Volunteer – Page 8 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Celebrating America: July 4, 2022

by Yvette Mendoza, July 4, 2022

As community members in Huntsville gathered at Kate Barr Ross Park to celebrate July Fourth, smiles glistened off children’s faces, and relaxation ran through the parents’ bodies, knowing their children would have a safe and fun July fourth. There was fun for the LEAP Ambassadors as well, but our primary job was to volunteer for the City’s annual Fourth of July festivities.

We were working under the supervision of our friend, Isabel Behm, who has a City internship, and who was, in turn, working under the supervision of Kristy Wheeler and Penny Joiner. And there was a lot of supervision to give–hundreds of people came out to join the fun–fun that included a selfie station, face-painting, a rock wall, a bouncy house, candle-making, food vendors, and a dunking booth.

In fact, we took advantage of some of the fun. Before we got sweaty–or, before we got too sweaty–we made use of the selfie station, taking photos with props…

….and without props.

Others also took advantage of this station throughout the day.

Another big crowd pleaser was the rock-climbing wall. Reaching the top was quite an accomplishment, providing a workout, a lot of fun, and the sense that you could touch the clouds!

If citizens wanted to take out some aggression, they could also try the dunking booth. Local celebrities such as Glenn Edwards (KSAM), Aron Kulhavy (City Manager), Greg Mathis (Fire Chief)…

…and Penny Joiner (Director of Parks and Recreation) sat in the water seat, and for a dollar, people could get three tosses of a softball for an attempted dunking. Few people besides Kristy Wheeler hit the target honestly…

…but a lot of people took the opportunity to run up and use their hands to dunk the celebrity.

It’s possible that we did that to Aron Kulhavy a couple of times….

Thankfully, however, Mr. Kulhavy does not hold grudges, and he even took a selfie with us afterward–photobombed by a police officer!

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the day was seeing the kids have fun at the event. Indeed, once they were cleared by us to go, they overflowed with excitement and headed straight to the fun activities. A fan favorite was the watermelon-eating contest…

…where one young person actually won twice!

Of course, the Ambassadors couldn’t sit out this event. Morgan and I were nervous and excited for this event, and it lived up to its billing. We dove into this event, doing our best to keep our hands behind our back, while not making too much of a mess. This was only partially successful.

Of course, it took me almost no time to recover from the loss and massive intake of watermelon; within seconds I was on my phone!

Although we lost the competition, we and the entire LEAP program got to see how different departments work together to build a better Huntsville community.

Of course, the watermelon contest wasn’t the only event. There was also face-painting by Lacy Wilkinson…

…leather-working…

…balloon animals…

…candle making.

Another fan favorite was the bouncy-houses, which the kids loved (it’s possible some of us slid down the slide…).

None of this could happen without the Parks and Recreation, Huntsville Police and Fire Department, and the entire City of Huntsville coming out to help residents enjoy their community.

And what do you think could top that entire afternoon? Fireworks, of course! The City put on a great show for the 1,000+ people who came out, and it was quite a show, building up to a grande finale.

It was a day to remember for us: the smell of fresh burgers, the fun of rock-climbing, the joy springing from each family that entered the park, and the beautiful fireworks helped bring a community spirit that is a part of living here.

Volunteering for Volunteers–with the Senior Center of Walker County!

We’ve previously volunteered for the Senior Center, but only indirectly. For the past two years, we’ve assisted with “Empty Bowls,” hosted by the Wynne Home, and the proceeds from that fundraiser go to the Senior Center. But we’ve never helped directly with the good people there, and so helping the staff and board members thank the Center’s regular volunteers at their “Volunteer Appreciation Dinner” was a nice opportunity.

And while this may have been our first time to directly help the organization, the Senior Center has been helping others for the past 45 years! Help, indeed: in 2021, the organization provided more than 52,000 meals to those who are food insecure in Walker County!

Director Stacy Loll led the proceedings, we and the Junior Service League of Huntsville, and Board members Linda McKenzie, City Councilmember Jon Strong, Alice Ellisor, Robert Patteson, Ellen Willett, Karen Hewitt, Mary Douglas, Brad Davis, Bart Davis, Susan Retzlaff, Rosie Knight, and Dick Morton all assisted.

Their goal was to thank the many regular volunteers who assist the Senior Center, especially those that volunteer for the “Meals on Wheels” program.

For our part, we worked at greeting, drinks, and to a lesser extent, desserts. Our tasks were straightforward and pleasant; working with good people for a good cause is almost always pleasant!

Ms. Loll recognized various volunteers…

…and we also heard testimony to the hard work of JD Davis, who served as Board Chairman until his passing last year. His family was on hand, and the Board did a good job of honoring his service to the Senior Center, including providing a plaque to the family.

Linda McKenzie and Alice Ellisor also bought two tickets to the Isaacs, who are appearing at the Old Town Theatre. A lucky volunteer came away with a fun night of entertainment!

One unexpected delight was that we were also offered the opportunity to eat. Humphreys did a fine job with the catering, and the food, some gift bags…

…and the genuine appreciation of the Board, reflected the deep gratitude we all feel for the regular volunteers who help make the community a stronger–and better–place.

Honoring the Fallen: Raising Flags with the Lions Club

If it’s a holiday, expect that the Lions Club will be out pre-dawn planting flags on the square, 11th street, and Sam Houston Avenue. There’s a good chance the LEAP Ambassadors will be with them, helping.

Memorial Day was first observed in 1868, and for decades it was called Decoration Day, celebrating those lost in the Civil War. The casualties in World War I, however, prompted a need for a broader remembrance and the holiday became Memorial Day, and it now reflects lives lost in all wars. It was not until 1971 that it became a Federal Holiday.

World War I also contributed to the founding of the Lions Club. With problems besetting the world, Melvin Jones invited business clubs together, and the Lions Club was founded. The organization grew, becoming international by 1920, and expanded also in terms of its causes. Helen Keller spoke to the organization, challenging the Club to become “Knights of the Blind.” The Lions have championed the cause of vision since that day in 1925.

Of course their public service goes beyond vision, which is how we came to be helping them plant flags. We first assisted the Lions Club on MLK Day of this year, and it has helped us form professional networks, develop skills, and make some new friends.

So, next time you see the flags out on a holiday, remember that it was members of the Lions Club that awoke before dawn to put them there.

And, of course, this Memorial Day, remember the fallen soldiers to which this day is dedicated.

Civics, History, and Citizenship

Jessica Cuevas

Each Spring the LEAP Center partners with the Huntsville Public Library to provide a free citizenship preparatory course to aid immigrants in their naturalization process. This year, our program covered late March and all of April, and after two years of COVID, we had a smaller sized–but enthusiastic–class, led by Professor Mike Yawn, HPL intern Jocelyn Vazquez (and her supervisor, Mary Kokot), and the LEAP Ambassadors as volunteers.

Overall, we had about a dozen members representing several countries such as Mexico, El Salvador, and Canada! For the first meeting, Professor Yawn had everyone introduce themselves before he discussed the process of becoming a citizen and gave a rundown of the course–as well as the Naturalization interview and exam.

The course runs for five weeks, with each week covering a different era or topic addressed by the Civics portion of the Naturalization Exam. Professor Yawn spends about 20 minutes going over an era or a topic, and then we, as volunteers, break into groups and work directly with the immigrants.

There are 100 questions that can be asked as part of the civics exam, and the USCIS officer will ask up to ten of them (randomly selected), with the immigrant needing to get six of them correct to pass. These questions can range from questions about US History, to questions about holidays, to questions about governmental structure or even geographic features of the country (e.g. “What is one of the two longest rivers in the United States?”).

This year, we had a couple of special guests. On Week Four, we had Rosa Martinez from USCIS come in on Zoom and answer questions.

And, on Week 5, we had immigration Robert Cates join us, and he proved to be a favorite of the class. He went through the nuances of the process, some pitfalls, and some tips for going through that process. The night was also pleasant, in that we had some catering done, including desserts by Sam’s Table.

We concluded this evening, and the formal portion of the course, with group photos.

But, additional work continues. Jessica and Morgan, for example, assisted one of the students on some last minute questions, and Roxana Woychesin earned her citizenship!

In addition, one of our volunteers and LEAP Ambassadors, Saara Maknojia, got the call for her interview shortly after our course ended.

In addition to being a morale boost for our volunteerism, it was also a good reminder that a lot of work goes into citizenship for those not born here, and that our rights and obligations should not be taken for granted!

Rewiring Our Brains with David Eagleman

Saara Maknojia

With 86 billion neurons and 500 trillion connections passing through our brain, it is the most complex organ in our body! Dr. David Eagleman is a renowned Neuroscientist who teaches at Stanford University, author, and CEO of Neosensory, so he was the perfect person to help us learn more about the brain. Thus, we travelled to Congregation Emanu El, a Synagogue in Houston, which was a new setting and experience for all of us.

Entering the beautiful synagogue, the LEAP Ambassadors were introduced to Randall Morton, the President and founder of The Progressive Forum, who then began the introduction of Dr. Aziz Shabani, a Clinical Professor at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Shabani provided the program attendees with medical sciences and its revolutionary take on modern-day society.

Aziz Shabani energetically and proudly introduced the man of the evening, Dr. David Eagleman! In his presentation, Eagleman explained the functions of a normal brain and gave us a short lesson on each part of the brain cortexes. In addition, he explained that, “brain plasticity” is a term used to describe the expansion of the cortexes, although he prefers the term “liveware.”

The LEAP Ambassadors were fascinated by the study and research conducted by Dr. Eagleman and his team. Their studies specifically focused on people who have sensory loss, such as loss of hearing, blindness, and people with underdeveloped limbs. As a result, Dr. Eagleman expanded greatly on his brand Neosensory, promoting an affordable replacement of cochlear ear plants and a wristband that provides senses to those who have difficulty hearing, seeing, and even touching.

After Dr. Eagleman shared his insight on the human brain and its wonders, Randall Morton, Dr. Aziz Shabani, and Dr. Eagleman gathered for a short Q&A session. The questions exchanged between the three were, “What advice do you have for self-discovery?” Dr. Eagleman answered beautifully and said, “Always go with your gut feeling, and whatever makes you get up in the morning filled with excitement, do it.” Dr. Shabani corresponded with another question asking about how our own brains expand. He answered with, “to serve your brain, we must change our routine,” implying that daily challenges will only make our brain smarter and help our longevity. He began with simple suggestions, such as changing the hand you wear your watch on, and moved to more complex routine alterations.

After the event, the LEAP Ambassadors were able to meet Dr. Eagleman. He even signed our copies of his book, Livewire! Dr. Eagleman then spent a few moments with us, asking where we are in our story. We were also able to take a picture with Eagleman after our conversation!

Star Pizza

Yvette Mendoza

We grew our neural plasticity by seeking new settings such as a synagogue and afterwards, an excellent restaurant called Star Pizza; a pizzeria in the heart of Houston that serves both Chicago deep-pan pizza and New York-style pizza.

Before we dove into the delicious assortments of pizzas, we had to start off with shareable appetizers. As we dug into the baked goat cheese served with olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, and French bread, we kept wanting more. The appetizers kept coming, and our eyes widened as the waiter brought garlic bread with cheese. Everything was perfectly cooked. Even the cheese had a golden-brown tint that you could feel oozing in your mouth.

At last, we ordered the Cowbell deep dish with slow-smoked BBQ beef brisket, topped with BBQ Sauce and cheddar, provolone, and mozzarella cheese. As well as the New York-style Margherita with pineapple. Having both pizzas to try provided the perfect combination of sweet and savory. The crust was toasty, and the heart of the pizza was warm with all the BBQ flavors coming together with the cheese and the Roma tomatoes, creating an excellent combination.

We not only left with a full stomach but were also able to develop our minds by trying new things and not consuming the chain food every college student eats.

Serving with the Lions Club

By Morgan Robertson

Our in-class assignments often include researching a new topic, writing an essay, or possibly presenting our findings. However, on April 28^th we made an out-of-class presentation to the Huntsville Chapter of the Lions Club. Heather, Jessica, Saara, and I were excited to share information about the organization that we love.

The Lions Club is an organization committed to the service of the community in which they reside. One of the service projects of the local chapter is the flag postings: for various days of remembrance or holidays, the Lions Club will line the streets with American and Texan flags, and this is something we have assisted with in the past.

Every Thursday at noon, the Lions meet at Grand Buffet for a hot meal, good company, and, of course, to take care of organizational business. We were able to enjoy nice conversations while we ate lunch with the Lions because of our past volunteerism and other connections. I learned more about the logistics behind the Flag project from Glen Schumacher. Glen has taken on the responsibility of driving the truck and trailer for those posting the flags.

After most of the Club had finished their meals and visited with fellow members, the meeting was called to order. We were introduced by Brian Blalock, who is a photographer for the university and who invited us to speak at this week’s meeting.

Because LEAP is an organization that reaches all different disciplines, we thought it best to walk the Lions through an actual week of a LEAP Ambassador.

This adventurous yet busy week began on Global Health Day, Thursday, April 7^th, with our attendance at the World Affairs Council event: Global Health with Dr. Deborah Birx. Of which I elaborated on what I learned during our presentation to the Lions.

The following day, on Friday, April 8, Jessica, Saara, and I along with a few other students got to test out our modeling skills with Brian who was shooting fundraising photos for university advancement. It was an interesting experience for us since we are typically the ones taking the pictures. We even shared how most of us walked away knowing that we would not be successful in a modeling career.

Perhaps my favorite day in our week, Saturday, April 9th, was when we volunteered at the Annual Wynne Home Easter Egg Hunt. For Saara, this was her first time celebrating the Easter Holiday and she shared her experience with the Lions Club. We of course could not wait to mention our professor’s tactics for winning the Sack Races (which he denied of course), one of the many recreational activities there was for the children.

Jessica’s favorite day of this busy week was Sunday, April 10th. As we told the Lions more about LEAP, we let our personalities show as well. After we all identified Jessica as our shyest member (pre-Elvis) she told us more about her first time experiencing an Elvis impersonator. Jessica claims and defends (post-Elvis) her famous picture was just a high-five, but we are all convinced it is a hand-hug.

For Monday, April 11^th, we all shared a bit about our experiences with the citizenship course. We were intrigued to learn that some of the Lions Club members had firsthand experience with the naturalization exam or knew someone who took our course.

Nearing the end of our busy week, Heather told everyone about our biweekly LEAP meetings and the office hours we are responsible for. Much like professional organizations like the Lions Club, we practice Robert’s Rules of Order and learn more about professionalism.

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On the last day of the preview of a typical week for a LEAP Ambassador, Wednesday, April 13th, Heather shared more about the 10^th Court of Appeals that heard three cases at the University. She even mentioned that we, SHSU, are one of only two colleges that the Court travels to and how the Court allows for student interaction.

We then took questions, as we approached the end of the meeting and were even able to give interviews for the Huntsville item!

On behalf of the LEAP Center, thank you to the Huntsville Lions Club for hosting our group. We hope that we can honor your Club motto, “We Serve” as your members do!

Elvis Livens up Huntsvegas

The Old Town Theatre brings numerous acts to town, but few stir as much excitement as, “The King.” Of course, Elvis Presley passed away more than 40 years ago, but there are numerous “Elvis Tribute Artists” around to keep him fresh in audience’s minds, and Travis Powell is one of the best, offering a full command of the Elvis songbook, uncanny mannerisms reminiscent of “The King,” and a genuine enthusiasm for fan interaction.

And so the LEAP Ambassadors spent a Sunday afternoon assisting the Old Town Theatre with a matinee performance. With a surfeit of volunteers, we helped early on with seating the balcony section, but once the full-house was seated, we moved quickly to photography.

With low lighting and an energetic performer, photography can be a challenge. But with three photographers, multiple lenses, and a curious group of photographers-volunteers, we were able to get some good shots–and it helped that Elvis himself not only yielded to photos, but occasionally even posed!

The evening began with “Shake, Rattle, and Roll,” a wonderful quartet of four women, whose jokes, music, and personalities–not to mention bling–set the tone for the rest of the evening.

But it was Elvis who took the audience to another level, beginning with a medley of some familiar hits, followed by more than two hours of favorites.

Jessica, our shyest member, began by photographing near the stage, but that changed when “Elvis” approached her and offered her his hand. Quaking, she extended it, and also managed to get a great shot of the performer, who certainly looked the part.

But this was a bit much attention for Jessica, so she retreated to the back of the auditorium to work the stationary camera. Heather took her place on the side of the stage, where she also received attention, and also got great shots of Elvis.

He began in black leather, evoking his 1968 comeback tour.

After intermission, he switched to his white, sequined jumpsuit. He was a hit in both outfits.

Speaking of intermission, the Old Town Theatre’s Director, Lauren Edwards, took this time announce the winners of the raffle, and she was joined by an audience member, “Kid Elvis.”

Powell performed the great Elvis tunes, “Don’t be Cruel,” “Love me Tender,” “Hound Dog…”

…”Jailhouse Rock,” and, probably the crowd favorite, “Suspicious Minds.”

What we didn’t know is that we didn’t have to go to the stage to get a great shot, because Elvis soon ventured into the audience, taking photographs, holding hands, and a bit of dancing with the audience. It was a hit, and he worked the entire lower auditorium.

When he returned to the stage, some women decided that they would approach him, leading to a protracted segment in which he sang while allowing women to take the scarf from his neck, which was then replaced by a stagehand. Our estimate is that Powell may have gone through 35-40 scarves in this manner.

We were somewhat surprised when Jessica, our formerly shyest member, sauntered to the stage to get in on the action, reaching for Elvis’s hand, grabbing a scarf, and more or less acting like a smitten fan-girl. This behavior continued for at least a day.

Powell wrapped up the extended set with requests from the audience, the American Trilogy, and closed with “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You.”

But Travis Powell was not done! He moved quickly to the lobby, posed with fans and gave autographs, and then invited people to Seven Leguas to share in dinner.

Of the thirty or forty events, we’ve done this semester, we were in general agreement that this was the most entertaining. Travis Powell put on a great show as “Elvis,” the crowd was very appreciative, and we always enjoy working with the Old Town Theatre.

Hopping into Spring with the Wynne Home Annual Easter egg hunt!

Heather Barodi

On Saturday, the LEAP ambassadors and volunteers were able to participate in the Wynne Home’s annual Easter Celebration! The event is filled with many games and crafts, such as sand art, face painting, painting magnets, an egg toss, sack races, and more. The event had the added fun of a visit from the Easter Bunny!

Our day started early at 8:30 a.m., when we met with Wynne Home staff Sarah Faulkner, Angela Robinson, and Peyton Conley to assist them with preparations. We hid 1,800 eggs…

….set up the prize tables, the sack race, ring tosses, sidewalk chalk, selfie station, and crafts.

Shortly before the scheduled kickoff, we got an influx of volunteers from the Center for Community Engagement: Sara Burchett, Taylor Morrison, and Bram Sebio-Brundage…

…as well as some of our friends, Isabel Behm and Jocelyn Vazquez.

The Easter bunny made his surprise appearance around 11 a.m. ready to take pictures and even dance with a few ambassadors and volunteers.

The selfie station is always a hit…

…as was the face-painting station.

Everyone was a bit skeptical of the sack races at first, but after a demonstration/ completion between Center of Community Engagement volunteers and LEAP Ambassadors, the lines began forming! The adults might have even enjoyed the sack races more than the children.

After numerous activities, it was finally time for the Easter egg hunt. And when we “opened the gates,” the kids almost ran over us!

After the initial flurry, however, things calmed down and almost all the kids ended up with a bucketful of eggs.

Of course, the crafts table stayed busy, and…

…people also could just relax on the grounds.

Around 12:45 p.m., families were leaving, and kids were getting their last-minute face paint or coloring page. The kids were tired, worn out from their busy morning!

While we were cleaning, the ambassadors and volunteers decided to start smashing the eggs on each other’s heads with the extra ones. Needless to say, there was a lot of confetti tracked into our cars.

The ambassadors and the volunteers would like to thank the Wynne Home for having us help with this event again and we look forward to doing this again next year!

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