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CONTENTS features
49 40
49 SUPPORTING STUDENTS at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee By Ryan G. Van Cleave
36 NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS By Ryan G. Van Cleave
40 HIGH-FLYING FUN at Circus Summer Camp By Ryan G. Van Cleave
45 SO THAT’S WHAT TEACHERS DO ALL DAY... By Murray Devine
52 THE CROSS COLLEGE ALLIANCE Q & A Update By Ryan G. Van Cleave
ON THE COVER Illustration representing community in the time of COVID-19 by Darcy Kelly-Laviolette.
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SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2020
Morgan Stanley is proud to congratulate
Aimee D. Cogan, CFP®, CIMA® Named one of Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors Being named to Barron’s 2020 Top 1,200 Financial Advisor list is a testament to your experience, professionalism and dedication to your clients. Thank you for the work you do each day and for carrying forward the culture of excellence at our firm. The Bellwether Group at Morgan Stanley Aimee D. Cogan, CFP,® CIMA® Managing Director — Wealth Management Family Wealth Director Wealth Advisor 2 North Tamiami Trail, Suite 1100 Sarasota, FL 34236 941-363-8513 aimee.cogan@morganstanley.com advisor.morganstanley.com/the-bellwether-group
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP,® CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S. Source: Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors,” March 16, 2020, as identified by Barron’s magazine, using quantitative and qualitative criteria and selected from a pool of over 4,000 nominations. Advisors in the Top 1,200 Financial Advisors list have a minimum of seven years of financial services experience. Qualitative factors include, but are not limited to, compliance record and philanthropic work. Investment performance is not a criterion. The rating may not be representative of any one client’s experience and is not indicative of the financial advisor’s future performance. Neither Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC nor its Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors paid a fee to Barron’s in exchange for the rating. Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. © 2020 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.
CRC 2992552 03/20
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CONTENTS departments
59
INHEALTH
SOCIAL SCENE
18 THE LIST May Events Calendar
PHILANTHROPY
77
By Rebecca Cohen, M.D.
78
24 The COVID-19 Response Initiative By Sylvia Whitman
28 Artworks Anywhere and Everywhere Thanks to the Van Wezel Foundation By Sylvia Whitman
Finding Calm in Stressful Times What the “Tiger King” Taught Me About Health in America By Jill Morris, D.M.D
ARTS & CULTURE 66
BEST SEATS Performing Arts Calendar
69
GET INSPIRED Cultural happenings brought to you by the Arts & Cultural Alliance
ON THE TOWN
of Sarasota County
20 THE FIND Products in Bloom with May Flowers
59 SPOTLIGHT
71
By Gus Mollasis
64 EDUCATION MATTERS Sarasota Bay: A Living, Learning Laboratory By Ryan G. Van Cleave
4 Bookish Questions for 4 Book Lovers
Coping with COVID-19 A Real-Life Horror & Zombie Movie
LITERARY SCENE
74 81
By Ryan G. Van Cleave The Bonus “Quarantine Reading List” By Ryan G. Van Cleave LAUGHING MATTERS The One About Star Trek By Ryan G. Van Cleave
Be Informed Be Entertained Be SCENE
28 10
SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2020
scenesarasota.com
20
Click to View Featured Models
from the publisher
I
I CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING MORE APPROPRIATE TO COVER IN THIS ISSUE THAN THE FEEL-GOOD STORIES OF THE PEOPLE AND PROGRAMS THAT HAVE QUICKLY RISEN TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY DURING THESE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TIMES. And given that this issue is our education issue, and that Scene covers community philanthropy in every issue, we are delighted to help educate you on what is being done, who is doing and giving what, and how you can help your community get through this crisis faster, safer and stronger. Leading the way are Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Baranski Foundation who have teamed together to form the Covid-19 Response Initiative. They are answering the needs of several area nonprofits that are on the front lines of critical social services, and putting money quickly into the community. These two foundations collaborate weekly with four other local foundations—Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Patterson Foundation, Selby Foundation, and Manatee Community Foundation— to share information and coordinate solutions. With regard to who is considered “essential” at times like these, our teachers are among our most essential professionals. After reading Murray Devine’s article in this issue, perhaps we will all better recognize how important teachers are and give them the respect and honor they so deserve. Ryan Van Cleave shares stories about local people, businesses and organizations doing their part to meet our personal protection equipment needs. So many stories. So many things to feel good about in tough times. As for Sarasota Scene, we are experiencing tough times as well. I am sure we are not alone in the publishing world. With so many businesses forced to close, some advertisers have understandably dropped out of the next few issues since they don’t yet know what their financial future looks like over the next few months. Hence the much smaller size of this issue. We certainly hope this will remedy itself very soon, and that this 63-year community publication will weather this terrible storm. Sarasota Scene, like so many other businesses, was so strong before the Covid-19 disaster struck. To help get through this, Sarasota Scene has launched a digital marketing auction platform for local businesses. This online auction, Suncoast Find (found at SuncoastFind.com), gives local merchants, service providers, and cultural institutions a platform to attract customers, reduce marketing costs, and promote their products and services. There is no cost; simply an upfront commitment to participate. In these challenging times, businesses must work together to ensure the health and viability of the local economy. As we emerge from these challenges, it is important to have customers ready and primed to be those local consumers. Suncoast Find is a win, win, win initiative. The auction provides awesome deals for local consumers, and most importantly, a client acquisition tool for local businesses.
12
SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2020
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The auction starts at 9:00 a.m. each Thursdays and runs for a week, ending at 9 p.m. on the following Wednesday. SuncoastFind.com will feature packages from local spas, restaurants, golf and tennis clubs, specialty retailers, tour operators and over the coming months home, personal care, recreational and health-oriented items. Please sign up for our e-newsletter at SceneSarasota.com. All of us at Sarasota Scene remain steadfast in our support of the community, promoting the efforts of our partners whenever we can. In this issue and in our many e-newsletters, we highlight many virtual performances, lectures and classes from organizations such as The Ringling, Asolo Rep, Circus Sarasota, Sarasota Orchestra, Venice Theatre, Mote Marine and many others. We are also supporting in print and online the creative efforts of nonprofits such as SPARCC, Suncoast Blood Bank and others to fundraise through virtual outlets.
Perfect for those times when you don’t want or have time to cook but still crave something delicious. Morton’s kitchen offers an amazing array of gourmet entrees and comfort foods, all prepared from scratch and packaged to go. Save time, money and effort while savoring the city’s best take-out, hands down. Don’t miss our huge selection of freshly made salads too!
Please continue to participate in community support. I am sure you have seen signs around town encouraging support to feed the frontline workers or give blood at your nearest blood bank or donate to your favorite charity. Sarasota Scene was one of the first to sponsor Mattison’s Restaurant in its lead role for a program to create and distribute lunch boxes for our frontline heroes. Sarasota Memorial Hospital was one of the first distribution points, and since then we have seen many local businesses sponsor the program, with other frontline distribution points being added. Let’s remember that through these current hardships, we live in paradise. Sarasota, Venice, Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton and all our surrounding towns host a cultural, philanthropic and recreational community like no other in this country. Together we can be part of a powerful recovery. Continue to give to your favorite charities, buy your tickets for the 2020-21 season, follow through with your renovation plans, continue to be healthy, workout and eat well. And when we are let out of our shelters, remember why you came to Sarasota! Enjoy the SCENE! Sincerely, John
Serving the Sarasota area for over 50 years Historic Southside Village 1924 South Osprey Ave. Sarasota ∙ (941) 955-9856 MortonsMarket.com 14
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Please don’t hesitate to send me your comments—complimentary or otherwise. All are gratefully received. john@scenesarasota.com
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Did you hear?
Sea Turtle Baby Shower Hatchlings are on their way!
Locally Owned and Operated Since 1957 Vol. 63 No. 5
Publisher H John Knowles Executive Editor Julie A. Milton
Sea turtle nesting season is
May 1 - October 31
Account Executive Alysia De Maio Becky Bailey Art Director Darcy Kelly-Laviolette Marketing & Digital Content Director Jordan Kelly-Laviolette Distribution Mike Straffin Accounting Sally Bailey
Want to help?
We are in need of:
Contributing Writers Sue Cullen Jacqueline Miller Gus Mollasis Ryan G. Van Cleave Sylvia Whitman
Medium-sized
Dark colored
wide-bottom
towels, rags,
or t-shirts *
buckets
* big enough to cover the top of a bucket
Please drop-off items
at the hatchling station
Contributing & Social Photographer Nancy Guth Contributing Photographers Jordan Kelly-Laviolette Nicole Mausser Matthew Roback 1491 2nd St, Ste. D, Sarasota, FL 34236 941.365.1119 | Fax: 941.954.5067 | scenesarasota.com
on the left side of Mote's
Marine Mammal Center!
1599 Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, FL 34236
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SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2020
H John Knowles LLC, dba SCENE Magazine publishes 12 issues a year. Address editorial, advertising and circulation correspondence to the above address. Sufficient return postage and self-addressed, stamped envelope must accompany all manuscripts, artwork and photographs submitted if they are to be returned or acknowledged. Publisher assumes no responsibility for care of return of unsolicited materials. Subscription price: $12.95 per year, $19.95 for two years. All contents copyrighted. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
Homeowners Insurance • Auto Insurance • Renters Insurance • Commercial Property General Liability • Workers Compensation • Commercial Auto • Flood Insurance • Builders Risk Boat • Motorcycle • Recreational Vehicle • Travel • Jewelry • Equine & Pet We are a local Independent Agency and proudly represent many insurance companies. One size never fits all! Whether your goal is to save money or just make sure you are properly covered, we would love the opportunity to make sure you have the right coverage at the best price. We only partner with A-Rated Insurance Companies to give you the best quality and superior service! At Peeples Insurance, we have 2 locations and 12 team members ready to assist you.
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social SCENE
THE LIST PARTY PICS
scenesarasota.com
The LIST MAY 2020 EVENTS CALENDAR
This is how we define most events this month: VIRTUAL Meaning: not physically existing; carried out, accessed, or stored by means of a computer, especially over a network. Thank you to the many organizations who have made this possible because there would be little to do without these virtual events! If there is a non-virtual event listed, please make sure you connect first to make sure there have been no updates or changes to the schedule. Things are ever-changing during these challenging times.
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SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2020
May 1 – 27 » Sarasota Contemporary Dance Virtual Dance Classes $30/2 Weeks sarasotacontemporarydance.org
2 » JDRF Virtual Walk Singing of the national anthem, warm-ups, special announcements, family spotlights and more 9:00 a.m. Free | jdrf.org
Through May 3 » Sarasota Film Festival Virtual Film Festival sarasotafilmfestival.com
4 – 25 » Historic Spanish Point "Mondays with McCarthy" Video tour with Executive Director John McCarthy Free | facebook.com/HistoricSpanishPoint
O C P U
P L EA S E V IS IT W EB S IT ES F O R O F F ICI AL S TAT EM EN T S / U P D AT ES O N EV EN T S TATU S D U E T O C H A N GIN G C D C GU ID EL IN E S .
6 » Virtual Gallery Talks Suffragists and the Circus Ringling Museum Curator of Circus explores the intersection of the suffragist movement and the circus 1:00 p.m. Free w/ Membership | ringling.org
9 » The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature KidSpace on Zoom 10:30 a.m. Free | Facebook.com/bishopsciencefl
9 » The Ringling Virtual Family Tours Adventure through the Ringling collections 10:30 a.m. Free w/ Membership | ringling.org
13 » The Ringling Virtual Coffee with a Curator
14 » Out of Door Academy Banyan Ball 2020 Fox Field House 6:00 p.m. $350 | oda.edu
20 » The Ringling Virtual Gallery Talks Early Circus Prints in The Ringling Collection 1:00 p.m. Free w/ Membership | ringling.org
20 » Lunch in the Gardens Salvador Dalí: Gardens of the Mind Selby Botanical Gardens 11:00 a.m. $150 | selby.org
21 » Conservation Foundation
Christopher Jones explains his work on Community Book Club the upcoming exhibition Being Seen 10:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Free | conservationfoundation.com Free w/ Membership| ringling.org
14 » The Ringling Museum from Home Virtual Gallery Walk & Sign 5:00 p.m. Free w/ Membership | ringling.org
18 » Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe April Fools Fete: Jukebox Picnic Michael’s On East 6:00 p.m. $125 | westcoastblacktheatre.org
G N I M
s t n e ev
27 » The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature Stelliferous on Zoom 7:00 p.m. facebook.com/BishopScienceFL
27 » The Ringling Virtual Gallery Talks Memorials in the Collection Explore the ways various objects in the collection function as memorials Free w/ Membership | ringling.org
JUNE 1 – 14 | Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week Special pre-fixe lunch and dinner menus For participating restaurants: VisitSarasota.com/savor-sarasota/restaurants
JUNE 8 – JULY 3 | Selby Gardens Camp Lookout Summer Camp for Children Grades 1 - 5 9:00 a.m. Selby.org
JUNE 13 & 14 | 19th Annual St. Armands Circle Craft Festival 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Free Admission | artfestival.com/festivals
JUNE 20 | Tropical Nights: Roaring 20’s in 2020 Benefits Meals on Wheels Grove Ballroom 6:00 p.m. $200 | mealsonwheelsplus.org
JUNE 20 & 21 | 28th Annual Downtown Venice Craft Festival 220 Miami Ave W 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Free Admission | artfestivals.com/festivals
JUNE 26 – 28 | 36th Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival sarasotapowerboatgrandprix.org
1 The FIND SPRING IS IN BLOOM WITH THESE FLOWERY FINDS
2 3 20
SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2020
4
5 6
MAY 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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1. CHRISTINE MACKELLAR “DRAGON FLOWER GRANDIFLORA” Dramatic flower pendant designed in 18k yellow and green gold fused with oxidized sterling silver and a luminous freshwater pearl in the center. Optional Art $1750 | 941.587.6339 2. MUD PIE VASE 7” ceramic flower vase with spring phrases. Shelly’s Gift & Christmas Boutique $15 shellysgiftandchristmasboutique.com 3. ZIMMERMAN ZINNIA SCALLOP DRESS A playful linen mini dress with scalloped edges, signature blouson sleeves and floral placement print. Lotus Boutique $850 | lotussarasota.com 4. LARGE ROSE BOWL One-of-a-kind handmade French plaster bowl. Pecky $625 | peckysrq.com
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5. LAYLA FLORAL MIDI DRESS Yellow and blush floral pattern on woven material, ruffle top, adjustable spaghetti straps, and lining. Modern Soul Boutique $58 | modernsoulboutique.com 6. EMPREINTE SWIMSUIT One piece wireless bra-sized swimsuit with adjustable side ties. Sea Cup & Up $298 | 941-951-BRAS(2727)
Music Moves Us Sarasota Orchestra is connecting our community through music that sustains and inspires us. Until we can be together again, please join us online for our growing collection of video messages and music, concert recordings, and special items that represent our passion for great music.
www.SarasotaOrchestra.org/music-moves-us MAY 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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philanthropy philanthropy
The COVID-19 Response Initiative Two Foundations Team Up to Parry the Blow BY SYLVIA WHITMAN
The coronavirus has delivered its one-two punch hard and fast. A health crisis with an indeterminate timetable is creating an economic slump likely to linger for years. Local foundations immediately recognized that dire times require dramatic measures. “Typically, when we set up a disaster response, it’s for a quickhitting event like a hurricane,” says Mark Pritchett, CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “What we had in the box on the shelf wasn’t going to work. We had to think: what are the critically important things we can do to respond quickly to the community to address needs?” The answer was the Covid-19 Response Initiative, a partnership between Gulf Coast and the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation. Pritchett and his team realized that local nonprofits on the front lines of social service needed immediate support. The usual grant-and-loan process was going to take too much time, especially amidst the abrupt transition across the nation from workplaces to home offices connected online. So Pritchett rallied his board behind a nimble initiative and reached out to the Barancik Foundation. Within a day, Barancik CEO Teri A. Hansen cleared the proposal with her board and pledged $500,000 in matching funds. 24
SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2020
On March 24—little more than a week after President Trump declared a national emergency, with federal and local social distancing guidelines growing more rigorous—the two foundations announced their joint initiative. By April 7, they were reporting the first 11 grants. In health care, for instance, the initiative awarded CenterPlace Health $20,000 to continue primary care for the underserved and uninsured through virtual telehealth visits. To meet basic needs, Family Promise of South Sarasota County received $25,000 for rent assistance for low-income families who have recently overcome homelessness. On the financial front, as the economy continues to shed jobs, the Capital Good Fund has used $30,000 from the Covid-19 Response Initiative to launch a crisis relief loan program to protect families from predatory lenders. And to lighten the load on first responders, $40,000 has enabled the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County to provide free childcare to medical personnel, law enforcement officers, and fire fighters. Requests come in, suggestions go out, and money moves quickly into the community—far faster than in pre-virus times and far faster than the aid promised in the federal CARES Act. “This is not business as usual,” Pritchett says. The Covid-19 Response Initiative has rocketed to the top of Gulf Coast’s priority list.
philanthropy
GRANTS AWARDED BY
COVID-19 RESPONSE INITIATIVE THE POWER OF EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS The foundations’ wide and deeps roots in the community have made this extraordinary collaboration possible. According to Hansen, six local foundations—Barancik, Gulf Coast, The Patterson Foundation, Selby Foundation, Community Foundation of Sarasota County (CFSC), and Manatee Community Foundation—participate in a weekly phone call to pool information and coordinate response. For instance, by design, the Covid-19 Initiative bolsters nonprofits, complementing the Season of Sharing fund for individuals reactivated by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and CFSC. The particularly close ties between Gulf Coast and Barancik enabled the lightning launch of the shared initiative, a creative collaboration of community and private foundations. Hansen headed Gulf Coast for more than a dozen years, hiring Pritchett before joining the Barancik Foundation in 2015. “My DNA is in that organization. Its DNA is in me,” she says. The two CEOs understand each other. “Teri is very strategic,” says Pritchett. “She likes results quickly.” He knew that the plan to help vital agencies stay afloat— and retool their services to accommodate social distancing rules—would appeal to what Hansen calls her “systems focused” approach to philanthropy. The matching grant structure also made perfect sense. “Any time we can leverage our funds, we want to do that,” says Hansen. “People like that,” knowing their gift gets multiplied. Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s strong connections with its donors also kick-started the initiative. Pritchett phoned, emailed, and video-conferenced with potential funders, who fell into three camps. One group opened their wallets instantly. Another group needed to wait and see the financial fallout from the pandemic. A third group said they can’t even contemplate another request at this moment of overwhelming family and job stress. Pritchett says he appreciates all these positions. Major corporations, from FCCI Insurance Group to Truist Bank and Bank of America, have also stepped up—confident, says Pritchett, that Gulf Coast and Barancik Foundation know what the community needs and which nonprofits can deliver. Even in these difficult circumstances, the initiative will likely have distributed close to $1 million by the end of April.
$20,000
to CenterPlace Health to continue primary care for the underserved and uninsured through virtual telehealth
$25,000
to Family Promise of South Sarasota County for rent assistance for low-income families who have recently overecome homelessness
$30,000
Capital Good Fund to launch a crisis relief loan program to protect families from predatory lenders
$40,000
to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County to provide free childcare to medical personnel, law enforement officers, and fire fighters
Note: To date, the joint initiative has supported 32 grantees and together with their donors, provided $1.8 million in support to their community partners. This graphic lists merely a few.
MAY 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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“ philanthropy
Right now, the first goal is to make sure that nonprofits survive, figure out how to operate with social distancing, and redirect their services to those who need help most. Recovery comes next, and then economic rebuilding, which may take years. Finally, the trust between Gulf Coast and local nonprofits, built over years, means that money can move with minimal vetting and maximum efficiency during this emergency. Jon Thaxton, Senior Vice President for Community Investment at Gulf Coast, points to the foundation’s “very tight” relationship with All Faiths Food Bank. For five years, the foundation has helped underwrite the food bank’s successful summer feeding program, so it’s an easy pivot to support All Faiths as it delivers nutritious meals to kids locked down at home this spring without the same access to schools’ free and reduced-fee meals. THE ANGELS IN THE DETAILS The Covid-19 Response Initiative relies on open dialogue and an entrepreneurial model that “enables us to take some calculated risks—and be remarkably responsive in terms of time,” says Thaxton. As a result, the initiative can move beyond response to “a great deal of proactive engagement.”
Two staffers from Gulf Coast and two from Barancik Foundation evaluate requests for funding and pass them to the CEOs for a decision. “We can have an idea come in at 8 or 9 a.m. and have approval before 5 p.m., with checks being processed the very next day,” says Thaxton, half of Gulf Coast’s vetting squad. But the foundations, like the nonprofits they underwrite, have had to figure out new office procedures. “The logistics are pretty fascinating to watch,” says Thaxton. Thaxton likens the initiative to triage. Right now, the first goal is to make sure that nonprofits survive, figure out how to operate with social distancing, and redirect their services to those who need help most. Recovery comes next, and then economic rebuilding, which may take years. None of the problems Gulf Coast has been addressing is going away, and the sudden job loss in this pandemic may erase previous gains the foundation and its partners had achieved on longstanding community issues. 26
SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2020
Take homelessness, linked to this area’s high housing costs. “BC-19,” as Thaxton refers to pre-pandemic times, more than 60,000 Sarasota County households—about a third—spent more than 30% of their income on housing, an unsustainable amount over time. About 17,500 spent more than 50%. Most of those households were within $750 of losing the roof over their heads. For about six years, Gulf Coast has been investing in the creation of a homeless services network—for children and families, youth, and the chronically homeless adult population. The multi-agency efforts have succeeded in stabilizing some families, although parents often work two or three or even four jobs to make rent or mortgage payments—washing dishes, cleaning hotel rooms, and the like. The first economic casualty of the pandemic response? Service jobs. The coronavirus double-whammy is disproportionately hitting the region’s most vulnerable residents, adding urgency to the response. “Crisis—it’s all about resilience,” says Pritchett. Just as Gulf Coast Community Foundation has reconfigured fundraising and granting, the nonprofits in its network have to be agile and inventive to meet the novel demands created by this unexpected crisis. The Covid-19 Response Initiative plans to sustain these organizations through “the long slog ahead,” says Hansen, and to serve as a model for other foundations across the country. “Everything we do, we’d like to have it be replicable by others.” “Leaders take risks,” Pritchett told his motivated staff. “As we innovate, we’re going to make mistakes. We’ll learn as we go along. But we’re the leaders everyone is watching.”
Helping children and families at their most difficult times with innovative services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic
Locations in Sarasota and North Port Speech/language, occupational therapy & mental health services Starfish Academy preschool, VPK & summer camps (941) 371-8820
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Artworks Anywhere
CHERYL MENDELSON
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philanthropy
and Everywhere THANKS TO THE VAN WEZEL FOUNDATION BY SYLVIA WHITMAN Say Van Wezel, and most Gulf Coast residents think of a structure, the purple clamshell on Sarasota Bay. But since March 13, when Sarasota declared a citywide public health emergency and the performing arts center closed its doors to all but a skeletal maintenance crew, it’s the Van Wezel infrastructure that has moved to the fore. The city-owned Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the nonprofit Van Wezel Foundation have teamed up to meet the current needs of our community by launching Artworks Anywhere, a free online service for families, educators, and caregivers to extend learning at home. “As soon as the hall announced it had to close, the foundation felt strongly we needed to help the arts education department continue its work and deliver new content to students at home,” says Van Wezel Foundation CEO Cheryl Mendelson. Drawing on the foundation’s strength in developing infrastructure, the Van Wezel teams came up with Artworks Anywhere, creating “consistent video modules for teachers and parents to tap into and learn from home” and promoting and distributing them. “Everyone with an internet connection has access through YouTube,” says Mendelson, “which is an acceptable platform for school districts to do remote learning.” The campaign goal is for users to See Art, Create Art, Share Art using the #vanwezel and #ArtworksAnywhere hashtags— especially art they’ve created through the online lessons. One of the first modules, narrated by teaching artist Katelyn McKelley, guides students through designing a costume from household items. These online lessons help children use their imaginations and work as a team, all while promoting literacy and infusing children with creative ways to learn through the arts. Since 1987, the foundation has supported arts education and capital projects through $14 million in grants. In pre-pandemic
times, the hall’s programs enriched the lives of 30,000 local students per year at 176 schools across Sarasota, Manatee, Desoto, Charlotte, and Hillsborough counties. “It’s not just field trips,” says Mendelson, “but arts integration that inspires children to learn and seek new worlds.” In partnership with the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Van Wezel has trained teachers to use art in the classroom. Working with school districts, it has sponsored 15 family and literacy nights, mostly at Title 1 schools with large concentrations of low-income students this last year. Supported by the foundation, the hall’s teaching artists and education staff design curriculum-based activities for teachers, from language arts to science. Recent study guides for Charlotte’s Web, for instance, previewed vocabulary and suggested discussions about spider webs and egg sacs. But with this spring’s live performances of the E.B. White classic and other in-school and in-theater activities canceled, the Van Wezel’s education and community engagement department has pivoted. Together, the Van Wezel Hall and Foundation are also spearheading the Suncoast Arts REACH Task Force, a group of local arts organizations, school districts, and early learning coalitions. As schools extended spring breaks and then sent students online from home, the task force identified the community’s greatest needs and set out to curate and deliver quality content. “We looked at what we felt was most important and who has the infrastructure to reach the community,” says Mendelson. The group, which ranges from The Ringling to the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County to Embracing Our Differences, to name a few, and has posted an online calendar (bit.ly/artsREACHactivitycalendars) with suggested daily activities and vetted online resources. MAY 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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philanthropy
The task force “gathers” weekly on a zoom call. As needs shift, remote learning offerings will evolve. “We think it’s really important that we remain nimble,” says Mendelson. INSPIRING PEOPLE TO HANG ON Isolated at home and forced to pause, Americans are thinking, evaluating, and prioritizing, Mendelson says. They see musicians stepping onto porches and playing their violins, singers performing in cyberspace. People flick their lights in solidarity. Around the world, artists—many of them Van Wezel performers at one time or another—continue “to inspire people to have hope to hang on.” The foundation thanks donors for their continued support. “The hardest thing,” says Mendelson, “has been distancing. We are a high-touch industry. We see kids at a family performance; we see our donors in the hall.” Working remotely, the foundation staff has increased its communication—newsletters, phone calls, online updates. “People are thirsty for information,” she says. “We want to make sure that people are safe but continue to feel inspired.” Recruited from Chicago, where she led the Harris Theater in Millennium Park, Mendelson says her post-Covid-19 focus 30
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remains helping the foundation write the next chapter— growing the hall while building a new world-class performing arts center as part of The Bay park master plan. Although the pandemic has created a climate of uncertainty, “it’s been inspiring to see forward thinking and new partnerships and collaboration locally and globally,” she says. “It’s remarkable to see our better selves rise. When we come together with our best, that’s when things get done better, faster than anyone envisioned before. My greatest hope is on other side.” In the meantime, she imagines that kids in school online are learning about kindness and generosity of spirit. “We are excited to help play a role in keeping our teaching artists employed as well as making an investment in the teachers and educators whose expertise is critical in this time of crisis,” says Mendelson. “As we look to our future, one thing is certain: The arts are as relevant as ever in shaping the fabric of our lives.”
F O R M O RE INF O RM AT IO N
about Van Wezel Foundation, visit vwfoundation.org.
We hope to serve you very soon! When we can open again, your health and safety will be our top priority. Strict precautions will be put in place. Keep an eye out for updates and specials by signing up for our e-blasts at cafeleurope.net | 941.388.4415 | 431 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL
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at the university of south florida sarasota-manatee By Ryan G. Van Cleave
Every school at every level has the same challenge in the face of the coronavirus pandemic—what do they do to keep students safe while still maintaining educational deliverables? The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee is taking extra steps to ensure that the 2,100 students it serves have the support, resources, and opportunities they need to successfully complete their studies. One example of the “extra steps” occurred when Regional Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Success Brett Kemker, Ph.D., learned that students were experiencing challenges in connecting with faculty via email when they returned from Spring Break and shifted to full online course delivery, as mandated for all of Florida’s public colleges and universities. He immediately decided “the best thing our student success team could do was reach out to students personally by phone, just to check in and offer our support.” To no one’s surprise, he notes that, “the call-outs have been very well received.” Megan Dudley, a sophomore majoring in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, was one student who benefitted from the outreach efforts. “In my time as a student at USF Sarasota-Manatee, I’ve never felt more connected to a school than when I received the call from Student Services,” she said. “I was asked if I had any trouble adjusting and if they could be of assistance. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of concern they had for my academic success.” Before the call was over, Dudley was able to schedule a phone appointment with an academic advisor to prepare for summer and fall course registration. “This call made me very appreciative of the amount of support I received from USF Sarasota-Manatee. The Student Success team could not have been more helpful at a time like this.” USF Sarasota-Manatee was ready for the challenge of delivering courses remotely.
Prior to the start of the pandemic, around 50 percent of its courses were already being delivered online to better meet the varying needs of students’ busy schedules. Moving the remainder of those courses to fully online was far easier than for some schools that had few, if any, online courses already running. The quality of USF Sarasota-Manatee courses, too, remains high in both of its online-learning platforms: real-time synchronous instruction for live audio and video, and asynchronous instruction, which enables students to complete assignments at their own pace. “The collaboration across all of the USF campuses, among staff and faculty and here on this campus, has been tremendous,” E-Learning Services Associate Director Timi Hager said. “I think everyone feels we’re all in this together. It’s been inspiring.” Hager has been instrumental in strengthening the campus’ E-Learning Services office that provides a certification program, Quality Matters, to help faculty incorporate best practices into their course work, including the use of interactive lessons and video presentations. Clara Villanueva, USF Sarasota-Manatee’s Associate Director of Development, notes that “it has been extraordinary to witness the USF Sarasota-Manatee community mobilize and pivot the spring semester to 100 percent virtual instruction, and I am particularly humbled by the efforts of
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our academic leaders as they provide extra care for the safety and well-being of our students and staff.” More than that is happening, though. Because so many USF Sarasota-Manatee students remain in the area after earning their degrees, it makes sense that many now comprise the healthcare providers, teachers, hospitality workers, and military veterans in our community. Some USFSM student veterans have been called back into active reservist duty, while other students are working overtime shifts on the front lines to care for the increasing number of COVID-19 patients.
“
We take great pride in being a closeknit community at USF SarasotaManatee, where we all work together to enhance our community through the power of education and a commitment to helping others. This will not change
Other USF Sarasota-Manatee students are experiencing the challenges of the stay-at-home mandate in different ways. Compared to typical college students—many of whom might be riding out this situation at their parents’ homes—some USF Sarasota-Manatee students are more likely to have their own households to support. Due to the shutdown of local restaurants and other businesses, quite a few of those families are facing unemployment, which means many could struggle to afford their continuing studies. To put it plainly, economic and food insecurity are becoming real and growing issues.
during these challenging times. In fact,
But USF Sarasota-Manatee realizes that, and is acting. On March 30, they opened a new food pantry on campus to
—DR. KAREN HOLBROOK USFSM Regional Chancellor
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our spirit of community and helping each other has been on full display during this pandemic and is one of the reasons we will emerge from this stronger than ever.
address food insecurity among some students. The “Support-A-Bull Pantry” will be sustained by campus donations and the Sarasota-based All Faiths Food Bank, which will provide non-perishable items. At the same time, a special and separate appeal is being made to USF SarasotaManatee faculty and staff to support the pantry and other student programs through monetary donations during the annual Faculty and Staff giving campaign, which runs through July. Villanueva adds that for anyone who is interested in helping, the USF SarasotaManatee campus has established two funds: the Support-A-Bull Food Pantry Fund and the Stay the Course Scholarship, which provides emergency relief for students facing financial hardship. “Should you wish to make a tax-deductible gift,” she says, “please call The Office of Advancement at University of South Florida SarasotaManatee at 941-359-4603.” “We take great pride in being a closeknit community at USF SarasotaManatee, where we all work together to enhance our community through the power of education and a commitment to helping others,” said USF SarasotaManatee Regional Chancellor Karen Holbrook. “This will not change during these challenging times. In fact, our spirit of community and helping each other has been on full display during this pandemic and is one of the reasons we will emerge from this stronger than ever.” From USF Sarasota-Manatee, we’ve come to expect nothing less. For more information on the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, please visit www.sar.usfsm.edu or call 941.359.4603. MAY 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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Neighbors Helping
As a magazine writer, it’s a profound challenge to write about anything these days except the Big Thing Happening That’s Affecting Everyone—COVID-19. Well, that’s what this piece is actually about. In this article, we’re going to examine how in the face of this huge global challenge, people, businesses, organizations, and schools are pulling together to support one another like never before. Who’d ever have thought that HBO content might sneak out from behind their impenetrable HBO NOW paywall? But it did, and now we can use the app to freely watch The Sopranos, The Wire, True Blood, and a select other series, as well as documentaries and movies like my dad’s favorite, Forget Paris. Plus, beer giant Anheuser-Busch is moving beyond offering their normal product line to make hand sanitizer. They’re working
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with distributors to ensure the 8-ounce bottles consisting of 80% alcohol antiseptic solution get into the hands that need them most. On the side of every somewhat-beer-can-shaped bottle is this tagline: “It’s all in our hands to make a difference.” But it’s not just wide-reaching national companies that are trying to make a difference. We’ve got plenty of similarly awesome things happening right here in our own community. Take, for example, the Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab. As a community hub of innovation, it made perfect sense for them to step up and mobilize the community in support of healthcare workers during this unprecedented time of need. As Marketing and Communications Director Jenn Sams notes, “With laser cutters, 3D printers and other stateof-the-art equipment, plus assistance from 150+ volunteers,
Neighbors
By Ryan G. Van Cleave
we have been able to expedite the production of face masks and face shields to augment a global shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).” For those of you who think that 3D printers were solely for making polyhedral dice to play Dungeons & Dragons, think again! Sams adds that “we are committed to making a difference in the lives of the healthcare heroes who are fighting every day to protect our community. To date, over 5,000 face mask and shield requests have been submitted by assisted living facilities, nursing homes, healthcare non-profits and others in need. Distributions have been made to the Lung Associates of Sarasota, Robert Toale and Sons Funeral Home and the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota’s First Responders program with more on the way.” While the Fab Lab project was initially designed to support secondary healthcare workers, a new frontline need has since emerged. To meet that need, they’re working closely with Sarasota Memorial Hospital to develop an advanced face shield that’s specifically designed to better protect both doctors and patients. How’s that for awesome?
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“What I mostly see is what I’ve outlined—people helping each other simply because we’re neighbors and it’s the right thing to do, even in the face of stress and worry over the ongoing pandemic.”
State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, too, is doing their part. For one thing, they donated unused supplies from their nursing program at all three campuses to Manatee Memorial Hospital and Venice Regional Bayfront Health. That meant these facilities received thousands of masks, isolation gowns, and exam and sterile gloves. Matt Connell, Dean of Nursing and Health Professions, says, “Our faculty were eager to help local healthcare providers serve our community. And we know our students would be proud.” What most don’t know is that SCF president Dr. Carol Probstfeld is a master sewer, and to help out, she’s been making masks, too. Her husband, Bill, cuts the fabric, and she works them into more critically needed masks. Talk about a tag team that makes a difference! To date, they’ve handmade and given out more than four dozen masks. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office staff and inmates are also making masks—nearly 100 a day. In a news release, Sheriff Rick Wells said, “We looked at the material we had in our uniform production shop and decided why not make masks for first responders and other workers on the front lines?” Most of those masks have gone to the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center, but Wells reports that he’d like to donate more masks to people working in grocery stores beyond the 100 masks they’ve already given to workers at the Palmetto Winn-Dixie and Detwiler’s Farm Market. The Ringling, too, is helping out. Their Conservation Lab is donating N95 masks, gloves, Hazmat suits, and booties to Sarasota Memorial Hospital. They even uploaded “Art Chat with a Nurse” on April 1, where Sarasota nurse Dan Brooks talked about the Bernardo Strozzi painting “Act of Mercy: Giving Drink to the Thirsty” while also talking about what it’s like to be a healthcare professional while the coronavirus is still an issue. But what about those who need a hand in their own lives? Well, there’s the Second Chance-Last Opportunity food pantry that recently gave away
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100+ meals at their facility on Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Dixie Avenue. SCLO founder April Gasco reports that once she receives enough donations to assemble complete meals, she’ll host more food giveaways. The Manatee School District realizes that some of their students will experience food scarcity during these times, so they’ve got a Free Meals for Kids program running daily at various community sites, such as the Parrish YMCA, East Migrant Head Start, and Rubonia Community Center. Monday through Friday from 11:00am – 1:00pm at any of their community sites, any car that pulls up that has a child in it can have a Quick Grab ‘n Go lunch for that day and a breakfast for tomorrow, but a child MUST be in the car to receive it. Yes, it’s possible to read Yahoo headlines and see where some bozo is in hot water for purposefully coughing on others “as a joke” and a group of people are being arrested for ignoring social distancing mandates by throwing a pool party. While we might have a little of that here, what I mostly see is what I’ve outlined—people helping each other simply because we’re neighbors and it’s the right thing to do, even in the face of stress and worry over the ongoing pandemic. Stay strong, Sarasota. And keep making us proud.
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High-Flying
Fun
at Circus Summer Camp By Ryan G. Van Cleave • Photography by Cliff Roles
Founded in 1997 under a different name, The Circus Arts Conservatory is a notfor-profit organization that has a three-part mission: advance the amazing legacy and heritage of the circus; use the circus arts to improve the life of people in care facilities; and engage and educate students using truly unique and innovative learning programs. That last goal, in particular, might be most important because they’re not only creating the potential circus performers of tomorrow, but the vital circus-loving audiences, too. To that end, the Conservatory runs a Big-Top-packing circus summer camp where the fun never seems to stop. Instead of having adults, teachers, or Sarasota Scene contributing writers try to explain it, though, we’re going to let camp participants tell you all about it in their own words instead. 4400
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Lilly Harris Fifth grader from Atlanta, GA Two-year circus summer camp participant
H o w did yo u f irs t learn abo u t th e s u mmer circu s camp?
My aunt from Florida found it online, and it sounded really cool! W h at’s th e mo s t s u rpris in g ta ke away f ro m yo u r camp experien ce?
I made a lot of new friends in Sarasota. Plus, there were so many fun activities and great counselors to work with. Is th ere a s in gle ex perien ce f r o m camp th at s tan ds o u t in yo u r mind? W h at is it an d w h y do es it s t a nd o u t?
How amazing the counselors from Sailor Circus are—that they’re actually willing to help with the acts we choose. They care so much. W h at’s th e mo s t impo rtan t t h ing peo ple s h o u ld kn o w o r u n de r s ta nd abo u t th e circu s in gen eral, a nd/o r th e circu s s u mmer camp in s pe c if ic ?
That the circus is not just for people who already want to do it—everyone will want to do it once they try. I like that I learn new things every day, and we get to show our family everything we learned at the end. I feel like I’m actually part of a real circus! Th ree w o rds th at des cribe the c ir c u s s u mmer camp?
Fun. Exciting. Educational.
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Teagan Allen High school senior at New Gate Montessori School Three-year circus summer camper Long-time Sailor Circus Academy student Ho w d i d y o u f i r st l earn ab out t he circus summe r c a m p ?
My friend was in Sailor Circus at the time and I loved coming to see the shows. I wanted to somehow get involved, so I heard about summer camp and thought that it was the perfect avenue into the circus world. What ’s t he m o st su r p rising t akeaway from yo u r c am p e x p e r i e nce?
While being a camp counselor, I was surprised to learn how much you can bond with kids in the span of one week. Doing circus with kids quickly bonds you Is th e r e a si n g l e ex p e rience from cam p t hat stan d s o u t i n y o u r m ind? What is it and why doe s i t sta nd o ut?
Honestly, after every showcase is the best feeling— those are the moments that stick out to me. After the kids and coaches work tirelessly all week, it’s so rewarding to see all that hard work come into fruition on Friday. 4422
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W h at’s th e mo s t impo rtan t th in g peo ple s h o u ld kn o w o r u n ders tan d abo u t th e circu s in gen eral, an d/o r th e circu s s u mmer camp in s pecific?
The camp and circus, in general, are a great alternative to traditional competition sports. The pressure for kids to do well in sports can often make the activity no longer fun. In the circus, you are motivated not through competition, but through the desire to entertain and do well for yourself.I’m actually part of a real circus! Th ree w o rds th at des cribe th e circu s s u mmer camp?
Fun. Challenging. Rewarding.
Sophia Riesen High school sophomore (homeschooled + dual enrollment at SCF) Two-year circus summer camper (2015-2017) H o w did yo u f irs t learn abo u t th e circu s s u mme r c a mp ?
We had just moved to Florida, and my mom found out about it through Facebook. Once she told me about it, I was extremely intrigued. Since I was little, I have always loved the circus and everything about it. From the clowns to the aerialists, it all amazed me each time I went to a circus. So, when the chance came to experience a little bit of that myself, I was elated. W h at’s th e mo s t s u rpris in g takeaway fro m yo u r c a mp experien ce?
I went into my first summer camp experience not knowing how I was going to do or what to expect. During the many summers I did the camp, I took away something that will benefit me the rest of my life, which is just because something may feel impossible, that doesn’t mean it is. If you give up on it, then yes, it will be impossible. But if you practice and try again and again, it can become the easiest thing ever. Is th ere a s in gle ex perien ce f ro m camp th at s tan ds o u t in yo u r min d? W h at is it an d w h y do es it s tan d o u t?
One experience that really stands out for me is when I did silks one year. We got to try doing some drops one day and after that, doing drops was all I wanted to do. My favorite part was getting to perform and actually show off the drops I had been working so hard on. Hearing the crowd gasp as I let go and was caught by the silk was one of the most exhilarating feelings ever. I felt like I was flying—it was as if I was floating for that split second. Wh at’s th e mo s t impo rtan t th in g peo ple s h o u ld kno w or u n ders tan d abo u t th e circu s in gen eral, an d/o r th e circu s s u mmer camp in s pecific?
Circus is unlike anything else. There is nowhere else you can go to flip and fly through the air, or balance on top of someone’s shoulders. It can be challenging, but it is so rewarding. Getting to perform and surprise the audience with the things you have worked so hard to be able to do is the best part. T hree w o rds th at des cribe th e circu s s u mmer ca mp ?
Rewarding. Exhilarating. Unforgettable.
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ReCODE Your Brain for Optimal Mental Performance If you or a loved one suffers from cognitive decline—or want to prevent it—there is reason to hope. Neurologist Dr. Julio Cantero of the Center for Brain Health is offering the ReCODE protocol. The protocol is based on 30 years of breakthrough research by internationally renowned UCLA neuroscientist Dr. Dale Bredesen.
The ReCODE protocol has been shown to reverse cognitive decline in many patients with early stage Alzheimer’s disease. Working in collaboration with Dr. Bredesen’s Apollo Health team and under the guidance of the ReCODE team of neuroscientists, Dr. Julio Cantero of the Center for Brain Health is offering the ReCODE protocol locally. An Observational Study and the Brain Tune-Up program hone in on metabolic and other parameters that impact cognitive decline. Personalized treatment plans are based on the results of in-depth testing of factors associated with cognitive decline. These include toxins, hormones, insulin resistance, systemic inflammation, nutrient depletion and genetics.
CALL NOW FOR MORE INFORMATION & SCHEDULE A PRIVATE CONSULTATION DR. JULIO CANTERO
Neurologist Intercoastal Medical Center
Center for Brain Health 5602 Marquesas Circle Sarasota, FL, 34233 941.556.9900 info@thecbh.com www.thecbh.com 44
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2020 Circus Summer Camp registration is continuing to fill up! In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, The CAC has added to their already rigorous health and safety protocols in their facilities as they prepare for the summer season. They’re working within the guidelines established by our local community and government to get CAC programs back on track at the earliest date that they can safely do so, and they’ll adjust camp offerings as needed to ensure the safety of all CAC staff, volunteers, and students. In the meantime, The CAC continues to do what they can to educate people and keep the circus arts alive. As their website currently claims, “You can’t come to the circus right now, so we are coming to you!” Enjoy the free videos and lessons you can currently find on CircusArts.org, and if you like what you see, consider trying out future classes and camps. They’d LOVE for you to come and discover the magic of the Big Top for yourself. For more information on The Circus Arts Conservatory, please visit www.circusarts.org or call 941.355.9335.
So THAT's wh at te a c h e r s Murray Devine
D
a ll da y . ..
by M u rray D e v i n e
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Much has been claimed about which professions are essential and which aren’t. On the morning of Monday, March 23rd, it took all of about five minutes for Sarasota County to come to a strong consensus that teachers were close to the top of the essential list. It was like a giant science experiment. The week after Spring Break, parents woke up to the reality that their daily routine was not returning to normal. With school campuses and childcare centers closed due to Covid-19, moms and dads around the country were suddenly thrust into the temporary role of their children’s primary educator for a week. The most flexible among them were able to adjust to workfrom-home schedules and find online resources for their kids. WEDU, PBS, and others provided televised curriculum and other virtual fieldtrips to help students continue to creatively engage in learning. For some, this change in routine was exciting and fun. For others, not so much. But no matter the experience, parents across the nation finally experienced first-hand what teachers do day in and day out. Not just for one or two children, but dozens at a time. This recognition comes at a time when teaching has lost its public respect as a noble profession. Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation benefactor Margie Barancik used to speak fondly of the Public Service Announcements that tried 46
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to recruit educators into the profession in the 1940s and 50s. They played in theatres before black-and-white superhero films, often portraying teachers as heroes themselves with their own capes and superpowers. It was these calls to action that inspired Margie to pursue a career in education; many others did the same. And why not? School teachers were treated with a healthy amount of respect and compensation their work. It was Margie’s love for teaching that inspired the Barancik Foundation to invest in educators. Since 2014, the foundation’s philanthropic efforts have directed more than $7 million into the Sarasota County school system. Much of this support with the primary goal of providing high-quality professional development for schoolteachers. “There’s a reason everyone remembers their favorite teacher,” says Teri A Hansen, President and CEO of Barancik Foundation. “Research shows that outside of family, teachers have the greatest influence on a child’s academic performance, moral character and future success. They can make all the difference in the world.” But in more recent years across the nation, school districts have struggled to recruit and retain educators. Fewer young people are choosing the profession, teachers are changing fields and
baby boomers are retiring. The cause? Many feel teachers just don’t get the love they used to. Riverview High School IB teacher and 2018 Sarasota County Teacher of the Year Es Swihart has lived through the culture shift. “When I first decided to go into teaching, I had a number of ‘god bless you’ moments from friends and family,” she recollects. But Swihart noticed around the time of the teacher strikes across the country in the 2010s that the public’s support for educators began to waiver. “Many felt that teachers were being ungrateful or greedy. That we are glorified babysitters. The usual snide remarks were ‘It must be nice to have summers off.’ The truth is, we don’t get paid for that time off.” In 2018, Barancik Foundation partnered with the Sarasota County School District to conduct a study on local teacher demand. The survey found that student population in the County is expected to increase over the next five years from 43,000 to nearly 46,500. The district will need to add 151 teachers to maintain the current student-teacher ratio of 17:1.
Es Sw iha rt
n te s Tr o y M o
“Our Board of Directors knew early on that the best way to impact a child was to provide their teacher with the best tools and training available,” says Hansen. “But the larger issue at hand was how to keep teachers in the classroom.” In partnership with the School District, the foundation launched a Teacher Retention | Recruitment initiative to explore ways to ensure the need was met. The program identifies volunteers, parents and District employees, already with their college degree, who demonstrate characteristics of a future teacher. The program helps with certification costs, provides career guidance, and helps future teachers navigate the application process. Cohorts dubbed “Emerging Educators” ensure that no new educator enters the classroom without a network of peer support. So far, a dozen teachers-to-be have completed the program and six have been placed in schools. One current participant is grateful for the opportunity. Troy Montes never thought he’d be a teacher, but his experience in the Peace Corps and raising his two children as a stay-at-home dad taught him he had the natural skillset. “I sort of happened into it,” he says. After his children were old enough, Montes thought it was time to get back into the workforce. He learned of an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) assistant position at Booker Middle School and applied. “My degree is in Spanish, and so I had the right requirements needed for the interview.” After three years in the position, Booker Middle’s principal Dr. LaShawn Frost acknowledged his abilities and encouraged MAY 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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"I'm doing my best to ensure my kids and students are still having fun and being themselves, because they're not learning if they don't feel safe and engaged."” —Michala Chipurnoi
him to pursue a full teaching certificate. She recommended the Emerging Educators program. “It was nice to be noticed that I was making a difference for my kids. I was accepted into the second Cohort of Emerging Educators, and they helped to pay for my schooling and certifications,” Montes says. He is currently waiting for the Department of Education to review his transcripts, and soon will be able to teach language and math classes for kindergarten through 12th grade. Barancik Foundation also employed another method to start recruiting teachers even earlier. An Educators Rising program was formed at a few local high schools. Teaching clubs were established to help build a community of support around high school students and find volunteer opportunities for them to instruct in middle and elementary schools as practice. “Our study found that most Sarasota teachers grew up here,” says Hansen. “The high school programs are creating a pipeline for future teachers by engaging with current teenagers who have an interest in education and staying in our region.” For now, some of that work is on pause. Public schools remain as a virtual learning institutes and teachers are dealing with a whole new world. Luckily, if anyone knows how to remain flexible, it’s teachers. They’re dealing with the same moments 48
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of joy and frustration that happen on any given day of class. Student’s strong personalities are shining through iPhones and webcams, just as they would in the classroom seat. Michala Chipurnoi, a 2nd grade teacher at Fruitville Elementary, juggles between her virtual instruction for students and facilitating check-ins and coaching calls with parents—all the while trying to keep her “Mom of the Year Award” by caring for her own two young children and husband at home. “I’m doing my best to ensure my kids and students are still having fun and being themselves, because they’re not learning if they don’t feel safe and engaged,” says Chipurnoi. “One of my students changed her name to Emelia the Flying Unicorn on the Zoom app, and I let the other students follow suit.” The necessity to shift education into the digital world will come with its pros and cons for teachers. As well as many lessons learned around its effectiveness. Many teachers stress that
while technology can help teach cognitive skills, it lacks the ability to foster social skills and emotional intelligence. Chipurnoi explains, “My kids love technology, they know how to use it better than I do. But what’s important in a regular learning environment is the social and emotional learning component. Students in a classroom learn to work as a team with me and each other. It’s about relationships, not technology. I worry what they’re missing out on right now.” In her free time, Swihart manages a blog (worthyselfedu. com), where she shares thoughts on teaching and building relationships with students. “Sitting across from my daughter on Day 4781 in this our era of Never Seeing Each Other Again, I am struck suddenly by total job security: Teachers will never be replaced by technology,” she writes. “Because, at its most basic level, technology is not really about people.” However, both teachers admit with laughter that Zoom provides one tool they lack in the classroom: a “mute all” button. If teachers didn’t already form strong personal relationships with their students before, they’re getting an even more indepth look into their students’ personal lives. Quite literally. Zoom video conferencing doesn’t afford much in the form of privacy, other than the zany virtual backgrounds some people can opt to use on their calls. What was often masked by the
uniformity and structure of classrooms walls, the Zoom video calls now offer a more realistic picture of the difference in equity of students’ households and family lives. “It sort of clarified everything we already knew was true before,” says Montes, who is doing virtual check-ins with the students and parents of Booker Middle’s ESOL program. “Some students just don’t have the same resources at home as much as other kids. Sometimes it’s just chaotic at home.” Swihart suggests the situation has highlighted what’s strong and what’s fragile in our society. “We’re seeing enormous amounts of strength in how the educational community cares about our students and their families,” she says, citing the District’s efforts to provide the proper technology and food assistance to those in need. “But so present right now is what’s hindering the ability for kids to engage in learning—poverty, trauma, abuse. But it’s not an educational problem, it’s a reality in our community that needs to be addressed beyond the classroom.” All three teachers brought up Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, citing that students are less likely to perform at their full potential if their basic needs are unmet. With the threat of a global pandemic and looming economic unrest, it’s no surprise that many feel stressed, unsafe and lack proper necessities at home. MAY 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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But what can parents do to help? The feedback is unanimous: just show a bit of extra love to your children. Chipurnoi explains that these times are scary enough for adults, and children are going through the same cycles of anxiety. It’s important to show kids that their loved ones are there for them Montes agrees. “Be patient with your child. That’s not just coming from the educator in me, that’s coming from the parent. The ABC’s can always be learned, grades can be made up, but trauma is hard to undo.” Swihart also stressed the importance of valuing your child’s feedback at home. “Give them a say in how you schedule time and approach rules and tasks. That might be the most compassionate thing you can do right now,” she states. In March, recognizing the vital mental health need for children, Sarasota County Schools in partnership with Barancik Foundation were able to incorporate Inner Explorer mindfulness training into students’ virtual curriculum. The national program, founded by Sarasota local Dr. Laura Bakosh, comes with 40 years of research proving the effectiveness of audio-guided meditation and stress reduction lessons. Daily practices teach students easy techniques to properly handle difficult emotions such as stress, anxiety, anger and more. The best part, parents and teachers can join in, too. To sign up, visit www.innerexplorer.org. While it’s unknown when campuses will open again, it’s clear that teachers’ hearts remain unchanged. They’re in it for their students, in and out of the classroom. This crisis has taught us a lot about the professionals in our society who wear metaphorical capes. When life returns to a new normal, and students are back in the classroom, our community would be wise to celebrate and thank our teachers for what they do for us. Let’s not let that feeling fade, we know we need them.
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CROSS COLLEGE ALLIANCE A Q&A Update By Ryan G. Van Cleave
The Cross College Alliance was created in 2017 by the presidents of five institutions—Ringling College of Art and Design, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, New College of Florida, The Ringling/FSU, and University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. The objective of the Alliance is to leverage the expertise and assets of the collective CCA institutions to enhance and differentiate the learning opportunities available to all students, the competitiveness of our region’s workforce and employers, the vibrancy of our economy, and the quality of life of our community. This happens through collaboration and smart, focused efforts. To find out a bit more about the CCA—including how things are going and what kind of effect COVID-19 has on it—let’s get the story directly from Linda de Mello, Manager of the CCA.
People like numbers. What kind of numbers can you provide to help us get a handle on the CCA? Collectively the 5 institutions: • enroll over 19,000 diverse students each year • offer 170 programs/certificates • graduate 3,300 students with associate, baccalaureate and graduate degrees annually • employ 440 full-time faculty, 2,200 staff and hundreds of part-time/adjunct faculty • engage in multiple strategic partnerships and collaborations with businesses, nonprofit and educational organizations; provide faculty consulting and research expertise, student interns and volunteers, and offer thousands of programs to advance our region’s economy and quality of life
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Together, we are a higher education collaborative that broadens educational experiences through unique but complementary programs, services and philosophies. This shared community cultivates the pursuit of knowledge and establishes our region as a destination for academic excellence.
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16,200 Students 19,000
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students
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I frequently have scheduled meetings with CCA teams and That’s impressive—I don’t think many people realize the community leaders and organizations, and then I return to my cumulative size and impact of CCA institutions. Where does office to work on projects and action items toward the end of the funding for the CCA actually come from? the day. As people leave the building, I can concentrate on It comes from the generosity of the Community Foundation getting to finish unanswered emails and completing writing of Sarasota County, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, The projects before finally stopping for the day. To my husband’s Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation, and the Manatee chagrin—given that he is our dinnerGraduates cook—I’m notorious for Community Foundation. In addition, each of the five CCA Certificates/A.S. Degrees Master’s Degrees 2017 “getting one more thing done” before leaving the office. member institutions also makes an annual contribution to support the operational costs. I’m responsible/accountable to all five CCA presidents. Since the CCA presidents didn’t choose to establish the CCA as a In a practical, day-to-day sense, what does the CCA do? 501c3/nonprofit organization—Ringling College serves as CCA’s Our ultimate way of working is to create a collaborative culture/ fiscal sponsor on behalf of all the CCA institutions (bless the state of mind/awareness/behavior that encourages faculty, staff, Ringling College business office/HR/advancement staff and and students to seek opportunities to collaborate, to share all CCA executive assistants). information and resources that enhance and differentiate the learning experiences and the management of resources provided I now know all the “bunny trails” to travel to each of the CCA by our CCA institutions for our students and our community. institutions in record time. I also have the advantage of having Simply to be more and do more by working smartly together. Visitors Full-time Faculty Full-time Employees Josephine Eisenberg as my part-time assistant who is a great partner, administrator, and project manager. And your role is to help encourage and support that? It’s actually much bigger and more strategic than that. My role is In all your experience with the CCA—you’ve been there a complex combination of organizing, being catalytic, being at since April 2018—what has surprised you the most? the hub of diverse efforts, supporting, originating, and building With all the demands on faculty and staff, and the limited diverse groups that accomplish a lot in a short period of time. resources they frequently have, that their commitment to A key service that I provide as Manager of the Alliance is to providing an exceptional education for students and helping assist community members, businesses, and organizations in crosscollegealliance.org students succeed is paramount. The recent transition by faculty more easily identifying and accessing the appropriate person/ members at all CCA institutions to online courses exemplifies office among the institutions. I also serve as a representative of this. The learning curve they all faced was phenomenal—yet the Alliance through my involvement in the region’s economic everyone pulled together with the assistance of fabulous staff and educational organizations and initiatives. to make courses available to students online in DAYS! What’s a typical day like for you? I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to collaborate As I have done most of my professional life…my day begins with these educators and to assist them. early as I drink my first cup of coffee and respond to emails.
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What’s one exciting CCA project that’s in the works? In 2019, an anonymous donor generously contributed funding to establish a paid summer internship program through the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The Environmental Discovery Awards Internship Program (EDAP) is designed to provide highly accomplished CCA students who have significant financial need with high quality environmental science focused paid internships in partnership with our region’s stellar environmental organizations and research faculty. Internships are so vital for student success. Agreed! And this summer, with the assistance of faculty and career services staff from our CCA institutions, we have doubled the number of organizations providing internships and tripled the number of student interns. We are in the process of investigating technological resources to provide the internships remotely in case COVID-19 directives make in-person internships impossible. The vision of the program’s donor and the cooperation of our environmental organizations, internship supervisors, and researchers in doing all they can to provide these internships for our students given the challenges is inspiring. Next summer we hope to replicate the processes we use for the Environmental Discovery summer internship program to encourage other industry-focused internship programs as well. Having a well-orchestrated, multiindustry, paid internship program to strategically engage CCA students in making meaningful contributions to our economy and our community is critical to our region’s competitiveness in developing and retaining these talented students for our regional workforce. Wow, that’s pretty amazing. But that’s looking forward. Let’s look backward. What’s one of the more successful projects that the CCA has already done? There are so many to choose from, but let’s go with the 2019 CCA Social Entrepreneurship Conference.
Espinosa—wanted to create a student-led Social Entrepreneurship Conference to bring together successful entrepreneurs who have made an impact in their communities with students who want to solve today’s challenges through social entrepreneurship. Their challenge was that they had never designed or produced a conference, and neither of them was a social entrepreneur. Emiliano said that people told him to contact CCA (me) for help. In early January 2019, we developed a project plan, and CCA partnered with the students to engage key constituencies with the expertise, networks, and funding needed to produce the conference. Career development professionals as well as faculty, staff, and students from all of the CCA institutions assisted Daniel and Emiliano in designing, marketing, and staffing the conference. The learning experience of developing a seed of an idea for a conference to an exceptionally well-designed and executed day-long multifaceted program was a transformative learning experience for Emiliano and Daniel. Students from CCA institutions and local high schools had the opportunity to work-one-on-one with business mentors to develop their business ideas. And our region’s entrepreneurs took great pride in sharing their experiences and knowledge with student participants and contributing to their future success. The feeling conveyed by the participating entrepreneurs was that these students are OUR community’s students. And everyone said, “let’s do this again!” I remember that conference. I shared information about it with all of my students and numerous private-sector colleagues. But that’s part of the issue here. I work at Ringling College and walk past your office there maybe three times a week, so I know what’s going on. People who don’t see you on a regular basis don’t always know what’s going on, or they have misinformed ideas.
Two students from New College—Daniel Schell and Emiliano
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What’s the most common misconception about the CCA? That the Alliance enables any student to enroll in courses at any of the CCA institutions without any money changing hands among the institutions. That’s the goal but it has been disappointing to fully realize it for all the students. Financial aid stipulations, academic policies and scheduling challenges are some of the obstacles. In addition, students who request to enroll in a course offered by another CCA institution do so on a space-available basis. Because of the increased enrollments at many of our CCA institutions, cross-college courses which are requested by CCA students are sometimes filled to capacity by the institution’s own students as the semester begins. We’re currently exploring other opportunities to provide students with increased access to high-demand courses by obtaining funding to offer additional CCA-designated sections of high-demand credit courses and specially designed weekend workshops at no cost for CCA students. That would be terrific since I know students at the other schools want courses from the creative writing major that I run, but we’re always at capacity due to the popularity of the classes and our faculty. Let’s wrap this up in a super-efficient manner. In three points or less, tell us why the CCA matters. Can do! 56
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1. Success in the 21st century can’t be achieved without highly effective partnerships and collaborations. CCA demonstrates how it can be done and done well. 2. The expertise and resources to facilitate the lifelong learning required to be continually relevant in a time of dynamic, continuous disruption requires all of us—including our CCA institutions and their leaders and faculty—to creatively embrace and leverage the power of partnerships. Again, CCA is a great model for this. 3. The capacity demonstrated by our CCA institutions in the midst of a crisis to transition in a matter of days to an almost total online environment is evidence that we can indeed think and act differently and thrive by leveraging our Alliance in the new normal.
For more information on the Cross College Alliance, please visit www.crosscollegealliance.org or contact Linda de Mello at ldemello@ringling.org.
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SPOTLIGHT
Coping with covid-19
A Real Life Horror & Zombie Movie By Gus Mollasis
MAY 2020 || SARASOTA SCENE MAY 2020 SARASOTA SCENE
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Alfie and Felix Ratner
Okay. I’m sure you’re with me on this one. You can watch Tiger King on Netflix just so many times while you’re holed up during this Covid-19 crisis. And while our beloved Sarasota Film Festival had to be delayed, and our thirst for good independent big screen films put on hold, two filmmakers and associates of the Sarasota Film Festival wanted to make sure the show would still go on—in their home and yours. Like many of us stuck inside, Paul and Petra Ratner were looking for new ways to connect with each other, their family, their community and their world. That’s when the idea came to them to make a zombie movie. “We came up with it as a family,” says Petra. But it was really our boys who influenced us.” “I don’t think we would have necessarily come up with zombies if our boys weren’t so into zombies,” says Paul.
up with a fresh idea that could involve the whole family and the whole world? During normal times, this high energy couple burns the candle at both ends, especially during the Sarasota Film Festival (SFF). Petra serves as the Director of Development and Events, and Paul serves as the Festival’s Managing Director. They were in the midst of finalizing last minute details for this year’s Festival when it was canceled (like every other event) until further notice. (SFF quickly organized the first-ever virtual festival which runs through May 3, 2020. For more info, visit sarasotafilmfestival.com.) Now, faced with a lot of time on their hands and bored children at home, the Ratners number one focus became finding creative ways to manage that time and come up with activities for themselves and their children. Advantage Ratners.
The boys are the Ratner’s two young sons—Felix, 10 and Alfie, 4—the driving forces behind creating the World’s Largest Zombie Movie. With their day jobs on hold just like everyone else, Petra and Paul had plenty of time to spend with their kids. The time was right. The times were wrong. What better time to come
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These two creatives are both used to coming up with new concepts and events, and working with children. And they came up with one really big idea. According to Paul, it started with the idea to do “some sort of filming together.” Thoughts evolved. What if they could
A story that in this case is cut up into various “edible zombie like parts’ to be digested and that will hopefully produce great films. And if doesn’t produce the next Walking Dead hit show or echo the brilliance of George Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead, then at least everyone had a good time making films together. A good time where the world’s kids collaborated to create and more importantly connect with each other by channeling their inner zombie.
engage other kids around the world to work on one big project—together—giving out assignments and ideas? The idea for “the world’s largest movie” was born. Taking on projects like this one wasn’t foreign to Petra and Paul. “We’ve worked on and organized various concepts for kids, like the 48 Hour Film Project in Prague, which we ran for 8 years,” says Paul. “By teaching kids at the film camps, we found that if you give them a part of the story to choose from, it works really well. It offers kids a choice and it allows them to focus. It helps the children not become overwhelmed with too many scenarios that often accompany the creative process.”
“There are roughly 30 different segments that are broken down into different categories. Zombie Action for example. Here we may see zombies fighting or attacking in the kitchen, or the bathroom, or in the garage,” says Paul. “Another experience the kids are really enjoying is filming it from the perspective of the zombies. Sometimes they are shooting it as confessional or as a diary, or from the point of view of those facing the challenges of living under zombie occupation.” Something we can all relate to today.
But a zombie movie? It really made perfect sense. With people sheltering in place, everyone was feeling like they were living in a zombie movie anyway. Still, pulling off a project like this takes a lot of coordination They started with a website where kids can register and used word of mouth and social media to spread the word. Kids are able to choose from one of the scenarios provided and choose to shoot a scene from their perspective right from their living room at home. Then the Ratners put it together to make the final films. The program is open to young filmmakers from around the world who will receive parts of the script and instructions. They’ll have a week to film that part of the story. The competition reminds everyone to stay safe at home and film work with the equipment, actors and props available to them at home— available tools like smartphones, tablets or laptops to help capture the story And as all filmmakers and even zombies know it all starts with a story.
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Austin Friesen and parents
And something both Philippe (Pippa) Schwimmer and her 10-year-old son Leo could relate to. When Pippa isn’t stuck at home, she helps run the Sarasota Trading Company in Burns Court. Leo attends Pine View School. With time on both their hands, this mother and son came into a great working relationship. “We did the make-up ourselves from stuff that we had around the house. It was really fun,” says Pippa. “From the scenarios, Leo chose zombies living their everyday life—shots and scenes of zombies playing chess and brushing their teeth. It was so much fun and helped take our minds off things. Playing another character makes you feel like you’re not stuck anymore.” Pippa Schwimmer says the time together also helped produce something else. “It gave us a real chance to bond. We always work well together. It gave us a chance to do things like cooking and arts and crafts. And there are a lot of things that Leo does that I don’t usually like—such as playing video games. But this was actually something that we could do together. It was a lot of fun.” On the future, who knows? “I think Leo liked making a film. I don’t know if he would be a behind the scenes kind of person like a cameraman or writer. It’s hard to know. But we both thought that putting the make-up on and being the zombie was easier than being yourself.”
Krebbs kids making zombieshirts
True words during these strange and difficult times.
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Submissions to the World’s Largest Zombie Movie are being accepted on an ongoing basis. So, don’t throw a Zombie-like tantrum if you weren’t one of the nearly 300 entrants who participated in the first wave. New chapters of assignments are being collected from participants from around the world. Just like there are always more zombies, there will be additional waves taking place and ongoing editing. You’ll get a chance to polish individual storylines, participate in community discussions, and share photos and videos about the movie. The parts filmed by young filmmakers are assembled by industry veterans to create chapter one which
Gus’s Talk Show Covid-19 Pick: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry Seinfeld
If you loved the show Seinfeld and or Curb Your Enthusiasm and have Netflix, watch this. The show, which started in 2012, is the perfect blend of pathos, comedy and history. Jerry takes you on a ride in a classic car with a great comedian—legends like a Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Don Rickles, Eddie Murphy or should run about an hour. The online reveal of part one of the World’s Largest Zombie Movie was May 1—exciting news for all those who feel a little confined at home living in zombielike times. May 1 is also the date for new registrants who will get another part of the script. The Ratners have found that even during these difficult times, while there are things that they all miss, there are many lessons and things to be grateful for. “I’m grateful to have this time with our children. That we can be with them every moment. For me it’s given us a break and maybe told us to slow down. Be grateful and appreciative for what we do have,” says Petra. Kids from all over the world from Kindergarten to 12th grade are invited to participate. There’s no cost and all you need to do to participate is have a good imagination and want to have some fun. It’s a great way to connect with new friends and families from around the world. And while the social distancing guidelines may keep us all apart, the World’s Largest Zombie Movie will do what great films always do—connect people through the power of filmmaking.
Jerry Lewis. What Seinfeld does here is not only genius, it is genuine. It is a great service to all those who love to laugh. He provides a history of comedy in the most casual and comfortable of ways. Ways we all miss today. Going for a ride with a friend, grabbing a cup of coffee and both laughing and crying together. But most of all connecting with each other and sharing a moment in time that may never come again. Simply, it’s a joy to watch. The highest form of entertainment! Bravo, Jerry! Thank you for being old school and for being so cool with your warm cups of coffee and conversation.
And that’s something that even Covid-19 can’t take away. For more info, visit worldslargestzombiemovie.com. MAY 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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Education MATTERS By Ryan G. Van Cleave
SARASOTA BAY: A LIVING, LEARNING LABORATORY Sarasota Bay—technically a subtropical coastal lagoon—is the biggest, deepest bay between Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor. Its boundaries extend from Bradenton and Bradenton Beach to Sarasota, Lido Key, and Longboat Key, and it’s one of twenty-eight estuaries in the US named by Congress as an estuary of “significant national significance.” Most, though, simply know it as the beautiful stretch of water adjacent to Marina Jack’s, past the piers outside the Van Wezel, or off the Italian marble deck of the Ca d’Zan. What most don’t realize is that those same waters are teeming with scientific potential. Few know that as well as former Mote scientist and current Associate Professor of Biology at New College, Professor Jayne Gardiner. “I used to work right across the bay and had many field projects underway,” she notes. But she started teaching part-time at New College and fell in love with the caliber of students. When a full-time job became available in 2014, she immediately applied. “The
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students there are just so keen to learn. Eagerness like that makes things exciting for a teacher.” What Gardiner realizes is that the Sarasota Bay serves as a living laboratory situated right there in New College’s backyard. “Or maybe it’s the front yard,” she says with a laugh, since the college does kind of face the bay. That means the students have firsthand knowledge of marine issues. When we experienced the recent red tide issue, they witnessed dead animals washing up on the shore. When algae blooms happen, they know about them. It’s well documented that an effective way to engage students in science is to do place-based research, meaning to explore issues pertinent to one’s immediate geography. Enter Sarasota Bay and its challenges and opportunities. With her science classes being no larger than 24—and lab classes often being much smaller than that—she’s able to gather an entire class and take them out in the back and participate in ongoing research. “I’m able to design lessons that are inquiry-based,” she says, “which are so much better than going to a lab textbook, carrying on a canned experiment with an expected outcome. I take them out in the bay and ask questions about what’s happening locally. They’re able to then design their own educational experiences.”
“I’m able to design lessons that are inquiry-based, which are so much better than going to a lab textbook, carrying on a canned experiment with an expected outcome. I take them out in the bay and ask questions about what’s happening locally. They’re able to then design their own educational experiences.” —JAYNE GARDINER One of the happiest accidents—scientifically speaking—came about as a result of red tide. A senior had a thesis project going where she examined at the bay’s nursery habitat for blacktip sharks. Surprisingly, nobody had yet done a lot in terms of looking at sharks and rays in the bay, so that information remained relatively unknown. Since students often build on the research of former projects, another student did a thesis project on those same sharks with an eye toward where they’re spending time—evidence suggests it’s the northern part of the bay. But then red tide comes and kills all the tagged sharks, so the student was no longer getting data on how sharks were using the habitat. “Her initial impression was that this was game over,” says Gardiner. “But then we pivoted. She continued to do monthly sampling to see what species were still present, and then document the dramatic decrease in sharks and rays during the red tide event.” Gardiner also serves as Director of Pritzker Marine Biology Research Center—New College’s own marine research center that houses a wide range of local organisms, from fish to invertebrates to plants. When Gardiner teaches in that building’s classroom, if she’s talking about how fish swim by discussing specific dorsal fin movements, she can just point and say, “Look right there.” But as convenient and helpful as that is, it’s not the same as doing hands-on research on the water. That’s why New College has their own research boat. It’s broad, far wider than most, which provides a stable platform that’s very useful for doing calm shore-water activities. “I can take a big group out at one time—16, which is the size of a lab class,” explains Gardiner. “But I usually split the class in half. Once you factor in having animals on the deck, it can get a bit crowded.”
species that anyone has looked at, evidence suggests that the same animals are coming back over and over again to the same place to give birth to their young. For some species in areas outside of Sarasota Bay, the females are coming to the same areas in which they were born themselves. It’s incredibly cool.” But HOW are they finding their way back to those same spots? That’s the question at the heart of that research. There’s evidence that sea turtles use of the Earth’s magnetic fields to navigate over long distances, but the same level of evidence doesn’t exist for fish and sharks. Gardiner was recently able to demonstrate that sharks use smell cues over the short range, but the long-range cues are still unknown. Gardiner says, “I’m building a case for this area being a very good spot to study these things.” The value of having a nearby body of water can’t be overstated, she explains. At many colleges and universities, marine research happens at a field station, which is often quite far from the main campus. For example, the University of Florida’s marine lab is in St. Augustine—75+ miles from the main campus in Gainesville. At most schools with a distance situation such as this, it can mean that students interested in marine science choose to undertake an entire semester at the lab because commuting for individual classes just isn’t viable. At New College, though, anyone can take marine science and have hands-on experiences in the aquarium-filled classroom at the Pritzker or right out on the bay. “The Sarasota Bay is incredibly important to our community,” says Gardiner. “And not just for its large economic impact and recreational value.”
F O R M O R E IN F O R M AT IO N
New College students help with some of Gardiner’s own research as well, which examines the nursery habitats of coastal sharks, as well as investigates their sensory biology. “In just about any
on New College of Florida, please visit www.ncf.edu or call 941.487.5000.
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Best SEATS PERFORMING ARTS CALENDAR WHILE THERE AREN’T MANY THEATER SEATS TO BE HAD RIGHT
941.306.1200 / artistseriesconerts.org Cuarteto Tanguero Historic Asolo Theater (Please check website for potential cancellation update) A world chamber music group and Billboard World Music Top Ten award winner that transcends cultural boundaries with its fresh, innovative spin on classic tango artists and recordings. May 23 – 24
NOW, TAKE A COMFORTABLE
ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE
SEAT AT HOME AND ENJOY THE
941.351.8000 / asolorep.org Engage: On Air Radio content hosted by Associate Artistic Director, Celine Rosenthal. The program features weekly guests including Asolo Rep staff and the world class artists they work with. Listeners can find Asolo Rep’s Engage at 96.5 LPFM, Wednesdays at 6PM or online. Live stream link: wslr.org/wslr-popup-player May 6 – 27
VIRTUAL PERFORMANCES AND CLASSES PRESENTED BY SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS.
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THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY 941.355.9805 / circusarts.org CAC Connects – Circus Arts in Healthcare Weekly Broadcast New online platform designed to bring Performance, Training, Education & Outreach into the community in a new, innovative way. CAC’s coaches are putting on live online classes & prerecorded training sessions to keep your body moving and your brain socializing. May 5 – 19
KEY CHORALE 941.921.4845 / keychorale.org Come Together Choir: Online Choral Rehearsal Key Chorale’s online choral experience that will allow you to keep singing throughout this crisis. New rehearsals will premier each Thursday at 2PM and then be available afterwards on Key Chorale’s YouTube channel to watch again. May 7 – 28
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THE RINGLING 941.359.5700 / ringling.org Performance Picks Digital performance offerings available to you at home. Providing a wide array of performances, artist talks and virtual exhibitions from current programs and archives. Link for more information: ringling.org/digital-performance-picks
SARASOTA ORCHESTRA 941.953.4252 / sarasotaorchestra.org Music that Moves Us Campaign of ‘social distancing’ friendly engagement is starting with video vignettes from Sarasota Orchestra musicians. May 5 – 26
VENICE THEATRE 941.488.1115 / venicetheatre.org Venice Theatre Story Time Kelly and Terrance the Technical Theatre Toucan bring you greetings from VT and a new story via zoom. Every Wednesday at 8PM. May 7 – 28
Pamela Chapman, D.O., believes that every woman has a story that is worthy of being heard.
Functional Medicine helps with: • Digestion • Fatigue • Detoxification • Women’s Health • Stress • Heart Health Take the FREE online health assessment and schedule a discovery call with Dr. Chapman to review your health concerns
941.202.2106 • soulfulrestoration.com 5861 Cortez Rd W, Bradenton FL 34210 MAY 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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arts&culture
Meet Artist
SAM WUERFEL Sam Wuerfel strongly believes that everything is energy, so pure, authentic energy is what she puts into her work. In every piece she creates, she explores intention, mindfulness and the human experience—mining the wisdom and life lessons that have been bestowed upon her by so many of her treasured teachers. Painting is her form of meditation, diving deeply into herself to explore thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Sam starts by intuitively picking colors and the style the piece will embody. She works mostly with acrylic paint, but occasionally will work with other mediums like recycled denim and paper. A creative consultant by day, Sam has spent the last few months apprenticing with local artist Grace Howl at her gallery and studio in the heart of the Rosemary District. Grace has described Sam as “...an emerging artist with natural-raw talent; her paintings feature emotional expressive markings with paint and color.” Sam Wuerfel’s work can be purchased at Grace Howl Contemporary Art or at www.samwuerfel.com
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ART UPTOWN GALLERY
GET Inspired VIRTUAL CULTURAL HAPPENINGS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE ARTS AND CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF SARASOTA COUNTY
Note: During the publishing of this issue, the state remains under Stay-at-Home due to COVID-19. Please note that exhbitions listed are virtual and can be viewed online at the specified URL.
artuptown.com | 941.955.5409 Facebook: @ArtUptownGallery Jana Millstone & Joan Libby Hawk Virtual Exhibition Through May 29 View Exhibition: artuptown.com
DABBERT GALLERY dabbertgallery.com | 941.955.1315 Reality of Abstraction featuring: Barbara Krupp, James H Smith, Candace Knapp, Beau Wild, Kasia Bruniany, Gustave Paris and Alan Soffer View Exhibition: dabbertgallery.com/events
MEG KRAKOWIAK GALLERY & STUDIO 941.400.2478 Series “Bringing Beaches Home” New Summer Series View Full Gallery: megkrakowiakstudios.com
NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA ART DEPARTMENT discoversarasotatours.com | 941.260.9818 2020 Senior Thesis Art Exhibition, The Embodied Mind Through May 15 View Exhibition: dss.ncf.edu/2020embodiedmind/
NORTH PORT ART CENTER northportartcenter.org | 941.423.6460 Online Gallery Show, Fun Fauna (Animals, Birds, Reptile & Fantasy Creatures) View Exhibition: northportartcenter.org/fun-fauna-show
THE RINGLING ringling.org | 941. Museum From Home View Exhibition: ringling.org/museumfromhome Kids/Family Activities: View Exhibition: ringling.org/learnfromhome EMuseum View Exhibition: emuseum.ringling.org/emuseum/collections
STATE OF THE ARTS GALLERY sarasotafineart.com | 941.468.6914 Full Gallery Showing View Virtual Gallery Tour: sarasotafineart.com/about
Have an upcoming visual art event? Send your event details to COMMUNICATIONS@SARASOTAARTS.ORG
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Meet Artist
BRE GRANT Photos by Sammi B. Photography Brianne “Bre” cultivated a love and appreciation for art at a young age which has grown with her throughout the years. She is primarily a self-taught artist with intermittent formal lessons in early her teens. Bre prefers to paint in acrylic on stretched canvas but has also found a new love for customizing hand-painted denim jackets. Bre’s art is highly inspired by Florida flora and fauna, scuba diving experiences, and the vibrant colors of coastal living. “I love living in an art area that focuses on growth and development of artists across all stages of life, abilities, and mediums,” says Bre. “I find painting to be my therapeutic outlet and hope my passion shines through on canvas.” Bre’s work is available for purchase as an original, print or recreation on Instagram @BreezyArtDesigns, with a website launching later this summer.
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arts&culture
LITERARY Scene By Ryan G. Van Cleave
4 BOOKISH QUESTIONS FOR 4 BOOK LOVERS What are you reading now? Right now, all my reading (that isn’t coronavirus-related) is either required for coursework or mentioned by someone at school. If I had my way, I’d own the Audible, Kindle, and physical copies of everything I read, since I snatch books onthe-go in my life as a mom, wife, and full-time student. This semester I’m reading The Art of X-Ray Reading by Roy Peter Clark, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, and Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties. Although I’m squeezing in time to read Untamed by Glennon Doyle, too, which is just as fantastic as her first two books. Next up is Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. What’s the last great book you read? God, I’ve read so many amazing books lately. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson was spine-crawling goodness. Totally different from the recent Netflix series. And The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath—I’d never read it before, and she grabbed me quick and won’t let go. I also devoured the first two books in Tomi Adeyemi’s magical YA series, Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance, which were captivating. It’s time to play mini-golf at Smuggler’s Cove with a few of your favorite literary heroines. Which three help round out your putttastic foursome? Lucy Maud Montgomery is there. She chooses a green golf ball for Anne Shirley’s Green Gables. Then there’s Emily Brontë, whose golf ball is bluer than Heathcliff was when Catherine died. And I drag Rainbow Rowell along since we’re best friends even though she doesn’t know it. Her golf ball is flaming red like Eleanor Douglas’ hair. Naturally. My golf ball’s pink. I lose track of the score and pitch the pencil in the pond. We laugh till our cheeks ache and then go out for coffee and share lemon cake four ways. Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, or Virginia Woolf? Jane Austen. All the time, every time.
ESTY LOVEING-DOWNES RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN STUDENT
AUSTIN MCKINLEY SWISS ARMY KNIFE OF ARTISTIC POSSIBILITIES
What are you reading now? Kama Sutra. Seriously, it’s not a book about sex positions. I had no idea what a rich touchstone it is, and that familiarity with it was on par with the Bible, Shakespeare, or Greek philosophy in terms of cultural literacy. To be sure, there’s plenty of it that’s dated and patriarchal, but for a writer, it’s still an invaluable trove for understanding life and relationships. Additionally, the translation I have comes with multiple commentators, each contradicting the other while attempting to elaborate, so it’s an interesting exercise in critical reading and character perspectives. Also have been enjoying Murray Leinster, my current golden age sci-fi deep dive. What’s the comic to get people who don’t love comics to finally come around? Jeff Smith’s Bone, hands down. If a person can’t appreciate the significance of that work, they’re a lost cause. It’s funny, it’s epic, it’s full of heart and imagination, looks great in Black and
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arts&culture White or color. Much as I’d love to see it as animation, I don’t even know if that will be better. It’s a perfect comic book. So, you’re inviting four characters from books (real or imagined, living or dead) to join you for some Sunday-night drumming on Siesta Key Beach. Who do you hand drumsticks to? Medic Tau from Andre Norton’s Solar Queen series, Menolly from Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern, Tenth Engineer Harrison from Eric Frank Russell’s The Great Explosion, and Chani from Frank Hebert’s Dune. I don’t know what that would sound like, but it would be weird and original and probably arrhythmic. Hardcovers, softcovers, or e-readers? Here’s the paradox: on the one hand, all that matters is what’s inside. But unless you spend some time looking at the outside, you tend to forget what’s inside. So, I like hardbacks for their beauty, paperbacks for their affordability, print of any kind for comics until resolution and screen size are comparable, and e-readers for their capacity and searchability.
BRAD NICHOLS FORMER ARMY COMBAT MEDIC
What are you reading now? Presently, I’m reading the memoir Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman. It’s the true story of a woman who escapes the confines of her oppressive religious community in New York by fleeing to Berlin. I binged the series on Netflix and just had to read it afterward. What’s the biggest literary yum/yuck, where the book was as great as the movie was disappointing? The biggest yum/yuck for me has to be every attempt to put Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights onto the big screen. I feel like they always try to turn it into some kind of tragic love story and that’s not what that novel is. There’s stuff in there that makes Chuck Palahniuk look like Nicholas Sparks in comparison. Seriously, that book is dark. You’re a man of the wider book world. Who are four non-US writers we should all have on our shelves? Definitely anything by the Italian historian Enzo Traverso. His comprehensive research writing has made him one of the foremost authorities on the mechanisms and pitfalls of fascism, nationalism, and totalitarianism. Next, would be Yuval Noah Harari. Another historian, his books Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century details the vast expanse of 72
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human history, speculates on the far future of humanity, and postulates many viable strategies for dealing with the problems of modern society. I also recommend reading Voltaire’s Candide when you need a good laugh, as I’m pretty sure it’s the precursor to Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Finally, I’d recommend the works of Kobayashi Issa because there’s something extremely grounding about reading relatable haiku from the 16th century. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or Percy Jackson? I’ll probably lose some friends over this, but I’d choose Harry Potter every time. Percy Jackson just came too late for me. Plus, I have four kids. Have you ever tried to sell The Lord of the Rings to this generation of kids? I’d rather watch Wuthering Heights.
The show will go on JULIEANNA BLACKWELL FLASH FICTION EDITOR OF 805 LIT + ART JOURNAL
What are you reading now? I’m a huge fan of literary journals. During the shutdown, I’ve parked myself in front of my laptop (I also have a Twitter account where I only follow journals), looking for links to cool short stories and flash fiction. My favorite online journals are Wigleaf, Electric Literature-Recommended Reading, SmokeLong Quarterly, New Flash Fiction Review, Little Fiction-Big Truths. Gosh, there are too many good ones to list. What’s next on your To-Read list? I have a long list. I’m a big reader of short story collections, and I’m on the final pages of Sing to It by Amy Hempel. Florida by Lauren Groff is next on the list. As far as a novel, I’ve been paging through Henry Himself by Stewart O’Nan. Yet, I’m excited to finally get my hands on a copy of Essays One from Lydia Davis. Let’s dream big. Which four writers—living or dead—would you most want to submit a fresh, previously unpublished story to 805? It has taken me days to narrow the list—Carmen Maria Machado (dream), George Saunders (big dream), Alice Munro (okay, I’m screaming). But the writer I would love to jet back to the living would be Jean Shepherd (The Christmas Story). I want to read more of his beautiful voice of nostalgia. Anything about Schwartz would be fine. Of course, after sending Mr. Shepherd the acceptance letter for publication to 805, I’d give him a call just to chat. I have questions. Perhaps he’d suggest meeting for a cup of coffee, maybe Starbucks. A girl can dream. Biographies, how-tos, or historical fiction? Certainly, How-Tos. But do Lydia Davis’ essays on writing count? It’s no secret—I read a lot of books and essays on writing and short fiction. I also love reading the how-to vignettes currently popular in flash fiction. However, as of late, my quarantine buddies are big on mixology. How to make the best daiquiri with wilted strawberries. How to make a chocolate martini without chocolate liqueur. How to infuse a simple syrup to make it more complex. All good questions when stuck at home! I also love reading old cookbooks, which are filled with sweet anecdotes and stories.
When this is all over, we’ll be here for you. Your Community Your Theatre Musicals Plays Classes
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LITERARY Scene
The Bonus “Quarantine Reading List” COVID-19 has us homebound and bored. I know this is the case because I just watched my neighbors’ kids try to shoot gummy bears off the BBQ grill with rubber bands on their back porch. “To keep them from driving us crazy,” my neighbor (inside his house) to me (inside my house).
bears in enough supply, I offer this solution—books. Not to shoot with rubber bands, but to use as they were intended. Because, c’mon—what better option for passing the time is there than losing yourself in the pages of a new-to-you book?
I get it. We’re desperate to do something other than avoid work, binge on Netflix, and work on putting on 25 comfort-food pounds.
To help you out, here are my recommendations of titles suitable for a variety of readers, with an eye toward books you might not have already encountered but are well-worth reading regardless. Trust me on these choices. I have a Ph.D. in Book Nerdology.
So, in case you don’t have rubber bands or gummy
CAT. 1 — “I CAN’T GET ENOUGH VIRUS STORIES!”
THE DECAMERON. Written around 1350, it’s one of the original plague stories! Author
Giovanni Boccaccio follows ten characters who flee Florence to avoid the Black Death, and they huddle in a secluded villa where they pass the days by telling 100 tales. (I recommend the J.M. Rigg translation). DOOMSDAY BOOK. Author Connie Willis has won the Hugo and Nebula award, so
you can check out this one with the full confidence that she’s got the writing chops to make this work—time-traveling Oxford historians go back to the Ye Olde Days and get caught up in a village’s plague experience. THE EYES OF DARKNESS. Horror writer Dean Koontz’s 1981 book reveals how a
Chinese scientist created a biological weapon called Wuhan-400 which has a 100% mortality rate. Spooky. THE ILIAD. Homer’s ancient story shows how, when one of Apollo’s priests is disrespected by the Greeks, the god himself fires contagion-laden arrows into their camp for nine days. Spoiler: unlike with COVID-19, this plague is cured by sacrificing sheep and goats to Apollo. STATION ELEVEN. In this 2015 novel by Emily St. John Mandel, it’s twenty-some years after most of the
earth is wiped out by a plague, and a modest Shakespearean troupe travels the now-nearly deserted landscape, risking everything for art, culture, and humanity. The epidemiology is a bit unscientific, but the story is still a total winner. 74
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arts&culture CAT. 2 — “I LIKED HARRY POTTER. WHAT’S SIMILAR, BUT DIFFERENT?” THE ABHORSEN SERIES. Fit for young adults or bonafide adults alike, this series by Australian writer Garth
Nix is dark fantasy at its finest. Learn about the Nine Bright Shiners, the Bells of Necromancy, the five basic supernatural creatures of the Bestiary and more. If Nix were American, I think he’d have four times the following here. He’s good. THE DRESDEN FILES. My writer-friend Rick thinks this series by Jim Butcher
about Chicago’s only wizard PI is “a bit hacky.” He’s wrong. It’s a wild romp in a supernatural noir Windy City setting. And perhaps best of all, there are 15+ books, as well as various short story collections, and comic versions available. (Don’t let the one-season so-so TV series fool you—the books are a blast.) THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE. Set in 1899, this novel by Jacqueline
Kelly follows twelve-year-old heroine Calpurnia, who is enmeshed in the magic of the natural world as deeply as Harry Potter was in the magical one of Hogwarts and the greater wizarding world. Calpurnia is simply delightful. (There’s now a fine sequel, too—The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate.) THE SHADOW AND BONE TRILOGY. Leigh Bardugo’s series is set in the land
of Ravka where science collides with superstition in this lush world of magic and mayhem. (This trilogy has a subsequent duology set two years after the timeline of these three books, and the whole enchilada’s becoming a Netflix series in 2021-ish! Maybe get ahead of the pop culture curve by reading these now?) THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET. Magical, marvelous, mysterious, and mind-blowing—that’s what I’d say
about this 2007 book by Brian Selznick, where the images play as big of a role as the text in keeping readers turning pages well into the night.
CAT. 3 — “WHAT SHOULD MY WEE ONES READ?” CARMELA FULL OF WISHES. Matt de la Peña’s 2018 picture book
is about a birthday girl on a walk and all the wishes she’s considers making. Set against the backdrop of her Spanish-speaking community, there’s a lot here to discover, discuss, and enjoy in this beautiful, lyrical story. A DIFFERENT POND. This 2018 Caldecott Honor Book by Bao Phi
is a father-and-son story about a fishing trip. But it’s so much more than that, being a powerful coming-of-age story coupled with the immigrant experience in America. THE WALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BOOK. Jon Agee makes
good use of breaking the fourth wall in this story about getting past boundaries that are physical or otherwise.
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“WHAT SHOULD MY WEE ONES READ?” (CONT) ONE COOL FRIEND. This picture book by Toni Buzzeo shows what happens when a penguin-loving boy
swipes one from the local aquarium and takes him home as a pet. The black-and-white line illustrations here are great, and the story is sneaky-good, which should earn a “read it again!” ask from kids. SAM AND DAVE DIG A HOLE. I’m a fan of Jon Klassen’s art, and I’m equally taken with Mac Barnett’s stories.
The two pair up here with this tale in this deadpan tale with loads of visual humor.
CAT. 4 — “ANY CHANCE I CAN KEEP MY BRAIN IN GEAR?” THE ALCHEMIST. Paulo Coelho’s international bestseller has been changing lives for nearly three decades. This fable about following your dreams just might expand your mind and perhaps even transform your life. Open your heart and give this modern classic a chance.
CAT. 5 — “GOOD BOOKS TO READ IF I LOVED THE MOVIE?” CASINO: LOVE AND HONOR IN LAS VEGAS. The nonfiction book
by Nicholas Pileggi dives deep into the seedy-and-amazing workings of the Mafia in Las Vegas, and how it all came crashing down. Exciting, scary stuff.
FLOW. Yes, the author’s name is hard to both
spell and pronounce—Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. But if you’ve ever seen Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant “in the zone,” well, that’s also called “flow.” And this 2008 book helps you understand it, with an eye toward being able to do it more yourself. I use excerpts of it in my writing classes all the time to good effect. HOW WE GOT TO NOW: SIX INNOVATIONS THAT MADE THE MODERN WORLD.
Steven Johnson will blow your mind in this 2014 illustrated history book. Why? Because he’s brilliant, he writes clearly, and these inventions are AWESOME. What more do you need?
THE HELP. The 2009 novel of the
same name by Kathryn Stockett—her first published book— was subbed a “summer sleeper hit” by the USA Today with good reason. It went on to spend 100+ weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. HOLES. The book by Louis Sachar enjoys a near-perfect adaptation to Hollywood thanks to Disney knowing not to mess with an already-great story, like Sachar wrote. Seriously—who doesn’t love Sigourney Weaver as the warden in that movie? JURASSIC PARK. Yep, it was a 1990 book
MOONWALKING WITH EINSTEIN: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF REMEMBERING EVERYTHING. Who doesn’t want that
skill? Let Joshua Foer’s fine book show you how to not squander 40 days a year (on average) that we waste compensating for things we’ve forgotten. QUIET: THE POWER OF INTROVERTS IN A WORLD THAT CAN’T STOP TALKING. Susan Cain’s book helps
readers see how to unlock the powers introverts have to change the world. Since she believes that half the world are introverts, this is likely a good book for you. Or the person sitting next to you. 76
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before they put those dinos on the big screen and helped make Jeff Goldblum the world’s coolest chaos theorist. Author Michael Crichton knew how to write a page turner—no doubt about it. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. It’s not a novel but rather a novella (meaning shorter) that appears in Stephen King’s Different Seasons under the title “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.” In the novella version, Tommy doesn’t die, the warden simply resigns, and Brooks dies of old age in an old folks’ home, but believe me—it’s a first-rate King story, nevertheless.
InHEALTH FINDING CALM IN STRESSFUL TIMES Rebecca Cohen, M.D.
Our routines keep us connected with others . . . It is the scaffolding of our everyday routine that gives us comfort. Establishing new patterns gives us a sense of control and helps manage stress.
Psychiatrists help those suffering from anxiety, depression and other mood disorders every day, but with the massive disruptions caused by Covid-19, many other people now need assistance. It is extremely helpful, and hopeful, to look at the creative and important ways people are utilizing coping strategies. These strategies allow us to achieve a sense of calm in adversity and to help focus our attention on what we are accomplishing, not what we are missing. Right now life is upside down, which is stressful for everyone, and establishing new routines and daily rituals is a critical first step. Our routines keep us connected with others when we go to work, stop for quick coffee or enjoy a family meal at our favorite restaurant. It is the scaffolding of our everyday routine that gives us comfort. Establishing new patterns gives us a sense of control and helps manage stress. Creating distractions also helps. People are adapting to the current restrictions in thoughtful and creative ways to distract themselves. We’re all grateful for the technology that brings us endless hours of entertainment and online social connections. It is important to be informed, but also to limit news watching daily. Developing online outlets that foster connection and fun can be gratifying—Grandparents are using video to play board games with grandchildren, people are touring museums online, famous chefs are teaching online cooking and symphonies are delivering stunning performances via video. Groups we regularly join, including religious services, now meet online, and many websites offer free courses to keep our minds engaged and learning. Laughter, even in the most trying
time, is important and healing. Social media is full of hilarious GIFs and memes to share with others. Self-care is also vital. A good night’s sleep is fundamental and impacts our immune system and overall ability to cope. Meditation and mindfulness can ease the stress of the day and improve the quality of sleep. Headspace and Calm are two helpful apps that are user friendly. Moments and expressions of gratitude build resilience and strength. We can all be grateful to live in an area surrounded by such natural beauty and bountiful sunshine nearly every day. Many people are spending more time walking, running and biking outside at safe distances from others. Lastly, it is powerful to acknowledge this unparalleled moment of altruism in our current situation. We are accepting short-term discomfort for the greater good, for our neighbors and for the world we live in. We are not trapped at home. We are safe at home. Our actions are saving lives. It is worth reminding ourselves of that every day. The greatest power we have is over ourselves and our actions. We may not be able to control the circumstances we’re in, but we can control our reactions to them. For some people, all of these efforts are not enough. If you find yourself constantly feeling anxious, catastrophizing and losing sleep, there are clinicians and mental health professionals who can support you. Although we may be physically distant at this time, we must not be socially distant. You are not alone, and help is available if needed. Dr. Rebecca Cohen is a psychiatrist specializing in psychopharmacology for mood and anxiety disorders as well as TMS therapy. 941.404.0545/drrebeccacohen.com.
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InHEALTH WHAT THE “TIGER KING” TAUGHT ME ABOUT HEALTH IN AMERICA by Jill Morris, D.M.D
I have reflected m uch du ri n g the coronavirus governmentmandated shut down of my thirty-three-yearold dental practice. Never in my wildest dreams did I think someone or something would force me to close my doors. It has given me time to reflect on human nature and the workings of the mind. My emotional scale went from shock, to fear, then apathy, to anger and finally to determination. I have always been an out-of-thebox health thinker. I introduced ozone into my dental practice 13 years ago. Over 25 years ago, I stopped placing mercury fillings. I have done my best to educate my patients and many like-minded thinkers find me. I also know that most disease is preventable. In my opinion, obesity-related health problems like diabetes and heart disease are the reason that the United States was most vulnerable to the coronavirus. Obesity is preventable. We live in a nation with an abundance of healthy foods, but instead many choose to eat poorly and eat way too much food. We would rather have the doctor fix us by prescribing a drug than go into the gym, work out, and eat healthy whole foods. Unfortunately for many, it’s just give me a pill. Did you know that gum disease is a pandemic in America? Eighty percent of Americans have it. I have found many of my patients understand the link between gum disease and a plethora of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, yet they would rather have gum disease and lose their teeth than clean their teeth properly once a day to remove the bacteria. They are willing to pay to have the treatment, but are unwilling to do the proper home care on a daily basis. Then they wonder why the problem comes back. There is no pill to fix gum disease. 78
SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2020
One million dental implants are lost every year in America. It is an epidemic. One reason is the poor health of the recipient. Alcoholism is increasing, especially among women who are usually high functioning, well-educated professionals. Breast cancer is linked to alcohol consumption and now in the U.S. the fastest growing number of drinkers are females between the age of 24-36 years, the child-bearing years. Let me repeat that. The fastest growing number of drinkers are women during their child-bearing years. Slick marketing by alcohol, wine and beer companies makes drinking seem sophisticated. The bottom line is alcohol is not good for your health or well-being. There are other ways to cope with stress, anxiety or depression. And just like flossing your teeth or getting into shape, you have to do it yourself. It takes work. Go to hypnotherapy, learn to meditate, or find a purpose that excites you. Read Allen Carr’s books. They are excellent and help cure addictions for those without will power. So, what does the “Tiger King” documentary have to do with health in America? It is rumored to have set a world record as the most watched documentary. I watched it with my grown children—it wasted my valuable time. I used that catchy title only because I knew it would cause people to stop and read this article. Just like a slick marketer. We are a society that has taken the lazy and easy way out. We have given away our power. I pray that this corona virus pandemic will cause an awakening of humanity, a regaining of individual personal power, and a determination to live our best lives with purpose. Jill Morris, D.M.D. World Class Dentistry 3951 Swift Rd, Sarasota, FL 34231 941.923.6363 | sarasotadentist.com
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arts&culture
Laughing MATTERS THE ONE ABOUT STAR TREK By Ryan G. Van Cleave | Illustrations by Darcy Kelly-Laviolette
S
tar Trek fans, set your phasers on “stunningly awesome,” because I’m about to blow your collective Borg minds
here.
En route to see my folks who live in the Chicago suburbs before the world became one giant plaguefest, I had to kill some time at O’Hare International. I wandered from Burrito Beach to Romano’s Macaroni Grill to B Smooth to find something to nibble—I hadn’t done more to assuage my hunger than eat half of a stale Pop-Tart that morning—and I came across Wicker Park Seafood & Sushi Bar. There at the far left table? Patrick Stewart gnoshing on Maguro sashimi. I steeled myself. I steadied my nerves. I approached this worldclass actor as casually as possible and as cool as a Japanese cucumber, I said…“Is the Tarabakani here as good as Yelp claims?” Turns out the Tarabakani (king crab leg) sushi was simply “okey-dokey,” and, equally disconcerting, the guy I was talking too wasn’t actually Patrick Stewart, but a Montana-born ex-cowboy named Ben who occasionally got work as a look-a-like when he wasn’t selling veterinary
pharmaceuticals. He didn’t mind the case of mistaken identity, though, and even offered me a Tokyo Typhoon cocktail as an apology, which I naturally had to accept, since—as you already know—I’m a sucker for sake, orange juice, and weather phenomena with sustained winds of 82+ miles per hour. It turns out we had a lot in common. He’d been to every single state in the US save Alaska. Me? I’d seen maps that include every state. He once had a wart that looked like Mr. T. I’d seen three episodes of “The A-Team,” starring Mr. T. He told me he, as a rule, never talks to strangers in airport restaurants. I assured him that I abided the exact same rule without exception. After about twenty minutes of general chit-chattery, I brought things back around to his offand-on again Patrick Stewart career. Then he came clean—he’d never seen an episode of Star Trek. “Not a one?” I asked, my eyebrows going so high that the control tower radar might’ve had an odd alert. “I think I saw about five minutes of one of the movies in a hotel room once, maybe on HBO?”
MAY 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
81
ouse keeping care,and meal running preparation, errands. light house and running torso keeping to look behind is also errands. required.
Most people will never needrequired. a guardian. If you torso to look behind is also
plan well, talk to family about your wishes, and P and AAA also offer several resources of older prepare legal documents to designate someone to careeyesight. of your affairsOur when you areoften no longer UR Helpline Today! Call our 24classes HOUR Helpline Today! • Check your eyesight. Eyesight often diminishes • Check take your as we age. Eyesight diminishes as we age. Our rs, including safety tips, and even an online able, a guardian would generally not be necessary. peripheral field narrows and we can be peripheral unaware field of vehicles narrows and canandbe unaware of vehicles or Unfortunately, unexpectedor events we can occur, ation to help older drivers stay safe on the road. not everyone plans well. pedestrians coming from the left or right. pedestrians Aging coming eyes are from alsothe left or right. Aging eyes are also This article brought to you by: Lutheran Services of Florida. Kathleen J. Houseweart Director Sarasota Guardianship Program, 941-358-6330.
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susceptible to eye conditions that affect susceptible depth to eye conditions glare that affect depth perception, glare LSF Guardianship program perception, focuses on three areas: • Homemaker/Companions recovery, focus.Nurses recovery, and focus. • Licensedand Practical •
Protection - stepping in to protect the individual from potential abuse neglect or exploitation by completing an initial assessment to determine
arts&culture
care needs and protect theyour person,loved property and assetsNo one wants to take • Listen to your loved ones. No one •wants Listen tototake ones. Getting to Know LSF away driving privileges, but if l oved ones away are-driving worried, privileges, butcoordinating ifGuardianship l ovedservices, onesProgram are worried, • Coordination promptly applying for benefits, ATIONS: LOCATIONS: If it any is determined by the courts that an individual overseeing card plans, medical appointments and there are generally reasons. Be prepared. there are Havegenerally a reasons. Benecessary prepared. Have a can no longer care for themselves, or protect treatment plans. All efforts are made to adhere to the ward’s wishes themselves from abuse, neglect or exploitation, a “driving retirement plan” and seek out “driving resources retirement like plan” and seek out resources like Bradenton: (941)Sarasota: 739-0880 (941) 923-0880 Bradenton: (941) 739-0880 and support the least restrictive safe environment. guardian can be appointed. The court oversees all Guardians. They must regularly file reports ITN Suncoast (www.itnsuncoast.org) as ITN options Suncoast to get (www.itnsuncoast.org) options to get regarding plans ofas care, and financial expenditures. Port Charlotte: (941) Venice: 764-0880 (941) 480-0880 Port Charlotte: (941) 764-0880 • Advocacy - Educate the ward, their family and theThe process is invasive community aboutand can be expensive, but where you need to go if you have to give up where youryou license. need to go if you have tothegive up your license. it is designed to protect guardianship and the alternatives. This includes facilitating Familythe rights of the “alleged
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If it is determined by the courts that an individual can no longer care for themselves, or protect themselves from abuse, neglect or exploitation, a guardian can be appointed. The court oversees all Guardians. They must regularly file reports regarding plans of care, and financial expenditures. The process is invasive and can be expensive, but it is designed to protect the rights of the “alleged incapacitated person.”
Guardianship Course in partnership with SCF twice Ben a year, and didn’t much like TV, but he did appreciate “The Federico Richter, MD incapacitated person.”
Most people will never need a guardian. If you
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This article brought to you by: Lutheran Services of Florida. Kathleen J. Houseweart Director Sarasota Guardianship Program, 941-358-6330.
LSF Guardianship program focuses on three areas:
LSF Guardianship program focuses on three areas:
•
Protection - stepping in to protect the individual from potential abuse neglect or exploitation by completing an initial assessment to determine care needs and protect the person, property and assets
•
Protection - stepping in to protect the individual from potential abuse neglect or exploitation by completing an initial assessment to determine care needs and protect the person, property and assets
•
Coordination - promptly applying for benefits, coordinating services, overseeing card plans, medical appointments and any necessary treatment plans. All efforts are made to adhere to the ward’s wishes and support the least restrictive safe environment.
•
Coordination - promptly applying for benefits, coordinating services, overseeing card plans, medical appointments and any necessary treatment plans. All efforts are made to adhere to the ward’s wishes and support the least restrictive safe environment.
Advocacy - Educate the ward, their family and the community about guardianship and the alternatives. This includes facilitating the Family Guardianship Course in partnership with SCF twice a year, and providing community education to individuals and groups.
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Most people will never need a guardian. If you plan well, talk to family about your wishes, and prepare legal documents to designate someone to take care of your affairs when you are no longer able, a guardian would generally not be necessary. Unfortunately, unexpected events can occur, and not everyone plans well.
“All those zombies lumbering around,” he said through a mouthful of caterpillar roll. “They’re hilarious.” This article brought to you by: Lutheran Services of Florida. Kathleen J. Houseweart Director Sarasota Guardianship Program, 941-358-6330.
“You know that’s a horror show and not a comedy series, right?” Advocacy - Educate the ward, their family and the community about guardianship and the alternatives. This includes facilitating the Family Guardianship Course in partnership with SCF twice a year, and providing community education to individuals and groups.
He cut me a look. “That’s what makes it all so funny!” I thanked him for the drink and conversation, and we parted as friends, exchanging business cards the way people do—knowing full well the card will end up in a trash bin once the other person’s out of sight. But it’s polite, and that’s the real point here. I headed for the baggage claim area to get into the SUV piloted by my 80-something-year-old father who, upon hearing my tales of recent woe as I loaded in my luggage, declared he wasn’t into “Start Trek” either. He didn’t even get it when he put on his blinkers, checked for traffic, and I yelled “Engage!” What can I say? I’m just a humor columnist who thinks Star Trek was the best show ever because it had great Genes. *** Have your own Star Trek horror story? Ever run across a non-celebrity sighting that didn’t quite go the way you hoped? Did you ever wish you were the one who created this joke (“Did you hear the about the new sushi place that caters exclusively to lawyers? It’s called “Sosumi!”)? If you’re as traumatized by your own Star Trek- and sushi-related incidents as I am about mine, then it’s best that you reach out to me immediately at DilithiumCrystalsForever@SarasotaScene.com. I think I’ve got Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s business card around here somewhere, and if you really want his digits, I’ll “make it so.” In the meantime, I’ll keep flipping open my cell phone periodically and checking for communiques from Scotty.
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SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2020
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