October 15, 2014Written by JUAN RAMIREZ | Comments Off on Snowpiercer and the VOD conundrum
This past summer, Bong Joon-Ho’s dystopian sci-fi, action film Snowpiercer captured the imaginations of both mainstream audiences and art-house enthusiasts. The film’s combination of lush visuals and frantic action scenes alongside its very timely message about the socioeconomic battle between the haves and the haves not, made for a striking outing from the Korean director.
And yet, despite its financial and critical success (94 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes), the majority of the chatter surrounding Snowpiercer centered on the film’s very unorthodox release strategy.
Radius-TWC, a sub-division of the Weinstein Co. that specializes in Video on Demand platforms for independent films, distributed the film by releasing it on VOD just two weeks after its theatrical outing. This is obviously not unheard of. VOD has been a go-to release platform in order for independent films to reach a wider audience for quite some time.
Snowpiercer marked a change because the film has the look of your typical and formulaic Hollywood blockbuster. Of course the difference being that its budget was a fraction of the price of say one of the Marvel films.
The result was a success for Radius-TWC. Snowpiercer’s VOD gross was actually higher than its theatrical one. Dozens of think-pieces were written hailing this triumph. Some were calling VOD the smartest way of distribution in order for indie films to not get crowed by bigger films in the marketplace. Others were hinting that VOD is where the future of film viewing was heading anyways.
Tom Quinn, co-president of Radius-TWC, told Entertainment Weekly this past July that Snowpiercer is a “game-changer.”
Some have their doubts though. Derek Carter, general manager at the Angelika Film Center in New York, feels that the studio could have had a bigger financial success if it had released the film in a wider and traditional theatrical form.
“At its peak, Snowpiercer’s widest release was 356 theaters. In 101 days in release it made $4.5 million,” he says. “If they would had released it in at least a thousand screens that movie could had made $20 million”. Carter believes that the studio did not market the film in a proper way in terms of commercials and trailers. And in that point I have to concur. Most casual film-goers that I know had not even heard of the film until I showed them the trailer on YouTube. All of them had interest in seeing it afterwards.
Carter also argues that the studio did not have much faith in the film’s financial prospects, hence the VOD release. “I could hear the proverbial jaws drop when I reported to the studio representative the first-week sales returns. They were actually surprised that it was doing well,” he says. “Trust me, VOD killed this movie!”
Carter argues that the Weinstein Co. similarly “dumped” other films in its indie slate, including: The Immigrant, Tracks and The disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.
It’s hard to say if a wider theatrical release would have helped Snowpiercer’s box office numbers. Despite its thrilling action and heart-pounding fight scenes, the film is at its core a very cerebral and dark political allegory that likely would have not appealed to a mainstream summer crowd looking for escapism.
What is clear though, is that this debate on the merit of VOD is not going away.
Categories: Films · VOD
October 15, 2014Written by JUAN RAMIREZ | Comments Off on Snowpiercer and the VOD conundrum
This past summer, Bong Joon-Ho’s dystopian sci-fi, action film Snowpiercer captured the imaginations of both mainstream audiences and art-house enthusiasts. The film’s combination of lush visuals and frantic action scenes alongside its very timely message about the socioeconomic battle between the haves and the haves not, made for a striking outing from the Korean director.
And yet, despite its financial and critical success (94 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes), the majority of the chatter surrounding Snowpiercer centered on the film’s very unorthodox release strategy.
Radius-TWC, a sub-division of the Weinstein Co. that specializes in Video on Demand platforms for independent films, distributed the film by releasing it on VOD just two weeks after its theatrical outing. This is obviously not unheard of. VOD has been a go-to release platform in order for independent films to reach a wider audience for quite some time.
Snowpiercer marked a change because the film has the look of your typical and formulaic Hollywood blockbuster. Of course the difference being that its budget was a fraction of the price of say one of the Marvel films.
The result was a success for Radius-TWC. Snowpiercer’s VOD gross was actually higher than its theatrical one. Dozens of think-pieces were written hailing this triumph. Some were calling VOD the smartest way of distribution in order for indie films to not get crowed by bigger films in the marketplace. Others were hinting that VOD is where the future of film viewing was heading anyways.
Tom Quinn, co-president of Radius-TWC, told Entertainment Weekly this past July that Snowpiercer is a “game-changer.”
Some have their doubts though. Derek Carter, general manager at the Angelika Film Center in New York, feels that the studio could have had a bigger financial success if it had released the film in a wider and traditional theatrical form.
“At its peak, Snowpiercer’s widest release was 356 theaters. In 101 days in release it made $4.5 million,” he says. “If they would had released it in at least a thousand screens that movie could had made $20 million”. Carter believes that the studio did not market the film in a proper way in terms of commercials and trailers. And in that point I have to concur. Most casual film-goers that I know had not even heard of the film until I showed them the trailer on YouTube. All of them had interest in seeing it afterwards.
Carter also argues that the studio did not have much faith in the film’s financial prospects, hence the VOD release. “I could hear the proverbial jaws drop when I reported to the studio representative the first-week sales returns. They were actually surprised that it was doing well,” he says. “Trust me, VOD killed this movie!”
Carter argues that the Weinstein Co. similarly “dumped” other films in its indie slate, including: The Immigrant, Tracks and The disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.
It’s hard to say if a wider theatrical release would have helped Snowpiercer’s box office numbers. Despite its thrilling action and heart-pounding fight scenes, the film is at its core a very cerebral and dark political allegory that likely would have not appealed to a mainstream summer crowd looking for escapism.
What is clear though, is that this debate on the merit of VOD is not going away.
Categories: Films · VOD
October 15, 2014Written by MOLLY DENG | Comments Off on Made in America: What Does It Mean to be Asian American?
Has the Asian culture been uprooted when the first generation of Asians immigrated to the US? As Asian Americans, we brand ourselves with Asian roots blended with American culture but the average millennial New York Asian American is slowly losing touch with their cultural roots than earlier generations, a trend that writers have recently identified. Bloggers like Phil Yu, also known as the Angry Asian Man, rants about the blatant discrimination towards Asian American in everyday scenarios but what exactly does being Asian American entail? Marq Hwang shares his perspective of “What Does It Mean To Be Asian American?” in the Huffington Post, where he makes an interesting remark, about the Asian in Asian American.
To be Asian American, you start to realize that you put more and more of yourself in the American category, and you view the Asian as a slight spin, like Irish, Newyorican, German. … Your blood might have come from overseas, but your heart started beating here.
I dug a little deeper and I found an article in New York Magazine, “Paper Tigers” where Wesley Yang publicizes his scorn for the timid Asian culture. He sees a reflection that he can neither disclaim nor accept.
How do we celebrate our heritage with such limited knowledge of our culture? I interviewed several millennial Asian Americans around New York who seemed to lack knowledge of the culture but openly told me what it meant for them to be Asian.
Eva Law, Age 20, Brooklyn, Student at Baruch, Accounting Major
“Being Asian to me means believing that hard work will lead to results. It means celebrating Chinese New Year and being superstitious.”
Kelvin Kwong, Age 21, Queens, Student at Baruch, Accounting Major
“I don’t know what it means to be Asian American. For me, I guess it means excelling at math and majoring in Accounting.”
Stephanie Chen, Age 20, Brooklyn, Student at Baruch, Accounting Major
“Being Asian means having high expectations from my parents, my grandparents, especially as a first generation American.”
Sean Chee, Age 19, Queens, Student at Baruch, Psychology Major
“I’m proud to be Chinese American. As humans, it is natural to want to fit in and when I was a child. I used to be bullied because I was fat. It was easier for me to talk to other Chinese kids because we have similar lifestyles. As I got older, I learned to be more open. From my identity, I was able to be the person I am today, someone of sociability and open-mindedness.”
Tin Lee, Age 20, Brooklyn, Student at Hunter, English Major
“What makes me Asian is my ability to speak Chinese, however limited, still opens a lot of doors for me.”
Categories: Fortune Cookie Moment · On The Other Side of the World · Spotlight · What's Happening in Baruch · What's Happening in Chinatown
October 15, 2014Written by MOLLY DENG | Comments Off on Made in America
Has the Asian culture been uprooted when the first generation of Asians immigrated to the US? As Asian Americans, we brand ourselves with Asian roots blended with American culture but the average millennial New York Asian American is slowly losing touch with their cultural roots than earlier generations, a trend that writers have recently identified. Bloggers like Phil Yu, also known as the Angry Asian Man, rants about the blatant discrimination towards Asian American in everyday scenarios but what exactly does being Asian American entail? Marq Hwang shares his perspective of “What Does It Mean To Be Asian American?” in the Huffington Post, where he makes an interesting remark, about the Asian in Asian American.
To be Asian American, you start to realize that you put more and more of yourself in the American category, and you view the Asian as a slight spin, like Irish, Newyorican, German. … Your blood might have come from overseas, but your heart started beating here.
I dug a little deeper and I found an article in New York Magazine, “Paper Tigers” where Wesley Yang publicizes his scorn for the timid Asian culture. He sees a reflection that he can neither disclaim nor accept.
How do we celebrate our heritage with such limited knowledge of our culture? I interviewed several millennial Asian Americans around New York who seemed to lack knowledge of the culture but openly told me what it meant for them to be Asian.
Eva Law, Age 20, Brooklyn, Student at Baruch, Accounting Major
“Being Asian to me means believing that hard work will lead to results. It means celebrating Chinese New Year and being superstitious.”
Kelvin Kwong, Age 21, Queens, Student at Baruch, Accounting Major
“I don’t know what it means to be Asian American. For me, I guess it means excelling at math and majoring in Accounting.”
Stephanie Chen, Age 20, Brooklyn, Student at Baruch, Accounting Major
“Being Asian means having high expectations from my parents, my grandparents, especially as a first generation American.”
Sean Chee, Age 19, Queens, Student at Baruch, Psychology Major
“I’m proud to be Chinese American. As humans, it is natural to want to fit in and when I was a child. I used to be bullied because I was fat. It was easier for me to talk to other Chinese kids because we have similar lifestyles. As I got older, I learned to be more open. From my identity, I was able to be the person I am today, someone of sociability and open-mindedness.”
Tin Lee, Age 20, Brooklyn, Student at Hunter, English Major
“What makes me Asian is my ability to speak Chinese, however limited, still opens a lot of doors for me.”
Categories: Fortune Cookie Moment · On The Other Side of the World · Spotlight · What's Happening in Baruch · What's Happening in Chinatown
October 15, 2014Written by freddy.cicchetti | Comments Off on Does Film Analysis Work For Youth Hockey?
You’ve heard it before, the responses often short, from winners and losers in post-game interviews, coaches do not hold immediate answers. Hockey is simple; it’s a game of mistakes. Nothing represents the final on-ice product more accurately than the game-film.
Continue reading for game footage access.
Professional coaches, videographers and trainers will exhaust all their resources to dissect what’s dubbed “the tale of the tape.” While game-film analysis and its usefulness are obvious in many sports, a finer, more instructional approach to serve youth hockey players is quite foreign for novice coaches. The challenge however is no deterrent for Junior Freeport Arrows head coach Chris Hogan.
“I think it can be useful, and it can also be overkill,” said Hogan, who believes sports psychology plays a crucial role in the amount of video content he is willing to expose to his team. At this point in Freeport’s young season, Hogan is more focused on raising players’ confidence. He explained that a happy medium between game-film exposure and a players’ unique belief in their own skill set is important.
Hogan is striving for the approach, of less thinking on the ice, translating into natural on-ice poise for his group.
“I can sit there with the boys, critique every little thing and for me it’s wasteful, I need the boys to not think as much, play high-paced and have more killer instinct in their game,” Hogan said.
In his ninth year with Freeport the bench boss, who has a reputation for an intense, passionate coaching style, has retained the position with great success. State and national championship banners hang from the Freeport bubble-like facility where junior players are molded into hopeful collegiate ice hockey players.
Hogan has used video on-and-off in his time as head coach and believes all players do have the ability to benefit from the tape in some way. “I think if used correctly this will be a great advantage for my team and the correct coaching process.” Hogan expressed his desire for less full-game video sessions, as he would prefer shorter, packaged content.
“Maybe four to six shifts, some of what you liked, and areas where we need improvement” which he believes will stop boredom, preventing players from sitting through hours of video.
The Product
The 18-and-under Freeport Arrows took to the ice last Saturday for an exhibition contest with the junior Bronxville Hawks. As a former Arrow under Hogan and part-time youth coach, with some novice video camera experience, Hogan agreed to let me work with his team as a videographer.
So, we inevitability discussed the product, the game video, during a two hour phone call. Making a quicker first pass, immediate foot movement on puck retrieval-plays, and the most basic “shoot the puck” frustrations of the Bronxville game were among the focal points.
One short video clip attached to this post is a simple three-on-two that deserves a more favorable outcome. “Just shoot the puck”, every coach, player or fan has admittedly used the common phrase, with frustration and wonderment, as a team’s collective stickhandle skills and passing quickly becomes their kryptonite on the scoreboard.
This week Coach Hogan and I will meet to discuss the short four-minute package I compiled, hopefully our discussion points align. Hogan is exited for the opportunity, “This will only help in providing more discrete, concrete feedback for the guys.” Hogan believes time-management; clip quality over quantity and the proper instructional methods will be instrumental in easing his players into this process.
Here is the game-film shortly packaged:
https://vimeo.com/108181311
Categories: Off-Ice · On Ice · Sports Psychology
October 15, 2014Written by freddy.cicchetti | Comments Off on Does Film Analysis Work For Youth Hockey?
You’ve heard it before, from winners and losers in post-game interviews, coaches do not hold immediate answers. Hockey is simple; it’s a game of mistakes. Nothing represents the final on-ice product more accurately than the game-film.
Professional coaches, videographers and trainers will exhaust all their resources to dissect every second of the tape. While advanced game-film analysis and its usefulness are obvious in many sports, a finer, more instructional approach to better serve youth hockey players is a foreign obstacle for novice coaches. The challenge however is no deterrent for Junior Freeport Arrows head coach Chris Hogan.
“I think it can be useful, and it can also be overkill,” said Hogan, who believes sports psychology plays a crucial role in the amount of video content he is willing to expose to his team. At this point in Freeport’s young season, Hogan is more focused on raising players’ confidence. He explained that a happy medium between game-film exposure and a players’ unique belief in their own skill set is important.
Hogan is striving for the approach, of less thinking on the ice, translating into natural on-ice poise for his group.
“I can sit there with the boys, critique every little thing and for me it’s wasteful, I need the boys to not think as much, play high-paced and have more killer instinct in their game,” Hogan said.
In his ninth year with Freeport the bench boss, who has a reputation for an intense, passionate coaching style, has retained the position with great success. State and national championship banners hang from the Freeport bubble-like facility where junior players are molded into hopeful collegiate ice hockey players.
Hogan has used video on-and-off in his time as head coach and believes all players do have the ability to benefit from the tape in some way. “I think if used correctly this will be a great advantage for my team and the correct coaching process.” Hogan expressed his desire for less full-game video sessions, as he would prefer shorter, packaged content.
“Maybe four to six shifts, some of what you liked, and areas where we need improvement” which he believes will stop boredom, preventing players from sitting through hours of video.
The Product
The 18-and-under Freeport Arrows took to the ice last Saturday for an exhibition contest with the junior Bronxville Hawks. As a former Arrow under Hogan and part-time youth coach, with some novice video camera experience, Hogan agreed to let me work with his team as a videographer.
So, we inevitability discussed the product, the game video, during a two hour phone call. Making a quicker first pass, immediate foot movement on puck retrieval-plays, and the most basic “shoot the puck” frustrations of the Bronxville game were among the focal points.
One short video clip attached to this post is a simple three-on-two that deserves a more favorable outcome. “Just shoot the puck”, every coach, player or fan has admittedly used the common phrase, with frustration and wonderment, as a team’s collective stickhandle skills and passing quickly becomes their kryptonite on the scoreboard.
This week Coach Hogan and I will meet to discuss the short four-minute package I compiled, hopefully our discussion points align. Hogan is exited for the opportunity, “This will only help in providing more discrete, concrete feedback for the guys.” Hogan believes time-management; clip quality over quantity and the proper instructional methods will be instrumental in easing his players into this process.
Here is the game-film shortly packaged:
https://vimeo.com/108181311
Categories: Uncategorized
October 15, 2014Written by Diana Kozak | Comments Off on Mission Statement + Editorial Plan
Mission Statement
My blog will be a fashion and beauty lifestyle blog. As this is a very broad topic, I have narrowed it down to a few specifics. For the fashion portion, my blog will include photos, advice articles, interviews targeted toward women in their twenties whom are in a similar place in their lives as I am. What I mean by this is I will write about fashion geared toward women in the early stages of their careers, ones that are transitioning from school to work life, ones that are interviewing for their first jobs or internships and ones that are on a limited budget. As for the beauty portion of my blog, I plan to include reviews of new makeup line launches, but I would also like to include a segment in which I review products from NYC based small brands. I would also like to interview experts in the field about trends and tips for the current season. As for the lifestyle portion I would love to write about my personal experiences with internships, working in PR for beauty brands, my search for my first job, my experience searching for my first apartment, tips etc.
The internet, is already saturated with fashion blogs, but I believe what sets mine apart is the target audience. My blog will not feature clothing items that are dramatically out of the price range for twenty-something year old women, as many do. However, I also plan on writing about career advice. I would love to learn as I go along and interview women and professionals that are more experienced than I am. My hope is that young women find my blog as a source for all things related to twenty-something life in New York City. The photos will be original, usually of me. It will include advice along with tips from someone experiencing all of the same life changes that most young women experience in their twenties. The blog will be heavily based on NYC life as I am experiencing these things in this city.
I was inspired by very many blogs that I read on a daily basis but the one that truly represents the niche blog that I am proposing is called KatiesBliss.com. This is a blog very similar to the one I plan to start. The blog posts are split into three main section. Beauty, Fashion and Life. This is what I plan to do as well. What I most enjoy about this blog is the very specific style. The blog feels informal, almost as if I am getting advice from a friend. The advice about life and career choices is also very real and not as formal as some I might read in a magazine. The clothing items posted are always age appropriate, well styled and always in the same style. The photos on the blog are clear, colorful and well edited. The format and design of the blog is clean, simplistic but also a bit feminine. This is exactly the look I would like my blog to have. I have found a few other blogs also written by girls working in PR on the subject of beauty, fashion and career advice but this one sticks out to me, because of the quality and voice.
What I hope makes my blog different from this one is features that she does not include. I have read many books of the subjects of public relations, starting a career as well as the beauty industry. I would love to write a few reviews on these books as well as summarize their main points. I would also like to include listicles, some examples might be “10 Items That Will Make a PR Girls Life Easier” or “How To Spot a PR Girl In The Wild”, “My favorite PR movies”, “My favorite PR girl twitter accounts” I would also like to profile makeup artists, small business owners working in PR, beauty and fashion. In an ideal world, I would include one post about career, one about beauty and one about fashion everyday or find a way to find all three or two out of three into one article every day.
As my blog is in the features category, it will not cover serious causes or events. The purpose is mainly to entertain. It is will also inform and provide a platform for discussion about the topics related to my posts. My other blog when it comes to this blog is to use it as a way to display my writing and learn how to become a better writer. I believe putting my work online, for all to see will inspire me to pay closer attention to my grammar, writing style and develop a personal voice. I am interested in a career in beauty product public relations, which involves plenty of writing. What better way to prove to my future employers that I am able to write about beauty and fashion than by being able to show proof of hundreds of posts? This will also showcase my interests in beauty brands.
Editorial Plan
Types of content
Frequency:
In an ideal world, I would post to my blog daily. 2-3 varied posts a day would be perfect. But, I am going to be realistic and shoot for 2x a week to begin.
Time:
I envision that it will take at least a few days to create one post. I have never blogged before but I imagine that taking photos, editing them, writing a post, editing it, gathering interviews and quotes does take at least a few days.
Post Ideas:
-How to get your first internship
-Mistakes twenty-something girls frequently make in the office
-What to wear to a PR job interview
-The perfect interview makeup look
-10 books every PR student should read
-Internship survival guide
-How to make fall fashion trends work appropriate
Interviews:
-Makeup artists
-PR Professionals
-PR Interns
-Fashion designers
Multimedia:
I plan on including original photos that I have taken, as well as YouTube video both original and unoriginal.
Social Media:
I would like to create social media accounts specifically dedicated to my blog. I would like to create an Instagram account, Twitter handle and Facebook account with the same username/handle as the name of my blog. I will use these accounts to supplement my blog posts.
Categories: Fashion
Tagged: Beauty, Fashion, Public Relations
October 15, 2014Written by dp091190 | Comments Off on How did the media coverage of the Ray Rice scandal influence the public’s perception of domestic violence?
It seems as if the moment that TMZ released the second video relating to the Ray Rice case, the public was able to fully grasp the story.
Back in February of 2014, when the story first leaked it was destined for mainstream media attention and here we are EIGHT months later it still sits atop; with Rice’s hearing on his suspension appeal tentatively set for early November, as reported by NFL Media Insider
Ian Rapoport.
All in all sports is a reflection of the media, and the media is a reflection of society. Whatever happens in the sports world can have effects on everyone not just fans. After reviewing the
timeline on the Ray Rice case provided by ESPN.COM, one can easily tell that the media was a crucial part of the story from the start, but the media can’t tell why some viewers to ignore the issue of domestic violence until actions were actually able to be seen.
When the story was first released it came with a video of Rice dragging his then fiancé out of the elevator. It was scripted that he assaulted her causing her to fall, but many chose to speculate and think otherwise. Not just the fans but even the Baltimore Ravens. The organization did not cut him at the time portraying the idea that they had forgave Rice and didn’t fully believe that he assaulted her. The fans and in essence the public took this as a sign that the incident wasn’t that big of a deal and decided to cheer on Ray Rice during practice and preseason.
However once the second video was released and the public was able to see the actual left hook that was delivered by Rice; their opinions quickly shifted. There was a complete uproar that day whether it was by the news stations or social media, everyone was in complete shock and disbelief. It was as if they never read the story in which practically worded out the actions seen in the video.
The power of the media was shown here to a full extent. A video of the most popular story at the time had surfaced and now all of sudden everyone was able to understand it. Most importantly though, the media here was able to bring the ethical issue of domestic violence to light. The people now were so interested in the issue and they called for actions to prevent it. Particularly in the NFL, when the media caused for the public to want the league to deliver more harsh punishments in reference to the issue.
The public’s perception of domestic violence was greatly influenced by the media. In this case it was a good thing as it created awareness and made a call for help. The media was able to define an issue that exists in everyday society and highlight it so that anyone can understand. The power of video is the main strength of the media and in the Ray Rice scenario, the influence created can help prevent fewer domestic violence acts.
Keep reading →
Categories: Domestic Violence · Media · NFL · Scandal
October 15, 2014Written by dp091190 | Comments Off on How did the media coverage of the Ray Rice scandal influence the public’s perception of domestic violence?
It seems as if the moment that TMZ released the second video relating to the Ray Rice case, the public was able to fully grasp the story.
Back in February of 2014, when the story first leaked it was destined for mainstream media attention and here we are EIGHT months later it still sits atop; with Rice’s hearing on his suspension appeal tentatively set for early November, as reported by NFL Media Insider
Ian Rapoport.
All in all sports is a reflection of the media, and the media is a reflection of society. Whatever happens in the sports world can have effects on everyone not just fans. After reviewing the
timeline on the Ray Rice case provided by ESPN.COM, one can easily tell that the media was a crucial part of the story from the start, but the media can’t tell why some viewers to ignore the issue of domestic violence until actions were actually able to be seen.
When the story was first released it came with a video of Rice dragging his then fiancé out of the elevator. It was scripted that he assaulted her causing her to fall, but many chose to speculate and think otherwise. Not just the fans but even the Baltimore Ravens. The organization did not cut him at the time portraying the idea that they had forgave Rice and didn’t fully believe that he assaulted her. The fans and in essence the public took this as a sign that the incident wasn’t that big of a deal and decided to cheer on Ray Rice during practice and preseason.
However once the second video was released and the public was able to see the actual left hook that was delivered by Rice; their opinions quickly shifted. There was a complete uproar that day whether it was by the news stations or social media, everyone was in complete shock and disbelief. It was as if they never read the story in which practically worded out the actions seen in the video.
The power of the media was shown here to a full extent. A video of the most popular story at the time had surfaced and now all of sudden everyone was able to understand it. Most importantly though, the media here was able to bring the ethical issue of domestic violence to light. The people now were so interested in the issue and they called for actions to prevent it. Particularly in the NFL, when the media caused for the public to want the league to deliver more harsh punishments in reference to the issue.
The public’s perception of domestic violence was greatly influenced by the media. In this case it was a good thing as it created awareness and made a call for help. The media was able to define an issue that exists in everyday society and highlight it so that anyone can understand. The power of video is the main strength of the media and in the Ray Rice scenario, the influence created can help prevent fewer domestic violence acts.
Keep reading →
Categories: Domestic Violence · Media · NFL · Scandal
October 12, 2014Written by nicole lockwood | Comments Off on ASPCA Mobile Events Promote Adoption in Stuyvesant Town
“I went out today to go shopping but I didn’t expect to be bringing home a cat instead of a pair of shoes,” said Evelyn James, 28, who lives in Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan.
This was the beginning of an exciting conversation I shared with James one afternoon as we stood beside an ASPCA van at one of their mobile adoption events. As an animal lover myself, and someone who was raised by a family that has adopted several dogs over the years, I was intrigued by James’ decision to adopt that day.
I met James, who currently has no pets and had no intentions of getting one in the near future, while walking to Starbucks one recent afternoon. I noticed a group of people huddled around an orange van on the corner of First Avenue and East 18th Street. Out of curiosity I decided to take a look at what was going on, and as I drew nearer I could see that branded across the side of the van were the letters “ASPCA.” Better yet, the van was filled with cats and kittens, all of which were up for adoption by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“I hope my boyfriend isn’t allergic to cats,” she said with a chuckle. James explained that while growing up, her family always had a cat in the home. Since moving out of the house, she always felt her apartment was lacking something without a furry friend to come home to.
An orange Tabby cat that was adopted at the mobile adoption event.
Thanks to an impulse decision, this little guy will finally have a home for the first time. The two-year-old Tabby mix has known nothing but a life of neglect and abandonment.
“He was found on a street in the Bronx, with matted fur and bones sticking out,” explained Dan Rizzo, an ASPCA volunteer working at the pop-up adoption van. “We believe he probably belonged to someone at some point because he seemed pretty comfortable around people and his nails looked like they hadn’t been clipped too long ago.”
Pet adoption is a process that benefits both the animals being rescued, as well as the adopters themselves. Despite the large amount of dogs, cats, and other animals that live in shelters and need to go home to a loving family, many people continue to buy animals from pet stores. It is my hope that by promoting the mobile adoption events that the ASPCA holds, people will become curious about adoption and feel compelled to take further action.
The ASPCA has several of these “mobile adoption events” throughout the city, which have so far been a great success. All of the pets presented are spayed and neutered, up-to-date on vaccinations, and micro chipped.
“It’s one thing to look at pictures of the cats and dogs we have up for adoption on our website, but it’s a completely different story when a person sees an animal in person and can’t help but fall in love,” Rizzo said.
The van was surrounded by men, women, and children of all ages. Most people looking through the glass at the available cats were people simply admiring the tiny kittens, yet there were a few interested people who were interested in either adopting one of the cats within the van, or another cat that the ASPCA has available at the main headquarters at 424 East 92nd Street. People stood around the van and observed these cats and kittens, which ranged in size, color, age, and breed.
According to national estimates released by the ASPCA, 41 percent of cats, and 31 percent of dogs, entering shelters are eventually euthanized, so the ASPCA strongly advocates the spaying or neutering of pets. Besides just having mobile adoption events, they also offer low cost spaying and neutering services at several of their mobile clinics throughout the five boroughs.
It warmed my heart to watch Evelyn hold her new cat for the first time with a smile from ear to ear. Finding this ASPCA van was an unexpected, but gratifying, detour. Eventually I did make it to Starbucks after a few minutes of obsessing over the kittens and considering how mad my roommates would be if I actually brought one home. Kittens and coffee… not a bad way to begin my day.
My very satisfying hazelnut iced coffee. Apparently my name is not Nicole… It’s Michol.
Contact the ASPCA Adoption Center:
424 East 92nd Street
New York, NY 10128
www.aspca.org
(212) 876-7700 ext. 4120
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Saturday: 11am-7pm
Sunday: 11am-6pm
Categories: adoption · ASPCA · Cats · First Time Adopters · pet · rescue · Shelters
