Click below for a podcast I did for my Journalism and Religion class.
Podcast created 12/3/2009
https://webspace.utexas.edu/er2828/st_davids_audrey_campbell.mp3
Friday
A Different Way To Eat Local Foods
Published by the Daily Texan on December 4, 2009
Food lovers have long been looking forward to Saturday because it marks the beginning of Austin’s Eat Local Week, a winter fundraiser sponsored by Edible Austin magazine.
Residents can choose from a number of events that encourage exploration of the city’s local food resources and raise money for Urban Roots, a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture to transform the lives of teenagers.
Two such enthusiasts are Lucas Brower and Jesse Kamm, recent transplants to the area from Los Angeles as well as the brains and muscle behind Home Grow Micro Farms, a new local venture that delivers pre-planted, organic vegetable-growing boxes to homes and businesses.
After recieving a master’s degree in environmental science from Stanford University, Brower developed the business after being inspired by a friend’s luscious rooftop garden in California.
“That’s kind of what kicked off the whole idea of looking for a way to grow food densely — as much food as possible, in as small of an area as possible, with as little maintenance as possible,” Brower said.
The couple lives in a quiet neighborhood in East Austin, and their backyard displays the results of hard work and regular attention. Leafy collard greens, broccoli, arugula, cauliflower and herbs sprout from large boxes, providing a colorful display and an abundance of healthy cooking ingredients.
“I think most people, not only in the U.S. but throughout the world, have gotten out of touch with local, seasonal foods,” Brower said. “The average food item travels [more than] 1,500 miles to get to the store, so there’s a ton of energy involved and a ton of waste.”
The boxes are a unique hybrid of hydroponic and traditional gardening. Each box is equipped with a reservoir into which the plants can drop their roots, allowing them to stay uniformly moist.
The potting soil, which Brower personally makes with the help of some special secret ingredients, is covered with plastic, protecting it from the threat of weather shock or being riddled with pests.
“I basically wanted to develop a service that made it easy for people who either don’t have the time to maintain their own garden, don’t have the knowledge or [don’t have] the space,” he said. “We developed this service so that people who live in condos can grow plants on their balconies or decks.”
As he developed his food service, Brower had to keep the unpredictable Texas weather in mind.
“I did plenty of research before I got here, but we would have days that were 100 degrees, and then the next day would be 50 degrees, and then it would rain 4 inches,” he said.
In order to ensure that the plants maintain their high-productivity reputation, Brower begins the potting at his home, waiting for the plants to become about 6 inches tall before delivering them to clients and personally hooking up a watering system.
“We wanted to kind of take some of the waiting out of the gardening process also,” Brower said.
A sensor within the reservoir reads how much water the plant drinks and then monitors the amount of water provided.
“So, if the plant drinks one-fourth of an inch of water out of the reservoir, the drip line will drip in just enough water to fill it back up to the same level,” Brower said. “The kind of elegant thing about the self-watering system is that the plants only receive the exact amount of water that they consume. Very little water is lost to evaporation.”
Though they are fairly new to the city, Brower and Kamm already declared a love for many things Austin, including the market at Boggy Creek Farm, daily hikes along Lady Bird Lake and the occasional dip at Barton Springs.
The two are as creative a couple as can be. Brower heads the Home Grow Micro Farms business, Kamm is a women’s clothing designer and both work hard at raising their young son, Julian. Fresh-faced and innovative, the couple epitomizes modernity and the idea of a bright future, especially the future of food technology.
“We’re just trying to live in a really simple manner and share the good stuff and enjoy our time here on this earth,” Kamm said.
Food lovers have long been looking forward to Saturday because it marks the beginning of Austin’s Eat Local Week, a winter fundraiser sponsored by Edible Austin magazine.
Residents can choose from a number of events that encourage exploration of the city’s local food resources and raise money for Urban Roots, a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture to transform the lives of teenagers.
Two such enthusiasts are Lucas Brower and Jesse Kamm, recent transplants to the area from Los Angeles as well as the brains and muscle behind Home Grow Micro Farms, a new local venture that delivers pre-planted, organic vegetable-growing boxes to homes and businesses.
After recieving a master’s degree in environmental science from Stanford University, Brower developed the business after being inspired by a friend’s luscious rooftop garden in California.
“That’s kind of what kicked off the whole idea of looking for a way to grow food densely — as much food as possible, in as small of an area as possible, with as little maintenance as possible,” Brower said.
The couple lives in a quiet neighborhood in East Austin, and their backyard displays the results of hard work and regular attention. Leafy collard greens, broccoli, arugula, cauliflower and herbs sprout from large boxes, providing a colorful display and an abundance of healthy cooking ingredients.
“I think most people, not only in the U.S. but throughout the world, have gotten out of touch with local, seasonal foods,” Brower said. “The average food item travels [more than] 1,500 miles to get to the store, so there’s a ton of energy involved and a ton of waste.”
The boxes are a unique hybrid of hydroponic and traditional gardening. Each box is equipped with a reservoir into which the plants can drop their roots, allowing them to stay uniformly moist.
The potting soil, which Brower personally makes with the help of some special secret ingredients, is covered with plastic, protecting it from the threat of weather shock or being riddled with pests.
“I basically wanted to develop a service that made it easy for people who either don’t have the time to maintain their own garden, don’t have the knowledge or [don’t have] the space,” he said. “We developed this service so that people who live in condos can grow plants on their balconies or decks.”
As he developed his food service, Brower had to keep the unpredictable Texas weather in mind.
“I did plenty of research before I got here, but we would have days that were 100 degrees, and then the next day would be 50 degrees, and then it would rain 4 inches,” he said.
In order to ensure that the plants maintain their high-productivity reputation, Brower begins the potting at his home, waiting for the plants to become about 6 inches tall before delivering them to clients and personally hooking up a watering system.
“We wanted to kind of take some of the waiting out of the gardening process also,” Brower said.
A sensor within the reservoir reads how much water the plant drinks and then monitors the amount of water provided.
“So, if the plant drinks one-fourth of an inch of water out of the reservoir, the drip line will drip in just enough water to fill it back up to the same level,” Brower said. “The kind of elegant thing about the self-watering system is that the plants only receive the exact amount of water that they consume. Very little water is lost to evaporation.”
Though they are fairly new to the city, Brower and Kamm already declared a love for many things Austin, including the market at Boggy Creek Farm, daily hikes along Lady Bird Lake and the occasional dip at Barton Springs.
The two are as creative a couple as can be. Brower heads the Home Grow Micro Farms business, Kamm is a women’s clothing designer and both work hard at raising their young son, Julian. Fresh-faced and innovative, the couple epitomizes modernity and the idea of a bright future, especially the future of food technology.
“We’re just trying to live in a really simple manner and share the good stuff and enjoy our time here on this earth,” Kamm said.
Monday
Austin's Famed Orchestra Conductor Discusses Inspiration, Music Choices
Published by the Daily Texan Newspaper on November 23, 2009
Light bounced off dozens of brass and wooden instruments as members of the Austin Symphony Orchestra rehearsed Cary Ratcliff’s “Ode to Common Things” onstage at the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Center for the Performing Arts last week.
Maestro Peter Bay guided the musicians through various stanzas with fluid movements, his back to a vast and empty auditorium.
“The reason I’m a conductor now is because I saw one on television when I was nine years old,” Bay explained. “It was Leonard Bernstein, and I was so taken by what he was doing and how excited he seemed to be about the music and standing in front of the orchestra, that I thought, ‘That’s really what I want to do.’”
Since childhood, Bay worked his way up through the music ranks, singing in a boys’ choir, joining his high school band and receiving a degree in music education from the University of Maryland.
“I got a degree in music ed. because I thought I would never make a career conducting an orchestra,” Bay said. “It’s too hard; it’s too competitive. At least if I got my degree, I could teach band at a high school.”
Nevertheless, Bay went on to receive a master’s degree in conducting from The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and was admitted to the Aspen Music Festival and School, which boasts a very selective conducting class, admitting only five students each summer.
“I always liked music, so why not make a career of it?” he said.
Bay took notes about the ways other conductors would fix aspects of the music and work with the musicians. He also emphasized the importance of the emotion attached to a piece.
“The emotion that is in Mozart’s music might be different than the emotion that might be in Tchaikovsky’s music,” Bay explained.
In January 1998, Bay was appointed music director and conductor of the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Throughout his time with the symphony, Bay has experienced more than one strange event.
“When we played at The [Nancy Lee and Perry R.] Bass Concert Hall, I had heard a rumor that some bats lived somewhere up in the rafters,” he recalled. “In the middle of a concert, I saw a bat flying around at the back of the stage and then, all of a sudden, it flew out above the orchestra, landed in someone’s lap and I heard this huge shriek. It really caught this woman by surprise.”
The conductor said he has also withstood fire alarms, power outages and the occasional loss of his baton after inadvertently hitting it on his music stand and watching it fly off into the audience.
Despite those incidents, Bay’s enthusiasm for his work has never diminished. In preparation for a concert, he studies endless sheets of music, learning the composer’s intent and discovering how the piece should sound.
“Long before I see the orchestra, before the first rehearsal, I have to spend sometimes days, sometimes weeks, oftentimes months, learning the music,” he said.
Orchestra members meet with Bay five times before a performance, rehearsing about two and a half hours each night.
The orchestra hosts eight concerts each year and all of the music is chosen by Bay.
“If you like the music that you hear, I’ll take the credit. If you don’t like it, I’ll take the blame,” he said.
Bay will be conducting the orchestra alongside the Conspirare Symphonic Choir Nov. 20-21 as they perform pieces from Ratcliff’s “Ode To Common Things” and Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Afterward, they will begin rehearsing for the Dec. 8 holiday production of Handel’s “Messiah.”
Though he said it would be impossible for him to pick a favorite composer or piece of music, Bay remained steadfast in regard to his main inspiration: Leonard Bernstein.
“He was an extraordinary musician,” Bay said. “I don’t know of another person who was so passionate about music, who could speak well about it, who could write it. He conducted every orchestra around the world. He wrote poetry, he wrote books. He was really a true genius.”
Light bounced off dozens of brass and wooden instruments as members of the Austin Symphony Orchestra rehearsed Cary Ratcliff’s “Ode to Common Things” onstage at the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Center for the Performing Arts last week.
Maestro Peter Bay guided the musicians through various stanzas with fluid movements, his back to a vast and empty auditorium.
“The reason I’m a conductor now is because I saw one on television when I was nine years old,” Bay explained. “It was Leonard Bernstein, and I was so taken by what he was doing and how excited he seemed to be about the music and standing in front of the orchestra, that I thought, ‘That’s really what I want to do.’”
Since childhood, Bay worked his way up through the music ranks, singing in a boys’ choir, joining his high school band and receiving a degree in music education from the University of Maryland.
“I got a degree in music ed. because I thought I would never make a career conducting an orchestra,” Bay said. “It’s too hard; it’s too competitive. At least if I got my degree, I could teach band at a high school.”
Nevertheless, Bay went on to receive a master’s degree in conducting from The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and was admitted to the Aspen Music Festival and School, which boasts a very selective conducting class, admitting only five students each summer.
“I always liked music, so why not make a career of it?” he said.
Bay took notes about the ways other conductors would fix aspects of the music and work with the musicians. He also emphasized the importance of the emotion attached to a piece.
“The emotion that is in Mozart’s music might be different than the emotion that might be in Tchaikovsky’s music,” Bay explained.
In January 1998, Bay was appointed music director and conductor of the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Throughout his time with the symphony, Bay has experienced more than one strange event.
“When we played at The [Nancy Lee and Perry R.] Bass Concert Hall, I had heard a rumor that some bats lived somewhere up in the rafters,” he recalled. “In the middle of a concert, I saw a bat flying around at the back of the stage and then, all of a sudden, it flew out above the orchestra, landed in someone’s lap and I heard this huge shriek. It really caught this woman by surprise.”
The conductor said he has also withstood fire alarms, power outages and the occasional loss of his baton after inadvertently hitting it on his music stand and watching it fly off into the audience.
Despite those incidents, Bay’s enthusiasm for his work has never diminished. In preparation for a concert, he studies endless sheets of music, learning the composer’s intent and discovering how the piece should sound.
“Long before I see the orchestra, before the first rehearsal, I have to spend sometimes days, sometimes weeks, oftentimes months, learning the music,” he said.
Orchestra members meet with Bay five times before a performance, rehearsing about two and a half hours each night.
The orchestra hosts eight concerts each year and all of the music is chosen by Bay.
“If you like the music that you hear, I’ll take the credit. If you don’t like it, I’ll take the blame,” he said.
Bay will be conducting the orchestra alongside the Conspirare Symphonic Choir Nov. 20-21 as they perform pieces from Ratcliff’s “Ode To Common Things” and Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Afterward, they will begin rehearsing for the Dec. 8 holiday production of Handel’s “Messiah.”
Though he said it would be impossible for him to pick a favorite composer or piece of music, Bay remained steadfast in regard to his main inspiration: Leonard Bernstein.
“He was an extraordinary musician,” Bay said. “I don’t know of another person who was so passionate about music, who could speak well about it, who could write it. He conducted every orchestra around the world. He wrote poetry, he wrote books. He was really a true genius.”
Author Hosts Backyard Congregational Services
Published by the Daily Texan Newspaper on October 12, 2009
Talking with Robin Chotzinoff reestablishes faith in the age-old saying that people can accomplish anything if they set their minds to it.
The author and mother of two is the epitome of hard work and hospitality. While in the throes of writing her first novel, Chotzinoff finds time for weekly Meals on Wheels, bike rides with her husband, regular contributions to Bicycling Magazine and playing hostess for the Firepit Minyan, a Jewish congregational service held in her backyard.
Once a month, a small group of Jewish people comes together in Chotzinoff’s home, which sits in a quiet, shady neighborhood of South Austin. Participants gather to celebrate the Sabbath with a study of the Torah and dinner. Members of all ages gather in Chotzinoff’s backyard around a small bonfire to study and discuss Jewish and non-Jewish texts.
“We try to spend as much time repairing the world as we spend doing rituals,” Chotzinoff said.
Held on Friday nights, the gathering welcomes both Jews and non-Jews alike, drawing in interested parties from all over the city. Chotzinoff said a significant number of people who attend the minyan are Jewish but have never really liked the religion. She also emphasized that those who are simply curious are always welcome to join.
“Life is too short to go to church just because you’re supposed to be going to church,” she said.
The Web site for the Firepit Minyan describes the service as “participatory, open-minded, somewhat Reconstructionist, fairly short and heavy on music.”
Growing up in New York City, Chotzinoff was raised in a predominantly atheistic environment, though her father and grandparents were Jewish. It wasn’t until she met her husband and the two began soul searching that Chotzinoff became interested in rediscovering her Jewish faith.
“We discovered we had a common interest in something neither one of us thought we cared about,” Chotzinoff said.
The couple has since worked to develop a kind of Judaism that fits them. Chotzinoff pulls from different aspects of the faith and combines them in a way that allows her to be herself. She sends her daughter to Hebrew school because she said it’s important to learn the origins and practices of Judaism.
“Judaism has always valued learning a lot, and you’re supposed to work hard at it,” she said.
But Chotzinoff said she does not translate the Torah literally. Instead, she values her ability to interpret her faith individually while also recognizing the importance of developing a religious community.
“One of the nice things about a religious community is that you always have people to come and help you with anything,” she said.
To commemorate the Sabbath, Chotzinoff often performs traditional rituals such as baking challah bread, but she stops short of Orthodox when it comes to refusing to work or drive.
“On Shabbat, I pretend I don’t know where my cell phone is,” she said. “I try and stay away from those things that make me feel I’m just schlepping and working and anxious. On Shabbat, you can just let everything go and just be.”
Talking with Robin Chotzinoff reestablishes faith in the age-old saying that people can accomplish anything if they set their minds to it.
The author and mother of two is the epitome of hard work and hospitality. While in the throes of writing her first novel, Chotzinoff finds time for weekly Meals on Wheels, bike rides with her husband, regular contributions to Bicycling Magazine and playing hostess for the Firepit Minyan, a Jewish congregational service held in her backyard.
Once a month, a small group of Jewish people comes together in Chotzinoff’s home, which sits in a quiet, shady neighborhood of South Austin. Participants gather to celebrate the Sabbath with a study of the Torah and dinner. Members of all ages gather in Chotzinoff’s backyard around a small bonfire to study and discuss Jewish and non-Jewish texts.
“We try to spend as much time repairing the world as we spend doing rituals,” Chotzinoff said.
Held on Friday nights, the gathering welcomes both Jews and non-Jews alike, drawing in interested parties from all over the city. Chotzinoff said a significant number of people who attend the minyan are Jewish but have never really liked the religion. She also emphasized that those who are simply curious are always welcome to join.
“Life is too short to go to church just because you’re supposed to be going to church,” she said.
The Web site for the Firepit Minyan describes the service as “participatory, open-minded, somewhat Reconstructionist, fairly short and heavy on music.”
Growing up in New York City, Chotzinoff was raised in a predominantly atheistic environment, though her father and grandparents were Jewish. It wasn’t until she met her husband and the two began soul searching that Chotzinoff became interested in rediscovering her Jewish faith.
“We discovered we had a common interest in something neither one of us thought we cared about,” Chotzinoff said.
The couple has since worked to develop a kind of Judaism that fits them. Chotzinoff pulls from different aspects of the faith and combines them in a way that allows her to be herself. She sends her daughter to Hebrew school because she said it’s important to learn the origins and practices of Judaism.
“Judaism has always valued learning a lot, and you’re supposed to work hard at it,” she said.
But Chotzinoff said she does not translate the Torah literally. Instead, she values her ability to interpret her faith individually while also recognizing the importance of developing a religious community.
“One of the nice things about a religious community is that you always have people to come and help you with anything,” she said.
To commemorate the Sabbath, Chotzinoff often performs traditional rituals such as baking challah bread, but she stops short of Orthodox when it comes to refusing to work or drive.
“On Shabbat, I pretend I don’t know where my cell phone is,” she said. “I try and stay away from those things that make me feel I’m just schlepping and working and anxious. On Shabbat, you can just let everything go and just be.”
Police With Needles
Published by the Daily Texan Newspaper on April 1, 2009
After prolonged discussion and with a 21-10 vote, the state Senate passed a measure Monday allowing police to establish sobriety checkpoints throughout Texas. The vote was announced shortly before a City Hall public forum took place the same evening, during which a large audience gathered to grill Police Chief Art Acevedo about his controversial plan to train police officers to draw blood from suspected drunken drivers.
Together, the two events signal how serious state lawmakers are about cracking down on drunken driving, as much as police-mandated blood tests seem like a direct violation of our individual rights.
Throughout Monday’s public forum, Acevedo tried to explain the importance of a blood sample in confirming a suspect’s blood-alchohol level. Blood samples are the most damning evidence when presented in court, and they allow for justice to be served for victims of drunken drivers and their families.
“The next time we need evidence and have a lawful court order and the hospital says no, what do I tell the victim [of a drunken-driving collision]?”Acevedo asked.
Though the proposal seems to be a clear violation of our constitutional rights, we would want to see that every possible step was taken to ensure the punishment of an irresponsible driver were we in the position of an individual who had just lost a parent, sibling or friend in a drunken-driving accident.
But justice is not that simple. Acevedo explained that hospitals want to keep their employees out of the mix due to their own time constraints and the legal risks involved in wrongly declaring a suspect drunk. Without the help of hospital employees, and because the city cannot afford to hire its own phlebotomists to take the suspect’s blood, it seems the Austin Police Department thinks that training police officers to take blood is the only recourse left.
Proponents of these measures say it will cut down on drunken-driving injuries and fatalities, while opponents argue that it is a clear violation of our rights and, that if blood-alchohol testing is mandatory, there arises a frightening question of where lawmakers will draw the line. How much legal oversight becomes too much government interference?
Another pressing question involves the actual act of taking someone’s blood. We can’t imagine anyone who would feel comfortable with a police officer, especially one who is probably already somewhat irritated, taking his or her blood.
Nevertheless, the idea that a potentially drunk and discourteous driver would quietly submit to a blood-alcohol test seems ridiculous. Instead, this proposal only spells out a recipe for disaster.
Texas lawmakers have long been trying to develop ways to combat the growing number of drunken driving-related injuries and fatalities. Finding a way to appease everyone seems impossible, yet allowing circumstances to remain the same is unacceptable. But this proposed measure is far too extreme, and the unforeseen benefits do not outweigh the costs.
After prolonged discussion and with a 21-10 vote, the state Senate passed a measure Monday allowing police to establish sobriety checkpoints throughout Texas. The vote was announced shortly before a City Hall public forum took place the same evening, during which a large audience gathered to grill Police Chief Art Acevedo about his controversial plan to train police officers to draw blood from suspected drunken drivers.
Together, the two events signal how serious state lawmakers are about cracking down on drunken driving, as much as police-mandated blood tests seem like a direct violation of our individual rights.
Throughout Monday’s public forum, Acevedo tried to explain the importance of a blood sample in confirming a suspect’s blood-alchohol level. Blood samples are the most damning evidence when presented in court, and they allow for justice to be served for victims of drunken drivers and their families.
“The next time we need evidence and have a lawful court order and the hospital says no, what do I tell the victim [of a drunken-driving collision]?”Acevedo asked.
Though the proposal seems to be a clear violation of our constitutional rights, we would want to see that every possible step was taken to ensure the punishment of an irresponsible driver were we in the position of an individual who had just lost a parent, sibling or friend in a drunken-driving accident.
But justice is not that simple. Acevedo explained that hospitals want to keep their employees out of the mix due to their own time constraints and the legal risks involved in wrongly declaring a suspect drunk. Without the help of hospital employees, and because the city cannot afford to hire its own phlebotomists to take the suspect’s blood, it seems the Austin Police Department thinks that training police officers to take blood is the only recourse left.
Proponents of these measures say it will cut down on drunken-driving injuries and fatalities, while opponents argue that it is a clear violation of our rights and, that if blood-alchohol testing is mandatory, there arises a frightening question of where lawmakers will draw the line. How much legal oversight becomes too much government interference?
Another pressing question involves the actual act of taking someone’s blood. We can’t imagine anyone who would feel comfortable with a police officer, especially one who is probably already somewhat irritated, taking his or her blood.
Nevertheless, the idea that a potentially drunk and discourteous driver would quietly submit to a blood-alcohol test seems ridiculous. Instead, this proposal only spells out a recipe for disaster.
Texas lawmakers have long been trying to develop ways to combat the growing number of drunken driving-related injuries and fatalities. Finding a way to appease everyone seems impossible, yet allowing circumstances to remain the same is unacceptable. But this proposed measure is far too extreme, and the unforeseen benefits do not outweigh the costs.
Generation P
Published by the Daily Texan Newspaper on March 26, 2009
The pivotal Supreme Court decisions of our parents’ and grandparents’ generations concerned free speech and equal rights. But as Internet technology becomes more refined and calls for drug tests and federal involvement in personal choice increase (i.e., government regulation of marriage), it is beginning to appear that our generation will be defined by the landmark rulings handed down regarding a citizen’s right to privacy: a right not guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
A March 23 New York Times article discussed a Supreme Court case that will be the setting for the next debate on privacy. After traveling through the nation’s court system for the past six years, Savana Redding’s case will finally be heard by the Supreme Court on April 21.
Redding was an eighth grader in Arizona when she was forced to strip in front of school officials who suspected her of harboring prescription-strength ibuprofen pills on her body. Redding described the strip search, conducted by two female employees, as “methodical and humiliating.” Not only did the officials require Redding to take off all her clothes, but they demanded that she pull out her bra and underwear so that they could search the entirety of her nude body. Redding had to endure what would have been an excrutiatingly embarrassing experience for any 13-year-old girl, and the school official’s suspicions were proven false. Redding didn’t have any pills.
Officials ordered the strip search when they found ibuprofen pills on one of her friends. The friend blamed Redding, and the school’s assistant principle, Kerry Wilson, ordered that Redding be searched.
Clearly, the officials involved overreacted to the situation by taking drastic action without first questioning Redding, calling her parents or trying to verify the allegations against her (allegations based on the testimony of a 13-year-old at risk of getting in trouble, no less).
Though the right to privacy has played a significant role in historic cases like Roe v. Wade, Redding’s case is different because it calls into question the authority given to school officials working to enforce zero-tolerance policies on school campuses.
Courts have handed down dissenting opinions on Redding’s case. Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw, representing the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Fransisco, declared the case an unreasonable search and ruled that the school officials had violated the Fourth Amendment’s ban on such measures.
Wardlaw stated that the nude search represented an invasion of Redding’s constitutional rights and “a violation of any known principle of human dignity.”
Judge Michael Daly Hawkins described the search as “a close call” but decided that the search was not unreasonable given that the school officials were acting “in good faith” and were trying to protect other students.
The Supreme Court’s decision will likely set strict guidelines on the constitutional authority afforded to school officials and the rights provided to those subjected to scrutiny. For the sake of the individual rights of minors and adults alike, we hope the outcome puts dignity above doubt.
The pivotal Supreme Court decisions of our parents’ and grandparents’ generations concerned free speech and equal rights. But as Internet technology becomes more refined and calls for drug tests and federal involvement in personal choice increase (i.e., government regulation of marriage), it is beginning to appear that our generation will be defined by the landmark rulings handed down regarding a citizen’s right to privacy: a right not guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
A March 23 New York Times article discussed a Supreme Court case that will be the setting for the next debate on privacy. After traveling through the nation’s court system for the past six years, Savana Redding’s case will finally be heard by the Supreme Court on April 21.
Redding was an eighth grader in Arizona when she was forced to strip in front of school officials who suspected her of harboring prescription-strength ibuprofen pills on her body. Redding described the strip search, conducted by two female employees, as “methodical and humiliating.” Not only did the officials require Redding to take off all her clothes, but they demanded that she pull out her bra and underwear so that they could search the entirety of her nude body. Redding had to endure what would have been an excrutiatingly embarrassing experience for any 13-year-old girl, and the school official’s suspicions were proven false. Redding didn’t have any pills.
Officials ordered the strip search when they found ibuprofen pills on one of her friends. The friend blamed Redding, and the school’s assistant principle, Kerry Wilson, ordered that Redding be searched.
Clearly, the officials involved overreacted to the situation by taking drastic action without first questioning Redding, calling her parents or trying to verify the allegations against her (allegations based on the testimony of a 13-year-old at risk of getting in trouble, no less).
Though the right to privacy has played a significant role in historic cases like Roe v. Wade, Redding’s case is different because it calls into question the authority given to school officials working to enforce zero-tolerance policies on school campuses.
Courts have handed down dissenting opinions on Redding’s case. Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw, representing the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Fransisco, declared the case an unreasonable search and ruled that the school officials had violated the Fourth Amendment’s ban on such measures.
Wardlaw stated that the nude search represented an invasion of Redding’s constitutional rights and “a violation of any known principle of human dignity.”
Judge Michael Daly Hawkins described the search as “a close call” but decided that the search was not unreasonable given that the school officials were acting “in good faith” and were trying to protect other students.
The Supreme Court’s decision will likely set strict guidelines on the constitutional authority afforded to school officials and the rights provided to those subjected to scrutiny. For the sake of the individual rights of minors and adults alike, we hope the outcome puts dignity above doubt.
Sunday
Dancer Tiptoes Into Ballet Role
Published in the Daily Texan Newspaper on October 15, 2009
A pile of pink pointe shoes lie on the floor next to Jaime Lynn Witts as she stretches in preparation for a rehearsal.
In a black and green leotard, a white tutu and soft pink tights, she and fellow company member Christopher Swaim effortlessly glide across a studio floor to Tchaikovsky’s celebrated “Snow Pas De Deux.”
Witts, who has been a member of the Ballet Austin company for the past six seasons, will be dancing the role of the Snow Queen in the company’s production of “The Nutcracker” this Christmas.
“This is my third year to dance as the Snow Queen,” Witts said. “It’s fun though, it’s really challenging and I like it.”
Witts and her fellow Ballet Austin performers are used to challenges by now, attending daily morning warm-up classes that begin with exercises at the barre and move on to floor work. Dancers, sporting classic chignons, are dressed in an assortment of tights, leotards and workout wear as they take instruction on improving posture and movement.
“At the company level, it’s really about refining the smaller points of your technique,” Witts explained.
After a difficult class, the group splits up — first taking a break to rebandage blistered toes with the help of sports tape, then pairing off to use the rest of the day rehearsing for upcoming roles. Witts spends half of her time rehearsing and half teaching classes for the ballet’s academy.
“Teaching, for me, definitely provides a different perspective on things,” she said. “I just kind of got thrown into it, but I really enjoy it, especially the younger students. Teaching them how to do something for the very first time is really interesting.”
The academy classes, housed in Ballet Austin’s rehearsal space downtown, offer programs for aspiring students ages three and up. Ballet Austin’s Butler Community School also hosts a wide variety of dance and fitness courses throughout the year including pilates, yoga, tap and conditioning. The classes are open to anyone interested, regardless of previous dance experience.
Originally from Bucks County, Penn., Witts moved to Austin when she was 18 to attend a summer program for Ballet Austin trainees. She said that she has adapted well to the city and the company, praising her fellow members and instructors.
“That’s probably one of the best things about this company, it’s a really supportive environment,” she said. “Though we’re a small company, one of the reasons we have the ability to do something like ‘Swan Lake’ is because everyone is very structured and goal-oriented.”
Company manager Eugene Alvarez said Witts’ progress during her time with the company has been exciting to follow.
“Jaime has been in the company for a while now and she’s been great to work with,” he said. “Her artistic growth has been great to watch.”
Witts said that she especially likes performing with Ballet Austin because it provides her the opportunity to experience both classical and contemporary works.
“I like doing more contemporary things and especially new work,” she said. “I like the creative process a lot.”
One of her favorite performances was “Light/The Holocaust & Humanity Project,” choreographed by the company’s artistic director Stephen Mills.
“Everyone went through a lot of education, it was a really in-depth process,” Witts explained. “It was something really meaningful.”
The company performs five main productions throughout the season, and in March they will begin working with finalists from the New American Talent dance competition. The competition, created by Mills, allows all major professional dance publications and choreographers to submit work in hopes of reaching one of three finalist positions. The finalists then come and work with the company members for two weeks to teach them the pieces. After the company performances, audiences will vote for the competition’s winning choreographer.
“One of Mr. Mills’ major goals for Ballet Austin is to integrate choreographic interests,” Alvarez said.
Between rehearsing and teaching, Witts seldom has much free time outside of the studio, but said she uses weekends to relax, run errands and spend time with her fiance, company member Frank Shott. Still, Witts doesn’t seem to mind the grueling schedule. Instead, she says that pushing herself in preparation for a performance is what she finds most rewarding.
“That’s what I love most about this job, performing.”
A pile of pink pointe shoes lie on the floor next to Jaime Lynn Witts as she stretches in preparation for a rehearsal.
In a black and green leotard, a white tutu and soft pink tights, she and fellow company member Christopher Swaim effortlessly glide across a studio floor to Tchaikovsky’s celebrated “Snow Pas De Deux.”
Witts, who has been a member of the Ballet Austin company for the past six seasons, will be dancing the role of the Snow Queen in the company’s production of “The Nutcracker” this Christmas.
“This is my third year to dance as the Snow Queen,” Witts said. “It’s fun though, it’s really challenging and I like it.”
Witts and her fellow Ballet Austin performers are used to challenges by now, attending daily morning warm-up classes that begin with exercises at the barre and move on to floor work. Dancers, sporting classic chignons, are dressed in an assortment of tights, leotards and workout wear as they take instruction on improving posture and movement.
“At the company level, it’s really about refining the smaller points of your technique,” Witts explained.
After a difficult class, the group splits up — first taking a break to rebandage blistered toes with the help of sports tape, then pairing off to use the rest of the day rehearsing for upcoming roles. Witts spends half of her time rehearsing and half teaching classes for the ballet’s academy.
“Teaching, for me, definitely provides a different perspective on things,” she said. “I just kind of got thrown into it, but I really enjoy it, especially the younger students. Teaching them how to do something for the very first time is really interesting.”
The academy classes, housed in Ballet Austin’s rehearsal space downtown, offer programs for aspiring students ages three and up. Ballet Austin’s Butler Community School also hosts a wide variety of dance and fitness courses throughout the year including pilates, yoga, tap and conditioning. The classes are open to anyone interested, regardless of previous dance experience.
Originally from Bucks County, Penn., Witts moved to Austin when she was 18 to attend a summer program for Ballet Austin trainees. She said that she has adapted well to the city and the company, praising her fellow members and instructors.
“That’s probably one of the best things about this company, it’s a really supportive environment,” she said. “Though we’re a small company, one of the reasons we have the ability to do something like ‘Swan Lake’ is because everyone is very structured and goal-oriented.”
Company manager Eugene Alvarez said Witts’ progress during her time with the company has been exciting to follow.
“Jaime has been in the company for a while now and she’s been great to work with,” he said. “Her artistic growth has been great to watch.”
Witts said that she especially likes performing with Ballet Austin because it provides her the opportunity to experience both classical and contemporary works.
“I like doing more contemporary things and especially new work,” she said. “I like the creative process a lot.”
One of her favorite performances was “Light/The Holocaust & Humanity Project,” choreographed by the company’s artistic director Stephen Mills.
“Everyone went through a lot of education, it was a really in-depth process,” Witts explained. “It was something really meaningful.”
The company performs five main productions throughout the season, and in March they will begin working with finalists from the New American Talent dance competition. The competition, created by Mills, allows all major professional dance publications and choreographers to submit work in hopes of reaching one of three finalist positions. The finalists then come and work with the company members for two weeks to teach them the pieces. After the company performances, audiences will vote for the competition’s winning choreographer.
“One of Mr. Mills’ major goals for Ballet Austin is to integrate choreographic interests,” Alvarez said.
Between rehearsing and teaching, Witts seldom has much free time outside of the studio, but said she uses weekends to relax, run errands and spend time with her fiance, company member Frank Shott. Still, Witts doesn’t seem to mind the grueling schedule. Instead, she says that pushing herself in preparation for a performance is what she finds most rewarding.
“That’s what I love most about this job, performing.”
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