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The Boca Raton Tribune C O M M U N I T Y

Public Invited to Spirited RoofClaim.com Boc a Raton Pep Rally Featuring 350+ Band Members, Spirit Squads and Team Mascots, Rocky the Rocket and Sparky the Eagle

This year the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl teams will not only battle it out on the football fi eld, University of Toledo’s 120-member band and Liberty University’s 250-member band will go head-to-head in the bowl game’s fi rstever joint pep rally on Monday, December 19 at 6 p.m. Joining in the competition at the free and open-to-the-public event are the teams’ spirit squads with special guest appearances by Toledo’s Mascot Rocky the Rocket and Liberty’s Mascot Sparky the Eagle. The high-energy rally will be located at the Mizner Park Amphitheater at the north end of Mizner Park where plenty of free garage parking is available.

T he community, Toledo Rocket fans, Liberty Flames fans and all college football fans are invited to come out to cheer and get in the game spirit at the offi cial pep rally of Palm Beach County’s own sanctioned Bowl game. Hosted by the City of Boca Raton and Mizner Park Amphitheater on the night before the 2022 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, the live performances by the University of Toledo Marching Band and the Liberty University Spirit of the Mountain Marching Band will resonate community and team pride and excitement throughout the amphitheater.

“We encourage everyone to come early because you don’t want to miss a minute of the fanfare,” shared Doug Mosley, executive director of RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl. “It’s a great opportunity for our Palm Beach County community to roll out the redcarpet welcome for these visiting teams and their fans gathering in celebration of Boca’s annual holiday-timed Bowl tradition.” Attendees are encouraged to extend the fun by enjoying the spirit of the holidays throughout Mizner Park and Downtown Boca Raton that offers plenty of holiday lights, and a variety of dining, shopping, and entertainment options.

To purchase Bowl game tickets for the 2022 Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, and more infor mation on and game day parking, tailgate info, tent rentals, stadium policies, and more, visit RoofClaimBocaRatonBowl.com or follow through social media on Faceb o o k ( Fa c e b o o k . c o m / B o c a B ow l ) , Twitter (@BocaBowl), and Instagram (@BocaBowl).

PBSC President Ava Parker talks STEM educ ation at Urban League youth empowerment event

Palm Beach State College President Ava L. Parker, J.D., spoke on “The Future of STEM Education” as the keynote speaker at the Urban League of Palm Beach County’s 12th Annual Youth Empowerment Breakfast at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport.

Parker was introduced at the Dec. 7 breakfast by Leah St. Hilaire, a Suncoast High School and National Urban League Incentives To Excel & Succeed (NULITES) student.

Parker thanked the Urban League for its community support and focus on STEM education, noting that while STEM careers comprise the fastest growing employment sectors with the highest earning potential, African Americans and other minority groups are underrepresented in the fields, with the exception of health-related STEM occupations. She also noted that people of color only represent 5% of engineers and architects and 7% of those who have an occupation using computers.

“It used to be that a college degree was this great equalizer,” Parker said. “However, what often happens in minority communities is that a parent will have this feeling that if they give their child the opportunity for education, then they will have an opportunity for success. While that remains true, the goal post has moved just a little bit. It’s not just that you give them the education, but you really need to start thinking about what they major in and understand that a STEM education is the thing that provides this greater opportunity.”

Parker shared that PBSC is committed to solving these equity gaps in STEM education through a number of ways, including its Dr. Barbara Carey-Shuler Equity Institute.

Through the Institute, PBSC brings a research-based interdisciplinary approach to implement changes that will benefit students by solving the challenges and removing barriers that too often prevent minority students from completing their education.

“We start with college readiness and dual enrollment prog rams in the high schools and offer summer programs that expose students to college education and career pathways. By the time high school students complete the summer bridge program, they have a clear focus on their career goals and how to attain them.”

Parker also noted that according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs in STEM fields is projected to grow at double the rate of all other occupations. She pointed out that The Pew Research Center reports that the bulk of job gains in STEM occupations are projected to occur in two STEM clusters: Nearly 1 million new jobs are projected among healthcare practitioners and technicians, and roughly 600,000 among computer workers.

“This is important for us to keep in mind because one thing we do know is that our kids have figured out how to work every video game there is in town. So that means we know that that knowledge can be transitioned to a computer scientist if we just show them some computer scientists to emulate.”

Parker also discussed PBSC’s expansion of its STEM education through new partnerships like the $1 million Collaborative Cyber Pathway Project grant with the School District of Palm Beach County that allows PBSC to enhance technology instruction and resources in local high schools, as well as a new partnership with the University of Florida and several other colleges to share Ar tificial Intellig ence course materials and incorporate them into existing curriculum. For the teachers, community leaders and business leaders in attendance, Parker also shared her thoughts on how to inspire students to pursue STEM careers.

“We must educate them about the various occupations and the pathways to these fields, the outcomes such as earnings, and the benefits of lifelong professional development. We must identify successful individuals in these fields who look like our students to help students visualize themselves in a STEM career.”

Some examples Parker gave included Mark Dean, an African American computer scientist and engineer who shaped the future of personal computing as a lead engineer at IBM and Mae C. Jemison, an American Astronaut and physician who was the first African American woman admitted into NASA’s Astronaut Training Program.

Even though STEM jobs were the focus of Parker’s speech, she noted that any credential post high school matters.

“Any credential is going to ensure you economic mobility and that is something as leaders and educators in this community that we are most concerned about.”

Others who spoke at the event included Patrick Franklin, president and CEO of the ULPBC who gave opening and closing remarks; WPTV News Channel 5 anchor/ reporter Tania Rogers, who served as the mistress of ceremonies; and ULPBC Board of Directors Chairman Ricky Wade.

Franklin, who thanked Parker for speaking and supporting the Urban League’s mission, said, “Nothing else matters when it comes to the education of our kids, and we are going to really specialize in that area in 2023. Technology is going to bring us forward. Technology is the path, and we must do whatever we can to make sure our students are prepared to get to PBSC, FAU, UF and wherever else they may go, even Harvard. We can’t let our students go forward being afraid of math and science.”

A Florida-Inspired World Premiere, And Great Opera Arias

South Florida Symphony Orchestra’s (SFSO) 25th anniversary season continues to shine with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9, the world premiere of Ocklawaha by compose r - i n - r e s idence John G o t t s c h , and a selection of great opera arias from Puccini, Verdi, a n d L a r a . Led by Mus i c D i r e ctor Sebrina M a r í a A lfonso with guest soloists Catalina Cuervo, sop r a n o a n d G e r a r d o Ortega, tenor, the Masterworks programs are scheduled for 7:30 p.m., respectively, on January 24 at New World Center in Miami Beach, on January 25 at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale, and on January 26, opening the season at Tennessee Williams Theatre at The College of the Florida Keys in Key West.

“This rich and varied program aims to take our audiences on a musical journey,” said Alfonso. “Shostakovich opposed a totalitarian regime in his time delivering a neo-classical work that was considered more of a rebuke than a celebration of ultimate strength and power. His Ninth Symphony certainly resonates with what is presently happening in Ukraine, today. And, in Gottsch’s latest, he similarly reflects on the plight and culture of Native Americans. Finally, who can resist the sheer power of some of the world’s most beloved arias?”

Originally intended to be to a grandiose piece that would glorify Stalin’s regime and Russian victory over the Nazis in 1945, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 rendered a more complex, thoughtful and sometimes carefree composition. The composer was known for his resistance to the Soviet rule and his subversion tactics often promising to compose the piece the regime wanted while actually giving it something else.

SFSO’s composer-in-residence John Gottsch will present the world premiere of Ocklawaha. The Ocklawaha is a river originating in the lakes of central Florida and flowing north through some of the most mysterious, wild, and breathtakingly beautiful parts of the state. As a young boy, the composer traveled the Ocklawaha with his father, learning the history of the river and surrounding lakes, that brought to life on passing shores, the escaped slaves, Seminole warriors, and a Civil War battle. The musical narrative brings to life the storied struggles of Florida’s Native American ancestors through thoughtfully arranged orchestral movements.

John D. Gottsch was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and moved to Florida with his family, shortly thereafter. He spent his youth in the lake country of the Sunshine State traveling extensively and observing natural habitats. These explorations of Florida gave him an enduring love for its beauty and wildlife. He has been a lifelong composer and a number of his c o m p o s i tions reflect his deep app r e c i a t i o n of the outdoors. Last year, SFSO p r e m i e r e d the live perf o r m a n c e of Gottsch’s o r i g i n a l composition P r i n c e s s Yu r i e v s k aya, and in 2020,SFSO p r e m i e r e d Sunset, both of which were featured on Gottsch’s 2020 debut album released by Naxos Records, the world’s leading classical music label. SFSO also performed Gottsch’s Bagatelles for Violin & Piano as part of its Summer With the Symphony Series in June 2021. His piano suite, Homosassa, premiered in Palm Beach in 2020. His piano quintet, Maryland Hunt, premiered at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Washington, DC in 2018 and has been performed in Philadelphia, Vienna, Rotterdam and Baltimore. Gottsch, a full-time doctor, now splits his time between Baltimore and Key West.

In addition, the program includes with a selection of great opera arias performed by Catalina Cuervo, soprano, and Gerardo Ortega, tenor – Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro,” “Un Bel Dì, Vedremo,” and “O Soave Fanciulla,” Agustín Lara’s “Granada,” Verdi’s “La Donna è Mobile” and “Brindisi” (The Drinking Song from La Traviata).

“We are thrilled to bring these masterful works to our audiences,” said Jacqueline Lorber, president and CEO of South Florida Symphony Orchestra. “Coming off a sold-out holiday Messiah performance at The Parker, we’re energized to perform these pieces at our new home at Miami Beach’s renowned New World Center and we look forward to opening our season at the iconic Tennessee Williams Theatre in Key West where the Symphony first formed.”

Upcoming SFSO concerts include Brahms, Sibelius and Berlioz on February 15 and 18, an all Dvoák program on March 22, 23 and 25 and season closer Rachmaninoff and Bruckner on April 26.

Tickets for the Masterworks II program start at $15 for The Parker and $25 for New World Center and Tennessee Williams Theatre at The College of the Florida Keys. Season subscriptions are on sale, now, for performances at the Tennessee Williams Theatre, opening on January 28. Tickets may be purchased by visiting southfloridasymphony.org/2022-23-season or by calling (954) 522-8445.

For additional information, visit southfloridasymphony.org, call (954) 522-8445