Being above average height is a trait that is often looked upon fondly. Commonly attributed to super models and star athletes, tall stature is seemingly desired by all. But how do tall people feel about their height? Being tall definitely brings about its own set of adversities and annoyances not experienced by shorter citizens. Thea and Danielle, two women of above average height, sit down and share just how much their height has affected their lives. Impacting everything from shopping to romance, they reflect the ups and downsides to being tall.
Just off Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the seasonal Smorgasburg, Brooklyn’s premier outdoor food market, is back and features a wide variety of cuisines. For food vendors, the market offers a place to grow their businesses. Unlike many similar food festivals promoting the best chili sauce or pumpkin pie, Smorgasburg hand picks its seasonal candidates to create a diverse array of foods. According to the vendors, Smorgasburg’s vendor selection process permits a wide variety of food choices resulting in greater brand awareness. There is only one black and white cookie shop, one iced coffee stop, and even one pepper sauce tent featured at the popular festival, which means each product gets a chance to shine. In this video, three vendors explain how being at Smorgasburg has impacted their businesses.
http://youtu.be/DDoVRlJxcZw
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Members of the Manhattan Mayhem, one of eight member teams from the Gotham Girls Roller Derby League, are helping spearhead the recent revival of the sport of Roller Derby. This American-born competition, where games are won by getting designated players past the other team and around the length of the track, is seeing a resurgence in membership coinciding with a shift in the character of the sport. In its long road to legitimization, roller derby is transforming from theatrical camp to a sport looking to be taken seriously.
Women from all walks of life, both newcomers and 20-year veterans, meet several times a week to practice in rented warehouse space in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. Here, they experience competitive rule changes, a growing international community and recent equipment sponsorship deals, all of which comes hand in hand with the more serious ethos the sport is adopting. While not every member of the league is happy with the direction the sport is moving in, many find this move towards legitimization as an exciting trend in the sport they love.
https://vimeo.com/93413024
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Will Petz, the founder and CEO of QuietEvents, has coined the term “quiet clubbing.” His company has been holding “quiet” dance parties at clubs around the city for about two years. At a recent event at Croton Reservoir Tavern in midtown Manhattan, guests were given headphones upon entering. Three DJs were spinning tracks but the music could only be heard through the headphones. Guests could choose which of the three channels to listen to. There was no other music on in the club so the space was relatively quiet except for people conversing. At points in the evening, the club-goers sang along to their favorite songs. The headphones and other equipment used by QuietEvents are wireless so the noise level at their events is always at a speaking level. The club-goers are put in charge of their own night. They choose the station and volume, and have the option to take the headphones off and enjoy a conversation with out screaming over a thumping beat.
Carpe Donuts NYC is a donut food truck with a small menu that has been open for just over a year. This unique food truck that is ran by owner Andrew Bozzo faces difficulties like any other food truck.
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Street musician Johnny Marx goes through unusual lengths to bring his act to Madison Square Park. The gifted pianist has become a welcome sight to New Yorkers and tourists alike.
The 26 year old Marx has been playing in New York City Parks for a year and half. While growing up in Manhasset, Marx took lessons from the ages of 8 to 14. Currently residing in Astoria, the talented musician works as the house pianist at a country club in his native Long Island.
Here is a recently shot video of Marx performing in Madison Square Park.
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In New York City, a growing number of female barbers are facing skepticism, contemptuousness and in some cases, total rejection. Cassie Kurtz knows this struggle all too well.
Kurtz has looked to social media to find women like herself, including Emelia Bartashoff, another female barber in Cassie’s shoes. With an Instagram hashtag search of “Lady Barbers,” you’re instantly taken into “lady barber nation,” where barbers come together under the tag, “Lady Barbers Unite.”
https://vimeo.com/93412590
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Here’s a schedule so we’re all on the same page going forward.
Monday, April 28:
Bring to class a written pitch for your third and final story of the semester. I will go over them with you individually during class. Otherwise, you will all work on editing your second stories.
Wednesday, April 30:
This will be our final day of editing for story 2. Once done, you should post them to the blog with an appropriate headline, written intro and photo. We will begin screening the stories as they are completed.
EXTRA LAB TIME: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 at 5:30pm until whenever: I will be available for extra lab time for those students who need additional time to complete story 2.
Monday, May 5:
I’m working on lining up another guest speaker for this class.
Wednesday, May 7: Scripts for story 3 are due. We will use class time to edit scripts and to download files and organize files.
LAST WEEK OF SEMESTER: Monday, May 12, and Wednesday, May 14, will be devoted to producing and posting story 3. All stories should be completed by the final day of classes. I will schedule extra lab time that week as needed.
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As promised, I’m posting a more comprehensive list of multimedia tools that you can check out. Mostly they’re free, but there are a few paid platforms on the list: