Five stories that have North Texas talking: Crowdsourcing for a new school moniker invited several snarky submissions; a Texas photographer found Georgia O’Keeffe’s elusive landscape; what do Washington D.C. passersby think of Texas?; and more.
Parents and guardians will most likely not send their kids to “Bleeding Heart Liberal Elementary” or “Adolf Hitler School For Friendship and Tolerance” come next fall, but those were both actual public suggestions to rename Robert E. Lee Elementary in Austin.
The Austin American-Statesman reported: “Changing the name of a school named for a Confederate general was an issue debated for months. In January, the campus advisory council voted unanimously for a name change, asking the school board to consider the request.”
On March 28, the Austin ISD voted to change the name after hearing feedback from parents and the community, KUT reported. With current name submissions ranging from Donald J. Trump Elementary to Harper Lee, clearly the community still feels divided on the issue. The school board will have the last say, however, when final submissions are presented at a meeting on May 23, despite the number of nominations for each proposed name, the Statesman reported.
The Statesman reported: “Lee is the only school in the Austin district to request a name change amid a national rethinking of monuments to the Confederacy. It’s unclear whether three other Austin schools that bear the names of Confederate icons will be considered for renaming by the school board.”
Here are the top 10 names, according to KXAN:
Donald J. Trump Elementary: 45 nominations
Robert E. Lee Elementary: 34 nominations
Russell Lee Elementary: 32 nominations
Harper Lee Elementary: 30 nominations
Elisabet Ney Elementary: 15 nominations
Lee Elementary: 13 nominations
Adolf Hitler School for Friendship and Tolerance: 8 nominations
Waller Creek Elementary: 8 nominations
Dr. Frances J. Nesmith Elementary School: 7 nominations
Guy Bizzell Elementary: 6 nominations
See the full list below from Mashable. [Austin American-Statesman, KXAN, KUT Mashable]
Lee Renaming Submissions by mashablescribd
- A Texas photographer shot images of the same sites artist Georgia O’Keeffe painted in New Mexico. Walter Nelson traced O’Keeffe’s route for decades and became intrigued by one location in particular that she painted several times — the Black Place. After a dozen visits, Nelson found the special spot where O’Keeffe painted and camped. According to Texas Standard, “Separated by generations. O’Keeffe and Nelson returned again and again –because the strange landscape didn’t just change with seasons, but across a single day. According to Nelson: ‘I have photographed the formation in the snow, I have photographed in the summertime. You know where she painted. And certain times of day.’” Nelson’s new book of photographs is called The Black Place: Two Seasons. Listen to the conversation. [Texas Standard]
- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is teaming up with presidential rival John Kasich to stop Donald Trump. The two campaigns agreed on a game plan Sunday night to deny Trump the remaining 1,237 delegates he needs to secure the Republican nomination. Cruz plans to focus on the Indiana primary, and Kasich, the Ohio governor, will try to win over Oregon and New Mexico. The Texas Tribune reported: “In statements released moments apart, the Cruz and Kasich campaigns made clear their agreement only extends to the three states. They also urged outside groups, such as super PACs supporting the two candidates, to follow their leads.” In response, Trump said the two candidates are “mathematically dead and totally desperate.” Read more. [The Texas Tribune]
- What’s the first word people think of when they hear the word “Texas”? Barbecue...plastic surgery...oil. The Think team took to the streets of Washington D.C. over the weekend before settling into the NPR studios for this week’s series of interviews to find out what people had to say about Texas, politics and national parks. Listen to the audio and see who’s on the roster to speak with KERA’s Krys Boyd through Thursday. [KERA]
- Dallas is the ninth best city in the U.S. to start a career, a report found. Bankrate.com evaluated 100 cities based on 18 variables people might consider when starting a career including job prospects, pay potential, quality of life, social opportunities and career advancement. The report said Dallas has absorbed a large chunk of the recent population influx in Texas, and for that reason, the city scored fifth out of 100 for social opportunities. Read the full report and methodology. [Bankrate.com]
