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THE COMMUNITY ISSUE
Issue No. 7
Spring 2022
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Moody Magazine is the official student publication of the Moody College of Communication. Created and published by members of Communication Council, the magazine is purposed with providing Moody students with engaging, informative content that enhances their experience within Moody.
the community issue com · mu · ni · ty, noun 1. a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. 2. a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. 3. something we learned the hard way we took for granted. Community drives us. Grounds us. Heals us. Here’s to community.
our staff Emma Bittner Julia Cuddy Ivana Darancou Helen Hulsey Alyssa Lindblom Sharon Lobo Daniella Nassar Alex Roeder Barrett Senn Sarah Xu Sumer Zakaria
E DITOR’S NOTE
friends, As a graduating senior, time has felt like it’s flying past. In the blur that was my last semester of school ever, the moments that stand out most clearly are those during which I felt the closest to the people around me. Moments of belonging, comfort, and community. Fittingly, this semester Moody Magazine focuses our theme on exactly that: community. Within these pages you’ll find different interpretations of community - with content ranging from finding community away from home during Eid to the impact of NFTs on the art community. I like to think that you, the reader, although anonymous to me, are very much a part of our community. There is a unique connection that exists between writer and reader, and I thank you for choosing to take the time to consume something we poured a semester of effort into. As I prepare to step down as Editor-in-Chief of Moody Magazine, I’ll end on a word of advice to those who still have time within the Moody community: take time to find your community. Remember to hold on to the community you have. And always leave space for others.
with love, Helen Hulsey Editor-in-Chief Layout Designer
CONTENTS 07
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study hard, drink local
flopchella
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25
by the horns
a moment to remember
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27
euphoria season 2 review
the dangers of NFTs
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29
coloring our years
and the Oscars go to...
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31
ramadan mubarak
summer herd: a short story
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DEI: what it takes
the burnt orange bouquet
STUDY HARD, DRINK LOCAL A Brief Guide To Local Coffee Shops WE ALL KNOW THE STRUGGLE: showing up to your favorite coffee shop just to find every seat taken, and wasting an hour driving around trying to figure out where to go next. But choosing the right coffee shop can be tough with all of the factors to consider - how’s the Wi-Fi? Is
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the coffee good? Will I be able to find parking? Luckily, we’ve done that work for you with our brief guide to popular coffee shops near campus, so you can get caffeinated as quickly as possible and focus on that assignment due at midnight that you haven’t started.
BENNU
BARRETT’S
COFFEE
9/10
AMBIENCE
9/10
PRICE
Moderate
WI-FI
8/10, good connection but requires purchase every three hours
CAPACITY
Early afternoons and Sundays are busy, but there are almost always 1-2 spots available
HOURS
MLK: 12 AM, Congress: 1 AM, Fontaine: 24 hours
LOCATIONS
2001 E MLK Blvd, 515 S Congress Ave, 109 Jacob Fontaine Ln
PARKING
Free parking
MERIT
COFFEE
9/10
COFFEE
9/10
AMBIENCE
7/10, industrial vibe
AMBIENCE
8/10, smaller space
PRICE
Moderate
PRICE
Moderate
WI-FI
8/10, free
WI-FI
10/10, free
CAPACITY
Sits about 30-40, chairs not super comfortable
CAPACITY
Not the most comfortable seats, usually full
HOURS
7 AM - 7 PM
HOURS
6:30 AM - 7 PM
LOCATIONS
713 W St. Johns Ave
LOCATIONS
PARKING
Limited free parking
4615 N Lamar Blvd, 222 West Ave #120 (Seaholm)
PARKING
Free parking
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ALFRED
MOZART’S
9
COFFEE
8/10
AMBIENCE
8/10, spacious but not homey, professional vibe
PRICE
Moderate-high
WI-FI
10/10, free and fast
CAPACITY
Very spacious, comfortable seating and never packed
HOURS
6 AM - 6 PM
LOCATIONS
The Line Hotel
PARKING
Garage parking, ~$10
CHERRYWOOD
COFFEE
7/10
COFFEE
8/10
AMBIENCE
9/10, live music, view of the lake, but can be loud
AMBIENCE
8/10, spacious but dark
PRICE
Moderate
PRICE
Moderate
WI-FI
7/10, free but inconsistent
WI-FI
9/10, requires purchase
CAPACITY
Lots of seating but gets very busy during peak hours and on nice days
CAPACITY
Decent amount of seating and large tables
HOURS
7 AM - 11 PM
HOURS
7 AM - 12 AM
LOCATIONS
1400 E 38th 1/2 St
LOCATIONS
3825 Lake Austin Blvd
PARKING
Free parking
PARKING
Free but fills fast, big lot across the street
CAFE MEDICI
FLIGHTPATH
COFFEE
6/10
COFFEE
7/10
AMBIENCE
8/10, light academia
AMBIENCE
8/10, very homey
PRICE
Moderate-high
PRICE
Moderate
WI-FI
5/10, free but trash
WI-FI
9/10
CAPACITY
Lots of seats, almost always busy
CAPACITY
Usually has available seating
HOURS
7 AM - 7 PM
LOCATIONS
5011 Duval St
PARKING
Free but very limited parking, street parking
HOURS
7 AM - 7 PM
LOCATIONS
2222 Guadalupe St, 1101 W Lynn St, 804 Congress
PARKING
Guad street parking
EPOCH COFFEE
9/10
AMBIENCE
8/10, homey
PRICE
Moderate
WI-FI
9/10, free
CAPACITY
Usually very busy, but almost always outdoor tables available
HOURS
Open 24 hours
LOCATIONS
221 W N Loop Blvd
PARKING
Free but limited parking
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By The Horns Written by SARAH XU
AFTER A YEAR OF CONFLICT and
controversial debate, our student body has been craving—and deserves—to be led by strong-willed, reliable public servants. Transparency, action, and accountability are what we have been asking for from our student government, and our new Executive Alliance is offering hope for change to
UT students. After a long and impressive campaign, our President and Vice President-elect have many eyes upon them as students are pressed to see actionable change that will improve campus culture and student living on and off campus, as well as promote equity and equality from leaders throughout the student body.
With great pleasure, we introduce your new Student Government Executive Alliance,
President and Vice President-elect, Leland Murphy and Isabel Agbassi A little about our new and accomplished leaders: Leland Murphy majors in Government with a Public Policy Certificate and is heavily involved in UT and community service as a Texas Blazer. He is also co-president and founder of Always Texas, a Texas Appleseed Educational Justice Intern, and more. With a similar drive to do good in
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the world, Isabel Agbassi will be graduating with a B.S. in Public Health and a minor in Healthcare Reform and Innovation. She is also a member of Natural Sciences Council, Black Health Professionals Organization, Orange Jackets, and many other community service and impactful organizations.
Murphy and Agbassi ran on the principle of advocating for marginalized and underrepresented students, which is evident in their eight policies as listed below:
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Equitable SG Budget Wage Advocacy Diversity, Equity, and Justice Environmental Justice/Sustainability Affordability and Local Advocacy Accessible Academics and Professional Development ☐ Food insecurity and Health Equity ☐ Transparency and Accountability
This election cycle, we also saw a change in Moody’s Student Government representatives. Our new reps, Zachary Mohr, Ciara Ryan, and Marlene Weis, recently began planning their collective goals for the year. Freshman representative Zachary Mohr explains that their largest goals revolve around SG reform. He says that “with the impact of last year’s assembly still slightly looming over this assembly, we are working hard to initiate concrete reform of SG in many facets. Additionally, Ciara has helped student affairs in start-
ing efforts to implement period products in bathrooms across campus and I have been working specifically with in efforts dealing with the budget as well as any reform related to it.” Through this next year, we are excited to see how our new Alliance and Moody representatives pull through on their promises to do great things for the benefit of the students to which they represent, and successfully improve the culture of how our student government operates.
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THE GOOD
THE BAD
EUPHORIA EUPHORIA EUPHORIA
SEASON 2 REVIEW
& THE SPARKLY
Written by ALEX ROEDER Illustrated by ALEX ROEDER
THE MUCH ANTICIPATED
and adored second season of HBO’s Euphoria was an absolute rollercoaster from start to finish. Over the course of the season we witnessed almost every character go off-the-rails crazy and were introduced to some of our favorite and most despised couples. From the very start, the audience was gripped by the ever-questionable choices, flashy outfits, and gorgeous cinematography. Here we will examine all my euphoric opinions on this insane season. I will admit—I was not a true Euphoria stan before season 2’s release. I had watched and enjoyed the first installment, but the show often left me feeling uneasy and uncomfortable in a way I did not appreciate. However, during this season it became a ritual to sit down on every Sunday at 9 p.m. with my roommates, loaded with snacks, ready to gasp, cry, and scream at the characters. I think what made this season different for me was the way that the writers leaned into the instability of every character. Last season there were enough realistic scenes included that the over-the-top parties and graphic substance abuse felt a bit out of reach for high school characters. But this season it felt like a deliberate choice on the part of the producers to make the show so unrealistic that in a way it kept me grounded to reality. Sure, there were tender moments and scenes that mirrored a real-life example of what a drug addict or struggling family might look like, but for
the most part it was as if the writers took every flaw in the characters’ brains and turned them up to eleven. Sitting outside of this chaos is the character of Maddy Perez. I really enjoyed her arc this season. She was witty, relatable, and just the right amount of bitchy all the way through. Anytime she appeared on screen, I could count on her for a somewhat level-headed take on what was going on (in some ways she served as an audience stand-in, voicing many of my own thoughts while watching the show). The same can be said for Suze Howard and Fezco, who consistently made me cackle and smile way too big. As far as cinematography, outfits, and makeup, season 2 blew my expectations out of the water. Every choice was beautifully done and had so much meaning. If you are like me and do not know much about film, TikTok was a huge help in dissecting these aspects of the show. This online engagement and analysis in turn made me even more invested in each episode. Overall, if you are looking for a bingeable, well-done show, I highly recommend Euphoria. Trigger warning—this show is graphic in every way. I suggest that you have a watch buddy that you will not get too embarrassed around, because I certainly needed it. But, if you can make it through the painful scenes, you won’t regret it.
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COLORING OUR YEARS Written by SHARON LOBO Illustrated by ALYSSA LINDBLOM
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PANTONE HAS BEEN CONSIDERED the global authority on color for as long as the company has been in existence. Pantone was founded in 1962, and its intricate color system began in 1963. This signature color system provided an important service by solving the issue of color matching in the printing industry.
Pantone has worked to ensure that every color, tone, and tint has a number to classify it. Beyond its color system, Pantone has also shifted the ways in which color has impacted design and consumerism. In 2000 the Pantone Color Institute created the Pantone Color of the Year’ award as a concept to be used in branding, marketing, and the creative industry. The award is meant to be a trendsetting initiative that allows brands to coordinate their products around each year’s respective color. By doing so, a synergy is created between brands, and a collective theme is established.
“ the creation of a new color is a direct reflection of the new world we live in now.
“ The Pantone Color Institute picks each year’s color through well-researched color trend forecasting. Trends throughout the year are carefully noted and studied. There is a big emphasis on fashion, social media, and politics that play a role in which color is chosen, though Pantone claims that “the colors choose themselves.” The process is tedious and requires the efforts of a 20person team that begins their global
research early each year. Pantone notes that the color should speak to all audiences, and to ensure this, the team gathers representatives from various countries to present ideas and opinions before deciding on a color. The color chosen is more than just a color. It is a visual representation of a year’s worth of events, and it is packed with significance. The color of the year for 2022 is PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri. The theme of this year’s color is looking ahead. Pantone says the new color’s “courageous presence encourages personal inventiveness and creativity.” For the first time, Pantone invented an entirely new shade for color of the year. Pantone said that the creation of a new color is a direct reflection of the new world we live in now. It reflects the changes that have taken place after a period of isolation and uncertainty due to COVID-19. Very Peri is a mix of periwinkle blue with violet-red undertones. The blue tones were created to represent the blue light of glowing screens that come from an era of futurism and the digital world. Blue also signifies calmness, security, and order, while red signifies energy and excitement. Very Peri is described as a color that moves between a digital and physical world—a tribute to both our online and physical personas. To further highlight how this color represents the new world we live in, Pantone announced the color in an immersive art gallery at ARTECHOUSE in New York, combining the concept of traditional art with new technology. The exhibit also featured an NFT room, which demonstrates just how much the color speaks to current socioeconomic trends. Very Peri is a true testament to the year 2022 during which we learned how to overcome a pandemic, mobilize to fight social structures in place, and move forward to address our environmental crisis—all things that could make or break our future.
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RAMADAN MUBARAK! Written by SUMER ZAKARIA
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with no water or food. That is what many think when they first hear the words “Ramadan” or “fasting.” In reality, there are so many other factors that go into what Ramadan truly is. Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, is a time of fasting, spirituality, and patience. The Islamic calendar, which follows the lunar calendar as opposed to the solar calendar, is 10 days shorter, which causes Ramadan to move back 10 days each year. Fasting, which occurs from sunrise to sunset, relies on the abstinence of eating or drinking in the name of practicing humility in front of Allah, or God. During Ramadan each new day begins at sunset the day before, which is why the fast is broken at sundown. This may seem complicated at first; however, this is due to the new day beginning after Maghrib, the fourth of five daily prayers. While Ramadan is a universal experience among Muslims, college students tend to have a somewhat different reality. Manshal Brohi, a junior in McCombs, explains that prior to moving away for college, one of the best parts of Ramadan was making iftaar—the meal in which one breaks their fast—with her family. “We didn’t always have a set family dinner, so it felt extra special to all cook and eat together during Ramadan,” she says.
THIRTY DAYS OF FOURTEEN HOUR STRETCHES
But after moving to Austin, iftaars are sometimes spent alone, with both cooking and eating placed on the backburner—literally—as studying for upcoming exams takes precedence. As Brohi puts it, “All this means, is I have to make an extra effort to focus on religion, even with my days spent focused on upcoming deadlines.” That, in part, is what Ramadan is all about. Having a month of putting religion above all else, which is achieved through prayer, fasting, and charity. The end-of-semester presence of agonizing group projects and unnecessarily long essays does not stop some students from celebrating this holy month. There are a number of student organizations that host events such as Iftaars for the UT community.The Nueces Mosque works with the Muslim Student Association (MSA) on campus to provide free iftaar meals from halal Austin-based restaurants for those fasting to pick up. Members of MSA begin handing out the prepackaged dinners starting at 7:15 p.m. and continue until just before Maghrib. The mosque also hosts dinner on the property after prayer for anyone who would like to eat with the Muslim community. With community playing a central role in Ramadan, the mosque works to create a sense of family for those celebrating miles away from home.
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“You never just sit down and have a full meal with your roommates – at least I don’t – but during Ramadan, its 30 days of the closest thing I’ll get to a ‘family dinner’.”
For Nabil Ahmed, these iftaar opportunities have provided him with a chance to celebrate Ramadan almost as if he were at home. “These events don’t quantify what I’m missing at home, but they have helped me experience something new: spending Ramadan with your friends who are experiencing the same thing as you,” he says. “If you think about it, you never just sit down and have a full meal with your roommates—at least I don’t—but during Ramadan, it’s 30 days of the closest thing I’ll get to a ‘family dinner.’” However, there are some differences. Back home, the mosques are filled with parents and grandparents, a completely different atmosphere than what Nueces Mosque offers. But some find this different experience to be a chance for new opportunities. As Ahmed explains, Nueces Mosque has created a sense of community for him. Everyone is there for the same reason, and for that reason alone, it is a way to “connect with your friends and people you don’t know. When you’re there every night, people are going to know who you are, and you are going to learn names of people you may have never met otherwise.”
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Other campuswide organizations do their part to make Ramadan a joyous time for college students as well. This year, the Pakistani Student Association plans to host both a sehri, in which Muslims eat together before beginning their fast, and an iftaar. The organizations that plan these events seek to help college students embrace the change from their usual Ramadan traditions back at home but also aim to foster each individual’s sense of what Ramadan truly means. As Layla Shere, a sophomore in the College of Natural Sciences, puts it: “Ramadan, at least for me, always comes just when I need it—even with the shifting back 10 days every year. It’s when I finally put spirituality first, almost like a reset. And while the days are long—and hot here in Texas—the nights and time with my loved ones makes it more than worthwhile.”
“WE’RE NOT HERE AS ONE-AT-A-TIME CURIOSITIES. WE ARE HERE TO STAY, AND IN ALL OUR DIVERSITY.” RUTH BADER GINSBURG
DEI: WHAT IT TAKES Written by SARAH XU Illustrated by ALEX ROEDER 20
IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, more or-
ganizations and companies have raced to create more Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives than ever before. Within each of these initiatives, mission statements can be found with language that highlights empowerment, an inclusive culture, or statements claiming that members should “feel heard and seen regardless of…”, followed by a list of every socially contentious identity and demographic. As a first-generation East Asian American, there is a sense of hope that I feel when witnessing the number of people who are willing to put in some kind of effort to educate and improve the way underrepresented and underserved communities are integrated and supported. However, with this unprecedented growth in conversations surrounding DEI, questions of authenticity are raised. Are these just words? Or will they connect to tangible actions? What portion of the nonmarginalized population will be willing to continuously educate themselves on these issues? What does it actually mean to create an equitable and inclusive environment? Do the people writing and communicating these initiatives even know? Or has it become an obligation to just care enough? What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of diversity? Ethnicity? Gender? Sexual orientation? While we are all familiar with identity on a social level, intersectional identities are something we recognize within ourselves but often ignore in others. Intersectional identities affect everything from what drives one to wear colorful makeup, how hair is styled, which languages and dialects a person employs, and the experiences that inform one’s perspective (i.e. survivors of sexual assault, abuse, or cancer.) In addition to these prominent intersections of identity, there are a host of social characteristics and identities that we all recognize but often take for granted, such as height, weight, class, and immigration status—all
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identities that impact and inform implicit biases, stereotypes, and expectations. Former Greek life member Lara Zoghi attributes the disrespect and uncooperative stance that her sorority’s recruitment advisor enforced—such as telling her to “tone down her makeup” and body-shaming girls in dresses—as reasons for her resignation from her sorority. Neither Lara, nor anyone else, should have to be a part of an organization that refuses to recognize, respect, and appreciate their identity. If the part of your identity that makes you diverse is not being included, then the organization does not deserve your presence or participation. Overlooking intersectional identities and disregarding the rhetoric surrounding them while constructing DEI initiatives will only lead to disastrous, halfbaked diversity efforts that will ultimately fail to address the harmful communication and social ignorance that is fostered in these unhealthy environments. Education and awareness on DEI issues may often come from the top down in organizations seeking to make a change, but that means nothing if those in power do not practice or enforce what they preach. A group of 20-year-olds can do little to change policy or influence organization-wide rhetoric. But an older, more experienced adult in a position of power who is tasked with creating an inviting space that mitigates the effects of microaggressions and implicit bias can much more readily create an environment that is supportive, inclusive, and diverse. DEI education should not be limited to simply forcing employees to sit in on the annual PowerPoint presentation for Black History Month, or AAPI Month, or by only acknowledging the Indigenous lands that you currently reside in. Not that these topics are not necessary to communicate, but it is crucial that a wholehearted effort is made across the board to also incorporate inclusive
communication about topics such as ethnic identities, gender-inclusive dress policies, and respecting inclusive pronoun usage. I do not hold the universal solution to resolving microaggressions, bias, or discrimination, but you know who might? The people who DEI initiatives are supposed to represent. I am sure that they have an idea of what would make them more comfortable beyond the implementation of periodic presentations that are supposed to represent their identities. DEI initiatives should not be a simple task or another item on the checklist. It is an ongoing, and sometimes difficult to quantify commitment to being more mindful, receptive, and responsive to those around
you. Human resources departments work to protect those who experience conflict within the workplace, such as explicit aggression or sexual assault; DEI needs to be as prevalent a role to ensure these encounters do not occur in the first place. It is not enough to just accept the existence of different people anymore. The desire to create equality in your own environment must stem from the genuine curiosity to become aware of the social and intersectional identities of those who you socialize with. As Lara said, there is a “difference between being passionate and wanting to take the time (to participate and learn)”. Instead of telling marginalized groups what you’ve done to make them believe that they should feel comfortable, allow them to tell you who they are and what they need to feel comfortable.
The culture will not change if the system that creates and supports it won’t change, so here are some ideas of where to start:
Provide the demographics of those in leadership and compare to the general population List any policies enforcing population wide inclusivity Integrate DEI statements into the mission statements that supposedly reflect the organization as a whole Provide a platform for those to come forward to a group dedicated towards individual justice
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FLOPCHELLA FLOPCHELLA FLOPCHELLA Written by SHARON LOBO
TWITTER DISCOURSE HAS recently focused on the lack of attention that Coachella has recieved this year. It was not that long ago that Coachella was seen as the epitome of pop culture and attendance was on everyone’s bucket list. As a Public Relations student I have thought a lot about how their promo strategies are not what they once were and how that directly affects public opinion. Coachella cultivated a life of its own with their headliners, fashion, and celebrity sightings. The 2022 installment of Coachella demonstrated this culture in an almost downgraded
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To start off, I think Coachella benefited a lot from people’s FOMO from seeing the people who attended and how they made sure that you saw absolutely everything happening for every second of the festival. Frequent celebrity sightings also gave the event a certain allure. Something about seeing your favorite celebrity hanging out with their friends made it an experience that the public wanted to physically witness, so I believe a lot of the traffic from the public into the festival was due to this. The problem Coachella has faced recently is that they are inviting more influencers, and fewer high-profile celebrities are showing out at the festival. I would argue that inviting influencers is actually the clever thing to do considering TikTok has become one of the most consumable content platforms. The problem is that the wrong influencers are going, and people make a joke out of them instead of treating them with the same novelty as other celebrities. Of course this reflects badly on the festival because it has lost that edge people were intrigued by in the first place. Coachella essentially created a genre of fashion all of its own, but this has recently changed. The boho desert aesthetic has been replaced by the flamboyant Y2K fashion that influencers have claimed. The style change is being ridiculed because the festival setting does not match up with current fashion trends. Online criticism is targeting the fashion differences between influencers and celebrities at this year’s Coachella, noting that influencers are trying too hard for a festival that is not worth trying that hard for anymore.
Coachella benefits from capitalism like any other big business does. It is incredibly overpriced for the experience. They generate value for their festival that is far greater than its worth in reality. And as within any capitalistic society, people fall for it and will consume the product. The exclusivity Coachella has created within the festival grounds makes the experience less than enjoyable to a regular festival goer. Simply put, if you do nott have clout or wealth you will not get into any areas or experiences that you see online that most likely drew you to go in the first place. Coachella is at its core a music festival, but that notion is almost secondary to the outrageous outfits and Instagram photos generated by the event. Coachella began in 1999 as an anti-pop festival meant to highlight the underground music scene. It is hard to believe it turned into the absolute opposite since then. Perhaps it was necessary for longevity; however, now I think it is time for another shift. Is it really that different from any other festival? I really do not think it is. Festivals such as ACL and Lollapalooza often have lineups just as good as Coachella, but they do not get the same traction that Coachella does. Coachella is extremely fabricated, and people are beginning to realize this. Coachella is losing its appeal. The social awareness that is happening has to do a lot with Coachella’s deterioration. People are realizing that things are not great just because they’re popular. Coachella has long passed its golden era.
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A MOMENT TO REMEMBER Written by JULIA CUDDY Illustrated by BARRETT SENN
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IN MAY, THE MOODY College of Communication will hold its 2022 Spring Graduation Ceremony, a day that current seniors have been looking forward to and envisioning from the very start of their time on the Forty Acres. A Moody graduation ceremony typically consists of an in-person event where, one by one, each student crosses the stage, receives their diploma, and looks out to an audience filled with parents, fellow students, professors, and university staff. With hundreds of people gathered in the room, there is energy from the audience cheering and clapping through the hours of names being called. This year, however, Moody is welcoming graduates and guests to an alternative graduation ceremony similar to “Graduation Recognition Moments”, the COVID-safe, live-streamed event that took place last year where students could get their diploma and picture taken accompanied by only a few family members. As word spread about this decision, many seniors were frustrated. Many were outspoken about their confusion with the college’s choice, especially when little information was provided about this decision. As COVID-19 cases in Austin have dropped and for many people become less of a concern compared to last year, many seniors were not expecting their graduation to resemble the ceremony of 2021. But, despite student skepticism and disappointment, Dean Jay Bernhardt and the Moody administration were confident in pursuing this intimate ceremony to complement the traditional university-wide commencement in DKR that will take place the following day. So, what exactly will this year’s graduation ceremony look like?
The ceremony will be held at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center, a smaller venue from previous years, to enhance the intimate feeling Moody administration has envisioned. Graduates can invite as many family and friends as they would like to stand close to the stage, where students will be recognized one by one, photographed, and cheered on by Moody professors and advisors. Sierra Wiggers, a senior Advertising major who attended last year’s graduation event, says that logistically a ceremony like this one is better, as she “knew how much people liked it last year.” With COVID safety still in mind, especially for older parents and loved ones attending, having fewer people tightly packed into one room is something Sierra and other students are glad to hear. She also remembers the ease of photography, as parents are all able to have a front-row seat for their graduates. Attendees are able to capture clear, personal photos of the special moment as opposed to zoomed-in blurry shots that unfortunately always end up on Facebook despite their cringe-worthy amount of grain. Students will arrive based on their major. During the ceremony there will be speeches and a reception following with a champagne toast. Fortunately, there will still be a livestream of the ceremony for those who cannot be there in person. While this format certainly was not what most Moody seniors were expecting for their college graduation, students’ academic achievements and accomplishments should not be lost in this change of events. With the extra time provided, given that the ceremony will be more personal and shorter, seniors can enjoy this time with the people that matter most to them. They can use this time to celebrate their amazing hard work and triumph. And, for those many students who are disappointed about the lack of collectivism, the university-wide commencement will fortunately have energy and spirit that students can share with friends and family on May 22.
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The Dangers NFTs Pose to the Creative Industry Written by SHARON LOBO Illustrated by BARRETT SENN It’s no secret that NFTs have become the latest trend in blockchain technology. If you’re like me, you probably don’t get why people could possibly go crazy over an image on the internet and be willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money for one. I think NFTs are harming more than how we view the value of money; they are harming—and almost mocking—the genuine efforts of those who develop unique, creative bodies of work.
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Behind closed doors creative teams spend hours developing graphics, visuals, videos, and more for their brands. Artists work day and night and are often underpaid for their art, and yet they continue to make it—only to have someone named Josh from New York make a couple thousand dollars from a pixelated image that took him 30 minutes to make. Do you see what the problem here is?
A lot of people will argue that NFTs are a digital way of buying and selling fine art, and I won’t lie—they are getting away with this narrative. Let me quickly explain what NFTs are in simple terms: NFTs are non-fungible tokens, which is a unique and non-replaceable code that represents an item you own. NFTs are not exclusively used for visual art, as they can be tied to music or even GIFs. The reason people pay so much for them is to demonstrate ownership and authenticity. By doing this you obtain the right to display the item wherever you’d like, including your digital wallet. You won’t get ownership of the original work if it’s not already yours; you just get the rights for your private use of it. The phrase ”non-fungible” means that the token cannot be replicated since each token is meant to be unique and one of a kind. Since they’re technically rare and irreplaceable, scarcity is artificially created. This is why NFTs are often valued for such ridiculously high sums of money. Many will argue that NFTs can actually benefit artists, and there is some truth in this claim. NFTs make it much easier for artists to sell their art in a new global marketplace, and digital art is very much still art. However, a big portion of the NFT market is not necessarily honest and often contributes to art theft. Many artists never know that someone is making profit out of their art because a lot of the buying and selling occurs on the dark web, and it is impossible to gauge where on the internet their art is being sold. No verification is required to tokenize an image, making it easier for artists’ work to be stolen.
It is very easy for NFT collectors and sellers to work around loopholes because NFTs are often difficult to track. This leads to widespread tax evasion as NFTs are not tangible in the physical world. NFTs and other blockchain technology depend on theoretical circumstances and guidelines, but none of it is really accessible to everyday consumers. The current state of NFTs demonstrates that artistry and economic values are far removed from one another. It is just another ploy for the rich to get richer and for regular people to buy into this new form of capitalism in exchange for symbols of status and wealth. Why else would Twitter create a new feature for setting your NFTs as a profile photo? It is all about elitism and the guaranteed sense of exclusivity tied with it. There is no real value in an NFT until someone offers to pay for it. None of it is based on anything but luck in an unstructured system. If NFTs want to be ethically revolutionary, there needs to be intellectual property protections, clear guidelines about value, and a way for the technology itself to become more environmentally friendly, as the production of NFTs requires an excessive amount of energy usage. However, it looks like its current form is here to stay unless regulatory measures are introduced. If you really want to support artists, buy art directly from the source, engage with their work, and boost their platform by sharing what they do. This is the only way to ethically ensure artists are getting the credit they deserve.
ANDTHE THE OSCARS OSCARS AND GOTO... TO... GO Written by SARAH XU Illustrated by ALEX ROEDER
FROM BEYONCE’S breathtaking and
vibrant performance of “Be Alive” from the sports drama King Richard, to the moving display of support to “CODA” through collective sign language applause, this year’s Academy Awards ceremony was certainly one to remember. After years of COVID-19 restrictions, it was refreshing and encouraging to be able to come together again to celebrate cinematic masterpieces— even as a viewer tuning in from home. Despite the heart-warming sensation of community, the night felt largely overshadowed by the jaw-dropping, theater-echoing slap delivered by Best Actor awardee Will Smith. Despite this incident, this year’s Oscars also held some notable milestones that warrant remembrance— so let’s break down and amplify these successes:
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Troy Kotsur became the first deaf actor and second deaf performer to win an Academy Award for his role in CODA.
Actress Jessica Chastain took home her first Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, after years of nominations.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s film, Drive My Car, won the Best International Film award, becoming the second Japanese recipient in history. Drive My Car also made history with its Best Picture nomination, being the first Japanese film to be nominated in this category.
In addition to the roasts and jokes delivered by hosts Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes and the many emotional acceptance speeches, this year’s Oscars also contained heavy commentary about our sociopolitical climate and recent legislation. Criticizing Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, our hosts threw a few shots at the toxic masculinity and cruelty that have pushed communities backwards in terms of social justice, equality, and the safety of kids and women. Chastain also used her time to shed light on the dangers of recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in conjunction with our country’s suicide epidemic.
Filmmaker Jane Campion became the third female to win Best Director for her work on The Power of the Dog. Campion also made Oscars history by becoming the second female filmmaker nominated for Best Director twice.
Moody RTF alumnus, Mac Ruth, received an Oscar for Best Sound for Dune.
Ariana DeBose was awarded best Supporting Actress category for her role as Anita in West Side Story, becoming the first Afro-Latinx winner in Academy Awards history.
Taken all together, one thing is indisputable. The 2022 Oscars will be one for the books. To be able to have these moments of joy, appreciation, shock, and commemoration is a privilege that will never be taken for granted again. I, for one, cannot wait to see what next year has in store because if we have learned anything from the pandemic and what’s come of it, it’s that PPE and 14-day quarantines will not deter talent and the passion for creating, and without these past restrictions, there is only more room for transformative, powerful filmmaking.
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SUMMER HERD a short story Written by MADELINE MUSCHALIK Moody Magazine Creative Writing Competition Winning Entry 31
THE NEVER-ENDING BLANKET of blue
sky left Thomas feeling content, for the first time in a while, on his drive from the airport. As their rickety farm truck jostled from side to side along the dirt road, his dad pointed across the wide expanse of the plain where a herd of shaggy bison grazed. “Beautiful isn’t it?” his dad grinned and tipped his felt hat further over his eyes against the sun. Beautiful couldn’t even begin to describe Thomas’s surroundings. This morning he had left the monstrous steel of New York City, and now felt like he was in an ancient world that didn’t abide by government or law. The West. Thomas nodded in response to the statement, but other than that the two were silent for the remainder of the drive. This was how their relationship had always been. He recalled nights spent around the family dinner table, his mother trying to get a word out of both father and son. Something flashed across his peripheral vision, and Thomas turned to spot two bald eagles in flight, their enormous wings gliding in the wind. His dad was like these majestic creatures in many ways, unable to be chained by anything or anyone. Maybe this was what had led to his parent’s fiery divorce. His born and raised New Yorker mother never fully able to shackle his dad to stability. They puttered up the steep incline of a wooded hill, past an ice-gray pond that reflected the firs, and emerged in an open valley. An enormous carved post in the fence welcomed them to Double Y Ranch. They parked the car next to a pair of dark, planked houses. One had a sprawling front porch, and the other a large stone campfire on the side of it. As soon as his dad took the keys out of the ignition, Thomas’s new stepmom, Isadora, leaped from the porch to the side of the truck, calling, “George, Thomas!” His dad opened the truck door and wrapped Isadora in a hug while Thomas retrieved his
duffel from the muck-encrusted truck bed. Although he had met Isadora once before, at the wedding last summer in his dad’s Wyoming hometown, he was thrown off to see the two beside each other. The way they interacted reminded him of early memories as a toddler when his parents were still in love, taking him to the park and adopting Tate, their golden retriever. “How do you like Montana?” Isadora took her warm hazel eyes away from George to Thomas. “It’s beautiful,” he stuttered, cursing himself for his inability to put the vivid scenery into more distinctive words. Isadora laughed at his expression and helped him hoist the duffel up the steep porch steps. Soon, Thomas was wrapped in a wool quilt in the small, but cozy room that was his until college resumed in the fall. His comfort made him forget his dad’s cold shoulder and the guilt that had started to set in about choosing Montana with his dad over New York with his mom for the summer. As he drifted off for a nap, the brief thought that he sort-of preferred her nagging to dad’s silence fluttered by, but it was too late now.
*** THOMAS WOKE UP HOURS LATER to the sound of a melodic male singing voice echoing across the valley. He dug through the chest of drawers he’d unpacked into and found a beige pullover. His mom had excitedly gifted it to him last Christmas, some brand from a fancy department store he could care less about. The house was pitch black, and the worn floorboards creaked under him. Through an open window, he saw the light of a fire next to the opposite house. Outside, the stars spilled across the sky like freckles on skin. He followed the singing voice to the crackling outdoor hearth where a fellowship of familiar faces sat listening to Lincoln, Isadora’s brother, strum his guitar and sing,
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“They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound. But I am still around. I’ll always be around and around and around and around and around and around.” He sat next to Jessa, Lincoln’s daughter, and his step-cousin, who he had enjoyed hanging out with at the wedding last year, while all the adults fraternized. “You slept for a long time.” She greeted him in her typical, casual manner. “Long day of travel. Did I miss dinner?” “Yes, but there are some sausages out here to roast.” She rolled up a sleeve and handed him some supplies. Jessa prided herself on eccentric outfits. At the wedding, she had worn a blood-red velvet suit that reminded Thomas of a vampire. Tonight, she wore a black and yellow vintage Wrangler button-down with a pair of flare jeans, soiled from a day of riding. A crimson bird feather was tucked under the twine of her black cowboy hat. “How was your first year of college?” Jessa watched as the meat cooked over the fire. “It was…a transition.” He decided to be honest. Around most of his mother’s friends his answer was always a standard, “good,” but he had never been lonelier in truth. He’d struggled to find the “college community” glorified in movies, books, and his mother’s stories. His dad was in Montana with his new wife, his mom filling all her time with various social events and vacations to get her mind off his dad, and the one loyal companion he could always count on buried in the woods upstate. All that remained was a clay imprint of Tate’s paw on Thomas’s nightstand that they had created when the vet first diagnosed him with the cancer. Lincoln stopped singing mid-lyric, and the chatter halted.
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“What is it, Dad?” Jessa snapped up from stoking the fire. Lincoln held up a hand as if urging everyone to quiet down, even though no one was making a sound or so much as shifting on their seat. The fire popped, radiant sparks flying, and smoke curling up to the sky. In the distance, through the murky night, Thomas could hear the panicked whinnying of horses. “Mountain lion,” Jessa said under her breath. She looked with raised eyebrows at her dad who had already darted up and was racing toward the house. “What’s he doing?” Thomas whispered. “Going to get the gun,” Jessa replied before standing and following Lincoln’s path. His dad stood from Isadora’s side, and Thomas made a motion to follow. “Stay here,” George commanded, without a look in his direction. Thomas had never seen his dad hold a gun in his life and wondered how he would be any more help. “Your dad’s a stubborn creature,” Isadora observed. Only the two of them remained at the once-lively scene. Thomas winced as he heard cabin doors slam, amidst cursing, then three sets of heavy boots running on the gravel toward the frightened horses. “Yeah.” Thomas agreed. Sometimes he wondered about his father’s relationship with his stepmother. The way he treated her with more respect and attention than he’d ever seen with his mom. He wondered if George always acted this way in the early stages of a relationship and grew more distant over time. Or perhaps Isadora and his new life in Montana had changed his dad for the better. Though, as of now, Thomas didn’t see any evidence of that. “I can see you’re about as talkative as he is,” Isadora laughed.
“Sorry. I guess I’m just tired from all the traveling.” Thomas racked his brain for something to discuss with her, but he didn’t know Isadora well. His dad and she had met the spring of last year after the divorce finalized and George moved out west. All Thomas knew was that the two crossed paths while vacationing with friends from high school to celebrate the annulment. Five months later, they were married.
***
In the time they had ascended the horses, Jessa from the ground and Thomas from the mounting block, Lincoln, Isadora, and George were riding off into the distance. Thomas tried to ignore the sinking feeling deep in his blood by looking out at the looming mountains and rolling, fat clouds. “Ready?” Jessa asked him once he had adjusted himself in the saddle and doubled over the reins. They were off on their journey.
THE NEXT MORNING, Thomas was greeted
with a stack of lemon blueberry pancakes that brought him right back to Sundays in elementary school at their old Manhattan apartment. He followed his dad and Isadora out to the horse corral, where four saddled horses were roped against part of the fence.
The horses trotted through the tall grass while a fluffy, white coyote pup followed them, making Jessa laugh. The wild canine had a cute face that looked so different from the newspaper pictures he’d seen of ugly, ragged coyotes appearing on the outskirts of New York from the forest preserves.
“What happened with the mountain lion?” he asked Jessa when she appeared from behind a shed leading a gray speckled stallion with a frayed rope.
They moved their horses into a fast lope to get away, their hooves crushing through the wild sage field, creating a fragrant perfume that permeated the summer morning.
“Think we scared him off. But he’ll be back.” She squinted against the sun and adjusted her hat. Today’s outfit was another rodeo-esque getup.
Eventually, they arrived back at the edge of the valley and into the cover of the forest. They rode for another hour, the overwhelming landscape and horse’s heavy breathing filling in any need for idle conversation.
“Would your dad have shot it if given the chance?” Jessa stopped in her tracks and scoffed. “Would yours?” Without waiting for an answer, she handed him the rope and walked over to where the adults stood. Thomas leaned against the horse, who snorted and pushed his head against his shoulder with a gentle tap. He rubbed his fingers against the velvet-soft skin of the horse’s nose.
“See that tree?” Jessa pointed at a tall fir with wide gashes and carvings strewn over the trunk. “Those are bear scratches.” They followed the path until Thomas could hear the roaring power of the nearby river. “We’ll take a break at the intersection of the Clearwater and Blackfoot.”
Jessa walked back leading a jet-black mare. “You’re on Landlocked. I’m on Sentinel.” She pointed to each horse. “Your dad wants to ride fast so he says we’ll go in separate groups.”
Thomas and Jessa tied the horses to two sturdy trees with simple but strong knots so they wouldn’t escape and hiked a few paces down to the riverbed. They crunched along the rainbow-colored rocks until they found a dry spot to sit down.
“Oh.” Thomas continued to stroke the smooth skin. Another chance to bond with his father missed. Did he even have room for Thomas in this new cowboy lifestyle?
“They did good,” Thomas noted, thinking of the sweat glistening off of Landlocked and Sentinel’s muscled bodies.
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“They’re athletes. Bred for this kind of work. They don’t know any different.”
“My dog felt like a sibling. I don’t think I’ll ever feel more devastated by anyone’s death.”
“How old are they?” The horses ran through the fields and forests like children. Then again, so had Tate and he was fifteen when he passed.
Jessa looked away from the river and over to him. “That’s why I like riding. When I’m out in nature, away from any civilization, I feel like she’s still with me.”
“Not sure” Jessa shrugged. “Most of them were here before I was born.” Thomas looked out to the river. A doe and her spotted fawn were crossing the shallow rapids further upstream from them. Jessa began picking up flat rocks and trying to skip them downstream. “You know, they say this intersection of the river causes animals to live longer. We have some horses here that are older than any I’ve heard of.” “Like how old?” Thomas wasn’t sure if she was messing with him. Jessa shrugged. “Probably an old wives’ tale. The Montana air’s just good for them.” “I’d give anything for a magical river like that. My dog died less than a year ago.” Tate was the only one who ever fully understood Thomas. How it felt to be alone, carted back and forth from one home to the next. If he told his parents he had felt close to his dog in a way he’d never feel with them, they’d think he was crazy. Now all he had was himself. “My dog was killed by a mountain lion when I was young. That’s why my dad hates them. And they’re dangerous around horses.” “I’m sorry.” He wondered if Jessa had felt the sheer pain he had. “It was a long time ago.” “I don’t know if I’ll ever get over my dog’s passing.” “As they say, time heals most things. Besides, they really are just old fleabags when you think about it.”
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“I can see that.” Every time he’d seen an animal, or particularly intricate tree that morning, Thomas’s thoughts had turned to his deceased pet. “If that mountain lion hadn’t killed her, I wonder how long she would have lived? “I imagine the oldest dog ever. She used to love to swim in this river.” Still, Thomas couldn’t tell if this was her typical playfulness or if this tiny part of the Montana wilderness really did have extraordinary powers. After resting for a while longer, they led the horses down to the river for a drink. “You ready to cross?” Jessa smiled once they were both back up in the saddles. “Here? Now?” Thomas felt himself missing the solidity of the earth below. “Don’t worry, these horses cross all the time. And they know how to swim if anything bad happens.” Without waiting for another response, she began to lead Sentinel through the bubbling water. Landlocked followed close behind. The horses’ shoes made pleasant clip-clop sounds on the rocks as they trudged through the depths. Eventually, Thomas had to lift up his boots from the stirrups and place his feet high on either side of the horse’s flanks so that the freezing water didn’t touch him. They reached the muddy edge of the other riverbank. Sentinel moved to begin climbing toward the tree line again, but Jessa pulled back on the reins and frowned down at the mud.
Thomas was about to ask her what was wrong when he spotted animal tracks along the riverbank leading back toward the direction of the ranch. The mud formed a paw print with four teardrop shaped toes. The imprint reminded Thomas of the memento of Tate on his bedside table back in New York. “That’s a mountain lion,” Jessa informed him when she noticed he had spotted the trail too. “See the lack of claw indentations? If it were a dog or coyote, they’d show up. That’s how you can tell.” Jessa began leading Sentinel back through the river in the direction they’d come from. “What are you doing?” Thomas called after her, pulling at the leather bridle to lead Landlocked after her. “I could see those tracks from where we sat, and I wanted to be sure that my suspicions weren’t true.” They looped back on a path along the river, passing a fisherman on a raft with two alert Labradors starting with intent faces at the steeds. After continuing loping and trotting intervals for the next few minutes, Jessa and Thomas climbed the steep path toward the valley. The horses, sensing proximity to home—and lunch— picked up the pace. A shriek sounded above the pair, and Thomas looked up to the verdant tree line and spotted a red-tailed hawk diving through the air.
“That’s my hawk!” Jessa pointed to her hat. “A feather fell out of his tail here last summer.” Thomas opened his mouth to reply when a booming shot rang through the air. A flock of small songbirds the hawk was after sprang off the low-lying branches in response. Jessa and Thomas both looked at each other, eyes wide. As if reading each other’s thoughts, they brought Landlocked and Sentinel into a lope and sped back toward the ranch, kicking up a cloud of thick dust on the side of the mountain as they went. The horses saw the corral on the horizon line and kicked into a gallop. The hoofbeats reverberated through Thomas’s ears, over and over. They blocked out the sound of loud voices, and he couldn’t tell who they belonged to and if they were happy or mad. As they neared the corral, sweat-drenched from the noon sun and a hard ride, Jessa pulled back on the reins, and Thomas followed. He spotted the three other horses tied to the post, and Isadora, Lincoln, and George huddled in a circle. As they slowly neared, he realized they were standing over a carcass. Isadora and Lincoln turned to watch them trot in. His dad dragged the bloodied body of a mountain lion across the dirt. The tawny pelt reminded Thomas of Tate’s fur. A memory of stroking his dog’s coat the day they took him to the vet one final time surfaced as his dad looked up and spotted that his son had returned from the ride.
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U B R E N H T O T RANGE an ode to the beauty of our community
Written by DANIELLA NASSAR Illustrated by ALYSSA LINDBLOM
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T E U Q BOU
LIFE AS A UT STUDENT is like a vibrant bouquet of flowers, carefully picked and designed to capture life’s beauty and vibrance through a colorful lens. A bouquet of flowers is nothing less than marvelous. If you look closely beneath the surface, you will find that each flower is used to complement the surrounding flowers. You will see that each type of flower—no matter how luxurious or delicate—is placed in a position to enhance and augment the surrounding flowers. When appreciating a bouquet, you may notice that each vibrant color contributes to a color scheme that is greater than the sum of its parts. Each flower is unique in its own right, but in concert the entire arrangement ultimately shines brighter than any of them could alone. The process of creating a bouquet of flowers is much more intricate than it might first appear. After all, there is a lesson that a simple bouquet of flowers can teach us as humans.
Similarly, at UT Austin, each student is skilled, curious, experienced, talented, and creative in their own ways. Each UT student has a unique identity that encompasses a wide range of talents, skills, passions, experiences, and characteristics and that ultimately cultivates a diverse and outstanding campus like no other. However, like the bouquet of flowers, when UT students unite, we become a complex environment of students who challenge the expectations, succeed in their academics, reach for the stars, and elevate and expand the campus’s horizon. Individually, each student is spectacular. But just like the bouquet of flowers that we admire, The University of Texas shines its brightest when UT students unite to create a marvelous burnt orange community. Here at UT, we shine brightest together and showcase a diverse range of talents, skills, and interests. Such brilliance is only seen when we come together as a burnt orange bouquet. It is this burnt orange bouquet that showcases the brilliance of UT students. It is the burnt orange bouquet that fulfills the core values of learning, discovery, and leadership. It is the burnt orange bouquet that leaves a legacy at UT that changes the world for the better. The effects of this burnt orange mark can be seen worldwide, and we are proud of it.
A bouquet of flowers might seem as though it was mindlessly put together, but something so beautiful could not be created simply by chance. Each individual flower—from peonies to sunflowers— potrays a unique character and a natural beauty that seems unmatchable. Yet still, when each individual flower is placed together by someone who is an expert at their craft, seemingly discordant aesthetics can sing in harmony.
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Moody Magazine thanks you for reading!
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