Good Month for Junior Fellows’ Alum

It was a good month for Junior Fellows’ and JF alumni.  Megan Bryant, now Megan O’Flaherty, got married.

Nathan and Megan O’Flaherty

On the academic front, Justin Beiser finished his first year of law school, while Laken Jenkins graduated from South Texas College of Law…

Laken Jenkins at South Texas College of Law

…Cameron Goodman graduated from the Bush School of Public Service…

Goodman graduated from TAMU

Dana Angello passed her Thesis Defense and officially has a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri…

Dana Angello

…Christian Bionat got out of the Army Military Intelligence School, graduating as a Lieutenant, and was promptly hired by a General–Attorney General Greg Abbott, that is.  Bionat will be working as a Field Representative on the Greg Abbott campaign….

Christian Bionat and other Junior Fellows with AG Greg Abbott and Col. MB Etheredge

…Of course, Jessica Rodriguez had a pretty good week, too, helping Mayor Annise Parker kick off her Mayoral Re-election Campaign…

Jessica Rodriguez and Mayor Parker

…Will Phillips graduated and was named an “Outstanding Graduate” in Political Science…

Will Phillips, Father, and Grandfather

…and friend of the JFs Deanna Tyler graduated as well…

Deanna Tyler Graduates

…Brandon Reese may have had the best week of all, passing the Bar Exam and becoming a father!

Christine, Willie, and Brandon Reese

…and the JFs also helped the YMCA and the Political Science Department have a good month as well, raising more than $5,000 which will be split between the two groups.

Junior Fellows Present Check to YMCA

Junior Fellows Host Charity Football Game Today

The Junior Fellows are once again bringing Republicans and Democrats together to play football, while also raising money for local causes. After six years of hosting the Charity Football Game, the players haven’t gotten a lot better at football, but they have raised significant funds for the Huntsville YMCA and the John Holcombe Scholarship Fund.

This year, the Democrats and Republicans Charity Football Game will take place at high noon today, Saturday, May 4 on upper Pritchett Field.

“We’re continuing the tradition,” noted Junior Fellow Jessica Rodriguez, who is also an officer in the Bearkat Democrats. “We’re bringing more community people in to play this year, but the focus on bringing people together to support local causes continues.”

This year the community is represented by eleven players drawn from various aspects of the community. Employees from Sam Houston State University, the City of Huntsville, the Walker County District Attorney’s Office, the YMCA, Huntsville Memorial Hospital, Vista Academy of Willis, Congressman Kevin Brady, and the Sam Houston Memorial Museum. Students from SHSU and Huntsville ISD will also be participating.

In addition to representing various community groups, the football roster also includes players of divergent ages. Ryan Brim, for example, first participated in the game in 2008, helping as an eight-year old volunteer. Today, as a fourteen-year-old, he’ll actually play. Brim, a self-described “mathlete,” is mild mannered by day….

Ryan Brim, Mild Mannered 8th Grade Trumpet Player

But when football rolls around, Brim’s alter-ego emerges…

Ryan Prepares to Karate Chop Cameron

Cameron Backs Off, In Fear

Ryan Breaks Free, In Search of a New Victim

College students such as Matt Miori and Cameron Goodman will be on hand, along with more of the young-at-heart types: Everett Harrell, Joshua Busa, Kyle DuFour, Russell Martinez, Megan Buro, Mike Yawn, Aron Kulhavy, and Margaret Gulledge.

For Gulledge, it is her first foray into the football world, at least as a player. “Once we pointed out the basic rules of the game, such as which direction to run, she picked it up pretty fast,” added Yawn, “—plus, she’s really good at bringing people together.”

Margaret Making the Catch

“Some of us vote Democratic and some vote Republican,” added Gulledge, “but for the last couple of months we’ve put that aside and worked together for a common cause.”

In all, this year’s fundraiser has netted about $5,000, with the players donating the first $1,550. Over the six years the Junior Fellows have hosted the fundraiser, the event has raised some $21,000. “We’d like to thank our sponsors and both the parties,” said Yawn. “Their donations will go to worthy causes, and many of these sponsors are also helping with the game. We are very appreciative.”

“This is a fun event,” noted Gulledge…

Jason Scores

“but our goal is to make things better for the younger people in the community, through scholarships at the YMCA and SHSU.”

Junior Fellows and Community Leaders Present Check to the YMCA

Things should also be fun for the youngsters who attend the Charity Football Game. Halftime events include the always-entertaining YMCA Dance, an egg toss, sack races, and wheelbarrow races.

Half-Time Egg Toss

Gift certificates from 5 Loaves Deli will also be given to the winners of the half-time games.

The game begins at noon today on the upper Pritchett Field. It is free and open to the public. For more information contact Mike Yawn at 936-294-1456.

Junior Fellows Enjoy Virtual Tour of World With Ambassador Christopher Hill

The Junior Fellows were the beneficiaries of a virtual tour of the world last week, and they only had to travel seventy miles south of their campus. Their destination was a World Affairs Council event in Houston featuring Christopher Hill, the current Dean of the Josef Kurbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and the former United States Ambassador to Iraq, Korea, Poland, and Macedonia. For a couple of hours over lunch, he also worked as an Ambassador for serving abroad, extolling the virtues of service, understanding, and working together.

Jake Rivera, Ambassador Hill, and Jessica Rodriguez

One of Hill’s major themes was the importance of working in concert with others to achieve desired results.  As a long-time ambassador, a special US envoy for the Bosnian peace talks in 1995, and as a member of the six-party talks formed to convince North Korea to end its nuclear weapon program, Hill knows about multi-lateral negotiations.  “We’re not,” Hill said, “Gary Cooper in High Noon.  We can’t do this alone.”

In dealing with North Korea, which he called a “little cuddly country that only a mother could love,” Hill stressed three things: (1) maintaining a strong alliance with South Korea, (2) continuing military exercises in South Korea, and (3) improving our missile defense system.  While these three “keys” would help North Korea understand that the US commitment to the region is firm, he warned against escalating the situation, noting that North Korea’s unpredictable behavior made them “one of the great questions of our day.”

Central to resolving the North Korean situation—and, more generally, to a productive future in the Asian region—are relations between the US and China. While many envision an ineluctable conflict between the world’s remaining superpower and China, a burgeoning superpower, Hill is optimistic about relations.  “There is no relationship that is more important,” the former ambassador noted, “than our relationship with China.”  Although he acknowledges that a country as large as China has its own complexities and internal divisions, he argued that ongoing cooperation between the US and China is in the interests of both countries and, in the long-term, likely.

Hill also expressed some (cautious) optimism about the Middle East, noting improvements in Iraq’s economy, particularly in oil production.  Having spent two years as Ambassador in Iraq, Hill emphasized that the country’s future direction could not be imposed externally.  “Finger wagging in the Middle East gets you about as far as it does with your fourteen year-old daughter.  Not very far.”  The key, he noted, is for the Sunnis, who constitute a majority in most Middle-Eastern countries, to accept that the Shias are the demographic majority in Iraq.  The government structure in Iraq, according to Hill, now “reflects reality” but the reality and the government structure will have to be recognized by a large majority of Iraqis for success to take root.

Ambassador Hill may not be known the world over in the same way that Hillary Clinton is, but he knows the world like few others, a product of being the son of a diplomat, experiencing a stint in the Peace Corps in Cameroon, and serving for more than three decades in the State Department. He drew on this experience in his closing remarks, which he directed to the students, stressing service, understanding, and bringing people together.  “There is no greater honor,” he noted, “than representing your country abroad,” a service, he continued, that allows people to better understand their own country, “by understanding other countries.”

Working Together!

 

Putting History Into Perspective: Steven Fenberg and Jesse Jones

Will Phillips–

“He was forgotten,” noted Steven Fenberg, author and documentarist, when I asked him to characterize most people’s knowledge of Jesse Jones (1874-1956).  It was an unlikely fate for the man once described as “The Fourth Branch of Government” whose entrepreneurial skills with philanthropic endeavors to help build Houston into the nation’s fourth largest city.  Fenberg wrote about Jones’s achievements in Unprecedented Power: Jesse Jones, Capitalism, and the Common Good, and he spoke to the Junior Fellows about them in the World Affairs Council’s “Conversations About History.”

Unprecedented Power, by Steven Fenberg

Fenberg described his early interest in Jones, prompted in part when the Houston Endowment asked him to create a chronological history of Jones.  Fenberg was given complete access to the Jones’ papers, which gave him unique insight into Jones’s world and power.  Jones was the Director of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) under both Hoover and Roosevelt, and he used this position to solidify the US economic system by providing loans and bailing out banks.  Remarkably, it is possible that the outcome of World War II could have been different if it weren’t for Jones and his support of industries that were crucial to the war effort.  It was this type of influence that made Jones an advisor to presidents from Wilson to Truman.

Jones with President Wilson

Jones with President Hoover

Jones with FDR

Jones with President Truman

Jones with LBJ

Jones with FDR (Note FDR’s Leg Braces)

Fenberg fielded numerous questions, with his responses hinting at the old adage of history repeating itself.  Fenberg pointed out how the Financial Crisis of 2008 was handled in a similar fashion, via T.A.R.P (Troubled Asset Relief Program) funding, to the RFC funding during the Great Depression.

Junior Fellows with Author Steven Fenberg

The Junior Fellows greatly enjoyed the opportunity to sit down and talk with Steven Fenberg and would like to thank him for not only his time in coming to visit with us, but would also like to thank the World Affairs Council for facilitating this discussion with this great author!

Jesse Jones and the City He Built

Have Law Book, Will Travel: SHSU Holds Court

For pre-law students, SHSU offers numerous pre-law classes, a legal studies minor, and many internship opportunities in law offices.  The most popular of the law-related events, however, is the appearance of the 10th Court of Appeals every spring.  This year, the 10th Court heard four cases on SHSU’s campus, inducing 800 plus students, staff, faculty, and local residents to tune in to cases concerning intoxicated manslaughter, wrongful death, aggravated assault, and capital murder.

The visit to SHSU was prompted by the three Justices on the 10th Court, Tom Gray, Rex Davis, and Al Scoggins, who contacted the Political Science Junior Fellows in 2012 about the possibility of trying cases in Huntsville.  After initial explorations suggested that the logistics were manageable (thank you Ann Broussard, David Epps, Tim Mullings, Amanda Burris, Charles Henson, and Dean Vince Webb!), a partnership was born.

Almost four hundred people attended the first year, with visits by more than a dozen elected officials.  This year, attendance was even greater, pushing the Kerper Courtroom to its capacity.  Accordingly, the Junior Fellows resorted to live video, streaming the proceedings into classrooms, giving additional students and faculty the opportunity to watch the drama unfold live.

Justice Gray Opens the Proceedings

“This is a rare opportunity,” noted Justin Beiser, a 1L at Texas Tech Law and a Junior Fellow alum.  “We do this now at Texas Tech, but we don’t get as many cases and no prefatory explanations are offered.  It’s particularly impressive that SHSU does it, especially the way the Fellows and the Justices format it.”

The formatting is “lay-person friendly,” with attorneys permitted to turn and address the audience about the facts of the case in their opening remarks.  Such background is not generally permitted in an Appeals hearing, which revolves around procedural or legal questions rather than the facts of the case.  Such facts, however, permit the audience to make sense of the legal issues, which follow.  In all the hearings last about fifty minutes, giving both defense and prosecution time to speak and the Justices time to ask questions.

“This isn’t something that most Universities do,” observed Pre-Law Advisor Mike Yawn.  “We’re fortunate that the attorneys and Justices Scoggins, Davis, and Gray are willing to travel.”

According to Justice Gray, who graduated from SHSU in 1978, it’s all about the education.  “We want as many people as possible to see the process.  We are fortunate to have SHSU in our district…and [the University] has an incredible facility for both students and the general public to watch these proceedings.”

10th Court of Appeals, in Session

At times, too many people lined up to see the proceedings.  For the final case, involving capital murder, the courtroom exceeded capacity, leaving students temporarily disappointed…

Kerper Courtroom Overflowing

Fortunately, the Junior Fellows were able to find a makeshift overflow room, and the students were able to watch the livestream.

“It was good to see so many students interested.  As Pre-Law advisor, you like to see students take opportunities.  I’d like to thank those students who did, as well as Will Phillips, Arjenae Walker, Cody Williamson, Jake Rivera, Jessica Rodriguez, Brian King, and Coby Steele for assisting with the event; and Professors Tamara Waggener and Cassandra Atkin-Plunk for involving their students.  Most of all, I’d like to thank the Justices for agreeing to this  arrangement.  It’s a win-win-win for the students, the University, and the community.”

Students with the 10th Court of Appeals Justices

 

 

 

 

Spring Clean: 2013

For the seventh consecutive year, the Political Science Junior Fellows have assisted the Huntsville Main Street office with the Spring Clean.  This year was one of the best, with more than sixty people participating from across the community and activities ranging from trash cleanup to painting—all to beautify the downtown area.

Coby Steele and Brian King Working on the Square

The event traditionally occurs in the spring, a forerunner to well-attended spring events: the Folk Festival and the Airing of the Quilts.  Community volunteers chip in, led by the fine staff at Huntsville Main Street.  The staff includes Main Street Director Kim McAuliffe, and the intern.  This semester, the intern is Jessica Rodriguez, who joined the Junior Fellows last semester and has had quite an impact on the community in a short period of time.

Jessica Rodriguez

 

McAuliffe and Rodriguez led teams who worked in different parts of the square, some sweeping, some raking, some painting, all making the downtown look a little better.

Junior Fellows Painting

Even Mayor Mac Woodward and his wife, Leanne, attended, always willing to offer a helping hand.

Mac and Leanne Woodward

Every couple of hours, the volunteers took a break to participate in Main Street sponsored raffles, doling out prizes from Fabric Carousels and other community-minded businesses.

Toward the end of the day, the Junior Fellows took a longer break for lunch at the wonderful Farmhouse Eats and Sweets, one of the best restaurants in Huntsville.  The fired pies were the most popular.

Farmhouse Eats & Sweets, Downtown Square

Following lunch, the Junior Fellows and the other volunteers wrapped up some items and posed for photos…

…and took a tour of downtown Huntsville, where they saw the Masonic Lodge…

Masonic Lodge

…and the beautiful Roche Building…

Roche Building

It was another great event for Huntsville Main Street and another service to the community they provided.  For more information about Huntsville Main Street, contact Kim McAuliffe at (936) 291-5920.

Junior Fellows’ New Orleans Tour: Day Four

We were able to sleep in a bit on our last day in New Orleans.  Accordingly, we spent a lazy Easter morning walking about, seeing some more of the French Quarter, and then packing up and heading out with just a few sites on our final to-do list.

We did make a few stops on our last day.  We stopped by the St. Louis Cemetery, where we got to see bits of history.  First, we saw the reputed grave of Marie Laveau, where people still leave voodoo items…

Coby and Jake at Marie Laveau’s grave

…For more on Laveau and her presence in popular culture, click on the screen shot, below…

…we also saw a plaque for Benjamin Latrobe, the nation’s first architect.  Latrobe designed the US Capitol Building, the US Customs House in New Orleans and, among others, the Baltimore Basilica…

Baltimore Basilica, by Latrobe

We were able to see several of Latrobe’s designs on our recent inauguration trip, so it was nice to see a follow-up site on this trip.  Unfortunately, it’s not entirely clear where in the cemetery Latrobe is buried.  He is in the Protestant section, but there is no grave marked for him in that small area, so we had to content ourselves with seeing a plaque set up in his honor.

Benjamin Latrobe plaque

Finally, we also saw the grave of Homer Plessy, the famous defendant in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), infamous for establishing the “separate but equal” doctrine.

After leaving the cemetery, we tracked down the site at which Plessy was arrested for boarding the “whites only” portion of the train.  Without too much trouble, we found it, on a corner in a less-traveled part of town, by the river.

Plessy v. Ferguson plaque

It was a real treat to see this part of history, particularly the civil rights sites.

We had one more stop before arriving home.  We stopped at the Louisiana Capitol Building in Baton Rouge…

Louisiana State Capitol Building

This, of course, is the site of Huey Long’s Assassination, and one of the locations featured in the most recent version of “All the King’s Men”.

Junior Fellows at the Louisiana Capitol Building

Typically, the Junior Fellows’ trips involve far-flung destinations with lots of stops along the way.  On those trips, we arrive at our hotels around midnight and are off to the next spot six or seven hours later.  This was different, with the opportunity to really explore the city, and it was a lot of fun.  On the way home, we reflected on our favorite aspects of the trip, and the consensus was:

Restaurants: (1) Oceana Grill and (2) Blue Dog Cafe

Junior Fellows at Blue Dog Cafe

Favorite Sites/Activities: (1) Segway Tour, (2) St. Louis Cemetery, and (3) WWII Museum

Arjenae and Coby at St. Louis Cemetery

Favorite Street Performers: (1) Various Jazz Bands, (2) Gold Statue Man

Jazz Band on Royal Street