Freshman Admissions Counselor Evelyn Meisell
Hometown: Odessa, Texas
College Major: Marketing and Sport Management
Territory: Out of State
Office: Freshman Admissions Center
Phone: 512-475-7459
E-mail: evelyn.meisell@austin.utexas.edu
Q: Where are you from?
A: I am from Odessa, Texas, in the desert of West Texas and graduated from the famous Permian High School (Go Mojo!)
Q: Why did you decide to attend UT Austin?
A: I immediately decided to attend the university during a campus tour in February of my senior year. The best word to describe this school is diverse—diverse people, organizations and majors. I knew that I would receive a superior education in any subject I chose and that there would definitely be an organization that I would enjoy.
Q: What did you study in college? Why did you choose that major?
A: Initially, I began my freshman year in the Red McCombs School of Business as an undeclared business major. After my introductory classes, I felt that Marketing was the major that was right for me since I like to work with people. In my Marketing classes, I was able to work on marketing and promotional plans with REAL companies. I decided to also major in Sport Management after I began working in the marketing department of UT Athletics.
Q: What is your favorite place on campus?
A: The north end zone tunnel of Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium is very special to me because of my time in Longhorn Band. The rush you get marching through the huge iron gate entrance, into the tunnel underneath the stadium and then onto the field in front of 85,000-plus fans is extraordinary.
The Harry Ransom Center is a unique resource on our campus and one of the world's finest cultural archives. How many universities house collections that include the first photograph ever taken, an original Gutenberg Bible and the personal and professional archives of Robert DeNiro?
Q: What are some of your favorite things to do in Austin?
A: The first place I take visitors is to see the Texas Capitol. Not only is it beautiful on the outside, but the building also has a very impressive interior—both above and below ground.
I also enjoy seeing local Austin musicians at small concert venues like the Cactus Café on the UT campus. Esther’s Follies is an Austin institution and is a fabulous production of music, satire and magic!
Q: What is your favorite UT Austin fact?
A: On January 1, 1962, The University of Texas played Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. A large Texas flag was made for the Ole Miss band's halftime performance which paid special tribute to Texas. After the game, the flag was presented to then Texas Governor Price Daniel as a gesture of southern hospitality. The governor then presented the flag to the Longhorn Band.
The flag was too big for Longhorn Band members to carry, so the Longhorn Band director gave the flag to the university which eventually gave it to the Texas athletic department. The Alpha Phi Omega co-ed service fraternity was asked to oversee the care and maintenance of the largest Texas flag in the world and has done so ever since 1962.
Today the flag measures 45 x 25 yards and weighs 400 pounds. At the beginning of every home football game, members of Alpha Phi Omega cover the field with the flag while the Longhorn Band plays "Deep in the Heart of Texas."
Q: What's one of your fondest memories about your time here at UT Austin?
A: Besides the many inspirational moments as a band member or working for the athletic department, the memories that stand out are actually not in Austin. The semester I studied abroad in Salzburg, Austria, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I traveled all over Europe, attended the Torino Olympics, saw operas in Vienna and even spent Easter Sunday at Vatican City. UT Austin has one of the most active study abroad programs in the country, and I am very thankful I was able to live in a foreign country while earning UT Austin credits for both degrees.
Advice to Prospective Students
Enjoy the college search and selection process. It should be an exciting and rewarding process. Where you decide to attend college is where you will live, learn and grow for four (or maybe more) years, so make sure both the school and the city where the school is located are a good fit for you.
Updated 6 August 2007
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