The West University Buzz - September 2023

Geetha Rau and Keerthi McIntosh

Private School Directory Still Loving Springsteen The Wordlers Sports Betting: A Click Away from Addiction Books that Teens Love Cindy Gabriel’s “Not a Memoir Series,” Continued

Stitches of Love

by Cathy Gordon

Back to School: Making Not-So-Smart Choices The Birthday Queen Buzz Reads Houston, TX

Chef Masaru Fukuda

Permit No. 2047 PAID US Postage PRSRT STD

From Wartime Nicaragua to the Polar Plunge

EDITOR’S NOTE Hurry up, we’ll be late! That was me, in 1984, telling my roommate we had to get to Boss Night (that’s Bruce Springsteen, for those who didn’t live through the ’80s). At 10 p.m. on a Tuesday, we danced the night away in a jam-packed basement on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles. Andy and Aileen McCormick would have loved that dance floor. And I loved living vicariously through their experiences of seeing Bruce live in concerts all over the world. This month, the McCormicks share their decades-long love of The Boss with The Buzz. Also in this issue, you’ll find a story of how a family, spread out over the globe, has remained connected through an intricate craft. You’ll also find a story of how a game helped tie together an unlikely group of friends. This issue is about friends, family, and all the ways we make it through. As always, our hope is to bring you stories that inspire all of us to see the world – and maybe dance in a basement. 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 Associate Editor Design Manager Staff Writers

Account Managers

Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld Caroline Siegfried John Duboise Tracy L. Barnett Sharon Albert Brier Cindy Burnett Andria Frankfort Dilling Angie Frederickson Todd Freed Cindy Gabriel Cathy Gordon Michelle Groogan Dai Huynh Annie Blaylock McQueen Jennifer Oakley Cheryl Ursin Andrea Blitzer Leslie Little Jo Rogers

On our cover: Keerthi McIntosh (right) initiated a knit-along with her mother Geetha Rau (left) and six aunts, many who live in India.

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 © 2023 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 SEPTEMBER 2023 4

Your smile can last forever

Anna Maria Salas, D.D.S., M.S. Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics

3642 University Blvd., Suite 102 Houston, TX 77005 www.westuortho.com 713-481-4885 WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 5

MAILBAG

Your letters, thoughts, opinions From one leftie to another This 70-year-old left-handed drummer loved the article on lefties [Lefty Living in a Righty-Run World: Southpaws unite! by Cathy Gordon, Aug. 2023]. On the rare occasions when I’ve sat in for right-handed drummers, I always ask if I can switch the high-hat cymbals and the snare drum. With that one easy change I can make do.

I remember that buying baseball gloves for Little League was a different story. A dozen styles for the righties and one for the lefties. You'd better like it, and forget about playing catcher.

Rock ‘n’ roll will never die, and go Astros!

Dennis Fehr

The importance of looking back Dear Ms. Gabriel: Thank you very much for writing and illustrating about the Fort Bend Reporter newspaper editor, Mr. Clymer Wright, your dear father, and his journalism days. Your August 2023 gobsmacked retelling of the “Undertold Story” of the Jaybird Democratic Association was really great [The Jaybird/Woodpecker War by Cindy Gabriel, Aug. 2023].

Reading it gives a reader a heartfelt joy and a history appreciation all wrapped up in one redeeming warm comfort.

Please continue to share these important pieces of our Texas history in your articles and publications. These gems contribute to a better understanding of life here for many of us. All of us.

Mar A. Molina

have brought to an appreciative group of octogenarians! When we started planning our reunion a year and a half ago, we had no idea how many people would eventually be touched by our special event. Who would have thought that we would soon be known far beyond the boundaries of Southwest Houston.

Thank you for your comprehensive review of our student life in the 1950s. You took the time to interview several of us, thus making our high school years come to life through our quotes.

The juxtaposition of the mid-century black and white photos with current ones depicts the historical element of your story.

Thank you again for your excellent job in telling the story of our special reunion!

Carole Stevens Mattingly

Correction: Quiz Bowl Champs In Battle of Wits: Quiz bowl works your brain by Cheryl Ursin, Aug. 2023, we printed that the T.H. Rogers’ Quiz Bowl A-team placed 23rd at the Middle School National Championship Tournament; however, the team placed 13th at the national tournament. We apologize for the error.

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.

Travel column brings back memories Working with Tracy on our travel story [World Travel: The University of Life by Tracy L. Barnett, Aug. 2023] was great and the process was easy!

She’s a true professional and our entire family was engaged as she interviewed us/asked questions. Going through this experience brought back lots of awesome memories!

Tracy Dieterich

Car story fuels conversation Thanks for doing such a great job on the article [Model Citizen: David Nemon details his memories by Cheryl Ursin, July 2023]. Suzie [Nemon] spent a good amount of time sending the article to all her friends and mine too. And I’ve received a lot of comments on how well the article was written. Thanks again. Really appreciate it very much.

David Nemon

What’s your story?

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

• Know a Buzzworthy neighbor to feature.

• Have a compelling travel tale.

• Have a milestone life event to share.

• Have a sweet multi-generational story.

Sixty-five years later Joni, Andria, and all of The Buzz staff involved in the Lamar Class of 1958 65-year reunion story [Like No Time Had Passed: Sixty-five years after Lamar graduation by Andria Frankfort Dilling, June 2023], I cannot tell you what joy you WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 6

If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 102.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 7

NEIGHBORS

by Cindy Gabriel, staff writer

It’s Too Hot to Write But here goes anyway – Not a Memoir, Part 7

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his is dangerous. I’m writing with nothing to say. It’s too hot to be profound.

Plus, the people I want to write about, people in their right minds, are nowhere near Texas at the moment. The difference between you, dear reader, and me, is that I’m still back here in July, writing for the September issue. I want to be where you are now, watching the arrival of September, then October. Is it snowing yet?

It’s not like I’ve never been hot before, growing up in this part of the world. My Mississippi mother used to say in her most convincing Southern drawl, “You think it’s hot now, honey.

This is nothing compared to the devil’s fiery furnace, if we don’t watch our ways.” Momma said it kind of singsongy like she was mimicking a warning from a long line of Southern mothers.

We were taught that the devil was sneaky and came in disguises, mostly male.

Come to think of it, I have never heard a story about the devil being disguised as a Southern woman. It’s hard to picture yourself heading down the elevator shaft to the nether world when the doors open to a smiley-faced woman saying “Hi, Welcum ta Hey-Y’all.”

(That’s Southern for Hell).

From what I picked up as a child, burning in hell had something to do with sex. I could think of nothing worse.

In the ’60s, kids and dogs ran the streets offleash. People didn’t spay or neuter their dogs much either. So occasionally you’d witness a pair of dogs stuck together. My mother didn’t have much to say about it, but the word on the street from the other kids was that they were having sex.

After a long conference with myself, I decided dogs weren’t going to hell for doing that.

Besides, if that was sex, I wanted nothing to do with it.

It never occurred to me that I could question anything my parents told me until February 12, 1965. Something shifted.

I was 10, on the brink of my tweens, sitting on a dining chair as close to the TV as I could get. Everyone at school was talking about it. I didn’t want to miss a second of the American

debut of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. I got a show all right, it came from my father who shot off the sofa and started ranting about the “noise” those four boys “who needed a haircut” were calling “music.” There was noise all right, from my father’s attempt to drown out the whole experience. As far as my family was concerned, that British band showed up in the devil’s cleverest disguise ever.

I got the strong message I was never to scream over boys (like those “ridiculous” girls in the audience) and I was not to like The Beatles. By the end of their performance, Dad BEING RAISED WRIGHT Cindy (Wright) Gabriel at about 8 years old, along said, “The country is with 2-year-old Clymer Lewis Wright III, aka Buddy. Cindy still had a couple of gone,” along with my years to go as a full-fledged Daddy’s Girl. uncomplicated childor Ringo, you were kind of an interesting outlier. hood as a full-fledged Daddy’s Girl.

I kept watching Beverly’s sisters, trying to picAs the days went by, I kept looking for signs ture them in hell. I just couldn’t see it. They of “the country being gone.” Kids in the neighwent to church more than we did. I went with borhood were airplaying the guitar and singing Beverly sometimes on Wednesday nights, which “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Lightning did not my family never did. strike.

But then I found out that Beverly’s church, I had the sinking feeling I was growing up an even stricter church than our Baptist church, under the wrong roof for my coming adolesthought we Baptists were going to hell for not cence. The lyrics Help! I Need Somebody seemed being baptized in their church. That’s what written for me.

Beverly told me, but in a nice way, like she Fortunately, help was right across the street, didn’t believe it, but kinda did. She was just at Beverly’s house. Beverly and I went from playhappy she was baptized in her church, in case ing tetherball in her front yard, to gawking at they were right. her two teenage sisters inside, where Beatles What if they were right? What if my dad was posters lined their bedroom walls while Beatles right? I was swimming in questions, on the verge 45s stacked on their turntable played as they of adolescence, wishing, for the first time, that I sang into the handles of their hairbrushes. was somebody else's daughter. I could go on, but Everybody had a favorite Beatle. John and Paul it’s just too hot. were the frontrunners, but if you liked George

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 8

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 9

ARTS

by Cindy Burnett, staff writer

Books that Teens Love Reads recommended by local high schoolers

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s summer ends and kids are headed back to school, I checked in with some Buzzarea high schoolers to find out what they’ve recently read and recommend. Each student selected a book that they enjoyed and then explained why the story resonated with them.

Some of the choices are Young Adult books, and others are classified as adult reads.

Lindsey Karkowsky, a senior at The Kinkaid School, selected The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (adult fiction). According to Lindsey, the book is filled with interesting details of the life of legendary Hollywood actress Evelyn Hugo that goes deep down and digs into her story about all the men she married. It is definitely a page turner that’s extremely difficult to put down due to the juicy information from Hugo’s life that is well described by author Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Lindsey loved that the ending is a roller coaster of emotions that gives the feeling of an open wound inside you, which aches due to the tearjerking finale.

Meadow Lam, a sophomore at Bellaire High School, picked Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan (adult fiction). Mad Honey is a book with many different parts to it including murder mystery, a court case, dealing with grief, family relationships, romance, and identity. Meadow felt the authors really flowed the story together with the two different perspectives, one in the present and moving forward, the other in the past and moving backward. This way of writing brings in the slow reveal of the truth through small chunks and was perfectly paced. Reading Mad Honey was an emotional roller coaster and at times Meadow didn’t even know what or who to believe. She highly recommends this one.

Kathleen Molineu, a senior at Bellaire High School, chose The House Witch by Delemhach (adult romantic fantasy). The publisher describes this one as “[a] heartwarming and humorous blend of fantasy, romance, and mystery featuring a witch with domestic powers and the royal household he serves . . . dinner.”

Kathleen liked it because it has great humor throughout the book that continues into the

two subsequent sequels.

The House Witch has a good amount of wellwritten strong female characters and often attacks toxic masculinity. There is good worldbuilding for the entire fantasy world that makes it easy to understand the history and mechanics without taking you out of the story.

Callie Nichols, a CAPTIVATED BY A CLASSIC Tyler Pollock enjoyed Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin freshman at Loyola Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster.

University Chicago, The whole story was surprising to her, and she selected The Thousandth Floor by Katharine just had to keep reading to the end. The charMcGee (YA dystopian), a local author who acters were also unique within this magical myslives in Houston. The publisher summarizes this tery. The individuals had very different lives one accordingly: “A hundred years in the and perspectives, which made the story even future, New York is a city of innovation and more enjoyable. dreams. Everyone there wants something…and Tyler Pollock, a senior at St. John’s School, everyone has something to lose.” Callie liked selected the 1997 classic Into Thin Air: A this book because it was about a future society Personal Account of the Mount Everest and how these different people from different Disaster by Jon Krakauer (adult nonfiction). backgrounds interacted. All the characters had The uncertainty of the perilous quest that Jon some connection to others, and it was very Krakauer and his team undertakes to summit interesting. Callie enjoyed that the chapters Mount Everest kept Tyler turning the page as were also labeled by the characters’ name so you he sought to learn the full details of what hapwould get to see the point of view of that parpened. However, what kept him captivated was ticular character. whether Krakauer’s account of the events was Katherine Ochs, a senior at Memorial High truly accurate. Due to the high-altitude sickness School, selected All Our Hidden Gifts by and disorientation on the mountain, his story Caroline O’Donoghue (YA fantasy), the first could be missing essential details if he was not in a three-book series. The publisher’s blurb in the right state of mind. Other accounts in the says: “After Maeve finds a pack of tarot cards book give opposing accounts on the events that while cleaning out a closet during her in-school occurred. Thus, by the end of the book, Tyler suspension, she quickly becomes the most was left to partially create his own idea of what sought-after diviner at St. Bernadette’s Catholic happened, which was engaging and interesting. school. But when Maeve’s ex-best friend, Lily, draws an unsettling card called The Editor’s note: Southside Place resident Cindy Housekeeper that Maeve has never seen before, Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners colthe session devolves into a heated argument umn. She hosts the Thoughts from a Page Podcast, that ends with Maeve wishing aloud that Lily is co-creator of the Houston literary event series would disappear. When Lily isn’t at school the Conversations from the Page, runs the Instagram next Monday, Maeve learns her ex-friend has account @thoughtsfromapage, and regularly speaks vanished without a trace.” Katherine loved the to groups about books. elements of magic and witchcraft in the book.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 10

Watch Their Smiles Grow

Oral healthcare for the growing & developing child Joel J. Vela, D.D.S. Bellaire Pediatric Dentistry, P.A. 6750 West Loop South, Suite 795 713.661.1100 • www.bellairesmiles.com WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 11

lawellphoto.com

NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort Dilling, staff writer

The Wordlers The game that sparked a friendship

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or six women spread across Houston and three decades, Wordle is a lot more than a game. It’s the thread that sewed up an unlikely friendship that started more than 7,000 miles away.

Karen Chesnick, Phyllis Cohen, Mila Goldstein-Milos, Phyllis Selber, Jill Selber Handaly, and Sandy Selber Sturm met last summer on a 10-day trip to Israel. Jill and Sandy are Phyllis Selber’s daughters, but beyond that and aside from a few loose connections, the women were strangers.

“I knew a couple of them a little bit,” Phyllis Cohen, who traveled with her husband Lewis Linn, says. “Well, I’d been on committees with them. Honestly, I really didn’t know them. All the meetings were on Zoom, and it’s hard to get to know somebody over Zoom.”

Karen, traveling with her husband Joe, says, “We knew so many of the same people, but we didn’t know each other. Joe knew Phyllis [Selber], who is a little older than me. He knew her husband from golf [Jack Selber passed away in 2022]. I didn’t know Phyllis [Cohen], because her kids aren’t the same ages as mine. I certainly wouldn’t have known Sandy and Jill; they’re so much younger. And Mila, she’s younger, too.”

The women range in age from 50 to 76.

“We live all over town,” Sandy says. “Mila is in Meyerland, my mom and I are in Tanglewood, Phyllis [Cohen] is in West U, Karen is in Memorial…and Jill is in Seattle!

Between that and our age differences, and the fact that we all lead very different lives, we wouldn’t have known each other. But we really bonded on this trip.”

The friendship began when Sandy and Jill noticed Phyllis Cohen sitting across the aisle from them on the tour bus, playing Wordle, and a connection sparked. “We all sat in the same seats on the bus every day,” Sandy says. “It’s like we got into our seats and stayed there for a week and a half.” They struck up a conversation about the game, which Sandy and Jill also play.

“Every day we started telling each other how many times it took us to get Wordle,” Phyllis Cohen says of the super-popular New York Times word game app, where you try to guess a secret five-

FROM ISRAEL TO HOUSTON Travel friends (clockwise, from left) Sandy Selber Sturm, Phyllis Cohen, Karen Chesnick, Mila Goldstein-Milos, and Phyllis Selber gather at Karen Chesnick’s home in Houston. Not pictured: Jill Selber Handalay, the sixth member of their group, who lives in Seattle.

letter word in six tries, using deduction to get there.

“Phyllis is so awesome,” Sandy says. “She has a great laugh, and she’s just open for anything. She was a partner at a law firm and is retired, but she has all these interests and hobbies. She got really into gardening during Covid, she’s an avid reader, she loves to travel. I’m a little obsessed with Phyllis!”

Karen came into the conversation later. “We bonded with her over shopping,” Sandy says.

“Jill and I are such good shoppers, and Karen would look at what we bought and want to go to the next place with us. Jill and I found these spinning prayer rings that have three little bars on them [representing prayers], so we took everyone to find them later. The man who sold them to us actually wound up coming to our hotel for a mini trunk show.

“Also, we all wanted to bring souvenirs home for our friends, and we were looking everywhere for these olivewood crosses in Jerusalem. We went all over the Old City to find them, and then we get on the bus, and Jill finds them on Amazon for 20 in a box or something. We were still proud of our souvenirs!”

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A little less adventurous than the others, Karen wasn’t sure she wanted to go on the trip. She said it took a little coercing to get her there, but, Sandy says, she smiled through the whole thing. “She was such a trooper and did so many new things,” Sandy says. “She even rode a camel.”

It wasn’t until the group, now lovingly known as The Wordlers, got home that their text chain – and their lasting friendship – began.

“One day when we got back from Israel, I texted Phyllis [Cohen] my Wordle, and we’ve texted every single day for over a year,” Sandy says. At first, the texts were between Sandy, Phyllis Cohen, Phyllis Selber, and Jill. Karen joined pretty quickly after, and Mila joined a few months later, when she sat with the others at a Houston wedding shower for Phyllis’ daughter.

They have not missed a day sharing their Wordle scores with each other – and just checking in – since last summer.

“We text each other our Wordles every day,” Phyllis Cohen says, “but it’s blossomed into real friendship. Every morning there’s this ding ding ding, and somebody will say (continued on page 14)

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SCENES FROM A FRIENDSHIP Phyllis Cohen in her bus seat on the Wordlers’ Israel trip; Phyllis Selber, Sandy Selber Sturm, Jill Selber Handalay, Karen Chesnick, and Phyllis Cohen meet for lunch at The French House, where Jill surprised the group with a visit from Seattle; the Wordlers show off their prayer rings from Israel; mother-daughter team Sandy Selber Sturm, Phyllis Selber, and Jill Selber Handalay on their trip to Israel last summer. (continued from page 12) I got it in however many

tries, and everybody says great. Someone puts up a heart or an exclamation – it’s really fun. And then we talk about everything else.” That might be travel, dogs, politics, or maybe Phyllis Cohen’s daughter’s upcoming September wedding. “All my Wordlers are invited,” she says.

“This has become an important group in our lives,” Sandy says. “When something happens, I tell my Tulane friends, I tell my high school friends, and I tell my Wordle group. If we don’t hear from somebody one morning, we know something’s going on.”

The now-tight group meets for lunch or dinner about once a month. A few months ago, Jill, who lives in Seattle, surprised everyone by being there when they showed up at The French

House Café. “No one has time to chat on the phone with their girlfriends,” Karen says. “But this is like actually talking with five friends every morning. Every morning, between 7:00 and 8:30, everyone starts chiming in. I’ve become friends with people I probably wouldn’t have met in Houston.”

The group jokes that Phyllis Cohen, a West U resident, doesn’t leave the inner loop except to have lunch at The French House with The Wordlers. “We tease that she needs to pack a suitcase to come,” Sandy says.

It was serendipitous that the women all wound up on the same trip. Phyllis Selber had planned to go on previous years’ trips, organized by Congregation Beth Israel and Rabbi David Lyon, but first Covid happened, then her husband Jack

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was sick and eventually passed away. “It was definitely an emotional trip,” Sandy says. “My mom had never been, and my dad never got to go. It was bittersweet for sure, but really special for us all to be there together and share it.”

Phyllis Cohen also was supposed to go on previous trips, but between Covid and weddings for friends’ children, she and Lewis never made it.

“I now feel so fortunate that I was on this trip,” she says. “I wouldn’t have met these friends otherwise. It was such an unexpected little benefit.

An unexpected pleasure.”

Editor’s note: See this story for a link to Riding the Wordle wave, also by Andria Frankfort Dilling, from March 2022, on Buzz residents’ obsession with the game.

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NEIGHBORS

by Cathy Gordon, staff writer

Stitches of Love Honoring a grandmother’s legacy

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eerthi McIntosh, a sparkplug of enthusiasm in curly black hair, has hands that won’t quit. They sew and embroider, crochet, quilt, and knit. Nimble fingers spring textiles to life, like seedlings to harvest.

“There are very few textile crafts I don’t embrace,” says the New Orleans artisan who is visiting her mother, Geetha Rau, this day at her West University home to discuss their afghan project, a far-flung knit-along that had spry fingers putting yarn to needle 9,425 miles away, in the land of mountains and metropolises, tigers and temples.

India. Her parents’ homeland.

Draped across the sofa in Geetha’s living room is a 6-by 8-square afghan in rows of vibrant hues with a black crocheted border that resembles tassels. It’s one of nine identical afghans that Keerthi knitted with her mom and six aunts over several years. A blanket of love honoring her longdeceased maternal grandmother, Indira Boray.

“Our family has this code of beautifying your life,” Keerthi explains. “It came from my grandmother. She was into creative arts and into beautifying your space. I felt this connection because I sew, I knit, I tat. My grandmother was a beautiful tatter. It’s a form of handmade lace with knots, kind of like macrame, but much finer. If there was a way to beautify something, she would do that. She taught all her children to do that.”

Yes, Keerthi didn’t fall far from that proverbial tree. The first of her family born in the United States, she’s an avid textile creator, a talent learned in large part from her mother, who taught Keerthi and her older sister Aarthi Jain – these days a busy physician, living two streets down from their parents – to sew early on.

Knitting was taught, too, and then other fun stuff with fabrics, needle, and thread.

“Of all the grandchildren, I’m kind of the one who kept up the most with the textile crafts,” Keerthi says. “My sister sews some, mostly if she has to. But it’s an ongoing thing with me. I just finished my house and made all the window treatments. I make quilts for my nieces and nephews. I make home décor. I’m super active with it.”

Keerthi’s brain got to percolating back in 2009

CREATORS OF CRAFT Keerthi McIntosh (right) holds one of nine afghans she created with her mother Geetha Rau (left) and aunts – many in India – as part of a knit-along honoring her grandmother Indira Boray, who beautified her world through textile creations.

after reading about a knit-along, where a group of people work together on the same project.

As a surprise, she sent knitting kits to her mom and six aunts, four of whom live in India, requesting they make 54 squares each for a total of nine identical afghans so they could each have one and auction another for charity. Said charity to be determined.

“I sent everyone a box with enough yarn to make nine squares of each color. From the getgo, it was by design to have nine afghans so every participant could have one. To have something you made, but they did, too. And we love the idea of charity and passing along and respecting my grandmother. Honoring her.”

Surely with this family’s creative history, her aunts and mom would be game, she thought.

What better way to show off the textile dexterity in their genes? The kit included yarn, two sets

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of circular knitting needles, a set of doublepointed knitting needles, stitch markers, a crochet hook, a pattern and instructions, and a sweet letter asking that they honor Indira by participating.

Aunts Vasantha Swamy, Uma Nath, Chandrika Rao, and Pratima Hariprasad received theirs at their respective homes in India; Nalina Nadig’s went to her Sugar Land home; Jayashree Rao, who recently moved to New Jersey, received the surprise package, too, at her Houston abode.

Not one of them said no.

Busy fingers started flying, yarn to needle.

“What a way to connect!” exclaims Keerthi, setting the scene for their inspiration: Imagine Geetha and her siblings decades ago, a total of 12, once you add five brothers. And visualize their home in India, preening in tex-

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tiles of every sort – vibrant blankets, silk embroideries, delicate lacework crafted by hand. And there’s a colorful sand painting just outside their front door, ritualistically brushed away after its fleeting moments in time.

And in the center of this happy scene is Indira, wife to a physics professor, whose hands concocted all this beauty, despite limited resources. Weaving memories for her family, one stitch at a time. Passing onto her children those seeds of creativity.

“Yes, my mother made our home elegant. It was subtle and beautiful,” recalls Geetha, flashing a smile.

The project, kicked off in 2009, saw the last afghan completed in 2021. “There was a time I thought we’d never get it done!” exclaims Keerthi, who received all the knitted squares back within a few years. Then the tedious work of “blocking” began, manipulating each slightly wonky piece back into a perfect square.

“You have to wash them and when it’s wet you stretch it out, making sure the dimensions are as they’re supposed to be,” she explains. “I have a special corkboard where I’d pin them to dry out and then it would become a square.”

She recalls a scene at her New Orleans home in 2012 when assembling the first afghan for delivery to her eldest aunt, Vasantha, in India, in time for her birthday.

Aunts Nalini and Jayashree came to Keerthi’s home with her mother for the weekend, Indian music playing, fingers crocheting squares, each to the other. “We were telling lots of stories about wedding plannings in the past because my Aunt Jayashree’s son was getting married and she was going to India to go wedding shopping,” recalls Keerthi. “It was so fun, everyone telling stories and reconnecting in a different way. Kind of like a quilting bee. Your hands are busy, and you’re relaxed, just chatting away.

“I love the way my aunts really got into it,” continues the retired geophysicist who visited them in Bengaluru, India while on work assignment with Shell. “I wasn’t just this niece they hadn’t seen in 25 years. We had this connection through the afghans. I think the most interesting thing about the connection was that the aunts who were a little bit more removed from their creative side got in touch with it again.

Particularly my mom’s oldest sister who is a brilliant and talented woman. She really got the knitting bug bad!”

“Doing this together was an opportunity for some to rekindle their interest in this type of textile work,” agrees Geetha. “Some of them, you get busy with family, and you don’t always get to do these things regularly. I think it was special because of that.”

Geetha’s home reflects family talent with many of her own creations donning the walls.

Keerthi points to a hand-embroidered piece of a woman in the front hallway that her mother did as a young adult, newly engaged. And another embroidery by the stairs created in silk thread from Japan.

TALENT ON TAP Top photo: These seven sisters carry on their mother Indira Boray’s textile skills. From left: Vasantha Swamy, of Bangalore, India; Nalini Nadig, of Sugar Land; Pratima Hariprasad, of Bangalore; Uma Nath, of Bangalore; Jayashree Rao, of Somerset, NJ; Chandrika Rao, of Bangalore; and Geetha Rau, of West University. Middle photo: Remnants of crochet squares and yarn from the family’s knit-along adorn a table.

Bottom photo: Keerthi McIntosh and mother Geetha Rau display their textile prowess.

Round the corner to Geetha’s dining room and there’s a glass cabinet of dolls. Dolls that Geetha made. No, not just their clothing. Their bodies of porcelain were handcrafted by Geetha, their faces detailed by her hand.

She’s making a crazy quilt now from bits and

pieces of materials, blouses, and saris. She flips through a bounty of colorful, patterned silks that she’s crafted into fun squares. She’s itching to apply all sorts of embroidery and textile brilliance to the blocks that will one day come together as a blanket of (continued on page 18)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 17

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Yes, an artistic panache runs through this family’s veins. Little wonder. Indira, the woman they so revere, had some inspiration of her own.

Her mother, a charitable sort, well-connected in the community with a husband as a judge, was a talent with her hands, too. She made socks for WWI soldiers. Indira did the same with eldest daughter Vasantha, sewing socks for soldiers during WWII, and making socks and scarves for soldiers headed north during the latter part of the Indian Independence Movement.

“Our family does not have idle hands,” quips Keerthi, holding a framed tatted piece that her grandmother made years ago.

“It’s just who we are,” says the textile artist, who envisions another family project in the future, this time with her nieces and mom. “But let’s give them time to grow. My youngest niece is only 13.” The family’s younger generations have the artistic knack. Her son, 27, is an artist, acrylics on canvas his medium.

India, its rich history and culture, is the background that courses through this family’s blood.

Ornate temples, garments of every hue. A country of symbolic colors. Reds, purples, oranges.

Blues the color of sky and water. Majestic yellow-golds like sunsets.

Even its dump trucks are painted in beautiful flowers and embellishments, says Keerthi.

“Indians will embellish any surface. It can be a moving surface.”

“We are definitely not afraid of color,” states Geetha, draped in a purple sari, its thread cut from pure gold. “In India, we live our religion.

Hinduism is a way of life, a guide to love. And part of that is very artistic.”

In 1963, Geetha boarded a plane for the first time with Keerthi’s sister Aarthi, just months old, making her way to New York and eventually meeting up with husband, Rama, who came to the U.S. in 1962, a year after they married.

The couple lived on campus at New Mexico State in Las Cruces where he was a student. It was there that Keerthi was born.

Rama’s career blossomed. With a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, he created well logging tools for the oil industry. The family settled into their life in the U.S. seamlessly, helping brothers and sisters come here, too.

“My parents were the first to immigrate here.

That opportunity was reserved for the absolute brightest across all of India,” Keerthi explains.

“In order to have a seat here at a university, you had to be brilliant. You were the smartest that India had. That’s my dad. He saw that window and came.”

Keerthi has fond memories of visiting fabric stores with her sister during their later childhood years in League City. “They were petite in size and didn’t want to wear kiddie clothes to high school. So, they started sewing,” says Geetha.

Keerthi also recalls a more recent excursion, a 2019 trip to Minneapolis with her parents.

They went to a yarn store. “It was 3,000 square feet of yarn,” Keerthi says, eyes dancing. “Mom

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(continued from page 17) remnants, memories.

INDIRA’S INFLUENCE Top photo: Geetha Rau and daughter Keerthi McIntosh, the brainchild of the afghan knit-along, visited their family of co-knitters in India in December 2018 while there for a wedding. From left: Keerthi, Geetha, and Geetha’s sisters Vasantha Swamy, Nalini Nadig, Jayashree Rao, Uma Nath, and Keerthi’s cousin, Dhanu Nagaraj, who hosted the gathering. Middle photo: Keerthi shows how to make a form of handmade lace with knots, known as tatting. Bottom photo: An intricate tatted piece made by Geetha’s mother Indira Boray is a treasured memento.

and I were in bliss. My poor dad. He was a good sport. He didn’t complain at all. He just sat in a chair and played sudoku the whole time.”

Some passions are just part of you, tied to your soul, say this mother-daughter team, who treasure their afghans from the project. A picture of her finished afghan is Keerthi’s phone screen-

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saver. It’s draped like a throw in her sewing room at home, eye candy that’s enjoyed, but seldom used. “Because I never get cold.”

Geetha’s is on her den sofa. She wraps it about her when a tad chilled, feeling the warmth of family in its fibers. “I feel like all my sisters are with me,” she says. “That makes me happy.”

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ARTS

by Cheryl Ursin, staff writer

Ready to Rock Always Up to See Springsteen

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verybody who knows Andy McCormick knows he’s a big Bruce Springsteen fan.

“He’s a walking encyclopedia on Springsteen,” says friend Cathy Beathard.

“Andy gives me books on Springsteen, like five books in the last year,” says Cathy’s husband, Dave, who’s no slouch when it comes to the rock superstar, having seen Springsteen in concert 10 times himself.

“Andy has read every book ever written on Springsteen,” his wife, Aileen, confirms.

In his law office, amongst pictures of his three kids, now grown, Andy displays a guitar signed

by Springsteen (a gift from a client to commemorate Andy’s 30th anniversary of practicing law), two miniatures of the types of guitars Springsteen plays (a gift from another client), and in pride of place, a framed collage Aileen made of photos, ticket stubs, backstage passes, and a concert poster from the trip they took to Paris to see Springsteen for Andy’s 40th birthday.

Springsteen has been a long-standing interest of Andy’s. Aileen says that one of their first dates was to a Bruce Springsteen concert, almost 42 years ago. And Andy set up the living room of their first apartment as newlyweds for sound.

“Andy had the biggest speakers he could find,” remembers Aileen, and their furniture was set up to best hear that stereo system. When a new album (of any artist the McCormicks liked) came out, they would make a night of listening to it. “It was kind of a ritual,” says Aileen, a ritual that often involved a specially frozen bottle of vodka. A new album in the days before music streaming “used to be a lovely experience,” says Andy. “You had to sit down and enjoy it and it was terrific.”

By his count, Andy has seen Bruce Springsteen in concert over 50 times, six times during Springsteen’s latest tour this year alone.

Aileen’s gone about 25 times. Although she loves Springsteen too, she says, “Sometimes, he goes without me. I’m like, ‘Enough.’”

Andy saw Springsteen’s one-man show on Broadway, called “Springsteen on Broadway,” twice, not counting re-watching it on Netflix.

He’s met Springsteen and other E Street Band members, been backstage, even met

Springsteen’s mother. “She was lovely,” remembers Andy, “this little old gray-haired Italian lady. She started talking to a bunch of us, waiting outside before a concert, and said, ‘I just love my son’s fans.’”

Andy’s far from alone in his love of Springsteen.

A reporter, reviewing Springsteen’s latest show in The Dallas Observer, wrote about “the level of dedication from his fans, who arrived decked out in Springsteen tour merchandise from across the decades, sharing stories and outdoing each other with the MUSICAL MEMORIES Aileen and Andy McCormick wearing t-shirts from Springsteen’s 2023 world tour. They are standing with the collage Aileen made of number of times photos, a concert poster, ticket stubs, and backstage passes from seeing The Boss in they had seen The Paris in 1999.

Boss – one guy, the McCormicks’ daughter Jenna and Jenna’s three times; one woman, 47 times; and another husband Joe, and Aileen’s childhood friends, fan boasted that he was attending his 189th Sharon and Jesse Thompson, to see The Boss Springsteen concert.” perform in Dublin.

When Aileen took Andy to see Springsteen play in Paris for his 40th birthday, she arranged hat is it about Springsteen? You know, for them to go backstage during the band’s besides the 20 Grammys, the Oscar (for sound check where they got to meet best original song for the 1993 movie Springsteen. “I thought Andy was going to pass Philadelphia), the Tony (for “Springsteen on out,” Aileen remembers.

Broadway”), the two Golden Globes (for best For Andy’s 60th birthday, Aileen arranged for original song for a movie, again for his song for them to see Springsteen perform in Amsterdam.

Philadelphia and also, in 2008, for his song for the “I’m a really good wife,” she says with a smile. movie The Wrestler). Springsteen has, of course, “In reality, I like to travel.” been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of They travelled again this May. The Fame and also the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

McCormicks, both now 64, went with a group He’s been awarded Kennedy Center Honors and of family and friends, including the Beathards,

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 20

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THE E STREET SHUFFLE Clockwise, from top left: Aileen and Andy with some of the Springsteen concert swag they’ve collected over the years; a photo of Springsteen that Aileen took in Paris in 1999; some of Andy’s many books on Springsteen; Andy, Aileen, their son Drew McCormick and his fiancé Madeleine Wilson (from left) seeing Springstreen in Austin.

the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Maybe it’s his 21 studio albums, and all those songs? (Two years ago, Springsteen sold his music catalogue to Sony Music Entertainment for a reported $550 million in a deal The New York Times said, “may well be the biggest transaction ever struck for a single artist’s body of work.”)

But there’s more. Springsteen and the E Street Band are also famous for their galvanizing, high-energy live performances.

Dave Beathard was in high school at Strake Jesuit when he saw his first Springsteen concert.

“It was the best rock concert I’ve ever seen, to this day,” he says. Springsteen concerts are “the best entertainment I’ve seen in my life.”

Andy didn’t even like Springsteen when he went to his first concert as a teenager.

Springsteen was playing at Princeton University near where Andy grew up in New Jersey. A buddy had two tickets but no car. He offered Andy one of the tickets if he would drive. “And that was too good of a deal to pass up,” says Andy, “so we went, and it was crazy.”

Springsteen hung from the scaffolding while

performing. He climbed up onto a stack of speakers, each one the size of a desk. “He started swinging back and forth and making them move. I thought, ‘This son of a gun is going to die,’” remembers Andy. “It was the best thing I had ever seen. I was hooked right then, and anytime I could see him, I did. It’s just been fun.

Really more than anything else, it’s been fun.”

Years later, as an adult living in Bellaire, Andy and a friend decided to travel to New York City to see Springsteen perform at Madison Square Garden. Problem was, they didn’t have tickets, even as they were riding a train from New Jersey, where they had visited Andy’s mother, into New York City the night of the concert. “We were in the very last car of the train, and I said, ‘Well, let’s give this a shot,’” remembers Andy. The two men went from car to car, asking if anyone had extra Springsteen tickets. “People were giving us a hard time, saying, ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’” says Andy, but when they got to the very first car, two women said they had extra tickets.

Turns out their husbands had ended up hav-

ing to work that night. “They said, ‘Listen: we’ve never been to a Springsteen concert and we’re scared to death to go into the city and do this alone,’” Andy says. While Andy and his friend offered to pay for the tickets, the women refused to take any money. “We had such a good time,” says Andy. “There are thousands of stories like that, with just nice people at these concerts.”

And for the McCormicks, it’s not just about Springsteen. They love going, often with friends, to live performances, both of big-name acts and local artists performing here in Houston. McGonigel’s Mucky Duck is a favorite local venue. They recently saw Tanya Tucker, who they have seen before, this time at The Heights Theater. Aileen will be seeing Pink this month with some friends. They’ve gone to see bands their kids and friends have recommended, such as The String Cheese Incident from Colorado and Shane Smith & The Saints from Austin.

The Beathards too see a lot of live music, often with the McCormicks. Dave estimates that they see a concert once every (continued on page 22)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 21

GREETINGS FROM Clockwise, from top left: Aileen and Andy backstage at the ’99 Paris concert; Dublin at the Long Haul Pub, a favorite pub of Springstreen’s, from left: Sharon Thompson, Aileen McCormick, Cathy Beathard, Dave Beathard, Jesse Thompson, Andy McCormick, and Mike Carr; the whole gang in Dublin outside the arena, from left: Sharon Thompson, Jesse Thompson, Cathy Beathard, Dave Beathard, Mike Carr, the McCormicks’ daughter Jenna Calhoun and her husband Andy Calhoun, Aileen and Andy; and Aileen and Andy outside the Dublin show. (continued from page 21) couple of weeks. When it

comes to local artists, “we’ll go see someone we’ve never heard of,” says Cathy, “and it’s always been a good experience.” They’ll be going to the Austin City Limits Music Festival this October to see, in particular, the Foo Fighters, one of their other favorite bands. Cathy says that while (cover your ears, Andy) Springsteen is up there on her list of favorite bands to see, her favorite is U2. And she just saw Bono, U2’s lead singer, in his one-man show, called “Stories of Surrender,” in New York with friends.

T

here’s something magical about music, particularly about seeing it performed live.

Neuroscientists have found that listening to music, even when the listener is not a musician, activates more parts of the human brain than anything else. Parts of our brain that deal with sound, of course, but also with movement, language, emotions, long-term memories, and social bonding all light up. Listening to music, researchers found, floods the human brain with dopamine, which has been called “the feel-good

neurotransmitter,” and oxytocin, also known as “the love hormone.” “Everyone at a Springsteen concert is on their feet from start to finish,” says Dave. “Everyone’s singing, and everyone knows the words.”

Music can also create and strengthen relationships. The McCormicks and the Beathards, who originally met while traveling in 2013, are able to share their love of music, concerts, and travel. The McCormicks also go on many of their concert trips with Sharon and Jesse Thompson. Sharon and Aileen have been best friends since the sixth grade back in New Jersey.

“We’ve seen Springsteen together a lot,” says Aileen, “in Paris, Dublin, Washington, D.C., Tampa, and New Jersey. We’re very fortunate we all can do this. We’re all healthy, we can afford to, and we can nurture that friendship.

We’re able to pick up right where we left off.”

And a love of music plays an important part in the McCormicks’ relationships with their adult children, Jenna, 32, Drew, 29, and Sean, 25. “Seeing Springsteen is kind of a requirement in our home,” jokes Aileen, though it’s not an

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onerous one. When Jenna was still in high school, she saw Springsteen for the first time at the New Orleans Jazz Fest in 2006 right after Katrina. “She was 15 years old and I’m sure she thought, ‘What am I doing listening to this old guy?’” remembers Aileen. “But then she made her way right up to the front, and a new fan was born.” Jenna, now 32, and her husband Joe Calhoun went on the trip to see Springsteen in Dublin. The two generations swap musical suggestions. “All of them have really gotten into it,” says Andy. “It’s been pretty cool.”

Whether it was seeing Springsteen in Paris, Amsterdam, or Dublin, going to a concert becomes, for the McCormicks, an excuse for gathering family and friends and going on a trip.

For instance, after seeing Springsteen in Dublin, most in their group went on to do a four-day inn-to-inn hike of the Dingle Peninsula on Ireland’s southwest coast.

Looking back over the years, Andy says, “I’ve got so many stories.” He pauses, thinking about them and smiling. “It just seems like nice things happen when you go to concerts.”

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Private School Directory F

inding the right fit for your child’s education is vital to their academic, social, and personal growth.

Buzz-area residents are fortunate in that Houston is home to many of the nation’s top private schools, most of which are located right here in our neighborhoods.

The Buzz Magazines Private School Directory, for early learning through high school, has been a valuable resource to our readers since 2016, and has been even more beneficial in helping families navigate the changing landscape of in-person, virtual, and hybrid learning.

This list is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all Houston private schools. Instead, our goal is to provide readers with a snapshot of each participating school, as a starting point in the research process.

Find and share the online version of this directory at thebuzzmagazines.com/private-school-directory.

Also, check out buzzworthy stories about local schools and students on our Schools section at thebuzzmagazines.com/schools and read stories written by local high school students on our School Buzz blog at thebuzzmagazines.com/columns/school-buzz.

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The Awty International School Early Learning / Lower School / Middle School / Upper School Co-ed • Est. 1956 7455 Awty School Lane, Houston, Texas 77055 713-580-0579 • admissions@awty.org • www.awty.org Erika Benavente, Acting Director of Admissions Open House Dates: Early Learning, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 21, 2023, 12 p.m. Oct. 26 | Lower School, 9 a.m. Oct. 20 Middle/Upper School, 2 p.m. Nov. 12; French Program (All Grades), 12 p.m. Oct. 24 The Awty International School, Houston’s premier international school, educates over 1,700 students from PK3 through 12th grade, to become responsible world citizens. The leader in international education, Awty is a diverse community of students and teachers hailing from over 50 nations. In the culminating grades, our students pursue either the French Baccalauréat or the International Baccalaureate. Visit our website to learn more about Awty.

The Branch School Pre-K3 through 8th grade Co-ed • Est. 1977 1424 Sherwood Forest St., Houston, Texas 77043 713-465-0288 • admissions@thebranchschool.org • TheBranchSchool.org Robbin Mills, Director of Advancement and HR Open House Dates: Oct. 19, 2023 and Jan. 27, 2024 The Branch School’s mission is to inspire every child to love, learn, and lead in an atmosphere of genuine acceptance and support.

British International School of Houston Pre-K3 through 12th grade Co-ed • Est. 2000 2203 North Westgreen Blvd., Katy, Texas 77449 713-290-9025• info@houston.nae.school • www.bishouston.org Jane Chastant, Director of Admissions Open House Dates: Call to schedule a tour.

The British International School of Houston is an international and diverse private school with research based and contemporary pedagogy. Our internationally recruited teachers and caring and inclusive environment produce outstanding IB results and excellent academic progress. Serving children from Pre-K3 to 12th grade, learning and achievement are supported by collaborations with The Juilliard School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and UNICEF. Inquire to learn more about the future of education today!

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Academy Middle School Co-ed • Est. 2022 4600 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, TX 77401 713-364-8224 • admissions@dbahouston.org • www.dbahouston.org Eric Lerch, Head of School Open House Dates: Please contact admissions@dbahouston.org to schedule a visit.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Academy is tailored to the unique energies of middle schoolers. We offer a small classroom environment for grades 6-8 with a flexible academic program built around the needs of each individual student. Engaging activities inside and outside the classroom create a vibrant educational atmosphere. DBA helps students develop into confident, independent learners with excellent study and organizational skills equipped to succeed in high school and beyond.

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The Emery/Weiner School Middle School / High School Co-ed • Est. 1978 9825 Stella Link Rd., Houston, Texas 77025 832-204-5900 • csarnoff@emeryweiner.org • www.emeryweiner.org Caroline Sarnoff, Director of Admissions Open House Dates: Middle School, Oct. 22, 2023; Upper School, Nov. 1, 2023 The Emery/Weiner School is a private, college-preparatory middle and high school offering an exceptional education in a supportive, hands-on, experiential environment, framed by and infused with progressive and pluralistic Judaism. Our unique, inclusive culture values diversity and encourages students to pursue a wide range of academic, athletic, and artistic interests while developing a strong sense of self and community. A robust Experiential Education program inspires collaboration, resilience, and camaraderie among students and faculty. Small class sizes allow for talented teachers to help students grow in confidence and competence. Emery students graduate with a profound sense of moral self-reliance, empowered to advocate for themselves and others.

Episcopal High School High School Co-ed • Est. 1983 4650 Bissonnet, Bellaire, Texas 77401 713-512-3400 • cwasden@ehshouston.org • www.ehshouston.org Carol Wasden, Director of Admission and Financial Aid Open House Dates: Oct. 25, 2023, 7-9 p.m.

From day one, Episcopal High School was designed to be different. A place where students fearlessly test out new waters. Take intellectual risks. Make great leaps of faith. Our curriculum, the Four Pillars, stretches students in bold new directions – academically, artistically, athletically, and spiritually. At EHS, students uncover their God-given gifts and discover their purpose along the way. Because we believe that when you know who you are and what you’re capable of, you can do extraordinary things.

Grace School 20 months through Eighth Grade Co-ed • Est. 1975 10219 Ella Lee Lane, Houston, Texas 77042 713-782-4421 • lgreenway@graceschool.org • www.graceschool.org Laura Greenway, Director of Admissions Open House Dates: Please contact Laura Greenway for information to visit our campus or see website for details.

Led by a vision to inspire compassionate, thoughtful students eager to engage in the world around them, Grace School is committed to staying at the forefront of educational advancements and preparing students to flourish and succeed. Grace School features a dynamic curriculum enhanced by a broadbased STEM program and a project-based learning approach in all classes. Balancing exceptional academics, Grace offers vibrant fine arts and athletic programs and a welcoming and inclusive campus culture.

Holy Spirit Episcopal School Infants through 8th grade Co-ed • Est. 1962 12535 Perthshire Rd., Houston, Texas 77024 713-468-5138 • admissions@hses.org • hses.org Kelly Broaddus, Head of School Open House Dates: Oct. 4, 2023, 9 a.m.; Jan. 31, 2024, 9 a.m. Or schedule a personalized tour at admissions@hses.org.

Holy Spirit Episcopal School (HSES) has a 60-year history of exemplary, preparatory education for Kindergarten through 8th grade that provides handson learning in a nurturing environment, which is equally dedicated to building strong character and a solid spiritual foundation. HSES also offers a creative and innovative early learning program for infants, toddlers, preschool, and Bridge to Kindergarten. HSES focuses on an advanced STEAM curriculum, a problem-based math program, science labs for K-8th grade, hands-on learning, outdoor education, and critical thinking. Holy Spirit Episcopal School incorporates detailed student assessments to determine individual learning styles and needs. To learn more, go to hses.org.

Houston Christian High School High School Co-ed • Est. 1997 2700 W Sam Houston Pkwy. N, Houston, Texas 77043 713-580-6020 • adalton@houstonchristian.org • www.houstonchristian.org Anne Dalton, Admissions Open House Dates: Oct. 2 and Nov. 6, 2023, 7 p.m.

Houston Christian is an exemplary, college preparatory high school providing outstanding academic and leadership programs aimed at preparing each student for collegiate study and beyond. HC offers a distinctive curriculum and a spiritual focus, all while giving students the opportunity to compete and perform in award-winning (continued on page 26) sports and fine arts programs. Located in the heart of Houston’s growing west side, HC is housed on a 45-acre collegiate-styled campus.

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The Joy School Kindergarten through 8th grade Co-ed • Est. 1997 1 Chelsea Blvd., Houston, TX 77006 713-523-0660 • admissions@thejoyschool.org • www.thejoyschool.org Shara Bumgarner, Head of School Open House Dates: See website for bi-weekly tours.

The Joy School prepares students with learning differences to return to traditional classroom settings by enabling them to reach their academic and social potential in a safe, supportive environment.

The Parish School Ages 2-12 Co-ed • Est. 1983 11001 Hammerly Blvd., Houston, TX 77043 713-467-4696 • info@parishschool.org • parishschool.org Molly Weisselberg, MA, CCC-SLP, Director of Admissions Open House Dates: Private campus tours are available year-round. Tours last approximately 1.5 hours and include an overview of the campus and classrooms, as well as a presentation from the director of admissions.

Since 1983, The Parish School has empowered children ages 2-12 who have communication delays and learning differences to thrive through whole-child education, innovative therapy, and access to nature. This nationally recognized, special needs school provides an education for the entire family within the environment of a nurturing and safe 17-acre campus with on-site pediatric therapy clinic, The Carruth Center.

The Post Oak School 14 months through High School Co-ed • Est. 1963 4600 Bissonnet St., Bellaire, Texas 77401 1010 Autrey St., Houston, Texas 77006 713-661-6688 • admissions@postoakschool.org • www.postoakschool.org Ashley Krug, Admissions Director Open House Dates: 14 months-Grade 6, Oct. 14, Nov. 30; Grades 7–12, Oct. 12; Grades 9-12, Dec. 5 Post Oak challenges the norm. We don’t teach to a test. Instead, we guide our students from toddler through high school as they learn how to learn – to help them develop problem-solving, leadership, interpersonal, and academic skills for creating their own bold pathways through life. Post Oak’s two campuses are engaging Montessori environments, culminating in the IB diploma program and year-round internships for high school students at partner institutions throughout Houston.

Presbyterian School Early Childhood / Lower School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1988 40 Oakdale St., Houston, Texas 77006 713-520-0284 • kbrown@pshouston.org • www.pshouston.org Kristin Brown, Director of Admission Open House Dates: Go to www.pshouston.org/openhouse for more information.

If you want your children to achieve and be happy while they do it, send them to Presbyterian School. It’s the future of education, with a faculty, curriculum, building, and location that make the most of the best new research about how students learn and how they can thrive while doing it. All of this in a Christ-centered setting. Come and see why we believe our way is not merely different – it’s better.

The Regis School of the Sacred Heart Pre-K / Lower School / Middle School Boys • Est. 1991 7330 Westview Drive, Houston, Texas 77055 713-682-8383 • kali@theregisschool.org • www.theREGISschool.org Steven R. Turner, Jr., Head of School Open House Dates: Visit www.theREGISschool.org/Admissions WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 26

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The Regis School of the Sacred Heart is Houston’s only all-boys 3 Pre-K through eighth-grade school, educating scholars and gentlemen in the Sacred Heart tradition since 1991. Through a unique mix of challenging academics and the values of the Sacred Heart, Regis empowers students of all faiths to become lifelong scholars and authentic, compassionate leaders.

River Oaks Baptist School Preschool / Lower School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1955 2300 Willowick Rd., Houston, Texas 77027 713-623-6938 • admission@robs.org • www.robs.org Kealey Johnson, Director of Admission & Enrollment Management Open House Dates: Visit our website for available dates and registration links.

ROBS melds ambitious academics with abiding Christian values, preparing students to identify and solve nuanced problems in an ever-changing world.

Through our student-centered approach, ROBS will challenge your child to be the example of an eager mind guided by a faithful heart. Our graduates become leaders in Houston’s top high schools, premier boarding schools, and beyond. If your hopes for your child include intellectual curiosity and a strong moral compass, apply now.

The Saint Constantine School Pre-K3 through High School Co-ed • Est. 2015 7177 Regency Square Blvd., Houston, Texas 77036 832-975-7075 • admissions@saintconstantine.org • www.saintconstantine.org Rebecca Rautio, Director of Admissions Open House Dates: Private tours available by appointment. Applications for 2024-25 will be available Nov. 6.

With a commitment to small classes and an emphasis on outdoor learning and play, we practice education as a pursuit for the whole person. Our teachers provide students with excellent classroom instruction balanced with time to play, wonder, and explore. Students in our Lower School spend many hours outside in our natural playground and garden each day, and are not burdened with take-home busywork afterwards. Older students receive rigorous instruction in discussion-based, dual-credit courses, giving them a head start in college and preparing them for life as independent adults.

Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School Preschool / Elementary School / Middle School / High School Co-ed • Est. 1955 4900 Jackwood St., Houston, Texas 77096 713-666-3111 • admissions@stes.org • www.stes.org Danny Kahalley, Director of Admissions Open House Dates: For open houses and visit information, go to www.stes.org/visit.

Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School (STE) is celebrating its 69th year as a preschool through 12th grade Christian college preparatory school offering a classical education. STE students have won recent state awards in quiz bowl, mock trial, language competition, soccer, basketball, swimming, cross country, orchestra, choir, and yearbook. We also offer a world-renowned Scottish Arts program that includes bagpiping, drumming, and Highland dance. Graduates attend universities throughout the nation, with recent acceptances from MIT, Cornell, Georgetown, Boston University, Rice, Penn, Colorado School of Mines, UT, and Texas A&M. Be sure to visit our renovated campus and new three-story academic building.

San Marcos Academy Pre-K through 12th grade; 5-day and 7-day boarding options available Co-ed • 1907 2801 Ranch Road 12, San Marcos, Texas 78666 512-753-8000 • admissions@smabears.org • smabears.org Mattie Howard, Director of Admissions Open House Dates: TBD The mission of San Marcos Academy is to education young men and women within a nurturing community based upon Christian values. The vision of San Marcos Academy is to produce leaders whose lives are built on integrity, a strong moral compass, and total commitment to lifelong learning and who (continued on page 28) exemplify Christ’s devotion to service and His compassionate concern for others.

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School of the Woods Preschool / Pre-K / Kindergarten / Elementary School / Woods Middle School / Woods High School Co-ed • Est. 1962 1321 Wirt Rd., Houston, Texas 77055 713-686-8811 • www.schoolofthewoods.org Sara Sornson, Admissions/Registrar Open House Dates: Open houses in October, November and January. See our website for dates, or call the office to schedule an appointment for a tour.

School of the Woods is Houston’s oldest continuously operating Montessori school and is non-profit, independent, and non-sectarian. It is accredited

by Cognia, the Texas Education Agency, and is an American Montessori Society member school. The school provides students with a college preparatory Montessori curriculum from ages 2 1/2 through high school in an interactive learning environment, through individualized curriculum personalized by credentialed Montessori teachers. Educational programs encompass: Early Childhood-Kindergarten, Elementary, Upper Elementary, Woods Middle School, and Woods High School. Auxiliary programs include After School Care, Dance, Gymnastics, Music, Sports, and Summer Theater Camps. All children are eligible for enrollment regardless of race, color, creed, or national or ethnic origin.

Second Baptist School Pre-K3 through Grade 12 Co-ed • Est. 1946 6410 Woodway Dr., Houston, Texas 77057 713-365-2314 • admissions@secondbaptistschool.org • secondbaptistschool.org Andrea Prothro, Director of Admissions Open House Dates: Visit secondbaptistschool.org/admissions for information on tours and events for prospective families.

The mission of Second Baptist School is to equip students to think critically, live biblically and lead courageously to impact the world for Jesus Christ.

The Shlenker School 6 weeks old through Fifth Grade Co-ed • Est. 1982 5600 North Braeswood Blvd., Houston, Texas 77096 713-270-6127 • tgassett@shlenker.org • www.theshlenkerschool.org Tara Gassett, Director of Admissions and Development Open House Date: To schedule a tour, please contact the director of admissions and development.

Families choose The Shlenker School because of the school’s commitment to an outstanding secular education with integrated Jewish studies. Our curriculum fosters the whole child in a developmentally appropriate learning environment that is both nurturing and challenging. When you visit our campus, you will feel the warmth of our community and see why students and families strongly believe in the foundation that The Shlenker School provides. Shlenker students graduate with confidence, knowing that they are prepared for the next stage of their academic life and beyond.

St. Anne Catholic School Elementary School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1930 2120 Westheimer Rd., Houston, Texas 77098 713-526-3279 • admissions@stannecs.org • www.stannecs.org Dawn Martinez, Principal Open House Dates: Visit www.stannecs.org for information on tours.

Since 1930, St. Anne Catholic School has been committed to teaching the Basilian philosophy of “Teach Me Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge,” in a nurturing environment. The St. Anne philosophy embraces the uniqueness of the whole child and celebrates the diversity of the student body. In collaboration with the family as a partner, St. Anne endeavors to provide an opportunity for the optimal growth of each child, while celebrating our Catholic heritage.

St. Catherine’s Montessori 14 months through 12th grade Co-ed • Est. 1966 9821 Timberside, Houston, Texas 77025 713-665-2195 • enrollment@stcathmont.org • www.stcathmont.org Lina Delgado, Head of School WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 28

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Open House Dates: Oct. 19, 2023; Jan. 18, 2024 As a Catholic Montessori School, St. Catherine’s is dedicated to an educational experience which awakens in our students the awareness of their gifts and responsibilities as individuals in relationship with Jesus Christ and as stewards of the global community.

St. Cecilia Catholic School Pre-K3 through Eighth Grade Co-ed • Est. 1958 11740 Joan of Arc Dr., Houston, Texas 77024 713-468-9515 • admissions@saintcecilia.org • www.saintceciliacatholicschool.org Jeff Matthews, Principal Open House Dates: Nov. 28, 2023. Individual tours are also available by appointment.

Our mission at St. Cecilia Catholic School is the ongoing Catholic formation and education of the whole child in mind, heart, and spirit, in preparation for an adult life of commitment and service.

St. Francis Episcopal School Pre-K / Lower School / Middle School / High School Co-ed • Est. 1952 Piney Point Campus (Lower and Middle School): 335 Piney Point Road, Houston, Texas 77024 Couper Campus (Primary and Upper School): 2300 S. Piney Point Road, Houston, Texas 77063 713-458-6101 • jglover@stfrancishouston.org • www.stfrancishouston.org Jennifer Glover, Head of Admissions and Enrollment Management Open House Date: Oct. 21, 2023 (all divisions). Primary School Tour Dates: Sept. 15, Oct. 13, Nov. 6, Dec. 4, Jan. 12, 2024; Lower School Tour Dates: Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 3, Dec. 8, Jan. 10, 2024; Middle School Tour Dates: Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 3, Dec. 8, Jan. 10, 2024; Upper School Tour Dates: Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9, Dec. 7, Jan. 11, 2024.

Founded as a parish school of St. Francis Episcopal Church, St. Francis Episcopal School is an accredited, college-preparatory school serving students age 2 through grade 12. We support growth not just in mind, but also in body, soul, and heart, in an environment that is at once challenging and supportive.

Our students develop a healthy tolerance for wise risk-taking, celebrate earned success and good choices, and learn resilience and reflection by turning occasional missteps into opportunities.

St. Mark’s Episcopal School Early Childhood / Elementary School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1960 3816 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, Texas 77025 713-667-7030 • aduplantis@stmes.org • www.stmes.org Amanda Duplantis, Director of Admission Open House Dates: Wednesday, Nov. 8. Visit our website for tour details.

At St. Mark’s Episcopal School, we strive to be a place where students from 18 months old through 8th grade cultivate intellectual curiosity and a fearless pursuit of knowledge. Encouraged to take ownership for their own learning, our students grow into confident young people who are excited to discover new passions and are able to advocate for themselves and others. We are an inclusive, diverse, and engaged community that believes in the partnership between home and school. Join us at St. Mark’s and be known and celebrated for the unique person you are.

St. Pius X High School High School Co-ed • Est. 1956 811 W. Donovan St., Houston, Texas 77091 713-692-3581 • admissions@stpiusx.org • www.stpiusx.org Johnny Misleh, Enrollment Management Open House Date: Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, 1-3 p.m.

St. Pius X is Houston’s premier co-ed Catholic high school. Founded in 1956 by the Dominican Sisters of Houston, SPX is recognized for its strong academic programs, its tradition of champions in athletics and fine arts, and its wide range of co-curricular activities. Education at SPX is rooted in the Four Pillars of the Dominican charism – Prayer, Study, Community, and Preaching. Home of the Panthers, St. Pius X is a welcoming community that (continued on page 30) embraces diversity and ignites creativity.

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St. Stephen’s Episcopal School Pre-K / Elementary School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1971 1800 Sul Ross St., Houston, Texas 77098 713-821-9100 • admission@ssesh.org • ssesh.org Office of Campus Life Open House Dates: Visit ssesh.org/admission/tours to sign up for a tour.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, Houston, is a Montessori school located in Montrose near the Museum District and Rice University. We serve students from 15 months old through 8th grade and accept families of all faiths, backgrounds, and lifestyles. At St. Stephen’s, students enjoy individualized work plans featuring hands-on, project-based learning and vibrant classes in film, fine arts, performing arts, and Spanish. Our focus is to aid students in becoming good learners and good people, providing a caring community that is true of moral and academic learning.

St. Thomas High School College Preparatory Boys • Est. 1900 4500 Memorial Dr., Houston, Texas 77007 713-864-6348 • admissions@sths.org • www.sths.org Maxwell Holmes, Director of Admissions Open House Date: Dec. 3, 2023, 1 p.m.

St. Thomas High School is a Catholic college preparatory institution for young men in grades 9-12. With more than 120 years of teaching tradition, the Basilian Fathers’ sacred mission of teaching goodness, discipline, and knowledge inspires faith-filled, lifelong learners who think critically, communicate effectively, and prepare thoroughly to excel personally and professionally. A man of St. Thomas actively serves his community and integrates Christian teachings into all aspects of his life.

St. Thomas More Parish School Pre-K through 8th grade Co-ed • Est. 1965 5927 Wigton Dr. Houston, TX 77096 713-729-3434 • jgentempo@stmorenews.com • www.stthomasmore-school.org Judy Gentempo, Admissions Director Open House Dates: Nov. 12, 2023, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Jan. 28, 2024, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tours every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. Please contact us to schedule a tour.

St. Thomas More Parish School equips students with a dynamic education while embracing our strong Catholic identity. We are STREAM-certified, a two-time National Blue Ribbon recipient school, a National Beta Club School of Distinction, and boast teachers who hold advanced certifications and degrees in their respective fields. Our curriculum is intentionally curated to offer students an opportunity to excel. We strive to draw families closer to Christ through Catholic education. Visit our 11-acre campus and see why so many families are choosing St. Thomas More Parish School.

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School Pre-K / Elementary School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1943 6802 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, Texas 77025 713-666-2345 • rmccurry@svdp-edu.org • www.saintvincentschool.org Renee McCurry, Director of Admissions Open House Dates: Tues., Oct. 10, 2023, 6:30 p.m.; Weds., Nov. 8, 2023, 6:30 p.m.

SVdP Catholic School provides a rigorous academic curriculum enriched by Catholic teachings that challenges students while encouraging critical thinking, creativity, and a love for lifelong learning. We were named a National Blue-Ribbon school in 2016 and 2022. SVdP was the first Catholic school in the nation to become STEM-certified by NISE (National Institute for STEM Education). Discover the countless opportunities our school offers, from advanced academics, engaging extracurricular activities, excellent Fine Arts, a strong athletic program, and meaningful service projects. Our school community is united by shared values, and we cherish the partnership between our dedicated faculty, parents, and students.

Trafton Academy Pre-K / Elementary School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1973 4711 McDermed Dr., Houston, Texas 77035 713-723-5888 • admissions@trafton.org • www.trafton.org Olivia Jolet, Admissions Director Open House Dates: Coffee Dates: Pre-K4-Grade 3, Oct. 24, 9 a.m.; Grades 4-8, Oct. 25, 9 a.m.

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Trafton Academy fosters the maturation of each child into a well-adjusted adult, equipped to succeed in the world in which we live. Education is studentcentered; each child is recognized as an individual with unique interests, needs, and abilities. Our staff is dedicated to cultivating life-long learners while helping them to develop organizational skills and a strong work ethic.

Veritas Christian Academy of Houston Preschool / Elementary School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 2002 7000 Ferris St., Bellaire, Texas 77401 713-773-9605 • admissions@veritasca.org • www.veritasca.org Kim Berger, Assistant Head of School Open House Dates: Oct. 4, 2023, 9 a.m.; Oct. 22, 2023, 2 p.m.; Jan. 24, 2024, 9 a.m.

Veritas is an independent Christian school in the classical tradition that prepares students for lives of service and learning through academic excellence, character development, Biblical literacy, and intentional engagement opportunities.

The Village School Pre-K / Elementary School / Middle School / High School Co-ed • Est. 1966 13051 Whittington Dr., Houston, Texas 77077 281-496-7900, ext. 1 • admissions@thevillageschool.com • www.thevillageschool.com Bill Delbrugge, Head of School Open House Date: Nov. 8, 2023 The Village School, located in Houston’s Energy Corridor, is an academically rigorous American school with an International community. Our world-class teachers provide highly personalized and hands-on innovative learning experiences to generations of creative and resilient global citizens. Village offers three specialty diplomas including the International Baccalaureate (IB), Pre-Medical Science, and Entrepreneurship. In addition, it offers The Village track, a standard High School diploma, as well as Advanced Placement (AP) courses. With its diverse student body representing six continents and over 80 countries, The Village School serves students from preschool through 12th grade. Known for its commitment to excellence in math and science, The Village School's STEAM curriculum includes enhanced learning experiences through unique collaborations with MIT, Space Center Houston, Juilliard and UNICEF. The Village School is a proud member of Nord Anglia Education’s network of schools.

Westbury Christian School Pre-K3 through 12th grade Co-ed • Est. 1975 10420 Hillcroft St., Houston, Texas 77096 713-551-8100 • admissions@westburychristian.org • www.westburychristian.org Nathan Wagner, Head of School Open House Dates: To view upcoming Coffee Talks and Tours and Open House dates, see www.westburychristian.org/visit.

Westbury Christian School is a Christ-centered college preparatory school for students from age 3 to 12th grade. A vibrant community of learners, WCS reflects the Kingdom: Faithful, Wise, and Diverse. Since 1975, we have provided our students with a safe and diverse environment with challenging academics taught from a Biblical worldview and personalized instruction. WCS strives to support families in Christian education and cultivate relationships that build a strong sense of belonging within our community. Students are encouraged to find their God-given talents by participating in our student-led clubs, athletics, and fine arts programs. WCS develops students to become Christian servants, compassionate leaders, and lifelong learners who are prepared for here and eternity.

Yorkshire Academy Early Childhood through Elementary School Co-ed • Est. 1984 14120 Memorial Dr., Houston, Texas 77079 281-531-6088 • admissions@yorkshireacademy.com • www.yorkshireacademy.com Elizabeth Williams, Principal Open House Dates: Jan. 25, 2024, 5-7 p.m.; Open House Coffee, Jan. 26, 2024, 10 a.m.

Yorkshire Academy, a private school located in the Memorial area, was established in 1984, with its primary goal being to create an environment in which children can develop to their fullest potential at their own individual rate. Students range in age from 18 months to Grade 5. Yorkshire’s extensive afterschool enrichment program offers classes as diverse as coding, tennis, chess, piano, tae kwon do and dozens more. Its summer program consists of academics, over 50 enrichment camps, theme-based camps for little ones, and full time care. These programs are open to the community, and attract families from all over the Houston area. Yorkshire invites you to visit to see for yourself why its tagline, “A Little School Making a Big Impact,” rings so true.

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SPORTS

by Cathy Gordon, staff writer

Down the Rabbit Hole The perils of sports betting

S

aul Malek sits in a Houston coffee shop, twiddling a straw wrapper between thumb and forefinger, recalling an activity that jolted his senses into sharp focus as a child.

Putting a coin to a scratch-off ticket.

Saul and his fraternal twin brother looked forward to the innocent scratch-off treats, inserted into their birthday cards occasionally. His brother would make a few swipes, then toss. No win, no biggie. Saul, on the other hand, maneuvered coin to ticket like a tactical surgeon, skillfully peeling away every speck of its coating. Clearing margins. Double-checking for surprises.

“I’d swipe it clean. It makes me think I had certain tendencies even way back then,” says the 25-year-old Trinity University graduate, who grew up in West University Place. “I remember finding 10 bucks on the playground in first grade and celebrating that. My teacher made me turn it in to Lost and Found. I wonder if, in some odd way, I was chasing those 10 dollars from all those years back.”

Today, Saul is a recovering sports betting addict. Over four years clean. “Since July 18, 2019,” he announces, hands plowing through a head of thick, black hair.

The young, the vulnerable, they’re just clicks away from an addiction with serious consequences, he stresses. They have a casino in their pocket. Their smartphones. A gateway to sports betting apps.

“There’s a lot of peer pressure for kids about betting. I imagine a kid would feel ostracized watching the Super Bowl with friends if everyone had action and you didn’t. It’s like if everyone’s playing beer pong and you’re sitting there in the corner drinking a bottle of water.

“A lot of parents don’t even have it on their radar,” explains Saul, whose addiction led to lying, cheating, and manipulating people to support his urge for non-stop action.

“It’s a deep hole. You don’t want to fall in.”

T

he gambling landscape has changed dramatically and quickly with the advent of new technologies and a 2018 landmark Supreme Court decision that allowed states to make sports betting legal within their boundaries.

While sports betting is illegal in Texas, there are ways around the regulations that include the use of offshore betting websites or a VPN (virtual private network) that can be assigned to U.S. states where betting is illegal. And there are traditional bookies that don’t use online betting tools.

And with all these changes comes a different kind of gambler.

“We aren’t talking MAN ON A MISSION Saul Malek, over four years clean from a sports betting addicabout the old- tion, has made it his mission to warn young people of the perils of sports betting. timers going to a real person’s credit card. So, I’d use those credit the racetrack in Yonkers in the 1980s anycard numbers and make up some random address more,” says Saul. Mobile access to sports betand then have cakes I’d purchase on their webting is like never before, a forum for a throng site sent to random prisons, stuff like that. Then of young people.

I’d be awarded this credit so I could play the Between 60-80 percent of high schoolers say game at a higher level. they've gambled for money in the past year, and “I remember thinking I was really smart for a up to 6 percent are addicted to betting, accordhigh schooler,” he continues. He scammed ing to a 2022 study by the International Centre another game called Big Fish Casino regularly. for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk “I’d have a million chips through these fake Behaviors. accounts I’d made. Eventually it got so bad that Never mind that teens and young adults have people in the Big Fish Casino Facebook page immature brains. Literally. The decision-making would say ‘There’s a scammer going around.’ prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning, priAnd yeah, that was me.” oritizing, and making good decisions isn’t fully By his senior year of high school, he indulged developed until the mid-to-late 20s, say experts. in the fantasy sports app DraftKings, creating Saul can relate. He recalls blundered choices daily lineups on his cell phone with a fictional in high school that set the foundation for a seribudget, putting down real money to enter headous sports betting addiction. to-head competitions and tournaments.

He’d play the game Big Win Sports on his iPad Then came college, a whole other ball game. at St. John’s School instead of taking notes in He recalls winning a bet and receiving $1,992 class. Its website encouraged purchases in in cash in his dorm mailbox. “I took it to class exchange for “big bucks” credit to play the game. and flashed all these 100-dollar bills on my desk “I’d google ‘fake credit card generator’ and use before class started. I thought I was a bigshot.” some number that fits the algorithm but wasn’t

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SOBERING STATISTICS There has been a 30-percent uptick in sports betting addictions over the past few years. Males, typically ages 18-24, are the most affected group. Many seek help by their late 20s to early 30s, once they’ve experienced consequences.

Mostly, he gambled on credit with money he didn’t have. He’d find an online sports book, sometimes winning enough to pay a former bookie back. But most times he lost. Then he would block the bookie’s number, find a new sports book, and repeat the cycle.

His parents bailed him out for hundreds of dollars several times. “In college, they realized I had a big problem. I asked them directly for help because I owed this guy money, and I didn’t have it. They were upset and worried, but at the same time thought, ‘Ok, we will do it, and then you pay us back.’ Because they would rather have themselves as the person I owed money to, than some stranger coming after me.”

But addictions cling like a python to prey.

“I was in its clutches. If one of my debts was cleared, I felt like I had a free victory. So, I lied to my parents that I was finished, but I wasn’t.

“It’s hard to explain the rush,” he explains.

“It’s a dopamine hit. It’s about the action more than anything. At first, I was really preoccupied about whether I won or lost, but then it didn’t matter. It was just about getting the next bet, getting the next fix. And you want to be able to stop after you’re addicted, but there’s no amount of willpower to deny that compulsion.”

In August 2018, Saul went to his first 12step meeting, at his parents’ urging. “For the first month, I was like a dry drunk. I wasn’t betting, but nothing had changed.” Then his sponsor gave him some sober advice: You’ve got no shot at any long-term sobriety if you don’t start working on your character and get serious. It’s a

life-or-death situation.

“I’ve been going to my meetings ever since and really working on myself. He told me that recovery from gambling isn’t entirely about placing bets. It’s about not having a risky lifestyle, making better choices, and trusting a higher power. I don’t have any desire or urge to gamble anymore,” says Saul, who is pursuing speaking engagements at schools and various organizations to warn young people about the perils of sports betting.

He's trying to make it right, chipping away at his debt, paying people he owes. Clocking in hours as a driver for the ride-hailing service, Alto, in Dallas.

He whips out a paper from his pocket, his journal of accountability.

“It says here I still owe about $5,000, and that’s just to people I’m making payments to. I’d say it’s closer to $8,000 to $10,000 because I still technically owe my parents back money they used to bail me out, and online loans I ended up taking out. And then there’s some bookie I couldn’t contact, and I owed him like a thousand. I made the effort. One day I might donate that money to charity to make good on it.”

Therapist Dalanna Burris, Behavioral Addictions Specialist at The Menninger Clinic, is all too familiar with such chronicles of sports betting. She hears stories like Saul's through her own patients. She cites a 30 percent increase in such addictions over the past few years, typically males, ages 18-24.

A gambling disorder is diagnosed typically in

the late 20s, early 30s when they’ve experienced consequences. “They may have been betting for years but were able to skirt consequences due to being in college and parents helping them out more,” she explains.

The pandemic lock-down didn’t help, says Burris, who gave a talk on the evolution of betting at the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals’ annual conference in San Antonio. “I think it was a perfect storm between Covid and all these apps being developed and all the regulations decreasing about gambling. It is really impacting our next generation of young men. A very high percent of adolescents, 12 to 17 years old, have begun betting because of the availability of these apps.”

The addiction carries a high suicide rate.

“One out of five people with a gambling disorder have either attempted or contemplated suicide,” she says.

“I think that parents aren’t aware of the availability of gambling. And kids will sometimes use a coin base to exchange funds without using real money. It’s a secure online platform for the transfer of cryptocurrency and most parents don’t have a clue about it.”

It’s important that parents talk with their children about today’s gambling landscape, Burris adds.

“Parents in general should encourage their children to be curious about how they manage uncomfortable emotions or build excitement.

And I advise parents to discuss openly with their children their state’s (continued on page 34)

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and regulations regarding gambling. If they have children or young adults who enjoy sports, specifically discuss the consequences of problematic gambling,” she stresses. “Youth may not initially listen to their parents, but this will lay a foundation of conversation for the future should that conversation be necessary.”

Burris uses a whiteboard in her office to go over basic rent, income, a budget, with patients so they can get a realistic vision of money. Holding actual cash in their hands is part of her treatment. “If you hand people 20 bucks, whoever has a gambling disorder looks at that $20 and sees the potential of $200, or $2,000. So, budgeting becomes a large pillar of their treatment, bringing people down from this fantasy.”

“In the course of a year, I probably lost around $35,000 to $40,000,” says one of Burris’s patients, a Tanglewood resident, 31, who asked to remain anonymous. “Up until 2019, when I started sports gambling, I had never gambled.

No type at all, in my life.”

Like Saul, he didn’t think he had a problem.

After all, ads were everywhere, commercials airing with sporting events, imploring folks to “put some skin in the game.” Podcasts dwelled on sports betting, the odds.

The Rockets were his preferred team to bet on in the beginning, and his confidence soared early on when he hit a big parlay, winning $900.

Beginner’s luck. He started betting on more teams in the NBA. When Covid hit and games were cancelled, his need for gambling had him betting on soccer in the Republic of Belarus in Eastern Europe. When American sports returned post- pandemic, he needed instant gratification, switching to NBA video games that could decide in minutes if he’d won $20 or not.

“That’s when I knew I had a problem. I threw away strategy for instant gratification. The feeling of winning became less and less fulfilling and

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A CLICK AWAY Smartphones, with their sports betting apps, are the new casino, making sports betting more available than ever. Between 60 to 80 percent of high schoolers say they’ve gambled for money, and 6 percent admit addictions, according to a 2022 study by the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors.

the feeling of losing got worse and worse.

“I had a pretty major addiction to marijuana, too,” he says, of a rehab stint where he met Burris. He lost his job at a non-profit due to his addictions. He opened up about his gambling problem during treatment.

“There are a lot of cross addictions,” he says.

“Dalanna taught me a lot. I learned so much. To be honest, I was much more embarrassed about the betting addiction than the weed.

“There are a lot of things she said that resonated with me,” he continues. “I have an addiction towards fantasy. So, for sports gambling, she told me that some people imagine themselves in the game. That hit home because, as a kid growing up, a lot of my fantasies were about becoming an NBA player. That’s what really drew me in the beginning.”

He’s happy to be clean of his gambling addiction, for 10 months now. And he once again has a healthy relationship with sports. “My mom

played Olympic basketball for Syria. I’m close to my mom. And the Rockets were my team. I missed watching games with her. Now there’s no urge to gamble. There used to be a time I couldn’t be on my phone when watching because she was worried I was gambling. She doesn’t have to worry about that anymore.”

Parents shouldn’t be so naïve as to think their children are “too good for that,” he adds. “It’s everywhere now. People at work do it, people at school do it. Watch sports but put your phones aside. Make it a family activity where your kids develop a sentimental connection, an emotional connection to a sport they love. Then they can overcome any pull to gamble.

“Otherwise, they could literally get to the point where they’re betting on soccer in Belarus.”

Editor’s note: To book Saul Malek for speaking engagement services, visit: saulmalek.com

Sports Betting Identifying the Signs A sports betting problem can be hidden and hard to identify at first, say experts. Be aware of sharp mood swings, and an inordinate amount of time spent on sports apps, obsessions with sports scores, stealing and lying about it, having unusual amounts of cash with no reasonable explanation, receiving phone calls from strangers, and selling of personal possessions.

Parents should also be on the watch for cryptocurrency that is used to hide online betting activity. The anonymity offered by cryptocurrency transactions provides an increased level of privacy, which is particularly appealing to younger individuals who may not have access to traditional payment methods or desire to conceal their gambling activities.

Getting Help The National Problem Gambling Hotline (1-800-522-4700) is available 24/7 and is 100 percent confidential. This hotline connects callers to local health and government organizations that can assist with their gambling addiction.

National Council on Problem Gambling: ncpgambling.org/programs-resources/resources Gamblers Anonymous: gamblersanonymous.org/ga/index.php Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School’s Toolkit for Gambling Disorder: divisiononaddiction.org/outreach-resources/gdsd/toolkit/information Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling: evergreencpg.org/awareness/resources-and-downloads Gam-Anon: gam-anon.org The Menninger Clinic: menningerclinic.org/treatment/treatment-for-adults/inpatient-programs/addictions-services-adults or 713-589-5860.

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KIDS

by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz Baby

The Birthday Queen

Buzz Baby is a column about life with little ones.

Writer Annie McQueen is a mother of four children under the age of 9.

M

eet mom-of-four and photographer, Erin Beckwith. Her kids are Miller, 8, Bennett, 6, Briar, 3, and Bowe, 2. Erin has designed an intricately detailed themed birthday for each of her kids’ birthdays, starting from their first birthday. “I want them to be meaningful, and capture their age,” she says.

September seems to be a month full of birthdays, so we wanted to hear from Erin and how she plans her kids’ parties.

Every little detail, from water bottle labels to handmade décor that fills the tables, is a labor of love from Erin to her children. She leaves no tiny detail overlooked and personalizes the entire party. “It is an artistic release for me,” says Erin.

These parties are special, but they might not be the type of party about which you are thinking.

They don’t include over-the-top huge guest lists.

They are not held at the biggest kid venue in town. They are typically in her front yard, casual with close friends and family with one table that she sets up for cake, party décor, and treats. “That is my secret trick,” says Erin. “People think you need this big setup, but you just need to do one table that you focus on,” says Erin.

Erin says her love language (from The Five Love Languages book) is “gifts” – so party planning and pouring her time and creativity into each detail feels like gift-giving, she says. It’s her way of saying, “I love you” to her children.

“Every time I am working on them, I am thinking about their personalities and their favorite colors. I am thinking about them the entire time, and I feel like I am loving them the whole time,” says Erin.

Her love and talent for birthday planning and celebrating stemmed from childhood when her mom, Carrie Atmar, would make her feel special each birthday. “My mom always made a big deal out of our birthdays,” Erin said. As she got older, Erin started to return the gesture and gifting in return.

For instance, Carrie is a big cat lover. After Carrie’s beloved cat passed away, Erin (with her

Erin Beckwith Photography

.

dad’s approval) got a kitten for her mom’s 50th birthday, as a surprise. She kept it at her house and took newborn cat photos. She had the entire family sign the pictures.

The birthday parties Erin has planned range from an ice cream theme (Briar’s first, with Breyers Ice Cream set up), a first trip around the sun space theme for Bowe’s first (where he wore a tiny space suit), a circus theme, a “two fast” racecar theme, and more.

Briar, her third child, turns 4 this month on Sept. 7. He wants a fishing party, so Erin is busy with the planning. Her other HAPPY ONE Mom-of-four Erin Beckwith (pictured, with son Bowe on his first birthday) spends time thoughtfully planning out the details and themes for her three have birthdays in kids’ birthday parties.

January and February, small, separate cake that is all for the baby to so she says September is all about Briar. explore, smash, and dig into. Erin has gotten her Erin is organized with the process and starts smash cakes, just a small undecorated cake, at months in advance. She puts everything togethH-E-B. She then buys cute cake toppers and er step by step. She lets her kids pick the theme designs the cake to fit the theme. based on something they are into – like space, She also captures photos of her kids with the animals, fishing, really anything. setup, the cake, and the décor before the party.

She gets specialized decorated cookies from “That way, during the party I can just enjoy it,” her favorite cookie baker, Dough by Mo. Erin says Erin. says the cookies help her set the tone for the Erin’s birthday planning is a great reminder colors, aesthetics of the party, and the that you can have fun planning a kids’ party. theme’s direction. “I start planning really Birthdays mark growth and new phases, and early,” she says. they bring loved ones together. Although the Another tip Erin shares for other parents little one might not have a clear understandplanning a baby or toddler birthday party is to ing of the festivities, celebrating these early try out the do-it-yourself tactic. Rather than hirbirthdays creates lasting memories for the ing a balloon artist to make one of those amazing whole family. balloon garlands, she blows them up and assemThe most important part of it all is to remembles them herself. ber why you are doing it – to enjoy and celebrate The cakes are also a fantastic way to set the the past year and the year ahead. tone. A "smash cake" is a popular trend. It is a

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.

by Cindy Burnett, staff writer

Buzz Reads

Cindy Burnett

ARTS

Five picks for September

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

Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney (thriller) – Thriller queen Alice Feeney returns with another page turner that kept me invested until I reached the end. Twenty years prior, a baby is abducted from a stroller at the grocery store, and in the present day, a woman is murdered in a nursing home. The two crimes appear to be interconnected but how? The story follows three women: Patience, who works at a nursing home; Edith, a patient at the same nursing home, placed there by her daughter but very anxious to leave; and Clio, Edith’s daughter. Each woman has her own secrets and reasons for the actions they take. The book’s focus is on mother/daughter relationships, and Feeney states in the acknowledgements: “This story takes place on Mother’s Day and this book is for all the daughters.” Domestic suspense lovers will devour this one, and I recommend reading as little as possible about the storyline before diving in to avoid any spoilers.

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman (historical fiction/magical realism) – Alice Hoffman’s new novel, The Invisible Hour, is a tribute to the powers of books and their impact on people’s lives. I was immediately drawn into this compelling tale about love, mother/daughter relationships, cults, sacrifice, survival, and how books can transport readers, provide comfort, educate, and much more. Newly pregnant, Ivy leaves her privileged home after both her parents and the baby’s father are unhappy about her pregnancy. Looking for a place she will fit in, Ivy runs away and falls in with a group led by a charismatic and cruel leader. This cult bans books and separates babies from their mothers, but Ivy manages time to bond with her daughter Mia. Mia has inherited her mother’s love of reading, and Ivy helps her sneak into the local library where she falls in love with The Scarlet Letter. Her love of this novel sends Mia on a journey through time where she comes to understand that reading can transport a person to other worlds or bring them to the reader, and that readers and writers affect one another in mysterious ways. This story is an intensely per-

sonal one for Hoffman, and her connection to the story makes this one a powerful read.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon (fiction/mystery) – This entertaining debut is a fun combination of mystery and family drama. High-powered businesswoman WHAT TO READ This month’s selections include several stories focusing on mother/daughter relationships, a historical mystery, and a thriller written in a Lana Rubicon is diag- unique format. nosed with cancer and told in unique and clever formats, and Murder in leaves LA to convalesce with her daughter Beth the Family is a clear standout. and granddaughter Jack in their sleepy The River We Remember by William Kent Monterey Bay bungalow. Just when Lana feels Krueger (historical fiction/mystery) – With his like she is going to die from boredom, Jack hapsignature writing style and insightful portrayal of pens across a dead body and quickly becomes the both the natural world and the people who reside main suspect in the murder. The focus on Jack there, William Kent Krueger pens another gem throws the three Rubicon women into chaos that will stay with me for a long time. It’s the late and provides Lana with a purpose as she begins 1950s, and the fictional town of Jewel, Minnesota scrutinizing this small-town murder case. The is commemorating Memorial Day to honor those characters are authentic, the humor is engaging, who died in the country’s various wars. Wealthy the setting is vivid, and the plot has unforeseeresident Jimmy Quinn’s bullet-filled body is found able twists making it an all-around stellar read. floating half naked in the Alabaster River, and Mother-Daughter Murder Night is a smart and Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated veteran laugh-out-loud murder mystery that will keep who bears both internal and external scars from you guessing until the end.

World War II, is tasked with solving Quinn’s Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter murder. Around town, rumors fly that the mur(thriller) – British crime writer Cara Hunter’s US derer is Noah Bluestone, a Native American vetdebut is a winner that kept me completely eran who has recently come home to Jewel with engaged from beginning to end. Twenty years a Japanese wife. The River We Remember portrays ago, Luke Ryder was murdered in the garden of small-town life following war and tragedy as well his swanky London home – and the killer was as the many ways people seek to heal from both. never found. In the present day, his stepson, TV This beautiful depiction of mid-century director Guy Howard, hopes to solve the case by American life will resonate with anyone who revisiting the crime through a Netflix doculoves a well-told story. drama series entitled Infamous. Guy has assembled a panel of experts in various fields to sift Editor’s note: Southside Place resident Cindy through the evidence and hopefully solve the Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners colcase. Using a unique format divided by episodes umn at thebuzzmagazines.com. She hosts the and in script format, the investigation and eviaward-winning Thoughts from a Page Podcast, is dence are presented in the form of emails, text co-creator of the Houston literary event series messages, and newspaper articles and reviews, as Conversations from the Page, runs the Instagram well as discussions among the “experts” as they account @thoughtsfromapage, and regularly speaks sift through the documents and debate the releto groups about books. vance of each detail. I am a huge fan of stories

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TRAVEL

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by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer

Travel Buzz D

From Wartime Nicaragua to the Polar Plunge

r. Joseph and Terry Agris began their travels together nearly 30 years ago, beginning with one of their most intrepid forays ever: a medical mission to Nicaragua during the country’s civil war. Dr. Joe, as his friends call him, is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who has done more than 10,000 surgeries outside the borders of the US over the years, earning a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010 for his service, and wartime Nicaragua was not unusual for him. For Terry, an insurance company executive, it was a trip that changed her life, that opened her eyes to the vulnerability of the human condition.

That would be the first of many journeys together. “Our travels have always been twofold,” said Terry. Some were for the missions, including Peru and Bolivia, Egypt and Syria, Jordan and Turkey; others were just for fun, like Joe’s fishing trips in Alaska and Nicaragua, and Terry’s hunting expedition in Macedonia. As adventurous as the pair are, they also like their luxury, so their first cruise together was aboard the massive 2,400-passenger Queen Mary.

“The Queen was like the Titanic, if you saw the movie. You wear a tux for dinner, you know?” The good doctor, clearly a Brooklyn boy, still carries his native accent with him, decades after having left the city.

The cruise began a tradition for the couple, who returned to the Queen Mary over the years for their high-side life. They were aboard the ship during the 2004 Olympics, docked off the shore of Greece, where she served as a floating hotel for attendees of the games. Most memorably, they were aboard the craft on April 29, 2011, when Prince William of Wales married Kate Middleton, and the wedding was broadcast live for the passengers, while the menu was identical to that of the wedding itself. Then they landed in the London port, where the entire country was still celebrating.

And so it went, with their journeys exploring the extremes; some missions, like Pakistan and Guatemala, Dr. Joe went and volunteered solo, as Terry had to work. And Terry took some solo trips, too, like girlfriend getaways in Europe.

Covid-19 put the brakes on the medical mis-

sions, however, and these days, since their retirement, their adventures are more likely to be excursions from the comfort of a cruise liner.

The seasoned surgeon hasn’t ruled out other missions in the future.

At 82, he’s still passionate about the work, and about travel itself; he remains a major globetrotter. But nowadays he’s ready for his jour- CRUISING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD Penguins, baby seals, and massive icebergs were among the highlights of Terry and Joe Agris' 46-day cruise neys to be a little less from Miami to Antarctica. taxing. couple set off on their Seabourn Cruise to the “Until Joe retired, we would fly to places and Arctic, she consulted with the expedition team spend a week or two weeks and then we would leader, and he assured her that there would be come back home,” said Terry. “But once we an opportunity for a dive. Joe wasn’t interested retired, we started doing cruises because it was in taking the plunge – “How many crazies do just so easy. We would just fly somewhere, get you need in a family?” he retorted jokingly. He on a boat, and not have to do anything. So it was, however, her No. 1 cheerleader – and medwas much more relaxing.” ical advisor – as she geared up for the dive.

Some of their shore excursions are anything The North Pole expedition was a part of the but relaxing, however – and these cruises are not 28-day Svalbard, Greenland and Icelandic Sagas your average garden variety, Joe hastens to add.

Cruise aboard the Seabourn Venture. They flew “We're not talking about people who take to Oslo where they boarded a charter flight to seven- and eight-day cruises. We're talking Longyearbyen, a tiny town in the Norwegian about a month and a half or two months at a archipelago of Svalbard known for its spectacutime. Our shortest cruise last year was 32 days.” lar views of the Northern Lights. From there In the past year alone, he and Terry have they set sail for the North Pole, just 650 miles logged more than four months at sea on four to the north, on a four-day journey called the cruises: one to the North Pole, one to the South Svalbard Experience.

Pole, and two transatlantic cruises to Europe.

Terry was one of 10 to sign up for the Polar Their longest cruise together was earlier this Plunge on that cruise, and since she’d dived into year – Miami to South America and Antarctica, freezing waters before, she wasn’t thinking it for a total of 46 days. would be a big deal. Joe, however, wasn’t so sure.

The Arctic Circle cruise was especially exciting.

“Life expectancy was only 3 to 4 minutes That’s when the couple signed up to board a subonce she got in the water,” he said. He was reasmarine to go down and observe the ocean floor – sured by all the safety measures that were being and it’s when Terry decided to do something that taken – there were cardiac monitors and adrenJoe believes should land her a place in the record aline shots at the ready, and she would be belted books: She did the Polar Plunge at both the North in and tethered to the ship, and could be quickly and South Poles, all within six months. pulled out should anything go awry.

Terry, who was on the swim team in high When the time came, she stepped out onto school, has long had a goal of diving into every the diving platform without (continued on page 42) major body of water in the world. So when the

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WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 42

Daniel Fox, courtesy of Seabourn

with them for the rest of their lives: clambering aboard the rubber inflatable zodiacs to float among the towering glaciers; hearing the thunderous explosion of a calving glacier; watching a polar bear covered in blood as it dined on a seal it had just hunted, and then, warm and safe back on their floating hotel, enjoying a fine meal.

Navigating the extremes, from the cold of the two poles to the heat of the tropics, as they made their way from winter to summer, from Miami to Panama and through the famous canal, and all the way down the coast of South America.

But the biggest highlight for both of them on the cruises, as with all their travels, says Terry, is always the people. She’s always surprised by the similarities, regardless of the difference in life circumstances; and also the differences, “what makes each person special.”

Joe also finds the offline environs of a transatlantic cruise to be the perfect place to unplug and write novels inspired by his mission trips.

Standouts include TAKING THE PLUNGE In the course of the past year, Terry Agris completed three the three-novel “Dr. “Polar Plunges”: Top, docked off the coast of Greenland, Terry takes a swan dive; Angel” series, named for middle, after her plunge at the North Pole, gasping from the impact of the most a moniker he earned extreme plunge at 29 degrees Fahrenheit; and bottom, doing the backstroke with ease in Greenland’s 32-degree waters. Earlier this year, on a separate cruise, she during his work in did a similar plunge in Antarctica, also 32 degrees.

Pakistan, where he fell zero, and they’re in the same mud hut. They in love with the people and returned again and have no electricity, and no refrigeration, so they again (Tears on the Sand, Miracles in Bedlam, and have to go to the market each day. People might Mission Divided). He also wrote White Knight in have two changes of clothing… then you think Blue Shades, a biography of Houston journalist about the United States, where people have and TV personality Marvin Zindler, who closets filled with clothing. accompanied him on many of those missions.

“It lets you see that there’s so much more out For Joe, his travels have been a humbling there than the little world you live in,” he experience; the eye-opening experiences he’s reflected. “You know, you may see it on TV or encountered on his mission trips, as well as the read the book, but when you're actually there, scientists’ presentations, for example, the geolit kind of makes you feel like you're a little ant ogists’ talks on the scope of geological time, have in an anthill in your own little city back home, given him a broader perspective on the world. compared to what else is out there.”

He remains in awe of the resilience of the Pakistani people, who he calls the toughest he’s Editor's note: See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com ever met. “You know, it gets to 120 degrees, and to watch Terry plunging into freezing waters. they're living in a mud hut, and it gets below Daniel Fox, courtesy of Seabourn

feet first. It ended up being a bigger deal than she had anticipated, and she didn’t even realize the full impact until about a week later, when she took another plunge in Greenland, which is three degrees warmer, at 32 degrees (seawater freezes at 29 degrees).

“Terry did a beautiful swan dive off the boat, and she swam out and then she backstroked back,” said Joe proudly. “She did such a good job. The videographer there showed it on the boat that night.”

At the South Pole, the water was also 32 degrees, Terry said, and she did the same thing there.

“I'll tell you one thing,” said Terry. “There is a big difference between jumping into 32-degree water and 29-degree water, which is the temperature at the North Pole. There it feels so different – it was like needles were coming into you immediately as you hit the water. That was the oddest experience.”

She may have looked unfazed as she swam back to safety, but she quickly clambered out, grabbed her robe, went straight to their room, and jumped into a hot shower.

“My skin immediately turned crimson red,” she said. “Now, when I jumped in at Greenland and the South Pole, I just got out of the water, I put my robe on, I went over, got a drink, and went out and watched everybody else jump in the water. It was just so different.”

Another major highlight on the North Pole cruise was when they boarded the Seabourn luxury submarine, descending to the ocean floor to observe an otherworldly landscape of drifting jellyfish, colorful starfish, and sea anemones larger than people.

This summer, the couple was taken aback when a tourist submersible on an excursion to the shipwrecked Titanic made headlines when it went missing and then imploded. “That sad situation kind of hit me in the face,” Terry said.

Nevertheless, they treasure the experience.

Wildlife was a major draw on the North Pole cruise, and the Antarctic one as well: orcas and dolphins, whales and seals. The biggest difference, besides the temperature, was that in the North they saw polar bears, while in the South, they saw penguins – lots and lots of penguins.

“We saw penguins out the wazoo at the South Pole,” recalled Terry. On the island of South Georgia, after leaving Antarctica, they stopped and took a shore excursion that they’ll never forget.

“We were at a landing where we saw over 200,000 penguins. And you can't even describe it. It was just penguins – just a sheet of penguins, everywhere.”

There were king penguins and rockhopper penguins, Magellanic penguins and chinstrap penguins. And they were not afraid. Just like in the Galapagos, another one of their all-time favorite cruises, the animals have no predators on land, and so they know no fear when it comes to their human visitors, walking right up to them whenever they have the chance.

The memories from their polar cruises will stay

Daniel Fox, courtesy of Seabourn

(continued from page 40) hesitation and plunged in,

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DINING

by Dai Huynh, staff writer

W

hen Masaru Fukuda launched his restaurant, he knew the food and tradition he wanted to feature. When Pacha Nikkei (1001 Westheimer) opened last summer, the Peruvian-Japanese restaurant was unique in this diverse city with A-to-Z options.

One can find diners sampling grilled octopus with olive sauce, chorizo powder, truffle oil, and beets chicharron crisp. In another corner, sushi chefs prepare hamachi tiradito, maki sushi rolls with Peruvian aji amarillo pepper and chirashi, brimming with kampachi, salmon, tuna, ikura, and choclo (giant Peruvian corn) behind the limited-seating ceviche bar.

“Nikkei means Peruvian-Japanese, and I wanted to share my culture – the Nikkei culture – because we don’t have that in Houston,” says the 41-year-old, who grew up in a fourth-generation Japanese household in the capital city of Lima, Peru.

Many Japanese restaurants and a handful of Peruvian eateries can be found in this foodie metropolis, but none spotlight Nikkei cuisine, which has become a culinary force in Peru and beyond. Through the decades, elements of Nikkei cuisine have crept onto countless menus, notably that of Nobu (5115 Westheimer), whose founder, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, left Japan for Peru in his 20s to explore the flavors of South America. However, the legendary chef refers to his “unique fusion of traditional Japanese cuisine with Peruvian ingredients” as “Nobu Style,” whereas Pacha Nikkei does a deep dive into Nikkei cuisine.

For Masaru, the casual 4,000-square-foot Pacha Nikkei is a stage where he can tell an origin story about culinary creativity. His presentation has garnered praise from critics, who described the former graphic artist’s dishes as “edible works of art,” from a menu that ranges from “exciting Pisco-based cocktails to first-rate South American desserts.”

Below, the MAD and Kata Robata alum talks about the history of Nikkei cuisine and shares a classic recipe for ceviche, considered by many as the national dish of Peru. Traveling through this cradle of ancient civilization, you would never know that the seafood starter wasn’t invented in

the land of the Incas.

Some food historians believe it originated somewhere along the northern Pacific coast of Peru more than 2,000 years ago.

So, can we talk about ceviche, then go into some fundamentals of Nikkei cuisine?

Everybody along the coast of Latin America has a ceviche. Ecuador and Mexico have ceviches. And Peru, of course. The difference is how they make it. Some may add ketchup to their ceviche, like in Mexico and Panama.

What about Peru? Will you find ketchup in a Peruvian ceviche?

No – never.

So how did ceviche begin?

I’m not sure of the exact date, but long ago, people would preserve the fish in salt. They basically would dry it. CHEF FUKUDA Chef Masaru Fukuda’s Japanese-Peruvian’s menu is grounded in centuries of culinary history. Over 100 years ago, Peruvian ingredients and When the Spanish Japanese culinary techniques revolutionized Peru’s cuisine. arrived in Peru in the have a picture of him from the 1920s on one of 1500s, they introduced onion and lime. They the murals in my restaurant. Like everyone, he added both to the leche de tigre, or tiger's milk, a was looking for better opportunities. briny marinade made of fish puree, fish stock, So, the Japanese immigrants taught Peruvians to chili peppers, and vegetables. They used the drizzle lime juice on top of raw fish right before servleche de tigre to marinate the ceviche for hours, ing and to appreciate raw seafood? That makes sometimes even days. Can you imagine? sense, given the Japanese affinity for sushi and sashiNowadays, we don’t do that. We serve it right mi. Aside from ceviche, what is another Nikkei dish? away.

Have you heard of tiradito? It is thin slices of What changed? fish with some kind of citrus sauce. It was also The Nikkei, or people of Japanese ancestry one of the very first Nikkei dishes. So, when the living outside of Japan. Thousands of Japanese Japanese started making sashimi, the Peruvians emigrated to Peru to work on the railroads and noticed that the Japanese would put soy on their mines in the late 19th century. My great-grandsashimi. The Japanese saw (continued on page 46) pa came to Peru with the second migration. I

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Marco Torres Photography

Chef’s Corner

Masaru Fukuda: Showcasing Japanese-Peruvian Flavors

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 45

Marco Torres Photography

Marco Torres Photography

PACHA NIKKEI Left photo: Typically lightly pan-fried, this crispy Nikkei version of gyoza is deep-fried and topped with nori and bonito flakes. Right photo: Classic Peruvian ceviche. (continued from page 44) that the Peruvians would

put lime juice on the ceviche. So, the Japanese started putting both lime and soy on the sashimi.

That is how the first tiradito started.

Sometimes people refer to Nikkei cuisine as fusion. Your thoughts?

Nikkei cuisine is a culture, one that is more than 100 years old. I’m Japanese, and I’m Peruvian. I speak fluent Spanish. This is the food that I grew up eating, so it is a branch of Peruvian cuisine.

M

aking ceviche at home is easy, so don’t be intimidated. Here are some Nikkei recipes from chef Masaru.

Ceviche Classico Easy Fish Stock: 4 cups water 2 pounds of bones and heads of lean, whiteflesh fish – such as halibut, snapper, bass, or flounder – with gills removed (avoid salmon, mackerel, trout, or other oily fish because of their strong flavor) 1 cup diced yellow onion 1 medium leek, diced 1 celery stalk, diced 1 garlic clove, minced For leche de tigre: 1 cup chopped yellow onion 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1 1/4 tablespoons chopped celery 1 teaspoon chopped ginger 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice 1/4 cup chopped fresh fish 1 1/2 cups fish stock 2 tablespoons salt 1/4 teaspoon white pepper For ceviche: 1 1/2 cups fresh fish cut into cubes (any mild fish you would like to use is fine – red snapper, flounder, mahi-mahi, etc.)

Pinch of salt Pinch of white or black pepper

Pinch of finely chopped cilantro Juice of 1/2 lime 1/2 cup leche de tigre For garnish: 1 tablespoon finely chopped aji limo (or any spicy chili pepper) 1 tablespoon choclo (Peruvian corn) 1 tablespoon sweet potato, boiled, cubed, and served cold 1 tablespoon cancha (toasted corn nuts) 1 tablespoon julienned red onions

1 teaspoon salt, divided 1 pound ground pork, minced (the fattier the better) 1 cup green onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 teaspoon ginger, grated 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 teaspoons soy sauce 40–45 round wonton (gyoza) wrappers Canola oil for frying

To make fish stock, place fish bones and heads in a large bowl and cover with cold water, then rinse fish under cold running water, washing away any large areas of blood, such as near the spine. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, add water, onion, leek, celery, garlic, the fish heads, and bones. The liquid should barely cover the fish heads and bones.

Add more water if necessary.

Bring liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for an hour. Using a spoon, skim off any scum on the surface.

When ready, strain the fish stock through a fine-mesh strainer, then chill. Fish stock can be kept refrigerated, covered, for up to five days, or frozen for up to three months. This recipe makes about 3 cups.

To make leche de tigre, mix all ingredients in a blender until you get an even sauce. Pass it through a strainer and store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Place the fish in a chilled bowl and add the aji limo, salt, pepper, cilantro, and red onions.

Mix very well using a spoon. Squeeze half the lime and mix. Add the leche de tigre and mix.

Serve in a chilled bowl or plate, and garnish with choclo, sweet potato, red onions, and cancha. It should be served right away after plating.

Serves 2.

Combine cabbage and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl, then wash and set aside for 20 minutes to allow the cabbage to wilt slightly. Place the remaining filling ingredients in a separate bowl. Squeeze out any excess water from the cabbage and add to the bowl. Use your hands to mix the filling.

Sprinkle a teaspoon of cornstarch on a baking tray. Place one gyoza wrapper in your palm. Dip your finger in water and run it around the edge of half the gyoza wrapper to seal. Place one tablespoon of the filling on the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over. Using your right hand, create four pleats, assisted by your left hand and thumb.

Press to seal and place on the tray. Repeat with the remaining wrappers until you use up all the filling.

Heat the oil in a large wok or Dutch oven to 350°F (175°C) as registered on an instant-read thermometer. Add six or so dumplings and cook, agitating occasionally with a wire mesh spider, until golden brown and crisp, about three to four minutes. Drain on paper towels and repeat. Serve the fried gyoza with Japanese mayonnaise and tonkatsu sauce. At Pacha Nikkei, the dish is garnished with nori and bonito flakes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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Gyoza Frita 1 1/2 cups green cabbage, finely chopped

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 47

SPORTS

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by Todd Freed, staff writer

SportzBuzz A

fter advancing to the second round of the UIL football playoffs a year ago while winning their 13th district championship in the last 14 seasons, the Lamar Texans have high expectations for another big season this fall. “We have an extremely talented group of about 40 seniors,” said Texans head coach Mike Lindsey.

The Texans lineup is led by senior wide receiver Tristen Brown, who has committed to playing college football at Vanderbilt. Brown is also an All-Greater Houston Preseason selection by the Touchdown Club of Houston. Plus, Lindsey said the Texans feature another pair of talented receivers in Dayvyon Gipson and Justin Howard.

Lindsey also expects a dominant type of season from senior tight end Jadon Garza-Pender, who has collegiate offers from multiple Ivy League schools. Garza-Pender is impressive in the classroom as well, where he ranks third in his senior class.

Another top playmaker for the Texans should be quarterback Jordan Reeves, who was a standout running back and kick returner for the Texans last year. Reeves has collegiate offers from Texas Tech and several other major schools. “Jordan has a great arm and is also a tremendous runner,” said Lindsey. On the offensive line, 6-foot, 6-inch, 275-pound tackle Dramodd Odoms is listed as one of the top players in the state at his position and is being heavily recruited by elite football programs such as LSU, Texas Tech, TCU, and many others.

Defensively, the Texans boast plenty of talent as well led by cornerback Chris Boykins and safety Camren Vandible, who both have multiple collegiate offers. “We’re returning six starters on each side of the line of scrimmage, so we’ll have a lot of experience,” added Lindsey.

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he Stratford Spartans will have some big shoes to fill with the graduation of several key players from last year’s 8-3 playoff team, but head coach Todd Rankin believes youth will be served quite well for the Spartans this upcoming season. “We’re extremely excited about the young players who are taking over starting

roles,” said Rankin.

“Our junior varsity went 9-1 as district champs last season, so we expect good things from this up-and-coming group of players.”

Offensively, the Spartans should be especially strong at wide receiver, where Dartmouth commit Luke Rives returns for his senior season. IN GOOD HANDS Lamar senior Tristen Brown leads a standout group of returning wide receivers for the Texans. The Vanderbilt commit is seen here making a sensational In addition, stand- leaping catch against Heights last season. out defensive back arm and is extremely fast.”

Braxton Wakefield is shifting over to wide A star pitcher and infielder for the St. receiver this season and gives the Spartans Thomas baseball team that advanced to this past another big target at the receiving position. season’s state championship game, Lewis played Filling the void left by the graduation of in this summer’s Hank Aaron Invitational standout quarterback Nash Rankin is senior Showcase Game in Atlanta, featuring 44 elite Aaron DeLeon. “Aaron is an accurate passer high school baseball players from across the who can also tuck and run the ball. He gives us country. a nice dual threat from the quarterback posiBack on the gridiron, the Eagles also welcome tion,” said Rankin. On the offensive line, sophthe return of standout running back and omore Foard Polley has already received an Vanderbilt commit Johann Cardenas. Even offer to play collegiately at Baylor University. while missing the last five games of last season Polley’s older brother Hawkins was a star tight with a knee injury, Cardenas still rushed for over end for Stratford last season and is now suiting 1,000 yards while scoring 18 touchdowns in just up for Baylor. seven games of playing time.

“We also have a pair of strong running backs On defense, the Eagles are led by 6-foot, 3in Javier Denson and Derrick McGee, so I’d say inch, 260-pound lineman Michael-Anthony overall our skills positions will be the strength Okwura, who has committed to play college of this team,” added Rankin. football at the University of California. “The key for us will be to stay healthy, go after a disith the return of several key starters from trict championship, and then of course make a last season’s state semifinalist in TAPPS good run in the playoffs,” said McGuire.

Division 1 football, it has all the makings of a big season ahead for the St. Thomas Eagles.

Editor’s note: Todd Freed is the host and execThe Eagles were 10-2 last season before losing utive producer of H-Town High School Sports, to Dallas Parish Episcopal in the state final four. which airs Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on CW39 The Eagles will be led by senior quarterback and Monday-Thursday on AT&T SportsNet Donte Lewis, who accounted for over 3,000 SW. To submit high school sports news for possiyards of offense and 37 touchdowns last season. ble inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email “Donte is extremely talented,” said St. Thomas todd@thebuzzmagazines.com. head coach Rich McGuire. “He has a strong

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WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 48

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School

PK4 – 8th Grade NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, ADVANCED ACADEMICS, S.T.E.M. CERTIFIED, FINE ARTS, AFTERSCHOOL ENRICHMENT & ATHLETICS For Open House info and to apply online visit saintvincentschool.org

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WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 49

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.

District champs Bellaire Little League 12U District Team won the District 16 Championship for the third year in a row. After being knocked into the losers’ bracket by West University National, Bellaire rallied to run the table through District by winning five games in a row over West University American, Westbury, West University National, and Post Oak Little League (the team had to beat them twice). After winning the District 16, the Bellaire Cardinals went on to face and defeat the vaunted Pearland Little League 12U team in the Section 3 Championships, which ended with Bellaire winning the best-of-three series 2-1. After winning Section 3, the Cardinals went to the Texas East State Tournament for their third appearance in three years. They finished as runners-up after losing 7-10 in the final. Pictured are (front row, from left) Jeremiah Thomas, Levi Moore, Maxim Quintanilla; (back row, from left) Jack Staller, Jacob Braun, Brooks Perry, Reid Taibel, Brandon York, Charlie Dabney, Truitt Wynn, Taylor Anthony, Ethan Phillips; (top row, from left) Jason Taibel, Dan Braun, Cody Moore, Jusef Frias, and Brad Staller (manager).

All-stars The West University Little League 10U Nationals All-Star team had an exceptional summer out on the baseball fields. They played with a lot of heart and hard work and won local tournaments, including the District 16 title and the Section 3 title, and also advanced to the Texas East State Tournament in Tyler. In Tyler, they battled to the end and finished as a finalist and runner-up in the final championship game. The team manager was Kevin Coffman, coaches were Ben Gaw, Andrew Gizienski, Craig Burns, and Lance Walters. Pictured are (front row, from left) Lincoln Wagner, Ben Berry, Max Coffman, Graham Gizienski, Tate Carver; (back row, from left) Andrew Phillpott, Landon Lowery, Hollis Burns, Jonathan Loftus, Clayton Fraser, Mason Pinnix, Martin Gaw, and (not pictured) Rory Walters.

Lady Chargers A group of former and current Pin Oak Middle School Lady Chargers kept the ball rolling as they played basketball over the summer. The girls had a great time playing in the Bellaire Basketball Recreational Boys Division and were still jazzed about their district title last season. They were very competitive and held their own in the league by earning many wins versus some tough competition. Along with staying in shape for the upcoming school basketball season this fall, they were able to keep up their friendships. Pictured (top row, from left) are Jothi Thiagajaran, Eve Puzon, Miranda Rappazzo, Jillian Dorsey, Mattie Edwards, Riley Most, Adrienne Nunes; (bottom row, from left) Olivia Leung, Brooke Mansour, Jenna Dorsey, Faith Puzon, and Sania Mehta.

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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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Legal considerations in real estate transactions Real estate transactions involve various legal considerations that buyers, sellers, and their agents must bear in mind, including contracts, title searches, surveys, disclosures, and closing procedures.

Contracts: A purchase agreement in real estate is a contract that binds the buyer and seller, outlining terms and conditions of the sale, including purchase price, closing date, and contingencies. It includes property details and becomes legally binding when signed by both parties, with legal action possible for any breaches. It's recommended to work with a real estate attorney to draft or review the agreement for protection and compliance.

Title Searches: To safeguard the buyer’s investment and avoid legal issues, a professional must conduct a thorough title search by searching public records for potential issues such as liens, mortgages, easements, and encumbrances that can affect the property’s title. This search guarantees that the buyer receives a clear title to the property, free from unknown claims or issues that could affect their ownership rights. If any problems are identified during the search, they can be resolved before the closing, which prevents legal disputes and complications.

Surveys: A professional surveyor maps a property’s boundaries, dimensions, and features to identify potential issues or encroachments, making conducting a survey a vital step in a real estate transaction. It ensures that the buyer is aware of the property’s exact location and dimensions, confirming that structures and improvements are within the property’s boundaries, helps prevent future legal disputes, and can be necessary for mortgage approval.

Disclosures: The seller must disclose all known material defects that could affect the property’s value or pose a safety hazard to the buyer, which are

outlined in the seller’s disclosure notice, such as past flooding, previous repairs, or other potential problems. Completing the seller’s disclosure notice accurately and thoroughly is a crucial step in a real estate transaction as it allows the buyer to make an informed decision, negotiate repairs or a lower price, and protects the seller from potential legal liability. Failing to disclose known defects can lead to legal action.

Closing Procedures: In a real estate transaction, the transfer of property ownership from the seller to the buyer is accomplished through signing legal documents, preparing a settlement statement, purchasing title insurance, and recording the transfer of ownership. After meeting to sign necessary documents and transferring funds for the purchase to the seller, the seller transfers ownership of the property to the buyer, and the transfer is recorded with the county clerk’s office to make the sale legally binding.

If you’re seeking professional advice on real estate transactions, contact Kristi Neal at C&K Properties by phone at 713-858-4595 or by email at kristi@candkpropertieshouston.com.

Kristi Neal, Attorney at Law, Mediator, Real Estate Broker, C&K Properties, 520 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 320, Houston, Texas 77027, kristi@candkpropertieshouston.com, 713-858-4595, www.candkpropertieshouston.com

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 51

DREAMBUILDER Rahul Kavaipatti has always had a passion for building things. Now a senior at Energy Institute High School, he built this custom guitar using a precision cutting (CNC) machine and woodworking tools.

KIDS

by Rahul Kavaipatti, age 17

Buzz Kidz S

High-precision creation

ince I was five, I have had a fascination for building things. I would spend hours building the latest Lego sets only to destroy them moments later to “create something original.” My parents were not amused. My Lego sets that would now be worth many thousands of dollars lie tucked away in a bin. Lost Lego sets aside, the passion for creating has remained with me throughout my life, albeit in increasingly expensive creations. From building custom computers, to creating custom mechanical keyboards, I am never deterred by the challenge of creating something new.

Eventually, I stumbled upon the concept of CNC machining, the power of precise computerized control. Computer Numerical Control (CNC) cuts with a level of precision that is unachievable with hand tools. After nearly two

years of self-education, I began the challenge of building my own CNC machine. With help from my parents with materials and help from a friend for construction, I was able to build my very own CNC machine. The strenuous process of building the machine developed my knowledge of engineering, as well as my passion for working with metal and wood. I knew that with the skills and tools I acquired, the possibilities were endless.

In an effort to combine my love for music and my passion for craftsmanship, I set out to build a custom electric guitar. As a longtime classical guitar player, I knew building an electric guitar was the perfect project to take on. Over the course of three weeks, I researched, designed, and made my guitar from premium materials using my CNC machine and woodworking tools. The instrument

construction process was very difficult, but I learned a lot from it and look forward to improving the next build. As I move forward, I hope to continue being creative and inspire others to be creators too. Though learning any specialized skill is difficult, all innovators and inventors should feel eager to take on challenges. Whether you are a student or a hobbyist, with perseverance, you can realize your concepts.

Editor’s note: You can view Rahul’s projects at rhuk.tech/ and follow his Instagram @rhuk.tech.

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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Update on EpiPen and epinephrine Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening emergency. Typically, after encountering an allergen or other provocative substance, a patient may experience itchy skin, rash, tightness of the throat, shortness of breath, itchy/watery eyes, stuffy nose or upset stomach. If symptoms progress, loss of consciousness and even death can occur.

Treatment is epinephrine. In the USA, we have had epinephrine autoinjectors for several decades. The most famous of these is the EpiPen. EpiPen also became infamous a few years ago for raising its price from less than $100 to over $700. Congressional hearings took place, and after months of bad press, Mylan was embarrassed into releasing a generic version of its device.

Then we had shortages, and the FDA “extending the expiration dates” on EpiPens that patients and pharmacies already had. Over the years, alternate devices such as TwinJect, Adrenaclick, Symjepi and Auvi-Q have come out.

TwinJect and Symjepi were flops and are no longer available. The generic Adrenaclick, usually sold by CVS Pharmacies, is the least expensive of these, costing about $110 for a pack of 2. Auvi-Q is a neat little device. It’s half the size of a small cell phone and easily fits into a shirt pocket. It gives “audio and visual cues” as to how to use it (thus the name, “Auvi-Q”). The downside is the price. It retails for over $1,000, but most pharmacies have a GoodRx price of about $290. If your insurance covers it, you can usually get it for $35.

A new device is in front of the FDA and may be approved later this year.

It’s the first needle-free epinephrine (thus its proposed name, “Neffy”). It will be a nose spray. Since absorption from the nose is less efficient than an injection, the dose will be 2 mg. The adult dose for the auto-injectors is 0.3

mg. According to ARS-Pharma, the company bringing it to market, it delivers epinephrine to the bloodstream just as fast as the auto-injectors and the peak epinephrine level is similar. Further, it is said to work just as well even if a patient has a bad sinus infection or severe nasal polyps. We’re looking forward to it.

Interestingly, the active ingredient of Primatene Mist is also epinephrine. It is a terrible asthma inhaler, but if you have anaphylaxis in the middle of nowhere and no ER or pharmacy is nearby, you might luck out if the local Walmart has an over-the-counter Primatene Mist. Each dose is 0.125 mg epinephrine, so treatment of anaphylaxis might be 16 puffs (0.125 x 16 = 2 mg). Certainly not my first choice if someone’s life is on the line, but more effective than taking a few Benadryl and gambling that your adrenal glands can squeeze out enough epinephrine to save your life.

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 53

PETS

Neighborhood Tails Chica, age 9, Piebald Mini Dachshund, Conway St. Hi. My name is Chica Maria Recinos, aka Chitabunix. Humans say Dachshunds bark at everything, need all the attention, have a temper and a huge appetite, and give their humans unconditional love... you know what, they’re right. My short legs are strong and fast to help me do zoomies when I am happy. I have unique eyes: one blue and one black. My mom makes sure I have a healthy diet; my dad likes to walk me in the neighborhood, bathes, and grooms me. He gives me kisses all the time and even brushes my teeth (eww). My sisters are in charge of the spoiling department (Mom and Dad also chip in). My favorite things are playing with my squeaky toys, snacks, and naps. I love my human family very much, and they love me too (they say it all the time). Have you heard the human expression “you lucky dog”? Yeah, that's me.

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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WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 54

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Free wills In Texas, with limited exceptions, it is considered the unauthorized practice of law to appear in probate court without a lawyer. Helping someone else write their own will is restricted to licensed attorneys. For most Texans, the cost to hire an attorney to draft or probate a will is prohibitive, and legal aid assists only a small portion of the persons in need.

In 2015, Senate Bill 512 directed the Supreme Court to promulgate forms with instructions for everyone’s use, including simple wills for married and single individuals with adult, minor, or no children.

Eight years later, the forms are here, and they are good. The Supreme Court posted them at www.txcourts.gov/forms. Texas Legal Services Center posted the same forms with additional explanations at: texaslawhelp.org/article/willforms-approved-by-the-supreme-court-of-texas.

The forms and instructions are in easy-to-understand language. EnglishSpanish versions are available. Probate courts are required to accept a promulgated form even with minor mistakes in completion. The forms are not appropriate for larger estates, but they offer a welcome alternative to intestacy for those in a hurry or on a budget.

Time will tell if the instructions are sufficient to redirect those whose situations are too complicated for the promulgated forms. Some pitfalls are disclosed, e.g., the forms are inappropriate for beneficiaries who receive government benefits. Some are disclosed but not resolved, e.g., the forms don’t change the beneficiaries already designated on account agreements, insurance plans, or transfer on death deeds. Some pitfalls are not explained, e.g., survivorship agreements are unaffected by the forms, incapacitated beneficiaries over 21

(think an elderly widow) may require a guardianship a contingent trust could avoid, and no asset protection is provided (if children divorce, will an ex get the inheritance?).

The forms don’t avoid probate or the necessity of a lawyer for most estate administrations. The smallest estates ($75,000 or less) can still be collected with a small estate affidavit, but not if the decedent left a will, undercutting the whole point of free will forms. Pro se beneficiaries can still probate a will as a muniment of title, but, as before, only if they are the only beneficiary. Pro se administration of most decedent’s estates is still prohibited.

Regardless, the forms offer a quick, free way anyone can reduce simple estate plans to writing. Those facing surgery or travel without the will or trust they want can always use one of these forms now and make a more robust plan later.

We write wills and go to probate court. We offer no-obligation initial interviews for estate planning and administration, so it costs nothing to hear specific recommendations that suit your needs. 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

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NEIGHBORS

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by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

1,143 miles to see Messi

Maureen Higdon

Buzz About Town action depiction of the doll that was a part of so many childhoods. Robin and friends went to the movie without knowing what to expect and ended up loving it, especially the clever dialogue and message of female empowerment.

Mah Jongg in the mountains

Johnny, Amelie, Henry, and Chuck Carlton (pictured, from left) watched Lionel Messi’s debut with Major League Soccer Club Inter Miami. Johnny and Henry, both avid soccer fans, knew the family was traveling to Miami, but tickets to the big game featuring their favorite player were a surprise. Wearing #10 shirts and holding a sign that read “1,143 miles to see Messi,” the Carlton family witnessed history with the superstar’s inaugural appearance that included a last-minute goal. Both boys played soccer for St. Mark’s Episcopal School, and Henry also played with RISE Soccer Club.

Amelie is a former soccer player and says seeing Messi was even better than winning the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) championship back in the day when her Holland Hall high-school team beat St. John’s School in a shootout.

Reading with Kristin Chenoweth The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation’s 2023 Power of Literacy luncheon is scheduled for Oct. 20 at The Post Oak Hotel. Event chair Maureen Higdon (pictured) is planning this year’s

event featuring Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress, singer, and New York Times bestselling author of I’m No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts Kristin Chenoweth. Guests will enjoy a conversation with Chenoweth, along with a silent auction and raffle. This year’s event, The Gift of Reading, is hosted by the Ladies for Literacy Guild and benefits childhood literacy programs across Houston. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit bushhoustonliteracy.org/luncheon.

Fun in Barbieland Robin Roth (pictured, center) and friends Pam Risoleo and Stacey Ronnel (pictured, left and right) who were in town from California, enjoyed a girls’ night out watching Barbie on the big screen. Donning a variety of shades of pink, the ladies joined the trend of gathering with friends for a festive outing to watch the live-

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Sharon Maloney, Joan Lebow, Lili Rubin, Sharon Brier, and Cynthia Mills (pictured, from left) took a break while hiking along the Sawmill Reservoir trail. Rubin hosted friends from her Mah Jongg group at her Colorado home that overlooks a babbling brook in Breckenridge. The girls’ trip included daily hikes, a theatrical performance at Breckenridge Backstreet Theatre, and an afternoon happy hour with a game of Mah Jongg. In addition to spending time together, the Mah Jongg group made new friends with Rubin’s local friends who also escaped Houston’s summer heat with a trip to the mountains.

Leading the Houston Junior Forum The Houston Junior Forum welcomed its new 2023-2024 executive committee. The nonprofit women’s service organization kicked off the new year with a retreat in Galveston. President Susan Rosenbaum gifted each executive-committee member with a pair of flip flops as a tribute to the organization’s theme for this year, Striding to the Future, which were the perfect complement to the beach retreat. The ladies spent their time in Galveston bonding as a group and preparing for another year of service and financial assistance for nonprofit organizations throughout Greater (continued on page 58)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 57

Junior Forum executive committee members are (top row, from left): Karen Darnell, Paula Howeth, Julia Heller, Linda West, Deanna Belanger, Krista Parker, Amelia Alder; (bottom row, from left): Diana Root, Betsy Blakeman, Keleigh Sale, Dale Kurtz, and Susan Rosenbaum.

Maestra Lebel in Romania

Medicine faculty members Drs. Ann Anderson, Daniel Musher, Tammy Kang, Robert Lynch, Rageev Raghavan, and Lynn Zechiedrich.

Under Maestra Lebel’s direction, TMCO has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and performed at Carnegie Hall In New York. The orchestra’s next concert is Saturday, Sept. 23 at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

Harvest Luncheon kickoff

Joseph Carson Smith

The Texas Medical Center Orchestra (TMCO) founder and artistic director Libi Lebel (pictured) was honored as a finalist in the Orchestra’s Conductor, an international competition in

Ploiesti, Romania. Nearly 200 conductors from around the world submitted applications to attend the competition, and Lebel was one of 74 who were invited to Romania to conduct. During the semifinal round, each conductor was given a piece to conduct when they stepped onto the podium and were judged by fellow orchestra players. Lebel was named the third-place winner and received a monetary prize and invitation to return to Ploiesti to conduct future concerts. Maestra Lebel founded the TMCO in 2000 with most members being part of the Texas Medical Center community. It has grown to about 70 members, including well-known Baylor College of

Daniel Ortiz

(continued from page 56) Houston. The Houston

Donna Jett, Carol Olson, and Vanitha Pothuri (pictured, from left) enjoyed the Kids’ Meals kickoff party to celebrate the upcoming 15th annual Harvest Luncheon. 2023 luncheon chairs Elizabeth and Wyatt Hogan, Leigh and Jack Kins, Beth and Chase Robison, and Kim and Kyle Schuenemann gathered with guests at Tony’s for appetizers and dessert. Luncheon honorees were announced: Earl Hesterberg, Denise Seabolt, Celina Joachim, Parul Anderson, Kate Dearing (continued on page 60) WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 58

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(continued from page 58) Fowler, Iris Diaz, and

Julia Gutierrez, and Inky Johnson, collegiate athlete, entrepreneur, and author, was revealed as the luncheon’s keynote speaker. Johnson will speak to the luncheon crowd about his experiences recovering from a career-ending football injury. The Harvest Luncheon is scheduled for Nov. 13 at the Marriott Marquis Houston. Visit harvestluncheon.org for more information and to purchase tickets.

Christmas at Colonial

Christmas came early at the Colonial Park Pool.

Santa joined neighborhood pool members including Thomas and Caroline Sample (pictured) for a pool party at West University Parks and Recreation Department’s new event, Christmas at Colonial. While enduring the sweltering heat of the summer, pool members imagined cooler days while they tasted snow (cones) and splashed in melted ice (pool water). The event was the perfect way for fellow members to get together during the summer and enjoy a visit from Old St. Nick.

Celebrating Nativity Academy

Books from Girl Scouts Girl Scouts Annabelle Liles, Lily Gidwani, and Hazel Grace Dagley (pictured, bottom

Daniel Ortiz

The eighth annual luncheon benefiting Nativity Academy of Houston raised $388,000 for the school’s operations. More than 400 supporters gathered at River Oaks Country Club to enjoy

the Together We Rise, Together We Shine event with honorary chairs Wendy and Danny Daboval. The crowd was entertained by second graders who sang Start a Fire and heard from guest speaker Richard De La Cuadra about his experience attending the Nativity Mission School in New York City. The board of directors presented the inaugural Jim Shallock Award to Jim Shallock, in recognition of his service to the board of the nontuition-based Christian school for underserved children. Pictured guests are (from left): Susan and Ron Martin, Alexander Zapata, Amy Reaser, Colin Matheny, Carol Beck, David Harvey, Paul Beck, Chris and Judy Simon, and Adriana Martinez.

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row, from left) presented donated books for the patients at Texas Children’s Pediatrics Ripley House. The Pin Oak and Pershing Middle School seventh graders have a history of serving Texas Children’s, including creating care bags for pediatric inpatients during their fifth-grade year. Staff members Virginia Villarreal, Stephanie Sanchez, Sandra Martinez, Marissa Nunez, Selene Escamilla, and Mayra Mendez (pictured, top row, from left) are thankful for the Girl Scouts’ support which included new and gently used books that patients can take home after their visit to Texas Children’s.

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WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 61

NEIGHBORS

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by Andria Frankfort Dilling, staff writer

Back Porch

Back to School: Not-So-Smart Choices behance.net/runamokstudios

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all – “back to school” – is generally regarded as the time to jump back into schedules, straighten up, and fly right. But just like everything else with kids, things don’t always go as planned.

That was the case with these individuals, all of whom asked to remain anonymous, for obvious reasons.

One high school freshman, now working on his degree in business and data science at a competitive east-coast university, decided to vape in class.

(We promised anonymity, for obvious reasons.)

This nameless high school freshman decided to find out what all the vaping fuss was about.

(Was this his first time to explore that question?

Probably not. But his parents, at the time, were sure it was.) No one has ever said the prefrontal cortex of 15-year-old boys is a bastion of sound reasoning, and that proved true when this one was inhaling his JUUL electronic cigarette… just before his engineering teacher walked into the classroom.

Panicked, the boy pulled his polo shirt over his mouth and nose to hide any incriminating evidence. Unfortunately for him, he eventually had to breathe. Upon exhaling, smoke started billowing out of the sleeves and collar of his shirt.

“The teacher looked at him and said, ‘You’re outta here,’” his dad says. “The principal took his JUUL and put it in a drawer. With a ton of others.

“He’s lucky he didn’t get suspended. Just your basic dumb move. But he still got an A in the class.”

Another now-college-aged young man working on a degree in construction management shared his own “going to the principal” story… from his Catholic elementary school.

“In fourth grade, all of us were really into Duck Dynasty,” he tells us. “Si Robertson was our favorite character, spelled S-I. We had these computers, and our favorite thing to do was look for new screensavers. So I looked up Si, S-I, and I immediately shut my computer, because it was a Sports Illustrated bathing suit edition, and that’s all that showed up. Just a bunch of Kate Upton, Verlander, whatever.

THE NOT-SO-STRAIGHT PATH TO ADULTHOOD Try as we may, it isn’t always easy to be the perfect student.

“So then of course I turned to my buddy and was like, ‘Huh. If you look up Si, apparently he’s a bathing suit model.’ This other kid was like, ‘I gotta see this.’ So this kid looked it up, immediately freaked out, and tried to close his screen.

But those early 2000s computers just would not shut anything down. Everybody was looking at his computer, freaking out, because we’re in fourth grade. The teacher came walking over to see what was going on, and boom, Sports Illustrated, Kate Upton, and tiny bikinis. My buddy immediately ratted me out.

“My only defense was that it really was Si Robertson who I was trying to look up. I went to the principal, and I got my computer taken away for the weekend. I got a talking-to about not looking up girls in bikinis in class. But my parents did think it was hilarious.”

Yet another college-aged boy reminisces about a friend getting in trouble for letting his emotions get the best of him in a middle school math class. “We used to count how many times this teacher said okay in class, like nine-times-

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2023 62

nine, that’s 81, okay, okay. And my friend Ben, he was really frustrated and he was getting kind of a hard time from the teacher. So my friend said back to the teacher, ‘Dude, you’re literally bald.’ Off to the principal.”

Similarly, a college graduate remembers her history teacher’s propensity to say you guys, as in You guys, we are going to start this chapter. “She used it in every context you could think of,” the young woman tells us, as she adds, “Don’t give names and don’t give my school, because everyone will know it’s about her.”

“So of course we kept a ‘You Guys Log.’ I was laughing one day, and she asked what was going on, and I had to put my head down on the desk because I couldn’t keep it together.

Later she came over and saw the ‘You Guys Log.’ It also had her name on it, and she was like, ‘Oooooh, no, that is not gonna work. See you in detention.’ By the way, she said it 75 times in one week.”

Kids, do as we say, not as we do. Time to straighten up and fly right.