As the Lone Star State increases its share in the Electoral College to 40 votes, such gains also bring redistricting, with the government attempting to redraw districts so that they have equal populations. With new lines drawn, Walker County will be split into two districts: rt of Walker County will continue to be represented by the Texas’s 8th Congressional District (currently help by Congressman Kevin Brady) and the northern part will be represented by TX Congressional District 17 (Congressman Pete Sessions).
At the Texas Prison Museum, we had the opportunity to meet our current (Brady) and (likely) new (Sessions) Congressman! Some local and state candidates were also in attendance, and some even took the opportunity to ask Congressman Pete Sessions questions. The LEAP Ambassadors, almost front and center, listened attentively.
An audience member pressed Congressman Pete Sessions on his stance on a bill filed by Congressman Kevin Brady. The bill, also known as the “High-Speed Rail Land Acquisition Assurance Act,” was filed on January 10, 2022. This bill ensures that Texas Central’s high-speed rail and other high-speed rail projects cannot seize taxpayer land for projects that will never be started.
As filed, the High-Speed Rail Land Acquisition Assurance Act will require companies to acquire all the land needed to finish a high-speed rail project before construction can begin.
In his response, Congressman Pete Sessions reassured the citizens that he opposed private interest corporations using eminent domain to take someone’s private property. He plans to work diligently with Congressman Kevin Brady in protecting Texas citizens’ rights.
With the transition of redistricting and his retirement announcement, Congressman Kevin Brady reminded Walker County’s people of his commitment to finish the job until the very end. After serving for over two decades, Congressman Kevin Brady’s absence will be felt in Walker County. To offer just a small example, the LEAP Center has placed more than 20 interns in Congressman Brady’s office, and he has hired eight of them as staff.
With this history in mind, the LEAP Ambassadors are looking forward to similar opportunities in both CD 17 and 8.
To kick off this semester, the LEAP Center and Pre-Law Society hosted the biannual ice cream social, followed by a panel of experts discussing one of the world’s hottest topics: human trafficking. With more than 120 people attending the combined events, we were able, we hope, to kick off the semester on a fun, educational note.
The ice-cream social offered great finger foods, the chance to learn more about LEAP’s many upcoming events, and also the opportunity to win some back-to-school prizes.
We hope the students had a good time, even when they had to address head-palm moments….
Mostly, though, we hope they learned about our upcoming events, such as our workshops with Nancy Bocskor, our planned small-group meeting with former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, our hosting the 10th Court of Appeals on campus, the Citizenship Preparatory Course we offer to local immigrants, our volunteerism at the Wynne Home for the annual Empty Bowls program, and our participation in the upcoming “College Bowl” competition hosted at the Texas City Managers Association Conference.
At the meeting, Heather touched on some housekeeping like the upcoming events, the next meeting, and the last day to pay dues which will be February 16th.
In addition to the panelists, we were honored to have a guests from off campus. Dr. Manis from the College of Osteopathic Medicine in The Woodlands joined us, as did Mr. Ken Holland, a member of the Huntsville ISD School board.
For the main event, Professor Yawn introduced our guest speakers: Dennis Mark, who is a Task Force Coordinator at Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance; Daniella Perez an Outreach Coordinator with Love146; and Sergeant Robert Medel with the Houston Police Department (Vice and Human Trafficking Unit).
L-R: Dennis Mark, Daniella Perez, and Sergeant Robert Medel
Professor Yawn began the session asking where Houston ranks in the nation in terms of trafficking. The answer, sadly, is first–Houston’s access to the border, its transportation accessibility, as well as the number of entertainment options, special events, and its remarkably diverse population, all contribute to its potential for trafficking.
Mr. Mark added that Houston has one of the oldest and most experienced forces investigating trafficking, allowing it to also be one of the most successful agencies at combating trafficking.
Because of the proliferation of trafficking, it is happening everywhere. “Anywhere there are people,” Sergeant Medel noted, “there are people being taken advantage of.” And this, continued Medel, is at the heart of trafficking, which is defined as “the exploitation of someone by means of coercion.”
There is no one definitive type of human trafficking victim, but most victims have had early trauma or “adverse childhood experiences” (ACEs). Many of these women (and it is mostly women) may enter trafficking through drugs, prostitution, or online pornography, but there are many victims outside of the stereotype. Mr. Mark,. for example, shared the story he helped recover: she was a University of Texas student by day, passing her classes and seemingly doing well, but in the evenings and night, she was engaging in online pornography at the behest of a “handler.”
The victims, according to the panel and Professor Yawn, often suffer from either Stockholm Syndrome (when the victim bonds with her captor) or cognitive dissonance (when the victim believes two contradictory elements simultaneously), and this makes it difficult for them to find the strength to leave. Sergeant Medel stated that “It takes a victim seven times to realize they are victims and to leave permanently.”
Ms. Perez highlighted the many problems (“co-morbidities”), physical and mental, associated with trafficking. These include sexually transmitted diseases, broken bones, addiction, depression, even tuberculosis. These problems are cumulative, in part because handlers don’t want the victims going to the doctor’s, which may raise red flags.
The panelists closed–prompted by a question from Ken Holland–with a discussion of how we may be able to identify victims of human trafficking. There are numerous such indicators, but some common ones include malnourishment, avoiding eye contact, allowing others to answer or speak for them, and tattoos.
Possibly the most inspiration words were those Mr. Mark made in closing. “To the ladies, know your self-worth and value, do not let anyone else determine that. And to the men, do not believe the culture of women being objects. Be careful, guard your mind and heart. Be honorable in all you do and how you treat women.”
With Mr. Mark’s words reverberating through our minds, we wrapped up the formal event. But the panelists, graciously, agreed to stay and answer questions, an opportunity many students availed themselves of.
In addition, Professor Yawn and Mr. Mark discussed the possibility of internships, the LEAP Ambassadors offered gifts to the panelists as a “thank you,” and we posed for a final photograph to help us remember a wonderful and educational evening.
At the LEAP Center, we believe in collaboration, so it was a pleasure to work with the Department of Criminal Justice and ELITE to provide more information about campus-wide resources and opportunities. ELITE and the Criminal Justice Department hosted this event, with ELITE students who are Criminal Justice majors as the target audience.
The agenda was aggressive and impressive, with presentations by Dean Lyons, Dr. Greg Fremin (on Criminal Justice internships), Jamaal Payne (Sam Center), Dr. Lin Reng (CJ Graduate Director), Doris Pratt (CJ Graduate Advisor), various professors, and Chris Cruz, a special agent, who is also a CJ and ELITE alumnus. The LEAP Center entered this mix for a brief overview of who we are and what we do.
On hand to hear from these speakers were about 15 ELITE members, a mix of freshmen, sophomores and juniors, and the grizzled veterans: the seniors. Director Hernandez and Mr. Cantu did a great job with Dr. Bill Wells (CJ Chair) of facilitating discussion. Moreover, the veteran ELITE members offered advice to the younger members. The advice was good, and one piece will stick with us: “graduate with no regrets.”
Of course, when it was our turn to present we offered advice, too. Mario spoke first, discussing his time in the Marines, returning to the University, and the different experiences he has had that he finds rewarding.
Yvette, who has been an Ambassador for a longer time, relished in discussing her trips with LEAP, her academic endeavors with LEAP, and the importance of taking and cultivating opportunities–with an emphasis on thank-you notes.
Such opportunities not only (we hope) help ELITE students know of resources across campus, but also help different offices learn from each other through the process of collaboration, and lay the ground work for future partnerships. We were happy to be part of that process, and we wish the ELITE students all the best in pursuing their dreams!
The LEAP Ambassadors would like to thank Dr. Wells, Director Hernandez, and Mr. Cantu for allowing us to speak during this program.
It was an early morning for a day off. But if it’s MLK Day, you need flags on the roads! So at around 5:45am, the LEAP Ambassadors awoke to meet the Lions Club of Walker County at the Courthouse. Under the supervision of Casey Spencer, Brian Aldaco, Tom Waddill, and Gary Obannon, we learned what goes into the every-day practice of civic engagement.
Our objectives were to put flags in flag-holes and, if there weren’t flag suitable flag holes, to re-drill the holes so that they could accommodate a flag. We did this over approximately two miles worth of road.
After a while, we got a pretty good head of steam and, through team work, moved pretty quickly.
In all, it took us about an hour, including both 11th street and Sam Houston Avenue.
The Lions Club does this community service for 13 major holidays, with MLK Day being the first of the year. It was a great chance for us to learn more about the Lions Club, meet some great new people…
…and get in some team building early in the semester.
To kick off the new year some of the (Republican) LEAP Ambassadors spent the final night of winter break volunteering and attending the annual Reagan Dinner (while other LEAP Ambassadors attended a World Affairs Council event), which featured Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller. We coordinated with the College Republicans and Linda McKenzie to determine our roles, familiarized ourselves with the layout…
… and began welcoming people. With Mario, Erin, and myself signing people in, and Hunter, Jessica, and Yvette escorting, we quickly found a rhythm as the crowd steadily increased.
Everyone seemed to enjoy perusing the silent auction put on by the Walker County Republican Women and placing bids on all the delicious desserts. As people bid, socialized and enjoyed each other’s company, we were impressed by the community spirit found in Walker County.
Linda McKenzie, the County Chair, began the evening by expressing her gratitude for everyone in attendance and introducing all of the Council members and candidates.
Annel Guadalupe led everyone in prayer, and following that, I was honored to say the pledges for the night.
We were all graciously invited to sit with different table sponsors, including Judge Hal Ridley, Linda and Jim McKenzie, and Congressmen Kevin Brady. Hunter, Jessica, Yvette, and I were fortunate enough to sit with Attorney Jack and Choate and District Attorney Will Durham. We had great conversations, and we enjoyed learning from people who excel in their careers.
One of the conversation pieces was how wonderful the food was–food catered by Humphreys American Grill. After the LEAP Ambassadors and College Republicans finished eating, we made our way over to the silent auction table, and we and began distributing the desserts to the highest bidders.
Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller was the guest speaker for the dinner.
He highlighted a few very interesting stories from his career and mentioned all that his department oversees–including, oddly enough, the weighing of ping pong balls!
Commissioner Miller also emphasized the importance of events like these and how important it is to the community. We were even fortunate enough to snap a picture with him!
As the evening ended, all of the councilmembers and candidates posed for a picture with Commissioner Miller, and several thanked him for his time and speech.
To kick off the new semester, Heather Barodi, Jocelyn Vazquez, and I traveled to The Woodlands representing LEAP and Sam Houston State University for the first event of the year hosted by the World Affairs Council (WAC). This event showcased the journey of an immigrant into America featuring Roya Hakakian, an Iranian immigrant and her experience into the “land of the free!”
Upon our arrival to the venue, the LEAP students were greeted by the always-friendly, always-professional staff of the World Affairs Council! In fact, we were given a copy of Hakakian’s book, A Beginner’s Guide to America.
Considering that Ms. Hakakian a Guggenheim Fellow and Lesley Stahl referred to Hakakian as “the most eloquent interpreter of ‘the immigrant'” writing today, this was a real treat.
After introductions from the WAC staff…
…Ronan O’Malley moderated the event, asking questions about Hakakian’s experiences on her journey to–and in–the United States.
At the age of 19, Roya came into the U.S. with the hope of becoming successful in this large and unknown land. Ms. Hakakian explained her perceptions of the differences between the US and Iran and why it was such a cultural adjustments.
These observations spoke to us, particularly since of the three of us, one is a first-generation immigrant, and two are second-generation immigrants. We could all identify with at least some of what she had to say.
Toward the end of the session, the Mr. O’Malley took questions from the audience, and Ms. Hakakian responded to two LEAP questions! The insight into immigration and its challenges opened up many doors to knowledge and allowed us to see this process in a new light!
Roya Hakakian met with the LEAP students after the event and kindly signed our copies of her book A Beginner’s Guide to America. The LEAP students were thrilled to hear from her and learn from her experiences!
With another semester wrapped up, a few of the LEAP Ambassadors headed to Houston for–of course–another World Affairs Council event. We arrived a bit early, as we try to do, and we enjoyed the Christmas ambience.
As with all WAC events, we were learning about foreign affairs, but this time it was from an ex-soldier’s point of view. And not just any former soldier: Dan Crenshaw.
Representative Crenshaw was introduced by WAC Director, Maryanne Maldonado, who welcomed us all to a wonderful lunch and program.
Congressman Crenshaw was a part of SEAL Team 3 that served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He was injured while serving, leaving him with only one working eye, an outcome resulting in his ever-present patch–and two Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor.
After retiring in 2016 from the military as Lieutenant Commander, Congressman Crenshaw began to consider a political run, and in 2018, he was elected Congressman for Houston’s 2nd Congressional District.
Moderator Ronan O’Malley, the World Affairs Council’s Program Director, asked questions written by the attendees and directed them towards Congressman Crenshaw.
He began by discussing a few issues within our government: specifically, the adverse effects of withdrawing from Afghanistan “too soon.” Another topic discussed was the situation at the border, as the number of undocumented immigrants has increased in recent months.
Congressman Crenshaw spent part of his youth in Ecuador and Columbia, is proficient in Spanish, and he believes the US is currently spending insufficient resources developing relationships with countries in South America. Doing so, he believes, would alleviate some of the current problems, at least in the long term.
On all of the issues discussed, Representative Crenshaw noted that he is grateful for being a veteran, which he believes has given him a different approach when addressing issues.
He also reminded the audience several times about the book that he published, Fortitude: American Resilience in the Era of Outrage, noting, somewhat jokingly, that it would be an excellent gift for a loved one for the holidays.
When asked about his potential future ambitions in the political spectrum, he left the audience with a cliffhanger: “We’ll see what comes.” And, with that, he left for his next event, leaving many in the audience wondering what the future, in fact, holds for Representative Crenshaw.
If it’s another week at the LEAP Center, we are probably headed to another fantastic World Affairs Council meeting, and this time Brazil was on the menu. Today’s luncheon included a mouth-watering meal that brought many wonderful and exciting individuals together. The event included the conversation on transitional projects needed to ensure Brazil a profitable yet environmentally-friendly energy future. The keynote speaker and panelists engaged the attendees with a market-based discussion of the energy transition, including hydrogen as the leading alternative to fossil fuels.
Today’s luncheon was located at the well-known Brazilian Steakhouse, Fogo de Chao. As the smells of various meats filled the room, many in attendance quickly engaged in enthusiastic conversations. Erin Juarez, Saara Maknojia, and I did not shy away from trying as much food as possible.
The moderator, Norman Nadorff, Counsel of Mayer Brown LLP, opened the floor and explained Brazil’s energy transition framework and economic incentives and the role that oil and other energy companies are expected to play along the way.
Benigna educated us on the active roles supporting companies like Siemens are conducting to expedite the transition to Hydrogen energy. The Co-Lead of Energy Transition, Greg Matlock, Partner at Mayer Brown LLP, elaborated on the importance of government incentives and how it promotes the growth of greener energy source alternatives.
Mr. Matlock explained that governments must create tax incentives to incentivize more funding towards greener energy sources like Hydrogen. The proper capital appropriation is vital to keep us on track to achieve the zero-carbon emissions goal.
To the World Affairs Council staff in attendance, Mayer Brown LLP, and all the event speakers, thank you for making this event extremely engaging and insightful.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 