Giving Youth A Voice

What a long, strange trip it's been ...

Today was National Speech & Debate Day, and as part of a grueling, long charter bus ride from Palm Beach County to Pensacola (extended by several hours due to the breaking down of our initial transportation), I had the opportunity to reflect on what this means in my life.

When I was attending Bloomfield Hills Lahser High School, we didn't have a debate program (or if we did, it certainly wasn't anything of note). We did, however, have a high school radio station, WBFH-FM, "The 10-Watt Big Shot," led by station manager Pete Bowers. In retrospect, there are many parallels between the two programs. Both are student-centric "real world" operations, involving critical thinking, writing, researching, public speaking, and other important skills young adults need to learn in order to function in life after graduation. Both involve veteran students working with newer students to learn the ropes. Both lead to long-lasting bonds of friendship and professional camaraderie. And while there were no educational radio competitions in the 1980s, there certainly is today, with broadcasting students competing in areas such as promotions, news casting, sports announcing, and other areas of radio, which again matches up with weekend debate tournaments (albeit, not nearly as often). The radio station was my home away from home for three years, and I remained in broadcasting through most of my college career as well.

(A shout out to Bill Keith and David Legg, high school radio teachers at programs in Plymouth-Canton and Novi, who I also hold in high regard.)

Fast forward to 2000, when I became a debate coach as part of my teaching duties at South Fork High School. The first coaches I worked with were Trish Zenczak, Angie Anyzeski, and the recently-retired Dale McCall. They helped me get my feet wet, as did Marna Weston and Daryl Hall. And after I came to Wellington in 2002, I was blessed with the chance to work with other amazing coaches, such as John Day and Jason Wysong, and debate parents such as Eilleen Dempsey and Holly Levine. All of these wonderful people, and so many more, have been a blessing in my life.

Now, the student has become the officer and the mentor, and I have had the opportunity to work with a plethora of coaches who have dedicated themselves to the world of Giving Youth A Voice. People like Shawna Dooner, Mierka Drucker, Steven Schappaugh, Kristen Taylor, Jenny Cook, Kristin Carbone, Traci Lowe, Eric Jeraci, Jennifer Kwasman, Fawn Tenenbaum, Megan West, Beth Eskin, Leah Carolan, Dario Camara, Carol Cecil, Christina Calaluca, Shari Dodd, Terri St John, Anna Hutcheson, Adam Jacobi, Bob Ickes, Jennifer Bell, and Peter Pober. Parents like Sue Ann McDaniel, Amy Yeackley, Lori Baumel, Michael Kennedy, Janell Leatherman, Kathy Hernicz, Karen Mangini, Ana Palomino, and Veneta Gilchrist (among so many others).

And of course, it's all about the students. Giving youth a voice in this unforgiving, tumultuous world. I am so very proud of what I, and we, have accomplished. Cynics see a world in despair. I look at my debate students, past and present, and see an amazing future ahead, one where positive change can and will take place. Together, we have, are, and will continue to #TransformTomorrow ... and that's a pretty cool thing, in my opinion.

The Trump Band-Aid Position

There has been a noticeable rise in anti-Semitic activities across the nation the past few months, with the most recent high-profile case taking place in suburban St. Louis, where more than 150 gravestones were found damaged or toppled at a historic Jewish cemetery earlier this week.

In the wake of this attack - which led to a furious fundraising campaign led by Muslim-Americans to help repair the damage - President Donald Trump took what some view as a more forceful attitude toward anti-semitism.

“I think it’s horrible,” the President said. “Whether it’s anti-Semitism or racism or any - anything you want to think about having to do with the divide. Anti-Semitism is, likewise, it’s just terrible.”

While some Jewish organizations reacted positively to the president’s statement, many others either questioned why it took him so long to make such a statement, or said his position barely scratched the surface of combatting anti-semitism. The Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect called Trump’s remarks “a Band-Aid on the cancer of anti-Semitism that has infected his Administration.” 

Sadly, I agree. In the past month, dozens of Jewish Community Center locations nationally have been evacuated due to anonymous bomb threats. On Wednesday morning, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also received a bomb threat at its New York headquarters. And Trump’s words do not match up well with his actions since beginning his political campaign. The past 18 months have seen plenty of questionable actions surrounding the president, ranging from the use of alt-right images in his campaign literature, to his outright refusal to condemn such attacks, to the appointment of divisive right-wing opinion and news publisher Steve Bannon as his chief strategist - a move condemned by the ADL.

But the United States is not the only example of anti-Semitism gone crazy the past few months. A number of Jewish communities in Europe have said they feel vulnerable to attack following recent terror attacks across the continent, and want governments to dedicate extra policing and intelligence efforts to keep them safe. In France, anti-Semitic incidents more than doubled between 2014 and 2015, from 423 reported incidents to 851. From January to July, anti-Semitic incidents in the United Kingdom increased by 11% according to the UK's Common Security Trust. Recently, a German court decided that the firebombing of a synagogue in Wuppertal was only the expression of "anti-Israeli sentiment.”

And this prejudice is increasing.

This recent action hits close to home. Southeast Florida - from West Palm Beach south to Miami - is home to an extremely large Jewish population. Area leaders are concerned - rightfully so - the more emboldened prejudice people feel, the worse attacks will be.

So, what can be done to stem the increase in anti-Semitism? Th most obvious answer is that political leaders - in the United States and abroad - must strongly condemn such actions, and must not allow individuals with those views to have a powerful voice in government. This is easier said than done, especially given Trump’s position and political associates. But it must be done, and it is up to the people to continue voicing their opposition to such cancerous individuals. Even with this, it will be a long road. But it’s better to drive down that road than avoid it altogether.

Eff The Cat

Lawmakers in Tallahassee must have enjoyed taking tons of high-stakes standardized tests when they were growing up. Or - perhaps more likely - those lawmakers truly enjoy inflicting child abuse on today’s youths when it comes to the volume and intensity of those high-stakes tests.

How else can one explain the mass stress levels elementary, middle and high school students will be dealing with starting later this month when the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) testing begins?

The FSA, which arose from the ashes of the much-hated and much-maligned Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) several years ago, is no better at doing true assessment of our students. It continues to be a money pit with no known bottom, where millions of dollars are wasted annually in the quest to try and validate whether students are learning enough and educators are teaching effectively.

I've written about this before, and we will continue to howl at the moon until the powers that be in our state capitol change the process and stop the madness.

Case in point: this year, fourth-graders at public schools across the state will be asked to spend two hours in a controlled setting writing what amounts to an advanced-level 2,000-word essay. Each of the multiple body paragraphs (between two and four) need to be between seven and nine sentences, incorporating a main idea, an elaboration on why this contention is important, a specific quote from the accompanying text for support, and an explanation on why or how this supports the initial idea. Plus there’s the need for a strong introduction with an attention-getting device, as well as a strong conclusion where the student elaborates on what has been written already.

I are willing to bet there are a ton of parents who were given a glimpse of the writing structure and are stressing out as much as their children. In high school debate, this style is known as “CWDI” - claim, warrant, data, impact - and is used by nationally-ranked debaters with years of experience in the event.

And this is what is now expected of fourth graders.

Enough! Standardized tests should be a baseline, not something which freaks out children and parents alike. Do students understand the material they should understand by a certain grade level? Great! If not, let’s go back to the drawing board and teach them what they need to learn and figure out why they didn’t perform as expected. Students and learning should be the focus of every test given. I wish our lawmakers would figure this out already.

Hearts Of The World Will Understand

February 1964 was notable for many things. The twenty-fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which outlawed the poll tax in federal elections, was officially certified. The Beatles arrived in America for the first time, appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Muhammad Ali (who was still known at the time as Cassius Clay) defeated Sonny Liston to become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. And for the first time ever, the month of February was designated “American Heart Month.”

Fifty-three years later, each of these moments has had an impact on our society to varying degrees. But in terms of life and death issues, it was President Johnson’s December 1963 declaration which as had the most significant on American society.

At that time, more than half the deaths in the U.S. were caused by cardiovascular disease. Since then, while there have been major increases in both awareness of the reasons for heart disease and the availability of much healthier dining and cooking options, cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death for both men and women, across all demographics. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, heart disease affects nearly 85.6 million Americans, and includes heart attack, arrhythmia, heart valve problems and the after-effects of stroke.

While American Heart Month is a federally designated month in the United States, it’s important to realize that cardiovascular disease knows no borders. Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, remains the leading global cause of death with more than 17.3 million deaths each year; that number is expected to rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030.

Further the American Heart Association notes cardiovascular disease, listed as the underlying cause of death, accounts for nearly 801,000 deaths in the US (or roughly 1 of every 3 deaths in the United States). It is the leading cause of death for both men and women, across all demographics. About 2,200 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day, an average of 1 death every 40 seconds. And about 92 million American adults are living with some form of cardiovascular disease or the after-effects of stroke.

It’s never too late to start living a healthy lifestyle. According to the CDC, there are several things individuals can do to live a healthier lifestyle and reduce the possibility of heart issues. One thing adults should do is schedule regular visits with their personal physician to talk about heart health. It’s important to schedule regular check-ups even if you don’t think you are sick. Set up a program with your physician, and set goals for improving your heart health.

Adding exercise to your daily routine is also a great way to reduce heart health problems. It doesn’t need to be full-blown weightlifting, either; simply walking 15 to 30 minutes three times each week will definitely help your heart.

And of course, along with exercise, you should increase healthy eating. Cook heart-healthy meals at home at least three times each week, and make your favorite recipe lower in sodium. And if you are a smoker, take steps to quit, which will also reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke.

February is also known for Valentine’s Day. Make sure you have a healthy heart, so that you can continue to love the world around you.

Field Of Dreams?

If you build it, they will come. In this case, I'm talking about the recent re-emergence of Palm Beach County in the spring training and Minor League Baseball scene.

Nineteen years ago, Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter was constructed. Located in the Abacoa community, the stadium holds nearly 7,000 fans, and features luxury sky-box seating, 2 levels of permanent seating, parking and concessions.

For what seemed like the longest time, Roger Dean Stadium was the only game in town - literally. As home to the Miami (formerly Florida) Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals major league franchises for spring training, and four minor league teams (the Rookie-level and Class A-Advanced affiliates of both Miami and St. Louis) as well, it was the single choice for baseball-loving fans within Palm Beach County.

But that changes this year, with the inaugural season at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in Palm Beach Gardens. Like Roger Dean Stadium, the new state-of-the-art complex is the spring training home to two Major League Baseball teams (the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals). And in the future, minor league affiliate of those teams will also call the 6,500-seat stadium home.

The Astros and Nationals will play the first game at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on Feb. 22. Roughly half of the $148 million complex cost is being paid by Palm Beach County, using taxes on hotel stays dedicated toward tourism-boosting efforts. The state and the two teams are paying the balance.

For now, that’s as far as in-county professional baseball will advance; an attempt to relocate the Atlanta Braves to Lake Worth’s John Prince Park had been floated, but county personnel involved with the push struck out. The Braves will be moving to Sarasota starting in 2019.

Atlanta had trained in West Palm Beach from 1963 through 1997, when the team moved to Disney's Wide World of Sports near Orlando.

When it comes to building new stadiums, there are mixed views on whether they benefit the community in which they are constructed. The textbook study of the relation between professional sports and economic development was written by Robert Baade of the Heartland Institute. Even though the study was completed in the 1990’s, it is still widely cited as an authoritative reference.  The Heartland Study identifies three economic impacts from public subsidies of professional sports: direct expenditures (restaurants, hotels, transportation, souvenirs, food), indirect expenditures (income spent by those who attend games on other goods and services within the metropolitan area), and “psychological” benefits (which are less easily quantified; some have suggested television coverage of a city’s professional sports teams encourages businesses to locate there).

There are also intangibles, such as the benefits of civic pride successful sports franchises evoke in a community.

But there can also be negatives with construction of new sports complexes; there are times where the deals struck between professional owners and community leaders are so lopsided, the community suffers long-term. For example, the horrible deal between Miami-Dade County officials and Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria. (I wrote about this back in August 2011.)

According to the May 2011 Miami New Times, Miami-Dade County officials "were so incompetent in negotiating the project that they stuck taxpayers with interest rates that would have made a mid-housing-bubble speculator gasp.” By the time the bonds are paid off in 40 years, the $515 million Marlins Park cost will have ballooned into $2.4 billion ... while the team pays no taxes on the land. It was a deal that put low-income taxpayers on the hook, at the same time county services were threatened with cuts, at the same time Miami’s then-Mayor Carols Alvarez pushed through a budget that raised property taxes, while at the same same time Alvarez was calling for a five percent across-the-board cut in pay for most county workers but a 15 percent increase in the salaries of his own staff.

To date, these types of problems have not plagued Palm Beach’s stadiums. I hope our more local options continue to be more fiscally and ethnically sound than our southern counterpart.