Visualizing The Smokey Mountains

by Vanessa Reyna

As you feel the breeze grazing across your nose, leaves are swaying and riding along the same path you feel the wind moving. The colors of the leaves are different shades of bright and dark greens, the same color as these mountains. In front of you there are tall vast mountains that stack one upon another in different shapes and sizes. Some are so tall they start to disappear in the puffy white clouds above them. By the looks of how tall they are -- why they seem they are halfway to the sun! 

Flying through the mountains picture several flocks of black birds moving gracefully towards the east side of where we are standing. I know it is spring time, but it gets pretty cold here. Looking up the mountains you can see strips of white ice left over from yesterday’s drizzle of rain. Right below the mountains there is a small river that is conjoined by smaller streams of water coming from the lower parts of the mountains. The river is moving calmly right now, since there is only a breeze, and the water is pretty low. 

We are ways up on top of this scene, just far enough on top to where we are level enough to see the mountains as if it were a painting right in front of us. This beautiful sight is a sight to remember. 

Don’t just remember what I am explaining, but remember the feeling of the breeze across your nose and fingertips as you grasp on to the metal bar right in front of you that separates us from this scenery, remember the sound of my voice as I am describing the picture we are standing in front of, and feel the rhythm of the chirping from the birds that flew east. This way you won’t just have a picture to look back on, you will have a memory to hold on to—the memory of the Smokey Mountains.

What is Praise Dancing?

By Chevelle Simms

Getting dressed was very exciting and fun, but as we stood in front of a full crowd, I could feel my hands and knees shake. I had danced numerous times before, but this time was different; more people were watching. Before the music started to play, I saw everyone pulling out their phones, ready to video and take pictures. That made me more nervous. “What if I mess up,” I thought to myself.  When the music started, I tried to remember what moves comes after the next. After a couple moves, I got excited and I could feel the adrenaline pumping. I could hear people saying “Amen” and “Hallelujah” as the other two girls and I danced. As I danced I could feel my face expressions changing, corresponding with the words of the song. This was a very powerful song. When the song came to an end, the church members were clapping and shouting. In this moment, I felt so good. Praise dancing is more than just entertaining an audience at a church event; it’s about using your body to tell a story and teaching people about the gospel.

Not everyone is aware of what praise dancing is, and the ones that are aware might have misconceptions about it. Praise dancing is using our body to express the word and spirit of the Lord while praising him. To my knowledge, it is practiced mostly in Christian churches. According to the “What is Praise Dancing” article, although dancing was used to express joy and thankfulness to the Lord in ancient times, it was forced out by the Christian churches by the reformation, but was re-entered in the 20^th century. Some people may think that it is just people jumping and acting wild, but it is an actual dance with routines and Christian songs.

Praise dancing shouldn’t just be performed; it should leave both the dancer and the audience feeling a certain way. When performing a praise dance, the dancer needs to be passionate about it. Praise dancers must emphasize the dance moves so the audience can feel it. Facial expressions are also very important. If the song is a happy song, the facial expressions need to be cheerful. If the song is emotional, then the expressions need to portray that. During a praise dance, the audience should learn something from the dance. They should either be in the spirit or feel some type of emotion. If a praise dance is performed without enthusiasm and passion, then the audience is left feeling the same way they did when they walked into the church.

When creating the moves for a praise dance, it is important to listen to the words of the song being danced to. The words in a song are the most powerful, and that’s what the audience hears that makes them emotional. Creating the routines can be easy or difficult depending on the song. If the song includes action or describing words, then it’s easier to come up with the moves. For example, if the song says “I’m praying for you”, the moves might include clasping your hands to portray that your praying and then pointing to the audience, showing who you are praying for. When the song doesn’t have much action or describing words, we incorporate some type of lyrical or ballet moves to make the dance run smoothly.

Praise dancing has different types of movements, so it requires certain types of clothing. When dancing, dancers need to be comfortable and be able to move around. Therefore, the clothing needs to be loose so the dancer can breathe easily. A usual praise dance costume includes a leotard, long tights, long loose fitting dress or skirt, and a shirt that covers both the stomach and the cleavage area. The outfit also needs to be flowing, so when the dancers move it’s soft and neat. In no type of way should the outfits be revealing. Depending on the dancers, white gloves can also be worn.

There are so many ways to praise God and praise dancing is one of them. In some ways, it requires technique, but for the most part it’s about feeling the words of a song and translating it into a story. Praise dancing should teach both the dancer and the audience more about God. It’s also about having fun but letting the spirit take over. As the scripture says “let them praise his name in the dance” (The Bible, Psalm 149:3). Even though some churches might not believe in it, there is nothing wrong with dancing for the Lord. 

Works Cited 

“What is Praise Dancing.” Iloveindia, 2016, lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/what-is-praise-dancing-9534.html. 

The Bible. King James version, Rod Parsley, 2000.

Urban Family Day at the Appleton

I have lived in Ocala my entire life and have only been to the Appleton Museum on a field trip in elementary school. When I heard about the Urban Family Day that would combine art and the holidays, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to reconnect with the Appleton. 


The first thing that I noticed was the beautiful holiday trees throughout the museum. I later learned they were decorated by various organizations throughout the community. 

There was a Dicken’s Christmas village set up and a beautiful collection of Nutcrackers from all over the world. I immediately felt the holiday spirit as I walked around the museum and saw all the children and their families participating in holiday crafts and enjoying the beautiful scenery in the Appleton. There was even an opportunity for carriage rides and photos with Santa. 

This picture is my favorite picture from the day’s event. I love the contrast of the Christmas tree decorated in white lights with a painting and sculpture sitting in the background. The holiday season can become all about shopping and presents, but this picture made me stop and realize how important it is to remember the beauty of the holiday season and the beauty of the art work in the Appleton Museum.
 
This event was a fantastic event that I would definitely attend next year. I feel that it is a great opportunity to spread some holiday joy to the community at a museum filled with fabulous art and exhibits!

Artwork from a Different Perspective

by Azaleia Lorenzo

As I walked into the Appleton Museum it brought me back to when I was just eight years old on a field trip with my school. I thought to myself I never remember it being this beautiful. Arthur I. Appleton gifted the city of Ocala with this beautiful museum that was established in 1982 ("History of the Appleton”). Walking around the exhibit I had a better appreciation for the art that was constructed by each artist. It was much more fascinating to me now than it was when I was eight. Each of the paintings I saw made me see a story within them. I looked at each of the paintings and sculptures in awe wondering how amazing each piece of art was. Every detail was beautiful and mesmerizing. The time spent on these artworks had to be incredibly tedious. The creativity that the artists portrayed was outstanding and made me wonder what exactly was their state of mind during the process of creating these masterpieces.

My favorite painting of the entire museum was in the European and American Gallery. The painting was called “When Love Is Young,” a painting by an Italian artist named Vittorio Matteo Corcos. His paintings are made with oil on a canvas. He pays attention to the detail of the colors in his paintings. Corcos is well known for painting images of men and women in beautiful clothes and their composition (“Vittorio Matteo Corcos”).

When Love is Young

When I look at this painting the first thing I can tell is emotion. The emotion I see between the two people in the painting is intimacy. I think the creator's mental state while creating this painting was maybe he was missing his wife or loved one and decided to depict a painting on his feelings. Since there is a chair in the painting and the sailor is on the other side of the railings it seems to me as if the two are separated for some time when he leaves for sea. As the man is gone the women sits waiting for her loved one to return back to her. I can see a possible sense of the two suffering minor depression when they are apart until they are together again united happily. I could also sense some separation anxiety as the woman has a chair beside her waiting for the return of her lover. It seems as if she cannot bear to do anything else but think of when he will come back, so she sits and waits.

The feeling that I get when I see this painting is contentment. The image clearly shows that the two young lovers have been apart from each other, and as they reunite the emotions and joy of their love is shown by the way that they look at each other. When two people are young in love they, cannot even imagine being away from each other, so the painting exhibits an appropriate depiction of what love may be seen as.

Works Cited 

"History of the Appleton." College of Central Florida Appleton Museum of Art,

         2016, appletonmuseum.org/about/history/

"Vittorio Matteo Corcos: Biography." Artnet,   
         2016, http://www.artnet.com/artists/vittorio-matteo-corcos/biography

Secrets

We’ve all got secrets,

So what’s yours?

Mine is that I love doors,

I love shutting them 
So no one can see, 
And when I open them,

No one knows what happened before.

I can be on the fourth floor,

And I can shut the third door,

And then secrets will develop even more.

~~ Anonymous

Seeing Flamenco Beach

By Anna Sanchez

I was walking on the warm hot sands of a famous beach in Puerto Rico called “Flamenco Beach,” which is known as one of the most beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico. As I was collecting sea shells for my collection back at home, I saw this beautiful young girl sitting on one of the benches near the shade surrounded by a ton of palm trees. She looked lonely, and I couldn’t help but notice the sadness in her face, so I began to walk towards her to ask what was wrong.

As I was walking towards her and now closer, I realized she didn’t quite notice me or even acknowledge I was there, and that’s when I knew she was blind. I sat on the other side of the bench since it wasn’t occupied. I said to her “ Mind if I steal this seat,” and the girl answered “no.”  I introduced myself and asked for her name; her name was Isabella.

It was hard trying to start a conversation with her considering she kept giving me short responses. I didn’t know what to say, so I just gazed off admiring the beautiful view of the aqua blue waters of the beach. All of a sudden she asked me “Hey can I ask you a question?” I responded, “Of course, what is it?” She asked me, “What’s the beach like? Can you describe to me the view.  I bet it’s beautiful. I can feel it just by the warm sun kisses of the sun and the peaceful sounds of the birds chirping”

 I told her, “Isabella, the beach is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Imagine a place where the water is crystal clear and calm, the sand soft and white, like snow surrounded by green mountains, and palm trees, and an ocean adorned with beautiful coral reefs. Kids are running back and forth in the warm sand feeling the salty air brushes of the wind against their rosy red cheeks, enjoying the joyful atmosphere. That, Isabella, is the beach, and you don’t need to see it to enjoy it. You can simply feel it.”

Coleman Federal Prison Field Trip

by Tabitha Henke

This trip was an opportunity provided by the CF Criminal Justice Club, giving the club members a chance to go see the largest federal prison in the United States.  My experience at Coleman was interesting, from walking through the metal detectors upon entry to getting a stamp on my left arm which can only be detected by a black light. Upon entering I walked past the three layered barbed-wired fence which consisted barbed wire on the external and internal sides, and a less lethal level in the middle of the barbed wire.

Once through the opening doors, I entered the main corridors. Our tour guide, who was one of the correctional officers, guided me and the whole group to the entrance of the inner yard. It consisted of all of the units that hold all of the male inmates, a total of 1,868 inmates. Once the officer unlocked the gate to enter the J-unit, we all followed him through the doors and into the unit. Inmates were looking at us the whole time walking through the unit. All of us were told by the officer to not make eye contact with any of the inmates and to ignore anything they say or do towards us.

Upon exiting the J-unit, we went into the K-unit and then entered the recreation room. The room consisted of all of the activities that the inmates were able to do, such as painting, watching movies, workout out, making purses, and playing sports. The recreation room gives the inmates something to do during the daytime.

Exiting the room, we all walked down the inner yard and observed an enclosed yard with tents and ashes of a fire. The officer informed us that the yard is for inmates who are of the Native American religion; these inmates have the ability to smoke tobacco and have fires in the enclosed yard. If any inmate took the advantage for granted, the privilege would be taken away immediately. The prison consisted of good health care facilities and psychological facilities and an opportunity for inmates to go to school to get their GED or go to college.

This trip is good for anyone who is interested going into criminal justice or law enforcement. 

The Florida Watercolor Society Exhibit at CF

by Cable Brenay

The Florida Watercolor Society exhibit at the CF Webber Center is a wonderful sight to behold. Not only is the art amazing, but it is being created by wonderful people still honing their skills as one of our peers. The realism, the depth, the feelings and wonder that wash over the viewer are warming to know that these works have been done by people among us, not time distant artists but one of us. The work that is being done is impeccable, all in their own way, but a few stood out to me personally.

One of the most striking pieces was “Walking Tall” by Jenny Medued which depicts a young Native American man with new style glasses in the process of a solo spiritual dance clad in traditional garb. The painting skill is only matched by the pride felt when the viewer sees that a young modern age man is keeping the traditions of his ancestors long since passed fresh and alive for people to appreciate. This dedication to family and heritage is breathtaking.

 

"Walking Tall"

Another painting was “Royal Pride” by Susan Tully. Her ability to breathe life into a white horse, in ornate halter, hanging its head, is amazing. The horse appears to be weeping and for what reason is up to the viewer’s interpretation: the straining nature of its cause, the loss of a friend, the last ride before being put to pasture; regardless it is both majestic and moving.

"Royal Pride"

Another article of animal life is shown by Sandi Hanlon-Bruer in “Come on in the Waters Fine” where she shows a lone alligator skulking through the water. The soft color choices and the fact that the fierce teeth are hiding just below the surface echo the title. It’s a painting that would make any native Floridian proud.

"Come on in the Water's Fine"

A very different piece was the “Trail to Vernal Falls” by Sue Archer a very delicate piece showing an elderly woman sitting near the bottom of set of large stone steps. The woman is either sketching or writing with her face hidden behind her snow white hair. This piece pulls at the viewer with curiosity: Why is she sitting? What is she doing? Who is she? She could be anyone for any reason doing anything the viewer can interpret.

 

"Trail to Vernal Falls"

Although all of these were very well done and invoked so many feelings the most amazing piece was “What Now My Love” by Frank Spino. The realism and the detail that was carefully poured into this particular piece is heart stopping. A man wraps is arm around his wife and kisses the side of her head as she clutches his arm with worry cascading across her face. Any man that has ever cared for a woman can relate to this, as well as every woman that has ever sought the comforting embrace of a man that loves her. This is a painting that shows how marriage should be, a man supporting his wife and a wife seeking no one but her husband.

"What Now My Love"

This being the first art exhibit that I have ever viewed I was very impressed. Gladly since then I have visited two other art galleries. I have found a new appreciation for art and the feeling s and thoughts that come with it. I feel that this particular exhibit far exceeded my expectations as prior to it was not a fan of art at all. I hope that you will be able to have a similar experience with the next exhibit and have a few feelings of your own to share.

My Library Family

by Cheyenne McConnell-Sawyers

Many people when they think of their reading experience are haunted with memories of bad grades and the many hours that they spent trying and failing to sound out words correctly. However, when I think back on how my love for reading began I can’t help but smile. My passion for reading was nourished by two inspirational librarians, Mr. Wally and Ms. Heather.

When I was seven years old I begged my mother to get a better variety of books for her to read to me at our nightly storytime sessions because the pages of I Love You Forever by Robert Munsch were starting to look so mangled that the words would have been unrecognizable had I not memorized the story. During our nightly storytime session my mother would read to me one of the books I was gifted from family members that were always ready to be read by my bed before she fluffed the blankets, whispered “I love you forever I like you for always as long as I live my baby you will be,” and kissed me goodnight. Instead of buying more books she took me to the public library and changed my life forever.

When I first walked into the library I immediately felt an icy fear creep into my mind at the sight of the monstrous bookshelves. I was so scared I couldn’t move. After a few minutes of me standing frightened, a nice lady came over and asked me if I wanted to see the kids’ room. I didn’t know it then but that woman, Ms. Heather, would become more than just a nice lady. She would become a second grandmother.

In the kids’ room I found three tables with books for kids along with rows of shelves filled with kids’ books. However, perhaps the best thing in the kids’ room that first time was the other librarian Ms. Heather introduced me to, Mr. Wally. He was an older gentleman who always had a smile; he spoke with a stutter, but that didn’t stop him from inspiring everyone with quotes. He was one of the kindest people I have ever met. Mr. Wally and Ms. Heather talked with me about what my favorite books were and what I liked to do; at that time, I liked watching the tapes of “Raffie.” He was a pleasant guy who sang on tape while playing guitar. I had only seen one tape of his before at my grandma’s house. I thought it was just something that grandma had. However, Mr. Wally pointed out that the library had what seemed like a whole wall of these music videos. Ms. Heather and Mr. Wally helped me decide which tape to check out first. That day Ms. Heather gave me my first library card which I thought was a special club just for people who liked Raffie. 

After that first visit I got to know Ms. Heather further. She was this blonde lady who always wore a sweater. She had the greatest voices for storytelling; She could make what seemed like any character’s voice in a story. I returned to the library twice a week at that time because I loved her and Mr. Wally so much.

As I got older Ms. Heather would suggest books that she thought I would like. I would read every day just to be able to talk to her about those suggested books. When I was middle school age and toiling through difficult homework, she would always help answer my questions. I remember many times I wouldn’t be grasping the subject and she would make a great story up to explain it. She made reading Romeo and Juliet simpler to understand for the test. I wasn’t able to do a lot of normal kid things, like climb trees or ride a bike for fun. I have a disorder that causes constant broken and fractured bones, but Ms. Heather let me help with storytime activities for the younger kids who were learning just like I had about the library. Ms. Heather put me in her skits to act out books. She made a great Big Bad Wolf to my Little Red Riding Hood. Ms. Heather never turned me away because I had casts or said I couldn’t help because she was afraid I would fracture another bone. She would just say “Well this new cast adds drama to the story today” as she hugged me. I will never forget her teaching me the love of all books no matter what genre they were. She instilled the saying “It doesn’t matter if it’s not your type of book. It’s worth reading because someone thought it was worth writing.”

Mr. Wally was always right there too in the storytime activities making the books realistic as “Chef Wally.”   He loved to bring the weird foods like green eggs and ham to real life for children, so, he would make them. He would put on a little skit himself pretending to drop the egg while he made the green eggs and ham. He didn’t just perform to bring books alive; he would have book debates with me or what he and I would call “The Meeting of the Minds.” We would discuss different points and perspectives we had about a book we both read. I remember one conversation we had about the poem “The Raven” by Edger Allen Poe. Mr. Wally said, “It is all just a dream. No one was actually at his chamber door; he was just imagining the rapping.” I replied, “It was more than a dream; it was Lenore. She came back for him, and it was sweet of her.” That was the most memorable debate because from that day forward every time either one of us heard someone knock on a door, we would say out loud, “Is it you Lenore?” Mr. Wally taught me that every book has a set word count. He also taught me that the words may be written in ink, but we all read the words differently. 

Another interesting thing he taught me was that everyone has a different perception, of those set words. As Ms. Heather never turned me away for my disorder of broken bones. Mr. Wally never had a shortage of websites and books to turn to for more medical information or more writings to read for our debates. He was the one who recommended I read the book Handle with Care by Jodi Piccoult. He wanted me to know that I wasn’t alone. What he didn’t realize was that with my adopted library family that he and Ms. Heather were, I never felt alone. I will forever cherish and remember the influence that each of them had on my love for reading.

Nanny McPhee said, “When you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me but no longer need me, then I have to go.” I had Mr. Wally to influence my dreams and goals in life. I will forever carry his memory in my heart. I still have Ms. Heather to inspire and cheer me on from afar in my academics today because I still need her. I hope that everyone has their own versions of Ms. Heather and Mr. Wally, to nourish their reading for them like Mr. Wally and Ms. Heather did for me.

Let's Read!

By Emmalisa Kaminski

from www.pixabay.com

In these last few weeks as I have been writing my literacy narrative I have had to think a lot about one of the most fundamental pieces of my life.  Literacy is the foundation for anything that we will ever learn as well as a way to escape from the harsh realities of the world that we live in.  Sadly in places around the world literacy is something that is more often than not, placed on the backburner for things such as food, and work.  Children in impoverished countries and areas all around the world, including within our own country are not receiving the literary education that they should be.  Sometimes it falls on the teachers to make sure that the child is being provided with a literary education but really it is the responsibility of the parents to take the time out of their busy schedules to read to the child.

My advice to teachers would be to continue doing what they are doing.  Teachers today have so many standards placed onto them by the state that they are in fact providing the child with a good basic literary education.  However, if there is one thing that I think that teachers could do better for their students and encourage reading in their classroom, would either be an interactive story for the month, so that children can become accustomed to reading out loud in front of an audience, or be able to set aside a time where you could take students aside in groups and begin to have something along the lines of mini book clubs in your class.  There are so many things that you can do for the children, so that they are able to build a positive relationship with literacy and books.

Perhaps the most important part about a literary education would have to be making sure that the child’s reading relationship is growing at home.  It does not matter how hard the teacher might work to make sure that the child is receiving a good literary education, it is up to the parents to make sure that they are taking the skills that their child has learned during the day and cultivate and nurture them in the home.  Whether that is having your child read to you as you are cooking dinner, or reading a story before bed time.  If there is no literacy in the home than the likeliness of the child developing a healthy relationship with reading is going to be quite slim.  Therefore, my advice to parents around the world is to make sure that you carve out time to be with your child and make sure that they are reading anything and everything that they can get their hands on. 

from www.pixabay.com

The final thing that I want to cover is that the children of today NEED literacy.  It is something that in my opinion is slipping away into history.  From all of the technology that is available today I see more kids playing Pokémon GO, or Clash of Clans than I see sticking their noses into a good book.  Literacy is something that is going to help them throughout the rest of their lives; it is a skill that has to nurtured and cultivated by the people around the child.  For the people that need to help cultivate it, you need to know that the rest of the child’s life is going to depend on what you teach them during these crucial years, for those families that live in impoverished countries or areas, go to someone and explain to them your situation and tell them that you want to be able to teach your children how to love reading.  For the people that meet these parents crying out for help in educating their child, listen to their cries and answer them because these children are the future of our world.  These children could be the next Nelson Mandela or Gandhi, but they will never be able to reach their full potential unless we help them.