Written by TL.Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – Bloomberg podcast host, Michelle Fay Cortez, asks her audience “what if the cure to a lifetime of mental illness is really just a party drug from the 1980s?” She is referring to ecstasy, a psychedelic drug known as MDMA when in its purest form. Recently, many promising studies indicate that MDMA can be […]
Written by Emma RobinsonGraphic by Peyton Cabaniss. — The spring 2019 semester ushered the creation of the Onyx Honor Society. The all-Black honors society formed at UT with the objectives of “the advancement and inclusivity of the black community through academic excellence, leadership, and community engagement.” The founders of Onyx are President Dayjah Harris and Internal Vice President Adriant Bereal. […]
Written by Luisana CortezGraphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – To The Subjects of Graciela Iturbide’s Art black & white tapestry of women, their backs mirrors to the cloth of juan diego’s virgin. ink flowing into skin, into paper, into a lonely woman’s camera. once, the quinceañera was given a crown of iguanas. once, a flock of chickens taking flight, mindless of […]
Written by Jennifer Dong.Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – A modest and poignant portrait of the human experience rendered through inequality, nostalgia, and love, Roma has established itself as one of the best films of 2018. As the winner of the best foreign language film at the Oscars, the narrative is centered on Cleo Gutiérrez (Yalitza Aparicio), a maid for a […]
Written by Shini Meyer Wang.Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – “Looking is not seeing” describes precisely how we are before having the “aha” moments. It’s how we naturally observe the people in our lives, not thinking twice. But suppose one day you were to flip open the pages of a psychology textbook. Then, these familiar moments might unlock to tell hidden […]
Written by Maggie Chadwick.Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – The culture of the United States is dominant and widespread. It permeates into other countries to the effect that, in many places with distinct languages, histories, and customs, you can watch mainstream American TV shows, American movies, and listen to American songs. Since American culture is so universal, it only makes sense […]
Written by Sophie Corless.Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – “I can feel your incriminations and your judgment, and I am fine with that.” Cheney lies on a cold metal table with his chest opened wide,A pulseless void where a heart should reside,An expendable heart hovering his physical form,Political morality, a quiet storm.His chest is filled with a stronger motor,To power his […]
Written by Christina Lopez. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – Last October, I brought home a blue betta fish named Fitz. I flooded my social media accounts with pictures of him swimming and hiding in his aquarium plants. I was so proud that he was mine, and I was ready to take on the big responsibility of having his little life […]
Written by Ryan Hurt. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – True, authentic love is a mystery. It can be right in front of our faces without our realization, while at the same time being remote when we think it’s right next to us. From a sincere “How are you?” all the way to “What the hell are you thinking?” (tough love) […]
Written by Lorece Harris. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – I used to think love was loud. I grew up in a Latino household, where everyone had an opinion and we wanted you to know about it. That meant when we fought, it was earth shattering, and when we celebrated, it was the feeling of unconditional support and belonging. And it […]
Written by Hector Osegueda. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – It’s often the seemingly innocent ideas that cause the most damage. Ancient alien theories are among those ideas. We’ve all encountered one in particular; that immemorial and monumental structures, such as the pyramids at Giza, the Nazca lines in Peru, or the Moai of Easter Island, are products of extraterrestrial contact […]
Written by Shae Carey. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – Every Friday, I make the long drive down IH-35 to my hometown to work at my beloved job at a luxury cat hotel. The drive is inconvenient, but I know it like the back of my hand, and I often zone out as I barrel down the far left lane. As […]
Written by Dila Sarikaya. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – As a child, I never gave much thought to the fact that my mom had a home-cooked meal set on the table for my family every night. That is until I discovered that most of my classmates went out for dinner nearly every night, something I found very bizarre. A restaurant […]
Written by Yulissa Chavez. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – What does “love” mean today? Some may say it is the quality time one shares with a significant other. Others may define it by the number of growing experiences a couple has together. Whatever love is—it is anything but simple. In the digital age, everything has become accessible through screens—even dating […]
Written by Allison McCarty. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – I have generalized anxiety. That statement is just a fact, not written in sadness or contentment, but simply expressed. It’s something I live with, but as a student, it does create barriers. Having anxiety and being in college isn’t the most favorable combination. I trek UT’s campus anxiously, eyes centered on […]
Written by Sam Chavez. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – A moment that brings tears, excitement—and terror. The moment your child opens an acceptance letter to his or her dream school. After a collective sigh of relief and celebration, life seems smooth sailing. Well, until the inevitable tuition bill enters the inbox. In the United States, the average cost of college […]
Written by Grace Schrobilgen. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Originally published as part of the Spring 2018 “Rebirth” Issue. – In a school as large as the University of Texas, it’s easy to feel like you aren’t making a difference. These feelings are only exacerbated when you aren’t passionate about what you’re studying or can’t see yourself building a career based […]
Written by Brooke Quach. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Originally published as part of the Spring 2018 “Rebirth” Issue. – Khoi picked at the hard specks of rice that had dried translucent into the sides of the white ceramic bowl as he wondered what Barrington Place Elementary would be like. The white walls reverberated with the sounds of the flute and […]
Written by Nathan Allen Pastrano. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Originally published as part of the Spring 2018 “Rebirth” Issue. – Today marks one year since I applied to become an Orientation Advisor (OA). The hesitation in hitting that submit button at the end of the application almost got the best of me, but I decided to go for it, and not […]
Written by Quynhanh Tran. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – In seventh grade, I discovered the young adult series Maximum Ride. I spent a week devouring each novel, some of them twice through, and I still couldn’t get enough. After realizing there wasn’t any more to the series, I went on the internet and discovered Maximum Ride food fight fics (there […]
Written by Reese Grayson. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Originally published as part of the Spring 2018 “Rebirth” Issue. – I asked students to discuss a class they felt was important, memorable, or revolutionary – a signature part of their academic career. Class: Elizabethan Poetry and Prose Department: English Teacher: Dr. Jennifer Kate Barret “I have never had a professor like […]
Written by Noah Van Hooser. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – More than ever, we as consumers are sold the fantasy of ecologically-conscious consumerism, which allows us to envision hope of a recovering environment. We’re encouraged to make careful selections of where we dispose of our trash; the sheer number of bins offered to us (compost, recycle, individuated spaces for metal, […]
Written by Kati Chen. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – My first memory of making my mother angry starts with a mirror. When I was a kid, I spent countless hours staring at my reflection, pinching and poking my face. Everyone told me they saw my mother’s features in my brows, my eyes, my long, slender fingers. I didn’t get it. […]
Written by Eleni Theodoropoulos. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. … The worst person at a party is the one who never asks any questions. I don’t mean the quiet person—their inner voice is sometimes too loud and distracting to allow for it. I mean the person so content with their own story that they do not ask to hear a stranger’s. […]
Written by Kevin Chen. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. … “Kevin, zhù rén wéi lè.” Delight in helping others. “Kevin, you should always quán lì yǐ fù.” Always be fully committed. “Kevin, tòng gǎi qián fēi.” Seek to improve your character. My family taught me Chinese idioms at an early age. These phrases were conventional wisdoms passed on through Chinese history […]
Written by Kate Diller. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Winter is the best season, and you’re not going to change my mind. I live for freezing days with harsh breezes that nip at your cheeks. I grew up in places that do winter well, have the season as it was meant to be. The sharp contrast of your cold surroundings and […]
Written by Ian McEntee. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. I am and will continue to be a serial dater. Nothing serious tends to come from these dates, but hey, free coffee is always fun once in a while. The issue lately has been finding new ways to meet people. Yeah, Tinder is a thing, but sometimes you just want to change […]
Written by Dila Sarikaya. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. College students love to talk to graduating high school seniors about how incredible college is. The instant freedom, the raging parties, the new worldly perspectives, the brilliant professors, the sense of accomplishment. They told me to expect it all, and they were right. I’ve experienced all of it, every bit of their […]
Written by Amina Amdeen. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. On October 22nd, the city of Austin issued a boil water notice to its residents. At UT, the water fountains and bottle refilling stations were covered with plastic and taped up. Within hours, grocery stores around the city had empty shelves where bottled water used to be. According to a Forbes article, […]
Written by Patrick Rogers. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Boy Erased is one of two major motion pictures released this year to bring the truth about conversion therapy to the big screen. Based on Garrard Conley’s 2016 memoir, directed by Joel Edgerton, and featuring names like Troye Sivan, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Lucas Hedges, the film is not a happy […]
Written by Allison McCarty. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. The Arctic is one of the planet’s most crucial environments, especially when it comes to the topic of climate change. Exploring the Arctic Ocean, an exhibition that is currently on display in the Visual Arts Center, exemplifies the importance of the Arctic and its Ocean as an environment and source of culture. […]
Written by Sam Chavez. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. I once lived in a box. I lived a life of routine, conformity, and simplicity. Small-town gossip was the world news and everyone knew each other’s names. My home in La Feria, a small town in the Valley or South Texas, holds my roots and will always have a special place in […]
Written by Hector Osegueda. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. It’s common to find oneself struggling with the persistent and pervasive feeling of being a fraud. Under the impression that any accomplishment is tantamount to sheer luck, and faced with the fear of inevitable exposure of being a phony, many are left to worry that they exist in a place they don’t […]
Written by Alyssa Hiarker. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Pick a memory where you were undeniably happy. What do you remember from that moment? Do you remember what you could see? What you could smell? What you could taste? Your memories may be clouded, the specifics of those instances may be lost to time, but your senses are tied directly to […]
Written by Yulissa Chavez. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss Politics may appear problematic but being ill-informed on policies or platforms before voting is even more problematic. Social media provides users with a mass of information, opinions, and ideas in a matter of seconds; however, this accessibility can also be counterintuitive for those who may not understand the multifaceted factors that are […]
Written by Nathan Pastrano. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. For most students, switching career paths can be a very difficult decision to make. I know this, because I was one of them. I began my first-year studies as a chemistry major with a genuine interest in healthcare and pharmaceutical innovation. However, as my first year of undergrad came to an end, […]
Written by Kate Diller. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Showing yourself kindness, while empowering, is shockingly difficult. You’d think it would be easy, we’re kind to others every day. So why is it that we can’t apply that to ourselves? I think about this almost every day. It’s something I really struggle with, even as I preach to my friends about […]
Written by Brooke Quach. Photos by Brooke Quach. When you walk into the entrance of the Blanton’s “Making Africa” exhibit, one of the first things you may encounter is Chimamanda Adichie’s most popular TED Talk: “The danger of a single story.” Adichie dissects how “the single story” can “flatten” another group’s experiences by constantly exposing the public to negative tropes […]
Written by Christina Lopez. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. The Liberator held its first Book Club on Monday, October 15th. Sitting in a circle, munching on pastries and sipping coffee, attendees discussed how they use humor as a stress reducing tactic. The discussion was centered around three satirical or humorous articles, meant to convey the message that at such a stressful […]
Written by Sarah Low. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. There are many reasons as to why psychiatry may be one of medicine’s most unloved specialties; after all, in the eyes of many, psychiatry may as well be the practice of psychological “voodoo magic” meant to warp and control patients’ minds. Even the term “shrink” (slang oftentimes used to refer to a […]
Written by Christina Lopez. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Originally published as part of the Spring 2018 “Rebirth” Issue. My first words were the punchlines to jokes in Spanish that my grandma taught me. After I was born, both of my parents were working and attending school, so my grandma raised me. Born in Juarez, Chihuahua in Mexico, she immigrated to […]
Written by Hira Vayani. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Originally published as part of the Spring 2018 “Rebirth” Issue. I wake up; it’s time College has been on my mind – for years Growing up, college was never an if; it was a when It’s almost time for my first class – I’m a complete mess What will it be […]
Written by Allison McCarty. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. As a prestigious and globally recognized educational institution, the University of Texas at Austin can be an intimidating school to transfer into. UT is home to an enormous number of students, and the new students every semester who transfer can often feel confused and isolated when trying to traverse the massive campus. […]
Written by Sam Chavez. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. It’s that time of the semester when students are trying to figure out their living situation for next year. While some students go apartment-hunting, others like me face a dilemma in choosing a dorm. Whether an incoming student or a fourth-year student, navigating through housing can be a whirlwind, as time keeps […]
Written by Hector Osegueda. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. A little over a year has passed since Fortnite: Battle Royale took the gaming world – and popular culture – by storm. Fortnite has swept through and permeated a variety of venues, and it seems that everyone has an opinion on the game. There are few games in recent memory that have […]
Written by Dila Sarikaya. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. **mental health trigger warning** The first week of October is known as Mental Illness Awareness Week, which was established by Congress in 1990. However, mental illness — and the stigmas that come with it — have been around for decades and continue to exist today. During Mental Illness Awareness Week, […]
Written by Amina Amdeen. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. The amenities of the modern age we live in are innumerable. Our digital connections span the globe. In the same amount of time that it would take you to text your mother in the next town over, you could direct message an old acquaintance in a café in Japan. Global connections are […]
Written by Nathan Pastrano. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Convincing medical school committees why you want to be a doctor can be very difficult, especially when it has to be done in less than one to two pages. The Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS) requires at least two primary essays per applicant: a personal statement, a personal characteristics […]
Written by Sarah Low. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. I found Salome again. I found her in my dreams. Indeed, I am reporting that the entire ‘exchange’ had happened for months. And for the sake of finding your daughter’s remains ever again, I ask that you heed my word and my warning. First, I can assure you that I am a […]
Written by Niti Majethia. Originally published as part of the Spring 2018 “Rebirth” Issue. – The dark in you will say what it wants.. never listen to the darkness listen to the art the art that lights up all your insides when you talk about what you love.. compassion that flows within you when you release the longings of your […]
