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Tag: KSAM

Make a Smile Happen with KSAM: Christmas Toy Drive, 2019

For the past 13 years, KSAM and KHVL have been “Making A Smile Happen” (MASH) by conducting a toy and gift drive for local area families in need.  This year, LEAP Ambassadors and Pre-Law Society members were happy to help this worthy cause by volunteering over a two-day period to collect gifts and help market the event.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement and Politics, KSAM, KHVL, Christmas Toy Drive, MASH

The drive was undertaken to benefit seven local charities: Good Shepherd Mission, SAAFE House, Santa’s Helpers, Huntsville YMCA, Clayton Sparks Foundation, National Guard Children, and the Rita B. Huff Animal Shelter.  The benefits came in the form of cash and gifts–with the latter ranging from toys, bicycles, food, blankets, house-hold items, and pet food.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement and Politics, KSAM, KHVL, Christmas Toy Drive, MASH

From a volunteer perspective, it was a rewarding program to be a part of.  Our tasks were simple–KSAM and ROTC had done the heavy lifting in setting up tents (ROTC) and organizing the event (KSAM)–(1) promote the event by having a presence along 11th street, with signs,

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement and Politics, KSAM, KHVL, Christmas Toy Drive, MASH

…(2) assisting generous donors in unloading their gifts into our MASH tents, and (3) occasionally re-organizing the gifts.

The rewards were manifold.  The KSAM staff have always been nice to us, and Larry Crippen regularly invites to be part of “Around Town.”  But we also had the chance to meet Steve and Dee Everett…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement and Politics, KSAM, KHVL, Christmas Toy Drive, MASH

…Bryan Reeder, Steve Rixx, Glenn Edwards, and William Franz.  It was a good opportunity to meet some of the folks we hear on-air.  Steve Rixx even did a “mock on-air interview” with the students, helping them develop their articulation skills, and teaching them about the radio business.

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We also had the chance to meet some community leaders who stopped by to donate or otherwise help promote the event, such as Wayne Scott…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement and Politics, KSAM, KHVL, Christmas Toy Drive, MASH, Wayne Scott

…Chamber of Commerce Director Ray Hernandez…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement and Politics, KSAM, KHVL, Christmas Toy Drive, MASH, Huntsville Chamber of Commerce, Ray Hernandez

…even Santa Claus showed up (thank you Krogers and Philip Johnson).

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement and Politics, KSAM, KHVL, Christmas Toy Drive, MASH

So just from a community education perspective, the event was valuable.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement and Politics, KSAM, KHVL, Christmas Toy Drive, MASH

But, of course, the real value was seeing the spirit of giving that pervades the Huntsville community.  There were more than 300 donors, and KSAM was able to raise approximately $5,000 in cash and gift card donations, while also bringing in countless gifts….

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement and Politics, KSAM, KHVL, Christmas Toy Drive, MASH

…especially those for children.  The donors represented all walks of life, and many volunteered some variation on the following theme: “I wanted to help, because people helped me.”

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement and Politics, KSAM, KHVL, Christmas Toy Drive, MASH

That help covered almost all aspects of a what a child could want, but late on Thursday, minutes before the event closed down, we noticed there was no full-size bike, an item specifically requested by one of the charitable organizations with which MASH collaborates.  But Joe Chick from Dale’s Auto arrived with 15 minutes to spare, bringing two full-size bikes and, as Dee Everett noted, “instantly made a smile happen.”

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement and Politics, KSAM, KHVL, Christmas Toy Drive, MASH

Special thanks to Matthew Lahey, who took many of the photos above and generously shared them.

 

 

 

Author mikeyawnPosted on December 6, 2019Format AsideCategories Civic Engagement, VolunteerTags Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Christmas Toy Drive, KHVL, KSAM, LEAP Ambassadors, LEAP Center, Make a Smile Happen, MASH, SHSULeave a comment on Make a Smile Happen with KSAM: Christmas Toy Drive, 2019

Spreading the News: KSAM

As a new semester rolls around, you can find the LEAP Ambassadors in class, in their office, at events, or at KSAM, where they are regulars on the “Around Town” program, with our friend Larry Crippen.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, KSAM, Larry Crippen

Participating were Maggie Denena and Ilexus Williams.  It is Maggie’s second time to do this program, so she is a pro.  And Ilexus nailed it on her first time in the studio, responding with personality while maintaining her usual professionalism.

We discussed (1) what LEAP is, (2) the activities we engaged in over the summer, (3) the activities we have planned for this fall, and (4) our most memorable experiences.

You can listen to an excerpt here, but a couple of responses are worth noting.

This fall, the students will be participating in events involving several diplomats (Consul General of Hungary; Consul General of Brazil), authors (e.g., Nevada Barr, Gloria Steinem, Bill Bryson), numerous politicians (Ted Cruz, Susan Rice, Sarah Saldana), a couple of trips (Texas Tribune Festival, Wyoming), and much volunteer service.

Also, Mr. Crippen asked the students what their most memorable experiences as LEAP Ambassadors involved.  For Ilexus…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, KSAM, Larry Crippen

…it was interning in Austin, where she experienced a whole different culture, and expanded her professional skills (and network).

For Maggie…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, KSAM, Larry Crippen

…it was traveling to almost a dozen national parks, where she had the opportunities to see Canyons, mountains, tunnels, wild animals, and other unique geological, environmental, and biological features.

 

Author mikeyawnPosted on September 10, 2019Format AsideCategories Civic Engagement, PoliticsTags KSAM, Larry Crippen, LEAP Ambassadors, LEAP Center, SHSULeave a comment on Spreading the News: KSAM

LEAP Promotes “Grand Canyon Photographs” Exhibit

The LEAP Center has been productively working with Mark Burns for three years, and today we continued that partnership by promoting Burns’s “Grand Canyon Photographs: 1919-Celebrating the Centennial-2019” exhibit on KSAM and KHVL.

The exhibit is a partnership between the LEAP Center and the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, and the opening reception will be held in the Museum’s Walker Education Center gallery.

The on-air promotion began on KSAM’s Morning Show with Steve Rixx, and Mike Yawn, Mark Burns, and Maggie Denena shared their perspective on the exhibit.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Mark Burns, Photography, Grand Canyon, Maggie Denena, KSAM, KHVL

The promotion continued when Larry Crippen had a chance to ask Mark Burns a few questions about the exhibit.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Mark Burns, Photography, Grand Canyon, Maggie Denena, KSAM, KHVL

And it continued with Burns, Yawn, and Denena again sharing perspectives on KHVL with Bryan Reeder.  While Maggie hasn’t been part of the entire three-year project, she has been as active as any other student in the project.  She was hired with funds provided by the EURECA Center (a FAST Grant) and has been able to travel to ten different National Parks, learning about photography and the environment, and exploring a large portion of the United States.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Mark Burns, Photography, Grand Canyon, Maggie Denena, KSAM, KHVL

“This project allowed me to visit my first National Park, which was the Grand Canyon.  That was just a year ago, and now I’ve had the chance to visit my first ten National Parks.  It’s been very exciting, I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to see Mark’s photograph process, from the scouting, to the set-up, to finding just the right weather conditions.  It’s rare to find a fun and educational project, but this has definitely been just such a project.”

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Mark Burns, Photography, Grand Canyon, Maggie Denena, KSAM, KHVL

The “Grand Canyon Photographs” exhibit opened on Tuesday, June 11, but the opening reception is tonight at the Walker Education Center from 5:30-7:00pm, with remarks at 6:00pm.

Author mikeyawnPosted on June 13, 2019Format AsideCategories Art, Civic Engagement, Politics, TravelTags Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Grand Canyon, KHVL, KSAM, LEAP Center, Maggie Denena, Mark Burns, Photography, Sam Houston Memorial Museum, SHSU, Walker Education CenterLeave a comment on LEAP Promotes “Grand Canyon Photographs” Exhibit

LEAP Ambassadors Take to the Air

LEAP Ambassador Megan Chapa met with KSAM News Director Larry Crippen on Thursday, February 18 to discuss the organization’s upcoming activities.  The seven-minute segment, Around Town, highlights local activities and aired on Sunday, February 21.

The interview began with a brief overview of what LEAP was; the interview then proceeded to events from earlier in the semester such as the students’ luncheon with Secretary Bob Gates, their day with Chase Untermeyer, and their many law-related events.

But the bulk of the conversation related to the LEAP Center’s upcoming events, which include:

Feb 22-26: Campaign-Related Events
Feb 24-28: Little Rock, AR
Feb 29: LEAP Day Celebration
March 1: Primary Election Work
March 2: March to the Grave
March 15-April 19: LSAT Prep Course (Tue and Thu nights)
March 16: March Pre-Law Meeting
March 18: Dust Bowl Motel
March 26: Easter Egg Hunt
March 30: Mark Burns Opening Reception
March 31: Lunch with Glenn Frankel and Mark Burns
March 31: Glenn Frankel Presentation in Ralph Pease class
March 31: Mark Burns Presentation in Becky Finley’s class
March 31: Let’s Talk
April 1: Philip Mudd Presentation in Mike Yawn’s Class
April 5: Skip Hollandsworth Book Signing
April 6: 10th Court of Appeals at SHSU
April 9: 7th Annual Football Game
April 13: Career Service’s Etiquette Dinner
April 20: Final Pre-Law Meeting
April 23: HEARTS Veterans Museum’s Casino Night
May: Campaign Bootcamp
June: Mini-Austin Internship
July: Southern Legislative Conference in Lexington, KY

 

 

 

 

Author mikeyawnPosted on February 22, 2016February 22, 2016Categories Civic EngagementTags KSAM, Larry Crippen, LEAPLeave a comment on LEAP Ambassadors Take to the Air

Radio Stars Are Born

 

LEAP Center Ambassadors Karla Rosales and Megan Chapa met with KSAM‘s Larry Crippen for an “Around Town” session.  This is the seventh time the Junior Fellows/LEAP Center have been featured on Around Town, a six-minute radio program that highlights local happenings on 101.7 and 104.9 FM.

KSAM_Chapa_Rosales_Web

The program, which covers their recent experiences at the Texas Governor’s Inauguration, as well as upcoming events such as the Michael Morton appearance, Nancy Bocskor’s appearance, and the Citizenship Program, aired Saturday (March 14) and Sunday (March 15).

Author mikeyawnPosted on February 17, 2015Categories Civic Engagement, Law, Politics, Travel, VolunteerTags Karla Rosales, KSAM, Larry Crippen, LEAP Center, Megan Chapa, SHSULeave a comment on Radio Stars Are Born

LEAP Ambassadors Are Involved!

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  • “Inauguration Trip”: Walking in Memphis, on MLK Day January 25, 2021
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