FEBRUARY 2018 COMMUNICATION COUNCIL
CONTENTS
03 04 05 07 09
01
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
CURRENT MOOD
MAJOR SPOTLIGHT
ORG-OF-THE-MONTH
ROOVIEWS
FEBRUARY 2018
11 12 13 14
NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS
MCOC WEEK
MOODY LOVE
HOROSCOPES
STAFF LIST
STAFF EDITOR MAYA HAWS-SHADDOCK WRITERS ROOPA NAGARAJAN DANA HAVLIN MARCUS SLOAN SARA WILLIAMS ASTRID ALVARADO DESIGNERS ALEXA CHUNG MICHELA NEWHOUSE JOSEPH WALLACE URUB KHAWAJA EMILY WARD PHOTOGRAPHER GABRIELLE WONGSO
MOODY MONTHLY
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
HEY THERE HELLO FRIENDS,, Here we are, hurtling towards the end of the semester faster than anyone expected. Funny how time seems to move so quickly when you really need it to slow down! We’re coming into March hot and heavy, ready to take on the end of the semester like champs. Keep your head up folks, it may be rough these next few months, but summer is just around the bend and will give us all a much needed break! Read on to look at pieces spotlighting non-traditional students, CSD majors, love stories in Moody, and more. As always, if you need anything, don’t be scared to reach out. Sincerely, Maya Haws-Shaddock
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FEBRUARY 2018
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
CURRENT MOOD By MOODY MONTHLY STAFF
MOVIE: BLACK PANTHER
Yes, it really is that good and more. Black Panther goes above and beyond all expectations, showing us not only a beautifully crafted hero story, but also indicating just how meaningful representation in films is. Even if you’re not a Marvel junky like the rest of us, there’s something in this movie you’ll love. If you have to see one movie this month, make sure Black Panther is the one!
PODCAST:NICK ANIMATION
This one goes out to all you RTF and animation junkies out there. The creators of our childhoods themselves host a podcast dedicated just to giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the animations we love. Definitely worth a listen!
BOOK: WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR When Breath Becomes Air, the thought-provoking autobiography of Paul Kalanithi, takes the reader on his journey to answer “the question of what, given that all organisms die, makes a virtuous and meaningful life”. Having focused his undergraduate and graduate education on English before going to medical school to become a neurosurgeon, Kalanithi has the unique perspective of looking at the human existence from a literary perspective, a medical perspective, and from the perspective of one diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
MOODY MONTHLY
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MAJOR SPOTLIGHT
MOODY SPOTLIGHT: COMMUNICATION SCIENCES & DISORDERS by MARCUS SLOAN
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FEBRUARY 2018
MAJOR SPOTLIGHT
Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD), a major in the Moody College of Communication, explores a side of communication that doesn’t usually come to mind when one thinks about what it means to be a comm student. These students have the opportunity engage in clinical work and research within the fields of Audiology, Speech Language Pathology, and, for a few, Deaf Education. Unlike most other majors, CSD majors most often start their undergrads with the knowledge that their schooling has to be continued in graduate school. We caught up with Karis Paul, a sophomore double major in Speech Language Pathology and Psychology, to learn how this shapes her undergrad experience. “Honestly, it is so reassuring,” Paul comments. “The stress of grad school student loans is not fun; however, it is nice to know that I have a set next step. I look at so many of my peers that don’t necessarily know what graduation will mean for them and I think as a second semester Sophomore the reality of graduation is really starting to set in. It’s nice that I definitely know where I am headed.” Paul does comment, however, on the unique difficulties that come with getting into grad school. For a CSD major it is imperative that one not only fulfill all their undergrad requirements for their degree, but also be cognizant of the kind of classes that grad schools are expecting one to have already completed. Classes like Chemistry and Biology, while not necessarily required by the UT degree plan, are important to most grad school programs. Paul gives us a little more insight on other ways she is working to prepare for grad school. “Previously, I volunteered at Austin Speech Labs. That is great Speech Language Pathol-
ogy experience for anyone who is looking. I highly recommend it. I actually switched from Audiology to Speech Language Pathology after my experience volunteering there. Currently, this semester I am working the Intellectual Entrepreneur (IE) program; it’s this really awesome opportunity for students that want to shadow a grad student. I’m shadowing a grad student in the field of audiology. I get to experience his clinical work, I get to assist him in research, and I also get to work under a professor who acts a sort of supervisor. I feel like I am getting a better grasp of what grad school will look like for me,” Paul explains. While there are many opportunities for CSD students to get hands-on experience on or near campus, they tend to be slightly underrepresented in the Moody College. Paul comments on how there is usually no one from the field brought to the Communication Career Fair. This may have to do with the mindset that CSD students aren’t typically headed into the workforce directly after graduation. However, CSD students are denied the opportunity to network and miss out on possible internship opportunities that most other majors in Moody are able to take advantage of. As the interview wound to a close, Paul had this final advice for students. “To CSD majors, specifically: get as much volunteer experience as you can. I think it’s really cool how Austin Speech Labs offers as many volunteer opportunities as it does, so definitely get involved with that if you haven’t already. To non-CSD majors: Take a CSD course. Dr. Bernstein’s Perspectives on Deafness is one of the greatest classes I’ve ever taken at UT and whether you are a CSD major or not, I think you could learn a lot from it.”
MOODY MONTHLY
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ORG-OF-THE-MONTH
NABJ By SARA WILLIAMS What is the central purpose and message of NABJ? The mission of NABJ is to advocate for black journalists and to provide black journalists with opportunities. UT-NABJ works to help students obtain internships, fellowships, jobs and scholarships. We promote diversity in the media, both in the makeup of the newsroom staff and in the coverage the media produces. NABJ is a national network of media professionals and students working to better the media and expand opportunities to aspiring black journalists. What are some of your goals for 2018? Our goals for NABJ for 2018 are to increase membership and to work to get all members opportunities in the media. What sort of community does NABJ foster? NABJ fosters a community of dedicated and determined journalists, who aspire to achieve great accomplishments in the media and help journalists behind them also achieve success. The NABJ community welcomes all with opens arms and not only fosters a network of colleagues, but also a network of lifelong friendships. What sort of events does NABJ put on? Every semester we host a variety of events,including workshops and events. We invite media professionals to discuss their careers and answer questions from members. We also host workshops to help members develop professional skills. In the past, we have had a resume workshop with Professor R.B. Brenner and an interviewing workshop with Professor Kevin Robins. Some of the guests we’ve brought to meetings include KVUE’s Ashley Goudeau, KUT’s DaLyah Jones, the Austin American-Statesman’s Cedric Golden, the Statesman’s Andy Alford, and the Texas Tribune’s Bobby Blanchard. At meetings where we don’t have guests, we discuss current events and hot topics in the news, as well as discuss ongoing opportunities for students.
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What does a typical meeting look like? This semester we meet every Monday in the BMC 3.204 from 7-8pm. We begin the meeting with going around the room and telling our “highs” and “lows”, ups and downs of ours lives over the last week. Then, we discuss current events and hot topics and have conversations about issues in the media, often as it relates to people of color. Our meetings are very informal and a safe place for members to freely speak and say what’s on their mind. As aspiring media professionals, it is important that we critically think about how the news is told and the people who are telling it. How did NABJ celebrate Black History Month? For Black History Month we have been doing a Twitter thread highlighting black history icons and their legacies. Our Black History Month twitter thread: https://twitter.com/ UTNABJ/status/959116075056160769 If your club was given an unlimited budget, what would you do with the money? If we had an unlimited budget, I would pay for all members to be registered with the national NABJ and send every member to the regional and national NABJ conference to network with media professional and learn from other journalists. We would also finally order NABJ t-shirts. Current Project This semester, NABJ is partnering with The Daily Texan for a multimedia project, The Five Percent. This project will tell the black UT experience through the stories of black students, faculty and alumni. We hope to break stereotypes of AfricanAmericans and showcase the diversity of the black community at UT. You can find the first installment of the project here: http://dailytexanonline.com/2018/02/20/the-5-percent-utlacks-black-representation
FEBRUARY 2018
ORG-OF-THE-MONTH
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS
MOODY MONTHLY
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ROOVIEWS
ROOVIEWS
BLACK PANTHER FEBRUARY 2018 DIRECTED BY RYAN COOGLER WRITTEN BY RYAN COOGLER AND JOE ROBERT COLE STARRING CHADWICK BOSEMAN, MICHAEL B. JORDAN, LUPITA NYONG’O, DANAI GURIRA, MARTIN FREEMAN, DANIEL KALUUYA, LETITIA WRIGHT, WINSTON DUKE, STERLING K. BROWN, ANGELA BASSETT, FOREST WHITAKER, ANDY SERKIS
BIG SPOILER ALERT Don’t get me wrong. Black Panther was thrilling to watch. But there were some parts that made less sense to me. So this review is broken into two parts: what I loved and what I didn’t. WHAT I LOVED How refreshing is it to see on screen what African countries could have looked like without the legacy of imperialism? The tension between the Wakandan nationalism of T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and the African Americanism of Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) is entirely believable. Wakanda still has its ethnic identity, but for African Americans, who were uprooted and stripped of that culture, the uniting force is color of skin and the experience of being a POC in a white society that groups people by color. Wakanda is colorful, fun, beautiful, and intelligent. The Wakandan people live relatively peaceful and carefree lives, not burdened by the history of black oppression that has dominated colonized countries. The first half’s humor demonstrates this lightheartedness. Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Okoye (Danai Gurira) paint themselves, each other, and T’Challa as powerful but grounded leaders. The mixing of tribalism, such as the ritual battle for the throne, and tech-
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FEBRUARY 2018
8/10
nological advancement was thrilling. Wakanda doesn’t need to have Western ideals to be civilized and advanced. And then Killmonger’s separate take on Wakanda was so relatable, especially to a first-generation immigrant. His character design conveyed the performative nature of his struggle with culture and ethnicity. I wish he hadn’t been able to speak Wakandan. But it was the fashion, hair, and makeup were gorgeous and authentically crafted. Erik’s backstory is one of the most impeccably written elements of his character and is largely what makes him such a compelling and well-received villain. Ignore everything after the ritual battle with T’Challa for a second, and let’s rewind to where Erik comes from. When you view his story apart from where he ends up, Erik follows the venerated hero’s path of ancient mythology. Erik has no parents from a young age, and he’s “exiled” from his homeland, left to fend for self in a toxic environment. He makes a name for himself through intelligence and strength, goes to war and fights multiple battles, and becomes renown for prowess on battlefield. Eventually, he arrives to the homeland that excluded him, seeking revenge on someone (or the descendant of someone) who wronged him. Then he wins the throne in a fight to the death. It’s like one element from every ancient Greek epic all mixed together. So where does Erik go wrong? Why isn’t
ROOVIEWS
he the hero? Let’s jump to What I Didn’t Love. WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE I have this “Dream Black Panther” in my head. It’s based on the foundation provided by the actual film but with changes to some of the character writing that would allow Black Panther to explore a more morally grey zone than the one provided. The main point here is the conflict of the movie. I’ll talk about Klaue later—the true villain of this movie is Erik. Now, Erik’s story has the potential for vindication and triumph. He’s held back by one key factor: he’s radicalized, and his extremist views in favor of hegemony are unfit for leadership. Advocates for Killmonger’s position cite the very valid points he makes about how isolationism is selfish in the face of racism, imperialism, and slavery. But wouldn’t it have been cool—and so much more interesting—if we didn’t have to separate his valid points from his violent ones? If Killmonger had been less of a supremacist and simply wanted to share Wakandan technology the way Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) did, the conflict between he and T’Challa would have become about two causes, rather than who was more deserving to be king. What is Killmonger’s true intention? It doesn’t seem to be simply the liberation of black people around the world. Erik wants to arm the Wakandan war dogs in London, New York, and Hong Kong. London and New York make sense, but Hong Kong isn’t really the place to fight against the white man. Through a set of deliberate steps, Black Panther establishes that Erik is the villain that needs to be thwarted. The conflict is narrowed to simply the two main men and their armies rather than groups of people fighting for two conflicting causes. W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya)
tells T’Challa to not share Wakandan technology at the beginning of the movie, but he sides with Killmonger after he kills Klaue. And similarly, and if you remove the violence of Killmonger’s position, it makes no sense for Nakia to side with T’Challa. The hegemonic desires of Erik Killmonger makes him a villain that people still try to sympathize with. How amazing would it have been if Wakanda had changed him? It’s frustrating to me that we can redeem white warmongering men like Tony Stark and (the most similar parallel) Loki. Loki has acted out of spite for his father and brother, out of greed, and out of desire for chaos. He’s killed mercilessly and has brought an alien attack on New York. And yet in Thor: Ragnarok, Loki and Thor make amends to a degree. His character arc grows him someone who hates his homeland and feels betrayed by it to someone who fights for its survival. And yet Killmonger dies. He would have made a great anti-hero, and his tragedy is not in how radicalized he was or the past he comes from. It’s in how Wakanda is unforgiving and how T’Challa sees the faults of his father but never apologizes. Why didn’t T’Challa ask Erik who he was? In that moment, he, as Wakanda, hid Erik’s heritage again. The moral isn’t that rights can correct wrongs, but that wrongs will breed wrongs that can only be removed with violence. T’Challa prevents Erik from becoming the people he hates, but in the process, becomes Erik. Here’s my dream for Black Panther: the Soul Stone is buried under the garden of the heart-shaped herb, and when Erik burnt it, he revealed the stone to Thanos. When Thanos comes to Wakanda, Erik is resurrected with its power.
MOODY MONTHLY
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NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS
NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS By DANA HAVLIN
The infamous apartment search is one of the most stressful and important decisions of the year for a UT student. During the months of December through March, students are having stressful discussions with friends and family about where they are going to live next year. Exams and group projects always seem to fall around the same time for everyone, creating a tangible tension in the air across the 40 Acres. Conversations like these are common to the traditional student’s experience here on campus. However, for non-traditional students like Tabitha Ford, there are different decisions to be made that carry far more weight. “My experience as a mom going to school is different”, Tabitha told me “I feel like ‘Non-traditional’ is a blanket statement for a bunch of different types of students, and a very surprising number of people on campus qualify as non-traditional students”. Tabitha Ford is in the Advertising Program in the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations on track to graduate in May of 2019. She began her college career at UTSA after graduating high school early. Tabitha got the opportunity to intern full time at a creative studio doing graphic design and moved up quickly within the organization. “I transitioned my focus from school to a graphic design internship and moved up from intern to junior designer, and eventually just stopped with school and started doing that.” After meeting her husband at a technology bootcamp, the new couple moved to Austin and started a family. It was only when her son Hugh was a year old that Tabitha started going back to school. When I asked Tabitha why she chose to come back to school, I was touched by her response. “The main reason to go back was, now having this little person, I not only wanted to do this for myself, but be an example to him as well.” She slowly transitioned back into being a student, but this time at UT Austin. She started with one class, then two or three so that she could still spend time with her new son while he was still a baby. On top of all of this, Tabitha also works part-time as a freelance graphic designer. On top of part-time work, raising a family, owning a home, and everything else, Tabitha still made the choice to finish her degree. Tabitha also told me that one of the biggest challenges of being a student and a new mom was breastfeeding and finding places to pump on campus. “When I first came back to school, I almost quit immediately because it was so hard to find a place to pump. I was so discouraged.” Many may have never considered the fact that students who are breastfeeding moms would need to pump
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while on campus. While the university even has a system of resources for addressing this, Tabitha made it clear that the university still has a lot of work to do to make campus accessible for new moms. “I had to seek the information out on my own.” After learning about the system of such rooms on campus, Tabitha still struggled to access these resources she needed. “It was a slow and difficult process to actually get into one of these rooms. Each room has a ‘gatekeeper’ and you have to request access to use them.” If that person is out for lunch or sick at home, then a new mother like Tabitha in desperate need to pump would have to wait or find another room across campus. She continued, “The difficulty was that I had classes all over campus, and each of the pumping rooms had different access procedures. Some required you ask someone for a key, some you simply needed the access code, and for other rooms you would need to be added to their room schedule. Not all the rooms have the same equipment so the experience from room to room was very inconsistent.” One of the things about Tabitha that makes her so different from traditional students is her schedule. “In my experience, traditional students have a hard time putting themselves in my shoes because our priorities can be very different.” As students progress in the advertising degree, classes get more specific and more group-focused. Tabitha expressed frustration with group work and trying to find time to meet and work on homework. “My husband was leaving work early to pick up Hugh so that I could attend groups and study sessions. After a while, I just realized I was gonna have to figure something else out. I am getting my degree and it’s still a huge goal of mine to do this, but at the same time I have a family and house, a child that needs me.” In many ways, the traditional student has unseen advantages in academics over someone like Tabitha. Students who live on or close to campus can often meet up at a moment’s notice to study together or work on a project together. For someone like Tabitha, meetings need to be planned further in advance so she can coordinate childcare and travel to campus. In many ways, this campus seems to be set up to make traditional students succeed, but tends to miss some of the unforeseen issues that non-traditional students like Tabitha encounter. Resources like University Health Services, the University Writing Center, and Student Government aren’t set up to support these students in the ways they need. Tabitha made me realize just how privileged traditional students like me are, and I know I’ll never take these things for granted again.
FEBRUARY 2018
MCOC WEEK
PIZZA WITH PRESIDENTS 7-9 BMC 1.202 There are 20 awesome organizations a part of Moody College that continuously do wondrous work! Come out and meet the members and presidents of each of them over free pizza. Afterwards, please stick around to see your amazing professors do a live mock game show of Jeopardy. The professors and staff are picked by you, the questions are made by you, and it’s all for your entertainment.
REDISCOVER YOURSELF 7-9 BMC 1.202 In an atmosphere of deadlines & stress, find some me-time and take a breather to help reconnect with yourself. We will explore how your mind works, why you feel the way you feel about certain issues, dive into your astrology, and truly find Zen within yourself by yoga, meditation, and self-discovery.
04/04
04/03
04/02
WEEK
Callling all students, faculty, alumni, & everyone Moody! Moody College of Communication Week is quickly approaching and this year it’s all about DISCOVERY. Please join us in re-discovering what makes Moody College one of the best establishments in the country.
VIDEO VERBAL 8:30-10pm BMC 1.202 Inside the Moody School your peers will be producing and showing off their talents in a video and verbal showcase! Come celebrate with your fellow Moody Students and celebrate the accomplishments we do as one and achieve individually.
04/05
MCOC
PARTY ON THE PLAZA 12-4PM CMA PLAZA Come hang out with fellow Moody students and celebrate the school we all know and love! Be ready for lots of games, activities, and more!
MOODY MONTHLY
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MOODY IN LOVE
MOODY IN LOVE By ASTRID ALVARADO
With Valentine’s Day falling on the 14th, February is often known as the month of love. Whether you are taken by a significant other, or just have a really great best friend, you can probably find a reason to celebrate love in your own unique way. Here in the Moody College, you can find love around every corner, whether it be a great friendship established at Moody Orientation, or a budding romance between lab partners in their communication class. Here are a few special relationships that Moody has helped facilitate love for: KATIE BAUER (2ND YEAR JOURNALISM STUDENT) & BROOKE CRIM (2ND YEAR JOURNALISM STUDENT) “We met freshman year since we both tried out and were ch\osen as photographers for the Daily Texan. We kind of stuck together through orientation and ended up having some journalism classes together. Now, we’re both still on staff at the Texan, have gone to a ton of concerts together, and are both going to study abroad in Prague!” HAYDEN PIDGOTT (4TH YEAR JOURNALISM STUDENT) & HANNAH FRENCH (2016
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PUBLIC RELATIONS ALUMNI) “We both got into Communication Council spring semester of our Freshman year and we ended up in the same car for our retreat… She had a PR class and she interviewed me for it and it we ended up having brunch for Easter together since we both didn’t go home for it. After that, we just ended up going out to eat together all the time and became best friends very quickly (shout out to Comm Council for giving me my best friend).” While February can be a beautiful month full of love and affection for some people, for others it can be a month of celebrating the single life or laughing at your failed tinder dates.Here are a few Moody students /who have different points of views on valentine’s: NICK GONZALES (3RD YEAR MARKETING & ADVERTISING STUDENT) “It’s an entirely commercial holiday with no true meaning behind it. It’s just another way for greedy companies to get our money and it’s just a perpetual way to convince people we need others to be happy.”
FEBRUARY 2018
HOROSCOPES
HOROSCOPES By MAYA HAWS-SHADDOCK RADIO, TELEVISION, FILM In the craze of the next month, try to keep in mind the end goal of what you’re looking towards. It may seem like you might never “make it” when that level seem out of reach, but put it in perspective: you already have made it. You’re doing it – you’re creating art and sharing it with the world, even if it feels small. Let the pursuit of art motivate you to push through, at least until spring break where you’ll get a well needed recharge. JOURNALISM The past year may have felt pretty discouraging for many pursuing this field – it seems like the public loses more faith in journalism every day. This is a hard burden to take on, especially for those of you who go above and beyond in your pursuit of the truth. Don’t let this climate frighten you: know that the access and spread of information and education is a field that will never go away. Take some time this month to take a step back, revisit some of the stories that made you love this field, look at the impact it can make. It’s never too soon to reinspire yourself. PUBLIC RELATIONS In the digital age, we are often reminded of the importance and value of Public Relations professionals. These next few months promise to be tiring as we finish out the year, but don’t be deterred – at the end of it all, the field you’re going into will need you more than ever.
COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS In a big school like UT, it can often feel like little old you can get forgotten. Luckily, students like you are creating spaces for likeminded people to thrive and feel nurtured. Take some time this month to find those spaces and take a load off. You deserve it! COMMUNICATION LEADERSHIP Nurturing responsible leadership skills is something tht has been ignored for far too long, making it hard to trust in yourself to lead the push. But at the end of the day, you are where you are because you deserve it. Keep pushing for what you believe in, and maybe try to apply some of that empowerment to yourself. COMMUNICATION STUDIES In a major with so many possibilities, it’s often hard figuring out what you want to do. While the end of the semester dwindles down, take a break from the constant pressure and make time for yourself. ADVERTISING It’s March now, which means we’re all about to lose our heads with the stress. Not to mention, internship season is right around the corner. Take some time this month to remind yourself why you love this field, and empower yourself to take chances, even if you don’t think they’ll work out. You’re worth more than you know.
MOODY MONTHLY
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WRITERS
EDITOR
MEET THE STAFF
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MAYA HAWS-SHADDOCK
DANA HAVLIN
SARA WILLIAMS
ROOPA NAGARAJAN
ASTRID ALVARADO
FEBRUARY 2018
MARCUS SLOAN
DESIGNERS
PHOTOS
MEET THE STAFF
GABRIELLE WONGSO
MICHELA NEWHOUSE
ALEXA CHUNG
URUB KHAWAJA
EMILY WARD
MOODY MONTHLY
JOSEPH WALLACE
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