City Council President Threatens to Cut Funding to MOCA over Controversial Photo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A nude photograph on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville drew more attention Friday and has had defenders of the exhibit showing their support of women and their right to free expression by protesting near the museum with homemade signs.

Protesters at MOCA were holding up homemade signs shouting their support in response a threat to cut funding over a nude photo. #MOCAjax

— Nicholas Benton (@Bentonicks) December 10, 2014

Earlier this week, City Council President Clay Yarborough said the photograph of a naked pregnant woman lying on a couch is pornography and wants to convince the mayor to defund a $230,000 grant to the museum.

Museum officials said it’s going to stay on display in the atrium. They have no plans to remove it.

One museum supporter called the attack absolutely ridiculous.

“I mean, how could you possibly think that this beautiful display of art resembled porn at all? It is downright stupid to take all of that money away from such a great museum that has done so much for the downtown are,” said Angela Anderson, a protester during Art Walk Wednesday.

Angela Strassheim said she is "absolutely shocked" in response to her photo being called pornographic. #MOCAcontroversy

— Nicholas Benton (@Bentonicks) December 11, 2014

Yarborough issued this statement:
“In order to get to Café Nola, one is required to enter the doors of MOCA because there is no other way through which the public can access the restaurant. Upon entering the doors of MOCA on Tuesday for a lunch meeting at Café Nola, I observed the picture hanging on the gallery wall in plain view of anyone entering, including children. Unlike other venues that may contain such pictures, no admission fee is required to enter the lobby and view the picture. While we may all differ on the definition of art, the real question is should an adult and/or children who wish to eat at Café Nola be forcibly exposed to the picture upon entering the public, taxpayer-owned building if they do not wish to see it? As a parent of young children, I support parental choice and believe no parent should be put in the position of having to answer awkward questions that could arise from their child seeing a picture like that. The Mayor’s position is still unknown and the Cultural Council’s response suggests an unwillingness to compromise, which is unfortunate in this situation. Since this issue surfaced, it is also interesting that all public-facing media outlets, including Facebook, have either blurred or removed the image due to content.”
MOCA Jacksonville Director Marcelle Polednik said everyone is entitled to their opinions, but people should be aware of this one.

City Council President Clay Yarborough had a problem with the photo in the MOCA museum because children can see it from a nearby restaurant.

— Nicholas Benton (@Bentonicks) December 11, 2014

“I don’t think the picture is offensive at all, once leaders start to limit artistic expression it is a breach of our first amendment rights, and hurts me especially. There is nothing pornographic about the picture at all, and if councilman can’t stand the sight of bare breasts being in an art museum, then they should take a look at some of the most famous art in the world, because most of that are paintings of women without clothes, or statues of men without pants on,” said Alex Mckean, a UNF art major.

Mark Rozman, a weekly attendee of the Art Walk thought that the protesting was too much for him, but did greatly appreciate the support the people were giving to the museum.

“Attending the Art Walk is something I do every week, but with the controversy surrounding MOCA the event has a different kind of spirit, and although I didn’t join in with all the chanting and protesting, I did like that people are sticking up for the great museum. It is important to downtown Jacksonville,” said Rozman.

Museum officials said they have been in contact with the artist, who is aware of the controversy.
The Mayor’s Office said it plans to have city lawyers get involved, because retracting the funding, as Yarborough requested, would be a First Amendment issue.

New Additions to the Asian Gardens Exhibit Slideshow

Carl Bernstein Lecture at UNF

Carl Bernstein spoke about our current political environment and offered unique insight about the Watergate story at the UNF Herbert Center. Although his thoughts on politics were important, it was his understanding of journalism today and his advice to push your writing further through investigation, without compromising the truth.

The best obtainable version of the truth, this is what Bernstein made a point of emphasis of and periodically reached back and touched on when he spoke about the Watergate story or today’s journalism.

“Often people these days are not looking for the truth and are instead focused on sensationalism and gossip,” said Bernstein.

Bernstein talked about what he described at “idiot culture” and how the media contributes by sensationalizing stories and focusing on rumors and celebrity worship instead of real news. He noted that directing attention to what is important to America today is of serious significance.

“The most important thing that a journalist does is decide what news holds the most weight, and what is actual news,” said Bernstein.

Although Bernstein blamed journalists for being part of the problem, he also put responsibility on the shoulders of the American people as well.

“The other day I was asked why the press today is not able to topple a government like our story did. I said it isn’t the job of the press to topple the government. It’s their job to report on real stories and provide good reporting. It’s the job of the people to bring about change,” said Bernstein.

Bernstein’s judgment of today’s mass media also included news organizations like Fox News and MSNBC and their political affiliations blurring what the truth really is.

“There’s nothing wrong with news organizations being affiliated with political parties. What’s wrong is pretending that they are giving us the best obtainable version of the truth,” said Bernstein.

On an anecdote while talking about the Watergate story, Bernstein spoke about the moment that he and Bob Woodward realized the magnitude of their story and the effects in would have on the presidency.

“I just looked at Bob and said: Oh my god, this president is going to get impeached,” said Bernstein.

Bernstein also said some kind words for Former Washington Post Editor Ben Bradley who passed away two weeks ago used him as an example of the fearless ambition that journalists should strive for.

“What characterized Ben Bradley was that he wasn’t afraid. He was not afraid of political correctness. He was willing to take chances and make mistakes. So many people operate out of fear these days,” said Bernstein.

Bernstein’s criticism of idiot culture was well received by the audience and people could be seen nodding their heads in agreement. The crowd gave a loud round of applause when he labeled the conservative lobbying group Citizens United vs. The Federal Election Committee as one of the worst Supreme Court hearings ever.

When Bernstein spoke about President Obama, it was mostly to support him and what he has been able to accomplish despite the publics perception and an ugly opposition from a divided political system. But despite those successes, Bernstein did not think his main goal will be achieved.

“Seems to me he has had some great successes, there are great accomplishments. He has brought us out of a near depression. But distribution and fairness of income equality will outlive his presidency, and it’s a reason for great disappointment,” said Bernstein.

Although the thoughts on politics were valuable, it was the criticism and suggestions for journalists that were truly priceless coming from a incredible writer who helped break one of the most important news stories of all time.

Election Story

About half as many students qualified for Bright Futures scholarships when the school year started last fall than the previous year, according to new estimates from the Florida College Access Network. Former Governor Charlie Crist blamed Rick Scott for the cut, but his accusation is only half true.

Both candidates in Florida's governor race contributed to requirements being raised for Bright Futures during previous terms.

— Nicholas Benton (@Bentonicks) October 30, 2014

University of Florida graduate Michael Cossa understands what his Bright Futures scholarship meant to him when he graduated high school in 2009. It meant receiving important financial help for his hard work.
“I didn’t have to compromise. I was able to go to the school I had always wanted to go to for the education that I needed. Obviously I still have student loans to take care of, but the money that I got from Bright Futures helped so much,” said Cossa.

Bright Futures, Florida’s lottery-funded college scholarship, has finished going through a series of changes. The program has raised required test scores and become more selective. Bright Futures is now exclusively a merit-based program and not focused on expanding access to higher education.

At its peak in 2008, one in three Florida high school graduates qualified for a Bright Futures scholarship. Now, just one in eight students will qualify, according the Florida College Access Network.
In an effort to raise support for the upcoming election, Charlie Crist attacked Scott in a television advertisement that focused on the cuts made under Scott to Bright Futures scholarships.

“This isn’t just a doorway to a school. It was my doorway as a public school kid to opportunity. And I want to make sure every child has that same chance for a better life. But Rick Scott’s education cuts are closing that door on Florida’s kids, spending almost $200 less per student than when I was governor and cutting Bright Futures scholarships in half,” said Crist in a television ad.

The ad blames Scott, but Crist helped write legislature that carried over to Scott’s term as governor, which ultimately led to the requirements being raised. The Legislature under Crist reduced the number of eligible students in the future, and after Scott took over as governor the Legislature continued on that same path, but made it even harder for students to qualify.
For students like Alex Hayes, who graduated last summer, these new requirements seemed unfair to him because he met the previous requirements but not the new ones.

“My test scores were good enough if I had graduated a year earlier, and that’s what seems unfair to me and my family. I had no idea how expensive textbooks would be, now that I know I really wish I had met the requirements for a Bright Futures scholarship,” said Hayes.
The argument over whether Florida should focus on merit- or needs-based college aid has been an issue for a long time.

Donna Free, a high school math teacher at Twin Lakes High School says that some of her students desperately need the extra money towards their higher education.

“A couple of my students have been accepted to great schools that would love to have them, but without the scholarship money students and their families can’t find enough financial to cover the costs,” said Free.
In Crist’s last year as governor, he reduced Bright Futures scholarships by a dollar for every credit hour. He also raised SAT and ACT requirements over a few years so it was expected that fewer students would be able to achieve those scores.

Most students qualify for the Florida Medallion scholarship. Over three years, the minimum score rose from 970 to 1170 on the SAT and from 20 to 26 on the SAT. This year had the most dramatic increase. The minimum SAT scored increased by 150 points and the ACT score by 4.

The changes will also cut the cost of Bright Futures. The program paid $429 million in 2009. Bright Futures will award $180 million by 2018, according to estimates.

Land of the Tiger

Both Malayan and Sumatran tigers roamed around the zoo’s unique $9.5 million exhibit called “Land of the Tiger” featuring a trail system never before seen at any other zoo in the country.

The exhibit features raised walkways for the tigers, simulating an experience closer to nature for the animals.

The zoo set out to create such an experience because tigers’ habitat has been disappearing, causing 97 percent of wild tigers to die off, according to the zoo’s publication Wild.

The group of tigers consists of three Malayan tiger brothers, and Lucy and Berani, a pair of rare Sumatran tigers. All of the tigers are fully grown adults, and at least three years of age so the tigers are almost always separated.

“Tigers are solitary creatures in the wild so it’s not surprising that the cats don’t exactly get along. This exhibit does give the zookeepers the opportunity to seclude the tigers without making them feel too confined though,” said Chris Ritzert, a volunteer who helped with the mid day demonstration.

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has grown as a tourist destination in Jacksonville. The zoo anticipated a busy year in 2014 and the new tiger exhibit has brought more tourists, as well as Jacksonville natives, to see the landmark habitat for the five tigers.

“We have been extremely excited to show off our tigers in such a unique and exciting way and have gotten great feedback from our visitors who love watching the tigers walk through the trail around and above them,” said senior mammal keeper Elana Kopal.

The exhibit also features other exotic animals with Asian roots such as the wrinkled hornbills, Visayan Warty pigs, Babirusa pigs, and Asian-small clawed otters.

PJA Architects partnered with Landscape Architects of Seattle to design the 2.5 acre exhibit that is featured in the back of the zoo.

Excercise 3

While the 4Me! Teen Health Project is clearly making a difference for teens in low income areas; it is unclear what effect the program is having on parents. The project is on pace to reach most of the goals in the future defined by the grant given by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families.

The program is aimed to reduce area rates of teen births and sexually transmitted infections by educating youth about sexual health issues and how to prevent risky sexual behavior. The project is a community-level intervention conducted in low-income apartment complexes, programs for at-risk youth, and county health departments for youth 12 to 18 years old in Duval, Clay and Nassau counties.

Assistant Director of Northeast Florida Center for Community Initiatives Tracey Milligan helped analyze the project and explained that the project is definitely making a difference in teen’s lives, but it’s unclear what effect the program is having on parents.

“There have definitely been signs that show the program has been a success for teens that completed the course but it’s hard to tell if the information is getting through to the parents,” said Milligan.

While many site facilitators reported that parental engagement was a challenge, 68 parents or guardians attended a workshop during the year, which is on target for meeting the goals for the grant. Although the attendance met the standards, parents did not show an increase in sexual health knowledge.

While parents believed they know everything or a lot about sexual health and this confidence increased after the workshop, it is not clear they are actually gaining knowledge as measured by the survey. Only one of the survey questions examining knowledge was statistically significant between the pre- and post-test surveys.

There are no incentives for the parents or guardians, besides their children being more educated, as opposed to the children who have a chance to receive money for school supplies or other materials to foster learning.

Although guardians might not be learning much more about sexual health, post program surveys have indicated that parents are having more conversations about sex with their children, which was one objective for the program.

Since its beginning the program has seen 212 students complete it, which requires teens to complete three of the four classes. 90 of them have joined the Teen Leadership Council.

Overall, Tracey Milligan believes the program is successful although not all of the goals for the grant have been met, she believes they will be met in the future.

The Nudement Shifts Focus to Guana Park

After initially gaining momentum in her efforts to make a section of Jacksonville Beach clothing optional, Angela Anderson has shifted her focus to Guana Beach where her group, The Nudement, plans to quietly lobby for a nude beach.

After deciding to give up the fight for a section of beach in Jacksonville the group focused on Hannah Park because you have to pay to enter and it is not as public as Jacksonville Beach. But after receiving no responses from managers, Angela decided that it was time to move on again.

“It finally clicked with me. I don’t think that this city is ready for this. After hearing that we still have laws that discriminate gay people here, I mean how are we going to get a nude beach,” said Angela.

Angela’s new focus has been placed on convincing officials that Guana Beach is the right beach to be nude friendly. However, she explained the process will be different after learning a few lessons from her petition in Jacksonville Beach.

“I haven’t made it too public in Guana. I’m not setting up a petition for it and I’m not on the news… I’m trying to figure out who really runs this beach and I’m trying to get them on my side,” said Angela.

Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham made a few light hearted comments about the type of sunbathers the public might see if there was a section of clothing optional beach in Jacksonville after being asked about the petition when it was originally introduced but then stated that it will not happen under his watch, and that the group should go elsewhere to express themselves.

“I’ve realized that just throwing people out on the media like that too quickly without getting to speak with them one on one can put them in a defensive mode and maybe that’s what happened with Mayor Latham,” said Angela reflecting on her petition for Jacksonville Beach.

“I’m trying to figure this out on my own,” said Angela who has a part time job and a full school schedule at the University of North Florida. Although she does have the support and advice from her group she admitted that it is difficult to find time to plan all of this without much free time.

“I have gotten pointers from everyone who’s been working on this and they have said that doing it quietly usually does help too. I am glad the discussion did get out there but now we are trying to go the quieter route,” said Angela.

She explained that they have gotten a lot of support from officials at Guana Park and everyone has been open and welcoming so far. She is focused on convincing park officials of the monetary benefits that the nude beach will bring, using Halouver Beach as an example which brings in millions of dollars each year.

Former Ambassador Michael A. Mcfaul speaks at UNF about Putin’s Russia

Former Ambassador of the United States to the Russian Federation Michael A. Mcfaul had a bold prediction about Russia’s involvement in Ukraine to share with the 730 people in attendance on Tuesday evening at the UNF Herbert Center.

“I do not believe he (Putin) seeks to rebuild the Soviet Empire or Russian Empire, I just don’t see the evidence to it. This was an emotional response after what happened in Kiev to invade Crimea,” said Mcfaul.

Mcfaul explained one theory as to why this happened.

“It’s all our fault (the USA) not because we did too much, but because we did too little to stop the invasion of Ukraine.”

Mcfaul, who has met Putin on several occasions, explained that he has always been suspicious of the west. In his view the USA uses the CIA to over through governments that they don’t like or agree with.

“Putin is locked in his world views, he has decided that his place in history is to defend this moment,” said Mcfaul.

When Mcfaul went on to describe in detail about the current state of the USA’s relationship with Russia his tone changed and the occasional jokes ceased. He talked briefly on the years he spent in the Soviet Union as a student and how some of his closest friends are Russian. He then spoke about statistic from three years ago that confirmed that 62 percent of Russians had a favorable view of Americans.

“I see this current event as such a tragedy, a colossal waste,” said Mcfaul after a student asked him about his favorite aspect of Russia.

There was some good news that Mcfaul offers though, explaining that this is not a return to a cold war and this is not a struggle between capitalism and communism.

The audience was mostly quiet during the speech apart from applauding his arrival and departure and the only reactions came when Mcfaul made an occasional joke. Mcfaul said that he was particularly surprised with the number of people in attendance in comparison with other colleges and the amount of students that showed up. One UNF junior said that she was especially glad she decided to attend the speech after seeing it posted online.

“Most of my family is Russian so I have been very interested in the ongoing issues that are going on over there. It was nice to be informed by someone who I am sure knows what he is talking about,” said Alex Mckean.

Prior to his nomination to the ambassadorial position, McFaul worked for the U.S. National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Russian and Eurasian Affairs. Now that Mcfaul has retired from politics he teaches political science at Stanford University.

Food Trucks Still Stuck in Neutral

Photo Credit: Nicholas Benton.

Jacksonville’s downtown streets were buzzing at the Jacksonville Art Walk around the local food vendors that brought vibrancy to the city sidewalks on Wednesday. Although they have to abide by several of new rules, the employees at Chew Chew Food Co. have found different ways to find customers and stay consistent, despite a ordinance passed in February that makes things more difficult for the mobile food vending industry.

“We haven’t had much trouble finding corporate courtyards whose businesses won’t let us feed their employees over there lunch breaks,” said Lance Larson, an employee at Chew Chew who lives in Jacksonville. “Although we always have to ask for permission, we haven’t run into any trouble yet.”

Photo Credit: Nicholas Benton.

Although, the vendors had to find spots during the walk to position themselves within the law, the food trucks found a way to draw some lines in areas off the path of the art walk. The food trucks added an important dimension to the event, with people stopping for a moment to check out a truck they saw decorated with bright and whacky graphics, and then trying some local food.

“It seems like having the trucks here is the glue that brings the whole event together,” Jacksonville native and monthly Art Walk attendee, Mark Rozman said. “It pairs so well with this walk because you can see as well as taste the local talent Jacksonville has to offer.”

The state of the mobile food industry downtown has taken a blow since regulation months ago. In late February there was 89 licensed food trucks in Jacksonville according to jacksonville.com, now there are only around 50.

In April Councilman Reginald Brown proposed an ordinance in an attempt to regulate local food trucks that was met with criticism from local food truck owners who convinced the council that this would run them out of business. After some back and forth, Brown came to a compromise after meeting with the owners to make some changes to his ordinance. Some of the rules the ordinance require is that trucks keep a distance away from brick and mortar restaurants, and that they would have to keep 500 feet away from a neighborhood or subdivision.

Basically, the ordinance makes it almost impossible to operate on the downtown streets, where the trucks have had a lot of success. Originally, when the ordinance was proposed, trucks hours were going to be restricted to work between the hours of 6 a.m. and midnight. But after Brown met with food truck owners the hours were changed to 6 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Here is a link to an article with the ordinance featured in it: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-aug-anti-food-truck-legislation-moving-forward#.VBeZZixATIU

One vendor that has had a particularly tough time adapting to the ordinance over the past few months is the Wrap it Up truck.

“We have definitely felt the effects of the ordinance but the community and companies have been reaching out and inviting us to events that we can cater too,” said Nikoc Zrihen, a employee of the Wrap it Up food truck. She explained that after the ordinance they can’t park in the spots where they previously got the most foot traffic, like on downtown streets close to bars and other restaurants.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Benton.

The mobile dining trend has become a local business engine, giving owners a way to test new food concepts at a lower cost. According to a restaurantowner.com survey the median cost to build a restaurant cost 275,000, while the cost of a food truck ranges from 10,000 to around 100,000.

Food trucks have developed a national voice through the National Food Truck Association, and it has been estimated that the 11 states that occupy the association generate around 1 billion annually in the U.S.

“I think food trucks are good for Jacksonville, they bring people out onto the streets and onto the sidewalks,” explained Rozman. “I definitely wish there were more of them parked outside my office complex during my lunch break.”

Although, food trucks may be stuck in neutral at the moment, getting by breaking even at corporate office courtyards and catering at local events, the mobile vending industry in Jacksonville is far from thriving.

Sources:
metrojacksonville.com, restaurantowner.com, ww.charmeck.org, the line media.com
Nikoc Zrihen (Wrap it Up)
Lance Larson (Chew Chew)
Mark Rozman

Story Proposal #2

     “Selfies” are becoming more than just art here in Jacksonville’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Last years social media trend “selfies” are taking on a more serious role in an exhibition on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville. The museum partnered with Art with a Heart in Healthcare to present different takes on the popularized self-portrait made by boys and girls at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. The children teamed up with an artist-in-residence program to help the patents share their experience with others while promoting self-confidence.

     My angle on the story is how the social trend has taken on a new light at the art museum in an effort to show people examples of self confidence from children who are less fortunate than others around them. I plan on using sources from http://www.mocajacksonville.org/current/ArtWithAHeart,www.visitjacksonville.com/events/first-wednesday-art-walk/ and http://hyperallergic.com/76218/before-the-selfie-the-self-portrait. I will also talk to artists at the event to try and soak up as much information I can about the portraits that being displayed in the exhibition.

     I would like to cover this event while showcasing some of the art that the children have created in the pictures that I take. My plans for pictures include the entrance of the museum and some of the different works of art with people watching them included in the frame. Access to the exhibition is included in the general admission cost so I won’t have a problem getting into the event. I plan on quoting one expert, preferably one of the artists, one member of the staff at the event, and one man or woman attending the event.