Food – Page 25 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Gateway to (Mid)West: St. Louis

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

It seemed too soon to reminisce about the first half of our trip, which was filled with fun activities and meeting great people. But, as we packed for our next destination early in the morning, contemplated the great people we had met and the fun of visiting Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, Louisville, Lexington, and Frankfort.

Camp_Nelson_Ambassadors_Hess_Ludwick_Web — Ambassadors with Cameron Ludwick and Blair Hess, Authors of “My Old Kentucky Road Trip”

But with St. Louis on our destination list for today, we hastened to pack and headed out at 4am, a bit groggy, but excited for the Midwest section of the trip.

The Old Courthouse, St. Louis

Five hours later, we were able to make our first stop: the Old Courthouse.

Dred Scott Courthouse, Missouri, St. Louis — The Old Courthouse, Where the Dred Scott Case Originated, St. Louis, MO

We were out on the road again until we reached St. Louis, Missouri where our first stop was the Old Courthouse. This courthouse is especially important because this is where the famous Dred Scott case was brought to trial. Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet, were slaves that filed a suit for their freedom against Irene Emerson, their slave owner. They tried to take advantage of the Missouri law that would allow them to buy their freedom, and after many years of hardship the judges finally came to a conclusion. In 1857, it was decided that they were not to be considered citizens of Missouri; therefore they could not sue for their freedom. Having grown tired of the slave family, the Emerson family sold them to the Blow family where the Scotts were finally set free. Sadly, Dred Scott enjoyed his freedom only for a short while as he died a year later in 1858.

There is an exhibit in the Old Courthouse where the courtroom in which this trial was heard is displayed. It was filled with chairs for the jury, two desks for the attorneys, a desk for a bailiff, and a clerk, a chair for witnesses, and a chair for the presiding judge. We even recreated the trial ourselves!

LEAP Ambassadors Re-Enact Dred Scott Case

Apart from its historic value, the courthouse is a beautiful structure, with a beautiful dome designed by William Rumbold.

Old Courthouse, St. Louis, Dred Scott — Old Courthouse Dome, Designed by William Rumbold with Murals by Karl Wimar

As part of LEAP, we are always seeking ways to expand our knowledge. So it is only fitting that we visit the monumental symbol of the westward expansion as our next stop.

The Gateway Arch, St. Louis

The westward expansion, aided greatly by the Louisiana Purchase, doubled the size of the United States in 1803. In honor of America moving into a more prosperous and hopeful state, The Arch was built as the “gateway to the west.” The Arch proudly stands at an intimidating 630 feet making it the tallest man-made monument in the nation.

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The architect, Eero Saarinen, was an immigrant from Finland and was granted this opportunity after winning a contest by the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in 1947. After studying architecture at Yale, he believed this was the opportunity to establish himself as an architect in America and it was. Although the design for this structure was completed in 1947, the real structure was not completed until 1965! We learned that this monument was brilliantly made with 142 stainless steel triangle sections that are each 12 feet in length held together by tension bars and truss. It took 13 years to raise the 13 million dollars needed to fund this project. In 1967, a trans system was built inside the north and south legs of the arch allowing 40 people at a time to view the impressive view. It was through these same legs that we rode through in our capsules.

Gateway Arch Elevator St. Louis — Gateway Arch “Elevator” or Travel Pod

It was tremendously fun to be able to enjoy the arch’s view…

Beatriz, Kaitlyn, and Karla at Top of Gateway Arch

…and see parts of St. Louis that we looked forward to exploring.

Gateway Arch, Dred Scott Courthouse, Wainright Building — St. Louis from the top of the Gateway Arch

Once back on the ground, we were also able to watch an informative documentary about the arch and its history. Expansion in 1803 meant a hopeful future for some and that is our motivation as we expand our education in college and on our trips.

Originally, we had planned to visit the city garden that was near the courthouse. With its luscious greenery, sparkling fountains, and marvelous art we were all prepared to relax and enjoy the perfect view of the arch it would offer. Or so we imagined. Unfortunately, time didn’t permit a trip to that destination.

Photo Ops in St. Louis

Remaining undaunted, we decided to go on a photo op adventure instead. Our first photo op stop was a Richard Haas mural. With two of our students having been interns at the Wynne Home, his work has a special meaning to us, and fourteen of his works dot the downtown of Huntsville.

Richard Haas, St. Louis, LEAP Ambassadors — LEAP Ambassadors in front of Richard Haas Mural

None of the ones in Huntsville, however, cover the 110,000 square feet of the one adorning the Old Edison Stores Building in St. Louis.

Next, we headed over to the St. Louis Union Station Building, which is a beautiful structure, now a Doubletree by Hilton. But its interiors were what we found most intriguing…

Union Station in St. Louis, Double Tree — Union Station in St. Louis, MO

…even the entrance to the bathrooms were interesting!

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But the grand hall was the most beautiful part.

Doubletree, Union Station, Grand Hotel, St. Louis — Grand Hall at Union Station (Doubletree Hotel) in St. Louis, MO

Across the street is the Milles Fountain, which is also impressive and offers a nice view of the exterior of the Union Station.

Milles Fountain at Aloe Plaza, Union State, St. Louis, MO — Milles Fountain at Aloe Plaza

Amighetti’s in The Hill, St. Louis

After a morning of westward exploration and photo ops in St. Louis, we took a quick stroll down The Hill to Amighetti’s.

Amighetti's, in The Hill Section of St. Louis, MO — Amighetti’s, in The Hill Section of St. Louis, MO

Located in what could be considered St. Louis’ Little Italy, the restaurant provided a prime venue for a satisfying lunch. Under what seemed an authentic tin-lined ceiling, we looked over the menu which included, but was not limited to, the Amighetti’s Special, a ravioli plate, and Little Bit of Italy sandwich.

Little Taste of Italy, Amighetti's, The Hill, St. Louis, MO — A Little Taste of Italy, at Amighetti’s in St. Louis, MO

As for the Amighetti’s Special, the sandwich accomplished its main goal; completely stuff its eater. Made up of ham, roast beef, and Genoa salami, blanketed with a rich layer of brick cheese on a 9 inch loaf of French style bread, it was a near challenge to take a bite. However, the extra effort to open one’s jaw was worth it, for every bite was an opportunity to taste the delicious sandwich. To improve on the experience, the menu presented St. Louis’ own Ritz root-beer. The effervescent, sweet, and smooth root-beer was an enjoyable company to Amighetti’s Special. To close off our lunch we also ordered a round of gelato. Within the group we were able to enjoy a cup of a sour, but satisfying lemon ice, cherry peach, strawberry, and vanilla, all of which we considered of excellent taste. As we stood up from our seat, with a content belly and a cooled off palate, we regained the energy needed to continue our St. Louis exploration at the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Kraus Home.

On previous adventures, Alex and Ryan had already encountered this one-of-a-kind home a numerous times. Therefore, Professor Yawn decided to give them the opportunity to explore new land by the name of the St. Louis Art Museum. After dropping them off we rerouted to the Kraus home.

Frank Lloyd Wright Home at Ebsworth Park

Hidden behind lush greenery, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Kraus Home is located in the upscale Kirkwood neighborhood of Saint Louis. Taking a short drive from the art museum, we arrived for a special tour. Normally, tours are not available on Wednesday afternoons, but the staff of the home were generous enough to arrange a tour for us today! Upon arrival, we immediately gaped in awe of the unique architecture and the natural beauty surrounding the home.

Kraus Homee, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ebsworth Park — Frank Lloyd Wright Home at Ebsworth Park

To begin our tour, we watched an introductory video about the Kraus home and its architect. Frank Lloyd Wright was born in 1867 and designed more than 500 structures throughout the United States. Represented in the Kraus home were parallelograms, hexagons, and horizontal lines, all of which accentuated the Usonian vision of Wright. The Kraus home sits on 10.5 acres of land now owned by Saint Louis County as part of its parks system.

In the mid 1940’s, Russell Kraus, a Frank Lloyd Wright enthusiast, wrote to Frank Lloyd Wright requesting him to design a small and less expensive home. Nearly ten years later in 1955, the home would finally reach completion. Mr. Kraus lived there until 2001, when a non-profit raised money to purchase the home and the land was deeded to Saint Louis County.

Throughout the tour, Professor Yawn was quick to point out the horizontal attributes of the home, noting even the grooves between the brick walls were designed to draw the eye horizontally instead of vertically. The Kraus home was designed as two hexagons partially overlapping one another. The entire home is made up of these two hexagons or its subcomponents (parallelograms and triangles).

Frank Lloyd Wright, Kraus Home, Ebsworth Park, St. Louis, Architecture

Even the bed, for example, is a parallelogram.

We were fascinated throughout the entire tour. In order to preserve the beauty of the home, we were not allowed to take any photographs inside the home. However, we finished our tour with a few photos on the balcony…

Kraus Home, Balcony, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ebsworth Park — Balcony of Kraus Home at Ebsworth Park, Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

…and the exterior.

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St. Louis Art Museum

Meanwhile, in the St. Louis Art Museum, Ryan and Alex were being exposed to various forms of art.

One of the major aspects Missouri has to offer is the free admission into museums (excluding special exhibits). On the three levels of the museum, there were paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from as early as 500-600 BCE to as recent as present day and everything in between. There were pieces of art from all around the world including Asia, the Americas, Africa and Europe. Several famous artists’ works could be found at the museum including Monet…

St. Louis, SLAM, Art Museum, Water Lillies, Monet — Monet’s “Water Lilies” at the St. Louis Art Museum

…van Gogh, Picasso, Seurat…

George Seurat, Pointillism, SLAM, Outer Harbor — George Seurat’s “Outer Harbor” at the St. Louis Art Museum

…Degas, Rodin, Kandinsky, Warhol, Segal, O’Keeffe, and many more. Outside, there was a short path through a small sculpture garden, mostly made up of pieces from Henry Moore.

Henry Moore's "Two-Piece Reclining Figures" at St. Louis Art Museum — Henry Moore’s “Two-Piece Reclining Figures” at St. Louis Art Museum

As we were leaving, a huge storm rolled in, cutting out our trip to a sculpture garden in the downtown area. So instead, we headed towards Bentonville, stopping for a photo-op at the world’s largest fork, and afterwards, stopping for dinner.

Dinner at Cafe Cusco, Springfield, MO

Being the home of the world’s largest fork…

World's Tallest Fork, Springfield, MO — World’s Tallest Fork, Springfield, MO

…Springfield appropriately offers numerous eateries from which to choose.

We choose Cafe Cusco, a Peruvian restaurant that has all the attributes of good Peruvian food, without the risk of Zika.

With the buildings soaking in the last rays of the day on Commercial St., we crossed the threshold into the Peruvian cuisine restaurant. As Peruvian folk music sounded its harmonious guitar in the background, we looked through the menu. With a variety of “platos” or dishes, from vegan salads to meaty steaks, the appetite of some of us were attracted to the fried rabbit, fajita saltada, BBQ pork panca, and lomo saltado. First, however, we began our taste of Peru with a seafood dip and fried avocado appetizer.

Seafood Dip, Fried Avocado, Cafe Cusco, Springfield, MO — Seafood Dip and Fried Avocado at Cafe Cusco

As the initial dishes were cleared, we readied ourselves for our main course. Soon the table was enveloped in the spicy aromas of the various dishes. As for the lomo saltado, a dish of steak cooked with bell pepper and onions served with fries and rice, each scoop of the fork brought to one’s mouth the zesty spice of Peruvian flavor. Perhaps the best of the dishes, however, was the rabbit, which Ryan enjoyed immensely.

Rabbit Entree, Cafe Cusco, Springfield, MO — The Rabbit Dish at Cafe Cusco

In all, the restaurant was more than enough to make us go back to the corner block venue as we were forever in love with these flavorful dishes. For the meantime however, it was time get back to our traveling van for we still had half a state left to ride through.

Kentucky Rain (and a lot of fun, too)

July 12, 2016

Our morning brought excitement with a splash of sadness, both from the prospect of our first day of rain and facing what would be our final day of the Southern Legislative Conference. With that in mind, we vowed to make the most of the day, with experiences extending to the world of politics, liquor, and musical entertainment.

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We boarded our ever-familiar tour bus bound for Kentucky’s capital city of Frankfort, and enjoyed the green rolling hills on the short drive from Lexington (~45 minutes). As we neared the bend that would lead into Frankfort’s main street, the trees embraced the city, making it seem every building was surrounded by its own mini forest, an impressive landscape.

The Old Statehouse

Our first stop was the state’s third capitol building, “The Old Capitol,” built in 1803. Its location was the same as the first two state capitol buildings, both of which met their demise through fire. Following the second fire, officials requested submissions for a new design, which would be selected through a competitive process. The winning design was submitted by Gideon Shryock (fresh out of college!) on a dare.

The Greek revival structure was erected as a symbol of Kentucky’s democratic strength, the massive pillars flanking the entry underlining that statement.

The limestone walls, quarried from the Kentucky River, stand as impressive as the day as they were placed. Through this grand, but windowless, entrance, we turned first into the “new” library, relocated from its original second-floor location due to weather damage to the books. In the corner of this room stood a desk that had belonged to then-Governor, Thomas Bramllette. Under his orders, the desk was ordered to contain a secret compartment. However, upon arrival, there was no sign of any such compartment. After complaining to the cabinetmaker and demanding that he be told the whereabouts of the desk’s secret, the designer refused to reveal it for “if [he] were to reveal it then it wouldn’t be a secret anymore.” The secret compartment was never found.

We left the library, and gathered under a floating staircase. Reputedly one of the only staircases of its kind in a public building, the whole structure will supposedly stay in place regardless of whether walls stand around it – it requires no external support. As designed by architect Shryock, this is an impressive feat of architectural and aesthetic design. As we walked up the staircase, admiring its simple yet intriguing structure, quite a few tour participants not-so-surreptitiously checked out the number of people on the stairs at once.

Another pleasant detail was found in the plaster floral designs on the ceiling. As with most capitol buildings, the legislative chambers were the largest. At the entrance of the Senate and House chambers, we were greeted with lighting from magnificent gold French chandeliers, as lavish as when they were lit for the first time. In the House, the desks were sectioned for two legislators to share one table. As we walked onto the senate chamber, we entered a much more intimate room. We sat down on both the house and senate desks, taking in the building’s history, imagining what it would have been like in the past. When the visit of the Old Statehouse was over, we were very sad. However, our hopes were regained after remembering that this was only the beginning of our grand tour.

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Center for Kentucky History

Because we spent so much time in the Capitol building, our next stop was correspondingly curtailed. Thus, we only had about 15 minutes at the modern Center for Kentucky History, which was clearly not sufficient. Some of us went into the gift shop while others toured the Hall of Governors, which consisted of painted portraits and biographies of Kentucky’s governors. It started with Isaac Shelby, the first governor of the state. He was an interesting character. Even though he served two full terms believing and practicing his constitutional duties, in his autobiography of four hundred plus pages, he only included one sentence of his tenure as governor. Another notable character was Martha Layne Collins, the first female governor. She was known for bringing a Toyota plant to Kentucky, which provided many economic opportunities to the state. Despite the brief time allotted to this portion of the tour, we enjoyed the artifacts and exhibits we saw.

KY_History_Museum_1_Web

Governor’s Mansion

After the tour of the Kentucky History Center, we visited the Governor’s Mansion for lunch with the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky. As we approached the mansion, we were fascinated by the beautiful architecture and colorful garden.

We learned that the architecture was designed to model Queen Marie Antoinette’s villa of the palace of Versailles in France—not the last time we would find French influences in the Bluegrass State. The interior also reflected the French interest of the Beaux-Arts period. Walking into this grand architecture, the Lieutenant Governor, Jenean Hampton, and some of her staff, greeted us. We were then directed to the dining room for lunch.

She welcomed our group very warmly into the governor’s home and spoke about the great state of Kentucky.

Jenean Hampton, Lieutenant Governor, Kentucky — Kentucky Lt. Governor Jenean Hampton at the KY Governor’s Mansion

After learning we were from Texas, she expressed her love for the Lone Star State.

Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hampton LEAP Ambassadors — LEAP Ambassadors with Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hapton

We felt that she was very genuine and kind! After having greeted her, we then proceeded to eat lunch consisting of a traditional Caesar salad and grilled chicken.

Kentucky Governor's Mansion, Kaitlyn Tyra, Megan Chapa — Kaitlyn Tyra and Megan Chapa at the Kentucky Governor’s Mansion

For dessert, we had a light, summery strawberry shortcake.

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And as an added desert of sorts, we had the wonderful opportunity to explore the Governor’s Mansion.

LEAP Ambassadors, Kentucky Governor's Mansion — LEAP Ambassadors Relax at the Kentucky Governor’s Mansion

Kentucky State Capitol

Following the lunch at the Governor’s mansion, we toured the fourth and current Kentucky state capitol. Our tour began in the rotunda with five large statues, each a famous (or infamous) Kentuckian. These include Henry Clay, Alben Berkley, Jefferson Davis, Ephraim McDowell, and Abraham Lincoln.

The dome that sits above the rotunda is inspired by Les Invalides, Napoleon’s tomb. Interestingly, the interior of the dome changes colors periodically…

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The building houses all three branches of government: the executive is on the first floor, the judicial is on the second, and the legislative is on the third. This is one of very few state capitols that still houses three branches. In the state supreme court, the judges convene about three days a month, hearing about only nine cases a month.

Kentucky Capitol Building, Supreme Court — Kentucky Capitol: Supreme Court

The justices can serve as many ten-year terms as they can get elected to.

The Kentucky legislature is unusual in that they only meet for 90 days every two years. During even numbered years, the Kentucky legislature will meet for up to 60 days, and in odd numbered years, the 38 Senators and 100 House members will meet for no more than 30 days.

House members, as well as Senators, have two year terms, but no term limits.

Overall, we were impressed by the symmetrical design of the capitol, both the interior…

Kentucky Capitol, Symmetrical Design — Kentucky Capitol Interior

…and the exterior…

Kentucky Capitol, Grounds — Walkway to the Kentucky Capitol

…as well as the views from the balcony.

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In fact, it’s rare in a capitol to even be allowed on the balcony, so this was a treat indeed.

Buffalo Trace Distillery

No doubt the offices of the Kentucky Capitol building were witness to much drinking, in order to, as one politician told us, “lubricate the wheels of governance.” Some of those drinks were likely distilled, aged, and bottled in our next destination: Buffalo Trace. Liquor has been manufactured on the site of Buffalo Trace since 1787, when Willis and Hancock Lee first built a still. Although the companies of liquor and processes have changed, the site—located near the Kentucky Capitol building— has always been dedicated to distilling primarily bourbon.

This was true even during Prohibition. As our tour guide noted, alcohol could still be manufactured for “medicinal purposes.” Each “patient” could be prescribed up to a pint every ten days. During this period, the illnesses must have been both “contagious and chronic,” because often an entire family would need the prescriptions refilled indefinitely. This legal loophole allowed the distillery to stay in business.

Thankfully, that subterfuge was no longer necessary following Prohibition, and the distillery could distribute its liquor the old-fashioned way. In more recent years, there has been a type of anti-prohibition, and bourbon drinking has become fashionable. In fact, Buffalo Trace is in the process of tripling the size of its operations, expanding from 140 to 420 acres.

Some people believe that only Kentucky sells bourbon. That’s not true, but as our tour guide says, most of the bourbon in the US comes from Kentucky. “Kentucky sells 95% of the nation’s bourbon,” he clarified, “and 100 % of the good bourbon.”

Much of that comes from Buffalo Trace. Indeed, they recently manufactured their six-millionth barrel. That’s a lot of bourbon, especially when each barrel contains about 200 bottles.

Bourbon, Barrels, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky — Bourbon Barrels, Buffalo Trace Distillery

And it is this process that is perhaps most interesting. To qualify legally as bourbon, the liquor must meet six criteria:

Its content must be at least 51 % corn;
Distilled to no more than 160 proof;
Barreled at no more than 125 proof;
Aged in new, charred barrels;
Bottled at 80 proof or higher;
And, all of this must occur in the United States.

The Aging Process of Bourbon, Buffalo Trace Distillery

This last requirement stems from the fact that in 1964 the US Congress passed a resolution recognizing bourbon as indigenous to the United States, much in the same way, for example, that Scotch is associated with Scotland.

This was a lot of information to take in, especially for some of the students who had almost no exposure to alcohol. But even for those more familiar with the product, the distinctive and specific process was a lot to ingest.

And speaking of ingesting, our tour concluded with a whiskey tasting. The under-21 crowd skipped this part, but a few of the students had a chance to distinguish (in very small doses!) the difference between four types of whiskey: (1) a blended vodka, (2) a mash whiskey at 125 proof, (3) an 8-9 year old bottle of bourbon, and a (4) 10 year-old bourbon aged on a lower floor of the storage. (The lower floor is a cooler location, which means less mixing with the barrel, which, in turns, less of the woody or caramel flavor.)

Buffalo Trace Distillery, Bourbon Tasting — Bourbon Tasting at the Buffalo Trace Distillery

Opinions from the group were positive toward the bourbon, but there was general agreement that the 125 proof mash was strong medicine indeed.

Our samples were far too small to lubricate any kind of political deals at the conference, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t interested in expanding our professional networks and seeing what opportunities we could find. To that end, we headed back to Lexington, where we planned to socialize at the state dinner.

State Dinner

Dressed to the nines, the LEAPsters strode into the Rupp Arena Ballroom. Although we were prepared to enjoy the State Dinner…

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…we were not prepared for the beautiful sounds of the a capella group acoUstiKats, from the University of Kentucky. They introduced the evening with a wonderful rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” and “My Old Kentucky Home.”

acoUstiKats, University of Kentucky — The acoUstiKats from the University of Kentucky

Our dinner mates included Senator Floyd Nicholson and his wife, Mamie, who were from South Carolina and very nice!

SLC, State Dinner, Senator Floyd Nicholson — Senator (SC) Floyd Nicholson and his wife, Mamie

Later, Kentucky Senator Stivers gave a speech and recognized two different programs for their work under the STAR program. This program promotes the creation of innovative ideas for more programs to help communities. The most proactive are chosen and recognized for their accomplishments.

After the meal was over and we had finished the last bit of cheesecake…

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…the entertainment started. Rick Dees kicked off the evening’s entertainment…

Rick Dees, Southern Legislative Conference, Lexington, KY — Rick Dees at the Southern Legislative Conference State Dinner

…but he soon turned it over to Midnight Star, an R&B band who enjoyed many hits in the 1970s and 1980s, including “Operator,” “No Parking on the Dance Floor,” and others.

Midnight Star, Southern Legislative Conference, Lexington, KY — Midnight Star Performs at the Southern Legislative Conference

Their music soon drew a crowd of dancers, many of whom were elected officials apparently drawn to the dance floor by courage borne of bourbon.

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Not to be outdone, the LEAP Ambassadors showed off their adaptability and busted out a few dance moves of their own.

Others, of course, mostly stayed rooted to the dinner table…

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Nonetheless, it was an energetic end to a four-day tour of Kentucky and its world of politics, entertainment, and history.

LEAP Ambassadors with Floyd and Mamie Nicholson at the SLC State Dinner

But with a four am departure looming, we posed for a final Kentucky photo op…

Lexington, Kentucky, LEAP Ambassadors — LEAP Ambassadors Enjoy Lexington, the Horse Capital of the World

…we headed back to the hotel. Our sleep was destined to be brief, but we were eager to awake to the Midwestern leg of our southern/Midwestern tour of the United States.

Seeing Tennessee: One Day in the Volunteer State (Nashville Version)

Tennessee is known as the volunteer state, so named because of the disproportionate number of volunteers they have provided to the US Military in wartime. While none of the LEAP Ambassadors have served during wartime, we do volunteer a lot, so we felt a distant kind of kinship.

The first stop planned for our third day of the Southern leg of our trip was The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s home.

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Our tour began with museum exhibits describing the history of the seventh President of the United States in chronological displays. The exhibit began with the wars in which Andrew Jackson played important roles, the War of 1812 and the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

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Original artifacts, such as swords used by the British and the Americans during these historical events, were also displayed in glass cases allowing each visitor to stop and admire the details of each. Larger artifacts, such as his carriage, were displayed on the floor of the exhibit space.

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The exhibits were packed with history, but also well-organized, making it easy to follow and understand.

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We learned not only about Andrew Jackson’s life, but also much about his wife, Rachel.

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After the indoor museum exhibits, we moved on to a self-guided audio tour of the grounds that led us to Jackson’s mansion.

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The guides on the tour discussed every room in the 8,000 sq. foot mansion. The parlor downstairs off the entryway was covered in elegant wallpaper that General Jackson ordered from France, along with many original artifacts. Although the mansion was beautiful, it does not have all the modern conveniences that homes today have, such as indoor plumbing! The second floor houses guest rooms and the grandchildren’s rooms. And as a special treat, the upstairs tour guide pointed out one of the guest rooms where Sam Houston slept during one of his visits to see General Jackson.

After the mansion tour, we meandered the garden, still guided by the audio tour. In the garden, elaborate for its time, we saw the tombs of the Jacksons, along with several family members.

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The garden was originally made for Rachel as a place for her to relax, a much-needed respite from the stress of her husband’s political career. Sadly, she passed away days after Andrew Jackson was elected President; and it is said that the political stress caused her death. After the tour of the museum exhibits, the mansion, the garden, and a quick photo-op on the $20 bill…

Hermitage_Beatriz_Bill_Web

…we had worked up an appetite, so we made our way to The Pharmacy for a quick fix.

We know what you’re thinking, but no, we didn’t go to the local drugstore for lunch! The Pharmacy is actually a burger parlor and beer garden, although we didn’t sample the latter. The restaurant has been named the “wurst burger joint” around because of the German influences in their food and beverages. The phosphate and crème sodas, Wurst, and beer make this Nashville spot distinct and popular. The restaurant was cozy with a large outside patio garden. The patio was beautiful; however, we sat inside to cool off after a morning of sunshine at The Hermitage.

We ordered different varieties of burgers made from 100% Tennessee beef. Beatriz, ordered the Farm Burger, with bacon, egg, and ham and other fixings, while others tried the Biergarten Platter, which had a variety of wurst sausages and mustards. All the food and cream sodas were satisfying and we were more than ready for our next stop, The Parthenon.

Gryphons stared down at us serenely as we climbed up the steps of Nashville’s Parthenon. We entered through the west side, noticing that atop the majestically stoic Doric columns a scene was unfolding depicting Athena being crowned by Nike (the winged goddess of victory, not the shoe brand). Built in 1897, this replica Athena’s shrine was at one point meant to be temporary. Due to Nashville’s love of the thought of having their own Parthenon (they were known as “the Athens of the South”) and since it had quickly grown in popularity, it stayed.

Parthenon_Group_Exterior_2_Web — LEAP Ambassadors at the Parthenon–Nashville, Tennessee

As we set foot into the structure of classical architectural style, not only did we travel across space towards Athens, Greece where the real Parthenon lay, but we also stepped into a place of art. Literally. The Parthenon is both a bona fide replica of the authentic Parthenon and a museum housing more than 60 pieces of art donated by Mr. James M. Cowan under a strange circumstance…he had donated the pieces of art with only one condition: that he remain anonymous as the donor until after his death.

We moved upstairs where we were able to see the goddess of wisdom herself. Made of a number of materials, including 3.6kg of gold leaf, she stands impressively tall with Nike in her right hand and her faithful shield in the other.

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One of the many interesting things about Nashville’s Parthenon are the gargantuan bronze doors. Measuring up to 6.5 ft. in height and weighing about 7.5 tons, these doors are thought to be the largest set of bronze doors in the world. However, even the smallest of our group could easily move them.

After digesting much great Greek mythology, art, and architecture, we passed by a gryphon one last time…

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…Beatriz giving it a fist bump of gratitude for its great work at guarding Athena.

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With that last goodbye, and a last glance at the great Athena, we left wiser on the subjects of art, architecture, Nashville history, and a bit of the goddess of wisdom herself.

From there, we visited the Tennessee Capitol.

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Like many other major building projects, construction of their capitol was behind on schedule and way over budget, taking fourteen years instead of three, and costing about three times as much as the initial budget.

The Tennessee Capitol is one of 13 state capitols which does not have a dome. Instead, it was built in a Greek revival style. Not only is it different in architecture, but this capitol is the only one to be home to three deceased people, the first being the architect who designed it, William Strickland. Strickland is buried in the walls of the building, which he regarded as his greatest work. Along with Strickland, Samuel Morgan, the original building commissioner, is also buried on the site (actually, in the walls of the building). And wrapping up the list are President James K. Polk, and Polk’s wife, Sarah, are bured on the grounds (but not in the walls).

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We learned much about Polk and the other two presidents from Tennessee (Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson). As we went along our tour, our guide (who was very knowledgeable and one of the best tour guides we’ve had!)…

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…pointed out a bearded Sam Houston, who was governor of both Tennessee and Texas.

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Although one LEAPster, who shall remain nameless (Megan), failed to recognize him, it was nice to see that General Houston was given credit for the work he’d done in Tennessee.

Tired of waiting for the entire capitol building to be built, the Supreme Court of Tennessee decided to move right in and start hearing cases. One judicial record, the tour guide explained, indicates the Court held a construction company in contempt of court for making too much noise while working on the building.

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Even so, the tour was great, filled with humor and interesting facts, such as the two occasions in which a president chose a vice-president with the last name Johnson, which didn’t work out so well for the presidents, who both ended up dying in office. Our cheerful tour guide made the tour one of the most interesting capitol tours we’ve been on.

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To top it off, we even got to use the old-timey state seal press to emboss our programs.

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So, as the day and the tour came to a close…

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…we knew it was time to move on to our next destination, Louisville, Kentucky.

The LEAPsters are always up for adventure no matter how frightening it may appear. One member of group stated that completing the fully-underground, aerial ropes challenge course at Louisville Mega Cavern truly embodied the LEAP spirit.

As we opened the front “door,” it was apparent that the cavern’s interior had been refurbished with artificial ceilings and walls in order to accommodate the recreational attractions inside. Louisville Mega Cavern houses a bike course, ropes course, “mega” zip line, and holds tours of the cavern’s mines.

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This night we were set for the elevated, trapeze-style obstacles on the ropes course.

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Several of us are not fond of heights, and regardless of the multiple, secure straps attached to every elevated obstacle, fear of falling was still prominent.

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Our pseudo phobias did not deter us from trying as many hanging rope bridges within our time limit, though. Bridges between the platforms varied in size, shape, difficulty and amount of balance required to traverse, from suspended, unbalanced planks to tension ropes to challenges that simply cannot be described without seeing them.

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For Alex, acrophobia kicked in while trying to balance over this system of suspended ropes and planks: At these moments my blood would rush in anticipation of hitting the ground, my palms would start to perspire inside my leather gloves making them almost slide off my hands, and my head would be showered in more sweat as I noticed how high off the ground my struggling body hovered. I would tightly clench the rope from which each overpass was suspended and inch my way through with each move coordinated to keep balance. No matter how much I wished to stay safely footed on the floor, I mustered all the courage my shaky spirit could supply.

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For the most part, though, we successfully walked, crawled, and hopped, and prayed over the obstacles without falling.

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And all the LEAPsters made it to the grand finale: the zip line.

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Some jumped off, some slid off, and at least one asked to be pushed off, but we all made it off the platform at least once. We wrapped up the late night and with blistering hands and muscles strained from the continuous stress of cheating an unwelcome dive to the hard ground, we climbed in our traveling van, ready to reach our hotel for some much-needed rest.

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Au Revoir Austin

Although our official work week was over, it didn’t mean our education was complete. Accordingly, we planned out a day that involved virtual exploration, actual exploration, and some adventurous food choices!

Bob Bullock Museum and National Parks

We began our morning with virtual exploration of the National Park system at the Bob Bullock Museum. The Museum was presenting America Wild: National Parks Adventure. It was narrated by Robert Redford, whom we had just seen in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on Thursday, and it reinforced some of what we had learned when we brought Mark Burns to campus in March to exhibit his photos of the 59 national parks he had visited and photographed in Black and White.

The Documentary was created to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the National Park Service. Although Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and others had taken steps to preserve America’s most treasured lands, it was Woodrow Wilson who signed the legislation enabling the National Park System for generations of Americans to enjoy.

The documentary was in 3-D, so we put on our glasses, sat back, and enjoyed the show…

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…while reinforcing our appreciation of the National Parks in the United States.

The Bullock Museum also has a limited exhibit of photographs from the National Park System, and we were followed up the documentary with a viewing of the photographs.

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From Virtual Exploration to Actual Exploration

After seeing a high-adventure documentary, we chose to experience some of that adventure ourselves. That evening, we headed off to the Rowing Dock to get in some kayaking.

It took Karla and me (Alex) a while to find our rowing rhythm, but once we did, we sped up to catch up with the others.

Kayaking_Alex_Karla_2_Web — Karla and Alex Begin Their Kayaking Adventure!

The river was full of kayakers, canoers, and paddle boarders rowing up and down the river and under the busy bridges. I admired the mix of city and nature as we paddled up the river.

Kayaking_Alex_Karla_5_Web — The Austin Skyline from a Kayak

It was a combination that I am not accustomed to seeing. After a while of paddling, we all gathered under a bridge that seemed to be making a strange sound. We stayed there for a while as Professor Yawn explained to us that the noise was being produced by bats! Apparently “South Congress” is known for its bat population that flies out at sunset every day. We paddled along and saw a few more interesting water mechanisms; a swan boat, a Cambridge Racer…

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….and paddle boards with bicycles as the motor. But mostly we all just enjoyed the exercise…

Kayaking_Kaitlyn_Beatriz_3_Web — Beatriz and Kaitlyn Taking Off from the Rowing Dock

…the skyline…

Kayaking_Stephanie_Megan_1_Cropped_Web — Stephanie and Megan Enjoy the River

…each other’s company…

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…the sunset…

Kayaking_Alex_Karla_6_Web — Alex and Karla Sail Into the Sunset

…actually, we enjoyed the sunset a lot…

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…and even the moonrise.

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In fact, we were so taken with the moon that we were a little late getting our kayaks back.

Kayaking_Kaitlyn_Beatriz_8_Cropped_Web — Kaitlyn and Beatriz Pull in at Moonrise

It was a satisfying adventure all around.

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After learning about the bats under the bridge, we decided to get a look for ourselves. Accordingly, we scurried off to the Congress Avenue Bridge, where hundreds of people gathered to watch for the 750,000 or so bats that begin coming out around sunset.

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We didn’t see 750,000 bats, but we saw a lot of them! They are difficult to photograph, however, and we didn’t get any usable photographs, at least not of bats. We did get a decent group shot, though:

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A Food Adventure

With more time than typical, we could explore our food tastes. And explore we did!

For lunch we enjoyed Indian cuisine at Clay Pit, a place known not only for its food, but also for being housed in the Bertram historical building. The Clay Pit offers a lunch buffet, giving us the chance to sample varieties of food. Starting with crunchy fried veggies to the scrumptious Chicken Tikka Masala we stuffed ourselves with food in a classy environment filled with Indian music. Accompanied with these dishes were naan: some filled with melted cheese and jalapenos, while others had sweet cherries, nuts, and raisins. After our meal, we decided to get dessert which consisted of Chai Spice Creme Brulee and strangest of all,or at least not commonly heard of, Gajjhar Halwa. This is a dessert described as a “hot and cold love”.

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Interestingly, it consisted of cold vanilla ice cream and warm carrots, a dish recommended to us by SHAIP (Sam Houston Austin Internship Program) alumnus Shelby O’Brien. Everyone enjoyed this shockingly delicious dessert!

Despite the large lunch, our evening kayaking adventure whetted our appetite for a large dinner, which consisted of Ethiopian food.

Our appetizers were Sambusas, which are pastries filled with onion, green pepper, and beef accompanied by a spicy sauce.

While we waited for our food, we talked about our favorite experiences during our week in Austin. We all had different favorites, but we all agreed that we definitely learned a lot this past week. It was filled with fun and adventure, but also a lot of work and learning time; the best combination!

That learning and fun continued with the arrival of our entrees, presented in a large Ethiopian basket!

Our entrees consisted of the Habesha special meat combo that included Doro Wot, Siga Wot, Kitfo, Yebeg Tibs, Alicha Fitfit, Bozena Shiro, Gomen Besega, Habesha special tibs, and Ayib; thankfully we had a great waiter that could explain each one of these to us! We also ordered from the Poultry menu, the Doro Tibs, chicken breast cubes sautéed with slices of onions, herbs, and sauce. For the least adventurous, we ordered spaghetti with meat sauce. The food really seemed to be authentic Ethiopian food which was a great way to introduce this type of food to us first-timers.

Even as first-timers, we did our best to eat in the Ethiopian tradition, using the injera bread as utensils. It was great food and a great way to wrap up our adventurous week in Austin.

We headed back to the hotel to pack up and get ready to hit the road the next morning. We were all thankful for the opportunity to intern at the Texas Capitol for the week. We were also thankful to meet extremely helpful people and eat really good food. Until next time, Austin!

Corpus Christi in Six Hours

It’s not easy to prioritize your time in a City when you have just five hours to spend, but we did a pretty good job of it.

Our morning began by visiting The Texas State Aquarium. As a fish enthusiast, Megan was especially looking forward to this underwater adventure. We began with a shark exhibit…

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…before moving on to the Lion Fish and Electric Eels. One of the highlights was seeing the Aquarium staff in full scuba gear feeding these fish.

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The Museum’s exhibits are well configured, giving you the opportunity to see them up close. The jellyfish exhibit, for example, is in low light, highlighting the animals translucent tissue.

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The sea otters, crocodile, and bald eagle were outside, and they were in separate exhibits, again configured in such a way as to maximize human interaction with the animals. In the case of the sharks and stingrays, we could even put our arms in the water and “lightly touch the animals with two fingers.”

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The true highlight of the aquarium are the dolphins. The trainers brought out four dolphins, two of which were especially good at tricks. Through mimicry, these dolphins learn to clap, jump out of the water, do flips, swim on their back, and even splash the audience! Our favorite was a three-spin flip.

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Next door to the Aquarium is the city’s Art Museum of South Texas. The museum is housed in a structure designed by Philip Johnson and made from shellcrete.

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The current exhibit in the Museum was of Texas Mixed Media, and my favorite artist represented was Mary McCleary, who is actually a Professor of Art at Stephen F. Austin University. In her artist statement, she indicates she takes found objects and layers them onto paper in a way that “conveys an intensity which the viewer finds compelling.” That was the case for me (Alex), and I’d like to see more of her work.

We also had a chance to see another Dale Chihuly, and I learned about the “Art Guys,” who have a work composed of clear glass tubes horizontally placed on the wall and filled with broken glass.

Megan, too, found a new artist she liked: Bill Meek. A glass artist from Houston, his piece “Catharsis” is in a sun room overlooking a piece by Jesus Moroles outside the building.

Speaking of which, the exterior of the Museum is as intriguing as the interior. The walkway to the building includes a large, ringed fountain.

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Off to the side is a large piece by James Surls, who graduated from Sam Houston State University.

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With all the art hitting close to home, we decided to stray outside the box for lunch. Thus we went to a Vietnamese Restaurant (literally called “Vietnam Restaurant”) in Corpus Christi. This seemed like an unlikely pairing, but the food was truly good. I (Megan) ordered the Vietnam Fried Rice, which was delicious; Alex had the Vermicelli Noodles with grilled chicken; and Professor Yawn had the restaurant’s signature “Hot Pot” which, after being slow cooked for 25 minutes was, indeed, hot! And very good. It was our favorite restaurant thus far in the trip.

Before leaving Corpus, however, we felt somewhat compelled to visit “Mirador de la Flor,” which is a memorial to Selena, the Tejano singer. Selena was shot at the age of 23 but she sold more than a million albums in her short career and paved the way for other Hispanic singers.

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And with that visit, we closed down our time in Corpus Christi. Although “hooked” by the beaches, baseball, sea-life, and art, we had business in the Rio Grande Valley, so southward we roamed.

But not before getting drinks at Coffee Wave. We cannot recommend this enough! The coffee was good; the Mexican Hot Chocolate was excellent, even on a summer day; and the Chai Tea Latte was amazing! And with that, we waved goodbye to Corpus Christi!

Destination Austin: BBQ, Politics, and Scenic Views

Riding through through the rain and flooded roads, LEAP Students (Brian Aldaco, Isabela Gonzales and Christina Perez) and Professor Yawn eagerly headed to a Boot Camp–a boot camp for politics, that is. Before arriving at this campus for campaigning, however, we decided it was time to treat our palates with dinner at Southside Market and BBQ in the city of Elgin. We enjoyed a plate of ribs, brisket, and the signature beef sausage (considered “the best around” ), complemented by the restaurant’s homemade honey mesquite bbq. After an amusing table chat and a quick sighting of the Victorian house style which served as City Hall, we resumed our route to Austin, Texas.

Our second pit stop landed us at Mount Bonnell, where we got to enjoy the gorgeous view of Lake Austin. We weren’t the only ones: romantic couples sat alongside the cliffs, watching the last vestiges of the sun as its rays faded over the Colorado River. Indeed, the spot is a great place for a picnic or to simply take selfies with friends.

To the east, visitors see the outline of Austin’s downtown. On both sides, at least at this time of year, the surroundings are lit by the flashes of fireflies–and, on this night, actual lightning! We recommend that everyone visit Mount Bonnell at least once.

Following our “hike” up Mount Bonnell, we detoured the Capitol building which was, surprisingly, open for visitors. We headed in, learning briefly about some of the governors of Texas, enjoying the dome…

…and taking an obligatory photo alongside Elizabet Ney’s Sam Houston.

With our history fixed complete, we took another detour to get a late-night dessert at Quacks 43rd Street Bakery. Brian ordered a lemon cupcake–opting for the vegan option to fully assimilate in the Austin–Isabela ordered a Snicker Doodle cookie, and I (Christina) had a short-bread cookie shaped like a palm tree. Professor Yawn bought us Salted Caramel Brownies and Ginger Krinkles…

Over all we enjoyed the coffee shop styled bakery with its colorful walls and trendy appearance. With our bellies stuffed we headed to the hotel in order to rest and prepare for tomorrow’s busy itinerary.

College 101: AVID About Learning

Robert Loughran left SHSU in 2011, graduating with a degree in Political Science and plans to go into education. But he returned to his Bearkat home this Saturday, bringing 45 middle-schoolers and a few parents, all of whom wanted to learn more about Sam Houston State University. On hand to help were the LEAP Ambassadors, who served as young chaperones, tour guides, and mentors for a six-hour workday on Saturday.

To begin the day LEAP Ambassadors welcomed the AVID Students, who travelled 3 hours to visit Huntsville and Sam Houston State University, at Carbonero‘s for lunch. Carboneros is a local restaurant that serves authentic Salvadoran food. At the restaurant, the students were seated in groups of 7-8 with their classmates and also with one of the six LEAP Ambassadors who were present to mentor them throughout the day. This made lunch interactive and interesting because we all got to learn a little about each other. The students and volunteers got to enjoy a buffet-style lunch which included pupusas, rotisserie chicken, chicken/beef enchiladas, tacos al carbon, their famous chaufa rice, and hamburgers for the not-so-adventurous students. For an hour we ate, talked about what the day had in store, prepared for the next portion of the day and enjoyed the enthusiasm of 45 students who travelled from a Dallas school district—on a Saturday—to get a taste of El Salvadoran food and of college.

Following a full meal, AVID students headed to campus to attend a mock college class taught by Professor Yawn.

The goal of the class was to give the students a realistic idea of what to expect in a real college level course. To that end, the students were given three days to read the Bill of Rights and summaries of four court cases.

It was a lot to chew on for middle schoolers, and the grades reflected that.

But the students perked up for Professor Yawn’s lecture, which ranged from the criminal justice amendments of the US Constitution to the role that technology plays in changing interpretations of “search and seizure.”

The students eagerly asked questions and were willing to participate in Professor Yawn’s role-playing examples—including an arrest and detention which, incidentally, tied in to the days’ later activities.

Many students commented that the class was their favorite part of the day! Even LEAP Ambassadors enjoyed and learned from the lecture.

AVID_Day_Alex_Karla_Web — Alejandra Galvan and Karla Rosales

Breaking into groups, the Ambassadors teamed up to lead students on a tour across campus. Visiting the Newton Gresham Library, the Lowman Student Center, Rec Sports, the Performing Arts Center, and the College of Criminal Justice, we hoped each group got a sampling of what SHSU offers academically and recreationally. The tour time allowed students to ask questions and learn more about the University. Even LEAP Ambassadors brushed up on the University’s history. For example, we learned that SHSU became the first fully air-conditioned campus in the world during SHSU President Harmon L. Lowman’s presidency! Once the tours were finished, we regrouped and AVID students eagerly boarded the bus to visit the Texas Prison Museum.

It is impossible to come to Huntsville without knowing at least three things about the area: (1) it’s the home of Sam Houston, the man; (2) it’s the home of Sam Houston, the University; and (3) Huntsville has prisons. The AVID students got a briefing on the first two during class and the SHSU tour and their final destination allowed them to experience the history of the Texas Prison System at the Texas Prison Museum.

Visitors to the Museum are encouraged to watch a short history of the Texas Prison system when they arrive, and AVID students eagerly sat for the eight-minute program.

They were also treated to a brief overview by Jim Willett, who worked for the prison for 30 years, many of those years as Warden of the Walls Unit. He provided a few interesting details, and then showed the young students a large model of the Unit he once supervised.

The students’ attention was also caught by the masterful pieces of art located throughout the museum. One piece that caught everyone’s attention was a large piece of wood, much like a tree stump, that had animal faces carved into it. It is an impressive piece of art work, and it’s difficult and sad to think about it being created in a prison.

Of course, the most famous piece of wood in the Museum is the prison’s notorious electric chair. Located toward the rear of the Museum, surrounded by the institutional green walls of the prison system and illuminated by a single fluorescent light, Ol’ Sparky sits forlornly. It’s chilling to experience this instrument from a few feet away.

Another popular exhibit was the illegal contraband that has been confiscated from inmates over the years. These items would impress any engineer, architect, or inventor. Pipe shotguns made of lined paper towel rolls, lead and string; a tattoo machines made from a pencil and stored in a sock; hollowed out wood-soled shoes that hid a knife blade, much like a James Bond gadget. Seeing these things close up not only made us all thankful for the glass separating the contraband from us, but also for our freedom.

Of course, no trip to the Texas Prison Museum is complete without a photograph of the visitors in the model jail cell. Students displayed way too much pleasure while posing in the jail cells.

The exhibits of the Texas Prison Museum have valuable lessons to teach both young and old. And these exact lessons are why the LEAP Ambassadors and AVID Students sacrificed a Saturday to educate and empower ourselves with knowledge and service.

It was a long day, but so worth it! It gave AVID students an idea of what to expect in college and what the Huntsville community can offer and it prompted the LEAP Ambassadors to play a mentorship role, which for most, was a new experience. I believe that we all benefited from what LEAP calls AVID Day and we hope that we can do it again in the future.

Convention Politics: Day 2 in the Big D

It was our second day at the convention and, as we would learn, things would unfold a bit differently than the day before. There was more entertainment, but more actual work, too, and that led to some discord in the party ranks–but, thankfully, not among the Walker County delegation, who remained pleasant even when disagreeing on policy issues.

For the first order of convention business, we gathered inside the Senatorial District 5 meeting room. Here, the delegates would vote on state party leaders: State Party Chairman, State Party Vice chairman, State Executive Chairman, and State Executive Chairwoman. After the delegate seating process was finished, with a delegate count of 248, it was then permissible to commence voting and declare nominees for the different positions.

Two nominations for state party chairman were made, one for Jared Woodfill and a competing one to keep Tom Mechler. After the ballots were distributed to each county chair and the delegates gave their vote, it was time for the Senatorial Caucus chairman to announce the winner of this caucus. The rules, however, are a bit more complicated. The vote isn’t to actually see who wins, but to see if candidates can achieve a minimum needed to be nominated from the floor of the convention. The minimum, as it turns out, is to achieve 20% of the overall delegate vote of all Senatorial Caucuses or to actually win three of the 31 caucuses.

As it turned out, Mechler won our caucus. In fact, as we would learn later in the day, he won almost all the caucuses and he would handily defeat Woodfill as Chair of the Republican Party of Texas.

Before we got to the floor, however, the delegates received a rewarding speech delivered by U.S. Senator John Cornyn. His delivery included his opinion on how the party is to keep strong in the upcoming years and received strong support from the crowd.

This powerful delivery was all the more special for we were able to briefly meet with the Senator, a meeting that we were grateful for.

Following our meeting with Senator Cornyn, nominations began for Vice Chair, a process that yielded Kathy Adams and Amy Clark. The delegates then voted 51 to 216 in favor of Clark. This, too, augured well for Clark who went on to win easily in the other Caucuses. Mike McCloskey won the nomination for District 5 Executive Chairman with a 216 majority vote and Nida Davidson won the nomination for District 5 Executive Chairwoman uncontested.

During the convention we came across the opportunity to become an Abbott University graduate. Names can be deceiving, however, for the program consisted of two 45 minute courses ( as opposed to the traditional 4 years). The classes offered in the program were structured to educate its attendants on how to utilize modern tools of communication and efficient organizational skills to run a successful campaign. Alex and Karla attended organization building session…

…and Kaitlyn, Brian and Megan attended the social media class.

While organization building was a class to help expand an organization and mobilize resources to maximize influence, social media would help us learn about amplifying messages and maximizing reach with conservatives on the most effective social networks.

One of my (Karla) favorite pieces of advice during the class was “ask and shut up”. It is similar to the salesman’s mantra of to stop speaking after the sale is made, but I never realized how much of a difference this can make. This is the best way to ask for a commitment from a volunteer, sponsor, or a voter. We also got plenty of advice for one-on-one meetings, including tips on how to make a personal connection during meetings. To achieve a personal level the first thing that is needed is to begin with our personal story, then the other person will most likely proceed to telling their story, in which case we can listen and better understand the person with whom we are communicating. After this, we can “ask the question and shut up” and hopefully get a commitment from them that will help us towards our goal to expand and mobilize resources.

Once we had all shared our different learning experiences over lunch, it was time for more action at the Third General Session. The Second General Session was postponed and combined with the third due to committee meetings running behind. However, the Third General Session was by far the most interesting session!

It began with business from the second session–approval of the committee updates. This included the Report of the Permanent Chair, Adoption of Agenda & Supplemental Rules, Report of the Permanent Organization Committee (on which Professor Yawn served), Report of the Permanent State Nominating Committee, and Presentation of Incoming State Republican Executive Committee Members. This portion of the meeting was quick and easy, although the Rules portion got a bit acrimonious.

Not, however, as acrimonious as the policy platform debates! Many Republicans were passionate about their principles and beliefs and they expressed that by debating for or against certain planks.

The planks varied from educational and judicial power to issues such as abortion. The most heated of the debates was on whether to secede from the US, an issue that is a trifle bizarre to us. The whole secession thing has pretty much been settled. But parties are made up of diverse elements, and the zealous of these elements tend to be the ones who go to convention. The entire discussion not only included debate, but the opportunity to amend each of the amendments–all 266.

It was a long process, however, the LEAP Ambassadors were grateful to have attended Parliamentary Procedures Process training and it was easy to differentiate those who attended and those who did not. Those who did not attend, in my opinion, prolonged the process because they had to verify the rules frequently and were “out of order” many times.

It was also beneficial to us because we followed the meeting fairly well and enjoyed ourselves.

We did not expect to see the heated debates in the session, but it was both interesting and entertaining. After much debate, there was a majority vote to end all debate (which many were ecstatic about; others were very unhappy about) on the entire platform, which then allowed us to participate in the first-ever use of Scantron voting for each plank in the platform.

Even though it took us a while to read through all 266 planks and vote, we felt pride in preforming our delegate duties.

I think the LEAP Ambassadors took a lot away from today. The session really showed the spectrum of issues and the varying level of support for both the sensible and strange policies that had been proposed.

Once we were all finished voting, we took a short drive from the convention center through downtown Dallas where Governor Abbott hosted his tailgate on a parking garage rooftop overlooking the city. Upon our arrival we were presented with our Abbott University Diplomas and directed upstairs. Blake Roach, (one of our favorite JF/LEAP Alums), who works as Governor Abbott’s advance man, welcomed us shortly after we arrived.

He explained his responsibilities as an Advance Man and his experience working with the Texas Legislature. Blake was nice enough to introduce us to Audrey Abbott, the First Daughter of Texas.

Audrey_Abbott_LEAP_Ambassadors — Karla, Megan, Audrey, Alex, Brian, and Kaitlyn

She is now a college sophomore, so we had many things in common. Well, other than the fact that her dad is the Governor of Texas, of course! She was personable and easy to talk to. She told us about what her experience as the first daughter of Texas has been like and let us know that Governor Abbott had actually filmed a campaign advertisement in the same parking garage two years ago during his campaign for Governor!

And after eating Texas BBQ for dinner…

we were welcomed by Governor Abbott himself!

On this one, though, Ryan Brim already had us beat, having met the Governor earlier in the day.

It was a great event and fun way to end an eventful day. Knowing we would be back early tomorrow morning, we hurried home to get some rest before our final day of the State Convention.

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