Jobs – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

One-on-One with Jim Olson: LEAP Students Dive into the World of Counterintelligence

By Quinn Kobrin

In a continuation of the LEAP Center’s Facebook one-on-one series, Professor Yawn interviewed Professor Jim Olson about his life during and after his career as a CIA case officer. This having been my first time hearing Mr. Olson speak, I was astounded at how little I knew about the world of counterintelligence.

Olson began the conversation with a definition of counterintelligence. He explained that its purpose is to protect the United States from other nations who may try to steal our secrets and technology. Much to my surprise, he told us that there are approximately 80 countries spying on us right now.

The conversation then turned to Olson’s 31-year career in the Clandestine Service. He was asked about his cover identity, which he could not share in great detail, but he explained that when he was in another nation, he would often have a cover as a U.S. diplomat, so he would have diplomatic immunity if he got into trouble. Sometimes, however, he was in other countries without working as a diplomat, and therefore would be subject to that country’s justice system if he were caught.

He shared that he and his wife – also a case officer within the CIA – never anticipated to come out from their cover identities, because doing so posed a threat to themselves and to their family. However, he was approached by President George H.W. Bush and George Tenet (former Director Central Intelligence) to work at the Bush School of Public Service. Olson was excited for the opportunity, but there is a CIA policy that does not allow officers to go onto college campuses covertly (which was news to me). So, he was forced to give up his cover.

In a similar vein, he was asked about how he and his wife broke the news to their children that they were officers in the CIA, and how they took it. Apparently, when he was stationed in Vienna, terrorists managed to get ahold of his address and sent him a death threat. They decided to tell their oldest son, who was sixteen at the time, and asked him to look after his siblings. As each of their children learned, he said, they took the information in with a sense of pride. He told us that each of his children has now gone on to pursue a career in the service of others.

Next he discussed CIA recruitment methods. We learned that the CIA seeks out a variety of candidates who may be cut out for a career as a case officer. Mainly, they are looking for character; they want recruits who are reliable and trustworthy.

To prepare for a career in the Clandestine Service (one of the most commonly asked questions of the event) Olson said that a bachelor’s degree usually would not be enough, and that students should aim to get a graduate degree of some kind. He suggested learning new languages, taking on roles of leadership, and working in positions that might allow you to travel abroad.

On the subject of character, he spoke briefly about some former CIA officers who betrayed the United States. He spoke vehemently about his former colleague Aldrich “Rick” Ames, who he considers the worst traitor to the country for turning over to the KGB. He explained that Ames had identified Russians who were working for the CIA to the KGB, which led to their imprisonment or execution.

To wrap up the session, we asked Olson what he wanted people to know about the CIA. He explained that CIA case officers are public servants. They do not do what they do for money, power, prestige, or status. They do what they do with honorable intentions.

It was a great experience to hear Mr. Olson speak live, and I look forward to reading his book, To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence!

Pre-Law Society First Meeting

By: Kiarra Flores

First Meeting

Despite the pandemic, we were able to kick off our first Pre-Law Society meeting of the Fall 2020 semester. Our advisor, Mike Yawn introduced the PLS to all the new members and explained our agenda for the evening. For the first meeting, we had the great honor to have a Zoom meeting with two special women, Alicia Cramer and Shawn Adams, to discuss law school and answer any questions we may have in regard to admissions.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Pre-Law Society, PLS, Kattorneys, South Texas College of Law, STCL, TTU Law, Texas Tech Law

To begin, we first had Shawn Adams speak. She is not only an attorney, but she is also the Assistant Director for Recruitment at Texas Tech Law. She discussed how Texas Tech has a ‘dual degree program’ where a student can finish their first year of school, then start their Masters. They can complete law school in three years, receiving both Juris Doctor (JD) and an MBA. She also mentions how you can be a “student attorney” where you can work under a licensed attorney and have clients and go to court, which I felt like caught a lot of members’ attention!

Dean Alicia Cramer was next. Cramer is the Assistant Dean of Admissions and South Texas College of Law. To showcase the school, she mentioned how they were recently nationally ranked for their Moot Court and Mock Trial teams. As an assistant dean, she emphasized the importance of being involved in different programs and clinics the school offers. She also encouraged students to begin building relationships with people who may write letter of recommendations.

Following the presentations, the guest speakers took questions.

Two questions that stuck out to me were:

Q: Do I need to apply separately for scholarships, or will I receive automatic consideration through the admissions process?

A: You can do both. Depending on your situation, you can apply for financial aid, but also you can earn money depending on your GPA and LSAT scores, so study!

Q: I was another major for two years and it tanked my GPA. Even with the A’s and B’s I have been making in my Pre-Law major, my GPA hasn’t touched a 3.0 yet, does that ruin my chance to be accepted?

A: No, if your GPA isn’t the best and your LSAT scores are subpar, your personal statement will really dictate your acceptance or not. You want a great personal statement that not only describes you as a person but also explains why your grades were not the best. You need to stick out during the admissions process and show the board why you deserve to attend their law school.

After the Q&A portion of our meeting, we applauded and thanked them for their time and insight on the navigation of law admissions. To end our meeting was officer elections. The group had eight members running for positions of VP of Finances, VP of Membership, Secretary and Historian. With time running short, members’ speeches were short and to the point. For President, we have appointed Quinn Kobrin (senior), VP of Finances, Leslie Canchola-Rangel (junior);

VP Membership, Ruona Odharo;

Secretary, Aisha Adeniyi-Adeoya (junior);

and Historian, Kiarra Flores (senior).

LEAP LEADS: My Future Self

By Jayelynn Bordeaux

It is often easy to get caught up in school and extracurricular activities, and I find myself getting lost. Over the past few weeks, Leap LEADs has been influencing me to keep my eye on the prize. Adjusting to school this semester has been a struggle, but tonight’s meeting, and the exercises we did….

SHSU, Sam Houston State University, LEAP Center, LEAP LEADs, Texas Tribune Festival

….made me think about why I came to college and what I want to leave with.

The night began with us talking about our day-to-day schedule and time management. Specifically, we got estimates of how much time we spent in a week attending class, studying, working out, eating, self-care, sleeping, leisure time, etc. Iriyana added up the total hours spent in the week and we pondered about what we did with the rest of our time.

Personally, this led me to evaluate how I am using my time and opened my eyes to my free time I am not using wisely. We also spent some times discussing short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals, and how those should fit together.

Professor Yawn emphasized the importance of making sure our short term goals match up with our goals in the future. This is very important to me because if I do not begin to prepare now and take baby steps toward who I want to be in the long run, then I am wasting my time. We discussed the areas we lack professionally, which leads to the importance of self-awareness. Self-awareness is substantial because before you can elevate you have to be alert to the baggage holding you back.

I feel one of the motives of Leap Leads is to make us aware. Whether it be aware of our opportunities, potential, knowledge, future, etc. Tonight I was driven to be knowledgeable of the levels of court. Particularly, we discussed Texas’s five-tiered court system. The lowest levels being the Justice of Peace and Municipal Court . Both courts deal with misdemeanors, with a focus on traffic stops and misdemeanors punishable by fine only. The County Court at law deals with cases more severe than minor offenses. For example, Class A and B misdemeanors or DWI cases (where no one was hurt).

The higher levels of court are the District Courts, Appeals Court and then the highest level: the Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals. Texas is a bit different because they have the Supreme court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The Supreme Court deals with civil cases and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals deals with criminal cases, for example, murders and the death penalty. Something I learned that stuck out to me about the county government is that a county judge is not a traditional judge. County judges are able to marry people and declare a person insane, but unless they preside over one of the smaller counties, they have little to do with the traditional concept of a judge.

Speaking of County Judges, tonight we were enlightened by the appearances of Lina Hidalgo and Clay Jenkins at the Texas Tribune Festival while enjoying dinner from City Hall Cafe.

SHSU, Sam Houston State University, LEAP Center, LEAP LEADs, Texas Tribune Festival

Lina Hidalgo is the Harris County judge and Clay Jenkins is the Dallas County judge.

Lina Hidalgo began her term as the County of Harris County in 2018. This was significant because she was the first woman to be elected county judge in Harris county.

SHSU, Sam Houston State University, LEAP Center, LEAP LEADs, Texas Tribune Festival

Clay Jenkins has been a county judge in Dallas since 2011.

Both judges expressed difficulties they have had dealing with the outbreak of the CoronaVirus. Specifically, with the legislation put in place by Governor Abbott restricting their power to enforce masks due to Covid-19. I agreed with Hidalgo’s statements that the enforcement of masks should not be political and rather just what is best for communities. Both County Judges discussed having concerns with the outbreak before anything was done and were not in favor of opening up before the curve had flattened. Ultimately, I took away that County Judges normally have a lot more power when a state of emergency is declared.

SHSU, Sam Houston State University, LEAP Center, LEAP LEADs, Texas Tribune Festival

I spent some time interacting with Juan during our workshop, which was on property tax. We learned how to calculate property taxes, learning the role of the Appraisal District, the Commissioners Court, and the taxpayer in the process.

SHSU, Sam Houston State University, LEAP Center, LEAP LEADs, Texas Tribune Festival

This evening was informative and I believe Leap Leads is keeping me on track with my goals in the future. We ended with Professor Yawn challenging us to do something different this week.

COVID-19 at the Local Level

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about a pandemic, it’s that it hits every level of government. So the Bush School at TAMU hosted experts on local government in the latest episode of “Uncorked:” Dr. Ann Bowman and Dr. Robert Greer. As usual, the program was hosted by Justin Bullock and Dr. Gregory Gause.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, COVID-19, TAMU, Bush School Uncorked, Dr. Ann Bowman, Dr. Robert Greer, Justin Bullock, Dr. Gregory Gause The panel got into more politics than usual this time, but they still managed an informative session, focusing on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local and state governments.

As Dr. Greer noted, the pandemic has hit local and state governments in two ways: (1) rapidly rising costs, and (2) decreased revenues. For states such as Texas–which, with no property or income tax, relies heavily on sales tax–the decline in revenue is especially severe.

Right now, researchers have projected that state governments will face a shortfall of 500 billion dollars. Although many states have a rainy-day fund, even fully suing this fund would leave a shortfall of 360 billion dollars, and this shortfall is before many of the costs of COVID are factored in. So, clearly the states are in a fiscal jam.

When states and municipalities face challenges, the US economy faces challenges. When there is a budget shortfall, states and localities layoff workers and, as Dr. Greer noted, about 13 percent of the US workforce is made up of state and local workers.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, COVID-19, TAMU, Bush School Uncorked, Dr. Ann Bowman, Dr. Robert Greer, Justin Bullock, Dr. Gregory Gause

So, what can the federal government do? All agreed that a unified, consistent message would be helpful. They also seemed to agree that the CARES act, which provided assistance to local and state governments, as well as large and small businesses, was a step in the right direction.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, COVID-19, TAMU, Bush School Uncorked, Dr. Ann Bowman, Dr. Robert Greer, Justin Bullock, Dr. Gregory Gause

Additional funds will be needed, and where that money goes and how it will be allocated were concerns. Greer mentioned money to the unemployed–of whom there are now record numbers–is a good way to pump the economy. With little or no income, these workers will spend the money they receive, which multiplies through the economy.

The panel also responded to audience questions, at least one of which asked about the food supply. This was a particularly timely question, inasmuch as Tyson has had to shut down several plants owing to large numbers of employees falling prey to the COVID virus. At this point, the meat supply to the nation has dropped precipitously: production of pork, beef, and chicken, has fallen 30 percent, 15 percent, and 10 percent, respectively. While this shortfall has yet to hit the stores (because of existing stockpiles), it will hit soon. Indeed, today, President Trump indicated he would invoke the Defense Protection Act and order those plants to remain operational.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, COVID-19, TAMU, Bush School Uncorked, Dr. Ann Bowman, Dr. Robert Greer, Justin Bullock, Dr. Gregory Gause
While Trump’s decision was, obviously, a federal action, cities, counties, and states play a role, too. Most of our food inspection, for example, is done at the local level and, of course, the labor pool comes from cities and counties across the country. In the case of these meat plants, the labor pool comes often from small cities and counties, where the meat plant may be a primary employer.

This is a new angle to the COVID-19 pandemic, one not much covered by the national media but, arguably, more important than the topics that are often covered. In short: it was another educational program hosted by the Bush School at TAMU.

Kat Talks: Peter Roussel

by Quinn Kobrin

In the second rendition of the SHSU Stories of Success series (also known as Kat Talks), students and faulty were presented with the wisdom and humor of Warner Endowed Professor Peter Roussel. Introduced by SHSU’s Dr. Wally Barnes, Professor Roussel began his talk, entitled “Here Comes the Future,” with a brief review of his background, including his work for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. From his position working for – and eventually as – the press secretary, he learned a great deal, and he shared with us some of his favorite stories.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Peter Roussel, Kat Talk

He told us about President Bush’s tendency to tell the same joke everywhere he went, and how he would ask the President to stop telling it, because he’d heard it so many times. But President Bush said that even if Roussel had heard the joke, there were still others who hadn’t. And even though the joke annoyed him, Professor Roussel found the President was right; people always enjoyed the joke, and he shared this as evidence of his main piece of advice: Have conviction.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Peter Roussel, Kat Talk

Conviction, Professor Roussel told us, is a quality essential to success. You must believe in yourself if you want others to believe in you and support you.

Speaking from the experience of searching for his first job, Professor Roussel demonstrated how conviction can lead to success. When he finally got a job interview with a marketing firm, Professor Roussel’s father advised him to “interview the interviewer” to communicate his passion and desire to work there. Professor Roussel would go on to ask two questions, listen for nearly half an hour, then walk out the door, forgetting he was the one being interviewed. Because he appeared to be confident in himself, his interviewer called him back immediately and offered him the job.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Peter Roussel, Kat Talk

He then shared some stories about his first encounter with Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court. Such stories included being invited into her house upon first meeting her for eggs and coffee, advising her on the best way to deal with the press when the announcement of her nomination was made, and having to hear the announcement on the radio in the car instead of live because he was late for the official announcement.

He then ended his talk by answering a few questions. The last question asked was, “What advice do you have for students who are graduating?” He answered this by telling us that most good advice cannot be spoken, but rather comes from watching successful people in action.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Peter Roussel, Kat Talk

I enjoyed getting to hear Professor Roussel speak, and meeting him for the first time. I am sure his wisdom will stick with us, and I thank him and the SHSU Academic Success Center for the opportunity to hear his inspirational stories of success.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Peter Roussel, Kat Talk

Tackling the Texas Tribune Festival: LEAP’s Day 2 in Austin

On the second day of the Texas Tribune Festival, the LEAP team attending came together, divided, and attended a multitude and variety of sessions (together and in smaller groups), while critiquing the panels, the speakers, and the venues, over the course of the day, and over a series of coffee breaks and meals at some distinctly Austin establishments…

Student Breakfast with Jennifer Palmieri (Annie Jamarik)

The Student Breakfast at CapMetro Project Connect Community Office, hosted by the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life, had special guest speaker Jennifer Palmieri, former White House Director of Communications (2011 to 2015, under President Barack Obama), as well as Director of Communications for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. As we ate breakfast tacos (like true Austin natives), Ms. Palmieri shared her unique perspective from working on a presidential campaign and applied her knowledge and experience to thoughts on the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, Jennifer Palmieri

She was sure to stress that, while still early in the race, Senator Warren was the current candidate to watch due to her steady climb in the polls.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest

During Q&A, when asked for her advice to students entering the world of politics, Ms. Palmieri passed on wisdom she received from the Secret Service: “Listen to criticism, process it, move forward, and draw fire.”

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, Jennifer Palmieri

Ed and the Feds (Miranda Estrada)

This discussion centered on how our federal and state agencies can work collaboratively on building education policy more effectively; the panel was comprised of moderator Sarah Darville (editor of Chalkbeat), Susana Martinez (former governor of New Mexico), and Jack Markell (former governor of Delaware).

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, Susana Martinez, Jack Markell, Sarah Darville

Both Martinez and Markell placed education as a high priority during their tenure in office; however, they used different approaches to improving the quality of education in their respective states. Martinez believes in the importance of engaging parents by using transparency in giving grades to the school their children attended, and emphasized a ranking system of schools and their teachers is during her administration. She stressed the important roles teachers play as gatekeepers of information, and that they should be assessed on that. Markell used a different approach, instead opting for measuring academic growth of a student versus their proficiency. Both agreed, though, that regardless of the method, there are always unintended consequences and no one plan is perfect. Overall, we learned more about how leaders can work to improve their educational systems in ways that best fit the needs of their citizens — and children.

Governor Martinez proved particularly gracious afterward, posing with photos and discussing education policy additionally.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, Susana Martinez

Break! On our walk between session venues, we popped in to The Coffeehouse at Caroline. Try the chocolate & cherry or cheese scones – depending on whether you want a sweet or savory bite – or the chocolate zucchini bread; or, well, anything. It was all good, from the smoothie, to the coffee & tea, to the wide selection of baked goods!

Civic Enragement (Esmeralda Mata)

We all agreed that the Civic Enragement (“How progressive politics are turning citizens into warriors and cities into battlegrounds.”) panel was the most controversial of all! The panel was substantially synergized in voicing their opinions on issues ranging from local to state and federal, discussing not only specific policy, but also the challenge in cultivating a good relationship between city and state leaders, given the difference between conservative and liberal governance styles and implementations.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, Judge Susan Eckhardt, Alicia Glen, Jerry Morales, Alan Webber, Matt Yglasias

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt’s opening comments, on the importance of being able to disagree agreeably, and in recognizing that an opponent can be your best ally at a local level by coming together in finding issues and solutions that can be exported to a federal level, did not parlay into how she will be remembered.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, Judge Susan Eckhardt, Alicia Glen, Jerry Morales, Alan Webber, Matt Yglasias

She argued that state legislators do not provide county government with enough aid, as compared to a city governments, and focused on some particular ordinances. After noting that state legislators hate Austin (“because we are so successfull”), she focused on Austin’s tree ordinance, noting that that, “Governor Abbott hates trees because one fell on him,” a quote that left our group wondering all day why an elected official would agree to be on a panel designed to bring people together, only to say something so callous.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, Judge Susan Eckhardt

As a counterpoint, Midland Mayor Jerry Morales discussed sustainable growth, detailing jobs and other opportunities Midland has created with cohesive support from not only the state but also the federal government. And while most of the panelists (and the audience) agreed that the responsibility of enforcing immigration laws is the responsibility of the federal government and not a city, Mayor Morales opposed this discussion, too, stating that every city should protect their citizens. In general, the difference between rural and urban viewpoints of Texas was definitely highlighted among the diverse panelists at this session.

Break! We ambled over to the TribFest “Hub,” the place for registration, light snacks and water bottle refills, and book signings. Stations were set up with a number of books offered by the various speakers at TribFest. We all picked out books, some of the group getting multiples, a decision we all lauded later when we were able to proceed directly to the signing line instead of first having to go through the buying line!

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, Susan Rice

From Within (Annie Jamarik)

Next up was a panel of experts who discussed how our country fights (or should fight) domestic terrorism. The panel included Robert Chesney, Director of the Strauss Center for International Security and Law and Associate Dean at the UT School of Law; Lisa Monaco, former White House Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor; Mary McCord, former acting Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice; and Nick Rasmussen, Former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. David Priess, former CIA officer, author of “The President’s Book of Secrets” and the Chief Operating Officer of the Lawfare Institute, was a model moderator.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest

One of the items that really stood out was the specific qualifications a violent attack must have to be classified as a domestic terrorist attack.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest

Chesney explained one of the gaps in federal statutes regarding domestic terrorism, in that requirements are so specific that the weapon used in an attack determines if an attacker could be charged at the federal level – or not. (Explosives = yes; guns = no.) During Q&A, one question referred to monitoring and regulating online public forums (social media platforms) for hate speech and rhetoric. The panel all agreed that, because these online forums are owned by private companies, the government cannot regulate material, so it is up to the private companies to regulate themselves. We would have loved to hear more on this, but the clock had run out.

Break! We had to make a game time change to our lunch plans. The line for our first choice stretched throughout the restaurant and out the door, so we dropped back and punted to an Austin-based chain, P. Terry’s. After some quick burgers and lemonade, and a brief respite from the sweltering heat, we maneuvered our way through the crowded city blocks.

Points of Light (Sawyer Massie)

In spite of the relatively short walks between venues, we still took a moment to linger and appreciate the air conditioning before proceeding into the main auditorium. Despite taking our seats only moments before the panel began, only the first three rows were occupied. It soon occurred to us that the Pete Buttigieg session at the Paramount more than likely took a toll on attendance for this and other panels held at the same time. Unfortunately for Mayor Pete fans – but fortunately for us – they missed out on a wholesome and enriching discussion on the legacies of George and Barbara Bush.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, George P. Bush, Susan Page, Michael Beschloss

The discussion – aptly entitled “Points of Light” – was moderated by Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty and featured Land Commissioner (and Bush “grandson”) George P. Bush, presidential author Michael Beschloss, and Susan Page, USA Today’s Washington Bureau Chief and Barbara Bush biographer.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, George P. Bush, Susan Page, Michael Beschloss

Much like previous panels, this one followed the Q&A format with audience questions toward the end. Likewise, current events and other inevitable topics in this heated political climate were discussed; however, this panel took an unusual turn in that it became emotional.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, George P. Bush, Susan Page, Michael Beschloss

The panelists opened up by explaining how America had to reassess its values following the deaths of former First Lady Barbara Bush, and President Bush, Sr., then delved into the inner machinations of their relationships to one another – and specifically, their last moments seeing one another. Page recalled that after Barbara Bush was placed into hospice care – and knew these were her last moments – she reached out to her husband’s hand at the bedside and told him “I’m not worried about you, George.” This was her granting permission to him that he could live his life and she’d die knowing he’d be okay. By the end, some of us were misty-eyed; it was touching to hear this from someone who got to spend so much time interviewing them.

After the panel, we were also fortunate enough to snap a quick photo with George P. Bush with a few minutes to spare before queuing up for our last panel of the day.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, George P. Bush

One-on-One with Susan Rice (Miranda Estrada)

We did not score seats at the front of the packed venue for former UN Ambassador and National Security Advisor, Susan Rice. Our moderator for the evening, Margaret Talev, worked with Mrs. Rice during her time with the Obama administration. Their “conversation” started with the topic of the day, the impeachment inquiry on President Donald Trump. Mrs. Rice stressed the importance of policy action being used only for the best interest of the United States as a whole and not for a single person.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest, Susan Rice

Mrs. Rice also spoke with the audience about her new book, “Tough Love,” reading an excerpt that covered a horrible yet funny-now experience. Her book is broken into the major parts of her life: early childhood, early years in government, time as UN Ambassador, and then as National Security Advisor. Mrs. Rice felt the need to write the book as a reintroduction of herself to the public – to address her feelings and thoughts regarding her treatment in the years following Benghazi that she was made out to be a monster. In her career she was used to speaking for the United States; this book allowed her to speak for herself and be her own advocate, champion, and spokesperson.

Break! With the panels over, and a short refresh break under our belts, we did some sightseeing. The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, dedicated to the former Texas Governor, is home to North America’s largest bat (specifically, the Mexican Free-Tailed Bat) population. We lined up like good little tourists and watched for a while the colony head out for their dinner. Then we headed to ours!

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Austin Texas, Texas Tribune Festival, Tribfest

Dinner at Kerbey Lane Café (Sawyer Massie)

After a long day, there was no question that we were famished and looking forward to dinner at an Austin staple: Kerbey Lane Café. We slumped in our seats and indolently chatted from our slouched positions. Suffice it to say, we had expended all our energy on TribFest. Everyone perked up, however, when platters of food arrived. Plates of bacon and eggs, “green” mac-n-cheese, French toast and, in a nod to the calendar’s claim of the Fall season, pumpkin pancakes. We leisurely ate and recapped trip highlights (so far!) while enjoying relaxing in a comforting atmosphere, ending this day in preparation for an even longer day ahead of us.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Tribfest, Kerbey Lane Cafe

On the Road with Beto O’Rourke

It was six months ago that Monica Dike went to Austin to interview for a job. She may have been a little starstruck by the capitol building.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Sam Houston Austin Intern Program, SHAIP, Monica Dike, Rep. Senfronia Thompson

She was the first–of what would eventually be 11 SHSU interns–to get a job. She was hired by Rep. Senfronia Thompson to work for the 86th legislative session. We had them go through a series of orientations to help them get their legs under them.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Sam Houston Austin Intern Program, SHAIP, Monica Dike, Rep. Senfronia Thompson

And she soon started getting comfortable in the Capitol.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Sam Houston Austin Intern Program, SHAIP, Monica Dike, Rep. Senfronia Thompson

And after a few months, she began branching out, and on one of those excursions, she had a chance to meet Beto O’Rourke, as can be noted on this video clip.

Another of the many reasons the Austin Internship Program is a rewarding opportunity for students!

SHSU, LEAP Center, Sam Houston Austin Intern Program, SHAIP, Monica Dike, Rep. Senfronia Thompson, President Dana Hoyt

An Afternoon With Julie Kavanagh

By Makayla Mason

A few times a semester the LEAP Center brings in guest speakers to educate students on opportunities and to share their stories. Having heard Julie Kavanagh speak at a World Affairs Council event, we were honored to have her come to SHSU and speak to a select group of students.