The Liberator Magazine
The Official Publication of the College of Liberal Arts
Written by Byron Xu.Graphic by Ashley Mireles.– The Rise and Fall of Kentucky’s Crack-Slinging, Skydiving Cowboy and His CIA-Backed International Drug Ring They found the bear on the mountains of Fannin County, Georgia, next to 15 million dollars worth of cocaine—or what remained of 15 million dollars worth of cocaine after the bear had gotten to it. Officers from the […]
Written by Harrison Fernelius. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – The Guadalupe Drag hems the edge of the nation’s seventh-largest college campus. In theory, this commercial area should provide a space for students to purchase reasonably priced basic necessities and enjoy affordable dining options, which include diverse cuisines and local fare. Also, considering the academic nature of college, hip and welcoming study space […]
Written by Hayle Chen. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – For Allison, who told me I could absolutely write on a topic that I had never pitched to her before—you brought the best kind of control to this chaotic world. “To be in hell is to drift; to be in heaven is to steer.” When addressing the fervent lust for control that […]
Written by Morgan Jeitler. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – Once a week, I, like many others, gather my friends and my wine and plop on my couch to watch what juicy betrayal or break up comes next. My friends and I root on our favorites, laugh at the contestants’ buffoonery (cough, cough, remember when Kiarra ever so confidently pronounced ‘lingerie’ absolutely […]
Written by Harrison Fernelius. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – Strip malls, aren’t they beautiful? Now before you pass judgment, please let me explain. Some of the most vivid memories of my childhood come from those summer days spent strip mall shopping with my mom. The palpable heat of the sun giving way to the ice-cold chill of the store, as […]
Written by Jennifer Dong. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Her name is Chanel Miller. She is half-Chinese; an artist, writer, sister, daughter, friend, lover of printmaking and comedy. For years, she was publicly known as Emily Doe or a nameless victim after Brock Turner was convicted for sexually assaulting her on Stanford University’s campus in 2015. Emily Doe’s name was […]
Written by Frida Silva. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – When the Twilight films first started being released, expressing any positive feelings for the movies meant enduring endless shame and online harassment. Just like any other pop culture phenomenon with a fan base consisting of mainly teenage girls, Twilight generated endless memes and jokes at the expense of the franchise and […]
Written by Hayle Chen. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – **Content Warning: Graphic Content** Envision this: You’re gazing into a black void. There’s haphazard electronic humming and stark white letters emblazoned across a pitch-dark background. Then—the unnerving crack of the void, the screen, as a sound akin to a distressed heart monitor pitching higher assaults your ears. There might be a […]
Written by Harrison Fernelius. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – “After all, very few musical genres are able to contain the sheer force of sentiment and anger that metal can accommodate. It simply has an enormous capacity for emotion. No anger is too great, and no sentiment is too dark. It is the musical mouthpiece of the counterculture.” – What makes […]
Written by Alyssa Hiarker. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Dressed in superhero tights and capes, fashionmongers and environmentalists alike traveled to the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs on Sept. 14 for Texas Campaign for the Environment’s ninth annual Trash Makeover Challenge. The Trash Makeover Challenge, a fashion show and silent auction, used local artists’ sustainable fashion designs to showcase the […]
Written by Jennifer DongGraphic by Emma Robinson – “With lyrics of cutting specificity and breathy vocals, Swift reminds the listener that love is just as precarious and torturous as it is reassuring, singing, “I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends. I’d never walk Cornelia Street again.” ” – “I Forgot That You Existed” & “ME!” Taylor Swift’s […]
Written by Jennifer Dong. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – “Swift’s greatest strength is her rare ability to expertly pinpoint sacred emotions through a combination of tenderly crafted lyrics and music in the same way that the prisms of crystals are able to catch the fleeting gaze of light at just the right time, place, and angle.” – More than a […]
Written by Michaela Lavelle. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – After three hours of processing and a phone call to my mom, Midsommar became one of my favorite movies, maybe ever. The plot follows Dani, a young woman grieving the loss of her parents and sister, Christian, Dani’s terrible boyfriend, and Christian’s friends as they embark on a trip to the […]
Written by Peyton Cabaniss. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – As ten glass blowers don their safety goggles and sweat bands to enter a dark industrial warehouse, Blown Away introduces the Netflix peruser to the fine art of glass blowing. Unlike some forms of art that can be undertaken with a quick trip to Michael’s, glass blowing isn’t accessible to the […]
Written by Hector Osegueda. Graphic by Emma Robinson. Originally published as part of the Spring 2019 “Challenge” Issue.– Since time immemorial, humans have struggled with the concept of good and trying to understand what makes a good person. Conversations about the relativity and subjectivity of goodness go back thousands of years to the earliest civilizations and carries onto the floors […]
Written by Peyton Cabaniss. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Originally published as part of the Spring 2019 “Challenge” Issue.– When Dr. Keely Finkelstein came to the University of Texas, she brought her research in astrophysics and a fascination with all things extragalactic. Her partner, Dr. Steven Finkelstein, brought his interest in galaxies big and small as well as his obsession with […]
