if they want to be competitive, he said. The process has already begun. Gilberto Hinojosa, the Texas Democratic Party chair, announced his resignation Nov. 8, three days following the election. He will step down in March when the party’s governing executive committee is scheduled to meet. “In the days and weeks to come, it is imperative that our Democratic leaders across the country reevaluate what is best for our party and embrace the next generation of leaders to take us through the next four years of Trump and win back seats up and down the ballot,” Hinojosa said in a statement. ‘The nation’s biggest battleground state’ At the Democratic National Convention in August, Hinojosa declared Texas as “the nation’s biggest battleground state.” In 2016, Trump won Texas by nine percentage points over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. When President Joe Biden overperformed four years later, he still lost Texas by over five percentage points. Even when former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke almost won over Cruz in 2018 and built further hopes that the Lone Star State may turn blue, that’s all it was — almost. O’Rourke lost by fewer than three percentage points. That year, however, Texas Democrats flipped state House districts, local government seats and state appeals courts. Republicans still controlled the Legislature and occupied every statewide office, but Democrats saw that year as the beginning of a new era. The data points in 2018 and 2020 may have led people to think Texas might flip to blue, Hand said. Nationally, 2018 was a bloodbath for Republicans, and O’Rourke was one of the politicians who rode and powered the Democratic wave. Four years later, Republicans performed well in Texas and Democrats didn’t, including O’Rourke’s loss to Gov. Greg Abbott by double digits, Hand said. Tarrant County is on ‘the redder side of purple than blue’ Texas Democrats saw certain bright spots in this election. In Tarrant County, considered a key battleground area in the state, Allred received over 1,000 more votes than Cruz. In 2020, Biden also won the county by less than 2,000 votes. Trump flipped it back in 2024 with more than 42,000 votes over Harris. Texas Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, was reelected for his seventh term in Texas House District 101, which covers UTA. Overall, Republicans had a good Election Day in Tarrant County, Turner said, but he saw the Senate race as an encouraging sign: Cruz has lost the county twice in a row, and voters are willing to split their ticket. “Since 2018, it is clear it is a purple county,” he said. “It’s still obviously a little on the redder side of purple than blue objectively, if you look at the results in this election, but purple nonetheless.” More Republicans moved from Tarrant County to Parker County in 2020, and more Democrats moved from Dallas County to Tarrant County in that time frame, said Jay Popp, one of Tarrant County’s GOP precinct chairs in west Arlington. “We kind of recognized that and thought, ‘OK, well, we need to start getting engaged, or we really need to get those efforts out and be more grassroots-oriented,’” Popp said. Since the Biden administration started, Tarrant County Republicans have worked together in trying to recruit people, said Jan Brand, longtime board member of Republican Women of Arlington. She sent letters to 100 local pastors and held social events like luncheons for recruitment efforts and community relationship building, Brand said. “Once you create those relationships, then it’s more likely that they’re going to get involved,” she said. ‘They're not grassroots. They're definitely top-down’ Texas Republicans are well-funded and well-organized, Hand said. The party has a handful of massive donors, including West Texas oil billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks. Influential billionaire Elon Musk may contribute to state-level elections in 2026. Abbott is also one of the best fundraisers in the country, Hand said. That type of consistent fundraising machinery is what Texas Democrats need to stay competitive and distance themselves from the national party. Texans are more conservative than national voters, and that hasn’t changed, Hand said. People believe that as the state becomes more diverse, it will become more liberal, but that also doesn’t seem to have played out. Turner disagreed that it’s a matter of organization. Instead, it’s a resource situation, with the Republican Party always well-funded, he said. He believes the Democratic Party in Tarrant County and Texas have to raise more money, start earlier and communicate with a broader segment of the electorate to build out bigger and faster campaigns — like Republicans, he said. Popp’s party has been effective in understanding the importance of turning the area from the roots up rather than being a top-down organization, he said. “That’s actually where the Democrats are failing right now,” he said. “They’re not grassroots. They’re definitely top-down. They’re kind of being told what to do and what to believe and how to believe it and I think that never worked.” The question of border, economy Democrats did not get the needed turnout from big urban counties, Turner said. The party also needs to confront a major challenge in South Texas from Rio Grande Valley to El Paso. Once a Democratic stronghold, South Texas border counties, where most voters are Hispanic, shifted to Trump. The switch is part of a national trend of Hispanic voters embracing Trump and Republican candidates, from rural communities to large cities like Miami and parts of states like New York and New Jersey. Nationwide this year, 55% of Latino voters supported Harris, and 45% voted for Trump, according to the Associated Press. In 2020, President Joe Biden got 63% while Trump received 35%. In 2024, Trump won 12 of 14 South Texas counties. In 2016, he won five. “We need to figure out why that is and do the work necessary to reverse those trends,” Turner said. AP VoteCast, a survey of the American electorate conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, found that 41% of Texans listed the economy and jobs as the most important issue facing the country in 2024. Nearly three-quarters of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, Turner said. That is a difficult number for the party in power to overcome, but there’s still plenty of room to look at strategies, tactics, messaging and get-out-the-vote operations. “There really has to be an in-depth, reasoned analysis done of this election, and we have to look at things top to bottom,” he said. The future Hand said he expects to see very conservative policies nationally, but even more so in Texas, when the Legislature starts in January. Turner said he hopes Texans will be engaged in the Legislature. “​​I hope Texans will let the Legislature know when Republicans are going off on some wild partisan tangent instead of addressing the real issues facing our state,” he said. The Tarrant County GOP’s goal is to elect conservative candidates to city councils and school boards, Popp said. “I feel great,” he said. “I feel really optimistic, with a lot of hope and enthusiasm about the momentum that’s behind our party.” On election night, Popp was at a watch party in Tarrant County when he noticed a big group. Popp chatted with them. They told him they weren’t happy with the nation’s direction nor school boards and city councils. They wanted to be part of the Republican Party and voted for Trump. He is used to hearing that. The GOP usually attracts older groups of people. This group, though, was different. There were more than a dozen guys. Different races. All under 30. Popp said he is hopeful for the future of the Republican Party in Texas. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Residents have a variety of events to choose from in Arlington this week including boxing and football events, a car show fundraiser and trivia. Sports Get ready for football Sunday as the Dallas Cowboys take on the Philadelphia Eagles. Kickoff is 3:25 p.m. and doors open 1 p.m. at AT&T Stadium. Tickets are available online. Deemed to be the biggest boxing event in modern history, Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will face off in a heavyweight boxing showdown 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium. Additionally, the co-main event features the long-awaited rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. This event will be streamed live globally on Netflix and tickets are available online. Entertainment Show off your ride and support the Martin High School solar car team at their car show fundraiser from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday on Martin High School’s West Lot. Funds support their summer 2025 competition, where they will race solar powered student-built cars to Palmdale, California. All cars, motorcycles and more are welcome for a $5 parking fee, with games and prizes available. Contesters should pre-register their car online and email the registration link to stemsolarracing@gmail.com. Country music star Cody Johnson, along with Jon Pardi, Tracy Byrd and Ella Langley, will hit the stage 6 p.m. Saturday at Globe Life Field for his Leather Tour. Tickets are available online. Residents can test their knowledge of random facts at Murf’s Trivia at J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday. Check in starts 6 p.m. This triple-play trivia is free to all, with the chance of winning a prize on the line. American Idol finalist Haley Reinhart, a vocalist known for her jazz-infused pop sound and sultry voice, will be performing 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at Arlington Music Hall. Reinhart is currently on tour promoting her latest album. Tickets are available online. @fluffsjourney news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Yash Ajariwal credits the U.S. for his personal growth. Ajariwal, an information systems sophomore and international student from India, said he was an introvert who couldn’t speak English fluently. After a year at UTA, he is involved in several student organizations and works two jobs. He hopes to further grow by obtaining a work visa in the U.S., he said. As Americans select their leader for the next four years, the candidates’ stances on legal immigration and the election results can potentially impact students and temporary work visas, which may directly impact international students nationwide, including at UTA. “We cannot even decide who we want as our leader, and we still get affected a lot by the decisions they make,” Ajariwal said. Presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have different views on immigration, which may impact work visas, said Daniele Volfe, senior attorney at Akula & Associates immigration law firm. The Biden-Harris administration sees immigration as a benefit to the U.S., Volfe said. The Trump administration viewed immigration as a potential threat to jobs, wages and workers in the U.S. and aimed to control that. Under former President Trump, the United States denied a record number of visas, halted applications by asking for more paperwork and temporarily prohibited some categories of legal immigration, according to Immigration Impact. At the end of his presidency, the administration pushed for more restrictions on the H-1B high-skilled worker visa program, according to Politico. The Harris administration could be an extension of President Joe Biden’s policies, which have doubled down on border restrictions while opening additional legal pathways, improving processing times and reducing backlogs in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of State and restoring refugee resettlement efforts, according to NPR. Alumnus Vivek Patel graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s in science and computer science. After graduation, Patel had one year as an international student and two additional years as a STEM major under Optional Practical Training, which allows international students to stay in the U.S. while searching for work after they graduate, as his degree falls under Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Patel was selected for the H-1B lottery visa in his final year, he said. Patel doesn’t expect many changes to work visa policies, he said. Based on the current administration, Harris may not make many tremendous reforms. Trump, however, may lean toward more merit-based immigration and require a higher salary threshold. While that won’t affect Patel, as he has years of experience in software development, he has more concerns for the newly graduated international students. “For students who graduate from a master’s degree without experience, they don’t have a real-world experience, so they will have to worry about it if the salary of H-1B threshold gets increased or something happens,” he said. This year, over 470,000 applicants competed for 85,000 slots in the H-1B visa lottery for skilled workers. While only Congress can alter the H-1B cap lottery quota, the president can issue policies influencing the cap process, such as how the lottery is conducted, pushing new forms and modifying filing fees. In 2020, the Trump administration didn’t allocate enough funds for U.S. consular officers nationwide, meaning longer wait times for visa interviews and approvals as travel resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic, said Katrina Moore, operations administrator at Akula & Associates immigration law firm. Congress is the branch that can make long-lasting decisions regarding immigration by passing laws, Volfe said. The president can do so through executive orders, which are open to be challenged by the next administration or a court. Volfe doesn’t expect changes in the process of going from an F-1 student visa to an H-1B temporary visa if either presidential candidate is elected, she said. The filing fee, though, can be affected. Under the Biden administration, the filing fee was increased to $215 from $10 starting next year, she said. Regardless of the presidencies, students need to maintain compliance of status, Moore said. They need to ensure their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System ID remains activated and are in contact with their designated school officials regularly. They should also ensure their I-20 form is updated and they’re not exceeding the number of unemployment days permitted under Optional Practical Training provisions, she said. “Maintaining those records and understanding them and your obligations — as students — is very, very important. Period,” she said. Ajariwal already has his plans mapped out. His STEM degree gives him three years of eligibility to work postgraduation. During that time, he will try to obtain his H-1B work visa to learn more about the field, similar to his brother who is on a work visa in Wisconsin. Then he’ll return to his family in India to start his own company. Before that can happen, Ajariwal is awaiting election results. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu