Lupe Cuellar and Joycelyn Ovalle–Our destination was Austin, a trip made to engage in a “campaign bootcamp,” but we headed out a day early to enjoy the many attractions in Austin, Texas. Actually, we enjoyed the trip before we even arrived in Austin, particularly our dinner in Elgin, Texas, where we enjoyed some delicious barbecue. Elgin is a small town just outside of Austin that is known for its savory sausage. Meyer’s restaurant provided a range of barbecue favorites such as smoked beef brisket, barbecue chicken, barbecue smoked turkey breast and pork garlic sausage. With so many mouthwatering choices, making a decision on one thing was not easy. However, I could not pass up trying the smoked pork ribs. My entry consisted of four flavorful smoked pork ribs that were dipped in rich original barbecue sauce. It also included two sides, which consisted of creamy cheesy macaroni and fresh coleslaw. I could have not asked for a more delightful meal. The rest of the group came up with a sampling of other food options: brisket, turkey, pulled pork, and sausage.
And while their choices may have differed, the group’s conclusion was the same: the food was delicious!
After enjoying some delicious barbecue, we headed to the Austin Playhouse Theater to watch the play–“The Foreigner” by Larry Shue. After all, laughter is the best calorie burner! It was interesting to learn that the cast was not only composed of professional actors and actresses, but also members of the Austin Community. People volunteer their time and skills to provide live entertainment for people of all ages.
The key character in the play was “Charlie,” the titular “Foreigner,” and he was the group’s favorite. But we also enjoyed Cyndi Williams’ performance as Betty Meeks, the operator of a fishing lodge and resort. If her Georgian accent and “old South” expressions didn’t provide sufficient humor, her interactions with the “foreigner” made for plenty of laughs.
At the end of the day we realized that our first day in Austin was a success. Barbecue, Site seeing and Comedy are great partners!
Makeebba Deterville and Jake Rivera–Today is the first day of SHSU classes, but we embarked on a different education in Austin, Texas—a bit of site-seeing on top of a three-day campaign bootcamp hosted by the Annette Strauss Institute.
Our journey began with a visit to the unique Meyer’s Barbeque, in Elgin, Texas. I ordered the BBQ brisket with a side of potato salad and macaroni and cheese, while the other students opted for turkey, ribs, pulled pork, and sausage. One of the fun things about the restaurant is sampling their two types of BBQ sauce—the “original” and the “honey mesquite.”
The restaurant was recently covered in the Dallas Morning News, which addressed the ongoing debate over whether Meyer’s Barbeque is better than its main in-town rival: Southside. Having never visited Southside, we cannot decide the matter, but this gives us something to explore on the way back to Huntsville…
But we are getting ahead of ourselves. We landed in the great city of Austin, Texas with a welcoming view of the city’s skyline—including, of course, the beautiful Texas capitol building.
Of course, we followed that up by seeing the less-than-beautiful Highland mall, which is where the Austin Playhouse (a new venue is in the works).
None of us knew what to expect from Larry Shue’s “The Foreigner,” which was our night’s entertainment. We were, by far, the youngest people in the place, which was too bad, because the play served as wonderful entertainment for people of all ages. There were some very funny lines, but much of the humor was conveyed non-verbally as well. One scene, reminiscent of the Marx Brothers mirror scene in Duck Soup, which involved the characters Charlie (the “Foreigner”) and Ellard (a half-wit) at breakfast, and was particularly memorable.
Also attending the play with us was Blake Roach, an SHSU alumnus, who is now working for Attorney General Greg Abbott. It was great to meet SHSU alums, sharing laughter, and kicking off what we will hope to be a great weekend!
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 