Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

All content by Ikram Mohamed
Members of Underpaid@UT sit together in the CMA patio on Feb. 17, 2023. The organization wants to raise awareness of the difficulties graduate students experience and advocate for a pay increase.

Los estudiantes de posgrado continúan la lucha por mejores salarios a pesar del rechazo

Ikram Mohamed and Karen Flores February 25, 2023

Nota del editor: este artículo se publicó por primera vez el 20 de febrero por Ikram Mohamed y fue traducido al español por Karen Flores. Cuando Lauren Nelson llegó a UT en el 2017, ganaba $13,000,...

Members of Underpaid@UT sit together in the CMA patio on Feb. 17, 2023. The organization wants to raise awareness of the difficulties graduate students experience and advocate for a pay increase.

Graduate students continue fight for better wages despite pushback

Ikram Mohamed, Projects Reporter February 21, 2023

When Lauren Nelson arrived at UT in 2017 she was making $13,000, the same amount she had been making at her service job prior to going to graduate school. Sharing a 400-square-foot apartment with her...

You’re not alone: Suicidal ideation affects many in college and that’s OK. Resources are available

You’re not alone: Suicidal ideation affects many in college and that’s OK. Resources are available

Ikram Mohamed, Projects Reporter December 19, 2022

Content warning: This article mentions suicide   For many people, college brings independence, self-discovery and new opportunities. But this transition is not seamless for everyone — as many...

‘Campus needs to be accessible’: Disabled students struggle to navigate campus, earn a degree

‘Campus needs to be accessible’: Disabled students struggle to navigate campus, earn a degree

Ikram Mohamed, Projects Reporter October 31, 2022

During her first week of in-person classes in spring 2022, Emily Flores was certain to show up early to campus so she wouldn’t be late for class. She struggled to find accessible routes and ramps to...

‘We’re small but we’re really strong’: Black student population remains underrepresented at UT

‘We’re small but we’re really strong’: Black student population remains underrepresented at UT

Ikram Mohamed, Projects Reporter September 20, 2022

Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the population of undergraduate Black students at UT in 2021 was 5.2%, but it was 5.4%. The Texan regrets this error. This story has...

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Students of color reflect on the impact of eurocentric beauty standards

Ikram Mohamed, Life & Arts Senior Reporter December 15, 2021

Editor's Note: This article first appeared as part of the November 30 flipbook.  Staring back at their reflection through the mirror, Angel Coleman took the last glimpse of their heat-damaged, stick-straight...

Female engineering majors discuss feeling underestimated by their male classmates and professors

Female engineering majors discuss feeling underestimated by their male classmates and professors

Ikram Mohamed, Life and Arts Senior Reporter December 15, 2021

Huddled around her lab table, Haylie Nguyen watched as her male groupmates erased and rewrote her original answer in their own words. “They completely changed what I did, and it wasn’t even to make...

UT students describe impact of triggering language on healing process

UT students describe impact of triggering language on healing process

Ikram Mohamed, Life & Arts Senior Reporter December 5, 2021

Content Warning: This story contains mentions of suicide. A senior in high school, Hannah Tyler called her dad to talk about college applications. They did what they always did when they spoke: laughed,...

UT students discuss LGBTQIA+ inclusivity in Greek life

UT students discuss LGBTQIA+ inclusivity in Greek life

Ikram Mohamed, Life and Arts Reporter December 2, 2021
Greek life presents a heteronormative front. While some LGBTQIA+ members feel accepted within their individual chapters, they still experience a sense of otherness due to the lack of LGBTQIA+ representation within their organization. 
UT students discuss working multiple jobs

UT students discuss working multiple jobs

Ikram Mohamed, Life & Arts Senior Reporter December 1, 2021

Running on four hours of sleep, Issie Luna runs out of her apartment to begin her 14 hour day filled with classes, work and band practice.  “I was falling asleep everywhere,” music studies senior...

UT students discuss difficulty getting therapy

UT students discuss difficulty getting therapy

Ikram Mohamed, Life and Arts Reporter November 2, 2021
Many UT students use therapy as a tool to improve their mental health and overall wellbeing, though some become discouraged by the struggle to find an available therapist who suits their financial and behavioral needs. 
UT band Yardsale! releases debut single

UT band Yardsale! releases debut single

Ikram Mohamed, Life & Arts Senior Reporter October 25, 2021

September of 2021, after playing the chorus of “San Francisco Way” for the fourth time, lead singer Nathaniel Ogren looked nervously over at his bandmates as they tried to entertain a ten-person audience...

UT students reflect on attending both weekends of ACL

UT students reflect on attending both weekends of ACL

Ikram Mohamed, Life & Arts Senior Reporter October 13, 2021

When Austin City Limits Music Festival’s tickets first went on sale in May, Dorian Villalba said she chose not to buy in because she thought the festival would get canceled. She never expected to attend,...

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with four Hispanic cuisine food trucks

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with four Hispanic cuisine food trucks

Ikram Mohamed, Life & Arts Senior Reporter September 19, 2021

Editor's Note: This article first appeared as part of the September 19 flipbook. Food trucks are an Austin staple and many center their menu on Hispanic cuisine. With Hispanic Heritage Month beginning...

UT students share experiences with rhinoplasty

UT students share experiences with rhinoplasty

Ikram Mohamed, Life & Arts Reporter September 14, 2021
The term “plastic surgery” has carried a negative connotation for decades. Oftentimes, society casts people who undergo plastic surgery procedures as “vain” or “fake,” but some UT students who got work done to help ease insecurities want to shed these labels and educate the community on the true experience.
Students adjust to living with roommates

Students adjust to living with roommates

Ikram Mohamed September 13, 2021

In August 2020, Josie Womack settled into her dorm at Dolbie Twenty21 full of excitement for the adventures, memories and laughs she hoped to experience during her first semester of college.  A month...

Students use fashion to express identity

Students use fashion to express identity

Ikram Mohamed September 11, 2021

Forced to adopt a persona that didn’t align with her identity, Marnie Matthews said not being able to dress the way she wanted during high school left her feeling trapped. Before transitioning, she always...

Professors feel wary about returning to campus

Professors feel wary about returning to campus

Ikram Mohamed, Life and Arts Senior Reporter August 25, 2021

Editor's Note: This article first appeared as part of the August 23 flipbook. Troubled by the University’s COVID-19 protocols President Hartzell discussed during a council meeting, Stephennie Mulder...

5 businesses offering COVID-19 vaccination freebies, discounts

5 businesses offering COVID-19 vaccination freebies, discounts

Ikram Mohamed April 18, 2021
The Daily Texan has compiled a list of five places students can get freebies or discounts for doing their part in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. 
UT-Austin students discuss how love languages have been affected during COVID-19 pandemic

UT-Austin students discuss how love languages have been affected during COVID-19 pandemic

Ikram Mohamed April 12, 2021
In the current culture of social distancing and isolation, some students say they have changed their love languages, or the ways they give love to others and receive love in return. 
How students’ love languages changed during pandemic

How students’ love languages changed during pandemic

Ikram Mohamed April 9, 2021

Separated by 180 miles and the COVID-19 pandemic, Jazmine Necessary and her partner sit together on FaceTime almost every night. “Sometimes (FaceTiming) feels like another screen to look at,” government...

UT-Austin students, faculty discuss physical reactions to COVID vaccine

UT-Austin students, faculty discuss physical reactions to COVID vaccine

Ikram Mohamed April 6, 2021

After her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Kristen Schank experienced a headache, fever, chills and a rash the size of an orange just below the injection site on her left arm.  “The rash...

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Class of 2020 graduates move on after losing in-person commencement, say it’s too late now to celebrate

Zoe Tzanis and Ikram Mohamed March 24, 2021

Editor's Note: This article first appeared in the March 12 issue of The Daily Texan.   After four years of hard work, UT 2020 alumna Brianna Rodriguez said she saw graduation as “the mountain...

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Service workers worry for safety following Gov. Abbott’s removal of statewide mask mandate

Ikram Mohamed March 8, 2021

As Mac Davenport makes a latte at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, they remind customers to keep their masks on.  After Gov. Greg Abbott announced his executive order to end the statewide mask...

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UT students find professors to be unaccommodating following snowstorm

Ikram Mohamed March 5, 2021

Snowed in at her parent's home in Marble Falls, Texas, Laura Benac spent a week huddled over her phone, worried about her friends in Austin. Ten days later, she logged in to Canvas and took an anthropology...

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UT students describe importance behind their favorite songs

Ikram Mohamed February 12, 2021

Editor's Note: This story first appeared in The Daily Texan's February 9 print edition. Devra Winslow grew up listening to Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd, her dad’s favorite album and...

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Students give back to community through service efforts

Ikram Mohamed December 3, 2020

With the semester ending and Christmas right around the corner, some students and organizations have donated to local groups to give back to the community.  Under Interstate Highway 35 and across...

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For some UT-Austin students, COVID-19 effects linger

Ikram Mohamed November 27, 2020

Kelly Ludwig’s film lecture at a community college in New York was drowned out by loud coughs as the person sitting next to her began to “hack up a lung.” Two days later, on March 7,...

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Mentoring groups continue to support students in virtual setting

Ikram Mohamed November 13, 2020

Sitting around the school’s library table, Nasim Abdi’s games of Connect Four with her two mentees would often grow competitive. They would chat about their dream jobs before saying goodbye...

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UT alumni begin illustration businesses to promote representation

Ikram Mohamed October 22, 2020

Tired of the lack of ethnic representation in zodiac sign illustrations and art genres like Art Nouveau, UT alumnus Ryan Downs started creating prints featuring Black cultural figures.  Last year,...

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UT students feel overwhelmed by virtual course load

Ikram Mohamed October 20, 2020

Caught in a never-ending cycle of learning and studying for her online courses, Kriss Conklin says the digital nature and workload of her classes is taking a toll on her mental health. “(I’ve)...

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Students choose to live on campus, cite financial, familial circumstances

Ikram Mohamed September 21, 2020

As Mooov-In day approached, neuroscience freshman Amanda Garcia wondered if she was making the right decision to live on campus. For some students, returning to campus in the fall meant trying to achieve...

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