For the 102nd year, the aptly named Campus Activities and Traditions hosted the “Tree of Lights” last night. With music, dancing, speeches, philanthropy, and–of course–tree lighting, the night was full of fun.
Led by Rachel Valle, the event began with a pre-lighting festival consisting of music, a “snow globe,” a photography station, and other fun and games.
This was followed by introductions by the newly minted SHSU King and Queen; remarks by President White (and a selfie by her husband, Elliott!);
…the lighting of vigil candles;
…nice words by Director of the Good Shepherd Mission, Dave Smith;
…and performances by the Orange Pride Dancers and the SHSU Chorale.
There was also a speed ornament hanging for participating organizations–which included both LEAP Ambassadors and the Pre-Law Society.
Although it’s been done a hundred times (literally), this event remains fresh, and a welcome way to introduce freshmen to the best aspects of SHSU: service, generosity, and talent.
LEAP students experienced plethoric frightful festivities this ‘Halloweekend’, with some students left more spooked than others. To continue the fun, we enjoyed Theatre Under The Stars’ (TUTS) rendition of Sweeney Todd!
We ventured to our favorite food hall, POST Market, to taste an array of different dishes and cuisines. Similar to our fear factor, some students are more adventurous diners than others. The dishes ranged anywhere from coconut curry, tacos, shrimp alfredo, to a cubed biscoff croissant! This experience-for both newcomers and returning customers- was as refreshing as it was satiating.
Of course, while at Post Houston, we took advantage of some roof-top views for photos.
Our viewing of Sweeney Todd was highly anticipated, as Michelle and I had the chance to watch the Sam Houston’s rendition of the musical back in April. TUTS had a lot to live up to, considering the high standard set by SHSU’s performance.
The story, set in 19th-century London, revolves around the vengeful Sweeney Todd, a barber seeking retribution against those who have wronged him. The eerie plot, coupled with a hauntingly beautiful live orchestra, instilled a palpable sense of unease right from the moment the blade emitted its initial, spine-tingling screech.
There were touches of levity throughout the musical, creating a juxtaposition of humor and horror. The group particularly enjoyed “A Little Priest” and ‘By the Sea” for their wordplay and irony woven into the storytelling. A select few of us in the group found the wordplay extremely humorous, making it known to the rest of the theatre through our persistent giggling.
As we headed back to Huntsville, the group recounted their thoughts, including our favorite moments, plot twists that shocked us, and the characters that resonated with us the most. Personally, the conversation following a visit to a performance or art exhibition is my favorite aspect of the endeavor. While it is intellectually stimulating, it also allows for closer connections and camaraderie!
We had the opportunity to use the holiday as a learning opportunity; looking at Halloween under the scope of both civic engagement and the arts. Activities such as these, while already incredibly enjoyable, become triply important, serving to educate, offering a cultural experience, and providing a team-building exercise.
LEAP began assisting with the Scare on the Square in 2005, which may have been Main Street’s first such “stab” at the event. Well, for the 19th time, we “suited up” for this Halloween ritual that brings in thousands of people from the community together for a safe day of fun.
This time, though, we worked in a somewhat different capacity and there were a few new twists (of the knife).
A few weeks ago, Jessica Cuevas, LEAP’s co-Vice President of Operations, was brought in by the City of Huntsville to supervise the event as the Interim Main Street Manager. So, LEAP Ambassadors worked as “special assistants”–“Igors,” so to speak–to help the event run smoothly.
And, after years of taking place directly on the square, the event was shifted one block south so as not to interfere with customer parking for downtown businesses.
But as in past years, the event was a huge draw for local residents and a lot of fun for everyone. Vendors offered many options of food and drink, allowing visitors to “pick their poison.” More than 50 local organizations participated, including two of Professor Yawn’s classes. These students, being future attorneys, were the most frightening characters of all.
The Fire Department was again on hand, doing community service.
While many of the selfie stations were similar to past years, a new attraction was the 21st century photo booth, which takes a video from a 360-degree view. It was, in short, a “scream.”
Of course for most of the kids, the real attractions were the games and the candy. There were ring tosses on witches’ hats…
…pumpkin decorating…
…a Jurassic Trunk…
…ghost bowling…
…a cauldron toss, an eyeball toss…
…basketball shooting, face-painting…
…and many others. Thankfully, the costumes were diverse this year, with fewer Barbies than one might have expected.
For our part, we dressed as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was a bit of a change for us, as we’re not exactly ninja material, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.
The result, according to the City of Huntsville’s Economic Development Coordinator, Tammy Gann, “perhaps the best attended Scare on the Square we’ve had.” It was, at least for us, certainly one of the most satisfying.
Ariza Martinez, the Main Street intern for the fall, had the opportunity to take the lead in organizing a community event of this scale for the very first time.
It was her chance to showcase her creativity and adaptability while making a positive impact on our community.
The City of Huntsville staff–Aron Kulhavy, Tammy Gann, Angela Robinson–were great! Continuing on the superhero theme, which may have been open to interpretation for some, was a “super” sight! Regarded as Huntsville’s unsung heroes, it was a true joy to see them enjoying the day’s festivities.
As for the Ambassadors, we “shelled” out lots of fun and truly enjoyed ourselves in Huntsville’s downtown, well, most of us.
While our ninja skills may have been questionable, our enthusiasm was undeniable.
As most college students know, a good caffeine pick-me-up can make a huge difference for a study session, paper drafting, or just to make it though the next class. The LEAP Ambassadors, thanks to Olivia, found our new favorite caffeination spot: Louise and Oleta’s! Previously located on Lake Road, Louise and Oleta’s recently expanded and moved downtown.
Now on 12th Street behind Cafe Texan, Louise and Oleta’s provides that infectious small-town ambiance, with great food, as well as coffees, lemonades, and other interesting concoctions. For this iteration of “Seeing Huntsville” Michelle, Jessica, Olivia and I sat down in the pink, pastel tea room to enjoy coffees, teas, and a few of our new favorite bites.
I chose the Farmhouse flatbread, with goat cheese and veggies. Jessica both enjoyed the cast-iron skillet mac and cheese, which was the favorite among the group. And Oliva loved the brie and apple slaw on the La Pomme sandwich.
There are endless coffees and teas to chose from, with incredible and creative flavors. For tea enthusiasts, Louise and Oleta’s also has a traditional tea service on their menu, but all the drinks we tried were good!
For catching up with friends, study sessions, or simply enjoying the aura, Louise and Oleta is the perfect place to see Huntsville–even if you already live here!
Many SHSU students spend four years in Huntsville without actually exploring Huntsville. As it turns out, though, Huntsville has a lot to do and see, whether you are a weekend visitor or an SHSU student who calls Huntsville home. As LEAP Ambassadors, we are pretty familiar with the community, but we wanted to be more systematic in our exploration. So we set out to do monthly explorations of Huntsville.
Many people may know there is a large statue on I=45, but some do not know the City’s visitor center is almost literally at the foot of that statue. With a quick exit from the highway, passersby can learn a bit about the community and its notable sites. On hand is a group of dedicated City staff, who will point visitors to Huntsville attractions, highlight aspects of the community’s rich culture and history, direct tourists to myriad outdoor activities, or recommend some of the city’s culinary options.
There are also a variety of local goods and products, perfect for shopping for a visitor to town or a long-time resident.
But while you are there, David Adickes’ “A Tribute to Courage,” a 67-foot sculpture of Sam Houston, is a must-see! Not only is the statue a marvel to see at the ground level…
…but it’s also interesting to see some familiar names among the bricks that were purchased to support the project. We were able to see local names familiar to us–including a LEAP Ambassadors’ brick!
More importantly, we were able to see bricks purchased by Governor George W. Bush, President George H.W. Bush, President Lech Walesa, of Poland, and a relative of Sam Houston!
According to the good folks at the Visitor Center, there’s even a marriage proposal among the bricks.
And while there, we were literally able to get in to Sam Houston’s head…
…and see Huntsville in a whole new light. Tune in next month, to see where we go in our year-long exploration of Huntsville.
If it’s the beginning of Fall, Touch-A-Truck is soon occurring! This free event is for the young and young at heart, allowing residents to interact with and learn about the vehicles that allow a community to operate. While half of the team of LEAP Ambassadors were at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, the other half stayed back and volunteered for this event.
This year, the new Main Street Director, Rebekah Kolb, added her own spin to this event by having other activities for the children to enjoy such as bouncy houses, rock wall, photo-op, and a dunking booth that allowed them to dunk many of the City of Huntsville’s respected employees, including the City Manager Aron Kulhavy.
As a former Main Street Intern, I helped at the Main Street Table in Rather Park, giving out promotional items while Michelle was able to run around downtown and release her inner child as she took photographs.
There was no shortage of vehicles in “display:” they ranged from construction…
…to police cars and SWAT, including SHSU’s newest and coolest PD Vehicle (SWAT!)…
…to fire trucks and EMS…
….monster truck….
….and many more!
Michelle had trouble picking her favorite. Ultimately, it was a three-way tie between the “huge monster truck, Huntsville PD’s Pitbull x (SWAT truck), and the Fire Trucks.” She mentioned how amazing it was to learn about all the different vehicles and their specific roles in the community. However, her favorite part was getting to see some familiar faces and important city figures such as the City of Huntsville’s Mayor; Andy Brauninger!
Although, the vehicles and big trucks are always a big HIT, the dunking booth was just as much of a big hit, especially when City Manager Kulhavy was up to be dunked. Many of the children, volunteers, and even Mayor Brauninger and Mrs. Brauninger waited much of the day to line up and dunk him! Michelle and I may have also been eagerly awaiting this opportunity…
Thank you to Rebekah, Angela, and all those who participated in making Touch-A-Truck a great event. It is always nice to see the community come together in events like these and run into lovely familiar faces.
Named for SHSU President Harman Lowman, the Lowman Student Center has been at campus center since 1963. LSC staff made the most of this anniversary, inviting all students, past and present, to attend a celebration, share memories, and join in food, fun, and games.
The event was a joint venture of the LSC staff and the Alumni Association, with Anna Pursley (LSC) and Donna Gilbert (AA) doing the heavy lifting. But volunteers from numerous student organizations, including LEAP (we manned the Photo Booth), were on hand to help.
Chris and Debbie Tritico were there, as were Frank and Mary Thornton. Toni Bruner attended; so did Ruth Lynn Parker and Paula Armstrong. Shannon Higbie was there, too.
Derrick Birdsall was on hand, and Frank Parker, looking like retirement agreed with him, enjoyed the festivities.
Many students were there, too, hovering near the food line.
A few played games. Others listened to the music, which was a generational mix, with songs from the 60s to more recent times. Interestingly, two of the last songs played dealt with rain, and they came just as Huntsville ended what has seemed like a summer-long rain drought!
We had a wonderful opportunity to meet University staff such Donna Gilbert and Joellen Tipton, renew acquaintances with alumni, and even make some new friends!
Many thanks to the LSC and Alumni Association for putting this event on, bringing current and former students to mingle, and for the work they put into making SHSU a wonderful place to go to school.
It was a sunny and bright day, but murder was in the air. We were at the Alley Theatre, and its cast was performing Agatha Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.”
It was a nice mix of people, LEAP Ambassadors, LEAP alumni, and “friends of LEAP” together for an enjoyable afternoon. With lunch at Post Houston, a new favorite recommended by LEAP alum Will Phillips, we caught up, talked about classes, and explored food from multiple continents.
But we had come to Houston for the play, and it was something of a process to actually see the play. Many of us had read the book, with at least half of us stopping before the end so as to not spoil the “whodunit” aspect of the performance. In July, we attended a Murder by the Book presentation by Mark Shanahan, the play’s director, a presentation that left us even more excited.
Unfortunately, when we drove to our scheduled performance, the Alley had to cancel the showing because a cast member wasn’t available!
So, with more than a month of anticipation and at least one false start, we were more than usually ready for the play to begin.
And it did not disappoint. It was expertly adapted to the stage by Shanahan, with clever techniques of compressing time and space.
It was humorous, with a wonderful cast that included two SHSU alums (Dylan Godwin and Melissa Pritchett)!
During intermission, we speculated as to who the culprit might be. Victoria couldn’t identify a key suspect; Nick, with all the creativity he could muster, thought “the butler did it;” and Katherine thought that the house staff conspired together to kill their employer, Roger Ackroyd. (If I were Katherine’s employer, I’d lock the doors at night.) Morgan, whose literary tastes lean toward bodice-ripping romance, had trouble keeping up with the characters and the narrative. She nodded a lot as we discussed things.
The second act was delightful, with more humor and variation in pacing. The plot, as they say, thickened, ending with all the cast gathered together to identify the murderer. We will, of course, stop there, and engage in no spoilers. But it surprised all of us–with the exception of Olivia, who, when it was over said, “I knew it all along” to an incredulous group and an ever-nodding Morgan.
Kudos to the cast of the Alley, the timeless appeal of Hercule Poirot, and the camaraderie of LEAP students, present and past.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 