Politics – Page 52 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Midwest Tour, Day 7: Going to Kansas City, Kansas City Here We Come

We left Madison bright and early this morning to get a head start on the day’s heavy amount of driving. Before completely departing the capitol, however, we stopped by a “lost” Richard Haas mural. Haas completed this mural in 1987 and it beautified an already beautiful city for almost a decade. In the 1990s, however, Madison decided to revive a Frank Lloyd Wright design for the City–Monona Terrace. In completing the Wright design, the Haas mural was relegated to the side of a tunnel wall. Not made to be seen in tunnel, and obscured by newly installed load-bearing columns for the overpass, the Haas mural of Wisconsin’s history is all but destroyed. Still, we discovered vestiges of it.

With that sad sight in mind, we began the winding drive to Dubuque, Iowa. Dubuque, a small town along the Mississippi, was founded in 1833 and is home to an incline that gives panoramic views of the surrounding area. We arrived at the bottom of the incline, nervous (editor’s note: mostly Constance was nervous) about the rickety tram that would take us up the steep embankment.

We piled in, however nervous we may have been, and slowly made it up the hill.

The anticipation was worth it in the end, as we were able to look out over the Iowa hillside and appreciate the breathtaking view…

…and take photos…

…and more photos…

…and to see how far we had come up the mountain.

After a couple pictures, we rode down in the tram once more to find solace in the warmth of the minivan.

By the end, we (Constance, especially) were proud of the trip up and back!

We then drove to the gravesite of Dubuque’s founding father, Julien Dubuque. The grave, memorialized by a turret-like structure, sits on the edge of a mountain along the Mississippi.

We braved the semi-cold to appreciate the view of Dubuque and the fall colors of the area. Dubuque, who maintained a healthy relationship with the local Native American tribe, rests near the grave of Chief Peosta’s, leader of the Meskwaki tribe (and Dubuque’s father-in-law).

We snapped a couple pictures of the mighty Mississippi…

…with and without us…

…and then headed back to the car for our next stop.

After a few hours, we stopped for lunch at Her Soup Kitchen. A small, local eatery, the restaurant boasts local, fresh ingredients, which we enjoyed immensely. The cold weather made the soup even more delectable, as we warmed up from the inside, out.

It was a neat place to eat, and we hope that the place thrives!

With a warm midwestern meal in our stomachs, we headed to not only an icon of the midwest, but an icon of the American scene: The American Gothic house.

Painted by Grant Wood, “American Gothic” remains a well-known art piece to Americans and foreigners alike. We were lucky enough to catch the piece at the Chicago Art Institute…

…and this made visiting the home all the more rewarding. Although it rests in a small town, a visitor’s center and Grant Wood museum accompany the site of the home.

We walked in and promptly began putting on costumes to impersonate the couple in the photo. Once dressed, we posed in front of the home with the most convincing faces we could muster up which seemed a harder task than once originally expected!

Switching costumes, we continued the photo opportunity in opposite outfits but still finding it difficult to portray the seriousness Wood intended. All silliness aside, it was exciting being able to reenact history after seeing the original painting in Chicago.

We headed inside to the museum to learn a bit more about the artist himself. Born in 1891 in Anamosa, Iowa, Mr. Wood lived a very interesting life. A teacher, soldier, and artist at last, Grant Wood studied impressionism and post-impressionism in Europe and became the artist we know today under these occupations. Friend of Thomas Hart Benton and John Steuart Curry, Wood practiced the art of Regionalism with his colleagues, whom we have also had the chance of viewing at other museums this trip. Although posthumously famous, Wood lived a fairly middle-class life and supported his hometown through the Great Depression by opening the Stone City Art Colony. He married, divorced, and died one day away from fifty-one from pancreatic cancer. We left a bit more knowledgeable about the artist and having enjoyed the driving break, got back on the road to finish the drive to Kansas City.

Once we arrived in Kansas City, we took advantage of the late closing hours of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and The Nelson-Atkins Art Museum. While walking up to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art we were greeted by one of Louise Bourgeois famous giant spider sculptures.

The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art had a “Dark Days, Bright Nights: Contemporary Paintings from Finland” exhibition while we were there that had a dark motif. As we walked through the temporary exhibit we had some group favorites such as “Canary” by Vesa-Pekka Rannikko ,which used ropes to complete its illusion. Another group favorite was “Cottage” by Nanna Susi.

Constance was pleased to see one of Georgia O’Keefe’s early paintings as well. I think that the highlight of the museum was the two Dale Chihuly pieces that were on displays at the Kemper Museum of contemporary Art.

We then walked over to the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum’s south entrance, which featured Rodin’s “Thinker”. With the museum closing soon, we were only able to walk through a part of the massive building. Even though we only had a short amount of time, we did spot some great pieces. We were able to see some more of Georgia O’Keefe’s floral paintings…

and another titled “Autumn Trees”. One of Professor Yawn’s favored pieces included “Utah Highlands” painted by Thomas Hart Benton.

We also found an interesting transformation piece in the Asian art gallery that showed a mountainside changing seasons. We ended our self-guided tour of the museum in the Contemporary Art gallery where we saw Andy Warhol’s very famous “Campbell’s Soup Can” along with other interesting pieces.

Hungry, we raced down to Grunauer for dinner. We tried three different sausages and some pork belly before our main course.

Constance and I shared the A la Grunauer Schnitzel. The schnitzel was breaded pork stuffed with creamed spinach, and tasted amazing. Our entrees were delicious and we ended our dinner with an apple strudel.

After an amazing and very filling dinner, we walked over to Union Station.

We were able to stand on one of the walking bridges just in time for the train to speed right below us. After exploring and taking a few pictures in the beautiful building, we were ready for a good nights rest so that we could start our morning bright and early.

Midwest Tour, Day 3: The Land of Lincoln

After a quick, “on-the-go” breakfast, Constance and I enjoyed the first part of our morning at The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. We have both been to Presidential Museums previously (Alex: Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton; Constance: Harry Truman, George W. Bush, and LBJ), but this was our favorite!

The Lincoln Presidential Library

The museum is innovative, offering visitors an engaging, emotional and educational experience. It is also the largest of the Presidential Museums, although it is operated by the State of Illinois, rather than the National Archives, and some do not count it as a true Presidential Library/Museum.

Visitors experience Lincoln’s early life by walking through a replica of his childhood home–the famous log cabin. They have a similar walk-through experience of Lincoln’s “White House” years, this one using 21st century technology to bring the 19th century to life.

Visitors, for example, travel down the “Whispering Gallery,” seeing holograms of Lincoln’s rivals criticizing his decisions. Of course, we also saw Mary Lincoln surrounded by her rivals, other women in the Capital’s social set, criticizing her appearance and behavior as first lady.

Another noteworthy “replica room” included Willie’s bedroom, turned into his sickroom. Sadly, Mary Lincoln survived the death of three of their children before they reached age eighteen due to various illnesses. Two of her children died prior to President Lincoln’s assassination.

President Lincoln’s work on the Emancipation Proclamation was depicted through special effects with an impact. The Hall of Holograms included critics of the Emancipation Proclamation from both sides –that it went too far or didn’t go far enough. It was easy to imagine how the President must have felt while being attacked through these comments.

The Museum contrasted the media of Lincoln’s day with today’s media, offering a simulated version of what his momentous decisions would have wrought in the 24-hour news cycle.

We entered Ford’s Theatre, where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, and then into the full-scale recreation of the Representatives Hall in Springfield’s Old State Capitol. Alex reported later, “This room was the most emotional for me. Having walked through Lincoln’s entire lifetime, I felt as if I was walking into this room to pay my respects, and not as a visitor of a museum.”

The walk through Lincoln’s life was made all too real through the use of advanced technology in the museum. To evoke the time of a simpler day, we checked out “Mrs. Lincoln’s Attic,” a play area for younger children.

While there, we learned about the types of toys that Lincoln would have played with as a child and other things that children, such as Alex, would find interesting.

We also learned that Lincoln Logs were invented by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, John Lloyd Wright. (We are making a lot of connections on this trip!)

Following the tour of the Museum proper, we explored the grounds.

The Lincoln Depot is nearby, with a statue of Lincoln commemorating the area. Alex spent time with the wise old President…

…receiving tips on life, law, and politics…

…and even directions to the next destinations.

The Lincoln Home

To continue our Lincoln-inspired morning, we followed Lincoln’s directions to his former home, the only home he ever owned.

Even though Abraham Lincoln lived in Kentucky as a boy, he spent nearly half his life living in Springfield, IL. The home is now operated by the US National Parks Service, having been sold by Lincoln’s only surviving son, Robert, for $1. The home is part of a 12-acre historic site, in which surrounding homes have also been preserved, giving visitors a 19th-century feel.

A Park Ranger led us on our tour through the home…

…sharing plenty of information on the home’s interior and such trivia as the Lincoln’s humble Christmas celebrations.

We were even allowed to use the original hand railing on the stair case that the Lincolns used! Upstairs, the master bedrooms were covered in an extravagant wallpaper,which made for some interesting pattern clashes next to, say, Lincoln’s bed.

and the children’s rooms were located in the back of the house, over the kitchen, so the heat from the kitchen stove also heated the rooms.

One of the more interesting sites in the home was Lincoln’s desk, where he probably wrote his first inaugural address.

After the tour of the home, we explored the grounds, where we actually had the opportunity to enter Lincoln’s outhouse.

This seriously verged on TMI, but it was interesting to see the some of the more unpleasant aspects of 19th-century life, endured even by Presidents.

Lunch

Having touched the same railing as Lincoln and learned about his life, we had lunch at a home he frequented. That home is now a restaurant, Obed and Issac’s Microbrewery and Eatery, and it is owned by the great-great grandson of Obed Lewis, who knew Lincoln prior to Lincoln winning the presidency.

All the food was satisfying, but we all agreed that the award for lunch of the day went to Constance for trying the fig pizza!

We finished lunch with bread pudding and a very sweet butter cake–too sweet for Alex, but the recipient of rave reviews from the remainder of the group.

Lincoln’s Tomb

Following lunch, we proceeded to Lincoln’s tomb. We were happily surprised that not only was the tomb an impressive and fitting structure…

…but that its interior is open to the public.

The interior consists of a series of marble hallways, which contain information about Lincoln’s life and death, as well as plaques with text from The Gettysburg Address, Lincon’s farewell to the people of Springfield, and his 2nd Inaugural.

Each corner is also adorned with replicas of famous statues of Lincoln.

The back of the interior is Lincoln’s burial place, just a dozen or so feet away from the final resting places of Mary Todd, Willie, and Tad Lincoln.

His other son, Robert, is buried in Arlington Cemetery in Virginia.

The exterior monument is 117 feet tall, and the tomb structure is the largest in the United States.

Illinois State Capitol

We left Lincoln’s grave site to return to downtown Springfield and explore the capitol building. Awed by the French Renaissance beauty seen from the outside, we entered the majestic building intrigued by what lay within. The external beauty held no match for what we encountered upon entering the 126-year-old capitol building. Ornate fixtures, bright colors, and grand marble surrounded us on all sides. It was hard to find a certain spot to fix our eyes as the overall busy-ness of the interior kept focal points hidden amidst the bright (some might say gaudy) décor.

Marble staircases, huge murals, and lavish entryways abounded throughout the capitol, which is the state’s sixth such structure. We used our time by going on a guided tour to learn as much as possible. We visited the House of Representatives Chamber where 750-pound chandeliers hung with their original crystal, giving light to the chamber’s 118 members.

Interestingly, there are more than 118 desks . The surplus desks are there to accommodate possible future growth. In addition, some desks have phones. These desks are for the chamber’s leadership.

We left the House to head across the building and enter the Senate, where President Obama served as state senator until 2004.

A bit less gaudy than the previous chamber, the chamber was still opulent, with beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and reflecting light off the rich mahogany walls.

Moving on, we explored the rest of the capitol and learned of its record-holding height at 361 feet, its original price tag of 4.5 million dollars (in 1889), and even some of the saga surrounding former Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Some of the state’s history (but, thankfully, not that involving Blagojevich) was also told in a bas-relief sculpture just below the dome, including the famous “Lincoln-Douglas Debates.”

And, of course, we took some photos, including one of President Lincoln…

…one of the bronze statue titled “Illinois Welcoming the World,” by Julia M. Bracken, in the center floor of the rotunda…

…and Murals that adorn the walls and ceilings throughout the capitol.

..and even the Governor’s office.

Illinois Supreme Court

After learning so much about the generously decorated state capitol, we left in search of the Supreme Court of Illinois, stopping to pose alongside a statue of President Lincoln along the way.

Originally housed in the capitol building, the Court is now in an adjacent building on beautiful grounds adorned with beautiful fall colors.

Walking in, we were escorted by a deputy marshal of security to the second floor of the building that finished construction in 1908. We explored the law library with its bright blue floors…

…the Appellate Courtroom that is no longer in use today…

…and the Ceremonial Courtroom where pictures had to be taken, of course, of both me

…and Alex making oral arguments…

It was a beautiful room.

Finishing up, we passed Supreme Court Justices of old and new on each side to proceed downstairs and head back out into the beautiful, unseasonably warm and unbelievably pretty Springfield afternoon.

With just enough time to grab Starbucks, we piled into the car and began our journey to Chicago. After a quick three-hour drive, full of conversation, productive picture editing, and Stephanie’s deft driving, we arrived in a southern suburb of the Windy City. We enjoyed dinner at A-Fusion, with selections of Chinese, Thai, and Japanese cuisine. After enjoying a hibachi show…

…some good food…

and watching Alex (unsuccessfully) attack a monstrous plate of cashew chicken, we headed out.

Odds and End of the Day

We had one more planned stop. After seeing Bella Abril’s (LEAP Center Student Worker) gopro video from The Great Muddy Escape, we decided to purchase a gopro ourselves, and we look forward to putting that into use in Chicago, tomorrow’s destination.

But little did any of us know we had one more stop to make. As we headed toward one last stop before reaching the hotel, Constance and Alex didn’t see glances exchanged between Professor Yawn and Stephanie when they realized the Indiana state line was literally minutes away. They tagged an extra twenty minutes to the trip and Constance and Alex both got to add one more state to their list, making a quick stop in Riverside Park in Hammond, Indiana.

Moot Court Scrimmage: Reinforcements Arrive

While SHSU’s Moot Court teams were winding up their day in Dallas, a new crew was setting out from SHSU to observe Saturday’s proceedings. The new crew consisted of LEAP Ambassadors and potential members of next year’s Moot Court team: Megan Chapa, Constance Gabel, Karla Rosales, Beatriz Martinez, Jamaus Williams, and Brian Aldaco.

Before arriving at the hotel, they stopped at Afrah’s, a Middle Eastern restaurant. Despite the fact that at least three of the students had never had Middle Eastern food before, they dug in with gusto, trying chicken schwarma, beef kabob, chicken kabob, lamb kabob, hummus, babaganooj, falafel, and tzatziki sauce.

After a long drive and good food, they settled in with the Moot Court teams, learned about the next day’s proceedings, and rested.

Down with the Downtown

For the third week of heART of Huntsville, participants were taken to Huntsville’s historic downtown to see parks, art, and fine arts at multiple locations, followed by a fine dinner at Carboneras.

Leading this tour was Linda Pease, the city’s long-standing public art authority. Pease isn’t an artist, but she has been behind much of the beautification of the community for the past forty years or so, and she offered an oral history of Huntsville’s art scene.

The tour began at Founders Park, on the southeast corner of 10th and University. This small park was created in the late 1980s at the springs that served as a meeting place between Huntsville’s founding father, Pleasant Gray, and the Bedias Indians. From the spring sprung Huntsville, as more settlers settled, business thrived, and civilization eventually flowered. The site recreates the springs with a small, shallow pond, and artists Monica Taylor and Larry Zink created statues of Indians at the site.

Taylor and Zink also contributed to the downtown area by assisting Richard Haas with his revitalization of the downtown square. Haas, an artist, informal architect, and unofficial “urban planner,” created 14 art works in the downtown area in the 1990s.

Perhaps the finest of these artworks is the three-part mural of Sam Houston on the east side of the Smither Building on University Avenue and 11th Street. This mural depicts Sam Houston in battle, with the Indians, and as gentleman of Huntsville, Texas.

Other key works include the faux Roman ruins, the mural of Leadbelly on Sam Houston Avenue, and the movie posters on the front of the Old Town Theater.

Speaking of which, the group also got a tour of this theater during a rehearsal of King Lear. Participants were able to explore the theater’s balcony…

…watch portions of the play…

…and meet many of the cast and crew…

…and truly see “behind the scenes”…

Bruce Chabot, a professor at SHSU’s English Department, is the director of the play, and the production crew graciously provided some comped tickets to members of the first-ever heART of Huntsville cohort.

Another downtown treat is the Art Department’s “Satellite Gallery” at 1204 University Avenue. Here, art students and art alumni display their work for the public. Following a quick tour of this gallery, the group headed to the historic Cafe Texan, where Linda Pease shared more information about Richard Haas….

…pointing out the work he did on the Leadbelly Mural…

…and discussing many of the other Haas detailing around the square.

Interestingly, Haas has produced more than 60 exterior murals in his career, and more than twenty of them have been destroyed by the elements or, more often, by construction projects. But his work still exists around the world, in Fort Worth…

…in New York…

[Richard Haas wall painting on South Street and Peck Slip.]

…St. Louis…

…and many other cities.

Interestingly, however, the largest concentration of his works is in Huntsville, Texas.

With help from the LEAP Center, Art Department, and the Huntsville Public Library, Richard Haas will be in town November 19th, 2015. He’ll deliver remarks on campus and at the Huntsville Public Library, where he has donated the studies for his Huntsville murals.

Moot Court Practices

The LEAP Center runs SHSU’s Moot Court team, and students have been working feverishly to prepare for the upcoming scrimmage (October 9-10) and tournament (October 23-24). The Moot Court is a great way for students to prepare for law school, and it combines people’s greatest fear (public speaking) with pre-law students’ greatest anxiety (preparing for law school)!

The Team

SHSU’s Moot Court team consists of six students: Kaitlyn Tyra, Alex Galvan, Austin Campbell, James Perry, Chelsea King, and Kristyn Couvillion. They receive no academic credit for being on the team, but it is something that law schools look at, and if done correctly, can result in enhanced skills, increased confidence, a resume entry, and even a letter of recommendation. Their coach is Jean Loveall, a Program Coordinator for the LEAP Center, professor of the pre-law cohort, and an attorney who received her JD from SMU School of Law. Mike Yawn is the LEAP Center director, and he helps out when needed.

The Process and Timeline

The Texas Undergraduate Moot Court Association provides the Moot Court problem in May, and students and coaches work on the problem over the summer and early fall. After much reading (the entire problem consists of 19 cases, each average 15-20 pages) and many questions, the coach has a better idea of who is ready and who isn’t. If necessary, the coach may cut team members who are not putting in the necessary work or who aren’t showing the necessary improvement. Some students, after getting a better sense of what attorneys do, change their mind about being on the team.

By September, team members should be ready for public, semi-formal practices. In the last month, for example, the SHSU Team has engaged in two practices . Local attorneys served as judges, and the students got their chance to show their stuff in a courtroom setting, while having questions fired at them.

It can be rough going, but it is also rewarding.

Students have the chance to improve their critical thinking skills, their understanding of legal and political issues, and their ability to think on their feet.

October is the month for the formal scrimmage and the tournament. This year, scrimmages will be held at St. Mary’s and UNT Law schools. SHSU chose to participate in the UNT law school scrimmage because all three of its teams could participate (St. Mary’s limited participation to two teams). This scrimmage will take place October 9-10. Although the performances do not count in the point system determining whether a team goes to finals, it’s an important performance. Coaches assess the students’ performances and have the chance to make final team assignments for the tournament.

Teams consist of two members, and both argue in front of the three justices, with time roughly split between the two members.

This year, the tournaments are held at Texas Tech Law School and Texas A&M law school. SHSU is participating in Tech’s tournament on October 23-24. This is the real deal, and the winners of this tournament will go to Nationals in Washington, DC, which are held in January.

Looking Ahead

Loveall and Yawn are always on the lookout for potential members. Some students, for example, watched the practice moot court proceedings to see what might be in store for them next year. Other activities also provide Loveall and Yawn the opportunity to find students who have strong oral communication skills, a knowledge of basic law and politics, the desire to become an attorney, and a strong work ethic.

Jamaus, Brittany, & Beatriz get a head start
on next year’s tournament.

LEAP Center Does Time: Huntsville Unit Tour

With some help from TDCJ CFO Jerry McGinty, LEAP Center students and guests went behind bars on Thursday, touring the Huntsville Unit (aka Walls Unit). The guest list included attorneys Audrey Biggar and Jeremy Romoser, City staff Marla Diers, SHSU Staff Deanna Briones and Renee Starns, and retired teacher Leanne Woodward.

The extensive tour included the historic part of the Walls Unit, where Clyde Barrow and Chief Satanta once served time, and the solitary confinement cell of John Wesley Hardin–who spent two years in solitary. It also included the holding cell for the death chamber, as well as the death chamber itself, by far the most sobering part of the tour.

The execution chamber is a small room, painted green, with a gurney located in the center. The gurney has numerous straps to hold down the inmate in his final minutes, and only three individuals are permitted in the room: the condemned inmate, the warden, and the chaplain. Invited guests witness the execution from viewing rooms. The execution has a live feed, but no recording equipment.

Also of interest was the textile mill, supervised by James Langley, who gave us a tour of its many-faceted operations. We saw how inmates made cotton for the uniforms; material for the mops, used at units across the state; and even the material used in mattresses for the inmates (and sold to Universities for dorm bedding!).

Finally, we concluded the tour with a walk-through of the chapel, the cell block, and a Q & A period following the tour. Perhaps most interesting is the sheer magnitude and diversity of running the prison system. While most people realize this involves guarding and housing inmates, few people probably realize that there more than 100 units across Texas; or that TDCJ owns some 1,600 horses; or that TDCJ farms produce millions of eggs; or that TDCJ is left to bury some 100 inmates annually, inmates who either don’t have families or whose families don’t have the means or desire to provide a burial themselves.

TDCJ Captain Joe Byrd (Peckerwood Hill) Prison Cemetery. Huntsville, Texas

It’s a daunting enterprise. But the enterprise was explained coherently and, at appropriate times, even entertainingly by Warden Jones, CFO McGinty, and Officer Langley.

While TDCJ tours are not available to the general public, much of TDCJ’s history and artifacts can be viewed at the Texas Prison Museum on HWY 75N.

A Four-Star Retreat

While beginning the fall semester at Sam Houston, LEAP students had a lot to look forward to: new classes, LSAT preparation, moot-court practice, and meetings with four-star general Stanley McChrystal. This semester, we started the semester off right with a visit to The Woodlands to meet and speak with General Stanley McChrystal as a kind of kick-off to our two-day retreat.

When we first met General McChrystal, we immediately felt how his presence dominated the room.

Very calm and relaxed, he reminded us more of the laid back, logically thinking dad more than the head command of JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command), the force credited with the elimination of many terrorists. General McChrystal began the small-group question-and-answer session,we learned that he followed in his family footsteps and attended the United States Military Academy, where he learned to be the disciplined officer turned four-star general we know today. While in command in Iraq, General McChrystal noticed that while our system of war making decisions and standard operating procedures was efficient, it was not appropriate for a new world that was “faster, flatter, and more flexible.” After reviewing the organization and its strengths and weaknesses, McChrystal re-organized the JSOC and implements a new system of communication that connected 7,600 people and their teams in 76 different counties and nations.

While much of his story and later on speech involved his role in the Iraqi war, General McChrystal spoke mostly on his leadership style and how he became the leader he is now. When asked about his views on leadership, General McChrystal compared his job to being a gardener. This was an intriguing analogy, but McChrystal explained that a gardener isn’t responsible for nature. He’s responsible for ensuring that the environment is favorable for growth–removing obstacles (e.g., weeds) and providing resources (e.g., water). While commanding the JSOC, McChrystal ensured that his direct reports and troops (1) knew their mission, (2) had the information they needed to make good decisions on their own, and (3) had the resources they needed to fulfill their mission.

What made General McChrystal’s speech applicable to LEAP was his outlook on leadership as well as his courage to adapt to an evolving world of communication and technology within the framework of a “team of teams”. As an organization made up of different kinds of students with different strengths and weaknesses, LEAP students strive to follow this “team of teams” concept and look forward to using it this year to become a more productive and efficient organization at Sam.

We ended the evening by following the pull of our ravenous bellies. The Black Walnut Café was calling our name and we graciously decided to answer. The lighting and warm colors of mahogany and magenta, as well as the smell of the fresh seasonings in the air greeted as we entered the door and invited us to sit down and enjoy time with each other, while bonding over a delicious meal. We enjoyed great diversity in the menu in the form of salads, burgers, and pasta, and even some very impressive garlic bread. We closed the evening, cherishing our time with General McChyrstal and with each other, amidst discussions of the next LEAP adventure.

Goodbye Girl: Saying Farewell to DC

The story of the Princess in DC comes to a close, but not before embarking on new learning adventures.

Beginning with a tour of the Coastal Guard’s Headquarters, courtesy of Ademide, where she briefly discussed the history of the buildings and introduced me to several of her co-workers. Later that afternoon, I toured the Capitol, it was a privilege to see the Senate Gallery along with the old Supreme Court Chamber and the exhibition hall.

That evening, Ademide and I enjoyed delightful cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes and ended the day with a visit to the Marine Corps War Memorial.

Throughout the week, I attended a press club panel at the National Press Building hosted by the Rabaa Story Foundation in commemoration of the second anniversary of the Rabaa Massacre. There I had the opportunity to hear stories from a couple witnesses of the Massacre and learn about the conditions in Egypt since the tragic occurrence.

In the week, I had the privilege to assist Nancy with a speech for a UN official to be delivered to the President of Nigeria.

I also visited The Library of Congress where among other galleries…

I had the opportunity to see Thomas Jefferson’s collection of books and admire the breathtaking architecture of this building.

Afterwards I headed to the Supreme Court, where I was greeted by a statue of John Marshall as I walked in!

I had the opportunity to actually see the court! It was so exciting to be in this building.

Continuing the last two weeks of my stay in DC, I visited the National Archives.

This was an extraordinary experience where I was able to see The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence along with other very interesting documents that have created history!

After visiting the National Archives, I continued towards the Smithsonian Castle, but stopped at the National Sculpture Garden and the Butterfly Habitat Garden on the way.

The Smithsonian Castle is a marvelous structure which contains much of the history behind the Smithsonian Museums. After learning about the Smithsonian Museums, I visited the Hirshhorn Museum and came across some interesting pieces.

Following the Hirshorn Museum, I met Ademide for dinner at Ted’s Bulletin.

We enjoyed breakfast for dinner at this lovely family restaurant, and had homemade pop-tarts for dessert. We said our goodbyes as she dropped me off at the Washington Monument where the adventure continued.

At the Washington Monument, I met with one of Ademide’s friends Ifa, who I had never met, and then I had two tickets to give away to go to the top of the Washington Monument. After asking a handful of people, I finally gave them away one of which decided to join us. So Ifa, Kevin, and I, three complete strangers at the time, ventured to the top of the Washington Monument together. Getting to know each other along the way and enjoying the stunning sight from the top as well as learning about the history of the building. But the adventure of the newly founded friends didn’t end there, we ended the night with some exploring of the city led by the two natives.

I also accompanied Nancy to give a presentation at the Leadership Institute regarding Fundraising and an all-day Fundraising Bootcamp which was a great learning experience for me. After a long day of fundraising, I had a delightful farewell dinner with Nancy at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse, and enjoyed a delicious dessert.

Continuing the week, I had the opportunity to reunite with camp friends that were in town for a couple of days and had dinner with them at Mehak an Indian restaurant in Chinatown which I loved, and will definitely be having again!

I also had the opportunity to visit the National Cathedral, which took 83 years to build! It was an impressive building.

Followed by a walk along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park in Georgetown.

The adventure ended with a late night stroll through the National Mall reminiscing on the adventures of the last several weeks, and sitting in front of the reflecting pool facing the Washington Monument admiring it for quite some time. On this peaceful summer night, I felt incredibly grateful to be in this beautiful city.

Thank you Professor Yawn, Nancy Bocskor, Chuck Jones and Ademide for making this possible.

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