CultureMap readers share

There's no party like a balcony party

The second-story balcony at Garden Court Condominiums in Austin collapsed lastSunday, sending about 30 people to the ground.
A patio just isn't as cool if it's not suspended in air.
Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

Austin's hard-partying scene witnessed a windfall — literally — at 4 a.m. one recent weekend when about 30 people tumbled from a townhome's second story balcony after the platform gave way under the stress of too many guests.

"About 30 people were thrown screaming to the ground hours before dawn," reported the Austin American-Statesman. The Southeast Austin home found itself quickly deserted as 26 partiers were escorted to hospitals in the middle of the night.

The balcony was only one-week old and was never officially permitted by the City of Austin. According to reports, the structure turned upside down as many of the party-goers jumped off or fell onto each other. None of the victims face long term or life-threatening injuries, although the event provided the most trauma victims since Hurricane Rita in 2005.

The incident may shock some homebodies, but breaking the rules on the balcony is a young peoples' past time. Explains one Houstonian who spent her early 20s in the Texas capital, "One time I woke up on an air mattress on my own balcony after a "Boxed Wine"-themed party. I hope that was by accident.

"I'm still evaluating whether or not those were good or bad friends."

What is it about suspended patios that brings out the worst in everyone? An account from a UT graduate CultureMap reader details a particularly regrettable night of balcony debauchery:

We had a party that was surrounding a lot of hazing. I knew things were out of hand once Super Soakers appeared filled with urine. By the end of the night, we had thrown furniture off the roof and in the morning it was all broken in pieces. Probably 1K in damages. Someone also stole a pay phone that night, but I really don't understand the logistics of that."

The saucy patio tales carry on. One reader tells of absconding to a hidden balcony for a quick-tryst during a party at a West Campus home. Utilizing the railing led to a rough tumble when they were walked in on and made the only mistake possible.

"We weren't hurt at all," she says, "but it wasn't until two weeks later that I finally retrieved the condom."

Apparently, what happens on the balcony doesn't stay on the balcony.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”