Gabriel Lara
Austin High School
This Friday, February 28th, the YMCA Youth and Government District court delegates gathered at Austin Community College’s Highland campus for a day of debate and competition. I had the pleasure of joining them on this expedition and witnessing multiple trials. What really intrigued me though was the building itself.
According to the Austin Community College website, the Highland campus was actually a commercial mall. At first glance I couldnt imagine that the facilities would be refined and modern, but they were exactly that. When someone thinks of the word “Community college,” they most likely picture a rundown project, and that’s probably the last stop they want to get off at. But ACC was the exact opposite.
Other delegates and I were welcomed by state-of-the-art infrastructure, and there were many accessible areas to work and communicate with other delegates. I was particularly impressed with the availability of private working areas from study rooms to quiet seating areas.
The area I found most interesting was the 4000 building where we ate lunch. This was the only area that somewhat resembled an old mall. There was a nice indoor plaza with many tables and chairs to eat at. There were remnants of the old mall such as trees and escalators. These remnants gave the whole area a nostalgic ambiance and made it very welcoming and inviting. I had the pleasure of speaking with a YMCA evaluator. Cynthia Soliz was very pleased with the facilities being offered to YAG and its delegates. She told me “as a native Austinite I would never have guessed that the Highland Mall would have been renovated into such a nice campus”. ACC was a great place to host youth and government and ensured that everybody had an exceptional state conference experience.
The area I found most interesting was the 4000 building
want to get off at.