Moody Magazine
MOODY Moody Magazine is the official student publication of the Moody College of Communication. Created and published by Communication Council, the Magazine launched Fall 2018 and is purposed to providing Moody students with a semester magazine and Moody News.
Fall 2018 Issue
friends,
XOXO,
Alexa Chung Editor-in-Chief
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Moody Magazine
Listen Up, Folks Selection by VICTORIA STRANCZEK Illustration by ALEXA CHUNG
Moody Magazine loves music, and we wanted to share that with you. We also realize that some of you can’t study without it. Below, you will find an assorment of Spotify playlists that our team has created especially for this purpose, and especially for you. Happy listening (and studying)! INSTRUCTIONS: To open the playlists, open your Spotify app, go to the search bar, click the camera icon in the top right corner, and scan the codes below.
Focus
Pop
Classical
Piano Instrumental
Piano Classical
Jazz
Rap/Hip-hop
Alternative
Fall 2018 Issue
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Moody Magazine
A Tradition of Excellence Since the beginning
Since its founding, the College of Communication has had close relationships with numerous, distinguished UT alumni. The following are the names of a notable few:
‘33 Walter Cronkite
Former CBS Evening News anchorman (19 years), journalist, “the most trusted man in America”
‘34 Lady Bird Johnson, B.A. History, B.J. Former First Lady of the United States (1963-69)
‘56 Bill Moyers, B.J.
Multiple Emmy-winner, journalist, political commentator, former White House Press Secretary
‘70 Karen Elliott House, B.J.
Pulitzer Prize-winner, former editor and publisher of The Wall Street Journal, former Senior Vice President of Dow Jones & Company
‘77 Admiral William H. McRaven, B.J.
Former Navy Seal and commander of U.S. Joint Special Operations Command, former UT System Chancellor
‘93 Matthew McConaughey, B.S. R-T-F
Actor, producer, Academy Award and Golden Globe-winner
‘96 Jennifer Howell, B.S. R-T-F
Head of feature development at DreamWorks Animation, Emmy-winner, member of UT Moody’s advisory board
Did you know?
- The Moody Foundation gifted the College $50 million, the largest endowment for the study of communication at any public university in the country. - The second-floor auditorium in the Belo Center for New Media has a secret door for special guest speakers to pass through quickly. Written by JULIE POTRYKUS Illustration by ALEXA CHUNG
Fall 2018 Issue
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Welcome, New Longhorn Written by VICTORIA STRANCZEK Illustration by ALEXA CHUNG A new face to UT Austin, Dr. Erica Ciszek, has joined the Longhorn family to teach law and ethics of public relations and advertising. Outside of teaching this class, Ciszek conducts research that studies the intersections of Public Relations as they relate to social justice and social change. She looks at how activists can use Public Relations to change and influence public opinion or politics, especially for issues surrounding the LGBTQ+ community in order to foster a more equitable existence. Ciszek said her motivation for her research comes from personal interest. “I care so passionately about it,” Ciszek said. “So much of the history of strategic communication has roots in historical propaganda and ethically questionable persuasion.” According to Ciszek, the question she poses most in her research is: “how can we become agents of social change?” One of Ciszek’s current research projects analyzes how businesses either immerse themselves in or try to avoid controversy. Many large businesses, such as Nike and Ben & Jerry’s have recently taken on social issues as part of their marketing agenda. The project looks into the public’s response to this approach to marketing and what can be learned from these companies’ involvement. Ciszek said a previous research project that resonates with her was one that looked at
the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) and why it failed. Ord. No. 2014-350 was designed to “prohibit discrimination in city employment and city services, city contracts, public accommodations, private employment, and housing based on an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or pregnancy.” The main topic of the conversation surrounding the ordinance became gender-neutral bathrooms.1 The ordinance ultimately failed to pass, which led to an investigation on Ciszek’s part. Ciszek interviewed activists and people whose voices were erased from the conversation to ask the question—what happens when we exclude the most marginalized people in the room from the decision making process? The answer: this exclusion often results in inequitable policies and nonexistent protections. Ciszek’s work focuses on the possibility of public relations as a tool for social change—something that can be used to mold both public opinion and policy for the good of others and a more equitable society. Ciszek said focusing on the relationship between the public and social issues that are promoted by public relations can help both businesses and individuals become successful agents of social change with the right tools and intentions. If you would like more information on Ciszek and her research, you can visit her website, ericaciszek.com.
1 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/11/03/why-houstons-gay-rights-ordinance-failed-bathrooms/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f7837fc029ab
Fall 2018 Issue
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Four Culinary Pillars of the 40 Acres
I. QUALITY
II. EXECUTION
Is it really a surprise that this culinary staple appears on this list? Don is consistently affordable, delicious, and of superior quality. This UT Austin staple offers generous amounts of food that could easily be turned into two meals for just $10; a gesture that most restaurants in Austin have all but abandoned. Most of the time, I end up eating the entire meal because the food is just so damn good. My favorite item on the menu has to be the pork-katsu. Experiencing the combination of the crisp, perfectly fried breading on the pork with spicy mayo on top of a beautiful bed of rice is more cathartic than watching Facebook videos of soldiers surprising their children after coming back from deployment. Don is the food I will always associate with my time at the 40 Acres
At Taco Joint, street tacos are compiled with onions caramelized to perfection, exquisitely grilled sirloin and a little bit a cilantro for taste. This is way better than another taco place where I wait twenty minutes in line and pay six dollars for a mediocre taco that is supposed to be “Damn good” but leaves me thinking “Damn, why did I not go to Taco Joint”. This place has some the most fire tacos in town and that’s not just the excessive amount of habanero salsa from their selfserve salsa bar I drench my them in. I really love how this place is so customizable. If you want shoestring potato strings on your taco, they’ll do it. If you want migas, they’ll do it. If you want a classic beef taco, they’ll do that too. If you haven’t checked this place out by now, I highly recommend it.
Don Japanese Kitchen:
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Taco Joint:
Moody Magazine
Written by JOSEPH WALLACE Illustrations by NAOMI BRADY
III. COMFORT
IV. CREATIVITY
Hoover’s is a bit of walk, but it’s worth the trek. My experience at Hoover’s is as if I had died and gone to heaven where my grandmother had prepared a chicken-fried steak as big as my head with enough sides and desserts to provide a week’s worth of leftovers. The blackboard specials and personal welcome by Hoover himself make this restaurant one of the coziest, most satisfying meals you’ll find around campus. Out of the 15 people I’ve brought here, each one has been wowed by the portion, quality, and taste of the food. My top recommendations are the chicken fried steak (I dream of it sometimes) and their buttermilk pie (I also dream of this sometimes). If you’re feeling a little homesick and can spare the calories, visit Hoover’s and they’re guaranteed to take care of you.
I feel guilty eating desserts that have unreasonable amounts of calories like ice cream or Tres Leche, but for Bananarchy’s chocolated-coated frozen bananas? What are calories? I love their combos like the “Joe Banana,” which is coated with toffee and crushed coffee beans, but I also love creating my own to make the wildest banana they’ll let me. Located behind Space 24-Twenty and Urban Outfitters, it’s not only a fun experience, but it’s also inclusive. Desserts aren’t friendly to our vegan and lactose-intolerant friends, but Bananarchy remains the exception with their vegan toppings and dips. A half banana cost five dollars, but a whole banana costs six. Split the cost with friends! It’s almost like this place is setting you up to take your friends and have a good time.
Hoover’s cooking:
Bananarchy:
Moody Magazine
2018 Midterm Election: A reflection
Written by JULIA O’HANLON Illustration by JACOB SEPÚLVEDA
The 2018 midterm election was a highly anticipated event. Since the 2016 election, there has been a promise of a blue wave of progressive Democrats. Republicans stated that they were confident they could retain their seats. Cut to a few court battles over gerrymandered districts and a few candidates that attracted national attend, and the midterms finally arrived. So. What happened? The blue wave was smaller than expected, but certainly still present. Nationally, Democrats gained 39 House seats while the Republicans maintained a majority in the Senate. In Texas,
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the Republicans swept the state offices and maintained control of both the State House and Senate, though Democrats picked up 12 seats in the State House and two in Senate. All eyes from across the country were on the Texas Senate Race between incumbent Republican Ted Cruz and Democrat Beto O’Rourke. O’Rourke drummed up support by visiting every county in the state of Texas to speak to people who felt left out of the political system, and this unique way of campaigning drew attention to state that is usually viewed as solidly red. Though O’Rourke did not win the election, he has people across the country wondering if Texas could ever be—and if it is
Fall 2018 Issue
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Senate 47
53 House
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currently—a battleground state. “If you saw the Texas Senate race as the only important race of 2018, it is easy to think that change is on the horizon. I was really excited about Andrew Gillum, Stacey Abrams, and, of course, Beto. The three campaigns I donated to all lost so I was pretty disheartened,” senior political communication major Ari Hayaud-Din said. “However, so many amazing firsts came out of this election. Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Talib, and so many more incredible women who are taking over the house.” Hayaud-Din is right; history was made in Texas. Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia became the first Latina women to represent Texas in the United States House. Though O’Rourke lost, there have been other exceptional candidates that have been elected to Congress and the Texas Legislature that are ready to represent and advocate for Texans. More than that, they are making themselves to be more accessible to their constituents “I saw a video of some of the Congressional freshmen documenting their experience on Instagram via the stories feature and I got really excited. I have never seen government so personal and real,” Hayaud-Din said.
The impact of this election has rippled outside of Texas as well. Junior government major Ashley Salinas who is studying abroad in Reims, France often has discussions with her classmates from across the world and from France about politics in the United States. “My time zone is 7 hours ahead of Central Time, I went to bed on Election Night expecting to wake up to some incredible news about Texas flipping blue,” Salinas said. “I was pleasantly surprised to a lot of photos of the women, and especially women of color, who had won their races that night. Seeing the looks on these women’s faces gave me the confidence to walk with my head held high for the rest of the day.” What is the big takeaway from all of this? Perhaps it is the reminder that government moves slowly, and that if we want to see change then we have to be a part of it. Volunteer, donate (if you have the means), and talk to your friends—international ones too!—about our political system. The work does not stop after Nov. 6 or after whatever election comes next. Get involved and stay involved in our civic system.
Fall 2018 Issue
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Big Changes in Moody Expanding horizons Written by MADISON BATEY Illustration by JACOB SEPÚLVEDA
Moody Magazine
September 5th
November 2th
Partnering with regional and national companies, UT founded the Institute for Media Innovation, which will serve as a research and practice center for new media as it evolves in today’s world. Dean Jay Bernhardt appointed R-T-F professor Dr. S. Craig Watkins as the program’s founding director.
The BeVote app, formerly only available on the Apple Store, released its Android-friendly version to reach more users. Now on the Google Play Store, BeVote makes voting easier for students by informing them about candidates and polling stations prior to going to the polls. It mainly targets first-time voters who need help with the process.
September 24th
November 7th
UTNY is an astounding, exciting new program that combines various colleges at UT for a semester to gain real-world experience in the city that never sleeps. Applications opened on the first of November and closed at the end of the month on November thirty-first. The inaugural class will stampede the big apple in the Fall of 2019, and we’re excited to hear what they have to say about the program. Check out the article we wrote in our Nov. 2018 Newsletter for more information!
Moody celebrated its fifth anniversary since becoming named the Moody College of Communication. It was celebrated in honor of the William Lewis Moody Foundation and its historically large $50 million donation to the College.
Moody announces its new Institute for Media Innovation
BeVote app releases for Android
UT creates new program in NY
Moody celebrates five years
October 24th
The Daily Texan publicizes its archive The Daily Texan is an honored publication at our university, and one of the largest student-run, independent newspapers in the country. Founded in 1900, The Texan has published and circulated thousands of issues, and it just recently made this track record public; 118 years’ worth of publications are now available online for everyone to access and read.
November 8th
Two teams in Stan Richards School earn President’s Award for Global Learning Every year, seven teams are awarded the President’s Award for Global Learning, which provides $25,000 in funding for student teams to take on international projects. Each team consists of two to four members in addition to a faculty lead. It also includes two faculty members belonging in different departments. In order to receive this honor, teams are challenged to complete a project that involves entrepreneurship, a social impact, or an expansion on existing research. Most importantly, teams must develop their projects based on seven eligible regions of the world, which is what makes the program “global.”
SOURCE: England, Natalie. “Moody to Open Institute for Media Innovation.” Moody College of Communication, Moody College of Communication | University of Texas at Austin, 6 Sept. 2018, moody.utexas.edu/news/moody-openinstitute-media-innovation. Fall 2018 Issue
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Double Double Major Major
We interviewed four Moody students who are double majors at UT. Through a series of Q&A, they were able to reflect on and share their experiences of what it’s like to go against the grain for the pursuit of a dual-degree eduation.
Written by CAILYN WESSTROM Illustration by ALEXA CHUNG
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Moody Magazine
Alexis R. Tatum
Junior, Journalism & Plan II Honors Program Q : What motivated you to pursue a double major? A: I originally applied to the Comm school at UT to be a journalism major. I also just applied to honors programs in general and ended up getting into Plan II. I didn’t intend on having two majors but after going to orientation and seeing how Plan II can incorporate that into my future goals, I really liked, it so I decided to keep it. Q: What is the best + hardest part about double majoring? A: The cool part about being a double major is I get to do a bunch of different coursework. I get to do classes that look at a bunch of different interests of mine rather than just stay in one lane. The hardest part is the scheduling. I
got lucky because a lot of the Plan II required classes fill in the requirements for core credits. So they overlap a little bit. But when it doesn’t overlap it’s hard because I have to decide when I’m going to take classes and how, and it puts me off a little bit from my peers. Q: What are your career aspirations? A: I’m very interested in public policy. I hope to practice journalism for a few years then go to law school and practice law. Journalism is one of those careers where you have to be constantly learning and constantly teaching because you have to digest information and then spit it out for other people in the quickest best way for them to learn it. But ultimately I do want to practice law, and both of my degrees have both helped me towards that with internships, professors and courses, all of that.
Connor M. Lewis
5th-year Senior, RTF & Computer Science Q: What motivated you to pursue a double major? A: I grew up really interested in tech, I worked at some broadcast houses in middle and high school. I wanted to come in and learn the technical side of that. I started working at Texas Student Television because of that, I have been the operations student director ever since my second semester freshman year. I added CS at the start of my sophomore year, really fell in love with it and did all of my internships in CS. Q: What is the best + hardest part about double majoring? A: The best part is not having to take elec-
tive classes that I don’t care about. It was also really cool to be around so many diverse ideas and people because people in the comm school think very differently than the natural science school. The hardest is finishing in four years or trying to balance the workload. I had to take classes in both of my majors that were very important and time-consuming at the same time. Q: What are your career aspirations? A: I definitely want to stay in the tech field. In February, I’ll be starting work with Apple on one of the Siri teams doing entertainment related stuff. So I’ll be on the movie/TV team for Siri. I’m really excited about that. I find it super cool that I get to use some of the film related stuff that I learned here.
Fall 2018 Issue
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Moody Magazine
Juan Figueroa
Senior, Journalism & Latin American Studies Q: What motivated you to pursue a double major? A: I first came in as a journalism major my freshman year. I decided I’d add geography to journalism to be more well-rounded in a way. As I went on, I noticed that I was mostly taking LAS geography classes. The summer before my junior year, I transferred to LAS and started connecting more with my roots. I started noticing that I can combine LAS and Journalism together because the press is in every single country. It’s been eye-opening to see the connections and intersectionality of it. Q: What is the best + hardest part about double majoring? A: It’s just made me stronger as a photojournalist and historian too. With both of my majors, I can
see what goes behind gathering history and the history of it, so I can analyze documents more critically by seeing the whole picture. The hardest part is the time. It’s just a lot of stuff, and there is a lot of academic coat switching. I’m busy all of the time, but at least I’m never bored. Q: What are your career aspirations? A: I’ve been all over the place but right now I’m hoping to do a little bit in photojournalism just using [the] skills that I’ve learned here. Then I want to go to grad information school and work on the archival field. I want to work more in gathering data material from communities that are underrepresented so future generations can have that to look back on. It’s basically like journalism, it has the history aspect of LAS and with photo, it combines it all so I feel like my majors have just led me there.
Kathryn Victory
Senior, Corporate Communication & Theatre Studies Q: What motivated you to pursue a double major?
you’re earning and not the grade you’re getting.
A: Originally, I started as a theatre studies major, and I realized that my passion was more for people rather than education. I want to use theater in order to help people communicate, so I added the corporate comm degree at the end of my junior year.
Q: What are your career aspirations?
Q: What is the best + hardest part about double majoring? A: It’s fun to see how people differentiate and are also the same no matter where you go on campus. The hardest part is finding out that school isn’t what is most importantit’s mental health. And also learning the lesson that it’s the more about the knowledge
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A: My end dream goal is starting my own consulting firm that uses theater to help companies, teachers and students better communicate with each other through theater outlets or creative outlets. If you think about it, no one really knows how to doodle anymore because they’re so focused on the end product and not the process. I think it’s really important for people to realize the process is the learning experience and the end result is nothing compared to that. So, I want to bridge the gap between multiple worlds being more efficient, effective and creative while also being innovative.
Fall 2018 Issue
Moody Magazine
Honorable Mention:
Moody College Honors Program
Written by ALI MANCINELLI Illustration by ALEXA CHUNG
Fall 2018 Issue
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Moody Magazine
“...[H]aving a four-year program will be a great way for these inquisitive minds to start earlier and develop into greater leaders of their major and community.”
Fall 2018 marks the first semester of the Moody College Honors Program. This program is an expansion of the former Senior Fellows program for juniors and seniors. The Honors Program has allowed incoming freshman and current students to participate. Dave Junker, Director of the program, explained that a major reason for the growth of this program was a direct correlation to the growth of Moody itself. The core of this program remains the same as the Senior Fellows program: to provide communication students a place to deepen their learning through Socratic-style learning. Former Senior Fellow and current Honors Program student Conner Jansen said, “I see the transformation [of the program] becoming more of an investment in the students’ lives. Being a two-year program was a great experience and I am so grateful for it, but having a four-year program will be a great way for these inquisitive minds to start earlier and develop into greater leaders of their major and community.” With this new program, students are placed into cohorts of 40 that take discussion oriented classes, participate in service and community engagement, and produce an independent capstone project. This semester’s community engagement included organizing a book drive and planning one of the spring lectures. Fall lectures included a “People First Politics” conversation with Dylan Marron and
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Guy Benson and a discussion with NPR host Brooke Gladstone. Freshman, Political Communications major Greg Phea says that these enrichment activities have been his favorite part of the program. When asked if his expectations for the program have been met he said, “Moody has set the bar at a level so high that it’s going to be hard to imagine anything else that can compare. It’s a program fully committed to its scholars.” As this program moves forward, Dave Junker says a major goal is “to foster great undergraduate scholarship, creativity, service and leadership. And when all is said and done, our core mission is the core mission of the University: to transform lives for the betterment of society. We wouldn’t accept anything less.” For students interested in applying, senior Scott Rubinger says “The most important aspect of being part of the Moody College Honors Program is to be yourself. We want everyone to show their true colors and demonstrate why they will be a great fit in the program. Authenticity goes a long way.” If you have any other questions about the Moody Honors Program, their website is full of information about the curriculum and news about the program. We look forward to seeing this program grow, and can’t wait to see what the spring semester brings for the Moody Four-Year Honors Program.
Fall 2018 Issue
Do Your Research ...to research
A wide variety of research takes place at Moody year-round, led by premier scholars who guide students as mentors. The College hosts leading research labs and centers that conduct original studies helping students find the innovations of the future. Written by CAILYN WESSTROM Research labs in Moody range from the Aphasia lab, where studies of how the brain supports speech and language processes takes place, to the Human Abilities in Bilingual Language Acquisition lab (HABLA), which seeks to understand how bilingual individuals organize and access their two language systems. In the CMB, the brain and behavioral science laboratory is open to faculty and students with their faculty access. The lab contains spaces for focus group research, experimental lab rooms, and a dedicated areas for physiological and eye-tracking research studies. Labs can help students wanting to research in a number of different research topics from CARG’s (Communication in Adults Research Group) studies on knowledge of communication in normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease to the Stan Richards Advertising Research pool that conducts different types of studies like examining online shopping behaviors or feelings about certain advertisements. Moody has a number of research centers, as well. Students wanting to make discoveries involving the media, politics and civic participation may find themselves wanting to get involved with The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life. For example, one of their projects is The Texas Media & Society survey that reveals the attitudes of Texans and Americans on media and politics, measures news consumption habits, and offers insight into how people are informed in this day and age. Another impactful research
center is the Michael and Tami Lang Stuttering Institute. Their goal is to help people who stutter, and the people close to them through a number of methods including research that emphasizes turning theory into practice. Through the Center for Health Communication, students can research topics like the evolution of breast cancer advertisements during October or if time can heal all wounds, a study on how and why individuals forgive a partner for a hurtful transgression. Other labs: Dr. Jennifer and Emanuel Bodner Developmental Stuttering Laboratory, Communication in Adults Research Group Lab, Hearing Function Laboratory, Speech Production Laboratory, Speech Psychophysics Lab, and Language Learning and Bilingualism Lab. And other research centers & institutes include the Center for Media Engagement, Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, Speech and Hearing Center, Technology Information and Policy Institute, Center for Sports Communication & Media, Wofford Denius UTLA Center for Entertainment & Media Studies, the VOCES Oral History Project, and the Latino Media Arts & Studies program. To find out more about getting involved with research in the Moody, go to https://moody. utexas.edu/research. There, you can read more about each program and email the contact person for the research that you’re interested in.
Our Staff Ami Artiz Alexa Chung Madison Batey Alysse Mazakian Julie Potrykus Jacob SepĂşlveda Victoria Stranczek Joseph Wallace Cailyn Wesstrom
&Contributors Naomi Brady Ali Mancinelli Julia O’Hanlon
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Fall 2018 Issue