Snapshots: Open Streets Gainesville

A young boy enjoys a game of hopscotch
in an intersection on University Avenue
in downtown Gainesville.

On Sunday a one-mile stretch of University Avenue was blocked off for cyclists, Irish step dancers, a roller derby team, bands, food vendors, sidewalk chalk artists and dogs, among others. It was for the Open Streets Gainesville event that promoted reclaiming public space for pedestrians and cyclists. Here are just a few snapshots from the day. 

The Roller Derby team goes for a practice run to show off their
skills without having to watch for cars. 

The artist at work on a portrait in the middle of an intersection.
The whole intersection was dedicated entirely to chalk murals.

This boy blades freely down the center
of University Avenue.  

Open Street participants enjoyed the cool weather and
bright, blue skies on Sunday. 

AP Study: Minorities say media portrayal still not accurate

Ever since Rochelle Alleyne was 10 years old, she knew she was going to be a reporter. As a youngster, the 21-year-old telecommunications senior would create make-believe newscasts for her family in their living room. She has since interned with CNN in Atlanta, Georgia, and reports weekly for local TV stations in Gainesville. But even at a young age she couldn’t help but notice there were few people on TV who looked like her: dark-skinned with curly hair.

            A report released earlier this month by The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research took a look at the two fastest-growing minority populations in America: African Americans and Hispanics. According to the report, both groups are adopting digital technology, including mobile news, at increasing rates. Despite their acceptance of this developing media, however, only a third of Hispanics and a quarter of African Americans believe their communities are accurately portrayed in the media.

Alleyne is the president of the University of Florida chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. Like most people, Alleyne said, Blacks and Hispanics are consumers of media even though it does not truly reflect their reality.  

“Usually most TV shows you watch have that one token black kid to come say something funny,” Alleyne said. “It’s kind of funny, but it’s also sad because that’s not the way life is. There is always more than one black person in group settings in real life.”

Giselle Bermudez, 21, is the executive director for Hispanic Heritage Month for UF’s Hispanic Student Association, which runs until Oct. 15. She is on a personal quest to find television shows and other media that portray the variety in the Hispanic community. She thinks mainstream media tends to lump all Hispanic lives into a single experience, when in reality it’s much more varied.

“I’m an Afro-Latina and a lot of times I feel like I’m not black enough for some people and not Latina enough for other people,” Bermudez said. “Not all Latinas are Sofia Vergara or Jennifer Lopez. Ultimately, I define what my Latina is and what it isn’t.”

Rosana Resende, a cultural anthropologist and lecturer for UF’s Center for Latin American studies, said she found it interesting that the study noted a smaller gap between how Hispanics feel they are portrayed in the media as compared to African Americans. She credits the growth of Spanish language media and believes ethnic coverage can be so different from mainstream media that it can make the viewer feel as though they are in a different city.

            “When people don’t see their lives reflected back at them in the media they consume,” Resende said, “it can generate a lot of skepticism and mistrust.”

            Resende also believes that when minorities are covered in the media it’s usually negative. When it’s positive coverage, she said it is undifferentiated, one-dimensional and the attention is brought solely to a person’s race. Lumping minorities together in this way, she said, can give them a “strength in numbers” advantage, but ultimately does not allow for the greater diversity between them.

            “We can’t just talk to Latinos about immigration issues and Cinco de Mayo,” Resende said. “Minorities are a part of our neighborhoods and schools, and media should make an effort to include them on discussions of all kinds of topics.”

Alleyne added that appearance and visibility are important factors in how women are portrayed in the media. Hair in particular, she said, is often the subject of discussion within the black community. This conversation centers on whether women should wear their hair straight or natural, and what implications that stylistic choice may have, especially for women in media.

            “I decided to start wearing my hair naturally about a year ago,” Alleyne said, “so that when little girls see me on TV they can say ‘Wow mom, she looks just like me, and I can do what she does.'”

She said not seeing people like her on TV never made her feel like she wasn’t able to accomplish what she wanted. But watching professional, black women achieve goals similar to hers always gave her a positive feeling she couldn’t explain.

Bermudez said she feels that the overwhelming messages young Hispanic men and women receive about their lives from media are focused on poverty, unplanned pregnancy and high dropout rates. She said that by including more varied and positive Hispanic role models in the mainstream media, younger members of the community will be inspired to achieve greater things, because they will then believe it’s in their capacity to do so.

To help media entities better represent minorities, Alleyne believes the change needs to start behind the camera. She says newsrooms need to have greater diversity to allow for a wider variety of thoughts and opinions. When she works on stories for journalism classes and local TV stations, Alleyne makes a concerted effort to interview people from different races and genders to more accurately reflect the diverse population that makes up the community.

            Resende says when African Americans and Hispanics are highlighted in the media, they should not be expected to act or speak on the behalf of their entire culture or ethnic group.

            “Feeling like you have to do that is a lot of pressure,” she said. “No one asks a white person how they feel about something as a white person.”

            Instead Resende wants to see the media include as much context as possible and provide more opportunities for minorities to contribute to mainstream media.

            Alleyne says her organization hopes to provide aspiring black journalists with resources to grow professionally and personally. Group members also hold discussions on when to take into consideration the ways in which race does and does not play into their careers.

            “These can be awkward and difficult conversations to have,” she said, “but it’s important that we start having them.”

  

Pascal Folly: An American in Berlin

As promised, I now have the full feature on Pascal online and ready to share!

Check out the original post on Pascal for background information.

And click here to see the SoundSlide I created as part of my photojournalism course in Berlin!

Plus, if you want to see profiles on other Berliners created by my classmates, click here! Stay tuned for some more of our photography of the city and a video of our trip by our TA and award winning photographer, Daron Dean.

Comment below with your thoughts!



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What's yours?
Email stories.about.them@gmail.com with your story (or that of someone you know).
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International Love: Part 2

Since the last blog post of me creeping on people was such a big hit, here are more snapshots of love around Europe. 

Since I began looking through my camera lens through a different perspective (that of the photographer and not just a tourist), I've begun to see more around me. It's sort of like when you get a new car, and then you start seeing that car everywhere, where you hadn't really noticed it before.

Looking for simple moments between people and their loved ones is kind of like that.
Once you start looking for them, they're all around you.

A girl in Venice kisses her dog who patiently waits while the family samples gelato.

Two dogs in Prague's old center snuggle while their owner performs in the square.

A couple naps in the sun by the riverside in Prague.

Children in Venice's Piazza San Marco try luring pigeons with snacks.
That wasn't working too well, so they ate the snacks themselves.

A boy and his father enjoy the cool water of a pubic fountain in
one of Berlin's parks on a sunny evening.

A bride and groom in Venice's Piazza San Marco bow to onlookers
taking pictures of them during their photo shoot in the Piazza.

This couple stopped for a moment on Prague's
famous Charles Bridge.

Overlooking the Vltava river in Prague on a sunny afternoon.

A girl in Prague stops to pass on some small change
to a street performer in Prague.

These are my "Must-Sees" of Germany and you might not like them.

My last few days in Berlin really brought the whole trip home for me. There were 2 activities in particular that are now among my "must-sees" of Germany, though fair warning, they aren't pub crawls or bike rides.

The first activity I ended up doing spontaneously with my roommates Brenda and Shayla. It was rainy so, naturally, we Googled things to do. We found the Underground Tours of Berlin or Berliner Unterwelten. The one with the best timing for us in English was an underground tour centered on the Wall. (Note: GET THERE ON TIME.)
I have to say honestly, besides seeing the Wall, and trying to envision East and West Berlin/Germany, I was having a really hard time comprehending the whole thing. I knew it was a difficult time in the country's history. People suffered, some died, and it was a great joy to the people when the Wall came down. But, I wasn't feeling it like I wanted to. I know I will never truly understand it. The lives of Berliners straddling life in a city straddling a concrete wall. However, being taken underground and shown what the resulting railway system looked like, the Soviet infrastructure, and learning about the tunnels that people built to get out of East Berlin was amazing. Shayla, Brenda and I all felt that we came away with a portion of the puzzle providing some explanation of life in Berlin post WWII.


My family came to meet me in Berlin to continue this Euroventure. We did a bus tour and they got a glance of many things in the city. I tried to fill my family in on what I'd learned from my two weeks in the city. I ordered them Doner Kebabs, of course, and made sure they got to see a part of the Wall.

My mom was insistent on us going to see the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp just north of the center of Berlin, near the Oranienburg stop on the S1. I wasn't sure whether or not I truly wanted to see it, but decided to take hold of the opportunity while was in Germany.
My friend Michael, and classmate in Berlin, interviewed our walking tour guide Darren for his project. Darren tried to explain the "allure" in going to visit these places. They aren't pleasant.  But, as Darren explain, people want to be shocked.

Prison Gate. Rough translation: "Work sets you free."

Was I "shocked" at Sachsenhausen? I'm not really sure. I have, of course, had extensive education on WWII and the atrocities of the Holocaust. Seeing this all in person, however, brings this closer to a reality as you see it in your mind. It allows you to marry an education with tangible objects to better focus the picture of the thing. I would recommend this for visitors who are interested. There is a TON of material to read and items to see. You could spend an entire day on the grounds looking at what the foundation has created for visitors to understand life in the camp. There are guided walking tours as well as comprehensive audio tours. When the weather permits, go.

Memorial on site built by Soviets after Liberation.

A single poppy springs up from where one of the barracks once stood.

One of the watch towers at the edge of the prison.

American Expat Finds Artistic Challenge in Berlin

As part of my class requirements for this photojournalism course here in Berlin, I am required to find a Berliner and profile them. We want to learn where they came from, what they do, what makes Berlin special in their eyes. We follow them around for a bit to collect photos, interview them, and make a Soundslide project. Eventually, those Soundslides will appear on a website and our work also appears in a published book that our professor puts together.

I've mentioned Pascal to you before. Pascal is my subject. I met Pascal when our group visited Dr. Pongs, a sort of simplistic, underground bar that has a ping pong table. Pascal bar tends part time at Pongs. We hung out a couple different times, sampled cappacinos and espressos together from a variety of cafes around Berlin. He also took me to his studio where I got to see a sampling of his work. Here's my little narrative on him. Soon, I'll post the Soundslide version as well:


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By day, American expatriate Pascal Folly paints, teaches English, takes walks, drinks coffee at his favorite cafes and volunteers with the homeless. By night, he bar tends, dances, parties and enjoys the vibrant techno-infused nightlife of Berlin. After living abroad in Brazil and Japan, Folly returned home to Washington, D.C. where he and his artwork felt stagnant. 

“I had no lady, no sword, no shield and no quest,” said Folly. After hearing many positive things about the city, Folly decided to just pick up and go. He ventured to Berlin in 2012 for the first time to challenge himself and his artistic approach in a brand new environment. He didn’t know anyone in Berlin and didn’t speak the language. For the first time, Folly felt failure. But he also experienced a city that was open and full of potential. Folly was newly inspired to develop his paintings in his shared studio space, experimenting with abstract circles and lines. He also admires the sense of community he found in the city. “In Berlin, people respect what you assign value to,” Folly said. “So, if you want to be an artist, you be one.”

What is Weiner Schnitzel? And Other Questions From a Non Meat-Eater

-->Those of you who know me well should have seen this post coming.
Today, I'll talk about one of my great loves in life.
Food.

A bratwurst and potato salad with a red (rot) Berliner Weiser.

I identify as a pescetarian, meaning I only eat fish and no meat, not even chicken or turkey.
Except for when I travel.
I've been eating a pescetarian diet since my senior year of high school, broken only by my trip last year to Argentina, where missing out on their beef is more sinful that breaking your self-imposed dietary restrictions.

So that's one of my flexibilities and something I encourage other people to do when they travel- sample the local cuisine! Something you are sure to find in Berlin are the typical "German" items like bratwurst. If you don't have a sensitive stomach or an aversion to street food, I recommend you at least try sampling a street vendors brat. They carry their grills on their front, the propane on their backs, and usually have an umbrella conveniently located over their heads so they are free to serve you hands free.

Aaaannnndddd Weiner Schnitzel.

 
You'll also find a variety of sausage usually served with potato salad on the side. Curry wurst is another anomaly. As our biking tour guide Sophie said, when the British got curry powder, they made tikka masala. When it reached the Germans, they mixed it with ketchup and put it on sausage.
And it's pretty good. For a sausage in ketchup that is.
And Weiner Schnitzel? It’s actually DELICIOUS. The other night as a group we visited a very traditional restaurant in Friedrichshagen where I sampled a pork schnitzel. It’s just a thin, breaded slice of meat, usually veal. But it is so good. 
 
What I didn't expect was how much Eastern food I would find. Aside from a variety of Thai food, which is slowly becoming my favorite, there is also a ton of Doner Kebab(p)s. To be honest, I don't always know what's in them. But if you're here, get one. They usually have a lot of veggies packed into this great bread, reminiscent of nan bread for your Indian food fans. They include some sauces and meat, which is usually lamb, which is mounted in a round-ish shape, heated from one side, and slowly spun, cooking the meat. Someone comes and slices pieces away. The overall impression is actually magical. You’ll also find your felafel, humus, halloumi, and other typical assortments.

Berliner Pilsner. (A little too watery for my taste.)

Beverages:

I’ve recently become interested in beer production and how certain brewing techniques affect the taste and quality of beer. I’ve sampled a few here, and I make a point of trying something different when I can.

I’ve tried Warstiener, Berliner Weisse (rot/red), Berliner Pilsner and, my favorite, Hefeweizen which is a wheat beer. 
All in all, some of the best parts of these long, busy days are the meals and drinks shared with these lovely people; my friends.

Enjoying drinks and scenery at a beer garden in Wannsee.

Warsteiner beer in Wannsee beer garden.

Berlin is for Lovers and I Feel Creepy

I never thought I would be "creeping" on people as much as I have these past few days.
Peering at the world from behind a camera lens alters your perspective of the things around you. 

I find myself examining moments that I would look past as a tourist.

A couple shares a moment together in the Berliner Dom.

I look at people when they think they aren't being watched, and I try to capture that moment. Instead of focusing much on the buildings and monuments, which are definitely worth capturing, I'm instead looking at the people around me. Other tourists, Germans, my classmates, etc.
It can get awkward, I'll be honest. Sometimes you have to fake another photo at something in the distance behind your subject and hope for the best.

A couple stops for a selfie at Alexanderplatz.

But doing that allows you to examine people in a different way. You become aware of acute differences between people. But more importantly, you become aware of the similarities.

My favorite moments are moments shared with strangers. A smile, a chuckle over their cute kid, or even discontent and an audible "Scheiße" as the tram stops because of technical difficulties and makes you walk. 

 I'm enjoying having the excuse, or rather, the opportunity to do this, to be "creepy", in a foreign city. And I am very excited to really begin work with my subject Pascal today. I'll be traveling to his art studio to take pictures of him working and also interview him about his experience in Berlin.

Berlin is for writers, artists, tourists, history buffs, mechanics, students, teachers, lovers and everything in between.
And I love being creepy.

Another pair pauses to embrace in the cool afternoon in Berlin's Tiergarten.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of public transportation,
this couple hugged before saying goodbye at a platform in Alexanderplatz.

A man looks at a woman on a boat trip across the lake in Wannsee.

A father and son watch ducks swim by at a pond in the Tiergarten.

Berlin: Poor but Sexy

-->

Willkommen to Berlin!
This blog post is long overdue.
I'm supposed to be blogging while I'm here in Germany, as part of a Photojournalism study abroad trip I am doing with my college.
But each time I tried to sit down and write about this city and my ongoing experience in it, I got stuck.
I have found Berlin really challenging to describe. It truly is unlike any other major city I've been to, and it hasn't at all aligned with my expectations.

Shayla, me and Amanda stop for a selfie at the Wall.
You can follow Shayla's adventures here.

Not only do you have a Berlin that was once separated, now converged, but you have a Berlin that is constantly changing.

Professor Freeman, the photojournalism teacher leading our trip, says each year he comes, he seems buildings and stores come and go.

I'm liking the city so far though, I have to say.
I compared Berlin to someone who you "meet" for the first time on Facebook. You think you've got them figured out. Then you meet them in "real life" and the impression totally changes. You know at least one of those people, right? Yeah. That's Berlin.

We've done walking tours, biking tours, spent decent chunks of time on public transportation, and still this city was throwing me for a loop.
It wasn't until I separated from my group, and met up with my subject, Pascal, that I felt like I was getting to know Berlin on a more personal basis, from a different point of view.

While we're in the city, our project is to meet someone who lives in Berlin and do a profile on them. I ran into Pascal, an artist who bartends at Dr. Pongs and teaches English in his free time. I'll introduce you to him later.

For now, you can check out my photos here, and my album on Facebook.
Auf Wiedersehen!

A woman meditating near a memorial by the Berlin Wall.

A stop for ais or ice cream under a pretty
Berlin sky.

An example of "Old" Berlin and how some parts of the city
haven't changed in some time.

Prater Biergarten. You can order a beverage and complete
your meal with a bratwurst and potato salad.

Shahd's Story : Life in Cairo

photo courtesy of El Lamei

Shahd El Lamei was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1994. Her parents, along with her three younger sisters, still live in the capital city in a place that has captured the attention, imagination, and more recently, headlines, the world over.

The Arab Spring made its way to Egypt in January of 2011 and, for a brief time, completely changed the world Shahd lived in. She experienced the Egyptian revolution first hand as a girl, a teenager, a student, an Egyptian.

“Before the Revolution, my life was normal. You know I would get up, get on the bus, go to school, all that,” Shahd said. “For my family everything was ok.”

Rather suddenly, however, things began to change in Cairo, and soon, the rest of the world was watching as frustrated Egyptians took to the streets to protest the government.
---

Read the full version of this story I wrote about Shahd on Self Narrate!


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This is their story.
What's yours?
Email stories.about.them@gmail.com with your story (or that of someone you know).
Stories About Them are stories about You.
Pass it on.

Self Narrate : A preview

Shahd El Lameri
photo by leanna scachetti

I've certainly been out and about this semester, and wouldn't have it any other way!
I have, regrettably, neglected Stories About Them for a bit, but I have been busy!

Right now I'm collaborating with some very talented and driven people who are interested in the same thing I am-storytelling.

Next week I'll share with you a story I wrote for Self Narrate on a young Egyptian woman who witnessed and took part in the revolutions in Egypt, spurred on by the Arab Spring.

Now she's going to school in the states and learning to adjust to life as a full time student.

For now, though, check out the stories that have already made their way to Self Narrate!


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This is their story.
What's yours?
Email stories.about.them@gmail.com with your story (or that of someone you know).
Stories About Them are stories about You.
Pass it on.

Love from Mr. Labes: Valentine's Day

And on this Valentines Day, I'd like to share this delightful little tune from my multi-talented friend Philip Labes.

Labes is an emerging actor and musician who is currently a junior studying at USC.

In this Valentines day debut, Labes is joined by Natalie Angiuli and their smooth vocals combine for a sweet surprise.

Want to hear more from Philip? Check out his Website!

"I Like To Cut" and other ways to dance

photo by Spenser Dugal

Meet Jacqui.

I should include a brief disclaimer here; Jacqui is one of my best friends. In high school it was basically like this; if you knew me, you knew Jacqui.

But the fact that we've always been close hasn't blinded me to her talent, nor does it nullify my belief in her talent.

I'll give you an example.

Jacqui came to visit me several weeks ago, and proudly displayed her newly developed YouTube channel with a single video on it. It was of an assignment she had for dance class, a "text solo" in which she had to choreograph a dance while simultaneously speaking a monologue about a childhood memory.
Jacqui chose to do her solo based upon a time when she was five years old and cut all of her brother's hair off because "all her Barbies were bald."

Jacqui slipped on her first pair of ballet slippers at the wee age of three. I went to many of Jacqui's

Jacqui starting dancing when
she was 3 years old.

dance recitals over the years. I remember sleeping over her house during recital time; carving out a space to sleep among the costumes, makeup boxes and the seemingly never ending pairs of tights. 

I always knew she was a good dancer. But I didn't realize HOW good. After watching her text solo, I was beyond impressed with my best friend; with how she used voice, facial expressions, and movement to communicate a childhood memory.

I was really proud. And I know Jacqui was too, even if she's not the type to openly boast about how freakin' awesome it was.

Through middle and high school, Jacqui always danced. But as a student at a performing arts school, instead of pointe shoes, she carried around camera equipment. Storyboards in place of leotards. Excel spreadsheets stuffed into her backpack where you might have expected to find bobby pins. Jacqui majored in communications, specializing in film, graphic design, and was a vital member of our yearbook staff.

But moving onto college, despite her skill in all of these areas, she knew her passion lay in dance. Her decision to pursue it, however, wasn't without it's challenges. Jacqui feels there's a lot of misconception about dancers, especially that dancers aren't as smart as engineering or psychology majors. In reality, however, she claims that belief is far from the truth. She thinks many dancers have plenty of other interests and capabilities in other areas, but simply choose dance instead.

"I had many career path options to take out of high school. Business. Medical. I wanted to be in marketing for a while, then I wanted to be a forensic pathologist and go into criminology," she said. 
"I chose dance because I couldn't live without it. Dancers have so much awareness of their own body, mind, the world around them, cause and effect, professionalism, and understanding of the way people function on an anatomical level and a mental level. I feel like dance has taught me so many things about myself and this world that would have taken me decades to figure out by another medium."

She now attends the University of South Florida in Tampa where she majors in dance studies.

photo by leanna scachetti

 Right now, Jacqui is preparing to dance in two pieces in USF's spring dance concert; a contemporary pointe piece by faculty member Paula Nunez. She's also re-staging a professional piece called "Lucifer's Prance" by choreographer Robert Moses.
 "That piece was an amazing opportunity and crazy awesome experience to work with Robert Moses for a couple days," said Jacqui.

Jacqui will also be competing in the American College Dance Festival in March in Georgia. Judges there will then decide which dances will perform in the final gala, and which will continue to the national division. On top of all that, Jacqui is rehearsing for two student choreographed works to the Student Dance Production on campus. She also teaches dance at a local studio. On her own, she is working on projects for her choreography class, which, hearkening back to her high school days, is a way for Jacqui to incorporate two loves of hers; dance and film.

Jacqui displays an arabesque at the Empire
State Building in NYC.

"Dance on film is interesting too because you control what the audience sees and doesn't see based on the frame of the camera as well as the use of editing, which can enhance a work to a whole different dimension. I'm just starting to dive into that kind of work and I have a few ideas I want to play with on my spare time." 

After she dons the cap and gown, Jacqui wants to work her way up to join a contemporary ballet or modern company. She counts the Spellbound Contemporary Ballet in Italy, Celli Contemporary Ballet in Italy,  and Robert Moses Kin in California as among her dream companies.

But if it doesn't work like she's planned in the time she's planned it to, Jacqui has ideas of using her other skills to continue working in the dance field, just not on the stage.

"I have said that if auditioning for companies I like doesn't work out right away that I could intern with the company's business side, using those skills to get me in. Then I could take classes with the company, get to know them, and work my way in as a dancer."

Dancing isn't always a brisé. Jacqui points out that dance is about overcoming challenges and problem solving every day. For her, the biggest challenge is to keep pushing through, even in the times of frustration and exhaustion, both mentally and physically. But it's the pursuit of improvement that keeps her going.

"Having the sense that something is just working out beautifully, and feeling that step that I always struggle with work out perfectly for the first time is always an amazing feeling." 

Jacqui (far left) poses while rehearsing a student
choreographed dance by Vanessa Vargas.

Despite being a versatile dancer with experience in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and hip-hop, Jacqui doesn't think that's what sets her apart.

"I approach each class, rehearsal, and performance with a certain mindset that I've noticed lots of other dancers, and people, don't have. Positivity and an open mind are so important, especially when working with dance because negative thoughts bring you and the whole group down and an open mind leaves so much room for creativity," she said. "Leave the judgment at the door, enter with an open mind ready to learn, create and explore."

photo by leanna scachetti

She sums it up by saying it's not perfection she's seeking. Which would seem odd from someone whose career seems to be based upon the achievement of perfection (cue Black Swan.) But for Jacqui, being "perfect" isn't the end goal. 

"Perfect means I've reached the end. I always want to continue growing and learning, improving, and creating."


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This is their story.
What's yours?
Email stories.about.them@gmail.com with your story (or that of someone you know).
Stories About Them are stories about You.
Pass it on.