Sara McNiel


My Writing

This includes published work for North Texas Daily, Geek Gals.co, Portal to Texas History, and articles done while earning my B.A. in Journalism at the University of North Texas. 

North Texas Daily •

Where?House combines art exhibitions with house shows to build community

Denton’s art and music scene is something that keeps this college town alive and is no stranger to local bands playing at house show venues. But the Where?House introduces a new element that Denton has not seen before by creating a space for visual artists as well.

Kyle Patrick, a UNT student studying art management, has been hosting art exhibitions at his own home in Denton. His most recent show, ‘Pheburary Photo Phest’ on Feb. 29, displayed works from local photographers.

“Seeing people expr

How UNT is trying to be a welcoming place to LGBTQ+ Students

DENTON, Texas — Here in Texas the state's top ten largest universities are all working to be more inclusive and welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community — from The LGBTQ+ Pride Center at Texas A&M University, to the LGBTQ conference held earlier this year by University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Whether it’s to make more enrolled students feel included, or to capture the attention of prospective high school seniors all are holding events and offering services catered to queer and questioning students.
Geek Gals •

Interview with Illustrator Karen Hallion

Ever wonder how people become so successful with their artwork in the geek world? The talented illustrator, Karen Hallion, reveals how she made it big as a freelance artist in this interview.

Karen Hallion is a full-time freelance artist from Nahant Massachusetts, who has worked with Marvel, Hank Green, Disney, and more. She graduated with a BFA in Illustration from the Ringling School of Art and Design in 1997. A lot of her work centers around geeky fandoms and strong female characters. Hallio
News - The Portal to Texas History •

Pick Your Own Path: The Circus is STILL Fun!

This week’s story was prepared by Sara McNiel, another undergraduate student assistant in the Digital Newspaper Unit. Sara studies Journalism at the Mayborn School of Journalism here at UNT, and she is minoring in Psychology. Sara will graduate in December of this year.



You’ve already seen a lot, even though you’ve only been at the circus for a short while. Now, with the sun peeking out from the clouds, the day becomes warmer, giving you an extra boost of energy. Despite everything that’s h
North Texas Daily •

Denton is in need of more LGBTQ spaces

Denton has no designated space for the LGBTQ community, leaving people unable to let themselves shine in a safe space.

If we want Denton to continue to grow into a thriving, fun, artsy and inclusive college town that we all know and love, we need to create more spaces for the LGBTQ community.

Denton has had only two LGBTQ spaces in the past, but both have closed down. Mable Peabody’s was Denton’s only openly gay bar that opened up in 1979. In 2008, the bar became a victim of a hate crime, and

“UNT Leaves Upperclassmen in the Dark to Find Housing Option”

University of North Texas (UNT) Housing has implemented a new policy change that will leave upperclassmen with fewer options for on-campus housing.
This new policy change will take place during the 2020-2021 academic year. It will allow freshmen to live in the Mozart and Santa Fe dorms, which were once reserved for upperclassmen. According to Housing Ambassador Collin Renfro, “Housing has decided to reserve more room space on campus for freshmen only, which decreased the number of rooms available for upperclassmen.”

“Denton Resident finds Empowerment through Roller Derby”

On a 60-foot-long roller rink track, 10 women dressed in purple and black uniforms take positions at the starting line. A whistle blows and the women lunge off their skates jamming against each other. One woman, with the name “Savage Sunflower” printed on the back of her jersey, shoves her way through the pack, knocking some women to their knees. Racing ahead of everyone else, Savage Sunflower just scored the first points of the game.