March 18 Andy Roddick, Brooklyn ...during SXSWedu for the second in a national se-ries of Think It...
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www.theaustinvillager.com THE COURIER THE VILLAGER/March 18, 2016 ~ Page 5 Andy Roddick, Brooklyn Decker, and Austin Officials Join Austin Teachers & Students At “Think It Up Live” Brooklyn Decker and Andy Roddick at EIF's Think It Up Live Event at David Crockett High School on March 10, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for EIF) Local Austin students at EIF's Think It Up Live Event at David Crockett High School on March 10, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for EIF) Naomi Richard The Austin Villager Newspaper LOS ANGELES - PRNewswire-USNewswire — Think It UpTM, the new initiative from the Enter- tainment Industry Foun- dation (EIF), joined Brook- lyn Decker, Andy Roddick, Austin officials including Independent School Dis- trict Superintendent Dr. Paul Cruz, and hundreds of local students and teachers on March 10th during SXSWedu for the second in a national se- ries of Think It Up Live pitch competitions. Alongside a panel and booth activation on-site at SXSWedu, the live pitch event was designed to empower students, celebrate teachers and build optimism about what’s possible in America’s classrooms. The event drew students and teachers from 24 tra- ditional district and pub- lic charter schools in Aus- tin. Think It Up Live Brings Spirit of SXSW to Local Austin Students and Teachers At Think It Up Live, student-teacher teams across Austin came together to pitch VIP judges and Austin- based husband/wife couple Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker on their innovative learning ideas. Roddick, the founder of the Andy Roddick Foun- dation and retired tennis star, and well-known “Grace and Frankie” ac- tress Decker, listened as students put their best ideas forward at this sci- ence fair-meets “shark tank”-type event de- signed to promote em- powered, engaged learn- ing. The winning team was selected from a group of 50 teams and came from Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, and received $1,000 to fund their project, which created a produce spoilage tracker to reduce food waste. All participating teams re- ceived $100 in funding credits to kick-start their projects. All funding credits are applied once teach- ers will post projects at ThinkItUp.org – a first-of- its-kind platform avail- able to all public school students and educators (grades 7-12) in partner- ship with DonorsChoose. org, the popular teacher crowd-funding charity. To help bring to life more stu- dent-powered, teacher- led projects, Think It Up covers half each of each proposals total cost by EIF’s supporters, including Ashoka’s Start Empathy initiative, ExxonMobil and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with the rest raised through crowd- funding. The event follows the success of EIF’s inau- gural Think It Up tele- cast that aired in Septem- ber, and first Think It Up Live event in Denver held in December. Carol Burnett inducted into the Austin Film Society’s Texas Hall of Fame! Naomi Richard | The Austin Villager Newspaper On March 10, 2016, Carol Burnett was inducted into the Austin Film Society’s Texas Hall of Fame. Carol Burnett is on of my favorite sketch comics of all time. I grew up watching her on television and she al- ways made me laugh. Seeing her comedy shows, Mama’s Family, The Carol Burnett Show and more was a de- light. She is just a funny woman and grew up in a man’s world for sure! To my delight, I was able to see Ms. Burnett in person during the 2016 Screen Actor Guild Awards® in Los Angeles, California in January. Her presence on the red carpet was amazing and she pulled her ear for us as we took her picture. This is a trademark of her comedy shows. After returning home from the award season in Los Angeles, I found out that Ms. Burnett, a San Antonio na- tive, would be honored by The Austin Film Society! I im- mediately thought, “Could life get any better. My idol was coming to Austin!” As fate would have it, I was invited to the Austin Film Society’s press conference held at the Gibson Show- room. Moderated by Variety’s Executive Editor Steven Gaydos, the press conference included Texas Film Awards honorees Carol Burnett, Jesse Plemons, Chandra Wilson and Michael Barker. Austin Film Society’s Artistic Director, Richard Linklater, and SXSW’s Head of Film, Janet Pierson, also took part in the conversa- tion. To my surprise, I was one of five reporters permit- ted to ask questions during the press conference, and of course I immediately di- rected my question to Ms. Burnett. “When I was grow- ing up and had a bad day, was depressed and in despair, I could go home and watch your show and by the end I had no concept of what my problem was. So my ques- tion to you today is, who makes you laugh?” Ms. Burnett, “I’m a sucker. I’m a great audience. Who makes me laugh? Well, still today Steve Martin does, certainly Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Christian Wick. I’m into the sketch performers be- cause that’s what I was...am. I like to lock eyeballs with people. I was never one to do stand up. So that’s not necessarily my interest, but when I see a good sketch performer…Morley Short, Maya Rudolph. Those people, they make me laugh.” What an honor, to have The Austin Film Society in conjunction with South-By- Southwest, bringing such major Hollywood Star Power to the ATX! Legendary comedic actress Carol Burnett stops for a photo with Austin Villager Entertainment Reporter Naomi Richard. Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images.
Transcript of March 18 Andy Roddick, Brooklyn ...during SXSWedu for the second in a national se-ries of Think It...
www.theaustinvillager.com THE COURIER THE VILLAGER/March 18, 2016 ~ Page 5
Andy Roddick, Brooklyn Decker, and Austin Officials JoinAustin Teachers & Students At “Think It Up Live”
Brooklyn Decker and Andy Roddick at EIF'sThink It Up Live Event at David Crockett HighSchool on March 10, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photoby Rick Kern/Getty Images for EIF)
Local Austin students at EIF's Think It Up LiveEvent at David Crockett High School on March 10,2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/GettyImages for EIF)
Naomi RichardThe Austin Villager
Newspaper
LOS ANGELES -PRNewswire-USNewswire— Think It UpTM, the newinitiative from the Enter-tainment Industry Foun-dation (EIF), joined Brook-lyn Decker, Andy Roddick,Austin officials includingIndependent School Dis-trict Superintendent Dr.Paul Cruz, and hundredsof local students andteachers on March 10thduring SXSWedu for thesecond in a national se-ries of Think It Up Livepitch competitions.Alongside a panel andbooth activation on-siteat SXSWedu, the livepitch event was designedto empower students,celebrate teachers andbuild optimism aboutwhat ’s possible inAmerica’s classrooms.The event drew studentsand teachers from 24 tra-ditional district and pub-lic charter schools in Aus-tin.
Think It Up LiveBrings Spirit of SXSW toLocal Austin Studentsand Teachers At Think ItUp Live, student-teacherteams across Austincame together to pitchVIP judges and Austin-based husband/wifecouple Andy Roddick andBrooklyn Decker on their
innovative learning ideas.Roddick, the founder ofthe Andy Roddick Foun-dation and retired tennisstar, and well-known“Grace and Frankie” ac-tress Decker, listened asstudents put their bestideas forward at this sci-ence fair-meets “sharktank”-type event de-
signed to promote em-powered, engaged learn-ing.
The winning teamwas selected from agroup of 50 teams andcame from Ann RichardsSchool for Young WomenLeaders, and received$1,000 to fund theirproject, which created aproduce spoilage trackerto reduce food waste. Allparticipating teams re-ceived $100 in fundingcredits to kick-start theirprojects.
All funding creditsare applied once teach-ers will post projects atThinkItUp.org – a first-of-its-kind platform avail-able to all public schoolstudents and educators(grades 7-12) in partner-ship with DonorsChoose.org, the popular teachercrowd-funding charity. Tohelp bring to life more stu-dent-powered, teacher-led projects, Think It Upcovers half each of eachproposals total cost byEIF’s supporters, includingAshoka’s Start Empathy
initiative, ExxonMobil andthe Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation, with the restraised through crowd-funding.
The event follows
the success of EIF’s inau-gural Think It Up tele-cast that aired in Septem-ber, and first Think It UpLive event in Denver heldin December.
Carol Burnettinducted into the
Austin Film Society’sTexas Hall of Fame!
Naomi Richard | The Austin Villager Newspaper
On March 10, 2016,Carol Burnett was inductedinto the Austin Film Society’sTexas Hall of Fame.
Carol Burnett is on ofmy favorite sketch comics ofall time. I grew up watchingher on television and she al-ways made me laugh. Seeingher comedy shows, Mama’sFamily, The Carol Burnett
Show and more was a de-light. She is just a funnywoman and grew up in aman’s world for sure!
To my delight, I wasable to see Ms. Burnett inperson during the 2016Screen Actor Guild Awards®in Los Angeles, California inJanuary. Her presence on thered carpet was amazing andshe pulled her ear for us aswe took her picture. This is atrademark of her comedyshows.
After returning homefrom the award season in LosAngeles, I found out that Ms.Burnett, a San Antonio na-tive, would be honored byThe Austin Film Society! I im-mediately thought, “Couldlife get any better. My idolwas coming to Austin!”
As fate would have it, Iwas invited to the Austin FilmSociety’s press conferenceheld at the Gibson Show-room. Moderated byVariety’s Executive EditorSteven Gaydos, the pressconference included TexasFilm Awards honorees CarolBurnett, Jesse Plemons,Chandra Wilson and MichaelBarker. Austin Film Society’sArtistic Director, RichardLinklater, and SXSW’s Headof Film, Janet Pierson, also
took part in the conversa-tion.
To my surprise, I wasone of five reporters permit-ted to ask questions duringthe press conference, and ofcourse I immediately di-rected my question to Ms.Burnett. “When I was grow-ing up and had a bad day, wasdepressed and in despair, Icould go home and watchyour show and by the end Ihad no concept of what myproblem was. So my ques-tion to you today is, whomakes you laugh?”
Ms. Burnett, “I’m asucker. I’m a great audience.Who makes me laugh? Well,
still today Steve Martin does,certainly Amy Poehler, TinaFey, Christian Wick. I’m intothe sketch performers be-cause that’s what I was...am.I like to lock eyeballs withpeople. I was never one todo stand up. So that’s notnecessarily my interest, butwhen I see a good sketchperformer…Morley Short,Maya Rudolph. Thosepeople, they make melaugh.”
What an honor, to haveThe Austin Film Society inconjunction with South-By-Southwest, bringing suchmajor Hollywood Star Powerto the ATX!
Legendary comedic actress Carol Burnettstops for a photo with Austin Villager
Entertainment Reporter Naomi Richard.Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images.
