Orlando’s Syrian Community Celebrates
Jaber Nyrabeah is a first-generation American living in Orlando and a member of the American Coalition for Syria. The Florida State University graduate owns a coffeeshop in the Kissimmee area. His parents emigrated to the United States in the early 1980s after escaping the brutal Syrian regime. For more than 50 years, members of the Assad family ruled the Middle Eastern country using torture, fear, and oppression to maintain power and control. Then in a sudden turn of events, President Bashar al-Assad’s government fell to rebel forces in days. Crowds cheered in the streets when the dictator fled the advancing opposition fighters. Those celebrations are spreading to Central Florida. Nyrabeah joins Engage to talk about his feelings and family’s reaction to the liberation of Syria.
New Rollins College President
Brooke Barnett will serve as the 16th President of Rollins College. She will replace Grant Cornwell who is retiring in June 2025, after a decade at the helm. Barnett joins Engage to discuss her plans for the private liberal arts college and the larger Central Florida community.
2024 Year in Review: Environment
As 2024 winds down, we are taking time to look back on the year and the work produced by the Central Florida Public Media newsroom. We are checking in with our reporters and the stories that impacted them. Central Florida Public Media Environment Reporter Molly Duerig joins Engage to reflect on what’s been accomplished and some of the challenges that lie ahead.
Phantasmagoria’s Haunting Holiday Tales
The theatrical approach of Central Florida’s "Original Victorian Steampunk Storytelling Troupe," Phantasmagoria, combines several forms of storytelling in their performances. Their tales originate from legends and written works from centuries ago. The haunting horror stories are performed year-round, but right now their focus is on the festive holiday season. There are several December performances of Phantasmagoria’s “An Even More Haunted Victorian Christmas!” Byron is one of the creators and the director of Phantasmagoria. He joins Engage to discuss how this troupe is in the spirit of telling ghost stories for the holidays.
