Volunteer – Page 9 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Planting Seeds for the Future

Ingrid Cuero, November 5, 2022

Saturday mornings come early for college students, but with the support of the LEAP Center, the Boys & Girls Club of Walker County, Trees for Houston, and landscape architect Falon Mihalic, more than 20 SHSU students had a productive Saturday morning–planting, and planning, for the future.

The project involved planting flowers, shrubs, and trees around the Boys and Girls Club playground, beautifying the grounds, improving the environment, and enhancing the educational experiences for the boys and girls of Walker County.

The morning began with Michelle Spencer, Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Walker County, giving us a tour and history of the organization and its programs. From arts and crafts to board games to yoga to homework time, students engage in various activities designed to help them mature physically, intellectually, and emotionally.

Such programs are funded with a 1 million dollar budget–much of which comes from grants and donors (click here to give!)–and directed by dedicated staff.

For many of the children in Walker County, this is the only program where they can have a safe and educational environment to be when parents are not. But it is not simply a day care; each of its programs are designed along best practices for educating young people to reach their fullest potential.

While most of the students were captivated by the game room, the LEAP Ambassadors–who helped lead the project–were taken by the Arts room, where the “Blue Dog” art-work of George Rodrigues was featured.

After learning more about the Boys and Girls Club and its wonderful programs, we moved to learning about the planting of trees from Travis Weddle, Program Coordinator for Trees for Houston.

The process involved several steps: (1) staking, (2) digging, (3) prepping, (4) planting, and (5) berming and mulching.

Mr. Weddle did a great job of walking us through these steps, breaking us into teams, and providing the occasional reminder of how to do things.

What followed was much digging, bending, planting, rearranging dirt, watering–and a lot of teamwork.

With student volunteers ranging in age from 18-51 working alongside one another, we also had a chance to make new friends. It was a new learning experience in every sense of the word: from learning about the environment and biology, to learning about the community, and to learning about each other.

As the lunch hour began to pass, we began to finish up. We took the time to pose for photographs with our work and to reflect on our experiences.

Although the trees are far from maturity, we decided they had a pleasant effect on the landscape.

Our new friendships, too, formed a foundation for future endeavors.

And, taken together, we believe a bright future–for us and the community–has taken root.

Scare on the Square

October 29, 2022, Morgan Robertson

October has a few milestones for those in Huntsville, but none more important than Main Street’s Annual Scare on the Square! This year, we were fortunate enough to have 3 booths, all run by students from Professor Yawn’s classes. Two groups from the Local Government class and one group from University 1101 Pre-Law braved the eager trick-o-treaters, photo-snapping parents, and swarms of community members, to volunteer for this amazing event.

Main Street Coordinator, Annel Guadalupe was assisted by Main Street Intern and LEAP Ambassador, Jessica Cuevas.

Jessica Cuevas is the small child on the right, not the left.

The team did a wonderful job transforming our beloved downtown into a Halloween Celebration! Up at Rather Park, a DJ was stationed playing Halloween music, and there were fall-themed photo stations for families to remember their time at scare on the square. Yvette and I were on standby to offer assistance to the groups and to take pictures.

We coordinated our costumes from the movie Monsters Inc. and became known as the Monster photographers (although, within LEAP, we are known simply as “monsters”)!

Each group of volunteers brainstormed their own games and was responsible for bringing their ideas to life.

Booth one was run by one group from the local government class. Volunteers from this group were: Michelle Bright, Amor Sheffield, Matthew Smith, and Emily Lindahl, Adisen Massie, and Christina Biello.

Their game was perhaps the most creative and required quite a bit of skill from the young trick-o-treaters. With a small tub of rubber ducks and makeshift fishing poles, players were required to catch a duck to win candy! Some got the hang of fishing more easily than others, but intense concentration was a must for this game.

Booth two was the second group from the local government class, run by: Rachel Hill, Johnny Uribe, Gisela Soto, Giselle Martinez, Amari Gallien, and Cameron Gill.

This group kept the game simple, with classic cornhole boards. However, the true competitive colors of almost every player were shown in this game. This booth seemed to produce an endless amount of laughs, as volunteers enjoyed the game faces of the players.

The final group were all in their first semester at SHSU, and they did a great job of decorating their booth, assembling costumes, and putting on a game. This group included Sephora Pham, Faith Barnes, Peyton Jennings, McKenna Nonnennmann, Michelle Cardenas, and Cinthia Villareal.

To win candy at this booth, children had to toss a tennis ball into a Halloween bucket (which sounds easier than it actually is)!

When it came time for the Costume Parade, Annel asked for a few volunteers to escort Frankenstein from the front of the parade! Gisela and Johnny helped corral masqueraders, and led them down the street toward the park.

The parade was a success; Johnny and Gisela even got to help city staff pass out beads to the participants.

Another highlight was just seeing all the young people–and older people–dressed up and having fun.

Scare on the Square is one of my favorite events of the year. Members of the community fellowship in our beautiful Downtown, enjoy the nice weather, and celebrate a fun holiday!

On behalf of the LEAP Center and the students who volunteered, thank you to Annel, Jessica, and the City of Huntsville for making this event possible!

Don’t Worry About Janie Fricke: She’s Going Strong at the Old Town Theatre

Morgan Robertson

All the way from her humble beginnings in Indiana, County Music Legend, two-time CMA Female Vocalist of the year, AMC Female Vocalist of the year, and TV star, Janie Fricke took the stage at Old Town Theatre in Huntsville on Saturday, August 6.

Fricke and her band livened the Theatre with songs of her own, some that she originally sang with other artists, and even some songs from the 40s!

She and her band had hilarious banter on the stage, discussed her career a bit, and she also encouraged everyone to check out her website!

After intermission, Janie Fricke had a confession to make, in the 1980s, she robbed a bank! Fricke said that she would like to get through the show before anyone put a warrant out and her band joked that she is the only person to commit a crime and not serve the time. Fortunately for us, there is footage of Fricke robbing the bank, Janie stared as “Ginny” the bank robber on the TV series “Dukes of Hazzard.”

My favorite song she sang was one that she sang with Merle Haggard called A Place to Fall Apart. Fricke sang the song with her Keyboardist and the duet was beautiful.

Fricke worked a significant amount of her career singing jingles for major companies. She even sang some to the crowd! The audience reminisced on Dial Soap, Coca-Cola, Red Lobster, and United Airlines jingles. Janie even mentioned that she was the first jingle artist in space! Her song was what the astronauts woke up to in the space shuttle.

On behalf of the Old Town Theatre and the LEAP Ambassadors, thank you to Janie Fricke and band for an amazing show!

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.

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