The Liberator Magazine
The Official Publication of the College of Liberal Arts
Written by Eva Strelitz-Block.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. Dendrochronology is a new word I’ve learned. It is the science of the transformation of trees. If you cut a tree down, the analysis of its rings provides insight into its seasonal experiences over time: its nutrient and climate highs and lows, its times of abundance and scarcity. It has always made sense to […]
Written by Kara Hildebrand (she/her)Graphic by Quynhmai Tran (she/her) – Flipping on an episode of Riverdale (totally ironically, of course), presents the unsuspecting audience member with a cast in their mid-to-late twenties lamenting about relatable teenager problems. The school dance got canceled, the boy next door doesn’t like me back, and parents are so controlling. Perhaps this slips past them, […]
Written by Justin PastranoGraphic by Asiyah Saeed. – Trigger Warning: I have every intention of being sensitive towards those who have been affected by suicide. This is a profound issue in our society that should be discussed. The target audience here is not for those who may be experiencing these issues. The Myth of Sisyphus has an emphasis on the […]
Written by Jadyn Simental.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Sometimes I catch myself deepening my voice to hide any form of femininity. I find myself eyeing make-up in stores, but then remember the time I was caught wearing it in high school and swore it was acne medicine. I talk about painting my nails with friends, but consider my disapproving mother […]
Written by Kayla Hays.Graphic by Ashley Mireles. – To my dearest Aemilia, For an hour I have sat with pen to parchment, and yet not a single word flows. Your last letter left me with too many thoughts—now they all exist inside me, fighting for equal space granted to none. But I will say that which has been plaguing my mind […]
Written by Ashley Mireles.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Twice a year, students are asked to complete the grueling task of enrolling for classes. As spring registration looms once again, we must address the flaws with UT’s current system. UT is considered a world-class institution, but its registration system doesn’t reflect that. Outdated and disorganized, the system creates unnecessary stress for […]
Written by Frida Silva.Graphic by Asiyah Saeed. – “Since bathroom graffiti is done neither for acclaim nor money, it is the purest form of art. Discuss” I’ve always considered bathrooms to be an odd space. They uniquely exist in the wavering border between the public and the private, with only a flimsy stall door to divide the two. People come […]
Written by Eva Strelitz-Block.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Jude is two years younger than me. According to family lore, the night he was born (literally in the room next door to my bedroom), I slept without waking for the first time ever. Characteristically, his arrival was noisy and chaotic. He has never once in his life finished a family dinner without […]
Written by Alyssa Hiarker.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – We all know the horror movie experience: a darkened theatre, ominous music to set the mood, screams followed by a collective breath of laughter, strangers turned to friends as the tension builds with each new scare. There’s more to horror movies than just the moments of abject terror that come with jump scares; […]
Written by Aryan Bhalla.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – As I stand by my windowsill in ode As I stand by my windowsill in ode To the fairies of dark symphonies above I sit, breathe you out You I cannot see You I cannot describe Your love I always breathe But your love I cannot revive. As I stand here, thanking 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 Aryan Bhalla. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – LOVE You love her, so does she.And so it is this love, that makes you we.But love her pure, as does she;For a love that is love is a symphony. Or risk her sadness, and a grieving pain.You can’t wish for love, yet you can sustain,For a love that is pure […]
Written by Morgan Jeitler. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – Why does everyone hate the PCL—or, better yet, why does UT’s culture tell us we should hate the PCL? Sure, I’ll admit that from the outside the Perry-Castañeda Library may look like a prison, and it might be stuffy and hot some days and too crowded on others, but these reasons […]
Written by Hayle Chen. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Communication. Thirteen letters, five syllables, and an abundance of dichotomies: we do it all the time. From the fleeting goodbye you call out to your roommate as the door slams shut, to delivering well-composed answers specifically devised for a life-altering interview, communication is undoubtedly humanity’s unwavering constant. However, do we recognize […]
