Community Engagement News February 7, 2022
State Senator and Staff Member Discuss Legislative Agenda at Campus Democracy Project Forum
Antonio “Toni” Rodriquez (left), a legislative aide in Tallahassee, participates in the CDP Forum. State Senator Jason Pizzo commented on proposed legislation and fielded questions.
The workings of the Florida Legislature and items on its agenda for the current session in Tallahassee came under scrutiny a week and a half ago during a forum as part of Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP).
State Senator Jason Pizzo (District 38) and Antonio “Toni” Rodriquez, a legislative assistant to Senator Annette Taddeo (District 40), participated in the virtual event. Mr. Rodriquez was a Barry student leader, serving as a CDP Committee co-chair as part of his Barry Service Corps fellowship.
The Florida Legislature is meeting for 60 days, through March 11. It has a packed agenda, which includes redistricting and an abortion bill.
Redistricting is the process of redrawing the boundaries of congressional and state legislative electoral districts to reflect population changes that result from the decennial census. The current process favors the Republican Party.
The abortion (Fetal and Infant Mortality Reduction) bill is contentious. The Republicans in the Senate rejected an amendment to alter SB 146 to include exceptions to their abortion ban in cases of rape, incest, and human trafficking.
Prompted by a query from Courtney Berrien, associate director of the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI), Sen. Pizzo commented on critical race theory (CRT), which Republican lawmakers have been shooting down.
The Democrats, Sen. Pizzo said, are letting the Republican side control the narrative regarding what CRT is and is not. “No one is proposing to teach it K through 12,” he explained.
Earlier, Sen. Pizzo pointed out that about 85% of all proposed legislation and related issues tend to be “fairly ecumenical.” That means there is usually agreement across party lines.
Reflecting on the 2021 legislative session, Sen. Pizzo indicated his frustration that too much time was spent legislating on issues, such as transgender athletes in high schools, that “have nothing to do with improving the quality of people’s lives.” More attention should have been paid to unemployment, people’s health, and similar issues, he argued.
In response to a question from Barry Service Corps Fellow Liz Calvo regarding how topics are raised in the legislature, Sen. Pizzo said: “It’s not coordinated, and it’s not strategic. And, very often, when we find out as Democrats, find out about a particular issue, that's all of a sudden the hot-button issue.” He added that some issues are raised, surprising even his Republican colleagues, because of the influence of large donors.
Florida has a Republican-led legislature. The state Senate currently has 24 Republicans and 15 Democrats.
Mr. Rodriquez outlined several bills now before the legislature and highlighted instances of bipartisanship. He also fielded questions about specific bills and the legislative process.
He referred to the governor's proposed budget, which includes a $980 million line item for Everglades restoration and water resource improvements. He stressed the importance of “doing everything that we can to restore those ecosystems, because … that’s our lifeline, that’s our water supply; and it’s not just water, it’s our agriculture, it’s our economy.”
Acknowledging that Florida Republicans have begun to pay attention to environmental issues, Mr. Rodriguez mentioned a line item for $550 million in the proposed budget for cities and counties to deal with climate change and sea-level rise.
Dr. Sean Foreman, professor of political science and a co-chair Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP) Committee, was the moderator of the Legislative Forum. Co-chair Skylar Smith, a Barry Service Corps Fellow, participated.
Among those asking questions and making comments were Drs. Tisa McGhee and Fabio Naranjo, faculty members in the School of Social Work, and Sherry Register, a Barry Law student.
The CDP is a civic learning and democratic engagement project under the aegis of the CCSI. A university-wide committee of students, faculty, and staff members organizes project activities throughout the academic year.
City of Hollywood Celebrates Black History Month with Barry University Support
Dr. Danna Demezier, assistant professor of counseling, will make a presentation on “Mental Health in the African American Community” on February 17 at a Black History Month event in Hollywood.
The City of Hollywood in Broward County is celebrating Black History Month with support from Barry University.
Last Wednesday, the Hollywood City Commission issued a proclamation of Black History Month. Mayor John Levy acknowledged Barry’s support of the celebration in Hollywood (see details in next week’s newsletter).
On February 17, a faculty member in Barry’s School of Education will be the presenter at an event hosted by the City of Hollywood African American Advisory Council. Dr. Danna Demezier, assistant professor of counseling, will make a presentation on “Mental Health in the African American Community,” setting the stage for a panel discussion on the same topic.
Dr. Demezier is a licensed mental health counselor in Florida and a nationally certified counselor. Her research includes culturally responsive interventions for diverse ethnic populations to improve mental health utilization and culturally competent supervision by counselors and counselors-in-training.
The two-hour public event on February 17 will be held at the Hollywood City Hall—2600 Hollywood Boulevard, in the Commission Chamber (Room 219)—beginning at 6 p.m.
Student Poster Competition Scheduled as Part of Community Engagement Symposium
The CCSI is accepting entries for the Student Poster Competition scheduled as part of the annual Community Engagement Symposium. The competition is open to undergraduates only.
The design and content of the posters should be based on the theme of the symposium, “Effectively Balancing Community Impact with Student Learning Outcomes.”
As stated in the guidelines, “Successful entries will specify the course or co-curricular project, the social or community issue addressed, the related activities undertaken, and the actual learning outcomes. Entries should also emphasize how the project was designed to be purposeful and how student awareness was translated into action.”
The submission deadline for poster competition entries is second Wednesday of March.
On-Campus Exhibition
Entries in the Student Poster Competition will be exhibited in Thompson Hall, and prize winners will be announced during the closing session of the symposium. The main prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third places, with consolation prizes for the next four places.
“The poster competition offers students an opportunity to showcase the important work they are doing with the community,” says Dr. Heather Johnson Desiral, the poster competition coordinator. “The visual nature of the poster allows students to grab attention and quickly communicate their knowledge, experiences, and findings on issues that matter to them and the community. Posters allow students to demonstrate the connections between their courses and their engagement with the community.”
For additional information on the Student Poster Competition, contact Dr. Johnson Desiral in the CCSI via email at qep@barry.edu.
Service-Learning Faculty Fellowships Available for Next Academic Year
Former service-learning faculty fellows include (L–R) Dr. Sean Erwin, professor of philosophy; Dr. Heidi Whitford, associate professor of education; Dr. Ligia Mihut, assistant professor of English; Dr. Dale Hartz, assistant professor of management; and Dr. Sheila McMahon, assistant professor of social work.
The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) is offering service-learning faculty fellowships for the 2022–2023 academic year. February 14 is the priority application deadline.
The Service-Learning Faculty Fellows Program is designed primarily to enhance the quality of service-learning courses and to promote the scholarship of teaching and learning based on the pedagogy.
Service-learning is defined as “a teaching and learning strategy that integrates relevant community service with course work and critical reflection to enrich the learning experience, foster social responsibility and civic engagement, and strengthen communities.”
Throughout the academic year, the service-learning faculty fellows attend professional development seminars and participate in the Faculty Learning Community for Engaged Scholarship.
Former service-learning faculty fellows include Dr. Sean Erwin, professor of philosophy; Dr. Heidi Whitford, associate professor of education; Dr. Ligia Mihut, assistant professor of English; Dr. Dale Hartz, assistant professor of management; and Dr. Sheila McMahon, assistant professor of social work.
Eligible faculty members are those who are employed fulltime and who teach undergraduate or graduate courses.
For further information on the Faculty Fellows Program, contact Dr. Glenn Bowen in the CCSI at gbowen@barry.edu.
Course Instructors May Apply for the Service-Learning Designation at Any Time
Courses that meet specific criteria are labeled “service-learning” in the course schedule and are listed as such in the university catalogs.
The CCSI is inviting faculty members whose courses include a service-learning component to apply for the “SL” designation. Applications will be accepted throughout the semester.
Sections of courses, internships, practicum assignments, field education, capstones, community-based research, and similar community-focused or community-based work may be designated as service-learning.
For additional information on the service-learning designation requirements, email the CCSI at service@barry.edu.
Day of Service Volunteers Share Positive Messages in Barry Urban Garden
On Barry’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service last month, volunteers painted positive messages on the cinderblocks supporting two benches in the Barry Urban Garden. (Photos by Glenn Bowen, CCSI)
Contact Emmanuel Ikpuri, Federal Work-Study Community Service Program facilitator, in the CCSI at service@barry.edu.
GivePulse is the community engagement platform that supports service-learning courses at Barry.
SYMPOSIUM: The Community Engagement Symposium will be held virtually on March 30.
AWARDS: The Community Engagement Awards has been rescheduled from March 30 to a later date.
Community Engagement News is a publication of the Center for Community Service Initiatives.
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