FORT WORTH — Roxana Aguirre, Fort Worth resident and educator, teared up as the room around her erupted in applause. After around four hours of discussion and nearly 160 speakers in open forum, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court approved a list of 51 early voting sites — including those at UTA and several other colleges — for the November presidential election at Thursday’s meeting. The measure passed 4-1, with County Judge Tim O’Hare in opposition. “As an educator, I just feel that seeing college-age students come out and exercise your democratic right to let your elected officials know that you are against something they are proposing is beautiful to see,” Aguirre said. Adding to the uncertainty of the proceedings was the in-person absence of Commissioners Alisa Simmons and Roy Brooks, who have been vocal about the need for more early voting sites. The two were in Washington D.C. for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Conference. Many among those who spoke to the commissioners had criticized the court for proceeding without them. The two voted remotely on the measure. Simmons thanked the citizens and students for their engagement in local governance. “Those young people, this is what it's about,” she said. “Thank you for coming over, and thank you to your professors and advisers for allowing you to come over and participate in your local government right here in your footprint.” O’Hare said the idea behind having multiple voting locations is to be equally spread out and accessible to all. Having locations less than a mile apart makes no sense, he said, because voting sites in some communities are 10 to 15 miles apart. “You don't win them all,” O’Hare said after the meeting. “I stood up for what I believed in and the rest of the court did not agree with the way I saw it.” Among those speaking at the meeting, including groups of advocates, elected officials, UTA students and staff, most pleaded to keep the university sites, saying any attempt to remove voting locations was an act of voter suppression. “A voteless people is a hopeless people,” said Relius Johnson, New Maverick Orientation director. College campuses are a microcosm of society because of the diverse student populations, and UTA is located around thriving areas where people vote, Johnson said. Having a polling site on campus allows everyone in the community to have their voice heard. Democracy begins on college campuses, and young people are changing this nation, environmental science senior Rogelio Meixueiro said. Tarrant County is paving the way for change in Texas, Meixueiro said, and while he’s happy with UTA’s energy to keep the site on campus, he believes the work is not done until after Election Day. “I think now our duty is ensuring that hundreds of students in our university and all across the county make their voice heard, and hey, we’re paving the way,” he said. Everyone should have their votes and voices heard, said Taylor Tracy, first vice president for UTA’s NAACP chapter, after the meeting. The nonpartisan organization attended the meeting to ensure it was educating and advocating for students while empowering people. “We just want everybody to have the ability to be able to vote,” Tracy said. During the Sept. 4 meeting, the Commissioners Court failed to approve a list of 50 early voting locations, 2-2, for the second time within two years, with Commissioner Manny Ramirez absent from the vote. The Maverick Activities Center was an active voting location but was unavailable for early voting during the 2023 November constitutional amendment election. However, it was open for the primary election in March. The 4-1 vote Thursday approved the original list and added the Vietnamese American Community Home in Dalworthington Gardens. “I think that we have to have more objective criteria and we have to have better reasoning whenever we’re selecting sites, but again, reducing the number is not a priority,” Ramirez said at the meeting before voting to approve the list. O’Hare is not against having intentional polling locations, but the current list of voting sites with some locations within almost a mile from one another would be a waste of money, he said. Three other voting site drafts were proposed with fewer locations, and O’Hare said he would have supported any of those along with the newly added location. Early presidential voting at UTA began as early as 2000, according to previous Shorthorn reporting. This year, citizens can register to vote until Oct. 7, with early voting running from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. @PMalkomes @trinhvchristine news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The UTA Observatory and College of Science will host International Observe the Moon Night on the top floor of the Park Central parking garage from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday. NASA’s annual International Observe the Moon Night encourages people around the world to observe the moon. The moon will be at or close to the first-quarter phase. According to NASA, a first-quarter moon offers excellent viewing opportunities along the terminator, the line between night and day, where shadows enhance the moon's cratered landscape. Planetarium program coordinator McKenna Dowd said they will have a 16-inch Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, meaning it has two mirrors: a primary and a secondary mirror to help focus the light into the eyepiece. This is the largest telescope they have. The observatory will also feature a smaller 11-inch telescope, multiple 8-inch telescopes and a 6-inch telescope for viewing. Dowd said that spectators are welcome to bring their own observing equipment and the event will feature free food and water, glow sticks and chairs for attendees while supplies last. “It's an event for moon lovers and anyone who loves to look up at the sky to come together and celebrate and observe the moon, and just share curiosity and wonder for our night sky and our moon,” Dowd said. The event is free, apart from parking. Instructions to obtain a parking permit for the event can be found on the observatory’s website. @wall035203 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

This is a crime wrap-up from Sept. 6 to 10. Reckless damage or destruction of property On Sept. 6, an unaffiliated male reported damage to his vehicle while it was parked, UTA Police Capt. Mike McCord said in an email. Reckless damage or destruction is a class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500. This case is still active. Criminal mischief On Sept. 8, an officer found damage to a section of landscape, McCord said. Criminal mischief with $100 to $750 in pecuniary loss is a class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500. This case is still active. Harassment On Sept. 9, a female staff member reported receiving harassing messages from an unaffiliated male, McCord said. Harassment is a class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,000, up to 180 days in jail or both. Purchasing or furnishing alcohol to a minor On Sept. 10, officers investigated a possibly intoxicated unaffiliated female, McCord said. She was arrested for providing alcohol to a minor and transported to Arlington Police Department jail. Purchasing or furnishing alcohol to a minor is a class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $4,000, up to one year in jail or both. Consumption of alcohol by a minor In the same Sept. 10 report, an unaffiliated female associate was issued a citation for consumption of alcohol by a minor, McCord said. Consumption of alcohol by a minor is a class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500. Theft of property On Sept. 10, a male student reported the theft of a weight stack extender, McCord said. Theft of property worth $100 to $750 is a class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, up to 180 days in jail or both. This case is still active. @hjgarcia0 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Mavericks celebrated La Kermés on the Library mall honoring Hispanic Serving Institution Week on Wednesday. HSI Week is held one week before Hispanic Heritage Month, with one of its biggest events being La Kermés, a festival typical to Hispanic culture, that involves food, activities, games and music. Students from various heritages joined together for the Hispanic heritage festival that included baile, food and the opportunity to win one of three $500 scholarships offered by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Maria Delgado, senior director of HSI Initiatives, said she works to ensure that UTA continues to be recognized as a Hispanic-serving institution while integrating Hispanic heritage. The HSI designation allows Mavericks to apply for financial support. Delgado emphasizes that this support is designed to benefit all students, not just Latinos. “I am very, very excited about doing all of these activities and events,” Delgado said. “I'm Latina, so it's very nice for me to be able to share with all of our students about our HSI culture, but also bring them scholarships and bring them money.” Senior education major Jennifer Bautista said that being a full-time student with clinicals prevents her from being able to work. The $500 scholarship would be a great help to her dreams of being a first-generation graduate and being a voice for her Hispanic community in her career path. “[In] education there needs to be more representation, especially for Hispanic students whose parents don't speak English,” Bautista said. “I want to be that voice to help those students who can't do for themselves and [who] are translating for their parents as well because I was that kid who was translating for my parents.” Valeria Loera, visual communications design major and president of the Association of Mexican-American Students, said that the ability to meet other students of Mexican heritage has allowed her to make the most of her UTA experience and she is grateful to have the opportunity to represent her culture with events like La Kermés. “The fact that we're even able to host tables here and play our music out loud and serve our food, it's a privilege, and we're really grateful for it,” Loera said. Drew Miller, senior associate vice president of Student Affairs and dean of students, is new to the UTA community and attended La Kermés to learn more about the different organizations offered to students on campus, saying he wants to be a part of supporting the Hispanic community. “I don't think I've ever been on a campus where the students are this engaged, this willing to come out, show support, get involved. It has been a joy to see and so it's just been so exciting to see so many students [of] Hispanic origin, but also not [of] Hispanic origin, just coming out to learn, to support. It’s amazing,” Miller said. @arj3395 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Texas Rep. Terry Meza, D-Irving remembers once voting at the University Center. “I knew that the more people that voted here, the more likely they were to keep it,” Meza said. She, alongside about three dozen students, faculty and state representatives, gathered Wednesday at the Maverick Activities Center’s West Lawn to discuss UTA potentially not having an early voting site this year. Last week, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court failed to approve a list of early voting locations, which included college campuses like UTA and Tarrant County College, for the upcoming November 2024 presidential election. After a heated debate, the court left divided, resulting in a 2-2 vote with Commissioner Manny Ramirez absent. “These polling locations aren’t just for university students,” UTA student Yaseen Tasnif said. “Faculty, staff and nearby residents also use them.” The court will meet 10 a.m. Thursday for a special meeting to discuss and consider three different draft proposals for early voting locations. Commissioners Alisa Simmons and Roy Brooks, however, will be unable to attend in person. In August, the court approved travel for Simmons and Brooks to attend the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Conference in Washington D.C. “Together, we represent half of this county, which is a majority minority, meaning a disproportionate number of these minority citizens live within our two precincts,” Simmons said in a written statement. “This is clearly a targeted attempt to limit the minority members of the Commissioners Court’s ability to participate.” While Simmons is out of state, she and her office put together the event with support from UTA students. The absence of both commissioners who are African American will leave the minority population unrepresented, Texas Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie said. “To schedule this meeting at a time the two Black members of the court cannot be there, and the vast majority of the minority population in Tarrant County cannot be represented because they cannot be there, is wrong,” he said. Kayla Rabb, Texas Texas National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Youth and College president, said she is disheartened at the attempt to suppress the votes of students and members of the community. She said students face higher voter struggles like affordable and reliable transportation or finding the time to vote between classes. “County Judge O’Hare, to say that you have no interest in helping students vote is grossly arrogant, a mockery and a slap in the face to young people who wish to take part in the democratic process,” Rabb said. Previously, the MAC was an active voting location for students but was not available for early voting during the 2023 November constitutional amendment election. The university initially opened as an early presidential voting site in 2000, according to previous Shorthorn reporting. During last week’s meeting, O’Hare questioned the necessity of having an early voting location at UTA, pointing out another option at the Tarrant County Sub-Courthouse in Arlington, which is 0.8 miles away from campus. Simmons disagreed. At that meeting, Simmons said she opposes removing early polling sites from campus because Arlington is the largest city in the U.S. without public transportation, and most of UTA’s students don’t have vehicles. “Access is the issue here. It is the responsibility of this Commissioners Court to make voting accessible to all of the public,” Simmons said. Emeri Callaway, TCC student and member of Tarrant County Young Democrats, said the right to vote is fundamental to our democracy, and having voting sites on college campuses encourages student-voter turnout. “Restricting access to the ballot box undermines the very fabric of our society and democracy itself,” Callaway said. “As a student who has personally used a polling location, on campus, to vote, as I know countless other students have, we must not let this happen.” Citizens can register to vote until Oct. 7, and early voting runs from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. UTA is still included on the Election Day polling sites, which commissioners approved 3-1. O’Hare voted against the list. @amandaLaldridge news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The deadline to register for Oozeball, UTA’s annual six-vs-six mud volleyball tournament, is Wednesday with the event set for Sept. 20. Students can register online through the Campus Recreation website or the Maverick Activities Center services and information desk. Registration is $60 per team and $15 for individuals. The event will be at the mud volleyball courts located on the corner of Summit Avenue and Greek Row. Profits from the event will be donated to UTA’s Emergency Assistance Fund. Teams of five are also eligible to participate in this year's Oozeball tournament. There must be two female players on each team. With University Housing and Rockstar Energy Drink sponsoring this year's tournament, students can expect a DJ, free energy drinks and dancing in between games. Josh Hale, Campus Recreation assistant director for sports programs, said it’s recommended students wear clothes they don’t mind throwing away afterwards. Participants are required to secure their shoes with duct tape as a safety precaution. Now voted as UTA’s most popular tradition, Hale said Oozeball was started by former Campus Recreation director Doug Kuykendall. When Kuykendall first started the mud volleyball tournament in 1989, there were only two courts for the tournament — now there’s over 10. “I would definitely say it's one of the biggest traditions on campus,” Hale said. “Students that have transferred or new students or freshman, whoever it may be, I'd even encourage faculty [and] staff that are new to UTA, just come out and see the experience and impact that this event makes.” @reyyhankilic news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu