The West University Buzz - August 2022

The Garden Code

Jones Mays

by Michelle Casas Groogan

School Lunches The Water’s Fine: Water Polo Creating a Colorful Life Back-to-School for Baby Travel Buzz: Man vs. Nature Lees Den: Houston’s Newest Speakeasy Houston, TX Permit No. 2047

Back Porch: Rise and Shine

PAID US Postage PRSRT STD

Contemplations from the Hill Country

EDITOR’S NOTE As I sat down to write this note, I got interrupted by a phone call from an 89year-old gentleman. He said, “I have a great story and was told I must tell The Buzz.” (More on him later.) That uplifting conversation made my day.

Receiving phone calls like that is the best kind of distraction – and favorite part of my job. Every month, we strive to bring you a positive break in your day. In this issue, meet an extraordinary teen, Jones Mays, one of the winners of a prestigious coding challenge. Adventure along with several college-aged students as they reflect on an outdoors trip of a lifetime (at times, a nail-biting journey). Dive into competitive water polo, now a UIL sport. Add color to your daily life by way of rainbow smoothies and mindful walks. Plus, find tips for creative school lunches. We hope this month’s issue brings a pleasant “interruption” to your day. joni@thebuzzmagazines.com

THE BUZZ MAGAZINES BELLAIRE • WEST UNIVERSITY • MEMORIAL • TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS Published by Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401 info@thebuzzmagazines.com • p: 713.668.4157 • f: 713.665.2940 Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter thebuzzmagazines.com Editor-in-Chief Publisher Editor Editorial Assistant Design Manager Staff Writers

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Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld Caroline Siegfried John Duboise Tracy L. Barnett Sharon Albert Brier Cindy Burnett Andria Frankfort Angie Frederickson Todd Freed Cindy Gabriel Cathy Gordon Michelle Groogan Dai Huynh Cheryl Laird Annie Blaylock McQueen Jennifer Oakley Pooja Salhotra Cheryl Ursin Andrea Blitzer, Leslie Little Jo Rogers Jenna Baer, Raigan Clay, Avi Dubey, Anna Galan, Kathrine Kiersted, Mackenzie McAnear, Tulsi Parikh

On our cover: Jones Mays, a senior at Carnegie Vanguard, won a prestigious Apple contest for designing an app that identifies invasive vines in gardens.

Cover photo by Nikky LaWell, lawellphoto.com The Buzz Magazines has made all reasonable attempts to verify the accuracy of all information contained within. Advertising claims are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Copyright © 2022 Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this magazine by any means without written permission is strictly prohibited. Printed on recycled paper. Please remember to recycle.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 4

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 5

Kathy Zieben

MAILBAG

Your letters, thoughts, opinions Photo made a splash I had a lot of feedback about my photo [I Can Fly, Third Place/Sports and Action in The Buzz Magazines 2022 Photo Contest, July 2022] when it was put on Facebook [as part of our Readers’ Choice contest]. My friends and family were really impressed with the submissions this year. When I read that you had over 1,700 photos submitted, I felt honored that my photo made third place.

What caught everyone’s eyes were the people in the background observing his jump. Sometimes when you’re capturing a photo like that, you don’t necessarily see every detail – so it’s fun when your picture comes out. It gives you an opportunity to look beyond the main focus.

This is the second time that I’ve had a photo selected, and I usually try every year or few years to get into the contest. I’d encourage other people to submit their photos. I’m a fiber artist, so I’m more used to putting myself out there by entering contests and shows. But photography is a real love of mine. There’s a lot to see if you’re brave enough to shoot it.

Kathy Zieben Editor’s note: Kathy, congratulations to you and thank you for entering our contest! Amateur photographers, look out for details on how to enter next year’s contest in our March 2023 print issue or at thebuzzmagazines.com next spring.

Thank you for the opportunity!

Vivian Huynh Editor’s note: Vivian’s photo, “Midnight Prayer,” won first place in the People and Portraits category in this year’s Photo Contest. Congratulations, Vivian! See all winners at thebuzzmagazines.com.

Happy tears Cindy, just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your article A Simple Act of Kindness [by Cindy Gabriel, June 2022]. Not only do you have a lovely “voice” as one of your many writing talents, but your stories are so moving! This story brought me to (good) tears because random acts of kindness are so pure and so simple but as you so eloquently pointed out, their effects ripple on and on through time and memory! Beautiful article!

Love Dr. Ben [Portnoy] too!

Cathy Cox Send letters to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.

Inspiration is all around us What an honor to have my photo featured along with so many amazing photos in the July issue as part of the 2022 Buzz Photo Contest. I was really blown away by the other entries and have viewed them many times over for inspiration and also for reflection. We have so much beauty and also much talent around us. It’s nice to be reminded of that during these times when there is a great deal of difficult news to take in and process. My favorite part of the whole project is that the photos are by local photographers and featured in a local magazine (and my photo [Leaping Willow, second place/Sports and Action] happened to be shot locally as well at the wonderful Willow Waterhole). Thank you for providing the outlet, Buzz Magazines.

Dorothy Puch Lillig Editor’s note: Congratulations, Dorothy! See this striking photo of Dorothy’s daughter, Anna, plus all other winning photos, at thebuzzmagazines.com.

Focus on photography Every year, I look forward to seeing the results of The Buzz Photo Contest. I loved looking at the variety of photos and reading about the winners. I think it’s amazing that all of the winners represent different age groups and interests. I also want to say congratulations to this year’s winner, Loyd Dalton!

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 6

What’s your story?

We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who: • Have a special holiday tradition.

• Know a Buzzworthy neighbor to feature.

• Have a unique travel tale.

• Have a funny or sweet parenting story.

• Have an interesting hobby or passion.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 12.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 7

NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Creating a Colorful Life Rainbow smoothies and mindful walks

R

ainbows are weaving their way through Lorelei and Rey de la Reza’s life.

Like the rainbow lights illuminating the bridges over US-59 around South Shepherd – they’re a project designed by the firm Rey founded (and is now retired from), RDLR Architects.

Or the rainbow colors brightening the frames of scores of small square windows dotting the walls of the de la Reza’s three-story townhome in the Museum District.

Or the rainbow inside their refrigerator, where glass bottles line up by color – orange, green, yellow, violet – signaling the unique tastes of each of Lorelei’s Rainbow Smoothies, after-school favorites of her three grandchildren who live just around the corner.

All of it creates a colorful life, which is exactly what Lorelei hopes to do as she walks her three grandchildren home from school on the regular.

“You can see your surroundings better when you walk – when you drive it just doesn’t register,” says Lorelei, who used to teach mime at the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. “That’s my goal walking them home, to get them to interact with nature and their surroundings, and to unwind after school.”

At least once a week during the school year, Lorelei waits outside the school for her grandchildren and escorts them home on foot. While Lorelei and her middle-school-aged grandchildren walk, Rey drives the kids’ heavy backpacks home, making the walk easier to manage.

Walking home, Lorelei says, gives her a chance to connect with her grandchildren and them a chance to connect with her and with each other. “After a day of being apart, it’s a time to stretch their legs and mentally transition from school to home,” she says. “A time to literally smell the flowers and appreciate the growth of the figs and peaches on the trees along our way. We’ll talk about what we’re seeing, the trees blooming and forming fruit. I even think we saw a pomegranate. It’s slowing down enough to look and see and appreciate.”

Also, the walks serve a purpose in teaching the children to pay attention to what’s going on around them. “In this electronic age, we’re going WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 8

OVER THE RAINBOW Rey and Lorelei de la Reza take a walk across the US-59 bridges Rey's architecture firm designed.

back to stop, look, and listen, what I call street smarts,” Lorelei says. “I know what direction I’m going by looking at the sun. Kids nowadays say, ‘Huh, what are you talking about?’ Or they’ll say, “How’d you know it was going to rain?’ Well, you look at the sky! That’s the danger when you just pop in a car. It’s a necessary life skill to be able to interact with your surroundings and not just keep your head down.”

Often, she and the kids will stop at a park.

“They relax on the swings before we walk home,” she says. Rey is quick to add, referring to

days off of school: “We also take them on oneon-one adventures, like climbing the ‘mountains’ in the Museum District,” meaning the hills at Centennial Gardens and Miller Outdoor Theatre.

Rainbow Smoothies are an after-school treat to be enjoyed either at the park or at home.

“The children love all the flavors,” Lorelei, a “compassionate vegan” of 33 years, says of her beloved concoctions. “I’ve always enjoyed the beauty of the rainbow. As long as you put in things you like [in the (continued on page 10)

Your smile can last forever

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lawellphoto.com Andria Frankfort

lawellphoto.com

COLORFUL TREATS Left: Lorelei de la Reza stocks her fridge with colorful, fruity smoothies. Top right: Lorelei's grandchildren enjoy walks home from school topped off by a smoothie treat. Bottom right: Lorelei's Purple Smoothie, her Red Watermelon-Berry Smoothie, and her Green Smoothie. (continued from page 8) smoothies], you’ll like it.

Proportions are not critical.”

But color is. “Aesthetics are a big part of my life,” Rey says. “Lorelei prepares food in a very aesthetic way. I call it Lorelei’s edible art. It’s nothing special, but she arranges it so beautifully. How could I not eat this stuff?”

The de la Rezas add more color to their lives by walking, which has become a lifestyle.

“We’ve gone from going places by car to getting there on foot,” Rey says.

Lorelei adds, “We have time now, so we walk to accomplish errands like the post office, various grocery stores – picture Rey carrying home a watermelon doing bicep curls! – dentist appointments, restaurants. We walk about a marathon a week. Walking the kids home is another activity we can do on foot.”

“Whatever we can walk to, we do it,” Rey says. “It’s five miles roundtrip to the nearby gym, where we work out and shoot hoops.” That’s a quiet reference to Lorelei’s days as a basketball player in the Senior Olympics. “Basically, my kids left home, and I cried, and they said, ‘Get a life!’ So I started playing basketball,” Lorelei explains, referring to her three grown children.

“I never expected to start playing basketball as a grandmother.”

At home, Lorelei and Rey’s grandchildren have almost as much to notice as they do on their walks. An animal lover, Lorelei has populated her home with tiny plastic and rubber toy creatures. There’s a “grasshopper” perching in a plant on the kitchen counter, magnetic “ants” WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 10

crawling up the walls of an elevator shaft, a “frog” peeking over the edge of a planter.

“I get bitten, but Lorelei talks to [insects] and they never bite her,” Rey says. “If there’s a caterpillar on the wall, she’ll say, ‘Come on, come down a little farther so I can take you outside.’

And she does.”

Lorelei de la Reza’s Rainbow Smoothies Basic guidelines: • Blend all the ingredients together on high speed in a 6-cup blender.

• Exact proportions are not critical. If you like the ingredients you are putting into the smoothie, you will like the smoothie.

• Be creative!

• Bananas can be frozen when ripe. Cut them and put them into ice cube tray compartments for freezing, then store the frozen chunks in a freezer bag.

• Refrigerate smoothies.

• Shake very well before serving.

Red Watermelon-Berry Smoothie 6 cups watermelon chunks ½ cup pineapple juice ½ fresh lime, juiced ½ cup fresh or frozen strawberries, raspberries, or cherries, or a combination ¼ cup fresh or frozen blueberries Orange Smoothie 3 cups orange juice (or H-E-B’s orange-peach-

mango juice) 1 large or 5 baby carrots 1/3 cup cooked sweet potato 1/3 cup frozen peaches 1/3 cup frozen mangoes 2 bananas If the smoothie is too thick, add orange juice to thin it.

Yellow Smoothie 1 cup orange juice 1/3 cup pineapple juice or 2 fresh pineapple rings 1 cup peach yogurt (Lorelei uses almond or soy yogurt to make the smoothie vegan) 2 bananas Green Smoothie 2 ½ cups pineapple juice ½ cup orange juice 1 apple 1 pear 2 bananas 1 very large handful washed spinach Purple Smoothie 1 cup orange juice 1/3 cup pineapple juice or 2 fresh pineapple rings ½ cup blueberry yogurt (Lorelei uses almond or soy yogurt to make the smoothie vegan) ¼ cup fresh or frozen blueberries 2 bananas

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6802 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX 77025

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WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 11

NEIGHBORS

by Cindy Gabriel, staff writer

Uvalde, Ukraine, and Rain And moments between the lines

I

t’s my last morning on this deck in Hunt, Texas, a home away from home, left by my father. A herd of deer look at me with hungry eyes. They’ve stopped hiding when they see me coming with the biggest bucket of pellets I can muscle.

For the last 10 days I have had no job but to feed the deer, birds, and squirrels. The locals say the drought is bringing them out in full force. In between I write, then meet via Zoom with other writers from around the country, sharing life in line and verse, back and forth through smiles and tears. It’s becoming an annual event.

For me, the writing for the day happens the first three hours of the morning. It will be 100 degrees by noon, and yet, this porch feels like a breezy 65 at 8 a.m. It’s my one last time to sit in this symphony of birds, this sanctuary of breeze and trees for a while.

There was a one-day break in the middle of the course. Time to drive an hour down the road to Leakey, where my daughter Julia and husband Morgan live with their two boys, too young to watch the news. They don’t know what happened down the road in Uvalde, 36 minutes away. It was time for a big group hug.

Uvalde is where they buy their groceries, get Covid tested and antibiotics for the boys’ sniffles. Julia, who doesn’t usually prioritize the news, was the first to report. “Pray for Uvalde” she texted, with a link to the horror.

The drive between Hunt and Leakey is one of the most beautiful in Texas, mostly out of cellphone range. Getting lost is not an option.

I’m always relieved when I see signs that point ahead to Leakey. In the past, I was oblivious to the fact that the word Uvalde sat under Leakey on the same sign. The sign that once relieved me, now wrenches my gut.

And yet, life somehow insists on showing its other side in the preschooler giggles and tumbles of two brothers in pajamas, before good-night kisses. Two boys less than two years apart, already deeply inseparable. No talk of Uvalde.

The words, for now, were spent.

But the drought, that’s another thing. Julia, my millennial daughter, watches the sky like a farm woman from the ’50s, when a series of WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 12

drought years combined for the worst in Texas history.

“The real old timers of the town are talking about it,” she said. In other words, people my age, I thought.

She tried to show me how low the water level was at the usual drop-off spot for tubers. As we were driving past it, all we saw was rock.

CONTEMPLATIONS FROM A QUIET DECK Cindy Gabriel feeds the deer in Hunt, “Wait, where is Texas, and reflects on reality. it?” The trickle feeling that life is swirling in variations of the that was there yesterday had disappeared same theme. overnight. “Well, at least I’m not worried about The polio vaccine was front-page news week nuclear war, at the moment,” she shrugged. after week, with pictures of children, lining up The invasion of Ukraine seems long ago. Julia for their arm pricks. The March of Dimes volnow worries about her own family running out unteer who collected the most for the cause got of tap water. her picture in the newspaper.

As I think of this now, back on the deck, in The Russians took the lead in the space race, Hunt, it’s about 9:30 a.m. The birds have by launching Sputnik, the first artificial satellite stopped chirping and one small deer gathers the to circle earth, while leader Nikita Khrushchev last breakfast pellets. The sun beaming on the scoffed at democracy. other half of the porch is signaling that it’s time The Civil Rights Movement was coming. to face the world. Back to Houston, with AnnieThe Ft. Bend Reporter editorialized about the the-dog, and my laptop. need for a local “Negro” pool. Later a group of Inside my laptop is another world, my early “Latin” residents approached City Hall, childhood in Rosenberg, Texas. For years, I have demanding that the Rosenberg public pool be Googled and wondered if there was any eviintegrated. The Reporter wrote: Integrate the dence that our family’s weekly newspaper, the pool or close it.

Ft. Bend Reporter, even existed. The George On July 6, 1956, this was the front-page headMemorial Library in Richmond didn’t have it, line: “Texans More Concerned About Water, but helpful staff found it, not digitized, but actual than about Politicians and Cohorts.” The article copies, at the Dolph Briscoe Center for was all about the worst drought in Texas history.

American History on the UT campus in Austin.

Despite familiar themes, things somehow felt The Holy Grail of my earliest days had been more hopeful, as if we could all pull together for there, all of these years, meticulously stacked, better days to come. It didn’t hurt that they only waiting for me to find them. For two days, I read about the problems once a week in the turned pages and took pictures. Some pages were local paper. still joined at the top corner. They had not been I hope the deer in Hunt can find food while turned before. I’ve started with the years I’m gone. between 1956 and ’58. The stories invoke the

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 13

SPORTS

by Cheryl Ursin, staff writer

Martha Tran

The Water’s Fine Water polo comes into its own

M

any of us have never seen a water-polo game. That may soon change.

Water polo has been around in Houston. St. Agnes Academy has fielded a water-polo team for over 30 years, for example. The Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (TISCA) has been running the official highschool water-polo championships in the state since 1972.

“But players didn’t receive school credit, coaches were predominantly volunteers and, for decades, fewer than 40 teams played in a state bigger than the size of France,” wrote Aimee Berg for SkipShot, the magazine of the national organization, USA Water Polo. “Basically, Texas water polo was an extracurricular club for 50 years.”

This year, however, will be the first time that water polo will be played as a UIL sport in Texas high schools. The UIL, or University Interscholastic League, is the organization that runs almost all of the competitions, both athletic and academic, for public schools in the state of Texas. In addition, Jesuit Dallas and our own Strake Jesuit are the only private schools in Texas who also compete in the UIL. Under the new UIL rules, the season for water polo will change from spring to fall. The first day of practice, under these new UIL rules, is Aug. 1. The season will go until the state championship on Oct. 29.

What is water polo?

“It’s like you combined a bunch of different sports and put it in the water,” says Luke Johnson, a rising junior at Strake. Kaitlin Kelley, the coach at St. Agnes, goes further: “It’s a combination of basketball, hockey, and soccer … in the water … with a bunch of people on top of you,” she says. (St. Agnes will continue to compete in the TISCA league.)

W

ater polo has a reputation for being both tough and rough. In 2016, the Bleacher Report, a sports website, named it the toughest sport of all, based on six criteria: strength, speed, endurance, agility, skill, and physicality. In 2021, Yahoo Sports declared it the most physically strenuous of all the Olympic sports, ahead of gymnastics and swimming. (Water polo was the WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 14

IN DEPTH McKay Nelms from Strake Jesuit celebrates a goal against Memorial High School.

first team sport in the Olympics, dating back to the early 1900s.) The Navy SEALs have found that water-polo players are more likely to make it through their brutal basic training than other candidates.

Players tread water, never touching the bottom, for the entire game. They use a special wide-legged treading technique called “the eggbeater.” The eggbeater keeps players steadier and allows them to rise higher in the water, leaves their hands free, and positions them to be ready to lunge. (Synchronized, or artistic, swimmers also use the eggbeater when lifting their teammates out of the water.) When water-polo players sprint back and forth across the pool during a game, they can end up swimming a mile or more. During a tournament, a player might play more than one game in a day.

Each team has seven players in the water during a game, the goalie and six field players. A

water-polo game consists of four eight-minute quarters. Of course, the teams are trying to get the ball, about the size of a soccer ball and usually yellow, into the opposing team’s goal, or cage, and keep it out of their own. While the goalie, who wears a red cap with the number one on it, can use two hands on the ball, the other six players cannot. They must pass the ball, catch it, and shoot with one hand. They can also “dribble,” which is swimming with the ball in front of them between their arms. There is a shot clock: The team with the ball must take a shot within 30 seconds, which makes for a fastmoving game.

And there is a lot of wrestling for position.

Hence all the whistles from the referees.

“Parents should just ignore the whistles,” which, unlike many sports, mean “Go,” rather than “Stop,” advises one coach.

The reason the men (continued on page 16)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 15

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 16

Martha Tran

women wear skin-tight suits that zip up the back, eliminating the need for straps, is to give opposing players as little as possible to grab onto.

Finger- and toenail checks are done before games to reduce scratches. “I always end up with finger bruises on my arms,” says Adrienne Grimes, who played for St. Agnes and now plays center defense, one of the most physical positions, for Villanova. “I’ll have bruises on my legs and stomach from being kicked.” Oh, and her nose was broken twice. Not intentionally, she says. “And it’s not a big deal. You stop the bleeding and get back in the pool.”

For all that, the injuries tend to be mild. “It can look gruesome, but it’s really low-impact,” says Scott Slay, program director for West Houston Viper Pigeon Water Polo, the largest water-polo club in Houston. “Mac” McDonald, long-time water-polo coach at Lamar and now the swimming coordinator for the Houston Independent School District (HISD), says, “It’s rough, but unlike football, which I think of as a collision sport, water polo is a contact one.

There’s hand-to-hand struggle, like wrestling.

I’ve never had a kid seriously injured.” He adds, “Kids want to play tough sports and challenge themselves, but I also think water polo is safe.”

Adrienne Grimes agrees, but laughs, adding, “Ironically, I am saying this while in a shoulder sling.” But, she points out, her injury and many of the ones sustained by players at the elite levels of the sport (Villanova is a Division 1 school), are from overuse, particularly in the knees, from the eggbeater, and in the shoulders, from the overhand throws and swimming.

Players relish the roughness and competitiveness of the sport. When Adrienne sustains one of those minor injuries, she says, “It’s more like, ‘Oh, screw you,’ and then I play harder.” She adds, “Water polo is definitely an emotional outlet for me. You get to be mean. You can’t be mean anywhere else.”

Even when they play teammates in scrimmages, water-polo players report getting heated.

That’s actually the point: They’re practicing the physicality of the sport. “It’s almost worse when we’re playing against each other,” laughs Oliver Banks. He graduated from Lamar, where he was a team captain for both the water-polo and swim teams. Adrienne reports her college coach likes to see the players get fired up during scrimmages and that Coach Kelley, when Adrienne played at St. Agnes, “used to make us hug it out at the end of practice.”

“Water polo is simultaneously cut-throat and also welcomes everybody; it’s very inclusive,” says Oliver.

Anne-Charlotte Gillard, who grew up in West U, is now the goalie for the women’s water-polo team at Harvard. She believes that friendships made through water polo are exceptionally close and strong. “It’s so intense, it’s easy to bond,” she says.

Evan Grimes, Adrienne’s brother, and

Sideline Photos

(continued from page 14) wear Speedos and the

EYE ON THE BALL Water polo is “a chance to play a ball game and still be a swimmer,” says Coach "Mac" McDonald. Top: Adrienne Grimes, who played for St. Agnes and now plays center defense, one of the most physical positions, for Villanova, a Division 1 school. Bottom: Strake player Thien Pham (green cap) in a game against Stratford High School (white cap).

Angela Ott are getting married in October. Not only were both of them water-polo players, Angela for St. Agnes, but all of their groomsmen and some of their bridesmaids played as well.

In the Houston water-polo community, everyone, players and coaches, knows everyone – and has likely played both with them and against them. “I have a lot of friends from water polo,” says Sam Frank, a rising sophomore at Memorial High School and goalie for its waterpolo team. Sam has played, since age 10, with clubs. “We all go to different schools and see each other on different teams.” (Most highschool water-polo players continue to play with clubs off-season.)

Still, because of its roughness and toughness, water polo can seem intimidating. “Most people don’t want to try,” says Matthew Mischlich, who just graduated from Strake and will be playing water polo at Iona College. “They take a look at the Speedos, and they see us getting tossed all

over the pool.”

The uniforms, including the women’s swimsuits, which are not comfortable (“They go straight up your butt,” says one player), and the caps, which tie under the chin and can seem a bit “goofy,” according to a coach, can give people momentary pause. Though since everyone is wearing them, that’s easy to get past.

Once they can get a friend into the pool, water-polo players say, that friend almost invariably ends up loving the sport. (Eventually.

Gaining the skills is hard at first. “Give it two weeks,” one coach tells prospective players.)

Oliver, from Lamar, was asked by three different people, including Coach McDonald, to try the sport before he did. “The team aspect of it is what really sold it to me,” he says. “I loved the nature of the team.”

Though water polo is becoming more popular, and the number of younger kids playing the sport is growing, it is still (continued on page 18)

Martha Tran Martha Tran

Martha Tran

TAKE A SHOT Left: Zach Jones of Strake Jesuit. Top right: Strake players (in white caps), from left, John Quickfall Villar and Luke Johnson, against Jersey Village High School (in purple). Bottom right: Memorial High School (black caps) takes a shot against Strake Jesuit. (continued from page 16) unusually open to people

who haven’t tried it before. Even now, the majority of players play for the first time in high school.

And there isn’t a rigid need for a certain body type. While Coach Kelley of St. Agnes would love to find “a 6-foot-2 leftie” for her team (lefties have an advantage in certain positions), all body types – big, small, tall, short – can be successful at water polo. While many top waterpolo players are tall, which gives them a longer reach, smaller players can be faster. Brenda Villa, who was the captain of the United States

women’s Olympic team, is 5-foot-4.

(Incidentally, the U.S. women’s water-polo team is currently the best in the world.)

Water-polo players tend to have competitiveswimming experience. Under the TISCA rules, high-school players were required to be on their school’s swim team. That is no longer the case under UIL rules. While being a fast swimmer is an advantage, some coaches say having been a competitive swimmer is not absolutely necessary. An athlete who has played other team sports will already have an understanding of game strategy that a swimmer might not. As

Tim Keogh, coach for Strake Jesuit, puts it, “There’s no recipe for being a successful waterpolo player,” although he does say that swimming, say in a summer league, and playing team sports is a good background.

Every player, coach, and parent I spoke to for this article had one piece of advice: Try it.

“Check out a game,” advises Jason Mauss, coach at Memorial. Kelley suggests looking for the “learn-to-play” camps held by the clubs, where everyone will be a beginner, to start. And if you know someone already playing, they can bring you to their club’s “bring a friend” day.

Making Waves Anne-Charlotte Gillard (left) and Adrienne Grimes (right) have been best friends since their first day of kindergarten at West U Elementary.

When Adrienne’s older brother, Evan, was visiting his future high school, Strake, he saw boys playing water polo and decided he wanted in.

Adrienne wanted to do what her older brother was doing.

“And I did it because WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 18

Adrienne was doing it,” says Anne-Charlotte.

Adrienne first played, in the summer, at age 7. Anne-Charlotte started a year later. There were so few younger kids playing at their club, “like 10 people,” Adrienne says, “that we were the under-10 team, and the under-12, and the under-14, and the under-16. We’d end up playing eight games in a day at tournaments.”

When Adrienne arrived at St. Agnes, she was the first player its water-polo team ever had who had played the game before arriving. Anne-Charlotte went to St. John’s, which does not have a waterpolo team, so she competed in the Olympic Development Program (ODP) run by USA Water Polo.

Now sophomores in college, Adrienne plays center defense for Villanova and Anne-Charlotte plays goalie for Harvard. Many of their friends from their early days in West U have also gone on to play water polo in college.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 19

NEIGHBORS

by Michelle Casas Groogan, staff writer

Courtesy of Apple

The Garden Code Gifts grown in Grandpa’s garden

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atermelons, cucumbers, squash… good things that emerge beneath the scorching summer sun in a southern garden. Jones Mays, 18, spent much of his early years in his grandpa’s community garden in the tiny town of Tunica, Mississippi. Jones, lovingly called “Squirt” by Grandpa Jerry Lee Gentry, would follow him around the garden meticulously dropping seeds in manicured rows, examining newly sprouted vegetable plants, and scanning the shroud of greenery for bright red strawberries and cherry tomatoes ready for picking.

“The best part about this garden was he had such an abundance of food that he just left his back door open,” said Jones who lived with his father Jones Sr., mom Ingrid Haynes, and older brother, Vazquez Haynes, in neighboring Memphis, Tennessee. “Anyone who needed something could walk up and get it whether it was something for a picnic or because they didn’t have money to buy food at a grocery store.”

Nothing can beat those cherished childhood memories in the garden. They proved to be potent seeds of knowledge that would yield a much bigger harvest, one that would win Jones national recognition. It was in Tunica, he learned that few southern gardens survive without a relentless inspection of enemies.

“Ultimately, we had to tackle this invasive vine species named Kudzu. It just takes over everything and covers everything in your garden,” said Jones. “We had to constantly fight this vine.”

Kudzu is a perennial vine native to Japan. If left alone, its invasion, mostly in the south, prevents the growth of trees and plants, smothering and crushing what’s beneath it. It can cause damage to power lines and overwhelm homes.

Jones and his family moved to the West University area of Houston when he was about 6 years old, but gardening remains a passion.

Now, Jones is a senior at Carnegie Vanguard High School, an academically-challenging public school in Houston for gifted and talented students. Jones applied his Kudzu-hunting experience in an AP Research class. Later, he decided to research computer science competitions and ultimately entered his project into the Apple WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 20

APPLE HQ Winners of the Swift Challenge, including Jones Mays (pictured, second from right) were flown out to Apple headquarters in California and given the opportunity to meet and visit with Apple CEO Tim Cook (center) about their apps.

Swift Student Challenge to design code that would digitally detect the vine.

“The app I created, which is named Ivy, really helped solve this issue by detecting invasive vines, either by location or by uploading an image to the app,” said Jones.

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revailing in the Swift Student Challenge is no small feat. It culminates with the annual Apple World Wide Developers Conference.

Hundreds of young people from around the world test their power of coding to create apps that help solve problems in their communities.

Jones was one of three teens announced as a winner out of 350 students from 40 countries and regions. This summer he was flown to Apple Headquarters in California and introduced to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook.

“For a person who is basically the superstar of tech, he was just so friendly and he was really engaged in our apps. I will never forget the experience,” said Jones. “We didn’t actually know until the day we were there that Tim Cook was coming. When he came up the giant hill with this giant group of helpers and people, I just had to collect myself for a few seconds.”

It’s with that kind of enthusiasm that Jones tackles everything. His father, Jones Mays Sr., says his son has embraced nature his entire life with lots of trials and errors.

“Every time he saw his granddad, his grandad would give him seeds. So when Jones got home he would go out in the backyard and plant the seeds,” said Jones Sr., also into computer science and works as Director of Technology for the nonprofit group Alliance.

“We finally had to give him his own little organized garden area because he would just go out and plant the seeds in the yard and I didn’t know where the seeds were and I would cut the grass and cut his plants down. I would have hell to pay after that.”

Jones stands tall at 6 foot 5 inches, but his hobbies are not what you might assume at first glance. He doesn’t play competitive sports. And, despite his success in the prestigious Apple challenge, he was never into coding. In fact, he didn’t take computer science until high school as an elective and discovered he liked it. His true passion is art: creating art and working at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston as a teen council member.

“My work is mostly abstract expressionistic,” said Jones. “I've started to transition into combining computer science into art. And now I'm really fascinated with kinetic sculptures, typography, and really just movement.”

His dad says there was no secret sauce to bringing up a brilliant, creative, goal-driven kid, but there is one thing he (continued on page 22)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 21

Courtesy of Apple

lawellphoto.com

PLANTING SEEDS Top left: Jones Mays, a senior at Carnegie Vanguard High School, won an Apple top prize for designing an app that identifies invasive vines in gardens. Top right: Winners of the Swift Challenge were flown out to Apple headquarters and given the opportunity to meet and visit with Apple CEO Tim Cook about their apps. Bottom left: Jones’ Grandpa Jerry Lee Gentry working, where it all started, in his community garden in Tunica, Mississippi. Bottom right: Jones with his dad, Jones Mays Sr., who credits his son’s success to his love of nature and inquisitive personality. (continued from page 20) believes made a difference.

“I never ever told him he couldn’t do anything,” said Jones Sr. who was all smiles telling anecdotes about how inquisitive Jones was as a little boy. “I’m a jogger and I had one of those jogging strollers. He would do this thing where he would raise his hand and when he raised his hand it was a signal for me to stop. I would stop and he would get out of the stroller and pick up leaves and rocks and plants and put them back in the stroller.”

It’s one thing to be a good student but Jones’ teachers at Carnegie say this teenager takes his education to a whole different level.

“He’s so interested in every subject, he would WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 22

work like his whole life depended on it,” said Julea Brode, an Algebra II teacher, who taught Jones in his freshman year. “I wasn’t surprised at all when I heard about the award. I thought this is just another ‘Jones thing’… he’s continuing on his journey of being a shining star.”

This summer, Jones is getting the experience of coding camp – as a young adult, helping teach younger kids about coding at a local summer camp called Code Wiz. “I would say to a person to try a multitude of things, because ultimately, you’ll be able to find something that you like,” said Jones. He also toured Stanford while in Silicon Valley and plans to apply there. “I just think that when you

have goals in life and you want to achieve those goals, then you do what’s necessary to try to get there even though you may not achieve them.

Like the saying goes: You shoot for the stars and land on the moon.”

Jones’ prize is a yearlong membership to work with Apple developers. His app, Ivy, will be up and running this summer. But Jones has another reason for getting the app into gardeners’ hands.

“I really want to pay homage to my grandfather, who sadly passed away during the Covid19 pandemic,” said Jones. “I want to pay respect to his legacy and all he taught me.”

It’s clear that those seeds of knowledge will continue to blossom in whatever comes next for Jones.

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lawellphoto.com

FOOD

by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

School Lunches Parents share lunchmaking ideas

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s we head into a new school year, it is time to pull out those lunch boxes and get the grocery lists together. A few Buzz parents recently shared their tips and tricks for easy (and fun) lunchmaking.

“I don’t get fancy with it,” said mom-of-two and interior designer Evan Allen, on making school lunches. Evan has two daughters, Emerson, 7, and Laine, 3. Emerson will start second grade this month at Frostwood Elementary School and Laine will attend Pre-K at Chapelwood School for Young Children.

“I just try to find the things that my kids like, that are easy for me, and healthy for them,” said Evan. This is solid advice to take into consideration this fall.

Evan, a self-proclaimed “non-morning” person, takes a unique approach to preparing lunches for her girls. “Making lunches in the morning is just not an option,” she said.

In fact, Evan and her husband Blake divide and conquer to make lunches in batches. Evan pulls out all the supplies to make lunches on Sunday (one for each child, for the first half of the week). She or Blake makes the second batch on Tuesday or Wednesday for the rest of the week. Emerson buys lunch on Friday, so that takes one off the list.

They store lunches in the refrigerator in a stainless-steel Bentgo Box, a leakproof, compartment-style lunch container (you can pick one up at Target for around $28). She has multiple Bentgo boxes for the batch lunches.

The process helps make their mornings smoother, and Evan saves time on making lunches. “If you already have the sandwich stuff out, you might as well make multiple at one time,” said Evan. “It really takes a lot of the stress out of lunch making.”

In the mornings, Evan simply puts the Bentgo Box container inside an insulated lunch box with a freezer cold pack and tucks it into their backpacks. “I just send them on their way,” she said.

Evan’s neighbor, Ellen Cairns, has three children, Lilly, 7, Natalie, 4, and Bennett, 2. Ellen’s go-to lunch ideas for her girls are turkey and cheese sandwiches, fruit such as strawberries, WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 24

LUNCH BUNCH Neighbors Evan Allen and Ellen Cairns (pictured, from left) have created ways to make school lunches more manageable. Daughters Emerson Allen and Lilly Cairns, both 7, pitch in to help pack their lunches – a fun (and helpful) way to earn an after-school playdate.

blueberries, or mango (the girls’ favorite), chips, carrots, or cucumbers. She adds a sweet treat to their lunches as well.

To pack their lunches, Ellen likes to use the Austin Baby Collection Bento Box (which can also be purchased online at Target.com for around $25). “They are awesome and all silicone,” said Ellen. She lets her kids help sometimes in using some of the fun lunchmaking tools such as cookie cutters for their sandwiches (in shapes she can rotate for holidays, such as bunnies for Easter) and mini cookie cutters for their cucumbers.

Ellen has implemented an idea for snack time that helps give her children a sense of control

in their decision-making. “They have to pack a snack every day for school, so I let them pick out five different snacks on Sunday,” said Ellen.

She puts all five snacks into their snack bag, and at school, they decide which snack they want that day.

These routines help school days run smoothly, even if the lunch box content remains the same day after day. “It is important to remember that kids like routine and it is okay to give them the same thing,” said Ellen. “Sometimes we try hard, and it ends up not working. It is okay,” she said.

Ellen lets Lilly buy lunch at school on Fridays. “You cannot say (continued on page 26)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 25

lawellphoto.com lawellphoto.com

lawellphoto.com lawellphoto.com

lawellphoto.com

LUNCH HACKS Buzz parents including Sarah Jeffery (pictured, bottom right, with rising first-grade daughter Zoe) shared their favorite lunch ideas for the start of school this month. Some easy tips include making sandwiches on thin bread (top left), using cookie cutters to slice sandwiches and cucumbers into fun shapes (bottom, middle), using bento box containers; involving kids in packing their own lunches, like rising Frostwood second graders Emerson Allen and Lilly Cairns (bottom left); and a sweet final touch – a note from Mom or Dad (top right). (continued from page 24) no to pizza Friday at the

school cafeteria,” said Ellen. Another treat for the Cairns and Allen kids is when their moms let them pack their lunches to earn a school playdate. The girls will arrive home from school, asking to play, but they must help make their lunch for the following day before a play date can commence.

Mom-of-three Sarah Jeffery says she tries to make lunches at night as well. She makes her 7-

year-old daughter Zoe’s sandwich on sandwich thins – thin bread that does not have crust and is more kid-friendly.

Sarah and Zoe have created a healthy and easy-to-eat lunch option – pretzel kabobs. “We poke holes through cheese and strawberries and put it on a pretzel,” said Sarah. “Zoe likes putting on the pretzels. It makes her feel part of making her own lunch and she takes ownership of it,” said Sarah.

All three moms say they put one final touch on their kids’ lunches – a special note from mom or dad inside the lunch box. Ellen orders lunch box notes from a company called Scribbled Designs.

“I want to remind her to have a good day,” said Sarah.

Opening their lunch boxes in a busy, loud cafeteria, helps to remember all the love that went into packing their lunch that day.

What’s for lunch?

Easy lunch or snack ideas include: • Sandwiches: Turkey and cheese; nut butter (if peanut butter is not allowed at school, try sun butter); chicken salad. For something different and fun to eat, try a turkey roll-up using a tortilla.

• Vegetables: Carrots, cucumbers, or celery sticks with hummus; or add a side or ranch for dipping.

• Dairy/cheese: String cheese; thick shredded cheese, ask the deli department to “cube cheese” if ordering it from the deli, GoGurt yogurt, or Greek yogurt.

• Fruit: Cut-up berries, mango, bananas, apple slices.

• Other ideas: pretzel sticks, Goldfish, Baked Lay’s chips, WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 26

Sun Chips.

• Extras: Write out a short note to put in their mailbox. Kids enjoy opening up their lunch boxes to a surprise; order their favorite character napkins from Amazon.

• Tip to make it easy: Try to stick with one brand of snack container so all the lids and parts fit together. A favorite brand for containers is Sistema.

• Snack ideas include individually packaged items such as chips and Skinny Pop popcorn, cut-up fruit or vegetables, or a fruit salad.

• Something sweet: Easy ideas for a sweet treat include a few marshmallows, Annie’s Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks, Good & Gather fruit strips or Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats Original Bar.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 27

KIDS

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by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz Baby

Back to School

Buzz Baby is a column about life with babies.

Writer Annie McQueen is a mother of four children 7 and under.

S

ummer flew by, and kids will soon head back to school. For little ones who attend a program like Mother’s Day Out, preschool, or daycare, it is time for parents to start organizing their school gear, planning out snacks and lunches, and emotionally preparing for the big send-off.

Over the summer, a few parents weighed in on their favorite back-to-school gear for their littlest students.

Laura Payne, a baby sign language expert, and former deaf educator is preparing to send her son Bennett, 1 ½, off to Mother’s Day Out this fall and her daughter, Marlowe, 3 ½, to pre-K3. She says it is all about planning early – finding the right school gear and implementing special traditions in the weeks leading up to the school year to help calm any nerves.

To get the kids into the back-to-school spirit, Laura has a tradition she has created. She picks up school-themed books to read to Marlowe and Bennett about a week or two before school starts. Some of their favorites include Bear’s Big Day by Salina Yoon and The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. “We then recite and label those same things from the books when we are at the school to meet the teacher and on the first day of school,” said Laura.

“Even if there are tears on the first day, first week, or even first month, teachers are angels and so nurturing to the jitters.”

Laura has narrowed down the list of favorite school gear. She says she has used lunch boxes, backpacks, and nap mats from the brand Stephen Joseph (which is sold online at places like Wal-Mart and Nordstrom) since Marlowe started school. The brand has dozens of patterns to choose from, so gear can coordinate or be mixed and matched.

This fall, for pre-K3, Laura says she will transition Marlowe to a larger Pottery Barn Kids backpack and the coordinating lunch box. She says Pottery Barn Kids also has a broad selection of matching prints to choose from and you can WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 28

personalize the item with your child’s name or a monogram.

A soft and comfortable nap mat is a clever idea to invest in early on.

Children rest on them at school and can even bring them on family trips or use them at home to cuddle up and watch their favorite cartoons.

Stephen Joseph nap mats roll up and include Velcro for easy storage.

Everything from cups to tiny utensils must be labeled to be sent off to school. Laura orders READY FOR SCHOOL Bennett Payne, 1 ½, will start in a Mother’s Day Out program personalized name this month. Mom Laura says planning ahead to find the right gear helps create a smooth transition. She also reads school-themed books with Bennett and sister labels that are dish- Marlowe, 3 ½, to help calm any nerves. washer safe and compartments and cost around $28 at Target. come in loads of cute colors from a brand called “The Bentgos are my favorite for packing lunchMabel’s Labels. One sheet of lunchbox labels runs es because they are sealed, so fruit juice or dips around $18-$30. They have preschool label kits do not spill into the other compartments.” including name labels for water bottles, a silicone, Some parents like to add a special note in personalized band to use on water bottles. their child’s lunchbox. One Buzz mom recomAnother thing to keep in mind is that kids mended ordering notes from Scribbled Designs. can (and probably will) get dirty at school, durBack-to-school outfits, including monoing lunch or snack time, during arts and crafts grammed shirts, dresses, and ones with apples on projects, or during recess. It is best to plan on them, are a cute idea for those first-day photos. more casual attire for school. Laura sends her No matter what type of gear you decide to get kids prepared for a mess. “I use a plastic zipper your littlest student this month, just enjoy pickpouch to keep an extra change of clothes in ing it all out. Before too long, you will be loading their backpacks, so if anything gets soiled or wet, up on “real” school supplies like pencils and calit is contained to that zippered pouch and does culators. That does not sound like as much fun. not mess up the whole backpack,” she said.

Laura prepares their lunches the night before Editor’s note: See School Lunches: Parents school, and she says that is a “gamechanger” for share their lunchmaking ideas in this issue by Annie her mornings. Her go-to resource for preparing McQueen for more tips and tricks on packing lunches has been the dishwasher-safe Bentgo school lunches. box. They are sealable containers with multiple

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 29

Cindy Burnett

ARTS

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by Cindy Burnett, staff writer

Buzz Reads

Five picks for August

Buzz Reads is a column about books by reviewer Cindy Burnett. Each month, Cindy recommends five recently or soon-to-be released titles.

Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels by Paul Pringle – Bad City is a riveting and horrifying look at the way USC’s administration prioritized the school’s reputation over its students and the surrounding community. In 2016, an LA Times reporter received a tip about a woman who overdosed at a local hotel and the role that Dr. Carmen Puliafito, the dean of USC’s Keck School of Medicine, played in the overdose.

Not aware yet of the can of worms he would ultimately open, Paul Pringle began looking into the event. By the time he was finished several years later, he had exposed corruption at the highest levels at USC and at the LA Times. The dean not only did meth and other drugs regularly himself (and was so sure he would not be punished he videoed and photographed himself doing so), but he befriended women in their 20s and provided them drugs and money. Repeated complaints to USC’s Provost C.L. Max Nikias yielded not even one response except to the editor of the LA Times who then scolded the reporters. Subsequently, Paul and his group learned about a male gynecologist who worked at the student clinic and had been molesting students for decades with no punishment. The reporters then proved that the administration was aware of this behavior as well.

After the stories ran, the group ended up winning a Pulitzer Prize for bringing the second story to light. While it is a tough read at times, Bad City vividly demonstrates the continued importance of investigative journalism.

Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor – Dirt Creek is a slow-burn mystery about the murder of a 12year-old girl in a small town in rural Australia, and the repercussions on the community, its families, and the children living there. The story is told using multiple points of view punctuated by a Greek chorus giving voice to the town’s remaining children. Durton, nicknamed Dirt Creek, is a small town whose residents are hiding numerous secrets. When 12-year-old Esther doesn’t return home after school, Durton’s residents are sent into a tailspin obsessing about how such a thing WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 30

could happen in their town. When the police arrive and begin working the case by organizing searches with local volunteers and interviewing everyone in the town, it quickly WHAT TO READ This month’s picks include an engaging story about adoption becomes clear that and secrets, two page-turning thrillers, historical fiction set in Lisbon, Portugal and Lyon, France during World War II, and a fascinating nonfiction book based on everything is not as scandals at USC. it seems. Scrivenor tentious relationship develops into something weaves an engrossing tale of being in the wrong more, her lies threaten to catch up with her. Mika place at the wrong time, and of how the choices in Real Life had me cheering for Mika as she strugwe make have long-lasting consequences. gled with the weight of her choices, the secrets The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin – The she held, and what it means to be a mother.

Librarian Spy takes place in Lisbon, Portugal and Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian Lyon, France during World War II. Ava works as McAllister – As the book opens, Jen witnesses a librarian at the Library of Congress until she is her 18-year-old son Todd murdering a complete recruited by the U.S. military to spy during World stranger in the middle of the night right in front War II. She is sent to Lisbon to pose as a librarian of their house. Devastated that her son, with while gathering intel for the war effort. whom she is close, has taken someone’s life, Jen Meanwhile, Elaine is working in Lyon helping to cries herself to sleep on her sofa. The following operate a printing press run by the French morning, Jen wakes up anxious to begin underResistance, but the Nazis are frantically searching standing why her son committed this horrific to locate the press and silence the printer. As the crime but instead finds herself not on the mornwar continues, the two women begin communiing after the crime, but the morning before it hapcating through coded messages as they each work pened. Each night she goes to sleep, she wakes up to help the Allies win the war. While many hisfurther back in time. Jen begins to realize that torical fiction books are set during World War II, each day she lands on is teaching her something few address what life was like in Portugal during about the events that lead up to her son’s actions that time period. Since Portugal was neutral duras she continues to search for why this all ing the war, life there was drastically different occurred and, more importantly, search for how than most of Europe, and Martin vividly depicts to stop it from happening. Wrong Place Wrong this in her compelling, heartbreaking, and enterTime is an intelligent and compulsive read that taining tale. kept me turning the pages through all sorts of Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean – Recently twists and turns and is the best thriller that I have fired from her job and single after her last relaread in a long time. tionship blew up, Mika cannot seem to get her life together. When Penny, the daughter she gave Editor’s note: Southside Place resident Cindy up for adoption 16 years ago, contacts her and Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column wants to forge a relationship with her, Mika at thebuzzmagazines.com. She hosts the Thoughts invents a much better life for herself in order to from a Page Podcast, is co-creator of the Houston impress her daughter. What starts out as a white literary event series Conversations from the Page, lie blooms into an entirely new, and fake, exisruns the Instagram account @thoughtsfromapage, tence for Mika. However, when she meets and regularly speaks to groups about books.

Penny’s widowed father and their initially con-

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 31

TRAVEL

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by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer

Travel Buzz

Epic journey reinforces lifelong friendships

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or the fast-moving Jared Clark, it all started with the need to see some national parks that he’d missed on last year’s 16,000-mile road trip in his pickup truck. It ended up being an epic journey neither he nor his lifelong friends would ever forget, taking them to the edge of death.

And that was after the motorcycle he was riding was hit by a truck – and before the massive storm and bridge-busting flood in Yellowstone, which they missed by two days.

The plan was to do it all on the motorcycle – but right before he hit the road, an accident totaled the bike and thankfully left the Trinity University student with only a broken wrist.

“So I was like, well, I would still like to travel this summer, but I guess I'm back to being in the truck,” recalled Jared. “And once I realized I wanted to do this, I was like, ‘Well, I would love to have some company help split costs.’ That was one thing, especially with the rising price of gas. And then I thought it'd be great to have some friends on the trip.”

So naturally he thought of Travis Wu, his fellow ROTC cadet and buddy since Cub Scouts.

Travis was studying at USC and needed to end the trip in LA. But once Travis said yes, they had to invite Richard Salloure. Richard, a recent Texas A&M grad, was the third member of the trio that had palled around since they met at age 5 at Horn Elementary, completing their Eagle Scout projects together for Troop 222.

“Honestly, these two guys are the foundation of my life,” said Travis. “Every time I want to do something adventurous or push myself, these two are always in my life. They’re definitely lifelong friends.”

So the idea of traveling together was a nobrainer. The problem was the size of the truck.

With two bucket seats in front and only a jump seat in back, it would be a tight squeeze, and one that would need to be endured for thousands of miles. But Jared bought a smaller cooler, and his travel companions conceded to taking turns in the jump seat – so they were on.

“I think this trip was an interesting way to test how far we can push ourselves, and it went without a hitch – we had so much fun,” said Travis.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 32

Well, except for the time they almost froze to death in a freak lateMay snowstorm on Colorado’s Mount Elbert, while their families sweltered in 90degree weather in Houston. And except for the pitched battles they waged, three guys in the cab of a small pickup traveling crosscountry – but overall, they agreed, it was a great time.

T

hey called the adventure “Man vs. BRIDGE TO THE WILD From left: Richard Salloure, Travis Wu, and Jared Clark at Nature,” and they left Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park, one of Utah's “Big Five.” on May 17. The first They camped at Lincoln National Forest, and stop was Balmorhea State Park, where they took the next day continued their northward trek. a refreshing dip in the crystalline spring-fed pool White Sands National Park was magnificent, before heading to Guadalupe Mountains with its silky white sands. Next the trio headed National Park in far West Texas. There they for Great Sand Dunes National Park, where they camped after the grueling 10-hour drive from went sledding on the spectacular, 1,000-foot Houston. They got up before dawn and hiked dunes before setting up their camp for the night. the tallest peak in Texas before breakfast.

“Honestly, that was awful,” confessed Travis.

“It’s typically a five-hour climb, but we were “That whole night, while Jared was in his truck really refreshed, so it didn't take us too long,” in a peaceful slumber, me and Richard were getsaid Travis. “I’ve always wanted to say I’ve been ting blasted by sand. We woke up with a thin to the top of Texas. Guadalupe Peak and Mount layer of sand on our faces, and we were like, ‘We Elbert were two of my must-do’s.” need to leave right now.’”

Travis’ goal – indeed, his requirement for the As bad as that was, it was about to get worse. trip – was to climb a Fourteener. That’s mounThey were excited as they set off for tain climber jargon for a peak 14,000 feet or Colorado. To their surprise, it was snowing as over, and at 14,440, Mount Elbert is the tallest they reached Leadville, the closest town to peak in Colorado and the second tallest in the Mount Elbert. Surprising, because it was late Lower 48.

May, and the thermometer in Houston was After climbing Guadalupe Peak, they packed reading 90. “But we were like, well, we’re here,” up and headed for Carlsbad Caverns in neighsaid Jared, so they stocked up on winter gear in boring New Mexico, where they did a tour of Leadville and hit the trail. the caverns – “a great way to cool off after the “We made it within 400 feet of the summit. hike,” remarked Jared.

And unfortunately, I had to turn around because “I went there a long time ago and I don't it was whiteout conditions at the top,” lamented think I really appreciated it,” said Travis. “But Jared. “It was about 9 degrees before the wind once we were down there, it was a different chill, and there were about 20 to 25 mph winds world. It was insane.”

FRIENDS FOR LIFE Top left: Richard, Travis, and Jared met in Cub Scouts and have been best friends ever since. Top right: The friends together at Zion National Park at The Narrows. Bottom: Richard and Jared take a flying leap off a dune at White Sands National Park.

up at the top. It was bad. So we made the decision to turn back around, and it was definitely the right one.”

Jared’s version of the story is quick, like him.

But Travis doesn’t spare any details, and it’s clear the boys were in a dangerous situation.

It was already cold and dark when they got to the campsite, and the food they cooked on their camp stove was cold almost as soon as it left the burner. It was a rough night, especially for Jared, who was sleeping in the truck; Richard and Travis managed to keep from freezing thanks to a little “platonic cuddling,” but Jared didn’t sleep much. Travis got up early and went to check the trail and ran into a guy from Florida, who suggested they hike together for safety, so the four of them joined forces.

“It was okay at first, under the tree line,” recalled Travis. “It was pretty cold, but we were doing fine. And then we hit where the last person had turned around and there was no way we could see the trail. It was covered with two feet of snow. So we had to get creative. All our phones got zapped away by the cold – we had no batteries in any of our phones and so we couldn't navigate on the trails. So we started saying, that looks like it could be a clearing for a trail. And then we were just making the best judgment. It

got a little shifty in terms of what direction we were going.”

“It was definitely guesstimating where the trail was,” added Richard.

“Yeah, it was really cool because I’ve never done any exploratory hikes before and this was definitely the first time we had done it,” Travis continued. “And so we reached a stopping point and we were just trying to get reoriented. And these two guys come from out of nowhere, in the middle of the wilderness, and they’re from Colorado and they’d climbed the mountain before. So we got really lucky that they showed up at the right place at the right time, because we're about to turn around because we were so lost, but turns out we were right on the trail and we didn't even know it.

“We let those two guys lead, and so it was the six of us, and the conditions were just getting worse this whole time.” Here Travis paused and invited Richard to continue.

“I'm the most out of shape out of any of these guys, so I was dying before we even got to the tree line, and we weren’t even close to the hardest point,” said Richard. “But right when we cross the tree line, we kind of give up on trying to find the trail because it switchbacks all the way up, which made the climb way easier. But

we just see the four false peaks and we just beeline for them. Which was extremely more difficult than what the switchbacks take you through. And as you go up, it's getting colder.

The wind's picking up. There were a couple of points where we had whiteout conditions.”

“So fog or snow would roll in and I could not tell the difference between the ground I was standing on and the sky because it was just all white,” said Travis. “And I have to admit, that was kind of disorienting. I've never experienced anything like that before. So we just kept trucking along, Houston boys that lived at zero feet of elevation – being at past 12,000, 13,000 feet, breathing became the most difficult thing ever. We would take like 10 steps and then 10 deep breaths, and it was like that just about all the way up.”

“And we had a little can of oxygen in case we needed it,” Richard chimed in. “And yeah, we really needed that. We would have stopped way before without that oxygen.”

“Yeah,” said an animated Travis. “And you know, seeing Richard, I kind of knew he was done by the tree line, but seeing him constantly, like, keep fighting, I was like, that’s why I’m friends with this guy, because he always pushes himself so hard. And it gave me the motivation (continued on page 34) to keep pushing too.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 33

MAN VS. NATURE Left: Travis, Jared, and Richard make their way to the top of Mount Elbert. Right: The friends huddled around the campfire at their campsite at the base. (continued from page 33)

“So we finally reach the false summit. And Jared starts telling me, ‘I’m feeling sleepy. I’m going to lay down right here.’ And that’s when I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s pretty bad. He’s definitely asphyxiating.’

And Richard had the can of oxygen, and he was just trying to battle his way up the mountain and get us that oxygen.”

Richard jumped in. “I was probably 20 minutes behind because I changed my socks in the middle of the climb up to the peaks. And so they went on and I was changing my socks, which took like 20 minutes because my feet were frozen, so it hurt a lot. And I knew they needed oxygen, but they left it with me. And so I was trying to truck up as quickly as possible, stop as little as I could. Then I got there and Jared was on the ground.”

“Yeah, he was on the ground, and he’s like, ‘I can’t,’” recalled Travis. “Because we reached that false summit. And it was pretty heartbreaking because we reached it, and then you could just see the actual summit, like – what, 150, 200 feet away?”

“Probably like 300,” speculated Richard.

At that point, the two climbers from Colorado decided to turn back, and Jared went with them. Travis, Richard, and the climber from Florida battled on to the top of the false summit, about another 100 feet.

“We were trying to summit,” said Richard. “We wanted to, but right when we got that 100 feet, I think the temperature dropped below zero and all of our CamelBaks, the water in the tubes froze.”

“I mean, it was below zero,” said Travis. “So it was pretty incredible, because that 100 feet was probably the most difficult part of that whole thing. Because the wind absolutely picked up. I mean, it was to the point where it was kind of moving us. And it was just really scary because I had one moment when I was drinking out of my CamelBak just fine. And then maybe a minute later, I couldn't …because it was frozen solid, and all our feet were just frozen. None of us had actual summiting boots, snow boots. We were just wearing army combat boots. So, I mean, they did WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 34

great for as long as they did, but then they froze, and we all decided the safest option would be to turn around. It was pretty hard to turn back, but I think it was safer that we did. And the experience regardless was amazing.”

The trip down was rough – their feet were frozen, they had given everything they had to get to the summit, and it was much further than they had remembered. When they finally made it back, Travis said, “Oh my gosh, I can feel my feet again.’ And we checked the temperature, and it was like 33.”

They caught up with a rested Jared, who was ready to cook a meal over the campfire.

“We were like, ‘Absolutely not. We're not going to cook. We're going to go out to eat.’ We were about done,” said Travis.

“Yeah, because we’d been running down the mountain,” said Richard.

“And then that's when we had our only really serious argument, when we were just trying to take down the campsite,” recalled Travis. “We were just so tired and like, ‘We're getting a hotel, we're getting food.’ We just need a break. And Jared was not on board with that. But we won.”

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he next stop would be one of Jared’s mustdo’s: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, one of six that he needed to be able to say that he had visited all of the national parks in the Lower 48.

“That was a great one,” said Jared. That park can be mostly appreciated from the highway, so after their intense exposure at Mount Elbert, they were happy to appreciate Black Canyon from the relative comfort of the truck.

And then it was on to Utah’s “Big Five:” Canyonlands and Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks. To that lineup they added Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Escalante was among their Utah highlights, with an unforgettable hike down a slot canyon called Spooky Gulch, filled with dark winding passages and one so narrow they had to remove their backpacks in order to squeeze through sideways.

“It was really interesting because we were like, you know, what could be special about this one?” reflected Travis. “And then we'd go and we were like, ‘Wow, yeah, that's pretty impressive.’”

The other Utah standout was Angel’s Landing at Zion National Park. For this one, they had to register in a lottery and pay $7 apiece. Crowding is a major concern on the trail edged by a sheer cliff, where a small number of people typically fall and die every year, park officials told USA Today last year, when they implemented the lottery. Richard got a winning ticket, and with that the three did the hike, which entailed holding onto chains and climbing on the side of a ridge with a thousand-foot drop at their feet. They started before dawn and crested as the sun came up over the peaks.

“That was so easy after everything we had done on the trip,” said Travis. “Usually Angel's Landing is pretty difficult, but I mean, we sailed through that.”

After that, it was time to take a break from the wilderness and immerse themselves in its exact opposite – Las Vegas. For Travis, at least, the whole experience didn’t hold a candle to what they’d just lived.

“What's really funny is that we went to Vegas and it's not a highlight for anyone. Vegas is okay,” he said with a laugh. “And when we went over the last budget and saw that Vegas took half … we were like, ‘Oh, man, that wasn’t even worth it.’”

If they had to do it over again, say Travis and Richard, Vegas wouldn’t be on the list.

That’s where Richard took his leave – he had to head to Virginia for his brother’s wedding – and Fernando López, who had made friends with the three during their years at Bellaire High School, joined them.

Now it was back to the wilderness, with stops in Joshua Tree, east of LA, and Channel Islands, west of LA. They stayed at Travis’ apartment, taking a kayak tour and having some unforgettable encounters with some baby harbor seals.

Finally, Jared and Fernando were on their way, with the mission of hitting Jared’s last three

THE WILD WEST Top left: The tough ascent of Mount Elbert. Top right: Richard (standing) and Jared at Guadalupe Mountains. Bottom left: Fernando and Jared at Yellowstone.

Bottom right: Travis, Jared, and Richard (from left) at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

parks: Great Basin National Park in Nevada, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, and Saguaro National Park in Tucson.

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heir first stop was Yosemite, where they did the Upper Falls Trail. Then they stopped at Mono Lake, with its towering tufa formations.

Then it was north to Lake Tahoe, where they spent a day before heading to Great Basin to do a glacier hike.

The next day they explored a lesser-known part of Nevada – the Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway, which passes through the heart of the Ruby Mountains. There they took a hike and passed the night before heading for Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho.

“That was really pretty,” commented Jared.

“We got to go into some nice caves.”

Then it was off to Yellowstone, just two days ahead of the historic flood waters that “changed the course of rivers, tore out bridges, poured through homes and forced the evacuation of thousands of visitors from the nation’s oldest national park,” as the New York Times wrote on June 15.

Storm damage also led to the closure of Angel’s Landing. “I got really lucky … for both of those,” Jared reflected. They didn’t escape the storm entirely, however, getting caught in a

hailstorm on their way through Grand Teton National Park.

From there they continued south through Utah, stopping in Salt Lake City and touring Temple Square, home to the impressive temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

They headed to Park City, where they were snowed on and enjoyed a tour of an abandoned mine. They continued south, stopping at Arches for Fernando’s first visit to the national park.

They continued southward to Natural Bridges National Monument, and then crossed over into Arizona and meandered through Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, and on to Navajo National Monument. Then they headed for Sedona for a few days.

“That was great,” said Jared. “We did some really awesome hikes there, did a hike through the canyon to get to a really nice swimming hole … and we did some like 30, 35-foot cliff jumps.”

Finally they headed south for their last national park – Saguaro, near Tucson – and then it was time to wind their way home. For Jared, it was a 39-day, 8,200-mile journey.

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he trip had a major impact, but for each one, it was different. For Jared, it was a continuation of last year’s trip, expansive and excit-

ing, with more focus on the Southwest.

For Travis, the trip strengthened his motivation to go after the things he wants – “and right now, I think that's exploring nature… And I feel like this trip reinforced the idea of, `don't make excuses, just do what you want to do.’”

Richard echoed that sentiment. For him, the trip reinvigorated his love for camping. For Fernando, who had never traveled like this and had been immersed in the big city for years, the chance to sleep under the moon, observing the changes in the landscape, the trip was a real eye-opener.

“Living in the forest or just camping out, you really get to take a look at your life from outside,” Fernando continued. “Whatever may be happening in the city, you get to look at it from outside and reflect on it. And it's almost like a chance to reorganize, re-strategize. It’s just taking a break and looking at the baseline of what the world is, you know, just woods and mountains and streams. You really realize, things are all right.”

Editor’s note: Buzz travel columnist Tracy L. Barnett is a Lowell Thomas travel journalism award winner and longtime travel and environmental writer. Email her at info@thebuzzmagazines.com to share your own travel tales.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 35

DINING

by Dai Huynh, staff writer

Chef’s Corner

Lees Den – Houston’s newest speakeasy

hat’s on the menu?” asked Chrisanna Shewbart.

“Broadbent ham and Gouda cheese on Japanese milk bread,” replied executive chef Maria Gonzalez. “Have you tried this ham? It tastes a little like prosciutto. But it’s more affordable, about $90 for an eight-pounder.”

Italian prosciutto runs about $140. Maria read about the dry-cured, hickory-smoked Kentucky ham at the start of the pandemic. She had time to pour over magazines. It was a scary moment.

“I wasn’t sure I would have a job,” said the Art Institute of Houston culinary graduate. Her brown eyes darkened with recollection.

The moment passed, and Maria smiled when LFM – Local Foods Market general manager and wine director Chrisanna launched into pairing food with wine. After six years, their working relationship has grown into an easy-going friendship. At times, they even finish each other’s sentences. The symbiotic connection has resulted in flawless food-and-wine pairings that started when the casual LFM opened last November. Now, their aptitude for this is front and center with the elevated five-month-old Lees Den. After 25 years, Benjy Levit closed his namesake restaurant, and the Houstonian converted the space into a pop-up specialty food market during the Covid restrictions. It sprung roots and morphed permanently into LFM, which spotlights an upscale bodega as well as a laidback menu anchored by daily specials, sandwiches, salads, and bowls. “Just when you think you have it all figured out, it is time to start changing things around,” the restaurateur said.

Benjy expanded his offering with Lees Den, located above LFM and his signature Local Foods sandwich shop. Lees Den is a moniker with multiple connotations. First, it’s a play on Leah, Benjy’s mom. Their hangout was Lee’s Den, a Chinese joint on South Main that has long since closed. Finally, lees are residual yeast cells, byproducts of wine fermentation.

Winemakers say lees add texture and complexity to vino.

The 1,000-square-foot Lees Den with patio seating was once Benjy’s Lounge, then convertWEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 36

Juan Llamas

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CREATIVE COLLABORATION When it comes to food and wine pairing, executive chef Maria Gonzalez (right) and wine director Chrisanna Shewbart (left) say, “What grows together, goes together.” The pair collaborate on the menus for LFM - Local Foods Market and Lees Den.

ed into a catch-all storage space until Benjy tapped Brittany Vaughan of Garnish Designs for the make-over. The end result is wine-centric Lees Den, which banks on growing our curiosity about natural and small-batched wines along with the rising popularity of pairing cocktails with shareable bites. What sets Lees Den apart from many wine bars, however, are the 400-plus competitively priced bottles. Lees Den boasts a retail markup of 50 percent rather than the standard 300-to-500 percent restaurant hike, plus no corkage fee. Also, the all wine-based cocktails are $10 each in an era where most colorful libations are $12 or higher.

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he journey to Lees Den reminds first-timers of a lower Manhattan speakeasy. They can go through LFM and walk up the staircase leading to the hard-to-miss “Bottle Shop” white neon sign, or they can enter the side of the

building on 2424 Dunstan Road through a nondescript door under a signage awning that leads to another stairwell.

“Are we in the right place?” asked a 30-something, wide-eyed fashionista with her stylish BFF in tow.

“Keep going up. You’ll get there,” replied a silver-haired financial advisor, who had just had dinner at Lees with his wife.

The pairs can see a bustling room lined with red brick walls and charming chartreuse green velvet banquettes through a brass ship porthole.

Despite its diminutive size, this quirky, eloquent space feels breezy, thanks to wall-to-wall windows overlooking Rice Village, high acoustic wood-slat ceilings, brass lighting, and cane-andrattan furniture that conjures up Ernest Hemingway and an island ex-pat vibe.

Here, the mostly female staff zipped by with fresh seasonal crudos, tender sesame ginger

Jenn Duncan

Shannon O’Hara

LEES DEN Left: Veteran restaurateur Benjy Levit. Right: An array of shareable bites at Lees Dens from sesame ginger meatballs with peanut sauce, forbidden rice balls with lion’s mane mushroom and shichimi togarashi aioli, and seared steak with classic French potato puree and red wine reduction.

meatballs, and a steak-and-potato combo reminiscent of legendary chef Joël Robuchon’s famous butter-rich creamy mashed potatoes.

The menu is compact, with 14 seasonal bites and eight cocktails. This is intentional to cut down on the guesswork for guests. Chef Maria and sommelier Chrisanna have perfectly paired each dish with a cocktail or wine.

“Chrisanna and Maria have a shared vision,” said their boss, Benjy. “Maria is tenacious and passionate. She is self-motivated (while) Chrisanna is driven. She genuinely is interested in teaching others about wine.”

Maria approaches food in the same way.

When the native Houstonian chats about ingredients, she gets specific. For example, it isn’t just cinnamon but one from Vietnam that gives a little heat to savory dishes.

“It’s almost spicy. I use it a lot in my food,” she said, offering her pâté as an example. “I like cinnamon in savory dishes. It’s familiar.”

Growing up in a large Mexican family, Maria and her three sisters learned to cook by watching her grandmother and great-grandmother, who added cinnamon to desserts, soups, and stews.

“My ideal pairing with the pâté is brut rosé,” Chrisanna said. “For a cocktail pairing, I suggest the Champagne Cocktail with a raw sugar cube, rose and grapefruit bitters, brut rosé, and grapefruit zest. The acidity cuts through the richness while the slow dissolve of the sugar cube evolves as your palate adjusts to the nuanced flavors of the pâté. I love the way the cinnamon and grapefruit complement each other.”

Another dynamic duo is Maria’s Better Than Sex Cake, aka Robert Redford Cake on the menu, paired with Chrisanna’s Port & Tonic

cocktail, or a medium oak-aged, berry-forward Rhône Grenache wine.

Robert Redford Cake For chocolate cake: 3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 ¼ cups cocoa powder 2 tablespoons baking powder 2 tablespoons baking soda 3 ¼ teaspoons salt 6 ½ cups sugar, plus extra to coat cake pans 2 1/8 cups room temperature water 2 1/8 cups milk 1 cup canola oil 2 1/8 cups boiling water For caramel mousse: ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Okinawa or regular brown sugar ¼ cup water 4 tablespoons unsalted Plugra butter 4 cups heavy cream, divided 1 tablespoon vanilla paste 3 gelatin sheets (see note) For coconut sauce reduction: 1 (13 oz.) can of coconut milk 2 cups soy milk 3 cups sugar For chocolate cocoa nibs crunch: 1 1/8 cups semisweet chocolate 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ cup cocoa nibs 4 tablespoons Maldon salt Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a stand mixer, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar for two minutes. Slowly add room temperature

water, milk, and canola oil to form a paste consistency. Reduce speed, add boiling water, and continue to mix, occasionally scraping the sides, until a creamy consistency is created.

Spray two 8-inch leakproof cake pans with removable bottoms with nonstick spray and lightly coat the pans with sugar, which will form a delicious, light crust while baking. Divide the cake mixture into the two cake pans and bake for 45–50 minutes. When the cakes are done, allow them to cool slightly, then pop the cakes out of the pans. Chill the cakes overnight to make them easier to split into layers.

The caramel mousse also should be made a day ahead of time and allowed to cool and set in the refrigerator overnight. In a sauce pot, bring white sugar, brown sugar, and water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10–15 minutes. Remove from heat, then add butter and half of the heavy cream. Return the pot to the stove, and over low heat, add vanilla paste and gelatin sheets. Stir to mix and once sugar and gelatin melt, remove from the stove, cover the pot with a lid or aluminum paper, and store in a refrigerator overnight to set.

To make the coconut sauce reduction, combine coconut milk, soy milk, and sugar in a sauce pot over low heat. Stir and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove from the stove and allow coconut sauce to cool in the refrigerator overnight.

For the chocolate cocoa nibs crunch, microwave semisweet chocolate and olive oil in a microwave-proof bowl until smooth. Evenly spread melted chocolate about ¼-inch thick onto parchment paper. Be careful not to spread it too thin. Sprinkle cocoa nibs and sea salt.

Transfer to the freezer to cool and set overnight.

When you’re ready to assemble the cake, whip the remaining (continued on page 38) WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 37

Juan Llamas

Jenn Duncan

PERFECT PAIRINGS Left: Wine with homemade Lees salad with marinated peaches and aged mozzarella, Japanese milk bread with whipped European butter topped with trout roe caviar, and Benjy’s hurricane popcorn with milk-bar croutons. Right: Robert Redford Cake, aka Better Than Sex Chocolate Cake. (continued from page 37) heavy cream into the

caramel mousse with a stand mixer until soft peaks form. Set aside in the refrigerator or a cool place.

Now, slice the two cakes with a serrated knife into four layers. Place one layer in an 8-inch cake pan with a removable bottom. Poke holes in the cake with a toothpick then spread 2 ounces of coconut reduction on top. Gently spread an even layer of caramel mousse on top of that. Place each cake layer on top of the other and repeat this process. You can make either a

three- or four-layer cake. Use either whipped cream or the remaining caramel mousse to frost the cake. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes 10–14 servings.

Note: You’ll need to soften the gelatin sheets (called blooming) in a cold liquid, e.g., water, wine, or fruit juices. For this recipe, submerge the sheets in cold water for five minutes, or until malleable, springy, and jelly-like.

Port & Tonic Cocktail 2 ounces Dow’s White Port

1 (6.8-ounce) bottle of Fever-Tree Tonic Water 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns 1 slice fresh grapefruit In a highball glass, add ice cubes, port, tonic water, and peppercorns. Stir and top with a slice of fresh grapefruit. Makes 1 serving.

Editor’s note: Buzz dining columnist Dai Huynh is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and longtime Houston-based restaurant writer.

For Summer, Think Orange Wine and More If you’re feeling adventurous with vino, here are three styles Maria and Chrisanna recommend trying this summer.

Orange Wine dates back 6,000 years. But few have heard of this alternative to rosé, a summer superstar that sells by the millions.

Now orange wine is catching on with its wide range of beautiful sun-kissed hues – from orange sherbet to a russet Texas sunset.

Orange wine is made with white grapes with more skin contact time than white wine, while rosé is made with red grapes with less skin contact time than red wine.

Orange wines’ flavor, aroma, and body vary. The longer that juice and skins stay in contact, the more robust red-wine characteristics while retaining the high acidity unique to white grapes. Maria described orange wine as refreshing, the perfect pool wine.

Chrisanna partnered Lees Den’s crudo and grouper with it. At home, try a bottle of Ovum Ramato with prosciutto and melon or Wheat Thins with goat cheese.

Salty Wine sounds strange, but salt is a wine flavor profile. It’s just not talked about much until recently, Maria said. However, drinkers are looking beyond traditional flavor profiles, and salty wine can give palates a pleasant jolt, especially with raw oysters or coastal-inspired dishes. There are several reasons for the briny WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 38

notes. One is geography. Grapes in vineyards near the ocean soak up maritime air. Chrisanna’s favorite is Ovum Big Salt. This Rieslingand-Gewürztraminer blend from Oregon starts with florals and aromatics that fool you into thinking it might be fruity, but it finishes with beautiful salinity and acidity.

Pét-Nat Wine is pétillant naturel, or naturally sparkling. The French refer to this process as méthode ancestral. You might see it on the wine list as an “ancestral” wine because it is one of the oldest methods of producing sparkling wine. Unlike French Champagne, Italian Prosecco, and Spanish Cava, pét-nat wine goes through a single fermentation rather than a double fermentation. Actually, it is bottled even before the fermentation process is finished, producing a soft fizzy, low-alcohol wine with subdued sweetness.

At the store, you can tell a pét-nat by its crown cap closure, like an old-fashioned Coca-Cola. A few have both crown and cork. Pétnat exhibits calmer, silkier bubbles that are almost foamy. The wine can range from dry, crisp, salty, and tart to yeasty, sweet, and fruity.

Chrisanna’s pick – the Unico Zelo Sea Foam from Australia – is citrusy, salty, and foamy. It’s delicious with barbecue chicken, watermelon, and Filipino food.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 39

SPORTS

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by Todd Freed, staff writer

SportzBuzz I

t was a one-of-a-kind reunion for a pair of former Strake Jesuit baseball players when the Texas Longhorns faced Notre Dame in the opening game of the College Baseball World Series. On the Texas side, the Longhorns lineup included starting shortstop and Class of 2020 Strake Jesuit graduate Dylan Campbell, while Notre Dame pitcher Will Mercer graduated from Strake Jesuit in 2018.

“It was really great to see two of our former players at that level especially in the College World Series,” said Strake Jesuit baseball coach Raul Garcia-Rameau. “It also says a lot of good things about our baseball program here at Strake Jesuit. Both those guys were tremendous high school players and they have continued that type of success in college.”

The Crusaders duo played together at Strake Jesuit for one season when Campbell was a sophomore and Mercer a senior. “I remember Will as one of our top guys on the mound who was a great competitor with a real mindset to win,” said Campbell. “Our paths separated for three or four years and now to be playing each other in the College World Series is pretty special.”

“Even though we only played together for one year at Strake Jesuit, I’ve known Dylan a long time,” said Mercer. “He played on my friend’s little brother’s traveling team and it’s awesome to now see him playing on the biggest stage in college baseball. For us to be there at the same time representing Strake Jesuit was especially cool.”

“When I look back on it, I remember all the great times I had at Strake Jesuit,” added Mercer.

“I’m still friends with most of the guys I played with back then and I’ll never forget our playoff run my sophomore season. Coach GarciaRameau continues to do an excellent job with the program.”

As for the reunion in Omaha against his former high school teammate, Mercer’s Fighting Irish got the better of Texas with Notre Dame defeating the Longhorns 7-3. While Mercer didn’t pitch in that game, he did have an outstanding outing later in the World Series with three and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief in an elimination game against Texas A&M. The WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 40

game turned out to be Mercer’s final pitching outing as a senior; however, he will be back on the mound for Notre Dame next season while pursuing his Master’s in Business Analytics with a concentration in Sports Analytics.

Campbell will return to Texas for his junior season as one of the heroes who helped the Longhorns get to the College World COLLEGIATE CRUSADERS It was a special reunion for former Strake Jesuit Series.

Against Crusaders Dylan Campbell (left) and Will Mercer (right) when the Texas Longhorns faced Notre Dame at the College Baseball World Series. Campbell graduated in 2020 East Carolina in a and Mercer graduated in 2018. super-regional this summer’s TAPPS Sand Volleyball State elimination game, Campbell connected on an Tournament at the Game On Sports Complex eighth-inning game-tying home run, and then in Fort Worth. in the ninth inning he had a walk-off run-scor“It was so exciting,” said Tackett. “Many of ing single to give the Longhorns a dramatic 9-8 the other schools sent several teams to the state victory. “It was a hard-fought game with a lot of tournament, but Madi and I were the only team emotions,” said Campbell. “We knew we were representing Second Baptist. I’ve come close to never out of it even when trailing 7-2 in the sevwinning state in other sports, but this was my enth inning. We kept fighting and were able to first state championship.” pull it off.” Texas would then beat East Carolina While winning the state tournament, the again a night later to earn its College World Second Baptist duo beat out a field of 32 teams, Series berth. while going a perfect 6-0 in their matches to Next season, Campbell and Mercer both capture the state title. “The great thing about expect big things for their respective teams, sand volleyball is the relationship with your although the odds of them meeting up again in partner. There’s excellent communication in a the College World Series seems somewhat two-on-two game and you’re involved in every remote. Regardless, it’s a sure bet that the players rally,” added Tackett. are an immense source of pride back home for the entire Strake Jesuit community.

Editor’s note: Todd Freed is the host and executive producer of H-Town High School Sports, he high school volleyball season doesn’t tip which airs Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on CW39 off until later this month, but that didn’t and Monday-Thursday on AT&T SportsNet keep the Second Baptist duo of sophomore Madi SW. To submit high school sports news for possiHobbs and junior Riley Tackett from already ble inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email winning a state title in volleyball. Hobbs and todd@thebuzzmagazines.com.

Tackett went undefeated while finishing first in

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WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 41

SPORTS

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by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

SportzBuzz Jr. W

elcome to SportzBuzz Jr., a column spotlighting neighborhood athletes in elementary and middle school.

Just keep swimming The Bellaire Barracudas Swim Team had an excellent 2022 season, with a total of 220 swimmers and every single coach a former Barracuda. Kinsley Sirmans, Zoe Cheng, Emersen Sud, and Madelyn Melville (pictured, from left), all rising fifth graders at Condit Elementary School, celebrated a firstplace win in the medley relay. The girls were on the 9-10-year-old girls medley relay team and won first place at their swim meet against the Willow Wahoos. Kinsley swam the breaststroke, Zoe swam the freestyle, Emersen swam the backstroke, and Madelyn swam the butterfly. Their head coach was Sophie McCollum.

Undefeated The Houston Youth Lacrosse Association 4U (made up of fourth and third graders) Hornets went undefeated this season going 20-0 and capped off their season by winning the Double Elimination Greater Houston Lacrosse City Championship held in Magnolia. The Hornets excelled in winning possession of the face-off and were anchored by a strong defense and a balanced scoring attack. The team was coached by Mark Machado and Justin Rich. The Houston Youth Lacrosse Association offers youth lacrosse for boys and girls in and around the 610-loop area including West University and Bellaire. Pictured (top row, from left) are Coleman Hill, Stefan Ljuboja, Jonah Ashcroft, Hudson Rich, Henry Hamner, Gray Johnson, Koa Wong, Major Frye, Joey Knysh, Ory Barton, Ford Prescott, and Zach Peters, (bottom row, from left) Ethan Narcisse and Grant Summers, and (not pictured) are Winn Pritchard and Zach Wellins.

Kickball tradition Condit Elementary School students participated in the school’s traditional fourth- vs. fifth-grade kickball tournament. Physical Education teacher, Coach William Johnson, served as both pitcher and umpire for the tournament. A total of 30 students from each grade were divided up into teams of 10 and played three games of kickball that afternoon. Condit teachers, parents, siblings, and students from every grade level came out to cheer on the kickball players. For some students, it was the first time they had played kickball but they quickly learned the intricacies of the game.

Although the games were close, the fifth graders prevailed – winning all three kickball games. After the tournament, all the players celebrated with ice cream. Pictured (from left) are Kieran Harris, Jack Staller, Simon Rose, Charlie Dabney, Evan Cohen, and Jack Main.

Editor’s note: Send your best high-resolution photos and behind-the-scenes stories about young local athletes, in both team and individual sports, to SportzBuzz, Jr. at info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Include all contact info, names, ages, grades and schools. Featured athletes must live in Buzz-circulation neighborhoods. Items will be published on a space-available basis.

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MORE THAN A DAY Aarush Dey, a seventh grader at St. John’s, wrote this poem for Earth Day, but hopes that it inspires people to respect the Earth year-round.

KIDS

by Aarush Dey, age 13

Buzz Kidz

Honoring Earth every day

Earth Day Imagine a world Lush fields of green grass Rolling waves nudging a beach Triumphant mountains sprinkled with dovewhite snow Clans of trees, bundled up together Yawning canyons waking from their deep sleep A world we have to imagine Earth provides us, nurtures us, and lets us be free She trusted us, with new innovations, new forms of recreation, and new ways to please us.

What she didn’t do was hurt us, or desert us, or make us impure.

We did.

We turned on her.

We polluted her.

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We resented her.

We didn’t CARE for her.

Yet still she forgives us.

She gives us ripe red apples, friendly little animals, and stone cold caves that gave us shelter.

She blessed us with wild creatures that we made extinct. The Dodo bird, the Wooly mammoth, and even the Great White Rhinoceros.

We only cared for ourselves.

Our evil landfills, full of broken promises.

There is only one way to truly help mother earth.

Once a year, there is this magnificent day.

When we honor Earth, and give her our pay. We reuse, reduce, and recycle as much as we can.

We don’t use plastic bags, don’t eat too much meat, and don’t keep the water running.

Earth deserves that every single day.

Earth deserves to be pampered with love and affection. Earth deserves to be cradled by her children that have abused her for centuries.

Earth deserves to see her creations in harmony with one another, not fighting wars and terrorizing each other.

Earth Day is a day to celebrate Earth’s beauty and to remind us again how lucky we are to have Earth as our planet.

Want to be a Buzz Kid? Email approximately 350 words, a high-resolution photo and caption to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.

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Conflict of interest rules A small town that can’t support one lawyer can always support two.

Ba dum tsh.

As your punishment for laughing, allow me to analyze the joke using the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. In plain English, one lawyer can’t represent opposite sides of the same fight, but two sure can.

Rule 1.06 prohibits a lawyer from (1) representing opposing parties in the same matter, (2) representing a person in a matter directly adverse to another client’s interests, and (3) representing a person whose interests are adverse to the firm or attorney. The rule reaches other lawyers in the same firm: if an associate on the 9th floor can’t do it, then neither can a partner on the 10th.

There’s no exception when opposing parties litigate: the same lawyer cannot represent both sides. For transactions, Rules 1.06 and 1.07 permit joint representation with informed consent, but only if the lawyer reasonably believes the representation of each client would not be materially affected. This enables husband and wife to use the same lawyer for estate planning, or co-executors to use the same firm for estate administration. It is not a get-out-of-jail-free card, though. If a conflict arises and joint representation becomes improper, the lawyer may have to fire everyone.

To muddy the waters, there are conflicts, and then there are conflicts.

Rule 1.06(b) talks about a “substantially related matter” and interests that are “materially and directly adverse.” Dad dies, and everyone approaches Dad’s lawyer for advice. Heirs to the same fortune are materially and directly adverse if they are in different classes, e.g., stepmom versus Dad’s children,

if she alone bears all the expenses of administration. If they are in the same class, e.g., the only distributees are children that share equally, one lawyer may be able to represent them all. The analysis is much more relaxed during Dad’s lifetime. Until he dies, no one’s an heir, and competing hopes and dreams don’t count.

It’s common, expected, and almost encouraged that spouses and children use the same lawyer for their own estate plans. Go figure.

The conflicts rules protect clients after the work is done, and even survive death. Rule 1.09 addresses former clients, and, absent consent, prohibits the lawyer from switching sides if (i) the new client questions the work for the former client, e.g., attacking a will the same lawyer wrote, (ii) the former client’s confidential information could be jeopardized, or (iii) the same or a substantially related matter is involved.

Two lawyers don’t take over a small town: they divide it between themselves.

We write wills and go to probate court. Foreign nationals and international families welcome.

Russell W. Hall, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Board Certified – Estate Planning and Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 6750 West Loop South, Suite 920, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.662.3853, bellaireprobate.com/blog

SHOWCASE HOUSTON’S SKYLINE

FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY FOR YOUR HOME OR OFFICE

Order online at michaelhartfineart.com Michael Hart Photography • 713.271.8250 WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 45

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Neighborhood Tails Humphrey, age 9, Shih Tzu, Jarrard St. Grrrrrrr— Oh it’s you. Well hello, my name is Humphrey. My mommy named me after the super-suave Humphrey Bogart because she loves Casablanca. She didn’t expect me to take on his aloof personality, but here we are. You’ll have to excuse my grumpiness. I’m a bit peeved because my parents decided to bring a new roommate into the house without asking me for my permission. Apparently he’s my human brother, but I don’t really see the resemblance. For the first few months he was kind of a crybaby, so mommy and daddy were giving him a lot of extra attention. However, after spending more time with him, I realized that we have a lot in common, from hating sunlight to throwing our heads back whenever our parents pick us up. He also turned me onto a great new show called Curious George that we should totally watch together, so let me know if you’re free!

Got a cute critter? Email a picture of your pet with approximately 150 words to info@thebuzzmagazines.com or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.

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Oral health and toddlers The incidence of dental decay among American children is on the rise. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 30-40% of 3year-old children have at least one cavity and 50% of children ages 5-6 will have at least one cavity by the time they begin elementary school.

It has been reported that children with poor oral health are 4 times more likely to miss school and had a higher chance of poor school performance than children with good oral health. The good news is the majority of dental decay is preventable with regular dental care beginning at an early age. Because the relationship between good dental health and good overall health has been well-established, professional dental care is equally as important as well baby checkups. By establishing a dental home for your child by age one, behaviors and habits that may put your child at risk for early childhood dental decay can be identified before dental decay begins. Begin the new school year with a renewed commitment to maintaining your child’s dental health. With 30 years of experience, Dr. Joel J. Vela and his team of caring dental health professionals are experts at creating a calm environment for even the most anxious child. For more information on establishing a dental home for your child, feel free to contact our office.

Bellaire Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Joel J. Vela, 6750 West Loop South, Suite 795, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.661.1100, www.bellairesmiles.com

Call to reserve your senior portrait session now.

A Portrait Remembers 713.523.4916 • nikky@lawellphoto.com • www.lawellphoto.com WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 46

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Allergies in older adults In April 2017, the AARP Bulletin wrote about allergies, and since it’s an AARP publication, it focused on adults age 50 and over. Before the 1990s, it was taught that allergy was an ailment of the young and usually got better as one became older. Further, it was thought that older individuals didn’t suddenly “become allergic.” Since the 1980s, though, the prevalence of allergy has increased in all age groups. It is now known that one can develop allergies at any age.

Just as treatment is different in children than it is in adults, a great deal of caution goes into considering therapeutic options in older adults. For instance, oral decongestants, such as Sudafed, are more likely to cause side effects in older adults (e.g., high blood pressure, insomnia, irritability, and/or rapid heart rate). Sudafed PE is much safer. It doesn’t contain any “Sudafed” (pseudoephedrine) at all; rather, it contains phenylephrine, a much milder decongestant. Antihistamines, such as Zyrtec, Benadryl and Xyzal, can make you sleepy. Claritin and Allegra are less likely to cause sedation. Of further concern about sedating antihistamines is that long-term use may increase the risk of dementia. The only antihistamine NOT on that list is Allegra (even Claritin is sedating and with anti-cholinergic effects at higher doses). Generic Allegra (fexofenadine) is much less expensive and works just as well for about 95 percent of our patients. Costco sells it as “AllerFex,” and Walgreens as “Wal-Fex”.

Nasal steroids are usually tolerated better than any of the oral medications because a much smaller dose of medicine is required to be effective since the medicine is applied directly to the nose. But some nasal steroids cause

nosebleeds; original Flonase is most likely to cause a bloody nose. Two other over-the-counter nasal steroids, Flonase Sensimist and Rhinocort Allergy, are less likely to cause a bloody nose.

One treatment that works well in younger and older patients is allergy shots. Once we identify what you are allergic to, we can use allergy shots, or immunotherapy (IT), to make you less allergic.

As opposed to medications listed above, which just treat your symptoms, IT is disease modifying.

IT teaches your body’s immune system to ignore the dust mites, cat dander or tree pollen that can cause “false alarms” in the allergic. A word of caution about IT, though: many so-called allergists are not board certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology, and don’t use optimal doses of allergens in their recipes. All four allergists at The Allergy Clinic and Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic are not only board certified by ABAI, but maintain that certification on an annual basis.

No one nose allergies like we do.™ Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board-certified allergist to address individual medical needs.

David B. Engler, M.D., The Allergy Clinic, 7707 Fannin, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77054, 713.797.0993, *1200 Binz, Suite 1400, Houston, Texas 77004, 713.522.9911, www.allergyclinic.com, *Operating as Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic

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NEIGHBORS

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by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

Buzz About Town Honoring survivors

Clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades

Vanessa Ames, Iva Knobbe, Luvi Wheelock, Brooke Lee, and Andrea Espinosa (pictured, from left) joined more than 400 other guests at CanCare’s survivorship luncheon at the Westin Memorial City. Event chairs Jordan Seff and Kelley Lubanko led the successful event that raised more than $300,000. Emcee and cancer survivor Frank Billingsley of KPRC Channel 2 spoke to the crowd about the importance of CanCare’s significance in the cancer community. Healthcare honoree and speaker Dr. Ishwaria Subbiah, oncologist and palliative care and integrative medicine physician, shared stories about cancer treatment during the pandemic and thanked CanCare for supporting those affected by cancer. The traditional candle-lighting ceremony filled the room with candles as a remembrance for loved ones impacted by cancer, and donors received a bell to ring, symbolizing the end of cancer treatment.

The Charity Guild of Catholic Women opened their 2022-2023 year with the June General Meeting. President Elizabeth Jordan (pictured, on left) recognized the Charity Guild 29ers Bridge Club, celebrating 25 years of supporting the Guild through dues and donations. In the absence of the club director Gayle Longmire, Linda Schneider (pictured, on right) delivered Gayle's short history of the 29ers. After the meeting, social chair Janet Cavanaugh featured the bridge theme throughout the refreshment room to continue honoring the 29ers.

Preparing for the 20th annual Mint Julep

Daniel Ortiz

Lou Rosenfeld (pictured, on left) pulled off the perfect surprise for her husband, Dr. Buddy Rosenfeld (right). Around 100 friends and family members gathered at Evelyn’s Park and waited for their arrival to shout “surprise!” and celebrate Buddy’s 80th birthday. Lou had him convinced they were meeting some friends for dinner, and he was stunned to find the crowd waiting for him.

His favorite part of the party was seeing so many of their friends who they didn’t realize also knew each other. Guests Christine and Dr. James Chuong ran into their son’s former preschool teacher Becky Abell. They had not seen each other in about 20 years, but instantly recognized each other and enjoyed reconnecting. When it

was time to blow out the candles, Buddy found 80 of them spread between two different cakes.

One cake was chocolate-chocolate-chocolate, and the other was blueberry so the healthy people could at least say they were eating fruit. Buddy indulged in both options.

Michelle Watson

Blue Whisper Photography

Happy 80th birthday, Buddy

Cyndy Garza Roberts and Chree Boydstun (pictured, from left) enjoyed a festive afternoon at the River Oaks home of Richard Werner and his partner Tony Bravo to kick off the 20th annual Mint Julep event benefitting Legacy Community Health Services. The Sunday-afternoon event was full of merriment, singing, and dancing to celebrate the first in-person cabaret show in more than two years. Along with Legacy’s chief executive (continued on page 50) WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 48

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greeted guests at the door who were then treated to cocktails and a buffet. Guests all looked forward to this year’s event, An Afternoon at Moulin Rouge, honoring retired Legacy chief executive Katy Caldwell and longtime Legacy supporters Domenic Cusano and Felicia aka Scarlett St. John. The legendary Houston LGBTQ event and Legacy’s signature summer show, Mint Julep, entertained guests with an afternoon of big hair, outrageous outfits, and fabulous performances.

Jordan Scheiner Photography

(continued from page 48) Bobby Hilliard, Boydstun

Rita Davis

Setting a positive example

Committee, including WUES wraparound specialist Brian Castle, campus technologist Caryn Barron, PTO president Robyn Goldstein, PTO Positive Behavior Program committee chair Laura Hobeika, and PTO members Amanda Harmon Cooley and Sarah Nelson.

The Junior League is better together

The Junior League of Houston

West University Elementary School (WUES) third-grade teacher Megan McClintock and students Maddie McClintock, Alexa Clark, and Abby McClintock (pictured, from left) attended the school’s first annual Positive Behavior Program reception. The social-emotional development program was created to recognize students who display traits like forgiveness, respect, and perseverance throughout the school year.

Each month, artists from the school community created canvases that displayed a positivebehavior characteristic, and teachers nominated students who demonstrated that characteristic.

The program is led by the Positive Behavior

The Junior League of Houston announced its 2022-2023 executive committee and revealed the theme for the year: Better Together. The gavel passing took place at The Junior League of Houston as the 2021-2022 president Jennifer Scheifley Roberts welcomed newly elected president Anne Sears and the executive committee into their new roles. Anne Sears introduced her theme in recognition of Junior League members who have remained dedicated to its mission and the community throughout the past two years of unprecedented challenges.

Members of the 2022-2023 executive committee of The Junior League of Houston are (pic-

tured from left): president-elect Amanda Hanks Bayles, membership vice president Emily Shushtari, recording secretary Courtney Durham, president Anne Sears, development vice president Megan Anson, financial vice president Sydney Goss, and community vice president Tamra Wilkerson.

Sisters for life Houston Alumnae Panhellenic Association and Foundation held its 36th annual scholarship celebration and luncheon at the Junior League of Houston. During the “Forward in Friendship” event, Cathy Coers Frank (Chi Omega) was installed as the HAPA president for the 20222023 year, and Erin Hasbrouck (Delta Zeta) was welcomed as the HAPF (Foundation) president. Scholarship selection chairman Jessica Forsdick (Alpha Phi) and vice chair Merry Adamcik (Delta Zeta) conducted the scholarship award presentation, awarding $66,100 in scholarships for the coming academic year to 21 sorority women attending universities in Texas and throughout the United States. The 20222023 HAPF scholarship winners are (top row, from left): Danielle Ferguson (Alpha Delta Pi), Taylor Cao (Alpha Delta Pi), McKenna Callahan (Alpha Xi Delta), Camryn Miller (Alpha Omicron Pi), and Jazmin Lipp (Gamma Phi Beta); (bottom row, from left): Ana LainezNunez (Delta Gamma), Melanie Raley (Kappa Kappa Gamma), Emma Raley (Kappa Kappa Gamma), Emma Shaw (Phi Mu), and Rebecca Hernandez (Chi Omega).

Scholarship dreams come true The San Francisco Nativity Academy of Houston (SFNA) held its seventh annual luncheon, Path to the Dream, chaired by Aileen and Andy McCormick. SFNA raised funds to provide 20 students full scholarships to attend the non-tuition based private Christian school that serves low-income students and families of all faiths and cultures. During (continued on page 52) WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ AUGUST 2022 50

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Daniel Ortiz

(continued from page 50) the luncheon, first-grade

students performed the song "A Million Dreams" from The Greatest Showman. Guest Anthony Blake, a litigation attorney and board chair at St. Andrew’s Nativity School in Portland, shared how the formative years of middle school at St. Andrew’s Nativity shaped and prepared him to be the man he is today. Pictured are (from left): Lori Gallagher and Curtis Huff, David Harvey, Dawn Koenning, Emili Jaime, Margie Harris, Esmeralda Garfias, April Bailey, Meredith McCrary, and Mallory Peterson.

Pursuing excellence The Center for Pursuit president and CEO Charles C. Canton, Carlos De Aldecoa Bueno, Isabel and Ignacio Torras, and Chef Luis Roger (pictured from left) joined guests at River Oaks Country Club for the annual Center for Pursuit luncheon. This year’s event, chaired by Tracey and John L. Buckley, celebrated the recent merger between The Center for Pursuit and Social Motion Skills, Inc. The newly combined organization will establish a synergistic progression of services for children to adults with intel-

lectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), autism, and other similar conditions. With a “centered on the future” theme, the luncheon honored Social Motion Skills, Inc. founder Wendy K. Dawson and trial lawyer and community advocate Alistair Dawson. Attendees heard from president and CEO Charles C. Canton on the mission of The Center, the future of their new $55 million campus in Houston’s East End, and the merger with Social Motion Skills, Inc. Be seen in Buzz About Town. Send your high-res photos and community news to info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

Items are published on a space-available basis. Also share your upcoming-event listings on thebuzzmagazines.com.

Daniel Ortiz

An evening of dollhouses

ing cancer care in the Texas Medical Center.

Tickets are available at petitemaisongala.com.

Houston interior designer Alexandra Killion is debuting the first annual La Petite Maison gala on Sept. 7 at The Junior League of Houston. The festive evening will be centered around a collection of one-of-a-kind dollhouses created by an allstar lineup of builders, architects, and designers.

For two weeks leading up to the event, the eight dollhouses will be on display in exclusive luxury retail and restaurant locations around the city.

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NEIGHBORS

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by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Back Porch

Rise and shine

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W

riting a story about how to get up and out of bed with the sunrise feels somewhat duplicitous. I mean, I love my bed. It’s one of my favorite places to be, and I don’t like leaving it in the morning.

When I mentioned this topic to my father, here was his response: “You have got to be kidding me! [In high school], neither Mom nor I would dare go into your room to try to wake you.

Trying to get you going was downright dangerous.

In retrospect, I should have used an air horn.”

Being the author of this story is like being a therapist who needs therapy.

Still, I can dream (pun intended). I want to be a morning person, one of those who hops out of bed ready to slay the day. I want to be someone who watches the sunrise while drinking coffee and checks off three-quarters of her to-do list by 9 a.m. Help!

The problem: When I asked friends and neighbors for their best up-and-at-’em morning tricks, all I heard was groaning.

“Are you joking? I’m 71 and could stay in bed all day!”

“I can’t wait to read this one. I am not a morning person and could use whatever tricks you have.”

“I have absolutely nothing for you. I’m still trying to figure that out in my 50s.”

Why oh why is it so hard for so many of us?

We are not talking about depression, or chronic fatigue syndrome, or sleep apnea. Those (and others) are all real issues that need to be addressed with expert guidance. We’re just asking about those of us who like our beds. Is there some secret graceful routine we can learn?

One friend suggested leaving a window shade open in the bedroom. “The sun wakes me up,” Heather Kearney says, adding, “I’ve never jumped out of bed in my life, but I am a morning person, so it’s not that difficult to get moving.”

Heather is onto something. Research shows sunlight boosts both our performance and mood. Studies also show that our circadian rhythms react to sunlight – it signals us to be awake and productive.

Another friend swears by vitamins and a big bottle of water first thing. “I never feel rested when I open my eyes in the morning. I always feel like I’ve been run over by a truck, and it doesn’t matter if I’ve gotten six hours of sleep or nine

NOT AGAIN It (thankfully) happens every morning, so can we somehow make the waking-up process a little easier?

hours of sleep,” Sandy Sales tells me. “Having said that, within 30 minutes, after a bottle of water and handful of my vitamins, I feel great.”

Water is another scientifically proven boost in the morning: it helps us rehydrate from the night and start to think more clearly.

Sandy’s daily vitamin arsenal includes: B-12 for energy; Biotin for nails and hair; a turmeric-curcumin combo as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and for heart health; D-3 for immunity and strong bones and muscles; zinc for metabolism and immunity; and a women’s probiotic for digestion. (Consult your doctor if you are interested in adding vitamins to your own diet.) While she’s serious about consistency and hydration, Sandy still says, “I would love to open my eyes and spring out of bed, instead of falling out!”

Maybe even the self-proclaimed “morning people” among us don’t joyfully leap out of bed.

Mel Robbins, a CNN legal analyst-turned-motivational speaker, says, “You can’t wait for motivation to drop out of the sky and push you.” To

get up (or, according to Mel, to do anything you’re dreading or putting off), count down – five, four, three, two, one – and then just jump out. That’s the whole premise of her bestselling book The Five Second Rule: The fastest way to change your life. “Do you think I wanted to get out of bed before 6 a.m. this morning?” she asks in a TikTok. “Nope. You have to start pushing through your resistance. I think the secret to life is learning how to push yourself out of bed when you don’t feel like it.”

Maybe the difference between the people who bound out of bed and the rest of us is discipline?

Yes, but let’s not be so quick to dismiss nature.

For those of us who have a super-hard time moving in the morning, we might be able to blame longer periods of sleep inertia, a state where our bodies still exhibit some of the features of sleep even after we wake. For us, we’ll just need to be more disciplined.

Or, according to another friend, Sarah Sampson: “Get a puppy.”