Living the Longhorn Life® Podcast

Hogg Memorial Auditorium is back and its better than ever! The 90 year-old auditorium is now a premier destination for live music, performing arts and student events following a two-year renovation. Listen to the variety of re-opening festivities that brought this vibrant student life space back to life and meet the alum who helped lead the charge to transform the historic auditorium.

It’s a place to game, but also to develop valuable life and career skills. The new student-focused Alienware Longhorn Esports Arena adds 3,400 square feet of high-performance esports space to the Texas Union. It builds on the success of the esports lounge and unlocks greater learning and career opportunities for all students. Hear why Longhorns and academic partners are excited about the arena’s possibilities that complement students’ pursuits.

That “you are here” feeling is part of living the Longhorn life. It’s a sense of place and belonging our students get when they explore our intentionally-designed, student-focused spaces. Hear two Longhorns share their favorite aspects of two new spaces giving students a place to find community and develop life skills, as well as workout and have some fun!

A new group of Longhorns is beginning their college journey with the Division of Student Affairs — the hub of student life and well-being — as we host new student and family orientations. Hear how these incoming students and families are getting into a Longhorn State of Mind as they embark on this new adventure.

There’s nothing like living in on-campus housing — take it from the 2023 President’s Student Employee of the Year Award Winner Ria Goyal, a biochemistry and Plan II Honors major from Waco. As she prepares for graduation, this senior resident assistant is reflecting on her four years living on campus — three of those spent assisting other residents. We caught up with her to ask her what makes living on campus so special and different from living off campus.

In his 35 years with Recreational Sports, Eric Stoutner influenced the lives and careers of dozens of students and campus recreation professionals, in addition to supporting facility projects and programs. He set the bar high during his distinguished career serving students and now the university is honoring him with the Arno Nowony Medal. Hear how he maximized the Longhorn experience from Kristin DeAngelo, B.A. ’09, who is the director of facilities at the University of Arkansas’ University Recreation, and Chris Burnett, former assistant director of outdoor recreation and civic engagement.

Food trucks are a staple in the Austin dining scene – and now there’s a bustling clientele on the Forty Acres too. Hear how the daily rotation of trucks across campus are spicing up campus dining. We interview sophomores Rotem Cohen, a business and economics major from Dallas and Carlos Gonzalez, a neuroscience and public health major from Laredo; University Unions’ David Anthony, who manages the contracts; and local food truck owners Lee Rowland, It’z A Rap, and Romel Viray, Wetzel’s Pretzels.

The University Co-op is an iconic destination close to campus that’s a premiere spot to buy almost anything burnt orange, including our Living the Longhorn Life merchandise. A partnership forged with the mission of giving back to students. Hear why our merchandise stands out from Tatom Hoffmann, a freshman advertising major from Austin, Kristin Schell, Longhorn Family Leadership Council co-chair, Texas Ex and Longhorn mom, and Kate Mounger, marketing director at the Co-op.

The original Gregory Gym opened in 1930, but a major renovation in 1997 brought many new features to the beloved facility ¾ racquetball, basketball and volleyball courts, an 11,000 square foot weight room, indoor track and climbing wall. This year marks the 25th anniversary of that renovation connecting the original gym to the Annex Gym completed in 1963. Hear the story of how student leaders led the charge from 1992-93 Student Government President Howard Nirken, Recreational Sports’ Randall Ford and Jordin Delgado, a facility supervisor and senior social work major from San Antonio, Texas.

The Texas Union is home to the university’s first dedicated esports space, expanding a long-term development partnership that supports students. Find out how the Alienware Longhorn Esports Lounge created a dream career for one former Longhorn and opened up an exciting world of egaming for our students. Listen to this interview with Longhorn Gaming President Daphnee Grignon, a senior communication and leadership major from Austin, Texas, and University Unions Esports Coordinator Austin Espinoza in the first episode of the new academic year.

Approximately 10,000 incoming Longhorns are joining us on the Forty Acres this summer for orientation! Freshman Orientation is fully back in person. Family Orientation is back in person for the first time in three years. Hear from Orientation Advisor Shelby Davis, a senior sociology major from Houston, Texas, and Sarah Kauffman, a former family orientation student coordinator, on how these programs show new Longhorns and their families what Living the Longhorn Life is all about.

We’re celebrating the in-person return of two campus traditions –— Longhorn Run and Family Weekend — for the first time in three years in April. Hear how coming together on the Forty Acres inspired Longhorn pride among students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and community members. We talk with one of the run organizers Radhika Patel, a senior economics major form Plano, Texas, and parent Heather Fallek.

Meet the two extraordinary Longhorns joining an impressive list of well-known alumni who have received the Texas Parents Outstanding Student Award! Listen to Arquala Davis and Rocío Nairi Garza-Gómez reflect on their UT Austin experience, and also learn about the award’s prestigious 70-year history. 

Meet Jaskaran Singh, the senior finance and economics double major who won the Jeopardy! National College Championship. Find out how the Forty Acres prepared him for the competition and what’s next after graduation.

We wrapped up Black History Month on Feb. 28 with a cookout event featuring music, dancing, spoken word poetry and home-cooked cuisine. Listen now for student perspectives on the significance of these cultural events and activities. Our guests are Danielle Excell, a freshman business major from Dallas, Texas, Zion James, a junior sociology and black studies major from Dallas, Texas, and Alejandra Jimenez, a freshman government major from Eagle Pass, Texas.

Despite the double whammy of a modified semester start due to COVID-19 and then a winter storm that closed campus, we are back! Hear why there’s no place like the Forty Acres for in-person classes and activities from sophomores Michelle Azzi and Parker Nickerson; Jeffrey Johanns, McCombs School of Business; and Brandon Jones, University Housing and Dining. And learn how our university researchers are helping us navigate the pandemic, informing our effective polities and protocols.

Milestones and achievements mark this past semester. As we look ahead to 2022, we also want to share some highlights -- helping reopen campus, expanding mental health services and housing options, reimagining on-campus dining, safely connecting at events and activities, and continuing to combat COVID-19.

Our campus recognized 10,000+ first-gen students during First-Generation College Celebration Week, Nov. 7-13. The Forty Acres is home to more first-generation Longhorns than ever with 23% of all undergrads identifying as first-gen. Freshman Mimansha Shrestha and senior Grace Farley join us to share their experiences and how they found community on campus.

Our Longhorn Fiesta event capped off the university’s National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations with music, dancing, food and friends. Hear how from event planner Robert Valdez, with University Housing and Dining and Hispanic Faculty and Staff Association, and volunteer Bella Vargas, a senior communication and leadership major from Brownsville, Texas.

Live music and events are back at the iconic Cactus Café! Listen to our latest episode and learn more from Ally Protass, Campus Events+Entertainment, and James Buckley, University Unions. 

In the inaugural episode of our Living the Longhorn Life Podcast, find out why UT Austin’s Student Government President Kiara Kabbara and Vice President Ethan Jones decided to get the COVID-19 vaccination and helped create an incentive campaign with fabulous prizes!