VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE # 162
AIR DATE 02 19 2021
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Art in the Prairie
((SOT))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
When I first got here, my art was basically walking around
the prairie and the streams, and finding natural objects and
then assemble
them into some object that speaks of the prairie.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Feeding the Vulnerable
((SOT))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
It all happened when the city issued a memorandum. And
the memorandum stated that if you are caught selling food
on the street, they were going to take everything away from
you and they were going to give you a thousand dollar fine.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Kids, Screen and School
((SOT))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
I miss like hanging out with my friends. Like that’s what I
miss. But like now, it’s just like the screen and you only see
their tiles.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) THRIVING ARTIST COMMUNITY OF KANSAS
((TRT: 08:11))
((Topic Banner: Kansas Art Community))
((Reporter/Camera: Deepak Dobhal))
((Map: Matfield Green, Kansas))
((Main characters: 1 male))
((Sub Characters: 2 male; 2 female))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
Flint Hills are very magical, almost mystical.
People come and they, all of a sudden, feel connected to the
Earth.
There are not a lot of trees and there
are not a lot of structures.
You really see out and feel like you're on the globe.
I moved here for the prairie. That was my love.
I wanted to be an artist in the prairie.
And so, my wife and I ended up in Matfield Green, Kansas.
This is the center of the largest remnant of prairie left over in
the world, probably.
I was an architect in Chicago. I moved here 15 years ago.
When I first got here, my art was basically walking around
the prairie and the streams, and finding natural objects and
then assemble
them into some object that speaks of the prairie.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
I did that for a few years, and then I also, our property, we
have about 40 acres [16 hectares]
of historic property because of the
railroad. And so, we developed the idea of a Prairy
Art Path, because we're
on the scenic byway and on the scenic byway, there are not
that many places to really stop and get out and walk.
So, my work became more and more part of the landscape.
Rather than collecting things, I would put things in the
landscape on the Prairy Art Path.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
We're in the old cattle pens that the railroad built in 1924.
Just around the year 2000, there was a big
prairie fire and it burned the pens.
But it's a very interesting, sort of historic and visual place.
So, about five years ago, with a friend, artist, Jeroen van
Westen from the Netherlands was visiting, and we made
these
balanced sticks. They're just held on by gravity. They're
just a steel post and a metal plate. Show us what direction
the wind
is blowing. It's fun. Sometimes a bird will light on one end
and put the stick out of balance.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
I may be one of the early artists that came and really sort of
said, “Okay, this is where I’m going to, my home base for art
is here.”
And then, there was a great happening that there was
a couple
((Photo Courtesy: Ton Haak))
from the Netherlands, and so they had come through
Matfield Green and been enchanted by the landscape and
decided to stay. They were great promoters and knew other
artists from Europe and established relationships with local
museums in Wichita and Kansas City and Manhattan and
started a movement.
And so, to me it was like right out of the sky.
Here I'm trying to, you know, be an artist and all of a sudden
are these great art people that are my neighbors, that are
real promoters. And so, it was an exciting time. But they
went, moved back to Portugal after about 10 years. And so,
they attracted people. Slowly, we've collected artists.
((NATS: Bill McBride and Matt Regier))
This is Matt Regier.
Hi.
Printmaker and neighbor.
((Matt Regier, Printmaker))
And so, these are a couple results, a couple of older prints
that I just have handy. This is a, just kind of a, sort of,
bare prairie landscape.
((NATS: Bill McBride and Elaine Jones))
What are you doing?
We're introducing neighbors. This is Elaine Jones.
Please come in.
((Bill McBride, Sculptor; Elaine Jones, Photographer))
She's well known for all that she's done around here,
founding the
Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in the early 70s, and she's a
photographer.
((NATS: Bill McBride))
I hope our, these neighbors are home. She is a great
painter.
((NATS: Bill McBride with Kelly and his wife))
How you doing?
Hello, hello. Yes.
Good to see you.
Kelly, good to see you. Sure.
Hey, here's the painter and musician.
There's a bonfire tomorrow night.
Okay.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
Since we have arrived, the art scene has slowly taken hold.
And with the Tallgrass Artist Residency, we have 10 artists a
summer, who usually fall in love with the place.
((Photo Credit: Derek Hamm))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
Then they all come back for a show at The Bank. That
connects so many artists to this place.
((NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
This is The Bank, the last remaining storefront in town.
There used to be a whole row of storefronts. It was
built in the
20s. So, for five or six years, it's been the gallery in town.
((Photo Credit: Derek Hamm))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
It had some great shows. But the roof leaked and there
were a few problems with the building.
So, we decided not to continue until we renovated, and we're
in the fundraising mode.
So, it's very funny to be from this tiny town and be in Kansas
City and somebody says, “Oh, you're from Matfield Green.
That's an
art community.” And you think well, you know, may I guess
it is. You know, like
we're, the numbers aren't big because we're
so small, but it's real. It's actually happening.
((NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
We're enjoying a bonfire tonight. This
is celebrating the, sort of, the
end of the season of the Tallgrass Artist Residency. And so,
some of the artists will be back. Usually we have a big
show, but in this time of COVID, and our Bank, our gallery
space is under renovation,
and so, the show is not going to happen until the spring or
sometime next summer. So, we're just having a
get together.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
I moved here for the prairie. The whole social aspect of
being in a small place in a ranching
community was not what attracted me. It, sort of, surprised
me. I thought I'm a nice guy and people will accept me and
I'm just going to do it. But there's a lot of mistrust or
misunderstanding of outsiders. And so, they say that you're
a newcomer. Even if you were here
for 50 years, you’d probably still be seen as a newcomer. S
o, that's an aspect of being here. But basically, it's a growin
g
arts community and it creeps very
slowly. A person here, a person there, and then it has
blossomed.
We're proud of it. It's a precious thing.
((MUSIC/NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Helping Victims of Sexual Assault
((SOT))
((Ellie Clougherty, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
It's such a simple message, especially if you turn your focus
away from the perpetrator and to the survivor and you say,
“How can we rehabilitate this student? How can we get
them back on the path they were on?” I mean, that's like
one of the purest forms of justice and there's really nothing
stopping you.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) RESTORE DIGNITY JEWELRY
((TRT: 03:22))
((Topic Banner: Healing through Beauty))
((Reporter: Maxin Moskalkov))
((Camera: Andrey Degtyarev))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((Main characters: 3 female))
((NATS))
((Ellie Clougherty, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
I started making jewelry a few years ago as a form of art
therapy for PTSD [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder]. So, I
was going through re-exposure therapy and part of that
therapy you have to recall, kind of like, tough images. So,
being surrounded by beautiful gemstones, sparkle, other
cultures, was really an inspiration.
((Kristen Malinowski, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
We decided to create a jewelry business because we
wanted an economy to support other survivors. Both me
and Ellie are survivors of sexual assault. So, we first
decided to create the jewelry business, but we wanted to
have a non-profit behind it. That's why, with Ann, we started
Restore Dignity.
((NATS))
((Ann Clougherty, Ellie’s Mother & Executive Director,
Restore Dignity))
Before the jewelry company, we became pretty big activists
in the campus sexual assault space. So, after Ellie came
home from school, I got myself very educated on what
happens to a person who's been sexually assaulted and how
does that impact their life. And then we decided that we saw
a void in a space of support that was directly helping a
student in real time while they're in school.
((NATS))
((Kristen Malinowski, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
That’s what Restore Dignity is. We're just strangers that
have your back. We're going to support you whatever it is
you need. If you need to change locations, get a meal plan
because you lost your job, you need tuition assistance, you
need medical help, we are there to help you.
((NATS))
((Ellie Clougherty, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
Survivors will actually tell us, like, what their needs are. And
then within three weeks, we'll turn around the funds. So, I
think from this, like, D.C. Democratic empowering
community, we've been able to spread that message to New
York, to California.
((Kristen Malinowski, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
Throughout the whole world, actually.
((Ellie Clougherty, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
London.
((Kristen Malinowski, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
Yeah.
((Ellie Clougherty, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
Yeah. And it's such a simple message, but everyone relates
to it, especially if you turn your focus away from the
perpetrator and to the survivor, and just say, “How can we
rehabilitate this student? How can we get them back on the
path they were on?” I mean, that's like one of the purest
forms of justice and there's really nothing stopping you.
((NATS))
((Ann Clougherty, Ellie’s Mother & Executive Director,
Restore Dignity))
As a parent, educate yourself on what power imbalance
looks like and what that power imbalance could be, whether
it's a relationship with a teacher, a coach, a boyfriend, and
really understand if your student, your child is experiencing a
different pattern of behavior than is normal, more than likely,
they might have experienced something that they don't want
to talk about.
((NATS))
((Ellie Clougherty, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
A symptom of PTSD is that you can't imagine the future,
which you can imagine every other symptom, from
hypervigilance to just, kind of like, intense emotions but just
not being able to imagine your future is one that, I think, is
really debilitating. Because how could you plan your career?
How could you call a friend and check in with someone?
Like, it doesn't happen as often.
((NATS))
((Ann Clougherty, Ellie’s Mother & Executive Director,
Restore Dignity))
That trauma puts us all in the same space. And that
supporting a person who's been sexually traumatized
whether, you know, they go to an Ivy League school or they
are in a community college, it doesn't matter to us. It's just
that if you have been traumatized, we want to support you.
((NATS))
((PKG)) STREET VENDOR
((TRT: 03:30))
((Topic Banner: Feeding the Soul))
((Reporter/Camera: Genia Dulot))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub character: 1 female))
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
It all happened when the city issued a memorandum and the
memorandum stated that if you are caught selling food on
the street, they were going to take everything away from you
and they were going to give you a thousand dollar fine.
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
Perhaps it was at the exact moment when they say, you
can’t sell any more, that was the end of it. And so it was with
so many street vendors here in L.A. There was a point
where I honestly just didn't have enough for the rent. And I
just didn't have enough for my internet. And that forced us to
open up an emergency [crowdfunding] GoFundMe.
Reaction to the public to our GoFundMe was so great, since
they donated seven, $5,000 initially. And so, we have like a
couple of rents [paid] now.
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
We felt that through that, we had sort of like a commitment to
pay back the community.
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
We realized that there were some people that just didn't
have the courage to ask for help. I reached out to the
community fridges and I said, “You know what, I think we
can set up this fridge out here.” This erases the face-to-
face. We can just set up a fridge and say, “I don't want to
know if you need my help. I don't want to know you, if you,
whatever, you know. Just go grab it.”
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
Through that, I came up with the idea, “Oh, maybe, we’ll do
a cookout.” Because there's a lot of people who live on the
streets, that they don't have a way to cook, something that
we do, for example, grill meat. You don’t have this with
cheese and all that, because if you, I mean, if you’re living
on the street, you have no refrigeration. You have no
access to fire. So, there is no way you can cook. So, what if
we do something like this?
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
Cookouts are usually every Tuesday and we give away
about 120 to 150 plates. I think we’re, including this one,
that’s like 21 or 22 cookouts. So, give or take, about, just
the cookouts, we serve about 3,500 meals.
((NATS))
Thank you.
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
The whole thing is that people are experiencing with COVID,
isolation and not being able to talk to your neighbor, and
distrust and hate toward the government, and all that kind of
stuff. When people wait in line and then they get this food,
it’s just a beacon of hope, the beacon of saying, “Look, my
own community, this brown man, he's there and he looks like
me and he's feeding me.” It sends a signal that someone
cares about you.
((NATS))
((Nina, Volunteer))
The anxiety of living through a pandemic with like food
insecurity, I think all of us are so anxious and what's better
than a hot meal? I know personally when I'm not feeling
well, if someone drops some soup over to me, like not only
does it warm my body, but it does warm my spirit.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Kids, Screens and School
((SOT))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Some of the teachers, when you’re in the classroom, when
you ask to go to the bathroom, they're like, “No, you can
wait.” But now, you can just turn your camera off and like go
to the bathroom.
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) 6th GRADERS VIRTUAL LEARNING
((TRT: 5:42))
((Topic Banner: Offline Talk About Online School))
((Reporter/Camera: Lisa Vohra))
((Map: Vienna, Virginia))
((Main Characters: 2 female; 2 male))
((Popup Banner: Virtual Learning, A Conversation))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Hi, I’m Leighton and I’m 11 years old.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
Hi, I’m Claire and I’m also 11 years old.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
Hi, my name is Omar and I am 11 years old.
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
Hi, my name’s Karim and I’m 11 years old.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: Real Talk))
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
How is virtual learning has been for you guys?
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
It’s been pretty good. It’s hard to like look at a screen for so
long.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
And focus.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
Yeah.
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
They take like too many directions on things. A lot.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
Like you have to turn on your camera. And if you don’t want
to turn on your camera, you don’t have to.
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Sometimes my lighting is like very, very bad and I look like a
greasy egg, so.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
It’s way too long for looking at a screen. I know we have
breaks, but still.
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
It’s very easy to get distracted too.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
Yeah.
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Because like you have like your phone or there’s like
YouTube on your computer. And there’s like no way to block
that.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
The other thing is, a lot of times, the WiFi or the internet will
like go down and like that’s another thing I dislike.
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
That happened to be on Thursday, a couple of days ago.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: The Pros))
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
The thing I like about virtual learning, you can see a lot of
people on their cameras. Then you can like meet up with
friends on like Gmail.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
Breakout rooms are like really fun because you could talk to
your friends and it’s like away from your teacher.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
Yeah.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
And it’s just a lot more enjoyable because you can, you
know, you don’t have to do exactly what the teacher is
saying. You can still like have, enjoy your time learning. But
you’re like, you’re with your friends.
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Some of the teachers, when you’re in the classroom, when
you ask to go to the bathroom, they're like, “No, you can
wait.” But now, you can just turn your camera off and like go
to the bathroom.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
Yeah, you definitely have more freedom. You’re working a
lot more independently.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: The Changes))
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
If you were in school, you can think of more excuses to, you
know,
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
get out.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
No, not get out. But, like say you lost your work or whatever.
But when you’re in virtual learning, then all your assignments
are there. You can’t just like lose an assignment. You just
have to get it done, because it’s right there for you.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: Grading the Teacher))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Some of the teachers are actually like, like on top of breaks,
like on top of work.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
Our teacher is doing really well and she’s like one of the best
teachers I've ever had. She’s so nice. And she’s like hasn’t
got mad or yelled at the class once. She also like shows her
baby sometimes, you know, like.
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
My teacher’s great. She’s a nice teacher.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: Reversing Roles))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
So, if I was the head of district like the principal or whatever,
I would probably make the breaks, definitely like some of the
breaks should be longer like, maybe, like 15-minute breaks.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
I would have just like 20 minutes of school, because all you
need is 20 minutes of school or like an hour of school.
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
If I was a leader, I would go back to school.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: Results))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Guys, do you think we’re like actually like learning new stuff,
or is it just like a review from last year?
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
I think, I’m definitely learning a little bit. It’s like from school
to actually like technology as well. I’m learning a lot because
like I used to be really bad at using computers, but like, since
we’re on the computer so much, I’ve been learning how to
do a lot on there.
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
I know like they’re kind of going like over a lot of review. I’m
not really learning anything. But like it’s hard for me to learn
because I don’t move. I just keep. I don’t keep still. I move.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
You think you’re learning stuff?
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Yeah, definitely in science, I mean social studies. Last year,
I was just like we were learning about like Virginia, like only
one state.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: Reminiscing))
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
What I miss the most about school, it’s just like, even when I
like go back to school, it won’t be the same. You’ll be
wearing a mask. Like I would always give my teacher a hug
when I go into school. I’m just that kind of person. I’m like
really kind and stuff.
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
So, I miss like hanging out with my friends. Like that’s what I
miss. But like now, it’s just like the screen and you only see
their tiles.
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
I miss most about school, a tad on that, I miss my friends a
lot.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: Funny Stories))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
One time, when I was talking like when I was like trying to
present or something, my mom kept on walking into my
room when she’s like, “Are you good?” Girl, I’m trying to
present right here.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
My like funny/embarrassing moment is, sometimes in the
beginning of, in the beginning of class, I just wait for it to
start and I’m like watching TikTok or whatever. I said like ‘hi’
to my teacher. I was like ‘hi’. And then I thought I turned my
microphone off, but I didn’t, and the TikTok was playing.
And then I was so embarrassed, and I was like, wanted to
cry because I was just so embarrassed.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
The funniest thing was when my brother, Sami, he was
running around, he was like this. And then he slipped on his
sock and then, he’s like that. And then, I was just laughing
so hard. And then, it’s like.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
If it was on recording.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
It was on recording, yeah.
((NATS/MUSIC))
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
NEXT WEEK ((ANIM))
In the coming weeks….
((Banner))
Getting the Vaccine Out
((SOT))
((Candace Kreger, LPN, Seldovia Village Tribe))
Isn’t this how you normally go to work?
((NATS))
((Candace Kreger, LPN, Seldovia Village Tribe))
I'm taking two different vaccines.
((Candace Kreger, LPN, Seldovia Village Tribe))
In Seldovia, they’ve been very lucky with it being remote and
no access to anything but a clinic, there’s only been just a
couple cases of COVID. So, we’re trying to really get
everybody immunized and keep COVID out of the village.
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient))
Vaccination day.
((Candace Kreger, LPN, Seldovia Village Tribe))
Okay. Do you have any questions about the vaccine?
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient))
I am feeling good and I am going to feel good.
((Candace Kreger, LPN, Seldovia Village Tribe))
That’s okay. Okay, one, two, three. Was it that bad?
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient))
No.
((Candace Kreger, LPN, Seldovia Village Tribe))
Okay.
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS ((NATS/VIDEO/GFX))
((Popup captions over B Roll))
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Washington, D.C.
May 16, 2017
President Erdogan’s bodyguard attacks peaceful protesters
“Those terrorists deserved to be beaten”
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“They got what they asked for”
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We cover it
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wherever the news matters
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BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
SHOW ENDS
EPISODE # 162
AIR DATE 02 19 2021
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Art in the Prairie
((SOT))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
When I first got here, my art was basically walking around
the prairie and the streams, and finding natural objects and
then assemble
them into some object that speaks of the prairie.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Feeding the Vulnerable
((SOT))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
It all happened when the city issued a memorandum. And
the memorandum stated that if you are caught selling food
on the street, they were going to take everything away from
you and they were going to give you a thousand dollar fine.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Kids, Screen and School
((SOT))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
I miss like hanging out with my friends. Like that’s what I
miss. But like now, it’s just like the screen and you only see
their tiles.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) THRIVING ARTIST COMMUNITY OF KANSAS
((TRT: 08:11))
((Topic Banner: Kansas Art Community))
((Reporter/Camera: Deepak Dobhal))
((Map: Matfield Green, Kansas))
((Main characters: 1 male))
((Sub Characters: 2 male; 2 female))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
Flint Hills are very magical, almost mystical.
People come and they, all of a sudden, feel connected to the
Earth.
There are not a lot of trees and there
are not a lot of structures.
You really see out and feel like you're on the globe.
I moved here for the prairie. That was my love.
I wanted to be an artist in the prairie.
And so, my wife and I ended up in Matfield Green, Kansas.
This is the center of the largest remnant of prairie left over in
the world, probably.
I was an architect in Chicago. I moved here 15 years ago.
When I first got here, my art was basically walking around
the prairie and the streams, and finding natural objects and
then assemble
them into some object that speaks of the prairie.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
I did that for a few years, and then I also, our property, we
have about 40 acres [16 hectares]
of historic property because of the
railroad. And so, we developed the idea of a Prairy
Art Path, because we're
on the scenic byway and on the scenic byway, there are not
that many places to really stop and get out and walk.
So, my work became more and more part of the landscape.
Rather than collecting things, I would put things in the
landscape on the Prairy Art Path.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
We're in the old cattle pens that the railroad built in 1924.
Just around the year 2000, there was a big
prairie fire and it burned the pens.
But it's a very interesting, sort of historic and visual place.
So, about five years ago, with a friend, artist, Jeroen van
Westen from the Netherlands was visiting, and we made
these
balanced sticks. They're just held on by gravity. They're
just a steel post and a metal plate. Show us what direction
the wind
is blowing. It's fun. Sometimes a bird will light on one end
and put the stick out of balance.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
I may be one of the early artists that came and really sort of
said, “Okay, this is where I’m going to, my home base for art
is here.”
And then, there was a great happening that there was
a couple
((Photo Courtesy: Ton Haak))
from the Netherlands, and so they had come through
Matfield Green and been enchanted by the landscape and
decided to stay. They were great promoters and knew other
artists from Europe and established relationships with local
museums in Wichita and Kansas City and Manhattan and
started a movement.
And so, to me it was like right out of the sky.
Here I'm trying to, you know, be an artist and all of a sudden
are these great art people that are my neighbors, that are
real promoters. And so, it was an exciting time. But they
went, moved back to Portugal after about 10 years. And so,
they attracted people. Slowly, we've collected artists.
((NATS: Bill McBride and Matt Regier))
This is Matt Regier.
Hi.
Printmaker and neighbor.
((Matt Regier, Printmaker))
And so, these are a couple results, a couple of older prints
that I just have handy. This is a, just kind of a, sort of,
bare prairie landscape.
((NATS: Bill McBride and Elaine Jones))
What are you doing?
We're introducing neighbors. This is Elaine Jones.
Please come in.
((Bill McBride, Sculptor; Elaine Jones, Photographer))
She's well known for all that she's done around here,
founding the
Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in the early 70s, and she's a
photographer.
((NATS: Bill McBride))
I hope our, these neighbors are home. She is a great
painter.
((NATS: Bill McBride with Kelly and his wife))
How you doing?
Hello, hello. Yes.
Good to see you.
Kelly, good to see you. Sure.
Hey, here's the painter and musician.
There's a bonfire tomorrow night.
Okay.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
Since we have arrived, the art scene has slowly taken hold.
And with the Tallgrass Artist Residency, we have 10 artists a
summer, who usually fall in love with the place.
((Photo Credit: Derek Hamm))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
Then they all come back for a show at The Bank. That
connects so many artists to this place.
((NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
This is The Bank, the last remaining storefront in town.
There used to be a whole row of storefronts. It was
built in the
20s. So, for five or six years, it's been the gallery in town.
((Photo Credit: Derek Hamm))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
It had some great shows. But the roof leaked and there
were a few problems with the building.
So, we decided not to continue until we renovated, and we're
in the fundraising mode.
So, it's very funny to be from this tiny town and be in Kansas
City and somebody says, “Oh, you're from Matfield Green.
That's an
art community.” And you think well, you know, may I guess
it is. You know, like
we're, the numbers aren't big because we're
so small, but it's real. It's actually happening.
((NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
We're enjoying a bonfire tonight. This
is celebrating the, sort of, the
end of the season of the Tallgrass Artist Residency. And so,
some of the artists will be back. Usually we have a big
show, but in this time of COVID, and our Bank, our gallery
space is under renovation,
and so, the show is not going to happen until the spring or
sometime next summer. So, we're just having a
get together.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Bill McBride, Sculptor))
I moved here for the prairie. The whole social aspect of
being in a small place in a ranching
community was not what attracted me. It, sort of, surprised
me. I thought I'm a nice guy and people will accept me and
I'm just going to do it. But there's a lot of mistrust or
misunderstanding of outsiders. And so, they say that you're
a newcomer. Even if you were here
for 50 years, you’d probably still be seen as a newcomer. S
o, that's an aspect of being here. But basically, it's a growin
g
arts community and it creeps very
slowly. A person here, a person there, and then it has
blossomed.
We're proud of it. It's a precious thing.
((MUSIC/NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Helping Victims of Sexual Assault
((SOT))
((Ellie Clougherty, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
It's such a simple message, especially if you turn your focus
away from the perpetrator and to the survivor and you say,
“How can we rehabilitate this student? How can we get
them back on the path they were on?” I mean, that's like
one of the purest forms of justice and there's really nothing
stopping you.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) RESTORE DIGNITY JEWELRY
((TRT: 03:22))
((Topic Banner: Healing through Beauty))
((Reporter: Maxin Moskalkov))
((Camera: Andrey Degtyarev))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((Main characters: 3 female))
((NATS))
((Ellie Clougherty, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
I started making jewelry a few years ago as a form of art
therapy for PTSD [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder]. So, I
was going through re-exposure therapy and part of that
therapy you have to recall, kind of like, tough images. So,
being surrounded by beautiful gemstones, sparkle, other
cultures, was really an inspiration.
((Kristen Malinowski, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
We decided to create a jewelry business because we
wanted an economy to support other survivors. Both me
and Ellie are survivors of sexual assault. So, we first
decided to create the jewelry business, but we wanted to
have a non-profit behind it. That's why, with Ann, we started
Restore Dignity.
((NATS))
((Ann Clougherty, Ellie’s Mother & Executive Director,
Restore Dignity))
Before the jewelry company, we became pretty big activists
in the campus sexual assault space. So, after Ellie came
home from school, I got myself very educated on what
happens to a person who's been sexually assaulted and how
does that impact their life. And then we decided that we saw
a void in a space of support that was directly helping a
student in real time while they're in school.
((NATS))
((Kristen Malinowski, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
That’s what Restore Dignity is. We're just strangers that
have your back. We're going to support you whatever it is
you need. If you need to change locations, get a meal plan
because you lost your job, you need tuition assistance, you
need medical help, we are there to help you.
((NATS))
((Ellie Clougherty, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
Survivors will actually tell us, like, what their needs are. And
then within three weeks, we'll turn around the funds. So, I
think from this, like, D.C. Democratic empowering
community, we've been able to spread that message to New
York, to California.
((Kristen Malinowski, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
Throughout the whole world, actually.
((Ellie Clougherty, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
London.
((Kristen Malinowski, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
Yeah.
((Ellie Clougherty, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
Yeah. And it's such a simple message, but everyone relates
to it, especially if you turn your focus away from the
perpetrator and to the survivor, and just say, “How can we
rehabilitate this student? How can we get them back on the
path they were on?” I mean, that's like one of the purest
forms of justice and there's really nothing stopping you.
((NATS))
((Ann Clougherty, Ellie’s Mother & Executive Director,
Restore Dignity))
As a parent, educate yourself on what power imbalance
looks like and what that power imbalance could be, whether
it's a relationship with a teacher, a coach, a boyfriend, and
really understand if your student, your child is experiencing a
different pattern of behavior than is normal, more than likely,
they might have experienced something that they don't want
to talk about.
((NATS))
((Ellie Clougherty, Co-Founder, Restore Dignity))
A symptom of PTSD is that you can't imagine the future,
which you can imagine every other symptom, from
hypervigilance to just, kind of like, intense emotions but just
not being able to imagine your future is one that, I think, is
really debilitating. Because how could you plan your career?
How could you call a friend and check in with someone?
Like, it doesn't happen as often.
((NATS))
((Ann Clougherty, Ellie’s Mother & Executive Director,
Restore Dignity))
That trauma puts us all in the same space. And that
supporting a person who's been sexually traumatized
whether, you know, they go to an Ivy League school or they
are in a community college, it doesn't matter to us. It's just
that if you have been traumatized, we want to support you.
((NATS))
((PKG)) STREET VENDOR
((TRT: 03:30))
((Topic Banner: Feeding the Soul))
((Reporter/Camera: Genia Dulot))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub character: 1 female))
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
It all happened when the city issued a memorandum and the
memorandum stated that if you are caught selling food on
the street, they were going to take everything away from you
and they were going to give you a thousand dollar fine.
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
Perhaps it was at the exact moment when they say, you
can’t sell any more, that was the end of it. And so it was with
so many street vendors here in L.A. There was a point
where I honestly just didn't have enough for the rent. And I
just didn't have enough for my internet. And that forced us to
open up an emergency [crowdfunding] GoFundMe.
Reaction to the public to our GoFundMe was so great, since
they donated seven, $5,000 initially. And so, we have like a
couple of rents [paid] now.
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
We felt that through that, we had sort of like a commitment to
pay back the community.
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
We realized that there were some people that just didn't
have the courage to ask for help. I reached out to the
community fridges and I said, “You know what, I think we
can set up this fridge out here.” This erases the face-to-
face. We can just set up a fridge and say, “I don't want to
know if you need my help. I don't want to know you, if you,
whatever, you know. Just go grab it.”
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
Through that, I came up with the idea, “Oh, maybe, we’ll do
a cookout.” Because there's a lot of people who live on the
streets, that they don't have a way to cook, something that
we do, for example, grill meat. You don’t have this with
cheese and all that, because if you, I mean, if you’re living
on the street, you have no refrigeration. You have no
access to fire. So, there is no way you can cook. So, what if
we do something like this?
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
Cookouts are usually every Tuesday and we give away
about 120 to 150 plates. I think we’re, including this one,
that’s like 21 or 22 cookouts. So, give or take, about, just
the cookouts, we serve about 3,500 meals.
((NATS))
Thank you.
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
The whole thing is that people are experiencing with COVID,
isolation and not being able to talk to your neighbor, and
distrust and hate toward the government, and all that kind of
stuff. When people wait in line and then they get this food,
it’s just a beacon of hope, the beacon of saying, “Look, my
own community, this brown man, he's there and he looks like
me and he's feeding me.” It sends a signal that someone
cares about you.
((NATS))
((Nina, Volunteer))
The anxiety of living through a pandemic with like food
insecurity, I think all of us are so anxious and what's better
than a hot meal? I know personally when I'm not feeling
well, if someone drops some soup over to me, like not only
does it warm my body, but it does warm my spirit.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Kids, Screens and School
((SOT))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Some of the teachers, when you’re in the classroom, when
you ask to go to the bathroom, they're like, “No, you can
wait.” But now, you can just turn your camera off and like go
to the bathroom.
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) 6th GRADERS VIRTUAL LEARNING
((TRT: 5:42))
((Topic Banner: Offline Talk About Online School))
((Reporter/Camera: Lisa Vohra))
((Map: Vienna, Virginia))
((Main Characters: 2 female; 2 male))
((Popup Banner: Virtual Learning, A Conversation))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Hi, I’m Leighton and I’m 11 years old.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
Hi, I’m Claire and I’m also 11 years old.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
Hi, my name is Omar and I am 11 years old.
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
Hi, my name’s Karim and I’m 11 years old.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: Real Talk))
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
How is virtual learning has been for you guys?
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
It’s been pretty good. It’s hard to like look at a screen for so
long.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
And focus.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
Yeah.
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
They take like too many directions on things. A lot.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
Like you have to turn on your camera. And if you don’t want
to turn on your camera, you don’t have to.
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Sometimes my lighting is like very, very bad and I look like a
greasy egg, so.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
It’s way too long for looking at a screen. I know we have
breaks, but still.
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
It’s very easy to get distracted too.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
Yeah.
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Because like you have like your phone or there’s like
YouTube on your computer. And there’s like no way to block
that.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
The other thing is, a lot of times, the WiFi or the internet will
like go down and like that’s another thing I dislike.
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
That happened to be on Thursday, a couple of days ago.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: The Pros))
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
The thing I like about virtual learning, you can see a lot of
people on their cameras. Then you can like meet up with
friends on like Gmail.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
Breakout rooms are like really fun because you could talk to
your friends and it’s like away from your teacher.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
Yeah.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
And it’s just a lot more enjoyable because you can, you
know, you don’t have to do exactly what the teacher is
saying. You can still like have, enjoy your time learning. But
you’re like, you’re with your friends.
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Some of the teachers, when you’re in the classroom, when
you ask to go to the bathroom, they're like, “No, you can
wait.” But now, you can just turn your camera off and like go
to the bathroom.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
Yeah, you definitely have more freedom. You’re working a
lot more independently.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: The Changes))
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
If you were in school, you can think of more excuses to, you
know,
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
get out.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
No, not get out. But, like say you lost your work or whatever.
But when you’re in virtual learning, then all your assignments
are there. You can’t just like lose an assignment. You just
have to get it done, because it’s right there for you.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: Grading the Teacher))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Some of the teachers are actually like, like on top of breaks,
like on top of work.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
Our teacher is doing really well and she’s like one of the best
teachers I've ever had. She’s so nice. And she’s like hasn’t
got mad or yelled at the class once. She also like shows her
baby sometimes, you know, like.
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
My teacher’s great. She’s a nice teacher.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: Reversing Roles))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
So, if I was the head of district like the principal or whatever,
I would probably make the breaks, definitely like some of the
breaks should be longer like, maybe, like 15-minute breaks.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
I would have just like 20 minutes of school, because all you
need is 20 minutes of school or like an hour of school.
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
If I was a leader, I would go back to school.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: Results))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Guys, do you think we’re like actually like learning new stuff,
or is it just like a review from last year?
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
I think, I’m definitely learning a little bit. It’s like from school
to actually like technology as well. I’m learning a lot because
like I used to be really bad at using computers, but like, since
we’re on the computer so much, I’ve been learning how to
do a lot on there.
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
I know like they’re kind of going like over a lot of review. I’m
not really learning anything. But like it’s hard for me to learn
because I don’t move. I just keep. I don’t keep still. I move.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
You think you’re learning stuff?
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
Yeah, definitely in science, I mean social studies. Last year,
I was just like we were learning about like Virginia, like only
one state.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: Reminiscing))
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
What I miss the most about school, it’s just like, even when I
like go back to school, it won’t be the same. You’ll be
wearing a mask. Like I would always give my teacher a hug
when I go into school. I’m just that kind of person. I’m like
really kind and stuff.
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
So, I miss like hanging out with my friends. Like that’s what I
miss. But like now, it’s just like the screen and you only see
their tiles.
((Karim Roberts, 6th Grader))
I miss most about school, a tad on that, I miss my friends a
lot.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Popup Banner: Funny Stories))
((Leighton Marashlian, 6th Grader))
One time, when I was talking like when I was like trying to
present or something, my mom kept on walking into my
room when she’s like, “Are you good?” Girl, I’m trying to
present right here.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
My like funny/embarrassing moment is, sometimes in the
beginning of, in the beginning of class, I just wait for it to
start and I’m like watching TikTok or whatever. I said like ‘hi’
to my teacher. I was like ‘hi’. And then I thought I turned my
microphone off, but I didn’t, and the TikTok was playing.
And then I was so embarrassed, and I was like, wanted to
cry because I was just so embarrassed.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
The funniest thing was when my brother, Sami, he was
running around, he was like this. And then he slipped on his
sock and then, he’s like that. And then, I was just laughing
so hard. And then, it’s like.
((Claire Nitowski, 6th Grader))
If it was on recording.
((Omar Roberts, 6th Grader))
It was on recording, yeah.
((NATS/MUSIC))
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
NEXT WEEK ((ANIM))
In the coming weeks….
((Banner))
Getting the Vaccine Out
((SOT))
((Candace Kreger, LPN, Seldovia Village Tribe))
Isn’t this how you normally go to work?
((NATS))
((Candace Kreger, LPN, Seldovia Village Tribe))
I'm taking two different vaccines.
((Candace Kreger, LPN, Seldovia Village Tribe))
In Seldovia, they’ve been very lucky with it being remote and
no access to anything but a clinic, there’s only been just a
couple cases of COVID. So, we’re trying to really get
everybody immunized and keep COVID out of the village.
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient))
Vaccination day.
((Candace Kreger, LPN, Seldovia Village Tribe))
Okay. Do you have any questions about the vaccine?
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient))
I am feeling good and I am going to feel good.
((Candace Kreger, LPN, Seldovia Village Tribe))
That’s okay. Okay, one, two, three. Was it that bad?
((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient))
No.
((Candace Kreger, LPN, Seldovia Village Tribe))
Okay.
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS ((NATS/VIDEO/GFX))
((Popup captions over B Roll))
Near the Turkish Embassy
Washington, D.C.
May 16, 2017
President Erdogan’s bodyguard attacks peaceful protesters
“Those terrorists deserved to be beaten”
“They should not be protesting our president”
“They got what they asked for”
While some people may turn away from the news
We cover it
reliably
accurately
objectively
comprehensively
wherever the news matters
VOA
A Free Press Matters
BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
SHOW ENDS
