Civic Engagement – Page 50 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Exploring the National Mall: A Day in DC

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Morgan Robertson

For our first full day in D.C., we made sure we bundled up before we braved the chilly weather. After a typical quick breakfast, we laid out a plan of action for the day and set off on foot. Our first location was within a reasonable walking distance inside the National Mall, and we could see our destination from a distance. As we neared, we could see the details of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, which was adorned with Corinthian columns and several reliefs.

We were grateful that there was no great line to enter the museum but we were shocked at the number of people also exploring their way through history. A grand foyer and a posed elephant welcomed us as we entered the building. As a group, we gathered and quickly discussed the best use of our time and the order in which we should meander through the exhibits. We soon were enthralled by specimens, fossils, and skeletons that left no room for downtime. The exhibits were displayed by date, species type, and even dramatic scenes.

Yvette and I split off from the rest of the group and started our journey through time. We were also blown away at the sizes of some of the displays.

A few towered over us…

… while others were the size of a hummingbird’s femur. Yvette and I especially enjoyed the lab on the first floor of the museum which had cameras and screens set up to allow visitors to watch scientists work on the fossils. We were mesmerized by the work the scientists were conducting on the specimens.

Interestingly, we also saw a first edition of John James Audubon’s “Birds in America,” which was beautiful, and bigger than any book we’ve ever seen!

The crown jewel of the museum was, naturally, the Hope Diamond. It was mined in India in the 17^th century and changed hands several times over the last few centuries. It was eventually purchased by famed jeweler Harry Winston who donated it in 1958. It is one of the most famous parts of the museum. It gets its blue hue from trace amounts of the element boron in the stone. We learned that a diamond’s size and clarity are good indicators of its worth. The Hope Diamond is a prime example of the size factor, weighing in at 45.52 carats and costing upwards of $350 million. We could have easily spent the entire day inside the Museum of Natural History alone, but we pulled ourselves away from the many fascinating and—in the case of the Hope Diamond, dazzling displays and headed toward the exit.

Smithsonian National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Erin Juarez

As we left the museum we spied portions of sculptures peeping over the tops of shrubbery across the street and decided to investigate further. Imagine our delight when we realized that they were works by artists we know and love! We had recently seen one of Robert Indiana’s “LOVE” while we were in Oklahoma, and this time we found ourselves looking at his sculpture, “AMOR.” A true pop artist, Indiana uses modern materials such as aluminum and bright, contrasting colors in his works.

As we roamed the rest of this sculpture garden, some among us were introduced to other pop artists like Claes Oldenburg and Roy Lichtenstein…

…for the first time. We paused briefly at a striking work by Roxy Paine, whom Professor Yawn acknowledged as being one of his favorite artists. Paine is recognized for his giant metallic tree installations that combine the natural world and man-made elements.

Personally, Joel Shapiro’s sculpture Untitled, 1989 was my favorite. Shapiro is well-known for his minimalist sculptures consisting of fixed rectangular elements that evoke a sense of movement.

And, of course, we also got to see a couple of Calders…

…with so much to see here, it’s no wonder that we fell in love with D.C. as we rambled across the city.

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Jessica Cuevas

After whetting our artistic appetites in the Sculpture Garden, we next visited The Smithsonian American Art Museum, walking across the mall to get there.

But it was the Smithsonian that we witnessed the largest collection of American Artists, some we had previously seen and others we had not. We were exposed to such varied styles of works from artists that we were familiar with, that we found ourselves eagerly moving from painting to painting in the hopes of seeing something new from artists that we had become used to.

Unlike other museums we had previously been to, we were able to see more of Thomas Moran’s and Albert Bierstadt’s works. Their breathtaking landscapes scenes consist of the country’s natural beauty, with luminosity provided by the artists.

Morgan, who typically prefers a Moran or Bierstadt painting over other artworks, today favored a piece by Sargent; the “Corner of a Church on San Stae.” We all noted that this work was much different than anything we had seen by him up until this point. We had only seen his portraits!

Interestingly, we saw an early Jackson Pollock, and the influence his mentor, Thomas Hart Benton, had on him was obvious.

And this became more clear when we saw an entire wall dedicated to Benton!

Up on the second floor, we were able to see the Presidential Portrait Gallery. In this wing was included at least one portrait of every U.S. president, starting with President Washington, proceeding all the way up to President Trump.

Upon entering we were immediately confronted with the famed George Washington Portrait done by Gilbert Stuart.

This portrait is deeply symbolic. It depicts our first president, but it also includes several other details regarding the birth of our nation. In the background of the painting through a window, there can be seen a rainbow emerging from dark storm clouds, suggesting that America was emerging bright and new from a dark and stormy era. Washington’s right arm gestures toward a quill pen and parchment on his desk while his left arm rests on the hilt of his sword, suggesting that our newly-formed democracy was ready to assume its governance role but that it would still defend itself if the need arose. The law and philosophy books under his desk portray Washington as an enlightened leader in addition to his being a man of action. This is the famous portrait that we see on our dollar bill.

Prior to this museum, we’d stopped briefly at Ford’s Theater, where President Lincoln was assassinated. Seeing his presidential portrait and then a face casting made before and after his death, resonated with us.

Although most presidential paintings were traditional and sort of regal, former President John F. Kennedy apparently asked Elaine de Kooning to do something unique when he commissioned his official portrait. The portrait is semi-abstract with hundreds of strokes of greens and blues coming together to show Kennedy sitting casually on the canvas looking back at the viewer.

As the sun began to set, we rushed in order to see as much of the museum as we could. While most of what we saw were paintings, we did encounter a few sculptures including a James Surls piece!

Such a rich art experience on our first full day in our nation’s capital gave us the opportunity to encounter new artists but also to deepen our knowledge of the artists that we were already familiar with.

In leaving the Museum, we realized we weren’t too far from the White House, which prompted us to make a detour before going to eat.

Dinner at Oyamel

To cap off a long and rewarding day on the National Mall, we stopped in at Oyamel, a wonderful Mexican restaurant not far from our hotel. All the food was good, but we especially like the appetizers, which ranged from Brussel sprouts…

…to queso fundido…

…and more.

The entrees were equally as good. We had a mix of food, with the shrimp and the tacos being the best of what we tried.

We didn’t know it at the time, but this turned out to be the best food we would have on our trip.

The Wall: The HEARTS Museum Dedicates Scale Replica of Maya Lin’s Vietnam Memorial Wall

Morgan Robertson

On Sunday, March 27, 2022, countless citizens and veterans from Huntsville, Walker County, and the State came together to honor and dedicate the H.E.A.R.T.S. Veterans Memorial Museum’s Vietnam Wall Memorial.

Tara Burnett, Executive Director of the HEARTS Museum, began the ceremony by thanking everyone who played a role in establishing this great asset in our community. With a beautiful and (literally) monumental new background, speakers addressed the crowd. The colors were presented and placed along the wall, and a choir led us in the national anthem.

This Memorial, originally designed by Maya Lin for the DC Mall area in the nation’s capital, is an 80 percent scale model of what Americans now simply know as “The Wall.” It contains the names of all 58,000+ Americans who lost their lives while enlisted in the military during the Vietnam War, and it has found a home at the HEARTS Veterans Museum.

Ernest Bailes, our TX House member from district 18, expressed his admiration for Walker County and the Veterans who call it home.

As representatives of the City, Mayor Andy Brauninger and Joe Rodriguez read a proclamation that declared March 27, 2022, as H.E.A.R.T.S. Veterans Museum Vietnam Memorial Day. Mayor Brauninger expressed his gratitude for the H.E.A.R.T.S. Veterans Museum and their work to honor the veterans in the City.

Walker County Judge, Danny Pierce, read a declaration from the Commissioners Court thanking the museum for honoring those that served in the War.

Congressman Kevin Brady first addressed the men and women who served in the Vietnam War by thanking them for their service. He then read a prepared commendation highlighting the importance of the H.E.A.R.T.S. Veterans Museum and the work they’ve done for the community. Perhaps most notably, Congressman Brady stated that in all his time in office he has never met a county or city that honors and loves its Veterans more than Walker County.

Tara Burnett thanked the donors and partners responsible for the Wall with plaques to show the Museum’s appreciation. To conclude the ceremony, “Taps” was played following a 21-gun salute.

It was a beautiful, memorable, and moving ceremony, and on behalf of the LEAP Center, many thanks to the H.E.A.R.T.S. Veterans Museum for honoring those who preserve our freedoms.

A Day in OKC–Art, Politics, and Tragedy

OKC National Memorial Museum

Yvette Mendoza

Approaching the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum is a sobering experience.

The OKC National Memorial Museum is laid out in such a fashion that reminds visitors of what happened on that day, April 19, 1995, but also stands as a tribute to both those who survived and that were lost.

The Museum unfolds in chronological fashion, beginning with the background of the tragedy, and going through almost minute-by-minute on the day of the bombing.

April 19, 1995 was just a nice spring day, a completely normal day in Oklahoma. One of the most difficult experiences on the tour was in the meeting room, where the Water Resource Management Committee began their meeting at 9:00am–a meeting which was recorded.

We listened to that recording, hearing the explosion, and also the screams, fear and confusion among those attending the meeting.

The lights dimmed as the explosions and screamed sounded, and then their was silence, leaving us to ponder the aftermath of that day.

The aftermath was also vividly displayed at the Museum. Artifacts included a pile of keys, glasses, desk items, and shoes: the remains of a tragedy, forever encased in this Museum–preserved, much as people’s memories of the bombing will last forever.

The lives of the innocent are memorialized in so many ways throughout the museum, but the most impactful is the wall of pictures with personal belongings that they were able to identify as belonging to specific individuals.

As we moved through the timeline, we were then shown the backstory of Timothy McVeigh and what he was doing leading up to the incident.

The stories of those who passed, those who died, and the heroism of the rescuers was emotional.

McVeigh was charged with 15 counts of murder, and he was represented by multiple attorneys, including with Chris Tritico, who is an SHSU Alumnus.

As we made our way to the outside part of the building, we experienced a great contrast to the tragedy we walked through. We breathed a sigh of relief at all the vivid fall colors of the trees and relished in the natural beauty that I believe we all needed.

The path leads up to a single American Elm tree that is known as the Survivor’s Tree. This Elm stood through the bomb and remains strong to this day. Each year the seedlings are harvested from the tree and given in remembrance to the families impacted by this event.

An offspring of this tree was even planted at the White House.

The grounds also are home to other memorial features. There is an East Gate displaying 9:01am, a reflecting pool, and a West Gate, displaying the time 9:03am.

South of the walls, the lawn is lined with 9 rows of chairs representing the nine floors of the Murrah Building.

There are 168 empty chairs, representing the lives lost, including young children (which are represented by smaller chairs).

Surrounding the grounds, there was a fence with mementos that people have placed in memory of loved ones: teddy bears, bracelets, photos, and such.

We also went across the street, where a nearby church created a statue of Jesus, with an inscription of the shortest verse of the Bible: “And Jesus wept.”

This was a tour that almost brought me to tears at several places, and our hearts were heavy as we left.

Oklahoma Capitol

Saara Maknojia

Shortly after our somber but educational tour at the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum, the LEAP Members coasted off to the Oklahoma State Capitol. The chilly weather and beautiful sunset allowed us to better view the magnificent and historical site.

The intricate architecture of the landmark included Greek Corinthian columns, and Greek Meanders which symbolizes and means movement. The Greco-Roman structure of the state capitol was complemented with the displayed Tribal flags from Native American Peoples who have such a rich history in the 45^th state.

The Oklahoma State Capitol is further enhanced with the sculpture of a Native American woman, designed by Allen Houser, which stands in front of the Capitol.

The peak of the capitol’s dome is adorned with a 17.5-foot sculpture of a Native American called “The Guardian,” by Enoch Kelly Haney, and a version of the statue is also located inside the building.

We learned the history behind some of the Oklahoma tribes as we observed the painted murals on the third floor of the capitol.

Oklahoma’s historic significance of the “Sooners” is also integrated into the state building through some of the murals. We all learned about how the name came to be and why it was such a vital point in OK history. Oklahoma State University later adapted “Sooners” as their team mascot to exemplify their patriotism towards the state.

Probably the highlight of the Capitol Building is the interior dome, which is beautiful.

The LEAP Members grasped a better understanding of not only the political aspects of the Oklahoma State Capitol, but also the history and cultural diversity within the building itself and the state of Oklahoma throughout the tour!

Oklahoma City Museum of Art

Erin Juarez

With the night still young-ish, we decided to go to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. As we walked in, there was a fifty-five feet glass sculpture towering to the right of us, one created by renowned artist Dale Chihuly.

Yvette, a born trouble-maker, immediately got into trouble for standing on a wall so that she could better pose with the sculpture…

This Museum helped expose us to various types of art: impressionism, regionalism, modern, sculptures, and many other styles and artistic media. It helped me learn what type of art I most enjoy. In particular, I liked the sculptures, especially those of Chihuly. Saara also liked Chihuly, but was also drawn to the impressionists.

The museum is separated into four floors. On the fourth floor, our favorite artist, Dale Chihuly, work is featured in a way that flows cohesively leaving the viewer to almost forget they are in an art museum. The dark room, allowed for the lights that were strategically placed to catch the art at different angles to illuminate it differently.

We found this exhibit to be exceptionally fun and dynamic to photograph. As a person new to cameras, it offered the opportunity to experiment with photography. The low light was a challenge, but the subjects were beautiful! We particularly enjoyed walking under Chihuly’s Persian Ceiling, which creates all sorts of interesting shadows and colors.

And we also had the opportunity to see some of Chihuly’s paintings–one of which, we learned, Stephanie actually owns!

Outside of the fourth floor, there’s a video of how Chihuly gets his glass done for his art. This was very interesting. We often found ourselves asking in amazement on how he accomplished such great works, so the video was insightful.

We even found another of his chandeliers in another part of the Museum, which was also beautiful.

Of course, we didn’t just see Chihuly. For some of us, it was our first time to see a Thomas Moran painting…

…and Alex Katz…

…and although all of us had seen a Georgia Okeeffe…

…it was our first time to see some other Southwestern artists, such as Ernest Blumenschein…

…and Fritz Scholder…

We also saw one of our favorites, which was a piece by the African-American artist Henry Osawa Tanner.

As we took one last gaze upwards at the towering Chihuly we left awed by the amazing art.

But, of course, our favorites were the various Chihuly pieces, including the largest of these, the 55-foot piece at the front of the building. This time, however, we took the photo according to the rules of the Museum, forcing Yvette to comply.

The Wedge Pizzeria

Morgan Robertson

To conclude our first eventful day, we opted for a quiet, carryout dinner. We selected The Wedge Pizzeria, which was Oklahoma City’s first artisanal brick oven pizza. Among the pizzas we selected were: The Perfect Margarita, Brisket, and we built our own Hawaiian Pizza. As we sampled each pizza, we all found we had different favorites, but we liked them all. Saara’s favorite was the brisket pizza; she described it as having the right amount of spice from the Jalapeños, and a great flavor from the brisket.

My favorite, and Erin’s favorite, was the Hawaiian Pizza. Although Hawaiian Pizza might be controversial among the general population, it has a place amongst this group of LEAP Members.

Overall, it was a great dinner and we enjoyed each other’s company as we ate.

Day 2: Norman, OK

Morgan Robertson

Oklahoma Law School Tour

Our first morning in Oklahoma began with an early start as we made our way toward Norman, Oklahoma. University of Oklahoma College of Law is located just a mile away from the main campus. As we got closer to the University it was clear what buildings were OU, as they were architecturally cohesive–and they were helpfully labeled.

As we walked toward the school of Law Building–admiring all the fall colors and weather–we were greeted by Dean Kathleen Guzman, and the Director of Technology of Innovation, Kevin Brice. After we introduced ourselves and explained that we are SHSU students touring for the first time, Dean Guzman introduced herself and explained that she walked the campus every Friday morning, talking to the students, asking how things were going, and seeing if there were any concerns. And we thought, what a nice place to be!

We then met one of our tour guides, Maddie Farris, the Associate Director of Admissions, who welcomed us and introduced us to Grayson, a 2L and mentor at the school. As we ventured further into the Law School we asked Grayson questions about her experiences at OU, which she happily answered!

The first room we saw was the library. We learned OU Law is the only law school that is an Apple distinguished Campus. The school’s emphasis on technology is apparent when you look around the computer lab, equipped with dual monitors, VR stimulators and other technological advances. Study rooms can be found almost at every turn in the school. Grayson showed us her favorite places to study and prepare for class as we made our way to the reading room.

The reading room spanning the width of the building was lined with tables and was flooded with natural light from the massive windows on either side. This was my favorite room in the library, and we all found it to be a very photogenic spot.

As we wrapped up the tour, we thanked Maddie and Grayson for their help…

…and spent the rest of the time admiring OU’s beautiful campus, which included similarly beautiful buildings, rooms, and some fun and surprising art–including works by Allen Hauser, Jesus Moroles, and James Surls.

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art

Erin Juarez

Speaking of art, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art definitely caught our eyes. This museum contains art and artifacts from the sixteenth century to the present. The Fred Jones Museum also acts as a comparison to the museum we visited the night before and similarly contains art from all over the world.

As we were making our way to the museum, we began to spot pieces from our favorite artists: Jesus Moroles….

…and James Surls.

As graduates of SHSU and Texans, we were happy to see how well known these two are outside of Texas.

In the museum, we saw more work by James Surls, most impressive of which was the stand-alone flower shape that can be viewed from all angles.

We expanded our knowledge as learn more about different types of cultures and artists. For instance, Saara and I saw a Monet art piece for the very first time, and we began to recognize his style of impressionism.

I was able to recall who Georgia O’Keeffe was based on her style and motifs, and found that I prefer her work.

O’Keeffe began by painting her family, then expanded to flowers, landscapes, and bones. This is what makes her unique from other artists, her flowers are usually big with vivid colors, but her favorite theme is, interestingly enough, cow skulls.

Saara’s favorite piece was the painting that hung in the model of the Jones’ house which was a Vincent Van Gogh work entitled Portrait of Alexander Reid.

We recognized it as a Van Gogh, based on his style, right away. We also learned more about the different types of impressionism and post-impressionism,. including pointillism.

Learning more about art found on Oklahoma University’s campus was a true insight to what the University holds as values.

Greek House

Yvette Mendoza

Driving through the great college town of Norman, Oklahoma we ate at what might, at first glance, be a dive Mediterranean restaurant: the Greek House. But behind the small storefront and limited menu were massive portions and a world of flavor! As you walk in, it is impossible to miss the four rotating skewers of gyro meat that we later learned is used in almost every meal.

The hummus and chip appetizer tasted organic and fresh. The contrast of the warm, fried pita bread’s crunchy texture to the cool and tart hummus dip, enticed us even further to try more food. Morgan even commented that this was her favorite hummus that she has had. Each bite was authentic and flavorful.

The main entrees were overflowing with gyro meat, and our appetite grew much more. Everyone except for myself ordered sandwiches packed with gyro meat, spices, tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki sauce. I, on the other hand, ordered the gyro plate, which consisted of the same ingredients as the sandwich but had a much larger portion. The gyro plate also came with French fries and a salad to complement the dish.

The table grew increasingly quieter as we began getting full of all the delicious food. The LEAP members absolutely loved it, and it served as vital fuel for our wonderful day of tours and museums ahead of us.

TEXOMA Trip: Day One

Morgan Robertson, November 11, 2021

Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Starting off day one of our TEXOMA tour, LEAP members Saara Maknojia, Erin Juarez, Yvette Mendoza, and I began our way towards Oklahoma City. We first made an exciting and knowledge-filled stop at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. The museum is located in downtown Fort Worth and fits in well with the surrounding architecture and the aesthetic of the city.

The most captivating piece upon entering the museum was a massive James Surls piece titled Seven-by-Seven.

This was, for all of us, the first time to see a Surls’ piece (outside of SHSU) in person, and it was jaw-dropping! One of the things that made this so exciting is that we had a chance to meet Surls, and he was very gracious, signing some photos of his work we had produced.

Continuing through the foyer was a Daniel Chester French sculpture titled Benediction. This work of art was one of my favorites throughout the museum. French’s work often included winged women; however, he is most popular for the sculpture of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

The Amon Carter Museum is also home to one of the largest collections of Frederic Remington artworks.

Remington’s western-themed work often depicts a cowboy in action, or wildlife commonly found in the west. When walking through his exhibit you are captivated by the western scenes coming to life at different times of the day.

The featured collection was “Imagined Realism: Scott and Stuart Gentling.” Yvette found her favorite piece in this collection by Scott Gentling titled Viola, Cello since she herself plays the cello. Accordingly, she was able to make a personal connection with the musical form. The collection spanned many different topics from instruments, portraits, and landscapes.

Commissioned for the Amon Carter Museum is the Plexus No. 34 by Gabriel Dawe; this suspended piece created out of thread gives viewers different perspectives from every angle. This quickly became Erin’s favorite piece, as she spent several minutes photographing different angles to see the different colors you see as you move around it.

We were also introduced to Thomas Moran, a landscape artist. Most well-known for his work featuring the national parks, Moran’s pieces seem to transport the viewer into the scenic landscape. We saw pieces he’s painted of Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon that were brought to life. Saara found Green River Cliffs to be her favorite because of the incorporation of nature in the art. We enjoyed his work and other works by landscape artists.

My other favorite exhibit in the museum was the Anila Quayyum Agha: A Beautiful Despair.

This exhibit was made from a mix of media, light, and shadows. Also beautiful was Agha’s Liminal Space.

We also saw another successful and renowned female artist, Georgia O’Keeffe, and found her to be easily identifiable with her floral and abstract art.

Interestingly, we saw a work by John Rogers, which is notable because one of our first events as LEAP Ambassadors was to see an exhibit on John Rogers at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum.

Another of our early events involved seeing a Picasso-Calder exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, so it was particularly nice we got to see a Calder sculpture at Amon Carter.

And, rounding out our knowledge, we were able to see several paintings by Grant Wood and other Regionalist painters.

As the first stop on our trip, we found it to be intriguing as we all got to see new artists and expand our mental collection of art. We are ready to see what Oklahoma has waiting for us on this exciting trip!

Velvet Taco

November 11, 2021, Yvette Mendoza

As the LEAP Ambassadors finished viewing the beautiful artwork at the Amon Carter Museum, we were ready to eat! Before we left Fort Worth to continue our road trip to Oklahoma the only thing on our mind was tacos. Trying out Velvet Taco in downtown Fort Worth was the perfect spot!

The tacos were all unique in their own way, from an assortment of different meats and tortillas garnished with sauce, it made the perfect tacos. Our orders consisted of Chicken tacos that came in three different forms the buffalo chicken, rotisserie chicken, and even a chicken and waffle. We also had a taste of Tennessee with the Nashville hot tofu and the grilled salmon fish taco.

To top everything off, each taco had its own topping that truly complimented it. For our chicken tacos we had either house buffalo sauce, roasted corn pico, queso, napa slaw, or citrus lime crema.

We were left satisfied, and ready to head North to continue our trip!

Nancy Bocskor Small Group

February 22, 2021, Heather Noman

Last Wednesday, 13 students had the opportunity to participate in a sit-down session with Nancy Bocskor. She is known nationally and internationally for being a “Democracy Coach” and a servant to the community. In addition, Ms. Bocskor is a board member of an organization known as Running Start, which encourages young women to run for office, aspire to executive positions, or otherwise gain a “seat at the table.”

The 13 of us were thrilled to sit down with Ms. Bocskor and pick her brain on the many things that interest us. Of note, early in her professional career, she worked with Newt Gingrich, who would later become Speaker of the House. By the time she was in her mid-20s, she was his Legislative Director. She stressed the importance of taking risks, something that we, as women, might not have been socialized to do. But sometimes getting out of your comfort zone is the only way to take opportunities, something she did when moving from Ohio to Washington, DC.

Bocskor’s involvement in politics extends to the non-profit world, where she is active on many boards. One of those is Running Start, which provides funding (with the help of Walmart) to young women for interning in Washington, DC. This semester-long program pairs female students with women in Congress (House and Senate), and provides leadership workshops on Fridays. Over the years, SHSU has had three students picked for this program, including two in the same year–the only time in the program’s history that two students have been selected from the same University.

Anne Jamarik and Megan Chapa: Running Start DC Fellows

Ms. Bocskor suggested we apply to the program, as well–something we are looking into, with our newfound tolerance of risk!

One of the biggest takeaways from our meeting with Nancy Bocskor came from Shaylee Ritter’s questions. “How do you make yourself stand out from the rest?” and “how do you make personal connections with someone you barely know?” Bockskor’s response was to be engaged in the conversation, which will allow students to ask interesting questions. The more engaged you are, the deeper you’ll be able to think about the topics. The deeper you are thinking, the more likely you are to ask new questions. These questions will allow you to connect with the professional, while also providing you with interesting information.

Bocskor’s perspective was valuable because there isn’t a faculty member on SHSU’s campus with her background. We were able to get more of a practitioner’s perspective, while also just getting practical life advice. Many thanks to Ms. Bocskor for returning to SHSU to help out young women!

Celebrating TX Independence Day with the Lion’s Club

Morgan Robertson

How does the Lion’s Club start their holidays off? By awaking at 6am and putting out flags, to beautify the community and promote gratitude for the freedoms and liberties others have helped secure. So, this morning a few of the LEAP Ambassadors awoke and joined the Lion’s Club in this worthy cause.

We have previously volunteered with the Flag Project, and we remember the process well: alternating the flags (US Flag; Texas Flag; US Flag; Texas Flag) along a half mile stretch of 11th street and about a mile stretch of Sam Houston Avenue. Holes exist along these streets, just for this purpose, and it’s just a matter of grabbing the flags (ably provided to us by Sheryl and Dottie) and placing the flags. With a group of eight people, we found a rhythm of two volunteers handing out flags in the trailer, a person driving, and the rest receiving, running, and placing the flags.

The morning was made all the better with a few laughs shared among volunteers. Jessica proved to be rather good at re-drilling the flag-holes that weren’t completely hollow, I eventually learned what side of the trailer to stand on to avoid traffic, and we think Yvette eventually awoke fully.

As we were wrapping, up where were able to snap a few pictures with the flags.

After about an hour the end was in sight, and we were in fact running out of flags!

The volunteerism was enjoyable, made all the more so by the buoyant personalities of Tom Waddill, Sheryl Miller, Dottie Fulton, and Glen Schumacher. What better way to kick of Texas Independence Day than with volunteering with great people for a great project?

Thank you to the Walker County Lions Club for the opportunity to display the visual reminders of Texas Independence Day and of course Sam Houston’s Birthday!

Giving to SHSU

Every year, the staff at University Advancement and the faculty and staff across SHSU come together to promote giving back. In this case, the giving back is to SHSU, money that can be provided to students’ benefit. Such giving can include a scholarship account, an enrichment fund, or to a program such as the Reba Bock Closet or Tripod’s Thrift Store. To celebrate the culmination of this drive and the meeting of our (revised) goal, faculty and staff gathered in the Orange Ballroom to hear from a student (me!) and to recap the highlights.

Employees from every department at SHSU came together last fall to raise money. Over a two-month period, sixty percent of all employees at SHSU donated, giving money back to the University. Some of these did this through payroll deduction and others through a one-time donation. Either way, it’s appreciated.

In particular, I appreciate Chantel Finley, Riley Kleppelid, and Meggan Thompson for inviting me to be part of–and for helping me through–this process.

Dr. Roseanne Keathley kicked things off with introductory remarks, followed by a lunch.

The lunch was a wonderful mix of steak, chicken, and vegetables, with cake for a dessert, which we all enjoyed, while also engaging in pleasant conversation. I had a chance to sit with President White, whom I’ve met before, Dr. Keathley, Professor Yawn, and Vice-President Hernandez and Vice-President Holmes. It was a pleasure to meet new people, and I appreciate being invited to the event.

President White made appreciative remarks, thanking the faculty and staff for their donations–which raised more than $200,000.

She also thanked the committee and the University Advancement staff, who organized the effort.

Following additional remarks by Dr. Keathley, and an introduction by Professor Yawn, I was given the opportunity to thank some of those who have been helpful to me.

I have been blessed at SHSU, having rare opportunities, getting a great education, and earning some scholarships.

One of those scholarship is the Andrew and Ila Martinez Scholarship, and I’m not only grateful for this generosity, but also for the opportunity to meet the Martinez family.

It is this type of generosity that animated the crowd at the Ballroom, and the University Advancement team did a good job of recognizing those who participated. In particular, Debra McCall from Criminal Justice won the award for most years in a row giving (21!), the College of Osteopathic Medicine won for greatest improvement, University Advancement was recognized for 100 percent giving, and COSET was recognized for the highest dollar amount.

I found it to be a wonderful opportunity: meeting new people, seeing people I know and respect, and seeing people who care about their place of employment and the students. And, of course, it was wonderful to spend time with President White.

It was great to be part of the event, and I am sincerely grateful for all the faculty and staff do for the University.

Editor’s Note: Yvette Mendoza is a sophomore at SHSU majoring in Political Science. She works at Smither, Martin, Henderson, and she is the Vice-President of the LEAP Ambassadors. She aspires to be an attorney.

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