Category: Art

Midwest, Day One: Big Time in Little Rock

Our Saturday morning began as a cold, rainy day, but we did not let that put a damper on our morning. We ventured into River Market for breakfast to kick start our day. I had the meaty melt omelet from Sweet Soul that quickly satisfied my hunger, Constance had the southwest omelet, and Professor Yawn had grits. Fueled by calories, we made our way to Little Rock Central High School and the nearby Little Rock Central High Museum, where we experienced history and learned more about the civil rights movement.

Little Rock Central High

Little Rock Central High School was once known as “America’s most beautiful high school” because of its blend of art deco and gothic revival architecture.

LRCH_Constance_Alex_WebWe were impressed with the message that the school sent to its students in the architecture itself.  In addition to the beauty of the structure, the front of the building is adorned with four relief statues, each corresponding to a different quality.  The qualities are: Ambition, Personality, Opportunity, and Preparation.

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After admiring the architecture and taking additional photos of us on the steps tread by the Little Rock Nine…

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…and making use of the beautiful colors around us…

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…we made our way to the visitors center where The Little Rock Central High School Museum is located. The museum highlights The Little Rock Nine, who were the nine African-American students chosen to be the first to integrate Little Rock Central High School. The museum had plenty of information on the crisis of 57’ that was shown in different ways.   As with most museums nowadays, it offers interactive experiences, with an entrance showing three screens, each with different information.

LRCH_Entrance_Screens_WebAmidst a discussion of the constitutional background of integration and the equal protection clause, we were reintroduced to the four qualities emphasized by Little Rock Central High: Ambition, Personality, Opportunity, Preparation.

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My favorite section of the museum was a station with a telephone receiver and a small video screen that showed the events that happened during the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School, as told by the Little Rock Nine themselves.

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The videos went into detail of what the first day, September 4th was really like, and how they felt that day and every day after. The first person perspective from the museum gave plenty of insight as to how chaotic and difficult it was to desegregate the high school in 1957. The Little Rock Nine described everything they went through which included: having rocks thrown at them, begin beaten up, the verbal abuse, the threatening phone calls to their homes, and the white people who wanted to be their friends but were too scared.

The Old Mill

After leaving Little Rock Central High, we headed to “The Old Mill,” the last surviving set from Gone With the Wind.

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The Old Mill is known for being the last surviving piece of the 1939 film, Gone With the Wind. The Old Mill at T.R. Memorial Park was truly breathtaking, and definitely a site to see. We were welcomed by the trees that were changing colors due to the season, which made The Old Mill look even more picturesque than expected. The park is decorated with tree-entwined bridges that at first glance look like real trees, but were really constructed out of concrete by Senor Dionico Rodriguez. We were able to climb the tree-entwined bridge that crossed over the water and walk into The Old Mill.

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It’s difficult to describe the beauty of the Old Mill.  In addition to the Mill itself…

Old_Mill_Constance_2_Web…there is the stone cabin with open windows, perfect for photographs…

Old_Mill_Constance_Alex_Web…and the concrete, faux wooden bridge was a perfect prop for photographs, such as this one…

Old_Mill_Constance_Alex_Bridge_Web…or this one…

Old_Mill_Alex_Constance_Bridge_Closer_Web… or this one…

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There are also some interesting some side areas in the park.  We were able, for example, to climb up…

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and into a well.

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Which, as our professor noted, is one of the reasons we sign waivers before going on trips.

Lunch

After taking advantage of the picturesque environment we made our way to Whole Hog Cafe for a delicious lunch.

IMG_0928One of the best things about Whole Hog Cafe is that they have six different types of BBQ sauce on the table.   This allows guests to sample the flavors and then go with their favorite choice.  For our table, # 5, “Sweet, Dark, And Bold Molasses Flavor,” was the favorite.

Arkansas Arts Center

Following lunch, we made our way to a fine jewel in Arkansas culture, the Arkansas Arts Center.

Arkansas_Arts_Center_Constance_WebHome to more than 600 years of art, the Arkansas Arts Center proved compelling from Our America, the Latino exhibit on loan from the Smithsonian, to its permanent collection.

We had the pleasure of being escorted through the Latino exhibit by a museum docent who pointed out the intricacies in the portraits of the exhibit. Our tour began with a viewing of two side-by-side portraits by Scherezade Garcia, named The Dominican York, and Santo Trujillo is Dead.

Garcia_Art…which our tour guide believed were distinguished largely by tone…

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Inspired by the struggle and aspirations of immigrants traveling to the states from their homelands, Garcia’s work mixed a compelling use of sequins, charcoal, ink, and acrylic to portray the hardships and opportunities immigrants encountered on their journeys. Next, we stopped at a painting by Juan Sanchez titled Para Don Pedro.

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The collage paid homage to Pedro Albizu Campos, a politician and leader in the Puerto Rican Independence Movement. Although beautiful in its own right, we found the work to be a bit too abstract and overwhelming to enjoy, comparatively, but were interested in the concepts.  Moving on, we viewed two pieces by New Yorker, Elia Alba called Larry Levan (snake) and Larry Levan (three is better than one).

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…

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Ms. Alba sought to display the incongruity between the third culture of immigrants and Hispanics in the United States with the American culture, seen in the awkward joining of faces to mismatched bodies. For the viewer, the works evoked discomfort due to lack of aesthetic beauty, much like the discomfort felt by those of different cultural backgrounds during the Civil Rights Movement. After viewing a few more works, notably a sculpture by Luis Jimenez,

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Man on Fire, who taught notable Huntsville artist Jesus Moroles, and being surprised by a sculpture by Mr. Moroles himself, Georgia Stele…

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We bid adieu to our docent and set off to spend a few quick minutes exploring the permanent collection. Considering anything in Arkansas to be a “jewel” would be hard to those not knowing what the state has to offer. That said, the Arts Center happens to be home to many world-renowned artists, Monet, Renoir, Picasso, and Rembrandt to name a few. We particularly enjoyed Monet’s Effet de soleil couchant, Port-Villez (Effect of the Sun Setting, the Seine at Port-Villez)…

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….full of dark purples and greens to catch the eye, and Picasso’s Aureau ailé contemple par quatre enfants (Winged Bull Gazing on Four Children), depicting children being frightened by an almost dragon-like bull.

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Needing to make it to our next destination on time, we hurried out of the Arkansas Art Center after only spending very little time in their exhibit halls. Impressed by the collection in a state that does not get much cultural street cred, we left intrigued and hopeful to discover more famous artists at our upcoming art destinations.

 

Bill Clinton Presidential Library and Museum

Full from our saucy lunch at Whole Hog Café, we drove back into Little Rock proper to explore, quickly I might add, the Bill Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. The 42nd President of the United States, and 42nd Governor of Arkansas, President Clinton was long-time resident of Little Rock, having grow up here and also served as Attorney General and Governor of the state.  As President, Clinton promised to be a “bridge into the 21st century, and the Clinton Museum reflects that metaphor, standing almost suspended over the ground and toward the Arkansas River.

Armed with a little less than an hour, Alex and I took off up the escalator to explore as much as possible in such a short time. Confronted with columns on each side of both floors and exhibits interspersed between, we learned that the museum was modeled to copy The Long Room at the Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

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We were surprised to also find a Dale Chihuly piece, Crystal Tree of Light, inside. It was one of two that was made for the White House Millennium celebration held on New Years Eve in 1999. After being hung in the White House, one of the pieces was donated to the Clinton Presidential Foundation in 2004 and resides permanently in the library now.

With less time available, we read about Clinton’s accomplishments as president, his work in Foreign Service, including the many State dinners he held, and the First Lady’s work alongside her husband. Inspired by the power President Clinton held, even Alex was caught day dreaming about one day being a cabinet member to influence great change in our country.

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We ran out of time in the library to really grasp all that President Clinton’s time in office is known for but were impressed by the vast information made available by the museum and the organized nature of it all. Exhilarated by the change enacted between 1993 and 2001, we made our way back into the rainy weather to, hopefully, tour Little Rock by Segway.

Little Rock Segway Tour

We’ve segwayed quite a few cities: Dallas, Austin, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, and, now, Little Rock, AR.  It’s hard to pick a favorite from among these, but Little Rock ranks high on this list because it’s such a picturesque city.  The views were complemented by our knowledgeable and laid-back tour guide, Henry Barker.

Barker took us to the Clinton Presidential Library, along the Bill Clark wetlands preserve, to Heifer International and, even though we had seen many of these areas, he filled in details we didn’t know.  Heifer, for example, won a Platinum rating from LEED for using mostly recyclable materials and because the materials came from within 500 miles of Little Rock.

Segway_Heifer_WebAnd when segwaying along the Bill Clark wetlands area, we saw an egret.

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The most fun, however, came when we glided along the river market area.  We saw the many sculptures along the riverway…

Segway_Alex_Constance_Stephanie_Web…stopped for a bit to play on Little Rock’s amazing playground, which has a high-speed slide…

Slide_galvan_Webb…a tunnel system, which Alex took to like an enthusiastic groundhog, and a spider-web jungle gym…

Spider_Web_Constance_Alex_Web…

Spider_Web_Alex_WebWe also spent some time at the H. U. Lee International Gate and Garden, which honors H. U. Lee, the founder of the American Taekwondo Association.  Strangely, Mr. Lee decided to settle in Little Rock because it reminded him of South Korea.

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We also stopped to let our friends and fellow members of LEAP that we wished they were here with us.  So, Austin, Karla, Kaitlyn, Jazmin, Beatriz, Caitlin, Bella, Brian, Jamaus, and Megan, we wish you were along with us!

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Dinner and Moving On

After a day of touring the city, we had worked up a hunger, and there’s no better place to eat in the River Market area than Sonny Williams.  We began our meal with an appetizer of Elk and Alligator, and followed it with Lamb Chops and Creole Seafood.

And with all that food in us, we decided to take one last walk along the river market area.

Junction_Bridge_Sculpture_Night_WebThe bridges were washed in orange colors, in honor of Halloween.

Junction_Bridge_Night_WebAnd the beautiful view of Little Rock from one of its seven bridges made for a memorable way to end a memorable day.

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Moot Court Tournament: Texas Tech Law School, Day One

Even though the competition started at two, most of us started Friday early.  We began preparing for the events, while one of our coaches scouted out the venue (Texas Tech Law School!) and explored some of the Jesus Moroles’ sculptures on campus.

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But by the early afternoon, after countless hours of preparation, our nerves were beginning to set in.  So, we ate.  Our restaurant was a burger place called Spanky’s, recommended by former Junior Fellow Brandon Reese, who also happens to be an alum of Texas Tech Law School.

Spanky’s advertises its “world famous fried cheese,” and after the server told us that one basket is “only six sticks,” we ordered two baskets.  What we didn’t know is that they cheese sticks are the size of a log.

Couvillion_Fried_Cheese_WebBut we got them down, along with some burgers, and that helped quell some nerves.

Armed with food in our stomachs, we headed to Texas Tech Law School. With the intensity of competition weighing on our shoulders, we had a few extra minutes to practice and prepare before the competition began.

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After competing at the UNT Scrimmage a few weeks ago, our team had a better idea of what to expect; however, there are many unknown variables that a competitor cannot control such as: who your opposing team is, who the judges are, or what questions the judge’s will ask you. Today’s preliminary rounds consisted of three rounds where each team argued once on each side (petitioner and respondent) and a final coin toss round to determine which side each opposing team would argue.

The performances in these three rounds will then be used to determine who competes tomorrow, with the top sixteen teams advancing.  Armed with that mission, we awaited the call to compete.

When the time came to disperse to our respective rooms for competition, our team felt prepared because we knew we invested a substantial amount of time into learning the problem case, developing our arguments, and refining our presentation skills. My co-counsel, Alejandra Galvan, and I argued on the petitioners’ side of the case in our first round.

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For us, the petitioner’s side of the case is more challenging than the respondent’s argument. After each round, the judges provide feedback to the teams giving them the opportunity to improve in the following rounds. This proves to be a useful tool in going forward in the competition. As each round progressed, confidence among the group grew because the judge’s feedback was constructive and positive.

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After completing the final round, Texas Tech Law School catered dinner for us which allowed for a reprieve from the stress of the day while we waited on the final results and scores.

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Participating in Moot Court has numerous benefits, one of which is getting to tour law schools during the competition. Dinner allowed us the opportunity to meet and interact with Texas Tech Law students to gain insight on their law school experience. We also had the chance to meet the Associate Dean of Admissions, LJ Bernhard, who gave us advice on law school applications. In addition to the skills you can acquire and refine, making connections and getting information is a benefit to the Moot Court experience.

Texas Undergraduate Moot Court Association gives awards to the top twenty speakers for the preliminary rounds.Our entire team was excited when Chelsea King won overall twelfth speaker.

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Also, James Perry and Kristyn Couvillion, tied for the sixteenth spot giving them the opportunity to compete in a “play-in round” (equivalent to the wildcard in sports playoffs) tomorrow morning to determine who will win the sixteenth spot.

First_Day_Dinner_Team_11_Announced_WebFollowing a happy first day of competition, we took lots of photos…

First_Day_Group_Photo_Web…including one in the very cool atrium, below a Thomas Jefferson quote…

First_Day_Group_Photo_SHSU_Atrium_WebWe also got pictures of the group from UNT, a group led by Dr. Kimi King, who organizes the tournament.

First_Day_Group_Photo_UNT_WebUNT has been long-time participants and, as expected, their competitors did very well.

We also relaxed a bit…

Alex_Austin_Web…and enjoyed reflecting on the day while winding down.  Well, James and Kristyn didn’t relax so much, but the rest of us did!

 

 

 

A Last Day in Dallas

After a roller-coaster weekend at UNT Law, we had a half of a day left in Dallas before returning to SHSU.  We decided to use it by having a little fun and enjoying good food.

We could have had both in Klyde Warren Park, one of Dallas’s newest success stories.  Known as the “front lawn of the arts district: for its proximity to the arts district, the park provides an interesting 5-acre public space for families to enjoy a morning or afternoon.  It also has a ring of food trucks, offering fare of every kind, making it a great place for a group as diverse as ours to go.  But because we like to explore, we had our fun at Klyde Warren Park, before moving elsewhere for lunch.

There are large green spaces at Klyde Warren, with a .45-mile walking trail around it.  Along the trail or mini-recreation areas: a kids’ park, a board-game station, a reading library station,

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a putting green, a Foosball table, and an amphitheater.  The amphitheater can be used for bands and such at night, but is used for yoga at 10am daily.  The day we were there, almost 100 people were participating in the yoga relaxation/exercise techniques.

But our primary purpose was to throw the frisbee around, and we soon learned who could catch.

Austin_Frisbee_2_WebAustin, for example, can catch.  In the picture above, notice the Jordanesque-shadow. Of course, he played college football until this year, so we expected him to be athletic.

Austin_Frisbee_WebAs it turns out, though, Kaitlyn Tyra can also catch, and she may be a dark-horse for our Spring 2015 Charity Football game.

Professor Yawn is getting up there in age, but we let him play because he grades us.

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We think Megan can catch,  but we aren’t really sure.  She had a strict rule to only move one step in any direction, which earned her the name “One-Step Chapa.”  Here she is impersonating a stork.

Megan_Frisbee_WebBut the day wasn’t particularly intense for any of us.

Park_Frisbee_WebNotice the halo over Professor Yawn’s head.

Following some more fun, we had to call it a day at the park…

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…and return to the hotel.  As we preparing to check out, the hotel went dark.  The electricity went out.  The LEAP Center Ambassadors pride themselves on adaptability, but this was difficult for Constance Gabel, who was stuck in the hotel elevator.  The fire department was called…

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…and Constance was extricated from the hotel elevator.

Just in time for us to eat at Twisted Root, a restaurant that specializes in burgers and root beer.  Their burgers are wonderful, and their root beer is interesting.  The flavor of the day was “Irish Creme Root Beer,” which was better than the root beer from the last time we were there: Grape Root Beer.  Of course, that was better than their “Coconut Root Beer.”  Their regular root beer is excellent.  And their burgers are great.

Twisted_Root_Burger_WebOne of the interesting aspects of their restaurant is that, when you order, they provide you with a name from popular culture as your signal that your burger is ready.  In our group, we had Eva Mendes (Kaitlyn), Serena Williams (Beatriz), Apollo Creed (Austin, of course), Matlock (Yawn), Mike Modano (Brian Aldaco), and others.  It was interesting to see who knew which references, a process that led Austin to say, “Son, you need to watch more television” to one of the newer members.

With a general consensus that Twisted Root is a good place to lunch, we allowed Constance one more groupie for the weekend…

Groupie_Twisted_Root…and headed home.

But not for rest and relaxation!  The week ahead involved our weekly meeting (Monday), a law-school application workshop (Wednesday), a Moot Court Practice (Thursday), a volunteer meeting (Thursday), the showing of Nosferatu (Thursday, whew), a Mock LSAT (Saturday), and a volunteer event (Saturday).

More to come!

 

 

Moot Court Scrimmage: Aftermath

After an intense 24 hour period competing and observing Moot Court proceedings, the LEAP Ambassadors, Moot Court participants, and members of the pre-law cohort decided to relax a bit, explore the history of Dallas on a Segway, and fill their bellies.

The relaxation involved some downtime at the hotel, followed by an ice-cream treat.
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Shortly thereafter, another treat was in order.  We stopped by Segway Nation for a tour of Dallas on a segway.

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It was a beautiful time of day, what movie-makers call “magic hour,” and we made the most of it with pictures.

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But, of course, with it turning a bit dark, Austin felt he need to serve as a protector of the group, and adopted a secret-service/tough guy look.

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At first, not everyone felt totally relaxed…

Segway_Alex_Close_Up_Web…but eventually everyone got the hang of it, and we headed off to see Dallas.

The segway tour took us to Pioneer Plaza, a large outdoor sculpture that consists of 49 bronze steers and 3 riders created by sculptor Robert Sommers.  Note that it appears that Alex is saluting when, in fact, that it is a longhorn projecting in front of her face.

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The tour, led by excellent guides Doug and Jack, also took us by I. M. Pei’s Dallas City Hall, where we were able to turn and see the beautiful Dallas skyline which, according to our guides, is regularly listed as one of the five most beautiful in the US.

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The tour also took us by the Kennedy assassination site on Elm Street.  The students had a chance to get off the segways and walk to the “X” spots, which mark where the Oswald’s shots hit Kennedy.

JFK_Elm_Students_WebWe also entered the Kennedy Memorial, designed by Philip Johnson, one of the great architects of the 20th Century.

Kennedy_Memorial_Student_WebSpeaking of Johnson, we were also able to go to Thanksgiving Square, a public space he designed in the 1970s as a means of racial and cultural healing.  With a replication of Rockwell’s “Golden Rule” painting…

…and the “Ring of Thanks,” where visitors are encouraged to stand and offer thanks.  From the center of the ring, the sound reverberates, symbolically echoing the many things for which we are thankful.  In our group, thanks went to family, opportunities, school, and even the LEAP Center.

Thanksgiving Square also has a spiral chapel adorned with one of the largest stained glass assemblages in the world.  The glass, designed by Gabriel Loire of France, is designed to become brighter as it ascends and moves to the center.

In the midst of such beauty, it was easy to be thankful.

And with that, we returned to the segway base, where we shed our helmets and headed to Hoffbrau Steaks (thanks for the recommendation, Doug!) and enjoyed a robust end-of-the-day dinner.

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But before heading out we gave a few more thanks: to our LEAP Ambassadors, who came to Dallas to cheer on their Moot Court friends; to the Pre-Law cohort, who came to check out the action and consider joining the team for next year; for Kristyn, who decided to stick with the “team” rather than go home; and to our coach, Jean Loveall, who spent a lot of time teaching us the finer points of law.