As the deadline for the 2020 Census faces challenges in court, outreach groups and Texas are pushing the public to fill out the Census as soon as possible.

A new poll of likely voters found that President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden are tied in Texas.

UT RecSports martial arts groups have transitioned to Zoom or hybrid practices to facilitate social distancing, using props and focusing training on individual techniques like footwork.  On Sept. 14, RecSports started allowing in-person activities with a maximum of 10 people. Typically, nine martial arts groups, including Texas Fencing, Texas Judo, Texas Wushu and Texas Taekwondo, host almost daily practices in the Recreational Sports Center or Bellmont Hall. This semester, only some of these groups chose to hold in-person meetings. For martial arts with close contact and grappling, which involves gripping an opponent, socially distant practicing does not accurately replicate results of real close-combat sparring, said Omar Melhem, treasurer of Texas Judo, which is currently hosting online-only events.  “The biggest challenge for moving online is not having the weight of a second person to practice drills,” said Melhelm, a chemical engineering and rhetoric and writing junior. “We are working toward a solution right now, and we’re hoping to get resistance bands to pull and grappling dummies to throw to simulate the weight and momentum of a person.” Wushu, a Chinese martial art that has many forms, sometimes does not require contact or sparring but practicing it virtually has still come with difficulties, said Rosie Khan, vice president of Texas Wushu and a Plan II government, economics, international relations and global studies, and Asian cultures and languages (Chinese) junior. “Wushu is considered a more independent and performative martial art, so it’s easier to practice on your own,” Khan said. “But the difficulty in Zoom sessions is differentiating directions and mirroring issues.”    #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:100%;} /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Want more content like this in your inbox every morning? Jadie Pruitt, outreach coordinator of Texas Fencing, said in-person practices were focused on sparring with others using swords, but other components like footwork can be practiced with limited space. Neuroscience junior Pruitt said RecSports will start outdoor practices for groups such as Texas Fencing to have lessons in person.  Despite the challenges, Texas Fencing, Texas Wushu and Texas Judo have still encouraged students to join. “This community has really helped me through a rough time, and I know that a lot of people have had issues being sedentary and unmotivated,” said Pruitt. “Having a community that you can go to that gets you active and interacting is really important. It’s just nice to know that there are other people out there who understand and are willing to work with you.”

University Health Services is urging students to receive a flu vaccination this fall to prevent COVID-19 and flu patients from taking up hospital space and resources simultaneously. “We can wear masks, we can social distance, we can wash our hands, we can avoid crowded places … but we don’t have a vaccine for (COVID-19),” said Sherry Bell, consumer education and outreach coordinator for UHS and the Counseling and Mental Health Center. “If people get a flu shot, they can take that step toward freeing up the health care system when people with COVID-19 might really need that.” This semester, UHS’s flu shot clinics will operate by appointment only. Faculty, staff and students must complete necessary paperwork online before the appointment, have a UT ID or driver’s license and show a “Clear to Come to Campus” pass on the Protect Texas Together app.  Appointments will take about five minutes, down from the 20-minute vaccinations in previous years, Bell said.  “The only thing they will have to do is show their ID … at the door and when they see the nurse,” Bell said. “There’s not any signatures or sharing of pens or anything. The goal is for it to be a significant social distanced minimal line, super low touch environment for safety.” Nursing junior Joyce Garcia said it is especially important to get a flu shot this fall to preserve hospital resources for COVID-19 patients. Garcia said she plans on getting her shot from UHS. “I feel like it’s my responsibility, especially as a nursing student, that I don’t put more strain on hospitals and clinics at this time,” Garcia said. “It’s in the back of my head that I’m doing it for the nurses who are going through a lot right now because of the pandemic.” Because symptoms of COVID-19 and the flu are similar, it may be difficult to tell the difference by symptoms alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control’s website.    #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:100%;} /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Want more content like this in your inbox every morning? Rohini Chahal, a Plan II and biochemistry sophomore, said she is concerned about potential confusion between flu and COVID-19 symptoms and hopes the UT community will take the time for a flu shot this year. “People need to get (the flu shot) so they can at least put their minds at ease and not confuse the (flu) with something they really need to be tested for,” Chahal said. Chahal said she is allergic to the eggs that flu shots contain but still gets one almost every year. Flu shots contain a small amount of egg proteins because they are manufactured using egg-based technology, according to the CDC.  UHS cannot provide flu shots to those who are allergic to eggs, so Chahal drove to Houston this year to receive the vaccine from her primary care physician.  “I know a lot of people, including myself, feel like they can’t do anything for the community during COVID-19 and feel like they’re useless and helpless,” Chahal said. “But getting a flu shot is the most tangible thing you can do, and it can actually help people and prevent confusion in the community. I feel like if people can’t do that then that’s just disappointing.”