The NIC Sentinel

Issue date: 11/16/09 Section: Back Page

Media Credit: Mike McCall Local artwork such as this sculpture can be found throughout downtown. Austin is known for being rich in the arts, particularly music, with numerous venues featuring live bands on a regular basis.

Spending four days in Austin exposed me to an immense amount of culture, more than one could ever experience in small-town North Idaho. From an unbelievable amount of live music to sampling an incredible variety of tasty, local grub and witnessing more than 60,000 people in costume Halloween night, Austin had more to offer than I could possibly experience in the short amount of time I was there for.

There was never a dull moment on this trip.

The national journalism convention brought in more than 2,000 college students from across the nation. With numerous sessions occurring every hour from morning through afternoon, a constant fountain of information was at my fingertips that continually battled with my craving to explore this amazing city.

The Sentinel brought home some serious bragging rights from the conference too, most notably taking the prestigious Best of Show award against all two-year non-daily college newspapers nationwide, along with the Pacemaker award for general excellence. Arts and Entertainment Editor Loren Kelly took second for Reporter of the Year, and former Managing Editor Jake Donahue received six awards, including second place nationally for Page 1 design.

Stepping out of the Austin Airport submersed me with a feeling I hadn't felt in some time -- warmth. Immediately I felt the need to dust off the summer clothes and soak in as much sun as possible.

And I did just that.

The second morning I put on shorts and a T-shirt and went for a walk across town and through some residential areas. Needless to say, I couldn't keep from constantly snapping pictures of all the sights along the way. I eventually found my way to a Whole Foods Market; I moseyed on in, grabbed some fruit, yogurt and orange juice and enjoyed breakfast outside under the sun. The day couldn't have begun any better.

Saying that Austin (dubbed the Live Music Capitol of the World) lived up to its nickname would be a tremendous understatement. With literally hundreds of establishments featuring live performers (many on a daily basis), music constantly serenaded my ears from all directions, making me feel like a little kid in a candy store.

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