{"id":965,"date":"2024-07-09T18:36:35","date_gmt":"2024-07-09T18:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wyomingtraining.com\/subject-matter-minute-blog\/?p=965"},"modified":"2024-07-09T20:15:58","modified_gmt":"2024-07-09T20:15:58","slug":"subject-matter-minute-episode-68-tour-the-capitol-the-peoples-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wyomingtraining.com\/subject-matter-minute-blog\/subject-matter-minute-episode-68-tour-the-capitol-the-peoples-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Subject Matter Minute, Episode #68 – Tour The Capitol: The “People’s House”"},"content":{"rendered":"

The below post is taken from the Video Blog, the Subject Matter Minute. You can view the episode on YouTube if you would like. Find it here: Episode #68 – Tour The Capitol: The “People’s House”<\/a><\/p>\n

If YouTube is blocked for you or your agency, you can scroll to the bottom of this post to view it from Google Drive. (I would prefer you view it on YouTube, so I know how many people have watched)<\/p>\n

You can also listen to an audio version<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hello and welcome to another Subject Matter Minute. I\u2019m Matt Nagy, thanks a ton for watching!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a long time since we last spoke! I\u2019ve been struggling to get info from a few subject matter experts, and since nothing seemed to be coming together, I\u2019ve decided to do a little bit of a promotional episode.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before I dive into that, I threw out a teaser about there being a big change at the Nagy household last episode, so I figure I\u2019d better fill you in. It may not be that big of a deal to ya\u2019ll, but it certainly is around here. My wife has retired from Dental Hygiene after 30 years and has taken on the role of the Executive Director for the Wyoming Dental Association. The main reason I was so eager to talk about it was because it is a fully remote job. If you recall, her last hygiene job was actually in Steamboat, so she has gone from commuting there to no commute whatsoever. So now the two upstairs rooms are our offices. I can roll over to the door to see my wife. That might terrify some of you, but it seems to be working well for us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not perfect for Tanna, as she went from working 3 days a week, to working full time (for the same money, might I add), and this new job had absolutely no onboarding as there were several short-term ED\u2019s that flamed out quickly and left things messy. But I think this job is right up her ally and she will kill it. She\u2019s very social and very organized and very smart\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway, that\u2019s the big change! I\u2019m very excited about the potential flexibility that two remote jobs gives us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alright, I said that this is a bit of a promotional episode. But no one told me to do this. A few weeks ago, I was in Cheyenne helping my wife with her big Wyoming Dental Association conference, and since we found a little downtime, I suggested touring the Capitol. Tanna was only mildly interested, but now I can\u2019t seem to get her to stop talking about it. Today, I want to convince you to take a look too. (music)<\/p>\n

Before I get started, I would like to thank Riana Davidson, who is the Visitor Services Manager at the capitol. She is this episode\u2019s subject matter expert. Thanks Riana for helping me out!<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be honest, I felt a bit like a tourist doing a touristy thing. But it was well worth the zero dollars we spent to do it. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

The building is amazing. I\u2019m fairly certain I was in there before the renovation, but I don\u2019t remember what it was like. In fact, I am certain that I was there because I got in with some other A&I employees and got to go to the dome area and write a little something on the wall. I can\u2019t remember what I wrote, (I probably took a picture of it) but it was really cool to see hundreds of signatures and writings that were already there. Unfortunately, that\u2019s not part of the self-guided\u00a0 tour, or any tour now. People really aren\u2019t allowed in there any more for safety reasons. So, I guess I\u2019m special. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

It seems the renovation went well, as everything is basically perfect in that building. The woodwork, the tile, the stained glass windows, the furniture\u2026 it\u2019s all very impressive. It\u2019s hard to miss that the building is also immaculate. Incredibly clean and tidy. Same with the grounds outside. Shout out to the A&I custodians and grounds crews who are responsible for this.<\/p>\n

Ok, so I\u2019m getting older, so of course I\u2019m also getting more interested in history and they have an online video, banners and touchscreens with that sort of information throughout the building.<\/p>\n

A little bit of background on the Capitol , and while I\u2019m giving it, I\u2019ll give you a little slide show. (show images)<\/p>\n

Apparently the Wyoming Capitol is one of only 20 state capitols designated as a National Historic Landmark and with a history that dates back to 1888, the Wyoming Capitol is definitely one of the most significant buildings in the state.<\/p>\n

One of the highlights is the room on the second floor where the Constitutional Convention was held in 1889. A large part of the convention debate focused on women\u2019s suffrage, a right Wyoming women had held in the territory since 1869. In that room, they drafted the the Wyoming\u00a0 constitution that recognizes all members of the human race as equal and protects rights for all, regardless of sex or race, making Wyoming the first state in the country to affirm a women\u2019s right to vote, hold office, and sit on juries.<\/p>\n

The stuff that I find the most interesting, personally, are the stories about the restoration details. Like carefully removing paint in order to reveal the original designs or art. There are several \u201cvaults\u201d (which are like a big thick safe) that were restored to the original condition. They had art on the front of each that was painted over at some point.<\/p>\n

Revealing skylights, taking down what was essentially drop ceilings, touching up and replicating the original intricate wall paintings\u2026 this was serious work. (not to mention all the infrastructure work) And that\u2019s why it took a while and several of the reasons that it was a large investment.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty unique that our capitol is as open to the public as it is\u2026 we have access to nearly the entire building. Again, I suggest everyone go take a look. Self-tour hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.- 5:30 p.m., and\u00a0 Saturdays 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.\u00a0 If you have a group of 10 or larger, guided tours are available.<\/p>\n

You can find more information in the show notes. I put a link to the tour video as well as some contact information. Check it out. Definitely watch the video.<\/p>\n

Okay, that\u2019s it for today! Since Tanna works from home now, I\u2019m pretty much her IT guy and I think she is in need of some help, so I\u2019ll see ya next time\u2026<\/p>\n