Statue of David’s Nudity Continues to Cause Problems for Florida School
Quote of the Week:
“Goddamn I love paper like I’m Michael Scott.” –Post Malone
Fact of the Week:
The deadliest earthquake of the 20th century came on May 8th, 1902 on the Caribbean island of Martinique. A pyroclastic flow of hot ash, rock, and poisonous gas (measured to be 1,830 degrees Fahrenheit) exploded at a speed of over 416 miles an hour, razing to the ground an area of eight square miles in less than two minutes. The town of St. Pierre was destroyed and along with it nearly all of its residents. In total, 29,000 people died.
Though later it was discovered that a cobbler and a little girl had also lived, the initial survivor count was tallied to this: one. Incredibly, this individual only lived because he’d been thrown in jail the night before.
On May 7th, Louis-Aguste Cyparis was put in jail for drunk and disorderly conduct. Some rumors claim he’d killed a man, though the details are vague. Regardless, when the explosion went off the next day, Cyparis was protected within the thick stone walls of his cell. Still, ash entered through little crevices and badly burned him. After the explosion, Cyparis lay in his cell for four days before being rescued.
Cyparis’ story quickly gained recognition, and he soon joined the Barnum Bailey Circus to tell his tale across the world. According to some accounts, however, within a year Cyparis got drunk and in trouble again. Once more, he supposedly stabbed and killed a man, resulting in another stint in jail. And this time no volcano came to the rescue.
Uncommon Caribbean contributed to this article.
News Update:
Via New York Post
Hillsdale College, a Christian school in Michigan, will no longer allow the Tallahassee Classical School to use its curriculum because of controversy at the Florida K-12 school. The Tallahassee Classical School entered the national microscope when its principal resigned after coming under fire for allowing sixth graders to see a picture of the famous sculpture David, which is of a nude man.
A statement from Hillsdale College said it "provides a classical scope and sequence to many schools across the country as a free resource. To set the record straight: This drama around teaching Michelangelo's 'David' sculpture, one of the most important works of art in existence, has become a distraction from, and a parody of, the actual aims of classical education.”
According to CBS News, “The license linking the schools has been revoked and will expire at the end of the school year.”
Former Principal Hope Carrasquilla resigned from the Tallahassee Classical School after parents became angry that their children were shown a picture of the statue of David.
CBS News spoke with the school's board chair Barney Bishop who said the school teaches about David every year. The administration always notifies parents first but this year did not send a letter out, prompting some parents' anger.
“Bishop said 97% of parents agreed to the lesson this year, but the 3% of parents who did not agree were ‘entitled to have that opinion,’” CBS reports.
“Bishop said Carrasquilla was asked to resign over a number of incidents, and he claimed she blamed the David incident so the whole truth wouldn't be reported. Still, the incident gained widespread attention – even prompting the mayor of Florence, where David is on display, to extend an invitation to the former school official.”
All of these ‘distractions’ is what eventually prompted Hillsdale College to revoke Tallahassee Classical School’s license to use its materials.
CBS News contributed to this article.
Sports Update:
Via NPR. Credit: Brynn Anderson/AP
If you follow college basketball, you’ll have watched the UConn men’s team plow through the NCAA tournament, winning their games by an average of 20 points en route to claiming their fifth national championship. But not only does this run mark the end of a great season for the Huskies, it could mark the beginning of a new era.
UConn topped ESPN’s annual “2023-24 Way-Too-Early Top 25 men's college basketball rankings,” which were released yesterday. Plenty of things may change in the next few weeks while players decide whether or not to enter the draft, but at the moment, the champs look to be the best heading into next season. Not only could they have a number of their star players return, but they also are bringing in an elite recruiting class.
Marquette, No. 2 in the poll, was picked to finish ninth in the Big East this past year. Instead they won the league and earned a two-seed, before a disappointing second round loss to Michigan State. Duke comes in at No. 3 with Kentucky at No. 4. The surprising pick is No. 5: Florida Atlantic. Yes, the ninth-seeded FAU that lost on a buzzer-beater in the Final Four has all five starters returning. Finalists SDSU are picked as the No. 22 team.
ESPN contributed to this article.
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I stalk the countryside with ears that can’t hear. What am I?