Food – Page 26 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Etiquette 101: Class and College Can Go Together

The LEAP Center Ambassadors jumped at the opportunity to enhance their professionalism by attending an Etiquette Dinner presented by SHSU Career Services and taught by national etiquette expert, Diane Gottsman. She is the author and owner of the Protocol School of Texas, a company that specializes in executive and business etiquette training. Ms. Gottsman is also the resident etiquette expert for talk shows like, San Antonio Living and Good Day Austin, so we all knew that we were in good hands.

That evening Ms. Gottsman’s main focus was teaching us how to behave at a dinner interview, as these types of interviews are becoming more popular. We learned that Employers want to be able to see how you behave and handle awkward situations and how you treat your wait staff. By the end of the training we were experts in both!

Before beginning the training, Ms. Gottsman emphasized the importance of asking questions and definitely made sure we asked plenty of questions. She reminded us that etiquette is not about criticizing because the minute you criticize others you lose your power. Ms. Gottsman pointed out that “Smart people ask questions” and this gave us confidence when raising our hands to ask all kinds of questions.

We started with the basics, the “b and d” rule. This is an easy way to remember that your bread plate goes on the left and your drink goes on the right. This should help us stay away from any awkward situations such as drinking out of another person’s glass, but just in case we also learned how to deal with these situations if they arise. Along with this, we learned many more rules such as how to use utensils appropriately, how to pass the bread, how to enter and exit your chair, how to excuse yourself if needed, and how to follow your host or be the host.

We didn’t only learn about the American and European style of dining, but we also learned about how to prepare for interviews ahead of time and about the best color clothing to wear to interviews. For example, white or blue color shirts would be preferable over dark colored shirts. According to Ms. Gottsman, light colors gives you more power than darker colors would.

Starting the dinner we were all (even those who had attended the etiquette dinner last year) timid in our every movements, not wanting to mess up, but by the end of the night we were all eating confidently and correctly. We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from an expert like Ms. Gottsman who made us feel comfortable when asking questions and provided a great learning environment for us.

Thank you to SHSU Career Services for providing us with this great opportunity.

Leaving Little Rock

Following a whirlwind tour of Little Rock and central Arkansas, it was departure day. But before we left, we had a couple of sites left to see.

First, we did a quick photo op of the Capitol building…

…where the LEAP Ambassadors visited (by unofficial count) their 18th state capitol building. Bill Clinton’s office was here in the late 70s, most of the 1980s, and the very early 1990s. They also have an interesting set of statues paying tribute to the Little Rock Nine and, in apparent contradiction, a monument to the confederate soldiers as well.

We chose to focus on the Little Rock Nine, so shortly after visiting the capitol we made our way to Little Rock Central High. LRCH is the original school that the Little Rock Nine first attempted to integrate in 1957, and it is very large.

It’s a humbling experience to stand where the Little Rock Nine stood. They faced taunts, hatred, and ignorance and, in the process, made major progress for the country.

On the front of the school are four pillars, each representing a quality crucial to success…

…ambition, personality, opportunity, and preparation. Interestingly, these four qualities are also stressed by the LEAP Center, and that added an extra dimension of interest.

Spurred on by this interest, we went to the LRCH Musuem, located across the street. This is a small museum, but it has an intimacy with its subject matter that makes for a compelling experience.

The Museum begins with an overview of the Civil Rights experience, which is described along the left wall. Toward the rear of the Museum are videos with headsets telling the stories of each of the Little Rock Nine.

Intriguingly, the video screens are facing Little Rock Central High, which brings the experience home with greater impact. Even sixty years later, it’s difficult to listen to the turmoil that these heroes went through…

The right side of the Museum is dedicated to other civil rights struggles…

….. LRCH_Museum_Alex_Web

…and the center of the Museum is a fairly in-depth story of the integration of Little Rock Central High.

They give an overview of the events, with video of Eisenhower discussing the importance of the rule of law, as well as journalists and the original Little Rock Nine looking at these events retrospectively.

It captivated our group.

We ended the tour with a film from 1964, which was shown to foreign audiences and detailed the experiences of the Little Rock Nine six-seven years after the integration.

It was interesting to learn more about the integration process, and also interesting to see how these events were presented in the mid-1960s.

The LRCH is a can’t-miss site in Little Rock, in a City that is full of fun and interesting attractions. It was a sobering but fitting way to end our trip, and our departure was made more acceptable knowing we’d be making a return visit in July.

Arkansas PSA: Little Rock and Monticello

The first two days of exploring Little Rock were filled with adventure and knowledge. However, our adventures were not yet complete. Even after a fully loaded two days in the state, we continued on to the Arkansas Political Science Association Conference in Monticello, setting out at about 6am to make the 1.5 hour trip.

At the conference our very own Professor Yawn served as a discussant for the Undergraduate Research on Public Policy panel and later presented his own research. We were also excited to be there to support our fellow LEAP Ambassador Megan Chapa, who would later present her research paper on “Maquiladoras, NAFTA and their Consequences.” Upon our arrival we were graciously welcomed by Dr. Strong and the staff of the University of Arkansas at Monticello, then made our way quickly to the room where Professor Yawn’s panel discussion would be. The panel room was a cozy fit, much like any classroom you would find on campus at Sam Houston. This made the presentations of the research engaging and a personal. Subjects of the research ranged from the cyber security in the United States by Shannon Abbott…

…to the study of multi-lateral agreements by Nicolaas Harrington…

…to the development of Spanish democracy by Sarah Phillips…

to the study of game theory by William O’Brachta…

…to an examination of indigenous autonomy by Emily Mendiola…

Watching other students in the political science field present research encouraged and energized the students of LEAP to one-day present research at future conferences nationwide.

After sitting in on an undergraduate discussion panel on public policy, chaired by Professor Yawn, we waited for Megan to present her research on the impact of NAFTA on the social and economic status of Mexican “maquiladora” laborers. As part of an American Politics panel, Megan presented research alongside four other passionate undergraduate students.

The panel was chaired by Karen Sebold, a professor of public policy at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, whose responsibility during the session was to direct the presentation of everyone’s research papers and lead the discussion in regards to the papers after the presentation of every student.

The session began with a presentation on the Tea Party’s influence on the current Republican Party. With a most timely topic in regards to our political atmosphere, Tyler Harrison of the University of Arkansas at Monticello offered an in depth analysis of the Tea Party’s freedomworks rating system.

Followed thereafter Robert Fletcher, also a University of Arkansas at Monticello undergraduate student, presented his paper on the benefits of promoting bicycle friendly road policy that could stimulate the economic and social prosperity of a small community’s transportation system.

As the third student to present, Jolyon Larson of Hendrix University provided his thesis on the best way for waste plants to cut down on harmful emissions.

Lastly, Leslie Beard of the University of Arkansas at Monticello expressed her fears regarding our nation’s political structure in her paper “Who’s really in control at the top.”

With Megan as the fourth presenter in the panel, we attentively clung to every word of her research on Mexican social issues presented by NAFTA. She focused on the exploitation and harassment of women maquiladora workers, the environmental violations of these industries, and the widespread human trafficking encouraged by these multinational agreements.

It was clear that her, and all the other panelists, were passionate about public policy and a more successful government structure. The conducted research in each presentation was further example of what passion for a noble cause can yield.

We also got feedback from Megan, who presented at her first conference:

I was nervous, but nonetheless confident and excited to represent SHSU and the LEAP Center at the conference. Before our panel began, our discussant informed us that another student had joined our Undergraduate Research Panel and that our presentation time would be cut short by about 5 minutes. I was more nervous about going over my allotted time because I had prepared my presentation to be 15 minutes. I was scurrying through my paper trying to take out 5 minutes of information that wouldn’t take too much away from my research. What I enjoyed most was the constructive criticism I received from my discussant, Dr. Sebold of University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. She was helpful in providing suggestions that will improve the research I am working on. I am thankful for the opportunity to expand my horizons outside of home (Texas) and meet students who are striving to make a difference in the political arena.” -Megan Chapa

We all agreed that this chance to support our fellow LEAP ambassador’s passionate delivery was worth the limited sleep.

The ArkPSA topped off the conference with a lunch and presentation by John Kyle Day, who presented his work on Civil Rights in Arkansas, particularizing on the Southern Manifesto.

It was interesting research and, although we didn’t know it at the time, we would hear echoes of his research the next day, when we visited the Little Rock Central High Museum (see tomorrow’s blog!).

Following the conference in Monticello, we drove back to Little Rock to do some shopping before our adventurous Segway tour. We took the opportunity to explore some of the quaint shops near the River Market and downtown area.

Visiting the local shops, we wandered through shops such as The Freckled Frog, Discovery Museum Gift Shop, and 4Square Café and Gifts. We enjoyed browsing through the shops, but eventually ended up at one of our favorite places, the River Market!

The group refueled with a small snack before heading off to our Segway tour of Little Rock!

We were excited to continue touring more of downtown Little Rock, but this time we were on a Segway! Most of the group have had some experience with riding segways – actually, all except me (Bella Abril), and the others were quick to get with the program…

As clumsy as I am even with just walking, however, I was a bit hesitant on trying it out at first. I was scared I would embarrass myself by falling on my face. However, our Turkish tour guide, Nez Erkman, trained us in such a detailed manner with much emphasis on safety that I found myself easing up. Plus, seeing everybody ride it so calmly gave me confidence that maybe I could do the same. Thankfully, I did! The first step was the scariest part, but the rest was exhilarating. Throughout the tour, we were able to segway through The Clinton Bridge…

…which held a nice view of the sunset…

The Clinton Presidential Library…

and Heifer International. Also, we passed through the Riverfront Park, where we were able to take pictures on the rock that Little Rock derives its name from…

as well as observe interesting historic markers and creative sculptures. From a total newbie segwayer to part of the veteran segwayers of LEAP, the tour definitely deepened both my interest in Arkansan culture and the graceful art of segwaying.

The segway tour not only fueled our desire to learn about Little rock, but also fueled our appetites! We walked a couple of blocks to get to the well-known Sonny Williams’ Steak Room. We started with a turtle soup and a wild game sausage and cheese plate as appetizers. The wild game sausage and cheese plate consisted of rabbit, elk, and boar sausage. Some of us were particularly hesitant to try the turtle soup and rabbit sausage because it was something completely new for most of us, but we chose to go with our adventurous side and taste each appetizer. For our entrees we all chose a type of steak. We ordered a 12 oz. Filet to a Bone-in Cowboy Ribeye and a New York Strip. As soon as we each took the first bite of our steaks, we all agreed that these were the best steaks we have ever tried. It was clear to us why Sonny Williams is so well known for its steaks. After being extremely satisfied with both the appetizers and the entrees, we tried a couple of deserts. The Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce and the Chocolate Orange Cake were rich enough, but also light enough to kept our satisfaction rating high.

On our way back to the car, we squeezed in a bit more adventure by taking a short detour to an old telephone booth that is now used as a community book exchange. Professor Yawn challenged us to see if we could all fit in the telephone booth, and of course we accepted his challenge.

It was a tight squeeze, especially right after our filling dinner, but we all fit (more or less)!

And, after a bit of a detour to walk off some of dinner…

…called it a night and made our way back to the hotel for a much-needed night of rest.

Law, Art, and Pork: The Heart of Little Rock (Day 2, Morning Edition)

After a quick coffee stop to help wake us, we were fortunate enough to visit the Supreme Court of Arkansas.

We met with the public education coordinator, Cara Fitzgerald, who earned her law degree from Southern Illinois University and who passed the bar in at least three states!

She started the tour by teaching us more about the history of the building. Like the Old State House, the Supreme Court building has undergone changes throughout the years. The first building to house the Supreme Court was actually The Old State House, the second is at the location it is now and then it was remodeled a third time, which is the current building that houses both the Supreme Court and the Appeals Court.

We continued the tour of the west wing, where they display the portraits of the previous justices who have served on the Supreme Court…

…and as we moved along we were shown the portraits of all seven presiding justices. The first thing that stood out to some of us was that the majority of the Justices currently on the Supreme Court of Arkansas are women.

After learning more about the current Justices and the recent death of their Chief Justice, Ms. Fitzgerald introduced us to Associate Justice Robin F. Wynne who joined in on the tour! Once in the courtroom, we introduced ourselves to Justice Wynne and he then introduced himself and told us about his journey to becoming a Supreme Court Justice.

He then asked us the simple most important question that he asks all of his students, “Why do you want to be an attorney?” Many of us had not been asked this question before, which led us to really reflect on why we wanted to go down that career path. Our answers to the question ranged from helping people and having a say in our society to solving puzzles and upholding the law.

After Justice Wynne was able to get to know us more based on our answers, he and his law clerk, John Webster gave us great advice on how to get the best out of law school.

John Webster explained to us exactly what a law clerk does and why, if we get the chance, it is an opportunity to take advantage of in law school. They also explained to us what they look for in applicants for their office, and one of the most important things was a “hook”. Justice Wynne explained that he not only looks at grades, but also the substance of the applicants’ character. After the very informational discussion with Justice Wynne and Mr. Webster, they took us on a very personal tour of his office where he explained what his typical week at the office consists of. Oral arguments are on Thursday; opinions are on Wednesday; and Monday and Tuesday are much-needed reading days. Each justice is assigned five cases a week and one of those is considered a primary case in which they take a leadership role. After discussing this process, he showed us the conference chamber where the seven justices meet after oral arguments to talk about the reasons they dissent or support each others’ opinions.

Justice Wynne even let us take a picture in the conference chamber with him!

After the private tour, we asked Ms. Fitzgerald how often tour groups get to go up to see the Justices offices and the conference room, to which she replied that she couldn’t recall it ever happening before! We were all extremely grateful for the hospitality that Justice Wynne showed us while teaching us an immense amount about the ins and outs of the Supreme Court of Arkansas.

During the last portion of the tour we dressed in black robes and acted as Justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court. The tour of the Supreme Court of Arkansas was an amazing way to learn more about the court system, and left us all in awe of how great of a time we had while we were visiting. Once everyone had their turn banging the gavel, it was time to go onto our next adventure.

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Our next adventure was the Arkansas Arts Center. Although not as large as the major Art Museums, they have a nice permanent collection, much of which was donated by the Rockefellers (Winston Rockefeller was Governor of AR in the 1960s). The collection contains works by Miro, Picasso, and Monet…

…among many others.

This time, however, the real treat were the special exhibits. One featured the photography of Dortothea Lange, the photographer who captured the Great Depression and the plight of the migrant workers so perfectly.

Another exhibit featured the work of Charles Burchfield, who focused on the mixed blessings of urbanization.

Both art collections were created near the same time period, but they were very different in medium and subject matter. Charles Burchfield’s art depicted “Industrial Beauty” using watercolor paints. Black Iron, the exhibit centerpiece, was inspired by the port of Buffalo on Lake Erie.

According to the exhibit, Burchfield saw the bridges as part of an industrial complex spewing poisonous chemicals into the river; yet he found the massive structures irresistibly beautiful.” The paintings and drawings used darker colors to convey emotion.

Dorothea Lange is known for her black and white photography during the Great Depression Era. Each photograph captured emotion that strikes viewers immediately. Her works had great impact on legislation during the time period and even in the way films depicted people of the Great Depression Era. One of her most famous photographs, Migrant Mothers, was showcased along with a variety of other photos that were new to many of us.

Each person left with a favorite photo from her collection.

A third, smaller special exhibit featured the work of Nathalia Edenmont, who makes dresses from flowers and other produce.

This theme tied into a discussion Megan and I have had in our art class, which revolved around the question of whether the Ag Department’s “Floral Design” class should be considered an art class.

The Arkansas Arts Center was the perfect place to learn about a large variety of art because it explained the distinguishing characteristics of each genre. The art ranged from small, detailed, and complex paintings to intricate, colorful, and sometimes puzzling statues.

Overall, the LEAP Ambassadors enjoyed gaining new knowledge of art in Arkansas.

Lunch was a treat for us avid meat-lovers as we decided to fill our stomachs at The Whole Hog Cafe, a LEAP Center tradition. Catering a country style atmosphere while offering a variety of award-winning meat (as indicated by the line of trophies displayed near the entrance of the cafe), we knew we were going to be satisfied! To get the most out of our experience, we ordered three plates of The Ultimate Platter, which consisted of pulled pork, beef, chicken, ribs as the main course, and coleslaw, beans, potato salad, and rolls as sides.

Enhancing the overload of finely cooked meat were the six diverse choices of barbecue sauces, ranging from sweet to spicy to slightly tangy.

Each sauce was unique and each person had a chance to pick a favorite. The top three according to our collective preferences were Sauce No. 1 (sweet, mild, molasses flavor), Sauce No. 3 (spicy, traditional tomato, vinegar flavor) and Sauce No. 5 (sweet, heavy, molasses flavor) tied for 2nd place, while for third was Sauce No. 2 (a less spicy version of Sauce No. 3). We also indulged in the best (according to Alex) chocolate brownies for dessert. The service, the platter, the BBQ sauces and the fun conversations that filled our table made for a great experience at Whole Hog Café.

Learning in Little Rock: Day 1

After a filling breakfast at River Market, we got our morning off to a bang by touring the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion. There, the Mansion’s tour guide, Ms. Carolyn Eastham, welcomed us warmly. The tour of the three-story Arkansan home commenced in the Grand Foyer…

which featured an 18th-century chandelier from Paris, France, and an oversized rug displaying the seal of the State of Arkansas. Interestingly, Ms. Eastham noted that the original rug actually had to be replaced as it was damaged by former Governor/President Bill Clinton’s cat.

My favorite part of the Governors Mansion was the way that the additions to Mansion were added. The back of the mansion is an atrium which connects the old Mansion to the Grand Hall built in 2003, and showcases the original brick wall and patio of the original Governor’s Mansion that couldn’t be torn down during construction because it is a historic landmark.

Among other things, it was where Bill Clinton announced Al Gore as his running mate in 1992.

Even more impressive was the Grand Hall…

which features a staircase covered with a carpet runner that highlights woven symbols of the State and the names of the eleven governors who have lived in the Mansion.

In the Grand Hall we stood under a grand chandelier that highlighted the important aspects of Arkansas, such as the bumblebee, stars and two raw diamonds. Outside, we were greeted with a tundra-like chill, as Mitch would call it, but that didn’t stop us from exploring the vast flower, vegetable, and herb garden that the Mansion manages as well as the tiny replica of the Mansion, which amusingly stood only a couple of inches taller than me.

Through the various fine furnishings adorning the Mansion such as the 17th Century Irish grandfather clock (which still keeps time precisely), the plethora of art pieces embellishing the walls like the painting of the Arkansas’ traveler legend, and the symbolic items garnishing residence such as the 62-piece silver set, we were introduced to the rich history of the Mansion’s early years and its continuing legacy. Even though the official tour was over, we were able to get a nice photo on the grand stairway that greets visitors to the home…

Regrettably, we did not run into Governor Asa Hutchinson or any of his family, but nevertheless, visiting the Governor’s Mansion was definitely a great way to start our first day in Arkansas!

Editor’s Note: After the tour, Ms. Eastham came up to me and said, “Your students are true ladies and gentlemen, and that compliment comes from a teacher of manners.”

After our grand tour of the Governor’s mansion, and mini mansion, we made our way to another one of Little Rock’s historic treasures, The Old State House. The Old State house was the original state capitol of Arkansas, and today it is museum that holds many of Arkansas’ memories. Arkansas’ induction into the Union, the vote of succession from the United States, medical research, two acceptance speeches by the President of the United States, and even a (Bowie) knife fight between two sitting legislators are some of the story’s that echo down the halls of The Old State House.

While wandering through the museum, we ran into the programmer of The Old State House whose brother actually graduated from Sam Houston State University! He was excited to have us there and told us background stories, including the rumor about the law, justice and mercy statues that were atop of The Old State House being removed by the women of Arkansas and thrown into the river because their attire was too risqué. We also learned that the Old State House is the oldest capitol west of the Mississippi and much about its Greek revival architecture. The Old State House Museum showcased things from History to clothing worn by previous first ladies Arkansas (and even Bill Clintons running shoes!).

After learning about the Old Statehouse, we headed to the River Market, a food court filled with variety that is overlooking the Arkansas River, to break for lunch before our tour of University of Arkansas – Little Rock Law School. Although we had many options to choose from, we agreed to eat at Tokyo, while Professor Yawn decided to eat a different cuisine and enjoyed gyro. The group sampled a variety of sushi, rice, and teriyaki plates, and some tired fruit juices from Thailand. Each were delicious and enjoyed by all. The River Market was a unique place to visit because of the local variety it offered within the River walk district.

Once we were finished with lunch, we went for a tour of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law School. We walked in and were immediately greeted by the admissions office.

We were later introduced to the Assistant Dean of Admissions Matthew Kerns, who was really helpful and gave us plenty of advice regarding the admissions process. He specified what they look for in letters of recommendation and personal statements.

After the advice from Dean Kerns, we met with Eruore, a 3L student, ambassador for the UALR Law School, and our tour guide for the day. She began by walking us to a law class where all the fun began. We walked in and took a seat just minutes before the class began. During that time some of us had the opportunity to talk to the people sitting next to us and try to get advice for law school and maybe even again, for the admissions process.

We sat in a Civil Procedure class taught by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Theresa Beiner. The class began by discussing experts at trial.

The class went over the ins and outs of how, when and why to use expert witnesses at a trial. As the class proceeded, I noticed that Dean Beiner was conducting her class in a Socratic method which we had been exposed to before at the Mock Law Class held at SHSU. The class moved on to learn about physical and mental exams and we watched as the class reviewed a couple of Supreme Court cases to learn how the law applied to such cases. Watching the class was interesting and exciting because Dean Beiner was very passionate about teaching her students.

The last topic discussed was how to and when to use a request for admission and motion to council.

Before we even knew it, the class was being dismissed, and Dean Beiner invited us to stay afterwards for a few minutes to discuss our thoughts about the class and ask any questions. During this meeting we learned about the structure of the degree plan and possible internship opportunities available to students. We also learned that UALR Law School is one of the lowest tuition rates in the country. Another very interesting fact to us was that they don’t grade as A, B, C’s, instead, their grading system grades as 4.0, 3.9, 3.8 and so forth.

After this brief meeting, it was time to get back to our law school tour with Eruore.

The school is six floors and each floor has something particularly unique. The 6th floor is specifically reserved for the law review room and a small gym while the second floor was reserved for the law library. After touring the whole school, talking about the organizations and services, and a very informational and exciting class, we went back to the admissions office for informational flyers to take home with us.

After an interesting day at the governor’s mansion and University of Little Rock Law School, we wanted to explore the city. We booked a Segway tour that unfortunately fell through, but that didn’t stop us from exploring Little Rock! We started our exploration at the Clinton Presidential Library…

and although that’s on the itinerary for tomorrow, we learned some of the architectural meaning of the building and got some great photos around it! The library is near the the River Market area, to which we returned…

…amidst an amazing sunset…

…and explored the Junction Bridge…

We also went to the sculpture garden, music park, despite it being very cold out! We also played on a river-walk playground that Little Rock features to great effect. There is a jungle gym…

…a tunnel system, which we climbed in…

…and out of…

It was great enjoying the sunset while doing some fun activities. Before we headed to dinner the group headed up for the tallest bridge.

It was an amazing view of the Capitol at night…

…and the River Market…

Even after seeing everything and working up an appetite, we couldn’t resist taking a last look at the bridge…

…and one more posed photo…

Having seen the river area for the third time that day, we turned toward Midtown in search of food.

To satisfy our appetites, we decided to indulge in DamGoode Pies. With high expectations, we were eager to find out what makes their pizzas so yummy! We ordered the Damgoode Trios to sample their popular appetizers. Each piece of bread was garnished with toppings such as bacon and jalapeños, shredded mozzarella and tomatoes, or spinach and meatball. When our pizza arrived, we enjoyed trying a variety of the signature pies. The Hog layered pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage, crumbled bacon, and cheddar cheese pizza was a favorite to many of us. We also ordered a Hawaiian pizza, and a Garden Supreme pizza that provided us with a different mix of flavors. Satisfied from a tasty meal, we decided to head back to the hotel to prepare for our next day in Little Rock!

Ice Cream, Illness, and Investigations: Mark Collette talks Blue Bell

For most of its existence, Blue Bell Creameries has strongly held its throne as the most loved ice cream brand in Texas. With 66 distinct and unrivaled flavors, ranging from the favorite Homemade Vanilla to the sweet Caramel Turtle Fudge, Blue Bell has regularly received exemplary remarks about its products. Hence, after 108 years of a flourishing business, nobody expected that the pure reputation of Blue Bell would suddenly be tainted by a Listeria outbreak last year.

After a series of recalls, job cuts, and temporary shutdowns, many feared that this controversy would lead to the end of the Blue Bell regime. A few months after the first total recall, Blue Bell announced its plans to return to store shelves – to the relief of its loyal customers. Although Blue Bell is currently back on its feet with its newly reconditioned policies and procedures, the public’s views about the company now vary, with some being skeptical, others maintaining allegiance, and many lingering on the question, “Will I ever look at Blue Bell the same way again?”

On February 15, 2016, Mark Collette, investigative reporter for the Houston Chronicle, tackled this issue as he presented a lecture entitled “Investigating Blue Bell,” highlighting what was involved in the 2015 Blue Bell Listeria Outbreak. Many SHSU students from different fields, such as English, Political Science, Marketing, and Health, filled the seats of Evans 105, eager to listen to Mr. Collette’s discussion, which was sponsored by the English Department, Honors Department, Writing in the Disciplines, and the LEAP Center. After being introduced by the English Department’s Dr. Michael Demson, one of the hosts of the event…

…Mr. Collette began his presentation.

He opened his talk relaying the history of Blue Bell, the company’s cherished relationship with its consumers, and the reasons why Blue Bell is number one to many. He then touched on the sensitive topics of Blue Bell’s management of health risks, work safety conditions, and product contamination. He also noted the shortcomings of the federal health authorities on enforcing the laws in place for foodborne illnesses. On a lighter tone, Mr. Collette pointed out Blue Bell’s clever marketing move of naming its Twitter account @IloveBlueBell amidst the controversy, meaning that any twitter discussions of it involved the statement “ilovebluebell.” Although Mr. Collette has written many “unfavorable” – as some may claim – articles about Blue Bell, he did so with the purpose of offering the public the truth.

In the aftermath, Blue Bell’s return to the industry came with several administrative improvements and much safer protocols in handling their products, which I personally think makes their ice cream more trustworthy now.

The lecture was enjoyed by the students, many of whom had questions. Collette generously answered questions right up until the end of the hour…

…and even stayed late to answer questions posed individually.

Following the lecture was a lunch hosted by the LEAP Center at the President’s Dining Room. Mr. Collette and 15 other guests enjoyed classic Cajun dishes, namely jambalaya and gumbo, but surprisingly, no Blue Bell ice cream for dessert.

There, both students and faculty continued to ask Mr. Collette about his knowledge, opinions, and experiences on different matters such as food handling safety, the Chipotle outbreak, difficulties as a journalist, and more.

Overall, the lecture and the lunch really helped the attendees, including myself, realize the importance of being more mindful to how the foods that we consume are being handled and manufactured to prevent being the receiving end of such outbreaks. Personally, and I am sure many would agree, I am hopeful that Blue Bell is much safer than before!

Midwest Tour, Day 8: Kansas City, Home of the MLB Champs!

We began our Saturday morning exploring Kansas City’s own River Market. Although we arrived a bit early, we got a head start on all of the produce, cheeses, spices, and home goods that the farmers market had to offer. The brisk morning air refreshed us after a short night of sleep and we enjoyed strolling through the different vendors, smelling the fresh flowers, appreciating the colorful produce, and tasting different foods foreign to Texas.

With just a little over an hour to explore, we tried coffee at Quay Coffee and wandered through the shops open at the early hour. With our noses exhausted from the various smells permeating the market, we left to make it to our Segway tour reservation on time.

Led by Kelly, we hopped on the available segways like pros and began the tour of downtown Kansas City.

We started in an area called Westport, home to bars, shops, and many a hipster. The area prides itself on preserving its history, which we observed in the established community and some of the buildings being the oldest sanding in Kansas City. Founded in 1831 by Isaac McCoy, Westport originally sat three miles south of what is today downtown Kansas City. His son, John Calvin McCoy, is credited as the “Father of Kansas City” and we observed a statue of him during the first part of our tour. We left the area of Westport to continue our tour, segwaying past pedestrians and through a few linear parks. Kansas City, known as the least dense and city with the most green space in America, is home to many beautiful parks. We had the chance to enjoy these areas, albeit, on segway. We followed Kelly along a couple creeks, walking trails, and even spotted public work out equipment along the way. We ambled upon Kauffman Memorial Garden after visiting Westport, a clear juxtaposition to the hip, bar district we had just explored.

The garden, quiet and serene, serves as gravesite to Ewing and Muriel Kauffman, philanthropists to the city in the mid 1960s. We left the garden to continue on our tour, only after appreciating the giant chrysanthemums in the greenhouse.

Kansas City is known as the “City of Fountains,” and one of the more interesting fountains we encountered was a memorial to the Vietnam War. It was laid out in a series of cascading waterfalls, a reference to the U.S’s cascading involvement in the war. It culminates in two pools of water at the end, a symbol for the split in public opinion over the war.

We spent the most time on our tour on the grounds of the Nelson-Atkins museum, avoiding photographers and muses as best we could. We even had the chance to explore grounds unfamiliar to Professor Yawn, home to sculptures by Ursula von Rydingsvard (Three Bowls), Henry Moore, and Roxy Paine (Ferment).

We also had the chance to get off our segways and try out Robert Morris’ Glass Labyrinth, which we luckily made it out of without running into any of the glass walls.

We left the grounds, after quite a few photo opportunities, including the chance to see a Claes Oldenburg sculpture (a shuttlecock!)….

…and an unsettling sculpture titled “Standing Figures,” which is actually a sculpture of 30 headless men standing in rows.

Meandering through the parks, we also encountered some yoga practitioners, taking advantage of the peacefulness of the park (other than the speeding Segways, of course)…

From there, we made it back to the Kemper Museum of Modern Art, which we had visited the evening before but had yet to observe in daylight. We were re-acquainted with Louise Bourgeois’s “Spider”…

…as well as Tom Otterness’s “Crying Giant.”

We had previously seen Bourgeois’s work in Iowa and in New Orleans, and we had only recently seen Otterness’s work (City Garden, in St. Louis).

That being our last stop…

…we bid adieu to Kelly and her insightful information and headed to scrounge up some lunch.

Much to the recommendation of our tour guide, we decided to eat lunch at Q39, a local Kansas City barbeque joint. We found the restaurant to be very popular and were confronted with an hour wait. With that information, Professor Yawn and Stephanie decided to let us wait and enjoy lunch while they left to grab our bags at the hotel in preparation for our departure this evening. We finally got a table, which was worth every second of the wait, once we received our appetizer of fried onion strings and meals consisting of ribs, sausage, pulled pork, and even better Kansas City barbeque sauce.

Slightly tangy and very sweet, we enjoyed the barbeque that is so different than what we can enjoy in Texas. We left the restaurant full and ready to take on the rest of our afternoon.

We spent the first part of the rest of our afternoon exploring and learning at The National WWI Museum and Memorial. We arrived just in time to sit and watch the introductory video that left us wanting to learn more, so we ventured into the museum. We began with the WWI timeline that started with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and led to Austria declaring war on Serbia.

This led to an entanglement of treaties and soon after, the five Great Powers were at war.

The museums timeline was easy to read and separated every year. The year of 1915 showed how the momentum of the war shifted to the east and highlighted the sinking of Lusitania by a German submarine. The year of 1916 on the timeline highlighted the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of the Somme. The timeline then moved on to the year of 1917, which is when Germany began to renew their unrestricted submarine warfare. One U-boat had cost American lives, which led to America severing its diplomatic relations with Germany and having to decide upon entering the war. The first American troops landed in France on June 25, 1917 and the spirits of France were renewed. The museum also features sections on Air warfare and others. As we walked through the museum we were able to watch another more interactive video about the war which then escorted us to the back portion of the museum that highlighted the America’s role in the War. The museum was very detailed and included many aspects of the war such as every branch of the military, a woman’s position in the war, civilian’s positions in the war, and an exhibit on war propaganda.

We entered a reflections box where we were able to listen to voices from the War. We then took an elevator up to the Memorial where the tower commemorating the fallen soldiers stands. After enjoying the view, we walked back over the glass bridge hanging over the poppies that represent the fallen soldiers of the War.

We left the National World War I Museum to stroll down the hill in front of it, capturing the beautiful fall afternoon with a few photographs.

We loved feeling the breeze and seeing the burgundy leaves fly through the air off the trees preparing for the first winter frost.

We walked across the street, following the museum, to enter Union Station in search of the temporary Da Vinci exhibit that the train station holds. We found the exhibit on the bottom floor of the station and proceeded to get in line, thrilled with the anticipation of learning about one of history’s most prominent inventors and scholars. We entered the exhibit and watched an introductory video about the Renaissance man. Following, we left the compression of the video space and were awed by the expansion of the rest of the exhibit, full of Da Vinci’s inventions.

We had the chance to read about his work in military science, flying machines, scientific diagrams about the human body, civil engineering, and inventions that would make everyday work easier and more efficient. We always knew about the inventor’s paintings, “Mona Lisa”…

…and “The Last Supper,”

…but it was even more compelling to learn about all the musings that were found in his journals ranging from thoughts about poetry to the making of the ideal city. We even had the chance to touch multiple replicas of his inventions, like a pulley and a lock system.

Following the section about his inventions, we had the opportunity to read about his artwork, which about fifteen have survived to this day due to the precariousness of Da Vinci’s experiments with new techniques. It was interesting to read about his work with the golden ration, which can be seen in his paintings and in his drawing of the Vitruvian Man. We left the exhibit awed by a man that we knew very little about before and inspired to expand our horizons just as he did during his lifetime.

We also had a chance to return to the Nelson-Atkins and see the special Thomas Hart Benton exhibit. The theme was Thomas Hart Benton and the Hollywood epic, highlighting styles that tied in with epic films, as well as the time that Benton spent working in Hollywood.

While in the Museum, we took an opportunity to see some of the pieces we had missed the day before, such as the beautiful gardens…

…Rodin’s “Thinker” up close…

…and the strange, intriguing folk art of Philip Haas…

Before leaving KC, we returned to Union Station to grab a few souvenirs before beginning the drive out of town.

After a while on the road we stopped at Pie Five Pizza Co., in Topeka, KS, for a quick dinner. Constance and I shared the biggest Greek salad that I had ever seen and a pesto chicken Alfredo pizza that was delicious. We left the restaurant, and took advantage of our stop in Topeka to see the state’s capitol and other sites.

We stopped at the capitol building, standing majestically in the middle of town. We weren’t able to go into the Capitol because it was late, but we did capture a few photos. Before getting back on the road we had to make one more stop. We stopped at the Brown V. Board of Education National Historic Site. Sadly it was closed by the time we arrived, but we were able to have a glimpse inside provided by the glass doors.

In the building we saw the labels “White” and “Color” that segregated the school. Even though we were not able to go inside, it was still a very sobering experience.

We hopped back in the van, en route to our last stop for the night, Wichita, to sleep before getting back on the road in the morning for the long trek back to Huntsville.

Midwest Tour, Day 6: More Marvelous Madison

We began our morning enjoying breakfast at a local favorite, Marigold’s. Known for their creative breakfast options, we loaded up on coffee, an omelet, some pancakes and fresh squeezed orange juice. It was, according to Alex, the best orange juice ever. The food was good, too, a fact attested to by Constance, who breakfasted here last year, and now has two years’ worth of data on which to base her conclusion.

Hurrying back to the hotel, we made it back in time for the first session of the 2015 Film and History Conference. Like last year, it was well organized by Loren Baybrook, Professor at University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh.

Alex and I chose the session titled, “Generational Dilemma: Situating Women and Young People, a Transitional Age of TV.” One of the first things we noticed is that the dress code is pretty relaxed for a professional conference. We heard from three different panelists discussing young people on TV, domesticity in sitcoms, and utopia in 1960s television. All of them read more or less directly from their papers.

First, Mr. Michael Cheyne read his paper about the power in domesticity, the gender inequality as a public problem in sitcoms, and the vindication women achieved in shows like “Father Knows Best,” once women finally embraced their role in the home as a housewife, further constraining them to society’s view. Second, Ms. Caryn Murphy spoke about attempted utopia in the 1960s sitcom “The New People.” Finally, we heard from Daniel Long about “The Failure of Displacing the Young People on Network TV,” in which he discussed ABC’s efforts to gain influence amidst networks like NBC and CBS, while also identifying social issues and confronting them during programing like “The New People.” Overall, we learned about the different issues important to our peers in the late 1960s, while also acknowledging the line networks had to balance in order to stay relevant.

Listening to the panelists speak certainly awoke our hunger, so we left the conference briefly to eat a truly Wisconsinite lunch at The Old Fashioned. We tried fried cheese curds…

…beer and cheese soup (which, intriguingly, is sprinkled with popcorn)…

and three different types of sandwiches–pulled pork, grilled chicken, and grilled cheese.

Satisfied, we left the restaurant to hurry back to the conference for the afternoon.

Our second session of the afternoon was titled “Journeys of Love 1: Romantic Comedy”, which we definitely enjoyed. Before we attended this session, however, we ran to Professor Yawn’s presentation and took a photograph.

We then backed out, somewhat conspicuously, and returned to our regularly scheduled program.

Megan Miskiewicz from Northwestern University was the first speaker for the panel. She discussed marriage timing and economics in romantic comedy films from 1936-1941. To do this she had to answer three questions: who to marry, when to marry and what to do after marriage? She referenced the film “Ball of Fire”, which starred Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck to answer the question of whom to marry. (Interestingly, Dana Andrews is in this film, and the LEAP Center presented a Dana Andrews film festival in 2009 and 2013.)

In this film, as with many films from the 1930s, the key question for women was, “Whom should I marry?” She pointed out a concept that occurs repeatedly, which is “the hope that something better is just around the corner”.

Deborah Doderlein from the University of Oslo, Norway focused on the film “Guess who’s coming to Dinner,” which was about an interracial couple and all that they must overcome to marry. We enjoyed the romantic theme of this session greatly, which consequently meant we took a bit more away from the presentations.

We left the second session of the day to run across the street of the hotel and hop on the 2:00 o’clock tour of the Wisconsin Capitol building. Wisconsinites pride themselves on their state house and made a point of making it completely accessible to the public. There are no metal detectors, and all entrances are open to the public; that is, there are no “reserved sections” for “staff and elected officials only.”

We began the tour in the rotunda of the house…

…under the largest dome known to any capitol in the nation and also the largest granite dome in the world.

The dome makes for a beautiful rotunda scene, enhanced by murals reflecting the various branches of government, all of which were housed in the state capitol.

The walls, columns, and exterior of the capitol boast 43 different types of stones from six different countries and eight states. Completed in 1917, the building is the fifth to serve as the capitol building of Wisconsin and, more recently, underwent a 158.8 million dollar renovation that lasted fourteen years. Sitting at 284 feet and 5 inches from the ground, the magnitude of the building is offset by the quiet subtlety found inside. Alex noted that this might be her favorite capitol visited yet, a nice contrast to some of the more ostentatious capitols we’ve seen.

We walked up to the second floor to visit the House Chamber, which boasts a thirty-foot skylight…

…and another Blashfield mural depicting important events in Wisconsin’s history.

We moved on to the Senate Chamber, which sits in a circle and is technology free. Second to last, we visited the Supreme Court, with four murals by Albert Herter, who painted his son into one of the murals and whom later went on to be U.S. Secretary of State during the Eisenhower presidency.

Finally, we ascended multiple flights of stairs to enjoy the view of Madison from the observation deck.

Although both afraid of heights, we thoroughly enjoyed the multiple photo opportunities from the great vantage point.

Although it was windy…

…and a bit cold…

…it was still a lot of fun.

Finishing up at the capitol, we walked around the square, past a few unnerving Guy Fawkes Day protesters…

…and arrived at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Sadly, we were unable to photograph the pieces we saw, but did enjoy the opportunity to experience a new channel of art. We were greeted by a horse sculpture by Deborah Butterfield made out of sticks and mud. We have previously seen Butterfield’s works at the New Orleans Museum of Art, UT’s Campus, and in Des Moines’ Papajohn Park.

We ascended glass stairs to enter the main exhibit hall, where we found work from artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Diego Rivera. It was a small gallery, but we spent a bit of time learning about new artists and appreciating the social implications of such art before leaving the modern art museum and heading back to the hotel for the rest of the conference.

The last panel that we attended was titled “Indie Film II: Indie and performance: Changing contexts, Changing strategies”. Diane Carson from Webster University spoke first about Independent Film director, John Sayles’, films. She focused on the fact that he refused to hollywoodize his films even though he knew that they would not make as much money. She also noted that race issues occur often in his films and that he said “ you can’t avoid it if you’re going to make a movie.” One additional point that Diane mentioned was that Sayles does not sugar coat real social issues and that she hoped that her presentation made us want to go watch his films. The second speaker was Cynthia Baron from Bowling Green State University, who focused on a film called “Set it Off” that focused on women editors in indie films. She noted that indie films used popular actors to gain more views like Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett. To keep her presentation interesting, she showed a few video clips of the film. The third presenter was Chris Holmlund who focused on casing indie actors. She chose to talk about four main actors, John Cusack, Michelle Williams, Lupe Ontiveros and Giancarlo Esposito. She spoke about how actors play social roles because of whom they are and how they look. All performers are not created equal due to their race, body and other identifying characteristics that limit them to specific roles. An interesting way to show this was by informing us that Lupe Ontiveros’ roles were 90% of the time maids. She ended her presentation by arguing that independent films truly allow actors to work.

Following the afternoon of capitol touring and indie film education, we were ready for an adventurous dinner at “A Pig in a Fur Coat”, where we learned about the world of Tapa restaurants. We ordered two snack plates, Duck Fat Fries and Meatballs. All of the food served at A Pig in a Fur Coat was distinctive and different from anything that we had tried. The meatballs for example, included bone marrow, which at least two of us did not particularly enjoy. After our snack plates, our Small Plates arrived. We tried the Pork Belly with shrimp and butternut squash, filled with different and delicious flavors; it was on the smallish side.

the Ravioli filled with duck egg, and topped with bacon, Brussels sprouts and butter, and the Foie Gras Mousse, a bombolini with lard and fig. In the spirit of a Tapa restaurant, we all shared and had a taste of each other’s food. Alex was not a huge fan of the Foie Gras, and was even less so when she found it was made from fattened duck livers.

A Pig in a Fur Coat was much different from expected and was a great place to try new things.

After dinner we decided to return to DLUX for their amazing milkshakes! We sampled the toasted marshmallow with chocolate, Red Velvet Milkshake and the Salted Caramel milkshake.

On a full and satisfied stomach, we decided to walk around the Capitol building…

and snap some photos in the cold weather (editor: it wasn’t cold) before…

…retiring to the hotel in anticipation of a full day of driving tomorrow.

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