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”In every walk of life, we must try to eradicate human behavior based on blind prejudice and bigotry, and replace it with human decency,“ prominent Holocaust educator Dr. Helen N. Fagin told the 167 members of New College of Florida’s Class of 2011 this evening as the College celebrated its 45th Annual Commencement on the great lawn of College Hall in Sarasota.
”It will become your task to be ever watchful of signs and uncivilized discourse, ignorance and even hatred creeping into the fabric of our social and political life. Take advantage of your personal potential and the many great opportunities that lie ahead for you to make this a better world for your generation, for future generations of Americans and, indeed, for the entire world,“ Fagin urged graduates during a powerful and touching address that drew upon her own experiences as a Holocaust survivor and lifelong educator.
The ceremony, which included light breezes and a spectacular sunset over the Gulf of Mexico, drew more than 1,500 parents, alums and friends who gathered on the bay front to celebrate this year’s graduating class. Continuing tradition in New College’s 50th Anniversary year, students expressed their individuality with a colorful assortment of costumes, outfits and accessories in lieu of caps and gowns.
Fagin extolled the graduates to remember that no one can limit their spiritual freedom. ”No power could deny your own gift of creativity and no propaganda or indoctrination can affect your own sense of what is right and wrong. Your New College diploma is your badge of honor – carry it with pride and integrity, and do your best to fulfill the promise your parents and the four years you have spent in this honors institution of learning have invested in you.“
During the opening remarks, New College President Mike Michalson thanked the graduates’ families for their moral and financial support over the years, describing the New College experience as ”truly a family affair.“ Michalson spoke about the value of personal connections that characterize this tight-knit community of approximately 800 students.
”My wish for you is that the sense of loyalty you feel toward one another as a class will deepen your appreciation for the value of your experience at this small and intimate institution,“ he told the graduates. ”After all, the New College experience is profoundly connected to the importance in life of personal relationships, such as those you’ve formed here.“
Michalson also offered an observation about the graduates’ future financial success in the context of the broader goals of a New College education.
”I naturally hope that some significant portion of you go on to become fabulously wealthy and then, in the natural course of things, think positive and generous thoughts about your alma mater,“ he said. ”Nonetheless, I trust that all of you appreciate that the aim of your New College education has not been to make you more efficient in satisfying your acquisitive tendencies. Instead, the aim has been to leave you a more disciplined and self-reliant critical thinker, able to navigate the overwhelming contingencies that lie ahead of you with self-confidence, competence and humane impact.“
In addition to celebrating this year’s class of graduating students, tonight’s ceremony also marked the retirement of four longtime members of the New College community. Provost Charlene Callahan (Psychology), Professors Catherine Elliott (Economics) and David Schatz (Russian Language and Literature) and New College Foundation Director of Events Mary Lou Wingerter Couch all were saluted by the crowd, with Wingerter Couch receiving the honor of being named an honorary alumna by the New College Alumnae/i Association.
Speaking on behalf of the three retiring faculty members, Schatz reflected on his more than 40 years as a teacher at New College. ”I am a better person because of my experience at New College, and I only hope that I have succeeded in giving as much as I have received from my wonderful students and colleagues over the years.“
This year’s graduating class of outstanding scholars included six Fulbright Fellows –
who will travel to Namibia, Russia, Taiwan, Germany and Mexico – and a recipient of a State Department Critical Language Scholarship, who will study Punjabi in India. In addition, two New College graduates received French government teaching assistantships and two others were awarded Spanish Government English Language Teaching Assistantships.
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| Sheriff's Office Agriculture Officers who aided the capture of the released deer. |
At the end of last year, we had heard of a group of fallow deer that had been hand raised and released over off Jim Davis Rd in Parrish. One of our volunteers had voiced some concern over them but they tended to wander the neighborhood sticking to a schedule only they knew.
In Feb/March of this year we started getting calls about ”our deer“ being loose. Of course, they were not our deer and we had yet to see them. Then I got a call one day that there was a white deer in the road by the golf course that would not get off the road. So I went down to check it out and see what was going on. At first, they were nowhere to be seen. After a few minutes, the three of them crossed the road into a wooded area off Golf Course Rd. I spent the next 20-30 min just watching them as they meandered around browsing, checking me out, and playing with a cushion that was discarded by the side of the road. Then they ambled off following the creek.
These deer
were fallow deer, which are not native to FL, and it is illegal to release them here. There was a white buck and two does (1 white and 1 brown). While they were doing ok on their own they were prime targets for predators, including humans since they were so Ôtame’ and they posed a problem to our native white tail deer as far as interbreeding. Fish & Wildlife agreed to let us try to catch and move them otherwise they were going to be destroyed. Now came the big adventure.The white doe, by far the tamest, had no problem going into a baited trailer and being moved to the sanctuary the first week of April. The other two proved to be more of a challenge. The buck tended to push the other doe off and when he finally came close to going into the trailer, he bolted catching his foot in a fence and injuring his leg. After this, the two would not return to the trailer so that plan was scrapped. They were rarely seen for the next couple of weeks and we continued to get reports of him limping. Then the last week of April they started showing up again at a neighbors’ house on Jim Davis Rd regularly in the early am and late pm.
Due to the skittish nature of these two, we had to enlist the help of the Ag Sheriffs. We knew we were going to have to have them darted to be able to transport them. Mike Ference & Justin Yero came out along with their Sergeant Tom Frank to check the situation out. They agreed to come out on April 29th to see if we could get this taken care of.
On that Friday Mike Ference (on his day off!), Justin Yero, Kevin Karava and Sergeant Tom Frank showed up bright and early. The deer on the other hand were late. They ended up playing around down by Gamble Creek Farms. So down the road the guys went. Now darting is not an easy task especially in a wooded area but with lots of patience, determination, sweat & blood (the guys from the brush - not the deer) mission accomplished! After having to bring them out of the woods thru the brush and up the creek bed, they helped us get them to the sanctuary and settled. To these guys I am forever thankful. Without their help, this never would have been accomplished and the deer would have paid with their lives. All of them truly went above and beyond. Because of their efforts they deer are alive, they no longer pose a danger to motorist or people (a Ôtame’ buck in rut is nothing to mess with), and they are no longer a threat to our white tail population. While most of the neighbors will miss them, the deer are the ones that are the losers in this– they lost their short-lived freedom. They are happy to be back together though and enjoying a small piece of what they had.
In a three-hour gift card drive for victims of the April 27 tornadoes in Northeast Alabama,
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The JOY FM’s Gift Cards for Alabama effort raised $146,000. The JOY FM’s The Morning Cruise spearheaded a gift card drive to collect cards for the victims of the tornados in Northeast Alabama. With just a few weeks to pull it off, the staff organized a three-hour drive at various Chik-fil-A restaurants throughout their listening area As they were organizing the drive, The Patterson Foundation of Sarasota stepped up and said they would match up to $33,000 of what The JOY FM raised. The goal for the drive then became $33,000. When The JOY FM asked listeners to respond with a gift card for the victims, they expected a good response. What they didn’t expect were gifts totaling $146,000. Carmen Brown, a native of Jacksonville, Alabama and The JOY FM’s program director, felt a personal calling to reach out. ”I knew my JOY FM listening family would be willing to help folks in the devastated area so near the town where I grew up.“
Through a series of ”well-orchestrated events,“ Brown’s phrase for the uncanny way connections were made, the station learned that the congregation of First Baptist Church of Williams, Alabama were directing many of the relief efforts in the Pleasant Valley area of Northeast Alabama, where more than 100 homes were completely destroyed and thousands are still recovering. The station went into action, asking listeners for gift cards to Lowes, Wal Mart, Home Depot and other national stores. On Wednesday, May 25 Brown and her morning co-hosts Dave Cruse and Bill Martin will be at First Baptist Church of Williams in a special service where the gift cards will be presented. Provident Label Group artist Building 429’s Jason Roy will perform an acoustic set.
On Wednesday May 25, over 85 seniors from the Manatee School For the Arts will spend ”Grad Day“ at Andersen RacePark, the only outdoor karting facility in the southwest region of Florida.
The private party is being given by principal Dr. Jones and the administration of the Manatee School For the Arts. The seniors will have an opportunity to relax, spend time together, have lunch and compete at Andersen. Jonny Baker and Kelly Hillman have planned a ”Grad Day“ that is unique and promises to be memorable for everyone.
Andersen RacePark, located north of the City of Palmetto, is open-Tuesday through Sunday-to the public for a wide variety of karting services, which is one of the fastest growing sports in the country.
”In the past, ÔGrad Day’ was a luncheon in a local restaurant. The class of 2011 will have over 100 graduates, and as each graduating class grows, it was apparent that we needed to create some options. We wanted something with a fun activity that the seniors would enjoy, as well as give them a taste of what our new high school physics class will be experiencing next year.“ said Hillman.
In addition to having a BBQ, Jonny Baker will give the students driving instructions: which will include, braking, gauging distances, and consistency. These skills will be useful in their everyday driving lives. Each senior will wear safety gear and will drive one of the Andersen RacePark Karts for a ten-minute lapping session. The sessions will be timed and the winner, the driver with the fastest time, will win a prize provided by Andersen.
Andersen RacePark is available for private events and parties. In addition to on track activities, Andersen also offers meeting space for catering and dining, team building seminars and leadership training.
”Karting is a sport that teaches drivers safety and sportsmanship. We look forward to having the Manatee School For the Arts seniors spend ÔGrad Day’ with us,“ said Baker.
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| Jane Evers, F.E.L.T. founder with Elaine Graham, president of the Bradenton Branch, A.A.U. W. |
Jane Evers, the founder of F.E.L.T. (Feeding Empty Little Tummies) in
Manatee County was presented with children's books donated by members of
the Bradenton Branch of the American Association of University Women.
At the last food distribution this school year, there will be enough
books to put into each back pack of the children who are served by
F.E.L.T. with some left over for next fall.
F.E.L.T. was begun in November of 2010 by Evers who recognized the need
to feed homeless children who were not being fed on weekends. At the
beginning of the school year, there were 900 homeless children
registered in the school system of Manatee County. By November 30, the
number had grown to 1,352. During the week, they were able to have
breakfast and lunch at their schools, so each Friday afternoon students
at several area elementary schools were given back packs filled with
food to take home. Evers hopes to expand the program to more schools
next fall.
For more infomation about this much needed service for children in our county, please call Jane Evers at 941-747-8804 or email jeffmitch6@yahoo.com
Artists with public art experience are invited to apply to the Downtown Development Authority’s Riverwalk Public Art Selection Panel first phase of artists selection.
Various artworks will be installed at designated locations along the 1.5 mile Riverwalk as part of the renovation being planned to turn the downtown amenity into an active city attraction.
In this phase artists may apply to design:
Phase Two of public art on the Riverwalk will invite artists to apply for additional sites soon.
To apply, visit www.downtownbradenton.com, click on PROJECTS for a detailed RFQ that includes directions on how to upload application files, plus site plans.
Questions may be addressed to Ann Wykell at publicart@ddabradenton.com.
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Imagine School at Lakewood Ranch, a public charter school in Manatee County that educates students from VPK through Eighth grade, welcomed Basketball Hall of Fame member and current ESPN Broadcaster, Dick Vitale, to its campus on Friday, May 13th, 2011. Mr. Vitale’s visit was part of Imagine School at Lakewood Ranch’s 2011 Career Day.
Mr. Vitale addressed the entire school population as part of the opening festivities of Imagine School at Lakewood Ranch’s Career Day. Mr. Vitale urged the students to chase their dreams and to never believe in the word, ”can’t“. Mr. Vitale’s message to the students on setting goals, making wise decisions, and chasing after their dreams was in line with the character development program that is instituted at Imagine School at Lakewood Ranch.
In addition to Mr. Vitale, Imagine School at Lakewood Ranch welcomed numerous community members to present their career to the students. Some of the memorable presentations from the ISLWR Career Day included police officers, firemen, a guidance counselor, a professional photographer, and a banker.
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An award all High School Seniors aspiring to college hope for – a scholarship to help pay for college expenses.
Kallins, Little, Delgado & Estigarribia Personal Injury Attorneys celebrates their sixth year of awarding scholarships to local graduating high school seniors. Since 2006 scholarships have been awarded to 58 seniors totaling $82,000. On Wednesday, May 4, 2011 the 11 recipients along with their parents attended an awards banquet at the IMG Country Club where they were treated to a reception, dinner and presentation of the awards. The evening was highlighted by the award presenters; Mayor Wayne Poston, Dr. Marc Kallins from Pinnacle Medical Group, Cathi Biggins, educator and Nick Zec, Insurance Executive. The guest speaker was Ed Chiles, CEO of The Chiles Group.
The attorneys believe in giving back to the community with the hopes that these graduating seniors will obtain their college education and return to this area to serve and continue to help grow our local Manatee County Community.
The quality and number of applicants grows with each passing year and this year was no exception. The attorneys select the finalist based on their GPA, community service, a written essay and recommendation letters.
The 11 talented finalists were as follows:
| One gifted student was granted $3,000 |
Jennifer Luoug - Bayshore High School |
| Three outstanding Students were given $2,000 |
Michael Suchy - Southeast High School Brandi Ricker - Braden River High School |
| Seven talented students received $1,000 | Kaitlyn Wolfe - Lakewood Ranch School Matt Kish- -Palmetto High School Melissa Molino- Providence Community Kelsey Moore- -St. Stephens School Christal Hayes - Bayshore High School Theresa Novak - Lakewood Ranch High School Edith Alvardo - Southeast High School |
Congratulations to all the Finalists!
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