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t m c » p u l s e | a p r i l 2 0 1 6 23 Living Laid Back Builders: Coventry Homes • David Weekley Homes Highland Homes • Plantation Homes • Trendmaker Homes New Homes From The Low $300s PomonaLiveSmart.com Sam Houston Parkway CR 101 288 ✪ Featuring a relaxed, coastal atmosphere, this 1,000-acre community in the heart of the rapidly growing Highway 288 corridor makes it easy to live a happier, healthier lifestyle with a resort-style amenity center, miles of walking trails, sports fields and an on-site Alvin ISD elementary school. NOW OPEN! P er fect l y 8 the debate. A large team immediately conducted another two site visits to the University of Houston to determine if it was a suitable host site for their needs. "In many ways, we had to fight for this debate twice," Topham said. "We are even more proud that two different national news networks saw the power of hosting the debate here on our beau- tiful campus." The goal of hosting the debate at the University of Houston was not only to show the rest of the country all that the school has to offer, but also to give students, faculty and alumni a once-in- a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the historical event. "This debate came at a pivotal moment in the election cycle—right before 'Super Tuesday'—and it was important to us to involve our students and community in public discourse in every way possible," Topham said. In addition to hosting the debate, the school planned a series of events to involve students and the community. During the week of the debate, students were invited to attend a Q&A session with Anderson Cooper, moderated by faculty and students from the Valenti School of Communication; tour the Google Media Filing Center and Spin Room set up for reporters; participate in a mock debate; and attend a series of lectures educating students and com- munity members about the electoral process and about major topics the candidates would be covering. "One of my favorite events I participated in was standing in as a candidate during the mock debate to test camera angles, sound and time for the networks," said Marijose Flores, a senior public relations student at the University of Houston. "It was great because I got to go on stage and stand at the same podiums as the candidates." For those who were not able to attend the debate inside the Moores Opera House, the school set up watch party locations for students, faculty and staff. Valenti School of Communications students live-tweeted the debate, managed interactive polling and issued live reports during commercial breaks, viewed by watch party attendees. "It was really exciting as a student to take all of the things I have learned in class and use them for the debate," Flores said. "Seeing other students also perform in their field was an opportu- nity that I will always remember, and it is a great start for us right before we begin our careers in communications." Regardless of politics, the univer- sity, student body and community were honored to host the Republican Presidential Primary Debate and have the national spotlight on the University of Houston. "As a university, we have come a long way in the past few years," Castillo said. "We are reaching new heights and achievements every day; along with our football team winning the Peach Bowl, we are a powerhouse in athletics, academics and with our civic engagement." The chance to participate in history isn't an opportunity taken lightly. Hosting a national conversation with real-life impact on our community and country is a great opportunity for our school and students, and also for our extended Cougar community. — P'NINA TOPHAM Director of Media Relations at the University of Houston