[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS, ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION JOINS US FOR THE LATEST ON A LOOMING EDUCATION SPENDING CAP AND OTHER ISSUES.

AND ON "CRONKITE NEWS," HOW SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE GETTING CREATIVE WHEN IT COMES TO RECRUITING TEACHERS, AND ON ON "BREAK IT DOWN," SOME MYTHS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS REGARDING SUICIDE.

THAT IS ALL AHEAD ON THE NEXT HOUR ON ARIZONA PBS.

>>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELL TO "ARIZONA HORIZON," I'M TED SIMONS.

TOP PROSECUTORS AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ARE CALLING FOR ADEL TO RESIGN.

THIS COMES A WEEK AFTER ADEL'S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR RESIGNED AND WAS ESCORTED FROM OFFICE, AND SHE AND HER STAFF SHOULD NOT BE PUT IN A POSITION TO DEFEND HER QUOTE, SOBRIETY AND LEADERSHIP.

ADEL RESPONDED IN PART, QUOTE: >>> OTHER NEWS, THE JANUARY 6TH COMMISSION INVESTIGATING LAST YEAR' RIOT AT THE U.S. CAPITOL TODAY, SUBPOENAED THE ARIZONA REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR, AND REPRESENTATIVE MARK FINCHAM.

THE COMMIT HAD ALREADY SUBPOENAED PHONE RECORDS FROM WARD AND HER HUSBAND WHO FILED A LAWSUIT TO BLOCK THAT REQUEST.

>>> ARIZONA IS REPORTING JUST 1740 NEW CASES OF COVID-19 CASES, THAT IS THE LOWEST IT HAS BEEN SINCE THE OMICRON VARIANT TOOK HOLD.

AND THE NUMBER OF ICU BEDS IN USE ARE SHOWING A MORE SIGNIFICANT DROP, WITH AVAILABILITY AS GOOD AS IT HAS BEEN SINCE OCTOBER.

>>> REMINGTON AGREED TO PAY $73 MILLION TO THE FAMILIES OF FIVE ADULTS AND FOUR CHILDREN KILLED IN THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MASSACRE.

IT IS THE FIRST TIME A GUN MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A MASS SHOOTING IN THE U.S. >> TRUE JUSTICE WOULD BE OUR 15 YEAR OLD HEALTHY AND STANDING NEXT TO US RIGHT NOW, BUT THEN HE WILL NEVER BE 15.

HE WILL BE SIX FOREVER.

BECAUSE HE IS GONE FOREVER.

NOTHING WILL BRING DILLEN BACK.

THE CLOSEST I GET TO HIM NOW IS BY KISSING HIS URN EVERY NIGHT, TELLING HIM I LOVE HIM AND I MISS HIM, BUT I MADE HIM A PROMISE, AND I'LL KEEP WORKING TO DELIVER THAT PROMISE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

MY HOPE FOR THIS LAWSUIT IS BY FACING AND FINALLY BEING PENALIZED FOR THE IMPACT OF THEIR WORK, GUN COMPANIES ALONG WITH INSURANCE AND BANKING AGENCIES THAT ENABLE THEM, WILL BE FORCED TO MAKE THEM SAFER THAN THEY HAVE EVER BEEN, WHICH WILL SAVE LIVES.

>> REMINGTON IS THE MAKER OF THE AR-STYLE GUN THAT WAS USED TO KILL 20 STUDENTS AND 5 TEACHERS IN 2012.

>>> SEA LEVELS COULD RISE IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS AS MUCH A THEY HAVE IN THE ENTIRE PAST CENTURY.

THIS COMES FROM A REPORT RELEASED TODAY WHICH SAYS THAT BY 2050, SEA LEVELS WILL BE 10 TO 12 INCHES HIGHER, WITH PARTS EH LOUISIANA AND TEXAS AS MUCH AS A FOOT AND A HALF HIGHER ALL OF WHICH WILL LEAD TO MORE COSTS OF SO-CALLED SUNNY DAY FLOODING >>> AND IF YOU PLACED A WAGER ON THE SUPER BOWL, YOU WEREN'T ALONE, CERTAINLY NOT IN NEVADA.

THEY REPORTED $180 MILLION WAGERED, AN ALL-TIME RECORD.

THE PREVIOUS HIGH WAS 159 MILLION, SET FOUR YEARS AGO.

>>> ARIZONA'S HOUSE PASSED A ONETIME LIFTING OF AN EDUCATION SPENDING CAP TODAY, THAT WOULD HAVE FORCED SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO CUT 16% OF THEIR BUDGET FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH KATHY HOFFMAN, ARIZONA'S SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

SUPERINTENDENT HOFFMAN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

AND WE SHOULD MENTION, WE'RE RECORDING THIS ABOUT 2:00 IN THE AFTERNOON TODAY.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THE HOUSE, SINGS ARE MOVING THERE.

YOU TELL ME.

GIVE US AN UP DATED.

>> SO FAR AT 2:00 PM, THE HOUSE DID TAKE ACCESS AND APPROVED TO SUSPEND THE CAP ON THE -- THE EXPENDITURE LIMIT CAP, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS.

I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE SOME MOVEMENT.

I GAVE ME STATE OF EDUCATION SPEECH A WEEK AGO, AND IT SEEMS LIKE FINALLY THEY ARE LISTENING.

THEY NEEDED THIS ADDITIONAL PRESSURE TO TAKE ACTION.

I'M GLAD THEY ARE FINALLY TAKING ACTION ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE, BUT WE ARE STILL WAITING ON THE SENATE TO TAKE ACTION, AND IT DOES REQUIRE A TWO-THIRDS VOTE.

>> IS IT -- IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS A ONE TIME ONLY, ONE-YEAR ONLY SUSPENSION.

IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU, OR DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE DONE ON THE SPENDING CAP?

>> WELL, THE LOOK AT THIS AS A WIN, BECAUSE OUR SCHOOL LEADERS WANT TO GET BACK TO THE REAL BUSINESS OF EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN, AND NOT THINKING ABOUT THIS SPENDING CAP, SO IT IS A WIN THAT WE CAN GET ON WITH THE SCHOOL YEAR.

HOWEVER, IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS CAP FULLY REPEALED BECAUSE IT IS A VERY ANTIQUATED LAW, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO BE HELD TO A CAP THAT WAS PASSED 40 YEARS AGO WHEN ARIZONA LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT, BEFORE A TIME THAT STUDENTS USED TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR LEARNING, SO TO ME THE CAP IS VERY OUTDATED AND SHOULD NOT BE HOLDING BACK THE STUDENTS OF TODAY.

>> THERE IS SOME TALK ABOUT A VOUCHER EXPANSION WHICH IS MAKING MOVES IN THE SENATE.

FIRST OF ALL, THE IDEA OF COUPLING THESE TWO, OR ANYTHING ELSE, AND B, THE IDEA OF A VOUCHER AS THIS ONE PROPOSAL STANDS?

>> I DON'T SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT -- THAT COMPLICATES THIS ISSUE ANY FURTHER.

I'M VERY GLAD THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT A CLEAN PROPOSAL TO OVERRIDE THE CAP.

WE SHOULD NOT BE HAVING IN POLITICAL MANEUVERING, IN TERMS OF THE EXPANSION, ULTIMATELY THAT WOULD BE PRIVATEIZING THE PROGRAM.

SO AS OF NOW I'M HAPPY WITH WHERE IT STANDS, THAT WE'RE NOT COMPLICATING THIS FURTHER, WHEN WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM MORE -- MORE STRAIGHT ON.

LIKE, WHAT DO YOUR SCHOOLS NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL TO SERVE OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES?

AND I'M GLAD AS OF NOW WE HAVE A CLEAN PATHWAY FORWARD.

>>> BUT FOR THAT VOUCHER EXPANSION BILL, THIS ONE CALLS FOR MORE STUDENTS WHO CURRENTLY GET PANDEMIC-RELATED BENEFITS FROM THE GOVERNOR, THE SPONSOR SAYS HE IS LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GET POOR-INCOME STUDENTS OUT OF LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS.

DOES HE HAVE A POINT?

>> I DON'T THINK SO.

SO THAT IS ONE MORE WAY -- SO THE GOVERNOR'S PROGRAMS THAT HE HAS CREATED USING FEDERAL FUNDS -- FIRST OF ALL THE U.S. TREASURY HAS ALREADY SAID THIS IS NOT AN ALLOWABLE USE OF THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS, SO THERE IS SOME BACK AND FORTH NOW.

SECOND OF ALL THOSE ARE [ INAUDIBLE ] VOUCHER PROGRAMS.

THERE ARE VERY FEW FAMILIES THAT HAVE APPLIED TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE PROGRAMS.

SO WHY WOULD WE INVEST IN STATE PROGRAMS?

WHAT OUR FAMILIES IN ARIZONA AND WHAT OUR COMMUNITIES WANT, AND PARENTS ARE SAYING TIME AND TIME AGAIN, IS TO FULLY FUND OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO GIVE TEACHERS THE RAISE -- THE PAY THEY DESERVE.

WE ARE STILL RANKED 50TH IN THE NATION AT A TIME WHEN WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A SEVERE TEACHER SHORTAGE, SO WE NEED TO GET BACK TO FOCUSING ON THE ISSUES THAT ARIZONAN'S CARE ABOUT.

>> AND YOU SAID THE SITUATION IS GETTING WORSE, NOT BETTER.

WHY IS THAT HAPPENING?

WE KEEP HEARING ABOUT SO MUCH MORE MONEY BEING PUSHED INTO EDUCATION, CERTAINLY NOT AS MUCH AS PERHAPS SHOULD BE, BUT THE MONEY IS COMING IN, WHY ISN'T THAT RESULTING IN MORE TEACHERS AND BETTER SALARIES?

>> WE DID HAVE THE 20 BY 22 PLAN, AND NOW WE'RE IN 2022, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.

SO HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT THERE ARE STATE INVESTMENTS IN OUR TEACHER WORKFORCE.

AND THE VOTERS PASSED PROP 208, AND NOW THAT IS TIED UP IN THE COURTS, SO OUR SCHOOLS HAVE YET TO SEE THE FRUITION OF THAT FUNDING, WHICH THE VOTERS VOTEDED TO ADD MUCHLY ANOTHER $800 MILLION TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT HAS NOT REACHED THE SCHOOLS YET, BECAUSE IT IS BEING TIED UP IN THE COURTS.

YES, OUR PUBLIC -- OUR FAMILY SUPPORT -- IB INVESTIGATING MORE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, BUT THE LEGISLATURE HAS NOT KEPT UP IN TERMS OF MAKING THOSE INVESTMENTS.

>> I WANT TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON PROP 208, WHICH IS TIED UP IN THE CASE, AND THE JUDGE SAID I'LL GET IT TO WHEN I GET IT TO, BUT THE IDEA OF THIS REPEAL AND REPLACE, WE HAVE HEARD THIS SINCE THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGAN.

IF THEY REPEAL IT AND REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING ELSE, I MEAN, WHAT IS THE PLAN OF ACTION AS FAR AS EDUCATION OFFICIALS ARE CONCERNED?

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE BUDGET IS NEXT YEAR, WHEN THE GOAL POSTS ARE MOVING A MILE A MINUTE?

>> THIS IS HAPPENING TIME AND TIME AGAIN, AND IT IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING FOR OUR SCHOOL LEADERS, BECAUSE HOW CAN THEY OPERATE WHEN THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT FUNDING WILL BE AVAILABLE OR NOT BE AVAILABLE?

ALL OF THESE CREATE SO MUCH INSTABILITY IN OUR SCHOOLS.

THANKFULLY THEY ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN TO GET THROUGH THIS SCHOOL YEAR, THE BEST THEY CAN, BUT THE TEACHER SHORTAGE HAS BEEN HAMPERING OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR -- FOR YEARS AND YEARS NOW, AND SO WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE THOSE ISSUES SERIOUSLY, IF WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR KIDS HAVE THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE.

>> KATHY HOFFMAN, ARIZONA'S SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>>> UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," WILL TRUCK-DRIVER PROTESTS IN CANADA IMPACT ARIZONA'S ECONOMY.

>>> TRUCKERS PROTESTING COVID MANDATES IN CANADA, HAVE IMPACTED THE U.S. AUTO INDUSTRY, AND OTHER ASPECTS OF THE ECONOMY, INCLUDING TRADE, WE ASKED PROFESSOR SOPAL EAR, ASSOCIATE DEAN AT THE THUNDERBIRD SCHOOL OF GLOBAL MANAGEMENT AT ASU ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE PROTESTS HERE IN ARIZONA.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

WHAT IS THE LATEST ON THIS?

>> INDEED.

I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S FINALLY TAKING A TURN, BECAUSE YESTERDAY THE PRIME OF CANADA DECLARED A NATIONAL EMERGENCY TO END THE -- THE PROTESTS, SO HE IS TAKING ACTION, AND HE IS NOW DECIDING TO -- TO -- TO USE FORCES TO -- TO ACTUALLY STOP THE PROTESTERS THREATENING TO CONFISCATE AND TOW AWAY ALL OF THESE TRUCKS THAT ARE BLOCKING CERTAINLY OTTAWA AND OTHER PLACES.

>> YEAH, IT SOUNDED LIKE OTTAWA WAS PARALYZED FOR A WHILE.

THE IMPACT OF THIS ON THE U.S. ECONOMY IN GENERAL, THE AUTO INDUSTRY IN PARTICULAR?

>> WELL, ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF DETROIT AND WINDSOR, CANADA, THAT BRIDGE THAT CONNECTED THE TWO WAS A HUGE THOROUGHFARE FOR AUTO PARTS GOING BACK AND FORTH.

SO THE INABILITY TO TRANSPORT THESE PARTS HAS OBVIOUSLY CAUSED A LOT OF DAMAGE.

NOW I'M NOT SURE OF THE PERCENTAGE-WISE ECONOMIC IMPACT, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT BECAME SO SIGNIFICANT THAT TRUDEAU USED THE ECONOMIC DAMAGE CAUSED BY THIS PARALYSIS TO CALL IT A STATE OF EMERGENCY.

>> IS IT THE KIND OF THING WHERE WE MIGHT SEE HIGHER PRICES?

WE ARE ALREADY SEEING HIGHER PRICES, BUT COULD THIS HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT FOR A WHILE?

>> CERTAINLY.

WE ALREADY HAVE ALL OF THESE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, RIGHT?

MICRO CHIPS THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF NEW VEHICLES, AND CAUSING USED CARS TO BECOME MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE.

BUT BECAUSE IT HAS ONLY BEEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS OF THIS, I DON'T THINK -- AS LONG AS IT STOPS NOW -- I DON'T THINK IT IS GOING TO BE DRAMATIC IMPACT.

IT MIGHT BE A BLIP ON THE SCREEN, A BIT OF A ROUGH PATCH THERE, BUT HOPEFULLY NOTHING MORE THAN THAT AS LONG AS WE TURN THE CORNER AND REALLY RETURN TO NORMALCY.

>> WE HAVE TRADE ISSUES WITH CANADA, AND ARIZONA AND CANADA HAVE A GOOD TRADE RELATIONSHIP.

>> WE CERTAINLY DO.

CANADA AND ARIZONA ARE ACTUALLY -- SURPRISING -- WHEN I WAS LOOK GOING THIS, THERE IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP ACTUALLY.

WE IN ARIZONA EXPORT TO CANADA QUITE A BIT.

ARIZONA REALLY HAS $349 MILLION WORTH OF VEGETABLES EXPORTED TO CANADA.

$149 MILLION $149 MILLION WORTH OF AIRCRAFT AND PARTS.

A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF EXPORTS THAT WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC FOR CANADA IF THESE TRUCKERS WERE BLOCKING THE WAY.

AND CANADA EXPORTS TO ARIZONA AS WELL, SO ABOUT $2.2 BILLION FROM CANADA ANNUALLY, AND ARIZONA EXPORTS $1.9 BILLION IN GOODS TO CANADA ANNUALLY.

>> SO WITH THAT SAID, AND WHAT IS GOING ON, AND HOW IT IS SEEMINGLY DIEING DOWN A LITTLE BIT HERE, WILL WE SEE RIPPLE EFFECTS HERE IN ARIZONA FOR A WHILE, AND IF SO, HOW LONG?

>> WELL, I THINK THAT GIVEN THE -- THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM WAS ON THE BORDER ITSELF, AND OBVIOUSLY IN OTTAWA, THE CAPITOL CITY, HOPEFULLY THAT WASN'T SIGNIFICANTLY -- THESE VEG VEG -- VEGETABLES OF ARIZONA AND AIRCRAFT PARTS AND SO ON, IF ANY DELAYS WERE CAUSED, THEY WON'T BE DELAYED FURTHER.

IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT VEGETABLES, IF THEY ARE DELAYED THEY SPOIL, BUT IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT AREN'T GOING TO SPOIL, THAT IS NOT GOING TO CAUSE A MAJOR PROBLEM.

I THINK OVER TIME THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS WILL DISSIPATE.

>> YEAH.

YEAH.

SO LAST QUESTION HERE, WHAT LESSONS ARE LEARNED REGARDING THE U.S. AND CANADA ON TRADE AND ON THE ABILITY TO CROSS THE BORDER?

>> THAT INTERDEPENDENCE IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE CANADA IS OUR MAJOR TRADING PARTNER, RIGHT?

WE -- WE HAVE SUCH A RELATIONSHIP WITH CANADA, AND CANADA WITH US, THAT IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SUDDENLY CAUSE A -- A CHOKE POINT, LIKE A BRIDGE THAT ALLOWS SO MUCH ACTIVITY -- ECONOMIC ACTIVITY TO TAKE PLACE TO SOMEHOW BE DISPLACED AS A RESULT OF TRUCKERS, AND BY THE WAY, THE LESS SON FROM THIS ISN'T -- ISN'T NEW.

THERE WERE TRUCK PROTESTS DURING THE OIL CRISIS OF THE 1970S.

THEY HAVE USED THIS ABILITY OF WHAT IS REALLY -- YOU KNOW, A MASS DISRUPTION TO -- TO CAUSE FLOWS OF GOODS TO STOP, AND SO TRUCKERS KNOW THAT WHEN THEY ARE NOT HAPPY WITH -- YOU KNOW, VACCINATION MANDATES, THE CANADIAN ONES ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE CANADIAN VACCINATION MANDATES, THAT THEY CAN REALLY PUNCH WHERE IT HURTS IN TERMS OF STOPPING THE -- THE ARTERIES OF THE SYSTEM FROM WORKING, AND -- AND I GUESS THE INDULGENCE OF THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT HAS ENDED.

>> SOPAL EAR, ASSOCIATE DEAN AT THE THUNDERBIRD SCHOOL OF GLOBAL MANAGEMENT AT ASU, GOOD CONVERSATION.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>> LISA TOLENTINO IS AN ARTIST AND DESIGNER WHO APPLIES OUR INDIGENOUS QUALITIES WITH THE ILOCANO FILIPINO-AMERICAN HERITAGE.

SHE SPOKE WITH JOSE CARDENAS, THE HOST OF THE ARIZONA PBS SHOW "HORIZONTE."

>>> LISA TOLENTINO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."

WHAT IS A COMPUTATIONAL ARTIST?

>> A COMPUTATIONAL ARTIST IS AN ARTIST WHO USES A COMPUTER OR DIGITAL PROCESS AS THE CORE MEDIUM OF THEIR ART, SO FOR ME, PART OF THAT IS ELECTRONIC MUSIC OR PHYSICAL COMPUTING TO CREATE THINGS, YOU KNOW, VIDEO GAMES, AND GAMING IS PART OF THAT COMPUTATIONAL DIGITAL MEDIA PROCESS, BUT MY BACKGROUND IS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, SO BEING ABLE TO CODE AND TRANSLATE PROCEDURES THAT HAVE NUMBERS AND ALGORITHMS IN IT, INTO SOMETHING INTEREST ARTISTICALLY IS SOMETHING I DO.

>> AND YOU ARE A TEACHER IN MANY WAYS.

THERE IS AN INTERESTING STORY ABOUT USING YOUR ART TO TEACH KIDS MATH.

TALK ABOUT THAT.

>> SO FOR SEVEN YEARS, I WAS TEACHING IN A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL, AND STARTED A MEDIA ARTS PROGRAM FROM THE GROUND UP, AND ONE OF THE CORE CLASSES -- ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR CLASSES I TAUGHT WAS CALLED CODING IS ART.

AND IN THAT CLASS, I IMAGINED THAT STUDENTS WHO WERE ARTISTS BUT MAYBE WEREN'T VERY GOOD AT ART OR PHYSICS, WOULD COME IN THERE AND UNDERSTAND THE BEAUTY OF MATHEMATICS, AND HOW THEY COULD USE ART TO LEARN THESE CONCEPTS, AND I WAS INTERESTED IN THOSE FOLKS WHO LOVED PHYSICS OR MATH, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO TAP INTO THEIR CREATIVE SIDE, SO I WANTED TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE THOSE TYPES OF MINDS COULD COME TOGETHER AND CREATE SOME REALLY INTERESTING THINGS.

>> GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT SOME OF YOUR WORK LOOKS LIKE FROM A VISUAL POINT OF VIEW.

>> PART OF MY WORK IS MAKING COMPUTATIONAL TEXTILES.

SO WHAT I DID WITH THE STUDENTS IS I WANTED TO TEACH THEM WHAT A FOUR LOOP WAS.

HOW DO YOU PROGRAM IT?

AND HOW DO YOU USE IT USEFULLY?

AND I ASKED THESE STUDENTS TO PRODUCE A CULTURAL TEXTILE.

ONE THAT COMES FROM THEIR OWN ETHNICITY OR HERITAGE, OR ONE THAT FASCINATED OR INTERESTED THEM.

AND IT GAVE US A CHANCE TO DIALOGUE ABOUT THINGS LIKE SITUATIONS, AND THE RESULT OF THEIR LIVELIHOODS AS THE RESULT OF THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY OR GLOBALISM IN GENERAL.

>> AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT INDIGENOUS ROOTS, WHAT IS YOURS?

>> MY PARENTS ARE FROM THE NORTH-MOST PROVIDENCE IN THE PHILIPPINES.

IT HAS ITS OWN LANGUAGE WITH DIFFERENT DIALECTS, AND THERE IS A PRACTICE OF A KIND OF WAVING USING A PEDDLE LOOM.

AND IT IS -- HOW WOULD I DESCRIBE THIS?

IT'S VERY GEE METRIC.

IT'S ALLER TOING RECTANGLES AND SQUARES, BUT THE RESULT IS A KIND OF WHARPED, WAVY 3-D LOOK.

AND IT WAS MADE TO SCARE THE SPIRITS AWAY.

>> AND YOU DO WORK WITH AUTISTIC CHILDREN USING YOUR ART?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

FOR MY DOCTORAL DISSERTATION, I WORKED WITH IMMERSIVE MEDIA REALITY ENVIRONMENTS, AND AUGMENTEDED REALITY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION, SO MY FOCUS ON WORKING WITH YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES WAS TO CREATE A DYNAMIC CLASSROOM FOR THEM, AND THAT IS REALLY ROOTED IN ME BEING THE ELDER SISTER OF SOMEONE WITH A DISABILITY.

AND MY MOM WAS IN SOCIAL WORK, AND WORKED WITH ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN, AND THAT INSPIRED ME TO USE DIGITAL MEDIA AND ART TO ELEVATE THEIR VOICES.

>> AND YOU HAVE AN EXHIBITION OPENING IN NORTH CAROLINA WITH LIGHT AND MOVEMENT.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> TELL US ABOUT THAT ONE.

>> I'M COLLABORATING WITH A FRIEND OF MINE, AND WE HAVE INSTALLATION THAT'S FOCUSED ON RED WOLFS.

IT WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE SOUTHEASTERN CENTER FOR THE ARTS IN NORTH CAROLINA IN THE FALL.

AND I HAVE AN ARTS TECHNOLOGY NON-PROFIT, URBAN STEW, AND WE'RE INTERESTED IN COLLABORATING WITH FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY ON ANY PROJECTS THEY WANT TO INVESTIGATE USING MEDIA AND ART.

>> AND PEOPLE CAN GO TO YOUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> AND THAT IS IT.

LISA TOLENTINO.COM.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

IT HAS BEEN A DELIGHT.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

♪ >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR ON ARIZONA PBS, WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT FUNCTION AND DESIGN, AND ON "BREAK IT DOWN," SOME MYTHS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS REGARDING SUICIDE AND MENTAL HEALTH.