Angelina College Hosting Adjunct Opportunity Fair for All Locations
Angelina College is hosting an adjunct opportunity fair Feb. 28 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the AC cafeteria. Those wishing to apply for part-time teaching positions at all of the college’s locations (Lufkin, Crockett, Jasper, Nacogdoches and Livingston) will have an opportunity to speak with faculty members and associate deans from each of the six instructional divisions. Representatives from Human Resources, Community Services and the tutoring center will also be on hand.
Shelby Brown, Colin Wise, Marina Zinck and Ailyn Torres recently participated in the Texas Two-Year College All-State Choir in San Antonio.
Attendees should bring copies of their resumes and transcripts. Computers will be available for those wishing to fill out online applications.
For more information about the fair, contact Human Resources at (936) 633-4511 or email ewalker@angelina.edu.
Angelina College Students Participate in All-State Choir
Four Angelina College students recently participated in the Texas Two-Year College All-State Choir in San Antonio. Shelby Brown, Marina Zinck, Ailyn Torres and Colin Wise were chosen for this honor after auditioning in November.
“This is a great opportunity for our students to sing in a mass choir with a nationally-recognized conductor,” said Beckie Compton, AC music instructor.
For more information about Fine Arts programs at Angelina College, contact the Fine Arts division at 936-633-5233.
“Camino” is a film about two guys, a cooler, and some kidneys.
It was also written, filmed and produced in East Texas by East Texans.
The idea came to writer John Patrick Hughes as a project in his class at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. When Hughes presented the dark comedy/murder mystery script, classmate Justin Herring’s interest was peaked. However, it would be a year before he would act on that interest.
In that time, Hughes and Herring would become close friends.
“We would walk the same way back toward the film department after class,” Herring said. “At first, we awkwardly walked kind of close to each other, but then we eventually became really good friends.”
Contributed photo of the filming of “Camino.”
Then, when deciding what to create for his thesis for his master’s degree in filmmaking, Herring remembered his interest in the script his friend had written. He decided it would be a great fit to direct, and “Camino” was on its way to the silver screen.
Scenes and characters in the independent film are inspired by and loosely based on some of the things Hughes experienced as a kid growing up in Lufkin. For Hughes, there were moments during which it was strange to see an actor playing a role based on a friend. He was struck by how similarly the actor portrayed his old friend.
To get the film off the ground, funding was needed. Kickstarter, an online crowdfunding site, was used to generate funds, and a few local investors also backed Hughes and Herring.
Besides the money, there was one thing the movie absolutely had to have: an El Camino. The whole plot revolved around it.
“[My dad] had a friend in, I think, Arkansas who had [an El Camino] on his used car lot who agreed to sell it to us for dirt cheap, and we had to get it transferred in from Arkansas,” Hughes said.
Hughes is very grateful for all of the support and interest shown by the people of East Texas, SFA, and both his and Herring’s parents.
“I think what me and Justin ended up coming to terms with was like a lot of people have great ideas or ambitions but are just too afraid to ask for stuff,” Hughes said. “We were very pleased to find that if you just asked people for things, they’d almost always just give it to you. People want to help out. You just kind of have to give people the opportunity to help out.”
“Camino” was shot at locations in Lufkin and Nacogdoches, in fields, restaurants, a food truck, an apartment complex and a house.
“I think a lot of people wanted to be supportive because, you know, hometown helping out people from the hometown,” Hughes said. “We got so many things we didn’t deserve or almost sometimes we didn’t need. People gave and gave, and people supported and supported. It was very nice of them, for sure.”
At this point, the movie had the funding, the car and the locations. Now, it needed the talent. For the project, Hughes and Herring brought in local talent that would play as extras. The lead roles were played by Cody Davids, Matthew James, Bonnie Gayle, Jordan Michael Brinkman, and Reynolds Washam. Simon Phillips, who plays one of the film’s villains, was brought in from the U.K.
As Phillips was only in town for 10 days, they had to shoot all of his scenes in that window.
“We did not have the budget for [Phillips] to leave and come back if we didn’t finish shooting with him,” Herring said.
But that wasn’t the only hitch in production.
Contributed photo of the filming of “Camino” in downtown Lufkin.
The summer of 2015 had the heaviest rains East Texas had seen in a long time.
“When shooting a movie, you generally shoot outside scenes first. That way, if it rains, you can go to an inside location and shoot inside scenes,” Hughes said. “But it rained the first 12 days, and everything we were shooting was outdoors. So there were definitely some days me and Justin had to wait a long time.”
“We were on a really tight schedule. We had to make our day every day,” Herring said. “We couldn’t afford to go back and shoot anything again.”
Hughes recalled a day the entire crew was on location in a pasture where they had built the driving range featured in “Camino.” There was a really long dirt road to get there, and Hughes said it “monsooned out of nowhere.”
“We had the whole crew sort of running in and out of this tiny one-bedroom house that was on the property trying to get all the equipment and the whole crew inside,” Hughes said. “Then it had rained so bad that we couldn’t get the El Camino or the equipment truck out. We had to just like abandon everything and leave and hope that it would be dry enough to go back and get it the next day. So that was probably the hardest day. A bunch of really sad, wet people trapped in a one-bedroom house for like four hours until it stopped raining.”
They had set up a couple of pop-up tents to protect equipment and, during the storm, one tent blew away. The equipment was drenched. They found the tent later in a pond about 200 feet away, destroyed.
That storm and 10 days worth of rain pushed back scenes that needed Phillips and had to be finished before he left.
“We ended up working 16-18 hours a day with him the last two days he was in,” Herring said. “It was a really ridiculous and kind of terrible experience.”
John Patrick Hughes, left, and Justin Herring, right, posing for a picture after winning the Audience Choice Award at the Lone Star Film Festival in Fort Worth.
Even with the tight schedule and occasional difficulty, both Herring and Hughes said they were pleased with how “Camino” turned out, which won the People’s Choice Award when it was premiered at the Lone Star Film Festival in November of 2016.
If they could change anything, they both said they would only give themselves more time to complete some scenes they said felt rushed or underdeveloped.
Fans and newcomers to the movie will have a chance to see it at the Nacogdoches Film Festival on Feb. 24th at 9 p.m. followed by a question and answer session with Hughes, Herring, and lead actors Cody Davids and Matthew James.
Both Hughes and Herring are excited to be a part of the 2017 festival, which marks its 6th anniversary.
“It’s exciting,” Herring said. “I went to the first Nac Film Festival. It was me and the girl running the DVD player. It was super tiny, and no one was there. To see it grow and have feature films come in that people are interested in is great. I’m just excited to hopefully help the festival.”
“I think [being in the festival] just falls in line with the whole process of making the movie,” Hughes said. “Our hometown, East Texas, like Lufkin, Nacogdoches, like that area of the world supported us so much in the making of the movie. It’s just another super nice thing of them to then invite us to their film festival to celebrate the movie we made with the help they gave us. Because, in the end, it’s the good people of Lufkin and Nacogdoches that have worked the hardest to make it happen.”
To watch the trailer for “Camino” and to stay up to date on the independent film’s progress, follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CaminoMovie.
February is the month of love, and TFCL is bringing local singles to you every Saturday. Our third bachelorette is the beautiful Rene Ewing. Rene is a tiny house dweller, barista, and is searching for the man of her dreams!
Keep reading to learn more about Rene!
Rene Ewing, 20.
Name:
Rene Ewing
Age: 20
Where are you from:
I was born in California, but I grew up all over the US and Texas.
What do you do?
I’m a barista at Standpipe Coffee House (Shoutout to my squad), and the assistant to the creative department at Timber Creek Church, formerly Lufkin First Assembly.
Hobbies:
Anything having to do with art or DIY, as well as outdoor activities, such as hiking.
Rene Ewing prefers flowers over chocolates.
Three words to describe yourself:
Adventurous, easygoing, and organized.
Do you prefer a night in or a night out on the town?
It honestly depends on the type of mood I’m in. I’m a very go with the flow type of person, so I would be down for either.
Would you kiss a boy on the first date?
I wouldn’t kiss a boy, but I would kiss a man if the moment was right!
Do you believe in love at first sight?
I would have to say that I do not believe in love at first sight, because love is not something that is formed instantly but it’s something that has to grow. That being said, I do believe in some sort of connection at first sight.
What does a successful relationship look like to you?
Where two people are living and loving life together.
What do you love/hate most about the dating process?
I love meeting new people and getting to know them. I hate the possible awkwardness that can follow, or maybe a missed connection ruining a possible friendship.
Do you have any pet peeves?
Not having ambition for anything.
What is your favorite way to spend a Saturday night?
In or out! I’m okay with having a lazy Saturday or going out for a fun night!
What dating advice would you give to your next boyfriend on dating you?
Just be you and let me be me!
What have you learned from previous heartbreaks?
Communication is key. You have to be open and honest with the other person about the way you’re feeling, even if it isn’t easy to hear.
Rene loves a man who can be his true self around her.
What’s your ideal date?
My ideal date is hanging out at a coffee shop and going on some sort of adventure, like hiking or maybe a weekend trip to the beach.
What do you look most for in a relationship?
Fun! If we can’t have fun together and laugh, what’s the point?
What is your biggest deal breaker?
If you can’t be yourself. I love a guy who can let his true personality show.
Do you prefer chocolates or flowers?
Flowers for sure!
Favorite pick-up line?
“I’ve been thinking about it a latte and I can feel something brewing between us.”
As soon as I saw the sun was out and the temperatures were cool, I knew exactly what I needed: a trip to Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin with my husband, Ryan – our favorite place to go on a date. I loaded up my car with my camera and my husband in hand. Off we went to the zoo Thursday afternoon!
Ellen Trout Zoo was one of the first places I visited as a young girl in Lufkin; I can remember the visits of seeing the hippo, alligators, and tigers. I remember when they got giraffes for the first time, and now the Zoo staff is working hard to earn enough money to fund gorillas. How exciting is that?
My husband and I made our way to the Zoo and walked into the front gates. Alligators and pink flamingos were the first animals to see. Ryan pointed out how one alligator was using a turtle as a pillow in the water, and I pointed out that some of the flamingos weren’t getting along too well.
We kept moving: We saw monkeys, a peacock shimmering their feathers to grab the attention of a couple of peahen (It didn’t work out too well for the peacock. The females just walked away.). We saw a couple of otters playing in the water and some resting porcupines. I don’t want to get in their way!
Next, we came across two of my favorite animals at the Zoo: hippos. However, they were swimming, and it was hard to see in the murky water. But luckily, Ryan wanted to wait a little bit longer to see if they would come out of the pond. Every now and then we would see them come up above the water, and then swim down. Then all of sudden they started to get out. I grabbed my camera and knew I had to capture this moment. One of the hippos got out all the way, and she started to walk around. I started snapping. She was one the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen. Then as swiftly as she got out, she went back into the water.
A hippo gets out of the water after a swim in the pond.
So Ryan and I kept walking.
We then saw the giraffes and rhinos – such big, beautiful animals. I had thought that I would not want to meet that rhino face to face; those horns are huge! The giraffes were hiding behind the trees getting ready to go in for the night.
Then I saw Asher, the lion cub, for the first time. He wasn’t so little anymore! It reminded me of when Simba from “The Lion King” was growing up, and the song “The Lion Sleep Tonight” came to mind. I snapped photos while Asher pounced on his mother, played with the ball, scratched on the trees, and rested under the shade.
Next, we saw the tigers, a bobcat; big cats are my all-time favorite animal. I will spend endless hours watching YouTube videos of tigers and lions!
Asher, the lion cub.
We kept walking and saw more birds, lizards, snakes, and all sorts of animals.
One last stop before we left Ellen Trout Zoo was to try the new hiking trail along the pond out front. It was absolutely the perfect day for hiking. It was even more beautiful walking with the tall trees peering over me. My camera got a lot of use while hiking this trail. The trail even goes under the metal bridge and into the forest!
Not only is the Zoo my favorite place to visit in Lufkin, it’s my favorite place to tell my friends and family when they come to visit. Not only do you get to see animals of all kinds, there is a playground to play on, a concession stand, a train to ride, and fishing in the pond.
The Ellen Trout Zoo staff are also celebrating 50 years in operation. They are holding events throughout the year to celebrate the big milestone. On March 4 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. the staff is hosting Raiders of the Lost Zoo for children 12-years-old or younger. The event will include a treasure hunt, safari lunch, and an opportunity to learn about the zoo reptiles at the Education Building at the Zoo. The cost is $15 per child and advanced purchase is required.
Lesson learned from Thursday’s adventure: I’m just a big kid who loves animals at the zoo. While I can’t easily go to Africa or Asia for the day, there are animals in East Texas that teach me a little bit about that side of the world.
For more information on upcoming events at Ellen Trout Zoo, visit their website by clicking here.
Second and Third Year Smith-Hutson Students: Back Row (from left): Fernanda Montoya, Colton Alsbrooks, Mikayla Sudduth, Monica Gonzalez, Christian Palacio, and Regina Loerch. Front Row (from left): Chelsea Snow, Erika Salaiz, Allison Meshell, Lindsay Messner, Jasmin Moreno, Wanda "Mich" Connor, and Amanda Cabrera. Photo by Robert Hutson.
The Smith-Hutson scholarship program at Angelina College hosted its biannual scholarship reception on Monday, Feb. 13. Twenty-six AC students from a variety of majors including health careers, welding and business currently receive the scholarship.
First Year Smith-Hutson Students: Back Row (from left): Kalee Thomson, Daniel Banks, Laura Fajardo, TyEasha Handy, and Kylie Rodgers. Front Row (from left): Gloria Hunt, Diana Poland, Katherine Alvarez, Ashley Rhodes, Lesley Sosa, Jacinda Castillo, Sekela Minor, and Karla Mejia. Photo by Robert Hutson.
These students gather together as a cohort each semester to bond and learn from each other’s experiences. The students received motivational speeches from Smith-Hutson representative, Robert Hutson, and Dean of Student Affairs, Steve Hudman. Advice was also provided by Smith-Hutson scholarship representatives Dawn Wesneski, Sam Handley and Kathy Jost, as well as college representatives Sue Jones, financial aid director, and Megan Flowers, scholarship coordinator.
The Smith-Hutson Scholarship is intended for students with demonstrated academic success and established financial need who are committed to completing a certificate or degree at Angelina College. The Smith-Hutson Scholarship typically provides sufficient assistance to cover tuition, fees, books and some living or commuting expenses.
Angelina College is currently accepting applications for the 2017-2018 Smith-Hutson scholarship program. Students can apply online and learn more about the program at angelina.academicworks.com/opportunities/1199.
For more information regarding the Smith-Hutson scholarship program at Angelina College, contact Megan Flowers, scholarship coordinator, at mflowers@angelina.edu or (936) 633-4545.
I’m not asking whether you are happy, but whether your life has meaning.
A study in the Journal of Positive Psychology examined attitudes toward happiness and meaning. It showed a meaningful life and a happy life overlap in certain ways, but are ultimately different.
“While happiness is an emotion felt in the here and now, it ultimately fades away, just as all emotions do,” wrote Emily Esfahani Smith about the study in TheAtlantic. “The amount of time people report feeling good or bad correlates with happiness but not at all with meaning. Meaning, on the other hand, is enduring. It connects the past to the present to the future.”
Another study confirmed this, she said. “People who have meaning in their lives, in the form of a clearly defined purpose, rate their satisfaction with life higher even when they were feeling bad than those who did not have a clearly defined purpose.”
Happiness.
Giving your work meaning can be a simple shift in perspective, as it was for me.
Back in the 1990s the focus of our company, Learning Strategies, was to sell more audio programs and enrollments. We were sales oriented as were most companies.
Then we switched our mindset from selling to helping more people experience their potential, and two things happened. First, I felt more fulfilled and happier, and second, our business grew significantly. The level of meaning in my life increased considerably as did the success we enjoyed.
My colleague Stewart Emery and his co-authors of the book Success Built to Last interviewed two hundred of the world’s most successful people and uncovered the same experiences.
“Above all else, no matter where they have chosen to excel—in business, the arts, sports, social service, community, or family—each has achieved success by focusing on the things that matter most to them,” he said.
What brings you the greatest joy?
“Enduringly successful people follow their hearts, aligning their thoughts and actions with their passions,” said Stewart. “They become energized by their work and stay on purpose and committed in the face of setbacks and challenges.”
I couldn’t agree with him more. During our company’s long-term success, there have been some extremely difficult times. But as long as we held fast to our vision to serve others, we really never had to worry. It fueled everything we did.
To create a life that matters to you, consider the following:
What gives your life meaning? What brings you the greatest joy? Loving what you do and who you are is the greatest motivator for building lasting success. Just shifting our company focus from sales to impacting people, gave me and our staff meaning, and it continues twenty years later. Is there a shift like that you can make?
Are your thoughts toxic or supportive? Are negative thoughts and self-doubt or the criticism of others drowning out that voice inside of your head—that whisper or “silent scream” telling you what really matters? Learn to responsibly manage your thoughts in ways that keep you on track to your goals, despite obstacles or burdens you will undoubtedly face.
Are you taking action? What are you doing to bring you closer to your goals or attract into your life people and activities that will support you? While meaning drives success, meaning without action will get you nowhere.
When you align your thoughts and actions with what gives your life meaning, you magnify your passion and impart greater clarity to your purpose than ever before.
Pete Bissonette is author of the forthcoming novel, Breakfast Tea & Bourbon, where living a meaningful and joyous life weaves through the story. He is the president of Minneapolis-based Learning Strategies, a personal development training and publishing company founded in 1981. For more about his novel, please visit: breakfastteaandbourbon.com.
Many a time, I’ll have someone stop by to visit about the new property that they have in the area. Sometimes they have inherited it. Sometimes they have just retired. And sometimes they have just been able to buy a parcel of land in the country.
But most of these folks want to do something with it and turn it into a bona fide agricultural endeavor. In response to these queries, the Angelina County Extension Office will be hosting a Small Landowner Profitability Seminar.
Starting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office in Lufkin, I’ll be covering about 20 ideas, some old and some brand new, that residents could do to generate income.
The purpose is to give an overview of the options that can exist with livestock, crops, timbered areas, other natural resources, and “agri-tainment.”
The second objective is to review some of the more pertinent laws, regulations and taxes that affect agricultural producers. We’ve all heard the joke, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Well indeed, there are some programs and opportunities that law-makers have put in place to support agricultural producers.
I remember hearing once from a frustrated small farmer from the south end of our county, “You know, you just can’t make money like my granddad used to!” Well in a sense, she was right. If we had the same operation that her granddad did back then, no you can’t.
But if, like her granddad did, you are innovative with your efforts, capturing new agricultural practices, and reaching new markets, you just “might could!”
There is no need to RSVP. The cost for the program is $10 per person. For more information call the Angelina Extension office at 936.634.6414 extension 2 or email cw-sims@tamu.edu.
It’s been a very busy week at the Capitol, so let’s jump right into what’s happening at your State Capitol. . .
Lufkin – Angelina County Day
Recently, we celebrated Lufkin/Angelina County Day in Austin. Many of you made the long drive to Austin to be with us for this special occasion, and I can’t thank you enough for making this day such a huge success. Recognizing this distinguished group of constituents from the floor of the Texas House was a highlight of the session thus far, and I want you to know how proud it makes me to be your State Representative.
I hope that all of my constituents in House District 57 know how much we appreciate seeing you in Austin and we encourage you to make your way down to actively engage in the political process. If my office can ever be of any assistance – coordinating a tour of the Capitol, helping set up meetings with other members, or any other request – please reach out to us and we’d be more than happy to help accommodate you.
Budget Hearings Begin
Budget hearings started bright and early this past week, as my colleagues and I made our way into the House Appropriations Committee room for the first hearing of the 85th legislative session. The Appropriations Committee met three days this past week and heard from a number of agencies about their budgeting priorities and requests. While the first few meetings will start with a high level view of available resources and suggested expenses, the weeks and months to follow will narrow in focus and scope.
As the Appropriations Committee breaks down into smaller subcommittees, it is my distinct honor to continue serving as the Article III Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman for this session. Article III is tasked with constructing the public and higher education portion of the Texas budget. Although our available funds are much tighter than we have had in previous years, I am confident that my fellow legislators and I will produce a responsible and balanced budget that reflects the priorities of our great state.
Meetings and Engagements
Over the past several weeks, I have participated in a number of talks with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the Texas Farm Bureau regarding strengthening private property rights. This past week those conversations moved forward as we continue looking into various courses of action that the Legislature may take to ensure that we are strengthening eminent domain laws for affected landowners. The dialogue has been very productive and I appreciate having the opportunity to discuss issues that are so close to home.
Reminders
The mobile office continues to move around the district this month. Come see us on Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. at the San Augustine County Courthouse in San Augustine. As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can help you in any way. My district office may be reached at (936) 634-2762, or you can call my Capitol office at (512) 463-0508.
State Representative Trent Ashby (R -Lufkin) has filed legislation that would remove the fee associated with hunting and fishing licenses for Texas’ volunteer firefighters.
House Bill 2013 would amend the Parks and Wildlife Code for the purpose of providing free hunting and fishing licenses for volunteer firefighters. A volunteer firefighter would qualify for the exemption after completing a full year of continuous service, while actively engaging in fire suppression. Additionally, qualifying firefighters must receive less than $5,000 in total compensation during a tax year from the fire department or firefighting unit that the firefighter serves.
“With six rural counties in my district, I have a deep appreciation for the work that our volunteer fire departments do to protect our citizens. This legislation is just a small way of saying ‘thank you’ to all the brave men and women who volunteer to help keep our communities safe.”
Currently, certain disabled veterans and active duty members of the United States armed forces qualify for a free hunting and fishing license. HB 2013 would extend the scope of qualified individuals to include volunteer firefighters.
“I think this is a great bill and I look forward to working with my colleagues at the state level to give back to the dedicated public servants who already give so much.”
Representative Ashby is in his third term as a member of the Texas House of Representatives. Currently, Ashby is a member of the House Calendars Committee and the House Committee on Natural Resources. He also serves as the Chairman of the Article III Appropriations Subcommittee, which handles funding for all public and higher education in Texas.
The Speaker of the House recently announced member assignments for House committees. Now that both chambers have their organizational processes in place and bills are being referred, we are getting down to business.
Here are five things happening at your Capitol this week:
Convention of States
During his State of the State address, Governor Abbott called for a convention of states to amend the U.S. Constitution and named it one of his emergency items for this session. A convention of states is a gathering of the state legislatures, for the purpose of proposing amendments to the U.S. Constitution. This is made possible through Article V of the Constitution which was created to provide the states with a tool to stop potential abuses of power by the federal government. Two-thirds, or 34, of the state legislatures must pass similar resolutions for a convention to happen.
This week the Senate State Affairs Committee will begin to hear bills which call for a convention of states. These bills will establish the authority for the Legislature to determine the requirements and appoint delegates to attend the convention. They also focus on imposing fiscal restraints on the federal government, limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government and limiting the terms of office of federal officials and members of Congress.
Finance Workgroups
Senator Jane Nelson, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, has announced workgroup assignments for the committee. As the budget has eleven distinct parts, Senator Nelson has divided these up into four workgroups to ensure the members are able to fully examine the details of the budget. Each workgroup will then present their findings to the committee as a whole.
I have been named Chairman of one of the workgroups which covers areas such as transportation, and regulating agencies like the Public Utility Commission and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as well as natural resources. I am grateful to Senator Nelson for giving me this opportunity for a second time and look forward to working with the members to determine the state’s budget for the next two years.
Sunset Bill Assignments
In previous columns, I have shared with you the Sunset process, where the Sunset Advisory Commission evaluates and renews the authorization for state agencies. After more than a year of hearings, the Sunset Advisory Commission makes recommendations which are incorporated into legislation for each agency. These bills will be divided among the members of the Commission, in both the House and Senate. I will be sure to keep you updated as to which bills I will file soon. I encourage you to take part in the legislative process and come to the Capitol to testify on these or any other bills when they are heard in committee.
Transferability Workgroup
As a way to save money, many students choose to take their core classes like math and science at a local community college before transferring to a four-year institution. However, many times when a student seeks to transfer these courses, they realize they will not work for their chosen degree program. This may cause a student to take more courses then they needed to originally, and in turn may cost them more than they anticipated.
A special workgroup has been appointed in the Senate Finance Committee to address the problem of transferability between schools. The workgroup is meeting with community colleges and universities, as well as the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to find a solution to this problem. Helping students to succeed in their education is an important step towards ensuring the future of our great state.
Alabama-Coushatta Day
This week I had the pleasure of welcoming the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe to Austin for their very first legislative day at the State Capitol. The Tribe, which is a Federally recognized tribe, are descendants of both the historic Muscogee and numerous tribes of the Creek Confederacy. At the suggestion of Sam Houston, in 1853, the Tribe Chiefs held a meeting at the home of Samuel Rowe to express their interest in settling on land. In February of 1854, the Texas Legislature passed the “Act for Relief of the Alabama Indians.” This act along with a donation of land, provides the Tribe with the majority of the acreage on which they reside today in Polk County. I am honored to represent the Tribe in the Senate, and look forward to continuing to work for and with them.
