Walker County – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Deep in the Heart of Texas

by Michelle Moya

March 2 holds a important place in the heart of Texans, being both Sam Houston’s Birthday and Texas Independence Day. This year, the Huntsville community celebrating these milestones on March 1, with much preparation going into the day of celebration. But it was a particularly special day of celebration for me: It was my baptism as a Texan! I was born in Florida, but with a deep love for the Lone Star State and a current Texas resident, this event helped me make my Texas roots official.

Preparing for the Celebration

The Huntsville Lions Club is ever ready to beautify the community, and the LEAP Ambassadors are always prepared to help the Huntsville Lions Club. On holidays and other special days, the Lions Club puts out flags alongside the city streets, and, of course, Sam Houston’s Birthday is a special day in Huntsville!

So, at 6:15am, the Lions Club as well as Chrissy Biello, Olivia Discon, Jack Hammock, Olivia McCaughan, and Professor Yawn arrived bright and early to the Walker County Courthouse, where they placed Texas flags along the path of those engaged in “March 2 the Grave.”

It was a great way to lay the groundwork for what would become a fun filled, Tex-ified, day.

Gibbs-Powell Home

As part of the festivities, Olivia and Chrissy paid a visit to the beautiful and historic Gibbs-Powell Home, which hosted a brief coffee reception before the March 2 the Grave tradition.

Gibbs-Powell House in Spring (Photo by Dena Shipley)

We had the opportunity to explore the carefully preserved interior and admire some fine artifacts–such as a stereoscope, a grand piano, and the Gibbs and Powell family Bibles.

We even had a brief chance to sneak a peek upstairs, which once housed college students—arguably one of the best dormitories one could imagine!

Though our visit was short, it was an excellent start to the day, allowing us to deepen our understanding of Texas history through this incredible site in our community.

March 2 the Grave

The day continued with a solemn and patriotic march from the Old Main Pit on the Sam Houston State University campus to the Oakwood Cemetery. This is a tradition that has been around a very long time…

The roads, buildings, and attire have changed over the years, but the tradition remains.

It was a great way to bring different aspects of the community together…

…while also metaphorically connecting the town and gown…

Grave-Site Ceremony

Following the march, the community comes together at Sam Houston’s grave, in a ceremony that begins with the Texas and United States’ pledges.

The ceremony began with a warm welcome from community leaders, including:

Walker County Historical Commission Chair: Scott Collier
City of Huntsville Mayor: Russell Humphrey
County Judge (Walker County): Colt Christian
Vice-President of University Advancement: Matt Bethea
Hello Huntsville Host: Rob Hipp
Sam Houston Descendant: Lindsey Hughes

This celebration highlighted the enduring spirit of Texas and its people. Their words resonated with pride for Texas and Sam Houston’s historical significance.

One of the most touching moments came when Lindsey Hughes, a descendant of Sam Houston, discussed what it means to be a Texan. Hearing the words of someone with such a personal connection to the great Texas hero added a personal layer of meaning to the celebration, a connection that was particularly emphatic when she closed with the words, “If you want something done, ask a Texan.”

Long-time resident Tom Rogers then provided the audience a fascinating account of the event’s history, reminding us all why we gather each year to honor Sam Houston and Texas’ Independence in what is likely the oldest cultural tradition in Huntsville.

A Texas Baptism

The highlight of the day, at least for me and 80 others, was being baptized a Texan. This event is a unique and cherished tradition in the heart of Huntsville, with many people traveling from all around Texas to get baptized. For me, being “baptized as a Texan” was the culmination of years of admiration and a deep-seated feeling that Texas was truly my home. The baptism consisted of water sprinkled across my forehead by Liz Patton (whose late husband, James Patton, was a long-time County Clerk for Walker County and the unofficial historian of the County), symbolically washing away my out-of-state origins and christening me as a true Texan. Although I was born in Florida, my heart has always belonged to Texas, and now I have the certificate to prove it!

This event does a wonderful job of honoring the legacy of Sam Houston. Houston’s influence on the state of Texas is immeasurable, and his life exemplifies the spirit of Texas: bold, independent, and dedicated to freedom.

Thanks

A huge thanks goes to the committee that organizes this event each year. The committee consists of representatives from the Walker County Historical Commission, the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library, the City of Huntsville’s Travel and Tourism Office, and the Downtown Business Alliance. This is a large undertaking, and they did it well–which should be no surprise. If you want something done, ask Texans!

Happy Birthday, Sam Houston, and Happy Independence Day, Texas!

State of the County: Walker County

Ingrid Cuero

To recognize a few of the newly elected officials in Huntsville Texas, the Walker County Republican Women (WCRW) hosted an event to provide the community updates on County business. Numerous citizens braved the heat to learn about county goings-on, and it was nice to be able to catch up with community leaders after working the session in Austin.

We were able to catch up with County-Court-At-Law Judge Tracy Sorensen…

L-R: Morgan Robertson, Judge Tracy Sorensen, and Ingrid Cuero

…and WCRW President Renee Lunsford…

L-R: Morgan Robertson, Ingrid Cuero, and Renee Lunsford

WCRW served a fantastic dinner, perfect for summer! Dinner consisted of hot dogs, burgers, and, of course, all the fixings. Morgan and I were eager to jump in and help serve dinner so that the current volunteers could indulge in the yummy dinner as well.

President Renee Lunsford then introduced the four elected officials who would be providing updates: County Commissioner Precinct 4 Brandon Decker; County Judge Colt Christian; Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Randy Jeffcoat; and District Clerk Leslie Woolley.

Brandon Decker, County Commissioner for Precinct 4, began by mentioning how a Transportation Report is in the works so that County officials may learn how to best accommodate Walker County’s growth. His focus is to work alongside the Mayor to make Walker County and the City of Huntsville better places for its residents.

Colt Christian, County Judge, noted how everything in his new role is a new experience for him. For the 100th day of being in office, Judge Christian held a county employee lunch appreciation. Judge Christian said many wonderful things about his staff and the dedicated employees of the County. He also hosts coffee hour every morning in his office so that county residents may come to him and discuss what they wish to see or address concerns. For non-coffee drinkers, Judge Christian also hosts ice-cream hour at 3! He would like to add more community involvement in the County. Judge Christian also spoke on one of the larger aspects of his job: the budget. “There are about 9 million dollars’ worth of wants in the County, but only about 2 million to do it with.”

Randy Jeffcoat, Justice of the Peace, discussed the number of civil and criminal cases in Walker County, and how the courts have to keep up with the pace of proceedings.

Leslie Woolley, District Clerk, said that her first six months in the office has gone smoothly. She implemented new jury software (purchased by prior District Clerk), which allows potential jurors to answer a few questions ahead of time to save time on jury days. On the first grand jury in January, District Clerk Woolley worked closely with the DA and district judges to make proper decisions in the court room. She also worked with Rep. Kacal’s office to provide “goodies” for jury appreciation.

SHSU also graciously donated 6 tablets to the county. District Clerk Woolley made clear how grateful she and her colleagues were for receiving these tablets. She also made it clear that she is actively seeking new ways the County may partner with SHSU for the improvement of both entities.

After the official updates concluded, Morgan and I were able to mingle with our community members and even meet new friendly faces!

Jeanette Riley is Representative Kyle Kacal’s, District Liaison and spent some time speaking with us and District Clerk Woolley on her experiences.

L-R: J. Riley (with Rep. Kacal’s Office), M. Robertson, District Clerk L. Woolley, and I. Cuero

I was able to introduce Morgan to my boss, Jeff Murski, who is the district representative for Congressman Pete Sessions. Mr. Murski has taught me much about the federal government in my internship with Congressman Sessions.

On behalf of the LEAP Ambassadors, we would like to thank the WCRW for allowing us to volunteer and be part of this event!

L-R: M. Robertson, I. Cuero, and Jeff Murski

Day Three in the Big D: GOP Convention

Our last day at the Convention was, in many ways, the longest. But for the Walker County Delegation, which overwhelmingly supported Ted Cruz for President, it was also a fun day.

The first thing on our agenda was kolaches with Congressman Kevin Brady. It was there that we saw Francine Stanfield, Brady’s Campaign Manager, who recognized us from previous events for which we had volunteered. Both Congressman Brady and his staff were very welcoming to the Walker County Delegation and to us as SHSU students, as always.

We congratulated Congressman Brady on his recent win and after meeting with him for a few minutes we proceeded to the breakfast table for kolaches and fruit to give us energy for the long congressional district caucus meeting ahead of us. Although we only had to vote on delegates and alternates to send to the national convention, it took roughly 6 hours. The meeting began shortly after 8am and ended around 2pm.

At this meeting we had to elect the delegates that would attend the National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio and also the party representatives who will represent us to the national delegation in Washington, DC. This process was interspersed with various speeches by elected officials or candidates. The first of these was the best, with Congressman Brady opening the proceedings.

The usual order of business, however, was a bit more tedious. The process for nominations proceeded in the following manner:

A nomination;
Speeches for each nominee, including those by the nominee him or herself (nominees got three minutes total);
Voting for each delegate (and alternate) position;
A run-off of two or three candidates, depending on the proportion of the original candidates receiving a threshold of votes;
Start over for the next position.

Because there were between 5-9 candidates running for each position, the process took a while.

It was an interesting process, but it’s unclear exactly how meaningful it was. Each delegate elected to attend the national convention would have to pledge to vote for the candidate according to the state’s primary’s result. In the end Montgomery County Delegate Ann Kate fulfilled the position for first delegate, which was bound to vote for Cruz.

Steve Toth of Montgomery County fulfilled the second delegate position, which also was bound to vote for Cruz. Finally Ann Mazone of Grimes County fulfilled the third delegate position, which was bound to vote for Donald Trump in the national convention.

This last one was a special victory for our county’s Cynthia Prehoda, who had nominated her.

CD_Caucus_Prehoda_Speaking_Web — Walker County Delegate, Cynthia Prehoda, Nominates Ann Mazone

Even though this process seemed lengthy to some…

CD_Caucus_Kaitlyn_Karla_2_Web — Kaitlyn and Karla

it was full of energized nominees that proved to be great entertainment to the public. Some delegates were so passionate that they fought back tears while giving there speeches and others were persistent and ran for all three positions in hopes of getting elected to one–all of this interspersed with lottery drawings for speaking order…

…and dashes to the podium to get voting ballots for each position…

By about noon, we decided we better get a group photo, while there was still a group left to photograph!

Walker_County_Delegation_1 — Megan Chapa Photographs the Walker County Delegation

After a busy morning of delegate voting, we decided that it was time to indulge in a satisfying lunch break. Thus, Megan Chapa, Kaitlyn Tyra, Kay Deahl, and I (Brian Aldaco) went down to Cafe Herrera. The Mexican cuisine style restaurant is conveniently situated a street across the convention center. This allotted the sufficient time for the eager delegates to return in time for the remainder of the convention’s general session.

Upon entering through the rustic Spanish-style doorway of the restaurant, the savory aroma of the sizzling beef pleasantly overtook our senses. This was a proper indicator that we had chosen the right lunching venue. With our menu items ordered we distracted our appetite with the classic Mexican chips accompanied by a spicy green salsa and an even hotter red salsa. The wait for our piece d’resistance was minimal, however, thanks to the quick cooking skills of the chef (surely he must have known of Ted Cruz’s imminent arrival). With our Enchiladas Verdes, Enchiladas Rojas, and tacos al pastor served, we continued to enjoy the entertaining anecdotes of Mrs. Deahl. Sharing her history of Republican participation and college experiences made us consider our privilege to attend the State Convention with greater appreciation. After our plates were cleared we rushed across the road, entered through the convention doors, and climbed up the stairs. We were ready to continue fulfilling the duties of a State Convention delegate.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the speaker at the last main session. He won the Texas Republican Primary for the presidential candidacy so all the delegates were really excited to hear Senator Cruz speak! All the seats had “thank you, Ted” signs so that the delegates were able to show their appreciation for all of his efforts during his campaign race.

His wife, Heidi Cruz, introduced him on stage. She gave us insight of their campaign tour and expressed how good it felt to be back home in Texas! All were happy that the two and their two children, Catherine and Caroline, sacrificed so much to represent Republicans all across the United States.

Senator Cruz’s speech was very positive. He reaffirmed the beliefs that he will fight for in the Senate and how his unsuccessful presidential campaign will not hinder any future efforts during his office term. Although he did not endorse any candidate during his speech, he left many of us more hopeful about the future of our party and our nation.

The excitement of hearing Senator Cruz speak gave many delegates energy as we prepared for the rest of the fourth and final general session.

The Honorable Attorney General Ken Paxton–who, incidentally, is facing criminal charges as for Securities Fraud–gave remarks following Senator Cruz’s speech. He discussed his successes as Attorney General and some of the current issues Texas is facing. His speech informed delegates about his opinions on current events and how he plans to handle these situations. The Honorable Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller (also under investigation) and the Honorable Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton also spoke to delegates. Thanking the delegates for their continued support, their speeches were generally positive about the future of the Republican Party and the State of Texas.

Andy Ngyuen, President of Texas Asian Republican Assembly provided his perspective on being a Republican. His life story as a refugee escaping Vietnam for a better life in America helped exemplify the pursuit of the American Dream, one of freedom and liberty. Ngyuen believes that by upholding these principles, the party would become the moral example of the nation.

The final speaker was Senator Jeff Sessions, who served as a kind-of surrogate for Donald Trump. Sessions, who represents Alabama, has endorsed Trump, and is stumping for him on the trail.

Once the guest speakers were finished presenting, it was time to call the final General Session to order. Our main point of business was to elect a National Committeeman and Committeewoman. After hearing the candidates speak, each Congressional District voted by paper ballot to determine which nominee would be elected. Each Congressional District then reported the numbers to the Convention Secretary during a roll call. Voting by paper ballots was a tedious process, yet it provided more accuracy than a voice vote would have. For Committeeman, Robin Armstrong was reelected. For Committeewoman, Toni Ann Dashiell was also reelected in a surprisingly close election. Although the delegation cast only two votes, it took about an hour and a half to complete! Fortunately, electing the at-large delegates and alternate delegates to the National Convention were easier because they were submitted by a committee and we could approve them as a slate and by voice vote.

After we approved the two lists of delegates to attend the National Convention on Texas’ behalf, the Convention was adjourned. It was an accomplished feeling to know we completed our first State Convention as delegates!

The process was exciting, entertaining, and rewarding. We learned about Parliamentary Procedure, current events, and helped participate in an important democratic process. It was tempting to bask in the glow of the final exit from the convention…

…but we chose instead to think of how lucky we were to be in Walker County, where voters nominated students to attend the State Convention.

Our initial foray into this type of politics could only have been made more rewarding by the presence of Linda McKenzie and Terry Stivers, both of whom had much to do with our attendance at the convention.

Thanks to all the members of the Republican Party who helped make this possible, and we look forward to participating further in the years to come!

Convention Politics: Day 2 in the Big D

It was our second day at the convention and, as we would learn, things would unfold a bit differently than the day before. There was more entertainment, but more actual work, too, and that led to some discord in the party ranks–but, thankfully, not among the Walker County delegation, who remained pleasant even when disagreeing on policy issues.

For the first order of convention business, we gathered inside the Senatorial District 5 meeting room. Here, the delegates would vote on state party leaders: State Party Chairman, State Party Vice chairman, State Executive Chairman, and State Executive Chairwoman. After the delegate seating process was finished, with a delegate count of 248, it was then permissible to commence voting and declare nominees for the different positions.

Two nominations for state party chairman were made, one for Jared Woodfill and a competing one to keep Tom Mechler. After the ballots were distributed to each county chair and the delegates gave their vote, it was time for the Senatorial Caucus chairman to announce the winner of this caucus. The rules, however, are a bit more complicated. The vote isn’t to actually see who wins, but to see if candidates can achieve a minimum needed to be nominated from the floor of the convention. The minimum, as it turns out, is to achieve 20% of the overall delegate vote of all Senatorial Caucuses or to actually win three of the 31 caucuses.

As it turned out, Mechler won our caucus. In fact, as we would learn later in the day, he won almost all the caucuses and he would handily defeat Woodfill as Chair of the Republican Party of Texas.

Before we got to the floor, however, the delegates received a rewarding speech delivered by U.S. Senator John Cornyn. His delivery included his opinion on how the party is to keep strong in the upcoming years and received strong support from the crowd.

This powerful delivery was all the more special for we were able to briefly meet with the Senator, a meeting that we were grateful for.

Following our meeting with Senator Cornyn, nominations began for Vice Chair, a process that yielded Kathy Adams and Amy Clark. The delegates then voted 51 to 216 in favor of Clark. This, too, augured well for Clark who went on to win easily in the other Caucuses. Mike McCloskey won the nomination for District 5 Executive Chairman with a 216 majority vote and Nida Davidson won the nomination for District 5 Executive Chairwoman uncontested.

During the convention we came across the opportunity to become an Abbott University graduate. Names can be deceiving, however, for the program consisted of two 45 minute courses ( as opposed to the traditional 4 years). The classes offered in the program were structured to educate its attendants on how to utilize modern tools of communication and efficient organizational skills to run a successful campaign. Alex and Karla attended organization building session…

…and Kaitlyn, Brian and Megan attended the social media class.

While organization building was a class to help expand an organization and mobilize resources to maximize influence, social media would help us learn about amplifying messages and maximizing reach with conservatives on the most effective social networks.

One of my (Karla) favorite pieces of advice during the class was “ask and shut up”. It is similar to the salesman’s mantra of to stop speaking after the sale is made, but I never realized how much of a difference this can make. This is the best way to ask for a commitment from a volunteer, sponsor, or a voter. We also got plenty of advice for one-on-one meetings, including tips on how to make a personal connection during meetings. To achieve a personal level the first thing that is needed is to begin with our personal story, then the other person will most likely proceed to telling their story, in which case we can listen and better understand the person with whom we are communicating. After this, we can “ask the question and shut up” and hopefully get a commitment from them that will help us towards our goal to expand and mobilize resources.

Once we had all shared our different learning experiences over lunch, it was time for more action at the Third General Session. The Second General Session was postponed and combined with the third due to committee meetings running behind. However, the Third General Session was by far the most interesting session!

It began with business from the second session–approval of the committee updates. This included the Report of the Permanent Chair, Adoption of Agenda & Supplemental Rules, Report of the Permanent Organization Committee (on which Professor Yawn served), Report of the Permanent State Nominating Committee, and Presentation of Incoming State Republican Executive Committee Members. This portion of the meeting was quick and easy, although the Rules portion got a bit acrimonious.

Not, however, as acrimonious as the policy platform debates! Many Republicans were passionate about their principles and beliefs and they expressed that by debating for or against certain planks.

The planks varied from educational and judicial power to issues such as abortion. The most heated of the debates was on whether to secede from the US, an issue that is a trifle bizarre to us. The whole secession thing has pretty much been settled. But parties are made up of diverse elements, and the zealous of these elements tend to be the ones who go to convention. The entire discussion not only included debate, but the opportunity to amend each of the amendments–all 266.

It was a long process, however, the LEAP Ambassadors were grateful to have attended Parliamentary Procedures Process training and it was easy to differentiate those who attended and those who did not. Those who did not attend, in my opinion, prolonged the process because they had to verify the rules frequently and were “out of order” many times.

It was also beneficial to us because we followed the meeting fairly well and enjoyed ourselves.

We did not expect to see the heated debates in the session, but it was both interesting and entertaining. After much debate, there was a majority vote to end all debate (which many were ecstatic about; others were very unhappy about) on the entire platform, which then allowed us to participate in the first-ever use of Scantron voting for each plank in the platform.

Even though it took us a while to read through all 266 planks and vote, we felt pride in preforming our delegate duties.

I think the LEAP Ambassadors took a lot away from today. The session really showed the spectrum of issues and the varying level of support for both the sensible and strange policies that had been proposed.

Once we were all finished voting, we took a short drive from the convention center through downtown Dallas where Governor Abbott hosted his tailgate on a parking garage rooftop overlooking the city. Upon our arrival we were presented with our Abbott University Diplomas and directed upstairs. Blake Roach, (one of our favorite JF/LEAP Alums), who works as Governor Abbott’s advance man, welcomed us shortly after we arrived.

He explained his responsibilities as an Advance Man and his experience working with the Texas Legislature. Blake was nice enough to introduce us to Audrey Abbott, the First Daughter of Texas.

Audrey_Abbott_LEAP_Ambassadors — Karla, Megan, Audrey, Alex, Brian, and Kaitlyn

She is now a college sophomore, so we had many things in common. Well, other than the fact that her dad is the Governor of Texas, of course! She was personable and easy to talk to. She told us about what her experience as the first daughter of Texas has been like and let us know that Governor Abbott had actually filmed a campaign advertisement in the same parking garage two years ago during his campaign for Governor!

And after eating Texas BBQ for dinner…

we were welcomed by Governor Abbott himself!

On this one, though, Ryan Brim already had us beat, having met the Governor earlier in the day.

It was a great event and fun way to end an eventful day. Knowing we would be back early tomorrow morning, we hurried home to get some rest before our final day of the State Convention.

Intermediate Grassroots Politics: Election Day

Often, we hear politicians talk about revolutions that must start on the grassroots level, but most of us either do not know what that means, think its political jargon, or we wonder if it means the people holding signs and handing out pamphlets in front of the voting office door. To find out the meaning of grassroots for ourselves, we (Alex, Megan, Austin, Brittany, Bella, Casey, Jessica, Christina, Alex, Jasmine, and Bryan) took part in various election-day roles.

On March 1^st, one of the biggest elections days nationwide with eleven states holding their primaries, I rushed from my class in Huntsville all the way to Conroe, where I was stationed outside Greystone Hills Community polling center, a neighborhood along I-45. Surprisingly, I soon found out that there are rules to what exactly can be handed out to voters and the very important rule that there has to be a 200 ft. arc around the door that we had to stay out of while speaking with potential voters. Within the first hour, I learned the ritual I was to adhere to in order to successfully distribute our message.

The strategy was a friendly smile, a good-natured tone, a confident voice, and the ability to anticipate both welcoming and not-so friendly reactions from the voters. We quickly learned that when it comes to politics, people will show their true emotions. Essentially, this meant getting accustomed to hearing “no” and other negative feedback when approaching voters with pamphlets, or voter guides, about certain candidates. For Austin Campbell, he claimed that the hardest “no” he received came from a senior citizen lady who decided to let him know how she not only did not like the candidate whose pamphlet he was trying to give to her, but also how she strongly did not approve of the parking situation. Austin said it was one of the hardest tongue-lashings he had ever received, including his years as a football player. However in my experience this negativity of some voters did not deter me from continuing my task with the positive energy that I had started the morning with.

“In all, I was glad I volunteered on primary election day. I had the opportunity to participate in yet another part of our political process. I admired the will of every day citizens to spend time from their busy schedules to exercise one of the most valuable rights of our democratic nation .” –Austin Campbell

We’d like to thank the many campaigns, workers and candidates that gave us advice, training, and this opportunity.

For Megan Chapa and Bella Abril, it was also a long and exciting day, albeit one that unfolded in a different location. They were both election clerks at the Walker County Annex. They were not just thrown to work on Election Day; the two attended trainings leading up to their electoral duties.

The polls opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m. so they committed half a day to serving Walker County. Their duties included checking people in, handing out ballots, securing the voting grounds, redirecting folks who were at the wrong voting poll, and working with the election judge at the end of the night to count and turn in votes.

Following her long day, Chapa summarized her experiences, “Election day was really hectic! We ran out of ballots halfway through and we had to help our election judge get new ballots for the voters. But it was a great experience, and even as Political Science majors, we learned so much. It is a hands-on democratic workshop.”

As the thirteen-hour day came to an end, the LEAP Ambssador team decided to reflect on their day at an Election Day party with the other Ambassadors, Professor Mike Yawn and Former Mayor Woodward and Mrs. Woodward. As the local and state level election results from early voting were gradually released, we passed time by sharing our experiences of working at the polls. For Alex, Austin, and I, we shared our continuous rushing from voter to voter that left our feet sore and blistered. As for Megan, she shared her experience as a poll worker and the range of voters whom she had to assist. Even though some of the ambassadors were unable to participate in this political process, they got to witness the toll of this tiresome day in our weary expressions and captivating anecdotes. Soon we knew who had won the various Walker County government positions that were up for election and Ted Cruz’s victory in Texas.

The ambassadors felt really good about the work they did, and the role that they played in the political process. Although the day was long, it was an amazing experience to see what exactly grassroots politics was all about and how it could impact communities.

This point was driven home repeatedly in our experiences, but perhaps most impactfully by the election returns. One candidate in Walker County made a runoff by only two votes, reminding us of the importance of campaign get out the vote efforts and of accurate, professional poll workers.

Reagan Dinner: Version 2.016

Following a busy day of classes and entertaining guests, we looked forward to a similarly busy evening of entertaining guests and ourselves at the Reagan Dinner. LEAP Ambassadors arrived early to help greet guests as they arrived and escort them to their seats. Because we had a large slate of volunteers, we also had the chance to socialize with each other, something that happens less than you might expect.During the reception, hosted by the Walker County Republican Women, we had the opportunity to spend more time with the guest of honor, Ambassador Chase Untermeyer, and with many community members. Among the guests were County Judge Pierce, Judge Sorenson, Congressman Brady, County Chair Linda McKenzie, WCRW President Terry Stivers, and numerous others who are currently running for local office.

It was at this time that many LEAP Ambassadors took the opportunity to have Ambassador Untermeyer sign our books. He gladly agreed and discussed his book eagerly with us. How Important People Act: Behaving Yourself in Public gave us many pointers on how to act when we are in the spotlight, no matter how big or small. Ambassador Untermeyer speaks from years of experience from multiple levels of government. Ambassador Untermeyer worked under multiple Republican presidents, including Ronald Reagan, making him a perfect speaker for the Reagan Dinner.

In that book, he notes that your actions should be appropriate for the occasion. He noted, for example, that a President should not take a selfie at a funeral. At a festive occasion such as this dinner, however, there are no such prohibitions:

Once the invocation and the pledge of allegiance was given, dinner began. Students were fortunate enough to sit with a variety of respected individuals such as: Ambassador Untermeyer; State Representative Candidate Wesley Hinch; Tenth Court of appeals Chief Justice Tom Gray; Field Representative for Dr. Schwertner, Hayden Paul; John McManners; and Mac and Leanne Woodward.

U.S. Representative Congressman Brady spoke for a few moments about his new position as the Ways and Means Committee Chairman and his plans with committee. He also thanked the LEAP Center for their work in Walker County! It was a real honor for the Ambassadors to be recognized by our U.S. State Representative.

Next, Professor Yawn introduced Ambassador Untermeyer for the keynote address of the evening. Ambassador Untermeyer outlined the qualities President Reagan utilized in the White House to be a successful leader of a divided house.

First, his optimism allowed him to focus on much more of the positives rather than the negatives. He also used courage and compromise to get bills passed in Congress. According to Ambassador Untermeyer, President Reagan was not afraid to reach across the aisle in order to promote cooperation between parties. He encouraged our current elected officials to do the same. The final quality Ambassador Untermeyer discussed was President Reagan’s sense of humor at the proper time. His ability to be lighthearted is vastly different from the politics of today. Following Untermeyer’s speech, one of the Ambassadors noted, “I wish all candidates shared those views.” It was a sentiment we all shared.

Ambassador Untermeyer observed all of these qualities while working as Reagan’s appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Ambassador Untermeyer’s years of experience provided the audience much insight into who President Reagan was. With President Reagan’s birthday approaching, The Reagan Dinner was a wonderful way to commemorate President Reagan’s legacy.

Concluding the evening, LEAP Ambassadors utilized the opportunity to take pictures with some of our favorite community members and elected officials.

Thank you to the Republican Party of Walker County for hosting a wonderful evening and for allowing the LEAP Ambassadors the opportunity to participate in the evening. We enjoyed ourselves immensely.

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Also, thank you to Ambassador Untermeyer for spending the day in Huntsville and speaking at the Reagan Dinner!

Christmas Giving

As the semester concluded, what better way to celebrate than volunteering for the Walker County Republican Women’s Christmas Party! Hosted at Dr. and Mrs. Deahl’s home, the party provided the opportunity for (Republican) members of LEAP to socialize and reminisce about the year while enjoying an array of tasty treats. LEAP ambassadors served as greeters as the guests arrived, served punch, and replenished food throughout the night.

To add to the atmosphere, a jazz band played throughout the evening adding soft background music.

For the ambassadors who attended, it was wonderful to mingle with many elected officials and familiar faces throughout the evening. The main event occurred when the new officers for the Republican Women were sworn in for the upcoming year by County Court At Law Judge Tracy Sorenson: President- Ms. Terry Stivers, Vice President – Ms. Sally Kelly, Secretary- Ms. Carol Hayes, PAC Treasurer- Ms. Mert Gribble. As the party resumed, we took the opportunity for a few photos with the stunning Christmas tree.

Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Deahl for hosting the Christmas Party and to Ms. Stivers for inviting the LEAP Ambassadors to volunteer. We are thankful for the many opportunities to participate in Republican Women’s events throughout the year. Congratulations to the new officers for 2016 and Merry Christmas from the LEAP Ambassadors!

Students Explore Reagan Legacy

By Kaitlyn Tyra,

Although only an emerging Republican myself, I know that when Republicans have a chance to celebrate the legacy of Ronald Reagan, they will gather and celebrate. Not surprisingly, almost 200 students, local Republicans, and elected officials gathered last week for the annual Walker County Republican Party’s “Reagan Dinner,” to celebrate the legacy of the nation’s 40^th president.

The event, held at the Lowman Student Center Ballroom on SHSU’s campus, featured a three-course meal, posting of the colors by the Cadet Color Guard from the Civil Air Patrol Sam Houston Composite Squadron, fine fellowship, lively entertainment from SHSU’s Jazz Band, and speeches by Congressman Kevin Brady and Dr. Jon Taylor, Chair of the St. Thomas University Political Science Department.

It was perhaps appropriate that Dr. Taylor was the keynote speaker, inasmuch as the event provided a political and community education for the SHSU students on hand, including myself and other members of SHSU’s Center for Law, Engagement, And Politics. With our seats sponsored by Representative John Otto and Senator Charles Schwertner, we were able to converse with and learn from legislative staff.

We also received a crash-course lesson on local community leaders. Republican County Chair Linda McKenzie welcomed us and the many elected officials that were on hand. District Judge Don Kraemer gave the invocation. Justice of the Peace Mark Holt (Pct. 3) led the US and Texas pledges. County Court At Law Judge Tracy Sorensen sat with students, and provided insight on the duties of a newly-elected judge. Other local elected officials on hand included: 10^th Court of Appeals Justice Al Scoggins, District Judge Hal Ridley, County Judge Danny Pierce, District Attorney David Weeks, Sheriff Clint McRae, Tax-Assessor Collector Diana McRae, County Clerk Kari French, Justice of the Peace Janie Farris (Pct. 1), Justice of the Peace Mike Countz (Pct. 2), Justice of the Peace Stephen Cole (Pct. 4), and Constable Steve Hill (Pct. 3). For a group of students transplanted to SHSU, it was a welcome introduction to Walker County.

Walker_County_Elected_Officials — Walker County Elected Officials (Melanie Thibodeaux’s Great Photo!)

Congressman Kevin Brady provided a thorough update on the US Legislature, particularizing on the push to create middle-class jobs in the US and on Congress’s recently-passed legislation to allow for construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Dr. Taylor, while keeping with the national theme, focused on Reagan’s Republican legacy and, especially, “his optimism, his utter faith in this nation and her people, and his belief that our best days…are always ahead of us.”

For students in their late teens and early 20s, it was an appealing message and an appealing evening. It was an evening filled with lessons on President Reagan, the responsibilities of elected officials, and enjoyable conversations.

The LEAP Center at SHSU is a bipartisan organization offering unique learning opportunities related to fine arts, history, civil rights, literature and, in particular, law, engagement, and politics. The students recently attended an event sponsored by the Harris County Democratic Party featuring Sissy Farenthold and former Governor Mark White, and will be touring Little Rock, Arkansas this week, with stops at Little Rock Central High, the Douglas MacArthur Museum of Military History, the Clinton Presidential Library and The Old Mill, the last surviving set of Gone With the Wind.

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