Volunteer – Page 19 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Dust Bowl Motel South

There were few vacancies in the Dust Bowl Motel last night. The play, written by Scott McCarley and Jim Roth, played to a nearly full house in the beautiful and historic Crighton Theater on its opening night in Conroe, Texas.

As a small part of the proceedings, the LEAP Center Ambassadors assisted with the event, watched the play, and then enjoyed the post-reception at the Conroe Art League Gallery.

The Dust Bowl Motel is the brain child of Scott McCarley. It is about small-town dreams, so it is fitting that it originated in Huntsville in the Summer of 2014, and it is fitting that its profits go to help build dreams. Profits from the play are split among an SHSU Scholarship, the Crighton Theater, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A similar arrangement was arranged when the play did its run in Huntsville in 2014, and some $13,000 was generated for charities, enough to make many people smile.

After only the first night, it’s too early to tell what the profits might be, but in terms of audience reception, the play was a hit. While the narrative involves a straightforward tale of a small-town girl dreaming of California, it is interspersed with McCarley’s songs, which also advanced and enriched the narrative.

Speaking for our own group, there was diversity in the favorite song category, but the general consensus was that “No California” was the best, with “Rosalita” coming in second.

Another favorite, albeit in a different category, was the Crighton Theater. It was the first time we had visited it, and we were struck by its historic features (beautiful chandeliers, alcoves adorned with lamps and vases), and the fine acoustics.

Interestingly, across the street is the Owen Theater, and a third theater is being constructed a few blocks away. Conroe is moving up!

In some respects, seeing the play in Conroe was like seeing the play in Huntsville. Dr. Dick Eglsaer was there, as were Bill and Carol Hyman. Dean Ron Shields was there. Melissa Miller directed the play. And Sam Moak starred as the Sheriff…

Dust_Bowl_Motel_Sheriff_Web

Following the play, guests migrated around the corner to the Conroe Art League, which hosted a reception featuring “Dust Bowl Motel” themed art. This was an added treat. Not only was the art alternately interesting and beautiful, but it also featured some items of particular interest to us. First, there was “Nighthawk,” …

…which was a nod to Edward Hopper’s famous “Nighthawks,” which was one of the major pieces our group saw at the Chicago Art Institute.

Second, we saw a piece by Harold Hutcheson titled “Dust Bowl Motel.” Hutch was our former Main Street Director (now with the City of Conroe), and he directed many of us as interns and occasionally exhibits his art work at SHSU.

Of course, with a large group of fun people and interesting art, we took a lot of photos…such as Brian checking out the art both solo…

…and with Kaitlyn…

…or Austin and Alex checking out the jewelry…

…or just the crowd that the exhibit and the play attracted…

…but our favorite photos were those taken with some special people associated with SHSU…such as the McCarleys…

..and Tommy Austin, who is a 1975 graduate of SHSU, a former US Customs Agent, Sky Marshall, and the founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation…

…and Chrissy Mafrige and her husband, Blake…

As the photos tell, it was a fun end to an entertaining evening in support of many good causes.

Dust Bowl Motel plays at the Crichton on Saturday and Sunday, March 19 and 20. Tickets are $20-25.

Wall of Honor: CHSS Recognizes Excellence

Every year, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences honors excellence, recognizing those that have embodied success as practitioners or in teaching in the halls of academia. This year, the College of recognized Professor of Philosophy Frank Fair and former County Judge Frank Robinson. Appropriately, the evening was marked by warmth, camaraderie, and even inspiration, fitting qualities for the humanities fields.

Dean Zink opened the event…

…and Chris Tritico MC’d the event, introducing speakers for both of this year’s recipients.

Fair, the faculty recipient of this year’s award, is only the eighth faculty to be recognized by the college, joining Dr. Caroline Crim, Dr. Richard Cording, Dr. Mattie Medford, Dr. James Olson, Dr. John Holcombe, Dr. Joseph Clark, and Dr. Walter Bennett. After joining the faculty in 1971, quickly made an impact, being involved in the community and in creating new programs at SHSU. He was instrumental in establishing the college’s teaching conference, was active in the Honors College, the Writing Across the Disciplines program, and in Academic Challenge. Fair also brought the journal Inquiry to SHSU, promoting research on philosophical inquiries and the promotion of critical thinking among SHSU students. (As prospective law students, this caught our attention!) His efforts, deservedly, led to him being awarded with the Excellence in Teaching Award in 1989 and the Excellence in Service Award in 1992. In 2011, he was given the Piper Teaching Award, a recognition given to only ten faculty members across the state.

Amidst the sweep of this forty-five year career, CHSS Alumni Advisory Board member Paula Lenz offered an up-close-and-personal view of Fair. With a voice that at times cracked, Lenz noted the impact that Fair had on her life and the way in which she saw the world. Although Lenz majored in English, she took Fair’s philosophical lessons with her, helping her in a successful career as the Director of the North Houston Association.

Dick Eglsaer, the Vice Provost at SHSU, also spoke on behalf of Fair. While calling himself an “old-timer,” he noted that he was nowhere near as old as Fair, a comment that got a few chuckles, including a laugh from the Fairs…

The Marketing Department at SHSU also did a nice video for Dr. Fair…

…which included discussions from Fair’s peers, such as Dr. Gillespie and Dr. Botero, the latter of whom learned to drive from Dr. Fair.

Over dinner, Fair had a chance at his “rebuttal,” and his ten-minute speech illuminated the many qualities that had previously been identified by his peers.

His passion for teaching, his concern for students, his gratitude to work at a fine institution with excellent peers, and even in his 70s, an enthusiasm for what teaching will bring in the future.

Throughout both his speech and the speeches about him, his wife, Janet, was mentioned repeatedly. Following a long career as a teacher at HISD, she now works for SHSU as a mentor and, like Frank, is a leader in the community.

To young political science majors (and one lonely accounting major), it’s inspiring to us as SHSU Ambassadors to see a faculty member who has accomplished so much, impacted so many lives, and maintained the zest for continued service, and we were pleased to meet and congratulate him following the dinner.

Service was also the theme of the CHSS’s recognition of Judge Frank Robinson. Born in 1916, Robinson lived to almost 100, passing just last year. His life of service was attested to by an impressive group of speakers, including former Mayor Jane Monday…

Reverend Willett, Commissioner BJ Gaines, and Robinson’s daughter, who gave a truly moving speech that touched on Robinson’s role as family patriarch…

… community servant, and elected official.

Robinson served two terms as County Judge, was President of Rotary, a Distinguished SHSU Alum, and an active member of the First United Methodist Church. In fact, when the LEAP Ambassadors did a community “then-and-now” photograph of the church in 2012, Robinson was selected to stand (actually, sit) front and center for the outdoor photograph.

Huntsville's FUMC--Judge Robinson is a bit left of center — Huntsville’s FUMC–Judge Robinson is a bit left of center (above and below)

Although our role in the CHSS event was in a minor support capacity, we were thrilled to volunteer. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to see role models, to meet others who are active in the College, and to spend time with some really nice people. Chris Tritico, a Houston attorney and SHSU alum, was not only the MC of the event and the dinner…

…but he introduced himself to us, and offered advice and support.

We finally had a chance to meet Dan Beto, for whom we’ve long been grateful but not ever actually met. Beto is a member of the George H. W. Bush Presidential Foundation, and when he cannot attend some of their events, he sends us his invitations. Partially because of his generosity, we’ve seen people such as George H. W. Bush, Stephen Hawking, Bob Gates, Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, Ken Burns, and Bud Philbrook. It was fun putting a name with an invitation!

It’s always nice to see the Woodwards, who have been huge supporters of CHSS. Judge Robinson was once selected as Citizen of the Year by the Huntsville Item. Mac Woodward was nominated for this award this year, and we hope that he wins it this Thursday (Good luck, Mac!)

We always enjoy spending time with the current County Judge, Danny Pierce, and his wife, Cindy. Amidst this group, it’s likely that you’ll not only hear about service, but you’ll actually see it in action. This time was no exception. At the end of the Wall of Honor service, for example, we got to see Judge Pierce help WWII veteran Jerry Nemec to the golf cart. We’ve never actually met Mr. Nemec, but we volunteer a lot at the HEARTS Veterans Museum, and we know about his service to the community and the nation.

Nemec_Pierce_Web — One Good Man (Judge Pierce) Helps Another Good Man (Jerry Nemec)

As part of its Mission Statement, the CHSS promotes “personal growth, competent professionalism, and responsible citizenship” and Dr. Fair and Judge Robinson–along with the many nice attendees–did a great job of embodying those qualities and illuminating the importance that humanities plays inside and outside of the classroom.

Dr. Abbey Zink is the Dean of CHSS. Her staff, Brenda McNeely, Christine Reeder and Deanna Briones did a great job of putting this event on. The CHSS Alumni Advisory Board helps oversee the nominations process and they vote to select the honorees. It was an honor to assist with this event.

Parading Our Texas Pride

With waving hands and warm smiles, LEAP ambassadors Brian Aldaco and Kaityln Tyra paraded the streets of Conroe, TX alongside Congressman Brady this past Saturday in the Go Texan 51st annual parade. Presented by the Houston Live Stock and Rodeo Show, the parade was a great way to demonstrate our pride of being a Texan. Positioned behind the float of Miss Moo (the quirky mascot of the Ladies Go Texan Committee) and in front of the Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce float, we walked through downtown Conroe holding banners and signs recognizing our current US Representative. Showcased in the parade were Conroe High School’s marching band, the Oak Ridge High School Air Force Junior ROTC, the whimsical Arabia Shrine cars, and other local community organizations.

We were among the only ones walking in the procession, and I will shamefully admit that at times we would hold up the rest of the motorcade. These moments of slight embarrassment, however, were all worth it when having in the parade and seeing children who are always happy at a parade. For at least in this blogger’s opinion, nothing matches the feeling of being part of town’s festive, patriotic spirit.

In this fashion of civic pride, we paraded around the Montgomery County Courthouse,, eventually turned to stand by the county’s Commissioner’s Court, and met the parade’s judging panel in front of Conroe Tower. While crossing this street it would have been nearly impossible for any participant to avert one’s gaze away from the distinctive Montgomery County logo, above West Davis Street.

This depiction, made up of the county’s outline decorated with the state’s flag and the line “Birthplace of the Lone Star Flag,” properly captured the spirit of the event. As spectators and participants of the parade, we all gathered on a Saturday evening to celebrate being a Texan and, in my own case, a member of Montgomery County. In assembling, all of us showed how proud we were of our Montgomery County heritage and our love for our Lone Star State.

The LEAP Center is a non-partisan group of students who are engaged in their communities.

Volunteering to Make a Difference

On Tuesday, February 9th LEAP students jumped (or even leapt) at the opportunity to attend a program on volunteerism hosted by an internationally recognized nonprofit entrepreneur in public policy and engagement, Bud Philbrook. In 1984 he co-founded Global Volunteers, which he later admitted that he started it accidentally! Being the President and CEO of Global Volunteers is only one of Bud Philbrook’s many accomplishments. He practiced business and governmental law, served in President Obama’s first administration as deputy under secretary at the United States Department of Agriculture, is a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and former assistant commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Philbrook is also the principal architect of The St. Lucia Project which is a demonstration that short-term volunteers can help parents and community organizations deliver essential services to ensure that at-risk children can reach their full potential.

Prior to the event, we attended a brief reception, where we enjoyed some snacks and the company of like-minded others.

But we soon settled in to hear Mr. Philbrook speak. He began the event at Texas A&M by explaining that short-term volunteers are vital and can “forever change the future of our planet”. He focused on his St. Lucia project during his presentation, where we learned that there are 800 million people around the world that are suffering from hunger, and that 1,000 children will die from preventable causes during the time of the event, which was a real eye opener for the audience.

During his presentation he emphasized the importance for children all over the world to be able to learn, saying that “if you cannot learn, you cannot earn”. Bud Philbrook assessed some of the challenges that are associated with gaining volunteers and said that for most of us, “our brains sometimes give up due to the magnitude of the challenge and we don’t think that we can change such a huge issue”, but he believes that the power of volunteers can change everything. He gave solutions to some of the problems that his project is centered on which seemed attainable. All children can reach their potential if only 2% of the developed world volunteered for only two weeks a year in the span of 25 years. One of his solutions that stood out to me amongst the others was the Earth Box. I had never heard of it before and it is a great way for volunteers to help those in third world countries be able to eat. The Earth Box costs about $150 and can grow 3-4 crops a year which can feed an adult for an up to 30 years and volunteers can help plant them.

While volunteering in a different community, Mr. Philbrook outlined 6 principles to follow which are: to only go where you are invited, work under local leaders, work towards long term development, work hand in hand with locals, only do what you are asked to do and return to each community year after year. While going through these 6 principles he made sure to share some of his favorite anecdotes that filled the audience with laughter.

He ended his presentation with a quote from Anne Frank, “ How Wonderful it is that no one need wait a single moment before they start improving the world” and sat down to answer questions from the audience.

He discussed the challenges for attaining volunteers to go and travel to places where they are surrounded by a hostile environment. He went more in depth in explaining major changes that he has seen during the St. Lucia Project, like the values of volunteers going home to home to support the mothers in need for 45 minutes a day twice a week and how he has seen that make a huge impact. Mr. Philbrook emphasized the impact that he has seen volunteers make in lives and left the audience with hope that they can change the world a little bit at a time by volunteering.

After the event people surrounded him to ask more questions, but that didn’t stop him from taking a picture with us!

Once we snapped a picture with Mr. Philbrook, we headed out with a renewed spirit of volunteerism…

…but equally ready to celebrate national pizza day at Antonio’s Pizza for dinner.

LEAP Ambassadors participate in more than 120 events a year, many of which involve volunteerism.

LEAP Center Raises Funds for Students

The LEAP Center is once again taking the field for a good cause. On Saturday, April 9, 2016, Democrats and Republicans will compete in a football game to raise funds for the John Holcombe Scholarship and program scholarships for the YMCA. The game will take place at Upper Pritchett Field and the public is invited.

This is the seventh time the LEAP Ambassadors (formerly the Junior Fellows) will take on the bipartisan effort to raise funds for local youth. In previous years, the organization has raised approximately $24,000. Already, the players have donated $1,650 themselves this year, and are now in the process of seeking matches from communities businesses, organizations, and individuals.

Of course, donations of any amount are accepted, and every bit helps a young person excel educationally.

Young people should also have fun at the game. The half-time festivities will include an egg toss, sack races, a frisbee toss, and other fun games.

This year’s roster of players consists of the following individuals, each of whom has donated at least $100 to the causes:

Mike Yawn (SHSU Professor)
Aron Kulhavy (City of Huntsville Planner)
Russell Martinez (SHSU Director of Development for Athletics)
Margaret Gulledge (Director of Rehabilitation at Huntsville Memorial Hospital)
Cameron Goodman (Asst. Dir., Econ. Development, League City & LEAP Ambassador Alum)
Laken Jenkins (Attorney, Kilbourne Law Firm & LEAP Ambassador Alum)
Joey Johnson (Personal Trainer, Iron Works)
Taylor Martin (Medical Student, UTMB)Austin Campbell (LEAP Ambassador)
Megan Chapa (President, LEAP Ambassadors)
Kaitlyn Tyra (Vice-President, LEAP Ambassadors)
Alex Galvan (Vice-President, LEAP Ambassadors)
Ryan Brim (Student, HISD)

For more information about the game, contact Mike Yawn at 936-294-1456.

Candidates Take the Stage

With the primary around the corner, the LEAP Ambassadors had the opportunity to attend a candidate forum hosted by the Walker County Republican Party Thursday evening.

Most of us attended to watch and learn more about the candidates who wish to represent us at the local and state level, but one of our ambassadors had an extra special role. Austin Campbell was chosen to be the moderator for the event. Even though he was nervous leading up to the event, Austin was appreciative of the experience and glad he had been asked to moderate the forum. At the end of the night Austin thoroughly enjoyed the experience and was glad to be part of the political process.

Another of our Ambassadors, Megan Chapa, took a small part in the proceedings by leading the pledge.

With an enthusiastic moderator, a grateful pledge-leader, and a full crowd…

…the forum soon got down to business. The candidates were asked two questions and given 90 seconds to answer each question. The questions addressed their experience, contributions, and goals for the position they hope to hold.. We listened to candidates from contested races such as United States Representative, District 8; State Representative, District 18; County Commissioner Precincts 1, 2, and 3; Constable Precinct 2; and County Chairman. After each candidate answered both questions, they were given 60 seconds to give a closing statement.

Candidates get together to talk about issues — Candidates at the Forum (Photo by Joshua Yates, Huntsville Item)

The candidates came from different backgrounds and had different qualifications, but they all are hopeful to be able to change the community for the better. The forum was very interesting to watch, not only because we were getting well informed, but it was also interesting to see the differences between those running for local positions, and those running for state positions.

Not all of those who represent us, or wish to represent us were under pressure that night. There were also some officials present from the non contested races such as the Sheriff, Tax Assessor-Collector, and the Constables from Precinct 3 and 4. Without any of the pressure of running against an opponent, these officials were able to let us know what they have done for our community and their future goals. All of the LEAP Ambassadors enjoyed spending the evening with the candidates at the forum and thought that it was a great way to become more educated when going to the polls, and a great opportunity for us to learn more about our community.

Reagan Dinner: Version 2.016

Following a busy day of classes and entertaining guests, we looked forward to a similarly busy evening of entertaining guests and ourselves at the Reagan Dinner. LEAP Ambassadors arrived early to help greet guests as they arrived and escort them to their seats. Because we had a large slate of volunteers, we also had the chance to socialize with each other, something that happens less than you might expect.During the reception, hosted by the Walker County Republican Women, we had the opportunity to spend more time with the guest of honor, Ambassador Chase Untermeyer, and with many community members. Among the guests were County Judge Pierce, Judge Sorenson, Congressman Brady, County Chair Linda McKenzie, WCRW President Terry Stivers, and numerous others who are currently running for local office.

It was at this time that many LEAP Ambassadors took the opportunity to have Ambassador Untermeyer sign our books. He gladly agreed and discussed his book eagerly with us. How Important People Act: Behaving Yourself in Public gave us many pointers on how to act when we are in the spotlight, no matter how big or small. Ambassador Untermeyer speaks from years of experience from multiple levels of government. Ambassador Untermeyer worked under multiple Republican presidents, including Ronald Reagan, making him a perfect speaker for the Reagan Dinner.

In that book, he notes that your actions should be appropriate for the occasion. He noted, for example, that a President should not take a selfie at a funeral. At a festive occasion such as this dinner, however, there are no such prohibitions:

Once the invocation and the pledge of allegiance was given, dinner began. Students were fortunate enough to sit with a variety of respected individuals such as: Ambassador Untermeyer; State Representative Candidate Wesley Hinch; Tenth Court of appeals Chief Justice Tom Gray; Field Representative for Dr. Schwertner, Hayden Paul; John McManners; and Mac and Leanne Woodward.

U.S. Representative Congressman Brady spoke for a few moments about his new position as the Ways and Means Committee Chairman and his plans with committee. He also thanked the LEAP Center for their work in Walker County! It was a real honor for the Ambassadors to be recognized by our U.S. State Representative.

Next, Professor Yawn introduced Ambassador Untermeyer for the keynote address of the evening. Ambassador Untermeyer outlined the qualities President Reagan utilized in the White House to be a successful leader of a divided house.

First, his optimism allowed him to focus on much more of the positives rather than the negatives. He also used courage and compromise to get bills passed in Congress. According to Ambassador Untermeyer, President Reagan was not afraid to reach across the aisle in order to promote cooperation between parties. He encouraged our current elected officials to do the same. The final quality Ambassador Untermeyer discussed was President Reagan’s sense of humor at the proper time. His ability to be lighthearted is vastly different from the politics of today. Following Untermeyer’s speech, one of the Ambassadors noted, “I wish all candidates shared those views.” It was a sentiment we all shared.

Ambassador Untermeyer observed all of these qualities while working as Reagan’s appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Ambassador Untermeyer’s years of experience provided the audience much insight into who President Reagan was. With President Reagan’s birthday approaching, The Reagan Dinner was a wonderful way to commemorate President Reagan’s legacy.

Concluding the evening, LEAP Ambassadors utilized the opportunity to take pictures with some of our favorite community members and elected officials.

Thank you to the Republican Party of Walker County for hosting a wonderful evening and for allowing the LEAP Ambassadors the opportunity to participate in the evening. We enjoyed ourselves immensely.

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Also, thank you to Ambassador Untermeyer for spending the day in Huntsville and speaking at the Reagan Dinner!

LEAPing into the Community

With only seven members, it occasionally becomes necessary to split up two be at two places at once. Monday, January 25 was such a day, when some of the Ambassadors headed to the Walker County Republican Women “planning meeting” and another group of Ambassadors headed to the Walker County Bar Association. Both meetings provided great learning opportunities.

The Walker County Bar meeting arose at the invitation of Gene Roberts, the Director of SHSU’s Legal and Mediation Services Center. The featured speaker on this day was Deandra Grant, an attorney from the Dallas area who specializes in DWI cases.

The presentation was a wonderful learning opportunity, as Ms. Grant laid out the various ways in which evidence can be incorrectly collected, handled, or tested from arrest to possible prosecution. Officers might, for example, use the wrong vial to collect blood; or the machine that tests blood might not be correctly calibrated; or the blood vials might even be switched by a lab assistant.

The presentation was enlightening, and the attorneys appeared as interested as the prospective attorneys.

While the Bar Association meeting was underway, other Ambassadors were learning more about the Walker County Republican Women.

Two of the students, Alejandra Galvan and Sadie McLaughlin, were actually on hand as interns, and assisting with planning for the spring.

It was a great day of learning, and we’d like to thank Gene Roberts and Terry Stivers for their support and mentorship.

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