I N D I A N A S TAT E M U S E U M A N D H I S T O R I C S I T E S
CROSSROADS EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER MAY 2022
SHARING
HISTORY
Above: Director of Security Tyriee Love
Many of you have had a chance to walk through the new Gallery One experience already. What you may not have seen yet is the section where we tell the stories of people and their personal collections. For our initial display, we will have a portion of Director of Security Tyriee Love’s G.I. Joe collection. The story behind his collection is this: When Tyriee was young, he lived in the West Calumet Complex – the projects – in East Chicago, Indiana. It was dangerous for kids to go outside and play, so his mother would buy him action figures to keep him busy indoors. “She wanted me to stay safe,” he says. “Plus, our house was religion-oriented, so it was best for me to stay in the house and avoid all of the distractions.” When he’d first get the action figure or vehicle, he would keep it in the box for about a week to preserve and showcase it for his friends. But after a while, the desire to play with the figure took over. He did keep the packaging and manuals, though. As a kid, G.I. Joe taught him strategy and organization. Tyriee is almost 50 now, and G.I. Joe means something different to him today. “Reflecting back, I know it was a
struggle for my mother,” he says. “She was working 2-3 jobs, and I know that the money probably wasn’t available, but she sacrificed to get me what I wanted. That’s more of the point why I still keep them. I don’t play with them anymore – and if I did, I wouldn’t tell you that, anyway. But it reminds me of the struggles we went through.” Tyriee’s mom has suffered from dementia for several years so, sadly, she won’t see her son’s collection displayed in the museum. “I’m just happy for the years that I had with her,” he says. “They were some pretty decent years. Not as many as I wanted, but …” Tyriee has worked for the museum and historic sites for 18 years (10 as an employee, eight as a contractor) and never vies for attention. He said he is both shocked and flattered to have his collection displayed in Gallery One. “I just want to be low key, do my job as best I can and go home,” he says. “But I’m agreeable to whatever the museum needs to be better.”
JUNE
ANNIVERSARIES
DANNY ROBERTS
DAVID WEAVER
DAMON LOWE
MEREDITH MCGOVERN
ELIZABETH SCOTT
GWEN JOHNSON
TRACI CROMWELL
HAYLEY WILSON
PEGGY FISHERKELLER
NICOLE RIFE
JOANNA HAHN
MARK JOHNSON
CARRIE MILLER
BRAD BAUTE
CRYSTAL NECESSARY
SHANNON CONWAY
Whitewater – 33 years
Collections – 21 years
Collections – 21 years
Collections – 21 years
Collections – 21 years
Levi and Catharine Coffin – 19 years
Membership – 16 years
Accounting – 16 years
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? WHY? Definitely fall. I enjoy distance running and doing the occasional half-marathon. Fall is the best time for that because the weather is cool and the trees are beautiful. Halloween is also a very big deal at our house.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: ABBY BROWN Abby Brown is an early childhood engagement specialist at the Indiana State Museum. She began working for the museum in September 2021. Abby can be found most of the time in Firefly Landing facilitating programs for our youngest visitors. She creates program plans for Toddler Time and special event days when Firefly Landing is open to the public for daily engagement. She lives in Indianapolis with her husband, Bart, son Michael (age 8, pictured) and dog Obi-Wan (age 1).
WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU IN YOUR CAREER? I have been fortunate to have a lot of opportunities in the early childhood field, but the times I have felt most inspired are when working directly with children and their families. Young children are in this amazing time of rapid development where they are acquiring new skills constantly. Trying to figure out how to tap into their enthusiasm and support that development is a huge motivator. When a family returns and says they tried something at home that they learned from us in class, that’s the most validating feedback you can receive.
Vincennes – 15 years
Collections – 15 years
Facilities Maintenance – 10 years
Education – 4 years
Education – 4 years
Facilities Maintenance – 1 year
Experience – 1 year
T.C. Steele – 1 year
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK TO READ? The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR ALONE TIME? Either streaming the terrible teen soaps of my youth or being obnoxiously obsessed with my Peloton. WHAT WAS THE BEST VACATION YOU EVER TOOK? I love vacationing around historic sites. Always in teacher mode, I usually create an itinerary with assigned reading and viewing for my family. This is generally received rather poorly. My favorite trip was probably to Poland and Germany.
SECURITY UPDATE
ISMHS ANNUAL SAFETY QUARTER
ARE YOU READY? New hire: What is a Code RED? ISMHS Security: A Code Red is a fire emergency, a situation in which fire may cause severe damage, injury or even death. New hire: What will happen when a Code Red occurs? ISMHS Security: 1. During a fire, a prerecorded emergency announcement with additional information concerning the precise location of the fire will be played over the PA system throughout the museum. 2. The emergency announcement will instruct all to evacuate the building. An ISMHS safety team leader assigned to your work area will safely instruct/escort staff and visitors to emergency exits and outside away from the building. 3. Once you have safely exited the museum building, please proceed to the White River Park Visitor Center located at 801 W. Washington St. 4. Please wait until an all-clear is issued by the ISMHS security department before returning to the building.
It’s time to enhance your knowledge of proper safety procedures. Workplace accidents, incidents and injuries almost always relate back to one common root cause: lack of proper safety training. Proper safety training doesn’t just help you and others remain compliant. Safety training helps employees gain an understanding of how to identify hazards and address them before any incidents occur. Read a conversation with a new employee learning about Safety Quarter below.
New hire: What is a Code BLUE? ISMHS Security: Code Blue refers to severe or inclement weather. New hire: What will happen when a Code Blue occurs? ISMHS Security: 1. A prerecorded emergency announcement will be made notifying visitors and staff of impending weather that will require everyone to safely proceed to the nearest tornado safe area. 2. An ISMHS safety team leader assigned to your work area will safely instruct/escort staff to the nearest emergency tornado safe area within the building. 3. If you are unable to locate a safety team leader, please proceed to areas nearest the innermost walls without windows and take cover. 4. Please wait until an all-clear is issued by the ISMHS security department before returning to your work area.
New hire: What are the safety procedures for a Code Black? ISMHS Security: 1. A prerecorded emergency announcement will be made notifying visitors and staff of a Code Black. The announcement will instruct you to remain in your current location and await further instructions. 2. Once informed of specific details by an ISMHS security representative, a safety team leader assigned to your work area will safely instruct/escort staff to the nearest civil disturbance/ active shooter emergency safe area. 3. If you are unable to locate a safety team leader, please await further instructions followed by the initial emergency announcement. DO NOT EVACUATE BUILDING UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY OR INSTRUCTED TO DO SO. 4. Please wait until an all-clear is issued by the ISMHS security department.
New hire: Lastly, Code Black…what is that? ISMHS Security: Code Black is a civil disturbance/active shooter and is an act of violence and disorder prejudicial to the public law and order. It includes violence, insurrections, unlawful obstructions or assemblages, or other disorders prejudicial to public law and order.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS TO SAVE Security Non-Emergency 317.234.2454 | Security Emergency 317.234.2455 | After-Hours Security Mobile 317.509.5396
MOTHER’S DAY
TEA TIME AT GENE STRATTON-PORTER STATE HISTORIC SITE
Guests celebrated Mother's Day in the beautiful gardens designed by Gene Stratton-Porter herself. They enjoyed a traditional high tea lunch while learning about the history of tea, different recipes and the reasons for teas from tea enthusiast Deb Stuart.
SHARE YOUR STORY IDEAS! Renee Bruck, manager of communication | 317.260.3506 | rbruck@indianamuseum.org