Although our time at the Texas Tribune Festival was coming to an end, LEAP students finished out the week strong! The last day featured a wide array of panels, including Texas Health on the Line, Free Markets, Free Ideas: Austin and Heterodox Thinking, and much more. From Congressmen to new culinary experiences for us all, the last day of The Texas Tribune Festival was one to remember.
Our Time with Our Representative
By Kayla Fleming
Our last day at the festival was off to a strong start as LEAP students got to meet Congressman Pete Sessions. Editor-in-Chief at The Waco Bridge, J.B. Smith asked questions ranging from Sessions’ childhood and involvement with Baylor University to water policy and future growth. Sessions was born, raised, and resides in Waco, Texas. He has been representing District 17 in Congress since 2021. He attributed a lot of the rise of Waco over the years to President George W. Bush moving near there. He mentioned the success of infrastructure and his plans for clean water in the future.
Sessions gave a glowing review of Baylor University, highlighting its rise in research. He mentioned how Baylor has been conducting research on the long-term effects on soldiers in different environments, particularly extreme environments. He explained how he is trying to make sure the military will receive any information that he can get to them revolving around it.
Clean water is a large priority for Sessions. He said that in the past, the need for clean water was urgent, but never like it is now. “Water isn’t just for drinking anymore,” he said, citing agriculture, data centers, and industrial demands that strain clean water access.
In the final quarter of the session, Representative Sessions answered audience questions. With each question, it was very clear how much he genuinely cared about his constituents. He said he loves to answer people’s questions and will usually stay as long as he can to do so.
At the end of the event, we had the opportunity to take a selfie with him! After the photo, he informed us that he was at the homecoming football game and took a video with us for President White. He made it a point to shake each of our hands, a gesture that left a lasting impression on us. He was funny, personable, and a well-rounded, likable person. It was my favorite session of the day, and a highlight for the rest of our group.
Optimism and Advocacy with Congressman Michael McCaul
By Ruthie Passmore
Following Representative Pete Sessions, the second session kicked off with U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, who offered a look back at his twenty-two years in Congress. Gabby Birenbaum, the Washington Correspondent for The Texas Tribune, led the conversation with questions about his career. For most of us, this was the highlight of our day. There was a wide variety of topics that were discussed: from his work in childhood cancer to his opinion on the future of Congress.
Advocacy took center stage early in the conversation as he discussed his impactful work with the Childhood Cancer Caucus, a group he co-founded in the U.S. House of Representatives, to raise pediatric cancer awareness. It works together to spread awareness for pediatric cancer. He began answering by stating that he and his wife worked together on the idea of providing a voice in D.C. for the children with cancer. He also mentioned that he hosts the annual Childhood Cancer Summit to spread awareness for advocates, survivors, and healthcare professionals.
When asked what gives him hope for the future of Congress, he highlighted his optimism as the primary reason. He grounded this perspective by noting how the Founding Fathers got America right in the beginning, by securing independence and drafting the Constitution. He believes that those same principles are still achievable today. Looking ahead, he emphasized that true legislation cannot be effective without bipartisan collaboration to pass meaningful legislation. He stressed the importance of working for the American people, rather than your ego or political party. I liked the fact that he mentioned that he was an optimist, and I believe that is a valuable trait that has assisted him in his time in Congress.
At the end, we were all able to meet and talk to Congressman McCaul. I had the opportunity to ask him what he considered to be the most rewarding moment of his two-decade career in Congress. His response caught me by surprise as he said that it was when Grimes County secured the agreement with SpaceX, which will bring about more job opportunities to his district. Before heading to our next event, we got to take a photo with him!
The lessons he learned from his twenty-two years in Congress were interesting and insightful. They will certainly help us prepare for our own future and the future of the country.
The Second Space Race
By Victoria Reich
After the morning sessions and a flavorful lunch, a couple of us decided to go to ‘The New Space Age’ featuring speakers Abraham Loeb, the director of The Galileo Project and a professor at Harvard University, and Eric Berger, a Senior Space Editor at Ars Technica with Matt Ewalt moderating the panel.
Abraham Loeb and Eric Berger began by giving an overview of the political state regarding space exploration and how nations are now in what they called “the second space race.” It is specifically for nations to not only get back to the moon but also create a sustainable and consistent presence. It was then followed by explaining how competition is a good motivator for making advancements to science. I found their view of this situation very intriguing and how it was significant enough to give it the title “the second space race”.
The panelists also spoke about how a lot of the current space initiatives are led by the private sector, such as SpaceX, and how government-run programs such as NASA have taken a backseat due to obstacles including funding cuts and budget issues.
Furthermore, Abraham Loeb advocated that space exploration should be a priority and proposed a $1 trillion budget, to expedite space exploration for the scientific discovery of what exists beyond our now very limited understanding.
This session, although not related to most main political issues at this time, still covered a very real and relevant topic to Texas politics. It gave LEAP students a chance to understand the relationship between government-run programs, the private sector, and much more. This information, along with the rest of the panels, will better prepare us for future internships, jobs, and help make us more well-rounded individuals.
Panels to Palates
By Isis Hollis
Though the Texas Tribune Festival came to an end, our food adventures were far from over.
Skipjack Oyster offered most of us many new experiences (especially Ryan, who tried five new foods)! We started out with appetizers including the Kennebec Chips & Salmon Dip, consisting of hot smoked salmon, chive and Boursin. It had a rich, creamy, and complex flavor, which paired well with the salt of the chips. We also had Guacapoke: a mix of ahi tuna, guacamole, sesame seeds, and wonton chips. Along with both dips, we also shared the Brisket Burnt Ends, which provided a perfect sweet and savory blend.
Before our entrées, we, of course, had to try oysters. For Ruthie, Ryan, and me, it was a new but slightly intimidating food. However, we were pleasantly surprised at the well-balanced notes between salty and succulent.
Our entrees came out shortly after! Three of us got the Lobster Avocado Salad, which I found to be sweet and fresh. I enjoyed the avocado sauce, and the roe gave it a bright touch! Roe was another one of the foods that was new to some of us. Ryan and Kayla split the Linguine and Clams, in which the creamy sauce was a perfect complement to the brine of the clams.
For dessert, per our server’s recommendation, we went with Key lime pie and Red Velvet Bread Pudding. The Red Velvet Bread Pudding was rich and warm, which paired well with the cream cheese ice cream on top. The table’s favorite was the Key lime pie with its sharp and tangy lime! The crust and meringue paired with the filling to create a dessert that was bright in both texture and flavor.
Skipjack was a great way to end the Texas Tribune Festival and develop more adventurous palates. Although our time in Austin is nearing an end, we can’t wait for what awaits us.
