New York City – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Reading Rooms of the Rich and Famous: The Morgan Library

by Olivia Discon

Among our many stops in New York, our visit to the Morgan Library was a highlight, far exceeding my expectations. I knew it would be beautiful, but the experience left me in awe.

We began with an exhibit on Belle da Costa Greene, the library’s first director, whose story was as inspiring as the treasures she curated. Born in 1879, Greene was an African American woman who passed as white to navigate the racial barriers of her time.

Despite these challenges, she rose to prominence as a librarian and curator, eventually studying at Pratt Institute, where she trained for her remarkable career. Her contributions shaped the Morgan Library into what it is today, and the exhibit offered a glimpse into her extraordinary life and work.

The structure itself was stunning. In one room, for example, the ceiling crafted by Samuel Yellin, featuring 648 intricately detailed birds—each unique, down to the shape of their beaks.

Among the exhibit’s standout items were pieces from Belle Greene’s personal collection, including Albrecht Dürer’s Melencolia I…

…a masterpiece I’d studied in class, as well as a William Blake drawing and a signed poem by John Keats.

I was especially captivated by her desk and personal collection, which continued to show her exceptional taste!

From there, we moved into the library’s main attraction—the breathtaking library room itself. Shelves were lined with treasures, including titles such as Dante’s Inferno…

…Rousseau’s The Social Contract, and works by Voltaire.

We even saw ancient artifacts from Mesopotamia and a Gutenberg Bible!

I felt like a kid in a candy store!

As befits a wealthy collector, Morgan also owned a healthy collection of art, some of which was also on display. Thus, we were able to not only glimpse into the lives of the very wealthy, we were also able to expand our knowledge of art, by seeing works from Henri Matisse, John Singer Sargent, and William Wetmore Story, among others.

Before leaving, we quickly explored a Franz Kafka exhibit. Though our time there was brief, it was fascinating to see pieces that shed light on his complex and often enigmatic life.

As someone who has read some of his work, I wished we’d had more time to immerse ourselves in his story, especially after seeing an Andy Warhol portrait of him.

In the words of Kafka himself, “It is irresponsible to travel, even to live, without taking notes.” It was a privilege to add this visit to our travels—and to write about it!

An Afternoon in the Big Apple

The Sidewalks of New York

by Chrissy Biello

On our first day in New York City, we decided it would be a good idea to explore the area and familiarize ourselves with the surroundings, including the subway system. It turned out to be a great decision, as we encountered many fascinating and exciting sights along the way!

As we began walking through the city, Professor Yawn noticed our proximity to the historic Prince Street. Along this notable street stands the first Richard Haas mural, which Olivia enthusiastically recognized and pointed out as we approached.

The mural, gracing 112 Prince Street since 1974, features intricate details that have been thoughtfully added over the years. But even as an early work, it reflects Haas’s artistic and architectural sensibilities, as well as his ability to transform a space through art.

Haas, who lives in New York, once spent a summer working for Frank Lloyd Wright, before embarking on a successful career as what the New York Times referred to as an “urbanologist.”

Thanks to the work of Linda Pease, Haas brought his Urbanology to Huntsville, TX, where he has completed 15 exterior murals–the most of any city. Thus, despite being strangers in the strange land of New York City, we felt oddly at home.

Continuing our walk, Chinatown emerged as a fascinating destination; its narrow streets offered an authentic glimpse into this vibrant New York neighborhood.

To our delight, we found the New York City Hall, a magnificent French Renaissance Revival structure still bearing the inscription “New Amsterdam;” a beautiful reminder of the city’s Dutch origins.

Next on our route was Federal Hall, which was erected in the 19th century as a Customs House. Prior the construction of the present building, however, the site hosted many milestones in the formulation of the United States government. The US Congress, such as it was, met here in the 1780s, when the (semi) United States of America was governed under the Articles of Confederation, and even as the US Constitution was written to supersede the Articles, the First Congress met on this site–and the Bill of Rights was first proposed here. More relevant to our current trip, George Washington was inaugurated on the balcony of the old Federal Building–the first-ever US Presidential inauguration! Standing on this site, therefore felt particularly resonant, considering we will be witnessing the 47th presidential inauguration in DC on Monday!

Approaching the Brooklyn Bridge, we began to make the long way up; winds from the surrounding waters grew increasingly cold.

This suspension bridge, one of the oldest in the United States, goes over the East River and connects Manhattan and Brooklyn.

When we reached the top, the spectacular view, however, made the chilly walk (the wind chill was in the teens) entirely worthwhile!

A shift in the atmosphere became apparent when we visited the 9/11 Memorial. The names etched in bronze, the twin waterfall pools, and the One World Trade Center made us all feel reflective. Saturday, we will get the chance to visit the museum, something we are greatly looking forward to as it will allow us to educate ourselves more on that disastrous day.

Before heading back to prepare for our evening of theater (Hadestown and Sunset Boulevard), we stopped at Zuccotti Park to observe Mark di Suvero’s “Joie de Vivre.” The 70-foot red steel sculpture definitely stands out against the Financial District backdrop, with its modern design creating an interesting contrast with the surrounding area.

Finally, we returned to the subway, hoping our earlier experiences had made us experts. Despite our optimism, we still struggled to navigate the system (particularly myself), but successfully made our way back to the hotel to prepare for an evening of theater.

Katz’s Deli

Although our time in NYC is short, we hope to squeeze in as many quality (and affordable) restaurants (and coffee shops) as possible. Thus, amidst our rambles on New York’s sidewalks, we espied Katz’s Deli, which was rated as the “Best Deli” in the Big Apple by Zagat, while also regularly appearing in the New York Times’ various “best of” lists. It is also notable for the many films that have set scenes in the Deli, including Donnie Brasco, We Own the Night, The Sidewalks of New York, and most famously, When Harry Met Sally.

Being new to the place, we weren’t familiar with the unique ordering system of Katz’s. When you enter, you are handed a ticket, which you then take to a counter where one of approximately 15 “cutters” are stationed. The cutters, so named because they cut the meat in front of you, offer suggestions and samples, and so it was that Professor Yawn ordered Pastrami…

…and Olivia ordered a Reuben.

Chrissy, for her part, took a different approach, veering from the “I’ll have what she’s having” custom at Katz’s. To hear Chrissy tell of her upbringing–an upbringing that changes upon retelling, depending on her energy level and degree of coherence–she was fed baloney, almost exclusively, for the first six or seven years of her life.

If we followed this narrative correctly, this prompted her to order “soft salami.” Despite gentle nudges from the cutter to consider the pastrami, Ms. Biello remained obdurate, insisting on the salami. The cutter, clearly disappointed, complied, although his look of disappointment was palpable.

Just because we ordered separate foods, however, doesn’t mean we actually ate separately. Chrissy shared in both the pastrami and the Reuben, while all of us sampled all the food at our table.

While we can’t compare Katz’s to other NY Delis, we were in general agreement that we don’t get Pastrami or Corned Beef as good in Texas…and we have a full appreciation for why the New York Times called this institution–in business since 1888–the “king of New York delis.”

Hadestown on Broadway

by Olivia Discon

After spending the day exploring New York, Chrissy and I ended the night with a Broadway show—Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Watching a production in this historic venue was an incredible experience, and Hadestown lived up to its reputation as one of Broadway’s best.

Written by Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown is a retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The story follows Orpheus, a musician, and his journey to the Underworld to rescue his love, Eurydice, from Hades. The story covers some heavy hitting subjects while successfully executing a modern day retelling of the tragedy.

Chrissy and I both thoroughly enjoyed the set design.

The stage featured three spinning circles that worked like a treadmill, adding fluidity to the choreography and creating a sense of constant motion. This small but awesome detail elevated the performance and made every scene feel dynamic and alive.

The live jazz band, positioned on stage, was another highlight. Their presence both in song and in sound effects elevated the entire experience. It sort of reminded me of the live band that played at the first play I saw with LEAP, Chicago!

For Chrissy, Hermes (played by Malcolm Armwood) was the standout character, while I loved Persephone (played by Allison Russell). Both actors were incredibly talented and brought vastly different elements to the production. This cast can sing!

Seeing Hadestown has been a dream of mine for years, and getting to experience it with LEAP made it even more special. It’s a night I’ll cherish for a long time.

Art and History in New York: Day 2 of Northeast Expedition

President Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site

Victoria McClendon-Leggett

Our first item of business on day two in New York was to visit the birthplace of Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. Free tours of the three-story brownstone are led by the National Park Service. We were greeted by Joseph, who would serve as our tour guide, and do so grateful for having an indoor post during the harsh New York winter.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Teddy Roosevelt Birthplace

He led us through two stories of Roosevelt’s childhood home (drawing room, sitting room, dining room, master bedroom, and nursery)…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Teddy Roosevelt Birthplace

…sharing stories about Roosevelt’s formative years.

The 26^th President of the United States was born in 1858 in New York City in what is now the Flatiron district of Manhattan. A sickly child, he spent his earliest years indoors. He suffered frequently from severe asthma attacks, and we learned that during that particular time period asthma was treated with cigar smoke! It was thought that exacerbating an asthma attack would cause it to be over with sooner. The smoggy New York air made it difficult for him to go outside for very long, so he turned to “indoor” activities: he loved to read and also enjoyed taxidermy, even though working with the chemicals sometimes further aggravated his asthma.

When he was around age twelve, Teddy’s father sat him down and told him, “You have the mind, but you haven’t got the body. To do all you can with your mind, you must make your body match it.” His father had an indoor gymnasium built in the house’s courtyard and Teddy would exercise daily. His health improved immensely, and he began to grow into the robust and energetic man that he is more popularly known as.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Teddy Roosevelt Birthplace

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and thanked Joseph on our way out. We posed for a group picture outside the tall brownstone, and then took a short stroll to our lunch destination.

Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop

Francisco Pena

On NYC’s famous 5^th Avenue between 22nd and 23rd Streets is a restaurant that opened its doors in 1929.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Eisenberg's Deli

Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop advertises “Raising New York’s cholesterol since 1929” and, without a doubt, it was indeed true for us by the end of our meals. We tried the classic chocolate and vanilla egg cream sodas – a carbonated beverage consisting of milk, carbonated water, and flavoring syrup – but to everyone’s confusion, neither egg nor cream.

We tried a variety of dishes: the Eisenburger (a half-pound of ground sirloin grilled to perfection served with lettuce and tomatoes on a bed of pastrami and sauerkraut);

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Eisenberg's Deli

….a bacon, egg, and cheese burger;

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Eisenberg's Deli

a turkey breast sandwich; Matzo ball soup; and the most succulent Rueben sandwich.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Eisenberg's Deli

Although some might consider it a true “hole-in-the-wall,” we appreciated the recommendation by a “local,” agreeing that Eisenberg’s was the perfect stop for a delicious meal (thank you Erin Fors!). Running on excess of carbs, we got our bearings and headed out.

New York Public Library Main Branch – Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Sawyer Massie

From the outside, the Main Branch of the New York Public Library (“NYPL”) retains a commanding presence, although it isn’t a skyscraper like many of its surrounding buildings. Much like other municipal buildings, including City Hall and the Surrogate’s Courthouse, the library contains many Roman architecture motifs and elements such as columns, statues depicting mythological deities, and two marble lions guarding the front entrance (named most recently, Patience and Fortitude).

We started on the third floor and made our way down to the ground floor special exhibit. Each floor had its own special spaces, but we were particularly awed by the grandeur of the building, notably the bronzed ceilings and columns and walls of beautiful marble. That kind of ornamentation or attention to detail is not evident in modern buildings.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City,New York Public Library

From the top, the Rose Main Reading Room captured our attention immediately. Immediately at the top of the stairs is a room about a football field in length covered by a ceiling mural of similar size.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City,New York Public Library

The mural depicts a blue sky with white clouds, a beautiful substitute to a skylight. The floor is lined with rows of tables with vibrant crystal chandeliers hanging above each. This monument to New York is meant for quiet reading and studying and is open to all, which explained the plethora of scholars occupying nearly every seat. We also visited briefly the McGraw Rotunda, an impressive arch with an accompanying mural depicting the history of the written word.

The Edna Barnes Salomon room is most impressive for its art.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City,New York Public Library

They had works by Gilbert Stuart, Charles Peale…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City,New York Public Library

…and Samuel Morse, a fine painter, albeit one better known for his invention (the telegraph).

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City,New York Public Library

Down the stairs on the second floor we found in the Jill Kupin Rose Gallery. Named after the wife of former NYPL Chairman Marshall Rose, it holds an ongoing exhibition with large walls of art covering several mediums: photography, paintings, videos, texts, and sculptures. We also found a smaller replica of the Rose Main Reading Room with bronze cherubs on the ceiling and desks filling up the floor space.

On the first floor, the DeWitt Wallace Periodical Room amazed us all. The square room had high ceilings with murals done by a LEAP favorite, muralist Richard Haas (whose connection to Huntsville is in the many external murals he completed there).

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City,New York Public Library

Following the theme of periodicals, each mural depicts buildings associated with newspaper publishing in New York. This theme signifies the importance of publishers and newspaper companies at the turn of the century.

Finally, we went to the ground floor of the library to the children’s center in search of the special exhibit. A few of us were delighted to see that the original stuffed animals that inspired the bedtime story of Winnie the Pooh with an accompanying large-scale map drawn by Christopher Robin, the son of A.A. Milne, creator and author of the series.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City,New York Public Library, Winnie the Pooh

After many pictures and a brief perusal of the gift shop, we were again off to our next location.

But first, some lagniappe…

Sawyer Massie

On the way to MoMA, we stopped by Grand Central Station. Even though we were there the day before, we were excited to for some lagniappe, “a little something special or extra.” (That’s a word we learned in our Louisiana travels, and we use it when possible.) The Whispering Gallery is located on the Grand Central Terminal dining concourse near the famous Oyster Bar & Restaurant.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Grand Central Terminal

There, people can stand on opposite sides of the arched entryways, face the corners, and whisper to one another with the ability to hear the other person perfectly. The design of the rotunda allows for such acoustics to make a whisper seem like a shout but only when facing the corners. Needless to say, it’s no wonder that the Whisper Gallery is a famous spot for marriage proposals.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City,New York Public Library

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Makayla Mason

Our next stop was the Museum of Modern Art (a.k.a. MoMA). We were excited to see our first art museum of the trip; little did we know it would be the best art museum any of us have been to!

In 2000, The Museum of Modern Art and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center merged to create the largest platform for contemporary art in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. MoMA boasts a total of six floors with four of them filled with famous artists, many of which were familiar to us. As we had a first-timer with us, we were eager to share what we knew of each artist.

What made the museum magical and exciting was the number of famous original pieces on display: Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Museum of Modern Art, Vincent Van Gogh

…Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory….

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Museum of Modern Art, Dali, Persistence of Memory

…and Claude Monet’s Water Lilies….

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Museum of Modern Art, Claude Monet, Water Lillies

….Jackson Pollock…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Museum of Modern Art, Jackson Pollock,

…and Mark Rothko…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Museum of Modern Art, Mark Rothko

Other notable artists included Henri Matisse…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Museum of Modern Art, Henri Matisse

Ellsworth Kelley, Piet Mondrian….

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Museum of Modern Art, Piet Mondrian

Jasper Johns, and Constantin Brancusi. And of course, an amazing gift shop, we “had” to peruse.

Adventures on the NYC “Trails”

We left MoMA headed for photo ops at Robert Indiana’s LOVE and HOPE sculptures, both only short walks away. We weren’t the only ones; we had to wait in a literal line that had formed to take photos at the LOVE sculpture!

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Robert Indiana, LOVE

We quickly posed for our photos….

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Robert Indiana, HOPE

…and then kept moving onward, also stopping at other historical and noteworthy landmarks such as Radio City Music Hall…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Radio City Music Hall

….Rockefeller Plaza…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Rockefeller Plaza

and an “unscheduled” stop at Times Square.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Times Square

Gansevoort Market

Francisco Pena

Near the Hudson River is Gansevoort Market, named after Peter Gansevoort, an American Revolutionary War colonel. Reminiscent of a market for regional produce, today it offers a food court-style assortment of restaurants of varying cultures. The market has transformed since its first opening day with a crowd that has evolved into a mix of locals of all ages and walks of life. With its history and architecture converted into a modern food court, we were pleased to enjoy dinner there.

We had a variety of warm elections to counterbalance the cold weather, choosing ramen (spicy beef, udon beef, and pork), and spicy salmon poke bowls and salads.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Gansevoort Court

We also couldn’t resist the warm, melted cookies displayed at the front of the Market – and the pink cheesecake cookie covered in glitter was hands-down favorite.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Gansevoort Court

The Whitney Museum of American Art

Sawyer Massie

The Whitney Museum of American Art, named after American socialite and art patron Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, is an art museum that solely focuses on 20^th and 21^st Century American art. Though the art museum owns a total of 17,000 works of art, only about 200 are on display at any given time.

We stepped outside the elevator, greeted by a curated collection of paintings by Jacob Lawrence, revered as one of America’s most renowned African-American painters. Entitled War, the exhibit depicted soldiers in times of grief and celebration in relation to wars throughout the centuries ranging from the Civil War to World War I.

In an adjacent gallery, we saw works of minimalism and modernism, including pieces by Georgia O’Keeffe…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Whitney, O'Keeffe

Charles Sheeler, Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, and Sol LeWitt.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Whitney, Sol LeWitt

The next room over featured a variety of Regionalists such as John Steuart Curry (with one of his most famous paintings, Baptism in Kansas) and Thomas Hart Benton. (Benton, a LEAP favorite, includes American history and industrial themes in his pieces.)

We also saw an intriguing piece on the Brooklyn Bridge, one done by Joseph Stella.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Whitney, Joseph Stella

We snaked through the galleries and were led to an outside balcony area. Just inside was an Alexander Calder mobile; just outside was an even larger Alexander stabile.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Whitney, Calder

The stabile overlooks the New York City skyline and directly faces Freedom Tower from the rooftop–a beautiful display of respect to the artist and a perfect complement to the art itself.

We next found the exhibit entitled Programmed: Rules, Codes, and Choreographies in Art, 1965-2018. This display consisted of art of various mediums centering on the theme of technology, including sound sculptures, light sculptures, videos, short films, and interactive video games, including an intriguing interactive piece by Jim Campbell.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Whitney, Jim Campbell

The remaining floors (three in total) were reserved for the main event: Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again. The exhibit began by showing his most famous works such as Marilyn Diptych, Cow Wallpaper, and Campbell’s Soup Cans.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Whitney, Andy Warhol, Campbell's Soup

This floor showed off Warhol’s works and provided a wonderful introduction into his style of Pop art. We specifically enjoyed Golden Rorschach, a variation of the well-known painting resembling ink blots on white paper. The museum’s collection, consisting of donations from MoMA, the Guggenheim, and many other museums and private collections, was so vast that, by the third floor or material, there was even included a video filmed by Andy Warhol of him eating a hamburger in front of the camera. Upon finishing the sandwich, he says “I am Andy Warhol and I have just eaten a burger,” an atypical work done by him. By the end of the exhibit, each of the LEAP Ambassadors felt they had a better understanding of Warhol not just as an artist, but as a person, too.

Wrapping Up

It had been a long day, one in which we walked more than 13 miles. We were tired, and we weren’t particularly looking forward to a trip on the Subway, but we discovered the work of Tom Otterness, who was commissioned in 1998 to do “Life Underground.” Playing on the New York History (particularly the Tweed Machine), Otterness, created his normal little odd-ball characters in various poses throughout the subway.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Life Underground, Subway, Tom Otterness

Most showed the little characters as greedy and indifferent to inequality that characterized New York in the late 1800s, but the satire was less biting given the distance of time and the cute look of the little characters for which he is well known.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Life Underground, Subway, Tom Otterness

Big Apple Bound

For almost all of us, it was our first trip to New York City, and we had much on our agenda. We arrived by plane late, but that did not deter us from taking some photos of the famous New York skyline.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Skyline

One of the nice things about this view, is that is also of historical import. We photographed the skyline from “Hamilton Park” in Weehawken, New Jersey, the site of the duel between Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804.

And with that, we kicked off our New York experiences.

United Nations Headquarters Tour

Makayla Mason

We began by walking our way from our hotel to the United Nations headquarters, where we had a tour scheduled. The walk also allowed us to stop at the Chrysler Building, an architectural marvel. For 11 months in 1931, it was the world’s tallest building (the Empire State Building surpassed it), and at 1,046 feet, it remains the 8th tallest building in the city.

What really distinguishes it, however, is the Art Deco architecture. The exterior of the 31st floor is ornamented with gargoyles and replicas of radiator caps (it is the Chrysler building!) and the 61st floor is adorned with stainless steel eagles (being a national treasure, it appropriately featured the national bird). It was ranked 9th by the American Institute of Architects on a list of “America’s favorite Architecture.”

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Chrysler Building

While we could only get poor photos of the exterior, we managed some nice photos on the very art-decoish interiors.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, Chrysler Building

It was a nice first-stop in the city, and it prepared us for the more modern architectural landscape provided by the United Nations.

On the plaza just outside the building we stopped to see a handful of interesting sculptures, one of which was shaped like a ship, a memorial to the slave trade and its attendant horrors. Another sculpture was to “non-violence,” and it depicted a gun with its barrel tied in a knot. The sculptor, Carl Reutersward, completed the sculpture after John Lennon was murdered.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, United Nations, Carl Reutersward, Non-Violence Sculpture

Inside the building, we found other interesting and historically significant items, such as a replica of Sputnik, the USSR satellite that was the first in space.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, United Nations, Sputnik

Although having a chance to explore the United Nations would always be a special treat, it was especially relevant this semester, because the LEAP Ambassadors have met two Ambassadors, and are scheduled to see two more Ambassadors, including the US Delegate to the UN. So it is a semester, really, of learning about International Relations, directly from those who know it best.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Ambassador Christopher Hill

LEAP Ambassadors with Ambassador Christopher Hill

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Ambassador Chase Untermeyer

LEAP Ambassadors and SHSU Students with Ambassador Chase Untermeyer

Our tour guide, Ana, was from Spain, and she speaks three different languages, but we were on her English-version tour. She began with the history of the UN and of the building in particular.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, United Nations

The UN was considering building their headquarters elsewhere when John D. Rockefeller Jr. donated $8.5M for the procurement of the site in New York City. Eleven different designers helped contribute to the design of the building, including lead Wallace K. Harrison (United States), and other famous architects such as Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer (Brazil).

The United Nations was established after World War II with 51 countries as members. It currently has 193 countries as members, with South Sudan being the last country to join in 2011. The members of the UN make up the General Assembly. In the General Assembly, each country has one vote, no matter the size or influence of the country. There are 15 countries on the Security Council with five of them being permanent members: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Russian Federation, and China. The other ten members rotate from the General Assembly every two years based on geographical representation.

As we moved through the tour, Ana described the 30 human rights that the UN recognizes. Interestingly enough, not one single country in the world upholds all 30 of those rights.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, United Nations, Human Rights

Ana also explained the role of the UN as global peacekeepers. Peacekeepers are from member countries who go to locations that have been/or are suffering from war or natural disasters.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, United Nations

They act as buffers between countries who have established ceasefires, and although the peacekeepers carry weapons, they do so only for self-defense or to enforce the ceasefire. An interesting fact about the UN Peacekeepers is that they wear their country’s uniforms, but they all wear bright blue hats that signify they are representatives of the United Nations.

The UN was filled with art, but a piece that particularly caught our attention was a mosaic made of Murano glass and, interestingly, based on Norman Rockwell’s famous “Golden Rule.” The mural was purchased by the US, but created by six Italian artists and given to the UN for its 40th birthday.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, United Nations, Norman Rockwell

This was great foreshadowing for us, as we have been researching Rockwell and will be visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum while on our American History Tour.

We were fortunate enough to access the General Assembly room.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, United Nations

Inside were two paintings by Fernand Léger, one of the world’s most famous artists and, incidentally, a man who taught Huntsville’s own David Adickes. (David Adickes is known around Huntsville for “A Tribute to Courage,“ known locally as “Big Sam,” the giant sculpture of Sam Houston on Interstate 45.)

Léger’s paintings in the General Assembly are abstract, as Ana explained, each member has the opportunity to see the same painting, but interpret them differently, just as each of these countries see the world differently.

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Leger’s art was intriguing, all the more so since we knew we’d be seeing more of his work at the four New York City art museums we’ll be visiting over the next three days.

After milling about the General Assembly for a bit…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, United Nations, General Assembly

…and then proceeded to visit some more amazing artifacts, such as this statue, which “survived” World War II, despite being about a third of a mile from ground zero in Nagasaki when “Fat Man” landed, killing about 80,000 people. The church which housed this sculpture was destroyed.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, United Nations

We saw some additional art…

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…checked in to a “Meditation Room”…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, United Nations

…and, most interestingly, Marc Chagall’s stained-glass window.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, United Nations, Marc Chagall, Stained Glass

Before leaving, we stopped into an impressive gift shop, lingered for just a bit on Le Corbusier’s UN Staircase…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, New York City, United Nations, Le Corbusier

…and then headed to our lunch destination.

Consistent with our endeavor to eat in places that reflect the local cuisine or otherwise expand our cultural experiences, we ate food from all over the world at the Amish Market. The diversity and extent of the food options were inversely related to their seating availability, part of the New York Dining Syndrome (NYDS) that afflicts all unknowing tourists, such as ourselves.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Amish Market, New York City

Despite needing to sit at separate tables, we enjoyed the meal, which provided much-needed calories, all the more so since our next stop was a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Stay tuned!

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