Villanova pretty much had the game under control after five minutes, or at least it’s when I recall tuning out. I mainly attend these things just to see how many of us exist around here. Most Texans only recall my alma mater when you mentioned either Al Maguire or their 1977 NCAA victory.
It’s a fairly diverse crowd. Most are recent graduates but there’s a couple who attended in the Fifties and then moved down here, so they’ve had a front-row see to the Houstonization. Another guy was pretty fresh out of Milwaukee, has a job working on the budget for the legislature. I could tell in his eyes and defense of “both sides do it,” he probably campaigned for Walker, someone who dropped out.
My favorite part was meeting at the Tavern. I haven’t been there in over a decade. It’s this restaurant/bar that “recycled” a house from when Austin’s northern border probably didn’t go very far past the University. I’m amazed it has endured. Everything else has been taxed to death to make room for more One Percenter housing.
We’re going to have another little get-together in two weeks at one guy’s house to meet some teenagers who were accepted. Am I going to convince them to attend or bail? No. I’m going to point out the upside v. downside to it. Hmmm, an incoming freshman now pays $18,000/semester and $5500/semester for McCormick, ouch. Let’s compare it to UT if you’re a resident…$5000/semester and housing (good luck finding any) is upside down at $11,000/year. As “pricey” as Marquette is plus the terrible Milwaukee weather, it might be a better fit for some candidates. UT is a great school in its own right but it operates more like a factory with an bureaucracy unconcerned about a student’s well-being (need for tutoring, seeing a professor, etc.) since they know there’s another four or five people waiting to take your spot. I do not envy these young people on how the hell they’re going to pay for it. I thought my final debt of $14K would kill me.
I look forward to meeting these people again. They seem very nice and it’s nice to talk about the food we miss. According to Annette, the current coordinator, Austin will be getting a Gino’s East. Sweet. We have Culver’s. We have Steak n’ Shake. We have Carl’s Jr., aka Hardee’s in the Midwest. We AHL-level hockey (like Milwaukee and Chicago). Vegas has a White Castle, them coming here is inevitable. So much for losing weight.