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SRQ DAILY Oct 28, 2017

"This technology will revolutionize the way we live and work, and offer incredible new opportunities to artists and designers."

- Dr. Larry Thompson, Ringling College
 

[Under The Hood]  Enough with Endorsement Angst
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

The level of uproar I’ve seen around an intra-party squabble in Venice has been as outrageous as it is overblown. The decision by leaders of the Republican County of Sarasota County to endorse one party member over another in a nonpartisan race—only to withdraw that endorsement after the revelation the move violated the organization’s own bylaws—has been described in dramatic terms. It’s McCarthyism! It’s Fascism!

It’s actually none of those things for a political organization to make an endorsement, even if this entire affair has exposed what a bad idea it may be for the party executive committee to begin picking favorites. We likely won’t be able to tell even after votes get counted on Nov. 7 whether this hullabaloo had any effect on the outcome of a small, municipal election. But the question of whether the Republican executive committee issues endorsements when two Republicans seek a nonpartisan seat will extend at least into School Board races next year.

The background of this minor race came when Deborah Anderson, an incumbent Venice City Councilwoman, came under fire for past support of non-Republican candidates. So party leaders held interviews with candidates and in October issued an endorsement of another Republican, Charles Newsom.  That endorsement got pulled back once someone actually read the bylaws and realized this type of move broke the organizations’ rules. So basically, all the embarrassing headlines and divisive meetings and calls of fascism totalitarianism proved to be for nothing.

Of course, all of the individuals working for Newsom’s election over Anderson can still do so. In fact, supporting one Republican over another Republican wouldn’t even violate the principal that got Anderson in trouble with the GOP-or-else faction; a Republican will control this Venice City Council seat regardless of the election result. And looking at other metrics, Anderson has reported just $1,102 in campaign contributions, less than a tenth of Newsom’s $11,700. Money isn’t everything, especially in these local races, but it’s fair to say that if Newsom wins it will have far more to do with that war chest than any break in party ranks. Heck, the negative publicity surrounding this whole affair might be the greatest thing Anderson has going for her politically.

That leaves me wondering why GOP leaders wasted such capital on a small contest. The reason, most certainly, is turning the party into an ideological force rather than just a community organizing machine. Ironically, it’s the success of the Republican party in Sarasota that makes that transition difficult. Republicans hold every Sarasota County Commission seat, the only state Senate seat and all but one state House seat in the area. And outside of the city of Sarasota, registered Republicans also enjoy majority support on all the major (and non-major) nonpartisan commissions such as the School Board and city commissions.

This means moderates with no particular party rigidness end up registering Republican if they want to be involved in politics at all, and it means that many rank voters who are satisfied with the quality of life and general status quo end up backing long-time Republican leaders. It’s actually much easier to enforce ideological purity in a minority party, the enclave of political outcasts.

But frankly, no one should mistake a local political leadership as representative of an entire party regardless. The Republican Party of Sarasota, and the Sarasota Democratic Party in races where this comes up, remains just one of many political organizations in town, and happens to be one with great voter databases thanks to involvement in presidential and other major campaigns. Who the party endorses matters less than most voters might think, hence why we here more backlash about endorsements than we ever see major results. If the Republican Party leaders in an area want to endorse someone, that doesn’t matter any more, or maybe even as much, as winning the endorsement of a less ideological but still well-funded group like the Florida Realtors.

A political organization making an endorsement isn’t fascism, but it may be folly. And that’s probably a bigger problem for insiders making the move than outsiders enraged by it.

Jacob Ogles is contributing senior editor for SRQ Media Group. 

[Education]  VR Becomes Real at Ringling College
Dr. Larry Thompson, lthompso@ringling.edu

What a week for Ringling College of Art and Design. Reaffirming we are indeed a college on the move, we announced Monday that we are officially adding a major in Virtual Reality Development to our already diverse curriculum. This is a game-changer for the institution, in that we are the very first art and design school in the country to offer this unique opportunity to current and prospective students.

So, what is Virtual Reality? While you may have heard of “VR,” you may not yet have had the chance to experience it. By definition, VR involves the computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that you can interact with in a seemingly real or physical way by using special electronic equipment—a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors, for example.

Virtual Reality is going to change everything. The opportunities extend far beyond the worlds of gaming and entertainment. This technology will revolutionize the way we live and work, and offer incredible new opportunities to artists and designers. We want our students and graduates to lead this monumental shift, advancing and defining this new field, and laying the groundwork for tomorrow’s generations of creative leaders, companies and organizations.

The Computer Animation Department has been working with virtual reality for the last few years in its Game Art major, under the direction of Martin Murphy and has alumni working in VR at places such as Magic Leap, Baobab Studios, Google, Flight School, Hoyt Architecture and Sharecare. The VR major will be its own major, but headed now by Computer Animation department head, Jim McCampbell.

Our students who are enrolled in the VR major will have the opportunity to create experiences for countless industries, including healthcare, advertising, architecture, education, and entertainment. In conjunction with diverse and engaging coursework, such as Visual Scripting and Concept Development for Virtual Worlds, our students will work with studio professionals in the classroom. One exciting partnership is already under development with Flight School—a pioneering company in the VR field, which was started by Emmy and Academy Award-winning alum, Brandon Oldenburg. He and his team are actively working with our faculty to help shape the curriculum, and they will be close mentors to our students, which will prove invaluable.

While schools across the country have been experimenting with VR over the last few years, the new Ringling College major will pioneer and push forward education in the actual creation of immersive virtual experiences, as well as firmly establish and define VR as a viable medium for artists and designers today. Having been distinguished as “the most wired campus” in the country, we pride ourselves on being leaders in the fusion of art and technology, as we early on understood and embraced the idea that the computer was the new paint brush. Thus, Ringling College, I believe, is the absolute perfect place to launch this cutting-edge course of study. The sky is both virtually and really the limit.

Dr. Larry Thompson is president of Ringling College of Art & Design. 



[Best Of SRQ Local]  Cast Your Vote For Best Architect!

Find your bliss in a new home from one of our region’s innovative architects. “His drawings and specifications are clear and he makes it easy for us to understand the vision, making each client happy upon completion,” said Robert Dynan of 2017’s Best Architect, Mark Sultana. Who will take the top spot in this year’s Best of SRQ Local Competition? Share your thoughts and vote now! 

Vote Here!

[SCOOP ]  Keep the Dream Alive

The Jewish Foundation's 7th Annual Keep the Dream Alive event will be held for the first time on the Aviva Campus on November 13 at 7pm and feature a bountiful dessert extravaganza by Chef Paul Mattison and his crew. Benefitting the Jewish Housing Council Foundation's Benevolent Care Program, Keep the Dream Alive will allow JHCF to continue honoring the founders’ dream of assuring that qualified residents can age in place, even if they have exhausted their financial resources. Last year’s Keep The Dream Alive drew both a record crowd and earned record revenues, and this year promises to be even better. Tickets for Keep The Dream Alive are $150 per person and can be purchased by contacting the JHCF at (941) 203-6237 or by emailing Director of Development Johnette Cappadona at jcappadona@jewishhcf.org 

Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Mantee

[KUDOS]  LGBTQIA Youth & Families Grant

Forty Carrots Family Center recently received a grant of $5,000 from the Our Sarasota Fund and the McCauley-Brown Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to provide individual and family therapy services to low income LGBTQIA youth and their families. This launched a Client Assistance Fund specifically for the members of the LGBTQIA community in need of experienced, compassionate care and affordable mental health services. “LGBTQIA youth’s emotional health can be negatively impacted because of discrimination, bullying, and a lack of understanding about the unique needs of the LGBTQIA community. Often, the fear of coming out and being discriminated against can lead to depression, thoughts of suicide, and substance abuse,” says Carla Johanns, Forty Carrots clinical supervisor. LGBTQIA individuals are almost 3 times more likely than others to experience a mental health condition such as major depression or generalized anxiety disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.  This grant enables Forty Carrots to meet the needs of some of our community’s most at-risk youth.  

Forty Carrots

[KUDOS]  Doctors Hospital Lab Makes the Grade

The laboratory at Doctors Hospital of Sarasota has earned accreditation from the College of American Pathologists designed to ensure the highest standard of care for all patients.  During the accreditation, process inspectors examine the lab’s records and quality control procedures for the preceding two years as well as laboratory staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and overall management.The CAP says the federal government recognizes the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program as being equal to or even more stringent than the government’s own inspection program.“Our team works incredibly hard each day to serve our patients. We focus on quality, safety and we have a personal approach to everything we do. I am very proud of our group for achieving this distinction,” said Sheila Renfro, Laboratory Director.  

Doctor's Hospital

[SCOOP]  Roskamp Institute Veterans Day Open House

The Roskamp Institute will host its annual Open House honoring veterans and military personnel on November 9. The event, which is free and open to the public will showcase Institute research and clinical programs of particular relevance to veterans and military personnel, including Traumatic Brain Injury, Gulf War Illness, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Following the presentations, there will be tours and a luncheon. “We now have many patients coming to our Roskamp Clinic who are suffering from issues of specific interest to veterans, many of which have no effective treatments or even adequate diagnostic tests. That is the problem we are addressing and we want all our veterans and active duty personnel to know that there is hope, and that our team is working day and night to find effective therapies to tackle the medical conditions they are facing,” said Fiona Crawford, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Roskamp Institute.    

Roskamp Institute

[SCOOP]  Celebration Concert Tickets on Sale!

The annual Celebration Concert featuring the Perlman Music Program String Orchestra under the baton of Itzhak Perlman and the PMP Chorus led by Patrick Romano, will be held at the Sarasota Opera House on January 4 at 5:30pm. Tickets are $40, $60 and $80. Don't miss the highlight of the PMP Sarasota Winter Residency! Buy your tickets today!  

Perlman Music Program

[SCOOP]  CBS To Cover 2018 Sarasota Grand Prix Festival

Suncoast Charities for Children & Powerboat P1 are pleased to announce that CBS Sports Network will be covering the 2018 Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Race scheduled for Sunday July 1, 2018.  The Sarasota Grand Prix is one of the most historic events on the off shore powerboat racing calendar in North America, having just completed it’s 33rd year and bringing in millions of dollars of tourism revenue for the state and local hotels every year. The 34th Annual Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival will take place June 29-July 1, 2018.  For festival updates and information please visit our website. 

Sarasota Power Boat Grand Prix

[KUDOS]  Longboat Key Club Recognized in Conde Nast Travelers Readers Choice Awards

The Resort at Longboat Key Club is well known for its exclusive location, year-round sunshine, welcoming service and now, the #5 Florida resort in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards. “It is quite an honor to be recognized by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the top resorts in Florida given the extensive competition and the sheer number of resorts within the state. I want to extend congratulations to my entire team for a job well done,” said Jeff Mayers, General Manager. Now in its 30th year, the annual rankings of the world’s best hotels, resorts, cities, islands, airlines, airports and cruise lines compiles submissions from over 300,000 readers to determine the top ranking award winners in each category. This year, readers voted on a record breaking 7,320 hotels and resorts.  As the longest running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry the awards have become more selective and specific to the passions that inspire today’s travelers. 

Longboat Key Club

SRQ Media Group

SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email

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