Issue No. 7 Summer 2022
summerNEWSMEMO
CONTENTSofTABLE 2 President’s Welcome Meet the Executive Board Meet the Committee Chairs Communication Council Moody Organizations & Resources Summer Summary 3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13
Hook’ em,Nickoli
CommunicationBenkertCouncil President
President’s Welcome
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Starting off your college career may seem like an intimidating and overwhelming change at first, but you all have one advantage over most incoming students—you are attending the best college at UT Austin! The community here at Moody is unparalleled, and with a diversity of creatives, writers, strategists, rhetoricians, filmmakers, speech therapists, and more, you will find yourself surrounded by some of the most passionate and dedicated students in the world. No matter where you come from or where you are going, you will undoubtedly find a home here during your time at Moody. No matter what your major is or what your interests are, I would like to invite you to apply to Communication Council! Comm Council is the official student governing body of Moody and we officially represent the students here in the Senate of College Councils, a university wide policy making body. We engage with the Moody community through various events, connect students with professionals in their fields and create the magazine you are seeing right now! With seven different committees, there is a place for every student to express themselves and pursue their interests. We would love to have you join our organization and become a part of this team as we work to make Moody the best college that it can possibly be. If any of this sounds interesting to you, feel free to reach out to anyone in Communication Council and stay connected with us on instagram, @utcommcouncil. And keep an eye out for our applications at the beginning of each semester! I know that you will all do amazing things during your time at Moody, and I am so excited to see what the next class of students will make of this already incredible community. Best of luck, and welcome to campus!
Welcome to the Moody College of Communication!
4 JUNE
President Biden signs After Roe v. Wade was overturned, President Biden signed a new executive order aimed at maintaining access to abortions despite trigger that would criminalize abortion inseveral states. order to protectabortion access
Judge Jackson sworn in The Supreme Court swore in Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on June 30th. Judge Brown will be the first Black woman to serve on the Nation’s highest court.
Roe v. Wade overturned The Supreme court overturned the ruling protecting the right to have an abortion on June 24. The Austin City Council voted weeks later to effectivelydecriminalize abortion within the city.
Juneteenth celebrations begin After Juneteenth passed as a national holiday in June 2021, parades, banquets and all forms of celebrations ensued. Notably, Galveston resume dtheir normal festivities after two quiet years from the pandemic, recognizing the date as a national holiday for the first time.
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Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones stood trial for defamation after claiming the Sandy Hook school shooting was fabricated by the government. Jones must pay 45.2 Million in damages to a victim’s family for emotional damage from his claims.
Alex Jones stands trial
JUlyaugust
Monkeypox outbreak Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, Turkey, Saint Lucia and the Bahamas report their first cases of monkeypox, a disease causing a blistery rash and cold-like symptoms. continues
Summer Summary
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For information on how to get in contact with these organizations,
Moody Orgs by MajorMoody Orgs by Major visit website: https://moody.utexas.edu/students/students-orgs
the Student Organizations page under Undergraduate Students on Moody’s
Advertising Advertising Graduate Council (AGC) Diversity in Advertising and Public Relations Texas Advertising Group Public Relations Public Relations Student Society of America Texas Tower PR Communication and Leadership Communication and Leadership Club Communication Studies UT Speech Team Lambda Pi Eta The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Journalism Society of Professional Journalists, Austin Chapter MAG | The Magazine Club National Association of Black Journalists –UT Student Chapter Photographers Association –UT Student Chapter University of Texas Hispanic Journalists (UTHJ) ORANGE Magazine Speech Language, and Hearing Sciences National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) Lang Stuttering Institute Student Leadership Organization Radio Television Film THE HUB – Student Production Resource Center DKA Professional Cinema Society University Filmmakers Alliance Women in Cinema Texas Student Media Cactus Yearbook KVRX Student Radio Texas StudentTheTexasTelevisionTravestyDailyTexan
7 Moody resourcesMoody resources Sanger Learning Center Moody Career Center DMCmoodycareercenter@austin.utexas.edu2.302,300W.DeanKeeton,Austin, TX 78712 Disability & Access Services (512) ssd@austin.utexas.edu471-6259 Counseling and Mental Health Center 24 hr crisis line- (512) 471-2255 100 West Dean Keeton Street, 5th floor, Student Services Building First-Gen Equity tiffany.tillis@austin.utexas.edumichelle.shanks@austin.utexas.edu UT Outpost- Food Pantry & Career Closet (512) utoutpost@austin.utexas.edu471-6242 Latino Community Affairs utlatinos.wix.com/utlatinos Black Student Alliance texasbsa@gmail.com Queer & Trans People of Color AgencyJES(512)www.facebook.com/QTPOCA/471-3614A332201E.21stStreetAustin, TX 78705
communication councilRecruitment schedule August 22nd- Applications Open August 24th- CommUnity Tabling @ 6:30 pm August 26th- Recruitment Day/Open House @ 5pm August 29th- Information session 1 @ 6pm The Official Student Voice and Governing Body of Moody College of Communication.
-Why we’re Here August 30th- Information session 2 @6pm August 31st- Mixer/Application Workshop @ 7pm September 1st- Application deadline @ 5pm September 3rd & 4th- Interviews @ 9am Our goal is to make Moody students feel at home by advocating you with faculty and administration, voting on student policy, allocating funds to Moody organizations, gathering feedback on student issues, hosting career panels, planning exciting events, and creating a student publication. Further Information available at https://linktr.ee/CCPolicy 9
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Hi! My name is Nickoli, and I am this year’s President of Communication Council. I am a Political Communication Studies major with a minor in Government. I am also the Texas Administrative Coordinator for Young Invincibles, an Equality Fellow with Equality Texas, and a Writing Coach for the Moody Writing Support Program. You can usually find me in the Student Leadership Suite in the DMC working and studying (or at least pretending to study) with all of the incredible people in Comm Council!
Hi everyone! My name is Madison Morris and I am a junior Public Relations and Journalism student. I am excited to serve as Communication Council’s Vice President this year! In my role, I oversee all committee chairs and assist the President in addressing concerns from the students of Moody College. In my free time, I enjoy going for photo walks, going to basketball games, and spinning vinyl!
Hi! My name is Purvi Mujumdar and I’m a senior Radio-Televi sion-Film major with a Sociology minor. I’m super excited to be the Administrative Director for Communication Council this year! I deal with day-to-day operations like attendance, point systems, and communication efforts. Aside from being in CC, I’m also on the quidditch team here at UT Austin (5-time national champions)!
Hi everyone! My name is Zach Mohr and I am a sophomore Political Communications and Economics double major. I am SUPER excited to be Communication Council’s Financial Director for the 2022-2023 school year. I will be behind the scenes on every front that requires dollars spent, while working to ensure that CC is able to smoothly help and serve our Moody community. When I’m not in the SLS or helping with CC affairs, you can find me rock climbing, playing volleyball, or challenging Ciara in her warrior two stance. If you see me, make sure to say hi!
ZACH MOHR (HE/HIM/HIS)
Financial Director
Administrative Director
President
NICKOLI BENKERT (HE/HIM/HIS)
MADISON MORRIS (SHE/HER/HERS)
PURVI MUJUMDAR (SHE/HER/HERS)
Vice President
ATHENA HAWKINS (SHE/HER/HERS)
SAY HELLO TO EXEC
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My name is Ciara, and I’m a Junior Speech Path major with two minors in Disabilities Studies and ASL. This year, I will be CC’s External Director! I am beyond excited for this upcoming year! Service and fostering relationships with Moody orgs, students, and staff are two things I look forward to continuing this year as External Director. I’m responsible for organizing service events and council wide activities (broomball, lake clean up, intramural sports) for the 2022-2023 school year. My favorite hobbies include reading, going to concerts, and per fecting my warrior two stance (when I’m up for the challenge).
Internal Director Hey y’all!
My name is Cindy Munoz I am a senior Political Communication and RTF double major! I am very excited to be this year’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion director for Communication Council. As director of DEI I am looking forward to seeing all the ways we can help make Moody a more inclusive place where we can all succeed. In my freetime outside of CC I enjoy running, hanging out with my plants, listening to Bad Bunny, and being a full-time dog mom. I truly cannot wait to see what the semester holds!
CINDY MUNOZ (SHE/HER/HERS)
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director Hello all! My name is Athena and I’m a junior Journalism student and the Internal Director for Communication Council this year. I found my home away from home within this organization, so I’m eager to guide our new and current members towards lasting connections and meaningful experiences. If I’m not taking a nap in the Comm Council office, you might find me working as a Moody Writing Coach, listening to Taylor Swift or eating Greek food!
CIARA RYAN (SHE/HER/HERS) External Director
RYAN MOORE (HE/HIM/HIS)
Student Issues and Advisory Chair Hi everyone!! My name is Sumer Zakaria and I am a rising Junior Journalism major with a Business minor. I will be this year’s Policy Chair, and I am beyond excited to work with everyone in and through the Policy committee. My job is to work with Communication Council and be a respresentative, of sorts, for Moody College in Senate. My hope is to bring to life the changes Moody students seek, whether that be through Senate or within Communication Council itself! Outside of Council -- specifcally the Communication Council office-- you’ll likely find me at PCL (I know) or the SAC . I love spending time with my friends (and drinking copious amounts of cofee) and cannot wait to meet all of you! If you see me come and say hi!
Hello there! I’m Ryan Moore, and I’m so excited to be this year’s Career and Alumni Relations Chair! I’m going into my junior year here at UT with my major in Corporate Communication. In C.A.R., we focus on hosting and organizing semester lecture panels with special guests who provide insight into their professional careers with possibilities for future internships and career opportunities. Not to mention hosting the Alumni Tailgate during the Fall semester. You’ll typically find me chillin’ in the Communication Council office or playing guitar, drawing sketches, and listening to music. This year is gonna be a movie!!
SAY HELLO TO COMMITTEE CHAIRS
SUMER ZAKARIA (SHE/HER/HERS) Policy Chair
Career and Alumni Relations Chair Hi everyone! My name is Diana Perez and I’m a senior Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences major. I’m super excited to be leading the Student Issues and Advisory Committee (SIAC) this year! Our committee’s goal this year is to implement the stu dent suggestions and improvements from the previous biennial college climate survey. If you have any Moody concerns or just wanna talk about Taylor Swift, I’m always available to chat!! I can’t wait to be back with everyone and meet all our new CC and Moody friends. <3
DIANA PEREZ (SHE/HER/HERS)
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Hey! My name is Brianelly, and I’m a sophomore RTF major with a certificate in Creative Writing and two minors in History and Communication & Social Change. I will be this year’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) chair—what a slay for us! I am excited for this upcoming year and have high hopes for what this council can do! I am anticipating harboring relationships with diverse orgs in Moody and around campus. I can’t wait for our work to educate and uplift underrepresented voices to make Moody a place that authentically welcomes everyone! I am responsible for the DEI committee, which holds events that promote inclusivity at Moody. Still, more than that, I am responsible for fostering advocacy that extends beyond this college and ensures a more equitable experience for all students. Aside from that, I love hiking, swimming, reading, and enjoying the company of others! When I’m not spending every waking hour at the SLS, I work at the FAC or MEC, or you can find me at the Union, Life Sciences Library, or Greg Gym. I’m so excited to see everyone and have a fantastic service-centered year!
BRIANELLY FLORES (HE/HIM/HIS)
Media Chair
MARISSA GREENE (SHE/HER/HERS)
Hello! My name is Dayton Bufkin, and I am a senior with a major in Corporate Communications and a minor in Business. I will be the upcoming year’s Special Events chair and am beyond excited! As the Special Events chair, I will be planning and executing events throughout the year in Moody College itself and throughout the entirety of the UT campus. In addition, I want to extend an open arm to our fellow Moody students to showcase that we are an organization that is open and appreciative of them and our college.
Special Events Chair
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair
Hi friends! My name is Alex Roeder and I am a sophomore Journalism and Advertising major with a Business minor. I am beyond excited to head up this year’s magazine committee. My job is to create a semesterly magazine with periodic specials alongside my committee all about Moody College and student life at UT. Aside from the Communication Council office, you might find me at the Kappa Delta house, or Medici on Guad.
DAYTON BUFKIN (HE/HIM/HIS)
ALEX ROEDER (SHE/HER/HERS) Magazine Chair Media allows me to do what I love most; meeting new people, building long-lasting relationships, and sharing the stories that make up our community, which is why I am beyond excited to be the Communication Council’s Media Chair for the 2022-2022 academic year. As Media Chair, I’ll be handling all of Council social media pages and accounts, managing and updating the official Communication Council website and shooting photos and videos for all Council events. Outside of council, you’ll probably find me at Austin Pets Alive thrift, Lucky Lab, or in the studio working on a new podcast.
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