Times are a-changing on Florida's college campuses, according to teachers and faculty. From retaliation for social media posts to classroom surveillance to new requirements that teachers purge “objectionable” language from course descriptions, educators at two local state schools describe an atmosphere of oppression and fear permeating academia. We talk about the beleaguered state of free speech and instructional autonomy with two local longtime educators and the state head of the ACLU.
Guests:
- Lourdes Norman-McKay, biology professor and union president at Florida State College at Jacksonville.
- Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
- John White, professor of English education and literacy at the University of North Florida.
Then, a daylong exploration of music and mental health culminates in a performance of the unBroken Project, conducted by composer Randall Standridge. The Mental Health and Music Symposium at Jacksonville University features advocates from a range of backgrounds, including health care, advocacy and the arts, collaborating to advance conversations around and destigmatize mental health.
Guests:
- Artie Clifton, music director, First Coast Wind Symphony.
- Ann Carey Holt, board chair, First Coast Wind Symphony.
And, whether it's Off-Broadway or Fleming Island, it’s impossible to slake the thirst of Audrey 2. The iconic blood-fed plant shapes the play, but it’s the human characters that tell the story — from the lonely but ambitious Seymour to the sadistic and nitrous-dependent dentist to the Greek chorus of “urchins” who provide the punchy backdrop. Little Shop of Horrors has earned its four-decade reputation as a reliably fun and October-appropriate show. The current staging of the cult classic runs through Nov. 1 at Spotlight Center.
Guests:
- Curtis LeMoine, creative director and actor playing Seymour Krelborn.
- Meggan Utech, actor playing Audrey.
- Robert O'Hara, actor playing Mr. Mushnik.
- Luke Collins, actor playing Orin Scrivello.