When the Wynne Home Arts Center and the LEAP Ambassadors join forces, good things happen. And Saturday was no exception, as the two collaborated on a “Huntsville Luau,” a Hawaiian-themed event on the grounds of the historic home.
Norma Vazquez and her daughter, Mia, at the Wynne Home Luau
The event had plentiful opportunities for children to have fun. Children had the opportunity do a ring toss on a shark nose…
…or to play limbo…
…to do “seahorse races.”
HEBuddy, the mascot for one of the generous sponsors of the event, even got in on the action.
The hula hoop contest was also popular, with one very clear expert among the bunch…
One of the major hightlights, though, was Ballet Folklorico de Huntsville, starring Mia, Sarah, Gloria, Diana, Iveth, Itzel.
Eros, a local resident from Samoa, also performed solo dances, turning in excellent performances.
It was a fun day.
And for the LEAP Ambassadors, it became more fun, when they had a chance to partake in the many activities. Brian, who earlier in the day, contented himself with beating little kids at games…
…had the satisfaction of beating Professor Yawn.
The Ambassadors also had the chance to compete at Limbo…
…a contest that Staci Antu won, the last girl standing.
Kaitlin, however, was the best at LEAP hula hooping…
This was definitely not Brian’s forte, as this photo from approximately two seconds into the contest depicts…
He did redeem himself by winning his third horse race of the day…
As we noted, it was a fun day, commemorated by an end-of-day selfie.
This past Saturday, the LEAP Ambassadors were called on to do some very special volunteer at the Wynne Home.
Recently, the Wynne Home found boxes of special material. These special items required proper preservation and cataloging. Most of these artifacts belonged to the Wynne family, and the combination of volunteerism and education made us happy to help.
We began our beautiful Saturday morning with coffee and pastries, courtesy of Dr. Ralph Pease. This breakfast was accompanied by pleasant conversations before getting started with a tour of the Wynne Home, one led by Victoria Mcclendon-Leggett. Victoria is a former intern and frequent volunteer for the Wynne Home. She proved her knowledge with interesting facts about special items around the home, as well as fascinating background on the Wynne family that proved helpful during our archiving.
Next, we moved to the fun work. Brian, as the current Wynne Home intern, explained our duties at each different station.
Each station had specific tasks: (1) cataloguing letters dating back to the 1800s; (2) sleeving nitrate film that was potentially explosive;
(3) and protecting newspaper articles, many of them featuring the work of Samuella Palmer; and
(4) foamboarding labels for the home’s many artifacts.
While volunteerism is part of the LEAP Center mission, education is, too. And the day was nothing if not educational. We learned about the history of Huntsville, but we learned it through a unique perspective: the view from two leading families in the community. John Thomason III married Ruth Wynne, and their letters to their family (and to each other) offered a unique take on community happenings.
The learning also involved the news of the day on a more global level. When the Thomasons went to India, for example, Mr. Thomason interviewed Ghandi. Knowing that, we searched the photos we were cataloging for photos of the meeting. Despite a fruitless search for that, we did find much else of interest in the photos.
Finally, we are group that visits many museums and historic homes, but we typically see the artifacts on display–not behind the scenes. Today’s volunteerism allowed us to see the work that goes into such venues, while also learning of the special care that artifacts need to be preserved.
And, of course, it was an opportunity for our group to come together in the summer–when our get togethers are more rare–and to visit with the Peases, who joined us for lunch. It was a day of good company and education, with much accomplished!
By Brian Aldaco (Photographs by LEAP Center students unless otherwise noted)
Acclaimed photographer, Mark Burns, unveiled his National Parks Photography Project in 2016, displaying his black-and-white photographs at the Bush Presidential Library. After accomplishing this feat, Burns became the only photographer to capture all 59 national parks in black-and-white.
Photograph by Craig Robbins
Akin to Ansel Adams, Burns is drawn to the wilderness throughout his quest to capture the perfect image. After having portrayed the magnificence of sites across the United States, this Houston-based photographer was called back home to the beauty of his own state. Mark Burns has now begun his newest project: to photograph Caddo Lake in Uncertain, Texas.
Given its proximity to SHSU and the relationship that the LEAP Center has forged with Burns, the LEAP Ambassadors decided to initiate a documentary on Burns and his work. Commissioning two MCOM students–including Sierra Dolch, who accompanied us on this trip–the Ambassadors, Dolch, and Burns set out for Caddo Lake.
This trip was primarily a scouting trip, a chance to find the most photogenic spots on the lake. Later, we’ll return in the fall to exploit the season’s vivid colors and exploit our knowledge of the lake.
The excursion began on Friday, July 14, with thunderstorms hovering over us and lighting cracking through the heavy showers. But as we arrived in the small town of Uncertain, TX (population 94), the skies cleared just enough to avoid rain, while still providing us with a nice photographic backdrop.
Among the Spanish moss-covered cypress trees, we discovered Blue Herons…
salvinia, drifting water lilies, turtles, and egrets.
Everyone was captivated by the lake’s fauna and flora as we glided over the serene water. The looming trees contrasting against the glistening water made for an endless vista that had us all amazed.
Yet, Mark’s ever-searching gaze never wavered. While we floated down the river, there were moments when he asked our boat’s captain, Wes Holland, to stop his vessel. Focused on the scene that had captured his attention, he set his camera, reflected, and shot.
Whether it was the creeping rays of a setting sun, the shine off the water lilies, or the glow of a sky at golden-hour, Mr. Burns knew what would look best through the lens of his cameras.
All the while, Sierra Dolch did her best to capture the environment in which Mark was observing and working…
Eventually, the sun’s last rays were nothing but vanishing purple and red streaks across the darkening sky…
…which made for a pretty soon, but soon led to decreased visibility, and we turned back for the shore.
The boat tour was made all the more pleasurable with the guidance of Captain Wes Holland…
…who kept us on time, on track, filled in some interesting facts about the lake, and even let Brian steer!
But our learning experiences were not over! In the hotel, we were joined by a second crew of LEAP Ambassadors who got a late start because of work. When they arrived at the hotel, we gathered in a hotel room to learn about using film from a 4X5 camera, which Burns will use on this trip (and other trips).
With Sierra providing instruction to Brian, the camera was set, and we were ready for our group tutorial. The film has to be kept in a cool environment, so Burns transports it in a cooler. He then has to ready the film for use, which has to be done without exposing it…
…which is accomplished with a film-changing tent. This device allows the photographer to position the film in sleeves without exposing it.
It can be a cumbersome process, with the photographer using braille type markings to know how to position the film. But Burns was able to prepare about ten frames of film and tutor us in about 15 minutes. It was an interesting coda to an interesting day.
With that lesson fresh in our mind–along with the prospect of a four am wake-up call–we headed off to our rooms, armed with the prospect of another smile-inducing day ahead of us.
There is no better way to spend summer time together than to partake in the City of Huntsville’s July 4th celebration, which they held at Kate Barr Ross Park. In supporting the City, we were also supporting the Parks and Recreation Department, and Lizette Lopez, the department’s summer intern–and our friend.
This year, the City of Huntsville had much to offer as vendors dotted the park landscape. There, we enjoyed the rich smells of fried funnel cakes and the sights of multi-colored shaved ice wetting the parched palates of kids and adults alike. There were also bouncy houses, leather engravings, a rock wall, and–we have mixed feelings about this–karaoke. Everyone wanted to partake in the festivities, including us.
The first activity we decided to watch the watermelon-eating contest. And while slightly disgusting, it also looked like much fun!
Certainly the participants appeared to be enjoying themselves!
And that prompted us to partake. The stakes were high, as was the temperature, as we sat down to compete with other Huntsvillians. The rules were simple: the person who ate the watermelon slice the fastest without using their hands would take home the grand prize. One of the most interesting parts of being a Leap Ambassador is discovering new, hidden talents.
As the contest progressed, we soon discovered that Brian Aldaco’s talent just so happened to be gorging himself on watermelon, alongside a young girl and 14-year old Josiah, who was in Huntsville on vacation from Iowa!
But even in this stiff competition, Brian was able to pull out victory, which he enjoyed wit characteristic modesty….
The female LEAP Ambassadors seemed almost embarrassed at their indulgence…
…
…but this was not true of Brian.
Everyone is good at something! His grand prize included a beach towel (which he sorely needed), a frisbee, and other items that would help him get in shape for the next time he participates in a watermelon-eating contest. Many thanks to Penny Joiner for being the MC and for the prizes!
As we were waiting for the sun to go down and the fireworks to start, we received photography lessons from Professor Yawn. These lessons laid out the basics of photography. We will need this in order to learn more during our Caddo Lake Trip with renowned photographer, Mark Burns. (Stay tuned for a Caddo Lake Blog soon!)
Our first lesson consisted of how to look like a photographer, to carry one’s equipment, and so on.
Our second lesson was how to adjust the aperture and shutter speed in order to control lighting in variously lit areas.
Third, we learned about the composition of an image, which could essentially be called the photographer’s eye. FOurth, we talked about many different ways to capture a photo with the help of instruments such as a tripod or different lenses. There were three different cameras that we used. The lessons applied to all of them, but since every camera worked differently, we had to figure out how to apply what we learned on every one. We worked hard to make sure we took some good shots, but took some time off to take a few old-fashioned selfies for our Instagram page.
…as well as a posed shot…
To further demonstrate our “talents,” we spent some time drawing…
Before we headed down to the soccer fields for the fireworks, courageous Beatriz Martinez decided to go rock climbing. She got into her harness and didn’t hesitate to start.
She did a great job navigating the rocks…
She had a big smile on her face when she reached the top and rang the bell.
The descent was a little harder though, and she ended up doing a couple of crazy maneuvers to get down.
With the pre-fireworks festivities settling down, even intern Lizette had a chance to rock-wall climb, and she showed off her agility and strength in scaling the wall. She’s a real “rock star”!
We were eager to try out what we learned and set up for a photo shoot. What we learned is that it’s difficult to photograph fireworks! The biggest difficulty is that they occur in low-light situations. Irrespective of our struggles with photography, the show itself was phenomenal. Some were bright enough to light up the entire field, while others twinkled against the dark sky like stars.
The Leap Ambassadors were happy to enjoy 4th of July with the Huntsville community and add another memory to their summer.
The Ambassadors are back together again! On April 22, 2017, the Ambassadors met atSHSU for a day full of presentations to learn more about the University on Founder’s Day.
The day began with a presentation about the new Osteopathic Medicine Program at SHSU. University officials plan to build the medical center in Montgomery County. President Hoyt began her discussion, however, by introducing the Austin Interns….
…before discussing her belief in this new Osteopathic program its capacity for stimulating growth at SHSU and meeting crucial medical needs in our region.
The newly hired Dean of the Osteopathic College, Dr. Charles Henley, also joined the conversation.
He spoke about how Texas is in need of more medical students, and why SHSU can efficiently train such students, meeting the needs of the state. Noting that the program would be 100 percent self-funded, Dr. Charles did a great job at explaining the academic side of the college and how the program would work for future students.
After the program, Dr. Hoyt spent time with the LEAP Ambassadors…
…discussing the Osteopathic program more, and also the goings-on in Austin.
Next, we attended the Golden Circle Luncheon, where SHSU Alumni who graduated in 1967 or earlier gathered for lunch–alongside other alumni who were attending Founders Day.
We had the opportunity to talk to many wonderful alumni who talked to us about SHSU and their careers after college. It was a great experience for us, because we had the opportunity to talk to people who came from different career paths than what we are considering. We even had the chance to see an alum who graduated before 1950!
As we enjoyed our conversations, the musical department provided some entertainment. The department offered a vivacious performance taken from their version of Hairspray. Viewing the comic choreography, where at one point the dancers invited guests to join them–including Mac Woodward.
Following the Lunch, we headed to the Gaertner Performance Arts Center. There, we joined members of our community and presented the wonderful opportunities the Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics has to offer.
The goal of our presentation was to inform community members of all the activities and subjects in which LEAP is involved.
From visiting art museums around the country, to assisting local elected officials, to meeting intriguing authors, there is almost nothing a LEAP Ambassador would not participate in. As long as it promotes growth, education, and civic engagement, we will pursue any new experience.
As we said goodbye to our guests, we all pondered on our accomplishments as an Ambassador and organization. With the Founder’s Day wrapping up, it was rewarding to consider our accomplishments as an appropriate way to honor our university.
For the 10th consecutive year, the LEAP Center partnered with the Huntsville Public Library (HPL) to offer a citizenship preparatory class to local citizens. Led by HPL intern Staci Antu, with volunteers from SHSU, the LEAP Center offered Tuesday night class to more than 30 immigrants for five weeks.
The class kicked off with words by local Council Member Joe Rodriguez, who discussed his immigrants parents and their struggles. He also discussed his career as a police officer, in the FBI, and in city government, as well as the benefits of citizenship.
Over the course of the first four weeks, the immigrants learned (1) the process of becoming a citizen…
…and (2) the questions that might be asked about the Civics portion of the Naturalization Exam. Although only one section of the test, this is in many respects the most important section. From a list of 100 questions pertaining to US history, politics, and geography, immigrants are asked a randomly generated 10 questions from the list of 100. They must get six correct to pass this portion of the test.
This year, 33 immigrants signed up for the class, representing 8 different countries and four continents. In addition, Doris Cooper, a local citizen, attended the class for a second year, taking notes, offering her own observations, and helping out. Other volunteers included SHSU students Jose Polio…
…Lizette Lopez…
…Bianca Saldierna, Jasmine Ortega, Melissa Flores, and Ashley Segura. Stephanie Fors, co-advisor to the LEAP Ambassadors, assisted for the 10th straight year.
Representatives from the Daughters of the American Revolution came in on Week 4 and distributed pocket constitutions, flags, and other patriotic resources for the immigrants.
For the final week of the class, the featured speaker was local immigration attorney Audrey Biggar. Ms. Biggar discussed the legal aspects of becoming a US Citizen, discussed the application fee ($725), and answered (many) questions.
The final week is also the week that the class explores holidays. The Civics portion of the Naturalization class may include questions about holidays? Which holiday is observed on the last Monday in May? Or, which holiday is observed on the fourth Thursday in November? The answer to the latter question, of course, is Thanksgiving, and the immigrants and volunteers host their own Thanksgiving.
Each immigrant/volunteer brings food from their native country, providing a smorgasbord of wonderful food options–tamales, pupusas, spaghetti, collard greens, pork, chicken, cookies, rice pudding, cupcakes, and more! Even the drinks showed diversity: horchata, chocolate horchata, and refresco de ensalada.
KBTX also sent reports to the event, interviewing Gilda Bettis, an immigrant who, after 33 years in the US, is seeking her citizenship and Antu. It was Antu’s second time on television…
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…Bettis discussed her learning this semester…
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…and KBTX did a nice report on things–click on the photo below for the news story!
Each of the immigrants also got a certificate commending them on their achievement.
And we took a group shot to celebrate the accomplishment!
It was a great opportunity for the immigrants to move toward citizenship, and a reminder to the volunteers of the benefits of citizenship and the duties associated with being a citizen.
The National Book Award Festival (NBAF) at SHSU is the product of hard work by Dr. Amanda Nowlin-Obanion, who has once again brought a group of award-winning authors to Sam. Sponsored by the CHSS, the NBAF featured the young-adult trilogy March, by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell. The three spent 24 hours or so at SHSU, mingling with students, faculty, and staff at a reception, formal presentation, and a breakfast.
The evening kicked off with a reception for 80 or so stakeho0lders in the Lowman Student Center, where Lewis, Aydin, and Powell patiently shook hands…
…mingled…
…discussed politics, literature, and the weather…
…and, of course, signed books.
From there, the authors migrated to the LSC Ballroom, where they took turns discussing their book and life experiences for about an hour and a half. Introduced by Dean Abbey Zink, Benjamin Samuel (NBA Director of Programs), and President Dana Hoyt, the three authors spoke to a packed house of approximately 650 people.
Illustrator Nate Powell discussed the challenges of drawing pictures that not only advanced the narrative, but also captured the raw emotions of the events: violence, courage, and passion.
Author Andrew Aydin discussed his career with Congressman Lewis, from his beginnings handling mail to working with emergent digital technologies. He also took credit for the idea of a graphic novel, as a means of achieving Lewis’s goal of reaching a younger audience. Pushing a “comic book,” he noted, was a tough sell, but one that Lewis warmed up to over time.
The crowd was clearly there to hear Rep. Lewis, who responded with a moving biographical discussion and rousing calls to action. He reminisced about his days on a farm in Alabama, his lack of access to college education, his parents’ admonitions “not to get in trouble,” and his own tendency to push the envelope for the right cause.
It’s a strategy that has served Lewis well over some six decades in public life. He has served in elective office for 46 years, 41 of them in US Congress. And he encouraged the young people in the audience to heed a similar call: to pursue activism for the right cause, to “get into trouble” for a good cause.
Whatever your thoughts about getting in trouble, the night was clearly a good cause, one supported by hundreds of staff, faculty, students, and locals, who offered thanks with multiple standing ovations and the purchase of probably 200 books.
LEAP students were privileged to be a small part of the proceedings, serving as somewhat ineffectual ushers (people sat where ever they wanted mostly, irrespective of instructions).
Following the event, we were able to pose with a group shot of the authors, the Dean, and event organizers, a special coda to a special evening.
Many kudos to Dr. Nowlin-Obanion, Dean Abbey Zink, and the staff of CHSS for putting on a first-class event.
If it’s Easter in Huntsville, there’s an Easter Egg Hunt at the Wynne Home Arts Center. This year’s version was led by Victoria McClendon-Leggett, the Wynne Home Intern (courtesy of the LEAP Center), and the result was a great success!
With more than 150 people in attendance throughout the day, it was the largest such Easter Egg Hunt in Wynne Home history.
But with that kind of crowd, it involved extensive set up by a hardy crew of volunteers, such as Bianca Saldierna, who drove in from Rosenberg to help…
…and Bella Abril, who has served as the Easter Bunny for the past three years, and comes early to help place (they aren’t really hidden) eggs…
The event began with games and activities such as face painting…
…ribbon waving…
…Easter selfies…
…paper egg decorations…
…photos with the Easter Bunny…
…sidewalk chalk….
…and lots of sack racing!
Including races with Sammy Bearkat!
Sammy also stuck around for his annual showdown with the Easter Bunny–a paw to paw egg toss.
Of course, what most people were there for was the Easter Egg Hunt. With parents often suspiciously in lock-step with their children…
…the 1,200 eggs were soon located.
There were even golden eggs among the lot, and these eggs brought special prizes….
It was a fun day, made possible by the energetic folks at the Wynne Home, generous sponsors (thank you Target, Wal-Mart, and the Friends of the Wynne), and some great volunteers–thank you Jasmine Moss (former Wynne Home intern), Jessica Northam (former Wynne Home intern), Beatriz Martinez (former Wynne Home intern), Bianca Saldierna, Bella Abril, Stephanie Fors (who was the grill master this year), Michelle Hebert, Margaret Gulledge, Allison Faith, and Mike Yawn. Thanks, too, to Paul Olle who once again who volunteered his photographic talents to the event (his photos will be posted in the future).
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 