Category: Voices of Liberal Arts
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Changing the World? (Yes, You Are.)
Written by McKenzie Hohenberger. Originally published as part of the Spring 2017 “Power” Issue. What starts here changes the world. It gave us chills at orientation. We cheered when the class president closed his speech with it at Gone to Texas. We, the proud students of this acclaimed university, claim it as a truth. Sometimes,…
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Student Empowerment in the Age of Trump
Written by Varun Hukeri. Originally published as part of the Spring 2017 “Power” Issue. There is no doubt that 2016 has been one of the most momentous years for American and global politics. From Brexit to the election of Donald Trump, this past year marks a radical shift in the power paradigm that has long…
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The Power of the Mind
Written by Jacob Hood. Originally published in the Spring 2017 “Power” Issue. The Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) at the University of Texas seeks to provide counseling at lower costs than other health care providers in Austin, while offering students a multitude of helpful services. For example, the CMHC gives students the chance to…
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Nothing like Lovecraft: An Interview with Jeff VanderMeer
Written by Samantha Bolf. Originally published as part of the Spring 2017 “Power” issue. In 2016, I read the Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer. Immediately, I was enthralled with the world he had created in only three books –– a world of natural beauty and horror, which at the center was a woman biologist.…
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Policy, IUPRA, and a New Political Climate
Written by Jacob Hood. On November 8th, 2016, America saw a shift in the political atmosphere. On January 20th, 2017, a new national reality was ushered in, leading to an uproar of protest and political tension. Central to the overwhelming anxiety surrounding this new administration is a concern about policy. The changes being made to policies…
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Throwback to Tribune: “Race and Law Enforcement”
Written by Jacob Hood. Images by Texas Tribune. The panel for “Race and Law Enforcement” convened on September 24th at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center for the sixth annual Texas Tribune Festival. The panel consisted of Art Acevedo, Chief of the Austin Police Department, Marc Levin, Director of the Center for Effective Justice…
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Austin City Spotlight: Poetry Slams at Spiderhouse
Written by Carrissa Davis. Images by Carrissa Davis (unless otherwise credited). I walked into Spiderhouse at 7:03pm, one Tuesday night, to attend the Austin Poetry Slam. I sat in an empty chair amidst rows of empty chairs, early enough to stare at my phone in nervous trepidation. The chairs soon began to fill up quickly,…
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Throwback to Tribune: Phil Collins on The Alamo
Written by Nikki LaSalla. Images by The Texas Tribune. The stage was set: a picture of the Alamo Mission displayed on screens flanking the small panel. As the speakers walked out, moderator Stephan Harrington said what most of the crowd was surely thinking: Why was Phil Collins, winner of seven Grammy Awards, Disney legend, English singer-songwriter,…
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On Cultural Appropriation
Written by Bhabika Joshi. In the commotion that surrounds events like Halloween or Austin City Limits – where it’s easy to get distracted by Young The Giant, Flume, and a chicken burrito from Freebird’s—certain things go unnoticed. There are boys with bindis on their foreheads and girls with Indian feathers adorning their bodies. There are…
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Idea-ology: Musings on Belief Systems
Written by Elizabeth Teare. Originally published as part of the Spring 2016 “Narrative” Issue. Ideology. From Greek idea, a form or pattern. From Greek logos, discourse or compilation. Merriam Webster defines ideology as a “visionary theorizing; a systematic body of concepts especially about human life or culture”. Slavoj Zizek, author of The Sublime Object of…
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