Olivia Discon
After a successful first day of immersing ourselves into the various subdisciplines within politics, LEAP students continued in their educational pursuits at The Texas Tribune Festival.
The Paxton Trial has been a hot-button topic recently; and who better to provide insight into the verdict than the lead prosecutors on the case? Dick DeGuerin, Erin Epley, Rusty Hardin, and Harriet O’Neill provided the crowd with the many dynamics at play during the trial. We didn’t know it yet, but this panel was the favorite of the day among the group.
Continuing the conversations, we were able to hear from Emergent 25, a pharmaceutical manufacturer (Amanda Becker), a U.S. Representative (Henry Cuellar), Texas Senator (Royce West), and the Attorney General of Oregon (Ellen Rosenblum) in the context of the Opioid Crisis and how the epidemic is being addressed. Ariza and I were able to speak with Representative Cuellar shortly after the panel and we were able to get a photo!
We took a brief break for lunch to meet with SHSU Alumni and former SHAIP intern Spencer Copeland, where we were able to talk about our educational goals and interests over Kerbey Lane, an Austin staple.
Trying a new method of tackling the ‘Tribune, we split into two groups corresponding to our shared interests. Ariza and Ashlyn attended “El Paso Matters Presents: Texas and the Border,” covering the realities of border towns and upcoming legislation that could address immigration issues.
Ashlyn noted; “I thought the legislation from Rep. Morales was innovative in the approach of documenting immigrants and providing a new citizenship process for a bipartisan effort.”
Ariza added; “As someone who was born and raised in a border town, all you see are problems. Rep Morales’ idea, which would alter how immigration is conducted and boost Texas’ economy, caught my attention.”
Morgan and I, who have a shared interest in collective community growth, were particularly interested in the future implications of the skill gap in children’s education on their surrounding communities. A one-on-one with Houston Independent School District Superintendent, Mike Miles, to cover innovative methods in maintaining equity, closing the skill gap, and “changing the culture” of education over time was a great way to understand how those issues will be addressed going forward.
Many people find politics to be a frightening subject, so to continue with the theme, we headed to the Alamo Drafthouse Theatre to experience a supernatural murder mystery titled A Haunting in Venice.
Inspired by Agatha Christie’s 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party, the deceitful group, featuring our favorite retired French detective, Hercule Poirot, was left on All Hallows Eve in a haunted palazzo to reveal the true cause of Alicia Drake’s death.
True to many of Christie’s works, the truth was impossible to anticipate. With elements of the other-worldly occurrences and hidden secrets, this film left the group anxious of what might transpire next.
Before leaving, we couldn’t help ourselves but to recreate the film poster just outside the theatre. Similar to the movie, it was impossible to distinguish the guilt and mischief from our demeanor.
This two day adventure at The Texas Tribune Festival was a true delight, and allowed all of us to distinguish the aspects of politics and government that interested us. Our political immersion at the state capital complimented the excellent education we have in the classroom at SHSU.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 