Author: a.aiken

When you walk outside of Madison Square Garden into this windy 7:00 PM air, filled with rowdy Knicks fans pouring in the arena with orange, blue and white colors on, it is a Knicks wonderland. It is 19,812 fans ripping off the Spike Lee fashion line that thankfully, does not really exist. It is not until you find a way to blend blue and orange with everything and walk around Manhattan with no shame, where you can really say you are a New York Knicks fan.

However, this night is not a moment to cherish because of the New York Knicks. After all, the lights outside of the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena’ should look quite unfamiliar for most Knicks fans. There is no orange and no blue being highlighted for team spirit tonight. All you see is the color purple.

No, this is not an ode to the Steven Spielberg movie with Whoopi Goldberg because there is only room for one director at Madison Square Garden and that is Spike Lee. Sit down Spike, I got you covered.  The color purple means something much more to the Garden.

It is something you can’t recite in the lyrics to Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York, or Jay Z’s Empire State of Mind, and definitely not Nas’ N.Y. State of Mind because, you know, the company’s slogan is not ‘be having dreams that I’m a gangsta,’ although that line is a classic New York rap line. It is a dream that a Knicks fan can’t dream of but can help manifest for others in need through, the Garden of Dreams.

“The Garden of Dreams foundation is a non profit charity that makes dreams come true for thousands of children facing obstacles each year. The Madison Square Garden company has granted wishes and opportunities year after year,” says Daniel Armstrong, a Madison Square Garden Employee.

This non-profit organization works with 25 partner organizations throughout the New York tri-state area. In order to reach the children, who could face obstacles like poverty, illness, homelessness or foster care,  the foundation would work with hospitals, community-based organizations, and wish organizations.

Since 2006, the ‘Garden of Dreams’ foundation has created once-in-a-lifetime moments and experiences for more than 275,000 children in need including their families.

The foundation is most proud of the 500+ events they have a year for the foundation, include the Garden of Dreams fashion show, the annual talent show at Radio City Music Hall, and the prom in theater at Madison Square Garden. Most notably, there are toy and coat drives, turkey drives during the Thanksgiving with the either the New York Knicks or New York Rangers helping out, and the ‘Make a Dream Come True’ program.

Madison Square Garden recently had $1.1 billion transformation to make the arena the magical place it is today. Now, the company expanded its legs through the Garden of Dreams foundation by rejuvenating places like neighborhood playgrounds. Last but not least, they even included scholarship and internship opportunities to high school seniors apart of the foundation’s partnered organizations.

One employee at Madison Square Garden, Jacob Moser, 21, helped grant a kid’s wish to be in the New York Knicks locker room and on the court. The kid’s name is Michael. Michael is a teen from the Make-a-wish Metro NY who received an invite to Madison Square Garden to meet Derrick Rose. He ended not only meeting Rose, but Jacob, the tour guide at the Garden who showed him around.

Jacob said, “I can’t lie. That was awesome. Everyone is congratulating me. Apparently I was on TV which is cool. But nothing beats showing this kid the Knicks locker room. I don’t think anyone has appreciated my tour more than him.” After the tour, Michael became an honorary Knick and warmed up with the team before the night’s game.

The Garden of Dreams foundation also opened fundraiser lines at MSG networks to raise money. The fans would have opportunity to win tickets, autographed basketballs, hockey sticks and player’s jerseys as well. Dave, a Radio City Musical Hall employee says, “The thing I love most about being apart of the fundraiser lines is I have real fans call to receive the memorabilia. Sports fans aren’t known to be the most generous people ever. But these fans really care.”

A New York Knicks lower bowl season ticket holder, Rovin, has a Knicks collection like no other through bids, a little bit of luck, and the garden of dreams. “I collect things like old hall of famers’ Knicks jerseys. Autographed basketballs. The Garden of Dreams definitely makes that possible. My apartment is pretty much a Knicks museum at this point.”

Larry Johnson, known for being on the Knicks and pulling off the 4-point play,  granted a wish to everyone by meeting fans at the Garden and the kids in need at the Empire State Building. Larry Johnson shares with MSG Networks, “You know, it was my first time in the Empire State Building. So the youngsters and to see them, how excited they were, messing with them, talking to them. I enjoyed it. It was fun. Garden of Dreams, it is a great thing we are doing. I’m just soaking up the moment.”

March 28 of next year, will be a special day for the charity. Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, John Oliver, Leslie Jones and many more will team up for the Garden of Laughs in theater at Madison Square Garden. Obviously, that is a lot of funny on one stage. Besides, they spend a lot of time joking on the court side seats of a Knicks game anyway, it is great they’ll use these laughs to benefit lives and the Madison Square Garden Company.

The most recent event was the Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Musical in theater at Madison Square Garden that some of the kids attended and were apart of. Employees at the Garden, during the day, also came together to make fleece blankets and pillows. So, it may be the end of the Garden of Dream’s week at Madison Square Garden, but it is sure not the last you’ll here of it.

The Worst Kind of Miracle

This news story, “The Worst Kind of Miracle,” follows Charcandrick West, a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, and the obstacle he faced to achieve his dreams. The article wastes no time detailing the nightmare that led to his miracle. It is like a movie. He begins the article with, “My body was on fire,” and gives you about 75% of the climax, but leaves an important 25% of it out to add suspense. As a reader, with no context at all, you are interested in why his body was on fire. After beginning the article with a scene setter, West flashbacks to his high school years and shares the rest of his story in chronological order.

Nassau Coliseum has been Long Island’s home arena since 1972. A lot of New Yorkers have described the venue as a dump and with the arrival of the Barclay Center in Brooklyn and Madison Square Garden’s billion dollar transformation debuting in 2013, many questioned if this would be the end of the Nassau Coliseum. The New York Islanders relocating from Long Island to play hockey in Brooklyn has been the driving downhill force of the coliseum. Luckily for Long Islanders, it recently underwent a long overdue $130 million renovation and will open with Billy Joel followed by the Harlem Globetrotters in April of 2017.

I hope to interview someone involved in the renovation. I also have contact with people that work for Madison Square Garden and Barclay Center and look to see how they feel about the venues reemergence. Billy Joel does perform at the Garden for his 80th show on November 21st and I will be around the arena to ask some of his staff what to look forward to when they head to Billy Joel’s home arena in April. Lastly, I’ll interview people from my hometown in Long Island to see how they feel about the recent transformation.

“I think the Clevelend Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers will make the NBA finals,” says Junior Martinez. “Although it’s early in the NBA season, I think that someone will steal the Golden State Warriors’ shine the same way the Mavericks stole the Heat’s shine. Warriors will not make the finals.”

The opinion piece above is titled “Shakespeare Explains the 2016 Election”  by Stephen Greenblatt of The New York Times. I think what makes this piece so interesting is that the writer did not once mention Trump’s name but you know the message he is trying to get across by reviewing Shakespeare’s “Richard III” to give his opinion on what is taking place in this year’s election.

I always enjoy profiles on music artists because the music artists themselves already give so much of who they are in their albums, so if a writer can give more knowledge to the reader than the artist themselves, I think it is worth the read. “A Young Biracial Rapper From DC Is the Next Big Thing” is the title of an informative profile sharing the rapper Logic’s story from childhood to his recent rise to stardom.

To summarize, Logic is a biracial rapper that looks white. He has a troubled background involving gangs, drugs and racism, however, he does not glorify those topics in his music. Instead, Logic has been implementing Sci-Fi themes in his hip hop album concepts, has described himself as the nerd of hip hop, likes to play the Rubik’s Cube while rapping and of course, loves the art of rapping. I feel like the profile does a good job of blending Logic’s troubling and tough past that is similar to a lot of rappers, with his newfound fame and persona that some hip hop fans find hard to connect with.

A Young Biracial Rapper From DC Is the Next Big Thing

Although most of the performances at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards were performed inside the arena, Madison Square Garden, one performance that stuck out was Nick Jonas’ and Ty Dolla Signs’ ‘Bacon’ in this diner called “Tick Tock Diner” located on 481 8th Ave, New York, NY 10001 near the Garden. As a Madison Square Garden employee, me and other tour guides had never heard of this diner located outside of the Garden until the VMAs on August 28th, so I would like to explore that, interview the customers and workers at the diner to see if the VMAs helped the Diner grow customers. I would also like to know how the idea came about. The song Nick Jonas performed was called Bacon so I’m sure it has something to do with that. I interviewed some Madison Square Garden employees and mostly none have been to the diner nor heard of it.

2nd pitch: (possibly)

Players and social activism

A lot of people have been talking about Colin Kaepernick sitting down during the national anthem and bringing attention to police brutality. I want to focus a story on Carmelo Anthony who is very vocal on these social issues. I’m interested in interviewing security guards at Madison Square Garden, some of them former cops, and get their take on Carmelo Anthony bringing light to this subject during Knicks games this upcoming season. I also want to interview fans of the Knicks and get their take. I do have the access to make the story interesting but the only way the story would work is if I can get the interviews with the security guards which could be tough.