Leather Digest

Where the West Wing meets the real world.

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  • Holidays Under the Lights at Avalon Park

    Holidays Under the Lights at Avalon Park

    The Timber Creek Colorguard Performs at the Avalon Park, East Lawn Stage, at the December 21st Food Truck and Movie Night.

    The air is crisp with holiday cheer as local Orlando residents descend upon Avalon Park for the community’s Food Truck and Movie Night with special guests from local students at the Timber Creek High School.  

    The event kicked off with special guests, Timber Creek Colorguard, performing a thirty-minute performance of batons, stunts, and synchronized choreography to Christmas tunes.

    The second part of the night Food Truck Night “Beats and Eats, highlighted local food trucks such as Cousins Maine Lobster, Lemon and Loaf, Rock Paper Scissors Eats and Sweets By Norris, offering a variety of cuisines, and an assortment of dishes including Connecticut and Maine style lobster rolls, Chicken or Beef Shawarma, fresh squeezed Japanese Ube Lemonade, and Biscoff Cheesecake.

    With cuisine from regions near and far in hand, residents lined the East Avalon Park with chairs, blankets, a festive tree, and more to provide a seasonal backdrop for a holiday showing of The Polar Express.

    “They do different series here throughout the year that we like to take the family to, but these are our favorites. The kids always love it, and it’s a great way to meet neighbors and do something with holiday magic in your own neighborhood.” Chelle Johnson stated.

    Under the soft glow of the lights, patrons move back and forth between the showing and the food trucks that line the background, providing a new twist to movie snacks.

    “Every third Wednesday, different food trucks will come out – some are staples, and then there’s the rotating ones. Everything’s always really good, though, and it’s interesting to see who will be here each time,” she continues.

    The event marked the finale of the third week of Avalon Park’s event calendar, reinforcing Avalon Park’s commitment to community-centered programming. More than a movie night, the gathering offered a moment of connection and holiday magic, leaving attendees looking forward to future neighborhood events.

  • Rooted in Advocacy, Growing in Community: The Rise of Sun City Sapphics

    TAMPA BAY – They exchanged clothing and stories to celebrate the season. The snacks and refreshments providing a welcoming environment for the community to gather. A place of like-minded individuals. 

    They acted as friends returning for the holiday to the Tampa bay area, but the group’s inception began over two years ago in Athens, Georgia with the creation of the Peach City Sapphics.

    The Sun City Sapphics was founded this year for Florida’s Tampa Bay area. With the mission of creating community groups to foster connection, joy, and belonging for sapphic individuals. 

    Ciara Peebles, the group’s founders strong background in research and advocacy, with experience studying justice reform, victimization, and the experience of marginalized survivors. 

    When asked how the important it has been to the current and prospective members to have sapphic representation at the helm of the groups’ leaderships, Ciara recalls “I think it’s really important. With queer people and our spaces, we really don’t get to have a voice a lot of the time, or people try and tell our story for us, so I think it’s good to have that kind of voice in leadership to provide other perspective.”

    It was the passion for her community and empowerment that inspired, the groups creation, aiming to expand spaces nationwide to create local hubs of queer connection across the country. 

    “Communities often created from internal members with a true authentic connection to measurable change, often see the highest organic success rate.” Theatra Rose Hamilton, political activist with an emphasis on the deep south states. 

    “I was in grad school in Georgia, and it was at a PWI, so there wasn’t much of black queer scene or a just queer scene in general, it was very not diverse. I wanted to help with my experience because I was starting to feel lonely of meeting other diverse people of queer backgrounds. So, I started doing events in Atlanta in 2023 and it’s been growing ever since.” Ciara recalls.

    As the season comes to a close, Sun City Sapphics stands as more than a series of gatherings, it is a response to absence, isolation, and the need to be seen. 

    What began as one woman’s search for connection has grown into a space where shared identity becomes shared strength. In Tampa Bay, community is not just being found, it’s being intentionally built.

  • Local Library Offers Beginner-Friendly Excel Class for Community Members

    Local Library Offers Beginner-Friendly Excel Class for Community Members

    The Alafaya Branch Library of the Orlando Public Library System will host a Microsoft Excel Level 1: Creating Spreadsheets class on Tuesday, December 2, from 11 a.m. to noon, giving community members the opportunity to build essential spreadsheet skills in a guided, hands-on setting.

    Designed for teens from 13+ and adults, the class introduces the fundamentals of using Excel, one of the most widely used tools in academic, professional, and personal settings. Participants will learn how to create spreadsheets, input and format data, use basic formulas, and save and share their work with collaborators.

    The one-hour session will take place in the branch’s Computer Lab and requires no prior experience. While there are no required skills, the library recommends that participants have completed Computer Basics Level 2 to ensure they are comfortable navigating a computer which can also be taken at the local library branches. 

    The class is free for in-district attendees, with a OCLS Resident Card. Out-of-district participants may join for a $10 fee, which covers both the session and associated materials.

    Library staff say programs like this are part of an ongoing effort to expand digital literacy for residents. “We want to make digital tools accessible to everyone in our community,” one representative noted. “Even beginners will walk away with practical Excel skills they can use right away.”

    The Excel class is one of several technology-focused learning opportunities offered throughout the year as the library continues its mission to support education, skill-building, and lifelong learning for all residents expanding outreach for offerings including Canva Basics, Python Programming, Microsoft Powerpoint, Microsoft Word, LEGO Education and Microsoft Paint.

    This Excel course is the first of three levels that will be offered at the local branches in the coming weeks. The library encourages anyone needing special accommodations due to a disability to contact the branch at least seven days before the event to arrange assistance.

  • Behind The Etsy Wall: Apple Of My Evil Eye 

    Ariana is a local student in Orlando, Florida that loves to be a part of her community. She’s shared this love during the 2025, Cypress Lakes Fall and Winter Market where she showcased, hand-made jewelry some in theme for the holiday and some speaking to the local shop’s name, Apple of My Evil Eye. 

    Being able to set-up a brick-and-mortar booth is rare for this jewelry maker as she typically sales her items online either through her Etsy shop, Instagram or Facebook. For local residents, she hand-deliver’s the jewelry a special touch for the tight-knit community. 

    The shop’s namesake inspiration can be seen in bracelets, necklaces and earrings as Ariana shares “The name of my shop is Apple of My Evil Eye, so it really plays into the evil eye theme and quite a few of my pieces.” 

    For local business owners, platforms such as Etsy provide a space to reach larger audiences with minimal set-up, allowing young artist like Ariana to continue to invest in their craft. “I have a shop on Etsy where you can find most of my pieces but most of the time, I’m selling through fairs and markets, especially within this community and I also try and post on Instagram and Facebook, so people can reach out if they see a piece they like.” 

    As of March 2025, Etsy recorded 88.5 million active buyers down 3% from 2024, but only 5.4 million active sellers. This was also down 23% from Q1 of 2024. However, with this decrease in customers and sellers the platform generated $2.81 billion in totally revenue in 2024, followed by 2.02 billion in marketplace revenue and $788 million in services revenue. 

    Ariana’s journey with Apple of My Evil Eye highlights how platforms like Etsy continue to anchor small creators, even amid shifting marketplace trends. While Etsy’s active buyers and sellers have declined, its multibillion-dollar revenue shows the platform’s staying power for independent artists seeking visibility beyond their local circles. 

    For jewelry makers like Ariana, Etsy serves as both a digital storefront and a launchpad allowing her to reach wider audiences while still staying rooted in community. 

  • The Annual Cypress Lakes Fall and Winter Festival Strikes Again

    This weekend, November 16, the annual Cypress Lakes Community Fall and Winter Festival brought families and neighbors together for a day of celebration. The event featured activities for children including carnival games, bounce houses, and face painting ensuring plenty of fun for the youngest festivalgoers.

    With family enjoyment at the center, adults had just as much to look forward to, from food trucks to family portrait stations, as local vendors showcased their best work for the community. Each year, residents participate in the market with everything from homemade jewelry to holiday décor, creating a space for neighbors to connect, support local talent, and spread holiday cheer.

    Among them was Eva, owner of My Unique Crafts who shared a piece of her heritage through her family’s beloved coquito recipe. “It’s a passed-down family recipe from my mother to my grandmother, to me,” she said. “It’s unique. It’s very similar to the one they sell out there, but mine is the best. It’s less sweet; the taste is much better.” Having lived in the community for twenty-four years, Eva proudly continues the tradition yearly: “I’ve been here every year that they’ve celebrated.”

    Ariana, a local student and owner of Apple of My Evil Eye, also shared her excitement about presenting the handmade jewelry she has spent months creating. “My mom got me my first jewelry-making set to make a little charm bracelet, and then I just wanted more beads and wanted to try different designs I’d seen online and then it turned into this.” Her story is a nod to the importance of support systems and the opportunity that local markets provide for new creators. She laughs, “I don’t know if she’s happy she got me the charm bracelet set or if she regrets it, but either way, this is where we’re at.”

    As the day came to an end, the Cypress Lakes Community Fall and Winter Festival once again proved why it remains a beloved annual tradition.

  • Building Bright Minds: LEGO Education Inspires Young Engineers at Alafaya Library

    Orlando, Fla. — November 9, 2025 — The Alafaya Library hosted its weekly LEGO® Education SPIKE™ course on Sunday, offering children ages 6–12 an opportunity to explore the intersection of creativity, engineering, and coding. This week’s session, themed Vehicles, allowed participants to design and program models such as motorcycles, race cars, helicopters, and trains, combining play with STEM-based learning.

    Interest in the program remains high, with the limited space of ten participants resulting in a waitlist. “My daughter loves LEGOs and this was a great way to get her involved in the more advanced technical side of that interest,” said Suzette Gault, who registered but was waitlisted. “I just wish there was more space for more children.”

    The Alafaya Library will continue its LEGO Education series throughout the next month, with upcoming sessions themed Space on November 16, Pollination on November 23, and Exercise Robots on December 7, concluding the series ahead of the winter holidays. Registration is available to residents with an Orlando Public Library card, which can be obtained online or at any local branch.

    The local enthusiasm for educational programming comes as national discussions intensify around the future of public libraries. On April 10, 2025, the American Library Association (ALA) released a report titled IMLS Cuts Put America’s Public Libraries at Risk, warning that proposed federal funding reductions could significantly affect library operations across the country. The report highlighted that libraries are “essential infrastructure in every American community,” providing resources that extend well beyond books including job skills training, entrepreneurship support, homeschooling tools, and access to food services.

    The concern follows a March 14 executive order proposing major budget cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which would notably impact states such as California, Connecticut, and Washington.

    In addition, a November 2025 study titled The Impact of Library Collections on Faculty Teaching, Research, and Retention underscored the ongoing challenges faced by academic libraries. The research found that escalating information costs, shrinking institutional budgets, and retention pressures have forced libraries to more clearly demonstrate their value. The report concludes that sustained collaboration between librarians, faculty, and administrators is critical to advancing research and supporting student success.

    As debates over funding and access continue at the national level, the Alafaya Library’s LEGO Education SPIKE program stands as a local example of how libraries continue to innovate and serve their communities. By transforming a love of play into pathways for problem-solving and discovery, programs like these reaffirm the library’s role as a cornerstone of lifelong learning.

  • Degrees of Resilience

    Degrees of Resilience

    Black women are the fastest-growing population of students in colleges and universities today across the nation with the percent of Black women enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions increased by more than 180 percent growing from 563,100 in 1976 to nearly 1.6 million in 2019.

    In the latest episode of the Political Hour we connect with educator, academic, activist and community leader Ciara Peebles. Ciara holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and master’s degree is Applied Sociology from the University of Central Florida. In addition, she’s currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia Athens Sociology program with a focus on criminal justice, social policy, and system inequality. 

    When asked about her experience in higher education from the standpoint of a student verses an educator and how these experiences have continued to motivate her within this space, she emphasized importance of “Learning what battles to fight. Learning which battles are important to you and learning what can be just a part of academia. So, I guess, Acknowledging what you can do as a professor in the first place because as one individual you can’t change an entire system and so sometimes you have to accept parts of teaching and academia and if you don’t accept it, it’s maybe easier to look at a different direction.”

    According to the American Association of University Women (AAWU), black women account for 64.1% of bachelor’s degrees, 71.5% of master’s degrees and 65.9% of doctoral, medical and dental degrees within the United States. However, they only represent 4.1% of professors within academia and a mere 2.1% receiving tenure.

    When asked if there’s one piece of advice she’d give to black women pursuing higher education, “It will be hard, but as long as you have good mentorship – I would highly recommend trying to find another black women in academia that is maybe already a professor or already in academia and has been for a few years, give advice or get advice from or ask about certain topics. Having a mentor really made it easier for me to go through certain situations when I didn’t know what to do. So, mentorship, community and doing as much as you can to participate in those is important.” 

    Despite the strides Black women have made in higher education enrollment, degree obtainment and academic achievements, the stark underrepresentation in faculty positions and tenured roles reveals the persistent systemic barriers they face.

  • The Great Education Divide Infographic

  • Couture, Controversy and Capitalism 

    Credit: Ussin Yala/Getty Images

    Cardi B, no stranger to headlines, sparked conversation during Paris Couture Week 2025, for her 75-minute late arrival to Rahul Mishra’s Couture Fall/Winter 2025/2026 Fall on July 7, 2025. The Paris Fashion Week, which marked entertainer’s third year in attendance sparked conversation after she arrived over an hour late to the Indian designer’s Fall/Winter 2025/2026 show.  

    Stunning crowds in Rahul Mishra’s “Wild Rose” ensemble featuring a ruby-red corseted gown embellished with dazzling 3D floral ruby encrusted sculptures. The moment captured by journalist upon her arrival on the red carpet. Though meeting with Mishra to apologize, offering a “personal emergency” explanation that was accepted publicly by the designer, confirmed by NDTV. Yet amid controversy, the Indian designer recalls working Cardi B as “a surreal and heartfelt experience”. 

    The controversy leading to considerable increased brand visibility, media coverage, and social media engagement for the brand Outlook Luxe reports, with the statement being clear “Indian luxury is not an echo. It’s the original, and it’s here to shine.”  When Cardi was asked what she would like to achieve in the fashion industry, she stated “My goal that I want to reach? A super stamp,” Sports Illustrated Lifestyle reports.  

    So how does this controversy serve as a catalyst for continued economic growth on the global scale within the fashion industry? With the increased conversation around the budding Indian designer, and his historical strategy of utilizing celebrity endorsements with international celebrities including Zendaya, Gigi Hadid and Blake Lively will likely lead to increased sales. With the event taking place less than a week ago, the results of this catalyst, not yet public, Mishra’s previous strategy, have proven to be successful with some items having as long as a five-month waiting list.  

    When interviewing a previous doctoral candidate in Psychology from the University of Georgia, Athens on how this controversy could be examined from the capitalistic lens, Ciara Peebles, M. answered “It highlights the nuances between trust, narrative cohesion and cultural alignment. Though psychological currencies these all have considerable real economic weight.”  

  • Welcome To As Told By Auri

    As Told By Auri, is a space for all things film and entertainment. Inspired by one of the most underrated series in the early 2000s, “As Told By Ginger”, Ginger utilized her journal for navigating the world around her. A place for her to dissect, question, raise concern and praise the lessons and wins that came along with growing up. This platform will do the same. It will explore the world around me, through the lens of film, television, theatre, and all the little things entertainment.

    So, welcome to the inner circle – may we learn together!