Aura of Austin

AURA OF

AUSTIN HOW THE LONE STAR CAPITAL

GLOWS

LISTENING LIVE

The Secrets Behind Austin’s Dance and Musical Cultures

ENGAGING LIVE The Cooking and Sports Scenes in Austin

FINDING LIVE

Where to Listen and Engage Live

Behind the Sounds

Dazzling Dancers Dealing with Covid

The Backstage of Austin’s Musical Culture

Page 8

Page 14

Proceed Chart / Performance Poll

Stevie’s Standings

Page 12

Page 18

The Prosperity of Austin Food

There’s No Need to go to a Gas Station if you Ride Public Transportation

Page 20

Page 32

Ten of the Most Popular Cuisines in the World

Getting around Austin

Page 24

Page 36

Diving into the Dynamics of Sports within Austin Page 26

A History of Sports in Austin Page 30

Letters From the Editors Leyla Redfield Hello Readers! My name is Leyla Redfield, and I am one of the writers of “The Aura of the Austin” magazine. I have lived in many different places and experienced various kinds of weather. I can tell you that Austin is one of the more beautiful cities to live in.

My chosen feature article is all about the different performers in Austin, and how they have been affected with COVID. This is a really great opportunity for you to explore all of the current, amazing performance opportunities in Austin. I have been dancing for nine years, and I have learned so much about Austin and the performance industry. One thing that I am certain of is that Austin has some of the best studio and performance opportunities than any other city that I have lived in.

Jax Latham Howdy! My name is Jax Latham, an avid music writer and performer.

I enjoy composing, arranging, and transcribing music by ear, as well as playing classical and jazz tunes on my trumpet. I also love to learn, indulging in the arts of astronomy, physics, biology, and chemistry. I’ve always wondered what made Austin so “Austin”, especially why it was known as the “Live Music Capital of the World” and its repercussions after Covid-19’s attack, which inspired the crux of my article. Additionally, as an eager graphic designer and digital artist, I like recreating simple objects that look challenging to draw, like the globe graphic in my feature story. Besides writing music on MuseScore and jamming in my room, I also like to play video games, primarily Nintendo, exploring the secrets of nature, and going to Tae Kwon Do as an aspiring third degree black belt.

6 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

Luis Salazar Fayad Holla my name is Luis Salazar Fayad I currently attend Liberal Arts and Science academy in Austin. For our group we decided to write a newspaper about Austin, TX which is our home. I decided to chime in by doing the culture of food. The reason being I’ve always been surrounded by heavy culture as I was born in Puerto Rico. My parents are Mexican and my grandparents are from the Middle East. Food culture was always part of those cultures no matter where I went or lived, and it will always be an important part of me. So I decided to write about it in order to share to others the many different cultures and experiences in Austin.

Sanwi Sarode Hi guys! I’m Sanwi and I’m a freshman at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy. I was born in India, but I grew up in Austin so this city means a lot to me. As a proud Austinite, I wanted to explore various parts of our city and share it with others, and what better way to do that than to make it our magazine topic? Some of my hobbies include binge reading, writing, and playing tennis. Tennis has always been an important aspect of my life, and I do other extracurricular activities such as dancing, biking, and running. This is why for my article topic I chose to write about the dynamics of sports within Austin. I had a great time working with my group on this project, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Jacob Mathew Hey there! I am a freshman at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas. My two favorite hobbies are guitar and hiking.

I have been playing classical guitar for 7 years. I love that I can pick up my guitar, and learn a song that I have heard on Spotify. I also enjoy hiking on any trail especially in Austin.

The writers of this magazine chose to write about Austin because it’s a growing city with many activities to offer. We all wrote about an aspect of Austin that we are passionate about. I chose to write about transportation because it connects everyone to the activities written by my group members, and ever since I was a kid I was fascinated by trains, planes, and buses. We sincerely hope that this will be a great opportunity for Austinites and tourists to learn more about the city!

Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 7

Dazzling Dancers Dealing With COVID By: Leyla Redfield

8 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

W

alking out onto a stage ready to perform. The lights are bright, the crowd is cheering, and there is a full house. At this moment, everything is perfect. There is a rush of excitement and anticipation to perform. And suddenly, that feeling slips away. This is the case for the many performers of Austin. Well it just so happens that Sonya Doyle, and many others experienced this disappointing feeling. Doyle is an 18 year old high school student who currently attends and teaches at multiple studios. Doyle’s blossoming age gives her an profound advantage in the dance world, because it allows her to accept countless opportunities that are thrown her way. These opportunities include different conventions, competitions, and more importantly, performance opportunities. However this past year, Doyle and many other performers have been hit especially hard due to a certain, recent world wide pandemic with the name of COVID-19. Performers and teachers alike are missing the stage, and are desperately hoping for a monumental comeback from this pandemic through the help of anyone willing to attend their performances. “As a dancer, my job is to change and adapt to a specific dance or character,” Doyle said.

“If we cannot do that, we cannot create and work as a dancer.” Sonya explains the process of falling into the mold of a character and adapting all of the surface morals and beliefs that come with that said character.

Doyle, as well as the other teachers of Austin, agree that the audience is a huge contributor to the energy level of the performance, and can also affect the energy between the team rather than just the performance. Although Doyle acknowledges the difficulty of coming to a performance during this tragic time, she and the performers of Austin reiterate that anything or

anyone that will contribute their time, energy, or even money to them, will help tremendously.

Being a teacher requires more than just the articulation and passion of Sonya Doyle, but also the determination and ambition of Carly Bell. Bell is a business owner with almost 20 years of teaching experience under her belt, and each

“You don’t come to a dance studio because you’re already perfect, you come because you want to get better and grow.”

-Carly Bell year she continues to exceed the societal boundaries of what a teacher should be, while also continuing to develop personal relationships with every single one of her students. In light of recent events, Bell explains just how hard it has been for small studios and businesses to stay afloat during this difficult time.

“Something I’ve definitely learned from teaching kids would be that you have to have some patience and understanding.” Bell said.

“These kids are learning every single day and I have to remember that each mistake that they make is just an experience and a learning opportunity for them.”

Bell shares her words of wisdom and sympathy, as she explains her reasons for leniency with the mistakes her students have made both on the stage and off. She understands that, as well as the

teachers, the students are also struggling and experiencing the effects of COVID. “Even with the pandemic and everything, it’s been so hard for us to make any money,” Carly said. “Did you know that we are making as much money as we were making when I first opened up my studio?”

The effects of this pandemic have seemed to be neverending, especially for the performers of Austin. Performers get a majority of their funds from tickets, concessions, and donations, which all come from the audience.

Bell explains how the lack of audience funds is deeply affecting the cash flow of studios everywhere.

“I take each performance as an opportunity to tell a story, and while keeping my own morals and beliefs true to myself,” Doyle said. “I chose to instill myself into the character that I’m becoming and value their morals and beliefs as my own regardless of the differences between them.”

Teachers and students everywhere seem to have lost hope for the performing arts. However, Doyle reminds the performers of Austin why they started in the first place.

She shares her knowledge about the art of telling stories through movement and emotion.

Throughout this pandemic, teachers everywhere are being extremely understanding with their students.

They not only understand the difficulties that all dancers have to go through, but also try their best to accommodate the needs of each Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 9

individual. Ema Hall, a student at Hendrickson High School, shares her experience with the effects of COVID.

just want to be heard as much as everyone else. However, there are several ways that locals can help.

Any left over change or money would be greatly appreciated, as well as any gym equipment that

could be collecting dust in a garage “It’s definitely been hard to say the or storage unit. Gracious acts like least, especially with the masks you these, help dancers to be able to put know? It’s just so hard to breathe,” on some amazing performances for Hall said. “COVID has taken a toll their audiences. on all of us, and not just dancers, Despite the endless setbacks caused everyone. My friends, neighbors, you by the recent pandemic, every name it. Everyone has experienced teacher and student is on their toes, this pandemic in different ways, waiting for the time where they can mostly harmful.” Hall explains earn some decent funding to put on how the effects of COVID are not some mind-blowing performances just harming the performers, cooks, for their audiences. The performers athletes, or musicians of Austin, but of Austin have yet to see the light everyone. As well as anyone else, at the end of the tunnel for COVID, the performers understand these but are clinging onto their seats terrible effects and are not inching and awaiting their return to the to suck the money from the pockets wonderful lights of the stage. of Austinites. On the contrary, they

A team of girls strike their end pose as they finish off a dance at Groove Competition.

Photo credits to Groove Competition Photography.

10 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

“I would describe the feeling of dancing as feeling free and any societal pressures and labels are lifted off of me.”

-Sonya Doyle

Photo by Leyla Redfield of mural at Dance By Carly.

“My experiences allowed me to make strong connections and branch out into the dance world thus allowing me to start what will hopefully be a successful dance career at such a young age.”

-Sonya Doyle Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 11

By: Leyla Redfield Learn about the incline in funds that happens when outside people come to a studios performances!

No Audience vs. Full Audience

500, 000

100, 000

60, 000 12 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

Learn about how dancers feel before a performance

17 Votes

2 Votes

happy/ excited nervous/ worried Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 13

Behind the

Sounds The Backstage of Austin’s Musical Culture

By: Jax Latham

T

hrough the doors of a small, rusty house, there is a cafe packed with seats and tables, and filled with the sweet aroma of icing.

Suddenly, someone starts a countoff and the sounds of guitars, drums, brasses, woodwinds, and strings sweep from a far stage. The music soars, people clap, and the musicians grin. When most people hear about a “band concert”, this isn’t what they imagine. This definitely doesn’t sound like anyone’s traditional auditorium concert.

For Austin, that’s a good thing.

According to many, the music scene in Austin is culturally unique. This Live Music Capital of the World has been popular for audiences across the globe, especially because of its diverse genres. However, the secret behind 14 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

it is a bit unusual. Most Austin you go play at The Continental musicians know how to seize their Club, it’s going to be a lot more audience’s attention, so they learn informal, crowded on the stage, to play in a way that strengthens but there’s a certain charm to that this relationship, but their style as well. We’re not quite as fancy as of learning is different onstage. Additionally, the future of Austin held a Before Covid-19 struck, Austin is known as the “Live Music Capital of the World” for its events, performance styles, and great deal of hope for all interaction with its audiences. (Photo by Jax Latham, 2021.) musicians… except when a crisis struck. With the economy wounded by doctor’s orders, Austin is struggling to recover from a life-threatening blow by COVID-19.

“It’s a different kind of treatment than you get here,” Jimmy Shortell, a trumpet and flugelhorn player in several bands around Austin, said. He gives insight to what is distinctly Austin about the music scene. “[When]

LA and New York and Nashville…”

knowing that what I’m doing is making those people super happy.”

Learning about Austin’s This is another musical reason why culture musicians wasn’t love to just about play all going the time; into a to make classroom people and feel learning happy. In a from a traditional - Ernie Durawa teacher, but concert, instead about players might experiencing be nervous it yourself. if they make a That’s what was so mistake on a solo or distinctive about Austin, mess up on a difficult part understanding the scene, “live.” of their music, but in Austin, the

“Austin has a little bit of everything to offer”

Additionally, what came out of the stage was a medley of many different sounds. The musical focus of Austin is spread across a variety of musical genres and instruments.

freedom of each performance was a license to express oneself beyond just hitting notes. Because Austin’s music is so eclectic, performers can be more free with their playing and interact with their audiences, according to Durawa. Thus they tend to have a better time and have more fun with spreading their cheer and joy to everyone listening. Durawa says this was a key to Austin’s popularity that lured people from all over the world to their famous live music events.

The Austin music scene beforeCOVID-19 and now has an informal treatment and a unique feeling, with a large diversity in instrumentation and genres.

Everything was ordinary, until

Jimmy Shortell jams with Tony Harrison in the Western Spring Festival in Lockhart, a small town in the outskirts of Austin, in Fall 2019. (Photo courtesy of Jimmy Shortell, 2021.)

“[Austin] has a little bit of everything to offer,” said Ernie Durawa, a drummer in the Texas Tornados band. “It’s country music here, and there’s a couple of jazz clubs, some blues clubs, and then, when we still had South by Southwest, people were coming from all over the world because they figured they could come here and maybe get discovered.”

The music scene is also unique in how people perform. Musicians can tell if they’ve engaged with the music based on their audience’s reactions.

“If I see him moving his head to what I’m playing, see them tapping their feet, [and] they’re going like this with their fingers like that and really into my music,” Durawa said, “it’s just a euphoric, beautiful feeling for me, Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 15

COVID-19 struck. As a result, gigs were cut down or simply canceled, and the audiences, as well as the energy they brought to every performance, was muted.

will drop and the punctured economy will hurt, the blow to Austin’s culture may be more incapacitating in the long run. However, there still isn’t enough information to determine when or if this will happen.

Musicians can’t have fun performing for everyone, when “everyone” was almost no one.

Additionally, when COVID-19 is gone, musicians are worried about what will be the remnants of the attack.

“I do wonder what’s going to be left of Ernie Durawa plays with his band in the backstage at El Mercado, a restaurant it when this in North Austin. The jam lasted every Tuesday for four years until Covid-19 pandemic is arrived, and it’s open to all ages. (Photo courtesy of Ernie Durawa, 2021.) over,” Shortell said. “I wonder how many venues will and live here anymore?” just have gone Shortell said. “That’s one away, and I think it’s going to be thing that worries me.” more than a few.”

COVID-19 hasn’t just affected musicians. The Austin economy is also at stake due to curfew orders, loss of employees, the collapse of businesses, etc. Without enough money, musicians will be burdened with debt and uncertainty and will find it difficult to keep the music scene alive.

“Will it just get to where you can’t really just afford to play music 16 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

If the live music scene perishes, the effects will be painful. There might not be an Austin City Limits festival or South

by Southwest event, where musicians and fans from around the world would perform, inform, and advertise in one huge stadium. Additionally, even though the revenues

The fate of the live music scene remains unknown, but its uniqueness is still striving right now, especially because of its player-toperformer relationship.

Usually, before performing with a gig, aspiring musicians are shy and uncomfortable with the style of playing.

“I do wonder what’s going to be left of it [Austin’s Music Scene] when the pandemic is over” - Jimmy Shortell

Someone may walk up to the stage with so many questions: When will a song end? How can someone know when to solo?

How can someone know when it will end? And, of course, there’s the question of if someone messes up.

However, all musicians have to go through the intolerable and shy feeling of their first performance. The style of gigs in Austin will help a beginner adapt to what it’s like, and soon, they’ll not only get used to it, but learn to enjoy it, too. As Shortell said, “Go get your feet wet,” no matter how dirty you are when you’re done.

Additionally, Durawa said that he wouldn’t have become a celebrity if he hadn’t stepped up on the stage platform, and he wouldn’t have experienced his playing in the same way if it hadn’t unfolded on the Austin stage.

The distinctive form of musical connection in Austin strengthens the performer’s backbone, and the culture grows tall with it. This creates a symbiosis that is the ticket for future success, where everyone profits.

“I would have never toured Europe, I would have never been in Japan, and would have never been on Saturday Night Live, Solid Gold, Austin City Limits, all these TV national shows,” Durawa stated.

(Photo courtesy of Jesse Brede, 2016.)

(Photo courtesy of Holger Schue, 2013.)

This is the secret behind Austin’s music: Performances that amplify both performers and audiences through shared expression, rocketing the creative and emotional energy for both. Now, musicians and listeners can only hope that a recovery will recharge the thrilling roller coaster that every Austin musician and audience member wants to ride together.

Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 17

EXAS

LOOD

“Love Struck Baby”

S o n g T i t l e

“Pride and Joy” “Texas Flood” “Tell Me” “Testify” “Rude Mood” “Mary had a Little Lamb” “Dirty Pool” “I’m Cryin’” “Lenny”

0

25

50

75

100

R a t ing ( o ut of 100)

18 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

Stevie’s Standings By: Jax Latham

Stevie Ray Vaughan is the reason why Austin is known as the Live Music Capital of the world, but for what cause? Looking at his most popular album, Texas Flood, which of his songs was the most popular and favored by audiences across the entire world?

Sources: • https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=2932 • https://www.allmusic.com/album/texas-floodmw0000090316 • https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratSRV3SB-fender-stevie-ray-vaughan-stratocaster-3-tone-sunburst

Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 19

Traverse for Taste By: Luis Salazar

Picture of Nixtas Taquria (Photo courtesy of Sanra Mardanbigi) 20 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

The Prosperity of Austin Food Culture

try. It would take years to eat or try everything and new combinations are made very often,” Chef Rico said.

Additionally, Austin’s foodscene has been around for a long time. However, recently food in Austin has diversified. The synonym food has allowed new restaurants to get to the spotlight and get the chance they deserve.

Picture of Nixtas taquria tacos (Photo courtesy of Sanra Mardanbigi)

Swift as you take a bite of a dish from the Caribbean the overwhelming amount of tastes take over everyone , bitter, sweet, tart, and a burning sensation on your tongue that’s a hint of spice.

Food is very important to everyone, we need it to survive. People might think it is as simple as mix and match and viola there is world class dish but no. After all, food has come a long way from necessity; it’s developed to a fine art of who came to make the best tasting dish.

Austin is a city that really shows creativity and diversity when it comes to food. The slogan is, after all, “Keep Austin Weird.”. Austin was founded in 1839, but recently there has been an explosion in population with new people and families from different countries. These families have brought their different foods,

spices, and cultures to Austin.

“Working in a restaurant has taught me one thing. There are so many different people, cultures, and religions that it’s hard to keep count of them when we get a day.” Chef Rico, head chef at Nixtas Taqueria said. “ I also feel that we are at the peak of diversity when it comes to food.”

There are many different cultures in the world that a single dish can have aspects from more than ten different cultures. Austin is a city that has a lot of these cultures available to almost everyone. It could be food from a big country like India with chicken tikka masala or food from a small country like the Philippines with Adobo. They all bring different cultures,tastes, and even colors to the table.

One of the many restaurants that has been in Austin for a short period of time came to quick success. The restaurant was called Nixta Taqueria, a staple of Mexican food and culture within Austin, Texas.

The restaurant has been around for two years now and had

Nixta has been a great opportunity to learn and grow as a chef, not just for cooking but how to receive and welcome others.”

- Chef Rico.

“There’s so many things to Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 21

Picture of Nixtas taquria tacos (Photo courtesy of Sanra Mardanbigi)

great success and ratings.

The restaurant is still doing great today and has a good future.

This restaurant is not only known for its food and amazing workers, but it has an amazing ambiance, too.

The building is brimming with bright colors and food labeled around Mexican culture which catches peoples eyes and makes anyone crave for it. Once you’re inside, it’s like a home away from home, very comforting.

It’s not as easy as it seems.

It’s taken lots of hard work from every person in the staff to make it successful.

From making the dishes, to restocking, or even cleaning in general it takes a lot of effort to run a restaurant, especially a successful one like Nixitas.

Picture of set table (Photo courtesy of Chef Gromsley) 22 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

One of the most popular cuisines in Texas is Mexican food. Even Texans have changed it and adapted it to TexMex which is a

unique variation of Mexican food and both of them are so loved that even arguments over one another occur all the time.

“I like Tex Mex, and then they hear from other people that well Mexican food is like this, but so much better. So it just ends up being, what do they prefer, TexMex or Mexican?

And people end up liking both.” Chef Grimsley owner of Chez Vous 512.

It’s the biggest part of the job and why it’s so rewarding just to hear that you’ve made somebody’s day.

- Chef Grimsley

different from his business.

“It’s more so you have to get the food out and as long as the food gets out, then that’s all that matters. So it’s different from cooking at home for your family.

You’re not trying to please

There are many different types of food businesses whether it be different because of the culinary, location, or system they all are different in their own way. Although, everyone knows how heavily small and large businesses have been affected by COVID, but there’s certain businesses that COVID has actually been a positive for them. A business that has had this positive impact is Chez Vous 512.

The reason that this company is so different from others is it allows the customers to be served at their own home and they can see how and where the food is prepared and ask for tune ups on the food easily. “ The customers get to see the chef and they get to actually interact and have conversations with the person bringing and cooking them food,” said Chef Grimsley.

Not only do they cook the food spectacularly but they also do it in a safe, clean environment. “Myself and my employees wear masks and we are very respectful of everybody in their space. We do what we can to stay away from them and we sanitize, we are super safe with it”

Picture of Cheese and prosciutto plate (Photo courtesy of Chef Grimsley)

We don’t get big development in the food scene unless people are pushing boundaries.

- Chef Grimsley Picture of Chef Grimsley (Photo courtesy of Chef Grimsley)

Chef Grimsley. Therefore, the company has succeeded in COVID time as people are afraid to go out and don’t necessarily know if the chef is clean but Chez Vous guarantees you know whether its safe or not.

The food that is cooked can be any type of food from anywhere in the world.

Which makes this dine at home company even more diversified than some restaurants out there. The dishes can range from beef wellington, ceviche, or even mushroom risotto. “ Whatever the customers want you have to provide.” chef Grimsley. It’s also way easier on some of the workers as your cooking only for quality not the massive quantity restaurants get

these same 5 people. You’re trying to please 400 people and to do that, you have to get their food out.” There are still many pros and cons to working in a restaurant or a dine at home company and both are great options and both offer amazing diversified foods.

In total when traveling to Austin and looking for food there’s so many options it’s hard to get something unpleasant and there’s so many new foods, tastes, and cultures to explore that it would take centuries to try everything available.

Chef Grimsley explains how serving in a restaurant is

Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 23

10

of the Most Popular Cuisines Around the World By: Luis Salazar-Fayad

An information graphic on some of the most popular cuisines in the world and what they are know for.

Italian: Known for lots of food made with dough and coffee.

American: Food contains a lot of meat especially cow meat.

French: Contains lots and lots of bread in their dishes.

Spanish: Lots of unusual ingredients but ends up tasting amazing.

Greek: Known for very rich and good tasting Mediterranean food.

24 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

Thai: Most popular dishes are soup with noodles and any type of meat.

Indian: Food contains a lot of spices that really bring out the flavor of the dish.

Mexican: The whole food culture is surrounded around tortillas.

Chinese: Tends to have a lot of grains and vegetables.

Which gives the food great aroma and taste.

Japanese: Dishes contain lots of sea food mainly shrimp, and salmon also rice.

Sources

Zoe Li, CNN, 2021 Which country has the best food?

Anastasia Terentyeva, 2016 T he 20 Best Countries in the World for Food Pasta by: RitaE on Pixelbay.

Greek plate by: jcvelis on pixelbay. Naan Bread by:EstudioWebDoce on pixelbay. Dumplings by: Rita E on pixelbay. Sushi by: Adamsov on pixelbay. Rest of the images where provided by Luis S.

Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 25

Diving Into the Dynamics of Sports Within Austin By: Sanwi Sarode

A

ccording to Austin Culturemap, Austin has been labeled the ‘weird city’ by many of its inhabitants since 2002.

From Austin’s music and culture to the city’s food and diversity, Austin has stood out to many of its residents.

The dynamics of sports and athletics within Austin has also contributed to Austin’s ‘weirdness.’

Austin has been home to several minor league sports teams in the past, but it hasn’t been until recently that sports started to play a bigger role in Austin culture. When the COVID-19 pandemic wrecked havoc worldwide, people started to take comfort in their extracurricular activities.

According to Mike Varozza, 26 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

the head coach of swimming at Waterloo, people enjoy sports because sports bring out competitive aspects from people who didn’t know they had it within them.

“Sports in general are a way for us to enjoy exercise and to also bring out our competitive nature,” Varozza said. Varozza also said that it’s fun to participate in sports as a fan and as a spectator rooting for a team.

Ben Crawley, the director of coaching for soccer at the River City Rangers Soccer Club, said that people also love sports because it’s also a way for them to feel young again and mix up their routine.

“Sports is just a great way to get out and change your mentality of what you do, day to day, week

River City Ranger soccer students practice their soccer skills on a wide field. (Photo courtesy of Ben Crawley.)

to week, as far as work,” Crawley said. “It’s kind of like a way to escape and become a kid again, no matter what age you are.”

Austin has many athletes within the city’s communities, with the University of Texas at Austin itself having 682 athletes within its campus, according to College Factual. When it comes to sports, Varozza believes that the University of Texas at Austin is one of the factors that makes Austin stand out. Varozza explained the appeal of the UT Austin swim team.

“Having the University of Texas being so good in their sports and so fanatical about winning their sports lifts the general population of Austin wanting to

be a part of it,” Varozza said. “The UT swim team is always in the top five. If you want to swim at UT you have to be the best in the country.

That makes you want to step up.”

According to Athletic Scholarships and Texas State, swimming and other sports such as soccer and tennis have recently increased in popularity around Austin. Crawley said that soccer’s popularity shows for itself as Austin plans to get its first professional soccer team within the next year. The team goes by the name Austin FC and will start competing in Major League Soccer starting in 2021.

“We just now got our pro franchise in soccer,” Crawley said.

“I think the excitement is going

to be great. We were always the big little town, and the University of Texas was always the pride of Austin.”

Additionally, Crawley said that sports have proven to be popular in Austin because of Austin’s attractions. He explained that Zilker Park, for example, is a place unique to Austin where it’s easy to play sports. There are many activities at Zilker Park to choose from, such as playing soccer, rowing, running and more.

“Zilker park is kind of the easiest one because it’s a nice gathering place and people will just meet and throw together games,” Crawley said. “You’ll usually see someone with a ball and you can walk over and say, ‘Hey can Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 27

I jump in,’ and they’re usually pretty open to that. As far as just pickup, that’s probably the best place people can go.”

Zilker Park is also close to Austin High School and its tennis courts. Tennis has been another sport in Austin that has spiked in popularity. According to College Factual, UT Austin’s men’s tennis team is ranked as one of the top 10 tennis teams in the country, attracting many international players to come to Austin and play for them.

Tennis has been booming within Austin. According to the Texas Tennis Museum, tennis started growing in popularity around 1888. USTA, also known as the United States Tennis Association, started in Texas around 1995. Since then, tennis has grown to be an extremely competitive sport in Texas, especially within Austin, with many clubs and players scattered throughout the city.

Zilker Park and UT

Austin aren’t the only special places in Austin that promote extracurricular activities.

Crawley said that Lady Bird Lake is another huge attraction and a big part of Austin’s culture.

“With Lady Bird Lake and the trail around there and with Zilker park, it really

a friendly place like that and people just enjoy getting out.

People really do enjoy that type of environment.”

In addition to Austin’s local parks and sites, there are other factors that make it easy to

“I think Austin is just kind of a friendly place like that and people just enjoy getting out. People really do enjoy that type of environment.”

- Ben Crawley leads to people getting out and walking around and seeing other people,” Crawley said.

“I think Austin is just kind of

Tennis started off as a leisure sport before it became competitive. (Photo courtesy of Pixabay.)

play sports in Austin. According to Varozza, Austin’s weather also plays a monumental part in why so many people play sports in Austin.

“We have such good weather here, so we can do things year-round,” Varozza said. “You know in other places like in the north it’s so cold, and the pools freeze up so you can’t go swim.”

Crawley also said that Austin’s weather is enticing. He said it’s especially inviting to those who have been stuck at home lately due to the COVID-19

Mike Varozza first started coaching when he was in high school. In 2010 he opened Waterloo as Head Coach of Swimming. Courtesy of Mike Varozza.

28 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

(Photo courtesy of Pixabay.)

“Austin is one of those places where you are allowed to do things year round because of the beautiful weather that we have.”

- Ben Crawley

pandemic.

“People are getting tired of being locked up in their houses, so they go outside to this beautiful central Texas weather,” Crawley said. “Austin is one of those places where you are allowed to do things year-round because of the beautiful weather that we have.”

According to Varozza, these aspects of Austin also lead to its diversity within the sports community.

“There’s a lot of people that have come in from other

places around the world to Austin, and they bring their sports here and introduce it,” Varozza said. “A lot of that has to do with high-tech and job availability here in Austin. We just have a more diverse range of sports.”

Varozza also mentioned some other sports that have been growing within Austin.

“The neat thing about Austin is that they support being outside.

The city does do a lot to help people out.”

-Mike Varozza

“Football is king here in Texas, and soccer, baseball, tennis, golf, anything where you can be outdoors,” Varozza said.

“The neat thing about Austin is that they support being outside.

Ben Crawley took over as Director of Coaching for Soccer at River City Rangers Soccer Club 10 years ago. Before that he played semi-pro soccer and also played overseas in Germany. (Photo courtesy of Ben Crawley.)

The city does do a lot to help people out.”

Sports have only just planted its roots within Austin, and it will continue to branch out and reach the city’s many communities. From soccer, to swimming, to tennis, Austin has had an extensive history surrounding its sports that truly make it remarkable.

Swimming has become something almost everyone learns to do at a young age, and it continues to grow in popularity around Austin. (Photo courtesy of Pixabay.)

Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 29

A History of Sports in Austin By: Sanwi Sarode As time passed, sports became increasingly popular throughout Austin. Each sport has its own unique history behind it.

1800

Swimming

Competitive Swimming was first introduced in the early 1800’s in Britain by the National Swimming Society.

Swimming became popular in England and led to the formation of the Amateur Swimming Association in 1880, and it slowly grew more competitive. As swimming continued to grow, more people from other countries, like the United States, started swimming. In Austin, there are many places to swim, such as Barton Springs and the Deep Eddy Pool.

30 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

Tennis

Tennis made its way into Texas sometime in the early 1880’s. During this time, new technology was being introduced, and was modernizing our society. Within these growing cities, there were people in the middle and upper classes that had the wealth and time to participate in sports, including tennis. Tennis became a very social affair during this time period. By 1888, tennis had become popular in Austin. Then, around the turn of the century, groups of players started organizing themselves into tennis clubs. By 1995, the Tennis State Lawn Association, now USTA Texas, was formed.

1964

1888

Soccer

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in Austin. Soccer started growing popular in Austin after the 1964 Civil Rights Act made public spaces free of segregation.

This opened up public spaces like Zilker Park and Barton Springs to more activity.

Soccer went from being ‘played only on university campuses’ to having ‘kids playing on almost any open field.’

S o u rces: • txstate.edu • texastennismuseum.org • athleticscholarships.net

Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 31

There’s No Need To Go To a Gas Station, If You Ride Public Transportation By: Jacob Mathew hether someone’s a tourist or an Austinite leaving the airport to travel downtown, getting around Austin will soon be easier.

Transportation will be convenient so that people will never have to step into a car again.

W

According to Capital Metro’s website, in Nov. 2020, the City of Austin passed a $7.1 billion project called Project Connect.

The project was created by Capital Metro, Austin’s public 32 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

transportation authority. Project Connect will expand the entire public transit network all throughout the greater Austin

“Austin’s transportation system lags behind a lot of other cities.”

- Greg Buford area. The plan includes new bus services, light rails, electric

buses, a downtown tunnel and more. Although there was some opposition to this plan because it will cause an increase in property taxes, this major development will have a beneficial impact on Austinites every day. The goal for Project Connect is to make transportation safer, more reliable, affordable, convenient and Eco-friendly for all.

“Austin’s transportation system lags behind a lot of other cities,” said Greg Buford, Manager, Client Services for Capital Metro.

A painting near Republic Square Station that promotes Project Connect and Capital Metro. (Picture taken by Jacob Mathew, 2021)

Public transportation is one of the main ways to get around big cities like Chicago and New York.

Now that Austin is becoming one of the largest cities in the United States, the city is creating different plans to grow its infrastructure in order to support the increase in population. Project Connect is the plan to expand the transportation

“This has shined the light on inequity in our country.”

- Greg Buford system to more neighborhoods outside of downtown.

“As Austin grows, we are focused on building out the infrastructure that we need to support the needs

of our community,” said Alison Alter, councilwoman for District 10.

Despite the recent population increase throughout Austin, ridership has decreased in public transportation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Capital Metro’s website. This leads to the question of whether or not the large expansion will be worth the investment if people don’t feel comfortable riding public transportation.

“Project Connect was based on pre-coronavirus data. Now a lot of companies are realizing that they don’t have to pay for really expensive office space downtown, when people can work from home. The question is will ridership ever come back to where it was if some people choose to work from home permanently?” Buford said.

Even if ridership never gets back to where it was before, investing in a new public transportation plan may be beneficial for everyone. Project Connect will reduce the amount of traffic in Austin; this means people can leave for work a little later and get back home earlier in order to spend more time with their families because I-35, the most congested highway in Texas according to KVUE, won’t be as backed up from traffic downtown.

“It’s estimated that Austin will continue to grow really fast.

Which means traffic is getting worse and pollution is getting worse. So, having a better public transit network is in the best interest of the community,” Buford said.

Climate change is not only affecting the current generation, Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 33

but it will also affect generations to come by destroying the environments people live in due to sea levels rising. This needs to be fixed to create a sustainable future. By addressing the transportation issues now, it will bring the city one step closer to helping the future.

get around Austin no matter the occasion. By riding on the bus, people won’t have to worry about getting into an Uber alone in Austin.

Although the pandemic is a crisis that the whole world is facing, there is another world crisis that also needs to continue being addressed which is climate change.

“I think what’s most important to understand is that there were really high costs of doing nothing.”

- Alison Alter

“I think what’s most important to understand is that there were really high costs of doing nothing,” Alter said.

Project Connect also aims to be affordable and safer for everyone.

There are programs for K-12 students to ride the bus for free, and there are reduced fare projects as well. Project Connects strives to be the safest way to

“Sharing a vehicle to go somewhere is more

environmentally sound. It can be cheaper and it creates less traffic. Project Connect will make transportation safe, convenient and affordable,” Buford said.

Project Connect could be a role model for other cities in

the United States and even other countries because of the environmental benefits in public transit. As Buford said before, Project Connect will also lower air pollution in Austin which would lead to a cleaner city for everyone.

Both Alter and Buford agreed that traffic and air pollution would both decrease dramatically by lowering the number of single occupant vehicles on the road.

They also agreed that Project Connect is a great alternative because it creates a large transit network which will allow more to use public transit. This alternative will be much cheaper for many families that have teenagers of driving age because fares are significantly cheaper than the cost of a car and auto insurance; it will familiarize the young generation about public transportation.

In addition, Project Connect plans to switch their entire bus fleet to fully electric vehicles. This initiative will help prepare Austin for the future because society is switching to hybrid and electric vehicles instead of using gas and oil. It also will keep Austinites proud of their city for advocating the Eco-friendly message this city was built upon.

“Switching to an electric fleet is a really important opportunity for Austin to help us reach our climate goals, and to help us make sure an increase in transit is contributing to reducing greenhouse gases,” Alter said.

This is MetroRail’s MLK train station. Currently, Capital Metro only has nine stops for the MetroRail program. There will be added stops to this red line and another MetroRail line coming with Project Connect. There will also be three new light rails. (Picture taken by Jacob Mathew, 2021) 34 | Spring 2021 | Aura of Austin

Public transit has faced many issues, but Project Connect aims to address and solve many of these problems. Today, systems like school and transportation are trying to make their programs more equitable for those in all different socioeconomic statuses.

For instance, Project Connect will make transportation more

available by providing a new rail line from East Austin to downtown which tends to have a lower income population according to insider.com’s article about East Austin gentrification.

“Minimum wage workers who work at hotels or restaurants downtown, can’t afford to drive or pay for parking which means they must ride the public transit system. This has shined the light on inequity in our country,” Buford said.

Project Connect aims to help serve the greater Austin

“I think for a lot of people public transit is an option they don’t consider enough.”

- Alison Alter

One of Capital Metro’s 55 MetroRapid vehicles picking up passengers at the Barton Springs Station.

(Picture taken by Jacob Mathew, 2021)

VS

community, not just minimum wage workers who have to ride the bus. Since Project Connect will be more convenient, the frequent routes in different neighborhoods will bring more awareness about public transit in diverse communities. This will lead to a higher willingness to try public transportation.

“I think for a lot of people public transit is an option they don’t consider enough. For some people, it’s just a matter of familiarity and not understanding that they can use the bus because it’s not convenient,” Alter said.

Next time people travel locally, they may want to consider taking a bus.

By citizens riding the bus, Austin’s environment will get better by having decreased carbon emissions which will make a cleaner city for future generations.

This is one of Capital Metro’s 12 active electric vehicles riding through downtown near the Texas Capital.

There soon will be 224 electric buses, and Capital Metro plans to only purchase electrical buses by 2022.

The artwork of the vehicles was created by Austin ISD’s Campbell Elementary school.

Aura of Austin | Spring 2021 | 35

GETTING AROUND AUSTIN

Facts about Austin’s transportation system (Capital Metro)

&

A map on how to get to Austin’s great activities with future Project Connect routes

By: Jacob Mathew

11 Different Services for the Community

368 Busses & 83 Bus Routes

7.1 Billion Dollar Project (Project Connect)

A Transit Tunnel Downtown

$$$$ 2,300 Bus Stops

12 Electric Busses & 202 To Come

Sports (Green Star)

Performing Arts (Purple Star)

Destination: Lee & Joe Jamail Swim Center Routes: 1) Take the Blue Line 2) Transit at the Downtown Station & hop on the Purple or Gold line (north) 3) Get off at the Medical School station 4) Walk or take an old bus route two streets north onto MLK street (walk is approximately 7 minutes)

Destination: The Long Center Routes: 1) Take the Blue Line 2) Transit at the Republic Square Station & hop on to the Orange or Gold line (going south) 3) Get off the next station (Auditorium Shores) 4) Walk or take an old bus route west (walk is approximately 4 minues)

Food (Red Star)

Music (Orange Star)

Destination: Bufalina Routes: 1) Take the Blue Line 2) Transit at the Downtown Station & hop on the red or green line (east) 3) Get off the next station (Plaza Salita) 4) Walk or take an old bus route south (walk is approximately 6 minutes)

Destination: The Hole in the Wall Routes: 1) Take the Blue Line 2) Get off at UT/West Hall Station 3) Walk or take and old bus route north three streets (walk is appoximately 6 minutes)

Orange Line Potential Future Exapnsion Blue Line Light Rail (above)

Current Metro Express Future Metro Express Downtown Tunnel

Red Line Green Line Potential Future Expansion Metro Rail (above) Gold Line Enhanced MetroRapid Potential Future Expansion Metro Rapid (above)

Leander

Lakeline Tech Ridge Transit Center

Parmer Howard

Elgin

Broadmoor/Domain

Southend

Braker

Manor

Kramer Mckalla

Wildhorse

Rutland Rundberg

Crossroads Ohlen

North Lamar Transit Center

Northcross

Delco Center

Crestview

Allandale

Springdale Shopping Center

Highland

Koenig

North Loop

Clarkson Berkman/ Mueller Hancock Airport Bvld

Hyde Park Hemphill Park

Lafayette

Medical School

Capitol West

5th/6th & W Lynn

Webberville

Downtown Station

Plaza Saltillo Cesar Chavez

Macc/Rainey

Travis Heights

Carts East Bus Plaza

Capitol East

Government Center

Trinity

Pleasant Valley

Lady

Bird L

ake

Republic Square

Downtown Station

Lakeshore Montopolis

Oltorf

Menchaca

Capitol West

Springdale

Govalle

Lakeshore Riverside

Oltorf West

Downtown Area

ACC Eastview

Waterfront

Auditorium Shores Soco

East US 183

Comal

Trinity

Republic Square

Lamar Square

MLK

Capitol East

Government Center 5th/6th & Lamar

Exposition

Decker

St. David’s UT East

UT/West Mall

Red Bud

Colony Park Town Center Expo Center

Loyola/Johnny Morris

Westminster

Philomena

Triangle

Texas Health Commission

Colony Park Wheless

Metro Center

AUS Airport

Faro Oltorf East

St Edwards

Brodie Oaks

Todd Ln

Westgate South Congress Transit Center

Westgate Transit Center

St. Elmo

Brodie Oak Hill Stassney

Dove Springs William Cannon East

Cherry Creek

William Cannon McKinney Falls

Tanglewood

Salughter Transit Center Goodnight

Sources: - projectconnect.com - capmetro.org/facts - capmetro.org/electricbus - Greg Buford, Capital Metro - Jacob Mathew, LASA