University of Texas--Austin
Hallmarks and Quirks
Things I'm Good At:
There's a lot to love here, people. Where do I even begin…
- Should it be with the forty graduate programs that rank in the top ten nationally? More specific?
- How about my top-notch radio, television, and film departments? Less brainy?
- How about the hoards of athletes I send to the Olympics and the professional leagues (in everything from golf to track to football)?
- Don't forget my top-ranked business school, my engineering programs, and my Harry Ransom Center, which houses pretty much every cool and rare thing in the known world, including a copy of the Gutenberg Bible. Go me.
My Top 5 Must-Haves:
Okay, pencils ready? Good, because I hope you're taking notes here. To survive even a brief visit to UT, you will need the following:
- Some item of Longhorn sports memorabilia (at least one). T-shirts are the most popular choice, but really, anything burnt orange with the Longhorn logo will suffice (caps, coozies, and capes all work fine).
- Smart phone (preferably the latest iPhone model). Hey, you never know when you're going to run into an indie producer in line for an iced coffee, and you're gonna need a way to link them to your Soundcloud site, stat.
- Shades. Even if it's not hot and sunny out (note: it is always hot and sunny out), you need to project those hipster vibes, and totally not hide your hangover from the night before...
- Hacky sack and/or Frisbee golf discs. You never know when an impromptu game will break out.
- A car. As crunchy as I am, I just don't live in a place that does mass public transit very well. Not up for walking in one hundred-degree heat? A car's a must-have in these here parts. Try a Volkswagen biodiesel van.
Why You Might Have Heard of Me:
- Remember that story about the sniper in the tower? Yeah, I do too. But let's focus on the positive, shall we?
- I am the home to the first Presidential Library.
- I have my own television network through a partnership with ESPN, the Longhorn Network.
- I'm considered a "public Ivy," meaning I provide the education of an Ivy league at the price of a public school.
On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...
There's a ton of stuff to do in a vibrant city like Austin. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, head on down to Sixth Street. Sixth Street is like a mile-long buffet of the weird and wild. Strolling its blocks, you'll find...
- great live music (both in the bars and on the street corners)
- pool halls
- folks getting driven around in pedicabs
- street performers
- and lots and lots of people who have enjoyed a "few" adult beverages.
- Want a real treat? Find a comfy, out-of-the-way spot to sit, and just soak in the myriad of wacky people at around 2:00AM when the bars close. The human drama (hook-ups, fights) and pageantry (wigs, glitter, facial hair) on display can't be compared.
Favorite Hangouts:
- Are you thirsty for beer? The Crown and Anchor Pub is a laid-back watering hole located just off campus. It brings together egg heads, jocks, hipsters, and people from just about every walk of life within UT's forty acres. The Crown is an easy-going, good-times hub that's definitely worth checking out.
Quirks:
- One of my cheerleaders invented the hook 'em horns, now also commonly thrown at concerts.
- Orange and white ribbons just happened to be the cheapest colors to buy back in 1885. When all our sports fans showed up sporting those colors, we took the hint and adopted them officially.
- I know that I like to play up that hip, urban angle for most folks, but I wasn't always so with the times. In fact, if you look on the wall just northwest of our iconic Littlefield fountain, you'll find a very understated memorial to the Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. It's weird by modern standards, I know, but…whatcha gonna do?
- So there's that—oh, and I can also lick my elbows.
Famous Alumni:
- Walter Cronkite, CBS Evening News (...goodnight)
- Matthew McConaughey. I mean, have you ever seen more of a country boy?
- Farrah Fawcett, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated actress
- Janis Joplin. She and Bobby McGee. (Except not really.)
- Vince Young, former NFL quarterback