TowerTalk

This past weekend, the Forty Acres was host to the first Texas Tribune Festival, where more than 1,300 attendees interacted with 100 Texas thought leaders on panels in four broad areas: public and higher education, energy and the environment, race and immigration, and health and human services. My own discussion with Tribune editor-in-chief Evan Smith about higher education was well attended and led to lots of insightful audience questions.

I asked government junior Huey Fischer of Rockport, who attended most of the education and race and immigration panels, to share some of his thoughts about the festival:

I had a great time interacting with attendees and the panelists.  The topics were intriguing and the speakers represented diverse political backgrounds. If an audience member had a question, they had a very good chance at getting an answer because many panels were small and intimate. After each session, the speakers were very approachable and willing to continue to share their ideas.

I got to meet some very nifty folks and get photos with them: congressmen and state representatives, a former ambassador, and a university president. I even met Bevo (who happened to be on Speedway near the festival, but was not a panelist).

I enjoyed riding in and learning about the Chevy Volts that served as shuttles between venues.  The food trucks were a fun experience in themselves.  It was also a very effective networking experience.  Many of the attendees were not students but rather folks who were working in government, business, and education.  I met lobbyists, reporters, legislative staffers, and school officials.

 Huey’s experience demonstrates why we partnered with the Texas Tribune for this event. I hope it was the first of many.

Hook ‘em Horns,

Photo: Jeff Heimsath for The Texas Tribune