Neighborhood News Bureau

Category: Education

The making of an election coverage: NNB reporters tell the stories behind the story

BY SAMANTHA PRITZLAFF AND CHOYA RANDOLPH
NNB Reporters

ST. PETERSBURG – The Neighborhood News Bureau (NNB) reporters successfully participated in reporting the 2015 Municipal Election in Midtown, the first NNB Special Project since launching the new website in September 2015. This project was a collaboration with Creative Loafing in which USFSP students enrolled in NNB provided stories and information to Creative Loafing news and politics blog Political Animal.

The collaboration began with a USFSP professor who wanted his NNB class to have more hands-on experience in live reporting. Bernardo Motta, an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, met in September with David Warner, Creative Loafing’s editor in chief and news and politics editor, Kate Bradshaw, about covering the upcoming elections. After some planning, Motta, Bradshaw, and Jared Leone, a graduate student at USFSP who also works as an editor for NNB, organized the students in the class to cover the essential parts of the elections.

Leone played the role of section editor for the project while each student-reporter was in charge of a different aspect of the election. Topics ranged from City Council candidates, referendum questions, talking to different groups of people throughout Midtown about their concerns and elections issues, covering the polls during voting day and promoting the stories on social media.

“[Students] had obstacles but almost all got their stories in,” Motta said. “I’m really proud of what the students produced,” he added.

Obstacles to reporting

Lorien Mattiacci chose to talk to two teachers at Melrose Elementary School, Kelly Milnes and Ashli Doss, about what they saw as important issues the candidates needed to address if elected.

She did run into some obstacles on the way when one of the teachers didn’t have much information on the candidates due to the fact that she didn’t live in the district, but she did have enforcement ideas.

One teacher did mention that the council used to work with the school. Students were able to take field trips to see and ask the city council questions. Sometimes the council would come to the school. According to Mattiacci, the council stopped coming because of a series of investigative articles published by the Tampa Bay Times as a special investigative project named “Failure Factories.”

Mattiacci planned to meet up with Milnes and Doss. She knew the two from a previous story she wrote. Milnes and Doss are journalism teachers in the “Journeys in Journalism“ program. Mattiacci did admit that she learned that she shouldn’t combine too many stories. However; she took multiple photos of the classroom, students and even helped with a lesson.

Other NNB reporters also revealed difficulty in finding people willing to talk about the elections. Some City Council candidates took days to return phone calls asking for interviews. One candidate even refused to talk to an NNB reporter.

“Most of my potential sources were too busy to talk or said they ‘didn’t want to get political,’” NNB reporter Danielle Von Dreele said. Von Dreele covered the first referendum question on the ballot concerning seagrass protection in the Tampa Bay and the St. Petersburg’s water supply.

Another student, Brigitte Toulon, had a few more obstacles than Mattiacci had. Toulon was assigned to interview event planners/organizers and people who head nonprofit organizations. She reached out to 3-4 people and only one got back with her. After many unanswered emails and voicemails, Toulon finally was able to get into touch with Susan Ajoc, the Director of Community Services for the City of St. Petersburg. Ajoc chose to not comment at all on the candidates. Toulon found herself with less amount of time to write and no one willing to talk. It wasn’t until a classmate suggested a name that Toulon was back on track with her story.

She was able to speak to Paul Wilborn, the Executive Director at the Palladium Theater. Toulon learned that responses about the election would vary because some knew more than others. According to Toulon, Wilborn didn’t know the candidates but was leaning towards Lisa Wheeler-Brown because of the issues involving the Tampa Bay Rays and Tropicana Field. Wilborn also mentioned that if he were to interview the candidates he’d ask them if they were able to give up their biases for the community.

Finding a way

Once the reporters got past their struggles, they produced results. Although some sources were difficult to get in contact with, they became fun to work with and contributed greatly to the stories.

City Council candidates District 5 candidate Steve Kornell and District 7 candidate Will Newton were among those who played a big role in helping shape their stories.

“I think the easiest part of the assignment, which wasn’t originally mine, was to cover Will Newton’s watch party,” said Toulon.

Toulon was encouraged by other journalists, and even Newton, when her camera battery died. According to Toulon, Newton was very calm at every aspect of the watch party. When Wheeler-Brown was announced for the winner, “the entire mood changed,” Toulon said. “You could tell that people were a disappointed,” Toulon added.

After learning about the result, Newton called Wheeler-Brown before anyone else just to congratulate her. According to Toulon, Newton was upbeat and calm after the winners were announced. He calmed Toulon’s nerves which made her comfortable to stay longer than she needed to.

Zenena Moguel covered Steve Kornell. Although she struggled at first, her story came through in the end.

“Once I was able to get to him, he’s actually a friendly guy,” Moguel said. “He contributed a lot to the profile. He wasn’t afraid to share his plans.”

Moguel also played a big role in helping advertise student’s election stories on social media.

“I think NNB deserves a lot more publicity about what we’re doing, so anything I can do to help, to get people to know how important this class is and how the students are really making a difference in this class for future journalism. That’s what I enjoy the most,” she added.

Overall, the entire process of completing this project, from scheduling interviews to writing the actual stories, was a learning experience in and of itself.

“This entire project, it takes a lot of teamwork. I don’t think it would have been so great with just a couple of us covering elections. We got point of views from people that were in the precincts, people that were at the candidate parties, we got an inside look at the entire election, and I think teamwork is the biggest thing here,” Moguel said.

“It’s like a beautiful symphony of musicians, tuning up and working together,” said Jared Leone, the Graduate Assistant who oversaw the project. “It all comes together at the end with beautiful music.”

Stay tuned at nnbnews.com for future, in-depth projects, including “Voices of Midtown,” coming in late November.

November 20, 2015
Residents want action, not promises, for Midtown

Story and Photos BY INDHIRA SUERO
NNB Reporter

ST. PETERSBURG – Equality. Infrastructure. Employment training.

Without a doubt, Midtown women demonstrate that they are aware of the needs of their community. Most of them do not hesitate when addressing them, especially with upcoming elections Nov. 3.

Some of them — like Angela Rouson, the president of the National Council of Negro Women of St. Petersburg — wish that elected officials continue work to make the city a level playing field. So, someone living in South St. Pete does not have to travel downtown to take advantage of shopping and entertainment resources.

Advocates. A group of Midtown women during the reunion of the National Council of Negro Women in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“That there are no barriers for you to go to see a movie, or go to the library. South St. Pete didn’t even had a post office at one time and in the last few years they have established one,” said Rouson. “The community rally for us to keep it. Simple things like that make a huge difference. That you can take a four minute trip to go to the post office, not a 15-minute trip to have a package delivered.”

Dianne Speights, vice-president of the Negro Council, considers education issues extremely important and demands help for the vast percentage of African American students who are failing.

“Whatever that route is that is hindering our children’s success, we must find where it is and fix it,” said Speights.

Others, as Negro Council member Katheryn Read, agree.

Everything starts with the school system and by providing adequate education for children, she said.

“One of the focuses is educating our children and giving them same opportunities as others individuals,” said Read. “They don’t have the same resources or the adequate teachers so just sharing a will, going into the school system because we know if they’re not adequate educated that could affect the community, eventually.”

Read — who also works in employment training — highlights the importance of job placement training.

“I know they have the 2020 Plan, but we need to go out and partner with different businesses so they can go out and take some young people under their wings and train them for their jobs, or let them go there for the summer to work. If they can’t work or sustain their way of life then Midtown isn’t going to change,” said Read.

Churches

For Deborah Green, the first African-American female to pastor a Missionary Baptist church in St. Petersburg, the candidate who wins should care about Midtown and to continue city efforts to renew 22nd Street South.

“The way they implemented and upgraded Downtown St. Pete is what they have to do with Midtown,” Green said.

One other thing that the pastor addresses is juvenile delinquency and the need for more work programs for students who are out of school in the summer.

Growth. Women of South St. Petersburg, FL, highlighted the importance of education and economic development for their community.

“The new chief is trying to find ways to pardon some of these minor offenses that some of the kids are getting because if a kid ends up with a charge they can’t go to college,” Green said. “College is not accepting children with certain types of charges.”

Bishop Clarice Pennington, of Christian Generation Center of Hope Church, would like to see more educational and recreational opportunities available in Midtown. He said children have to go to the north side of the city for activities such as a skating rink. Pennington also sees a disparity in the types of recreation centers and amenities available.

Promises

Candidates in the upcoming election include Lisa Wheeler-Brown, Winthrop “Will” Newton for District 7; and Philip Garrett and Steven L. Kornell in District 5.

Residents don’t want to be left with empty promises.

“A lot of times, too often, we see the politicians out there, campaigning and coming to the churches, yet when the campaign is over and it’s time for them to work they disappear,” said Read. “So we need someone that will represent the community from the beginning to the end and a lot of times we don’t have that.”

November 1, 2015
Times Talk: Finding the ‘body’ using data and investigative journalism

St. Petersburg, Fla. (Oct. 5, 2015) Tampa Bay Times investigative journalist, Michael LaForgia and data and digital director, Adam Playford shared some tips about finding stories, collecting useful data, and the importance of patience in regards to investigative journalism with Neighborhood News Bureau students Wednesday, Sept. 30.

“Find a body and discover why it’s there,” said LaForgia.

LaForgia and Playford admit that investigative journalism isn’t easy. It takes time, focus, and organization for the story to come together. While discussing Failure Factories, their current investigative project dealing with systemic deficiencies at some Pinellas County schools, LaForgia mentions finding and poring over records can be the most time-consuming element, but is also the most important. Getting the documents can also become expensive.

Tampa Bay Times Award Winning Journalists Adam Playford and Michael LaForgia. Photo by Eric Vaughan.

“We requested millions of records for this story. We have spent $8-$9,000 in records requests and will probably spend more,” said LaForgia.

When it came to gathering personal stories of affected students for the Failure Factories project, LaForgia and Playford admitted getting parental buy-in was tough. Parents weren’t as forthcoming as they had hoped, especially given the controversial topic of the schools their children attended being labeled as “failure factories.”

So how did they get the families to go on the record?

“We just kept showing up,” said LaForgia. “We appealed to their sense of justice and righteousness.”

Eventually their patience and persistence paid off as they were able to gather compelling stories from multiple families.

Investigative journalists must remain patient and thorough throughout working on any assignment. Understanding that some details require a bit of persistence and endurance is key to gathering important data, and eventually having a successful story to tell. There are a lot of stories that still need to be told, LaForgia said.

“All you have to do is think about what might exist in the world,” LaForgia said. “Everybody has to live someplace, everybody makes and spends money.”

View the entire discussion here.

LaForgia and Playford discuss the importance of data collecting to NNB students

About Neighborhood News Bureau

Neighborhood News Bureau is a working newsroom, staffed by University of South Florida St. Petersburg undergraduate and graduate students under the guidance of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies faculty members. The newsroom opened in Midtown, St. Petersburg March 2006. Its mission is to serve the Midtown and surrounding communities of St. Petersburg. For more information, visit http://www.nnbnews.com/ or email nnb@usfsp.edu.

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October 8, 2015
To counter the impact of poverty, they stress early childhood education

Bianca Soler | NNB
Many youngsters enter elementary school already lagging behind children from other neighborhoods, says Angela Merck, who is better known to her students as Ms. Peaches.

BY BIANCA SOLER
NNB Student Reporter

ST. PETERSBURG – Shortly after the doors opened at 6:30 on a recent morning, a 5-year-old girl was playing with plastic figurines of marine wildlife – confident she may be a marine biologist one day. Two other children were trying to fix a frozen computer program. Others worked on puzzles, blocks, and art projects.

School may be out for the summer, but the 112 youngsters in the pre-kindergarten summer camp at the Children’s Center at Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church are being challenged to learn and grow.

“This might be a day care or a summer camp, but we aren’t here to babysit,” said office manager Angela Merck, better known to the children as Ms. Peaches. “We’re here to teach these kids. The younger they learn, the better.”

Experts agree that the pre-kindergarten years are crucial, especially in neighborhoods like those around Mt. Zion, the Midtown church that has the largest black congregation in St. Petersburg.

Generational poverty abounds in Midtown and Childs Park, and adults like Merck and the Rev. Louis M. Murphy Sr., Mt. Zion’s senior pastor, worry that many youngsters enter elementary school already lagging behind their peers from more affluent neighborhoods.

“We want to bring an effective change in these parts, specifically within a two-mile radius of where we are,” Murphy said. “We need to be proactive in preparing our children with alternatives other than the street, and the only way to do that is start at age 0.”

Murphy says early childhood education is at the core of what Mt. Zion is trying to do for the betterment of the community. And he isn’t alone in stressing that.

Lauren Hensley | NNB
“We all pay for the price of poverty, especially the children,” says County Commissioner Ken Welch.

Other leaders in St. Petersburg, such as County Commissioner Ken Welch, also emphasize the need for early childhood education, saying the lack of education figures in the high poverty rate in the area.

“Some people don’t realize the impact that poverty has on our economy and how it affects each of us directly,” Welch said. “Poverty causes people to be sicker (and leads to) higher rates of arrest and lower education outcomes. We all pay for the price of poverty, especially the children.”

Poverty is often generational, Welch said. “If the grandparents are poor, the parents are poor and the kids are poor unless we do something to encourage these young kids to succeed.”

According to reading scores on state tests, five of the state’s worst elementary schools in 2014 were in southern St. Petersburg. Four of them were in Midtown.

The county school district and the state have made changes in the leadership and teaching staffs at those schools and put special emphasis on reading, math, student discipline and parental involvement.

At the Mt. Zion Children’s Center, those objectives were already in place. The goal there is to build a community of learners by giving youngsters an early childhood experience that encourages independence, confidence, social skills, and responsibility.

“We want children to grow up confident, and most importantly respectful not only of other people but of every creature,” Ms. Peaches said. “That’s why the children have two pet guinea pigs and a pet rabbit that they help take care of.”

During the school year, Mt. Zion offers voluntary pre-kindergarten and before- and after-care service for children in grades K-5.

Lauren Hensley | NNB
“We believe instilling the right path and morals begins at age 0, not at 2 years or 5 years,” says senior pastor Louis M. Murphy Sr.

The church’s goal “is to expand the facility so that we can start bringing in infants because we believe that education should start at age 0,” Ms. Peaches said. “That’s part of why we developed the Vision 300 plan because we just don’t have the space to do that right now.”

Vision 300 is a five-year plan initiated by Murphy and church leaders. The goal is to raise $1 million to expand the church and its children’s programs.

“There are so many kids that get off track in their education and in their spiritual path,” said Murphy. “They end up on the streets. It is critical to instill good morals and values at a very early age and not wait until children enter elementary school.”

Murphy and Ms. Peaches realize that some students who attend the summer camp or voluntary pre-K program get little support at home. Some students receive no help with homework.

“We assign homework and the next day a student will come back with it incomplete,” Ms. Peaches said. “That’s not their fault. We motivate them to learn here and they’re excited about it, but that excitement needs to continue on even after they leave here and go home. That’s why we set aside time for homework assistance for those children who don’t get it at home.”

“As teachers and parents we must remember … that a positive self-image is the main ingredient to a child’s success,” said Children’s Center director Shakeyba Greene. “It is our job as parents and teachers to make this a priority.”

July 16, 2015
University strives to be ‘beacon of hope’ for Midtown students

Lauren Hensley | NNB
Some of the youngsters at the camp, shown here with camp leader Lindsey Hosier (in blue T-shirt), have never been to the beach or to downtown St. Petersburg.

BY LAUREN HENSLEY
and SHELBY BOURGEOIS
NNB Student Reporters

ST. PETERSBURG – From atop the new College of Business building going up at the University of South Florida, Fred Bennett says, you will be able to see some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods.

They are places where unemployment and crime are high, opportunities and ambition low. And they are home to several of the state’s most challenged elementary schools.

Many of the students in those schools “have never been outside their ZIP code,” said Bennett, a former executive for Lykes Bros. Inc. who is now an adjunct instructor and community liaison in the College of Education. “They live not 20 minutes from the beach and had no idea it was there.”

Since the summer of 2013, students and faculty at the university have had a partnership with one of those schools, Fairmount Park Elementary at 575 41st St. S. They have hosted camps on the university campus, led field trips and volunteered in the struggling school’s classrooms.

It’s been eye-opening.

They have learned, for example, that some of the school’s students had never left their neighborhood. That some had never seen downtown St. Petersburg. That driving over the Howard Frankland Bridge felt like being on a rocket ship.

“I was reading a book about being a kid for a small group and they didn’t know what a roller coaster was,” said Tiffany Lyp, a student volunteer. “It’s just hard for me to know they don’t really know anything outside of their backyards and neighborhoods.”

At the center of the USFSP-Fairmount Park partnership is Bennett, who says the university is in a special position to help Fairmount Park and other struggling schools in the Midtown and Childs Park neighborhoods just south of Central Avenue.

“I always wonder, are we shining like an ivory tower right next to these neighborhoods?” said Bennett. “Our College of Business has this big beautiful building going up, and from the top of that building you’re going to see some of the most impoverished neighborhoods in the area. What kind of irony is that?

He said he prefers to think of the university not as an ivory tower “but a beacon of hope for these students in St. Pete as well as shining the light of knowledge for them to see.”

Fairmount Park is less than 4 miles from the university campus, but it can seem much farther.

Reading scores at the school were so bad that in 2014 state education officials labeled it the second worst elementary in Florida – one of five St. Petersburg elementaries in the bottom 25. The others were Melrose, Campbell Park, Lakewood and Maximo.

In response, the Pinellas School District and the state have made changes in the leadership and teaching staffs at the schools and put new emphasis on math, reading, student discipline and parental involvement.

Nina Pollauf, the principal of Fairmount Park Elementary, said the support her school has received from the university has been a blessing.

“Our relationship with USFSP has extended so many learning and enrichment opportunities for our students,” said Pollauf.

She said the literacy coaches, guidance counselors, field trips and other resources provided by the university have complemented the work of Fairmount’s staff.

“It has truly added so much to what we do that would not be there without Fred and USFSP,” Pollauf said.

To date, the university has had more than 200 student volunteers working with Fairmount Park students and their teachers.

Lauren Hensley | NNB
Once an executive in private business, Fred Bennett now guides the university’s partnership with Fairmount Park Elementary and other struggling schools.

This summer, for the third year in a row, USF is hosting a summer camp for students from Fairmount Park. Some students from Campbell Park are there as well.

In previous years, the summer camp has offered third and fourth graders the opportunity to learn how to sail a boat, kayak and swim, take field trips to Fort De Soto Park and Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, attend a Tampa Bay Rays game and participate in a variety of educational activities.

The camp was designed to operate on a budget of $30,000. That’s enough to hire four teachers from the school district and eight students from the university and pay for field trips and activities.

But only $5,000 is available this year – all of it from the Tampa Bay Rays Foundation – so Bennett says there are only 32 elementary students and four USFSP counselors and fewer activities during the camp, which began June 22 and ends July 24.

“We are going to use this summer to build a better curriculum and some better assessment tools,” he said.
In its partnership with Fairmount Park, “our goal is to engage the elementary students and get them excited about their future,” said Bennett. “We also want to inspire students from the College of Education to go out into the community and make a difference.”

Pinellas County has “over 20 schools that are considered high need, the majority of them right here in St. Pete,” said Bennett. “Maybe we can’t go and fight ISIS, but this is real. This is tangible. This is something we can affect right here in our backyard.”

Want to help?

If you’re interested in volunteering at Fairmount Park or another high-need school in St. Petersburg, contact Fred Bennett at (727) 873-4949 or fjbennet@mail.usf.edu.

July 15, 2015
For St. Petersburg College, a big new building and a challenge

NNB | Lauren Hensley
When it opens in August, the college’s new Midtown Center will have four times its current space.

BY ANDREW CAPLAN
NNB Student Reporter

ST. PETERSBURG – When St. Petersburg College’s sparkling new Midtown Center opens in August, the three-story, $15-million building will have six regular classrooms, three computer labs, two science labs, a career center, and a bookstore.

It will also have a challenge: Convince the people of Midtown that it wants to help revitalize the area, not dominate it.

The college has been on the city’s historic 22nd Street S – called “the Deuces” since it was the main street of the black community during the days of segregation – for more than a decade. But when it moves into its new building on 13th Avenue, it will have four times the space, far more students and a greatly expanded agenda.

The man in charge is the placid, well-spoken provost of the college’s Midtown and downtown campuses, Kevin Gordon.

Gordon, a native of St. Petersburg and graduate of Gibbs High School, is aware that some Midtown residents fear the college will gradually take over the neighborhood, pushing out some of the people and businesses that have called it home for many years.

But Gordon, 51, doesn’t want people to worry. “Our only agenda is community partnership,” he said.

The college will be a place where nearby residents can pursue a traditional two-year associate degree or certification in fields that require schooling for six months to a year, he said.

“I think at the end of the day, we’re really putting our money where our mouth is, in terms of really coming in and being a partner in the community,” he said. “Being able to address the issue of poverty is really important to me.”

In his mind, he said, Midtown “is a perfect place to be because a college degree is within walking distance if you want it. The hope is to be part of the stimulus for revitalization in Midtown.”

Facing uphill battles and changing views is nothing new for Gordon.

He came to the college in November 2011 from Gibbs High School, where in two and a half years he helped bring improvements in academic performance, student conduct and parental involvement.

NNB | Lauren Hensley
The new building will complement the neighborhood’s recent resurgence, says Kevin Gordon, provost for the college’s Midtown and downtown campuses.

When he returned to his alma mater, he inherited the school district’s first F-rated high school. Nearly 1,200 of the school’s 1,900 students were underachievers on the state’s Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, with proficiency scores of Level 1 or 2 out of 5, he said.

In his first year as principal, he said, the school identified and attempted to reverse the downward paths of about 400 students who were “severely off track” for graduation.

By his second year, Gordon said, the school began a “cohort model,” which allowed students to work with a guidance counselor and an assistant principal to address discipline and grade issues. Those who failed a course or needed further help were put in a credit recovery program right away, instead of waiting for their senior year, he said.

By the time he left, Gibbs’ state grade was a B, Gordon said.

“I was pretty satisfied with my performance as a principal,” he said. “But there’s always things that you wish you could’ve done that you didn’t get to.”

As a student at Gibbs years before, Gordon starred in track and basketball. He earned a bachelor’s in economics from Florida State and seemed headed for a future in computers, programming and information systems.

That changed when he volunteered at a Junior Achievement event designed to show high school students how to start a business, he said. He saw the need to help others, left his customer service job at a bank and got into teaching.

He joined the Pinellas County school system in 1987 as a teacher and became assistant principal at Clearwater High from 1996 to 2003. He was principal of John Hopkins Middle School and then High Point Elementary before moving to Gibbs in 2009.

Along the way, he received a master’s in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of South Florida in Tampa.

St. Petersburg College has had a presence in Midtown since 2003, when it moved into a one-story, 10,000-square-foot building at 1048 22nd St. S.

In the years since then, the historic street has seen the stirrings of a comeback. A federal Job Corps training facility serving more than 200 students, a federal credit union and a shopping center have sprung up, and two long-shuttered icons of the segregation era – the Manhattan Casino and Mercy Hospital – have reopened with new entities inside.

On the northern flank of Midtown, meanwhile, an arts district has taken shape.

SPC’s new Midtown Center, on 3.7 acres at 1300 22nd St. S, would seem to complement the neighborhood’s resurgence. It is named for the late Douglas L. Jamerson Jr., a Midtown native who served as a state legislator and state commissioner of education.

NNB | Lauren Hensley
The building, which bears the name of the late Douglas L. Jamerson Jr., a Midtown native and state legislator, will have two science labs.

But some have reservations about an institution that, to outsiders, can sometimes appear to be a bureaucratic behemoth.

A fiery protest erupted last year when the St. Petersburg Housing Authority invited the college to help run the African-American museum at 2240 Ninth Ave. S. The college quickly backed out.

A few months later, there were more misgivings when the college bought an empty gym building at 1201 22nd St. S.

Since then, the college has had meetings to get input from residents and community institutions. There are plans to use the gym as a community outreach center, Gordon said, and the new Midtown Center will have resources for the community on the first floor.

Registration for the fall semester opened in mid-June, and the building’s grand opening – with a ribbon cutting and tours – will be at 11 a.m. Aug. 1.

After that, Gordon said, he hopes to see hundreds of students and Midtown residents in the new building, working their way toward a brighter future.

July 5, 2015