Tag: Center for Law Engagement And Politics

LEAP Fall Retreat: Sights and Meals

Written by: Robin Houghton, Jacob Wessels, Allie Plunk, and Olivia McCaughan

The LEAP Ambassadors kicked off the fall semester with a retreat to Houston, where we spent the day exploring the city, trying new foods, and making memories together. From gourmet twists on familiar favorites to cultural dishes from around the world, our meals gave us plenty of opportunities to discover something new. In between bites, we explored Buffalo Bayou Park, admired Houston’s art and memorials, experimented with photography, and even caught up with some LEAP alumni.

The Kitchen

To begin our retreat, we stopped by The Kitchen, located in The Woodlands, which gives a gourmet twist to classic foods. We started off with their rich Truffle Mac & Cheese Gratin, Parmesan Truffle Fries, and our personal favorite appetizer: Crispy Brussel Sprouts. We also tried their Dirty Chai Shake and the Strawberry Banana Smoothie, which were the perfect refreshments during the hot August evening. 

One of the highlights of The Kitchen is their ability to put interesting twists on familiar dishes, and this strength was proven true as all but one of the Ambassadors ordered a steak/beef dish. Isis and Jacob ordered the Steak Bowl: tenderloin served over flavorful farro and fragrant vegetables; Allie ordered the Tenderloin Cobb Salad and found the inclusion of palm hearts to be a welcome surprise. Kayla ordered the Blackened Salmon Salad, Robin enjoyed the Cowboy Burger, and Olivia had the American Burger. While the sauce on Olivia’s burger wasn’t a personal favorite, we all agreed the steak was wonderfully cooked and perfectly tender, regardless of what we ordered. The Kitchen delivered a delicious balance between comforting, healthy, and elevated that made the restaurant a place to remember.

Buffalo Bayou Park

During our time exploring Houston, the ambassadors visited the Houston Police Memorial, which honors the brave officers who lost their lives while serving and protecting the Houston community. The memorial gave us a chance to slow down and appreciate the sacrifices made by those who dedicated their lives to keeping others safe. The architecture of the memorial was incredibly notable: a layered pyramid, with almost perfect symmetry. We were surprised to find grass growing on each layer! At the very top was a plaque, listing the names of the fallen officers. It was a meaningful stop and an important part of our time exploring the city. 

Afterward, we stopped at Buffalo Bayou Park for what we thought would be a short pit stop. However, we quickly learned just how vast and beautiful the park really was. Our first stop was the Johnny Steele Dog Park, where we watched some pups run around and play. It was really fun watching them splash through the water and chase each other, although at times I was worried their roughhousing might turn into a brawl! 

We then continued down the street and saw Tolerance on Harmony Walk by Jaume Plensa. Made up of the letters of eight different alphabets, formed like people, these pieces showcased the diversity of people from different languages, cultures, and backgrounds. It was a great reminder of how our differences can come together to create something beautiful.

After that, we walked across to the overpass and noticed that there were locks attached to the bridge. The locks were an homage to the famous love-lock tradition seen on bridges around the world. We then tried to take slow-shutter photos of the cars passing underneath us to get an idea of how the shutter speed can affect the look of a photo.

Using a similar technique, we even managed to make one of the ambassadors look like a ghost (or, more like a ghost than usual)! 

In the end, Buffalo Bayou Park turned out to be an amazing place to spend time, enjoy nature, and get out and explore! 

Post Market

Our first dinner in Houston was spent at a familiar favorite: Post Market. The food hall offers a variety of cultural cuisine, with options varying from African to Asian meals. We also met up with a few LEAP alumni for the night, sharing the meal with Ademide Adedokun, Quinn Kobrin, and Justin Bieser and his wife, Chelsea.

After scoping out the options, we ordered our food from a variety of restaurants, most of us opting in for ChopnBlok‘s west African cuisine. A few of the most popular dishes among the LEAP Students were the Motherland, a delicious blend of rice, curry, vegetables, and a similar dish called the Trad, made with chicken, jambalaya, vegetables, and plantains. We were certainly not disappointed with our selections, finding the unique blend of spices and flavors delicious. Robin decided to explore some of her own cultural heritage, opting for a Filipino meal from Soy Pinoy. After ordering the Lechon, a dish made of deliciously seasoned pork and atchara, she was pleasantly surprised to find that they included the crunchy, roasted skins! Robin was not the only one to branch out, however, Olivia enjoyed Asian food from Nikubol, ordering the Truffle Beef Cube bowl, a delicious mixture of vegetables, beef and sauce.

Our new adventure at Post Market allowed us to delve into culture on our retreat! We were thrilled to get to enjoy the rich variety of cuisine offered in Houston.

Cochinita & Co.

Since the LEAP Ambassadors were in Houston, we couldn’t help but stop at the new location of one of our favorite restaurants, Cochinita & Co., to see if it held up to the original, and we were not disappointed!

This time, we started our meal by sharing elote and guacamole with totopos. It was the perfect way to begin lunch while we discussed some events for this coming up semester. Allie, Isis, and I got the Pollo Adobado tacos with rice and beans. We agreed that the chicken was very tender with a great flavor, while Jacob and Kayla chose the shrimp tacos. Robin tried the Tinga de Hongos tacos, giving us plenty of different dishes to enjoy around the table.

We also made sure to save room for dessert! We shared a concha, marranitos, and a chocolate chip cookie, ending our meal on a sweet note.

From delicious meals to unexpected adventures, our Houston retreat gave the LEAP Ambassadors plenty of opportunities to explore, learn, and spend time together as the new semester began. Whether we were trying new foods, discovering Houston’s art and history, experimenting with photography, or simply enjoying each other’s company, every stop gave us something to remember. We’re excited to bring the energy and ideas from our retreat back to SHSU and can’t wait to see what the upcoming semester has in store!

LEAP Fall Retreat: The Girl on the Train

Written by: Isis Hollis

During our retreat in Houston, LEAP students and alums visited the Alley  Theatre once again to watch a performance of The Girl on the Train! Based on the bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins and the Dreamworks film adaptation, the play proved to be another memorable addition to LEAP’s theatrical experiences.

The Girl on the Train follows Rachel Watson (Elizabeth Bunch), an alcoholic whose life has begun to unravel following her divorce. One morning, Rachel receives a visit from Detective Gaskill (David Rainey), who informs her that a woman named Megan Hipwell (Emily Neves) has gone missing. Rachel immediately becomes invested in finding her. Although she has never met Megan, Rachel used to see her and her husband from the train each morning and imagine that they lived a perfect, happy life. With Megan now missing, that illusion is shattered, and Rachel becomes determined to uncover what really happened. The list of suspects is long: from a therapist, Dr. Kamal Abdic (Christopher Salazar), to Rachel’s ex-husband Tom Watson (Chris Hutchison) and his new wife, Anna (Michelle Elaine), to Megan’s husband, Scott (Dylan Godwin–an SHSU Alum), to even Rachel herself.

The story takes us through an exciting series of twists and turns, leaving many of us surprised when the mystery finally came to a close. Kayla and Tania were particularly surprised by the ending, while others, like Britlynn, managed to figure out the twist early. Afterward, we had a great discussion about our reactions to the play, and many of us agreed that it had earned a place among our favorite Alley Theatre productions.

The British accents of the characters also caught some of us off guard, especially those who had previously watched Misery at the Alley. Elizabeth Bunch and Chris Hutchison, who played Annie Wilkes and Paul Sheldon in that production, returned as Rachel and Tom. Many of us find the husband-and-wife duo particularly fascinating to watch because they seem to have a knack for playing characters who either despise each other or are completely obsessed with one another—and sometimes both! Their dynamic creates an interesting on-stage chemistry that made their performances especially memorable.

My favorite aspect of the play was the set. I really enjoyed the way that the stage had been designed to move; parts of the stage raising and lowering to reveal or conceal furniture that changed the scenery. They also utilized a catwalk-like structure above the stage to demonstrate the terrace of Megan’s home, which allowed Rachel’s memories to be displayed over the action of scene below. One of Olivia’s favorite parts was how they portrayed the moving train, through lights and set. Towards the end of the play, the technical team even utilized projection to create train tracks that ran across the stage.

Overall, the combination of story, acting, and creative set design made The Girl on the Train a great watch. We are all looking forward to our next opportunity to experience another Alley Theatre production together!

Many thanks to alums who joined us: Ademide Adedokun, Justin and Chelsea Beiser, and Quinn Kobrin–and to Ademide’s friend, Andrea Alexander.

Bingo, “Balloon Pickleball,” and Friends at the Senior Center

For LEAP students, volunteering at the Walker County Senior Center has become a familiar—and much-enjoyed—part of our community involvement. Our visits tend to follow a comfortable routine: arrive around 9:30am, play Bingo, move on to cards and other games, converse with the congregants, and then enjoy lunch together.

Wednesday’s visit followed much of that routine, although there were a few surprises along the way.

As usual, Bingo was the first order of business. LEAP students helped call the games, sat with congregants, and participated in the friendly competition that invariably accompanies Bingo at the Senior Center. As we have learned from previous visits, Bingo may be a game, but that does not mean it isn’t serious business! And, in a first, Professor Yawn even took his turn calling Bingo, before turning it back over to the pros.

After Bingo, the group spread out for cards, conversation, and Wii games. These activities are fun, of course, but they also provide the larger purpose behind our visits. Sitting around a table playing cards—or simply talking—gives students an opportunity to get to know people they might not otherwise meet. The conversations range from families and careers to Huntsville history and current events, offering a form of intergenerational learning that goes well beyond the classroom.

This week, however, we added a new sport to our repertoire: balloon pickleball.

With balloons substituting for pickleballs, the game provided a slightly slower—but no less entertaining—version of one of the country’s fastest-growing sports. The fun even prompted the Senior Center Director, Stacey Loll, to give it a go–turns out she has a heck of a backhand! And while the balloons occasionally had minds of their own, that only added to the fun and laughter.

Brittlyn had particular fun with the “sport,” managing to be both a participant and a scorekeeper, an intriguing conflict of interest.

We also had the opportunity to see a familiar SHSU face, Dr. Kevin Randall, whose daughter participates in the Senior Center’s Wednesday activities. Seeing Dr. Randall was another reminder of something we frequently discover while volunteering: Huntsville is a wonderfully interconnected community, and our paths often cross in unexpected places.

Eventually, games gave way to lunch, conversation continued, and another Senior Center visit came to an end.

The activities may be similar each week—Bingo, cards, games, conversation, and lunch—but the people ensure that no two visits are quite the same. And that is precisely why we enjoy coming back.