EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sachi Kacker is from The Woodlands, Texas and spent most of her life in the Houston area. She is currently attending UT as an economics major with the intent of pursuing law school, and has several minors. She is super passionate about law, history, and the world around her.

EDITORS 

Charles Jackson Paul, a Managing Editor, is studying Finance in the McCombs School of Business and is pursuing a minor in Business Analytics and a certificate in Core Texts and Ideas. He is the Co-Chairman of the UT chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas, Co-Founder of The Texas Horn, and an undergraduate fellow for the Austin Institute and the Civitas Society of Fellows. He also writes at his substack, A Conspiracy of Sanity. At The Orator, he writes about economics, foreign policy, and technology, and is interested in the philosophy underlying effective public policy.

Neerul Gupta (She/Her), a Managing Editor, is a Rhetoric & Writing and Psychology student in the Liberal Arts Honors program. She is interested in educational equity, promoting diversity in scientific research, and BIPOC mental health advocacy. When she isn’t writing or editing, you can find her running through the Shoak Creek trails or cooking chickpea pasta for the third time that week.

Benjamin Castro, a Managing Editor, is a history major from Belton Texas. His interests include law, history, and the American labor movement. When he is not studying or writing he likes to read, volunteer, and spend time with his family.

Sydney Quant (She/Her), a Managing Editor, is an English major from Lubbock, Texas. She aspires to become a healthcare lawyer, and she is interested in studying medical malpractice, public policy, and health disparities. Outside of class, she has a passion for percussion, D&D, and the arts. 

Anika Sharma, an Editor-at-Large, is from Austin, Texas pursuing double majors in Economics and Government. Her interests include literature, history, as well as US domestic and foreign affairs. When she’s not studying or writing, she enjoys going to concerts, Bojack Horseman, solo traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.

Arshia Verma, an Editor-at-Large, is majoring in Neuroscience. She has a deep passion for her undergraduate research, which includes exploring color vision in New World monkeys, analyzing the genetic predisposition to alcoholism, and studying the effects of synergistic drugs on cancer cells. Arshia is pursuing a certificate in public policy with a keen interest in health and tech policy. In her free time, you can find her watching West Wing, tackling a piano piece, and puzzling with her sister!

Uma Phadke, an Editor-at-Large, is an International Relations and Global Studies student in the Liberal Arts Honors program. She is most interested in foreign affairs and the changing policies within America’s public education system. When she manages to find free time, she loves finding new recipes to try out, watching period pieces (anything with Keira Knightley), and writing poetry in the small hours of the morning.

VISUAL ARTS DEPARTMENT

Jada Li, a Cartoonist for the Orator, is a Linguistics and Plan II Major from Katy, Texas. Some of her interests include language, music, art, and the connections that weave between these subjects. She also likes white rabbit milk candy. In her free time, Jada can be found looking for nearby aquariums to visit, binge-reading comics, and bothering her roommate.

STAFF WRITERS

Bethany Roberts is from Dallas, Texas majoring in English within the Liberal Arts Honors Program. She is passionate about the Fine Arts, especially dance and literature, and is a proud member of Texas Tri-Delta. Outside of school, she likes to spend her time hiking, exploring museums, and drinking copious amounts of chai.

Caleb Mulugeta is a Government and Economics double major and a member of the Liberal Arts Honors Program. His interests include Domestic Politics–in the United States and across nations like Canada and Australia–International Relations, and Economic Policy. In his ‘free’ time, you can find him working at the Texas Union, helping register voters with TX Votes, or going to Greg to go on a run. 

Andrew Paumen is an International Relations and Global Studies student minoring in Government and European Studies. His main interests include foreign affairs, national security, and history. Outside of school, you can find him working at the state capitol or running around campus.

Zazie Bryant is an Economics major from right here in Austin, Texas.  She is currently attending The University of Texas with the intent of pursuing Financial law postgrad. Zazie has a passion for writing and enjoys keeping up with the latest in the political and economic world. When she’s not working, she loves to do craft projects and try new coffee shops in Austin.

Seth O’Brien is an International Relations & Global Studies major, minoring in Chinese. His academic interests include History, Writing, and the interworkings of Foreign Policy. Outside of class, he enjoys traveling to new places, collecting vinyl records, and listening to perhaps too much music.

Jakob Tawney is a Government major from Lubbock, Texas. His interests include foreign affairs, immigration policy, environmental sustainability, and constitutional law. When he’s not writing for The Orator, Jakob can be found playing tennis, going for jogs around The State Capitol, or trying out new restaurants.

Hailey Williams is from Dallas, Texas, majoring in Communications and Leadership and is passionate about law, psychology, and public policy. Outside of The Orator, she is also a research assistant at a social science lab and a member of Texas Zeta. In her free time, she enjoys running, doing yoga, and exploring Austin’s coffee shops.

Eric Fan is a International Relations and Global Studies major from Houston, Texas. When not writing about domestic politics, foreign relations, and everything in between, Eric enjoys watching movies, reading, and cheering on the Houston Texans.

COPY TEAM

Larson Crank is a Sophomore History and Government double major with a minor in Business and Public Policy. He is involved in a wide-variety of organizations on-campus including the Innovations for Peace and Development Lab (IPD) as a Research Assistant, Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX) as the Property Manager, and the Liberal Arts Honors Program (LAH) as a Student Ambassador. Outside of campus, Larson serves as a Legislative Aide in the Texas House of Representatives for State Representative Charles Cunningham and is a member of Midtown Christian Church. Following graduation, Larson plans on attending law school. He is ecstatic to be returning to The Texas Orator, this year as the Head Copy Editor.

Diego Lopez is majoring in Government and Plan II Honors. His passions include U.S. constitutional law, political philosophy, and American history. When he’s not reading and writing, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing tennis, and debating way too much at the dinner table.

Jessica Chai (She/Her) is a Government major in the Liberal Arts Honors program and is pursuing a certificate in Core Texts and Ideas through Jefferson Scholars. Her primary interest is the intersection between politics and philosophy/theory, with focus on marginalized communities. Her hobbies include thrifting, exploring different music genres, and messing with her cat Suki. 

FOUNDERS

Brooke Reaves is a co-founder of The Texas Orator and served as Editor in Chief.

Wes Dodson is a co-founder of The Texas Orator and served as a Managing Editor.

Brendon Sparkman is a co-founder of The Texas Orator and served as a Managing Editor.